Just playing catch up!

Been a while since I last posted so I will summarize our travels since that last post.  I'll include links to photos at the end of each section.


The last half of 2013 found us sailing with friends, Jim and Betsy, aboard the Celebrity Millennium from Vancouver, B.C. to Alaska in August.

The cruise was amazing, I think this should be on everyones bucket list.  The ship was typical, Alaska seems to draw a different demographic.  Quite a few young families with young children.  The itinerary brought us to Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau, Hoonah, and ended in Seward.  We spent a day cruising the ice flows of the Tracy Arm glaciers and Inside Passage.

The sights were spectacular.  Lots of marine life, whale, Orca, otter, etc.  For me, the morning we awoke to the sounds of ice hitting the ship, was the highlight.  Well that and the whale that surfaced right outside our cabin when we were anchored in Hoonah.

The only excursion we did was a whale watching tour in Juneau.  There is absolutely nothing more magnificent than watching a whale breech and slap it's tail as it settles back into the sea.

Juneau also found us at the infamous Red Dog Saloon.  A pretty fun place founded during the mining days of Alaska and has operated for decades.  Sawdust floors, reindeer sausage, and of course cold beer.  The entertainment  is quite fun.  Several entertainers are on tap, some that just play guitars and sing songs of old and new; and others that offer a series of mining day ballads, some not suitable for younger ears!

Ketchikan, native for creek, was interesting.  The big tourist draw is the boardwalk promenade which runs parallel to the creek.  Dolly's House, the first brothel of Ketchikan, is located on the boardwalk.  Quite an interesting little place.  In season the creek is filled with salmon headed to spawn.

The cities of Juneau, the capitol of Alaska, and Ketchikan are only accessible by sea or air.

Skagway, a neat little mining town, with many shops and several saloons.

Hoonah is located in Icy Strait Point.  One of the largest islands of Alaska, it is said to be the 105th largest island in the world and the 5th largest in the US.  Years ago a cannery operated here, has been closed quite some time.  The little town has restored a lot of the cannery as a point of interest.  Probably ate the best Dungeness crab here, fresh out of the water.

Last stop on this cruse was Seward.  This particular itinerary is one way.  The ship sails from Vancouver and stops in Seward, all passengers disembark and they load up again and go south to Vancouver.

Landing in Seward, we were greeted by Lee's brother Pat and sister-in-law Suzanne.  They drove down from their home in Anchorage.  They left one vehicle for us and headed back to Anchorage where we would meet them later that day.

This being our friends first visit to Alaska, we wanted to show them some of the sights.  Our first stop was the Alaska Sealife Center located in Seward.  From there we headed towards Girdwood, stopping at the conservation center to view the moose, caribou, bear, bison, and a plethora of other critters.

Our original plan was to head up to the Alyeska Resort to take the tram up the mountain, however, weather did not cooperate.  We took our time getting to Anchorage, stopping to view creeks and Turn Again Arm, and to take a short hike up one of the many trails along the way.

We spent the next several days enjoying the comfort of Pat and Suzanne's home.  Took Betsy to Bird Creek to salmon fish one day, she was lucky enough to catch a few nice salmon.  We also did a few short "to see the sights" trips so Jim and Betsy could experience a bit of Alaska.

It was a good trip and everyone enjoyed it.

Photos of this trip:   Alaska Cruise Celebrity Millennium


We really went over board, not literally, the first few months of 2014.  To give a quick summation:  end of January found us cruising to the Caribbean; end of February, first week of March found us in Alaska; end of April, again in the Caribbean; and first week of May found in Alaska, yes again!

To explain:  the January cruise, the trip to Alaska in February, and the Alaska cruise in May were all planned.  The April cruise was a "fit in" so we could travel with old friends.  Between the April and May cruise we were home for 4 days.  Long enough to unpack from the Caribbean cruise, do laundry, and repack for the Alaska cruise.

Luckily we have a house sitter with a very flexible schedule.

Last week of January we drove to New Orleans to meet up with friends, John and Susan, we met several cruises ago and have since sailed with them several times.  We boarded the ship the NCL Jewel.  Ports of call were Cozumel, Mexico, Costa Maya, and Roataan, Honduras.

Our friends had never sailed NCL, so we were a bit on edge until we boarded.  They liked it, they liked it.  We had a good time in Cozumel, talked them into doing the Salsa and Salsa tour with us.  This is the one where you are taught how to prepare several salsa dips, then after taught how to do the salsa, the dance.  All while being plied with unlimited margaritas.  Lee and I have really enjoyed this tour, I think we've done it like 4-5 times.  It's just fun.

In Costa Maya we went to a private beach.  We were escorted to out private cabana, provided lunch and unlimited beverages, use of water toys etc.  This day was not the best weather wise.  It wasn't bad, but the winds and rough water did not allow much in the water activity.

Roataan, Honduras is not much at all.  Unless you have a tour scheduled you are pretty much limited to the pier area, where there are shops etc, but not much else.  John and Susan had never been there, so we got off and walked around a while.

All in all the cruise was good, we all enjoyed the ship, and we were happy that John and Susan liked NCL.  Of course we like NCL and have sailed them many times.

John and Susan wanted to spend a few extra days in New Orleans, so we stayed as well.  While waiting for our hotel rooms to be ready, we toured the WWII Museum, outstanding place to visit.

Staying ended up being not the right choice.  As you will see in the photos, we got iced in.  New Orleans is surrounded by water, only way in or out is to cross a bridge!

We were supposed to drive out headed for home and John and Susan were to fly back home on Tuesday.  No such luck.  The weather came in, all roads and bridges were closed as was the airport, nothing going out, nothing coming in.

I know you are saying, wow stuck in New Orleans, how bad can that be!  Well, pretty bad.  Most of the restaurants and bars were closed.  No one could get to downtown to open up anything.  Luckily a pizza place close to the hotel was open.  The staff had stayed there the night before so they could open.

John and Susan got out on Wednesday, they found a cab company that promised to get them to the airport via back roads.

On Thursday morning they announced I-10 east bound was open, although the Twin Bridge was still closed, at least there was hope.  Around 9am, I told Lee we're leaving, we needed to go west, but at least going east we were moving.   So we packed up and checked out.  As we were checking out the news stated that the west bound lane on the Twin Bridge had just opened.  The bridge is about 30 minutes from downtown, by the time we got there east bound was opened.  So we took I-10 east to I-12, where we turned west headed to I-55.  Not fun.  The Causeway Bridge was still closed, as was
I-55 South.  Luckily we were headed north towards Jackson, MS.

I-55 seemed to be okay.  We got probably 45 minutes south of Jackson when we hit a traffic jam.  Bumper to bumper, slowly moving.  An accident between a car and a semi transporting some kind of chemical happened.  They closed the highway.  The sheriff's department and state police guided us through "deliverance" country.  I mean dirt and gravel roads that eventually led us back to I-55.  What an adventure.

Just crazy, the people in New Orleans were saying that they hadn't seen weather like that in over 20 years.   Finally made it home safe and sound.

Photos of our January adventure:  NCL Jewel and New Orleans


So we got home maybe on the 6th of February.  We had about 3 weeks to relax and prepare for our next adventure.  Flying to Anchorage, Alaska to experience the start of the Iditarod.

Lee was born in the South for a reason, she hates the cold.  I tried to talk her out of this trip, but she was determined to go.  As things turned out it was warmer in Anchorage than it was in Little Rock.

We were again met by Lee's brother.  Arrival time in Anchorage was like midnight.  I don't think anything flies in or out except the "red eyes."  We got to Pat's and we immediately crashed, long day of travel to say the least.

A few days later Pat's son Alex arrived with his girlfriend Jennifer.

The Iditarod is probably Alaska's premier event, lots of things were going on downtown in preparation for the big start.

On Thursday evening we attended the Musher's Banquet, this is when the mushers draw for their starting positions.  I mean this banquet is a gala affair.  Dress up clothes consisted of flannel shirts, down jackets, mukluks, and any other combination of clothing one could imagine.  The meal was fantastic as were all the festivities.  Even Sarah Palin was there!  A great time was had by all.

As stated Anchorage was experiencing a thaw while Arkansas was freezing.  Due to the melt down and little snow, the snow trucks were out in the community gathering enough snow to make a path for the ceremonial start of the race.  As you'll see in the photos, a trail of snow was laid down on the main street in downtown.

Following the ceremonial start it was "Run with Reindeer" time.  What a hoot.  Lee, Suzanne, Alex, and Jennifer participated.  See if you can recognize them in the videos!

After the Saturday festivities we went to the Moose's Tooth for pizza and beer.

Sunday found us on the road early headed to Willow for the official start of the Iditarod.  The excitement of the people was very evident.  The real stars are the dogs.  Omigosh, once on the lead, they were barking, jumping, lurching forward, excited to go.  I thought to myself, "in a day or two, these dogs will be wondering, what the hell did we get ourselves into."

Bottom line of this adventure, one of the most fun and exciting times we've ever had.  Everyone needs to add this event to their bucket list.

For this segment I have added separate albums for each adventure.

Musher's Banquet

Ceremonial Start

Reindeer Run

Official Start



Seven years ago on our 10th anniversary cruise we met John and Chris.  They being avid cruisers living in Beaverton, Oregon, have been after us to join them on another cruise.  Long about mid-January they called and very excitedly told us they found a cruise out of Houston, within driving distance for us, so we'd be able to go.  Oops, not!

With our end of January cruise, the Iditarod trip, and the May cruise, there was just no way we could fit in an end of April cruise.  We called them and discussed that we had made all these other plans.  We suggested they cancel the Houston cruise and join us on the Alaska cruise departing from Seattle, which is within driving distance for them.

We were hopeful, but Chris only cruises where the sun counts.  So on the Alaska cruse there'd be no catching of rays!  So graciously we had to decline the offer.

For those of you that really know Lee, this now has become a challenge, off to the internet.  After many hours and days, looking and comparing, and counting our pennies, she looked away from the monitor and said "we can do this, gonna be tight, but we can do it."  The booking process began.

With the Iditarod checked off the bucket list, we now prepare for a hectic 45 or so days.  We leave again the end of April for a cruise out of Houston aboard Princess Cruise Lines Caribbean Princess.

The drive to Houston was uneventful, well, except for missing our lunch stop.  Thought we knew where the place was at, not!

We actually drove to Humble, Texas, about 30 minutes north of Houston and about an hour from the port.  After roughly 7 hours behind the wheel we arrive Humble.  John and Chris flew in from Oregon and were awaiting our arrival.

Check-in, get to our room, and text to let them know we were there.  Minutes later a knock at the door and the reunion began.  Went to dinner, had a nice visit, returned back to the hotel, with plans to meet the next morning.  Being they flew in the plan was for them to ride with us to the port and we'd drop them off at the airport upon our return.

Quick hour drive to the port the next morning.  Dropped off bags and the girls, and went to park.

Check-in for the cruise was easy and painless.  Boarded around noon and headed to lunch.  Sail away was around 4, let the vacation begin.

Ports of call were Cozumel, Mexico, Belize, and Roataan, Honduras.

Guess what we did in Cozumel?  If you guessed Salsa and Salsa you would be correct!!!!!  This was John and Chris' first Salsa and Salsa experience, we believe they enjoyed it.

We did not get off in Belize, have been there before and there is really not much to do unless you take a tour.  John and Chris did get off as they wanted to tour Belize, one of those places that intrigues them as a possible retirement location.

On this trip we ported on the opposite side of Roataan, Honduras, a place called Mahogany Bay.  This is a resort like area that was built strictly for cruise ship business.  We viewed the area from one of the upper decks and figured we were close enough to say we were there!

The cruise as a whole was pretty good.  We have noticed that food offerings have changed a bit across the industry.  Surely it's all about cutting the budget.  Princess has always offered a better menu then other lines, seems now they are all about on par.  And they still serve lobster!!!!!

Entertainment etc was okay, pretty much the same as any other line.  The highlight of the trip was the rekindling of a friendship.

And while aboard we celebrated our 17th anniversary, is was very special having John and Chris there.  Also note, they celebrated their 31st anniversary while aboard.  So it was a very special cruise.

Back in Houston, we drove to the airport, said our goodbyes and we headed northeast.  Being that we got a late start, we decided not to make the long drive so we stopped for the night in Marshall, Texas. Had a wonderful dinner at Porky's Smokehouse and Grill.  Next morning we headed home.

Always nice to sleep in your own bed!

Caribbean Princess April 2014


Home from the Caribbean.  It is now May 4th.  I sometimes wonder what the cats and dog think about all this.  We walk out with suitcases and a few hours later Randi, our sitter, shows up with hers!!

So now we are in a semi panic mode.  Time only to unpack from a warm climate cruise, do laundry, repack for a much cooler climate cruise and in four days be gone again.  I'm not sure we even had time to go through all our mail from the last trip.  So early morning of the 9th we're out the door, en route to Seattle to meet up with John and Susan and John's sister Ann.

Everyone arrived at the hotels without too much of a hassle.  We have learned taking the Light Rail from and to the airport is a lot less of hassle, not to mention cheaper.  Taxi's from the airport to downtown run around the $60 mark, the Light Rail for two is like $5.50.

Because John and Susan had the extra person, along with all the extra luggage it was less of a hassle for them to take a shuttle.  I won't go into the details of that fiasco, the shuttle folks basically forgot them, so they ended up grabbing a cab.

We enjoyed a nice walk about downtown Seattle, a nice dinner, and then a leisurely walk back to our hotels.

Next morning we headed to the pier.  With us staying at a different hotel it was just easier to meet once aboard.  Check in with Holland America was pretty easy.  We've never sailed with them, so this was our first experience aboard the Westerdam.  All the ships in their fleet end with "dam."  The fleet is referred to as the Dam ships!!!  Everything went according to Hoyle.

One nice thing about both Princess and Holland America, as soon as you board you can go to your cabin.  Other lines you may have to wait an hour or so.  Our cabin was very nice.  Lee upgraded us to an aft veranda.  Our cabin was on the fantail, center of the ship, talk about a great view.  Lee always does so well picking good cabins.

Our cabin was nice and roomy, only glitch was the previous residents locked the safe with their passcode.  Can you say dumb-ass!   Ugh, just not sure why people do that sort of thing.  Quick call to customer relations and the issue was resolved.  Off to lunch.

The ship was laid out very nicely, much different than previous ships we had been on.  Note of interest:  the corridors and waiting areas by the elevators were rather dark, but OMG, when the elevator doors opened it was like bright orange or red!  Talk about a waker upper.

Our itinerary brought us back to Ketchikan and Juneau, as well as Sitka and Glacier Bay, and last stop Victoria B.C.

Again the views were marvelous.  We watched many pods of dolphin or Orca passing the ship.  Glacier Bay was as awesome as our previous Alaska cruise.

I think Sitka was the highlight for us.  The Alaska Raptor Center is located here.  What a wonderful facility, here they care for injured raptors, rehab and release back to the wild if the bird is releasable.  For those birds that are not, they find them homes at a zoo in the lower forty-eight.  We spent a couple of hours here, very very educational.  We are thinking about maybe next year instead of cruising or doing a drive trip, we may just fly into Sitka and volunteer at the Raptor Center for a week or so.  We had a long chat with the member services manager, many folks fly in and volunteer for 3-4 days.  So it is a doable adventure for us.

Sitka was a nice little town, we thought there would be more Russian Mosque (onion dome) structures being it is one of the Russian culture hubs.  I think we saw one.  Still a nice little place to walk around.  Sitka is home to the Sitka National Cemetery.  I believe this is the only National Cemetery outside of the contiguous United States.  Found this be interesting.

Left Sitka en route to Victoria.  How weird, we did not port until after 6pm with an all onboard time of 11:30.  Just seemed odd to do this type of city at night.  We did get off the ship, walked down to one of the harbor areas and took a little harbor boat to downtown.  We had a very nice dinner at one of the local hotspots and headed back to ship.  Tonight was pack your bags night, tomorrow we say good-bye to the Westerdam.

Ported back in Seattle, it was a quick cab ride to our hotel.  Again kudos to Lee, we arrived like at 10am and they checked us right in, she's good I tell ya.  John, Susan, and Ann had to wait until maybe 1 to get their room.  Think that was due to them having a suite with a third bed.

We were spending the night in Seattle, so the girls planned a Savor Seattle tour.   It was quite good, we walked all over Seattle, but got to experience some neat eateries.  One of the stops was Serious Pies, a pizza place that was really cool and the pizza to die for.  That was our dinner spot.  We had to wait about 45 minutes to get in, but it was well worth it.

Next morning we took a walk to Pike's Place Market, again.  Our flight didn't leave until one so we had plenty of time to enjoy a breakfast and do our last minute shopping.

Back to the hotel, check out, and head to the Light Rail.  Flights were on time and all was good.  Arrived home about 11pm.  Tired and worn, we had to sit up with the babies for an hour or so, they missed us!!

Travel for now is done.  We have a few little weekend getaways planned; in the Fall we have a zoo conference in Milwaukee, and a US Marine Corps reunion in Branson.  After those trips, we are done for 2014, I think.

Holland America Westerdam Alaskan Cruise

San Francisco 2013

April 2013 found us celebrating Lee's birthday in beautiful San Francisco.  Could not have picked a better week, the weather cooperated until our last day.

We arrived on Saturday evening.  After a long day of travel, we decided to have dinner and head back to our B&B to rest for the activities ahead.  We had an appetizer at the Grove, a neat little eclectic restaurant.  We then headed to the Tipsy Pig for dinner.  I had a wonderful Guinness Brined Pork Chop which was delicious.  Lee, not so lucky.  She ordered the Chicken Pot Pie, recommended by our server.  Two or three bites and she was done.  Obviously the Rosemary seasoning was overwhelming.  Poor baby.  Our server offered to bring her something else, but Lee declined.  They were nice enough not to charge us for her dinner.

We stayed at the Union Street B&B, very quaint and comfy.  A wonderful breakfast was served each morning between 8-10, and if desired, a call to the desk and breakfast would be brought to your room.   Not your run of the mill fare.  Each morning a different twist.  Omelets, French Toast, Pancakes, Poached Eggs; along with fresh squeezed orange juice, a fresh fruit bowl, toast, cinnamon rolls, and freshly baked homemade fruit beards.  Coffee and a variety of hot tea were offered as well.

An afternoon snack of cheese and crackers were placed in the sitting room, and in the evening complimentary red and white wine were offered.

Our room, The Wildrose, was spacious and clean.  A table with a fresh fruit plate, glassware, a pitcher of water, and chocolates greeted us.  Yes we will stay here again if we find ourselves in San Francisco.

Day 1, Sunday:  After breakfast we head out.  A walk down Fillmore and we were at the bay.  I believe the area is referred to as Crissy Field Center.  The Marina, Fort Mason, Crissy Field, and Fort Point make up the area.  A two mile walk from Fillmore to Fort Point will bring you under the Golden Gate Bridge.  A very popular area for joggers, walkers and beach goers.  A marathon was held that morning which added to the crowds.  We walked leisurely and enjoyed the scenery.

From here we headed to the Japantown for the Cherry Blossom Festival.  We took the bus up Fillmore, much too steep to walk.  Walked a bit into Japantown and then found a spot to watch the Grand Parade.  Quite interesting to say the least.

After the parade we headed towards the B&B stopping for lunch at Harry's Bar.  Could not believe we had to wait like thirty minutes for a table.  After we were seated we realized the reason for the wait.  Harry's serves a brunch from 11-3 each Sunday, along with bottomless Bellini's!  Lee had a salad and soup and a Bellini, and I indulged in spicy hot wings.  After our lunch we walked down Fillmore, you see why we didn't walk up, back to our B&B to rest a bit before dinner.

We enjoyed dinner at a local favorite, the Balboa Cafe.  Although it was Prime Rib night, Lee opted for the roasted chicken, while I enjoyed oysters on the half shell and halibut.  After dinner we strolled Chestnut Street and headed to our room where freshly baked creme puffs awaited.  Our first day completed.

Day 2, Monday:  Breakfast done, we were on our way.   Our plan was to head to the Wharf area.  Somehow we caught the wrong bus and found ourselves on the far side of town.  So we had to back track.  Mass transit is great if you know where you're going and what mode of transportation you need to travel.  Looking at the map we figure it out.  Got on the bus in the right direction this time, we choose to get off and ride the cable car to the wharf.  Our second mistake of the day.  The cable car stop is only three or four blocks from where the bus dropped us.  Easy peasy; look at the above photo again, yup, this time we were going up!!!!  Finally to the cable car stop and almost got on going the wrong way.  

About two and half hours from the time we left the B&B and we are at the Wharf.  Should have been twenty minutes max!!!  Tonight we have a tour to Alcatraz, so we walk the wharf to find our departure pier, then we head to lunch.  Of course Lee wants to go to Little Italy for Italian, a short walk up Stockton, all up hill, and we are there.  I have to admit, half way there, I had to stop and buy a bottle of water, these hills are killing me.

Lee decides on a little restaurant named L'Osteria del forno.  A little mom and pop place with maybe six tables inside and two or three on the sidewalk.  The beer was cold and at that point that's all I cared about!  Handmade Ricotta Ravioli was the lunch feature.  We ordered a slice of pizza to share and we both opted for the lunch feature.  Not sure how they make the ravioli pasta, so light and buttery, it was absolutely marvelous.

We double check the map before we leave the restaurant.  Ask where to catch the bus, cool, it's like right down the street at Washington Square.  Point of interest: the cathedral that overlooks the park is where Marilyn Monroe and Joe Dimaggio got married in 1954.

On the right bus, headed in the right direction, life is good!

We make it back to the wharf area.  Still have an hour and a half or so before our tour, so we stroll Fisherman's Wharf at Pier 39.  Stop in at one of the many restaurants for a quick snack just before we head to Pier 33 to catch our tour ferry.

On board the ferry headed to Alcatraz, "The Rock", one of the most talked about high-security prisons.  Alcatraz touts a long history.  From the "Evil Island" label in 1775; to a Military Garrison in 1846; is still home to the oldest lighthouse, erected in 1846; to a prison holding Civil War prisoners in the 1860's; to the Federal Prison Alcatraz, 1934-1963; to the Native Indian occupation from 1964 through 1971; to a national recreation area in 1972; and finally it's designation as a National Historic landmark in 1986.

Our tour included a ferry ride around the island, so we got to see it from all sides; an audio tour once inside; access to the hospital and morgue, not offered during the day tours; special program presentations; and the slamming of the cell doors, the last sound heard each night by the inmates.

A very interesting and somewhat eerie tour.  Just the thought of being a resident there is mind boggling.  Not all inmates had access to windows.  It was said, inmates weren't sure if not having windows was better then being able to see everything you knew you could never have.

As it grew dark and lights were lit, the solitary of the island could be felt.  As I think about it, not only were the inmates shut out from society, the officers and their families were as well.   Finally on board the ferry to freedom!  Once back to the pier, a bit of confusion finding our bus stop, on the bus on our way back to Union Street.  Day two is done.

Day 3, Tuesday, Lee's Birthday:  Looking forward to this day, we have tickets to see the SF Giants play the Arizona Diamondbacks this evening.

We start the day in the Wharf area.  Lee wanted to do a tour of the Ferry Building.  Today referred to as the Ferry Building Marketplace, this historic building played an important role in San Francisco's history.  Opening in 1898, the building was used by many, especially during the era of the Gold Rush.  One could only access SF via the water and the ferry building was where they entered the city.  If interested you can read it's history here:  Ferry Building Marketplace

The tour is one of many offered by City Guides (Link)  A volunteer staff conduct the tours free of charge.  Our tour began at the base of the stairs leading to the second floor.  We are joined by our guide Jan Emmelman-Zablah.  She began the tour by walking us across to the plaza in front of the building.

She began her history lesson.  I have to admit, her presentation was very interesting.  From the Gold Rush, to the fire and earthquake of 1906, to the controversy of it's need, to the preservation of the building today.  Lee and I thoroughly enjoyed this tour and recommend it.  I find when visiting any city or country, learning a bit about it's history gives me a new found appreciation for it.

Tour done, it's lunch time.  Here's a twist in this birthday trip.  Although it was Lee's birthday, her gift was to treat me to some good sea food!  Hey, I argued a little, but she insisted.

The Ferry Building today houses a an array of vendors and businesses.  Across from SF's financial district, it is the "go to" lunch place for many.  One of the restaurants is Hog Island Oyster Company.  Lee read many reviews about this place and decided this was where I needed to have lunch.

I felt bad, while I ate oysters on the half shell and steamed mussels, Lee enjoyed fresh squeezed lemonade and bread!  After my lunch, we walked the shops in the ferry building.  Lee reading all the menus as we walked.  We happened upon a cheese store, The Cowgirl Creamery.  Samples were offered and explained.  We settled on two cheeses, purchased a small slice of each, with the intent of it being our game snack.  Next door a bakery, can't have cheese without bread, so we purchased a couple of sour dough rolls.  More walking and more menus.

After a bit Lee decided to eat at the Cowgirl's adjoining lunch counter, The Cowgirl Sidekick.  She ordered a salad and a bowl of tomato soup, I sat patiently.  After lunch it was sweet time.  Lee loves a bite of "sweet" after almost any meal.  We stopped in a chocolate shop and Lee made her choices.

We hang out for a while enjoying the sights and sounds of area.  The guy in the cheese shop recommended we get to the game early due to added security measures.  So we head towards AT&T Park around 4 with plans on having a light something before going into the park.  We catch the cable car and get dropped off right in front of the park.

We head across to MoMo's, a landmark restaurant in SF.  Named for the owners grandmother, MoMo.  ID's were checked at the door.  Asked if we had reservations, we said no.  The hostess told us she could seat us inside, but she would need the table by 5!  Our server told us many folks come there to watch the game and that reservations are made as soon as the Giants schedule is released.   The menu had many choices, we chose pizza and wings!

Dinner done, off to the the park.  Getting there early, we were fairly close to the front of the line.  Gates opened, security checked our bags, tickets scanned, and we found ourselves inside.  Go Giants!  Lee once again got us great seats on the first base line.

For some reason our karma wasn't working.  Usually when we attend a home game, the home team wins.  No such luck for the Giants.  A steady breeze pushed in a chill off the bay so we decided to leave at the top of the seventh.  The Diamondbacks went on to win 6-4.

Out of the stadium, now it was "find our bus stop."  Seems this is the hardest thing to figure out.  What corner of what intersection do you catch the bus?  Finally we figure it out, get on the bus, and make it home!  Another long fulfilling day, day three is done.

Day 4, Wednesday:  Today is our last full day here.  The weather has turned, misty and cool.  Gladly Lee planned an inside day, the California Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Golden Gate Park.  Breakfast done, out the door we go.

Slight detour today.  My iPad charger stopped working, bummer.  By a stroke of luck there is an Apple store a block from the bus stop:)  Yay me!  New charger in hand, it's off to catch our bus.

The bus ride takes us through Presidio, to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge, and then into the city.  Almost missed our stop to get off.

A short walk and we arrive at the CAS.  We get our tickets and go in.  Too much to write about, so here is a link if interested:  California Academy of Sciences

There is just so much to do and see in here.  We watched the film "Fragile Earth" which was amazing.  This is a great place for children to learn, a huge bio-facts area where children can see and feel; a rain forest; an aquarium; a coral reef; and so much more.  We stayed about four hours.

Had the weather been better, we would have walked through the Tea Garden and the Botanical Garden, but it was misty, wet, and cold.  We headed to our bus stop.  Back to our room for a short rest before dinner.

No big dinner this evening.  We started out towards Izzy's Steaks and Chops, but we didn't have a reservation and the wait would be thirty minutes or so.  We walked Chestnut Street, read all the menus, but nothing enticed us.  So we ended up at Amici's East Coast Pizzeria.  Not even close to as good as the pizza we had in Little Italy, but it was okay.  Dinner done, back to the room to pack.  Day four has come to an end.

Day 5, Thursday:  Long travel day ahead, not sure how the ATC furloughs will affect our flights.  Lee scheduled a shuttle to pick us up so no confusion today of where to catch what!

A very nice breakfast, check out, and en route to SF International.  Lee checked us in online and printed our boarding passes, so all we had to do is check our bag.  Through all the security stuff and to the gate.  Flight on time to Dallas.  An early landing in Dallas gave us a little breathing room to get to our connecting gate.  Board says flight departs on time.  About twenty minutes before scheduled boarding, it's announced our flight is delayed and the gate has changed.  No problem, it's all good.  Although we departed about thirty minutes late, we landed in Little Rock pretty much on time.  Flight only took forty-four minutes!

Our neighbor was waiting for us.  Claimed our bag and headed home.  Travel is fun, but there really is no place like home.  All in all we had a great trip and Lee had a good birthday.  On to the next adventure!

Photos of our trip are located here:  San Francisco 2013

For The Love of Birds of Prey

In the past few years I have become infatuated with the world of raptors.  I have found several web cam sites that stream live video.

My first introduction to watching streaming video came as a link from a friend.  The link brought me to Norfolk Botanical Garden (NBG) located in Virginia. Oh the excitement of watching momma eagle hatch three eggs.  These eaglets gained worldwide fame as "The Rock Stars."  A sad day in April 2011 when  NBG announced that momma eagle had been killed by a commercial commuter plane.  I think the hearts of the world stopped that day.   At the age the eaglets were, the demand for food was high.  Poppa eagle could not feed and care for these three alone


Imagine having triplets and before each feeding you had to run to the grocery store leaving the three alone in a basket on your front lawn!  So you get the picture.  Trying to catch food and bring it home, while having to keep a watchful eye to protect the babies from other threats.  Together, the NBG, The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF), and The Wildlife Center of Virginia (WCV) made the decision to remove the eaglets from the nest and relocate them to the WCV, until such time they could be released.

It was during this time that the WCV realized the power of the Internet.  Cards, letters, cookies, meals, and donations flooded the center.  Because these eaglets were on a streaming cam at NBG, the demand from the public was overwhelming for WCV.  They set up a cam so the world could watch.  The Rock Stars, NX, NV, and NZ, known by their leg band designations, grew and thrived and in July of 2011 were released to the wild from a plantation in Virginia.  NX was fitted with a transmitter which checks in regularly.  I'll list a few links at the end of this blog that will lead you to several of these wonderful organizations and cams.

Simultaneously, I began watching several cams.  The Decorah Iowa eagles; The White Rock eagle nest; the George Miksch Sutton cams; and several others.  Yes I became an eagle addict, however, you'll be happy to read that I have now expanded my interests.  Along with the eagle cams, I now follow an Osprey nest in N.C., a Hummingbird nest in California, and others!

It is truly amazing what these birds go through.  The exhaustion of laying an egg, the dedication of sitting on the eggs, turning them at regular intervals, protecting them from invaders etc.  Then the hatch!  The realization of heartbreak, ours, not the eagles.  Unlike us, the birds have no real sense of pain or mourning when one of the eaglets perish.  Nature was designed this way.

The perils of laying an egg totally drains the energy of these great birds.  Here's a screen capture of the Decorah mom after laying her second egg, minutes before a snow storm.

She laid motionless until morning.

These creatures are truly amazing.  Although protective of their off-spring, sometimes nature intervenes.  At one nest there were three babies in the evening, when morning came there were two.  No one knows what happened.  In another nest momma accidentally stepped on a baby during feeding, one her talons pierced the eaglet, it did not survive.  In yet another, a newly hatched chick exposed to a severe drop in nighttime temperatures and a freezing rain, died from hypothermia.  Yes, heart breaking, but that is natures way and we have to accept it as that.

We are watching but a few wonders of nature captured by technology.  Imagine all those we don't see.

I find this window into the private world of Eagles, Osprey, Owls, and others just amazing.  The care and protection given by the parents mirrors our own.  The sense of responsibility is keen. the way a mother eagle forms an umbrella with her wings to protect her young from the elements; or the tenacity a hummingbird shows against an invading lizard, absolutely awesome.

This blog entry is to share with and introduce you to a few of these wonders.  For me to share in type all that I have witnessed through the wonderful world of web cam technology would take volumes.  Rather I will share with you links to some of the cams I frequent, as well, as a link to my online photo album.  There you'll find screen captures and videos I've taken.

Enjoy the backstage experience as Mother Nature opens her blinds and lets you in. And what a wonderful world it is.  Look close, you'll see a momma owl, she is sitting on eggs!

Note:  Many of these cams are solar powered and exposed to the elements.  So if you get a blank screen don't fret, it just doesn't have the sun power to operate.  And then sometimes when it might be raining or snowing, the video might be blurred or obscured due to the elements on the lens.  Also the refresh rate on some of these cams is not that great, so if there is fast movement, you'll get a distorted image for a bit.  This happens a lot at the Osprey nest.

Here are a few links:  Click on title and then click on the go to link field.  I've tested these and they appear to be working fine.

Alcoa Eagles

Alcoa Osprey

Oklahoma Nests

Wildlife Center of Virginia

Bears of Alaska

Hummingbird Nest in California

My Online Album - Updated periodically

A Very Quiet Summer

Not too much went on this summer, we stayed pretty close to home. Short of a few trips to the casinos to deposit our yearly donation!

We have become docents at our zoo. Docents are educators, yep that's what I said educators. We spent January - March attending Saturday classes to learn all the things expected of us. So exactly what do we do? Well, we basically are ambassadors for the Little Rock Zoo. Among all the wonderful exhibits there, the zoo has an education department, as all zoo's have. Within the department are what are termed "education animals." These animals include, Parrots, Macaws, Rabbits, a Tortoise, Ferrets, a Fan-Tailed Pigeons, a Hedgehog, a Woodchuck, Domesticated Rats, Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, a Bearded Dragon (lizard), Prickly Sticks, a Sinaloan Milk Snake, a Albino Corn Snake, Ball Pythons, a Blue Tongued Skink, a Speckled King Snake, a Chilean Rosehair Tarantula, and others!

Our function is to take animals and introduce them them to different groups. These groups may include church groups, library programs, school programs, pre-school programs, Boy/Girl scout functions, birthday parties, local functions, etc.

So not only are we sharing the experience of wildlife with a very eclectic audience, we are educating ourselves as well.

Most people consider a zoo a zoo, a place where animals are locked up for people to bring their children to see. Our zoo is fortunate to have some wonderful exhibits which are designed to be as natural as animals habitat as can be. Our zoo touts a wonderful Penguin exhibit, and this year a baby penguin was hatched, not a common occurrence in captivity. A baby gorilla was born this year. The Crowned Cranes gave birth to four little ones. All exciting happenings at any zoo. Our new Cheetah exhibit is doing well, however, aside from the usual diet fed to mom and daughter, we have found that our cats are gaining weight due their success in controlling the squirrel population!

I guess I could go on and on, but I am sure you are already bored. Needless to say, I am sure you can feel our excitement in our new found love of volunteering at the zoo.

My Review of Custom Messenger Bag

Originally submitted at Timbuk2

Customize your own Messenger

Custom Messenger Bag

Great Bag

By tawcat from Little Rock, Arkansas on 6/4/2012

 

5out of 5

Pros: Durable , Roomy , Good Strap Length, Comfortable , Attractive, High Quality, Lightweight 

Best Uses: Extended trips , Commuting, Day Trips, Computer, Airplane travel 

Describe Yourself: Practical

Was this a gift?: No

So this is the second Classic Messenger I've purchased. My first was an XS and the new one is a small. However, don't let the term "small" influence your visual picture.

The XS is just the right size, which for the first few uses was in fact perfect. Then I had to add stuff! After my last trip with it I decided to upgrade to the next level, small. When it arrived I immediately opened the package and began sizing it up. I did good by adding the grab strap.

This bag is going to be absolutely perfect. Enough room to carry my iPad, my small DSLR, my point and shoot, all the other little things I carry like medications, snacks, extra batteries, and whatever else my wife tells me to carry!

I would recommend Timbuk2 to anyone looking for a quality bag.

(legalese)

San Diego, California

Last year at a charity silent auction our bid won round trip tickets for two to wherever American Airlines flew, to include Mexico and Canada. One would think that Alaska being one of the fifty US States would be included in the "wherever." Wrong! We could choose anywhere in Canada or Mexico, but they would not fly us to Anchorage! So Lee got her little head going and decided on San Diego.

I know, you are probably saying to yourselves, "why San Diego?" Well, a few reasons. One Lee had never been there, and two, San Diego touts one of the largest and best zoos in the world. Recently becoming docents at our local zoo, we figured it would be a great education for us. On the day of our flight we arose early. Have to be at our little po-dunk airport at least an hour and a half before we fly. I guess I really shouldn't dis our little airport, after all it has been renamed as the "Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport." Still, there are only twelve gates, so an hour and a half is a bit unrealistic, but rules are rules. Took all of like fifteen minutes to process in, check our bag, and get through screening. Now we have an hour and fifteen minutes to waste. At that hour the coffee shop and Burger King are the only eating places open. We board and the plane departs on time. Arrive DFW with plenty of time to grab a bite to eat before our flight leaves for San Diego. Our flight is boarded, everyone seated, flight attendants prepared the aircraft for takeoff. Now theres a good statement. From the cockpit the Captain announces, "flight attendants prepare the cabin for takeoff." Kinda gives the visual of flight attendants scurrying about, checking this and checking that; ensuring the aircraft is a-okay to make the flight! In actuality they walk down the aisle telling people to fasten their seal belts; put the seat backs in the upright position; announcing every two rows turn off all electronics, if it has an on/off switch, turn it off; and closing the overhead bins. I just have to add this, why do they give the safety briefing after the cabin is prepared for takeoff? The first part of the briefing is a demonstration of how to fasten your seat belt, you'd think this would be done prior to them telling you to fasten your seat belt! Just an observation. The cabin is secured and we ready to pull away from the gate. At that moment the Captain announces, "folks due to a storm, the airport has shut down ground operations, should be just a few minutes and we'll be on our way." An hour later we are told if there is no other lightening strikes within ten miles of the airport for the next fifteen minutes we'll get the go ahead to go. Damn, a lightening bolt pierces the sky. Another announcement informs us that if we desire to leave the aircraft we can; however, we will not be allowed back on this flight and will have to make arrangements for a later flight. About two hours and we are told we are pulling away from the gate, but there might be sixty to seventy planes ahead of us for take off! "Flight attendants ready the cabin," oops, wait, ground operations have been shut down once again. Yes we are still sitting on the plane at the gate. Finally, end hour three, we are given the go ahead. Kudos to our pilot, this guy is not waiting around. He pulls back from the gate and taxis his plane to the runway, we are in first place!!!! Off the ground and airborne, three hours and seven minutes later we are on the ground in San Diego. Cab to our hotel, the Hotel Solamar, a Kimpton hotel. Excellent staff, super room, perfect location, everything pretty perfect. The hotel is located a block from Petco Park, one and half miles to the USS Midway, and a block from restaurant avenue. We kinda threw our stuff in and headed out. Initially we were to be in SD at noon, however with the three hour delay and a three hour flight we are now approaching the seven o'clock hour. And we're starving!! Remember, not only did the delays mess us up, be we gained two in the process due to time zones. So to us it's like nine at night. The hotel staff tells us to walk one block and we'll find a plethora of restaurants. First stop "The Wine Bank," yes they have Jameson!!!! We are on Fifth Avenue in downtown San Diego. Oh my gosh, so many choices. Italian, Thai, Seafood, Steaks, Irish Pubs, Pizza places, you name it, it's on Fifth! Neat part, all the restaurants have a menu posted outside, so as we walk, we peruse menus. It all sounds and smells soooo good. We happen upon Croce's, a familiar name. This happens to be owned by the late Jim Croce's wife, who is also the Executive Chef. What the heck, we're hungry and the place looks quaint. We are seated. Memorabilia everywhere and music by Jim Croce fill the air. The menu was rather limited, but this is always good as we don't have many choices to ponder over. Our dining staff, Leslie, answered a few questions and we ordered. Lee opted for the Roasted Free Range Chicken while I ordered the Swordfish. Hey the worse that can happen is we stop for pizza on the way back to the hotel. Well, after spending five nights in San Diego, Lee and I both agree that Croce's was the best dinner meal we ate. A satisfying portion cooked to absolute perfection. On the way back to the hotel we had to stop at the Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop! Like after the meal at Croce's we needed something to eat. But it was chocolate, and theres always room for chocolate!!! Spent a day at the San Diego Zoo,

did not expect so many folks on a week day, found out SD has like six weeks of Spring break! Even though it was busy we had a ball. We were told a couple of hours would be ample enough time, five hours later we still had not seen everything. A good excuse to go back some day. Lee put her big girl panties on and gave in to a tram ride across the zoo grounds. I guess the ride lasted maybe fifteen minutes, Lee got to see a beautiful skyline, while I snapped pictures to get that aerial view effect. She is so afraid of heights! Dinner at "The Field." An Irish pub setting and were told most of the decor was brought over from an old Irish pub in Ireland. The food was well prepared and very healthy portions. Lee had pointed out all the beer they had on draught. On closer inspection, many of the tap handles were inverted Irish Whiskey bottles, mounted on the wall! They were set in a pourer which operated much like a drink dispenser at a fast food place. Basically the whiskey was on draught as well!!!!! On the way back to the hotel we bypassed the Ghirardelli shop; however, we did not make it past Heavenly Cupcake! This was a quaint little shop that specialized in, well, cupcakes. Lee bought two to bring back to the hotel for dessert later. More about Heavenly Cupcake to come. Next day we boarded a ferry for Coronado, about a fifteen minute ferry trip. Lee had read that we had to go to the Hotel Del Coronado, something about it being the oldest hotel and the tradition was to have a drink and render a toast to the hotel. The hotel is located fifteen minutes from the ferry landing. We chose to walk and turned left instead of right off the ferry. Little did we know we were following the bike trail. After walking for about an hour, we finally arrived at trails end. Hmmm, where the hell is this hotel? So we walked a bit more and finally ran into someone that told us the hotel was still like three miles away. Finally we arrived. Had a very nice lunch on the patio at the Sheerwater restaurant, very nice view, nice lunch and a good rest for our feet. After lunch we headed towards the ferry landing. Next ferry left at 3:30, we walked briskly, but decided we weren't going to make it. As the landing came into sight, to our delight the ferry was still there. We had like two minutes to make it. We literally ran the last block, and boarded the ferry right behind the ferry Captain, made it by "that much." I bet Lee and walked seventy-five miles in our five day stay, not counting the zoo or the museums. For dinner we chose the Ocean Room. Not bad at all. And again the portions were very large. Had these been restaurants at home, we could have taken "to go" boxes and would have had enough food for three more meals. Okay, your guess, where do think we stopped on the way back? If you said Heavenly Cupcake you would be correct! This time I got a cupcake as well and enjoyed it the following morning with coffee. As we were paying for our delights, the clerk handed Lee a little flyer, she explained from 4pm to 9pm the second Wednesday of each month they have a tasting. They create three new flavors and bake up mini cupcakes. When you arrive they give you the three mini cupcakes and a ballot. You try each one and rate them one, two, or three. The one that receives the most number one votes, is featured as a full sized cupcake of that flavor for a day. Last month, the Girl Scout Mint Cookie flavor won. The owner contacted a friend that had a daughter in the scouts and asked if he could buy some thin mint cookies. The friend said sure, how many, the cupcake guy says eight hundred dollars worth!!!!! Cool idea. Morning arrives. Big day ahead, USS Midway in the morning and a Padre's game at three-fifteen. The Midway is one and a half miles from the hotel, we walk both ways! The USS Midway was awesome, unbelievable of the role she played during and in US conflicts. After the Midway we headed to The Fish Market just a few blocks from the Midway. It truly is a fish market selling fresh fish daily. They also have two restaurants in the market. We decided to have lunch. All I can say is Yum-O. This was the best lunch we ate in SD. Lee opted for the freshly battered fried clam strips and I bet there must have been a pound of them.

I ordered a cup of New England style clam chowder and the fish tacos. The clam chowder was the best I have ever eaten, being a Massachusetts boy that says a lot; and the fish tacos were OMG good! On a schedule so we couldn't linger. Walked back to the hotel, rested fifteen minutes and it was off to the Padre's game where they were hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks. Luckily Petco Park is a block and a half from the hotel. Entered the park, bought, our now traditional, t-shirt and hat, and we were off to find our seats. Section 107, Row 16, Seats 22 & 23. Perfect seats right on the first base line. Had a traditional hot dog and beer around the seventh inning. Score, Padre's losing one to nothing. I suggest we leave to beat the crowd, not that we had anywhere to go. Lee suggests we wait until the eighth inning is over. Fine. Bottom of the eighth, Padre's put a guy on first, next batter gets up to the plate, first pitch he smacks a four hundred feet home run! Score two to one, Padre's go on to win their only game in the three game series!!!! Dinner tonight is at Ciros Pizza. Not the best pizza in the world, but pretty good and very reasonable price wise. They have a daily special two slices of pizza and a soft drink, $6.95; or two slices and a beer for $8, can't go wrong. After pizza, you guessed it, Heavenly Cupcake. Hey we have a duty tonight, we have to vote for the next featured flavor. The place is busy, well duh, free cupcakes! We make our way to the counter and we are given our three mini cupcakes. Flavors this night were, Banana Split, Neopolitan, and Orange Dreamsicle. Our first choice was the Banana Split. I think Lee would actually move to SD just for Heavenly Cupcake. We turned in our ballots, purchased our dessert and breakfast and headed back to the hotel for a restful night. Our last day. Wow how time flies when you walk a mile! Today we head to Balboa Park to enjoy a few of the museums. Our first stop is the Veterans museum that we find closed due to a broken water main, bummer. So we head to the Museum of Natural History. They have a Titanic exhibit celebrating the hundredth anniversary of the sinking. The Titanic was a bit disappointing, thought there would have been a few more historical accounts of that terrible evening. All in all it was okay for what was on display. Stopped at The Prado at Balboa Park for lunch. Not a bad little lunch. I had the turkey burger, had it not been for the avocado and jalapeño pepper it would not have had much taste. Lee had a chicken salad salad, fresh greens etc with a dollop of chicken salad. She also ordered the Sangria, my gosh, it was served in tumbler sized glass. After lunch it was off to the Museum of Man. Very neat place, many exhibits and very clean. I thought it was better than the Titanic. Overflowing in culture, we catch a cab and head back to the hotel. Need to pack, our flight is at eleven in the morning, but remember that two hour prior to flight time arrival requirement. Figure we can catch our breath a bit before we head to Little Italy for dinner. Dinner plans change, Lee decides she is too tired to trek through Little Italy, so we settle on a restaurant close to the hotel. We choose Lou & Mickey's. Second best dinner in SD. Again I ordered fish along with two half orders of sides, grilled asparagus and creamed corn; Lee ordered a roasted ravioli entree and shared the sides. The servings were more than ample. Lee's ravioli dish could have fed three adults and the half orders of sides would have been plenty to compliment the ravioli. Superb atmosphere, a very nice dinner to say the least. Tonight we skip Heavenly Cupcake:( A note must be made about the folks we met/ran into while in SD. We never encountered a rude person. Everyone was friendly and helpful. While dining at Lou & Mickey's a younger couple with two boys were seated next to us. We were seated in kind of a booth/table combination. So we were fairly close to the young family. Everyone nodded and said hello and exchanged some small talk. They were headed to the ball game after dinner. The usual exchange of "where are you from, do you eat here often etc" take place. They order. When their meal arrives, they display the same reaction we did, oh my goodness, that is a lot of food. The child's order of mac & cheese could have served a small army. I think one of the boys had a burger. The mother ordered something that was covered with a red sauce. I had to ask, chicken parmesan was the answer. First it looked delicious, second there was so much of it. She offered us a taste, we said thank you, but we are like stuffed. Next thing we know, the dad is passing a plate with silverware to us, saying there is plenty, please try it. Glad we did, it was so good. My point of the above, these folks were indicative of everyone we had met. Very few folks in Arkansas would be sharing their dinner with folks they just met. Our trip was wonderful, San Diego is on our list of places we need to return to. The flight back was uneventful and the comfort of our bed was well received! Photos are posted at this link: Click Here

New England Adventure

Well once again we've loaded up the car and headed out in the direction of New England. We are hoping the aftermath of hurricane Irene does not affect us too much.

On this trip we plan stops at Hanover, PA; Philadelphia, PA; Mystic, CT; Old Sturbridge, MA; the Boston, MA area and a Boston Redsox game; we plan a short drive into both New Hampshire and Maine. Once we leave the Boston area we will head west through upstate New York to Niagara Falls. From Niagara Falls we head north into Canada, proceeding on to Toronto. We'll spend a few days in Toronto and then head south to Waterford, IN where we will visit with friends for a few days.

From Indiana we head for home. Not sure yet what we'll do between Waterford and home, but you can bet Lee will come up with something.

Here we are day two. Arrived Hanover, PA safe and sound. We made Knoxville, TN last night, one missed turn, damn GPS!

Nashville was the worst part of the drive. When we hit Nashville it was three-thirty in the afternoon and raining. You'd a thought it was rush hour, where do all these people come from? Obviously either no one works or there are a bunch of folks making an exodus to Nashville to make it big!

No real sight seeing yet, that begins tomorrow with the Synder's Pretzel and Utz Potato Chip plants. No cameras are allowed at the pretzel place, obviously pretzels have more secrets than we thought.

Today we passed through Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland. Crossed the Shenendoah and Potomac rivers. Passed by the location of Meade's Headquarters and Harper's Ferry. And we are officially in the north as we have crossed the Mason-Dixon Line!

Some neat names: the towns of Rural Retreat and Max Meadows; A Mother's Hunger State Park, and many more. And here I thought the Arkansas towns of Pickles Gap, 56, Toad Suck, and Oil Trough were weird.

I told Lee I wasn't sure why she wanted to do these drives, she's either sleeping or reading, so she never sees anything along the way. Next time we fly!

So ends day two!!!

Day three began with a wonderful breakfast served up by our B&B host, Bruce. After breakfast it was off to the Snyder's of Hanover pretzel factory. What an operation. Would you believe eight tons of pretzels are produced every hour. They go through 250,000 pounds of flour a day. They installed 16,000 solar panels on twenty six acres which produces thirty percent of the power used by both the factory and the headquarters building.

Then it was off to tour the Utz potato chip factory. Equally as awesome. They produce something like 32,000 pounds of chips an hour. And for every pound of chips, four pounds of potatoes are used. Utz is still a family owned business serving all fifty states. All the product they produce in a day is shipped within twenty four hours. They adjust production in accordance with demand so chips don't sit in the warehouse. They also use 100% cottonseed oil, so the chip is lighter and more flavorful.

After our tours we of course visited the outlet stores, so now our once empty trunk is now filled with chips and pretzels.

More fun to come tomorrow, the rain is supposed to ease up so maybe we'll get to do some outside stuff. End day three!

Day four. I must begin with if you know us, you know we are not the average tourist. Today we drove to York and attended the State Fair in York. Why you ask? Well it happens to be the oldest state fair in the USA. It started way back in the 1700's. So pretty significant.

The weather actually played fair and by mid afternoon the sun peeked through and brought a bit of blue sky.

We missed the birthing of a lamb by about twenty minutes. Bummer, but, the pig was ready to give birth to ten to twelve piglets within minutes. We waited and watched to no avail. Six hours later still no piglets:(

We got very interested in the goat competition. Milking goats that is. We learned that this particular breed of goats is judged on the the size of their mammory, how well they walked with what we thought was a very full udder. Then the arch of the back and other factors played into who won. Another interesting tidbit or should I say observation, is that they pee first and then poo!!! LOL. I know TMI.

All in all we had a good day at the fair. The highlight was getting a stellar deal on a new mattress. Yes, you read right. We bought a new mattress at the Pennslyvania State Fair. How crazy is that, but I remind you, we are not the average tourist. I mean you be the judge, seeing the Liberty Bell or buying a new mattress!!!

We have eaten at some great eateries and some not so great. So far, we are having a great time. Stay tuned to tomorrow, Gettysburg on a Segway!!! You gotta love us. End day four.

Day five. This trip surely does not have the flair our Alaska adventure had. No hay bales, moose, or bears. No heads carved in mountains or hail storms in Deadwood! So we are having to struggle to make the blog worth the read.

Today we drove to Gettysburg, y'all know where thats at or have at least read about the battle. Some say it was the turning point in the outcome of the Civil War. We spent the day and it was a very good day. Our initial plan was to take a tour on Segways. The weather being so unpredictable, we decided to do a double-decker bus tour. How silly, the last open bus tour leaves at 10 a.m. The closed bus was running, hmmm, nope not for us. We were instructed to start our days adventure at the visitors center. So thats where we headed.

Turned out to be the best thing for us to do. We purchased tickets to watch a film, a History channel presentation narrated by Morgan Freeman. The film was followed by a Cyclorama. This was absolutely awesome. Narration as well as sound effects were added. It was as if we were present on the battlefield. Goosebumps for sure. After this moving experience we proceeded to the museum. All I can say is, if you've never been here, you need to come.

There was so much to see, but we got hungry and needed lunch. So we headed back into Gettysburg proper, had lunch at The Pub & Restaurant, and then walked Gettysburg square. Drove up to the National Cemetary, walked the hallowed grounds and walked across to Cemetary Hill.

As we walked, one could not help but to visualize the bloody battle. Then we drove the twenty-six mile loop of the battlefield of Gettysburg. I hope to get some photos posted soon, as they will surely tell the story better.

We had a nice dinner and returned to our B&B to prep for our departure tomorrow. We resigned ourselves to watch the movie, "Gettysburg" before bed. Hanover, PA was a very nice stop. Tomorrow we head to Philadelphia. End day five.

Day 6. Day six began with a wonderful breakfast at the B&B, then we packed and headed for Philadelphia. We had a few stops semi-planned, but it being Sunday, most were closed.

One stop we did make was the Apple Store in Lancaster, PA. About a month ago I bought Lee a tablet, not an iPad. She nor I have been impressed with it, so I decided it was time to move her to the world of Apple. She is now connected and is installing apps!!!

After Apple it was off to Philly. Fairly easy drive and arrived our B&B two and a half hours early. The inn keeper was accommodating and checked us in. Luggage etc in room, we headed to the Eastern State Penitentiary. The facility shut down in 1970 and is now a historic site. We spent a few hours there. What an interesting place. Al Capone once was a guest here, his cell was quite a sight.

After our tour we had dinner at Jack's Firehouse, located in an old firehouse, a neat place and the food was great. After dinner we returned to the B&B and chilled. Tomorrow we tour some Constitution stuff, will try to locate Tun's Tavern, birthplace of the US Marine Corps. Tuesday we head to Mystic, CT.

So far we're having a great time. End day six!

Day 7. Where to start. Our adventure started by getting on the wrong trolley. The trolley driver was great, told us we were going in the wrong direction, so he flagged down the trolley going in the direction we needed to go, told him we already paid, which we had, and let us off so we could hop on the right trolley.

We got off at City Hall, the original Philadelphia City Hall. We went into the visitor center and signed up for the tour. We were given instructions on where to go and what time we needed to be there. So off we go. I think both Lee and I thought we were going to do like a historical tour of City Hall. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

We get up to the 7th floor and follow the "red" line to the tour starting point and wait for our time slot to be called. A uniformed guard comes and calls our time. Shows us to an elevator where five of us cram in. He closes the door, hits the switch and we proceed to go up. And up. And up. Past the clock towers, the elevator has windows so we have a great view of the metal super structure. And up!

Finally the elevator stops, the door opens and we are greeted by "watch your head" signs. We walk out and follow a small passage way to a door. Holy crap! We are 40 stories above the city!!! Had it not been a little hazey, I believe we could have seen Russia!

OMG, the view. We could see the entire city and more. So, although it wasn't quite what we expected, it turned out to be an awesome experience.

From there we walked to Independance Hall Center. Philly has so much history. Toured the Philadelphia Mint, no photos allowed, bummer, saw Ben Franklin's grave, Penn's Landing, etc. Had a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich at Campo's and walked some more.

Needless to say this was a great stop for us. Didn't get to see all we wanted to, one day just doesn't afford the time to get it all in. But, we got a very good taste of Philly, a taste we'll savor for years to come.

Tomorrow will bring the worst part of the trip for me. Heading to Mystic, CT and have to negotiate the Cross Bronx Parkway in New York. I cannot tell you how many times in my life I have driven the Cross Bronx, and each time I hated it more. Probably haven't driven it in fourty years, still I dread it. Needless to say I'll get through it and all will be good. Tomorrow nights dinner, Mystic Pizza!!! End day seven.

Day 8. Arrived Mystic safe and sound. Lee said the experience of the George Washington Bridge and the Cross Bronx Parkway is plenty to last her a lifetime.

We did laundry and headed to eat. Had a wonderful dinner at S&P Oyster House right on the seaport, tomorrow we'll do Mystic Pizza. After dinner, guess where we went? Oh come on, you can do better than that. A hint, something Lee really likes to do. Okay, I guess I'll tell you, we went to the casino. Surprised!!!

Tomorrow we have a big day. Will tour the Seaport and Museum and the Aquarium. If time allows, we'll drive down to the Coast Guard Academy. Not sure what else Lee has on tap. At some point we'll pop in on some of my old friends, folks I've not seen since the mid-seventies. All in all it's been a good trip. End day eight.

I attempted to post a link to a few photos, but it failed. So if you really want to see the few pics I have up, go to photobucket.com and search tawcat, that should bring you to my main album page, from there look for New England Adventure. Otherwise you'll have to wait til we get home.

Day 9. As you know, we are not your average tourists. Started the day at Kohl's. Before we left we watched the weather forecast for each city we'd be in. Not sure what happened, but the weather hasn't turned yet, so we needed shorts and short sleeves!

After coming back to the hotel and changing we headed for Mystic Seaport and Museum. What we figured would be a one day affair, will turn into a second day tomorrow. We'll also do the Mystic Aquarium tomorrow. Still have some running around tomorrow. UPS store to send a box of stuff we bought back home. We just don't want to have a trunk full of stuff going across the Canadian border.

Then we'll pack up and be set to leave Friday morning. Seems we've been gone a long time. End day nine.

Day 10. Good day. Started by going the UPS store and sending stuff home! Then we headed for the Seaport. Another two hours touring there before we felt we had seen all we wanted to see. Off to lunch.

Lunch consisted of "slices from heaven" at the now famous Mystic Pizza. The pizza was great, a quick trip to their gift shop and we were off to Mystic Aquarium. The aquarium opened in 1973, I was still living here then. I remember my first visit there, wow the place has really expanded. Great exhibits. We had a good time, got to pet sting rays and sharks.

Tonight, we pack for tomorrows drive to Sturbridge, MA. Almost at our half way point. Life is good.

Remember I mentioned we had to go and buy shorts. Temps tomorrow, low in the thirties with frost; high of sixty-seven, go figure!!! End day ten.

Days 11 & 12. So we arrive Auburn, MA before noon, so we proceed to Old Sturbridge Village, spent about four hours touring the way the early settlers lived in the 1800's. So far we've had a great time. Last night, something special happened, I won't go into great detail, but it was a very very special evening. My son, Jeff, who I have not seen in twenty-six or so years, came to meet us in Auburn. We had a very nice visit. Dinner wasn't that great, Chuck's Steak House and MargaritaGrill, somehow they are touted as Auburn's number one place to eat. (gag)

At any rate we had a wonderful visit and hope that we don't wait another twenty-six years. Late visit, we said goodnight at about two-thirty, yes, morning!

This morning Lee and I hit the road en route to Newton, MA. Again it was a short drive, so we decided to go into Salem. The witch capital of the world. I think one either believes in ghosts and witches and such or they don't! We spent about four hours walking around. You know Salem is the home of "The House of the Seven Gables.". Pretty eerie to say the least. Needless to say, I checked the car before we departed. Made sure we didn't have uninvited guests hiding in the trunk or back seat!!!!

Left Salem, arrived our B&B, went to dinner, and now chilling and planning tomorrow. Looks like we will drive through New Hampshire and Maine tomorrow. Looking forward to eating lobster in Kittery, ME. Then back to the B&B, Monday we head into Boston for the day, and taking in a Boston Red Sox game Monday night. They play the Orioles, look for us, we'll be above the Red Sox dugout!!!

Tuesday we begin our trek west!!! End day eleven and twelve.

(Note: I'll proof and edit when we get home; sorry for all the errors.)

Day 13. Had a wonderful day, temps in high sixties to low seventies. We took a drive to York Harbor, Maine. Had a wonderful lunch at a little seaside restaurant. They served steamed clams, like I mean real steamers, like the ones I grew up with. Yum-O!!! I followed that up with a lobster roll, fresh steamed lobster in a large hot dog roll, OMG, it was sooooooooo good. Lee opted for fried clam strips, enough food for four prople between us. Full as ticks, we headed to Nuble Point. Beautiful place, lighthouse and all. Of course we had to stop for ice creams at Brown's, one of those places that everyone tells you, "you have to stop and get ice cream there!". Talk about good!!!

On the way back we stopped at the Kittery outlet mall. Believe it or not we got out of there with just a magnet!

Back to B&B and getting ready for dinner. Quiet evening tonight, have to rest up for our day in Boston tomorrow!!!

End day thirteen.

Day 14. Beautiful day in the Boston area. We started out figuring out what "T" train we needed to take into the city. Then, what stop. Finally off the subway and in the middle of Bostonians busily walking here and there. We figure out how to get to the visitor center and proceed. With maps and brochures in hand we leave the visitor center en route to the Freedom Trail. After several blocks we realize we are going the wrong way! So we turn around and head back. The Freedom Trail is pretty interesting if you like looking at old houses and buildings. Places like Paul Revere's place and the old North Church, to name a few. We decided to lunch in little Italy, and then scurry back to the Robert Gould Shaw memeorial to meet our tour guide for the Black Heritage Trail tour.

Our guide shows up, a very interesting gent, dressed in a US National Park Services uniform. He introduces himself as Horace Sheldon, eighty- seven years old and the oldest person with the USNPS. Try to picture him. Probably five foot two; very grey hair bunched together in the back fashioned in a small ponytail; small little beard, also grey; and supported by a short cane on the right side. And very gnome-esque. Needless to say a very interesting gentleman. This is a ninety minute tour, up and down Beacon Hill several times. The man could walk. He was very interesting and very intelligent, knew his history for sure. At one point he addressed the group saying, "I can get you to the museum in time to view the little sixteen minute film, or you can hang out here with me. And you're going to learn a helluva lot more from me."

How can you refuse!!!!! Probably the best guided tour we've taken to date.

After the tour we made our way back to the "T" and jumped on the train headed for Fenway. Did you know Fenway will be one hundred years old next year!

Got there in plenty of time to have dinner before we went to the game. I'll address the restaurants at the conclusion of the trip, just a hint, the meal was fantastic.

We had great seats behind the Red Sox dugout. The stadium was packed, on a school night. The Sox have not been doing well, I think they lost like eight of the last nine games. No matter, we were in Fenway Park. Well, we are convinced they were saving this game for us, Boston slammed the Orioles with an eighteen to nine victory. Go Sox!!!!

Took a packed train to our stop, made our way back to the B&B around eleven-thirty. Gathered things in preparation for our departure and then to bed. End day fourteen.

Day 15. Rise and shine, shower, a bite of breakfast, pack the car and head out. A day of rain:( Oh well, could be worse. On the way we took a little side trip. Pulled off the highway to stop at a Polish bakery I used to go to when I was a kid. As long as I'm here, figure I'd give Lee a short tour of my childhood. I left the Springfield area in 1964, I was so surprised of how well I remembered my way around.

No problems finding my old home, my grandmothers house, my old schools, which are no longer there, it was a fun walk (drive) down memory lane.

Okay enough goofing off, time to hit the road and head west. Arrive Schenectady, NY. Only one night here, just a stop to do laundry, have a good nights sleep and head to Niagara in the morning. So far the trip has been fantastic. End day fifteen.

Day16. Uneventful drive from Schenectady to Niagara Falls. Arrived with enough time to visit the Falls. Just a totally awesome experience. I doubt there are enough words to describe Niagara Falls. One cannot fathom the amount of water that passes over the falls. One of the Park Rangers told us that 675,000 gallons of water fall at the point of Horseshoe Falls every second! The Falls are identified by several different areas, each with it's own features. So as the ranger continued, billions and billions of gallons of water pass over the falls every hour.

Totally impressed by this Wonder of the World, we could not help to take notice of the force of the water above the falls. I could go on and on, but I've said enough, once the photos are posted you'll see what I'm saying.

We enjoyed a nice dinner and then made a stop at the Seneca Casino, pretty amazing and pretty busy. Nope didn't hit a big jackpot so back to the hotel. End day sixteen.

Day 17. Still no WiFi:( Had a nice breakfast at the Inn restaurant then headed for Toronto. Stopped and marveled at the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. Sadly I have to admit that the Canadian side is far nicer than the US side.

En route to Toronto we took a short side trip to visit a few of the Canadian vineyards. Who knew this region had so many vineyards. Lee sampled a few wines, I was driving! After the vineyards it was back on the road Toronto bound.

Easy drive. Found our B&B, ummmm, didn't look like a good neighborhood at all. But, all is well, kinda reminds us of the Quapaw Quarter in Little Rock. We walked downtown, about a mile and a half, to meet friends we had met on a cruise. We had a wonderful meal at a neat Greek restaurant. After dinner Steve and Lorraine gave us a short walking tour. There is as much downtown Toronto underground as there is above ground. The area is known as the PATH, Google it, you'll be amazed. After, they drove us back to the B&B, sure would have loved to be a fly in car on their drive home. LOL.

Tomorrow we'll tour part of the city and then we'll drive out to Steve and Lorraine's for a cook out, can't wait. It's late, so time to sleep. Life is good. End day seventeen.

Day 18. Today we headed into downtown Toronto. We took in a bit more of the PATH, stopped by the Hockey Hall of Fame, and walked Toronto's underground. Pretty awesome. Then came the rain! We walked back to our B&B in the rain. About a two mile walk, needless to say we were drenched. Lee attempted to dry clothes with her hair dryer, didn't work. Luckily we were going to Lorraine and Steve's for dinner and could use their dryer!

Headed to dinner. We had such a great time at Lorraine and Steve's. They were such great hosts. Steve grilled steaks to perfection and Lorraine prepared several great side dishes. We left full and with dry clothes!!! End day eighteen.

Day 19. After a fun night, it was up early and on the road headed for Waterford, Michigan. A good drive, we stopped somewhere in Canada for lunch. Found a little place called Kathy's Country Cooking, figured we'd give it a shot. We walked in and sat down. After several minutes of being ignored we decided to leave. I mean we were not even acknowledged, while others that sat down after us were being served. So needless to say I have no raving recommendation for Kathy's!

We arrive at Susan and John's in Waterford, Michigan. Susan prepared a wonderful turkey chili for dinner. Not sure what time we went to bed, we sat up and chatted and laughed and laughed till we hurt. End day nineteen.

Day 20. Susan and John had a full day planned. First stop Yate's Cider Mill where we indulge in fresh apple cider and hot homemade doughnuts. Then it was off to Frankenmuth. This is a little town founded by a dozen of German monks way back when. A very neat place. After walking around all the little shops for a few hours we decide to have our "big meal" of the day at the Bavarian Inn. The food was fantastic, traditional German fare. Needless to say we left full as perverbial ticks! Then we headed to one of the neatest stores ever, Bronner's Christmas Shoppe. This place has every Christmas item one could ever think of or could ever want. After a full day we headed back to the house and chilled the rest of the evening.

Short note, Susan was thrilled in finding "salt rising bread.". Not sure what this is, but it was special. End day twenty.

Day 21. What an interesting morning. First, no power! Not sure what happened, but the entire neighborhood was without power. Second, it was raining and third, this one we have to laugh about. Remember the note about the salt rising bread, well it seems Milo, Susan and John's Tibetan Terrier decided the bread was tempting. Somehow he managed to get a loaf off the table. Only three slices were left. Poor Milo. He may have thought it was a good idea at the time, but his tummy was not happy with his decision. Poor baby vomited on the carpet and to feel better he jumped up on Susan and John's bed. That didn't help, he vomited all over the bed!!!!! Poor poor Milo, we felt so bad for him.

We packed, got everything into the car, and we all headed for breakfast. After a wonderful breakfast at Bob Evans, we hit the road. Our trek home has begun. Spending the night in Indianapolis at a Drury Inn! Tomorrow next leg towards home. End day twenty-one.

I'm guessing this is like day twenty-three. We are home!!!!!!! Short entry for the day as we have a lot to do. Need to unpack, go buy groceries etc. We arrive home a bit after noon. We could have made it in last night, but figured the last hundred-fifty miles would be grueling. And it would have put us on the road about thirteen hours or so and put us at the door around nine in the evening. Wouldn't be fair to the animals to walk in and go to bed. In the next day or so I'll finish up the blog, get links to pictures posted, get mileage stats posted and do the restaurant reviews. Also have to do all the TripAdvisor reviews for the places we stayed.

Great to be home!!!!!! End Our New England Adventure!!!

Okay, finally have all the photos posted, you can go to this link "New England Adventure", this will bring you to the main album, from there you can navigate to the sub albums.

Some stats of the trip: miles traveled - 3,978.5; gas mileage - 30.31 mpg, once again we took Lee's VW CC; traveled through - seventeen states and Canada - Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, and Ontario, Canada; stayed at - eleven hotels/B&B's and John and Susan's; slept in - twelve different beds, not counting the ones we tested at the fair.

Hotels/B&B and restaurant reviews will be posted on TripAdvisor instead of in the blog. If you are interested in reading these reviews go to TripAdvisor.com and I believe you can search Lee's nick, punkinlr, and it will lead you to all of our reviews.

Thanks to all who have followed us through our adventure. We had a great time and we hope you did too! Until next adventure, love and hugs!!!