Hey, we found this neat AirBnB place in Reno where we were lucky enough to get a long-term reservation!
We stayed Friday night in Billings, MT and had decided to take it easy and stay at Twin Falls, ID on the way to Reno. However, when we got up Saturday morning, we decided we had enough traveling and just wanted to get home. Left early and arrived home about 10 p.m. It was Interstate all the way (90 to 15 to 86 to 84 - a little bit of US 93 - 80).
Montana is such a beautiful state to drive through (and biiigggggg). The 80 mph speed limit helps you get through it. It has so many natural resources which are easily apparent as you travel through the state - cattle, timber, farmland, coal, oil, water, mountains, etc. One of their treasures is the Wheat Montana Bakery in Three Forks - without a doubt the best bakery in the country. We had to stop and get a loaf to take home - we passed up the cinnamon buns (you gain about a pound just looking at them).
Three Forks is kind of an interesting town - it's at the confluence of the Jefferson and Madison Rivers. If you know your geography, you'll realize that they form the Missouri River. Just east of Butte, MT, we crossed the continental divide at 6363'. Interesting because the day before we crossed the continental divide in North Dakota at 1491'; however, that one is the divide which separates East from West in the US.
Driving from Twin Forks, ID to Wells, NV, we ran into a hellacious rain storm. Who knew you had to return to Nevada to get caught in a deluge! After that, it was an uneventful trip on I-80 across Nevada. Where's auto-pilot when you need it? As we got closer to Reno, the smell of smoke was heavy in the air. We later found out that there are five fires burning up near Pyramid Lake - a total of over 32,000 acres! They sure could have used that rain which we hit in the eastern part of the state.
Back home we moved the Jeep out of the garage - it protested, but the Red Baron takes precedence. Unloaded the car, unpacked some bags (I think the Impala raised about two inches when everything came out). Ken and Melanie had given us some elk sausage when we left Christine. It survived the trip well, but Vi wanted to reapportion it into smaller portions, That will be a reminder of our visit there for a while. The sausage came from an elk hunting trip which Ken and Connor had made to Colorado. Ken, we noticed a sign in Montana which advertised "beetle cleaned mounts" - maybe you should try that on Connor's rack :-).
Think we'll stick around Reno for a while (although the Garlic Festival is going on in Gilroy, CA). Hot August Nights starts this week, so it'll be fun seeing all the old cars in town.
Our thanks to everyone for their hospitality on our month-long trip across the country. It's the longest trip we've taken in a while, but we caught up with everyone along the way. The only one we missed was George - guess we'll have to wait and visit them in Pensacola in the winter.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Friday, July 29, 2016
Billings, MT
Here we are in Billings, Montana after a straight line drive from Fargo, ND. Where's the automatic pilot when you need it!
We missed blogging yesterday and I know you all are dying to know what we did and where we went - yeah right! Anyway, it was a day of doing errands. I took the Red Baron to a local Chevrolet dealer for an oil change and lube. We're still under the warranty, so it's free (always a good thing). Vi and Melanie went to Fargo, did some shopping, and then met Michelle and Karen for coffee.
After a great dinner of northern pike and Carly's alfredo pasta, we went to Celsey's final summer league basketball game. I had never seen Celsey play and was amazed at how talented she was. Here's this "delicate" little blonde running back and forth, shooting three-pointers, and just being a great player. Obviously, it was recognized because she got the All-Star award for the summer league for the second year in a row.
Friday morning we checked out of Ken and Melanie's and stopped by Michelle's to say hello to Adrian. He had been in Seattle for the week, so we never got a chance to see him while we were in North Dakota. Visited for a while and then headed west on I-94 toward home. Great weather for our trip and it's always fun driving through North Dakota and Montana. Beautiful country - we just need that auto-pilot - that way we can catch up on our sleep and still make time :-)
The drive through Montana gave credence to the Big Sky moniker for Montana. I-94 in Montana follows the Yellowstone River and is an awesome drive through farmland, cattle rangeland, and wide open prairie. Looks like it was pretty drive because some of the feeder rivers into Yellowstone River, like Powder River, were almost dry.
We were going to try to make it home in two days, but decided to stop in Billings and then make another stop somewhere along the line heading toward Reno. We are staying in a Best Western in downtown Billings and found a neat pub across the street to have a drink. They had a terrific band (Slender Ribs), but while we were there, they were only practicing for a later performance at 9:00 p.m. Great music, even it was only practice. We later walked down the street and had "dinner" at a local tapa's place.
Tomorrow we're heading down to Bozeman and then into Idaho, probably staying at Twin Falls, ID before driving home on Sunday to Reno.
We missed blogging yesterday and I know you all are dying to know what we did and where we went - yeah right! Anyway, it was a day of doing errands. I took the Red Baron to a local Chevrolet dealer for an oil change and lube. We're still under the warranty, so it's free (always a good thing). Vi and Melanie went to Fargo, did some shopping, and then met Michelle and Karen for coffee.
After a great dinner of northern pike and Carly's alfredo pasta, we went to Celsey's final summer league basketball game. I had never seen Celsey play and was amazed at how talented she was. Here's this "delicate" little blonde running back and forth, shooting three-pointers, and just being a great player. Obviously, it was recognized because she got the All-Star award for the summer league for the second year in a row.
Friday morning we checked out of Ken and Melanie's and stopped by Michelle's to say hello to Adrian. He had been in Seattle for the week, so we never got a chance to see him while we were in North Dakota. Visited for a while and then headed west on I-94 toward home. Great weather for our trip and it's always fun driving through North Dakota and Montana. Beautiful country - we just need that auto-pilot - that way we can catch up on our sleep and still make time :-)
The drive through Montana gave credence to the Big Sky moniker for Montana. I-94 in Montana follows the Yellowstone River and is an awesome drive through farmland, cattle rangeland, and wide open prairie. Looks like it was pretty drive because some of the feeder rivers into Yellowstone River, like Powder River, were almost dry.
We were going to try to make it home in two days, but decided to stop in Billings and then make another stop somewhere along the line heading toward Reno. We are staying in a Best Western in downtown Billings and found a neat pub across the street to have a drink. They had a terrific band (Slender Ribs), but while we were there, they were only practicing for a later performance at 9:00 p.m. Great music, even it was only practice. We later walked down the street and had "dinner" at a local tapa's place.
Tomorrow we're heading down to Bozeman and then into Idaho, probably staying at Twin Falls, ID before driving home on Sunday to Reno.
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Christine (cont'd)
I think yesterday was the first day we did not go anyway - didn't get in the car, didn't go for a hike, didn't go out to eat, didn't do "nothing" - except to visit with family. We spent the entire day at Ken and Melanie's talking and just having family time with people as they drifted in and out. It was one of those picture-perfect days in North Dakota, sunshine, slight breeze, and temperature in the 80's. The Chamber of Commerce couldn't have provided a better day. Even the mosquitoes cooperated by staying out of the way - at least until late evening! Conner cooked lunch - chicken breasts and sausage made from elk that he and Ken got in Colorado last year, with wild rice.
In a way, dinner was kind of a repeat of the previous evening with all the family present. Continued celebrating Reilee's twenty-first birthday and Melinda's XXXX birthday. They were almost born on the same day, would have been a great mother/daughter story! Speaking of birthdays, this was the first opportunity for us to get all three people together who were born on April 30th. You may recognize the one in the middle. On her right is Christopher Friesen (Melissa's son) and in her arms is Asher Friesen (Blake's son) - the latest addition to our family. I think it's the first time I have ever heard Vi say - "Take a picture of me" (with the baby)!!!!
In a way, dinner was kind of a repeat of the previous evening with all the family present. Continued celebrating Reilee's twenty-first birthday and Melinda's XXXX birthday. They were almost born on the same day, would have been a great mother/daughter story! Speaking of birthdays, this was the first opportunity for us to get all three people together who were born on April 30th. You may recognize the one in the middle. On her right is Christopher Friesen (Melissa's son) and in her arms is Asher Friesen (Blake's son) - the latest addition to our family. I think it's the first time I have ever heard Vi say - "Take a picture of me" (with the baby)!!!!
Dinner was a fantastic array of foods, highlighted (at least for me) by the shoopnoodles and walleye fillets. That's not the correct way to spell shoopnoodles, but phonetically it's close. It's a flour and water mix fried in a pan. The really fun part was watching several generations standing at the stove making the dish. The walleyes were caught by Carley earlier in the week - see previous entry about the North Dakota Fish and Game Commission hot on her trail for exceeding her limit! We destroyed all the evidence. The meal was delicious and everyone had a great time. All contributed something, even if it was only in helping with the serving and cleaning-up. We won't even talk about the desserts - hardly a calorie in the bunch! The chocolate zucchini cake sounds like an odd mixture, but it was delicious.
Again, lots of conversation and recounting of family stories - actually, the stories started early in the day and continued until bedtime. It wasn't just a rehash of old stories, but a remembering of good times and not only those who were present, but all of the family - past and present. Now with Asher and younger generation in school and some about to graduate, it's also about the future. Really a great day and evening.
Today is running errands day - need to get the Red Baron serviced for the trip home tomorrow and pick up some items in Fargo. Vi will probably stay out at the Ken and Melanie's while I venture into the thriving metropolis. It's amazing to us how Fargo has grown over the years, no longer a sleepy little community, it's a thriving center of business, industry and retail. Being at the intersection of I-29 and I-94 doesn't hurt either.
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Christine, ND
Check your Rand McNally Atlas for Christine - you'll find a huge town of 150 along the banks of the Red River. There seems to be a little larger city called Fargo about twenty miles north. We're staying with Vi's niece's family - Ken and Melanie Knudsen.
Started out from Grand Rapids, MN this morning and crossed the Mississippi River twice before heading south toward the lake country of Minnesota. As we were driving through Remer (probably about the same size as Christine), we noticed a lot of trees down along the highway. Seems like they had a storm with 90 mph winds come through recently - so recently that they haven't had a chance to dispose of all the downed trees, they just cut them back to the shoulder of the road. Must have been a scary storm since some of the damaged trees were good size.
As we passed through Walker, MN, we noticed a huge building to the right. Would you believe a casino? Northern Lights is a 40,000 square foot casino at the foot of Leech Lake - I think it's the Ojibwe Indian tribe which runs it. We thought that perhaps we would stop and let them help offset some of our trip expenses - instead we ended up contributing to their building fund. Oh well, better luck next time.
Continued through Detroit Lakes and hit US 10 into Fargo/Moorhead. Arrived a little after 1:00 p.m. and went to visit the Holy Cross Cemetery where Vi's parents and brother are buried.. A sad occasion, but we always pay our respects to them.
On a happier note, we arrived in Christine in the midst of Celsey's school picture operation. I think D-Day might have had a little more forethought, but it's close. Neat to see her as young woman about to graduate from high school. Karen, Vi's sister-in-law, came out and we had good time catching up while Melanie helped with the photo op. I took a walk around the farmstead and out to the Red River. Got my exercise not only by walking, but also by swatting the mosquitoes which Melanie said had just arrived in great numbers the day before - talk about good timing for our visit!
That evening we went into Fargo where they had a huge welcoming party for us. Oh okay, it was actually Reilee's 21st birthday party and Russ and Melinda hosted the family and her friends for dinner at Paradiso's Restaurant. Reille will be a senior at NDSU this coming year, graduating in May (same month as Danny, but a little earlier). It's going to be tough next year planning our trip around the various graduations. Afterwards, we stopped by Shotgun Sally's Saloon for a drink. I gather it's named after the song (look up those lyrics someday), but nobody who worked there was sure where the name came from. We were just going to have one drink, but a rainstorm moved through Fargo while we were there, forcing us to stay a little longer :-).
Back to Christine where Connor graciously had given up his room for our stay. Connor is at NDSU and his twin sister Carley is at UND - always a friendly rivalry, well, maybe not always friendly! Carley had arrived at Paradiso's late, but she was easily forgiven because she had been on a fishing trip up at Garrison Dam and brought back the legal limit of walleye's. Maybe not so legal since they had miscounted and had eleven fish, not ten - but who's counting. I hope the North Dakota Fish and Game Commission don't subscribe to this blog.
Started out from Grand Rapids, MN this morning and crossed the Mississippi River twice before heading south toward the lake country of Minnesota. As we were driving through Remer (probably about the same size as Christine), we noticed a lot of trees down along the highway. Seems like they had a storm with 90 mph winds come through recently - so recently that they haven't had a chance to dispose of all the downed trees, they just cut them back to the shoulder of the road. Must have been a scary storm since some of the damaged trees were good size.
As we passed through Walker, MN, we noticed a huge building to the right. Would you believe a casino? Northern Lights is a 40,000 square foot casino at the foot of Leech Lake - I think it's the Ojibwe Indian tribe which runs it. We thought that perhaps we would stop and let them help offset some of our trip expenses - instead we ended up contributing to their building fund. Oh well, better luck next time.
Continued through Detroit Lakes and hit US 10 into Fargo/Moorhead. Arrived a little after 1:00 p.m. and went to visit the Holy Cross Cemetery where Vi's parents and brother are buried.. A sad occasion, but we always pay our respects to them.
On a happier note, we arrived in Christine in the midst of Celsey's school picture operation. I think D-Day might have had a little more forethought, but it's close. Neat to see her as young woman about to graduate from high school. Karen, Vi's sister-in-law, came out and we had good time catching up while Melanie helped with the photo op. I took a walk around the farmstead and out to the Red River. Got my exercise not only by walking, but also by swatting the mosquitoes which Melanie said had just arrived in great numbers the day before - talk about good timing for our visit!
That evening we went into Fargo where they had a huge welcoming party for us. Oh okay, it was actually Reilee's 21st birthday party and Russ and Melinda hosted the family and her friends for dinner at Paradiso's Restaurant. Reille will be a senior at NDSU this coming year, graduating in May (same month as Danny, but a little earlier). It's going to be tough next year planning our trip around the various graduations. Afterwards, we stopped by Shotgun Sally's Saloon for a drink. I gather it's named after the song (look up those lyrics someday), but nobody who worked there was sure where the name came from. We were just going to have one drink, but a rainstorm moved through Fargo while we were there, forcing us to stay a little longer :-).
Back to Christine where Connor graciously had given up his room for our stay. Connor is at NDSU and his twin sister Carley is at UND - always a friendly rivalry, well, maybe not always friendly! Carley had arrived at Paradiso's late, but she was easily forgiven because she had been on a fishing trip up at Garrison Dam and brought back the legal limit of walleye's. Maybe not so legal since they had miscounted and had eleven fish, not ten - but who's counting. I hope the North Dakota Fish and Game Commission don't subscribe to this blog.
Monday, July 25, 2016
Grand Rapids, MN
Just to see if you're paying attention, you'll notice that this entry is not titled Duluth, MN! Short story is that we arrived in Duluth about noon and found it much too crowded for our tastes, so we continued on and landed here in Grand Rapids.
Started out on M28 from Ipsheming, MI (just love spelling that name) as a continuation of our previous days travels along MI 28 from Sault Ste Marie. You really can't see much along the road as it is a two-lane road between heavily forested land. If it wasn't for those darn trees, we could probably get a good view. Oh well, occasionally, we got a view of a lake through the trees. As we drove through the area, we passed by many houses located out in the boondocks. As Peter and I would say when we were out in the backroads of California and Nevada, you want to knock on their door and say - what the heck do you do out here?
It was really strange but we travelled more than four hours from Sault Ste Marie (straight north of Chicago) in an westerly direction and we were still in the Eastern Time Zone. The boundary between East and Central takes a very crazy path through Michigan and Wisconsin. We didn't hit the Central time zone until about half way through the day!
As we traversed the Upper Peninsula, the time zone was not the only confusing thing. The bigger question is why the UP is part of Michigan at all. It really should be part of Wisconsin. Did a little reading and found that the UP going to Michigan was the result of a land battle between Ohio and Michigan. Seems like Michigan territory owned the peninsula where Toledo, OH is located. There was a long drawn-out battle (only in Congress, not with arms) about who should own what. The end result was that Toledo peninsula went to Ohio and Michigan got the UP. Michigan was upset about what it thought was a useless piece of land not connected to them; however, when copper and iron were discovered, they were somewhat mollified. As a point of interest, it wasn't until 1957 when the Mackinac Bridge was built that the lower part of MI was connected to the UP. OK, enough history for the day.
We crossed through Bessemer, home of the Powderhorn Ski Area - billed as the Ski Capital of the Midwest (how much competition do you think they have for skiing areas). As we drove into Ironwood on the MI/WI border, we looked for (and found) a huge statue of Hiawatha in a local park.
To get an idea of the size, that's me standing at his foot! Maybe we should get him together with the statue of Paul Bunyan in Bemidji.
An interesting side note was our trip to the Wisconsin welcome center. They had a great exhibit on the iron mining industry in MI/WI. I thought that most of the iron mining was done in open pits, but it turns out that they also had deep shaft mines as well. At the welcome center, they had some of the bores which were taken out of the earth in order to sink the shafts. Down through solid granite!
While we were in the parking lot, we got to talking with a motorcyclist who had a beautiful trike. Turns out that it was a home-made trike which he was using to travel cross-country from Arizona to Michigan. It had an Astrovan 415 cc V6 engine and was an amazing piece of mechanical beauty.
We arrived in Duluth about mid-day (after the time change) and went through downtown, but decided that it was too big and too crowded for this trip, so we continued on US 2 toward Grand Rapids. On the way, we spotted a nine-hole golf course, so stopped to play. Fun way to break up the trip. Nice course (the Retreat Golf Course at Floodwood, MN). It had quite a bit of damage from a recent windstorm which they were in the process of cleaning up.
That brought us to Grand Rapids. The rapids are long gone, covered by water backed up by a dam on the Mississippi River. The Mississippi is about the size of the Truckee here. Supposedly, this is the start of the navigable headwaters of the Mississippi. Couldn't prove it by me.
Tomorrow we head into Fargo. We'll be staying with Melanie and Ken out on the farm which should be fun.
Started out on M28 from Ipsheming, MI (just love spelling that name) as a continuation of our previous days travels along MI 28 from Sault Ste Marie. You really can't see much along the road as it is a two-lane road between heavily forested land. If it wasn't for those darn trees, we could probably get a good view. Oh well, occasionally, we got a view of a lake through the trees. As we drove through the area, we passed by many houses located out in the boondocks. As Peter and I would say when we were out in the backroads of California and Nevada, you want to knock on their door and say - what the heck do you do out here?
It was really strange but we travelled more than four hours from Sault Ste Marie (straight north of Chicago) in an westerly direction and we were still in the Eastern Time Zone. The boundary between East and Central takes a very crazy path through Michigan and Wisconsin. We didn't hit the Central time zone until about half way through the day!
As we traversed the Upper Peninsula, the time zone was not the only confusing thing. The bigger question is why the UP is part of Michigan at all. It really should be part of Wisconsin. Did a little reading and found that the UP going to Michigan was the result of a land battle between Ohio and Michigan. Seems like Michigan territory owned the peninsula where Toledo, OH is located. There was a long drawn-out battle (only in Congress, not with arms) about who should own what. The end result was that Toledo peninsula went to Ohio and Michigan got the UP. Michigan was upset about what it thought was a useless piece of land not connected to them; however, when copper and iron were discovered, they were somewhat mollified. As a point of interest, it wasn't until 1957 when the Mackinac Bridge was built that the lower part of MI was connected to the UP. OK, enough history for the day.
We crossed through Bessemer, home of the Powderhorn Ski Area - billed as the Ski Capital of the Midwest (how much competition do you think they have for skiing areas). As we drove into Ironwood on the MI/WI border, we looked for (and found) a huge statue of Hiawatha in a local park.
To get an idea of the size, that's me standing at his foot! Maybe we should get him together with the statue of Paul Bunyan in Bemidji.
An interesting side note was our trip to the Wisconsin welcome center. They had a great exhibit on the iron mining industry in MI/WI. I thought that most of the iron mining was done in open pits, but it turns out that they also had deep shaft mines as well. At the welcome center, they had some of the bores which were taken out of the earth in order to sink the shafts. Down through solid granite!
We arrived in Duluth about mid-day (after the time change) and went through downtown, but decided that it was too big and too crowded for this trip, so we continued on US 2 toward Grand Rapids. On the way, we spotted a nine-hole golf course, so stopped to play. Fun way to break up the trip. Nice course (the Retreat Golf Course at Floodwood, MN). It had quite a bit of damage from a recent windstorm which they were in the process of cleaning up.
That brought us to Grand Rapids. The rapids are long gone, covered by water backed up by a dam on the Mississippi River. The Mississippi is about the size of the Truckee here. Supposedly, this is the start of the navigable headwaters of the Mississippi. Couldn't prove it by me.
Tomorrow we head into Fargo. We'll be staying with Melanie and Ken out on the farm which should be fun.
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Ishpeming, MN
Guess where the National Ski and Snowboard Museum? How about that - you got it right! Not sure why, because it doesn't look like there's a hill high enough here to ski off, but there must be something close by.
We had a great ride over from North Bay today. Coming across Ontario, it was almost a straight line through forest and farm land to Sault Ste Marie. Due to my outdated map (see previous entry), we didn't realize that the new 17 bypassed Sudbury, so we missed that opportunity. However, it looked like there had been quite a bit of reclamation since we had last been through there. Danny should look up the Dynamic Earth Museum there (www.dyanmicearth.ca). Pretty drive along the north side of Lake Huron. Crossed back into the United States at SSM - huge bridge over the locks which connect Lake Superior to Lake Huron.
Got back into the US and took Michigan 28 west over to Munising and further to Marquette. The drive from Munising to Marquette goes along Lake Superior and the whole area seems to be one long sandy beach.
Lots of people stopped along the highway to swim and enjoy the beach. We had originally planned on driving over to Duluth; however, that turned out to be too long a trek. So we ended up here in Ishpeming. It's an old iron mining area which is now mostly a recreational area.
Not sure what our plans are for tomorrow, but we'll head over toward Fargo, maybe play golf, and arrive in Fargo sometime Tuesday.
We had a great ride over from North Bay today. Coming across Ontario, it was almost a straight line through forest and farm land to Sault Ste Marie. Due to my outdated map (see previous entry), we didn't realize that the new 17 bypassed Sudbury, so we missed that opportunity. However, it looked like there had been quite a bit of reclamation since we had last been through there. Danny should look up the Dynamic Earth Museum there (www.dyanmicearth.ca). Pretty drive along the north side of Lake Huron. Crossed back into the United States at SSM - huge bridge over the locks which connect Lake Superior to Lake Huron.
Got back into the US and took Michigan 28 west over to Munising and further to Marquette. The drive from Munising to Marquette goes along Lake Superior and the whole area seems to be one long sandy beach.
Lots of people stopped along the highway to swim and enjoy the beach. We had originally planned on driving over to Duluth; however, that turned out to be too long a trek. So we ended up here in Ishpeming. It's an old iron mining area which is now mostly a recreational area.
Not sure what our plans are for tomorrow, but we'll head over toward Fargo, maybe play golf, and arrive in Fargo sometime Tuesday.
Tracefone in Canada
We found out that our cell phones do not work in Canada! Who knew! So if anyone is trying to call us, they will have to wait until this afternoon when we return to the United States.
Saturday, July 23, 2016
North Bay, Ontario
We got up early this morning and packed up for our trip west. Everyone woke up and wished us a fond farewell. Nice having Katie and Danny home while we were in Morrisville. As usual, Tom and Carolyn were excellent hosts.
Traveled north out of Morrisville this morning and crossed into New York, taking the Interstate up toward Montreal. Should have picked one of the lesser used border crossings because it took a while to get through the one on the interstate. There was only one lane open, but they finally opened up another lane. We must not have looked like much of a threat to Canada, because we got through with no problems. Interesting driving through Quebec trying to read road signs - had to use some of my limited (very limited) French to understand the signs.
Skirted the lower edge of Montreal with some back roads and worked our way over to Ottawa, Ontario. On our way toward Ottawa on a back road, we ended up at road which went through a tunnel under a lock on the St Lawrence Seaway (boy, there's a lot of prepositions in that sentence). Fun watching a huge freighter pass over us! Kind of like the old Stapleton Airport in Denver where the airplanes taxied over the Interstate.
Drove through Ottawa (found out that the map I had of Ontario was of a 2012 vintage and didn't have any of the new Canadian thruways). Eventually made it through and traveled north up to North Bay. Most of the countryside around Quebec and the Ontario area around Ottawa was flat and farmland - where it wasn't metropolitan cityscape. As we drove further north toward North Bay, it turned into mostly recreational areas, featuring campgrounds, water sports, and other outdoor activities. North of Pembroke, the highway ran through heavily forested areas with not much population.
This evening we're spending the night in North Bay, actually it's Callander, but who's doing the fact-checking? Went to dinner at a local brewery - Cecil's - which was fun. Then checked out the lake view on the way back to the hotel.
Tomorrow we're heading back to the States - probably going to stay at Marquette, MI, but not sure yet. Should be a time change in our future somewhere after we cross through Sault Ste Marie. We go through Sudbury before SSM - with all the mining there, it always looks like a war zone (or at least it has in the past).
Traveled north out of Morrisville this morning and crossed into New York, taking the Interstate up toward Montreal. Should have picked one of the lesser used border crossings because it took a while to get through the one on the interstate. There was only one lane open, but they finally opened up another lane. We must not have looked like much of a threat to Canada, because we got through with no problems. Interesting driving through Quebec trying to read road signs - had to use some of my limited (very limited) French to understand the signs.
Skirted the lower edge of Montreal with some back roads and worked our way over to Ottawa, Ontario. On our way toward Ottawa on a back road, we ended up at road which went through a tunnel under a lock on the St Lawrence Seaway (boy, there's a lot of prepositions in that sentence). Fun watching a huge freighter pass over us! Kind of like the old Stapleton Airport in Denver where the airplanes taxied over the Interstate.
Drove through Ottawa (found out that the map I had of Ontario was of a 2012 vintage and didn't have any of the new Canadian thruways). Eventually made it through and traveled north up to North Bay. Most of the countryside around Quebec and the Ontario area around Ottawa was flat and farmland - where it wasn't metropolitan cityscape. As we drove further north toward North Bay, it turned into mostly recreational areas, featuring campgrounds, water sports, and other outdoor activities. North of Pembroke, the highway ran through heavily forested areas with not much population.
This evening we're spending the night in North Bay, actually it's Callander, but who's doing the fact-checking? Went to dinner at a local brewery - Cecil's - which was fun. Then checked out the lake view on the way back to the hotel.
Tomorrow we're heading back to the States - probably going to stay at Marquette, MI, but not sure yet. Should be a time change in our future somewhere after we cross through Sault Ste Marie. We go through Sudbury before SSM - with all the mining there, it always looks like a war zone (or at least it has in the past).
Leaving Morrisville
With a heavy heart, we leave Morrisville this morning to head home (via a slightly circuitous route). It's been great being here and visiting with all the family. It was completed yesterday with Danny's arrival home for the weekend. That led to a great evening of Tom III's lasagna (three different types to accommodate everyone's dietary wishes), followed by a slide show of Danny's travels in New Zealand while he spent a semester abroad. Makes you want to visit the land down under!
When we left Stu and Mary Ann's yesterday morning, we went west across NH and Vermont before heading north to Morrisville. More beautiful scenery, typical New England vistas, and through the cities of Barre and Montpelier (the capitol) I think Montpelier is the only state capitol smaller than our Carson City! Barre is the center of granite production - some day we'll have to visit the Rock of Ages Quarry and get the big picture.
Last night after dinner and the picture show, God decided to try and outdo Danny with an awesome thunder and lightning display followed by a huge downpour. Neat watching the lightning and hearing the thunder as it rolled across the valley in front of their house. When Char and the boys left, they had to remove some small trees which had fallen across the road to Tom III's.
We're heading to North Bay today in Ontario, Canada and will write more from there. As we figure it, it's almost a straight line from Morrisville, VT to Fargo - it's just that it takes three days to traverse that straight line. Leaving here on Saturday means we'll be able to get home sooner and it's been a long month and we're ready to be home! Hopefully, after several days in Fargo, we'll be home for the weekend (or at least part of it).
When we left Stu and Mary Ann's yesterday morning, we went west across NH and Vermont before heading north to Morrisville. More beautiful scenery, typical New England vistas, and through the cities of Barre and Montpelier (the capitol) I think Montpelier is the only state capitol smaller than our Carson City! Barre is the center of granite production - some day we'll have to visit the Rock of Ages Quarry and get the big picture.
Last night after dinner and the picture show, God decided to try and outdo Danny with an awesome thunder and lightning display followed by a huge downpour. Neat watching the lightning and hearing the thunder as it rolled across the valley in front of their house. When Char and the boys left, they had to remove some small trees which had fallen across the road to Tom III's.
We're heading to North Bay today in Ontario, Canada and will write more from there. As we figure it, it's almost a straight line from Morrisville, VT to Fargo - it's just that it takes three days to traverse that straight line. Leaving here on Saturday means we'll be able to get home sooner and it's been a long month and we're ready to be home! Hopefully, after several days in Fargo, we'll be home for the weekend (or at least part of it).
Friday, July 22, 2016
Ashland, NH (Continued) - Heading Home
This is as far East we go on this trip. Today we start our long trip home, but only for a short distance as we are going back to Morrisville. There is even talk that there might be a Danny-sighting there this evening!
Yesterday we spent the day just kind of touring around Ashland. Stuart had his weekly bridge tournament, so Mary Ann, Vi and I explored the local scene. Did the obligatory covered bridge tour (#41 in New Hampshire - they have names, but they keep track of them by numbers). I'm willing to bet that there are people who make an avocation out of visiting them all. They are structural wonders considering the time in which they were built and the length of time some of have survived.
Driving through the countryside, it's kind of peaceful on the back roads with lots of examples of old farmhouses, town centers with their churches, cemeteries, interspersed with brand-new housing developments and condo's. We drove up to Thornton and had lunch at Owl's Nest Golf Course. Didn't play, but admired the views and the course (designed by Jack Nicklaus in 1998). Supposed to be one of the best courses in New Hampshire and I can believe that. Vi and Mary Ann sat in the front seat of her convertible and I was wind-blown in the back seat,not that I have to worry about my hair being messed up :-).
In the afternoon, Vi and Mary Ann went to a nearby town to check out a quilting shop. I opted out of that exciting adventure and stayed home to watch golf on TV. Also checked out the golfers from White Mountain Golf Course (where they live) as they came in on 18. Interesting watching the body language of the golfers as they hit their second shot into the green. There's a creek across the hole and a marsh to the right and you can tell as soon as they hit their shot, where their balls have gone. Stuart stopped at a local fish market on his way home, so we had fresh swordfish and sweet corn for dinner. Again, lots of good wine and conversation - strange how one seems to lead to another.
We're leaving either Sunday or Monday to head over to Fargo. Probably going to head up to Canada and drive through North Bay, Ontario, Sault Ste Marie, Marquette, MI and then over to North Dakota. Our plan is to arrive there on Thursday, but it all depends on weather and what we find along the way. As my Mother used to say, "We'll see".
Yesterday we spent the day just kind of touring around Ashland. Stuart had his weekly bridge tournament, so Mary Ann, Vi and I explored the local scene. Did the obligatory covered bridge tour (#41 in New Hampshire - they have names, but they keep track of them by numbers). I'm willing to bet that there are people who make an avocation out of visiting them all. They are structural wonders considering the time in which they were built and the length of time some of have survived.
Driving through the countryside, it's kind of peaceful on the back roads with lots of examples of old farmhouses, town centers with their churches, cemeteries, interspersed with brand-new housing developments and condo's. We drove up to Thornton and had lunch at Owl's Nest Golf Course. Didn't play, but admired the views and the course (designed by Jack Nicklaus in 1998). Supposed to be one of the best courses in New Hampshire and I can believe that. Vi and Mary Ann sat in the front seat of her convertible and I was wind-blown in the back seat,not that I have to worry about my hair being messed up :-).
In the afternoon, Vi and Mary Ann went to a nearby town to check out a quilting shop. I opted out of that exciting adventure and stayed home to watch golf on TV. Also checked out the golfers from White Mountain Golf Course (where they live) as they came in on 18. Interesting watching the body language of the golfers as they hit their second shot into the green. There's a creek across the hole and a marsh to the right and you can tell as soon as they hit their shot, where their balls have gone. Stuart stopped at a local fish market on his way home, so we had fresh swordfish and sweet corn for dinner. Again, lots of good wine and conversation - strange how one seems to lead to another.
We're leaving either Sunday or Monday to head over to Fargo. Probably going to head up to Canada and drive through North Bay, Ontario, Sault Ste Marie, Marquette, MI and then over to North Dakota. Our plan is to arrive there on Thursday, but it all depends on weather and what we find along the way. As my Mother used to say, "We'll see".
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Ashland, NH
We left Morrisville this morning and headed over to my sister's in Ashland, NH. Neat drive across Vermont to New Hampshire. We really enjoy all the farmsteads and their beautiful barns and the small towns along the highways and byways of both states. Crossed over the Connecticut river and decided not to take the Interstate, but rather try to use the state routes. The only problem with that was there is one section over the Franconia Notch in New Hampshire where I-93 is the only route. Route 3 used to be the main north-south route, but when I-93 went in, it took its' place. The other interesting fact is that I-93 through the Notch is only two lanes - one each way. They tried to make it a four-lane highway, but the environmentalists successfully fought the effort. To the best of my knowledge (which ain't saying much), it's the only two-lane interstate in the country.
We passed at the base of Cannon Mountain which has a great tramway - obviously, it's a ski area. Then we went through Franconia Notch and checked out a couple of the local sights, including a huge iron blast furnace. Got off I-93 and travelled Route 3 all the way down to Plymouth and then to Ashland.
Just south of Woodstock (no, not that one, it's over in New York State), we saw a golf course and decided to play nine holes. It was called Jack O'Lantern Resort and I thought perhaps it was going to be like the miniature golf course we played yesterday. However, it was a full 18-hole course along the banks of the Pemigewasset River and had a railroad track running through it. Fun course even if they had spray-painted the brown areas on the greens with some type of coloring - got to keep those tourists thinking they are playing on a green golf course! There was even a covered bridge connecting two of the holes.
After lunch, we headed down to Mary Ann and Stuart's. Sat out on the back patio and watched the golfers come up the 18th hole while we sipped wine. Had a bar-b-que dinner and some great conversation while enjoying perusing old family photos. Nice to have family get-togethers - which we have been doing all along the route.
We passed at the base of Cannon Mountain which has a great tramway - obviously, it's a ski area. Then we went through Franconia Notch and checked out a couple of the local sights, including a huge iron blast furnace. Got off I-93 and travelled Route 3 all the way down to Plymouth and then to Ashland.
Just south of Woodstock (no, not that one, it's over in New York State), we saw a golf course and decided to play nine holes. It was called Jack O'Lantern Resort and I thought perhaps it was going to be like the miniature golf course we played yesterday. However, it was a full 18-hole course along the banks of the Pemigewasset River and had a railroad track running through it. Fun course even if they had spray-painted the brown areas on the greens with some type of coloring - got to keep those tourists thinking they are playing on a green golf course! There was even a covered bridge connecting two of the holes.
After lunch, we headed down to Mary Ann and Stuart's. Sat out on the back patio and watched the golfers come up the 18th hole while we sipped wine. Had a bar-b-que dinner and some great conversation while enjoying perusing old family photos. Nice to have family get-togethers - which we have been doing all along the route.
Happy Anniversary in Vermont
Yesterday we celebrated our 47th wedding anniversary on the road in Morrisville. It's been a great week of celebrating and visiting with family, especially with Char and the boys back in the United States. Wonderful having them up here in Vermont during our visit.
Early in the morning Tom III had me helping him line up some cabinets in their new "AirBnB" apartment in the basement. When Char arrived to take Vi and I to breakfast, I was a little disheveled and in need of a shower before heading out to Deb's Place - a local restaurant. Got there too late for breakfast, but brunch worked well.
Earlier, I found a file on my laptop which had our wedding pictures from Vietnam. It was fun sharing those. The file was one in which I had digitized some 35 mm slides and some of them I had run through backwards, so Vi and I were signing our Vietnamese wedding certificate left-handed.. We had photos of both the civil wedding ceremony in Saigon as well as the wedding out at Tan Son Nhut AB.
After the brunch mentioned above, we took Char, George III and JT to a local recreation area to play some miniature golf. JT won the 18-hole round - so much for my putting skills. In the afternoon, Tom III, Carolyn, Vi and I went to the Copley Country Club (doesn't that sound impressive?) to play nine holes before dinner. It was cold, but then turned nice after a while when the sun came out. Copley is kind of a neighborhood nine-hole course - little short (2706 yards), but that suits my game :-). Tom took a picture of us out on the course:
Dinner and pinochle with the family followed. Didn't get to see the full moon yesterday, but early this morning it's high in the sky. Today we're heading over to New Hampshire to see Mary Ann and Stuart and maybe play some golf over there.
Right now our plan is to leave either Sunday or Monday and head over to North Dakota through Canada, but that's several days in the future.
Early in the morning Tom III had me helping him line up some cabinets in their new "AirBnB" apartment in the basement. When Char arrived to take Vi and I to breakfast, I was a little disheveled and in need of a shower before heading out to Deb's Place - a local restaurant. Got there too late for breakfast, but brunch worked well.
Earlier, I found a file on my laptop which had our wedding pictures from Vietnam. It was fun sharing those. The file was one in which I had digitized some 35 mm slides and some of them I had run through backwards, so Vi and I were signing our Vietnamese wedding certificate left-handed.. We had photos of both the civil wedding ceremony in Saigon as well as the wedding out at Tan Son Nhut AB.
After the brunch mentioned above, we took Char, George III and JT to a local recreation area to play some miniature golf. JT won the 18-hole round - so much for my putting skills. In the afternoon, Tom III, Carolyn, Vi and I went to the Copley Country Club (doesn't that sound impressive?) to play nine holes before dinner. It was cold, but then turned nice after a while when the sun came out. Copley is kind of a neighborhood nine-hole course - little short (2706 yards), but that suits my game :-). Tom took a picture of us out on the course:
Dinner and pinochle with the family followed. Didn't get to see the full moon yesterday, but early this morning it's high in the sky. Today we're heading over to New Hampshire to see Mary Ann and Stuart and maybe play some golf over there.
Right now our plan is to leave either Sunday or Monday and head over to North Dakota through Canada, but that's several days in the future.
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Morrisville, VT (continued)
The day dawned cloudy with a hint of rain in the air. After sending Katie off to work, the rest of
us planned our day. Char and the boys
came over. They’re spending the better
part of July up here in Vermont before heading down to Pensacola to settle into
their new home (when they find one J).
After breakfast, we all kind of went our separate ways. Carolyn, JT and George III went off on a
hike, while Char and Vi went for a drive up to Stowe and check out some
shopping and Smuggler’s Notch. Tom and I
took a couple of kayaks and went over to Lake Elmore. The wind was fairly brisk so it was easy
kayaking going downwind; however, coming back – not so much. Wasn’t too choppy, but there was still that
threat of a storm.
We all met back at the house and, just in time, because the
storm moved in and unleashed some terrific rain. Vi and Char got caught in a bit of the storm
up at Stowe, but the rest of us were safely home before the rains came. Spent the afternoon hanging around the house
– some were teaching JT and George the fundamentals of pinochle. Tom III is remodeling the basement to make a
separate living area down there, complete with kitchen, bathroom and living
room. The two of us did some work on the
kitchen area in preparation for the plumbers who arrive on Tuesday. It’s a labor of love for Tom and it was fun
working on it with him.
At dinner time, Trevor arrived from Burlington where he’s
going to college and we all had tacos and burritos for dinner, followed by
playing pinochle and general conversation.
Fun to have the Vermont contingent all together. With Char being in Okinawa for the past two
years, we had a lot of catching up to do.
We were missing Tim and Kathy, but managed to get a family photo of the
rest of us.
Monday, July 18, 2016
Morrisville, VT
Had a leisurely trip over to Morrisville from Rochester yesterday. We decided to not take any interstates, so we traveled along Lake Ontario up to Watertown, and then took US 11 over to the Vermont border. It also had the advantage of no traffic (helped no doubt by getting an early start on Sunday!). Rolling farmland, dairy land, and recreational areas along the lake.
Saturday, while we were still in Rochester, we went to the Farmer's Marker which is huge affair. Almost as much fun people-watching as it was seeing all the produce and retail items which were offered for sale, maybe even more so. Ended up with some vegetables and other items. The rest of the day was spent in yard work and doing some shopping. Tim and I drove by the Rochester Gay Pride festival on our way back from one of our errands. Huge gathering in one of the parks, there must have been thousands of people there - talk about fun people-watching. In the evening, we grilled dinner in the cool of the evening.
As I'm sitting here writing this, Jake (Tom and Carolyn's Westy) is ringing the door to go out. They originally taught Jake to paw a bell when he wanted to go out. Eventually, they put in a doggy door, but Jake occasionally rings the bell anyway.
Had a fun evening last night playing pinochle and we're looking forward to seeing Char and the boys this morning.
Saturday, while we were still in Rochester, we went to the Farmer's Marker which is huge affair. Almost as much fun people-watching as it was seeing all the produce and retail items which were offered for sale, maybe even more so. Ended up with some vegetables and other items. The rest of the day was spent in yard work and doing some shopping. Tim and I drove by the Rochester Gay Pride festival on our way back from one of our errands. Huge gathering in one of the parks, there must have been thousands of people there - talk about fun people-watching. In the evening, we grilled dinner in the cool of the evening.
As I'm sitting here writing this, Jake (Tom and Carolyn's Westy) is ringing the door to go out. They originally taught Jake to paw a bell when he wanted to go out. Eventually, they put in a doggy door, but Jake occasionally rings the bell anyway.
Had a fun evening last night playing pinochle and we're looking forward to seeing Char and the boys this morning.
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Rochester, NY (continued)
Thursday we went out for breakfast and drove around
Rochester exploring various places.
Ended up at Granite Mills Park for an outdoor concert. The park is at the opposite end of the
walking bridge from Seneca Brewing Company.
We really enjoy walking around and seeing the various old buildings
which were centered round the falls.
Because of the waterfalls, there was lots of power generated which ran
flour mills, carpentry shops, and various other enterprises. It was intriguing how the water was channeled
through various races and chases to power the businesses.
The concert was performed by the Dady Brothers – a guitar
and banjo playing pair. Wouldn’t you
know that as soon as the concert was due to start, the rain started to
fall. People broke out umbrellas or
scurried for cover. Thankfully, it
didn’t last long. We left early as our
parking meter was due to expire.
Friday we drove out to Geneva and then south to Sampson
State Park. It used to be Sampson AFB
where I went through basic training back in 1955. Both Tim and Tom III had been there
previously. Vi and I had been there back
in 1980 when I went to Cornell in Ithaca and then again later when we were
traveling across the country. However,
recently some veterans had taken it upon themselves to renovate one of the old
buildings (actually it was the brig) into a museum outlining the history of
both the Navy – the original occupants of the base and the Air Force which was
there from the early 50’s through 1956.
We spent some time looking through old yearbooks to find the one from when I had been there. It took a while, but Vi finally found my old flight and picture.
The park has a marina, campgrounds and hunting areas on the shores of Seneca Lake - beautiful country. Brought back a lot of memories.
Across the highway was the old Seneca Army Depot which was a once-secret
installation which housed nuclear weapons.
It has recently been sold and a developer is turning it into a
industrial park and, I gather, some housing and farm areas.
There was also a Sampson Veterans Cemetery further down Hwy
96 which, from the looks of it, has just recently been established. They have a chapel which is still in the
process of being finished, a memorial walk, and several grave areas. It was funny because when we entered Sampson State Park, I asked if there was a reduced rate for airmen who had gone through basic training there. The guard said "No, but if you are 72 or older, you can get in for free". Guess who's older than that :-).
Visited a couple of breweries on our way home. One was particularly noteworthy – the Bottomless
Brewery. It was in an old dairy barn
which had been extensively renovated and had tasting rooms upstairs and
downstairs. In the men’s room was the
back half of a dairy cow over the sink – I’ll leave it to your imagination as
to where the water came from J. Vi later found the front half of the cow in
the ladies room. Clever.
Friday evening we went to dinner with Jackie (Kathy’s Mom)
in Brockport. Ate in the Stoneyard
Tavern which is right on the Erie Canal.
As we were having dinner, the bridge in the center of town went up to
accommodate a barge coming down the canal.
The canal trail looked like it got a lot of hikers and cyclists (and no
wonder, it is really flat and easy to travel).
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Rochester, NY
We left Franklin this morning on US 62 which followed the Allegheny River north. This caused the road to be very curvy (see yesterday's statement that twisty-turny was a word). For those of you who are geography buffs, the Allegheny River is the one which flows south toward Pittsburgh where it meets up with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River. Thus, the name of the old Three Rivers Stadium where the Steelers used to play.
Following the Allegheny north, we passed through a whole lot of riverside camps, vacation homes, fishing and kayaking/canoeing, etc. points. Great area during the summer time, but it must be difficult to drive in the winter time. There were a lot of areas where you could see where rocks and dirt had fallen off the cliffs during the recent rain.
As we passed through the various county seats and small towns, it seemed like each one had an impressive courthouse and Civil War statute in the center square. We were reminded that this was the area where Standard Oil started by the refineries, to say nothing of one town named Oil City, think John D. Rockefeller and how his fortune started. The Allegheny was one of the rivers which provided transport for his oil, as well as the railroads. It kind of reminded me of I-80 through Nevada where the Indian trails became the wagon trails, in turn the railroads and highways followed. Back here, the rivers provided the original transport system, then the railroads followed because it was easier than blasting through the mountains. Now you have the highways alongside the railroad tracks alongside the river.
Passed through Bradford, PA on our way out of Pennsylvania. Still the home of Zippo lighters - we didn't stop to visit their museum, have to save that for another time and day. I think, back in the day, everyone used to carry a Zippo lighter emblazoned with the military unit of their choice, or some other form of advertising. They were almost ubiquitous among smokers because they always lit, even in a windstorm! Fond memories.
In New York State we took I-86 (the old Route 17), the Southern Tier Expressway. I think the Red Baron (Vi's Impala) breathed a sigh of relief because it could run at 65 mph and in a relatively straight line! It runs through some beautiful wooded countryside which isn't populated too heavily (there's an understatement for you). Headed north at Hornell up to 390 and into Rochester.
Tim's on vacation this week, so he was home to greet us (and hand me my phone which Paul had sent on ahead). Good to see Tim again. Kathy came home a little later from work and we went out to dinner at the Genesee Brewing Company. The GBC is located on the Genesee River which flows through the heart of Rochester. From the patio dining deck, we had a great view of the falls in the center of town. They are a little weaker because Rochester is also suffering through a drought this year.
We weren't able to visit the tasting room because it was closed for a private party, have to do that on a later date. Food was great - I had a "beef on weck" and you won't have any idea of what that is unless you have lived in either Rochester or Buffalo. Suffice it to say that it ain't exactly health food :-) between the salt, the beef, and the au jus. Fun evening.
Following the Allegheny north, we passed through a whole lot of riverside camps, vacation homes, fishing and kayaking/canoeing, etc. points. Great area during the summer time, but it must be difficult to drive in the winter time. There were a lot of areas where you could see where rocks and dirt had fallen off the cliffs during the recent rain.
As we passed through the various county seats and small towns, it seemed like each one had an impressive courthouse and Civil War statute in the center square. We were reminded that this was the area where Standard Oil started by the refineries, to say nothing of one town named Oil City, think John D. Rockefeller and how his fortune started. The Allegheny was one of the rivers which provided transport for his oil, as well as the railroads. It kind of reminded me of I-80 through Nevada where the Indian trails became the wagon trails, in turn the railroads and highways followed. Back here, the rivers provided the original transport system, then the railroads followed because it was easier than blasting through the mountains. Now you have the highways alongside the railroad tracks alongside the river.
Passed through Bradford, PA on our way out of Pennsylvania. Still the home of Zippo lighters - we didn't stop to visit their museum, have to save that for another time and day. I think, back in the day, everyone used to carry a Zippo lighter emblazoned with the military unit of their choice, or some other form of advertising. They were almost ubiquitous among smokers because they always lit, even in a windstorm! Fond memories.
In New York State we took I-86 (the old Route 17), the Southern Tier Expressway. I think the Red Baron (Vi's Impala) breathed a sigh of relief because it could run at 65 mph and in a relatively straight line! It runs through some beautiful wooded countryside which isn't populated too heavily (there's an understatement for you). Headed north at Hornell up to 390 and into Rochester.
Tim's on vacation this week, so he was home to greet us (and hand me my phone which Paul had sent on ahead). Good to see Tim again. Kathy came home a little later from work and we went out to dinner at the Genesee Brewing Company. The GBC is located on the Genesee River which flows through the heart of Rochester. From the patio dining deck, we had a great view of the falls in the center of town. They are a little weaker because Rochester is also suffering through a drought this year.
We weren't able to visit the tasting room because it was closed for a private party, have to do that on a later date. Food was great - I had a "beef on weck" and you won't have any idea of what that is unless you have lived in either Rochester or Buffalo. Suffice it to say that it ain't exactly health food :-) between the salt, the beef, and the au jus. Fun evening.
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Franklin, PA
Don't think we have ever stayed in this part of Pennsylvania, kind of upper northeast (south of Erie). Left Kendallville this morning and continued on US 6 toward Ohio. Didn't take too long to get there since we were almost at the eastern border of Indiana.
When we crossed into Ohio, the first town is Edgerton. When we were here last year, there was a woman working on a mural on the side of the local firehouse in the City Park. It celebrated their sesquicentennial - 1865 to 2015. The actual celebration was going to be held in July and we came through in May 2015, so it wasn't finished yet. Took a couple of pictures which I'll upload in the near future.
To continue our trail of presidents, we passed through Fremont, OH which was the home of Rutherford B. Hayes. We took US 6 to US 20, looking for a golf course without any luck. Finally, about 1:30 we found a neat course (Cossett Creek). Played nine holes - it was too hot to play 18!
Our trip passed a lot of corn and soybeans in Indiana and western Ohio, then it turned into forested, hilly land. The last city we passed in Ohio, was Warren - home of the Packard dynasty. According to our handy dandy AAA guidebook, it was also the first city to light its' streets with incandescent lamps. Amazing the little, useless facts you can get crossing the country.
When we passed into Pennsylvania, we took 82 to Sharon, PA and then followed US 62 to Franklin. As flat and straight as US 6 and US 20 were, US 62 is the direct opposite. Twisty turny (those are actual English words, you know). We weren't sure exactly where we were going to stay since I had not included a Pennsylvania guidebook in my collection. Thankfully, there was a good Quality Inn in Franklin. After dinner at the Ale House, we took a walk downtown and admired the local architecture. Beautiful, huge old homes - most of which have been converted to business use and the old downtown retail stores retain their original exteriors. Kind of neat traveling through the small towns on the back roads and seeing the tree-lined streets and old homes. Nothing quite like that in the West.
Tomorrow, we travel to Tim & Kathy's in Rochester where we hope to hook up not with them, but also my phone :-).
Take care and enjoy life
When we crossed into Ohio, the first town is Edgerton. When we were here last year, there was a woman working on a mural on the side of the local firehouse in the City Park. It celebrated their sesquicentennial - 1865 to 2015. The actual celebration was going to be held in July and we came through in May 2015, so it wasn't finished yet. Took a couple of pictures which I'll upload in the near future.
To continue our trail of presidents, we passed through Fremont, OH which was the home of Rutherford B. Hayes. We took US 6 to US 20, looking for a golf course without any luck. Finally, about 1:30 we found a neat course (Cossett Creek). Played nine holes - it was too hot to play 18!
Our trip passed a lot of corn and soybeans in Indiana and western Ohio, then it turned into forested, hilly land. The last city we passed in Ohio, was Warren - home of the Packard dynasty. According to our handy dandy AAA guidebook, it was also the first city to light its' streets with incandescent lamps. Amazing the little, useless facts you can get crossing the country.
When we passed into Pennsylvania, we took 82 to Sharon, PA and then followed US 62 to Franklin. As flat and straight as US 6 and US 20 were, US 62 is the direct opposite. Twisty turny (those are actual English words, you know). We weren't sure exactly where we were going to stay since I had not included a Pennsylvania guidebook in my collection. Thankfully, there was a good Quality Inn in Franklin. After dinner at the Ale House, we took a walk downtown and admired the local architecture. Beautiful, huge old homes - most of which have been converted to business use and the old downtown retail stores retain their original exteriors. Kind of neat traveling through the small towns on the back roads and seeing the tree-lined streets and old homes. Nothing quite like that in the West.
Tomorrow, we travel to Tim & Kathy's in Rochester where we hope to hook up not with them, but also my phone :-).
Take care and enjoy life
Monday, July 11, 2016
Kendallville, IN
For those of you who are paying attention, you may recognize this town as the one we stayed at last year for two nights because we found it very interesting and it also had two golf courses - Cobblestone and Noble Hawk (both of which we played then).
However, let's get back to the proper sequence from the time we left Clive, IA. Drove east on I-80 (how original) through the Iowa countryside. We don't think there's going to be any shortage of corn in the United States this year if the crops here are any indication! Corn is in various stages - guess they plant at different times so that they don't have to harvest everything at one time. Seems like there is nothing but corn and soybeans planted out here. We thought of Michele as we drove south of Ames, Iowa and the many time Karen and Ed probably made that trip down I-35 to visit.
Lots of historical places of interest - some more important than others. Passed Herbert Hoover's hometown in Iowa and Ronald Reagan's birthplace in Illinois (Dixon). Stayed on I-80 through Illinois and then as we crossed into Indiana, we squiggled around to US 30. Squiggle is a different term for wending our way from one area to the next. We were trying to pick up US 6 to go east, but ended up on US 30 - which was a fortuitous mistake since we found Costco and cheap gas. Gas is running around 2.05 to 2.15 which is amazing when you consider what we were paying in Reno.
US 6 was much more pleasant driving than I-80 - no trucks and pretty countryside. As we drove further east, we ran into Amish country and their horse and buggy's. US 6 is the Grand Army of the Republic highway and we think we may take it even further east when we leave Kendallville tomorrow. We arrived in Kendallville on the first day of the Noble County Fair, so after checking in, we ventured out to explore the town. Started out at the Kendallville Pub and Bar - if you look that place up in your Funk and Wagnall's, it comes up under the term "home-town bar". Good music and lots of local folks and a very friendly bartender - Tiffany. Strange but they still allow smoking in bars and restaurants here, so we had to move down a little to get away from the smoke.
The Noble County Fair was just what you would expect from a local fair. Lots of food, animal barns, time trials (snowmobiles, trucks and tractors). It was almost as much fun people-watching as it was exploring the different exhibits. Tomorrow, we're going to head east and take some more back roads. We plan on arriving in Rochester mid-day on Wednesday (so watch out, Tim).
Great hot tub in the room here at the Best Western, so that's where I'm heading now. Have fun and enjoy life. We'll see you all soon.
However, let's get back to the proper sequence from the time we left Clive, IA. Drove east on I-80 (how original) through the Iowa countryside. We don't think there's going to be any shortage of corn in the United States this year if the crops here are any indication! Corn is in various stages - guess they plant at different times so that they don't have to harvest everything at one time. Seems like there is nothing but corn and soybeans planted out here. We thought of Michele as we drove south of Ames, Iowa and the many time Karen and Ed probably made that trip down I-35 to visit.
Lots of historical places of interest - some more important than others. Passed Herbert Hoover's hometown in Iowa and Ronald Reagan's birthplace in Illinois (Dixon). Stayed on I-80 through Illinois and then as we crossed into Indiana, we squiggled around to US 30. Squiggle is a different term for wending our way from one area to the next. We were trying to pick up US 6 to go east, but ended up on US 30 - which was a fortuitous mistake since we found Costco and cheap gas. Gas is running around 2.05 to 2.15 which is amazing when you consider what we were paying in Reno.
US 6 was much more pleasant driving than I-80 - no trucks and pretty countryside. As we drove further east, we ran into Amish country and their horse and buggy's. US 6 is the Grand Army of the Republic highway and we think we may take it even further east when we leave Kendallville tomorrow. We arrived in Kendallville on the first day of the Noble County Fair, so after checking in, we ventured out to explore the town. Started out at the Kendallville Pub and Bar - if you look that place up in your Funk and Wagnall's, it comes up under the term "home-town bar". Good music and lots of local folks and a very friendly bartender - Tiffany. Strange but they still allow smoking in bars and restaurants here, so we had to move down a little to get away from the smoke.
The Noble County Fair was just what you would expect from a local fair. Lots of food, animal barns, time trials (snowmobiles, trucks and tractors). It was almost as much fun people-watching as it was exploring the different exhibits. Tomorrow, we're going to head east and take some more back roads. We plan on arriving in Rochester mid-day on Wednesday (so watch out, Tim).
Great hot tub in the room here at the Best Western, so that's where I'm heading now. Have fun and enjoy life. We'll see you all soon.
Sunday, July 10, 2016
Clive, Iowa
Well might you ask where Clive is - if I had written Des Moines, perhaps it would have given you a better idea. We're in a suburb on the western outskirts of Des Moines. Left Centennial this morning at oh-dark-thirty heading east. Woke Paul and Sandy up to say goodbye, but I'm willing to bet that they went back to sleep shortly after we left :-).
We had a great time visiting Paul and Sandy - played golf at Saddle Rock (18 holes on Friday) and then nine holes at JFK on Saturday morning. Enjoyed the weekend with them, good food, conversation, and camaraderie.
Took C470 up to I-76 and hooked up with I-80 in Nebraska near Julesberg. Crossing Nebraska on I-80, we started out at 5250' altitude, so it was downhill all the way. Should have been able to just put it in neutral and let it coast all the way to the Mississippi - guess it doesn't work that way. Countryside was all corn fields and cattle ranges as we followed the South Platte and then the Platte all the way east to Omaha. Crossed the Missouri there and drove on to Des Moines.
Stopped for a blizzard in Lincoln (no, it wasn't a snowstorm, just a DQ for lunch). The Platte River is like that old saying - "Too thick to drink and too thin to plow".
One of the few glitches on our trip occurred when we left Paul and Sandy's. You know how I'm always saying you can reach us via my cell phone, well, that ain't exactly true for the next several days. I left my cell phone at P&S and they are sending it to Tim - our next family stop. If you need to get in touch with us, you'll have to call on Vi's cell phone (775-742-9732).
Made good time today and we hope to get through Chicago into Indiana tomorrow. May stop and play golf, but we'll see how the traffic is. Looking forward to our next stop in Rochester at midweek.
We had a great time visiting Paul and Sandy - played golf at Saddle Rock (18 holes on Friday) and then nine holes at JFK on Saturday morning. Enjoyed the weekend with them, good food, conversation, and camaraderie.
Took C470 up to I-76 and hooked up with I-80 in Nebraska near Julesberg. Crossing Nebraska on I-80, we started out at 5250' altitude, so it was downhill all the way. Should have been able to just put it in neutral and let it coast all the way to the Mississippi - guess it doesn't work that way. Countryside was all corn fields and cattle ranges as we followed the South Platte and then the Platte all the way east to Omaha. Crossed the Missouri there and drove on to Des Moines.
Stopped for a blizzard in Lincoln (no, it wasn't a snowstorm, just a DQ for lunch). The Platte River is like that old saying - "Too thick to drink and too thin to plow".
One of the few glitches on our trip occurred when we left Paul and Sandy's. You know how I'm always saying you can reach us via my cell phone, well, that ain't exactly true for the next several days. I left my cell phone at P&S and they are sending it to Tim - our next family stop. If you need to get in touch with us, you'll have to call on Vi's cell phone (775-742-9732).
Made good time today and we hope to get through Chicago into Indiana tomorrow. May stop and play golf, but we'll see how the traffic is. Looking forward to our next stop in Rochester at midweek.
Friday, July 8, 2016
Centennial, CO
Where are we? Just south of Denver at Paul and Sandy's home. When we left Vernal, we stayed on US 40 and crossed the Colorado border with only 300 miles to go to get to Denver. Not interstate driving by any means, but nice travelling without any traffic. For a long time, we were the only car on the road with an occasional vehicle passing us in the other direction. We left a little later than usual because we wanted to catch the women's semi-finals at Wimbledon.
The scenery continued to be the same sandstone steppe with sagebrush, chapparal, and pinyon trees. We could have been in Nevada except it was green and not brown. Skirted the southern edge of the Dinosaur National Monument - it hasn't quite made it to National Park status, but maybe one of these days. It's a huge area spanning Utah and Colorado. Kind of like Death Valley was a Monument until it made the big time and became a National Park site. Not sure exactly what triggers that event, but if it takes action by Congress, that may take a while - they haven't done anything in years (OK, enough politics).
Crossed and recrossed the Yampa River many times all the way to Steamboat Springs. We think the economy must really be improving because there have been signs of new construction (home and business) all along our trip. The tourist industry in Steamboat Springs certainly isn't suffering - more people enjoying the area and keeping the community thriving. The Yampa River flows right through town. Neat ski area in the winter and lots of rafting, hiking and camping in the summer. Judging from the signs we saw just along US 40, it would take several lifetimes just to explore all of the things to do and see in Colorado.
As we left Steamboat Springs and climbed up to Rabbit Ears Pass (about 9700'), there was construction all along the road, exacerbated by an accident near the top where a truck had gone over the edge. Guess the construction crews have to take advantage of the summer months as do the tourists. Crossed the Continental Divide at Rabbit Ear's Pass so I guess it's all downhill from here. Wrong! Had lunch in a park at Kremmling (7300') after which we passed signs saying we were in the headwaters of the Colorado. Not sure exactly what they meant by that, since the Colorado actually begins up north near Estes National Park. Here it was about the size of the Truckee and running full. Perhaps that bodes well for Lake Mead (when it finally gets there).
US 40 finally connected to I-70 and we joined several hundred of our closest friends on the highway for the drive into Denver. With our normal good planning, we arrived in Denver at the height of rush hour. Considerably different than the rest of the day's journey. Vi let me drive once we got to the Interstate and the traffic - how considerate of her.
Made our way around Denver and arrived at Paul and Sandy's right at Happy Hour - how convenient. We'll be here for a couple of days and play some golf and catch up. It's been since Thanksgiving that we were here last and, to say the least, the weather is much more pleasant - no snow or ice. Went out for drinks at a new place called Uncorked. It had a beautiful second floor patio overlooking the valley with a gorgeous sunset as a bonus. Actually, we were on our way to a brew pub, but Paul had heard about this place and it was just perfect - served both beer and wine.
Today we're all going to play golf at Saddle Rock. Will keep you posted on how we do (but only if we do well). More later.
The scenery continued to be the same sandstone steppe with sagebrush, chapparal, and pinyon trees. We could have been in Nevada except it was green and not brown. Skirted the southern edge of the Dinosaur National Monument - it hasn't quite made it to National Park status, but maybe one of these days. It's a huge area spanning Utah and Colorado. Kind of like Death Valley was a Monument until it made the big time and became a National Park site. Not sure exactly what triggers that event, but if it takes action by Congress, that may take a while - they haven't done anything in years (OK, enough politics).
Crossed and recrossed the Yampa River many times all the way to Steamboat Springs. We think the economy must really be improving because there have been signs of new construction (home and business) all along our trip. The tourist industry in Steamboat Springs certainly isn't suffering - more people enjoying the area and keeping the community thriving. The Yampa River flows right through town. Neat ski area in the winter and lots of rafting, hiking and camping in the summer. Judging from the signs we saw just along US 40, it would take several lifetimes just to explore all of the things to do and see in Colorado.
As we left Steamboat Springs and climbed up to Rabbit Ears Pass (about 9700'), there was construction all along the road, exacerbated by an accident near the top where a truck had gone over the edge. Guess the construction crews have to take advantage of the summer months as do the tourists. Crossed the Continental Divide at Rabbit Ear's Pass so I guess it's all downhill from here. Wrong! Had lunch in a park at Kremmling (7300') after which we passed signs saying we were in the headwaters of the Colorado. Not sure exactly what they meant by that, since the Colorado actually begins up north near Estes National Park. Here it was about the size of the Truckee and running full. Perhaps that bodes well for Lake Mead (when it finally gets there).
US 40 finally connected to I-70 and we joined several hundred of our closest friends on the highway for the drive into Denver. With our normal good planning, we arrived in Denver at the height of rush hour. Considerably different than the rest of the day's journey. Vi let me drive once we got to the Interstate and the traffic - how considerate of her.
Made our way around Denver and arrived at Paul and Sandy's right at Happy Hour - how convenient. We'll be here for a couple of days and play some golf and catch up. It's been since Thanksgiving that we were here last and, to say the least, the weather is much more pleasant - no snow or ice. Went out for drinks at a new place called Uncorked. It had a beautiful second floor patio overlooking the valley with a gorgeous sunset as a bonus. Actually, we were on our way to a brew pub, but Paul had heard about this place and it was just perfect - served both beer and wine.
Today we're all going to play golf at Saddle Rock. Will keep you posted on how we do (but only if we do well). More later.
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Vernal, UT
This is a great little town almost to the Colorado border on US 40. We decided to take a different route from Wendover to Denver. Started out crossing the Bonneville Salt Flats where so many land speed records have been set. Since Vi was not crazy about driving through Salt Lake City, we cut south as we drove through the salt flats east of Wendover. It's a nice drive through small towns and passes by Toele Army Depot (Utah's answer to Hawthorne - it's where a lot of munitions are stored for the military).
We kind of took a round-about way south from I-80 and then across to Provo, UT. One of the interesting points along the way was a Utah State Park commemorating Camp Floyd. See information below:
If you can read the comments by one of the soldiers stationed there, it is very true! We wended* our way across the countryside and hit I-15 for a few miles before heading east to hit US 40. Vi had taken US 40 from San Francisco to North Dakota back in the 1960's (prior to the Interstate system being build), so we thought it would be nice to take that route over to Denver. The Wasatch Mountains to the east of I-15 are the eastern side of the Great Basin - the western side is the Sierra Nevada. In that whole area, nothing flows out! Climbing through the Wasatch Mountains, we saw some beautiful scenery and rushing creeks and rivers. The reservoirs (Deer Creek and Strawberry) are all full and there were lots of kayaking on the rivers.
When you get through the mountains, it turns into a kind of sandstone steppe countryside - still beautiful in its' own way. We arrived in Vernal where we are staying at the Dinosaur Inn (Best Western). Because Vernal is just southwest of the Dinosaur National Monument, everything here is based on a dinosaur motif. We had checked before we left Reno and found there was a golf course, so we went over there after we had checked in. It was the Dinaland Golf Course - now you would think with a name like that, it would have at least a windmill and a clown's mouth! However, it turned out to be a great 18-hole course with beautiful trees and in great shape.
We only played nine holes, but it was a fun way to get some exercise after sitting in the car all day. Besides, we had to sharpen up our game in order to get ready to play with Paul and Sandy when we arrive in Denver.
Had dinner this evening at Vernal Brewing Company Brew Pub. Since Tim and Kathy introduced us to brew pubs, we have looked for them in each town where we overnight. Makes for something different and it's great to see how upcoming craft breweries are doing - besides, the food is usually pretty good. The VBC motto (as depicted on the serving staff t-shirts) was "Our Cans are Your Destination".
Tomorrow, we are taking US 40 over to Denver. Should be a fun drive through the Rockies and over Jack Rabbit Pass.
*So if the past tense of bend is bended and bent, is the past tense of wend, wended and went? What a crazy language we have!
We kind of took a round-about way south from I-80 and then across to Provo, UT. One of the interesting points along the way was a Utah State Park commemorating Camp Floyd. See information below:
If you can read the comments by one of the soldiers stationed there, it is very true! We wended* our way across the countryside and hit I-15 for a few miles before heading east to hit US 40. Vi had taken US 40 from San Francisco to North Dakota back in the 1960's (prior to the Interstate system being build), so we thought it would be nice to take that route over to Denver. The Wasatch Mountains to the east of I-15 are the eastern side of the Great Basin - the western side is the Sierra Nevada. In that whole area, nothing flows out! Climbing through the Wasatch Mountains, we saw some beautiful scenery and rushing creeks and rivers. The reservoirs (Deer Creek and Strawberry) are all full and there were lots of kayaking on the rivers.
When you get through the mountains, it turns into a kind of sandstone steppe countryside - still beautiful in its' own way. We arrived in Vernal where we are staying at the Dinosaur Inn (Best Western). Because Vernal is just southwest of the Dinosaur National Monument, everything here is based on a dinosaur motif. We had checked before we left Reno and found there was a golf course, so we went over there after we had checked in. It was the Dinaland Golf Course - now you would think with a name like that, it would have at least a windmill and a clown's mouth! However, it turned out to be a great 18-hole course with beautiful trees and in great shape.
We only played nine holes, but it was a fun way to get some exercise after sitting in the car all day. Besides, we had to sharpen up our game in order to get ready to play with Paul and Sandy when we arrive in Denver.
Had dinner this evening at Vernal Brewing Company Brew Pub. Since Tim and Kathy introduced us to brew pubs, we have looked for them in each town where we overnight. Makes for something different and it's great to see how upcoming craft breweries are doing - besides, the food is usually pretty good. The VBC motto (as depicted on the serving staff t-shirts) was "Our Cans are Your Destination".
Tomorrow, we are taking US 40 over to Denver. Should be a fun drive through the Rockies and over Jack Rabbit Pass.
*So if the past tense of bend is bended and bent, is the past tense of wend, wended and went? What a crazy language we have!
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
W. Wendover, NV
Left Reno at 1:00 p.m. after the Peppermill Tournament and headed east - first day of a long journey across the country. Beautiful sunny day. Waved at OJ as we passed his residence at the Lovelock Correctional Facility :-).
When you take I-80 heading east, you mostly drive through the Humboldt River valley after you leave Fernley. It's mostly a broad valley winding its' way between mountain ranges. It definitely is not a straight line route. You actually head north out of Reno and then top out at Winnemucca and head east.
The I-80 route was originally an Indian trail which they used to cross the area, then the wagon trains came, then the railroads, and now I-80. Everyone used the same route because it avoided the mountains and kept them near water supplies. Driving I-80 through the Humboldt Valley always brings to mind the emigrants who made their way across this country in the 1850's. At one rest area (Cosgrove), the sign read - look right and look left - that's one day's journey by wagon train. The next rest area at Beowawe had a sign which said it was ninety miles to Wells, NV - six days travel by wagon. We made it in slightly less than that.
As we neared Wendover, we passed Pilot Peak which is a 10,000' mountain which served as a landmark for the travelers on their way west. We topped the mountain range and dropped down into W. Wendover. It's a beautiful sight because as you come over the mountain, you see the Great Salt Lake in front of you for more than a hundred miles. It's also the home of an old US Army airfield which was used to train the B-29 crews which dropped the A-bomb on Hiroshima. Most of the base is deserted now, but some of the buildings have been repurposed and there are several memorials to the training area as it was in the 1940's. Easy to build a runway on the salt flats - didn't need a lot of grading!
We're staying at Montego Bay (although I haven't seen any water, just a lot of sand). Tomorrow we head across the salt flats to Salt Lake City and on through Utah. Should be a fun trip - starts out flat as a pancake and then quickly climbs into the Wasatch Mountains - the eastern boundary of the Great Basin.
When you take I-80 heading east, you mostly drive through the Humboldt River valley after you leave Fernley. It's mostly a broad valley winding its' way between mountain ranges. It definitely is not a straight line route. You actually head north out of Reno and then top out at Winnemucca and head east.
The I-80 route was originally an Indian trail which they used to cross the area, then the wagon trains came, then the railroads, and now I-80. Everyone used the same route because it avoided the mountains and kept them near water supplies. Driving I-80 through the Humboldt Valley always brings to mind the emigrants who made their way across this country in the 1850's. At one rest area (Cosgrove), the sign read - look right and look left - that's one day's journey by wagon train. The next rest area at Beowawe had a sign which said it was ninety miles to Wells, NV - six days travel by wagon. We made it in slightly less than that.
As we neared Wendover, we passed Pilot Peak which is a 10,000' mountain which served as a landmark for the travelers on their way west. We topped the mountain range and dropped down into W. Wendover. It's a beautiful sight because as you come over the mountain, you see the Great Salt Lake in front of you for more than a hundred miles. It's also the home of an old US Army airfield which was used to train the B-29 crews which dropped the A-bomb on Hiroshima. Most of the base is deserted now, but some of the buildings have been repurposed and there are several memorials to the training area as it was in the 1940's. Easy to build a runway on the salt flats - didn't need a lot of grading!
We're staying at Montego Bay (although I haven't seen any water, just a lot of sand). Tomorrow we head across the salt flats to Salt Lake City and on through Utah. Should be a fun trip - starts out flat as a pancake and then quickly climbs into the Wasatch Mountains - the eastern boundary of the Great Basin.
Monday, July 4, 2016
Leaving on Tuesday
Tomorrow afternoon, we head east on I-80 toward West Wendover, NV. Looking forward to a leisurely drive through Nevada and enjoying the sagebrush and mountains (both of which are not in short supply on I-80).
We'll keep you posted on our travels and hope that you enjoy reading about them as much we will enjoy experiencing them. If not, you always have the option of not clicking on the link!
Take care and we'll stay in touch.
We'll keep you posted on our travels and hope that you enjoy reading about them as much we will enjoy experiencing them. If not, you always have the option of not clicking on the link!
Take care and we'll stay in touch.
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