Day 30 - Home Sweet Home

It was only a three hour drive from Berkley, WV to Charlottesville this morning. We arrived shortly before noon and it was such a GOOD feeling to unlock the door and walk into my "home sweet home". Linda had another two hours to drive after dropping me off though.

It's mighty quiet here. The dogs are with Stephanie and family in Raleigh. I'll rest up a couple days, then get on the road to get them (it's a four hour drive to the minute from my home to theirs).

Thirty days on the road, 7,000 plus miles. We shared the driving of course but still we were each behind the wheel quite a bit. For all that distance and time on the road, we had two days of travel with some rain (not a complete washout either of those days, and not the entire day--just summer time downpours, then clearing), we did not see any accidents, and road work areas only reduced speed and never had to come to a complete stop --- except --- in Yellowstone National Park! I'm afraid to step on the scale though. We ate some mighty good food most everywhere we were; I tried some food I'd never eaten before. We saw so many wonderful sights, did so many interesting things, travelled through quite a few states (I'll have to sit down sometime and actually count them).

One thing I did before leaving was to go up to the Parkway and paid $10 for a National Park senior pass. That saved us about $200 -- the pass was for myself and up to three other people. So, all we did for the national parks we visited (most of them were $25 entry fee per person) was to show the pass and we both got in on that one pass. I can't remember who told me to check into it, but whoever you are, thanks.

I saw sites I'd never seen before, but had dreamed about for years. Especially the Grand Canyon. So many friends offered suggestions of things to do and see. I am grateful for every suggestion you made. I got to do many of them, but not all of them. (maybe next trip) :)

The trip had some emotional moments for me ... the museum in Oklahoma City that paid tribute to those innocent lives that were lost in the 1995 bombing of the Federal Building, the moment my eyes saw the grandeur of the Grand Canyon, to the playing and recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance at Crazy Horse monument on July 4. It's a great land we live in folks. The freedom we have has come with a cost to many who have given their lives for this nation. I would not give up the opportunity I've had these past 30 days to see all I've seen and do all I've done.

I thank God for the opportunity for this trip, for safety for us and those around us and the blessing of good weather.

One thing I've learned is I can travel far and wide, see sights that have been made by man, such as Mt. Rushmore, the Crazy Horse monument, cityscapes, and see sights that have been created by our awesome God, such as the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Yellowstone and Zion National Park. But when it all boils down to it, the truest beauty is found in my own backyard, in God's creation of the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the beauty of my home state Virginia, in the blessing of each member of my family and in each and every friendship I have.

Thanks for riding with me. I felt your presence along the way.

Day 29 - July 10 - Beckley, WV

I just realized I'm a day off in posting -- this is Day 29 and on July 2 and 3 I typed in Day 21 for both days ... so tomorrow in fact will indeed be Day 30 of the trip!!

We are stopped for the night in Beckley, WV ... 4 1/2 hours on the road today ... was more than enough. With several 9+ hour days earlier in the week two short days on the road has been nice. It's a three hour trip from here to Charlottesville and another two hours for Linda to Fairfax ... we'll be at our homes tomorrow!!!!

Linda's at the pool right now and I'm just relaxing a bit. We'll have an early dinner then hopefully an early night to bed AND early getting up. It would be nice to be home by noon tomorrow!!

Day 28 - July 9 - Indiana

We are in Indiana tonight, near Louisville, KY. The drive today was 4 1/2 hours long ... shorter than the past several legs of the trip. As tired as we both are from the recent long hauls on the road the decision was made to travel only 4 - 4 1/2 hours each day, getting away a little later and stopping a little earlier, until we get home. Tomorrow night we're guessing we'll stop around Charleston, WV. We have no plans to do much of anything in the places we stop, just rest up. I'm sure once I'm back in Charlottesville, the first few days will be spent catching up on my rest.

So tonight and tomorrow night on the road, then home.

Once home I'll do a little summary of the trip. Thanks to all of you who have been following this blog the past four weeks!! I hope you've enjoyed it and it's even brought a smile or two to each of you. I'll be posting a good number of pictures on something like Snapfish or Clark Color so I can order copies and will let you know when they're up if you want to see more than I've posted here.

We're about to go get something to eat then back to the hotel and hopefully a good night of rest before travelling again tomorrow.

Day 27 - July 8 - Chicago, Illinois

A chilly July day in Chicago. At 2:00 it was 53!!! and a slight rain was falling. We walked again to the Navy Pier and decided to take an architecture boat tour. (My friends at the A-School would be proud I did.) Quite interesting and picturesque. Afterward Andrew (Linda's son) phoned and we caught up with him around 3:30. We drove down Shore Drive then to a Indian Restaurant for dinner. It sure opened my sinuses!!!

Afterward we went to see Mary Poppins (a touring Broadway show) and it was wonderful. The acting, singing, dancing were superb and the lighting and everything was wonderful.

Tomorrow we get on the road and head toward home. It will be Saturday before we get there after all. Linda doesn't want to rush and feels two days of 7 hours of driving will be too much. Oh well ... we'll be home soon. That makes me a "happy camper." I'm ready to get back to my daily routines.

Day 26 - July 7 - Chicago, IL

We are in Chicago. The last leg of the trip. We'll leave the windy city Thursday morning and stop somewhere en route to Charlottesville for the night and arrive home Friday!!! Yippee!!

We walked quite a few blocks to The Navy Pier. Don't know how to describe it other than it is for tourists ... boats to take scenic rides around, lots of restaurants.

Tomorrow night a play, "Mary Poppins," then Thursday morning start toward Virginia, with a night on the road and home Friday.

I'm so looking forward to that.

Day 25 - July 6 - Omaha, Nebrasha

Today we had a leisurely morning, then midday headed to the Omaha Zoo. It was enjoyable, but I think Washington, DC's zoo outdoes Omaha's by a long shot. It wasn't too hot, nor too humid so getting around the zoo, up and down the hills, wasn't too bad.

Afterward we went downtown Omaha and had, you guessed it, an Omaha steak at a restaurant called Upstream Brewing Co. The steak was absolutely delicious. I've eaten more than my yearly quota of red meat on this trip. Guess it'll be fish and chicken the rest of the year.

Tomorrow we head out for Chicago, where we'll be two nights, and then ... and then ... head the car toward HOME!! If all goes well, we'll be at our respective homes on Friday!!!

Day 24 - July 5 - The Badlands

We were on the road about 11 hours today. The drive itself was 9 hours or so but we made a couple stops. We left Hill City, SD early and lost an hour when we left Mt. time and entered Central Time (getting closer to Eastern Time!!!). We made two stops ... one in Wall, SD at Wall Drug and the other as we drove through The Badlands. Both places were well worth the stop. I had not thought much about The Badlands but they were quiet beautiful. Lots of rocks and grassy areas. We drove the entire length of South Dakota, into Iowa then down to Nebraska. Beautiful terrain with rolling hills and cattle and more cattle. Just like the past few days in Wyoming and Montana. Lots of horses and cattle.

With a sign like this, I didn't venture very far on any of the paths.



Tomorrow we plan to go to the Omaha Zoo (one of Linda's favorite), then Wednesday to Chicago for two nights. Thursday when we leave Chicago, our destination will be Charlottesville!!! I doubt we'll make the trip in one leg so we'll stop somewhere in route but we should be home Friday. One day earlier than planned (we've cut out Cincinnati OH and a night at my cousins, and a night in Shelbyville KY and a night at my brother's). After 23 days on the road we're both anxious to get home.

In Chicago we'll meet up with Linda's youngest son and his girlfriend, and plan to go to a touring Broadway plan to see Mary Poppins.

Now ... about this picture. We went to Wall, SD. It was early in the morning, and noone was around so I just couldn't resist!!

Day 23- Independence Day - Crazy Horse and Mt. Rushmore

We've had another beautiful day. It started off as though it might be a washout but the sky cleared up, the sun came out, and we had a good day at Crazy Horse and Mt. Rushmore.

First thing, Crazy Horse, as at 11:00 a.m. they were blasting the rock today to carve out rocks on the mountain. There was a bit of a "technical problem". Everyone was ready with cameras aimed. The one-minute siren went off, then nothing. It was announced that there would be a 10-minute delay. A brief shower started so people scattered. Three minutes later it was announced they would have to manually set off the explosion. Then two minutes and the one-minute siren sounded again. Everyone came running back from shops and wherever they had scatterd to. There was a muffled boom but nothing else. Mrs. Ruth Ziolkowski, the CEO/President of the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation and wife of the late sculptor, Korczak, announced that apparently it wasn't a very good day so people relaxed with their cameras, and only a few seconds later a Flash, an explosion and smoke. I was one of those who had "relaxed my camera" and missed both a digital photo of the flash and explosion. oh well. It was still pretty neat to witness the work in progress...even without a photo of all that. I did get a picture of the smoke that followed the eplosion. :)

Another interesting part of the day was that three WWII Navajo Code Talkers had been invited to witness the explosion as well. Pretty amazing to see those veterans. During the ceremonies introducing the navajos they played a tape with a recitation of "The Pledge of Alliegence" and Lee Greenwood's "I'm Proud to be an American." I must be getting emotional in my "old age" as it put a lump in my throat.

After that and lunch at a neat "dude ranch" of sorts, off to Mt. Rushmore. It was crowded but still a sense of pride on Independence Day to see this beautiful monument. It was small compared to the Crazy Horse monument though.

Linda and I are a bit tired so are resting up a bit before we head out to have dinner. Tomorrow it's Omaha, with a side trip to "The Badlands". I saw some more beautiful South Dakota scenery today and look forward to a few more stops (Omaha and Chicago) before heading home. Can't wait to sleep in my own bed though.

Day 22 - Mt. Rushmore drive

Today was essentially a day of driving. We left Yellowstone at 7:11 (GREAT place) and arrived in Hill City, SD at 5:00. A long day on the road, plus we drove in and out of rain most of the day. We've been blessed with great weather the entire way though until today. (We had a little rain one day in TX.) We're both exhausted. Tomorrow is Mt. Rushmore (found out fireworks are today - July 3 so we won't get to see fireworks there) and Crazy Horse (maybe we'll get to see the laser show instead). We'll be here two nights but will have to get on the road early Sunday morning as that drive is longer than today's. We'll have two nights there and another long day from there to Chicago.

We stopped in Sundance, WY for lunch ... nope, didn't see Robert Redford.

Wyoming and Montana are both beautiful states. Would like to visit them again some day to see more of them.

We're in the homestretch and both looking forward to getting home next week.

Day 21 - Yellowstone - continued

What a day! We were up early as we wanted to make the grand loop around Yellowstone. We did it all. Left the hotel around 7:30 this morning and got back around 8:30 tonight. Whew!! We're pooped and tomorrow is a long day on the road - 8-9 hours to Mt. Rushmore.

We saw lots of wildlife, mainly elk and buffalo, and a wolf. One place there were two herds of buffalo and it looked like hundreds of buffalo in each herd. In another place a lot of cars were parked on the road but we couldn't tell what they were looking at ... but think it was a bear far out in the meadow. Of course, Old Faithful was part of the day. And a beautiful waterfall!! Although I think we both were more excited about the wildlife.

We got up to the snowline in the highest part of the park. Some 9,000 or 10,000 feet. That's a far cry from the elevation of Charlottesville!

We ate breakfast at a little hole in the wall restaurant ... it was really good then tonight ate at a restaurant near mammoth springs. I had bison burgers. Getting adventureous eh? Elk while at the Grand Canyon.

I took lots of pictures of elk today. We were pretty close to them, until one of them went up behind another and nipped him. They both sprinted ... and so did everyone watching!!! :)

Tomorrow it's on to Mt. Rushmore. Hopefully we'll get to see a July 4 fireworks display there Saturday.

Day 20 - Jellystone, Rather Yellowstone (hey Booboo)

We were up early this morning for the ride to Yellowstone. It took about an hour through the Park to get to the hotel but the ride was beautiful!!! Didn't see any buffalo as I'm hoping too, but the first thing we saw was an eagle in a nest, then some elk, beautiful river with rapids, nearby mountains with SNOW on it -- I'm sitting here in the hotel looking at a not too distant snow-capped mountain (a FAR cry from the 100+ in AZ earlier in the week), small waterfalls.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to see other wildlife as well as geysers and yes, of course, Old Faithful.

There are grizzly's in the park, buffalo, elk, moose, eagles, to name just a few. We've seen quite a few birds we'd never seen before. Linda and her husband are bird watchers so she has enjoyed the birdlife.

We stopped at a little town in Idaho here for lunch. It was on the Snake River and there were angler's in the river fly fishing for trout. Such a beautiful view.

I failed to mention as much about Salt Lake City as I wanted last night ... it was late and I was tired and was hurrying to get in bed.

The building we were in at dinner was the Joseph Smith building and we dined on the 10th floor overlooking Temple Square. As we were finishing dinner they opened the roof and you could see the beautiful sky. Salt Lake City's downtown is really beautiful.

Bartly's friend Chandra is a structural engineer and gave us a brief tour of the Capitol building, telling us how just recently they have placed material under the entire building to help earthquake proof it.

After dinner we were outside looking at buildings and saw a peragrine (sp?) falcon family. Two of the baby's have not flown yet. A gentleman in the courtyard was viewing them and told us about them.

Okay -- back to Yellowstone.

The scenery is beautiful. God's creation is abundant in everything -- the hills, the rivers, the steam rising from the ground, the wildlife. I stand in awe.

Day 19 - Salt Lake City

We left Bryce Canyon this morning around 9:00 and arrived in Salt Lake City mid-afternoon. We met my friend Bartly at the new Mormon temple for a tour. A rare opportunity to see the inside of a Mormon temple. It will be dedicated in August and the public will no longer be able to see the inside.

After checking into the hotel and refreshing a bit, Bartly and a friend picked us up and we went downtown Salt Lake City. Such a knowledgeable young man about the history of Salt Lake City and the Mormons. We first went to the State Capital building ... beautiful. We then had dinner overlooking temple square. Afterward we toured the Mormon tabernacle and the Conference Center.

It was so good seeing Bartly again. He was a student in the Planning Program at UVA and one of the nicest young men I know.

I haven't had much computer access recently and have lots of picture to post. I'll have to save that for another time or even after I get home. We need to get an early start tomorrow morning for Yellowstone. It's a long drive.

Okay ... a few from the past few days .... at the top of the page.

Days 16, 17 and 18 - Las Vegas - Bryce Canyon

Saturday, June 27
Wow! The Donny and Marie show was spectacular. Such energy. These now 50 year old performers can put on a show. We had great seats. As Linda said, we were so close you could see individual beads of sweat drip from Donny's forehead. They were funny and obviously enjoy working together. GREAT entertainers.
The Flamingo Hotel is really nice as well. A 15-acre area with palm trees and four pools. Pink flamingos are in the pool area (an island with three waterfalls) and all kinds of other critters.
We drove across Hoover Dam driving to Vegas. The weather from the Grand Canyon was good - light traffic until we reached the dam and Vegas.
I phoned Paul and April (my first cousin once removed) to let them know we had arrived in Vegas. Tomorrow, we'll go with them to the Hoover Dam, then to their house for dinner (ahhhh, a home cooked meal!), then down to the strip to see the lights and sounds of Las Vegas at night.
GREAT SHOW!

Sunday, June 28
111! 117! 108 in the shade! NEVER will I complain about the heat in Virginia, even when it reaches 100! I've heard so often that the dry heat in AZ, NV, etc. is not as bad as in Virginia (due to the lower humidity). BUT, I have to disagree. It has been HOT! Oh my goodness. 108 in the shade is HOT.
Today was very nice. This morning Linda took the monorail around Vegas while I walked over to
Caesar's Palace and walked around. Getting into Caesar's Palace was easy; finding an exit out was not. Paul said they planned it that way. The exits are set back so you can hardly seem them from most angles. Guess they want you to play the slots or spend money in the seemingly hundreds of shops. I thought I'd never find an exit. In fact I asked a sales clerk; she in turn asked another.
We met back at the Flamingo at noon and had a quick dinner at Margaritaville's. Paul and April picked us up a little after 1:00 and we headed out to Hoover Dam. It took just a little under an hour, until 4 miles from the Dam, then it took another hour to drive those last four miles. There is security for all cars crossing the dam sine 9-11.
Paul, April and Linda took the tour into the dam to see the generators. I chose to walk around the observation tower and the information center as well as the gift shop. The dam was amazing. I'm not particulary fond of elevators and the thought of taking an elevator down inside the dam wasn't appealing. I didn't mind hanging out on the top side though. I got a slushy after walking around it tasted mighty good.
Paul's truck was parked iin the garage and when we got in it the temperature read 108 (in the shade!!)
Paul stopped at an overlook for Lake Mead on the way out; it was amazing how low the water level is. If the water level continues to fall the situation is going to be dire. Even though Vegas uses a small percentage of water from Lake Mead, much of it is piped to California. Too bad they can't take some from Glen Canyon's Lake Powell, as their water level is rising.
We had dinner at Paul and April's then took a drive down "The Strip," starting where it begins on the north, all the way to where it ends on the south. We drove by the Pallagio at the right time -- the water show as going on; quite a site ... Just like Vegas, Quiet a sight!
A very enjoyable day.

Monday, June 29
Leaving Las Vegas. We got on the road at a decent hour. The trip should have been about 3 1/2 hours but it took about an hour longer as we stopped frequently in Zion National Park and as we drove to Bryce Canyon. The scenery was breathtaking.
The Grand Canyon was beautiful but Zion and Bryce are equally as beautiful, perhaps even more so in a different way. Zion was lots of red rocks and beautiful shapes, with lots of places to pull over and see. Bryce is different with "hoodoos" (rock formations that have formed "windows" but later the tops fall leaving tall columns.
We are staying at the Bryce Canyon Lodge, no air conditioning -- BUT -- unlike Vegas we are almost 900 feet up in altitude and the air is much cooler AND thinner. cough cough. We wlaked to Sunrise Point and Sunset Point today. Along the walk I read that 200 days of the year Bryce Canyon's temperature is below freezing. Don't think it was near that tonight but a far cry from the high temperatures in Vegas.
Paths meander through tall ponderosa pines. On the way back to the lodge from the rim tonight we were taking one of the paths and probably 8 to 9 feet from us a deer was grazing. I purposely coughed; he looked up and I think I got a pretty good picture.
Tomorrow is Salt Lake City and the afternoon and dinner with a former Planning student, Bartly. He's taking us on a tour of a new Mormon temple that has not opened yet, so it'll be a rare occasion. We'll actually get to see inside a Mormom temple.

Day Fifteen - Grand Canyon and Friends

This morning started off with Linda and I driving up to the Canyon and meeting Bruce and Joan (my best friends), Joey and Brenda (Joanie's brother) and Phyllis and Doug (friends) for breakfast. Having been on the road two weeks now it was SO nice having a piece of home ... . They were in Vegas yesterday and late in the day took a train to the Canyon. They headed back to Vegas this afternoon and we might even have a chance to catch up with each other again tomorrow night when Linda and I get to Vegas. This long on the road one gets a little homesick ... miss my family and my dogs!!! :)

I go to the beach almost every summer with Bruce and Joan and we get to view sunrises together. We didn't get to share one today but we did get to share some of the beauty of God's creation together!!

Linda hasn't been able to do much walking due to a hip/leg problem so I walked down a path into the Canyon a bit with Bruce and Joanie ... not far mind you, but far enough to say I was on the trail! Going down was so easy. I wanted to go further then decided to turn around. Oh my goodness!!! I thought I was in better shape. Didn't walk too fast or too far without stopping. Here, wherever one goes, a water bottle goes too. The water guide yesterday told us that the air is so dry, sweat evaporates before you know you're sweating so good hydration is important.

Today was probably the prettiest day we've had ... the smoke from the controlled burns was contained a bit due to an overnight rain and several times during the day heavy rains and t-storms blew in, and out, of the Canyon quickly. Beautiful beautiful day.

Hey! I saw two condors soaring today. Got some pictures AND a short video which I'll try and post. Once I get a faster connection I will do so IF I can't get them uploaded now.

It was a good day today. Tomorrow ... Vegas and Donny and Marie!!

Day Fourteen - Colorado River Float Trip

Whew! A long but rewarding day. Up at 5:00 to meet the bus at 6:00 to take us to the base of Glenn Canyon Dam for our smooth water raft trip down the Colorado River. The trip was a little over four hours long and went pretty near the north rim of the Canyon. We saw parts of the Grand Canyon we had not seen yet; it also went through Navajo country, pretty desolate land.

The day on the river was hot - around 104. We had to go through quite a few security checks when we reached the Glenn Canyon dam (because of 9-11) and down through a two mile long tunnel through the mountain rocks to the base of the dam. Along the river trip we made two stops ... one to see cliff writings, another for lunch. Both were welcomed breaks. The river water is a constant 47 degrees but dipping bandanas or towels in it then placing them around your neck was so refreshing. I even got my feet wet in the water of the Colorado River.

We saw quite a few elk on the trip this morning (and again this afternoon). The BIG one this morning was just feeding along the side of the road and took its time, just looking up right at us. By the time I grabbed my camera, the bus was pulling away ... nice shot of his back side though. His antlers looked like velvet!!

The raft trip itself was actually in the Glen Canyon part of the Grand Canyon. The trip ended at Lee's Ferry, where the Grand Canyon begins. The cliffs and walls of the canyon were magnificent. There is so much I thought about on the trip that I wanted to write. Now that I'm back at the hotel my mind isn't thinking of them all.

We got back to the hotel around 6:00 and went to a nice restaurant at the hotel. And for dinner, we ordered elk! Not bad really. Very tender.

Tomorrow morning we're heading back up to the Canyon. Bruce and Joanie are at one of the lodges there so we're meeting them for breakfast. One more full day here then we're off to Vegas early Saturday morning ... and the Donny and Marie show!! :)

I was finally able to upload some pictures.

Day Thirteen - Grand Canyon continued

Another nice day at the Canyon. Took more pictures but will have to post some later. We're heading to bed early as we have to catch a bus in the morning at 6:00 that will take us to our river trip destination. They say the entire adventure will take 11-12 hours. Bruce and Joan will be here at the Canyon tomorrow. Sure hope I can catch up with them. We've shared many a sunrise and sunset at the beach together; it would be nice to share one here at the Grand Canyon.

I hope also to post a picture here soon of a California condor. Linda took a picture with her camera and if I can get it to my computer I'll post it. Hopefully tomorrow we'll see lots of birds to post.

Day Twelve - GRAND CANYON

We are here!! Day 12 on the road and we have reached the Grand Canyon!!! It is all and more than I imagined. It's all I can do to take it in. I think I took about 300 pictures this afternoon alone. God's creation is awesome!!!

The National Park Service is doing a controlled burn to get rid of underbrush and it was quite hazy .... my eyes burned because of the smoke. Late afternoon a nice breeze came along and helped a bit. We stopped at several different vantage points and although some offer the same scenery it is different from one angle to another.

We're at a hotel just two miles from the south entrance and the drive into the park takes about 15 minutes. There are shuttle buses we plan to use tomorrow though. They run every 15 minutes and sure will save the hassle of finding parking places.

We rode down to the hotels on the rim and had dinner at one of them - the Bright Angel - I think it was. Our table was at the window overlooking the rim right at sunset. I went outside while the food was being prepared and took some pictures as the sun started going down. The scenery and color seemed to change every few seconds.

Even saw some wildlife. At one of the points a family was excitedly pointing to an object below ... naturally I walked over to see what it was and it was a ram far below. Got a picture of it too ... thank goodness for digital zoom. Coming out of the park a deer or elk (it was dark) was at the side of the road, about four feet from the car. That thing was as tall as the car and it's rack was bigger than any I've seen on a Virginia deer.

It's been a busy day and an emotional one to behold all the beauty of God's creation, the Grand Canyon. Thank goodness I have internet access so I can post each day. Thursday we'll be taking a smooth water raft trip. Tomorrow we're hoping to catch some of the programs offered by the park service. Condors are in the park now ... perhaps we'll have the good fortune to see one, or even an eagle or two.

Tomorrow is a new day. I look forward to new adventures at the Canyon.

Day 11 - Flagstaff, AZ

We left Santa Fe, NM around 9:00 this morning. The trip was nice. Beautiful weather. Linda's been saying she needed to get an oil change, probably in Flagstaff, but at our lunch stop she saw a guy with a Ford shirt and asked him if there was a Ford dealership nearby. There was. They graciously did an oil change AND washed the car. We were in and out in less than an hour. As we neared Flagstaff we finally started seeing trees again!!! The terrain has been flat and barren for days it seemed ... started in Texas Saturday, continued into Omaha, and even flatter in New Mexico and much of Arizona, so, yeah, days!! :)

Tonight went to the Lowell Observatory, one of the oldest observatories in the U.S. We arrived early and stayed late. It was still daylight when we arrived but they were showing Saturn through a 16 inch telescope. As day turned to dusk we again looked through the telescope and could see it more clearly, even seeing the rings around it as well as one of its moon. Very interesting. We also looked through a 24 in telescope -- HUGE -- and saw a cluster of stars called M-5, 26-billion light years away. Those telescopes were operated by computers and the telescopes would move along with the night sky. There was yet one more telescope, another 26-inch, but had to be moved by hand to track the star or object being followed and that one was showing one of the brightest stars, Arcturus. Hey, I didn't know any of this stuff, just learned it tonight. We were approximately 300 feet above Flagstaff at an elevation of 7,246 Feet!! The sky was beautiful and filled with God's creation. Despite all the talk and information heard last night about how the universe was formed, I know above all, it was God who created it and put each star and element in its place.

From our vantage point at the Observatory, we could see the San Francisco Peaks to our north. They are the tallest mountains in Arizon, with an altitude of 12,660 feet. We could see three of its prominent peaks. They looked pretty close.

An amazing part of the night at the Observatory, was while standing in line to see Arcturus, there was a man behind me and a very young fellow behind him. As often happens while standing in lines, conversations picked up. The young fellow was naming stars and constellations, etc etc. The man and I looked at each other in amazement. After a bit I asked the young fellow what grade he was in. He responded, "I just finished 4th and will be in 5th grade next year." Well now, that does go to show I am NOT smarter than a Fifth grader.

There were beautiful plants and flowers at the observatory as well.


Tomorrow -- THE GRAND CANYON!!!! Our main destination of the trip.

Days 9 and 10 - Amarillo TX and Santa Fe NM

Two busy days!!! Yesterday was Amarillo, TX. Today, Santa Fe, NM.

On the way from OKC to Amarillo, we stopped just on the east side of Amarillo at a Huge cross which also had twelve stations of the cross. The weather was threatening so it was a quick stop.

After arriving in Amarillo we grabbed a snack at a local restaurant then around 6:00 headed toward Palo Duro Canyon, 30-40 minutes out of Amarillo. Storms were in the area but the forecast said it would be clearing by 7:00. On the drive to the canyon we saw a rainbow in the distance. Everything is so flat in Texas (and even flatter in NM) that you could look behind you and see yesterday and in front of you into tomorrow, or so it seems. The rainbow didn't fade and we inched our way closer and closer to it. Finally I said to Linda, "we might even find the end of this rainbow." A few seconds later we were actually INside the rainbow itself. It ended in the road. We were surrounded by the brilliant colors of the rainbow. It was an errie feeling but one of the neatest things I've experienced. We're still looking for that pot of gold though. Linda thinks it might be under the hood of the car.

The outdoor drama, "Texas" was about 1000 feet at the bottom of Palo Duro Canyon, a steep 10% grade drive. Beautiful beautiful surroundings and a wonderful night of entertainment. We had signed up for the steak dinner before the play and it was actually pretty good. I think I've eaten my yearly quoto of red meat the past ten days. Barbeque or ribs practically everywhere we've been, though tonight in Santa Fe I finally had chicken!!!!

The drive from Amarillo to Santa Fe was amazing, at least to me. I've never seen landscape like what I saw today. Miles and miles of road that you can see in the distance ... so flat you think you're going to run off the edge of the earth. Once into NM the mesas were abundant. We both agree though that Virginia and Tennessee are the prettiest states we've seen.

Just outside of Amarillo, we saw the 10 cadillacs buried in the ground. Pretty amazing. And so many places along the way saw Wind Farms (groups of wind turbines).

We got into Santa Fe and streets were blocked off in the downtown area due to an arts festival. It took a bit of tricky maneuvering to get to the hotel. We're staying at the La Fonda on the Plaza, which is one of the historic hotels of America (if you have the book Historic Hotels of America, check it out on page 133). Like all the buildings in Santa Fe, it seems, it is made in the pueblo style of architecture.

After getting settled we walked around Santa Fe and the arts festivals. Lots of handmade crafts, many made by the local indians. Beautiful jewelry and garments. We're both tired tonight.

We were just getting use to Central Time and today crossed into Mountain time (two hours behind our Eastern time). We've been waking up around 6:00 so we'll probably be up at 5:00 (Mountain time) tomorrow.

Tomorrow is an overnight stop at Flagstaff, AZ and Tuesday .... Tuesday, the Grand Canyon!!!!!

Day Eight - Oklahoma City, OK

One week on the road now and Oklahoma City has been one of our favorite stops. Yesterday was a bit on the emotional side visiting the site of the 1995 federal building bombing. But today was uplifting. A visit to the Cowboy Hall of Fame and Museum, lots of good food, a swim in the pool and a ride on a boat taxi. The Cowboy museum had some beautiful art and sculptures on display as well as displays of cowboy life. Lunch was at Toby Keith's Bar and Grill ... great food, and dinner at Mickey Mantel's steak house .... more good food. After dinner we took a boat taxi around Bricktown. Lots of interesting sculptures along the way as well.

Tomorrow on to Amarillo, TX where we'll have another steak dinner before the play "Texas." My brother Weller recommended this outdoor play to us. It looks pretty interesting from all I've read. I'm not sure I'll get to post to the blog tomorrow night as we might be pressed for time upon arrival in Amarillo and it'll probably be late when we get back to the motel.

Days Six and Seven - Dallas TX and Oklahoma City

Stop over last night was in Dallas TX for an overnight at my cousin Michael's. (No internet connection there for me.) A nice restful stop. We didn't do any sightseeing, but it may have been a blessing in disguise. I got my first restful night of sleep. The trip to Oklahoma City wasn't all that long today.

I'm having trouble with internet connections here at the hotel today and hoping tomorrow will have it all worked out. But for now .... 6:00 p.m. Central time, here's the latest update of the trip.


This afternoon we went to the site of the Federal building that was bombed April 19, 1995. Goodness. I never expected to react the way I did. It was overwhelming. VERY emotional. 168 innocent people lost their lives to an act of domestic terrorism that day; 19 of them small children. The outside memorial chairs were beautifully done in memory of those individuals. Afterward we went inside to the museum. Several times I wanted to leave the exhibit because it was almost more than I could endure but I walked a little faster and made my way through.

I'm in the hotel lobby at the moment because I'm having trouble getting online in the room. I'll sign back on tomorrow to relay what we did tonight ... where we dined. Tomorrow I think we're going to the Cowboy Museum and Hall of Fame.

Day Five - Mt. Pleasant, TX

A more relaxing day today. The trip to Mt. Pleasant from Memphis took about six hours. Traffic was incredibly light and the day beautiful so we made good time. We stopped for lunch in Hope, AK ... kept an eye open for Bill Clinton to walk into the KFC. He didn't show. :)

When we arrived in Mt. Pleasant I phoned my friend Michael and he came to the hotel. We sat around the pool about two hours talking then went to dinner. After getting back to the hotel we all sat beside the pool again watching the bird activity. Different species than in Virginia ... AND ... I saw my first bald headed eagle in the wild!!! Wouldn't you know the camera was in our room though so, no pictures, just memories.

A nice break in the hectic schedule we've had the past few days.

Heading to Dallas, TX tomorrow to visit my cousin Michael and family. We may take their high speed train system to downtown Dallas and visit the site of JFK's assassination. Depends on whether we're up to it. Another slow day might be nice. Michael said his wife Tina has fixed homemade salsa for some frititas (sp?) tomorrow night. Looking forward to seeing them. Since we won't be at a hotel tomorrow night I doubt I'll be able to post here. Tomorrow Dallas, then on to Oklahoma City.

Day Four - Memphis, TN

We had a little rain today traveling from Nashville to Memphis. Nothing major thank goodness. We settled into the hotel then headed for Graceland, home of Elvis. Had lunch in a little 50's diner before the tour. Stood in line about 30 minutes waiting for the shuttle to go across the road to the little mansion. Like many people have said, it wasn't a large place but quite interesting to see the house and grounds. After all, it was part of Elvis' legacy. :) It was HOT, hovering around 100. A heavy rain early this evening has cooled things down a bit.

With the CMA Fanfest in Nashville last week and over the weekend the crowd at Graceland was quite heavy. Lots of Elvis' cars were on display, even his private planes.

Tonight we ate at Neely's BBQ. Yep, "The" Neely's from the Food channel. They had just returned from a book tour and were taking a few days off, but brother Tony was there and came around to each table to chat a bit. A light crowd but perhaps the storms and rain kept them away. Good BBQ but we ate at Corky's BBQ in Nashville yesterday and they were equally good.

It was a fun day. Tomorrow off to Mt. Pleasant, TX to stay overnight and have dinner with my friend Michael. Wednesday Dallas TX and overnight with my cousin Michael. I don't know if I'll have access to internet at either place but every chance I have to sign on and write on this blogspot I will do so. Most places have internet access but some places don't.

Day Three - Nashville, TN

Today we visited the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in downtown Nashville. (I'm the little person at the far end of the museum's name.) The CMA annual Fanfest was going on as well, so there was LOTS of activity going on. There were three "girls" on a stage being interviewed by someone so I suggested to Linda that we sit down and see if they were going to sing. The minute I sat down I saw they were one of my favorite contemporary singing group that has recently started doing some crossover to country ... Point of Grace!!! Pretty cool.

We sat at a picnic table to rest and there was a group nearby signing autographs and having pictures taken, "The Lost Trailers". I'm not familiar with them but people were pretty excited. I walked around several blocks and streets were blocked off and tents and activity everywhere. Today was the last day of the Fanfest so things were quieting down.

The museum and hall of fame was quite interesting as well.

We had lunch and dinner with Linda's high school friend, Patty, who lives here in Nashville. Tomorrow it's on to Memphis and Graceland.

Day Two - Nashville TN

Mountain City, TN yesterday, population 2,408. Tonight, Nashville, TN, population over 600,000. A bit of a difference in the traffic to say the least.

The weather was good again today for our travel. We left Boone, NC at 9:10 (EDT) where we stayed overnight and arrived in Nashville 4:10 (EDT) (but we saved an hour as we're now in the Central Time Zone so new time was 3:10. After a QUICK change at the hotel we headed for Nashville toward the Grand Ole Opry. We ate at a restaurant called Tony Romo's, REALLY good food.

The Opry was very enjoyable, lots of old-timers (and some new) but the music was familiar and enjoyable. And yes, Little Jimmy Dickens is still very much alive and kicking at age 88!! Other performers of the night were The Whites, Mandy Barnett, Charley Pride, Connie Smith, Jim Ed Brown, Mel Tillis, Pam Tillis, Bill Anderson, Jean Shepard and Tracy Byrd, along with several I didn't recognize. Tomorrow we're catching up with Linda's friend from high school for some sightseeing of the area. Then Monday heading to Memphis and Graceland.

I'm tired tonight. It's been a busy day. Didn't sleep well last night so hopefully will make up for it tonight.

On the Road - Day One

We got out of Dodge (Charlottesville) around 9:40 this morning. Two hours later we stopped for lunch at a Cracker Barrel near Christianburg, VA. We had a few rain drops along the way, otherwise the weather was beautiful.

I told Linda that last night I prayed three things for this trip: (1) safety in travel for ourselves and those around us, (2) good weather), and (3) that when we get home, we'll still be friends. Oh yes, and (4) that we'll take lots of good memories home with us.

After checking in at the hotel in Boone, NC and getting about 30 minutes rest, we headed out for Mt. City, TN, a 30-minute trip, to fix dinner for Linda's 88 year old aunt. What a delightful, spunky lady! A Tennessee mountain woman for sure! A typical lady of people from her era. Sharp wit. Sharp mind. And ... an ELVIS fan!

Her walls were covered with pictures of her children, her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren and she told me everyone's name and how old they are! And of course, there were also pictures of Elvis. While Linda and her cousin prepared dinner, Aunt Lee and I sat and talked. She said she had never been to Graceland but always wanted to go. I promised her we would send her a postcard from there. She smiled a huge smile.

The scenery between Boone, NC and Mt. City, TN was spectacular. And I thought we had a mountain called Afton Mt. back home. What we saw today made Afton Mt. look small.

Tomorrow it's on to Nashville, TN and a night of culture at the Opera. Oops I spelled that wrong; it should be ... O-P-R-Y. :)

Planned Itinerary - Updated June 7

I was in Northern Virginia this weekend (June 6 and 7) and Linda and I made a few changes to the second part of the trip.  Soooo .... here is the updated itinerary. 

June 12 - We're off and running. First stop in Mountain City, TN to visit Linda's aunt with lodging that night in Boone, NC.
June 13 - Arrive Nashville, TN - tickets for the Grand Ole Opry.  Artists that night will be Charlie Pride, Mel Tillis and Pam Tillis. Too bad it isn't Carrie Underwood (she's there a few days before that). oH well.
June 14 - Spend the day in Nashville and see some sights; possibly the Country Music Hall of Fame or the Grand Old Opry Museum. Linda "grew up on country music" and guess I did too so it's history and I'm looking forward to it.  Dinner with a childhood friend of Linda's.
June 15 - A stopover in Memphis, and of course a tour of Graceland!!
June 16 - Drive to Mt. Pleasant, TX where we'll spend the night and have dinner with my friend Michael.
June 17 - Next stop Dallas, TX and an overnight with my cousin Michael and family.  Michael has a few places to show us.
June 18 - We'll head to Oklahoma City where we'll visit the the memorial for those killed in the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Bldg.
June 19 - Another day in Oklahoma City, possibly visit the Nat'l Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Maybe Frontier City.
June 20 - Overnight stop in Amarillo TX. Not sure what's there but I'm thinking a cadillac ranch where several cadillacs are half buried in the ground?   My brother Weller told me about an outdoor theater performance called Texas.
June 21 -Drive to Santa Fe, NM.  Not sure what's there either but I'm sure we'll find something to do. Ummmm. Maybe even rest after almost 10 days on the road?
June 22 - Flagstaff, AZ is the next stop. Maybe a wild west train.
June 23 - Arrive at the GRAND CANYON!! Three full days and four nights! I've seen the beauty in pictures. But in person? I can only imagine. Bruce and Joan (and her brother Joey and his wife Brenda) will be at the Grand Canyon sometime during our stay there. Not sure schedules will allow but I would love to share seeing a sunrise with them. We've shared many at the beaches in North Carolina, so it's only natural that we should share one at the Grand Canyon!!
June 24 - Grand Canyon sightseeing.
June 25 - Smooth water rafting down the Colorado River.
June 26 - Could a donkey ride be in store.
June 27 - Viva Las Vegas!! And tickets that night to see Donny and Marie! Bruce and Joan will be in Las Vegas this night as well. It would be nice if we could all get together for dinner before the show. I think it's pretty awesome that when Brenda planned their trip the time she chose happened to be when Linda and I would be there. Not planned, just happened.
June 28 - Tour the Hoover Dam with my first cousin once removed, April and her husband Paul, who live in Las Vegas. April is the daughter of my first cousin Chuck. We'll only be 45 minutes to an hour from the California border so I told Paul I'd like to at least cross the CA state line to say I've been to California! Then back to Paul and April's for a BBQ. Awww...home cooking.

The "second leg" is now completed.
June 29 - Zion National Park/Bryce Canyon.  

June 30 - Salt Lake City.  Sight seeing and dinner with my friend  Bartly.

July 1 and 2 - Yellowstone (and Grand Teton)

July 3 - Drive to Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument where we hope to see fireworks on July 4.

July 5 - Drive to Omaha

July 6 - Visit the Omaha Zoo
July 7 and July 8 - Chicago. Linda has tickets for us to see the Broadway touring production of Mary Poppins one night with her son Andrew and his girlfriend.
July 9 - Cincinnati OH; stay overnight with my cousin Cynthia and family.
July 10 - Shelbyville, KY; stay overnight with my brother Weller and family.
July 11 - Home!!

I've Long wanted to see the Grand Canyon; I mean YEARS! So this is indeed the trip of a lifetime. It isn't Paris, it isn't an African Safari, or Italy or the Taj Mahal or other wonderful and beautiful places but to me it is a dream come true. I hope to post to this blog often so friends and family can see where we are, where we've been and where we're headed next. Hopefully even a few pictures can also be added.

Easter Weekend

For the first time in forever I think I didn't have the traditional Easter with my daughters and their families.  Instead I went to Northern Virginia to visit Linda and Albert.  Now that we are both retired, I went up Friday.  It was a cool but beautiful day and we enjoyed the beautiful spring day in her backyard, lying in the huge hammock she purchased upon her retirement and just talking about everything imaginable.  We did some "tweaking" to our Grand Canyon trip plans, adding on a day at Yellowstone.  Albert came home from work around 5:00 so we fixed dinner and just enjoyed good conversation while dining.

Saturday we were quite simply lazy.  We did get out to an

 outdoor sporting store where I purchased a hat for the river trip on the Colorado River.  Linda drove to the Mall and let me drive her new vehicle home, the one we'll be traveling in on our retirement trip.  (Ford Edge.)  Saturday night we were in bed EARLY to get up at 5:00 a.m. Sunday for an 8:00 Easter service at the 

National Cathedral in Washington, DC.  A magnificent piece of architecture ... beautiful stained windows, high ceilings, etc.  The choir's voice as they entered the cathedral sent chills up your spine, the voices echoing from the high ceilings, along with the magnificent sounds of the organ.  The pageantry of the procession was beautiful.  Although the Episcopal church has changed so much over the years the "pomp and circumstance" of the service was inspiring.  

Afterward we went to a late brunch ... lots of good food.  I was stuffed.  Even the Easter bunny was there and gave us a plastic egg filled with chocolates. 

I did miss the time with my family but how often does one get to attend Easter service at the National Cathedral? 

Great Wolf Lodge

This past weekend I drove about 470 miles to and 470 miles from Cincinnati OH to spend the weekend with Alicia and Caroline (my two nieces) and Janet (my sister-in-law) as well as Austin and Aiden (great nephews) and Emily (newest great niece). Alicia and Caroline had invited me to spend the weekend with them at the Great Wolf Lodge in Mason, OH (just outside Cincinnati).

It was a really nice weekend. It was so good seeing everyone and meeting Emily for the first time. I didn't get in the water but just enjoyed the time at "poolside" taking pictures and taking it easy.

The trip there was long; it rained the entire trip. I made quite a few stops as my back was hurting. I had planned to return Monday but the forecast changed from really nice weather on Saturday to predicted SNOW showers and snow in the West Virginia mountains Monday, so I returned home Sunday, also a beautiful day. I didn't relish the thought of traveling in the rain again. Although a nice day weather wise the trip back also was long.

My cousin Cynthia lives in Cincinnati and came to the Lodge Saturday afternoon to visit awhile. It was good seeing her as it had been several years.

Saturday night we went to the Outback for dinner ... goooood food.

The boys were active but well behaved the entire weekend.

Sunday morning on my way out of Cincinnati I phoned some friends (Rita and Jim) I had met in St. Louis back in 1974 who since have moved to Cincinnati. They befriended me in a way I will never forget. Cecil and I divorced in June 1975 and I left St. Louis. Rita and Jim were our neighbors in the apartment building we lived in but had purchased a home and moved out of the apartments. I phoned Rita to let her know I was leaving St. Louis. About a week after returning to Charlottesville I received an envelope from them with a check for $500 (this was 1974!) and a note saying they knew I didn't have anything and wanted to help, that if I was ever able to repay that would be fine but not to worry about it. Some years ago I sent them a check for $300. When I retired in December I received a lump sum in addition to my monthly retirement check so finally had some extra money and wanted to repay them the remaining $200 and tell them what a blessing they had been to me at a difficult time. Rita and I both cried.

The weekend was a very nice one.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Today is my friend Linda's first official day of retirement. We've known each other since 1966 when we met in Norfolk, VA. Our husbands were in the Navy, we both worked at Virginia National Bank, and lived in the same apartment complex. I'd see her get on the bus every day as we took the 40 minute ride downtown and home in the evenings. One day my husband picked me up from work and I saw her walking toward the bus stop. I rolled the window down and asked if she'd like a ride. That was the beginning of a friendship that has spanned several decades.

There have been years that we didn't have contact with each other. But in recent years the friendship has picked up again. We both went through a divorce. She remarried but I've remained single. That marriage too has had its ups and downs but she said she would not go through a second divorce. I think after all these years the marriage is now better. Both sons are now grown and on their own and perhaps that is why.

Anyway ... Linda and I are now both retired and planning a "retirement trip" to the Grand Canyon and places in between. I've been excited about the trip for some time (years even I think!). This morning we spoke and I think she is now getting that same excitement. She wants me to come up to Northern Virginia Easter weekend to look more seriously at trip plans AND to attend services at the National Cathedral. THAT would awesome. My one regret is I won't have my normal Easter meal with my family. We don't all get together that often anymore it seems.

Our plans are to leave Virginia on June 12, spend the night in Boone, NC and visit her elderly aunt. From there it's on to Nashville (Grand Ole Opry) and Memphis, TN (Graceland). We plan to spend a night in Mt. Pleasant, TX and have dinner with my friend Michael. From there to Dallas, TX where we'll spend the night with my second cousin Michael and his wife Tina and family. Then to Oklahoma City, OK for two nights and visit the Federal Building memorial as well as the Cowboy Museum. There will be stops from there until we reach the Grand Canyon but we plan to be at the Grand Canyon four nights, taking a smooth water river trip and enjoy beautiful sunrises and sunsets while there. On to Las Vegas from there (have tickets to see Donny and Marie) and visit the Hoover Dam.

That part of the trip is pretty set but the second leg isn't quite as set in stone. Most likely stops at Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park, perhaps Yellowstone, then on to Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Badlands, Chicago, Omaha NE, Cincinnati, OH and from there home.

I'm exhausted just thinking about it, yet excited and full of energy, ready to embark on our adventure.

Retirement Plus More - 1

My first attempt at blogging.  

To explain Retirement Plus More, I retired December 2008 so this will be about my life, family, friends, faith to share, just so you can keep up with things going on in my household.

The little canines in the picture are Gracie (my Yorkie) and Teenie (my dachshund/pekingnese mix).  Life is pretty interesting with them around.  

Well, I'll "blog" more later but for now, til next time.