Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened. ( Dr. Seuss)
September 1, 2010 Wednesday: We are headed off towards Buffalo NY this morning. Plan to stop just prior to the city and then tomorrow will go through Niagra Falls, stop to see it but will not be staying there. Not sure how far we will get tomorrow. There are some mountains coming up, the Adirondack Mountains. The guys have been pedaling on pretty flat ground for a while so that will be a change for them.
Yesterday we drove through some beautiful vineyards in Pennsylvania and New York. I guess there are vineyards in Indiana and Ohio also...did not realize that. I always associate vineyards and wine with California and not the rest of the U.S.. It was in the 90's yesterday and probably will be today also.
August 31, 2010 Tuesday: We are in Barcelona, New York tonight camping at the KOA campground. Got back on the road today after a little time off in Cleveland. I heard a rumor today that we have about two weeks left of riding until we reach Bar Harbor, ME. I can hardly believe we might have actually DONE this thing.
The city of Cleveland is pretty impressive. Lots of beautiful old buildings, mansions, churches, public buildings and some new modern ones....even a Frank Gehry building.
This is a beautiful little garden and pond in front of the art museum.....the building is a church, not the art museum.....but I don't have a photo of the museum...they had a fabulous art collection and it was free admission....and has been since the early 1900's when it opened. Amazing. Had a great day wandering through and looking at their collection.
One artist I was particularly taken with was having a special exhibit. Her name is Mabel Hewit and she was a master at woodcut prints. Woodcuts are different from wood block prints, which the Japanese are so well known for in that the entire picture is carved into one piece of wood. In wood block prints, each color is carved into a separate wood block and they are printed separately. The woodcut is all one piece so can printed all at once. I bought a book on Mabel Hewit and these are photos of some of her woodcuts. I love the simplicity and graphicness of her style.
This area of the country has these gorgeous weeping willows everywhere...I just love the huge trees here.
A not so busy street in midtown Cleveland - don't know where all the people are...Bobby keeps joking that it is like there was a nuclear holocaust and we are the only ones left on earth...the streets are that deserted. And this was a major thoroughfare....just couldn't figure it out. We took the RTA (bus) around town and it was so clean and buses came by every 5 to 15 minutes....so convenient...we loved it. That modern looking structure on the right is a bus stop.
I saw a lot of signs for corned beef...think it is a favorite in Cleveland.....this was an out of business restaurant near our B&B that we saw every time we took the bus.
I loved the city garbage cans in Cleveland. This is another of the bus stops....they are very space age looking I think.
Cleveland's Skyline -
Our bed and breakfast is on the historical registry and it was lovely....as you can see
This is Lolly the Trolly and she took us on a tour of Cleveland, showed us all the old buildings, neighborhoods, and Judy, the tour bus driver, was so knowledgeable about Cleveland history she really made me appreciate the city. Here are a few interesting facts she told us...Cleveland is where home mail delivery started, it is also the first place with electric street lights and it is where Chef Boy Ardee (spelling?) came from. Judy also told us that Lake Erie's average depth is 65 feet.... Now how many of you remember how deep Lake Superior is? This is why this is such an interesting fact...because Lake Superior is 1300 feet deep. Wow, what a difference!
My latest show acquisition.....I just can't help myself.....these are very special German shoes and on sale ....otherwise I could never have afforded them....they are very comfy....walked all around Cleveland with them.
Trash update: another major litter culprit is packaging from Marlboro light cigarettes.....I will keep you posted on any additions or changes.
August 27, 2010 Friday: We are in Bowling Green, Ohio and on our way to Cleveland tonight. It is going to be another long ride for the guys....that is three in a row....ouch is all I can say.
When I got up this morning, there was a mist hanging on the lake at our campground at Fire Lake...and it looked so pretty. But it required some pretty chilly temperatures in order to create that mist. Everything has its price I guess.
Yesterday we passed through Napolean Ohio and guess what is made in Napolean? Campbells soup! That was a surprise. I had no idea where they made Campbells soup.
Bobby has been talking about the trash he sees along the shoulder of the roads he is riding down. He said there is a lot of McDonalds trash, and lately there have been a lot of Bud light cans but the grand winner for roadside trash for the entire trip.....is.....wait for it....know this is pretty suspenseful.....okay....here it is....Busch beer cans. You heard it here first folks....
When we were in Monroeville, Judy (the librarian) gave me a whole bunch of tomatoes from her garden and I made fresh tomato soup that night with all those gorgeous tomatoes... thanks Judy...they were delicious!
August 26, 2010 Thursday: We are sitting in McDonalds using their wonderful free wifi service, making plans for our upcoming weekend in Cleveland. Bobby and I are going to stay in this cute B&B and go to the art museum. Steve and JoAnne are going to the Rock n Roll hall of fame and either stay in Lucy or a hotel. Steve needs to take his bike in for some repairs so this gives us an opportunity to stop and smell the Cleveland roses.
The guys are doing another century ride today. They are on a mission to get to Cleveland by tomorrow so Steve can get his bike to the shop. This is the second day in a they are riding 100 miles and looks like tomorrow will be another one. That's a lot of century riding....wonder how they will do?
One thing I noticed about Indiana is how neat and tidy all the farm yards are. Everyone's lawn is mowed, flowers blooming, and buildings neatly painted. I am really enjoying the scenery as we drive along the small roads of the country. There are so many pretty old brick homes and lots of lovely victorian style homes. I so often want to stop and take photos but there is usually no shoulder to pull over on and by the time I get Lucy stopped, we are often a ways down the road....cars following us, etc.....stopping is just not so easy with an RV....
August 25, 2010 Wednesday: We are in Monroeville, Indiana tonight. Today is a "century" ride for the guys (meaning 100 miles). Partially because they were making up for a short day yesterday and partially because there were no campgrounds along the way to stop at. We thought we would see some camp spot along the way to Monroeville, but no such luck.
We stopped in the library parking lot in Monroeville to check the internet for camping and I went inside to ask the librarian, Judy, if she knew of any campgrounds. I said we were on a bicycle trip across the U.S. She told me the town opened their park pavilion for bicyclists and she called Warren to let us in. What a surprise! Not only is it a beautiful park but there is a full kitchen, bathroom with a shower and a washer/dryer, a tv with a vcr and all the air conditioned space we could use.....all available for us at no charge (donation appreciated). I am so amazed at the generosity and consideration of the people of Monroeville to offer this to bicyclists (as there are no campgrounds in the area). After riding 100 miles, it is really going to feel good to the guys to have all these comforts provided. Thanks Judy and Warren!
It was a beautiful drive today through the Indiana countryside; rolling hills, gorgeous huge trees, rivers and lakes.There are lots and lots, I mean lots of cornfields. Continued to see Amish people and carriages - so interesting. All day long, as I am driving along, I think of things to say in the blog and then I sit down to write and of course I can't remember most of it. I should write notes to myself.
The weather has cooled off, no rain for about 3 days which is really nice - makes picking up camp so much nicer than when everything is soggy. We are in that wonderful period of warm days and cool evenings....not too hot and not too cold.....oh I am so enjoying this!!! This is our last day in Indiana, and on to Ohio tomorrow.
August 24, 2010 Tuesday: We are in Amish country, Shewanee Indiana....we were grocery shopping in this store and there were all these Amish buggies parked outside. You see lots and lots of buggies driving down the roads in this area.
not your traditional Amish carriage but it works.....
It seems there are just as many lakes in Michigan as we saw in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Our campsite view.
As far as I can tell, in Michigan they call convenience stores "party stores" and they focus on beer, wine, liquor and lottery tickets.
I guess this is Michigan campground art.
The early morning lineup of carriages on Macinac Island.....just waiting for their passengers.
view from Macinac Island of the bridge between St. Ignace and macinaw City....this bridge is 5 miles long.
Bobby in front of a typical Macinac Island home....I would love to see inside this house, especially in the turret area.
August 20, 2010 Friday We are in Luther, MI. tonight. I think there are about 57 people in this town....very small. We have not found our campsite yet but believe it is what is know as rustic camping...no electric, pit toilets and a water pump. Do you think they will have cable tv and wifi? HA!
Last night we were in Traverse City, MI which is quite a big place on a bay of Lake Michigan. It is a tourist town, nice beach, tons of hotels and cute old downtown on a river. The campground we stayed in had 340 camp sights. Pretty big place. Traverse City claims to be the cherry capital of the world. We saw roadside places selling cherries but so far have not bought any. We did buy peaches (so juicy and deliscious!!!) and blueberries and a home made cherry pie. When the lumber business died out in this area, they were able to switch to fruit growing which allows them to continue to prosper.
There appear to be just about as many trees and lakes in Michigan as there were in Minnesota and Wisconsin. In other words, the place is loaded with them. No photos today....maybe I will have some for the next posting.
August 17, 2010 Tuesday We spent two days on Mackinac Island. One of the big reasons I was interested in visiting is because my niece, Kari, said she wants to become a vet and move to this island. She is 12 and has not been to Mackinac yet so thought I would visit and show her what it was like. 80% of the island is State Park and only 20% is privately owned. There is a Fort here which was a strategic defensive point in the early 1800's. It was known for fur trading and then very quickly became a tourist hot spot .....who knew they had tourist hot spots in the 1800's???? I thought they were fighting for survival!
Now the thing Mackinac is famous for is fudge.....Bobby tried out quite a bit of fudge...he was not thrilled and I think it is a lot of hype....not really that good. So if anyone was expecting us to send them some.....you can stop waiting. (Kari, you are getting a package in the mail, mailed from Mackinac Island, but it isn't fudge.)
Lighthouse, St. Ignace, MI. near Mackinac Island
harbor on Mackinack island
Market Street, Mackinac Island (pronounced Mackinaw - silent C) There are no cars on the island, they were outlawed in 1901 when a car caused an accident by scaring some horses - not so surprising it was a carriage company that was behind the ban on autos!!! The only modes of transportation are bicycles, horses, and foot.
The Grand Hotel, one of the earliest hotels when tourism on Mackinac Island became popular in the late 1800's. Now, if you are not staying in the hotel, you have to pay $10 to go in and see it. We took a carriage ride around the island and this was as close as we got to the hotel. It has 350 rooms now.
Doesn't this look like the ocean? Well, it is the coast of Mackinac Island and Lake Huron. It is so clear you can see right through the water. In the winter, the lake freezes and the 500 local residents of the island either have to take a snowmobile across the ice to St. Ignace or Mackinaw City or they have to fly. Supplies are all flown in after the lake freezes and the ferries cannot get through.
The private marina on Mackinac Island. There were lots of big expensive "cigarette" boats as well as sail boats.
The island if full of old Victorian style homes which are either private or bed and breakfast places. This is the old lighthouse which is no longer in operation but which has been restored.
This is the old lighthouse, the new working lighthouse, and the ferry dock on Mackinac Island.
Hogs Island State Park where we camped.
August 15, 2010 Sunday We are up early this morning to drive back to the route so the guys can ride on to the next town...not sure where that is yet...keep you posted. Each day brings many new things....
I read this quote that I really liked by Alice Walker: "I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it"
New Shoes: The photo on the left is of me at about 4 years old...I had gotten a pair of new patent leather shoes just before we went to a family gathering....I went around showing off my new shoes to everyone. My great aunt, Inga, was a wonderful painter and she painted a picture of me based on the photo below.
The photo on the right is today. These are my latest new shoes....not patent leather but Keens - my favorite brand of shoes. I am still loving new shoes and I imagine if you asked Bobby he would say I love new shoes a little more often than I really need them!
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Some funny things I noticed in Wisconsin near Cumberland is they had streets with names like "25 1/2 avenue" or "16 3/4 street". I couldn't quite figure out why they had those unusual names. They also designated their county roads with letters rather than numbers....so you would be on "H" road or "W" road. Just a little oddity I have not seen anywhere else.
Wisconsin also has flashing yellow lights along the road with "elk crossing" signs to alert you to the areas elk are likely to be on the road. Most states just have a sign - this was the first time I saw a flashing yellow light attached to it. Oh the things that thrill you when you are on the road.
Northern Wisconsin also has something people refer to as "the flowage". I have looked on line and still have not gotten a good handle on what the flowage is but it does have to do with water and wet lands. If anyone knows more about this, let us know. We are curious.
Many towns we enter have a big sign with a list of all the churches in town. The towns are often very small but their list of churches is often very long. Quite amazing when there seem to be more churches than houses.
August 14, 2010 Saturday The bike trip took us to Manistique, Mi. today which is on Lake Michigan. Bobby arrived first (JoAnne and I were getting Lucy's old changed and doing errands) and while he was hanging out in a coffee shop waiting for us, he got to talking to the coffee shop owner who told him Lake Superior was beautiful and that since we were so close, we really should check it out. So....off we went. And she was right, it is really something to see....
There are lots of waterfalls, lighthouses and interesting rock formations near Munising, MI. This could be the only photo of Bobby and I together from this entire trip....we are at Munising Falls. This is just one of 18 falls in the area.
The photo below shows some of the islands in Lake Superior
Miner's Castle Rock, Lake Superior on the Upper Peninsula (called the UP) of Michigan. Lake Superior is the largest of the great lakes and it seems as huge as the ocean. (It is 350 miles long and 1300 feet deep) It is blue and clear and clean and really beautiful.
Steve, JoAnne and Bobby walking down the stairs to the beach at Lake Superior. The sand is so white and actually softer than other sand I have encountered. It seemed like we were at the beach in Hawaii and made me a little homesick.
Bobby at the beach.
Loved this old red door - had to take a photo.
Crystal Falls, MI old time downtown on a hill with nice view of the trees...there are a lot of trees in Michigan. Didn't realize lumber was such a big industry here.
August 12, 2010 thursday
Lily pads on the lake, Wisconsin.
Cute stone building....a bar in Butternut, Wi.
Totem we saw outside Hayward, WI.....love the face...not the typical totem I have seen before.
Campground in Wisconsin: Nelson Lake Landing
We are in Michigan now....a town called Crystal Falls. We spent 4 days in Wisconsin....so many trees, lakes, cornfields, and fishermen. It is all about fishing. They have a fish here called a "muskie" which is the largest of the pike (or is it perch?) family I believe. They can get to be 60 inches long - remember these are lake fish, not ocean fish. That is a big fish!!! They will even eat meat....coming to the surface of the lake and eating a 2/3 grown duck! Wow.
Joanne and Trixie along the route from Butternut Lake and Star Lake, Wi.
It is also interesting in Wisconsin to be driving down the road, through a forest, nothing around but about every 10 miles there is a bar. Sometimes with food also but always a bar. This is the country of Pabst Blue Ribbon, Hamms, Schlitz....all those great beers (excuse me, yuck I mean!) This picture says it all: worms, minows and Pabst!!! What more does anyone need in life?
I noticed that I have been having lapses in memory lately. I get in the shower, shampoo, lather up, rinse off....get out of the shower, dry off and put my clothes on......only to discover I did not rinse the shampoo from my hair....so I have to get back into the shower and rinse and start all over again. I have done that several times....you would think I would learn!!
We will be riding along the Upper Peninsula and Lake Michigan, the only one of the great lakes fully contained in the United States. The others are partially in Canada as well. We are going to Macinac Island - no cars allowed - and then heading south in Michigan.
Doesn't Bobby look good after 3500 miles of bicycle riding?
August 9, 2010 Monday
Today Bobby got up as usual at 4:30 to have his coffee, wake up and get ready for his day's ride. He was all dressed in his biking gear, went outside and saw how foggy it was and came back in to wait for it to clear up. He said he was afraid he would not visible on the road and he might get hit. We had another thunder/lighting/rain storm last night and it is still MUGGY, MUGGY, MUGGY this morning. I am hoping we drive out of this weather soon.
This is a photo of the St. Croix River in Stillwater. It is such a picturesque place. I was trying to get the draw bridge in the photo but it off to the right behind the trees. There were so many trees and I was just too darn short to see above them. This has been one of my favorite towns on the whole trip.
Here is Bobby at The Bikery in Stillwater, MN. This place was so cute...it was a combination bike shop, bakery and coffee shop. Very clever idea. We went in to get a cup of coffee and Bobby needed his bike chain changed so they did that too. It was perfect. I just love their logo.
August 8, 2010 Sunday
The guys started the ride again today. We went from Marine on St. Croix (an adorable little town on the river where we camped at the William O'Brien State Park - not sure but I think William might have been a baseball player from Minnesota) to Cambridge, Wisconsin.
It is HOT and HUMID.....and I mean HOT and HUMID.....we have humidity in Hawaii but there are those lovely cooling trade winds that make it generally quite pleasant....this humidity feels quite oppressive - like a weight pressing down on me....not to mention the sweating and general stickiness. I almost feel like I am in Thailand again.
We had a big thunder/lightning/rain storm last with a tornado watch....didn't get any wind and there was no tornado but boy do they have thunder/lighting storms here!!!! We are probably going to have another one tonight....it is predicted anyway.....luckily we are in Lucy where it is dry and JoAnne and Steve have a fabulous tent with a complete rain fly so they stay dry too. When you are camping you really are impacted by the weather in a way you are not when you are in a house. I am also finding that both too hot and too cold are difficult for me to be comfortable in....though no one else is nearly as bothered by the heat or cold as I am.....guess I am just sensitive (Carol, I put that one in there for you!)
The excitement of today is that we did laundry and the laundromat was right next to the Dairy Queen so everyone got a frosty treat. What was the excitement of your day?
August 5, 2010
This is a drawbridge on the St. Croix River...a boat just passed underneath and it is being lowered back into position. Looks like an old style steamboat in the background - not sure but think it is a tourist activity.
Bobby sitting along the St. Croix river - the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin. Private boat marina in the background.
August 4, 2010
The guys rode from Springvale, Mn to Stillwater, Mn. today. We were so lucky to stay at this great RV resort in Springvale. We stopped to check it out, only to be told it was basically a seasonal place and they didn't rent to overnighters until.........we started talking about the bicycle trip.......and she said "oh, if it is bicyclists.....you can stay". It was beautiful, peaceful, and had a really nice swimming pool (which was much appreciated because it has been so darn hot and humid in Minnesota- I am sticky all the time!). So we are really thankful for the wonderful people at the Springvale Rv Resort. There were no other campgrounds for many miles and I don't know where we would have ended up. The further east we go the harder it is to find camp sites. Up until we got to Mn. it was quite easy, they just seemed to be all along the road or we used our Good Sam RV book to help us find them. But there just don't seem to be as many now....wonder what future states will be like?
I am keeping a list of unexpectedly cute towns and I have added Stillwater, MN to the list. It is an old logging town on the St. Croix river - Wisconsin is just on the other side of the river. It is all old brick buildings, quaint shops, lots of art and antique stores. I am hoping to go back tomorrow for a bit of browsing. Will try to post some photos tomorrow.
Hey, just a reminder, if you have not already checked out the page on Afica Vulnerable Children........check it out. We have been getting some donations from people along the way when we tell them about the bicycle trip. If anyone is interested in donating, you can do it on line with a credit card or mail them a check. It doesn't have to be a large amount of money either, all those small amounts people send in really add up.
I am not sure what this neat old building is - but it is tiny for sure....and these boats all leaning up against it......so cute.....it was by the ladies bathroom and I saw it this morning as I was going in for my shower.....which leads me to a very important point.....never go to the bathroom without your camera.....you don't know what you might miss!!!!!!!
Above, this is Aitken Lake where we stayed last night. See all the reedy things in the water? A nice fisherman gave Bobby some fish for us to cook tonight....can't wait to taste it.
A lot of these RV parks are full of "seasonal" people. They leave their RV parked all year round, even winter - though they don't use them in the winter. And people use their RV's just like a lake cabin....they just come down on weekends. This place had 30 seasonal spots and only 5 spots for nightly use. It was a beautiful and peaceful place to stay.
Above, the beginning of the Mississippi....Lake Itasca is in a basin that collects water from a large area and then it starts to run out here.....which is the Mississippi river - the fourth largest river in the world....isn't that amazing? It starts from this little bitty flow!
August 2, 2010, monday
We have not had wifi for several days so have not been posting. We are in Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes. As you drive down the road, there is a lake on the left, and one on the right, and one up ahead, and one behind you. They are everywhere.
We camped at Lake Itasca (the headwaters for the Mississippi River), then Cass Lake and last night at Aitkin Lake. There are campgrounds and lakes wherever you look. These lakes are a little different than the kind I remember from my childhood ( we had a little lake cabin) these lakes have a lot of reeds growing in them.
Seeing the start of the Mississippi River was amazing. I guess I never really thought of where rivers begin or how. They had a great visitors center at the park explaining all about the significance of the Mississippi's origin - The Mississippi used to be the west boundary of the United States so they needed to know where it started and where it ended.
It was quite dry in Montana and North Dakota but Minnesota is humid and wet. It is very green with lots of birch, ash, tamarack pine (they actually loose their needles in the fall - didn't know any pine trees did that) and maple trees.
I got to spend the night with my sister, Maria, in Fargo. It was really fun to get to know her a little better. I had already graduated from college before she was born and then I moved to Hawaii so we have not had that much of a chance to spend time together. I also was very excited to see my dear long time friend Amy - a roomy in college. We spent the day together and got caught up on news and talked about old times - it was a blast.
I thought I posted this photo already, maybe I erased it accidentally. Someone turned an old grain bin into a house. I just love this idea. Bobby and I are always looking for interesting possibilities for building and this one is very appealing.
JoAnne sitting in Kerry's dining room trying to figure things out - very deep things by the looks of it.
This is the view from Kerry's deck.....the river is pretty small now but in the spring it is much bigger....not exactly sure what that "bull" to the left of the photo is for but it looks like he keeps an eye on things.
Kerry's log home....the size is deceptive because it is built into the hill but it is actually 3 stories and very large. Kerry went to Minnesota and chose the trees, had them shipped to ND and he hand stripped each log. He did most of the work himself on the house and he did an amazing job.
Bobby..........after the ride!
This was the happening place in Stanley, ND.....a drive through liquor store. We couldn't find a camping spot so got permission to park our RV behind a hotel next to the Draftshorse Pub and the drive through liquor store did a steady business all night. Guess that is what oil field workers do in their off hours.
July 23, 2010 Friday
We are at Kerry's house in Harvey ND. We had some bad rain yesterday which made the roads unsafe for the guys to ride so we decided to spend a few days with my family. It is great to have a whole house to spread out in. Everyone has their own bedroom and bathroom and we can move around without someone having to sit down so we can get past them.
Dad and Bobby fixed the door on Lucy that fell off so we are good for another 50,000 miles with this door. Thanks Dad.
I will go out and take some pictures of the log home that Kerry built where we are staying. It is really beautiful and so comfortable.
Red is my favorite color so I am going to post in red today. We ate great mexican food last night at Don Pedro's in Williston. Now who would think Williston would have such good mexican food??? And good margueritas.
One of the joys of camping is coming into a campground or RV park and finding that they have free showers. Many of the places require you put quarters in a machine for a specific number of minutes. That doesn't make for a very relaxing shower....wondering if the water is going to run out before you rinse the soap out of your hair. We had free showers last night at Buffalo Trails.....and that is about the best thing I can say about this campground.
We set up our new tent last night and really like it. It is 9x9 and a much better size and shape than our last tent. And it has an innovative set up system. Not the regular poles you put together. I really hope this one can stand up to the wind without falling down or breaking.
It is still cold at night for me....but not until sometime in the middle of the night or early morning. That means I have to wake up and put on my wool socks, my hat with the ear flaps and gloves. Let me tell you, that is not what I want to do when I am sleepy in the middle of the night.
Lucy has been running really great. We did break a lever on the grey water tank but got that replaced yesterday. Then one of the outside doors fell off yesterday, the plastic kind of door that covers the electrical plug in stuff. But JoAnne, creative as always, figured out a temporary solution to that. She created some duck tape hinges and we hope they will be road safe....we will see today. Lucy is 27 years old and we think she is serving us well considering .....
Here isTrixie with her new hair cut...she did not want me to take her picture so you can see she wasn't smiling in this picture...
Here are those large round hay bales though from this picture you can't really tell just how big they are.
Here is a little fixer upper you can get for a good price in Eastern Montana. Any takers? That big round thing on the right is a round hay bail for those of you who have never seen one before.
Here are the stickers we have on Lucy showing some of the places we have visited. When we are done Lucy should be covered!Below: Steve and Trixie riding through Eastern Montana on the way to Savage where we will be spending the night. You can see how the land has flattened out. Above: The handoff - It was a bit hot for Trixie and she decided she was pooped and wanted to ride in the RV.
I saw this adorable little trailer, made my Hunt I think that was just so cute. I love the little awning and you can't see it but the rims are red...looks sort of french I think. It is a 70's model...would love to have one like this.
These are some photos I found today as I was going through my photo collections....paintings I have painted. As you can see, still life paintings....I was taking a class from a painter who believed in painting from real life, not from a photo....so there is a bit of limitation there.
This is the river view from our RV Park in East Glacier. The rivers, lakes, mountains abound here in Montana and there is always something beautiful to view. Everywhere the eye wanders is another wonder to behold. Doesn't that sound like something out of some old poetry book? See what happens when you travel? You change.
Bobby is cleaning his bike after a hard days ride. Below he is riding between Cut Bank and East Glacier....a hard day fighting the winds. There is a lot of bicycle care each day after the ride and of course daily personal maintenance (showers, etc) and stuff around camp or with the RV to take care of. Bobby, can you fix this? Bobby, can you do this? Bobby I can't do this, can you? So Bobby stays pretty busy even when he isn't riding.
We stayed at Riverview RV Park in Cut Bank MT. It was horrifically windy, very cold and we all slept in the RV together as we have now for the past 3 nights. It is just too cold to sleep in a tent, at least for me. The rock formations were fascinating as was the metal work statue of Jesus. Apparently the RV park used to be the home to a regular church group who had the statue made and set up on the property.
The thing I noticed in Washington the most was the astounding number of pine trees and the thing I notice in Montana is the astounding number of trains. I don't think we have stayed in an RV park in MT. that isn't near a train track except perhaps in Glacier Park itself.
I am having a difficult time with this blog spot. I can't seem to move the pictures and writing around at will so you can see there are some misalignments with the pictures and words. I am hoping to eventually figure it out. I seem to have gotten less skilled at this as time goes on than more...go figure.Here is a photo of Bobby crossing the border into Canada on our way to Waterton Park, which is the national park above Glacier on the Canadian side. Such different topography...as a result of the glacial action. We had gale force winds in St. Mary's, in Crooked Creek (Alberta, Canada) and again in Cut Bank, Mt.....and with the wind comes the cold.
This was taken near the top of Going to the Sun Road. It was freezing cold, breathtakingly beautiful and quite a scary drive. The road hung right on the edge of the mountain and there was no shoulder. So too bad but my camera battery died after this picture so my last one in Glacier. It was snowing when Bobby crossed the pass and the park ranger said it was 36 degrees at 9 that morning.
You can tell how windy it is here - look at Bobby's swim trunks (they had a jacuzzi at the RV park) tied to the RV ladder...they are flying straight to the left....Bobby had to set the tent up three times because the wind completely blew it down. I was so cold I couldn't sleep so I got up and sat and read in the 24 hour laundry room at this KOA park in St. Mary's, Mt. It was cold in the laundry room but at least it had real walls and there was no wind in there.
KOA campground in St. Mary's just outside Glacier National Park - we had a jacuzzi and I was warm for the first time since I can remember.
"Not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck." (Dalai Lama)
this should be my motto for this trip....I am going to be paying attention and ready to accept my stroke of luck.
Whitefish Lake State Park, Mt. - had a great art day here sitting by the lake. So peaceful and beautiful.
Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor Satan shudders and says "Oh no, she's awake" (unknown)
June 26, 2010
Farmer's Market, Sand Point, Idaho
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. "
(Albert Einstein)
Life in RV land!!! Here are a few Rv's from the park we are in today....this is a homemade wooden model. The guy has a microwave and a water spicket on his little porch and I imagine a bed inside - though I didn't ask him if I could go in and look....probably not a good idea. This guy works at Wal-Mart and lives here full time.
This must go along with the remodel idea "if you can't build out, build up"...I think he is a permanent fixture here in Travel America RV Resort. He doesn't look like he moves much.
RV land has tents as well as RV's. This is the most unique in Travel America today. Sort of reminds me of a circus tent or Aladin. I wonder if it is occupied by a giant and that is why all the extra headroom in the center of the tent.
June 25, 2010 Today we finished our trip across Washington State. I was surprised at the extent of the forested area in northern Washington. The trees go on and on and on and .....well you get the picture. A whole lotta trees. For all you tree huggers...there are lots of trees left to hug if you visit Washington.
I think we are getting better at traveling together. We have some systems in place and are figuring out more things all the time to make our time traveling easier and more fun. I thought we would play cards every night but it seems that often we are busy setting up or getting ready for the next day or just plain tired so not as much game playing as I imagined.
The weather has been warmer the last few days and I am so thrilled. I still start and end each day with socks and gloves and a few layers but in the middle of the day I am down to sleeveless things. I had forgotten how much the temperature varies within a day on the mainland. There is greater variation within one day here than we have all year in Hawaii. This means you may need clothes for all four season on any given day.....I seem to continually change clothes throughout the day....good thing I am traveling with my portable closet in Lucy.
It is so dry on the mainland, and so far we have been traveling in a relatively humid, wet state...but my skin is like an aligator's....or what I imagine an aligator's skin is like, since I have never actually touched one. So lovely!
Lucy is running fine and is a very dependable old girl. Even on the 3 day jaunt to Montana where we pushed her pretty hard, driving the entire distance from Helena back to Washington, she was a fine ride. We are very blessed to have her and we appreciate her everyday.
I have been on a quest this past month for the perfect plastic wine glass. There are many to choose from but they were either too plasticy, or too flimsy, or too large, or just plain ugly. Well today in the Safeway store in Newport, Wa. I found the perfect plastic wine glass. I can't wait to try it out this evening....or maybe even now....though it is only 3:30 but as they say "it is 5:00 somewhere"......so I wonder what will my quest be now?
So, tonight in Idaho and tomorrow in Montana....on our way to Glacier National Park.
June 24, 2010....stayed in BlueSlide, Wa. at this campground along the Pend Orielle River. The river is huge and mesmerizing to watch. We will travel along this river tomorrow on our way to Sand Point, Idaho. This is a small world...the owner of BlueSlide Rv Resort is from Kauai and when we checked in he gave us a box of chocolate covered mac nuts as a welcome. That Aloha follows you everywhere you go.
June 23, 2010 Back on the Road Again
Doesn't that sound like a healthy meal?
These are my new favorite shoes. They keep my feet dry even when it is raining and aren't they just the cutest?????
June 21, 2010
We are taking a temporary hiatus from the bike trip and heading directly for Helena Montana. Our good friend, Tony, died on Father's Day and we are going to a memorial for him. So sad that he isn't with us any longer ..we will miss him.
Here is Bobby in action pedaling his little heart out. Today the guys cross Sherman pass (5,500 feet) and that is the last pass in the north cascades. I think Bobby will be looking forward to some flatter ground for a while.
June 19, 2010 Traveling is an enlarging experience. There is such diversity and variety to see and experience and it is exciting and trying at the same time. I am finding that I am accustomed to having lots of time alone and I did not realize how essential that was for me. Being on the road in a 7 x 2o foot RV with four people and a dog doesn't allow for much solitude. And I am discovering that I get cranky when I am cold and wet or tired. I have noticed that many of my less desirable characteristics are showing up as we continue our adventure together (i.e. selfishness, impatience, intolerance, etc.) and it is a good opportunity for me to look at and work on myself. Not that I really want to but I have this awareness and once the awareness comes, I can't make it go away. So, I am noticing it and reminding myself to be loving and accepting of everyone and myself too.
I did not expect it to be as beautiful as it is along the North Cascade Highway. We are all continually saying "isn't this beautiful"? We just can't get over it. I don't have the poetic words to convey adequately what I am seeing and these pictures don't do it justice either. This land is amazing. And we are just starting.......I can only imagine what else we will see.
Diablo Lake along the North Cascade Hwy....snow on the mountains, mist and brrr.....cold but so beautiful.
Friday Harbor on the ferry ride from Sidney BC to Anacortes Wa.
I am pretty sure I wouldn't qualify for a vogue spread though in my sleeping attire.
Alert the Fashion Police yet again!
So sad to leave Dave and Star...here we are in Lucy saying the serenity prayer and doing our morning readings together....get some good energy going
June 10, 2010 Just a little interesting difference I noticed in Canada: if you want a buggy (Canadians sometimes refer to the cart as a buggy)you must follow the instructions noted in the photo below....I love step 2 - like you might not know to shop and pay? Maybe in Canada you have to tell people things like that. Paying for your cart and getting a refund only upon its return to the cart garage is quite a clever way of eliminating the need to hire someone to pick up carts.
Bobby, Steve, JoAnne, Trixie, David, and Star....
out for a walk in the woods behind their house.
(I was there too but I am taking the photo.)
This is a very large slug that Star is about to kiss because ....well I don't know why...Star, why do you love slugs? " I just think they deserve a a chance too....just because they move slowly doesn't mean we should step on them." So you heard it here first....the reason Star loves slugs.
JoAnne and I were with Star at the dollar store, trying on hats to wear for sleeping when it gets really cold. This photo is a tribute to our self-esteem, if we didn't have any we would never show this photo to anyone else. We are going to be so happy when the cold weather comes and we can wear these hats - no matter how we look! Look Out World: Fashion Statement -
Take Note!!!
June 5, 2010 Went to a cute organic coffee/pastry cafe this morning (so cool to have options besides Starbucks) and as we got out of the car I spotted this sign in a store window....had to take a picture...not sure why they felt the need to notify the people of Bend to keep their pants on (is there something we don't know about in Bend? Some trend of some sort where people spontaneously remove their pants?) Of course Bobby had to immediately start taking his pants off when he saw this sign.
June 4, 2010 Here we are at Jordan and Shira's house in Bend...thankfully the sun is shining and the rain is in the past. Bend is a gorgeous place and the ranch they live on is beautiful. Jordan made us egg pancakes for breakfast this morning - a Nelson family tradition. Bobby and I slept in the guest bedroom and it was nice to spread out a bit...we love Lucy but she is tiny. I am guessing Steve and JoAnne appreciated the privacy of having Lucy all to themselves too.
June 1, 2010: Last night was my first night to cook dinner....first had to figure out how to use our stove...got that down. Figured out how to hook Lucy (the RV) up to water and electric...but found a leak so had to turn the water off. Today got that fixed so now have water for the first time...quite the luxury! Dinner was tortilla casserole, which turned out great. Also salad and Bobby made rhubarb sauce. We played canasta and Stevie B and Lisa dawn won....no doubt there will be many rematches. We spent a lot of time today at Fred Meyers (a store similar to Walmart but that also has food - I love that store, so many choices and good prices) We are all just figuring out how to do everything in Lucy and with Lucy...none of us has RV experience so lots of "firsts" for us everyday. The sleeping conditions are great...really comfy beds. Steve and JoAnne are sleeping in the tent this week and the tent with cots is also really comfy. No one has tried out the shower in Lucy yet....will keep you posted on that as it happens....HA!
