Every day, we keep saying that this is the most beautiful scene we have ever seen. We said it driving into New Mexico. We said it in the Valley of Acoma. We said it on top of Sandia Peak. We said it driving into Durango.
Then we went to Mesa Verde and when we reached the 7000 ft. Mancos overlook ,we knew we had reached as close to Heaven as we could get. It was spectacular with the snow capped mountain ranges stretching out before us on three sides across a valley of green.
The day at Mesa Verde was a revelation to me in the ancient life styles of the cliff dwellers and their creations, which have survived untold centuries. Imagine the amazement of the explorer who discovered them in the 1800's and from that day to this the volumes of legends they have been able to tell us with relics found and paintings on the walls depicting life as it was a thousand years ago.
Many of the ruins can be seen from the road and driving around and seeing them is fairly easy, but our brave quartet of Joan, Helen, Tom, and Mary were not
going to stop for "easy", they actually took a tour of Cliff Palace with a group and had to descend on stone paths to the ruins for a first hand look at life on the side of a mesa.
The ranger told them many amazing things about every day life and survival of the ancient ones. What a great experience for them and even though they have aching muscles and sore legs, they all said they would do it again.
The realization that we were standing and looking into 1200 A.D. is a mind bending thought. How fortunate that they have been discovered and preserved for future generations and are recognized all over the world for their importance to the history of mankind.
The pueblos are considered hallowed ground by most of the Southwestern Indian tribes for it is from here they believe their ancestors migrated to their present homes, hundreds of years ago.
Our time there was so meaningful and the day was a very special experience which will be with all of us for years to come.
The very next day, not fully recovered from a very strenuous climb, we were off at 7 am to Durango, 45 miles east, to board the Durango Silverton Narrow Gage railroad for our trip through some of the most gorgeous mountain scenery ever,
the San Juan National Forest and gorge.
We were climbing, climbing to over 7000 feet on an old steam engine train with wooden antique cars and black smoke pouring from the funnel. It was rolling and clicking and clacking and the whistle was blowing at every opportunity.
When we reached the top of the gorge, running so high over the river, the water rushing over rocks below and a sheer drop off straight down.....you could not help but feel you would suddenly fall off the track into the rocks and trees below.
The safety of my seat was not much of a help with the train lurching and straining to reach the top of the grade as it inched around a solid rock wall on one side and the drop off on the other. It was certainly better than any thrill ride Disney has to offer.
What a wonderful three hours to Silverton. Snow capped peaks were towering above us, bright green sunlit trees were swaying in the breeze, the tracks ran along a rushing river and patches of snow lay on the sides of high canyon walls on both sides of us. Sensory overload. Could there have been a more gorgeous day?
The little town of Silverton is much like it was a 100 years ago when GOLD was the reason for being there. It is on the National Historic Register because of the Victorian buildings and in fact is the largest historic community in the nation.
Having a two hour layover there before the trip home did not really give you an opportunity to explore all the dusty dirt streets and mines and stories which surely abound.
Looking up at the mountain peaks which ring the town, you had to think how isolated these people have been for many wintry decades. Once the snow closes in and stops the daily trains from arriving and the only road with access to the outside world, Silverton becomes a little world all it's own.
The whistle blew and we climbed aboard and started the three hour trip home.
It gave us an opportunity to come back to the real world and resurface into the present. So much for escaping into the past. It was dinner time and where is the nearest McD's?
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Leaving for Durango/Cortez
After three days of terrible weather, we finally got two days of OK weather and we took advantage of it with a trip to Acoma, Sky City. It is the ancient spiritual home of the Acoma people. They have lived on the top of a 300 foot mesa for 1000 years and still live there.
It was the most unbelievable experience. The valley ringed with mesas and snow capped mountains and buttes jutting up from the floor of the valley was beyond awesome. It is a view I will remember to the day I die.
Can you imagine living in this wilderness and fighting the Spanish invaders, other tribes, and modern civilization which is now even more of a threat than they have faced before.....all this and they have survived and thrived. Quite an inspiring saga of man's believe in his God and himself.
On Saturday, we were all up early and off to the Expo flea market, a very large
gathering of vendors at the state fair gounds,to look for native bargains. We found so much of stone and turquoise and silver jewelry and all of us couldn't resist the urge to purchase.
I also found Navajo chachino dolls, each named for a hunter and signed and numbered by the native Americans who make them. Some of them had to be mine. They spoke to me.
We had planned to all come back to the R V's and have a large lunch/dinner and then leave for Old Town in the late afternoon. As the time approached we started falling out because we are all so tired.
The fatigue of going out exploring every day for three weeks had caught up with all of us, so we snuggled in and stayed put. We want to see and do and go and experience everything , but we are seniors and also need to recoup our energy from time to time.
But we know that two more months stretch out before us and we have to learn to take time to rest so we can see it all.....what a dream of a trip. It has been an education in our country, our fellow Americans,our highway system, and varied cultures. How else can you experience if you don't see it and feel it.
Off to Durango/Cortez and Mesa Verde, higher mountains,and the Silverton/Durango train. We are going to do it all.......but first to bed and some sleep and we will take an extra handful of vitamins.
It was the most unbelievable experience. The valley ringed with mesas and snow capped mountains and buttes jutting up from the floor of the valley was beyond awesome. It is a view I will remember to the day I die.
Can you imagine living in this wilderness and fighting the Spanish invaders, other tribes, and modern civilization which is now even more of a threat than they have faced before.....all this and they have survived and thrived. Quite an inspiring saga of man's believe in his God and himself.
On Saturday, we were all up early and off to the Expo flea market, a very large
gathering of vendors at the state fair gounds,to look for native bargains. We found so much of stone and turquoise and silver jewelry and all of us couldn't resist the urge to purchase.
I also found Navajo chachino dolls, each named for a hunter and signed and numbered by the native Americans who make them. Some of them had to be mine. They spoke to me.
We had planned to all come back to the R V's and have a large lunch/dinner and then leave for Old Town in the late afternoon. As the time approached we started falling out because we are all so tired.
The fatigue of going out exploring every day for three weeks had caught up with all of us, so we snuggled in and stayed put. We want to see and do and go and experience everything , but we are seniors and also need to recoup our energy from time to time.
But we know that two more months stretch out before us and we have to learn to take time to rest so we can see it all.....what a dream of a trip. It has been an education in our country, our fellow Americans,our highway system, and varied cultures. How else can you experience if you don't see it and feel it.
Off to Durango/Cortez and Mesa Verde, higher mountains,and the Silverton/Durango train. We are going to do it all.......but first to bed and some sleep and we will take an extra handful of vitamins.
Friday, May 23, 2008
The WEST...we are here
And on the 15 th day, we saw it.....the West. Leaving Amarillo and crossing the New Mexico border on Sunday morning, we were all really excited to see the first signs of the West. Coming over a hill, we were amazed to see the vistas we had been expecting suddenly appear in our large windows.
The pink and grey mesas, the snow capped mountains, the grasslands, and the open sky all there in front of us. We were here at last here. all the driving, the traffic, the hookups, the gasoline fill ups, the campgrounds, the maps and directories, the planning, the anticipation.....now a reality.
We were so excited we started calling each other on the cell phones and walkie talkies and screaming "We made it...we are here".
Now, I know how the pioneers felt when after months of hardships they finally
reached their peaceful valley. We certainly haven't suffered in our expensive motor homes with their convection ovens and flat screen T V's as those brave people did, but we were every bit as excited.
We have another two wonderful months ahead of us to experience the whole West and it's wonders and we have just begun.
Each mile, we were getting more into the scenery, in the distance the mesas and mountains were all around us and way off to the right were majestic snow capped peaks, ringed in clouds.
It was all getting closer as we approached Albuquerque, we suddenly saw stretched before us a huge city and to the right of us Sandia Peak, 10,600 feet of rocky beauty reaching for the sky.
Our campground was on the west side of the city and on a high ridge, giving us a gorgeous view of the city below as we drove out each day for our adventures
When we pulled in and realized what there was to do here, we were thrilled to know we had planned a whole week here to explore this very exciting region.
The first realization when exploring the city is that everything is BROWN, all the houses, the public buildings,the overpasses, the rocks, the grass, the ground..... Brown.
The houses are mostly square adobe and with a flat roof. There are very few trees, lots of low bushes, and no flowers to speak of. Very few pools are visible, but most back yards are fenced in. It is totally different in every way.
It is very dry and we are all drinking bottles of water every day. There seems to be a constant wind and with that, blowing sand. No humidity.
Monday, we went up to the top of Sandia peak and there was snow and the most gorgeous view ever. We were two miles high and we could see 11,000 square miles and below us the Rio Grande valley.
The world's longest tramway offers a ride to the top, but none of us felt that brave, so we drove up. The ride up on a twisting curvy road was worth the view which you could really only duplicate in the cockpit of a plane.
On the next day, some of us went to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, and then we had lunch and shopped in Old Town, a Spanish area of the city founded 300 years ago and hosting hundreds of art galleries, restaurants, and shops.
Wednesday, we all went to Santa Fe, the oldest state capitol in the nation, and a jewel of Spanish culture and Western art. A huge artist colony, it is home to some of the country's most famous painters and crafters.
We had a great day exploring the shops and watching the blossoms of the cotton wood trees gently float to the ground and cover every thing as snowflakes.
Both Santa Fe and Albuquerque have wonderful old town plazas which have preserved the Spanish architecture, historical old cathedrals, museums, and the atmosphere of the old West.
We have much to do in our last three days.....tours of museums, pueblos, and even a flea market, but the weather has turned awful and so we will find it difficult to drive in the high winds and the rain.
There was even a snow advisory west of us in Gallop. The strong winds have been up to 50 mph gusts and the RV has been rocking for three days. There is no relief in sight until Sunday when we leave, so these next three days might be spent playing cards and watching TV.
But it is a magical region of our country and one I will always remember with
awe. Durango/Cortez our next stops. The trip of a lifetime continues to be all we had hoped for.
The pink and grey mesas, the snow capped mountains, the grasslands, and the open sky all there in front of us. We were here at last here. all the driving, the traffic, the hookups, the gasoline fill ups, the campgrounds, the maps and directories, the planning, the anticipation.....now a reality.
We were so excited we started calling each other on the cell phones and walkie talkies and screaming "We made it...we are here".
Now, I know how the pioneers felt when after months of hardships they finally
reached their peaceful valley. We certainly haven't suffered in our expensive motor homes with their convection ovens and flat screen T V's as those brave people did, but we were every bit as excited.
We have another two wonderful months ahead of us to experience the whole West and it's wonders and we have just begun.
Each mile, we were getting more into the scenery, in the distance the mesas and mountains were all around us and way off to the right were majestic snow capped peaks, ringed in clouds.
It was all getting closer as we approached Albuquerque, we suddenly saw stretched before us a huge city and to the right of us Sandia Peak, 10,600 feet of rocky beauty reaching for the sky.
Our campground was on the west side of the city and on a high ridge, giving us a gorgeous view of the city below as we drove out each day for our adventures
When we pulled in and realized what there was to do here, we were thrilled to know we had planned a whole week here to explore this very exciting region.
The first realization when exploring the city is that everything is BROWN, all the houses, the public buildings,the overpasses, the rocks, the grass, the ground..... Brown.
The houses are mostly square adobe and with a flat roof. There are very few trees, lots of low bushes, and no flowers to speak of. Very few pools are visible, but most back yards are fenced in. It is totally different in every way.
It is very dry and we are all drinking bottles of water every day. There seems to be a constant wind and with that, blowing sand. No humidity.
Monday, we went up to the top of Sandia peak and there was snow and the most gorgeous view ever. We were two miles high and we could see 11,000 square miles and below us the Rio Grande valley.
The world's longest tramway offers a ride to the top, but none of us felt that brave, so we drove up. The ride up on a twisting curvy road was worth the view which you could really only duplicate in the cockpit of a plane.
On the next day, some of us went to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, and then we had lunch and shopped in Old Town, a Spanish area of the city founded 300 years ago and hosting hundreds of art galleries, restaurants, and shops.
Wednesday, we all went to Santa Fe, the oldest state capitol in the nation, and a jewel of Spanish culture and Western art. A huge artist colony, it is home to some of the country's most famous painters and crafters.
We had a great day exploring the shops and watching the blossoms of the cotton wood trees gently float to the ground and cover every thing as snowflakes.
Both Santa Fe and Albuquerque have wonderful old town plazas which have preserved the Spanish architecture, historical old cathedrals, museums, and the atmosphere of the old West.
We have much to do in our last three days.....tours of museums, pueblos, and even a flea market, but the weather has turned awful and so we will find it difficult to drive in the high winds and the rain.
There was even a snow advisory west of us in Gallop. The strong winds have been up to 50 mph gusts and the RV has been rocking for three days. There is no relief in sight until Sunday when we leave, so these next three days might be spent playing cards and watching TV.
But it is a magical region of our country and one I will always remember with
awe. Durango/Cortez our next stops. The trip of a lifetime continues to be all we had hoped for.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Route 66, The Mother Road
We left Oklahoma City for Amarillo, our next stop on the way West, but now we are actually on the fringe and we know it. It looks different.
We are driving on I 40, a major truck route East/West, and we see flat grasslands, huge cattle feeding lots, and the most interesting sight ever....acres of huge concrete poles and on top white funnel blades turning in the wind.
I have seen them on TV programs about alternative power sources but to see them in person is quite amazing. Science fiction movies of the 50's would have had used them as sentinels on the asteroid of Tron or some kind of defense system to shoot down Buck Roger's rocket ship. It was a unique sight.
Route 66, the Mother Road, connecting California to the East, the original U.S. highway system, it is the source of legend and folk lore. Pictures of motor courts, drive in theaters, hamburgers and root beer floats delivered to your car by a girl on roller skates, Indian souvenir shop shaped like Tee Pees, Corvettes and campers, and motorcycles, its all there , the American Road....Route 66.
Well even tough I 40 now has the traffic and only a small amount of the original highway has survived, it is still alive and well at the National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, Oklahoma.
So we had to stop and see for ourselves... after all that is what tourists do ..and we are tourists and we have to do what tourists do....TAKE PICTURES.
We spent a very interesting two hours there and enjoyed the museum and a film and then we had lunch in their parking lot in our wonderful motor homes and on to Amarillo.
Ft. Amarillo RV Park was unique. Each site has a wooden fence on either side, a concrete patio with new table and a little patch of grass with plants for each site in a sea of gravel .
The highlight, for me, was a deluxe 3000 square foot gift shop with a waterfall inside and a recreation building with a tornado shelter underneath...How cool.
Cadillac Ranch, post cards everywhere, it must be famous and it is only a mile away, ten cars buried upright in a field, we must see this. We go...we photograph..and we all wonder WHY? We look for a meaning, for a reason for doing something so stupid. But there is none. It's a tourist thing I guess.
Two days to relax, do laundry , dinner in our first Mexican restaurant,and we are ready to leave for Albuquerque....... and a week in the "Land Of Enchantment."
We are driving on I 40, a major truck route East/West, and we see flat grasslands, huge cattle feeding lots, and the most interesting sight ever....acres of huge concrete poles and on top white funnel blades turning in the wind.
I have seen them on TV programs about alternative power sources but to see them in person is quite amazing. Science fiction movies of the 50's would have had used them as sentinels on the asteroid of Tron or some kind of defense system to shoot down Buck Roger's rocket ship. It was a unique sight.
Route 66, the Mother Road, connecting California to the East, the original U.S. highway system, it is the source of legend and folk lore. Pictures of motor courts, drive in theaters, hamburgers and root beer floats delivered to your car by a girl on roller skates, Indian souvenir shop shaped like Tee Pees, Corvettes and campers, and motorcycles, its all there , the American Road....Route 66.
Well even tough I 40 now has the traffic and only a small amount of the original highway has survived, it is still alive and well at the National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, Oklahoma.
So we had to stop and see for ourselves... after all that is what tourists do ..and we are tourists and we have to do what tourists do....TAKE PICTURES.
We spent a very interesting two hours there and enjoyed the museum and a film and then we had lunch in their parking lot in our wonderful motor homes and on to Amarillo.
Ft. Amarillo RV Park was unique. Each site has a wooden fence on either side, a concrete patio with new table and a little patch of grass with plants for each site in a sea of gravel .
The highlight, for me, was a deluxe 3000 square foot gift shop with a waterfall inside and a recreation building with a tornado shelter underneath...How cool.
Cadillac Ranch, post cards everywhere, it must be famous and it is only a mile away, ten cars buried upright in a field, we must see this. We go...we photograph..and we all wonder WHY? We look for a meaning, for a reason for doing something so stupid. But there is none. It's a tourist thing I guess.
Two days to relax, do laundry , dinner in our first Mexican restaurant,and we are ready to leave for Albuquerque....... and a week in the "Land Of Enchantment."
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Oklahoma City.....a great surprise
What a wonderful surprise to me, Oklahoma City was not what I expected. It is sparkling, and sophisticated, and sprawling, and FUN. The museums are awesome and the reclaimed downtown area is intriguing. Travel is the great educator for all who look for the new and exciting and every day of this trip I find there are so many places I need to explore to have a true idea of our great nation.
Bricktown is a real jewel in the downtown center and has been restored for convention business with a large arena, a ballpark, and a canal which flows through it all and which features gorgeous bronze sculptures of the land rush with life size men and animals.
Boats carry you along the flowing canal and you are in the midst of restaurants and shops and history and wonderful fountains spilling over walls covered with paintings and mosaic art.
We are getting our first glimpse of Western culture and is it so exciting. The restored Stockyard area of downtown features restaurants and shops in what was once the largest cattle processing center of the West.
Oklahomans should be very proud of what their leaders have done to revitalize
their inner city. It was a treat for us as tourists and I am certain the residents love the ballpark and other venues this quarter has to offer.
But the highlight for me of our two day stay was our visit to The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, with it's fabulous collection of art, sculpture,and memorabilia of the American cowboy, pony soldier,scout, pioneer, and rancher.
Galleries of famous paintings and sculptures by Remington, Russell and many others
were expansive and beautifully presented. You expect this from a gallery of this caliber, but what amazed me were the rooms filled with samples of saddles, barbed wire, branding irons, chaps, hats, rodeo awards, and ropes. The finest collection of Western relics I could ever imagine.
There is a gallery dedicated to cowgirls and their gifts to the legend of this free spirited life style. Dating back to the early days, these were really liberated women and role models for today's young active women.
My favorite, by far, was the area dedicated to the Western stars of the movies with an exceptional collection of John Wayne props and clothes used in his many movies of this genre. The famous black hat and eye patch from "True Grit", the Union officer's uniform from "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" and so much more.
Jimmy Stewart,Randolph Scott, Walter Brennan, Tom Selleck, Gary Cooper, Roy Rogers and Gene Autry were also featured.
How many Saturday afternoons have I spent in a darken neighborhood theater watching them fight off the ravaging Indians or lead a wagon train of pioneers through perilous mountains? It was my childhood and a part of my DNA forever.
They taught me to look for humble courage and strength in kindness in the men in my life and for adventure in my world. Yep, pilgrim, I loved these men and their movies.
We left Oklahoma City with a different idea of what she is all about and what she has become. What a great city.
Tomorrow...on to Amarillo.
Bricktown is a real jewel in the downtown center and has been restored for convention business with a large arena, a ballpark, and a canal which flows through it all and which features gorgeous bronze sculptures of the land rush with life size men and animals.
Boats carry you along the flowing canal and you are in the midst of restaurants and shops and history and wonderful fountains spilling over walls covered with paintings and mosaic art.
We are getting our first glimpse of Western culture and is it so exciting. The restored Stockyard area of downtown features restaurants and shops in what was once the largest cattle processing center of the West.
Oklahomans should be very proud of what their leaders have done to revitalize
their inner city. It was a treat for us as tourists and I am certain the residents love the ballpark and other venues this quarter has to offer.
But the highlight for me of our two day stay was our visit to The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, with it's fabulous collection of art, sculpture,and memorabilia of the American cowboy, pony soldier,scout, pioneer, and rancher.
Galleries of famous paintings and sculptures by Remington, Russell and many others
were expansive and beautifully presented. You expect this from a gallery of this caliber, but what amazed me were the rooms filled with samples of saddles, barbed wire, branding irons, chaps, hats, rodeo awards, and ropes. The finest collection of Western relics I could ever imagine.
There is a gallery dedicated to cowgirls and their gifts to the legend of this free spirited life style. Dating back to the early days, these were really liberated women and role models for today's young active women.
My favorite, by far, was the area dedicated to the Western stars of the movies with an exceptional collection of John Wayne props and clothes used in his many movies of this genre. The famous black hat and eye patch from "True Grit", the Union officer's uniform from "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" and so much more.
Jimmy Stewart,Randolph Scott, Walter Brennan, Tom Selleck, Gary Cooper, Roy Rogers and Gene Autry were also featured.
How many Saturday afternoons have I spent in a darken neighborhood theater watching them fight off the ravaging Indians or lead a wagon train of pioneers through perilous mountains? It was my childhood and a part of my DNA forever.
They taught me to look for humble courage and strength in kindness in the men in my life and for adventure in my world. Yep, pilgrim, I loved these men and their movies.
We left Oklahoma City with a different idea of what she is all about and what she has become. What a great city.
Tomorrow...on to Amarillo.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Branson, my kind of town
Our first week is over and we are starting our second in the beautiful setting of the Ozarks. We are camping at Table Rock State Park and have views of a huge lake and dam and rolling hills.
There is so much to do in Branson and we jumped right in. The first night we enjoyed Andy Williams at his Moon River theater and dinner at his restuarant next door. The show was delightful and he is a charming host and wonderful entertainer and the music was all of my favorites, bringing back so many memories of my " Days of Wine and Roses".
The middle of the first night, we were awakened by terrible winds shaking the RV and they lasted for an hour. I was terrified the roof was coming off and we would be blown into Kansas. Earlier in the day, we had passed an area in Arkansas which had just been hit by a tornado, so the pictures were fresh in my mind.
The next morning, we heard that several had touched down that night and killed 20 people in that area and caused a great amount of distruction in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Our second day was cool and sunny and we went to see another show, "the Spirit of the Dance", an Irish dance troupe, and it was so terrific. We also enjoyed site seeing and exploring the area.
Our third day, we all took the Branson Scenic Railway for a two hour lunch trip through the mountains. The diesel engines were vintage 1950's and so were the dome cars.How I love train travel and what a shame we don't have it as an alternative to flying. It is such a relaxing way to go somewhere.
Then it was on to the Showboat dinner cruise on the lake and a wonderful show. The lake is huge and man made when the dam was built.A very full day.
Last day, we rested shopped,and did laundry and enjoyed happy hour and a great dinner with a campfire.
We have had a great time in Branson and could have seem much more but we hit the high points and really want to come back someday. I can imagine the Fall is beautiful here and could be a future trip.
On to Oklahoma and Texas.........still living the dream.
There is so much to do in Branson and we jumped right in. The first night we enjoyed Andy Williams at his Moon River theater and dinner at his restuarant next door. The show was delightful and he is a charming host and wonderful entertainer and the music was all of my favorites, bringing back so many memories of my " Days of Wine and Roses".
The middle of the first night, we were awakened by terrible winds shaking the RV and they lasted for an hour. I was terrified the roof was coming off and we would be blown into Kansas. Earlier in the day, we had passed an area in Arkansas which had just been hit by a tornado, so the pictures were fresh in my mind.
The next morning, we heard that several had touched down that night and killed 20 people in that area and caused a great amount of distruction in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Our second day was cool and sunny and we went to see another show, "the Spirit of the Dance", an Irish dance troupe, and it was so terrific. We also enjoyed site seeing and exploring the area.
Our third day, we all took the Branson Scenic Railway for a two hour lunch trip through the mountains. The diesel engines were vintage 1950's and so were the dome cars.How I love train travel and what a shame we don't have it as an alternative to flying. It is such a relaxing way to go somewhere.
Then it was on to the Showboat dinner cruise on the lake and a wonderful show. The lake is huge and man made when the dam was built.A very full day.
Last day, we rested shopped,and did laundry and enjoyed happy hour and a great dinner with a campfire.
We have had a great time in Branson and could have seem much more but we hit the high points and really want to come back someday. I can imagine the Fall is beautiful here and could be a future trip.
On to Oklahoma and Texas.........still living the dream.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Mobile, Vicksburg, Little Rock...seeing the USA
Mobile, Al. .....Days 2 & 3
We enjoyed fried crab claws and seafood at a favored restuarant on Dolphin Island and one and a half days of gambling and getting into the routine of traveling as a group.
It is something to adjust to following other RV's and to keep a safe distance and yet not lose sight of the other rigs. You also have to coordinate rest stops, gasoline refueling stops, and pick areas large enough to accommodate all three rigs. We are learning every day.
Vicksburg, Ms.......Days 4 & 5
A beautiful historic city on the Mississippi River, Vicksburg is a jewel of the old South, with magnolias in bloom and fragrant jasmine blossoms everywhere.
Our campground belonged to the Ameristar Casino and Hotel . It was new with concrete pads and patios, wifi( a must for me) and shuttle service to the casino across the street on the river.
We enjoyed two days of sightseeing at the Vicksburg Battleground Park and learned so much about the 47 day siege which ended on July 4th, 1863, when Gen. U.S. Grant accepted the surrender of the city on the steps of the courthouse.
We visited the old courthouse and stood where the surrender took place and all around on the slate floor is the graffiti left by the Union soldiers on that fateful day. Their initials, company, and state names are still visible and a part of history which time cannot erase.
The highlight of the Civil War tour for me as seeing the Cairo, a Union ironclad ship, which was torpedoed and sunk in the river in 1863. She was raised from her watery grave in 1962 and rests, restored and forever enshrined in a museum along with many relics from her interior and the 13 canons she carried.
Each evening gambling was on our entertainment schedule but unfortunately none of us hit the jackpot, for if we had, the winner would have paid for the gasoline for all of us for the rest of the trip.
Gas is our single biggest expense and every week it goes higher and higher, so we are all hoping for a fairy godmother to come down and give us each a gas card.
Don't think it will happen, but one can hope.
Little Rock, Ak....Day 6
We crossed the bridge over the Mississippi and we were at last in the Mid West.
Driving the 150 miles to Little Rock, we enjoyed rolling fields of corn, already knee high,and acres of soy and wheat, many pecan groves, and the sight of grain elevators and a new look to the landscape.
From the moss draped oaks and pine we had been seeing on the first days of of trip, we now had dusty farm roads and acres of flat farming land on both sides of us.
Little Rock suddenly was in front of us and we were in a big city at rush hour and the driving took on a more frantic pace. We found our campground in a city park and enjoyed an evening in the forest with towering trees and peaceful quiet. Our dinner was on a picnic table under the shade of the trees and it was good to be done for the day.
Our first week is over and now we are ready to begin our second.......it is going so very fast, but don't all good things fly by? So it seems.
We enjoyed fried crab claws and seafood at a favored restuarant on Dolphin Island and one and a half days of gambling and getting into the routine of traveling as a group.
It is something to adjust to following other RV's and to keep a safe distance and yet not lose sight of the other rigs. You also have to coordinate rest stops, gasoline refueling stops, and pick areas large enough to accommodate all three rigs. We are learning every day.
Vicksburg, Ms.......Days 4 & 5
A beautiful historic city on the Mississippi River, Vicksburg is a jewel of the old South, with magnolias in bloom and fragrant jasmine blossoms everywhere.
Our campground belonged to the Ameristar Casino and Hotel . It was new with concrete pads and patios, wifi( a must for me) and shuttle service to the casino across the street on the river.
We enjoyed two days of sightseeing at the Vicksburg Battleground Park and learned so much about the 47 day siege which ended on July 4th, 1863, when Gen. U.S. Grant accepted the surrender of the city on the steps of the courthouse.
We visited the old courthouse and stood where the surrender took place and all around on the slate floor is the graffiti left by the Union soldiers on that fateful day. Their initials, company, and state names are still visible and a part of history which time cannot erase.
The highlight of the Civil War tour for me as seeing the Cairo, a Union ironclad ship, which was torpedoed and sunk in the river in 1863. She was raised from her watery grave in 1962 and rests, restored and forever enshrined in a museum along with many relics from her interior and the 13 canons she carried.
Each evening gambling was on our entertainment schedule but unfortunately none of us hit the jackpot, for if we had, the winner would have paid for the gasoline for all of us for the rest of the trip.
Gas is our single biggest expense and every week it goes higher and higher, so we are all hoping for a fairy godmother to come down and give us each a gas card.
Don't think it will happen, but one can hope.
Little Rock, Ak....Day 6
We crossed the bridge over the Mississippi and we were at last in the Mid West.
Driving the 150 miles to Little Rock, we enjoyed rolling fields of corn, already knee high,and acres of soy and wheat, many pecan groves, and the sight of grain elevators and a new look to the landscape.
From the moss draped oaks and pine we had been seeing on the first days of of trip, we now had dusty farm roads and acres of flat farming land on both sides of us.
Little Rock suddenly was in front of us and we were in a big city at rush hour and the driving took on a more frantic pace. We found our campground in a city park and enjoyed an evening in the forest with towering trees and peaceful quiet. Our dinner was on a picnic table under the shade of the trees and it was good to be done for the day.
Our first week is over and now we are ready to begin our second.......it is going so very fast, but don't all good things fly by? So it seems.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
on the road again
We left Sunday from the parking lot of our community recreation center with lots of hugs ,smiles,and good wishes from about fifty of our friends, neighbors , and members of our Happy Camper club, who were there to wave "goodbye".
Two of our chaplains said prayers for us and we felt blessed that they would take time on a Sunday to be there with us. We certainly need divine help to tackle a trip so long and complex.
As we turned North on to I 95 someone started to sing "On The Road Again" into the walkie talkie and we knew this was it, we were on our way at last, but the roar was even louder when we turned left three hours later on to I 10 and we realized we were finally heading WEST.
A long first day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and we finally pulled off the road and circled the wagons after driving 300 plus miles. Our first night was spent in a very large open field in a very basic campground, water, sewer, electric, that was it....no trees, no pool, no amenities at all.
But what is ambience to a Happy Camper? We can make our own. So we pulled out the tablecloth and put it on a very worn picnic table and then we set the plastic forks and spoons and plates in their places and we were ready for a great dinner complete with a champagne toast.
The ladies brought out Swiss steak, mashed potatoes, and salad for us all to enjoy and a toast was given to our first tonight of togetherness and a wonderful trip to come. Each heart was filled with gratitude for the good fortune which brought us together and for the promise of a wonderful summer of adventure.
It was a lovely evening and when the bugs began to bite, as they always do, we left for the comfort of our motorhomes and for our hot showers, to play cards, to watch TV or to read our email and I couldn't help wondering, what did those poor pioneers do with their nights?
This trip has been so long in the planning and now I know it will go by so fast and on the first evening I could see the last evening and how sorry I will be to have it over.
But living in the present, as we must, I went to bed early and enjoyed knowing we are living in the dream.
Two of our chaplains said prayers for us and we felt blessed that they would take time on a Sunday to be there with us. We certainly need divine help to tackle a trip so long and complex.
As we turned North on to I 95 someone started to sing "On The Road Again" into the walkie talkie and we knew this was it, we were on our way at last, but the roar was even louder when we turned left three hours later on to I 10 and we realized we were finally heading WEST.
A long first day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and we finally pulled off the road and circled the wagons after driving 300 plus miles. Our first night was spent in a very large open field in a very basic campground, water, sewer, electric, that was it....no trees, no pool, no amenities at all.
But what is ambience to a Happy Camper? We can make our own. So we pulled out the tablecloth and put it on a very worn picnic table and then we set the plastic forks and spoons and plates in their places and we were ready for a great dinner complete with a champagne toast.
The ladies brought out Swiss steak, mashed potatoes, and salad for us all to enjoy and a toast was given to our first tonight of togetherness and a wonderful trip to come. Each heart was filled with gratitude for the good fortune which brought us together and for the promise of a wonderful summer of adventure.
It was a lovely evening and when the bugs began to bite, as they always do, we left for the comfort of our motorhomes and for our hot showers, to play cards, to watch TV or to read our email and I couldn't help wondering, what did those poor pioneers do with their nights?
This trip has been so long in the planning and now I know it will go by so fast and on the first evening I could see the last evening and how sorry I will be to have it over.
But living in the present, as we must, I went to bed early and enjoyed knowing we are living in the dream.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
It's finally here.....wagons ho
After months of planning, of waiting, of researching, of dreaming, it is here, that long awaited day of departure, May 4th.
We leave in the morning at 9 a.m. from our clubhouse and we have invited the whole park to come and see us off. A chaplain will say a prayer and we will wave and off we go on our three/four month adventure. If you think this is over the top, you are right, but this is a once in a life time trip, so extreme measures are indicated. Break out the champagne and toast us, for we are off to see the USA.
Today, the three rigs were parked in front of each home and we scurried to and fro putting the house stuff into the motorhome and turning it into RV stuff. We put in food and clothes, (so many clothes), and lap tops and shoes, (so many shoes), and maps and directories, and insurance papers, and books,and games, and medications, and so on , and so on.
Now our RV's have taken on the look and feel of our homes and we know that we are ready to leave, because so much of our life is coming with us. The beauty of a big rig is that you can take everything you want to take and it fits. Well almost.
Friends have been stopping by all day with banana bread, cakes, cookies and
good wishes for a safe and happy trip. It seems most people would like to do this too if they had an RV, so this idea must be on quite a few "bucket lists" I know it has been on ours for years and now it is almost a reality.
We three families are so fortunate to be able to go and we are so grateful to God we have the health and time and the resources. We don't take this for granted and we know how lucky we are.
I hope I have thought of everything I needed to think of, because in a few hours the engines will start, the tow cars will be hooked up, the farewells said, and as we look in the rear view mirror and see a group of smiling faces and waving hands, we will be " on the road again" and I even have the Willie Nelson cd ready to play.
Wish you could come along....but then you can. Just check our blog and we will try to give you a feel of life on the road with the Geritol campers. We have great expectations for fun and we know it will be a special memory we will have for a long, long time. Off to bed, tomorrow is just eight short hours away.
We leave in the morning at 9 a.m. from our clubhouse and we have invited the whole park to come and see us off. A chaplain will say a prayer and we will wave and off we go on our three/four month adventure. If you think this is over the top, you are right, but this is a once in a life time trip, so extreme measures are indicated. Break out the champagne and toast us, for we are off to see the USA.
Today, the three rigs were parked in front of each home and we scurried to and fro putting the house stuff into the motorhome and turning it into RV stuff. We put in food and clothes, (so many clothes), and lap tops and shoes, (so many shoes), and maps and directories, and insurance papers, and books,and games, and medications, and so on , and so on.
Now our RV's have taken on the look and feel of our homes and we know that we are ready to leave, because so much of our life is coming with us. The beauty of a big rig is that you can take everything you want to take and it fits. Well almost.
Friends have been stopping by all day with banana bread, cakes, cookies and
good wishes for a safe and happy trip. It seems most people would like to do this too if they had an RV, so this idea must be on quite a few "bucket lists" I know it has been on ours for years and now it is almost a reality.
We three families are so fortunate to be able to go and we are so grateful to God we have the health and time and the resources. We don't take this for granted and we know how lucky we are.
I hope I have thought of everything I needed to think of, because in a few hours the engines will start, the tow cars will be hooked up, the farewells said, and as we look in the rear view mirror and see a group of smiling faces and waving hands, we will be " on the road again" and I even have the Willie Nelson cd ready to play.
Wish you could come along....but then you can. Just check our blog and we will try to give you a feel of life on the road with the Geritol campers. We have great expectations for fun and we know it will be a special memory we will have for a long, long time. Off to bed, tomorrow is just eight short hours away.
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