Vote early, vote often!

Tue. Nov. 2: Election Day. Since we had voted absentee, we didn’t have voting to worry about. We ate breakfast and hitched up the trailer to the truck down at the Club House where we had parked them. After loading up our stuff we bid a fond good-bye to Chuck and Mary and hit the road for the last time at about 9:30. We weren’t sure if we would stop to camp on the way home or do the whole thing in one day. There had been a heavy frost and the temperature was barely about freezing when we left. But it was sunny and not a bit windy, so it was a fine day for driving in the mountains of Pennsylvania in late autumn. With no hold-ups we decided by lunchtime that we’d go all the way home today, taking short breaks along the way. We stopped in Saline to say a quick hello to my mom and made it home by 10:00. It had been a really nice trip and we felt like we were gone longer than two weeks. We paid from $2.59 to $2.94 for gas, and saw it as high as $3.03 in Bethesda. We averaged 17 miles to the gallon getting to the Parkway, 14 miles per gallon in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and about 16 miles per gallon coming home today. We had seen a lot of family and good friends and all in all are quite content with our second Autumn Adventure of Retirement.

Monday, Monday...

Mon. Nov.1: We didn’t hurry to get on our way this morning. Then, just before we were ready to go, we realized that we had lost ability to connect to our email through ATT. A bit of research showed that we hadn’t paid the bill which had come due while we were gone. Marv paid it with credit card and it was re-established within a few hours. When we hit the road Chuck and Mary first drove us by a Mansion/Inn they had wanted to check out. We found it but they weren’t serving lunch on this Monday and it was early for us to eat anyway so we just drove by to see it. It was a gorgeous day for driving through the lovely and historic countryside. We dropped by the Nissley Vineyard and did their informative self-tour. Nissley’s “Rhapsody in Blue” was featured at the Democratic Convention and dedicated to Barack Obama. Mary and Chuck have three bottles of it in their collection! We followed the tour with a wine tasting and Marv and I ended up buying a case (unheard of for us) of four different wines we liked. Then they took us to their favorite furniture place, George’s Woodworking. Anthony gave us an in-depth tour of the showrooms, workshop, and “museum”. His affection for the late George and the intimacy of the operation were clearly evident, and the workmanship of the pieces is outstanding. We spent a long time there before winding our way back for Chuck and Mary to set-up their Democratic table at their local precinct for tomorrow. We had a quick lunch of Sloppy Joes and then went out again. This time we drove to a favorite toy store of Chuck’s, which features a huge selection of tractors and farm equipment. We then went to the 125 year old Wilbur Chocolate Factory in Lititz. After watching their video on all things chocolate and looking at their modest collection of memorabilia we each bought a bag of their chocolate “Nibs”, yummy little kisses the shape of chocolate chips, but about 3 times bigger. We finished there and walked around the historic town but, since it was after 5:00, most of the shops were closed. They had hoped to eat at the General Sutter Inn, but it was closed on Mondays. Instead we drove home and relaxed a while before going to Gus’s Diner for supper. After that we went home for a hot game of 3-D Blokus, which the engineer in the group (Chuck) lost big time!! It had been a really fun, relaxing day.

Goblins, Alley Cats, Witches on brooms....

Sun. Oct. 31: Happy Halloween!!! We got up in a leisurely manner with the advantage of knowing that Lou was making a big breakfast for us. We could take our time putting things away and packing up the camper. Lou made his special potato pancake and sausage and veggie scrambled eggs. Yummy!! Then we took down the camper and parted ways with our dear friends. We headed over to Hank and Janis’ house, where we hung out and talked while Janis made Eggs Chesapeake and Bilinis for a late lunch. Connor joined us and we ate on the back porch in the warm sunlight. After cleaning up we took Jinx for a long walk over to Connor’s high school so Hank could check the sponsor banners for which he is responsible. Then we circled back through town by the fountains that Jinx loves to romp in. It was 4:30 by the time we got back to the house so we needed to begin our drive to Mount Joy, PA to stay with Chuck and Mary. On our way out we passed the campground we originally had a reservation for and felt vindicated for the change to Lake Fairfax because it would have been farther away and not nearly as convenient. Our usually reliable GPS didn’t have Mount Joy in it so it took a little finagling but we finally managed to get to Chuck and Mary’s around 8:00 or so. After a tour of their lovely new home, chatting a while, and having brownie sundaes, we got to bed about 11:00.

Sanity Prevails!!

Sat. Oct. 30: What a Day!!! We got up and had eggs for breakfast since we had no idea when we’d eat again. While I took a shower, Marv talked to Elliott. They agreed that we would meet at the Wicks’ house and leave for the Metro together by 10:30. That was later than Marv had planned but then we ended up leaving the campsite about 10:30, so it became even later. We drove the 6 of us in our truck to West Falls Church station and encountered a mass of humanity. Thanks to Kathy’s directions we went through the bottom floor of the parking garage and found a spot to park next to the fence, where as other people were filling in the parking garage. We walked over and got in a line that people were saying was about 45 minutes to buy passes. It wound from the station down the block and doubled back on itself. Reconciling ourselves to the wait and treating it as the beginning of the rally, we talked with each other and others in line and enjoyed checking out the posters and costumes. I was in touch with both Ken and Linda through texting so they kept us apprised of what was happening at the Mall. After waiting more like an hour we were getting close to the station building when people who had been in line ahead of us began coming back out of the station saying that the cars were arriving crammed full and that there were thousands of people waiting on the platform, unable to get on the trains. Our plan to go to the other side and ride out and then back in was thwarted when we realized that others closer to town were doing the same thing so those cars were full, too. As we discussed our options we realized that we weren’t even seeing train cars pull up to the station. Just as we entered the station they announced that one of the Mall area stations had been closed because of a suspicious package. By then it was 1:00 or so (the rally had begun at 12:00) and we decided there was nothing to be done but to drive down to the Mall and try to find a parking spot near where Kathy had once worked. Once we got rolling the traffic wasn’t really awful and it felt more productive to be moving. It took a lot of searching but then Marv found a place on 4^th street, about 7 blocks from the Mall. We entered the mass of the crowd right near where the giant stage was set up. We joined the throngs of people and tried to work our way closer to see and hear what was happening. But it soon became apparent that we’d never make it so we headed across Virginia Street to where we could see giant speakers. In an instant we lost Jan and Lou but decided we couldn’t possibly find them so we’d just have to hope they’d meet us back at the truck. Cell phones did us no good at all, since the band width was apparently overwhelmed by too many hits. (We never could get in touch with Hank or Chuck and Mary so we didn’t know what was happening with them.) Luckily, as we walked along in the barely moving crowd, I happened to look up and see Lou and Jan. Our little sextet crossed the sidewalk, went under some trees and found a spot where we could sometimes see a bit of two of the giant screens that were showing what was happening on the stage and we could hear very clearly. As we settled in, Steven Cobert and Jon Stewart were beginning their “debate” on Sanity VS Fear. It was both amusing and provocative as they sparred with words and video but eventually Jon Stewart won and wiped out Cobert and fear. He then spoke inspiringly for several minutes about the meaning of the Rally, John Legend and Roots did a final song, and it was over. But as we made our way back to the truck we were thankful we had made the effort. We left town via the George Washington Parkway with very little delay. Back at their gorgeous house, Elliott had recorded the MSU/Iowa game so we began watching it on his giant projection wall, speeding through the commercials. Sadly, Iowa thoroughly thrashed MSU 39-6. L We ordered Chinese food and had a very enjoyable dinner, talking and laughing until nearly 10:00 when we drove back to the campground.

Go Bethesda Barons!!

Fri. Oct. 29: The wind continued to blow fiercely and the temperature fell to 35°. BRRRR…! We didn’t get out our sleeping bag so I hovered just on the edge of being too cold all night, but not awake enough to really get up and do anything about it. In the morning we turned up the furnace and warmed up enough to get dressed. Then we had hot coffee and oatmeal and warmed up enough to break camp and be on our way. We stopped at the Visitors Center at the main road but found it wasn’t open and just walked through the Gift Shop. Lou and Jan led the way today and were lucky enough to have a black bear cross the road right in front of their van!! Jan tried to point it out to us out the window but we just thought she was showing us the huge boulder beside the road. We had many stops today for overlooks but with temperatures that didn’t get out of the low 40s until we left the Drive, strong winds that continued most of the day, and over 80 miles to cover at 35 miles an hour, we didn’t linger anyplace for long. But we did spend a while at the Big Meadow Visitors Center where they had a very nice display on the history of the Shenandoah National Park and the building of Skyline Drive, including two short videos that we watched. When we finished we drove on up to the historical lodge and had lunch there. Back on the drive we found that at the higher elevations the leaves were pretty much off the trees but as we descended and finally left the park at Front Royal the temperature was in the mid 50s and autumn hadn’t made as much impact. When I could get a signal on my phone we found messages from Kathy Wicks and Hank. Kathy encouraged us to camp at Lake Fairfax County Park near Reston, where they live. This would allow us to avoid driving on the Beltway. So after we did a bit more research on our own, we decided to do just that. Hank told us that Connor (#55) had an important football game at Churchill High School in Potomac and wondered if we wanted to meet then there to watch it. We got registered and set-up at the campground by 6:30. So with an address from Jan and Lou’s Streets and Maps program we entered it in the GPS and drove straight to the game, surprising Hank and Janis very much. Sadly, the Bethesda Barons lost the game. L But we felt great for having made the effort and found them. We had pizza and hot chocolate there and stayed to the end before heading back to the park. We unwound with Jan and Lou for a while and then retired to the camper to write and shower before going to bed around 11:30. We have a big day in front of us tomorrow!!

Oh Shenandoah, I long to see you...

Thu. Oct 28: We awoke today to a breezy and mostly sunny 61°. After a quick bowl of Cheerios and coffee we closed up the camper and drove down to the Peaks of Otter Visitors Center to see their displays. We found out that there was no Wi-Fi at the lodge, and the building isn’t historical, so we didn’t go to visit it at all. Just down the road we took the 1.6 mile hiking trail down to and along the Fallingwaters Cascade. This was a really beautiful and fairly rigorous trail that started out descending steeply to our first glimpse of the water, continued along the side of the cascade for a while, crossed a bridge and headed up the other side of the mountain on a longer but more gradual slope. The vistas were so lovely and the sun filtered through gold, yellow and red leaves. The last part of the trail actually took us above the parking lot level and across Flat Top peak before going back down to the vehicles. We took our time and didn’t push it too much so we were pleasantly tired but not exhausted when we got back. We drove on, enjoying many overlooks and vistas on a splendid day that just got clearer and clearer. About twenty miles after passing the highest point on the Parkway in Virginia (Apple Orchard at 3920 feet), we crossed the James River at the lowest elevation on the Parkway (649 feet). We stopped at the Visitors Center there and bought a National Park Passport that we will try to get stamped from now on, and fill in retroactively for a few spots we have seen since retiring and don’t anticipate getting back to see. Near the Visitor’s Center there is a restored Canal Lock that shows how they tried to fulfill George Washington’s vision of connecting the Atlantic seacoast to the Mississippi River system by way of locks and canals along the Potomac and the James Rivers. The railroad overtook the canals in efficiency before the plan was fulfilled but it was a considerable start on his dream. We enjoyed a picnic on the banks of the James River before climbing back in the vehicles to continue our journey. We continued to stop often to take in the amazing vistas and overlooks and exited the Parkway at the northern terminus about 4:00, driving west about 4 miles to Waynesboro. We found a Kroger and bought some groceries and then went to a McDonald’s for a snack and the Wi-Fi. I quickly updated the blog (without taking time to add pictures), and we each did a short email check and got on the Skyline Drive soon after 5:00. The two drives proved to have many similarities, but the Skyline was a bit busier and, because of an injection of stimulus money, has had a lot of updates recently. There are many more overlooks (75 along its 105 mile length) and things in general are better taken care of. Sunset was fast approaching and we were actually on the western side of the ridge to see that it was going to be very nice. As luck would have it, we came to a turn out just as we needed it. But—ARGH!!—our tax money at work, it was closed. We were relieved that another soon followed and we got some nice pictures there and again after the sun had set completely but the clouds were lit with pinks and purples. We got to Loft Mountain campground after 7:30 and it was quite dark. A herd of 5 deer watched us pull into the campground and then continued their grazing without concern for us. We picked out a large pull through site to share for $7.50 each because of Lou’s Senior Pass. It was right on the edge of the eastern facing ridge, overlooking a valley with twinkling lights far, far below. The Appalachian Trail ran right next to our campsite and in the morning we saw backpackers setting off on their hardy journey. We set-up quickly and decided against cooking our brats on a campfire because the wind was howling outside and the temperature was dropping fast. Instead Lou cooked then in their van and brought them to our camper to eat. We lingered over our simple supper and went to bed about 10:30.

...Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River....

Wed. Oct. 27: We heard rain coming and going all night but the temperature remained in the low 60s. We ate a quick breakfast and closed up the camper during a lull in the light rain. Just as we finished it really poured so we felt quite grateful to have avoided that! Back on the parkway it rained fitfully but most of the time we didn’t have much trouble with visibility. The overlooks were not as spectacular as we had anticipated until we came to ….There we were afforded a breathtaking view of the far below valley and the mountains beyond to the east. It felt like we were on top of the world. From then on we were treated to many other nice overlooks. We were now following what they call the Crest of the Blue Ridge and there were places where the land fell abruptly on both sides of the road. We left the Parkway at Roanoke to get lunch. We found the SoRo (South Roanoke?) Chill and Grill and had a nice lunch. But my wrap had avocado with some bad spots in it which tainted the taste of one half. When the waitress asked how our wraps were I showed her the black avocado. After talking to the kitchen she offered me a free dessert. So we all shared a big piece of peanut butter cheesecake. Yum! We continued north on the Parkway and stopped at a Visitors Center with a 20 foot topographical map of the Parkway, which helped orient us all. We spent some time looking at their displays and talking to a Park Ranger. This area used to be a bigger display of old buildings called Park Explore but none of it seems to be opened anymore. An interesting thing was that a production company out of Atlanta was there making a nonfiction movie about settler’s daughters who had been kidnapped by Cherokees and we saw some of the actors in make-up. Although the rain had mostly stopped and we had enjoyed some mostly sunny periods while we were in the Center there was a terrific downpour. When we came out the sun was again shining. We left the camper and truck at one of the overlooks near the Visitors Center and we all took the steep and winding drive up Roanoke Mountain in Jan and Lou’s van. It had some nice vistas but not any nicer than what we had seen already. Back on the Parkway we drove up and down between 1000 and 3000 feet with the truck averaging about 14 miles per gallon, in stark contrast to the 17 miles per gallon we had until we got to the mountains. We stopped at many overlooks and took a short hike to see the Roanoke River Gorge. At one point Jan and Lou just missed hitting a deer. Later on we had a buck run across in front of us, but it wasn’t as close as theirs. We pulled over at one overlook where we could also walk on the Appalachian Trail, which was now crossing back and forth over the Parkway in places. As we returned to the truck we saw a gorgeous rainbow over the mountain in front of us. For the next 5 miles or so we were driving right towards that rainbow. We set-up for the night when we got to “Peaks of Otter” campground around 6:00. As we pulled in an 8 point buck calmly watched us from next to the road before turning and walking away. We were all alone until one other camper joined us. The campgrounds are nearly shut down at this time of year and we haven’t been able to get water from the spigots. But the bathrooms with cold running water are still open. We started a fire and were content to snack on crackers and cheese and fruit, since we had had large sandwiches at lunch. The sky cleared off and filled with stars and we were ready for bedtime about 10:00. It had been another richly satisfying day on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Foggy Mountain Breakdown...

Tue. Oct. 26: We awoke to the sunrise through our bedside window where we had watched the nearly full moon for the last two nights. It was 61° and windy with some sun and some clouds. We broke camp and drove back to the State Park main entrance where we left our camper and truck and rode with Jan and Lou to explore that area a bit. We enjoyed seeing the Glade Creek Grist Mill which was built from parts of three other mills in 1976 and put near the site of the original mill. We drove up to see Boley Lake, where they have canoes, kayaks and peddle boats to rent during the summer and early fall. Then we continued up the hill a bit further and took the short hike to see Island in the Sky. This rocky knob has a shelter built by the CCC and several side paths that lead to spectacular rock overlooks. We had fun climbing around on there for a while and then returned to our truck and took Highway 41 to I-77, which is mostly a toll road in West Virginia. Highway 41 was about 30 miles of rugged up and down beauty. After climbing to about 2000 feet we descended to follow a creek for a while and then cross over and follow the New River. With the autumn colors and falling leaves it was really lovely. But I-77 seemed a good choice for crossing the Appalachian Mountains. We stopped at a rest area just over the Virginia boarder to have a picnic and make reservations for camping near Washington, DC on Friday and Saturday nights. As we traveled on to the 3000 feet elevation mark, we could see wisps of fog rising in patches and reminding us why they are called the Smoky Mountains in this area. Just as we got to Fancy Gap and entered onto the Blue Ridge Parkway the fog thickened and we were totally socked in, with visibilities of a few hundred feet. There was no chance of enjoying the famous overlooks and vistas as we crept along. We pulled over at the first feature, Puckett Cabin, and talked over our options. We decided there was nothing to do but continue on and, luckily, the fog soon lifted and we were better able to enjoy the drive. Our GPS showed clearly how the Parkway truly follows right along the edge of the towering ridge, affording wonderful vistas of the valleys and mountains beyond. After picking up some groceries and buying gas at Meadows of Dan, we parked at Mabry Mill and walked around the historic area with its artifacts of 19^th century Appalachian life. The Mill itself is the most photographed feature on the Parkway. We approached our first campground at about 5:00 and agreed we would spend the night there at Rocky Knob. Rain was beginning to fall off and on again and by the time we had registered and set-up, it was getting pretty dark. We had leftover chili wraps in Jan and Lou’s van and then came to our camper to play dominoes. We quit about 10:30 and right after they left, the rain which had started and stopped many times through the evening, began to really pour down as thunder rumbled outside. We are so grateful to have our cozy camper to sleep in on this stormy evening!

Pictures will follow later when we have more time.

Almost heaven, West Virginia...

Mon. Oct. 25: The temperature didn’t drop much more during the night. But we awoke to a gentle on-&-off again rain. After lingering over oatmeal and coffee we decided to hike the Mann’s Creek Gorge Trail, which began right at the campground. Foolishly, we didn’t bring our map or even water as we set off on a trail that we hadn’t really looked at for length or anything else. We hiked down to the creek and followed it for a while past some gentle falls area. The very light rain stopped for good and we began to climb. Up and up we went, stopping frequently to enjoy the spectacular views and colors of the gorge. The sun popped in and out and there was a gentle breeze. We reached what seemed to be a crest on the climb but had no way of knowing if we were continuing without stop, if we would circle back, or if we would come to a paved road or something. Since we had been hiking for about an hour and a half and the trail seemed to be descending, we decided to retrace our steps and return to the campground. In all we hiked for about two and a half hours. When we got back we looked at the map and saw that we would have come to a paved road and had a long walk back on it so what we did worked just as well for us. We probably had hiked about 4 miles. After a well earned, late lunch and a bit of a rest we got on our bikes and set off again, this time taking the map! We knew where we were going this time but couldn’t tell the topography from the map. After flying down a steep hill on a paved service road we had a long, slow climb up a hill that none of us managed to pedal entirely. Marv made it the farthest but we all had to walk some of it, pushing our bikes. We proceeded to go up and down several similar hills past the cabin area and through some lovely wooded areas. We saw only two cars most of the way. Along one side of a ridge we were treated to an amazing lookout with a view of the forested gorge and mountains in the distance. This is truly what we had come on the trip to see! We went down one more long hill and took a short hike to a small natural rock arch. Continuing on we had a short sudden hill we had to walk up and came out at the entrance to the main gate of the State Park which leads to a grist mill, swimming pool and other attractions. We knew that what goes down must go up and we were dreading climbing back up where we had come. We spent a long time discussing our options, including having Marv, the strongest biker, ride back to the campground and bring the truck to pick us up. Finally we decided to try the main highway back and just see how far we could make it and how busy it was. We climbed one long moderate hill right at the beginning, rounded a curve and were amazed that it was then nearly two miles of coasting downhill to the turn out for the campground. How could that be?!?! As Jan said, “You just wanted to yell Yahoo all the way down!” We walked the bikes up one last very steep but short hill and we had made it back. We had ridden 5¼ challenging but paved miles and had earned a cold beer to celebrate. After showers combined our veggies for a pork stir fry and rice. We enjoyed another campfire and s’mores and then our beds couldn’t have been more welcome.

Happy Birthday to Craig, Happy Birthday to Craig...

Sun. Oct. 24: Happy Birthday, Craig!! This was a day for mostly driving. We ate a quick bowl of cereal, took down the camper, and got back on the road by 10:00. We drove by Fort Boonesborough but when we saw that it was $8.00 each for admission and knowing that we would feel rushed, we decided to pass on touring it. We took a highway at an angle up to I64 and headed east. About two hours later we were at the Information rest area in West Virginia, where Jan and Lou joined us within half an hour or so. Together we decided to take a Scenic Byway called the Midland Trail out of Charleston into the New River valley area. The color along the way was nice but muted because of the drought here, too. But some of the views were spectacular as we followed the Kanawha River for about an hour before we climbed up to 1900 feet in a short time and then drove through some rolling countryside far above the rivers. It was mostly sunny and low 80s the whole way. We stayed at Babcock State Park, where we could have electricity because Lou and Jan seemed to be having trouble keeping a charge on their battery in the van. It is a nice park with lots of towering oak trees and only two other campsites taken out of 55 or so. We ate their chili and our marinated vegetable and feta salad for dinner, enjoyed a campfire and s’mores and went to bed just before midnight with the temperature in the high 50s.

T'is a gift to be simple, t'is a gift to be free...

Sat. Oct. 23: This morning as we left the campsite after breakfast, a caravan of trucks was pulling in next to us. There was a large “stake” truck that appeared to be filled with fence pieces and other items destined to be another elaborate display on the two empty sites next to ours. Marv took a couple of pictures and then we set off to take a driving trip through the Kentucky Heartland Blue Grass area. This is one of the Scenic Drives featured in our road atlas. We followed a narrow country road northwest from the campsite through some stunning countryside. As we approached Highway 68 and got closer to Lexington, the road got wider and busier. We got on Man O’ War Parkway and met up with Highway 68 going southwest. As the atlas says, “the most prominent feature of this region is its miles of black and white fences, behind which thoroughbred horses graze…” The famous blue grass is decidedly brown right now as they have suffered from drought conditions since July. After passing through the palisades of the Kentucky River we climbed out of the valley to the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. Although the colony effectively disbanded in 1910 and its final resident died in 1926, many of the shaker buildings have been restored and are open for tours. We spent a delightful 5 hours or so exploring and savoring the gorgeous weather (temperatures in the seventies and sunny skies) and the peaceful environment of the “heaven on earth” that the Shakers established here. We had a leisurely lunch in the dining hall of the Trustees Office where they are devoted to offering traditional dishes with food grown on the premises or bought locally. Towards the end of our visit Ken called to recount the exciting MSU/Northwestern game which MSU won, bringing their season to 8-0. We regretfully left the village and took a circular route back to the campground. We passed through Harrodsville which was settled in 1775 and is the oldest village in Kentucky, stopped in Richmond to update the blog and wash the truck, and got back to the campsite around 7:00. We had a light supper of soup, tabbouleh, and fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. We walked around the campground again after dark and saw that people are still adding to their displays, although our next door neighbors haven’t begun yet. This place is going to be unbelievable by next weekend, with thousands of dollars in decorations on display. We talked to Jan and Lou and agreed to meet them tomorrow around Huntington, West Virginia, after we have had a chance to see Fort Boonesborough since we’re here.

Kentucky

Fri. Oct. 22: We ate breakfast, packed up the camper and were on the road by 10:00. We were a little surprised to see three campers lined up, ready to check-in, as we were leaving. Having looked more carefully at maps and talked to Lou and Jan, we knew that our original plan of going to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and driving the entirety of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive while camping in Shenandoah National Park and getting to Washington, DC by Oct. 30 for the Jon Stewart “Rally to Restore Sanity” was a bit too ambitious. Instead we drove to Louisville to visit our first and favorite babysitter, Ellen, and her husband Elmer and the new baby, Dario. His two big brothers were at school so we didn’t get to see them. L We said we’d bring lunch but then didn’t come across anything good in half an hour of driving around looking for a Subway. But Ellen told us there was a nice café just down the block from them in German Town so we walked with the baby to it for lunch. It was a beautiful sunny day, about 70° and we sat in a little alcove by ourselves where they could set up his portable rocking cradle to enjoy lunch and good desserts. It was leisurely and pleasant to have a good chance to catch up on their lives since they moved here from Nicaragua about two years ago. Ellen is working for the National Presbyterian office in Mission Trips and Elmer has recently started an interim position as pastor for a Hispanic Presbyterian church in Nashville, 2 ½ hours away. He goes down overnight each weekend and is enjoying being involved leading a church once again. As we left Louisville around 3:00 we decided we should check with the State Parks towards which we were driving to see if we would be able to get it. The first one was full! Yikes!! I then called Fort Boonesborough State Park. They had one site left that would accommodate our camper so I reserved it on the spot. Once again the GPs took us right to it and we checked in. A giant banner proclaiming “Welcome to Halloween Fest” hung from the trees and as we drove through to our campsite it was clear that there was a very serious celebration going on! It turns out that the Halloween Fest lasts for 13 days. The park personnel begin decorating at the end of July and finish up in time for the Fest. But nearly every campsite was also decorated with elaborate graveyards, blow-up characters, and pumpkins galore. One site had a complete maze; another had hundreds of lighted jack-o-lanterns. We were told that there is a minimum one week stay, one can make reservations a year and two weeks ahead of time, and that 80% of the reservations are filled in about 7 ½ hours on the first day. (I’m not sure how we were able to get our two nights but we were glad we did.) Each day of the 13 day Fest has a theme and is filled with activities, mostly aimed at children, of course. But we went for “Pirate Putt-putt Golf” for $4.00 each this evening. It included food and a round of putt-putt on their old cement course which was ornately decorated with lights and skeletons and graveyards around a pirate theme, with piped in “Halloween-y” music. Then we enjoyed a chili dog, Fritos, hot chocolate and a s’more. We were about the only adults there but we had a great time! Not only were the decorations terrific, but we played under a full moon that was just rising, which made it stunning! We rode our bikes back to the campsite taking in all the wonderful decorations, made even more exciting with literally hundreds of lights shining in the darkness. It was magical!!

On the Road Again...

Wed. and Thu., Oct. 20 & 21: Despite having to load the fridge and the freezer, and fold up the camper, we got on the road to Indianapolis by 8:00. We had no problems on the drive down and the GPS took us right to the county campground Marv had found on the internet. It turned out to be nearly deserted, full hook-ups for $20.00 a night, and right on the White River. We were surrounded by old growth trees and our site was on the river bank. Lovely! After dropping the camper and eating a quick lunch, the GPS took us 19 miles to Sarah and Craig’s new house in Carmel. We arrived to find that Sarah’s friend, Marie, was there with her two daughters. She had brought lunch and helped Sarah begin setting up the kitchen. Sarah and Craig have nearly everything moved at least into the garage. There are still a few things in their storage unit and the swing/climber and wooden patio chairs at the old house. Craig hopes to move them this weekend with the help of a friend whose dad has trucks for his business. We spent the two days helping with some unpacking and settling, with Marv mostly doing projects from Sarah’s list and me playing with the boys so that Sarah could work on the house. Marv ran a water line for the very nice refrigerator that has ice and water on the door but had never been hooked up. He also changed out three light fixtures and went with Sarah to get the freezer contents, some planters and the patio chair cushions from the old house. Craig came home from work both evenings and got right to work, carrying, carrying, and carrying boxes in from the garage. They are exhausting themselves with decisions about where things will go, but I think they’re going to be very happy with the new place. The yard is huge and fenced, which makes Samantha The Dog so happy! The people they bought from left several raised beds of herbs and vegetables including ripe tomatoes and eggplants, celery, many kinds of peppers, basil, radishes, and asparagus, strawberry and raspberry patches! The house is on a cul-de-sac with about 8 houses total and is extremely quiet, particularly after the noise on Keystone. Playing outside with Jordan and Elijah, I met the two girls in the house next door, and the couple who live on the other side. They have 4 grown children and many grandchildren who visit regularly, since all live within 20 minutes, including one or two in the same neighborhood. The Grandma (Margie?) is a pediatric nurse and they said they were very happy to see kids move in next door. I also met Mark and Sarah who live across the street and they have a Jordan, too, who is older than our Jordan but they didn’t say how old. Margie assured me it was a wonderful neighborhood and that Sarah and Craig would love it there. The first night we took everyone out for dinner to celebrate Craig’s birthday and that Craig had passed his first and hardest certification test—the one on Structures. He was very relieved because he knows many people who have to take and retake it to pass, and he passed the first time. We’re very proud of him. The second night Sarah made spaghetti and meatballs with whole wheat pasta. Yummy! We left after dinner and carrying a few more loads while helping get the boys in bed. It’s hard to leave them with so much still to do, but we know that they will make it and in a week or so it will really be feeling like home.

Alaska Adventures: Day 18--July 6

Tue. July 6: Everything today went without a hitch. We arrived at the Vancouver airport with plenty of time to spare, went through US customs there without a hitch, and took off on time at about 11:19 for the flight to Chicago. None of the TV or the movie, “Date Night” appealed to me, so I listened to four or five “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” shows on My IPod, did the airline magazine crossword puzzle and read to pass the time. The weather was threatening in Chicago so they let several other planes take off ahead of the storm to the south and then we made the quick flight back to Grand Rapids, arriving about 9:00. After a quick bite to eat at McDonald’s, Shelby and Ann delivered us to our waiting truck back in Hastings. So we returned to East Lansing by around 11:30, which was only 8:30 Vancouver time. We putzed around for a while and went to sleep by 1:30. It had been an unforgettable trip that went more smoothly from start to finish than anyone could dare hope. Check back here often to see where The Savage Traveler will be going next. Right now, even she doesn’t know!

Alaska Adventures: Day 17--July 5

Mon. July 5: Our last day in Vancouver! So we spent it in the best way possible—we took the ferry to Vancouver Island. We got up early, got on our way and caught the 8:00 ferry to have a good long day of it. On our way through the narrows of the islands we were thrilled to see a pod of orcas swimming along, breaching and diving. (A naturalist on the afternoon told us she only sees them about a quarter of the time!) That helped to make the 1½ hour trip go more quickly. The GPS took us straight to our first destination—Butchart Gardens. In 1888, near his birthplace, Owen Sound, Ontario, the former dry goods merchant, Robert Pim Butchart, began manufacturing Portland cement. By the turn of the century he had become a highly successful pioneer in this burgeoning North American industry. Attracted to the West Coast of Canada by rich limestone deposits vital for cement production, he built a factory at Tod Inlet, on Vancouver Island. There, in 1904, he and his family established their home. When Mr. Butchart exhausted the limestone in the quarry near their house, his enterprising wife, Jennie, conceived an unprecedented plan for refurbishing the bleak pit. From farmland nearby she requisitioned tons of top soil, had it brought to Tod Inlet by horse and cart, and used it to line the floor of the abandoned quarry. Little by little, under Jennie Butchart's supervision, the abandoned quarry blossomed into the spectacular Sunken Garden. Added onto in subsequent years it is now a spectacular area where we happily wandered for 4 hours. We saw about half of the gardens before taking a break to eat our picnic lunch. Then we walked through the other half. Sometime during the afternoon the clouds began to disperse and it became a stunningly sunny afternoon. I can’t decide if it inspires me to go home and do great things in my gardens, or discourages me from trying anything at all! My favorites were probably the massive beds of towering flocks, the Italian garden beds of many colors that reminded me of a patchwork quilt, and the extensive rose garden. And of course, the sunken garden made from the emptied limestone pit was magical!

From there we drove to Victoria. Marv found a parking place right on the harbor, which we walked around first at the dock level and then above, taking pictures of the European-type street crowds with vendors, living statues, a “circus”, and various and sundry characters. We bought ice cream and made our way back to the car. Then we found the house near Beacon Hill that a group of Robertsons rented about 8 years ago and walked through part of the Beacon Hill Park, overlooking the water at the southern tip of Vancouver Island. We made our way back to catch the 5:00 ferry and spent about half the trip out on the deck, enjoying the sunshine. When Ann and I headed to the aft deck to hear a naturalist give a short talk, we were lucky enough to have a gentleman who pointed out a large group of harbor seals sunning themselves on a small spit of land revealed by the low tide around a lighthouse in the water. Several of them were swimming hear the ferry and a tiny one came quite close, watching us float by while she gently beat her back flippers. The naturalist pointed out that we could see Mount Baker and other snow covered peaks of the Cascades in the state of Washington from the middle of the Georgian Bay. Back on the mainland we found a restaurant for a quick dinner before we returned to pack up and ready ourselves to fly home tomorrow.

Alaska Adventures: Day 16--July 4 HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!

Sun. July 4: How strange to spend Independence Day close to but not in the USA! We just missed Canada Day on July 1 by being in Alaska and now we miss July 4^th celebrations by being in Canada. There was no sign of the holiday at any point. On Matt McCoy’s recommendation we went, not to the expensive 200 meter high expansion bridge at Capilano Canyon, but to Lynn Canyon, just a bit farther away, where the park is free. We got there just after it opened at 10:00 and were pleased to find very few people. We stopped on our way in at the Ecology Centre and chatted with the two young women working, who showed us the notebook full of videos they could put in for us to watch. We chose not to see any now, preferring to get started on their hiking trails. First we crossed their 50 meter high expansion bridge and went left, ascending high above Lynn Creek and then circling around and descending nearly 300 steps to “30 foot pool”. There were a few people there and we took lots of pictures before climbing back up and crossing the bridge again. That trail had taken us about an hour and fifteen minutes. We enjoyed the picnic lunch we had brought, noting that the small café there was very expensive and that there were many more people around. Without realizing it in the morning, we had walked in a paved drive which now had a steady parade of cars driving to the extra parking behind the café. Back we trooped over the bridge again and this time we turned left and went up and down to Twin Falls bridge overlooking the two lower falls and “90 foot pool”, which is as far as the salmon swim to spawn. There were even more stairs to climb out of there to return to where we had started and the crowds had grown significantly. Back at the Ecology Centre around 2:00 we were told that the crowds would get even bigger later in the afternoon and that on warm days the area around 30 foot pool would have 200 people enjoying the crystal clear water It was hard to imagine! We watched the end of a video on Orcas and a homemade video by an area carpenter showing the flooding in the canyon in November of 1995 when they had a month of steady rain. It was pretty impressive! By then we were happy to give up our spot to a long string of cars waiting to park. On our way back we stopped at a Dairy Queen to enjoy the Blizzards we felt we had earned for our hiking. After Shelby napped and the rest of us did some computing, we headed back to Matt and Denise’s house for dinner. The sun came in and out as we sat on the back deck enjoying salmon candy, veggies and dip, and olives while Matt grilled fantastic, Texas sized hamburgers in honor of the Fourth of July. With grilled onions and asparagus and a fruit salad we were all stuffed by the end. We sat at the table and chatted until the Coleton, Jackson, and Emma were ready for bed so we headed back to 2400 to learn a new card game before calling it a day.

Alaska Adventures: Day 15--July 3

Sat. July 3: We got up early to eat breakfast and be in place for our 8:10 walk-off disembarkation. We got through customs without a hitch, took a cab to Avis, and were on our way by 10:00. With the help of our GPS we drove straight to the 2400 Court Motel, about 15 minutes from downtown. It bills itself as an authentic drive-in motor lodge from the 50s and I guess it probably was. It will suit our needs alright for the three days but it’s a far cry from what we have experienced the last two weeks with Princess Cruise Lines! Two points in its favor are that it has a small kitchen so we can make our own food and it has free Wi-Fi. After getting settled a bit we drove to Andy McCoy’s brother’s family’s really new house (tonight will be their first night to sleep there). His mom and dad were there to help with the move so we visited with them all for a while and then followed the GPS instructions to Stanley Park. It is the second largest urban park in North America and was right across the harbor from where the ship was docked! Each couple shared a sandwich from the concession stand and we spent nearly 6 hours exploring, hiking, and enjoying all the park offers. We walked through the display of Totem Poles, the Rose Garden, Prospect Point, and two hiking trails that ran through towering old red cedar and hemlock trees, some of which must have been here back in the 1700s and early 1800s when it was a protected spot for First Nation people. What a gem! When we were all walked out we headed back to the 2400 to find a grocery store. They left me to work on the blog and the others went to the nearby Safeway to get food for breakfasts, lunches and tonight’s dinner. After a good chicken stir-fry we all did some computing, played a rousing game of Golf (cards), and went to bed.

Alaska Adventures: Day 14--July 2

Fri. July 2: Because we slept with our curtain open, Marv woke with the sun; so he gently awakened me and took some pictures of the pretty sky before we both went back to sleep for awhile. After breakfast we attended a “Navigation at Sea” presentation by 3^rd Officer Carolyn. Ann and I left a little early to watch a ”Culinary Demonstration” by the Maitre d’Hotel and Executive Chef, who are a very entertaining pair! It was followed by a tour of the galley. Lunch began with an Extravaganza Pastry Buffet. Eating is obviously a prime activity on a cruise! We briefly checked out the English Style Pub Lunch but it didn’t appeal to us, so Marv and I had a cheeseburger and a salad. After beginning some packing we attended Sandy’s last lecture entitled “The Wonders of Alaskan Wildlife”, which felt a bit after the fact since we are nearly to Vancouver. The rest of the afternoon was spent on the stern deck enjoying the warm sun from the hot tub and lounge chairs. Everyone is a bit nervous because a flu virus outbreak has the crew taking extra precautions for sanitary purposes. We hope we can make it a few more hours until disembarkation without getting sick. For our final dinner we returned to the Pacific Moon where we all had New York Strip steaks and only half- hearted interest in dessert. The eating frenzy has taken a toll on us all, I think. It must be time to call it a week. We ended our evening on the stern and then bow decks, enjoying a great sunset that reappeared through the hills for an encore. It has been an experience of a lifetime and we still have three days to enjoy Vancouver on our own.

Alaska Adventures: Day 13--July 1

Thu. July 1: It is 5:30pm and we are sitting in our state room overlooking the two streets of Ketchikan that run parallel to the dock, clinging to the cliff that seems to run the perpendicular street up at a 90° angle. The bald eagles are soaring all through this area, drawn by the salmon fisheries and canneries. We are relaxing, resting and reflecting on our wonderful day in Ketchikan. The ship docked about 9:30 this morning and we were among the first to disembark. It was partly cloudy and in the mid-to low-fifties. We had arrived too late to take the 9:45 Blue Line bus across the street which only comes once an hour so we walked about a mile to the Library and Historical Museum, where they were happy to have us begin exploring with a pass that would allow us to return later. It’s a small museum that is full of historical photographs and artifacts showing the development of Ketchikan since its beginnings in the 1860s. We went out to catch the nearly empty Blue Line bus and settled in for the half hour ride out to Totem Bight State Park. When it pulled up by the ship dock it was already full and some people couldn’t get on, which must have been very disappointing for them but made us glad we had caught it at the museum! Totem Bight State Park was set up by the CCC and WPA to 1)preserve ancient totem poles and 2)have skilled carvers teach young Native Alaskans their dying craft. There is a reproduction of a clan lodge house which was built in the old style and a large collection of reproductions of the old totem poles. We learned the significant designs used and found that the important part of the totem pole was the potlatch held to raise it and show off the wealth and importance of its sponsor. When they fell and decayed it was considered part of returning to the forest, so preserving the pole itself was not considered important or needed. In the 1960s when more effort went into protecting some of the ancient poles it was controversial and had to undergo consideration by the native people before it was deemed to be desirable. We spent two hours at the park and then caught the bus back to the museum, where we completed our “tour”. We hadn’t had lunch, just a piece of fruit and a granola bar, and Ann was feeling pretty crummy so she and Shelby were going to walk back to the ship through downtown with a stop at a drug store to find something to help with her cold. Marv and I proceeded down Stedman Street and up Deermont Street to visit the Cultural Center. It is there that they have the original old totem poles which were copied for the State Park and it gave more of the history of their significance and what life was like in the Haida and Tlingit villages from which they were recovered. From there we found our way down along the creek past the native salmon fish hatchery, the fish ladder below the falls, along Married Man’s Path, through Creek Street (the old red light district), and to a Mexican place that claimed to have the best pizza (?) in town! We’ll never know if it’s true because we just ordered an Alaskan Amber, which they brought with their chips and excellent fresh salsa. We had to be back to the ship at 5:45 so we made our way back as a light drizzle began. It had been a great day for us. The bus, State Park, and both museums had only cost $9.00 a piece and we couldn’t help but compare that to what any of the Princess tours would have cost.

As I wrote the above our phone rang. It was Shelby, asking if we had gotten their message about our 6:15 reservation. As I assured him we had I glanced at the computer clock and saw it was 6:20!! Yikes!!!! We dashed down and joined them for another fantastic dinner at the Santa Fe. This time Marv got the beef fajitas and I got the chicken; both are house specialties. For dessert Marv had vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce and I had Earl Gray tea with assorted tiny cookies. But I didn’t have time to finish because we had to run to catch the third show for the ship’s cast, “Do You Wanna Dance?”. It was another high powered show, this time showcasing the dancers especially. To end our evening we went up to the 14^th deck to watch a nice sunset while we had a cup of decaf coffee. We spend all day “at sea” tomorrow so there will be no rush to get up and have breakfast. Finally, we can sleep in!