October 11th - For all of you wondering if we ever got home...we did!! And we still are, home, that is! Why so long to finish this chapter of our on-the-road adventures? Technology!!! Home we came to no internet. And it took nearly two weeks of effort on the part of yours truly to get it finally straightened around. Calls to our local provider, and to our DLink router people, and finally a techie was sent out, who took an hour of exploration to figure out it was an incoming cable problem.
Gail still has trouble connecting on her ipad, but I'm back in business. Aren't you glad? Anyway, to finish off the last chapter of this edition of LerGail Rambles, we decided to leave Holland, Michigan, without staying an extra day, and headed across the state and into Canada. It's funny, but when you get close to home, the urge to stop and explore fades away, and all you really want to do is get back to kith and kin. So we had an uneventful drive across the state, some roads okay and some not, and got to the border by mid-afternoon.
"What have we got left in the fridge, Gail?"
"Only a couple of apples. But what if they check our 'drinks' cupboard?"
"They never do, so don't worry." But we worry anyway.
Turned out there was no Duty Free we could spot at the Sarnia cross-over, so all we had were the considerable leftovers from our travels. There was a substantial mass of vehicles waiting to go through, and just as it was our turn, there was a staff change, which involved a lengthy conversation between the outgoing and the incoming officer. No doubt exchanging critical information about possible terrorist intrusion. More likely talking about where to go for a beer later.
Our guy asked if we had purchased anything in the States. "Only essentials," I replied, firm of voice and confident of manner. "Have a nice day," was the reply. Didn't even ask about booze. No fun at all!!
On we went to Strathroy, where we found a park that caters to trout fishermen. Quite a little enclave, with mostly permanents who looked at us like we were from Mars. The gal in charge is clearly in charge. Don't mess with her, we learned, as she assured us the camp is mostly very quiet. "Threw one guy out last night," she said, "but mostly it's quiet here." And it was. People can come to the camp to fish in their pond, which is stocked with trout, and if they catch one, they pay the proprietor 6 bucks, and she'll clean it for you. Take it home to the pan, just like that!
Next morning we went to town to have a Sunday breakfast, as it was our last day on the road. We walked up and down the main street, and found nothing open. Along came a young couple with two kids, out for a walk, so we asked them where we might find breakfast. The young guy answered with a distinct Australian accent that there was the old post office that had been converted into a restaurant, and it might be open. "What are you doing here in Strathroy, of all places?" I asked him. "I have no idea," was the reply. "I married a Canadian girl, and here I am." She only smiled, looking quite content to be home in Strathroy, Ontario, ultimate farm community with God knows what for a young man from Sydney to do. Hopefully it works out.
The converted post office was great, a really neat venue, well worth a visit, as it has a real upscale pub feel, if you're ever caught in Strathroy. After that, we made our way home through reasonably calm Toronto traffic, and were welcomed by the MacKays, who had us over for dinner. Great way to end this 6,200 km trip. Glad to be home, for sure! But soon itching to go again.
Thanks for listening. Stay tuned, as we will be on the road again before long.
Tuesday 11 October 2016
Friday 23 September 2016
Sept 23 - We've been out of touch for awhile, mainly because for the last three nights we've had no wi-fi. Gotta have it to do this little blog thing. But tonight we are in Holland, Michigan, in a nice spot, so have the necessary tools.
Catching up won't be too tough, as a lot of the time for the last few days has involved driving across a lot of country that doesn't really have many highlights. At Sioux Falls, we went to the central Falls Park, and had a very nice walk-around. They have done a great job highlighting the history of the area, and displaying from many angles a very nice waterfall series. Best of all, it was a very pleasant day.
But that contrasts with two nights in a row when we received prodigious rainfall. The first was also accompanied by major lightning, creating a sky that didn't dim for minutes at a time. Chain and heat, on and on. And poured! The second night, however, was even heavier, when we were in Wisconsin, the rains resulting in school closures in 10 counties because of flooding. We went for breakfast that morning as a reward for surviving, and our server showed us a picture her daughter had taken north of Dodgeville, where we were, showing a car sitting nose down in a sinkhole. Fortunately, none of that where we were, so we were able to proceed without incident.
Along the way, we stopped to view the Jolly Green Giant, a 60 foot statue placed in the town of Blue Earth, Minnesota, to 'honor' the relationship of the area with the company. As I say, highlights aren't easily found across southern Minnesota and Wisconsin. We did enjoy SE Minnesota, as it's a lovely area of great farms, neat and tidy and well developed, with a large Amish community at the core. Even saw a couple of buggies driving down the shoulder of the highway, transporting couples to town. Farms are so neat and tidy, they reminded us of Germany, where every square inch is so well tended.
We decided, after following along the Mississippi for an hour or so, to avoid Chicago, so we went south, then east, and ended up last night in a remote camp far from the madding crowd. Took us forever to find it, but talk about peaceful. No one around, a nice little lake in front, total quiet. Today we went across the busy strip of Indiana east of Chicago, and decided to come up to Holland, a lovely city of 30,000 originally settled by... guess who? The buildings in the core of town are definitely of Dutch style, and we visited the Windmill Island Gardens, where they have the only functioning original Dutch windmill in the U.S., imported from Holland and restructured for the community. We toured the windmill, and learned a lot about the mill and how it processes the grinding of grain. Well done, very interesting. They even have the only Dutch-certified Mill operator in the U.S., a female, again a first. Bought some Dutch cookies and flour which was ground in this very mill. Life doesn't get any more exciting than this, folks.
I have to mention the highways. At times they are just fine, smooth and enjoyable. But too often they are made of concrete, or less often, are paved. But our poor r.v. has been jostled, battered, pounded, by potholes and ridges beyond imagination. We have our famous County Road 49, voted worst road in Ontario, proudly taking truck traffic from our local cement plant and port away to places unknown. But 49 is nothing compared to what we've experienced all the way across from South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Obama...please cut your defense budget by 10 percent and redo your countries infrastructure. It's in bad shape. I forgot! No worry. The Donald will make America great again.
So we're now within striking distance of home. Straight across to the east, and we'll cross at Sarnia. May stop off at Stratford for a look around before putting our nose to the wheel and beating it for home. Should be back by Sunday or Monday, unless we stay here another day. May do, as it's near Lake Michigan, and we badly need a hike.
Miss all of you. More later. Stay tuned.
Catching up won't be too tough, as a lot of the time for the last few days has involved driving across a lot of country that doesn't really have many highlights. At Sioux Falls, we went to the central Falls Park, and had a very nice walk-around. They have done a great job highlighting the history of the area, and displaying from many angles a very nice waterfall series. Best of all, it was a very pleasant day.
But that contrasts with two nights in a row when we received prodigious rainfall. The first was also accompanied by major lightning, creating a sky that didn't dim for minutes at a time. Chain and heat, on and on. And poured! The second night, however, was even heavier, when we were in Wisconsin, the rains resulting in school closures in 10 counties because of flooding. We went for breakfast that morning as a reward for surviving, and our server showed us a picture her daughter had taken north of Dodgeville, where we were, showing a car sitting nose down in a sinkhole. Fortunately, none of that where we were, so we were able to proceed without incident.
Along the way, we stopped to view the Jolly Green Giant, a 60 foot statue placed in the town of Blue Earth, Minnesota, to 'honor' the relationship of the area with the company. As I say, highlights aren't easily found across southern Minnesota and Wisconsin. We did enjoy SE Minnesota, as it's a lovely area of great farms, neat and tidy and well developed, with a large Amish community at the core. Even saw a couple of buggies driving down the shoulder of the highway, transporting couples to town. Farms are so neat and tidy, they reminded us of Germany, where every square inch is so well tended.
We decided, after following along the Mississippi for an hour or so, to avoid Chicago, so we went south, then east, and ended up last night in a remote camp far from the madding crowd. Took us forever to find it, but talk about peaceful. No one around, a nice little lake in front, total quiet. Today we went across the busy strip of Indiana east of Chicago, and decided to come up to Holland, a lovely city of 30,000 originally settled by... guess who? The buildings in the core of town are definitely of Dutch style, and we visited the Windmill Island Gardens, where they have the only functioning original Dutch windmill in the U.S., imported from Holland and restructured for the community. We toured the windmill, and learned a lot about the mill and how it processes the grinding of grain. Well done, very interesting. They even have the only Dutch-certified Mill operator in the U.S., a female, again a first. Bought some Dutch cookies and flour which was ground in this very mill. Life doesn't get any more exciting than this, folks.
I have to mention the highways. At times they are just fine, smooth and enjoyable. But too often they are made of concrete, or less often, are paved. But our poor r.v. has been jostled, battered, pounded, by potholes and ridges beyond imagination. We have our famous County Road 49, voted worst road in Ontario, proudly taking truck traffic from our local cement plant and port away to places unknown. But 49 is nothing compared to what we've experienced all the way across from South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Obama...please cut your defense budget by 10 percent and redo your countries infrastructure. It's in bad shape. I forgot! No worry. The Donald will make America great again.
So we're now within striking distance of home. Straight across to the east, and we'll cross at Sarnia. May stop off at Stratford for a look around before putting our nose to the wheel and beating it for home. Should be back by Sunday or Monday, unless we stay here another day. May do, as it's near Lake Michigan, and we badly need a hike.
Miss all of you. More later. Stay tuned.
Monday 19 September 2016
Further to our plan to see Buddy Guy on stage, we saw him from afar, from the balcony of the Holiday Inn across the street from the venue. Worked out fine, as his show was only an hour, and we had no interest in spending the whole day on the site. He was okay, but not dazzling. He worked the crowd pretty well, so everyone seemed to enjoy the show.
Anyway, we can cross Buddy off our bucket list. Always wanted to see him in person.
Next day we headed back up to route 90, and made our way to Wall, where the famous Drug Store of the same name can be found. We even found the drug store component of the sprawling complex, so it's still performing that service. There were loads of people there, out in the middle of the big SD spaces, 'cause everyone wants to see all of the stuff on offer. I was last there 33 years ago, and if memory serves, the town has expanded considerably. Seems to me it was the only store on that street, but now there are several others across the way. You can buy almost any souvenir ever invented, plus western clothes, cowboy boots, and all manner of other things. There is also a big cafeteria, very busy, so we had lunch with the hungry hordes.
On to the Badlands. There's a route that leaves the 90 at Wall and goes south through the National Park. Many viewpoints, lots of information, and splendid sights to be seen. This is a most unusual terrain, carved by Mother N for the last 50 or 100 million years. Interestingly, there are various layers of different hue, deposits of various time periods, all in consistent horizontal display. No tilting, all consistently horizontal. Usually with layers like these there's some indication of tilting or upheaval. Not so here.
Lots of pictures! A most enjoyable area to visit. But our (my) decision to head east on a secondary route was a big mistake. Turns out this area of ND doesn't get much attention. Not surprising, as there are so few people out here, given the huge ranches that have taken over smaller spreads. Anyway, route 44 is to be avoided unless you're driving a Sherman Tank. Horizontal slashes, probably caused by frost upheavals, abound across the highway, were constant, and shook the poor old r.v. to death. Even where there had been an attempt to patch the crevices, the failure was evident, as our teeth rattled in our heads, the contents of the fridge were jostled hither and thither within, and various items were tossed to the floor. We reached Indian River, and decided to head back to the 90, thinking we'd get some relief. But the road north was just as bad. Jarred and jostled we were when we finally reached Murdo and found a quiet rv park.
So we stickin' to the 90 for the time being, and followed it faithfully today. Across the Mighty Missouri we went, where there's a great viewpoint, and a brand new very attractive huge statue of a Native Woman, all metal and at night flashing lights, which has been called 'Dignity'. It was just unveiled two days ago, and will be a long-time feature at this site, adding to the fine display about the Lewis and Clark Expedition that is housed in the nearby information center.
Our final major treat of the day, besides the colorful sunflower, corn and soy crops we whizzed past, was the Corn Palace in Mitchell. It's the last of it's kind, has lasted for decades, and is quite a marvel. Every year the exterior is redone with tens of thousands of ears of corn in several natural shades, which are split in half and nailed into position, depicting a different theme each year. Costs more than a hundred thousand to redo. This years' theme is Rock and Roll, so there are figures on the exterior depicting Willy, Elvis and others. You really have to see it to believe it. And inside, a terrific auditorium, where they've been hosting shows performed by famous people for years. There's also a great basketball court contained therein as well, so local teams have a great court for their games.
Too much!! So on we went, and now we're here in Sioux Falls. More later! Stay tuned.
Anyway, we can cross Buddy off our bucket list. Always wanted to see him in person.
Next day we headed back up to route 90, and made our way to Wall, where the famous Drug Store of the same name can be found. We even found the drug store component of the sprawling complex, so it's still performing that service. There were loads of people there, out in the middle of the big SD spaces, 'cause everyone wants to see all of the stuff on offer. I was last there 33 years ago, and if memory serves, the town has expanded considerably. Seems to me it was the only store on that street, but now there are several others across the way. You can buy almost any souvenir ever invented, plus western clothes, cowboy boots, and all manner of other things. There is also a big cafeteria, very busy, so we had lunch with the hungry hordes.
On to the Badlands. There's a route that leaves the 90 at Wall and goes south through the National Park. Many viewpoints, lots of information, and splendid sights to be seen. This is a most unusual terrain, carved by Mother N for the last 50 or 100 million years. Interestingly, there are various layers of different hue, deposits of various time periods, all in consistent horizontal display. No tilting, all consistently horizontal. Usually with layers like these there's some indication of tilting or upheaval. Not so here.
Lots of pictures! A most enjoyable area to visit. But our (my) decision to head east on a secondary route was a big mistake. Turns out this area of ND doesn't get much attention. Not surprising, as there are so few people out here, given the huge ranches that have taken over smaller spreads. Anyway, route 44 is to be avoided unless you're driving a Sherman Tank. Horizontal slashes, probably caused by frost upheavals, abound across the highway, were constant, and shook the poor old r.v. to death. Even where there had been an attempt to patch the crevices, the failure was evident, as our teeth rattled in our heads, the contents of the fridge were jostled hither and thither within, and various items were tossed to the floor. We reached Indian River, and decided to head back to the 90, thinking we'd get some relief. But the road north was just as bad. Jarred and jostled we were when we finally reached Murdo and found a quiet rv park.
So we stickin' to the 90 for the time being, and followed it faithfully today. Across the Mighty Missouri we went, where there's a great viewpoint, and a brand new very attractive huge statue of a Native Woman, all metal and at night flashing lights, which has been called 'Dignity'. It was just unveiled two days ago, and will be a long-time feature at this site, adding to the fine display about the Lewis and Clark Expedition that is housed in the nearby information center.
Our final major treat of the day, besides the colorful sunflower, corn and soy crops we whizzed past, was the Corn Palace in Mitchell. It's the last of it's kind, has lasted for decades, and is quite a marvel. Every year the exterior is redone with tens of thousands of ears of corn in several natural shades, which are split in half and nailed into position, depicting a different theme each year. Costs more than a hundred thousand to redo. This years' theme is Rock and Roll, so there are figures on the exterior depicting Willy, Elvis and others. You really have to see it to believe it. And inside, a terrific auditorium, where they've been hosting shows performed by famous people for years. There's also a great basketball court contained therein as well, so local teams have a great court for their games.
Too much!! So on we went, and now we're here in Sioux Falls. More later! Stay tuned.
Saturday 17 September 2016
Sept. 17 - Yesterday went as planned, mostly. Except for a problem in the parking lot of Mount Rushmore. Spaces were squeezed to the max, so we in the smaller r.v.'s weren't given much room, side to side. We were crammed in between two others, in other words. In extracting my rig from my space after our visit, I managed to clip the bottom of my neighbour's awning mount, pulling away a screw from the frame of his camper. Also left a wee gouge in the rear of my baby. The van, not Gail.
Not a good thing. And my fault entirely. Gail was giving me directions, capably as always, and I seemed to decide not to follow, so cut the back-up a little too sharply. You may recall that when we have made mistakes in the past, we say we're 80 percent stupid. This time I get 100 percent. The other party was nowhere in sight, so I left a note on his window, and will likely hear from him with some unpleasant news in future. Guess for all of the miles we do in this sizable unit, the occasional thing like this is going to happen. Doesn't feel good when it does, however.
Aside from that, we had a very good visit at the Crazy Horse Monument, which is quite something. It will truly dwarf the guys at Mount Rushmore. Seems the Americans love carving up mountains to create monuments to their great ones. Makes for interesting tourist attractions, and certainly feeds the fire of nationalism, particularly Rushmore. It's good that the native Americans are doing their part to emphasize their importance as part of the American culture. It's not just the huge carving of Crazy Horse, which has been going on for decades and will continue for many more. It's the display of Native culture on the site that has a more lasting impression. They've done a great job of displaying their history, arts, music, and daily life. Well worth the time to visit if you're in the neighbourhood. Don't drive on by. We almost did, and were very glad we didn't.
Rushmore? Again, a marvel of engineering and artistic accomplishment. Quite astounding what well-placed dynamite can do, along with an array of mining equipment manned by experienced miners. The center is very attractive, the ice cream is good, following Thomas Jefferson's formula, and the figures on the mountain are quite something. The parking lot? That's another story.
On we soldiered to Deadwood, trying not to be too upset by my mistake. We found a nice camp within walking distance of town, so did just that after a bite of supper. It's a town of history, and has turned to gambling as a way to pay the bills. Every hotel and restaurant along the old Main street has slots by the score, the larger ones also hosting blackjack and poker tables. Didn't see any of my favorite, roulette. Good thing after my earlier bad luck. There's a big music event happening this week-end, so the whole town, small as it is, reverberates with the massive volume of guitars, lead and bass (pronounced 'base'). (Speaking of 'lead', there's a town only 3 miles from here called Lead. We thought it was likely pronounced 'led', as this is mining country. Turns out it's pronounced 'leed', for reasons we're not sure of. Sort of like the capital of the state, Pierre, which is pronounced 'Peer'.
Anyway, we enjoyed wandering about, had a beer in a great old bar called Wild Bill's Bar, in which there were lots of images of the famous man. Later, we caught the shuttle bus, which for a buck apiece, delivered us back to the r.v. park. Talk about good service.
Only a little more. Today we walked our bleeping bleeps off. Into town, up the gulch slope to the cemetery to see the gravesites of Wild Bill and Calamity Jane, back down to wander the town, and then off on a walk of another two or more hours on the Mickelson Trail (no Kathy, not named after Phil, but rather a former Governor who promoted this wonderful Rails to Trails track). Five and a half hours on our feet. But we needed it, as we've been doing the road tourist thing for a couple of weeks, and hadn't done any hiking. Feels good to be physically zonked.
This music event going on in town features, if you can believe it, Buddy Guy, tonight. Tickets for the day are $45. So we may take the trolley into town, and go to the big Holiday Inn across from the venue, where they have a heated outside bar, and listen from there. Could have quite a few drinks for the 90 bucks saved. All this supposes we have the energy for such a venture.
That's it. More later. Stay tuned.
Not a good thing. And my fault entirely. Gail was giving me directions, capably as always, and I seemed to decide not to follow, so cut the back-up a little too sharply. You may recall that when we have made mistakes in the past, we say we're 80 percent stupid. This time I get 100 percent. The other party was nowhere in sight, so I left a note on his window, and will likely hear from him with some unpleasant news in future. Guess for all of the miles we do in this sizable unit, the occasional thing like this is going to happen. Doesn't feel good when it does, however.
Aside from that, we had a very good visit at the Crazy Horse Monument, which is quite something. It will truly dwarf the guys at Mount Rushmore. Seems the Americans love carving up mountains to create monuments to their great ones. Makes for interesting tourist attractions, and certainly feeds the fire of nationalism, particularly Rushmore. It's good that the native Americans are doing their part to emphasize their importance as part of the American culture. It's not just the huge carving of Crazy Horse, which has been going on for decades and will continue for many more. It's the display of Native culture on the site that has a more lasting impression. They've done a great job of displaying their history, arts, music, and daily life. Well worth the time to visit if you're in the neighbourhood. Don't drive on by. We almost did, and were very glad we didn't.
Rushmore? Again, a marvel of engineering and artistic accomplishment. Quite astounding what well-placed dynamite can do, along with an array of mining equipment manned by experienced miners. The center is very attractive, the ice cream is good, following Thomas Jefferson's formula, and the figures on the mountain are quite something. The parking lot? That's another story.
On we soldiered to Deadwood, trying not to be too upset by my mistake. We found a nice camp within walking distance of town, so did just that after a bite of supper. It's a town of history, and has turned to gambling as a way to pay the bills. Every hotel and restaurant along the old Main street has slots by the score, the larger ones also hosting blackjack and poker tables. Didn't see any of my favorite, roulette. Good thing after my earlier bad luck. There's a big music event happening this week-end, so the whole town, small as it is, reverberates with the massive volume of guitars, lead and bass (pronounced 'base'). (Speaking of 'lead', there's a town only 3 miles from here called Lead. We thought it was likely pronounced 'led', as this is mining country. Turns out it's pronounced 'leed', for reasons we're not sure of. Sort of like the capital of the state, Pierre, which is pronounced 'Peer'.
Anyway, we enjoyed wandering about, had a beer in a great old bar called Wild Bill's Bar, in which there were lots of images of the famous man. Later, we caught the shuttle bus, which for a buck apiece, delivered us back to the r.v. park. Talk about good service.
Only a little more. Today we walked our bleeping bleeps off. Into town, up the gulch slope to the cemetery to see the gravesites of Wild Bill and Calamity Jane, back down to wander the town, and then off on a walk of another two or more hours on the Mickelson Trail (no Kathy, not named after Phil, but rather a former Governor who promoted this wonderful Rails to Trails track). Five and a half hours on our feet. But we needed it, as we've been doing the road tourist thing for a couple of weeks, and hadn't done any hiking. Feels good to be physically zonked.
This music event going on in town features, if you can believe it, Buddy Guy, tonight. Tickets for the day are $45. So we may take the trolley into town, and go to the big Holiday Inn across from the venue, where they have a heated outside bar, and listen from there. Could have quite a few drinks for the 90 bucks saved. All this supposes we have the energy for such a venture.
That's it. More later. Stay tuned.
Thursday 15 September 2016
Sep 15 - We have now moved out of Wyoming, leaving behind broad expanses of range land, oil patches and coal fields. On the way through, we saw great long trains of empty coal cars, heading west to fill up at a large coal mining area which we drove by, a surface mine with a visible seam that was being attacked with rigor by heavy equipment. Sad to see such massive use being made of this polluting fuel. But when you see the level of the industry, you realize that many jobs and much money is involved in this industry. No doubt there is a large lobby to keep it going.
Anyway, so be it. We passed over the border into South Dakota, and were in the Black Hills. Soon we were at the entrance of the Jewel Cave National Monument. We hadn't done a cave for some time, so decided to give it a go, and were glad we did. This cave is the third most extensive in North America, and despite 30 or 40 years of exploration and mapping, mainly by amateurs, it is still largely unmapped. We did an hour and a half tour, reaching a depth of some 350 feet below the entrance, passing through chambers large and small, narrow channels, all on safe walkways and miriad stairways. We had a good young guide, so learned a lot, and once Gail got over her nervousness, we enjoyed it. Splunkers paradise.
Shortly after leaving we ran into a group of about 20 big horns, so watched them for awhile, especially enjoying their climb up a rock face. Then to Custer, where we found a nice r.v. park. It's in town, so we strolled along the main street, taking in the fascinating mix of motels and restaurants. This is clearly naught but a tourist town. Had a beer in a neat place called Bitter Esters Brew House, and wandered back. Tough life, you must agree! More later, as we go on to Crazy Horse's monumental mountain carving, and Mount Rushmore, with a goal of camping in Deadwood tomorrow night. Hope we don't get into a gun fight. More later. Stay tuned.
Anyway, so be it. We passed over the border into South Dakota, and were in the Black Hills. Soon we were at the entrance of the Jewel Cave National Monument. We hadn't done a cave for some time, so decided to give it a go, and were glad we did. This cave is the third most extensive in North America, and despite 30 or 40 years of exploration and mapping, mainly by amateurs, it is still largely unmapped. We did an hour and a half tour, reaching a depth of some 350 feet below the entrance, passing through chambers large and small, narrow channels, all on safe walkways and miriad stairways. We had a good young guide, so learned a lot, and once Gail got over her nervousness, we enjoyed it. Splunkers paradise.
Shortly after leaving we ran into a group of about 20 big horns, so watched them for awhile, especially enjoying their climb up a rock face. Then to Custer, where we found a nice r.v. park. It's in town, so we strolled along the main street, taking in the fascinating mix of motels and restaurants. This is clearly naught but a tourist town. Had a beer in a neat place called Bitter Esters Brew House, and wandered back. Tough life, you must agree! More later, as we go on to Crazy Horse's monumental mountain carving, and Mount Rushmore, with a goal of camping in Deadwood tomorrow night. Hope we don't get into a gun fight. More later. Stay tuned.
Wednesday 14 September 2016
Just a short note tonight, as it's time to start thinking about nothing. Thinking does occupy one's time on these trips, as you have to do a fair bit of planning. For example, tomorrow we will head on to South Dakota, and soon will be in the Black Hills, where we'll find Crazy Horse's enormous statue, and of course, Mount Rushmore. From there, it'll be over to Rapid City, and that'll be enough for one day. But it takes some planning, some map study, some reading of CAA books, and so on. Not complaining, 'cause it's part of the fun. But now it's time to think about nothing. Except...
Today, we stopped by the nearby Thermopolis State Park wherein lies the largest hot springs complex in the whole wide world. We did a walk around, and it truly is quite a sight. We were so impressed, we decided to take advantage, so had a lovely soak in 104F waters. Cleansed and relaxed. May have even helped my cold, although as Joy Vance says, it takes 7 days or a week to get over most colds.
From that pleasant experience, we headed east, into the wild and wonderful Big Horn Mountain range. It has many fine views, and consists of various rock/mineral formations that date from 300 million years ago to 2 billion years ago. Oddly enough, the oldest formation was at the top of the pass. How do we know this? Because the State of Wyoming has signs along the way that tell you the age of the formations you're driving by, by gosh.
And what a climb. Seemed we'd never get to the top. Met some folks from Holland at one of our viewpoint stops, who were doing a three week trip from New York City to Las Vegas. Havin' a good time. We finally hit the peak of the pass at 9,666 feet. And then we had to get down, with warnings about runaway truck catchments, the need to gear down, the need to mind the sharp upcoming curves. But the old van managed. And then, once on the relative flat land, we had an hour across the open barren spaces with major winds blowing at us.
But here we are, safely tucked away in Gillette, Wyoming. That's all for now. Stay tuned. And don't be shy. Drop a not of reply if you've the time. Love to hear from you.
Today, we stopped by the nearby Thermopolis State Park wherein lies the largest hot springs complex in the whole wide world. We did a walk around, and it truly is quite a sight. We were so impressed, we decided to take advantage, so had a lovely soak in 104F waters. Cleansed and relaxed. May have even helped my cold, although as Joy Vance says, it takes 7 days or a week to get over most colds.
From that pleasant experience, we headed east, into the wild and wonderful Big Horn Mountain range. It has many fine views, and consists of various rock/mineral formations that date from 300 million years ago to 2 billion years ago. Oddly enough, the oldest formation was at the top of the pass. How do we know this? Because the State of Wyoming has signs along the way that tell you the age of the formations you're driving by, by gosh.
And what a climb. Seemed we'd never get to the top. Met some folks from Holland at one of our viewpoint stops, who were doing a three week trip from New York City to Las Vegas. Havin' a good time. We finally hit the peak of the pass at 9,666 feet. And then we had to get down, with warnings about runaway truck catchments, the need to gear down, the need to mind the sharp upcoming curves. But the old van managed. And then, once on the relative flat land, we had an hour across the open barren spaces with major winds blowing at us.
But here we are, safely tucked away in Gillette, Wyoming. That's all for now. Stay tuned. And don't be shy. Drop a not of reply if you've the time. Love to hear from you.
As you may have guessed, my praise of William E. Cody resulted from our return to the Buffalo Bill Museum, a most wonderful facility, with first class displays, interactive materials, videos, the whole nine yards, in 5 distinct areas. When you buy a pass, it's for two days, so we were pleased to go back to see the Buffalo Bill display, and the Native American area.
Another couple of points. The town of Cody is named after said gentleman, because he was instrumental in the development of the area. He was a Congressional Medal of Honour recipient, yet when he was in dire straits in his old age, his application for a 10 dollar a month pension was turned down by the government because he was no longer a member of the military. Fame doesn't always bring just rewards.
We got saturated on info, halfway through the Native American display, so hit the road towards Thermopolis. Here they claim to have the largest hot springs area in the world, and have been making it available to the public free of charge in the State Park for decades. Butch Cassidy and his Hole in the Wall gang, Robert Redford, Marlon Brando, and of course, Buffalo Bill, are just some of the celebs who've enjoyed the facility.
As it happens, we found the Fountain of Youth R.V. park, which has it's own hot pools. Three of them are on the property, one mild, one medium and one severe. We enjoyed the first two, and hope it had a positive impact on colds and other ailments. We may stay another day, although it's showery. So more later. Stay tuned.
Another couple of points. The town of Cody is named after said gentleman, because he was instrumental in the development of the area. He was a Congressional Medal of Honour recipient, yet when he was in dire straits in his old age, his application for a 10 dollar a month pension was turned down by the government because he was no longer a member of the military. Fame doesn't always bring just rewards.
We got saturated on info, halfway through the Native American display, so hit the road towards Thermopolis. Here they claim to have the largest hot springs area in the world, and have been making it available to the public free of charge in the State Park for decades. Butch Cassidy and his Hole in the Wall gang, Robert Redford, Marlon Brando, and of course, Buffalo Bill, are just some of the celebs who've enjoyed the facility.
As it happens, we found the Fountain of Youth R.V. park, which has it's own hot pools. Three of them are on the property, one mild, one medium and one severe. We enjoyed the first two, and hope it had a positive impact on colds and other ailments. We may stay another day, although it's showery. So more later. Stay tuned.
Tuesday 13 September 2016
This writer has a new hero. Not of this time, but of a time long past. He started at age 11 as a helper for a wagon transport company in the American West, forced at that early age to go to work because of the death of his father. He soon graduated to driver of teams pulling large cargo wagons across the prairie. Then he graduated to scouting, did a stint as a Pony Express rider, but became famous as a leading scout, serving the Union Army and other parties needing someone to guide them through frontier territory.
He went on to form the most famous touring Wild West show the world has ever seen. In all probability he was the most famous person in the world during the height of his success, as his amazing show took him to all 48 states, and to many Canadian cities, as well as numerous European centers. But most noteworthy was the fact that he included many native Americans, plus a wide range of other nationalities in his show. Not only that, he had a herd of buffalo, numerous horses, and a total entourage of several hundred that had to be fed and housed every day.
The show ran for more than 20 years, and eventually ended up bankrupt, leaving William J (Buffalo Bill) Cody pretty much broke. But consider where he came from, losing his father at age 11, and his mother only about 4 years later. Hardly any formal education, but a lot of life learning at an early age, accumulating skills we can only marvel at as horseman, scout, marksman, and leader.
These are not the main reasons for admiration, however. He became a leading proponent of Women's rights. All women in his troupe were paid the same as the men. And he marched with women to promote their right to vote, long before they finally achieved that franchise. He also learned of the greatness of the native peoples that he had once done battle with, coming to appreciate their culture and values, becoming an advocate for their rights. Further, he brought many cultural groups together in his troupe, fostering the idea that people of different races and backgrounds could work and live together harmoniously. Ahead of his time? Indeed.
Finally, he was a great entrepreneur. He invested in many ventures, with the aim of opening up the west, particularly in Wyoming, so that people could live and prosper in a new west. He invested in irrigation developments, tried drilling for oil, got into the development of hotels, and other progressive ventures, most of which failed and ate up his large profits from the Wild West Show. He was an easy mark for people with high ideas, and although his ventures may have failed, he showed a willingness to stick his neck out and give it a shot, paving the way for others who followed to be successful.
He died a near pauper, with a failed marriage only resurrected in his latter life. He saw three of his four children die early deaths. But he maintained his positive attitude to the end, and had thousands attend his funeral, had dozens of tributes from the well-known and the ordinary citizen.
He was a true renaissance man, highly successful, but also well failed, yet never lacking confidence to try new ventures. Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Edon Musk, raise a glass to the forerunner of your daring and your success. William J Cody.
He went on to form the most famous touring Wild West show the world has ever seen. In all probability he was the most famous person in the world during the height of his success, as his amazing show took him to all 48 states, and to many Canadian cities, as well as numerous European centers. But most noteworthy was the fact that he included many native Americans, plus a wide range of other nationalities in his show. Not only that, he had a herd of buffalo, numerous horses, and a total entourage of several hundred that had to be fed and housed every day.
The show ran for more than 20 years, and eventually ended up bankrupt, leaving William J (Buffalo Bill) Cody pretty much broke. But consider where he came from, losing his father at age 11, and his mother only about 4 years later. Hardly any formal education, but a lot of life learning at an early age, accumulating skills we can only marvel at as horseman, scout, marksman, and leader.
These are not the main reasons for admiration, however. He became a leading proponent of Women's rights. All women in his troupe were paid the same as the men. And he marched with women to promote their right to vote, long before they finally achieved that franchise. He also learned of the greatness of the native peoples that he had once done battle with, coming to appreciate their culture and values, becoming an advocate for their rights. Further, he brought many cultural groups together in his troupe, fostering the idea that people of different races and backgrounds could work and live together harmoniously. Ahead of his time? Indeed.
Finally, he was a great entrepreneur. He invested in many ventures, with the aim of opening up the west, particularly in Wyoming, so that people could live and prosper in a new west. He invested in irrigation developments, tried drilling for oil, got into the development of hotels, and other progressive ventures, most of which failed and ate up his large profits from the Wild West Show. He was an easy mark for people with high ideas, and although his ventures may have failed, he showed a willingness to stick his neck out and give it a shot, paving the way for others who followed to be successful.
He died a near pauper, with a failed marriage only resurrected in his latter life. He saw three of his four children die early deaths. But he maintained his positive attitude to the end, and had thousands attend his funeral, had dozens of tributes from the well-known and the ordinary citizen.
He was a true renaissance man, highly successful, but also well failed, yet never lacking confidence to try new ventures. Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Edon Musk, raise a glass to the forerunner of your daring and your success. William J Cody.
Monday 12 September 2016
We are back in the land of wifi and t.v. Sorry to learn of Hilary's illness. Sorry that CNN will beat it to death. So we watched Shark Tank for an hour, and that brought reality back into our lives.
What to say about Yellowstone Park? One of the true natural wonders of the world. And we reached that conclusion after only two days of taking it all in. Man, I gotta tell you, we saw things that make your head spin...geisers, boiling mud pots, beautiful aquamarine pools emitting clouds of steam, runoff from pools pouring into the surroundings in shades of orange, rust, pink. It's all another world, one of the most amazing places in the world. We also managed to view Old Faithful, along with several hundred others, and he/she kept us in suspense for about 20 minutes past scheduled time, finally letting it all out. Doesn't want to be taken for granted.
Not just the thermal marvels, but the scenery, the rivers, the lake (highest/largest fresh water lake in NA), the waterfalls, the magnificent Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, the wildlife. Best of all, we had two sunny and warm days to enjoy it all. Have to admit, the altitude had some effect on my feelings of health, as we're up at around 7,000 feet for most of it. My cold prevails, but we mucked our way along, even doing the 300 steps down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon to get a great view of the lower falls. Spectacular rock formations in pinks, reds and of course yellow hues. Takes your breath away. Didn't see any mooses or bears, but lots of bisons, elk, deer, antelope, a coyote, even a chipmunk or two.
Could go on for pages. But let's just say that if you haven't been there, put it on your bucket list. And be prepared for interesting developments. We were planning to leave today by way of the south gate, into the Teton Park. Yesterday, the gate was closed due to a big forest fire. In addition, the West gate was down to one escorted lane to get in or out, again because of another big fire. The Grant Village was being evacuated. The air was very smoky as we did our tour, so it is not small fires we're talking about.And this morning, we learned that the north gate was closed because of snow. We awoke to snow floating down in large soft flakes, and a temp of about plus 2, Canadian Celcius. Fortunately, the snow was not accumulating, but it was a concern, and certainly pushed us to make our exit. Hopefully, the snow had some impact on the fires.
The drive out of the park was great, both within the park and along the way to Cody, where we are hunkered down tonight. The route runs through a range of volcanic peaks and ridges of weird formations and fantastic shapes. No wonder the stretch of road between the east gate and Cody has been called one of the most amazing drives in the U.S. We stopped at the Buffalo Bill Dam Visitor Center, before reaching Cody, and found it well worth the stop, despite a raging wind and frigid temps. We were ferried to the center on a golf cart from the parking area, and froze our butts off. But it was worth it, as the history of the construction of the dam is most interesting. Three companies went broke doing the development, putting up the highest dam of its time, early 1900s, in the world.
Cody is a bustling tourist town, with loads to do. We soon found a good r.v. site, only 3 blocks from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, where we spent the rest of the afternoon. Excellent!! There are 5 museums within the complex, and the ticket of entry lets you have two days to do it all. We did the Natural History section today, which was great, and will go back to do two more, probably the Native American section, and the Buffalo Bill museum. There's also an excellent photography area and a local Art area. It's a terrific site to visit.
So there you are. We're getting bored with the overplay of CNN of Hilary's health. Time for something more entertaining. Meantime, we may head on to a little town called Thermopolis, which is a major thermal hot springs area. Maybe a good long soak will cure my cold, and fend off the twitchy throat poor Gail is experiencing. Meantime, we rely on a little dram of Scotch.
More later. Stay tuned.
What to say about Yellowstone Park? One of the true natural wonders of the world. And we reached that conclusion after only two days of taking it all in. Man, I gotta tell you, we saw things that make your head spin...geisers, boiling mud pots, beautiful aquamarine pools emitting clouds of steam, runoff from pools pouring into the surroundings in shades of orange, rust, pink. It's all another world, one of the most amazing places in the world. We also managed to view Old Faithful, along with several hundred others, and he/she kept us in suspense for about 20 minutes past scheduled time, finally letting it all out. Doesn't want to be taken for granted.
Not just the thermal marvels, but the scenery, the rivers, the lake (highest/largest fresh water lake in NA), the waterfalls, the magnificent Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, the wildlife. Best of all, we had two sunny and warm days to enjoy it all. Have to admit, the altitude had some effect on my feelings of health, as we're up at around 7,000 feet for most of it. My cold prevails, but we mucked our way along, even doing the 300 steps down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon to get a great view of the lower falls. Spectacular rock formations in pinks, reds and of course yellow hues. Takes your breath away. Didn't see any mooses or bears, but lots of bisons, elk, deer, antelope, a coyote, even a chipmunk or two.
Could go on for pages. But let's just say that if you haven't been there, put it on your bucket list. And be prepared for interesting developments. We were planning to leave today by way of the south gate, into the Teton Park. Yesterday, the gate was closed due to a big forest fire. In addition, the West gate was down to one escorted lane to get in or out, again because of another big fire. The Grant Village was being evacuated. The air was very smoky as we did our tour, so it is not small fires we're talking about.And this morning, we learned that the north gate was closed because of snow. We awoke to snow floating down in large soft flakes, and a temp of about plus 2, Canadian Celcius. Fortunately, the snow was not accumulating, but it was a concern, and certainly pushed us to make our exit. Hopefully, the snow had some impact on the fires.
The drive out of the park was great, both within the park and along the way to Cody, where we are hunkered down tonight. The route runs through a range of volcanic peaks and ridges of weird formations and fantastic shapes. No wonder the stretch of road between the east gate and Cody has been called one of the most amazing drives in the U.S. We stopped at the Buffalo Bill Dam Visitor Center, before reaching Cody, and found it well worth the stop, despite a raging wind and frigid temps. We were ferried to the center on a golf cart from the parking area, and froze our butts off. But it was worth it, as the history of the construction of the dam is most interesting. Three companies went broke doing the development, putting up the highest dam of its time, early 1900s, in the world.
Cody is a bustling tourist town, with loads to do. We soon found a good r.v. site, only 3 blocks from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, where we spent the rest of the afternoon. Excellent!! There are 5 museums within the complex, and the ticket of entry lets you have two days to do it all. We did the Natural History section today, which was great, and will go back to do two more, probably the Native American section, and the Buffalo Bill museum. There's also an excellent photography area and a local Art area. It's a terrific site to visit.
So there you are. We're getting bored with the overplay of CNN of Hilary's health. Time for something more entertaining. Meantime, we may head on to a little town called Thermopolis, which is a major thermal hot springs area. Maybe a good long soak will cure my cold, and fend off the twitchy throat poor Gail is experiencing. Meantime, we rely on a little dram of Scotch.
More later. Stay tuned.
Friday 9 September 2016
Another long day on the road! But very enjoyable, as we passed through a very interesting variety of landscapes. Leaving from central Washington, where we stayed at Moses Lake, you enjoy prairie terrain, with large farmlands producing a variety of crops...corn, grains, potatoes, hay. Lots of irrigation evident, so we're talking large commercial operations.
From there we moved into hilly, sometimes mountainous country, going from no trees to lots of them. We passed through Spokane, after stopping for a big breakfast that cost $5 for the two of us. Don't know how they make any money at that rate. Spokane is certainly a lot larger than when I last passed through 60 years ago. Sprawls over a broad valley ringed by lovely hills. From there, we got into steep stuff as we passed into Idaho and the beautiful Coeur D'Alene area. It would be great to spend a few days there, as there is beautiful scenery surrounding the large lake of the same name. No doubt there are lots of trails to explore. Perhaps another time, as I'd love to come back to Montana and Idaho to do some serious exploring.
That topography prevailed in Idaho and on into Montana, but gradually things opened up, and we were flowing through a broad valley, good range land, and big sky. The hills were covered in light brown grasses, which gave a certain glow in the afternoon sun. I'm sure the cows appreciate the ambience. We forged on through Missoula, also much larger than 60 years ago, full of the usual American (and Canadian) fast food joints and commercial outfits. And finally we pitched our tent, so to speak, in the countryside, near Anaconda, not far from Butte. Nearby are hot springs, which we would jump into tomorrow if we but had the time.
But it's on to our main destination, Yellowstone, We'll get another early start tomorrow, and try to get a half day in the park before setting up camp. We could only get two nights in the RV park, so will have to make the best of our time, unless we dry camp in one of the other parks, if we can get into one.
All of this pales into nothing, as we received news today that our wonderful friend, Naomi Lacroix, has passed away. We feel so badly, as she was such a terrific person, much loved by everyone who knew her. We will miss her so much. Our thoughts will be with Pat and family for many days to come.
On that sad note, I will again put this treacherous cold I'm harboring to bed. Maybe it'll be better tomorrow. Stay tuned.
From there we moved into hilly, sometimes mountainous country, going from no trees to lots of them. We passed through Spokane, after stopping for a big breakfast that cost $5 for the two of us. Don't know how they make any money at that rate. Spokane is certainly a lot larger than when I last passed through 60 years ago. Sprawls over a broad valley ringed by lovely hills. From there, we got into steep stuff as we passed into Idaho and the beautiful Coeur D'Alene area. It would be great to spend a few days there, as there is beautiful scenery surrounding the large lake of the same name. No doubt there are lots of trails to explore. Perhaps another time, as I'd love to come back to Montana and Idaho to do some serious exploring.
That topography prevailed in Idaho and on into Montana, but gradually things opened up, and we were flowing through a broad valley, good range land, and big sky. The hills were covered in light brown grasses, which gave a certain glow in the afternoon sun. I'm sure the cows appreciate the ambience. We forged on through Missoula, also much larger than 60 years ago, full of the usual American (and Canadian) fast food joints and commercial outfits. And finally we pitched our tent, so to speak, in the countryside, near Anaconda, not far from Butte. Nearby are hot springs, which we would jump into tomorrow if we but had the time.
But it's on to our main destination, Yellowstone, We'll get another early start tomorrow, and try to get a half day in the park before setting up camp. We could only get two nights in the RV park, so will have to make the best of our time, unless we dry camp in one of the other parks, if we can get into one.
All of this pales into nothing, as we received news today that our wonderful friend, Naomi Lacroix, has passed away. We feel so badly, as she was such a terrific person, much loved by everyone who knew her. We will miss her so much. Our thoughts will be with Pat and family for many days to come.
On that sad note, I will again put this treacherous cold I'm harboring to bed. Maybe it'll be better tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Thursday 8 September 2016
We're back! We didn't have much wifi in Tofino, so couldn't report on our various activities there. But we truly enjoyed the area, as there is great beauty on the far side of Vancouver Island. Tofino itself has refined itself from humble fishing town to busy tourist attraction, with lots of Artsy shops and restaurants. There's a fine harbour, the focus primarily on seaplane flights, whale and bear watching excursions. and recreational fishing charters. We sat in a bar called JACKS, and watched one of the charter captains clean a half dozen beautiful salmon. (We had to have a beer there, as son Jeff and family use the acronym to define their family...Jeff, Anna, Claire, Kate and Sharon...get it?)
We did several good hikes, despite cloudy, rainy and cool weather. Typical West Coast stuff. There's a nice walk through woods down to a beach in Tofino, as well as several good hikes between Tofino and Ucluelet. The latter town, by the way, also has its charm, despite having transformed from a timber town to a commercial fishing center. Along the shore at Ucluelet there's an 8 km. seaside walk which we did part of. a section called the Wild Pacific Trail, Many spectacular views. But no whales in sight. Seems to be our plight.
Just as we entered the trail, we met a couple coming the other way. We got talking, and it turned out they are Edmontonians. When we told them we were from a little town in Ontario they'd probably not heard of, the response to "Picton" was "Oh, you're County people." Turned out two of their best friends are people we know quite well, Tom and Nancy Fenora. Cool coincidence.
We also did two or three walks along the beaches, watching the surfers, who were there by the score. Labour Day week-end had any beach with any measure of wavy water packed with people trying their hand at catching a wave. Not too many looked like they knew what they were doing, which is fine. Give them credit for trying on a cool cloudy day. Wet suits and boards, determination, and lots of tumbling in the surf. There are miles of beaches, so no lack of space for the large numbers.
We also did a bog hike, and a rainforest hike, exploring two contrasting areas on the coast. The latter is an ancient forest, with moss-covered, vine-wrapped old growth and huge fallen logs, much of the forest in the final stages of development, with ferns and undergrowth in abundance. A truly ancient rainforest, many tall cedars and their cousins reaching a hundred feet above the damp floor. The walk was mostly on boardwalk, as it's the only way you could get around the area because the ground is completely sodden.
Similarly, the bog is only walkable on a boardwalk. There we found dwarf trees, many only 2 to 4 feet high, despite being up to 300 years old. The bog permits only miniscule growth, but somehow these small trees survive, growing on hummocks of meters-deep sphagnum. Another contrast area we found on the way back to Nanaimo was the Cathedral Grove, where there were giant Douglas Firs and Cedars growing up to 250 feet tall, some of which were over 800 years old. Reminded us of our treks through the giant redwoods in California. Humbling, when you consider the size of these wonderful miracles.
This adventure to the coast was shared with Dan and Dianne, Gail's sister and her husband. They drove their car, so we had wheels to get to the various hike sites, and they shared our r.v. for meals and sleeping. Four in the van worked out fine for the four days of the trip. We had three nights in Tofino in a great r.v. park, and a fourth night in Nanaimo, where we had a chance to visit our niece, Dan and Di's daughter Allie. Hadn't seen her for several years, and it was good to see that she is doing okay after some tough times.
We took the ferry from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay, after saying goodbye to Dan and Di, who took an earlier ferry. We emerged from the ferry on the other side into a downpour and major traffic along highway 1. But we finally got to Don and Joy Vance's, where we had a lovely evening. Joy did her usual magic in the kitchen, and Don made sure there were sufficient libations to make us forget about the rain. This was the third time this year we've seen these good friends, so mark 2016 down as a banner year.
Today, we got off to an early start, the writer harbouring a major head cold, which has somewhat lessened thank to Joy's provision of various remedies. After 8 hours on the road we gave up, dripping nose and sagging eyelids in need of rest. We're in a nice campground at Moses Lake, Washington and hope to make good time tomorrow so that we can get to Yellowstone in timely fashion on Saturday.
Yep, that's where we finally decided to go, after much indecision (par for us). Alaska, the Peace River country, Edmonton, Vernon, all were given agonizing consideration, but we decided to head south to warmer climes in order to fulfill Gail's desire to see Yellowstone.
One final little incident. We stopped in Coombs, on the way back to Nanaimo, a very different little touristy town on route 4. Famous for having goats on the sod roof of the main restaurant, and tons of Chinese sculptures all over the place. But also a great book store. As I purchased yet another James Lee Burke, the owner mentioned how busy he is keeping the store going. "Keeps you out of the pool hall" was my response. "Yeah, I play quite a lot. But my brother's better. He's a pro pool player." Turns out both men have competed in the World 9 Ball Championships in Las Vegas, the brother with considerable success. Simple comment on my part let to an interesting result. Gotta love it!
Enough already. My eyelids are dropping onto my cheeks. Time for bed. More later. Stay tuned.
We did several good hikes, despite cloudy, rainy and cool weather. Typical West Coast stuff. There's a nice walk through woods down to a beach in Tofino, as well as several good hikes between Tofino and Ucluelet. The latter town, by the way, also has its charm, despite having transformed from a timber town to a commercial fishing center. Along the shore at Ucluelet there's an 8 km. seaside walk which we did part of. a section called the Wild Pacific Trail, Many spectacular views. But no whales in sight. Seems to be our plight.
Just as we entered the trail, we met a couple coming the other way. We got talking, and it turned out they are Edmontonians. When we told them we were from a little town in Ontario they'd probably not heard of, the response to "Picton" was "Oh, you're County people." Turned out two of their best friends are people we know quite well, Tom and Nancy Fenora. Cool coincidence.
We also did two or three walks along the beaches, watching the surfers, who were there by the score. Labour Day week-end had any beach with any measure of wavy water packed with people trying their hand at catching a wave. Not too many looked like they knew what they were doing, which is fine. Give them credit for trying on a cool cloudy day. Wet suits and boards, determination, and lots of tumbling in the surf. There are miles of beaches, so no lack of space for the large numbers.
We also did a bog hike, and a rainforest hike, exploring two contrasting areas on the coast. The latter is an ancient forest, with moss-covered, vine-wrapped old growth and huge fallen logs, much of the forest in the final stages of development, with ferns and undergrowth in abundance. A truly ancient rainforest, many tall cedars and their cousins reaching a hundred feet above the damp floor. The walk was mostly on boardwalk, as it's the only way you could get around the area because the ground is completely sodden.
Similarly, the bog is only walkable on a boardwalk. There we found dwarf trees, many only 2 to 4 feet high, despite being up to 300 years old. The bog permits only miniscule growth, but somehow these small trees survive, growing on hummocks of meters-deep sphagnum. Another contrast area we found on the way back to Nanaimo was the Cathedral Grove, where there were giant Douglas Firs and Cedars growing up to 250 feet tall, some of which were over 800 years old. Reminded us of our treks through the giant redwoods in California. Humbling, when you consider the size of these wonderful miracles.
This adventure to the coast was shared with Dan and Dianne, Gail's sister and her husband. They drove their car, so we had wheels to get to the various hike sites, and they shared our r.v. for meals and sleeping. Four in the van worked out fine for the four days of the trip. We had three nights in Tofino in a great r.v. park, and a fourth night in Nanaimo, where we had a chance to visit our niece, Dan and Di's daughter Allie. Hadn't seen her for several years, and it was good to see that she is doing okay after some tough times.
We took the ferry from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay, after saying goodbye to Dan and Di, who took an earlier ferry. We emerged from the ferry on the other side into a downpour and major traffic along highway 1. But we finally got to Don and Joy Vance's, where we had a lovely evening. Joy did her usual magic in the kitchen, and Don made sure there were sufficient libations to make us forget about the rain. This was the third time this year we've seen these good friends, so mark 2016 down as a banner year.
Today, we got off to an early start, the writer harbouring a major head cold, which has somewhat lessened thank to Joy's provision of various remedies. After 8 hours on the road we gave up, dripping nose and sagging eyelids in need of rest. We're in a nice campground at Moses Lake, Washington and hope to make good time tomorrow so that we can get to Yellowstone in timely fashion on Saturday.
Yep, that's where we finally decided to go, after much indecision (par for us). Alaska, the Peace River country, Edmonton, Vernon, all were given agonizing consideration, but we decided to head south to warmer climes in order to fulfill Gail's desire to see Yellowstone.
One final little incident. We stopped in Coombs, on the way back to Nanaimo, a very different little touristy town on route 4. Famous for having goats on the sod roof of the main restaurant, and tons of Chinese sculptures all over the place. But also a great book store. As I purchased yet another James Lee Burke, the owner mentioned how busy he is keeping the store going. "Keeps you out of the pool hall" was my response. "Yeah, I play quite a lot. But my brother's better. He's a pro pool player." Turns out both men have competed in the World 9 Ball Championships in Las Vegas, the brother with considerable success. Simple comment on my part let to an interesting result. Gotta love it!
Enough already. My eyelids are dropping onto my cheeks. Time for bed. More later. Stay tuned.
Saturday 3 September 2016
September 3 - Talk about a long day on the road! We were up before 7, to catch the ferry from Pender Island to Sydney, on Vancouver Island. We are travelling with Dan and Di, Gail's sister and her husband, on our way to Tofino, on the west coast of Van Island. Travelling in tandem is always tricky, but going this route with an rv and a car is not always easy. Dan and Di are driving, because we don't know where each couple will be going once we finish this little adventure. And it'll be nice to have a car to get around once we get set up in our r.v.
After getting groceries in Sydney, we promptly got lost, trying to pick up Highway 1 to go west, thanks to our famous Lucy, voice of our satellite tracker. She decided it would be shorter to take the ferry across to Mill Bay, so had us going down all manner of side streets, only to get to the ferry to find it was full, and not another for about 3 hours. So we had to go the long way around, which cost us about an hour. Love the gps system. Works most of the time, but not always.
Anyway, we found the main route, towards Nanaimo, and found the traffic extremely heavy, with traffic signals every couple of miles, most of which were red when we hit them. Slow going, to say the least. We finally got to the cutoff, where we had agreed to meet Dan and Di, highway 4, at Coombs. The place was jam packed with people enjoying the market and the other highlights, including goats on the roof of the local restaurant. I'm not kidding. Look up Coombs on the internet!!
But no parking, so Gail grabbed some food for lunch, and we carried on. And on. And on, along route 4. Scenic, but winding, up and down, with narrow roads. Safe enough, so long as you keep you eyes open, so a nice drive. But slow, The kilometer signs seemed to hardly change after a half-hour of driving. But we finally got here, to a very nice r.v. park, and had a lovely walk on the beach. We've also extended for a third night, so will have two days to explore the area. Being as far west in Canada as you can get is pretty neat.
We stopped for some groceries in Port Albernie. While Gail was in doing her duty, I met a very interesting fellow in the parking lot, a local physician. His father and son are also doctors. The father still works at Vancouver General at age 96, along with a few other docs his age, and won't quit until placed in a box. "What should I do at home, get in my wife's hair, and who needs that after 70 years of marriage?" His son, the man I was talking to, was an emergency accident surgeon in Vancouver for 40 years, retired, and soon got bored, so came to Albernie to work in Emerg. No quit in him either. His son, on the other hand, want to work only 5 days a week, from 9 to 5. That's it! The new generation of physicians. Sound familiar?
More later. Stay tuned.
After getting groceries in Sydney, we promptly got lost, trying to pick up Highway 1 to go west, thanks to our famous Lucy, voice of our satellite tracker. She decided it would be shorter to take the ferry across to Mill Bay, so had us going down all manner of side streets, only to get to the ferry to find it was full, and not another for about 3 hours. So we had to go the long way around, which cost us about an hour. Love the gps system. Works most of the time, but not always.
Anyway, we found the main route, towards Nanaimo, and found the traffic extremely heavy, with traffic signals every couple of miles, most of which were red when we hit them. Slow going, to say the least. We finally got to the cutoff, where we had agreed to meet Dan and Di, highway 4, at Coombs. The place was jam packed with people enjoying the market and the other highlights, including goats on the roof of the local restaurant. I'm not kidding. Look up Coombs on the internet!!
But no parking, so Gail grabbed some food for lunch, and we carried on. And on. And on, along route 4. Scenic, but winding, up and down, with narrow roads. Safe enough, so long as you keep you eyes open, so a nice drive. But slow, The kilometer signs seemed to hardly change after a half-hour of driving. But we finally got here, to a very nice r.v. park, and had a lovely walk on the beach. We've also extended for a third night, so will have two days to explore the area. Being as far west in Canada as you can get is pretty neat.
We stopped for some groceries in Port Albernie. While Gail was in doing her duty, I met a very interesting fellow in the parking lot, a local physician. His father and son are also doctors. The father still works at Vancouver General at age 96, along with a few other docs his age, and won't quit until placed in a box. "What should I do at home, get in my wife's hair, and who needs that after 70 years of marriage?" His son, the man I was talking to, was an emergency accident surgeon in Vancouver for 40 years, retired, and soon got bored, so came to Albernie to work in Emerg. No quit in him either. His son, on the other hand, want to work only 5 days a week, from 9 to 5. That's it! The new generation of physicians. Sound familiar?
More later. Stay tuned.
Thursday 1 September 2016
God forbid, it's the first of September. In our previous message, it was mentioned that the weather on the West Coast might be capricious. In other words, not the steady heat and good weather we've had in Ontario. Sure enough, we are here to witness the beginning of fall, as the temps are in the mid-teens, and it's mostly cloudy, with bits of rain. Sister-in-law Diane is complaining rather loudly, as though it were here fault. We are not dismayed, however, as the coolness is a pleasant change, particularly as we made our way up and down the hike up Mount Norman, then down and along another several kilometers on the William Walker trail. My fitbit tells me I've done more than 11,000 steps today, so time to grab a book and relax.
Our trip out on Tuesday was a long one, as we were 18 hours from the time we left Picton until we reached our first stop, on Pender Island. We did car, bus, plane, car and ferry, then car, to get here. A dram on Scotch helped bring on a good crash in the sack. Good to be back with Dan and Di, and to see our faithful r.v. waiting for our next road adventure.
After much mulling and pondering and checking mileages and weather, we decided to go to Vancouver Island on Saturday to go to Tofina. We've always wanted to go to that side of the island, so Dan and Di will come with us for a few days. Should be fun. Four in the van. We'll see how that works out. In the old days, we did trips with 4 adults and 2 kids in a VW camper, so this should work out.
So stay tuned. Adventures await.
Our trip out on Tuesday was a long one, as we were 18 hours from the time we left Picton until we reached our first stop, on Pender Island. We did car, bus, plane, car and ferry, then car, to get here. A dram on Scotch helped bring on a good crash in the sack. Good to be back with Dan and Di, and to see our faithful r.v. waiting for our next road adventure.
After much mulling and pondering and checking mileages and weather, we decided to go to Vancouver Island on Saturday to go to Tofina. We've always wanted to go to that side of the island, so Dan and Di will come with us for a few days. Should be fun. Four in the van. We'll see how that works out. In the old days, we did trips with 4 adults and 2 kids in a VW camper, so this should work out.
So stay tuned. Adventures await.
Sunday 28 August 2016
We're back on the air, after several months of inactivity. The computer that got wine-bombed is once again sober, through some sort of miracle. So as long as the faithful writer can stay sober, there may be occasional items of interest to peruse...on occasion.
What awaits? We will be risking the capricious weather of the West Coast in exchange for the remarkable summer we have had here in Prince Edward County. Tourists have been coming here in great numbers to sample wine, the excellent cuisine, and the myriad of events available for their entertainment. Clogged streets, store shelves being emptied out by voracious appetites, crowded parks: all good for the local economy, but enough to drive the locals a little bonkers.
So we're gettin' the Hell outa here on Tuesday. As most of your know, we left our r.v. on Pender Island on the West Coast, so we're going out to pick it up and complete the journey we started last November. We want to be back home by the end of September, as our good friend Dave MacKay has surgery on the 30th, and faithful Dodger needs a place to stay during the time involved. So we will spend some time with Gail's sister Diane and her husband Dan at their place on Pender, and then head back east. At the moment, the plan is to aim for Wyoming and Yellowstone Park, as Gail wants to meet Yogi Bear. Then we'll head on for Minneapolis, Chicago and Detroit, hoping there might be a couple of ball games to take in.
We'll post occasional notes about our various adventures and misadventures, hoping there aren't many of the latter. We also welcome your comments on this site, as it lets us know you are with us, and allows you to share any news you may have from the home front. Let the fun begin. More later!
What awaits? We will be risking the capricious weather of the West Coast in exchange for the remarkable summer we have had here in Prince Edward County. Tourists have been coming here in great numbers to sample wine, the excellent cuisine, and the myriad of events available for their entertainment. Clogged streets, store shelves being emptied out by voracious appetites, crowded parks: all good for the local economy, but enough to drive the locals a little bonkers.
So we're gettin' the Hell outa here on Tuesday. As most of your know, we left our r.v. on Pender Island on the West Coast, so we're going out to pick it up and complete the journey we started last November. We want to be back home by the end of September, as our good friend Dave MacKay has surgery on the 30th, and faithful Dodger needs a place to stay during the time involved. So we will spend some time with Gail's sister Diane and her husband Dan at their place on Pender, and then head back east. At the moment, the plan is to aim for Wyoming and Yellowstone Park, as Gail wants to meet Yogi Bear. Then we'll head on for Minneapolis, Chicago and Detroit, hoping there might be a couple of ball games to take in.
We'll post occasional notes about our various adventures and misadventures, hoping there aren't many of the latter. We also welcome your comments on this site, as it lets us know you are with us, and allows you to share any news you may have from the home front. Let the fun begin. More later!
Tuesday 9 February 2016
Feb 9 - This is our friend from the Desert Museum, south of Tucson. We visited him as part of a long visit to this park, which is one of the best anywhere. Wonderful place, full of interesting creatures and desert vegetation. There's an aviary, a hummingbird enclosure, and very good desert animal areas. It was a great time. Filled my camera's memory card.
We then drove along highway 85, a generally very nice little two-laner, through the Tohono O'Odham Indian Reservation, and on to a little town called Ajo (Ah-ho). Thought we'd stay for one night, but after we took a look around and learned more, we decided to stay for 4 nights. Perfect weather, small town, middle of the Sonoran desert, and a very nice r.v. park. Tomorrow night the Tucson Symphony will be here for a concert called "Fiddle Faddle", so we bought tickets yesterday. We'll wander about, do a little hiking in the hills, check out the old silver mine that had 7,000 people living here until the mid-80s. Now it's a slowly recovering tourist town, quiet, nice place to spend a few days before we head to Yuma and California. Stay tuned.
Saturday 6 February 2016
Feb 6 - We didn't freeze up in El Paso, and we didn't freeze up here in Tucson, despite the evening temps being below 32. Today, we bask in sunshine and temps that are well into the 70s. So no more worries about frozen waterlines. It's been a gradual improvement this week, so far as weather is concerned, so we look forward to some fine days for the next week.
We're in an urban r.v. park, so space is at somewhat of a premium. The biggest rock and gem show probably in the world is on at present here in Tucson, so getting a space is not easy. We lucked out, as we're not cramped where we are, and the facilities are good. Many have been turned away since we arrived, so we were fortunate to get a place this close to downtown.This rock thing goes on for about a month, as well as many other events...big rodeo, golf event, and all sorts of things. Point of interest....One of our neighbours is from Surrey B.C. He's a hobbyist with the gem business, buys and sells. He told us of a beautiful 400 pound piece of jade, much admired on display. Must have been unguarded, because overnight, it was lifted by some crooks onto a flatbed, by means of a crane, and hauled away, never likely to be seen again. They figure some Chinese guys were behind it. Audacity on a grand scale.
The writer has had a pretty heavy head cold since we got here, so our activities have been a little less than normal. We did a 4 mile walk to the Tucson Mall...nice, but who likes malls? Yesterday we rode our bikes 8 kms down to the U of Arizona campus, and toured the Center for Creative Photography, which was excellent, and then the Arizona State Museum, which had an excellent display depicting the various local native groups and their history, culture, wars, and the wrongs done them. Very interesting. We lunched in the university cafeteria with the young folk. Wonderful campus, by the way..
Today we set off on our bikes to go downtown to have a look around (most main streets have bike lanes, so getting around is very good). Halfway there, the writer had a flat tire. Fortunately, buses have racks on the front, so I was able to get home by that means. Gail rode back, and was home before me. So a little misadventure to remind us that things aren't always the way you would like on these trips. Tomorrow we will head for Yuma. We're giving Phoenix a big pass, and may stay in Yuma for a few days before crossing into California. We are well, the r.v. is good, need to get a flat fixed.on the bike.More aadventures await. Stay tuned.
We're in an urban r.v. park, so space is at somewhat of a premium. The biggest rock and gem show probably in the world is on at present here in Tucson, so getting a space is not easy. We lucked out, as we're not cramped where we are, and the facilities are good. Many have been turned away since we arrived, so we were fortunate to get a place this close to downtown.This rock thing goes on for about a month, as well as many other events...big rodeo, golf event, and all sorts of things. Point of interest....One of our neighbours is from Surrey B.C. He's a hobbyist with the gem business, buys and sells. He told us of a beautiful 400 pound piece of jade, much admired on display. Must have been unguarded, because overnight, it was lifted by some crooks onto a flatbed, by means of a crane, and hauled away, never likely to be seen again. They figure some Chinese guys were behind it. Audacity on a grand scale.
The writer has had a pretty heavy head cold since we got here, so our activities have been a little less than normal. We did a 4 mile walk to the Tucson Mall...nice, but who likes malls? Yesterday we rode our bikes 8 kms down to the U of Arizona campus, and toured the Center for Creative Photography, which was excellent, and then the Arizona State Museum, which had an excellent display depicting the various local native groups and their history, culture, wars, and the wrongs done them. Very interesting. We lunched in the university cafeteria with the young folk. Wonderful campus, by the way..
Today we set off on our bikes to go downtown to have a look around (most main streets have bike lanes, so getting around is very good). Halfway there, the writer had a flat tire. Fortunately, buses have racks on the front, so I was able to get home by that means. Gail rode back, and was home before me. So a little misadventure to remind us that things aren't always the way you would like on these trips. Tomorrow we will head for Yuma. We're giving Phoenix a big pass, and may stay in Yuma for a few days before crossing into California. We are well, the r.v. is good, need to get a flat fixed.on the bike.More aadventures await. Stay tuned.
Tuesday 2 February 2016
Feb 2 - The little person mentioned occasionally by the Rambling writer would like to have her say...notes of a more practical nature than the usual observations here recorded. For instance, how have we survived 70 days in our little space, specially since winter short hours of daylight and cooler temperatures mean we aren't really camping, but truly living in our space?
Very well, actually. Larry has it to himself while I have my morning nap, during which he puzzles or writes and has a cup of tea, and lays out bagels, cereal etc. We are out and about during the day, or driving, and evenings are spent reading, cards, writing, slide shows, lots of planning, and very seldom t.v. I love the days we can stay set up and go hiking, biking, or sight-seeing, and I love moving days when we head out for some place new. I love the life, when Stony cum Mr. Sociable does all the work. Not only chatting up strangers for stories, but also for all-important information. He does all the driving, 95% of the planning, all the set-up and break-down (which is pretty darned easy, but still)....I do the challenging job of levelling the rig, I must add, and push the button for the slide-out.
We do all of the shopping together and share laundry duties. With all that, he still thinks that washing the dishes is his job, so I have to be quick to keep him out of the sink after dinner. Which brings me to my job- cooking. Since that is pretty minimalist, it is no big deal, other than trying to be creative and learn how to not-cook. The oven igniter doesn't work, but we have 3 burners, micro and BBQ. Each area sells its own specialties to spice up our menus, so we have muffeletta mix, Cajun and creole spices and sauces, Tobasco and pecan rice from New Iberia, sausages and spatzle from Fredericksburg, and mustards from everywhere, and fresh fish and shrimp when not in the desert.
Best buys? Whole bbq'd chickens for $5., 2 for 1 packages of Caesar salad, russet potatoes and yams, and spicy rice mixes - just add shrimp and-or sausage. And go out for local specialties and beer.
That is all the little person has to say. Mr. Congeniality will be back with more esoteric ramblings and worthwhile reading in the next instalment. Or below.
OK! I can add that we came to Big Bend Park of mountain and canyon and desert for 3 nights, extended for 2 more, and lucked into 2 more on the other side of the park from where we were. Terlingua, to Rio Grand Village for those familiar with the area. Aside from the fantastically interesting landscape and hiking opportunities, we have found a little pocket of perfect weather, and are staying until it ends.
Tuesday - It ended. Mr. Congeniality here. We did indeed have two great days in the east end of the park, hiking a canyon, climbing a ridge to watch the sun set on the Sierra del Carman (on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande), and doing a 6 mile hike to the hot springs. The latter was great going there, especially when we found the hot pool right on the Rio Grande's edge. Had a great soak beside the river, looking at Mexico only a few yards away. Then hiked back in 90 degree heat. Nearly did me in, although not so the 'little person', who coaxed me along. But we made it, and enjoyed a cold beer as a reward. Next time I drink more water. It was a struggle.
Later yesterday, two things happened. First of all, a major dust storm...high winds threw dust into the air, fine dust that even invaded our little nook, while wiping out any view of the mountains we had viewed the night before. The wind howled, putting us in mind of how it must be in Beijing in their dust season. Then, our power disappeared. I went to the camp store, and found out that a major power transfer station had caught fire at Panther Junction. No power left in the entire huge park. Not only that, but the fire spread, so that people had to be evacuated out of Panther Junction, the site of park headquarters. People had to be escorted along the road to get away from the fire, which we saw this morning as having been quite extensive across the desert in that area. Still smoking in places this morning, and still no power in our area.
So we did the candle and lantern thing last night, still had our water, and survived quite well. Even the furnace continued to work, which was good, as we went from 90F to about 34 last night. Good time to make our way along the road to new horizons. So here we are, just outside of El Paso, awaiting the temp to drop to 27F, and hoping it won't freeze up our water system. Stay tuned.
Very well, actually. Larry has it to himself while I have my morning nap, during which he puzzles or writes and has a cup of tea, and lays out bagels, cereal etc. We are out and about during the day, or driving, and evenings are spent reading, cards, writing, slide shows, lots of planning, and very seldom t.v. I love the days we can stay set up and go hiking, biking, or sight-seeing, and I love moving days when we head out for some place new. I love the life, when Stony cum Mr. Sociable does all the work. Not only chatting up strangers for stories, but also for all-important information. He does all the driving, 95% of the planning, all the set-up and break-down (which is pretty darned easy, but still)....I do the challenging job of levelling the rig, I must add, and push the button for the slide-out.
We do all of the shopping together and share laundry duties. With all that, he still thinks that washing the dishes is his job, so I have to be quick to keep him out of the sink after dinner. Which brings me to my job- cooking. Since that is pretty minimalist, it is no big deal, other than trying to be creative and learn how to not-cook. The oven igniter doesn't work, but we have 3 burners, micro and BBQ. Each area sells its own specialties to spice up our menus, so we have muffeletta mix, Cajun and creole spices and sauces, Tobasco and pecan rice from New Iberia, sausages and spatzle from Fredericksburg, and mustards from everywhere, and fresh fish and shrimp when not in the desert.
Best buys? Whole bbq'd chickens for $5., 2 for 1 packages of Caesar salad, russet potatoes and yams, and spicy rice mixes - just add shrimp and-or sausage. And go out for local specialties and beer.
That is all the little person has to say. Mr. Congeniality will be back with more esoteric ramblings and worthwhile reading in the next instalment. Or below.
OK! I can add that we came to Big Bend Park of mountain and canyon and desert for 3 nights, extended for 2 more, and lucked into 2 more on the other side of the park from where we were. Terlingua, to Rio Grand Village for those familiar with the area. Aside from the fantastically interesting landscape and hiking opportunities, we have found a little pocket of perfect weather, and are staying until it ends.
Tuesday - It ended. Mr. Congeniality here. We did indeed have two great days in the east end of the park, hiking a canyon, climbing a ridge to watch the sun set on the Sierra del Carman (on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande), and doing a 6 mile hike to the hot springs. The latter was great going there, especially when we found the hot pool right on the Rio Grande's edge. Had a great soak beside the river, looking at Mexico only a few yards away. Then hiked back in 90 degree heat. Nearly did me in, although not so the 'little person', who coaxed me along. But we made it, and enjoyed a cold beer as a reward. Next time I drink more water. It was a struggle.
Later yesterday, two things happened. First of all, a major dust storm...high winds threw dust into the air, fine dust that even invaded our little nook, while wiping out any view of the mountains we had viewed the night before. The wind howled, putting us in mind of how it must be in Beijing in their dust season. Then, our power disappeared. I went to the camp store, and found out that a major power transfer station had caught fire at Panther Junction. No power left in the entire huge park. Not only that, but the fire spread, so that people had to be evacuated out of Panther Junction, the site of park headquarters. People had to be escorted along the road to get away from the fire, which we saw this morning as having been quite extensive across the desert in that area. Still smoking in places this morning, and still no power in our area.
So we did the candle and lantern thing last night, still had our water, and survived quite well. Even the furnace continued to work, which was good, as we went from 90F to about 34 last night. Good time to make our way along the road to new horizons. So here we are, just outside of El Paso, awaiting the temp to drop to 27F, and hoping it won't freeze up our water system. Stay tuned.
Saturday 30 January 2016
Jan 30 - We've been here in the Big Bend area for five days, and don't want to leave. Sunny today, and for the past 5 days. Temp in the 70s. Beautiful scenery. And a most friendly camp, out in the desert, outside of Terlingua. Bud and Irene run this little 19 site place, and they are terrific. We've had two nights around the campfire, one night joining the gang to go north of here for a great Mexican meal, and just feel like part of the group here. Almost home. Co-hosts, a couple from Medicine Hat, Larry and Marlene, the latter a very friendly lady with whom we've had lots of nice chats. Lucked out with this place. Originally booked for three days but managed to get two more and then have to leave because it's full.
Big Bend!! One of the most beautiful places we've seen anywhere. Desert, mountains, lowlands, barren wasteland, dry run-offs, hiking that makes your spirit soar. We have a one-week pass to the park, a National Park, so have 'gone back in' twice, and hiked our little feet off, We're located outside of Terlingua, so have to drive back into the park, a considerable distance, to get to hiking sites. But well worth it. We did two hikes each day, one day for 6 miles, yesterday for 8. Up and down, down and up. But the scenery, the mountains, the desert, the vistas....What a treat. A place to come back to. And we ain't leaving yet, as we've booked two more nights in the park itself, so will have hiking, hot springs, the beauty of the environment to enjoy. There's also a Big Bend Ranch State Park adjacent to Big Bend, where we also spent a day, doing some neat hikes, one into Closed Canyon, which was challenging but fun.
Gotta tell you this about the small world thing we've talked a bit about. Today was an r and r day, so we rode our bikes up to the Terlingua Ghost Town, went to the Starlight Tavern/shop up on the hill, after checking out the US Chile Championship taking place lower down. Bought a couple of Terlingua IPA's, and joined a number of others sitting on the porch, drinking their beers, watching the various antics of the local dogs, looking into the mountains to the east. Talked to guy sitting beside me, who, when he learned we were Canadians, said there were quite a few around the area. "Just down there, the guy in the cowboy hat, he's from Toronto, works for a bike shop in a place called Bloom...something." Further quizzing revealed it's Bloomfield Ontario he was talking about.
So I hotfooted it over to introduce myself, and turns out he's an adopted brother to Katie, who with partner Rick run the Bloomfield Bicycle Shop in Prince Edward County. We had a great chat. He told us where we might find Katie, just down the road, so later we did indeed find her there, and had a nice chat. Later, her partner Rick showed up at our campsite and we had a great chat with him. We had known that they always come to Texas for the winter, but had no idea where. Both bikes we are riding we bought from their shop. There's the 'small world of the month' for you.
Can't describe the hikes, the scenery, the desert, the light and shadows, the people that come here on a regular basis. Would take a full chapter, and you'll already be thinking this is far too long. Suffice it to say we love it here, and will be back in future.
One other thing. There's a couple here in the r.v. park from the northern states, in their late 80s. He's a former Vietnam pilot, one who flew in to airlift soldiers out of disaster, she a former military nurse.After the wayr, he became a geologist, and knows this area like the back of his hand. Last year, their family arranged for his grand-son to drive their 5th wheel down here, much to the consternation of Grandpa. Everything was set to go, and grand-son told Grandpa, " I just have to get the car ready for you two to go down south in". He was to drive the 5th wheel, and they were to follow. As he went to get the car, Grandpa said "To hell with that", and took off in the 5th wheel. Grandson had to follow all the way down to Texas in the car. That's gumption.
There's a special type of person who lives here, and comes here. It's a bit of a frontier, even in today's electronic world. We don't have t.v.. and our phone doesn't work. Good wifi, so we can keep in touch with the outside. But if you don't want to, it's easy. Just keep the computer turned off. Go and roam the parched landscape. Forget the problems of the world for awhile. Come to Big Bend. Stay tuned.
Big Bend!! One of the most beautiful places we've seen anywhere. Desert, mountains, lowlands, barren wasteland, dry run-offs, hiking that makes your spirit soar. We have a one-week pass to the park, a National Park, so have 'gone back in' twice, and hiked our little feet off, We're located outside of Terlingua, so have to drive back into the park, a considerable distance, to get to hiking sites. But well worth it. We did two hikes each day, one day for 6 miles, yesterday for 8. Up and down, down and up. But the scenery, the mountains, the desert, the vistas....What a treat. A place to come back to. And we ain't leaving yet, as we've booked two more nights in the park itself, so will have hiking, hot springs, the beauty of the environment to enjoy. There's also a Big Bend Ranch State Park adjacent to Big Bend, where we also spent a day, doing some neat hikes, one into Closed Canyon, which was challenging but fun.
Gotta tell you this about the small world thing we've talked a bit about. Today was an r and r day, so we rode our bikes up to the Terlingua Ghost Town, went to the Starlight Tavern/shop up on the hill, after checking out the US Chile Championship taking place lower down. Bought a couple of Terlingua IPA's, and joined a number of others sitting on the porch, drinking their beers, watching the various antics of the local dogs, looking into the mountains to the east. Talked to guy sitting beside me, who, when he learned we were Canadians, said there were quite a few around the area. "Just down there, the guy in the cowboy hat, he's from Toronto, works for a bike shop in a place called Bloom...something." Further quizzing revealed it's Bloomfield Ontario he was talking about.
So I hotfooted it over to introduce myself, and turns out he's an adopted brother to Katie, who with partner Rick run the Bloomfield Bicycle Shop in Prince Edward County. We had a great chat. He told us where we might find Katie, just down the road, so later we did indeed find her there, and had a nice chat. Later, her partner Rick showed up at our campsite and we had a great chat with him. We had known that they always come to Texas for the winter, but had no idea where. Both bikes we are riding we bought from their shop. There's the 'small world of the month' for you.
Can't describe the hikes, the scenery, the desert, the light and shadows, the people that come here on a regular basis. Would take a full chapter, and you'll already be thinking this is far too long. Suffice it to say we love it here, and will be back in future.
One other thing. There's a couple here in the r.v. park from the northern states, in their late 80s. He's a former Vietnam pilot, one who flew in to airlift soldiers out of disaster, she a former military nurse.After the wayr, he became a geologist, and knows this area like the back of his hand. Last year, their family arranged for his grand-son to drive their 5th wheel down here, much to the consternation of Grandpa. Everything was set to go, and grand-son told Grandpa, " I just have to get the car ready for you two to go down south in". He was to drive the 5th wheel, and they were to follow. As he went to get the car, Grandpa said "To hell with that", and took off in the 5th wheel. Grandson had to follow all the way down to Texas in the car. That's gumption.
There's a special type of person who lives here, and comes here. It's a bit of a frontier, even in today's electronic world. We don't have t.v.. and our phone doesn't work. Good wifi, so we can keep in touch with the outside. But if you don't want to, it's easy. Just keep the computer turned off. Go and roam the parched landscape. Forget the problems of the world for awhile. Come to Big Bend. Stay tuned.
Tuesday 26 January 2016
Jan 26 - Son Jeff tells me that Luckenbach Texas is in a song Willie Nelson and Waylen Jennings did a few years ago, and he sent us the lyrics to prove it. And that's where we were, on Saturday. Population 3! A store, selling souvenirs, a hall with bench seats, good for about 300, all sold out by the time we called, and not much more there. That's Luckenbach! A guy had his longhorn steer there at the entrance for people to sit on if they wanted their pictures taken. That's Texas! There are a lot of musical happenings here, so it's become quite famous as a place to do your thing if you're a musician. We parked the rig up on a rise, and paid $20 bucks to get in, rather than $30 early birds paid to sit on a bench inside. There were picnic tables around outside the hall, and places where you could buy food and drinks, of course. Terrific pulled pork sandwiches which were enjoyed by we two. And they stocked our favorite beer, Shiner Bock. Life is good with a Shiner.
The bands started at noon, one per hour until 11 that night. Sit at a picnic table, stand outside the hall and look in, whatever. Good blues music, and quite varied. Bands from all over. So it was fun, until we left late afternoon to make our way on down the road. But a neat thing happened while we were there. We sat in the sun at a table with a couple from San Antonio. Spent most of the afternoon with them. Along came four other folks to our table, one of whom was performing as a drummer later that day. Turned out they were all from Waco, the band guy, his friends and the couple we were with. Even stranger, the drummer had worked for our friend's uncle for 30 years. Even stranger still, the lady of the group had been in our friend's grade 6 class. He didn't recognize her, as he hadn't seen her since then, but when she introduced herself, he nearly fell off his seat. He thinks he might even have kissed her when they were in Grade 6, he later told us. Naturally, they all had a lot of catching up to do. Fun to listen to.
That night, we found a campground along route 90 called Cowboy Capital RV Park at Pipe Creek. It was dark when we pulled in, no reservation, and no-one around. An older fellow staying there came along, and helped us find a site, found someone to check us in, and helped us set up in the dark. We introduced our selves. "My names Carol, C-A-R-O-L,, " he said. "Did the kids give you a hard time about your name when you were young?" the old Guidance Counsellor asked. "You bet they did. Got to the point where I sent away for one of those Charles Atlas body-building programs advertised in the comics. And a friend got a t.v., so I watched the fights every Friday and learned a lot. By the time I got to be 18, I decided I didn't need to change my name after all, cause I could look after myself against 90 per cent of them. And", he finished, " people today just have no idea about bullying, what those poor kids go through. They have no idea. I do!" This from a 74 year old. We shook hands a little later, and off he went to his rig.
We Walmarted in border city Del Rio (lots of Mexican folks were there doing their shopping). We don't like Walmart, but their stores are good for travellers, as the prices are good, and everything you need can be found.there. On to Seminole Canyon State Park. Great campsite, up on a ridge, stars a million in the sky. We just happened to get there before a guided tour was about to set off, so we joined, and down into the canyon we went, to see a whole series of ancient pictographs, They've been there for thousands of years, painted by natives who remain unknown even today. Very interesting to see the images, up on rock walls under overhangs, where the native people could escape the elements and live in protected shelter on the ledges. The longer you stared at the walls, the more images you saw. Images sort of materialized, and were of shapes that are still being interpreted today for meaning. Our guides, a couple from San Antonio, do these tours for a fun retirement project. Great couple. They spent at least 15 minutes with us afterwards giving us hints about what to do in Big Bend National Park.
Yesterday, we did a 7 mile hike, out along the canyon walls of the Pecos River, to where it empties into the Rio Grande. Desert terrain all the way, and some fine views. There's a site across the Pecos that also contains cave drawings, which we could see with binocs and the big lens. We walked along the Rio Grande for a bit, then back to the trailhead on a rather boring road. But a good walk not spoiled.
Today, 5 hours to get to Big Bend. Stopped for a bite in a nice little gas bar/restaurant. (Gas $2,35 per gallon, as opp $1.59 most of the way along through Texas. Remote towns are expensive.) Two guys were chatting with the owner. "Got to do jury duty this time?", asked the owner of one of the guys, a big guy with a black moustache. "Don't know. Not goin' to get my mail." His friend said, "Didn't they fine you for not showing up the last two times?" "Yep, 75 bucks both times. I don't want to do it. Let them find someone else who's interested." "Yeah, but next time, they said they're going to come and get you and throw you in jail if you don't show up." His friend just shrugged, as if to say, 'let 'em come'..
After they left, we asked the owner if it was common for people around here (Marathon, Texas) to get called. "It is", he said, "because there are not many people. They call 100 at a time to get 12 selected, so we get called up a lot. Good for me when I worked for the government, 'cause I got regular pay, and also got money for going to the jury duty. Double pay for me." Friendly man, place clean as a whistle, and good Mexican fare for lunch.
To get to where we are now, in a little camp outside the thriving town of Terlingua, we saw beautiful, big, empty, rugged, desert terrain. If you have agoraphobia, don't come here. But it's truly grand. We drove through Big Bend Park, and it is truly stunning...mountains, badlands, arroyos, gulches, draws, strange yet beautiful in places. We'll drive back in for the next two or three days to hike the trails. Hope it warms up, as there is snow forecast north of here. We should be okay, as we're just far enough south. Stay tuned.
The bands started at noon, one per hour until 11 that night. Sit at a picnic table, stand outside the hall and look in, whatever. Good blues music, and quite varied. Bands from all over. So it was fun, until we left late afternoon to make our way on down the road. But a neat thing happened while we were there. We sat in the sun at a table with a couple from San Antonio. Spent most of the afternoon with them. Along came four other folks to our table, one of whom was performing as a drummer later that day. Turned out they were all from Waco, the band guy, his friends and the couple we were with. Even stranger, the drummer had worked for our friend's uncle for 30 years. Even stranger still, the lady of the group had been in our friend's grade 6 class. He didn't recognize her, as he hadn't seen her since then, but when she introduced herself, he nearly fell off his seat. He thinks he might even have kissed her when they were in Grade 6, he later told us. Naturally, they all had a lot of catching up to do. Fun to listen to.
That night, we found a campground along route 90 called Cowboy Capital RV Park at Pipe Creek. It was dark when we pulled in, no reservation, and no-one around. An older fellow staying there came along, and helped us find a site, found someone to check us in, and helped us set up in the dark. We introduced our selves. "My names Carol, C-A-R-O-L,, " he said. "Did the kids give you a hard time about your name when you were young?" the old Guidance Counsellor asked. "You bet they did. Got to the point where I sent away for one of those Charles Atlas body-building programs advertised in the comics. And a friend got a t.v., so I watched the fights every Friday and learned a lot. By the time I got to be 18, I decided I didn't need to change my name after all, cause I could look after myself against 90 per cent of them. And", he finished, " people today just have no idea about bullying, what those poor kids go through. They have no idea. I do!" This from a 74 year old. We shook hands a little later, and off he went to his rig.
We Walmarted in border city Del Rio (lots of Mexican folks were there doing their shopping). We don't like Walmart, but their stores are good for travellers, as the prices are good, and everything you need can be found.there. On to Seminole Canyon State Park. Great campsite, up on a ridge, stars a million in the sky. We just happened to get there before a guided tour was about to set off, so we joined, and down into the canyon we went, to see a whole series of ancient pictographs, They've been there for thousands of years, painted by natives who remain unknown even today. Very interesting to see the images, up on rock walls under overhangs, where the native people could escape the elements and live in protected shelter on the ledges. The longer you stared at the walls, the more images you saw. Images sort of materialized, and were of shapes that are still being interpreted today for meaning. Our guides, a couple from San Antonio, do these tours for a fun retirement project. Great couple. They spent at least 15 minutes with us afterwards giving us hints about what to do in Big Bend National Park.
Yesterday, we did a 7 mile hike, out along the canyon walls of the Pecos River, to where it empties into the Rio Grande. Desert terrain all the way, and some fine views. There's a site across the Pecos that also contains cave drawings, which we could see with binocs and the big lens. We walked along the Rio Grande for a bit, then back to the trailhead on a rather boring road. But a good walk not spoiled.
Today, 5 hours to get to Big Bend. Stopped for a bite in a nice little gas bar/restaurant. (Gas $2,35 per gallon, as opp $1.59 most of the way along through Texas. Remote towns are expensive.) Two guys were chatting with the owner. "Got to do jury duty this time?", asked the owner of one of the guys, a big guy with a black moustache. "Don't know. Not goin' to get my mail." His friend said, "Didn't they fine you for not showing up the last two times?" "Yep, 75 bucks both times. I don't want to do it. Let them find someone else who's interested." "Yeah, but next time, they said they're going to come and get you and throw you in jail if you don't show up." His friend just shrugged, as if to say, 'let 'em come'..
After they left, we asked the owner if it was common for people around here (Marathon, Texas) to get called. "It is", he said, "because there are not many people. They call 100 at a time to get 12 selected, so we get called up a lot. Good for me when I worked for the government, 'cause I got regular pay, and also got money for going to the jury duty. Double pay for me." Friendly man, place clean as a whistle, and good Mexican fare for lunch.
To get to where we are now, in a little camp outside the thriving town of Terlingua, we saw beautiful, big, empty, rugged, desert terrain. If you have agoraphobia, don't come here. But it's truly grand. We drove through Big Bend Park, and it is truly stunning...mountains, badlands, arroyos, gulches, draws, strange yet beautiful in places. We'll drive back in for the next two or three days to hike the trails. Hope it warms up, as there is snow forecast north of here. We should be okay, as we're just far enough south. Stay tuned.
Saturday 23 January 2016
Jan 23 - We've been in Fredericksburg Texas for the past three days. It's only about an hour from Austin, but we came here because I found an r.v. repair guy here who could fix a little problem. We have two cables under the slide-out that had been hanging, and dangerously so. Joe the fix-it guy came to our r.v. park, crawled under the van, figured out what to do, and soon had it done. Nice to have those cables secured, as they're feeds for our propane. Would have been bad news if they'd caught on something and been ripped off. Only problem so far with the van.
Before we left Austin, we hit the Whole Foods market. Could have spent a fortune, but restrained ourselves. What a great store for the new wave in foods. Free samples. Could have stayed for hours.
Now then, why did we stay in this little town of ten thousand for three days? Turns out Fredericksburg has a strong German history, having been settled in the 1840s by a large contingent of people escaping the trials and tribulations of the German states of the time. The town has German restaurants, nearly 70 wineries in the area, and a well preserved German-flavored history proudly displayed around the town. So with our Germany days so much a part of us, it was neat to be in an American town that has such a different flavor.
The Main Street is loaded with upscale stores...antiques, dress shops, souvenirs (but upscale, not honky tonk), and excellent Art stores, as there are many very well regarded artists in the area. As well, there is the Lady Bird Park (the Johnson name pervades), the LBJ ranch not far away, and the hills, which are very scenic. So there's a lot to do and see here for two or three days. There's also a Museum of the Pacific, with two parts, one named for Admiral Nimitz, who spent his youth here with his grand-parents, and the other named for George Bush Senior. The focus of both is the Pacific component of WWII..
I was sitting on a bench on Main Street waiting for Gail to 'do' a store, and a heavy-set guy plunked down beside me as his wife went into the store. We got talking football, and it turned out he played 7 years for the Denver Broncos years ago. The base salary for any first year signed player in those days was $5,000. for the season. He got $15,000., so was pretty well paid. Today, he told me, the base rate is $550,000. He could only shake his head. It was his birthday, so many happy returns to him.
Fifteen miles north of here is a park called Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. The rock rises about 450 feet above the hills below, and consists of solid pink granite, bald, bare and beautiful. Naturally, despite the fact Gail had a bad head cold, we had to climb it. It's not a tough climb, although steep in spots. But the wind was howling, making it hard to stand still at the top. A beautiful 360 degree view of the hill country was the reward. Coming down was much easier, so I did an hour hike along the base while Gail had a rest in the van. It was a very nice outing.
Today we will attend a Blues Festival being held at a place called Luckenbach. This is not even a hamlet, this place. Maybe half a dozen people live here. But they have music periodically, and it just happens that there's an all-day thing happening today. So we'll check it out. I've googled all of the scheduled acts, and there's quite a variety of blues groups. So if it's good, we'll stay, and if not, we'll head on to Del Rio on the Mexican border. Stay tuned. Comments appreciated. Thanks, Marilyn and Ron, and Mick. Good to hear from you. By the way, there are two Robert Morrows, one an old guy who had CIA involvement in the Bay of Pigs, and our guy, who we think is an out-and-out nut. Interesting to research both. Are they father and son? Can't trace the lineage, but working on it.
Before we left Austin, we hit the Whole Foods market. Could have spent a fortune, but restrained ourselves. What a great store for the new wave in foods. Free samples. Could have stayed for hours.
Now then, why did we stay in this little town of ten thousand for three days? Turns out Fredericksburg has a strong German history, having been settled in the 1840s by a large contingent of people escaping the trials and tribulations of the German states of the time. The town has German restaurants, nearly 70 wineries in the area, and a well preserved German-flavored history proudly displayed around the town. So with our Germany days so much a part of us, it was neat to be in an American town that has such a different flavor.
The Main Street is loaded with upscale stores...antiques, dress shops, souvenirs (but upscale, not honky tonk), and excellent Art stores, as there are many very well regarded artists in the area. As well, there is the Lady Bird Park (the Johnson name pervades), the LBJ ranch not far away, and the hills, which are very scenic. So there's a lot to do and see here for two or three days. There's also a Museum of the Pacific, with two parts, one named for Admiral Nimitz, who spent his youth here with his grand-parents, and the other named for George Bush Senior. The focus of both is the Pacific component of WWII..
I was sitting on a bench on Main Street waiting for Gail to 'do' a store, and a heavy-set guy plunked down beside me as his wife went into the store. We got talking football, and it turned out he played 7 years for the Denver Broncos years ago. The base salary for any first year signed player in those days was $5,000. for the season. He got $15,000., so was pretty well paid. Today, he told me, the base rate is $550,000. He could only shake his head. It was his birthday, so many happy returns to him.
Fifteen miles north of here is a park called Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. The rock rises about 450 feet above the hills below, and consists of solid pink granite, bald, bare and beautiful. Naturally, despite the fact Gail had a bad head cold, we had to climb it. It's not a tough climb, although steep in spots. But the wind was howling, making it hard to stand still at the top. A beautiful 360 degree view of the hill country was the reward. Coming down was much easier, so I did an hour hike along the base while Gail had a rest in the van. It was a very nice outing.
Today we will attend a Blues Festival being held at a place called Luckenbach. This is not even a hamlet, this place. Maybe half a dozen people live here. But they have music periodically, and it just happens that there's an all-day thing happening today. So we'll check it out. I've googled all of the scheduled acts, and there's quite a variety of blues groups. So if it's good, we'll stay, and if not, we'll head on to Del Rio on the Mexican border. Stay tuned. Comments appreciated. Thanks, Marilyn and Ron, and Mick. Good to hear from you. By the way, there are two Robert Morrows, one an old guy who had CIA involvement in the Bay of Pigs, and our guy, who we think is an out-and-out nut. Interesting to research both. Are they father and son? Can't trace the lineage, but working on it.
Wednesday 20 January 2016
Jan 20 - Austin. We walked your streets until our feet fell off.
But before we got here, we spent a day in such a way that no-one of my acquaintances will believe. The biggest Outlet Mall in the world (this is Texas, after all) is located just outside of San Marcos. I'm saying it's the biggest in the world because I've never seen one that came close to this one in size. Every outlet store you've ever heard of, and many unknowns as well. Located halfway between Austin and San Antonio, it draws loads of people. This particular Sunday, the entire parking lot was full. Hard to believe we're facing economic tough times. Or maybe this is part of the reason we are. People spend away like there's no tomorrow.
Bargains? Probably, if you look for them. And allow for the 3 to 2 factor of our dollar, which is quite inhibiting. We weren't looking for much, so managed to find good deals on a couple of items. But it was more interesting to wander about and drink in the American dream for an afternoon. Bountiful supplies of everything you don't really need.
Enough of that. Austin was next.. We were lucky, and got an r.v. park right near the downtown area. This meant we could walk everywhere in the central area..to the State Capital, which is magnificent; to 6th street, heart of the bar/music scene; to Lady Bird Lake, which is part of the Colorado River that was rejuvenated thanks to the leadership of said lady; and to a great bar, the Saxon Arms, where we paid $10 bucks for standing room to listen to a band called 'Lonelyland', led by a most charismatic guy named Bob Schneider. They were terrific.
We biked around the lake yesterday, which took about two hours. A wonderful trail, urban but not crowded, with wide trails, loaded with walkers, runners, bikers, relaxers. Austin must have the highest proportion of joggers per capita in the nation. There seems to be a requirement that if you live here, ye shall joggeth. Almost a religion. It was a great ride. And right after, we set out on foot for the center of the city, and walked for hours. We went to the Whole Foods Market, a huge and wonderful store, the headquarters store, as this 'movement' started in Austin. We're going back on our way out of the city today.
We had it in mind to have BBQ at Franklin's, as our friend Rick Dunn had told us it was a must-do. So we walked and walked, under route 35, to the corner where it is located. And nothing doing. Couldn't even find it. Then a young guy came along, and pointed the restaurant out, right across from where we were standing. Dark. Closed. What gives? They only serve at noon hour. People line up for 1-2 hours just to get in. Crazy, but that's how it works with Franklin's. So we trudged back down to 6th street, honkey tonk alley, found a place called "Jackelope" and enjoyed everything at half price. Tuesday deal. So all was not lost.
There's a bar on the main drag called 'The Elephant Room' that I thought would be good. So after dinner we trundled past a number of noisy bars featuring music we weren't really in to, and found The Elephant Room. Guess what! The opening gig had just ended, and the feature band wouldn't be on for another hour and a half. Some days just don't work out, despite all of the planning and research you do. So we trudged home, footsore and weary. Still a good day overall, so we're not whining.
Last item! We did the tour of the State Capital. We had a very nice guide, earnest, full of info. There were four of us in our little group, we two and a big Texan accompanied by a petite young woman with long blond hair, dressed in a tight blue sheath, great figure, wearing three inch sparkly heels. The Texan took over the tour. The poor guide didn't know what to do with him. When we got to the Senate Room, the Texan put the guide on the spot by asking him "How many people did President Johnson have killed?" And to his delight, the guide admitted that "I won't say how many, but it was more than none." The big guy was delighted. "Finally someone in this capital is admitting to what Johnson did."
Turns out the Texan has written a book about the wrong-doings of the Clintons, and he is convinced the Kennedy assassination was engineered by Johnson. He's going to write a book about it, but is still gathering information. A person, an independent tour guide, who had overheard this conversation came over and said his granddaddy of 98 years old could tell a thing or two about all this, as he knew the Johnsons, and could confirm some of the stories. So the big guy got all excited, got his info, and plans to go see the old guy.
Meanwhile, the little lady, looking like she'd just stepped out of Vogue magazine, turned out to be an Australian working on her Ph.D in Politics. Big guy is working actively on the Rand Paul campaign, and she's been shadowing him as part of her research for her thesis. She was very nice, but why she was dressed the way she was for a tour of the Capital we couldn't figure out. By the way, the tour guide bailed out, as he had another place he had to be, despite the fact we were only half way through the tour. So big guy took us around for the rest of it. His name is Robert Morrow. Google him (haven't had time yet), and you may find him interesting.
But before we got here, we spent a day in such a way that no-one of my acquaintances will believe. The biggest Outlet Mall in the world (this is Texas, after all) is located just outside of San Marcos. I'm saying it's the biggest in the world because I've never seen one that came close to this one in size. Every outlet store you've ever heard of, and many unknowns as well. Located halfway between Austin and San Antonio, it draws loads of people. This particular Sunday, the entire parking lot was full. Hard to believe we're facing economic tough times. Or maybe this is part of the reason we are. People spend away like there's no tomorrow.
Bargains? Probably, if you look for them. And allow for the 3 to 2 factor of our dollar, which is quite inhibiting. We weren't looking for much, so managed to find good deals on a couple of items. But it was more interesting to wander about and drink in the American dream for an afternoon. Bountiful supplies of everything you don't really need.
Enough of that. Austin was next.. We were lucky, and got an r.v. park right near the downtown area. This meant we could walk everywhere in the central area..to the State Capital, which is magnificent; to 6th street, heart of the bar/music scene; to Lady Bird Lake, which is part of the Colorado River that was rejuvenated thanks to the leadership of said lady; and to a great bar, the Saxon Arms, where we paid $10 bucks for standing room to listen to a band called 'Lonelyland', led by a most charismatic guy named Bob Schneider. They were terrific.
We biked around the lake yesterday, which took about two hours. A wonderful trail, urban but not crowded, with wide trails, loaded with walkers, runners, bikers, relaxers. Austin must have the highest proportion of joggers per capita in the nation. There seems to be a requirement that if you live here, ye shall joggeth. Almost a religion. It was a great ride. And right after, we set out on foot for the center of the city, and walked for hours. We went to the Whole Foods Market, a huge and wonderful store, the headquarters store, as this 'movement' started in Austin. We're going back on our way out of the city today.
We had it in mind to have BBQ at Franklin's, as our friend Rick Dunn had told us it was a must-do. So we walked and walked, under route 35, to the corner where it is located. And nothing doing. Couldn't even find it. Then a young guy came along, and pointed the restaurant out, right across from where we were standing. Dark. Closed. What gives? They only serve at noon hour. People line up for 1-2 hours just to get in. Crazy, but that's how it works with Franklin's. So we trudged back down to 6th street, honkey tonk alley, found a place called "Jackelope" and enjoyed everything at half price. Tuesday deal. So all was not lost.
There's a bar on the main drag called 'The Elephant Room' that I thought would be good. So after dinner we trundled past a number of noisy bars featuring music we weren't really in to, and found The Elephant Room. Guess what! The opening gig had just ended, and the feature band wouldn't be on for another hour and a half. Some days just don't work out, despite all of the planning and research you do. So we trudged home, footsore and weary. Still a good day overall, so we're not whining.
Last item! We did the tour of the State Capital. We had a very nice guide, earnest, full of info. There were four of us in our little group, we two and a big Texan accompanied by a petite young woman with long blond hair, dressed in a tight blue sheath, great figure, wearing three inch sparkly heels. The Texan took over the tour. The poor guide didn't know what to do with him. When we got to the Senate Room, the Texan put the guide on the spot by asking him "How many people did President Johnson have killed?" And to his delight, the guide admitted that "I won't say how many, but it was more than none." The big guy was delighted. "Finally someone in this capital is admitting to what Johnson did."
Turns out the Texan has written a book about the wrong-doings of the Clintons, and he is convinced the Kennedy assassination was engineered by Johnson. He's going to write a book about it, but is still gathering information. A person, an independent tour guide, who had overheard this conversation came over and said his granddaddy of 98 years old could tell a thing or two about all this, as he knew the Johnsons, and could confirm some of the stories. So the big guy got all excited, got his info, and plans to go see the old guy.
Meanwhile, the little lady, looking like she'd just stepped out of Vogue magazine, turned out to be an Australian working on her Ph.D in Politics. Big guy is working actively on the Rand Paul campaign, and she's been shadowing him as part of her research for her thesis. She was very nice, but why she was dressed the way she was for a tour of the Capital we couldn't figure out. By the way, the tour guide bailed out, as he had another place he had to be, despite the fact we were only half way through the tour. So big guy took us around for the rest of it. His name is Robert Morrow. Google him (haven't had time yet), and you may find him interesting.
Sunday 17 January 2016
Jan 17 - Day 58, and we're still in Texas. Sunny, but only 30F when we woke up. Will go to the high 50s later today, and a little warmer tomorrow. Not bad. Beats snow squalls and tornados.
Before leaving San Antonio yesterday, we saw the skies clear, after ominous morning clouds, so decided to ride the northern part of the River Trail. It was completely different, as it was urban as opposed to rural, with narrow paths and a lot of people. But amazing to see what has been done to make this city so appealing to the locals and visitors. There is artwork along the route, places to sit out, parks the trail runs through, and lots of info boards to explain what you see. We did about 7 miles, and although it was busy, which required passing people carefully so as not to fall into the river, it was very enjoyable.
We started our ride at the Breakenridge Park golf club which is now the home of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame. There they have created a Walk of Fame, which has been established outside the clubhouse, and consists of a series of mounted stone placards listing the names of those inducted, one for each year since it was started in 1978. Ben Hogan, Babe Zaharias, Lee Trevino, Byron Nelson, Jimmy Demaret, Lanny Wadkins, Tom Kite, and so many others have been honored with membership. The odd thing is that the Hall has been moved twice, and for several years was defunct until revived by interested golfers. There have been so many greats out of this state. Hopefully it will now have a permanent home.
Up interstate 35, a tight and very busy 6 lane route that joins San Antonio and the state capital, Austin. We were headed for San Marcos, midway betwixt. Our new site is very near the San Marcos River, which became rather famous last year when flooding hit this part of Texas. We got an impression of the extent of the flooding when we walked over to the river, and saw huge trees that had been uprooted, presumably as a result of the flood. Some research on the internet revealed the extent of the flooding, and our r.v. park shows some of the results as well, although it's been pretty much restored.
Turns out San Marcos is the fastest growing city in the U.S., three years in a row. And this whole area, including San Antonio, 7th largest city in the U.S., depends on a huge aquifer that lies underground over several hundred square miles. This aquifer is supplied principally by run-off, so if there is good rainfall, it can maintain its capacity. But watch out if there's a serious drought. With the expansion of population in the last number of years, there are strong concerns about the potential of the aquifer to supply the needs of these communities. Sounds like California. Yet still they build, and still they come.
Finally, our busy day of discovery was capped off with a concert. As mentioned in the previous blog, we had learned that Guy Forsyth would be in San Marcos to do an acoustic concert. We bought tickets online, figured out where to go, and were all set. When we got there, up in the higher reaches of residential San Marcos, we arrived in front of a large house, with people chatting out on the balcony. This concert was in a house, not a concert hall or a club, owned by the musician who was opening the show, a guitarist-singer-songwriter. It was like a large house party. Food and drinks were included, and were abundant. Lots of delicious finger foods, and drinks, including a jug of Moscow Mule, which was quite tasty . We were welcomed by a young woman who happened to be Canadian, from Ottawa, a friend of the host couple, and soon encountered an older woman from northern Ontario who now lives in Austin, who had a great chat with Gail during the course of the evening. Most of the people there were friends of the host couple. This type of concert is something they organize periodically, so that the host can perform, and share the talents of a regular professional they invite to perform. Musicians love the format, being so close to the audience.
The music was in the living room, where folding chairs had been set up to add to the regular seating arrangement. About 40 people were in attendance. And the music was great. Guy Forsyth in particular was very strong: voice, guitar, ukelele, harmonica and even singing saw, which he learned to play while busking in Holland. He can do it all. He has a blues band which has a very busy schedule, and will be in Scandinavia soon for a one month tour. And here he was, a few feet away doing his thing. Intense, strong energy, and a good variety of music, not all blues by any means.
We spoke to him afterwards, to tell him how we happened to be there, and he was very appreciative that we'd made the effort. Have to say, it wasn't something you do every day. A neat experience.
Before leaving San Antonio yesterday, we saw the skies clear, after ominous morning clouds, so decided to ride the northern part of the River Trail. It was completely different, as it was urban as opposed to rural, with narrow paths and a lot of people. But amazing to see what has been done to make this city so appealing to the locals and visitors. There is artwork along the route, places to sit out, parks the trail runs through, and lots of info boards to explain what you see. We did about 7 miles, and although it was busy, which required passing people carefully so as not to fall into the river, it was very enjoyable.
We started our ride at the Breakenridge Park golf club which is now the home of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame. There they have created a Walk of Fame, which has been established outside the clubhouse, and consists of a series of mounted stone placards listing the names of those inducted, one for each year since it was started in 1978. Ben Hogan, Babe Zaharias, Lee Trevino, Byron Nelson, Jimmy Demaret, Lanny Wadkins, Tom Kite, and so many others have been honored with membership. The odd thing is that the Hall has been moved twice, and for several years was defunct until revived by interested golfers. There have been so many greats out of this state. Hopefully it will now have a permanent home.
Up interstate 35, a tight and very busy 6 lane route that joins San Antonio and the state capital, Austin. We were headed for San Marcos, midway betwixt. Our new site is very near the San Marcos River, which became rather famous last year when flooding hit this part of Texas. We got an impression of the extent of the flooding when we walked over to the river, and saw huge trees that had been uprooted, presumably as a result of the flood. Some research on the internet revealed the extent of the flooding, and our r.v. park shows some of the results as well, although it's been pretty much restored.
Turns out San Marcos is the fastest growing city in the U.S., three years in a row. And this whole area, including San Antonio, 7th largest city in the U.S., depends on a huge aquifer that lies underground over several hundred square miles. This aquifer is supplied principally by run-off, so if there is good rainfall, it can maintain its capacity. But watch out if there's a serious drought. With the expansion of population in the last number of years, there are strong concerns about the potential of the aquifer to supply the needs of these communities. Sounds like California. Yet still they build, and still they come.
Finally, our busy day of discovery was capped off with a concert. As mentioned in the previous blog, we had learned that Guy Forsyth would be in San Marcos to do an acoustic concert. We bought tickets online, figured out where to go, and were all set. When we got there, up in the higher reaches of residential San Marcos, we arrived in front of a large house, with people chatting out on the balcony. This concert was in a house, not a concert hall or a club, owned by the musician who was opening the show, a guitarist-singer-songwriter. It was like a large house party. Food and drinks were included, and were abundant. Lots of delicious finger foods, and drinks, including a jug of Moscow Mule, which was quite tasty . We were welcomed by a young woman who happened to be Canadian, from Ottawa, a friend of the host couple, and soon encountered an older woman from northern Ontario who now lives in Austin, who had a great chat with Gail during the course of the evening. Most of the people there were friends of the host couple. This type of concert is something they organize periodically, so that the host can perform, and share the talents of a regular professional they invite to perform. Musicians love the format, being so close to the audience.
The music was in the living room, where folding chairs had been set up to add to the regular seating arrangement. About 40 people were in attendance. And the music was great. Guy Forsyth in particular was very strong: voice, guitar, ukelele, harmonica and even singing saw, which he learned to play while busking in Holland. He can do it all. He has a blues band which has a very busy schedule, and will be in Scandinavia soon for a one month tour. And here he was, a few feet away doing his thing. Intense, strong energy, and a good variety of music, not all blues by any means.
We spoke to him afterwards, to tell him how we happened to be there, and he was very appreciative that we'd made the effort. Have to say, it wasn't something you do every day. A neat experience.
Friday 15 January 2016
Jan 15 - Had a note from Mick Chalmers about my idea for Picton Port to become a cruise ship site. He and Dave MacKay and I are going to start a transfer business, looking after the cruise ship guests while they visit the County. Mick figures we can make millions. Can't beat 'em, may as well join 'em.
On Wednesday we had a very nice drive along the backroads (once we escaped the clutches of onandon Houston suburbs) to San Antonio. Towns like Eagle Lake, Halletsville and Shiner, finally Gonzales. All have unique histories, which I won't bore you with. In Halletsville, we found a little garage where two great young guys did an oil change for the rig. We'd checked with an rv service near Galveston, who wanted $200. for a simple oil change. My buddies in Halletsville did it for $41. And the shop owner gave us some great tips for restaurants in San Antonio. That was too cool!!
Shiner is famous for it's specialty beer house. So what did we do when we got to a pub along the river walk? Had a Shiner. And it was great. As for Gonzales, about 30 of their fighting men ended up trying to help stave off the Mexican Army at the Alamo. You know the sad result. None of this excitement would have been ours had we done the I-10, which would have been faster but boring.
Weather here has been terrific, near 70 both days, and sunny. We'd been to the Alamo before, but couldn't resist, and spent quite awhile there, as there are displays that we hadn't seen last time. Lots of interesting info, and a good video, so we're tuned into that part of Texas history. The other thing we had to do was the River Walk, as the last time we were here the weather was cold and not pleasant. This time we walked all of the interior portion, and it was great. That's where we had our Shiner. Then a walk up to the big Mexican market, the Mercado, to go to the restaurant our friend in Halletsville had told us was a must-do. And it was! Musicians wandering through the restaurant, a million colorful decorative lights, and female servers in traditional costume. Food was great. It's called Mi Tierra, and was started in the Depression by a young Mexican who came to San Antonio to start a new life. Married a hard-working young lady, and they built a great business that their kids and grand-kids now operate. Only in 'Merica.
Along the River Walk, we met a young woman who told us about a bike trail along the river. We got info and that's what we did today...38 kilometers along the San Antonio River, which parallels the Mission Trail. It was a great ride, with lots of ups and downs. We huffed and puffed at times, but knowing our van was parked in a specialty brewery parking lot, we persevered. We visited two of the missions, San Juan and Concepcion, both of which were very interesting in terms of structure and what went into their creation. Imagine landing in uncharted territory as a Franciscan brother, no one but you, and having to win over the local natives, change their way of life, build a mission, get into the trading business, draw maps of the area, all for the glory of the Spanish Crown and the Catholic Church. Quite an assignment! They had no damned business being here, but that's the way it was then. Still going on today in lots of places! Things change but stay the same.
Tomorrow we move on to San Marcos, a small city halfway between here and Austin. Gail and our dear friend Beryl in Ottawa love a Blues singer named Guy Forsyth. He's from Austin, so we looked him up on the internet, and lo and what do you know, he's performing acoustically tomorrow night in San Marcos. So we've ordered tickets, set up our r.v. park for tomorrow night, and will be moving on. Impulses! Short term planning! Makes this kind of trip fun. Stay tuned.
On Wednesday we had a very nice drive along the backroads (once we escaped the clutches of onandon Houston suburbs) to San Antonio. Towns like Eagle Lake, Halletsville and Shiner, finally Gonzales. All have unique histories, which I won't bore you with. In Halletsville, we found a little garage where two great young guys did an oil change for the rig. We'd checked with an rv service near Galveston, who wanted $200. for a simple oil change. My buddies in Halletsville did it for $41. And the shop owner gave us some great tips for restaurants in San Antonio. That was too cool!!
Shiner is famous for it's specialty beer house. So what did we do when we got to a pub along the river walk? Had a Shiner. And it was great. As for Gonzales, about 30 of their fighting men ended up trying to help stave off the Mexican Army at the Alamo. You know the sad result. None of this excitement would have been ours had we done the I-10, which would have been faster but boring.
Weather here has been terrific, near 70 both days, and sunny. We'd been to the Alamo before, but couldn't resist, and spent quite awhile there, as there are displays that we hadn't seen last time. Lots of interesting info, and a good video, so we're tuned into that part of Texas history. The other thing we had to do was the River Walk, as the last time we were here the weather was cold and not pleasant. This time we walked all of the interior portion, and it was great. That's where we had our Shiner. Then a walk up to the big Mexican market, the Mercado, to go to the restaurant our friend in Halletsville had told us was a must-do. And it was! Musicians wandering through the restaurant, a million colorful decorative lights, and female servers in traditional costume. Food was great. It's called Mi Tierra, and was started in the Depression by a young Mexican who came to San Antonio to start a new life. Married a hard-working young lady, and they built a great business that their kids and grand-kids now operate. Only in 'Merica.
Along the River Walk, we met a young woman who told us about a bike trail along the river. We got info and that's what we did today...38 kilometers along the San Antonio River, which parallels the Mission Trail. It was a great ride, with lots of ups and downs. We huffed and puffed at times, but knowing our van was parked in a specialty brewery parking lot, we persevered. We visited two of the missions, San Juan and Concepcion, both of which were very interesting in terms of structure and what went into their creation. Imagine landing in uncharted territory as a Franciscan brother, no one but you, and having to win over the local natives, change their way of life, build a mission, get into the trading business, draw maps of the area, all for the glory of the Spanish Crown and the Catholic Church. Quite an assignment! They had no damned business being here, but that's the way it was then. Still going on today in lots of places! Things change but stay the same.
Tomorrow we move on to San Marcos, a small city halfway between here and Austin. Gail and our dear friend Beryl in Ottawa love a Blues singer named Guy Forsyth. He's from Austin, so we looked him up on the internet, and lo and what do you know, he's performing acoustically tomorrow night in San Marcos. So we've ordered tickets, set up our r.v. park for tomorrow night, and will be moving on. Impulses! Short term planning! Makes this kind of trip fun. Stay tuned.
Wednesday 13 January 2016
Jan. 13 - Here we are in San Antonio. Rather, in the area, in a very good r.v. park. Wifi, t.v., concrete pad, swimming pool, spa, and other stuff. We drove across from Galveston today, where we'd spent the last three nights. We like to do secondary routes, so did our best to find a two lane route. After going through half the suburbs in western Houston, we finally found route 90, which we followed for the day, through rice fields for the first part, then ranches for the balance. :Lovely rolling countryside, for the most part, with some interesting little towns along the way: Eagle Lake, Sublime, Halletsville, Gonzales, Seguin.
Speaking of Halletsville, we needed an oil change. Checked with an r.v. dealer near Galveston, and he wanted $200. for an oil change. No to that! Found a little shop in Halletsville, not unlike my buddy Chris Jones place, and got the job done for $41. Gotta love that! All it took was a young lad willing to climb under the r.v. on his back. No problem. And what a great group of guys in the shop. The owner came along and gave us tips as to where to eat in San Antonio. Fun stuff.
We enjoyed our drive from Eunice to Galveston, first of all through the rice fields of Western Louisiana, and then down a narrow little road to the Gulf, where we were practically on the beach for miles. Across marsh areas to get there, full of ducks, and along the shore, where we saw drilling platforms a mile or two away. We'd been tipped by a fellow from Colorado we met that we should take this route, as there's a neat little ferry that we had to take. Fun it was. Cost a buck. The neat thing was the way it worked. The ferry does a 360, and by the time it completes the turn, we're on the other side. Three minutes max!
As we moved towards Port Arthur, Texas, we passed through more evidence of one of the soft underbellies of the American economy. Propane processors, gas processors, oil refineries, wall to wall. Blow all of that up, and it would bring America to a standstill. For awhile, anyway. Hope it never happens. We needed another ferry as we proceeded along route 87, across Galveston Bay. The harbour at Galveston has now become a cruise ship harbour. Two of the big liners come here to start their cruises, and we were lucky enough to see one of them in harbour. Made me think about our new port in Picton. Maybe in addition to bringing in salt and bauxite, they could become a cruise harbour. Wouldn't that be good for Picton?
We enjoyed Galveston again, finding some big changes sine we were here a dozen years ago. Hurricane Ike came through 7 years ago, and flooded most of the city. Nothing like the storm in 1900 that wrecked the city and claimed 6,000 lives. Only two died because of Ike. We wandered about downtown, went to the film depicting the big storm, thoroughly enjoyed an afternoon in the newly revised Tropical Rainforest display, and enjoyed a 20 mile bike ride along the seafront. We had a great r.v. park right on the waterfront, which included a hot tub that we enjoyed.
Went to a bar called Hemingways, and met a neat guy there. Aaron, who was behind the bar, has a Masters degree in Biomedical Technology. After several years in the industry, he counted up 320 nights in one year spent in hotels, and decided enough was enough. Now he owns a seasonal restaurant, is about to open a second, and is off to a new career. He's the second young guy we've met who reached burn-out and made a distinct change. Good for them, I say, having enough nerve to bail out and try something different.
Speaking of Halletsville, we needed an oil change. Checked with an r.v. dealer near Galveston, and he wanted $200. for an oil change. No to that! Found a little shop in Halletsville, not unlike my buddy Chris Jones place, and got the job done for $41. Gotta love that! All it took was a young lad willing to climb under the r.v. on his back. No problem. And what a great group of guys in the shop. The owner came along and gave us tips as to where to eat in San Antonio. Fun stuff.
We enjoyed our drive from Eunice to Galveston, first of all through the rice fields of Western Louisiana, and then down a narrow little road to the Gulf, where we were practically on the beach for miles. Across marsh areas to get there, full of ducks, and along the shore, where we saw drilling platforms a mile or two away. We'd been tipped by a fellow from Colorado we met that we should take this route, as there's a neat little ferry that we had to take. Fun it was. Cost a buck. The neat thing was the way it worked. The ferry does a 360, and by the time it completes the turn, we're on the other side. Three minutes max!
As we moved towards Port Arthur, Texas, we passed through more evidence of one of the soft underbellies of the American economy. Propane processors, gas processors, oil refineries, wall to wall. Blow all of that up, and it would bring America to a standstill. For awhile, anyway. Hope it never happens. We needed another ferry as we proceeded along route 87, across Galveston Bay. The harbour at Galveston has now become a cruise ship harbour. Two of the big liners come here to start their cruises, and we were lucky enough to see one of them in harbour. Made me think about our new port in Picton. Maybe in addition to bringing in salt and bauxite, they could become a cruise harbour. Wouldn't that be good for Picton?
We enjoyed Galveston again, finding some big changes sine we were here a dozen years ago. Hurricane Ike came through 7 years ago, and flooded most of the city. Nothing like the storm in 1900 that wrecked the city and claimed 6,000 lives. Only two died because of Ike. We wandered about downtown, went to the film depicting the big storm, thoroughly enjoyed an afternoon in the newly revised Tropical Rainforest display, and enjoyed a 20 mile bike ride along the seafront. We had a great r.v. park right on the waterfront, which included a hot tub that we enjoyed.
Went to a bar called Hemingways, and met a neat guy there. Aaron, who was behind the bar, has a Masters degree in Biomedical Technology. After several years in the industry, he counted up 320 nights in one year spent in hotels, and decided enough was enough. Now he owns a seasonal restaurant, is about to open a second, and is off to a new career. He's the second young guy we've met who reached burn-out and made a distinct change. Good for them, I say, having enough nerve to bail out and try something different.
Sunday 10 January 2016
Sunday, January 10 - We've been in Cajun country for 5 days, and have gained a great deal of appreciation for the local culture. New Iberia, Breaux Bridge, Opelousas, Eunice, Mamou...if you come here some day, plan to spend a few days. Visit the museums or displays or events each town holds proud. Make sure you have a Saturday morning available in either Mamou or Eunice. Drive into the countryside and get a sense of the sugar growing area around New Iberia, and the rice growing area to the north, where we are now.
Think of the history. Kicked out of Nova Scotia in a most cruel way by the Brits in 1755, families torn apart as mother, father or children were placed on different ships going to different places. Ending up in France, or Haiti, or New England or the Carolinas, where they weren't welcomed. Many eventually ending up in Louisiana, then under Spanish control, coming in 1765 and for the next three decades, this before the Purchase in the early 1800s. Here they were welcomed, given land, and a chance under difficult conditions to start a new life.
Today, many of the people living here are true descendents of the early settlers. They are proud of their communities, proud of their heritage, and happy to share it with anyone who comes along. The small cities have excellent museum displays that outline their history, and must be visited. Their music captures the spirit, the language, the customs, and still serves as a central factor in family and community. Not unlike our Maritimes, music seems to be instilled in the individual from an early age. Last night at the local theatre, where we went to see a live radio broadcast being produced, people went to the front and danced. We went to a free cajun music performance in the afternoon, featuring a 16 year old accordian player and his band. And people danced. Same at the restaurant in Breaux Bridges. And get this. Yesterday morning we went to Fred's, a little bar in Mamou, where music starts at 9 on Saturday morning and goes til 1 p.m. The place was already full when we got there, the band going full tilt, drinks being served, and you guessed it...people dancing. Saturday morning.!!! Packed with people!!
For the outsider, the music eventually blends into similar form. One tune may be a waltz, another the two step or the one step, but without being familiar with the tunes, they start to sound the same after awhile. For the locals, they know the tunes, and welcome their favorites. And they dance, especially the older folks, some of whom hobbled to the front of the theatre but immediately got the two step going. Even the little kids were dancing at the front of the theatre last night.
The Saturday morning thing, by the way, occurs in this area in two little bars where the owners persist in providing a place for music. In Mamou, when Fred died, his kids kept the place going by opening it on Saturday morning, because they worked during the week. It was packed with locals, Canadians, even a couple from New Zealand. The other venue, just outside of Eunice, is less party and more performance, we were later told. But I suspect there was lots of dancing as well, just not as much of a party atmosphere.
No doubt there is change happening. For a lot of younger folks, work must be found in larger centers, and that's no different than where we live. However, the strength of the culture and the family unit remains strongly intact. No doubt departed children come back to Mother's and Grandmother's cooking and to the music and the dancing. The language still exists as well, for many of the older folks. Some don't speak French, like the lady in the museum whose mother wouldn't teach her the language, because she wanted to be able to talk to her friends without her kids knowing what she was saying. But the 85 year old darlin' hosting in the Cajun Hall of Fame speaks both French and English, because each parent spoke one of the two languages. French was suppressed in Louisiana in the 1900s, until the 1970s, and there were no French schools. Kids were punished if caught speaking French on school property. That's changed, Now speaking French is being encouraged. All of the music is sung in French, old French mostly, I think. Parisians would probably look down their noses at the language used here, much as they would in Quebec or New Brunswick.
We didn't get a chance to hear Zydeco. Breaux Bridge is the center of that music form, as well as Lafayette, but there wasn't anything going on locally, and we didn't want to go into Lafayette to a show that started at 10:00 p.m. We'll save that for another time. Today, we move on. We have still been debating whether or not to proceed west, as the weather is very cool, in many places below normal. It's tempting to go back to Florida where we know we'll have warm days. But we'll likely push on into Texas today. Stay tuned!!
Think of the history. Kicked out of Nova Scotia in a most cruel way by the Brits in 1755, families torn apart as mother, father or children were placed on different ships going to different places. Ending up in France, or Haiti, or New England or the Carolinas, where they weren't welcomed. Many eventually ending up in Louisiana, then under Spanish control, coming in 1765 and for the next three decades, this before the Purchase in the early 1800s. Here they were welcomed, given land, and a chance under difficult conditions to start a new life.
Today, many of the people living here are true descendents of the early settlers. They are proud of their communities, proud of their heritage, and happy to share it with anyone who comes along. The small cities have excellent museum displays that outline their history, and must be visited. Their music captures the spirit, the language, the customs, and still serves as a central factor in family and community. Not unlike our Maritimes, music seems to be instilled in the individual from an early age. Last night at the local theatre, where we went to see a live radio broadcast being produced, people went to the front and danced. We went to a free cajun music performance in the afternoon, featuring a 16 year old accordian player and his band. And people danced. Same at the restaurant in Breaux Bridges. And get this. Yesterday morning we went to Fred's, a little bar in Mamou, where music starts at 9 on Saturday morning and goes til 1 p.m. The place was already full when we got there, the band going full tilt, drinks being served, and you guessed it...people dancing. Saturday morning.!!! Packed with people!!
For the outsider, the music eventually blends into similar form. One tune may be a waltz, another the two step or the one step, but without being familiar with the tunes, they start to sound the same after awhile. For the locals, they know the tunes, and welcome their favorites. And they dance, especially the older folks, some of whom hobbled to the front of the theatre but immediately got the two step going. Even the little kids were dancing at the front of the theatre last night.
The Saturday morning thing, by the way, occurs in this area in two little bars where the owners persist in providing a place for music. In Mamou, when Fred died, his kids kept the place going by opening it on Saturday morning, because they worked during the week. It was packed with locals, Canadians, even a couple from New Zealand. The other venue, just outside of Eunice, is less party and more performance, we were later told. But I suspect there was lots of dancing as well, just not as much of a party atmosphere.
No doubt there is change happening. For a lot of younger folks, work must be found in larger centers, and that's no different than where we live. However, the strength of the culture and the family unit remains strongly intact. No doubt departed children come back to Mother's and Grandmother's cooking and to the music and the dancing. The language still exists as well, for many of the older folks. Some don't speak French, like the lady in the museum whose mother wouldn't teach her the language, because she wanted to be able to talk to her friends without her kids knowing what she was saying. But the 85 year old darlin' hosting in the Cajun Hall of Fame speaks both French and English, because each parent spoke one of the two languages. French was suppressed in Louisiana in the 1900s, until the 1970s, and there were no French schools. Kids were punished if caught speaking French on school property. That's changed, Now speaking French is being encouraged. All of the music is sung in French, old French mostly, I think. Parisians would probably look down their noses at the language used here, much as they would in Quebec or New Brunswick.
We didn't get a chance to hear Zydeco. Breaux Bridge is the center of that music form, as well as Lafayette, but there wasn't anything going on locally, and we didn't want to go into Lafayette to a show that started at 10:00 p.m. We'll save that for another time. Today, we move on. We have still been debating whether or not to proceed west, as the weather is very cool, in many places below normal. It's tempting to go back to Florida where we know we'll have warm days. But we'll likely push on into Texas today. Stay tuned!!
Thursday 7 January 2016
Jan 7 - Deep in Cajun Country are we! Tough roads, man! Most are made of concrete, and they ripple, so it's bumpbumpbump down the highway, dishes and pots rattling as we go. Heaven when you find a smooth stretch. We're talking local highways, not the interstate, so you get what the locals get. Land is flat as a pancake, used now in this area for growing cane sugar. Rice is grown north and west of here, where the soil and conditions are more favorable. Cotton? Not much around here, meaning New Iberia, St. Martinville, and Breaux Bridges, where we are now. Sugar, baby! Grows tall, up to 12 feet, and is being harvested now, far as we can tell.
The land is flat but for a series of 5 salt domes that were pushed up millenia ago, forming 'islands' in a straight line south and east of New Iberia. We visited two of them, one formerly owned by Joseph Jefferson, probably the most famous American actor of the 1800s. He portrayed Rip Van Winkle for decades, performing a play he created many hundreds of times all over the country, in England, even in Australia, making him a rich man. One of his homes was built on Jefferson Island, and now is open for tours. Madeleine, a southern belle if ever there was one, guided us through the house, and provided a great narrative. Surrounding the house is a wonderful garden with a Balinese theme, which we also enjoyed.
Being a salt dome, a mine was developed, producing some of the purest salt in the world, which was shipped to a wide market. The mine was adjacent to a small lake near the Jefferson House, as well as to a house that his grandson had built. Shell Oil was drilling nearby about twenty-five years ago, pierced the wall of the mine, and caused a huge collapse of the underground structure. Eight barges, most of the lake, the grand-son's house, even the kitchen of the master house, and a good part of the garden, were sucked down into the abyss. There remains a hole under the lake of several hundred feet in depth. The lake is considerably larger than before, and only a few feet deep except for the hole. Six of the barges popped back up to the surface, but two were never found. And not a soul lost his life.
The other 'island' we visited is called Avery Island. It is home to the Tabasco factory, the original sauce invented there by Edmund McIlhenny in 1868. The family still owns the business, and takes an active part in the process of growing, selecting and processing their special peppers. Now there are all sorts of offshoots of the original, as well as a whole line of other products and souvenirs for the consuming public. It's a big operation, so provides a lot of local employment. This salt mound also houses a wonderful garden, the Jungle Garden, developed by a McIlhenny successor, Edward, who was an avid horticulturalist, We did the walkabout, logging about 5 miles in an effort to see the entire property. Azaleas and camellias (over 600 varieties on the property) are the main feature, as well as a rookery for herons and egrets which houses hundreds of birds in mating season. The live oaks here are also spectacular, which is true all over this area. There's even a thousand year old Chinese Buddha on the property.
We mentioned rice earlier. We visited the oldest rice factory in the U.S., the Konriko Rice Factory in New Iberia. They still employ some of the original equipment used a hundred years ago, and have modernized only in small ways. They produce a product that is gluten free, as close to organic as you can get, and they successfully send their product all over the States and to Canada and Europe. The factory is ancient in appearance, but 15 people, including the owners, make it work.
We stopped in St. Martinville today, to see the Acadian Memorial. Included: a replica of the Deportation Cross; an eternal flame dedicated to those who were forced to leave Nova Scotia in 1755; a wonderful mural depicting about 50 people who were among those who arrived in Louisiana, descendants doing some of the modelling; two wonderful display rooms, one outlining the Acadian Expulsion, and one the movement of African slaves to the U.S. and elsewhere. Finally, there is the huge Live Oak adjacent to the Bayou Teche, which was the actual meeting place of the sadly reunited couple depicted in Longfellow's poem, "Evangeline".
To cap off these two fun-filled days, we found a great Cajun restaurant tonight. Tried our hand at shuckin' crawfish. Enjoyed gumbo, hush puppies, and bread pudding. Great dinner. There was also a four piece band doin' Cajun. Good music! An older party of 8 were there to celebrate a birthday, and were up and dancing nearly every number. They did the Cajun two-step, so we screwed up our courage and gave it a whirl. Awkward at first, but a lovely woman came over and gave us a little lesson. We did quite a lot better after that. More practice needed, as we were no match for the local regulars.
The land is flat but for a series of 5 salt domes that were pushed up millenia ago, forming 'islands' in a straight line south and east of New Iberia. We visited two of them, one formerly owned by Joseph Jefferson, probably the most famous American actor of the 1800s. He portrayed Rip Van Winkle for decades, performing a play he created many hundreds of times all over the country, in England, even in Australia, making him a rich man. One of his homes was built on Jefferson Island, and now is open for tours. Madeleine, a southern belle if ever there was one, guided us through the house, and provided a great narrative. Surrounding the house is a wonderful garden with a Balinese theme, which we also enjoyed.
Being a salt dome, a mine was developed, producing some of the purest salt in the world, which was shipped to a wide market. The mine was adjacent to a small lake near the Jefferson House, as well as to a house that his grandson had built. Shell Oil was drilling nearby about twenty-five years ago, pierced the wall of the mine, and caused a huge collapse of the underground structure. Eight barges, most of the lake, the grand-son's house, even the kitchen of the master house, and a good part of the garden, were sucked down into the abyss. There remains a hole under the lake of several hundred feet in depth. The lake is considerably larger than before, and only a few feet deep except for the hole. Six of the barges popped back up to the surface, but two were never found. And not a soul lost his life.
The other 'island' we visited is called Avery Island. It is home to the Tabasco factory, the original sauce invented there by Edmund McIlhenny in 1868. The family still owns the business, and takes an active part in the process of growing, selecting and processing their special peppers. Now there are all sorts of offshoots of the original, as well as a whole line of other products and souvenirs for the consuming public. It's a big operation, so provides a lot of local employment. This salt mound also houses a wonderful garden, the Jungle Garden, developed by a McIlhenny successor, Edward, who was an avid horticulturalist, We did the walkabout, logging about 5 miles in an effort to see the entire property. Azaleas and camellias (over 600 varieties on the property) are the main feature, as well as a rookery for herons and egrets which houses hundreds of birds in mating season. The live oaks here are also spectacular, which is true all over this area. There's even a thousand year old Chinese Buddha on the property.
We mentioned rice earlier. We visited the oldest rice factory in the U.S., the Konriko Rice Factory in New Iberia. They still employ some of the original equipment used a hundred years ago, and have modernized only in small ways. They produce a product that is gluten free, as close to organic as you can get, and they successfully send their product all over the States and to Canada and Europe. The factory is ancient in appearance, but 15 people, including the owners, make it work.
We stopped in St. Martinville today, to see the Acadian Memorial. Included: a replica of the Deportation Cross; an eternal flame dedicated to those who were forced to leave Nova Scotia in 1755; a wonderful mural depicting about 50 people who were among those who arrived in Louisiana, descendants doing some of the modelling; two wonderful display rooms, one outlining the Acadian Expulsion, and one the movement of African slaves to the U.S. and elsewhere. Finally, there is the huge Live Oak adjacent to the Bayou Teche, which was the actual meeting place of the sadly reunited couple depicted in Longfellow's poem, "Evangeline".
To cap off these two fun-filled days, we found a great Cajun restaurant tonight. Tried our hand at shuckin' crawfish. Enjoyed gumbo, hush puppies, and bread pudding. Great dinner. There was also a four piece band doin' Cajun. Good music! An older party of 8 were there to celebrate a birthday, and were up and dancing nearly every number. They did the Cajun two-step, so we screwed up our courage and gave it a whirl. Awkward at first, but a lovely woman came over and gave us a little lesson. We did quite a lot better after that. More practice needed, as we were no match for the local regulars.
Tuesday 5 January 2016
Jan 5 - The sun actually has made an appearance. Hooray! But it's quite cool, down into the 30's last night with a chilly wind. Today is moving day, so it'll be great to have another sunny day for our rather short move. We're on to New Iberia (home of James Lee Burke's character, Dave Robicheaux) one of the main towns in Cajun/Creole country. We hope to taste a little true local food, and maybe catch a band doing some Cajun/Zydeco music. If we aren't successful in New Iberia, we'll move on to Lafayette or Opelousas, the latter claiming to be the Cajun Capital of the World.
Yesterday and the day before were spent prowling the city, eating the local food, enjoying the local characters, who are mixed in with a goodly sprinkling of tourists. There are a lot of street people here, but they tend to collect in small groups, sit on the sidewalks or up along the waterfront, sharing stories, booze, the odd joint, looking after their dogs, but not really bothering the passersby. We've been hit on for hand-outs rarely. One guy up on the riverfront wanted to bet me he could tell me where my shoes are from. The punch line was "I ain't saying where you got them, or bought them, they's from on your feet". Then of course he wanted to clean them for money. Enterprising! Heard younger guys around the square trying the same line. Must have been his apprentices.
Music in the streets. Jackson Square, there is one huge man who sits and invites tourists to get their picture taken with him and whoever else joins him...tuba player, trombone player, drummer, what ever. He plays trumpet, and belts out tunes like 'St. James Infirmary" with great gusto. Down the way there may be a young man playing beautiful violin. Or last night as we headed for the streetcar there was a group of young guys near Canal Street blasting out irregular music with drums, two tubas and a variety of other instruments. Yesterday morning, as we waited for the Charles Street streetcar, a woman was driving a customized golf cart down the Canal Street sidewalk blaring out good r and b music. Two ladies walking by started to dance. This was at around noon.
And of course, along Bourbon Street, the music starts in mid-afternoon, and roars on until the wee hours. The street has been pretty much taken over by hustle joints, but there can still be found the odd place worth going to. We had dinner yesterday at Pat O'Briens, good N'Orleans food, and enjoyed a beer at Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, a little bar with lots of atmosphere. But we much prefer Frenchmen's Street, where there are 6 or 7 clubs that feature good music, and the atmosphere along the street is much more subdued and comfortable.
We did the Garden District yesterday, enjoying a look at the wonderful old houses. Places owned by famous people, like Ann Rice, and the house where Jefferson Davis lived his final year. The old Lafayette Cemetery number 1 was also worth a wander and a wonder. Later, we climbed back on the streetcar and went as far as Audubon Park, where the zoo is located, opposite Tulane and Loyola Universities. The day before, I also toured the Cabildo while Gail shopped (she'd gone through it two years ago), to learn more of the history of Louisiana. Well worth the two hours. My brain was crammed...couldn't finish the whole thing, there was so much information. We also had to have cafe au lait and beignets (deep fried doughnuts covered with icing sugar) at The Cafe du Monde.
So over the three days we have done pretty much all we wanted. Generally, three days of touring in almost any city we've visited over the years is enough. Time to move on. Cajun country awaits.
Yesterday and the day before were spent prowling the city, eating the local food, enjoying the local characters, who are mixed in with a goodly sprinkling of tourists. There are a lot of street people here, but they tend to collect in small groups, sit on the sidewalks or up along the waterfront, sharing stories, booze, the odd joint, looking after their dogs, but not really bothering the passersby. We've been hit on for hand-outs rarely. One guy up on the riverfront wanted to bet me he could tell me where my shoes are from. The punch line was "I ain't saying where you got them, or bought them, they's from on your feet". Then of course he wanted to clean them for money. Enterprising! Heard younger guys around the square trying the same line. Must have been his apprentices.
Music in the streets. Jackson Square, there is one huge man who sits and invites tourists to get their picture taken with him and whoever else joins him...tuba player, trombone player, drummer, what ever. He plays trumpet, and belts out tunes like 'St. James Infirmary" with great gusto. Down the way there may be a young man playing beautiful violin. Or last night as we headed for the streetcar there was a group of young guys near Canal Street blasting out irregular music with drums, two tubas and a variety of other instruments. Yesterday morning, as we waited for the Charles Street streetcar, a woman was driving a customized golf cart down the Canal Street sidewalk blaring out good r and b music. Two ladies walking by started to dance. This was at around noon.
And of course, along Bourbon Street, the music starts in mid-afternoon, and roars on until the wee hours. The street has been pretty much taken over by hustle joints, but there can still be found the odd place worth going to. We had dinner yesterday at Pat O'Briens, good N'Orleans food, and enjoyed a beer at Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, a little bar with lots of atmosphere. But we much prefer Frenchmen's Street, where there are 6 or 7 clubs that feature good music, and the atmosphere along the street is much more subdued and comfortable.
We did the Garden District yesterday, enjoying a look at the wonderful old houses. Places owned by famous people, like Ann Rice, and the house where Jefferson Davis lived his final year. The old Lafayette Cemetery number 1 was also worth a wander and a wonder. Later, we climbed back on the streetcar and went as far as Audubon Park, where the zoo is located, opposite Tulane and Loyola Universities. The day before, I also toured the Cabildo while Gail shopped (she'd gone through it two years ago), to learn more of the history of Louisiana. Well worth the two hours. My brain was crammed...couldn't finish the whole thing, there was so much information. We also had to have cafe au lait and beignets (deep fried doughnuts covered with icing sugar) at The Cafe du Monde.
So over the three days we have done pretty much all we wanted. Generally, three days of touring in almost any city we've visited over the years is enough. Time to move on. Cajun country awaits.
Sunday 3 January 2016
January 3 - Happy New Year to all. We are in New Orleans, the Big Easy, the Crescent City, looking at grey skies once again. It's been the case for several days now, cloudy, rainy, cool, not overly southern in that regard. Soggy is the word. Almost got my mitts and scarf out yesterday, but soldiered on without.
Bay St. Louis was the same. Only soggier. We were told that after a major drought all summer, with the earth actually cracking in places, they have had nothing but rain for the past month. Our park was soggy, and there was a bit of flooding along roadways, ditches full, medians full in places. However, the hosts of the campground were really nice, so we had a good stay there despite the elements. We only stayed two nights, and spent part of our one full day touring around Bay St. Louis, dropping in at the Silver Slipper Casino down the road on the way. Half an hour in the casino, with the clanging and clatter of hundreds of money gobblers reminded us of why we aren't casino people. Reminded me of pachinko parlors in Japan, which are even worse. Enjoyed a walk around the town, which is a nice mix of large homes and tourist shops, with a few good eateries near the water front. We had lunch at the Blind Tiger, and watched some football on a big screen. Hadn't seen such a big screen for awhile.
This is hurricane country, being as close to New Orleans as it is. The area was devastated by Katrina, which is still referenced by folks you talk to because of the terrible impact it had. Our owner, Joe, told us of the wall of water that came to his property, despite the fact it's about 4 miles from the Gulf shoreline. And it went another couple of miles past his place. His campground was taken over by the government for more than two years to provide refuge to folks displaced by the storm. He was shrewd enough to work out a special contract with the gov't people, so maintained control of his property and was able to keep it safe and orderly.
We had a nice New Year's Eve with the people staying there, organized by Joe and his wife in their pavilion. Everyone brought food, and as each hour was struck, we would celebrate the area of the world starting their 2016. We even made lots of noise at 9:30 to celebrate with Newfoundland. There was also a neat coincidence. As soon as we walked in to the party, Debbie Zschuppe from Belleville let out a whoop, and we had a big hug. She worked at one of the schools in Belleville in the office, and I had gotten to know her quite well through my work with the International Student Program. We knew she and her husband were somewhere in the south, but had no idea where. And there she was.. She and her husband are doing a trip somewhat like ours. So it was great to have some time with them, and we'll keep in touch as we go our various ways.
On to New Orleans on New Year's Day. We found our 'park', which has everything we need. Wifi, t.v., full services. It's in a rather basic area the size of a good parking lot, but it serves our purposes, as the facilities are clean, and it's run by a really nice young guy named Dave. He filled us in on how to get downtown, which is about an hour by bus and streetcar, and we managed very well yesterday. We were the only white guys on the bus, all the way to Canal street, but that was no problem.
We had a good day in the city, revisiting our old haunts, and adding a few new ones. The city was busy, as always, especially since the Sugar Bowl was played here on New Year's Day. Lots of happy Ole Miss fans were on the streets. Lunch in the French Market; a free big band concert at the Mint, which also houses three very good exhibitions, one focusing on Louis Armstrong, who was born into poverty here, and rose to become an honorary citizen. The other two were also very good: a collection of artworks done by very unschooled artists, mostly from Louisiana, and a photo exhibit displaying winners of an international contest judging the world's best photos across a variety of categories. They were amazing.
We then headed to Frenchmen's Street, and got into several clubs that do really good music, as opposed to the Bourbon Street general fare. We enjoyed a little quartet led by a pretty blond trumpet player/singer, their specialty being tunes from the early eras of jazz. We also found a very good blues band, after we caught the tail end of a group featuring a terrific older guy who sang up a storm, especially doing Cohen's "Hallelulia" as well as I've ever heard it. Pulled pork sandwich and a beer, and life is good. Caught the street car, connected with the bus, and home with no problem by 10:30. We'll do it again today, and probably tomorrow, with hopes the sun comes out today.
Bay St. Louis was the same. Only soggier. We were told that after a major drought all summer, with the earth actually cracking in places, they have had nothing but rain for the past month. Our park was soggy, and there was a bit of flooding along roadways, ditches full, medians full in places. However, the hosts of the campground were really nice, so we had a good stay there despite the elements. We only stayed two nights, and spent part of our one full day touring around Bay St. Louis, dropping in at the Silver Slipper Casino down the road on the way. Half an hour in the casino, with the clanging and clatter of hundreds of money gobblers reminded us of why we aren't casino people. Reminded me of pachinko parlors in Japan, which are even worse. Enjoyed a walk around the town, which is a nice mix of large homes and tourist shops, with a few good eateries near the water front. We had lunch at the Blind Tiger, and watched some football on a big screen. Hadn't seen such a big screen for awhile.
This is hurricane country, being as close to New Orleans as it is. The area was devastated by Katrina, which is still referenced by folks you talk to because of the terrible impact it had. Our owner, Joe, told us of the wall of water that came to his property, despite the fact it's about 4 miles from the Gulf shoreline. And it went another couple of miles past his place. His campground was taken over by the government for more than two years to provide refuge to folks displaced by the storm. He was shrewd enough to work out a special contract with the gov't people, so maintained control of his property and was able to keep it safe and orderly.
We had a nice New Year's Eve with the people staying there, organized by Joe and his wife in their pavilion. Everyone brought food, and as each hour was struck, we would celebrate the area of the world starting their 2016. We even made lots of noise at 9:30 to celebrate with Newfoundland. There was also a neat coincidence. As soon as we walked in to the party, Debbie Zschuppe from Belleville let out a whoop, and we had a big hug. She worked at one of the schools in Belleville in the office, and I had gotten to know her quite well through my work with the International Student Program. We knew she and her husband were somewhere in the south, but had no idea where. And there she was.. She and her husband are doing a trip somewhat like ours. So it was great to have some time with them, and we'll keep in touch as we go our various ways.
On to New Orleans on New Year's Day. We found our 'park', which has everything we need. Wifi, t.v., full services. It's in a rather basic area the size of a good parking lot, but it serves our purposes, as the facilities are clean, and it's run by a really nice young guy named Dave. He filled us in on how to get downtown, which is about an hour by bus and streetcar, and we managed very well yesterday. We were the only white guys on the bus, all the way to Canal street, but that was no problem.
We had a good day in the city, revisiting our old haunts, and adding a few new ones. The city was busy, as always, especially since the Sugar Bowl was played here on New Year's Day. Lots of happy Ole Miss fans were on the streets. Lunch in the French Market; a free big band concert at the Mint, which also houses three very good exhibitions, one focusing on Louis Armstrong, who was born into poverty here, and rose to become an honorary citizen. The other two were also very good: a collection of artworks done by very unschooled artists, mostly from Louisiana, and a photo exhibit displaying winners of an international contest judging the world's best photos across a variety of categories. They were amazing.
We then headed to Frenchmen's Street, and got into several clubs that do really good music, as opposed to the Bourbon Street general fare. We enjoyed a little quartet led by a pretty blond trumpet player/singer, their specialty being tunes from the early eras of jazz. We also found a very good blues band, after we caught the tail end of a group featuring a terrific older guy who sang up a storm, especially doing Cohen's "Hallelulia" as well as I've ever heard it. Pulled pork sandwich and a beer, and life is good. Caught the street car, connected with the bus, and home with no problem by 10:30. We'll do it again today, and probably tomorrow, with hopes the sun comes out today.
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