Michigan,

a great state to travel, not only to enjoy its white sandy dunes along both Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, but to see all the flowers. Now many people have beautiful gardens in their yards and you see the same gardens in the town square. However, as we traveled around the “glove”, we noticed as you drove into many of the towns there were colorful petunias planted between the curb and the sidewalk! That was beautiful and added such a great touch to the little towns across the state. Of course you cannot go very far without seeing Michigan fudge!!! They say you can eat a pound of fudge just from the samples you can get on Mackinac Island alone. Another thing we noticed around the state was the street lights. Instead of having the street lights along the side of the road as you travel into a town, here we saw a wire across the street with a light hanging from it; a different but nice touch. We started in Davidson, MI, close to Detroit. Jack loves castles, mansions and old buildings so we drove to Rochester, MI to Meadow Brook Hall. The Great Estate is Michigan’s newest National Historic Landmark, built by one of the automotive aristocracy’s most remarkable women, Matilda Dodge Wilson. She was widower of automotive pioneer John Dodge and her second husband Alfred Wilson was a lumber broker. The house – more like a mansion- was constructed between 1926 and 1929 and represents one of the finest examples of Tudor-revival architecture in America. This 100-room mansion was built at a cost of $4 million. Most of the home is modeled after English manor houses of sixteen and seventeen centuries. There is also a fantastic garden that is kept up by volunteers. Many weddings are held at this facility. While in this area you should try to visit the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn. We only made it to Greenfield Village, a step back in time that covers 81 acres and sights, sounds and tastes of 300 years of American Life. Henry Fold would buy up actual homes in the 1920s and move them to the Village. One place you see is the workshop where the Wright brothers created their groundbreaking flying machine. Another is Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park laboratory. Then there is the courthouse where Abraham Lincoln first practiced law. As you walk around you will see Model Ts, a unicycle as well as army personnel riding on horseback. You may also see people actually working as they did back in the 1800s; we saw the blacksmith, a seamstress and a couple ladies cooking. Next door to Greenfield Village is the Henry Ford Museum. If you plan to do this, plan for 2 days and comfortable shoes. You just can’t travel without eating at some of the local restaurants. We were told to go to Tony’s on I-75 in Birch Run. Here you can order a BLT and get a pound of bacon!! Now the strawberry shortcake had almost a quart of ice cream. The restaurant boasts that they use 11,000 lbs. of bacon a week! Oink oink. While in this area of Michigan we drove around the “thumb” of Michigan and enjoyed seeing or trying to see Lake Huron between the homes squeezed together on the waterfront. Next campground was in Gaylord, MI. From here we had to make Mackinac Island our first stop. The area was originally known as “Michilimackinac”. It all started when the Native Americans called the hump-backed island in the waters joining Lake Michigan and Huron Milchilimackinac, meaning a place of the great turtle. In time it was shortened to Mackinac. The founders of Mackinaw City opted for the “aw” spelling while the bridge, straits and island stated with the “ac” spelling. However it is always pronounced Mackinaw. Another legend according to Native Americans, Mackinac Island was formed by a giant turtle. Storytellers long ago said that when the world was very young and all the living creatures were wandering over its surface looking for the best place to live, a larger number of turtles came to the marshy southern shore of Lake Erie. Most of the turtles liked the spot so well they settled there. But the leader of the band, a huge turtle was lured northward from Lake Erie by strange lights he had seen moving across the distant horizon. He could not persuade the other turtles to go with him so he made the journey alone. When he reached a point of land that partly divided Lake Michigan from Lake Huron, he could go no further because of the winds were cold and ice begun to form around him. Finally he could go no further and an icy barrier froze him into place, a little black spot on a waste of frozen water. When the spring returned and the ice melted, the shell of the huge turtle remained fastened in place by a tall reed. As the years passed the turtle grew into an island which the Indians named Michilimackinac which means the great turtle. Now most everyone knows there are no automobiles on the island. You get around by walking, horseback riding and bicycling. In additional to Fort Mackinac, there are many boutiques and of course tourist shops. If time be sure to take a horse drawn buggy around the island to enjoy even more history than what I have told you here. One of the places you go by is the Arch Rock. Rising 146 feet above the water it spans fifty feet at its widest point. Geologist say it was formed over thousands of years by wind and water eroding soft rock below, leaving only the hard breccias rock which forms the arch. However a more interesting story is the Indian legend of a young beautiful maiden called Ne-daw-niss (she who walks like the mist) met a handsome young brave who was the son of a sky spirit and fell in love. Her father forbade her to marry the non-mortal. The father beat his daughter and tied her on a rock high on a bluff on the Island of the Turtle. She wept softly and tears flowed down the bluff washing away the stone and forming the arch. In time the brave returned untied her and took her in his arms. Together they returned to the home of his sky people. We did find out that there are about 500 people that live on the island all year round. In the winter they use snowmobiles or helicopters to get back to the mainland to shop. The closest town with a grocery store is Cheboygan – Mackinac does have a grocery store but very pricey as the goods come from the mainland. One of the customs that is still carried on today started back in 1833s when Edward Biddle and his daughter were walking across the ice from the mainland. They got separated in the storm and by the time she was found she had developed pneumonia, which she died from several days later. He gathered up pine trees and stood them up in the ice to form a path to the mainland. To this day after Christmas and once the ice has formed, the town people stand the trees in a line across the ice to the mainland so you can follow the path of trees. It would take another week or more to go to the UP but we did drive up to Sault Ste. Marie one day and saw the locks. We did manage to see two ships in the locks but one was on its way out. From here we drove to see the Upper and Lower Tahquamenon Falls. Upper Falls is the second largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi. It was nice walk to each of them and you could walk from one to another – 4 miles – and a shuttle would drive you back for a fee. We continued to drive around to Newberry and then back to St. Ignace before calling it a day. Along the way in the upper part of the “glove” of Michigan we noticed all the snowmobile trails that are clearly marked with poles and even have stop signs. Many places you will see concrete paths across the road for the snowmobiles to cross on without hurting the pavement of the highway. Bound and determined to drive all around the “glove”, we headed out to Cross Village in the north western side of the “glove” by Lake Michigan. The town had just finished having a music fest which we understand is a very big event each year. We were told to go to Legs Inn to see the restaurant that serves polish as well as American cuisine. Legs Inn is a monument to nature listed as a State of Michigan Historic Landmark, built on a high bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. A Polish immigrant Stanley Smolak created this stone and timber landmark. He fell in love with Northern Michigan and decided to settle in Cross Village in 1921. The dining rooms, tavern, balcony and game parlors are filled with an intriguing collection of nature and hand-carved furniture. Whimsical creations made from f tree stumps, twisted limbs and roots, natural sculptures of driftwood and several huge stone fire places are found throughout the restaurant. In addition to Polish food, you have a selection of 100 varied beer choices. There are also cottages you can rent. From here we drove along Lake Michigan to Harbor Springs, Petoskey, Bay Shore and Charlevoix. Each town was full of quaint boutiques and beautiful homes. At one home we even saw an amphibious plane parked alongside the cottage. Now that is just way too much money there! Continuing down the Lake Michigan coast, and enjoying all the boutiques and antique stores we drove in and around Grand Traverse Bay, stopping in Suttons Bay and Traverse City. Way too many boutiques for Jack to handle but I was in shopper’s heaven! Time to move to next campground in Mears/Hart, MI and explore that area. Continuing our goal of traveling around the outside of Michigan we headed to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park and Frankfort, another booming place with large beach areas along Lake Michigan. By now we are just plain envious of the people and their homes/cottages around the lake. But feel sure it is another story here in the winter while we enjoy the sunshine in Arizona! One town we spent few hours in is Manistee, a small Victorian town connected to Lake Michigan by boardwalk, and was also listed as one of the top 100 Best Small Town Getaways. It is a cute town that needs a lot of revitalizing. The town people are in the process of building or rebuilding a movie theater back into the 1930s. They are halfway there with funding and hopefully will succeed so that the town can grow again. On to Ludington where you can get a ferry and ride the 4 hours over to Wisconsin for a considerable fee, which told us we would not be going on that trip. Pentwater is another quaint town with boutiques and again the flowers. Silver Lakes Dunes was a fun place to go and here you could walk the dunes much easier than Sleeping Bear Dunes – and we did. You can rent a dune buggy and ride the dunes or you can also drive your motorcycle, SUV, pickup or anything that has 4 wheel drive and you are crazy enough to ride in that sand. But it was a blast to watch them, including the pickup that got stuck and had to be towed out (ooops guess he was not laughing). On to Muskegon to complete this part of our adventure. Next campground was outside Kalamazoo, MI. From here we traveled from Grand Haven, known as the “Coast Guard City USA” down to New Buffalo, MI. Each town had their special attractions but all were unique and again most had those petunias planted between the curb and sidewalk. Holland seemed to have more antique stores than boutiques which was a good change for Jack. There is also the Dutch Village for the children. Saugatuck and Douglas seemed to be my favorite in this area but of course the boutiques were there. Have you ever seen a hand powered chain ferry? Saugatuck had one that would carry you across the harbor. Now we have seen Farmer’s Markets before but we were fortunate to go to South Haven on a Saturday and the whole town turns out for the Market. Also our timing was great in the fact that Allegan had their annual Antique Show while we were in the area and we enjoyed seeing everything from antiques to junk from over 400 dealers. Finished up the coastline another day heading to Benton Harbor, St. Joseph and New Buffalo. There are other places to see besides the coastline and we did. Drove to Grand Rapids to see Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. The complex is named in honor of Frederik Meijer and his wife who collected sculpture and liked the idea of sharing it with the public. They donated 125 acres and their entire sculpture collection along with financial resources to developing this regional treasurer. The park opened in 1995 and is an oasis of wetlands, woodlands, meadows and gardens plus an internationally acclaimed sculpture collection. There are over 120 pieces of sculpture. In addition, there is an indoor 15,000-square-foot tropical forest which houses orchards, bromeliads, cacti and other succulents plus some very unusual plants that we have never seen such as a sausage tree. To see the outside acreage suggest you take the tram ride to get an overview of the area. There is also an unbelievable children’s park complete with water fall to play in, a water way representing the 5 great lakes where the kids can float their sail boat, just to mention few things for them to do. Time to move on but we can say we saw many many things the state of Michigan has to offer. We will no longer think of the state as just dunes, Mackinaw Island, fudge and the UP.

Traveling the Oregon Coast was amazing, spectacular, incredible and one of our most memorable trips. As you cross the 4-mile long bridge at the Washington Oregon border, you are in Astoria, a maritime town nestled against the hills along the Columbia River. Some of you will remember Astoria for the movie “The Goonies” that was filmed there. Others refer to Astoria as a mini version of San Francisco with narrow streets winding up and down hills, homes built “on top” of each other and many of those homes are of Victorian style. Jack, and his love for castles and mansions, had to go see the Flavel House, a 11,600 sq. ft. house built in 1886. From the top floor, Captain George Flavel, a noted bar pilot on the Colombia River, could see ships coming in the river and would go down and pilot them in. We could not get over the 14’ ceilings, the pocket doors and the woodwork. From here we traveled to see the Astoria Column, an artful summary of the triumphs, conflicts and turning points of the frontier and stands 125 feet atop the Coxcomb Hill.

Further down the coast is Cannon Beach, named for a cannon that washed up on the beach in 1846. Some say Cannon Beach is a small version of Carmel, but not sure we agree. However it is charming town of boutiques. As you drive thru the town you see Haystack Rock and if the tide is out, we could walked up to the Rock.

The Oregon coast has 9 lighthouses to see and we made it a point to see each lighthouse, starting with the lighthouse atop Tillamook Rock, “Terrible Tilly” because of the storms that often brought flying rocks and debris through the lantern room. Cape Meares Lighthouse was our next lighthouse, but we were so sorry to see that two people with high power rifles shot out 15 panes of the outer window glass and did extensive damage to the Frensel lens. If in the area be sure to drive the Three Capes Scenic Loop that encompasses Cape Mears, Cap Lookout and Cape Kiwanda. Cape Kiwanda is a sandy dune where you can see some great surfers enjoying the ocean.

Driving on we stopped at Depoe Bay, a very commercial town but has great views of the ocean and we were able to see two whales swimming a few feet from shore. Also here, as well as other places along the coast, when the tide is coming in you see the “spouting horn” a rock formation that turn crashing waves into a rising column of water. As we traveled the coast, we stopped at many wayward stops to enjoy the crashing of waves against the rocks. Close to Cape Perpetua is another spectacular view. There you see another spouting horn. Over years a cave was formed by the pounding waves and then a hole in the top of the cave setting the stage for an “ocean geyser” or spouting horn. We could not get enough of the spectacular ocean glistening in the sunlight and crashing against the various rock formations along the coast. Now the sun did not shine a lot but when it did, the view was spectacular.

Along with all the lighthouses we saw, there were many coastal towns that were interesting to stop and visit; Winchester Bay, Coos Bay, and Bandon to name a few. Winchester Bay is a great place to rent an ATV and go out and enjoy the ride up and down the sand dunes. Some of the “trails” looked very challenging. Coos Bay, not only has the casino but many antique stores that we had to explore. Brandon, being the cranberry capital of Oregon, has many cranberry bogs which we now understand since our visit to a cranberry museum in Washington. Driving from Gold Beach to Brooking, you once again have many wayward stops to enjoy the sounds of the ocean as well a few more lighthouses.

We did leave Highway 101 and the Oregon Coast a couple of times and headed to the I-5 corridor. Once was to see the Spruce Goose at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville. The museum is dedicated in memory of Captain Michael Smith who died in a car accident at the age of 29. The museum was his dream and he came up with the museum design to house the Spruce Goose. The Spruce Goose was our main reason to go and what a sight that was. The wing span is greater than a football field. Howard Hughes called it the HK-1 and forbid anyone on his staff to refer to the plane as the Spruce Goose. That name came from a photographer upon hearing that the airplane would be built out of wood due to all the metal being needed to build planes for the war. He “assumed” that the plane would be built out of spruce. However the plane is mainly built out of birch wood and very little spruce. Anyway the plane was amazing to see along with all the other hundreds of planes, helicopters as well as the space center. Plan on several hours if you want to see all.


Another great trip was to Crater Lake that rests in the shattered remains of a volcano called Mount Mazama, which erupted and collapsed into itself 7,700 years ago. The view of the lake, formed by rain and melted snow, is breathtaking with the intense blue color that seems to turn emerald green around the edge. It is five miles wide and the deepest in the US. As you travel around the rim you are in awe of the pristine lake with various formations in the lake such as Wizard Island which is another volcano that erupted since the collapse of Mount Mazama. You will see another island called Phantom Ship which is a 16-story island that resembles a pirate ship. Pumice Castle Overlook, a layer of orange pumice rock that has been eroded into the shape of a medieval castle.

In the winter this area receives average of 44 feet of snow. While driving around the rim, it was hard not to notice the 20’ snow poles lining the road. The crew arrives mid-April and starts plowing the road. There are electronic cables along the edges of the road so the snow plows know where the edges are. You are told that there is still snow visible in July!!! Because of strong, harsh and nearly constant winds, the trees, mainly whitebark pines, are interestingly deformed. The trees curve out from the ground as they grow and even curl around another tree. They seem to have ridges embedded in them by the wind. Crater Lake has been compared to one of the most beautiful sights similar to Grand Canyon.

Traveling through Oregon for 3 weeks we noticed several things, besides the coastline. One is all the mist and rain which people in Oregon said was nothing compared to what it will be like later in the year. However don’t think we have ever worn our rain coats for so many straight days. Also, like Washington, Oregon has many many drive thru espresso shops and they were not Starbucks (however Starbucks did start in Washington). Oregon is noted for the Oregon Coast Bike Trail and the many bicyclists with camping gear riding along the side of the road in the rain. However some of those trails are very narrow and not what we would call a bike trail. Also in Oregon you cannot pump your own gas. It is a state law that an employee of the station must pump your gas. The first few times were great but after that you got tired of waiting for them to pump your gas.

We look forward to another year when we can once again enjoy Oregon, the coast and the area around I-5 corridor.

Washington – what a beautiful state with all the indigenous trees, mountains, lakes and not to mention the seafood -- Dungeness crab, clams, oysters, salmon and more!!!!!!!!!!! Why would anyone not want to live in Washington? Oh yea the winters. Oh well, if you could live somewhere for six months, this would be heaven.

Arrived at Birch Bay, just 5 miles from the Canadian border, to visit friends, learn how to catch crab and see the area. Now crabbing was fun, putting turkey legs in the wire crates known as pots before lowering the pots into the bay. Then we would either motor around the bay for few hours or leave the pots and come back to check them later. If the crabs were male and over 6 ¾” across, you have a legal catch and over the next week or so, we caught way more than we could eat. Learning how to dig for clams or get oysters will have to wait for another day as due to the Red Tide, we could not do either in the bay. Lessons were learned and many seafood meals were consumed, including delicious clam chowder and grilled oysters (shellfish bought elsewhere).

We drove over to Mount Baker, a stunning 10,778-foot volcanic peak that offers year around recreation. The day unfortunately was overcast but the view was still breathtaking. Am sure if you were able to ski or hike Mount Baker, the views would be awesome. Fortunately as we moved around the northwest, just few miles from Canada, we saw many views of Mount Baker.
Fidalgo Bay is another amazing area to stay in, especially with several of our Arizona friends. Fell in love with the charming town of Anacortes. One of the unusual things about the town is the wooden cutouts on many of the buildings by artist Bill Mitchell. If Bill Mitchell hadn't rolled his car, damaged his spine and wound up in a wheelchair, he says he might never have found his life's work - decorating the buildings with pictures of people and scenes from the past. The entire town of Anacortes has become Mitchell's canvas and its history his subject and his passion. Mitchell began the work in 1984 and the murals keep coming. To date there are more than 100. To see more of the murals, go to www.rvtrekker.com/northwestpages/muralsofanacortes.htm
There are so many towns and places to see in the Fidalgo Bay area. We took an hour-long ferry to the San Juan Islands and spent the afternoon at Friday Harbor. Little bit of history - Friday Harbor was named for a Kanaka – a Hawaiian named Joseph Poalie Friday, who was employed by the Hudson’s Bay Company to tend sheep on the land overlooking the harbor. His was the only dwelling to be seen for miles, and when sailors coming along the coast saw the smoke from his camp, they knew they had reached “Friday’s Harbor.” Yes there are several shops and restaurants that we visited but the main attraction for us was the Harbor with all the boats or ships that are docked, including the 174 foot Silver Shalis built by Delta and owned by someone connected with the World Trade Center. Now watching that boat dock made our day. Better would have been if we could have only gone on board!!!
Next we headed to Seattle to see the famous Pike’s Fish Market. And what a sight it was seeing 3-4’ haddock being thrown across the counters. And the size of the fish, lobsters, scallops and crabs in the market was unbelievable. The Public Market is a great place to visit. There is also the fresh flower market with bouquet that smelled wonderful (and helped cover up that fish smell), and many other shops and restaurants.
All good things come to an end and it was time for the Arizona group to separate and go back home or in our case, head over to the coast and the Olympic Peninsula, camping at a park in Ocean Shores.

We drove up the western coast of Olympic Peninsula to Cape Flattery and Port Angeles. The drive through the trees was amazing and could not believe the lush vegetation and all the areas where the trees had been clear to plant future growth. On the way to the northwest tip of the Olympic Peninsula, on one of the most remote and breathtaking coastlines, we stopped at Neah Bay which is home to the Makah Indiana Nation and overlooks the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Further down the road, and a must stop, is Cape Flattery, which got its name from Captain James Cook. In 1778 Cook visited the waters off the northwestern tip of the Olympic Peninsula and an opening along the coast had “flattered” him into thinking he had located a harbor or a passage, prompting him to name the place Cape Flattery. This is one of the most breathtaking views on the Pacific Coast and also the most northwestern point in the continental US. The Makah Tribe has renovated the 3/4 mile trail down to the Cape as you now hike the picturesque trail on cedar boardwalk, groomed earthen trail and bridges across the wetlands. Once at Cape Flattery you have a magnificent view of the Strait of Juan Fuca, several sea caves, sea life and across the way, Tatoosh Island, where you may see the lighthouse. And then as you travel the ¾ mile walk up the trail, you hopefully reflect not on how hard the walk is but that you have just seen one of the most beautiful places in the Olympic Peninsula.

We drove on to Port Angeles for a quick tour of the town before calling it a day and driving 4 ½ hours back to camp in Ocean Shores. Next day we traveled the eastern side of the Olympic Peninsula up north to Port Townsend where we thoroughly enjoyed the 34th Annual Wooden Boat Festival. With over 300 wooden vessels, you marvel at the size and beauty as you board various boats and see just what they have on board. Course my favorite had 10 sleeping bunks, sun bathing areas and even a hot tub. Now what more could you wish for unless it had a helicopter on board to take you shopping. It was amazing to see not only the wooden sail boats, the wooden power boats but even the wooden kayaks and canoes. Then with little time left, we drove around town to see many stunning Victorian homes. Port Townsend will definitely be on my “must return to” town as there is so much more to see but another 3 ½ hour trip was ahead of us as we headed back to camp.

Still trying to see as much of Washington coast as possible, we headed to Long Beach Peninsula to explore that area. Long Beach Peninsula stretches 28 miles and is the world’s longest beach. We traveled the entire length of the Peninsula, seeing both Lighthouses on Cape Disappointment. But the highlight for us was stopping at an Oyster Farm in Oysterville to learn how to grow and farm the oysters. Another highlight was stopping at the Cranberry Museum and learning how they plant and grow cranberries.

Driving through the Quinault Rain Forest you are surrounded by several types of ferns on the ground and massive trees “dripping” with moss. The vegetation in some areas along the road is so thick you cannot see through the trees. You want to ask “Does it always rain in the Rain Forest?” as it was raining the day we went. It is the perfect thing to do ……..in the rain.

Now you know why we love Washington so much. We have tried to see and learn as much as we can but there are many more places we need to visit. We will be back. It is time to continue down 101 and discover the Oregon coast.

Back on the road and on the blog again. Had a great 3 months (January – March) in Arizona but due to technical problems like the computer crashing – had to put the blog on hold. Next we spent a few months in Texas with family and moving Jack’s mother and also brother into their new homes. Next we spent almost a month in Alabama working on landscaping our property. During this time we had great news – our son finally proposed to Meg and the wedding is December 4 in Rochester, NY. We could not have been happier. Two months were spent in Buffalo/Rochester picking out clothing, place for the rehearsal and seeing where all the activities are going to take place. But it is time for us to start back traveling and seeing the states.

Headed to state of Washington to meet friends but first we stopped in Moscow, IA to visit with Sandy and Darius as well as HWH for quick check on our leveling system. Sandy and Darius showed us all around the area, meeting not only their son but Carol and Tom Maxwell’s family. What a great group of people. Next we had to stop in South Dakota to renew driver’s license. You can’t drive across South Dakota, and not stop in Mitchell to see the Corn Palace which started in 1892. The idea was started by two men to showcase the crops grown in the area and to attract immigrant farmers to settle here. Each year a new decorating theme is chosen and the outside of the Corn Palace is stripped and redecorated with new corn and grains. Over 275,000 ears of corn are sawed in half and nailed to the building following patterns created by local artist, kind of a “corn-by-number” process. There are 13 different colors of corn, each grown in a separate field, just for the Corn Palace. The Corn Palace is known around the world as a folk-art wonder on the prairie of South Dakota. This year’s theme is Mode of Transportation, showing canoes, covered wagon, snowmobile, motorcycle and even a Sagway.

Our timing was great(?) as we were in South Dakota during the 70th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. You are surrounded by motorcycles as you drive anywhere close to the west side of South Dakota. Saturday we headed over to Sturgis for 5 hours to see some amazing motorcycles and even more amazing sights!! To say we saw some unbelievable motorcycles is an understatement. There were all types of motorcycles from old homemade cycles, one made with back end of 57Chevrolet Bellaire with a V-6 engine; a turn of the century motorized bicycle; a bike that looked like a John Deer tractor; and a three wheeler that had a beer keg for a fuel tank. Then you were astonished with the high price, professionally built and painted gorgeous motorcycles. Then the incredible sights which included a guy walking his dog around with a cat and a mouse on the dog’s back; several ladies showing sometimes more than you needed to see and guys wearing all kinds of head gear and ridiculous outfits. We were told since it was the last day, there would not be the huge crowd but we were still very impressed. Judging from the crowd that day, we could only imagine what it was like during the middle of the week. It was a Rally we will never forget and one that we would like to come back to – and with a motorcycle if Jack had his way.

Time to meet up with our friends in Riverton, WY and travel to Washington. Meeting up with Diana and Gene, we headed to Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park for a day. Jackson Hole is a little valley which is comprised of the towns of Jackson, Teton Villages and Wilson. Never made it to Wilson but Jackson and Teton Villages has many quaint stores and restaurants that we enjoyed. Camping in the middle of Grand Teton National Park was incredible. As always, we wished we could have stayed there for several days. But Washington calls so we head out thru Yellowstone National Park, traveling the western loop to Bozeman, MT. What a different view we saw of Yellowstone from the time we were here June 2009 when we only drove to Old Faithful. Here we saw many trees and sparkling streams. Traffic was heavy but the scenery was amazing. Was disappointed that we did not see any bear or moose, only elk. We arrived in Bozeman at Betty and Konrad’s ranch, spending the night there on the ranch surrounded by mountains. Bozeman is a cute town with many old buildings actually in great condition and being used. Had great hamburger/bison burger at Ted’s (Turner) Montana Grill. Ted has a ranch nearby and owns the most singly-own land in the US (not the best but the most acreage). The meat for the restaurant actually comes from his ranch and was outstanding.

Washington is still calling so we head out to Coeur d’Alene, ID for another night. Drive was long and roads where terrible (where is the stimulus package here) but Coeur d’Alene is another charming town. Spent the night at Blackwell Island RV Park on Lake Coeur d’Alene and had a delicious dinner at Cedar’s Floating Restaurant.

Washington is still calling so headed out for the last 8+ hour drive. It was great to see Brent and Kathy waiting for us at the gate to their park and to be able to settle in for a couple weeks.

Spent three weeks at our Alabama “home”, Blue Herron Paradise RV Park in Guntersville, AL. We quickly realized we not only made the right choice in the lot we chose but in the park as we met several great people there. We have no plans to build a “port home” which is what they build in this park, but have some neat ideas in case we change our mind. The area is surrounded by lakes with Lake Guntersville, one of the best bass lakes in the US, stretching over 25 miles. Jack is already dreaming about a boat! However since our lot backs up to a pond, I told him he has his water front property and we can afford the boat to go on it. We are only 40 minutes from Huntsville, 1 1/2 hours from Birmingham, AL or Chattanooga, TN. So we are not really in the sticks. After planting 4 Lakeland Cypress trees and getting many landscaping ideas for when we return in April, we left our Alabama home and headed to Florida for repairs and the new MCD day/night shades.

Florida was much better weather-wise as it was only in the 80’s. While waiting for 3 days at Alliance RV Service in Wildwood, we were able to once again visit my Aunt and Uncle in the Villages. If you have never been, there are several separate villages with many shops, restaurants and nightly entertainment 365 days a year!!! What a place to retire if you want a house and love Florida. Next stop was Bay Lakes RV Resort for a few days to look around and see if we really wanted to buy a lot in Florida. This place is very nice resort for Class A motor coaches. Casitas are built here which is a 400 – 800 sq ft building which usually has a kitchen, bathroom and storage area. You live in your Motorhome, unlike Alabama where you live in the port house. The $3 million club house with theater, ballroom, exercise room, kitchen facilities and several meeting rooms/crafts room with a pool and hot tub outside is absolute gorgeous. It is much more elegant than our Alabama clubhouse but the prices of lots, HOA fees, etc. are also much higher. Once again if you want to live in Florida and own a Class A motor home, this is a great place and we may return.

Next stop was Classic Coach in Lakeland where they can renovate any type of coach at any price you want to pay. While we were there, they were renovating a 1973 Airstream and the finished look was unbelievable! With the cost of new coaches, many people are looking to renovate instead of buying. We however will settle for the new shades in the front of the coach – and love them. While waiting for three days, we were able to travel to Tampa and Clearwater to look over that area. Still trying to decide why so many people love Florida.

Time to head back to Texas for Thanksgiving with Jack’s family. We were able to finally get his mom to the Victoria mall after 5 years; a Christmas pageant at one of the local churches and even for a ride in the coach which she had never done!

As we travel to Arizona for Christmas with our RV families, we will greatly miss being with our family, especially Scott who will spend Christmas in Baltimore with Meg and her family. We wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas, safe travels and good health in 2010.

Summer was short but sweet in Buffalo NY area. After having great time at the Monaco Rally in Ohio, we headed home. This always means doctors, dentist and hair appointments but also means time with our son and Meg. My sister joined us for two weeks and we did get to go to Niagara-On-The-Lake, Canada one of her favorite places. The flowers were in full bloom lining the streets and parks. Have never seen Niagara-On-The-Lake more beautiful!!! Will have to remember this time of the year for future visits. Of course we went to the famous Anchor Bar for Buffalo wings, which is a must when we go home. Had some great visits with Scott and Meg, showing their house and area to Joan. But after only 5 weeks, we received a call that Jack’s mom had fallen, broken her arm, and they needed us in Texas.

Left September 4, after spending one more weekend at home with Scott and Meg, and drove almost 1200 miles to Victoria, TX. We spent a month there helping her as much as possible. A physical therapist came three times a week to help her get stronger. After two doctors appointments, a change to a smaller cast, and home health nurses set up to assist her, we left for Florida to visit Classic Coach in Lakeland to get our new day/night shades. Guess everyone is ordering these shades as we were told it would take 5 weeks to get them because they are custom made. We decided to leave and head to Alabama to spend some time at our RV lot we purchased in Guntersville.

Not emotionally ready but time to move on, we drove north to Cheyenne, WY for couple of nights. Cheyenne is known for the “grandfather of them all” rodeo which is in August and on our list. We did get to see the Western History Museum which is a history of the Cheyenne Rodeos and very interesting. After walking the historic 26 blocks of Cheyenne, we took a horse and buggy tour to learn more about this area. We found out that Wyoming is one of the least populated states in the US and started out as a railroad town and later cattle ranching. Cattle were brought up from places like Texas to Wyoming to enjoy the vast rich fertile grass lands. Most of the rich cattle barons then settled in Cheyenne due to the railroads and the convenient way to get their cattle east to the slaughter houses. It not only provided a means to shipping the cattle east to the slaughter house but also provided richer lifestyle to ship the finer things of life out by rail. We also found out that Cheyenne had the first building dedicated to a telephone switch house. This is where the old time operators could sit at switchboards and connect phone calls. As it was the first, they decided to put together a phone book. So they collected all the names and phone numbers and went to a local printing company to have it printed up. The printing company was out of white paper and the people had a choice of waiting a couple of weeks or having it printed on color paper that was in stock. Hence the beginning of the yellow pages.
After a brief night in Casper WY which we can’t recommend, we headed to Cody, WY, where we went to the Buffalo Bill Historical Museum which is a must if ever in the area. The gun section was unbelievable especially if you love guns. I had to wipe the drool off Jack’s mouth as he looked at each of the 1500 guns on the main level and the 1200 guns on the lower level. What a display!! Jack was surprised at the number of guns that were donated from Winchester Rifle, Olin Corporation.
From here we headed to The Irma, Buffalo Bill’s original hotel named after his youngest daughter. Inside you see the $100,000 Cherry wood bar that was presented to Colonel Cody in 1900 by Queen Victoria of England. It was made in France, shipped to New York by steamer, then shipped by rail to Red Lodge, Montana and then by horse drawn freight wagon to Cody. That evening we made it to the Cody Rodeo which is every night during June, July and August. The performers are made up of young kids from all over who pay $25.00 entry fee just to try their talents. It was a fun night and would do it again.
Can’t be that close to Yellowstone National Park and not go. Knowing we only had one day we chose to see Old Faithful Geyser first. Yellowstone surprised us with the mammoth size and over 100 geysers. We saw the California’s Old Faithful in Calistoga, CA which shot up 60 feet high but Old Faithful in Yellowstone made it look small. This shot up from 103 – 180 feet high, was much wider but did not erupt as often. There are two other geyser’s in the immediate area that also erupt but we only watched the one. There are geysers releasing steam all over the park which was surprise to us. We definitely have to go back and stay in the park for at least 3 days. While driving around we saw many buffalos roaming the grounds, deer and one grizzly bear.
On to Rapid City SD for few days. Having been here for two weeks in 2006, we went to Custer State Park which we did not have time to see before. We took the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway out to Custer State Park, named after George A. Custer who led a scientific army expedition into the Black Hills in 1874. The expedition did find gold but Custer was more interested in the area’s uncommon natural beauty. The Park covers 71,000 acres in South Dakota and it is breathtaking with the granite peaks that seem to soar to the sky, glistening streams in the sunlight and various shades of green with the trees, grass and pastures. As you drive thru the Park you see Bison running freely throughout the park and they will even sit in the middle of the road while you wait for them to move. Also along the way we saw wild donkeys, antelope and prairie dogs. We did not see any elk or big horn sheep that are also located there. All the streams were filled with fisherman. Another bit of info – the filming of National Treasure was done in the Black Hills. The scouts were sent out to the Black Hills area to find potential filming locations. The team examined Needles Highway, Mount Coolidge, Harney Peak and various fire towers located within the region. However the Sylvan Lake area was ultimately chosen as one of the premier sites for the film. As there is not actual lake located within Mount Rushmore National Memorial, the scenes were filmed at Sylvan Lakes which is located in Custer State Park.
Now as you drive across South Dakota, you must stop in Mitchell and see the Corn Palace which started in 1892. The idea was started by two men to showcase the crops grown in the area and to attract immigrant farmers to settle here. We were also told that Mitchell was vying to become the state capitol and thought this idea would benefit the town. Each year a new decorating theme is chosen and the outside of the Corn Palace is stripped and redecorated with new corn and grains. The process begins in early summer with the removal of the old grasses and grains. The corn mural has to wait until late summer when the crop is ready. Over 275,000 ears of corn are sawed in half and nailed to the building following patterns created by local artist, kind of a “corn-by-number” process. There are 13 different colors of corn, each grown in a separate field, just for the Corn Palace. The Corn Palace is known around the world as a folk-art wonder on the prairie of South Dakota. (www.cornpalace.com) In 2006 when we saw the Corn Palace, the theme was Rodeo. When we stopped this time they were starting the process of removing the theme for 2009 which was “American’s Destinations” and the panels showed Washington, D.C., the Statue of Liberty, the Space Needle in Seattle, the Golden Gate Bridge, the St. Louis Arch, the Alamo and Davy Crocket, Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon, the Kennedy Space Center and of course Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument and the Corn Palace. The theme for 2010 is “Through the Ages” depicting various modes of transportation. The murals will show an airplane, segway, sailboat, bike, and motorcycle, canoe with Boy Scouts Logo since BSA will celebrate their 100 years in 2010, hot air balloon, snowmobile, stagecoach, four-wheeler, car and train. It is a relatively small town but many tourists come just to see the Corn Palace.
Time to go see Abraham Lincoln. Even if you are not a history buff, walking in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, OH was extremely interesting. After stopping at Lincoln Depot which is now the Visitors Center, our first stop was Lincoln’s Presidential Museum. Here you journey from his rustic Indiana cabin to his Executive Mansion in the nation’s capital, his fate as the 16th President and the joys and sorrows of his family. He had 4 sons; three of them preceded him in death. There are so many facts and stories you will learn and see in this building. His adult life started in New Salem, then Springfield and on to the White House. And politics do not change as many people hated Abe and made fun of him back then. After several hours we walked to Lincoln/Herndon Law Office, the only offices that still stand where Lincoln practiced. Next stop was the Old State Capitol where Lincoln practiced law before the Supreme Court and gave his famous “House Divided Speech”. This is also where his body lay in state when he was brought back to Springfield after his assassination. Our tour guide told us that many interesting facts including one about the documents were tied up in string, red string to be specific. And here is where the term tied up in Red Tape began.
From here we walked thru town to see Lincoln’s Home while he was married and lived in Springfield. This is the only home that Lincoln ever owned. They lived here from 1844 until he left for the White House in 1861. Next we drove out to see Lincoln’s Tomb where his wife, three youngest sons and Abe are buried. His oldest son, Robert, is buried in Arlington VA. It is said that his wife Mary and Lincoln visited Oak Ridge Cemetery while they lived in Springfield. They were both impressed with the setting and that is why Mary insisted that Lincoln be buried here.
Next day we drove out to New Salem State Historic Site which is a reconstruction of the village where Lincoln lived for 6 years during his early adulthood. Through interpreters you learn about this village and about Lincoln’s life while here. One bit of trivia we learned from a German who was the wheel maker in the village, was that after all the spokes and wooden rim were joined together, they were held together by a steel wheel. This was called a tie-er and from that we have today’s term of a tire.
Also in one of the houses in the village we learn another bit of trivia. One of the interpreters who were working with yarn told us that the ladies would measure their yarn on a wheel device called a weasel. When the correct amount of thread was spun onto the wheel, the yarn would pop at the appropriate length. The kids made up a song and would try to guess when the yarn would pop and thus became “Pop goes the Weasel’.
(Hope you have enjoyed all the trivia we learned along this part of our trip)
After stopping in Monticello, IN for several days, celebrating July 4th with a boat parade on Lake Freeman, we will head to the Monica International Rally in Springfield OH to enjoy a week with all our Monaco friends.