FINAL DAY IN WISCONSIN July 25th

Happy Birthday, Michael! My brother turns 60 today (brother number 3, not the one I’ve been traveling with).

but I won’t see him. I dropped a card off for him at my sister Gail’s as he’s temporarily staying with her but he was off working for the day. We had stopped to see him up in New London on our way out of Wisconsin 3 weeks ago so we already visited.

I also got a short visit with Gail who is soon (Oct. 20^th or so) to be a new grandmother (Sara lives down in Louisiana).

 We did some photo ops and went on to Oshkosh to pick up the picts Rod had put on a CD. It’s been great to have my laptop with me as I can go into Word, type my blog entries in the car, when perhaps the scenery is repetitive or boring, and then upload to my blog at night when we stop at a hotel. Usually they are wified. I can also sort through the pictures form the camera and put them in a file, label them and add them later. That takes more time to do than the blog. And I don’t seem to be able to add them to the blog BEFORE I upload it, so the pictures come in too. Still lots to learn about this blogging but it works better for me than trying to keep a notebook that I can hardly read later. It’s much easier and quicker for me to type. And I’m hoping to be able to print out a hard copy of blogs with pictures to put in a notebook to read at my leisure when I’m 85 and no longer traveling!! Help jog my fading memory by then of what I did!!

I also got a visit at 9 this a.m. of my niece Samantha (Kelly’s daughter) and her 18^th month old today daughter Erinn.  She’s a toddler and so cute!! And shy! Maybe it was my glasses! And I didn’t get a picture! Bummer! I could have used Rod’s ipad but didn’t think of it – and he was gone with the camera to get the cd made. Anyway, we had a nice visit – she and her husband Alex are both working 2 jobs while they try to save for a house maybe next year. And she is still trying to get a teaching job but they are scarce. She is certified 6-12 in Social Studies. Most of the jobs are in elementary. She was a wonderful student and I’m sure would be a great teacher, if she ever gets the chance! Erinn finally let me hold her while mommy went to get a fresh diaper from the car! Very cute!

Wisconsin wind farm 

So off we head again south to Wisconsin Dells to meet up with niece Shannon, who lives in Whitewater, and is visiting with her 3 boys with her brother Rob, Sharon, and 3 kids (whom we had dinner with in Portland, OR before they left for their Illinois vacation!). Then we’ll find a place to stay for the night maybe on the Wisconsin border and Rod will drop me in the morning for my flight from O’Hare back to Boston!!

We arrived at the Dells around 3 and met up with Shannon. Rob, Sharon, Shannon, Rod and I sat around an outside table while all the kids – Kalob, 17, Cristina, 15, Isabel, 13, Jimmy, 15 I think, Tommy, 13, and David, 9, all ran to various water things like the wave pool and the Thunderball! They will be exhausted tonight! Sharon, Isabel and Kalob are running a race down in Moline, IL, on Saturday before they go home. Oh, to be young!!

Happy group of family!

Tubing down the Lazy River!

We had a nice relaxing couple of hours, took a photo op and  Rod and I headed south nearer O’Hare in Janesville for the night. Home tomorrow!! Or at least to Foxboro!

Parents relaxing while kids are off in the water park.

LAST DAY ON THE ROAD TOGETHER July 24th

We were up and out (we’re getting very efficient!) by 8 a.m. in North Dakota headed for home! Rod and I especially felt we had seen so much and were ready to finish up. We stopped for a McDonald’s breakfast to eat on the road and continued past the capital Bismarck (named after Kaiser Wilhelm!) through Jamestown and on to Fargo.

We found a visitor’s center there, the Fargo-Moorhead (it’s right before you cross into Minnesota) center. It had footprints outside of famous people who had stopped by like Myron Florin (Lawrence Welk show), Moody Blues, Jethro Tull, Roy Clark, etc.  We wondered where the wet cement for US to leave our hand and footprints!! 

Inside the staff was very gracious and when I mentioned this was now my 50^th state, they got all excited!! Apparently this had happened before! I got a special magnet! A certificate! Had my photo op in front of the Welcome to ND sign! and with a hat-with-the-flaps like in the Fargo movie and my photo with the woodchipper!!! They even had a copy of the script from the movie!! AND free popcorn! I bought a t-shirt (that I didn’t need!) saying Woodchipper? On the front and the back – Ya, sure, you betcha!!   Such fun!

I still stopped when we crossed the border and had my picture taken at the Welcome to Minnesota and to Wisconsin signs later in the day. We continuted down 94 through Minnesota headed to St. Paul. We stopped at a little town and tried to find a lake for a lunch stop with what was left in the cooler. We found a lake, and no park/picnic area. Then we found the park in town, no lake!! Oh, well! Betty and I shared my leftover chicken and salad from the Murphy’s pub dinner and other fruit, nuts, crackers, chips. On we forged to St. Paul around 6 p.m. at the end of rush hour.

Minneapolis, MN

Rod and Betty

Traveled off and on since 1965!

We took a few more last photos with Betty, refreshed our waters, and headed for Neenah! I knew it would be a long haul and it was! We didn’t fall into bed until about 12:30 a.m. Rod was still wired from driving so he actually went out and bought some breakfast things (Susan’s got to have her egg, veggie, etc. sandwich in the a.m.!!) and didn’t get to bed until even later. He’s still not completely acclimated to a regular schedule, after having worked 3^rd shift at the foundry for so many years! His sleepy time is 8 a.m. in the morning, when he’s usually going to bed!! But he did great on the trip and adjusted to our up and out every morning pretty well! At least there wasn’t too much complaining!!

INTO MY 50TH STATE! July 23rd

In the morning I left the Siesta Inn for a brisk walk around the town, which mostly consisted of one main street. The train station area seems to be the reason for the town and there was a statue of a James Hill from the 1800s who was apparently responsible for bringing the railroad to town and developing Havre (I read the town fathers wanted to be sophisticated and named it after Le Havre in France, but North Dakotans pronounce it HAV-re ). We had eaten the night before at Murphy’s Pub. There were maybe 4 or 5 other bars in town, a boot repair shop, hardware store, and several vacant storefronts.

I ate a great breakfast around the corner from the Siesta where Rod joined me. Several local farmers were in talking about, what else!, the weather and the rainstorm we’d had the day before. We had a great night’s sleep, which helped as it would be a LOOONG day before we’d find a bed that night.

We finished the long, repetitive drive across Montana. Rolling farmland that has its own kind of beauty. I was remembering as we rolled along Route 2 (used to be called the Teddy Roosevelt Highway) that Bud and 300 others had biked this all the way from Seattle back in about 1988 as a fund raiser for the American Lung Association. It took them 47 days (ending in Atlantic City). It was like a big summer camp for adults, it sounded like to me. They had support vehicles to carry their gear. But it must have been disheartening to bike all day, for several days across Montana with the same scenery!! In some of these small towns, I remember him saying, after 300 people stopped at a little grocery store, EVERYTHING edible would have been cleaned out!! Bikers would walk out chomping on heads of lettuce!!

Speaking of bikers, as I was going to breakfast I saw a grey-haired biker bringing his tandem bike out of the motel room. He had a biker shirt with all kinds of logos on it, like a racing shirt. Turns out he and his 80 year old wife (he said there was 160 years riding on this bike!) were riding from Boston to Seattle!!!! With no vehicle support!! I asked if they were riding that Going-to-the-sun highway through Glacier that was so narrow and scary in parts just to drive!  He said, yes, some friends were coming out from Seattle to meet them and would carry their panniers so they didn’t have to ride with that extra weight. Amazing!! They had ridden all over Europe, did a Trans Am ride (have to look that up, not sure where that goes), down the Pacific Coast, etc. They looked pretty amazing as the two of them rode off west!!

We crossed into North Dakota but I couldn’t take a picture as it was raining. So we’ll stop and get it as we leave North Dakota into Minnesota tomorrow. Our first big town here was Williston where the “man camps” are that Betty had been talking about. They are doing gas/oil exploration here, I think it’s fracking – where they pump water deep to get it out – lots of controversy about whether it ruins the groundwater where they do it. Anyway there were tons of RVs and trailers parked as the workers, who have flocked here because there are jobs, have nowhere to live. Since it was raining, and midday, we didn’t see any actual MEN as I’m sure they were at work. But we passed several drilling sites, with the flame burning off the extra gas, I guess. A boon to the farmers here who struggle but now get paid for drilling rights, but what does it do to our environment?

We stopped at a McDonald’s for lunch and then got turned around and spent an hour finding the right road going south to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. I’d never heard of this park until planning this trip but added it to the list of stops. Turns out Teddy Roosevelt came here in 1883when he was 24 to hunt buffalo. He fell in love with the area and built a ranch in the “badlands” area that is now the park. Nothing is left now of the ranch, but he came back here many times and this area led him to his policies when he became president of conservation and environmental legislations. He started the U.S. Forest Service, signed the 1906 Antiquities Act under which he proclaimed 18 national monuments. He got Congressional approval for 5 national parks and 51 wildlife refuges and set aside land as national forests.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND

North Dakota Badlands

When he had a ranch here, he brought long horned cattle from Texas. When we visited the north unit of the park, the first animals we saw were a few long-horns. We were told by a local that the governor of ND had them brought here sort of in memory of his ranch. The ranger told me they round them up (there are 11) in the winter to feed them but otherwise they roam. There are also supposed to be 600+ buffalo in the two units of the park. We saw only a couple at a distance. We did see some wild horses in the south unit at about dusk as we were driving through.

This park had very few tourists, compared to Glacier, Yellowstone, Tetons. These badlands seemed to have more greenery on them than the ones in South Dakota that were mostly rock. The Little Missouri, back at the end of the glacial era, was probably huge and eroded over the millennia this sandstone area to form these rock formations. There are also coal streaks underground that sometime get ignited by lightning and are actually burning underground. We didn’t see any steam/smoke vents as we drove through.

Basically the park was a drive through in two areas, with stops for various overlooks. There are lots of trails through it, including the 97 mile Maah Daah Hey trail that passes through both units. We finished up our tour of the park at the western town of Medora having dinner at a bbq bar/restaurant before we headed east to find a room for the night. We tried about 5 places outside Dickinson and everything was full. So we kept driving to a little stop called Richardson and found the one motel in town that we gratefully took her second last room, with two double beds! She was accepting a phone reservation for the last room as we checked in. Within 5 minutes we were flopped on the bed at close to ll p.m.  I had visions of having to sleep in the car! The people in Dickinson said it was a combination of tourists and the oil workers who fill up the motels every night! This was our last night on the road as we’ll be at Betty’s in St. Paul tonight to complete our loop!

Beautiful full moon over the Badlands!

Our last motel, looked kind of tacky but was fine!!

This has been my view for the past 3+ weeks!

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK July 22nd

We didn’t get quite an early enough start to beat some of the crowds in Glacier. Of course, this is the height of their season so it was expected! But since we had drive so long yesterday, we didn’t get moving until about 8:30 a.m.

This is one of the most spectacular national parks ever! I don’t think when we all went through here with the RV on the way home from Alaska in ’90 or so, that we were able to drive the Going-to-the-Sun highway. It’s a 2 lane road and quite narrow and heart-stopping in spots! Rod kept his eyes on the road and wasn’t able to enjoy the view until we would stop at a lookout.

Inside McDonald Lodge

Outside McDonald Lodge

Funky shuttles around the park.

We first stopped at Apgar Visitors’ Center to get our stamp for our passport books and pick up brochures. Then we drove along Lake McDonald and stopped at its lodge. The Trail of Cedars, a short hike past some huge cedars, was next but there was NO parking! They were doing road construction on several miles of this road so the turnoffs were blocked off and we just had to drive on.

The Loop, a 180 degree turn at the top, was a bit hair-raising. We were able to finally find a parking spot so we could do a pit stop, get stamped and pick up a magnet. And take some photos! People in the parking lot had spotted some mountain sheep high on a gravel spills that we watched with binoculars.

Mama and baby mooses!

Going-to-the-sun Highway!

Hard to see 2 big horned sheep in center

A stuffed one!

Waterfalls

Down the otherside were many waterfall stops for photos when we could find a place. The glaciers were melting and sending tons of water down the canyons. There are something like 700+ glaciers of varying sizes in this park. There are at least 7 peaks over 10,000 ft. high. In addition to the sheep, we spotted a mama moose and two moosettes!, some cattle that had wandered out on the road, a dead marmot, I think, in the middle of the road, and finally at our last stop Many Glacier lodge, a bear in the distance up on a mountain wandering around.

We finished up driving along St. Mary’s Lake and town as we left the park. Rod found a shady picnic table on the Indian (Blackfeet) reservation as we left where we pulled over for lunch. We enjoyed the huckleberry cobbler Rod had picked up, in lieu of Huckleberry pie which he couldn’t find.

Now we’re headed into the homestretch, a long flat, mostly grasslands ride across Montana and North Dakota. We’ll drive tonight until Rod gets tired and we find a spot. No reservations here! We’re headed down to St. Paul to drop off Betty and head back to Neenah. There is only the Teddy Roosevelt National Park in western NDakota that I saw. I think that’s pretty much just a drive through. We’ll see tomorrow. 

SUNDAY HEADED BACK EAST July 21

Our last night in Vancouver we sat and listened to a soothing jazz band at Pat’s Pub and then tried to sleep. It was VERY noisy outside on Hasting St.!! I don’t know if it was people coming out of the bar downstairs (I don’t think so) or just the hangers on doing drug deals, Fiona said she saw prostitutes out there, and whatever else – it was very noisy! We had to keep the window open as it and a small fan on our second floor room was all we had to beat the heat. I know it was 1 or 2 a.m. before I fell asleep.

By the time I woke up, Michelle was all dress, packed and almost out the door on the way to the train station for her 6:40 a.m. train to Vancouver, WA. Rod drove her and we got ready and packed up for our departure after breakfast. We ran into Fiona as we were finishing up and Betty stayed to talk a bit about the Avatar thing. Can’t remember if I mentioned it before, but Fiona (from New Zealand) had been to an Avatar convention in Florida before she had come to visit her son in Vancouver. I thought it had something to do with movies!! But no, it’s called the Compassion Project! To help create peace! She gave us each a card that has 5 steps on it called Compassion Exercise. It says you’re supposed to do 5 steps on strangers from a distance. Basically it’s a kind of mindfulness, recognizing this person is trying to avoid suffering, seeing to fulfill needs, learning about life, etc. There’s a website  called TheAvatarTimes.com  She was familiar with Thich Nhat Hahn and his books.

Anyway Rod and I loaded the car and then Betty came out and we headed out of town, east. We ended up driving over 600+ miles – one of our longest days! We were headed toward Glacier Park and skirted the US/Canada border pretty much all the way. It was a lovely scenic drive, through rolling mountains, lots of vineyards and fruit orchards and stands.

Lunch stop at Osoyoos

We stopped at a scenic lakeside picnic stop in the town of Osoyoos where we used up some of our cooler food and relaxed. I would have loved to take a swim but my suit was packed way under lots of stuff so we moved on. We came down into the US into Idaho towards Bonners Ferry, north of Coeur d’Alene, and turned east toward Columbia Falls. I was able to get a reservation at a Western Glacier Inn, and we had a choice of a cabin with AC but no bathroom/water, a teepee! Or a tent! I chose the log cabin and then our phone got cut off as we were way out in the boonies. I heard her say something about 10:30 p.m. and I think the office closed then. I tried to call back but no service. So I worried the whole time we would get there and it all would be locked up, including our cabin!

We rolled into Kalispell and on the Columbia Falls and headed out of town. Finally we spotted it and JUST made it by 10:15! She had two bundles of sheets, quilt and towels, a double platform bed and two bunk beds. I took the plastic mattress off the top bunk and ½ of the double bed and made a bed on the floor. Our bathroom and showers were down the way past the teepees and tents around the corner. No getting up in the middle of the night for me!!

Our room?  NOT! But looks like fun!

This was our log cabin.

The inside.

We sat out on our porch swing while Rod drove into town to try to find some food. He came back with some pizza for us and pasta dish for Betty. By this time it was past 11 p.m. I was able to upload some blog entries and pictures before bed, but had a hard time getting to sleep. I guess it was eating so late!!

OUTSIDE VANCOUVER CITY July 20th

We decided to take the car, instead of waiting for the free shuttle bus to Capilano’s Suspension Bridge, over the bridge past West Vancouver, heading up towards the mountains. Luckily we did as we had no trouble parking (EVERYWHERE you have to pay like $5 or $10 for parking!) at the Bridge. Betty was able to get us a AAA discount so we headed in, no waiting in line! (We discovered as we were leaving around noon, what the wait was like for most people!).

This park was really well designed to help you appreciate the gorgeous rainforest all around. This long suspension bridge was left from some logging operation and developed in the 70s I think as a tourist area. It was disconcerting crossing the swaying bridge with so many people on it, with a little creek far down below. But we all made it across. Then there was a tree-canopy walk from platform to platform. Then a lower walk around the edge of the rocks. All very beautiful and natural – no nailing into trees, done very ecologically minded!

On the other side was a Cliff Walk with  a narrow walkway jutting out over the cliff. Rod passed on this one as it was pretty crowded when he tried. Michelle and I made it around – very lovely! We met up at the gift shop and headed down, just as busloads of tourists were pouring in!!

1000+ year old Grandma Capilano

We drove further up the mountain to a ski area that had a cable car you could ride up. Long lines, packed cars, a $40 price tag for ride up and down, plus charges for parking had us deciding to pass on this. We met Fiona from New Zealand at breakfast at our hotel and she told Betty she had climbed this Mt. yesterday!! Quite a feat! The brochure said it’s straight up and they really mean it! She said it was difficult! She is here visiting her son (we ran into them later in the morning, when we made a lunch stop at Horseshoe Bay where ferries leave for Vancouver Island, Victoria and other spots! It was a gorgeous place to take a break, in this little town.

Back over the bridge into Vancouver, Betty and I decided to rent bikes and we rode for two hours around the very edge of Stanley park with a split biking/walking trail. It only goes one way (except for a few who didn’t read the brochure or the huge arrows painted on the path!!) So it moved along pretty well. The scenery was amazing! There were a couple of spots where people could swim and they were! Some other rocky spots had cairns (little rock towers) that people had made!

Ancient cedar tree

On the see-through cliff walk! Didn't want to stand there!

They grow at different rates.

Michelle and Rod went to the aquarium in the park and saw penguins, whales, etc. and met us at Starbucks at 5:30 p.m.  We drove around and tried to find some remnants of the Olympics in 2010 – but didn’t really see anything, nothing is labeled on the maps. We came back to Pat’s Pub for the jazz music until 7, some cold beer and drinks and pub food! Wonderful! Early night as Michelle leaves on the 6:40 a.m. train for Vancouver, WA, tomorrow. And we will head back east on the way home!

Tree that fell on the bridge in 2006! No damage!

Harrier hawk hunt in packs like wolves!

View from the bridge