So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye!

Greetings all,

Today was our last day of the Grand National Park Tour and what a time it has been. All that's left is the long drive home across Western Kansas. We spent today in RMNP and shopping in town.

First thing today we headed up to Bear Lake to do the ritual walkabout the lake. Took the customary rock picture and enjoyed a nice easy hike. On the way up we spotted the same coyote we saw on Tuesday night. At least he looked the same. Today he was just trotting down the middle of the road. He'd look back at us every once and awhile but whenever we'd try to drive around him, he'd move over in our way. He finally headed off the road and down the hill. That was pretty cool.

Bear Lake was very busy. Lots of tourists. I don't qualify as a tourist. I have been here too many times. Anyway, that's how I see it. Then we drove down to Estes to eat lunch at the legendary Bob and Tony's pizza. Shopped just a little but it started to rain so we cut our shopping short. Did get a chance to go to the two fabulous shoe stores here. Last time we were here I spent about $200 between these 2 stores. This year I had iron will power and didn't buy the super cute Keen's. I will see if they have them at home and if not, I will order them online. However, if I'm going to spend that much on casual shoes, I should probably get a new pair of New Balance for work. Also went to the little quilt store and bought some fat quarters that I really don't need but heck, you can never have too much fabric. Anybody want a quilt made from pink/green chintz fabric. I have quite a collection now.

It was back to the cabin where Ken took a 3 hour nap and I watched 3 hours of Women Cops of Broward Co. waiting for him to wake up. Around 8 we took a twilight nature drive on which we saw a small black or brown bear up on the hill. I have always wanted to see a bear in RMNP. Had a late dinner of nachos and red beer at Ed's and we are now watching the news.

It is sad to note that there have been two deaths at places we have been to recently. A man was killed by a bear in Yellowstone on Wed. and today a young man fell from the upper deck of Ranger Stadium trying to catch a fly ball. Makes you stop and think.

Please say a prayer for my friend Valerie and the mission team from Central Community who are in Uganda right now.

Tomorrow we are going to eat lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Denver and then we will get on the road. Expect to be home by late evening. Can't wait to see my kitties and sleep in my own bed.

Traveling the Road

Greetings!

Yesterday we drove Trail Ridge Road from the east side to the west. It is a spectacular drive and one of my favorites.

In 1915 Congress passed the Rocky Mountain National Park Act setting aside some of the most beautiful land in the United States. At that time the philosophy of the Park Service was to make things look natural. So, they cleared trees, put out fires, managed wildlife and other things that were decidedly not natural. The first road through the park from east to west was Fall River Road, a one lane narrow dirt road that began in Endo Valley and ended in the Kauwanechee Valley on the west side. It was and is a difficult drive and was snowed in many months of the year. Today it is designated as a one way road but back then if you met another car going the opposite direction, one of you would have to back up until there was a wide spot in the road. In 1926 or so government authorized the building of a newer, more modern road to accommodate auto tourism. Construction on Trail Ridge Road began and became a WPA project in the 1930's. Once completed the road rose more than 4000 feet to an elevation of 12,138 feet and spans 48 from the east side of RMNP to the west side. Much of the road takes you above treeline and into an alpine tundra area. It is known as the highest, paved, man made road in the world.

Our drive yesterday was mainly to take in the scenic wonder of the park from the car. We saw lots and lots of elk and a few deer. There is still snow at the top as usual but there seems to be a little more this year. Fall River Road usually opens July 4 but the ranger said there is still so much snow that they can't find the road. That's ok because Ken said he wasn't going to drive our new car up that road anyway.

On the west side of the park we stopped in the village of Grand Lake. In honor of my sister's birthday we went to a little ice cream stand that she likes down by the marina. I had a double dip cone of homemade Pecans and Praline/Caramel Fudge Swirl ice cream for lunch. Then it was back over the road. On the way back we stopped at the Summit Park store and looked around. It was just beginning to sprinkle on us but we could see that storms were coming. Fortunately all it did was drizzle while we were driving. We have driven that road in zero visibility fog, at night and in the rain and it can be a little scary in that kind of weather.

Just as we got back to town the sky opened up and it began to pour. We spent a couple of hours just watching it rain. I have never seen rain that heavy here and unlike home, it comes straight down. When it let up we went downtown to eat at Ed's Cantina. Ed's isn't the best Mexican food in the world but they do have good margaritas. We had planned to stay in town for an outdoor band concert but decided since we didn't have lawn chairs, it would be too wet to sit on the ground.

Today hasn't started on a good note. Internet is running uber slow. Someone accidentally banged the screen door when they were getting the hummingbird feeder down to fill (woke me up). Everything in the refrigerator froze so I had to throw out most of the food including the eggs I was going to make for breakfast and I have a headache. I won't let these little things get me down...much. Today we are off to Bear Lake and shopping in town. Tomorrow we plan to eat lunch in Denver and then head home. I can't wait! It's been a nice trip but I'm tired and I want to go home.

TTYL

R and R and R

Evening Greetings from River Spruce

Not much to report tonight. Today was a day of rest, relaxation and rain. It is really amazing how tired you can get from vacation! And I mean that. If you could hear the sound of the river rushing by, the whir of the hummingbirds, the smell of the rain you could understand how easy it is to spend the day reading, sleeping and eating. I really have trouble with that as when I am in vacation mode I think we need to go, go, go. Ken is more able to do nothing so I have tried in the past few years to learn how to do nothing too.

Today I cooked breakfast and dinner, well Ken cooked the burgers on the grill, and it was really nice to eat home cooked food after eating restaurant food for so long. Then we just spent the day reading and snoozing. Tonight we drove up into Rocky Mountain National Park. Evening is the best time to see wildlife at RMNP because there isn't as much traffic. Tonight, since it was pouring rain off and on, there were even fewer people. We saw lots of elk and a few deer. Drove up into a little picnic area that we love called Endo Valley. The area was empty of people but we came up on a family of 3 deer. If we moved slowly, the stayed close by. At one point, we just turned the car off and watched them for awhile. It was very peaceful.

The forecast is for more rain the next two days. 2 plus inches expected. There is a flash flood warning for most of the counties around here and on the Big Thompson. Our cabin is on Fall river and although it is running full and fast, I think we are in good shape.

Tomorrow we plan to spend in the park and will drive up Trail Ridge Road.

Happy Trails!

If God Doesn't Live In Colorado...

I bet that's where He spends most of His time.

Greetings from the Rainbow Cabin in Colorful Colorado!

I am so glad to be here. There is just something special about this river and this place. I am sitting in the living room, it's about 9:30 a.m. and Ken is still asleep. The river out front is roaring and the hummingbirds visit the feeder just outside our window. I am drinking a cup of tea and just enjoying being HERE.

Sunday and Monday were long driving days. We left Yellowstone and headed south to Rock Springs, WY via Jackson Hole and the Grand Tetons. Jackson was overflowing with people so we didn't stop. Arrived in Rock Springs around dinner time. In February when I was making reservations I thought I'd save a little money by this point in the trip so I booked us into The Inn. $69 a night. Had fairly good Trip Advisor ratings so I thought it couldn't be all that bad. When we walked in I noted that the lobby was rather dated looking and that there was an indoor pool just off the lobby. I concluded that this hotel had been a Holidome at one point in it's life. You remember, Holiday Inn's big push to become a resort chain? Restaurants and rooms surrounding a pool and lobby area. They used to be real nice.

Now, my family knows that I am notoriously picky about my hotel rooms. I'm kind of like that commercial where the lady is trying to unlock the Lexus that isn't hers but ought to be. The lobby of the hotel was kind of shabby. The elevator had seen it's better days. The hallway was dark and stunk of cigarettes. My mood was sinking fast. I wasn't at all cheered up when we opened the door to the room. A wave of old cigarette smoke about knocked me over. The room was large and had a king size bed but it looked and smelled like it hadn't been renovated since it was built. Discouragement set in. Ken hustled me off to dinner at Applebees across the street and reassured me that it was only for one night. Yeah, one night in hell. Anyhow, long story short, when we got back I asked the desk clerk if we could move into a non-smoking room and he was glad to oblige. The new room had been remodeled and didn't stink but I'm sure I still slept with one eye open.

Monday we pushed on through Wyoming turning south at Laramie and into Ft. Collins. Two years ago we discovered a wonderful little place called City Butcher and Deli where they made the best Reuben I have ever had. It was made with buffalo pastrami and was just to die for. My mouth was watering to have one yesterday. But, being the 4th, they were closed. I settled for nachos and a red beer at Old Chicago. Then it was on up the Big Thompson Canyon to my home away from home, River Spruce Cottages.

Just a note on the Big Thompson Canyon. On July 30,1976, just a month after my first visit to Estes Park, there was a deadly flash flood through the canyon that killed over a hundred people and permanently changed the landscape of the canyon. (Read more here: www.denverpost.com/mobile/ci4112461). Today you wouldn't know that there had been a flood unless you know what to look for. As we started up the canyon I observed that the sky ahead looked like a thunderstorm so I checked the weather report. Under the severe alerts there was a flood warning for the Big T river due to rapid snow melt in the mountains. Shhhhh, don't tell mom. As you can see, we made it safely up the canyon.

Got moved into our cabin and we both promptly fell asleep. Went to the Safeway about 7:00 and then found a parking place to watch the fireworks over Lake Estes. Since we were hungry we decided to walk down to McDonalds where I splurged and got a Quarter Pounder. No big deal there except when I opened the box, I had a hamburger patty, two slices of cheese, two pickles, onion, ketchup but no bun. Now, how do you forget to put a bun on a hamburger? The manager didn't even act surprised when I showed it to him!

The fireworks over the lake were beautiful and a perfect beginning to this perfect part of the trip. Going to go cook breakfast and then just see where the day takes us.

Talk to you later!

To Mammoth and Beyond!

Happy Saturday!

I am sure you will all be happy to know that I finally got a good night's sleep and am much perkier today! Good thing too because Ken tried to kill me. More on that later.

This morning we breakfasted at a little bakery down the street. There were two couples ahead of us who had to know the ingredients of every item in the bakery case. The woman actually asked if the huckleberry scones had sugar in them. Come on woman, they had a white glaze all over the top and huckleberries are notoriously sour! The finally left without buying anything. Probably on to a more heart healthy breakfast at McDonald's. We ordered croissant breakfast sandwiches that were wonderful!

Today's itinerary was the northern loop of Yellowstone park. We mainly drove, didn't pull out much. Being the July 4th weekend, the park is very crowded. Sometimes though, it seems hard to find an American. We've hear just about every language from Chinese to Aussie. The park is especially teeming with Chinese and Japanese tourists. At dinner last night there was a group of elderly Japanese women. They were served huge hunks of prime rib with dinner salads. Their expressions were funny as they tried to figure out what to do with the plate of lettuce but even better when they saw that hunk of half raw beef in front of them!

As we drove today we encountered several "animal jams". These occur when one car stops to look at an elk or buffalo and every car behind them stops to gawk with them. I think "animal jams" are only appropriate when there is a grizzly bear, of which we saw one again today.

Our first stop today was at Mammoth Hot Springs. To me this is the most beautiful area of the park. There are massive white cliffs with hot spring pools and waterfalls flowing over the cliffs. There is a gorgeous hotel that must have been built in the '20's because of the craftsman architecture throughout the lobby. Just off the lobby is a meeting room and on the wall of the meeting room is a huge map made entirely of inlaid wood. Each state has it's own kind of wood. It is a beautiful piece of art work. In the lobby are some unusual easy chairs and ottomans. Ken plopped down in one while I was shopping. He encouraged me to try one and I think we sat there for 15 minutes just enjoying the comfort of the chairs.

Mammoth is home to Fort Yellowstone. Yellowstone Park was established by Congress in 1872 as the people of the United States began to understand and value the scarcity of the American wilderness. Yellowstone Valley became a protected area but this only encouraged poachers, miners and other opportunists who wanted to take advantage of the tourists and the natural wonders of the area. In response, Fort Yellowstone was established and the Army of the Yellowstone was created. The Army of the Yellowstone was a division of the regular army and was considered to be a prime assignment for the soldiers posted there. Rather than being crudely built as most forts of the day were, the buildings of Ft Yellowstone were built of natural stone. As a result, the original buildings still stand and are used for housing for park personnel.

Our prime destination today was the Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. This is where Ken tried to kill me. DISCLAIMER: Ken did not actually try to kill me but it was his idea to take the trail down to the brink of the falls. The trip down is a steep 3/8 of a mile descent and a 600 foot drop in altitude. This means that the trip up is a steep 3/8 of a mile ascent with a 600 foot gain in in altitude. I thought I was gonna die! Fortunately, the park service anticipated the possibility of such near death experiences and place benches at the top of most of the steepest climbs. What was cute though is the friend I made. There was this little elderly Chinese lady who I noticed was stopping when I stopped and walked when I walked. After the first couple of stops she would pat the seat next to her inviting me to sit down. A few stops later we began a conversation and this continued all the way up the hill. She didn't seem to be as winded as I but she did say she was tired. It made it somewhat easier to get up that hill. I do have to note, Ken walked most of the way up the hill with us and by the end he was getting winded too.

Our time in Yellowstone is almost over. Tomorrow we will drive back through the park and south to Jackson Hole. Then it is on to Rock Springs to do laundry. Monday evening we will be in paradise. The mountains are calling. I must go.

Old Faithful

Greetings!

I didn't get this posted last night as I was just too tired. Vacation can really wear a person out. We started our morning at the Running Bear Pancake House on the recommendation of our inn keeper. It was very busy and just so-so. Nothing to shout about. Headed up into the park about 10:30 with everyone else in the world it seemed. Our first wildlife encounter occurred shortly after entering the park. Traffic was backed up and when we finally got to the head of the line there were 3 large buffalo sauntering down the road. There was a ranger directing traffic and you had to maneuver around the buffalo. They looked like they were out for a morning stroll.

Since our time here is so limited we decided to divide the park into two days. Good thing there are only two loops of road in the park. Yesterday we took the south loop past the geyser fields and down to Old Faithful. The last time we were here was in 1993 and the Old Faithful area has changed a great deal since then. There is a beautiful new visitor's center that opened last August. It is spacious and has a museum gallery, a nice bookstore and a viewing area for Old Faithful. Our timing was perfect as Old Faithful was estimated to erupt a few minutes after we arrived. We made our way to the outside viewing area where about 800 other people had already gathered. After a few false starts and sputters, the geyser shot up into the air about 150 feet and the eruption lasted about 4 minutes.

Since most of the spectators seemed to head to the visitor's center, we decided to go to the Lodge. Yellowstone National Park is the oldest national park in the United States having been designated so in 1872. The first part of the lodge was built in 1903-04. It is beautiful but much more rustic than the lodges in Glacier. The lobby is like an atrium and is about 5 stories high. At the very top is a tree house where orchestra's used to play so people could dance in the evenings. The infrastructure of the lodge was slightly weakened so they don't allow people to go up to the tree house anymore. It was fun to just sit on one of the balconies and watch the people below for awhile.

We went back to the visitor's center after the lodge and spent time looking at the exhibits. It was nearing time for Old Faithful to erupt again (it erupts approximately every 90 minutes thus giving it it's name) so Ken found a spot on the benches in the indoor viewing area. We met two lovely couples from Alabama who come up north every summer. We visited with them while waiting for Old Faithful, about Gulf Shores, their trip, our trip and so on. Following visits to the gift stores and post office we continued our trek around the south loop.

The highlight of the drive, after Old Faithful of course, were the upper falls of the Yellowstone River in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. We walked down the the viewing point on the south side and then drove around to the viewing point on the northside which was right by the falls. It was spectacular.

Drove back to West Yellowstone then and had dinner and then crashed in the motel room. Wildlife count is now: many bison, 1 bear, two or three elk and a couple of deer.

Today after breakfast, we will head up to the park and drive the north loop. I will try to write more tonight.

Love to all!

The Grand National Park Tour at West Yellowstone

Greetings from Big Sky Country!

First, let me express my sympathy to those of you who are stuck in the broiling heat in Kansas and elsewhere. It is about 65 degrees here with an expected low of 32. I guess the shorts go back into the suitcase tomorrow.

Today was a driving day. I am so glad we cut the extra 3 hours off of our drive by staying in Kalispell last night. It was a long drive as it was. We drove through some beautiful country today. I slept the first couple of hours because I didn't sleep well last night. I missed Missoula, a town I really wanted to see. We drove through a mountain valley most of the way. We stopped at a little rest stop for lunch and while we were there a young couple stopped and got out with their two large dogs and their black Persian cat on a leash. It was kind of funny to watch the cat. He was obviously used to the leash and used to getting out in new territory.

On our way up we decided to take a little side trip to the headwaters of the Missouri River. You remember all the snowfall I talked about up in the mountains? Well now it is all melting and most of the rivers and creeks are at flood stage. Well, guess what? We got to the headwaters and the pullout was closed due to flooding. But, as I told Ken, you could see it from the road and we did get a picture of it.

We took the scenic route to Yellowstone through a canyon with the Gallitin River running through it. It was very scenic. However, I found myself counting white crosses. In Montana, they erect white metal crosses where someone dies in an auto accident. I counted 30 in this canyon before I stopped counting. There is even a website with tributes to the people that the white crosses represent: www.montanahighwaycrosses.com .

We arrived at West Yellowstone at 4:30 and checked into our motel. I found the Alpine Motel on Trip Advisor. It is the #1 rated motel in West Yellowstone and our greeting by the managers lived up to the reviews. The Alpine is just a little mom and pop motel with about 20 units. Terry the manager walked us to our room, showed us how to use the air conditioner and the frig. Tomorrow we have to change rooms but all we have to do is pack our bags and leave them in the room and they will move them for us. I don't think they do that at the Super 8.

After a delicious dinner of pizza at the Wild West Pizzeria, where we were serenaded by the actors from the Pinewood Playhouse, we drove up into the park. Within just a few minutes we saw a herd of bison, a buffalo carcass and a grizzly bear. Pretty darn cool!

Tomorrow will be a park day. So much to see, so little time.

Stay cool!

They Closed Wally World Dad

Didya miss me?

They don't have wifi or cell access in Glacier National Park. That was worse than not having T.V. (they don't have that either). I know, I am supposed to be enjoying nature. Anyhow, I'm baaaack!!!

We left Billings, MT bright and early Sunday morning to head on north to Glacier. The countryside is very pretty and somewhat hilly. One thing is for sure, it's pretty much the same all the way north. The neatest thing I saw was a wind farm with beautiful wind turbines stretching across the prairie. I really don't think they detract from the scenery. They are tall, stately and look like modern day windmills. I had been missing Sonic and my afternoon drink stop so when we saw a Sonic in Great Falls right at lunch time I of course asked to stop there. One thing that is usually consistent at Sonic, besides Happy Hour, is a bad order taker. On the Value Menu it said they had a Jr Deluxe Cheeseburger so I had Ken order a Jr Deluxe Cheeseburger for me. The order taker actually said that the Jr Deluxe Cheeseburger doesn't come with cheese and would he like to add it? Duh! That's my Sonic.

We arrived in Glacier at the St. Mary entrance late Sunday afternoon. You are still in the flat lands at the entry gate but quickly move into the mountains as you proceed into the park. Our reservations were at the Rising Sun Motel which I knew from the website and Trip Advisor would be rustic. The room really wasn't that bad. It had a beautiful hard wood floor, two small double beds and a very basic bathroom. Rising Sun was built in 1940 and renovated in the 1950's so it doesn't have a lot of the sound insulation that newer hotels have but that's part of the charm. It is about a quarter mile from St. Mary Lake although you cannot see the lake from the motel. Another interesting thing about all of the park concessions is that the people working for them are kids from all over the United States and all over the world. What a great job to have.

Let me back up a few steps now. As I told you in my first blog of this trip, our sole purpose for coming to Glacier was to drive the Going to the Sun Road. Going to the Sun Road started as a horse trail through GNP. The land for GNP was obtained through a treaty with the Blackfeet Indian Tribe to be used as a national park. The Blackfeet were the last tribe to secede their land to the United States government. The treaty was made in 1895. In 1910, President Taft signed legislation creating Glacier National Park. The legislation was pushed along by a man named Grinell and JJ Hill, owner of the Great Northern Railroad. Hill saw GNP as a way to encourage train travel. His son, Louis, envisioned a chain of chalets or small hotels anchored by majestic lodges at the north and south ends of the park. Louis shared his idea with dad and JJ said it was all his to do. The south portal became known as Midvale (now East Glacier) and wouldn't you know it, a train station for the Great Northern was just across the road from the Midvale Lodge (now East Glacier Lodge). The chalets were exactly a day's horse ride apart. Guests flocked to GNP to see the wild west and the wonders of the United States. With the advent of car travel it became a necessity to have a way for cars to travel through the park from east to west. The Going to the Sun Road was designed and built in only 11 years. It officially opened in 1932 and was visited by FDR in 1933. Many consider it to be the most scenic highway in the world. And now, in 2011, 101 years after the park opened, Ken McLemore wanted to drive the Going to the Sun Road.

About a week and half prior to our leaving Wichita, Ken discovered the GTSR was still closed due to record snow fall. It was scheduled to open on June 17 but on that date, they still had 50 feet of snow at the top of Logan Pass. They had a handy little map showing where the plows were working and it looked like just a few miles were left. Not to worry I told Ken, we still had a week and half before we got there. We checked the map just about every day and it seemed that they weren't making any progress. Not to worry, I said, I bet the website hasn't been updated. Well, guess what? GNP had 386% more snow than normal this year. The spring has been cool and wet. The plows are working hard and the sun is beginning to melt the snow but, when we arrived, the ranger at the gate informed us that GTSR was still CLOSED! Poor Ken. The moose at the gate owes him an explanation. I wouldn't let him punch the sign.

If I gave every detail about what we did and what we saw, you'd still be reading this tomorrow so I'll just give you the highlights. First thing Monday morning, after an awful night's sleep, we took a boat tour of St. Mary Lake on a boat called the Little Chief. Little Chief is one of two original boats dating back to the 1920's that are still on the GNP lakes today. Here is what we saw:

Isn't that gorgeous? Ken took that from the boat. After lunch we drove up to Many Glacier and took a nature tour with a Ranger and saw the tiniest bird's nest in existence, that of a Calliope Hummingbird. Then we went to the Many Glacier Lodge and took a tour with a Ranger of that historic hotel. Monday night we decided to each sleep in our own bed as the double beds were quite tiny and we're not. We slept much better. Tuesday we tried to walk up GTSR to Siyeh Point. I am a wimp and didn't get very far as the road is a constant upward grade at 6000 feet altitude and up. Ken would've made it but he wouldn't go on without me. I felt bad. We stopped at a beautiful waterfall on our way down the mountain. After lunch we went drove south to Two Medicine on a road called Looking Glass Road. It was a beautiful drive and ended at a beautiful lake. That evening we took a tour on one of the Red Bus cars. It was supposed to be an evening glacier tour and it was supposed to be two and a half hours long. First, we were the last ones to be picked up and the tour guide tried to leave without us. We practically had to run after the bus. Then, we basically saw everything we'd already seen and only one glacier. The driver told great stories and it was fun to ride the red bus but it wasn't the highlight of the trip. Oh, and he dropped us off only two hours after we were picked up. Dinner on Monday and Tuesday was at a little restaurant called The Park. Everything was fresh and homemade including my favorite...pie!

Today we wanted to see the west side of the park and since GTSR is closed, the only way to get there is a three hour drive around the south end of the park. Then, tomorrow we would have to make the drive again on our way to West Yellowstone. We really didn't want to drive 6 hours extra so we got a text to our daughter asking her to find a motel for us in Kalispell, MT and she did a good job. We are staying at another Super 8 and are enjoying a little rest, a little t.v. and wifi/cell service.

I just heard Ken tell Meghan that we had a great time, even if the road was closed and indeed we did. If you want to know more history of the park or the red bus go to the GNP website. Tomorrow it's on to Yellowstone.

Day 3 Custer's Last Stand

Today was our Battle of Little Bighorn Total Immersion Day. The timing of our vacation centered on being at the Little Bighorn National Monument for the 135th anniversary of the battle on Saturday, June 25. We figured we'd better arrive early so we pulled into the monument at 8:00 a.m. There weren't many people there at that time and we wondered a bit what was going on. Not to worry, by 8:30 people were streaming into the battlefield. The Little Bighorn College offers guided tours through the battlefield and onto the Crow Reservation to the site of the Reno-Benteen battle. The guides are college students who do a very nice job.

Back at the Visitor's Center, we walked up to Last Stand Hill where Custer and his men made their final stand and where they died. The hillside is topped by a large marble pillar placed which marks the final resting place of the enlisted men who fell during the battle. On the hillside and throughout the battlefield are white markers denoting where soldiers fell. Most of them don't have names inscribed. Those that do are officers, scouts, civilians or enlisted men who did something extraordinary during the battle. Following the battle the survivors in the Reno-Benteen company quickly buried the dead in shallow graves. Around 1881, the bodies were exhumed and buried in a common grave at the top of Last Stand Hill and the marble cenotaph was erected. ( I may be a little off on my dates.)

In 1996, an Indian Memorial was commissioned and erected on the back side of Last Stand Hill. According to Enos Poor Bear, a Lakhota elder, the monument is not only to pay tribute to the Indian warriors who died at Little Big Horn but to promote power through unity of all races. Recently, red markers have been placed around the battlefield to mark where warriors fell.

The battlefield is also home to a Veterans cemetery and has graves of soldiers from all wars throughout the years. There is a red marble monument commemorating the death of soldiers and scouts of the second cavalry during the so-called Indian Wars. On the monument it mentions the hostile Indians in the narrative. Down at the base of the monument is a little marker that explains and apologizes for the use of the word "hostile". That really kind of offended me. Why does the NPS have to apologize for something written over a hundred years ago. It smacks of revisionist history to me.

We ate lunch at a picnic table at the Bighorn County Historical Museum. It is a beautiful place with about 50 restored buildings brought in from around the county. For those of you from Wichita, it is kind of a mini Cowtown only much nicer. Flowers were in bloom and they had beautiful red peonies, columbine of all colors and gorgeous roses.

We had purchased tickets for the Battle Reenactment and they were being held at the Hardin Chamber of Commerce. So, we went to pick up our tickets and walked down main street of this little town where they were having a "craft show." The craft show was a few tables with all kinds of kitchy crafts. Not much to write home about but it was a slice of western small town culture.

When we picked up our tickets, the little lady told us to be at the reenactment site at 4:00 to get a good seat and enjoy the vendors. So, we did. We were just about the first ones there. We did get good seats at the top of bleachers that are as steep as the Orpheum balcony. Since I hate steps and heights, it took a few minutes for me to be comfortable and to lose the feeling that I was going to fly off into the air. Well, I'm glad we got there early (tongue firmly planted in my cheek) because we sat for an hour and a half before the program began. It was supposed to start at 5:00 but they delayed the start to 5:30 to give folks a chance to get there and get settled. Small town life I guess.

The reenactment was interesting and fairly well done. It was told from the Indian perspective and was more a background of what led up to the battle rather than a true reenactment of the battle.

I won't go into all the history or give you a lengthy narrative of the battlefield. Basically, Custer was outnumbered, unfamiliar with the terrain and ignorant of the fighting tactics of the Plains Indians. He has been lauded as a hero and dismissed as a insufferable egotist who brought on his own death and the death of the 250 men under him due to his ignorance. The interpretation is up to historians or to you.

What did stand out to me is that there is a real effort to tell the story from the Indian perspective. Actually, to me, it is overdone. There didn't seem to be a balance between the Indian perspective and the predominant viewpoint of the federal government at that point in history. I think they've gone too far in their effort to be politically correct and have ignored the historical perceptions of that time in history.

Sunday we travel on to Glacier National Park. Another 400 mile drive and then we get to settle in for a few days.

More later.

Day 2 of the McLemore Grand National Park Tour 2011

Greetings from Wild and Woolly Sheridan, Wyoming!

Since we drove 3 hours further than planned yesterday, we had a little time to enjoy some historical stops along our journey today. As I indicated in my post for Day 1, we are following the combined Oregon/Mormon/California trail through Nebraska and Wyoming. I found some great little booklets published by the NPS that trace the trails from Independence and through Wyoming and beyond. Before we left the Super 8 today we picked a couple of places to stop to view remnants of the migration of thousands across the west.

Just outside of Guernsey, Wyoming there is a place called Register Rock. Near Register Rock is a walking trail that takes you past some very prominent wagon swales or ruts that have been preserved by the state of Wyoming. The swales are deep ruts carved into the limestone hillsides, the reminder of the difficulty and enormity of the great westward migration. Here's a photo of the deepest rut:

A mile down the road is Register Rock, a limestone outcropping at the head of the flatland river bed of the Platte River. Pioneers carved their name in the soft limestone as a record of their trek west. Of course, others have added their names to the wall, a section has been preserved bearing the inscriptions that date back to the 1840s. While we were there we met a a family from Hiawatha, KS traveling with two Corgis and a border collie ( I threw that in for Erin). We also said hello to a family from Germany. Being the history fanatic that we are, it was a fascinating stop for both of us. Now, here's a photo of Ken standing in a little arch at Register Rock:

The rest of the drive was beautiful. The little flicker of the geologist that Mrs. Jones created back in 4th grade thought the limestone hills were fascinating. Then the countryside turned into rolling green hills followed by flat, ugly plateau leading into Casper, WY. My dad's cousin Jim lived in Casper for several years and although I don't remember anything about Casper, I did spend time reliving memories that I have of Jim and his very interesting, unusual life.

Just outside Casper the clouds began to blacken and threaten. Being the Kansans that we are, we immediately pulled out my handy iphone to check the radar. There was a "Significant Weather Alert" for the area but we scooted just east of the storm. Then, as we approached Sheridan, there were more clouds, more checking of the radar and another weather alert. Again, we just missed the storm, thank goodness.

Last Sunday, I got on a tear and decided to change our reservations here in Sheridan to a less expensive hotel. I found a listing for the Mill Inn, a motel that is part of a closed flour mill and that is on the historic register. It sounded interesting and was about $30 less than the Holiday Inn. Well, it is interesting. It's clean, it's relatively cheap (although Ken still thinks every room should cost $49) but I am not a happy camper right now. We are on an inside hallway on the second floor. Our room is a "suite" which means that we have a couch, two uncomfortable chairs and a tv on the lower level and then two steps up in what I am calling a mini-loft, is the bed and bath. I know I am picky about where I stay so I think I will employ the Motel 6 mentality that every room looks the same in the dark.

Oh, I have to share a note about our dinner. There are not many restaurant choices in Sheridan. After consulting with Trip Advisor I chose the only Mexican restaurant in town. I had my tooth all set for chips and a margarita. We drove down the street only to find that Los Agave closed at 5 tonight and won't open again until Sunday. We ended up at Ole's (short for Olaf) Pizza. I should've known that Norwegians wouldn't make good spaghetti and pizza. It was passable but dinner, like the Mill Inn, was a bit of a disappointment.

Now we are back in our suite, just finished watching "The Cowboys" and just started "Cahill. U.S. Marshall" both with John Wayne. Ho hum.

Well, tomorrow is another day. Stay tuned for Day 3 of the McLemore Grand National Park Tour as we proceed to the 125th anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Little Big Horn.

We'll leave the lights on for you.

Grand National Park Tour 2011 Days 1

Greetings From Along the Great Platte River Trail,

The McLemore Family Vacation for 2011 has begun. First a little background on how this adventure came about. Last spring, 2010, Ken made the comment that he would like to drive the Going to the Sun road in Glacier National Park for our vacation in 2011. Because we will be traveling by car, many stops were added along the way. Thus, the Grand National Park Tour 2011 was born. According to Google Maps our trip by car will be 2987 miles long not counting all the little side trips. It will take us to:

• Cawker City, KS


• Athol, KS


• The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument in Kearney, NE


• Scottsbluff, NE


• Various stops along the Oregon, Mormon, California combined trailSheridan, WY


• Little Big Horn National Monument for the 125th anniversary of the Battle


• Hardin, MT for a reenactment of the Battle of Little Bighorn


• Laurel, MT


• Glacier National Park via East Glacier, MT


• Yellowstone National Park and West Yellowstone, MT


• Rock Springs,WY (laundry stop) and


• Estes Park, CO and Rocky Mountain National Park

In case you've lost count, that's 13 destinations in all and Ken will drive to all of them. Oh, sorry, I had a "19 Kids and Counting" moment.

The trip began with a bumpy start for me. If you recall my travels to Ireland from last summer, I got a case of motion sickness. Well at least that's the general thought. I still think it was a virus. Anyway, I couldn't sleep the night before we left home this week. I finally dozed off but woke up in the middle of the night with a strange feeling in my tummy. When I stood up, I was dizzy but thought that maybe I was hungry. Made a little bite to eat and that was the wrong thing to do. I will spare the details but lets just say, I made it to the bathroom in time. Then I laid awake praying that I would be well by morning or Ken was going to have to stop a lot the next day. Luckily, I didn't throw up again (thank you Lord). Just before we left I remembered that I had some Kwells left over from Ireland. Kwells is this magic pill that stops nausea in its tracks. I took one and stuck the rest in my purse. The rest of the day was just peachy

Our first stop was Cawker City, KS to see the World's Largest Ball of Twine. Any fan of the movie "Vacation" will recognize the importance of this landmark. The twine is the only claim to fame the town of Cawker City has--I think it's really the only reason to stop in Cawker City unless you live there. All I can say is it's big and it stinks. But. I can now say that I have seen the World's Largest Ball of Twine.

Notice how the twine glows in the sunshine.

A few miles west and a few miles north is Athol, KS and the birthplace of the song originally titled "My Western Home" now more commonly known as "Home on the Range." The site is a part of the Ellen Rust trust and is being administered by the Kansas Heritage Trust. A strategic plan has been launched and it is hoped that restoration and improvements to the site will begin by 2012. To read more about one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas go here: http://www.kansassampler.org/

Our major destination for the day was the Great Platte River Road Archway on I-80 in Kearney, NE. This was one cool place that I highly recommend for children and adults alike. It is a multi-media interactive retelling of the story of the trails along the Great Platte River. When you enter the Archway you are greeted by a costumed reenactor who introduces the exhibit and gives a little history. You are then given a set of radio headphones and ride an escalator up a hill to the beginning of the trail. At the top of the escalator is a video mural of a wagon train and you get the feeling that you are joining a wagon train on it's trek west. Throughout the exhibit there are stories which change as you progress through the Archway. The final room is a display dedicated to the beginnings of the Lincoln Highway now known as I-80 and the early history of travel by car. We spent about an hour at the Archway and thoroughly enjoyed it. (www.archway.org)

It was too early to stop at our original stopping place so I cancelled our reservations in North Platte and proceeded on to Scottsbluff stopping at a cute, clean Super 8 motel. I love Trip Advisor and I wasn't disappointed by this recommendation. Following dinner we returned to our room and crashed for the night. I know there was a thunderstorm sometime in the night as I heard a crack of thunder and then later woke to notice the alarm clock flashing indicating the electricity had gone off at some point. But, being sleep deprived from the night before, I just turned over and went back to sleep.

And so ends Day one of the Grand National Park Tour Day 1.

On Being Born in the '60's Now That I'm 50

As of today I have been alive for 50 years. That's 18,262 days or, as one of my student's reminded me, "that's half of 100!" I am a child in the sixties, those turbulent, unsettling, marvelous days of progress. My '60s childhood was more reminiscent of Father Knows Best and Donna Reed than of the Flower Power Beatlemania bohemian lifestyle. I have no first hand knowledge of the early days of the Vietnam War, the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, or President Kennedy's assassination. I didn't know about church bombings in the South or the Freedom Riders. All I knew was what went on in my little world in the middle part of the United States.

I was born 5 days after Alan Shepard made his first sub-orbital flight. Kennedy made his "we will go to the moon" speech 3 months later. The United States was smack-dab in the middle of the Cold War and it was important that we beat them in the space race. Ultimately, it was to develop and maintain a technological base for the future. Politically it was, of course, to secure our superiority as a nation. In my baby book my mother wrote a message to me just a few months after I was born. It spoke of her hopes and dreams for me and reflected the uneasiness of the times. Much of what people worried about back then never happened. More of what they could possibly dream of or imagine has.

My earliest memory is of a cargo net strung across the roof of my dad's car. I don't know why I can remember it or how old I was but I still have a very clear picture of that net. I remember walking with my sister, and the neighbor boys, Larry and Dennis, three blocks to Mr. Pechin's store. I also remember getting in trouble because we did. I remember sticking beans in my ears and having my mom run me next door to a neighbor to have her fish them out.

I remember tornado warnings- or at least what we did during a warning. Because we had no basement in our house on Green we would load up our dogs and the family across the street and drive a couple of miles to grandma's and camp in her basement until the all clear was sounded. One of those warnings was on the night of my fourth birthday! I don't think there was ever any near danger during those tornado runs. However, in September of 1965, the weekend we moved into our house on Edgemoor with a basement, a tornado went directly over our house and destroyed the neighborhood two blocks away. Where were we? Upstairs.

There are two plane crashes etched in my memory. On a Saturday morning in January of 1965, a fully loaded jet fuel tanker faltered just after take-off from McConnell AFB. The pilot attempted to turn the plane around to return to the base but continued to lose altitude. As the plane turned it flew over our house on Green at a very low altitude making a disturbing amount of noise that rattled the windows. Now, my memory varies from my mother's at this point. As I remember it, we were eating pancakes at the breakfast table. I wasn't eating mine. When the plane flew over, my parents went to the backyard to see what was happening. I couldn't go because I hadn't eaten my pancakes. My mother says that they did go outside but that we weren't eating pancakes and I wasn't being naughty. I stick with my story. Anyhow, the tanker crashed a half mile away near 21st and Piatt. Thirty people were killed and 10 homes were destroyed.

The second plane crash wasn't in the '60s. On October 2, 1970 I came home from school on my green Schwinn and learned that the Martin 4-0-4 aircraft carrying the Gold team of the WSU Shockers Football team had crashed on a mountain in Colorado. It was a Friday and I had piano lessons so I took my little transistor radio, tuned into KFH, and listened to Gus Grieve as I rode my bike to Mrs. Middleton's. When I got there, she was crying but we went on with the lesson. I learned later that the parent's of one of her students were on the plane that had crashed and had been killed. Thirty-one people died on the side of Mt. Trelease that afternoon. Two students from Murdock Elementary, my school, were also orphaned. I remain interested in this tragedy and wish that someone would write a book about it. Maybe that someone will be me.

Now that I'm 50, I enjoy music from the '60s. When I was a kid, I don't recall listening to the Beatles, Janis Joplin, the Rolling Stones and others. When I was 7 we joined First Bible Baptist Church. Now, don't get me wrong, I loved my church and it was a great place for a kid to grow up. But, being a Baptist church, they sort of indoctrinated me. I thought rock and roll was the Devil's music! People who listened to "the Rock of Wichita-KEYN" must be horrible sinners who smoked pot and hung out in disreputable places. And of course, you didn't wear mini-skirts or other mod clothing. I did have a pair of white go-go boots that Aunt Cheryl gave me and I loved "These Boots Were Made For Walkin'". I even won a twist contest at the Rec Center one Tuesday night. I guess those songs weren't as sinful.

In the '60s I was faintly aware of the Civil Rights movement and of course as I got older I became familiar with prejudice. My parents bought their first house in the northeast part of Wichita. 2613 N. Green. The neighborhood was home to young post-war families, and was mostly, if not completely, white. Around 1963 an epidemic of white flight began. In my neighborhood it was because a black congregation had purchased a church nearby. Realtors started going door to door warning residents that they'd better sell now before their property values went down. Neighborhood grocery stores were bombed and one by one, houses went on the market. And, one by one, house went back to the bank. I have a memory of walking to the school playground with my dad and seeing all the boarded up houses. Eventually, in 1965, my parents left the neighborhood too. They sold their house on an FHA loan. When the buyer reneged, they house came back to them and eventually, back to the bank. My school, Murdock, was slightly integrated. At that time, black parents could enroll their children in schools outside of their neighborhood if they so desired. One of my best friends in Kindergarten was Sonja. Sonja's mom would never let her come to my house to play but she did come to my birthday parties. Later, my best friend was Karen. I went to her house to play and she came to mine. I don't know how Karen and Sonja felt or what their memories are but to me, they were my friends and my parents did nothing to discourage it. I think that's partly why I bristle so when a parent or a child calls me racist. They don't know me, they don't know my background and they don't know how I think or feel.

There is so much more and I really haven't revealed any deep thoughts here. These are just my memories. I was a child in the '60s, not of the '60s. I grew up in the '70s, still sheltered and a little naive, but that's another story. I was fortunate to have Christ-centered parents and to grow up in the church. I was blessed to have parents who were concerned about how I grew up and what I was exposed to. Today I stand amazed as I look back over the last 50 years and catalogue how much the world has changed, some for better, some for worse. The '60s laid a foundation for the world and for this little Kansas girl.

Going Home, going home

I love to travel. I travel for many reasons. We don't hesitate to jump in the car and drive to KC for a day to see our daughter and her family. We take day trips such as the Grand Gun Store/Quilt Shop tour. We take two vacations a year. Sometimes we go to see new things and sometimes we go just to rest and relax. I used to think that we didn't drive all this way just to sit around. We can sit around at home. Now that I am older I don't feel the need to be moving 24/7 when we go on a vacation.

There are two places that hold a special place in my heart. They are destinations where I can just breathe a sigh and let all the worries of life disappear for a few days. Many years ago we discovered River Spruce Cottages in Estes Park Colorado. We even have "our" cabin named Hopi. This little retreat sits on the edge of Wind River under rustling pine trees. We loved Jean and Katherine who used to own River Spruce and are getting to know the ladies who bought it a few years ago. Two years ago Ken and I spent a wonderful two weeks there just doing what we felt like doing when we woke up each morning. I think it was the best vacation we have ever taken together. We will return for four days at the end of our Grand National Park Tour this summer. We can't stay in Hopi but I think it won't matter. At least we will be by our river.

The second place I have grown to love is Sugar Beach in Orange Beach, Alabama. We are just concluding our 4th visit here. Our home away from home has become Sugar Beach #227. It is cozy, near the beach and has a wonderful view-even if it is around the condo next door. We are creatures of habit. When we find a place we like, we return. Maybe someday we will find a fancier condo but for now, this is the place we've come to enjoy. This is the rest, relax and rejuvenate trip. We do very little while we are here. We sleep late, we read, we sit on the beach and we eat out. And, it's ok.

That said, I know I have to go home. All good things must come to an end. I have a job, I have commitments, I have a beautiful home. But, I don't want to leave here. It was hard to walk off the beach today knowing it would be at least a year before I sit here again, God willing. So, tomorrow we will get in our car at 6:00 a.m. and point ourselves north. Last year we drove into a blizzard. This year they are predicting tornadic storms along our route. We are going to try to go around them by going back the way we came instead of through Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. It kind of looks like that will keep us south and west of the storms. Once we are on the road, really once we go to bed tonight, I will be in my "ready to go home, get this show on the road" mode. Now however, I have to go pack.

Smile, laugh, hang loose or go home!

Laura

Sea Gulls, Shrimp and Dolphins

Why is it that when you are waiting for vacation to arrive it takes forever but the actual vacation speeds by? I don't want to go home!

We spent today on the beach and I am thoroughly cooked. Yes I slathered on the sunscreen but still burned pretty good. Tomorrow I will wear a t-shirt instead of my swim top.

Last year we discovered Latrigues Bait Shop across the street from our condo. They have a huge table of fresh seafood. You pick out what you want and they will steam it for you. We got a pound of shrimp and took it down to the beach to eat. It was wonderful! Of course tonight, there was a story on the 10 o'clock news about the safety of gulf seafood. The experts say it is safe but the locals won't eat it--at least the ones they interviewed. I haven't gotten sick yet.

A lone seagull stopped by while we were eating . He sat about 3 feet away from us begging for shrimp. He just sat there, waiting. If another gull got too close he scolded them and moved a little closer. That bird stayed for at least an hour. I gave in and gave him a shrimp that was a little brown (oil?). He gulped it down and stayed for more. After awhile he took off but would come back to check on me every few minutes.

Tonight we took our annual dolphin nature cruise on Captain Bill's boat. Captain Bill wasn't our captain tonight. They called in the second string-Capt. Bart and Tracy. The water was choppy and I think Capt. Bart isn't as experienced as Capt. Bill as we didn't see many dolphins. Usually they come right up to the boat and show off for us. They were very skittish tonight. We did see a juvenile pod of about 3 young dolphins who were playing and fishing nearby. Also saw an egret's nest, nesting blue herrons and several pelicans. The sunset was gorgeous and although we didn't see many dolphins, it was nice to be on the water.

Dinner was at Lulu Buffet's restaurant-Lulu's at Homeport Marina. They make great bushwhackers. The WSU game was on the big screen so we got to see the last 4 minutes of the game. They won-go Shox!

Oh, we didn't get up in time to go see the Blue Angels. For some reason, the alarm clock rang at 12:40 a.m. I remember thinking " that was a short night" but promptly fell back asleep. Then I dreamt I was in the hospital and didn't know why. I kept waking up and thought that I was at home with the cat cuddled up next to my feet like she does. It was because my quilt and pillow had ended up at the foot of the bed. Then, I'd go back to sleep and dream about the hospital some more. When I woke up this morning I was really sore and achy so that's probably why I was dreaming about the hospital so much. Hope tonight is better.

Two more days and then the long drive home.
Love to all.

Get Jets!

Every time I go to Pensacola (well make that both times) I think of "An Officer and a Gentlemen" when Debra Winger says to Richard Gere "Get Jets" as she tries to tell him goodbye. Today we decided to get up at the crack of dawn to drive to the Pensacola Naval Air Station to watch the Blue Angels practice. We knew when we left Orange Beach that it was very sketchy as to whether they would fly or not. There was a low cloud base and a little fog but the past few days it has burned off by 8:00 or 9:00. We got to NAB in plenty of time, got a good seat and waited. Just before flight time our section's security guard started to explain what we were going to see. He also mentioned that they might have to start a little late because all the trainers had to get off the ground first. Ok, that means the Blues are flying right? Nope. About a minute later this other guy came over with his megaphone and announced that the Blue Angels would not be performing due to the low cloud cover. There was a collective groan from the crowd of 500. Slowly, the news sunk in and we all got up to leave. How disappointing.

We had already planned to drive over to Destin FL as I have heard so much about it from others. We made a wrong turn and ended up crossing a toll bridge over to this peninsula that runs parallel to the coast line. On the way, we waved at Ann, Zoe's sister, who lives in Gulf Breeze. Ann, did you hear us? Most of the peninsula is the Gulf State National Park (I think). The sand was even whiter there than here and the water was a beautiful deep blue. I enjoyed the drive very much. Our drive took us through Ft. Walton which was unimpressive and then to Destin. The best way to describe Destin is that it is Branson without the music shows. I'll stay in Orange Beach, thank you.

We decided that we would eat lunch somewhere and then turn around to go "home". I noticed a shopping area that looked like Zona Rosa in KC. And there, on the horizon, was the Hard Rock cafe. Anyone who has traveled with me might remember that if there's a Hard Rock, I have to go. It isn't that I care for the food that much. It's that I collect Hard Rock t-shirts. If What Not To Wear ever wants my wardrobe, they cannot have my Hard Rock shirts! I must have left my "Bad Service Accepted Here" sign at home today because we had a great waiter who went out of his way to take care of us. Today we walked out with only a t-shirt, a ball cap, a 40th anniversary shot glass and two 40th anniversary pint glasses (I used to collect HR pints before they were discontinued). A light shopping trip for me.

We took the long way back to Orange Beach, stopping at the Burris Farm Market on the way to buy a cantaloupe and a pecan pie.

Tonight we took a stroll on the beach to see the sunset and of course a cloud bank rolled in just as the sun set. But, it was enjoyable anyway. Words cannot describe how much I love this place. There is just something peaceful about the rolling waves, the warm water, the wildlife and the soft white sand.

Tomorrow we will possibly get up in time to go see the Blues, weather permitting. Then, beach in the afternoon. Need to call the dolphin people to get our cruise set up.

For those of you in Kansas, you might have heard the news story on KSNW about the prairie fire in Stanton Co. This was very near my friend Sandra's farm. Her children's school was in the path of the fire and her husband went out to help fight it. Fortunately, her children got home ok and Matt came home sooty but fine. It was a traumatic afternoon I am sure.

Sorry you all aren't here. I am already mourning that I only have 3 days left.

Monday, Monday

Greetings from Sugar Beach 227!

Today was a lazy day. Ate breakfast, napped, ate lunch and sat on the beach for 4 hours. I overcooked a little today. You sure discover where you missed with the sunscreen about an hour too late. But. it was a beautiful day. The wind was a little stronger today but not too bad.

The pelicans fascinate me. They are the most graceful bird. You really wouldn't think so because of their size. It has been fun to watch them fly in formation and glide on wind currents. From a distance they almost look like a squadron of small airplanes. I haven't noticed any ill effects from the oil spill but every day we've been out I've noticed workers walking the beach with oily looking nets. Every once and awhile they stop and scoop something up. I assume they are scooping up remnants of the spill.

For dinner we visited Tacky Jack's. Tacky Jack's is a popular bayside restaurant. We sat out on the porch which was a little too chilly for Ken but we had a nice view. I think though, that I must have "Bad Service Here Please" tattooed on my forehead as our waitress tonight was very slow and inattentive. Oh well, the Bushwhackers were good and industrial strength.

Tomorrow we are going to drag ourselves out of bed about 6:00 and head over to Pensacola to watch the Blue Angels. We then plan to drive over to Destin FL to check it out. I think it will be good to give my sunburned skin and bruised tailbone a rest for a day.

To Be Continued...

My Day at the Beach...and getting there.

Beach Greetings Baby!

We arrived at Sugar Sands #227, Orange Beach AL at 6:00 p.m. Sat. evening. 11:06 hours after leaving Dallas. According to my iphone timer which I apparently hadn't reset since last year, we cut our time by a whopping 24 minutes from last year.

This year we drove from Wichita to Lewisville, TX on Friday evening. Wichita to the northern edge of Oklahoma City was uneventful. In OKC we hit a traffic snarl that was one lane all the way from Memorial Blvd to just north of Norman. I think it took us an hour to get across the city. I have never, in about 45 years, been through OKC when there hasn't been construction on I-35! Dinner was at El Chico's--a fond memory from the past that really didn't hold up. The food was ok but nothing to write about (so why am I writing about it?) From Norman to the TX border we drove in and out of traffic jams--ridiculous! Between road construction, the casinos and minor wrecks it took about 5 hours to get across the lovely state of Oklahoma.

Yesterday we drove across Texas and northern Louisiana, through Mississippi and into Mobile. Not one snarl up all day! The roads and rest stops in Louisiana are very scenic and nice. I was impressed. I was not impressed with the people we saw at the McDonald's we stopped at however. Ken and I have decided that we should start a "People of McDonald's" website. Let's just say that when you weigh 250 pounds and are about 5 foot 3 you should not wear skin tight lime green terry cloth short shorts and tube top out in public. Your sister shouldn't wear her ultra tight polyester mini dress with her silver 4 inch wedge sandals either. It just does not look good together. I don't think you were working girls since you were with your mother but you certainly gave a good impression. I know the skanky men who were talking smack to you liked your outfits but really? Really?

Dinner was at our favorite hangout called the Hangout. It is a mega restaurant "where the highway ends and the beach begins." Only had to wait 35 minutes for a table and got to listen to a pretty good garage band on stage while we were waiting. There was a minor glitch with our server once we were seated. After complaining to the manager we were waited upon by a very nice young man named Cole. I felt bad because the manager chewed him out for not waiting on us sooner but it wasn't really his fault. The girl who was supposed to wait on us wouldn't wait on us even though we were at her assigned table. She said it wasn't her table and didn't do anything to find another server for us. Cole got a great tip from us--Irina would have received nothing. Ate some Frickles for Meghan while we were there.

Today has been beautiful. We ate breakfast at "the best place for breakfast in Orange Beach." There must not be that many places to eat if that was the best. Bought groceries and came "home". Hit the beach about one and stayed out until after five. The weather was perfect! Just enough wind to stay cool and just the right temperature. The beach is not crowded at all. Hope it stays that way although it isn't good for the economy here. It might just be because it is Sunday. I didn't get too sunburned. The worst is a strip on my left foot where I apparently missed with the sunscreen. I was curious to see if there is any sign of the oil spill left and didn't see any. The sand is as nice as ever and the water is clear blue.

The COOLEST thing just happened! The Blue Angels just buzzed our beach on their way back to Pensacola!! It looked like they were right at eye level . Loved it! Tuesday or Wednesday we plan to go over to Pensacola Naval Air Station to watch them practice.

Well, it's time to make spaghetti and meatballs. Tonight is our eat in night.

Love and sea shells to all.

27 Days and Counting

It has been several months since I've posted last. We have made a few runs up and down the road to Kansas City but really haven't traveled in awhile. Our next jaunt is our annual jaunt to Orange Beach/Gulf Shores, Alabama. I can't wait!

A friend asked me recently how we discovered Gulf Shores. I owe it to my friend and ex-sister-in-law, Theresa. She used to go there (and may still) and one summer took my daughter, Meghan, with her. Meghan came home gushing about the beaches and the restaurants and the fun that she had while in Gulf Shores. That planted the seed.

In 2005 or '06 we took our first Spring Break beach trip to Rockport, TX. We liked our little studio condo and we liked the little bay that was just outside our door. The complex was full of Snow Birds, those "old" folks who spend their winters in warmer climates away from places like Minnesota, Wisconsin and even Kansas. Rockport was a nice little town but it was a long drive to a real beach on Mustang Island. I was not impressed with the beaches there. They just seemed a little dirty to me. We had a nice trip and an enjoyable time but it just wasn't what I was looking for.

The next year we decided to stay in Port Aransas on Mustang Island. Of course, I was trying to save money and picked a condo that cost less than others. It was a nice condo but, it was in the middle of town, not on the beach. That meant loading coolers, chairs, bags and other miscellaneous items into the car every time we wanted to go to the beach. I think we went twice. We decided on that trip to find another beach.

We didn't go anywhere in 2007. I was job hunting, Erin was getting ready to graduate from high school and it just wasn't a good year to go. In the fall of 2007 I guess I caught spring fever a little early because I started looking at condos in Alabama. Ken and I had always wanted to go there and it just seemed like a good year to go. I found what looked to be a nice little place with a nice little rental fee so, in November, I made our reservations with Lynn Brau at http://www.myvacationcondos.com/ and we were set.

In March of '08 we set forth on a two-day, 18 hour drive to find our dream beach. And, we have returned every year since. This will be our third year with Lynn and our fourth year to go to Alabama. And I can't wait!

To read about our 2010 trip, check out the Prairie Wanderer archives. I will be blogging again once I am in beach attire with the sound of the Gulf in my ears and white sand is in my shoes.