2011 Reunion/Phase 6 - Headed Home

Well, I did discover my error in advance - looking for the particular bedroom we'd be occupying on the return trip. It turns out I had booked us for a FAMILY bedroom (for two adults and two children) not the SUPERLINER bedroom with private bath (perhaps it had been sold out, I don't remember). Anyway, I was dreading the lower level room at the end of the hallway with shared toilet and shower.

It turns out, there's a WHOLE LOT OF ROOM down there and a lot of privacy. Since the room is at the end of the coach, we had windows looking out both sides of the train. It really was a VERY comfortable room. Don also liked going down to the vestibule, the spot where passengers are let on and off the the train, to stand looking out the side doors at the passing countryside. But now we will have to take another train trip to enjoy the upper bedroom experience.

We again enjoyed the sunset over the New Mexico cliffs with white clouds and some lightning in the distance. We have such a great variety of scenery in this country it is well worth taking the time to experience it. There was a Mennonite couple on the train with us (distinctive appearance we recognized from Pennsylvania Dutch areas, not Amish, she wore a beautifully tailored teal dress). I have no idea what they will be doing in San Diego. I am curious.

This time the conductor emphasized that it was o.k. to get off at Fullerton and catch an earlier train to San Diego. So we did not have to stay on into downtown L.A. and Union Station. IT WORKS! We avoided the two-plus hour wait in Los Angeles and found ourselves at home much earlier than expected. Our checked luggage did not make the transition, so Don went back to the the San Diego depot later to retrieve it (bigger bag plus NEW duffel for our new shoes and dirty laundry).

No more trips currently planned. Maybe a last-minute offer we can't resist will present itself. Right now it's nice to be home and Sheba has been glued to me since our return.

2011 Reunion/phase 5 (cont'd)

Tuesday

Don was looking forward to learning about steelmaking at the Museum of Labor and Science in Youngstown but was disappointed that they were closed on Tuesdays. So we went back to bicycling mode on the GPS and enjoyed more midwestern scenery - farmland (more corn and soybeans plus some alfalfa) and old brick-building towns. There are a lot of huge modern homes on the outskirts and quite a few with for sale signs.

We found ourselves in Bluffton for night and that is a going town. Don said it reminded him of a college town and then we saw the University. Yep, he's right again. Ruth developed a great need to visit the Dollar Store after a regrettable Mexican dinner. It was still 81 degrees outside at 8:30 PM. Don spent most of the time outside talking with one of the older clerks named Yvonne. He now knows where her husband Bill works, how many kids, grand kids and where her second job is (she runs the elementary school food program in Findlay, the next city over).

Wednesday

Our last full day of driving. We stopped at Amish Acres to use the rest room and Don found a new best friend (Herb) who has been full-time RVing since 1998. He sold his house in Oregon, and recently decided his 38-ft RV needed painting. He had a quote for $23,000 in Portland, but someone at the Salton Sea, where they stayed last spring, said he'd do it for less. So, on their way to Maine to see their daughter, they are getting the rig painted here in Indiana. I do not know how many grandchildren they have.

We spent the night in a Microtel in Michigan City and wanted to drive north to see Lake Michigan. We didn't make any turns and suddenly realized we were headed south away from where we wanted to be. So we backtracked and tried again. We ended up at an inlet and were commenting on the rusty bridge that looked unused. Then a shrill siren (yow, wouldn't want to spend the night in the motel here). Then the bridge smoothly and silently rotated to allow a train to cross the river. It's a different world here.

Thursday, a.m.

Time to head back to Chicago (42 miles from Michigan City). Should be able to make it by noon. And we did, even avoiding the interstates and toll roads (but not the toll bridge $3.50). Don enjoyed going through all the industrial areas and we were impressed with all the brick homes that had been abandoned and cities looking pretty sad.

We are currently in the Metro Lab waiting for our call to the train.

Time to go.

2011 Reunion/Phase 5 - York to Chicago

Sunday -

We had a leisurely morning (checkout noon) so we did one more load of wash to get us through the trip back (complementary for hotel guests - yeah).

We drove through Gettysburg on Highway 30, the Lincoln Highway, that we took through Ohio but missed coming in (Turnpike is much faster but $15.50 to get through the state toward York). We set the GPS for bicycle to go through the more historic and picturesque towns and areas and avoid the freeways that are all the same.

We stopped in Hanover for lunch and on our walk around town discovered a Clarks shoe store having its semiannual shoe sale with lots of people emerging with smiles and boxes of shoes. Can't miss that one. We each found two pairs of shoes and Don found a huge box we can check on the train (just need some packing tape to seal it). Too big for the trunk so it's taking up the entire back seat of the car.

Onward to Chambersburg for night.

Monday, September 12

Onward on the Lincoln Highway to Pittsburgh through more old towns and farmland. I wasn't sure where Shanksville was in relation to us and couldn't find it on the map but we soon started to see signs for the memorial. Apparently we both missed the entrance so we went on to the town (small and really cute) and found Ida's Store for a cheeseburger (Monday Special) for lunch which we took to the park to eat. On the way out of town we saw more Memorial Signs so headed back. The entrance was obvious to those coming from the Turnpike (not marked from the way we came).


We got into line and proceeded quite a distance to the actual site. Very impressive. They were in the process of clearing away the remnants of the previous day's ceremonies (between 3-6,000 people). A private ceremony had ended, just before they let us enter at 2:00 pm. That morning relatives of the victims had a private burial for their relatives at the site.

There were 40 people on the plane and it looks like about a half-hour of knowing what was happening by takeover by the terrorists then a 6-minute struggle before the plane actually went into the ground (45 degree angle, upside down at 563 mph). It made a crater 15 feet deep before the 7,000 gallons of fuel exploded sending it down 40 feet. The field had been owned by a mining company that had finished with it and ready for reclaiming. The hemlock groves around the site were owned by three families and are now part of the monument. The final site is a huge rock with flags on it. The walkway has a wood gate allowing you to look down toward the site. The brochure shows more monuments and displays coming. Very sobering.



Onward to Pittsburgh. Luckily it was Monday and the art galleries are closed (always takes us too long to get through). We decided on the Duquesne Incline for our "visit" to the Iron City. What a great time of day and lighting to see the view of river, buildings, and bridges. The carriages are refurbished from the 1800s and seniors are free.

Onward to Youngstown, Ohio.

2011 Reunion/Phase 4 - York, PA

York and the Long-Lost Relatives

The Yorktowne Hotel (another official historic hotel) is very nice and located right downtown. Our room is on the 8th (top) floor and has a view of rooftops and a church steeple. There were supposed to be about 30 of us but a few didn't make it due to flooding problems. We had appetizers and then several of us walked to a local sports restaurant where we had a corn chowder and a Philly cheese steak sandwich (we're close to Philadelphia).

Friday the bus was ready for us at 8:00 a.m. We were busy trying to wake up, so missed breakfast. But it was a beautiful day for touring Gettysburg with our own guide. It's an amazing place - they're clearing areas and working to make it appear more like it had been in 1863. After a quick lunch we saw the movie and then went in to see the Cyclorama - one year to paint and five years to restore. http://www.nps.gov/gett/historyculture/gettysburg-cyclorama.htm
What was most amazing was the extent of the attached museum - it was a maze of rooms with so much history. I think we'll need to go back and spend more time just with that.

Then to the David Wills house where Lincoln stayed before giving his famous address. We saw the room he'd been in and the bed where he'd slept. It's a small house (by today's standards). The house next door still has an unexploded cannonball embedded in a brick below a window.

It was still too flooded to get to a couple of gravesites of ancestors but we did drive past a home once occupied by Weyrich Rudisill. Then on to dinner at a local winery (Naylor) for a winetasting and German dinner plus entertainment by a local German band complete with Fluglehorns and singer. I didn't see the glockenspiel they were supposed to have. But it was lively and the sound reverberated around the large metal roofed building.

Then back to the Yorktowne to rest up for the next day.

Saturday

We were up early to not miss breakfast and the service was so slow we had to point to the bus outside the window to get their attention. Then everyone came running with our stuff (oatmeal and fruit plate which we couldn't finish). But we made it to the bus on time.

We did visit the gravesite of the Philip Rudisill family - tombstones dating between 1620 and 1650. Several of the family had taken a course in gravesite preservation so the marble tombstones were encased in glass and several layers of newspaper had been laid under more earth to keep the weeds down. They had also fenced in the area as further protection.

We drove through Amish country and saw the horse-drawn carriages and people dressed in typical garb. There were electrical wires everywhere but not all houses had connections. We stopped at a huge Flower and Craft Warehouse then to lunch at the Shady Maple Smorgasbord that had a huge gift shop downstairs. Then a bus ride to Strasbourg Rail Road for a steam locomotive ride in restored cars to Paradise. Then to dinner (another delicious smorgasbord!). We all rolled back to the bus for another beautiful ride through farm country to the hotel and goodbyes.

We didn't have name tags so we'll probably forget who's who and who goes with whom. Hopefully we'll communicate by internet between now and the next one (maybe Williamsburg in two years).

2011 Rudisill Phase 3/to York

Tuesday, September 6

Time to move along, except we haven't yet done the Loop Tour on the El (elevated railway). So after breakfast at the Lockwood Restaurant (very elegant) and packing our bags, we figure one quick trip shouldn't take too long, So, half a block to the steps up, several minutes to figure out the ticket machines, get our tickets, pick the pink route (54^th & Clermont - don't want to end up at the airport), board the next train and settle in. Still magnificent scenery and architecture. At one point a bunch of students board and exit a few stops later, we continue on. Luckily we strike up a conversation with a younger man (in his 50's) and he clues us in that at the end of the line there's a delay while they clean the cars, etc. So we get off with him and he gets us on the next car back. We get back to the hotel and check out with 10 minutes to spare. Whew!

The rental car is delivered to the hotel and we enjoy the conversation with the driver. He'd been in San Diego for training with the Marines and had ended up with Embassy duty in London and Prague. Now he works for Enterprise.

We left Chicago via Michigan Avenue for quite a ways before entering the freeway. It's certainly not the architecture of Southern California. Old housing here is really old. So on to farmland.

Looks like a great year for the corn and soybean farmers. We saw just the beginnings of the corn harvesting. We have also visited two libraries and are impressed with the amount of space available for books and activities. Columbia City's library (used their wireless service to book a motel) also has two auditoriums and four meeting rooms downstairs overlooking a small lake with this evening's offerings a ladies tai chi class and a men's barbershop quartet rehearsal.

Wednesday, September 7

We made it to East Liverpool, Ohio, named by a bunch of folks who were homesick for their home town (we surmise). It is next to the Ohio River and was a big center for earthenware pottery beginning in 1840. Cute tight small town with four- and five-story buildings, now most upper stories are vacant. Their antique mall is huge and we only had 45 minutes to browse four floors. Lots of Fiesta Ware and other pottery choices. Had dinner at Zappa's – the Wednesday special was chicken wings for 35 cents each. We had one batch of sesame ginger and another of Bleu Buffalo. Pretty good. We plan to visit the Ceramic museum in A.M.

Thursday, September 8

The Ceramic Museum of course took longer than expected (http://www.themuseumofceramics.org/index.html) so we had to scurry along to the Turnpike to get across the state by 5:00 p.m. We actually arrived in York and our hotel by 4:00. it looks like an old, old town.

2011 Rudisill Reunion/Phase 2

Saturday

Arrival and walk with our luggage to our hotel, the famous Palmer House on East Monroe. Its heydey was in the 1920's and it has now been refurbished to even greater splendor. This is the lobby - our room was nice but not quite this spectacular.

Sunday: Don's number one thing to do in Chicago was the Architectural river boat tour. We walked to the river, found some breakfast, met with our friend Wynne and her sister Melanie. It lasted 1 ½ hours and the volunteer tour guide from the architectural foundation, almost did not stop talking. He knew when the buildings we

re built, the architects, the styles, and all the owners. Our necks became sore from swinging up, sideways and up again. Even before we left the dock, he was explaining how the water supply of Chicago was saved by reversing the flow of the dirty Chicago river that flowed into Lake Michigan. What they did was create a 26-mile long canal that connects to the Missouri River. This happened over 100 years ago and took 10 years to build. All before earthmovers and bulldozers - only horses, mules and hand labor were available.

Wynne and Melanie afterwards gave us another tour of the Lakeshore Drive, the north end of Chicago, gave us a great dinner and dropped us off back at our hotel about 8 o'clock. A most enjoyable day with wonderful company and weather.

Monday (Labor Day)

Up for a quick walk to breakfast, checking out the hours of the Art Institute (open 10:30 am), too early, so a quick walk through Millenium Park and around the (huge) block. Then to the Art Institute for a brief visit. Five and a half hours later we finally made it out. There is so much good stuff to see and a lot of acreage to cover. Highlights: Impressionists, of course with MANY Manets, and Monets, and several Mary Cassatts; Grant Wood's American Gothic, Edward Hopper's Nighthawks, Marc Chagall's America Windows, etc. I especially enjoy the Miniature Rooms plus the decorative arts (furniture, glassware, ceramics, etc.) and Don enjoyed the Russian War posters exhibit. http://www.artic.edu/aic/exhibitions/current.php

2011 Rudisill Reunion/Phase 1

San Diego to Chicago/Amtrak Wednesday, August 31

Days 1-3: San Diego-Los Angeles-Chicago

Norm dropped us off at the Santa Fe Depot by 9:00 a.m., we swished our bar-coded reservation printout at the kiosk, took our printed tickets and not-needed-yet bag to baggage check, boarded the Surfliner and settled in for the familiar ride to Los Angeles.

We had plenty of time until our next departure so we checked our three remaining small bags of current luggage, walked across to Olvera Street, had lunch, checked out the shopping opportunities, walked a bit, returned, boarded our train, and the bags weren't there as promised, Don went back for the bags (news to them that we were told they would be delivered to our sleeper car), still had time and settled in to our new routine. Sit, eat, sit, sleep, sit, eat, sit, sit, sit, etc. But with the sleeper car, coffee, juice, bottled water are available, meals are included and someone else makes the bed twice a day. PLUS, the train was sold out and the coach seats were packed.

Our sleeper car was tacked onto a train route ending in San Antonio to be attached to a different engine so we were the last car in line - we had plenty of exercise going through five coach cars and a lounge to get to each meal. The coach seats were packed with people of all sizes and it looked mighty uncomfortable, although those seats had extra leg supports that pulled out. Another nice feature of being that far back – the required train whistles are somewhat muted.

It was an overnight in San Antonio and we were late arriving (1:00 am instead of 11:00 pm) but Don was out in his pajamas watching the cars get switched. The route from San Antonio on has some rough spots with a lot of rocking and rolling, so we did burn through some more calories getting to and from our meals. The terrain through Texas is pretty dry (drought conditions). We passed through St. Louis at breakfast and saw the arch for the first time. Going through farm country, there were miles and miles of corn fields and (we think) soy fields.

We were three hours late in arriving in Chicago, reasons including the hot weather (trains can travel no faster than 50 mph when outside temperatures go over 100F), heavy freight traffic and holiday weekend travel to Chicago for a popular Cubs game and free jazz festival plus perfect expected weather. It had rained before our arrival but we were able to handily walk to our hotel, the Palmer House, right downtown Chicago.

Arriving Home

Ruth overslept and we almost missed breakfast at the motel. Don brought back scrambled eggs, sausage, raisin bagel and coffee and that got us going.

It was a nice divided highway out of Bishop so Ruth took over driving. At Independence, everything slowed as we were diverted from the highway to take side streets around the Fourth of July Parade going on Main Street. We did see the fire trucks do a spraying water demonstration (or were they cooling the kids?). Then back on track toward home.

Costco in Victorville was closed for the holiday so we ended up getting gas at Arco for $3.83/gallon. We're glad we get decent gas mileage. (We still remember $0.29/gallon gas from the 1950's and 60's.) Traffic on I-15 was terrible so we took the Garmin-recommended I-215. We sailed through. Usually it's been slow because of the construction - but quiet on the holiday. There's always a trade-off!

Home by 5:00 p.m. Cats to greet us. Life is good.

Journey Home

Up and moving - we managed to finish getting packed, fed, dishes in dishwasher, trash out, bed stripped, stuff into car, birds fed for the last time. I suspect the announcer bird will be available at 4:00 this afternoon to start training the next occupants.

We gassed up for the last time in Nevada (Carson City Costco) at $3.53/gallon. Then we headed south on 395. What a gorgeous drive. The Walker River was fast moving and quite high from the snow melt. It looked like a level 3 rafting trip to Don - looked pretty precarious and scary to me - lots of rocks and drop-offs.

From there we had beautiful green meadows and rolling hills. We stopped in Bridgeport, a small town celebrating the Fourth of July weekend with a Rodeo and Street Fair. We of course had to check it out and bought Don a left-hand grill turner (patented) from the inventor (http://sidewinderbbq.com). We weren't ready for lunch yet, but bought a barbecued tri-tip platter with barbecued beans and grilled corn for Don and a Chinese platter for Ruth (spring roll, fried rice, noodles and huge zucchini wedge) to take along.

We were told from several sources that Tuolome meadow wouldn't be that spectacular right now and maybe we should check out the preserved old mining town of Bodie (13 miles off the highway on an eventual gravel road). There were a few of us on the road (going both ways) and by the time we got to the fee booth ($7.00/adult) there was quite a lineup. The parking lot was full and people were being turned away. It is now high noon (and hot). So we pulled into a no-parking area (why no parking? - wide roadway, no hydrants, nothing obvious) and had our lunch. We do have a Honda CRV model with picnic table - however, we would have to pull EVERYTHING out in order to get to it. Don sat on the side of the road on his aluminum foil plate lid - I opted for the front seat. Still pretty messy. But delicious. The cool breeze was nice. Then back on the dusty road toward Mono Lake and the Tufa piles. We'll go there again - midweek, not summer at high noon.

The most beautiful part of the drive was certainly north of Lee Vining. It was still hot. We got to Bishop around 4:00, checked in and headed to the pool. That helped.

We asked about fireworks in Bishop and were told that there would be fireworks at the park by the Casino that night at dusk. He recommended we park at the Rite Aid parking lot and walk over. Since sunset was supposed to be at 8:15 p.m. we went over at 8:10 and followed some others over to the park. Everyone had folding chairs (we used to carry them but have been trying to travel light) so we ended up sitting on the grass. It was a family oriented event with lots of activities for kids. We were surrounded by families and the kids were all well behaved and really cute with their painted faces and balloons. So we waited, and waited and... Don started describing our sitting on the grass in the "dog park" (yuch). Hooray - the fireworks finally started around 9:30. Nice job. The only distraction was the young girls right behind us giving very loud, high-pitched war whoops! Something to be said for watching fireworks on TV.

Last Day in Tahoe

Well, it is our last day here and we are totally relaxed. We need to get busy packing but seem to be moving in slow motion. At least we don't have to plan what we need for a week - just for the ride home.

Don's brother Dale arrived yesterday for a brief visit from Chico. He also enjoyed our balcony view of nature - the numerous birds and trees, squirrels and chipmunks.

The brothers enjoyed a brief walk by the lake yesterday plus a longer hike this morning while I started laundry. They visited the secluded Secret Harbor and Skunk Harbor and were passed by a 76-year old gentleman with a backpack.

As they were leaving this morning, they came back to point out the black bear that was ambling through the grounds. He was much larger than the one I saw the other day. It was nice to view him from the balcony and not face to face. It is illegal to feed the bears here - $1,000 fine and/or 6 months in jail if I remember correctly.

Guess I should think about our leftovers dinner - leaving just enough for breakfast tomorrow. Then on our way southward and home. We'll aim for Bishop for night after a brief visit to Tuolome Meadow or the historic town of Bodie. We'll see.

Another Day of Rest

We seem to really be enjoying our vacation from our volunteer duties at home. Very lazy morning. There was a bit of rain early on but the sun came out by lunchtime.

We did leave the premises for a gas run to Costco in Reno (19.2 miles away). It's a beautiful drive through the mountains (Highway 431) with spots of snow still on the ground. We stopped at a park for a picnic lunch and noted how nice it is to do things midweek without crowds.

Then back to feed the bluejays (they do demand our attention).

Visitors

Ruth's day started at 6:00 this morning, starting the coffee and noticing some movement outside the kitchen window. A very large black dog? but no pets allowed here. Another look...hmmm...must be a black bear walking through the complex. yes, he reaches up, grabs a branch of a tree, chews on it? lets it go (boing!)...on to the next tree and branch. Sorry, no camera. And the cell phone camera only comes on when I try to answer a call. And it's downstairs anyway.

Our friend Lorelyn from Santa Monica has been in Nevada with her 92-year old dad visiting his 88-year old brother in Grass Valley. They (she and her dad, Joe) came for a day trip to visit and it was a great pleasure to at last meet him. We had a pleasant lunch and visit and Ruth enjoyed some opera talk. We look forward to seeing them again.

The most entertainment we've had is watching the training of Don to put out tidbits for the Stellar Bluejays in the area. First whole peanuts, then some grapes we bought for lunch. I was beginning to wonder if these poor birds were going to have terrible digestive problems - do they find peanuts and grapes in the wild? what do they really eat? The internet is so spotty here I haven't been able to check it. Oh well. We found some wild bird feed – sunflower seeds – and they are now really scarfing those up. Now I'm concerned about them becoming dependent on humans – at least this area is populated year round.

June 2011 - Lake Tahoe, NV

well, we got off early on Saturday morning (early for us anyway, well before 10:00 a.m.). We had a reservation for a motel in Tulare and it was "no vacancy" for anyone else by the time we got there.

It was another full day of driving to Incline Village - beautiful scenery along the way. But a very long day. We arrived at Club Tahoe at 5:00, checked in and started unloading. On entry, there's a choice: upstairs to the public/kitchen/dining area or downstairs to the bedrooms/bathrooms. We have discovered how very nice it is to have two bathrooms - no waiting in line for anything. true luxury. We have a view of the trees and nature and the bridge over the stream. It is quiet here and very pleasant.

Monday we spent resting up - that's a luxury too. The bluejays here have trained Don to put peanuts out. He counted seven for one peanut. I shudder to think what he will have wrought by the time we leave.

Sorry, no pictures this time. We've been looking for the camera and finally realized the last time it was used was at the yard sale. I suspect somebody picked it up and walked away. It was a pretty ugly blue.

more later...

They're Home

Las Vegas last night/this morning - stayed at the Golden Nugget downtown (and that has become an upscale establishment and the best room we've had, especially for $45.00 - midweek). Oh the joys of being official old people (retired). We went out for the Fremont Experience - light and sound show held hourly. The 8:00 pm show was aimed at the 50's generation ("The Night the Music Died" - Buddy Holly era and enjoyable) and at 9:00 it was just 60's noise and colors (unfortunately, the music I grew up with really had died). Happily Don had brought our earplugs. We didn't attend any others. Next time Jean or Primm, NV - maybe less crowded. Everything looks like it's booming - lots of people in the popular places. But there was also plenty of room for more. There seemed to be a convention in town. Lots of Asians getting their pictures taken with showgirls.

The drive was uneventful, but we were definitely overdressed. It was hot in Vegas (80+F). We considered wearing our swimsuits home, but we didn't have enough sunscreen.

Our GPS said we'd get home at 4:19, and indeed, we backed into our driveway at 4:19. First, unload car (laundry tomorrow). Ineeda was there in the driveway to greet us, Sheba was curled up into the box in the kitchen we left for her (better than sitting on the computer/printer/monitor, leaving her excess fur behind). It took an hour but Sheba has now forgiven me and is happily warming my lap as I sit at the computer.

Our biggest surprise on returning home is the dead refrigerator/freezer. First clue - liquid in the ice cube holder.

Guess it's a good thing we saved money in Las Vegas.

Heading Back - Day 3

It was a beautiful morning in Nampa, Idaho. We got an early start(?) today because Nampa is on Mountain Time. The weather forecast suggested sun in the morning with possible showers after noon. Sure enough, at noon it started to rain.

We've certainly been fortunate with the weather - lots of short bursts and variety. We continue to enjoy the magnificent scenery - more rivers and farmland in Idaho and fabulous snow-covered mountains in Nevada as we drive through the wide valleys. The sky and clouds and sun and changing scenery make for a pleasant journey.

We are in Ely, Nevada for the third time and still really like the town. We came in from the north, crossing the original Pony Express trail. I can't imagine covering the distances on horseback - it's difficult enough to sit in a car between Starbucks (lots of them and competitors - all with drive-throughs and lines of cars). We went for a walk around downtown and into the residential area and noticed the ravaged streets, sidewalks, houses and yards. We also noticed we were the only ones out walking. By the time we got back to our motel, the rain was starting to come down and looked more like snow on our jackets.

Tomorrow we head for Las Vegas and have reservations at the Golden Nugget downtown. Weather.com says it will be in the 80's there. The only summer clothes we have along are our swimsuits. Could be interesting,

Heading Back - Day 2

This was a spectacular day - a day of beautiful rivers, mountains, forests, farmland, and sun. No rain or snow (although there still was snow in the hills but melting quickly and contributing to the beauty of the rushing rivers). We can recommend Highway 95 for getting between northern and southern Idaho. But don't be in a hurry.

We made a pit stop in Winchester - the visitor center was not open but the library was. So, of course we had to check it out. They seem to be quite active. There's a weekly "knitting circle" - people bring their projects to work on and socialize and get help if needed (like I did on my lunch hours in the 70's and crocheted three tablecloths plus afghans and caps and...) and they've just started a quilting group. The Friends also sell donated books but offer other items too - t-shirts, cookbooks, and I bought a bean soup mix put together by one of the members. I must say there is something really good about small-town communities. Everyone we've run into has been so friendly and helpful.

Don has really enjoyed this day following the rivers - the Snake, the Clearwater, the Weiser (rhymes with geezer), the Salmon and especially the Little Salmon - perfect spots for kayaking and/or rafting. We only saw one boat on the water today - last weekend was the annual boat challenge at Riggins in Hell's Canyon. Jet boats try to beat each others' times going up a six-mile stretch of river (this year's record-breaker was under five minutes). There was only one disaster - one boat sank and couldn't be retrieved for two days. But the owner/driver and his navigator were rescued without incident. All say it was spectacular. We learned all this at lunch in Grangeville.

Heading Back - Day 1

We actually were packed up and out the door by 9:30 a.m. (mandatory checkout 10:00 a.m.). It was sad to leave the lake - it was so pleasant and quiet (except for the occasional honking geese and ducks). The only thing we left behind so far is the second night light we bought at the Dollar Store.

We headed up the road (20 miles) for breakfast at The Hoot Owl - cozy home-type cafe. Don had the 1+2+2 breakfast (1 huge fluffy pancake, 2 eggs and 2 sausages) and I had the Redneck Eggs Benedict (biscuit with sausage patty, scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese and sausage gravy) - yum!

Gas was $3.639/gallon at the Fred Meyer in Coeur d'Alene. There was a Costco there too but we now have a Fred Meyer card. Have to use that.

We were much impressed with the scenery along Highway 95. We'd have forests then snow fields, then rolling farm fields followed by more snow on the ground (but not slippery roads) and more fields. We saw one small airplane being filled with what we assumed to be seed and other large tractors with dual wheels tilling(?) and getting ready for spring planting.

One stop in Moscow (Idah0) on the way south to walk around. Cute old town area that's been fixed up. Then on to Lewiston and the Snake River. We drove to the Nez Perce Park and Discovery Center as it was closing up. The Ranger suggested we drive across the river and down the road to see the Petroglyphs on the other side. Along the way we passed a fair with a lot of rides we no longer consider fun and some beautiful homes and some not so beautiful homes and horse and cow farms. The river is high and fast moving and the hills on both sides are beautiful in the sidelighting of afternoon. Never did find the Petroglyphs but the scenery was worth it.

At our motel we considered using the indoor pool and hot tub, but the young kids down the hall beat us to it. That's o.k. we still have several books each we need to read.

I guess I should think about our next destination on the way home.

Idaho - Day 6 (last day)

a day to work, then play...

Snow this morning while I do laundry and start packing. Gone are the days of throw everything in the car and take off. Even the food is coming out even. We usually start with a rotisserie chicken and get four or five meals from it in varying forms - first dinner then sandwiches, tacos, salad, etc. We might run out of cream before coffee, though. I'm measuring carefully. Don may get his morning coffee black if he sleeps in.

Dinner at the Inn at Sand Creek - our splurge meal: curried carrot soup (more like a potage), arugula salad with herb crostini, and the Snake River Farms oven roasted pork loin was delicious, (I'll be checking the website http://www.innatsandcreek.com/bistro.html for the Spring Menu for more details) then...

The highlight - Carmen at the Panida (rhymes with Canada), the restored theatre in downtown Sandpoint. One of the founding members was manning the box office and her husband was running the wine concession (wine and good music - nice combination). There were about 40 of us (mostly grey hairs, as usual). It was wonderful. It had been filmed at the Opera Comique in Paris (its debut location in March 1875). The Don Jose (tenor) is American and was good but the Micaela was the best I've experienced. Her voice was exquisite. (Opera News review: http://www.operanews.com/operanews/templates/content.aspx?id=3137) The only distraction was the Escamillo (Toreador) - It looked like his wig wasn't quite right - very asymmetrical on his forehead - I had a suspicion he might be bald. Oh, well.

Then the 20-mile drive back in the moonlight by the lake. Nice evening.

Idaho - Day 5

Wednesday

I have to keep reminding myself what day it is. We need to be out by 10:00 a.m Friday which means laundry and packing (and opera) on Thursday which means this is our last day to explore the area.

So, off towards Priest Lake. This area is truly spectacular, especially in good weather - luckily all sun today. We stopped in Priest River to walk around and have lunch. Don was impressed by the fire hydrant and the tall pole attached to it. We assume it's for guiding the snow plow - how deep does the snow get? It's well above my head.


Then off towards the lake. There are some residential groupings around the lake and spaces for boats but no one in sight. This area has SEASONS!

We came upon a mountain lodge being built (no one evident in residence). We see lots of stumps and sometimes wonder whether the trees are diseased or people here just go through a lot of firewood.

The locals here really are ready for spring. We hear it gets pretty flooded during the spring thaw. There are two dams on the lake and the lake is allowed to get low during the winter to allow for the overflow in the spring.

This evening we watched two DVDs on the area, "Sandpont at the North End of the Long Bridge" and "Bayview - The Early Years" - quite interesting. There's a lot of water activity in the summer and ski activity in the winter. I like it here now because it's not crowded.

Idaho - Day Four

Tuesday

Another day of clouds, sun, clouds, rain, sun, clouds...

We had a 2:30 appointment to get a new windshield (the cracks had grown) so after a leisurely breakfast we headed out to Ponderay. We stopped at the County Historical Museum and learned that we have a Northern Idaho Windshield. I guess it happens a lot here - a piece of gravel flies up and hits the windshield just right, then the freeze, then the sun.... The gal we talked to (retired here from Nebraska) gets a new windshield every year.

We were dropped off at the Coop Store while our windshield was replaced and wandered around in there - wood stoves, hardware, heavy-duty Carhartt clothing (insulated overalls, heavy jackets, jeans, etc.), animal supplies, getting ready for live chicks (for Easter, I guess).

Don's Observations: The variety of stuff pertaining to farming, ranching and just extreme out door working was immense. This was not your Target in San Diego. If you needed to fix your barbed wire fence, or electrify it, all the spreaders, pincers, and special pliers were there. Since winters are long and cold, an entire aisle of gloves, for different kinds of work dominated the heavy coveralls department. Seeds were available in bulk, must have been 20 choices. This was a coop store for hard working people that work in tough weather. I left glad I did not have a need of most items they were selling.

Driving home was a new experience. It was snowing, and this time it was sticking to the ground. It was still a beautiful landscape. By the time we got to our place, all was well.

Idaho - Day Three

Monday

A very restful, quiet, catch-up day with a variety of weather - sun, rain, snow, sun, etc. Finally decided to use the fireplace - they provided one box of wood - but we had no matches. So Ruth trudged through the snow(flakes) - could have waited two minutes - to the convenience store to get some matches.

During some of the snow events, we couldn't see the mountains or the lake close to us - then quickly all was beautiful again.

We did go for a drive/walk to check things out around the lake to the south. There are quite a few cabins - small and large, some occupied but most seeming to wait for the summer occupants. There were quite a few deer roaming around (seemingly young and female) and also wild geese. Boy, do they make a racket when they take off.

Don remembered seeing a hamburger shack on the way back from town yesterday so we had to check it out for dinner (Paul Bunyan Famous Hamburgers). Little did we realize it was 17 miles from our place. We may get to know this road yet. Don had a Paul Bunyan Burger (two patties and cheese with special sauce) and I had the Blue Ox (one patty with ham and cheese) and we shared a large order of onion rings. so much for the good effects of exercise.

Driving back the lighting on the lake was spectacular - couldn't tell if it's a full moon because of all the clouds. At least there's not a lot of traffic.

Idaho - Day Two

Sunday

Day to explore Sandpoint - largest close town to our location. We had sun, rain, hail and snow getting there. The weather here seems to be wait a few minutes and it will change.

Sandpoint is an Amtrak stop on the Empire Builder route. Unfortunately it goes through in the middle of the night so the beautiful lake and mountain scenery will be missed.

Don was impressed with the hail collected on the bench and planters. It melted pretty quickly. When we got back to the car we had a pretty deep crack in the windshield. Hopefully it won't get any worse before we get home. Unfortunately, it's on the driver's side.

We bought tickets to the Thursday night screening of Carmen from the Opera Comique of Paris. http://www.panida.org/carmen.html. I asked if they tended to sell out operas here (you never know) - she didn't know since they don't generally have it. So far she's sold four tickets (including ours). I like intimate opera.

Idaho - Day One

Laundry Day - nice to have our own personal washer/dryer.

Exploration to the south around the lake. Found a steel bridge to walk across and startled a large bird from its nest, then walked a bit farther and saw this nest.

Explored the towns of East Hope (population 79) and Hope - there are some pretty old places close in, farther out there are some pretty big ones - all with views of the lake.

Day 9 IDAHO - Lake Pend Oreille

At last! I can't believe it took us nine days to get here but it has been a most pleasant and unhurried time. It's been a mixture of sun, rain and snow but not difficult driving.

The condo is comfortable and it's nice to have a heater that heats all the rooms. This is a view from our back porch.

It will be nice to settle in for a few days.

Day 8 Eastern Washington

The plan has worked quite well - no really long days of driving, getting to our planned destinations early enough to get a chance for a walk. The weather has been great, we're still speaking to each other... what more could we want.

It's a six-hour drive to Hope, Idaho from Renton, Washington. This will be our last night on the road until we get to our timeshare. The scenery along I-90 is spectacular through the mountains. All of a sudden we realized that the light rain had turned to snow and the white sides of the road were high snow banks - way over the car. We stopped at the summit and it was like driving into a walled snow cave. The rest stop was there, carved out of the at least 12-foot high snow bank.

We decided to spend the night in historic Ellensburg - cute buildings and no signals in town. Don especially enjoyed the Clymer art museum http://www.clymermuseum.com/visitor_info.html.
We also enjoyed the many posters for their Annual Ellensburg Rodeo, e.g., http://www.ellensburgrodeo.com/merchandise/Poster%202001.JPG

Day 7 Western Washington

The plan was to visit Juana Rudesill (Don's dad's youngest brother's widow) in Montesano and take her to lunch. We had visited our last trip through Washington and had a really nice visit with her and daughter Gigi. We were delighted this time that Gigi was able to come from Olympia to see us and Juana prepared a delicious lunch. We also enjoyed our guided tour around town and their collection of lovebirds, parakeets and cockatiels in a protected outdoor cage.



We then headed to Renton to see Ken and Carol (Myrtle's cousin) in their new (to them) beautiful and spacious home. They are on the edge of a wooded area and have a very large back yard. We arrived in time for Don to accompany Ken to a Ham Radio class to learn about hand held radios. Carol and I enjoyed our visit talking about food and crafts and piano and...

Day 6 Portland, OR

A Travel Day

There is no sales tax in Oregon - Don found a bunch of San Diego postcards for his collection (several from the fifties of the harbor and city views many for 25 cents each - unheard of in San Diego and ebay) and gasoline is less than in California (under $4.00/gallon).

We arrived in Portland in the afternoon and found a motel in town. We walked a few blocks to the free train to downtown and met a college student from Duluth, Minnesota. We got off at the end of the line (the university) and walked around enjoying the beautiful parks and sculptures. Getting back the free train was crowded with people going to the Trailblazers Basketball game - two stops before ours.

Next stop Washington.

Day 5 Grant's Pass, OR

We had a pleasant, leisurely morning. Dale made his "pancake" for us for breakfast with apples, blueberries and walnuts. It was very good and kept us full for most of the day. Gas at Costco this morning in Chico was $3.99/gallon - the lowest we've seen for awhile.

We headed back to the Interstate for another day of driving. This time with more lanes and straighter pavement. There is some spectacular scenery - through the Lake Shasta area especially.

We are now in Grant's Pass and found a convenient motel near downtown. We enjoyed walking around their restored historic area and found a trattoria for dinner - we enjoyed their dinner for two: an appetizer (artichoke dip with crostini), soup or salad (I had artichoke veloute soup/Don had Italian wedding soup), entree (sausage ragout with penne pasta for Don, chicken with fresh basil and walnuts in creamy garlic sauce for me) and a shared dessert (lemon biscotti cheesecake). We brought half our entrees home for breakfast and/or dinner tomorrow). And no sales tax on dinner.

Onward tomorrow.

Day 4 Chico, CA

Leaving Caspar Beach, we took Highway 20 inland. Don thought 128 coming to Caspar had a lot of curves, Highway 20 leaving was no better, windy all the way back to Interstate 5. But the weather has been wonderful.

We made it to Kathy and Dale's around 3:00 and were ready to walk and explore with them. We toured Kathy's property, which is currently very green from the rains, and then walked to Little Butte Creek (across the road) to see their summer swimming hole. The water is still high and swirling pretty actively. Kathy's mother, Pat, is currently staying with her and is busy knitting pet blankets for the local Humane Society. (for cats, use garter stitch on 40 stitches on size 11 needles with a double strand of yard until appropriate length - in case I get around to taking up knitting again)

We had another lovely enjoyable dinner with good company. Kathy had been busy making a delicious thick vegetable soup, rice, beans and Dale's favorite fruit creation for dessert.

Day 3 Caspar Beach, CA

We continued our northward journey around San Francisco then over the Golden Gate Bridge and onward. We traveled to the coast on Highway 128 through wine country and were amazed at all the new small wineries sprouting up. It's beautiful countryside and wonderful forest land. Don was happy when we finally left the winding, narrow two-lane road.

We stayed at the Pine Beach Inn up the road just a bit from Jughandle. We had a great visit with Michael and Monica and had dinner at the Thai Restaurant at our motel. I haven't been a fan of Thai food ever since tasting the "Jungle Curry" in Bangkok (I think it's the lemongrass that doesn't agree with me). Anyway, we had four different dishes and they were ALL delicious. I think there's hope for me and Thai food.

Monica's fabulous dessert recipe: frozen berries (any kind) heated on stove until syrupy. Serve over ice cream. Delicious.

Day 2 - San Francisco Area

Our journey in the car was pleasant until the freeway closure on Hwy 99 (we never did find the cause). After being stopped for quite awhile six miles from the Kingsburg exit, we followed several others off the freeway down the on-ramp, then took side roads through the many fertile fields trying to decide what was being grown. At each potential freeway entrance there was still quite a lineup so we continued the detour. The GPS never let us get lost. We were eventually delayed only one hour.

Our visit with Betsie and Claire was most enjoyable. Betsie's brother Greg and fiancee Annie, plus Claire's daughter Anna and husband John joined us for dinner. It's sometimes amazing how little kids grow up to be interesting adults.

Hope, Idaho Trip - Day 1

We are finally off! It's worse than when we were working - now it takes us two weeks to get ready. Being a volunteer does have it's drawbacks - getting signs ready for the annual Mission Hills Garden Club Walk and Treasurer Reports for the Library monthly meeting, plus Ruth (Don) taking on the shipping of Amazon sales, plus tax returns, plus...

Anyway, we got done and packed and loaded and helped to get an escaped dog back to its home and...

we're in Tulare. Traffic wasn't too bad (except through LA as usual) and we did have some rain. At one point it was raining so hard we had to turn off our audio book because we couldn't hear it. But it did let up.

We stopped at the Pyramid Lake information center for the first time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_Lake_(California) and enjoyed their displays (and rest rooms). I hope they've fixed their water fountains by the next time we come through.

Gasoline prices - pretty much over $4.00/gallon (mostly $4.15-4.25 for regular unleaded, cash price) and we found a place for $3.97 with a 50 cent charge for credit card. Sounded good. But we're still not used to paying $50.00+ for a fill-up.

Dinner: http://blackbeardiner.com/ good food but plentiful - we shared a meal and were satisfied.

Onwards to Foster City tomorrow.

Escape to Borrego Springs

Reason: time to seal the tub and escape the fumes for a couple days. Poor cats.
But they will be locked out.