Shuffy's travels

Day 8 - Last Time For Magic

2012-01-30T19:12:00.001-05:00

In the park by 9 am. First ride was Splash Mountain. Guess what? We were soaked by 9:15. Jillian and I were in the front and when we took the 50 ft plunge, the water got us good. But was that enough? No, we got a fast pass so we could walk right on later.

Then we wandered over to Fantasyland and rode It's a Small World and Mickey's Philharmonic 3D show. Just how do they do that 3-D stuff?

Pirates of the Carribean showed us what a pirate's life. If Johnny Depp is in it, I'm there?

The Swiss Family Robinson's Treehouse was next as we imagined ourselves shipwrecked and living on a deserted island!

The parade at 3 was magical and so colorful.

Back to Splash Mountain and we were in the first seat again. Did we NOT learn anything the last time?

We had Disney's Meal Plan, so we could eat "free" in the park. Had a nice meal at Tomorrowland. Buzz Lightyear is a great competitive ride where you shoot a laser at targets and add up your score at the end. We also watched the character show at the castle. The colors were so beautiful and the songs were very catchy. Jillian and I went shopping to pick out a few more gifts, a t-shirt for Pappy and a mug for NanNan. Then we got the bright idea to have Mickey and Minnie sign the shirt to say thanks to Pap for bringing us on this wonderful vacation. So we got a Fast Pass and headed for the character spot. Everyone at Disney makes you feel very special. They signed the shirt and gave us hugs and we were on our way. Now could the kids (and Peg) keep quiet about the shirt.

Nope, we gave it to him in front of the castle. He put it on right away!

We ended our time in Tomorrowland riding Space Mountain and Buzz Light Year.

Yes another Disney vacation was almost over but we'll be back, I'm sure.

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Location:Orlando, Florida

Back Again to Animal Kingdom - 5th day

2012-01-30T18:41:00.001-05:00

It was a unanimous decision that we would go back to Animal Kingdom because we got an extra hour before the "regulars" would arrive. We used that time to go on Expedition Everest twice without having to wait in line. You've got to love the inventor of the FASTPASS!

This is a footprint of the Yeti or Abominable Snowman that lives on Mt. Everest. We haven't found the real thing yet.

Cali River Rapids wasn't running today. Too bad because it was really warm - in the 80's

Since we enjoyed "It's Tough To Be A Bug" and " Birds in Flight," we went again. The Birds show was a great educational show on saving our environment so that those birds don't become extinct but it was so fun, we didn't even know we were learning!

Next we went to Dinoland for a back in time dinosaur ride and then to the playground called the "The Bone Yard." The kids had us crawling over rocks and sliding down tubes. We thought we could get Bill stuck. Not stuck, but he did get wet.

Even though this was our second time at the safari, we still enjoyed seeing the animals again. Here is a baby giraffe that we didn't see the last time.

The Tree of Life has carvings of different birds, animals and reptiles. Can you see any?

Yes, it was another full day but Jillian and Nathan still wanted to swim in our pool.

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Location:Orlando, Florida

5th Day - Epcot

2012-01-30T15:25:00.001-05:00

Take a look at how we started our day off.

These are really good, says Nate - strawberry Mickey waffles.

Since the World Showcase didn't open until 11:00 am, we decided to ride first. Soaring was our first stop and we were able to ride this twice! While still in the Land, we went to "Circle of Life" to learn that the water we use today is the same water our ancestors and those before them used. We learned how important it is to take care of our environment so that our kids kids will have fun like we are.

Next was Test Track. This was a new one for us and a fun and FAST one.

We were able to do this one twice, too.

Innoventions was a very creative place. Nathan and Jillian created a Rollercoaster ride and then we were able to ride in a simulated version of it. We are supposed to be able to log in to it at home to show you.

Now it was time for the World Showcase, starting with Mexico where we had lunch. At Morocco, we were immersed into the Arabic culture.

At the end of the World Showcase (11 countries) in Canda, we were serenaded by a Canadian and Celtic Rock Band called Off-Kilter:

Bagpipes was the main instrument and sounded beautiful.

We still had some time before the Illuminations light show, so we decided to take Bill on the intense Mission: Space ride. This ride let's you pretend you're an astronaut as you blast into space without leaving earth!

after the light show and a beautiful sunset, we headed back to our resort - All Star Music.

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Location:Orlando, Florida

4th Day, 4th Park

2012-01-30T15:24:00.003-05:00

Last day for Andrea and Randy, we went to Hollywood Studios. Star Tours was ride with a 3-d show. Ten another 3-D show with the Muppets. Nate really wanted to see the Indiana Jones Show, so that was next. Indiana's Stunts were something else. Lights, Motors, Action was the next extreme stunt show where we saw how big- time vehicle stunts are done for blockbuster Hollywood films.

Then it was time for Andrea and Randy to leave to get to the airport. But we were just getting started. The kids wanted to go to The Tower of Terror and Rockin' Rollercoaster.

We road these 3 times.

But all good times must end so we headed back to our Resort for dinner and ice cream and an early night so we can get up early for another shot at Animal Kingdom.

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Location:Orlando, Fla

Animal Kingdom - 3rd day

2012-01-30T15:24:00.001-05:00

The first thing we saw as we walked into the park was the Tree of Life.

We wanted to do Expedition Everest before the park got too busy. We were able to get in the park an hour early so there weren't as many people. We all went on the ride for the first time, looking for the fierce Yeti (aka Abominable Snowman. Then after that just Nathan, Jillian, Bill and I went.m I think we were able to go 4 times!

An open-air safari vehicle took us on the Kilimanjaro Safaris where we saw lots of African Animals, elephants, lions, giraffes and rhinos.

Kali River Rapids came next. We rode a tube through the turbulent waters of the Chakranadi River. They told us that we would get wet but we may get soaked. The first time we went Bill and Peg did get soaked. The next time, Andrea was the one to really got it.

The 3D movie, It's a Bug's Life was awesome according to Nate. We had bugs flying right to each of us. How do they do that?

At the Maharajah Jungle Trek, we saw giant fruit bats, birds, and Komodo dragons and tigers.

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Location:Orlando, Florida

Making memories at Magic Kingdom

2012-01-30T15:23:00.003-05:00

Walking up Main Street, the first thing they saw was the castle.

I was excited that Splash Mountain was open this time! YEAH! What a ride. We took a 50 ft plunge into water that went spraying all over us. Yep, you guessed it. We got wet.

Then we moved on to Space Mountain, a roller coaster ride through space. Maybe I should mention that it went fast and had lots of twists and turns.

The tune, "It's a Small World" stayed in our heads all day after the ride. Then we soared with Peter Pan. Nate and Jillian decided that they wanted their dad to build a tree house like the Swiss Family Robinson one. Randy said he'd get right on that!

The Hall of Presidents was pretty spectacular with the wax figures of the Presidents. President Obama was added since our last trip to Disney.

Nighttime was the spectacular fireworks show. The castle changed colors. It was gorgeous.

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Location:Orlando, Florida

Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy ... Who else will we see?

2012-01-30T15:23:00.001-05:00

Nathan, Jillian, Bill and I had a very snowy ride to the Harrisburg Airport. We weren't sure if we were going to make it or not. But with Bill's expert driving, we arrived at Jim and Jane Welshan's house by 10:30. Jim was taking us to the airport and we were off. We arrived in Orlando within 3 hours and were driven to the All Star Music Resort. We met Randy and Andrea who just arrived from Hawaii and were off to Epcot.

After Spaceship Earth, we went to Soaring where we were "hang gliding over the California landscape. This was one of Peg's "must dos." Next came Mission Space, a simulated journey through space (this was a little intense! Since this was a short day for us, we didn't have any time to visit the countries but we did see the Illuminations Light Show.

We'll be back!

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Location:Orlanda, Fl

Last day in Belgium

2011-11-11T14:51:00.001-05:00

We decided to take a train trip to Bruges, a city about an hour away (to the west) by train from Brussels. The city of Bruges originated as a 9th century fortress built to defend the coast against the Vikings. The city of Bruges has cobbled lanes and the meandering canals are lined by medieval buildings.

We decided ( well Peg had made up her mind long ago) to take a boat ride through the canals. It was so beautiful and very different from anything I've done or seen. Billy's note: even though the weather was only about 40 degrees, Peg didn't bitch, moan or complain--that should tell you how much we enjoyed being here. A lot of the buildings were so massive but I guess they needed to be to last as long as they have. It was definitely picturesque.

While in Bruges, we had some delicious pumpkin soup. Get ready, family. I want to try to make that for Thanksgiving!

But, the day had to end, so we hopped back on the train to Brussels. Just so we can say we believe in diversity, we ate dinner at an Irish Pub. We had to test some Irish beers to see how they tasted next to the Belgium beers. Jury is still out they were both good!

The next blog post will be from the good ole' USA Cant wait. It's been a wonderful cultural learning opportunity but we're ready to get back. See you all soon. using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Avenue Louise,City of Brussels,Belgium

Last full day in Brussels

2011-11-10T14:21:00.001-05:00

We decided to have a big breakfast instead of just a pastry, so found a little cafe just around the corner from our hotel. An omelette with a salad and an egg sandwich with a salad (much more healthy). We also had a coffee but definitely not as much as we are used to drinking.

Look how small that cup is next to Shuffy's hand.

Then took the train to the shopping district to buy some chocolate.

Here are some shots of buildings we found as we walked around:
a Texaco station

Brussels version of a Dollar store

A pharmacy. they are small but there are lots of these all over the different neighborhoods.

Someone's apartment. Can you imagine coming home to this beautiful building every ignt.

The restaurant district. Everyone eats outside (but there are heaters). We had more mussels and beer (we want to get our fill).

Then home to pack our suitcases. We're heading to Brugge tomorrow and have to catch the train early morning.

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Location:Chaussée de Vleurgat,City of Brussels,Belgium

Atomium and Cantillon Brewery

2011-11-09T15:19:00.002-05:00

Today we decided to ride the Hop On Hop Off bus to explore more of the city. The most impressive part was the Atomium, built for the 1958 World's Fair. It symbolizes an iron crystal magnified 165 billon times, referring to the power of nuclear energy in full development at that time and which was intended for peaceful use.

Five of the nine spheres are open to the public with one being a permanent exhibition to the Expo 58. When we were on top, you could see all over Brussels. Some told us we could see till Antwerp (but since weve never been there, we'll have to take their word for that.

Next, we decided to try to find a brewery our daughter told us about, the Cantillon Brewery. This family brewery will soon celebrate its centenary and is still independent. It is the last traditional brewery in Brussels. We had a tour and then a tasting. Here are some of the pics.

Bill wanted to take this barrel home but he couldn't afford the shipping.

Lou, I took this for you. This is one of the most important places in the brewery process, the cooling tun room. In the middle of the room is a large vessel in red copper. Every part of it is riveted, not welded. I'm sure you could make one for us!

We ended our day with a pasta meal in Grand Place. I've shown you some night pics before but we can't get enough of the grandeur of this place, particularly at night.

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Location:Chaussée de Vleurgat,City of Brussels,Belgium

Random thoughts and shots

2011-11-08T15:47:00.001-05:00

Since Bill was still in the conference today, I just walked around the Louise neighborhood ( where our hotel is). Found this church, although I couldn't find a name for it and I found a yarn shop, no not a quilt shop.

Then when Bill got back from his conference, we decided to get some night shots and eat some more mussels and drink some beer. These shots are of the Grand Place. Beautiful any time of day.

This is a shot I took on our walk to the train stop.

Tomorrow our plans are to take the Hop On Hop Off bus to se. More Belgium sites. It's supposed to be sunny.

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Location:Brussels, abelgium

Peg was on her own today

2011-11-07T13:44:00.001-05:00

Bill had to be up and out by 7 am today so that he could get the train and then the metro to Lower Brussels for his conference. He presented today around 11 am Brussels. His title of his presentation was "Filling the Connectivity Gap in Rural Communities." points he wanted to cover was:

* help people understand about the connectivity gaps in rural areas
* share the community based model to fill the gaps
* explain how to adapt this model in Africa through partnerships.

I'm excited to hear all about it but he won't get back to our hotel till late so I'll probably be sleeping

After I got Shuffy up and headed to his conference, I headed out with really nothing in mind. It was cloudy and a little windy today but I decided to catch the train and then the Metro to Central Station to check on the cost to take a side trip to Brugge or Amsterdam. Brugge is in Belgium, so that a cheaper at 26, 30. That's 26 Euros and 30 cents for both ways. To travel to Amsterdam in the Netherlands will be about 53 Euros if we leave after 9 am. So, now we just have to decide.

I was patting myself on my back for navigating so well but then when I decided to head back to my hotel at 5pm, I learned a very important lesson (yeah, I'm slow). Don't travel at rush hour. What a small town person I really am. But I made it, just slower. Did a lot of watching people.

While I was out during the day I found where people shop and NOT spend their whole paycheck on one pair of boots -- the malls (shops). Much better prices, similar to the amount we would pay at a Macy's or Kohl's. All the women wear boots so I was wondering where they get them because the specialty store are 4 or 5 times the prices at the shops.

Here are some photos I thought some of you would like

A casino right downtown for the Shuffstall crowd.

Road signs that are in 6 pt font size. I have no idea how you see them while driving.

A gas station. No Lou, you wouldn't be able to get your motor home through the streets to get gas, even if it could float on the Atlantic Ocean.

A mixture of old and newer architecture.

Well that's it for tonight.

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Location:Chaussée de Vleurgat,City of Brussels,Belgium

Steps around Brussels

2011-11-06T15:22:00.001-05:00

Forgot to mention that both days we've been in Brussels have given us 23,400 steps each day. Yes, that number is correct. I checked it. Wonder if my StrongWomen will think this is enough exercise.

One thing I've noticed is that most of the streets are cobblestone. They are NOT easy to navigate. Glad I brought sturdy shoes. Most girls are wearing boots. I stopped in a shop to see how much a pair would be --$150 Euros...expensive I think. Guess I'll be happy with the prices for our clothes and shoes.

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Rest First and then Explore

2011-11-06T15:08:00.001-05:00

We didn't get awake until 9 am which gave us about 12 hours of sleep. So well rested, we set off for more of the delicious (but small cups) of coffee. We took the train from our hotel to the center of our neighborhood called Louise. From there we can walk to Lower Town or take the Metro. We decided to take the Metro.

Brussels is split between Lower Town and Upper Town. This division reflects the lay of the land. Lower Town is in the floodplain of the River Senne, which now runs underground. Upper Town is more residential. In fact in the 12th century, this is where the palaces of the nobles and dukes were so that they would be aloof. I am taking the photo from the edge of Upper Town looking down to Lower Town.

We decided to visit some churches today. Here's a collage of one

Then we went to a park. It was nice but much smaller than ours. Thought of Shannon, Carl and Milo who visit their Prospect Park daily. This would never keep Milo happy long.

Next our walk took us past the Place Royale and their gardens.

Here's the place where Bill has his reception tonight, it's the Finnish parliament.

It was time to get back to our hotel so Bill could dress for a reception for his conference. Remember, that's why we're here :-).

I will plan on having a light dinner and then writing this blog. Tomorrow I'll be on my own so who knows where I'll explore tomorrow.

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Location:Brussels Belgium

Arrival in and Navigating Brussels

2011-11-05T15:32:00.001-04:00

Very long but exciting and interesting day. It is 7:54 pm Brussels time which means it's 3 pm EST. Our plane arrived in Brussels, this morning at 7 am Brussels time which was 2 am EST. We decided to go till we couldn't go any more. Well, that's now 8 pm and we've seen a lot of Brussels already

.

We've learned how to navigate the metro and the above ground trolley. We

bought day passes for 4,50 Euros and we've been hopping on and off all day.

We decided to go to Grand Place first and get some breakfast along the way. Had the most amazing cup of expresso at a little Natural Cafe. That got us going. Here's Grand Place, the geographical, historical and commercial heart of the city.

If I could have captured it for you from my eyes, these grand places would be in a square with the center portion open with people walking, eating and talking. The architecture was absolutely amazing. Nothing like I've ever seen in person, just in travel mags.

We also walked to another well known statue: Manneken-Pis, an unlikely attraction, this tiny statue of a young boy relieving self into a small pool is very much a part of Brussels. You can even buy ones to take home. Drew, I was thinking of getting one to replace my fountain on the deck!

Next, it was time to taste some beers so here was just what we wanted, a

taste of 5 different ones. We met another couple from St Louis, MO. It was wonderful hearing English spoken. Most of our day was hand gestures or finding someone who spoke a little broken English. With the beer tasting done we were ready to go some more. Lots and LOTS of shopping. Oh my. I don't think that New York has this many stores!!

Dinner time - we met Woody Kerkaslager for dinner at a restaurant near Grand Place. Woody is a colleague of Bill's and the moderator for Bill's portion of the conference. We were told that Brussels is famous for their mussels and they were right .. Absolutely delicious. And you got so many, we could share.

Well, Bill is already sleeping so I'll close for tonight. Tomorrow, we're going to get a Hop On and Off bus and do some more touring.

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Location:Brussels Belgium

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2011-11-04T12:26:00.001-04:00

It was serendipitous! The UP airport had Belgium chocolate coffee. Luscious. Cant wait to get the real thing now ... And the beer that Vince and Laurie told me they enjoyed.

But, first, we have to get through the Philly airport, my least favorite one.

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Location:University Park, Pa

The preparation continues

2011-11-03T08:41:00.000-04:00

For those of you who are thinking about travelling overseas, here's the list of things we've had from other folks who have travelled:

International Phone - Verizon has a plan (probably AT&T does as well) where you can rent an international phone. Cost is still higher than in the states but still a good idea to have.
Power Adapter converter
Change money - we used AAA
Have a "comment" placed on your credit card(s) so that the company knows it's you using the card out of the country. Otherwise, they may block it until they talk with you to approve it. We are Penn State Credit Union members, so they added the comment to two of our cards.
Passports - make a copy of them and put in your suitcase

If there are other things we haven't listed here that you think are important, leave us a comment TODAY!!

Travelling to Brussels, Belgium

2011-11-02T14:09:00.001-04:00

Bill and I have the wonderful opportunity of travelling overseas to Brussels, Belgium. Bill is presenting at the Global Forum on some of his work with Connecting Communities, along with several of his colleagues.
For the first time, I find myself a little out of my element. I love travelling and exploring new sites and cultures BUT I haven't been in a country where English isn't the first language spoken. So we shall see how well I navigate.
Here's a map of Belgium to give you an idea where it lies and what other countries are around it.
From everything I've been reading, Brussels is quickly gaining a reputation as one of Europe's must-see destinations, with its small town charm, trendy bars and restaurants, fabulous food, great nightlife, fantastic shopping, numerous museums.

The website has several places that are listed as "must see." But, I also want to see a castle (there are three listed on their website).
Here are the must sees that are on the website:

Grand PlaceThe Grand Place, with its ornate baroque and gothic guild houses, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. Built as a merchants market in the 13th century, it serves as the city center and a great place to enjoy Belgian hospitality at one of the many terrace cafes. It is also a venue for many concerts & events throughout the year and during the warmer months has a vibrant, daily flower market.

Town Hall (Hotel de Ville)

The first building you notice upon entering the Grand Place is the striking gothic town hall, which dates back to the 13th century. Its beautiful facade features the famous needle-like crooked spire which is 315 feet in height and is topped by the archangel St. Michael. Tours are available of the interior, which contains 15th century tapestries and works of art.

The Royal Palace (Palais Royal)

The official home of the Belgian king, you will always know if he is in the country when you see the Belgian flag flying on top of the building. The building is a highlight of Neo-Classical architecture and overlooks Brussels Park. The Royal Palace is open to the public during the summer months.

Manneken Pis

This famous statue of a little boy peeing in a fountain is a perfect representative of the irreverent Belgian humor. The unique Brussels icon has been amusing visitors on the corner of Rue de L’Etuve & Stroofstraat since 1619. Over time it has become a tradition for visiting heads of state to donate miniature versions of their national costume for the little naked boy. The wardrobe of Mannekin Pis can be seen at the Brussels museum and includes over 760 outfits – even an authentic Elvis jumpsuit.

Coudenberg

An underground trail to discover the remains of King Charles the Fifth's palace. A fascinating walk under Place royale to discover the remains of the Coudenberg Palace, one of the main residences of Charles V in the past.
The former Hoogstraeten house - and its magnificent and entirely renovated gothic gallery - houses the Museum of the Coudenberg where you'll be able to admire the most beautiful archaeological discoveries of the last 25 years of the Coudenberg excavations history

Galeries St Hubert

This gorgeous, glass roofed arcade in the center of town, lined with cafes, theaters and luxury stores has the distinction of being the first shopping arcade in Europe. Built in 1847 and recently renovated, the Royal Galleries (Galerie de la Reine, du Roi and du Prince) are one of the most astonishing places to visit in Brussels.

Atomium

Built for the 1958 World Fair, the Atomium represents a molecule’s nine atoms – magnified 165 billion times. Something of a symbol of the city, it provides a panoramic view of Brussels and its surroundings. The 9 spheres that make up the “atom” are linked by escalators. The Atomium hosts a museum and is also a venue for special events.

In Summer : take part in a unique activity: a Death-Ride from the top sphere of the Atomium! A breathtaking descent of more than 100 meters!

Cathedral of Saints Michel and Gudule

This magnificent cathedral, tactfully dedicated to the male and female patron saints of Brussels, is located near Central Station. It was completed by the end of the 15th century in the Brabant Gothic style, but was damaged by the French shelling of 1695. The white stone façade is from the year 1250 and the interior is splendidly proportioned and stuffed with treasures.

Place du Grand Sablon

This picturesque square is situated on the slope that divides Brussels between the upper and lower halves of the city. Decked out with chic boutiques, al fresco cafes, fashionable restaurants, and trendy bars, the Grand Sablon is most famous for its lively open-air antiques market which attracts antiques dealers from all over the world. Open every weekend (Sat 9-6, Sun 9-2).

Place du Petit Sablon

Just above the Grand Sablon is the jewel of a square - Petit Sablon. Originally a horse market, it was converted in 1890 into an elegant & charming flower garden with lavish fountains, surrounded by wrought-iron fences decorated with stone statuettes. Each figure represents a medieval trade or craft that brought prosperity to Brussels. Today it is a favorite area to relax while taking in the pretty view.

Rue de Bouchers
Known more for the atmospheric charm, Rue de Boucher is a walking thoroughfare abounding with 17th century stepped gables, decorated doorways, cafes and restaurants with lavish pavement displays of seafood, piled high on mounds of ice. This street offers a wide variety of restaurants at various price points. Two of the most well known restaurants are Chez Leon and Aux Armes de Bruxelles.

North Carolina Mountain hiking, music and BBQ

2011-10-13T16:40:00.000-04:00

Today we decided to travel to Grandfather Mountain via the Blue Ridge Parkway. What we didn't realize was the leaves have started to turn beautiful shades of red, yellow and orange. Driving north on the parkway was gorgeous. Every turn we made was even more colorful than the last and believe me, there were LOTS of turns.

We stopped and hiked Mount Mitchell and then saw an advertisement for a fruit market that was having mountain music. That was a great stop. We bought apples, fudge, and cider and listened to music while eating. The day was absolutely gorgeous, beautiful blue skies and warm.

Next we decided we needed to hike a little ore or we wouldn't get our 10,000 steps. So we stopped at Linville Falls. After about a 2 mile walk we saw the falls from 3 different locations. With the fall foliage, the view was even more spectacular.
The last stop of the day off the Blue Ridge Parkway was going to be the swinging suspension bridge at Grandfather Mountain. Yes, it did sway but we all made it across AND back. The bridge was renovated from a wooden bridge in 1998 We can't even imagine how much the wooden bridge swayed.

The consensus of the group was southern BBQ for supper. Found a nice little restaurant outside of Grandfather Mountain that had BBQ and music. It just doesn't get any better than that.

Drove back to our little getaway and sat outside at the fire for about a hour.

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Location:Linville, NC

A visit to Old Salem

2011-10-07T08:26:00.003-04:00

While Drew and Erin were at school, Linda and I toured Old Salem, a town that was founded in 1766. The Moravians are a Protestant group who came from what we now know as Czech Republic. They first settled in Bethlehem, PA and later to Salem, NC. We really enjoyed listening to our tour guides who were dressed in period clothes tell us what their life was like back then.

Soon it was time to meet Erin and Drew who took us to their favorite winery for a wine tasting--Junius Lindsay winery. We talked with the owner for quite awhile, (while drinking wine). Drew and Erin spent some time picking grapes one Saturday at this winery in return for some wine.
Next it was back to Drew's apartment for a delicious home cooked meal by Drew--Moravian crusted salmon, green beans and cheesecake.
A leisurely walk back to our hotel finished off our day.

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Location:Winston-Salem

The girls turn 60

2011-10-06T22:01:00.002-04:00

Since Linda and I turned 55 five years ago, we have made it a must to take a vacation together with one of these criteria: 1) somewhere that one or both of us has wanted to go or 2) do something that we've wanted to do. This year, we decided we should take a llama trek. There's a winery in Winston Salem, the Devine Llama, that packs up llamas with a lunch and wine and takes us on a hike. So that's where we headed on Oct 5 ... but first a few other sights to see along the way.
On the drive down, we chose two quilt shops to stop, the Traditions of the White Swan in Hagerstown MD, and Patchwork Plus in Dayton VA. If you are a quilter, we definitely recommend Traditions. Beautiful fabric, large, bright shop and very helpful staff. We found lots of quilting things we needed!

Made it to Winston Salem and checked into our hotel room at the Brookstown Inn. A beautifully restored cotton mill. A must stay. They serve cookies and milk and wine and cheese. What more could anyone want or need?

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Location:Winston Salem, NC

Moving the CA kids to Brooklyn, New York

2011-06-29T16:28:00.002-04:00

I know some of you will just love hearing about our sojourn to Brooklyn, NY, with Shuffy's truck and cargo trailer. You will quickly learn (which we would have learned BEFORE we left) why NOT to take a truck and trailer through the streets of New York.

The first indication that maybe this wasn't one of our brightest ideas was when we headed through the 1st tunnel. We saw a sign that said "trucks with more than 3 axels couldn't go through the tunnel." Remember, we saw this sign seconds before we needed to turn to go another way. Cars, taxis, people were all going by us very quickly so we asked Shan, what should we do? She said, "I don't know. I've never had to worry about that before." So, Shuffy made a good executive decision not to try to go through the tunnel which was a good one since we found out that the police would have escorted us out of that tunnel had we tried.

Another thing you need to know, we didn't have a map, just a GPS. And that GPS doesn't think fast enough. So, here we were going through the streets of New York, trying to read where the GPS wanted us to go (and the GPS didn't know that we had a truck and trailer that wasn't allowed to go just anywhere).

Where 2 hours later (and a lot of stress), we ended up where we needed to be -- Shan and Carl's new apartment. Here are some photos we took, just in case we ever forget.

Here's the one tunnel we were allowed to go through

Yeah, here's the Brooklyn Bridge. We're closer

We're here and unloading. It was a beautiful, WARM (HOT) day.

Shan, you forgot to tell me about the narrow staircase, Shuffy says.

Can you tell how hard we worked?

This is taken from one end of the living room looking at the dining room

Looking into the bedroom. Two nice closets for storage on either side.

Here's the living room (without boxes!!) looking into the dining area.

Last night at Yosemite and Sequoia National Park

2011-05-13T15:49:00.001-04:00

Here's some pics of our accommodations at Yosemite. Anyone want to join us next time?

What more could we want .... Maybe a couple more blankets???

As we were leaving Yosemite, Drew snapped a few more shots of the beautiful landscape

Decided that our last full day in CA would be spent in Sequoia National Park so the drive began. Take a look at what we came upon once we got to the park.

If you've never seen these huge trees, it's hard to give you perspective. I had read and saw pictures, but nothing prepared me for their immense size and girth. Walking in the beautiful forest was quite humbling.

General Sherman, the giant Sequoia was taken on our hike through the Giant Forest. We drove down the General's Highway and saw many more giants.

Here's one that had fallen so a tunnel was cut to give you an idea of its size. We also saw a momma bear with her two cubs right along the highway

Time to head back to LA to say goodbye to this beautiful country and Shan and Carl. Wonder what our next adventures will be with their travels.

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Location:Yosemite and Sequoia NP

Damn you Shan and the road less travelled

2011-05-10T22:06:00.001-04:00

When I was planning our trip west, Wedding daughter, Shan said, "oh, you haven't really experienced Yosemite unless you stay in a tent cabin." So like a dutiful mother who thinks her daughter is so smart, I called up the park and reserved a tent cabin. Thank heavens I had done a little research first and found that I could reserve a heated cabin. That became VERY important as we prepared for bed and it was 36 degrees ( yes not kidding). We each had 2 blankets and even with the "heat," it was still cold BUT we couldn't see our breath Yes, Shan, it was an experience, and, one we get to experience yet again tonight.
After waking up and taking a hot shower and having breakfast, we headed out to hike. We decided to take the Mist Trail. WOW!! If you've not experienced it, it's hard to imagine what we had to hike AND what we saw. The pictures don't do it justice but it will give you an idea.

During our walk on Mist Trail, we turned around and captured this rainbow off of Vernal Falls below.

Drew talked us into continuing our climb to Nevada Falls. It went straight up and as you can see below, the stone steps were wet. It wasn't any easy climb but thankfully there was a handrail on this section. Linda and I didn't think we would have ventured if there hadn't been one.

Then instead of going back down the way we came up, we decided it seemed a little safer to take the John Muir Trail which ascended some more but the descent was easier. Here are some more photos of Nevada Falls on the way back.

We ended up hiking about 6.5 miles on that hike. Got some lunch and headed back out to see Yosemite Falls, the longest falls in the US about 2,500 feet.

We're all so tired and it's only 6:30. Not sure we can keep awake until normal bedtime. Tomorrow we are thinking of driving to Sequoia National Park to see more redwood trees. Stay tuned. Night.

Location:Yosemite National Park

On the road again to Yosemite NP

2011-05-10T18:29:00.001-04:00

Leaving the desert of Pioneer Town was very bittersweet. We had such a wonderful time at the wedding house. But we have a new adventure. Lin, Drew Bill, and I left early for our drive to Yosemite. Everyone else were leaving the wedding house but going back to Shan and Carl's house. Not quite sure what all they will be doing. If it's up to Winter, it will be more rock climbing. If it's up to Kristen, it will be a stop at the Cactus Mart to buy some cacti. We shall see. I'm sure there will be some interesting stories for us when we return.

Ok, who's idea was this to come to Yosemite in the spring? As we were driving closer and closer, the clouds kept getting thicker and thicker. Then as we drove to Mariposa Grove (one of my "planned" hikes, it started snowing and throwing in a little ice. The temperature started to fall from a balmy 58 down to 39 when we got to the grove. But would a little snow and sleet stop us? No, BUT we weren't able to drive up due to the weather. We put on some extra layers of clothing and away we went. We had to hike uphill 2 miles to the trailhead

and then a couple more miles to the Grizzly Giant, one of the largest trees in the Mariposa Grove and is estimated to be 1,800 years old. It's the one in the middle of the picture. One of it's limbs is 7 feet in diameter

Then we hiked further to the California Tunnel Tree, cut in1895 to allow horse drawn stages to pass through.

When we finished the trail, we noticed they had opened up the road. Before that we were only saw 2 other groups of people walking up the road. But those people in cars wouldn't have seen this interesting tree

Well that's it for now. We are on the road again to find our tent cabin. Yes we are staying in a tent. Shan said that it's the only way to experience Yosemite! We'll let her know, I'm sure.

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Location:From Pioneer Town to Yosemite

Ultimate brunch and belay

2011-05-10T18:28:00.001-04:00

Chef Shuffy never got a cramp in his hand like he did after cooking for this crowd.

He started cooking breakfast burritos at 7:30 for the campers at our house (Carl and Shan's friends) and us. Then the next wave of people came (more friends who stayed or camped in Joshua Tree). Last wave was Carl's family. Everyone had such a great time catching up with each other and making new friends. There was such a close family feeling the whole weekend. Shan and Carl are so blessed. Sister Kristen started squeezing OJ for the crew and almost got carpal tunnel. We only had 2 bushels (yes, that's a correct figure) of oranges that Kristen, Lin and I had picked from Shan and Carl's backyard.

Some of the camping crew Bill was feeding.

After we finished the feed of the 5,000, Shan and Carl took us to Joshua Tree NP for rock climbing.

Bet you can't tell which is the Joshua Tree and which are the humans!

Kristen, Lin, Drew and I went for a hike while the rest put on rock climbing gear.

This adventure tired everyone out, even Winter. Back to the house and hot tub and wine.

Location:Joshua Tree

The LuckyAlsup wedding

2011-05-09T01:19:00.002-04:00

Up bright and early Saturday, Shuffy, Linda and I went for a long walk. In hind sight we should have saved our energy for all the wedding tasks that still needed to be done but we saw some beautiful wildflowers and cacti, so it was worth it.

Linda, Drew and I put up a bunch of signs to help point people to the correct sandy roads. Then we finished some last minute errands in town. Back at the house, we had to set up the tables with the table linens and colorful napkins and get the ceremony area ready.

While we were doing that, Bill and Carl put the dance floor together and strung the lights. It was quite windy and they had to really secure the lights so that they would stay vertical. We only broke 13 bulbs which meant another trip to town which isn't a quick trip. Drew decided we would pick some wildflowers to attach to the chairs on the aisle. That added a nice touch. Kristen worked on making the succulent centerpieces, bouteniers and the bridal bouquet. They were amazing, so different, but perfect for the location.

So now for the ceremony. What can I say. It was much more special and moving than the royal wedding. Drew gave Shan away. Kya walked Milo down the aisle and Winter was in charge of the rings. Shan and Carl wrote their own vows which made it all that more special. Kristen, Jess and Angela (Carl's sister) each had a reading. She was a beautiful bride especially in the gorgeous gown her friend Jimini made for her.

After the ceremony, we had hordorves, took Poloroid pictures for

the guestbook
and had a wonderful Mexican meal. Of course, no wedding would be done without some toasts from Drew, Jess (Shan's best friend from high school), and Terry, Carl's friend from Med School and rock climber.

Then we danced the night away to some great Classic Rock from a great group of DJs.
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Location:Pioneer Town, CA

Nobody knows the trouble I've seen

2011-05-06T12:56:00.001-04:00

The saga of Bill, Drew, Winter and Kya traveling west was stressful not only for them but for us who were waiting from them. We got word from Bill that US Air plane was going to be 1 hr late into State College which means they wouldn't make their connecting flight in Philly. Finally they found a flight that would get them into LA at midnight which meant that they wouldn't arrive at Joshua Tree until at least 2:30 a.m. Linda and I were worried that Bill's GPS wouldn't be able to find the remote location of the wedding house. SO we decided that she and I would drive down into Pioneer Town to meet them and escort them to the house. Oh yeah, did I mention that all the roads are sand and it's really hard to see which ones to turn onto. Carl had drawn us a map which came in very handy. More on that in a moment.

My alarm went off at 2 am. Got Lin up and away we went in Shan's jetta across the sandy roads. We thought we had it made because we made it to the highway within a half mile where we were going to meet them. What did we see -- A police cruiser across the highway with their lights flashing and in the distance we saw more lights flashing. I looked at Lin and said, "What now?". We looked at Carl's map and saw that the one road actually looped so we turned around. So by this time we had cell service ( did i forget to mention there's no cell service where we are staying?), so we called Bill to tell him where we needed to go to meet up. Lin and I went back the way we came and then took the other way into town and finally met up with the crew who were pretty travel worn but still laughing. We made it back to our house without any further problems. Sleep, sweet sleep.

Our walk this morning was a little later (Lin had to wait for us to wake up) and a little warmer but we found a beautiful spot among the boulders to sit, relax and reflect. So quiet with only the birds talking.

Now we're waiting to take orders from Shan for today's tasks.

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Location:Joshua Tree

Getting ready for the "Royal" wedding

2011-05-05T19:57:00.001-04:00

Today started around 6 am for Linda and me. We went for a long walk through Pipes Canyon. Some wild flowers are still blooming although peak season was last week.

The sun was just beginning to come up over the mountain so it was fleece weather.

After our walk and some breakfast, with Kristen making her special orange juice smoothies, we had to start our task list for today.

First on our list was to make napkins from some beautiful reds, oranges, and purple fabrics. We decided to pink the edges and then wrap the plasticware in the fabric and then tie them off with raffia. We're allowed to have a glass of wine if we show we're making progress.

While we were working on our task list, Kristen started making the succulent centerpieces

And not to leave out anyone, Carl was put to the task of getting the wedding memory book put together.

The weather here is awesome. In the 80s with a little breeze blowing. We're taking a break and wondering when Bill, Drew and the grandkids will arrive. Probably won't be before 2am because Bill and the girls's flight got delayed. I knew we couldn't get this all done without some hitch I. Our giddyup.

Well, I'm going to go get some rest so that I can be ready to meet Bill and crew LATE tonight. Talk to you tomorrow.
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Location:Joshua Tree

The quiet of Joshua Tree

2011-05-04T23:16:00.001-04:00

Well, take a look at where we are staying and where the wedding and reception will take place. It is so deserty and quiet here.

Here's a young Joshua Tree. I'm pretty sure that these trees are very slow growing.

Kristen and Nan went for a walk around the place and saw a rabbit. She was looking for a coyote but none to be found yet.

Now we're sitting on the front porch just enjoying the solitude and a bottle of merlot the landlady gave us. Next is the hot tub to relax a little before our big day of work tomorrow. Talk to you tomorrow.

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Location:Pioneer Town, CA

Landed in LA

2011-05-04T04:12:00.001-04:00

After a non eventful flight, we landed and Shan and Milo picked us up got back to their house and immediately picked oranges off their tree and wolfed down several. We had all been thinking about that for a long time. It's about 1:00 am so I guess we better try to get some sleep.

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Location:Los Angeles, CA

Traveling to the airport

2011-05-04T03:18:00.001-04:00

Driving to Hershey to pick up Linda Z was a pretty trip with the redbud trees in bloom and no rain which is a rarity these days. Then on to a Baltimore for our flight. Arrived with lots of time to spare. Dropped Kris and Nan and the bags at the departure area and then Lin and I took the car to long-term parking. While we were doing that, Southwest airline had an evacuation

because of a suspicious bag but AirTran wasn't affected. So we checked in and went through security. It wasn't as bad as I've heard but because we had so much stuff, I'm sure we made an impact. Then what to my wondering eyes should appear but Rosalie and Jess Bailey they were on the same flight as us and in the seats right behind us. What fun catching up.

Now for our 6 hr flight.

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2011 travels to California -- our very own 'royal' wedding

2011-05-02T21:09:00.003-04:00

This year our big trip is to our daughter's wedding in California. Kristen, my mom, Linda Zubler and I leave tomorrow to help Shan with last minute details. Then Bill and the grandkids (hereafter referred to as gKs), and the Drew. We'll have everyone together. Carl's (aka groom) family will be arriving on Friday too.

The festivities will take place at Joshua Tree National Park. The rehearsal will be Friday night and then the wedding ceremony will be Saturday Here is the wedding place we've rented:
http://www.vrbo.com/178633

Stay tuned for more.

August 7 - Des Moines, IA to Wauseon, OH

2010-08-07T20:31:00.001-04:00

Since we didn't stop to see anything along the way, we decided to give you our reflections on the trip.

It was nice to be gone long enough and without cell and email service to not be able to tell what day of the week each day was.
Glacier National Park was everything we had read and heard about but so much more. That might have been because we hiked the trails and got into the haeart of the park. We also saw a lot of wildlife while we hiked and talked to a lot of interesting people.

We highly recommend staying at Mini Golden Inns in Hungry Horse, MT. Rick, the owner has a neat sense of humor that comes out every so often. The rooms was extremely clean and was only 9 miles from the West entrance to Glacier. That was very convenient because we visited the park very often in our 5 days there. We could take off for the park in the morning, come back in the afternoon and then go back into the park for the evening.
We also recommend eating at the Glacier Grill, a couple miles east of Hungry HOrse on the way to Glacier. Lots of different types of food.
Our Yellowstone experience was so different than Glacier because we rode more than hiked. We were only at Yellowstone for 2 days so we didn't have the luxury of the time to hike. We wanted to ride the whole park because the last time we were in Yellowstone, we didn't see the Northeast corner because it was closed.

Pahaska Tepee is also a place we recommend you spend some time at. It's just a couple of miles east of the East Entrance to Yellowstone. However, it was still about 30 miles ride just to get to the 1st intersection in Yellowstone called Fishing Bridge. The roads were great riding roads, lots of curves. Pahaska Tepee was also a restaurant with good food (remember that HUGE pancake?).
We've driven Yellowstone and now riden Yellowstone. Riding is definitely our first choice, especially with the great weather we had.
Enjoyed having some extra time on the way home to stop at some of the sites like the Buffalo Bill Cody Heritage Center, Ft. Larimie, and Pararie Town. Broke up the drive back.
Neither of us had driven west on I80. Nebraska had more trees and rolling land than we thought. Iowa wasn't all corn like we had heard and we also liked that we didn't have to fight the traffic in Chicago.
Since we trailered our bikes, we took along some audiobooks that helped pass the time as we rolled along the highway.

Well, that's it for this trip. Can't wait for the next one.

August 6 - Lexington, NE to De Moines, IA

2010-08-06T20:55:00.002-04:00

Continued our trip on the Oregon Trail. We stopped at the historic Ft. Kearny in Nebraska. By 1949, 4,000 wagons had passed the fort mostly on their way to California. This was an example of a blacksmith house with a sod roof.

Next we stopped at the Stuhr Museum of the Prarie Pioneer in Grand Island, Nebraska. This is a restored 1870-1890 railroad town that portrayed Nebraska early settlements. Of course, Peg had to shop in the millinary shop (hats).

It was really interesting to step back in history and experience what life was like on Nebraska plains.

But if we are ever going to get home again, we needed to get back on the road. Drove past a "farm" of windmills along i80 and made it to Des Moines, IA. Tomorrow, we're on to Illinois, Indiana and maybe Ohio.

August 5 - Douglas, WY to Lexington, NE

2010-08-05T13:03:00.010-04:00

I'm going to see if I can post from my phone again. Left Douglas, WY. Stopped in Guernsey to view a piece of the past...the Oregon Trail. We saw the ruts where the settler's wagons drove heading for the West. These ruts were 5' deep through sandstone. We also saw the Register Cliffs where settlers carved their names and dates as they went on their way west.

Next we stopped at Fort Larmie. the military post, was founded in 1849 when the army purchased the old Fort John for $4000, and began to build a military outpost along the Oregon Trail. For many years, the Plains Indians and the travelers along the Oregon Trail had coexisted peacefuly. As the numbers of emigrants increased, however, tensions between the two cultures began to develop. To help insure the safety of the travelers, Congress approved the establishment of forts along the Oregon Trail and a special regiment of Mounted Riflemen to man them. Fort Laramie was the second of these forts to be established. We walked around the many buildings that have been restored and some that are in ruin. At one time there were over 700 military men along with some wives and laundresses.

We recommend that when you plan to be in Wyoming you save time to visit both of these sites. We really enjoyed reading about the past and seeing some of the evidence.

After that stop we continued on our way and stopped in Lexington, NE for the night. As we were coming back from dinner, I took this beautiful western sunset.

August 4 - Left Yellowstone, Headed for Douglas Wyoming

2010-08-05T09:48:00.001-04:00

Here are the pics I added August 5 because we have fast Internet ... woohoo!

Well, we’re on the way home so there’s not a lot to tell you. Except that we stopped at Buffalo Bill Cody’s Heritage Center in Cody, WY. If you’re out near Cody, we recommend that you stop. It’s a very well done educational center. Lots of information about the Plains Indians and Yellowstone. Also had 2,700 guns (all kinds and sizes).

As we were leaving, we stopped by the chuckwagon and sampled some pinto beans and bacon and sourdough bisquits that were cooked over the fire.

Here's a statute called "Code of the West." Who knows what that code is?

On our way again, our drive took us through Big Horn River canyon – a beautiful drive down through a long canyon and through 3 tunnels. Here’s the route we took in case you’re going this way: From Cody, take 120 to Thermopolis (stop at Hot Spring State Park for a swim), then Route 20 down to Shoshoni (along the Big Horn River).

We stayed overnight at Douglas, WY, southeast of Casper. I was hoping I would have Internet but I don’t so that’s why this post is late. However, we do have a big screen TV so that’s what we’re doing for fun tonight. Internet sucks so no pictures till I have a faster connection.

Tomorrow we’ll head through Nebraska.

August 3 - Ride to Old Faithful

2010-08-03T23:05:00.000-04:00

Temperature said it was 31 degrees early this morning. We waited until 9:30 to start out and it had warmed up some (at least I didn’t have to have all my layers on). We headed for Old Faithful. Took us about 2 hours riding time to reach Old Faithful. Just as we arrived, she was just about ready to erupt. We found a place among the many to sit and watch. It was awesome to watch it erupt. Then we walked along the 2 mile boardwalk and saw lots more geysers and pools. Here's a shot of Bill and I near the Spasmodic Geyser.

On the way back from Old Faithful, we stopped at Cascade Falls and got this shot.

We crossed the Continental Divide on our way to and from Old Faithful.

Then as we continued, we got caught in a traffic jam … a bull elk was lounging along the road and had vehicles stopped for about a mile back. At the next stop, Thumb Bay, we saw more elk … a mamma and two calves. They had a boardwalk that we walked around to see hot springs and geysers.

Then back to the cabin to pack up the bikes. We’re heading to Cody and Gray Bull tomorrow.

August 2 - Yellowstone Northeast and Northwest Corners

2010-08-02T22:13:00.008-04:00

Lesson learned: DON’T open both windows when you’re in Yellowstone. We woke up to frost bitten noses … well, not really but it was COLD!! Had breakfast … can you tell what this is? It’s a short stack of pancakes for one! Remember, we’re staying at Buffalo Bill Cody’s lodge. Well, this is the modern Buffalo Bill Shuffy!!

Put on lots of clothes and took off for the Northeast Corner of Yellowstone. Absolutely beautiful morning … clear, crisp and deep blue skies.

Had to get through the buffalo alley where they all lie in wait for people to ogle over them.

First stop was to see the upper falls in Yellowstone River. BIll has a great shot of that and will put in later.

Took the northeast corner road. This road was closed on our last trip to Yellowstone so we wanted to make sure we got there this time. Here’s a pic of Barronette Peak that Bill took (again, have to wait for Bill to upload this one)

Next, decided to go over to the northewest corner to see Mammoth Springs. Mammoth is a large hill of travertine that has been created over thousands of years as hot water from the spring cooled and deposited calcium carbonate (over two tons flows into Mammoth each day in a solution).

On the way back from Mammoth, we saw a moose cow in a meadow. She was full grown but now nearly as large a that bull moose we saw in Glacier. Also saw a bull elk taking it easy. He was a 6x7

Rode down to the north rim of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The colors on the stone were beautiful shades of white to orange-red. Saw the lower falls and looked down into the canyon from a couple other overlooks.

It was time to head back to Pahaska. It takes about 45 minutes (depending on the buffalo) to get back down off the mountain. On the way down, we saw the next RV we’re going to buy. It was pulled by a Trike. What do you think?

Back home to Pahaska for a meal of baby-back ribs. On to Old Faithful tomorrow.

August 1 - Left Glacier and headed for Yellowstone

2010-08-01T23:32:00.001-04:00

Had an uneventful drive through western Montana. We know that our GPS is a female because I swear she changed her mind from the time we left til we got into southern Montana to I90. She took us down through some beaufitful country, all non-interstate. We hit West Yellowstone about 4r pm and rode through the park. There was construction on the west end (which means gravel) for 3 miles so Peg is NOT going on that road (I don't care if Brenda does think the practice will do me good!!).

In the park, we saw Earthquake Lake. In 1959 an there was an earthquake that caused a landslide and dammed up the mountain stream. By the next morning, the lake had formed where there wasn't one before.

As we got close to Fishing Bridge, we saw about 1,000 buffalo. Had one walk beside our truck for a little while and then had one we had to follow down the road for a bit. I'll only bore you with two of the MANY pictures I took of the buff. We're anxious to ride tomorrow to see what else we see. Plus, Peg will be on her bike so she won't be able to take as many pics!

Got to the Pahaska Lodge and Tepee about 5:30. Pahaska means Man With Long Hair. It’s the place that Buffalo Bill Cody built after he got famous for his wild west shows. He built it as hunting lodge to entertain his guests. We ate buffalo quesadillas. Kristen, didn’t I buy you a quesadilla maker?? I’m going to expect you to make me some buffalo ones when we get home.

We have a cabin on top of a hill about 3 miles from the east gate of Yellowstone. Here’s the sunset we saw from our deck while having a brew or two. Check back tomorrow for a picture of the cabin.

BTW – we don’t have any cellphone reception at the lodge. We’ll have to go into Yellowstone to be able to check our voicemail. You can leave us a comment on the blog. We can check that when we get to the lodge later tomorrow night. Although, reception is really slow. I"m VERY spoiled with PA's high speed!!

July 31 - Last day in Glacier

2010-07-31T23:49:00.002-04:00

Even though it was cloudy and 30% chance of rain, we decided to try hiking just one more time in Glacier. We hiked the McDonald Creek Trail. It wound around the creek, saw more waterfalls and lots of rocks. It did rain but we had our rain jackets on and I didn’t melt. By noon, there was blue sky.

Packed our lunch again so we ate at the Lake McDonald Lodge. Then started off on Sperry Trail which went straight up the side of a mountain. It was a 5 mile hike which we only did 1.5. Decided that we had huffed and puffed enough so we came back down the mountain.

Jumped on the bikes and took off for Kalispell, a town about 35 south of Glacier. Here’s a picture of one of the building in historic downtown. It's the county seat and the largest city in Northwest Montana.

Took this picture for Shan and Linda. When we were in Seattle for a girl's trip, they had little coffee houses all over the place. Same here in the Glacier area. Is it a Northwest thing to do?

Called Andrea and she asked me to bring back some stones from Glacier. Peg had some for a project she wanted to do, but didn't have enough. So, we headed back to Glacier for one last time to get some stones from the shore of Lake McDonald. The lake was created by a glacier and is about 10 miles long and over 500 feet deep. Peg didn't have her camera so this is one I took from the lower end of McDonald Lake.

This is our last night in Hungry Horse so had some packing of clothes and bikes to do. Tomorrow we’re off for Yellowstone to see the sights there. Talk to you tomorrow night.

July 30 - Waterton International Peace Park, Alberta, CA

2010-07-30T22:41:00.002-04:00

Got an early start today since we were going to Waterton International Peace Park in Canada (about 150 miles one way). Started out at 7:30 a.m. with lots of layers on because it was only 51 degrees here in Hungry Horse. You delicate people understand and know that when I say “many” layers, it’s at least 7. But it did warm up a little as we rode north.

We stopped in Browning, MT, at the Blackfeet Heritage Center in the Blackfeet Indiana Reservation. Chief Earl Old Person told us stories to help us understand the various ceremonies the Blackfeet had and why they were important. The Blackfeet Indian Reservation is 1.5 million acres of beautiful countryside. The reservation borders Glacier National Park and Canada.

After visiting the Blackfeet Heritage Center we continued north to Waterton International Peace Park. The Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park is the name of the union of the Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada and the Glacier National Park in the United States. In 1979, Waterton and bordering Glacier National park in the US were designated as World Biosphere reserves, preserving mountains, prairie, lakes and freshwater wetlands ecosystems. Habitats represented in the parks' range include: prairie grasslands, aspen grove forests, alpine tundra/high meadows, lower subalpine forests, deciduous and coniferous forests. The weather was cool and overcast.

We walked through the Prince of Wales Lodge at Waterton. The lodge opened in 1927. The hotel was named after Prince Edward and retains its British atomosphere even today. (We even saw a guy in a kilt when we walked through the lobby.) The lodge is on a bluff overlooking Waterton Lake.

The ride back was over some great riding roads, lots of curves and up and down the mountains.

July 29 - Riding to the Sun Road again & Avalanche Trail Hike

2010-07-29T23:00:00.005-04:00

Today started out with Bill going to the auto parts store to get spark plugs for his bike. It was starting to miss a little yesterday and he wanted to make sure he had new plugs just in case.

Then we decided we wanted to hike Avalanche Trail off of Riding to the Sun Road. It was a 2.5-mile hike in among huge, tall red cedars to a gorge. Ice-age glacial melt water carved through bedrock sculpted the gorge. Then the trail headed up among western hemlock and overland until we reached Avalanche Lake. We continued walking along the lake's rocky shore.

As you see in the photos, the weather was gorgeous making the lake’s aquamarine shine. We hiked around the lake as far as the trail would let us, again taking our shoes and socks off to wade in the freezing glacier water.

Too beautiful to pass up, we sat for a spell looking at the water falls coming off the glacier on the continental divide. We took a break just listening to nothing and taking in all the beauty surrounding us.

Jumped on the bikes and decided to ride somewhere we hadn’t been yet. The road took us to another part of the park where there had been a fire at some point. Lodepole pine have started to grow in the ungrowth of the burned out trees.

On our way back, we stopped in Columbia Falls because they were having a Farmer’s Market with live music and crafts. Had a great time listening to some bluegrass music and shopping!! To end our night, we ate at a Mexican restaurant that was superb and then washed two loads of clothes so we’re ready for our next adventures.

July 28 - Going to the Sun Road again

2010-07-28T23:31:00.002-04:00

Decided to go back and ride the Going to the Sun Road again to do some hiking. I rode behind Bill so I could take some pictures while riding. Just as we were getting started on the road, we saw a Grizzly bear cub loping across the road. We drove toward the east end of the park to do some more hiking.

We hiked to the St. Mary Falls trail and saw Virginia and Barring falls as well. We met two guys on the trail who were from State College (can you believe that). They told us about a trail that most people don't travel that would lead to yet another fall so we took that trail as well. It was all so beautiful. Lots of water rushing and roaring down. The water was an aqua blue. Found out that whenever the water is that color it's because it came from a glacier. Wanted to see if the water really was as cold as I thought glacier water would be so we took our shoes and socks off and soaked our feet for a little bit .... AND only a little bit. It was FREEZING but refreshing!!

After that refreshing break, we took another hike to Sun Point. The view was another amazing one. Sun glistening on St. Mary Lake and mountains in the distance. The beauty just surrounded us.

It was time for lunch so we took our packed lunch to the bank of the St. Marys Lake and ate while the water lapped around our feet. Of course, I had to take off my shoes and socks and soak my feet. The water wasn't nearly as cold as the falls. I was actually able to keep my feet in the water for at least 5 minutes without them going numb. What a relaxing lunch.

Still wanting to keep riding, we decided to go on to Many Glacier. We had huckleberry ice cream at the general store that was delicious. Huckleberries are very plentiful here. They have stands that sell huckleberries and cherries all along the roads.

After that respite, what did we see but a HUGE bull moose taking a rest in a wooded area. Lots of people all around but the moose didn't care. He just laid their taking it easy.

Well, it was time to head back to Hungry Horse so we decided to take the Going to the Sun Road (instead of going the long way like we did last night). The construction on the road holds us up at least 30 minutes. They are fixing the boulder walls and getting the road ready to pave.

Finally made it back to the motel. Ate at the Nite Owl Back Room. Declicious baby back ribs and fry bread... glad we had all that hiking to use up some of the calories.

July 27 - Hungry Horse and Glacier National Park

2010-07-27T23:34:00.003-04:00

Had a full day of riding. Decided that our first ride would be the “Road to the Sun.” Started out about 7:30. Road to the Logan Pass Visitor Center. Decided we needed to take a hike to Hidden Lake. Walked about 2 miles and saw mountain goats and Big Horn sheep very close to us.

We trekked through snow and water but the end result was absolutely gorgeous … Hidden Lake.

After getting back to the bikes at the Visitor Center, we took off again on the Road to the Sun.

They were working on the road so had to go through some road construction but finally made it to the end of the Road to the Sun. Peg doesn't like riding in gravel, so when we came upon a roadgrader spreading new gravel, Bill was looking for a place to pull his bike off the road so he could help Peg out. But she rode through the hazzard with out a glitch.

Rather than turn around and come back the way we had come, we decided to take the long way home but another beautiful ride through Glacier. Maybe the gravel on the "Riding to the Sun Road" had something to do wiith the decision to take a different route home!

Day 4 - July 26 - Forsythe, MT to Hungry Horse, MT

2010-07-26T23:50:00.000-04:00

Montana is a pretty big state. Since we have about 8 or 9 hours, we left about 8 a.m. Drove across I90 til we got to Billings, then started north on two lane roads. Saw an antelope, 2 mule deer and a mountain lion (could the Nittany Lion have followed me??). It was a beautiful ride once we got off of i90. Saw rugged hillsides, beautiful lakes, and mountains in the distance. Don’t have many pictures because Bill wouldn’t stop. What you see are ones I took while he was driving.

Once we got to Hungry Horse, we checked into the Mini Golden Inn. We have a nice room with a kitchen. We unloaded the bikes and took off for dinner and to look for a grocery store. Have to get our food ready to take off tomorrow for the Road to the Sun.

Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 3, July 25 - Monticello, Minnesota to Forsythe, Montana

2010-07-25T23:41:00.003-04:00

Stopped to get gas at Fergus Falls and found the Northern Continental Divide monument. A continental divide is a drainage divide where the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side feeds into a different ocean or sea. There are five divides in North America. The Northern Divide separates the watershed of the Atlantic Ocean from that of Hudson Bay.

Well, we are on our way across Minnesota and North Dakota and had a learning experience from a Metro police officer in Moorehead, ND!! Who really thinks that Moorehead, ND is metro … we sure didn’t. Anyway, Bill was tooling along about 65-70 and heard the music of the cop car. When he pulled over, the officer asked if we didn’t know we were in a metro area (they must count all the mosquitoes!!). You can tell you’re in a Metro area when there are buildings alongside the highway and are always 55 MPH. It was NOT the time to tell him that we didn’t think Moorhead was Metro. So Bill used his most convincing voice to tell the officer that he was sorry. Officer only gave us a warning and a handout to let us know just how much the fine would have been.

In the middle of nowhere, we saw this flying geese sculpture. Geese in Flight sculpture was begun in 1998 and completed in 2002. The artist chose to sculpt geese because the birds are significant to North Dakota. They fly through the state every spring and fall, migrating north or south. The geese are enjoyed by bird watchers and hunters alike.

The ride was becoming pretty boring and then we came to the Painted Canyon, part of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Known as the northern Badlands, the color was beautiful. The Badlands are located in the southwest portion of the state. The area is dry today, but in the past, rivers carved out stunning rock features that stand today.

Made it into Forsythe, Montana, a historic town about an hour and a half past the border. It's a quaint little town of about 2,000 people and the county seat for Rosebud County. Forsythe was established in 1876 as the first settlement on the Yellowstone River. The Sundowner motel has wireless!! I'm in heaven.

We have about 9 hours til we reach Hungry Horse, Montana. We're hoping we get an early start. Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 2 - Indiana to Minnesota

2010-07-25T00:03:00.001-04:00

Got on the road early. Spent a lot of time getting around Chicago. Doesn't seem to matter which route we take, it just takes a long time. Had to detour because of flooding. It was hard to believe they were routng cars through the water.

Finally made it around and through and made it to Monticello, MN. We had quite a lot of excitement (not the good kind). The ball broke off the trailer and the safety chains let loose. We actually watched the trailer (with our bikes) go across the median strip and over into the other lane and down in the ditch (east bound) and we were going west bound. So we drove across one of the access roads that you're not supposed to do and pulled up along side the road close to the trailer. Bill checked on the bikes and they were OK. The trailer has a few bumps and bruises but for the most part it was ok, too. Went up the road about 2 miles to an ACE Hardware store and picked up a new ball and some new safety chain links. Had to go down the road another 5 miles to get the piece to fix the wiring. Back up the Interstate to the trailer and fought the misquitos that were worse than in Geneva swamp!!! Bill worked on the wiring while Peg swatted misquitos for him. Once that was fixed to Bill's satisfaction, he had to maneuver the pickup and trailer around (the trailer was turned the wrong way) and up an enbankment to the Interstate. Made it without the trailer dragging (God was definitely with us!!). Found a room but still had to go to Walmart to get a light tester to test the wiring in the morning.

Day 1: Away we go

2010-07-24T23:49:00.001-04:00

We're on our way. We're shooting for Toledo which means we'll have about 300 miles in and 1500 to go to get to Hungry Horse, MT.

We actually made it almost to the Illinois border. Went through a lot of rain. Stopped at the Smith's Family Restaurant and had Carrot Coin Salad. I asked for the recipe but they told me it was a secret. Found it on the Internet though. It would be a nice salad for summer get togethers.

Here's the recipe I found:

CARROT COIN SALAD
2 lb. carrots, sliced
1 can tomato soup
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. vinegar
1/2 c. salad oil
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. mustard
1/2 tsp. celery seed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 med. red onion, sliced in rings
1 green pepper, chopped coarsely
Cook carrots in water until tender, but firm. Boil soup, sugar, vinegar, salad oil, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, celery seed, salt and pepper for 15 minutes or until sauce thickens. Make layers of carrots with onion, green pepper. Pour sauce over each layer and chill for several hours. Can be refrigerated for several days.

Truck fixed, trailer hitched -- check off list

2010-07-22T09:13:00.000-04:00

Well, can't believe it BUT the truck got fixed by the Ford garage yesterday. I picked it up and off we went to Spring Mills to pick up the traner from Nevin Stitzer. As we were getting closer to Spring Mills, the sky got darker and I thought, oh yeah, just one more thing on this wonderful day of mine. It did pour buckets for about 5-10 minutes but then sun came out and Nevin and I were able to hitch the trailer and off we went back to State College.

Picked up Shuffy from airport (yeah, remember, he was gone while all this was happening!!). -- check off list

So, two more things checked off list. Tonight will be packing clothes and getting bikes packed in trailer. We're getting closer to take off!

Snafu before we begin

2010-07-21T10:20:00.000-04:00

When I went out to start the truck to get the trailer, the motor just kept cranking away without starting. What to do. Called Bill, who I might add is conveniently in Atlanta until late tonight. He said that it sounded like there was a wire cut (which happened in April). So, called our Ford garage to get it scheduled. Then had to call AAA to get it towed. All that is done right now. Just waiting to hear back from the garage. Crossing my fingers and praying it can bget fixed by tomorrow.

It's 2010 and time for another trip -- Glacier National Park

2010-06-23T15:05:00.000-04:00

YEAH!! It's time again to plan our two-week bike trip. This year we decided we wanted to explore Glacier National Park. If there's time, we may drop down and take a tour of Yellowstone. We've never been to Glacier but we have been to Yellowstone, just not on our bikes.

So, if you'd like to explore with us, make sure you check back. Our plan is to leave July 24 from State College trailering our biikes to somewhere in Montana. See I told you, we still have planning to do. I need to purchase a new helmet but other than that, I think we have all the clothes we need.

If any of you have been to Glacier and have some MUST SEE's, please let us know. A colleague, Robb Meinen and family will be at Glacier the same time as we will be so we hope to catch up with them to say hello and share our experiences.

Please leave us comments and we'll answer back when we can.

Day 19 - Saskatoon to Fergus Fall, MN

2009-07-16T06:15:00.004-04:00

LONG day -- 14 hours. Best part of the day was getting pulled over at Customs because they detected something with our trailer or our bikes that appeared to be radioactive. It was a false-positive and we were on our way again but it did have us wondering if something had been done to the trailer while we had it parked in Saskatoon. Wasn't allowed to take any pictures during this episode.

Did anyone know that Rugby, North Dakota, is the geographical center of North America? We came a different route and saw this as we came into town.

Day 18 - Edmonton, Alberta to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

2009-07-14T22:45:00.006-04:00

Today was another completely cloudy day -- BUT NO RAIN (we're looking for the positives here). It was also another cold day and very windy. We were all glad that we only had about 350 miles to go. The winds were gusting around 41 mph.

We stopped for gas at a truckstop in Lloydminster and learned that Saskatoon had a terrible storm in the night -- 4-5 inches of rain fell and washed over part of the road. They weren't sure if eastbound was open. Being the adventurers we were, we decided to try it and see what happened.

Sure enough, there was water over the road but the road crew had cleaned up at least one lane so that we were able to get through by riding on the berm.

Made it to Saskatoon without any other incident. Anna was so glad she kissed the truck.

We have a lot of great memories and photos to share with you all.

Day 17 - Fort Saint John to Edmonton

2009-07-13T20:01:00.005-04:00

It was a cold start today but NO RAIN!! It was a nice riding day, according to Bill except he wishes we were heading into Alaska, not away from it.Stopped in Dawson Creek to take a picture of us at Mile Marker Zero. The town was a little disappointing to me. Maybe we missed something but I thought there would have been more to do with the town's heritage but all we saw was a string of modern businesses and NO SHOPPING!!

Once we were in Alberta, the landscape changed to prairies. Lots of wide open spaces. Gone were the mountains. Large canola fields that were beautiful, bright yellow against the cloudy horizon. You can definitely tell we were on the prairie because of the wind, whipping across the fields. Since grain is a huge industry, we saw lots of grain elevators. Lots of farms along the highway with beef cattle.

Rolled into Edmonton about 4 p.m. Large town, LOTS of traffic. Something we haven't been used to for a long time.

Tomorrow is our last bike riding day -- into Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where we left the truck and trailer.

Day 16 - Liard to Fort Saint John

2009-07-12T23:13:00.009-04:00

The trip started out OK for the first 35 miles. We saw a couple more bears, bison, and 4 caribou. I have so many pictures of bear and bison that I didn't even take any of these.

Stopped to have breakfast at Muncho Lake Lodge. By the time we left, it was raining and it didn't stop much of the day. We actually were on a stretch of road that would have been beautiful IF we could have seen it.

Had some more construction. On the way to Alaska, Harry kept mentioning that he was really surprised that we didn't have much construction. Guess they didn't start working until July 6 because we sure have had a lot of construction on the way back. Raingear

on, we rode through it all.

Here's what we saw behind us. I took a picture over my shoulder of Harry and Anna and what we came from. We kept trying to run out of the rain but it kept following us.

Day 15 - Whitehorse to Liard Hot Springs

2009-07-12T22:34:00.011-04:00

Nice relaxing ride. But it was time for breakfast. We stopped at Jake's Corner, a little priviately owned gas station and cafe. Peg and Anna walked in and got the bad news ... the power was out. Now remember, it's MILES down the road to the next stop (like 90 miles). But Jake came to the rescue. He said he could still fix us some breakfast. These people can really adjust to whatever comes along. I had a HUGE pecan, cranberry sticky bun and my COFFEE. Everyone else had eggs and hashbrowns and coffee. Bellies full, we're on our way again.

Motored on to Watson Lake. Bill dropped off the keys to the hotel we had stayed at on our way down. We tried to make a phone call to the Liard Hot Spring Lodge about 120 miles down the road. BUT we were in the Yukon Territory and the lodge was in British Columbia. Phones didn't work that way. So we decided to try our luck.

On the way we saw 8 black bear and herd of bison. We saw a forest fire along the way too. Happens a lot up here. Sometimes they are control burns and sometimes they happen because of ligthening strikes.

WHEW, we got the last 2 rooms. We all checked in and then Bill and I headed for the hot springs. OHHHH, heavenly. Relaxation seeps into your body as you ease into the second largest hot spring in Canada. The hot springs complex is of national ecological significance and is well known for its natural setting in a lush boreal spruce forest. A boardwalk that leads to the hot spring pools passes through a warm water swamp and boreal forest that supports rich and diverse plant communities, as well as mammal and bird species. There are two hot springs at Liard, with water temperatures ranging from 42°-52° C (107°-126°F). We started out at the lower temp pool, then tried the hotter one but it was TOO HOT.

After a great dinner, Bill and Peg decided to hop back on the bike and look for more wildlife AND to get gas. It was only supposed to be 20 minutes down the road. Bill's gas light came on and we were holding our breath. Just when we thought we were going to need to use that extra gallon of gas that he hauls along, we saw a gas station. Here's some of what we saw.

And then lastly, look at this sunset. We should have known the good weather wouldn't last, particularly since we were riding in British Columbia (where we had the rain on our way to Alaska). Read on to find out more about that.

Day 14 - Valdez to Whitehorse

2009-07-12T21:57:00.007-04:00

LONG day. We were going to stop at Haines Jct but there weren't any rooms. It is Friday and everyone was getting out of town -- Whitehorse. So that's where we had to head -- another 90 miles. Take a look at this electric pole, leaning just a little (and this wasn't the only one. The weather plays havock with lots of things here, particularly the roads. We had a long stretch of road that had permafrost. It was like being on a roller coaster ride, up and down. Good thing Anna and I don't get car sick. Sometimes when you hit these bumps, you fly 12 inches off the seat. Bill and I were the bump scouts. Harry and Anna would watch how high my butt would lift off of the seat. Then they would decide which side of the road was better for them to traverse. I think my Strong Women program is really paying off. My neck and back didn't get sore at all and I was really worried about that.

Finally made it. We were so tired when we got to town that all we had time to do was get a beer.

Here are a couple of shots along the way. Thought you'd enjoy seeing some of the different types of gas stops we made. We had some that were similar to a small Unimart but most of them were operated by private individuals.

This is Bill coming out of the woods after a road construction stop.

Day 13 - Valdez Glacier Boat Ride

2009-07-10T03:43:00.006-04:00

Slept in today – what a treat. Bill and I decided to take a walk … 7 miles later!! We were walking on a trail and saw a black bear about 20 feet in front of us. Got this picture before he turned away. We decided NOT to go down that trail any more.

It was time for the glacier ride. We rode on the LuLuBelle. The captain gave a running commentary on life in Valdez. He really knew his boat. He maneuvered it into spots that I didn’t think a boat could go. On the way to the glacier, we saw puffins, humpback whales, dophns, sea otters, and tons of sea lions.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, we came to the Columbia glacier. The Columbia Glacier is a glacier in Prince William Sound on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is one of the fastest moving glaciers in the world, and has been retreating since the early 1980s. The water was 70 meters deep and the icebergs weren't moving because they were stuck on the bottom.

The weather was perfect. Blue skies and warm temps. Since the boat ride took 6 hours, we didn't get in to port until 9 p.m. Long day but it was the most interesting boat ride we've taken in a long time.

Day 12 - Seward

2009-07-10T02:55:00.008-04:00

Today started off with a 1.3 mile hike to a Exit Glacier, just outside of Seward. It was interesting to see how far the glacier has receded since 1917. We were able to get to the glacier and feel how cold the water is …must have been about 32 degrees.

Jumped on the bikes and rode to Whittier to catch the Alaska Marine Highway to Valdez. Had to ride through a 2-mile railroad tunnel (not at the same time as the train). Bill and Harry had to keep the bikes between the tracks. Met a couple from Ohio. Peg learned that she can buy a blue-tooth microphone with radio to fit her helmet. That’ll be my birthday present.

Before we boarded the ferry, we had a about an hour so Bill and I took at walk to a glacial waterfall. Lots of water coming down the mountain. Harry and Anna decided to go see if they could find where the salmon are running. They found the spot but unfortunately, the salmon aren't running yet.

Here we are getting the bikes ready for the ride.

The ferry ride took about 5 hours. Can you believe that we were sitting in lounge chairs sunning ourselves. It was 80 degrees. Couldn't believe how hot it was. However, it did get colder as we headed farther out. We saw lots of whales, a walrus, and another bald eagle. Docked at Valdez. Took a nice hike around a salt marsh.

Tomorrow we’ll walk around town some and then catch a glacier tour on the LuLu Belle.

Day 11 - Fairbanks to Anchorage and then to Seward

2009-07-08T01:59:00.008-04:00

Left Fairbanks and headed south to Anchorage. Could see Mt. McKinley but still lots of smoke. Before we hit Anchorage, we peeled off the extra layers of clothing since it was at least 80 degrees. The locals say this is very unusual. Last year it didn't get above 55 degrees and rained a lot. Glad we picked this year to journey to Alaska.

Anchorage is a "big" city, for Alaska. Didn't really see anything that interested us here so we decided to go check out Seward on the Kenai Peninsula. What a beautiful ride on the Seward Highway, a national scenic by-way along the Cook Inlet, and then across the mountains into Seward. This was an unexpected trip but glad we didn't miss it. It's a little city of over 3,000 and home to charter fishing boats and glacier cruises.

Up to now, I hadn't really seen a Bald Eagle up close. Today I've seen two!!

Tomorrow, we're going to get up early and take a walk to a glacier, then a ferry ride on the Marine Highway.

Day 10 - Laying Around Fairbanks

2009-07-07T01:44:00.006-04:00

Well, today was an easy day, as riding days go. We decided to get some laundry done before the Harley store opened. Harry had to get a new tire and Bill needed to get a clean air filter. While the boys were playing at the Harley store, Anna and I visited the Alaska Bowl Company. Their shop and store are in the same building. They are world renown for their bowls and they SHIP!!. If you get a chance, take a look at their Website http://www.woodbowl.com/).

Anyone know what these are used for? Let me know by commenting to me. Will give you the answer tomorrow night.

Next, it was on to the University of Alaska to visit their museum and the large animal research farm (LARs). We saw musk ox, caribou, and reindeer. Very well done presentation by an intern from Austria at the LARs. The museum was full of Alaskan culture and traditions. We met several students who were interns from the lower 48 as well as overseas. They all said their Alaskan experience is one they will never forget.

Time to eat again. But first, we found the Alaskan Pipeline information. The Alaskan pipeline runs about 1 million dollars of oil an hour from Prudo Bay to Valdez. I found a local brewing company, the Silver Gulch. Definitely visit them if you’re in the Fairbanks area. Good eats and GREAT beer!!

Have I mentioned that there are about 20 hours of light up here? Here's a pic of the sun at 9 p.m. I haven't been to bed much before 11:30 each night. It seems too nice out to be inside.

Tomorrow we’re heading for Whittier, just south of Anchorage. It will be a long day

Day 9 - Denail National Park

2009-07-06T03:51:00.010-04:00

Have reservations for the 10 a.m. shuttle bus to the Eielson Visitor Center. This is an eight-hour ride into Denali. Take a look at the road we were on. Linda Z, it was more of a drop-off than the ride you and I did in Santa Fe!!

Wish we had more time so we could hike. On the ride there, we could smell smoke. As we got closer to Denali (2 hr ride from south from Fairbanks), the smoke got heavier. Found out there was a control burn plus there was 2 fires that started from lightening strikes.

We saw quite a lot of wildlife as our bus driver gave told us about Denali and it's inhabitants.

We saw Dahl sheep up on a mountainside but too far away for a picture. Then we saw a bald eagle soaring. So peaceful. Here's a quote from one of the rest areas we stopped at: "Each moment of the year has its own beauty, a picture which was never seen before, and which shall never be seen again." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson.

We saw bears, mamma moose and her baby, and caribou that came running right to our bus. She looked scared but we couldn’t see what might have spooked her. When we saw the grizzly bear ambling along, the Ranger had all of us leave the trails and head back to the Visitor’s Center. They said that bears can move fast. Saw a wolf looking for his lunch.

You'll be able to see the smoke in this picture.

At one of the visitor centers, Anna and I had some fun with a pair of caribou antlers. Take a look at these moose antlers. It's 2 moose who got their horns locked while fighting ... probably over a girl :-)

Sorry I didn't get to post much last night. Boy, are we spoiled with our Internet in the lower 48 states. Here in Fairbanks, the only good spot I could find was in the Internet Pub, then we found a Internet Cafe ($8/hr) that had a laundry beside it, so that's what we're doing while I'm posting. Harry hadn't done laundry in a LONG time, so he had to ask the attendant some questions. She told him that the first time is always the hardest. We laughed.

Weather is really pretty nice today. We talked to a restaurant owner last night who said that last year the temperature didn't get above 55 degrees the whole summer. Glad we decided to wait til this year to come. Yesterday the temp got to at least 75 degrees. Really nice. EXCEPT, hotels don't have air conditioning so they are pretty hot unless there's a lot of ventilation. Ours doesn't have that ventilation. But it's been an experience.

Talk to you later

Day 8 - Whitehorse, Yukon, to Fairbanks, Alaska

2009-07-05T02:08:00.003-04:00

Left Whitehorse pretty early (6:30 a.m.) with 40 degree weather. Rode for about 45 minutes and saw mountains in the distance. Kept riding for about another 45 minutes and was it ever worth it. We ate breakfast at the bottom of the Canadian Rockies. It was awesome. Can't believe that people actually wake up to that everyday. As we traveled farther, the weather warmed up to about 70 degrees (you guys that were praying for warmer weather for me did a GREAT job!!).

Today we actually hit the type of roads that we had been hearing about. We had several times where we had to ride on gravel roads for about 8 miles through construction areas. Then we hit the permafrost areas. WOW, this is hard to explain if you haven't been there. They are definitely worse than PA potholes. It's almost like a roller coaster ride because there are gullies where the road drops down because the frost has melted underneath it. The roller coaster dips weren't as bad as the gullies that ran up the road ahead of us. Thank heavens the road crew had them pretty well filled in, rough, but not as bad as they could have been. For those of you who knew my butt was worried, it honestly hasn't screamed yet. It's really your back and neck that take a jolt as you dip and bump along.

BUT, the views in the Yukon were worth it. We saw a black and brown bear, an elk and numerous moose. We even saw a mama moose and her baby drinking in a small oasis. Unfortunately, we don't have pictures right now because we had to drive to an Internet Pub to get this blog post in (forgot to bring the camera). We had to have a glass of their Alaskan Wheat beer (what a sacrifice). We're sitting outside at 10:24 p.m. and it's light as if it were the middle of the day. We're not sure what time it's going to set tonight but we're pretty sure it's up by 4:30 a.m. (we won't be though).

Tomorrow we're going to Denali National Park. Denali was created in 1917 and has grown to over 6 million acres. Hopefully we'll have more to tell you about that tomorrow night. But we might have to sacrifice again and go to the Internet Pub to update you (since our hotel doesn't have Internet or AT&T cell service).

Day 7 - Arrive in Whitehorse

2009-07-03T23:09:00.011-04:00

Left about 6:30 a.m. with the sun shining -- YAHOO!! Then in about 25 km, a veil dropped and the clouds rolled in. Then in another 25 km those clouds left and we have had blue skies all day. Thx to those of you who were praying for that blue sky for me. It sure is a lot more fun riding in the sunshine. However, it was still cold (40 degrees). We saw a mamma moose and her baby today and a fox that acted like a dog.

Stopped at Rancheria Restaurant and they had a HUGE stove going. We all hung around it to warm up. Breakfast was good. We'd recommend it to any of you going on the Alaska highway. Here are some of the views we saw as we came down the highway.

We had a light day of riding, just about 275 miles. Rolled into Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon Territory about 1:30. Visited the Beringia Interpretive Centre, a prehistoric journey and voyage into the past when woolly mammoths and scimitar cats used to roam. These large mammals of an age long ago are recalled in the First Nations legends of gigantic animals and the creation of the world from a flooded land. This was pretty intereting. I didn't realize there used to be a land bridge that joined present day Alaska with eastern Siberia. After this, we went on to the Yukon Transportation Museum to learn more about how people traveled during the gold rush.

Bill and Harry also had to wash their bikes. Take a look at the before and after pics.

Whitehorse is a large town for the Yukon and is named after the historic rapids on the Yukon River which resembled the flowing manes of charging white horses. Whitehorse was the stepping off point to the Klondike Gold Rush over 100 years ago. The town of Whitehorse is spreadout along the Yukon River. We ate at the Klondike Rib and Salmon restaurant. Another one we would highly recommend.

About 600 miles to go to Fairbanks but we aren't planning to make it there tomorrow.

Day 6 - July 2 On to Watson Lake

2009-07-02T09:28:00.005-04:00

We have 300 miles in on the Alcan Hwy. We're going to try to get to Watson Lake about 320 miles, BUT it's raining and gloomy. Watson Lake is a town at historical mile 635 on the Alcan. We'll be in Yukon Territory when we get here. Watson Lake is the main center of the small forestry industry in the Yukon and has been a service center for the mining industry, especially for the asbestos mine in northern British Columbia. Tourist attractions in Watson Lake include the Northern Lights Centre and the much imitated original "Signpost Forest." The Signpost Forest was started in 1942 by a homesick US Army GI working on the Alaska Highway. He put up a sign with the name of his home town and the distance. Others followed suit and the tradition continues to this day. Today there are more than 45,000 signs of various types depicting locations across the world.

It's stopped raining now so guess I better go get packed or I'll be left here. Talk to you tonight.

Well, we made it to Watson Lake. The ride was unbelieveable with wildlife. We saw moose, black bear, grizzly bear, caribou, coyote, and herds and herds of bison along the road. The weather could have been lots better though. It was rainy a lot of the way. Bill looked at his thermometer (that wasn't a good thing to do). It said 40 degrees. It did warm up to about 50 later on.We had about 2 inches of blue sky and then it rained again. Then we got 15 minutes of blue sky so we thought we were home free. Stopped and put on our half helmets. That lasted about 10 minutes. The travel books describe the weather as fasinating weather patterns (we'll leave it at that).

But all in all, the ride was worth it. Dee and Lou, you really need to bring the motor home on the Alaska Highway. You can camp right on the lakes and not far off the highway. It would be gorgeous. Road along the Muncho Lake, located within Muncho Lake Provincial Park, almost undescribable with blue-green water and evergreens on the one side and high mountain on the other. The blue hue is the result of copper oxides leached from the bedrock.

As we came into Watson Lake, we crossed into the Yukon Territory. We're going to go checkout the Signpost Forest and then take in a show at the Northern Lights Centre. There isn't any cell phone coverage so you'll have to wait to get a call from us.

Tomorrow it's on to Whitehorse, about 270 miles north. We'll still be in the Yukon Territory.

July 1, Day 5 - Begin the Alcan Highway

2009-07-01T22:24:00.011-04:00

Today is Canada Day, a holiday for Canadians to celebrate the anniversary of the July 1, 1867 enactment of the British North America Act, which united Canada as a single country. Most of the towns were having parades and celebrations. Luckily, we stayed out of any parades.

We left Grande Prairie about 6:30. It was very cold and dark rain clouds. On the way we stopped at Beaverlodge, a small town with a HUGE beaver statute. Beaverlodge is home to the Northern Agricultural Research Station. The federal experiment station started in 1916.

Next came Dawson Creek, often referred to as the Mile Zero City because it's the beginning of the Alaska Canada (Alcan) Highway. We expected a lot but it really was just a stopping point to get a photo. Here's a little bit of history about the Alaska-Canada (Alcan) Highway ... Upon entering the war in 1941, the United States decided to build a corridor to connect the US mainland to Alaska. In 1942, thousands of US personnel, engineers, and contractors poured into the city - the terminal of rail transport - to construct the Alaska Highway. The highway was completed in less than one year, although, it's not the highway we were on today. When it was built, it was 1,422 miles. Today, the highway is paved and is only 1,390 miles. We took a little side trip of about 3 kms to see what the Old Alaska Highway looked like. I don't think we would have made as much time as we did on the old highway.

Bill has said that riding the Alcan Highway has been something he's always wanted to do. It's been fun helping make his dream come true. He's like a little kid in a candy story. My Dad always talked about wanting to drive up the Alcan but he never made it. I'm pretty sure he's been with us as we've been travelling. I've felt a guardian angel.

We had a great lunch at Pink Mountain Restaurant in the Pink Mountains. All of us would recommend eating here if you take this trip. Good food. Continuing on, we saw 2 black bear along the side of the road. That was enough to make us turn around to get a picture. Take a look, lots of dark clouds. Shuffy also made the mistake of looking at his temperature gauge -- 40 degrees. Those of us delicate people out there (Bren, Dee, Lin), know that this is way too cold for us. I think I had about 7 layers of clothes on. They almost had to get a lift to get me on the bike. But as we kept driving northwest, we started to see blue skies. The temperature went up to at least 50 -- a heat wave. We were now in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Lots of curves and trees.

Within 6 miles of where we were going to stop for the night, Bill ran out of gas again!! Sure glad we packed the extra gas can. We had gone over 100 miles without seeing a gas station and the one we did see was closed. We pulled into Fort Nelson about 3:30 p.m. Decided to go to the heritage museum that chronicled the history of Fort Nelson. Some of the exhibits included vintage cars, photographs of the construction of the Alaska Hwy and a trapper's log cabin.

We got some advice from people at the museum that we should stop at the hot springs near the summit (the highest part of the Alcan). Stay tuned to see if the boys will stop there.

June 30 - 1st day on bikes

2009-06-30T23:57:00.011-04:00

Today was a LONG day, started about 6 a.m. in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and ended about 6:30 p.m. in Grande Prairie, Alberta.

We didn't get too far and Bill's bike started to sputter ... yep, out of gas. BUT, we were prepared. Got out the little 1 liter jug, filled it up and on our way again.

The landscape started out flat and then we started to climb so we saw a lot of trees. Could have been in PA!! We were on a four-lane, can you believe it? When Harry did this trip about 10 years ago, it was a 2-lane. Things have changed. We were able to travel about 70 miles an hour. We're still east of the Canadian Rockies though.

The day was cloudy. Ran into a little rain but not as much as we could have (we skirted most of it). Sounds like Saskatchewan got quite a lot of rain after we left. The news talked about tornadoes.

Went through Edmonton and then Valleyview and ended up at the Super8 in Grande Prairie.

It was so windy that Anna's rainsuit ripped apart.

Here's a picture of Harry and Anna as we were going into Grand Prairie.

The hotel took care of us. When we got there, it was hotel appreciation day so we had free wine and beer

and food. We met two guys who were working on the pipeline. It wa interesting hearing about their jobs. They have some kind of tool that checks the interior corrosion. They use 4-wheelers and even helicopters to get to their work sites. I friended the one on FaceBook -- my first Canadian!!

We're only about 45 minutes away from Dawson Creek -- Mile Marker Zero of the Alcan Highway. Let's hope the rain holds out.

That's it for tonight. Talk to you tomorrow.

3rd Day - on the way to Saskatoon

2009-06-29T21:15:00.011-04:00

Started out pretty chilly - 56 degrees BUT it's the last day in the truck YAHOO!! Left the interstate behind. For now, we're on a divided highway but I bet that ends soon. Little traffic. For entertainment, we guess how far up ahead we can see. So far, it's been about 3.5 miles. It's really flat. We saw 4 cars and Harry said, "Criminey, look at the traffic." Most we've seen since we left Jamestown 3 hours ago. Saw lots of oil drilling rigs.

Lots of grain elevators and trains as we get closer to the Canada border. No incidents at the border patrol. Anna and I were worried that Harry and Shuffy wouldn't make it through it so we sweet talked the attendant.

Estavan is the 1st city after the border. It's called the Energy City because of its coal-fired generators and oil production and has won the right to host the national music festival to raise awareness of climate change. The city of 10,000 had the most entries per capita to a web-based contest that encouraged people to calculate their greenhouse gas emissions and reduce them. Pretty cool.

The landscape in Canada is flat. Miles and miles of nothing but grass, grains of some kind because there are LOTS of grain elevators and trains to haul everything. We even saw a colorful grain elevator. There's about 15-20 miles in between each town and NOTHING in between the towns.

Saskatoon was founded in 1882 as a temperance colony under leader John Lake. According to legend, a Cree Indian brought Lake a handful of hte purple berries that grew in abundance alongside the river. Lake was so taken with the fruit he named his settlement Saskatoon, after misakquatoomina, the Indiana name for the wild berries. Today a slice of Saskatoon pie is a traditional treat recalling the city's past. Saskatoon is known as the city of bridges because of the seven spans connecting its banks.

The province of Saskatchewan grows half of the entire quantity of Canada's major export crops: wheat, oats, barley, rye, flaxseed and canola.

Billy and Harry are getting the bikes out of the trailer.

Can you tell that Bill is ready? I'm sure we'll be leaving bright and early. Not sure how far we'll make it tomorrow. Supposed to have thunder storms. Bill is getting our rain gear ready.

The owner of the motel is a Harley owner. He had spots saved for our Harleys.

June 28 - 2nd Day

2009-06-28T17:49:00.005-04:00

Been on the road since about 6:15 a.m. Would have been on the road a little sooner but the boys got to talking to a couple who were riding their motorcycles from Bloomsburg!! They forgot about us. Anna and I had to go find them.

Wisconsin had lots of farmland but very few farms. The population density is pretty low. We saw some farms but they were few and far between. The word Winconsin has its origins in the name given the Wisconsin River by one of the Algonquian speaking American Indian groups living in the region at the time of European contact, French explorer Jacques Marquette was the first European to reach the Wisconsin River and recod its name in 1673.

Been driving about 600 miles so far. We crossed the upper Mississippi just after we crossed the Wisconsin-Minnesota border. However, if you turned the wrong way, you would miss it. Not very wide up here. The Mississippi River is the second largest river in the US with its length 2,320 miles from its source in Lake Itasca, MN, to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico.

We just drove through Fargo. Been a much easier driving day because we didn't have anything like Chicago to navigate. Harry started off driving but Anna couldn't sleep, so Shuffy took over and it was snooze time for Anna. We just missed a lot of rain. Portions of eastern North Dakota were cleaning up, a day after Mother Nature brought intense rainfall, fierce winds and hail - all in a 24-hour period.

Connectivity has not been good. The aircard was slow when I was connected but didn't have much opportunity to be connected. Not enough population.

Seems like we can reach up and touch the clouds. Feel much closer to the heavens here. Been using Harry's Princess Nuvi today. It's such a straight stretch of roads, he didn't think she could be wrong. We have about 589 miles to reach Saskatoon. I think we're all ready to get on the bikes and take off. We have about 100 miles to go yet today - -Jamestown, ND.

We are about 300 miles from the Canada border. Met some guys today that said they weren't allowed into Canada because they didn't know the address they were going to. Harry said they looked a little shady. Good thing we have a reservation at the Travelodge in Saskatoon. We probably look just as shady!!

Stay tuned to see what happens tomorrow.

First Day on the Road

2009-06-27T20:36:00.005-04:00

We did make it to Rockford, Illinois (about 650 miles). Chicago is behind us and $60 in tolls -- thank heavens. It took us 1 hour to crawl through Chicago traffic. Sorry, Drew, I tried to get a shot of the Chicago skyline without a wire but traffic was so bad I had to take a shot when I could.

Had a nice dinner at Thunder Bay Grille and decided to stay in Rockford. It seems like a storm is coming in, lots of wind, some lightening and rain. Bill's comment is that he won't listen to the **** GPS again. He's not going through Chicago AGAIN.

Although we don't have all the comforts of home like we did last year in Lou & Dee's motorhome, we're off to a good start. Look forward to going through a new state tomorrow for Bill and Peg -- North Dakota. Talk to you tomorrow.

Don't forget, you can subscribe to the blog so you know when there are updates and you can leave us comments. We'll get back to you when we can.

On the Road

2009-06-27T06:41:00.003-04:00

Testing out the aircard while Willy is driving. Speed is a some slower than home network but it's not too bad. Here's what we saw as we were driving away.

Hopefully stopping for breakfast soon, belly is growling. We're hoping to get to the other side of Chicago today.

The night before

2009-06-26T20:07:00.004-04:00

Harry and Anna arrived. We've packed up the trailer. Can you believe 2 bikes fit in there?? We're all excited. Wonder what time the boys will wake up tomorrow?

I've been learning more about Canada and their provinces. When we leave our truck and trailer in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, we will be above North Dakota. From there, we'll bike to Edmonton (Alberta province) and on to Dawson Creek to begin the Alaskan Highway, nicknamed the Alcan Highway. It is still considered an adventure road but the degree of difficulty has eased considerably. To read more, check out this link.

Decided we needed to change our wireless plan to include Canada so we could call without getting slammed without extra charges. We'll have coverage while we're around Saskatoon and Edmonton but then it gets pretty sparse after that.

Stay tuned to find out what time we're leaving tomorrow. Harry says 5 a.m.!!

Getting Ready

2009-06-21T19:44:00.004-04:00

Spent some time today thinking through what all we needed to pack. Take a look at this bag we got from Gander Mountain. It looks huge. Although when we start putting clothes, helmets, and leathers, it fills up quite quickly. We're trying to pack so that we don't have to get in that large bag everyday. So we have another bag packed that we'll use for the 1st 3 days while we travel in the truck to Saskatoon. All our clothes were lovingly rolled and rubberbands put around them to try to take up the least amount of space as possible. Everything seems organized for now but I'm sure as the trip gets going, that organization won't make sense at all.

I mapquested our trip from Saskatoon to Fairbanks trying to determine where we will be for July 4. It works out that we'll probably be in Tok or Fairbanks for July 4. I think we should make room reservations just in case it gets crazy up there like it does in State College. But then you're really stuck to that schedule, so not sure what we'll do.We'll talk with Harry and Anna and decide.

Here's the way our schedule looks right now:

July 27 - leave State College
July 28 - 29 -- Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
June 30 - Valleyview (8hrs, 33 min)
July 1 - Ft. Nelson (7 hrs, 50 min)
July 2 - Whitehorse (11 hrs --YIKES)
July 3 - Dawson City - 6 hrs, 42 mins)
or Tok (6 hrs, 5 mins)
July 4 - Fairbanks

Going to go read more about the towns in Alaska

Lodging in Canada

2009-06-20T20:46:00.004-04:00

Well, we know where we'll be leaving the trailer -- WaHOO!! Harry and Anna booked the Saskatoon Thriftlodge for June 29 and July 14. We think (hope) it will take us 3 days to reach Saskatoon, probably staying around Chicago the first night.

As more plans develop, you'll find them here.

Shuffy's are on the road again

2009-06-18T20:49:00.007-04:00

It's time once again to get on the road -- the Alaskan Highway that is. Yep, we're going to ride the Alaskan Highway on our motorcycles. Harry and Anna Carey will be riding with us. We're going to trailer the bikes to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan beginning June 27.

I've been doing a little research and thought there may be some others out there that might need the information I've found so here are a few links if you're also preparing a trip to Alaska.

Some ideas of what to see:
http://alaska.org/best-of-alaska.jsp
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/alaska-motorcycle-road-trip-450549.html

What to wear:
http://www.blogger.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://alaska.org/what-to-wear.jsp
http://alaska.org/packing-list.jsp

Looks like I'm going to need to layer deep. When we road to Nova Scotia, I had 7 layers on. Wonder how many layers I'll be able to have and still move :-)?

So, if you've been to Alaska and want to relive your trip or maybe you've never been to Alaska but want to follow us on our trip, subscribe to this blog so you'll know when it's been updated. I can't tell you how often I"ll be able to update. That will depend on when we have a connection. But I do promise you that I'll have lots of pictures on Flickr for you.

Leave us a comment if you wish or just follow us as we head north to Alaska. -- peg and bill

Day 13 and 14 - Heading Back to Reality

2008-09-17T22:31:00.007-04:00

Day 13 started out pretty early. We were on the road by 6 a.m. Not a whole lot of news to tell. EXCEPT, Lou and Bill had a "bright" idea (we're not sure they are the brightest bulbs in this motor home) to drive through the night so we could make it home late Friday night.

We made it through the night. Where did we all "sleep?" Well, Lou slept while driving with Denise beside him, Brenda on the easy chair, Bill on the sofa and me on the table (no, I was not dancing). Lou made the table into a bed. Then Lou and Bill traded places and Dee and I traded places. Stopped for a bite to eat at a truck stop while we got gas. We're on the road again with about 453 miles to go (probably about 8 hours).

This is probably my last post on this trip. My juice is running low on the computer since we haven't been anywhere to plug me in.

Bill and I need to say some thanks before I leave. Thanks to God for such a wonderful world he's created. Thanks to Lou and Dee for their hospitality. We wouldn't have been able to see as much, nor would it have been as much fun. Thanks to Brenda for her wit and smart-ass comments. I admire that in a woman. She kept us going.

So, til our next trip. See you in PA!

Day 12 - Arches & Canyonlands

2008-09-17T22:31:00.004-04:00

Today, Peg had a "great" idea. She decided they would ride to Moab while Lou and Denise and Brenda rode the motorhome up. It was really cold and a huge black cloud was right in front of them as they were riding. Today was definitely an electric gloves and chaps day. The black cloud never gave us more than a few spits and spurts of rain and as we rode farther, we got closer to the blue skies and rocks. On the way to Moab, we decided to ride into the Canyonlands. What a beautiful curvy ride through the canyon and across a mesa. However, it was 34 miles in to the Visitor Center and we decided we didn't have enough time to ride any further but before we left, we decided to get gas @ $6.00/gal. We each got one gallon which would get us into Moab to our campground.

We checked into the campground and found that Lou, Denise & Brenda had already left for a ride so we decided to go on into Arches National Park. Arches National Park preserves over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, like the world-famous Delicate Arch, as well as many other unusual rock formations. In some areas, the forces of nature have exposed millions of years of geologic history. The extraordinary features of the park create a landscape of contrasting colors, landforms and textures that is unlike any other in the world. To really see the arches we needed to take some hikes. We saw some people high above us underneath one of the arches and we wondered how they got there. We found a trail that lead to that spot. Absolutely beautiful. Well, worth the hike.

Lou, Denise & Brenda rode River Road along the Colorado River. Brenda said that was one of the most beautiful rides. Then they tried to enter the north end of Canyonlands but they were tarring and chipping the rode so they turned around. They ended up in Dead Horse Point State Park. Dead Horse Point State Park is perhaps Utah's most spectacular state park. Dead Horse Point is a promontory of stone surrounded by steep cliffs. The overlook at Dead Horse Point is 6,000 feet above sea level. Two thousand feet below, the Colorado River winds its way from the continental divide in Colorado to the Gulf of California, a distance of 1,400 miles. If you want to read more about Dead Horse Point State Park, click here

Before they came back to the campground, they rode around Arches National Park. Denise said even though they rode the same road in and out, the scenery was completely different because of the setting sun.

Tomorrow we start heading back east. We want to see you all but yet we don't want this wonderful trip to end.

Need to stop blogging for now. Lou & Bill want to leave by 6 a.m.!!! Will add pictures as we're heading down the highway.

Day 11 - Ride to Natural Bridges

2008-09-16T19:45:00.007-04:00

Can it can get any better than this? I think we've said that every day and it just keeps getting better. Today we started off for Natural Bridges Monument National Park. Natural Bridges preserves some of the finest examples of natural stone architecture in the southwest. On a tree-covered mesa next to deep sandstone canyons, three natural bridges formed when meandering streams slowly cut through the canyon walls. In honor of the Native Americans that made this area their home, the bridges are named "Kachina," "Owachomo" and "Sipapu." We ate our lunch overlooking the Sipapu Natural Bridge.

Then Bill and I decided we wanted to hike down in the canyon to see the Sipapu bridge, while Lou, Denise & Bren decided they wanted to ride Lake Powell, Utah, to ride across the Colorado River. Denise reports they rode for many, many, many (you get the picture) miles before seeing another human or animal. Lou said that every turn was a different picture. The one gas station they stopped at had NO attendant. You had to pay the pump, credit card only and it was $4.79/gal.

Bill and Peg had some more awesome views as they hiked down the Sipapu Bridge trail. A moderately strenuous trail descending from the parking area along Bridge View Drive to the base of the bridge. The trail has ladders, stairs, switchbacks, and short steep sections of slickrock along its route. Sipapu is the largest and most spectacular of the three bridges in the Monument. It is considered middle aged, older than Kachina but younger than Owachomo. Its rounded opening and smooth sides are mute evidence of countless floods bearing scouring rocks and sand. This bridge, whose opening would almost house the dome of the United States Capitol, has taken thousands of years to form but will someday collapse and erode as part of the endless cycles of time and change.

We also hiked to see the Horsecollar Ruins. The Horsecollar Ruin Site is one of the best-preserved ancestral Puebloan sites in the area. Named because the doorways to two structures resemble horsecollars, the site was abandoned more than 700 years ago. Its remarkable state of preservation, including an undisturbed kiva with the original roof and interior, is likely due to the isolation of Natural Bridges: few visitors ever made the journey down these canyons.

The next small hike we took was to see the Owachomo Bridge. Owachomo is the smallest and thinnest of the three natural bridges and is commonly thought to be the oldest. We may never know for certain, as each of the bridges certainly have eroded at different rates. Regardless of its relative age, it is certainly the most fragile and elegant of the three spans, and an awe inspiring feature of erosion.

Then, as luck would have it, while Bill and I stopped for gas, who pulled in for gas but Lou, Denise & Brenda. We decided we need to make a grocery store run. Remember, there aren't any Walmarts in the area. So we drove about 3 miles and found a "small" grocery store. We won't starve from now til we get home.

Tomorrow, we pull up the jacks and head for Moab, Utah. We want to see Arches National Park. Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 10 - Mesa Verde

2008-09-15T22:33:00.003-04:00

Today was the second day in a row that we rode in 4 different states. We started out in Bluff, Utah, and headed east to Mesa Verde, Colorado, then from there we rode into Farmington, New Mexico, and Teec Nos Pos, Arizona.

Mesa Verde was so much more than we ever expected. Just the ride through the National Park was awesome in itself but then the tour through the pueblo ruins was incredible. The ride had those curves that only a motorcylist could love. A visit to Balcony House provides an inside look at a classic 13th century cliff dwelling. This is one of the best preserved sites in the park. It affords a stunning view down into Soda Canyon, a tributary of the Mancos River, and displays intriguing architectural features - balconies, a long retaining wall, and a tunnel.

The builders of Balcony House were people now known as Ancestral Puebloans. They were farmers, who grew crops on the mesa tops but who chose to build their homes in the cliffs during the final century of their occupation of Mesa Verde from A.D. 1200 to 1300. I wonder if our homes will survive like the pueblo ruins have for over 800 years. It was amazing there were so many cliff dwellings. They were all over the place. There were over 40,000 Ancestral Puebloans inhabitants.

We ate a picnic lunch in the park. Louie ran around trying to get a picture of a bird and Peg crawled in a tree hut. Everyone else was somewhat normal.

Mesa Verde, Spanish for green table, offers a spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from A.D. 600 to A.D. 1300. Today, the park protects over 4,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. These sites are some of the most notable and best preserved in the United States.

After we were finished at Mesa Verde, we had a Tribal Council to decide what route we were going to take back to the campground. It was decided we would travel east to Durango BUT we saw black rain clouds so we made a quick turn south heading to Farmington, NM. Another beautiful ride with spectacular views.

Day 9 - Bluff, UT

2008-09-14T09:46:00.008-04:00

We're packing up to leave for Bluff, Utah. It's about 35 degrees outside again and 48 degrees in the motor home. But if it's like yesterday, it will warm up pretty quickly.

Talk to you in Utah.

Wish I had a video camera on my helmet. The views are absolutely breathtaking. We arrived at the Cadillac Ranch Campground in Bluff, Utah, around 1 p.m. Bill and Peg are staying at the Mokee Motel (sounds hokey, doesn't it, V-Tech fans?). I know why it's called Bluff, Utah. We have bluffs to our backs, to our sides, and to our fronts. The sun is shining so bright, bringing out all the different colors. It is desolate as Bren is writing to Aunt Lois. Not much cell signal.

Almost immediately, we took off on a ride to Four Corners. If I thought it couldn't get any better ... it did. The colors are spectacular. Four Corners is a small spot on the map in Navajo Nation country. It's the only place in the US where 4 states come together: New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado & Utah. We each put our feet in a state, had our picture taken and then we went shopping at the outside "mall." Gorgeous pottery, jewelry, sand pictures, and fry bread. I've finally moved Brenda & Dee to the darkside. They both purchased something. Yahooooo, I"m still the one with the shopping addiction, though.

The ride back to the campground was as beautiful as the ride to Four Corners. We saw wild mustangs and long stretches of absolutely NOTHING but prairies and bluffs. Oh, yeah, we were always on the lookout for gas stations for Brenda. They are very few and far between.

As the moon sets over the bluff, Louie and Bill cooked hot dogs for us. Talk to you tomorrow after we ride to Mesa Verde.

Day 8 - Grand Canyon

2008-09-13T10:17:00.006-04:00

Well, what to my wondering eyes should appear .... FROST! It was 35 degrees when we woke up about 6 a.m. We wanted to get an early start to the Grand Canyon but some wimps (who shall remained unnamed) want to wait until it gets a tad warmer. So, I have some time to post and read email.

Here's a little info about the Grand Canyon. A powerful and inspiring landscape, the Grand Canyon overwhelms our senses through its immense size; 277 river miles (446km) long, up to 18 miles (29km) wide, and a mile (1.6km) deep.

Stay tuned for more pics later tonight.

We're back from our ride to the Grand Canyon South Rim. This is the 2nd time Bill and I have been here and it's still awesome and splendid and all those adjectives. We had a beautiful blue skies day. We parked outside of the park and took the shuttle in to the Grand Canyon. We decided to split up because we wanted to do a little hiking. So after this picture, we headed to the east portion of the South Rim to hike the Rim Trail to Yavapai Observation Station, Mather Point and Kaibab Trail. We decided to hike down into the Canyon. It was pretty easy going down but the climb back up was a killer. BUT, the vistas were worth every huff and puff (and there were plenty of them). I couldn't believe that we were down in the canyon. Can you find the trail?

Tomorrow we head to Bluff, Utah. I think I"ll be resting in the motor home. Talk to you all later.

Day 7 - Heading to Williams, AZ

2008-09-12T10:11:00.006-04:00

This will be the last post from Albuquerque, New Mexico. We're going to start to head west to Arizona and the Grand Canyon. Hope that we have bluer skies than we do so far. It's cloudy here but NOT raining so I'm not complaining too much.

Dee just gave me some of her photos and I really need to share this one of Brenda and her new bluetooth.

As we're tooling down the highway, Dee & I are going to work on a slide show. I think I can add a flickr slideshow widget to this blog. Next time you read, there may be more pics. Catch you later.

We rode across I-40 out of New Mexico and into Arizona. I did work on a Flickr slideshow but haven't got it quite ready for you yet. Hope to have it ready before we get home :-)

Even in the motor home, it was a spectaular ride. Lots more trees in Arizona. Arrived inWilliams, AZ, got the bikes off the trailer and headed into Williams.

In case you didn't remember, it's Dee's birthday so we took her to eat at Pauncho McGillicuddy's. Can you believe that??? She had her steak, a little taste of salsa and then she had Creme Brulee for desert and the whole place sang to her. Here are some pics of that little soiree

We walked around town. Williams is located in the heart of the Kaibab National Forest at an elevation of 6,770 feet. Founded in 1880, Williams was named for the famous trapper, scout and mountain man, "Old Bill Williams." A statue of "Old Bill" can be visited at Monument Park, located on the west side of the city. The large mountain directly south of town is named Bill Williams Mountain.

Also known as the "Gateway to the Grand Canyon®," Williams was the last town in America on Historic Route 66 to be bypassed by Interstate 40. The community, bypassed on Oct. 13, 1984, continues to thrive on tourism.

That's it for Day 7. We're headed to the Grand Canyon tomorrow.

Day 6 - Albuquerque, Sante Fe and Taos & Sandia Tramway

2008-09-12T00:27:00.012-04:00

Well, it's 10:30 again but at least everyone is talking tonight (which was definitely NOT true last night).

Here's what happened today. Lou was working on Brenda's bike early a.m. Bill and Peg decided to head up to Taos via the High Road to Taos scenic highway. Lou, Denise, and Brenda were going to meet them up there. The High Road to Taos was a beautiful ride, although it was cloudy all the way and chilly.

We saw lots of mountain, rocks and some houses. Every time we asked ourselves, "What do these people do for a living?" But there were schools in these remote places so they must be doing something.

When we got to Taos, we decided to go directly to the Taos Pueblo. Unfortunately, they had a death in the family so no one was allowed to enter the Pueblo. Taos Pueblo is the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark. The multi-storied adobe buildings have been continuously inhabited for over 1000 years. So Peg decided they will need to return next year to visit the Taos Pueblo.

While in Taos, we walked around the plaza (Peg shopped around the Plaza). Lin, I got to go to the one quilt shop in Taos!!~ Next, we road to the Rio Grande Gorge. Although still very cloudy and misting a little, the gorge was something to view. The Rio Grande Gorge runs from northwest to southeast of Taos. The gorge depth is 800 feet just south of the Gorge Bridge, which spans the gorge ten miles northwest of Taos.

We were going to continue on to the Enchanted Circle but since you could tell that it was raining in that direction, we decided to head back to Albuquerque and see what the rest were doing. As we were heading back, we passed a "little" road that Linda and Peg had been on when they visited New Mexico last year. The road isn't always open due to snow or flooding but it was open and since Peg and Linda had such a heart stopping experience on that road, Peg decided she needed to show Bill. This is a road that makes it possible for folks to get from the east side of the Rio Grande Gorge to the west side. Now, you aren't going to make any speed records and you probably won't get a speeding ticket but you will see views that those who won't make the trip will never see. Our pictures don't do it justice so you'll just have to drive out here and take the trip.

We arrived back at the campground. I had just taken off my road-weary boots when Brenda says, hey we're going to the tram, do you want to go. Sure we said, so back on went those boots and away we went. The Sandia Tramway is the world’s longest aerial tramway that transports you above deep canyons and breathtaking terrain a distance of 2.7 miles. Our vantage point from the observation deck atop 10,378 foot Sandia Peak in the Cibola National Forest gave us an 11,000 square-mile panoramic view of the Rio Grande Valley and the Land of Enchantment. Remember, we were there at night so we saw the expansive view of Albuquerque lights.

That's all for tonight, folks. My eyes are starting to really hurt. Dee and I will add more tomorrow while we're cruising to Arizona and the Grand Canyon. Pray for blue skies, please.

Day 5 - Turquoise Trail to Santa Fe and BEYOND

2008-09-10T10:18:00.005-04:00

Sunny, blue skies and t-shirts -- we're off on the Turquoise Trail to Santa Fe. Catch you later tonight.

Sorry I didn't post last night. Keep reading to find out why.

We did make it up the Turquoise Trail which goes through the "town" of Madrid (pronounced MAD' rid). Those of you who watched Wild Hogs might know that the movie was filmed in part in that town. It's a little mountain town full of artisans. We had a great time looking at all the turquoise and Mexican pottery, hand-made chaps, etc. Then on the road again to Santa Fe.

Unfortunately, when we got there, Bren was having some problems with her bike so we stopped at the Harley Shop there. They were able to work on her bike yet that day so Lou, Denise & Bren stayed there and had lunch. Bill and I went into the Plaza in Santa Fe for lunch. Santa Fe, which means "Holy Faith," was founded in 1607 (the second oldest town in the U.S.) and joined the United States of America in 1912. The full name of our city, the location of New Mexico's state capitol, is "La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asis," or "The Royal City of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi." We also stopped at the Capitol Building which is shaped in the state' Zia sun symbol and nicknamed Round House. The Capitol is security free which just blows my mind. It houses an extensive art collection. Next we stopped at the Loretto Chapel and its famous "miraculous" staircase. Two mysteries surround the spiral staircase in the Loretto Chapel: the identity of its builder and the physics of its construction. To read more, click this link . Sorry I can't post pics. I forgot to take my camera yesterday.

Brenda's bike was finished so we road back to the Harley Shop to meet them. Now comes the part about why I didn't post last night. Bill decided to take us on a ride since we didn't get much riding in yesterday. He took us to Las Vegas (no not the Nevada Las Vegas) and then from there up the High Road to Taos. Proably was a beautiful ride but it was getting dark by then, a little rainy AND freezing cold to those of us not on the luxury bikes! After the High Road to Taos, we had to ride back down (2.5 hours) to Albuquerque. We pulled into the campground at 10:30 p.m.!! I know this will become a cherished memory at some point BUT NOT FOR A LONG WHILE!!

Well, we're up and ready for another one though, so call me stupid but here I go again. We're going to head back up the High Road (maybe this time we'll be able to see and appreciate it's beauty) to Taos. We want to visit the Taos Pueblo. More on that tonight (or will it be tomorrow morning). We shall see. Catch you later

Day 4 - Jemez Trail & Bandelier Nat'l Monument

2008-09-09T09:25:00.007-04:00

Well, the decision of the day is where will we ride. The boys are discussing. More to follow. First, though, is breakfast. At this KOA campground, they provide pancakes with green chille sauce. That's where I"m going now.

Weather is beautiful but chilly at 8:30 a.m. The weather report said there wa 40% chance of rain though. We decided to ride the Jemez Mountain Trail (pronounced HAY-mez) to Bandelier National Monument. What a beautiful ride. The Jemez Mountain Trail takes you past amazing geological formations, ancient Indian ruins, an Indian pueblo, and the remainders of the area's logging, mining and ranching heritage.

On the Jemez Mountain Trail, we stopped to see Soda Dam. A very deep fault at Soda Dam (roughly perpendicular to the highway) serves as a conduit to bring water to the surface. Because of deep faults in the area, surface waters are able to penetrate deep enough to be heated by the earth itself, which is in turn heated by the molten rock underlying the area. Heated and pressurized water carries gases and minerals in a dissolved form to the surface, just like "hard water deposits" in a home faucet.

Soda Dam forms a natural dam to the Jemez River, which cuts through it to continue its course. The unique formation shows the continuous processes of nature both building and destroying the feature at the same time.

Also along Rt 4 on the Jemez Mountain Trail was another photo op - Battleship Rock.

On to Bandelier National Monument. Bandelier has a long human history and links to the modern Pueblos. Traditions which began in the distant past are still practiced today. At Bandelier, evidence of the Ancestral Pueblo people can be found in the dwellings, artifacts, and continuing culture of the modern pueblos. We walked the 1.2 mile trail and visited the Alcove House with its 140 foot ascent on 4 wooden ladders and many stone stairs.

On the way back we saw rain clouds, dark rain clouds. Louie heard that 1/2 inch hail was in the town of Madrid so we decided not to travel the Turquoise Trail which would go through Madrid. We'll do that tomorrow. We took I-25 back to the campground. We dodged another rain bullet. More tomorrow.

Day 3 - leaving from Texas

2008-09-08T10:18:00.008-04:00

Since we had such a late night (didn't arrive at the campground until 8:30 p.m.), we decided that we wouldn't rush around in the a.m. Got on the road at 9:10 a.m.. The Princess says we have about 300 miles until we reach Albuquerque. Hopefully we'll be riding by late afternoon. It's cloudy, which is perfect for driving in the motor home. For those of you who don't know what our home away from home looks like, here it is, all 63'.

Edith wanted to know what scenery is passing. Here's a picture of the alternative energy windmills we saw in Oklahoma. As I see more to take, I'll keep adding. You keep reading

Well, it was a long haul across Texas and halfway into New Mexico. Thought we'd never get there. It got a lot more hilly as we made our way to Albuquerque. But, we made it (and so did the bikes). In fact, we're getting ready to ride somewhere. Will post more tonight (with pics).

Since the boys were couldn't wait to get on the road with the bikes, we didn't take as much time as we should have to look at a map. In fact, we didn't even look at a map, did we?? Some guy at the campground mentioned that we should ride up Rt 550 to some pueblos, so off we went. As we kept going, there was a HUGE black cloud over us and was quite windy. Fortunately, we didn't get too much rain. Just enough to make us stop and put our rain gear on. Unfortunately, Brenda's bike was acting up, coughing and sputtering. So we decided we better get back to the campground so that the SL Shuff Garage (that's Stanley Lewis Shuffstall Garage) could take a look at her.

Lou worked on Bren's bike and then they took a short ride to see if his work paid off. Peg and BIll road to a Mexican restaurant that Peg ate at when she was here last year for her conference. Then they road to Old Town Albuquerque and walked around.

Lou thinks that Bren's bike doesn't like the altitude here in NM.We'll see how she works when we make our way on several trails tomorrow. More on that tomorrow.

The picture with the 4 yahoos is the cabin that Bill & Peg stay in while Lou, Denise & Bren stay in the motor home.

In the background of Bill's picture are the Sandia Mountains.

Day 2 - Sept 7, 2008

2008-09-07T17:00:00.006-04:00

From Meramec, MO, we travelled through Oklahoma. It was overcast for the morning but then the afternoon warmed up considerably. Peg needed some thread to work on one of her quilting projects, so wonderful bro-in-law, Louie, stopped at a Walmart so I could pick up thread and anything else we just had to have. We ate lunch in the parking Walmart parking lot, got gas, and then on the road again. I began working on my 2nd quilt project, Dee is reading, Brenda was reading (and napping)

Do you realize how large Oklahoma is? Ask Bill and Lou. They drove it, taking turns being pilot and co-pilot with the help of Princess (Dee's GPS). The princess got a little nervous when she thought Bill had gone off road in the motor home!! Guess that portion of the road was new. The princess had some heavy breathing until she finally found the road again. Well, now we're heading to Texas. Brenda told us why it's so hot in the motor home -- it's 103 outside!

It's 5:03 p.m. OK time. Lou's deciding how much farther we'll go for the day. We're just ready to cross into Texas.

BTW, have I mentioned that I've been blogging as we're going down the road. Thanks to the aircard. It's really been quite speedy.

Day 1 - Sept 6, 2008

2008-09-07T16:59:00.000-04:00

Stanley Lewis got us up at 4 a.m. so we could be on the road by 5 a.m.!! Billl, Peg and Brenda needed coffee so they got that at Sheetz before we all crawled into the motor home. AND, we were off.

We made it to Meramec, Missouri around 6 p.m. after 700+ miles across several inter-states. We found a KOA campground. Bill and I got a cabin and the rest stayed in the motor home. After eating hamburgers, we found our way to bed quite early (remember, we've !!been up since 4 a.m.!!) BUT not after Louie telling us that we were leaving by 7 a.m. Since we knew he'd leave without us (ask Brenda about that), we set our alarms but we were up and ready to go when everyone else was ready.

Getting ready

2008-09-07T16:58:00.001-04:00

Plans have been made. Dee has been working her butt off getting all the arrangements made to stay at KOA camp grounds in New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. Lists of groceries and clothe were sent back and forth. Again, Dee did the work gathering the grocercies. Oh, yeah, Lou got the motor home ready (with Dee's help, of course).

The day finally arrived for us to leave to meet Bill's brother and sister-in-law, Lou & Denise and cousin Brenda. Bill and I left State College, PA, around 5 p.m. and arrived at Conneaut Lake at 8 p.m. But, were our hosts at home, no, they were at Ponderosa eating!! Finally the got home and we made final plans to leave in the morning.