Our 2014 Spring Fling

After the long cold winter this year we were looking at getting away for a week or so in search of warm weather. Starting with a visit to West Hartford to hug two grandchildren, Don and I ventured off to New York City for a day to visit the International Car Show. We had happened upon this show a few years ago, and Don was determined to go again. Tax season was over, a job Don has held for a few years, so we were ready for a different environment. The show is held at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. We go into New York frequently and always use the Metro North train as it gets us there in about an hour. We walked the mile or so and had a great time seeing all of the great new cars and motorcycles.

On Saturday, we headed south for Virginia. We were heading for Williamsburg, a place we visited a few years ago, but had missed a lot of things like Jamestown and Yorktown. We were hoping for some nice warm weather and got it for one day before the rains came. We crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, , a modern marvel on Virginia's eastern shore. 

We ate dinner at a small restaurant overlooking the bay and watched people fishing from the pier.

We arrived at our Condo at Williamsburg Plantation Saturday night and awoke Sunday to a beautiful day. Most of our week was spent exploring the historic triangle of Williamsburg. Loved hearing about the ongoing archeological dig at Jamestown Plantation. We skipped Williamsburg this trip as we had been there. The weather could have been worse as a lot of the eastern United Staes was experiencing pounding rain and tornadoes. We lucked out and were able to see a lot.

We visited the Yorktown Battlefield, the Moore House where Cornwallis surrendered, and the Yorktown Victory Center where they exhibit a military camp, farm, and have a wonderful museum. 

The Moore House

From there on to the largest winery in the area, the Williamsburg Winery for a wine tasting session. Don is not a wine lover, but he was a good sport and tried them all. We bought a couple of bottles to take home. On Friday we decided to head home, but I really wanted to stop in Chincoteague and Assateague on the way home, so we reserved a room and off we went. Assateague Island, on Virginia's eastern shore is home to two bands of wild ponies that have been there for over 300 years. The island is split between Virginia and Maryland and the two distinct herds are managed quite differently. As a child, having read Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry, I was fascinated about the whole trip and the visit to the National Park gave us the opportunity to see the wild ponies in the spring. We saw ponies ready to foal and some new foals that were just born. There is also an amazing beach on Assateague that goes on forever and a beautiful old lighthouse. It is a place we would like to revisit and stay longer.

All in all, it was a great 10 days. Visiting grandchildren at the beginning and end of the trip made it even more special.  Another road trip under our belts. 

Our Nantucket Adventure

I have always wanted to go to Nantucket. Living in New England all of our lives, I had never realized that such an interesting place was so within our reach. A few years ago I had gone to Martha's Vineyard with my daughter and close friend, Patty, and her daughter, Karyn. We had just visited there on a day trip and it was beautiful, but Nantucket evaded my radar until I read the wonderful book:
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex  I then made it a mission to visit the Whaling Museum on Nantucket. In the spring I purchased the tickets to get there on the Hyline Cruise Line, and this week Don and I headed off to Nantucket. The book tells the true story of the Essex, the ispiration for Herman Melville's classic, Moby Dick. We made reservations in the wonderful, quaint Anchor Inn.

I would highly recommend going to Nantucket especially in the fall when crowds are down.  The hotels are discounted and many of the stores have great sales. Our weather for mid October was spectacular, calm seas and warm temperatures. On the first day we visited the Whaling Museum and it was well worth the visit. Wonderful artifacts and presentations on whaling and the island kept us there for 

the entire afternoon. The photo below is the view of the harbor from the walk at the top of the museum.

The food on the island was excellent and many fine restaurants abound, although many close near mid October. On day two we took an island tour with Gail, a fifth generation island resident.  There was nothing she diid not know and much of what we learned was fascinating and puzzling as well. Below is the island's oldest house, the Jethro Coffin House built in 1686. The windmill is one of the oldest operating windmills in the United States. The lighthouse shown is the Sankaty Headlight which has been moved 400 feet back from the ocean's edge as the Army Corps of Engineers predicted it would soon fall off the bluff. Another interesting fact we learned was that the island only has 400 years left to exist, a mere blip of geological time. The island is really just a large sand bar in the Atlantic Ocean, and is eroding at a rapid rate of over three feet per year. Island residents are spending fortunes moving the houses back a few feet so that they can keep them for at least their lifetime. Another interesting tidbit we learned was that island residents have a very high incidence of dyslexia and autism within their population, certainly a genetic anomaly.

Below Don and I stopped for a photo op in Hyannis. We couldn't resist this beautiful church with thousands of pumpkins displayed. All in all a great short trip

Our January Adventure

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Winter Fun

If you live in Maine and stay here for the winter, you really need to get out in the snow and cold and experience winter. Don has been a snowmobiler for many years and it is his passion. I cannot begin to say how many different snowmobiles we have owned. We started in the 70's when our kids were little. Things have really changed since then. My hands and feet are warmer. He bought me special mittens with battery powered heaters in them. The clothing keeps you warmer as well. We bought snowshoes this winter and tried them out for the first time this week. It was fun and gave us some good exercise. Snowmobiling through the Maine woods is a different experience. You get to see things most people do not see in the winter. You may happen upon deer yarding up in one spot, a stray moose or two wandering down the trail, and pristine white snow viewed from mountain tops that you otherwise would not have access to. Winter fun this year for us also happened in a warm place. We spent two weeks in Florida in January cruising to Jamaica and then chilling for a week in the Orlando area. We visited the Kennedy Space Center, an amazing and historical place.We also visited Universal where we flew with Harry Potter on broomsticks and visited the wand shop.

We zip-lined through the trees in Jamaica. I had always wanted to do that and it was an exhilarating experience.Don has forbidden me to use the term "Bucket List" anymore. He hates it. But I can cross that zip-line off...my "list". Grandchildren are coming next week, and we have lots of outdoor things planned. Winter in Maine...great when you are here and great when you are not sometimes.

On Our Way Home

I am writing this last entry from New Hampshire having just watched Charlotte play soccer. We are parked in Stratham at Don's brother's house and are glad to be almost home. We spent the last week wending our way through Illinois and Pennsylvania in our own little American History tour. The Lincoln Library in Springfield Illinois is probably one of the nicest museums we have ever been in. The displays and interactive exhibits are phenomenal. We also visited Lincoln's tomb at the cemetery in Springfield, a massive granite structure that contains the bodies of Lincoln, his wife Mary, and the sons they lost. The only surviving member of the family was his son Robert, and when he died he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. We also walked to Lincoln's home in Springfield pictured here.
From there we went to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to see the new Visitor's Center and Museum. Our campground was called Artillary Ridge, and there were riding stables right on the grounds. The second day there we took a tour of the battlefield on horseback, a really unique experience that gives you a completely new perspective of the battle. We wore head sets that described everything we were seeing. Don and I had never done anything like that before and it was a lot of fun. On our way home we stopped in South Hadley, Mass and visited with my Aunt Gloria and Uncle Chick whom I hadn't seen in years. We had a very nice visit and caught up on family news. All in all we had a grand adventure this summer, and are so glad we did it, but are also so glad to be home.
Final observations:
My ipad was my best friend on the trip.
Don and I travel well with only small skirmishes now and then.
100 degrees is pretty hot.
Kansas City has a lot of Yankee fans.
Horseback riding can be painful.
We have a very beautiful and vast country.
We learned a lot about American History.
We learned a lot about ourselves.
Live life...do not put things off that you dream to do.

Medora and Kansas City

Heading east, will be home by next week. Our stop in Medora, North Dakota for a couple of days was wonderful. We went to Theodore Roosevelt National Park and saw buffalo, prairie dogs, and wild mustangs. Medora was named by the Marquis de Mores, a french nobleman who had married a beautiful young American named Medora. They settled here and he tried to start up a cattle business but it failed. Teddy Roosevelt also spent a little time here after the death of his mother and wife. He says it is what created the environmentalist spirit in him, and it led him to the presidency. Every night all summer they perform a musical in an amphitheater built on the side of a canyon. Elk are brought out to feed on the hillside before the show. The show was wonderful. There were horses, music, dancing, comedy, and even a magician fresh off the show "America's Got Talent." It was one of the most unique shows we have ever seen. Then off we went across North Dakota. We stayed that night a bit west of Fargo, and tornadoes were threatening. My biggest fear would be to be in this RV with a tornado heading our way. Luckily, it did not.

We headed south to St Joseph, Missouri and stayed there for one night. Went to see the Yankees play in Kansas City. That was a real adventure. Finding our way there in 100 degree heat during rush hour traffic...not fun, but once there we had great seats and they were under cover. Yankees 4...Royals....3, a good night for Don. He also got to see CC Sabathia pitch for the first time. Today we will head to Springfield, Illinois to see Lincoln's grave and Presidential Museum. We will watch the weather as we wend our way home, and hope the heat breaks.

Heading East

Well, after more than three weeks in Alaska, we are heading east. We split from Rose and Al last Sunday. They will go a different route. We really pushed ourselves the last three days and drove more miles than we normally do as we wanted to get below the Alcan Highway. The highway was such an experience and so glad we did it. Its historical significance is so powerful as it was built originally as an army road in 1942 the result of great cooperation between the United States and Canada. It was necessary for our defense during World War II. Many people lost their lives building it and the remnants of the equipment used are still strewn along the highway. The monument shown here was created for the soldiers who died in the Charlie Lake tragedy. Their makeshift boat was overturned during high waves and a storm. We stopped also at the Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park. We had never experienced mineral hot springs before and it was wonderful. Very few people there. Men building the highway found it and it was a soothing respite in their harsh environment. We saw much wildlife on the trip down, including buffalo, elk, stone sheep, and a black bear. We also stopped in Watson Lake and placed our sign among the thousands that are there. I spent a short time creating it from supplies purchased at Walmart. Also, you might notice that I had a photo op with Sarah...that one is for Andrew. Last Sunday we were in Fairbanks and we flew on a small plane to Anaktuvuk Pass north of the Arctic Circle. We saw the Alaskan Pipeline wind its way north. The little community there consists of about 300 people, many of native descent. We are at the present moment in Whitecourt, Alberta and hope to be back in the states by Monday.