tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59010702382658880442024-02-20T23:57:37.092-06:00Our Model A AdventureFollow along with Dave and Peggy as they travel across the country on two-lane highways in their 1929 FORD Model A Tudor.Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-29764773248426069152009-11-13T20:57:00.003-06:002009-11-13T21:16:57.106-06:00Following our AdventureIt has now been three months since we completed our grand adventure, and we continue to re-live the trip. We are amazed at the number of people who continue to stumble on our blog even now!<br /><br /><br />The number one question we have been getting is "What was the best part?" It is hard to pick just one...but I think the answer is "The Smiles!" By this, we mean the smiles we brought to the faces of people who simply watched us drive by, the smiles of the kids when they were allowed to climb in the car and honk the horn, and the smiles we have when we think of all the wonderful people we met on the trip.<br /><br />Last month we gave a slide show of a fraction of the pictures we took to our club members who were interested in seeing more. We've also submitted an article to the MAFCA Restorer magazine, for you Model A folks...we'll see if it ever makes the cut!<br /><br />Our next "Big" adventure--Model A style--will be to travel up to Vancouver, BC next summer for the 2010 MAFCA International Meet. We have yet to decide just how we will get there! Maybe we'll meet some of you there!<br /><br />If you are new to blog following...please understand that the blog is posted with the newest entry displaying at the top of the page. If you plan to read about our entire adventure, make sure you start on the May 4th entry, and work backward. You will find a link to each page in the archive dates on the left hand side of the page.<br /><br />We hope you enjoy our adventure as much as we did.<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:180%;">Aa-oo-gha!</span></em>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-64567619282742636182009-08-10T00:02:00.011-05:002020-02-16T15:48:36.181-06:00A Capitol Homecoming!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGRLi7GSpCfc9mTE_fqpgxu8lP9nBGe7kAEOTvv5CDcFJ1C5Kb2pRb64vMVAitXSBBF5oULmo0pSuVJ7o1TM7dRCort8b-Z6JMs0OYbAGnV1lYxwIBFLsiulWk5f3s6l9LSn5wvNOHDc/s1600-h/8_09_33+The+Welcome+Home+Gang.JPG"></a><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368200145712047714" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUpRgrUfweTObKl6VraKw0y99QLsoh_-8msjESBwuPy5pEsElAC82sIc7ApYKzoWTk9WbJx-16pWiuq6RKuG91Xg11ISrJvTPu_lRauoKszcyo1flvsNku0ADbFaSR_AI78VbTkh0r3vE/s400/8_09_33+The+Welcome+Home+Gang.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /><br />
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<strong>9 August 2009 Oroville, CA to Sacramento, CA 90 miles</strong><br />
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Homeward Bound…Our last day was short, and somewhat emotional. The plan was that some of our club members from the Capitol A’s were going to drive out to meet us just south of Olivehurst and caravan back to the steps of our State Capitol where we had started this adventure.<br />
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We left Oroville and worked our way south toward Marysville on the back roads so we were not battling the traffic on Highway 70. Some of the roads we were on might as well have been dirt ones they were that bumpy! As we neared our meeting spot, Dave and I both commented how excited we were to be seeing everyone…and boy did we have a surprise…<br />
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As we crested the rise over Highway 65 at Forty Mile Road, we were greeted by<em> two</em> lone cars, Pat and Paul Menz in their 1930 Roadster, and Jerry Bengel in his 1931 Sport Coupe. Hmmm…so much for the big welcome…Oh well, we thought…it’s Sunday…it was short notice…It sure was good to see them!<br />
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After hugs and a few stretches, we got back in the car and headed down Forty Mile Road. Much to our surprise, other club members had parked their cars along the way about every ¼ mile, and they joined the caravan home…Bob Smith, Chris Globis and Linda Dressel, Alfred and Donna Dukeshire, Wayne Rogers, and Don McCulloch. I have to admit…as we picked up each A, with a wave and an aah-oo-gha, I got a bit teary-eyed.<br />
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We continued south until Dave noticed we had lost half of our group, so we pulled over to wait…it turns out that Wayne’s radiator cap had vibrated off. It was a lucky thing that we had a parts car with us…Unable to find it, they caught back up to us and Dave and I quickly unloaded our gear to get to the spare cap that Dave had carried with us for this trip. Bob had a gallon of water so we were back in business!<br />
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Continuing south, we eventually made our way into downtown Sacramento. As we turned onto Capitol Mall, I got all emotional… again,…especially when we saw the other half of our welcoming committee with their A’s parked along the curb by the rose garden. What a welcome we had! Naturally, hugs and handshakes were given, and many, many photos taken. We truly did feel like celebrities! After pictures, those of us who didn’t have any immediate plans headed off to Susie Burger for lunch and a time of visiting. Boy did we miss you guys! But…all good things must come to an end, and we were anxious to get home…<br />
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From the State Capitol, we made the short journey to our home in West Sacramento where we had a happy reunion with our German Shepherd, Maggie. The house was quiet when we entered, and we almost felt like strangers in someone else’s home. It was kind of eerie. It has been over three months since we left home…I’m sure it will take a week or two to get completely unpacked, caught up, and used to living in a real house again.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;">I know you’ve been waiting for them…so here they are…</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 180%;">Our Model A Adventure Stats</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-size: 180%;">Miles Driven: 10,995</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 130%;">Gallons of Gasoline: 613.55<br />Average Miles per Gallon: 17.9 (This number went down after we lost the overdrive.)<br /><br />Number of Travel Days: 98<br />Hotels: 27<br />Camping: 38<br />Friends and Family: 32<br />Home Sweet Home: 1</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;">Number of states we touched: </span><span style="font-size: 180%;">30</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 130%;">CA, AZ, NM, TX, LA, AL, FL, GA, NC, VA, WV, MD, PA, CT, MA, NH, ME, VT, NY, OH, IN, IL, IA, NE, SD, WY, ID, MT, WA, OR</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 130%;"><strong>This trip has truly been an adventure of a lifetime, and one, I’m sure, we will talk about as one of the highlights of our lives. However, it would not have been possible to embark on this journey alone…</strong></span><br />
<em><strong><span style="font-size: 180%;">Special thanks to…</span></strong></em><br />
Dana, our daughter, who willingly gave up 3 months or more of her life to take care of our home and dog.<br />
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Sacramento Capitol A’s for their moral support, incredible send off, prayers, and the wonderful welcome home. </div>
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The Hornby Island/San Salvador gang who kept an eye on things around home.<br />
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Pat and Paul Menz for the behind the scene organization and support.<br />
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Bob Felkins for his 11:00 am status reports.<br />
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M.A.F.C.A. for publishing a member directory and contacts in each state…just in case there is a problem.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 180%;"><strong><em>Our Pit Crew…</em></strong></span><br />
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Paul Menz, our mechanical/technical hot line for support services.<br />
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Rick Black of El Paso, Texas, MAFCA Webmaster, for supplying us with the tubes we needed when we realized all of ours were rotted.<br />
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Dave Casey, master mechanic, and Yates Smith, supervisor, of San Angelo, Texas, for parts, shop time, and mechanical expertise when we blew a head gasket, and Dave knew that our trip was over…<br />
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Mike Butcher, of Mike’s “A” FORD-able Parts in Maysville, GA, who had every part we needed and new tires for Baby in stock.<br />
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Benny Bohanan and crew, of Bentley’s Antique Auto Restoration of Maysville, GA, and his ace engine man, Scott, for providing shop space and manpower to get us back on the road.<br />
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Gordon Eanes, of Days Inn in Commerce, GA, for his generous hospitality and the use of his car while ours was out of commission and in the shop.<br />
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Dave and Becky Krolak, of Nostalgia Works in Sharpsbug, MD, for rescuing us from Antietam Battlefield when our overdrive died, and for shuttling us back and forth to the hotel…not to mention his mechanical expertise.<br />
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Ron Meyer, of Meyer’s Ford Model A Parts of Williamsport, MD, who had a spare drive shaft and torque tube he was willing to sell us.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 180%;"><strong><em>Our Bed and Breakfast Support…</em></strong></span><br />
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Kristina Gill, San Luis Obispo, CA<br />
Laura Quiroz, Mission Viejo, CA<br />
Joan Putnam, Coronado, CA<br />
Joe and Karen Maggio, Coronado, CA<br />
Marie Gill, Pomona, CA<br />
Wade and Somer Little, Palm Desert, CA<br />
Dave and Lynn Casey, San Angelo, TX<br />
Mike and Holly Madrid, Adkins, TX<br />
Jackie Hidalgo and Family, Sugarland, TX<br />
Joe and Sandra Green, Mobile, AL<br />
Randy and Linda Rydbom, Tipton, PA<br />
Bruce Marshall and Cookie Smith, Haverhill, MA<br />
David and Michelle Strelneck and the Lambert Family, Bath, Maine<br />
Brad and Joie Gill, Eden, NY<br />
Marvin and Carol Manske, Kelly, Iowa<br />
Merrill and Betty King, Wallowa, OR<br />
Chuck and Lydia Coiner, Alturas, CA </div>
Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-86753114567979851732009-08-08T19:30:00.015-05:002009-08-08T20:40:57.204-05:00Into and Out Of the Sierra Nevada<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0E3riele-usj3KWTbAfyCy627UvlZFMIqmiOj-cnoXqncZrc4miFIBvsdDGYkDrNFBZP5o-T6q1cSMKOBcpEqt-eeWd0ExP40s1W4R9kFII3xgOhhLEDEY-sYMaOz5CGtLTL2RQqF4o/s1600-h/IMG_3083.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367768115909317970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0E3riele-usj3KWTbAfyCy627UvlZFMIqmiOj-cnoXqncZrc4miFIBvsdDGYkDrNFBZP5o-T6q1cSMKOBcpEqt-eeWd0ExP40s1W4R9kFII3xgOhhLEDEY-sYMaOz5CGtLTL2RQqF4o/s200/IMG_3083.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL72EyyivgxvuHS4oISHL3X7b6w6QlBZBbq5u-kAGLgS1EU8wY0nhmW9xvhBolJ4gZc1JTGmqEIWXN4-Aix8Pmg9qW2vGU93AEE3qO7sjTfWVTHJNkN1DNVq-inQg0CC8IwjZotPKuMxc/s1600-h/IMG_3110.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367767949019476114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL72EyyivgxvuHS4oISHL3X7b6w6QlBZBbq5u-kAGLgS1EU8wY0nhmW9xvhBolJ4gZc1JTGmqEIWXN4-Aix8Pmg9qW2vGU93AEE3qO7sjTfWVTHJNkN1DNVq-inQg0CC8IwjZotPKuMxc/s200/IMG_3110.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGDSBbei5hJaNvc8WgqBKIYrBBxcgi-Ao-DweyNwr_31IShRdOXyjMyq6OsafgxXpt08I9DsEUM5IklH70QCQV6gXbWoTAB-S7YUhapRsYCyCzd8yL3Amv8wAlOp9e-bZGoSeu1oWbDwA/s1600-h/IMG_3128.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367767750241714050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGDSBbei5hJaNvc8WgqBKIYrBBxcgi-Ao-DweyNwr_31IShRdOXyjMyq6OsafgxXpt08I9DsEUM5IklH70QCQV6gXbWoTAB-S7YUhapRsYCyCzd8yL3Amv8wAlOp9e-bZGoSeu1oWbDwA/s200/IMG_3128.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs03lQd05u1XZB8HKhNRIQTjIU03F1aTJBKhUU-djDEVLRcxQAPaHyoLsOSn4X7lvPuD8Sg0EVW2pBhKZwVjAJCg32uNAj3szHWNUD4am685RUbiOxDljtQdm3RACAadlXDsEk5uVeTcU/s1600-h/IMG_3126.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367767588085753490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs03lQd05u1XZB8HKhNRIQTjIU03F1aTJBKhUU-djDEVLRcxQAPaHyoLsOSn4X7lvPuD8Sg0EVW2pBhKZwVjAJCg32uNAj3szHWNUD4am685RUbiOxDljtQdm3RACAadlXDsEk5uVeTcU/s200/IMG_3126.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TdcK5qwka5O8cTdvRrVSfCu48B6-qF_lnmGt4XlzIU3Nr4H6NwNyReDgD4LHXsZWT7ZsIV0F1LPSQIza8uKNUtoOTcJq-ZjCMCV6diD9rYKIpA-S-z9_WPmSyrANnAS3XPFZo_jfZWA/s1600-h/IMG_3135.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367767431408666818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TdcK5qwka5O8cTdvRrVSfCu48B6-qF_lnmGt4XlzIU3Nr4H6NwNyReDgD4LHXsZWT7ZsIV0F1LPSQIza8uKNUtoOTcJq-ZjCMCV6diD9rYKIpA-S-z9_WPmSyrANnAS3XPFZo_jfZWA/s200/IMG_3135.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmROk45FJdSUhHXrCbNS8Pq7dR4RNiXSbIyFt8AUvJHRyo49oRppc6z111CqptC4CxJjT9xmco9cbFHPu7-6ouoVTYO-BY-QXNzbuDjtGqB3tkt0NhJa9WM8YBdbH8NIpqpS5YUeUh8jE/s1600-h/IMG_3136.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367767271717873970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmROk45FJdSUhHXrCbNS8Pq7dR4RNiXSbIyFt8AUvJHRyo49oRppc6z111CqptC4CxJjT9xmco9cbFHPu7-6ouoVTYO-BY-QXNzbuDjtGqB3tkt0NhJa9WM8YBdbH8NIpqpS5YUeUh8jE/s200/IMG_3136.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Pictures L to R: Peggy and her dad and step-mother; Heading down Highway 395; Campsite in the NFS between Lake Almanor and Quincy; East Branch of the North Fork of the Feather River at the Campground; Railroad and tunnel near Keedie; Railroad bridge along the Feather River.<br /><div><br /><div><div><br /><div><strong>7 August 2009 Alturas, CA to Twain, CA 195 miles<br /></strong><br />We’re heading over the Sierra’s today—or at least part of them. Once again, forest fires are dictating our route. We had originally planned on heading south through Lassen National Park, but fires near Burney and the Lassen Park area had these roads closed. So instead, we’ll head south and cross the mountains near Lake Almanor.<br /><br />It was actually a bit chilly today—much more so than yesterday. We headed out after a quick breakfast and were soon heading south on Highway 395. David was a good boy scout this morning--about 30 miles from Alturas, a lady was stopped along side the road with a flat tire, and she was trying to manhandle her spare out of the trunk. We stopped and Dave changed it for her and got her on her way.<br /><br />Our goal for today was about 15 miles west of Susanville. The drive was nice—a lot of high desert, with the mountains raising in the background, and then occasionally we would climb in elevation and we’d be in the pines for a bit before dropping back down to the sagebrush. We reached Susanville around noon and stopped for lunch before heading toward Lake Almanor. This was a pretty drive as we began climbing in elevation again, but traffic was stop and go. The roads to Lassen were closed, so traffic was being detoured through Susanville, and CalTrans was doing road maintenance along Highway 36 and had the road closed to one lane for most of the drive, having pilot cars leading groups through.<br /><br />As we neared Lake Almanor, we noticed the clouds were building—and we were hearing thunder rumble. We really shouldn’t be surprised at this point—it is almost becoming comical. Many of the campgrounds around the lake were full (not to mentioned <em>way</em> over crowded)—so we kept driving.<br /><br />We’ve finally landed at a National Forest Service campground along the East Branch of the North Fork of the Feather River between Lake Almanor and Quincy. </div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPB8ZAi8LboPziIoo_hmGfRNlvDBrxF7Adm49csZ8SV71FGBnC8BrJRR0-6eRFf44s1InF6bU_4UFg0g98tq0SiJVKrb0_xNWvNy8SLv9A9JAHlmJwwsvA3ZCQA0K__cwdhMqc3TnmzkQ/s1600-h/IMG_3143.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367767129373518834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPB8ZAi8LboPziIoo_hmGfRNlvDBrxF7Adm49csZ8SV71FGBnC8BrJRR0-6eRFf44s1InF6bU_4UFg0g98tq0SiJVKrb0_xNWvNy8SLv9A9JAHlmJwwsvA3ZCQA0K__cwdhMqc3TnmzkQ/s200/IMG_3143.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJmj7NwLe56u1oPuLAuMm4NbIYMapCJM2EkwJZfU6P_SkPa6B13bSU0GTsQRx2KYkRxa6ZW-A5m9jePwcG-77bcbXK-tobD133V3WDZ3Qg_rtLBe8TAcR7jOQf8SkkG4ITIkPUEdUBGnk/s1600-h/IMG_3152.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367766969109851522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJmj7NwLe56u1oPuLAuMm4NbIYMapCJM2EkwJZfU6P_SkPa6B13bSU0GTsQRx2KYkRxa6ZW-A5m9jePwcG-77bcbXK-tobD133V3WDZ3Qg_rtLBe8TAcR7jOQf8SkkG4ITIkPUEdUBGnk/s200/IMG_3152.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-7If_GGjTVKB_Mydd938Y4L3oohrJ3tahZ-xogKRzZv6WV35DGUdtU2ZVu4br9paa1NQp_E4Z4Xhg_tds07yDGzI-a_sVW8ncSHPVdZJ58WerMgyn9yU8YPyatgWucD-9Huuta_YbLA/s1600-h/IMG_3154.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367766799714945330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-7If_GGjTVKB_Mydd938Y4L3oohrJ3tahZ-xogKRzZv6WV35DGUdtU2ZVu4br9paa1NQp_E4Z4Xhg_tds07yDGzI-a_sVW8ncSHPVdZJ58WerMgyn9yU8YPyatgWucD-9Huuta_YbLA/s200/IMG_3154.JPG" /></a><br /><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8NMUWXPz097J1LhCXgXVaP-WrsleasU16VlkNTwMYNB9TgrgBiYLvME8ubQ8mhKeqT4ShfTTHQoglOtHOWbyoQ4VFR6ZjFxI33gm_COtXgR8w6l_S4Umxv4wNaUqLTVFkd2WVshP4sE/s1600-h/IMG_3172.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367766476199269522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8NMUWXPz097J1LhCXgXVaP-WrsleasU16VlkNTwMYNB9TgrgBiYLvME8ubQ8mhKeqT4ShfTTHQoglOtHOWbyoQ4VFR6ZjFxI33gm_COtXgR8w6l_S4Umxv4wNaUqLTVFkd2WVshP4sE/s200/IMG_3172.JPG" /></a></strong></div><div>Pictures L to R: Feather River; Feather River near Tobin Bridge; Tobin Bridge with a train crossing--where Dave nearly gave Peggy a heart attack; Coming into the Paradise Valley.</div><div><strong></strong> </div><div><strong></strong> </div><div><strong></strong> </div><div><strong></strong> </div><div><strong></strong> </div><div><strong>8 August 2009 Into Quincy and then onto Oroville, CA with a detour through Chico 136 miles</strong></div><br /><div><br />We had virtually no cell service at this NFS campground, and no electricity to charge the batteries. Last night when we got here, we walked around the short trails and down to the river, before building a campfire for the evening. </div><div></div><br /><div>We decided to drive into Quincy before heading into Oroville today. The drive was beautiful, along the East Branch of the North Fork of the Feather River. We also passed Keedie, a small town named for a pioneer surveyor who engineered the route for the railroad along the Feather River in 1905. This rail bed is pretty impressive to see, as it is often about 60 feet above the river bed, on a small ledge in the cliff side. We spent the morning walking around Quincy, and then went into the Plumas County Museum. I love these small museums because they have such an eclectic mix of items on display. This museum really had some great displays highlighting their county’s history.<br /><br /><br />Back at the campsite, it was with happy sad feelings today as we broke camp—last night was the last night we will be sleeping in the tent for a while. However, I must admit...It will be nice to be in our own bed again! We headed south-southwest along this branch of the Feather River, winding with the curve of the river. Surprisingly, most of this route was downhill, which was nice, and also surprising to us...all along this branch of the river, PG & E has installed hydro-electric stations. David gave me a scare when he climbed up on a cement wall next to one of the bridges—the drop was straight down to the river about 200 feet below. I was not happy—even if I’d have been a rich widow if he had fallen!<br /><br />It wasn’t until we came to the cutoff to Pulga that we had our last climb of our journey—albeit, a very small climb, before dropping down into the Lake Oroville area. The temperature was actually nice for this area in August—I don’t think it was even 85 degrees. We decided to head a little bit north to Chico/Durham area since we have time to kill, and we could do some antiquing before heading into Oroville.<br /></div><br /><div>We’ve checked into a hotel room for our last night…primarily so we can shower and look somewhat human for our homecoming. Plus, it is very hard to get a campsite on a Saturday night. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-42851850930825826942009-08-06T20:12:00.010-05:002009-08-07T15:20:10.115-05:00A Surprise in Alturas, California<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWcuyOrwpROziQkj42riJdYwAidbOjRkwGfRyGHfy5W-ivWLwM10IOIwLzIsGEi86v2gUMkXTaqM8qjDuasP-mtnYxeKbZRTxouBlSuGETVL72txPAQyioXPEEjWuB9d0SO5Z6KZMRYA/s1600-h/8_04_10+Locomobile.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367029172210083122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWcuyOrwpROziQkj42riJdYwAidbOjRkwGfRyGHfy5W-ivWLwM10IOIwLzIsGEi86v2gUMkXTaqM8qjDuasP-mtnYxeKbZRTxouBlSuGETVL72txPAQyioXPEEjWuB9d0SO5Z6KZMRYA/s200/8_04_10+Locomobile.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2DRbt6qrRCYFynENQBX3__uskViuD-pVLRTerX8asYv9C6Xofl1vbKmMTlhMpLIpNjhXi59yTA_QpXvu1HBD1eu9IMIitVwOPajYy6GGYgehFuEkzeAAOc6qdz7M80EgpX9QknMmt4k/s1600-h/8_04_11+1921+Marmon.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367028445978680978" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2DRbt6qrRCYFynENQBX3__uskViuD-pVLRTerX8asYv9C6Xofl1vbKmMTlhMpLIpNjhXi59yTA_QpXvu1HBD1eu9IMIitVwOPajYy6GGYgehFuEkzeAAOc6qdz7M80EgpX9QknMmt4k/s200/8_04_11+1921+Marmon.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>Signal is sketchy here, and our battery is low...I'll add more pictues when we are in a better cell reception area.</div><div></div><div>Pictures: Locomobile; 1921 Marmot.</div><div><br /><br /></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><strong>4 August 2009 Lakeview, OR to Alturas, CA 54 miles<br /></strong><br />Three months on the road! Wow! However, I actually thought we’d be a whole lot longer getting to this point. It will be a short drive today to Alturas, to visit with Peggy's dad for a few days. We are much later in leaving the campground this morning (10:30) because he has plans for this morning.<br /><br />The drive was pretty quiet as we passed small ranches/homesteads in the high desert. We were surprised to see how low Goose Lake water levels were. They were so low that we could barely see the water’s edge—most of what we saw was the white lake bottom. We found out later that this lake has an average depth of only eight feet—its deepest point is about 20 feet, but that is on the western shore of the lake, and we were traveling down the eastern shore. We only had one small climb today, up into the pines near the Pit River XL Ranch Indian Reservation. After this small climb we dropped down into Alturas, CA, which sits at 4,372 feet. Dave was pleasantly surprised…<strong><em>no ecstatically excited</em></strong>…at what he found in Alturas…<br /><br />Each year, for the past 31 years, a local rancher by the name of Mr. Flournoy (who is a big Pierce Arrow collector) sponsors the Modoc Tour. The Modoc Tour is an invitation only tour for pre-1921 luxury touring cars. Their homebase and starting point is in Alturas, CA, (where they book all available hotel rooms in town) and on Tuesday, everyone arrives and they do a short 30 mile drive around a local reservoir, before a big dinner at the ranch. On Wednesday and Thursday they tour to different places, including Crater Lake and Kalamath Falls, OR.<br /><br />We stopped to look at the cars, and had some people ask if we were there for the tour…it was intriguing to think we could join them, but after talking to some of the owners, it was mentioned that the only A’s on the tour were very, very, good friends of the Flournoy family. We didn’t quite fit in, either age-wise, or in horsepower…Pierce Arrows, an early Cadillac, a Hispana Suiza, a Marmot, and many others that were not off the trailers yet. It was nice to see that these cars were being driven! One of the couples, who trailered their Pierce Arrow all the way from Minnesota asked us if we had been up in Burns, OR a few days ago. I guess they had seen the car, but never did manage to catch us to talk. We also met Vince Bakich, the owner of the 1921 Marmot, along with his wife Sandy, and 5-year old son, Pierce—obviously, a big car fanatic.<br /><br />We also got a new idea for a tour for our club…One gentleman mentioned that he also had an A, and had just gotten back from a tour in Hilo, Hawaii. I guess they put the cars on a transport, and then had a week long tour on the Island. Could be fun…<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>5/6 August 2009 Alturas, CA 16 miles<br /></strong><br />We spent the morning visiting, and then got our laundry done while my Dad and Lydia delivered their newspapers, something they do once a month. This gave us a chance to get the car cleaned up, pictures transferred and labeled on the computer, and my journaling caught up.<br /><br />This afternoon, we are heading out to some pond, “up the hill” to see where my dad does most of his fishing, and then later this evening, Dave and I are going to Doc Martin’s for dinner. Doc is a retired Riverside Sherriffs Lieutenant, who Dave knew from Palm Desert days.<br /><br />Dad’s fishing pond is about a 45 minute drive from his house—it is up in the “high” country—more pines and mountain than high desert sagebrush. It was a nice drive, and I think my dad and Lydia are enjoying showing us around their area. </div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-31828645264996669522009-08-03T17:39:00.010-05:002009-08-03T18:00:38.897-05:00California Here We Come!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3fL5ugzm1tbmtLRjfqW5ppy6Wk2lHcYrP7r2cjMl54DddXRCYJ_WfLJVUxC9SOOAhKmRlgsmrkY4BRTKfzid_jyVRk5gVTBZ4yjPGeN8DFN0YtgejUwPWfjuVtlDDiubuu_0bSWbeGs/s1600-h/IMG_2958.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365875639935268546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3fL5ugzm1tbmtLRjfqW5ppy6Wk2lHcYrP7r2cjMl54DddXRCYJ_WfLJVUxC9SOOAhKmRlgsmrkY4BRTKfzid_jyVRk5gVTBZ4yjPGeN8DFN0YtgejUwPWfjuVtlDDiubuu_0bSWbeGs/s200/IMG_2958.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7HfsxRkGn8QflYoL78CAbcOSMwnkBpTrqBe71l_lhFn6dLSWI7GkOiWoWYH-jYX7WGUQXo2lrm5g_Hhy3giiFVDB95xAprmsJUbPPP5nYgIczZRz9SRJs5tPo1GoAHwjnDBAeOwOFZmE/s1600-h/IMG_2968.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365875480294318754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7HfsxRkGn8QflYoL78CAbcOSMwnkBpTrqBe71l_lhFn6dLSWI7GkOiWoWYH-jYX7WGUQXo2lrm5g_Hhy3giiFVDB95xAprmsJUbPPP5nYgIczZRz9SRJs5tPo1GoAHwjnDBAeOwOFZmE/s200/IMG_2968.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrcpP5iGtysb_TKN76qG8EyP5RZ0UQnfohbUObxXju6WGK4zAlAaH6Tb33VI6iHirhUAwEglRn78FZR-GbG480sL1k2ISQH7B12qf1osFV0uMUNnpghBXnEALIxtwyrXsK5YzE_V0g_nM/s1600-h/IMG_2991.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365875301495869362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrcpP5iGtysb_TKN76qG8EyP5RZ0UQnfohbUObxXju6WGK4zAlAaH6Tb33VI6iHirhUAwEglRn78FZR-GbG480sL1k2ISQH7B12qf1osFV0uMUNnpghBXnEALIxtwyrXsK5YzE_V0g_nM/s200/IMG_2991.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTBTmNiQjYjoDsjnaqoETrlaKXdrGcoYXDUbdJY9CHq_022ltbiGK3mzD3bGbGFeqvHKeX7ErwjPCGlYPbT3nnciVt0jBS1VXJNAJM-8nAWdXgdvfqM4BASpHRBQ-pyfDCXw7sHlbegA/s1600-h/IMG_2998.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365875122450810162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTBTmNiQjYjoDsjnaqoETrlaKXdrGcoYXDUbdJY9CHq_022ltbiGK3mzD3bGbGFeqvHKeX7ErwjPCGlYPbT3nnciVt0jBS1VXJNAJM-8nAWdXgdvfqM4BASpHRBQ-pyfDCXw7sHlbegA/s200/IMG_2998.JPG" /></a><br />Pictures L to R: All four...highway scenes along Highway 395.<br /><br /><br /><div><strong>3 August 2009 Burns, OR to the State Line just south of Lakeview, OR 154 miles<br /></strong><br />Boy did it rain last night! We had decided on a hotel because of the heat, but really lucked out. We had a pretty hard rain, and over the mountains through Divine Pass where we almost camped was a solid wall of black clouds, rain, and lightening. God was certainly watching out for us! Again!<br /><br />We had a nice drive today in the high desert…and were fortunate to see a real cattle drive…cowboys on horseback herding the cattle down to ?? somewhere other than where they were. Not a whole lot to see in this area of sagebrush and cattle, in fact, this was probably one of the more isolated stretches on this trip.<br /><br />We were just kind of watching the world go by and were surprised to come upon a lake—suddenly the topography of this Oregon desert changed. Now, the lakes are pretty darn shallow, especially this time of year, but the reflection of the canyon walls on them were sure pretty. Most of them are simply low spots in the topography, and fill when there is rain. As we came into Lakeview, OR, we passed another cattle drive…this one was by two 18-wheelers cruising down the highway.</div><br /><br /><div></div><div>It looks like Dave will try his hand at painting when we get home...We have had a couple of gasoline accidents on the cowl, and it is looking pretty sad. On the plus side, this will force him to get that spare gas tank that has been sitting at home prepped and sealed. And who knows...maybe it will lead to a bottom up restoration some day. After all...he is going to need something to occupy his time.</div><br /><br /><div>We stopped for the night at Goose Lake, which straddles the California and Oregon border. We probably could have made it to my dad’s in Alturas, but were kind of tired of driving. Thunderheads are building again…I have a hunch we’ll get hammered with rain later this evening. The campground host said they got some good-sized hail yesterday. Tomorrow we will cross back into California…three months after leaving Sacramento. After spending a few days with my (Peggy's) dad for a long overdue visit, we will work our way south for the last few legs of our journey.</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-17571850120580913292009-08-02T19:13:00.010-05:002009-08-02T19:44:32.937-05:00Doe--A Deer, and the Great Train Robbery!<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzM2Zqbru7bWQyEe9xAscctKybm5qXe6p5FEeWrELv6mYKrnliBlh90yxQ3hGMBLJ6mw1AIMnzu6aQtmfGIB3wgCWf1TkFLO79LxnFiHX_tvBWL3j8TwPrAXX6L5RYvDAj5IkHwl40eMo/s1600-h/8_01_09+Henry+on+the+Train.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365527543802852722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzM2Zqbru7bWQyEe9xAscctKybm5qXe6p5FEeWrELv6mYKrnliBlh90yxQ3hGMBLJ6mw1AIMnzu6aQtmfGIB3wgCWf1TkFLO79LxnFiHX_tvBWL3j8TwPrAXX6L5RYvDAj5IkHwl40eMo/s200/8_01_09+Henry+on+the+Train.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRRffGGZYhmIPJak0ptDALokF63HsK7XanyPKL8WKaW6qY776WO_I7YalY2NSSvik5TN2hRIgTv3gHcjpQNMibDE3SNtmbRW91WKZiRir9AcfFdeag4RUuyben8qvPa0CtsmJGAUDrho/s1600-h/8_01_08+Train+Robbery.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365527425754802274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRRffGGZYhmIPJak0ptDALokF63HsK7XanyPKL8WKaW6qY776WO_I7YalY2NSSvik5TN2hRIgTv3gHcjpQNMibDE3SNtmbRW91WKZiRir9AcfFdeag4RUuyben8qvPa0CtsmJGAUDrho/s200/8_01_08+Train+Robbery.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVu2Kae6i7atyWABYWWJytDkC_-LeUOeynNNCJMPcdFSIrY8E9_wZJoycMGs-17_K26cFeOdLGz7IcH5KfN8TUEbme8daNYCM4W9MQCzAzUFiPzg1-dN6_eyo0mu1n7LBzqm__1zOOa3k/s1600-h/8_01_06+Leftover+pool+from+the+Dredging+Bridge.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365528999640683058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVu2Kae6i7atyWABYWWJytDkC_-LeUOeynNNCJMPcdFSIrY8E9_wZJoycMGs-17_K26cFeOdLGz7IcH5KfN8TUEbme8daNYCM4W9MQCzAzUFiPzg1-dN6_eyo0mu1n7LBzqm__1zOOa3k/s200/8_01_06+Leftover+pool+from+the+Dredging+Bridge.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br />Pictures L to R: Henry on the train; The Great Train Robbery; Pond left by the Sumpter Valley Dredge.<br /><br /><br /><div><strong>1 August 2009 Union Creek Campground near Philips Lake, Baker City OR</strong><br /><br />Our campground neighbors were talking this morning about a local steam train that they were going to go on so David went over to ask them about it. As a result, Dave, Henry and I spent the morning and a good part of the afternoon riding the railroad.<br /><br />Sumpter Valley Railway was one of the most colorful and longest-lived narrow gauge railroads in the nation. It began in 1890 as a train to haul lumber, and eventually expanded to haul timber, mining supplies and equipment, and passengers. During its 57-year history, the SVRy was vital to the settlement and development of the eastern Oregon region it served. Today, this railroad is a narrow gauge steam train that runs from McEwen, OR to Sumpter, OR on weekends. Brought back to life by a group of volunteers who have rebuilt over six miles of rail line and fully restored two original engines, this train travels through the forests and gold dredge tailings of the Sumpter Valley.<br /><br />It was a beautiful ride through the pines, following part of the Powder River and passing many, many ponds left over from the Sumpter Valley Dredge operation which ended in 1954. Henry was excited when the engineers told him he could come up into the engine and blow the whistle. However, he was not real excited when the train was raided halfway up the mountain by the bandits on horseback.<br /><br />Not long after we returned to camp, Dave serviced the car to get it ready for our last week of traveling. While he was doing that, I was busy putting stuff away, as a huge thunderhead was building in the west, and appeared to be heading our way. The rain never did fall on us, but it sure got cloudy, a bit breezy, and the thunder was booming. We did have a number of people stop by to visit and ask about the car—something we are always happy talk about.<br /><br /><br /><strong>2 August 2009 Baker City, OR to Burns, OR 138 miles</strong></div><br /><div><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9P8xAAs92Q_YZa5VowR_Z9aC8JdMPTUjqSGdVs8eI7JcIgRJpeLAdRP9ZYG4QSq9cjGHEEMHD2QLNKU3E5xWdoyfrKNHnvdXRgWMYnMFhXtwgs4qDsauuWp_WooDjmwXaOG606MwufUQ/s1600-h/8_02_03+Heading+into+the+valley.JPG"></a></strong></div><br /><div><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9P8xAAs92Q_YZa5VowR_Z9aC8JdMPTUjqSGdVs8eI7JcIgRJpeLAdRP9ZYG4QSq9cjGHEEMHD2QLNKU3E5xWdoyfrKNHnvdXRgWMYnMFhXtwgs4qDsauuWp_WooDjmwXaOG606MwufUQ/s1600-h/8_02_03+Heading+into+the+valley.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365527180458385426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9P8xAAs92Q_YZa5VowR_Z9aC8JdMPTUjqSGdVs8eI7JcIgRJpeLAdRP9ZYG4QSq9cjGHEEMHD2QLNKU3E5xWdoyfrKNHnvdXRgWMYnMFhXtwgs4qDsauuWp_WooDjmwXaOG606MwufUQ/s200/8_02_03+Heading+into+the+valley.JPG" /></a></strong></div><br /><div><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9P8xAAs92Q_YZa5VowR_Z9aC8JdMPTUjqSGdVs8eI7JcIgRJpeLAdRP9ZYG4QSq9cjGHEEMHD2QLNKU3E5xWdoyfrKNHnvdXRgWMYnMFhXtwgs4qDsauuWp_WooDjmwXaOG606MwufUQ/s1600-h/8_02_03+Heading+into+the+valley.JPG"></a></strong></div><br /><div><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJsp9TOAtzLoVXCRTAYPP2aPh6VGiyHQlc_E0IrALqp1KHZNPGnlCP5vL0sbAlEjwg4gQzg_vF7Nd18HMg-uSD0hHx0JKkXm8QGRL-UbyxHzeLbLwAsqkPIDAnj9N1VAsupReK_LjaDQU/s1600-h/8_02_08+Two+does+and+a+Fawn+in+John+Day+OR.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365527047852462770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJsp9TOAtzLoVXCRTAYPP2aPh6VGiyHQlc_E0IrALqp1KHZNPGnlCP5vL0sbAlEjwg4gQzg_vF7Nd18HMg-uSD0hHx0JKkXm8QGRL-UbyxHzeLbLwAsqkPIDAnj9N1VAsupReK_LjaDQU/s200/8_02_08+Two+does+and+a+Fawn+in+John+Day+OR.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwmWe_PZv2MgJQQ7DWPzH2FvwBUz8eD0EahqfEoNtELE5ZO0Q1t2j4Kmunt6NXc8o4M1X-INkibfcygK6XDcvvdB4O_7gpaDJ9gWizpRLWVnBpvVCF0fuY2jjsGfuSRGqmv-dw0pQFpw/s1600-h/8_02_15+Divine+Ridge+pass+near+Burns+OR.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365526920647847042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwmWe_PZv2MgJQQ7DWPzH2FvwBUz8eD0EahqfEoNtELE5ZO0Q1t2j4Kmunt6NXc8o4M1X-INkibfcygK6XDcvvdB4O_7gpaDJ9gWizpRLWVnBpvVCF0fuY2jjsGfuSRGqmv-dw0pQFpw/s200/8_02_15+Divine+Ridge+pass+near+Burns+OR.JPG" /></a></strong></div><strong><br /><div><br /></strong><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Pictures L to R: Heading down into the valley; Deer Crossing; Climbing Divine Pass.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The Day of the Deer<br /><br />We got started early today, as we heard that the temperature was going to be in the nineties and we were heading into the high desert region of eastern Oregon. The drive was pretty uneventful as we made our way over to Highway 395. We started at an elevation of about 3600 feet and by the end of the day had climbed two different passes that topped out at over 5,150 feet. </div><br /><br /><div></div><div>We saw our first buck of the trip—a young one; called a "spike buck" according to Dave, his antlers were only one point, and they were still fuzzy looking—ran right in front of us as we were heading up the first of the three climbs we had today. Then, after stopping for a grocery re-supply in John Day, OR, as we were heading back toward the highway, three deer stood at the intersection, looking almost as though they were waiting for traffic to clear. They safely crossed right in front of us--in the crosswalk!--to the other side of the roadway, walked across a parking lot and into some trees bordering the lot. A short time later, a doe and her fawn stood frozen where they were trying to make it up a steep incline right next to the highway as we were passing by—I don’t think this was their normal crossing place, as the fawn seemed to be having difficulty getting up the slope.<br /><br />We drove across the high desert for a while before dropping into Divine Canyon as we neared Burns, OR. There were thousands of butterflies around—we passed a patch of bright yellow flowers that looked like they had white booms on them—those blooms were white butterflies. </div></div></div></div></div></div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-41653243508800105402009-07-31T18:00:00.013-05:002009-08-01T17:50:54.619-05:00Two Kings and Seven Devils!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2lzipxJurM8izLr0-M0MQNJ6S0g76hjOSDPLvTaM4-p_Htg-DTDL0b-q0mz0cU0KQkHnqU3owjwa7XRkru5zqtZCiax_PO8O3VjT7ncxc76RPgANIYx77EKABOA01n2EiUeXMsHZj_E/s1600-h/7_30_07+Heading+down.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364768394235271218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2lzipxJurM8izLr0-M0MQNJ6S0g76hjOSDPLvTaM4-p_Htg-DTDL0b-q0mz0cU0KQkHnqU3owjwa7XRkru5zqtZCiax_PO8O3VjT7ncxc76RPgANIYx77EKABOA01n2EiUeXMsHZj_E/s320/7_30_07+Heading+down.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOeYWHVCtakUyfPEZu0i5bAi8pqgw4oc7dIo1G5bbCmKJs2wS1-JbvoonneHPpqSAtxkTuALNHMmosjmqeY6xqZI1u1PrDZIjKL3xSngPvRyc6132Yt-Pp8h-cTc7HECHN33hCFahYQ0/s1600-h/7_30_07+Heading+down.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyj_0-sCu4ZH3SijYARif2tJDpZpTki53mkJkCEG4SSnVu7AMBzoBm4jVD7mWPZF4S6ipoAUISWfZYCE_O36i7ilbYuFumz-cBFUf0lIPpNj17SHaQNsaVMu64jdbI-hCGrNpKTKIEsTg/s1600-h/7_30_20+The+Big+Boss.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364767963165241026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyj_0-sCu4ZH3SijYARif2tJDpZpTki53mkJkCEG4SSnVu7AMBzoBm4jVD7mWPZF4S6ipoAUISWfZYCE_O36i7ilbYuFumz-cBFUf0lIPpNj17SHaQNsaVMu64jdbI-hCGrNpKTKIEsTg/s200/7_30_20+The+Big+Boss.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RwOcw_8BuJtg6WuXpd_LUUo3A71Y4reGpN3GScAVQPLsZOkIwhUoTYmFP2r1WBz9ipv_G1c3aVaGI3Ug8J36I2GWfyz1QchI_gJgSkxuvBvyYBXSeYoGnjSBQhgUl_YbIxZXTcVdXxU/s1600-h/7_30_32.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364769536466427586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RwOcw_8BuJtg6WuXpd_LUUo3A71Y4reGpN3GScAVQPLsZOkIwhUoTYmFP2r1WBz9ipv_G1c3aVaGI3Ug8J36I2GWfyz1QchI_gJgSkxuvBvyYBXSeYoGnjSBQhgUl_YbIxZXTcVdXxU/s320/7_30_32.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNvBv0w0a28Gn6O0r1v0NGL1_EJCBu_oHJBMzG7LtY2E5iHs3SeQZNGNYy6h2JEn5kd7c1mUTp7ArZLe-0b2zAbZjFTEsNHzRdQwhhlvyTU1TI0wga-qF8Edi5hI7G_5dgn9LKZ7Pvys/s1600-h/7_30_35+D+and+P+on+Summit+of+Mt+Howard.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364767742426472050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNvBv0w0a28Gn6O0r1v0NGL1_EJCBu_oHJBMzG7LtY2E5iHs3SeQZNGNYy6h2JEn5kd7c1mUTp7ArZLe-0b2zAbZjFTEsNHzRdQwhhlvyTU1TI0wga-qF8Edi5hI7G_5dgn9LKZ7Pvys/s200/7_30_35+D+and+P+on+Summit+of+Mt+Howard.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKh5z2KToz48aMy7OA82XuHMZ1MuhmbUtIByKdXTTq2WjT5BakDadW9BCWc9jv_NlWTm5lTKxl4ZafC4UFxk-uipNBVbmeMVfxhm1uijxmhygLUTjIubtX8ZzMKPEZ33ITNT_MFWcBbEo/s1600-h/7_30_49.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364767484990616242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKh5z2KToz48aMy7OA82XuHMZ1MuhmbUtIByKdXTTq2WjT5BakDadW9BCWc9jv_NlWTm5lTKxl4ZafC4UFxk-uipNBVbmeMVfxhm1uijxmhygLUTjIubtX8ZzMKPEZ33ITNT_MFWcBbEo/s320/7_30_49.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP2I2vhHoWuCbBCbPWcmUGBFlqNITApG-5AcWx7aPzmRwmviuJulHTgfHtHyp5LB_v5TmXN0rYR-bXuIM6R4JAkmB_sfZo8OEATmCw4oDZMO9WQznrcWgWx5mfKa1LQYIH8bgfcvo0A2c/s1600-h/7_30_56.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgDRxa4z6QbTuGnvgYt791hLBA9DOZNwOkTRmP5GM4P7AY8ZdqurYSBRn3MD9NJ2IwSCtswx6La5YnPib75HOephNXX8-mQVRZLXqspqg5fCFdKeCSg8bmA1ycZ7utZYvhbg5H52A8BA/s1600-h/7_30_62+Wallowa+Lake.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364765917520719106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgDRxa4z6QbTuGnvgYt791hLBA9DOZNwOkTRmP5GM4P7AY8ZdqurYSBRn3MD9NJ2IwSCtswx6La5YnPib75HOephNXX8-mQVRZLXqspqg5fCFdKeCSg8bmA1ycZ7utZYvhbg5H52A8BA/s200/7_30_62+Wallowa+Lake.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhafFwL4DanGtm5TOvKZ9w4NxvID4qOLcD9YITMKDz41QnnwJn2nplH6apXYI4FW1gkmyYaOZdO0NCYonLUMKi8g_YXN3TcNfP_bzkGH44EX8vb_KzLIj0SwDSxsxD1wcUfPXTpyp190/s1600-h/7_31_01+Merrill+and+Betty+King.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364765627139456642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhafFwL4DanGtm5TOvKZ9w4NxvID4qOLcD9YITMKDz41QnnwJn2nplH6apXYI4FW1gkmyYaOZdO0NCYonLUMKi8g_YXN3TcNfP_bzkGH44EX8vb_KzLIj0SwDSxsxD1wcUfPXTpyp190/s200/7_31_01+Merrill+and+Betty+King.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br />Pictures L to R: The switchbacks...if you look closely. The upside was just as bad; The Big One; Way in the background are the Seven Devils in Idaho; Us on top of Mt. Howard; Wallowa Mountain View; Wallowa Lake and Valley; Betty and Merrill King--our hosts.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><strong>30 July 2009 Clarkston, WA to Wallowa, OR 141 miles<br /></strong><br />We got up very early today…Dave had spoken with Betty King, from the Capitol A’s, and we are meeting her and Merrill in Enterprise, OR between 10 and 11. Enterprise is about 90 miles away.<br /><br />The drive was b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l! With the early morning light the colors were golden toned as we followed the Snake River for the first 5 miles or so…then we turn inland and upward. Dave didn’t mind the inland so much, but he was not real happy about the upward—three separate climbs up and two down the side of canyon walls. The first one was not quite so bad, and as we reached the top, we were actually surprised to see the flat plateau. We felt like we were on top of the world, as the road curved along the cliff walls before turning further inland. Down in the valley, along the river, was the north end of Hells Canyon National Park. Up on this plateau is farmland—for cattle feed, I think. The golden hay was slowly waving and off in the distance we saw a coyote trotting through the field. Further along, we saw a doe and her two fawns along side the highway. One of the fawns was on the highway side of the fence, and started looking a little panicked when mama moved away as we drove by. I sure hope she figured out how to get back on the field side of the fence…<br /><br />We slowly climbed in elevation until we were once again surrounded by pine forests. This was where Dave got a bit grumpy…when he saw the switchbacks heading down. However, with nowhere to go but forward, we continued on. It really was pretty…but also incredibly steep off the edge of the roadway…like almost vertical! We’ve decided that those three switchbacks were probably the worst climbs we’ve done on this trip.<br /><br />After a brief rest, we continued on into Enterprise. Along the way we saw a herd of long-horned cattle, and a bison ranch. We met up with Betty and Merrill, and followed them into the town of Joseph (also named for the Chief) where we stopped for a root beer float before walking around the town. This town was neat to visit…somewhat of an artist’s colony…and when the logging and lumber mills closed, the space was converted to bronze foundries. The town has bronze sculptures along the main street—some incredible work. We stopped in one of the galleries and were just amazed at what we saw. Unfortunately, the pieces we liked were a bit beyond our budget.<br /><br />We continued up into the canyon to Wallowa Lake, stopping at the gravesite of Old Chief Joseph (Chief Joseph’s father). This is definitely somewhere we will come back to visit. They have a campground at the end of the lake, and then the rest is hike-in trails and campgrounds up into the backcountry. We did take the tram up to the top of Mt. Howard, elevation 8,150 feet, and walked around the trails up there for a bit. Looking to the north, you can see the lake and the Wallowa Valley, and Washington state off in the distance; To the east, a view of the Idaho side of the Snake River and Seven Devils, the mountain peaks forming the east side of Hells Gate. To the south were the magnificent mountain peaks of the Wallowa Mountains, still spotted with snow, and waterfalls falling nearly to the lake level. To the west was Chief Joseph Mountain. Certainly well worth the cost of the tram ride!<br /><br />We eventually made it back to Betty and Merrill’s home in Wallowa, which is the town where Betty grew up, and had a nice visit with them. Dave and Merrill eventually made it out to the cars (Merrill had his A up there) and they worked on a carburetor problem on his 1931 Victoria.<br /><br /><br /><strong>31 July 2009 Wallowa, OR to about 15 miles south of Baker City, OR 123 miles</strong><br /><br /><br />Merrill mentioned that Betty has always wanted to open a Bed and Breakfast, and given the way we were treated, I think she would be a success. After a good night’s rest, we had a gourmet breakfast before leaving their home and continuing our way south.<br /><br />The drive through the canyon leaving the Wallowa Valley was beautiful. Meandering along the riverside, the cliffs and mountain sides towered over us. Once outside the valley, we turned toward LaGrand, Oregon, a huge farming community. Merrill and Betty had mentioned that the crops grown here are hay, alfalfa, sugar beet, and mint. We also saw some fields of sunflowers. As we passed the mint, it was being watered, and the aroma was wonderful driving by.<br /><br />Skirting the base of the mountains , we were soon driving through high desert scrub brush before dropping into Baker City. We stopped to stretch our legs and walk around before refueling. Our initial goal was to reach John Day, Oregon, which is near Highway 395—the highway that will take us nearly all the way home. However, when we headed back up into a mountainous area along the way and happened to pass by a beautiful lake and saw a campground we decided to check it out. Union Creek Campground on Philips Lake almost has it all...Pine trees…shade…water…no showers...and it is Friday noon—once late afternoon hits, we have found that it is nearly impossible to find a campsite if the weather is good. We decided to stop and stay—it will be a two day stay, because finding a site on a Saturday is even harder.<br /><br />“Camp” is set, and Dave is sitting reading while I finish up the last two days of journaling. We may go take a dip in the lake a little later… </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-84676052380176297512009-07-28T21:52:00.008-05:002009-07-28T22:20:38.318-05:00Turning Left for the Last Time!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE049dxl3mcCKALqazSnHxRpSKBrAV_RdLTIWWUMWsJerpYpoTDyee-y4cYBBkfT1wkOUFM7wTXyQ9GyM3kBhr_w4HQ12j3tW1IOumpykW_iEX6aSTdwXm6-A6LEyTsZ22LRJyJgASn0s/s1600-h/IMG_2752.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363714975951484450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE049dxl3mcCKALqazSnHxRpSKBrAV_RdLTIWWUMWsJerpYpoTDyee-y4cYBBkfT1wkOUFM7wTXyQ9GyM3kBhr_w4HQ12j3tW1IOumpykW_iEX6aSTdwXm6-A6LEyTsZ22LRJyJgASn0s/s200/IMG_2752.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_TuHBBqFEQQvVveKmov0KvXBXYwTschAzeHlFmuqS4q5VpaDc5Mar5EADkvzaxYTLqhb0_W5EXdBLbEvavv9JGaRdUyAucFheAPX_ETHngSaz5qJIqWGRS3mXIDaVE2sKPbk7AtASI8/s1600-h/IMG_2765.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363714675354419810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_TuHBBqFEQQvVveKmov0KvXBXYwTschAzeHlFmuqS4q5VpaDc5Mar5EADkvzaxYTLqhb0_W5EXdBLbEvavv9JGaRdUyAucFheAPX_ETHngSaz5qJIqWGRS3mXIDaVE2sKPbk7AtASI8/s200/IMG_2765.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOXe4SCOzlrQF4NTaUfo-Ch4LA_JIYY_pUkpI3KJbxew-OvLub0JWbwADPWEuFVKVc6DToyJN3OF0VE8NZoNcKgvqB0hnfxAYU9nZ60oxlZkg-htRgryoKsmPteYzKSzCwNmwHS-jPsQ/s1600-h/IMG_2772.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363714178595273922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOXe4SCOzlrQF4NTaUfo-Ch4LA_JIYY_pUkpI3KJbxew-OvLub0JWbwADPWEuFVKVc6DToyJN3OF0VE8NZoNcKgvqB0hnfxAYU9nZ60oxlZkg-htRgryoKsmPteYzKSzCwNmwHS-jPsQ/s200/IMG_2772.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUopdsHH9tK2oc7Q6FnGxBWq1bA0sfGxcw2PvoUcnSrNKhPShKZfe0T8gVi6pqzrekd1sWaQKRhceZqjPfGyC5tWRkCmiCw7UnogRaZzEnbLUDrc0XKDkwxmL5T23A1Mqm8KKG9wQt9gw/s1600-h/IMG_2785.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363713561610192866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUopdsHH9tK2oc7Q6FnGxBWq1bA0sfGxcw2PvoUcnSrNKhPShKZfe0T8gVi6pqzrekd1sWaQKRhceZqjPfGyC5tWRkCmiCw7UnogRaZzEnbLUDrc0XKDkwxmL5T23A1Mqm8KKG9wQt9gw/s200/IMG_2785.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1k2nQjzANe75zo0lYTI4IfkDLhWnH9b6sJWZszDfVWOB51hJGsXe_wTrbE-pOuHuTga8VtgDTiWMp5Odz0dyVVke_2iYeIHb-UxloHw0aLQNhmsikju5LtJIgMcg6Q_fE0aX-T9IBfjw/s1600-h/IMG_2790.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363713173592069602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1k2nQjzANe75zo0lYTI4IfkDLhWnH9b6sJWZszDfVWOB51hJGsXe_wTrbE-pOuHuTga8VtgDTiWMp5Odz0dyVVke_2iYeIHb-UxloHw0aLQNhmsikju5LtJIgMcg6Q_fE0aX-T9IBfjw/s320/IMG_2790.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQeqXCLfT0YTB9p3RIsUD1vcN0HJnwCV-LrbSnL-v3xgHwb9R5Dxc9HHKTjJoU-gBUOV9B719TfELsvzhAQCzsgGZiz7Z2Cq8JqxKyP4uqBtVer-F9raHuNsNeThzzVvaY46r-VV_UMg/s1600-h/IMG_2791.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363712571889456674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQeqXCLfT0YTB9p3RIsUD1vcN0HJnwCV-LrbSnL-v3xgHwb9R5Dxc9HHKTjJoU-gBUOV9B719TfELsvzhAQCzsgGZiz7Z2Cq8JqxKyP4uqBtVer-F9raHuNsNeThzzVvaY46r-VV_UMg/s200/IMG_2791.JPG" /></a><br /></div><div> </div><div>Pictures L to R: Near Lolo Pass on Hwy 12; Lochsa River; Clearwater Creek; Clearwater River near Kooskia, Idaho; Welcome to Washington--Our 4th Corner!; Henry in air-conditioned comfort.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><strong>28 July 2009 Lolo, MT through Idaho to Clarkston, WA 206 miles<br /></strong><br />Today was probably the most beautiful drive of our trip. Not surprising…we had had three different people tell us that this route was one of the prettiest they have ever traveled on. Heading west on Highway 12, we gradually made the climb up to Lolo Pass following alongside the Lolo River, and from then on it was downhill into Idaho and across the panhandle. This route not only continues along the Lewis and Clark Trail, but also the Nez Perce Trail—I believe they are one and the same at this point in the journey, although there might be some slight variations between the two. After crossing the pass at an eleveation of 5,235, our trek downhill, for the first 80 miles or so, began following the Lochsa River. Surprise, surprise…we traveled through some light sprinkles on and off. Mostly downhill, this route had some gradual hills, but was winding with the course of the river between the canyon walls. It was absolutely beautiful. The hillsides were covered with pine and other trees, and we were lucky enough to see a large female Elk standing near the water’s edge on the other side of the river. We also saw another Bald Eagle, and some wild turkey (I saw them, not Dave).<br /><br />Once we got to Kooskia, Idaho, where we stopped for lunch and visited for a while with a local resident who has a 1931 Coupe, we continued our downhill trek until we were traveling through golden colored hillsides. The river’s banks changed from rocky ledges, to grassy slopes. I believe it was right around Kooskia that the Lochsa River merged with the Clearwater Creek, and then into the Clearwater River. We can understand how this river got its name…the water was crystal clear. So clear, in fact, you could see the different colors of the rock across the entire riverbed. This part of the drive was on the Nez Perce Reservation, and as we traveled west we continued to drop in elevation. Not surprising, we could feel the outside temperature rising—it might have also had something to do with the heat from the A, and the fact that it was 2:00 in the afternoon.<br /><br />As we neared Lewiston, Idaho, we were surprised to see such an industrial community. Named for Meriwether Lewis, Lewiston sits at the confluence of the Clearwater River and the Snake River. Across the Snake River sits Clarkston, Washington, named for William Clark. Boy were we surprised when we passed a digital temperature sign reading 103 degrees. So…because it was so hot…and the fact that we have hit our fourth corner of this great adventure, we’re celebrating and checked into the Quality Inn in Clarkston, with a room overlooking the Snake River, for a two day break from driving before heading south into Oregon. Looking back in our records, we realized today that we have been traveling every day since New York. This two-day break will be nice to say the least.</div></div></div></div></div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-33202312499992049352009-07-27T20:09:00.007-05:002009-07-28T22:38:20.902-05:00The Bitterroot Valley Isn't so Bitter!<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9kYHoxqJzdhWgnhCa3kLFNnQryPNWydS5QdQTEFE40annMAPRvckwppA1UL2QhrXnkwIGbrEftv61uG7tCfUIE9sMmoTdZITi8MCjVK6c_LNyagGfIsTxCQHgudlpjeAbyE7vLBNZkQ/s1600-h/7_27_04+Highway+Scene.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363314588307745682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9kYHoxqJzdhWgnhCa3kLFNnQryPNWydS5QdQTEFE40annMAPRvckwppA1UL2QhrXnkwIGbrEftv61uG7tCfUIE9sMmoTdZITi8MCjVK6c_LNyagGfIsTxCQHgudlpjeAbyE7vLBNZkQ/s200/7_27_04+Highway+Scene.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGh_XELk_sPr_Jm1liIyoYQGkmFM9QjxhtgaYilc1hr7XbQGpXlSIR0LlD_-I2gHrWFF-3lIw0rUUqZ7tpoB0SMpZdaF2LssiCV8FqOzDc-FnDLHlQF3qE7PLdq6JpJGr5HDoIosU-r4o/s1600-h/7_27_06+Fog+on+the+pass.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363314340533261362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGh_XELk_sPr_Jm1liIyoYQGkmFM9QjxhtgaYilc1hr7XbQGpXlSIR0LlD_-I2gHrWFF-3lIw0rUUqZ7tpoB0SMpZdaF2LssiCV8FqOzDc-FnDLHlQF3qE7PLdq6JpJGr5HDoIosU-r4o/s200/7_27_06+Fog+on+the+pass.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0JpIYH4z6Zn6bpQHvz90hyphenhyphenNvAb-5ndUKDFGqGFDdeBIfg4ekIJHfTpr70f7GUZ1zz3r9zCRzOhoitt4k6uGKwN76K19ooYJIErXsfZkhVJE9MC1gQ4Y6FyFYIOLtpFo70_wCiOjvMQQ/s1600-h/7_27_10+Montana+ski+area.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363314168315820194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0JpIYH4z6Zn6bpQHvz90hyphenhyphenNvAb-5ndUKDFGqGFDdeBIfg4ekIJHfTpr70f7GUZ1zz3r9zCRzOhoitt4k6uGKwN76K19ooYJIErXsfZkhVJE9MC1gQ4Y6FyFYIOLtpFo70_wCiOjvMQQ/s200/7_27_10+Montana+ski+area.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-lMf2ktQtc30KaoTl8st6FtWfkTm9R2rTUyrGfTKrZgb74KZGzaxsypFi390uAL4oJNnuCU4Eb2B9HuhUAvk3W_txPUdNYMzjRu45BvgkcZ_i5iKiD3R3s32RO-QPs6ebBJchC1qZE0s/s1600-h/7_27_11+Beginning+of+the+Bitterroot+Valley+MT.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363313999168183666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-lMf2ktQtc30KaoTl8st6FtWfkTm9R2rTUyrGfTKrZgb74KZGzaxsypFi390uAL4oJNnuCU4Eb2B9HuhUAvk3W_txPUdNYMzjRu45BvgkcZ_i5iKiD3R3s32RO-QPs6ebBJchC1qZE0s/s320/7_27_11+Beginning+of+the+Bitterroot+Valley+MT.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGe4jso3uuXWg2CO4vUHiCndS2BvMyobam1vHrLsLy-BABSQXISOlogTqUiK6QiiAjRcO3qBsVgAMSYgkitEVzBg_FQPYEYjUz5ueFG57asWvSdAs2Tb-uRHF1ZJZNk7fcspoJqAzCxI/s1600-h/IMG_2745.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363720837062696674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGe4jso3uuXWg2CO4vUHiCndS2BvMyobam1vHrLsLy-BABSQXISOlogTqUiK6QiiAjRcO3qBsVgAMSYgkitEVzBg_FQPYEYjUz5ueFG57asWvSdAs2Tb-uRHF1ZJZNk7fcspoJqAzCxI/s200/IMG_2745.JPG" /></a><br /><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Pictures L to R: Climbing up to Chief Joseph Pass; Mountain fog; Down hill all the way to the valley floor; The Bitterroot Valley; Peggy answering questions about the car and trip.<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div><strong>27 July 2009 Wisdom, MT to Lolo, MT 143 miles</strong><br /><br />Last night we went to the Big Hole Crossings Restaurant for dinner, and it was so good, we returned for breakfast this morning before heading out. We had had some pretty good thunderstorms during the night, or early morning, and it was still a little bit drizzly this morning.<br /><br />After filling up the tank, ice chest, and water bottles, we headed west on Highway 43. About 12 miles outside of Wisdom, we stopped at the Nez Perce Historical Battlefield and explored the battlefield site for a while. The park service has a nice video that explains the plight of the Nez Perce and their flight through Montana.<br /><br />Back in Baby, we headed up the grade. The climb was a long and continuous up hill until we crossed the Continental Divide, again, at Chief Joseph Pass with an elevation of 7,264 feet. Baby just purred...From the top of this pass, it was pretty much down hill into the Bitterroot Valley, which sits between 3,500-4,500 feet. At the junction of Hwy 43 and 93, we were in no-mans land for a bit. Stopping at the intersection for the traffic light, to the left of us was Welcome to Idaho sign, and to the right of us was the Montana sign. I'm sure the border is somewhere in the middle. Turning north, we continued down the hill past the grassy ski slopes of Montana.<br /><br />The drive through the valley was beautiful, and we just enjoyed the passing scenery. The highway often followed the river, and the road was winding, but no big climbs. The one big glitch in our day was that the camera I have been using for blog pictures went on the fritz. If the lens would even open, as soon as I went to snap a picture, the shutter would close down and I’d miss the opportune picture. I was so frustrated that we finally drove fifteen miles past our turn into Missoula, MT to get a new one.<br /><br />We stopped for the day about three miles west of Lolo, MT, at a small RV park that someone in Missoula had told us about. Way in the back, away from all the rigs and right next to the Lolo Creek is a tent area. We’re the only ones here…but we’ve had many visitors “going for a walk” stop by to see the car and visit.<br /></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div>We may be getting home sooner than we planned...Our plans for visiting friends in Walla Walla have fallen through, so now it looks like we will barely touch the corner of Washington State and then head south into Oregon to visit with Merrill and Betty King, some fellow Capitol A'ers who summer in Oregon. I think Dave is really anxious to get home...</div></div></div></div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-61765478990903314742009-07-26T21:20:00.007-05:002009-07-26T21:34:32.690-05:00Cowboy Country and Cody, WY<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDs6zgXAVrgH0Q77iWYahpwHpSGvOkm22RgwX-Ncqo5wDXCy2MSLQMoQquOQdkNRAqqGTL426vtQ5G6CvU2-MwjjnUKbsY66nCP2QO7XjtcOw_QHIL_Yw1vHZENMPWOO5LSI-rjvXx91w/s1600-h/7_24_35+Coming+into+Cody+WY.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362961742915462850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDs6zgXAVrgH0Q77iWYahpwHpSGvOkm22RgwX-Ncqo5wDXCy2MSLQMoQquOQdkNRAqqGTL426vtQ5G6CvU2-MwjjnUKbsY66nCP2QO7XjtcOw_QHIL_Yw1vHZENMPWOO5LSI-rjvXx91w/s200/7_24_35+Coming+into+Cody+WY.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZA_yFbhSqPZ427DeU6Mhd7CIsYJFWKCgzp7VZwsThU-KMNy6NF7IOrlWid0KxZ9f2w4nHnPvbvwU_6HHBL_V6O-Y28C529Blf_XsW7qe1VOXOkGI6yy4p9HaWfBz5lpsad4Ywdw7V1s/s1600-h/7_24_14+Drive+In+Liquor2.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWtIGOCOwKh3Q_9y1YTlKMz6BeoWRJ7WkQiXIxEiRYh4obDnnmkfOtexsgHRTz3bmCKxvDwtHLXtQV_o5SKGJBirnErQdAWipw10SPcjiE7ADfAr2LHxtMeN7hlRJtHn6WPPZpvRpXqc/s1600-h/7_24_37+1908+Cherrywood+Bar.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362960658989341826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWtIGOCOwKh3Q_9y1YTlKMz6BeoWRJ7WkQiXIxEiRYh4obDnnmkfOtexsgHRTz3bmCKxvDwtHLXtQV_o5SKGJBirnErQdAWipw10SPcjiE7ADfAr2LHxtMeN7hlRJtHn6WPPZpvRpXqc/s320/7_24_37+1908+Cherrywood+Bar.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjraxAIKIR9XRGNKFVCghspf9pSm2UsKaQm-i6c0bdAmF5guCxsxky5KsR8jrwrowiPG4QYVTnArjtJtO5WE64lZMipLZ0J9F4pwxOVE4a7pZeAVyOQKDheUmMucWNb4EMuUx0huAwWU/s1600-h/7_24_46+Part+of+Buffalo+Bill+Reservoir+and+State+Park.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362962401055218754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjraxAIKIR9XRGNKFVCghspf9pSm2UsKaQm-i6c0bdAmF5guCxsxky5KsR8jrwrowiPG4QYVTnArjtJtO5WE64lZMipLZ0J9F4pwxOVE4a7pZeAVyOQKDheUmMucWNb4EMuUx0huAwWU/s320/7_24_46+Part+of+Buffalo+Bill+Reservoir+and+State+Park.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjPN-EUlUaFIu5aSz7nctH9gEHt8eLR9CnEkf2C54O7lUpMzHhvk3p0hUisrHmzoz8mMyhBgnHu9ob9jeWcFHqWQoCYpCHP46Ij_U68FBWrTwkbN-z9lRG_a-jjekTMEpRthgxCtSHao/s1600-h/7_25_2+Green+Creek+Inn+Wy.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362960339316315026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjPN-EUlUaFIu5aSz7nctH9gEHt8eLR9CnEkf2C54O7lUpMzHhvk3p0hUisrHmzoz8mMyhBgnHu9ob9jeWcFHqWQoCYpCHP46Ij_U68FBWrTwkbN-z9lRG_a-jjekTMEpRthgxCtSHao/s200/7_25_2+Green+Creek+Inn+Wy.JPG" /></a><br />Pictures L to R: Highway into Cody; The cherry wood bar at the Irma Hotel in Cody; Part of the Buffalo Bill Reservoir near Wapiti, WY; Green Creek Inn and RV Park.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><strong>24 July 2009 Cody, WY to Wapiti, WY</strong><br /><br />For most of the trip to Cody we sat in silence, just watching the scenery go by. Most of the drive between Thermopolis and Cody was very windy, so Dave was constantly fighting either a head wind or crosswind. He is guessing it was blowing at about 30 mph. As we neared Cody, we had to follow a pilot car for about a five mile stretch, and were amazed at the stupidity of the drivers ahead of us…trying to pass each other as we were being led!<br /><br />We found Cody much to our liking. Yes, it is very touristy, particularly so because of all the Buffalo Bill hoopla and hype, but charming nonetheless, especially if you like the cowboy and Indian lore. We decided to stop and walk around town, but will save the world-class western museums for another trip. At one “Antique and Gun Shop” we stopped at, there in the corner was a gentleman, J. O’Ryan, working with leather. He primarily works on gun leather, horse tack, saddles, bags, and virtually anything you can think of that is made of leather. In fact, <strong>O’Ryan’s Custom Leather’s</strong> motto is “You name it, I make it!” Dave was very excited when he said he could make us new straps for our trunk—and that it would only take about an hour. The straps are perfect—high quality workmanship at a reasonable price.<br /><br />We had lunch at the Irma Hotel, which was built by Buffalo Bill Cody back in 1906. Inside the restaurant is the original cherry wood bar that he had built, and it has just stunning workmanship on the woodwork. The ambiance is very “western” “big game” turn of the century, and the food and service was great.<br /><br />Since the weather was iffy—possible rain, but still very windy, we made our way to Wapiti, WY, which is about 20 miles west of Cody, heading toward the east entrance of Yellowstone. We found a wonderful owner operated inn, <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Green Creek Inn & RV Park</span></strong>. It is small, but very clean and very well equipped, and much more reasonably priced than what we were finding in Cody. They have, I believe, 12 units, and a couple cabins, as well as RV hook-ups for maybe 10 rigs. Their facility also has on-site laundry facilities, grills and picnic tables, and stunning views. It is within walking distance to the Shoshone River. Jeff and Carolyn Rogowsky welcomed us with friendly smiles upon check-in; I’m sure we’ll find our way back someday.</div></div></div></div></div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-23043407755846962372009-07-26T20:53:00.012-05:002009-07-26T21:35:49.559-05:00Yellowstone and Old Faithful<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg220cP7SLJXo1q-XNFAPHvV5J_0mr0YiFlpntLTpOb-xUYbp23pBjzxATo5ysEbO93SoghSBiVrO3SfFq3_-z_bVy7R9QlYirQqwibRi6ZR6q7nuv1DhUCFnKLsj3VcxEqtDjMKEb7VjI/s1600-h/7_25_2+Green+Creek+Inn+Wy.JPG"></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISa7miyZcTFOR_V-sU5fh8BjY3cGbPEgLES-n4ODn7p2CuETzVM7JRXd6i2RYFCJQnsAlXtSCLJtQv_S8w2jWcFIF09_c30T9HpOAj3i4Mi79LY9V_NNAT3K9v7fDqRYV9GW_R2GQBtE/s1600-h/7_25_4+Shoshone+River.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362956843495109266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISa7miyZcTFOR_V-sU5fh8BjY3cGbPEgLES-n4ODn7p2CuETzVM7JRXd6i2RYFCJQnsAlXtSCLJtQv_S8w2jWcFIF09_c30T9HpOAj3i4Mi79LY9V_NNAT3K9v7fDqRYV9GW_R2GQBtE/s200/7_25_4+Shoshone+River.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsBbMRCwcPqF6i54WEBeAxs5eNW8lULxmMH_6zJ5M4SFLqRU6wk95rrhTefqzaDTSU1Bvp-c6ywTVaH-_kKrDyZ9X33NAPjzTEgX0SU_wjs_tOUs3rIyL4AtmB_BkHA6x27eLblFBahk/s1600-h/7_25_11+East+Pass+into+Yellowstone.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362956547555667490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsBbMRCwcPqF6i54WEBeAxs5eNW8lULxmMH_6zJ5M4SFLqRU6wk95rrhTefqzaDTSU1Bvp-c6ywTVaH-_kKrDyZ9X33NAPjzTEgX0SU_wjs_tOUs3rIyL4AtmB_BkHA6x27eLblFBahk/s200/7_25_11+East+Pass+into+Yellowstone.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlH3FR8TGLOqQfGdPItxzqSLShC2JaiVczLUFtKAkB3RtZfc2pQqNCl0aOlRNEpGt04GPRXCDxwe6zq4PWcXqIL_jbVs6nIuJo1lC7qnIjnPCq1DERa9ciUiQrLkTC3QTKox_X8fcWYw/s1600-h/7_25_18+Dave+and+Peg.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362956385753265026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlH3FR8TGLOqQfGdPItxzqSLShC2JaiVczLUFtKAkB3RtZfc2pQqNCl0aOlRNEpGt04GPRXCDxwe6zq4PWcXqIL_jbVs6nIuJo1lC7qnIjnPCq1DERa9ciUiQrLkTC3QTKox_X8fcWYw/s200/7_25_18+Dave+and+Peg.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnX7IYW-ovsVDYzRy7yZIdtc6xAA5nAjvvxd7Uj7bVTleMzdOOr33HHjf1nKnOUCZ54pTkEvw-QId7EtMCJOuSHvgVBkoi4vyLM3HCe7ZSsBhhy_DIsujS39zE6CGH7yvauhPd07t6eM/s1600-h/7_25_28.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362956223444278994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnX7IYW-ovsVDYzRy7yZIdtc6xAA5nAjvvxd7Uj7bVTleMzdOOr33HHjf1nKnOUCZ54pTkEvw-QId7EtMCJOuSHvgVBkoi4vyLM3HCe7ZSsBhhy_DIsujS39zE6CGH7yvauhPd07t6eM/s320/7_25_28.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJ5ryhYo_sSDQA1OO8oPCCCgNumeT__uyAsc1QXkqq7qNHnq1kzobyHGBOtMsGXndifpbg1gRnJap6FngWnSqIgtpcxKtwEGz5DYo1VU3WgFA7K8lRRfCsVHPhkTydSpKzP2XVgC7M7Y/s1600-h/7_25_33+Keppler+Falls.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362955907130160418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJ5ryhYo_sSDQA1OO8oPCCCgNumeT__uyAsc1QXkqq7qNHnq1kzobyHGBOtMsGXndifpbg1gRnJap6FngWnSqIgtpcxKtwEGz5DYo1VU3WgFA7K8lRRfCsVHPhkTydSpKzP2XVgC7M7Y/s200/7_25_33+Keppler+Falls.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUOuWgw9G1OKwf2i5s2xCwBcgAWV-mizz0dNI9_bO3fMrIfISXKHgop6b4IZKI3CrZyYFORCmJwq3Y0dovTBvrCiUywtWshzYdy4fQZWuPGwluMVECosFhcYbMV5dODaP371_YJIsGq8/s1600-h/7_25_50.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362955693757942370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUOuWgw9G1OKwf2i5s2xCwBcgAWV-mizz0dNI9_bO3fMrIfISXKHgop6b4IZKI3CrZyYFORCmJwq3Y0dovTBvrCiUywtWshzYdy4fQZWuPGwluMVECosFhcYbMV5dODaP371_YJIsGq8/s320/7_25_50.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGiVMhPKYz5FYQ1aCN8xmHmTgNN_6s8WJ-U4M8cGS5Mfo-MQw_q2HMXtDA0ZH3Jgn2ANLlaRqXiCR5oQNZaQ5rbVln1E3rfDFtEhNC89mUo4TdCARl05nGYQbvgGahTd0I7lvL689tmk/s1600-h/7_25_60.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362955517074735234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGiVMhPKYz5FYQ1aCN8xmHmTgNN_6s8WJ-U4M8cGS5Mfo-MQw_q2HMXtDA0ZH3Jgn2ANLlaRqXiCR5oQNZaQ5rbVln1E3rfDFtEhNC89mUo4TdCARl05nGYQbvgGahTd0I7lvL689tmk/s200/7_25_60.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Pictures L to R: Shoshone River on the highway into Yellowstone; Sylvan Pass, 8, 541 feet; Geothermal activity along Yellowstone Lake; Kepler Cascades; Old Faithful (not the best pic--my camera was acting up again!); Heading out of the park near West Yellowstone, MT.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><strong>25 July 2009 Wapita, WY to West Yellowstone, MT 135 miles<br /></strong><br />We were excited to be heading into Yellowstone, and after a quick cleanup, we were on our way. The drive up from Wapiti was beautiful, as it passed through the Shoshone River Gorge. The wildflowers along side the roadway were incredible, and it was surprising to see so many different kinds and colors together in one place, especially at this elevation.<br /><br />David was a little nervous about how Baby would do on these mountain passes, and when we left Green Creek Inn, we were sitting at 5500 feet elevation. Once we were in Yellowstone the highway continued to climb until we hit our highest elevation today of 8,657 feet. Baby did fine, and I think Dave is feeling pretty good about that.</div><br /><br /><br /><div>We stopped along Yellowstone Lake to take some pictures of the geothermal activity along the shoreline and were amazed at the plant life that continues to grow in this environment. When we stopped to take some pictures at Kepler Cascades, we ran into a young couple from Germany who were fascinated with the car and the trip. So much so, that they asked if they could sit in it and get a picture taken. Kepler Cascades is a must-see at the park. The park service has built a viewing platform out over the cliff face, so that you are basically standing directly over the water about 50 feet below. It was so high, and with the water rushing past, I have to admit that I experienced a bit of vertigo.<br /><br />From the falls, we crossed the Continental Divide (twice in fact, because it made a horseshoe path along the ridge line) on our way to Old Faithful. Although Old Faithful was impressive to see, the wait had heightened the anticipation of everyone around, and as the appointed time (give or take 20 minutes) drew near, it was almost comical to hear kids and adults alike talking to the geyser: “Come On!” “Just do it already.” “You can’t hurry nature.” These were just a few of the comments we heard.<br /><br />Old Faithful was truly a sight to behold, and knowing that it was not man-made made it even more impressive. We were so occupied during the first eruption of Old Faithful taking pictures that we missed much of the beauty of just watching and experiencing this event. So we spent the next 90 minutes until the next eruption walking around and eating lunch—a surprisingly good meal—at the lodge cafeteria. Unfortunately, while we were waiting, the clouds started rolling in…it seems to be our life story on this trip! We were soon sitting in a sprinkling of very large raindrops. About the time Old Faithful finished doing her thing, the clouds let loose and we were in a downright downpour. We were both pretty wet by the time we made it back to the car.<br /><br />We headed north around the loop, stopping occasionally, once the rain passed for pictures and although we saw signs telling us there was “wildlife” crossing the road, the only wildlife we saw were the two legged idiots who stopped in the middle of the highway to take pictures. We never did see any bison, and only saw two elk <em>way</em> off in the distance—perhaps we were in the wrong part of the park. Maybe they only hang out at the higher passes and elevations. However, we didn’t want to tax Baby on the 10,000+ foot passes, since we still want to make it home. Maybe we’ll have better luck next time…when we return in a modern car!<br /><br />The rain cleared as we hit West Yellowstone, Montana, just outside the park gates. Boy is this a touristy town—souvenir shops galore, food booths offering all kinds of stuff, and motels everywhere. Looking to the clouds building in the west, and the way the wind was blowing, we decided to get a hotel room; but much to our dismay, every place we checked was booked for the night. Hoping that the “big” rain was over, we headed out of town in search of a campground…<br />We camped about 10 miles out of town at Lions Head Campground. We got set up and dinner done when the sky opened up and it began raining again in earnest. We jumped into the tent to sit it out, and finally it stopped about 7:30, but once the rain stopped, the Montana-sized mosquitoes came out. We headed back into the tent for the night just to escape them.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-48478668367099603772009-07-26T20:41:00.007-05:002009-07-27T20:26:21.966-05:00Hail on Badger Pass<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeLKybjkf98TJYt61Q53Hur7pxCfmO8oXWLud1GV15lhY18t-wMh4vP6FWYQbP0rtX2AOBVdGnt7FDvh6Dl2DWAEpczNDmsAN5wlSd-lSCCvbAxP05nLsxBRg0YqLdl8DPKwuCd6Qz2QY/s1600-h/7_26_02+Idaho+Hwy+Scene.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362949810627331730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeLKybjkf98TJYt61Q53Hur7pxCfmO8oXWLud1GV15lhY18t-wMh4vP6FWYQbP0rtX2AOBVdGnt7FDvh6Dl2DWAEpczNDmsAN5wlSd-lSCCvbAxP05nLsxBRg0YqLdl8DPKwuCd6Qz2QY/s200/7_26_02+Idaho+Hwy+Scene.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuvQ0C8jxHX6V4WoJpGJdyZTuvPcaUyQkH2HU9rlwfZj8IuVUfp9CMx0K-2aiRdwnrq4uMvjIvoh11IFKoYZe1T7ImpP9Helf6g8Q7YztuEBPN_4hOtCqoG36aWzxOpC48TLg8316Sls/s1600-h/7_26_05+Wagon+Train+RV.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362949651608254754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuvQ0C8jxHX6V4WoJpGJdyZTuvPcaUyQkH2HU9rlwfZj8IuVUfp9CMx0K-2aiRdwnrq4uMvjIvoh11IFKoYZe1T7ImpP9Helf6g8Q7YztuEBPN_4hOtCqoG36aWzxOpC48TLg8316Sls/s200/7_26_05+Wagon+Train+RV.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgB4hUjLjJs6n6q0as0K4UK8sMuLm2Heg2NGikfdzyydrtevze7dwc_w9c4p6YwYuzB4dmoxi2QNitZgUUCSsCNlmsXWbtqqpYX4tR3KlcWIDXS6scaIe8QaIeQaszTnedGN_cC0O2NE/s1600-h/7_26_05+Montana+Hwy+Scene.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362949458091112130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgB4hUjLjJs6n6q0as0K4UK8sMuLm2Heg2NGikfdzyydrtevze7dwc_w9c4p6YwYuzB4dmoxi2QNitZgUUCSsCNlmsXWbtqqpYX4tR3KlcWIDXS6scaIe8QaIeQaszTnedGN_cC0O2NE/s200/7_26_05+Montana+Hwy+Scene.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBk22EcEOg47f5CKiJsgsIJAInTDl-Zd9z7DLH9Yl8Hkic9gWdXe3pBIYZ0D1bq560XpKGRgD7rpr5Q7jnjUfJGscbzRX48g9tnfi9WP3kKDa2sIPP_Fc_iyEHJ7xz6SEGxl1wBOIa8s/s1600-h/7_26_16+Beaverhead+Rock.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362949313756128546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBk22EcEOg47f5CKiJsgsIJAInTDl-Zd9z7DLH9Yl8Hkic9gWdXe3pBIYZ0D1bq560XpKGRgD7rpr5Q7jnjUfJGscbzRX48g9tnfi9WP3kKDa2sIPP_Fc_iyEHJ7xz6SEGxl1wBOIa8s/s200/7_26_16+Beaverhead+Rock.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br />Pictures L to R: Near Henry Lake in Idaho; An RV Pioneer; Montana highway; Beaverhead Rock State Monument.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>26 July 2009 West Yellowstone, MT to Wisdom, MT 203 miles<br /></strong><br />We were told by many, many people that the route we mapped out was a beautiful drive, and boy were they right! Within about seven miles of leaving camp, we crossed into Idaho for about ten miles, driving along the shore of Henry Lake. The mountain peaks to the right of us were just stunning, and you could see that the Madison River follows a fault line. Being a Sunday, there were many people out in the middle of the river fly fishing. We also saw something we’ve never seen before…an RV’er traveling by covered wagon.<br /><br />When we reached the town of Ennis, MT, we stopped to do some grocery shopping and walk around town for a bit. We ultimately landed at <strong>Corral Creek Coffee Company</strong> where we had lunch, transferred pictures to the computer, and charged the camera battery since it had died, and I refused to continue until we could take pictures! This was a great coffee shop, as they had all the specialty drinks (lattes, mochas, etc) as well as salads, sandwiches, soups, and a wide variety of cookies, muffins, bars, scones, and other wonderfully fattening desserts—all homemade! (They were also kind enough to let us take up a table for as long as we needed.)<br /><br />From Ennis, we headed around the Tobacco Root Mountains to the Ruby Valley. What an awesome drive. The road goes through Virginia City, an old time western town that offers visitors a peek of a time gone-by with living history events every weekend. This highway we were on were gently winding roads that followed the base of the mountain ranges. Once we turned south on 41, we were once again traveling along the Lewis and Clark Trail, and stopped at the Beaverhead Rock State Monument, named for the huge rock that resembles the head of a beaver. This beautiful valley, traversed by the Beaverhead River, was the summer gathering site for the Shoshone Nation, and one that Sacajawea, the Indian guide to the Lewis and Clark expedition recognized and told Merriweather Lewis that they would find her people there and that they could help them restock their supplies.<br /><br />From Dillon, we followed route 278 around Pioneer Mountains and into the Big Hole Valley. I can understand why Lewis and Clark chose this route, as it follows rivers or creeks for most of the way, and the passes were gradual climbs This route took us from 5,500 feet elevation, up over two passes, the highest (Big Hole Pass) being 7,360, and then back down into the valley to 6,000 feet. Going over Badger Pass, the first one, we encountered our first hail-storm of the trip. Fortunately, the hail was only pea-sized and quickly dissipated as we dropped in elevation. The valley floor is a huge cattle ranching community and we were amazed at the gigantic bales of hay we were seeing. It turns out that during the summer, they grow the hay and alfalfa for the cattle to eat during the winter, and leave the 20 ton, 30 ft high haystacks out in the fields were the cattle will be corralled during the winter snows. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Thunder storms are surrounding us on all sides, and the nearest campground is 27 miles away…so when we rolled into Wisdom, MT, Population: 150, and saw the Nez Perce Motel, we opted for a hotel. It is clean and neat, and across the street from a great place to eat—the Big Hole Crossing Restaurant.</div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div></div></div></div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-77468221350536097132009-07-24T11:54:00.010-05:002009-07-24T12:13:35.105-05:00And Miles to Go Before We Sleep...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0KQpnM10O-GWxbCkzrdetOz3MXnAyyD7g2KsQYhCx736Js0lzGNW14V45LW0P6iw1OjdrpCSNO_lns5HsOU2W0jpsCr2X4s4Raj8LNtHdL1jmK5L-bXXKKzbl6tMim8q7aplB5eYVmc/s1600-h/7_23_01+Pines+Motel+Newcastle+WY.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362074995973792370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0KQpnM10O-GWxbCkzrdetOz3MXnAyyD7g2KsQYhCx736Js0lzGNW14V45LW0P6iw1OjdrpCSNO_lns5HsOU2W0jpsCr2X4s4Raj8LNtHdL1jmK5L-bXXKKzbl6tMim8q7aplB5eYVmc/s200/7_23_01+Pines+Motel+Newcastle+WY.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdUNTVOk0wsnm3D5dTmpiPIPdRDRsYyaFYAtzhTDnQf-d6UshhiozHa0c7nCLPhjd4RmI2ZPbp6L4quY5gx1LXGdV1Ih0Hps5pN2nRyRdqgCdn9tCwdTdD-p1d_Ev7niJkRuoHBLSiO0/s1600-h/7_23_04+Thunder+Basin3.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362074780736105266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdUNTVOk0wsnm3D5dTmpiPIPdRDRsYyaFYAtzhTDnQf-d6UshhiozHa0c7nCLPhjd4RmI2ZPbp6L4quY5gx1LXGdV1Ih0Hps5pN2nRyRdqgCdn9tCwdTdD-p1d_Ev7niJkRuoHBLSiO0/s200/7_23_04+Thunder+Basin3.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvUSc2HG5a2D-bRoyrPwaSt4KfkWekhJC3w2K018GZLaG938BQV0w44cBsGC-wzQBpKNG1yFLtBxuxPz7NJn1y4fTxQBPY4ye5arJmnus1b7FmoW6-jsypHQA_Tja2zs8e6Bi4m9lXlg/s1600-h/7_23_15+Coal+Cars.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362074550648321538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvUSc2HG5a2D-bRoyrPwaSt4KfkWekhJC3w2K018GZLaG938BQV0w44cBsGC-wzQBpKNG1yFLtBxuxPz7NJn1y4fTxQBPY4ye5arJmnus1b7FmoW6-jsypHQA_Tja2zs8e6Bi4m9lXlg/s200/7_23_15+Coal+Cars.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8iclJXhmECdLb1E3NSRQOkaAYrBzSKlhDcC3242hwoKJvZU3T-JCfuN3J-OV6wWkg2lWXFHoKyGMQ_Xiy8wbok3LpJ6mUOJqzmSZgCtrM54EF1sR2W8Xt7cyte7z0E9zj8umqZfb6EM/s1600-h/7_23_32+Dropping+the+oil.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362074308387482642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8iclJXhmECdLb1E3NSRQOkaAYrBzSKlhDcC3242hwoKJvZU3T-JCfuN3J-OV6wWkg2lWXFHoKyGMQ_Xiy8wbok3LpJ6mUOJqzmSZgCtrM54EF1sR2W8Xt7cyte7z0E9zj8umqZfb6EM/s200/7_23_32+Dropping+the+oil.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9hYn6c-gMi2wvrQAv7c9NIhn2e5Fqwmla-q-qY8d_B5JuG0S7Bnq545oy4Uj8JHopbVUoHsbbEmSR0qu2SwVxhmE4qZYJpIJiCG9N0rSZO-5r5mF5BxlQGGQxy92KMSWf42vvMl62Ag/s1600-h/7_24_07+Wind+River+Hwy.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362073962228073042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9hYn6c-gMi2wvrQAv7c9NIhn2e5Fqwmla-q-qY8d_B5JuG0S7Bnq545oy4Uj8JHopbVUoHsbbEmSR0qu2SwVxhmE4qZYJpIJiCG9N0rSZO-5r5mF5BxlQGGQxy92KMSWf42vvMl62Ag/s320/7_24_07+Wind+River+Hwy.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsjuya9bxOQKTvzjdsSZOhnoWe76HS9cQb4nxSA2uKVHV2VoRNv8B5I09gu6M9ZPB2wnWNJDGvtsHvZb9STA3C2gMhgpAg972rjm8rwqm6hqY8fgae4VKW1NRkA6snteHPj8xW6vFq3pI/s1600-h/7_24_10+Wind+River+Hwy.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362073705643359794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsjuya9bxOQKTvzjdsSZOhnoWe76HS9cQb4nxSA2uKVHV2VoRNv8B5I09gu6M9ZPB2wnWNJDGvtsHvZb9STA3C2gMhgpAg972rjm8rwqm6hqY8fgae4VKW1NRkA6snteHPj8xW6vFq3pI/s320/7_24_10+Wind+River+Hwy.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Pictures: Baby and the Pines Motel, Newcastle, WY; Thunder Basin National Grasslands; Coal Cars; Baby dropping her oil at Express Lube; Wind River Scenic Highway (2 pics)<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><strong>23 July 2009 Newcastle, WY to Shoshoni, WY <span style="font-size:130%;">311 miles</span></strong><br /><br />There is a whole lot of land in Wyoming! It didn’t help that we traveled about sixty miles west across the top third of the state, then turned south for about seventy miles to Douglas before turning west again. We decided on this route because it was the only one that we could bypass <em>all</em> the interstate highways.<br /><br />The drive from Newcastle to Douglas was beautiful. We went through the Thunder Basin National Grasslands, which was the epitome of the wide-open spaces I’ve always pictured Wyoming to be. Rolling hills, and sometime plateaus of grassland. We saw many, many antelope (Dave said they were Pronghorns) along side the road, and oftentimes they were intermixed side by side with cattle on the ranches.<br /><br />Just before we turned south on Highway 59, off in the distance we could discern a haze in the sky. It turns out that this part of Wyoming is home to Thunder Basin Mining Company, which is the largest surface coal mine in North America. The mining site utilized those huge monster-sized dump trucks. This operation was massive. On the opposite side of the highway from the mine, a six-track railroad yard was busy filling rail cars with the coal. Over the next 80 miles of driving, we probably saw at least 10 trains hauling coal to whatever power plant they were headed for. This obviously led to a discussion about coal mining…we were estimating that each car probably held about 196 cubic feet of coal, (this number may be way off, as I have no idea how big a train car is) and the trains were at least 100 cars long. That is a lot of coal!<br /><br />This part of Wyoming is also dotted with oil pumping rigs. We made an observation that there are many similarities here with West Texas…<br /><br />We still felt pretty good when we hit Douglas, so we stopped for lunch and decided to go another 45 miles to Casper. So from Douglas, we headed west once more along highway 20. We thought we were taking a side road which would lead us to another road that would bypass a 40 mile stretch of the interstate, but much to my chagrin, the side road we were aiming for must have a secret entrance. Instead, this roadway merged onto the interstate, along with three other “highways.” There was no choice for the frontage road, and not a single exit for 23 miles, and there was no way to make a u-turn. We were stuck on the interstate until we hit Glenrock where we were able to take a side road into Casper.<br /><br />We started looking for camping possibilities, but we’re not coming up with a lot—there were some for RV’s, but not tent camping. We decided to go into town and ask someone, and also, if possible, see if we could find somewhere where Dave could change the oil in the car. He has been wanting to do this before we started pulling the elevation gains. When the first few places he called to see if they would be able to dispose of his oil for him told him no, we headed for AutoZone. Right next to AutoZone was a Lube Express, so Dave thought, “It can’t hurt to ask!” He pulled in, and when he explained that he just needed them to drain the old oil, and that he had everything else he needed, they said, “No problem!” They were not busy at all…in fact they were just standing around. When all was said and done, they wouldn’t take any money from us, and the oil change only took about five minutes—Dave says, “Almost like a NASCAR pit stop.” While this was happening, Dave did notice that water was draining out of the radiator hose. We thanked the Express Lube crew (after they were done taking pictures, of course) and went in search of some shade to replace the hose. Once again, the parts are under the back seat, so we had to unload the car to get this job done. Once fixed and filled with water, we took out the map…</div><br /><div><br />It was decision time…go back, and north 15 miles to the nearest campground, get a hotel, or push on. It was only 2:00, and neither one of us are into retracing our miles, and we were in a hotel last night, so we opted to push on to Shoshoni, WY, a long, desolate stretch of high desert—94 miles of it—to the west. This was far and away the longest stretch for us…probably because it was coming after already completing close to 200 miles, it was at the end of the day, and also, Central and Eastern Wyoming are experiencing a heat wave…and temps are about 10 degrees above normal—I think we hit 90 or so. Unfortunately, the heater in the A was working at optimum capacity. We restocked our water supply and a few snacks, with the idea that we might stop for ice cream at one of the three or four towns along the way. This didn’t happen, because those “towns” consisted of a sign with the elevation, and maybe two or three run down buildings.<br /><br />We made it to and through Shoshoni, and headed northwest to Boysen Reservoir State Park, which is a reservoir along route 20 as it heads toward Thermopolis, WY. We are stopped, on the lake, which looks and feels an awful lot like Lake Havasu, on the Colorado River. <strong>So after nine hours of driving, and over three hundred miles, we are crashing. </strong>Our only consolation is that tomorrow’s drive will be shorter.<br /><br /><strong>24 July 2009 About 5 miles north of Shoshoni, WY to Cody, WY<br /></strong><br />Once the mosquitoes started attacking last night we quickly brushed our teeth and climbed into the tent. It was a beautiful night. I woke up a couple of times torn between sleeping and forcing my eyes to stay open to watch the stars…sleep won out! (David said he did the same thing!)<br /><br />We woke up this morning before sunrise and decided to pack up and head into Thermopolis to try and find a laundromat and breakfast before it got too warm (or the weekend laundry crowds hit). The drive between Shoshoni and Thermopolis is probably one of the most scenic drives we’ve seen on this trip. Traveling along the Wind River, (much of this area is part of the Wind River Reservation) between two towering cliffs, we felt like we were driving on the valley floor of the Grand Canyon. Absolutely stunning. With the river traveling down the center, the railroad went along the base of the cliffs on the west, and the highway on the east. We picked a perfect time to travel…not only was traffic light, but the early morning light hitting the canyon walls was spectacular. Supposedly, bighorn sheep and antelope are prevalent in this area but we did not see any this time.<br /><br />After breakfast and laundry, we continued on our journey toward Cody, WY. We are planning on staying at a forest service campground which means no electricity for a few days... </div></div></div></div></div></div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-51647600527530571242009-07-22T19:03:00.013-05:002009-07-22T19:30:34.466-05:00South Dakota Badlands and Mt. Rushmore<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtxvU7gRdHPaTirojn2nIEuEY6nxT4QV6dhmDTbVYpwxKQ2fU4iuHgK-PeiRH4LRbyLOT8TBKS87Zz_kFDf_O9x0jdRvSD6P3PoSpOhyphenhypheny6V7SsOq_zafJxPeu6Igjv2618owDGyWWQVw/s1600-h/7_21_02+Cornhusk+NE.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361444371574294178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtxvU7gRdHPaTirojn2nIEuEY6nxT4QV6dhmDTbVYpwxKQ2fU4iuHgK-PeiRH4LRbyLOT8TBKS87Zz_kFDf_O9x0jdRvSD6P3PoSpOhyphenhypheny6V7SsOq_zafJxPeu6Igjv2618owDGyWWQVw/s320/7_21_02+Cornhusk+NE.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKr8JSqxFky2ahCTXTNqWeuR-QVg8kibrKiiSXNqqqic6HEExg6Dhfrer04HP5dO15yWoctnULdTZs25Nw99Emm62HGOOLpVIpcbgxsUswQN5SJrFGTEgneMxSFUcNt-CVpaskfkIYnM0/s1600-h/7_21_02+Cornhusk+NE.JPG"></a><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlc8FBimGXl2FvL55r1W5IFO-Wk9eCU6wZaN9uQSwtNZ5BXxeT_vkOmRhoAk0Mu03ycdYrlHbugJQmfXk2rHjzTgtO5t4BVVPIGSkRXQ8FMplKdWtnBcrHFV0Z3mMqHwBXYsL1d-eOWsM/s1600-h/7_21_01+Henry+waiting+for+breakfast.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361442738238811426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlc8FBimGXl2FvL55r1W5IFO-Wk9eCU6wZaN9uQSwtNZ5BXxeT_vkOmRhoAk0Mu03ycdYrlHbugJQmfXk2rHjzTgtO5t4BVVPIGSkRXQ8FMplKdWtnBcrHFV0Z3mMqHwBXYsL1d-eOWsM/s200/7_21_01+Henry+waiting+for+breakfast.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4B5lzY6hvniRWX8D3lH4m5qKsgnsPPweAiYQAkg5lckijFFSMIxaLsL1r0haKr5DCqhO0zih5IyexebnWDMXgFzu7WEz7jM-yAhJF9T6wGrfkVtci-3vlwkNp3QkIKOySim7Zx-B2dg/s1600-h/7_21_18+Topo+Change+SD.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361442438053413714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4B5lzY6hvniRWX8D3lH4m5qKsgnsPPweAiYQAkg5lckijFFSMIxaLsL1r0haKr5DCqhO0zih5IyexebnWDMXgFzu7WEz7jM-yAhJF9T6wGrfkVtci-3vlwkNp3QkIKOySim7Zx-B2dg/s200/7_21_18+Topo+Change+SD.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQvutxWd-dBGYToaHuU40QJU5z7V-LeNThIEksz2GvGXYGyzf4ejh70GolgF13mLYyC2hGQbm6PCLWkQg0gMd6frU2jrRua9gF0aYN9NblFlma5z6PesXsSxjm-3nROBh8WlU3G3ub8g/s1600-h/7_21_10+SD+Wildflowers.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361443253825301634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQvutxWd-dBGYToaHuU40QJU5z7V-LeNThIEksz2GvGXYGyzf4ejh70GolgF13mLYyC2hGQbm6PCLWkQg0gMd6frU2jrRua9gF0aYN9NblFlma5z6PesXsSxjm-3nROBh8WlU3G3ub8g/s200/7_21_10+SD+Wildflowers.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-Q0f56jmRYyMtY5VT2AhUyu3my_88rsoxJi7dbybvJf6oK1f9biu05CtuNPTtAzKOzCBITv38vVqWljM4-bphiUQS2CYWNAQbuJIoJOT5INQ-xnUnW-Afb87f4cROkxtWR57AHJbuHw/s1600-h/7_21_40+Henry+and+Caterpillar.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361442178793226162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-Q0f56jmRYyMtY5VT2AhUyu3my_88rsoxJi7dbybvJf6oK1f9biu05CtuNPTtAzKOzCBITv38vVqWljM4-bphiUQS2CYWNAQbuJIoJOT5INQ-xnUnW-Afb87f4cROkxtWR57AHJbuHw/s200/7_21_40+Henry+and+Caterpillar.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><p align="right"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361443575013128962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOI_mJumjKVzid7vqrWJ9MlDLXYPAy-RVV5Wi7SV532YZiOK1Rt0D4XXS5BvNkR3NSdZMefKos0u9iXwH_0KJt7BGwUc6FtYFnUWfQCTfD7xaSt7CjzxVgt3BQ5uON-nQC189idqgJxHc/s320/7_21_31+Badlands+SD.JPG" /></p><div><br /> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJ5wERK11UpRUN-1jHmT6Z_j7dcE1A4vlAeuPFnp-uF9OwB_Llz5zimp_PrJyZkXdMiF7JjdUWOJCo-jPItSzvh6H4Tce_-D3zBUAy1OPY-HM2BcU2gROIo0XEfH8JlcNfwXPDmVuQsk/s1600-h/7_22_07+Badlands+SD.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361441972300483730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJ5wERK11UpRUN-1jHmT6Z_j7dcE1A4vlAeuPFnp-uF9OwB_Llz5zimp_PrJyZkXdMiF7JjdUWOJCo-jPItSzvh6H4Tce_-D3zBUAy1OPY-HM2BcU2gROIo0XEfH8JlcNfwXPDmVuQsk/s200/7_22_07+Badlands+SD.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZrvkKqC52M8Cw_sSYr0HygL82JefkYhpf3U48DsvGZJdcPwzmTMtrLBfGiYRFMNL5EF-eKq0zKHBboZwYC4EXPKxJPezOCTSqkPGZe-UcbDsDid7NuKg1e4dGgMvVetfBYT7ficvu90/s1600-h/7_22_23+Mt+Rushmore+SD.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361441727607965234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZrvkKqC52M8Cw_sSYr0HygL82JefkYhpf3U48DsvGZJdcPwzmTMtrLBfGiYRFMNL5EF-eKq0zKHBboZwYC4EXPKxJPezOCTSqkPGZe-UcbDsDid7NuKg1e4dGgMvVetfBYT7ficvu90/s320/7_22_23+Mt+Rushmore+SD.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSP4MFI_voSC5o2MkJH_TXo3k8XeaxRPZThs6tjyF1w-8wlgkJ9TsdUo-hEaBz6pN4PKOnU0JLvUE_fAuzrLuaxvq-ZyFl62nl97_NU23xgx2UmbpQiABx0n0H-XNTBM8yia4pF-HMMM/s1600-h/7_22_25+Car+and+Mt+Rushmore.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361441578445797154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSP4MFI_voSC5o2MkJH_TXo3k8XeaxRPZThs6tjyF1w-8wlgkJ9TsdUo-hEaBz6pN4PKOnU0JLvUE_fAuzrLuaxvq-ZyFl62nl97_NU23xgx2UmbpQiABx0n0H-XNTBM8yia4pF-HMMM/s200/7_22_25+Car+and+Mt+Rushmore.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Pictures L to R: Dave and Henry in Cornhusk; Henry waiting for breakfast; Highway in South Dakota; Wildflowers along the highway, SD; Henry and his new friend; Badlands National Park (2 pics); Mt. Rushmore; Baby and Mt. Rushmore.<br /></div><div><div><strong>21 July 2009 Spencer, NE to Interior, SD (Near Badlands National Park) 253 miles<br /></strong><br />OK. Before I start on today, I need to backtrack to last night. Dave and I were sitting reading when the thunder began rolling in the distance. However, when we started smelling the rain we decided to move our “camp” under the small cabana. We got the tent moved and tied down to the table legs, just in case the wind came up. We did have a pretty good rain, along with a lightening show to the north of us. During the night the wind picked up and it rained on and off…it was a good thing we were tied down. The temperature dropped down a little bit as well.<br /><br />We’re starting our blue-sky day count again. Today is day one! It has been beautiful all day long. We made it to Cornhusk, NE today and I got pictures of Dave and Henry near the signpost.<br /><br />Shortly after Cornhusk, we crossed the border into South Dakota near Fairfax. This is beautiful country through rolling farm and ranch land. We saw a number of pheasants along the highway—just walking—or sitting on bales of hay. We stopped to stretch our legs a couple of times, and went shopping at the local thrift store in Burke—for jackets. My little windbreaker didn’t keep me warm enough last night. After Burke, we stopped again in Winner and had lunch because we were not sure what we would find ahead of us, as much of our route would be traveling through Indian Reservation land. Rolling hills, cattle, grazing land, bison, alfalfa, hay, and corn were our sights for most of the day. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any fuel stations…By the time we made it to Martin, SD, Baby was running on fumes…when we got gas, she took 10.6 gallons! Pretty good for a 10-gallon tank!<br /><br />We were also surprised to find that the nearest camping was 30 miles south in Nebraska—no showers or toilets, or 54 miles north near the Badlands National Park. We opted for heading north, because at least they had toilets. However, this made for a long driving day…253 miles. At least none of it was in stop and go traffic.<br /><br />We did resort to playing the Alphabet game…however it took two days to get through to Z, due to the lack of signs in this part of the country. I also entertained Dave with some songs…Oh Susana…Down In the Valley…I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad…you get the idea; he did join in.<br /><br />We’ve crossed another time zone today into Mountain Time, so we are now only an hour’s difference from our family and friends in California.<br /><br /><br /><strong>22 July 2009 Interior, SD to Newcastle, WY 165 Miles</strong><br /><br /><br />Last night after we closed down the computer we went for a walk around the campground. Just as we were getting back to our site, David noticed a huge green caterpillar—I can’t even imagine what kind of moth or butterfly this turns into! Henry immediately wanted to play with it, and they were soon best friends.<br /><br />For whatever reason, we woke up early today (5:15)…it may be that we are moving back into our own time zone, and our bodies are still on the California clock. It was so quiet, we had first dibs on the showers and decided to eat a quick breakfast and get on the road…hoping to get to Mt. Rushmore before many of the other tourist we were sure were heading up there today. Besides, it takes us twice as long to get there…we’re figuring about three hours.<br /><br />So under blue skies again (Day 2) we headed west. Our route would take us along the southern end of the main part of the Badlands National Park. What we were seeing was breathtaking…especially with the sun still somewhat low in the sky, and it was not the “main” event! I coerced a promise out of Dave that we would return someday to do the main areas of the Badlands, and not just drive through them.<br /><br />On the advice of other travelers, we skirted around Rapid City, SD and headed toward Mt. Rushmore. The scenery almost immediately changed from grassland to pine covered mountains. The drive up to the National Monument was beautiful; it even smelled good! However we were surprised at all the tacky tourist traps along the way…Rushmore Waterslide, petting zoos, Bear Country USA--Driving Adventure, Reptile Gardens, Play Park Maze, Flying T Chuckwagon Supper and Show, Fred Flintstones Amusement Park, the Cosmo Mystery Spot, the Presidential Wax Museum, miniature golf, …and more. Just about any thing you could think of to separate you from your money. They just kept coming…up until about 3 miles from the park turn off.<br /><br />We turned the corner, and there it was…Mt. Rushmore! What an amazing feat! Majestic…Awe-inspiring…Amazing…Mind-boggling! After paying our $10 parking fee we made our way to the top viewing area for some great pictures, and then went downstairs to the interpretive center see the movie of how Mt. Rushmore was created by Gutzom Borglum, his son Lincoln, and the crew of workmen. This monument is well worth the drive from wherever you live!<br /><br />After leaving Mt. Rushmore, we headed down toward Custer. Along the way we saw the work in progress of Crazy Horse, which is being completed by Borglum’s son, Lincoln.<br /><br />We made our way out from Custer, just enjoying the scenery along the way. Our plan was to camp in Newcastle, WY, but the lone campground they offer is not something neither Dave nor I felt comfortable with. We stopped by the local forest service office, as well as the BLM office to see if there was any other camping nearby. There isn’t…So instead, we found <strong>Pines Motel</strong>, in <strong>Newcastle, WY</strong>, a small, family owned and operated motel tucked up in the hills surrounding the town. It is very secluded and quiet, with very comfortable rooms and reasonable prices. It just seems a shame to hotel it when it is not raining.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-47381757361555115712009-07-20T16:41:00.008-05:002009-07-20T17:19:04.849-05:00We're In Cornhusk Country...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj650n5lG18mTr4wsx8MdHdfyyzscDjkO4LpE5XYQbORzj-2IfCu1VSH7o_2slxqmdZuP7T6PQBpwuesB2AEBn3r20aecxxeFMWb-idLx5eoXOgHIuC5IvexTESG-vQQRhSKPdz-Hbvgzw/s1600-h/7_20_03+Toll+Booth+into+Nebraska.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360664440194703650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj650n5lG18mTr4wsx8MdHdfyyzscDjkO4LpE5XYQbORzj-2IfCu1VSH7o_2slxqmdZuP7T6PQBpwuesB2AEBn3r20aecxxeFMWb-idLx5eoXOgHIuC5IvexTESG-vQQRhSKPdz-Hbvgzw/s200/7_20_03+Toll+Booth+into+Nebraska.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS26BJZ5o4L6XmbNXWrvtrrPFs6doPf4JWNX_Pb-qjqvgUS76mndkKDgN8FQOSNzPKxGxeIvoYdPfkobOygv6r7VMxww43ZGFM9Lv3gwrb7YMAPhYbG1g2_AUyqEajFYvAbda987viRC8/s1600-h/7_20_07+NE.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360664156416933042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS26BJZ5o4L6XmbNXWrvtrrPFs6doPf4JWNX_Pb-qjqvgUS76mndkKDgN8FQOSNzPKxGxeIvoYdPfkobOygv6r7VMxww43ZGFM9Lv3gwrb7YMAPhYbG1g2_AUyqEajFYvAbda987viRC8/s200/7_20_07+NE.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFq8SZfFRCAaN30q3CxiFiiLOPcQvzdrm6sE-MfX9E8kaEuiRjhaY3UGTRnwfN6oApj-ofFw3qCH2tZlCd3hNyfc5XfwJafzhekSF-a61lz9akZZQmyDngMj1sKjTsGRWybUmZHDALFiE/s1600-h/7_20_11+Passin+in+the+A.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360663761449971794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFq8SZfFRCAaN30q3CxiFiiLOPcQvzdrm6sE-MfX9E8kaEuiRjhaY3UGTRnwfN6oApj-ofFw3qCH2tZlCd3hNyfc5XfwJafzhekSF-a61lz9akZZQmyDngMj1sKjTsGRWybUmZHDALFiE/s200/7_20_11+Passin+in+the+A.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbZxqLj1dPv7V8y5U-lCTv5iUKDuOKbjjKxUCXJF7pSlrOATZe1kRBsk2U5Gh5OrkEYC02RHgjBc_xxq93ftHKwDHPMIBwS7Jm-3pIH24Tx3E5OKLllo9_aL0jsCgHkL80HmvBb_s8ww/s1600-h/7_20_18+Spencer+Campground.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360664722267246418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbZxqLj1dPv7V8y5U-lCTv5iUKDuOKbjjKxUCXJF7pSlrOATZe1kRBsk2U5Gh5OrkEYC02RHgjBc_xxq93ftHKwDHPMIBwS7Jm-3pIH24Tx3E5OKLllo9_aL0jsCgHkL80HmvBb_s8ww/s200/7_20_18+Spencer+Campground.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Pictures L to R: Toll into Nebraska?; Nebraska highway; We're actually passing another vehicle!; Spencer, NE Campground.<br /><br /><br /><strong>20 July 2009 Osawa, IA to Spencer, NE 173 miles<br /></strong><br />Let’s see…it must be day three…yes, gray skies and thunder booming to the west. Well, at least we had two beautiful days of blue skies!<br /><br />We got up and headed straight to the bathhouse for showers, and by the time Dave got out it had begun sprinkling; by the time I had my hair dry, Dave had the tent down, and car packed and idling to warm up. Maybe we are bringing the rain with us…and it just takes two days for the thunderstorms to figure out which way we’ve gone!<br /><br />The rain wasn’t bad for most of the morning. After a quick Egg McMuffin at the Golden Arches in Osawa (one of the only places open for breakfast) we headed west for our first glimpse of the Missouri River and Nebraska. Imagine our surprise when we got to the center of the bridge and there at the other end was a big sign that said, “TOLL $.75” and a second one that said, “Welcome to Nebraska.” And here I thought that the admittance to each state was free! (Actually, the toll was for the bridge but this was too good not to comment on it.)<br /><br /><br />By the way...we are off the Lincoln Highway, since we've decided to head further north along the north edge of Nebraska and the southern end of South Dakota so we can add Mt. Rushmore to our trip. (I talked him into it Bob!)<br /><br />We turned north just past the Missouri River and have been following the Lewis and Clark Trail through this part of Nebraska—beautiful doesn’t describe it! Rolling hills of fields, and the forested areas really makes it possible to imagine just what Lewis and Clark saw on their journey. This route takes you through the Winnebago Indian Reservation where we saw some buffalo—with their babies. Once again, we were surprised to discover that not all of Nebraska is flat…much of our drive today was quite hilly.<br /><br />Just as we turned north northwest on Highway 12, just west of South Sioux City, Dave started concentrating intently on the car—he said it felt like it was suddenly vibrating more. We stopped along the highway where he checked the motor, but everything seemed fine. He ultimately decided that it must have been a combination of the roadway, the way the wind was hitting the car from the back, and the fact that he wasn’t using much acceleration…once we headed up hill accelerating more, he relaxed and said the car felt fine.<br /><br />It began raining as we left Crofton where we had stopped to walk around the town for a bit. As we neared Niobrara, NE, we began seeing less corn fields, and more hilly cattle-looking country. With the rain continuing to fall, we stopped for lunch to sit out the rain and asked our server at the diner about any nearby hotels…the rain is supposed to continue…but she said that there was <em>one</em> 30 miles south in O’Neill or, she thought <em>two</em> in Spencer 40 miles to the west. After Spencer...nothing to her knowledge as it was all cattle country.<br /><br /><br /><div align="left">We decided to drive to Spencer, and once we got there, the rain had passed so we stopped and were looking again at the map for the nearest campground. One of the local ministers stopped by to visit (we were parked across from his church) and mentioned that the city had a small campground near the pool. We drove by and decided to stay here instead of driving another 20 miles or so to the next campground on the map. This city campground is right next to their county fair grounds, and is basically just a flat grassy space. They do have showers and bathrooms, and the cost was too good to pass up--$8 for electric and water hookups, and $3 for dry camping. The view to the back is rolling hills dotted with cattle. We are guessing that the electric was put in for the carne’s trailers when the fair is on…which by the way will be next week.<br /></div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">We have see such neat stuff that I’ve finally resorted to making notes as we go so that I can remember all the witty things I’ve thought of for the journal. So here we go…<br /><br />Yesterday as we were driving past the millions of acres of corn and soybeans, we kept passing Burma Shave signs. Obviously a farmer with a sense of humor! We finally decided to take a sequenced picture of the next one we came to, but unfortunately, that farmer’s acreage must have come to an end, because so did the Burma Shave signs!<br /><br />Something else we’ve noticed…as we pass through many of these smaller towns—they all seem to have their own resident monument shop—for gravestones, that is. I have seen more of these along the Lincoln Highway than I think I have in my entire life. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"><br />Now that we have the tent set up, clouds are beginning to gather once again. According to the NOAH radio there may be another storm coming in tonight in this area…in fact it might have some high winds and could produce quarter-inch hail…luck of the draw, I guess…anyone for sleeping in the bathroom?</div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-52973141682135737062009-07-19T17:35:00.007-05:002009-07-19T18:00:28.637-05:00Found In Iowa: New Friends and a Great Uncle!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQowg-OpV-4cwC_IrfwaL9DbHqaf0EfNRCyriZqL0YfHN_XtfKXondcxB3spY7qZ0EhFZ31F04xOvxxykdMtxtSPdcPj9HOIIGU78CFLuAUXoJNoz4P0CEed16lVVamOVGzRTQ3NrDaY/s1600-h/7_18_06+Historical+LH+Bridge+in+Tama+IA.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360306758054498642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQowg-OpV-4cwC_IrfwaL9DbHqaf0EfNRCyriZqL0YfHN_XtfKXondcxB3spY7qZ0EhFZ31F04xOvxxykdMtxtSPdcPj9HOIIGU78CFLuAUXoJNoz4P0CEed16lVVamOVGzRTQ3NrDaY/s200/7_18_06+Historical+LH+Bridge+in+Tama+IA.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdv03-niawz4YRHL9gk4zsJVyFRFOm4kcw6-wXT7LHJy6R4dVNFhd9oYbd_OXSGVPObOnsyJHAju2K7flaB6ZfKFqOfTF2fsHMEaQ_74lFuFf-bQ6A7uJamT8dX0dvIZfvu2pAudlfX8/s1600-h/7_19_01+Marvin+and+Carol+Manske+Kelly+Iowa.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360306472583922674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdv03-niawz4YRHL9gk4zsJVyFRFOm4kcw6-wXT7LHJy6R4dVNFhd9oYbd_OXSGVPObOnsyJHAju2K7flaB6ZfKFqOfTF2fsHMEaQ_74lFuFf-bQ6A7uJamT8dX0dvIZfvu2pAudlfX8/s200/7_19_01+Marvin+and+Carol+Manske+Kelly+Iowa.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMG3TySUoHFBZqb8weCUSnOAXK7T5sb98veyqBvuz07y6qzQjosT1RcGytHigUmLLLyaaUOleKBCAlIBxtWPd8tog121AU1OCtt3EL57ZrZpoNDB1PFL44FK1pGFbTLAg5X1OZ3BDJcZw/s1600-h/7_19_04+CocaCola+in+Boone+IA.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360306325535225218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMG3TySUoHFBZqb8weCUSnOAXK7T5sb98veyqBvuz07y6qzQjosT1RcGytHigUmLLLyaaUOleKBCAlIBxtWPd8tog121AU1OCtt3EL57ZrZpoNDB1PFL44FK1pGFbTLAg5X1OZ3BDJcZw/s200/7_19_04+CocaCola+in+Boone+IA.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieYY2fkUqQ5kcvkp1gCyXM6P711llvAjTYuEtwOa9BsBLHfIcsD-XvV4vGn-TYPy6S_Jnz0Qvuwz3DCPpH5IxxJ5tp9Ex0BFplhtzkATXnAsHRST07j3Ag7YeajYpe2jTyue8wDkn-aP4/s1600-h/7_19_10++Peg+Uncle+Don+and+Jackie+in+Carroll+IA.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360306012740628530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieYY2fkUqQ5kcvkp1gCyXM6P711llvAjTYuEtwOa9BsBLHfIcsD-XvV4vGn-TYPy6S_Jnz0Qvuwz3DCPpH5IxxJ5tp9Ex0BFplhtzkATXnAsHRST07j3Ag7YeajYpe2jTyue8wDkn-aP4/s200/7_19_10++Peg+Uncle+Don+and+Jackie+in+Carroll+IA.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZIqDvJ96J4g7aCHfOISNLvUcO-OjutRY-WP2vnoK9AXQuhOWk34oKYWYpLH5nzCBbDzXO6bFZ-2BEBqIQYpBGhc7cpt1mRm4AbMhO6eysM4ba_3hDBvQJ5xQXSNvX_9HRqnUci5Xmrp0/s1600-h/7_19_15+Henry+on+the+Missouri+River+Onawa+IA.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360305890139193106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZIqDvJ96J4g7aCHfOISNLvUcO-OjutRY-WP2vnoK9AXQuhOWk34oKYWYpLH5nzCBbDzXO6bFZ-2BEBqIQYpBGhc7cpt1mRm4AbMhO6eysM4ba_3hDBvQJ5xQXSNvX_9HRqnUci5Xmrp0/s200/7_19_15+Henry+on+the+Missouri+River+Onawa+IA.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Pictures L to R: Lincoln Highway Bridge in Tama, IA; Marvin and Carol Manske of Kelly, IA; Old Coca-Cola sign and Baby; Peggy and her Great-Uncle Don and cousin Jackie; Henry relaxing after a long drive at Blue Lake near Onawa, IA.<br /><br /><br /><div><strong>18 July 2009 Swisher, IA (Coralville Lake Campground) to Kelly, IA 151 miles<br /></strong><br />We had a quiet driving day and meandered our way through eastern Iowa. We made our way into Cedar Rapids…another big city…where we discovered a farmer’s market in process so we stopped and wandered around for a bit until the crowds got to us…it was almost a carnival-like atomsphere...and after all, we couldn’t buy any produce to cook since we don’t have any cooking implements except for a coffee pot. After the farmer’s market, we headed toward Marion and an Antique Mall where Dave found a Big Ben Clock…in nickel…something that he has been looking for a long time! It was nearing noon, and our tummies were grumbling so we stopped for what turned out to be a great Chicago style pizza at Zoey’s. With our appetites sated, we headed toward Ames taking various smaller farm roads in an effort to skirt Cedar Rapids.<br /><br />I can’t imagine ever tiring of watching the scenery pass by. Yes, it is a lot of corn fields, but they are at differing stages of maturity so you see the varying shades of green and gold, and the colors of the wildflowers—periwinkle, white, golden yellow, and red--along the side of the roadways are just beautiful. We are passing by so many dirt roads that we finally asked someone about them. We learned that these dirt roads are called “farm to market roads,” and they are the shortcuts for the big trucks and farm equipment during planting and harvest time.<br /><br />We eventually made it back down to the Lincoln Highway, and as we followed the signs into Tama, we happened to drive across one of the few remaining Lincoln Highway bridges where the guardrail spells out “Lincoln Highway.” Obviously, we had to stop for a photo op!<br /><br />We made some new friends today...Marvin and Carol Manske of Kelly, Iowa. Marvin has been following our blog for quite a while, and had contacted us a month or so ago offering us a break from camping when we reached Iowa. We met them in Ames for dinner, and then we followed them through town as he pointed out parts of Iowa State University, and then continued on into Kelly and their farm. This farm has been in Carol’s family for, if I remember correctly, over 150 years. In fact, Carol has lived her entire life in this small community. Carol and Marvin are newlyweds, having only married a couple of years ago, and are both musicians—they both play in bands—she plays the piano, guitar, harp, and trombone; he plays the French horn. They graciously opened their home to us, and we had a nice visit with them before heading off to bed.<br /><br /><br /><strong>19 July 2009 Kelly, IA to Onawa, IA (near the Missouri River) 166 Miles</strong><br /><br />We woke early this morning so Dave would have time to service the car before heading out. After a nice breakfast, we loaded up the car and said of good-byes to Marvin and Carol as they were heading off to church and we headed back toward Ames. We took the smaller side roads today that veer off the Highway 30, because the original LH went through small towns that are now one to two miles north or south of the 30. We traveled through Boone, IA, the birthplace of Maime Eisenhower... and Dave was excited to find an old Coca-Cola advertisement on the side of a building.<br /><br />From Boone we were suddenly transported from farm land to forest as we crossed the Des Moines River and the wilderness area there. Once again, Hollywood has given me the wrong impression of Iowa—it is not all flat—in fact today we’ve been driving through quite a bit of rolling hills. If you could take out all the corn and soybean fields and replace them with grape vineyards, it would look an awful lot like the Napa Valley in California. I guess it is the climate that dictates the crops…anyway, it was just beautiful.<br /><br />We stopped in Carroll, IA, to have lunch with Peggy’s Great Uncle, Don Neil, and cousin Jackie and her husband, Mike. Don is Peggy’s grandfather’s younger brother. At lunch, we decided that the last time Peggy had seen them was when she was about 8 or 9 years old, since they had moved to Iowa in 1970.<br /><br />After lunch we continue west until we nearly hit the Missouri River. We’re stopped for the night at Blue Lake KOA near Onawa. It is relaxing here—we have a lake side campsite and with the boats and jet skis on the lake, we are mentally transported to our all time favorite place, Lake Havasu, Arizona. We actually got here early enough that I can update our journal, blog, and pictures, and I’ll still have time to relax…</div></div></div></div></div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-89195953323362104772009-07-17T19:52:00.005-05:002009-07-17T20:06:00.743-05:00Record Cold Temps in the Midwest!<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsc7PYO96Zqd-xFq7R7ty34HJbUCOPb4OOQvwbK0qaDyK5-01C43SmFZYaAVvJZb1Pf6L_9pIBSJIyjaRynG8WXKyXvpGXuP__XWvSrINspkcE8UuordkHhCoTDTPmJN_PaVXcwL-nbQQ/s1600-h/7_17_01+Laundry+day+in+Shabbona+IA.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359598061033393186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsc7PYO96Zqd-xFq7R7ty34HJbUCOPb4OOQvwbK0qaDyK5-01C43SmFZYaAVvJZb1Pf6L_9pIBSJIyjaRynG8WXKyXvpGXuP__XWvSrINspkcE8UuordkHhCoTDTPmJN_PaVXcwL-nbQQ/s200/7_17_01+Laundry+day+in+Shabbona+IA.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdZNykEYtnLeRpCMsbznNgcJN7EaWNRvAl35uQtSeEUqB4gRfjTQwPZPKr_V3WVM2_B7lXZr66JbEl0qYKk7CZdKSo37HHs7UlvqoEZwzCbCoDPX-XhA9QV7z037bNOQ8MNtPn6NpDMA/s1600-h/7_17_02+Cloudy+again.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359597947286671298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdZNykEYtnLeRpCMsbznNgcJN7EaWNRvAl35uQtSeEUqB4gRfjTQwPZPKr_V3WVM2_B7lXZr66JbEl0qYKk7CZdKSo37HHs7UlvqoEZwzCbCoDPX-XhA9QV7z037bNOQ8MNtPn6NpDMA/s200/7_17_02+Cloudy+again.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxoF1p5o2RXE6iu6IsNpKlY9guvcEmhMJn023otsg5Wq7HUsOvPKGIEdqKw7hXIBLRjTD5aVDr-h5oV7b2bw29P5t_-Bcuswir2G9xs0CGC0d9lXcQT0zwjt89rtxTVH8Nhvoehkel5E/s1600-h/7_17_13+Iowa+farm+road+unpaved.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359598639803146274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxoF1p5o2RXE6iu6IsNpKlY9guvcEmhMJn023otsg5Wq7HUsOvPKGIEdqKw7hXIBLRjTD5aVDr-h5oV7b2bw29P5t_-Bcuswir2G9xs0CGC0d9lXcQT0zwjt89rtxTVH8Nhvoehkel5E/s200/7_17_13+Iowa+farm+road+unpaved.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVu3mbyISB30zWP95HCGJDklzNBE3l3HwwUie25gPn8Grjxc950FqIr-MtMrg4sbZ28ddKGfq2yvZyC0aYRnbVZKtdHq8yfxHOaZrNaAuOZBsvvS9TtyDZZ-jN_u8yZB9KKrXnU3jUyTg/s1600-h/7_17_25+No+crossing+in+high+water+near+Cedar+Rapids+IA.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359597559930949426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVu3mbyISB30zWP95HCGJDklzNBE3l3HwwUie25gPn8Grjxc950FqIr-MtMrg4sbZ28ddKGfq2yvZyC0aYRnbVZKtdHq8yfxHOaZrNaAuOZBsvvS9TtyDZZ-jN_u8yZB9KKrXnU3jUyTg/s200/7_17_25+No+crossing+in+high+water+near+Cedar+Rapids+IA.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Pictures: Laundry day in Shabbonna, IL; A Sunny Day in IL; Not all roads are paved!; Liquid Sunshine Blocking the Road in Iowa.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>17 July 2009 Sabbonna, IL to Coralville Lake Resivoir, IA 167 miles<br /></strong><br />We woke up to absolutely clear blue skies this morning—not a cloud in site! Dressing in shorts and t-shirts in anticipation of the warm weather, and the even warmer floor heat in the car, we drove into Sabbonna and found probably the nicest laundry mat we have frequented on this trip. While our clothes were swirling in the machines, we went next door to the Kountry Kitchen for breakfast. By the time we got done with breakfast, the sky was filled with clouds… there was not one spot of blue sky to be seen. So with cloudy skies above and ahead of us, again, we turned west along route 30 and the Lincoln Highway.<br /><br />Most of the drive today was uneventful. We got a few sprinkles along the way, but most of the big rain was to the south of us. Our gas mileage was not so good …we did have a pretty good head wind , and sometimes a crosswind, for much of the day—right around 24 mph or so. We crossed the Mississippi from Fulton, IN into Clinton, IA—it is interesting to see how the river changes from the south to the north. In an effort to bypass the busy divided highway along route 30 in Clinton, we tried to catch a smaller road just north of it, but for whatever reason, missed it completely. After heading north for about 10 miles, we took one of the westward dirt farm roads until we came to another paved road. It was actually kind of fun…and I must say, this dirt road was smoother than many of the highways we’ve traveled on in California!<br /><br />When we stopped in De Witt, IA for a bit to stretch our legs, we nearly froze. “NO,” he tells me…”you won’t need a jacket…we’re going through the south and the Midwest in the middle of July!” It was a “cool” 59 degrees at 2:00 in the afternoon. Even David is admitting that he is cold. According to the newspapers, this area is experiencing record low temperatures for mid-July, the last one set in 1883 or something like that.<br /><br />On the road again…we continued west and finally decided to stop for the day as we were just east of Cedar Rapids . Heading south on the way to the second campground (the first one was filled to capacity), Hannah routed us on a dirt road which ended up being washed out due to recent rains, and the fill level of the reservoir. Dave got me going when he put the car in first gear and made it look like he was going to go straight through the water—I admit, I freaked and started yelling. He did turn around, and as we made our way out the dirt road, a mom and her fawn—complete with white spots—ran across the road in front of us. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera in hand, as I was still yelling at David!<br /><br />We are stopped for the night at a beautiful campground on Coralville Lake called Sandy Beach. Clean, spacious, with great level RV sites, as well as tent camping sites. They only had one tent site left available, but when they found out we were only needing it for one night, they gave us “their best site”; apparently it is the one that people are always fighting over because of the view--it is on the point, over looking the lake. Another nearby camper who was leaving offered us their wood, so we are pretty well set for the evening.</div></div></div></div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-16813496102653985332009-07-16T20:55:00.007-05:002009-07-16T21:15:41.942-05:00Severe Weather Near The Windy City<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRabnbFWJJZLQ-TvWw3m0PZxNkvJojpGBeI-5ZMsc2YYbOqbEm6PNLMwAYBx41XBKuMpBQ1UFqKzFaWZp1RkR57AONJnKZ1jvfSmqxHN7WQF16x8LD3dybBpCTCLOLXFRaSrgNaOITcNU/s1600-h/IMG_2046.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359245927225925922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRabnbFWJJZLQ-TvWw3m0PZxNkvJojpGBeI-5ZMsc2YYbOqbEm6PNLMwAYBx41XBKuMpBQ1UFqKzFaWZp1RkR57AONJnKZ1jvfSmqxHN7WQF16x8LD3dybBpCTCLOLXFRaSrgNaOITcNU/s200/IMG_2046.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguDcPZTaVF2taMc2LWCjvssmjFrRilJ3JhYHeDSpzgpfeflM8bcMWA3ir8xBXkEz5hm96bNiPYMxV8AY2YXciGfAp5Xg5upxGmLVXqs878Mc5EdcV0YHRviAfuSBOCH10K02BblH5MPVA/s1600-h/IMG_2054.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359245651880749010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguDcPZTaVF2taMc2LWCjvssmjFrRilJ3JhYHeDSpzgpfeflM8bcMWA3ir8xBXkEz5hm96bNiPYMxV8AY2YXciGfAp5Xg5upxGmLVXqs878Mc5EdcV0YHRviAfuSBOCH10K02BblH5MPVA/s200/IMG_2054.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-h8azZ3AVckmbkTEmmycFCqO02RFh_RkpA-wIIchK-rte-DsaFp9Ua9hV1sVinqXjfRvQJtIw7KzaLKlRCPQxpZzgRhfUskamr43zwjqj1sKKJV2C2nHtyETOP0WWsUlvbLOYuiqUFE/s1600-h/IMG_2062.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359245377718438994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-h8azZ3AVckmbkTEmmycFCqO02RFh_RkpA-wIIchK-rte-DsaFp9Ua9hV1sVinqXjfRvQJtIw7KzaLKlRCPQxpZzgRhfUskamr43zwjqj1sKKJV2C2nHtyETOP0WWsUlvbLOYuiqUFE/s200/IMG_2062.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjcG3uZmMNAls6jiZDAMogW2Rq4B8hNb_azqF1aB7juOoXdnq3-K5_kYBHaFllDNLTbEROrDNpQGTLzVA2Z-dYSPaMJBJkijrMIheLhW0IL_Pa4vGLioQf5DNpZNWuHuBVsRchheFuHqA/s1600-h/IMG_2092.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359245099590219906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjcG3uZmMNAls6jiZDAMogW2Rq4B8hNb_azqF1aB7juOoXdnq3-K5_kYBHaFllDNLTbEROrDNpQGTLzVA2Z-dYSPaMJBJkijrMIheLhW0IL_Pa4vGLioQf5DNpZNWuHuBVsRchheFuHqA/s200/IMG_2092.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7qDM6L_UPKMUkTqWvjPViYGdW2_nWhi3DcdnmdBU0Ng48adKYqQXjGPk__3PqtZmmdt0suq407LccjmuZB6jcXJ-jDW2t-DNOop4rIOX0SLOXs0FgZEmtVqG7y3Kba8BRyPvkVWoYM4/s1600-h/IMG_2094.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359244860202995442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7qDM6L_UPKMUkTqWvjPViYGdW2_nWhi3DcdnmdBU0Ng48adKYqQXjGPk__3PqtZmmdt0suq407LccjmuZB6jcXJ-jDW2t-DNOop4rIOX0SLOXs0FgZEmtVqG7y3Kba8BRyPvkVWoYM4/s200/IMG_2094.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br />Pictures L to R: Waiting on the train in Indiana; Traffic in the Chicago Suburbs makes for a grumpy Dave; Cornhusker--We're headed in the right direction!; Storm clouds over Lake Sabbonna, IL, where we're camped; Ricky Raccoon passing by our porch.<br /><br /><div><strong>16 July 2009 Albion, IN to Sabbonna, IN 219 miles<br /></strong><br />Blame the high miles on the big cities…all we want to do is get through them. Indiana has some big critters—both the eight legged variety and something else, we’re not sure what it is—but it was on our tent—about one and one-half inches long, and ugly!<br /><br />We stopped in Albion to gas up—and were surprised to see that our tank took 10.396 gallons! I guess we were running on fumes from the campground…After breakfast at the Harvest Café, we headed out in search of the Lincoln Highway. This has actually been more of a challenge than we thought it would be, especially when we came to the larger towns or villages. At one point we were driving along, following the signs, and suddenly we were headed in a completely different direction. This could be fun… at least until we neared Chicago.<br /><br />Although the route we were taking was about 20 miles south of “The Windy City,” traffic was stop and go with multiple stop lights and stop signs, and the LH signs were often taking us through the not-so-good parts of town. We did pass by the Ford Chicago Stamping Plant in Chicago Heights, and were stopped for a while by a cool looking draw bridge that was up in Joliet, IL, letting multiple strings of barges through that were carrying sand down the canal. Which canal…we have no idea!<br /></div><div> </div><div>After passing through Plainfield, IL, (which has a neat downtown historic district), we were literally driving through fields of soybean and corn, and brand new houses that were planted—much like Roseville or Natomas—in what used to be fields. I guess this area is the suburbs of Chicago. We were heading west, toward a state campground, when we noticed the dark thunder-clouds building. After a discussion about tornadoes, I have to admit I was a bit frightened…then…<br /><br />For the first time on this trip, our NOAH weather radio went off with its severe weather warning—for the storm that we were headed for. No town in sight and the closest motel about 20 miles away, we continued on to the campground. Just before we got to the campground, it started raining. The campground host mentioned that they had one rustic cabin available for tonight if we were interested—no bathroom or kitchen—just mattresses and a table and chairs. The cost? $25 more than the tent site. Obviously, the answer was YES! So now that the rain has passed by, here we are, sitting on the porch watching the fisherman on Lake Shabbonna, the raccoons walk by looking for food of any kind, the fireflies flit around the bushes, and hearing the bullfrogs croak their mating call. There is just something about that Gill luck… </div></div></div></div></div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-64287543582514423952009-07-16T12:16:00.007-05:002009-07-16T12:40:11.151-05:00More Than Just One Treasure in Van Wert, Ohio!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3ddpeOEmq1RyfwtEDIeafWclTJZBWmHELW2e9A8PxHVfOzFCRfkZAlAeKsvUOjJI1YWV1Tlc9fETZvmQ6-aiHwH5UZk1Vy_XZ9fEI2ITNgWK1t04C84SwA_HdAcuU8Hj8B29qlh82DQ/s1600-h/7_15_05+Gover+and+Lincoln.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359112370162504562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3ddpeOEmq1RyfwtEDIeafWclTJZBWmHELW2e9A8PxHVfOzFCRfkZAlAeKsvUOjJI1YWV1Tlc9fETZvmQ6-aiHwH5UZk1Vy_XZ9fEI2ITNgWK1t04C84SwA_HdAcuU8Hj8B29qlh82DQ/s200/7_15_05+Gover+and+Lincoln.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYShweBGOrN6cqBocZBnPgSvcrWuiqeI4mzjEZgrYwSA5ROMGOLALRtspcoHksHbKz-ejwFI0UcGnPuyEFQLdLpnDR20asIvgnZzXYzSdh8j5e86BLhiywmEIO_9A__-1h4RCkymlPF8/s1600-h/7_15_06+Downtown+Delphos+OH.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359112177685247618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYShweBGOrN6cqBocZBnPgSvcrWuiqeI4mzjEZgrYwSA5ROMGOLALRtspcoHksHbKz-ejwFI0UcGnPuyEFQLdLpnDR20asIvgnZzXYzSdh8j5e86BLhiywmEIO_9A__-1h4RCkymlPF8/s200/7_15_06+Downtown+Delphos+OH.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSiFU1V7vP8J_aWq2bLy-1GrL1kv1L1w3BijSWI6gBCaKMkB4t4U4PXPWTwF_3vW1Z5I8VVBF_GdUQCb11ugMJucd9Anl4OZPa0lkxR2RGwj1qArnyI50Mm1khFIWrw9UjXyLcZ0Fzck/s1600-h/7_15_10+Balyeats+sign.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359112010442432690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSiFU1V7vP8J_aWq2bLy-1GrL1kv1L1w3BijSWI6gBCaKMkB4t4U4PXPWTwF_3vW1Z5I8VVBF_GdUQCb11ugMJucd9Anl4OZPa0lkxR2RGwj1qArnyI50Mm1khFIWrw9UjXyLcZ0Fzck/s320/7_15_10+Balyeats+sign.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhpn7n9r2w2rb12acdySK9Q-yasyHuzdgZigJFlU-YIWAZjTqjjHtLOkNnflT55QagGrsqo2F5CEKrHJX13TRuX8RpHLZMkmNAih0dk3v6yjaeotvY-S11nseBX2nQif20D9a04W1R8w/s1600-h/7_15_22+Showroom+floor.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359111778404258946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhpn7n9r2w2rb12acdySK9Q-yasyHuzdgZigJFlU-YIWAZjTqjjHtLOkNnflT55QagGrsqo2F5CEKrHJX13TRuX8RpHLZMkmNAih0dk3v6yjaeotvY-S11nseBX2nQif20D9a04W1R8w/s320/7_15_22+Showroom+floor.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3J2P5IekTGMhyhlziEeutL7jMjJIOtd6LbCNMu9CSQIbW4PeJR-8xy0ZG_o8o9TgnNYUDbXrPLCLuF7GYy3REIUf8J40uNzIIkViltqCB2IIZf170f25XzlmtAdWRB-gvyMosSPzyfnA/s1600-h/7_15_29+Patch+Road.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359111513506432066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3J2P5IekTGMhyhlziEeutL7jMjJIOtd6LbCNMu9CSQIbW4PeJR-8xy0ZG_o8o9TgnNYUDbXrPLCLuF7GYy3REIUf8J40uNzIIkViltqCB2IIZf170f25XzlmtAdWRB-gvyMosSPzyfnA/s200/7_15_29+Patch+Road.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br />Pictures: The Lincoln Highway in Gomer, OH; Downtown Delphos, OH; Balyeat's Coffee Shop in Van Wert, OH; ACD Showroom floor at the museum; Patch Road--our name not theirs near the campground.<br /><br /><div><strong>15 July 2009 Oceola, OH to Albion, Indiana 175 miles</strong><br /><br />A raccoon visited again last night…he got away with the not-so-appetizing chicken sandwich we got at the snack bar…it was so good that I opted not to eat it for dinner last night. I sure hope he (the raccoon) isn’t laying in the forest complaining of stomach cramps.<br /><br />We left Sunset Springs early this morning, about 8:30, and headed west along the Lincoln Highway (330 at this point) into Upper Sandusky. Shortly past this town, we had to detour off the LH due to road maintenance. Not wanting to take the 4-lane divided highway, we headed north on a small farm road—we have no idea of the name or number—until we found another road heading west. Ultimately, we ended up in Beaverdam, OH, which was one of the towns on the original Lincoln Highway. We continued to follow this road through Cairo, Gomer, Delphos, and on into Van Wert.<br /><br />Needing to stretch our legs...as well as other parts of our bodies...we stopped along Main Street in Downtown Van Wert. Except for much of the roadway being closed due to water-main work, this town offered a wonderful walking break, and a few surprises as well. We stopped at one “antique” shop—more of a thrift store, really—where Dave found a drill bit. Now what does he need a drill bit for? To fix the trunk, of course! It doesn’t much matter to him that he doesn’t have a drill…Down the street, we perused another antique store where he found an old, rusted hand drill, and I found a pair of shoes which, <em><strong>I believe</strong></em> (not positive), are from our Model A era. The shoes fit <em>and</em> are wearable!<br /><br />Not to say that we are eating our way across the country, but...On the suggestion of the clerk at the antique store, we headed to a small diner down the street, <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Balyeat’s Coffee Shop</span></strong>, which has been in business since 1922. This means that this restaurant was serving meals to the first pioneers who traveled the Lincoln Highway! How cool...I don't think the decor has changed much... From the outside, it looks dark and narrow—do we dare eat there? The place was packed! On one side was the “kitchen” and the counter, on the left were tables. I believe we got the last table available at that time. Only visitors bother with a menu—everything available is posted on a piece of paper and tacked up above the counter—however, today’s specials were liver and onions, baked chicken, and fried giblets. I actually heard a number of people order the liver and onions--can you imagine? Dave opted for BBQ ribs and I had the baked chicken. Both came with mashed or scalloped potatoes, and a choice of vegetable. According to our server, everything is cooked fresh daily, not frozen or canned. Both of our meals were so good—we just had to try the homemade pie! While we were eating, Dale Davies, the owner of 45 years came over an introduced himself. Dale was so cute…about 70 years old, working behind the counter filling the orders, wearing a white dress shirt, white pants, a bow tie, and an apron. We were told by our server that he used to work for the previous owner when he was in high school. He shared with us that although his paperwork from purchasing the diner says it was opened in 1922, he found a post card with a picture of it dated 1919. He also had a customer, years ago, mention that a restaurant had been on that corner since the 1890’s but he doesn’t have anything to back that up with. Anyway, he was interested to know that we were driving the A along the Lincoln Highway, and gave us some great information on places to stop and see, one of which was off the Lincoln Highway in Auburn, Indiana.</div><br /><div>Back in the car we looked at the map and decided to detour again off the LH, mostly because Dave really doesn’t like going through the big cities and our next stop on the highway was Fort Wayne, IN. So instead, we headed north along some smaller farm roads through Antwerp and Hicksville, Ohio, then continued on into Indiana and the ACD Museum.<br /><br />The ACD Museum is housed in the original showroom for the Auburn Motor Company in Auburn, Indiana. For the next two hours or so, Dave drooled over some of the nicest Auburns, Cords, and Duesenbergs from the late 20’s through the 30’s. And boy, there were some beauties…the cars were very nice, but I was busy drooling over the Art Deco décor of the showroom floor as well. On a side note for you car trivia buffs…according to Dave…Did you know that the phrase “Isn’t she a doozy?” comes from the classic WOW you get when you look at some of these period Duesenbergs?<br /><br />From Auburn, we zig-zagged a little south, and west through farm country to Chain O’ Lakes State Park, near Albion, IN. This is a huge recreation area for boating, fishing, hiking, and camping. Its name comes from the eleven lakes in the park, eight of which are connected. The lakes are glacier lakes, and are estimated to have formed over 10,000 years ago. The campground is nice…not too full, but busy enough. A great place for families…or two crazy Californians traveling across the country in their Model A. </div></div></div></div></div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-79612550400677534052009-07-16T11:57:00.009-05:002009-07-16T12:16:14.611-05:00Scavenger Hunt for the Lincoln Highway<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzToja9yuGj-1UYI63jXr-W4XZKqyC9Uyw5xKGPWfnfWnqbfMUvCyyWbXIfKmaOlgFMe6crRR41TM5qMv3rMykcizyQz-mJfFhaeMHq6_YjHuOxjQyqwEBUIsU8vwdSgPO2LmjCCWeDWQ/s1600-h/7_14_05+Canal+Fulton+OH.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359107728078952610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzToja9yuGj-1UYI63jXr-W4XZKqyC9Uyw5xKGPWfnfWnqbfMUvCyyWbXIfKmaOlgFMe6crRR41TM5qMv3rMykcizyQz-mJfFhaeMHq6_YjHuOxjQyqwEBUIsU8vwdSgPO2LmjCCWeDWQ/s200/7_14_05+Canal+Fulton+OH.JPG" /></a><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnNp009Utt8edEddtLUXwfWN4WCAhSLh9Oi14PlQAuflAeH0rOBkDBgA4CjrYUpKXnFT35_b12xZ_x7XpUXfzK2R0PxtqHW3Mi467I_JC1pqcKFv6wfE-zl4ToA3D_tPZF8VKT5KXnQ8/s1600-h/7_14_11+Historic+building+in+Wooster.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359107083709219074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnNp009Utt8edEddtLUXwfWN4WCAhSLh9Oi14PlQAuflAeH0rOBkDBgA4CjrYUpKXnFT35_b12xZ_x7XpUXfzK2R0PxtqHW3Mi467I_JC1pqcKFv6wfE-zl4ToA3D_tPZF8VKT5KXnQ8/s320/7_14_11+Historic+building+in+Wooster.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div></div><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAi53z7TqWQGCBFv6UQc_YZOuZ3RRpxhP94lUVHU54CqH-g0gsu0TzdKulbKGGITxI8xp5XNf2P67bfs85V6L9W1EEg51YAXskFVYuly56hC0rtIBmoRwgCJSlaVNiD_5BOaTU7WTzobk/s1600-h/7_14_13+Take+it+down+the+middle.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359104731697347890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAi53z7TqWQGCBFv6UQc_YZOuZ3RRpxhP94lUVHU54CqH-g0gsu0TzdKulbKGGITxI8xp5XNf2P67bfs85V6L9W1EEg51YAXskFVYuly56hC0rtIBmoRwgCJSlaVNiD_5BOaTU7WTzobk/s200/7_14_13+Take+it+down+the+middle.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPk3anf2fS5COUvyRKHS5St2tufm_uzGbBDtA_c0BW7XDed9cbYjbqVd-QByZp-yYqgaopZlJxRkOTDJVCsjRdLwkdlWkuph2dgAFBeABtoVw5bAjfn1XTyhBdTot_stPeGbEAR2tmMw/s1600-h/7_14_17+Henry+and+original+marker.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359107376687842002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPk3anf2fS5COUvyRKHS5St2tufm_uzGbBDtA_c0BW7XDed9cbYjbqVd-QByZp-yYqgaopZlJxRkOTDJVCsjRdLwkdlWkuph2dgAFBeABtoVw5bAjfn1XTyhBdTot_stPeGbEAR2tmMw/s320/7_14_17+Henry+and+original+marker.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMSHfN2vCRBaUGj9SMznp9ME9dTX5k2msbb-v_2plTocdsuJhv3PXd5LiHYuwoe8IcI9N-_keeps5WRhb0iie3_R0s5koMV0-vltZQnqeUQ0iB_r-LZNAq_29jYgKOHy4dcAwoR9P4co/s1600-h/7_14_17+Henry+and+original+marker.JPG"></a><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Pictures L to R: Canal Fulton, OH; Neat historic building in Wooster, OH; Takin' it down the middle--not the best speciman, but the raccoons all seem to be on the side of the road!; Baby, Henry, and an original Lincoln Highway sign post.<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div><strong>14 July 2009 Newbury, OH to Oceola, OH 158.3 miles<br /></strong><br />Wow! The second day in a row that we have woken to blue skies—what a great day for a drive in the A! Thank you, Angelina! (And Carl, of course!) We left Punderson around 9:00 after a backpackers breakfast—a handful of nuts, some dried fruit, and hot tea (or juice in my case)—and kind of zig-zagged our way past the big city centers of Akron and Canton, down to the Lincoln Highway. </div><br /><br /><br /><div><br />Trunk trouble…At some point this morning, near Shalersville, OH, a gentleman following us flagged us down to let us know that the strap on our trunk had snapped, and the trunk was bouncing around pretty good. Thank goodness for Gorilla Tape. Temporarily patched together until we can find a tack and harness shop, we are back on the road.<br /><br />This is some beautiful country. I’ve decided that in this part of the US, the Adirondacks: the Sierra Nevadas::Northern California foothills: North Eastern Ohio. I’d like to be back here someday in the fall, or early winter to see it covered in snow…I’m sure it is much different, especially for someone who has lived in the lowlands of California her whole life. Didn’t you know that snow is that pretty white stuff on the mountain tops that we go play in on the weekends?<br /><br />People keep asking us if we’ve found any part of the country we like better than home…we’ve decided that in this great land called the United States of America, there is not any one place that is better than another, they are just different. I have yet to tire of watching the scenery pass by… A friend of my mothers has been traveling around the country for over thirty years, meeting the local people and immersing himself in whatever geographic region he happens to be in. I guess I can really understand why Randy enjoys it so much.<br /><br />We finally met up with the Lincoln Highway, just west of Canton, and soon found ourselves embroiled in a scavenger hunt. While for the most part we are easily able to follow the highway signs, there are points were multiple signs led us to differing directions. Some of the signs differentiate between the "Lincoln Highway 1913," “Lincoln Highway 1915-1921,” “Lincoln Highway 1926 to present,” or just the “Historical Route.” It should be a fun adventure…<br /><br />We stopped for the night at Sunset Springs Campground in Oceola, OH. Judy, the manager, told us that this used to be a rock/sand quarry. One of the lakes is spring fed, and the campground has a swimming beach, snack bar area set up. Many of the campers here are full time residents in RV style sites.<br /><br />All in all, it was a great travel day…</div></div></div></div></div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-77899523187864763792009-07-13T17:10:00.009-05:002009-07-13T17:38:07.381-05:00Hello o-HI-o!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgilkU4Si_KCCtncmnHj353p-WfHiuHpsH6J9l527r2HfP08TcGbv5_MA1gK7f7z0PWbjuat9wfDLjwbhtqgqtmO_-1H3cWKK-8h3d3DTMHeLZzif_x4CnSbUJtOS4nRmtfjq6LjgPipaA/s1600-h/IMG_1921.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358075920203634354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgilkU4Si_KCCtncmnHj353p-WfHiuHpsH6J9l527r2HfP08TcGbv5_MA1gK7f7z0PWbjuat9wfDLjwbhtqgqtmO_-1H3cWKK-8h3d3DTMHeLZzif_x4CnSbUJtOS4nRmtfjq6LjgPipaA/s200/IMG_1921.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6IgmgDet2ja72IHn53LBSeKRRPTMQ_HCYV9pFctTZ3xrJgvQvPMxcZIiFOJCMtSFgsSZvC1NW7UuqlvmbH5lOpFOR1JJ-Pf0baTDaswAlkCrnbCN5dDrp67AHnyBGiIZa4GAEpMVpnA/s1600-h/IMG_1927.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358075796262455714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6IgmgDet2ja72IHn53LBSeKRRPTMQ_HCYV9pFctTZ3xrJgvQvPMxcZIiFOJCMtSFgsSZvC1NW7UuqlvmbH5lOpFOR1JJ-Pf0baTDaswAlkCrnbCN5dDrp67AHnyBGiIZa4GAEpMVpnA/s200/IMG_1927.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznFlC9SzmtUd_D46U8zFigkgXe_U78yI400L4odu7z9r5niR8mYhhw6oa1e-WKfNp4wEarTJCsjDuEKThS1QF3YiyrvkvF-HjWswfqjrkroAC7iqyaJka-GPInNjYVQjvVpSnlzArQVw/s1600-h/IMG_1930.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358075658067856146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznFlC9SzmtUd_D46U8zFigkgXe_U78yI400L4odu7z9r5niR8mYhhw6oa1e-WKfNp4wEarTJCsjDuEKThS1QF3YiyrvkvF-HjWswfqjrkroAC7iqyaJka-GPInNjYVQjvVpSnlzArQVw/s200/IMG_1930.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><strong>13 July 2009 Eden, NY to Newbury, OH 183.5 miles</strong></div><div> </div><div>Pictures L to R: Lake Erie and NY Vineyards; Welcome to Ohio; Baby on the shore of Lake Erie.<br /><br />We followed Brad to his office to see if a package I was waiting for had arrived, and had a chance to meet Ryan one of his employees who has been following our journey. While we were waiting, Brad’s neighbor came shuffling across the street. He and Dave poked around the car for a while…Skeets (the neighbor) said he had a 1929 that he drove all through high school. Dave offered to let him drive it around the block, or go for a ride, but he declined…he said it would make him cry.<br /><br />After saying our goodbye to Brad, we were soon on our way. What a perfect day to travel in an A! Blue, blue sky and not a cloud to be seen! We followed route 20, which basically followed along Lake Erie’s coastline, but not right on the coast, so we were only catching glimpses of the lake. It wasn’t until we crossed into Ohio that I felt like I got my real look at this incredible body of water. We turned off Route 20 onto 531 which went right along the shore—a bit like driving along Pacific Coast Highway in California. Along the way, we stopped at a public park, which turned out to be the stopping place for beach access; they also happened to have an ice cream stand so we each got a cone and walked along the boardwalk. It was a bit breezy—enough that I was chilled and I needed my sweatshirt—but I guess for these folks up here in Ohio and Pennsylvania, summer is here and it was bathing suits for all. I think it was only about 70 degrees, but there was a cool breeze off the water. I guess when you are used to the cold of winter, this was a very warm day.<br /><br />Continuing on our way, we drove through Geneva-on-the-Lake. This, we’ve decided, must be the destination hot spot for this corner of the world. It had a slightly carnival-like atmosphere with giant slides, ferris-wheels, putt-putt golf, water slides, many, many, many motels, food stands, and video arcades. Needless to say, we quickly made our way through to quieter surroundings.<br /><br />After stopping to stock up on groceries and drinks, we headed south toward Newbury, OH, and set up camp at Punderson State Park. This is a pretty big park, and has many campsites and activities available. From the looks of the map though, I think they are busier in the winter for cross-country skiing and snow mobiling.</div><br /><br /><div></div><div>Tomorrows travels should get us back on the Lincoln Highway. </div></div></div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-28465242922795533712009-07-12T11:11:00.014-05:002009-07-13T17:06:19.830-05:00A New Look for Dave and Peg<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsciSccoN1CvMjSuaUqWuc2Wn-XwT1xRgK-3GeFpcFnvalGdrWY12HDnKHMUq_F06KJOPVcPJl_w26jURH6hNZeTHGiHH5TrPf0R2h06o_OE8z8ktzpcvF5W879H27ZRMGHhOGNVRtyIQ/s1600-h/Brad+and+Joie2.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357737208413872546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsciSccoN1CvMjSuaUqWuc2Wn-XwT1xRgK-3GeFpcFnvalGdrWY12HDnKHMUq_F06KJOPVcPJl_w26jURH6hNZeTHGiHH5TrPf0R2h06o_OE8z8ktzpcvF5W879H27ZRMGHhOGNVRtyIQ/s200/Brad+and+Joie2.jpg" /></a><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipTilacg5HBB-vb3slk7O_xy2kv11256tzQNx181WewaLs1HoyRb1GEJwch-qzpZtzel7NZjrLS8j5i743ha3i5_B3uXwcj3agsyZXZJlFoC56bwGpW_Vk2RUnX5XM_eV98SD3m3Bttw/s1600-h/7_11_05+Above+Niagara+Falls.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357609011807861842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipTilacg5HBB-vb3slk7O_xy2kv11256tzQNx181WewaLs1HoyRb1GEJwch-qzpZtzel7NZjrLS8j5i743ha3i5_B3uXwcj3agsyZXZJlFoC56bwGpW_Vk2RUnX5XM_eV98SD3m3Bttw/s200/7_11_05+Above+Niagara+Falls.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgVarTyh5Vc_g9kPzaOPoaZ7vLbNBHZwYZMCi53NT50LzDv6V5NBZnyGt92tc14C9rG6atabnMhNNfJS0ioEL6kF-XKZjlyxk_y_fHpYpE9HSHYNep2whLL6w1bmkTurHdaGh_Kd8zDQ/s1600-h/7_11_09+Three+sisters+Island+and+the+Niagara+River.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357608801312493090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgVarTyh5Vc_g9kPzaOPoaZ7vLbNBHZwYZMCi53NT50LzDv6V5NBZnyGt92tc14C9rG6atabnMhNNfJS0ioEL6kF-XKZjlyxk_y_fHpYpE9HSHYNep2whLL6w1bmkTurHdaGh_Kd8zDQ/s200/7_11_09+Three+sisters+Island+and+the+Niagara+River.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><strong>Niagara Falls, NY to Eden, NY 51 miles<br /></strong></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Pictures: Us with cousins Brad and Joie in New York; The Niagara River above the falls; Peg in the water at Three Sisters Islands<br /><br />You gotta love Hannah! Normally the route she takes us on is fine…mostly through out of the way places, but today her route left much to be desired…<br /><br />As we were leaving the hotel, we saw the sign for Goat Island, which is the big island on the river between the American and Horseshoe Falls. We headed that way and drove around the island (we were too cheap to pay $10 for parking), and then stopped for a bit to walk over the bridge to three sisters, another grouping of very small islands, between Goat Island and Horseshoe Falls. From this point, you could actually walk down among the rocks to the shoreline—you just want to be careful not to fall in…The water was actually pretty warm, but it was still moving very fast.<br /><br />Back in Baby, we headed south along the Niagara River and stopped at a river side park for a picnic lunch. This was nice…the air temp was nice, and there was a cool breeze blowing off the water. A lot of ski boats on the river. We were speculating on whether or not there is any kind of barrier down river before the fall and rapids got going to fast…we never did see one.<br /><br />Hannah continued directing us south, and we were soon in Buffalo…or should I say driving through, because we didn’t stop at this point…the route she had us on took us through the old, downtown “grittier” part of town (as my cousin David would say)…it felt much like the downtown getto area of Los Angeles. The white lane lines were gone from the highway, and it was difficult to tell for sure if it was a two lane road, or one lane, because other drivers kept weaving in and out depending on other cars turning left, or parked along the right side—in “no standing” zones, or sometimes even taking up the middle. Once we made it past the railroad yards, the lines were once again present, and we were feeling much more comfortable.<br /><br />Just as we came into Hamburg, NY, a neat, busy village, we passed another Model A—a beautiful cream colored 30 or 31 pickup. We ah-oo-ghad at each other, but didn’t stop to talk as we were maneuvering through this town’s main street round-abouts. We finally made it to Brad and Joie’s in Eden and visited for a bit, until talk rolled around to Brad’s “collection” of Harley Davidson motorcycles. (This collection “sickness” must be genetic with the Gill’s!) We have noticed t<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZj_YPBoqYApTqEvyULb2j8UWRhmqGo-pc3mVte5bhzjUX3GkF8IS0HS61RUfULplGfHZOk_rXqyjzZj-dFZ5OhU36XQSCAaAFpdq-ZJp4hX9sBDha-8pVMuMRiUaiYpSVaRqhyphenhyphenBDtxsg/s1600-h/7_11_20+D+and+P+on+motorcycle.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357608613949749650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZj_YPBoqYApTqEvyULb2j8UWRhmqGo-pc3mVte5bhzjUX3GkF8IS0HS61RUfULplGfHZOk_rXqyjzZj-dFZ5OhU36XQSCAaAFpdq-ZJp4hX9sBDha-8pVMuMRiUaiYpSVaRqhyphenhyphenBDtxsg/s320/7_11_20+D+and+P+on+motorcycle.JPG" /></a>hat motorcycle riding is big here in the northeast, especi<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvTWDDdoSDchL5-SU88pj2IidD-aHylQqPb2TkS7bTWNbW5E2fiDgMg6u1pGVf1ov__aqIiegIV7nbIMK1YAoaQbNBxvRaH4q19SnPQWsVfmyYjq8mbqs3EgPkO22JOoMRToEZVFYyos/s1600-h/IMG_1908.JPG"></a>ally New York. Maybe the terrain is just more conducive to it…or we’re just traveling on the same back roads in the A! Anyway, in borrowed jackets and helmets, we rode the bikes to dinner (Dave driving, me on the back—and yes, Dave does have a license to drive!) where we had some fabulous Buffalo Wings (did you know they were first “invented” at The Anchor Bar here in Buffalo?) and a Beef on Weck sandwich—both very good…then for ice cream before taking a short ride through the countryside in this part of NY. It was exhilarating…especially going faster than 45 mph for the first time in a long time! It was actually a lot of fun, and I can understand why there is such a big Harley following…but I will be blaming Brad and Joie if Dave takes up a new hobby…<br /><br /><strong>11 July 2009 Eden, NY<br /></strong><br /><em><strong>Caught in a Thunderstorm<br /></strong></em><br />Rain was predicted today, but not until later in the afternoon. Aunt Ruth came over for breakfast—homemade breakfast burritos—with homemade flour tortillas, yummmm...and shortly after that we went for a hike. Out in back of Brad and Joie’s 2 acre property, is a corn field, and beyond the corn field is open land. This land is forested, and the creek that goes by their home cuts through a deep gorge. This area is stunning, and we felt like we were out in the middle of nowhere. Someone has tied a knotted rope down the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWx8PTKbx0G5w48y1cCJS991lCA3E3QXgyC8DLXjFkB5NUB_p67CMF1og-5sTJh4DZJNODz1LS_qAIkgsLvPfSf6xv3iHwSVLbL1Zz_Y1r4wiAy5-h4XN3WtSmBRttuW1dBoQDH8hcls/s1600-h/IMG_1903.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357670250246990578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWx8PTKbx0G5w48y1cCJS991lCA3E3QXgyC8DLXjFkB5NUB_p67CMF1og-5sTJh4DZJNODz1LS_qAIkgsLvPfSf6xv3iHwSVLbL1Zz_Y1r4wiAy5-h4XN3WtSmBRttuW1dBoQDH8hcls/s200/IMG_1903.JPG" /></a>gorge (about 80 feet down), "The Gill Grand Canyon" and we made our way to the bottom, going backwards, holding on hand over hand…not quite repelling, but close, with a lot of slippage. Just about the time we all got down, the thunder started rolling in. We were soon being drenched in the rain, as the lightening and thunder boomed around us. We were contemplating whether or not to try and go back up the rope, or continue on the long way home—neither direction was a good choice, but staying out in this weather wasn’t either. We sloshed our way along the bottom of the gorge—with the idea that the gorge was at least low ground in case of lightening, (the whole time I’m thinking…not a good place to be for a flash flood!) and made our way eventually up to higher ground. With the rain continuing to fall, we did eventually make it back to the house where we had to peel our wet—not just damp, but drippy—clothes directly into the washer.<br /><br />After we were clean and dry, we found that this area is under severe storm watch for lightening, rain, thunder, flash floods. It continued to rain for about another 2 hours or so, and some areas even lost power. Dave always says God watches out for idiots and small children, and we are certainly not small children…<br /><br />We went to visit with Aunt Ruth, and later in the evening when to Falletta’s for dinner—Carl <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJn30HAxnqzt80ApQm_ZMnVEcPHT0NmWzxtiDucgHq7K9CFjaTqPV6MMLXRNUKBNqyZvfDcU4earElwdx1YWHyblQ1F2btCPyRjfQ4vPyrnsxddi03RVKv7_F8Swol9K744Y18Q9R6cw/s1600-h/7_11_30+Fallettas.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357734730506563026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJn30HAxnqzt80ApQm_ZMnVEcPHT0NmWzxtiDucgHq7K9CFjaTqPV6MMLXRNUKBNqyZvfDcU4earElwdx1YWHyblQ1F2btCPyRjfQ4vPyrnsxddi03RVKv7_F8Swol9K744Y18Q9R6cw/s200/7_11_30+Fallettas.jpg" /></a>(Dave’s previous boss from ABC) had assured us we would not be disappointed with his family’s establishment, and he was <strong><em>SOooo</em></strong> right! Carl (from California) is a native of Buffalo, and this is his family’s restaurant, currently run by his uncle, Carl. <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Falletta’s </strong></span><span style="font-size:100%;">is located at 8255 Clarence Center Road, in East Amherst, NY. This restaurant is nestled in what looks like a residential area. At first, we were thinking we had the wrong address—the ambiance is casual elegance, the service first class, and the food better than some four-star restaurants we’ve eaten at. Everything is prepared fresh on site, including the salad dressings and desserts. We had eggplant parmigana, the best we’ve ever tasted; our cousins had the lasagna, and Joie is still raving about it. If you go, save room for dessert…the cannoli was <em>amazing</em>. Unfortunately, we had gotten one to share, which in retrospect, was very fortunate because I would have eaten the whole thing. Overall, an amazing meal. It was kind of nice to show the locals (our cousins) somewhere new in their town! Thanks for the tip Carl… </span></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>12 July 2009</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Just hangin' out at Brad and Joie's.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-60364823527000065522009-07-10T11:06:00.004-05:002009-07-10T11:22:52.091-05:00Erie Canal and the American side of Niagara Falls<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurOqzFt9uQeNb6aP58qqijSDhONZwMrT5BIO83x5eKVFM4bbLg-l6HT-v25mU8d7K5Cc3b-HnpNqU0aPmQNO05K973TjwzBQaeaEf7z4COx0eqzfcpkDmZZbN6j1WWRrsc1-jWGpR4J0/s1600-h/7_09_01++NY+dragon+fly+and+Henry.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356864579430160754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurOqzFt9uQeNb6aP58qqijSDhONZwMrT5BIO83x5eKVFM4bbLg-l6HT-v25mU8d7K5Cc3b-HnpNqU0aPmQNO05K973TjwzBQaeaEf7z4COx0eqzfcpkDmZZbN6j1WWRrsc1-jWGpR4J0/s200/7_09_01++NY+dragon+fly+and+Henry.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNSUs-3t3qH5i71kJNqeTKzfIzw4h_FoxuQgEURt6fZT2zzf_wQBY872GhEpFgNc4vpIyEaM3-wCiiZ0UzVzbhyphenhyphenS_QP-xtBq3mEE4yeJGKlUHFbCKHUYt5fE-p-uNA_PuCYzb1cvxki0/s1600-h/7_09_09+Historic+Lock+35.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356864394665444130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNSUs-3t3qH5i71kJNqeTKzfIzw4h_FoxuQgEURt6fZT2zzf_wQBY872GhEpFgNc4vpIyEaM3-wCiiZ0UzVzbhyphenhyphenS_QP-xtBq3mEE4yeJGKlUHFbCKHUYt5fE-p-uNA_PuCYzb1cvxki0/s200/7_09_09+Historic+Lock+35.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWbEyl06-jY0hZW1TT-9qt-30P2AP2kNU30dn5GksQvAZshdpFcXeasr9uJPq13E77Di0mYK9Adva0lJTSNqfYEz_gjUkdMVVCYOMY5i77tpva9P8BF5du0R7vyvzCICsmTrZMZBVho0/s1600-h/7_09_17+D+and+P+on+the+Maid+of+the+Mist.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356864179927506194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWbEyl06-jY0hZW1TT-9qt-30P2AP2kNU30dn5GksQvAZshdpFcXeasr9uJPq13E77Di0mYK9Adva0lJTSNqfYEz_gjUkdMVVCYOMY5i77tpva9P8BF5du0R7vyvzCICsmTrZMZBVho0/s200/7_09_17+D+and+P+on+the+Maid+of+the+Mist.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLiR1hACOz1vFzuiuzIOPGmNXxFszMN9oWNBY5bR-7UxRktfNkLFMmiKo7DH9F79ljEeUiudkx62GSBAwcvyjVP-XC6Ykaid8iVxdjR9uYB1q_Vw-yn7hLwXS-TIIcaUfxhc-Lyrnww0/s1600-h/7_09_38.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356863886135583122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLiR1hACOz1vFzuiuzIOPGmNXxFszMN9oWNBY5bR-7UxRktfNkLFMmiKo7DH9F79ljEeUiudkx62GSBAwcvyjVP-XC6Ykaid8iVxdjR9uYB1q_Vw-yn7hLwXS-TIIcaUfxhc-Lyrnww0/s320/7_09_38.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div> </div><div>Pictures L to R: Henry playing with the NY wildlife; Erie Canal at Hostoric Lock 35 in Lockport, NY; Dave and Peggy on the Maid of the Mist; The Falls</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><strong>8 July 2009 Hamilton, NY to Farmington, NY 115 miles<br /><br /></strong><br />The day started out much like the last few…foggy and rainy…but the farther west we went, the clearer it became. Supposedly, they were having record lows…go figure! We stopped periodically to take in the views, stretch our legs, or just walk around, but this was limited because of the weather. <br /><br />Dave was convinced that the rain was over, so we ultimately made our way to the only campground in the area—a KOA. These are usually nice, but very busy, and very commercial. We set up camp, did a bit of exploring before heading off to bed. Surprisingly, we both slept very well, and Dave was right…no rain. We were able to get our laundry done though, and we met a nice couple from the Netherlands. As we were taking down the tent, we did discover that these NY woods do have some good sized slugs in them…slugs that like to crawl up the tent sides, under the ground cloth, and I’m sure other places if we had left anything out!<br /><br /><br /><strong>9 July 2009 Farmington, NY to Niagara Falls, NY 122 Miles<br /></strong><br />Since we had come up a bit north off the 20, we decided to head further north to Hwy 31 and go to Niagara Falls on our way to our cousin’s home. With all the rain we’ve been having, and forced hotel stays along the way, we’ve earned enough points to get a free room. Bruce Marshall and Cookie Smith from Massachusetts and a few of their Model A club members were heading this way, and we will try and meet up with them.<br /><br />We woke to sunny skies for the first time in a week. Henry fell in love today…We spent a few hours this morning browsing through the Ontario Antique Mall in Farmington, NY. At one point, we had to drag Henry away from a cute she-bear…Henry was upset with us for most of the day because we told him she couldn’t travel with us that he quit talking for awhile…her mom said she was too young to date…</div><div> </div><div>Anyway.. This is one of the nicest malls we’ve seen, and they have a great selection of high-quality antiques. We were also told that they are the largest in NY. They have a huge number of dealers who have Model A era jewelry and purses (some are a bit pricey, but <em>very</em> nice!). If you are in the area, this is a must stop if you are into antiquing.<br /><br />The drive today was simply beautiful with no rain. It entailed more city driving at quite a few points, especially getting around Rochester, NY. Dave and I did have a bit of a discussion over the “highway” we were on…and the definition of “highway” and “freeway.” I don’t quite understand what he meant when he said I was “radiating my displeasure” about the route today...Hmmmm....<br /><br />A surprise for us was that we ended up going almost to the shore of Lake Ontario—and we traveled along the Erie Canal for a good portion of the drive. We both realized that we’re not too up on the history of NY when we couldn’t remember details of the Erie Canal and the way it traversed this part of NY. Something we’ll need to remedy.<br /><br />We made it into Niagara Falls and checked into the Comfort Inn at The Point. We are literally across the street from the Niagara Falls State Park—walking distance to any viewing, the Maid of the Mist, the park lands, and the Canadian border. After dinner, we decided to head out and see what we could from the park. We ended up taking the Maid of the Mist boat ride, at about 7:30, on a boat that was virtually empty. What an awe-inspiring ride. The falls are incredible…the quantity and power of the water, the view, the rainbows rising in the mist, and the sheer magnificence and splendor feeling the spray and the boat being pushed by the moving water…it’s indescribable. </div><div><br /> Tomorrow we are going to meet the Massachusetts group over on the Canadian side for breakfast, and explore the falls from there…something we’ve been told we shouldn’t miss.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div></div></div></div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-39619581733814300122009-07-10T10:53:00.009-05:002009-07-10T11:25:31.260-05:00Niagara Falls, Canada, and new friends from the Massachuetts Minuteman Model A Club<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9q7f4MLFHhZ5Oei-ILkGdeTblJSGIt32SyiqbOcSzYTUxMXCUNXcnNPKpun9RCHGMzEds1o22jV4iNH6g01V2KrNVG8OHMuAgEBpej9VFcnNb2PUl4wZdGehPa6zpQ16tKybkd7WoY7E/s1600-h/7_10_25++D+and+P+above+Horseshoe+Falls.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356863284975680082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9q7f4MLFHhZ5Oei-ILkGdeTblJSGIt32SyiqbOcSzYTUxMXCUNXcnNPKpun9RCHGMzEds1o22jV4iNH6g01V2KrNVG8OHMuAgEBpej9VFcnNb2PUl4wZdGehPa6zpQ16tKybkd7WoY7E/s200/7_10_25++D+and+P+above+Horseshoe+Falls.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4deNxajds42Co6s-A46_J_HgaX6Rv72YWYTKLTcvYLah6F2Ejvkvdn33m-MWLPO2iIYM4RLEo9cea63Nozjy1sP2EQwXw1uC4Fz9J1HYMEVWC2ZQdFE8qVaL8nBRhYPFeQceXqN-BpYA/s1600-h/7_10_26+Mass+Minutemen.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356863121818764674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4deNxajds42Co6s-A46_J_HgaX6Rv72YWYTKLTcvYLah6F2Ejvkvdn33m-MWLPO2iIYM4RLEo9cea63Nozjy1sP2EQwXw1uC4Fz9J1HYMEVWC2ZQdFE8qVaL8nBRhYPFeQceXqN-BpYA/s200/7_10_26+Mass+Minutemen.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2siRrMyZWL_cKNMwopMUkx_THoSegt3pt7dHw0bw4kCZ9Y-1O_GHisoDLs5FxjNxUKr9sbj9R-oFwG0shUXOLOwvitejLHAQy0jU0DIY6AK_P8Oi3EHUrDqW5hvDs_BiclrH2iaUQDIk/s1600-h/7_10_26+Mass+cars.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356862908774808978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2siRrMyZWL_cKNMwopMUkx_THoSegt3pt7dHw0bw4kCZ9Y-1O_GHisoDLs5FxjNxUKr9sbj9R-oFwG0shUXOLOwvitejLHAQy0jU0DIY6AK_P8Oi3EHUrDqW5hvDs_BiclrH2iaUQDIk/s200/7_10_26+Mass+cars.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33z0BvSDP0_IGWT9UW658uP8QVMTX01-8uGhQkAXgWbQ9oUKyXGwI8Acpc9jtjzL4ySeDuHdX742lFyJ7QTGA7xdoxEnS5XDiD0WlNvhs3jVDD_BpacwNzBdcB4nhmgfQ5swLic2RI-Q/s1600-h/IMG_1870.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356862706450580290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33z0BvSDP0_IGWT9UW658uP8QVMTX01-8uGhQkAXgWbQ9oUKyXGwI8Acpc9jtjzL4ySeDuHdX742lFyJ7QTGA7xdoxEnS5XDiD0WlNvhs3jVDD_BpacwNzBdcB4nhmgfQ5swLic2RI-Q/s200/IMG_1870.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Pictures L to R: Dave and Peggy in front of Horseshoe Falls, Canadian side; Breakfast Bunch with some of the Massachuetts Minuteman Model A Club; The Massachuetts cars; The Falls<br /><br /><strong>10 July 2009 Niagara Falls, NY and Canada 11:30 AM </strong></div><strong></strong></div><strong></strong></div><strong></strong></div><br /><div><strong><br /><div><br /></strong><br />We left the car in the hotel parking lot and walked to Canada this morning. Not surprising, we had the Rainbow Bridge to ourselves…I guess this is what happens when you are up and going at 7:00 AM. We were told that we shouldn’t miss the view from Canada, and this is the absolute truth! It is not necessarily better, just a different prospective.<br /><br />We met up with the Minuteman group at the Sheraton…they had much fancier digs than we did, with a 10th floor view of both the American and Horseshoe Falls, a fireplace in the room—which I can see would be especially nice in the winter—<em>and</em> a TV in the bathroom! After breakfast in the hotel, with a view of the falls, we said our good-byes as they headed off toward Deerborn, MI and the Henry Ford Museum through Canada (check out their blog at <a href="http://thelma-michigan.blogspot.com/">http://thelma-michigan.blogspot.com/</a>) and we headed out to view the falls. We were given a blanket and a pin from their 51st Annual New England Meet, and yes, we do have room in the car...Thanks guys, it was great to meet you!<br /><br />Coming back into the US, we were surprised to be confronted with turn-styles requiring a 50 cent fee to get home. I guess it is true that nothing in life is free…We made it through customs with no problem, and I will say, this is the way to go. Where there was a multi-lane line across the bridge, once again we were the only ones crossing the bridge—and no lines going through customs.</div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div><br />We’re heading south along the shore of Lake Erie to visit family for the weekend…</div></div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901070238265888044.post-86277054939395633282009-07-07T19:08:00.009-05:002009-07-07T19:21:20.306-05:00Waitin’ On the Thunder<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEHlbXQUz0utV9XatW0IHiV4coqzf7SoJ5YQJo2xgm3nQzu7ISACn7PTPopHpq5T6scTFPebmA3Ol16S3WKg2h3F4H1zMcm_JcBy61AZXhv_b5DM7yXbQjRDPTMrbHq9dhh4gnwHl9Bc/s1600-h/7_07_01+Adirondack+highway.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355876444332929026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEHlbXQUz0utV9XatW0IHiV4coqzf7SoJ5YQJo2xgm3nQzu7ISACn7PTPopHpq5T6scTFPebmA3Ol16S3WKg2h3F4H1zMcm_JcBy61AZXhv_b5DM7yXbQjRDPTMrbHq9dhh4gnwHl9Bc/s200/7_07_01+Adirondack+highway.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4E9BBCqP2Kmb4eTe0pgL1aCLIW8KvEFUqoHcs5Noq6H3Ax3PsUqSEbIIgBM-6aqFquMiSBAXGcZiWJ2hyphenhyphenMvkBZWySTkzpWilsIbw4BlEGCD24kPm8JbKMLjR59cTHfhRlrQ4B1vMkFh0/s1600-h/7_07_05+Olympic+Stadium+Lake+Placid.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355876240434080738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4E9BBCqP2Kmb4eTe0pgL1aCLIW8KvEFUqoHcs5Noq6H3Ax3PsUqSEbIIgBM-6aqFquMiSBAXGcZiWJ2hyphenhyphenMvkBZWySTkzpWilsIbw4BlEGCD24kPm8JbKMLjR59cTHfhRlrQ4B1vMkFh0/s200/7_07_05+Olympic+Stadium+Lake+Placid.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZcvXDZU5bumQkYw0i-aITHgUI0zAXYX-ijl1S8D9Qe0UdfK_HdET8WWIUbjsNBrZqd4VKe9_F2RffQwbnCMJDNFnoBgFhhuoit4y0PJrlHzIawgp6R0nvZf2lqxk0yx8YKMIC2K-uCA/s1600-h/7_07_09+Bare+Trunk+Trees2.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355876100337057426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZcvXDZU5bumQkYw0i-aITHgUI0zAXYX-ijl1S8D9Qe0UdfK_HdET8WWIUbjsNBrZqd4VKe9_F2RffQwbnCMJDNFnoBgFhhuoit4y0PJrlHzIawgp6R0nvZf2lqxk0yx8YKMIC2K-uCA/s200/7_07_09+Bare+Trunk+Trees2.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1AP3tn8Fk5Mt8vMBO7hjb8lNpCAwpOhICFvB_Wli5vsstzQ4GqMOMYdqM3wFh9KaGUyQdbBkWXscO77eK3o5cjfKnS_4hM2Cl7PLIUvmIhl-YdL5S83Jr4kAxVJGZlqEtwipqgIZnZA/s1600-h/7_07_12+Tupper+Lake+and+Storm.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355875960959969282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1AP3tn8Fk5Mt8vMBO7hjb8lNpCAwpOhICFvB_Wli5vsstzQ4GqMOMYdqM3wFh9KaGUyQdbBkWXscO77eK3o5cjfKnS_4hM2Cl7PLIUvmIhl-YdL5S83Jr4kAxVJGZlqEtwipqgIZnZA/s200/7_07_12+Tupper+Lake+and+Storm.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBmaRja56HdoLIDlvncwGrwidcfEGe5iifLgKwHX52tKt92zsoa10jKzP5dPODp7A-4aZAEeMEu8Eg6QYoKPiCTJFBxXsgTRIJFW-bOrtJmxWQyiVccvTMdwiDX9N4hg35TfFkXB6F2I/s1600-h/7_07_14+South+Side+Tupper+Lake.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355875777560028258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBmaRja56HdoLIDlvncwGrwidcfEGe5iifLgKwHX52tKt92zsoa10jKzP5dPODp7A-4aZAEeMEu8Eg6QYoKPiCTJFBxXsgTRIJFW-bOrtJmxWQyiVccvTMdwiDX9N4hg35TfFkXB6F2I/s200/7_07_14+South+Side+Tupper+Lake.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAhX4A73pQ_mNr01JIXztAOYrNyymWXzo908R0pUtq23xPtbLfGk0KygOi4Hk3H39PwyiMunCmJSAhuK809bQbmb8JbL7aC35flCDMlKryxX7f6KMpeX5UiC1ihcfcex8EZmYPENav_c/s1600-h/7_07_15+Driving+Storm.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355875638956652866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAhX4A73pQ_mNr01JIXztAOYrNyymWXzo908R0pUtq23xPtbLfGk0KygOi4Hk3H39PwyiMunCmJSAhuK809bQbmb8JbL7aC35flCDMlKryxX7f6KMpeX5UiC1ihcfcex8EZmYPENav_c/s200/7_07_15+Driving+Storm.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>7 July 2009 Wilmington, NY through the Adirondack Mountains to Hamilton, NY 195 miles<br /><br /></div><div>Pictures L to R: Highway through the Adirondack Mtns.; Olympic Stadium at Lake Placid, NY; Bare Bottomed Trees; Storm Pictures of Tupper Lake-these last three pics were taken within a two minute time frame--if you look closely at the last one, you can see the rain hit the pavement.</div><div> </div><div><br />It’s official…We’ve been in our first “severe” thunder storm of the trip. Compared to this one, all the others were just light rain, or the mere fringes of bad weather. </div><div> </div><div>All was going well as we traveled through the beautiful Adirondack Mountains with the numerous lakes and rivers. Something odd we noticed, and our picture does not show the whole extent of it, but many of the trees along the highway appear to be stripped bare on the lower trunks. We are guessing that maybe the force of the snow blowers removing the snow off the highways does this…? If we have a NY follower out there, maybe you can let us know!</div><br /><div><br />We drove through the upscale resort town of Lake Placid where the 1980 Winter Olympics were held, and were soon getting sprinkled…no, actual rain…on and off for the next 10 miles or so. This was unfortunate, since it derailed any plans to stop and shop…or just walk around the town. Just after passing through Tupper Lake, out of nowhere we were in hard, solid rain. We are usually pretty vigilant watching the weather forming, but this one came from behind us, and the mountains obscured the dark mass. Within minutes the lightening was flashing above us as the thunder boomed. Our poor little wiper just couldn’t keep up! We ultimately pulled over and waited out the driving rain (about 15 minutes). After this first storm cell of the day passed, we were hit by four others on and off… medium to heavy rain—not the center of the storm—until we were out of the mountains and more into the foothills. We finally stopped for dinner and got a hotel room in Hamilton, NY, home of Colgate University founded in 1819, were we could watch the next few storms move through the area from the comfort of the room.<br /><br />The Adirondack Mountains are absolutely beautiful, and New York State has numerous campgrounds available…we’ll just have to come back another year to see what a summer day is really like. I think it got up to the mid 60’s today…and Dave told me we wouldn’t need a jacket! </div></div></div></div></div></div>Dave and Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896643325453610916noreply@blogger.com0