On September 26 we left for Quito to begin almost 4 weeks in Ecuador to visit the Galapagos and Amazon basin. Because of the exact tours we wanted, it was necessary to spend an extra week with no itinerary between the Galapagos and Amazon portions. That extra week was the connection that made our trip to Ecuador complete. It's an amazing country that we knew little about before we left. In that one tiny country you can find virtually every climate on the planet. Quito, the capital, is almost 10,000 feet high and the highlands are even higher. (For comparison, Lhasa is about 12,000 feet). The altitude is noticeable and we were often out of breath walking up the jetway unless we had prepared with Diamox pills before our flight. We compromised by taking our time and not doing any difficult hiking in the highlands.
We began our trip in Quito for a few days and explored the old town section. We stayed at a delightfully elegant boutique hotel, Plaza Sucre Hotel. During our first morning walk to the town square after breakfast we saw President and Mrs. Correa.
[NOTE: This post was abandoned and not finished. It turned out that the sighting of the President was fortuitous because within a day or so he was deposed by a police overthrow but regained power before we were aware of the problems. We had already flown into Baltros on the Galapagos and started our cruise aboard the May Anne.]
I won't complete this but just know that it was a wonderful vacation from the Galapagos, Guayaquil, Quito, Otavalo, Cotopaxi, El Provenir and Amazonia aboard the Manatee Amazon Explorer.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Fall giving way to Winter, 2010
It's early November and the weather in DC has finally turned cool. We were in Ecuador for most of October but the weather when we returned was beautiful.
Traveling from DC to SF in December 2010
It was not our best planning.
We thought we could take the shortest route, DC to SF, which was listed on Google Maps as 1 day 21 hours. The shortest route is, unfortunately, the NORTHERN route and we were getting further and further into December. Checking the weather maps it appeared we 'might' be able to sneak through between two cold fronts. Another problem was that the route was already snow-covered (though with cleared roads) through the area we couldn't alter once we committed, across the upper Rockies from Nebraska to Wyoming and Utah. We couldn't just drop south to get out of it if we missed our windows.
We started off taking the most northern of two northern routes and got almost to Cleveland the first night. It was obvious as we slid on black ice in WV that we might have chosen poorly. When we also were slipping on ice in the parking lot of the motel, we realized we needed to rethink. Because of the original route we had taken ourselves way up north and had essentially just wasted the first day's drive as we made a beeline diagonally from Ohio to St Louis, to Jopin, MO, and then Oklahoma City. Day three took us to Albuquerque; day four was to Albuquerque and our last night was near 29 Palms. Hopefully we can do the northern route in March when we return to DC. We haven't been that route in a long time and are anxious to see that part of the country again.
We didn't get to do a lot on the trip...mostly driving. We were able to visit my cousin Norma Jo Goodwin and her daughter Jane and her husband Chris for pizza in Alburquerque. We also went a little out of the way to visit the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert for just a few hours. Other than that, we were just driving. Unfortunatel we were driving on interstates the whole time. Oh, we did divert on Oklahoma City to hit a bit of the old Route 66 and have lunch at a real old diner.
We thought we could take the shortest route, DC to SF, which was listed on Google Maps as 1 day 21 hours. The shortest route is, unfortunately, the NORTHERN route and we were getting further and further into December. Checking the weather maps it appeared we 'might' be able to sneak through between two cold fronts. Another problem was that the route was already snow-covered (though with cleared roads) through the area we couldn't alter once we committed, across the upper Rockies from Nebraska to Wyoming and Utah. We couldn't just drop south to get out of it if we missed our windows.
We started off taking the most northern of two northern routes and got almost to Cleveland the first night. It was obvious as we slid on black ice in WV that we might have chosen poorly. When we also were slipping on ice in the parking lot of the motel, we realized we needed to rethink. Because of the original route we had taken ourselves way up north and had essentially just wasted the first day's drive as we made a beeline diagonally from Ohio to St Louis, to Jopin, MO, and then Oklahoma City. Day three took us to Albuquerque; day four was to Albuquerque and our last night was near 29 Palms. Hopefully we can do the northern route in March when we return to DC. We haven't been that route in a long time and are anxious to see that part of the country again.
We didn't get to do a lot on the trip...mostly driving. We were able to visit my cousin Norma Jo Goodwin and her daughter Jane and her husband Chris for pizza in Alburquerque. We also went a little out of the way to visit the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert for just a few hours. Other than that, we were just driving. Unfortunatel we were driving on interstates the whole time. Oh, we did divert on Oklahoma City to hit a bit of the old Route 66 and have lunch at a real old diner.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
AFTER Ecuador heading to San Fracisco
Didn't do a very good job of keeping this journal so instead of trashing it completely, I'll add what I can when I can.
The trip to Ecuador was great. Despite all the reading (primarily The Beak of the Finch and travel sites online) and research on how to get there, get around and what to see, Ecuador was a bit of a surprise. It appeared to be more advanced than Peru and, perhaps, even Chile (though we were there 10 years ago.) There were many people in traditional dress, but also the general feel was of a reasonably dynamic country.
The trip to Ecuador was great. Despite all the reading (primarily The Beak of the Finch and travel sites online) and research on how to get there, get around and what to see, Ecuador was a bit of a surprise. It appeared to be more advanced than Peru and, perhaps, even Chile (though we were there 10 years ago.) There were many people in traditional dress, but also the general feel was of a reasonably dynamic country.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Getting to the Galapagos
This isn't easy.
First of all I finally found the Galapagos venue--a beautiful square-rigged brigantine named Mary Anne. Of course it's a big motor-sailer but if we get the sails up jus on a passage or two, it'll be worth it.
Now I have the ship so I have to coordinate a trip to the Amazon basin. Looks like that will come after the Galapagos. Being the cheapskate that I am, I can get the flight from Quito, Ecuador to the Galapagos airport but the return flight takes 24 hours!! Seems that the Ecuadorean military operates the flights and squeeze everyone else out of the flight times. LAN is starting up service but their return trip (about 3 hours) starts before the Mary Anne gets to the airport. Oh well, I'll keep on lookin'.
First of all I finally found the Galapagos venue--a beautiful square-rigged brigantine named Mary Anne. Of course it's a big motor-sailer but if we get the sails up jus on a passage or two, it'll be worth it.
Now I have the ship so I have to coordinate a trip to the Amazon basin. Looks like that will come after the Galapagos. Being the cheapskate that I am, I can get the flight from Quito, Ecuador to the Galapagos airport but the return flight takes 24 hours!! Seems that the Ecuadorean military operates the flights and squeeze everyone else out of the flight times. LAN is starting up service but their return trip (about 3 hours) starts before the Mary Anne gets to the airport. Oh well, I'll keep on lookin'.
Friday, March 12, 2010
My Memphis State Roomie
Before we left on our Retirement Tour 2010 my roommate at Memphis State University found me on FaceBook. I'm usually the one who searches and finds people, so that tells you that this roomie is special. We promised to stop on our way through Arkansas.
Now Joe and I had been through Arkansas several times. As we entered Arkansas this time we each realized we had specific memories of the terrain, sites, cities in AZ, NM, OK, TX, MS, LA....even MO, but neither had a memory of anything in Arkansas. Nothing. Zilch. Best we could come up with is that all of those surrounding states are unique to an East Coast eye. Arkansas is very much like the mid-Atlantic--Virginia and Tennessee where we grew up. Must have been that; but this time we found the heart of Arkansas. A beautiful state with lovely people.
Kay Rose Shurgar was the best roommate I had in college. We met in a 3-girl room the first semester and moved to a 2-girl room the second. I had mono the first week of school and Kay, who not surprisingly became a nurse, helped me through that first semester and literally nursed me the through a myriad of maladies that second semester. She stayed up one night thinking she would have to give me an emergency tracheotomy during one bout of the flu or pneumonia that second semester. Did I say she "became" a nurse...she didn't know a thing about traches then but she was going to help no matter what!! : ) She still has that same spirit.
After almost half a century, it was like we had not skipped a beat in our mutual admiration since our first meeting. We regaled Joe and her husband Jerry with some of our crazy, stupid funny, funny antics and winked a couple of times when we knew we could tell more, but some secrets need to be kept.
It also developed that Joe and Jerry, who is retired now, had similar interests and the most incredible thing was talking to someone who had different life experiences but the same understandings of the world around us. Jerry is a fly fisherman and promised he'd help me the next time we get together. [To Jerry: even though we know that I have a terrible memory--Kay was always my memory bank--but this is one promise I will not forget! PS Thanks for the flies.]
Their cabin is absolutely perfect and in a beautiful setting with a year-round creek running into the Cadron River at the bottom of their hill. We met their next door neighbor who was their architect and builder so he could hear first hand the many compliments we had on the innovative features he employed--like corrugated tin and a wonderful metal roof that I kept praying we would be able to enjoy in a storm; first time I've prayed for rain on a vacation.
Occasionally you meet someone who gently tweaks your life and you carry a bit of them with you. I'm not talking about big changes that come from big events or people. Just the quiet admiration of a person, or in this case a couple, that after meeting you feel like you have changed a bit for the better.
That's what this visit was like. The best part of a wonderful vacation.
[To Kay: Did I summarize the visit? Didn't even mention that you guys almost froze to death sitting with us outside!! ha]
Now Joe and I had been through Arkansas several times. As we entered Arkansas this time we each realized we had specific memories of the terrain, sites, cities in AZ, NM, OK, TX, MS, LA....even MO, but neither had a memory of anything in Arkansas. Nothing. Zilch. Best we could come up with is that all of those surrounding states are unique to an East Coast eye. Arkansas is very much like the mid-Atlantic--Virginia and Tennessee where we grew up. Must have been that; but this time we found the heart of Arkansas. A beautiful state with lovely people.
Kay Rose Shurgar was the best roommate I had in college. We met in a 3-girl room the first semester and moved to a 2-girl room the second. I had mono the first week of school and Kay, who not surprisingly became a nurse, helped me through that first semester and literally nursed me the through a myriad of maladies that second semester. She stayed up one night thinking she would have to give me an emergency tracheotomy during one bout of the flu or pneumonia that second semester. Did I say she "became" a nurse...she didn't know a thing about traches then but she was going to help no matter what!! : ) She still has that same spirit.
After almost half a century, it was like we had not skipped a beat in our mutual admiration since our first meeting. We regaled Joe and her husband Jerry with some of our crazy, stupid funny, funny antics and winked a couple of times when we knew we could tell more, but some secrets need to be kept.
It also developed that Joe and Jerry, who is retired now, had similar interests and the most incredible thing was talking to someone who had different life experiences but the same understandings of the world around us. Jerry is a fly fisherman and promised he'd help me the next time we get together. [To Jerry: even though we know that I have a terrible memory--Kay was always my memory bank--but this is one promise I will not forget! PS Thanks for the flies.]
Their cabin is absolutely perfect and in a beautiful setting with a year-round creek running into the Cadron River at the bottom of their hill. We met their next door neighbor who was their architect and builder so he could hear first hand the many compliments we had on the innovative features he employed--like corrugated tin and a wonderful metal roof that I kept praying we would be able to enjoy in a storm; first time I've prayed for rain on a vacation.
Occasionally you meet someone who gently tweaks your life and you carry a bit of them with you. I'm not talking about big changes that come from big events or people. Just the quiet admiration of a person, or in this case a couple, that after meeting you feel like you have changed a bit for the better.
That's what this visit was like. The best part of a wonderful vacation.
[To Kay: Did I summarize the visit? Didn't even mention that you guys almost froze to death sitting with us outside!! ha]
An Overview for ourselves to help us remember and the last few days of our "Retirement Tour"
So, the standout locations with great memories attached are:
- The hawk? vulture? wing-tip impressions in the snow at Port Tobacco
- The huge bonfire at the top of the sledding hill
- Shield's Tavern in 'olde' Williamsburg with our own minstrel
- Almost deserted Okracoke Island on the Outer Banks, NC in the rain huddled up watching DVD movies
- Charleston and Fort Sumter and some of the best food on the trip
- Exciting Savannah and visiting with my cousin Judy Compton and Fred Maher
- Okefenokee Swamp boat trip
- The infamous Confederate Andersonville Prison in GA where scores of Yankee soldiers died
- The Katrina devastation still evident in Pass Christian, MS and along the Gulf to New Orleans
- Staying in the French Quarter and being at a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, including the characters we met
- The bayou country small-town Mardi Gras parades
- The adamant declaration of a B&B owner that there was no segregation in LA but also admitting that there were a lot of private schools
- TABASCO's Avery Island
- Fast and furious at times airboat ride on Bayou LaFourche seeing baby alligators, beautiful birds, dark bayous overhung with Spanish moss and thousands of nutria skittering across the water..also understanding the saying: "Dumb as a coot" (they tried to outrun the airboat!)
- Visiting with Liz Grubaugh in Rowlett, TX
- Oak Alley Plantation B&B and seeing the tops of tugs across the levee
- Dealy Plaza in Dallas (and the ensuing debates)
- Big Bend as a destination, but marveling at the scenery in the entirety of the gargantuan vistas along deserted roads in West Texas
- Following the Rio Grande along the TexMex border
- El Paso and looking over to the enormous city of Juarez at night
- Carlsbad Caverns
- Fairyland feeling in White Sands, NM. Pictures do not do it justice.
- Reliving the Manhattan Project and the history of flight at a museum in Alamagordo
- NOT being able to get to the Trinity Test Site...so it's still a bit hot, radioactively, that is
- Globe, AZ a very hard-bitten little town in the coal mining area of AZ...who knew?
- Losing/finding my computer on the casino floor at the Stratosphere in Las Vegas where the room was $29 and the tax was $28.85
- Brunch at the revolving Stratosphere restaurant
- Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon NP in Utah--pictures do them justice
- The Luxor in Vegas and a much better brunch (King Crab, etc. etc.) for a much lower price with my cousin Rachel and Frank Williams off the strip
- Seeing the half-constructed giant bridge across the gorge where the Hoover Dam between Nevada and Arizona
- The mad dash from Las Vegas to Albuquerque to visit cousin Norma Goodwin and her daughter Janie and Chris' Route 66 Mustang shop..a wonderful step back in time
- Visiting my college roomie whom I hadn't seen since her wedding 46 years ago
- Oak Ridge and a good visit with my brother Bob and Milinda Compton in Oak Ridge, TN
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Carlsbad, White Sands, Las Vegas, Hurricane, UT and lost computer
I've finally given up trying to get something written every day. Just not enough time in a day. This will be another general list of our travels since arriving in El Paso.
We spent our first full day in El Paso by going to Carlsbad Caverns in NMex. It's certainly a sight to see but the lighting inside the cavern was so low, you couldn't see as much as I would have liked. It's something like 750 ft underground and the biggest cavern is said to be the size of 14 big football stadiums. I would recommend it but the fun part of the trip was the scenery on the way. Beautiful mountains, absolute isolation (no cars coming/going on the road for over an hour), and you can see for scores of miles in every direction. Just beautiful.
The next day we went to White Sands Proving Ground. I've always wanted to see the Trinity Site since I grew up in Oak Ridge, TN and nuclear bombs were a part of my growing up in a Manhattan Project town. (For you young-uns, I suggest Wikipedia. : ) You can't get a a location to see the site but there was a good museum in Alamogordo (I always thought it was Almagordo) and had seen some nuclear bomb detonation sites years ago on a boondoggle to the Nevada Test Site. Anyway, the White Sands area was beautiful. The sand is actually gypsum and exquisite. Like walking through a fairy desert.
After that foray in mid-New Mexico we had to hurry toward Nevada to pick Tim up yesterday. Made it to Globe, NV for the night and arrive yesterday in Las Vegas only an hour late because of a nail-in-our-tire problem.
Arriving late and tired we walked into the Stratosphere Hotel and were hit by the boings and bells of the casino that, of course, you have to transverse to get anywhere in a Vegas hotel. With the three of us rolling bags, carrying junk, etc. we didn't notice that my computer was left next to the 1-cent slots where I was sitting (playing slots) waiting for Joe and Tim to get back to the car before the valet took it away to retrieve something we forgot. After checking in and going upstairs, through the casino noise, I realized the computer wasn't with us about 30 minutes later.
We rushed downstairs, through the casino noise again, and finally were directed to security where after I explained what I had lost, a computer in an Oracle bag, Denny, the security guard, started asking strange questions: could I identify it? was my name inside? etc. Finally he smiled and said he could help me but I had to do something. I realized he had it and almost crushed him with a big hug. He said the Oracle bag was the kicker but I had to find a picture of myself in the computer before he could give it to me...wouldn't take Face Book, which I can explain why if anyone is interested. Some kind angel is looking over my shoulder. When I asked who turned it in he said he couldn't tell me because "it was security person who he couldn't identify because..." I finished his sentence "because he is one of the security people who just walk around the casino floor." He smiled big and said yes. He didn't know I used to watch "Las Vegas" and knew all about that stuff. Ha!
Just now I realized I had gone through this before when we were in Egypt at the Valley of the Kings. I had slipped my slim passport (AND money wallet) in my purse and apparently it just slipped down the side of the purse. Someone had turned it in. That angel has worked overtime in my life.
So, after lunch at the Stratosphere revolving restaurant above Las Vegas we opted to drive to Utah ready to see Zion tomorrow and Bryce Canyon.
This whole trip makes you realize what a beautiful country we have here. I believe the translation for America in Chinese is "Beautiful Country". Those Chinese are certainly perceptive.
We spent our first full day in El Paso by going to Carlsbad Caverns in NMex. It's certainly a sight to see but the lighting inside the cavern was so low, you couldn't see as much as I would have liked. It's something like 750 ft underground and the biggest cavern is said to be the size of 14 big football stadiums. I would recommend it but the fun part of the trip was the scenery on the way. Beautiful mountains, absolute isolation (no cars coming/going on the road for over an hour), and you can see for scores of miles in every direction. Just beautiful.
The next day we went to White Sands Proving Ground. I've always wanted to see the Trinity Site since I grew up in Oak Ridge, TN and nuclear bombs were a part of my growing up in a Manhattan Project town. (For you young-uns, I suggest Wikipedia. : ) You can't get a a location to see the site but there was a good museum in Alamogordo (I always thought it was Almagordo) and had seen some nuclear bomb detonation sites years ago on a boondoggle to the Nevada Test Site. Anyway, the White Sands area was beautiful. The sand is actually gypsum and exquisite. Like walking through a fairy desert.
After that foray in mid-New Mexico we had to hurry toward Nevada to pick Tim up yesterday. Made it to Globe, NV for the night and arrive yesterday in Las Vegas only an hour late because of a nail-in-our-tire problem.
Arriving late and tired we walked into the Stratosphere Hotel and were hit by the boings and bells of the casino that, of course, you have to transverse to get anywhere in a Vegas hotel. With the three of us rolling bags, carrying junk, etc. we didn't notice that my computer was left next to the 1-cent slots where I was sitting (playing slots) waiting for Joe and Tim to get back to the car before the valet took it away to retrieve something we forgot. After checking in and going upstairs, through the casino noise, I realized the computer wasn't with us about 30 minutes later.
We rushed downstairs, through the casino noise again, and finally were directed to security where after I explained what I had lost, a computer in an Oracle bag, Denny, the security guard, started asking strange questions: could I identify it? was my name inside? etc. Finally he smiled and said he could help me but I had to do something. I realized he had it and almost crushed him with a big hug. He said the Oracle bag was the kicker but I had to find a picture of myself in the computer before he could give it to me...wouldn't take Face Book, which I can explain why if anyone is interested. Some kind angel is looking over my shoulder. When I asked who turned it in he said he couldn't tell me because "it was security person who he couldn't identify because..." I finished his sentence "because he is one of the security people who just walk around the casino floor." He smiled big and said yes. He didn't know I used to watch "Las Vegas" and knew all about that stuff. Ha!
Just now I realized I had gone through this before when we were in Egypt at the Valley of the Kings. I had slipped my slim passport (AND money wallet) in my purse and apparently it just slipped down the side of the purse. Someone had turned it in. That angel has worked overtime in my life.
So, after lunch at the Stratosphere revolving restaurant above Las Vegas we opted to drive to Utah ready to see Zion tomorrow and Bryce Canyon.
This whole trip makes you realize what a beautiful country we have here. I believe the translation for America in Chinese is "Beautiful Country". Those Chinese are certainly perceptive.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Day 21, Pecos to Big Bend NP and El Paso
Woke up this morning in Pecos at a Swiss clock hotel along Interstate 20. It was our jumping off point to turn south to visit Big Bend National Park tucked into a little triangle in south west Texas. Though the area was dry as a bone, we had to move our car from the parking spot next to our room to keep from water dripping off the roof and getting us wet as we packed up. The drive south was usual as we quickly caught up with the fog that apparently had deposited the water in Pecos. Must have been in it for about 20 miles and 'poof' it was gone. We could look behind us and see the cloud of mist.
The drive was wonderful. We started seeing huge, uninhabited mountains--some were mesa wannabes others were already scraped flat across the top. The flat valleys must have been 30 miles across. There were large vistas wherever you looked. Very few people, a good number of roads to ranches with interesting names and occasionally a very small town. Since I know little of geology, pictures will have to do here to explain the immensity and grandeur of the land. A couple of mountains looked like those we saw in Jordan. Others were definitely made of different rocks. There were places of upheaval of the land and a few places of water erosion like the Grand Canyon. The general area is the Chihuahua Desert that extends to the Copper Canyon in Mexico we visited about 4 years ago. Copper Canyon is primarily canyons so you are on top of the land looking down. Here you had both but mostly looking up at mountains...most about a mile high. Equally exciting was our exit from Big Bend National Park along the Rio Grande north through the Big Bend Ranch State Park. We saw only a couple of Border Patrol trucks. Anybody who could make it through the rugged mountains on the Mexican side and the same thing on the US side would have to be very determined, very clever and in excellent shape.
We decided to push on to El Paso late in the afternoon after a pick-me-up at the local laundromat/coffee-shop-with-wifi in Marfa. Starting about 30 miles aways from El Paso we followed the lights from across the Rio Grande in Juarez, population over 1.5 million!! That was a surprise. El Paso has about 800,00 and was voted the safest city in the US while Jaurez is about the most dangerous city in the world right now with horrific drug wars going on. Apparently the drug lords are purposely keeping the war on the Mexican side of the river. Our hotel room looks across to the lights of Juarez.
The drive was wonderful. We started seeing huge, uninhabited mountains--some were mesa wannabes others were already scraped flat across the top. The flat valleys must have been 30 miles across. There were large vistas wherever you looked. Very few people, a good number of roads to ranches with interesting names and occasionally a very small town. Since I know little of geology, pictures will have to do here to explain the immensity and grandeur of the land. A couple of mountains looked like those we saw in Jordan. Others were definitely made of different rocks. There were places of upheaval of the land and a few places of water erosion like the Grand Canyon. The general area is the Chihuahua Desert that extends to the Copper Canyon in Mexico we visited about 4 years ago. Copper Canyon is primarily canyons so you are on top of the land looking down. Here you had both but mostly looking up at mountains...most about a mile high. Equally exciting was our exit from Big Bend National Park along the Rio Grande north through the Big Bend Ranch State Park. We saw only a couple of Border Patrol trucks. Anybody who could make it through the rugged mountains on the Mexican side and the same thing on the US side would have to be very determined, very clever and in excellent shape.
We decided to push on to El Paso late in the afternoon after a pick-me-up at the local laundromat/coffee-shop-with-wifi in Marfa. Starting about 30 miles aways from El Paso we followed the lights from across the Rio Grande in Juarez, population over 1.5 million!! That was a surprise. El Paso has about 800,00 and was voted the safest city in the US while Jaurez is about the most dangerous city in the world right now with horrific drug wars going on. Apparently the drug lords are purposely keeping the war on the Mexican side of the river. Our hotel room looks across to the lights of Juarez.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
February 17, 2010 in Rowlett, Texas
I'm not doing to well with my logs/journals, etc. Haven't had an overload yet, but we're working on it. About all I feel I can do right now is list where we have been so far:
Williamsburg
Elizabeth City, NC
Ocracoke Island 4 days
Charleston, NC
Savannah, GA
Okefanokee, GA
Andersonville Prison, GA
Mobile, AL
New Orleans, LA
Raceland and Oak Alley, LA (bayou)
Avery Island, LA
and now near Dallas visiting Liz Grubaugh
We've been gone only two weeks, though it seems longer it also seems as if we have had not enough time to do all we wanted to do--like keeping up a journal. I was able to get on the internet,here and there, but when we realized we were so far behind in the journal, we realized we needed some cheat sheets to figure out the places we had been and the things we had seen.
Since we just arrived in Dallas yesterday Louisiana is on my mind. We hit New Orleans during the Mardi Gras parades and thoroughly enjoyed the milieu but equally happy to get to the bayou country. We started toward the bayou on Saturday. We stayed at a small B&B on the bayou near a very small town called Lockport where we enjoyed a homemade Mardi Gras parade that beat New Orleans in heart.
The airboat ride on LaFourche bayou was a real treat. Our guide found a nest of mother and several baby alligators; he stuck an H-shaped pole in the mud and somehow pulled up a baby alligator. The mother stuck her head out of the muddy bank and hissed the whole time we were there. Birds were thick throughout the open water, cypress swamps and bayou canals lined with Live Oaks heavy with Spanish Moss. The most abundant wildlife was nutria (large rodents) and we got several closeups, TOO close up for me. The birds were everywhere with bald eagles, a red-tailed hawk with a white chest, ducks, a ring necked something (not pheasant) that we'll identify when we get home, beautiful great blue herons, snowy egrets and large white herons. The coots (different coloring than the Potomac coots) were comically dumb as they tried to out- run/fly the airboat. The guide had to slow down often just to let them figure out how to get out of the way.
We also stayed at Oak Alley Plantation right next to the Mississippi levee where from our window we could hear better than see the tugs pushing the barges down river to the Gulf. Oak Alley was the site of several movies (NOT Gone with the Wind as many had told us.) I believe Interview with a Vampire was one that was filmed there.
Today we three (Liz, Joe and me) went to Dealey Plaza so Joe could go to the Book Depository where Oswald alone shot Kennedy [or so they say.] Liz and I had seen it a year ago but we waited for Joe so we could argue the Warren Committee decision with him. Nobody changed their mind. Why am I not surprised? ha
Next week will be the original focus of the trip: Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon, Utah. Right now we have cut out CA in favor of seeing my college roommate whom I haven't seen in over 40 years in Arkansas. We're hoping to make Big Bend, TX; Almagordo, and Albuquerque, NMex before we pick up Tim in Las Vegas. He's changing jobs about March 1 so he has some time off and will go with us to Utah.
Williamsburg
Elizabeth City, NC
Ocracoke Island 4 days
Charleston, NC
Savannah, GA
Okefanokee, GA
Andersonville Prison, GA
Mobile, AL
New Orleans, LA
Raceland and Oak Alley, LA (bayou)
Avery Island, LA
and now near Dallas visiting Liz Grubaugh
We've been gone only two weeks, though it seems longer it also seems as if we have had not enough time to do all we wanted to do--like keeping up a journal. I was able to get on the internet,here and there, but when we realized we were so far behind in the journal, we realized we needed some cheat sheets to figure out the places we had been and the things we had seen.
Since we just arrived in Dallas yesterday Louisiana is on my mind. We hit New Orleans during the Mardi Gras parades and thoroughly enjoyed the milieu but equally happy to get to the bayou country. We started toward the bayou on Saturday. We stayed at a small B&B on the bayou near a very small town called Lockport where we enjoyed a homemade Mardi Gras parade that beat New Orleans in heart.
The airboat ride on LaFourche bayou was a real treat. Our guide found a nest of mother and several baby alligators; he stuck an H-shaped pole in the mud and somehow pulled up a baby alligator. The mother stuck her head out of the muddy bank and hissed the whole time we were there. Birds were thick throughout the open water, cypress swamps and bayou canals lined with Live Oaks heavy with Spanish Moss. The most abundant wildlife was nutria (large rodents) and we got several closeups, TOO close up for me. The birds were everywhere with bald eagles, a red-tailed hawk with a white chest, ducks, a ring necked something (not pheasant) that we'll identify when we get home, beautiful great blue herons, snowy egrets and large white herons. The coots (different coloring than the Potomac coots) were comically dumb as they tried to out- run/fly the airboat. The guide had to slow down often just to let them figure out how to get out of the way.
We also stayed at Oak Alley Plantation right next to the Mississippi levee where from our window we could hear better than see the tugs pushing the barges down river to the Gulf. Oak Alley was the site of several movies (NOT Gone with the Wind as many had told us.) I believe Interview with a Vampire was one that was filmed there.
Today we three (Liz, Joe and me) went to Dealey Plaza so Joe could go to the Book Depository where Oswald alone shot Kennedy [or so they say.] Liz and I had seen it a year ago but we waited for Joe so we could argue the Warren Committee decision with him. Nobody changed their mind. Why am I not surprised? ha
Next week will be the original focus of the trip: Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon, Utah. Right now we have cut out CA in favor of seeing my college roommate whom I haven't seen in over 40 years in Arkansas. We're hoping to make Big Bend, TX; Almagordo, and Albuquerque, NMex before we pick up Tim in Las Vegas. He's changing jobs about March 1 so he has some time off and will go with us to Utah.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Day 7
Left Atlantic Beach, NC and traveled south to Charleston, SC. Arrived in the morning and stayed at Mills Guest House Hotel in downtown Charleston. Had a great lunch at Poogan's Porch. Walked around town investigating the very cute shops while Joe investigated the outsides of shops. Got to the city docks in time to take the ferry to Fort Sumter. Though it was cold and windy it was well worth the time/trouble to walk around the fort and think about the battles.
Decided on a tourist restaurant, Hyman's, that with all their assorted businesses took up almost a full city block. We were seated upstairs at the same table Jimmy Buffet, Barbara Striesand and Erma Bombeck had used...the waiter promised it was all true!
We delayed our leaving the next day to get to Jestine's for lunch...real Gullah food including Sweet Chicken (about 4 pieces of dark chicken on a bed of rice smothered with a gravy and Lima beans (what we call butter beans.)
Took a Gullah tour of Charleston that included a balance of the great homes and the humble homes. The architecture of Charleston was amazingly uniform. Most unusual was the door to a front/side porch in a false wall. All the porches were on the north side of the buildings to be the coolest. Not a problem right now, though. Still cool.
Left for Savannah to meet my cousin, Judy Compton. Arrived about six and visited them and went out to eat. Stayed at the Inn at Mulberry Grove outside of Charleston instead of the Mulberry Inn IN Charleston like we were supposed to!!
Decided on a tourist restaurant, Hyman's, that with all their assorted businesses took up almost a full city block. We were seated upstairs at the same table Jimmy Buffet, Barbara Striesand and Erma Bombeck had used...the waiter promised it was all true!
We delayed our leaving the next day to get to Jestine's for lunch...real Gullah food including Sweet Chicken (about 4 pieces of dark chicken on a bed of rice smothered with a gravy and Lima beans (what we call butter beans.)
Took a Gullah tour of Charleston that included a balance of the great homes and the humble homes. The architecture of Charleston was amazingly uniform. Most unusual was the door to a front/side porch in a false wall. All the porches were on the north side of the buildings to be the coolest. Not a problem right now, though. Still cool.
Left for Savannah to meet my cousin, Judy Compton. Arrived about six and visited them and went out to eat. Stayed at the Inn at Mulberry Grove outside of Charleston instead of the Mulberry Inn IN Charleston like we were supposed to!!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Day 6: Ocracoke to Atlantic Beach
Drove length of island
shelling on the beach
Watching about 5 movies and hunkering down in the wind and driving rain.
shelling on the beach
Watching about 5 movies and hunkering down in the wind and driving rain.
Day 3-6 Elizabeth City NC to Ocracoke Island, Outer Banks
Visited the very good museum at Elizabeth City. [note: write more about canal thru Dismal Swamp.]
We headed toward Edenton, NC but just passed through remembering our disastrous trip there when we were looking to perhaps retire there. Turns out there are way too many Evangelicals in NC for our tastes. We prefer the more hedonistic marina-types.
The afternoon was interesting as we took a tour of the southern side of the Albemarle Pennisula. Barren, swampy, but beautiful. I think the trooper that pulled me over was the only other car on the road. Took the last ferry to Ocracoke and arrived just after sunset. The hotel turned out to be a gem, Captain's Landing, on the harbor lagoon, named Silver Lake (I believe I heard Blackbeard named it.) Room was convenient with a living room/kitchen, almost as big as mine, and bedroom with sliding glass doors to the deck overlooking Silver Lake.
Within walking distance was a wonderful new restaurant (only three are open at this time of year) named Dajio (Doug and Judy In Ocracoke). We had several recommendations to try it but each was accompanied by "...but it's cold inside." They were right but Judy put us right by the gas fireplace. It was easy to seat us since we were the only guests. Food was very good but I'll have to think hard about what we ate.
Weather is horrific but in that, it's wonderful. There is no reason to be outside in the wet, the cold, the hard winds. Time to read and watch DVDs.
We headed toward Edenton, NC but just passed through remembering our disastrous trip there when we were looking to perhaps retire there. Turns out there are way too many Evangelicals in NC for our tastes. We prefer the more hedonistic marina-types.
The afternoon was interesting as we took a tour of the southern side of the Albemarle Pennisula. Barren, swampy, but beautiful. I think the trooper that pulled me over was the only other car on the road. Took the last ferry to Ocracoke and arrived just after sunset. The hotel turned out to be a gem, Captain's Landing, on the harbor lagoon, named Silver Lake (I believe I heard Blackbeard named it.) Room was convenient with a living room/kitchen, almost as big as mine, and bedroom with sliding glass doors to the deck overlooking Silver Lake.
Within walking distance was a wonderful new restaurant (only three are open at this time of year) named Dajio (Doug and Judy In Ocracoke). We had several recommendations to try it but each was accompanied by "...but it's cold inside." They were right but Judy put us right by the gas fireplace. It was easy to seat us since we were the only guests. Food was very good but I'll have to think hard about what we ate.
Weather is horrific but in that, it's wonderful. There is no reason to be outside in the wet, the cold, the hard winds. Time to read and watch DVDs.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Day 2: Feb2010 Elizabeth City, NC
Yesterday was beautiful and bright. Today was gloomy and wet. We started off along the James River to the recommended plantation manor house, Shirley Plantation, only to get to the gate the closed sign. After taking another back road that hadn't been scraped of snow, every light on the dashboard went off. At the 'First Team Toyota' dealership we got to watch Quantuum Solace while they searched for the problem--a sensor. Then we were off to the afternoon's adventure of going through Virginia's Great Dismal Swamp. Guess what. They're right, it's actually dismal...not much of a swamp and what there is, quite dismal. The early Virginians were quite clever to shoot down the obvious name: Great Dull Swamp.
We are now in Elizabeth City and looking forward to reaching Ocrakoke Island tomorrow. It was a tough night and day but Joe's already snoring away on tonight's king sized bed!! Yea!
We are now in Elizabeth City and looking forward to reaching Ocrakoke Island tomorrow. It was a tough night and day but Joe's already snoring away on tonight's king sized bed!! Yea!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Joe and Susan's Retirement Tour 2010
Joe retired from the Dept of Energy at midnight January 30 so we stayed until we could help Juli Waseche celebrate her 60th birthday with a rocking party abourd Eric Slaughter's Celebrity.
We began our tour at the Gangplank Marina about 11:00 Monday, February 1, 2010. After a depressing stop at the Half Street USPO, we headed across the South Cap Bridge only to determine that we would NOT go down I95 but take 301 down. Good decision. It was a beautiful drive. Roads were clear and dry and the landscape was bright white snow covered. So much nicer to see the snow in the south where it stays clean because the roads are dry, no slush. We did our first required exercise walk at Port Tobacco--the town. There actually is a location with about 5 colonial houses and a delightful courthouse on the river. The historic sign seemed to intimate that John Wilkes Booth was headed there after the Lincoln asassination but no indication that he actually got there.
A highlight at Port Tobacco was walking behind the Courthouse and realizing that what we thought were footprints were actually numerous different animals. Even a print of the tips of a large bird--like a vulture. Wing tips only, no other snow disturbed...very special. Later we saw a vulture and an American Eagle sharing some carrion in a field.
Had lunch near the 301 Bridge and Camp AP Hill at a mom & pop place called the Crabby Oyster.
Our afternoon excurson was around Urbanna, VA when we started driving off the secondary roads. We came upon some families sledding below a huge bonfire. Seems the fire department had lit this huge bonfire at the top of the hill for practice, but it made for an interesting site. A 'good ole boy' who was chatting with us looked vaguely familiar but I was sure we didn't know him. As we were pulling out I saw his pickup truck license "SeaTime". I realized he was the archetypecal boater: gravelly voice, weather-beaten tan, skinny as a rail, sun streaked dirty blond hair with a certain dazed attitude. Of course there are none at the Gangplank just now, but they've been there.
We arrived in Williamsburg about sunset at the Holiday Inn Conference Center. About 7:30 we drove into Colonial Williamsburg to try to go to find a colonial tavern. We found Shield's Tavern --looked dark but we noticed a bit of movement inside. Dinner had started at 5:00 but they kindly allowed us in for a drink. It was a wonderful end to our first day, sitting in a candlelit room with a private concert from a very good guitarist while talking to the knowlegable staff. Enjoyed some history lessons from the Minstrel and the hostess.
We began our tour at the Gangplank Marina about 11:00 Monday, February 1, 2010. After a depressing stop at the Half Street USPO, we headed across the South Cap Bridge only to determine that we would NOT go down I95 but take 301 down. Good decision. It was a beautiful drive. Roads were clear and dry and the landscape was bright white snow covered. So much nicer to see the snow in the south where it stays clean because the roads are dry, no slush. We did our first required exercise walk at Port Tobacco--the town. There actually is a location with about 5 colonial houses and a delightful courthouse on the river. The historic sign seemed to intimate that John Wilkes Booth was headed there after the Lincoln asassination but no indication that he actually got there.
A highlight at Port Tobacco was walking behind the Courthouse and realizing that what we thought were footprints were actually numerous different animals. Even a print of the tips of a large bird--like a vulture. Wing tips only, no other snow disturbed...very special. Later we saw a vulture and an American Eagle sharing some carrion in a field.
Had lunch near the 301 Bridge and Camp AP Hill at a mom & pop place called the Crabby Oyster.
Our afternoon excurson was around Urbanna, VA when we started driving off the secondary roads. We came upon some families sledding below a huge bonfire. Seems the fire department had lit this huge bonfire at the top of the hill for practice, but it made for an interesting site. A 'good ole boy' who was chatting with us looked vaguely familiar but I was sure we didn't know him. As we were pulling out I saw his pickup truck license "SeaTime". I realized he was the archetypecal boater: gravelly voice, weather-beaten tan, skinny as a rail, sun streaked dirty blond hair with a certain dazed attitude. Of course there are none at the Gangplank just now, but they've been there.
We arrived in Williamsburg about sunset at the Holiday Inn Conference Center. About 7:30 we drove into Colonial Williamsburg to try to go to find a colonial tavern. We found Shield's Tavern --looked dark but we noticed a bit of movement inside. Dinner had started at 5:00 but they kindly allowed us in for a drink. It was a wonderful end to our first day, sitting in a candlelit room with a private concert from a very good guitarist while talking to the knowlegable staff. Enjoyed some history lessons from the Minstrel and the hostess.
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