We left home on September 2 and returned to sleep in our big bed on January 15. We're so grateful to have traveled so many miles without a serious mishap. So pleased to learn that we still have faith in the humanity of our fellow Americans. So here's a recap of some interesting statistics. Well, we think they're interesting! Thank you all for following along on our Grand Tour. We had a great time, didn't we?
Total Miles Traveled: 17,224
Least Miles Traveled in a Day: 47 from St. Ignace near Mackinac Island to Petosky, Michigan
Most Miles Traveled in a Day: 421 from San Antonio to Big Bend National Park, Texas
Worst Roads: New York and South Carolina
Best Roads: Texas and Oregon
Worst Drivers: Massachusetts
Best Drivers: Virginia and Texas
Most Expensive Diesel: $4.54 in Kettle Falls, North Eastern Washington on September 7, 2008
Least Expensive Diesel: $1.99 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on November 12 (no wonder I LOVE Myrtle Beach!)
Average Price of Diesel: $3.20
We were truly lucky with our weather! We had some serious thunder and lightning, but usually during the night.
Sunny: 86 Days
Rainy: 15 Days
Gloomy: 24 Days
Snowy: 4 Days
We had set a goal to average $20 per night for our lodging. Thanks to our family and friends who allowed us to stay on their property or in their gutters, we averaged $21 per night. Here's a wrap-up of where we stayed:
State Parks: 13
National Parks: 14
National Forests: 4
City/County Parks: 4
Private Parks: 61
Elks Lodges: 15
Wal Marts: 5
Family/Friends: 17
Several places we stayed were free, but our most expensive was $57 at Buellton, California. But we didn't care. We were both sick and anxious to stop and sleep!
Wild animals we saw:
Chipmunks (well...they're not so wild), Deer, Pronghorn Antelope, Elk, Bighorn Sheep, Bison, Prairie Dogs, Squirrels, Burros, Moose, Marmot, Bunnies, Armadillos, Coyote, Grey Foxes, Javelina, Muskrat.
Birds we saw:
Crows, Great Blue Herons, Egrets, Shorebirds, Goldfinches, Quail, Robins, Blackbirds, Ducks, Geese, Starlings, Osprey, Golden Eagle, Bluebirds, Jays, Cardinals, Sandhill Cranes, Swans, Ravens, Hawks, Wild Turkeys, Grouse, Pheasant, Turkey Vultures, Doves, Peregrine Falcons, Snow Geese, Bald Eagles and probably more I don't recall.
While traveling, we made note of hundreds of items to Google in order to learn even more. So, we'll be busy with that when we're finished cleaning the truck camper and getting it ready to sell.
And we absolutely loved many places for various reasons: Grand Tetons, Wyoming; Pend O'Reille, Idaho; Black Hills, South Dakota; Door County, Wisconsin; Petosky, Michigan; the area north of Niagara, New York; Belfast, Maine; Newport, Rhode Island; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; Sullivan's Island, South Carolina; Saint Augustine, Florida; Sanibel Island, Florida (although we didn't go there on this trip); Destin, Florida; Fredericksburg, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; Bosque del Apache Wildlife Preserve, New Mexico; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Coronado, California; Morro Bay, California; California, Oregon, and Washington Coastline. Anyone ready to go again?!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Heading Home
What a lovely holiday season we had seeing all of you!
Matthew & Laura's three sons introduced us to Wii games where Zachary excelled at Guitar Hero, Nathan at boxing, and little Benjamin at bowling. Thanks so much for sharing...I think. Now Clint's all hepped to get a Wii game instead of going to the YMCA! HA
My niece and her family entertained us for an afternoon and evening with games of Chutes & Ladders, CandyLand, and, I think, Cherry Oh. It was such a treat for me as I don't recall having played those games in about 50 years! And my great-nephew's pet budgie, Bingo, kept me company. Makes me want to have a bird again, but I don't think Zorro and Chaplin would accommodate one... We had a great dinner with them and miss them so much already! From there, we spent some time at the harbor in Oceanside. It sure is developed since my days sailing into that harbor--one time with a California grey whale swimming in tandem with the boat to reach safe harbor during a storm!
We camped at Santee Lakes, somewhat inland in San Diego County, where we got to spend some time with my nephew, Brian, his wife, Denise, and their sons, 3-year-old Andrew and 1-year-old Carson. They also came to my sister's house for Christmas Day. That Andrew is such a blur of activity that I realized I didn't know what he really looked like until I saw a recent photo of him on my sister's wall! HA
Christmas with my family was just lovely. Maureen and Jess provided a great brunch for everyone, including rowdy, engaging nephew, Brett, who gave me an interesting book, "California Coast Trails" by J. Smeaton Chase. The book was written in 1911 by an Englishman who rode horseback from San Diego to the Oregon border. I know intimately each and every canyon, beach, and redwood forest about which he wrote so eloquently. I heartily recommend it to anyone with a love of the California coast. In many ways, California hasn't changed one bit...
We could have stayed in sunny San Diego for many more months, but we really do need to get home! So, we hit the road to our beloved Morro Bay where we camped on the beach and visited so many of our dear friends, stayed with John & Devon in Paso Robles for New Year's, and then had a final hurrah at Ginny & Bob's in Grover Beach before heading up Highway One. Thank you ALL for accommodating us on such short notice. We spent time with Cindee & Larry, Mary Ann & Orry, Kimberli & Doug, Marge & Mark, Dexters, Debbie, Kay, & Nancy, Annie, Sue, Barbara, Theresa & Bob. We love you all and hope to see you soon!
We so enjoyed both San Diego and Morro Bay this winter that we've made reservations to return to the beach at Morro Bay from mid-January to mid-February 2010 and to San Diego's Mission Bay from mid-February to mid-March. I hope our friends and family won't get sick of us! I guess we'll be snowbirds next winter, too!
One would never know that we're traveling the coast in winter. The sun has followed us the entire way and has reflected on the ocean so that it just glistens. Highway One is a winding, somewhat treacherous sliver of asphalt that hugs the coast's every twist and turn. We visited the elephant seals just north of San Simeon, drooled over houses hanging over the cliffs in Carmel, watched parasailers off the coast of Monterey, strolled the Victorian town of Ferndale, walked among the redwoods near Trinidad, and, best of all, watched the little foxes as they scurried around the campground at Patrick's Point State Park. The photo of the foxes is a bit grainy as we were both inside the camper looking through our steamed-up galley window. I held the big flashlight on them while Clint shot them with our camera set at iso 3200. So, we're thrilled to have a photo at all! Foxes are so elusive. They're one natural element I've rarely seen.
This evening, as we headed for our campsite in Lincoln City, Oregon, we found the fog was accumulating for the night. Good thing we're late sleepers as that will give the fog time to dissipate before it's time to continue north!
Matthew & Laura's three sons introduced us to Wii games where Zachary excelled at Guitar Hero, Nathan at boxing, and little Benjamin at bowling. Thanks so much for sharing...I think. Now Clint's all hepped to get a Wii game instead of going to the YMCA! HA
My niece and her family entertained us for an afternoon and evening with games of Chutes & Ladders, CandyLand, and, I think, Cherry Oh. It was such a treat for me as I don't recall having played those games in about 50 years! And my great-nephew's pet budgie, Bingo, kept me company. Makes me want to have a bird again, but I don't think Zorro and Chaplin would accommodate one... We had a great dinner with them and miss them so much already! From there, we spent some time at the harbor in Oceanside. It sure is developed since my days sailing into that harbor--one time with a California grey whale swimming in tandem with the boat to reach safe harbor during a storm!
We camped at Santee Lakes, somewhat inland in San Diego County, where we got to spend some time with my nephew, Brian, his wife, Denise, and their sons, 3-year-old Andrew and 1-year-old Carson. They also came to my sister's house for Christmas Day. That Andrew is such a blur of activity that I realized I didn't know what he really looked like until I saw a recent photo of him on my sister's wall! HA
Christmas with my family was just lovely. Maureen and Jess provided a great brunch for everyone, including rowdy, engaging nephew, Brett, who gave me an interesting book, "California Coast Trails" by J. Smeaton Chase. The book was written in 1911 by an Englishman who rode horseback from San Diego to the Oregon border. I know intimately each and every canyon, beach, and redwood forest about which he wrote so eloquently. I heartily recommend it to anyone with a love of the California coast. In many ways, California hasn't changed one bit...
We could have stayed in sunny San Diego for many more months, but we really do need to get home! So, we hit the road to our beloved Morro Bay where we camped on the beach and visited so many of our dear friends, stayed with John & Devon in Paso Robles for New Year's, and then had a final hurrah at Ginny & Bob's in Grover Beach before heading up Highway One. Thank you ALL for accommodating us on such short notice. We spent time with Cindee & Larry, Mary Ann & Orry, Kimberli & Doug, Marge & Mark, Dexters, Debbie, Kay, & Nancy, Annie, Sue, Barbara, Theresa & Bob. We love you all and hope to see you soon!
We so enjoyed both San Diego and Morro Bay this winter that we've made reservations to return to the beach at Morro Bay from mid-January to mid-February 2010 and to San Diego's Mission Bay from mid-February to mid-March. I hope our friends and family won't get sick of us! I guess we'll be snowbirds next winter, too!
One would never know that we're traveling the coast in winter. The sun has followed us the entire way and has reflected on the ocean so that it just glistens. Highway One is a winding, somewhat treacherous sliver of asphalt that hugs the coast's every twist and turn. We visited the elephant seals just north of San Simeon, drooled over houses hanging over the cliffs in Carmel, watched parasailers off the coast of Monterey, strolled the Victorian town of Ferndale, walked among the redwoods near Trinidad, and, best of all, watched the little foxes as they scurried around the campground at Patrick's Point State Park. The photo of the foxes is a bit grainy as we were both inside the camper looking through our steamed-up galley window. I held the big flashlight on them while Clint shot them with our camera set at iso 3200. So, we're thrilled to have a photo at all! Foxes are so elusive. They're one natural element I've rarely seen.
This evening, as we headed for our campsite in Lincoln City, Oregon, we found the fog was accumulating for the night. Good thing we're late sleepers as that will give the fog time to dissipate before it's time to continue north!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Heading through Familiar Territory
We left Santa Fe with 4" of snow on the ground and braved our way north toward Highland Ranch to see my niece, Marta, and her family. Highland Ranch is a gorgeous community with every amenity a family could want--good schools, great community/athletic centers, shopping, and restaurants. Marta, her spousal equivalent, James, and their sons, Konnor and Aiden, showed us a good time with a great meal at the Macaroni Grill. We'll definitely look for more of those! We also got to watch Aiden taking his swim lesson and Konnor sled down a hill near their home. It was lovely to see them and we hope they'll pop on up to Washington some day soon!
From there, we headed through the gorgeous snow-covered Rockies. We stopped for lunch in Vail, but needed to hurry on our way as another storm was expected. We managed to get that storm while in Monument Valley and Canyon de Chelly with tons of wind, sand, and then snow! Ah...so much for winter travel...and it wasn't even winter yet! We really enjoyed ourselves, though, and saw a herd of wild burros, movie sets from many of the John Ford/John Wayne westerns in Monument Valley, and hiked down to the bottom of Canyon de Chelly where Navajo continue to farm. There are a few ruins from Anasazi in the bottom of the Canyon, too. So sacred.
We wanted to linger in Sedona and Prescott, but with another storm predicted to dump 14" of snow, we figured we'd better scurry on. So, we headed to Laughlin. We'd never been there before and stayed at the campground right in town, so we were able to walk everywhere. The last day of our stay there found us in the middle of that big storm that went through Southern California all the way to Colorado and we simply stayed in the camper all day...not like us at all! But the wind and rain was fierce!
When we left there, we got to see the remnants of the storm's wrath in the snow that was sprinkled all through the high desert. Simply gorgeous! We stopped at the Joshua Tree National Park, but it was closed due to overabundance of snow! So, on we went to beautiful Menifee for a fabulous stay with Karen & Richard. Their new home is simply perfect and the retirement community in which they live is great! They took us on a tour of Old Town Temecula where we tasted olive oils and vinegars...yummy! Like Marta, Karen sent us on our way with a plate of homemade goodies.
We'd never seen the Southland look so fresh and wintery. The hillsides were green and glistening with snow-capped mountains surrounding every valley. It was truly cold as there was frost on the rooftops every morning.
After our stay there, we hustled down to Coronado where we stayed with my friend, Lori. Coronado is as gorgeous as ever and we had fun in the sun! Lori showed us a great time with a walk around Coronado to see Art in the Park, the library where she and I met all those years ago, and the Hotel Del Coronado. Nothing like ice skating next to the beach! Only in Coronado! Lori also introduced to a bottle of egg nog, complete with rum, brandy, and blended whiskey! Woweeeee!!!!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! Have a loving time with friends and family.
Jan and Clint
Chaplin and Zorro
From there, we headed through the gorgeous snow-covered Rockies. We stopped for lunch in Vail, but needed to hurry on our way as another storm was expected. We managed to get that storm while in Monument Valley and Canyon de Chelly with tons of wind, sand, and then snow! Ah...so much for winter travel...and it wasn't even winter yet! We really enjoyed ourselves, though, and saw a herd of wild burros, movie sets from many of the John Ford/John Wayne westerns in Monument Valley, and hiked down to the bottom of Canyon de Chelly where Navajo continue to farm. There are a few ruins from Anasazi in the bottom of the Canyon, too. So sacred.
We wanted to linger in Sedona and Prescott, but with another storm predicted to dump 14" of snow, we figured we'd better scurry on. So, we headed to Laughlin. We'd never been there before and stayed at the campground right in town, so we were able to walk everywhere. The last day of our stay there found us in the middle of that big storm that went through Southern California all the way to Colorado and we simply stayed in the camper all day...not like us at all! But the wind and rain was fierce!
When we left there, we got to see the remnants of the storm's wrath in the snow that was sprinkled all through the high desert. Simply gorgeous! We stopped at the Joshua Tree National Park, but it was closed due to overabundance of snow! So, on we went to beautiful Menifee for a fabulous stay with Karen & Richard. Their new home is simply perfect and the retirement community in which they live is great! They took us on a tour of Old Town Temecula where we tasted olive oils and vinegars...yummy! Like Marta, Karen sent us on our way with a plate of homemade goodies.
We'd never seen the Southland look so fresh and wintery. The hillsides were green and glistening with snow-capped mountains surrounding every valley. It was truly cold as there was frost on the rooftops every morning.
After our stay there, we hustled down to Coronado where we stayed with my friend, Lori. Coronado is as gorgeous as ever and we had fun in the sun! Lori showed us a great time with a walk around Coronado to see Art in the Park, the library where she and I met all those years ago, and the Hotel Del Coronado. Nothing like ice skating next to the beach! Only in Coronado! Lori also introduced to a bottle of egg nog, complete with rum, brandy, and blended whiskey! Woweeeee!!!!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! Have a loving time with friends and family.
Jan and Clint
Chaplin and Zorro
Sunday, December 7, 2008
The Rest of Texas
As we left Fredericksburg after Thanksgiving, we were SO close to Luckenbach, Texas, (with Waylon and Willie and the boys...lyrics from a song by Waylon Jennings) that we had to stop in to see what was going on there. And the little town (population 3) was hopping as they were readying for a big dance in the dance hall that night. The town even provides overnight RV parking for those who party too heartily! But we didn't dawdle as we were anxious to go on to San Antonio.
And are we glad we did! San Antonio will forever be the "City of Music" to me. We parked the camper at the local KOA and took the city bus into town to see The Alamo (a shrine operated by the Daughters of Texas) and the Buckhorn Saloon (Texas Ranger Museum is there). But we were pleased and surprised to be there for their monthly street fair. Musicians rotated every 30 minutes in three venues along Houston Street where the artisans were out in force with their gift ideas for the holidays. We found our way to La Villita where 14-16-year-old mariachis were serenading the crowd. Then, for dinner, we sat at a table right on the river where boats filled with carolers breezed by. All surrounded by thousands of Christmas lights. San Antonio is a great town!
From there, we left civilization as we know it and headed to Big Bend National Park where we camped along the Rio Grande for a night (to winds about to blow us over!) before heading to the Chisos Mountains for a second night of camping. The campground had been flooded and some of the trails demolished last September when a tropical storm hovered over Mexico and dropped many inches of rain in their mountains. The rain water then filtered down to the Rio Grande where the usual 1.5 feet of water rose to 28 feet!!! That storm run-off even changed the course of the Rio Grande. Nature is something! The park is full of bear, javelina, deer, mountain lion, and just plain wilderness. A real treat for us after the recent visits to cities.
Just across the Texas border into New Mexico are the Carlsbad Caverns. We came across many opportunities to see caves on this trip, but we were waiting to see the granddaddy of them all! And we were not disappointed. We knew we wouldn't be able to see the bats fly out toward evening as they'd flown south for the winter. But as a juxtaposition, we were able to see the birds fly in at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Preserve where they spend the winters. The sandhill cranes and snow geese were amazing! In fact, the bird count on November 26 listed something like 6,000 sandhill cranes and 32,000 snow geese! At times, the sky was white with the flight of the snow geese. We arrived there late in the day, so the timing was perfect to watch them find their roosting spots for the evening.
Prior to Bosque, though, we just had to go to Roswell to look for aliens (sorry, Devon, the only aliens we saw were on the lamp posts!) and to Lincoln where the infamous Billy the Kid took up arms in the Lincoln County Wars (watch the movie "Young Guns" for a truly accurate portrayal of the era and occurrences). History came alive for us there. Fascinating town.
Then it was on to Santa Fe to visit with Clint's family. His mom is doing great thanks to the care she is given by his brother, Bobby, and wife, Marina. About the only thing she wants to do while we're here is go to a casino, so today we'll take her to a big new casino/resort that just opened, "Buffalo Thunder." Maybe we'll win big and pay for this whole trip! HA
And are we glad we did! San Antonio will forever be the "City of Music" to me. We parked the camper at the local KOA and took the city bus into town to see The Alamo (a shrine operated by the Daughters of Texas) and the Buckhorn Saloon (Texas Ranger Museum is there). But we were pleased and surprised to be there for their monthly street fair. Musicians rotated every 30 minutes in three venues along Houston Street where the artisans were out in force with their gift ideas for the holidays. We found our way to La Villita where 14-16-year-old mariachis were serenading the crowd. Then, for dinner, we sat at a table right on the river where boats filled with carolers breezed by. All surrounded by thousands of Christmas lights. San Antonio is a great town!
From there, we left civilization as we know it and headed to Big Bend National Park where we camped along the Rio Grande for a night (to winds about to blow us over!) before heading to the Chisos Mountains for a second night of camping. The campground had been flooded and some of the trails demolished last September when a tropical storm hovered over Mexico and dropped many inches of rain in their mountains. The rain water then filtered down to the Rio Grande where the usual 1.5 feet of water rose to 28 feet!!! That storm run-off even changed the course of the Rio Grande. Nature is something! The park is full of bear, javelina, deer, mountain lion, and just plain wilderness. A real treat for us after the recent visits to cities.
Just across the Texas border into New Mexico are the Carlsbad Caverns. We came across many opportunities to see caves on this trip, but we were waiting to see the granddaddy of them all! And we were not disappointed. We knew we wouldn't be able to see the bats fly out toward evening as they'd flown south for the winter. But as a juxtaposition, we were able to see the birds fly in at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Preserve where they spend the winters. The sandhill cranes and snow geese were amazing! In fact, the bird count on November 26 listed something like 6,000 sandhill cranes and 32,000 snow geese! At times, the sky was white with the flight of the snow geese. We arrived there late in the day, so the timing was perfect to watch them find their roosting spots for the evening.
Prior to Bosque, though, we just had to go to Roswell to look for aliens (sorry, Devon, the only aliens we saw were on the lamp posts!) and to Lincoln where the infamous Billy the Kid took up arms in the Lincoln County Wars (watch the movie "Young Guns" for a truly accurate portrayal of the era and occurrences). History came alive for us there. Fascinating town.
Then it was on to Santa Fe to visit with Clint's family. His mom is doing great thanks to the care she is given by his brother, Bobby, and wife, Marina. About the only thing she wants to do while we're here is go to a casino, so today we'll take her to a big new casino/resort that just opened, "Buffalo Thunder." Maybe we'll win big and pay for this whole trip! HA
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving, Y'All
We've been in "y'all" country for about a month now--drinking sweet tea, eating grits, talking slower. But as I write this, we're in the heart of Texas Hill Country--Fredericksburg. We'll be touring the countryside a bit today as we wind our way to a Cracker Barrel restaurant for an old-fashioned turkey dinner. We're amazed by the number of campers we're seeing this holiday weekend. We even called ahead for reservations here and in our next stop, San Antonio, to be sure we had a place to lay our heads.
We left "the South" for a couple of days when we toured Saint Augustine. It's Spanish flavor permeates the architecture and cuisine. Once again, we fell in love with a specific location. Saint Augustine is not only beautiful, but welcoming. We really soaked up the ambiance there by riding the trolley here and there and just resting on benches to watch the harbor. It reminds me very much of Old Town San Diego and Old Santa Fe--but right on the water. Flagler was a poor man who made good when he got in with the Standard Oil gang. He then built four huge resort hotels in Saint Augustine--one of which is now Flagler College. The towers on the college are made of terra cotta, as are many of the other architectural detailing. Simply gorgeous! Many of the buildings are made of coquina, a natural Caribbean building material made of coral, shell, and sand. When the Spanish built the Castillo de San Marco (Saint Augustine's fort), they used the imported coquina not knowing that the substance is impenetrable from cannon or gun fire. The poorer residents tried to make their own coquina with local shells called "tabby." Both types of building materials are evident in countless old structures. And I bet you didn't know that the first Thanksgiving was held with the Spanish and Natives in Saint Augustine a full 55 years prior to the Pilgrims' celebration. So, perhaps we should be celebrating Thanksgiving in September as they did in Florida all those years ago! Sure would alleviate some of the holiday pressures.
We were sorry to leave Saint Augustine, but we moseyed down Florida's east coast and soaked up the sun and the sand all the way down to Daytona where we then headed west. That was truly the beginning of our return home...a rather exciting day for us! All through Georgia, Florida, and Texas, we spotted armadillos on the side of the road, some as roadkill, others munching the grubs that would surface after the lawns beyond the shoulder were mown. They are so cute! I got the photo of this one as I chased it into the bush! We also looked for alligators and manatees in the wild, but failed to find them. We did, however, see them at Homosassa Springs State Park on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The manatees were fed appetizers of carrots and sweet potatoes, then they moved on to a meal of lettuce, green peppers, and celery. We did get some good photos of them...not that YOU could see what they are...just blobs with lettuce heads bobbing around! The boatride through the bayou to get to the 72 degree springs was so relaxing. That area of Florida is full of bayous where everyone has their own dock and each dock has a power boat or a pontoon boat. Looks like a fun lifestyle to me!
We continued to head around the Florida panhandle and discovered Alligator Point. I've NEVER been to a more beautiful beach--not in Fiji, not in Tahiti, not in Hawaii or Coronado. The sand on this beach is 90% quartz, so it simply shimmered in its purity. That night, we camped at Henderson State Park on Destin Beach near Fort Walton Beach. Can you guess what the photo is? Whoever guesses gets a gift card! (The last guessing game we had, my party-hearty nephew, Brett, recognized the imprint of a shamrock in a glass of Guinness!) We thought we'd stay a while longer at that beach...until the wind came up that night! Eeegads! We moved on.
There really wasn't much we wanted to see in the Deep South, so we headed to Natchez, Mississippi. Do you remember the old TV show, "Maverick?" Well...ever since hearing the words to that theme song, "From Natchez to New Orleans, Living on Jacks and Queens, Luck is the Lady that he loved the best," or something like that, I've wanted to go to Natchez. I'd also read some books that referred to Natchez Under the Hill--the red light district. All I can say is, Natchez was a huge disappointment. Not much there. The city fathers could do so much more with what they have. So, we drove across Louisiana to the great state of Texas.
Yesterday, a native-born Texan used the following phrase to describe how non-natives feel about Texas: "I wasn't born here, but I got here as quick as I could." We are trying to continue to learn as we travel across this gorgeous country of ours and we knew nothing about the oil industry. So, we stopped in Kilgore for a visit at the West Texas Oil Museum. And what a fabulous little nugget they have there! Just as gold did in California and Alaska, oil did in Texas. Changed everything overnight. The museum recreates a boomtown in 1930s, complete with muddy streets, wagons, board sidewalks. We learned of the various ways oil can be submerged beneath the surface of the earth. From there, we continued west to Carrollton, to visit with our friends, the Schmidts.
Dick Schmidt is an executive with the Boy Scouts of America whose headquarters are in Irving, Texas. We toured the Boy Scout Museum and even raced in a mock pine car derby! We shot rifles in the shooting gallery and listened to the Scout leaders tell stories by the fire. Very nice museum. I even got to see Girl Scout uniforms and badges like I had as a girl. That night, the Schmidts very graciously included us in their Monday Night Football evening. They are all rabid Green Bay Packer fans and the Packers were playing that night. The Schmidts are originally from Milwaukee, which explains their penchant for that particular team. Pat made fabulous crock pot spaghetti with all the trimmings. But, most of all, we enjoyed catching up with them after all these years. We hope they'll come see us in Gig Harbor before another ten years go by!
Next, it was down to Conroe, Texas, just north of Houston for a visit with my Aunt Helen who had moved there from Marysville, California, to be closer to her son, Nick, and his family. Aunt Helen suffers from macular degeneration...such a pity for this avid reader who really introduced me to reading. When I was in elementary school, every few months, Dad would drive us to the Greyhound Bus Depot in downtown San Diego to pick up a box of books that Aunt Helen had finished. I'm not sure they were specifically for me, but I treated them as such. They were my introduction to mystery, romance, and adventure. Something I crave to this day. But I think Aunt Helen is doing just great for 90!
That leads us to the Texas Hill Country and the LBJ Ranch. Truth to tell, I really wanted to tour the facilities to learn more about Lady Bird. I really admired her, more so now that I've learned still more about what she accomplished in her life. We toured an authentic, original farm in LBJ's neighborhood and learned about clapboard milk (spelling?), making soap, and saw this Texas Longhorn up close and personal! LBJ owned my dream car. It's another gift card to whoever can guess what it is!!
'Til next time, hope you all had a loving Thanksgiving. We're getting hungry! The McChisms
We left "the South" for a couple of days when we toured Saint Augustine. It's Spanish flavor permeates the architecture and cuisine. Once again, we fell in love with a specific location. Saint Augustine is not only beautiful, but welcoming. We really soaked up the ambiance there by riding the trolley here and there and just resting on benches to watch the harbor. It reminds me very much of Old Town San Diego and Old Santa Fe--but right on the water. Flagler was a poor man who made good when he got in with the Standard Oil gang. He then built four huge resort hotels in Saint Augustine--one of which is now Flagler College. The towers on the college are made of terra cotta, as are many of the other architectural detailing. Simply gorgeous! Many of the buildings are made of coquina, a natural Caribbean building material made of coral, shell, and sand. When the Spanish built the Castillo de San Marco (Saint Augustine's fort), they used the imported coquina not knowing that the substance is impenetrable from cannon or gun fire. The poorer residents tried to make their own coquina with local shells called "tabby." Both types of building materials are evident in countless old structures. And I bet you didn't know that the first Thanksgiving was held with the Spanish and Natives in Saint Augustine a full 55 years prior to the Pilgrims' celebration. So, perhaps we should be celebrating Thanksgiving in September as they did in Florida all those years ago! Sure would alleviate some of the holiday pressures.
We were sorry to leave Saint Augustine, but we moseyed down Florida's east coast and soaked up the sun and the sand all the way down to Daytona where we then headed west. That was truly the beginning of our return home...a rather exciting day for us! All through Georgia, Florida, and Texas, we spotted armadillos on the side of the road, some as roadkill, others munching the grubs that would surface after the lawns beyond the shoulder were mown. They are so cute! I got the photo of this one as I chased it into the bush! We also looked for alligators and manatees in the wild, but failed to find them. We did, however, see them at Homosassa Springs State Park on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The manatees were fed appetizers of carrots and sweet potatoes, then they moved on to a meal of lettuce, green peppers, and celery. We did get some good photos of them...not that YOU could see what they are...just blobs with lettuce heads bobbing around! The boatride through the bayou to get to the 72 degree springs was so relaxing. That area of Florida is full of bayous where everyone has their own dock and each dock has a power boat or a pontoon boat. Looks like a fun lifestyle to me!
We continued to head around the Florida panhandle and discovered Alligator Point. I've NEVER been to a more beautiful beach--not in Fiji, not in Tahiti, not in Hawaii or Coronado. The sand on this beach is 90% quartz, so it simply shimmered in its purity. That night, we camped at Henderson State Park on Destin Beach near Fort Walton Beach. Can you guess what the photo is? Whoever guesses gets a gift card! (The last guessing game we had, my party-hearty nephew, Brett, recognized the imprint of a shamrock in a glass of Guinness!) We thought we'd stay a while longer at that beach...until the wind came up that night! Eeegads! We moved on.
There really wasn't much we wanted to see in the Deep South, so we headed to Natchez, Mississippi. Do you remember the old TV show, "Maverick?" Well...ever since hearing the words to that theme song, "From Natchez to New Orleans, Living on Jacks and Queens, Luck is the Lady that he loved the best," or something like that, I've wanted to go to Natchez. I'd also read some books that referred to Natchez Under the Hill--the red light district. All I can say is, Natchez was a huge disappointment. Not much there. The city fathers could do so much more with what they have. So, we drove across Louisiana to the great state of Texas.
Yesterday, a native-born Texan used the following phrase to describe how non-natives feel about Texas: "I wasn't born here, but I got here as quick as I could." We are trying to continue to learn as we travel across this gorgeous country of ours and we knew nothing about the oil industry. So, we stopped in Kilgore for a visit at the West Texas Oil Museum. And what a fabulous little nugget they have there! Just as gold did in California and Alaska, oil did in Texas. Changed everything overnight. The museum recreates a boomtown in 1930s, complete with muddy streets, wagons, board sidewalks. We learned of the various ways oil can be submerged beneath the surface of the earth. From there, we continued west to Carrollton, to visit with our friends, the Schmidts.
Dick Schmidt is an executive with the Boy Scouts of America whose headquarters are in Irving, Texas. We toured the Boy Scout Museum and even raced in a mock pine car derby! We shot rifles in the shooting gallery and listened to the Scout leaders tell stories by the fire. Very nice museum. I even got to see Girl Scout uniforms and badges like I had as a girl. That night, the Schmidts very graciously included us in their Monday Night Football evening. They are all rabid Green Bay Packer fans and the Packers were playing that night. The Schmidts are originally from Milwaukee, which explains their penchant for that particular team. Pat made fabulous crock pot spaghetti with all the trimmings. But, most of all, we enjoyed catching up with them after all these years. We hope they'll come see us in Gig Harbor before another ten years go by!
Next, it was down to Conroe, Texas, just north of Houston for a visit with my Aunt Helen who had moved there from Marysville, California, to be closer to her son, Nick, and his family. Aunt Helen suffers from macular degeneration...such a pity for this avid reader who really introduced me to reading. When I was in elementary school, every few months, Dad would drive us to the Greyhound Bus Depot in downtown San Diego to pick up a box of books that Aunt Helen had finished. I'm not sure they were specifically for me, but I treated them as such. They were my introduction to mystery, romance, and adventure. Something I crave to this day. But I think Aunt Helen is doing just great for 90!
That leads us to the Texas Hill Country and the LBJ Ranch. Truth to tell, I really wanted to tour the facilities to learn more about Lady Bird. I really admired her, more so now that I've learned still more about what she accomplished in her life. We toured an authentic, original farm in LBJ's neighborhood and learned about clapboard milk (spelling?), making soap, and saw this Texas Longhorn up close and personal! LBJ owned my dream car. It's another gift card to whoever can guess what it is!!
'Til next time, hope you all had a loving Thanksgiving. We're getting hungry! The McChisms
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Nothin' Could Be Finah...
than to be in Carolina... Okay, we admit it. We've fallen in love with South Carolina, too! We breezed through North Carolina and made stops at the Ava Gardner Museum in her home town of Smithfield and the AirBorne Museum in Fayetteville. Ava was born of sharecropper parents who were highly protective of her, but allowed her to go to New York to stay with her oldest sister (18 years her senior). The New York brother-in-law was a photographer who displayed photos of Ava in his shop window. Someone connected with the movies saw her photo and sent her for a screen test. Because of her distinct Southern accent, movie executives felt she should be renamed Betsy Johnson...or some such folksy moniker. But Ava stood by her guns and kept her birth name. Needless to say, she shook off her accent and did very well in Hollywood.
Then it was on to South Carolina. The truck was sputtering again and, thank goodness and our guardian angels, we were within 5 minutes of a Ford dealership in Florence where we spent the afternoon. Once again, the dealership was able to stop everything and help us. Then we were on our merry way to Bishopville, where we toured the Cotton Museum and wrote the previous blog from their gorgeous library. Doesn't the photo make it look inviting? Our next stop was Myrtle Beach where we ended up staying FOUR nights! What a great place! I know the town swells to hundreds of thousands during the summer, but it was nearly deserted when we were there. Yay! Our campground was right on the beach and we could look out the window to watch the dune grasses sway in the breeze and watch the small waves touch shore. At night, we could hear the roar of the ocean...not quite as loud as the Pacific, but nice just the same. The campground has the longest pier on the East Coast, so we walked out there and talked with the fishermen. And at dusk, we saw dolphins swimming in the waves toward shore. Susie, remember when we went to see the sunrise on the ocean on Sanibel? Well, we both watched it in Myrtle Beach and what a thrill! I could actually become a morning person if I lived on the beach on the East Coast! Myrtle Beach surprised me as I had pictured small cottages dotting the shore with a few golf courses sprinkled in. Boy, was I wrong! As you can see, the shoreline is full of high rises and reminded me more of Miami Beach. Our campground is one of the last hold-outs along the shoreline without high rise condos. We couldn't have found a more perfect place to stay. We're already trying to figure out how to spend winters there! I think Myrtle Beach might be a bit like Branson, Missouri, as it is full of theatres with live entertainment. The first night we were there, we went to see Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede Christmas Show. I've never seen so many beautiful horses in one place! The show was full of animals, music, and beautiful costuming. What more could I want? The next night, we went to see the Carolina Opry Christmas Show and were SO impressed by the talent exhibited there. Again...what gorgeous costuming! The show was full of humor...really fun! We hated to leave Myrtle Beach, but figured our next stop was Charleston...not a bad trade!
Just outside Charleston along the highway, we saw stands filled with baskets. Well, we had to stop to see what they were. The Gullah women from the barrier islands along the coast of South Carolina weave baskets out of the sweet grass that grows in the dunes. The woman from whom I bought my basket learned to weave at the age of 8 alongside her grandmother. She is now 72 and has taught her daughters and daughters-in-law. The generation coming of age right now, though, is not learning to weave. Many are afraid it will becoming a dying art. The woman showed me how she did the weaving...she just stands around and keeps her hands busy...She filed down a spoon handle to a dull point. It is this instrument that allows her to stick the sweet grass through the previous row's weaving. What a pleasure it was to talk with her...I wanted a photo, but learned she may have been wary as the Gullah traditionally believe the camera steals the soul.
Charleston is the most welcoming city! The signage is clear and there is RV parking right downtown! Believe me, we have not found this everywhere! We took a Grayline tour with a native Charlestonian who shared some of the insights into the town. Notice the Single House with the front door opening to the piazza (Charleston's term for a porch). Charleston is full of this style of house with secret gardens fit in here and there. The wrought iron throughout the town is astounding--many of it done by an African-American blacksmith who recently turned 96! Dubose Heyward wrote "Porgy" while living on "Cabbage Row," which he renamed "Catfish Row." Then Ira Gershwin lived nearby while he wrote the opera, "Porgy and Bess." There were SO many beautiful homes and churches in Charleston that we gave up photographing them and decided to buy a book! We learned that 40% of Charleston's homeowners (the really big, expensive homes) live elsewhere for their principal residence. And that the usual cost of painting one of these gorgeous homes is $80,000! Yikes! But thank goodness someone has this kind of money to restore the architecture to its former glory. And why was Charleston so wealthy in the first place? When the tour guide inquired this of the group, it was Clinton David who responded correctly: Rice. And poor Charleston has been hit by many city-wide fires, an earthquake (possibly a 7.5--prior to the Richter Scale measurement), and Hurricane Hugo.
I had read the book, "Sullivan's Island" by Dorothea Benton Frank, so, of course, wanted to see what Sullivan's Island was like. It was full of hurricane-proof-style homes and a natural landscape filled with pines and palms. The beach was beautiful and long...where we happened upon a "land boarder." He had lofted a foil of a parachute into the air which was attached via strings to a handle. He stood on a skateboard-type footing, held onto the handle, and the kite pulled him along the hard sand. He was having so much fun! Perhaps others have seen this done on California beaches, but we had not.
South Carolina also has America's only tea plantation. So, of course, we had to go learn about tea. Did you know that tea is a type of camellia? The blossom certainly gives that away. And the fragrance! It's amazing...certainly drew a lot of butterflies. There is only one type of tea and the point at which it stops being dried determines the type of tea: Black, Oolong, and Green The tea plants are harvested on the tops and side by a big hedger (John, don't get one of these for Devon!) that clips off the newest growth. The tea leaves are then chopped and dried. Black tea for 45 minutes, Oolong for 15 minutes, and none for green tea. Interesting, huh?
Savannah beckoned, so we fought rain to get there! But, lucky for us, the morning was gorgeous for our carriage ride through town before the skies opened up again. Savannah, like Charleston, is full of wrought iron. But did you know that the townspeople removed and buried all the wrought iron before General William Tecumseh Sherman arrived? Pretty wiley. We did see Paula Deen's restaurant, The Lady & Sons. It's in a pretty run-down, yet touristy part of Savannah. And there were lines around the block to get in!!! River Street is full of shops and restaurants and a highlight of that area are the riverboat cruises and the waving girl statue. In the early years of the 20th century, the city light-tender's sister, Florence Martus, became known to seamen all over the world for waving at every ship. One legend maintains that she promised her sailor sweetheart to greet every ship until his return. Romantic, huh?
We're now ready to head to Saint Augustine, Florida, to see some Spanish influence again.
Then it was on to South Carolina. The truck was sputtering again and, thank goodness and our guardian angels, we were within 5 minutes of a Ford dealership in Florence where we spent the afternoon. Once again, the dealership was able to stop everything and help us. Then we were on our merry way to Bishopville, where we toured the Cotton Museum and wrote the previous blog from their gorgeous library. Doesn't the photo make it look inviting? Our next stop was Myrtle Beach where we ended up staying FOUR nights! What a great place! I know the town swells to hundreds of thousands during the summer, but it was nearly deserted when we were there. Yay! Our campground was right on the beach and we could look out the window to watch the dune grasses sway in the breeze and watch the small waves touch shore. At night, we could hear the roar of the ocean...not quite as loud as the Pacific, but nice just the same. The campground has the longest pier on the East Coast, so we walked out there and talked with the fishermen. And at dusk, we saw dolphins swimming in the waves toward shore. Susie, remember when we went to see the sunrise on the ocean on Sanibel? Well, we both watched it in Myrtle Beach and what a thrill! I could actually become a morning person if I lived on the beach on the East Coast! Myrtle Beach surprised me as I had pictured small cottages dotting the shore with a few golf courses sprinkled in. Boy, was I wrong! As you can see, the shoreline is full of high rises and reminded me more of Miami Beach. Our campground is one of the last hold-outs along the shoreline without high rise condos. We couldn't have found a more perfect place to stay. We're already trying to figure out how to spend winters there! I think Myrtle Beach might be a bit like Branson, Missouri, as it is full of theatres with live entertainment. The first night we were there, we went to see Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede Christmas Show. I've never seen so many beautiful horses in one place! The show was full of animals, music, and beautiful costuming. What more could I want? The next night, we went to see the Carolina Opry Christmas Show and were SO impressed by the talent exhibited there. Again...what gorgeous costuming! The show was full of humor...really fun! We hated to leave Myrtle Beach, but figured our next stop was Charleston...not a bad trade!
Just outside Charleston along the highway, we saw stands filled with baskets. Well, we had to stop to see what they were. The Gullah women from the barrier islands along the coast of South Carolina weave baskets out of the sweet grass that grows in the dunes. The woman from whom I bought my basket learned to weave at the age of 8 alongside her grandmother. She is now 72 and has taught her daughters and daughters-in-law. The generation coming of age right now, though, is not learning to weave. Many are afraid it will becoming a dying art. The woman showed me how she did the weaving...she just stands around and keeps her hands busy...She filed down a spoon handle to a dull point. It is this instrument that allows her to stick the sweet grass through the previous row's weaving. What a pleasure it was to talk with her...I wanted a photo, but learned she may have been wary as the Gullah traditionally believe the camera steals the soul.
Charleston is the most welcoming city! The signage is clear and there is RV parking right downtown! Believe me, we have not found this everywhere! We took a Grayline tour with a native Charlestonian who shared some of the insights into the town. Notice the Single House with the front door opening to the piazza (Charleston's term for a porch). Charleston is full of this style of house with secret gardens fit in here and there. The wrought iron throughout the town is astounding--many of it done by an African-American blacksmith who recently turned 96! Dubose Heyward wrote "Porgy" while living on "Cabbage Row," which he renamed "Catfish Row." Then Ira Gershwin lived nearby while he wrote the opera, "Porgy and Bess." There were SO many beautiful homes and churches in Charleston that we gave up photographing them and decided to buy a book! We learned that 40% of Charleston's homeowners (the really big, expensive homes) live elsewhere for their principal residence. And that the usual cost of painting one of these gorgeous homes is $80,000! Yikes! But thank goodness someone has this kind of money to restore the architecture to its former glory. And why was Charleston so wealthy in the first place? When the tour guide inquired this of the group, it was Clinton David who responded correctly: Rice. And poor Charleston has been hit by many city-wide fires, an earthquake (possibly a 7.5--prior to the Richter Scale measurement), and Hurricane Hugo.
I had read the book, "Sullivan's Island" by Dorothea Benton Frank, so, of course, wanted to see what Sullivan's Island was like. It was full of hurricane-proof-style homes and a natural landscape filled with pines and palms. The beach was beautiful and long...where we happened upon a "land boarder." He had lofted a foil of a parachute into the air which was attached via strings to a handle. He stood on a skateboard-type footing, held onto the handle, and the kite pulled him along the hard sand. He was having so much fun! Perhaps others have seen this done on California beaches, but we had not.
South Carolina also has America's only tea plantation. So, of course, we had to go learn about tea. Did you know that tea is a type of camellia? The blossom certainly gives that away. And the fragrance! It's amazing...certainly drew a lot of butterflies. There is only one type of tea and the point at which it stops being dried determines the type of tea: Black, Oolong, and Green The tea plants are harvested on the tops and side by a big hedger (John, don't get one of these for Devon!) that clips off the newest growth. The tea leaves are then chopped and dried. Black tea for 45 minutes, Oolong for 15 minutes, and none for green tea. Interesting, huh?
Savannah beckoned, so we fought rain to get there! But, lucky for us, the morning was gorgeous for our carriage ride through town before the skies opened up again. Savannah, like Charleston, is full of wrought iron. But did you know that the townspeople removed and buried all the wrought iron before General William Tecumseh Sherman arrived? Pretty wiley. We did see Paula Deen's restaurant, The Lady & Sons. It's in a pretty run-down, yet touristy part of Savannah. And there were lines around the block to get in!!! River Street is full of shops and restaurants and a highlight of that area are the riverboat cruises and the waving girl statue. In the early years of the 20th century, the city light-tender's sister, Florence Martus, became known to seamen all over the world for waving at every ship. One legend maintains that she promised her sailor sweetheart to greet every ship until his return. Romantic, huh?
We're now ready to head to Saint Augustine, Florida, to see some Spanish influence again.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Escaping Bad Weather
Well, we left New York amid snow flurries and escaped to Pennsylvania where we found about 2" of snow on the ground. We kept heading south where we had glorious weather for a few days, then hit a Nor'Easter on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and hunked down in a Wal Mart parking lot for the night. Is it time to go home yet? NOOOO!!!!
As long as we were so close to Hershey, Pennsylvania, we decided we really needed to see where our favorite chocolate is made. So, we took the tour and bought some goodies. Hershey is a phenomenal town where Mr. Hershey was the moving force behind the community: a home for orphaned/abandoned boys, a sophisticated medical facility, and employee housing....all done in red brick with white trim. Truly a beautiful town. The Hersheys never had any children of their own and left a good portion of their fortune to the continuation of the boys home. We would have liked to go to the museum, but it is currently being renovated. It was such fun to see how the Kisses are made! Not what I would have thought...now I've got you guessing, huh?! And we think they "test" new products at the facility as we found cherry fondant and peanut butter Kisses there that we've not seen elsewhere. (Yes, we shop for chocolate on the road!)
From Hershey, we went to a far more sobering place: Gettysburg. Many of our National Parks have brand new visitor centers and displays. For a World's Fair around the turn of the last century, an artist depicted the Gettysburg battle on a huge elliptical canvas. That canvas has been restored and placed in a circular theatre where we felt we were right on the battlfield with all the soldiers. We walked through Gettysburg National Cemetery at dusk. Clint wishes he'd brought his flute to play an homage to all who had fallen. We stood on the site where Abraham Lincoln stood to share his Gettysburg Address with the crowd. Very moving. We felt so badly for the town of Gettysburg who had thousands of injured and dead to care for at the close of the three-day battle. The town of Gettysburg is beautifully historic and full of life. Good to see.
And since we're curious to learn how things are made, we went to the Martin Guitar Factory in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and the Harley-Davidson assembly line in York, Pennsylvania. (Clint can't get enough of those Harleys!) The Martin Guitars have been made since 1833 and is still owned by the Martin family. The museum showcased guitars, mandolins, and banjos made by the Martin factory...especially those owned by more famous artists like Elvis, Eric Clapton, and Joan Baez. The guitar shown in the photo in this blog is nearly completely inlaid with mother of pearl. A true work of art.
Then it was time to head to the Shenandoah National Park where we drove the Skyline Drive (much like the Going-to-the-Sun road in Glacier National Park and the Rocky Mountain ridge road) along the tops of the mountains (such as they are at 3,500 feet). We camped in the National Park and saw lots of squirrels and deer--some with 10-point antlers! Believe it or not, we're STILL among colored leaves. This has been quite an autumn!
Since I've always been a big fan of Thomas Jefferson, I was anxious to see his home--Monticello. We were able to tour it on a hot, sunny day and with a fabulous tour guide who really made Jefferson's intelligence come to life for us. In the lobby of Monticello, we saw some of the treasures brought back to Jefferson by Lewis & Clark. Amazing! This home was styled like many of the plantations of its day with the "dependencies" (kitchen, smokehouse, wine cellar) under or to the side of the house. In fact, Jefferson devised a pulley system to bring bottles of wine from the cellar to the dining room! My kind of guy! Our next stop was Michie Tavern, in existence since 1784, and still serving meals and ale. It's a gorgeous building full of history.
The next day, we headed to the Colonial Triangle: Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown. But along the way, we discovered Shirley Plantation--the ancestral home of Robert E. Lee. It is the oldest plantation in America, founded in 1632 on the banks of the James River. Believe it or not, the last surviving family member of the Lee family still lives in the upstairs portion of the mansion. The most interesting story we learned about his particular plantation occurred during the height of the Civil War. The men had all gone off to fight the war and two women (Robert E. Lee's grandmother and aunt) were left with some of the slaves. After a serious battle nearby, General McClellan of the Northern Army decided to use the home and grounds as a hospital. Without sharing the family tree, the women helped the soldiers and when McClellan's army moved on, he left orders that not a head be harmed on Shirley Plantation. Had he known this was Robert E. Lee's grandparents home, would have done so? We'll never know.
We found Williamsburg to be interesting...especially the bits we learned about trials and wigs! Did you know "Powder Rooms" were originally made for men to powder their wigs and shake off the excess? Not for women to powder their noses! We enjoyed the fife and drum corps. The young people have been playing and marching there for 50 years. Very moving. Williamsburg was the first capital of Virginia and, once the Jamestown settlers grew weary of fighting the swamps and mosquitos, Williamsburg became their new home, too. The archaeology work being done in Jamestown is very surprising. One always thinks of digging going on elsewhere in the world--not in our own back yards.
From Jamestown, we took the free ferry (take a note Washington!) across the James River to an old-fashioned restaurant, The Virginia Diner, that has been existence since 1929 and partook of some traditional southern food: collards, hush puppies, southern fried chicken. Yummy! Needless to say, no dinner was required that night. And it's a good thing 'cause that's when we hit the Nor'Easter on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
The wind and rain blew so hard as we crossed the bridge over the Albemarle Sound that Clint put the truck in 4-wheel drive for extra traction. The weather hadn't seemed that bad until that point--just a bit of rain and a breeze. But, boy, once we got on the Outer Banks, it was a different story. Since we didn't want to cross that bridge again, we got as far as Kitty Hawk and learned all about those boys from Dayton, Ohio, who asked the National Weather Service where the windiest places in America were. Sixth on their list was Kitty Hawk (I hate to find out where the top 5 were!) where they so bravely explored the skies. Since we learned from the locals that those who live on the Outer Banks would rather have a hurricane blow through than a Nor'Easter, we wondered why. Well, the hurricane blows hard for an hour, then it's done. A Nor'Easter beats the shore for 5-6 days. At that point, we figured we weren't going to be able to tour the Outer Banks down to Hatteras as we'd hoped. So, we parked the truck in the lea of the big movie theatre building and went inside to watch "Nights at Rodanthe" which took place right down the road out of our reach. So, we did the best we could.
We slept pretty well that night behind a bank of trees in the WalMart parking lot and left via Roanoke Island bridge the next morning. It was still blowing like crazy and the road down to Hatteras was still closed--bulldozers needed to plow away the sand from the highway. And within 30 minutes, we found ourselves in the sunshine and headed to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where we wanted to tour the Airborne Museum on the Fort Bragg base. I was beyond bummed, though, when I learned that their simulator was broken. I was really looking forward to feeling like I was jumping out of airplanes, being yelled at by a drill sergeant, and trying to survive amid gunfire. Oh well...the museum was still VERY well done and told the stories of the airborne troops from WWII through current day.
As I write this, I'm in the coziest, most beautifully-outfitted library yet! Bishopville, South Carolina, where we'll tour the Cotton Museum and topiary gardens. I asked Clint to take a few photos, so you might see it on the next installment. Until then...
As long as we were so close to Hershey, Pennsylvania, we decided we really needed to see where our favorite chocolate is made. So, we took the tour and bought some goodies. Hershey is a phenomenal town where Mr. Hershey was the moving force behind the community: a home for orphaned/abandoned boys, a sophisticated medical facility, and employee housing....all done in red brick with white trim. Truly a beautiful town. The Hersheys never had any children of their own and left a good portion of their fortune to the continuation of the boys home. We would have liked to go to the museum, but it is currently being renovated. It was such fun to see how the Kisses are made! Not what I would have thought...now I've got you guessing, huh?! And we think they "test" new products at the facility as we found cherry fondant and peanut butter Kisses there that we've not seen elsewhere. (Yes, we shop for chocolate on the road!)
From Hershey, we went to a far more sobering place: Gettysburg. Many of our National Parks have brand new visitor centers and displays. For a World's Fair around the turn of the last century, an artist depicted the Gettysburg battle on a huge elliptical canvas. That canvas has been restored and placed in a circular theatre where we felt we were right on the battlfield with all the soldiers. We walked through Gettysburg National Cemetery at dusk. Clint wishes he'd brought his flute to play an homage to all who had fallen. We stood on the site where Abraham Lincoln stood to share his Gettysburg Address with the crowd. Very moving. We felt so badly for the town of Gettysburg who had thousands of injured and dead to care for at the close of the three-day battle. The town of Gettysburg is beautifully historic and full of life. Good to see.
And since we're curious to learn how things are made, we went to the Martin Guitar Factory in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and the Harley-Davidson assembly line in York, Pennsylvania. (Clint can't get enough of those Harleys!) The Martin Guitars have been made since 1833 and is still owned by the Martin family. The museum showcased guitars, mandolins, and banjos made by the Martin factory...especially those owned by more famous artists like Elvis, Eric Clapton, and Joan Baez. The guitar shown in the photo in this blog is nearly completely inlaid with mother of pearl. A true work of art.
Then it was time to head to the Shenandoah National Park where we drove the Skyline Drive (much like the Going-to-the-Sun road in Glacier National Park and the Rocky Mountain ridge road) along the tops of the mountains (such as they are at 3,500 feet). We camped in the National Park and saw lots of squirrels and deer--some with 10-point antlers! Believe it or not, we're STILL among colored leaves. This has been quite an autumn!
Since I've always been a big fan of Thomas Jefferson, I was anxious to see his home--Monticello. We were able to tour it on a hot, sunny day and with a fabulous tour guide who really made Jefferson's intelligence come to life for us. In the lobby of Monticello, we saw some of the treasures brought back to Jefferson by Lewis & Clark. Amazing! This home was styled like many of the plantations of its day with the "dependencies" (kitchen, smokehouse, wine cellar) under or to the side of the house. In fact, Jefferson devised a pulley system to bring bottles of wine from the cellar to the dining room! My kind of guy! Our next stop was Michie Tavern, in existence since 1784, and still serving meals and ale. It's a gorgeous building full of history.
The next day, we headed to the Colonial Triangle: Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown. But along the way, we discovered Shirley Plantation--the ancestral home of Robert E. Lee. It is the oldest plantation in America, founded in 1632 on the banks of the James River. Believe it or not, the last surviving family member of the Lee family still lives in the upstairs portion of the mansion. The most interesting story we learned about his particular plantation occurred during the height of the Civil War. The men had all gone off to fight the war and two women (Robert E. Lee's grandmother and aunt) were left with some of the slaves. After a serious battle nearby, General McClellan of the Northern Army decided to use the home and grounds as a hospital. Without sharing the family tree, the women helped the soldiers and when McClellan's army moved on, he left orders that not a head be harmed on Shirley Plantation. Had he known this was Robert E. Lee's grandparents home, would have done so? We'll never know.
We found Williamsburg to be interesting...especially the bits we learned about trials and wigs! Did you know "Powder Rooms" were originally made for men to powder their wigs and shake off the excess? Not for women to powder their noses! We enjoyed the fife and drum corps. The young people have been playing and marching there for 50 years. Very moving. Williamsburg was the first capital of Virginia and, once the Jamestown settlers grew weary of fighting the swamps and mosquitos, Williamsburg became their new home, too. The archaeology work being done in Jamestown is very surprising. One always thinks of digging going on elsewhere in the world--not in our own back yards.
From Jamestown, we took the free ferry (take a note Washington!) across the James River to an old-fashioned restaurant, The Virginia Diner, that has been existence since 1929 and partook of some traditional southern food: collards, hush puppies, southern fried chicken. Yummy! Needless to say, no dinner was required that night. And it's a good thing 'cause that's when we hit the Nor'Easter on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
The wind and rain blew so hard as we crossed the bridge over the Albemarle Sound that Clint put the truck in 4-wheel drive for extra traction. The weather hadn't seemed that bad until that point--just a bit of rain and a breeze. But, boy, once we got on the Outer Banks, it was a different story. Since we didn't want to cross that bridge again, we got as far as Kitty Hawk and learned all about those boys from Dayton, Ohio, who asked the National Weather Service where the windiest places in America were. Sixth on their list was Kitty Hawk (I hate to find out where the top 5 were!) where they so bravely explored the skies. Since we learned from the locals that those who live on the Outer Banks would rather have a hurricane blow through than a Nor'Easter, we wondered why. Well, the hurricane blows hard for an hour, then it's done. A Nor'Easter beats the shore for 5-6 days. At that point, we figured we weren't going to be able to tour the Outer Banks down to Hatteras as we'd hoped. So, we parked the truck in the lea of the big movie theatre building and went inside to watch "Nights at Rodanthe" which took place right down the road out of our reach. So, we did the best we could.
We slept pretty well that night behind a bank of trees in the WalMart parking lot and left via Roanoke Island bridge the next morning. It was still blowing like crazy and the road down to Hatteras was still closed--bulldozers needed to plow away the sand from the highway. And within 30 minutes, we found ourselves in the sunshine and headed to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where we wanted to tour the Airborne Museum on the Fort Bragg base. I was beyond bummed, though, when I learned that their simulator was broken. I was really looking forward to feeling like I was jumping out of airplanes, being yelled at by a drill sergeant, and trying to survive amid gunfire. Oh well...the museum was still VERY well done and told the stories of the airborne troops from WWII through current day.
As I write this, I'm in the coziest, most beautifully-outfitted library yet! Bishopville, South Carolina, where we'll tour the Cotton Museum and topiary gardens. I asked Clint to take a few photos, so you might see it on the next installment. Until then...
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
New England at Its Best
What perfect weather we had for this gorgeous corner of America! Once again, we feel we're traveling through Camelot as so often we have pouring rain and thunderstorms during the night only to awaken to bright sunshine. Our entire time in New England gave us bright, sunny days. Aren't we lucky?
We both learned so much at the JFK Library near Boston. Kennedy had such a command of the English language and history. I now want to read "Profiles in Courage" to complete my understanding. Cape Cod is, indeed, gorgeous...but it's the most confusing area in which I've ever been. One wouldn't think so as the land is so narrow! We continuously got lost--even with the help of Maggie (our GPS). It was a real thrill to watch the men working the bog harvesting cranberries.
One of my favorite spots is Newport, Rhode Island! There is so much to see and do there. My friend, Sue, is lucky to have lived there. It's very special. In fact so special that perhaps we'll return there some day. We could have spent more time in Rhode Island and Connecticut...very picturesque. Earlier in the blog, I referred to the opulence of the Bar Harbor mansions. Well...I reevaluate that assessment! Newport's got them ALL beat!! The one mansion we toured is the "Breakers" built by Cornelius Vanderbilt of railroad wealth. It truly was called their "cottage" as it is dwarfed by their New York penthouse. Driving Ocean Avenue through Newport allowed us to see many more mansions hugging the coastline. Beyond beautiful. But, truth to tell, I still like the little shingled houses with white trim, huh Cindee?
Most of the photos in this segment of the blog are self-explanatory, with the exception of the photos we took at the Mystic Aquarium. The aquarium had a pumpkin carving event, then placed the pumpkins in many of the fish tanks. Weird to see the fish eating the jack-o-lanterns, huh?! When I saw the sea lion pup through the glass of his aquarium, I felt a special affinity for him. He was obviously people-friendly, but his eyes were luminous with intelligence. When I heard his back ground story, I understood why I felt that way. "Hut" was found near the Harbor Hut Restaurant in Morro Bay two years ago as a starving pup. The Marine Mammal Rescue Center nursed him back to health and tried to release him into the wild. He wanted no part of the big, cruel ocean and kept coming back to them. So, now they call him "Boomerang" and he's part of the show at the aquarium in Mystic. One of the Indian communities near Mystic has the largest museum on Indian culture to be found anywhere. Unfortunately, we weren't able to see it as they were closed the two days we spent in Mystic. We've seen many Indian museums on the Western tribes, but none on the Eastern tribes. Another reason to return.
We wanted to return to New York to see the southern portion of the Hudson River Valley to see West Point and Hyde Park. Well worth it. Prior to 9-11-01, one could wander the West Point campus, but no longer. I'm rather glad, though, as we had an excellent tour guide who helped us to understand the rigors through which the cadets are tested for entry to the university, as well as their time there. He tells us that times are sad at West Point these days as 65 graduates have been killed in the Middle East...young men and women from 23-25 years old. But the stained glass at the chapel says it all..."Duty, Honor, Country." The cadets make a commitment and keep it.
And what an amazing man FDR was! Not to mention that fabulous Eleanor! His presidential library is the first to have been created and he did so himself, then actually worked there until his death. The Roosevelt home is still furnished as it had been when the family lived there. Again, we had a fabulous tour guide who was full of information.
And as far as Clint is concerned, the amazing men are those on "Orange County Choppers!" All these years, I'd heard of the TV show, but I thought the guys were in California. But, no, they're right down the road from us in Newburgh, New York. We found their showroom and Clint drooled over some of the custom made Harleys. They've customized some Harleys for FDNY, NY Yankees, Santa and Rudolph, Lance Armstrong, POW-MIA, Make a Wish Foundation...and many more. The guys really are creative!
Believe it or not, snow is predicted for tonight! So, needless to say, we're heading south to Pennsylvania tomorrow morning!
We both learned so much at the JFK Library near Boston. Kennedy had such a command of the English language and history. I now want to read "Profiles in Courage" to complete my understanding. Cape Cod is, indeed, gorgeous...but it's the most confusing area in which I've ever been. One wouldn't think so as the land is so narrow! We continuously got lost--even with the help of Maggie (our GPS). It was a real thrill to watch the men working the bog harvesting cranberries.
One of my favorite spots is Newport, Rhode Island! There is so much to see and do there. My friend, Sue, is lucky to have lived there. It's very special. In fact so special that perhaps we'll return there some day. We could have spent more time in Rhode Island and Connecticut...very picturesque. Earlier in the blog, I referred to the opulence of the Bar Harbor mansions. Well...I reevaluate that assessment! Newport's got them ALL beat!! The one mansion we toured is the "Breakers" built by Cornelius Vanderbilt of railroad wealth. It truly was called their "cottage" as it is dwarfed by their New York penthouse. Driving Ocean Avenue through Newport allowed us to see many more mansions hugging the coastline. Beyond beautiful. But, truth to tell, I still like the little shingled houses with white trim, huh Cindee?
Most of the photos in this segment of the blog are self-explanatory, with the exception of the photos we took at the Mystic Aquarium. The aquarium had a pumpkin carving event, then placed the pumpkins in many of the fish tanks. Weird to see the fish eating the jack-o-lanterns, huh?! When I saw the sea lion pup through the glass of his aquarium, I felt a special affinity for him. He was obviously people-friendly, but his eyes were luminous with intelligence. When I heard his back ground story, I understood why I felt that way. "Hut" was found near the Harbor Hut Restaurant in Morro Bay two years ago as a starving pup. The Marine Mammal Rescue Center nursed him back to health and tried to release him into the wild. He wanted no part of the big, cruel ocean and kept coming back to them. So, now they call him "Boomerang" and he's part of the show at the aquarium in Mystic. One of the Indian communities near Mystic has the largest museum on Indian culture to be found anywhere. Unfortunately, we weren't able to see it as they were closed the two days we spent in Mystic. We've seen many Indian museums on the Western tribes, but none on the Eastern tribes. Another reason to return.
We wanted to return to New York to see the southern portion of the Hudson River Valley to see West Point and Hyde Park. Well worth it. Prior to 9-11-01, one could wander the West Point campus, but no longer. I'm rather glad, though, as we had an excellent tour guide who helped us to understand the rigors through which the cadets are tested for entry to the university, as well as their time there. He tells us that times are sad at West Point these days as 65 graduates have been killed in the Middle East...young men and women from 23-25 years old. But the stained glass at the chapel says it all..."Duty, Honor, Country." The cadets make a commitment and keep it.
And what an amazing man FDR was! Not to mention that fabulous Eleanor! His presidential library is the first to have been created and he did so himself, then actually worked there until his death. The Roosevelt home is still furnished as it had been when the family lived there. Again, we had a fabulous tour guide who was full of information.
And as far as Clint is concerned, the amazing men are those on "Orange County Choppers!" All these years, I'd heard of the TV show, but I thought the guys were in California. But, no, they're right down the road from us in Newburgh, New York. We found their showroom and Clint drooled over some of the custom made Harleys. They've customized some Harleys for FDNY, NY Yankees, Santa and Rudolph, Lance Armstrong, POW-MIA, Make a Wish Foundation...and many more. The guys really are creative!
Believe it or not, snow is predicted for tonight! So, needless to say, we're heading south to Pennsylvania tomorrow morning!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
From Sea to Shining Sea
We've arrived at the beautiful coast of Maine and have fallen in love with yet another area of this big country of ours. As I write this, I'm in the best library we've found so far. No fees and no time limit. All the other libraries required one or the other, so the previous blogs were done in an hour. Today, I have all the time in the world and Clint's taking a nap with the kitties in the camper, so here goes!
We spent some time at Saratoga Springs, New York, birth of America's horse racing. We toured the museum and learned how to place a bet at the track, why some horses become the winners they are, and saw some unique racing-inspired art. Mary Ann, it seems like this would be the perfect place for you to retire! I also thought of my Grandpa McCarthy who went to Tijuana to bet on the ponies during the Depression. We stayed in an Elks Lodge camping area in Saratoga Springs and were treated to drinks and lively conversation by its members. What a lovely group of people.
From there, we continued north to the Adirondacks where we spent an afternoon at Lake Placid, home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic games. Fortunately for us, the Swiss ski jump team members were there practicing at the Lake Placid venues. We rode an elevator to the top of the 150 meter ski jump and took movies and photos of them jumping from the 90 meter jump next to us. The ski jump has a hard plastic surface that is kept wet through a hose system. Then the skiers land on astroturf on their uphill landing. These young men and women are fearless! We also got a kick out of the freestyle ski jumpers as they did loops and twirls in the air, then landed in a swimming pool. Nothing like trying to swim with skis on!
Many years ago, like 32 years ago, when I was previously in New England, I climbed up and down the walls of Ausable Chasm and remember so clearly its shiny, granite surfaces and the rushing water below me. It was a real highlight of my trip. This time, I wasn't up to climbing in and out of the chasm, so Clint and I had to be content with a photo from above. But the chasm is very near Lake Champlain across which we rode a ferry to get to Burlington, Vermont. It was in Burlington that we felt we might want to get service done on the truck. So, we headed for the Ford dealership and were out of there in 45 minutes. Then, it was on to Sears to get new batteries for the camper. That afternoon, we discovered Shelburne Museum just south of Burlington. I think this museum will go down as a highlight of this trip. It was founded in the 1940s by a wealthy woman (Electra Havermeyer Webb) who wanted to preserve Americana and she did so--building by building. The 45-acre grounds include a round, red barn in which one can find restored carousel creatures--horses and the more exotic tigers, bears, deer, etc. She also saved the "Ticonderoga" side-wheel luxury steamer that had plied the waters of Lake Champlain and had it brought from the lake to its final resting place on the museum grounds. According to the video, this was no small engineering feat! On the grounds one can also find a horseshoe-shaped barn in which are hundreds of carriages and sleighs. There's a general store completely stocked with everything from a rainbow of silk thread to cough syrups filled with codeine to ice skates. There's a building originally built by Shakers and now filled with antique tools and housewares. And, filled with memories from our youth, a 1950s home, complete with plastic shower curtain and window curtain with large swans...you know what I mean?! And a stone home where we learned how linen is made from flax, and a typical New England clapboard house filled with ceramics, glassware, and quilts. And the piece de resistance, a collection of Mary Cassatt drawings and paintings. Electra's mother was a close, personal friend of Mary Cassatt, so we were able to see that special exhibit. Needless to say, we saw only a portion of the museum one day and returned to spend a good portion of the next. But those who sell tickets to the museum understand the breadth and depth of their collection and two days' admission is included in one fee.
So, it was on to lighter fare: Ben & Jerry's factory tour! Well...not lighter on the waistline! From there, we headed north to Stowe, Vermont, where the Von Trapp Family of Sound of Music fame landed upon their arrival in America. The views from their lodge are amazing...especially at this time of year. And thanks to our friend, Lori from Coronado, who hopes to retire part-time to New Hampshire, we stopped at LaBrioche in Montpelier for a breakfast treat made by the students/apprentices at the New England Culinary Institute. Boy, was that a great stop! Lori also encouraged us to go to the Cabot Cheese factory since we were so close. Now we're in love with Cabot cheese and Tillamook just won't do anymore! It was in Cabot that we discovered that there was an Apple Pie Festival going on in that little bitty town. Well...we could hardly go down the road without stopping. The young men were turning the crank on the cider press and the juice just poured from it. That cider was so yummy! So, we asked the men standing around what would become of the apple pith leftover from the squeezing. Nothing goes to waste among farmers as his chickens would be fed well (sans seeds), then the garden would get some more of the pith. We checked out the crafts, had a piece of apple pie, then were on our way to the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
We stayed in Conway where our water hoses connecting to the campground's water system froze during the night! We were warm and toasty inside our camper, though. So, we figured it might be time to head to the coast where it wouldn't be quite so cold. All through New England, I'd gotten the same feeling in my neck that I had in Yellowstone...caused, I think, by the constant swivel of my head while squinting into the forest looking for wildlife. For all the squinting, I saw only one moose--and a female at that. I was really hoping for a Bullwinkle-- especially since Maine probably has more lakes than Minnesota, but they call them "ponds." Maybe yet to come. Throughout our autumn travels, we've been treated to "scarecrow" people in some towns, "ghost" people in others, but the "pumpkin" people in Jackson, New Hampshire, were the best yet. John, Paul, George, and Ringo never looked so good! HA The autumn colors on this trip have been phenomenal. Clint was even moved to use the phrase, "color palette" when referring to the range of color on the hillsides. Theresa, aren't you proud of him?! And that crow on top of the granite is for you, too! Speaking of cemeteries...we've seen a lot of them since we're traveling on two-lane back roads. Granite is a big industry in Vermont and New Hampshire so the memorials there are amazing!
Acadia National Park allows vistas to forever across all the islands dotting the coast of Maine. Bar Harbor is a beautiful town, but too exclusive for "campers" as we were continually directed by signage to only park where RVs were allowed, but there was no signage directing us where we could park. So, we gave up. On this trip, we have seen mansions along any waterfront where we've gone--lake, river, ocean. And the mansions through Bar Harbor were the most ostentatious yet. But we fell in love with Belfast, Maine, a red brick, sea farer's town with a flat-iron building for sale right downtown. Wouldn't that make a nice coffee shop/bookstore for Clint and me to run? Well...maybe for me to run! I don't think I could talk that Chism into working again! HA
So, know we're having a great time and are able to pick up our e-mail once a week. Let us know that you're doing well.
We spent some time at Saratoga Springs, New York, birth of America's horse racing. We toured the museum and learned how to place a bet at the track, why some horses become the winners they are, and saw some unique racing-inspired art. Mary Ann, it seems like this would be the perfect place for you to retire! I also thought of my Grandpa McCarthy who went to Tijuana to bet on the ponies during the Depression. We stayed in an Elks Lodge camping area in Saratoga Springs and were treated to drinks and lively conversation by its members. What a lovely group of people.
From there, we continued north to the Adirondacks where we spent an afternoon at Lake Placid, home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic games. Fortunately for us, the Swiss ski jump team members were there practicing at the Lake Placid venues. We rode an elevator to the top of the 150 meter ski jump and took movies and photos of them jumping from the 90 meter jump next to us. The ski jump has a hard plastic surface that is kept wet through a hose system. Then the skiers land on astroturf on their uphill landing. These young men and women are fearless! We also got a kick out of the freestyle ski jumpers as they did loops and twirls in the air, then landed in a swimming pool. Nothing like trying to swim with skis on!
Many years ago, like 32 years ago, when I was previously in New England, I climbed up and down the walls of Ausable Chasm and remember so clearly its shiny, granite surfaces and the rushing water below me. It was a real highlight of my trip. This time, I wasn't up to climbing in and out of the chasm, so Clint and I had to be content with a photo from above. But the chasm is very near Lake Champlain across which we rode a ferry to get to Burlington, Vermont. It was in Burlington that we felt we might want to get service done on the truck. So, we headed for the Ford dealership and were out of there in 45 minutes. Then, it was on to Sears to get new batteries for the camper. That afternoon, we discovered Shelburne Museum just south of Burlington. I think this museum will go down as a highlight of this trip. It was founded in the 1940s by a wealthy woman (Electra Havermeyer Webb) who wanted to preserve Americana and she did so--building by building. The 45-acre grounds include a round, red barn in which one can find restored carousel creatures--horses and the more exotic tigers, bears, deer, etc. She also saved the "Ticonderoga" side-wheel luxury steamer that had plied the waters of Lake Champlain and had it brought from the lake to its final resting place on the museum grounds. According to the video, this was no small engineering feat! On the grounds one can also find a horseshoe-shaped barn in which are hundreds of carriages and sleighs. There's a general store completely stocked with everything from a rainbow of silk thread to cough syrups filled with codeine to ice skates. There's a building originally built by Shakers and now filled with antique tools and housewares. And, filled with memories from our youth, a 1950s home, complete with plastic shower curtain and window curtain with large swans...you know what I mean?! And a stone home where we learned how linen is made from flax, and a typical New England clapboard house filled with ceramics, glassware, and quilts. And the piece de resistance, a collection of Mary Cassatt drawings and paintings. Electra's mother was a close, personal friend of Mary Cassatt, so we were able to see that special exhibit. Needless to say, we saw only a portion of the museum one day and returned to spend a good portion of the next. But those who sell tickets to the museum understand the breadth and depth of their collection and two days' admission is included in one fee.
So, it was on to lighter fare: Ben & Jerry's factory tour! Well...not lighter on the waistline! From there, we headed north to Stowe, Vermont, where the Von Trapp Family of Sound of Music fame landed upon their arrival in America. The views from their lodge are amazing...especially at this time of year. And thanks to our friend, Lori from Coronado, who hopes to retire part-time to New Hampshire, we stopped at LaBrioche in Montpelier for a breakfast treat made by the students/apprentices at the New England Culinary Institute. Boy, was that a great stop! Lori also encouraged us to go to the Cabot Cheese factory since we were so close. Now we're in love with Cabot cheese and Tillamook just won't do anymore! It was in Cabot that we discovered that there was an Apple Pie Festival going on in that little bitty town. Well...we could hardly go down the road without stopping. The young men were turning the crank on the cider press and the juice just poured from it. That cider was so yummy! So, we asked the men standing around what would become of the apple pith leftover from the squeezing. Nothing goes to waste among farmers as his chickens would be fed well (sans seeds), then the garden would get some more of the pith. We checked out the crafts, had a piece of apple pie, then were on our way to the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
We stayed in Conway where our water hoses connecting to the campground's water system froze during the night! We were warm and toasty inside our camper, though. So, we figured it might be time to head to the coast where it wouldn't be quite so cold. All through New England, I'd gotten the same feeling in my neck that I had in Yellowstone...caused, I think, by the constant swivel of my head while squinting into the forest looking for wildlife. For all the squinting, I saw only one moose--and a female at that. I was really hoping for a Bullwinkle-- especially since Maine probably has more lakes than Minnesota, but they call them "ponds." Maybe yet to come. Throughout our autumn travels, we've been treated to "scarecrow" people in some towns, "ghost" people in others, but the "pumpkin" people in Jackson, New Hampshire, were the best yet. John, Paul, George, and Ringo never looked so good! HA The autumn colors on this trip have been phenomenal. Clint was even moved to use the phrase, "color palette" when referring to the range of color on the hillsides. Theresa, aren't you proud of him?! And that crow on top of the granite is for you, too! Speaking of cemeteries...we've seen a lot of them since we're traveling on two-lane back roads. Granite is a big industry in Vermont and New Hampshire so the memorials there are amazing!
Acadia National Park allows vistas to forever across all the islands dotting the coast of Maine. Bar Harbor is a beautiful town, but too exclusive for "campers" as we were continually directed by signage to only park where RVs were allowed, but there was no signage directing us where we could park. So, we gave up. On this trip, we have seen mansions along any waterfront where we've gone--lake, river, ocean. And the mansions through Bar Harbor were the most ostentatious yet. But we fell in love with Belfast, Maine, a red brick, sea farer's town with a flat-iron building for sale right downtown. Wouldn't that make a nice coffee shop/bookstore for Clint and me to run? Well...maybe for me to run! I don't think I could talk that Chism into working again! HA
So, know we're having a great time and are able to pick up our e-mail once a week. Let us know that you're doing well.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Autumn has Arrived!
Update on the Guess the Photo Contest: My nephew guessed it correctly--it's a shamrock dripped into the foam of a Guinness beer on tap from the Irish pub on Mackinac Island. Not sure what gift card we'll get for Brett--maybe a few Guinness six-packs!
We started seeing gorgeous reds and yellows in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and have been surrounded by color ever since!
Holland, Michigan, is full of architecture you would expect to find in The Netherlands. The founding fathers carried out their plan for a "new" Holland in a most authentic way. The DeZwaan windmill is also an authentic one. Brought to Michigan in pieces, then completely reassembled...rather like London Bridge in Havasu! I took a photo of the statues of children raising an American flag as I thought it was sweet. From Holland, we headed up to Grand Rapids to tour the Gerald Ford Museum. He sure loved Grand Rapids...and Vail! He couldn't imagine having been raised in a better place than Grand Rapids. Nice, huh? He will, of course, always be remembered for his pardoning of Nixon and allowing the nation to move forward after Watergate. Also at the museum was an exhibit of the fifty greatest players in baseball, complete with artifacts from Cooperstown. I found it to be very interesting since I had worked in baseball magazine publishing all those years ago. Not to mention attending countless Padre games in my youth.
From there, we headed south into the Amish country of Indiana. Well...really, we were headed to the RV Museum, but ended up in Amish country...much to our tummies' pleasure! The Amish continue to grow in numbers and lead their "plain" lives. The largest group of Amish is in Ohio and the second largest is in Indiana. Pictured here is my favorite vehicle from the RV Museum in Elkhart, Indiana. It's called the "Tennessee Traveler" and was made in the early 1920s. The woodwork and design inside are impeccable and the outside is funky, too!
The next morning as we were leaving Indiana, we happened upon an Amish horse and buggy trotting down the road in the pouring rain. But the driver had it pretty good. His buggy completely enclosed him with only room for his horse's reins to sneak through the glass. So, we went from learning about the Amish lifestyle to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland! But, the night before, Zorro, who likes to swat things off of surfaces to watch them fall, must have swatted our camera off the table. Clint heard a thunk during the night and when the camera didn't work well in Cleveland, he put two and two together. That's why the photo of the Rock and Roll Museum is somewhat bright. And after that, the camera wouldn't work at all. So, it was time to stop somewhere to buy a new camera. The Rock and Roll Museum was really interesting to both Clint and me. We were able to listen to 1920s blues that led to rock and roll. We watched a 63-minute compilation of all the members of the Hall of Fame. And, most important of all, they had, in their special exhibit of performers from Ohio, one of Dean Martin's tuxedos. Sigh....In case you hadn't guessed it, Dean was my favorite singer of all time.
One of our big thrills of this trip has been seeing Niagara Falls! We even donned the darling yellow outfits, complete with donatable-to-the-poor sandals, to hike right under Bridalveil Falls. Thank goodness, it was another warm, sunny day or we would have been frozen! We camped just outside Niagara Falls and visited Old Fort Niagara the next morning. It had originally been built by the French in the early 1700s, then the British battled them for it, then the Americans. The large building shown in the photo was truly the "fort," but the French commander felt if they built a fort to resemble a chateau or house, the Iroquois natives wouldn't be as intimidated and would allow the French to remain there. Apparently, the Iroquois were as friendly to the Europeans as the Mohawks were not.
I knew my sister, Maureen, had been born near Geneva, New York, when dad was stationed at Sampson Naval Base on Seneca Lake in 1945 (oops! Sorry, Maureen, I just gave away your age!). Well, little did I know, Geneva is a thriving resort community built on the northern shore of Seneca Lake - one of the Finger Lakes. And that entire region is known for its wines. A more beautiful setting couldn't be found than the rows of grapevines marching to the lake with the autumn leaves framing them. We also discovered that Sampson Naval Base is now a New York State Park, but they have a museum dedicated to the years it served as military bases--first the navy, then the air force. So, we toured through it and took a photo of a group of men--one of whom could be dad. I'll have Maureen double-check it when we get to San Diego. Then, the one disappointment of this trip, is our timing to see Watkins Glen, New York. We arrived there on a hot, sunny Sunday of a three-day weekend (Columbus Day), so visitors were out in droves. So, we passed it by and are heading to Woodstock...just to see what remains there and maybe find the new museum.
'Til next time. Stay well. jan & clint
We started seeing gorgeous reds and yellows in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and have been surrounded by color ever since!
Holland, Michigan, is full of architecture you would expect to find in The Netherlands. The founding fathers carried out their plan for a "new" Holland in a most authentic way. The DeZwaan windmill is also an authentic one. Brought to Michigan in pieces, then completely reassembled...rather like London Bridge in Havasu! I took a photo of the statues of children raising an American flag as I thought it was sweet. From Holland, we headed up to Grand Rapids to tour the Gerald Ford Museum. He sure loved Grand Rapids...and Vail! He couldn't imagine having been raised in a better place than Grand Rapids. Nice, huh? He will, of course, always be remembered for his pardoning of Nixon and allowing the nation to move forward after Watergate. Also at the museum was an exhibit of the fifty greatest players in baseball, complete with artifacts from Cooperstown. I found it to be very interesting since I had worked in baseball magazine publishing all those years ago. Not to mention attending countless Padre games in my youth.
From there, we headed south into the Amish country of Indiana. Well...really, we were headed to the RV Museum, but ended up in Amish country...much to our tummies' pleasure! The Amish continue to grow in numbers and lead their "plain" lives. The largest group of Amish is in Ohio and the second largest is in Indiana. Pictured here is my favorite vehicle from the RV Museum in Elkhart, Indiana. It's called the "Tennessee Traveler" and was made in the early 1920s. The woodwork and design inside are impeccable and the outside is funky, too!
The next morning as we were leaving Indiana, we happened upon an Amish horse and buggy trotting down the road in the pouring rain. But the driver had it pretty good. His buggy completely enclosed him with only room for his horse's reins to sneak through the glass. So, we went from learning about the Amish lifestyle to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland! But, the night before, Zorro, who likes to swat things off of surfaces to watch them fall, must have swatted our camera off the table. Clint heard a thunk during the night and when the camera didn't work well in Cleveland, he put two and two together. That's why the photo of the Rock and Roll Museum is somewhat bright. And after that, the camera wouldn't work at all. So, it was time to stop somewhere to buy a new camera. The Rock and Roll Museum was really interesting to both Clint and me. We were able to listen to 1920s blues that led to rock and roll. We watched a 63-minute compilation of all the members of the Hall of Fame. And, most important of all, they had, in their special exhibit of performers from Ohio, one of Dean Martin's tuxedos. Sigh....In case you hadn't guessed it, Dean was my favorite singer of all time.
One of our big thrills of this trip has been seeing Niagara Falls! We even donned the darling yellow outfits, complete with donatable-to-the-poor sandals, to hike right under Bridalveil Falls. Thank goodness, it was another warm, sunny day or we would have been frozen! We camped just outside Niagara Falls and visited Old Fort Niagara the next morning. It had originally been built by the French in the early 1700s, then the British battled them for it, then the Americans. The large building shown in the photo was truly the "fort," but the French commander felt if they built a fort to resemble a chateau or house, the Iroquois natives wouldn't be as intimidated and would allow the French to remain there. Apparently, the Iroquois were as friendly to the Europeans as the Mohawks were not.
I knew my sister, Maureen, had been born near Geneva, New York, when dad was stationed at Sampson Naval Base on Seneca Lake in 1945 (oops! Sorry, Maureen, I just gave away your age!). Well, little did I know, Geneva is a thriving resort community built on the northern shore of Seneca Lake - one of the Finger Lakes. And that entire region is known for its wines. A more beautiful setting couldn't be found than the rows of grapevines marching to the lake with the autumn leaves framing them. We also discovered that Sampson Naval Base is now a New York State Park, but they have a museum dedicated to the years it served as military bases--first the navy, then the air force. So, we toured through it and took a photo of a group of men--one of whom could be dad. I'll have Maureen double-check it when we get to San Diego. Then, the one disappointment of this trip, is our timing to see Watkins Glen, New York. We arrived there on a hot, sunny Sunday of a three-day weekend (Columbus Day), so visitors were out in droves. So, we passed it by and are heading to Woodstock...just to see what remains there and maybe find the new museum.
'Til next time. Stay well. jan & clint
Monday, October 6, 2008
Lake Michigan Circle Tour
Clint doesn't crack jokes too often, but when he does he makes me laugh! As we drove past the sign for Des Plaines, Wisconsin, he pointed and hollered, "Des Plaines! Des Plaines!" We weren't quite on Fantasy Island, but we were coming close--Mackinac Island is a fantasy come true for me, as well as my dear friend, Julie. If anyone remembers the movie, "Somewhere in Time," starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, they might recall some of the scenes taking place in a beautiful hotel. The movie was filmed on Mackinac Island in all its old-fashioned splendor. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
Milwaukee held about 3,000 fantasies for Clint! That's right, we toured the brand new Harley-Davidson Museum. It really was fun to see those perfectly maintained motorcycles and to read about the history of the company. So Clint's appetite for another Harley is thoroughly whetted now! Between the museum and all the Harley riders on the road, hair flying in the breeze, he's raring to get another one upon our return home. Clint had more fantasies satisfied in Milwaukee (get your minds out of the gutter!) when we toured the Miller Brewing Company. The tour was interesting--especially the tasting part. They gave each of us three steins full of beer to try. I was SO sluggish the rest of the afternoon! Nevermore... We stayed in a campground right on the shores of Lake Michigan that night and then it was my turn to be thrilled. They had a heated (82 degrees) indoor swimming pool. I can't tell you how good it felt to exercise my bum leg!
Door County, Wisconsin, is simply gorgeous. Rolling hills of farmland that stretch right to the shores of Lake Michigan. Corn growing, sandhill cranes eating in the fields, and Canada Geese covering the beaches...except when we scare them and they take flight. We saw some cute signs as we travelled through: Birdbath and Beyond; Honest Injun's Tourist Trap. And before we knew it, we'd crossed from Wisconsin to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
And, of course, the farther north we got, the more beautiful the leaves became. But we're still hoping to catch the New England leaves at their peak. Now, it's time for me to talk about Mackinac Island. We caught the ferry that left at 9:30 the next morning and there were 6 of us hardy souls who sat on the upper deck in the cold--the others were Wisconsinites! The Great Lakes area is full of lighthouses, but the Round Island Lighthouse that we passed on the ferry trip seemed particularly beautiful. Mackinac is full of Victorian houses, flowering gardens (even this late in the season!), and horses--600 of them! And they take the majority of the horses off the island for the winter--to the Upper Peninsula where it's even colder! But we discovered they just don't want to have to ship in all that hay and feed. It has nothing to do with the weather. We did take a carriage tour of the island and had lunch at the Grand Hotel. And the island is known for its fudge, so we got some at JoAnn's Fudge (just like you did, Cousin JoAnn!). There's a secret photo in this blog. Whoever can guess what it is will get a gift card to...oh, I don't know, a restaurant or See's or something. We had a magical day on Mackinac Island, then it was on to my favorite town, so far: Petoskey, Michigan.
We stayed at the nicest, award-winning KOA campground that night where they offered all kinds of free food: homemade doughtnuts (Maureen, they were just like Mom used to make!); apples; and ice cream sundaes. (By the by, earlier that week we went through the Wisconsin town where Ice Cream Sundaes claim to be invented.) Then we discovered Petoskey the next morning. I've never seen such beautiful Victorian architecture in my life! The entire town is simply pristine with a gorgeous boat harbor. We wandered through town and bought a cherry pie from Jespersen's Restaurant, purported to have the best cherry pies in the world--according to many magazines including The New Yorker. And it was good. And since it is Clint's favorite pie, it was gone before morning! From Petoskey, we headed south along Lake Michigan to Charlevoix where we happened upon an Oktoberfest celebration. So, of course, we had to have a brat and a beer and listen to the oom pah music. We wanted to see the Dachshund race, but it was going to be much later in the afternoon. So, we continued on to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore where we camped for the night.
The Lakeshore is full of sand dunes that go right down to Lake Michigan. The area is full of chipmunks and beautiful trails. We spent many hours there, then continued on down the coast to Holland, Michigan, where we spent last night. Today, after spending some time at this gorgeous library, we'll go see an authentic Dutch Mill here in Holland, Gerald Ford's Museum and Meijer Gardens both in Grand Rapids. So much to see...we're so grateful for this fabulous experience.
Oh...I tried to take a good photo of the interior of our camper for those of you who think we just have a bed. I took the photo while on the bed trying to show the dinette, kitchen, fridge, and hanging closet. The bathroom, complete with shower, is behind the dinette. So, we're really very comfortable!
Milwaukee held about 3,000 fantasies for Clint! That's right, we toured the brand new Harley-Davidson Museum. It really was fun to see those perfectly maintained motorcycles and to read about the history of the company. So Clint's appetite for another Harley is thoroughly whetted now! Between the museum and all the Harley riders on the road, hair flying in the breeze, he's raring to get another one upon our return home. Clint had more fantasies satisfied in Milwaukee (get your minds out of the gutter!) when we toured the Miller Brewing Company. The tour was interesting--especially the tasting part. They gave each of us three steins full of beer to try. I was SO sluggish the rest of the afternoon! Nevermore... We stayed in a campground right on the shores of Lake Michigan that night and then it was my turn to be thrilled. They had a heated (82 degrees) indoor swimming pool. I can't tell you how good it felt to exercise my bum leg!
Door County, Wisconsin, is simply gorgeous. Rolling hills of farmland that stretch right to the shores of Lake Michigan. Corn growing, sandhill cranes eating in the fields, and Canada Geese covering the beaches...except when we scare them and they take flight. We saw some cute signs as we travelled through: Birdbath and Beyond; Honest Injun's Tourist Trap. And before we knew it, we'd crossed from Wisconsin to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
And, of course, the farther north we got, the more beautiful the leaves became. But we're still hoping to catch the New England leaves at their peak. Now, it's time for me to talk about Mackinac Island. We caught the ferry that left at 9:30 the next morning and there were 6 of us hardy souls who sat on the upper deck in the cold--the others were Wisconsinites! The Great Lakes area is full of lighthouses, but the Round Island Lighthouse that we passed on the ferry trip seemed particularly beautiful. Mackinac is full of Victorian houses, flowering gardens (even this late in the season!), and horses--600 of them! And they take the majority of the horses off the island for the winter--to the Upper Peninsula where it's even colder! But we discovered they just don't want to have to ship in all that hay and feed. It has nothing to do with the weather. We did take a carriage tour of the island and had lunch at the Grand Hotel. And the island is known for its fudge, so we got some at JoAnn's Fudge (just like you did, Cousin JoAnn!). There's a secret photo in this blog. Whoever can guess what it is will get a gift card to...oh, I don't know, a restaurant or See's or something. We had a magical day on Mackinac Island, then it was on to my favorite town, so far: Petoskey, Michigan.
We stayed at the nicest, award-winning KOA campground that night where they offered all kinds of free food: homemade doughtnuts (Maureen, they were just like Mom used to make!); apples; and ice cream sundaes. (By the by, earlier that week we went through the Wisconsin town where Ice Cream Sundaes claim to be invented.) Then we discovered Petoskey the next morning. I've never seen such beautiful Victorian architecture in my life! The entire town is simply pristine with a gorgeous boat harbor. We wandered through town and bought a cherry pie from Jespersen's Restaurant, purported to have the best cherry pies in the world--according to many magazines including The New Yorker. And it was good. And since it is Clint's favorite pie, it was gone before morning! From Petoskey, we headed south along Lake Michigan to Charlevoix where we happened upon an Oktoberfest celebration. So, of course, we had to have a brat and a beer and listen to the oom pah music. We wanted to see the Dachshund race, but it was going to be much later in the afternoon. So, we continued on to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore where we camped for the night.
The Lakeshore is full of sand dunes that go right down to Lake Michigan. The area is full of chipmunks and beautiful trails. We spent many hours there, then continued on down the coast to Holland, Michigan, where we spent last night. Today, after spending some time at this gorgeous library, we'll go see an authentic Dutch Mill here in Holland, Gerald Ford's Museum and Meijer Gardens both in Grand Rapids. So much to see...we're so grateful for this fabulous experience.
Oh...I tried to take a good photo of the interior of our camper for those of you who think we just have a bed. I took the photo while on the bed trying to show the dinette, kitchen, fridge, and hanging closet. The bathroom, complete with shower, is behind the dinette. So, we're really very comfortable!
Monday, September 29, 2008
The Heartland
This portion of our trip should be entitled, "The Heartland" for a couple of reasons. First, it truly is the heartland of America...down to earth, continuing to welcome peoples of all nations, and rich with farming traditions. Second, it is the home of my mother's birth; therefore, a "heart"land for me.
We left the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota and continued East through the Badlands to Wall Drug of Wall, South Dakota. For miles prior to arriving in Wall, the billboards boast that Wall has everything one could possibly desire: 5 cent coffee--free for honeymooners; Western wear; Sheriff on duty; Silver dollar display; Homemade pie; and a Shooting Gallery, among others. As you can see, Wall Drug also had a life-sized Jackalope which allowed Jan to realize her lifelong dream of riding one! HA The Badlands are just that. Not many redeeming qualities there. And, of course, once we got close to the middle of South Dakota, we had to visit the Corn Palace. The outside is decorated with various types of corn and husks to create historical displays...yes, all in corn. And much to our dismay, the polka dancers were on their lunch break when we were there. Truly, I would have loved to have seen them all dance with their flippy skirts and shiny shoes! On to more sophisticated musical pursuits...we toured the National Music Museum in Vermillion, South Dakota. You could have blown us over with a feather when we saw the historical collection before us. A couple of Stradavarius violins, many beautifully painted harpsichords, Martin and Gibson guitars, and a variety of international instruments could be seen...and heard. The museum provided audio players so we could hear each instrument's sound as we toured. All in South Dakota! Dexters: You really must go there some day. We'd had a long day, but thanks to the Saligers, we went to Chili's that night for dinner in Sioux City, Iowa. But we didn't know where we were going to lay our heads that night. Well, as luck would have it, we saw a bunch of RVs across the river from Chili's. To our complete bewilderment, the campground was in Nebraska...across the wide Missouri! So, we're able to add Nebraska to our list of states, after all! Nothing like camping right on the river with a riverboat/casino flashing its neon all night. The reflection was beautiful and the campground pristine.
The next day, we headed for Popejoy, Iowa, the home of my mother's family. Aunt Carol has lived in the same house for 85 years. One might think she's led a sheltered life, but, no, she's traveled extensively and is very sophisticated. We parked the camper right in the front yard and hooked into her electricity. It was wonderful smelling the rich soils of Iowa again. There's something about that particular moisture that allows my brain to reach into its deepest recesses for good memories. For those of you who truly know me, my memories are mostly of food! HA And we made good food memories again while we were there! Aunt Carol arranged for Cousins Bob & JoAnn and Second Cousin, Barbie & her husband, Frank, to meet us at a great restaurant one night for dinner. I hadn't seen Barbie since she was 16 and I 18. She looks the same and, after all these years, we've discovered we have some things in common...older husbands (!) and cats (she has 30!). For my birthday, we also went for great Chinese food, then JoAnn had us back to her home for birthday cake. Thank you all for making me feel so special. Another unexpected historical note in Iowa are the Civil War Memorials. Neither Clint nor I really thought about the Civil War veterans from states like Iowa...We spent four days in Popejoy and enjoyed every minute of it...even the unexpected thunder, lightning, and pouring rain.
Then it was on to Minnesota and the SPAM Museum in Austin. But not before a final stop in Iowa to take some photos of beautiful Clear Lake for our friend, Bobbie S. The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake will forever be known as the town where Buddy Holly, Richie Vallens, and the Big Bopper gave their final concert prior to their airplane crash. But I'll remember it as my mom's dance hang-out in the '30s where she listened to the likes of Frank Sinatra when they toured through Iowa. Well...what can I say about SPAM? It's certainly a food I ate a lot in my childhood. Mother would slice it thinly, dip it in egg and cracker crumb, then fry it. I'd slather it in mustard and it was so yummy. I haven't had it in years, though. The museum is very nicely done with lots of historical information regarding SPAM's use during the war years, both in the U.S. and in England. And did you know that Hawaiians eat more SPAM than any other state or country? From there, we continued East through Minnesota to Winona. Winona is on the Mississippi River and now is a very successful college town. But, there is evidence that Winona has always been successful. Its architecture is amazing...spires so high I couldn't photograph them, mansions so large they wouldn't fit in the camera frame. Winona also offered more thunder, lightning, and rain through the night.
But the next morning, Saturday, September 27, dawned bright and sunny as we crossed the Mississippi River into Wisconsin. My friend, Jean, is from a gorgeous area of Wisconsin called The Dells. Her actual town is Reedsburg. Jean: Do you recognize anything in one of the photos? We walked through the village of Wisconsin Dells and found it harkened back to the '50s kitschy beach towns and touristy areas. We've never seen so many miniature golf courses and water slides! Truly a fun place for families. We had fun there, too. The International Crane Foundation is based in Baraboo and we happened to arrive on the one day a year that they offer guided tours to learn about the cranes. We learned so much and found the whooping cranes to be beautiful. We were lucky to get one of the last camping spots in the county that night at Mirror Lake. Luckier, still, because our camping neighbors invited us to share their campfire and conversation...not to mention their booze...that night. We learned that if a Wisconsin campsite doesn't offer a full bar, the campers must be from out of state! What a great group of Wisconsinites we met that night. Bright, hard-working, fun-loving young people. They tell us that if a Wisconsinite leaves to live elsewhere in the U.S., a huge percentage of them return. I can certainly understand why. Wisconsin is beautiful and well-tended. (As I write this, I'm in a gorgeous public library in Kenosha.)
One of the young people we met, Darren, suggested we take a jet boat trip up the Wisconsin River through The Dells the next day. So we did. And we were ever glad! What a hoot! Our captain, Dylan, opened up that baby to 45 mph, then put it into a 360 degree spin! Whoooeeee!!! We were the only guests on his boat and he gave us a thrilling ride! He'd go slowly so we could catch some photos of the pretty scenery, then step on the gas until we were flying. All of a sudden, he'd put on the brake and we'd get whoooooshed with water! I haven't giggled that hard in a long time! Then it was time to head through the artistic areas of Wisconsin to see Taliesin (Frank Lloyd Wright's home) and The House on the Rock (it's just that).
Today, we went to the Jelly Belly Factory where that Chism bought $13.00 worth of Jelly Bellys--that silly! And now that I'm about to close, we're heading north into Milwaukee to go to Etzel's Polka where we'll find...well, we're not sure what we'll find...it just sounds interesting. 'Til next time...
We left the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota and continued East through the Badlands to Wall Drug of Wall, South Dakota. For miles prior to arriving in Wall, the billboards boast that Wall has everything one could possibly desire: 5 cent coffee--free for honeymooners; Western wear; Sheriff on duty; Silver dollar display; Homemade pie; and a Shooting Gallery, among others. As you can see, Wall Drug also had a life-sized Jackalope which allowed Jan to realize her lifelong dream of riding one! HA The Badlands are just that. Not many redeeming qualities there. And, of course, once we got close to the middle of South Dakota, we had to visit the Corn Palace. The outside is decorated with various types of corn and husks to create historical displays...yes, all in corn. And much to our dismay, the polka dancers were on their lunch break when we were there. Truly, I would have loved to have seen them all dance with their flippy skirts and shiny shoes! On to more sophisticated musical pursuits...we toured the National Music Museum in Vermillion, South Dakota. You could have blown us over with a feather when we saw the historical collection before us. A couple of Stradavarius violins, many beautifully painted harpsichords, Martin and Gibson guitars, and a variety of international instruments could be seen...and heard. The museum provided audio players so we could hear each instrument's sound as we toured. All in South Dakota! Dexters: You really must go there some day. We'd had a long day, but thanks to the Saligers, we went to Chili's that night for dinner in Sioux City, Iowa. But we didn't know where we were going to lay our heads that night. Well, as luck would have it, we saw a bunch of RVs across the river from Chili's. To our complete bewilderment, the campground was in Nebraska...across the wide Missouri! So, we're able to add Nebraska to our list of states, after all! Nothing like camping right on the river with a riverboat/casino flashing its neon all night. The reflection was beautiful and the campground pristine.
The next day, we headed for Popejoy, Iowa, the home of my mother's family. Aunt Carol has lived in the same house for 85 years. One might think she's led a sheltered life, but, no, she's traveled extensively and is very sophisticated. We parked the camper right in the front yard and hooked into her electricity. It was wonderful smelling the rich soils of Iowa again. There's something about that particular moisture that allows my brain to reach into its deepest recesses for good memories. For those of you who truly know me, my memories are mostly of food! HA And we made good food memories again while we were there! Aunt Carol arranged for Cousins Bob & JoAnn and Second Cousin, Barbie & her husband, Frank, to meet us at a great restaurant one night for dinner. I hadn't seen Barbie since she was 16 and I 18. She looks the same and, after all these years, we've discovered we have some things in common...older husbands (!) and cats (she has 30!). For my birthday, we also went for great Chinese food, then JoAnn had us back to her home for birthday cake. Thank you all for making me feel so special. Another unexpected historical note in Iowa are the Civil War Memorials. Neither Clint nor I really thought about the Civil War veterans from states like Iowa...We spent four days in Popejoy and enjoyed every minute of it...even the unexpected thunder, lightning, and pouring rain.
Then it was on to Minnesota and the SPAM Museum in Austin. But not before a final stop in Iowa to take some photos of beautiful Clear Lake for our friend, Bobbie S. The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake will forever be known as the town where Buddy Holly, Richie Vallens, and the Big Bopper gave their final concert prior to their airplane crash. But I'll remember it as my mom's dance hang-out in the '30s where she listened to the likes of Frank Sinatra when they toured through Iowa. Well...what can I say about SPAM? It's certainly a food I ate a lot in my childhood. Mother would slice it thinly, dip it in egg and cracker crumb, then fry it. I'd slather it in mustard and it was so yummy. I haven't had it in years, though. The museum is very nicely done with lots of historical information regarding SPAM's use during the war years, both in the U.S. and in England. And did you know that Hawaiians eat more SPAM than any other state or country? From there, we continued East through Minnesota to Winona. Winona is on the Mississippi River and now is a very successful college town. But, there is evidence that Winona has always been successful. Its architecture is amazing...spires so high I couldn't photograph them, mansions so large they wouldn't fit in the camera frame. Winona also offered more thunder, lightning, and rain through the night.
But the next morning, Saturday, September 27, dawned bright and sunny as we crossed the Mississippi River into Wisconsin. My friend, Jean, is from a gorgeous area of Wisconsin called The Dells. Her actual town is Reedsburg. Jean: Do you recognize anything in one of the photos? We walked through the village of Wisconsin Dells and found it harkened back to the '50s kitschy beach towns and touristy areas. We've never seen so many miniature golf courses and water slides! Truly a fun place for families. We had fun there, too. The International Crane Foundation is based in Baraboo and we happened to arrive on the one day a year that they offer guided tours to learn about the cranes. We learned so much and found the whooping cranes to be beautiful. We were lucky to get one of the last camping spots in the county that night at Mirror Lake. Luckier, still, because our camping neighbors invited us to share their campfire and conversation...not to mention their booze...that night. We learned that if a Wisconsin campsite doesn't offer a full bar, the campers must be from out of state! What a great group of Wisconsinites we met that night. Bright, hard-working, fun-loving young people. They tell us that if a Wisconsinite leaves to live elsewhere in the U.S., a huge percentage of them return. I can certainly understand why. Wisconsin is beautiful and well-tended. (As I write this, I'm in a gorgeous public library in Kenosha.)
One of the young people we met, Darren, suggested we take a jet boat trip up the Wisconsin River through The Dells the next day. So we did. And we were ever glad! What a hoot! Our captain, Dylan, opened up that baby to 45 mph, then put it into a 360 degree spin! Whoooeeee!!! We were the only guests on his boat and he gave us a thrilling ride! He'd go slowly so we could catch some photos of the pretty scenery, then step on the gas until we were flying. All of a sudden, he'd put on the brake and we'd get whoooooshed with water! I haven't giggled that hard in a long time! Then it was time to head through the artistic areas of Wisconsin to see Taliesin (Frank Lloyd Wright's home) and The House on the Rock (it's just that).
Today, we went to the Jelly Belly Factory where that Chism bought $13.00 worth of Jelly Bellys--that silly! And now that I'm about to close, we're heading north into Milwaukee to go to Etzel's Polka where we'll find...well, we're not sure what we'll find...it just sounds interesting. 'Til next time...
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Wyoming to South Dakota
Oh, it was hard to leave the Grand Tetons behind, but I'm sure we'll return there some day. Our next stop was Cody, Wyoming, for a visit to the Buffalo Bill Museum. Within the walls are five separate museums: Guns, Natural History, Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, Western Fine Art, and Plains Indians. We spent four hours there and should have returned the next day for another four hours! And in the gardens are sculptures reminiscent of the era. I found Squaw with Papoose enchanting. We also find the Wyoming landscape enchanting. Last summer, when we drove from south to north through Wyoming, we both loved the wide open spaces and lack of traffic. This summer, we felt a sense of deja vu as we traveled through Wyoming from west to east. What we don't love are the wooden structures (snow fences) meant to hold the blowing snow from the interstate! I guess that's a clue to us!
Devil's Tower continues to be a sacred setting for the Plains Indians. The trees surrounding the base of Devil's Tower are strung with prayer cloths and prayer sacks placed there by Natives. Clint played his flute there for a bit. Very haunting. Upon entering the National Monument, we were greeted by our first Prairie Dog Town. We learned that the black-footed ferret had nearly gone extinct from the plains and were recently reintroduced. The ferrets not only take over the prairie dog towns, but make meals of the prairie dogs, too. The ferrets are active at night, so we didn't get to see any.
The Black Hills are such a beautiful group of mountains. They are full of granite outcroppings and the trees are just sparse enough to allow visitors to peek among them to see the undergrowth...rather unlike the forests of the Pacific Northwest. The Black Hills are a destination unto themselves--especially for families. There are countless small mining towns that cater to families by offering miniature golf, water slides, and bike trails. One of the towns that caters to adult entertainment is Sturgis where 300,000 descend upon this town of 8,000 for two weeks each year during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Clint and some buddies rode their Harleys from San Luis Obispo to Sturgis in 1991 and it was a real zoo then! Imagine it now!
I'm sure you've all heard the poker term, "Dead Man's Hand." Well, we saw the saloon in Deadwood where Wild Bill Hickock was killed with aces and eights in his poker hand. So much for Old Bill. Deadwood is architecturally beautiful. The gaming (I won some buckaroos on a slot machine!) proceeds have gone to restore this town to its prior splendor.
From Deadwood, we drove to see how the Crazy Horse statue is coming along. When I was in the Black Hills 24 years ago on the way to my Granny's 100th birthday celebration in Iowa, Crazy Horse had just been started. There is now a huge visitor's center and some progress. Good to see. We camped that night on Legion Lake in beautiful Custer State Park.
The next morning, we drove through Wind Cave National Park on the way to Hot Springs to see the Mammoth Site. A tour of Wind Cave included 763 steps, so we opted out of that cool offering. Hot Springs is an amazing town built nearly completely of sandstone blocks. As a consequence, the buildings are a soft coral color. About 25 years ago, a developer was preparing a site on which to build houses and the bulldozer found some really interesting, big bones. Turns out, the site was a sink hole into which fell hundreds of mammoths, woolly and otherwise, ancient camels, wolves, and short-faced bears. The bones are in-situ and the archaeologists continue to unearth the bones with the help of EarthWatch and Elderhostel volunteers.
Driving from Hot Springs to Mount Rushmore, we were fortunate enough to get a wonderful close-up photo of a pronghorn antelope. He stood perfectly still for us. We had seen hundreds of pronghorn in our travels through Wyoming, but none so close. The pronghorns are second only to the caribou in the number of miles traveled during their migratory season: 1,300. Pretty amazing, huh? We had read that burros had been used to cart people and their belongings up a steep mountain in the Black Hills, but had been released and become a wild hurd. Well...let me tell you. They're not wild at all! This little fella came ambling out of the shrubbery as soon as another woman and I got out of our cars to photograph him. And he was looking for some lunch. I was sorely tempted to share one of my special honey crisp apples with him, but remembered the warning not to feed the "wild" animals!
That night, we stayed at the KOA close to Mount Rushmore as they offer a shuttle service to see the monument during the evening performance and lighting. I had done that 24 years ago and found it so impressive. I was not disappointed this time, either. The Ranger asked some trivia questions about the four presidents sculpted on the mountain, then he performed some pertinent quotes. We saw a wonderful, patriotic movie, then we all sang the national anthem. He then asked for current and former military to come up on stage while the American flag was retired for the evening. Clint went up on stage to be included in the honors for having served our country. He was among a couple of hundred people on that stage. Very moving.
Devil's Tower continues to be a sacred setting for the Plains Indians. The trees surrounding the base of Devil's Tower are strung with prayer cloths and prayer sacks placed there by Natives. Clint played his flute there for a bit. Very haunting. Upon entering the National Monument, we were greeted by our first Prairie Dog Town. We learned that the black-footed ferret had nearly gone extinct from the plains and were recently reintroduced. The ferrets not only take over the prairie dog towns, but make meals of the prairie dogs, too. The ferrets are active at night, so we didn't get to see any.
The Black Hills are such a beautiful group of mountains. They are full of granite outcroppings and the trees are just sparse enough to allow visitors to peek among them to see the undergrowth...rather unlike the forests of the Pacific Northwest. The Black Hills are a destination unto themselves--especially for families. There are countless small mining towns that cater to families by offering miniature golf, water slides, and bike trails. One of the towns that caters to adult entertainment is Sturgis where 300,000 descend upon this town of 8,000 for two weeks each year during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Clint and some buddies rode their Harleys from San Luis Obispo to Sturgis in 1991 and it was a real zoo then! Imagine it now!
I'm sure you've all heard the poker term, "Dead Man's Hand." Well, we saw the saloon in Deadwood where Wild Bill Hickock was killed with aces and eights in his poker hand. So much for Old Bill. Deadwood is architecturally beautiful. The gaming (I won some buckaroos on a slot machine!) proceeds have gone to restore this town to its prior splendor.
From Deadwood, we drove to see how the Crazy Horse statue is coming along. When I was in the Black Hills 24 years ago on the way to my Granny's 100th birthday celebration in Iowa, Crazy Horse had just been started. There is now a huge visitor's center and some progress. Good to see. We camped that night on Legion Lake in beautiful Custer State Park.
The next morning, we drove through Wind Cave National Park on the way to Hot Springs to see the Mammoth Site. A tour of Wind Cave included 763 steps, so we opted out of that cool offering. Hot Springs is an amazing town built nearly completely of sandstone blocks. As a consequence, the buildings are a soft coral color. About 25 years ago, a developer was preparing a site on which to build houses and the bulldozer found some really interesting, big bones. Turns out, the site was a sink hole into which fell hundreds of mammoths, woolly and otherwise, ancient camels, wolves, and short-faced bears. The bones are in-situ and the archaeologists continue to unearth the bones with the help of EarthWatch and Elderhostel volunteers.
Driving from Hot Springs to Mount Rushmore, we were fortunate enough to get a wonderful close-up photo of a pronghorn antelope. He stood perfectly still for us. We had seen hundreds of pronghorn in our travels through Wyoming, but none so close. The pronghorns are second only to the caribou in the number of miles traveled during their migratory season: 1,300. Pretty amazing, huh? We had read that burros had been used to cart people and their belongings up a steep mountain in the Black Hills, but had been released and become a wild hurd. Well...let me tell you. They're not wild at all! This little fella came ambling out of the shrubbery as soon as another woman and I got out of our cars to photograph him. And he was looking for some lunch. I was sorely tempted to share one of my special honey crisp apples with him, but remembered the warning not to feed the "wild" animals!
That night, we stayed at the KOA close to Mount Rushmore as they offer a shuttle service to see the monument during the evening performance and lighting. I had done that 24 years ago and found it so impressive. I was not disappointed this time, either. The Ranger asked some trivia questions about the four presidents sculpted on the mountain, then he performed some pertinent quotes. We saw a wonderful, patriotic movie, then we all sang the national anthem. He then asked for current and former military to come up on stage while the American flag was retired for the evening. Clint went up on stage to be included in the honors for having served our country. He was among a couple of hundred people on that stage. Very moving.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Northern Rockies
We finally left Washington State behind and crossed Idaho on Sunday, September 7, and saw just enough to fall in love with the Pend Oreille area. We'd planned to camp on the river there, but the campground was closed for the season. With great disappointment, we continued into Montana where we found a fabulous campground in Libby. We listened to the sounds of the creek as we fell asleep. It was there that we did laundry and our first blog update. Since it seems we were headed for Glacier National Park, we called Tom & Jody, who live in Columbia Falls, to see if we could pop in for a visit.
They graciously welcomed us and gave us a tour of their gorgeous, uniquely-built home. They had been gathering antiques and historical architectural elements for MANY years and built this home around those possessions. They should be very proud of themselves as everything went together beautifully. It is a one-of-a-kind home and so warm and welcoming. We'll be back to see you, Tom & Jody, and we hope you'll come to see us in Gig Harbor!
We got one of the last campsites in Glacier that night, then headed to Lake McDonald Lodge for a ranger talk on artists who have specialized in capturing Glacier National Park. Many mediums were represented: watercolor, oil, photography. The ranger had really done her research. We certainly learned a lot. Lake McDonald Lodge is one of those historic, log hotels where "Easterners" would come for a summer visit. That cute Chaplin face greeted us from the camper window as we returned to the truck.
The next day, we got up early (7:00!!) for a Red Bus Tour in one of the historic vehicles that tour the park. Debbie take note: Our driver, Robbie Lucke, has lived in the area his entire life and knew every nook and crannie of the park. He schooled us on the various animals, trees, and geological formations to be found in the park. He really made it fun and the historic vehicle is a charmer. See that gorgeous shade of green in the lake? There's nothing like the glacial run-off water. That night, it was pretty chilly and poured rain. Nothing like listening to the rain on the roof of a camper...But the peaks in Glacier received a dusting of snow that night.
Jody had mentioned that we might see wildlife in Two Medicine on the East side of Glacier National Park. Since we hadn't seen anything wilder than a two-year-old by that time, we decided to take her advice and try to see mountain goats at the natural mineral lick...no luck. And hiked around Two Medicine Lake scanning the hills for signs of grizzly...no luck. Guess we were just too late in the season. Two Medicine is a gorgeous spot and well worth the trip. We still made it to Great Falls, Montana, that day in order to refresh prior to heading to Yellowstone.
Great Falls was a specific destination for me as I wanted to see the Charles M. Russell Museum in that town. His studio was intentionally built as a log cabin in 1903, despite the fact that his house next door was very modern for its day...it had two indoor bathrooms! Russell's works of art fill the museum--everything from watercolor to sculpture. Such a talent. One of our favorite tunes is "The Gift" by The Sons of the San Joaquin. The lyrics go something like this:
God made Montana for the wildman. For the pagan and the Sioux and Crow. But his greatest gift was Charlie. Said to put her all down before she goes.
And that's what Charlie did...
Well, we just about froze our ya-yas off in Yellowstone. After Clint BBQ'd a yummy steak dinner, we sat around a campfire listening to a ranger talk about bear safety and the elks bugling. The elk bugled all night. Boy, was that ever cool! I don't think we slept much...plus, it was 17 degrees! Yikes! It was definitely a two-cat night!
The next day, we planned to see Old Faithful, but we hadn't planned on getting wet from it! Oh well...the camera still works! We then hiked around the geysers and found those gem colors amazing. That day, we also hiked to a powerful waterfall and saw Big Horn Sheep along the way. What a treat! We did, of course, see elk and bison in Yellowstone, as well. But figured you knew what those look like! HA
Our first glimpse of the Grand Tetons was so exciting! It has, for many years, been my favorite National Park. We'll see if it will still have that standing by the end of this journey. Jackson Lake beckoned to us, so we took a boat tour. If Jan's leg had been in better shape, we would have kayaked...next time. We learned a lot from the captain of the boat, too. Like the fact that last May, he took a couple of snowboarders across the lake to the base of the tallest peak. They hiked to the top slid on down to the lake, where the tour guide picked them up. What Class A thrill junkies! We're no thrill junkies as our idea of excitement was to flute and drum up a storm. No worries...we were the only people in the campground!
On the way to the town of Jackson the next day, we saw a mama moose and her baby grabbing some breakfast along the roadside. We know how dangerous they are, but they look so sweet. We were also the recipients of falling pinecones compliments of a very industrious squirrel. That little guy was working so hard. Jackson was FULL of people as they were conducting their annual arts benefit with a wine and food tasting. Many beautiful works of art were available and the shops were full of nice things. But, you know, there's not a thing we needed. Except a beer since we were hot. So, we strolled on into the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar where we sat on saddle barstools and quaffed a cold one. Clint had many good memories from his last trip to Jackson. He was riding his Harley with buddies on their way back from the Sturgis, South Dakota, happening. Apparently, he spent many fine hours in that bar. He probably didn't have as much fun with me around! Then, it was back to the Grand Tetons for the night (the RV Park in town wanted 6 times as much for a night's stay as the National Park did! Yikes!). Clint fluted while Jan watercolored on the edge of the lake. A mother mule deer with two fawns ambled alongside us. So special.
They graciously welcomed us and gave us a tour of their gorgeous, uniquely-built home. They had been gathering antiques and historical architectural elements for MANY years and built this home around those possessions. They should be very proud of themselves as everything went together beautifully. It is a one-of-a-kind home and so warm and welcoming. We'll be back to see you, Tom & Jody, and we hope you'll come to see us in Gig Harbor!
We got one of the last campsites in Glacier that night, then headed to Lake McDonald Lodge for a ranger talk on artists who have specialized in capturing Glacier National Park. Many mediums were represented: watercolor, oil, photography. The ranger had really done her research. We certainly learned a lot. Lake McDonald Lodge is one of those historic, log hotels where "Easterners" would come for a summer visit. That cute Chaplin face greeted us from the camper window as we returned to the truck.
The next day, we got up early (7:00!!) for a Red Bus Tour in one of the historic vehicles that tour the park. Debbie take note: Our driver, Robbie Lucke, has lived in the area his entire life and knew every nook and crannie of the park. He schooled us on the various animals, trees, and geological formations to be found in the park. He really made it fun and the historic vehicle is a charmer. See that gorgeous shade of green in the lake? There's nothing like the glacial run-off water. That night, it was pretty chilly and poured rain. Nothing like listening to the rain on the roof of a camper...But the peaks in Glacier received a dusting of snow that night.
Jody had mentioned that we might see wildlife in Two Medicine on the East side of Glacier National Park. Since we hadn't seen anything wilder than a two-year-old by that time, we decided to take her advice and try to see mountain goats at the natural mineral lick...no luck. And hiked around Two Medicine Lake scanning the hills for signs of grizzly...no luck. Guess we were just too late in the season. Two Medicine is a gorgeous spot and well worth the trip. We still made it to Great Falls, Montana, that day in order to refresh prior to heading to Yellowstone.
Great Falls was a specific destination for me as I wanted to see the Charles M. Russell Museum in that town. His studio was intentionally built as a log cabin in 1903, despite the fact that his house next door was very modern for its day...it had two indoor bathrooms! Russell's works of art fill the museum--everything from watercolor to sculpture. Such a talent. One of our favorite tunes is "The Gift" by The Sons of the San Joaquin. The lyrics go something like this:
God made Montana for the wildman. For the pagan and the Sioux and Crow. But his greatest gift was Charlie. Said to put her all down before she goes.
And that's what Charlie did...
Well, we just about froze our ya-yas off in Yellowstone. After Clint BBQ'd a yummy steak dinner, we sat around a campfire listening to a ranger talk about bear safety and the elks bugling. The elk bugled all night. Boy, was that ever cool! I don't think we slept much...plus, it was 17 degrees! Yikes! It was definitely a two-cat night!
The next day, we planned to see Old Faithful, but we hadn't planned on getting wet from it! Oh well...the camera still works! We then hiked around the geysers and found those gem colors amazing. That day, we also hiked to a powerful waterfall and saw Big Horn Sheep along the way. What a treat! We did, of course, see elk and bison in Yellowstone, as well. But figured you knew what those look like! HA
Our first glimpse of the Grand Tetons was so exciting! It has, for many years, been my favorite National Park. We'll see if it will still have that standing by the end of this journey. Jackson Lake beckoned to us, so we took a boat tour. If Jan's leg had been in better shape, we would have kayaked...next time. We learned a lot from the captain of the boat, too. Like the fact that last May, he took a couple of snowboarders across the lake to the base of the tallest peak. They hiked to the top slid on down to the lake, where the tour guide picked them up. What Class A thrill junkies! We're no thrill junkies as our idea of excitement was to flute and drum up a storm. No worries...we were the only people in the campground!
On the way to the town of Jackson the next day, we saw a mama moose and her baby grabbing some breakfast along the roadside. We know how dangerous they are, but they look so sweet. We were also the recipients of falling pinecones compliments of a very industrious squirrel. That little guy was working so hard. Jackson was FULL of people as they were conducting their annual arts benefit with a wine and food tasting. Many beautiful works of art were available and the shops were full of nice things. But, you know, there's not a thing we needed. Except a beer since we were hot. So, we strolled on into the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar where we sat on saddle barstools and quaffed a cold one. Clint had many good memories from his last trip to Jackson. He was riding his Harley with buddies on their way back from the Sturgis, South Dakota, happening. Apparently, he spent many fine hours in that bar. He probably didn't have as much fun with me around! Then, it was back to the Grand Tetons for the night (the RV Park in town wanted 6 times as much for a night's stay as the National Park did! Yikes!). Clint fluted while Jan watercolored on the edge of the lake. A mother mule deer with two fawns ambled alongside us. So special.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Washington the Beautiful
As we're riding down the road, all we can think is "America the Beautiful!" But we're still in Washington, so I guess this portion of the blog should be titled, "Washington the Beautiful!" We've been on the road for 5 days and have yet to leave the state. At this rate, we'll be on the road for three years!We left home on Tuesday, September 2, to gloomy skies and a chill. Our first stop was Lake Easton in the Cascades just east of Seattle. We had a lovely campsite with a filtered view of the lake. We even went on a two-mile hike along the rim of the lake where we spotted a Sasquatch footprint! Note the photo includes Clint's hand for scientific purposes relating to scale. Our camp neighbors, Dick & Peggy of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, popped on over to share our campfire and a glass of wine. They tell us Pagosa Springs is a special place. We'll have to go there some day.
On Wednesday, September 3, we sought out this old Mobiloil gas station in Ellensburg. Everything in and around it is authentic to the era. From there, we went to Gingko Petrified Forest State Park where more species of petrified trees have been found than any other location on earth. Leaving there, we continued along the Columbia River Gorge and, once we were in a long stretch of agricultural land, the truck started sputtering and spewing black smoke from the tailpipe! Ugh! The next town was Quincy where, as blessings would have it, the only mechanic was able to drop everything to help us. And, since he used to work on diesel farm equipment, he figured out that we needed a new fuel filter. And he was right! But soon thereafter, the cruise control went out. Can you imagine a 10,000 mile trip without cruise control?! Poor Clint... We camped that night in a gorgeous state park right on the Columbia River.
The next morning, found us at the Wenatchee Ford dealership to have the cruise control repaired. And what a gorgeous town Wenatchee is! The high volcanic bluffs slice their way up from the Columbia River. At various spots where the landscape is even slightly flat, farmers/ranchers have planted groves of apple, peach, and cherry trees. The view is the blue of the river, the pale gold of the hills, the dark green of the native pines, the even darker green of the apple groves sprinkled with bright red. Breathtaking! We took the time to tour Ohme Gardens in Wenatchee. As newlyweds, Herman & Ruth Ohme decided they wanted to create an alpine landscape from the barren volcanic bluff. They started in 1929 by hauling slate, trees, and water up the hill. They only had the help of a mule with a drag bucket. The gardens are full of hidden pools and slate steps. But what is more impressive than the beauty of the gardens is the fact that they worked so hard to create something they loved. We figured we could make it to Lake Chelan that afternoon, so our trusted GPS (Maggie) had us wind our way through barren hills until we were surprised at the phenomenal lake laid out before us. We dipped our tootsies in the crystal clear water, then sat watching the boats and birds.
The next morning, we scoped out the town of Chelan and decided we liked the entire area so much that we'll return there in the future. So, it was on to an Elks Lodge for the night but not before a stop at an old western gold mining town--Winthrop. Boy, is it charming! Complete with boardwalks! We had drinks and played cards at the Elks Lodge--so much for the $5. camping fee! Update for the Saligers: We're tied for 3-13, but that Chism is whipping my butt in Hand and Foot.
Our usual routine is to get up about 8:00, have breakfast, then hit the road. Some time during the day, we like to stop somewhere for some kind of instructional activity. And what better learning experience than crouching in the mid-day sun swinging a hammer to chisel chipping away at rocks. (Isn't that something prisoners did for punishment?) So, we stopped for a few hours and chipped away for fossils in the town of Republic. And, wouldn't you know it, that Chism popped apart a rock and held within was the fossil remains of a katsura leaf (plant species now extinct). I found some rocks that exhibit signs of mineral deposits. The shape of the rocks is interesting...much like coasters. Maybe that's where they'll end up! That night, since we were in the middle of nowhere, we camped at the Stevens County Fairgrounds RV Park in Colville and watched the clouds turn varying shades of purple as the sun set behind the mountains.
Chaplin and Zorro are doing just great! They hang out and sleep during the day, then carouse all night. They're eating well and Chaplin is showing no signs of renal failure. But we're keeping an eye on him.
'Til next time...Happy Trails to ALL! Jan & Clint
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Planning for the Grand Tour
Well, the dining room table is a mess as it's covered with AAA Guide Books, a binder full of articles Jan's (aka Jacey) been saving for 30 years (organized by state), a big map with color coding by category, and the Reader's Digest book of America's Most Scenic By-Ways. Jan has also checked on-line for various factory tours that might be of interest: Hershey (of course!), Martin Guitar, Harley-Davidson, and SPAM! HA Clint has also purchased the niftiest toy possible: A Magellan GPS (we named her Maggie as she projects a feminine voice) with directions through all of America, including all the AAA Guide Book sights to see. Maggie is FABULOUS!
The "Cat-erwauling Camper" took to the road for the first time on April 28 for a shake-down cruise. The camper reminds Jan so much of boat living that she's referring to the bed as a "berth," the toilet is a "head," and the kitchen a "galley." Next thing you know, folks will need to ask "Permission to Come Aboard?"
The "Cat-erwauling Camper" took to the road for the first time on April 28 for a shake-down cruise. The camper reminds Jan so much of boat living that she's referring to the bed as a "berth," the toilet is a "head," and the kitchen a "galley." Next thing you know, folks will need to ask "Permission to Come Aboard?"
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