A week later

Before lunch in Cottonwood we visited with friends that we used to teach with while at Prairie High School. Next stop was the liquor store for some White Christmas which is the best in Tom and Jerry's or egg nog and Washington doesn't carry it. We drove by the house and snapped a photo. It looks good all repainted and cared for. Seven joined us for lunch. It was great to see all of these friends once again.

We made a rather large cheese haul at Ferdinands Creamery on the WSU campus. Of course, you can't stop without getting ice cream too!

Don won the bet as we stayed in Moses Lake. There was a beautiful sunset lasting from Ritzville to ML. A fitting end to our trip. We got an early start Saturday morning and were home by 10. Home looked awfully good! Had to take a picture of the mail pile!!

We saw so many things and did so much that it will take awhile to process it all. Thank goodness that I have this blog to look at and an expense account that tells where we were each night. If you are going to do any traveling, write things down as you won't remember where you saw something.

We put 11,000 miles on the car which is about a years worth. While we enjoyed the trip and all that we did, it got a little long. I would go back to New England again, but maybe for shorter periods of time. There are parts of every state that we didn't see. For the most part, the large cities weren't explored.

We saw so many family and friends along the way that enriched the travel and gave us a break from motels. We thank you all for your hospitality.

For now, I will work on captioning the pictures and reliving the memories. Thank you for reading the blog. Knowing that people were waiting to see what we were doing, kept me writing.

And more visiting

While in SLC, Don and Rick went for a long hike. I spent the day with Rick's former wife. We had a great time visiting and going to quilt shops. Glad that it worked to reconnect.
On our way to Twin Falls, we stopped at Promotory Point where they drove the golden spike when the transcontinnetal railroad was complete. You can still see the grades that were made on the hillside.
Close to that is Thiakole where they make rocket fuel and the booster rockets. Out in front of the buildings is a good sized display of rocket and missles. They have the booster from the space shuttle. According to the info to read, when those boosters are recovered they come to this facility to be refurbished for the next launch. Quite interesting--I didn't know it was there.
We met Maggie for dinner then opted to stay at her house. Enjoyed catching up. She is one of those people that I can visit with and it as if no time has passed since the last visit.
Today we drove to Grangeville for the night. Don went for a run and I met with Susie who I worked with during our 4-H years. We chatted up a storm!!
Tomorrow we are having lunch with Prairie friends then on to Ferdinands for a large cheese order. I say we will go straight home; Don says we will go part way. Any bets?

Visiting along the way

We spent the weekend with our friends Keith and Arleen and their son, Kevin. We went to college with Keith and have enjoyed his pottery for many years. They moved to Cheyenne about 4 years ago. Arleen is a nurse and now doing the administrative side. They have purchased land just out of town, planted many, many trees and are planning to build. We got in on pumpkin carving and the excitment of young people trick or treating. It was a great visit and a welcome respite from travel. You can't have to many friends, wish these guys didn't live so far away.
Today we drove to Salt Lake City--now there is an expanse of mostly nothingness along Interstate 80. We are staying with Rick for two nights before we continue homeward.

Return to the Past

We drove to the center of Kansas to the little community of Otis where Don and I began our teaching careers. We stopped at our house and visited with the man that lives there now. Except for having the porch rebuilt, it looks much the same as it did 33 years ago when we left there.
School was still in session so we just drove by. I regret that as we learned later, there are people working there that we knew. However, it was Don's building and his call.
In the afternoon, we visited a couple that taught with us from 1972-77. We had a wonderful time catching up. As they live in the area, they know so many of our former students and filled us with success stories. After having dinner with them we drove on to a motel.
Today we went to a museum then drove south of the freeway to Monument Rocks which is a rock formation that sits on the flat prairie. It was formed when this was ocean. About 8 miles of the road was dirt so the car is filthy. Found a quilt shop where we had lunch.
Tonight we are in Golden, Colorado where we had dinner with our niece, Mercedes, and her boyfriend, Kellen. Dinner was very good and adding to the fun was the closed off street for the young trick or treaters.
We have about 1250 miles to go until we are home. The Rocky Mountains were a welcome site as we approached Denver this afternoon.

Moving West

As we left Cumberland, WVA we drove through the mountains and one road proved to be quite the switchback laden road. When I saw the sign that I posted for the third time, a picture had to be taken!
We spent Monday night with Don's cousin, Rob, and his wife Theresa just out of Columbus, OH. Rob's sister lives near there so we got to visit her also. It is always good to catch up with family.
Our next stop was in Cincinnati where Don's Hoffmann grandparents used to live. We wanted a picture of their house and found it without any trouble thanks to Garmin. Took the necessary pictures and we are sitting there figuring out how to get to the cemetery which was the next stop we heard sirens going off. We asked a person walking by what they were for and were told "tornado warning." Great. We turned on the radio, but of course don't know where any of the counties are that they are talking about. It is windy and quite warm. We decide to drive to the cemetery and see if we can find his grandparents and great grandparents. Although we have the lot numbers we quickly discover that we need more information.
We go to the office and while we are there, the heavens open. It is blowing like crazy and the rain is coming down monsoon fashion. We got all the information we needed from the very helpful staff and were able to wait out the worst of the rain. Armed with maps and directions we went looking in three different lots. We found all of the graves and photographed them.
Last night's stay was in Fishers, Indiana which is just north of Indianapolis with Kevin and Camille Talbot. It was nice to relax on their screened porch before home cooked food and Boise State football. Catching up with Camille and getting to know her family was great.
They gave us many options of things to do in Indianapolis, but we chose to get on the road. Today we used two tanks of gas and went through Illinois and Missouri and ended or day in Lawrence, KS. Our only stop really was in Effingham, IL for the requested Black and Blue--its a wine. It was a long, boring day.
Hoping for a little more fun tomorrow as we revisit Otis, Kansas where we lived and taught for 5 years. I was looking up former students in the white pages and they are 50-51--my how time closes that age difference gap!

The Last Two Days

The title will enable me to get up to date and it is in a sense the last two days. We are far from home, but tomorrow we begin the journey back to Lake Stevens and because we are visiting along the way, it is somewhat scheduled. It has been a great adventure and we are glad that we chose to do this. At the same time, we are ready to return to our real lives.
Now to the adventures of the last two days. Yesterday we drove through the Shenandoah Valley then went to the top of the ridge and drove through the National Park. Great views--fall color was in many places gone. We stopped at Luray Caverns and had an amazing walk through the caves.
Today we drove north to Harper's Ferry. Harper's Ferry is at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomoc Rivers. We knew about John Brown, but much more happened there. During the Civil War, it changed hands 7 times. It was hard to keep track of who was in charge. Meriwether Lewis built a boat and gathered all the supplies for the expedition in Harper's Ferry. When they were all assembled, they were transported to Pittsburg to the Ohio River. I always assumed that he assembled the supplies in St. Louis, but that was not the case.
A little further north is Antietam which we missed on the way south. We and a quite large group met with a ranger and we did a driving tour of the battle field. We looked like a funeral procession. We got a very good sense of the battle as it unfolded through the day in September, 1862. I felt like I was in an intense history class. Again the toll of human life is staggering. The photo is the Burnside bridge. Imagine 700 Union soldiers trying to get over the bridge with the Confederates at the top of the hill shooting at them. Several hours later, they did get across and drive the Conferates off of the knoll.
All three battlefields that we visited look pretty much like they did when the battles were fought. The park service has done extensive research to make them authentic down to the placement of the cannons. Speaking of cannons, we learned today that they had quite a long range.
If anyone reading this thinks they might like to visit Civil War history, we have quite a supply of literature to share. Next year marks 150 years since the beginning of the war and all the states involved are planning special events to honor this time in history.

Monticello

Monticello was the fifth president's home that we have visited. This place is amazing in its design and use of space. We toured the gardens. They maintain a 1000 foot garden space for vegetables. Instead of feeding the family and slaves, now the produce goes to the visitor's center restaurant and to the employees. The views from this mountaintop are beautiful. When Jefferson lived there, no big trees blocked the views as they do now. He used to take his spy glass out on the porch and watch them building the University of Virginia down in the valley. You can see the dome of UVA in the distance.
It is hard to tell from the photo, but coming off each end of the house are large open porches. They come out probably about 100 feet then turn and run straigt back for hundreds of feet. Under this "porch" was hidden the daily business of the house. The two sides are connected by this same underground passage under the house. There is a wash room, an ice house, the kitchen, stables for guest horses, and the all important beer cellar and wine cellar. The wine cellar had a dumb waiter to the dining room for wine delivery during a meal. We noticed that the kitchen was much more modern than Washington's was--a few years newer, but much of Jefferson's ideas came from his time in France.
He is buried on the grounds and his descendents continue to use the cemetery. Jefferson was deeply in debt when he died so the furnishings of the house and the slaves were sold to pay off his debts. Over time the house furnishings have come back. He did free the four Hemming children that are believed to be his. Many of his slaves were taught skills by the white workers that he had in the building process. When he left the presidency he spent the last 17 years of his life at Monticello, never leaving the state and rarely leaving the mountaintop.

Mount Vernon

We started at the Manasss Battlefield where there were two battles a year apart. They are more commonally known as Bull Run after the creek that is near by. Both battles were won by the Confederates. There was a civilian casualty in the first battle. An elderly woman was in her farm house and it basically got blown up. Her grave is on the battlefield.
Having seen the sites of enough carnage, we opted for Mount Vernon. It was a beautiful warm day and walking around the grounds and touring the buildings was a great way to spend the day. What a beautiful view of the Potomoc from the veranda. The tomb containing President and Mrs. Washington and about 20 relatives is on the ground. Interesting in front of the tomb are two monuments to his relatives that inherited and lived at Mount Vernon. Don noticed that the one for John Augustine Washington and the initials, CSA. Need to do some research, but on the surface it looks like he was on the confederate side. He also didn't earn any points with us when we read that the Ladies Association(like historical society) bought the plantation in 1860 and the pillars in the front of the house were being supported by boat masts. He let them start repairs before he moved out. So much for him preserving the legacy.
We stopped at the gristmill and distillary that he had built, providing two new revenue means. They could roll the barrels of flour and whiskey out the back, put them on rafts and float them to the Potomoc and from there ship all over the world.
I wanted to buy a little bag of flour, but it needs to be refrigerated so that was out. Washington was a forward thinker when it came to agriculture and using the land.
The internet last night was not the best, not letting me post.

Gettsburg

We chose to do the auto tour for the Gettysburg battlefield. We bought the CD's at the museum store and set off on the 24 mile drive around and through the 3400 acre battlefield. The landscape is pretty much like it was in 1863 when the Confederates and Union soldiers fought for three days in July. Lining most all of the 24 miles are monuments that have been erected in honor of a certain brigade or a certain regiment from a particular state. I found myself several times looking out across the battlefield and seeing in the distance rows of these monuments. Couldn't get a picture to capture it though. As the narrator tells the story of the battle you can envision soldiers coming out of the tree line. Each day the battle moved across the valley. It wasn't until the third day that the Union gained the upper hand. There are 400 and some cannons on the battlefield many of them in the position that they would have been during the actual fighting. What I can't envision or comprehend are the thousands that died there; in some places completely covering the ground. The tour ends at the National Cemetery with the rows and rows of markers and in one area just square markers with numbers of those unknown. There is a monument to all the soldiers in the spot where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.

Today we went to the Hall of Presidents. There are wax models of each president and they give a brief history of what happened during their time in office. Another part of this museum is 1/3 size models of the first ladies and inagural gowns. What I learned that there were quite a number of presidents who had daughters or other relatives serve as First Lady. Some had ill wives or their wives died while they were in office.
The last tour we took was to Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower's home which is next to the battlefield. It is a working farm and you can walk the grounds and the rooms of the house. It was the only home they ever owned. His military career took them all over and they lived in 37 different houses during their marriage!
Tonight we are in Manassas and will tour that battleground tomorrow.

Amish Country and Chocolate

Yesterday we drove through a pretty part of Pennsylvania. The landscape is dotted with farms covering the valleys and hills. We stopped in Intercourse, PA which is an Amish community to shop and admire their crafts. Earlier in the day we visited a huge antique mall and did find a bowl and pitcher that I have been looking for.
Hershey, PA was next on our list. The light poles in the town have Hershey Kisses on the top, alternating between chocolate and silver wrapped--cleaver. We took the tour complete with singing cows and of course had to purchase some of their product!
Things will be more serious tomorrow as we hit the Civil War trail. The building is the capitol in Harrisburg, PA

Philly

South of Newburgh we stopped to see Washington's Headquarters along the Hudson during 1782-1783. We tried in vain to find the encampment, but neither us or Garmin could find it. The photo is of Washington's headquarters. Apparently he had stayed there with the people that owned the house prior to the war. The husband had died and the wife moved out so he could use the house then moved back in. One thing the video said that we don't think much about in the west is how everyone's lives were disrupted during the war. The boat traffic was mainly transporting of soldiers and it was so nice to get back to the business of living and doing normal activities.
Saturday night we stayed in Stroudsburg, PA after a stop at the visitors center to load up on maps and brochures. We spent a good portion of the evening planning our tour of southern PA.
Yesterday we headed for Philly. As it was Sunday, we drove all the way to parking by the visitors center. We had signed up for a trolley tour so we did that. Lunch was at the Hard Rock Cafe which was our first experience in one of their cafes. There was Jimi Hendrix memorbilia on the wall next to our table. Across from our table was a picture of Paul Revere and the Raiders and a tri-fold black hat that they wore. This was donated by Mark It is sobering to read about all of the bodies buried there which is just across the street from Independence Hall. We toured the Hall which our guide calls the Statehouse which was its original intent. No pictures of the exterior as it is wrapped in scaffolding. Next up was a stop at the liberty bell.
Philly does not do history as well as Boston. I recommend that anyone coming to visit skip the trolley tour as it goes places that you really don't need to see if you are there to do history. They would do much better to have a tour that went to William Penn's home and the crossing of the Delaware and to Valley Forge. They have added to the Liberty Bell building. It is on the site of the house where President Washington lived when the capital was in Philly. There is a little sign on a post that says this used to be the smoke house site. A part of history has been lost.
Today we are starting on a trail that will involve Amish country, Hershey's chocolate, antiques and the PA civil war trail.

Connecticut

We just drove through the northern part of Rhode Island--took about 45 minutes! The last two days we stayed in Bristol, CT. The picture is that of Mark Twains home in Hartford, CT. This is where he wrote Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in this house. I always imagined him sitting on a porch overlooking the Mississippi River as he wrote--he was overlooking the Park River. Harriet Beecher Stowes home is right next door.
The big rain was coming in last night so yesterday we did a color loop into the northwestern part of the state. We found waterfalls, a covered bridge and beautiful color. We spent quite a bit of time at the Ag-machine museum which is about 11 buildings filled with tools, old tractors, steam engines, a mining history/artifact display. It was quite impressive.
The rains came as promised and today it got windier as the day progressed. We went to the Carousel museum in Bristol this morning learning about carousels which it seems were everywhere in this part of the country. They also had a two room fire history museum. This guy had these two rooms of stuff in his basement--hats, lanterns, hoses, clothing, pumpers--it goes on and on.
We headed out of town for Waterbury and antiquing. We found lunch then followed the garmin into what was to be shop after shop. We became suspicious when the houses were run down and there were young guys sorta hanging out. Further looking, and Ann had mistaken Woodbury for Waterbury! Woodbury didn't yield anything useful either.
Tonight we are in Newburgh, NY which is along the Hudson River.

We drove a little south of Boston to Quincy/Braintree to visit John and Abigail Adams's home as well as John Quincey. If ever you come to Boston you can take the red line to the Quincy station and that is very close to the visitors center.
If one wants to go into the homes you must take a tour. They belong to the National Park Service. The tickets are $5 and a trolley takes you to the two sites. From reading history and from pictures that you see, the Braintree homes are in the country. In their day they were surrounded by their farm land. Now the city surrounds them. They are in the same place as they have always been and some of the structure is original, but of course work has had to be done to maintain them. The houses were close together to share a well and for protection. When you see a photo of these two houses ( which I don't have) John was born in the house on the right and John Quincy the house on the left. The picture that I posted is the birthplace of John.
When John and Abigail returned from Europe a in 1784 they had been living in large homes and couldn't quite see themselves in the little birth homes so they bought a larger home which he named Peace Fields which is where they lived the rest of their lives as did the next 3 generations. The house is larger now than when they moved in. They added an addition then years later their grandson added yet another. The house is furnished with things from all three generations. When John was president, the president bought the furnishings for the White House so some of that is in this house. Victorian chairs that they had in France are in the parlor. Some of the dishes that they used in the White House are in the china cabinet. It is a beautiful home, rich in history. John Quincy wanted to have a library built to house his father's books as well as his own. When his son married into money, he built a separate stone library. It is like the old libraries that you see with the ladder to the second story of books. It used to be the presidental library, but now all of the presidental papers and letters and John's books are in the Boston Library special collection area.
One stop that isn't on the tour is the churh where the two presidents and their first ladies are buried. It's next to the visitors center. The church is made of stone quarried from the Adams farm and John Q. oversaw its building. There is a crypt in the basement.
A little south of Quincy at Bridgewater was our next stop this time trying to learn more of Don's history. We went to the city clerk's office and she had a book that directed us to the proper cemetery. Armed with a map we found the cemetery and with a little looking found the grave markers of two more older generations of the Hoffmann/Lewis family. We were surprised to find anything because when you get back into the 1700's so many of the cemeteries are abandoned.
Today we tour Rhode Island--it is a bitty place

Boston

I have neglected my postings. Often when we get back from dinner, I'm to tired to write, post pictures, etc. Need to catch up or will forget what we have done. The last I left you, we were going to make a color loop in western Mass. It was a nice drive, but many of the trees had already lost their leaves. The next day we made another loop on our way to the Boston area. It was much better and we stopped two different times in parks to take a walk and enjoy the scenery.
We have stayed outside of Boston the last three nights. On Sunday, we went into Boston on the train and met Keith Thomas ( one of Alan's classmates)The three of us walked the Freedom Trail. This trail is a red line beginning at the Boston Commons, wandering through the older part of Boston connecting the major buildings of the early colonists and Revolutionary War. The photo is the Old North Church where William Dawes and another guy climbed the 14 story steeple to hold out to lamps to show Paul Revere and his messengers that the British were coming. It ends across the Charles River at the Bunker Hill monument and finally at the USS Constitution. My legs had gotten jelly like by the time we got to the old ship so I sat while the guys toured the boat. So much of our beginning history is in this city. Great day and a great tour guide!
Yesterday we went to Lexington and Concord. We started in Lexington at Buckman Tavern. We learned about the life of tavern owners as well as the history of the beginnings of the Revolution. This is where troops gathered waiting for the British to come. It is right across the street from the Green where the troops met for the first time. Shots were fired, not by command but by accident. Eight men died and they are buried on the Green.
The road between Lexington and Concord is called Battle Road and they have a trail that you can walk that has stops where important things happened. Don walked part of the trail and I picked him up at the Hartwell Tavern. The fighting along this trail took place as the troops were coming back from Concord on the way back to Boston.
In Concord, we went to the North Bridge where the "shot heard round the world" was fired that marked the beginning of the Revolution. Listening to people it sounds like the re-enact the start of the war every April 19th. Very close to the bridge is the house that Ralph Waldo Emerson's grandfather built and Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote here. Whoever was living there at the time watched the fighting from their windows.
Took in a lot of history in the last couple of days. Learned so many details and will have to figure out a way to share them.

Thursday was to be devoted to genealogy work. We started by going to city hall which by the way was built in 1885 and has a 5 story clock tower. It is red brick and has a couple of spires also. We found a woman in the planning office that drew us maps of where the many cemeteries are located. She gave us a name of the caretaker at the Aspen Grove cemetery which proved to be the best advice of the day. We found him working, but he went to the office with us. It was soon determined that none of the relatives were in that cemetery, but he had a file of index cards for the Ware Center cemetery. I would give him a last name and he would pull out the cards and let me find the ones that I was looking for. Armed with the lot and section numbers we drove the few miles to the Ware Center meeting house and cemetery. The Hoffmann relatives that probably helped build the structure and surely attended many meetings there. It was closed, but it would have been nice to sit and ponder that further.
We walked the short distance to the cemetery and begin looking. We found the Lewis lots first. Milton and Maria Lewis, Don’s great-great grandparents. Next to them are Milton’s parents, Abner and Eunice Lewis. Next was Maria’s parents Thomas and Susanna Snell.
David Grey and his wife Harriet Converse were the fourth graves that we found. I was particularly glad to find this one as there as been some confusion as to what Harriet’s last name was. Their daughter Sarah married Milton and Maria’s son William E. William and Sarah would be Don’s great grandparents. Later in the day, I began to wonder if Harriet Converse’s parents are also there. If time permits and we can find the caretaker, we might solve that mystery. We are very grateful to my friend Maggie for suggesting taking chalk to go over the engravings. Without it we would never have been able to read the stones. Jason and Ryan we are going to have a big box of chalk for you when we get home.
Feel very good about today. Tomorrow we are going to make a big color loop. The word out there is because of the lack of moisture this is not shaping up to be a Wow kind of color year and that is certainly what we have found also.

Maine Coast

The last two days we have been exploring the Maine Coast. I was going to post and do pictures two night agos, but sleep got in the way. I curled up under a quilt to watch the football game and woke up at the beginning of the 3rd quarter! Too bad that happened because tonight I don’t have a connection that is worth anything so am typing in Word.
We drove from Bangor ( pronounced Bang gor) to Bar Harbor. It is a nice little harbor town, but the cruise ship was in so the streets were crammed. We continued on our way doing a loop around the island then over to Belfast for the evening. There are outer islands in this area so there isn’t wave action along the shore. Felt quite pampered last night with an ocean facing room.
On Tuesday we drove further down the southern coast of Maine. We saw a couple of abandoned forts. One was Fort Bass Harbor which termed the War of 1812 that unpleasantness between the Americans and the British. The other was by something head Lighthouse just south of Portland. Hear the coast is rocky and the waves are crashing just like our image of the Maine coast was. Also in Portland, we visited Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s boyhood home which now is in the downtown area.
We found a couple of quilt shops today . In Rockland we had a picnic of lobster rolls and wine at their waterfront park. We wandered into an antique store. Decided if I hope to find a pitcher and bowl I had better start looking. They didn’t have one, but we found a beautiful silver tray big enough for the tea service for $38.00! Has to be the find of the trip.
Rochester, New Hampshire is our stop tonight. We are going to Ware, Mass. tomorrow for 3 days. Leafing and genealogy are on the agenda. I am posting this from Amesbury, Mass in their library. It is a two story old building, very charming.

Mt. Washington and beyond

Under blue skies, we drove north to the White Mountains. You must pay to drive up Mt. Washington, but we thought it would be fun as well as scenic. We picked up the CD and were told we could only go half way. When we got that far, they opened the road to the top so we were the first car up on Saturday. It was 25 degrees on the top and the wind was screaming. It was very hard to walk to the visitors center. From there you can see a white horizontal sliver that is the Atlantic Ocean 100 miles away. It is a narrow winding road, privately maintained and in much the same place as it was when it was made in 1865.
We have found that different terms are used for certain things. For example they use the term "notch" when we would say "pass" as in a mountain pass. A rotary is a roundabout. Everywhere the last few days are signs warning of moose. One such sign had flashing ember lights because it was a high incident area. We have not seen any moose on the road or otherwise.
The photo is of a lake in Northern Maine.
Tonight we had dinner with my god-daughter who attends the University of Maine. It was a pleasure to visit with this confident young woman.

Vermont

We stayed in Burlington, Vermont for three nights partly because of the weather and partly because there is much to do in the area. The first day we drove north making a big loop up to Newport, down to Stowe and back to Burlington. While the skies were gray, we noticed that the amount of color had increased. The northern part of Vermont is very rural with farms nestled next to the hills. The grass they use in their pastures is very green, looks like our lawns in the spring. It makes a nice contrast with the fall foliage.
We spent some time in Stowe going in and out of shops and checking out some of the architecture. From there we stopped in Waterbury at the Ben and Jerry Factory. We skipped the tour and headed for the ice cream. Just down the road from there is the Old Cider Mill featuring fresh pressed cider and cider doughnuts and of course the Vermont syrup and maple products. Got our Vermont fix.
The 29th was heavy rain caused by the tropical storm coming up from the south. We drove a short loop out on to the islands in Lake Champlain. In the afternoon we went to the Shelburne Museum which as 37 buildings housing a variety of exhibits. Some of the houses are period homes and are restored to the era they represent. Others have different exhibits. You can admire the uniqueness of the building while viewing the display. Ansel Adams photography was on exhibit. In the round barn was a quilt display done by quilters who had a family member that had Alzheimer’s. The fracturedness of the designs sends a powerful message. The steamboat, Ticonderoga is there—what a fancy boat it was in its day. After the fact, we met a guy at breakfast that used to ride the Ti as it is called, when it was on Lake Champlain. One other exhibit that was so amazing was carvings of a circus parade. It is all done to scale even to the length. Most parades were two miles long and this display is 524 feet and so is the building. There was another circus scene that was all carved by one man over the course of 40 years. It is a three ring circus scene complete with a full audience—thousands of pieces.
Friday we started by finding a knit shop and a fabric shop then drove to Montpelier which is the capital of Vermont. We stopped at the capitol building and got in on the last tour. They were sending nonessential people home because of the threat of flooding. We had an excellent tour of this amazing building built in 1837. It had to be rebuilt because of fire, but much of the furnishings are from the original. It is a beautiful building, all marble and granite. It has many paintings including the only copy of the Standing George Washington. The original is in the White House. You may remember that Dolly Madison rescued that painting when Washington was burning. When the statehouse was burning, men went in and rescued the copy also.
In Bath, New Hampshire we stopped at the oldest general store in the country. They make some cheese and pepperoni, smoking some in their smoker outside. Right behind the store is a covered bridge. Because of the high water there was a news team there doing a live segment.
Tonight we are in the White Mountains and just got back from a two hour dinner at the 1785 Farmhouse. It was good, but they seem to think that dining should be an event—us not so much.

Fort Tiacondaroga

Our room last night in Postdam, NY was done Victorian style and looked out unto the river. The design on the chair backs was very similar to the love seat and rocker in our house.
No rain today as we continued through New York. We spend a little time in Lake Placid walking the main street which led us to the Olympic Museum. Lake Placid hosted the 1932 and 1980 winter Olympics. There is memorabilia from those Olympics as others. It was interesting to see how the equipment has changed over the years. Of course there was a video playing of the great USA hockey win in 1980.
Our next stop was Fort Tiacondaroga located on Lake Champlaign. The fort was built in 1758 and was the site of a major battle between the French and British to have control of the lake as it was the connector between New York City and Montreal. On the grounds leading up to the fort the trenches made by the French are very evident 250 or so years later. That's what the photo is. The fort and battle field were used again 20 years later during the Revolutionary War. The information said that some of the men fought both times.
To get across the lake, we took an open air ferry. It holds maybe 8 cars. The sign says to watch your children--be a good idea as there is only a chain across each end!
Now we are in Burlington, Vermont. We are going to wait out the tropical storm rain tomorrow so hopefully will post again and we will be all caught up!

Pennsylvania and New York

The last two days we have been working our way across western Pennsylvania and New York. Pennsylvania has wooded hills and great vistas. The trees are about a fourth of the way turned. One can really see what side of a hill gets the sun by the amount of fall color. Our first stop was at Rock City which is really off the beaten path. It is an area of huge boulders amongst the trees that are balanced on each other or an interesting shape. We followed the trail through the woods and marveled at how such huge rocks could balance like they do. They say there isn't an earthquake activity because of the leveling effect of the oil fields.
The highlight of yesterday was Niagara Falls. You don't need their tours to enjoy the falls. Pick up a guide in the visitor's center and walk to the falls which are basically out the back door of the center. For a buck you can go out on the observation deck that goes out over the river for more great views. Ride the elevator down and you can walk up a series of stairs and get closer and wetter. We found that that wasn't really worth it because the mist blocked out the falls. We didn't go to Canada but felt we had a good experience.
Shortly after we started driving this morning, Jason and Ryan called. They were waiting for muffins to be done. It is so strange to have such a time difference. It was the best way to start the day. We continued east stopping to see the Genesee Lighthouse near Rochester. We climbed to the top and learned some history and added to my lighthouse collection.
Along the road there were many old cemeteries. Another feature is the pumpkin displays. Anyone that grows produce, displays them by the road on flat trailers or tables. Mounds of pumpkins and squash were everywhere. Well, except for when I decided we should get a picture of one of these, we saw no more!
Before lunch it started to rain and it poured all day and continues to rain this evening. We went to Sackett Harbor to see the battlefield and learn some War of 1812 history. We toured the visitors center and viewed artifacts from the battle that took place there between the British and American's. We got pretty wet walking around the battlefield even with rain gear. Put the seat warmer to good use when we got back in the car.
Tonight we are in Potsdam, NY and making a plan for tomorrow. The rain is suppose to continue so will wait to see how that develops.

Youngstown

As the game was not until 4 pm, we set out to explore Youngstown. They have a huge park known as Mill Creek Park that is about 12 miles long running along a creek--surprise surprise. At one end are formal gardens. The grounds are beautiful and most of the species are labeled. We wondered that for a time then decided to head further down to the working flour mill. If it works, there will be a picture.
This mill was built in 1840 and has been rebuilt twice since then. Now the base of the walls is 10 feet thick to withstand any future flooding. The farmers used to bring their grain in over the nearby covered bridge to be ground into flour. It was fascinating to see how the whole process works. Across the covered bridge we went and the picnic table for another wine and cheese lunch. As Don is throwing the wine bottle away, he reads on the garbage can, "alcoholic beverages strictly forbidden". Ah well.
We got to the Youngstown State campus well ahead of game time so took in the end of the volleyball match. For those of you reading and wondering why we are going to this football game, it is because son Alan is a graduate of Southern Illinois and that is the Youngstown opponent. At the beginning of Missouri Valley Conference games this year, the teams line up across the field just behind the people doing the coin toss. After the toss, they all shake hands. The game started out great for SIU, but they didn't score in the second half and lost the game. It was a fun experience and the people around us were having a good time and fun to be around.
We came back to the room, ordered a pizza and watched the Beavers and the Broncos.
Tomorrow we are really leaving Ohio!

More Ohio

We started the morning by going across the river from our motel to Fort Laurens which was built in 1787 to help defend the Delware Indians, but wasn't really located in the right spot. It wasn't manned for very long.
Our first stop in Canton was the First Ladies Museum. It is a history collection of the first ladies. Many items displayed are things that they have been given during their world travels. First ladies that did much to promote good will are emphasized. They have the inaugural gowns in half sizes. Connected with the museum is the home of William and Ida McKinley. Many of the furnishings are original and others are duplications that they have found at estate sales. It is a beautiful house with the intersting feature of curved door tops. In the third floor ballroom there are photos of all
We had our wine and cheese picnic at one of the tables in the courtyard of the McKinley home. People eating there on their lunch breaks were jealous of the wine!
Across town we went to the Football Hall of Fame. As their collection grows, so does the building--up to five buildings all connected. The long ago history was interesting and beginning in the 60's it was like a walk down memory lane. So many familiar names. There is a quietness to the areas until you get to the super bowl room and the present day displays and then there are many videos and sound recordings that after awhile dull the senses. Midway through we went to Fawcett Stadium which is just outside. This is where the Hall of Fame game is played. During the rest of the time, two high schools and two small colleges in town claim Fawcett Field as their home field. It is pretty basic as far as fields go.
We drove north to Youngstown for the evening. Listening to the sports news last night we discovered that the Salukis are playing Youngstown today so we got tickets. The fall color is not quite here yet in New England so we have time to take a day off from travelling.

Ohio

Today we wondered through north central Ohio. From Toledo, we dropped on to secondary roads driving southeast. We went through such communities as Bellevue, Clyde, and Wooster. There are more cornfields, but there are more trees and rolling hills. We had lunch in Millersburg in an old restored building. It began in the 1800's as a stage stop. What is now the tavern used to be the livery stable. In the town square is a big monument to honor those that fought in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War, and the War of Patriot Rebellion that later became citizens of the county. Now that is a term I have not heard for the Civil War.
After lunch we stopped at an Amish cheese factory getting cheese to go with our wine for a picnic tomorrow. Next up was the Warther Museum. Mr Warther is a well known wood carver--not known to us. He could carve things out of wood that were made of a single piece. He earned fame by carving model working trains, many of which are in the museum. When he wasn't carving, he was making knives which is how he earned his money and his family continues today. His wife collected buttons and then mounted them on white ceiling tiles in different patterns. They cover the walls and ceiling of his old studio.
Tonight we are in Boliver and tomorrow will go to Canton.

Chicago area

The photo is Lake Michigan taken from the east side. Chicago would be beyond the water horizon.
From Iowa City we drove north to McHenry, Illinois to start our Chicago Hoffmann visits. Mark and Tarah fixed us dinner and we visited into the evening. The next morning we found a great place for breakfast, The Windhill Pancake House. They are heavily decorated for Halloween, but the food was yummy.
After doing laundry, we went to Crystal Lake to meet Pete and Noreen for lunch. Pete is Don's brother. Did a little shopping in the village and had a good visit over lunch. We headed south to see their daughter Lori and her husband Richard. We took the El to Wrigley Field and a Cubs game. We opted for dinner before at a brew pub. We stayed their for the rain delay which went on long enough that we decided not to go in. It was still lightening after 8 when we left. We had been their before so it was okay not to go.
This morning we drove through the corner of Indiana and into Michigan. We both felt that this was the beginning of adventure as we have never been in this part of the country. He got to Kalamazoo to have lunch with nephew Chris. He is a TA supervisor at Western Michigan and enjoying it very much.
We made a stop in Ann Arbor mostly to take some pictures of Michigan's stadium. Someone in the family is a fan. Tonight we are in Monroe, Michigan on which is on Lake Erie. I believe Canton, Ohio is on the agenda for tomorrow.

Iowa

As we drove across Iowa it rained most of the morning. There were some interesting stops that could have been made, but combine the rain with our new traveling companion, a cold—hmmmm wonder where we got that?—we didn’t stop.
We arrived at our friends, Eric and Kim’s in the afternoon. We enjoyed their three little boys and got a glimpse into their lives for two days. For a little background, Kevin and Eric went to high school together. Their families try to get together every summer. Nephew Andy joined us for homemade pizza. He is 4 weeks into medical school and is enjoying the challenge and doesn’t understand the classmates that are already complaining. Andy, if you are reading this, I think often of your buffalo story.
Kim’s sister and uncle were also there and the three of them ran a triathlon on Sunday. Eric is madly working on a grant proposal so we didn’t see as much of him as he would have liked. Sunday afternoon, Kim and the boys and us went downtown Iowa City for a walking tour and dinner. We learned more about the flood they had two years ago that did a lot of damage to the campus.
Now it is on to Chicago and the Hoffmann relatives.

Driving Day

The photo is the Missouri River near Fort Mandan site of winter camp for Lewis and Clark.
The goal today was to knock out a bunch of miles so we would arrive in Iowa City at a decent time. It was not hard with a 75 mph speed limit in the Dakotas. We set the cruise at 76 and away we went. Except for slowdowns for construction we rolled along. Even with the slowdowns we averaged 73.6 mph and got good milage on the car. They are replacing 12-15 mile chunks of the freeway with cement roads. It was interesting to see how they do that. Lots of highway money being spent here.
Fields of corn and sunflowers line the highway. Don't know when they plan
to harvest--seems like the season is getting late.
We stopped in South Dakota for lunch and was looking at a paper. The sports page had Locker's name in the headline--follows us everywhere! The story slant was slightly different though. We are wondering how hard it will be for the announcers to keep the Huskies and the Huskers straight!
The highlight of yesterday's journey was a stop in Vermillion, SD at the National Music Museum. It is on the USD campus--large building, two floors with 9 galleries. There are instruments dating back to the 1500's through modern times. Amazing collection. If you are even slightly interested in music, make that a place to stop. It is just a little north of Sioux City, Iowa.

On to Bismarck ND

Before I catch you up on our travels, a hint for following the blog. Notice in the toolbar just above the title. If you click on follow this blog and sign up, you will get an e-mail when I do a new post that way you don't have to remember to check.
We stayed with Alan until Tuesday afternoon. We didn't do anything special, just spent time together.
Tuesday we went to Glasgow to visit John and Mary (John is my brother). We had a good visit that evening. The next morning Mary had gotten John's cold so she was out of the loop for most of the day. Don and I started the day by meeting Sue Dalby for coffee. Sue is a former student and ball player from Cottonwood. It was great to see her and to catch up.
Later we went out to the farm and to the pasture where John keeps his cows are for the summer. Montana is quite green for this time of year. The river is up from all the rain. In the evening, I met my cousin, Kathy for wine and a dessert called Baked Hot Chocolate--now there is a recipe I'm going to spend sometime figuring out--yummy!!
This morning (Thursday)we drove to Nashua and picked up my cousin, Jean and went out to Grandpa Peterson's farm and to the Grain Lutheran Church. Grandpa helped build it and I was baptized there. Little country church that has weathered the storms since 1929.Jean filled in some family history along the way. I found out that one of her daughter-in-laws makes art quilts with thread. Some are published in a book. There is seven miles of thread in one of the quilts!
We continued the day into North Dakota, stopping in Williston for lunch. At Gramma Sharon's you can get pie and coffee for $2.25--what a deal. We stopped in Washburn and the Lewis and Clark interpetive center and Fort Mandan. The centers were closed but we walked around and took pictures. At Fort Mandan we found a park called Fahlgren (my maiden name) Park. We were surprised and had to go investigate. It was given to the city in memory of Stan Fahlgren by his wife. I think he was a cousin of my Dad's. Be a great place for a family gathering.
Tommorrow we continue toward Iowa City.

Havre

We arrived at Alan's about the same time that he got home from work. He went for a bike ride and Don for a run. He fixed us dinner--like it when my kids cook for us.
On Saturday we packed a picnic and headed for Chinook to meet Kodi, Alan's girlfriend. Our destination was the Bear Paw Battlefield about 17 miles out of Chinook. This is the site where Chief Joseph surrendered to the calvery, but as we learned, not before putting up quite a battle. We ate our picnic then set out on the 1 1/4 loop trail with brochure in hand. It was windy but we didn't complain as we read that not only was it windy Sept 30-Oct 5, 1877, but the rain turned to snow. The Nezperce camped at this location to rest on their way to Canada and freedom which was only 40 miles away. They thought they had put enough distance between them and their persuers. The 400 Nezperce including woman and children made camp, killed a couple of buffalo and prepared to rest. Not much later, the calvery was seen closing in on their encampment. They held them off for several days, but in the end Chief Joseph needed to put a stop to the suffering of the children so he surrendered. Chief White Bird and a group of warriors did escape to Canada. This is the site where Chief Joseph's famous quote "From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever" was uttered. Having lived on the Camas Prairie in Idaho which is steeped in Nezperce history, this was particularly interesting. There are no pictures as Ann forgot to put the card back in the camera!!
Sunday was pretty much a football day. Alan tells me that this weekend was the first weekend since sometime in September of 2007 that the Cougars, Huskies, and Hawks have all one on the same weekend. We went out to dinner and Kodi returned to Malta.
We are waiting for the morning chill to leave then we are going to go wash the bugs off the car--lot of grasshoppers on the way to the battlefield.
Untill next time--

Long Road Adventure Day 1

The long awaited trip to New England and fall color got underway Thursday, Sept.9th. Eastern Washington was sunny, bookended by rain in both sets of mountains. It was an uneventful drive. We arrived in Missoula in time to meet our neice, Marie, for pizza. She has rehersals for Hair so it was a brief visit, but great to see her always.
This morning we left Missoula and took Highway 200 through Lincoln. More rain until we over Rodgers Pass then it was sunny for most of the time. The forest between Lincoln and Rodgers Pass is in terrible shape. There must be some sort of disease or insect. Many trees are gray standing and about as many have all red needles and maybe 1/3-1/2 are in good condition. The area is one good lightning strike from going up in flames.
Had to stop and take some pictures of the long straight road--that stretch of road has always amazed me.
Alan wasn't going to be home until around 2 so we stopped in Fort Benton for lunch and to walk along the waterfront. They have many historical signs to read and old buildings to look at. We walked across the river bridge that was built in 1886 and was used until 1963. Fort Benton was a hub for trade and for people going further west.
Will be with Alan into early next week. Have a great weekend everyone.

Final Thoughts for Alaska

We have been home for two weeks and I realize I haven't done a wrap up on the trip to Alaska. So random thoughts and bits of information that we learned along the way. In nearly every community we were in, there were foreign students working in the hotels and the restaurants. Visiting with them, they told us that they were working in Alaska as a language exchange program where they work there and work on their English skills. Many were from Russia and Bulgaria. Considering the tourism, the communties don't have the population base to provide the work force so it is a good deal.
I had envisioned the tour of Denali and Kenai would have been a group of people, moving through the week together. That is not the case. We had our packet of tickets, but there was not a tour guide or the same people doing the activities. Knowing what I know now, a person could set this up on their own. To go from Anchorage to Seward and to Denali, we used the park connection buses and the train.
To do it again, I would recommend renting a car in Anchorage and driving to Seward and to Denali. You would have more mobility along the way. By doing the tour we did do some things that we wouldn't have done otherwise because they were part of the package. Thinking mostly of the plane ride--it is so worth it! If anyone is interested, I can give you places and numbers.
Most shops and motels are only open from May-September. Many of the shopkeepers don't live in the towns expect for the season. It was pretty unclear what everyone else does--get ready for winter, I guess. They do get $1200 oil money per person so that would help fund the off season. It is a different way of life.
I'm glad that we went to Alaska, but I don't think we would go again. Don, however, was intrigued with the large fish they were catching and that is saying alot for Don.
Since our return, Jason and Ryan were here for a week. Trips to Jetty Island and
the zoo were highlights. Don's brother, Rick, returned from his sailing adventure two days after we did. He left this morning. After a cleansing rain two days ago, I sit at the dining room table and enjoy the view of Mt. Baker across the lake. Live is good.
We are aiming to hit the road for our two month driving adventure on Sept. 10th. Have some things to finish up before we leave, but am making good progress.
Until then...

Denali

We stayed at the Denali Bluffs Motel aptly named because it is up on a bluff. In the morning, the tour bus picked us up for our 8 ½ hour tour of Denali National Park. They use old school uses for the tour buses because they are lighter and due less damage to the road. You can’t drive into Denali, only on tour buses. We stopped by other motels to pick up more people Shortly out of town the microphone for the driver to narrate started cutting out. He tested and tested until we all were about to scream. He decided to go back and get a new part. With all of that fooling around it was almost an hour before we were underway. He does narrate almost all the time so it was important.
Along the way to mountain viewing, it is a constant watch for wildlife. We were rewarded quite soon by a group of 3 caribou not to far from the road. After that the hunt was really on. Most of the park is tundra like. Because of the short amount of daylight and growing season, the tundra line starts at about 2700 feet while in Colorado it is 10,000 feet. Above the plant line the mountains are barren. The road is paved for the first 13 miles and after that it is a hard packed dirt road, narrow dirt road. I was amazed the buses could pass one another. It was smoother than I thought and they did have water trucks out attempting to keep the dust down. It was quite a thrill for those on the bus that had not experienced narrow mountain roads that hug the hillside with steep drop-offs. Our driver was unfazed, just kept talking and driving.
People on the bus came from all over—Virginia, Pennsylvania, England, Georgia. Let me tell you about the Georgia women. They were well put together for this tour complete with jewelry and perfect makeup. One woman’s hair was perfect and somehow it still looked perfect when she came in from the gale force winds that were blowing. Me not so much!! They and their husbands were frantic to see wildlife. The bus stopped for black dots on the “fa hill”. One time no one could see the black dot she was sure was a bear and she said—it went behind that peak! We look and there are so many peaks that it was pretty funny.
The only bears we saw were far away. A moose was closer, but the dall sheep were the best. On the way out they were pretty far out, but on the way back they were perched on the rocks just above the road.
The main attraction of the day was Mt. McKinley. It was partially out so we could get some idea of its size. I looked in the visitors center at the chart and it doesn’t matter what month you come, it averages about 9 days a month where McKinley is visible—not very good odds. We see Baker about 1/3 of the time too, but people aren’t flocking by the thousands to see it. At the visitors center you are 36 miles away from the mountain and the closest that you get is 24 miles. Not only is the park in a remote area it feels remote when you are there or at least I felt that way.
We had lunch at Karnishna Lodge and were entertained by a dog sled presentation. His father raced in the Iditarod 4 times winning it in 1975. His name is Martin Phillips and his son is a Jr. He has been running dog sleds since he was 2. He grew up in Ruby which is one of the check points on the trail. They have a race for toddlers, the mother releases the brake and they race their dog sled to their Dads. He was very entertaining and at the same time informative. After his talk, we went out to the kennel. The lodge gets six dogs from the shelter each season that he uses for the demo and trains. When the season is over they are up for adoption. Last year one girl took all six and she won the Jr. Iditarod this past year. The dogs by the way are a mix of husky for power, Irish setter for boundless energy, lab for liking water, and collies for smarts. And female dogs make the best lead dogs. The way they train in the summer is that they hook the harness up to an ATV and around the roads they go. They were pretty excited when he fired up the machine.
On the way back it was more wildlife looking and the mountain was still not out. We got back into Denali about 8 pm. We are glad that we went, but I’m not sure that we would go to Denali again.

Glacier flight

A new experience awaited us at K2 tours and that was a flight over glaciers on Mt. McKinley. Eight of us climbed into this little plane and put our headsets on. I had never been in such a small plane so was a little nervous to start with, but quickly got involved with the scenery. We headed out across the valley toward the mountain and glaciers on the right side. We got very close and he kept turning the plane and dipping so we could all get good views and photos. Most of the mountain was cloud covered, but what we saw was fascinating. I remembered that the camera has video capabilities and shot a couple of movies of the trip. I was surprised at how dirty the glaciers are up close. They are different from the ones that are in the Kenai Fjord area in that respect. The surroundings on the mountains are all dirt so it stands to reason that it would blow onto the snow. All in all a great experience that we are glad that we did.
Next up was to walk the short distance from the airstrip to the tiny town of Talkeetna. We wondered through the little shops and had lunch before catching the shuttle back to the motel. The nice thing about these shops nearly everything was made by local artistians.
At 6 pm we boarded the bus to go to Denali, three hours away. The drivers narrate along the way so you learn alot about the area as you go. We saw two moose right next to the road. Next up--Denali National Park.

To Talkeetna

August 15—will be posting later. While there is wifi, it doesn’t seem to be real stable. We left Windsong Lodge this morning in the rain traveling in a large bus to Anchorage. The stop in Anchorage was long enough for lunch and a quick look through the museum. We had lunch at the Crush which is a little bistro not far from the museum. It is directly across the street from Nordstroms. Considering where we have been since leaving home, it was kind of a jolt to have that upscale store right there.
Not to fear, our Alaskan experience was about to continue as we traveled north through Wasilla and Willow to the Talkeetna Lodge. It is an amazing lodge overlooking a wide valley of trees with a mountain range and Mt. McKinley as the backdrop. McKinley was not out last night but the view was still panoramic. We had dinner with the same view and then took our chocolate martininis out on the viewing deck. It was a warm evening, the first we have had since we left Sitka nearly two weeks ago.
Don went running this morning and saw a bear and two cubs. The sun is out this morning with high clouds. Have great hopes that the mountain will be visible.

Anchorage/Seward

Our flight to Anchorage was delayed because of fog in Wrangall and Petersburg so we spent a goodly amount of time in the Juneau airport. On our arrival in Anchorage we were back in the land of motel shuttles which was a happy discovery. Juneau is not user friendly when you come in anyway but on a cruise ship so this was a welcome change. We stayed at the Comfort Inn because it is close to the railroad station that would take us to Seward. The only problem with that was it was a hike to dinner. We found the Snow Goose which also has the Sleeping Lady Brewry. The food and view were great. The owners wife is a quilter and she has decorated the place with huge appliqued quilts depicting Alaska scenes and wildlife. Amazing!
Friday morning we boarded the train to Seward. It is a beautiful trip and narrated by a host. The Windsong Motel met the train, dropped us off in town and took our luggage to the motel. We had lunch, shopped a bit, went to the aquarium and walked along the shore. Motel shuttle picked us up to take us to the motel. The windsong is set in the woods with 8-10 buildings that have 10 or so rooms. Our window opens on to the woods. Beautiful rustic setting--would recommend this place for sure.
Yesterday we took an 8 hour Kenai Fjords tour. We saw quite a lot of wildlife along the way to the Aialik Glacier. It comes down to the water and he got the boat right up to it. We were told that the end of this glacier has been in the same spot for about 100 years. It is replenishing itself at the same rate that it calfs off so that is good. The weather turned nasty on the way home with rain and choppy seas. I think we were all glad to get into the bay and calmer waters. We had dinner on Fox Island then headed back to Seward.
Seward is the beginning of the Iditerod and the big salmon fishing derby starts today. Don said he might some day do a fishing charter. Think he was encouraged by the catches that were coming in. In 1964 there was a 9.2 earthquake that shook for 4 minutes destroying many buildings. What was really devastating was the tsumami that followed. A wall of water 40 feet high surged up the inlet virtually wiping out the downtown and the fishing industry. They have rebuilt, but the area along the shore is parks, rv camping and othter things devoted to tourism.
As I type, I hear the rain coming down. According to weather.com, it is suppose to be nice in Denali,our next stop. We can only hope

Skagway

We saw more whales on the way from Juneau to Skagway and the mountains when we could see their tops were jagged and rugged looking. Waterfalls starting near the top of the mountain cascaded to the water below. This ferry had a puzzle set up on a table in the back of the lounge which occupied some time both coming and going.
Our motel met us and its other guests at the ferry terminal in Skagway, something the other communities along the way could take note of. In the morning, we set out with our map to take the walking tour. Many or most of the buildings in the 7 block downtown area were built from 1898-1902. As we learned, they might not have all started out where they are situated now, but moved in from side streets. In the early morning there is no one around and the quiet was striking after being in the Alaskan Hotel for a few days prior! We learned about the gold rush and the history of the community. It took brave souls to pack up a years supply of food and head into the mountains in search of their fortune.
In the afternoon we rented a tandem bike and rode out of town to explore the Gold Rush Cemetery. The town hero, Frank Reid and the outlaw, Soapy Smith are buried there. Reid is a hero because he shot Smith. A sign in town says, and there has been peace and order ever since. There is a waterfall behind the cemetery that we hiked up to. We toured around on the bike a little more before returning it.
Later in the day, I found the quilt shop which is by far the best one I’ve seen on this trip. I bought some things that will represent good memories of our time in Alaska. In the evening we ate at the Red Onion Saloon. It is the oldest bar in Skagway (1898) and used to have a brothel upstairs. You can take a tour of the upstairs and the sign reads: $5 for 15 minutes just like in 1898!
There were 4 cruise ships in the harbor when we left. The town was expecting 9000 people that day—wonder where they put them all? The channel is very deep there and they park those big ships right at the dock. Think we got out of town just in time. Many take the train ride over White Pass which we saved for another time.
I’m going to skip our overnight in Juneau as it was uneventful and irritating. Next up: Anchorage.

More Juneau

Set off this morning to find the govenor's house which we did with no problem. From there is was go back the way we came or climb the stairs to the top. We opted for the stairs--ye gads!! Found St. Nicholas church which is Russian Orthodo and they seem to have the same problem as the one in Sitka--give us money to repair our roof and in this case fix the foundation as it is sliding--oh my!
Next up was a tram ride to the top of Mount Roberts where we had lunch and did one of the trails. It was misty rain so the views were not as good as the could be. On our walk back from the tram along Franklin to the Alaskan Hotel where we are staying, Don counted 30 jewelery stores--must be a hot item for the cruise ships.
Did some shopping and mailed a package home.
In the evening we went back up the tram for all you can eat crab dinner. They paired it with a wine from Maryhill--a touch of home and it was excellent. We learned that the rock that came out of the Juneau mine was used to fill in the dodwntown area of Juneau and make the highway and the airport. From the shuttle driver on the way to the glacier we learned that the buildings on the left or water ?
We were told that Saturday night is a slow night in Juneau and it seemed to be the case with hardly anyone out on our walk back to the hotel. They did party at the Alaskan Bar way into the early morning!
Earlier in our visit we went into the Red Dog Saloon just because it is the oldest in town. We didn't stay long as we got a waitress with an attitude.
Ferry trip to Skagway this afternoon. Thanks for following.

On to Juneau

We boarded the newest ferry, the Fairweather, for the trip to Juneau. Built in 2004, it is a catamaran type and quite nice. Not true to its name, it rained a good portion of the way. We did see some whales--they sure have fun in the wild!
We are staying at the Alaska Hotel which is on the National Historical Registar--on the third floor. They are keeping it up pretty well and it is right in the heart of downtown. A block to the water and a few to points of interest.
Today it was raining hard so we set out on a walking tour to the state capitol. They give tours then let you wander the building. It was built as the territorial government offices and when Alaska became a state, was converted to the capitol building. It has no dome. From there we went to the Alaska museum and that was very interesting and the couple of hours spent there allowed the rain to slow to a mist.
In the afternoon, we took a shuttle bus to the Mendenhall Glacier. The snow field is tinged with blue and has a bright blue center near the water. Quite impresssive, but gives one pause to think about how it is receeding. There is a photo taken and placed where the glacier was in 1952 and it seems to me that it has receded a long way in 60 years. There were several trails around the area that we walked. Earlier in the day, bears were spotted, but we didn't see any.
Tommorrow we keep exploring Juneau.

Sitka

Our stay in Sitka is nearing the end so will relate our time here. We arrived in the middle of the night so everything was new in the morning. We are staying at the Sitka Hotel which has a convienent resturant and bar downstairs. It is right downtown which is important when there is no car. Map in hand we began a walking tour of the town. At the center of downtown is the very old Russian Orthodox Church. It is very ornately decorated with many artifacts displayed. Displayed, but not labeled and no one relates the history for you and they charge. By contrast the Lutheran Church across the street is free, has a doicent and it is very simply decorated and is still in use. One of the Russian leaders was married to a Finnish women and she was instrumental in establishing the chirch. Because of fires it has been rebuilt a couple of times, but the little short pulpit is original.
The Tligint tribe occupied this land when the Russians came and took it over. There is a block house that sits on a hill that was armed for the purpose of keeping the Russians and the Indians from attacking each other. On Castle Hill that is behind the hotel and overlooking the bay is the site of the transfer of Alaska from Russia to the United States in 1867. The site became the first historical site in Alaska after Alaska became a state in 1959.
Today Sitka is a fishing community. The harbor is full of working boats. It is fun to watch the activity. Tourism swells the town as the cruise ships pilot their passengers from out on the bay where they are anchored. Don calls them the boat people--they probably wouldn't like that! The shops are a blend of Native works, Russian influence and Alaskan products. We appreciate the logos that represent made in Alaska so that you know you are getting something truly from here.
Yesterday we did a nature trail along the water through huge spruce trees. There are totem poles throughout. I much prefer the totems in among the trees than in town squares.

Day in Ketchikan

There is no place to stow luggage when you come in on one ferry and the one that you are catching goes out 18 hours later. So here we are trudging up and down the streets of Ketchikan with our luggage in tow. People asked us if we were moving. I did feel displaced from time to time and as we climbed the hill to see the fish, like a beast of burden. The stream was teeming with fish trying to get up the rushing waterfall or up the fish ladder. The naturalist on the ferry gave a talk on salmon and only 2% of the eggs live out their life cycle. The good news is that Alaska has maintained or restored the salmon habitat and the populations are stable.
Salmon fishing has been a mainstay of their economy for a long time. In the museum was a sign from one of the early canneries: We eat what we can and we can what we can’t.
Besides the museum we wandered the town reading about their history. We went into the Dolly Museum. Dolly was a madam and ran her house by herself and was the last one to close. It is as she left it and if they don’t do some restoration soon, it isn’t going to last much longer. It and many of the shops are along Creek Street named because the creek is where a street would be normally. Everything is on very high pilings with a boardwalk.
Three cruise ships were in town so with time to kill we watched the Celebrity one leave—huge.
At 11pm we boarded the Taku for the next leg of our journey. By the time we were awake, the ferry was nearing Wrangall. From there a brief stop in Petersburg. Took pictures for my friend, Anita. Next up was Kake. I took a picture of a green road sign as it seemed out of place on this remote highway. Our entertainment while we were in port was that the crew did a drill with the life boat. With three of them in it, they lowered it to the water, drove it around for a bit and hoisted it back up. Regulations require that they do that every once in awhile—nice to know that it works.
We keep ourselves busy reading, Sudoku, I’m knitting, and picture taking. This afternoon as we neared this gorgeous mountain range that appears to rise from the sea, whale watching was the main source of fun. At one time we could see about a dozen sprays and breaches, most of them far away, but some quite close. We got our exercise rushing from one side to the other.
The weather has been perfect. Every day has been sunny and warm—couldn’t ask for anything better. Tonight we get into Sitka so will post from the motel.

Day on the ferry

We woke to fog and it looked to be a dreary day. By noon, it had cleared off and for the next 8 hours we had views much like the photo. It is a beautiful trip and we were lucky to have nice weather. We saw a pod of dolphins playing and following the ferry and a whale breaching in the distance. Some of the channels we went through are narrow making for close inspection of the store.This morning we arrrived in Ketchikan and will catch another ferry to Sika tonight. We have toured the old part of town and are going to the fish ladder. I wondered the fabric shop, but am waiting for later to purchase.

Sailing Day

I We have always considered our kids fortunate in the classmates that they had and the friends that they chose. We enjoyed the company of two of Alan’s classmates and friends as we began our Alaska adventure. Keith went with us to Bellingham so that he could drive our car home. We met another classmate, Ike, in Bellingham at the Boundary Bay Brewery for lunch and a brew. To pass the time before the ferry departure, we went to Ike’s house to admire his garden and his new shed.
They took us to the ferry terminal—ferry is large with 8 decks. We departed in sun with great views. We watched the sun set and enjoyed the orange and pink sky for a long time. Not long before they closed the curtains for the evening, we passed Vancouver. We have an Inside Passage map with us and follow the progress helped by the GPS screen by the pursers office and a map upstairs that they periodically move a piece of yellow tape to show where we are. I think those islands should have signs that say what they are as it isn’t easy from the water!
The rooms are tiny, but if you use them just for sleeping they are okay. People are from all over; London, Alabama, California to name a few. This morning it is foggy and just when it looked like it would burn off, it has gotten real socked in. We are about to clear Vancouver Island and do an open water crossing. They keep saying that it could get rough—will see.
There is no wifi on the ferry so will post this when I am able.

Off to Alaska

After three days of catching up, doing laundry, watering, and repacking we are ready to go to Bellingham to catch the ferry for our next big adventure. Think the weather this morning is just trying to get us ready for cooller days!

On Friday, Alan and I went to Malta after he was done with work. The good news of the day is that his house is sold!! Stayed with niece, Anna and husband Tom. We watched The Three Amigos and little did I know how important that was going to be for the rest of t he weekend. Saturday morning we went to Glasgow to visit John and Mary and their family. John is celebrating a milestone birthday and all of their kids were home. John thought the party was out to dinner on Saturday, but it was really a full blown surprise party on Sunday with The Thee Amigos as the theme. Everytime you turned around two or three were huddled making plans—it is a wonder he didn’t suspect. When they were at church, Alan and I made Mexican Wedding cakes. Later Sunday morning, John and Andy and Marcie and David went to do something in the country. The kitchen became a whirl of activity making tamales, burrito filling, chopping for fajitas and salsas. In the afternoon, we convinced John that I wanted to go to the play. When we returned the yard had been transformed with paper flowers, piñatas,and a painted scene from the movies by Tess. The yard was full of people and he really was surprised. All evening things happened that came from the movie including a random plane overhead that was quickly dubbed the male plane. The girls entertained with some movie lines and singing Little Buttercup. They have so much talent in the family and pulling this off was a team effort.
I’m writing this on the train heading back to Lake Stevens. Will post this when I get home as there is no wireless on the train. I did get home--train ride was long, but uneventful.

On the Highline

That's what they call the part of Montana that is along Highway 2, a highway which from the train looks like a glorified trail. We are visiting our son, Alan who moved to Havre in January and is now the news director at KOJM. They stream their broadcasts so we can listen to him from anywhere as he does the morning news and so can you at KOJM.com.

As I said earlier, Montana is very green for this time of year. There has been rain twice since our arrival. Have heard thunder, but haven't seen the lightning. I'm sure the wheat farmers dread those clouds every afternoon with the threat of hail. They just said on the radio that there was 1/4 of rain over the night and you might as well go the fair as you can't hay.

On Wednesday, Alan's girlfriend, Kodi, came to visit and to meet us. Apparently, she was are little nervous, but all went well. She is an English teacher in Malta so they do a lot of commuting. Believe next weekend is Alan's turn to meet her mother. We went out to dinner and I taught them to play Bananagrams. A game that Don has already opted out of!

Yesterday, Don boarded the train to go home for Aquafest and the Sr. games on Sunday. Sr. games is a rowing event in Olympia and Aquafest is Lake Steven's summer celebration. Alan was at the fairgrounds doing remotes so after I returned the rental car, I went to the fair while he worked. I checked out the 4-H exhibits and was very disappointed. They seem to make posters to represent some aspect of their project. I think of the amazing displays and projects at the Idaho County Fair and this was disappointing. When he was done we found a scone booth and except for not having jam choices for toppings they were as delicious as those at the Idaho County Fair.

Alan made pizza dough so I could watch as he hasn't been happy with is efforts prior. He did an excellent job--he thinks he wasn't kneading it enough. Had pizza last night after his meeting--put in a 13 hour day. He taught me a new card game when the Mariners got behind 5-1. Of course, we were drawn back when they made their comeback. Went to bed on the hope they would pull it off, but alas no go.

Until next time....

Train Ride

True form somehow Amtrak made the train station problem my fault!! Went to dinner with Carol and Dru. In the morning we went to REI and found the smallish travel bag I was looking for then they dropped us off at the "real" train station with several hours to kill. Luckily, it was a pleasant day temperature wise. We walked along the river walk until departure time. Train trip was uneventful except for the not sleeping well part. Photo is sunset on the LaCrosse River in Wisconsin. North Dakota and Montana are very green. Many hay bales in the field means there is going to be plenty of feed this winter for the cattle. Rented a car in Havre--they bring the cars to the train station for you--nice feature--yeah small community. Don and Alan are out getting a few happy hour supplies for the evening.

Things Were going so Well...

Vacation has been going great, flights on time, family fun, great food and then we got to Amtrak. We planned to take the train to see Alan in Montana. There is a station by the airport so took the shuttle over to it and waited and waited. Called to see what was up with the train only to discover that this particular station does not have service to Montana and that the person that I had asked and had been reassured by DIDNOT know what she was talking about. Lucky for us Carol and Dru are in Milwaukee also so they came and got us and will get us to the proper statiion tomorrow--will cut into our Montana visit. Just a wrinkle--all aboard tomorrow--we hope!

Wedding Celebration

Yesterday was the wedding celebration for Mark and Tarah. The actually got married in January, but chose this weekend to bring the families and friends together to celebrate. It was held in a state park. The morning was spent helping set up for all the guests. Tables were moved, decorations hung, food chopped and diced, transported. All to the oft repeated phrase "It's getting warmer." Games for the kids were scattered about. Water balloons helped with the cooling off. As the temps climbed into the 90's people gathered in the pavillion and in the shade of a big old tree to visit and enjoy the day. We wish them much happiness and joy in their life together.
Today, we head to Montana on the train. Stay tuned.

The Fun Begins

The first day of my long vacation was the best kind of Washington day, low 70's, blue skies--made me wonder for a moment if I really wanted to travel away from paradise. But only for a moment. Yesterday we met Pam at the airport for 5am breakfast before we boarded different flights for the Chicago area. Mount Rainier gave us a fabulous sendoff. In fact, at one point we could see all the major peaks down to Mount Hood.
We landed in Milwaukee, rented a car and went to visit Don's 90 year old aunt and uncle. They were happy we stopped in and it was good to see them again and share ice cream. Then it was off to Crystal Lake for the family gathering and wedding celebration taking place on Saturday. Pam was there when we arrived and Kevin, Wendy and the boys followed shortly. Mark and Tarah made ribs and with the yummy salads from his Mom we had a great feast. Good to be surrounded with family.

Almost time

Only one more week of work to go before we begin our 4 month adventure. Keep up with our travels by checking this blog. Will try to be faithful in posting.