Three for the Road

If you're viewing this:

2008-02-09T17:02:00.000-08:00

"You're still here? It's over. Go home. Go."

courtesy: Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Thanks for playing....

2008-01-24T09:15:00.000-08:00

Today we will arrive full circle, back in the Bay Area, after almost 8 months on the road. We stayed overnight in Bakersfield in the middle of an orange grove and as I was checking out the ripe oranges on the tree next to us, I couldn't help but also notice our US map, on the back of the van, now covered with the states that we stayed in.

So with appologies to Jonny Cash.... sing along if you know the words:

I've been everywhere, man
I've been everywhere, man
Crossed the deserts bare, man
I've breatherd the mountain air, man
Travel - I've had my share, man
I've been everywhere

We've been to:

Watsonville, Redwood Shores, Arcata, Bandon by the Sea, McMinnville, Portland (Oregon), Deschutes River, Coeur d'lane, Glacier National Park, Two Medicine, Three Forks, Emigrant, Yellowstone, Jackson Hole, Grand Tetons, Cody, Thermopolis, Devils Tower, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Ft. Collins, Estes Park, Rock Mountain National Park, Breckenridge, Colorado Springs, Dunes National Monument, Durango, Ouray, La Junta, Dodge City, Kansas City, Des Moines, Cannon Falls, Brainerd, Duluth, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin Dells, Door County, Bailey's Harbour, St. Ignace, Tarvas City, Detroit, Grafton, Alleganey Forest, Niagra Falls, Cooperstown, Moose River, Bangor, Bar Harbor, Portland (Maine), Scarsborough, Cape Ann, Mystic Seaport, Milton, Lancaster, Washington DC, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Charlotesville, Monticello, Lurray, Staunton, Wytheville, Myrtle Beach, Savannah, Gainesville, Sarasota, Naples, Everglades, Juno Beach, Titusville, Homosassa, Ozark, Birmingham, Hattiesburg, New Orleans, Westlake, Houston, San Antonio, Fredericksburg, Waco, Dallas, Carlsbad Caverns, Roswell, Deming, Bisbee, Tucson, Tonopah, Indio, Joshua Tree, Bakersfielde, Santa Cruz

I've been everywhere, man
I've been everywhere.

Our plan is to stay in the Bar Area for the next month or so, deciding where we would like to settle down, and then head that direction when weather permits.

We will occasionally add to the blog, but not as often. Thanks to everyone who followed our adventures, posted comments and sent emails, it was like having our friends and family along for the ride (without having to feed you).

We'll see you soon!

Where in the world are we?

2008-01-22T15:58:00.000-08:00

Time to play that exciting game show "guess where we are?"

OK, it's getting near the end of our trip and I'm running out of blog ideas.... humor me....

Here are the clues:

...gardens of Chollo cactus....

...wild coyotes....(this one darted across the road in front of us, and then hung around)

...cool rock formations like "skull rock", I think it looks more like Mr. Burns)...

AND....here's the big clue.... they have Joshua Trees.....did you get that Josh-ooo-uh trees.....

You guessed it, Joshua Tree National Park. Whew that was exciting... are you still there?

The Southwest...We blew by it!

2008-01-18T16:29:00.001-08:00

Or you could say it blew by us, with lots of strong winds. Actually most of what we wanted to see in the southwest, Flagstaff, Taos, the Grand Canyon was already in the throws of winter. So we stayed south...and I mean south, like Bisbee, Arizona, 80 miles from nowhere, right on the Mexico border.

This former mining town (our RV site was perched on the edge of a copper strip mine) looked like the type of place you went to either, become a famous artist, become a starving artist, or just disappear from the human race.

Tombstone was just OK.

Tucson provided spectacular desert beauty.

One final word about Roswell, be careful of whom you ask directions or you might make a wrong turn.

Today headed into California... here we come... right back where we started from...hey there's a song in there somewhere.

Starbucks in Roswell???

2008-01-14T18:40:00.000-08:00

Every now and then we get a question in the "comments" section that we're sure everyone would like to see the answer to:
chaz said...
"I'm curious, does Rosewell have a Starbucks? 'cause even Alpha Centauri VII has a Starbucks."

NOPE!

But they do have:

and what town would be complete without:

We are not alone, especially if you BLOG!

2008-01-12T17:12:00.000-08:00

After getting unsolicited comments from complete strangers after our JFK posting I'm a little tentative about a Roswell BLOG.... ah what the heck.

With the exception of a small section of downtown that features alien street lights....

...and the usual souvenir shops....

Roswell looks like any typical small town. In fact according to one shop owner we talked to, it wasn't until the 1990's (the crash was in 1947) that they decided to court tourism. That was when the "UFO museum" opened up.

A timeline walks you through the crash...

...complete with a fragment from the craft..

and lots... and lots.... and I mean lots... of written documents like one government issued memo that provides guidelines as to what to do in the event of an alien crash (hint....deny, deny, deny)

There are photos that point towards a cover-up...

...along with an alien autopsy re-creation

The museum is really a collection of raw data that challenges the visitor to connect the dots.

THERE YOU GO... a completely unbiased, non-judgmental blog on Rosewell.... yep... no implants or probing needed here.

a thousand words

2008-01-10T15:22:00.000-08:00

New Mexico sunset.

The Grand Canyon with a Roof....

2008-01-08T16:59:00.001-08:00

You really don't get the full perspective until finding the people in the shot!

Will Rogers called Carlsbad Caverns, NM, "The Grand Canyon with a roof over it". Since it's cold and windy here, a roof seems like a pretty good idea. We took an hour and a half, self-guided, tour of the "big room". Since the last photo archive I posted was of Niagra Falls, so I thought this would be a good place to blow the lens dust off the camera. A few are posted to the left under "Photo Archive". If you don't have time here is one last picture for now:

"X" still marks the spot

2008-01-05T15:16:00.000-08:00

The nice thing about not having to be anywhere is that you can change your plans at the drop of a cowboy hat. Over Christmas my sister, Leeann, described a tour she had taken of the Texas School Book Depository, now called The 6th Floor Museum. It sounded so interesting that we decided on the spur of the moment to turn north to Dallas. Hey, it was only 300 miles, that's "just down the street" in Texas.

The self guided audio tour takes place entirely on the 6th floor. Old photographs and video footage walk you through the Kennedy years leading up to November 22, 1963.

The climax of the tour is a sniper's view from the 6th floor window, (no inside pictures allowed) with boxes of books set up exactly as they had been when Oswald shot Kennedy... or did he....

Take a trip outside down Elm street, where an "X" marks the point of assassination, to the "grassy knoll". You'll still find conspiracy theorist ready to preach to anyone who will listen. Most are selling something. Here Donna is listening to a man who said he was a business partner of Zapruder (of Zapruder film fame), selling secret congressional findings that are not supposed to be released until 2035...oops looks like the cat is out of the bag.

My favorite was a man who claims to have been 18 feet away from Kennedy when he was assassinated. Here, he is pointing to a picture of himself at 13 years of age, in the crowd, as shots rang out.

He states that he saw the deadly shots come from behind this fence on the grassy knoll.

What I found interesting, is that he was the only one not asking for money.

This was one of the best tours that we have seen on our trip, well worth the detour.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-02T14:34:00.000-08:00

Lots of people have sent emails asking where we spent the new year (ok 5 people). Fredericksburg, Texas, a small town settled by the Germans. No partying here, were asleep by 9pm. I can't understand why, I only had one beer.

All our best to you in 2008!

Ghost Children of San Antonio

2007-12-30T08:01:00.001-08:00

THE LEGEND:
"Back in the 1930s a school bus full of children was making its way down the road and towards an intersection when it stalled on the railroad tracks. A speeding train smashed into the bus, killing 10 of the children and the bus driver. Since that dreadful accident many years ago, any car stopped near the railroad tracks will be pushed by unseen hands across the tracks to safety. It is the spirits of the children, they say, who push the cars, uphill, across the tracks to prevent a tragedy and fate like their own. The second half of this legend is that if a light powder - like talcum or baby powder - is sprinkled over the car's trunk and rear bumper, tiny fingerprints and handprints will appear - the prints of the ghost children pushing the car. Many who have tried it swear that indeed they can see the evidence of small children's handprints in the powder."

THE TEST:
Hey, we had an afternoon to kill (no pun intended). We found the small country road and parked 30 yards from the tracks on an uphill. Since our car had not been washed for a month I didn't see any use in sprinkling powder on the back bumper, there was plenty of road dust. Sure enough the car began to roll uphill gaining speed across the tracks.

We turned back onto the road to find another car had stopped, and was just sitting there. He rolled down the window and asked "how do you do this, I'm in neutral and nothing is happening". The car was a large sedan and I guessed that perhaps his car weighed too much, but just then, an equally large car pulled up behind him waiting it's turn. He pulled over and sure enough the other car began to roll.
The driver of the first sedan then decided that the "ghost children" needed some help. He got out of his car and began to push. When he had up a good head of steam, he jumped back in, but the car slowed to a stop well short of the tracks.

I suggested that the ghost children were none too fond of him and he drove away frustrated.

By the way... there were no tiny hand prints in the dust on the rear of the car. I guess now I'll have to wash it.

Westward Ho, Ho, Ho....(holiday humor)

2007-12-28T14:48:00.000-08:00

Now that Christmas is over we have begun heading west....yes, I know, we've been heading west since we left Florida but now we're heading back "into" the west.

First stop, San Antonio. Let's see.... where did we go there??? Ah, yes I remember...The Alamo.

and of course lunch on The River Walk...

At first the city seemed overly crowded with tourist. We then found out that tomorrow is the Alamo Bowl. Thousands of Penn State and Texas A and M fans have made the trek. I think most of them picked the same day as us to tour the Alamo. A long line of Aggies and Nittany Lions wrapped around the building. Happily a second battle didn't ensue.

a Paws in our travels..

2007-12-23T13:57:00.000-08:00

We want to wish everyone happy holidays while we visit with family in Texas.

Our adventures will continue soon.

Naw-lins

2007-12-17T14:39:00.000-08:00

Since Donna has not been to New Orleans , we did all the touristy stuff: hurricanes at Pat Obrien's, catfish po boys, a walk along the Mississippi, a stroll to the garden district, clubbing down Bourbon Street, and of course morning coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde.

Yes that's Donna eating fried dough and powdered sugar! (She only went there for me and since tomorrow is my birthday, the big 50, she couldn't possibly turn down the request...that's her story and she's sticking to it).

The tourist haven't quite returned in droves to the city. In past walks down Bourbon Street it was hard to get from one side to the other. This time there were only scattered groups of people and this was after a Saints football game in which they won.

I would say that only a third of the businesses are back in full swing. Another third are still being repaired and the final third have packed up and gone elsewhere. Good timing for us, I guess, as we have not had to wait in any lines.

Here's a final picture, the Royal Sonesta decorated for the holidays.

Swim'n with da fishes...uh..manatees

2007-12-11T12:34:00.000-08:00

Our Manatee Tour began at 5:30 in the morning. It was cold. It was foggy. It was....well...DARK. After a one hour boat ride up river, it was still cold and foggy but at least it was daybreak. Apparently the manatees are most active in the early morning and the alligators are not, or so claimed our captain. After a little searching one was found lounging on the bottom but even after being warned and watching the required video, the two kids on board splashed noisily into the water scaring it away. I suggested we steam on and leave them there (to test the alligator theory) but the parents objected. Another manatee was located and this time we all quietly slipped into the water. All in all a fun experience. I wish I had a better manatee picture to post but we only had an inexpensive, disposable, underwater camera and it was...well...DARK!

What is this...Rocket Science???

2007-12-08T13:04:00.000-08:00

We have been waiting for the space shuttle to launch since Thursday. Finally at 3pm today NASA announced that the launch would take place at 3:20pm tomorrow (Sunday). I rushed over to the office and extended our stay by one day only to get back and find that in the 15 minutes I was gone the launch is now "tentative" again!

We can send a man to the moon... BUT.... well you know the rest.

If the shuttle doesn't launch tomorrow we will have to leave as we have reservations to swim with the manatees at 5:30am on Tuesday on the other side of Florida. I hope the manatees are more reliable than our space program.

Coincidence....I think not!

2007-12-06T09:26:00.000-08:00

We decided to take a tour of the Kennedy Space Center a day before the scheduled shuttle launch. Security was high, including a metal detector and search of carried bags. Those bringing in cameras, which we both had, were required to turn them on. When Donna went to turn hers off she hit the button to take a picture by mistake causing the flash to go off. Security was immediately scrambled and they stood next to her to make sure she deleted the "out of focus" picture of the floor. BUT NOW we find that the shuttle mission has been scrubbed for today. Obviously a closer security check has turned up something in her background. Oh well, we built in one extra day here just in case but after that we will have to watch it on TV.

5th Rock from the Sun

2007-11-30T12:58:00.000-08:00

Currently in Jupiter, Florida. This is the first week since we have been gone, that we have done absolutely nothing! No pictures to post no stories about close calls with wildlife and no death defying hikes. Each morning we go on a long walk and then swim the dog at the beach across the street. Afternoons are spent by the pool with a mai tai. I think after 6 months we are finally getting the hang of this.

When in Rome...uh...Naples

2007-11-24T08:32:00.001-08:00

While in Naples, our closest stop to the everglades, we took a 30 mile drive down a narrow dirt road in the middle of the swamp.

At every possible stop there was...you guessed it...alligators.

Dory had to stay in the car as we were fearful of letting her out even for a moment. This was reenforced when Donna stopped by the ranger station for a map and saw a photo of a gator eating a german shepherd (the dog not the nomad). In fact one of our guides on a later trip made a point of saying that if you get out of your car, make sure to leave the doors open so you can jump back in in a hurry. No mention was made of what to do if a gator had crawled in your car while you were away.

The day before Thanksgiving we took a boat tour of the Everglades 10,000 islands.

These mangrove (not to be confused with mango) covered islands are teaming with birds dining on fish....

and Pacific bottle nosed dolphins that rode the wake of our boat and jumped out of the water...

Tomorrow we leave for the Atlantic side of Florida, ah Palm Beach...Boca Raton.... the only alligators there are on izod shirts.

Gators-Galore

2007-11-17T06:39:00.000-08:00

Ok, we chickened out on kayaking and opted for an airboat tour. There were hundreds of birds ....ho hum... more beautiful birds in flight....

...and of course gators...

...gators....

...gators...

Each time we passed one, it would enter the water and swim towards the boat. I think our decision not to paddle in our inflatable kayaks was a wise one!

Duck, Duck, Goose...

2007-11-13T06:48:00.000-08:00

Or as they play it here in Florida...Turkey, Turkey, Gator. We watched this guy sneak up on a meal only to turn away at the last minute. I think he figured out that they were turkey vultures. Besides Thanksgiving isn't for another week.

We hiked on trails surrounded by palmettos...

...and brightly colored birds like this Roseate Spoonbill...

I'm trying to convince Donna to rent kayaks, but here is a picture of the launch area...

We might have to take an air boat ride instead.

pagers....cellphones...you know what to do with them.

2007-11-10T12:34:00.000-08:00

....a post for all our friends currently working at Oracle OpenWorld.

Alas, I can't bring myself to post a picture of us here is Sarasota Florida, 82 degrees, sunny, our barefoot feet caressed by the warm Gulf of Mexico, while you all slave away, that would be too cruel. But rest assured I am raising an umbrelled drink in your direction and hoping it's as painless as possible. Our thoughts are with you....well at least until the second drink.

OK I lied.... here's a picture:

In the Garden of Gump and Evil

2007-11-08T15:05:00.000-08:00

Our search for the warm weather took us first to Myrtle Beach, SC. where it was 80 degrees and we had the beaches to ourselves....

....not to mention the, all you can eat, crab leg buffetts....(yes, they're lowfat!)

The weather turned cold and windy so it was on to Savannah, GA., were we we took an open air bus tour of the historic district and saw block after block of manicured town squares including the one where Forest Gump sat on a bench telling his story to any one who would listen. There were also several buildings from the book/movie Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil.

We opted to stay in Skidaway State Park where we hiked through trees draped in Spanish Moss...

...and filled with wildlife (no gators yet)...

...as well as the remains of a moonshine still, I guess we're finally in the South.

The nights and mornings are still chilly so tomorrow we have decided to head to Florida.

Other than that Mrs. Lincoln...How was the play?

2007-11-04T04:31:00.000-08:00

Other than the emergency room here are some other things we did while in the Shenandoah Valley:

A tour of the Luray Caverns provided spectacular scenery...

...as well as a recital played on an organ more than 150 feet below the surface. Hammers strike stalactites in perfect pitch.

There was also a classic car and carriage museum. Here Donna checks out an original gas saver...the Stanley Steamer.

A mere 4 days after my surgery I was fit enough to hike in the Shenandoah National Park and view the fall colors.

While in Staunton (pronounced Stantan), home of Woodrow Wilson and the Statler Brothers, we attended a Shakespeare theater performance of Romeo and Juliet.

This area has definitely made our short list of places to live.

Time to pay the piper....

2007-10-28T07:53:00.000-07:00

Our previous blog spoke about the delicious meal we had near Monticello. Apparently that was all my body needed to send me over the edge. Another midnight rush to the emergency room left no doubt about the outcome and I was scheduled for surgery the next morning. The simple outpatient operation turned out to be not so simple once they found my gallbladder had reached the acute stage with gangreen and some 20 or more stones. We have extended our stay here for a few more days to make sure that I am healing properly. I don't think I'll be having any more fried chicken dinners any time soon.

Monticello: Thomas Jefferson and historic lettuce...

2007-10-25T07:02:00.001-07:00

We took a rainy-day tour of Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence (an original copy of which is in the mansion....no pictures please!)

After a tour of the mansion we walked to his grave site where some visitors have placed nickels atop the tomb.....and others, those who had flunked grade school history, placed pennies.

A journey around the grounds took us to the garden containing flowers and vegetables that were direct descendants from those that grew there 200 years ago. Donna bought several packets of these "heirloom seeds" to start a garden when we land somewhere. I don't care how famous the broccoli is I'm still not eating it!

And speaking of food...our next stop was the Michie Tavern, for hundreds of years a stop for weary travelers. Costumed servers dished up a southern fair consisting of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, and cornbread followed by peach cobbler ala mode. Hard to believe but this was Donna's idea. She even complimented the fried chicken. I would have taken pictures but wasn't about to free up a hand to do so before Donna came to her senses.

Fall is finally in the air and the sunny 80 degree weather of last week has turned to cold and rainy. The colors are just beginning here in Virginia.

On the Road....Again

2007-10-23T06:13:00.001-07:00

Today we hit the road, again, for part 2 of our journey...or is it part 3?

We have been on a 11 day stop-over in Suffolk, Va. visiting with granddaughter Lydian, as well as having repairs done to the RV. Along with Virginia Beach...

... where the water was full of porpise and the air full of jet fighters.....

...we went to the aquarium ...

the Children's Museum (for kids of all ages, that's Ryan in the bubble machine)......

...and Busch Gardens...

While here, we decided to splurge on a hotel for the first time during our trip.....now we'll have to get used to the confines of the RV all over again.

Whew! Time to catch up...

2007-10-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

This will be a lengthy blog as we have been very busy and not posted for more than a week. After leaving Massachusetts we headed to:

Mystic Seaport, Connecticut.

Donna was here when she was 16 and remembers it as a quaint re-creation of a whaling village. We really liked the museums and tall ships, or short ships if you are below deck.

On the downside asking directions was a little tough and they need to work on their petting zoo.

From there it was on, to Pennsylvania. Although the leaves still had a ways to go there was color to be found.

We had a nice visit with relatives in Danville as well as a trip to one of the largest farmers markets (more than a football field in length) restocking our supply of fresh fruits, vegetables, and pies.

Then it was on to Lancaster, right in the heart of Amish country. Driving through towns with names like; Bird in Hand, and Intercourse, you have to share the road with horse drawn carriages and people powered scooters, which are the main modes of transportation.

Here the modern world collides with the past:

Another day was spent on a driving tour of Gettysburg. After purchasing the audio CD in the bookstore, you followed it on a 2.5 hour tour of the battlegrounds. As well as a walk through the cemetery where Lincoln delivered his address.

And of course no trip to Pennsylvania is complete without a visit to the town of Hershey where the street lights are Hershey's kisses.

And there's chocolate a plenty!

Then it was on to Washington DC.

We actually stayed in Maryland and took the Metro right from the campground to the Mall. There were of course monuments and museums...

...as well as the Smithsonian where you could not only see items like, The Wright Brothers plane, giant stuffed elephants and Albert Einstein's pipe...

...but a few gems like, Dorothy's Ruby slippers and The Hope Diamond...

...along side Archie Bunker's chair, Seinfield's puffy shirt and Mr. Rogers' sweater...

...and my personal favorite the original penicillin mold.

Finally we were off to the National Zoo to see the pandas...

...and no matter the museum, exhibit or monument there are no entry fees, because, that's right as taxpayers, you've already paid for it (only 42 thousand dollars each!)

Which Witch is Which?

2007-09-28T15:14:00.000-07:00

The scariest thing about Salem, Mass. is not the cemetery, it's the drivers on the road to get there. From our base in Gloucester (The Perfect Storm) we took a day to tour Salem. There is a painted red line on the sidewalk to follow so you don't miss any of the attractions , including The House of 7 Gables...

...The town cemetery, where accused witches are buried. How would you like this to be your bedroom window...

...and of course, the Witch Museum (no pictures allowed inside, I guess it scares the spirits).

The town commons even have a statue dedicated to the show Bewitched... ah television, it's influences are everywhere.

Southward Ho!

2007-09-26T06:18:00.000-07:00

A Tale of two Portlands

4 days into our trip, on June 10th, we titled our blog "Eastward Ho!" That day we visited the Heceta Head Lighthouse on the Pacific and then turned east for the first time to Portland Oregon. Now 109 days and some 7000 driving miles later we paid a visit to the Portland Head Lighthouse here in Portland Maine, stuck a toe in the Atlantic and now will turn south. Gulf of Mexico, here we come.

Bar Harbor, Maine

2007-09-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

a walk downtown (the tourists have headed home)....

a sunset paddle, (without tipping over).....

a hike on the carriage roads of Acadia Park (with a stop for tea, how civilized)...

the leaves are starting to change (they even have an 800 number to check their status)...

dinner at the Jack Russell Restaurant (they taste just like chicken)....

and of course.......

LOBSTAH!!!!!!

"Derry", Maine

2007-09-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

As a Stephen King fan from way back I remember reading the "about the author" section on the back cover where it said that he lived in Bangor Maine. In fact if you've read any King you would know that Bangor is Derry, an often used town in many of his books like; It, Pet Cemetery, Insomnia, etc. etc. So I decided to do a quick web search to see if there were any "King" points of interest to visit. Instead I turned up Betts bookstore on Hammond St. (Insomnia for those who know the story).

The owner is an acquaintance of Kings and has devoted most of his shop to memorabilia, signed books, original manuscripts and so forth, better than a museum. We dropped by one morning and I had a wonderful conversation with the owner about our favorite King books, and a bit about King himself who he said, used to drop by every few weeks, as well as be seen frequently walking downtown, up until his accident.

After 10 minutes of conversation during which I proved my knowledge of Stephen King stories, I was apparently worthy of "the map", a xeroxed copy of the Bangor area to which he had highlighted several locations that had either inspired King or been used outright in his stories. Places like, the canal, barrens and water tower from IT, the Pet Semetary, etc. Then he drew a dot and house number on the map and said "and this is where he lives". Since it was fairly close to where we were, we decided to drive by. It was a beautiful red victorian with an iron gate (decorated with bats spider webs and such) around it more for ambiance than security, in fact I was a little shocked at how accessible it was, you almost expected to see him out front cutting his lawn (which by the way had 2 large "stop the war" signs).

Niagra Falls...part deux

2007-09-17T16:11:00.000-07:00

As promised here are 2 videos from our tour of Niagra Falls. The first is the Cave of the Winds:

and...... Maid of the Mist:

That's a lot of water!

Cooperstown...Hall of Fame and Hall of Pain!

2007-09-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

Hall of Fame:

What a beautiful area around Cooperstown! We went to a apple cider mill, walked the quaint downtown streets, hiked in Glimmerglass State Park, caught a pickup game at Doubleday Field and, of course, went to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

What's not to like... history, memorabilia, photos and video clips from the greatest moments in our national pastime. Here's a picture of Donna checking out the current inductees:

At this point I'm pretty sure she had more fun at the Cooperstown hospital emergency room..... which brings me to the...

Hall of Pain:

At midnight on the night we arrived in town, I began to have severe stomach pain. After two hours we realized it was time to seek out the closest emergency room. I spent all night and most of the next day with multiple tubes and needles stuck into me while they ruled out a heart attack. The next morning the tests showed it was my gallbladder giving me trouble. Luckily I didn't have to have surgery, but need to watch my diet (Donna is thrilled). Oh well, on to Maine.....mmmmmmm, lobster.

slowly I turned, step by step, click by click....

2007-09-12T17:20:00.000-07:00

This will be the first of 2 postings from Niagra Falls. Our next posting will be a couple of video links to some of the fun activities we did here (but as always I need a faster internet connection).

This posting is simply to invite you to click on the photos link to the left. It's tough to take a bad picture here, or to try to frame a shot that hasn't been done a million times. Hopefully I was able to portray the beauty and power of the falls.

a stop in Detroit...

2007-09-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

...for a visit with good friends.

Door County Wisconsin....

2007-09-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

beautiful scenery....

...great beaches with clear blue water.....

....and don't forget the fish boils

This area had it all. Several Carmel-like coastal towns filled with art galleries, great parks for hiking and kayaking, and roadside stores featuring local farm products.... our favorite was the locally made cherry struedel.

Up until a week ago we had not heard of this area, located in the peninsula above Green Bay, but now it's on our list of places to see again!

Water and a Duck's Back

2007-08-30T15:58:00.000-07:00

If you've never been to Wisconsin Dells, picture the Las Vegas strip, with-out the gambling. Several streets filled with; t-shirt shops and tourist booths offering discounts on the many water slides, amusement parks and well you get the picture. Ok, when in Rome....

We took a tour of the Wisconsin River on a Duck. A World War II relic that travels over land and water. Actually, through some very beautiful areas. Then we headed for Noah's Ark, which is billed as the Worlds Largest Water Park. Lots of inventive rides that we had never seen anywhere else.

Speaking of water.... we have had several emails asking if we were able to avoid the flooding that is currently plaguing this part of the country. For the most part yes, but I can say that in the last 2 months we have seen more severe weather than in the previous 20 years. Skys so dark with clouds that they turn day into night and lightening flashes, where a second one starts before the first has finished, turning the night into day. We have heard thunder that rolled on and on for countless minutes without stopping and rain that came down so hard that it passed through the weather stripping on the van. We did miss the major flooding however by 30 miles to the south.

We take it all in stride.... like water off a ducks back

Duluth

2007-08-26T16:24:00.000-07:00

Duluth turned out to be surprisingly pleasant . We took a drive up the North Shore to the Two Harbors area visiting Minnesota's oldest light house.

A hike in Jay Cooke State park was along he St. Louis river also known as the root beer river due to it's brown color with white foam.... mmmmmm......root beer.

The downtown Duluth area featured a shoreline walk along lake Superior ending at an ariel bridge that lifted up every time a boat needed to pass under. It takes a special boat captain to time the passage perfectly.

Luckily with a telephoto lens I was able to view into the wheelhouse and get a look at one of these exceptional pilots.

A Drop in the Bucket

2007-08-22T18:52:00.000-07:00

Here in Minnesota the mighty Mississippi is a mere drop in the bucket that one could throw a rock across. It's hard to believe that a few hundred miles downstream huge barges and ships are on their way to the rest of the world on this same river.

There was plenty of wildlife on this paddle, including some huge turtles, as well as this "rafter" of wild turkeys...

...which reminds me of the strangest high school mascot name we've encountered..... Atkins, Minnesota, home of the fighting "gobblers" ... wow, that must really intimidate the other schools!

Minnesota Sunset....the picture says it all

2007-08-17T15:11:00.000-07:00

Where will you find....

2007-08-15T06:04:00.001-07:00

...a life-size Harry Potter, made of cheese...

...a huge variety of health food...

....200 different types of corn....

...at the Iowa State Fair.....

All in all, a pretty fair Fair.

Bridges of Madison County

2007-08-14T17:08:00.000-07:00

Never read the book....

Never saw the movie....

Didn't even know they were in Iowa...

The most interesting thing I noticed about these bridges, other than the fact that people are still visiting them 12 years after the movie, is their security system. The bridges are pretty much in the middle of nowhere, yet each one has it's own solar powered security camera and microwave link. Probably because one was burned down years ago due to arson. For more pictures of.....well.... bridges check out the link in photo archives to the left.

Three, Two, One...

2007-08-12T14:20:00.001-07:00

THREE: the 3 strangest state laws that we have had to deal with so far are:

#3: In the state of Oregon you can't pump your own gas.... don't even try, the attendant will take the pump out of your hand and give you a dirty look.

#2: In Colorado you can't buy beer or wine in a grocery store, but you can bring your groceries into the adjoining liquor store and pay for them with your alcohol.

#1: In Missouri you must register before going into a casino and receive a players card... why... because you are only allowed to loose 500 dollars every 2 hours. Apparently there are no restrictions on winning as it is not expected.

TWO: the 2 strangest marquees I have read.

#2: on a Colorado hotel sign: "Free Rooms! Just Kidding".

#1: on a Kansas Dairy Queen: "My boss told me to change this sign, so I did".

ONE: the strangest rule we have encountered:

#1: at a Kansas City RV park, swimming pool rules included: "no holding your breath"

I will update these as they become more bizarre!

Parting Shots, from Dodge City, KS

2007-08-09T18:30:00.000-07:00

That title works on so many levels... here are a few shots you might have missed, mostly because I haven't posted any of them yet.

What's the chance of catching this muzzle blast when the camera shutter is set for 1/1000 of a second.....

...or a bolt of lightening over a cornfield....

...ok, the rainbow stood still long enough to have it's picture taken but a cool shot none the less.... by Donna...

...this one I call "truth in advertising"....

Well time to get the heck out of Dodge....hey that actually works, because we're in Dodge....and we're leaving and.... well never mind.....

What made this marmot scream....

2007-08-05T16:34:00.000-07:00

...he saw our jeep on this "road":

Having survived the death defying hike of two days ago we decided to tempt fate yet again by renting a 4X4. Jeep trails are rated much like white water rafting, from 1 to 5. We chose a nice 2. The description talked of a beautiful journey over the 13,000 foot Ophir pass, (you'd have thought the 13,000 foot part would have tipped us off). It starts off nice enough, much as the Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland before plunging you onto a single track road hugging the side of a cliff. The path is only a Jeep and a half wide, so what you ask happens when 2 Jeeps meet head to head. Supposedly the uphill Jeep has the right of way and the other one has to back up until a turnout is found. Did I mention the path is only a jeep and a half wide and 13,000 feet up! Luckily for us we never had back up, or, put into action my plan B of not speaking any english until the other Jeep backed up. The 86 mile journey was not without it beauty, beaver ponds, ghost towns, and aspen groves. Pictures of course to be posted soon.

What we did today:

2007-08-03T18:00:00.000-07:00

Imagine climbing all the stairs to the top of the Empire State Building....twice! And what if those stairs were only 18 inches wide and there was no side to the building so as you climbed you looked out over a 1000 foot drop-off. Now what if you started you climb a mile and a half above sea level so every breath you took only had part of the oxygen your lungs expected and the pay-off for all this is a visit to a deserted mining shack, that looks as though it was glued to the side of the mountain and would fall at any minute. Throw in a thunderstorm on your return trip just to make the pathway back a little slicker. That's what we did today.

Can you find Donna in the picture below.... hint: she's on the path.

You're right.... no trees

2007-08-01T08:41:00.000-07:00

Our journey took us to the Great Sand Dunes National Park. A virtual Sahara Desert created at the base of the mountains. Since the sand can reach temperatures of 140 degrees in the summer, hiking to the top of the dunes is usually done in the early morning or evening. The great thing about this hike is you can do it 24 hours a day. With that in mind we decided to try a full moon attempt to the summit; but first, we thought it wise to pick a path in the daylight so we would know where we were going later that night. Our simple re-con turned into a full hike to the peak without water or proper attire. The last 50 yards up a 45 degree slope. It worked out for the best because by 9pm it was pouring rain and lightening. By 3am the rain stopped and we heard other campers heading out but we lacked the momentum and pulled pillows over our heads.

The dunes are a photographer's dream. As the sun changes on the landscape beautiful shapes are created. Check our photo archive to the side for pictures of the park, as well as an encounter with bighorn sheep. (When our internet speed allows uploads of course).

Royal Gorge...we survived!

2007-07-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

We took a thrilling raft trip yesterday through Royal Gorge, one of the premire rafting destinations in the world. Pictured above Todd is in the front left and Donna is well...covered with water next to the guide on left. The tour boasts class IV+ rapids with names like sledgehammer and pinball and travels under the world's highest suspension bridge pictured here:

The trip started with a safety lesson where the first three rules were "don't fall out, don't fall out, and don't fall out" followed by a series of what to do to survive if you broke one of the first three rules. I learned how intense this trip was by listening in on a quiet conversation one of the guides was having on the van trip home. The past three years there had only been one death "running the gorge", but since May of this year, 5 people on guided tours have died including one guide in training. Is it too late to get our money back?

This was one of the few tours that actually followed you with a photographer, so we'll be posting all the rafting pictures in the photo archive soon.

World's Largest Ball of Twine? not yet... BUT

2007-07-24T16:35:00.000-07:00

We haven't yet found the elusive Worlds largest ball of twine, but did stumble upon this self-proclaimed World's largest rocking chair near Colorado Springs, Co. It sat behind a locked gate in a closed, for sale, restaurant, so I'm a little suspect of it's claim. After all, if it was indeed what it said it was, wouldn't the droves of people, driving hundreds of miles to see it kept the restaurant in business?

Anyway we are now settled in CO. Springs for a few days after a great time in Breckenridge where I finally booked a fly fishing guide and took lessons. 4 Rainbow trout later, I think I'm catching on (no pun intended).

Since our time is limited here we've decided to pass up on the train ride to the top of Pikes Peak and instead booked a raft trip on the Arkansas River through the Royal Gorge. An adventure that promises Class IV and V rapids. Since we have never been in anything bigger than class III this could be our final entry.

Ahhhhh, Breckenridge

2007-07-19T07:49:00.000-07:00

We don't usually blog about the sites we stay at because unless you're staying in a state or national park they're pretty much just parking spaces. Sometimes you get a tree or a little grass, but it's just a place to call base camp. Every now and then though, you get lucky, which is the case here in Breckenridge, Colorado. After the hustle and bustle of Estes Park we were looking forward to just hanging out at the site and doing nothing (I know.... I know... pretty much what you thought we were doing every day!). What a great site to do nothing. We're on a large lot with trees, lots of grass and right where the Swan River meets the lake. Now after a hard day of hiking, kayaking or walking thru town we can sip a glass of wine, watch the sun go down, do a little fishing and let the stress of the day melt away....ok no stress.

Hey Rocky! watch me pull a tourist outa my hat....AGAIN

2007-07-15T11:18:00.000-07:00

Estes Park, and RMNP was the first destination that we visited in which we were slightly under-whelmed. Granted we had just visited, Yellowstone, The Grand Tetons, Galacier, The Black Hills, etc and our expectations were high. Rocky Mountain National Park was very diverse. Everything from high altitude tundra to rivers winding through meadows. We drove on the highest continuous highway in the US. A two lane road at 12,183 feet with shear drop-offs on both sides and hiked to a beautiful high altitude lake.

Estes Park where we are staying however, is packed with tourists trying to make the most of their 2 weeks a year off. The town is crowded with cars, the sidewalks full of people pushing their way from shop to shop looking for a deal on authentic Rocky Mountain merchandise, made or course in China.

Even we succumbed to a few touristy moments... like a visit to the Historic Stanley Hotel, Stephen King's inspiration for the Overlook Hotel in the Shining. It was used in the filming of the made-for-TV version. There you can buy a coffee mug with REDRUM on the side.

It is now Sunday and as were watching the campground empty of people who have to be at work tomorrow morning, I'm thinking to myself.... this place isn't so bad after all.

A Potpourri of Hodgepodge

2007-07-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

On the tv show Jeopardy the category "Potpourri" is a hodgepodge of leftover questions, or is the category "Hodgepodge" a potpourri of questions?.... anyway here are some things that we have done that didn't make the blog or deserve another mention:

In Eureka, Ca. we stopped by the houses where our children were born, strolled Old Towne, and paid a visit to the TV station that I used to work at.... which is now a dilapidated building which I'm sure is haunted.

In McMinnville, Or. we saw the Spruce Goose. Here is an inside view that I didn't include before. I believe the person in the picture is Howard Hughes.... looking good for his age.

Deschutes Fish Hatchery in OR. had ponds that included a 14 foot sturgeon as well as rainbow and brown trout (not 14 foot, but big none the less) if I'd only had my fishing pole handy.... what do you think.... shakey head, dropshot... or should I just reach down and grab one?

At the Grand Tetons we hiked 3 hours and 10,500 feet to one of the peaks.... ok the first 9,000 feet was on a gondola but an accomplishment none the less.

Leaving Yellowstone by the east gate we were surprised by the amount of forest that had been devastated by wildfires as well as nature's ability to recover.

Cody, Wy. offered up the Buffalo Bill Museum which was actually 5 museums: Spectacular art work by some of America's premeire western artist, including Fredrick Remmington. Also a Plains Indian exhibit, an unbelievable selection of firearms, Buffalo Bill memorabilia and a Museum of Natural History. On the other end of town we visited "Old Trail Town" a collection of western abodes including the "Hole in the Wall" hideout and most notably the final resting place of Jeremiah "liver eating" Johnson, whose body was moved there in the 70's with Robert Redford as one of the pallbearers.

In Thermopolis, Wy. we visited the Wyoming Dinosaur Museum. 150 dollars would buy you a day at the dig site, we opted for the 7 dollar tour. And of course the famous mineral baths where you have the opportunity to sit in hot, stinky water.

Devils Tower, Wy. not only presented a "close encounter" with America's first National Monument but a prairie dog village; don't put your hand in the vacant holes as rattlesnakes occupy them.... or so the sign said.

Finially Mt. Rushmore. It's not every day you get to see someone placing fireworks on Teddy Roosevelt's head. The show was of course spectacular, but the rising blood-red moon was a reminder that it's tough to beat Mother Nature!

Where You At?

2007-07-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

Looks like Boost Mobile has expanded their coverage area. You can once again see where we are by clicking the link to the left.

If you'd like to see how we got there: 1) goto accutracking.com 2) signon as "smalldog" with password "smalldog" 3) bottom of page on left is a link "unit 1" click on that to see our history.

Yes it also shows our speed along the way. Colorado and Wyoming are 75mph and I was only going 70!

Fireworks! - worth the wait

2007-07-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

We have talked about being in Mt. Rushmore for their fireworks extravaganza hand in hand with hitting the road in our RV since the discussion first came up, calling it the real starting point of our adventure. Since they usually draw 20 to 30 thousand spectators we decided not to take any chances and get the lay of the land the day before, find out where to park, where to sit, how early to show up etc. We were told by a park ranger that unless we showed up by 9am the parking garage would be full and we would have to walk 3 miles up the hill (little did we know that walking would be preferable, but more on that later). His next piece of information was a shocker.... unless there was rain in the next 24 hours the fireworks would be cancelled as the immediate fire danger was extremely high. Current forecast showed the chance or rain at less than 30 percent, (might I add it was 95 degrees and not a cloud in the sky). We awoke the next morning to find.... guess what....low clouds and drizzle, the fireworks gods were indeed smiling on us! We got to the parking garage by 9am interred the park, placed our chairs in perfect positions and then......hmmmm... what the heck are we going to do for the next 13 hours! After walking the trail 3 time, listening to the audio tour, checking out the museum, gift shop and eating we only had.....uh.... 9 hours left to kill. I won't bore you with the minute by minute details, suffice to say we killed the time.
The show started with a Lakota tribal prayer that ended oddly enough with a low level fly by from a B-1 bomber with full afterburners that rattled your teeth! The fireworks were everything we expected... pictures to be posted soon. After the show we headed to the garage only to find that they would not let traffic out for at least an hour and a half, that was to let the thousands of people walk down to their cars safely. When we did leave the parking area we were directed down the opposite side of the hill, a detour of more that 20 miles.... why....because they had accidently set fire to part of the park with the fireworks.
Today we went to the Crazy Horse monument, Carving began in 1948 and when finished it will be every bit as spectacular as Mr. Rushmore, it's a truly an amazing story worth checking out on line if you have a chance. We were lucky enough to arrive just as they were blasting away part of the mountain, talk about fireworks!
Happy 4th of July to all!

A Close Encounter

2007-07-01T08:42:00.000-07:00

If the caption doesn't make sense perhaps you should rent Close Encounters of the Third Kind again, or you could just stay here at the Devil's Tower campground. They play the movie every evening 365 days a year. Actually it's pretty cool watching in an outdoor theater with the real tower as a backdrop. Oh, yeah.... it is a National monument and all, so we hiked completely around the tower and stopped at the prarrie dog village on the way up. I'm not sure what we will do with 150 pictures of prarrie dogs! And speaking of pictures, I'm hoping to catch up on uploading more at our next stop (Mt. Rushmore), wi-fi gods willing of course.

Hey look... I found a quarter

2007-06-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

OK, maybe some of the titles aren't as clever as others! This picture is from the Jackson Rodeo, held twice a week in the summer. One of our many activities in Jackson Hole (near the Grand Tetons). We also had a beautiful kayak on one of the many lakes. I should be uploading pictures soon. (links will be found to the left). Next stop Cody, WY

Accutracking (better known as RU tracking?)

2007-06-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

After writing this blog for more than 2 weeks the only coments I seem to get are...Did you know your GPS still shows you in Oregon? The answer is YES!!!!! The system works in conjunction with Boost mobile phone service which is not available in Montana, N.Dakota, S.Dakota, Wyoming and for some reason Arkansas. We will again be on the radar July 7th when we enter Colorado.

Hey Rocky...Watch Me Pull a Tourist Outa My Hat...

2007-06-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

It has come to my attention that when driving thru a National Park, rules of the road as well as common sense can be thrown out the window. It's OK to go from 50mph to 0 in a matter of seconds if it means a picture of wildlife..... with of course a few minor unspoken rules.... stopping for a simple squirrel or other lowley vermon will get you the 'ol middle finger saluite... stopping for a picture of a buffalo in Yellowstone is ok, unless you are in the middle of the park and had ample oppertunity prior to this.... that will get you the "what are you, new" look. Elk and Moose are highly rated, each car is allowed a brief pause to take a picture next to the animal with out anyone honking (far be it from me to point out that this picture has been taken a kabilliion times). And then there's the Holy Grail.... a bear.... this will immediately scramble Park Rangers working traffic control with backups as much as 200 yards in each direction. Understanding these simple rules can save you a lot of stress as well as wear and tear on your brakes... By the way.... I am of course posting links to our Yellowstone and Tetons photos on the left. The will include, buffalo, moose and scenic shots that I'm sure no one has taken before.

By the Numbers:

2007-06-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

-Number of miles we've traveled 2100
-Gallons of gas we've used 110
-Temperature at East Glacier Park 42
-Days on the road 15
-Parks we've camped in 9
-Times we've had to detour onto gravel roads 8
-States we've been in 5
-Number of rainy days 4
-Number of days we've had hotdogs for dinner 3
-Snakes we've seen 2
-Number of deer we've hit 1
-Days of regret 0

DOH!... a deer

2007-06-16T18:30:00.001-07:00

Today's traveling put us to the test more than any day so far. It started out pleasant enough in cour d'lane, Idaho. We finialy got a chance to put our map of the US on the Pleasurevan and fill in the states we had camped in. I chatted with our neighbors who were visiting from Denmark. It turns out that they were heading to Glacier National Park just like we were. They had talked with the people at the office in the RV park who suggested a more scenic route (I now suspect the office staff like Danes) They said the route was a bit longer (did I mention they probably didn't like Danes!) try 4 hours longer! The route was very scenic, but ...somewhere around the Montana border our luck turned. I was in the process of pointing out the beautiful doe on the side of the road when...it sprinted into our path! I hammered the brakes (hats off to our toad's brake assist) but to no avail. I'll spare you the gorey details, but suffice to say the deer exploded on the left bumper. Ok, I didn't spare you much. Needless to say I felt bad for the deer but was dreading looking at the front bumper. After pulling over I couldn't believe there was no damage... can you say "bujilt ford tough". Somewhat shaken the drive continued when I noticed every 2 miles or so a white cross on the roadside, these Donna had read, represented highway deaths. As sobering a thought as that was it really hit home when we came to a stop in traffic... an accident... that required a 45 minute wait for an emergency helicopter to land on the road. Add to that a detour onto a barely driveable gravel road and the car battery getting so low that our brake assist let out a warning scream and you have the rest of our day. I am now sipping wine eating a wonderful shrimp and rice meal in a beautiful campsite at Glacier. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings

Into the Great Wide Open.... 2 Hikers without a clue!

2007-06-13T17:46:00.000-07:00

I guess we're not in Kansas anymore. Well we haven't been to Kansas yet but you get what I mean. Currently in Dechutes River State Park, OR. We decided to go on a nice 7.5 mile hike today along the dechutes river. Ever the adventurers we decided to go onto a smaller path which would afford us a better view of the river.... wait a minute.... lets back up a few miles the the trailhead where a ranger warned us that rattlesnakes had been seen along the trail and to take care of our small dog (no mention of us being carefull). Anyway I volunteered to take point due to my keen eyesight and trailblazeing experience. One of the rules of being in the lead is that you actually have to watch where you are going and not look at the scenery. Just about the same time I heard Donna say "snake" I heard the warning rattle. Too late I had walked within 2 inches of a coiled ready to strike rattler. Donna was able to take a wider path with Dory. A little shaken in what I would later call my "near death experience" as well as my ability to forge a path, we continued on with no other catastrophies. This now becomes my highlight of the trip.
BTW- stopped at the fish hatchery the day before.... but that obviously pales in comparison.

Eastward Ho!

2007-06-10T13:40:00.000-07:00

The Oregon coast was very spectacular, but somewhat windy. So far we have avoided any unplanned lane changes. We stopped for a break to walk along the beach and a hike up to the Heceta Head lighthouse. 45 minutes later we took a right hand turn and headed east for the first time... the next ocean we will see will be the Atlantic months from now! Currently we are visiting reletives in Portland. The RV park is right next to the final resting place of the Spruce Goose. Hey it's not the world's largest ball of string but I think it's worth a visit.

FINALLY!!!!!!!!

2007-06-05T20:27:00.000-07:00

After 3 years of planning, it's T minus 0, we finally hit the road. But I'm getting ahead of myself so let's back up a few days to Friday. Our last days at work. Donna actually put in a full day, including a lunch break send off by her co-workers who made the great card pictured above. I promised to return on Tuesday on the way our of town to say final goodbyes. Heading into the weekend all we needed to accomplish was packing up the house, moving what we had left into storage, and packing up the RV, oh wait, the RV was still in Watsonville. So it was off to Watsonville Saturday to pick it up, and hey as long as we're there, dinner with Brother-in Law Kenny, and Donna's sister Lynn, to celebrate Kenny's 50th birthday. That would leave Sunday to pack and then move it all in storage Monday. I had gotten a 5X10 locker that surely would hold what we had left. Not the case! We packed it to the rafters barely having room for a last toolbox. What we thought would take 4 hours took 8 and we returned to an empty apartment exhausted and ready for bed. Moving the airmattress in from the RV to the floor we soon discovered that it had developed a leak. About midnight and 3 inflates later we strolled in our pajamas across the parking lot to sleep in the RV. Months of sitting unused had left the 12v battery dead so there was no power. We were awakened before 6am by the sprinkler hitting the bottom of the van but that was ok we needed to load up and start cleaning for a 12 noon departure. With 5 minutes to spare we finished loading and hit the road. Well sort of. First stop goodbyes at Oracle, where they had taped off 3 prime parking spaces just for us. After that we headed north in gale force winds across the bridge and stopped in Tera Linda for goodbyes to more friends. We reached the Petaluma KOA in time to park then head out to dinner and goodbyes with Amanda. So total miles traveled the first day 70. But we're ON THE WAY! "Chappy Trails to Us"

Going Away Party

2007-05-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

A wonderful surprise put on by my co-workers and friends at Oracle. Definately going to miss this place. Special thanks to David Dennis for a cake that would feed 300. The picture above doesn't do it justice, I should have put something in the foreground to give it some scale... like the Empire State Building. Here are a few other pictures (some from my cell phone).

T minus 2 weeks

2007-05-21T16:38:00.000-07:00

Spent the weekend at Wally's Clearlake house with the boys. Photo above: Kovacs, Mark, Wally, Rambler, Me and Chaz . Highlights include loosing all my money to Kovacs (some things never change) an excellent tri-tip prepared by Mark, inhaling 2 packs of cigarettes via second hand smoke at the local casino, a great Mexican meal con tequila and working our way to the bottom of the 5000 grams of fat Reeses candy tin. Photos can be found here. I'm glad we could all get together again before we hit the road.