Boy it seems like just yesterday that I was typing away here!!!!
We left Bay City Michigan and headed for Battle Creek to see how corn flakes are made.Well Kelloggs closed down the factory tours last year. You"d think they would have called to let us know,but NO.. No Corn flakes no snap,crackle and pop, no raisin bran.!!!
We headed East to Ypsilanti Michigan ( near Dearborn Mi). The Ford museum and Greenfield village were well worth the change in plans. It takes at least a day to see each one of them. Time well spent. So much to see , I know we missed a lot. But we were people on a mission. Vera wanted to make a basket at Longaberger. That was in Dresdin Ohio. I know enough not to get between a woman and her basket. So we moved on. It cost more to make your own basket, than to have them make it. (Just kidding).
Our next stop was in Beaver and Monaca Pennsylvania. Stormy and Darlene (Great and long time friends from the keys) were our host and hostess. And host they did. They showed us every nook and cranny of the area. The area is filled with their history. Great fun finding out about all of it. We also visited with Bill and Kathy (again friends from the Keys). It seems anyone offering a free meal is an old friend.
We traveled accross southern New York. The southern teir is full of old Amish farms and farm stands with amish food.
My family was from Niagra Falls. I still have seven cousins there. I haven't seen them in fifty years. I thought after that long I might be welcome ( if they didn't really remember me). Some very last minute arrangements and we had a reunion with five of them ( Gail, Marlene, Patty,Joannie and Danny Robert ). My brother, Dick and his wife, Anne
jumped in their motor home and came up from Roslyn,(just outside Philadelphia) We had a great time. We are planning to have a reunion with everyone next summer.
Next we set our sights on Rochester Ny, the home of Anthony( our nephew on vera's side) and his wife, Kim. Again we went sight seeing with the private tour guides. They took us everywhere. We saw the Eastman museum ( from Kodak fame)and the high falls in the middle of Rochester. We invited them to our motor home for a Labor day picnic. Of course we had them brings the corn and watermellon which we brought to them. They also introduced us to Red hots and White hots. About the only thing we supplied was the shade. All in all a really good time.
Enough is enough for today
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Cheese glorious cheese
Our next state was Wisconsin. We actually have friends in Wisconsin. We spent a few days with Rod Anding. We meet him in Florida, and became friends. He made the mistake of inviting us to visit when we got near there. He has a farm with horses and cows. We went on a wagon ride, with his draft horses. He took us all around Spring Green, and showed us all the family's homes and farms. Next we and Rod went to Lodi Wi. This is the summer lake home of his sister and brother in law, Karen and Al. They also are good friends we meet in Florida. We spent several days in their drive way. We went boating on Lake Wisconsin, and met the rest of the family. Then Al and Karen joined us, in their motor home.We of course were in our motor home. ( Try to follow this) We all went north to Baileys Harbor Wi. Where we had to visit some other friends from Florida. We also went to a fish boil, which is a special dinner in northern Wi. We felt sorry for the local residents (just north of Green Bay), for they had just lost a national hero,Brett Favre!!! Go Jets!!!
We all left there after a few great days. Al and Karen headed south, and we headed north to the upper penisula of Michigan. It was interesting but rather desolate. We were happy to find out that they don't really eat people there. That's what we were told. We did find out that the people there are called Yuppers. They have a delicious food called Pasties ( a meat pie in a shell like a calzone). Moving further East we stopped at St Ignace. From there we went by Ferry(not fairy) to Mackinac island. A very interesting place. They have no cars on the island. They have the safest road in America. No cars no accidents. On Mackinac all the deliveries come by ferry and they are delivered by horse and wagon. This was a real experience for us. We took the carriage tour and learned all about the island.
We headed south ,across the Mackinac bridge. We heard it can be real windy on the bridge, but we had a good day. Our next destination was Bay City Michigan. We have two nieces living in Bay City. Annette , and her husband Al, and their two daughters , Casey and Paige were all great hosts. Then Annette's sister, Debbie came over to see us too. She took us on a tour of the area,and showed us all the points of interest. We hadn't seen any of them in several years, so that made it extra special. Debbie will be moving to New Jersey in September. She'll beat us there.
Enough for tonight.
We all left there after a few great days. Al and Karen headed south, and we headed north to the upper penisula of Michigan. It was interesting but rather desolate. We were happy to find out that they don't really eat people there. That's what we were told. We did find out that the people there are called Yuppers. They have a delicious food called Pasties ( a meat pie in a shell like a calzone). Moving further East we stopped at St Ignace. From there we went by Ferry(not fairy) to Mackinac island. A very interesting place. They have no cars on the island. They have the safest road in America. No cars no accidents. On Mackinac all the deliveries come by ferry and they are delivered by horse and wagon. This was a real experience for us. We took the carriage tour and learned all about the island.
We headed south ,across the Mackinac bridge. We heard it can be real windy on the bridge, but we had a good day. Our next destination was Bay City Michigan. We have two nieces living in Bay City. Annette , and her husband Al, and their two daughters , Casey and Paige were all great hosts. Then Annette's sister, Debbie came over to see us too. She took us on a tour of the area,and showed us all the points of interest. We hadn't seen any of them in several years, so that made it extra special. Debbie will be moving to New Jersey in September. She'll beat us there.
Enough for tonight.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
A Quick catch up
We actually did leave Portland Or. We followed the Columbia River gorge eastward, into Idaho. Then we crossed Idaho and stopped at West Yellowstone Montana. From there we took day trips into Yellowstone. It is beautiful . It was much better than the last time we saw it ( 19 years ago, the year after the big fire. Everything was black THEN ). From there we headed south into The Grand Tetons. Even more beautiful than Yellowstone. We spent a couple of days at Gros Vantre campground, so we could spend some time in Jackson Hole Wy. We saw the arches made of Elk horns. We also ate Elk and Buffalo in the million dollar cowboy bar. Not bad ,actually good.We headed south from there just to clip the corner of Utah. We changed directions and headed East hitting Colorado and then into Nebraska . Nebraska has beautiful FLAT land, and plenty of corn. You can't get enough of FLAT land. Pretty farms with neat out barns and silos. We turned north from Nebraska through South Dakota into North Dakota. We had to see Mount Rushmore. Nothing beats faces on a mountain.We also went to Custer state park. One of the best state parks we have seen .There were wild buffalo, and wild mules that stuck their heads right in the car window, looking for food. On the move again, through Fargo ND, and into Minnesota. They do talk funny there. Of course, we don't have an accent. Down to Iowa for more Flat land and more corn.
I'm breaking off here because we spent more time in Wisconsin. I promise to be back very very shortly.
I'm breaking off here because we spent more time in Wisconsin. I promise to be back very very shortly.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Some real green & Big Mountains
We left California and entered Oregon. What a complete change. Every thing was green. Nothing was burning. And there was no smoke. Oregon is a pretty state. Myrtle Creek, a campground on route 5 was so nice, one of our favorites,so far. But we only stayed one night, because we wanted to get to the Oregon coast.
Our first stop on the coast was between Port Orford and Bandon.We were there for Vera's birthday. We went to "The boat works" a restaurant in the old town section of Bandon. It was a nice restaurant overlooking the Bandon lighthouse. We had a good time.
Our second stop was for two days at Turtle Rock RV Park, in Gold Beach. At the mouth of the Rogue river the section was famous for gold and agates. Of course we only found agates. We took Jerry's Rogue river boat trip. It was a 32 mile trip up the Rogue River in a jet boat. We had lunch at Cougar Lane. We saw a lot of beautiful eagles, and ospreys. An enjoyable trip is an understatement. Oh yes I forgot to say Cougar Lane is in Agnes Oregon. They didn't have a road there until 1964.
After Gold Beach we moved north up the coast to South Beach. We stayed there for a week. We were there for the fourth of July. We enjoyed the aquarium ,the beaches and the antique shops. On the beach we saw hundreds of star fish, some of them were purple. Never saw purple star fish before.
Next we spent a week in Portland. That's where we hooked up with Chris and Toby. They are some of our best friends from the Keys. They actually live in Lancaster Pa. They're almost next door neighbors to us. We had dinner on the eighth with Chris and Toby their daughter, Tellina, and her friend,Adrian. We had a great time. Toby had a great buzz. We toured the Columbia River gorge Crown Point, Mulnomah Falls. A fantastic and gorgeous day. The next day we went to the Rose garden and we tried to go to the Japanese garden.(It was closed for the day). We went to China town and VOODOO Donuts. What a different place.
The next day Chris and Toby got a call letting them know that his mother had just passed away. We took them to the airport. They got a flight that afternoon. We miss exploring with them.
Yesterday we went to the Saturday market. It is a flee and art market,under a bridge in Portland. Today we finally made it to the Japanese gardens(beautiful). Then we went the zoo,on a little train from the garden. Great garden, poor zoo. We couldn't find the animals.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Moving North from San Diego
We started north from San Diego,through Los Angeles and all that traffic. Our next stop was Santa Barbara ,Ca. Rancho Oso Campground. What the list of campgrounds doesn't list is what the roads to the campgrounds are like. This one even had Vera nervous. One lane, not one each direction, but only one lane on the side of a mountain. They had mirrors set at the turns so you could see oncoming traffic around the bend. Not that I could do anything about if someone was coming the other way.You can't back up when you are towing a car. The campground was nice. I needed a couple of days to get up the nerve to drive out. Really it was nice and had two pools and a hot tub.
Further north we stopped at Morgan Hill Campground. We were back to the center of the state. We had a winery at the entrance of the campground. We had a little tour and bought a bottle. We saw the first of many forest fires. There was a lot of smoke coming over the mountain. We got a chance to wash our jeep. Five thousand miles can get a car and motor home pretty dirty.
Finally, we made it to San Francisco. We stayed in Redwood city, about 20 miles south of downtown San Francisco. We have a niece who lives in Burlingame,a suburb of San Francisco. She was out of town for the first few days we were there. We went to China town and found a fortune cookie factory we visited 19 years ago. The next day we toured fisherman's wharf area. We got pictures of Vera with Forrest Gump (look alike) outside Bubba Gump Restaurant. It was cold there. They make a fortune selling jackets to tourists. We saw and crossed the Golden Gate Bridge. We toured some old ships and ferries(In San Francisco we have to clarify, this is a kind of boat). When Trish,Vera's niece, got home she drove us to Muir Wood where the giant red woods are. They are awesome. We were guided by Trish all through the city. We went down the most crooked street, and the cable cars.
Lake Minden, just north of Sacramento was our next stop. The center of California was real hot. 100 degrees, or more. We tried kayaking again on the lake there. The smoke was getting a lot closer.
Further up the road we stayed at Redding Ca. We needed to visit one of Vera's nephews,Andrew. Vera hasn't seen him since 1977. I never meet him before. He has a restaurant,bar in Fall River Mills. Population 600 and surrounded with miles of trees. Oh by the way once again, or should I say still with the forest fires. They closed the highway, because the fire jumped the road.( A thirty six mile detour). We finally got back to the Bear Mountain RV Resort where we left the motor home while visiting Andrew.
There were eighty forest fires between central California and the coast ,where we were headed. Change of plans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Further north we stopped at Morgan Hill Campground. We were back to the center of the state. We had a winery at the entrance of the campground. We had a little tour and bought a bottle. We saw the first of many forest fires. There was a lot of smoke coming over the mountain. We got a chance to wash our jeep. Five thousand miles can get a car and motor home pretty dirty.
Finally, we made it to San Francisco. We stayed in Redwood city, about 20 miles south of downtown San Francisco. We have a niece who lives in Burlingame,a suburb of San Francisco. She was out of town for the first few days we were there. We went to China town and found a fortune cookie factory we visited 19 years ago. The next day we toured fisherman's wharf area. We got pictures of Vera with Forrest Gump (look alike) outside Bubba Gump Restaurant. It was cold there. They make a fortune selling jackets to tourists. We saw and crossed the Golden Gate Bridge. We toured some old ships and ferries(In San Francisco we have to clarify, this is a kind of boat). When Trish,Vera's niece, got home she drove us to Muir Wood where the giant red woods are. They are awesome. We were guided by Trish all through the city. We went down the most crooked street, and the cable cars.
Lake Minden, just north of Sacramento was our next stop. The center of California was real hot. 100 degrees, or more. We tried kayaking again on the lake there. The smoke was getting a lot closer.
Further up the road we stayed at Redding Ca. We needed to visit one of Vera's nephews,Andrew. Vera hasn't seen him since 1977. I never meet him before. He has a restaurant,bar in Fall River Mills. Population 600 and surrounded with miles of trees. Oh by the way once again, or should I say still with the forest fires. They closed the highway, because the fire jumped the road.( A thirty six mile detour). We finally got back to the Bear Mountain RV Resort where we left the motor home while visiting Andrew.
There were eighty forest fires between central California and the coast ,where we were headed. Change of plans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fast Forward
I need to fast forward in order to bring this up to date. I'll just skim over some of the places we went. From Carlsbad we went to Albuquerque New Mexico. Our friend, Sister Dolores, lives there. She showed us all the points of interest in Albuquerque, and Santa Fe. We went to "Old Town" in Albuquerque and Loretto Convent in Santa Fe We saw the magic spiral staircase there. All in all we had a great time visiting with her.
From there we headed into Arizona. we toured the petrified forest and the painted desert. Great time and a place for Vera to buy turquoise necklace and earrings.
Moving west we stopped in Winslow Az. Like in the song "Standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona, such a sad sight to see". We saw the giant crater created by a meteorite, millions of years ago. A big hole in the ground.
We headed west to Williams Az. The campground there had a combination deal. We stayed at the campground and took a steam locomotive to The Grand Canyon. About a hundred miles round trip. We had a chance to meet real nice people and relax during the trip. The Grand Canyon isn't really high. It's really low. Which makes it really high!!! But impressive and beautiful.
From Arizona we traveled to Las Vegas Nevada. We spent a couple of days there. We strolled the strip, and saw the sights. We lost about forty dollars. I guess that's not too bad,(Not as good as winning forty, but not bad).
We entered California, and stopped near Calico Ca. There is a ghost town there. It was a Silver rush town back in 18 hundred something. Really interesting.
Our next stop in California was Oceanside ( Paradise by the sea campground) The water was cold and the sand was black. But that wasn't the reason for our stop there. Vera's sister,Jean lives near there. We surprised her at her house. Had lunch at the Elephant Bar, Jean's favorite place for lunch.
Enough for today.
From there we headed into Arizona. we toured the petrified forest and the painted desert. Great time and a place for Vera to buy turquoise necklace and earrings.
Moving west we stopped in Winslow Az. Like in the song "Standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona, such a sad sight to see". We saw the giant crater created by a meteorite, millions of years ago. A big hole in the ground.
We headed west to Williams Az. The campground there had a combination deal. We stayed at the campground and took a steam locomotive to The Grand Canyon. About a hundred miles round trip. We had a chance to meet real nice people and relax during the trip. The Grand Canyon isn't really high. It's really low. Which makes it really high!!! But impressive and beautiful.
From Arizona we traveled to Las Vegas Nevada. We spent a couple of days there. We strolled the strip, and saw the sights. We lost about forty dollars. I guess that's not too bad,(Not as good as winning forty, but not bad).
We entered California, and stopped near Calico Ca. There is a ghost town there. It was a Silver rush town back in 18 hundred something. Really interesting.
Our next stop in California was Oceanside ( Paradise by the sea campground) The water was cold and the sand was black. But that wasn't the reason for our stop there. Vera's sister,Jean lives near there. We surprised her at her house. Had lunch at the Elephant Bar, Jean's favorite place for lunch.
Enough for today.
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