On The High Road

Our Christmas Greetings

2011-01-08T10:13:00.001-05:00

We hope this season finds you wrapped in the warmth of family, friends and good spirit.

As you may know, Rick and I set out in October 2009 for our “Great Adventure”…i.e. nearly one year of travelling most of North America in our 40 foot motor coach that we fondly call Gigantor. It was the most extraordinary of times and we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to indulge in “chasing the sun for as long as it’s fun”.

We crossed many things off our bucket list….The Rose Bowl Parade, The Grand Canyon and Napa Valley were at the top… and visited so many jaw-droppingly beautiful places, it’s quite impossible to tightly sum it up.

We travelled over 20,000 miles in coach and car. We meandered the entire coastline from North Carolina to Whistler, British Columbia and developed an obsessive behavior of collecting far too many shells. Rick jumped feet first into surf and deep-sea fishing. We got to visit so many dear friends along the way. Played great golf courses, ate in some terrific restaurants, went to cooking school in New Orleans, gazed at the stars and watched sunrises and sunsets from coast to coast. Spent the winter in the California, Arizona and Nevada deserts and Rick helped build two Habitat for Humanity homes in Las Vegas. We carped the Diem, as they say, and it was extraordinary. The archives on the right side of this blog will lead to the in-details.

Kelly, Chip and Ian moved to Newport, RI in August where Chip is working at the Naval War College. Kelly is again diving into volunteer work and Ian is getting settled in fifth grade which is middle school there. One of the highlights of our trip was when they came to visit us in San Diego and we did all the fun kid-things there. We also got to visit with Rick’s son, Matt, as we travelled through Spokane.

Now, our next great adventure is searching for a new home somewhere a little warmer than the northeast. We’ve been at it for almost two months now….thought it would be easier than this, but supposedly the joy is the journey!

We hope we’ll be sending new address cards out soon. May you have the happiest of holidays and joy and peace in the New Year. Merry Christmas.

Full Circle ~ Back in Georgetown

2010-10-12T14:06:00.000-04:00

September 9 ~ 28

My mother is looking and seemingly feeling great. We spend our time together in Manheim, PA catching up, looking at our photos, going out to eat and dedicating Sunday to watching football. She remains a die-hard Steeler fan.

Heading towards Georgetown, we start to feel a bit odd....it's been almost a year. Our dear friends, Betsy and Ed, have graciously lent us their home while they are in Europe and we have a full plate of dinners, lunches, brunches, teas, coffees and drinks all laid out. But, I wonder, can you go home again?

Fortunately the answer is yes! After spending two days at a College Park, MD RV resort, Cherry Hill Park, (cherryhillpark.com), packing two weeks worth of clothes and getting Tor ready to put in storage for that time we drive into town and finally exhale!

We get to spend a couple of days with our hosts before they take off. Try out a new M Street Mediteranean
restaurant called Morso (no website yet) and it's a terrific if you're into small plates which we are. Had a variety of good dishes, but the hands down winner is called a Lamb Pide....in essence a lamb pizza on flat bread....wonderful.

Went back to what used to be my favorite DC restaurant, The Source, (wolfgangpuck.com) Wolfgang Puck's sleek eatery in The Newseum. Again we opt for small plates in the bar. The Tuna Tartare "cones" are still unbelievable....however, everything else has been notched way down. The former Kobe sliders are now made of undistinguished ground beef and cooked beyond belief. We all agree we wouldn't go back again....this is not an inexpensive place and mediocre just isn't good enough.

My birthday falls during this time and Rick makes a wonderful brunch which we eat in the garden. Then "Skype" (my new favorite thing) with Kelly, Chip and Ian while we open presents. I have followed Kelly's tradition of putting all bows in her hair...not particulary attractive at this age, but always gets on laugh!

Spend the day at the rejeuvenated American History Museum and are meeting friends for drinks at their place before we go out to some new hot place in the West End. Or at least that's what I thought! Rick and Cecelia have cooked up a surprise dinner party and what a treat to see my good friends after such a long time.

Spend the next days in a total Bacchanalian revelry....party on! What fun.

What a treat to just walk all over town.....hitting the familar hangouts like Martin's Tavern (martins-tavern.com) The Georgetown Waterfront Park is as special as ever.....and so glad to see the incredible granite markers finally unveiled and made "skateboarder" safe.

Our time here is growing to a close and exhilaration mixed in with a sizable amount of fear begins to set in. We are heading to Wilmington, NC to look at property. We have been there several times and have thought this might be a place where we would consider settling down. We are now about to begin our next Great Adventure!

Driving East to Newport, Rhode Island

2010-09-14T15:27:00.000-04:00

August 24~September 9

We’ve been in an electronic black hole. My PC laptop self-destructed….Rick’s Mac is schizophrenic…..the printer is having issues…..my camera is suffering from a droopy iris. This, plus the dreary landscape and long, long boring drive to Newport has put me in a snit. Bought a new laptop and trying to get in the groove again.

Leaving Chicago we made the short trip to Elkhart, IN…..why?....because that is where Tor was “born” and Rick wants to take a factory tour to figure out exactly how these coaches were made. We’re very surprised just how unfactory-like it looked. Very much like a cottage industry; a very successful cottage industry….guess that’s why Berkshire Hathaway bought it!

Stayed at Elkhart Campground (elkhartcampground.com) seemingly whose only reason for being is for the throngs of people who visit the huge number of RV factories here.

Stopped in Shaker Heights to visit my former sister and brother in laws from another life. I'm so very fond of them and their daughter, great to see them after a very long time. Tried to get Tor in their driveway, but that was a losing battle before it began. Parked it in a large city lot. Had cocktails in Tor so they could see it, then they took us to a wonderful, kind of funky restaurant, Felice Urban Cafe. The pictures I took are so bad that for everyone's sake, I'm not going to post them!

Trying to find a next stop that would be a fun place to stay for a couple of days rest.....thought the Poconos would be good......wrong! Thought we could play golf and go to the Mount Airy Lodge, which I've always heard was a lovely old hotel. Well, found out the hotel closed a few years ago and was razed to make way for a casino. Looked at two places to stay; one was so scary we opted out....they other, Mount Pocono Campground (mtpoconocampground.com) at first also looks very scary, but if you can make yourself get past the "seasonal" sites, the others are bearable. Went to the casino....gave back a lot of our former winnings.....but had good calamari and sliders at Red's Bar.

Just two more days to Newport! Stop in East Lyme, CT at Aces High....have no idea why they call it that...(aceshighrvpark.com). It's billed as a luxury resort....wouldn't go that far, but it is perfectly fine and probably a good base if visiting Mystic and New London. It also offered Rick a chance to get out his fishing gear again! It was a good thing we weren't planning on fresh fish for dinner!

Finally get to Newport and it's so good to see our kids and their new home. We have a souvenir night...these from San Francisco Chinatown.

A lobster dinner.....Kelly really didn't eat all this, but it is her fav!

Spent two days on the beach...some "surfing".

Sand castle building.

Due to the Hurricane Earl which churned up the sea, we found the beach different each time. One day it looked like a jellyfish farm with eggs all over the sand and in the water.

The next, a huge clam buffet for the seagulls who got very, very aggressive in attacking their prey.

Since we will be visiting here alot, we bought a season pass to the Newport Mansions operated by the Preservation Society. We did two this time.....Rosecliff and Marble House. Unfortunately you can't take interior pictures, but the exteriors certainly presage what's inside.

The Newport Polo Club, located in the town of Portsmouth, hosts a wildly popular Internationsl Series. We were lucky enough to catch the home team win over England.

Ian's favorite part is always the divot stomping and the half time football tossing on the field.

Dinner at 15 Point close to the polo grounds....pretty view but hugely disappointing....bad food and terrible service.

"Did" the shops in Newport twice.....adorable and perhaps the preppiest town in the universe, which suits Kelly and me just fine....but mostly we just enjoyed our time with the kids.....Ian started his new school and soccer team....both seem to be working out really well....proud grandparents need to say he scored two goals in the first game!

The only disconcerting thing we discovered during our stay was that our visitor from Park City, "Stuart Little" not only didn't leave us weeks ago as we thought, but he also had a wife! Had is the operative word because the traps we left in hidden compartments got them. We also discovered they were setting up housekeeping under a floorboard and under the sink made of shredded toilet paper and paper towels, Q-tips and......rigatoni! They're gone now but it still creeps me out!

I so hate to leave, but our great adventure is coming close to full circle. We'll stop in Pennsylvania to see my mother, then back to Georgetown.

Chicago

2010-09-01T10:40:00.000-04:00

August 21~23

Chicago isn’t “Second City” to any place. This is one beautiful, livable, well-planned and cared for town. I may be a little prejudiced since I grew up in one of its suburbs; but I haven’t been here in 20 years and it is better than ever.

We only have one day and our main destination is Millennium Park (millenniumpark.org). It is glorious. Many cities should take note…..particularly our home town of Washington, DC. The National Mall, which is sorely in need of a makeover, would shine with some of the elements found here.

The focal point of the 24 acre park is the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. This outdoor concert venue is a triumph of architecture, sound and accessibility. I’m not a fan of Frank Gehry architecture; but this one really works for me. The 4,000 fixed seats and a lawn that can hold 7,000, seem all tied up in a big stainless steel bow. The overhead lattice work is a state-of-the-art sound system that distributes the sound evenly over the area, like an indoor venue. We heard a noon concert….the sound system works!

"Cloud Gate" is the most fascinating outdoor sculpture I’ve ever seen. This highly polished stainless steel artwork is reminiscent of liquid mercury reflecting the skyline and clouds above. There’s not an angle that’s not completely fascinating….all 66 feet of length and 33 feet of height. You can also tell why locals call this piece “The Bean”.

There are gardens and ponds where people sit and cool their feet. The most astonishing water feature, though, is The Crown Fountain. Two 50 foot glass block towers, that sit on either end of a shallow reflecting pool, project images of a broad spectrum of Chicago residents. And with a nod to humor and gargoyles, the artist has inserted an outlet that spits water out of the photos mouths.

A walkway, that again utilizes stainless steel, carves an interesting path out of the park supposedly to Lake Michigan. It’s a wonderful structure, but the fact of the matter is you can’t really get to the Lake….just to Lake Shore Drive.

We are trying hard to get a Chicago “dog” for lunch…can’t find one anywhere. There’s a nice outdoor/indoor restaurant, very much like The Promenade Café at Rockefeller Center….this café also turns into an ice rink in the winter…..but we don’t want to take time to linger. There’s an International Festival of Chicago Sister Cities in the Park…..lots of vendors and food….find a good beef satay to share. We’re saving our appetites for dinner….,and this time I know the place well….Lou Malnati’s (loumalnatis.com) which, in my opinion, serves the best deep dish pizza in town.

Took a drive up “The Drive” The apartment buildings that line the street are handsome and have a stunning view of the Lake. There are beaches everywhere; we walk a bit. Drive Michigan Avenue; then State Street….sad to see the wonderful old flagship Marshall Field’s wearing a Macy’s sign.

I haven’t had a Malnati’s pizza in 20 years and I’ve built it up so much, Rick is also salivating at this point. Can’t wait…up to North Wells Street. Nowadays, I’m a real thin crust fan, but this decadent, thick, deep-dish pizza piled with tomato sauce, cheese, sausage, onions and peppers served in a cast-iron skillet is still extraordinary! Happy campers!

Staying in Joliet, about an hour out of the city, because it’s close to the highway we need to be on and we’d rather drive the car into town than Gigantor. The Empress Casino (empresscasino.com) has an RV Park that at first blush looks acceptable…..when we hook-up, much to our surprise, we find there are no sewer connections…very inconvenient to pick up stakes and drive to their dump station. Nevertheless, we play awhile at the Casino and come back with a bit more than we started with.

Elkhart, Indiana next. Why? This is where Gigantor was “born” and Rick is chomping at the bit to take a factory tour to see how these things are made.

Heading Home ~ Omaha

2010-08-30T11:14:00.000-04:00

August 18 ~ 20

This is a very, very long drive. Today is the first all day drive in deadheading home. Stop in North Platte, NE whose claim to fame is the 500,000 sand cranes that descend on town each year during their April migration. We’re descending for one night only at the Holiday RV Park (holidayparkne.com).

Never been to Omaha; and while reading up on it, find it is billed as the eighth wealthiest per capita city in the country….guess when you throw Warren Buffet in the mix, it gets a bit skewed!

We’ll spend our rest day poking around town….I’ve plotted some sights that I think should keep us occupied for the day....we had a hard time keeping busy for just the afternoon.

The Chamber of Commerce or somebody has come with a really cute way to identify points of interest. Giant pushpins mark the spot.

Went to the Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge that connects Nebraska with Iowa across the Missouri River. It’s visually striking.

Rick is most intrigued, though, with the pretty substantial vibrations on the suspension wires. It’s not very windy, but the bridge is noticeably vibrating. Walk halfway across and figure we must have made it to Iowa.

The Old Market District is supposed to be “Omaha’s Jewel”. It’s a small attractive area with shops lining cobble stone streets. Find the shops surprisingly bohemian; nothing really interesting to us.

It’s too late to go to the zoo which I understand is very good. It’s too early to go to dinner, so we stop at the Upstream Brewing Company (upstreambrewing.com) for their happy hour; nicely priced drinks and a very good coconut shrimp appetizer.

The one thing we’ve really been looking forward to, is a great steak house. Two books, “1,000 Places to See…” and “Roadfood”, both recommende Johnny’s Café (johnnyscafe.com), supposedly an Omaha institution since 1922 located in the old stockyards. It was truly the worst meal I have ever eaten. Every single thing including the Chateaubriand was inedible. Not surprisingly, the waitress never asked us how it was, since our plates were nearly as full when we were finished.

Stayed at the "West Omaha" KOA (koa.com). Not a fan of these places, but there are very few choices....at least this one had some premium sites that offered a nicer patio and furniture. But to call this "Omaha" is a real stretch.....it's in Gretna and 23 miles from town.

Thank heavens we’re stopping outside Chicago tomorrow. Ready for some fun!

Boulder Threedux

2010-08-22T13:16:00.000-04:00

August 11~17

It will take us two days to get to Boulder….two very, long, boring days. We stayed in Rawlins, WY on the way west and opt to do that again……Western Hills Campground (westernhillscampground.com) is bare bones, but it’s a bearable one night stand and at least we know what to expect. Can’t stand some of the surprises we encounter.

Make it to Boulder in time for cocktails…..that is, after getting Tor in Jim and Linda’s driveway…..always a nail biting feat which Rick is getting amazingly good at.

We’re very comfortable in Tor….we don’t seem to notice how limited the space is….until you arrive at a home where you can walk more than a few feet and not run into a wall! Feels so good to have room, a garden where you can eat outside and a shower that feels absolutely huge!

We always have such a good time at the Boulder Cunninghams’….party hearty! And it’s so good to spend more time with "Big Jim".

Rick occupies most of the daylight hours working on Tor….big surprise! He takes Tor to the spa for an oil change and tire rotation, but the bigger deal is putting in a new kitchen vent and fan.

We had a minor episode on the way to Park City. One of the hatches on the ceiling decided to open itself while we were driving…..I cranked it down, but not too long later, it not only opened, but pieces of the cover ripped open leaving us with a hazard that could blow off completely and land on someone’s windshield. There was nowhere to pull over, so we were forced to drive the rest of the way to Park City with our fingers crossed. No one got hurt! Made it to the RV resort where it promptly blew off in a gust of wind. Rick configured a temporary fix with towels, cardboard and duct tape! Unattractive, but functional! We picked up a new cover and this time added a fan to help with the kitchen heat…..better than new!

Mostly caught up with family and life chores during our week in Boulder, but got out a few times. Ate at a neat restaurant, Bacco Boulder (baccoboulder.com), a trattoria and mozzarella bar…..never heard of that one before.

To an Asian/Pacific festival on the mall.

Followed by margaritas on a roof deck.

Took a picnic to Chautauqua (chautauqua.com), a National Historic Landmark built in 1898, to hear a Neville Brothers Concert.

We didn’t have tickets so we were just going to sit outside. Then nephew Jason, walks in with four tickets in hand that he scored from a radio station doing a promotional feed. Tres cool.

Leaving in the morning….1973 miles to go until we reach Newport, RI. Fashioned a route where we drive two days, then rest for a day or so. If all goes as planned, we’ll arrive Newport September 1.

Park City Redux

2010-08-16T11:36:00.000-04:00

August 6 ~ 9

It always astonishes me how far Boulder is....seems so far west when you're in the east....so much further east when you're coming from the west! It will take us four pretty long driving days to get there, so we decide to stop in Park City again for a couple of days respite.

The long drive proved more interesting than we anticipated. We drove through stark mountains.

And the Bonneville Salt Flats, which were really interesting. Rick needed to feel the sand and reported it was as hard as concrete. Must be fascinating to see the speed races there.

Saw some fascinating rock formations.

And drove the highway that essentially splits The Great Salt Lake.

We came to Park City mostly because some of the things we wanted to see at Olympic Park weren't open when we were here in May.

The facilities have developed into a fantastic sports camp and training center. Ski jumps now land in a pool and kids as young as six are doing flips and aerial rotations. We sat and watched for an hour.

Over the ski jumps where winter practice takes place, there's now a couple of ziplines.

There are professional shows on the pool jumps every Saturday during the season at 1pm. Would have loved to have seen that.

It's so interesting to return to a city where you've spent just a little amount of time. We stayed at Park City RV Resort (parkcityrvresort.com) again because we knew it and found the facilities and people very nice. The "E" row offers a pleasant view of a hilltop in the front and Olympic park behind you....other sites not so much. Going to the Whole Foods was funny because we knew exactly where everything was....the same with the liquor store.

The only disturbing thing about this little visit was a little visit from a mouse! Think he must have come up the tire through the steering wheel or pedal floor openings. It was the morning we were leaving and I freaked out! Ran to the grocery and bought traps....Rick set them and we went out to breakfast.....came back and they were untouched....sat in the car a bit as we thought the quiet in the coach might bring him out.....half hour later, nothing. Rick finally convinced me to get in Gigantor, which I very unwillingly did. We left and never saw it again....must've left through the same opening when he heard me scream!

Two more days of driving to get to Boulder where we will spend some time with Rick's family.

Tahoe via San Jose

2010-08-14T12:39:00.000-04:00

August 4 ~ 6

Have wanted to go to Tahoe forever. Too bad we've really got the itch to get east, so we decide to only spend a couple of nights there. But we waylay to San Jose for the night to see some of the guys Rick used to worked with and they're anxious to see Tor.

We have to stay at a pretty miserable place, Trailer Tel RV Park (trailertel.net), but it's the only place right in San Jose. We don't want to the guys to come here, so we go to them.....park Tor in their office parking lot and have a little cocktail party.

The road to Tahoe is pretty uneventful except for a couple of steep climbs, particularly the one through the infamous Donner Pass. Arrive at Coachland RV Park, (coachlandrvpark.com) to this little surprise. Don't know how long we've been dragging Pearl (the car), with a hurt foot, but discover a very flat tire with a big screw lodged in it. Coachland is billed as a four star facility....don't believe it....who makes this stuff up!

Having only one full day in Tahoe, we decide to start off at Squaw Valley (squaw.com) which proudly showcases its role as host to the 1960 Olympics.

Stroll around the village which is very, very quiet and decide to take the 80 mile drive around the entire lake to get a good overview of what Tahoe is all about. Find Soupa (squaw.com/soupa), a tiny little restaurant in the village and get what turns out to be the best sandwich I've ever eaten....called a Caprese. Rick orders a Thai Peanut Wrap and we set off on the drive.

We stumble upon a fast moving stream filled with rafters and consider renting a raft...that's until we see literally hundreds of rafts fighting for water space...looks like a ride at Disneyworld.....no thanks!

Find a great spot on the Lake for a wonderful picnic. The Caprese is a whole wheat ciabotta roll slathered with pesto and piled with heritage tomatoes and mozzarella.....marvelous! The thai peanut comes in a distant second.

It has been said the 25 mile miles from State Line, Nevada north on the east side of the lake is one of the most beautiful drives in America. If that's all you do, you will be missing the very best part.....Emerald Bay, on the northwest corner of the California side.

This is in no way an educated recommendation, but it seems the north shore is far nicer.....the south filled with t-shirt shops and the like. At the two state lines between California and Nevada, the traffic is abysmal....perhaps because of the casinos at the very edge of each border. It also seemed that Incline Village and King's Beach were perhaps the nicest places along the way.

It would be great to stay and have a beach day, but we are really anxious to get back east and to our kids.....trying to find places to stay along the way to break up the very long 2900 miles ahead.

We'll go back to Park City, Utah tomorrow.....missed a couple of things at Olympic Park that we'd like to see.

Pebble Beach

2010-08-12T13:36:00.003-04:00

August 2 ~ 4

If Napa Valley is a wine lovers paradise,

Pebble Beach (pebblebeach.com) is golf in the kingdom! Even if golf is an anathema to you, the famous coastal 17 mile drive from Pacific Grove to Pebble Beach is among the most stunning scenic drives imaginable. First opened in 1881, the private road (fee of $9.50 per vehicle) takes you by enduring landmarks like the 250 year old Lone Cypress.

And while we managed to catch another cloudy, chilly day, the beaches still beckoned.

Bird Rock attracts not only its namesake, but also harbor seals and sea lions.

The seals also have one all to themselves.

The sinister Ghost Tree, bleached white by the wind, is an eerie stop along the route.

We pass Poppy Hills, Spanish Bay and Spyglass, (a wonderful course I was lucky enough to play a number of years ago) then to mecca...The Lodge at Pebble Beach and with the magnificent finishing hole as a backdrop.

Lunch at the Stillwater Grill in the Lodge is the grand finale of our final days on the west coast. It is wonderful. There is a rather steep price for this pleasure, but at least they take the drive entrance fee off your bill. If terrific food, combined with a great glass of wine, sitting overlooking the 18th green at Pebble Beach is your idea of heaven, you won't be disappointed.

Rick's Lobster Roll was stacked high with succulent meat.

My Dungess Crabcakes with Chipolte Sauce on a bed of jicama was near perfection.

The whole experience was capped off with a walk down the cartpath on 18th from green to tee and back. This is one gorgeous place and I can almost see the images of Nicklaus, Watson, Woods...as a passionate golfer, this is sheer Nirvana.

The shops at Pebble are full of great temptations which we fully succumbed to. Did a quick drive through Carmel by the Sea.....a town straight out of central casting. I wish we were staying longer, but this was just a day trip.

We picked a place to stay, (coyotevalleyresort.com) which we thought was close enough to Pebble and San Jose where Rick wants to see some former work colleagues....turns out it was too far from either place to make any sense....it was billed as a luxury resort, it's fine but no where near luxurious and frankly it's in the middle of nowhere.

We'll find a place in San Jose tomorrow...the guys want to see Gigantor....looks like we're having another cocktail party in Tor.

San Francisco

2010-08-09T14:45:00.002-04:00

July 29 ~ August 1

Have not "played" in San Francisco for over 20 years! Only business trips in and out. This will be a real treat.

Driving Gigantor across the Bay Bridge gave us quite a reintroduction to the city. The sun was out; the town sparkled. As we headed a bit south to Pacifica where we’ve booked a spot on the beach, the fog rolled in and the temperature dropped drastically.

The only saving grace of San Francisco RV Resort (sanfranciscorvresort.com) is the view. Smack dab on the ocean. And the ocean is getting closer all the time! They lost 10 feet of ground to erosion last winter and had to move the path back a considerably. The erosion is so bad, the beach is unreachable. But we’re perched high on a cliff and love the sights and sounds. Visitors even popped over to say hi.

We packed a lot in the first day. Golden Gate Park (golden-gate-park.com) first. Visited the conservatory, which was pretty, but not what we expected from a world class city.

These huge lilly pads, each about four feet across, were the stars.

And loved the small outdoor dahlia garden…never knew there could possibly be so many picture perfect varieties.

Then to the Golden Gate Bridge; appropriately covered in fog.

The Presidio and socked-in beaches looking out towards Alcatraz gave us an opportunity for a brisk walk.

Then to areas we’ve never been….Haight Asbury and the Mission District. The Haight is a eclectic combination of beautifully restored Victorian homes, funky stores and a village still stuck in the Sixties.

The Mission District’s claim to fame is more than 600 street murals that cover its buildings and alleys. The short block, Clarion Alley, between 16th and 17th Streets off Mission Street is a great representation of the art form.....and they warn you everywhere...do not call it graffiti!

The sun was bright and the temperatures perfect when we left town. Back at the ranch, a mere 15 minutes away, it’s still foggy and cold. We’re told they don’t see the sun again until September. Tres depressing!

Saturday mornings, area farmer’s tote their crops to the Ferry Building (ferrybuildingmarketplace.com) for a very vibrant market. Inside, permanent vendors sell wonderful, though very expensive, foodstuffs and other wares. The best part, though, was having brunch at the Market Cafe with a dear friend of mine from college. It’s been at least 10 years since I’ve seen Tom and loved catching up.

After brunch, Rick and I walked from the Ferry Building all the way to Ghirardelli Square, (ghirardellisq.com) stopping everywhere in between. Went down the pier to see the sea lions piled on a dock in a group sun bathing.

To Pier 39 to take in all the honky tonk and cool double deck carousel.

I really don’t remember Fisherman’sWharf being so tacky. And we found it very odd that while there are many working boats, there is not a seafood market anywhere in sight. Sit a bit in Girardelli Square and watch the water, then catch a cab back to where we parked the car as we don’t think we have another 5 or 6 miles left in our feet.

We are finding these little microclimates so interesting. Perfectly lovely in town again….20 degrees cooler and fog in Pacifica.

Chinatown is still fun. We walked the hugely steep hills and stopped in many stores to pick up the requisite souvenir finding a great deal of variation in quality and merchandise. Am already regretting not buying one of the beautifully tailored silk jackets that were on “special sale”!

Enjoyed some street musicians then on to dinner.

R & G Lounge (rnglounge.com) had been praised in several books as the best place to eat. It was packed with locals which we thought was a really good sign. Don’t know if they treated us differently than them, but our food was totally bland. What a disappointment.

Could spend weeks in San Francisco, but we are tiring of the travel and are on scenic-overload! We've made the decision to begin the long trip east....after one more important stop....Peeble Beach.

Napa Valley

2010-08-06T13:49:00.000-04:00

July 25 ~ 28

I have romanticized Napa for so long, I don’t actually know what I expected. I guess, to me, when all the elements come together….the landscape, the architecture, the food, the wine….that’s what I envisioned……a near-perfect ambience.

It takes substantial planning to make that happen though. The area is far more extensive than we knew and really needs to be done in segments to see as much as possible. Without question, the first stop should be the Napa Visitors’ Center in the Napa Town Center. It looks like more of a store than an information center, but all these people were in line, so like lemmings, we got in the que. It’s well worth the wait. We also found it helps a great deal if you had a pretty good grasp of what you want to do....there are numerous websites that help get the lay of the land. Our “guide” had tons of literature, coupons and hints after we told her what we were interested in.

What we also discovered very early on, is you can have a terrific vineyard visit without having a tasting. We couldn’t possibly taste at all the places we wanted to see over the next four days and remain standing. And it could get frightfully expensive….tastings at the good places run between $15 and $50 a person. We learned to pick our poison carefully!

Our first foray was up the Silverado Trail to a recommended new boutique winery called Black Stallion (blackstallionwinery.com), built on the grounds of a historic equestrian center. Napa is all about the “reds” and they had some good varietals and a nice little shop where we picked up a divine cabernet chocolate sauce. There’s a pretty little patio where we sat under the wisteria and had a picnic. Didn’t notice until we were leaving the notice “no picnicking”!

At the suggestion of our visitors’ center guide, we visited Artresa (artesiawinery.com), a most unusual complex. In essence, the top of a very steep hill was cut off and a modern bunker-like building was built into the land. They gentled it up a bit with ponds and sculptures. We didn’t find it very pretty, but the views from the top were spectacular.

Where everything was exactly like it’s “supposed” to be is Rubicon (rubiconestate.com). This 1887 chateau was originally home to Ingelnook Wine. Owned by Francis Ford Coppola since 1975, it is a stunning combination of old-world grace and movie museum.

This is "The Tucker" from the movie of the same name.

We planned on having a tasting of the very pricey Rubicon wines, but unfortunately encountered two couples who obviously weren’t on their first stop. We opted to just buy a glass in the tiny bar with a lovely patio. We are so glad we did. Lovely chat with the sommelier, gorgeous views, wonderful wine….this was the pinnacle of our visit.

Beringer (beringer.com) has a lovely building and grounds and a store with some good tabletop accessories.

We went to Mondavi (robertmondavi.com) to see the art collection, mostly Asian sculptures. Domain Chandon (chandon.com) was the antithesis of what I thought. I envisioned graceful; it's very modern, but the extensive grounds are handsome.

Stopped by Rutherford Hill (rutherfordhill.com) and were really sorry the last cave tour had left. I should have planned this better....it was something I really wanted to see. Stag's Leap (cask23.com) is a personal favorite of mine.....had looked forward to it, but by the time we got there, the last thing I wanted was another glass of wine.

Napa, to me, is just as much about the food as the wine. Rick was thrilled we couldn't get a reservation at the French Laundry (frenchlaundry.com) since it's up to about $1000 a couple. I had wanted to go for years, but frankly, somehow that kind of money for a meal just doesn't seem right anymore. Anyway, if you want to pop for it, book two months in advance.

While we didn't get inside the restaurant, anyone can stroll Thomas Keller's garden across the street. I think I had just as much fun doing that!

We ate at Keller's bistro restaurant down the street, Bouchon (bouchonbistro.com). I had roast leg of lamb, Rick, mussels and frites. It was good, not great, but at least not financially debilitating.

We had a better meal at the Culinary Institute of America Greystone (ciachef.com) in St. Helena. The building is imposing. The terrace very pretty.

Started with an appetizer called "Today's Temptations", a terrific and beautiful presentation of five small bites. I then had steak tartare and Rick soft shell crabs. Both were wonderful. There's also a very large kitchen store with more equipment than food stuffs. Better market choices for ingredients are at some of the vineyards and at Oakville Market. Another good place is at the Napa Farmer's Market, held every Tuesday and Saturday. The produce is great, but we mostly bought prepared items; tasty humus, capanota, tzaziki, homemade pita chips and some mexican goodies from a delightful, cheerful woman who sells at 36 California markets. Her chipolte cremosita is spectacular.

What we found hysterical is that there is not one square inch of land around here, including this little strip in the market parking lot, that doesn't include vines.

Four days is not enough. The only down side of this stop is the place we had to stay. There is nothing nice that we could find here at all. Napa Valley Expo RV Park (napavalleyexpo.com). It's exactly what it sounds like, a fairgrounds with RV sites. Not nice, but convenient.

San Francisco tomorrow.

Giant Redwoods

2010-08-01T17:00:00.000-04:00

July 21 ~ 24

We had planned to drive only a bit to Crescent City, CA where the Redwood Forest begins. But when we got there, it was evident that we should keep going as Route 101 is the Redwood Highway. We thought we should be able to stop along the way and do small trails from just off the road. Well, the road wasn't easy at all for Tor and it was impossible to pull over anywhere. Decided to continue on to Benbow, CA which is the southernmost end of the Avenue of the Giants, a 31-mile stretch of road with the largest stands of redwoods. I had heard there was a nice place to stay there...we pushed on and planned to do the forests in the car.

Didn't like the place we stayed at all, Benbow Hotel and RV Resort, (benbowinn.com), was teeming with the most curious people, but we are here for the next few days. The biggest surprise, though, is the temperature change. Just a short while ago on the coast, it was 56 degrees and cloudy. We arrive here, inland, and it is bright, sunny and 98!

The Humboldt Redwoods State Park (humboldtredwoods.org) is the heart of redwood country. The first half of the long drive was less then exhilarating. Nearing the visitors' center, things started to pick up.

At the information center we finally got a map and while there, planted two cups of redwood seeds....trying to get them to germinate so Ian can nuture them from there.

The best, most interesting trail is where the Founder's Tree is located. This easy- to- walk, mile loop is filled with huge and mysterious things.

We found this uprooted tree absolutely astonishing. It is hard to grasp how big these trees are until you can stand near it. That's me in the far right-hand corner!

Stopped at a couple more places along the way, but frankly, if I were doing it again, I'd take the highway to the visitors' center exit and take it to the northern terminus and skip the southern half.

While we are not at all happy with our RV park, the hotel which owns it is quite nice....built in 1926, it is somewhat faded, but a welcome retreat from where we are. Dinner on the very pretty terrace is surprisingly good. Rick's Truffled Shrimp and Grits on Wilted Greens is fantastic. My Griddle Game Hen with Sage Glaze is very nice.

They don't call this the Lost Coast for nothing. There really is nothing more to do here and direct access to the shoreline is impossible because the closest roads are miles from it. So, having one more day with time on our hands, we plan a trip to Ferndale, a little hamlet about an hour north. We frankly didn't expect much, but it was charming. The entire town is designated a California Historical Landmark and its gingerbread mansions have been called "Butterfat Palaces" because they were built from the wealth of the dairy industry.

There's several nice boutiques along Main Street, but the very best is a combo shop/museum whose name unfortunately illudes me, but you can't miss it.....the largest shop carrying about everything you can imagine. I found some of the local packaged food stuffs very interesting and am anxious to taste them.

We are so glad to leave this place and very excited about arriving at the altar of Bacchus (Napa) tomorrow.

Southern Oregon Coast

2010-07-28T12:41:00.000-04:00

July 16 ~ 20

Moving down the coast in search of warmer weather proves fruitless, but gorgeous.

Finally coming to the realization we are not going to get any serious beach time in Oregon, we go to Coos Bay, a little inland, to The Mill Casino (themilcasino.com) for a little diversion. The RV Park is adequate there, the casino is a nice mid-sized facility and the two evenings we spent put us a nice bit ahead.

The real reason we came here though, is for the Oregon Dunes, (stateparks.com/oregon_oregon), a 40 mile stretch of wind blown sands that stand up to 500 feet above the water. I was just planning on walking them....Rick had another idea.....a dune buggy! Rented a two-seater for an hour from SpinReel (ridetheoregondunes.com) in North Bend. Must say, they were extremely professional and careful in the pre-ride training and checklist. I really didn't think this was going to be any big deal....I was wrong.....it was quite a ride!

Loved it when we were on the beach.

But going up these huge sand hills was kind of freaky because when you got to the top, you didn't know what kind of plunge was on the other side! Hard to get your bearings especially when there was no vegetation....almost like being in a white out.

A couple of days here was a good respite, but we are going to give it one more go for a beach day. Brookings, Oregon hasn't got much going on, but there is a RV facility in a marina on the beach. We'll take a chance. The Port Brookings Harbor and RV Park (port-brookings-harbor.org) has nothing to boast about except it is just feet from the beach. The facilities are not nice, but watching the beach up close and hearing the waves all night make up for a lot.

The temperature climbs enough to make some beach time possible.

The wind kicks up enough to get in some kite-flying.

And the beach walks are uninterrupted.

One thing we find quite interesting and very charming is the way the locals use the beach. They don't seem to be coming to sit in the sand. What we see is an almost constant procession of cars that pause for just a little while to gaze. In the morning they have coffee and look like they are trying to jump-start their day. At night, ice cream cones seem to be the big thing and they are there to just exhale.

We are growing weary of traveling, but know some prime destinations are within reach. We will go through the Redwood National Forest, then to Napa which I expect to be a near religious experience for me!

Newport, Oregon

2010-07-26T14:46:00.000-04:00

July 11 ~ 15

Oregon hasn’t shown us great weather, but she certainly is a showcase for stunning landscapes. The drive to Newport is halted many times just to take it in.

We are staying at a resort that is part of Outdoor Resorts of America (outdoor-resorts.com). We’ve stayed at most of them and some are simply fabulous; others, pleasant. Pacific Shores in Newport falls in the middle of the bracket. Very nice, but there are no developed lots (outdoor kitchens and the like). But we have a grand view overlooking the ocean and lighthouse. Sometimes. Then the fog rolls in and the lighthouse disappears.

We bundle up in the mornings and take a variety of beach walks. The beach to our north is rocky, craggy and loaded with sea creatures. In the low tide, star fish and anemones hang from the boulders, thousands of mussels have been exposed from their rock homes and interesting limbs temporarily rest on the sand.

The beach to our south, just the other side of the lighthouse, is totally different. Agate Beach is sandy with very little ocean life apparent. The big find here is quite a few sand dollars.

Mostly, we keep jumping around just to stay relatively warm.

Bay Boulevard

This strip of about four blocks is a combination of shore-town souvenir shops, restaurants, galleries and the center of commercial fishing. It’s a fun stroll. And, though, we didn’t try it, understand Mo’s is the place to have chowder.

It’s a cool, but sunny day and we finally get to see the seals come up for a little sun bathing on the dock.

Rick books a fishing trip with Newport Tradewinds Deep Sea Fishing (newporttradewinds.com) for early the next morning….we’re sorry to hear he probably won’t get any salmon. But they say rock fish are plentiful.

I stay back at the ranch, spend the day on life chores and can’t wait to see what’s for dinner.

Rick returns with his legal limit of 6 rockfish. He also had to throw back ling cod because of size. He had a great time….but unfortunately some others in his group weren’t so fortunate as the heavy chop didn’t agree with some.

The fish were filleted at the dock and when I package them into dinner portions, I see we have just acquired nine dinners. For tonight’s super fresh, hours out of the water dinner, we decide to keep it simple. Dredge lightly with flour and egg, sauté in oil and butter. It is wonderful! Didn’t think I liked rockfish, but what I learned at the docks is there are about 40 varieties commonly dubbed rockfish. This variety tastes and looks like snapper.

Nye Beach

It is so cold today….the wind is blowing full force and I rummage around in the back of my closet to find a heavy sweater coat……note: this is July 15.

Nye Beach is a very small section on the beach that looks kind of like a little slice of Nantucket. Gray clapboard buildings with a couple of cute boutiques and galleries. Visited the shops, then had a warm, comforting, though extremely hearty, chowder at The Chowder Bowl. Bought a quart of their base, to which you add the milk, for the freezer…..will notch it down a bit with skim milk though. Have a hunch we haven’t seen the end of cold nights.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

Because of the weather, we haven’t yet made it to the lighthouse we’ve grown so fond of watching. Yesterday the winds must have been a sustained 40 mph. We leave today and take a quick run over there. Turns out it’s a State Park and deserves it official name…Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area (oregonparks.org). The visitors’ center gives us a good overview of the terrain and of the structure opened in 1873 and tended by a light keeper until 1966 when it was automated.

The lighthouse is striking up close and on regularly run tours you can climb the 114 steps to the top.

But what we loved most was a most unusual “bird house”. Thousands of seabirds, mostly murres and seagulls, nest on huge rocks. A guide tells us they stay packed cheek to jowl to protect themselves and their young from predators. Looking through a telescope reminded us of a some outrageous nightclub on the verge of a rave. They literally walk over each other to move.

Wish we had more time to spend...very interesting. Still trying to get just a little bit of "toes in the sand" time. Will move down the coast a bit.

Stateside ~ The Northwest Coast

2010-07-23T19:26:00.003-04:00

July 8 ~ 10

We are ready to get back to the States. Booked a ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles, WA. Planning on working our way down the Coastal Highway. Had to arrive hours before departure so Customs could do their preliminary thing. Walked to Fisherman's Wharf for lunch where we've heard Barb's Place (barbsplace.ca) serves a wicked fish and chips. The portions are massive and really just okay, but the wharf is kind of cute.

We need to scurry back to the dock because passengers are required to be there one 1/2 hours before departure....you're essentially impounded. The ferry arrives and this time we're pretty much at the head of the line because we paid for reservations...an astonishing Canadian custom! We load Tor, Pearl and ourselves and we settle in on deck for a one 1/2 hour ride on a very beautiful. day.

The crossing is great. Victoria Harbor sparkles. Seals and dolphins play around the ship and the views of the Olympic Mountains are lovely.

As we depart the ship in Port Angeles, U.S. Customs does their thing again, board Tor and we get busted! Who knew that blueberries and garlic were contraband!?! I like the Canadian Customs, they're only concerned if you have firearms. Very civilized.

Stay in Sequim at a one-night-only spot Sequim Bay Resort (sequimbayresort.com) which wouldn't be too bad if you got a bay-front site. Only redeeming thing of our stay was, when we were pulling out, a couple from Lake Tahoe who owned their coach for one day, stopped to talk. Really enjoyed them and hopefully we can meet up with them down the road.

Astoria, Oregon

The drive to Astoria, Oregon was dotted with scenes we found rather distressing. So many areas where all the trees had been felled. Hopefully there's a plan in place here.

There's very little reason to visit Astoria, OR, but we found a couple of things to keep us amused for the day. Crossed an interesting bridge, the longest (4.1 miles) truss bridge in the world. Then found Lewis and Clark Golf and RV Park (astoriaoregonrvpark.com). It's fine for a couple of days, very convenient to town and the owners are the most accommodating people I think I have ever met. Naturally it's cold and foggy so never played their 9-hole course.

Astoria is at the confluence of the Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River. Also where Lewis and Clark landed to satisfy Thomas Jefferson's quest to find a navigable route across the country from St. Louis. We wandered the beach with the car. And went to Lewis and Clark Nation Historical Park (nps.gov/lewi) which was really quite interesting. For instance, we found it fascinating that Sacagawea, who has always been held up as such an important part of the expedition, goes virtually unnoticed in the exhibits and literature. A guide tells us that actually, her husband, Charbonneau, was the translator and trailblazer and that she and her infant son went along for the ride! Here's where the expedition landed in 1806.

Found a very good restaurant on the Riverwalk, which I must say is virtually unfindable. We finally found it after tracking down the trolley that runs the route.

Bridgewater Bistro (bridgewaterbistro.com) is an unexpected find. It's in a renovated waterfront warehouse, done in a very lofty, industrial style. The food is quite good. Mine was a very innovative duck breast with a blueberry/truffle sauce. Rick had a great bouillabasse. A bayfront table offered a nice, if cloudy, view.

We go to Newport, OR in the morning. Have heard it is a charming little town.

Victoria ~ Outside the City

2010-07-20T13:54:00.000-04:00

July 6 ~ 7

We bought “1,000 Places to See Before You Die” and it has turned out to be a very good travel guide. Sooke Harbour House (sookeharbourhouse.com), about 45 minutes west and north of Victoria was mentioned and turned out to be a nice day jaunt. The Inn is lovely…not particularly fancy, but perfect for the setting, very beachy, warm and welcoming.

What we really liked, though, was where the inn sits....on Whiffen Spit…. It sounds pretty gross, but it’s actually a piece of land jutting out into the sea providing a great couple mile walk.

Still collecting rocks to make our own inukshuk…we’re insisting all rocks must be from Canada, so we’re down to the wire on finding the perfect building blocks.

Arbutus Golf Club

We loved the Nicholas course in Whistler, so we decided to play another course, Arbutus, owned by the same management company thinking it would be great. Not so much. It’s billed as offering great views of the Olympic Mountains in Washington State and the sea. Well, there is this hilltop cross-over where you can see them.

But the course is all inland and pretty boring...except for a few visitors along the way. The most interesting thing about the area is the tree for which the course has been named....arbutus. It's like a combination of a magnolia and a birch...only after the bark peels, the trunk is a cedar red color. I hear it's messy just like a magnolia, so not dearly loved around this region.

Had a 44 out and was pretty pleased, but then it got excruciatingly backed-up on the inward half and I blew up. Good to get out though and the on-line tee time site (golfbc.com) offered very inexpensive rates including dinner, so not a complete bust.

We’re taking a ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles, WA tomorrow. As much as we love Canada, we’re anxious to get back to the states.

Victoria ~ Around the Inner Harbor

2010-07-14T17:47:00.000-04:00

July 4 ~ 5

Most of the action and attractions are centered around the Inner Harbor Everything is walkable and a walk on the seawall is full of things going on. Even a couple of traffic jams on the water!

The sightseeing highlight is the Royal British Columbia Musuem (royalbcmuseum.bc.ca). And the highlight of the museum is the First Nations exhibit. These totems were pretty impressive.

The stately Parliament building sits across the street. Very grand and very English. Unfortunately there was a bit of a renovation going on and we couldn't get into the legislative chambers.

I've been waiting to get back to the Empress Hotel, (fairmont.com/empress) now a Fairmont, for tea. There many years ago and remember it as oh, so grand. Well, it's still quite attractive, but when we saw the $55 per head charge for tea, I must say we were rather outraged. I really wanted to do it, but that's just wrong! Wandered around, bought a couple of souvenirs, then called it a day.

Victoria ~ Butchart Gardens

2010-07-13T17:04:00.001-04:00

July 3

Driving from Campbell River to Victoria is a pretty straight shot down a major highway. Nothing eventful should happen. We're happily tooling down the road when this huge black cloud appears in the middle of the highway. Then splat! It was a huge swarm of thousands of yellow jackets, several hundred of which met their maker on our windshield! Couldn't even see out of the window. Had to pull over on the shoulder. Rick keeps wondering about the bikers that passed us a bit ago!

Make it to Victoria safely and settle in at Ft. Victoria RV Park (fortvictori.ca) where we have reservations for the next few days. Really dislike it, but it's the closest place to town, so we're here.

Butchart Gardens (butchartgardens.com), just outside of town, is a world-reknowned 55 acre privately owned garden created by the namesake family over 100 years ago. Having been there many years ago, I can't wait to get back....and we find that on Saturday nights they have fireworks....we vow we will make ourselves make it to the 10:15 pm show. And boy are we glad we did!

We arrive at the Gardens for the "golden hour"... when the light best hits landscape. The first area we visit is the "Sunken Garden" created by Mrs. Butchart out of an abandoned quarry on their property. (BTW, Mr. Butchart made his fortune in cement; hence the abandoned quarry) Stunningly beautiful.

The fountain, except for size, rivals the Bellagio's in Las Vegas. They even have the same manuevers.

As the sun goes down, the lights come up....the sunken garden is even more beautiful than earlier.

Making our way to the Rose Garden, we encounter beds like this begonia display every step of the way.

The Rose Garden puts me on scenic overload....it's almost too much to take in.

The Japanese Garden, where this whole big project began, is pretty, but there are so many people here, it's not serence like I'm sure it's meant to be. A far off corner, is a bit more quiet and lovely. Boat tours are offered here during the day.

The dining room that looks quite pretty, is fully booked, so we settle for their mid-tier cafeteria style option. The food is abysmal. Better choice would be to bring a picnic and eat on the lovely Italian Garden lawn.

We had positioned our chairs for the fireworks when we first arrived, so we had time to re-visit all the gardens in their night illumination mode. Quite pretty and we appreciated it much more since most others had cleared the gardens and were jockeying for fireworks views.

Cannot even begin to describe how incredible the fireworks were.....kind of a Busby Berkeley take on the pyrotechnics. Truly the best either one of us had ever seen. It was a combination of gorgeous, but rather typical sky works with beautifully choreographed displays in the lake set to an amazing score. Thousands of people were dead silent until they burst into cheers after each scene.

We were literally left breathless. And we figured it served as our July 4th celebration because it's July 3 at 10:15 pm PDT which translates to 1:15 a.m (July 4) on the east coast!

We are so glad we really forced ourselves to do this after a tiring travel day. The only thing I would do differently again is pop for a season pass which is double a one day admission. That way I think the gardens could be enjoyed without the throngs of people and the fireworks are an occasion all of their own.

Campbell River

2010-07-12T12:48:00.003-04:00

June 30 ~ July 2

The northern coast of Vancouver Island is mostly about big deal fishing. We weren't planning on doing that, but wanted to see some parts off the normal path. Campbell River is its gateway. We're staying at Salmon Point Marina Resort (salmonpoint.com). And it’s Canada Day weekend – equivalent to our July 4th – and the place is packed with families and dogs…..that’s the bad news….the good news is we got a front row ocean view spot. There’s also a pretty good restaurant on site. Had to have salmon in the Salmon Capitol of the World.

This weekend is “Transformation on the Shore” (Campbell River Shoreline Arts) which turned out to be the highlight of our visit to Campbell River. It is a cedar log carving competition that is in its 14th year. We visited every day, sometimes twice a day, to see the progress. It was fascinating and truly a demonstration of an artistic craft rarely seen.. They start with a log about six feet high and maybe two feet across. Then they start hacking away…..chain saws, axes, chisels and saws fill the park with a deafening noise. There are categories ranging from professional to novice and at the end of the four-day competition $12,000 in prize money will be awarded. Can’t believe how much we get into this. Unfortunately we are leaving Campbell River before the end, but we followed them most of the way through the process. Here's some of our favorites in the making.

The Campbell River Museum (crmuseum.ca) is a wonderful surprise. It features truly fabulous exhibits on the history of the area from the First Nations aboriginal tribes through its role in the 18th century logging and fishing industries. We’re thrilled to find a museum of this caliber in this small little town.

Canada Day in Campbell River is full of activities. The resort kicks the day off with a pancake breakfast in the clubhouse that Rick has to drag me to, but it turned out great. Two pancakes, two eggs, sausages, juice and coffee is $5…I get half of that for half the price.

The parade in town is of the neighborhood variety…cute with every club, scout troop, team and civil servant strutting their stuff. The antique fire engine didn’t work out too well though.

The fireworks do not start until 10:22! It is 5p.m. with really nothing left to do and it’s a half hour back to Tor then back to town again later. We sadly decide, though fireworks are near the top of all time favs, we will forgo them….we are asleep long before they start.

Three full days is a long time in Campbell River. Fortunately found a terrific inn, Painter’s Lodge (painterslodge.com), which is primarily for fishing, hoping Rick would go out on a trip….didn’t work out, but we had a nice lunch on a beautiful day.

And, of course, back again for one last look at the carvings. Really want to know who wins…later we found this list of the winners. Click the link by the names of each contestant to see the transformation from log to finished art.

We've been caught in a buffalo jam, a donkey jam and a mule deer jam, but I would sincerely like to know who has ever been caught in a naked alpaca jam!?!

The weirdest thing about this little jaunt up the coast to the Salmon Capitol of the World, is we can’t find a decent fish market! The hinterlands have been interesting, but can’t wait to get to a little civilization in Victoria tomorrow.

Vancouver Island ~ Central Coast ~ Part 2

2010-07-05T15:31:00.002-04:00

June 28 ~ 29

Today, I will wear white! The sun is out, the temperature is supposed to climb and it might actually feel like summer has finally arrived. I'm so excited to pull out the white clothes I've toted about for the last eight months longing for summer. However, once again we fall victim to the meterologist's bait and switch! When we get going on our outing, the temperature drops, the sun departs and the spattering rain begins. Luckily, after this much time in the Northwest, we know what you see isn't always what you get weatherwise. We never go anywhere without at least two more layers of clothing stowed in the car.

Cathedral Grove in Macmillan Provincial Park (vancouverisland.com/parks) is a walk into Jurassaic Park. The 743 acre stand of towering Douglas-fir and Cedar trees convince you, you are in a world unto its own....and in a way you are. The oldest and tallest of these is 800 years old and 250 feet tall.

There are tree hollows large enough to hold an entire family.

The trails lead through a world of nature at her best and her cruelest. The trees, ferns, wild flowers and streams are beautiful and soothing.

The hundreds of toppled trunks and limbs that have closed many trails are the result of a massive 1997 storm which is said to have changed the look of the park forever. The bad news is that it took out so many wonderful specimens....the good news is that it opened up the canopy to allow sunlight into the forest bringing new growth. We were so glad to have seen this extraordinary place.

Next stop on today's jaunt is the Little Qualicum Falls. This proved pleasant, but not extraordinary. The hike to the two sets of falls is relatively steep....glad I brought tennis shoes so I could change out of my sandals.

Goats on the roof! It's really not to be believed. Coombs Country Market (oldcountrymarket.com) began in 1971 as a small produce stand. The originator was from Norway and it is said he longed to see a grass roof like those in his country. It is also said that once he got the grass growing, a few glasses of wine inspired the idea of putting goats up there! It is a hoot, but I find it hard to believe that PETA is all over it.

They are atop a now extensive building that houses a rather odd combination of goods. Kind of like a Trader Joe's mets Pier One with a restaurant thrown in. The fresh breads look glorious but are better looking than they are tasting.

The best part is an out building of wonderful fresh produce at terrific prices. We stocked up.

We've had a terrific time in Parksville. Tomorrow we'll head further up island to the gateway of the North Coast. Campbell River is called the Salmon Capitol of the World. Looking forward to some good eating.

Vancouver Island ~ Central Coast

2010-07-01T16:48:00.002-04:00

June 24 ~ 27

Getting on the ferry from Horseshoe Bay took a lot longer than we planned. Not because of getting Tor on the boat, but because we were the first people in the ferry line not to make the 12:30 sailing! Had to wait another 2 1/2 hours for the next boat. Think it was so crowded because BC

Ferries has instituted a mid-week fare on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, the significantly discounted price is especially worthwhile if your paying for a vehicle the length of Tor. Fortunately there's a little village right next to the terminal that had a good restaurant on the water, called the BoatHouse and pretty views around the wharf that filled the time nicely.

Got Tor loaded in a good position, since we were the first on.

We layered up on the clothing because we thought it would be cold on the water. But the sun came out and it turned out to be a wonderful just under two hour trip.

Disembark at Nanaimo/Departure Bay and drive about 25 minutes to Parksville which is supposed to have beautiful beaches and the warmest water on the island. Arrive Surfside RV Resort (surfside.bc.ca) and at first were kind of taken aback because it is almost entirely park model permanent summer residences. Turned out we loved it....magnificent view, lovely clubhouse facilities with a good exchange library, very nice neighbors and beachwalks and shell hunting galore.

There are very few ocean sites that are rentable to travelers. We felt very fortunate to secure this location with the ocean on one side and a mountain view from the other.

The first evening brings a gorgeous sunset.

The weather during the next few days is still not cooperating, however we walk the rocky beach everyday at low tide when it's possible to go out at least a half mile. We accumulate so many shells that I know will make the coolest salt cellars, appetizer plates and jewelry. Of course, we also did this in the Bay of Fundy and have never done anything with them, but it's fun. And the water is really pretty warm.

We come across a starfish just barely in the water. Never have seen a purple one, but later learn they are by far the most common.

The best news came on the beach when Kelly called to give us the good news Chip's next post will be at the War College in Newport, Rhode Island, a wonderful opportunity for him and a pretty great location for the whole family. We talked forever..not a good thing at these international rates, but who cares!

Then we discover the bald eagles....how very grand! Have never seen one in the wild...apparently they hang out on this beach all the time. Rick shoots some amazing photos. This one is particularly spectacular. Seems crows have some issues with the eagles and they keep dive bombing them. Can't believe the eagle just doesn't take him out!

Take a drive to Nanaimo, the second largest city on the island after Victoria. They seemed to have spent an enormous amount of money attempting to create a vibrant waterfront. Don't know if it's economically viable, there's hardly anyone around. We do have a nice walk and discover a very unusual sight, at least to us. The tide is out and the starfish, mostly purple ones, are hanging from the pier and piled up everywhere. This is one of the prettier sights with the sea anomenes...the piles of purple blobs were actually pretty gross.

And we find Dr. Seuss flowers live in Canada too!

Found a great seafood market in Parksville at the wharf called French Creek Seafood (frenchcreekseafood.com). Looks pretty groddy as the best ones always do with the requisite wreck of an old boat at the entrance.

They have the spot prawns we discovered on Granville Island and at a far better price. Today is the last day of the prawn season so we are so glad we came today. We've made them two ways; shelled and sauteed in butter, oil, wine and garlic which was amazing and Rick found a recipe for an oil, basil, garlic marinade that when coated for awhile then tossed on the grill was simply fantastic. These prawns are reminscent of the Ridgebacks we found in Santa Barbara (though far more expensive)...both have that rich, lobster taste. Would even buy these frozen if we can find them.....they are that good!

The weather is not only not cooperating, it is truly odd. The days are cloudy and windy....about 4 or 5 o'clock, the sun comes out and it's glorious. And, by the way, it's not really dark until about 10:30 and dawn is before 5. A whole lot of daylight...wish there was some sunlight to go with it.

Whistler

2010-06-28T14:39:00.000-04:00

June 19 ~ 23

The "Sea to Sky Drive" from Vancouver to Whistler is near the top of the list for drama and beauty.

It's also near the top of Rick's list in white knuckle driving....narrow, lots of switchbacks and up and down the mountain. But, boy did I enjoy it from the back!

We're staying in a kind of funny place named Riverside RV Resort (whistlercamping.com), but it simply could not be in a better location.... in the village and no more than 3 minutes to the resort. We didn't like our interior site we were first assigned, but the perimeter mountain view location we moved to was just fine. We looked over their putting course and onto the snow-capped mountains.

It is also bordered by a wonderful walking/biking paved path and a rushing stream. On one walk, Rick decided he would build his own inukshuk, orginally a First Nation path marker which has morphed into a national Canadian symbol of welcome.

The trail then led us to the most marvelous discovery....Nicklaus North Golf Resort (golfwhistler.com). Not only did the course look wonderful, the path led around Green Lake, a most extraordinary sight.

Stopped in the pro-shop to book a tee time for the next day and decided since there seemed to be no booking problem, to wait and see what the weather brought. Middle of June, still nippy and mostly overcast.

Glad we waited, got to wait it out for a perfect day and found a website (golfbc.com), where we were able to book a time for almost half the listed price.

Managed to play pretty well which really surprised me since we hadn't played in three months. The course is challenging, but fair. Five sets of tees lets you pick a comfortable length. It's pretty, with nice mountain and pond views, but not stunning until you get to 15. The finishing holes border on the gorgeous lake with the float planes.

Dinner on the terrace capped off a terrific day....great food and an incredible view.

Whister Blackcomb Village (whistlerblackcomb.com) is massive. Was stunned at the number of hotels and residential units that fill the area. Couple of weird things though; you really have to search to find all the shops and restaurants. It wasn't until our second visit that we discovered them. If you make your way to the chair lifts you will finally find all the action.

The other rather odd thing is that nearly all traces of the Olympics are gone. The medal ceremony park is being turned into a playground....and what's there now is adorable. The Olympic store is closed and the mogul hill is turned into a bike run for the summer.

This is the only remmant left....an outdoor table for an ice cream shop that has the mascots strapped in.

Most of the stores are very outdoorsy of the rugged variety...there are, however, two very good markets. The IGA in the Village and Nestor's on the highway. I finally scored an Olympic pin, of snowboarding, for Ian...found it at the IGA.

Visited the Aboriginal Cultural Center (slcc.ca) hoping to see some wonderful exhibits about the Squamish and Lil'wat nations that first settled the area. It is a lovely building with very amatuerish displays...and at $18 a head, very disappointing. This was a representation of a shawl.

Rick was fascinated, though, by the engineering of an out building called the Pit House that was a representation of a traditional dwelling.

We loved Whistler...lovely and beautiful. Tomorrow we put Tor on a ferry to Vancouver Island. Going to go up the central coast to some areas that are a bit off the beaten path.

Vancouver ~ Granville Island & Queen Elizabeth Park

2010-06-26T14:42:00.000-04:00

June 17 ~ 19

OMG! No literature prepared us for how cool Granville Island is.(granvilleisland.com) We thought we’d do a drive through to see what was up. Turns out, you can certainly spend the better part of a day; and actually, well into the night. We read Granville Island was a collection of shops, galleries, restaurants and a market tucked under a bridge. Well, talk about an understatement! Must be 100 shops and the best market I have ever seen. And they are all hoppin’.

The mix of businesses is really interesting. Some existed in the early 20th century, like a ship builder, when the area was a rather down and out industrial section. Others are very avant guard. And others are a mix of old crafts revived in a modern world.

The Broom Shop, open only two weeks, is where a young woman carries on the craft of her ancestors. The brooms are artful and utilitarian….but we weren’t planning on buying anything…. then it struck us…..some looked just like a Harry Potter Quiddich broom. Grandson Ian is planning his new room….a Harry Potter room….had to get it. Trying to choose the one that looked most like Harry’s when the artist tells us, her family made the Potter brooms and leads us to the proper style. Turns out it’s also a good ride!

The market is extraordinary...the breads, the meats, the produce, the seafood, the flowers....I am literally a kid in a candy shop.

Can’t help myself…we buy steaks, leg of lamb, souvlaki, breads, muffins, fresh pasta, every kind of veggie and fruit imaginable, fresh herbs, flowers. Everything is exquisite. However, we find the best seafood at a shop not in the public market. Finest at Sea, Granville Island Smokery, specializes in smoked fish. Have never heard of candied salmon…one taste and we are smitten! That also goes for smoked teriyaki salmon and a smoked sable fish. There’s also a smoked halibut/eggplant spread and a salmon pate….all go in the basket. We top off the order with fresh spot prawns, a BC specialty that has a very short season. Tonight we will have a grazing dinner with the prawns sautéed in butter, wine and garlic as the centerpiece.

Queen Elizabeth Park

Another jewel hidden in a residential area is Queen Elizabeth Park, (vancouver.ca/parks) a former quarry occupying 130 acres that was transformed in the 1940’s into a stunning garden and recreation area. It is also the highest point in Vancouver….the city vistas from atop the park are stunning….the contrasts of city, gardens and snowcapped mountains makes quite a picture.

The walk through the gardens has a definite Asian feel....it is serene, perfectly manicured and full of plants we're not familiar with...unfortunately there is very little signage identifying the species. But it is just grand.

While the gardens are free, there is a conservatory housed in a geodesic dome that has a $6 admission charge. We were planning on going, but when we entered, it looked so unimpressive that we passed….don’t know if that was a mistake or not.

We leave Vancouver in the morning and on to Whistler, just about 75 miles north. We love it here....not too crazy about where we're staying though. Called Burnaby Cariboo RV Resort (bcrv.com). There is a nice indoor pool and jacuzzi, game room and small gym. But the sites are so close together, it's rather uncomfortable. And the internet simply does not work.

Never been to Whistler....hear it's pretty terrific.

Vancouver

2010-06-23T16:01:00.000-04:00

June 14 ~ 16

Have never heard anyone call Vancouver "Oz" or "The Emerald City"....but they should. The whole huge city seems made of green glass ....quite a striking sight.

Vancouver is chic, sophisticated and incredibly clean. Since I've been here, maybe 20 years ago, the city has absolutely exploded....the skyline looks like Manhattan....shops, the likes of Chanel, line the streets....cozy bistros and uber bars are packed. And the thing I remember most from that earlier trip is just how tidy and well kept everything is. Even the most modest of homes, sports a beautiful garden. Fortunately, that still holds true.

The weather is not cooperating again, so we attempt to see some of the indoor Olympic venues. We arrive at The Richmond Oval, where all the skating took place, to find there is really nothing to see (except this statute) as they are converting the facility into an "International Sports Center". (Note to self: call all destinations for current conditions, books and websites are not always up to date.)

Do a drive around and find a pretty beach, Spanish Banks Beach, totally bereft of people on this gray day.

Had a wonderful chat with a lonely lifeguard who told us places to go and places to avoid. He was right about Chinatown...a drive-by proves it uninteresting. Gastown, however, is pretty cool. Stroll the shops and find the coveted "red mittens" from the Olympics. And discover a terrific European-style bistro, Chill Winston (chillwinston.ca) on a pretty little corner.

We'll graze on appetizers again. The Venison Carpaccio, Proscuitto Wrapped Prawns and the Mussels Tomato Puttanesca simply cannot be beat. The sun even pokes out and a day that started with several missteps, ends on a fine note.

Stanley Park

We've found on our last few trips into Canada, that this country has the most amazing park system. Public parks and gardens are plentiful and beautiful. Stanley Park is extraordinary....save an entire day to savor it all.

The five mile loop around the park starts with the Totem Pole Park, eight installations dating from the 1920's to the present. They reflect the history and culture of the artist's family. The rise to about 50 feet.

There are beaches along the way.

A fantastic overlook view of Lion's Gate Bridge.

And after much looking around for the Seqouia Grill, we found it had been renamed The Teahouse. It's a beautiful little building overlooking the water from a perfect patio and also luckily serves fabulous food.

This Smoked Salmon Arugula Flatbread Pizza was perfect. Rick's Linguine with Clam Sauce was its equal.

Though we could have spent hours more, we needed to get downtown to the BC Ferry office to figure out the next leg of our trip, so we made the Rose Garden our last stop in Stanley Park. We are so glad we didn't miss this.

There were also many calla lillies, my particular favorite....and the likes of these I've never seen...about four foot stems.

The ferry office is located at the Harbor where much of the Olympic ceremonies took place. It is a very vibrant area now the site of offices, cruise departures and convention space.

We only get more perplexed after talking to the young ferry representative. We are exploring all the possibilities of getting to Alaska....driving....taking Tor on a ferry....and going back to Seattle to take a cruise. We are getting kind of weary of traveling though....it's been eight months...still in the decision making mode of what's next. Right now, we're just going to enjoy Vancouver for a few more days.

Seattle ~ Part Two

2010-06-20T17:19:00.000-04:00

June 9 ~ 14

Seattle is a very high energy town….young, vibrant and a tad bohemian…all makes for good sightseeing and people watching. The only unfortunate thing is that all that makes it attractive has swelled the population so much that the traffic is a nightmare. We learn to weave and bob around town and stay off the highways during peak times.

Had read that Chinatown was a very active area and one of the largest in the country. Did a drive-by and really couldn’t find anything of interest. Then to Pioneer Square, the city’s historic district. Some interesting buildings, but didn’t find any shops or an appealing luncheon destination. Remembered I had read about Elliot’s Oyster House (elliotsoysterhouse.com) on the waterfront. Fortunately we had parked within reasonable walking distance and hiked over there.

On a better weather day, it would be great to eat on the deck overlooking the harbor…not in the cards again. Inside at a window table, looking out though, was just fine. I had an appetizer order of mini crab cakes with a jicama salad. It was great. Unfortunately, Rick didn’t have the same luck…his fried oysters went back twice after which he decided to give up. Stopped at a street clam bar for some fried clams for him.

Back to the car to find our way through an industrial area to another wharf to Wild Salmon Seafood Market (wildsalmonseafood.com) in search of something wonderful to prepare for a beach picnic tomorrow…..(please let there be sun!) Bought a Dungeness crab which they cooked and cleaned and Rick will pick. We will have a feast at Akli Park tomorrow.

Akli Park

It’s gorgeous weather…low 70’s and sun. Haven’t seen that in a long time. Make a pesto mayonnaise dip and a wasabi dip for the crab, add a smoked trout spread, baguette, cheese, crackers, Rainier cherries and Rick’s favorite, deviled eggs, for the picnic.

Akli Park is one happening place…it’s mobbed on this first nice day of the season…cars are trolling the streets for a parking place, cyclists, runners, walkers, kids and their parents and teenagers checking each other out pack the sidewalks and boardwalk. The view is striking…Puget Sound backdropped by the Seattle skyline... framed by ferries, sailboats and jet skiers and the Olympic Mountains. Lovely sight.

Turns out it though, the beach isn’t so fab….most of it is a seawall peering over a rocky beach…there’s one small place where they must bring in sand….it’s a magnet for everyone. We try it for a bit, but it’s not very serene……move to the rocky part…much better.

The Space Needle

We figure we should at least do a drive-by of the Space Needle since we are here. Leave the beach and go to Seattle Center, home of the icon of the 1962 World Expo. The 620 foot Needle is the centerpiece of what is now mostly an amusement park. There is also another Frank Gehry building which houses a Music and a Science Fiction Museum. Again, I don’t get it…this architect’s structures all look alike to me….guess the philistine in me is showing again.

A very pleasant day and on top of it all we get to experience yet another weather record…..never in the history of man has Seattle not had a 75 degree day by June 11. Aren’t we lucky to be a witness to that!!!!! Leaving for Vancouver in the morning….crossing our fingers for catching a break with the weather.

Seattle ~ Pike Place Public Market

2010-06-13T18:34:00.000-04:00

June 7~8

The drive to Seattle involves some very steep climbs, but Tor makes it just fine and there are many striking views.

Staying at the closest place I can find to the city.... Lake Pleasant RV Resort in Bothell (website seems to only be accessible through Woodall's)....it's a decent mid-tier place...we get a site with a pretty good view.

There are ducks, geese and assorted water fowl everywhere. Rick is having a great time with the camera. Neither of us have ever seen a bird's nest floating on the water....not sure what type of bird it is...Rick thinks it's a coot.

Pike Place Public Market

This market has been continually open for business since 1907 making the longest running market in the country. Today there are over 200 vendors and it is not only about the products..it's pure theatrics! The young men that staff the biggest fish stand are charmers. And you better have good reflexes because all of sudden one of them may shout "low flying fish" and a 20 pound salmon comes flying over the counter.

It's Dungeness crab season.

The produce is gorgeous.

And they're serious about not handling their product!

The flowers are stunning and wonderfully priced.

Very frankly it's more entertainment than fabulous food.....we bought some mussels and shrimp to grill that evening and we're very disappointed in both....but it's fun and a "have to do".

Think we'll stay at least a few days...seemingly lots to do and we're in the mood to sit still for a bit.

The Spokane Area

2010-06-09T15:59:00.001-04:00

June 4 ~ 7

Stop in Cheney, WA, about 20 minutes outside of Spokane to visit Rick's son, Matt. Hard to find a place to stay...end up in Peaceful Pines RV Park (peacefulpinesrv.com) that works out okay.

Spend an afternoon in Spokane visiting Riverfront Park, a very pretty 100 acre stretch of land that was created for the 1974 for a World's Fair Exposition. The center attraction, though, lies on the perimeter of the park and is kind of hard to find....follow the wires of the Gondola Ride and you can find stairs leading very near Spokane Falls. They are dramatic.

The rest of the park features lots of kid rides and an IMAX theatre....we liked the iron sculpture that stretches over a block titled "The Joy of Running Together".

Next stop Seattle...have only been there once on a business trip and that has to be at least 20 years ago. Looking forward to it.

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

2010-06-07T16:57:00.001-04:00

June 1 ~ 3

We leave Sun Valley in the rain...big surprise....it will take two pretty long days to get to Coeur d'Alene. The drive takes us through Idaho, into Montanta and back into Idaho. There is no where of interest to stop along the way...but the drive is pretty.

There is one brief stop we discover....a hot springs that can reach temperatures of 180 degrees.

We stop midway in truly the middle of nowhere and are pleased just to find a place to spend the night. It's raining, so it's hard to enjoy the surrounding mountains. In fact, it gets a bit eerie...no cell phone coverage....it's amazing how dependent on our conveniences we've become. I spend hours in the middle of the night trying to figure out how I can deal with an emergency and where I'm going to find a land line.

Coeur d'Alene is all about the outdoors....gorgeous lake, great golf courses, scenic drives. It rains most of the time we are here, so golf is out, being on the lake is out...we do manage to get in a drive around Lake Coeur d'Alene which is truly lovely. The Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course offers one of the most unusual views. The 14th hole is a par 3 floating island. There's a real good view of it from the pro shop.

We watch a foursome tee off in a raging wind....two of the four actually get on...there's a little skiff docked in the foreground that takes the players to the green.... whole thing's kind of silly and must really back up the course, but I admit, it was fun to watch.

We're staying at the Blackwell Island RV Resort (idahorvpark.com), a mid-tier place that has a few sites with nice views on the Spokane River. There is a very good restaurant just moments away called Cedars Floating Restaurant (cedarsfloatingrestaurant.com) situated on floating dock. My planked salmon was wonderful, as was Rick's seafood pasta with salmon, shrimp and whitefish. Though I suspect the views of the lake are quite a bit better in nicer weather and it's probably great to eat outside....we'll never know!

We take advantage of another rainy day to catch up on cleaning and laundry. This weather is so depressing...could never live in the Northwest. To the Spokane area tomorow to visit with Rick's son, Matt.

Sun Valley

2010-06-04T17:12:00.000-04:00

May 28 ~31

Sun Valley is charming. The Resort is picture perfect....lovely inn, beautiful shops carrying everything from Blahnik to Prada, a fabulous outdoor theater pavillion and their famous open year-round ice rink.

This is Memorial Day Weekend although it sure doesn't look or feel like it outside...yes, that is hail and sleet on the car window.

A Wellness Weekend is being hosted by the resort consisting of lectures, symposiums and whatnot; including a keynote address by Jamie Lee Curtis. But the real action is in the variety of volleyball tournaments; from kids teams to the pro beach variety.

We learn the weekend has been created to drive traffic to the resort in between seasons which unfortunately we have managed to catch once again. The outdoor summer ice shows featuring the sports' biggest stars doesn't start until mid-June along with the summer concert series. Would have loved to have seen that ice show.

We share Kobe Sliders and fries at Duchin's lounge at the Resort. They're terrific....unfortunately we're eating rather early because we skipped lunch...music starts at 8:30, but just can't hang out that long.

The adjacent town of Ketchum is adoraable. Lovely very high-end shops. But what I loved most is the local grocery market...Atkinson's....it doesn't look fancy, but what a wonderful assortment of fresh, prepared and unusual foods.....we stocked up. Next door is another great store....Ketchum Kitchen. It is so full of wonderful kitchen things you don't know where to look first.

It's just too cold and windy to play golf, but visited the resort course and pro shop. The shop is one of the nicest I've seen in a long time, great merchandise and merchandising.

We really like it here, but the weather is too miserable and most things we'd like to do are outdoor things. The place we are staying, The Meadows, ( no website) is far from luxurious, but it's really the only game in. Very convenient....only a mile or so to town, has a view of the hills if you pick your site facing the road, backs up to a fishing stream, a great bike trail and is run by a extremely pleasant couple. But it's very bare bones and not the kind of place we want to linger. We will leave in the morning and try Coeur d'Alene and hopefully get a break with the weather.

The Slopes and the Famed Choir

2010-06-03T13:37:00.000-04:00

May 27

Rick had skied Alta and Snow Bird many years ago and he was anxious to see them again. They’re about 45 minutes out of Salt Lake and it’s a pretty trip up the mountains. Thank heavens it’s decent weather.

Both areas still have tons of snow on the trails. We see this sign as we approach the lodge at Snow Bird. Yikes!

On this Thursday there is hardly anybody around…..we poke around both areas and they are very simple resorts….no frills….no shops…a couple of nice hotels….but apparently some of the best powder skiing in the world.

Lunch at the Cliff Lodge in a Mexican restaurant, the only thing open. The food is just fine, a taco salad and a grilled fish taco, but the waitress’ head must have been dreaming of skiing on the weekend, ‘cuz it certainly wasn’t on customer service. The setting, though, is pretty cool.

We were hoping to be able to spend the entire day out and go directly to dinner in town and to the 8 p.m. Mormon Tabernacle Choir rehearsal. Not enough to do here so go back to Tor and fiddle around a bit.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Had dinner at a touted restaurant, Market Street Grill, a very attractive place that also houses Market Street Oyster Bar. I, again, opt for an appetizer….seared ahi tuna….the flavor was very good, but oddly served refrigerated. Rick goes for the full blown dinner of clam chowder, calamari, fries and a veggie side. Only the fries were edible. Should have really complained.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has 360 unpaid volunteers who travel the world giving concerts and also have the longest running continual radio broadcast in the world. This broadcast is also open to the public every Sunday morning. We’re lucky that tonight’s rehearsal also features the full symphony and the Temple Bells, a group of about 30 wielding an extraordinary array of chimes.

The choir sings with one clear, simple voice, rather like a boys choir. The orchestra is quite good and we love the chimes. The rehearsal runs from 8 – 9:30 and visitors can come and go as they please.

Tomorrow; Sun Valley….another new destination for both of us.

Temple Square

2010-06-02T14:30:00.001-04:00

May 25 ~ 26

It's a gorgeous day! Halleluja! Temple Square (visittemplesquare.com), is a ten-acre area in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City owned by the Church of Latter Day Saints, more commonly called the Mormon Church. In 1847, Brigham Young and his followers crossed the desert and selected this site to build a temple. Today the six spire granite structure is the centerpiece of the extensive Temple Square buildings.

The Temple is surrounded by a beautiful garden that is just coming into its own in late May. We see brides all over the place….and this is a Tuesday. One guide tells us that in one record day there were 130 weddings performed in the Temple.

Non-members are not allowed in the Temple, but there are many other buildings to explore. The Assembly Hall is a very handsome building built in 1882 that is now used primarily for summer concerts.

Every day at noon, there is a free half-hour organ concert in the spectacular Mormon Tabernacle, also home to the famous choir. The building holds thousands of people and the organ sports 11,623 pipes. The acoustics in this building are extraordinary…..the organist gives a demonstration by stepping away from the microphone and tearing a newspaper….crisp and clear. On Thursday evenings there is an open rehearsal for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and symphony….we will be there.

The two visitor’s centers are essentially museums about the LDS. It is truly extraordinary the money that has been invested here. This statute is 11 feet tall accessed by a Guggenheim-like staircase and surrounded with celestial murals. BTW, all these exhibits and concerts are free.

Red Butte Garden

We get started the next day in fits and starts….household chores take up the morning and we plan to set out to Antelope Island in The Great Salt Lake. Unfortunately when we plug it into the GPS, we find it’s well over an hour away…we’re not up for that. So we try to find the 2002 Olympic Cauldron Park. It’s very odd, the visitor’s center is not really clear about where it is…and there is no information about anything Olympic….it’s like they’re letting Park City take over all that and trying to forget the latter scandals.

Find the cauldron on the campus of University of Utah….it’s worth only a passing shot from the car.

I research an area pretty well before we get there.. keep notes, books and brochures in a tote bag to be at the ready when we’re looking for something. Red Butte Gardens it will be. Also on the University campus, it is quite lovely.

We are still astonished that it’s late May and it’s snowing again! Might as well take a trip to Alta and Snow Bird tomorrow.

Salt Lake City

2010-05-28T14:43:00.000-04:00

May 24

Lucky us...it's May 24 and we get to witness the latest measurable accumulation of snow in the history of the world for this area.

Salt Lake City is only 30 mile. Arrive at a brand new park called Pony Express RV Resort, (ponyexpressrvresort.com.) It's a fine mid-level, nicely kept facility and close to downtown. The exterior B row offers the best views and the middle of the row keeps you away from highway noises. Here's our view.

It's early enough to do a little excursion....we choose the Capitol Building, nestled at the foot of the Wasactch Mountains.

Chicken Milanese for dinner. This is a great spring/summer dinner (also can use a veal chop which is fabulous, but tres expensive these days.) Lightly bread a chicken breast or chop and cook through in a little olive oil. Top with a pile of greens dressed with a mustard vinagrette. Surprising taste. Served with couscous and snow peas. Used the last of the homemade bread crumbs I brought with us...will miss them and don't think I can make more easily on the road without a food processor.

Olympic Park

2010-05-26T14:24:00.000-04:00

May 23

Olympic Park, site of the 2002 Alpine events, was one of the main reasons we wanted to visit Park City. We've been waiting for a day that is not either teaming rain, raging winds or snow. Sunday it's sunny, calm and in the 50's...perfect....finally....and it's are last day here, so it's our last chance.

After a leisurely Sunday morning breakfast, I look up the website for the address. Big red letters run across their site....Park closed to visitors at noon on May 23 for a private event!!!! It's 10 already....throw on jeans and race over.

Go to the Museum first since we figure it's easier for them to throw us out of there by noon than find us walking through the event venues. There are a lot of things to "play" with.

And I love the great headresses from the opening ceremonies hanging from the wall.

There are some interactive games that kids would love....like a table-top slalom run. We kind of race through these since we are trying to get through it in a limited amount of time.

Head outside, dodging caterers, to the aerial practice facility. It's very steep and very cool....landing in a pool. Starting in June, they have a show daily at 1 p.m....really sorry we missed that by just a few days.

We find the bobsled run which is now just a very long, twisting concrete trough. Apparently you can take a ride at speeds up to 70 mph, but nothing is going on this morning. So we just pretend.

Run over to the ski jumps..can't imagine the nerve it takes to fly down one of these things....especially the first time.

This would be a really cool place to go under better circumstances....check hours open, show times, rides before you go.

We have the whole afternoon ahead of us and plan on taking a hike following the stream and up the hill that we look over. By the time we get back, the rain is starting, the winds are kicking up and it's totally miserable. Scratch the hike.

Really need comfort food for dinner. On Sunday nights, I like to make something easy and very simple. I've had a leftover container in the freezer for quite a while marked "would be hash"......full of bits of steak, pork, chicken and potatoes. Chopped them all up very finely, chopped a whole onion and a red pepper. Added crushed red pepper flakes and tobasco. Fried it all up in a bit of oil and butter nice and crispy. Topped with fried egg. It turned out fantastic and helped us endure the near blizzard outside.

Leaving for Salt Lake City in the morning....maybe we can finally catch some good weather.

The Road to Park City, Utah

2010-05-23T17:53:00.000-04:00

May 20 ~ 22

We're not catching any breaks weatherwise. It's a two day drive to Park City and the weather through Wyoming is making it a bit trying. It turns from rain to snow to hard rain. We stop for the night in Rawlins, WY at another one night only place, Western Hills Campground...it is a sea of mud. Everything, including us, looks like we've been on an off-road adventure. On top of the rain, there are high winds and it's 37 degrees. The woman at the check-in tells me it never rains here! At least they have a good selection of cable channels and I make a little comfort food....Chicken Chanterelle Risotto.

We are out of there early the next morning, hoping to get to Park City early enough to get into town and have a nice dinner out. But, not so fast! The weather has cleared up, though there are high winds and the driving is tough. But the good news is Gigantor's new pump seems to help a great deal in climbing the mountains. But we're getting another warning that the car's batteries are low. The tow bar hook-up is supposed to keep the battery charged, but that seems to not be happening.

We stop at a rest area and find the car completely dead. Rick gets out his diagnostic tools and calls the shop in LA that installed the hook-up on the new car.

Again it's a wiring thing and no one can figure it out. After over an hour of this, we decide to just drag the dead car which means it's rear lights/signals will not be working...but it appears our only choice.

We make it to Park City late in the afternoon but are too depressed and tired to go out. We are grateful we have pizza in the freezer.

The Park City RV Resort (parkcityrvresort.com) is new and is very close to town. It's all paved, decent pool, hot tub etc. But the only sites with any semblance of a view or room are the "E" sites. E6 is the very best. It has a nice gazebo with table and chairs and looks over a pretty little stream. We are very anxious to take a walk on the trails in the morning.

All night the wind is howling and the rain is pelting down. Then the temperature plummets. We awake to this in the morning. It's May 21st for heaven's sake!

Mid-afternoon we drive downtown planning to spend the time investigating the shops and galleries until dinner, then try one of a couple of restaurants I've read about.

Park City is not a chic alpine village, but does have nicely restored old west buildings. One catches our eye.

Our stroll through town doesn't last long enough 'til dinner, so we decide to drive up to Deer Valley to take a look at the ski resorts and site of some the 2002 Olympic ski events.

We stop at the Stein Erickson Lodge (steinlodge.com) for a drink and find it eerily empty. It's a perfectly pleasant ski lodge-type hotel, but we do not understand the $800 a night ticket during peak season. The drinks are a bit pricey, but not over the top, but it's the $6 bowl of undistinguished nuts that sends us over the edge.

We're really trying hard to have a good time...it's not been easy these past few weeks....all of the mechanical issues and the dreadful weather we've encoutered is taking it's toll. We have been talking about turning around and going home. But we keep thinking we have to press on....some of the spots we've yet to see are some of the premiere destinations of the entire trip and we'll never do anything like this again. We keep trying to remember how great the first six months were.

We go back to town to try Bistro 412 for their "happy hour" dinner (which actually is from 5-9 p.m.) in the upstairs bar. The bar food menu is half-price and we only want a nibble after those awful nuts. This was a very good choice. Rick gets a small steak and frites, nicely cooked and flavored....I have very good curry mussels. At half price they are actually priced fairly.

Tomorrow's weather is looking worse...cold and rain.

It's a miserable morning, but we have found a Farmer's Market we want to visit....this will get us going. The market is a total bust...not one bit of fresh produce, a few vendors with frozen meat and mostly a conglomeration of flea market type things. Go to Whole Foods. Head back and spend the day doing the laundry and ironing.

We hope that tomorrow proves better....been putting off going to the 2002 Olympic Park, waiting for better weather.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up! ~ Part Two

2010-05-21T13:32:00.001-04:00

May 17 ~ 18

The frustrations just keep on coming! Rick has contacted everyone he can get in hands on at Forest River, the manufacturer. They received the epistle e-mail he sent to the Indiana headquarters early Monday morning. They call him immediately and are promising an electrician will be calling the shop people here and they will send wiring diagrams. But here's the real kicker....they are telling the repair shop that the problem wire does not exisit. Funny, because everyone here can see it and are unable to determine its function but know it is the source of warning signals.

By 2 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time, no one has called and the repairmen here are at a standstill. But Rick keeps plugging, trying to devine what the heck is going on. No surprise that there is no resolution with Forest River and we are destined to remain in Boulder for the 17th day! Rick arranges a conference between all parties for the following morning. Nobody exhales.

Wonder of wonders, the all parties hook up in the morning....they actually figure it all out....and Tor is sprung! Hail the hero!

Tor gets a great big welcome home hug!

We pop open champagne and celebrate our release from the hostage situation.

Next morning we are off like a herd of turtles! Takes four hours to get our things back into Tor and check all the systems. We are so grateful for Jim and Linda's hospitality and it was so good to spend this time with Big Jim, but we are ready to get back the Great Adventure. On to Park City, Utah.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up!

2010-05-18T11:59:00.001-04:00

May 10 ~ 16

Two days turned into a week....a week turned into two weeks...Tor is still in the "spa". The series of circumstances are almost too bizarre to recount. At first it was a bit comedic...it quickly grew into so not funny, totally inexplicable and beyond the brink of frustrating.

The Reader's Digest version is the recalled part arrived and is installed. Then they couldn't get the computer things to talk to each other and accept the transplant. They ordered new software...the parts then agreed to live together. Then, apparently during the course of installation, some wire was disturbed that keep sending out danger signals concerning the parking brake. Days later they still hadn't been able to fix it and we were not prepared to accept that it might just be one of those "don't mean anything" computer signals going off. There could be inherent danger in driving this big thing and putting our lives on the line just wasn't part of our Great Adventure.

Rick is beyond frustration and goes out to the shop to see what he can do to shepherd this along. He spends two very trying days attempting to get the manufacturer involved. And while they keep saying they are going to have one of their electricians call, it doesn't happen. By Friday afternoon, we know we're here for at least another weekend. I proclaim if it isn't fixed by Monday and we're not out of here by Tuesday morning, I'm going to start walking!

Rick continues to fix things around the house, then soothe his soul in the hot tub. Notice the fire inside...there was 4 inches of snow on the ground...it's the middle of May for heaven's sake!

Linda and I continue cooking up a storm and everynight turns into a Big Chill kitchen!

We get out for dinner on Saturday night to a very happening place called Jax (jaxfishhouseboulder.com) on Pearl Street. Have drinks and calamari at the bar....never have seen calamari like this and am most curious about the part of the squid it comes from. We have some of the normal rings, but many pieces look like fish sticks and are terrific. Bartender Ben tells us they come from the "steak". Never heard of that before, but have since learned it comes from a giant squid.

Move to a table and wait for our next appetizer order of duck sliders and buffalo shrimp. They provide toys to occupy your time.

After that, I'm ready to quit eating, but we decide to split two entrees, a house special halibut and a steel-head trout. Need a walk after all that...Pearl Street provides exceptional people watching and good window shopping.

Sunday dawns a beautiful day....finally! We go to Walden Pond (no kidding, that's what they call it) which is an old gravel pit that 30 years ago was turned into a bird sanctuary. We get a real good long walk and see some of the residents.

The backdrop is stunning.

Tomorrow we get back to the angst of this repair. Rick has composed a very detailed e-mail sent to the manufacturer and the shop. He will go out there first thing in the morning and try to rally everyone involved.

The Parties Keep on Coming!

2010-05-15T15:18:00.000-04:00

May 2 ~ May 9

The Cunningham family just doesn't wear out! The party continues the next morning. Linda is a most accommodating hostess!

Janet then decides she will lead a yoga session.

Jim keeps the party going in the garden.

Big Jim, Rick's Dad, hosts the others inside.

Janet and Tony head back to New York on Tuesday; Athena and Josh, back to Savannah on Thursday. We move out of the driveway and into the guest room and Rick takes Tor in for a "spa day"....to get the transmission fluid changed, check out a clunking noise and a general overall check-up. We assume we will get Tor back in a day or two......not so fast!

We are told there has been a recall of some sort of engine pump....think this might be the reason that Tor is having a hard time up the mountains. We tell them to order the replacement part and our departure has been pushed back until Monday...10 days after we arrived....poor Linda and Jim....but we are so grateful, that once again, when something bad or unexpected happens we've been in places where we have a great roof over our heads....not stuck out in the middle of nowhere!

We occupy our time in varying ways....Rick is fixing everything he can in the house.

Linda and I are playing refrigerator/freezer diving every night to pare down on what's on hand. We came up with some great things....grilled salmon with citrus salsa.....chicken satay.....teriyaki steak.....panini's...good stuff.

Mother's Day dawns with a wonderful sight.

Niece Erin and beau Todd have invited all of us to a Mother's Day brunch. She's a bit nervous...says she's not a cook. She's wrong! What a lovely day and a lovely meal.

We hope to hear we can pick Tor up in the morning and leave for places north and west.

Off To Boulder ~ Not So Fast!

2010-05-13T14:03:00.003-04:00

April 29 ~ May 1

Return from dinner last night, and the sky was starting to get a little funky looking. The wind was picking up substantially and Tor is rockin' in the wind. Go to bed and the wind is so strong, we close our bedroom slide that's being rocked about and making a dreadful noise. Very little sleep that night.

In the morning, we learn the winds are at a steady 40 mph with gusts to 80! We needed no time to make the decision that we weren't going anywhere in that kind of weather. You can barely walk, the dust storms have created accidents everywhere and the mountain we used to look at is totally gone.

Take the opportunity of the "bonus" down day to clean Tor and do the laundry. Spend the rest of the day in the RV park's clubhouse reading. So glad they have a comfortable facility. You can barely tell there's a hurricane going on out there...the building isn't moving at all! By the late evening, the wind is dying down and we think it will be possible to sleep, though we leave the slide in just in case.

Finally get on the road in the morning. Everything is going just fine until we get to Colorado Springs. It's almost May for heaven's sake and it's snowing! Decide to stop in Castle Rock for the night and look up a friend we made three years ago, Ian Steyne, the owner of Castle Rock Campground. Lo and behold, we get there and Ian's turned his facility into a Yogi Bear Jellystone Park. (Website is still castlerockrvpark.com) We love them because we've had such a good time with our grandson, Ian, at one in Maryland.

Catch up with Ian over coffee the next morning and he is very excited about the new franchise, the growth of his property and plans for further expansion. Great to see him...admire his vision and energy!

Finally make it to Boulder about 1 p.m. The big party is at 4. We need to get Tor in Jim and Linda's driveway which turns out to be more of an adventure than we anticipated.....not the backing in part....Rick's really good at that....it's the low hanging branches part! Rick gets out of Tor and surveys the situation.

He decides a little pruning is in order. Nephew Jason keeps him steady.

One branch proves too much for Rick, so Josh, niece Theena's husband who is perhaps one of the buffest guys on the face of the earth because he's an Army Ranger, is called in. Success.

Tor gets happily settled in the driveway.

The party, in honor of Theena and Josh just in from Savannah, is a roaring success. Crowds come to wish them well and to give Josh a send-off for his fourth deployment to Afghanistan next week. We give continuing tours of Tor, indulge ourselves in food and drink and hit the sack early. We're staying in the driveway for a few days because the house is full!