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An Abrupt Ending

2011-07-13T16:13:00.000-04:00

Crawfordville, FL

Just want to do a quick wrap up on the trip. Yes, we are still supposed to be on the road but family matters intervened and we had to make a beeline for home.

On Tuesday, July 5, Shelley's Dad had a tumble at home and by Thursday July 7 he was in so much pain he could not get out of bed so he was off to the hospital. We were still in Colorado but luckily Shelley's brother Tom was in Florida so he immediately headed for Tallahassee to be with Dad.

We hit the road Thursday mid-morning and arrived home on Saturday. As it turned out Dad's pain was caused by gout that was totally out of control but the fall caused him to break his elbow. So – Dad was in the hospital until Monday, July 11 and is now spending a few days in a rehab hospital. His spirits are great and his pain is under control and we think he will get the splint off of his arm on Friday and start rehab on it then.

The very worse thing about coming home has been the humidity – unbearable. Actually the worst thing is the fact that all the flower beds are overflowing with waist high weeds (I cannot even see the azalea bushes) and I have to go out and work in the humidity. For example – as I write this – sitting INSIDE in the nice air conditioned house – it is 94 degrees outside but with the humidity the heat index is 111. Yesterday while pulling weeds I saw a snake – black snake I think – I hope... That was the end of weed pulling for a day or 2. Maybe with the dogs back (we have our 2 and Dad's 2) the snake will leave.

Until next time – Happy Trails

Independence Day, 2011

2011-07-06T22:52:00.000-04:00

Cañon City, Colorado
We are “camped” in the driveway of Shelley's Aunt Ann. Aunt Ann is Shelley's Dad's older sister. We had a wonderful Independence Day cookout attended by: from Cañon City: Aunt Ann, her daughter Deanna, Deanna's partner Bill (the grill master) and their daughter Katie; Aunt Ann's daughter Candice and her daughter Darlene. Aunt Ann's son Art, his wife Honey and their daughters Ciara and Savanna. From Oklahoma City: Aunt Ann's niece DeAnn and her friend Becky. From Bellevue, WA: Aunt Ann's Daughter Cheryl and her granddaughter Michaela; From Crawfordville, FL: Shelley, Monte, Chief and Casey. And if I've left anyone out – my apologies.

We laughed, ate, laughed, drank, laughed some more and in general had a wonderful time.

Life is Very Good Indeed!

Colorado Week 2

2011-07-03T16:17:00.000-04:00

More Time With Friends and Family

What a great (almost) week. Except for one incident this was a fun week. On Monday we moved from Greeley to the driveway of Barbie and Chris Hallstrom's home in Centennial, CO. Shelley and Barbie have known each other since childhood – actually infanthood back in Oklahoma City.

On Tuesday Barbie and Chris' air conditioner was on on the blink so while Monte stayed at the house to be Chris' assistant in helping to fix the A/C – Shelley went to downtown Denver to meet nephew James for lunch. James is the son of Shelley's brother Tom. James works for IPCommerce in the heart of downtown Denver. James claimed to know of a very good BBQ place within walking distance of his office and since we are both lovers of Q, that is where we went for lunch. I was very skeptical that BBQ in downtown Denver in a restaurant that is below ground level could be good but much to my delight – the pulled pork sandwiches topped with coleslaw were excellent – great smoked flavor. We had a short but great visit and it was nice to see that James is doing so well. Unfortunately, I forgot to drag out the camera...so here is a slightly dated photo of he and I.

Remember last week when we were in Greeley with Art Richardson? Well, his oldest daughter Heather lives in Denver and has an 18 month old yellow lab whose name is Oly. Heather is Shelley's first cousin once removed. So, later that same afternoon while Chris and Monte labored on the A/C and Barbie was hard at work in her basement office, Shelley and Chief (no, Casey did not get to go) headed off to the dog park to meet Heather and Oly. We had a great time. The dogs got to know each other and a bunch of other dogs and Heather introduced me to her friend Ricky. The highlight was when a great dane drooled all over Oly who immediately rolled in the dirt and then ran under the picnic table to wipe the slime and dirt all over me. Dogs – gotta love 'em. By the way – Oly is named for Heather's favorite camera an Olympus. And if you are ever in need of a photographer in the Denver area please check this link: Heather Richardson Photography

Next up was Wednesday morning – bright and early – like 6:15 early Barbie and Shelley were off to the airport to pick up Barbie's mom, Jerry. Jerry was Shelley's Mom's best buddy for many many many metric years and it is always a joy to get to spend time with her. The rest of Wednesday was pretty quiet. Barbie and Shelley ran to Best Buy and Barbie bought a Roku Box so Shelley spent some time hooking that up and then while everyone else worked, Shelley and Jerry watched the series The State Within on Netflix. If you have never seen it – I highly recommend it.

Thursday was our day to really play. And by play I mean gamble. We headed west to Black Hawk, CO where there are many many casinos. Barbie and Jerry played blackjack while Monte and Shelley played the penny slots. Shelley was the only loser on the day and Barbie was the big winner. We all had fun – just some had more fun than others...

Friday morning rolled around and when Shelley went in the house for coffee she noticed that Jeremy's (Barbie's son) car door was ajar. So when Jeremy came in for coffee she told him and he checked the car and said everything was okay. Shelley figured that he just had not shut it hard enough the night before. A little while later Jerry wanted to make a quick run to the outlet mall so Shelley went out to her car to set up the GPS and – you guessed it – the car door was not shut tight. Items missing were the Tomtom GPS with its cords and mount, the iPhone charging cords and in inverter. The one night we forget to lock the car and – some crappy little thief has to target the neighborhood. Live and learn! Maybe I should be happy that the car was unlocked therefore the window was not smashed in.

Other than the sniveling, thieving, criminals in Colorado – we are still having a great time and are headed for Canon City, CO for more family time. (Canon is pronounced Canyon but I don't know how to put a ~ over the n).

Our First Week in Colorado

2011-06-26T18:42:00.001-04:00

Time With Family
Greely and Estes Park, Colorado

Since we escaped the wicked weather of Nebraska we have been in Greeley, CO. Our first couple of days here were just some “down time” for us. Get caught up on some chores and not do much but sit around the RV and be thankful for amazingly nice weather.

On Friday morning, Shelley's brother Tom rode up from his home in Broomfield, CO on his Triumph Tiger motorcycle. We had a short but very nice visit. After lunch Tom had to get home to get ready to fly to Florida on Saturday. He is a busy busy man with many irons in the fire. Please check out his latest venture “Be A Samaratin.” This is so very worthwhile and can save literally thousands of lives. In a nutshell, their goal is to prevent Sudden Cardiac Death by having portable defibrillators in as many public places as possible and for people to actually be able to locate these devices and use them in time to save someone's life.

Be A Samaraitan

On Friday evening, the reason for our visit to Greeley arrived. Shelley's cousin Art, wife Honey and daughters Ciara and Savanna arrived with their motorhome at the RV park. They live in Canon City, CO but travel just about every weekend from March to August as Ciara is on a tournament fastpitch softball team.

We have been wanting to see her and her teammates on the Colorado Springs Thunder play for some time and this year the timing was perfect for us to catch one of her tournaments. The team plays in the 14U bracket – meaning no player may be over 14 years of age.

I won't go in to lots of detail – let's just suffice it to say that for a team that was nationally ranked this was not a bright shining moment. But, we had a great time and are very glad we came.

Art, Honey and the girls are also in to geocaching and I will be writing more about that when we get to Oklahoma City in a few weeks. If you don't know what geocaching is – you have some time to Google it so when I tell you this great story you will know what I'm talking about. Or just check this link Geocaching This is going to be an important story I hope - so remember it! Our hope is to be able to tie in Greeley, CO, Oklahoma City and the Czech Republic.

Since the team took an early out from the tournament on Sunday we had some time to fill and headed over to Estes Park for lunch. We have camped in the Estes Park area a few times and love the area.

We just happened to catch the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival.

We were also able to locate the webcam on Elkhorn Ave, the main drag of Estes Park and using our iPhones take pictures of ourselves while the webcam was taking out picture (did that make any sense?)

That brings our time in Greeley to an end. More Colorado yet to come! So stay tuned.

Bailey Yard – Largest Rail Yard In The World

2011-06-22T21:54:00.000-04:00

North Platte, Nebraska

Eighty very windy, gusty, blustery, blow the RV around the road, miles west of Elm Creek, (site of the tornado), is North Platte Nebraska – home to the Union Pacific's Bailey Yard. So – no we did not have enough sense to just get on out of Nebraska. We just had to visit the Golden Spike Tower from which we could view the Bailey Yard.

The Bailey Yard covers 2,850 acres, is over 8 miles in length and 2 miles wide. The yard has 315 miles of track and every day handles, are you ready for this, 12,000 – 15,000 rail cars. The yard includes a locomotive fueling and servicing center that handles more than 8,500 locomotives per month and pumps 14 million gallons of fuel each month, a locomotive repair shop that can repair 750 locomotives monthly and a car repair facility that handles around 50 cars daily.

The yard has two humps which handle about 4,000 cars daily. These humps are amazing. Both are mounds of dirt about 25 feet high and as rail cars move on to the hump they are uncoupled and they roll down either the east or west bound hump and a computer routes them on to one of 114 “bowl tracks” to be united with trains going to one of dozens of destinations. This is a controlled free-fall kind of operation and fascinating to watch these rail cars moving, for appearances sake, all on their own.

There are 18 receiving and 16 departure tracks. It boggles the mind trying to figure out how anything ever gets where it is supposed to go.

The town of North Platte is bounded on the north by the North Platte River and on the south by – you guessed it – the South Platte River. Currently the North Platte is in flood stage. We were supposed to camp at the Buffalo Bill Ranch but it was closed due to flooding (at least they had an excuse which is more than we can say for the Buffalo Bill Museum back in Le Clair, Iowa. I've sworn off Bill Cody for the rest of this trip). While we were gawking at the river I spoke with an elderly gentleman who has lived here all his life and was taking pictures of the river. He said that he has seen the South Platte flood many times but never before the North Platte.

The (Terrifying) World of Nebraska Weather

2011-06-21T19:45:00.000-04:00

Elm Creek, Nebraska June 20, 2011

Early morning June 20, about 1:30 we were awakened by a super strong storm moving through the area. We turned on the weather radio and did not hear any tornado warnings nor were the tornado sirens sounding so we just watched the storm from the RV. It is amazing what you can see when it is pitch black outside but being on the prairie with massive amounts of lightning and no trees or buildings to block the view we could see the sheets of rain and the trees bending over – and the motorhome was bouncing around pretty violently in the gusts of wind - you get the picture. There was minimal hail which was a big concern but we made it through safe and sound.

During the early part of the day on the 20^th we went to the Great Platte River Road Archway Museum – (see previous post.) The weather was what I think of as typical weather for the plains – cloudy and winds of 20-30 miles an hour with higher gusts but it was not storming. At lunch time we were in Kearney and when we saw two vehicles that look like this we should have taken the hint.

Late in the afternoon we were back at the RV in Sunny Meadows Campground. The weather was deteriorating rapidly and we were glued to the TV watching weather reports when I said to Monte “is that a siren I hear?” Right then a tractor-trailer stopped across the highway from us and we figured he was not stopping for the heck of it so I jumped up, looked out the windshield did not see anything so opened the door and stepped out and just about pooped my pants when I saw a tornado forming and heading for the ground – now we could hear the sirens. We shoved our feet in to some shoes, grabbed our cameras (go figure), put leashes on the dogs and hauled ass for the storm shelter. By the time we got outside – maybe 20 seconds from when I first saw the tornado, it had disappeared but there was another one and we could not tell which way it was going. We must have been quite the sight – trying to run to the shelter, control the dogs, and take pictures.

After we got to the shelter we could tell that it was moving away from us and I took some video of it. Look closely at the ground and you can clearly see a debris cloud.

As it turned out there were 23 confirmed tornadoes in the area with that front.

I'll take a good old Florida hurricane any day...

The Great Platte River Road Archway

2011-06-21T18:11:00.000-04:00

Kearney, Nebraska

On our past travels on I-80 passing by Kearney Nebraska we had seen this large building spanning the Interstate but did not know what it was. This time, before we got here we researched the structure and found that it is a museum and so decided to set up camp close by and pay it a visit.

What a jewel we found. We are constantly amazed at the quality of small museums throughout the U.S. The owners of this one have done a bang-up job. Upon entry we were greeted by a “mountain man” who directed us to the ticket office and told us a little of what to expect.

After receiving our head sets, as this is a self guided audio tour, we were on our way up the longest escalator in the state of Nebraska.

Once upstairs we wandered through 150 years of history. Most of the museum is dedicated to the years 1843 to 1869 when nearly half a million pioneers rode and walked the trails to the West Coast.

The story is told through the audio tour, dioramas, and mini-movies. The museum pays tribute to the pioneers, trappers, traders, Native Americans, pony express riders, the telegraph, the coming of trains, then Highway 30 the Lincoln Highway, America's first transcontinental road and I-80 the nations first interstate.

It appears that this museum is not very well attended as there is no close exit from the Interstate. It is not readily apparent how to get to the building (why we have never stopped before) so I think that many people who might stop just keep on traveling the Great River Road and pass it by. If you are ever in this area we highly recommend stopping here.

Iowa Has Much To Offer (If you don't ask for much)

2011-06-19T13:44:00.000-04:00

A Day in the Greater Des Moines Area

We hit the trifecta by coming to Des Moines, IA. We had one full day to tour the Greater Des Moines area and we took full advantage of it.

Our first stop was in the town of Indianola to visit the National Balloon Museum. When I told Monte that we were going to a balloon museum he had visions of clowns and balloon animals. He did not hide his disappointment well when I informed him that it was about the history of man riding in big balloons. The museum chronicles more than 200 years of ballooning history from the first flight in 1783 to the present. The museum contains balloon envelopes, gondolas, inflator fans, ballooning instruments, trophies, and other memorabilia. We were met by a 80+ year old docent who I immediately wanted to tell to “straighten up and fly right” since her name tag was upside down – but I refrained. She had a power point presentation on the history of ballooning and would we like to see it? Sure! 15 minutes later when she and another octogenarian figured out how to start the program we did watch it – however the sound was about 3 slides behind where it should have been. The highlight of the museum was meeting the only other tourist there. She was in town for a wedding and it turned out that she is from Exton, PA about 10 miles from where Monte's family lives. We had a nice chat with her and by the time we finished talking she was ready to go with us rather than the wedding – but she did not get an invite from us.

On west a few miles – to Winterset, Iowa. The birthplace of none other than the Marion Robert Morrison, whose name was changed to Marion Mitchell Morrison and who you know as “The Duke” John Wayne. We got there but skipped going in when we found out that it was $6 each for a 20 minute guided tour of a one room house. Heck – the Balloon Museum was on $3, had multiple rooms and had a power point presentation. So, we drove by, took some pictures and found the North Side Cafe where we had a great lunch.

On the way to Winterset and on the way out of town, the real tourist attractions exist. Winterset is in Madison County, Iowa. Ring a bell? It should. This is where Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood had their 4 day love affair in the movie “The Bridges of Madison County”. I don't watch too many movies but this was a very good one. Several of the bridges still exist and we visited 4 of them. All of the bridges are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Back in the day bridges were covered by order of the County Board of Supervisors to help preserve the large flooring timbers which were more expensive to replace than the lumber covering the sides and roof. Most of the construction was done by farmers to pay their poll taxes.

To finish off the day we attended the thoroughbred races at Prairie Meadows Race Track and Casino. We did not win but neither did we lose.

One final note on Iowa – we have seen more windmills than in any other state. We have seen lots of wind farms in many states but just about the entire state of Iowa seems to be covered with windmills. Clean and Green!

End of Iowa – on to Nebraska.

Winnebago Industries – Where Everything That Was Wrong Was Set Right

2011-06-17T10:53:00.000-04:00

Forest City, Iowa

Our trip north from the Quad Cities took us to Forest City, Iowa where we had an appointment at Winnebago Industries to have a few small warranty issues addressed on the motorhome. Our list of issues were things that were more irritating than major: the shower leaked, the radio would not hold its settings when the engine was turned off, one of the wires from the satellite hookup to the tv was broken – stuff like that. Little did we know – we had a couple of major issues.

The appointment was for 2 days and we had to be up and ready to check in at 7 AM on the first day so we arrived the day before (Winnebago provides free camping for rigs that are in for service.) That night we had a very bad but typical “out on the prairie” rain storm. The bad part was the wind – I have no idea how hard the wind blew but it was hard. Hard enough that when we got up in the morning we discovered that there was a leak from the big slide-out in to the living room area and one of the cabinets had water in it and it was just generally a mess. So – add that to our list of fixes as a major problem to be addressed on day one.

First thing on day one we were assigned our very own personal technician, Don, who would work on our RV and keep us informed of progress. We were hoping that our 2 day appointment would actually be only one day but pretty much the only issue that was fixed on day one was the slide-out leak – that was a major time consumer. The other time consumer was trying to figure out the shower leak – that turned out to be a pretty major issue also. Day One came to a close and we knew that we would be here for day two.

Day Two dawned and once again – 7 AM check in time. We had the day to kill so we did some exciting stuff like taking a tour of the Winnebago factory. The tour was pretty good other than the fact that we were not allowed to take pictures. However, Monte used his phone and snuck a couple of pics (he is such a criminal).

After the tour we still had time to kill so we drove around the area and much to our delight found the Norwegian Immigrant Memorial – how very exciting!

Finally – 3 PM and time to go see Don – our tech. Don is late – doesn't bring the RV out until almost 3:30 so we figure they were trying to get everything done and get us out of here. Wrong! They did get everything on the list completed but when they were wrapping up for the day and turned off the air conditioner the condensate ran from the roof down the passenger side window like it always does – except this time it also ran inside the window – one of the window seals is broken. Don informs us that they have to order a new window and it will be delivered the next day. Once again – we feel lucky – this is a major issue and we feel that other manufacturers/repair facilities would have just ignored it or caulked it and never mentioned it.

Here we sit on Day Three – but all is good – we even got to sleep in as we did not have to report until 8 AM. We are very glad that we made this appointment and that the repair folks at Winnebago have been so good about taking care of our problems. The waiting room has good coffee and most importantly Wifi and we are sure we will be out of here this afternoon.

We have also been lucky while here that it has been cloudy and cool because the dogs are spending their days in the car parked under a shade tree. We take them a couple of times a day to the Winnebago Rally Grounds which is a massive but empty campground and let them just be doggies and run free.

To wrap up - nogood luck at the casinos lately but lots of good luck at Winnebago and we'll take that any day.

The Quad Cities - The Place Where Nothing Went Right (also known as Invasion of the Bugs)

2011-06-14T16:52:00.000-04:00

Moline and Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa
On the east side of the Mississippi River is Illinois, on the west, Iowa.

Before western expansion, this area was the site of Saukenuk, the largest Indian settlement in North America. In 1789, a young Sauk named Black Hawk looked on as American forces destroyed his village and, years later, he led his people in what became known as the Black Hawk War. "Indian problems" led to the establishment of a fort on Rock Island, which eventually became the country's leading arsenal. As the river slowly opened to boat traffic, small groups of "rapids pilots" began helping travelers navigate the deadly Rock Island Rapids. In 1848 a young inventor/farmer named John Deere opened his first plow-making plant in Moline. Around these three industries, the arsenal, river guiding and John Deere, grew the towns of Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, and Rock Island and Moline, Illinois.

Here we are – an area with much history and things to see. We rolled in to town on Sunday afternoon and had a full day planned for Monday, our only day to hang out here. So early Monday morning Shelley called John Deere Company as we wanted to take a tour of the harvester manufacturing plant only to be told that no tours were being given until Thursday (what's up with that?) so okay – there is other stuff to do and we were off to see the Buffalo Bill Museum about 15 miles up the road in Le Clair, IA – the city where Bill Cody was born. Museum was supposed to open at 9 AM. Upon our arrival we were greeted by a sign “Closed” will return at 1 PM. So now what to do – guess we will hit the casino for a little while considering we are camping free in their parking lot. Yea – “free camping” – no hookups, a thousand (seriously) bugs, and empty the wallet at the casino – yea – free.

Before I go on – let me address the bug issue. We are camped, well parked, on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi. And it must be the time of year for flying insect hatch because they are everywhere. The car and the RV are covered with them. They kind of look like little moths, but are not moths, and thankfully they don't bite but they are quite annoying. And it is not just at this exact location – we have found them to be everywhere on both sides of the river. We see people running and biking atop the river levies and they have their mouths open – I can only imagine what their teeth look like!

Back to the story – so after loosing our assess, um I mean - after supporting the local economy and ensuring that people stay employed at the casino (they did feed us a “free” lunch) it was back to Buffalo Bill. Arrival time – 1:20 – sign still says will re-open at 1 PM does not say what day or year... Just up the hill from the museum is a micro distillary, (at this point I could use a drink) the Mississippi River Distillary – and they give tours – so we get there just at the end of one tour – next tour 45 minutes. Forget it – on to the other side of the river.

Going to see the Black Hawk museum – closed Monday and Tuesday. At least I found that online before we actually got there.

Rock Island Arsenal – Established 1816 as Fort Armstrong. It is now the largest government owned weapons manufacturing arsenal in the U.S. It is the only active U.S. Army foundry and manufactures ordnance and equipment including artillery, gun mounts, small arms, grenade launchers etc. During the Civil War the Arsenal was a prison camp for captured Confederate prisoners. Opening in December 1863, by the end of that month it housed over 5,000 prisoners. So – of course we want to go to the Museum at the Arsenal – supposed to be a good one. Never could find it. Oh well – next time (like there will be a next time.)

Tomorrow we go North.

Back On The Road

2011-06-13T16:29:00.000-04:00

Elkhart and Shipshewana, Indiana

After a 3.5 week hiatus from our hiatus, we are back on the road. We had a great 3.5 weeks camped in Monte's Mom's driveway. Spent lots of time with Monte's Mom who will be 96 next week, his brothers Jim and Gary, sister Kass, sister-in-law Linda, daughter Nancy and various and sundry nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles. When we weren't hanging out at the house we were going to the massive flea markets in the area, shopping where the Amish shop, or hitting the casino and horse races at Delaware Park.

Now we are heading west and our first stop was Elkhart, Indiana. Elkhart is the home to multiple RV manufactures and there are supposed to be good buys on RV items at several surplus and salvage dealers in the local area. However, what we found did not thrill us. In general we found that what we were looking for could be purchased for less $$ online than in person here. I guess that if we had been in the market for RV furniture we could have found some good buys but other than that – not so much.

So – having time on our hands we headed off to Shipshewana, Indiana just east of Elkhart.

Keeping in mind that the part of Pennsylvania that Monte is from is home to a large Amish and Mennonite population and when it is normal to see (get stuck behind) the occasional horse and buggy on the road and there are usually many of them parked at Wal-Mart or Home Depot, and other stores. We found that in Shipshewana and the surrounding area, cars on the road are in the minority. I've never seen so many horse and buggy combinations (and so much horse poop). It is kind of hard to take pictures of this stuff because the Amish do not like to have their pictures taken – the whole “graven image” thing...

We did not find much to do in Ship – pretty much just a tourist village. There is a Hudson automobile museum here and although we did not go in – they were having a car show outside. Monte once, many metric years ago, owned a 1950 Hudson so he enjoyed seeing these.

Movin' on West.

Longwood Gardens

2011-05-31T09:31:00.000-04:00

Longwood Gardens consists of over 1,077 acres of gardens, woodlands, and meadows in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

The land that Longwood Gardens is on was at one time inhabited by members of the Lenni Lenape tribe. In 1700 a Quaker family named Peirce purchased the property from William Penn and established a working farm on the land. Almost 100 years later that same family began planting an arboretum on the farm in 1798. By 1850 the site was known as one of the finest collections of trees in the nation and one of the first public parks. In 1906 the farm was bought by Pierre du Pont so he could preserve the trees which were slated to be sold for lumber and from 1907 until the 1930s Mr. du Pont created most of what exists today as Longwood Gardens.

Today the Gardens consists of 20 outdoor gardens and 20 indoor gardens with 4.5 acres of heated greenhouses known as conservatories. It contains 11,000 different types of plants and trees and many fountains.

Longwood's main conservatory is one of the world's greatest greenhouses. The conservatory spans about a half mile and is home to 5,500 type of plants. Included in the Conservatory are the Palm House, Mediterranean Garden, Orchid House, and many others.

The main displays in the Conservatory are rotated frequently and during our visit the theme was “Lilytopia”. A display of over 10,000 cut stems of lilies from all over the world were on display.

Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival

2011-05-14T14:30:00.000-04:00

Gettysburg, PA

It seemed like a good idea at the time. We enjoy going to Bluegrass festivals and this is one of the premier festivals in the country – so I ordered the tickets, made the camping reservations and here we are – trying to stay dry and warm. Granite Hill Campground has been hosting festivals twice a year since 1979 – this is the 62 festival. The lineup of bands is fantastic. The weather – not so much. The first day of the festival – Thursday was perfect – sunny and about 75 degrees. Yesterday it never got above 60 and there was a heavy mist all day that just chilled us to the bone. We had moved our chairs from the grassy hill close to the stage to under the big tent so we were relatively dry but still cold.

I think we made it through 3 bands before we called it quits and headed back to the motorhome to drink hot chocolate and listen to the bands on the radio - the music is broadcast on FM inside the campground. It rained all night and today, Saturday, it is still 60 degrees, cloudy, wet, icky. The weather does not seem to bother many other people – but I guess that maybe those folks that live around here expect this weather this time of year. It remains to be seen how long we will make it sitting in our chairs before the RV calls us back today. At home we had spring weeks ago and summer is in full swing now so we expected for it to be at least semi-warm here. No such luck.

We are making major changes to our travel plans as we were going on north and looking at the forecast it is calling for temps in the low 50s and rain and more rain all week – with flash flood warnings up - not good tourist weather. So tomorrow instead of going to Johnstown, PA (to see the site of the great flood of 1889) and then on up to Erie, PA - our next campground will be Monte's Mom's driveway in Coatesville, PA and we will be there for the next 3.5 weeks – so lucky you – blogs will probably be very sparse. On the bright side - I am thankful that we had not planned to be camping along the Mississippi River right now.

Of Chips and Colts

2011-05-11T14:14:00.000-04:00

Hanover, PA

“Utz Are Better Than Nuts”

The area of Southeastern Pennsylvania is home to many companies that make – those foods that are at the top of the food triangle – junk food - potato chips, pretzels and other snack foods. We started today with a tour of Utz in Hanover, PA. Picture taking was strictly forbidden so – I only snuck one photo.

Utz, started in 1921 in the kitchen of Bill and Salie Utz with an investment of $300. They could produce 50 pounds of chips an hour. In 2011, Utz is distributed to 13 states and to Costco and Sam's Clubs nation wide and is the largest independent privately held snack brand in the U.S. Utz produces one million pounds of potato chips and 900,000 pounds of pretzels each week. And so many other snack foods that I cannot begin to name them.

After snarfing down our measly little free bag of chips – the size bag that you get with a sandwich – we headed down the road to Hanover Shoe Farms.

If you have ever been to a harness race or seen one on TV you have undoubtedly seen horses with the name “Hanover” as part of the horse's name “Donato Hanover” “Blaze Hanover”. These horses have been bred at Hanover Shoe Farms. Hanover was originally founded in the early 1900's and is today the leading breeder of Standard Bred horses. What we found amazing is that visitors are allowed to wander at will, unaccompanied through several of the barns and out among the paddocks where the older foals and their moms and the stallions – who are kept far from the mares - are. This is something that would never happen in the world of Thoroughbred race horses. This time of year is when the foals are being born and although we did not see any mares actually in labor we did see several colts and fillies that were born yesterday and today.

All in all – it was a nice day away from the ravages of the Civil War.

Gettysburg National Military Park

2011-05-11T14:07:00.000-04:00

Gettysburg, PA

For once, I'm not going to bore you with some long drawn out history lesson. Instead, I'll try to toss out some little known but interesting facts – it might still bore you but you will come away knowing something that you did not know before.

At the time of the battle there were approximately 653 cannons on the field – 372 Union and 281 Confederate.
Today there are 370 cannons on the battlefield but only one of those can be documented as having seen action at Gettysburg and one of them was not manufactured until 1866 so did not see any action during the Civil War.
There are approximately 1,320 monuments, markers and tablets.
In the 1920s and 30s two grass airstrips existed on the battlefield.
A trolley line and three amusement parks once existed on a portion of the battlefield.
During World War I, the area of Pickett's Charge was home to Camp Colt, a training camp for tanks. The commander of Camp Colt was a young Army Captain by the name of Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Casualties at Gettysburg – 51,000 – included dead, wounded and missing. Actual dead believed to be around 7,000.
Horses killed at Gettysburg – 3,000
Mary Virginia Wade was the only civilian killed when a random minie ball traveled through the kitchen door and hit her as she was kneading bread dough.
The Armies withdrew on July 4 1863 and the people who lived in the area were left to deal with the dead and wounded.
The last human remains found on the battlefield were found in March, 1996 (yes 1996 not 1896).
There were 64 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor for actions during the Gettysburg battle. The last of these medals was awarded in 2010 – 147 years after the battle.
115 Union Officer and 40 Confederate Officers at Gettysburg were graduates of West Point.

We have been to Gettysburg a few times before and never fail to be amazed at what transpired here. At the new museum that opened in 2008 movie they show about the battle is good but, we were underwhelmed by the museum itself and if you have ever seen the cyclorama – a fantastic job has been done on the restoration but – the with the new setting they have placed it in – there is no way to follow the flow of the battle – you can only see what is right in front of you. Oh well – still glad we went – and I imagine we will be back again.

Pamplin Historical Park – The Breakthrough

2011-05-07T16:05:00.000-04:00

Petersburg, VA

Less than a week ago we were at the place where the Civil War started. Today we are at Pamplin Park, where, on April 2, 1865, one week before General Lee surrendered to General Grant, the Union Forces broke through the defensive lines of the Confederate Forces, ended the siege of Petersburg, forced the Confederate evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond, and started the Confederate retreat toward Appomattox.

Although we had been in the Richmond/Petersburg area several years ago to tour Civil War sites, we had not heard of Pamplin Park before this trip. WOW – is this place impressive. This 422 acre privately owned park has many things to see. For starters there are 2 museums – The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier and The Battlefield Center. Then there are the Tudor Hall Plantation buildings and other historic homes and a recreated Confederate winter encampment and defensive line fortifications. It is all extremely well done. When you enter the first building you are provided with a recorded audio walking tour to listen to – or not – that takes you through the entire park. If you are ever in this area and are interested at all in U.S. History, I strongly recommend a visit to Pamplin Park.

The remaining original earthworks have been greatly reduced in size due to erosion and other natural factors in the 146 years since the end of hostilities. This is not true only of this place but of many Civil War battlefields. The picture of the recreated fortifications shows just how massive they were “in the day” and what the attacking forces had to overcome.

The grounds here are very wooded. In reality, there would have been zero trees for miles around. The trees were cut for many reasons, a few being: to make sure the enemy did not have concealment to hide in, for building of huts (as the Armies wintered over here during the siege), for construction of fortifications, and for use as fuel for fires. I'm sure the list goes on and on.

I just had to include this copy of a letter written to my Great Grandfather. He was at Appomattox Court House on the day of surrender. He was probably here in Petersburg during the siege, somewhere close to Lee's HQ as he was a courier for the Chief Medical Officer of the Army, Lafayette Guild. I would assume that Guild would have been in close proximity to Lee.

As we are not going to Appomattox Court house I will include this information here.

I mentioned in the Ft. Sumter blog that approximately 620,000 Americans died in the Civil War. Here are some interesting statistics:

At least 618,000 Americans died in the Civil War, and some experts say the toll reached 700,000. The number that is most often quoted is 620,000. At any rate, these casualties exceed the nation's loss in all its other wars, from the Revolution through Vietnam.

The Union armies had from 2,500,000 to 2,750,000 men. Their losses, by the best estimates:

Battle deaths:	110,070
Disease, etc.:	250,152
Total	360,222

The Confederate strength, known less accurately because of missing records, was from 750,000 to 1,250,000. Its estimated losses:

Battle deaths:	94,000
Disease, etc.:	64,000
Total	258,000

Do NOT get your hopes up - we are not done with the Civil War and other U.S. History on this trip. Trust me - you are going to love it!

Petersburg National Battlefield

2011-05-07T15:38:00.000-04:00

Petersburg, Virginia

We have stopped for a few days in Petersburg, VA to do, what else, but tour battlefields. So here, without further ado, is a very condensed story of the Siege of Petersburg. I won't make you suffer through a day by day account of the entire 9.5 months.

From early May until mid-June 1864, 4 major battles of the Civil War were fought at The Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, North Anna River and Cold Harbor. At each of these battles General Grant's objective was to break the Confederate lines and to take the Confederate Capital of Richmond. At each battle – he failed as General Lee's lines held. Grant knew that the key to ending the war was the taking of Richmond so to that end he marched his army south of Richmond to the south side of Petersburg, set up a 30 mile long perimeter, and thus started a nine and one-half month siege of Petersburg.

Petersburg is where four railroad lines from the south met before continuing to Richmond. Most of the supplies to Lee's army and to the city of Richmond funneled through this point. Grant effectively cut off all supplies that normally would have been flowing in to Petersburg and Richmond from the south. The Union forces constructed over 30 miles of earthworks that matched the over 30 miles of earthworks constructed by the Rebels that protected Petersburg and Richmond to the north.

One of the great fiascoes of the Civil War occurred six weeks in to the siege in July 1864 when Union Soldiers under command of General Burnside (the man whose main claim to fame is that sideburns are named for him) decided to construct and explode a mine underneath the Confederate line and thus open the way in to Petersburg and on to Richmond. The mine was 511 feet long and at the end branches extended to the right and left and added 75 feet to the total length of the mine. Keep in mind – this was all done with picks and shovels and makeshift tools. When digging was complete the mine was charged with 8,000 pounds of black powder. The powder was ignited at 4:30 a.m. with the resulting explosion killing or wounding 278 Confederate troops. The crater was approximately 170 feet long and 80 feet wide. And now came the debacle – as Union troops rushed into the crater and were now below the Confederate Soldiers who started pouring shells and bullets into their opponents. By 8:30 that morning reinforcements had been sent in to the crater and now over 15,000 Federal troops were in or attempting to get in the crater. By the time all was said and done, the Union Army had suffered 4,000 killed, wounded or captured as against about 1,500 for the Confederates.

Once again a frontal assault had failed. But, the siege would continue until April 2 and would win out in the end.

And the battlefields just keep on coming...Tomorrow – The Breakthrough at Pamplin Park.

Charleston Harbor

2011-05-04T18:15:00.000-04:00

Charleston - End of Day 4

The only way to get to Fort Sumter is by tour boat. The nice thing about this is that they provide a good tour of Charleston Harbor. Here are just a few pictures from the tour.

That brings to an end our stay in Charleston, SC. We had a great time but are ready to mosey on down (actually up) the road. Until next time...

Ft. Sumter – The Start of the Civil War

2011-05-04T16:57:00.000-04:00

Charleston – Day 4 continued

One Hundred Fifty years and 22 days ago the War Between The States started right here at Ft. Sumter. At 0430, April 12, 1861 a mortar was fired from Ft. Johnson and exploded over Ft. Sumter signaling the other Confederate batteries to open fire.

At 2 pm on April 13, after the Confederates had fired over 3,000 rounds, the commanding officer of Ft. Sumter, Major Anderson, agreed not to surrender but to evacuate the fort to Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard. On April 14, Anderson personally lowered the flag and evacuated the fort on steamers provided by Beauregard.

Of the approximately five hundred and eighty men who participated on both sides at Fort Sumter, not a single life was lost. Interestingly, Anderson had been Beauregard's artillery instructor at West Point.

Union efforts to retake Charleston Harbor began on April 7, 1863. The South held the fort until it was finally evacuated on February 17, 1865. For almost 2 years, 46,000 shells, estimated at more than 7 million pounds of metal, were fired at Fort Sumter. During that time Confederate losses were only 52 killed and 267 wounded. About 500 slaves were “employed” at the Fort and used to strengthen and repair the fort's defenses. There is no record of how many of them were killed or wounded.

Exactly four years to the day after he'd lowered the flag in surrender, Major, now General, Robert Anderson re-raised the flag in triumph.

5 days short of 4 years later, after the loss of over 620,00 lives, General R.E. Lee surrendered to General Grant and thus ended the Civil War. However, this is not the last you will hear from me of the Civil War.

Ft. Moultrie – Or – A Big Surprise For These FSU Seminole Fans

2011-05-04T15:04:00.000-04:00

Charleston, SC – Day 4

In its 171 year history, Fort Moultrie has defended Charleston Harbor twice. The first time was on June 28, 1776 during the Revolutionary War. The 30 canon of the fort drove off a British fleet mounting 200 guns. In December 1860, just a few days after South Carolina seceded from the Union, the occupying Union forces left Moultrie and joined the forces at Ft. Sumter. The Confederate forces occupied the fort and for two years during the blockade of Charleston Harbor the fort was bombarded by Federal forces and reduced to rubble but with the help of Confederate forces at Ft. Sumter, the Confederates were able to hold back the Union Attacks. During WWI and WWII the fort was updated with new modern weaponry including anti-aircraft guns. Fortunately, these new weapons were never called upon to defend our shores.

Now for the really important part of the Fort's history:

Perhaps the most spectacular tradition in all of college football occurs in Doak Campbell Stadium when a student portraying the famous Seminole Indian leader, Osceola, charges down the field riding an Appaloosa horse named Renegade and plants a flaming spear at midfield to begin every home game.

So imagine our complete surprise when we found, immediately outside the gates of Fort Moultrie, the grave of Osceola.

On October 21, 1837 Osceola was captured when he arrived for supposed truce negotiations in Fort Peyton, FL. He was imprisoned at St. Augustine, FL. Osceola's capture by deceit caused a national uproar. That December, Osceola and other Seminole prisoners were moved to Fort Moultrie.

Osceola died of malaria on January 30, 1838, less than three months after his capture. He was buried with military honors at Fort Moultrie.

Next stop – where the Civil War began - Ft. Sumter.

The Day of Churches

2011-05-03T19:01:00.000-04:00

Charleston, SC – Day 3

We started out to tour the Historic Charleston City Market but found that over ¾ of it was closed and is being completely gutted and renovated. From the smells, it seems that they are mostly unearthing old cesspools! So, after dragging Monte through what is left of The Market, he was really thrilled when I informed him that it was now the “Church Tour Day”.

Circular Congregational Church.

Charles Towne's (original name of Charleston) original settlers founded this protestant, or dissenting, church about 1681. The graveyard is the city's oldest burial grounds with monuments dating from 1695. The first meeting house on this site gave Meeting Street its name.

St. Michaels Episcopal Church – the oldest surviving religious structure in Charleston.

Begun in 1752. Exposed to the fire of British Artillery on James Island in 1780. Struck 4 times by Federal artillery 1863-65. Injured by hurricane August 1885. Almost destroyed by earthquake August 1886. Reopened June 1887. Minor changes since that date.

French Huguenot Church.

Established approx. 1681 by Huguenot refugees from the Protestant persecutions in France. 1796 destroyed by fire. Damaged by canon fire during the Civil War. 1886 – almost demolished by earthquake. The only remaining independent Huguenot Church in America.

St. Phillips Episcopal Church

Established 1681. Oldest religious congregation in South Carolina. Damaged by hurricane 1710. 1713 – another hurricane. 1728-40 Fires, hurricane, smallpox, yellow fever, Indian attacks, slave uprisings. Burned to the ground 1835. The Church that was rebuilt and opened in 1838 is the one that still stands today. 1861 – Church bells – 11 of them – contibuted to the Confederate military to be melted down and re-cast as weaponry and ammunition. 1927 and 1939 tornado damage. 1989 – Hurricane Hugo caused extensive damage.

All of these churches survived many hardships and are still going strong today. I think that says something wonderful about the United States of America.

And thus ended our tour of Charleston churches. There were many more but I think we hit the highlights.

A Day on the Cooper River

2011-05-03T18:47:00.000-04:00

Charleston, SC – Day 2

One of the reasons we wanted to make a stop in Charleston was to see our good friends John and Jean Mills who we had not seen in 4 years. Monte and John were stationed together on the submarine USS Jallao (I won't tell you how long ago but many of our readers were not born yet during this time frame).

John and Jean live just north of Charleston in Moncks Corner and their home is about a block from the Cooper River. The Cooper River flows south to Charleston where it joins with the Ashley River to form Charleston Harbor and then, as the locals say, the Atlantic Ocean.

John invited us to take the most wonderful boat ride on the river. We spent the afternoon cruising north toward Lake Moultrie passing the remains of old rice plantations, a huge old monastery (Mepkin Abbey, home to Trappist Monks, which is on our list to go to on our next visit), many stately old homes and miles of pristine wilderness.

To reach Lake Moultrie from the Cooper River one must transit through the Pinoplis Lock. When this lock was built in 1940 it was the highest single lift lock in the world. Today, it is the still the highest in North America – and that is as far as my research went... Anyway, the lock lifts/lowers boats 75 feet, uses 6 million gallons of water and is very impressive.

After cruising Lake Moultrie we went back through the lock – the 75' trip down is much quicker than the 75' trip up – and back down the river.

When we got back to the Mills' home, Jean, who had been dog sitting Chief and Casey, had a wonderful dinner prepared for us.

What a great day. And we can attest to Jean being a very good cook since we went back the next evening for dinner again! Thanks John and Jean for the hospitality!

Confederate Submarine Hunley

2011-05-03T18:38:00.000-04:00

Charleston, SC - Day 1

The CSS Hunley is located at the old Naval Station in Charleston where it is undergoing restoration and is available for viewing by the general public. To me it is amazing that something made of iron and submerged in salt water for 150 years can be so totally intact. This was something that we just had to see.

The CSS Hunley was not the first submarine, she was however the first sub to successfully attack and sink an enemy ship. The Hunley was manned by 7 enlisted members who provided the hand-cranked propulsion for the boat and one officer who skippered the boat.

From the beginning the Hunley seemed to be ill-fated. She was launched in July 1863. The first sinking of the Hunley was on August 29, 1863 when the skipper of the boat accidentally stepped on the lever that controlled the diving planes – and since the hatches were open – she flooded and sank with the loss of 5 of 8 crewmen. Her second sinking October 15, 1863, occurred for unknown reasons and all 8 crewmen, including the man behind the machine, H.L. Hunley, who had been at the helm, were killed. The third, and last, sinking was February 17, 1864. On this date the Hunley attacked and sank the USS Housatonic and shortly thereafter the Hunley sank killing all 8 of the crewmen.

In the years following the Civil War, explorers and treasure hunters tried in vain to locate the Hunley. It was not until 1995, when author Clive Cussler led an expedition to find the sub that she was located. She was in Charleston Harbor, 100 yards away from the Housatonic in 27 feet of water and buried under several feet of silt. She was raised, completely intact, on August 8, 2000 and is still today undergoing restoration. The remains of the crewmen indicated that the men died at their stations and were not trying to escape from the sinking sub. The remains of all 21 crewmen who died during the 3 sinkings of the boat are interred at Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston, SC.

We were not allowed to take pictures of the Hunley so – if you are interested in learning more and seeing pictures check this web site: Confederate Sub Hunley

The Royal Gorge, Canon City, Colorado

2010-07-15T20:39:00.000-04:00

A few years ago Shelley's brother Tom treated Monte and Shelley to a train ride that follows the Arkansas River through the bottom of the Royal Gorge. This year Shelley and Monte were visiting some of Shelley's family in Canon City and we decided to do the attractions above the Royal Gorge. We were joined by Shelley's cousins Cheryl, Deanna, Michaela, and Katie.

The first thing we did was to ride the Incline Railway to the bottom of the gorge (and back up). The railway is 1,550' long and is at a 45 degree angle. The important point here is that it has 19 manually operated stopping devices and an automatic governor that will stop the cars in an emergency.

Next we walked across the gorge via The Royal Gorge Bridge which is the world's highest suspension bridge. Bridge construction was started in June 1929 and completed in October of that year. It is 1,053' above the Arkansas River, 18' wide, the towers are 150' high and will support in excess of 2 million pounds. Original cost to build the bridge was $350,000. Today's cost would be over $15 million. Although we walked across, driving across is allowed.

Since we walked across one way we rode back across the chasm on the Aerial Tram. It is the World's longest single-span aerial tram. It is 2,200' long and 1,178' above the river and was built in 1968. It was pretty windy but once in the car we did not notice the wind swaying the car as we thought we would.

Now, I think I promised pole dancing in this blog so here it is. Shelley pole dancing on the Antique Replica Carousel (shouldn't that be Replica Antique?).

Last was the Silver Rock Railroad. Quite the scenic railway.

A good time was had by all. And another to do is scratched off of our bucket list.

A Visit in Salida or "I Must Have Bats In My Belfry"

2010-07-11T22:43:00.000-04:00

We stopped for a few days in Salida, Colorado to visit Shelley's cousin Omar and his wife Anne. Omar and Anne have recently moved into a house that is located at a campground that Omar owns. So, it was extremely convenient as they reserved us the camping site closest to their home.

On our second day there they announced that they thought it would be nice if we all went to the Orient Land Trust (OLT) that evening to see a huge colony of Mexican Free Tailed Bats leave their roost and head out on their nightly hunt. We thought it sounded like a pretty cool thing to do and said sure we would go. Omar then explained that after we arrived at the land trust, the trip would entail a short hike to see the bats. “No problem” thought I. They also vaguely alluded to the fact that the OLT was the home of clothing optional hot springs. So – I'm thinking – “I'm going to see bats not naked people at a hot springs – and Anne and Omar are not clothing optional type people so - it'll be okay.”

Now for some background. First of all,Omar and Anne live at 8,000 feet above sea level. Our house in Florida is 38 feet above sea level. So already they are way way ahead of us as they are used to oxygen deprivation. Second, Omar is Mr. Mountain Man. He has climbed each of Colorado's 54 mountains that are over 14,000 feet and many of them multiple times. Anne is no slouch either and has climbed her share of mountains also.

We get to the OLT and find out that this little hike is 1.8 miles and we are currently at 8,600' and will climb 800' in elevation to 9,400' (9,425 to be exact). OMG, I'm old, over-weight, out of shape, can't breath as it is, and here we go. And I'm thinking “I must be batty to be doing this”

We head off to meet our tour guide, Roger. I'm sorry that I failed to take a picture of Roger so you will just have to use your imagination. Roger is probably 50 years old and looks to be in quite good shape. We can tell this by the clothes or lack there of that he is wearing. Roger has on Army issue boots and white socks, a green Army t-shirt that the tail of just barely manages to cover his butt and a 45 pound pack on his back (I know it was 45 lbs because he told us repeatedly that it was 45 lbs) and that is ALL. Roger is standing there tugging on the tail of his t-shirt trying to cover – well, those parts that should be covered. As we head out on our little walk, we see other folks that are staying at OLT (it is a resort) and thankfully they all have the decency to be adequately dressed. (I know, I'm such a prude).

The hike took 1.5 hours, we did have many rest stops, not enough but many and although I brought up the rear the entire time and bitched and moaned and thought that my lungs would burst or if not them my heart – but I made it. On the way up we learned special tidbits of information from Roger. Such as – did you know that rodents are not mammals? Or did you know that a jackass is the result of the mating of a donkey and a mule? You get the picture – Roger is one of these people that thinks he knows everything but in reality knows absolutely nothing.

About 10 minutes after we got to the Glory Hole where the bats were to come out of – out they came. In waves, all 200,000 or 250,000 of them. This is kind of a strange bunch because it is 100% bachelors. All the girls and kids are at Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. Or so Roger said. After about 20 minutes of bat watching it was the hike back down which only took 50 minutes.

We had fun and it was interesting and I'm glad we went. However, Omar and Anne, next time you plan an excursion I'm going to Google it first and see what the real scoop is so that I know whether or not I need to pack an oxygen bottle.

One last note – on the way back the path had been very dark and Monte and Omar were wearing headlamp type flashlights to light our way. When we got back to the bottom we all needed to use the restroom. Turned out that they are all unisex but at least the stalls had doors which was more than we could say for the urinals. As Monte was waiting outside the bathroom his headlamp was still on and he heard footsteps and turned around and there, like a deer in the headlights, was some woman in all her glory, carrying just her towel to the shower. Monte said it was not a pretty sight and he really wanted to offer her his jacket as she could really use a coverup – but she was completely oblivious to his discomfort and her own case of the sags and bags and just strolled right on by him.

Independence Day Weekend

2010-07-07T23:11:00.000-04:00

We arrived in Centennial, Colorado on Friday July 2nd to spend the weekend and celebrate Independence Day with life-long friends Jerry Williams (who lives in Oklahoma City), her daughter Barbie and Barbie's husband Chris.

On Saturday Jerry, Barbie, Monte and Shelley headed out with high hopes and full pockets en route to Colorado's gambling mecca, Black Hawk. We were a happy bunch on the way up through the mountains – the weather was perfect, the views spectacular and there was no traffic to fight. Four or so hours later our pockets were certainly no longer full, more like someone had cut a large hole in each of our pockets and the cash had poured out. However, we were still a happy bunch. On our way back down the mountain we got happier in that we had gone early in the day as the traffic on the Interstate that was headed up the mountain was backed up for no less than 10 miles – seriously 10 miles.

Sunday was Independence Day. We were joined for a 4th cookout by Shelley's brother Tom who lives just northeast of Denver. It rained most of the afternoon but the rain stopped just in time to get the steaks on the grill and cooked to perfection. Dinner was great, and the company greater. Shortly after getting the steaks off of the grill the skies opened up again and it rained for several more hours. We watched the Boston Pops concert and the $2 million dollar fireworks show from Boston on TV to finish off the day. It is so wonderful to be able to visit with friends and family during our travels. And to do it on Independence Day makes it even more special. What a great country the USA is.

Thanks Barbie and Chris for the hospitality. Jerry – we'll see you again in OKC. Tom – I hope you get a chance to come to our house soon (after we get back home would be nice).

A Stop at a Roadside Restaurant

2010-07-06T17:34:00.000-04:00

So, the other day during one of our day trips Monte and I stopped for lunch at a roadside restaurant. After we finished eating we got back in the car and on down the road we went.

About 40 minutes later I needed to look at a map and realized that I had left my glasses at the restaurant. You can imagine how happy Monte was when I told him we had to go back. All the way back Monte was the classic grouchy old man. He fussed, fumed, complained and huffed and puffed. He did eventually shut up but the scowl and glares were enough to freeze the rain that was hitting the windshield.

We finally got back to the restaurant and as I got out of the car and was hurrying inside I heard Monte yell at me “While you are in there you might as well get my hat and the credit card.”

The Snowy Range, Laramie, Wyoming

2010-07-05T23:39:00.001-04:00

One of the day trips we took while in Cheyenne was along the Snowy Range Road. The Snowy Range is a mountain range within the Rocky Mountains.

The Snowy Range Road runs from Laramie, Wyoming to the Upper Platte River Valley and was designated the Second National Forest Scenic Byway in the United States. Started in 1920, it took 6 years to complete and was called the “Great Skyroad”. The byway runs through the heart of the Medicine Bow National Forest and even though we were there at the beginning of July, there was still an abundance of snow and most of the pull-offs and picnic areas were inaccessible due to snow. We found the this range of the Rocky Mountains to be spectacular. The stunning views of jagged gray granite peaks and beautiful blue lakes make this area very special.

Enough said – I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Cheyenne and Warren Air Force Base

2010-07-05T19:27:00.000-04:00

Spent a few days camped at Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, WY.

It is a beautiful base, old red brick buildings and lots of green spaces and evergreen trees. Just a really nice place. This was enhanced by the wildlife on base. Everyday pronghorn antelope wander through the campground, lots of prairie dogs squeaking and whistling warnings as I walked the dogs, a large flock of Canada Geese, an abundance of cute little cotton tail rabbits. All of these critters added to our enjoyment.

Warren AFB is home to the 90th Missile Wing and is responsible for 150 Minuteman III ICBMs. As much as we enjoy staying on military bases,and appreciate the privilege of being allowed to camp on base, it is so nice to just be visiting and no longer part of the active duty force. This is brought home to me when we see hoards of troops out for 3 days in a row practicing for a major retirement and change of command – so major that the Vice President was to be in attendance – so you can imagine that everything had to be perfect. The commander of the Twentieth Air Force, the person responsible for all of the nation's ICBM force was ending his 36 years of service. So glad to not have to sweat the load over that kind of stuff anymore.

We spent sometime touring Cheyenne, the capitol of Wyoming. I guess the most interesting thing we found was their Big Boots.

If we had been a couple of weeks later we would have been in Cheyenne for Frontier Days – maybe next time.

Ft. Laramie, Wyoming

2010-07-03T19:17:00.000-04:00

Our next stop was only about 100 miles away - there is so much history in this area there is no way to stop and see each museum, old fort, trading post. However, we felt that this was an important stop to include.

Fort Laramie, the military post, was founded in 1849 when the army purchased the old Fort John for $4000, and began to build a military outpost along the Oregon Trail.

For many years, the Plains Indians and the travelers along the Oregon Trail had coexisted peacefully. As the numbers of emigrants increased, however, tensions between the two cultures began to develop. To help insure the safety of the travelers, Congress approved the establishment of forts along the Oregon Trail and a special regiment of Mounted Riflemen to man them. Fort Laramie was the second of these forts to be established.

The popular view of a western fort, perhaps generated by Hollywood movies, is that of an enclosure surrounded by a wall or stockade. Fort Laramie, however, was never enclosed by a wall. Initial plans for the fort included a wooden fence or a thick structure of rubble, nine feet high, that enclosed an area 550 feet by 650 feet. Because of the high costs involved, however, the wall was never built. Fort Laramie was always an open fort that depended upon its location and its garrison of troops for security.

In the 1850s, one of the main functions of the troops stationed at the fort was patrolling and maintaining the security of a lengthy stretch of the Oregon Trail. This was a difficult task because of the small size of the garrison and the vast distances involved. In 1851, the Treaty of 1851 was signed between the United States and the most important tribes of the Plains Indians. The peace that it inaugurated, however, lasted only three years. In 1854, an incident involving a passing wagon train precipitated the Grattan Fight in which an officer, an interpreter, and 29 soldiers from Fort Laramie were killed. This incident was one of several that ignited the flames of a conflict between the United States and the Plains Indians that would not be resolved until the end of the 1870s.

The 1860s brought a different type of soldier to Fort Laramie. After the beginning of the Civil War, most regular army troops were withdrawn to the East to participate in that conflict, and the fort was garrisoned by state volunteer regiments, such as the Seventh Iowa and the Eleventh Ohio. The stream of emigrants along the Oregon trial began to diminish, but the completion of the transcontinental telegraph line in 1861 brought a new responsibility to the soldiers. Inspecting, defending, and repairing the "talking wire" was added to their duties. During the latter part of the 1860s, troops from Fort Laramie were involved in supplying and reinforcing the forts along the Bozeman Trail, until the Treaty of 1868 was signed.

Unfortunately, the Treaty of 1868 did not end the conflict between the United States and the Plains Indians and, by the 1870's, major campaigns were being mounted against the plains tribes. The discovery of gold in the Black Hills, in 1874, and the resultant rush to the gold fields had violated some of the terms of the treaty and antagonized the Sioux who regarded the Hills as sacred ground. Under leaders such as Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, they and their allies chose to fight to keep their land. In campaigns such as the ones in 1876, Fort Laramie served as a staging area for troops, a communications and logistical center, and a command post.

Conflicts with the Indians on the Northern Plains had abated by the 1880s. Relieved of some of its military function, Fort Laramie relaxed into a Victorian era of relative comfort. Boardwalks were built in front of officers' houses and trees were planted to soften the stark landscape.

By the end of the 1880s, the Army recognized that Fort Laramie had served its purpose. Many important events on the Northern Plains had involved the Fort, and many arteries of transport and communication had passed through it. Perhaps the most important artery, however, the Union Pacific Railroad, had bypassed it to the South. In March of 1890, troops marched out of Fort Laramie for the last time. The land and buildings that comprised the Fort were sold at auction to civilians.

Chadron, Nebraska

2010-07-03T18:53:00.000-04:00

Heading north from Alliance, NE we stopped for the night in Chadron, NE. Why Chadron you ask? Simply to go to the Museum of the Fur Trade.

The Museum of the Fur Trade is located at the site of James Bordeaux's trading post. The trading post was established in 1837 by the American Fur Company. The company had just purchased Ft. Laramie, a hundred miles away and they planned to maximize their trade in prime buffalo robes by establishing posts in the protected valleys where the Indians wintered. Bordeaux prospered until after the Civil War when conditions on the Northern Plains were unsettled and the trade was often that of supplying contraband arms to Indians who were resisting efforts to force them onto reservations.

Bordeaux abandoned the post in 1872 and it was taken over by Francis Boucher, son-in-law of Spotted Tail, head chief of the Brule Sioux. Boucher's main interest was smuggling arms and ammunition to the Indian warriors fighting against the army. Undoubtedly, gunds and cartridges from his post figured in the defeat of General Custer. When the Army caught Boucher with 40,000 rounds of ammunition in 1876 they put him out of business.

The Museum traces the everyday lives of British, French, and Spanish traders, voyageurs, mountain men, buffalo hunters and the Plains and Woodland Indians. This small, privately funded museum is very well done and we glad we made the stop.

Remember those miles and miles of coal trains that I mentioned in an earlier post? Well, we found out what campground they all travel past. I guess our first hint should have been when the ad in the campground book said “If you love trains, this is the campground for you.” During the afternoon empty trains were rolling steadily past headed west. Along about sundown the fully loaded trains coming from Wyoming started rolling by, one after another, after another, after another. It was not that the trains were passing by but the fact that about 100 yards away was a RR crossing and so they have to blow their whistle, multiple times. There was more than once that I was sure a train was going to join us in bed.

WESTWARD HO!!

Carhenge, Alliance, Nebraska

2010-06-28T20:08:00.000-04:00

At the far western edge of Nebraska's Sand Hills is the town of Alliance. The Sand Hills end very abruptly here and Alliance's only (to my knowledge) claim to fame is as the home of Carhenge.

Carhenge is a replica of England's Stonehenge. Carhenge is formed from vintage American cars all covered with gray spray paint. There are 38 cars arranged in a circle measuring about 95' in diameter. Some are held upright in pits and other form arches by the cars having been welded atop the supporting models. Carhenge replicates Stonegenge's current tumble-down state.

We can scratch this one off of our bucket list.

The Sand Hills of Nebraska

2010-06-28T20:04:00.000-04:00

Heading west out of Omaha we could have driven the 450 miles of I-80 to get to the western edge of Nebraska. However, since we had driven that boring route before, when we got to Grand Island we decided to detour and take Hwy 2 through the Sand Hills of Nebraska.

We had no idea what to expect of the Sand Hills. We found that they sure don't look anything like what we expected to see in Nebraska.

About a quarter of Nebraska is covered by the Sand Hills, so called because the hills are entirely made of - now let's not always see the same hands - sand. The Sand Hills are Pleistocene sand dunes derived from glacial outwash eroded from the Rockies, and now (mostly) stabilized by vegetation.

Dunes in the Sand Hills may exceed 330' in height. The average elevation of the Sand Hills region gradually increases from about 1,800' in the east to about 3,600'in the west.

As much as 85% of the Sand Hills region is intact natural habitat, the highest level in the Great Plains. This is chiefly due to the lack of crop production: most of the Sand Hills land has never been plowed. The plant-anchored dunes of the Sand Hills were long considered an irreclaimable desert. In the 1870s, cattlemen began to discover their potential as rangeland for longhorn cattle

The fragility of the sandy soil makes the area unsuitable for cultivation of crops. Unsuccessful attempts at farming were made in the Sand Hills region in the late 1870s and again around 1890.

Today, the Sand Hills are a productive cattle ranching area, supporting over 530,000 beef cattle. The population of the region continues to decline as older generations die out and as younger generations move to the cities.

As the largest and most intricate wetland ecosystem in the United States, the Sand Hills contain a large array of plant and animal life. Minimal crop production has led to limited land fragmentation; the resulting extensive and continuous habitat for plant and animal species has largely preserved the biodiversity of the area.

The Sand Hills are home to 314 animal species including mule deer, coyotes, red fox, meadowlarks, wild turkeys, native bat species and many fish species.

720 different species of plants are found in the Sand Hills. Of these, the majority are native, with only 7% exotics — half the percentage of most other prairie systems

Many of the plants of the Sand Hills are sand-tolerant species from short-grass, mixed-grass and tallgrass prairies; plants from all three of these can be found within the Sand Hills ecosystem. These plants have helped to stabilize the sand dunes, creating an ecosystem beneficial for other plants and animals. Better land management and grazing practices by the ranchers of the Sand Hills have led to less erosion over time, which has kept the natural landscape of the Sand Hills mostly intact.

The Sand Hills are part of the central flyway for many species of migratory birds, and the region's many bodies of water give them places to rest. The ponds and lakes of the region are lay-over points for migratory cranes, geese, and many species of ducks.

Most of the Sand Hills receives less than 20 inches of rain annually leading to the classification of the area as a semi-arid region. Plant and animal species of the Sand Hills region have adapted to the area's climatic extremes, which include 100°F summer days and -30°F winters.

If you like long trains, Nebraska Route 2 is a place to see them. They are carrying coal from Wyoming, and 140 cars is not unusual.

Thanks to Wikipedia for much of the foregoing information.

College World Series - Omaha, Nebraska

2010-06-24T22:13:00.000-04:00

Made a beeline from Pennsylvania to Omaha, Nebraska to watch Florida State play in the College World Series. Camping is scarce around there but we are very lucky and about 12 miles from the stadium is Offutt Air Force Base and they have a nice campground situated on a lake that we were able to get in to.

The Men's College World Series has been played in Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha for 60 years and this was the last year for that venue. A new stadium is being built for next year and much was made by the media about it being the last year for Rosenblatt. The Florida State Seminoles have managed to be one of the 8 teams in the World Series for 20 of those 60 years. Being the 20th year for the 'Noles and the last for Rosenblatt we were hoping that maybe, just maybe, they could finally win the big one and come home as the Champions.

The Seminoles did not get off to a good start and lost to the TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday in the first game of the series. Into the losers bracket – a place where the 'Noles feel at home. Through much really bad weather (until you have seen a lightening storm out on the plains, you have not seen a storm) and mediocre baseball played by other teams we waited.

Finally it was Monday and our opponent in the losers bracket was none other than our in-state rival and most hated foe – the University of Florida Gators. As hard as the Seminoles tried to give the game away, they managed to vanquish the Gators and send them packing back to Florida. After that win – it did not really matter what happened – we beat the #2 ranked Gators at the World Series. How sweet was that?

More waiting around and more bad weather. The Missouri River which runs between Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa was really on the rise by now.

While waiting around we went to the Strategic Air Command Museum that is about 30 miles from Omaha. We were not too impressed. SAC has one heck of a history and story to tell but the museum was just a bunch of static display aircraft. Should have gone to the Zoo.

Wednesday – and by now TCU has also fallen into the losers bracket and FSU has to play them again. We had spent the last few days laughing at the “Fear the Frogs” t-shirts. Seriously, who the hell is TCU in the baseball world and why would anyone fear a frog? We were about to find out – for the second time. FSU looked good early and by the 5th inning had a 7-2 lead, 7-3 in the 7th. We really did not have our hopes up – we have seen the 'Noles melt down too often. Then came the 8th inning –the 8 run 8th inning - an inning that will live in infamy (apologies to FDR). I can't talk about it – probably the biggest comeback in World Series history. FSU lost 11-7. How the hell do you give up a 2 out grand slam? And then another hit and another home run to make matters worse? Oh well –

All in all we had a great time and are glad we went. And no matter what – The SEMINOLES beat the gators at the World Series and we were there!! And – most importantly - Monte and Shelley were on ESPN close to the bottom of the 5th inning of the Wednesday game with TCU.

A Family Celebration

2010-06-13T17:10:00.000-04:00

Monte's Mom, Sara, was born on June 15, 1915. To celebrate her 95th birthday we had a little family get together on Saturday, June 12.

Sara lives by herself in a 2 story house that she has lived in for the past 67 years. Her eyesight and hearing have failed some but other than that she is a totally amazing picture of good health.

Sara had stated emphatically that she did not want any party so we kept it very low key with just a surprise Saturday afternoon drop in with cake and ice cream. I lost count of how many people “dropped in” but many grand kids, a few of the great grands, nieces, nephews, and friends of many decades just kept rolling in. Her daughters, Kass from Florida and Nancy from South Carolina were both here. Her sons Jim and Gary with wife Linda both still live in the local area and of course attended. Gary and Linda were instrumental in purchasing everything for the party and bringing over tables/chairs/canopy etc etc. The party would not have happened without them.

The weather was perfect, the company was outstanding, and a good time was had by all but most importantly, Sara had a good time and said it was just right.

Valley Forge, PA

2010-06-11T15:26:00.000-04:00

While visiting with Monte's family in Pennsylvania we took a day trip to Valley Forge National Park. If you will remember from an earlier blog post, I mentioned that during the mid 1750's George Washington commanded British troops during the French and Indian War. By 1775 he had become a “turncoat” (in this instance - better known as a Patriot) and was now the Commander In Chief of the Continental Army.

Monte and I, like most of us, had bought into the story of Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-78 as being occupied by an anonymous group of soldiers struggling against winter’s fury and clothed in nothing but rags. The reason many Americans picture Valley Forge as the pinnacle of misery is that this early and romanticized version of the encampment story became an important parable to teach us about American perseverance.

In 1777 the British had captured and occupied Philadelphia the patriot capital. To oppose them, General George Washington marched his 12,000-man army from New Jersey and by mid-December he had decided to encamp at Valley Forge where he could keep a close eye on the British.

Eyewitness accounts speak of a skilled and capable force in charge of its own destiny. Rather than wait for deliverance, the army located supplies, built log cabins to stay in, constructed makeshift clothing and gear, and cooked subsistence meals of their own concoction. Provisions, though never abundant in the early months of the encampment, were available.

Shortages of clothing did cause severe hardship for a number of men, but many soldiers had a full uniform, and the well-equipped units patrolled, foraged, and defended the camp. The sound that would have reached your ears on approaching the camp was not that of a forlorn howling wind, but rather that of hammers, axes, saws, and shovels at work.

Under the direction of military engineers, in one month the men built a city of 2,000-odd huts laid out in parallel lines along planned military avenues. The troops also constructed miles of trenches, five earthen forts (redoubts), and a state-of-the-art bridge over the Schuylkill River.

Disease, not cold or starvation was the true scourge of the camp. Army records show that two-thirds of the nearly 2,000 men who perished at Valley Forge died during the warmer months of March, April, and May, when supplies were more abundant. The most common killers were influenza, typhus, typhoid, and dysentery. Dedicated surgeons, capable nurses, a smallpox inoculation program, and camp sanitation regulations limited the death tolls.

Perhaps, the most important outcome of the encampment was the army’s maturation into a more professional force. The Continental Army was primed and ready to move on to the next level just as a charismatic former Prussian army officer, Baron Friedrich Wilhelm Augustus von Steuben, arrived in camp in February 1778.

Von Steuben’s hands-on training program helped the army become a more proficient marching machine. The Baron inspired a “relish for the trade of soldiering” that gave the troops a new sense of purpose and helped sustain them through many trials as they stuck to the task of securing independence.

On May 6, 1778, the army joyously celebrated France’s alliance with and formal recognition of the United States as a sovereign power. The expected arrival of the French greatly altered British war plans and triggered their evacuation of Philadelphia in June.

Washington rapidly set troops in motion to bring on a general engagement with the enemy. On June 28, at the Battle of Monmouth, N.J., Washington’s men demonstrated their improved battle prowess when they forced the British from the field.

By summer Washington could claim that the war effort was going well. Valley Forge was not the darkest hour of the Revolutionary War; it is a place where an already accomplished group of professionals stood their ground, honed their craft, and thwarted one of the major British offensives of the war. A long, hard 5 years of fighting lay ahead before the British would admit defeat and sign The Treaty of Paris.

A Backsplash for Linda

2010-06-11T15:19:00.000-04:00

Although I have not been blogging, I have not been totally idle during the past 10 or so days. We are in Pennsylvania visiting with Monte's family. Among our other pursuits (mainly eating and gambling) while here, one thing I accomplished was installing a ceramic tile kitchen backsplash for my sister-in-law Linda.

Linda claims to like it – and that is the only opinion that matters.

Pittsburgh, PA

2010-05-27T19:25:00.000-04:00

Neither of us have ever had any burning desire to visit and tour Pittsburgh. However, we decided to give it a try on this trip. I must say, we were pleasantly surprised.

Pittsburgh is where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers join and form the Ohio River. This location has been of great strategic and historical importance to North America. At the point where the rivers meet, the French built Fort Duquesne in 1754 and it became a major focal point in the French and Indian War during the period 1755-58. Suffice it to say that the British fought against the French and Indians and eventually, after 7 years, the British prevailed, rebuilt the fort, (the French had burned it) and renamed it Fort Pitt. (Interesting fact – George Washington commanded British forces during the French and Indian War. ) Then in 1763 the Delaware and Shawnee Indians had had enough of the Brits and attacked Ft. Pitt in what is called Pontiac's Rebellion . The Brits won - again. Then the Brits did a brilliant thing and gave the fort to the colonists in 1772 and the colonists very willingly used it as their western base of operations during the Revolutionary War. We all know how that war turned out for the Brits - can't win 'em all I guess. After the Revolution, pioneers saw Pittsburgh as the Gateway to the West and in the mid-19th century slaves saw Pittsburgh as the Crossroads to Freedom and escaped north via river routes from the south.

Today the city features 151 highrise buildings, 446 bridges, and two inclined railways.

We were riding around trying to find the off ramp to go to Ft. Pitt (never did locate it) when we happened upon one of the inclined railways - the Duquesne Incline. It's a pretty good tourist thing to do as it was only $4 for a round trip ticket for Shelley and Monte, being aged, got to ride free. It was completed in 1877, is 800 feet long and 400 feet in height and scales the side of Mt. Washington. The view of Pittsburgh from atop Mt. Washington is spectacular.

After scaling the heights of Mt. Washington we had worked up an appetite (riding those cars really takes it out of you). So – we headed back across the rivers and found ourselves at Bettis' Grille 36. Bettis' is right across the street from Heinz field where the Steelers play and is owned by none other than the great #36, Jerome Bettis – The Bus. The menu has something for everyone including burgers made from Yak, Llama, or Kobe beef. However we opted for something a little less adventurous and a lot more artery clogging. Monte had the “Soon To Be Famous Deep Fried Cheeseburger” which is a burger dipped in tempura batter and deep fried and Shelley had the “Carolina Burger” which was a buger topped with pulled pork and cole slaw. After that meal and a stroll along the river we were done for the day. One final note about Bettis' – our server was Danny. Danny is from Hawaii, played basketball for the University of Pittsburgh, and is currently employed by Pitt as a researcher doing research on drug resistant tuberculosis. He does the waiter thing because he loves it and it gets him away from his microscope. Apparently he likes it so much that he does not need tips - when I checked my Visa Card statement online, I noticed that his tip was not included in our final bill.

We are putting Pittsburgh on our list of places that we want to return to. There is much more to see and do and probably eat.

Pro Football Hall of Fame

2010-05-25T20:14:00.000-04:00

Canton, Ohio
Since we were in Ohio and only about a 2 hour drive to Canton, we decided that this was an opportune time to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Why, you might ask, is the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio? There are 3 reasons, (1) the NFL, then known as the American Professional Football Association, was founded in Canton in 1920 (2) The now defunct Canton Bulldogs were a successful NFL team based in Canton during the first few years of the league and (3) the community of Canton successfully lobbied the NFL to have the Hall built in their city (although there is no direct connection with the NFL).

The Hall opened in 1963 with 17 charter inductees. To be eligible for the nominating process a player or coach must have been retired for at least 5 years. Team owners or executives can be voted in at any time. Fans may nominate any player, coach or contributor by simply writing to the Hall via letter or email. The Selection Committee then, through 4 votes narrows the list to 15 finalists. The selection committee then meets the day before each Super Bowl game to elect the new class. Between 4 and 7 candidates are elected each year. The selection committee is made up of 44 people – mostly sportswriters. With the 2010 class being enshrined in August, there will be 260 individuals in the Hall.

There is much more to the Hall than just the Hall of Fame Gallery where the inductees are showcased. This is a complete museum dedicated to the history of professional football. There is the Pro Football Adventure Room that examines the many other pro leagues that have challenged the NFL. The Super Bowl Room recaps the 42 Super Bowls played to date and exhibits the Super Bowl Rings (some are really really gaudy). The Teams of The NFL exhibit pays tribute to the current 32 teams. And a bunch of other stuff.

It Pays To Ask!! The entry fee for the Hall is $20. The price for seniors is $15. I figured that I would ask if they had a discount for retired military members. The answer was not only a yes, and a thank-you for your service but, the entry fee is waived. We got in free. Free is always good!

Speaking of cost - check out the price of an NFL franchise.

And since we saved a few bucks – that night we went to Northfield Park between Akron and Cleveland and blew the savings on the harness races.

Attending Driving School

2010-05-24T15:38:00.002-04:00

Delaware County Fairgrounds, Delaware, Ohio

Driving School – this has nothing to do with cars or RVs or for that matter any type of motorized vehicle. However, it has everything to do with horsepower.

Harness racing: a sport where a special breed of horses called “Standardbreds” race around a track while pulling a driver in a two-wheeled cart, called a sulky. There are 2 Standardbred gaits – they either “pace” where the legs on one side of their body move together, right front & right rear, left front & left rear or they “trot” where opposite legs, left front & right rear and right front & left rear move together.

Harness Racing in the USA is governed by the US Trotting Association (USTA). Each year the USTA hosts the “Standardbred Driving School” which we attended this year.

The class had 41 students from 16 states and 1 from Canada. Among the students were 2 veterinarians, a US Coast Guard Senior Chief Petty Officer, a zoo keeper from the Los Angeles Zoo, a retired municipal bonds trader, and Charles - a 16 year old African-American youth from the inner city of Detroit who had attended harness races and decided that this is what he wants to do as a profession and he had the guts to make calls and contact people who have now sponsored him and are ensuring that he get the best entry into the sport possible.

Our goal in attending the school was to learn more about the sport and to have fun. However, most of the attendees had the goal of becoming licensed drivers and trainers. In the 12 years since the inception of the school, school graduates have accumulated more than 2,500 wins as trainers and drivers.

Topics covered care and conditioning, stable management, driving and racing strategy, amateur driving, veterinary care, shoeing, and equipment. All of the classes were taught by true professionals and the top names in the business. The the highlight for many of us – we each were allowed (with a licensed driver) to jog a horse around the famed half-mile oval at the fairgrounds that is home to The Little Brown Jug. The Little Brown Jug is the second leg of the pacing Triple Crown, the premier pacing classic for three-year-old standardbreds and carries a purse in excess of $600,000.

We found out that this is very much a family sport. The majority of owners/drivers/trainers all have family involved in the sport and for many of them the involvement goes back several generations. One of our classmates, Garrett Mosher from Maine, is the son of Gary Mosher and nephew of Yannick Gingras – two of the nation's top drivers – between the two they have almost 10,000 thousand wins (yes that says ten thousand). And Garrett is just one example of family involvement.

As I said, jogging the horses was supposed to be the highlight of the school, however, for us it got much better than that. The last night of the school we all attended the harness races at Scioto Downs in Columbus. Earlier that day both Monte and Shelley had had our names drawn for getting to ride in the starting gate during the races. Monte rode for races 1&2 and Shelley was in the gate for races 5&6. Words cannot describe how totally amazing the experience was. We agreed that is is in the top 10 fun things we have done in our lifetimes. The sounds of the pounding hooves, the looks on the horses faces which are literally inches from yours, the looks of intense concentration on the faces of the drivers, these are things you just cannot see & hear from the grandstands. I know how over-used the word “awesome” is but this truly was AWESOME! The starting gate is going between 38 & 40 miles per hour when they let the horses go, the average speed of the horse during the race is around 30 mph. These guys are flying! The driver of the car only steers, the speed of the gate is controlled by the starter who is in this little cubical (we were crammed in with him) looking backwards. The starter calls the drivers to the gate, and as speed is picked up he gets to just the right spot, announces a simple “GO” and swings the gate out of the way and they're off. The race is one mile and about 1 minute and 55 secconds later, it's all over. The starter was a real interesting guy who used to be a driver and said that he had not only raced against some of the current drivers but their fathers, grandfathers and in one case the current driver's great-grandfather (the Starter could not have been much older than Shelley).

Click the link below to:
Check out the video Shelley took in "View from the Starting Gate"

So, that was our trip to Delaware, Ohio. We hope to come back in September some year to watch the Little Brown Jug.

Lexington, Kentucky – It's all about The Horses

2010-05-20T09:11:00.000-04:00

Our first real stop on the trip was one of our favorite places – Lexington, Kentucky. This area is amazingly beautiful. Mile after mile of rolling green hills covered with horse farms. This time of year the fields are full of mares and their foals and the little ones are just so darn cute.

We were only here for 2 nights – one full day - and rather than spend the day at the Kentucky Horse Park as we have in the past, this time we opted for a tour of area horse farms. And we picked a winner!

The tour group consisted of us, a couple from upstate New York and a couple from Connecticut. Our tour guide picked us up at 9:15 at the Horse Park and off we went. The tour guide was great. He is a native of Lexington and has been around the thoroughbred world his entire life. He knew more about the horses than Monte does and that is saying something! Did you know that it costs $18,000 per mile to paint a white horse fence and only $6,000 per mile for black fences? Just one of the many interesting facts imparted to us by Shaun, the tour guide.

Our stops were at WinStar Farm and Shadwell Farm, two of the biggest names in thoroughbred racing. 1,400 acre WinStar is the home of this year's Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver. But we were not there to see horses in training, we were there to see the stallions.

The only real money to be made in the Thoroughbred world is through having the best sires standing at stud at your farm. The stud industry allows you to make enough money to be able to afford a stable of horses that are currently in training to race and are racing. The stud horses have a rough rough life. They are retired race horses who now spend their lives having sex. Lots and lots of sex.

Because every thoroughbred, born in the Norther Hemisphere shares the same birthday of January 1, horse owners want their foals born as close to that date as possible (close to but after, if born on Dec 31, you are considered 1 year old the next day.) There is an 11 month gestation period so mares are bred between February and July. To get all the mares bred in this period of time, the sires “cover” (have sex with) 3 mares per day, 7 days per week.

Initially, stud fees are based on how well a horse did while running races, as time goes on their stud fees are based on how well the horses they sire do at the track. Two of the 8 or 9 studs at WinStar are Distorted Humor and Tiznow.

Distorted Humor is the sire of 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Funny Cide. Every time Distorted Humor covers a mare his fee is $150,000. Seriously - $150,000 – 3x per day.

Tiznow is a two time winner of the Breeder's Cup Classic (considered the premier thoroughbred race of the year). Tiznow gets a measly $75,000 for each mare he covers.

Remember how I said that the breeding season is from February until July? Well, that is only for the Norther Hemisphere. Horses born in the Southern Hemisphere share a birthday of August 1. So after the breeding season here, many of these big name sires ship to Australia where they continue at the 3x per day pace. This goes on from say age 4 until age 20. After 20 they might slow down to 2x per day. There is no Artificial Insemination allowed for thoroughbreds.

Shadwell Farm was an interesting stop in that it is the most amazing, state of the art facility, and is owned by Sheikh Hamdan, the Crown Prince of Dubai. As a member of the Dubai ruling Maktoum family, he is not in this for the money but for the bragging rights. For all of the Sheikh's money and for all of his success in horse racing in both the US and England, having topped the owners list in Great Britian for 21 of the last 23 years, he has yet to be able to breed or buy a Kentucky Derby winner. The most interesting thing about this farm is how the employees are taken care of. Besides being paid very well apparently, everyone, from managers to grooms, gets full health insurance, and extra $250 per month paid on their mortgages, $200 per month for gas to get to work, and bunches of other perks. Needless to say – those jobs are very very hard to come by – no one quits.

Our last stop was at Keenland Racecourse to get a look at the “back side” where horses in training are stabled. We got to meet trainers, exercise riders, and most importantly a few race horses. All I can say is watch out for Lady McQueen on the turf at Churchill Downs and Weekend Wildcat who will probably run next at Woodbine in Canada. These 2 horses are part of the Larry Demeritte training stable. (don't go bet the kids' college funds on these 2).

We are really looking forward to our next stop – the Delaware, Ohio Fairgrounds. Now, if that doesn't sound exciting I don't know what does. You will just have to wait and see what is in store.

Summer Trip 2009 – It's a Wrap!

2009-08-13T18:28:00.000-04:00

We are home. Actually we arrived home on August 7. And thanks to those of you who have written and inquired – I have finally finished up the remaining blogs.

It is great to be home, the dogs are very happy, most of the yard work has been caught up, got my Dad a new computer up and running, and have in general just settled back in to the old home life.

This was a kind of different trip for us because we spent way more time with family and friends than we normally do – and it was great. We were away from home for 63 days but of those 63 days we were only in campgrounds for half that time, the rest was spent in the driveways and yards of friends and family – which is way more fun than campgrounds. We drove 5.489 miles in the motorhome and a bunch more in the car. We averaged $2.42 per gallon of gas. Compared with our average of last year of $3.91 – this trip was a total bargain.

I want to thank those of you have been faithful blog readers. However, many of you were slackers this year in the reading the blog category. Last year when we traveled for 3 months you visited the blog site 1,198 times. This year in 2 months – 331 visits. So yes, some of you (and you know who you are) have disappointed me but – I'll take the blame and try to be more entertaining in the future.

Seriously, we hope that each of you had as great a summer as we did.

See you down the road.

Monte's Childhood Home

2009-08-13T18:24:00.002-04:00

After Oklahoma we made a beeline for Pennsylvania and a visit with Monte's family.

As always we parked in Monte's Mom's driveway. Monte's mom has lived in the same house for 67 of her 94 years - moved here when Monte was 2 years old - not that I'm trying to tell his age. Just how many 94 year olds do any of us know that live in their own home by themselves? Sara is pretty darn amazing. Several years ago she had a 30 amp RV electric hookup installed to ensure that we would always use her driveway as our campground. We would camp here anyway but the hookup is nice to have.

We spent from Thursday, July 23 until Wednesday August 5 here. Monte's sister Nancy was visiting from South Carolina at the same time so that was an added bonus. We spent time just hanging out and going to the casino with brother Gary and his wife Linda, and with brother Jim to the horse track to watch the ponies run. Uncle Norm brought us some delicious grilled chicken one day and Gary and Linda hosted a cookout for all of us and the food was, as always, outstanding. Thank you!! And Sara – your peanut butter pie is totally scrumptious – thanks for sending one home with us (although it did not make it that far).

It was a relaxing, non-stressful visit and hopefully was enjoyed by the rest of the family as much as we enjoyed it.

Unbelievably, we took NO pictures. I have no idea how that happened but it did.

Tahlequah, Oklahoma - A Visit With The Jolliffs

2009-08-13T18:14:00.003-04:00

We had a wonderful week in Oklahoma City, a week in which the United States Women's Softball Team easily won the World Cup by beating Canada, Australia, Netherlands, Italy and top rival Japan.

Before I get off of the subject of Oklahoma City I must mention the weather. When it was not hotter than Hades it was storming. And I do mean STORMING. Horizontal rain, lots of lightening and lets not forget the hail. During one storm lots of tree limbs came down in the campground, thankfully none on top of RVs, and the hail got to golf ball size. We had a leak around the skylight above the shower and while Monte was in trying to stop the leak a quarter sized hail stone broke through the skylight and hit him in the head. No damage was done - at least not to Monte - but he did have to do a voyage repair with duct tape and we will have to order a new skylight.

We headed east from Oklahoma City all the way to Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Tahlequah is the capital of the Cherokee Nation and although that is interesting, the primary reason for our visit was to reunite with old friends and shipmates Jimmy and Connie Jolliff. Shelley and Jimmy were stationed together in Panama when he was the Naval Station Security Officer and Shelley was his assistant.

We had not seen the Jolliffs since 1994. I just do not understand where the years go.

Anyway, Jimmy and Connie have not changed and we had a wonderful visit.

Jimmy met us at the campground and off we went. Our first stop was at a local cafe for Indian Taco Salads served on Indian Fry Bread – YUMMY!! One salad was just about enough for a family of 4 and none of us could finish ours but it was great.

Then it was off to The Cherokee Heritage Center. This center includes the Cherokee National Museum and The Ancient Village. The museum although small is very well done. The highlight of the museum is the Trail of Tears Exhibit - unfortunately absolutely no photography is allowed in the museum so we cannot share that exhibit with you. The Ancient Village guides give visitors a glimpse of what life was like in a Cherokee village before European contact. We were given a guided tour of the village and told about history and practices including demonstrations of flint knapping, basketry, pottery and bow making. There was not too much going on in the village while we were there but I ascribe that to the fact that it was during the week rather than a weekend.

Now it was time to go find Connie and locating her was pretty easy – just look for the local liquor store. J&J Liquors to be exact which is owned and operated by the Jolliffs. Well – owned by both and operated solely by Connie. As liquor stores go – this one is top shelf. If Connie spends her days minding the store, you must wonder what Jimmy is doing with his time... Jimmy has turned into a part-time professional poker player and apparently does quite well at it – just don't tell the IRS or he might have to work for the Obama Administration.

The rest of the evening was spent at the Jolliff's home where Jimmy grilled some outstanding steaks and Connie conjured up all the sides and we stuffed our faces (I don't know how after that lunch) and spent time just catching up with each other.

To paraphrase one of our great military leaders “We shall return!”

Oklahoma City #2 - Lunch With The Cousins

2009-07-20T15:24:00.002-04:00

Friday afternoon Deann and I went to lunch with “The Cousins.”

These cousins are the children of the brothers and sisters of Shelley and Deann's Grandmother. So they are our 2nd cousins or grand cousins or something like that.

Whatever they are – it was great fun. I had not met them before – at least not that I can remember. Deann sees them a few times each year as they have a luncheon each month that is one of their birthdays. Except for this lunch. This lunch was a get together because I was in town and we all wanted to meet each other. It just happened that the day of the lunch happened to fall on the birthday of Aunt Lilac (my great aunt and not to be confused with my Aunt Anna Lilac in Colorado) the mother of Norma (I think).

The cousins are Norma, Echo, Imogene, and Elnora.
I hope to get to do this again next year!

A Week In Oklahoma City - Post #1

2009-07-20T14:58:00.005-04:00

This has been a busy week in Oklahoma City.

We first visited with family friend Jerry Williams. If you remember Barbie from one of the Colorado Blogs, then you need to know that Jerry is Barbie's Mom. Jerry has recently moved from her home of 43 years into a condo. And a great move it was. You can see from the picture of Chief in front of the fireplace just how comfortable the new digs are. While visiting I helped Jerry move about 10 years worth of Food and Wine and Gourmet magazines out of the old house and into a magazine recycling dumpster and Monte hooked up Jerry's DVD players to her TVs so now she is all settled in. We went out to dinner with Jerry at our favorite Mexican restaurant “Abuelos” and as always came away over-stuffed.

The next night cousin Deann and friend Becky took us for a tour of Oklahoma City's Bricktown.
Bricktown Entertainment District, is a unique entertainment destination and neighborhood. It is the home to many restaurants, nightclubs, sporting facilities, shops, attractions, condos, and a canal complete with tour boats. Located in the heart of downtown Oklahoma City, Bricktown, as it now stands, was once a warehouse neighborhood that has been restored and revitalized.

The first highlight of our Bricktown tour was dinner at Toby Keith's restaurant. Toby is known for his staunch support of our military and he carries that over into his restaurant as Monte and I were able to eat free as retired military members.

The next highlight was getting to do something that no other tourist gets to do. Right across the canal from Toby Keith's is the world headquarters of Sonic Drive-ins. Becky has been employed with Sonic for the past 15 years and among the many hats that she wears she one as the company historian. She gave us a great tour of the offices. No free samples but after just having dinner it was just as well.

Then we were off to the boat tour on the canal. This is Oklahoma City's take on the River Walk popularized in San Antonio. The tour was primo. OKC has done an excellent job and we thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

Our last stop was for dessert at Nonna's. Decadent does not fully describe the double chocolate brownie a la mode that I devoured. Deann and Becky being of sounder mind split one of those. Monte had the house sundae that was totally scrumptious.

We then waddled back to the cars and called it a night.

If you get to Oklahoma City don't miss Bricktown.

More OKC to come...

Leadville, Colorado

2009-07-20T10:31:00.004-04:00

Leadville, situated at an altitude of 10,152 feet, is the highest incorporated city in the United States. A former silver mining camp that lies near the headwaters of the Arkansas river it is in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. In the late 1880s, Leadville was the second most populous city in Colorado after Denver. In 2005 the population had shrunk to about 2,700.

In 1876 miners discovered several lode silver-lead deposits in the area, Leadville was founded in 1877 and the Colorado Silver Boom was set off. By 1880 the population of Leadville was over 40,000.

In 1882 the Tabor Opera House hosted Oscar Wilde on his lecture tour of the West. Wilde toured the Matchless Silver Mine and opened their new lode: “The Oscar.”
In 1883 Doc Holliday moved to Leadville shortly after the gun fight at the O.K. Corral. On August 19, 1884, Holliday shot ex-Leadville policeman Billy Allen after Allen threatened Holliday for failing to pay a $5 debt. Despite overwhelming evidence against him, a jury found Holliday not-guilty of the shooting.

Today, Leadville survives on tourism. The residential streets are crammed with Victorian style houses and the historic district contains many of the original buildings including the Tabor Grant Hotel, The Tabor Opera House, and the Tabor House (are we seeing a pattern here?)
We, Uncle Ray, Deann, Monte and I toured the Mining Museum and Hall of Fame which was mildly interesting. I had been through it before a few years ago and it did not quite live up to my memories.

We then met up with Omar and Anne and boarded the Leadville, Colorado, and Southern Railroad for a 2.5 hour train ride along the old Denver, South Park & Pacific and Colorado and Southern lines to the Continental Divide.

As the train traveled north along the Arkansas River Valley, it rose up 1,000 feet off of the valley floor. We had some spectacular views of Freemont Pass and the two tallest peaks in Colorado, Mt. Massive and Mt. Elbert. We even saw a damsel in distress on the train tracks (Deann only slightly over-acted in this role).

It was a great way to spend the afternoon with family.

Ghost Town Tours and Majestic Views

2009-07-14T15:11:00.006-04:00

On Wednesday, July 8, Omar took some time off from work and played tour guide for Shelley, Monte, Uncle Ray, Deann, Cheryl, and Kiersten.

Our first stop was the Golden Wonder Mine. This was a working mine in the early 1900's and today is for sale. The mine is full of water but the buildings are still 'useable' and the cabin comes fully furnished. Interested in buying? Make sure you have a 4WD vehicle...and for the winter – snowshoes.

Next stop was Turret. What was once a mining town and then a ghost town, Turret has been reawakened by Omar who, through his skills as a Real Estate broker, has enticed people to build and live in this area that is totally off the grid. Living off the grid in Colorado is actually pretty common and if you went into any of these homes/cabins you would never know that there are no utilities to the houses. Solar power, propane and water wells provide all the modern comforts we have come to expect. For more information on Turret check this link:

http://www.heartoftherockiesre.com/turret/turret_main.html

After Turret we went to S Mountain. S Mountain overlooks the town of Salida and has a big white S on the side of it (hence S Mountain) and provides a great view point to see the layout of the town and the Arkansas River that runs through it.

Thanks for a great day Omar. You are one heck of a tour guide!! (and we did not even have to tip you)

Aunt Anna Lilac's 86th Birthday (twice)

2009-07-14T14:32:00.007-04:00

From July 5 – July 12 our camp site was located at Colorado Crossroads Bed and Breakfast.

We have camped here each summer for the past 5 years. For those of you who don't remember or are new to my writings and ramblings, the B&B is owned by Shelley's Aunt Ann (Shelley's Dad's sister) and 3 of her children (obviously Shelley's cousins). Over the years I have taken and posted dozens of pix of the B&B, written about the B&B etc. If you want to know more, look back at last year's blog entries for July and you will find what you seek.

Anna Lilac, known to Shelley as Aunt Ann, celebrated her 86th birthday 2 times during the week. The first time was 2 days before her actual birthday at a family dinner on Wednesday July 8 when we had a gathering of 16 for dinner at the B&B. Those in attendance were Anna Lilac, Omar (son), Anne (d-i-l) Ray (b-i-l), Deann (niece), Deanna (daughter), Bill (s-i-l), Shelley (niece), Monte (nephew in law), Arthur (son), Honey (d-i-l), Cheryl (daughter), Cierra, Savannah, and Katie (grand daughters), and Kiersten (family friend) Hopefully I did not leave anyone out. Monte and I were not the only out of towners. Uncle Ray and his daughter Deann live in Oklahoma City, Cheryl and Kiersten live in the Seattle area, Arthur and Honey and their daughters Cierra and Savanna live in Canon City, CO. (the first n in Canon needs a ~ over it but I don't know how to do that - pronounced Canyon).

The second dinner was on July 10. When Aunt Ann was born, it was at midnight between July 10 and July 11 and the doctor told her mom that she could pick either date for the birth certificate and she picked July 10. Off we went to the Boathouse Cantina in Salida. The restaurant sits right on the Arkansas River and the kayakers that were practicing flipping upside down and getting back right side up kept us entertained. Many moons ago Omar was going to go kayaking until a pretty girl that he knew went and had all of her front teeth broken out and told him that it was like being in a washing machine full of rocks. Omar gave up any thoughts of running the river in a kayak and stuck to mountain climbing (he has climbed all 54 of the Rockies in Colorado that are over 14,000', many of them multiple times). Anyway, we had 10 in attendance for the dinner and had a very good time.

So to you Aunt Ann – Happy Birthday and many many more!!

Rocky Mountain National Park

2009-07-03T23:00:00.011-04:00

This will be a short blog as I think that the pictures speak for themselves – but even pictures cannot do this place justice (at least not the pictures that I take). All of the attached pictures, except for the panorama of Mary's Lake, were taken in Rocky Mountain National Park.

This place is awesome. I know that awesome is way over used these days but, RMNP is Awesome - Awe Inspiring - and Awfully Beautiful. It is way way better than the Grand Canyon in our opinion and ranks right up with Yellowstone for national park beauty.

Besides mountains and snow, we saw several herds of elk, a family of yellow-bellied marmots, numerous waterfalls, and vistas that just take your breath away and make you say "WOW."
The pictures cannot do this place justice. If you ever get a chance to explore this area - do not pass up that chance.

The one sad note in the park is the amount of trees that are dead or dying due to a terrible infestation of pine bark beetles. They are attacking the lodge pole pines and there are places that you look into a valley and the valley will have a red tinge due to this. We saw this last year at Mesa Verde where there were literally no trees left to die – the forests were just lifeless tree trunks. Hopefully it will not get to that point in RMNP.

The highest point on the road through the park is about over 10,000 feet just at 2 miles above sea level. I thought that I would have a bout of altitude sickness problems as we have both had this in the past, but so far other than a slight headache and a little shortness of breath we are fine. Actually, if someone would send me a bottle of Oxygen I would be forever grateful.

The ground squirrels in the campground are driving the dogs nuts.

As always, if you really need a way to kill some time, there is a link on the right side of the blog that will take you to all of our photo albums on Picassa and you can browse through many many photos.

Together Again

2009-06-30T16:29:00.008-04:00

We made our annual stop at Barbie and Chris' RV Park in Centennial, Colorado (southeast side of Denver). One of our very favorite places.

Actually, the RV park is their driveway where they let us park and plug in and hang out.

Many many moons ago, Shelley was born in Oklahoma City. During the early years Shelley and Barbie's moms were best buddies. Barbie and her sister Linda and Shelley and her brother Tom all went to church together, played at each other's houses and got into trouble together. Somewhere along the line, the going to church part and the getting into trouble parts went by the wayside. However, over the last few years we have returned to playing together, mostly at Barbie's house.

Friday night Chris, Barbie's husband, treated us to paella for dinner. He not only cooked the dinner but actually made the pan he cooked it in. Chris is an excellent welder and had taken an old worn out harrow disk and turned it into a fabulous paella pan that he uses outside and cooks over a wood fire. It was a really fun, and might I say delicious, dinner.

And the food hits just kept on coming.

On Saturday night we were joined for dinner by Shelley's brother Tom who lives northwest of Denver and neighbors Len and ILlynn. I think that as a prelude to July 4th Barbie fed us a huge BBQ dinner with baby back ribs and all the fixins – YUM. If there is anything that I love it is BBQ.

Sunday was spent whiling away the hours in Black Hawk, CO at the casinos. And just like the last time we went to Black Hawk with Barbie, we all came away winners – which of course makes it just that much more fun.

Went out for Mexican food for dinner and introduced Barbie to the Mexican drink Horchata. If you have never had this – you must ask for it the next time you are in a Mexican restaurant. It is totally non-alcoholic and delicious. It is a milk made from rice and flavored with cinnamon and vanilla. We first had it last year in San Antonio and have never seen it on a menu but it seems that if you ask for it all Mexican restaurants have it. I highly recommend it. (if you order it, don't pronounce the H, just drop it and ask for orchata).

And I forgot the Chocolate Chip Cookies. How could I forget that. When we first arrived Barbie came out of the house and I thought that she said she had to go back in because she was baking cookies. When I went in the house there were no cookies :( and I found out that what she had really said was she had bacon cooking. So, since I was expecting cookies – she baked a huge batch of excellent chocolate chip cookies. Thanks Barb – just what I needed.

So until next year – keep that RV site reserved for us and thanks for the hospitality.

Visit With The Harkins

2009-06-27T09:23:00.002-04:00

After all the excitement of the visit to the pecan it was nice to dial it down a notch and visit with Sherman and Linda Harkins at their farm in Hale, Missouri.

Sherman and Monte were shipmates when stationed aboard the USS Jallao, an old diesel submarine in the mid 1960's and have remained friends through all the intervening years.

The Harkins have a wonderful farm where they raise cattle and all the food necessary to feed those cattle.

Did you know that hay is not just hay? Hay is a generic term for grass that has been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal feed. Hay can be timothy, brome, fescue, sweet clover, alfalfa and lots of other stuff. Hay needs to be harvested just before the seed heads are ripe and to get the most nutritional value from the hay. This year has been very tough for the Harkins to get that done due to weather. It has been so rainy in their part of Missouri that when the hay has been ready for harvest it has been raining and if it is cut it cannot dry and will mold before it can be baled.

On the second afternoon, Linda and I had driven to one of the fields to pick up Sherman where he had been working and on the way back to the house I spotted a dead cow down by a creek. Sherman got out of the car, climbed over the barbed wire fence and found that the cow had not been dead long. She had laid down and gotten over on her back and could not get up and, as I found out, that will kill a cow.

It is always something on a farm and being a total city kid I learned lots and lots. I learned things like what happens to a dead cow – it will be burned – and I don't mean like cooked for bbq but more like cremated on a funeral pyre.

So we had a fun and educational visit with Sherman and Linda, got to spend a little time with some of their family and best of all – had root beer floats every night!

Bet You Can't Crack This Nut

2009-06-27T08:53:00.002-04:00

I have been waiting for this moment my entire life – the viewing of (drum roll please) THE WORLD'S LARGEST PECAN. 7' x 12' and weighing in at 12,000 pounds. Okay, so maybe I never heard of it before a couple of days ago but still – I figured it must be, at a minimum, the 8th wonder of the world.

Brunswick, MO advertises itself as the pecan capital of Missouri and this pecan is what is supposed to be one of the many roadside treasures found in the USA. Well, let me tell you – the experience was not all it cracked up to be. The “Nut House” store was closed, dilapidated, run down, a total mess. Had to stand in knee high weeds to get to the pecan.

We should have skipped the pecan and gone about 15 miles up the road to see the World's Largest Goose but guess that will have to wait until another trip.

Hannibal, Missouri

2009-06-22T19:17:00.003-04:00

Hannibal, Missouri is a small city on the west bank of the Mississippi River about 100 miles north of St. Louis. Hannibal is the home of Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, and is the setting for his most well known novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Samuel Clemens born in 1835, was forced to leave school at the age of 12 in 1847 after the death of his father. Clemens worked as a printer's apprentice in Hannibal, New York, Philadelphia and Cincinnati until 1857 when he was inspired by a trip down the Mississippi to become a river boat pilot. In 1859 he received his pilot's license and worked at that profession until 1861 when the outbreak of the Civil War curtailed most travel on the Mississippi River.

Clemens then moved west, tried his hand at and failed at silver mining. In 1863 he began his career as a journalist and started using the name Mark Twain. His first great success as a writer came when his humorous tall tale "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" was published in the New York Saturday Press in November, 1865. After that time his career sky rocketed and if you want to know more – Google him.

We set out to do a walking tour which quickly turned in to a climbing thing as we went up 244 steps to a lighthouse. Now get this picture, it is 95 degrees, 95% humidity, and I'm old, fat and out of shape and we did 244 steps for – nothing. The lighthouse is not open to look inside and the view of the river was not very good from there. Back down the 244 steps and on to the street where Clemens lived. Thankfully it was a very short street. Did not do any more exploration of the town as it was just too darn blasted hot.

One final note about Hannibal.

Let's not forget that Hannibal was the birthplace of Cliff Edwards (14 June 1895 – 17 July 1971), also known as "Ukelele Ike". He was an American singer and musician who enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s, specializing in jazzy renditions of pop standards and novelty tunes and was the voice of Jiminy Cricket.

St. Louis, Missouri

2009-06-22T16:54:00.002-04:00

St. Louis is located near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.

In 1803 Lewis and Clark embarked on their Journey of the Corps of Discovery from just west of St. Louis on the Missouri River. The city has many nicknames the most popular being "Gateway City" as it is seen as the Eastern/Western US dividing mark. St. Louis is also called "Gateway to the West" on behalf of the many people who migrated west through St. Louis via the Missouri River on the first leg of the Oregon Trail.

St. Louis was the fourth largest single city in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century, although the city proper has since slipped to 52nd. The 1904 World's Fair and the 1904 Olympic Games, the first ever held int eh U.S. Were both held in St. Louis.

We stopped here to revisit (we had been here in 2004) the Gateway Arch and the Museum of Westward Expansion that is underneath the Arch. We could have spent several more days in St. Louis as there is lots to do here be we wanted to get on down the road – so a 2 night stop. We did manage to camp just across the river from the Arch at the Casino Queen campground where just across the parking lot we were able to infuse the local economy with dollars left in their slot machines.

Nashville, Indiana

2009-06-22T16:23:00.001-04:00

Art Colony of the Midwest

5 miles south of Bean Blossom lies Nashville, Indiana. Nashville is a destination in and of itself – if you like to shop. It is home to the Art Colony of the Midwest (who would have guessed?). Artists have been coming to Brown County since 1870 and the colony is considered to have been firmly established in 1907. I have no idea how many shops and art galleries and studios are in town but the number has to be well over 100. Many of the shops sell typical mass-made jewelry, arts and crafts. Then there are the true art galleries and artists studios which abound with all kinds of art all made by local artists. Paintings, pottery, jewelry, stained glass, mosaics, hand made furniture, and on and on. It seems as though lots of people know about this place because the streets are packed with tourists.

Brown County's picturesque rolling landscape, a gift of the Ice Age, has inspired many artists, and visitors. The glacier that flattened most of Indiana, stopped just over the Brown County line and created the hills and valleys and the "blue haze" that has Brown County Indiana well known as the "Little Smoky Mountains".

Bean Blossom, Indiana

2009-06-22T16:13:00.002-04:00

Located about 50 miles south of Indianapolis, Bean Blossom is home to the annual Bill Monroe Memorial Bluegrass Festival. This was the 43^rd year for this, the longest continuous running bluegrass festival in the world (like there are a lot of long running festivals outside of the USA). And speaking of long – the typical bluegrass festival that we go to is 3 or 4 days. This festival is 8 days long and music is played each day from 11:00 am until 11:00 pm or later.

1967 was a good year in that the first Super Bowl was held that year and then in June Bill Monroe held his first two-day bluegrass festival, which he called a Blue Grass Celebration at Bean Blossom. He brought his musician friends together to play the high lonesome sound he had pioneered. This first festival was held in the Brown County Jamboree Barn and was so well attended that Bill decided to have it annually and to build an outdoor stage to accommodate a bigger audience. Over the years the grounds have been improved, the stage has been rebuilt and enlarged. The stage sits at the bottom of a wooded amphitheater that makes for ideal viewing and listening for the bluegrass fans in attendance. Despite Bill Monroe's death in 1996, the history and tradition at Bean Blossom continues and the sounds of bluegrass still echo through the hills and trees.

We only lasted through day 7 of the festival. We are bluegrassed out for the time being.

Churchill Downs

2009-06-12T19:54:00.011-04:00

Tuesday was a perfect day at Churchill Downs. Well, not really perfect because the horses were not running and not perfect because we got thoroughly soaked by the rain but we still had a great time. We toured the Kentucky Derby Museum, watched a 360 degree movie and took 2 guided tours. We were pleasantly surprised when purchasing our tickets the lady asked if we belonged to AAA and I said no but, on a hunch, told her that Monte belonged to the Twin Spires Club. The Twin Spires Club is Churchill Downs' on-line wagering system. If we had belonged to AAA we would have saved 10%. Monte's Twin Spire membership saved us 50%! So we were off to a good start. (Monte figures they owe him a free tour since they take his money so freely).

Spent some time wandering around the the museum which is very well done. Lots of interactive activities. Did not have a lot of time as our first tour was leaving.

GO BABY GO!!

Our first tour started at 8:30 and lasted an hour. It was the Barn and Backside Tour. Our tour guide loaded us in a van and drove us under the track and through the infield and under the track again and on to the backside. The backside of any horse racing track is where the barns are that house the race horses. There are more than 1,400 horse stalls on the backside at Churchill Downs and the horses that reside there need to be exercised each day. The track is a very busy place starting about 5 am – there are only so many exercise riders to go around so everyone must take their turn. We watched horses being shod, being bathed, and galloping and breezing on the track. Basically just watched the everyday activities that make it possible for us to enjoy thoroughbred horse racing. We were driven by the barns of such notable trainers as D. Wayne Lucas whose horses have won the Kentucky Derby 4 times, Preakness 5 times and the Belmont Stakes 4 times and Steve Asmussen the trainer of Curlin who was the 2 time horse of the year. We could see the barn from afar where 2009 Kentucky Derby Winner “Mine That Bird” resides (with his body guard) but we were not allowed to go get an autograph. On the way back to the museum we drove through some other areas of the infield and were shown one of 3 jails. Yes, jails. These resemble underground bunkers where those who have over-indulged in mint juleps and made a public nuisance of themselves get to spend some time (bet they smell good by the end of the day).

At 10:00 the Behind the Scenes tour began. This tour would not have been available on a race day so it was a pretty good trade off for not seeing live racing. On this tour we got soaked but that's not the point. We were taken through parts of Churchill Downs that most of the general public never get to see. Places such as Millionaires Row (large overpriced cafeteria looking room), the Media Center, the Jockey's Room, and lots of other places.

It was a 1.5 hour walking tour and well worth it – other than getting soaked. We were walking from the old section of the grandstands to the new section by way of the paddock. It was pouring rain. We got to the gate we needed to walk through to stay out of the rain and – it was locked. So we had to run across the paddock, through another gate, and then on into the building – all in the rain. Even the horses don't run when they are in the paddock. I'm sure I looked like an old wet fat nag running around.

One of the highlights of the tour was the glass replica of Churchill Downs. I thought it was going to be lame but it was actually pretty amazing. The racetrack replica is 30 feet long by 10 feet wide and stands 10 feet tall. The track itself is made of bronze mirror and has 20 glass horses being ridden by jockeys positioned on it. The stands are made of glass and mirrors and have more than 5,000 handmade glass spectators standing and sitting in them and the details just go on and on. Took some guy named Colquhoun 4 years to make it.

Interesting Churchill Downs factoid: On any given day, during a race meet, the track employs 1,500-2000 people. Kentucky Derby weekend it employs about 10,000 people.

So that was our day at the track. Hopefully on our next visit (whenever that might be) there will be live racing to see. If you ever get to Louisville I would highly recommend these tours.

Jim Beam Distillery

2009-06-10T19:54:00.008-04:00

Spent an hour or so at the Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont, KY.

Today, Jim Beam Brands manufactures and markets nearly 80 brands of distilled spirits and fine wines in 160 countries across the globe. With over 200 years of history under its belt, Jim Beam has long been the world's best selling bourbon.

Shortly after the Revolutionary War, the newly formed U.S. government encouraged homesteaders to settle west of the Appalachian Mountains. Settlers were promised 60 acres of land in return for clearing the land and growing corn for at least two years. Among the homesteaders was Jacob Beam, a miller from Germany by way of Virginia, who in 1788 brought his family and his belongings--including a copper still--to Bourbon County, Kentucky. And the rest, as they say, is history.

We enjoyed the visit but it was not what we expected. There is no “tour” of the distillery. There will be a tour starting in 2010 but they are now in the midst of revamping part of the property to accommodate that tour.

We did see some some freshly filled barrels headed for the rack house for aging. The big highlight of the visit. Actually that is not true, we were given a piece of bourbon chocolate candy that was darn tasty.

Our time consisted of hanging out in the gift store waiting to watch a movie. Going to the Beam house to watch the movie (7 minutes), then getting to taste a couple of Jim Beam small batch brands. Now that I think of it, maybe the tasting was the highlight. One of the brands was Basil Hayden's and it was excellent – really smooth, a super good sipping bourbon. The other was 107 proof Bakers – it was ok after adding an ice cube but the first sip about did me in. Don't worry – they only gave us about 2 sips of each kind.

The moral of the story is – if you want to go to a distillery to take a tour – make sure they have a tour before you go.

Stones River Civil War Battlefield

2009-06-09T21:39:00.003-04:00

Murfreesboro, TN

Touring Civil War Battlefields is one of our favorite things to do when traveling. However, in the last few years our travel routes have limited our opportunities to do so. So we were happy when at lunch time on June 8 we were able to stop and do a quick tour of this battlefield.

The following is a very brief synopsis of the battle.

As 1862 drew to a close, President Abraham Lincoln was desperate for a military victory. His armies were stalled, and the terrible defeat at Fredericksburg spread a pall of defeat across the nation. There was also the Emancipation Proclamation to consider. The nation needed a victory to bolster morale and support the proclamation when it went into effect on January 1, 1863. To this end, on December 26, 1862, the Union Army of the Cumberland left Nashville to engage The Army of Tennessee.

On the night of January 30, 1862 while the generals planned, the men lay down in the mud and rocks in the area of Stones River trying to get some sleep. The bands of both armies played tunes to raise the men’s spirits. It was during this "battle of the bands" that one of the most poignant moments of the war occurred. Sam Seay of the First Tennessee Infantry described what happened that evening.

“Just before ‘tattoo’ the military bands on each side began their evening music. The still winter night carried their strains to great distance. At every pause on our side, far away could be heard the military bands of the other. Finally one of them struck up ‘Home Sweet Home.’ As if by common consent, all other airs ceased, and the bands of both armies as far as the ear could reach, joined in the refrain. Who knows how many hearts were bold next day by reason of that air?”

In the days that followed the battle raged at places aptly named “The Slaughter Pen” and “Hell's Half Acre”. Eventually the Army of Tennessee retreated and they gave up a large chunk of Middle Tennessee. The rich farmland meant to feed the Confederates now supplied the Federals. General Rosecrans set his army and thousands of contraband slaves to constructing a massive fortification, Fort Rosecrans that served as a supply depot and base of occupation for the Union for the duration of the war.

President Lincoln got the victory he wanted to boost morale and support the Emancipation Proclamation (remember that the Proclamation only freed slaves in states that had seceded from the Union.)

The Battle of Stones River was one of the bloodiest of the war. More than 3,000 men lay dead on the field. Nearly 16,000 more were wounded. Some of these men spent as much as seven agonizing days on the battlefield before help could reach them. The two armies sustained nearly 24,000 casualties, which was almost one-third of the 81,000 men engaged.

Scottsboro, Alabama

2009-06-08T20:01:00.003-04:00

The Good, The (not so) Fun and The Really Bad and Ugly of Scottsboro

The Good -The Scenery
We drove for many miles through lush green rolling hills that edge on being mountains and then more miles along the shores of Lake Gunterville and the Tennessee River. No pictures but take my word for it - absolutely beautiful.

The (not so) Fun - The Unclaimed Baggage Center

Ever had the airlines lose your luggage never to be seen again? If so – this is where it ended up. The airlines claim that after 90 fruitless days of diligent searching for the owner of the luggage/baggage they then turn it over (sell) to The Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, AL. This is the one and only store in the country that sells unclaimed baggage. (Notice how they call it “Unclaimed” rather than “Airline Mis-handled” or “Airline Screwup” or something more appropriate). The store was started in 1970 by some guy (I don't care who) with $300 and a used (it is important that we know it was used vice new) pickup truck. Today it occupies a 40,000 sq ft building, stocks over 7,000 new items each day, sells over 1 million items each year. The store has many “amenities” including a Concierge Desk to help guests and Cups Espresso Café - serving Starbucks Coffee and Dippin Dots. Does it get any better than this?

To answer that question in a word – YES. It does get lots better than this. What a let down. We have heard about this place for years. Seen it highlighted on some stupid TV show. Checked it out on the Net. And what is it? It is a large, uninspiring, over-priced, thrift store.

Seriously, take this off of your bucket list of must dos before you die. Just go to the local Goodwill and pretend you were here.

The Really Bad and Ugly – a slice of history of Scottsboro that local residents would prefer to forget.
Some of you may be able to dredge up some memory of this story from the deep recesses of your mind. I'm sure that at some point in some history class in your past it was discussed. If you happen to be an attorney, you will be very familiar with Scottsboro and the case of the Scottsboro Boys.

The year is 1931, the depression is in full swing and Jim Crow Laws are in effect. Many people are illegally riding the railroads and are called hobos. In the South at that time a black male was said to risk lynching by just looking at a white woman – so you can imagine what kind of justice would be dished out if a black male was accused of raping a white woman.

A freight train is en-route from Chattanooga to Memphis and makes a stop near Scottsboro. It is there that nine black youths, ranging in age from twelve to twenty, are accused of raping two white women (all were riding in the same freight car). One of these women would later recant – but that had no bearing on the outcomes of the trials. No one involved was from Scottsboro.

Word of the accusations and arrests quickly spread and a lynch mob gathered in front of the jail in Scottsboro and prepared to storm the jail to lynch the youths. The crowd of farmers with many of their wives and children standing back and looking on, grew into the hundreds. The Sheriff barricaded the door to the jail and at 8:30 that evening he decided to move the accused youths to a jail in another community but could not because someone had cut the wires to the headlights on the squad cars. The mayor begged the crowd to leave. However, the mob refused and demanded that the youths be surrendered to them for immediate lynching. Given the situation, and at the request of an alarmed Sheriff, the Governor of Alabama was forced to call in the National Guard to protect the jail.

Authorities pleaded against mob violence by promising speedy trials and asking "the Judge to send them to the chair".

The trials began 12 days after the boys had been arrested (a little too speedy). The defense attorneys had little experience in criminal law and the judge gave them no time at all to prepare their cases. The juries were composed entirely of white males. Of the nine young black defendants eight were quickly convicted in a mob atmosphere in successive trials. By this time the mob outside the courthouse was estimated to be between 8 and 10 thousand. As each case went to the jury, the judge would start the next trial while the previous jury was still deliberating. All but one of the defendants was sentenced to death.

This case is among the most important cases in the history of American Jurisprudence. Although the defendants in this case were 'railroaded' good did come of the cases in the form of two Supreme Court rulings. And even though many of us feel that criminal defendants have too many rights compared to victims, I don't think anyone can argue with these Supreme Court rulings that established the principles that, in the United States, every defendant is entitled to effective counsel and that people may not be excluded from serving on juries solely on the basis of their race.

It is doubtful that any rape ever occurred. Through a series of trials and retrials the defendants were eventually relieved of their death sentences and they spent between six and nineteen years behind bars.

WOOHOO - The Summer '09 Road Trip is Underway

2009-06-06T16:06:00.003-04:00

Finally - The event everyone has been waiting for.

We are ON THE ROAD AGAIN !!

This year will not be the grand tour that last year was but we still hope to see many friends, visit lots of interesting places, and in general spend lots of time doing what we do best - eating our way around the country.

Our first night on the road is being spent in Montgomery, Alabama. And to celebrate our first night on the road we will be dining on one of the specialties of the deep south - fried frogs' legs. Nah, not really - but we will be eating something that tastes like fried frog's legs - fried chicken. (people say that frogs' legs taste like chicken so the reverse should be true also I think).

The only reason we are in Montgomery, one of the true arm pits of the earth, is that it was a convenient stopping place on our way to our first real stop. (Sure hope that no readers are from Montgomery).

This should be the first of many, several, a few, a couple, anyway - some blog entries.
As always, I'll send out an email each time I blog so you don't have to constantly check for non-existent new entries.

See you down (actually up) the road and as always, thanks for traveling with us.

Shelley, Monte, Chief and Casey

Home Again

2008-08-19T11:11:00.004-04:00

Since we have been home for 5 days I thought I should finally get around to writing a wrap up blog for our travels.

We left Monte's Mom's house on Wednesday, Aug 13.

For those of you who have followed our travels throughout the years, you know how many tire problems we have had in the past. This time – we had been on the road for 3 months (minus 3 days) and so far – so good. And then in Virginia on I-81 at mile marker 281.5 to be exact - KAPOW. A blow out of the right rear inner tire. So we called our road service and they found someone to change the tire – the only thing was he was 60 miles away so we sat and waited. All in all it was not too bad. A total of 2 hours on the side of the road but, since we were in the motorhome we were pretty comfortable. At different times 2 Virgina State Troopers stopped to check on us and make sure that we were okay which was nice.

We arrived home on Thursday in the late afternoon. It was necessary to get home when we did because Shelley's brother Tom (you met him in Colorado), drove in on Saturday. He was getting his daughter Kelly situated in college in Tallahassee. On Sunday Tom and wife Marsha (she flew in), son Jamie, daughter Kelly and Shelley's Dad, Gene were at our house for a cookout. It was great to have the family together in Florida except for the looming threat of Hurricane Fay which thankfully has stayed in south Florida (so far).

It was a super trip. We had a wonderful time, visited with lots of family and friends and got to see much of the USA that we had not seen before.

The only states that we have not been to together over the years are Oregon, Washington, New Hampshire, Maine, Hawaii, and Alaska.

We hope that you enjoyed our trip and we thank each of you for traveling with us.

Final numbers for the trip are:

Days: May 16 – Aug 14 91 days

Miles driven in the Motorhome: 7,847
Miles driven in the car: 2,794
Total miles: 10,641

Highest price paid for gas: $4.47
Lowest price paid for gas: $3.38
Average price paid for gas: $3.91

Visits that you made to this blog: 1,198

This is the last entry for this trip but forewarned – there will be more trips to come and we will make sure that you are included.

Family Time - Coatesville, PA

2008-08-10T09:38:00.003-04:00

When we left Mackinaw, MI we could not figure out anything that we really wanted to do between there and Coatesville (northern Ohio being so very exciting). So for the last 10 days we have been spending time with Monte's family in Coatesville, PA.

We are parked in the driveway at Monte's Mom's house and we get to see his brother Jim and brother Gary and wife Linda and one of Monte's sisters, Nancy who lives in South Carolina but happens to be in town now also. There are also numerous Aunts, Cousins, In-laws, Out-laws, and friends who drop by.

Each time we come here we make plans to go into Philadelphia to see the sites – but never make it. This time is no different. The only sites we have seen are those of the horses running at Delaware Park Race Track and those of the blinking lights on the slot machines in the casino at the race track. (Just how many casinos have we been to on this trip??)

To sum up. These days have just been hanging out with family – and it does not get much better than that.

Mackinac Island

2008-07-31T11:26:00.006-04:00

Mackinac Island is located in Lake Huron at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac. The island was home to Native Americans before European exploration and settlement began in the 17th Century.

Fort Mackinac was established during the American Revolutionary War by the British to protect the area from attack by Americans. However, the fort was not attacked and the area was officially acquired by the U.S. through the Treaty of Paris in 1783. The fort was the scene of two battles during the War of 1812 and the British won both battles. Despite this outcome, the British were forced to return the island and surrounding mainland to the U.S. In 1815 by the Treaty of Ghent. The fort was closed in 1895 as it no longer had any strategic purpose. It has been restored to its late 19th century appearance.

Much of the island has undergone extensive historical preservation and today the entire island is listed as a National Historic Landmark. The only way to get to the island is by boat (private or ferry) or small aircraft and during the winter – by snowmobile.

Motorized vehicles are banned on the island and everyone gets around on foot, by bicycle or in horse drawn carriages.
The island has a year-round population of about 500. During the summer season the island hosts as many as 15,000 visitors per day.

Like many historic places in the Great Lakes region, Mackinac Island's name derives from a Native American language. Native Americans in the Straits of Mackinac region likened the shape of the island to that of a turtle. Therefore, they named it "Mitchimakinak" (Ojibwe mishi-mikinaak)meaning "big turtle". The French used a version of the original pronunciation: Michilimackinac. However, the English shortened it to the present name: "Mackinac – pronounced Mackinaw, the last c being silent.

The Round Island Lighthouse is located just south on the small, uninhabited Round Island. The light was built in 1894 and automated in 1924. In 1947, the Round Island Lighthouse was abandoned, replaced by a functional but unattractive light closer to Mackinac Island.

We did not get away from the touristy downtown area but still enjoyed our visit to Mackinac Island.

Mackinac Bridge and Mackinaw City

2008-07-31T10:27:00.007-04:00

We traveled into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with the purpose of traversing the Mackinac Bridge that spans the Mackinac Straights and joins the UP with the rest of Michigan. As you travel south on the bridge Lake Michigan is on your right and Lake Huron on your left.
The Mackinac Bridge is the third longest suspension bridge in the world and we expected to be wowed. We had heard that it was pretty scary to drive across – 5 miles long and 200 feet above the water at the mid point of the bridge. So scary in fact that there are people stationed at each end of the bridge that will drive you across if you cannot do it yourself. Well, let's just say that we were somewhat underwhelmed. Yes, that says underwhelmed. No doubt it is a cool bridge but for our taste not nearly as amazing as say the Sunshine Skyway in Tampa or the Coronado Bay Bridge in San Diego.

The first day of our stay in Mackinaw City (by the way, Mackinac is pronounced Mackinaw) we did a tour of Fort Michilimackinac.

Fort Michilimackinac was founded in 1715 by the French as a fur-trading village. The fort was taken over by the British in 1761 following their victory over the French in the French and Indian War. In June 1763, a group of Ojibwe Indians led by Pontiac gained entrance to the fort and killed most of the British inhabitants and held the fort for a year before it was retaken by the British – not through force but by offering more and better gifts to the Indians. In 1781 the British built Fort Mackinac on nearby Mackinac Island. The buildings at Michilimackinac were dismantled and moved piece by piece over water in the summer and ice in the winter and rebuilt in the new fort.

The remains of the old fort were burned. What is seen today is the result of many years of archaeological excavation, research and rebuilding. Each year from late June through August a team of archaeologists is on site continuing to uncover the fort's secrets. The fort today is seen as it was in the 1770's.

From the fort we moved on to the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse. Erected in 1892, the lighthouse served the Straits for more than 60 years. The lights on the Mackinac Bridge made the lighthouse unnecessary, and it was decommissioned in 1957. The castle-like structure, whose design is unique in the Great Lakes, has been restored to its 1910 appearance.

Bemidji, Minnesota

2008-07-24T20:52:00.004-04:00

Bemidji, Minnesota – home of Paul Bunyan, Babe the Blue Ox and the Mighty Mississippi River.

Bemidji, MN is located on the shore of Lake Bemidji. Lore has it that the lake was formed in a footprint left by Paul Bunyan. If you look at an aerial picture of the lake, it certainly does look like a footprint. Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox welcome visitors to Bemidji. Paul Bunyan is a mythological lumberjack who appears in tall tales of American folklore. If you are not familiar with these stories just Google Paul Bunyan and read all about him and his exploits.

Just south of Bemidji is Lake Itasca. The Mississippi River begins it's journey of over 2,500 miles to the Gulf of Mexico by overflowing the edge of a picturesque little lake, Lake Itasca. The Gulf of Mexico is due south, but the Mississippi, in contrary fashion, embarks on its trek by flowing due north. It flows north to Lake Bemidji and then east to Lake Cass and on through numerous other bodies of water getting larger and gathering strength all the time until it becomes what we think of as the Mighty Mississippi. We find it interesting that at the beginning of this trip we were in New Orleans close to the mouth of the Mississippi and now we are at the head waters of that river.

Bemidji is also home to the 2006 Olympic Curling teams. We hoped to watch some curling at the Bemidji Curling Club and to take some amazing video footage for the blog but apparently it is just a winter sport so - with heavy hearts we leave without witnessing this captivating sport.

This part of the country is beautiful but today was a lousy picture taking day as it was gray, overcast, and just one of those days that the color gets sucked out of everything.

Minot, North Dakota

2008-07-24T18:45:00.006-04:00

As we left Spearfish we were back to driving through miles and endless miles of farm land. I think we found out where all the wheat is grown. We have seen wheat fields before but nothing like this. There were some fields of corn, hay, and other stuff that we don't know what it was but mostly it looked like wheat and with all the wheat reports on the radio – most of it must have been wheat.

One of the biggest surprises of the trip was when we came upon the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in western North Dakota. Much of it can be seen from the highway so we did not stop and drive into the park. The area is very reminiscent of the South Dakota Bad Lands but with more trees.

Little did we know that once we left there, we would see very few tree for the rest of our time in North Dakota and most of the trees we would see were planted in rows as wind breaks. One city even had a sign boasting that it had more tree wind breaks than any other city in the world. Guess when you live up here, any claim to fame is better than none.

Our next stop was in Minot, ND. We camped at Minot Air Force Base. It is a nice, small, base that is loaded with B-52s and missile launchers.

Minot proved to be an interesting stop.

The first place we visited was the Scandinavian Heritage Center. Here we toured the Gol Stave Church. This is an exact replica of the Gol Stave church in Norway. A stave church is a medieval wooden church with a post and beam construction related to timber framing. The wall frames are filled with vertical planks. The load-bearing posts (staves) have lent their name to the building technique. It is not very often that you see a church adorned on the outside with dragons.
There was also a Dala Horse which is the national symbol of Sweden.

While we are still on the subject of Scandinavian heritage – almost everyone in this area speaks with a distinct Scandinavian accent.

Our next stop this day was at the North Dakota State Fair. Yes, we just happened to be in the right place at the right time - it was State Fair Week in Minot. And we will just let the pictures speak for themselves.
As we left Minot, we were extremely lucky as we passed by the geographical center of North America in Rugby, ND.

Spearfish, SD

2008-07-24T18:40:00.003-04:00

Leaving Colorado and driving through extreme eastern Wyoming on US 85 we drove through miles and miles and miles of graze land interrupted once in a while by more graze land and sometimes farm land. It was actually nice but after awhile monotonous. Shortly before driving into South Dakota the scenery changed to the Black Hills and we were back in very pretty country. Our trip this day took us through Spearfish Canyon which was overwhelmingly green. We did not realize how long it had been since we had seen a green landscape. The canyon walls led down to huge green meadows and the meandering Spearfish Creek. Very nice – but no pix.
Spent the night in Spearfish and the next morning we were up and out to visit the historic D.C. Booth Fish Hatchery.

Established in 1896, D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery, formerly Spearfish National Fish Hatchery, is one of the oldest operating hatcheries in the country dedicated to fish culture and resource management. The hatchery was constructed to propagate, stock, and establish trout populations in the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming. After a very successful fish production history, the hatchery ceased operations in the mid-80's and reopened with a new mission and partnerships to help preserve the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's historic and cultural heritage.
Today, D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery serves as a living fishery museum to the public and many organizations. Still rearing trout for the Black Hills through a cooperative effort with the State, the hatchery also serves to protect and preserve fishery records and artifacts for educational, research, and historic purposes, and provide interpretive and educational programs for the public.
Immediately adjacent to the fish hatchery is the Spearfish City Park and it just so happened that the day we were there was the day of their annual Art in the Park festival. So we spent some time wandering though the arts and crafts displays and found it to be very different from what we would see in Florida. Most of the art was western themed and thank goodness that Shelley could not take any with her otherwise she could have gone on a buying spree. (Again no pictures).

We push on north to Alaska – or, er, rather North Dakota.

Broomfield, CO - The Tom Carpenter Family Visit and a Tour of Coors

2008-07-19T20:31:00.005-04:00

Thursday, we are off from the Hallstrom's and drive all the way across Denver to Shelley's brother Tom's house in Broomfield, CO. Tom's house is in a cul de sac and we were able to park the motorhome kind of in the upper middle of the road where we would be more or less out of the way.

The rest of Thursday was spent hanging out with Tom, his wife Marsha and their daughter (our niece) Kelly.

Friday, Monte, Shelley and Tom were up and out of the house early and en route to Golden, CO. Tom had set us up with a VIP tour of the Coors brewery, now known as Miller-Coors. We were joined on the tour by Barbie, Jerry, and Barbie's son Jeremy.

Tom had not seen Jerry in 12 years or so and had not seen Barbie since, well since they were children and obviously Tom had never met Jeremy before. Needless to say – it was a wonderful reunion. Just all being together was fun and the tour just added to the fun.
During the tour we learned bits of information like Coors brews 1.5 million gallons of beer per DAY and uses 14 million cans per day. They told us how many rail cars and semi tractor trailers leave full of Coors each week but I don't remember how many. What I do remember was that if you took one rail car full of beer, and drank one six pack per day out of that rail car, it would take you over 88 years to drink all of the beer. Personally, I think it would be skunky beer long before the end of the 88 years.

They did not give us a rail car of beer but we did get to do a tasting. They allow each person 3, 10 oz draft beers of their choice. I think most of us had Blue Moon, Honey Moon, and the new Coors Super Cold – which is just Coors Light served right at freezing temp. It was a tasty tasting.

(In all fairness, Jerry had one beer and Monte stuck with non-alcoholic beer)

After the tastings we found a nice little cafe in Golden and had lunch after which we parted ways with Monte and Shelley going back to Tom's and the rest of the gang going back to Centennial to Barbie's.

We collapsed back at Tom's and spent the evening with his family which is something that we just do not get to do very often – maybe twice a year if we are lucky. It looks like niece Kelly will be transferring to finish college in Tallahassee so that will be nice as we will get to see her more often assuming that she can fit us into her hectic social schedule.

Shelley does not know how she managed to do it but – she failed to take any pictures at Tom's house so there are no pix of Marsha and Kelly for the blog. My apologies to all.

This is our last night in Colorado. That fact just breaks my heart. We both love it here but it is time to move on up and out.

Centennial, CO - A visit with good friends

2008-07-19T20:26:00.003-04:00

And the good times just keep on rolling...

With much regret we left the B&B in Poncha Springs, CO on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 and headed north. A whole 150 miles north.

We are in Centennial, CO to visit a friend from Shelley's childhood, Barbie Hallstrom and her husband Chris. As an extra added bonus Barbie's Mom Jerry, who was Shelley's Mom's best buddy, came from Oklahoma City to visit at the same time. Normally, we see Jerry in Oklahoma City each year but since we were skipping OKC this year, Jerry came to us.
So, we had another almost family reunion.

We arrived at the Hallstrom's at lunch time and by 2 pm we were in the car and headed to Black Hawk, CO to hit the casinos. Jerry is a blackjack player and Barbie and Monte and Shelley pretty much limit themselves to the penny slot machines. (Chris was not able to go with us).

Barbie had been telling us about these new slots that are based on the Wizard of Oz and how great they are supposed to be. So, at the first casino we locate the machines which were all taken of course. Jerry goes to the blackjack table which is full and so sits down at 3 card poker and proceeds to lose, let's just say – some money. In the mean time, while playing slots, one of the Oz machines becomes available and Shelley yells at Barbie and holds the machine open for Barbie until she can get in the seat. About 10 minutes later, the good witch of OZ, what ever her name was, appears on the slot screen in a pink bubble, turns all the wheels and every square to 'wild' and pays Barbie $303.00. Yes - $303.00!! (I have a pic of this on my cell phone but cannot get it to trasfer to my computer). Thankfully, the machines don't dump pennies anymore, it is all in tickets that are printed. All in all Barbie made over $330.00 on that machine while the rest of us were losing our shorts. So time to change casinos.

Next casino – Shelley continues to lose, Monte is winning some, Barbie continues to win, and Jerry is making a comeback playing blackjack. We take a dinner break – which Barbie springs for since she is the big winner. After dinner we all lose some more and then we say okay – 30 minutes and we are out of here – time to go home. Shelley for one is thankful that they stay that last 30 minutes. She not only makes back her losses but comes out about $60 to the good. Monte is also about $60 up, Jerry took the casino for around $100 and Barbie – we quit counting. So we had fun, everyone won which is amazing, and by the time we got back, Chief and Casey were convinced that they were being starved to death.

The next day, as tempted as we were, we managed to stay home and not go back to Black Hawk.
It was just a hang out, spend time together kind of day and for dinner we were joined by Barbie's daughter Jenny which was a wonderful treat.
To Barbie and Chris – thanks for the hospitality not to mention the camping spot with hookups in your driveway. To Jerry – thanks for coming all the way from OKC to visit with us – you are a very very special person in our lives. (See you Friday!)

Sunday on ATVs

2008-07-14T18:50:00.007-04:00

ATVs. All Terrain Vehicles.

Sunday morning of the family reunion we loaded up and headed out.

We had 16 people on 13 ATV's (3 people were on doubles). The youngest rider was Savannah, age 10. The oldest rider was Uncle Ray, age 77. And we had a blast.

I was concerned at first, as were several of us, that 13 ATVs on the trail together at one time would be way too many but that was not the case. We spread out enough that it was never crowded.

But, back to the beginning. We drove to Salida to the rental shop and did all the requisite paperwork, and picked out helmets. Then it was up the mountain in our cars to Poncha Pass. The rental place trailered the ATVs up, gave us operating instructions and off we went. Omar, who you remember has climbed all 54 of Colorado's 14ers and knows these mountains well, was our guide.

The first half of the trail was a combination of eating the dirt/gravel thrown up by the ATVs in front of you, blasting through mud pits (those were the most fun), and struggling up steep rocky climbs. We had great views of streams, beaver ponds and dams, and fields of yellow wildflowers. We climbed up through the aspens and eventually came to an opening with great vistas of distant (and not so distant) mountains.

We drove down through Starvation Creek where I never did see a creek but we did have more great mountain views. Then it was on up to Marshall Pass at 10,800'.

Along the way we had several “gather-up” stops and a couple of water and snack stops. By the time we got to Marshall Pass many of us were happy to see “facilities”. After all the water and bouncing around – I think that the restrooms might have been best view of all.

The second half of the trip was – of course – downhill most of the way. Now we were on an old railroad bed and it was all dirt and gravel and you could really get your speed up. However, more speed means more dust and dirt in the air. We tried to space ourselves to keep down the amount of dirt inhaled but it was the eyes that really took a beating. Even with glasses on I felt, and still feel, like my eyes had been sand blasted.

That was a small price to pay however for the amount of fun that we had. If anyone did not have a great time, I did not hear about it. Uncle Ray had never ridden a motorcycle or an ATV or any type of off-road motorized vehicle and I honestly think that he had the best time of anyone there.

There are many great ways to spend a day with family but this ranks up there with the very best.

Golfing in Salida

2008-07-14T18:47:00.002-04:00

Saturday morning, Shelley, DeAnn and her two sons, Merritt, age 18 and Carpenter, age 16 had a golf outing.

Tee time was at 7 am so we were all pretty bleary-eyed when when we arrived at the golf course.

First hole – par 5, about a mile long. We all hit lousy drives. Second and third shots were not so hot either, finally on Shelley's 5th shot (well really 6th because of a mulligan off of the tee) she hit her shot of a life time when she holed out from about 90 yards. WOOHOO!!

Obviously, the rest of the day was downhill from there but who cares?

We played 9 holes and spent most of the time running in and out of sprinklers. It was chilly, windy and with the sprinklers, wet. I guess that in Salida, CO the greens keepers don't know that watering of the fairways should maybe be over before play begins? If I remember correctly we had to deal with sprinklers on every hole. But who cares – Shelley holed out from 90 yards!! And then on the 8th hole, par 3, she had a par (with no mulligans)!

The other excitement was when DeAnn managed to land her ball in a spruce tree – and had to hit out of the tree – it was one of her better ball placements of the day. I think she would have had a good hit but had to hit left handed with right hand clubs – and in so doing almost wiped out her wrist.

In actuality, we did not keep score – thankfully – because I probably shot about 20 over par.