tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75981464013997991702024-03-12T19:46:14.728-05:00Notes from retirementObservations and comments from a professional retiree. If I can answer some questions about retirement life, fine;if my comments and observations are useful, fine; otherwise, just enjoy or move on.Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-22745256289987947172012-04-09T19:38:00.001-05:002012-04-09T21:28:49.262-05:00FLORIDA & SPRING TRAINING 2012We left Sun City on Saturday, the 24th of March, for Ft. Myers, FL for two weeks to see some Spring Training games. On Friday I checked out the motorhome, all seemed fine. Saturday morning while loading the refrigerator, we discovered that it wouldn't work on propane. Since Dick Gore's RV place was on the way, we stopped there to have them check it out. Turned out that the Norcold recall affected the components that allowed the refrigerator to operate. The mechanic there cut out the propane option so that the refrigerator would run on AC. This took about four hours, but we were able to have refrigeration and continued on our way, stopping at the KOA in Starke, FL. We liked this KOA and would recommend it. We left there Sunday morning and arrived at Shady Acres Travel Park in Ft. Myers, FL around 5 pm. As you can see from the picture below, our <i>large</i> site turned out to be anything but large.<br />
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But, the guests were all very nice, most were staying for more than one month to escape the winter up North. There were many Canadians. The couple on our left were from RI while on our right were some college students. The RV park was quiet, but very crowded. The smell of sewage made its way around the park as it was pumped from one area to another. I was told that just before we arrived, the odor was in our area.<br />
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On the 28th, we saw the Phillies vs Twins at Hammond Stadium, home of the Twins. The Twins won.<br />
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Hammond Stadium was really beautiful, we had lawn seats as shown above. Great view, but we had to be alert for balls coming our way. One of the things I really liked was the 24 oz Modello cans of beer. They also offered great dogs and burgers. The bad thing was no shade, so we were out in the hot sun for over 3 hours. Used plenty of sun screen.<br />
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The following day, we visited the Edison-Ford Winter estates. Edison purchased 14 acres there in 1885 and built two homes, one for himself and one for his guests, and a laboratory. He conducted lots of botanical research there in an effort to produce natural rubber from trees/plants that could be grown in the US. After Henry Ford had been a guest there, he purchased an adjacent home in 1916. We had been there a number of years ago and liked it so much we went back again. We got a season pass which cost us $5 less than what a day pass would have cost. We took a behind the scenes tour which allowed us to enter most of the rooms in the Edison and Ford winter homes.<br />
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As you enter the museum, you are greeted by Thomas Edison standing by his gigantic banyan tree which covers over one acre. Across the street are the Edison and Ford winter homes.<br />
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This is our guide Alison Giesen giving us a tour of Edison's laboratory in which he tried various plants to get rubber extract. Since Giesen is my mother's maiden name, I did ask, but apparently no connection since she was not that familiar with her husband's family history. He even tried Confederate jasmine which we have covering our arbor back home. He eventually settled on a Goldenrod hybrid which he developed that grew several feet tall. His experiments came to an end when synthetic rubber was discovered. Both Ford and his friend Harvey Firestone helped fund his research. <br />
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Above are two views of the Edison home.<br />
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This is Edison's bedroom.<br />
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Above is one of Edison's offices on his Winter estate. He had one in his laboratory, one in his home, and one in a separate building which is that shown.<br />
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Above are shown some of the items invented by Edison, light bulb and phonograph. He had a total of 1093 patents during his life time. Amazing in scope, from Portland cement to iron extraction to telephone to phonograph to hybrid goldenrod to dicta-phone. His one folly was his refusal to recognize alternating current for commercialization.<br />
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Below are some pictures from the Ford estate<br />
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This is one of several Mysore fig trees on the estate. They come from Mysore, India. The Ford house is seen in the background. <br />
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The root system is really fabulous.<br />
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Between the two homes is a building containing a Model T and a '29 Model A Ford, along with a life size picture of Henry himself.<br />
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Above is the Ford home behind a row of magnificent Royal palms.<br />
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On the following two days we again went to Hammond Stadium to see the Twins play the Red Sox on Friday, and the Pirates on Saturday. The Twins lost to the Sox, but slaughtered the poor Pirates, out hitting them by 20 to 5! Below is a view from our seats watching the Pirate game. Again, beautiful weather, but the sun was strong. Lots of sun screen. <br />
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On Sunday, April Fools day, we took a Mystery Train Ride that included dinner. We were surprised as to how good the food was. We both had prime rib that was about the best we've ever had. As good as what we've had in Iowa! The mystery was a murder on a train and we all had to figure out who committed the murder. We were wrong. Never the less, the show was very entertaining and well done, considering that the actors were working among four cars.<br />
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I'm really not sleeping! The ride was great, although not very scenic. But, hey, after a few glasses of great Australian sheraz and some entertainment, who really cares?<br />
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On the following day we saw the Red Sox play the Washington Nationals at Jet Blue Park, the Spring Training home of the Boston Red Sox. This gave me the opportunity to wear my Nationals cap, only Nationals game I've been to. We moved out of Reston, VA before they arrived.<br />
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This was the first season for the Sox at Jet Blue park. The stadium is so new, that it is not completely finished. One nice thing about it, is that it did offer some welcomed shade. The food and beer was not as good as at Hammond Stadium. <br />
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Their taste of Fenway left something to be desired.<br />
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Where else can you go in as a man and come out as a woman!<br />
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Or for that matter, go in as a woman and come out as a man. I'm no longer the woman I used to be!<br />
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This is Jet Blue's version of the Green Monster at Fenway in Boston.<br />
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Nationals are in red, they lost 4-2.<br />
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The following day we went to Everglades City for an air boat ride with Captain Doug.<br />
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On Tuesday April 3d our neighbor to the left packed up to go home. About 8:30 am I hear a shout from outside, "Walt" loud and multiple times. I thought he was just anxious to say goodbye. I went out to see what was up, and there he was all wet holding down the water spigot which had come apart while he was disconnecting his water line. I called the office to get help, but they weren't in till 9am, so Lill went to round up the maintenance man while I tried to help my neighbor. Well, he held on until the maintenance man went to shut off the water to the RV park, about 30 minutes later. Otherwise, the water would have gush up all over my motor home. He wanted to get an early start, but no luck. On Wednesday, the RV repair man came to install a new inverter. Mine had gone bad several days before in the evening and so I called the On Site RV repair. He came, charged me for double time, but diagnosed the problem. It took him about 4 hours to complete the installation, which included some re-wiring and installing a new remote control unit compatible with the new inverter, at a total cost of $2,405. That evening I felt a sharp pain in my lower back. I've never had back problems before, but this really hurt. Being a few days before Easter, it was impossible to get a doctor's appointment, so I waited until the following Monday when I'd be back home. Tylenol provided me some relief, the pain was at its worst during the night while I was in bed. In the mornings, I could hardly move and get out of bed. However, after being up a while, the pain subsided and I could walk OK. Thursday and Friday we didn't do much, mostly rested and went out to eat. Prior to this, I had made reservations at the Broadway Palm dinner theater to see "Legally Blond, the Musical" on Saturday evening, the night before we were to leave. What a pleasant surprise that turned out to be: the show was really great, the cast was excellent. The girl who played Elle Wood and the guy who played the UPS man were really great, they did an outstanding job. The food was so-so, the best parts being the roast beef and the deserts. We both had a really good time and my back pain was momentarily forgotten.</div>
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We left Ft. Myers Easter Sunday morning taking I75, I4 through Orlando, to I95 north to SC and home. We made it back in one day, which really surprised me. We had little traffic going through either Orlando or Jacksonville, which is unusual. There was traffic both before and after these cities, but it moved along. This trip was a little over 500 miles and consumed about $300 in diesel fuel.</div>
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On Monday I got an appointment with Dr. Batson who diagnosed my back pain as primarily arthritis pain, prescribing Meloxicam 15mg and two pages of exercise. Here's hoping this works!</div>
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<br />Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-53980009227257661512011-12-28T16:38:00.018-05:002011-12-29T18:28:22.434-05:00On to Idaho along the Snake River and back home, Aug-Sep 2011As noted in the <a href="http://myretirement-suncitywalt.blogspot.com/2011/09/grand-teton-national-park.html">Grand Teton National Park blog</a>, we left thee on Aug 21 heading to Arco, Idaho. We headed west from Jackson, WY on route 22/26 along the Snake River to Arco.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPF9HeQhMa3CJBXcUCY6BWD8gW_3zMaVnlh8NAjLfFMhy6r5Uhra4_ezSGpcDnlwU9vxdo9QVv6eb3gy7M6lw7CadKSO5R3Gmx18fJxSXqtU_WNMHlubdY2dg6dm2OsHwJvuVEt4ZhVAE/s1600/IMG_0449.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPF9HeQhMa3CJBXcUCY6BWD8gW_3zMaVnlh8NAjLfFMhy6r5Uhra4_ezSGpcDnlwU9vxdo9QVv6eb3gy7M6lw7CadKSO5R3Gmx18fJxSXqtU_WNMHlubdY2dg6dm2OsHwJvuVEt4ZhVAE/s320/IMG_0449.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691299887193341346" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Above as we left Grand Teton National Park.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx783YJTW5IbAsqzhAQSh4WyZ5lJrVO2elK1KVHk8sl2GN_mU3r1DWM7hDZFKwUAl32LPRqLClo8H8Cx7R-n_AA2ZbVVjLRnE0CjiEe8KGvWaQYrJZzt-w5QzPze2NE0YJxbQEM9hhDFM/s1600/IMG_0453.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx783YJTW5IbAsqzhAQSh4WyZ5lJrVO2elK1KVHk8sl2GN_mU3r1DWM7hDZFKwUAl32LPRqLClo8H8Cx7R-n_AA2ZbVVjLRnE0CjiEe8KGvWaQYrJZzt-w5QzPze2NE0YJxbQEM9hhDFM/s320/IMG_0453.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691299890271657330" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This illustrates the splendid view we had of the Snake River as we snaked along 22/26. We were surprised as to how long and big the river actually is.<br /><br />Arco is the first city to be light using nuclear power in 1951.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34NuUjroVY-Q_QFa0SCXIJIQ1iHJphYBUCzJhB2VYJCdGwsiSzvbyJWXC4h6he5W3qCj99nR97bEOfavmOQQxKdhEqUmbdPAqimKyxiTRwShVyB-I96VP-d1aKwAcXp5sNXTsWf0hRH8/s1600/IMG_0492.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34NuUjroVY-Q_QFa0SCXIJIQ1iHJphYBUCzJhB2VYJCdGwsiSzvbyJWXC4h6he5W3qCj99nR97bEOfavmOQQxKdhEqUmbdPAqimKyxiTRwShVyB-I96VP-d1aKwAcXp5sNXTsWf0hRH8/s320/IMG_0492.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691307701668627042" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Arco is situated near the Craters of the Moon park and the Experimental Breader Reactor which provided the power. It is now a museum which we toured. The area is also home to the Idaho National Laboratory which conducts research and training in nuclear energy. We stayed at the Mountain View RV Park in Arco which featured free pancake breakfasts to its guests.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KtLLTGJfCid3VoTyt0z-c7kM-s5CvTNWlCI5I315507aFSCEgKRbB5s_RT70_9eOBt3sk_SarRlQA4QuC6ko7HlfGvFHCuHmF5ZUi-vTl9c0O4gYO9ARyZ3M-uxa2sfcj08XhConO-w/s1600/IMG_0474.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KtLLTGJfCid3VoTyt0z-c7kM-s5CvTNWlCI5I315507aFSCEgKRbB5s_RT70_9eOBt3sk_SarRlQA4QuC6ko7HlfGvFHCuHmF5ZUi-vTl9c0O4gYO9ARyZ3M-uxa2sfcj08XhConO-w/s320/IMG_0474.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691306301623385698" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We stayed four nights in Arco, visiting Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve which contains three young lava fields covering almost half a million acres.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLU_ORYfY3iej-SvxoIzk9zaYhw3WWxKQho82A6iAQEVlcxAIYBu7NagmxxQaAlEr0yP4FCIv7Nt6HyMa4kcQPiYBgXqam_NNoMlmYpINdJonNbRkSPOdsSpyPf_A5SGzCNVz_ar5lAk/s1600/IMG_0456.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLU_ORYfY3iej-SvxoIzk9zaYhw3WWxKQho82A6iAQEVlcxAIYBu7NagmxxQaAlEr0yP4FCIv7Nt6HyMa4kcQPiYBgXqam_NNoMlmYpINdJonNbRkSPOdsSpyPf_A5SGzCNVz_ar5lAk/s320/IMG_0456.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691311954773436546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtAtNR8PM6nJ0Ldid6cJfukPYR40PqiixePBTSdvHwZiis52K1nhF5LvQn0FUutPjPTZ5TQarHhpNHcXsf9BefKF80u6PKyXBj4k0LGqLMg8X7MULu2T83Z40ipSQqCVAGMHRvfrLw6I/s1600/IMG_0469.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtAtNR8PM6nJ0Ldid6cJfukPYR40PqiixePBTSdvHwZiis52K1nhF5LvQn0FUutPjPTZ5TQarHhpNHcXsf9BefKF80u6PKyXBj4k0LGqLMg8X7MULu2T83Z40ipSQqCVAGMHRvfrLw6I/s320/IMG_0469.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691310355636792466" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuCuz9J-1oTqF9yY_21sMqn86gHTY2RCSW4QmZ-AyZArVpHY4LQH3GQwes7roFr1q7RGHxz5Je7uAs2TMYKt7bAGMzh_75DMEMqiqvYhlxWRpHQzx6eMJGAF7_Z962ebgSFHB2QTpsvA/s1600/IMG_0464.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuCuz9J-1oTqF9yY_21sMqn86gHTY2RCSW4QmZ-AyZArVpHY4LQH3GQwes7roFr1q7RGHxz5Je7uAs2TMYKt7bAGMzh_75DMEMqiqvYhlxWRpHQzx6eMJGAF7_Z962ebgSFHB2QTpsvA/s320/IMG_0464.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691310349803286146" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The lava fields had lots of caves accessible from the surface. We toured one while we were on a ranger guided walk through the lava fields. We were on a paved walkway and could not leave it. It would have been almost impossible to walk through the field otherwise. Those lava rocks are extremely rough and sharp and very uneven.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKTtsJjgXT3GH0Vim-dujnfiCVctJ2jJhlbaDMrkUUH4hNF5a5h82EdXoNqDkJltBZsYwzCar1K57DFedd22xA_cg4JX-mxD0q0u_ZNN9D7CctfCL2MMvomeJXaD41X4AnMMJxwoTg34/s1600/IMG_0472.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKTtsJjgXT3GH0Vim-dujnfiCVctJ2jJhlbaDMrkUUH4hNF5a5h82EdXoNqDkJltBZsYwzCar1K57DFedd22xA_cg4JX-mxD0q0u_ZNN9D7CctfCL2MMvomeJXaD41X4AnMMJxwoTg34/s320/IMG_0472.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691310366174726242" border="0" /></a>Oops! Looks like my feet are off the trail. My hat blew off and I had to go a few feet off the trail to retrieve it lodged within a shallow crevice.<br /><br />It's amazing seeing flowers growing amidst these barren lava rocks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokVkRHUra3EhtmSIT0gxaFRJ4wWkyISydise58UBXTMGkxF3eNkA95HDpjd5aszXwPTKfNG1sOtkU_jcxXyWKi8TMNVbVJoeKx9KL7As78Wc9wtNBkDEFT3Lpddt3yR5TQvZGbkVAHF4/s1600/DSC_0267.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokVkRHUra3EhtmSIT0gxaFRJ4wWkyISydise58UBXTMGkxF3eNkA95HDpjd5aszXwPTKfNG1sOtkU_jcxXyWKi8TMNVbVJoeKx9KL7As78Wc9wtNBkDEFT3Lpddt3yR5TQvZGbkVAHF4/s320/DSC_0267.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691678997241927842" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />We also visited the Experimental Breeder Reactor museum which also was not far from Arco. It is not only the site of the first production of useable electric power from a nuclear reactor but also where nuclear reactors were being developed to power airplanes for long range flight. This was abandoned when aerial refueling was perfected.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia7To77w2QJA6qkuiHcuK294Obg4jaJej9sz9gYT5SFD5cpfiDtNaEGUxDpT2TyT9fyLNUKWJs4zW3ctBgaGv-G7ccmIBda_lE-nHFSwZTTySfoJMZiCFWFdfwuVjJ_WP6T7KWlG4XKiw/s1600/IMG_0476.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia7To77w2QJA6qkuiHcuK294Obg4jaJej9sz9gYT5SFD5cpfiDtNaEGUxDpT2TyT9fyLNUKWJs4zW3ctBgaGv-G7ccmIBda_lE-nHFSwZTTySfoJMZiCFWFdfwuVjJ_WP6T7KWlG4XKiw/s320/IMG_0476.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691315529239721954" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YC7wRM6RWHPt_JjrxYlDPbdst8Kg-8TfSPyzjDCuMe6PfBZXD2ezJgKPlUR11i9bj7NIoOV84xmhQTzsl95Ez5s5Gu9czQ0PMk8ChylMcDCXiGxj9K7JgTVeNE0kp8ct1LGvTQ3fjLs/s1600/IMG_0487.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YC7wRM6RWHPt_JjrxYlDPbdst8Kg-8TfSPyzjDCuMe6PfBZXD2ezJgKPlUR11i9bj7NIoOV84xmhQTzsl95Ez5s5Gu9czQ0PMk8ChylMcDCXiGxj9K7JgTVeNE0kp8ct1LGvTQ3fjLs/s320/IMG_0487.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691315529702969154" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />And below, believe it or not, is the reactor being developed for airplanes. I suspect that there was a lot of effort to make this smaller and lighter.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGT4qSAuoxmo-Iw4X8_fZ4N1zmus0MzBDYj4zXdWeGf-H_iy1KQm_XuH9D7WDcQ7HWBHcBOwUNpcnDeCWZA21nUgnw0jdxt_7S8oXGtGEJVFLzwZf5gFOq8zZqwLtwcrAjdsgCoR-hwJQ/s1600/IMG_0490.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGT4qSAuoxmo-Iw4X8_fZ4N1zmus0MzBDYj4zXdWeGf-H_iy1KQm_XuH9D7WDcQ7HWBHcBOwUNpcnDeCWZA21nUgnw0jdxt_7S8oXGtGEJVFLzwZf5gFOq8zZqwLtwcrAjdsgCoR-hwJQ/s320/IMG_0490.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691315543683189650" border="0" /></a><br /><br />On Aug 24 we traveled 207 miles to Boise and stayed there for a week. We got our overheating problem fixed at a local Freightliner dealer in Nampa. The problem was due to the radiator being clogged with dirt and was only visible from the inside. While in Boise, we toured the nearby World Center for Birds of Prey, rode the Horseshoe Express tourist railroad, visited the Idaho State Prison museum and enjoyed the downtown parks and restaurants.<br /><br /><br />At the Birds of Prey center we saw several demonstrations on falconing and various birds on display by the handler. Below is the Gyrfalcon or artic falcon, the largest falcon in the world. It did not seem so big viewing it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVsIDabSsHLiNt9pZJr-SsbIfONnmkV5MhT0Z1Sidsknv2z0D3GhPQwmySl8uuC4xWMs56H-vSkyG8lMDMtwjt5hSBtHsPqTQrPsrADUYdiDhY8Bk7d18L3xUDVhhX9EV5TA6ELmeLtA/s1600/IMG_0509.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVsIDabSsHLiNt9pZJr-SsbIfONnmkV5MhT0Z1Sidsknv2z0D3GhPQwmySl8uuC4xWMs56H-vSkyG8lMDMtwjt5hSBtHsPqTQrPsrADUYdiDhY8Bk7d18L3xUDVhhX9EV5TA6ELmeLtA/s320/IMG_0509.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691605199242401202" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here we are by a large cage housing two large California condors.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg63uHb5wE24R3i9EVFXJf2wziDUqfz2EmdWrbIRBCI0J_z6fH-AtuNyktDBJvW24-KPeco6bsFjl3lErj9uysD-lclQ2Mf8p-W6sF3PW1MukC1pdLWqQB6gyrX2OkDVbOEtkgN5Ata4BE/s1600/IMG_0529.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg63uHb5wE24R3i9EVFXJf2wziDUqfz2EmdWrbIRBCI0J_z6fH-AtuNyktDBJvW24-KPeco6bsFjl3lErj9uysD-lclQ2Mf8p-W6sF3PW1MukC1pdLWqQB6gyrX2OkDVbOEtkgN5Ata4BE/s320/IMG_0529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691605203085187490" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We spent a day in Horseshoe Bend, ID for the tourist train. Below is a picture of the combined liquor store, laundromat and RV park by the train station. That place apparently had everything, but we stayed in Boise.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1VLc4XqfEPgRSsEG7GAD7dmOVpPT24xFvqQV4zfm3PaZSVvyh3VAPDs95oMrfR2sc1SKHHE7poX4S8wIHmMNezFwC970LJq1eWHzBvkVQFpt1jv3PT0QKygQHfC6rT45Hr14JwkcCCw/s1600/IMG_0574.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1VLc4XqfEPgRSsEG7GAD7dmOVpPT24xFvqQV4zfm3PaZSVvyh3VAPDs95oMrfR2sc1SKHHE7poX4S8wIHmMNezFwC970LJq1eWHzBvkVQFpt1jv3PT0QKygQHfC6rT45Hr14JwkcCCw/s320/IMG_0574.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691612239829058690" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Horseshoe Bend had lots of history as noted below.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTyULPxyURHR5qbBvr0SrsHyEGcdVU06gc-0MA4Mn1PWAF_yaQR0ZPcyulUtbJ6VUIAF9zmlacX53d9La0tePx1JGVYZl2y_eCUbzNKTirvgt5hyphenhyphen4RjgeGmeOYRx5oUjaz4PB_52Fs3M/s1600/IMG_0572.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTyULPxyURHR5qbBvr0SrsHyEGcdVU06gc-0MA4Mn1PWAF_yaQR0ZPcyulUtbJ6VUIAF9zmlacX53d9La0tePx1JGVYZl2y_eCUbzNKTirvgt5hyphenhyphen4RjgeGmeOYRx5oUjaz4PB_52Fs3M/s320/IMG_0572.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691613946519106418" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The Thudermountainline RR name's more impressive than the tourist route we followed which was primarily along a river, but nonetheless it was very enjoyable.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfl4igYRQGOmNR3C2zxH1WRQ3ZhO6pRsxSkyWdwzei06ApOq-UWSZyhKBOyqGTahxB3CqajLlugYiFsqgZNbIHYQ2Q6OdB_Yv4478Zn92QrA2JnKssYPJh9Ozbxdx_dgmkK2wkPQ22zg/s1600/IMG_0569.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfl4igYRQGOmNR3C2zxH1WRQ3ZhO6pRsxSkyWdwzei06ApOq-UWSZyhKBOyqGTahxB3CqajLlugYiFsqgZNbIHYQ2Q6OdB_Yv4478Zn92QrA2JnKssYPJh9Ozbxdx_dgmkK2wkPQ22zg/s320/IMG_0569.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691614981216910338" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcl9fM3-VCq7nl62QeQg5JXPSn9Z1XUhuaWFT9vAJkGqJ9fcVBFYB71vw8vkt51HAHp50NZC_tVy1x29wubwy4BqwZF5B3dt2PQLlMafu9cS9ge02Vwe-ycNCBWj6C5xAqipJh9_RQnUQ/s1600/IMG_0565.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcl9fM3-VCq7nl62QeQg5JXPSn9Z1XUhuaWFT9vAJkGqJ9fcVBFYB71vw8vkt51HAHp50NZC_tVy1x29wubwy4BqwZF5B3dt2PQLlMafu9cS9ge02Vwe-ycNCBWj6C5xAqipJh9_RQnUQ/s320/IMG_0565.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691614977071282626" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYs_gK0p-yYtzi2sYX_j4NY4zf9b15X2KTlI8jd-bU2JKNSOD1ZZrpWaQqHEaTW8QHpz10aps_3-IfUWwLPeLWdwjRyAtFiXhR2tinimTsknPF5CRLmyFzAEwuD5I-TclTpS93UHlsvAc/s1600/IMG_0564.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYs_gK0p-yYtzi2sYX_j4NY4zf9b15X2KTlI8jd-bU2JKNSOD1ZZrpWaQqHEaTW8QHpz10aps_3-IfUWwLPeLWdwjRyAtFiXhR2tinimTsknPF5CRLmyFzAEwuD5I-TclTpS93UHlsvAc/s320/IMG_0564.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691614995071874354" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Above is the diesel that pulled the train. Was hoping for steam, but this did OK.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCvif6w25Ix5GwaDLXzZKLMRSlAKapYtu0LB01DWJ6e9AsXhlSnuIM_AcZjo7Q80RC0zE_hvtnmi_dzbJYIw40VqBYDNYj37Vuhwao3J5ha6pKpY3UVYro_1NKKTNaHLg7vkEhJcN1g8/s1600/IMG_0576.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCvif6w25Ix5GwaDLXzZKLMRSlAKapYtu0LB01DWJ6e9AsXhlSnuIM_AcZjo7Q80RC0zE_hvtnmi_dzbJYIw40VqBYDNYj37Vuhwao3J5ha6pKpY3UVYro_1NKKTNaHLg7vkEhJcN1g8/s320/IMG_0576.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691616640742586546" border="0" /></a>The bar in our car made the trip even more enjoyable.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfV-1Regck1cBHuV8-Fkx5dKQR5ubRo2TLHBkAQfZme_Ca6RD2arXqx55pe5H5xVNwXyim-G6pQ0D1ronyl7E2q86R9eV8-TQZCMJPkVL7n0jROCVK6nuHTzsrO7cCfvOxyzxc9uiNJNA/s1600/IMG_0577.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfV-1Regck1cBHuV8-Fkx5dKQR5ubRo2TLHBkAQfZme_Ca6RD2arXqx55pe5H5xVNwXyim-G6pQ0D1ronyl7E2q86R9eV8-TQZCMJPkVL7n0jROCVK6nuHTzsrO7cCfvOxyzxc9uiNJNA/s320/IMG_0577.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691616636967945170" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Along with the ride, we enjoyed a 'hobo' lunch complete with stick and bandana, and a very pleasant view, such as below.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJxoC0GEc9Ce_drLbzMC0CYciCdbs9WbDLj-8tP98Wiuh2qHnU6YBcj27oUpqQIaJnx3WAAuou56jOUJGzUODvWmNgp3ATcCD2_zcDbrJP8nVjR89Up5o2Rb50Llhn1ISL2hUQwKhGOGE/s1600/IMG_0580.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJxoC0GEc9Ce_drLbzMC0CYciCdbs9WbDLj-8tP98Wiuh2qHnU6YBcj27oUpqQIaJnx3WAAuou56jOUJGzUODvWmNgp3ATcCD2_zcDbrJP8nVjR89Up5o2Rb50Llhn1ISL2hUQwKhGOGE/s320/IMG_0580.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691617833237931442" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHnl4f2z7imxCdQjT7m95xzlPFKNNtz5ZNs_Z1UgMleSQnUPVD5xIZUrOlMhUB6MvkVghTaFd4tmQbfu-SHOL6Xj9n1Hd1PAF3iRi01lCvvE34gfysR-bBJVMkgaY4src1F8pQrkddFg/s1600/DSC_0284.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHnl4f2z7imxCdQjT7m95xzlPFKNNtz5ZNs_Z1UgMleSQnUPVD5xIZUrOlMhUB6MvkVghTaFd4tmQbfu-SHOL6Xj9n1Hd1PAF3iRi01lCvvE34gfysR-bBJVMkgaY4src1F8pQrkddFg/s320/DSC_0284.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691680545366505474" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Here is one of the cars, it actually came from the Long Island RR and was refurbished.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1AW-Yasx_bPVRfuCFUyrCbXWuWbHFGTSQkZbjVo_MTr3l2FAKTkiRJaBLVwjkFVwCeH53eOfNNM3f4Zi-MUuHW3mrdnr2U8sJEY6rBVpICgJwaXP1RAUHMOPwEqGSpqPTOM2tR5nBRU/s1600/IMG_0583.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1AW-Yasx_bPVRfuCFUyrCbXWuWbHFGTSQkZbjVo_MTr3l2FAKTkiRJaBLVwjkFVwCeH53eOfNNM3f4Zi-MUuHW3mrdnr2U8sJEY6rBVpICgJwaXP1RAUHMOPwEqGSpqPTOM2tR5nBRU/s320/IMG_0583.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691617835545446962" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Lillian can't believe this car came from Long Island, we may have ridden in it as kids.<br /><br />We left Boise on Aug 29 for Mountain Home, 19 miles away, to visit the Bruneau State Park which has the tallest sand dune in North America, 470 feet tall.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS78ybfE9v8DwhwPO6t2CWW-yokivbOpSuM7zJ7ZfxPeE7xOcEpnzV6EHjunDAjM0uEdQs5tG4e_4KPCxCU4z3a9AtOc3SQE_lSnXUnlpjg364C5y-lOYduOshSxhP0RBoSWUPrzPqNcg/s1600/IMG_0589.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS78ybfE9v8DwhwPO6t2CWW-yokivbOpSuM7zJ7ZfxPeE7xOcEpnzV6EHjunDAjM0uEdQs5tG4e_4KPCxCU4z3a9AtOc3SQE_lSnXUnlpjg364C5y-lOYduOshSxhP0RBoSWUPrzPqNcg/s320/IMG_0589.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691621333134106290" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJOZGaM1VN08z_TDHNRSaiFjyfcF-LpOLNig4NfD7kUpkuPIwY3YcYqrBTBkpRdwtMV46PTjaxCbprTSI6L6p0Br9VcAJ7GWDlzGsJsmx24Wu9k076UP9g3Ll-sFSVi0apRRhopgSjHm4/s1600/IMG_0590.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 174px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJOZGaM1VN08z_TDHNRSaiFjyfcF-LpOLNig4NfD7kUpkuPIwY3YcYqrBTBkpRdwtMV46PTjaxCbprTSI6L6p0Br9VcAJ7GWDlzGsJsmx24Wu9k076UP9g3Ll-sFSVi0apRRhopgSjHm4/s320/IMG_0590.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691621342791377154" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKmFHPXnEw55PbwREX8-SD-8ugCIPAZcu7TVowEi6W9-Oe2zui06FUpU0qgb1WKDKQ6EKyCJn7mXsFIKqZBIp8mEYDVZ6lO6Kc11qbeCIXGnS9yO-94kHRWKhPKl4EuK-uVrUq2ZDGKg/s1600/IMG_0592.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKmFHPXnEw55PbwREX8-SD-8ugCIPAZcu7TVowEi6W9-Oe2zui06FUpU0qgb1WKDKQ6EKyCJn7mXsFIKqZBIp8mEYDVZ6lO6Kc11qbeCIXGnS9yO-94kHRWKhPKl4EuK-uVrUq2ZDGKg/s320/IMG_0592.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691621351980031522" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Above are two different dunes, I don't know which is the tallest, but I at least got a picture of it. Take your pick. Later on, we had a nice dinner at Carmela Vineyards along with some really nice wine, but not as good as we got in upstate New York.<br /><br />On the first of September we left Mountain Home and drove 53 miles to Declo, ID to see the place where Evil Kneivel jumped the Snake River. Yes, from Grand Teton till now, we are by the Snake River!<br /><br />The Snake River is the largest tributary of the Columbia. The river begins in Northwestern Wyoming south of Yellowstone Park and west of the Continental Divide at an elevation of just over 9,800 feet. From there, where several small streams converge to form the river, the Snake flows south for more than 100 miles before turning west into Idaho and flowing across the southern part of the state, and then north to its confluence with the Clearwater at Clarkston, Washington, and Lewiston, Idaho. From there the river flows west through southern Washington to its confluence with the Columbia a few miles south of Pasco. At the confluence, the elevation of the river is 340 feet above sea level. Thus in its 1,056 miles the Snake drops more than 9,400 feet, a step decline. <p>There are a number of waterfalls across southern Idaho. Early French fur traders called the Snake a “mad river,” apparently for good reason. The annual discharge of the Snake into the Columbia is 27.5 million acre feet, or about 14.5 percent of the annual discharge of the Columbia into the ocean. The Snake drainage basin encompasses 92,960 square miles, or about 36 percent of the entire Columbia River Basin. Obviously, while vast, the Snake River Basin is quite arid.</p> <p>The rapid descent and rocky canyon of the Snake made it a good river for hydropower development; the first hydropower dam was built in 1900 at Swan Falls and supplied electricity to the Trade Dollar Mine at Silver City 28 miles away. The Snake also is heavily tapped for irrigation. Above Milner Dam, near Burley, Idaho, virtually the entire flow of the river is pumped or diverted. Downstream of Milner Dam, the Snake is replenished by springs and tributaries, essentially amounting to a reborn, or second river.</p> <p>The Snake has been called the lifeline of southern Idaho and the multi-billion-dollar agricultural industry in that part of the state. Hydropower dams and irrigation facilities were developed simultaneously along the Snake, as pumping facilities were powered by electricity and communities developed around the farm settlements.</p> <p>The last major dam was completed in 1975 — Lower Granite, a federal dam in Washington. In all, there are 22 hydropower dams on the mainstem Snake River — 15 in Idaho, three on the Idaho/Oregon border, and four in Washington. The Snake produces more than 1,100 megawatts of electricity — enough for the city of Seattle — and the water withdrawals irrigate 3.8 million acres.</p> <p>Before the construction of dams, the Snake produced huge volumes of salmon and steelhead, and the fish spawned in the mainstem and in tributaries as far inland as Shoshone Falls about 600 miles from the confluence with the Columbia. Salmon passage today ends at <a href="http://www.nwcouncil.org/history/HellsCanyon.asp">Hells Canyon Dam</a>, at river mile 247. In its upper reaches, the river remains a popular destination for sport fishing and water recreation; Hells Canyon, the deepest river gorge in North America, is a national recreation area.</p> <p>The river was named after Indians who lived along its shoreline in present-day southeastern Idaho. Early European fur traders noted that the Indians marked their territory with sticks that showed an image of a snake. The Indians also greeted people by making a snake-like hand motion.</p><br /><br />Evel Knievel's jump took place just outside Twin Falls, Idaho which is just to the left in the map below. The site is on private property that is within walking distance from the town along a scenic pathway alongside the river.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMUgBgxO5XLPlze0S_mZ_EnIyUhKXe4Bz5Okr2XkYtRE12GEfqqMr3erbSsMEFAgDn6dPkg57emTR5Hcp4IR2Sf2D8ntBKQMlPyfqW6ni5Ox9xVqVvFjp1iwol5V-8x9LgPv1O5fWPnE/s1600/DSC_0304.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMUgBgxO5XLPlze0S_mZ_EnIyUhKXe4Bz5Okr2XkYtRE12GEfqqMr3erbSsMEFAgDn6dPkg57emTR5Hcp4IR2Sf2D8ntBKQMlPyfqW6ni5Ox9xVqVvFjp1iwol5V-8x9LgPv1O5fWPnE/s320/DSC_0304.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691681619793482274" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />The site is just behind the house on the upper right of the picture. The only thing left is the dirt ramp just visible behind the house. He made his jump on Sep 8, 1974. I saw it on live TV at the Capital Center with Wally. Paid a lot of money to see a failed attempt. Evel deployed his parachute and aborted his jump. He landed safely in the river and would live to go on to do other dumb stunts, although I would no longer pay to see them.<br /><br />While in Declo, we also visited City of Rocks State Park. On his way to California in 1849, emigrant James F. Wilkens described the dramatic geological area he encountered as "City of Rocks." The name remains, as well as hundreds of pioneer inscriptions, wagon ruts, and journal accounts, testifying to the nearly quarter-million people who traveled through here between 1843 and 1869. Visitors today will see nearly the same scene - granite spires and monoliths reaching 60 stories tall.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgW3Qluj3e-e4teowwu8BWveU5Qc59cpWwnuyUxuiJshNYsnL6Kro8jSk_VLji8NG1-8qek9D7rHBJmZt7dJRWaxHIOkZLZD6zV7jd9bNBSRO8NxcqWEVEJ8brSvS8IOToBOKxKeMNeA/s1600/IMG_0616.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgW3Qluj3e-e4teowwu8BWveU5Qc59cpWwnuyUxuiJshNYsnL6Kro8jSk_VLji8NG1-8qek9D7rHBJmZt7dJRWaxHIOkZLZD6zV7jd9bNBSRO8NxcqWEVEJ8brSvS8IOToBOKxKeMNeA/s320/IMG_0616.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691630121494706754" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh21Bz-mqBdyOqTk866r_8xFEp-_s9DsEfMwva1Grlo6D-3vdRLqAhsBk4rT2Ko9csK7TTGdfyphb-pV9zS7v3Jd9fgq7M1jyvIvatvdc3kFtXkHLSPQMRh6WT81Msh1UISh7zaZqSy43g/s1600/IMG_0614.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh21Bz-mqBdyOqTk866r_8xFEp-_s9DsEfMwva1Grlo6D-3vdRLqAhsBk4rT2Ko9csK7TTGdfyphb-pV9zS7v3Jd9fgq7M1jyvIvatvdc3kFtXkHLSPQMRh6WT81Msh1UISh7zaZqSy43g/s320/IMG_0614.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691630124251823394" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />This is a replica of the wagons used by Mormon settlers headed for Salt Lake City in the mid 19th century. In fact, US 80 from Utah to Omaha generally follows the old wagon trails used by the settlers and gold prospectors of that era. It is a very interesting and historic highway.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6eV8vh3xGNeQKpf2u9x2wGC1nptUX2gHTbsPwwFj1bc5h1jYN4gUL0JdilitL7xpBku3RybGAvc9hSyi-g_sFsjgDm9zBOGlxYw57WP0NDZr_Z_OBq-tPlwsveQblfeKs6nNV5pB9gDw/s1600/IMG_0628.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6eV8vh3xGNeQKpf2u9x2wGC1nptUX2gHTbsPwwFj1bc5h1jYN4gUL0JdilitL7xpBku3RybGAvc9hSyi-g_sFsjgDm9zBOGlxYw57WP0NDZr_Z_OBq-tPlwsveQblfeKs6nNV5pB9gDw/s320/IMG_0628.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691633826461453314" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaKiWk4LyJscK9fWaOOg0LVJF6TslnzXgJ5LPscfqkFlY7v5P7e_HyNPQTwDNGG7qiSHs-IpCnT6Lkr8ob2mdhJtUJ7uPZTXB2ZGYPoY1ibQWFlR4_PlN1MRhLk2qvpk0a_QkAsMfKrg/s1600/DSC_0318.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaKiWk4LyJscK9fWaOOg0LVJF6TslnzXgJ5LPscfqkFlY7v5P7e_HyNPQTwDNGG7qiSHs-IpCnT6Lkr8ob2mdhJtUJ7uPZTXB2ZGYPoY1ibQWFlR4_PlN1MRhLk2qvpk0a_QkAsMfKrg/s320/DSC_0318.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691683314267696722" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgTYDiHgPCfaLNPTG7YMkVXyCKMQsDA1-Q7B3bjiLgoH6Tz_6cWhbqYn1zxH9XYOgOIexHDGRO-tNqBZ2xohCKBmDJA4Uik0eGINHB4UJPZTWFykBayD8fU-37lV4bgbHkyhjzKBYAGc/s1600/DSC_0324.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgTYDiHgPCfaLNPTG7YMkVXyCKMQsDA1-Q7B3bjiLgoH6Tz_6cWhbqYn1zxH9XYOgOIexHDGRO-tNqBZ2xohCKBmDJA4Uik0eGINHB4UJPZTWFykBayD8fU-37lV4bgbHkyhjzKBYAGc/s320/DSC_0324.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691684869748037570" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZNx3wCs3czOIYo8At96zniAt4bGNP0jYcUNaIjMTt0bw0R77T-35mW8niokY3jjA37uFB7t5FeUP6ErMFCVoww2i_pCnGTcykwWndhXRaHa2eBsK70KDewGmiUt7ms2l4FS3eRws5xs/s1600/IMG_0632.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZNx3wCs3czOIYo8At96zniAt4bGNP0jYcUNaIjMTt0bw0R77T-35mW8niokY3jjA37uFB7t5FeUP6ErMFCVoww2i_pCnGTcykwWndhXRaHa2eBsK70KDewGmiUt7ms2l4FS3eRws5xs/s320/IMG_0632.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691633024863470786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />As we were leaving the park to return to our RV site in Declo, our way was suddenly blocked by a cattle roundup. It was interesting to watch the cowboys use both trucks and horses as well as horse trailers to drive the cattle. In fact, later on we saw other cattle drives, but they generally stayed on the side or off the road. We continued on this dirt road for about 30 miles and going about 20mph, it seemed like an eternity to get back to Declo.<br /><br />On Sep 3d, we left Declo, headed home via interstate 80. We headed south out of Idaho on US 84 towards Ogden where we would pick up US 80. As we drove along US84 in Utah, we noticed a sign for Promontory and the Golden Spike National Historic Site. Well, I couldn't pass up the chance to visit this historic site, so there we went. It was further from the highway than I first thought, but certainly well worth the effort.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-VFzeOwwpVXa6p7fQaZVhtvIbnuWjvyn90tHS17BakWYpY9X09_ute-_QbHYFDUY6NdLUBSqp5UIGOx2bs69i7JX7RkAzs0RoCcLkS0lFfAYi5DK6dJUv2yOLcEU8AC-13C1PDcJ_6dM/s1600/IMG_0638.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-VFzeOwwpVXa6p7fQaZVhtvIbnuWjvyn90tHS17BakWYpY9X09_ute-_QbHYFDUY6NdLUBSqp5UIGOx2bs69i7JX7RkAzs0RoCcLkS0lFfAYi5DK6dJUv2yOLcEU8AC-13C1PDcJ_6dM/s320/IMG_0638.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691638390827469074" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Promontory Point is ahead in the distance, beyond the mountain range. It lies on the north side of the Great Salt Lake.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDG5XOY8HIodtv_CLV6TJKsJW1LhTVNzu1ZsRYwcSPDtBdCkJMaiHCdlaAxuNzdCpgyxyxUCObN9tu6t6WF8BjddI33UfFaZzdgsmMWRcmAvs1zOygSBtzzhYcEhXPwaM8On-XdG-8XL0/s1600/IMG_0639.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDG5XOY8HIodtv_CLV6TJKsJW1LhTVNzu1ZsRYwcSPDtBdCkJMaiHCdlaAxuNzdCpgyxyxUCObN9tu6t6WF8BjddI33UfFaZzdgsmMWRcmAvs1zOygSBtzzhYcEhXPwaM8On-XdG-8XL0/s320/IMG_0639.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691638392041891570" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It was here on May 10, 1869 that the Golden Spike was laid, completing the nation's first intercontinental RR, connecting California with the East, the Central Pacific RR with the Union Pacific RR, crossing 1,776 (actually Sacramento to Omaha) miles of desert, rivers, and mountains to unite West and East.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrK1lky3jvrDbaHyQEqNKvCWdkvmsmGS-JXjv8fy3lAnHVXxi53V06hyphenhyphenOnUN_oOTHjIbKbh36r4nzlkfdAYtyJazfbD530NP9kvECsdRxReGbRcptcqZ-c7HBwWqFq8MprLTcPjLNQZLE/s1600/DSC_0347.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrK1lky3jvrDbaHyQEqNKvCWdkvmsmGS-JXjv8fy3lAnHVXxi53V06hyphenhyphenOnUN_oOTHjIbKbh36r4nzlkfdAYtyJazfbD530NP9kvECsdRxReGbRcptcqZ-c7HBwWqFq8MprLTcPjLNQZLE/s320/DSC_0347.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691689351814355778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTX9NIrf2-OU2VrT-3_zJmONQrEXkFyV-bHCAI5w8YOk-XLDoBSiHzsvaZLYB08Gz4Al-nz0LXVsDLs1hyphenhypheno9sO-oQb-ITg2A3KQxRNF6Tn79FpKkOKKIpkuTP2cjIZ2jHU71yZp8iDIU/s1600/DSC_0346.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTX9NIrf2-OU2VrT-3_zJmONQrEXkFyV-bHCAI5w8YOk-XLDoBSiHzsvaZLYB08Gz4Al-nz0LXVsDLs1hyphenhypheno9sO-oQb-ITg2A3KQxRNF6Tn79FpKkOKKIpkuTP2cjIZ2jHU71yZp8iDIU/s320/DSC_0346.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691689334667462418" border="0" /></a>Jupiter meets UNP's 119.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipq1KS2VTdFh7FkKZInfydt9mQ8-xrL4N0cLsr241N6HIjMXxiMq4HX5gXlGfqpz0baZHD_8_PXV44fkfiGfHkVE2ymPAKVYrG0A-qXEkdsEokUANSNxfHhhiMM1TzStLaSRlBxI1PrGg/s1600/DSC_0349.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipq1KS2VTdFh7FkKZInfydt9mQ8-xrL4N0cLsr241N6HIjMXxiMq4HX5gXlGfqpz0baZHD_8_PXV44fkfiGfHkVE2ymPAKVYrG0A-qXEkdsEokUANSNxfHhhiMM1TzStLaSRlBxI1PrGg/s320/DSC_0349.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691689358013662578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnz1mpuT4skNiHqWBoQhyXhrS6VtRqQN8cACsw-aEUFRg-9oSrcPpRfndsSt79mntp1MMaJDfqSir6Yj9qhK0V50OZ2tIk_dY4gLK5EgiymYytfRfUVvMGiI6DTM-TRzoaNpSDkgJdD6M/s1600/IMG_0644.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnz1mpuT4skNiHqWBoQhyXhrS6VtRqQN8cACsw-aEUFRg-9oSrcPpRfndsSt79mntp1MMaJDfqSir6Yj9qhK0V50OZ2tIk_dY4gLK5EgiymYytfRfUVvMGiI6DTM-TRzoaNpSDkgJdD6M/s320/IMG_0644.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691641974838566482" border="0" /></a>Above is the Central Pacific's Jupiter, a working replica of the original.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZGIMeA-3iiTgpirQidRqrT1hgNbzb-QCJ3fr41kz8_hgTV6meRcX2I8Tk3KZ4QuxK2xyL-7RaAj-Gx3GXQjDRYAE0mFB1zQQw2sNEcQ2UFjchkDhFw3VxkUkOhcxopxbtu4ySGJ0WwU/s1600/IMG_0658.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZGIMeA-3iiTgpirQidRqrT1hgNbzb-QCJ3fr41kz8_hgTV6meRcX2I8Tk3KZ4QuxK2xyL-7RaAj-Gx3GXQjDRYAE0mFB1zQQw2sNEcQ2UFjchkDhFw3VxkUkOhcxopxbtu4ySGJ0WwU/s320/IMG_0658.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691641962033537954" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQ3oCl5dgqOliIZE42vYLVFvEhS2_qQHW01sYhXErlZogDvZOHywwRknOGuybKPa_jjWio_xyeHwuwiHHoaU_F0GX33FvnvCxXI7qO6cXMnd3M9jRcW9z4BIFDftU5dZ5WwDqqtWMz98/s1600/IMG_0657.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQ3oCl5dgqOliIZE42vYLVFvEhS2_qQHW01sYhXErlZogDvZOHywwRknOGuybKPa_jjWio_xyeHwuwiHHoaU_F0GX33FvnvCxXI7qO6cXMnd3M9jRcW9z4BIFDftU5dZ5WwDqqtWMz98/s320/IMG_0657.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691641956456731106" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Above are two views of Union Pacific locomotive 119, a replica of the original 1869 locomotive. Below is a painting of the actual event.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPP4jZ-FFp6Qm4CPFOqgQi8ZwHM0-vuYBqDfv6Y2aWamLirnFe9y2gRJYv-9LIKTirF1trVzBnfpTyheeGcnN_yr11DjwuMgUyfd84jaOtu9xWgzfRSfA5mJwv7FeTmeJuCYHh3zSjqFc/s1600/IMG_0659.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPP4jZ-FFp6Qm4CPFOqgQi8ZwHM0-vuYBqDfv6Y2aWamLirnFe9y2gRJYv-9LIKTirF1trVzBnfpTyheeGcnN_yr11DjwuMgUyfd84jaOtu9xWgzfRSfA5mJwv7FeTmeJuCYHh3zSjqFc/s320/IMG_0659.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691641978452238626" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The two replica locomotives were steamed up and ran for a short run to demonstrate for the visitors that moment in history. The sounds, smell, smoke, whistles and steam made for a very exciting reenactment and was very much enjoyed by the young and old kids in the crowd.<br /><br />From here, continued on to Ogden where we stayed overnight. We got there just in time to see a model RR setup and car exhibit in the Union Pacific Station downtown.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqpwLZ3xXlMW4j6EEaYeB81_gGsTrLTklMHE4jkXD-pU4MeIj4zJo7L6RpHecTsRDSX0PBq0V-hPMAL2Q6_TrjIGkBPINhWVqD-KRV1x8KvWFP_Xz3qUTbPcqIqnqfH5PjmBvQ1b0tXjQ/s1600/IMG_0664.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqpwLZ3xXlMW4j6EEaYeB81_gGsTrLTklMHE4jkXD-pU4MeIj4zJo7L6RpHecTsRDSX0PBq0V-hPMAL2Q6_TrjIGkBPINhWVqD-KRV1x8KvWFP_Xz3qUTbPcqIqnqfH5PjmBvQ1b0tXjQ/s320/IMG_0664.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691647258159471746" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJZVnsqsV7MOFGVY3ktMDdYMimhTItSN9D9HPkQFNwo_vM4Guw3Lco4zx1lIb06IhHpHvWf55TR6ZkQIEVd6OEtZGSswTA0zEMHXmiWFbCL2RDfp1Pa4kdyaEHJssAz0U0On9wgYZxdo/s1600/IMG_0663.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJZVnsqsV7MOFGVY3ktMDdYMimhTItSN9D9HPkQFNwo_vM4Guw3Lco4zx1lIb06IhHpHvWf55TR6ZkQIEVd6OEtZGSswTA0zEMHXmiWFbCL2RDfp1Pa4kdyaEHJssAz0U0On9wgYZxdo/s320/IMG_0663.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691647259992603538" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The model RR had a replica of the downtown RR yard and station as well as of the track that crossed the Great Salt Lake to shorten the route to Sacramento.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd4zy9RmGK0mXrOuivGJkHz8GnBQDIgR2cCm4CiBjRlHvd61ySj6EC4gVETfZMibYGsmXuoMZQIPOblQ477BI2lM7fHVmZ9XUWfT49h7Z8LHfAocxbvhMdATM6cTT9HAs7qnnMTo3ZyE4/s1600/IMG_0667.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd4zy9RmGK0mXrOuivGJkHz8GnBQDIgR2cCm4CiBjRlHvd61ySj6EC4gVETfZMibYGsmXuoMZQIPOblQ477BI2lM7fHVmZ9XUWfT49h7Z8LHfAocxbvhMdATM6cTT9HAs7qnnMTo3ZyE4/s320/IMG_0667.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691648277447933794" border="0" /></a>The car display inside the station was quite interesting, but it was closing time so I had only time to take a quick picture. There was also an extensive Remington fire arms exhibit, but that was now closed. None of these interested us enough to stay in Ogden another night.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6nzpwMv8i166xKlzPP4n9EyZ7ZxRAnecCTltm7U_ON1RVHnD4sJQc0Rk2bFTRN0_3A2js-WkfnE0emc_PhVo26y9pIaBfN6EmIXiaJ9cnGSLcAUX1M5gYzyash-VCML9-AhSWsjLhbw/s1600/IMG_0668.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6nzpwMv8i166xKlzPP4n9EyZ7ZxRAnecCTltm7U_ON1RVHnD4sJQc0Rk2bFTRN0_3A2js-WkfnE0emc_PhVo26y9pIaBfN6EmIXiaJ9cnGSLcAUX1M5gYzyash-VCML9-AhSWsjLhbw/s320/IMG_0668.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691648280918346434" border="0" /></a>This is downtown Ogden, in front of the station, where there were a number of horse sculptures, something on the order of the painted cows in Beaufort and other cities. We were walking around looking for a nice place for dinner, but found none, so returned back to the motor home for a home cooked meal.<br /><br />We left Ogden on the 3d of Sep for the 2,500 mile trip back home, with stops in Cheyenne, WY, North Platte & Grand Island,NE, Forrest City, IA to get our mechanized awning fixed, East St. Louis, IL, and Chattanooga, TN. We followed US 80 to Iowa.<br /><br />Along US 80 there were exhibits honoring the settlers who traveled this route in wagon trains. About three trails parallel US 80 that took travelers to Utah and the California gold fields.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvt4B0z7DZTeS712KNbBlzwIISGoZr9p0zYW1o5xA6bWmTZrqR1MRPj8iHEYrg_h1MWJF2A2ZGPTjsZMcjH6PCXHbIUMi0yk7OSp1qX76klfrBoRLDh87IHVwjbygB054LHiZV0anmSOQ/s1600/IMG_0672.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvt4B0z7DZTeS712KNbBlzwIISGoZr9p0zYW1o5xA6bWmTZrqR1MRPj8iHEYrg_h1MWJF2A2ZGPTjsZMcjH6PCXHbIUMi0yk7OSp1qX76klfrBoRLDh87IHVwjbygB054LHiZV0anmSOQ/s320/IMG_0672.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691651101312603490" border="0" /></a> The wagon wheels serve to indicate the trail. Poor Millie got a sticker in her paw and had to be cuddled and carried back out.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNeiQcLRvKBF47uJm0aZTmQFatqKN7uhHBVptTnZoKYbc2e4NynsACEqJz8zKs1mQZnDdAGPQiF7RzhcaXpPQo5egPDNugYeFfC925rk1ycIbD2Za_eXxcId838nDEoo_u38p0x0ikcc/s1600/IMG_0673.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNeiQcLRvKBF47uJm0aZTmQFatqKN7uhHBVptTnZoKYbc2e4NynsACEqJz8zKs1mQZnDdAGPQiF7RzhcaXpPQo5egPDNugYeFfC925rk1ycIbD2Za_eXxcId838nDEoo_u38p0x0ikcc/s320/IMG_0673.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691651106032339698" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The plaque above briefly tells the story of these wagon trails and the hardships endured.<br /><br />Cheyenne was cold and rainy, so we stayed only one night and had some buffalo brat wursts at Perry's Bison Ranch RV park. Next day we headed to North Platte, NE and stayed two nights at the Holiday RV Park. This worked out well because they gave us a discount coupon for any Holiday RV park, which we were able to use in Chattanooga. In North Platte we visited the Buffalo Bill Cody's 1896 ranch.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjygxLJrluc3XWXjqrwjJkauuiXOppWwz4MfhakmZISZ95F5RZ3IZsKqBNXBWpRyu4o_8DahhBMIFQas94ZrLWKGYiQ1koVHovDuK63oJF5FOSEUqZZDuxWO-Gogocwuac4r5DO1THKRFg/s1600/IMG_0675.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjygxLJrluc3XWXjqrwjJkauuiXOppWwz4MfhakmZISZ95F5RZ3IZsKqBNXBWpRyu4o_8DahhBMIFQas94ZrLWKGYiQ1koVHovDuK63oJF5FOSEUqZZDuxWO-Gogocwuac4r5DO1THKRFg/s320/IMG_0675.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691671684817227314" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQttYKPGbwbgAjCpTyxQu2mZ2yxQqq68uEf8J_Okvh37saQhVslBrMyN4lqkqoBIRRRZrJjJaDEoOSR1owl95PxrTEB1kxtHR3JsN6-dIVc8D7KtGxjbHYEiOHIgaPm9l2GoIhZRdR0M/s1600/IMG_0676.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQttYKPGbwbgAjCpTyxQu2mZ2yxQqq68uEf8J_Okvh37saQhVslBrMyN4lqkqoBIRRRZrJjJaDEoOSR1owl95PxrTEB1kxtHR3JsN6-dIVc8D7KtGxjbHYEiOHIgaPm9l2GoIhZRdR0M/s320/IMG_0676.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691671688086267842" border="0" /></a>Buffalo Bill gave us a big greeting.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOugdGO_Ih_8ufKo-skh0Qy8qEGPH8WlaJ-GDLCEmApW0_BKwg2cAMKRecOKI4G_J4JF9GWrXBunjV6SSpaRLRlvdOzJ9enOoKCYG1aoyhemIXgdV8BScf1RznV8uoIjp2nHbGrPuHZrU/s1600/IMG_0677.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOugdGO_Ih_8ufKo-skh0Qy8qEGPH8WlaJ-GDLCEmApW0_BKwg2cAMKRecOKI4G_J4JF9GWrXBunjV6SSpaRLRlvdOzJ9enOoKCYG1aoyhemIXgdV8BScf1RznV8uoIjp2nHbGrPuHZrU/s320/IMG_0677.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691671702975445522" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtEqiWm0kTxxKhKoX8Mle44tbQhlmWH4Lgobedp9p-07hNSNUHp9RofJgaXePvvrJgLX3yEte0uAoFWgxIcq619ShmwNPxuhouyzbugYBzJSo_6sIAAR-dI531QizG8b6Y2I5AtgT4Pk/s1600/IMG_0679.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtEqiWm0kTxxKhKoX8Mle44tbQhlmWH4Lgobedp9p-07hNSNUHp9RofJgaXePvvrJgLX3yEte0uAoFWgxIcq619ShmwNPxuhouyzbugYBzJSo_6sIAAR-dI531QizG8b6Y2I5AtgT4Pk/s320/IMG_0679.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691671713733968018" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Also in North Platte is the Union Pacific's Bailey Yard, the world's largest train yard where on can see trains as far as the eye can see. Located right next to the yard is the Golden Spike Tower and Visitor Center. From the tower one gets a panoramic view of the whole facility, including repair shops, sand tower, hump yard, etc. I surprised to learn that the wheels on a rail car are not connected. The car simply rests on top of the axle and its weight holds it all together.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVC-EojKz14-6KJCDQwunLncJBQ1ItMY7yeTlV5H8By9Py4LLud3nuIqbSCZnkp1_4ivDg8iHJ6Y8bVWuU74H88CS4Esh77-z-uDBodyvATD7bjCcFt8Com8tn-gMlV86XDiATIQ9uhnM/s1600/IMG_0689.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVC-EojKz14-6KJCDQwunLncJBQ1ItMY7yeTlV5H8By9Py4LLud3nuIqbSCZnkp1_4ivDg8iHJ6Y8bVWuU74H88CS4Esh77-z-uDBodyvATD7bjCcFt8Com8tn-gMlV86XDiATIQ9uhnM/s320/IMG_0689.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691675962605924386" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC6OJ_HPLHhEThKWU5fU7q-d7Q8jDIMcaNnEZI-pZO464Hjhiv-lA8TSidnqt9LRw9W7wZSYGt5TZuQPPrIQp2AJlOl_JguB6r30eBZiWoapystmisMeIJ_fX3YZo_2TjU5qPPEV4C544/s1600/IMG_0687.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC6OJ_HPLHhEThKWU5fU7q-d7Q8jDIMcaNnEZI-pZO464Hjhiv-lA8TSidnqt9LRw9W7wZSYGt5TZuQPPrIQp2AJlOl_JguB6r30eBZiWoapystmisMeIJ_fX3YZo_2TjU5qPPEV4C544/s320/IMG_0687.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691677532802882130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0b4iwYFJ34lMqrmDZLOGE1Y-Yr6Ca5FWKHxq-n7SolV1dlWvJes4CatDj0o7dJ8ce5hP794-_zYEnp6ociHwL8fdBMnJ9T6FrDHakDDtxd1l2QLrbh7uLbOIX5WliBGfZMXWk1fOuOb4/s1600/DSC_0358.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0b4iwYFJ34lMqrmDZLOGE1Y-Yr6Ca5FWKHxq-n7SolV1dlWvJes4CatDj0o7dJ8ce5hP794-_zYEnp6ociHwL8fdBMnJ9T6FrDHakDDtxd1l2QLrbh7uLbOIX5WliBGfZMXWk1fOuOb4/s320/DSC_0358.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691686725469273810" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29SoIPMY-xo3IDW-r28f0ZnKmLyozJIPUm9_x94gYrd09JXFzYSePKffWIaLr99Rj-P8skoKeQNtIF6ILJ7lbNkK_YayoDc8oUMX5GvCqRuk0qDUIRxzxM2Ul3xmEHq0zDBiG9ul5iWo/s1600/DSC_0364.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29SoIPMY-xo3IDW-r28f0ZnKmLyozJIPUm9_x94gYrd09JXFzYSePKffWIaLr99Rj-P8skoKeQNtIF6ILJ7lbNkK_YayoDc8oUMX5GvCqRuk0qDUIRxzxM2Ul3xmEHq0zDBiG9ul5iWo/s320/DSC_0364.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691686734218482626" border="0" /></a><br />From North Platte we continued our journey home, stopping in Forrest City, IA to get the slide out awning mechanism fixed. From there we went to East St. Louis to stay over night at the Casino Queen RV park. When we got there in the evening during heavy rain we found it was closed for the season. Only September and it was closed for the season already! The casino security guards said we could dry camp in the parking area just outside the RV park at no charge. We had a nice dinner in the Casino and left the next morning for Chattanooga and then on to Sun City, arriving safely home on Sep. 11th.<br /><br />All in all, a very nice two and a half month trip covering a little over 5,700 miles.Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-3984620587264801392011-11-18T17:01:00.003-05:002011-12-28T16:38:25.497-05:00April in Tunisia - 1985This article was written Nov, 2011 for the Sun City "Sunsations" magazine. The trip took place in April, 1985.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVK_62qQdBRq7xesZjcFCT15eUq1duwqw1FPgqZy6VosRinR-exgtaO-dMRzA5FVd7UkoNdW7f_SreTaxAi8Y0V_tO92ETAr5Drwi6JCONB98lFZ6rqDj38rxA30zfgqNQWKAyMsHU0jA/s1600/Apr+5+near+Hole+Hotel.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVK_62qQdBRq7xesZjcFCT15eUq1duwqw1FPgqZy6VosRinR-exgtaO-dMRzA5FVd7UkoNdW7f_SreTaxAi8Y0V_tO92ETAr5Drwi6JCONB98lFZ6rqDj38rxA30zfgqNQWKAyMsHU0jA/s320/Apr+5+near+Hole+Hotel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676460657776570130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Times New Roman"; panose-1:0 2 2 6 3 5 4 5 2 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:50331648 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-parent:""; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center">April in Tunisia</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The beautiful spring day was coming to an end as my friend Bob and I studied the map. Having ridden our motorcycles leisurely absorbing the desolate desert scenery of this North African country, we stood next to our bikes at an intersection trying to determine the best route to our hotel. We had ridden for a while along a broad dirt road that seemed to extend infinitely ahead of us into the horizon. On our left, in the distance, was a mountain range hiding the town of Matmata in which our hotel was located. The road going left in that direction seemed the shortest way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A weather beaten road sign confirmed this. We were soon to realize that this road would put us in what seemed to be a Twilight Zone plot. Even though this trip took place over twenty-six years ago, it remains absolutely vivid in my memory.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We were part of an Edelweis Bike Travel tour of Tunisia. We all met in Genoa, Italy and took a ferry overnight to Tunis from which we would tour the country and return two weeks later. Most were from Germany; three of us were from the States. I rode a rented BMW R80GS, which, like the other bikes in the group, is well suited for both street and off-road riding. Up to this point, we were about a week into our tour, having visited diverse historic sites ranging from the famous tank battles of Kasserine to Roman ruins of aqueducts, theaters, and an old-soldiers home. Between these our eyes feasted on fields of beautiful desert flowers in full bloom.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">That morning, the group was in Nefta. The more experienced riders were taking a difficult route at speed to Matmata that, as the route was described by our tour leader, Bob and I felt was beyond our comfort level. So, we opted out and decided to take a leisurely trip, enjoy the scenery and get to the hotel at our own pace. Advertised to be one of the trip’s highlights, Hotel Marhala is a structure built below ground level, consisting of a number of excavated caves located along two levels around a large circular hole dug about twenty to twenty-five feet below the surface. Various caves comprised guest rooms, bath facilities, dining rooms and an office. The topography of the area is such that the base and office of the hotel are at street level. The ground floor was literally the ground. Getting there, as it turned out, took much more skill and determination than we ever could have realized.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Before we stopped to check our map, I had been ahead of Bob, speeding along this broad dirt road shooting clouds of dust upwards. All of a sudden there was a deep pothole ahead which if I tried to avoid I would have skidded on the dirt and surely have gotten seriously injured. The same would have happened if I had braked, since the front forks would have been compressed and thus would not have absorbed the shock. So, I let up on the throttle, stood on the pegs to lower my center of gravity, hit the pothole straight on, flying about two to three feet in the air, and then made a perfect landing. I stopped to take a breather, Bob then caught up to me and said he was amazed at how I did it and was thankful that he was able to avoid it. I confessed that I too was amazed at how fast I was able to recall what to do in such a situation. Whew! That was all the excitement we needed. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We took the road leading into the mountains towards Matmata. Although it was dirt, it looked good. As with the previous route, there was no hint of civilization as far as the eye could see; no other vehicles, no donkey carts, no buildings, no people. Being used to traveling in the States, this seemed rather eerie and unsettling, but nonetheless, we started our ascent in good spirits, looking forward to a nice hot shower and a great meal with the rest of our tour group. The mountain range was neither steep nor high, much like a smaller version of the Appalachians. The road was twisty, as one would expect, with a large impassable gorge starting to form on our left. It took a while before we noticed something very strange and disturbing; the winding road was getting narrower, much narrower than when we started. The higher we rode, the narrower it got and the drop on the left became more precipitous. It also was getting noticeably darker as the sun was setting. We paused to survey our situation. We could not tell from the map how far we were from Matmata nor, due to the curvature of the road, could we see any distance ahead of us. We pondered on whether to turn back or continue. There was nothing around that gave us a clue; sight, sound, smell offered no hint of civilization in any direction. The hillside across the gorge was also featureless and devoid of any hint of civilization. With the approaching darkness, we decided to proceed, believing that turning back would take longer. We also knew that traveling at night is extremely dangerous: local drivers do not use headlights, the dust they kick up obscures their vehicle, and, as I experienced, the unlit dirt roads are mined with dangerous potholes. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">As the gorge deepened, the road narrowed into a pathway of irregular width with rocks randomly strewn about, we slowed down just fast enough to remain upright and avoid the rocks and crevices. I tried not to look down, as I knew that I would unconsciously ride off the trail if I did. In my mind I tried to figure out what to do if one of us should fall into what seemed to be an abyss. Would we survive a fall?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Where would we get help? We had no rope, no flashlight, and no cell phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We were well beyond any point of turning back. Our only hope was not to fall, not to stumble on a rock or crevice, and not to lose our nerve. We had to concentrate on going forward, focus completely on the path ahead. I found that this was really draining my energy. I paused for a breather, so did Bob behind me. We tried to figure out how close to the hotel we might be, but we had no clue. From the short distance that we could see ahead, there was nothing but more of the same. It was a nightmare that was being made worst by the approaching twilight. As unreal as this was, I knew it was no dream. After a minute or two, I took a deep breath and we proceeded.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Signs of cleared rockslides only served to increase our anxiety as we gingerly rode along an ever-narrowing path that our map showed as a road. The odometer indicated that we were making forward progress, but not how much further we had to go. That it was getting darker served as our only measure of time. It was not on our side. For all I knew, what lay beyond the next bend would be no different than what laid behind. But, as I continued, I could see sky straight ahead in the last glimmer of day and to my great surprise and delight a house and a streetlight under which some children were playing. This miserable path finally ended very abruptly at the outskirts of Matmata. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Up ahead was actual pavement. We could see parked motorcycles. Our hotel! We were the last to arrive. Neither Bob nor I cared to recount to our friends our nightmarish trip; we were just content to be at the hotel, safe and sound.</p><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSmZWJ4J0RSyXEidIKki3jZy8VUvH3RFIKE01xlHuWjlzz_EMj24lf4kkZaqKziUYi9fS2ERCJw9mGOAxsxrddQxw1Vsq91r08jXhT47ImVNSofBebcrB28keVNdHv21Z7aAXMhPRzyo/s1600/Hole_Hotel.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSmZWJ4J0RSyXEidIKki3jZy8VUvH3RFIKE01xlHuWjlzz_EMj24lf4kkZaqKziUYi9fS2ERCJw9mGOAxsxrddQxw1Vsq91r08jXhT47ImVNSofBebcrB28keVNdHv21Z7aAXMhPRzyo/s320/Hole_Hotel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676460656310317890" border="0" /></a>Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-76527530657660763422011-09-13T16:30:00.012-05:002011-10-14T10:15:59.136-05:00Grand Teton National ParkWe left Forest City, IA on Aug 1 for Grand Teton, WY. We traveled through SD stopping at Wall Drug where you see me behind their bar.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BehHjVXF8Cn0J2HUAcRNzzj2GWNKH0HCYLhugr64QeX29gA8c40JwcW0UblWvLCZZJAyPQky_0WBw0Iww4SPTaCNbu1U_tz8Q5UCfwi8VKWhLCUQfA-lYewJ-8O3uRuAO-5AY9R2g8w/s1600/IMG_0338.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BehHjVXF8Cn0J2HUAcRNzzj2GWNKH0HCYLhugr64QeX29gA8c40JwcW0UblWvLCZZJAyPQky_0WBw0Iww4SPTaCNbu1U_tz8Q5UCfwi8VKWhLCUQfA-lYewJ-8O3uRuAO-5AY9R2g8w/s320/IMG_0338.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651964157252034962" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In Rapid City we had a nice meal at the Fire House Brewery. Buffalo, of course!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ICTa1Fx3-ChkKFTX2TlvmxjK3PyxY8TPtjYAPLrXnm8xQ6oue7Yy0R0bqob9oFcuQg0Gb-dn6juNUc9fLhzjNlU2Aj78nu58NdIZwhKTwgv-p-n1rLLDtdBo-eY1ab6NieZ6yVPNzfg/s1600/IMG_0359.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ICTa1Fx3-ChkKFTX2TlvmxjK3PyxY8TPtjYAPLrXnm8xQ6oue7Yy0R0bqob9oFcuQg0Gb-dn6juNUc9fLhzjNlU2Aj78nu58NdIZwhKTwgv-p-n1rLLDtdBo-eY1ab6NieZ6yVPNzfg/s320/IMG_0359.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651967419262174482" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We stayed at a KOA in Hot Springs, SD visiting Rapid City, Crazy Horse, Mt. Rushmore and the Mammoth Site.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFPRGlBDDKdEjqc3WCvO1l-nmhDb7rJh6oLNbDFZgO50b3Gk62Dd-eFbmO24itgMd1eNuK-8zoEtBXp9dvGFF-2Itffkn6gaB7hw3i3xBOZ-oBEGapyxpHJso2jdhFboKlJdA8LhL_EA/s1600/IMG_0356.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFPRGlBDDKdEjqc3WCvO1l-nmhDb7rJh6oLNbDFZgO50b3Gk62Dd-eFbmO24itgMd1eNuK-8zoEtBXp9dvGFF-2Itffkn6gaB7hw3i3xBOZ-oBEGapyxpHJso2jdhFboKlJdA8LhL_EA/s320/IMG_0356.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662762564790436546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7m0CMngTCv3UQihw7-rwtVKdcHpRrukih8Ae_ZKeRJ493rUoDl9CdUjJstYckcbGfjblG8Gon_9JkxOMyOhSdy4L3LpfzMCgIaY26retyVWBI382m3gF7YCjNBQJqrdB7GURxMmq2evU/s1600/IMG_0357.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7m0CMngTCv3UQihw7-rwtVKdcHpRrukih8Ae_ZKeRJ493rUoDl9CdUjJstYckcbGfjblG8Gon_9JkxOMyOhSdy4L3LpfzMCgIaY26retyVWBI382m3gF7YCjNBQJqrdB7GURxMmq2evU/s320/IMG_0357.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651964153874567730" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaOtexxi2Jpy8rBgvWZN2MfdYwYHZK-vgjqo6S0_l2_uZRd6NLml-mm_rP3uyMlYZMLuNSdOB1CkawjkPTQVjEGZjXVrI1yt8A-GJnFtQGFcYHqTqUdJUWfkazi5Nk6uEObSp6SzQUMc/s1600/IMG_0355.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaOtexxi2Jpy8rBgvWZN2MfdYwYHZK-vgjqo6S0_l2_uZRd6NLml-mm_rP3uyMlYZMLuNSdOB1CkawjkPTQVjEGZjXVrI1yt8A-GJnFtQGFcYHqTqUdJUWfkazi5Nk6uEObSp6SzQUMc/s320/IMG_0355.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662763224902247282" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYLpE4gGsJxFPF_Aqq8AQyTEcFFp4mYu91VEdD-w0STZGWqfzx64JDIgh07PynMwynxSVbcrgkTIrwjDUgoxmDvglQC10L5Qsahu4iG_ulb4yv9InzkdGXt2UPwDOtCCPkr-HKD-ii8M/s1600/IMG_0350.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYLpE4gGsJxFPF_Aqq8AQyTEcFFp4mYu91VEdD-w0STZGWqfzx64JDIgh07PynMwynxSVbcrgkTIrwjDUgoxmDvglQC10L5Qsahu4iG_ulb4yv9InzkdGXt2UPwDOtCCPkr-HKD-ii8M/s320/IMG_0350.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651964146708568034" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXthnYN7_Y3pX-pFsjyf0qrlfst2Dl0Td6jQalTRgfCHBWSUzmJqcQPPsIL3l4XHv4-I9Bn6tC_C1fHNPuWkXcF1wpJIWRi5QNkxJXcdrCpvPMNj8nanwEd6I0z_2Ur1NcqK02VDe93_U/s1600/IMG_0342.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXthnYN7_Y3pX-pFsjyf0qrlfst2Dl0Td6jQalTRgfCHBWSUzmJqcQPPsIL3l4XHv4-I9Bn6tC_C1fHNPuWkXcF1wpJIWRi5QNkxJXcdrCpvPMNj8nanwEd6I0z_2Ur1NcqK02VDe93_U/s320/IMG_0342.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651964149860635986" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Mammoth Site was all enclosed; we walked among skeletons of many mammoths. Their bones and teeth were huge.<br /><br />Traveling through WY we experienced overheating up long grades. I pulled off the road and after a minute, the temperature was down to normal. I tried in Casper and Riverton to get the problem corrected, but it was impossible to get any service done within a reasonable time, our reservations in Grand Teton were to start Aug 7th. In Riverton, WY we got to see a real bang-em-up demolition derby.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittJqtf3OE3vYzIiAC-b1czipUmtH2nibCkQVVULKdObTh-W0oXQN0fGW1d08JjriqQuEVytOAY1o66p33BxrhnudQJU3Q0kYHYJCGgzoOdMiNQhkO6n_nXHxjg3GDZ09Irk_PfO114G4/s1600/IMG_0363.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittJqtf3OE3vYzIiAC-b1czipUmtH2nibCkQVVULKdObTh-W0oXQN0fGW1d08JjriqQuEVytOAY1o66p33BxrhnudQJU3Q0kYHYJCGgzoOdMiNQhkO6n_nXHxjg3GDZ09Irk_PfO114G4/s320/IMG_0363.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651969605018320914" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />God, we hadn't seen one in maybe 50 years. It was different.<br /><br /><br /><br />We approached Grand Teton on Aug 7 via Togwotee Pass, elevation 9,658 ft., along Route 26 towards Moran. At the peak, we stopped at a parking area to take a break and enjoy the views. As we approached Moran, the road was under construction for several miles causing us to have to go slow, very slow. At this point we made up our minds to go home via a different route, which we did.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcWNwhcfrTi4S4xOUxaLD4P1b855MYWan5LxCzjvO565efdyxWKE4feWTp-oLuD0Z8eWIjatQa91iZ9R5JB_2uPEPXpw8NBFXK9muLAsJbu6cNhES9dqDM79DljL-4U1lnoLAS50YCqY/s1600/IMG_0367.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcWNwhcfrTi4S4xOUxaLD4P1b855MYWan5LxCzjvO565efdyxWKE4feWTp-oLuD0Z8eWIjatQa91iZ9R5JB_2uPEPXpw8NBFXK9muLAsJbu6cNhES9dqDM79DljL-4U1lnoLAS50YCqY/s320/IMG_0367.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652693476909774258" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsplbIVkFSpzV47Db2HP38SQebwBZuduGOkZ58WfkQyewm1N90agvFoxWYWuTxmzuFTubEoZ_R7ruD5lW-QfOeF6R2-NMaCNZ34otaOgC44d_hkLcJkiqv72vkaT-k_rftWjPR-7jC-K8/s1600/DSC_0196.JPG"><br /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3GqU-u8eQWfbcCwcnTGKIxtiKaMMBKPAHHuBM_0OG2xePeBhuptbn6X71AlBjsYAMtabihmRu7WHZY96kz1pshtP-ryTr6QBlx8ww81wJPIzpNxURNAcJhMD4hFxpKnZGh-Y3SCFsms/s1600/DSC_0180.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3GqU-u8eQWfbcCwcnTGKIxtiKaMMBKPAHHuBM_0OG2xePeBhuptbn6X71AlBjsYAMtabihmRu7WHZY96kz1pshtP-ryTr6QBlx8ww81wJPIzpNxURNAcJhMD4hFxpKnZGh-Y3SCFsms/s320/DSC_0180.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652991898126436402" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Our camp site was by Lake Jackson in Colter Bay. Rates were fairly expensive at about $60/day but we did get a $10 discount with our senior parks pass, a $10 investment about 15 years ago that has paid us back I would guess at least 50 fold by now. As you can see from the picture below, Lake Jackson is very beautiful, being surrounded by snow capped mountains, even in August.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3VvbkNF7SI3aklH8D8uRF6a-Zvl51-wICj2rF6po7PT4RN4Rb5VLcKSVYuqNL4umXFWAcinLSTZhXg8TJAU-yPnTyHmi3Mzx5pmLJuruRVHvv8Km457gvTwJi2J_oFVrwHqQRsrDw9rY/s1600/IMG_0404.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3VvbkNF7SI3aklH8D8uRF6a-Zvl51-wICj2rF6po7PT4RN4Rb5VLcKSVYuqNL4umXFWAcinLSTZhXg8TJAU-yPnTyHmi3Mzx5pmLJuruRVHvv8Km457gvTwJi2J_oFVrwHqQRsrDw9rY/s320/IMG_0404.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662764115025947586" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHV16rPCUw2lDwWUPHlZ5asKCmz5UCtNd0Btvi11PTPnMclU6dIuS_5UsPC4bdfVCsN9Az8U1PcBuitwxkZrWLudC-gZTxeDt2wGaaZ951wkqK4033aY7lRr0eDV3hLvRKjXCukrmvGM/s1600/IMG_0446.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHV16rPCUw2lDwWUPHlZ5asKCmz5UCtNd0Btvi11PTPnMclU6dIuS_5UsPC4bdfVCsN9Az8U1PcBuitwxkZrWLudC-gZTxeDt2wGaaZ951wkqK4033aY7lRr0eDV3hLvRKjXCukrmvGM/s320/IMG_0446.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662764116469997858" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibMhtcA6oRWkzD97eKe7CeDpC8PS5OpBaEeCvijYOj_MB9mF75GmKWSMsKnC6vUQfOb7RP3Djl2BDBRAvvC8finYeMVzJwVm29IgZjWSPk6aSDUX_sVqxqjfBBLL3ESxr0RiCsXzAtZg/s1600/IMG_0372.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibMhtcA6oRWkzD97eKe7CeDpC8PS5OpBaEeCvijYOj_MB9mF75GmKWSMsKnC6vUQfOb7RP3Djl2BDBRAvvC8finYeMVzJwVm29IgZjWSPk6aSDUX_sVqxqjfBBLL3ESxr0RiCsXzAtZg/s320/IMG_0372.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652693479428098770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We spent some time sitting by the lake, enjoying the view, watching the Uinta Squirrels, having lunch and reading. These were enjoyable, relaxing moments.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7lIP6ZjBeJgacFLqBQ2NlTxDKw0KeD0u1wzCDGmQsdcfZqFDXZ2NpF_1vK5ywYz1ZNX7M8U8kORivoCWbv99MC3QUK7G2gqTVbnf8yWT5PoP_8H7QL9ILzwhOu8W4pwqOrUVCU32AS4/s1600/IMG_0443.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7lIP6ZjBeJgacFLqBQ2NlTxDKw0KeD0u1wzCDGmQsdcfZqFDXZ2NpF_1vK5ywYz1ZNX7M8U8kORivoCWbv99MC3QUK7G2gqTVbnf8yWT5PoP_8H7QL9ILzwhOu8W4pwqOrUVCU32AS4/s320/IMG_0443.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662785338302693858" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4csW8AdCbk_G-yZbyCOx1_a6UDf1x0qYU5uT5KpOWCHpY2n5VXvx_H0qBXmayiljTkXv2low5bpTiCx95u9E8K3IFCvyQe9trQSaYAXaGjJD1Kdb9MYxB-hMazpIDEx8HDih-PpTAwXQ/s1600/IMG_0393.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4csW8AdCbk_G-yZbyCOx1_a6UDf1x0qYU5uT5KpOWCHpY2n5VXvx_H0qBXmayiljTkXv2low5bpTiCx95u9E8K3IFCvyQe9trQSaYAXaGjJD1Kdb9MYxB-hMazpIDEx8HDih-PpTAwXQ/s320/IMG_0393.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663366396762547938" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2uQaQ9pNwJ8ve-dAk5Fh4f49Rq3S7q0oTNA_LdJvPgUy4p2QdAIQzdo1UNLDIylwGPJ3afqqNpYMIiFP9Wv_oaMflBWDg-5Kks3Fe_9cdS_wfrMKexeQwLS38XpegJWRPKrBXQ9LYA4/s1600/DSC_0177.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2uQaQ9pNwJ8ve-dAk5Fh4f49Rq3S7q0oTNA_LdJvPgUy4p2QdAIQzdo1UNLDIylwGPJ3afqqNpYMIiFP9Wv_oaMflBWDg-5Kks3Fe_9cdS_wfrMKexeQwLS38XpegJWRPKrBXQ9LYA4/s320/DSC_0177.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662780003402000658" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Below is a view of the Grand Teton mountain at 13770 ft.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsplbIVkFSpzV47Db2HP38SQebwBZuduGOkZ58WfkQyewm1N90agvFoxWYWuTxmzuFTubEoZ_R7ruD5lW-QfOeF6R2-NMaCNZ34otaOgC44d_hkLcJkiqv72vkaT-k_rftWjPR-7jC-K8/s1600/DSC_0196.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsplbIVkFSpzV47Db2HP38SQebwBZuduGOkZ58WfkQyewm1N90agvFoxWYWuTxmzuFTubEoZ_R7ruD5lW-QfOeF6R2-NMaCNZ34otaOgC44d_hkLcJkiqv72vkaT-k_rftWjPR-7jC-K8/s320/DSC_0196.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652991895285022594" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Caught this black bear crossing the Teton Park Rd near Signal Mountain Lodge. She tied up traffic for awhile but a ranger was there to make sure we didn't get too close and control traffic.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyXkBbPdMmakSyJiKEeaJpsriD0y0-ku8YEtMvoT0PMh-2RAPknpS5SS501fyRyJXZXwJvJbcRpb2uK8wf3DlFuvhJbi0qd2HUlrSDRK9PPYjsA9CQr13dZUjlHA2myd58qvwZen89XY/s1600/DSC_0190a.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyXkBbPdMmakSyJiKEeaJpsriD0y0-ku8YEtMvoT0PMh-2RAPknpS5SS501fyRyJXZXwJvJbcRpb2uK8wf3DlFuvhJbi0qd2HUlrSDRK9PPYjsA9CQr13dZUjlHA2myd58qvwZen89XY/s320/DSC_0190a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652997120173861970" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />This is a view of the valley from on top of Signal Mountain, 77727 ft. Drove to top! The first is facing west of Lake Jackson Teton mountains. The second is facing southeast showing the Snake River.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAIeOFZpkzc3EJx7dJUETDDnwCBi7td16YDYWHzPlW2B1xLd9WISgwRi70nsC6AtCgQ07Sy3JtEWCEQF3jc4eIChxuT8dYZPWOxlWDOdN6ioufIJjepIvXITv9JZuGgoLwJX1tIfeyMU/s1600/DSC_0195.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAIeOFZpkzc3EJx7dJUETDDnwCBi7td16YDYWHzPlW2B1xLd9WISgwRi70nsC6AtCgQ07Sy3JtEWCEQF3jc4eIChxuT8dYZPWOxlWDOdN6ioufIJjepIvXITv9JZuGgoLwJX1tIfeyMU/s320/DSC_0195.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662785341760063666" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvy91DoHTabmARmMdJv-vXHZYBFaTS9VE3goewY_v033fI9wAgpoU3c1Piv_pU1AsqNNW5vCni3_0fqj-muy_PFXtFge9ozPUG1AbredPpEBav6YHzR7YTf_yjkG8uiwB4CRVLCkiJdeM/s1600/DSC_0200.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvy91DoHTabmARmMdJv-vXHZYBFaTS9VE3goewY_v033fI9wAgpoU3c1Piv_pU1AsqNNW5vCni3_0fqj-muy_PFXtFge9ozPUG1AbredPpEBav6YHzR7YTf_yjkG8uiwB4CRVLCkiJdeM/s320/DSC_0200.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652997130049792226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyTCfIpnxKF-2GtVOnRzStkyR9H0PVhGFon_lUEr3HfZGI7qSOMNuFEj2ws04pTwXmC8iGZyoyEnLQk5f8cfMQjOc3GpXoD1LOLGwfgjbgsiLj5R9ERdwHYDGUFy26VU6-9zZ4lFHhD50/s1600/DSC_0194.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyTCfIpnxKF-2GtVOnRzStkyR9H0PVhGFon_lUEr3HfZGI7qSOMNuFEj2ws04pTwXmC8iGZyoyEnLQk5f8cfMQjOc3GpXoD1LOLGwfgjbgsiLj5R9ERdwHYDGUFy26VU6-9zZ4lFHhD50/s320/DSC_0194.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652997125776674994" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Below is a view of the Cunningham Cabin Historic Site and horses corralled nearby.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKYcW2lStZCj1HIF21qaTMArlZnBIsLpKbCr_KPZss4hP_vsvEHXrwYk09uyn5U3QUrGvZQL7FAziSiscgIaKj6GGjkDZMwc3DaTU1q80Xz01hDhYARuCp4VGNN9ZKD1iUssfrcJZtqI/s1600/IMG_0385.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKYcW2lStZCj1HIF21qaTMArlZnBIsLpKbCr_KPZss4hP_vsvEHXrwYk09uyn5U3QUrGvZQL7FAziSiscgIaKj6GGjkDZMwc3DaTU1q80Xz01hDhYARuCp4VGNN9ZKD1iUssfrcJZtqI/s320/IMG_0385.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653006615317069282" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPdY4YEZdFvspUqhzXgE1w2fUWysP4NbPBAuZN810UG8ihB42RxlBaeh5kwUuBS0I2YiJk0H5yVHDGE1SJliq88FstKluIQe2oppCljKlHMH5MMbqRB3eUrr974QrLdwqxHgalg2Lc7zk/s1600/DSC_0195.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-t-H9335If0zoKB1PyG2NdJ4OvNMbq5R-CezyKyiIPVhIu7iKc7CXeAS-8eVl42uvit36cNXG26FtL3_H524_xGSOkoA3V7bKEbyfoJrupnueWmGPAFLEEtiqM5uvtVMATxj9yue4ZW4/s320/DSC_0214.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652997136357020770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />We enjoyed hiking in the park, but because of the mile + altitude, we had to take it slow. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous and the trails were moderately difficult but well marked.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXy29MXbJKIAqLAyp3GQfxku6KWrE1Xm7WmOkqBIvwYqdxZuzBIWQTT0RkA-RRYYgJx1H6rz7zhYo-cgCj_BzcXrtBO_c9TSFzojtjjDdTgZZzuTTE2i8obQ5J9d2tdyJp6hZ_KfZzYQ/s1600/IMG_0380.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXy29MXbJKIAqLAyp3GQfxku6KWrE1Xm7WmOkqBIvwYqdxZuzBIWQTT0RkA-RRYYgJx1H6rz7zhYo-cgCj_BzcXrtBO_c9TSFzojtjjDdTgZZzuTTE2i8obQ5J9d2tdyJp6hZ_KfZzYQ/s320/IMG_0380.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662765743437694546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGKA-knlhXqrDJ33j4x7ir8nmxPRXEVou7F9BHlErfDacxxUNRvqrwm7mYdKFfNMDyLHdbi5cRUPgXLz8q4BOAP8SZsMDmM8F-9YClhj-SMoO1p2ZU1Ua3MfTsk6pmrhhhX8MiaF7-PY/s1600/IMG_0379.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGKA-knlhXqrDJ33j4x7ir8nmxPRXEVou7F9BHlErfDacxxUNRvqrwm7mYdKFfNMDyLHdbi5cRUPgXLz8q4BOAP8SZsMDmM8F-9YClhj-SMoO1p2ZU1Ua3MfTsk6pmrhhhX8MiaF7-PY/s320/IMG_0379.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662765760962480450" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoryQr5_f-xxU2eQ-GEkTmOkaM1g6TewrIJqiaEp15T1-4L2oklRitc_NfNza-eYOteW1xxffzpFbSkvH8vebtIebSiId0YfR0O0jQHXfLPehUP7-q5y-Iik3VxFTncFvuLFz0x2WGqGY/s1600/IMG_0381.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoryQr5_f-xxU2eQ-GEkTmOkaM1g6TewrIJqiaEp15T1-4L2oklRitc_NfNza-eYOteW1xxffzpFbSkvH8vebtIebSiId0YfR0O0jQHXfLPehUP7-q5y-Iik3VxFTncFvuLFz0x2WGqGY/s320/IMG_0381.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662765737262004770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Likewise with cycling, we had to take it easy and rode only on the paved bicycle paths. We carted our bikes over 5,700 miles and rode them about a total of 30. Next time I think we'll leave them home as they made it impossible to open the rear door of the Honda, forcing us to get things in the back via the back passenger doors.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3iuqLEc7Jk8u2FuknFLjVbBB5n78GRWayiuyVLmnqBcsWt9GuV8VlE8BawtG2u2ahk-976V5e8ULtMhPJMKMW2A4Pt6mvzwx-sPNNYFcvIfXLlxrCgeDCAuIcFftC43Z2VMfRkC8H0QE/s1600/IMG_0374.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3iuqLEc7Jk8u2FuknFLjVbBB5n78GRWayiuyVLmnqBcsWt9GuV8VlE8BawtG2u2ahk-976V5e8ULtMhPJMKMW2A4Pt6mvzwx-sPNNYFcvIfXLlxrCgeDCAuIcFftC43Z2VMfRkC8H0QE/s320/IMG_0374.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662765734964679298" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We had a very nice boat ride on Lake Jackson that included a dinner on Elk Island which included delicious trout and steak.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUrdNV1HkEvqDR896y53ql0_PgMr6FrfRyf970aTz80ai2sl4Ou9hTbwqW65IgZAJyhCIhEtMhjw9b4xTrzcufrRHanqXOGKXxDZVWufz6V84tUBVduwMb6QQgvPzFIYmoOdyFovrj8U/s1600/IMG_0371.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUrdNV1HkEvqDR896y53ql0_PgMr6FrfRyf970aTz80ai2sl4Ou9hTbwqW65IgZAJyhCIhEtMhjw9b4xTrzcufrRHanqXOGKXxDZVWufz6V84tUBVduwMb6QQgvPzFIYmoOdyFovrj8U/s320/IMG_0371.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662765727837653922" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXES42AFNa0I6F7tXueT3Xe-ag5QgTcTR_esN6zbE23tVYznY91WMQ0HIF1a59d4QVmPhJya9yyHZFyMsYyOB7waUfvuRyb5ZwmkKZASVPTOXmzdO4hmedBajIX-xC1iugGJ0AUVtdeJg/s1600/IMG_0370.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXES42AFNa0I6F7tXueT3Xe-ag5QgTcTR_esN6zbE23tVYznY91WMQ0HIF1a59d4QVmPhJya9yyHZFyMsYyOB7waUfvuRyb5ZwmkKZASVPTOXmzdO4hmedBajIX-xC1iugGJ0AUVtdeJg/s320/IMG_0370.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663365446941298530" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We made several trips to Jackson for coffee, drinks and dinner. The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar was one of our favorite places. Their cowboy brand beer was great as were the elk burgers, which were moist and delicious. Below, we are seated at the bar, awaiting our burgers. In contrast, the buffalo burgers were dry and somewhat tough.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKqwJUM8MlUredEppOpbpZ0ZrKuZCNR8_BCqq76bXpfQXSq7zVCFt7suS3T-hcj2TvQAQ7XxL9l7nVe0W1UkYg0MImMpLdAARS35pdfvkKKug3jS2ICAzj0HYO5qpK74e77PAMm8lbe0/s1600/IMG_0377.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKqwJUM8MlUredEppOpbpZ0ZrKuZCNR8_BCqq76bXpfQXSq7zVCFt7suS3T-hcj2TvQAQ7XxL9l7nVe0W1UkYg0MImMpLdAARS35pdfvkKKug3jS2ICAzj0HYO5qpK74e77PAMm8lbe0/s320/IMG_0377.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662769126005243442" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Elk were seen along the trails we hiked.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTi8nyQ_8BBt0wJHS6XsEnQjJUwn7Pr_sNug9Oo_HNgPMPEJ4YIagGEdusMW62_stXWuL70aZksmkQRkM1i0xxo3xGC1qINaCNfDNMQaGQeVWTkXuK8XPBeKLMmqXUhTHUFVXd-h8Pn8/s1600/DSC_0208.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTi8nyQ_8BBt0wJHS6XsEnQjJUwn7Pr_sNug9Oo_HNgPMPEJ4YIagGEdusMW62_stXWuL70aZksmkQRkM1i0xxo3xGC1qINaCNfDNMQaGQeVWTkXuK8XPBeKLMmqXUhTHUFVXd-h8Pn8/s320/DSC_0208.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662780017525872146" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjK9C0oWeciJNgYXq9NWqBM0lPFBPRHzmfnU5LjyDCFuS8OT_93ByX9F3-VHiRsc5rtw-xT2ubWRWFnD32u7SIfSgI2B5PrgmVAkadzmGGvDXOqk_thngni7oiafwUXOJ_C4LeRg8lVYA/s1600/IMG_0417.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjK9C0oWeciJNgYXq9NWqBM0lPFBPRHzmfnU5LjyDCFuS8OT_93ByX9F3-VHiRsc5rtw-xT2ubWRWFnD32u7SIfSgI2B5PrgmVAkadzmGGvDXOqk_thngni7oiafwUXOJ_C4LeRg8lVYA/s320/IMG_0417.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662771808528935042" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzAchgtPYBA_xAOIKWKKIX7APrDPgxJxLsWPZTM3-T9lcyIdyGMsB3Oyxtdvri8fEugTNkfT_YdjeMQ9Tsdrhp41QH1p7wlmIWZULPBhFBkpzgoIyptqx_KPDgcRScUFDCN1N9HHTFpY/s1600/IMG_0421.JPG"><br /></a><br />I took a horse back trail ride from Jackson Lake Lodge, behind me is the Snake River and Oxbow Bend, a scenic wildlife area.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydQuHdkJxedEeETY73vKKWTWNt1dzU7B4JnWJp_hvpi_OEJ_XP1Kj1ErI3OJtgiD4MqXAyndAGAtFq8B7lgauVWCrLhDkjTyUZYF-NqHZfF_nQmqKUGBJTmFk3YHFrGWjOr9QaPKACqk/s1600/IMG_0437.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydQuHdkJxedEeETY73vKKWTWNt1dzU7B4JnWJp_hvpi_OEJ_XP1Kj1ErI3OJtgiD4MqXAyndAGAtFq8B7lgauVWCrLhDkjTyUZYF-NqHZfF_nQmqKUGBJTmFk3YHFrGWjOr9QaPKACqk/s320/IMG_0437.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662771795354544482" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCR9g29uUJ0NBCoQTRkO-5wC8CBoUi768X7SR1kodob5oT5ySXFcoyCK4MfM2ONbeyT6jmBSK3ELtzme9xLCfEGVp4kd_9bTjOqJZNQ1Pgi0ra_NMQPsu9ktYE1fisTYKfM-QEQO_sOIQ/s1600/IMG_0441.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCR9g29uUJ0NBCoQTRkO-5wC8CBoUi768X7SR1kodob5oT5ySXFcoyCK4MfM2ONbeyT6jmBSK3ELtzme9xLCfEGVp4kd_9bTjOqJZNQ1Pgi0ra_NMQPsu9ktYE1fisTYKfM-QEQO_sOIQ/s320/IMG_0441.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662771790584180114" border="0" /></a><br />A pretty view of Lake Jackson.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYYyIHCXpfM2Q2CW9u-WSo3ug2S12xjFD9bEHTshQOVp0YbnrNulSmcie4y8TUz7jJ2MGKOST8LY9CjhGDExQnR2QSCapToa9GqnQZyoNP19DdrwU0cETdnSo8hDt-88SCjXfobfwExI/s1600/IMG_0405.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYYyIHCXpfM2Q2CW9u-WSo3ug2S12xjFD9bEHTshQOVp0YbnrNulSmcie4y8TUz7jJ2MGKOST8LY9CjhGDExQnR2QSCapToa9GqnQZyoNP19DdrwU0cETdnSo8hDt-88SCjXfobfwExI/s320/IMG_0405.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662771809813966610" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Between our camp site and Lake Jackson there was a field of Uinta Squirrels such as the one shown below.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQizfuQ5X8L4eLDYn634LQX__KMywP3m9t0nUjUL3YiXSvZOiuYb4Pw3rMnc9TZeuquGBudQ5NEA7yK7BkNa58dxBdSkQlV8xLs1fbaku2Ik5ufkeYwWZGKpObNQ_A8diq1rI49uDEMv8/s1600/IMG_0392.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQizfuQ5X8L4eLDYn634LQX__KMywP3m9t0nUjUL3YiXSvZOiuYb4Pw3rMnc9TZeuquGBudQ5NEA7yK7BkNa58dxBdSkQlV8xLs1fbaku2Ik5ufkeYwWZGKpObNQ_A8diq1rI49uDEMv8/s320/IMG_0392.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662775141412095794" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We took a day trip to Yellowstone to enjoy Old Faithful and have lunch in the Inn nearby.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OOgHYJYAzCCI4wW74VbnNYZSon9PKYcb3mtJ6fsxDYAEhuW9A51RQUin7f73iI-ajzPa2C_gMG-MyKN-uCPKOkPAMFha7h4wMwAoMRDjB1QtFsTrk5UYuEF8RCcSyVlTz_deJQBs_Do/s1600/DSC_0229.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OOgHYJYAzCCI4wW74VbnNYZSon9PKYcb3mtJ6fsxDYAEhuW9A51RQUin7f73iI-ajzPa2C_gMG-MyKN-uCPKOkPAMFha7h4wMwAoMRDjB1QtFsTrk5UYuEF8RCcSyVlTz_deJQBs_Do/s320/DSC_0229.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662777532952469282" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDFrusVYC-iy7mJdVXpx9JmZ1DX2-6I782hYxVwp2Ja3ntb_p6kyzD5Fjf02T67VjipOIqwV7P9D6FSqL-qtKmYRtLfJY8guybkwEc-S2B9l3rsvkYaAUtgctrKjL2OpqhwggwLsZYTs/s1600/IMG_0398.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDFrusVYC-iy7mJdVXpx9JmZ1DX2-6I782hYxVwp2Ja3ntb_p6kyzD5Fjf02T67VjipOIqwV7P9D6FSqL-qtKmYRtLfJY8guybkwEc-S2B9l3rsvkYaAUtgctrKjL2OpqhwggwLsZYTs/s320/IMG_0398.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662777519103437778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif4_6MTf5gwbMDpyJeKEWeOB-lrBwC9Ilg41b391ngJwpvFd1liC5_9V_LTLq-dObs7W8GrCP8QriuCj5wrFmV_VchE6n9ePPhM-yCnyJStS4WbGyWgsBgwcWYvxil4NRtbwF9uiEJ8YQ/s1600/IMG_0399.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif4_6MTf5gwbMDpyJeKEWeOB-lrBwC9Ilg41b391ngJwpvFd1liC5_9V_LTLq-dObs7W8GrCP8QriuCj5wrFmV_VchE6n9ePPhM-yCnyJStS4WbGyWgsBgwcWYvxil4NRtbwF9uiEJ8YQ/s320/IMG_0399.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662777513704349618" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKiarMgbQ9zv0kwNKRj3W8ghotRvSxxbkkdDgPDV9W9HYGTPI91rNOi_YcB-Mq1fZtnAbVaLp25niXF3KaBhlVYTdz6mVl6j8X9MNRQrf46C6nJSs90mqHHYHO9_twHEduY0DObzqggIY/s1600/IMG_0402.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKiarMgbQ9zv0kwNKRj3W8ghotRvSxxbkkdDgPDV9W9HYGTPI91rNOi_YcB-Mq1fZtnAbVaLp25niXF3KaBhlVYTdz6mVl6j8X9MNRQrf46C6nJSs90mqHHYHO9_twHEduY0DObzqggIY/s320/IMG_0402.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662777507377046082" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6oBto0BlNYgNGI-ySTvhW4OVU1G9ip1dcCLiBrXIGNSLXJZlMnclM-4SiucXX7ztyt_yxDaWL5xRrjLkolL2fv1_ZCRx6LGGBdnvm8bZPgn48BoJdA0gSPJCT4XT22l5EKufs1wGKdw/s1600/DSC_0243.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6oBto0BlNYgNGI-ySTvhW4OVU1G9ip1dcCLiBrXIGNSLXJZlMnclM-4SiucXX7ztyt_yxDaWL5xRrjLkolL2fv1_ZCRx6LGGBdnvm8bZPgn48BoJdA0gSPJCT4XT22l5EKufs1wGKdw/s320/DSC_0243.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662777540595804322" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Herd of Bison in Antelope Flats just outside the Park going to Jackson. Mormons settled here in the 19th century and their houses and barns are still there although its been abandoned for many years.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhlZ6qblQTgK4kiS2PYgghukb3pbOCyhTrMBD9VJz96FHOgOvWUff9DMWWSuTxHEEK7mc213gyswhmCzK4rQC-PpbBs9Wh2p4oBJtcCIh69Q0Du4UZtv1mZYhpQB2YebxP7cwgmQoe28/s1600/DSC_0222.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhlZ6qblQTgK4kiS2PYgghukb3pbOCyhTrMBD9VJz96FHOgOvWUff9DMWWSuTxHEEK7mc213gyswhmCzK4rQC-PpbBs9Wh2p4oBJtcCIh69Q0Du4UZtv1mZYhpQB2YebxP7cwgmQoe28/s320/DSC_0222.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662780031383224002" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />On the 21th of August we left Grand Teton National Park for Idaho and in particular, Arco, a trip of 217 miles on mountainous, scenic roads along the Snake River. I found it astonishing as to how long the river is. Snake is an appropriate name, it does snake in an extreme fashion, and the road along it is extremely winding, with mountains on one side and the river valley on the other. This trip would have been more enjoyable in the BMW which just loves curves as these.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDTWu_Y4Ybzp7_yyzyCWIensP5MXI5q9DrwbQfCHypZOI4wU7B4x1956k5AW08r-sSco3GVszJ3vmKVPyf5duWLPGMzAKAjJiT_6tDCW1EQkMFXBuGQZMBM_IAABBodQnsFtWMM3wW6I/s1600/IMG_0449.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDTWu_Y4Ybzp7_yyzyCWIensP5MXI5q9DrwbQfCHypZOI4wU7B4x1956k5AW08r-sSco3GVszJ3vmKVPyf5duWLPGMzAKAjJiT_6tDCW1EQkMFXBuGQZMBM_IAABBodQnsFtWMM3wW6I/s320/IMG_0449.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662783747436461762" border="0" /></a>Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-1220167463855035692011-09-13T16:12:00.004-05:002011-09-13T16:30:42.399-05:00Lakshmi & Mahesh Visit<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgHXbINuPKAleX72XNZU3HM2VagD_HVryby2HL1Y_COXPKLbl21tmDe_Lv9r0shgGoCMG9zCcNTPs6EQxiKZKkknClm5R68oRnLy_TqVOOnM0oZQ9nc9jf9iyneIRBe4IsnyaEFm2Lzc/s1600/IMG_0331.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgHXbINuPKAleX72XNZU3HM2VagD_HVryby2HL1Y_COXPKLbl21tmDe_Lv9r0shgGoCMG9zCcNTPs6EQxiKZKkknClm5R68oRnLy_TqVOOnM0oZQ9nc9jf9iyneIRBe4IsnyaEFm2Lzc/s320/IMG_0331.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651959771813087202" border="0" /></a><br />On 23 July we left Sun City for Forest City, IA to the Winnebago Factory to have some work done on our motor home. We had appointments Friday and Monday, this left the weekend free. That Sunday we visited Lakshmi in Des Moines, IA. We had a nice visit, her parents were also there, visiting from India. Lakshmi and Mahesh were in the process of building a very nice new house in Des Moines and we had the opportunity to see it, which was about 85% complete. It's large with some very nice features such as geothermal heating/cooling.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKseRxmA6Cjx6zXBNr5ksGYgKmJkelbV7rYnBOGaXyifT7jlBtDbWDOe0ZaOepF1UJhnVB3dZhebs7kMpJg1-EicFdzR7kt0WkQlqTOWD_h5HiOG6a_gl4avC0lP7DsWEnEp5qN4RLQQ/s1600/IMG_0333.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKseRxmA6Cjx6zXBNr5ksGYgKmJkelbV7rYnBOGaXyifT7jlBtDbWDOe0ZaOepF1UJhnVB3dZhebs7kMpJg1-EicFdzR7kt0WkQlqTOWD_h5HiOG6a_gl4avC0lP7DsWEnEp5qN4RLQQ/s320/IMG_0333.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651958213477979506" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Their two young girls got a big kick out of Millie; they want a dog and got some first hand experience in walking a dog.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEBzBMRRQFVOEJ0mJsPYPp96z2nmABTVaQS2vCwmZdmSSuzN2Pl8cSi6IRQjPPwFx0Md6U4gSfii5G3EK7ajhLdxcooPwlQjb3pLO4x05PkHuy1jGhyIkVDUKO5oHfkYUMKtlhJDFY3s/s1600/IMG_0334.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEBzBMRRQFVOEJ0mJsPYPp96z2nmABTVaQS2vCwmZdmSSuzN2Pl8cSi6IRQjPPwFx0Md6U4gSfii5G3EK7ajhLdxcooPwlQjb3pLO4x05PkHuy1jGhyIkVDUKO5oHfkYUMKtlhJDFY3s/s320/IMG_0334.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651958218331187058" border="0" /></a>Poor dad is expected to pick up after their dog, they did not like that part of having a dog. The day there went quickly and we had to go back to Forest City for our 7am Monday morning service appointment.Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-64505291884140503572011-06-14T14:04:00.035-05:002011-06-16T14:57:33.043-05:00ELEGANCE at HERSHEYWe arrived at the Hotel Hershey on June 10, 2011 to attend the Elegance. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo51m6oN6gzwcPX0_-D2gJDcxGhOctuPfSW61OizaCiu87nW1qc71G1CM-TD-KkfdfGHxLQn-DXEJ1t3RmXb8XCruQENvOWMglUJ02GzeDoBAjjQAi_yl6m6jY2Rh312ysPkw5c1MhJgU/s1600/IMG_0121.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo51m6oN6gzwcPX0_-D2gJDcxGhOctuPfSW61OizaCiu87nW1qc71G1CM-TD-KkfdfGHxLQn-DXEJ1t3RmXb8XCruQENvOWMglUJ02GzeDoBAjjQAi_yl6m6jY2Rh312ysPkw5c1MhJgU/s320/IMG_0121.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618176448441927842" border="0" /></a>Since we arrived early, we spent the afternoon at the AACA Museum of antique and historic cars where we are pictured below at left.<br /><br />On June 11 and 12 we attended the first ever Elegance which included the running of the historic Hershey Hill Climb featuring vintage race cars. The Elegance featured some of the world's most impressive vintage collector cars from 1906 through to 1960, displayed in the unique setting of the Hotel Hershey formal gardens. It included the three Ps of antique cars: Packard, Peerless, and Pierce-Arrow. The Elegance is a celebration of a bygone era when the automobile stirred imaginations and caused excitement. The Elegance is an invitational showing of some of the country's finest cars hand-picked representing what many consider the formative years of the automobile through the immediate post-World War II golden age. Having attended the Hilton Concours de Elegance since its inception nine years ago, I can attest to the collection at Hershey as being the finest I've ever seen. Not only the cars, but the setting itself brought out the beauty and charm of these lovely automobiles.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The first event was the Hill Climb held on Saturday, June 11 on the grounds of the Hershey Hotel. Below are pictures of cars at the start at the bottom of the hill on the grounds of the hotel.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbZh1t_P70itzXLt0ETx4vGer_3ll6Z11jh6xfLvmLeAk-jHP52NOsmm2Ls6aU1GsDZEy8Ed5sRu7riVAKGEAgpTERiHpZlhdrz5kvh1taohzLDh1ZGMO6bZLiFRICkMUZC1GA7QGh8A/s1600/IMG_0128.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbZh1t_P70itzXLt0ETx4vGer_3ll6Z11jh6xfLvmLeAk-jHP52NOsmm2Ls6aU1GsDZEy8Ed5sRu7riVAKGEAgpTERiHpZlhdrz5kvh1taohzLDh1ZGMO6bZLiFRICkMUZC1GA7QGh8A/s320/IMG_0128.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618162839665751778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2u6l07DP3I1-pxjJ8WnM4FzKYBb5oreGnVX0dlieN1NRwqwOt6Aiy6oQ4KbpRnOk57GNPvBCr7YvfvTSsFrJLJWn58uqSCXelHH24QLNN_4GfrStUAMvI5i3OfzPiHfX296gZuGC1H5s/s1600/IMG_0134.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2u6l07DP3I1-pxjJ8WnM4FzKYBb5oreGnVX0dlieN1NRwqwOt6Aiy6oQ4KbpRnOk57GNPvBCr7YvfvTSsFrJLJWn58uqSCXelHH24QLNN_4GfrStUAMvI5i3OfzPiHfX296gZuGC1H5s/s320/IMG_0134.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618162817883913442" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And here is the start.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVu3mvwMTCKxHneWGe46xt0SWS71CQ04wNlJF0GzKJPBGZsi6_7_6FYJuWGehKNyopLOzyq4pTlQBDLoCZfFSKhv0j6qbtJ1uwgYq6JXGOMj3d9hU4UHCRaX8LBqeYTW1EDiUL05hKJ0E/s1600/IMG_0135.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVu3mvwMTCKxHneWGe46xt0SWS71CQ04wNlJF0GzKJPBGZsi6_7_6FYJuWGehKNyopLOzyq4pTlQBDLoCZfFSKhv0j6qbtJ1uwgYq6JXGOMj3d9hU4UHCRaX8LBqeYTW1EDiUL05hKJ0E/s320/IMG_0135.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618162815112616914" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The track runs through the woods and up the hill to where the hotel is situated.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2s9Y2okIj_fsZQqZu-Pmw8XnnwWL-Smb2YEJ-NGkFnjSPNnYdw37SdDRMc53SbDw-ymXDdHygwlVs2JdFsEg3aFgb8rrxtkcL32mvZpj8uBAU2D4BgyIOGmcsakbuFOGSX31oeKDorAM/s1600/IMG_0139.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2s9Y2okIj_fsZQqZu-Pmw8XnnwWL-Smb2YEJ-NGkFnjSPNnYdw37SdDRMc53SbDw-ymXDdHygwlVs2JdFsEg3aFgb8rrxtkcL32mvZpj8uBAU2D4BgyIOGmcsakbuFOGSX31oeKDorAM/s320/IMG_0139.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618162863229833746" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIDXj6dtidXE93sKQIJib-KCBEG9F-GTMa_t_f1rANxNSAaQ5U874-AfwLhl0abZAE3I8HlVkuU-w8Xm_FUrLXX22jw4c8QpgnhZTFbg0P0ivAPECocyfkVfCr7q54REBKxCo29Thys8/s1600/IMG_0146.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIDXj6dtidXE93sKQIJib-KCBEG9F-GTMa_t_f1rANxNSAaQ5U874-AfwLhl0abZAE3I8HlVkuU-w8Xm_FUrLXX22jw4c8QpgnhZTFbg0P0ivAPECocyfkVfCr7q54REBKxCo29Thys8/s320/IMG_0146.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618162848759544610" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The video below provides an idea of the race's sights and sounds as the cars come roaring through the woods and up the hill to the finish line.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwyuoyIrueCu6lqKAVoqk4lkzHmb-p_KV4shpMRiin_6guTgXrA9zDEyU8pG8RxymgONoMd6IQUA5rqcHMHUg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Hershey Hotel's grounds are beautiful and made for a fantastic setting which actually enhanced the beauty of these already beautiful and rare vintage automobiles.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3V3QtibTq1WC8Nl2XEnJHCifq0UyjVy9REgtM3cIcGiGjcXgAKC9RzvMFv0ANbuTeis4UpvjyfKfRx0ZAaBgsGHEkCSnUtFmaC1LNqYt3W9THxst6_1k6E32WFn9Y6ZTLuaeM_IUX5u0/s1600/IMG_0126.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3V3QtibTq1WC8Nl2XEnJHCifq0UyjVy9REgtM3cIcGiGjcXgAKC9RzvMFv0ANbuTeis4UpvjyfKfRx0ZAaBgsGHEkCSnUtFmaC1LNqYt3W9THxst6_1k6E32WFn9Y6ZTLuaeM_IUX5u0/s320/IMG_0126.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618166150436495330" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_V8xhh5rhgpUHHBN4NYwCCD2U-Z_K0O3MSFJQwga1EiEEbejsJFf_3_TJ4VRPDLkNtfNJXmKUtMdewVGtiPau7OtiMZPtQOmERdVFIRQLJRQZotz5b1yfSDkaAx3Lme9aiqX_IwPUq3Y/s1600/IMG_0127.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_V8xhh5rhgpUHHBN4NYwCCD2U-Z_K0O3MSFJQwga1EiEEbejsJFf_3_TJ4VRPDLkNtfNJXmKUtMdewVGtiPau7OtiMZPtQOmERdVFIRQLJRQZotz5b1yfSDkaAx3Lme9aiqX_IwPUq3Y/s320/IMG_0127.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618166146278799138" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Our room is right over my left shoulder on 3d floor.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Below are pictures which give an overview of the Elegance and the hotel gardens.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUL7BwJ0S9G9sB0gADl7T67N0MQ44uPcK7RJWEyS3EToeBrrL5C5sL-SnZfUKaNytpK182oazsA83bN_3IYHzuwRccd7A-BBcQPMcOBbbiqnTx_IUNx_x8v4JY7HCnXFaGrA3n8gGUJ78/s1600/IMG_0269.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUL7BwJ0S9G9sB0gADl7T67N0MQ44uPcK7RJWEyS3EToeBrrL5C5sL-SnZfUKaNytpK182oazsA83bN_3IYHzuwRccd7A-BBcQPMcOBbbiqnTx_IUNx_x8v4JY7HCnXFaGrA3n8gGUJ78/s320/IMG_0269.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618167339209744226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9h9FJi5-qVFIWbsC3GplwedJ4f7gdZ7MUp-EHBZlgtYVnl6MIPIcG3KsYzHk8TPyUJ0vpFwcXvsLCLKxURz2vNubTt3jylvlpBlHwSAEIbFE7evN8IlbVak8esZ3FdwoRT4TAyZjezk/s1600/IMG_0268.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9h9FJi5-qVFIWbsC3GplwedJ4f7gdZ7MUp-EHBZlgtYVnl6MIPIcG3KsYzHk8TPyUJ0vpFwcXvsLCLKxURz2vNubTt3jylvlpBlHwSAEIbFE7evN8IlbVak8esZ3FdwoRT4TAyZjezk/s320/IMG_0268.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618167328840923186" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim69cXtnpI7kNbL01tQdmXEG5Pjg2qVVj1pCSfCV8cMP9H6RWu3yh1JL6-S2drwWE42sAuLrfnoDzypRzqCSRAZ58YznpiPUTVFo8GepTyvk8nDaOYtnBEdmTkZuEaY9luRhZJGgHsf2M/s1600/IMG_0263.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim69cXtnpI7kNbL01tQdmXEG5Pjg2qVVj1pCSfCV8cMP9H6RWu3yh1JL6-S2drwWE42sAuLrfnoDzypRzqCSRAZ58YznpiPUTVFo8GepTyvk8nDaOYtnBEdmTkZuEaY9luRhZJGgHsf2M/s320/IMG_0263.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618167320579618578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFw0VRSkUD1Ui8-9u-vwsP-Yk_ctpjy1whzpO2uSMqBwgJsJKGjvpDB9sVDKUyXWy3Y57FV0VSrpSI2e_ggeZ4yZBoGxh0dvketG4ofa9q4bUnmRRfxH0uGiyE-l-gT1Mkb6lk7eYzlQ/s1600/IMG_0262.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFw0VRSkUD1Ui8-9u-vwsP-Yk_ctpjy1whzpO2uSMqBwgJsJKGjvpDB9sVDKUyXWy3Y57FV0VSrpSI2e_ggeZ4yZBoGxh0dvketG4ofa9q4bUnmRRfxH0uGiyE-l-gT1Mkb6lk7eYzlQ/s320/IMG_0262.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618167311463942882" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLzL9aUAIFYevX2bZ53aZmJM31R1n2pYpdyHFvxt8lelpUtgWc6v28GnLLntVlgjATWjB7NXoruhgwycU7Ul43HqRUU80fXgY1LEj0Pcg7ZmZPJOpzGlbgtPNZT2-9lTpUrVfzjvRQag/s1600/IMG_0261.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLzL9aUAIFYevX2bZ53aZmJM31R1n2pYpdyHFvxt8lelpUtgWc6v28GnLLntVlgjATWjB7NXoruhgwycU7Ul43HqRUU80fXgY1LEj0Pcg7ZmZPJOpzGlbgtPNZT2-9lTpUrVfzjvRQag/s320/IMG_0261.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618167304299872946" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here are some of the car we particularly liked and voted for as "People's Choice".<br />We liked the 12 cylinder 1932 Packard series 903 below, which garnered our votes for "People's Choice". My father worked for Packard as an upholsterer around this time and it's quite possible that he worked on this one. As a child, I remember seeing rear carpeting from similar cars which he had brought home. Around this time, he also worked on a car being custom made for the Czar of Russia which was never delivered since the Czar was murdered in the Communist revolution.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBymzv7G2YvddEWNLPQQtuG8uybmmnY6YzQXZawRIn-7Ng73Sc6oeGJrpQpDRewOxNMb1UjWBMC6gtSvSJTMLWoHB2fPVBQtDg_wXmxgOsXeuP9Pq6TUo_GuLGSO21xMAR6Y3pkiEPfak/s1600/IMG_0226.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBymzv7G2YvddEWNLPQQtuG8uybmmnY6YzQXZawRIn-7Ng73Sc6oeGJrpQpDRewOxNMb1UjWBMC6gtSvSJTMLWoHB2fPVBQtDg_wXmxgOsXeuP9Pq6TUo_GuLGSO21xMAR6Y3pkiEPfak/s320/IMG_0226.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618168968406367330" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wuykogvdSbRIV-oAkvGmnEiq1bMKHW7JZOVE6A95r-E9tU_TXPMPcnQs-AijKN3p0k8b5Q8u8yfGQ2L8LXuj5xnkFls_YGDy5QqWu-924OzyXxBT23AM_2O5xFcrdqmp0eoiQaWrwZs/s1600/IMG_0236.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wuykogvdSbRIV-oAkvGmnEiq1bMKHW7JZOVE6A95r-E9tU_TXPMPcnQs-AijKN3p0k8b5Q8u8yfGQ2L8LXuj5xnkFls_YGDy5QqWu-924OzyXxBT23AM_2O5xFcrdqmp0eoiQaWrwZs/s320/IMG_0236.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618168960270302802" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72cdrfx13v656ghZANqYyty0ihXodyxnDO7V6plIvmtkxWf1j5__vudSyikbR8gn76TUfCkSeUgpaLO5zWRMHyQMJSFgJrmL37TtbMxEz3dM3MFeRk9rbNxNfdo_g7O7pXqQl5zy1Y5M/s1600/IMG_0230.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72cdrfx13v656ghZANqYyty0ihXodyxnDO7V6plIvmtkxWf1j5__vudSyikbR8gn76TUfCkSeUgpaLO5zWRMHyQMJSFgJrmL37TtbMxEz3dM3MFeRk9rbNxNfdo_g7O7pXqQl5zy1Y5M/s320/IMG_0230.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618168952433215026" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The yellow one is a 1938 Peugeot 402 powered by a 2-liter/70HP ohv twin-carburated 4-cylinder engine and a four-speed Cotal electro-magnetic gearbox, allowing quick, clutch-less shifting similar to today's paddle-shift units, like on my BMW 335i convertible.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSVcTDx6Q1u6bwMOqxcaaO8zvGCt5yqYvcYvftM_Yu1LN_8whmEGMwO4erVvkSFYyyPJ3SYhORXI5Jha9dAJc1azsky8-tPm8Rl4AdbM4gljQnFoe4qYm_oxFbgN1LJb6bO__uPPtBkU4/s1600/IMG_0213.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSVcTDx6Q1u6bwMOqxcaaO8zvGCt5yqYvcYvftM_Yu1LN_8whmEGMwO4erVvkSFYyyPJ3SYhORXI5Jha9dAJc1azsky8-tPm8Rl4AdbM4gljQnFoe4qYm_oxFbgN1LJb6bO__uPPtBkU4/s320/IMG_0213.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618168943385668498" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUtIPwJx9-5tSmmVY6ACXzKVJKOMbTiVxtDwvFiPst1alyuSBXsnUcuoDOqruD65wesSJJqrIpggTXUbaj1Z7E9P5Tqw1JA7Yo_u4qzgTXP_9i56sUX_6QEpNgbKI9PnW2k-dNjSmyPM/s1600/IMG_0211.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUtIPwJx9-5tSmmVY6ACXzKVJKOMbTiVxtDwvFiPst1alyuSBXsnUcuoDOqruD65wesSJJqrIpggTXUbaj1Z7E9P5Tqw1JA7Yo_u4qzgTXP_9i56sUX_6QEpNgbKI9PnW2k-dNjSmyPM/s320/IMG_0211.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618168939946649170" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Below are some of the many cars which we thought were exceptionally beautiful. In the garden I'm standing next to a 1936 Cadillac series 90, which would be unimpressive in any other setting. The yellow 1935 Bugatti type 57 was one of my favorites, however, I thought the yellow 1938 Peugeot just a bit more interesting.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWEBCN9K_WKeeJb6623DFnyeRKZTJBA05wY9eCbPKcdSSB1Zel0nDP98AswkgiPH4zmDXtK5bRt4ollEh5VMQLPhxTEUSenRHPq4ZILTIcYpTl0Xtwz6RdNUzXD0ZlSkYXws_Bby1aR8/s1600/IMG_0227.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWEBCN9K_WKeeJb6623DFnyeRKZTJBA05wY9eCbPKcdSSB1Zel0nDP98AswkgiPH4zmDXtK5bRt4ollEh5VMQLPhxTEUSenRHPq4ZILTIcYpTl0Xtwz6RdNUzXD0ZlSkYXws_Bby1aR8/s320/IMG_0227.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618173613962001330" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFG6uQ3P6-w70ECfmrtG6S-C6vCJbwNLsB4wvslNChGD2g77sKJLpPBFuQb8TmVZFtaXgVIqyOjCE8LkK0dwNX2fKz9oMEb2o1qlCqfJpsIX53ZQT442QWn1fdydbYOxijtFiEfArnSc/s1600/IMG_0231.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFG6uQ3P6-w70ECfmrtG6S-C6vCJbwNLsB4wvslNChGD2g77sKJLpPBFuQb8TmVZFtaXgVIqyOjCE8LkK0dwNX2fKz9oMEb2o1qlCqfJpsIX53ZQT442QWn1fdydbYOxijtFiEfArnSc/s320/IMG_0231.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618173608472578498" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Below, Lillian is standing next to a beautiful 1932 Packard series 905 V-12 coup-roadster, while I'm sitting in a 2012 Fiat 500. Boy, that Fiat is really small inside, you fit in it like a sardine in a can, but no oil to ease entry or exit. This is really a cute coffin with wheels.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEL9uX5i36AayqFzObbFOUUYsfWcCLIPB1UcI7BLSYfV1hN5PY7SSUugNa8qN1kPozRw9hvifieSALjJ40Ihr-tGonIc5iI6agvYNg6DBw7IMhKGYktQek4NzkJvJEfI3hOvWZo7w4JQ/s1600/IMG_0187.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEL9uX5i36AayqFzObbFOUUYsfWcCLIPB1UcI7BLSYfV1hN5PY7SSUugNa8qN1kPozRw9hvifieSALjJ40Ihr-tGonIc5iI6agvYNg6DBw7IMhKGYktQek4NzkJvJEfI3hOvWZo7w4JQ/s320/IMG_0187.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618173591347884386" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWQ_qiDrYup8BGZp9mrOlP4P00tDDWOteNJ5DmbttfJPzLogfZ0vtNoCsTPXrruyCKHU3NzpNYMPrWEh0Ije4AKAPQ4CJl-SjVKW2RwJ4K0uFi9dCzM7YTRgeZGn1F_m8YMOKAL-3E2g/s1600/IMG_0197.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWQ_qiDrYup8BGZp9mrOlP4P00tDDWOteNJ5DmbttfJPzLogfZ0vtNoCsTPXrruyCKHU3NzpNYMPrWEh0Ije4AKAPQ4CJl-SjVKW2RwJ4K0uFi9dCzM7YTRgeZGn1F_m8YMOKAL-3E2g/s320/IMG_0197.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618173585205193730" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It's hard not to show all my pictures, as there was really no uninteresting automobile. I took over 300 pictures and so had to cull the few you see here. However, I cannot end this blog without showing a few more beauties that caught my eye. The red one below is a 1952 Muntz jet. Anyone who lived in the NY area in the '50s will know of mad man Muntz and his TVs from the many commercials on NY TV. Next to it is a 1954 Hudson Italia sporting a hand crafted body by Carrozzeria Touring of Italy. This is one of only 26 ever built. Below these is the beautiful, aerodynamic, futuristic 1937 Delahaye 135M. Delahaye finished 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th at the French Grand Prix behind the winning Bugatti, won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1937, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1938; a really impressive history for a mark we seldom hear about or see.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQVc57yRBzCU7WxZc-PyTn4ics_oWtzJ9v-sdnczkwXn1tsiXOH32CQuiZ4ekhyphenhyphenE5bT6dAIgoYp6Qnq4vg9rauBlw35YOvbcriYkN-W7MZHQRwmh0R0Af4evmFLnWEOq4Vy2mmLm-4PI/s1600/IMG_0243.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQVc57yRBzCU7WxZc-PyTn4ics_oWtzJ9v-sdnczkwXn1tsiXOH32CQuiZ4ekhyphenhyphenE5bT6dAIgoYp6Qnq4vg9rauBlw35YOvbcriYkN-W7MZHQRwmh0R0Af4evmFLnWEOq4Vy2mmLm-4PI/s320/IMG_0243.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618201065929656674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRrjYbl5UHPCgC1Qq6NZqyJYyiuMbAdm5W1MikQAcOGQK-EH7POyEMtwIK1TWFIZ18sZlsJz9wN9ftpgQfSokZxL-xFoB6ZRxddfhZNrvrcNgfCUYfi_6dhmlxBioe3cUXf4lrkqVyXyc/s1600/IMG_0203.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRrjYbl5UHPCgC1Qq6NZqyJYyiuMbAdm5W1MikQAcOGQK-EH7POyEMtwIK1TWFIZ18sZlsJz9wN9ftpgQfSokZxL-xFoB6ZRxddfhZNrvrcNgfCUYfi_6dhmlxBioe3cUXf4lrkqVyXyc/s320/IMG_0203.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618201057884527378" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEoVqRZu3XBMIqRq_wxj2a9EIfhPzidUYRDAYXWb01xNF7XRCkRkeJmVv9evhv9kIl-WWgp0T7fHdPfXj8v_Hj_Mg_ex6TWL-BMk6xyDYaodc1MZmlXHzyFveFeO2xnue26eTWDpia6o/s1600/IMG_0166.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEoVqRZu3XBMIqRq_wxj2a9EIfhPzidUYRDAYXWb01xNF7XRCkRkeJmVv9evhv9kIl-WWgp0T7fHdPfXj8v_Hj_Mg_ex6TWL-BMk6xyDYaodc1MZmlXHzyFveFeO2xnue26eTWDpia6o/s320/IMG_0166.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618201052105839506" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Below, left, is a 1939/47 V-12 Rolls-Royce Phantom III. It was shown at the 1947 Paris Concours. At the right, is a 1934 Brewster ford. Brewster & CO, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rolls Royce offered four different custom built Brewster bodies on Ford V-8 chassis.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYLyL9q6u-NYkMu960no78LLqoATrFqVU0xZ3YUF1GiVg4DgjBG5snW9oTUWljMAkSgUXSbehL-C7UwJNTbpf6W3lGmcnKpoi5M8NpplSnhyphenhyphennpEmfBKGy-IEap_U7kD63X_tQgggqJ_g/s1600/IMG_0205.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYLyL9q6u-NYkMu960no78LLqoATrFqVU0xZ3YUF1GiVg4DgjBG5snW9oTUWljMAkSgUXSbehL-C7UwJNTbpf6W3lGmcnKpoi5M8NpplSnhyphenhyphennpEmfBKGy-IEap_U7kD63X_tQgggqJ_g/s320/IMG_0205.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618201039196666674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObR0O8qxrHwcbvIyzrwJIuZ78kVBr9_6ORYKruSZkFKyyGQm-f8jFihsSacrwyW8sTeYZDJFptWkgDier_4b8AKXL4BBKYUpS5ZkVmRvEWNhVyuMr529blVxc52d-L9gnujGVG1C8YVY/s1600/IMG_0244.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObR0O8qxrHwcbvIyzrwJIuZ78kVBr9_6ORYKruSZkFKyyGQm-f8jFihsSacrwyW8sTeYZDJFptWkgDier_4b8AKXL4BBKYUpS5ZkVmRvEWNhVyuMr529blVxc52d-L9gnujGVG1C8YVY/s320/IMG_0244.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618201044350383362" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Oh! Did I mention that the following marks were also an display: Tucker, Duesenberg, Daimler, Isotta-Fraschini, Hispano-Suiza, Locomobile (my father also worked for them), Palmer-Singer, Lozier, Stevens-Duryea, Lincoln, Alfa Romeo, Mercury, Plymouth, and Avions Voison. Well, I must show you a picture of the 1931 Avions Voison V-12, 4.9 liters, 115 hp. I'll bet you haven't seen anything like this!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_nSBNRtuZQOD6jhpCgP2nOF0dRu013j8tPVpWJFwazjMfljzVYDeJi4sO9NbtXvDKKKmhDLTB1-3BvVW8nTnCdE0iN1xAn8cIy8XcCKuYZjIIYvNeEbP7I93iyjnOK1Irnsfi0Snn424/s1600/IMG_0200.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_nSBNRtuZQOD6jhpCgP2nOF0dRu013j8tPVpWJFwazjMfljzVYDeJi4sO9NbtXvDKKKmhDLTB1-3BvVW8nTnCdE0iN1xAn8cIy8XcCKuYZjIIYvNeEbP7I93iyjnOK1Irnsfi0Snn424/s320/IMG_0200.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618455046886590258" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />As the cars lined up to receive their trophies, it started to rain heavily. It was threatening all day, but around 3pm the rain came and along with it a mad scramble to get cars, drivers, judges, and spectators under cover. We had umbrellas, but we still got wet, especially shoes and socks.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMngme5of48iKLYDmGz-bE-peLVvpCQAKQ1XiqFNOhbL0VhZjCPb3ImRmtgoi8dv9dFaKmGkjh5sEl4Zl4KbmEXUIh0StoTsxxkJegzgM1Rdte-6TUGiCHjW0_Ffo6TaYRUdka4SB7eQ/s1600/IMG_0277.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMngme5of48iKLYDmGz-bE-peLVvpCQAKQ1XiqFNOhbL0VhZjCPb3ImRmtgoi8dv9dFaKmGkjh5sEl4Zl4KbmEXUIh0StoTsxxkJegzgM1Rdte-6TUGiCHjW0_Ffo6TaYRUdka4SB7eQ/s320/IMG_0277.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618177638822726834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9CUNRZNFhV8xLcrt_KZcByXFgBG2zQheatlrvjJ6CICXzytyUjbi7CADS55KwVhyphenhyphenJoIJdNSnjyMNHriRzZ06MPWmsRteNhxite5-PLbd2W2bsX0Nft7azdX0WGEgF1CS2gJ381JcDzI/s1600/IMG_0283.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9CUNRZNFhV8xLcrt_KZcByXFgBG2zQheatlrvjJ6CICXzytyUjbi7CADS55KwVhyphenhyphenJoIJdNSnjyMNHriRzZ06MPWmsRteNhxite5-PLbd2W2bsX0Nft7azdX0WGEgF1CS2gJ381JcDzI/s320/IMG_0283.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618177631938236338" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ynh3Z-XtNN5OoorFEKd2I9ZY7Y4VtcMZ8W_ajN4q5mtApNhVG6zT6S6NX2gS6gwG9iwQuf7yIjFHlrShL2N6hYWUn5hVUEo4WzMUlwKXAJrvkt4qNmBrJwCcbxLsihaPKURNjdxe-gA/s1600/IMG_0282.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ynh3Z-XtNN5OoorFEKd2I9ZY7Y4VtcMZ8W_ajN4q5mtApNhVG6zT6S6NX2gS6gwG9iwQuf7yIjFHlrShL2N6hYWUn5hVUEo4WzMUlwKXAJrvkt4qNmBrJwCcbxLsihaPKURNjdxe-gA/s320/IMG_0282.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618177622642710530" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />As noted on the umbrella, that's my American Gal!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />With this rain, we left around 3pm and got home the next day around 6pm.</span>Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-6035925543558133902011-05-19T10:22:00.017-05:002011-05-21T18:00:03.528-05:00137th KENTUCKY DERBYOn May 3d we left to join the Good Sam Samboree in Louisville, KY for the Kentucky Derby. Our trip also included three days in Elizabethtown to tour some bourbon distilleries and Bowling Green to tour the GM Corvette Plant and Museum. We got back home on of all days Friday, May 13th. Our trip, however, was not without problems. We made an intermediate stopover in Clinton, TN, just past Knoxville. The following morning, the battery in the Honda CRV we were towing was dead. I jump started the car and in doing so, the alarm went off, even though I used the key to enter and start. It took about an hour with some help from a fellow camper to turn off the alarm; just used the key in the door to lock and unlock the car again. The second came on Mothers Day when I lost my iphone somewhere between the Expo grounds where we were camped and the Elizabethtown Crossroads RV Park where we were on Mothers Day evening. Checked every place we stopped that day, but no luck. Eventually had to get a new one and new cell number.<br /><br />We camped at the Kentucky Expo Center, about 1.5 miles from the track. It was right under the flight path of UPS planes as can be seen in the picture.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiLlFZkN4MkcfYpE0ii6cjaozjv2AebvRhDB3Gx1SATYPoro7j6ZJtYVryJxbJlDS09ubaBmOSb3ZY-1K03xppYHNNatXvCm6_EOFaqjbBCXxe-q_203wUZfgxOjrZ74Amqir-yM-mDAg/s1600/IMG_0015.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiLlFZkN4MkcfYpE0ii6cjaozjv2AebvRhDB3Gx1SATYPoro7j6ZJtYVryJxbJlDS09ubaBmOSb3ZY-1K03xppYHNNatXvCm6_EOFaqjbBCXxe-q_203wUZfgxOjrZ74Amqir-yM-mDAg/s320/IMG_0015.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608468726947353586" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbRESheItwliWf4iMjKP16wc5_pztDT6cac2VO6993sY80S_E591E2cEOhoSNpBhxACNOr-LCWyLfzU1xc9Gs6pRA79xx3uh4GrwhaAy6IXTO4yxiKIe-R9Xf7KUPbCCLhn2RHTtnQDY/s1600/IMG_0017.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbRESheItwliWf4iMjKP16wc5_pztDT6cac2VO6993sY80S_E591E2cEOhoSNpBhxACNOr-LCWyLfzU1xc9Gs6pRA79xx3uh4GrwhaAy6IXTO4yxiKIe-R9Xf7KUPbCCLhn2RHTtnQDY/s320/IMG_0017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608468731941940882" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Despite all this, we had a very enjoyable time in Louisville and the Derby. On Thursday we had a free day which we spent in downtown Louisville visiting the Slugger Museum and factory, viewing the Pegasus Parade and dining at the Makers Mark Lounge.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKi42qgp3PoNsxV96J1veqGQDKSM5YWYy5ufSdrt0am92cU6GchlmZvAnOGnk3OVtkquikQbKxSFYWYtuBvwUg-nZbPCouRg2lGsss-Hm0VftbPpM2zkkxgQmldmL_5QfyNpH0d3HpHjc/s1600/IMG_0020.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKi42qgp3PoNsxV96J1veqGQDKSM5YWYy5ufSdrt0am92cU6GchlmZvAnOGnk3OVtkquikQbKxSFYWYtuBvwUg-nZbPCouRg2lGsss-Hm0VftbPpM2zkkxgQmldmL_5QfyNpH0d3HpHjc/s320/IMG_0020.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608468735922230594" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Pegasus parade is held on Thursday before the Derby.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3V5120xKzAaLImy2xWYQ8vq_Vr80ioELx_4PIXZx4Fm6eI6Hg15hpzhs_87H-B3OkLrK7-ZME-BFAIXeGDYHjER2vdIjWn-Z2znKwP5G8NjwoQbJX_RBxmE5qFgvdPQvsGxu0thEeapQ/s1600/IMG_0031.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3V5120xKzAaLImy2xWYQ8vq_Vr80ioELx_4PIXZx4Fm6eI6Hg15hpzhs_87H-B3OkLrK7-ZME-BFAIXeGDYHjER2vdIjWn-Z2znKwP5G8NjwoQbJX_RBxmE5qFgvdPQvsGxu0thEeapQ/s320/IMG_0031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608480467613730274" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWBBPrJhuxo_9sD3e7EdiI6_7BOQBDqBIi6REJ_lm-lsKImAhDadF5skDFZXsuxpqSREUwSlnl6HLaRrxFn5pMk5w-iPaI1Mmz-h0Sy1e0UXwcPRdmL0QsNrNe6TIGur9C-0Cy1lBvLk/s1600/IMG_0030.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWBBPrJhuxo_9sD3e7EdiI6_7BOQBDqBIi6REJ_lm-lsKImAhDadF5skDFZXsuxpqSREUwSlnl6HLaRrxFn5pMk5w-iPaI1Mmz-h0Sy1e0UXwcPRdmL0QsNrNe6TIGur9C-0Cy1lBvLk/s320/IMG_0030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608477068860284770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory is identified by this giant bat out front.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGo-OcutZHahf1Oz4oGAkIqMnnhEJM4UazO6Sv66KY7XjMbl53Iqc5vhJKvEknlVMQvUZybMqLln23SGc6dOL-jEOd75ZDR48ZOtwXnWxRvy5svGMySo-bpjjl_P2VPKm7FYdLmcPcsM/s1600/IMG_0021.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGo-OcutZHahf1Oz4oGAkIqMnnhEJM4UazO6Sv66KY7XjMbl53Iqc5vhJKvEknlVMQvUZybMqLln23SGc6dOL-jEOd75ZDR48ZOtwXnWxRvy5svGMySo-bpjjl_P2VPKm7FYdLmcPcsM/s320/IMG_0021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608477054800907474" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbc3adODVfK-NeW3Q2abF10OPze9awIhbZYscrwip7hs4wPxHXvtkZBImrHrlrJCu2lhudhOA-S8MaUDQQx41wU9NtJLGo_Z0vOn6e0MjOAy3ZnnO8J_ja5KMzWybLJU_33w4FTxYQ6Ms/s1600/IMG_0025.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbc3adODVfK-NeW3Q2abF10OPze9awIhbZYscrwip7hs4wPxHXvtkZBImrHrlrJCu2lhudhOA-S8MaUDQQx41wU9NtJLGo_Z0vOn6e0MjOAy3ZnnO8J_ja5KMzWybLJU_33w4FTxYQ6Ms/s320/IMG_0025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608477064841256418" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmUUSxKuZIFS9r_iOidYk_9sEHpVTJg7Ukd6yENQQCr9M-spG-GEyQMu-nrIgOmIDQH5FZV8JmVitT3oObMdnM87NeS9w2PKt8waeDnBsmzQgFDHXN6d4LCvs19TCkdctVuszv-uGOQM/s1600/IMG_0023.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmUUSxKuZIFS9r_iOidYk_9sEHpVTJg7Ukd6yENQQCr9M-spG-GEyQMu-nrIgOmIDQH5FZV8JmVitT3oObMdnM87NeS9w2PKt8waeDnBsmzQgFDHXN6d4LCvs19TCkdctVuszv-uGOQM/s320/IMG_0023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608477058813843378" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We had an infield suite near the starting gate which included all the food and drinks we could consume. I'd say that I got my money's worth in drink alone. We were dressed up for the Derby as is the custom for these suites.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjUjkkfCkOhv18-GzDfdEpFCwP25973kvzpMT19bTPTsKhhMkqIQioX7CxuBGE0gsB4j0R8_O_4x2xkibHzZfe8NJI8KYPLSIPTudqbUyqU3PIDHkEH6pmKYKMwNq3fGBLXPGXkYiMY0/s1600/DSC_0014.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjUjkkfCkOhv18-GzDfdEpFCwP25973kvzpMT19bTPTsKhhMkqIQioX7CxuBGE0gsB4j0R8_O_4x2xkibHzZfe8NJI8KYPLSIPTudqbUyqU3PIDHkEH6pmKYKMwNq3fGBLXPGXkYiMY0/s320/DSC_0014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608453235786663730" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQoddgQoGNoWjt8gPhy6j4_gabG2oUvjj4iDlQF5AtHHvFg9pOEx4_8DQhopmRwwBAdwaqrSeyTg2gEk-qDEOgXnMsAv9oNVsN5b4xMz8xs9f4JKudcYzcuy1uvPPo4zwN6Zw6kO3b_w/s1600/IMG_0040.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQoddgQoGNoWjt8gPhy6j4_gabG2oUvjj4iDlQF5AtHHvFg9pOEx4_8DQhopmRwwBAdwaqrSeyTg2gEk-qDEOgXnMsAv9oNVsN5b4xMz8xs9f4JKudcYzcuy1uvPPo4zwN6Zw6kO3b_w/s320/IMG_0040.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608453240006970978" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WfCYkfxbcrOXNsnGJAiBIASJir58DkGd4-eqnKeBkZrf7clqR_hYjjKjsS32D0Xxho2vTVHDGKfC0vjZAImB20RZL7Qns6V7tPwEWPZaR01D0GWBEPPnWPjD3Qduv3ieK6eoN5EIWWg/s1600/IMG_0041.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WfCYkfxbcrOXNsnGJAiBIASJir58DkGd4-eqnKeBkZrf7clqR_hYjjKjsS32D0Xxho2vTVHDGKfC0vjZAImB20RZL7Qns6V7tPwEWPZaR01D0GWBEPPnWPjD3Qduv3ieK6eoN5EIWWg/s320/IMG_0041.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608453240660846354" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Below is the start. Our money was on Soldat 17, Midnight Interlude 15, Shackleford 13, Pants on Fire 7, and Dialed In 8.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhk0kvw5GB_jbouFk3Qy8lUxssYVYV-gDXXl1B_p3IZSF6qod0FDbRfU2PWy05RdtnnhyphenhyphenVkBXO0zA4LBHl2OjiKOM1gx22VA-jXljaiohHZRtiWXXxRhl58RIsX-uXVWn1ZeV2u9nS5Cg/s1600/DSC_0038DerbyStart.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhk0kvw5GB_jbouFk3Qy8lUxssYVYV-gDXXl1B_p3IZSF6qod0FDbRfU2PWy05RdtnnhyphenhyphenVkBXO0zA4LBHl2OjiKOM1gx22VA-jXljaiohHZRtiWXXxRhl58RIsX-uXVWn1ZeV2u9nS5Cg/s320/DSC_0038DerbyStart.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608453245893840626" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTW6IUNDKUjt9P-KqoZ8PNaNW8OiMxy_3_1TTgdYKrzcsHcVDUHII1ujAGB3qqGzPtELfwExuu7IGgpkp0EvZ1-gWPmBS8UTw96LQ4Y_t08ha0Wxfwdr3mCvgt8YIraVItKuBLTXamArg/s1600/DSC_0040.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTW6IUNDKUjt9P-KqoZ8PNaNW8OiMxy_3_1TTgdYKrzcsHcVDUHII1ujAGB3qqGzPtELfwExuu7IGgpkp0EvZ1-gWPmBS8UTw96LQ4Y_t08ha0Wxfwdr3mCvgt8YIraVItKuBLTXamArg/s320/DSC_0040.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608456132976135906" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And here they come! Our picks Schackleford, Pants on Fire, Mucho Macho Man and Midnight Interlude are looking good, just behind # 5, Decisive Moment. Animal Kingdom nowhere to be seen here. Starting to count our money.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVfMY3qJz1GnmvqPaIzSJT7_m6W6Yn-vwTtlNX6FYQMBwfEDXAcioTCvvlWc6ugQqvxnjcyAy5eVPRrUYgPSjH_Yfjgny717ei-Q2eVqJdtohhfgsGKrG7Zi1zfhUwYkKKFNM6XEroa0/s1600/DSC_0048.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVfMY3qJz1GnmvqPaIzSJT7_m6W6Yn-vwTtlNX6FYQMBwfEDXAcioTCvvlWc6ugQqvxnjcyAy5eVPRrUYgPSjH_Yfjgny717ei-Q2eVqJdtohhfgsGKrG7Zi1zfhUwYkKKFNM6XEroa0/s320/DSC_0048.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608456773926628498" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Shackleford takes the lead over # 19 Nehro. Looks like we have a winner!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLV0-zurrg8k-dfRzPYH76IqAuN8shsqy-7kPnObRRNOkdt8R7dForrE5DY95Ui9CH35bW4zV2epjJRimBQOem0iWPBWJUksq-YDD2FDa2FRip4mnI1ed_7zGwhkF_QVxpW7k3Jw6M_3I/s1600/DSC_0050.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLV0-zurrg8k-dfRzPYH76IqAuN8shsqy-7kPnObRRNOkdt8R7dForrE5DY95Ui9CH35bW4zV2epjJRimBQOem0iWPBWJUksq-YDD2FDa2FRip4mnI1ed_7zGwhkF_QVxpW7k3Jw6M_3I/s320/DSC_0050.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608460121596583746" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">And from nowhere comes Animal Kingdom to win the Derby.</span> Shackleford did, however win the Preakness two weeks later. The Maryland track is one sixteenth of a mile shorter than the Derby at Churchill Downs; Animal Kingdom was coming up to challenge Shackleford, but he just did not have enough track left to catch and pass, he came in second, hence no triple crown winner this year; a 34 year drought. Affirmed in 1978 was the last one.<br /><br /><br />We left Louisville and stayed three nights in Elizabethtown to tour the bourbon distilleries: Jim Beam, Heaven Hill, Four Roses, and Makers Mark. In the US, bourbon is a special form of whiskey created, distilled, and aged in the eastern United States, mainly in the state of Kentucky. It is classified as a distilled spirit made from a fermented mash, mainly consisting of corn, and aged in white oak barrels for at least two years. The unique nature of bourbon is derived from the iron-free water used in the distillation process which is found in Kentucky, as is the corn. Bardstown is at the center of these distilleries and we had a nice Mothers Day dinner at the historic Old Talbot Tavern. Even though it was Sunday, the local liquor store was open and I bought some Old Bardstown bourbon. This is know only to the locals and is one of the greatest bargains in good bourbon. None of the local distilleries will admit that they make it, but it is as good as Makers Mark but only costs about $20/liter. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good bourbon. Unfortunately, it is not sold outside the area.<br /><br />Jim Beam had the best bourbon chocolate candies, Heaven Hill the best display for understanding the bourbon making process while Makers Mark was the only place where the whole process could be seen. There, we even dipped our fingers in the corn/barley/wheat/rye brew and a bottle of bourbon in their distinctive red wax. Bourbon requires at least 51% corn; the amount of barley and wheat distinguish most bourbon distilleries as does the length of aging in the barrels. I'm not sure which use rye.<br /><br />At Makers Mark we had a nice lunch in the Toll House Cafe and then a tour of the distillery, purchase of some bourbon and dipping my bottle into the red wax.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HXiqY9rHfduhGro_Ue5UA33gTdHzG-Nd731OQPHHZndxtBC56lR_eE4xqqqlS7BZVWBEaoTlMyjOi1tuL_1C4TG543tsNg0C-ZbRduffj65klL8vYrY0lECmoKeqcCTAiJRIOOXZIzM/s1600/IMG_0026.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HXiqY9rHfduhGro_Ue5UA33gTdHzG-Nd731OQPHHZndxtBC56lR_eE4xqqqlS7BZVWBEaoTlMyjOi1tuL_1C4TG543tsNg0C-ZbRduffj65klL8vYrY0lECmoKeqcCTAiJRIOOXZIzM/s320/IMG_0026.JPG" alt=" < <a onblur=" try="" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pLE-6Wj24ZvVaBOi4mJFPOHC0gFepdPnZNibKjQK99Zw5vuxba3oaPLDWsFEpyFTOcyjggBK6jkIKMlAqgfxxupuUsVwSvKDodKDvDE-jlZkqD49mcX3x7aLLa_blaVqAw3SMFFssuc/s1600/IMG_0028.JPG" /><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pLE-6Wj24ZvVaBOi4mJFPOHC0gFepdPnZNibKjQK99Zw5vuxba3oaPLDWsFEpyFTOcyjggBK6jkIKMlAqgfxxupuUsVwSvKDodKDvDE-jlZkqD49mcX3x7aLLa_blaVqAw3SMFFssuc/s320/IMG_0028.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608484305773227666" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwspiUfSjKNp_ljCOlmK1UCPtCyuzDCIi-fUxyqYN9Sd-lKLe2y1WxJnXL8ARXqaAd89lhsvcjx0FJontP7QN5dBK1wMzhL3QgcZvcwRMCZ_eXsNraDCCumCdS50bQ0YAqhd0S13Z9HDg/s1600/IMG_0027.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwspiUfSjKNp_ljCOlmK1UCPtCyuzDCIi-fUxyqYN9Sd-lKLe2y1WxJnXL8ARXqaAd89lhsvcjx0FJontP7QN5dBK1wMzhL3QgcZvcwRMCZ_eXsNraDCCumCdS50bQ0YAqhd0S13Z9HDg/s320/IMG_0027.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608484298033384002" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And below is my master piece!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvJWaGkRq5A53eWnV58JyYVBjPVzw-3qJnahVgEEg4-f_-wAm51KtW3Z0zaQP1g2e-EkapMpHi7TzYFY84bn7d-y9ku9QoO61QhEfl13jQxnDfCdGKXvDPS9r0avabiXyRA4pAW-kyDs/s1600/IMG_0030.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvJWaGkRq5A53eWnV58JyYVBjPVzw-3qJnahVgEEg4-f_-wAm51KtW3Z0zaQP1g2e-EkapMpHi7TzYFY84bn7d-y9ku9QoO61QhEfl13jQxnDfCdGKXvDPS9r0avabiXyRA4pAW-kyDs/s320/IMG_0030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608484303453262546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We toured where Makers Mark bottles are dipped in wax and packaged, as well as their vats, storage facilities and distillery operations. We stuck our fingers in this vat, tasted like liquid bread, smelled terrific. To be bourbon, need at least 51% corn.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5raUm5dikBeu9_zr7TZNRYRq2seE8sTVFGJxLugK7U4RUHu_RL1PzPxy-BouJl6EqJ8WFyu23_2jhdDf6RR7kv9jLSs8cL2TsmiKvjApihY_Gc7eg0IL_QuW8VV7u40RLn68Y_Ffk0wQ/s1600/IMG_0074.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5raUm5dikBeu9_zr7TZNRYRq2seE8sTVFGJxLugK7U4RUHu_RL1PzPxy-BouJl6EqJ8WFyu23_2jhdDf6RR7kv9jLSs8cL2TsmiKvjApihY_Gc7eg0IL_QuW8VV7u40RLn68Y_Ffk0wQ/s320/IMG_0074.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608487970066876914" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1j7NNDMlMiLpAJmOLu66xdq1XH-zo-BpnhivscP1kAHuV-GIdFzU6TcwiNAnQ48KQsU_z9tJWSaN-UD3L6vES7LIjfIscuSc0JvxYIDcb7ZAPUL1oqfk9Y2ZA6Efshd_KTPYCiRdR0cs/s1600/IMG_0078.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1j7NNDMlMiLpAJmOLu66xdq1XH-zo-BpnhivscP1kAHuV-GIdFzU6TcwiNAnQ48KQsU_z9tJWSaN-UD3L6vES7LIjfIscuSc0JvxYIDcb7ZAPUL1oqfk9Y2ZA6Efshd_KTPYCiRdR0cs/s320/IMG_0078.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608487977302800194" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tGR80i7xGjKvDDSnCCDmDZs2jaMN97q9xvB7KFvq2VE61__LZm-7m3c8ZoyerY-3I1GGxg02_f3prLYN0Dc_MrEidSz6tImjht1_pRxfg-K30b1rprRvkNACrD6oK3sFvm5XE3WwW-0/s1600/IMG_0079.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tGR80i7xGjKvDDSnCCDmDZs2jaMN97q9xvB7KFvq2VE61__LZm-7m3c8ZoyerY-3I1GGxg02_f3prLYN0Dc_MrEidSz6tImjht1_pRxfg-K30b1rprRvkNACrD6oK3sFvm5XE3WwW-0/s320/IMG_0079.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608487982356556498" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSz_Tv8b9-AlcQ75DzKDizTCpV4iUwoXK3yj4SL6B0G6hNYb-U2CNArQCfbS94ueDNf5teE07kcEPSLoT9JjY-ZyfpLoIYp0pNVhmg26ZtpFy9AEQjV2_dHDO8xONatMH2Dkl7MRogEO8/s1600/IMG_0075.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSz_Tv8b9-AlcQ75DzKDizTCpV4iUwoXK3yj4SL6B0G6hNYb-U2CNArQCfbS94ueDNf5teE07kcEPSLoT9JjY-ZyfpLoIYp0pNVhmg26ZtpFy9AEQjV2_dHDO8xONatMH2Dkl7MRogEO8/s320/IMG_0075.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608487971238052914" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wqMZzxIL9pECLbiHL4_FUNtuu0xgn8ipjBU-g7gKVxcKNNwFXgTIBTrQrdRH49iLPvtc-LCS8wNPgMjLB2p1HruEs7yTGjA3vs6pNAZix0gyA_1fhlD5lZwCcxfWTtoXyfDDQ2oh1-U/s1600/IMG_0071.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wqMZzxIL9pECLbiHL4_FUNtuu0xgn8ipjBU-g7gKVxcKNNwFXgTIBTrQrdRH49iLPvtc-LCS8wNPgMjLB2p1HruEs7yTGjA3vs6pNAZix0gyA_1fhlD5lZwCcxfWTtoXyfDDQ2oh1-U/s320/IMG_0071.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608487963241251122" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The odors at these distilleries reminded us of Reston, VA when Virginia Gentlemen was brewing its bourbon. Can you imagine a whole town with the odor of brewing bourbon? I tell you, it is something special and here we relived this special fragrance.<br /><br /><br />We also visited the Patton Museum at Fort Knox. It was very interesting and depicted his life and career.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgO_EnyqPqR38KhFyAnS-hRnDCVFt53Sst-Hv46r51zfE4UQUq0bS4kzfL3gtBNmSn3bJQqtQAtO7BFzBIBwDP_rO7aHT9oc22Ek6IsN4qP8gsKfU3oFChW1U7wO6jUaBgopucXeQifI/s1600/IMG_0020.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgO_EnyqPqR38KhFyAnS-hRnDCVFt53Sst-Hv46r51zfE4UQUq0bS4kzfL3gtBNmSn3bJQqtQAtO7BFzBIBwDP_rO7aHT9oc22Ek6IsN4qP8gsKfU3oFChW1U7wO6jUaBgopucXeQifI/s320/IMG_0020.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608489661521002978" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3cui1CRcZI7cYUOByDqLsqXMos45c9hHAfrZLLQWI55xkiCRVPKst_RNlXi7-j2bJx4bsmqZ_tc8M4CyTt-IA6lsAaIljvnY_RuH4wkS8g2g4jMOYZJxnbbgcYApAYUMR4dMGetSKsA/s1600/IMG_0047.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3cui1CRcZI7cYUOByDqLsqXMos45c9hHAfrZLLQWI55xkiCRVPKst_RNlXi7-j2bJx4bsmqZ_tc8M4CyTt-IA6lsAaIljvnY_RuH4wkS8g2g4jMOYZJxnbbgcYApAYUMR4dMGetSKsA/s320/IMG_0047.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608491450553542962" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQVswS5ljtd3eJ22ikdhDcxD0JdyD6mV4TQ5LpKxkSf5sySVJT8TpwHLzA32uL2pRE8ALsDN7qkeKybM_NTQlEBbbQWpk1-kJkU0aaub72To6wvi4aejXpFYyEorrGTuGqHEx-_TG2l5A/s1600/IMG_0046.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQVswS5ljtd3eJ22ikdhDcxD0JdyD6mV4TQ5LpKxkSf5sySVJT8TpwHLzA32uL2pRE8ALsDN7qkeKybM_NTQlEBbbQWpk1-kJkU0aaub72To6wvi4aejXpFYyEorrGTuGqHEx-_TG2l5A/s320/IMG_0046.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608490706235093954" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />While in Elizabethtown we also visited the Swope's Cars of Yesteryear Museum. They have a great collection from the turn of the 19th century through the 20's, 30's and into the 40's. The collection is part of the Swope dealership and is free. Below are some cars of interest.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_hxJ9w5UcG4qbGeCOyNhIp3aqnAdSV1VA8gDgJoM1guuEjztwqPEddE2F1_iNpUzsJbk5kvFvYmTQdrJtyHCHgic3hxlB35ZujZDpdObnC8uDY839WiDd3iQbbf6i9lns9k7IJs5jSM/s1600/IMG_0066.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_hxJ9w5UcG4qbGeCOyNhIp3aqnAdSV1VA8gDgJoM1guuEjztwqPEddE2F1_iNpUzsJbk5kvFvYmTQdrJtyHCHgic3hxlB35ZujZDpdObnC8uDY839WiDd3iQbbf6i9lns9k7IJs5jSM/s320/IMG_0066.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608494130369932130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-AXfDt33A0CP8AtHHcJvpto68YRFiIAboX91-qKU9VL7K59oFyruPsaE3e-HxxzWH8X5kRPJvyWoULrGhTsq1E43VtswpIZZf_57hLWmJPu1VqXCWMnf-wwLxQifhyphenhyphenXifrPl2hwOh7dw/s1600/IMG_0052.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-AXfDt33A0CP8AtHHcJvpto68YRFiIAboX91-qKU9VL7K59oFyruPsaE3e-HxxzWH8X5kRPJvyWoULrGhTsq1E43VtswpIZZf_57hLWmJPu1VqXCWMnf-wwLxQifhyphenhyphenXifrPl2hwOh7dw/s320/IMG_0052.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608494126011348082" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcCoSyFWq58M5rfxNPF3FRur_Yff3BTsvZv_uaiqG1LCPf-WKscSMWqNWb7Nsca8xQQyUxuqp841vBksuLtuT3reM1l_XhEEAO9_dEAVy5GydmlZj2ArMcFLJMracRK0oZaiw8IthWsIE/s1600/IMG_0051.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcCoSyFWq58M5rfxNPF3FRur_Yff3BTsvZv_uaiqG1LCPf-WKscSMWqNWb7Nsca8xQQyUxuqp841vBksuLtuT3reM1l_XhEEAO9_dEAVy5GydmlZj2ArMcFLJMracRK0oZaiw8IthWsIE/s320/IMG_0051.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608494121515756722" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This last picture is the Bonnie & Clyde car about which Clyde wrote Mr. Ford complimenting the car's performance which suited robbing banks. The letter is shown in the photo.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxu8Um0lByoS83Rc4sIPLDACxnJuSuUnwJpH7SLnVbKxzCTP6lI8SIDxlfP8MwSsMno0ZffBFz0G7Lzcjsok7g78eznm5az4iloSIFITZ_abizo6VOaIm7n-wXx3WQta5a1iO00aHeCvs/s1600/IMG_0068.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxu8Um0lByoS83Rc4sIPLDACxnJuSuUnwJpH7SLnVbKxzCTP6lI8SIDxlfP8MwSsMno0ZffBFz0G7Lzcjsok7g78eznm5az4iloSIFITZ_abizo6VOaIm7n-wXx3WQta5a1iO00aHeCvs/s320/IMG_0068.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608494141521539634" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />After Elizabethtown we went to Bowling Green, home of the Corvette factory and museum.<br />Here we are in front of the Corvette Factory. Visiting this factory was like stepping back into time. We've toured BMW in Munich 30 years ago and in Spartenburg, SC a few years ago; no comparison. In Munich, BMW was making on the same line cars for delivery to several countries meeting their various specifications such as left/right hand drive, pollution, etc. Lots of automation and at the hand of the few workers on the assembly line. At GM it seemed a hand operation; cars of the same color were grouped together, spec sheets on paper, not digitally encoded, manpower intensive. Here one can see first hand how unions are making us uncompetitive.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdsg1mQdFf8FcUinwYE5BO-4mdqN0mwd3IYXb9Fq2qRJP3zhf6kJGEC6xvvqUAv1WRmzvvzA5LFgMEb320QamhPCTD_D4bmACocBsV_bZBFbHY7ylgn4zHwswykokAcbrHj5F4h18tZE/s1600/IMG_0080.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdsg1mQdFf8FcUinwYE5BO-4mdqN0mwd3IYXb9Fq2qRJP3zhf6kJGEC6xvvqUAv1WRmzvvzA5LFgMEb320QamhPCTD_D4bmACocBsV_bZBFbHY7ylgn4zHwswykokAcbrHj5F4h18tZE/s320/IMG_0080.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608496955349419842" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAaj8vLAhbx_PC-5pyL2aB5rwCT6XrWj0mKrpjmjyzdMQapA-KQ2-NqR_LJNAQAwPJ6QQhgb-PaDFui6TDNyGbd6EkNKecc8St_5QldQ8fEvv3atshZjhqyU_hjYUn54nEKJU1pibMbKo/s1600/IMG_0081.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAaj8vLAhbx_PC-5pyL2aB5rwCT6XrWj0mKrpjmjyzdMQapA-KQ2-NqR_LJNAQAwPJ6QQhgb-PaDFui6TDNyGbd6EkNKecc8St_5QldQ8fEvv3atshZjhqyU_hjYUn54nEKJU1pibMbKo/s320/IMG_0081.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608496967788365362" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />At the museum we learned that the first Corvette logo was to have contained the flag, but a last minute change used the Chevrolet symbol and the <em>fleur</em>-<em>de</em>-<em>lis</em> .<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTRuySjLy235fDdKvHIiG0meAsIRai0esC-gmEYzsk2368YtXc5qA0XlArzGPV-5zrVa78dU60KtHLFx9u8QKF57oKeP9NV5I7vib6-gEot6Rf-eIVJarObkTeJ9AQ4c8r5BXMKvYF7w/s1600/IMG_0084.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTRuySjLy235fDdKvHIiG0meAsIRai0esC-gmEYzsk2368YtXc5qA0XlArzGPV-5zrVa78dU60KtHLFx9u8QKF57oKeP9NV5I7vib6-gEot6Rf-eIVJarObkTeJ9AQ4c8r5BXMKvYF7w/s320/IMG_0084.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608499392952671394" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAuxpnjE6rGW_sxINuVym1WUoqQYyat3F3iRdA469Wvsbk6rHtIV1rHlVwON6hl3A-Aoa33Dz_IADqZ72Sv4QX-XZ-E4sL6wj1zYHfYzZeTE-LTljUmlfx1Od5SskX4U-0xzfJKZbfhyM/s1600/IMG_0095.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAuxpnjE6rGW_sxINuVym1WUoqQYyat3F3iRdA469Wvsbk6rHtIV1rHlVwON6hl3A-Aoa33Dz_IADqZ72Sv4QX-XZ-E4sL6wj1zYHfYzZeTE-LTljUmlfx1Od5SskX4U-0xzfJKZbfhyM/s320/IMG_0095.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608499396739450786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYV0mMy5pOrmuB06hCylUAzlSDN3I70Cou1-wnQsd28BVw_mIatLRBykYnqxjpD2LEkWMYB2XIVUNf0IDNNpI6Zdv4yyWyfVTKVMUu_CWHzXWn4svYSscvKI5CrJno7_aLN_b_rWtUhQg/s1600/IMG_0084.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKPC3jKvA5ZQVjZ8a4RsEoDAtCwxCkFpvjHPOLby9Nz9UfmqhDxxb0dtXbkiS_l2o3UML-SZcnLCwhS8F52D5-UBKkOCjb-8Wt2KRz5Ck6QLe-2wJAQ3AKImBT7l-N1jPVmXde6wAzvs/s320/IMG_0086.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608496973662146066" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlh5b0AymKvm0GhC9hOL6itmsxeSIW2CnLPVYMYq09HZyEDOdZaLfbQVOIifypPaJ_kNp6hlnNSXCtmXWGSLBS4vhwSt-Ty_up-q4D5DF73CarNnXwV2OGG8BxVG-MNByE1fCRN2wTog/s1600/20110512_13_22_59_216_3413644F.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlh5b0AymKvm0GhC9hOL6itmsxeSIW2CnLPVYMYq09HZyEDOdZaLfbQVOIifypPaJ_kNp6hlnNSXCtmXWGSLBS4vhwSt-Ty_up-q4D5DF73CarNnXwV2OGG8BxVG-MNByE1fCRN2wTog/s320/20110512_13_22_59_216_3413644F.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608502556844500146" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhio3zeBz_sdY2E6DwkhXgrIPYAqzqlvussOKhW4vxQYtL0mhoVFZqEOj461TlVOn2wKycvh769OLbyRxCuoncOaCEXP1iDSJOO9gc3lTef_YYQm8Fr499xM6sJZoQgAKIY2aiXwnPwiLE/s1600/20110512_13_20_57_317_3413644F.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhio3zeBz_sdY2E6DwkhXgrIPYAqzqlvussOKhW4vxQYtL0mhoVFZqEOj461TlVOn2wKycvh769OLbyRxCuoncOaCEXP1iDSJOO9gc3lTef_YYQm8Fr499xM6sJZoQgAKIY2aiXwnPwiLE/s320/20110512_13_20_57_317_3413644F.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608502552461431826" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPZtYjxjtL826blRvyZIw6xa22XBBb0MRvFNqhyyVy7aw-GaBFSQ-qXaQuGtfOzRnDB9oW4fSGKcLVwJQ7ScQGo9AkCsjGz-4KGrsR8NwExXCNN2Jz3DU8cznbiCAbuqQ5sRX-bNHOxtc/s1600/IMG_0096.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPZtYjxjtL826blRvyZIw6xa22XBBb0MRvFNqhyyVy7aw-GaBFSQ-qXaQuGtfOzRnDB9oW4fSGKcLVwJQ7ScQGo9AkCsjGz-4KGrsR8NwExXCNN2Jz3DU8cznbiCAbuqQ5sRX-bNHOxtc/s320/IMG_0096.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608502558456212194" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOdshEQyAjldIDCeMjZe_Me28044RAwtnzDW5ZQBv6GjszLLOizENT2kUY28biyP6zPrKJ4gtuVd7NcAV_iZCaByDFP_hPxi2LbNm2TtfhcmAqYrw4rsN6sV2Wr4nSWcM2BoQ0cXSCy8/s1600/IMG_0091.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOdshEQyAjldIDCeMjZe_Me28044RAwtnzDW5ZQBv6GjszLLOizENT2kUY28biyP6zPrKJ4gtuVd7NcAV_iZCaByDFP_hPxi2LbNm2TtfhcmAqYrw4rsN6sV2Wr4nSWcM2BoQ0cXSCy8/s320/IMG_0091.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608499396761367458" border="0" /></a>Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-51969070326066979362011-05-01T18:28:00.007-05:002011-05-01T19:14:41.721-05:00BEAUFORT AIR SHOW 2011Sunday, May 1 we went to the Beaufort Air Show at the MCAS which was celebrating the 100 years of naval aviation. On May 22,1912 Marine Corps 1st Lt. Alfred Cunningham reported for flight training in a Wright Bros. Model B-1 and became Naval Aviator No. 5. In his honor, May 22 has become the official birth date of Marine Corps Aviation. What happened to the first four or who they were, I have no idea; it was not covered in the article on the show. Anyway, the show was fantastic, the weather great, and my new Nikon D3100 DSLR worked great. I had just gotten it and this was my first real test of it. I used my new 55-200mm Nikon VR lens and the pictures, as you can see, were simply fantastic. I also had the opportunity at the show to test drive the new Volt, but just in the course in the parking area. It handled well in this tight space, proved quite maneuverable. Seat controls were manual to conserve electricity; A/C didn't seem to work well. For what one gets with the Volt, at $42,000 I thought it to be overpriced, regardless of the tax benefits available to the purchaser. So, enjoy the air show pictures below:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKuey5MAyyCk4Yg7VySfhIo1_bDsY_bab2A1QHu5VM2nbgFN0Ddql3UlNb2w5RqGDkHN2jjL-ys2GFK75sfplsIKwMstGD5MXEFqRDosKBs3oMo-5R1ITPDMkRI-WL3LybPTOH392ybQ/s1600/DSC_0087.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKuey5MAyyCk4Yg7VySfhIo1_bDsY_bab2A1QHu5VM2nbgFN0Ddql3UlNb2w5RqGDkHN2jjL-ys2GFK75sfplsIKwMstGD5MXEFqRDosKBs3oMo-5R1ITPDMkRI-WL3LybPTOH392ybQ/s320/DSC_0087.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601898631738764210" border="0" /></a><br />A great view of a great performance by everyone. And, a great day to enjoy it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rUmqtOe7YIsGNt5u5d4lmxNMhx2vAnxVU25vP8Ic0MsdAO0qlsR2guwoCmra5Ykys5KiHyG2HOWJku0BsOquyuVoDLGYSVb05A0liy5vOPFfUEHUAkyOuggShJPDuy5LNzbhbRu2_CU/s1600/DSC_0070.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rUmqtOe7YIsGNt5u5d4lmxNMhx2vAnxVU25vP8Ic0MsdAO0qlsR2guwoCmra5Ykys5KiHyG2HOWJku0BsOquyuVoDLGYSVb05A0liy5vOPFfUEHUAkyOuggShJPDuy5LNzbhbRu2_CU/s320/DSC_0070.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601898628480922114" border="0" /></a><br /><br />US Army Golden Knights<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7X5_EuqdGmD7lxMclErImCChKp0z-8CcivL4Lfr0a58tDljmu6aSbZIDUIISSY4eHPA2eqSWOzYcp7o1GHg9E5O3gTuQLi_kUg0w-a742UEzfSq076eiHpIfnTJSPEJC-iSxmYMbtLEo/s1600/DSC_0056.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7X5_EuqdGmD7lxMclErImCChKp0z-8CcivL4Lfr0a58tDljmu6aSbZIDUIISSY4eHPA2eqSWOzYcp7o1GHg9E5O3gTuQLi_kUg0w-a742UEzfSq076eiHpIfnTJSPEJC-iSxmYMbtLEo/s320/DSC_0056.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601898624158370786" border="0" /></a><br />Chuck Aaron and the Red Bull helicopter going through their tricks. Amazing, going upside down in a helicopter.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfS-CAwjVSqicDlrA0RiJPL4yEU6k5W4hrWR6MULXjUq-1a3KsCnskWU640yEMyzOuaktvMybOZ5SNHA3ARy4PHtrb4gduyjmZ-76RouTxPwAfjvfmEQPk5djict94q2GbOlUyzKMkdI/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfS-CAwjVSqicDlrA0RiJPL4yEU6k5W4hrWR6MULXjUq-1a3KsCnskWU640yEMyzOuaktvMybOZ5SNHA3ARy4PHtrb4gduyjmZ-76RouTxPwAfjvfmEQPk5djict94q2GbOlUyzKMkdI/s320/DSC_0007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601898617891172338" border="0" /></a><br />Marines enjoying the view.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_pZ2h7YGK2EoD_2dACuQX0gmj5iFAsXWaMnaMncm70gF-lf7k1imVeMwfE-CcP34Eii_AlvZQ1UICXZCi-DgN5rj_nvjzQvqxfAWBytIftbR4I2jb-pG5xYz9tTw61ngHnAK_HwL0Ts/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_pZ2h7YGK2EoD_2dACuQX0gmj5iFAsXWaMnaMncm70gF-lf7k1imVeMwfE-CcP34Eii_AlvZQ1UICXZCi-DgN5rj_nvjzQvqxfAWBytIftbR4I2jb-pG5xYz9tTw61ngHnAK_HwL0Ts/s320/DSC_0006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601898612845375442" border="0" /></a><br />This is the Volt I tested. Nice in the parking area.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBZz3vZdyU6sw4TLjp4HehzN-7RmCAjnaifqexNxBwQVBYOVXBoKZzjK86x17lBP8BqOO1cG9Ct1VVY56hCkWr4wTjK3Sf-Q0D3nW59huMBwkPGIrm7zFy_Ew6uAIJWXTvSCyxwHpkmg/s1600/DSC_0091.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBZz3vZdyU6sw4TLjp4HehzN-7RmCAjnaifqexNxBwQVBYOVXBoKZzjK86x17lBP8BqOO1cG9Ct1VVY56hCkWr4wTjK3Sf-Q0D3nW59huMBwkPGIrm7zFy_Ew6uAIJWXTvSCyxwHpkmg/s320/DSC_0091.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601899627319667250" border="0" /></a><br />The stars of the show, Blue Angels.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eoej_-amsJ-XKmSD4PPibKvtPBMV-fKt5wVhtIPT7TAf3QhVxbuu2ts12iPutHC6Vmm3cCa1tpxoWJRfSKcgT26D8c6HVrLIkSY5LeC3w-yRWh-T-XLAP7rHuEbTxlwNZRvnD7OyVZE/s1600/DSC_0103.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eoej_-amsJ-XKmSD4PPibKvtPBMV-fKt5wVhtIPT7TAf3QhVxbuu2ts12iPutHC6Vmm3cCa1tpxoWJRfSKcgT26D8c6HVrLIkSY5LeC3w-yRWh-T-XLAP7rHuEbTxlwNZRvnD7OyVZE/s320/DSC_0103.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601899622713556786" border="0" /></a><br />Control Tower.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pkMcgDAOzV9HvlkgLqVMnHMGfKZZqRkB-XKw4eIamcuX3EctV2eY9Am98zf12rSK24p-7ix46X_gpdfKgjLe7Enas9rP7e1SHsK2RWYLffkwBMA1fezvlDXXiLLrNZZ3_2jHH0wikVc/s1600/DSC_0105.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pkMcgDAOzV9HvlkgLqVMnHMGfKZZqRkB-XKw4eIamcuX3EctV2eY9Am98zf12rSK24p-7ix46X_gpdfKgjLe7Enas9rP7e1SHsK2RWYLffkwBMA1fezvlDXXiLLrNZZ3_2jHH0wikVc/s320/DSC_0105.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601899616220369778" border="0" /></a><br />Wow. These guys are simply fantastic.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxDJMLZK_cnhWjS3nXt011bJqmvgEZFvGmnotqenIClrCsk289-WIz4gvKSqDf-BfN4Ov1ZO03oga8XIEmjsRaYq5h-HCCCkUi3otQGf2LbA1v2uQJBOIFKIWOcdTzONCMJE_HLqML54/s1600/DSC_0109.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxDJMLZK_cnhWjS3nXt011bJqmvgEZFvGmnotqenIClrCsk289-WIz4gvKSqDf-BfN4Ov1ZO03oga8XIEmjsRaYq5h-HCCCkUi3otQGf2LbA1v2uQJBOIFKIWOcdTzONCMJE_HLqML54/s320/DSC_0109.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601899615192110530" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3qoKEVzT2IXo_enXGiuod4TZdkFlVUP6oTd0y1PAM0eM_lghVX-3NCUZX-2p3S46jC60YqwRSipIkq8AGmr7uCfQqf5h05FkFn8ERGSI5snwmIfOfbNvj3olAnOsdKfpinQf0VzFMTU/s1600/DSC_0111.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3qoKEVzT2IXo_enXGiuod4TZdkFlVUP6oTd0y1PAM0eM_lghVX-3NCUZX-2p3S46jC60YqwRSipIkq8AGmr7uCfQqf5h05FkFn8ERGSI5snwmIfOfbNvj3olAnOsdKfpinQf0VzFMTU/s320/DSC_0111.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601899614685823858" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAGhE09yaqqP22D4DBCByBSpvl0FQ9b6uKZj3dKglfXJXHOWOFa61nvjUUUi8Si2wz6MwnAmlbyc9AbGsj9URfi7QkXlt_kCCK1VeFE2OwC4oDnO1Lv1a0D8z4ZW8vqLtsvgF3h3uVlk/s1600/DSC_0071.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAGhE09yaqqP22D4DBCByBSpvl0FQ9b6uKZj3dKglfXJXHOWOFa61nvjUUUi8Si2wz6MwnAmlbyc9AbGsj9URfi7QkXlt_kCCK1VeFE2OwC4oDnO1Lv1a0D8z4ZW8vqLtsvgF3h3uVlk/s320/DSC_0071.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601901498968432514" border="0" /></a><br />The Golden Knights<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2gM-uTKInEH_GX1wpHTBH-UOyTdPGU1IiIyiHxRsUEn4k9FnXxpYeCn9cq-bbVsgN_nvFcDEPKgfkwtZYfqYIJcvgCYdJURBkrDE_qUq8fQS8PXPJBcfMvkQOCPna31_B6kMkMCJwhA/s1600/DSC_0070.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2gM-uTKInEH_GX1wpHTBH-UOyTdPGU1IiIyiHxRsUEn4k9FnXxpYeCn9cq-bbVsgN_nvFcDEPKgfkwtZYfqYIJcvgCYdJURBkrDE_qUq8fQS8PXPJBcfMvkQOCPna31_B6kMkMCJwhA/s320/DSC_0070.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601901493418906098" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DukNE848jQSFVxSVPg317oKEwHcqNRfsLxMuM0bWqLp4lMK7CfSBYLHt2yvhiibtg4YAdHxw6DEm3q5WV_ZuTB1NTLZBzaTnswp78_NBP14B8fjDjMpsRqCd_kAbgc8kt2DcC_4NZno/s1600/DSC_0063.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DukNE848jQSFVxSVPg317oKEwHcqNRfsLxMuM0bWqLp4lMK7CfSBYLHt2yvhiibtg4YAdHxw6DEm3q5WV_ZuTB1NTLZBzaTnswp78_NBP14B8fjDjMpsRqCd_kAbgc8kt2DcC_4NZno/s320/DSC_0063.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601901494473825186" border="0" /></a><br />US Air Force heritage flight, F-16 Falcon and P51 Mustang.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Q2Di51xlyyP41t8lwkiWO4WOpsbsxIUUiIqJYzPpmqfGMfh3BMCpxaXe5klOAcX9TRkbfTHgvFA9xyar6nvqUAyznWLguGA85Uqcysp0b_GAYADPlrSBP8uMVJm1jZjqDsgT4sujrQY/s1600/DSC_0016.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Q2Di51xlyyP41t8lwkiWO4WOpsbsxIUUiIqJYzPpmqfGMfh3BMCpxaXe5klOAcX9TRkbfTHgvFA9xyar6nvqUAyznWLguGA85Uqcysp0b_GAYADPlrSBP8uMVJm1jZjqDsgT4sujrQY/s320/DSC_0016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601901487401941874" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZwa_1_q9CxVqHiraAZdnX0oj3nduzaM9OnEIAylyKaZwPm8NHi5yw2EmV3Vb205bWa3z0TJXaLQwQp9yxZ6jZw6-3vLNY-c6VsTa3BV-U4URgzFtXn3ltkNn5YHphVDw13zFWJoHJAs/s1600/DSC_0039.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZwa_1_q9CxVqHiraAZdnX0oj3nduzaM9OnEIAylyKaZwPm8NHi5yw2EmV3Vb205bWa3z0TJXaLQwQp9yxZ6jZw6-3vLNY-c6VsTa3BV-U4URgzFtXn3ltkNn5YHphVDw13zFWJoHJAs/s320/DSC_0039.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601901483855425378" border="0" /></a><br />The funnel cake tasted great.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-N9u6VSjDzdrJDO8Z2ps_ItaSuqmoasAQOtDbfLcwtdLbqttcU0laVgQWP1A9ImnYGcCKm_I3ivmB_l76f6hkOZVSPgMRm_suYU8meuvB8QUDU9NKltA136VubgH1BEkSvhNiB8m1Eg/s1600/DSC_0105.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-N9u6VSjDzdrJDO8Z2ps_ItaSuqmoasAQOtDbfLcwtdLbqttcU0laVgQWP1A9ImnYGcCKm_I3ivmB_l76f6hkOZVSPgMRm_suYU8meuvB8QUDU9NKltA136VubgH1BEkSvhNiB8m1Eg/s320/DSC_0105.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601902067751267618" border="0" /></a><br />These Blue Angels are simply great. They are the crowd pleaser here in Beaufort.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAV-ebZmxMq0r0UqEX6mdE2Z8_oeHpyQxDhrPYO6L2MDQblV11PxUMbJPCtH0A8zy8Eb8YeY44xYyWL2roESK-hLf1rUBNlAyCZ4NjnvSUSEXFRqUrXlvVF-wUuJcvNDM5rn_bE_jWy7Q/s1600/DSC_0100.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 295px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAV-ebZmxMq0r0UqEX6mdE2Z8_oeHpyQxDhrPYO6L2MDQblV11PxUMbJPCtH0A8zy8Eb8YeY44xYyWL2roESK-hLf1rUBNlAyCZ4NjnvSUSEXFRqUrXlvVF-wUuJcvNDM5rn_bE_jWy7Q/s320/DSC_0100.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601902064977141698" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Patty Wagstaff gave a great performance in her stunt plane.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVOso-nwZo13xFL-MMazcX31LxBhND_rA4PgD9b654leJy1E4H_EDkX4eZPyvHNk5pb6Tit187ZuA8vT5b3q4HRPufWPIrXbXf2HNccLWqmHg1Ks7i78HQNMjYo_ZWMD5faR-N7u7P7ug/s1600/DSC_0088.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVOso-nwZo13xFL-MMazcX31LxBhND_rA4PgD9b654leJy1E4H_EDkX4eZPyvHNk5pb6Tit187ZuA8vT5b3q4HRPufWPIrXbXf2HNccLWqmHg1Ks7i78HQNMjYo_ZWMD5faR-N7u7P7ug/s320/DSC_0088.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601902007373340114" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />USMC Harrier demo. It just stayed still in the air.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfpuQlxuBfyVTlS8zy-2kF0SGngvASB2P-65iswmfERSZSJT1oAQl_t4tFMQNXClrr6dZD_4uLvdNXWUKId9yQN35gAn31JrUBOsd2kCgYLeb-bxzIdwdL1qxsA-EU15JWEi6yxx2-4Y/s1600/DSC_0081.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfpuQlxuBfyVTlS8zy-2kF0SGngvASB2P-65iswmfERSZSJT1oAQl_t4tFMQNXClrr6dZD_4uLvdNXWUKId9yQN35gAn31JrUBOsd2kCgYLeb-bxzIdwdL1qxsA-EU15JWEi6yxx2-4Y/s320/DSC_0081.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601902008023266002" border="0" /></a>Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-45981736094812594852011-03-16T08:59:00.007-05:002011-03-16T11:08:08.150-05:00Uncle Bill's 90th BirthdayOn Saturday March 12th Lillian's Uncle Bill celebrated his 90th birthday. Bill is a WWII veteran who served in Europe at the Battle of the Bulge, which was where he unfortunately was captured. He spend two years in a POW camp not far from where his father was born in Germany. He retired from IBM and lives in the same house built by Levitt in East Meadow that he bought shortly after the war. He is one of the few original owners, living there for about 60 years.<br /><br />Their two sons and daughter got together and arranged a really nice birthday party for their father. Larry and David were the cooks, Larry's wife Janelle along with their sister Pam provided the necessary support. Larry is a professional cook, so the food was simply terrific. We were joined by our daughter and her husband and were real happy to have been there, we hadn't seen Uncle Bill and Aunt Betty and their kids in many years. In addition, Lillian's brother Marty along with his wife and daughter from Long Island were also there. Furthermore, we got to see many of the relatives on Aunt Betty's side. Yes, it was a full house but a wonderful event that brought out many memories from days gone by. And, on top of all this, the weather was great, sunny in the high 50s. The long trip up to Long Island from Sun City was well worth it. Below are some pictures from the event.<br /><br />At left, below, Uncle Bill is showing Lisa some old pictures while at right he's cutting his birthday cake.<br />At bottom left, Lillian and her brother Martin. At right is family portrait, Janelle and Larry, Pam, David and Denise; sitting, Uncle Bill and Aunt Betty.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyW-8PsgtztSv51mzqZPhInuHNpW_bll4fCKReXIbdnhCD1p20KSs1Yu6fPgiIKOvTUUBDOOyjX2Jnjjh_akra3ktiaMLLWsqx5CZs18vPfihYW8lin_xrQgjosYYPvbnZ-1SHfrbUCk/s1600/IMG_0031.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyW-8PsgtztSv51mzqZPhInuHNpW_bll4fCKReXIbdnhCD1p20KSs1Yu6fPgiIKOvTUUBDOOyjX2Jnjjh_akra3ktiaMLLWsqx5CZs18vPfihYW8lin_xrQgjosYYPvbnZ-1SHfrbUCk/s320/IMG_0031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584681809595790066" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifer7aAvHMDyxRn7FJKrki21NK3e4TFEpZmUtJiLDGIpBYpUadDBonUTvUMInjKZFUUX2-sHMTrqkk-55hlVkAidhW5DF7YZjs2JCcZ8jrWbVNeOFvjX_9cwrErjW4h3RNQnEbdwppv44/s1600/IMG_0012.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifer7aAvHMDyxRn7FJKrki21NK3e4TFEpZmUtJiLDGIpBYpUadDBonUTvUMInjKZFUUX2-sHMTrqkk-55hlVkAidhW5DF7YZjs2JCcZ8jrWbVNeOFvjX_9cwrErjW4h3RNQnEbdwppv44/s320/IMG_0012.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584681807341559874" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho77ZQz90v_R9lbo__0lHku0i1W0X7lEA32ha9colR4ljkuA2n9Se-CEp-JjE0cw2VCxdxBXkiCukBNrHrAbbif-6w9ek51R_5lWEWVWjupq0H7icmBNiHRuHVCA4IDWx73koXNJsWJsY/s1600/IMG_0002.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho77ZQz90v_R9lbo__0lHku0i1W0X7lEA32ha9colR4ljkuA2n9Se-CEp-JjE0cw2VCxdxBXkiCukBNrHrAbbif-6w9ek51R_5lWEWVWjupq0H7icmBNiHRuHVCA4IDWx73koXNJsWJsY/s320/IMG_0002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584681801789411538" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LqeaIvvZh8MDHFg3Wv2oIo-G72udIr0WA2YXCA07hMKlrLTdakSJhA7fFj8vMpHbMXue6FmJc2ffkCmvnpGSzzoinFcXkOpjGCh7T5HUdpUfP63f4QxvMMUm53cKh4-sMlJaV23trLQ/s1600/IMG_0023.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LqeaIvvZh8MDHFg3Wv2oIo-G72udIr0WA2YXCA07hMKlrLTdakSJhA7fFj8vMpHbMXue6FmJc2ffkCmvnpGSzzoinFcXkOpjGCh7T5HUdpUfP63f4QxvMMUm53cKh4-sMlJaV23trLQ/s320/IMG_0023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584681800122422258" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Here are some additional pictures, sorry but I can't name all of them, but at bottom right are our cooks Larry and David.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjkxmT3OuP4k1FUYaRU4XMNimDpgzczyeQwhOm5KWmVkudm4P6yFBd6BVKpaTZvaQLgnB_w4CDUPEdicFohyphenhyphenFuYGpW63PNyLHFq2_RAzb8cF8WpSOcTYALANmkVNbAQ15Mfp-fIbNWHPA/s1600/IMG_0009.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjkxmT3OuP4k1FUYaRU4XMNimDpgzczyeQwhOm5KWmVkudm4P6yFBd6BVKpaTZvaQLgnB_w4CDUPEdicFohyphenhyphenFuYGpW63PNyLHFq2_RAzb8cF8WpSOcTYALANmkVNbAQ15Mfp-fIbNWHPA/s320/IMG_0009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584684486779083074" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYmGjLLl5jZJ9j14owqCcZtYmFNRY3VAFOAgk9905oQ1Hl0jGd4qRfKeMPBEhATbvAMagT_xXxePS5IPslOK-CxnoDAlP-KZonJcZ0xcfTbqCpDRf_LossUiWTOnDOdZPNK76oZt06GY/s1600/IMG_0017.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYmGjLLl5jZJ9j14owqCcZtYmFNRY3VAFOAgk9905oQ1Hl0jGd4qRfKeMPBEhATbvAMagT_xXxePS5IPslOK-CxnoDAlP-KZonJcZ0xcfTbqCpDRf_LossUiWTOnDOdZPNK76oZt06GY/s320/IMG_0017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584684475463770466" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Za4dC5Ug4fQY2ZFqUqfJUdmKgPb55VkarZpLM7RsvJ04wy4h7v0BqTNJ6pu4l6omQa7lH5T1iTRiFjoOI8mD1pROjeGUOvCwpQoJjHMLCSlv3FofC0wN76fwVA_nTNMQID7KHeJRBhM/s1600/IMG_0008.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Za4dC5Ug4fQY2ZFqUqfJUdmKgPb55VkarZpLM7RsvJ04wy4h7v0BqTNJ6pu4l6omQa7lH5T1iTRiFjoOI8mD1pROjeGUOvCwpQoJjHMLCSlv3FofC0wN76fwVA_nTNMQID7KHeJRBhM/s320/IMG_0008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584684467759666242" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7vgbUULo5B3_fr1HqwjkdXvvTIPkGMTku7rEPAUNR-7_GNoW3QoyAVFMDlMtVP4b8dBKzynfPbE_cxBYw8yspkB4vNXI4ByBJpKSOMptRIS7YTESEjbtTuH2JLazR8qwfc2Fhva9Kis/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7vgbUULo5B3_fr1HqwjkdXvvTIPkGMTku7rEPAUNR-7_GNoW3QoyAVFMDlMtVP4b8dBKzynfPbE_cxBYw8yspkB4vNXI4ByBJpKSOMptRIS7YTESEjbtTuH2JLazR8qwfc2Fhva9Kis/s320/IMG_0004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584684467409452818" border="0" /></a>Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-4829654850213150782011-02-08T16:49:00.015-05:002011-02-17T11:03:46.404-05:00Florida RV Trip Jan 2011<br /><br />We left Sun City, Sunday January 9 for Fort De Soto state park<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgffe_MP0vtLYfKin2Vi_bRMg5_4lQtBn-Df4gLLf7KbhqGdwyZ1wyIqZB8IUzkYR6qsVjqqQnphrdGv7kUEOHs3bduLC6eaxsIPPIKZFX-ThQ4UGOz3-ojVxiy8wZkEUKw_uYkAv0zRTw/s1600/IMG_2328.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 209px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgffe_MP0vtLYfKin2Vi_bRMg5_4lQtBn-Df4gLLf7KbhqGdwyZ1wyIqZB8IUzkYR6qsVjqqQnphrdGv7kUEOHs3bduLC6eaxsIPPIKZFX-ThQ4UGOz3-ojVxiy8wZkEUKw_uYkAv0zRTw/s320/IMG_2328.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572166655272808658" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />just outside of St. Petersburg, FL where we spent one week. The park is beautiful with lush tropical vegetation and fully equipped sites. Weather was a problem: high winds, rain, cold.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQyJICPkHoNNF7Qu-r5uKIeZZC_Kaej4Gq56hAxiy0iloEHvPHpFUAE0mrdgpqrDPNo1sS_JeOZCteXeMU_gqONEh-ihV0xwpXkM56v2jXEN8q232OkFvrP8FyW4nqib7uaIed4MAKcIY/s1600/IMG_2329.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQyJICPkHoNNF7Qu-r5uKIeZZC_Kaej4Gq56hAxiy0iloEHvPHpFUAE0mrdgpqrDPNo1sS_JeOZCteXeMU_gqONEh-ihV0xwpXkM56v2jXEN8q232OkFvrP8FyW4nqib7uaIed4MAKcIY/s320/IMG_2329.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572166659227660194" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCW0Ak8W43lxE1QJjKpo1tBXXRlpUpNkrD4ACuhdPSFJJcwQn5f_1B245VcMh0tIQvLbmNnnc-gu-HzvQz0D9pczNZ3PoXF9mccOZrssWIbsFcAklaV8lI9IfXkCTdZp_4ckHz7QVACY/s1600/IMG_2332.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCW0Ak8W43lxE1QJjKpo1tBXXRlpUpNkrD4ACuhdPSFJJcwQn5f_1B245VcMh0tIQvLbmNnnc-gu-HzvQz0D9pczNZ3PoXF9mccOZrssWIbsFcAklaV8lI9IfXkCTdZp_4ckHz7QVACY/s320/IMG_2332.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572166657707952834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We did enjoy some very spectacular sunsets. Despite the weather, we did manage to do some cycling. At one point the wind was 18 mph and blowing us at a very brisk pace; coming back, we had all we could do to make headway. At another, we almost were blown off our bikes when the wind was to our side.<br /><br />We did visit the new <a href="http://www.thedali.org/">Dali Museum</a> in St. Petersburg, which had just opened on Monday, 1/11/11. Since Dali was fascinated with numerology, this particular date with all ones was used. I asked why not 11/11/11 and was told it was too far away.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rRmSjgSMz5tCDa79ik-d8HyXZOX8sSkUV0ESZaUby1raBkSMqdfhIC_Xj8eHjfmgUS9P6sCfqShPTrnSBnFZH6WcYPaJXlygbJSp7VuT5hIm-3D2pr5SkGhXYcqeFk4SHpHfnuHiXqY/s1600/IMG_2321.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rRmSjgSMz5tCDa79ik-d8HyXZOX8sSkUV0ESZaUby1raBkSMqdfhIC_Xj8eHjfmgUS9P6sCfqShPTrnSBnFZH6WcYPaJXlygbJSp7VuT5hIm-3D2pr5SkGhXYcqeFk4SHpHfnuHiXqY/s320/IMG_2321.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572169879927965202" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH89vnmGKcb4dzjMtqtcAYlMt4WM1924aCL6FPuMo_4aYCfTLlII5Y5kJWCiqvIDPesnsb8QHSuIfF_0cCWMjRpTvWRNmLfAm7t-Q_GPSKtu8RJlyRiJMSd9nQ8q73HgGtek2j5LE8yWM/s1600/IMG_2323.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH89vnmGKcb4dzjMtqtcAYlMt4WM1924aCL6FPuMo_4aYCfTLlII5Y5kJWCiqvIDPesnsb8QHSuIfF_0cCWMjRpTvWRNmLfAm7t-Q_GPSKtu8RJlyRiJMSd9nQ8q73HgGtek2j5LE8yWM/s320/IMG_2323.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572169876807964450" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKAh2LL7MWFahkhNuoZxJobGT9p7V8VYU86w3EGvfkkPlqbjgFmkr-Uaug0hyphenhyphenv9mSXhutRSK2rLHGnbBWjHQX4K0Vsx1z-ISuPyp-K_5nKj6jSZwDU0hlrnLEHI7uCo0ElK7wJEBRoPY/s1600/IMG_2320.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKAh2LL7MWFahkhNuoZxJobGT9p7V8VYU86w3EGvfkkPlqbjgFmkr-Uaug0hyphenhyphenv9mSXhutRSK2rLHGnbBWjHQX4K0Vsx1z-ISuPyp-K_5nKj6jSZwDU0hlrnLEHI7uCo0ElK7wJEBRoPY/s320/IMG_2320.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572169872331838850" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The building is on a must see list. It's built to withstand category 5 hurricanes. The exhibit areas are on the 3d floor and are in two separate galleries, open and joined in the middle. In the event of a hurricane, doors automatically shut to completely seal them. The first two floors include the restaurant and gift shop as well as an auditorium and offices. Both a stairs and an elevator take visitors to the gallery area. The glass you see is several inches thick; no two panes are identical. Below are our gift shop purchases: at left are wine glasses, right is 500 piece picture puzzle of one of Dali's paintings <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hallucinogenic Toreador </span></span>(1969-1970). As you can see, we've got a ways to go to finish the puzzle. This was one of the pictures our tour guide explained to us in detail. By the way, we did finish it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOL42ldvBv7U5udPxn7rGt3cPhR1-cQfK2y0Vz8yCmaOnCqIR8RxTG_p1JyiNthwWV0P9KXPeJBUuneIPFOTj3pcXIoK_eOTMxhQRjcKKXDgQiwOadmBdMr4JeEpZHNXf_i6ALDGsFZA/s1600/dali-2.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOL42ldvBv7U5udPxn7rGt3cPhR1-cQfK2y0Vz8yCmaOnCqIR8RxTG_p1JyiNthwWV0P9KXPeJBUuneIPFOTj3pcXIoK_eOTMxhQRjcKKXDgQiwOadmBdMr4JeEpZHNXf_i6ALDGsFZA/s320/dali-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572523225976139842" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXhLeFILH-qKsrV5dmZfUfFf7St7drsiwBmdw1n6EB7Kp3S1OrGLwlF0MqlmIgMfKXs2DbdEGV0FMOB0CzbI91UR-gAbnJifEhYOxbXB9Q9XrstyyhNHkU-eKGOcMxquxuTrC1StaEBQ/s1600/dali-1.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXhLeFILH-qKsrV5dmZfUfFf7St7drsiwBmdw1n6EB7Kp3S1OrGLwlF0MqlmIgMfKXs2DbdEGV0FMOB0CzbI91UR-gAbnJifEhYOxbXB9Q9XrstyyhNHkU-eKGOcMxquxuTrC1StaEBQ/s320/dali-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572523223864962690" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXeNo7ypLsVoKXizcOQqJgAv8RpCD0aEJ5w5ji51vtQ8DJRB3x5PMMiZF_0lS9iDYVHKyANQ7eGthX781JhL90X2qtZUnMCDeflptS-chA-Cfi5AKOW69nAv6f9nPh_nW4yoo0WFqzVRQ/s1600/IMG_2327.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXeNo7ypLsVoKXizcOQqJgAv8RpCD0aEJ5w5ji51vtQ8DJRB3x5PMMiZF_0lS9iDYVHKyANQ7eGthX781JhL90X2qtZUnMCDeflptS-chA-Cfi5AKOW69nAv6f9nPh_nW4yoo0WFqzVRQ/s320/IMG_2327.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572169882458001218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />At left is a scene from the St. Petersburg pier, the museum is in the background, somewhat hard to see.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In addition, the largest RV show in the country was in progress in Tampa; we went there but weren't that impressed with it, maybe because the weather was awfully cold and blustery and many of the exhibits were outside. The ones indoors were unheated and large open garage doors let the cold in. For dinner, we had delicious Florida stone crabs a number of times near the park. In that area we discovered a great German restaurant, eating swine hockse and drinking authentic German beer. We went back again to try some German pancakes for lunch. Delicious.<br /><br />On Sunday the 16th we traveled to Kissimmee and stayed at the KOA. We had a premium site which included table and chairs, swing, and a fire pit. We enjoyed the fire on those cold nights, sipping on wine.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIy9BWKAhT-HNFq4DMjThzsJUWNmwvF_2RxYRjoXyjXiqSAag8A1-7USDKlf_Mpn0YQalqhPGeN9akpxFWXe52o40AOFMkws_SoWc7vtQaJP844HQloo_ynz0JTvJI0mos6MpDcx_MBJc/s1600/IMG_2355.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIy9BWKAhT-HNFq4DMjThzsJUWNmwvF_2RxYRjoXyjXiqSAag8A1-7USDKlf_Mpn0YQalqhPGeN9akpxFWXe52o40AOFMkws_SoWc7vtQaJP844HQloo_ynz0JTvJI0mos6MpDcx_MBJc/s320/IMG_2355.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572174179773317986" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqdQtnIgqWPKWb2ChpeKXNkLj8QgCzVfKYmlOO-UnL7JQCzBc5KOlxDrh6jHSi3QhYvLW0mfBqM6rw7Aqz0QvsGYE4G7ph0OV3Ihy8e96wvoHzwwBhDejZdW7UzAXfuMUbyt6shhHeGs/s1600/IMG_2372.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqdQtnIgqWPKWb2ChpeKXNkLj8QgCzVfKYmlOO-UnL7JQCzBc5KOlxDrh6jHSi3QhYvLW0mfBqM6rw7Aqz0QvsGYE4G7ph0OV3Ihy8e96wvoHzwwBhDejZdW7UzAXfuMUbyt6shhHeGs/s320/IMG_2372.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572174186729174930" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkpsEQyePtQU6ZVcujQNPdQvFy9S8GAP5pBC0_ZvRXmEnkR3KXEnh_NM8DG5r2b3lgJugCB5duf0nKoeVSgbvjn__3p5VTAOEMn4WLCOHLw_MDb9RtDAb0uDCIBr4o8g9CEaQpZYsGlE/s1600/IMG_2383.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkpsEQyePtQU6ZVcujQNPdQvFy9S8GAP5pBC0_ZvRXmEnkR3KXEnh_NM8DG5r2b3lgJugCB5duf0nKoeVSgbvjn__3p5VTAOEMn4WLCOHLw_MDb9RtDAb0uDCIBr4o8g9CEaQpZYsGlE/s320/IMG_2383.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572174177578274082" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Again, the weather was cold, although for the most part it was sunny. The following Monday was heavy rain. Since our Honda's service light had gone on while at Fort De Soto, we decided to get it serviced at Coggins Honda in Orlando. That was a fascinating experience in really great customer service. Their customer lounge was large: WIFI, large screen HDTV playing the latest DVDs, coffee & sweets, and a free massage. This is what every dealership should have. Before you knew it, the Honda was ready.<br /><br />Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday were spent at Disney World; two days at Epcot, one each at Magic and Animal kingdoms. Lots of good dining at Epcot: Marrakesh, Germany.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rwQsN87a_INEQY-HzEzmI_jUpXnJsNp0Ew0nYH6c7quSm1wPmeaknrSv9ZRH-Qc46fzIuw0p7FQkYYFzj3AGUYmPRxG5pHdsVgcsw7KwlM1IFxd8DgDdFlF72gIgTinDiZcgevrpeHs/s1600/IMG_2347.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rwQsN87a_INEQY-HzEzmI_jUpXnJsNp0Ew0nYH6c7quSm1wPmeaknrSv9ZRH-Qc46fzIuw0p7FQkYYFzj3AGUYmPRxG5pHdsVgcsw7KwlM1IFxd8DgDdFlF72gIgTinDiZcgevrpeHs/s320/IMG_2347.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572175974341983730" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieoZyMQaadhKGC432BlGcEO4ICegdSVbVZnQo6FdaOtQYjpAtQloBf7Be0JdwoWG_71OEvr1j6a9RSTji7ms1dBOt38XeQp7NOgejE3r2KPZ_DRVKTcrmrwAgKhicfGgppbnD2qbt-WLY/s1600/IMG_2349.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieoZyMQaadhKGC432BlGcEO4ICegdSVbVZnQo6FdaOtQYjpAtQloBf7Be0JdwoWG_71OEvr1j6a9RSTji7ms1dBOt38XeQp7NOgejE3r2KPZ_DRVKTcrmrwAgKhicfGgppbnD2qbt-WLY/s320/IMG_2349.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572175973251897202" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I think this was the only time when I just wore a t-shirt. The other days were just too cold.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tnx0pL1If0VGFCzqxJG7wp2YzJVG1GmHCa067562P7GL-PxY4fJRAuIPbQh8UBJuyX3Uc_OkkCGWRq79_jvDa0B39fZyFwtbQehWrLGNnseRcgWRcFZDT2Y3vFPM02KEhsv_W0cDhL0/s1600/IMG_2345.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tnx0pL1If0VGFCzqxJG7wp2YzJVG1GmHCa067562P7GL-PxY4fJRAuIPbQh8UBJuyX3Uc_OkkCGWRq79_jvDa0B39fZyFwtbQehWrLGNnseRcgWRcFZDT2Y3vFPM02KEhsv_W0cDhL0/s320/IMG_2345.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572175984653541250" border="0" /></a><br /><br />At Disney World we visited Epcot. Spent two day there. Got to try a segway . At their Innovation attraction, I visited the Raytheon "Sun of all Thrills" ride. This was simply fascinating; you got to design your own thrill ride, test it out, then ride it via a super simulation based upon your design. This URL takes you to my bobsled run design: <a href="http://www.mathmovesu.com/fbshare.aspx?cc=u39ew6p">Northern Twister</a><br />The design is made on a table computer. You have a number of parameters to adjust: speed, height, loops and curves. If the speed is too slow or too fast, the ride's hills, curves and loops cannot be negotiated and the system tells you which parameter needs to be changed. An animated test ride with a dummy is then made and if it goes well, you get a card containing the ride's parameters and then on to the simulation where you get to ride your design. You're enclosed in a chair which is on the end of a robot much like those used to build cars. A front panel is lowered enclosing you while you face the screen. The robot moves you in synch with the ride video: up, down, side ways, feeling the physical effects of the thrill ride. Man! This is great stuff. Being afraid of turning upside down, my design was conservative.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMfZCrPAVKlsjJL3FGbytaWwHmA_RN9aE3kXHMCuXXhRjzp7DvyFcqyzq1tLanK8khI7H1gwBYUkTWyeXUse47f8d2gV2xT8WD7AcEiFLUlQFXm9podsj8yckeNrLyxvO5DYBSP-oPe0/s1600/IMG_2353.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMfZCrPAVKlsjJL3FGbytaWwHmA_RN9aE3kXHMCuXXhRjzp7DvyFcqyzq1tLanK8khI7H1gwBYUkTWyeXUse47f8d2gV2xT8WD7AcEiFLUlQFXm9podsj8yckeNrLyxvO5DYBSP-oPe0/s320/IMG_2353.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572175970772587922" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We enjoyed a nice Moroccan meal, couscous, lamb, and Moroccan wine, at the Marrakesh restaurant which included a belly dancer.<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwV7wmGkxmpeOl25m6sk4QhwBiG66HrLKjHEGrzT1ZNEieQG7ui5X_fdOkO6xmKALlHhN7aVmLRD5vS_E8iAA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><br />The Baskins were also in Orlando at the same time. We met them at Epcot and had an enjoyable diner at the German restaurant. I was the only one who had a stein of that wonderful German beer.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHGrhwLpG895za8QNIM8trzfyXxdTI-Ds_7i9rap20wzAgJAXJe4qJgZqvgZtZl5pLTLnaUR5St6I5Jx4dCuX8LfYSx6qG0qNazoHZZoCaEs_AEg_W40dkcsD_B0oi4Atae6vv8w4FHc/s1600/IMG_2373.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHGrhwLpG895za8QNIM8trzfyXxdTI-Ds_7i9rap20wzAgJAXJe4qJgZqvgZtZl5pLTLnaUR5St6I5Jx4dCuX8LfYSx6qG0qNazoHZZoCaEs_AEg_W40dkcsD_B0oi4Atae6vv8w4FHc/s320/IMG_2373.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572204708650156162" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In the Animal Kingdom, we saw a performance from the Lion King and went on a safari, seeing lions, elephants, flamingos, and other typical African and Asian animals.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbygazq93xS4ZYPpnCgHVPq2fUO8PI6-Vx4mbcj48g9FAwNaVAA8AeHGuJIjgnNQtAzde0a4iu7Gsq9dgdoEXZIGkXFhYj5bc8WB9s3qG0w3URRC05Unoc78swJHJLlCpUTNOcUFcR-E/s1600/IMG_2393.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbygazq93xS4ZYPpnCgHVPq2fUO8PI6-Vx4mbcj48g9FAwNaVAA8AeHGuJIjgnNQtAzde0a4iu7Gsq9dgdoEXZIGkXFhYj5bc8WB9s3qG0w3URRC05Unoc78swJHJLlCpUTNOcUFcR-E/s320/IMG_2393.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572205470513925506" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsEjvwoMCH_KckMI8jI1TRto2_-wOtZ5qXYrpzH9GY-JPz-z9kz15UQNvyKdVIMfL1oddAN9j0d_PvsvunOJl5GKOqqIFOqPYnsMe4J55cqe2M1JhGNsNgb9nbfQg8st60jG9OB8RQVU/s1600/IMG_2407.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsEjvwoMCH_KckMI8jI1TRto2_-wOtZ5qXYrpzH9GY-JPz-z9kz15UQNvyKdVIMfL1oddAN9j0d_PvsvunOJl5GKOqqIFOqPYnsMe4J55cqe2M1JhGNsNgb9nbfQg8st60jG9OB8RQVU/s320/IMG_2407.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572205467411750722" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And, of course, we visited the Magic Kingdom.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKV8W_rlUN6WHg41rqowzcatB6bMloOy18gym7Lgq-RGsgtxvIVV_vtEgFxLN1Yru2WT_P0LBOHeKaVT7jlR3p_KsLwnxBhYVo_t2UjoHKmN_lsPaX5aP-quKOQaTcPuP76Q5hS4ckVyw/s1600/IMG_2363.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKV8W_rlUN6WHg41rqowzcatB6bMloOy18gym7Lgq-RGsgtxvIVV_vtEgFxLN1Yru2WT_P0LBOHeKaVT7jlR3p_KsLwnxBhYVo_t2UjoHKmN_lsPaX5aP-quKOQaTcPuP76Q5hS4ckVyw/s320/IMG_2363.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572207043734942594" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZPdzdQXCPqFFhx9FD2YDqvI2b7XQkhORda3kK3XDpdYtwmiOKhgiJF0YIvGa548UtgCNs91Ri5A8o1nLuMNfINrqToblPo_Y0UXywsN0fU9rFCdjnv88cK6qatI-yivX4JWyvQd2gKE/s1600/IMG_2356.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZPdzdQXCPqFFhx9FD2YDqvI2b7XQkhORda3kK3XDpdYtwmiOKhgiJF0YIvGa548UtgCNs91Ri5A8o1nLuMNfINrqToblPo_Y0UXywsN0fU9rFCdjnv88cK6qatI-yivX4JWyvQd2gKE/s320/IMG_2356.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572207038122932210" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In addition to Disney World we also saw the shows at Medieval Times and Capone's. The week there went fast, we had tickets to Sea World but didn't have time to go there. They are still good until the end of the year.Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-21180012610090023372010-11-18T17:24:00.012-05:002010-11-18T18:48:08.717-05:00Hilton Head Concours d'Elegance - Nov 2010We attended the 2010 Concours on Hilton Head Island on November 7, just after attending my cousin Bill's retirement ceremony. This is the ninth one held on HHI; we attended all of them! Each year they have an honored marque; this year it was Chevrolet. There were, however many other cars and classes including brass pre-1916, pre WW2 Chevrolets, classic coupes, American performance, sports cars, etc. Some of the more interesting included a 1954 Kaiser Fraser Darrin, a 1940 Bantam Hollywood micro car, a 1910 Stevens-Duryea X, and a 1963 Studebaker Avanti. Below, in no particular order, are some of the cars which caught my eye.<br />Below left is a 1963 Corvair rampside which provides a ramp to the bed of the pickup.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQLEElDHtK1PxzXCfuoBQlA_7cR9EoYq3iCKJXoqM8bkQp4TdsMpF3tMpaUlnnY0vsJHN3AUieIzpEhcDDWbJnA1c0vRSa2upkpwhmn_Zg-3Jif1RXew1_1KhrDkQmWhNg3GqBqt3fH9o/s1600/IMG_2281.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQLEElDHtK1PxzXCfuoBQlA_7cR9EoYq3iCKJXoqM8bkQp4TdsMpF3tMpaUlnnY0vsJHN3AUieIzpEhcDDWbJnA1c0vRSa2upkpwhmn_Zg-3Jif1RXew1_1KhrDkQmWhNg3GqBqt3fH9o/s320/IMG_2281.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541022647882729074" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikrxuilmXSMzLzg5IOPcGFNmAqWHcfvwn9eumVRaCQ9v0JfzeFuNWXRLdT2jdfp_pQeQ13IAmCRcxrDErJsAfV5uNA-4-JGXpzBqsWek8mszGbwWoWK8b2IqAHi6vuK8Xrl5ktBFDK3vQ/s1600/IMG_2279.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikrxuilmXSMzLzg5IOPcGFNmAqWHcfvwn9eumVRaCQ9v0JfzeFuNWXRLdT2jdfp_pQeQ13IAmCRcxrDErJsAfV5uNA-4-JGXpzBqsWek8mszGbwWoWK8b2IqAHi6vuK8Xrl5ktBFDK3vQ/s320/IMG_2279.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541022640417706082" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Below is a 1957 BMW Isetta which along with the guy pictured was Lill's favorite. Below right is the '54 Darrin.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIR4jvSbndntWAD04qcbJNxK_NeA36K7UoIvfL9CQf3I8bnFA63L5cPjCeEVBOkpWvhvyMn5TGv-iEtCdj7FPivWUpSpsaB1XD5uYhj59W8VCc__CsG_H0Obxnl_E_LYnG2FPuvyDqyQw/s1600/IMG_2277.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIR4jvSbndntWAD04qcbJNxK_NeA36K7UoIvfL9CQf3I8bnFA63L5cPjCeEVBOkpWvhvyMn5TGv-iEtCdj7FPivWUpSpsaB1XD5uYhj59W8VCc__CsG_H0Obxnl_E_LYnG2FPuvyDqyQw/s320/IMG_2277.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541022639627649874" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5APT2fLkkPARKR-F5IXcoNezonzvnKF3QcLHRDN77jW25GtbWE91DeES8WqM20jS9lDZ8IxpjwQbK7ytAJSU2yG3MzniHbLwGR7SDIaFWitTqaeFcbkokolcVgh-ouN_m70yEV_Xdx7Q/s1600/IMG_2303.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5APT2fLkkPARKR-F5IXcoNezonzvnKF3QcLHRDN77jW25GtbWE91DeES8WqM20jS9lDZ8IxpjwQbK7ytAJSU2yG3MzniHbLwGR7SDIaFWitTqaeFcbkokolcVgh-ouN_m70yEV_Xdx7Q/s320/IMG_2303.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541030259801460866" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSL7zh9V9ehPEMgKjm5EBwtr7eTsanUrjyR0NM7eSNkP8PxYUv-SPAiLriUPSilgmF3E-2x8mjooTvX7xQM7xZeJRrFiSrsVfitycWJXTylXzyAUuRMuyD6-og5TJ5G9xxrJtVNYpc9Yw/s1600/IMG_2300.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSL7zh9V9ehPEMgKjm5EBwtr7eTsanUrjyR0NM7eSNkP8PxYUv-SPAiLriUPSilgmF3E-2x8mjooTvX7xQM7xZeJRrFiSrsVfitycWJXTylXzyAUuRMuyD6-og5TJ5G9xxrJtVNYpc9Yw/s320/IMG_2300.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541030256818161826" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Below at left we were part of a tour led by the "Chasing Classic Cars" host Wayne Carini, a great show on "speed" if you haven't watched it. At right is Lill looking into a '68 Corvair UltraVan;<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUlGGybEy3wu5huzIvtmZQOgIxQtrubNb8ZodtobKvOLX5C4U9w3DPD1bhfbm74h1nQWezPrBwBNvNFe-fmrLBxj0MU_Nu2TC7bXNQFDAvKvjC8GdNfgn5_hKrEzT-U0imUqwW5idY-Q/s1600/IMG_2290.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUlGGybEy3wu5huzIvtmZQOgIxQtrubNb8ZodtobKvOLX5C4U9w3DPD1bhfbm74h1nQWezPrBwBNvNFe-fmrLBxj0MU_Nu2TC7bXNQFDAvKvjC8GdNfgn5_hKrEzT-U0imUqwW5idY-Q/s320/IMG_2290.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541035153086497970" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnNVCUphhCoHMLnDgJ-kVMVmCM4mhz9fu7z_Nuj0sR-sRDx2b3yqlE8RNNpzi2wUkFtm0a41_okeALTzoDl7TO9MUza7TD-gBZIo8RRhoeFlAmbIoGfxHg1ZsXEm-9dERBGn4oPq1LrM/s1600/IMG_2282.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnNVCUphhCoHMLnDgJ-kVMVmCM4mhz9fu7z_Nuj0sR-sRDx2b3yqlE8RNNpzi2wUkFtm0a41_okeALTzoDl7TO9MUza7TD-gBZIo8RRhoeFlAmbIoGfxHg1ZsXEm-9dERBGn4oPq1LrM/s320/IMG_2282.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541035149548912818" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here at left is the winner of the preservation class, the 1910 Stevens-Duryea X. These are preserved rather than restored. At right is a rare 1972 BMW 2002 tii, another winner in the preservation class.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF332t85idXGbH6ThdvMRAS0FMjJu5udYJqooyjcIJeJBAuIlBTXWogLKmT8vysRwx1PPpTXHocPiu6tWMpipxszdk8TspPYXjFlZM1dp2U1te0FSSfMuu4oJ9zKMFfBd6o8glVTqC-1A/s1600/IMG_2310.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF332t85idXGbH6ThdvMRAS0FMjJu5udYJqooyjcIJeJBAuIlBTXWogLKmT8vysRwx1PPpTXHocPiu6tWMpipxszdk8TspPYXjFlZM1dp2U1te0FSSfMuu4oJ9zKMFfBd6o8glVTqC-1A/s320/IMG_2310.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541033188827706674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_4NeBOrbbsaKMC4LHxTaslpajnqeB1dXGJjZhyHqNpLkXlfBqAF1Gt4bmJGd7AaadH6aWTqFlYUdMy3Ph_QcksQqQhr7fnoiGHIsNx9mDH2rqTDgF4vKvkYDjIcvNugZaAJjyCxxW-s/s1600/IMG_2314.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_4NeBOrbbsaKMC4LHxTaslpajnqeB1dXGJjZhyHqNpLkXlfBqAF1Gt4bmJGd7AaadH6aWTqFlYUdMy3Ph_QcksQqQhr7fnoiGHIsNx9mDH2rqTDgF4vKvkYDjIcvNugZaAJjyCxxW-s/s320/IMG_2314.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541033184867144882" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Below left is one of my favorites, the '40 Bantam Hollywood, which unfortunately did not win in the micro car category. On the right is a real classis, '34 DeDoto airflow.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDmgT0JnPo4bLZ_dx5Wv933p64mcijodXA9Baot8YiYOTJKJnAmfroc6_SPBapiiLXaRzwz0DSmgi-U5HbpHx07jZ3HECNjMW7sndSVSrqpuaPFQl-QG9G5WkZe-gEmG7dSxCoiDtupA/s1600/IMG_2278.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDmgT0JnPo4bLZ_dx5Wv933p64mcijodXA9Baot8YiYOTJKJnAmfroc6_SPBapiiLXaRzwz0DSmgi-U5HbpHx07jZ3HECNjMW7sndSVSrqpuaPFQl-QG9G5WkZe-gEmG7dSxCoiDtupA/s320/IMG_2278.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541033170411548674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pf5PG9GzBCFp60bCGSBGdWs273qroEGkwKG0zvqLvIYauTz2SLUa14_ox88oUb-SccL519HiX5YPpH-_CnJOq1RF48v9CsSLPc_wnJi4Xey_Y2juaWo3UWnOGOmmYK8Gd8yxLiU3yIM/s1600/IMG_2296.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pf5PG9GzBCFp60bCGSBGdWs273qroEGkwKG0zvqLvIYauTz2SLUa14_ox88oUb-SccL519HiX5YPpH-_CnJOq1RF48v9CsSLPc_wnJi4Xey_Y2juaWo3UWnOGOmmYK8Gd8yxLiU3yIM/s320/IMG_2296.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541033163147075474" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF332t85idXGbH6ThdvMRAS0FMjJu5udYJqooyjcIJeJBAuIlBTXWogLKmT8vysRwx1PPpTXHocPiu6tWMpipxszdk8TspPYXjFlZM1dp2U1te0FSSfMuu4oJ9zKMFfBd6o8glVTqC-1A/s1600/IMG_2310.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF332t85idXGbH6ThdvMRAS0FMjJu5udYJqooyjcIJeJBAuIlBTXWogLKmT8vysRwx1PPpTXHocPiu6tWMpipxszdk8TspPYXjFlZM1dp2U1te0FSSfMuu4oJ9zKMFfBd6o8glVTqC-1A/s320/IMG_2310.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541033188827706674" border="0" /></a>Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-81132762911481999382010-11-18T16:05:00.011-05:002010-11-20T10:26:27.560-05:00Bill Schmitz's Retirement Ceremony<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ayLilC8kIlt7AvIWSvRsLOzDRc7cba8hhYrpIdAopaVbBaRAXP0Vxqc95Od3Y6M7TeR2NMiYIbi2wPtwpuiFcvKz-gwrsmNNg8bCbkvSKOHbxscQWDarI9pFRSjU71-1NQlqOwlFhvA/s1600/Bill-Debra_Emma.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ayLilC8kIlt7AvIWSvRsLOzDRc7cba8hhYrpIdAopaVbBaRAXP0Vxqc95Od3Y6M7TeR2NMiYIbi2wPtwpuiFcvKz-gwrsmNNg8bCbkvSKOHbxscQWDarI9pFRSjU71-1NQlqOwlFhvA/s320/Bill-Debra_Emma.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541653396026519282" border="0" /></a><br />On Saturday, Nov 6, 2010 Lill and I attended my cousin's retirement ceremony at the Redbank Club, Joint Base Charleston, followed by a party at his home in Somerville hosted by his lovely wife Debra and delightful daughter Emma, shown at left. His mother, my cousin Jeanette, was also there.<br /><br /><br /><br />CDR Schmitz was the Commanding Officer at NOSC Charleston, SC. He earned a BS in physics at Tulane University and attended the Surface Warfare Officer School Division officer course. He served on the USS Osprey, the USS Whidbey Island, USS Robin, and the USS Kingfisher, as well as shore assignments in Lubbock, TX, New Orleans, and finally Charleston. While in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, he served as Officer in Charge of the East Bank complex, supporting 2000 Joint Task Force Katrina personnel. His decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (3), Navy Commendation Medal (2), the Navy Achievement Medal (2) and the Army Achievement Medal. Bill is a passionate private plane pilot.<br /><br /><br /><br />Lillian and I are very proud of his distinguished service to our country and wish him well in his civilian career with Booz-Allen.<br /><br />Below are some pictures of the formal Navy ceremony where Bill both retires and is replaced by CDR Dennis Rieke.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDhutirjRgN0W78nlJFs5NYktl6bxOmdRIpfv4PzLc5EUwnFWDxJe96GVjnj0NbhfLIaLP-ggWxNqfGVANvRWY8r3OlVkwV-2TG8RMAbmaHsmGlGD8AcVcYU2Sp6Wj5XjOuDmr65xEqU/s1600/bill3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDhutirjRgN0W78nlJFs5NYktl6bxOmdRIpfv4PzLc5EUwnFWDxJe96GVjnj0NbhfLIaLP-ggWxNqfGVANvRWY8r3OlVkwV-2TG8RMAbmaHsmGlGD8AcVcYU2Sp6Wj5XjOuDmr65xEqU/s320/bill3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541011871175351698" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOSGQLpGfeJfrs4zqWjaJoW06IbncfMNjSC1NKE2LTWh7t05-WpOutPRU5BSyGRay9WFda3-gXW1qSvYcmvBVXwoaZCwu0NPGPEnuVznvU96lZ2vvZeJRzq9O-BooHUbvJk25twNZt-Oo/s1600/bill2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 236px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOSGQLpGfeJfrs4zqWjaJoW06IbncfMNjSC1NKE2LTWh7t05-WpOutPRU5BSyGRay9WFda3-gXW1qSvYcmvBVXwoaZCwu0NPGPEnuVznvU96lZ2vvZeJRzq9O-BooHUbvJk25twNZt-Oo/s320/bill2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541011835280852386" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Bill, along with Debra and Emma, as he goes on shore for the "last time".<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVDM6tyYueskPunzuawZwFDdT73hVlcLoe6Xat0WwDmJb_DWR_Z8Ar-0OUtXGb7ud4P6_YNvx8T4Hp3ipBSWxteagz3DNkXGg1zA5XP0cCe2slYrxsWq3KInLAI9HSG-9bV1bnxLporw/s1600/bill4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 314px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVDM6tyYueskPunzuawZwFDdT73hVlcLoe6Xat0WwDmJb_DWR_Z8Ar-0OUtXGb7ud4P6_YNvx8T4Hp3ipBSWxteagz3DNkXGg1zA5XP0cCe2slYrxsWq3KInLAI9HSG-9bV1bnxLporw/s320/bill4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541011870275693346" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The change of command cake was great, Bill is quite skilled at cutting cake under Emma's supervision.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGmdM_3w5ooTiCrYLTlyXwTsGxQK74EST8dxsitXFZnFBaYUrrcyMAEggS5k4thbxQkpVdt1Fyed1kNqjcGXGUjhc7pWON9ky85Y_ePkb6dwhi3pBZggYOYjvH8Iv5Zw77Vagsb7rhhxY/s1600/bill6.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGmdM_3w5ooTiCrYLTlyXwTsGxQK74EST8dxsitXFZnFBaYUrrcyMAEggS5k4thbxQkpVdt1Fyed1kNqjcGXGUjhc7pWON9ky85Y_ePkb6dwhi3pBZggYOYjvH8Iv5Zw77Vagsb7rhhxY/s320/bill6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541012953957140594" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SYp8_UlWRS4do6pR5TiUG15Vf0C8ZG-4StjLI4D8IztVsAFOg6-vzTOUt6j4CbBhwLdS2QTSQKSGvc9PbT9iR56-DetGeC3XKaiuCq8n0XynWwpIPuoxY9F4Cp50xHBkBsl2COuizwA/s1600/bill5.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SYp8_UlWRS4do6pR5TiUG15Vf0C8ZG-4StjLI4D8IztVsAFOg6-vzTOUt6j4CbBhwLdS2QTSQKSGvc9PbT9iR56-DetGeC3XKaiuCq8n0XynWwpIPuoxY9F4Cp50xHBkBsl2COuizwA/s320/bill5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541012950584761634" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It looks as if the Navy taught Bill well in the art of cutting cake. The cake represents all the medals Bill accumulated during his 22 year career. It depicts the wood presentation box seen to the left of the cake, containing the flag flown over NOSC and his medals. Again, great tasting cake, expertly cut, but this time under Debra's supervision. For me, the highlight was the keg of Blue Moon beer, appropriately served with a slice of orange.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlL7lhMR_zjtaIX98BLk9_8erX8BecR9KXVPMl4MKCW6_uRLreUozqZATVjruhWLEV0g8gWJKXoIXLgFdUy-Enixc72cCfDeMUv7OSOgbE2C7SHQYvXAc2Gie3jkOH2qr2KaprBL5yyQ/s1600/bill7.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlL7lhMR_zjtaIX98BLk9_8erX8BecR9KXVPMl4MKCW6_uRLreUozqZATVjruhWLEV0g8gWJKXoIXLgFdUy-Enixc72cCfDeMUv7OSOgbE2C7SHQYvXAc2Gie3jkOH2qr2KaprBL5yyQ/s320/bill7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541014122201295266" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS5F-nfMSHUmqMrRHLAMKe05AqFAxdxq50v5Q5St8kCjY1_O7Xq9xiDINXNNMd04NMiNIcXVYMoN32CbhyphenhyphenPWyV6WBrfOVlePcRYsc2CDpHUheVA5aUOA7501Pt3S6rWlwgcvqCgkrsSYE/s1600/bill9.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS5F-nfMSHUmqMrRHLAMKe05AqFAxdxq50v5Q5St8kCjY1_O7Xq9xiDINXNNMd04NMiNIcXVYMoN32CbhyphenhyphenPWyV6WBrfOVlePcRYsc2CDpHUheVA5aUOA7501Pt3S6rWlwgcvqCgkrsSYE/s320/bill9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541014136565617058" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2yrs5CQrRpKC3Up-4VQHwmz6feaO_z1J0StiH3HGtdCh54y0WOoKZw0T8D3zZ7JCCOd31x1HspC5pp6qREjw0fvC0DjcI93AIEdslnLzh_PQwjjqvqBfOryEGxgHeAcVG23CmBvg7Vw/s1600/bill8.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2yrs5CQrRpKC3Up-4VQHwmz6feaO_z1J0StiH3HGtdCh54y0WOoKZw0T8D3zZ7JCCOd31x1HspC5pp6qREjw0fvC0DjcI93AIEdslnLzh_PQwjjqvqBfOryEGxgHeAcVG23CmBvg7Vw/s320/bill8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541014132154362978" border="0" /></a>Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-37474787642631579712010-10-19T12:10:00.005-05:002010-10-19T12:34:55.987-05:00Boat n RV Club trip to Winfield Campground - Oct 2010WINFIELD<br />Park Information<br />Winfield Campground is located on GA's Little River, near GA's Mistletoe State Park. Winfield has 80 sites with electric (50-amp) and water hook-ups. The sites are varied and most are directly on the water. On a visit to Mistletoe State Park, visitors may use nature trails, visit a nature center, and probably see deer grazing within view of park roads.<br /><br />Important Information<br />Site fees are $22 per night for single sites. These sites accommodate one RV and tents are limited to impact pad capacity. Pets are allowed if penned or leashed. Public use of alcohol is prohibited. Gates open at 7 a.m. and close at 10 p.m.<br /><br />Below is our campsite at Winfield Campground. We got here earlier than the rest of the group and spent our time visiting downtown Augusta, Thurmond Lake Dam, <a href="http://www.laurelandhardymuseum.org/">Harlem, home of Oliver Hardy</a>, and the signal corp museum at Ft. Gordon.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH11Gsxq14JFp79VGNaiyKMixKt_H6m5wQ2RrsBsat_evL1ZVabe3PlrQgOlVJJN9ffbN_L3e-dQDlBbtSYC7WzSrsO-iuVkd0d8slJ1ovw4HYD6EsBAcxUxIzG8gvJY5vdAtrBc3G3TY/s1600/Winefield+Campground.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH11Gsxq14JFp79VGNaiyKMixKt_H6m5wQ2RrsBsat_evL1ZVabe3PlrQgOlVJJN9ffbN_L3e-dQDlBbtSYC7WzSrsO-iuVkd0d8slJ1ovw4HYD6EsBAcxUxIzG8gvJY5vdAtrBc3G3TY/s320/Winefield+Campground.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529807375482666098" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Below is a picture of Strom Thurmond Lake and the dam. There is an excellent picnic and boat launch area just to the lower left, not in picture. The visitor's center has wonderful exhibits and a film on the dam.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBDm8U1Q-1hO6zonJreE5iwS_uDWsVj0rqA3V-KUyb78uLA79TItg9cZ-LLXPaRWfci5QFvb4BTdsNErq3bB3inEcTud7tzg0X1tgXsYvZBPKyrL7JpYwjwE5WXyTbWty6nYzacDJPbk/s1600/Strom+Thurmond+Lake.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBDm8U1Q-1hO6zonJreE5iwS_uDWsVj0rqA3V-KUyb78uLA79TItg9cZ-LLXPaRWfci5QFvb4BTdsNErq3bB3inEcTud7tzg0X1tgXsYvZBPKyrL7JpYwjwE5WXyTbWty6nYzacDJPbk/s320/Strom+Thurmond+Lake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529807369774963442" border="0" /></a><br /><br />On of the highlights of this trip was the Oliver Hardy Festival in Harlem, which is on the first Saturday in Oct. They showed Laurel & Hardy films in the museum all day and had the whole town blocked off for a parade and vendors. About 35,000 people showed up. There, I learned that there is an Oliver & Hardy international fan club which holds meetings around the world and throughout the US.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-KlQDjKJe5Bf5YrkuDy4psw5yswvsfZcsMFl9BAI5SbCbDhf_NK1qgLKMvpfpRskw8pvX61NivAYxwrW6gZXdx34RBWjYuW5KxThbUHIWGr6qh8dE9yTPjb9B2ER4yU5KJVk5D-2_K0/s1600/Harlem2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-KlQDjKJe5Bf5YrkuDy4psw5yswvsfZcsMFl9BAI5SbCbDhf_NK1qgLKMvpfpRskw8pvX61NivAYxwrW6gZXdx34RBWjYuW5KxThbUHIWGr6qh8dE9yTPjb9B2ER4yU5KJVk5D-2_K0/s320/Harlem2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529807383944306242" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqp00j0pM9hszdANgYny4cavJd0xEgx6a7veMbsMa-ZgynLU8oiRiWVkxbGYC4hEySiPjCQucQ4U6Pn-6DgkGFJQ5VmJYQVholnybpHdbfSuFT8Ai3LlqFDozvCvO_JGhQ_PB1RGtb8M/s1600/Harlem+GA.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqp00j0pM9hszdANgYny4cavJd0xEgx6a7veMbsMa-ZgynLU8oiRiWVkxbGYC4hEySiPjCQucQ4U6Pn-6DgkGFJQ5VmJYQVholnybpHdbfSuFT8Ai3LlqFDozvCvO_JGhQ_PB1RGtb8M/s320/Harlem+GA.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529807382043402434" border="0" /></a>Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-81217981765444350472010-06-17T09:57:00.007-05:002010-06-19T09:48:53.289-05:00Grand Prix Du CanadaWe arrived Thursday, June 10th, 2010 in Montreal, Canada for the Formula One race, Canadian Grand Prix. As it turned out, we drove up in the rain and drove back Monday in the rain, while luckily, we stayed dry in between. Race day, Sunday, turned out to be very nice. Practice on Friday and qualifications on Saturday featured overcast skies with the threat of rain any moment. We stayed at the Hotel Gouverneur Place Dupuis <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHUNHiowO6iohRudjGTLphg82kZNjBHC3DBcCZArGhJrhR-Yy9DYXdeWgYaF4PdCA9VcAM6-D0iOGVdVyLrCj0sLOKf41f-pBhN-33mutmUWig-zBLjvTjAXpU7LuEW0tCE5rKBnqYk4/s1600/IMG_1961.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHUNHiowO6iohRudjGTLphg82kZNjBHC3DBcCZArGhJrhR-Yy9DYXdeWgYaF4PdCA9VcAM6-D0iOGVdVyLrCj0sLOKf41f-pBhN-33mutmUWig-zBLjvTjAXpU7LuEW0tCE5rKBnqYk4/s320/IMG_1961.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483758834126101186" border="0" /></a>on St. Hubert street. This was our third time there for the races; it is one metro stop from the race track and offers garage parking. At right is the beautiful view of Montreal from our window on the 21st floor. We could exit the hotel and walk through the underground shops, restaurants and tunnels to the metro station without ever going outside. A real plus in inclement weather. Once at the track, we had about a two mile walk to our grandstand seats, tribune 11, section 3, row h. We selected this tribune because it faces the start of the race and the first curve and the exit from pit row: this is where the real action generally takes place and we were not disappointed in this instance. On Friday and Saturday nights, Grand Prix Tours, as part of our package, included cocktails, a meal, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyW0BmQpUnO_FbqP_SpEtsxFFTb5sGjtMRJc97moaaPhheigzZt-u3jMFIwy2QfH7-Kw1zgrVduONcgIuQRQ0sVSOdh-AVjWJtdvfKESjQ-4jBB2tmDO4V0eqnF2zsU-mFRPIwz7XWRaM/s1600/IMG_1962.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyW0BmQpUnO_FbqP_SpEtsxFFTb5sGjtMRJc97moaaPhheigzZt-u3jMFIwy2QfH7-Kw1zgrVduONcgIuQRQ0sVSOdh-AVjWJtdvfKESjQ-4jBB2tmDO4V0eqnF2zsU-mFRPIwz7XWRaM/s200/IMG_1962.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483761538317857266" border="0" /></a>and interviews with Rubens Barrichello, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9pdvmolippz5gKRZDOriS272KFxbwt9N6KN0lfX9PTDFJx8Azx4R7v6l_nRBWWHsXv_AGJ1NEbxP_aYidk5qPg4elvMEZdcxz5ymXoS3-h85S81u-79DPja_8uRbXoV0ZqY34CqJ54Y4/s1600/IMG_1965.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9pdvmolippz5gKRZDOriS272KFxbwt9N6KN0lfX9PTDFJx8Azx4R7v6l_nRBWWHsXv_AGJ1NEbxP_aYidk5qPg4elvMEZdcxz5ymXoS3-h85S81u-79DPja_8uRbXoV0ZqY34CqJ54Y4/s200/IMG_1965.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483761540967481250" border="0" /></a>Jackie Steward and up and coming driver Conner Daily. At left is racing art display featured on Friday night while on right Rubens is being interviewed by Peter Windsor.<br /><br /><br />As mentioned, the walk to the seats was long, but it offered some interesting points<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTr4hyphenhyphenQ-xjf8e9IVTzY5EEPz30yqEPeOJNqv4xmTpbY8WVNr40GSektozofT1W5An3Br3EDHxK_AnOTvU9meIzOg-AgmHaa1nk7xONDwLo54-HqfF4fr0X7hh__ob1lguP8jzRFtNBtZA/s1600/IMG_1966.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTr4hyphenhyphenQ-xjf8e9IVTzY5EEPz30yqEPeOJNqv4xmTpbY8WVNr40GSektozofT1W5An3Br3EDHxK_AnOTvU9meIzOg-AgmHaa1nk7xONDwLo54-HqfF4fr0X7hh__ob1lguP8jzRFtNBtZA/s320/IMG_1966.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483783760190188402" border="0" /></a> along the way. Here I am by a small waterfall with still a long way to walk to our seats. What really made the walk difficult was the very large number of fans; different speeds, crisscrossing, stopping, and several bottlenecks along the way as the path narrowed, crowds gathered at souvenir stands, etc. The worst day, of course, was race day itself with crowds estimated in 250,000 or more. Did I mention the crowds in the subway? The system was terrific in handling the crowds, but boy, each car was jam packed. But, on to the race. I was rooting for Vettel on the Renault Red Bull team. After qualifications, he was second. Louis Hamilton of McLaren MB was 1st, Weber of Red Bull, 7th. Seven time world champion Michael Schumacher was 13th. The presentation of the flags of each driver's nationality started<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckIDRwu7ik76WcO-L1Iuk4LGw4DbCvmLYIH3fxF9NRct8311RvkuD7qOtYlOskK5INU4ATKKdA85QW0NGCw0T2uFaSvtvPll3BVaobGVMmWvfLOz_2s2tlbDNrQxVBrNGsV6IUaLFnRY/s1600/IMG_1967.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckIDRwu7ik76WcO-L1Iuk4LGw4DbCvmLYIH3fxF9NRct8311RvkuD7qOtYlOskK5INU4ATKKdA85QW0NGCw0T2uFaSvtvPll3BVaobGVMmWvfLOz_2s2tlbDNrQxVBrNGsV6IUaLFnRY/s320/IMG_1967.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483787802816095154" border="0" /></a> the ceremonial beginning of the start of the race. Most numerous in the crowd <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96LPw4Nmt7Zb_LNw0F-nh_YWGN93slCHWPhgJy4RlFWdTo66Yx4YSiLNySJKV13MkLyVL5g2e56rNXvzPoa9b-ofYyHGmOwvQ0MtsN8UE0D1O9w6ed8In2vhjMb0ymc7XKtZm6LnH7hw/s1600/IMG_1968.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96LPw4Nmt7Zb_LNw0F-nh_YWGN93slCHWPhgJy4RlFWdTo66Yx4YSiLNySJKV13MkLyVL5g2e56rNXvzPoa9b-ofYyHGmOwvQ0MtsN8UE0D1O9w6ed8In2vhjMb0ymc7XKtZm6LnH7hw/s320/IMG_1968.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483787806397430546" border="0" /></a>were the Ferrari fans; many dressed outrageously as shown here.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCyxi1OEFTMU-hFb8MIGlkB-M9sdUzHAnrViHEXILR858HI6Vt9oEFepJB-mTWMkSR3MrgheTEOlYNFiFzD7w8tz_oL3l-Qu5qZKrJomx1pE4BtqdxtqpNkR3pL_E_slf8aNZlWNO1Pg/s1600/IMG_1970.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCyxi1OEFTMU-hFb8MIGlkB-M9sdUzHAnrViHEXILR858HI6Vt9oEFepJB-mTWMkSR3MrgheTEOlYNFiFzD7w8tz_oL3l-Qu5qZKrJomx1pE4BtqdxtqpNkR3pL_E_slf8aNZlWNO1Pg/s320/IMG_1970.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483787809625869778" border="0" /></a>Next came the start. We had great seats for this. Hamilton was at the right front of the grid, Vettel front left. And off they go with much scrapping in the first turn as some wings and other components <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkyq7ncMprToOj6A8442jwlxVy-F07Ktu5ClLgn5XhsrsBoLBYQvjFkeDNNN63DyaFvpYRULNkHPnRDCxrODDu9nV95cSN4GBcZnf1OOxOZvy6V8XRIVpIIGxzn7frlAOMtBtLRCwdS2Y/s1600/IMG_1971.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkyq7ncMprToOj6A8442jwlxVy-F07Ktu5ClLgn5XhsrsBoLBYQvjFkeDNNN63DyaFvpYRULNkHPnRDCxrODDu9nV95cSN4GBcZnf1OOxOZvy6V8XRIVpIIGxzn7frlAOMtBtLRCwdS2Y/s320/IMG_1971.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484494924659330754" border="0" /></a>got knocked off as each jockeyed for position coming around the first corner with Hamilton and Vettel in the lead.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fhG_7k7r5jobtsA2jwbqaoZOrio0V87qVLxQPBLeRwz3_F2DTUkp_aPRF-w9cBvRdxuG3WW76lgGiGAjaN-WpXY4Cw0dL3a8-KvtaqTiSYbv4JlpCM8CCaL4Cnknc0RyHfvGuXoTg-8/s1600/IMG_1979.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fhG_7k7r5jobtsA2jwbqaoZOrio0V87qVLxQPBLeRwz3_F2DTUkp_aPRF-w9cBvRdxuG3WW76lgGiGAjaN-WpXY4Cw0dL3a8-KvtaqTiSYbv4JlpCM8CCaL4Cnknc0RyHfvGuXoTg-8/s320/IMG_1979.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484494931895384562" border="0" /></a><br />In this picture you can see Michael Schumacher on right exiting the pit lane as one of the Red Bull cars rounds the corner. Hamilton maintains the lead<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYit2M61P4lc_S_cumwotmCWd9L88yzLLrvchl_JiBqzfQgw6aDqSsBzW3X2yYgPUOQcFjUa4nHGlLJkuc0KFIIRJLusXi_L2AskxRCj6Jr7jDPmA93680IOqEL0uScvvRrs0h70Ox0_Y/s1600/IMG_1980.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 171px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYit2M61P4lc_S_cumwotmCWd9L88yzLLrvchl_JiBqzfQgw6aDqSsBzW3X2yYgPUOQcFjUa4nHGlLJkuc0KFIIRJLusXi_L2AskxRCj6Jr7jDPmA93680IOqEL0uScvvRrs0h70Ox0_Y/s320/IMG_1980.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484494965484289170" border="0" /></a> with Alanso in the red Ferrari just behind in second.Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-68263627687718966052010-05-06T19:40:00.043-05:002010-05-18T16:52:59.269-05:00Chattanooga, Tennessee Sun City RV RallyWe left home on Sunday May 2nd, traveling via Atlanta to Best Holiday Trav-L Park just outside Chattanooga, exit 1b off I75 N. Sunday and Monday nights we stayed at the Cassville GA KOA about halfway between Atlanta and Chattanooga where we spent a d<strong><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5RQkv4KSuhltBhAHZ9OgMFXWgCHaM_M4NXbipO-PEXbL2aXcQtvpHlR1Lhjhhw7XMnPNSEQuCsd5zrRb-F_jErRlXQotXHMTloH3_42hreJ8lPjS0BFhaITBfM3R07kvXcAMshheJSM/s1600/visitor.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 252px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5RQkv4KSuhltBhAHZ9OgMFXWgCHaM_M4NXbipO-PEXbL2aXcQtvpHlR1Lhjhhw7XMnPNSEQuCsd5zrRb-F_jErRlXQotXHMTloH3_42hreJ8lPjS0BFhaITBfM3R07kvXcAMshheJSM/s320/visitor.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468338561913405922" border="0" /></a></strong>ay visiting the <strong><a href="http://www.southernmuseum.org/">Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History.</a><br /></strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We then headed for our rendezvous at the <a href="http://www.chattacamp.com/">Best Holiday Trav-L Park</a> with the Sun City RV Cub. Got to grill hamburgers that night for the group at the RV park. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJnhQgPRfsCB9wsjMuZro-iwThu0_4D1YBKdbauw3lRP-A5nBqpDCvzilYALJMcTHAAtEtGB-xIzlQ2676sIyg9CNngOjfBjWHjudertVhJ4Fy9WqFsiOECqusdRhObzFXCak9M2Dr9E/s1600/IMG_1917.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJnhQgPRfsCB9wsjMuZro-iwThu0_4D1YBKdbauw3lRP-A5nBqpDCvzilYALJMcTHAAtEtGB-xIzlQ2676sIyg9CNngOjfBjWHjudertVhJ4Fy9WqFsiOECqusdRhObzFXCak9M2Dr9E/s320/IMG_1917.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468724010527400242" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The following day we toured Chattanooga in a van. We were impressed with the city and the military park on top of Lookout Mountain which commemorates the Union victory. One interesting sight was the towing museum sponsored by the person who invented a towing instrument designed to tow cars.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo61aSDrsCVPLIyJv4eCaxqC4ZB0L-WIgJ2ZJESwFh_EKEIbc_EdReIjx86FTvoyBmMQXugrogWXInF4wil96Q28IrhF2-ziQngpZMsIH37_hcDV2G7GfC_shRfZxjoxYUVDDjhItMliQ/s1600/Chattanooga1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo61aSDrsCVPLIyJv4eCaxqC4ZB0L-WIgJ2ZJESwFh_EKEIbc_EdReIjx86FTvoyBmMQXugrogWXInF4wil96Q28IrhF2-ziQngpZMsIH37_hcDV2G7GfC_shRfZxjoxYUVDDjhItMliQ/s200/Chattanooga1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468334066281837442" border="0" /></a><br /><br />At left we had just crossed the glass bridge near the riverfront.<br /><br />Below, at right, our group is at Lookout Mountain Military Park which provides a great view of Chattanooga and the Tennessee River.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5V9_l39qG_cy83YcZB7CVF0Xc6dSH4C5F-OoH88hAFDa_cJjGfO90USN504ic594Z73BZNp1k5KbYqLuT-g15tKQnlG2b_Ffa_aoMV3iFJMTNfDzZa0t9V1XLivsxW7rjQCvQ16RIH8I/s1600/Chattanoga2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5V9_l39qG_cy83YcZB7CVF0Xc6dSH4C5F-OoH88hAFDa_cJjGfO90USN504ic594Z73BZNp1k5KbYqLuT-g15tKQnlG2b_Ffa_aoMV3iFJMTNfDzZa0t9V1XLivsxW7rjQCvQ16RIH8I/s200/Chattanoga2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468335530771241426" border="0" /></a><br />Inside the visitor's center is a striking mural depicting the Union forces attacking <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0DoVLzwHyd1Z7uESPlCyyutlTrY9ziaOXOV5kA9-8Q1QpIdzWbWrhQLwUQbuBFElVEkfBLk-lQpfHZ9v4VeywtYXCf7QVI28RNw6hSU1p61ql0NkeWANb3tFsEyJDFDMU0GWHb0on-rE/s1600/Chattanooga3.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0DoVLzwHyd1Z7uESPlCyyutlTrY9ziaOXOV5kA9-8Q1QpIdzWbWrhQLwUQbuBFElVEkfBLk-lQpfHZ9v4VeywtYXCf7QVI28RNw6hSU1p61ql0NkeWANb3tFsEyJDFDMU0GWHb0on-rE/s320/Chattanooga3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468336697029235634" border="0" /></a>the Confederate defenders on top of the mountain. This was know as the battle above the clouds and indeed it did take place above them as depicted.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />That evening we went to the <a href="http://buttonwillowchurch.com/">Button Willow Church Civil War dinner theater</a> which is run by Steve and Allison Gipson. They've done a lot of serious research using original documents to script a two person two hour act which simulates a dialog between two Civil War characters, a Union Colonel and his sister who is a Southern Sympathizer. Their interactive dialog mixed humor, fact and Southern miss-beliefs into a very interesting show. It was preceded by an outstanding dinner which replicated meals served to Jefferson Davis in the Confederate White House.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1ETkS-K1uJbnteQsFqtaNLGLqrQcJlyAMdqOou5UGie7LI1_ihfqt-Rsb5Q8DdIrIerRqHqmkT-tdp8YpIMUyXB5CbYB_eymN7gJSwt8aPf5i8fyDI1y3ammoV3TM7Ov8xlki298pPg/s1600/Chattanooga5.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1ETkS-K1uJbnteQsFqtaNLGLqrQcJlyAMdqOou5UGie7LI1_ihfqt-Rsb5Q8DdIrIerRqHqmkT-tdp8YpIMUyXB5CbYB_eymN7gJSwt8aPf5i8fyDI1y3ammoV3TM7Ov8xlki298pPg/s200/Chattanooga5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468328406462897298" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptFHuoQfYodqQyVKaQqsWS5DxCuPeGtDN_wQHqmVLX8gC1McIpc5hZmdxOiui7-cxB9j4xARedY3dc7vPE6wqU-fBXaH9zYh4F5TpKZs_FmrDnnHLCB9rQwZ8fBCxY99_EXpYz5BwqFA/s1600/Chattanooga4.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptFHuoQfYodqQyVKaQqsWS5DxCuPeGtDN_wQHqmVLX8gC1McIpc5hZmdxOiui7-cxB9j4xARedY3dc7vPE6wqU-fBXaH9zYh4F5TpKZs_FmrDnnHLCB9rQwZ8fBCxY99_EXpYz5BwqFA/s320/Chattanooga4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468337316756940322" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />On Thursday, May 6 we visited Ruby Falls, the Incline Railway and Rock City. The whole group ate lunch a the Mount Vernon Restaurant. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food, but none of us saved room for amaretta pie, a restaurant favorite.<br /><br />Ruby Falls is actually inside a cave and was discovered quite by accident. It is directly below Lookout Mountain about 1200 feet. The waterfall is 145 feet and pumps 300 gallons a minute. Solar energy is used through the site.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0484aQnBtGDDXgZxXysA9kM8jtXssoU0Qbu0MqN17hOEJ49LvfraWwHPABBfAPVuzVgmPoLlaH31KFEpj6FHjdxrCubDZwawxBhUbgBAJzjV4ijxyHsa-gyd2Cu6yBIeXYN7aRnz3T2Q/s1600/Chattanooga8.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0484aQnBtGDDXgZxXysA9kM8jtXssoU0Qbu0MqN17hOEJ49LvfraWwHPABBfAPVuzVgmPoLlaH31KFEpj6FHjdxrCubDZwawxBhUbgBAJzjV4ijxyHsa-gyd2Cu6yBIeXYN7aRnz3T2Q/s320/Chattanooga8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468727164638980146" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTsVSGj4P2tSu2aQszgO74yzqLWIunp_zRdISNkAhxZzTub8dKONug6Xfzg-JenwrC6K_XMPZ5x7zsY-7i9rvlZW9dUFSrE_OpWOdVy3xbeUEpN0WPLxk3XmDO5H9SUceZinX_2UnIRzo/s1600/Chattanooga6.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTsVSGj4P2tSu2aQszgO74yzqLWIunp_zRdISNkAhxZzTub8dKONug6Xfzg-JenwrC6K_XMPZ5x7zsY-7i9rvlZW9dUFSrE_OpWOdVy3xbeUEpN0WPLxk3XmDO5H9SUceZinX_2UnIRzo/s320/Chattanooga6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468727155958972066" border="0" /></a><br /><br />For some reason, my pictures of the falls didn't come out very well, so here is a commercial one of Ruby Falls.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPo4UVaNKgkqk5ssMO0Ay8EY4HAebHBZ49_jADoUVQsdXCZPJg9zMjoRsBC_MDjUVmplvleL1omh8446hS4UO9aRGy6r8UAhykta9igs2Xzcv6RkmQeiGYiODmrU5gQszAVZeHiyHxb8/s1600/19-244.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPo4UVaNKgkqk5ssMO0Ay8EY4HAebHBZ49_jADoUVQsdXCZPJg9zMjoRsBC_MDjUVmplvleL1omh8446hS4UO9aRGy6r8UAhykta9igs2Xzcv6RkmQeiGYiODmrU5gQszAVZeHiyHxb8/s320/19-244.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468732526451651058" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGNvAabsbAANlV6wqWoSJTI3qTR0oFUAnICxaD7puvwOZfunsFzWTbvk0WTQD0V-WRArIjceH_f7mhYtduIm7CDjJH0am5s9Ji_eiNQqA3IXeh8ZOkjvqhVNwlMJPL6lfvr5plFBP3Ko/s1600/IMG_1845.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGNvAabsbAANlV6wqWoSJTI3qTR0oFUAnICxaD7puvwOZfunsFzWTbvk0WTQD0V-WRArIjceH_f7mhYtduIm7CDjJH0am5s9Ji_eiNQqA3IXeh8ZOkjvqhVNwlMJPL6lfvr5plFBP3Ko/s320/IMG_1845.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468733791779641506" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Outside, there is a beautiful observation area as can be seen in the picture of Lill and I.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgucpXd7ZG6CKnFkzAMNo6nHxpCcJnFOsiG37ilJK12O7xP1oGsNQxPjJfUnnYCvz5vo2I4rom15_R3SSrtrLKXcLK_4YA0jauVKLpgGo49JCgSK8M7j5SUhIkKSexyg4qHrYiWpipmxSE/s1600/Chattanooga10.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgucpXd7ZG6CKnFkzAMNo6nHxpCcJnFOsiG37ilJK12O7xP1oGsNQxPjJfUnnYCvz5vo2I4rom15_R3SSrtrLKXcLK_4YA0jauVKLpgGo49JCgSK8M7j5SUhIkKSexyg4qHrYiWpipmxSE/s320/Chattanooga10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468734521195513138" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Our next stop was the incline railroad which takes one to the top of Lookout Mountain. While the ride was not that great, one could walk to the Military Park.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6jFcm_xDE_rqtAmpaKwU105Y8eoTShaS9Mf5uRsKhw8I8cHVcAmS65BCSlCWLh-WFDI6Fdt9ERbHTVs-lPQ4VeziDJ-VCt_LuqIHJtzfZZcSZ4Ms5VlsqOuFNJTRPRK1IcXquFK10hY/s1600/IMG_1864.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6jFcm_xDE_rqtAmpaKwU105Y8eoTShaS9Mf5uRsKhw8I8cHVcAmS65BCSlCWLh-WFDI6Fdt9ERbHTVs-lPQ4VeziDJ-VCt_LuqIHJtzfZZcSZ4Ms5VlsqOuFNJTRPRK1IcXquFK10hY/s320/IMG_1864.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468736574495646946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQEYUxHJ3H8cAmWzn_Vy4RQxSg_SeM1_Z6krdetAarLPS1VYsDmayd90Kh7L-_bg8YhZq06pKCyhthI47Y6lxgXnwsOf2xq2-fHV9GOfe9kRo3pwehBdbEYAI_kskpDn_BVI6U9eWRPA/s1600/Chattanooga11.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQEYUxHJ3H8cAmWzn_Vy4RQxSg_SeM1_Z6krdetAarLPS1VYsDmayd90Kh7L-_bg8YhZq06pKCyhthI47Y6lxgXnwsOf2xq2-fHV9GOfe9kRo3pwehBdbEYAI_kskpDn_BVI6U9eWRPA/s320/Chattanooga11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468736566868853458" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />One thing that did interest me was the machinery room shown above at the right.<br /><br />After a nice lunch at the Mt. Vernon restaurant, the Sun City group then visited Rock City. During the Civil War, soldiers first wrote of being able to see seven states. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tMCyS4N2K1X2pteUXfmtHJ5ZYqJHU7UE3T-nXict16Ds4LBKn2-8wBQmcS7F-Km-xEoj3-7Lw-fct7Xt0HDz-W0gRuFGYQoL_fb-UVx6eieXrfHM1slqX2k3B-6Zn15OEc05TnsQzbI/s1600/Chattanooga14.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tMCyS4N2K1X2pteUXfmtHJ5ZYqJHU7UE3T-nXict16Ds4LBKn2-8wBQmcS7F-Km-xEoj3-7Lw-fct7Xt0HDz-W0gRuFGYQoL_fb-UVx6eieXrfHM1slqX2k3B-6Zn15OEc05TnsQzbI/s320/Chattanooga14.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470392172283160498" border="0" /></a>At right, we are pictured in front of the sign pointing to each of the seven states visible from this point. The rhododendron were in full bloom as were <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-RhuV6tZw3ifbR2YfTTnEJiDVAym2W9kuT6IJjXn0GVHo3U4JX5OXy9LSoSVnH6N4sQKmAJUkJfqu5n9QStp-v9lTGaz-U6trr4QjPWOcJMS3n0G3o4H1TBqiWImU1CxcL3X3lLtpNs/s1600/IMG_1865.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-RhuV6tZw3ifbR2YfTTnEJiDVAym2W9kuT6IJjXn0GVHo3U4JX5OXy9LSoSVnH6N4sQKmAJUkJfqu5n9QStp-v9lTGaz-U6trr4QjPWOcJMS3n0G3o4H1TBqiWImU1CxcL3X3lLtpNs/s320/IMG_1865.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470394493915638130" border="0" /></a>other plants too numerous to mention, i.e., I don't know their names.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The paths features interesting walks through narrow passages as seen on left<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVqTRHKt_jvn3KUlRxwS8GCreJYuOZ14H6OdQ2COk_qGz8sgdh3cKnuJLBK8ZeirTvJ2LehJLswPshWVifeqbovgc3sHg2sJN7sNqFTrGlpGB7JNmFadNybZABHyRc1Iiykd2NcAI5FU/s1600/IMG_1870.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVqTRHKt_jvn3KUlRxwS8GCreJYuOZ14H6OdQ2COk_qGz8sgdh3cKnuJLBK8ZeirTvJ2LehJLswPshWVifeqbovgc3sHg2sJN7sNqFTrGlpGB7JNmFadNybZABHyRc1Iiykd2NcAI5FU/s320/IMG_1870.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470394506173999538" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguMK1slv42XKWptC9uE2JOsp5qLAmlPLGBJIZdiK_bfMD0g7-SjYH6AxVzbfug7kQoo7T30w1P0sWHksfTgTZCCymxQ_XX2tFvcEpJAc4TNN0BRIA_I_-WQJKY_700jd_1mJwD_eTEglY/s1600/w&latRocgCity.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguMK1slv42XKWptC9uE2JOsp5qLAmlPLGBJIZdiK_bfMD0g7-SjYH6AxVzbfug7kQoo7T30w1P0sWHksfTgTZCCymxQ_XX2tFvcEpJAc4TNN0BRIA_I_-WQJKY_700jd_1mJwD_eTEglY/s200/w&latRocgCity.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472679712106325458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />through the rocks, a stone bridge, seen on the right, and a man made cave, which contained several exhibits of fairy tale characters<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgcoim5v3HzThzKq9KC0zzJl0CGlr1IYIshIgzLVBA3wz0-zj4eskN-XYJzwV8iCYDp9Agvc1SsC9HcpAYSfS8f4_bjz1BiMu8H01a-sOdo9A7RKi2Dh2OxCtsYz0xwQ-jkVHJwIXj_c/s1600/IMG_1876.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgcoim5v3HzThzKq9KC0zzJl0CGlr1IYIshIgzLVBA3wz0-zj4eskN-XYJzwV8iCYDp9Agvc1SsC9HcpAYSfS8f4_bjz1BiMu8H01a-sOdo9A7RKi2Dh2OxCtsYz0xwQ-jkVHJwIXj_c/s320/IMG_1876.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470394510697644834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />interestingly illuminated, such as the one above, right.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The next day was free, so Lill and I visited the <a href="http://www.tvrail.com/">Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum</a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsJneuzyRwRTUQl-WFqZRy2Oalo_eh9NnnKwmQNvLUGML3OEMtZ4WLHtKqE8aP3OXHEGWN_h3GwlOPc1AgZ4boXZsWm5TzcNZHeVrixJ1g3NtcSIuU6Ro5qW5kAIt2-RCyurw9-VynlU/s1600/IMG_1884.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsJneuzyRwRTUQl-WFqZRy2Oalo_eh9NnnKwmQNvLUGML3OEMtZ4WLHtKqE8aP3OXHEGWN_h3GwlOPc1AgZ4boXZsWm5TzcNZHeVrixJ1g3NtcSIuU6Ro5qW5kAIt2-RCyurw9-VynlU/s320/IMG_1884.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470397091264819426" border="0" /></a> whose displays were primarily outdoors. The indoor ones were in some of the rail cars. Fortunately, both of us enjoy visiting RR museums.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4PMkqktSfPaVaye9vHJSiYk8fBV44LNsXEkmWcxOKmdqJXdvNnSEhxtnQ3An2knznjOk0XoLRjR9bHqnhbLrVfyqJO1EqKcE7sPYBc1SoP2pm6_nKja7XzTqEyQwG7NpA2tdva0KRt0U/s1600/IMG_1880.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4PMkqktSfPaVaye9vHJSiYk8fBV44LNsXEkmWcxOKmdqJXdvNnSEhxtnQ3An2knznjOk0XoLRjR9bHqnhbLrVfyqJO1EqKcE7sPYBc1SoP2pm6_nKja7XzTqEyQwG7NpA2tdva0KRt0U/s320/IMG_1880.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470398023761113010" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_9-um6OJUB255B3c_lt53dKvTVd3ATRz2fS_-vEWXssjobj-e-NFW22ZwuFLfTsHrmyuYIf3_GL6_m91hDrcSfQCFPzf4lfEalk_l-hiZP1PmOZSc2hgTgkdnfhD_fJ__CDIz-87ksE/s1600/IMG_1883.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_9-um6OJUB255B3c_lt53dKvTVd3ATRz2fS_-vEWXssjobj-e-NFW22ZwuFLfTsHrmyuYIf3_GL6_m91hDrcSfQCFPzf4lfEalk_l-hiZP1PmOZSc2hgTgkdnfhD_fJ__CDIz-87ksE/s320/IMG_1883.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470398016434366066" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We took a train ride which ended at the work area where cars and locomotives are repaired or restored. A turn table ended the ride from which we returned to the museum, a round trip of about 6 miles.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVA_Mq_iRh1OxDbVN0Wj4bwZILNFJ0wlcG6Yr8jV9lL1QH60Z1CTxHw0t45-kJpY9cJSKPYc6h5LibLTf66gVaD5HvSt2xyBcrgvsvdGHd3WlmUS9LlbM5jxt1Mv_n17PUQnv9UQfsQxY/s1600/IMG_1893.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 244px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVA_Mq_iRh1OxDbVN0Wj4bwZILNFJ0wlcG6Yr8jV9lL1QH60Z1CTxHw0t45-kJpY9cJSKPYc6h5LibLTf66gVaD5HvSt2xyBcrgvsvdGHd3WlmUS9LlbM5jxt1Mv_n17PUQnv9UQfsQxY/s320/IMG_1893.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470400383131076242" border="0" /></a> This is a view of the work facilities operated by the museum. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XiDwEbpWsR8NVrL8_1GssldNxNax3D-jubks6NNOIZQyo6OcWcbQ92eer5Wfo_npWs_Zh6yJU3uTMXr3fYO2UkS2ahRTFBhynJ8j2T42P_IETWTGDstFtBX1Eua8mddODpfNRlT1J-Q/s1600/IMG_1894.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XiDwEbpWsR8NVrL8_1GssldNxNax3D-jubks6NNOIZQyo6OcWcbQ92eer5Wfo_npWs_Zh6yJU3uTMXr3fYO2UkS2ahRTFBhynJ8j2T42P_IETWTGDstFtBX1Eua8mddODpfNRlT1J-Q/s320/IMG_1894.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470400386714382978" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0CTtrEmWzmRKNuZARaZnxAKVj_qth-ISnYZONsj0Tlb6PzInQ3-PKhd-DTp8zeuhE04M31C5Z1dQRmm05JrVmWkDZ39KXc0MEj5FrSjCEg1Yg9gJIW-el7lttkRw7HpjXiqoSux0HnXE/s1600/IMG_1900.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0CTtrEmWzmRKNuZARaZnxAKVj_qth-ISnYZONsj0Tlb6PzInQ3-PKhd-DTp8zeuhE04M31C5Z1dQRmm05JrVmWkDZ39KXc0MEj5FrSjCEg1Yg9gJIW-el7lttkRw7HpjXiqoSux0HnXE/s200/IMG_1900.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470399179152181410" border="0" /></a> This is a view inside the work area where equipment if being repaired and a locomotive is being restored.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs33bYQaP59umxFovAaf2dy0dYHMw8YKltVkmeuQbXPe-UXVTDJeZMZLSQTj4j-IzSc04Xb0kdIs8kB-R_KkJQVAhPnexoxRO9f13epfllMZ7rTwQ7S8eeanSgXWw-TFCsrwpSYRU1wqc/s1600/IMG_1897.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs33bYQaP59umxFovAaf2dy0dYHMw8YKltVkmeuQbXPe-UXVTDJeZMZLSQTj4j-IzSc04Xb0kdIs8kB-R_KkJQVAhPnexoxRO9f13epfllMZ7rTwQ7S8eeanSgXWw-TFCsrwpSYRU1wqc/s320/IMG_1897.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470400395468061298" border="0" /></a><br /><br />At right is one of the more interesting locomotives on display made by FIAT and privately owned. Its owner is storing it temporarily storing it here.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />After the museum, we had lunch at a very interesting cafe just a few miles from the museum, <a href="http://www.chattanoogahasfun.com/.../nightlife/walts-karaoke-cafe/">Walt's Cafe and Karaoke Club</a>. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbgi5Cr4GNBCdvjP7nGErM1XXpLDaVYRP2kLesK79tC9mYDmOhwj7Mx9vMEBsobEe2OigvxMoFvrVbwnXChzhu2UM5YCCvxRc4FGBqK1h635wvgiLBhmvpt1KMRPu_sY9TB2K1hLouLg/s1600/IMG_1901.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbgi5Cr4GNBCdvjP7nGErM1XXpLDaVYRP2kLesK79tC9mYDmOhwj7Mx9vMEBsobEe2OigvxMoFvrVbwnXChzhu2UM5YCCvxRc4FGBqK1h635wvgiLBhmvpt1KMRPu_sY9TB2K1hLouLg/s320/IMG_1901.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470403645874742194" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Although we primarily ate here because of the name, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSP59lSFSzhCsnVVeuIYtckdAYhh2JJvlXCMZyblXIgWzWVrgzhR3Rn5UGORmtQW_ar9g8goZ5OjfREGQMo0Q5ovcWrSEQpImiA28SbOJ20YqK9FQauoiHfHb8XW8ozKDPavzskaMU9LY/s1600/IMG_1902.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSP59lSFSzhCsnVVeuIYtckdAYhh2JJvlXCMZyblXIgWzWVrgzhR3Rn5UGORmtQW_ar9g8goZ5OjfREGQMo0Q5ovcWrSEQpImiA28SbOJ20YqK9FQauoiHfHb8XW8ozKDPavzskaMU9LY/s320/IMG_1902.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470406964774830594" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRoQ7xBafvNlRZcNhwuETXFoiBs8nCHmEPrBLTVjN009x6guSF85Pt48F6cFmCbtHspc9X-EwS8dtAQRjMCx3bMO5L3BoaEZdaDVqU4bkkwwFlPBMbyXH95veAffE1iUiLqvNYSV35ac/s1600/IMG_1904.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRoQ7xBafvNlRZcNhwuETXFoiBs8nCHmEPrBLTVjN009x6guSF85Pt48F6cFmCbtHspc9X-EwS8dtAQRjMCx3bMO5L3BoaEZdaDVqU4bkkwwFlPBMbyXH95veAffE1iUiLqvNYSV35ac/s320/IMG_1904.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470406961464751666" border="0" /></a><br />the food was actually quite good and the atmosphere absolutely delightful. For Lill, it appears to be a long wait for food, but it wasn't; I spent my time drinking beer and looking around, especially enjoyed the pool table and bar shown behind Lill.<br />After lunch, we drove to the Chickamauga Dam<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6wcn_7kqSILgQMeNLvOt7vP24PY31dO2ZdwyU6pXzzISB8MkZpXgTTtg3yy-YIWwk-UkF98uMQRVW4dlN-LC0a-s8gXp6UARJN7UFaS_dit-YlT6wry-hphYXe-qY5-9YMEReJwLcF4/s1600/IMG_1905.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6wcn_7kqSILgQMeNLvOt7vP24PY31dO2ZdwyU6pXzzISB8MkZpXgTTtg3yy-YIWwk-UkF98uMQRVW4dlN-LC0a-s8gXp6UARJN7UFaS_dit-YlT6wry-hphYXe-qY5-9YMEReJwLcF4/s320/IMG_1905.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470408650237986994" border="0" /></a><br /><br />and hiked half the length of the Riverpark trail, about 7 miles. Along the trail there were several interesting sculptures, restrooms, fishing piers and picnic areas.<br /><br />,<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSI_zxbbvf2YKMC2U9f67dCGicXWgwIko4OM2wuJF8o51myxyNl_okoLCOjj1IG7A1qMDOT6bklZv_BsM9XxXbBQwpej7xaPHPEm3Xiv_wQaJG84C-BLwV6W6iSRBZhIWce7U8U5f_xGw/s1600/IMG_1908.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSI_zxbbvf2YKMC2U9f67dCGicXWgwIko4OM2wuJF8o51myxyNl_okoLCOjj1IG7A1qMDOT6bklZv_BsM9XxXbBQwpej7xaPHPEm3Xiv_wQaJG84C-BLwV6W6iSRBZhIWce7U8U5f_xGw/s320/IMG_1908.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470408655246019778" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Upon returning to the dam, we saw about a dozed heron along the shore patiently waiting for a fish to appear. We never saw so many heron standing in an almost straight line a we saw today.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjP76Ej4H9gqwIJG149WyI8ufCYWJfHeSh-To5gLc9geuNLyvVMFh9pWZ68JJFFJXcsIxqfY0hu9sEjNVReLN4jG3WmeY6GHA4WpHsuWbUiHyjEf-Yf7sZ2U2tEKkKaWjGDpSFU5SFQM/s1600/IMG_1911.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjP76Ej4H9gqwIJG149WyI8ufCYWJfHeSh-To5gLc9geuNLyvVMFh9pWZ68JJFFJXcsIxqfY0hu9sEjNVReLN4jG3WmeY6GHA4WpHsuWbUiHyjEf-Yf7sZ2U2tEKkKaWjGDpSFU5SFQM/s320/IMG_1911.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470408665872471106" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The following day, Saturday, the RV Club visited the Aquarium and enjoyed a nice trip on the Tennessee River to the Gorge area. At left, Lill is on a bench in downtown Chattanooga by the Aquarium.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3qjRdpxTaSYkjpm33lUNG7ksobSH80QT35jsjU5tVZY16C01dssiilR_Bc7iHWGyv7RLLmX5D37yuz0h0i5mnPzTdUcQgjfFaxtLw91W9cmy8BIwAAj97GaWz9OBIMhQPNbvFt_h9xM/s1600/IMG_1918.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3qjRdpxTaSYkjpm33lUNG7ksobSH80QT35jsjU5tVZY16C01dssiilR_Bc7iHWGyv7RLLmX5D37yuz0h0i5mnPzTdUcQgjfFaxtLw91W9cmy8BIwAAj97GaWz9OBIMhQPNbvFt_h9xM/s320/IMG_1918.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470411563592178002" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This is at the front of the Aquarium. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEUAN52bV9j2hcvaolqyqeTa7_8FHASWkCqf0i6dt0kiSd1Bjxz30DiR7spxr3QsUaugvJ7u4Py6ZMJ5tRDrvFeapNVpJ5hkr1Pe1DMEa79Yy_S8Tl9xEPrvp5mD8i2IK38wLYubS4DU/s1600/IMG_1919.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEUAN52bV9j2hcvaolqyqeTa7_8FHASWkCqf0i6dt0kiSd1Bjxz30DiR7spxr3QsUaugvJ7u4Py6ZMJ5tRDrvFeapNVpJ5hkr1Pe1DMEa79Yy_S8Tl9xEPrvp5mD8i2IK38wLYubS4DU/s320/IMG_1919.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470412171815495842" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The aquarium consisted of two buildings, the one behind Lill houses the fresh water displays, another houses the salt water displays. Below are some of the fresh water exhibits. They had one of the nicest seahorse exhibits that I've ever seen.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbnmO74J9eswSFbsFTytdV-CszFc9q-bcC0WiiKgcV_gVr0XNy67DWc2NUjeFleX-HmP2Y0QRPM3yFb3uns1zAebfXYlZkoSxGMfjXzl0xOG9kvS45IA-uKyEjq_DDGEurQxwC9Vz0LU/s1600/IMG_1941.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbnmO74J9eswSFbsFTytdV-CszFc9q-bcC0WiiKgcV_gVr0XNy67DWc2NUjeFleX-HmP2Y0QRPM3yFb3uns1zAebfXYlZkoSxGMfjXzl0xOG9kvS45IA-uKyEjq_DDGEurQxwC9Vz0LU/s200/IMG_1941.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470413412422030338" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_0uBXMNC7q40mIygsmeMQAl5nFxj_FkD1xvwOgwPBatGLS4qWVYIppzif07AITCAKy2pMUIF1w4asGGxLWqroel5q1ft2j-bRHiUAo6HtGLZt8PUVKMZ3zHT_wLqTpy2URQbxESMsj0/s1600/IMG_1930.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_0uBXMNC7q40mIygsmeMQAl5nFxj_FkD1xvwOgwPBatGLS4qWVYIppzif07AITCAKy2pMUIF1w4asGGxLWqroel5q1ft2j-bRHiUAo6HtGLZt8PUVKMZ3zHT_wLqTpy2URQbxESMsj0/s200/IMG_1930.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470413400813134722" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCE9Hi9MojEAy3dcgSmY3gpIAiZc70OHV69gmLKlrUxPT48Tz3r01y9MsSkxtRnJB4CNO9k4Ibqs1tXqiaRFDjKV_C9KcBqJcvrYNlprgivXNDp14nL7lu5NeaerDGaV8kHo_0H87C9F0/s1600/IMG_1922.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCE9Hi9MojEAy3dcgSmY3gpIAiZc70OHV69gmLKlrUxPT48Tz3r01y9MsSkxtRnJB4CNO9k4Ibqs1tXqiaRFDjKV_C9KcBqJcvrYNlprgivXNDp14nL7lu5NeaerDGaV8kHo_0H87C9F0/s200/IMG_1922.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470413395562705394" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Below are some of their sea water exhibits.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGh4xXYqDAaQoS8EM0eXk3b9GFteXvcfz2ffdwjfyMH4u3rZe-gfQk_Y_OHB-KTJ_kyy2uFK0W7weiQEwXwqIfWB2uuTpg4jK6ZxpOr_9hvJV3V9El-JdRLzqkHR5I3Ux3QGy3eCxidw/s1600/IMG_1953.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGh4xXYqDAaQoS8EM0eXk3b9GFteXvcfz2ffdwjfyMH4u3rZe-gfQk_Y_OHB-KTJ_kyy2uFK0W7weiQEwXwqIfWB2uuTpg4jK6ZxpOr_9hvJV3V9El-JdRLzqkHR5I3Ux3QGy3eCxidw/s200/IMG_1953.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470414758424401074" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTn4GOoH2gaxheOR15wpdl7XDMIHRUtvH4zMEgyyo5r8hh3JHPLPow-kn9hbEzL__T7NFuQypA_5HNjR6t57ByB3KfrN4iUnbiVBqiNrLvjlHAhwkoBXfLjkoF4YGw1nSiwywUCVNPPew/s1600/IMG_1952.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTn4GOoH2gaxheOR15wpdl7XDMIHRUtvH4zMEgyyo5r8hh3JHPLPow-kn9hbEzL__T7NFuQypA_5HNjR6t57ByB3KfrN4iUnbiVBqiNrLvjlHAhwkoBXfLjkoF4YGw1nSiwywUCVNPPew/s200/IMG_1952.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470414754146215250" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After the aquarium, we had lunch in a local brewery and then saw "Hubble" at the IMAX. I found it very disappointing. I expected scenes showing Hubble's discoveries; instead they focused on sending astronauts to repair it. Launch of Apollo was great in IMAX, though.<br /><br />After the show, it was time for our boat ride to the Gorge, the last event of the rally.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zCxr5jE2p1btKuj3ii22RpgnvVBYLftnTYxL43qDr6Qng72ePMvZ6bX5rbAU7GG5-PSGkphv_N7E7LnELo-jwjGQ66gR9-nT7wtPBszEdyR23ZV3RA98EE1khMw2hbgz7jr_LZhKQBA/s1600/IMG_1926.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zCxr5jE2p1btKuj3ii22RpgnvVBYLftnTYxL43qDr6Qng72ePMvZ6bX5rbAU7GG5-PSGkphv_N7E7LnELo-jwjGQ66gR9-nT7wtPBszEdyR23ZV3RA98EE1khMw2hbgz7jr_LZhKQBA/s200/IMG_1926.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470496862212873554" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqNLn6p5_7BgzxuByKOJCwKlySNwkn7VIxraanIIKcNf5WmYjFhLDOEHulBGATRZmfphkjErasEUHhqsr9QTKtGzFRL_XK-pGLTxTIBECshgbHIWXyp5vu77xVOYIrh_p0xqZePVP70Q/s1600/IMG_1959.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqNLn6p5_7BgzxuByKOJCwKlySNwkn7VIxraanIIKcNf5WmYjFhLDOEHulBGATRZmfphkjErasEUHhqsr9QTKtGzFRL_XK-pGLTxTIBECshgbHIWXyp5vu77xVOYIrh_p0xqZePVP70Q/s200/IMG_1959.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470498623821104290" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74mVSQXjGr08KXKY5R3UMyctuH80ZZ_QgAnOmM9HMBjmX4DDWvwCMiyNbu87etCN45zWtOVvUERYIR99f_RO2y8sJlNev25TKJ0vFfq1MWZUJsTeDJTi4uDRj8Corc4GxuM7CjtzEHUY/s1600/IMG_1959.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74mVSQXjGr08KXKY5R3UMyctuH80ZZ_QgAnOmM9HMBjmX4DDWvwCMiyNbu87etCN45zWtOVvUERYIR99f_RO2y8sJlNev25TKJ0vFfq1MWZUJsTeDJTi4uDRj8Corc4GxuM7CjtzEHUY/s200/IMG_1959.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470496873706461890" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjii14VLJ65T_FdX556oT9w2PBQLvkGknxAascOdLMQAW94DbV35jYMJwaD4aS1Zi_SG8aXAO0OMNJuaBtM-cOfbjtzXwIrJ42pp8ASdLTU9UQNbGqJs8Nx5wNHK_NOCPaEcO1kmZTWSc/s1600/IMG_1958.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjii14VLJ65T_FdX556oT9w2PBQLvkGknxAascOdLMQAW94DbV35jYMJwaD4aS1Zi_SG8aXAO0OMNJuaBtM-cOfbjtzXwIrJ42pp8ASdLTU9UQNbGqJs8Nx5wNHK_NOCPaEcO1kmZTWSc/s200/IMG_1958.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470496864516628530" border="0" /></a><br />And so, on Mothers Day we headed back to Sun City, got there around 5pm, just in time to take her out for Mothers Day at the Okatie Ale House for a fajita and a pizza for me.Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-11157394901166610742010-01-22T11:13:00.027-05:002011-03-05T15:35:26.082-05:00Golden AnniversaryIn December, 1959, Lillian flew to El Paso where I was stationed at Ft. Bliss for our wedding. Her flight was mostly filled with women going to Juarez, Mexico, just across from El Paso, for their quickie divorces. Fortunately for me, Lillian didn't listen to their advice. After being married in the Ft. Bliss Chapel, we drove to Las Vegas for our honeymoon. The highlight was seeing Jo Stafford at the Stardust. At that time, the Strip only had one or two casinos, e.g., the Flamingo and Stardust; most of the action was on Fremont St, where we spent a lot of time in the Golden Nugget, getting free drinks and free pictures. Dining then was cheap as were the shows where we could see headliners just for the price of a drink.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsmE_4Jvww6uMorof5qCvx66tFjb8UhZjSOZtdmd8eiQraZ4f55L-Y0ssC09UM9h-QocT6S1Ln3qv-aPmalpF9f3BNPAQzCcc93-bcmYbdcGLvsOFMvXEzXYxHKshGy8Q64M-hn-IAxRo/s1600/1959aDec12a.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsmE_4Jvww6uMorof5qCvx66tFjb8UhZjSOZtdmd8eiQraZ4f55L-Y0ssC09UM9h-QocT6S1Ln3qv-aPmalpF9f3BNPAQzCcc93-bcmYbdcGLvsOFMvXEzXYxHKshGy8Q64M-hn-IAxRo/s320/1959aDec12a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580695119180190994" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTYwHjdW4Al4G1jXffp48-DO9ODyUK5iwON5rhZyzbc487aB5M9sTzCqvrWFip-oOnz1YNj50VN_0oPoxvhxV2asrK7D0aesvZjdg_A1hs1Gqs6fgTzzoKpKc3vnpKaXxhx9KTYxddM4/s1600-h/Dec19590001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTYwHjdW4Al4G1jXffp48-DO9ODyUK5iwON5rhZyzbc487aB5M9sTzCqvrWFip-oOnz1YNj50VN_0oPoxvhxV2asrK7D0aesvZjdg_A1hs1Gqs6fgTzzoKpKc3vnpKaXxhx9KTYxddM4/s200/Dec19590001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429601057367044466" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5FN-7hzoiuHg4h3SLh9Y9jnoQLYGO2PFIaAagfEawX2X5W6fw2vx9F_miVox3Fn1b72w_tQNEUFf-IU8bVrWO6rQwqVF5BIopJY4dpSzaclHYOEDPU6k7x0PnTQ90SapzFOk0IP0rjAI/s1600-h/Dec19590003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 139px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5FN-7hzoiuHg4h3SLh9Y9jnoQLYGO2PFIaAagfEawX2X5W6fw2vx9F_miVox3Fn1b72w_tQNEUFf-IU8bVrWO6rQwqVF5BIopJY4dpSzaclHYOEDPU6k7x0PnTQ90SapzFOk0IP0rjAI/s200/Dec19590003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429601064333878674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5q7jf4HelI90FY-9RNt1Ji0Sh_7-2zDkfl9f1Y92AIDUm1kC6J2gUHeSKNv21xLnvfR2WlESNzTWBgtaVzMoCJyXG6r2uZBCSq7iNGQKndABNENDFbuq1mzBhIzwL4QRoza2uz7swxE/s1600-h/StardustW&L3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5q7jf4HelI90FY-9RNt1Ji0Sh_7-2zDkfl9f1Y92AIDUm1kC6J2gUHeSKNv21xLnvfR2WlESNzTWBgtaVzMoCJyXG6r2uZBCSq7iNGQKndABNENDFbuq1mzBhIzwL4QRoza2uz7swxE/s200/StardustW&L3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429601060048210946" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We've been back a number of times, but last December we returned to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. After 50 years, things were really different. We stayed at the Venetian<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjguZzNQOb1TEs5wF2KDxxePMgjxxEoSfu5HA-D72GJAHmyMwqLpHEfO1WBCda1cuB29DM3rRr4prhB6KTpnpipeMZx6dtl_C59yJVH30zKx3TyPYX0o1JU_HO1UPREJ-ovI0Vpe29LuM/s1600-h/14568_239425630349_736450349_4785266_1371128_s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 117px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjguZzNQOb1TEs5wF2KDxxePMgjxxEoSfu5HA-D72GJAHmyMwqLpHEfO1WBCda1cuB29DM3rRr4prhB6KTpnpipeMZx6dtl_C59yJVH30zKx3TyPYX0o1JU_HO1UPREJ-ovI0Vpe29LuM/s200/14568_239425630349_736450349_4785266_1371128_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429685959462711794" border="0" /></a><br />and dined at the best restaurants. We had a great dinner in the Eiffel Tower restaurant, enjoying the view of the water show at Bellagio, which were spectacular at night.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuUN7Q_5irrpKgDX6Alk1-M4HQ7MX4iJcZ28hcGCM0CF9du_nW27XM3XR21hasqP_1Vg_PDuwFn8JcFcwiS_FEM-nD0CwE2q5lyA5WAPNSzBf1YWrh12nydE3xDTG8WL6X3CHiVUyuO8/s1600-h/IMG_1672.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuUN7Q_5irrpKgDX6Alk1-M4HQ7MX4iJcZ28hcGCM0CF9du_nW27XM3XR21hasqP_1Vg_PDuwFn8JcFcwiS_FEM-nD0CwE2q5lyA5WAPNSzBf1YWrh12nydE3xDTG8WL6X3CHiVUyuO8/s200/IMG_1672.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429665506514697362" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9yOW46B_0aNgDUmsOne-LjDDm_GEOmwvm8huNaB-SCpZ0kdtCkc32C_GIDrt24pETsoBiDmWK9oKRF_oMJxX-uiN5Y49f_cCw6oBGGJtBBbBX8Rda-3Azb-MOuJFaQPHCRCqrdWlNAY/s1600-h/IMG_1662.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9yOW46B_0aNgDUmsOne-LjDDm_GEOmwvm8huNaB-SCpZ0kdtCkc32C_GIDrt24pETsoBiDmWK9oKRF_oMJxX-uiN5Y49f_cCw6oBGGJtBBbBX8Rda-3Azb-MOuJFaQPHCRCqrdWlNAY/s200/IMG_1662.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429665501458410162" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We celebrated our anniversary by dining within the Venetian and seeing the Phantom of The Opera. Excellent meal and a terrific performance.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDfQl1xNZE3uTw6wgY4Gl4U2WmBJPCyyxr9KCI9S5i5UvM6gNH3NAEiBoxFALzcFi4n35FLqms6z_a4MYxMKX9k5S_xGoPjBEtZ3cS_Viix_0Nap-B9fZnxicmslp6DIGgif2_-lnDxk/s1600-h/W&L50th.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDfQl1xNZE3uTw6wgY4Gl4U2WmBJPCyyxr9KCI9S5i5UvM6gNH3NAEiBoxFALzcFi4n35FLqms6z_a4MYxMKX9k5S_xGoPjBEtZ3cS_Viix_0Nap-B9fZnxicmslp6DIGgif2_-lnDxk/s200/W&L50th.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429678401564594578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjd6pB73l7mRNdhvGbxZnHRLyoGllhmEf95Gw40g9BZuLUdAe-TBuk9c3navWtPlPp-b-90deoIvyD_-YwiQtuPR_GmrpEe8e5f-oPjoVUFixnp7RsXOXnG0zH3Do-YA54o2mlzoTgRw/s1600-h/14568_239326445349_736450349_4784920_3462862_s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 96px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjd6pB73l7mRNdhvGbxZnHRLyoGllhmEf95Gw40g9BZuLUdAe-TBuk9c3navWtPlPp-b-90deoIvyD_-YwiQtuPR_GmrpEe8e5f-oPjoVUFixnp7RsXOXnG0zH3Do-YA54o2mlzoTgRw/s200/14568_239326445349_736450349_4784920_3462862_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429689545218109042" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The night before we had seen Crazy Girls, a topless show featuring five girls featuring reformatted boobs; plastic surgery at its worst. Here I'm standing by the famous bronze statutes of the Crazy Girls. The picture ext to it we are in a bar in an auto museum.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1fXQsRiaOTLvFXA_rdDwIepjXxlRJNBrgzENCKQDxcSd35Oi1V5V9L7qZ2w3mrV9nAXMN59HrxhFG0utFPfZZLdFUuocYuRbsWlNQArQHioaoNx4S3muykUxm85rG34q1q3yAo24b5g/s1600-h/IMG_1716.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1fXQsRiaOTLvFXA_rdDwIepjXxlRJNBrgzENCKQDxcSd35Oi1V5V9L7qZ2w3mrV9nAXMN59HrxhFG0utFPfZZLdFUuocYuRbsWlNQArQHioaoNx4S3muykUxm85rG34q1q3yAo24b5g/s200/IMG_1716.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429665518797409954" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMW0DFful0WA8-8GnY3XyRAIrzokphwzhpFTY7Rk0DLxxTW0gRMZEplz09SMiwy6Z01Er4HVQ1aKucxKGq6v0EPccnh5sBwByomi04VwXdauepUzXOsKBgubCutiwiURpwqxVQQ8DTkaQ/s1600-h/IMG_1708.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMW0DFful0WA8-8GnY3XyRAIrzokphwzhpFTY7Rk0DLxxTW0gRMZEplz09SMiwy6Z01Er4HVQ1aKucxKGq6v0EPccnh5sBwByomi04VwXdauepUzXOsKBgubCutiwiURpwqxVQQ8DTkaQ/s200/IMG_1708.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429670071621654994" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhza7PSIYk_GKjf8vK9Ji6T0QFCoChDNnTyBlMHTt2tZYsp4tWo3Kxt2EZsnQ69LKqyyNBjfurRY_9X0xxKiFjBXfE3QbsCp5vw-wxKCcD5xqkrLCouxvE9EUFXgHgCZZapqCDLm_WUp2k/s1600-h/IMG_1679.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhza7PSIYk_GKjf8vK9Ji6T0QFCoChDNnTyBlMHTt2tZYsp4tWo3Kxt2EZsnQ69LKqyyNBjfurRY_9X0xxKiFjBXfE3QbsCp5vw-wxKCcD5xqkrLCouxvE9EUFXgHgCZZapqCDLm_WUp2k/s200/IMG_1679.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429665511609695778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In the Bellagio they had nice Christmas decorations, including a G-scale model railroad. The Wynn was also nicely decorated as this picture of Lillian shows.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBN8bS3uI6L7CCGen63OjbtSoxWCwPvIa5s3zBmuDrV7EYFNZgv4LTuotl75kSwMRvpmtxNcf6nn8iiEU0_zCWgUWT8VFiTeRO0JvFQM09R1qMUMDDoBhj8DOd0F8ABOYdk398NquQVg/s1600-h/IMG_1667.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBN8bS3uI6L7CCGen63OjbtSoxWCwPvIa5s3zBmuDrV7EYFNZgv4LTuotl75kSwMRvpmtxNcf6nn8iiEU0_zCWgUWT8VFiTeRO0JvFQM09R1qMUMDDoBhj8DOd0F8ABOYdk398NquQVg/s200/IMG_1667.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429667783901542834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4QjyeYCpK9slPmaN0Gi0mmLo4PeYoe4uNc6qBYuEx3qlKZAOZI7PJ8Njsct0mfdJMcUX7s7ym32T2_uESNSU-rHBzGngwDXwZBwuLQsAFinx01MmcCu9OQA0dt2ZBDp5OR2enQTFCgw/s1600-h/Lill.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4QjyeYCpK9slPmaN0Gi0mmLo4PeYoe4uNc6qBYuEx3qlKZAOZI7PJ8Njsct0mfdJMcUX7s7ym32T2_uESNSU-rHBzGngwDXwZBwuLQsAFinx01MmcCu9OQA0dt2ZBDp5OR2enQTFCgw/s200/Lill.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429678407858138178" border="0" /></a><br />Meanwhile within the Venetian, there were many fine places to dine or drink.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIC8oFke1CVgK6SeFeZUkUIpdVNbHvpKLqNPT30aJBSj5F8HtLNwautkNkyDxfOZRQ_TZbxaTFVXs4z3D7-ssDAORsf9G9A_Swcw_YQ6TSS63NQM5H5F37dXiOqtn0LPUkLRYopEs8QUA/s1600-h/IMG_1686.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIC8oFke1CVgK6SeFeZUkUIpdVNbHvpKLqNPT30aJBSj5F8HtLNwautkNkyDxfOZRQ_TZbxaTFVXs4z3D7-ssDAORsf9G9A_Swcw_YQ6TSS63NQM5H5F37dXiOqtn0LPUkLRYopEs8QUA/s200/IMG_1686.JPG" alt="" 1959="" chapel="" at="" where="" i="" was="" flew="" in="" from="" ny="" flight="" that="" included="" primarily="" women="" going="" mexico="" a="" good="" thing="" lillian="" didn="" t="" listen="" their="" we="" got="" married="" on="" the="" 12th="" and="" then="" drove="" to="" las="" vegas="" for="" our="" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MD3ktYZlwSsyEgSlyqGUODz0Orhreea-1WmNVEds5wQnbdbU8Eh4-12CmynsfUBe0RW4OabwvmimnYZ5RSNZKtUVEgSPO7zuDI0t4qEejcPn6uURcA8B4a1RTK4Jt3ScppcJchMFVaY/s1600-h/14568_239592755349_736450349_4786041_1218706_s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 97px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MD3ktYZlwSsyEgSlyqGUODz0Orhreea-1WmNVEds5wQnbdbU8Eh4-12CmynsfUBe0RW4OabwvmimnYZ5RSNZKtUVEgSPO7zuDI0t4qEejcPn6uURcA8B4a1RTK4Jt3ScppcJchMFVaY/s200/14568_239592755349_736450349_4786041_1218706_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429685949170430482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yGiSLrKpX9_zEQ8_hbre2DfWUABtMuIuACteHXEYst4njXiR-qg0M7yawJJB2Naqis5UlqeQUx02tRNJvaCZzmCjarMCaQkJcd0TWWoUFXYuTYFzdLe4lCOSNbZ8pkih_7FcQBwLP64/s1600-h/14568_239592785349_736450349_4786043_7349659_s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 97px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yGiSLrKpX9_zEQ8_hbre2DfWUABtMuIuACteHXEYst4njXiR-qg0M7yawJJB2Naqis5UlqeQUx02tRNJvaCZzmCjarMCaQkJcd0TWWoUFXYuTYFzdLe4lCOSNbZ8pkih_7FcQBwLP64/s200/14568_239592785349_736450349_4786043_7349659_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429685939589359314" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />The next night we saw Cher at Caesar's Palace; typical Cher with fantastic costumes and including nostalgia videos with Sunny and Chastity. Here we are dining in Caesar's palace just before seeing Cher.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-hg8oBfbfEDcSKCKXnWrEadw2XshGtK1HUzJxhPoluipBdTDVK3aqkJ948vmUNIuixfz1kaaQg9isbNT-slKow5pHRf0MYFPxtJRKSCjQVUrLSW4tkKL054Mf09RT3xY-oUIa3Q8jzo/s1600-h/IMG_1737.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-hg8oBfbfEDcSKCKXnWrEadw2XshGtK1HUzJxhPoluipBdTDVK3aqkJ948vmUNIuixfz1kaaQg9isbNT-slKow5pHRf0MYFPxtJRKSCjQVUrLSW4tkKL054Mf09RT3xY-oUIa3Q8jzo/s200/IMG_1737.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429670066382965314" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfk-A086bPNmk0mp6OsxpHMoyZRNPpo2A2wNIXncamUGP2adpeL7I3TiWACL_pHGLK-q33AB9AXCavlIXEUAaekLbs2S12MPRs-Njpq3lyjO75CVX1fg_8L4JRvEzyNmAPajkVdppTf_Y/s1600-h/IMG_1718.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfk-A086bPNmk0mp6OsxpHMoyZRNPpo2A2wNIXncamUGP2adpeL7I3TiWACL_pHGLK-q33AB9AXCavlIXEUAaekLbs2S12MPRs-Njpq3lyjO75CVX1fg_8L4JRvEzyNmAPajkVdppTf_Y/s200/IMG_1718.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429670096679854482" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We took a ride to Fremont St and saw the Golden Nugget, but it had significantly changed from when we were there 50 years ago as the picture with Lill below standing on Fremont Street shows.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFrFkK1qc8tniOmhmH_gBFq88NCB5Dh0WK1ZVEWECUZ6eY8EnRqw3bXoUpl3mhGS2ZRZLAP7TCj_VrnBq7TRjU-qa0tO5LUJZC6M9tgXsIHv2TCIFiE_HI0JDKUGIQN2jZ0fhj3fj4xQ/s1600/1959cLasVegas5.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 203px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFrFkK1qc8tniOmhmH_gBFq88NCB5Dh0WK1ZVEWECUZ6eY8EnRqw3bXoUpl3mhGS2ZRZLAP7TCj_VrnBq7TRjU-qa0tO5LUJZC6M9tgXsIHv2TCIFiE_HI0JDKUGIQN2jZ0fhj3fj4xQ/s320/1959cLasVegas5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580696149623322066" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Fremont St is now a pedestrian only street with a cover over it; not the hub of activity of days gone by.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLNgZ3ozyvBTTCKH21k0mIYMrvwoiq4LL0bL3sFlzmWCTlQV4fmxJyKGtKo0xGuQRR7vAYem78sQIe6aYbJE0UadP7bWcZdxWqVwxoKJifgURXXJPx6JUDYxh4cxbuv0rJxGEeyds73c/s1600-h/14568_239562770349_736450349_4785862_4394147_s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 97px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLNgZ3ozyvBTTCKH21k0mIYMrvwoiq4LL0bL3sFlzmWCTlQV4fmxJyKGtKo0xGuQRR7vAYem78sQIe6aYbJE0UadP7bWcZdxWqVwxoKJifgURXXJPx6JUDYxh4cxbuv0rJxGEeyds73c/s200/14568_239562770349_736450349_4785862_4394147_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429685948827790162" border="0" /></a><br /><br />On our last night we saw a Las Vegas Jubilee, a girly review, at Bally's which was real nice. It featured lots of beautiful topless girls in extravagant costumes, one of whom has me in her clutches.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewLJNWD7_PgKH4vq-s6wSnkNa4NDoxmqjErFDm-NtKLOAVkfeRY9hafGIXAugoiigc31JqeqWMghpm2D_7Gboz42Pr2MulWL1Ic1jjeTXYomtLWTWLTlg4-Z6qb9yyuK3WhjJgUrxY5U/s1600-h/14568_239309425349_736450349_4784853_3532732_s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 115px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewLJNWD7_PgKH4vq-s6wSnkNa4NDoxmqjErFDm-NtKLOAVkfeRY9hafGIXAugoiigc31JqeqWMghpm2D_7Gboz42Pr2MulWL1Ic1jjeTXYomtLWTWLTlg4-Z6qb9yyuK3WhjJgUrxY5U/s200/14568_239309425349_736450349_4784853_3532732_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429689539249916962" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwbT1_w-ElpgtsQUEUt1yphhq0neTHQZR_eZGPCk-S5HIAwPKmSmSUSjlO81cIxOd58e_jEX6MfowzxQvZhNqZ1IrugrrD_EO5gZjDfLcFuZr0DdVREh9ycMaEZ9TObK7heUqt3VMsd8/s1600-h/14568_239326405349_736450349_4784918_5805187_s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 115px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwbT1_w-ElpgtsQUEUt1yphhq0neTHQZR_eZGPCk-S5HIAwPKmSmSUSjlO81cIxOd58e_jEX6MfowzxQvZhNqZ1IrugrrD_EO5gZjDfLcFuZr0DdVREh9ycMaEZ9TObK7heUqt3VMsd8/s200/14568_239326405349_736450349_4784918_5805187_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429689533953123874" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As we flew home, we got a great view of the Hoover Dam. When we were there on our honeymoon, we visited the dam and took many pictures which later became know as our dam pictures.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07_Hgs0mKeV-bpTtUd_NRFtzjLjnozd5gjBBTj3Yw_uFGa7ycuqxoItwrisBs6AYfl_0_vXR7Y1ErYFsitTNUZBVzpKicHnezlVq5BRKNEmRcEbYxIV4P9G3h3FXIY8IFTsF3pX66dwQ/s1600-h/Hoover+Dam.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07_Hgs0mKeV-bpTtUd_NRFtzjLjnozd5gjBBTj3Yw_uFGa7ycuqxoItwrisBs6AYfl_0_vXR7Y1ErYFsitTNUZBVzpKicHnezlVq5BRKNEmRcEbYxIV4P9G3h3FXIY8IFTsF3pX66dwQ/s200/Hoover+Dam.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429681273803029234" border="0" /></a>Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-64930998294658790252009-10-24T16:04:00.018-05:002009-11-22T15:54:36.785-05:00Garden Railroad Progressing Nicely<span style="font-weight: bold;">Been working hard on the railroad most of October under Millie's supervision.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggX1KODTkmko-jz8-T_FNySnTUCaBTSrZT8tUtqVAzpnxd2p4y4gfiJ63xoCeMouBfpUCTB2GWrmVpE6R-UjUPtmPPXjAjgIgyAPKwcBv0wv6Grq-3PkzJFdczNfSgIz0Kd5EgDcfhh4c/s1600-h/Millie_Train.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggX1KODTkmko-jz8-T_FNySnTUCaBTSrZT8tUtqVAzpnxd2p4y4gfiJ63xoCeMouBfpUCTB2GWrmVpE6R-UjUPtmPPXjAjgIgyAPKwcBv0wv6Grq-3PkzJFdczNfSgIz0Kd5EgDcfhh4c/s200/Millie_Train.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398408284758875186" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I changed my <a href="http://myretirement-suncitywalt.blogspot.com/2006/12/as-noted-before-one-of-my-hobbies-is.html">layout</a> from one to two main lines and made the outer one from a larger diameter radius track. This was necessitated when I purchased a new <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Aristocraft</span> SD-45 CSX diesel engine at the Central Florida RR show early in Oct. When I got home, I found out that the curvature of my existing track was too tight for the new engine, so I got a wider radius curve track and decided to expand my set up to two main lines, so that the diesel runs on the outer loop while my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Bachmann</span> 4-6-0 steam engine runs on the inner loop. I had to clear out a lot of dirt and plants to make way for the change. Made a number of trips to get stone dust and small-size gravel for the bed and borrow on several occasions a wheel barrow. I also made a scalloped red brick wall around the garden area so that the rain does not wash the mulch onto the track.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Below are some pictures showing my progress.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhvmqlW7k_2eagpuILpOfZTYFQngj71NYfZ64nzYGO-1atoJY1-Y9de4Wl9Ui0zI2OhIjo7iPQN5zdU_RFdf5BJfVIF92_SMM74U_2FaKuRrIvzMTUscsed8qRLC-yOrtZxkhCYR25zc/s1600-h/IMG_1607.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhvmqlW7k_2eagpuILpOfZTYFQngj71NYfZ64nzYGO-1atoJY1-Y9de4Wl9Ui0zI2OhIjo7iPQN5zdU_RFdf5BJfVIF92_SMM74U_2FaKuRrIvzMTUscsed8qRLC-yOrtZxkhCYR25zc/s200/IMG_1607.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396277924243969634" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm29m65TBNs_-rfEJXl1r01CSjghl8AxDXSOkdduS61H7XwqFaZRVf2BdFqcxI8K7ghdaJT4xKnKkt348mJefs97cbk8Xo515zjfLfxvUFxxMHy8Yb5T4Pb-gPf7niT8aY_jIRqd7g6lA/s1600-h/IMG_1606.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm29m65TBNs_-rfEJXl1r01CSjghl8AxDXSOkdduS61H7XwqFaZRVf2BdFqcxI8K7ghdaJT4xKnKkt348mJefs97cbk8Xo515zjfLfxvUFxxMHy8Yb5T4Pb-gPf7niT8aY_jIRqd7g6lA/s200/IMG_1606.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396277919700719138" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsplYbGlwAE7uePdC1tCvgcGz9io5f8bEdJyPIvgGo6nuP4mxspGz_zrZiCrWvgDJ0avJFE20T1rKiU_kVDbxwzrYspiqro4v9b1VtRhFHcZBc3fxxnrWgbmueLKR15L9EgIY5xH2Tag/s1600-h/IMG_1605.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 140px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsplYbGlwAE7uePdC1tCvgcGz9io5f8bEdJyPIvgGo6nuP4mxspGz_zrZiCrWvgDJ0avJFE20T1rKiU_kVDbxwzrYspiqro4v9b1VtRhFHcZBc3fxxnrWgbmueLKR15L9EgIY5xH2Tag/s200/IMG_1605.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396277915183051090" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The pictures below show the finished layout.<br /><br /></span>It features an Alaska RR on the inner loop, a reminder of our great trip to Alaska and a CSX RR on the outer loop.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1X_cd6roSK4-qhzn0BhUKx6aRW6LEVvi6sNCMbGe72wrM_vYX-MCnSuZ9JncCbPBcD-rsU_kbInutfD8UTeYbkKp27huPAZp0F7LChDeqUO2Ns03GJkfsW-vXLUtZcZ5eOedUI1j74I/s1600/Garden+RR8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 140px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1X_cd6roSK4-qhzn0BhUKx6aRW6LEVvi6sNCMbGe72wrM_vYX-MCnSuZ9JncCbPBcD-rsU_kbInutfD8UTeYbkKp27huPAZp0F7LChDeqUO2Ns03GJkfsW-vXLUtZcZ5eOedUI1j74I/s200/Garden+RR8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406571837132895346" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvmPiFwGuFlvOc0l765JRMcKeTMyW4BppbyB7uU_tVM2Epeo46iMPSikquSAkyt8UPNwcOo6GA57Rhz6o5W4efm40kxbjWvQj-spAjC4DuP0QjIyoRBsRksYaaC5xye4T9DRG82_wiDg/s1600/Gardem+RR7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvmPiFwGuFlvOc0l765JRMcKeTMyW4BppbyB7uU_tVM2Epeo46iMPSikquSAkyt8UPNwcOo6GA57Rhz6o5W4efm40kxbjWvQj-spAjC4DuP0QjIyoRBsRksYaaC5xye4T9DRG82_wiDg/s200/Gardem+RR7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406571836237877266" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2YjHKN3tMkOk3mPKl-k2LqasBAcOfkqCTaWmLB9ez1cC8katADYfGKeS74xJQeW1OzQbBLu08gbiRDKZx6dk3Ytl7utWn2INs4agtMZBnUBFEPdxAwJ1u2LFsTVda1xM84_dfnJzblo/s1600/Garden+RR5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2YjHKN3tMkOk3mPKl-k2LqasBAcOfkqCTaWmLB9ez1cC8katADYfGKeS74xJQeW1OzQbBLu08gbiRDKZx6dk3Ytl7utWn2INs4agtMZBnUBFEPdxAwJ1u2LFsTVda1xM84_dfnJzblo/s200/Garden+RR5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406571833219323330" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMboPDlKpUlRdcCUiNxJ8x0MPQnA4zlYUVzUi8k4W2rTAD5NNJXkGuyEcKN54aaHB2mh07iLm8rg-IdX1MxNGvgFTDj_qUzp_uzOjVM-qYOMoeEcTFSLyQm6DhQlHioQvvf4kSa_uUVI/s1600/Garden+RR6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMboPDlKpUlRdcCUiNxJ8x0MPQnA4zlYUVzUi8k4W2rTAD5NNJXkGuyEcKN54aaHB2mh07iLm8rg-IdX1MxNGvgFTDj_qUzp_uzOjVM-qYOMoeEcTFSLyQm6DhQlHioQvvf4kSa_uUVI/s200/Garden+RR6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406571352095496258" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGGf5vK5cUwdFLgfJEtYgblQNR0PDGsyKHvinKpreqByPuNiifuUnuW6XFz5x70hmcdhy336YjbthpOEPkAgiZo5K3VuL48LoSNmOccLUXjkyHqwSUFDib3AANnWSbgZCudFiBVd4bxU/s1600/GardenRR.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGGf5vK5cUwdFLgfJEtYgblQNR0PDGsyKHvinKpreqByPuNiifuUnuW6XFz5x70hmcdhy336YjbthpOEPkAgiZo5K3VuL48LoSNmOccLUXjkyHqwSUFDib3AANnWSbgZCudFiBVd4bxU/s200/GardenRR.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406571345913719634" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhes-v78Kp-ny9qdN0q6J0ZnFROUgrXHmQdDzWFXDdYE6R_TvWxZl2OJNM8GjwDim-rOg_pNsalmCjQal9Ef4-NZoFRDP618HZxjIItrntLY8w6qFROcAC2AAayMJ1W_Z-NQu3IHIGJbk8/s1600/Garden+RR9.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhes-v78Kp-ny9qdN0q6J0ZnFROUgrXHmQdDzWFXDdYE6R_TvWxZl2OJNM8GjwDim-rOg_pNsalmCjQal9Ef4-NZoFRDP618HZxjIItrntLY8w6qFROcAC2AAayMJ1W_Z-NQu3IHIGJbk8/s200/Garden+RR9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407033947909323714" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4ooaLj8G-2tAGeLyxqJUkyV54_tDLv-cP2FXfw1o2Z1BSFu4Se3BUEegDqqLCCcoFGsBxv5Ay_YZiEzuFlkfRJpMvMfnCVJCdeM593KpOxJwPWG50iLIRsKRZ4rTGOsmDkOTcpt3WyY/s1600/Garden+RR4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 145px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4ooaLj8G-2tAGeLyxqJUkyV54_tDLv-cP2FXfw1o2Z1BSFu4Se3BUEegDqqLCCcoFGsBxv5Ay_YZiEzuFlkfRJpMvMfnCVJCdeM593KpOxJwPWG50iLIRsKRZ4rTGOsmDkOTcpt3WyY/s200/Garden+RR4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406571345976839218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Don't some of these scenes look real? I particularly like the one above where the CSX is turning the bend around the mountain with the water in the background.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8KJ-KtooOQhuW3miwsTUrAS8Vi8NeQZsOsuD3yWlrpCMoCmt6n-uhKIW6aNsO453dLS392lY0Fd_JPJ7VjE1nBdV00nbY6gygHfdJEbH4j9rPcwbhl8ScvJWHnCqcbAC4HjKtPQUTrg/s1600/Garden+RR3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8KJ-KtooOQhuW3miwsTUrAS8Vi8NeQZsOsuD3yWlrpCMoCmt6n-uhKIW6aNsO453dLS392lY0Fd_JPJ7VjE1nBdV00nbY6gygHfdJEbH4j9rPcwbhl8ScvJWHnCqcbAC4HjKtPQUTrg/s200/Garden+RR3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406576130114151074" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUS8iKl8R6a2RkjGwy1iH32SQcVWg9xor_7T7oruhQo8kq1hcB355lrA-ajL-Yh4CAUVm46Ca6CT_2GUa5EnC7JxCCSn8_JKRyfkt-XFiXBG6Ytq2T3dOesuOVylA3vSsdhFdikMzcIIk/s1600/Garden+RR10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUS8iKl8R6a2RkjGwy1iH32SQcVWg9xor_7T7oruhQo8kq1hcB355lrA-ajL-Yh4CAUVm46Ca6CT_2GUa5EnC7JxCCSn8_JKRyfkt-XFiXBG6Ytq2T3dOesuOVylA3vSsdhFdikMzcIIk/s200/Garden+RR10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406576124402954450" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZT1IcVYTn3IGswnGBzs43hN8zTShZNPm88tZxjs0UdGZi9QN_BH1c7asXDJuAZATSgD59j3R97s75FF8iLXmXj4etDyhm3odAB9BzLGA1uSMG-P2evvll5RTJ34ySoETO31FWR8Rfbw/s1600/GardenRR7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZT1IcVYTn3IGswnGBzs43hN8zTShZNPm88tZxjs0UdGZi9QN_BH1c7asXDJuAZATSgD59j3R97s75FF8iLXmXj4etDyhm3odAB9BzLGA1uSMG-P2evvll5RTJ34ySoETO31FWR8Rfbw/s200/GardenRR7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406629910205099698" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I made a red brick wall around the garden part and added some SMALL plants. As can be seen in pictures of my <a href="http://myretirement-suncitywalt.blogspot.com/2006/12/as-noted-before-one-of-my-hobbies-is.html">old layout</a>, Most of what was there was getting just too big and were transplanted. If you look closely, you can see some the the roses I planted climbing up the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">trellis</span>.<br /><br />To run the CSX diesel, I converted it to battery power. I got the necessary parts - QSI board, G2 receiver, batteries, and connectors - while at the Florida train show early Oct. I also had to buy an Aristocraft CSX box car to house the batteries. This was done so that the coupler on the battery car lines up with that on the engine. Below you can see the battery installation in the box car. To the left are the batteries, held in place by velcro. At the door enclosed in the black box are the necessary controls: fuse at top, on/off switch with red led on left, and the jack for charging on the right. This is the car just behind the CSX diesel locomotive.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBS9Rbk1FVC0om0Kk6idy0Qfzx8UYLiZnSK7MauQefok9GeAbHYGNk60bpDrC1YUgg_J5HEy8gqKDrzQqciORmf8Vi3Ut4VUh4BWT4w89i-aR22kgn6psdxmnovEiOddk1vTNklyrjmKw/s1600/IMG_1642.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBS9Rbk1FVC0om0Kk6idy0Qfzx8UYLiZnSK7MauQefok9GeAbHYGNk60bpDrC1YUgg_J5HEy8gqKDrzQqciORmf8Vi3Ut4VUh4BWT4w89i-aR22kgn6psdxmnovEiOddk1vTNklyrjmKw/s200/IMG_1642.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406583398277912850" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Earlier in the year I had my Bachmann 2-6-0 steam locomotive converted to battery power. The battery pack and the necessary electronics are housed in the tender. The electronics comprise a receiver to recive the signals from the hand held controller, a QSI board that controls the sound and the engine speed, a speaker along with a switch, fuse and charging jack. The difference between this and the CSX setup is that in the CSX all the electronics are incorporated in the engine while the batteries are located in the trailing box car. This is a nice feature about Aristocraft engines.Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-71636903621267317172009-08-24T21:15:00.012-05:002009-08-26T19:46:23.723-05:00Springfield, IL -Lincoln, train stations, and railroadsOur trip from Cheyenne to Springfield was interrupted by a broken windshield while traveling through Nebraska. As a result, we went to the Winnebago factory in Forrest City, IA where we had it replaced. This took about two extra days and 200 extra miles. So, we arrived in Springfield on Friday instead of Wednesday, after having gone a total of 4,827 miles. This turned out to be a lucky break for us, as they had a tornado near the campground on Wednesday. Below is a picture of some of the damage near the campground.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgizU3Al3b79nvdRrWFkf6SKYJftozQUYyWValuW-9igfF_2w3TcyDnasg16MWV5iN-YzCZPZdVZbjJuhBgwiZH1XzVazavGLLbWcv88hiYr4uKq-yUVLlTOseAjWGx3BBslbCCWn893a4/s1600-h/IMG_1543.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgizU3Al3b79nvdRrWFkf6SKYJftozQUYyWValuW-9igfF_2w3TcyDnasg16MWV5iN-YzCZPZdVZbjJuhBgwiZH1XzVazavGLLbWcv88hiYr4uKq-yUVLlTOseAjWGx3BBslbCCWn893a4/s200/IMG_1543.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374406013369750050" border="0" /></a>Lincoln's Springfield is s very nice city, it abounds with Lincoln sites, statues and signage. Below left is a scene within the Lincoln Museum in which we are joined by the Lincoln family before the White House. The museum, shown in the 2nd from left, is one of the finest presidential museums I've visited. It was completed in 2005 in anticipation of Lincoln's 200th anniversary. The picture on the right is in the state legislature, now a museum, where the characteristic hat designates Lincoln's seat.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNS_UdVlG_R6PXgAhT2CjQVfQQCpg6IXvOkMwxExSdnoWt2421LE4ExcrvxgJhNaxIg0KgNgTwmP_eikVEgWrbdhWmEBEXMkkL0jlBDBrEV0XD1D6FYwm9Y38mL9_v9wpPHhhWw7VoAmw/s1600-h/IMG_1556.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 157px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNS_UdVlG_R6PXgAhT2CjQVfQQCpg6IXvOkMwxExSdnoWt2421LE4ExcrvxgJhNaxIg0KgNgTwmP_eikVEgWrbdhWmEBEXMkkL0jlBDBrEV0XD1D6FYwm9Y38mL9_v9wpPHhhWw7VoAmw/s200/IMG_1556.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374407332269542306" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The replica White House is a very interesting display that shows Lincoln's White House years. Within the Museum there is also a replica of the Kentucky cabin in which he was raised as a boy. Exhibits there depict his rise from boyhood to politician.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNDuDTxlJAi6eRQOic1tDMZ859RkhoB65gnQngwVFNXCL-pzeLWw59KntRAN8vOyeCGUAlusw4Lsn6imCoASw0GJC6s7Tk3lQp4Ed6aYtbqxSV9E6o4wlmsQCfjFNVAJuU3l4B8GaQOc/s1600-h/IMG_1553.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNDuDTxlJAi6eRQOic1tDMZ859RkhoB65gnQngwVFNXCL-pzeLWw59KntRAN8vOyeCGUAlusw4Lsn6imCoASw0GJC6s7Tk3lQp4Ed6aYtbqxSV9E6o4wlmsQCfjFNVAJuU3l4B8GaQOc/s200/IMG_1553.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374407325111065778" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kyeaAQS4hyi7waCGPfUyCEW-vIlbKIjbixtBMhBGBndW0z-hjC76PnlKVOuhhrXEoigFGbFwDCPRIYE_v9TA-UOXzX_uxEcaxgyJ-Q3XJ5qn5AO-ucEVXaQShUmmyjrv0aGwRw9hUwo/s1600-h/IMG_1550.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kyeaAQS4hyi7waCGPfUyCEW-vIlbKIjbixtBMhBGBndW0z-hjC76PnlKVOuhhrXEoigFGbFwDCPRIYE_v9TA-UOXzX_uxEcaxgyJ-Q3XJ5qn5AO-ucEVXaQShUmmyjrv0aGwRw9hUwo/s200/IMG_1550.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374407315273366402" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHcO0GR2nhc3dLkolFqL9dSuAOJSI0C-K1Dc8MQ-Bj9DlQyORZyZdHGOnimUhM8x9kkXWjq6GM2C_3qcjFgzIgqrAwbTftc6gyCBbLTg7lNsrfmkYYvqW95KL0cN8wFaLRrPuzXUKFdLM/s1600-h/IMG_1545.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHcO0GR2nhc3dLkolFqL9dSuAOJSI0C-K1Dc8MQ-Bj9DlQyORZyZdHGOnimUhM8x9kkXWjq6GM2C_3qcjFgzIgqrAwbTftc6gyCBbLTg7lNsrfmkYYvqW95KL0cN8wFaLRrPuzXUKFdLM/s200/IMG_1545.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374407311140293090" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In the picture above, right, I'm standing with Lincoln in front of the old Springfield RR station which is now a visitor's information center. Railroads are associated with Lincoln throughout his life. As a lawyer with knowledge of railroads, he represented the Rock Island Railroad Company in a suit by a steamboat company which was trying to recover damages from "Effie Afton" collision with a railroad bridge. This was a pivotal case in Lincoln's career and solidified his reputation as a great trial lawyer. Interestingly, this case also involved Jefferson Davis who was at that time Secretary of War. When Lincoln was first elected, he used a train to travel from Springfield, via several northern states, including NY to look up a young girl who in a letter to him suggested he'd look better with a beard, to Washington, DC. The station, pictured below, also served to receive his coffin when his body was returned to Springfield after his assassination in 1865.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh39vPqQeqtF3gKNCL1067X_DXpZjeqe0sz-jwOBd29G9JGQh-Ug-Q-igYmiquyKHSH6sVlrPXGUQGb3ys32fWVRNE9M5k30jq8HX5UgopFdzH48QTO7RdimdSodJwsQCe6CncQtfw6cU/s1600-h/IMG_1561.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh39vPqQeqtF3gKNCL1067X_DXpZjeqe0sz-jwOBd29G9JGQh-Ug-Q-igYmiquyKHSH6sVlrPXGUQGb3ys32fWVRNE9M5k30jq8HX5UgopFdzH48QTO7RdimdSodJwsQCe6CncQtfw6cU/s200/IMG_1561.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374415942942727650" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />While President, Lincoln supported the expansion of railroads to open the West and signed legislation enabling this. Springfield also has lots of Lincoln signage and hats with varied decorations. Below is a sampling.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NfGB_y7OYskYyvokMi0ywrLSls32rpJhmeqd7crMqvVqnhpV28XhVix0l4A7e5aEK_bAPvQOOVDX_RN5kQRw5PkbDAvxDisrcNE5e_c8TY1VMrxfcevbUk4olF1jIvibUNPkqCrB7J8/s1600-h/IMG_1564.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 140px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NfGB_y7OYskYyvokMi0ywrLSls32rpJhmeqd7crMqvVqnhpV28XhVix0l4A7e5aEK_bAPvQOOVDX_RN5kQRw5PkbDAvxDisrcNE5e_c8TY1VMrxfcevbUk4olF1jIvibUNPkqCrB7J8/s200/IMG_1564.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374417570402427090" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThkqw7FHDIWb3i_HXzP5YbY33fHdw_qxsX6jxKx5l7XWzH0sUPUG-KxGUFxIqaaeI5CuRtz-0S2Ss0awYPr7ujArHcXRbekg42Hfc2zx58g23ZSOtsbWtz6NqI8tdxT7nOafBEficBjQ/s1600-h/IMG_1563.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThkqw7FHDIWb3i_HXzP5YbY33fHdw_qxsX6jxKx5l7XWzH0sUPUG-KxGUFxIqaaeI5CuRtz-0S2Ss0awYPr7ujArHcXRbekg42Hfc2zx58g23ZSOtsbWtz6NqI8tdxT7nOafBEficBjQ/s200/IMG_1563.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374420491626648194" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwutq_akUoPVuVsj8CtLVaxlyCDe2TQrzuPQnIN7B_jk5ncA-lhgCaXoUaLdwYLfQNIx91akP8rXlor6E2QlTlqokSTEHQJfTc6_sXbHyw3fQjjI-J0qPr6YJziuvoGTBXXEH08xKitXc/s1600-h/IMG_1565.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwutq_akUoPVuVsj8CtLVaxlyCDe2TQrzuPQnIN7B_jk5ncA-lhgCaXoUaLdwYLfQNIx91akP8rXlor6E2QlTlqokSTEHQJfTc6_sXbHyw3fQjjI-J0qPr6YJziuvoGTBXXEH08xKitXc/s200/IMG_1565.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374417565786817490" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />In this one, we see Obama as a Lincoln wanabe. I don't know who was behind this one, but I certainly don't appreciate this depiction.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5z9AzY6j8cjdOqHLmPHY57Lm-iOBrnmMTrTItWpmUxZlK1pZ_CQOa06GOgxPTPUpWotJ2HCt_8oleRQLXr_4NBXMw8mO31iagC3mOoqijtO3XaQWBxd6YLYtJD3GxDGjn1iZlKDVTIw/s1600-h/IMG_1562.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5z9AzY6j8cjdOqHLmPHY57Lm-iOBrnmMTrTItWpmUxZlK1pZ_CQOa06GOgxPTPUpWotJ2HCt_8oleRQLXr_4NBXMw8mO31iagC3mOoqijtO3XaQWBxd6YLYtJD3GxDGjn1iZlKDVTIw/s200/IMG_1562.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374417559477359490" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />While in Springfield, we visited the Monticello Railroad Museum, which is located about 75 miles east. We toured the yards and took a short train ride. This museum, run by volunteers, is the best private RR museum that I've ever seen. The tracks and bed are in pristine shape, the facilities to repair and refurbish trains are absolutely marvelous. I recommend that anyone interested in trains visit this museum, it's a worth while trip, on par with Steamtown.<br /><br />As shown below inside the locomotive shop, the museum is restoring ex-Southern Railway steam locomotive #401. This locomotive, built in 1907 has a 2-8-0 wheel arrangement with a total weight of 82 tons. The tender holds 7,200 gallons of water. The restoration is nearly complete, the major difference from the original is the use of cosmetic rivits and oil rather than coal. Currently, they are evaluating the use of biodiesel, soybeen/vegetable oil, or waste oil.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-bjAaEEGDDsyVf40YcN1XRzSJTtkwpC9-R9wFyDPXQJ0cDkhT9eg7j6_KJM0QRFzxbDKq-KOKsNpod2VDz9j6Maeql2VNtHMylZD0pKb9YtJ9peZPalMmfCmQ-QowyqB3Y6mkexV5MI/s1600-h/IMG_1575.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-bjAaEEGDDsyVf40YcN1XRzSJTtkwpC9-R9wFyDPXQJ0cDkhT9eg7j6_KJM0QRFzxbDKq-KOKsNpod2VDz9j6Maeql2VNtHMylZD0pKb9YtJ9peZPalMmfCmQ-QowyqB3Y6mkexV5MI/s200/IMG_1575.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374433057689826770" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kjc-SGQ-tJ3rU9b1F66XrLGCCurvNOmfukCeUeiPds0j7IaOZG3khpIiZWuAslH9lfEF2H97obA2tmS76D1NbXtQaX0Nhko2WwHbwJqYlPX7aCOXNdhUK57fNGkBGrcdNRn7A30ohQs/s1600-h/IMG_1574.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kjc-SGQ-tJ3rU9b1F66XrLGCCurvNOmfukCeUeiPds0j7IaOZG3khpIiZWuAslH9lfEF2H97obA2tmS76D1NbXtQaX0Nhko2WwHbwJqYlPX7aCOXNdhUK57fNGkBGrcdNRn7A30ohQs/s200/IMG_1574.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374433048920405330" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Below, I'm climbing into the cab of #1189, a 1953 F-7A GMD diesel that used to run on the Wabash line. This will be pulling our train for a short ride. In the other pictures, you can see us standing by some of the cars on display in their yard. Note the beautiful bed on which the cars rest.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTU06fr3Knwen55XlpMZb9ykHwFTwo2OmdF06dmkTnm1rfBNatas67zTbZRTiNK45OrFsVSPiaNVMDKcfwZM_-xdiDsqdMnv6wTsnF_4WYmaZKAtO4NAJDAL8GLmezOP6GOiQQyx3Z0Jg/s1600-h/IMG_1603.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTU06fr3Knwen55XlpMZb9ykHwFTwo2OmdF06dmkTnm1rfBNatas67zTbZRTiNK45OrFsVSPiaNVMDKcfwZM_-xdiDsqdMnv6wTsnF_4WYmaZKAtO4NAJDAL8GLmezOP6GOiQQyx3Z0Jg/s200/IMG_1603.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374423207323584354" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjor0dJtr6JQlK6Ksflw9zHEJRpEhQZJO4a63im_kWf6RCzJVu56HqsdNRhT2J_7XzIU1CAfHJvEa5NJaiZLhsQvpYbJRu9WIpSRBs-CZdN0dSSptSm6P_tjwFnoljCqJ0RTdPJugU0rNI/s1600-h/IMG_1586.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjor0dJtr6JQlK6Ksflw9zHEJRpEhQZJO4a63im_kWf6RCzJVu56HqsdNRhT2J_7XzIU1CAfHJvEa5NJaiZLhsQvpYbJRu9WIpSRBs-CZdN0dSSptSm6P_tjwFnoljCqJ0RTdPJugU0rNI/s200/IMG_1586.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374423194852012530" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj34u_A1mUoPKoMOtpKJYwN0a9i7NoO0VSaEEUNp318vmTpI_idlkMqTBCmS_JpHsFtebMCuB3b1ssBs77Xlfzrs29LXgXTNozMpmR8zk-7qluxH_G82od2HB3VGjZq80loNf-VhQY6hg8/s1600-h/IMG_1580.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 140px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj34u_A1mUoPKoMOtpKJYwN0a9i7NoO0VSaEEUNp318vmTpI_idlkMqTBCmS_JpHsFtebMCuB3b1ssBs77Xlfzrs29LXgXTNozMpmR8zk-7qluxH_G82od2HB3VGjZq80loNf-VhQY6hg8/s200/IMG_1580.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374423189412134706" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Below is the restored Illinois Central station at the museum.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUXOFhZ_W8v9MEXK5yybPTGwaLNCVSmqrMAOu9LUXf-XmUVbIg8jM-bObzX_ngdabRh4axxRwX-mm4yUT_l81JkyX_A7AXGBi9w2Kcb0BQSJdTqjZEA8DmTseZ2xpjZQifQj8ZSBgUZ4/s1600-h/IMG_1599.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUXOFhZ_W8v9MEXK5yybPTGwaLNCVSmqrMAOu9LUXf-XmUVbIg8jM-bObzX_ngdabRh4axxRwX-mm4yUT_l81JkyX_A7AXGBi9w2Kcb0BQSJdTqjZEA8DmTseZ2xpjZQifQj8ZSBgUZ4/s200/IMG_1599.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374423184943531890" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The museum has over 14 miles of track and currently leases some of it, along a parallel line to its operating line, to store rail cars at $2/day per car. Considering that 100 or more cars are stored there, that's over $200/day income. You can visit their site at: www.mrym.org<br /><br /><br />Well, this was our last stop on our trip out west. We started with the Grand National Rally at the Winnebago Factory, went on to Theodore Roosevelt National Park by Medora, ND, continued on to Glacier National Park and Cheyenne, and finished in Springfield. After Springfield, we traveled 892 miles home, arriving in Sun City at 6:30pm, August 25, 2009. We traveled a total distance of 5,718 miles from home in our motor home. I also put abut 1,500 miles on our Honda. After having driven a total of over 7,200 miles in 47 days, 153 miles each day, I was happy to be home for a rest.Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-63178544088328968182009-08-19T17:14:00.011-05:002009-08-19T21:46:13.616-05:00Cheyenne, Wyoming - Cowboy Country with RailroadsWhat a combination, cowboys and railroads. And bison, wild horses and dromedaries thrown in. All this and more at the Terry Bison Ranch RV Resort in Cheyenne. Sounds good, doesn't it? Maybe 20 years ago it was. But the resort is kind of run down, past it's prime, not so different from me! None the less, it was fun, aside from the facilities being past their prime, the noise from I 25 which was only about 50 yards from our camp site was annoying, to say the least. Hard to get a good night's sleep.<br /><br />On our way to Cheyenne, we stopped at Douglas, WY to visit a railroad exhibit. It featured a life sized jackalope together with a steam engine and several cars. The railroad interpretive center, as it is called, provided us a wonderful glossy brochure of the equipment on exhibit. Locomotive #5633 is a 4-8-4 that was in service from 1940 until 1962 on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy line.. It was moved to Douglas in 1993. The tender held 27 tons of coal and 18,000 gallons of water. At left, Lill is in the dining area and kitchen of the CB&Q dining car. Built in 1947, it saw service until 1972.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyyoBmGhcqIf3ZRbqTYTXr6JXGivYpXxBQWZgZUbHbp9HSoOicrHA8RSDcoN13ofBsVIUmqV9QK9xKaJ7h8GkvU2S9eWiGVl54xdAb42FT7UgXbS7rupOQ9mJk74N3c8X9lPtcOHzswM/s1600-h/IMG_1493.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyyoBmGhcqIf3ZRbqTYTXr6JXGivYpXxBQWZgZUbHbp9HSoOicrHA8RSDcoN13ofBsVIUmqV9QK9xKaJ7h8GkvU2S9eWiGVl54xdAb42FT7UgXbS7rupOQ9mJk74N3c8X9lPtcOHzswM/s200/IMG_1493.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371836860335889874" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5p-O5p2J1k6Pe6FxH_KJdeisWz9W_ucEfde3UTkRmtFoqOoj0tY6ekXv2ufQCMCWOqyx-QdH1yX5peMDFnF3pGcDUCO8rzU4mV42VuH5QtFOQMS1mAsNwUuut0YS5G2YSQAw5MEq3DI4/s1600-h/IMG_1492.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5p-O5p2J1k6Pe6FxH_KJdeisWz9W_ucEfde3UTkRmtFoqOoj0tY6ekXv2ufQCMCWOqyx-QdH1yX5peMDFnF3pGcDUCO8rzU4mV42VuH5QtFOQMS1mAsNwUuut0YS5G2YSQAw5MEq3DI4/s200/IMG_1492.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371806063062424994" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jcFvDdKl1PAtAocKXEb4BseuTOy0N85NxaZgUZQ0nljmiSm9A_uTd_tC3SSmsuZ2-iO5XZHdjC3Rz9sedvxisI7_1-0CJopstBJMnjghGRrIsETnPLjSXxHszkR9NzuBG6kaGdC0qOU/s1600-h/IMG_1494.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 117px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jcFvDdKl1PAtAocKXEb4BseuTOy0N85NxaZgUZQ0nljmiSm9A_uTd_tC3SSmsuZ2-iO5XZHdjC3Rz9sedvxisI7_1-0CJopstBJMnjghGRrIsETnPLjSXxHszkR9NzuBG6kaGdC0qOU/s200/IMG_1494.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371806048106410706" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And here we <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIT8ecmSRqlDcHOhbSjg3dQKbiK_OGwzMjOxlUcpjTFDeuyUmVjm60KBWQGAdulgkjqhrojDwYK5MupeegSh8wCrbFdDS31lD5sS2Day4My0dbpfBKBwiFoVFXqhN_egaoHBCQhlSqxtE/s1600-h/IMG_1484.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIT8ecmSRqlDcHOhbSjg3dQKbiK_OGwzMjOxlUcpjTFDeuyUmVjm60KBWQGAdulgkjqhrojDwYK5MupeegSh8wCrbFdDS31lD5sS2Day4My0dbpfBKBwiFoVFXqhN_egaoHBCQhlSqxtE/s200/IMG_1484.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371806033682493746" border="0" /></a>are photographed with a jackalope. This strange animal has a unique ability to imitate the human voice. Cowboys singing to their herds at night have been startled to hear their lonesome melodies repeated from afar. Jackalopes only sing on dark nights just before a thunderstorm. Jackalope sightings have the same aura as UFO sightings and are thought to be just as rare.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />From Buffalo, WY it was another 304 miles to Cheyenne where we arrived on Aug 14th at the Terry Bison Ranch. So <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkEp_88ohT2irIwpGoQRAJzXwCrIkny022pgbAI-HslB3gEG7Ecdx9pI9c6McWR87G_yfqI-3n0NLCLJ3CrxkRa2KWUUq6RaKmkVjjAfgs2iZcX_JXywEhWr6Y2RGxb5Khbjk2NobjrEo/s1600-h/IMG_1541.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkEp_88ohT2irIwpGoQRAJzXwCrIkny022pgbAI-HslB3gEG7Ecdx9pI9c6McWR87G_yfqI-3n0NLCLJ3CrxkRa2KWUUq6RaKmkVjjAfgs2iZcX_JXywEhWr6Y2RGxb5Khbjk2NobjrEo/s200/IMG_1541.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371841635047978706" border="0" /></a>far, we have traveled a total of 3,613 miles. The state's capitol is a small city, about 6,000 feet above sea level. Here we feasted on bison, met Miss Frontier Days, rode a fake train through a bison herd, and visited museums and steam locomotive exhibits. Below are pictures of the capitol building, the Union Pacific yard as viewed from the railroad museum which is housed in the old UP train station pictured to the right.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFGjOpXUy31HHgNGGrflZunruOFUPaegpPuDQsfD5CA_GA_qYTHLINbzneaUE8a2OxweKz8WRLltzr1BqOVb-OC_XCLfYrAhqWA7FCQUW1p0iGBxSgs7aonlnjB8bO_Ian1ELPmYmfv4/s1600-h/IMG_1505.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFGjOpXUy31HHgNGGrflZunruOFUPaegpPuDQsfD5CA_GA_qYTHLINbzneaUE8a2OxweKz8WRLltzr1BqOVb-OC_XCLfYrAhqWA7FCQUW1p0iGBxSgs7aonlnjB8bO_Ian1ELPmYmfv4/s200/IMG_1505.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371841669898134786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8iYTGKi9wEZi_DhXuESMPEV7oQchSu8VKw69CJhYrkbqtE4kTWdHUVaXYi7DrFrt-dtryhz2Jr1dfUaJA8_8Z7aXGHM6x8GC0053mjJ7TKbQEv3ebjHXHx0FJr4tbz2_fzxe33FTSTg/s1600-h/IMG_1502.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8iYTGKi9wEZi_DhXuESMPEV7oQchSu8VKw69CJhYrkbqtE4kTWdHUVaXYi7DrFrt-dtryhz2Jr1dfUaJA8_8Z7aXGHM6x8GC0053mjJ7TKbQEv3ebjHXHx0FJr4tbz2_fzxe33FTSTg/s200/IMG_1502.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371841662820904386" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGa9JNLBhsJZcC74AI5MWdOuS_YWRu3UngclBZnK0Tlodc1J-1H1zqWiUyr2QEDYmynyZ6kjfOIeGWqZdDemwx9wBZiz6LeC3TyHnNqhNofs9eW1LnsFfWANfIQzMhfBt6xfDYbu1CEHs/s1600-h/IMG_1504.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGa9JNLBhsJZcC74AI5MWdOuS_YWRu3UngclBZnK0Tlodc1J-1H1zqWiUyr2QEDYmynyZ6kjfOIeGWqZdDemwx9wBZiz6LeC3TyHnNqhNofs9eW1LnsFfWANfIQzMhfBt6xfDYbu1CEHs/s200/IMG_1504.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371841651578426962" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Below is the Big Boy located on display in downtown Cheyenne.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7QPwZkmxFCzq9OQFrQBmnHXw9RV2_iEiczWpLlmcWO5EXVsl_X-7tahlTiUdhTbkhK4mklXI3KHe7mtT2-5eAUGOzyeoHEpie1VdVonjssDpZT1UXAUP4r3MPg8EQeDZtEo4h0b6dSc/s1600-h/IMG_1498.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7QPwZkmxFCzq9OQFrQBmnHXw9RV2_iEiczWpLlmcWO5EXVsl_X-7tahlTiUdhTbkhK4mklXI3KHe7mtT2-5eAUGOzyeoHEpie1VdVonjssDpZT1UXAUP4r3MPg8EQeDZtEo4h0b6dSc/s200/IMG_1498.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371841642675833314" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In Lions Park, downtown Cheyenne, we visited UP engine # 1242, "Old Sadie", the oldest coal burning steam locomotive in Wyoming. Its engineer, Floyd Young from 1921 to 1954, walked the old UP tracks after he retired and collected parts which he later welded together to make a fence around his home. This fence now forms part of the #1242 display shown below.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3xwLTo4xAu-QmDK-GeHY2pb4ynrmYX63YBhyJCFqvfoAcM8Zig5W4I9vzF7_xfbVlKe3rEjOoPc4DBXHfiYjwlkG_RkponnOs67E8BUiBYwMZn_9QvzCXQcvBbECQaIOLEZhgsvmpahs/s1600-h/IMG_1538.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3xwLTo4xAu-QmDK-GeHY2pb4ynrmYX63YBhyJCFqvfoAcM8Zig5W4I9vzF7_xfbVlKe3rEjOoPc4DBXHfiYjwlkG_RkponnOs67E8BUiBYwMZn_9QvzCXQcvBbECQaIOLEZhgsvmpahs/s200/IMG_1538.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371845237115354642" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPiowj0IeRnHUE0V9R6hbOFErJCApH6QZ3jUgNiZg6C2dbgf_QaqlZq0g62h63tJ0AOhvacEFH1DA0uvIrfYyVIdsZoKTcMp7J9-wfB3YtCU4f1X78Y7fQ_fc-Nkyby5nNbpCBPol98A/s1600-h/IMG_1532.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPiowj0IeRnHUE0V9R6hbOFErJCApH6QZ3jUgNiZg6C2dbgf_QaqlZq0g62h63tJ0AOhvacEFH1DA0uvIrfYyVIdsZoKTcMp7J9-wfB3YtCU4f1X78Y7fQ_fc-Nkyby5nNbpCBPol98A/s200/IMG_1532.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371845231342000050" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Below is a portion of Floyd's iron fence which is enclosed in the fence surrounding #1242..<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtxsrUYNdbcmUF5F8fo62yoba9NzPNgSH0lJ3JCLLhOdFb_IFHoMhdtyOm_YG4ys8FyimyBDvZv1_r_18lkR9lI_9p0Pv9bL3pQWqn795KMYQrPEq54oOqkUK_wUZePHEfgOWaO1lWk4/s1600-h/IMG_1531.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtxsrUYNdbcmUF5F8fo62yoba9NzPNgSH0lJ3JCLLhOdFb_IFHoMhdtyOm_YG4ys8FyimyBDvZv1_r_18lkR9lI_9p0Pv9bL3pQWqn795KMYQrPEq54oOqkUK_wUZePHEfgOWaO1lWk4/s200/IMG_1531.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371849768155708962" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsD5dq78h3JWmI-QxY6zt5S7WV5LJp7mW7_8lv-RqF-zbZaHgvFL-HBd5r8JfHvAy1nxQZfuJDwdvbRAi8y4S9jAu1vDeroIS2ZXsxrrxXJtXGr6YzeAofmVBdqbdGk1MrJKzH4-qWNiM/s1600-h/IMG_1527.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsD5dq78h3JWmI-QxY6zt5S7WV5LJp7mW7_8lv-RqF-zbZaHgvFL-HBd5r8JfHvAy1nxQZfuJDwdvbRAi8y4S9jAu1vDeroIS2ZXsxrrxXJtXGr6YzeAofmVBdqbdGk1MrJKzH4-qWNiM/s200/IMG_1527.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371845220741978754" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We also visited the State Museum where Lill is shown with a painted cowboy boot. Such boots are on display throughout the downtown area.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPnI9paq3mDxxJ_vW2BUpGeAIPFGqo6NQuvOmOxi6FyWYTWRs2twR-ILDSPAl-j54ia8Yh6vHkGSSIAm9WFf9TJ6tFOCxhHTR1NQgEKzn39bV9sG-Oz7-2junQVjgGgkP3nzqyPJ6Gg8/s1600-h/IMG_1508.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPnI9paq3mDxxJ_vW2BUpGeAIPFGqo6NQuvOmOxi6FyWYTWRs2twR-ILDSPAl-j54ia8Yh6vHkGSSIAm9WFf9TJ6tFOCxhHTR1NQgEKzn39bV9sG-Oz7-2junQVjgGgkP3nzqyPJ6Gg8/s200/IMG_1508.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371845210328242610" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Meanwhile back at the ranch, we went on a ride through a buffalo herd that is only a stone's throw from our campsite, as is highway I 25. There also were several dromedary on the ranch as well.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB8B9YELmJWZvzLKwHnK-tScNFyTjf2zuxo7PM9uRgqNf8hrfAz4ULuX5uxhCKuH66jqRePObsj9CAHjDp_PGrKWBbFJg5CqhkbBZ6KbZR9kciy70ePucokEv58se21WZt8bSXgjX4-EQ/s1600-h/IMG_1523.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB8B9YELmJWZvzLKwHnK-tScNFyTjf2zuxo7PM9uRgqNf8hrfAz4ULuX5uxhCKuH66jqRePObsj9CAHjDp_PGrKWBbFJg5CqhkbBZ6KbZR9kciy70ePucokEv58se21WZt8bSXgjX4-EQ/s200/IMG_1523.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371848579143489698" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmpuHJdwaatce84gxxzIIHZ0B5jBjRtz3Q8b62AxCM0YLt7GbclAmKpB11bKBpm97vR0Jxzd5J3bG_kYLvpmmZfDX3QK-g84WYjg6WUV7nOPaqXEapwglr3rID1nxKjB57vtAdEjaNhw/s1600-h/IMG_1520.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmpuHJdwaatce84gxxzIIHZ0B5jBjRtz3Q8b62AxCM0YLt7GbclAmKpB11bKBpm97vR0Jxzd5J3bG_kYLvpmmZfDX3QK-g84WYjg6WUV7nOPaqXEapwglr3rID1nxKjB57vtAdEjaNhw/s200/IMG_1520.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371848570559013090" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmTwxQmZhZ-IiflwGQWnUZtjx0r0ghcTtqvH_qBVTLegUlDOvm_gCo-6TwqiuXLjbQDczFk91cHzU0IX3KJDNYtjGTcy7Nfwl8VYcLDg_9wP4if2G4WX31Z1nmywly2Yv2XpevlPRS_0/s1600-h/IMG_1512.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmTwxQmZhZ-IiflwGQWnUZtjx0r0ghcTtqvH_qBVTLegUlDOvm_gCo-6TwqiuXLjbQDczFk91cHzU0IX3KJDNYtjGTcy7Nfwl8VYcLDg_9wP4if2G4WX31Z1nmywly2Yv2XpevlPRS_0/s200/IMG_1512.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371848556827720130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Below we see Lill in the train as we ride through the ranch.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPve_UnpS-3ea4wDYUHNhdkgOpP5lcZk2ghk4cq_hEK1Cl8T3y9tLnjqVA0rOq2ZNxIS8ajDnuMabLwcekmGxsOXVHf5nedAcL5WD4dgBBig7wIHsBmlSqzRd63hQBI6Y5fCcSUv2O1W0/s1600-h/IMG_1511.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPve_UnpS-3ea4wDYUHNhdkgOpP5lcZk2ghk4cq_hEK1Cl8T3y9tLnjqVA0rOq2ZNxIS8ajDnuMabLwcekmGxsOXVHf5nedAcL5WD4dgBBig7wIHsBmlSqzRd63hQBI6Y5fCcSUv2O1W0/s200/IMG_1511.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371848551629180050" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The woman narrating the ranch tour turned out to be non other than Miss Frontier Days 2010, Rachel Shutter. Well it isn't everyday that I meet a Miss something, especially in Sun City, so I persuaded her to pose with me and show us her fancy buckle with her title and name.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5bmQcXiv5RR_4PY4nnhbDs7HBH0qOg-A1lkUKcK1dKD8pWfPNRQm84bkdkITAFMbIOTFZ9rg3mGndGvZavKgzIcZ6tzFmn3Uy6fHrFS8-u1MDbHFSQHc3WfyXq0EqorIcjGx_2RxM2SU/s1600-h/IMG_1526.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5bmQcXiv5RR_4PY4nnhbDs7HBH0qOg-A1lkUKcK1dKD8pWfPNRQm84bkdkITAFMbIOTFZ9rg3mGndGvZavKgzIcZ6tzFmn3Uy6fHrFS8-u1MDbHFSQHc3WfyXq0EqorIcjGx_2RxM2SU/s200/IMG_1526.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371851943502127458" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Bira5aErQz8StV4b8BWARd6Y7VfFn2hheubhO9flPFhMK6ZJc-wJMzyJFXOyKBmIkrTfrwqK05AHG4j7BSKcHUM5U-2l6vy2rWlx3W0y0c88va2YPCnSqL1R6IC1T2doVpOi2HBuzwg/s1600-h/IMG_1525.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Bira5aErQz8StV4b8BWARd6Y7VfFn2hheubhO9flPFhMK6ZJc-wJMzyJFXOyKBmIkrTfrwqK05AHG4j7BSKcHUM5U-2l6vy2rWlx3W0y0c88va2YPCnSqL1R6IC1T2doVpOi2HBuzwg/s200/IMG_1525.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371851934959119106" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />At the Bison Ranch they had a fake frontier town facade behind which were the office, gift shop and laundry. So here we are, playing the part in a fake frontier town. Lill by the jail and me by the saloon.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJ4EtOg9eqtLe5apRd7R89SsITrSwNR2ZV3zXhqYWy-5HaZHRMSMI7V_794C4oLWrNaSnsZo9M6zzc8L3mh4AV55J9zo2TIacZxQJV_BQ4EjXe1dIsRPUFzRfJ9j6G5M7lfqHCAJQQic/s1600-h/IMG_1540.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJ4EtOg9eqtLe5apRd7R89SsITrSwNR2ZV3zXhqYWy-5HaZHRMSMI7V_794C4oLWrNaSnsZo9M6zzc8L3mh4AV55J9zo2TIacZxQJV_BQ4EjXe1dIsRPUFzRfJ9j6G5M7lfqHCAJQQic/s200/IMG_1540.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371854064566455058" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLvo1OJGrxuBlSKvpqTVUwf5mfHgdUjN89G83X7HqViJu5ywxEoc44TcyK6z-oQ3_szrZqHav9i5pjJBLt9bJxoWwZE7LXjVAbjkHFBeF-10V7rm9BCqAZiWN4UhUfQZPGBBJQUGD3Qcw/s1600-h/IMG_1539a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 126px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLvo1OJGrxuBlSKvpqTVUwf5mfHgdUjN89G83X7HqViJu5ywxEoc44TcyK6z-oQ3_szrZqHav9i5pjJBLt9bJxoWwZE7LXjVAbjkHFBeF-10V7rm9BCqAZiWN4UhUfQZPGBBJQUGD3Qcw/s200/IMG_1539a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371854054226467810" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />On Monday, Aug 17, we left Cheyenne for Springfield, IL to absorb Lincoln history on the 200th anniversary of his birth. But, in Henderson, Nebraska, on I 80, heading east, fate dealt us a low blow. A stone or two hit our windshield and cracked it badly. We were lucky in that the glass still held together long enough for us to make the 380 mile trip to the Winnebago factory to get it replaced.Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-7049735267644839852009-08-19T16:11:00.010-05:002009-08-19T17:13:40.345-05:00Headwaters of the Missouri - On the Trail of Lewis & ClarkWe traveled 289 miles south east through Montana to Three Forks. Along the way we saw some of the most beautiful parts of Montana; we continuously speculated on how beautiful this would be in the Winter with snow on the ground and mountains. We did not, however, have any intention of actually realizing this experience in the flesh. While at Three Forks, we visited the Headwaters State Park that contained the confluence of the Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin Rivers, so named by Lewis and Clark. The park also contained their encampment site. Captain Clark was the first to visit this area on July 25, 1805; Captain Lewis and his crew followed two days later. It was Clark and his group of 12 who returned here on their way back east on July 13, 1806. The only remnants of their visits, as far as I could determine, were the names of the three rivers. And the only way to view the three rivers coming together to make the Missouri ( USGS says that it is the Madison and Jefferson which join to make the Missouri; locals say it is the three and only the three) is from the air if your local; otherwise, for USGS people, you can see it from ground level. Either way, the area is beautiful and peaceful, rivers, flood plain, and mountains for a backdrop.<br /><br />Below, I'm standing in front of Lewis and Clark camp site, by the Madison river just above where the Jefferson River comes in. The sign shows the aerial view for those who are USGS believers.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZxbUxJMQG0TsvZ7bdaYfihch4s9trAvD9inbbRl2Hi2e5DY-s4Io6WYTwjchx3LYfpGxWiSfx9Zopa5MLK8US55OW3_Lge68FVTDPEZ1sjTrCnnjTWVqiXu5uU059OAau0zmzyyXRLA/s1600-h/IMG_1441.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZxbUxJMQG0TsvZ7bdaYfihch4s9trAvD9inbbRl2Hi2e5DY-s4Io6WYTwjchx3LYfpGxWiSfx9Zopa5MLK8US55OW3_Lge68FVTDPEZ1sjTrCnnjTWVqiXu5uU059OAau0zmzyyXRLA/s200/IMG_1441.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371790347658911650" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQ9kZitCZyQF6SRQB1nYFhlD93KxVoGl12LL27uq0CDWev7ORVKs5h1arHQuzBu9LEyjBcr-V5WMkQQ25O0QObQKooveavFFerj9dhhKZ2i7BvBZxMXWS9JO12a6x52LybX-0koK3X58/s1600-h/IMG_1444.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 102px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQ9kZitCZyQF6SRQB1nYFhlD93KxVoGl12LL27uq0CDWev7ORVKs5h1arHQuzBu9LEyjBcr-V5WMkQQ25O0QObQKooveavFFerj9dhhKZ2i7BvBZxMXWS9JO12a6x52LybX-0koK3X58/s200/IMG_1444.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371790336975746418" border="0" /></a><br /><br />To complete the picture, below right is the Gallatin River just before it goes either into the Missouri or the Madison-Jefferson rivers, while left is the Jefferson and Madison.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjza54zSxU2r82inSRgifBb7uO_JFAbLd4GQE3QmxeTRSNw_n6iVKTijbjfuMELVDNXglyxXZMGo6AHkOWgh0273cycVC-V4ZKY6wNul-gWJJgkn4co-g76Jq6RRq_6W4WcA_bYePiMzGU/s1600-h/IMG_1450.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjza54zSxU2r82inSRgifBb7uO_JFAbLd4GQE3QmxeTRSNw_n6iVKTijbjfuMELVDNXglyxXZMGo6AHkOWgh0273cycVC-V4ZKY6wNul-gWJJgkn4co-g76Jq6RRq_6W4WcA_bYePiMzGU/s200/IMG_1450.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371791477090819778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkxZDqZ13gcI1wcVlumcLjFyk_F-rnjDRgTxObsJqNie3njgooXCDg5YcqaIE6omu1ih1o1XGy46HoV3kXn4-OB5Rw71oJKEexDjZmUr55m7fUPCjOmXkImjONTJknHo1CNQU-OxpWjMU/s1600-h/IMG_1440.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkxZDqZ13gcI1wcVlumcLjFyk_F-rnjDRgTxObsJqNie3njgooXCDg5YcqaIE6omu1ih1o1XGy46HoV3kXn4-OB5Rw71oJKEexDjZmUr55m7fUPCjOmXkImjONTJknHo1CNQU-OxpWjMU/s200/IMG_1440.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371792223307043346" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Millie is shown below tracking Clark's trail, using scents well over 200 years old. Yes, she is that good.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjsCXQvDl-2HsMDRIa2XAtkkLeGkHCUyjlRsLBPY23mCw2XxyGA2oBO4U7OLZya15iKM3u5ffybVg8NHVZeD5Nj4_ILW_4qNJKv6DH5hf2eDNLyxo8PkR_nPy5WWmupqBvbHYaH0q6gP0/s1600-h/IMG_1453.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjsCXQvDl-2HsMDRIa2XAtkkLeGkHCUyjlRsLBPY23mCw2XxyGA2oBO4U7OLZya15iKM3u5ffybVg8NHVZeD5Nj4_ILW_4qNJKv6DH5hf2eDNLyxo8PkR_nPy5WWmupqBvbHYaH0q6gP0/s200/IMG_1453.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371792833885741618" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Another very interesting place we visited was the Madison Buffalo Jump State Park which was down a 7 mile gravel road about 25 miles from the headwaters. Millie had problems getting the scent of Bison, I think the Buffalo signage confused her. But, from that hill top, native Americans stampeded and funneled Bison over the cliff to their death; those that survived were killed the old fashion way. Bison were tremendously useful to native Americans, being used for clothing, tools, and food.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mkj7RjU3VyAvIaiSKHaVeZ9DbcI5Mj7E-Iq2QEqKCmjKivUVlliw1k7Z413iFBcZCClceDRVEpUBBI2MLZGQkQ4sO4gfTBfxZ7MNXr8hU5KNzzm6AFF34D8GI_WUSfhzGu2DecZN0gA/s1600-h/IMG_1461.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mkj7RjU3VyAvIaiSKHaVeZ9DbcI5Mj7E-Iq2QEqKCmjKivUVlliw1k7Z413iFBcZCClceDRVEpUBBI2MLZGQkQ4sO4gfTBfxZ7MNXr8hU5KNzzm6AFF34D8GI_WUSfhzGu2DecZN0gA/s200/IMG_1461.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371794602868633730" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqiACfVC9sX7CsAYnX1f2T9-uKp8cLp1Njy1xQduLLqwbaHfKNzzEHcy57vxsi-8-6QJOYrA57-WHdws7QGpUGArYz6MI-ulGBf88-uUHIUEYBPgYRwbGrwrhHRIZ_FXtzlaAQbHhcxb4/s1600-h/IMG_1465.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqiACfVC9sX7CsAYnX1f2T9-uKp8cLp1Njy1xQduLLqwbaHfKNzzEHcy57vxsi-8-6QJOYrA57-WHdws7QGpUGArYz6MI-ulGBf88-uUHIUEYBPgYRwbGrwrhHRIZ_FXtzlaAQbHhcxb4/s200/IMG_1465.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371794591075024178" border="0" /></a><br /><br />While we were here, we decided to visit Virginia City which was "only" 90 miles away. Man! That was a long 90 miles. What used to be a gold/silver mining "town" is now a dilapidated tourist trap. We had in mind to walk around the town and have dinner there. What a joke. In five minutes, we had time to see it twice. For food, the best they offered was ice cream. We tried it, it was delicious. Lill like the huckleberry. In fact, throughout Montana, at least in Glacier and in Virginia City, huckleberry is quite popular. Below are some of the interesting spots in Virginia City. I must confess, the museum was quite interesting and took more than 5 minutes to see - and it was FREE.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYotLnxL4l2McLy2FW3hfaZ9z6oEUSdrGR-HDuojl64tylr9MMMR0mEqo5Kw_N7rcg4PP02wSvEkuGSzyRScGjTBUFibOjev5bq5Gl-nhWXe7QzVk5UszsZoRtkZhnp9Z3imePGSVewo/s1600-h/IMG_1476.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYotLnxL4l2McLy2FW3hfaZ9z6oEUSdrGR-HDuojl64tylr9MMMR0mEqo5Kw_N7rcg4PP02wSvEkuGSzyRScGjTBUFibOjev5bq5Gl-nhWXe7QzVk5UszsZoRtkZhnp9Z3imePGSVewo/s200/IMG_1476.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371797891189682450" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOw-H86dwvwTve1ouYi8vws8-IWijNCvGzoGzChK2dEvKQwJOhs_vtN9KfR0Tr73VzBcgQ2dIB9QFvZDNJ8M7mYElAet6hSYMe0qhBaLrSWnM0NVal-YvMVBx1zILtPNlCqdiXu0cCKbE/s1600-h/IMG_1477.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOw-H86dwvwTve1ouYi8vws8-IWijNCvGzoGzChK2dEvKQwJOhs_vtN9KfR0Tr73VzBcgQ2dIB9QFvZDNJ8M7mYElAet6hSYMe0qhBaLrSWnM0NVal-YvMVBx1zILtPNlCqdiXu0cCKbE/s200/IMG_1477.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371797877758585090" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFtSf1cFsxmUGSpwrK6v1j6y_tQ-F8ax2lQwyYUVCmPyh_UjyImWF8RtCfHR8WBC0TyhnH6xJ6GsfceanSMvVvoVQMqgyChjQ72wAojwmCDbfF4wjk3LF3DvO99OVv-Th5AxIQRug5ZM/s1600-h/IMG_1475.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFtSf1cFsxmUGSpwrK6v1j6y_tQ-F8ax2lQwyYUVCmPyh_UjyImWF8RtCfHR8WBC0TyhnH6xJ6GsfceanSMvVvoVQMqgyChjQ72wAojwmCDbfF4wjk3LF3DvO99OVv-Th5AxIQRug5ZM/s200/IMG_1475.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371797867809796962" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We found a nice restaurant on our way back to Three Forks, including a fixer-upper house, that with a little effort could amount to still not much. But, this is an example of the type of house 19th century pioneers made.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNskUz8EXACi9OqVZjth5e8B8BdcpMvcX40CId2MBTdgo-o2CtuQy38u_0lBEhD8MbJNHjAYC-nfMY8eFGqoh4szzgqDwYajyccmD_I6Mi5nVs91iyGfJZm0sqRSPGVzgzq6gWkn7w6Lg/s1600-h/IMG_1482.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 121px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNskUz8EXACi9OqVZjth5e8B8BdcpMvcX40CId2MBTdgo-o2CtuQy38u_0lBEhD8MbJNHjAYC-nfMY8eFGqoh4szzgqDwYajyccmD_I6Mi5nVs91iyGfJZm0sqRSPGVzgzq6gWkn7w6Lg/s200/IMG_1482.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371797900604886322" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />We left Three Forks on Aug 14th and headed for Terry Bison Ranch RV Resort in Cheyenne, Wyoming, 705 miles away.Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-51010370619322306012009-08-19T12:38:00.024-05:002009-08-19T21:44:25.990-05:00Glacier National Park-Aug 09On Aug 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span></span> we arrived in Hungry Horse, MT at the western entrance to Glacier National Park, having traveled a total of 2,680 miles. We drove Going-to-the-Sun road twice in total; it is a 50 mile scenic drive through the park connecting East and West sides of the park. US 2 also connects east and west, but it skirts the park. Along this road, which connects Maine with Washington state, is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Marias</span></span> Pass, on the Continental Divide, 5220 ft high, just 20 miles from Lewis' July 22-25, 1806 campsite. The Corps of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Discovery's</span></span> history would have been significantly changed had Lewis discovered this pass through the Rockies. Before this road was built, the only way for cars to travel this route near Glacier is by loading them on railroad cars. The rail link was started in 1890 after John Stevens, principal engineer of the Great Northern Railway, discovered the pass. It is now part of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">BNSF</span></span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Marias</span></span> Pass has a monument to Stevens as seen below.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6FvOvkxUkr0oVMN1HeLjqmDx8BI6WfDHSFfbz-O5IFZ9R52pZuVJbJKwZMjbPydGLhASW2hXqKAt1Y8sSprES_1oJgTBJ8k8udAQPBNXbVmxtQZH9URFpXdX7kxxaD-ty852HBj6EqE/s1600-h/IMG_1279.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6FvOvkxUkr0oVMN1HeLjqmDx8BI6WfDHSFfbz-O5IFZ9R52pZuVJbJKwZMjbPydGLhASW2hXqKAt1Y8sSprES_1oJgTBJ8k8udAQPBNXbVmxtQZH9URFpXdX7kxxaD-ty852HBj6EqE/s200/IMG_1279.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371741797987724322" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcguA3M8tNpPt33qb2LHj59eXUB195W7B1hMsjxkERjSsfhL-xRDUQOGkpQwA4aX8yHNm53c8VJXy9FU-zX2EacRUaFR2jK07uR-fTr8TnLN5hcOsNHW-B4MdhQhqfbPM-iWO4z2ip6tA/s1600-h/IMG_1277.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 140px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcguA3M8tNpPt33qb2LHj59eXUB195W7B1hMsjxkERjSsfhL-xRDUQOGkpQwA4aX8yHNm53c8VJXy9FU-zX2EacRUaFR2jK07uR-fTr8TnLN5hcOsNHW-B4MdhQhqfbPM-iWO4z2ip6tA/s200/IMG_1277.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371741790083942082" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Below is a picture of our <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">motorhome</span></span> as we arrived at Glacier National Park via US 2 and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Marias</span></span> Pass.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxwH2dSZkcV9nP2UjUYwQswxsRcF-lA5hxdBGdZXTLLvc29sc_Z2rcrYi4UjumttH9pMcm5cJ4qDZK2O0ZD6WBPyuqF5uOtsbEmlQHFG83_NoP6LuQnxuUQ7ouTNTvVXzWOOySzGwlms/s1600-h/IMG_1287.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 105px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxwH2dSZkcV9nP2UjUYwQswxsRcF-lA5hxdBGdZXTLLvc29sc_Z2rcrYi4UjumttH9pMcm5cJ4qDZK2O0ZD6WBPyuqF5uOtsbEmlQHFG83_NoP6LuQnxuUQ7ouTNTvVXzWOOySzGwlms/s200/IMG_1287.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371742569005686578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Again, we spent a week here and the time just flew. Just about every day we hiked. Our hikes included Baring Falls, Hidden Lake, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Swiftcurrent</span></span>, Virginia Falls, and Avalanche Lake. We were able to visit most of the park, including the areas along the Going-to-the-Sun road, Two Medicine and Many Glaciers. Prettiest of all was Virginia Falls. The biggest surprise in this park was the number and variety of flowers. As the name would indicate, one would expect to at least walk upon or touch a glacier; no sir! They are rapidly disappearing and remain <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">inaccessible</span>, at least to people like us, who have to view them through a binocular. Another big surprise was the number of people visiting the park. Roosevelt Park had <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">comparatively</span> few visitors and was enjoyable to visit all the areas. At Glacier, there was a traffic jam along the 50 miles of the Sun road. This was partly due to construction along the road, but even where there wasn't any, it was bumper-to-bumper. At Logan Pass there was a 30 minute wait just to get a parking space. If we didn't have handicap permit, we'd still be waiting to park. The Park Service was of no help in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">alleviating</span> the congestion. So, to see what we did, we really needed the full week.<br /><br />Traveling the Going-to-the-Sun road, at Logan Pass, 6,646 ft, we took a nice vigorous hike to Hidden Lake as shown below.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1BWGmsJ7IvDe5JWy2ZUsd1EpLS65VMBosCBWm4ml2hamcaplcaV8Y89EbWfUedFKp0bbNt2YYA_MDjymV8rJElZUiXG8trH09pkYJcqL0gh9IyVCzgaanOc0873C2R4t8PHbQ2XW32fo/s1600-h/IMG_1321.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1BWGmsJ7IvDe5JWy2ZUsd1EpLS65VMBosCBWm4ml2hamcaplcaV8Y89EbWfUedFKp0bbNt2YYA_MDjymV8rJElZUiXG8trH09pkYJcqL0gh9IyVCzgaanOc0873C2R4t8PHbQ2XW32fo/s200/IMG_1321.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371744108564941458" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsEnieC6-46sAMCK891k-NDRW5qAAJj5NxOAVfj5zhvn5JyK5YRDAiawu0uu_Lp7pgOCZnUAOWpJxSmV2bT3pBJAd62UWT1IPBjnTVpmTOhYO9iTYex9D-91W-yFNK3OlT6PP5o_p6IYs/s1600-h/IMG_1311.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsEnieC6-46sAMCK891k-NDRW5qAAJj5NxOAVfj5zhvn5JyK5YRDAiawu0uu_Lp7pgOCZnUAOWpJxSmV2bT3pBJAd62UWT1IPBjnTVpmTOhYO9iTYex9D-91W-yFNK3OlT6PP5o_p6IYs/s200/IMG_1311.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371744093063700674" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ulP2iJLIMabzvGTYwdqd7zMTo0udVbVlX_NGfx2JKeT_eIpnJqd-L77o2t0r_XDyQUcB6y9mvJhV_dSPSkdPEmW4OEGX5P_Vo3XVM0dSrhrgl_0sc1leGR5iOw6zqfR-e0whPB8e6q4/s1600-h/IMG_1320.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ulP2iJLIMabzvGTYwdqd7zMTo0udVbVlX_NGfx2JKeT_eIpnJqd-L77o2t0r_XDyQUcB6y9mvJhV_dSPSkdPEmW4OEGX5P_Vo3XVM0dSrhrgl_0sc1leGR5iOw6zqfR-e0whPB8e6q4/s200/IMG_1320.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371744077629889954" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Below is Jefferson Glacier is shown below as seen from the Sun road. We are told that by 2020 there will be no glaciers left in the park. Not to worry though, for the scenery is absolutely beautiful none-the-less.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjtWbSowVkY_iud9Venhi5fBbIW0-mi2fmDnLDOezCQv5WN5aUqHuypiFR_kuToZQ8YNwnY-iKsPA_TrK3naZ_K-5v1Z6AEt5-Z7Wu_urMH-o_qwd68k8ZlnQDZOt55plQD7u7MqJhmo/s1600-h/IMG_1325.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjtWbSowVkY_iud9Venhi5fBbIW0-mi2fmDnLDOezCQv5WN5aUqHuypiFR_kuToZQ8YNwnY-iKsPA_TrK3naZ_K-5v1Z6AEt5-Z7Wu_urMH-o_qwd68k8ZlnQDZOt55plQD7u7MqJhmo/s200/IMG_1325.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371744102478830642" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Below are some pictures of our 5.2 mile hike to Avalanche Lake, along Avalanche Creek. The trail started along a boardwalk then took us along the creek to the lake where one can see three waterfalls going into the lake. It was a difficult (for us elevations are always difficult) but wonderful hike, the view of the lake and waterfalls being worth the effort.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4b1NeUIHCnV9SqwjWqY91t8UTWZsC1vKRQ7IBF9S5728-88xVauSqQWUCZfGOHYwreSD5VMRlFXHawi1DcqSRbC0_didw5mFJq2IYzg2zRSKXmcCYBLfVebXCyxAHMH0JI9esyEDTtNc/s1600-h/IMG_1343.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4b1NeUIHCnV9SqwjWqY91t8UTWZsC1vKRQ7IBF9S5728-88xVauSqQWUCZfGOHYwreSD5VMRlFXHawi1DcqSRbC0_didw5mFJq2IYzg2zRSKXmcCYBLfVebXCyxAHMH0JI9esyEDTtNc/s200/IMG_1343.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371753898543239458" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUYqHe4r9yhyphenhyphen8Jn46me4-FjvrJ-YmFYUGACC8cbF9fWD_wp6LXfzMv-Cy1yLeDhNKIKoQkahW_eYHM-zyf8qV6aPr-3kpEKxeYIVahQ1cNHWMF15z0XwWr4lTCWtSJ_62qMk-h5IlALd0/s1600-h/IMG_1335.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUYqHe4r9yhyphenhyphen8Jn46me4-FjvrJ-YmFYUGACC8cbF9fWD_wp6LXfzMv-Cy1yLeDhNKIKoQkahW_eYHM-zyf8qV6aPr-3kpEKxeYIVahQ1cNHWMF15z0XwWr4lTCWtSJ_62qMk-h5IlALd0/s200/IMG_1335.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371753884457332066" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj2GeG36kiKoU-DdBIefmkWPhsg6tFcsxVU7E0ahzFkAIb10QXGrilx2CIHJSdSw71hA9A1wkvFt1k-igRK8Ns4fcUZK2D7z6P_gvAkDFY6Hb_kGy1yETDq-0aWD1RjhrzjTHC-N5d5gQ/s1600-h/IMG_1334.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj2GeG36kiKoU-DdBIefmkWPhsg6tFcsxVU7E0ahzFkAIb10QXGrilx2CIHJSdSw71hA9A1wkvFt1k-igRK8Ns4fcUZK2D7z6P_gvAkDFY6Hb_kGy1yETDq-0aWD1RjhrzjTHC-N5d5gQ/s200/IMG_1334.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371753875130499762" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtv3CM6tyY7v31xR9JaKUcM6Ajo3g7scuRd0pzwBvL7T4XEQUX42bzASH4F8hNFBIKL5eqy3jhZnFUSoOAWgJ4sF7jmEaUQroDRh1ZrSjfzv73KyoeP7yRDoJlcrwxrCNQEqwDOy8T0Y/s1600-h/IMG_1331.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtv3CM6tyY7v31xR9JaKUcM6Ajo3g7scuRd0pzwBvL7T4XEQUX42bzASH4F8hNFBIKL5eqy3jhZnFUSoOAWgJ4sF7jmEaUQroDRh1ZrSjfzv73KyoeP7yRDoJlcrwxrCNQEqwDOy8T0Y/s200/IMG_1331.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371753866979071378" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We drove to Two Medicine Lake on the east side via US 2 and took a boat ride and ranger guided hike to Twin Falls. There are two falls here, but I was only able to get in one at a time, so I'm just including the best one, which is of course, the one in which we were in.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdFktvzQp5-W_1yDbtfVTFU-zNy3gswtqCvLhacXDiUUcyC989xDbiXTlpZeMvNi_xu5uz_OsMjSg3RQEtzliZIZGY3JgsSvr1e9rS7NKKd197Q3B_IUubmtVhb_9sSvB4pvweCC5NONo/s1600-h/IMG_1358.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdFktvzQp5-W_1yDbtfVTFU-zNy3gswtqCvLhacXDiUUcyC989xDbiXTlpZeMvNi_xu5uz_OsMjSg3RQEtzliZIZGY3JgsSvr1e9rS7NKKd197Q3B_IUubmtVhb_9sSvB4pvweCC5NONo/s200/IMG_1358.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371756490491307202" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1H89SA0YYIHtCkvKZmGbwpSvOj8jZEPJx8tDvVPI3bGGvAM5l62Ha-8Q3p_MiYtw2VOrsrYk9_IRe0xGb-J6N1WOsgM5DHHdKeZkVV2omB-nNoTvngc6uF0Y6lni7zFozmFcW6Gm84Y/s1600-h/IMG_1373.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1H89SA0YYIHtCkvKZmGbwpSvOj8jZEPJx8tDvVPI3bGGvAM5l62Ha-8Q3p_MiYtw2VOrsrYk9_IRe0xGb-J6N1WOsgM5DHHdKeZkVV2omB-nNoTvngc6uF0Y6lni7zFozmFcW6Gm84Y/s200/IMG_1373.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371758082840010738" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />On Friday, Aug 7th, while my wonderful wife was in Mountain Meadow campground doing the laundry, I went white water rafting on the Flathead River. It was great fun and I enjoyed it immensely. In the picture below, I'm sitting up front on port side, wearing a PFD which looks too big for me and my Tillie hat.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWha1pBKVjyjqJa-DSzDFi4qFLRlDiTYB0pk3PYUXrz8L1JaaswF0uadLuNIQZhyKGg0utgQ2mFYNcqj14ytolR1pW7j6NSHdMBHBTaSich4lU4DX2nzpJ_Q_eiHjPvFs20YEygEtt8o/s1600-h/Walt_WhiteWaterTrip.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWha1pBKVjyjqJa-DSzDFi4qFLRlDiTYB0pk3PYUXrz8L1JaaswF0uadLuNIQZhyKGg0utgQ2mFYNcqj14ytolR1pW7j6NSHdMBHBTaSich4lU4DX2nzpJ_Q_eiHjPvFs20YEygEtt8o/s200/Walt_WhiteWaterTrip.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371871007493592994" border="0" /></a><br />We took the Sun road to the east entrance and then went north to the Many Glacier area. We hiked around <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Swiftcurrent</span></span> lake, saw a hen grouse with several chicks and got my great picture of a brown bear from the car. He was just walking along the side of the road unconcerned about the guy in the Honda taking his picture.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSjgDSz-p6jWuPVsdKmKOGVXTNUtjKvT2106t5cxRTuwLuR9h9UFiYNP7UdUwzrDzRy6hTFOdCnsFjRQ8ore-7x_KsKRYxva7eazHPi0rwQAZXu6zc7mKV-D8W6YJxlMO9iHBWQ13Byk/s1600-h/IMG_1407.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 161px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSjgDSz-p6jWuPVsdKmKOGVXTNUtjKvT2106t5cxRTuwLuR9h9UFiYNP7UdUwzrDzRy6hTFOdCnsFjRQ8ore-7x_KsKRYxva7eazHPi0rwQAZXu6zc7mKV-D8W6YJxlMO9iHBWQ13Byk/s200/IMG_1407.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371762159174281282" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWEj1hPJz9lDrGZjz_pFllbMtCz0s24NF_Mvc_l86YhbgJvW63dAsRS3JNSjDjNzIqn00yVN9A4r0N7w2dnAkdMgyEfdc7XgsLihRh7rgLOglJ7HpxStXaB5nJpGldmXwqw8OiCLv8NI/s1600-h/IMG_1400.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWEj1hPJz9lDrGZjz_pFllbMtCz0s24NF_Mvc_l86YhbgJvW63dAsRS3JNSjDjNzIqn00yVN9A4r0N7w2dnAkdMgyEfdc7XgsLihRh7rgLOglJ7HpxStXaB5nJpGldmXwqw8OiCLv8NI/s200/IMG_1400.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371760384277645314" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYO6ospfXVccOiayFjMWmNpOxp0gABsGJqav0uJ6fipWzzxQgtzpjYvkcCIeT-F9WI7XurB5oXWweN4FCA-HkbnPRxbtsL_O-twR_67cISJBY6TB5Jx-J6VERyWW56JgoRhmcXRXDLCM4/s1600-h/IMG_1399.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYO6ospfXVccOiayFjMWmNpOxp0gABsGJqav0uJ6fipWzzxQgtzpjYvkcCIeT-F9WI7XurB5oXWweN4FCA-HkbnPRxbtsL_O-twR_67cISJBY6TB5Jx-J6VERyWW56JgoRhmcXRXDLCM4/s200/IMG_1399.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371760374024251426" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgdI4Ws04VjASo8oXGvBYDpHbornC__QindbV2161wYPDPgEDvv6nJV0ccf3GMoTattZdikovYPRkIHwWxf-EAuiwaKC2JchhvTWhbhMPQ55z8CcSKJVzclN6MMX8Jxn2ySdua9YQYPs/s1600-h/IMG_1394.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 185px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgdI4Ws04VjASo8oXGvBYDpHbornC__QindbV2161wYPDPgEDvv6nJV0ccf3GMoTattZdikovYPRkIHwWxf-EAuiwaKC2JchhvTWhbhMPQ55z8CcSKJVzclN6MMX8Jxn2ySdua9YQYPs/s200/IMG_1394.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371760364307288290" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Below are some scenes along the Sun road. I am standing by a red park bus in my new Glacier T-shirt that has a picture of a red bus on it. I also got a great picture of a big horn sheep, again from the car while on the Sun road, who was just inches from us. The mountain goat was by a trail just off the Sun road.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQA0A4lP_HLPfAAEJo8OvNhxEs8eSKBqedbIJQE2XB0QPgUp32w7Nwe9g6InOA3zR_8bqkz9Lp18rCSmzCgj2hsU5ALkpriQq3pyrGuxOy4h3JV4-zJ-Iqy2dRi-FwkRi7q_avi3O1Mk/s1600-h/IMG_1414.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQA0A4lP_HLPfAAEJo8OvNhxEs8eSKBqedbIJQE2XB0QPgUp32w7Nwe9g6InOA3zR_8bqkz9Lp18rCSmzCgj2hsU5ALkpriQq3pyrGuxOy4h3JV4-zJ-Iqy2dRi-FwkRi7q_avi3O1Mk/s200/IMG_1414.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371762176826819714" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzVkoui_AUdw37RJtOTpGOr62ru9QPyyjIkf3piYfsEwf5MgVaB57wIL3YPNwGl68GrQv1JZfWdyV-kHmWQZGAStwNU9AosG4jDrjT0F2GuxnR-NcDcZstK2yq2IxcmL2Hrsjhik76VHo/s1600-h/IMG_1421.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzVkoui_AUdw37RJtOTpGOr62ru9QPyyjIkf3piYfsEwf5MgVaB57wIL3YPNwGl68GrQv1JZfWdyV-kHmWQZGAStwNU9AosG4jDrjT0F2GuxnR-NcDcZstK2yq2IxcmL2Hrsjhik76VHo/s200/IMG_1421.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371762167570496210" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tz080zjeln4JfpxdeS12R6naTOMkQlDs76gHuruR5HhLI_18taIDjXF776jPUBgakcfPdWORzBTXvTLnyTo8KIBCR_Ft9iMAu6VyMDXtLRpCH2spfJc6y0sfyWUl2MArMFR-bgDKzVQ/s1600-h/IMG_1416.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tz080zjeln4JfpxdeS12R6naTOMkQlDs76gHuruR5HhLI_18taIDjXF776jPUBgakcfPdWORzBTXvTLnyTo8KIBCR_Ft9iMAu6VyMDXtLRpCH2spfJc6y0sfyWUl2MArMFR-bgDKzVQ/s200/IMG_1416.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371762150339968146" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPBzd2Q8cLuF8Fk_LoUkRWhyphenhyphenNHbHYqbMqRcMzNztH3HIdfcm9GMF0S8bw9JKnbTVu0z-TOTZbTbuIuG3IU_8HlDRRwxEherNIGDq89e-3YARqidv8VilgVwEAO74ZA9imOzFG9SS8GZ4/s1600-h/IMG_1412.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 161px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPBzd2Q8cLuF8Fk_LoUkRWhyphenhyphenNHbHYqbMqRcMzNztH3HIdfcm9GMF0S8bw9JKnbTVu0z-TOTZbTbuIuG3IU_8HlDRRwxEherNIGDq89e-3YARqidv8VilgVwEAO74ZA9imOzFG9SS8GZ4/s200/IMG_1412.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371762142790366226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I mentioned the beautiful flowers in the park, here is a sampling.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTVpa7pE8AUEUNOwhBT4I14e1-ndkYHGSZXSHP7kpbcDhr2oEHEDZUazcSQqc142oN5CXtoHFCESklIrWi33sSSFY2Q33tn-rTBgG-ug4GPA0GeoIh_QhrAkMQdXyqZkuGjkt6rh9GNnc/s1600-h/IMG_1433.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTVpa7pE8AUEUNOwhBT4I14e1-ndkYHGSZXSHP7kpbcDhr2oEHEDZUazcSQqc142oN5CXtoHFCESklIrWi33sSSFY2Q33tn-rTBgG-ug4GPA0GeoIh_QhrAkMQdXyqZkuGjkt6rh9GNnc/s200/IMG_1433.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371766694054709154" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBlxBh7wo812e_tEbae4rHk0eXPTuYcbL2KqZSrZB4q_0lv5kML6JyHdDzg53qeSzJ3K3Dpr4BkKFu4dIgK-4-_DSozi0FN5c2TZQDVcApoDERTR9-RQVWT5V2G6OdKwSEfj7I4JAmNU/s1600-h/IMG_1404.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBlxBh7wo812e_tEbae4rHk0eXPTuYcbL2KqZSrZB4q_0lv5kML6JyHdDzg53qeSzJ3K3Dpr4BkKFu4dIgK-4-_DSozi0FN5c2TZQDVcApoDERTR9-RQVWT5V2G6OdKwSEfj7I4JAmNU/s200/IMG_1404.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371766678712814146" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnag5HT30294MYS8LD7ScxqL6HEza3KRkHLML3rqP3tFpQXz0uCCd7cjAfmSHE-jEAbnp8iGSrU65a1R4B6qN56unf5jcpo3k2z1YamaIMQDzquFaxuAefYEXE_i8U0IzgDbtJNjtYVeg/s1600-h/IMG_1378.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnag5HT30294MYS8LD7ScxqL6HEza3KRkHLML3rqP3tFpQXz0uCCd7cjAfmSHE-jEAbnp8iGSrU65a1R4B6qN56unf5jcpo3k2z1YamaIMQDzquFaxuAefYEXE_i8U0IzgDbtJNjtYVeg/s200/IMG_1378.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371766668915480210" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSA5y3PyQvQKDrombB-BrVLe0DYqiwPedFF14beWE59jTnbLYzxZevAN4h1qXshN-mSRSO-B2wmIuBg1K23sfR0veEK3_CSJoyEXArTEXgYz6Qz9PHS-9jVyOQr6o9DnM8EA06QYRMmRQ/s1600-h/IMG_1376.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSA5y3PyQvQKDrombB-BrVLe0DYqiwPedFF14beWE59jTnbLYzxZevAN4h1qXshN-mSRSO-B2wmIuBg1K23sfR0veEK3_CSJoyEXArTEXgYz6Qz9PHS-9jVyOQr6o9DnM8EA06QYRMmRQ/s200/IMG_1376.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371766655786631330" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZlZkf92bJlz8WlUlMpW0ouevWwu8M029IxoK_nM8DQbTs_C5qaZI9UBGU5d_Zi88p2DO0RRb4fFq9_fU80RZwvacvH5LPtiAPIcW9QAIVCraZKxdWHzIj_IFgFv_wZ1ms_R3Op04EPk/s1600-h/IMG_1374.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZlZkf92bJlz8WlUlMpW0ouevWwu8M029IxoK_nM8DQbTs_C5qaZI9UBGU5d_Zi88p2DO0RRb4fFq9_fU80RZwvacvH5LPtiAPIcW9QAIVCraZKxdWHzIj_IFgFv_wZ1ms_R3Op04EPk/s200/IMG_1374.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371766639899763570" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The most beautiful and spectacular waterfall that we saw was Virginia Falls. The trail is near St. Mary at the eastern entrance and includes St. Mary Falls , seen on the right, as well. It's a three plus mile trail with a 550 feet elevation change. As with Avalanche Lake, the scenery was worth the effort; and we saw two falls close up on one hike.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3SidhzTD24LKitKUObKC4SOJKvm52RsypakbSEWNfmFDuXwjbNRoRw1TXOcfHLDSP8u5T9SY4mBsQzZGw_dC3Nm0jnJtIPlp2yrhpJcZvZEBlNVN6NSxJS7Z0HcYExgsCE-sBiwKfuSc/s1600-h/IMG_1428.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3SidhzTD24LKitKUObKC4SOJKvm52RsypakbSEWNfmFDuXwjbNRoRw1TXOcfHLDSP8u5T9SY4mBsQzZGw_dC3Nm0jnJtIPlp2yrhpJcZvZEBlNVN6NSxJS7Z0HcYExgsCE-sBiwKfuSc/s200/IMG_1428.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371775255161904290" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwRhh6zWLzDw_F1bibR4KYWjH_5BZEmxHDttMca6h_0lKUAyxecO6ZfX4yOI098z3NZJPDYenV2Lk-t3BM2kLZ0OORosDYOg-D6LM7gOlZxFPE9rwG8WZtXTi4AethQLOsV7aeuIcERU/s1600-h/IMG_1423.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwRhh6zWLzDw_F1bibR4KYWjH_5BZEmxHDttMca6h_0lKUAyxecO6ZfX4yOI098z3NZJPDYenV2Lk-t3BM2kLZ0OORosDYOg-D6LM7gOlZxFPE9rwG8WZtXTi4AethQLOsV7aeuIcERU/s200/IMG_1423.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371775247108000146" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Benton Chalet is the winner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation Honor Award 2000. Located at the West entrance of the Park, The Great Northern Railway Chalet opened in 1910, the same year as the Park. It was used by the railroad as a destination for passengers visiting Glacier. Using Swiss chalet styling, the Great Northern Railway hoped to lure Swiss/Alps bound vacationers to Glacier via its passenger service. Today, Benton Chalet offers both lodging and fine dining. We ate there twice, savoring rack of lamb, elk and pork.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBzpvkaoYiKgFciJEReR4ZX8GZ4je0zYV35wsw_LGhWSByUojt40ATButJahgGMg0xjPGLLj8-WcHtLrxYo9VCwjGftLQAVyrVdJQeZ2dfGw3UeLiC_zDvmE3VkCZfe7Hogcp-8ExWUQ/s1600-h/IMG_1346.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBzpvkaoYiKgFciJEReR4ZX8GZ4je0zYV35wsw_LGhWSByUojt40ATButJahgGMg0xjPGLLj8-WcHtLrxYo9VCwjGftLQAVyrVdJQeZ2dfGw3UeLiC_zDvmE3VkCZfe7Hogcp-8ExWUQ/s200/IMG_1346.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371783656433773554" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkyHEJcbwfjUgBn6enRR4cBMcY-Ya0IuBsmJotZ1e5GQdDEP5x9ouH44oowaWqRZ8u5-bJq7lBF04e9qjk93t50hiytY9ghvHNR7pR8DydpeyWLiiQ0VEEg1z0kpEv4iLfWaZfcSDpOM/s1600-h/IMG_1347.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkyHEJcbwfjUgBn6enRR4cBMcY-Ya0IuBsmJotZ1e5GQdDEP5x9ouH44oowaWqRZ8u5-bJq7lBF04e9qjk93t50hiytY9ghvHNR7pR8DydpeyWLiiQ0VEEg1z0kpEv4iLfWaZfcSDpOM/s200/IMG_1347.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371781621607404306" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />On Aug 11 we left Mountain Meadow Campground in Hungry Horse, MT and headed for Three Forks, MT where the Lewis and Clark Expedition camped at the Headwaters of the Missouri.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Z2h9NEATzBMFpaMFTfsV22BN0wVI1Nq0p4hbnwBGH8zYkLrE8wIqaWH9JDyH4QNzykqDx7pf8O_tXyr0Oxn_ji0_U5djCjwh7esv9PrXoHW1Kpw6c6JMd4Tsu7dugTcr5kEMVslR14o/s1600-h/IMG_1437.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 94px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Z2h9NEATzBMFpaMFTfsV22BN0wVI1Nq0p4hbnwBGH8zYkLrE8wIqaWH9JDyH4QNzykqDx7pf8O_tXyr0Oxn_ji0_U5djCjwh7esv9PrXoHW1Kpw6c6JMd4Tsu7dugTcr5kEMVslR14o/s200/IMG_1437.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371781598476865330" border="0" /></a>Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-56668673688375060002009-08-19T11:18:00.015-05:002009-08-19T12:35:57.604-05:00Theadore Roosevelt National Park-Aug 09We arrived in Medora, ND on the 27th of July, having traveled 2,069 miles. It lies at the entrance of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The story of Medora itself is quite interesting. The town was founded by the Marquis de Mores, a French aristocrat, who in 1883 planned to slaughter range cattle and then ship dressed meat east in refrigerated rail cars. He invested heavily in land, slaughter house, ice house and family home, which can be visited today. Unfortunately, his meatpacking scheme collapsed in 1886 and all the buildings associated with it no longer exist. Medora got its name from his wife, Medora von Hoffman, who came from a wealthy Staten Island, NY family and whose mother, also from Staten Island, was a Grymes: Wagner College is situated on Grymes Hill today. The Marquis continued his adventurous lifestyle after he returned to France, being killed by native tribesmen on the Sahara Desert. Medora never remarried and died in France.<br /><br />Below is a view of our camp site in Medora and a picture of Millie next to the Little Missouri River which runs along the park, campground and through the town of Medora.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSO8NOrsml5QSlgdHLCGXmHBHS0j8dmZvb1jREPsRru8w_uYLz2If4-NSkdbKY8_UE6_1FqciI7ZjILO75bZfDGLhEtgSNv-kSXqPUq_0jh-0vZppX0TLlMS2gvUBq4WTL2at3VqgTNs/s1600-h/IMG_1192.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSO8NOrsml5QSlgdHLCGXmHBHS0j8dmZvb1jREPsRru8w_uYLz2If4-NSkdbKY8_UE6_1FqciI7ZjILO75bZfDGLhEtgSNv-kSXqPUq_0jh-0vZppX0TLlMS2gvUBq4WTL2at3VqgTNs/s200/IMG_1192.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371714401637501634" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpajzW9ywsNCWnkSaAhL8Vt1Iixo44e3IF0VMPLNoU313vGpTM3AqjxoeGaDAWTxVBshXfIh_yKyPvAuPJFP7neoJgt4XV3Hduf7zt0Yk8De6ig11dApK5phoJehpo6Z_7k_48i9cO7o/s1600-h/IMG_1271.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpajzW9ywsNCWnkSaAhL8Vt1Iixo44e3IF0VMPLNoU313vGpTM3AqjxoeGaDAWTxVBshXfIh_yKyPvAuPJFP7neoJgt4XV3Hduf7zt0Yk8De6ig11dApK5phoJehpo6Z_7k_48i9cO7o/s200/IMG_1271.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371714410453412674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Every summer, the town puts on a western musical about the area called Medora Musical. It's held in an open amphitheater just across from our campground.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF61bHsJibgqrv93H2UDHesO9-sWMHruK5s0nEnBY7-5JF2NCy_3gjxThjJEvX08Ns7FakPEnV-k6kILAXrABUJtPUpC6SAm78cvSUwZdt88X-prCYYvMyh8Ox3Itqjx7a6VOgr6ADU5k/s1600-h/IMG_1222.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF61bHsJibgqrv93H2UDHesO9-sWMHruK5s0nEnBY7-5JF2NCy_3gjxThjJEvX08Ns7FakPEnV-k6kILAXrABUJtPUpC6SAm78cvSUwZdt88X-prCYYvMyh8Ox3Itqjx7a6VOgr6ADU5k/s200/IMG_1222.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371716179862175186" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We spent several days exploring both the North and South parts of the park. They are about 60 miles apart. Roosevelt first came to the badlands in 1883 and was a neighbor of the de Mores. The inhospitable and barren appearance of the land is deceptive and imparts a dramatic beauty; still, I would not want to be here in the Winter, when the population is well below what it is in the summer. The park is home to a variety of animals and plants. We did a lot of hiking and even got to go horse back riding. We got to see prairie dogs, wild horses, elk, bison and lots of wild flowers, even prickly pear cactus.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42RuKjOWGCKrEc482izLIhJl2PRx8uo5nVkNxLYDPTyYcNCTejBrqr_6NskzPg3WjBPJwXl2cda2mGFQhyphenhyphenlYoAZxSiDG7TnNtov-Eitq1EgbORfbndFWJ14iYyWl0cik3v2yhFLUtF4Q/s1600-h/IMG_1255.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42RuKjOWGCKrEc482izLIhJl2PRx8uo5nVkNxLYDPTyYcNCTejBrqr_6NskzPg3WjBPJwXl2cda2mGFQhyphenhyphenlYoAZxSiDG7TnNtov-Eitq1EgbORfbndFWJ14iYyWl0cik3v2yhFLUtF4Q/s200/IMG_1255.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371718772450817778" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPw6JI2izjj5YlKwOhNxF6QKp_H1cavuvsDmlQqULTucEoWj5eCLp5db7xrdGhqon4COg-fvU76GE6jwqCIOcmthllLID2q6M7aBUy9GOGtQO6OmnIRiwp7_OUa3isdFRMntodM-YxKl8/s1600-h/IMG_1265.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPw6JI2izjj5YlKwOhNxF6QKp_H1cavuvsDmlQqULTucEoWj5eCLp5db7xrdGhqon4COg-fvU76GE6jwqCIOcmthllLID2q6M7aBUy9GOGtQO6OmnIRiwp7_OUa3isdFRMntodM-YxKl8/s200/IMG_1265.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371718766410948386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdKFoFFKZAsHFvapHlWNnMcD1hTZB5I8Z5W64pIaEgw_HsVS3yIW94T0GOmoaD42pe2JJxgpS3hDx2UoDBwge3g6pSB_YznsfkwC8_L7YBJdFmh2AiwZ72p0ZG0OSupOcYaO6a0yjwBw/s1600-h/IMG_1269.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdKFoFFKZAsHFvapHlWNnMcD1hTZB5I8Z5W64pIaEgw_HsVS3yIW94T0GOmoaD42pe2JJxgpS3hDx2UoDBwge3g6pSB_YznsfkwC8_L7YBJdFmh2AiwZ72p0ZG0OSupOcYaO6a0yjwBw/s200/IMG_1269.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371718756953497378" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2BV_hYBHpRlDFnnuHrW4G29Ykgk_cENBjnBHQA7l8JOFQjQpFG4-GXO6qwsvQ1Oq1_fsVwL1hdVlsadR2liKniyoD84L-tGjT9etMcZ4Qi93Mk0BlSu3bwuIawhXL8jzz-finfTAlO0/s1600-h/IMG_1276a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2BV_hYBHpRlDFnnuHrW4G29Ykgk_cENBjnBHQA7l8JOFQjQpFG4-GXO6qwsvQ1Oq1_fsVwL1hdVlsadR2liKniyoD84L-tGjT9etMcZ4Qi93Mk0BlSu3bwuIawhXL8jzz-finfTAlO0/s200/IMG_1276a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371718742105968402" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxeg31jnAgpBrvATFPHgzG7jT59oK_qv2F4mxwdYhyjQ4aNHAzgHIMo2T_jlRJ20mEfVEZIGHBRqGtTvZrIYSr5H00Cy59ouZdmKnpRNyDEl0d0svPy0Rt7_quJYyWzqdRMB0UmkUPxaQ/s1600-h/IMG_1205.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxeg31jnAgpBrvATFPHgzG7jT59oK_qv2F4mxwdYhyjQ4aNHAzgHIMo2T_jlRJ20mEfVEZIGHBRqGtTvZrIYSr5H00Cy59ouZdmKnpRNyDEl0d0svPy0Rt7_quJYyWzqdRMB0UmkUPxaQ/s200/IMG_1205.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371719860140449570" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGniei4jU_yU7k5WcMSwfRqcwW_0Z0Tj8_QTqaBs8mgUCeaEy-E5W8vAsByzBOELklBVfAAVrXf8dm8xepL2evlWjfbjnRUKUCpx95NEeY0U4eCBA9yNxWH-rYOuSy7fZ1At1bq2EngU/s1600-h/IMG_1260.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGniei4jU_yU7k5WcMSwfRqcwW_0Z0Tj8_QTqaBs8mgUCeaEy-E5W8vAsByzBOELklBVfAAVrXf8dm8xepL2evlWjfbjnRUKUCpx95NEeY0U4eCBA9yNxWH-rYOuSy7fZ1At1bq2EngU/s200/IMG_1260.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371719850143784370" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCuoY566HKrOCkkg6bcH4WIAWVAe-BM2wtUW4VGg6bgrjSdPufWoF_-ZYJQQJVySTCSpv1yJ5MaqfTz5MmvF4jIfHteeBmwtKnSPKyzkRnlcfdM3fZ4H9YRltHE5IdunXTZxdb4-vmNs/s1600-h/IMG_1263.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCuoY566HKrOCkkg6bcH4WIAWVAe-BM2wtUW4VGg6bgrjSdPufWoF_-ZYJQQJVySTCSpv1yJ5MaqfTz5MmvF4jIfHteeBmwtKnSPKyzkRnlcfdM3fZ4H9YRltHE5IdunXTZxdb4-vmNs/s200/IMG_1263.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371719842088748370" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE25xV0iiKc_5vrYk-kUmWarMBPuzCyQ0oAECF7gaGopk5yOe1eFzHKR5JREE_yifBD0o6ksKs9pF6HDRRByIsZhy7iW9qbObj-VSCRt8DuDwbXOYF6cVWaNoBBHbHxJAxISnW5DPlWCc/s1600-h/IMG_1240.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE25xV0iiKc_5vrYk-kUmWarMBPuzCyQ0oAECF7gaGopk5yOe1eFzHKR5JREE_yifBD0o6ksKs9pF6HDRRByIsZhy7iW9qbObj-VSCRt8DuDwbXOYF6cVWaNoBBHbHxJAxISnW5DPlWCc/s200/IMG_1240.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371719825884302402" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFTbpRoKlFAT4TewerF4i3Q0I__k9fuXYfuCrWi-cmGaYQd6gXYgM3JnI43rmuJwsFHRRhbLibKhbEUa2ODmk7RUSSNnDuyjd8EqGteKuKrvRUJsjqqU0U993b9sYlNf9fXaDqAj8SoVg/s1600-h/IMG_1216.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFTbpRoKlFAT4TewerF4i3Q0I__k9fuXYfuCrWi-cmGaYQd6gXYgM3JnI43rmuJwsFHRRhbLibKhbEUa2ODmk7RUSSNnDuyjd8EqGteKuKrvRUJsjqqU0U993b9sYlNf9fXaDqAj8SoVg/s200/IMG_1216.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371722067188365682" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4Bv6oC1psiusyflze_We_uPeckJ0YtMD8Z10Sy854stLQks_FDkJ73PiVRSASkOWDvsBPHL0SpwqwAk1jZz4uWLZmV_CRoCuzoIXpQYqn5AQB58neZkzC_BUs7y8ls4C85YPu9s5C5c/s1600-h/IMG_1214.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4Bv6oC1psiusyflze_We_uPeckJ0YtMD8Z10Sy854stLQks_FDkJ73PiVRSASkOWDvsBPHL0SpwqwAk1jZz4uWLZmV_CRoCuzoIXpQYqn5AQB58neZkzC_BUs7y8ls4C85YPu9s5C5c/s200/IMG_1214.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371722059709854194" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9V8vwnpEooqV9LONwqLJ6-_mX6m18SL5ALeCXnjD_EYMghctRuKfAzG5HYyA-WB5Z6L6mCHctkZ6raUKlnp2_PdlXu2P4XHP8n5ZrhlrKp6Twafvmx2vZyo8UBn0Cef6c4OOmVRbk3k/s1600-h/IMG_1198.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9V8vwnpEooqV9LONwqLJ6-_mX6m18SL5ALeCXnjD_EYMghctRuKfAzG5HYyA-WB5Z6L6mCHctkZ6raUKlnp2_PdlXu2P4XHP8n5ZrhlrKp6Twafvmx2vZyo8UBn0Cef6c4OOmVRbk3k/s200/IMG_1198.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371722044516150418" border="0" /></a><br />Our week here went by quickly; we thoroughly enjoyed hiking, driving the scenic roads through the park and the history of Medora.Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-77261672278096815422009-07-16T14:51:00.011-05:002009-08-19T21:53:12.398-05:00Winnebago Grand National Rally-July 09On Thursday, July 9<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> we left for an extended trip to Glacier National Park in Montana, right near the Canadian border. On Sat and Sun, after 980 miles, we stayed in Hannibal, MO, one of our stops last Fall in the Great River Road Caravan. We stayed at the same campground, Tom Sawyer, and enjoyed two pleasant days there; dinner cruise on the Mississippi in the Mark Twain river boat,<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbc8wL3E6kUT3xtLMFv8VTlsKGHdauReC7j8x-GViBQOIYTQCCCGANH0gtXAyCgDT6ZUSajYkj2jIa3aIBrLU0alDxY_F6YOHbG8tWo96w9VzNqTLOjlGaLsvRqjllGwYMrmlfjGUl4-k/s1600-h/IMG_1049.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbc8wL3E6kUT3xtLMFv8VTlsKGHdauReC7j8x-GViBQOIYTQCCCGANH0gtXAyCgDT6ZUSajYkj2jIa3aIBrLU0alDxY_F6YOHbG8tWo96w9VzNqTLOjlGaLsvRqjllGwYMrmlfjGUl4-k/s320/IMG_1049.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370722628969193186" border="0" /></a> a night with Mark Twain Himself, and nice steak dinners. The beef there is simply out of this world.<br /><br />On the 13<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">th</span> we arrived in Forrest City, IA for the Winnebago Grand National Rally which is celebrating the RV manufacturer's 40<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span> anniversary. Among our activities are tours of wind mill farm, ethanol plant, farms, John Deere factory, and Winnebago factory. At the rally, we got to meet friends from previous Winnebago sponsored trips, including my #1 fan, Helen of IN. Compared with other rallies we've attended, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">GNR</span> was a big disappointment. The exhibits were not worth visiting, there were too few new <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Winnebagos</span>. The 7am reveille and military music was absolutely ridiculous.<br /><br />We enjoyed, however, the Iowa beef and got some things fixed at the factory: door lock, molding around windshield, and roof examined and re-sealed. At a nearby plant that does work exclusively for Winnebago, we got some of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">gelcoat</span> re-done. While camped at the rally, with Millie locked securely in our motor home, when we returned, the door would not open. It unlocked OK, but just would not open. Thanks to some advice from onlookers and a borrowed drill from Larry, I was able to break in with out damaging anything. Will not divulge secret of my stealthy entry.<br /><br />We greatly enjoyed the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">pre</span>-rally tours which included a wind turbine farm and robotic milking machine. Farmers get $6,500/year for each wind turbine on their land. No humans are involved in the robotic milking process: they are only require for removing the manure! Cows can get milked anytime they like; when they do, they get a treat. Some get milked as much a five times a day. For their comfort, they have air <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">mattresses</span> to lie on. They do not go out of the building or into pastures. In addition, next door to us was the Iowa Heritage Farm which had demonstrations of working farm equipment from the early 1900s. In the picture below, they are threshing wheat.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEH0_ph7EzfxPhsaIWpBfb_kJXp20d7kOJah231oUbkySSmd2P_jdtfWoYGn4wlFr4lRstXVXOEug5THssfMiZkeKQZqr8nehY94csX50QNixAxxBiHSK5PI20gC8jvrwD3bVynRqSZWo/s1600-h/IMG_1104.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEH0_ph7EzfxPhsaIWpBfb_kJXp20d7kOJah231oUbkySSmd2P_jdtfWoYGn4wlFr4lRstXVXOEug5THssfMiZkeKQZqr8nehY94csX50QNixAxxBiHSK5PI20gC8jvrwD3bVynRqSZWo/s200/IMG_1104.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371707220665702546" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtht2gn_JjMlo3bXJavu06wG7Yntby37hRe5TBVUa3N7mEUudWEIEQqzharSMRMmaVZqrAkVqZ4eOQgTzTF1SzwHHB78lnCxFYPOsWUo-KvsC9TWbKS20TylnlyVkLXh5755f52MV2fs/s1600-h/IMG_1083.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtht2gn_JjMlo3bXJavu06wG7Yntby37hRe5TBVUa3N7mEUudWEIEQqzharSMRMmaVZqrAkVqZ4eOQgTzTF1SzwHHB78lnCxFYPOsWUo-KvsC9TWbKS20TylnlyVkLXh5755f52MV2fs/s200/IMG_1083.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371707212741589362" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6AsrEKieKDri-N51BaBqMOxDYF4qkFE3ReZXwuY4ermSQDAdvQiM03rT95RI3L5_d3fKPaAuGGBAi6kIH6THYruGLTuhgn-JhmEKW2KaNrEOPXdusomvO0dPEsqLd112Vi1U2l3IuoXM/s1600-h/IMG_1054.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6AsrEKieKDri-N51BaBqMOxDYF4qkFE3ReZXwuY4ermSQDAdvQiM03rT95RI3L5_d3fKPaAuGGBAi6kIH6THYruGLTuhgn-JhmEKW2KaNrEOPXdusomvO0dPEsqLd112Vi1U2l3IuoXM/s200/IMG_1054.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371707202715269554" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The rally included a big barn fire and marshmallow roast, state club hospitality exhibits and featured a Woodstock theme, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Winstock</span>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJ0Pvx-XgEPjd7xwdewYzSlgGah_VkDYccGANsi2WkklTyzElseR4yuYYylHkFgIhpyK3axki3t35Q8RVMF0Q-6VB9rkXNYcwR4WBvkJ15WkgSPxZfNB0U5Uyt2VSF_HJABON4_ht_pg/s1600-h/IMG_1145.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJ0Pvx-XgEPjd7xwdewYzSlgGah_VkDYccGANsi2WkklTyzElseR4yuYYylHkFgIhpyK3axki3t35Q8RVMF0Q-6VB9rkXNYcwR4WBvkJ15WkgSPxZfNB0U5Uyt2VSF_HJABON4_ht_pg/s200/IMG_1145.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371749781724987090" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLT7J2ZiWxQWWDkB6QrSsHQE67gniu_G0xLmIwuQ1SBtWlp4V3mwYy8PfNiShNWdhmMIhLGT4bwbRv9mswAR4NTIfTwa2DvjYYg-qsaySTVsfyAylDoDvpm9x7rjcRrvN85AyJ0lIiizw/s1600-h/IMG_1144.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLT7J2ZiWxQWWDkB6QrSsHQE67gniu_G0xLmIwuQ1SBtWlp4V3mwYy8PfNiShNWdhmMIhLGT4bwbRv9mswAR4NTIfTwa2DvjYYg-qsaySTVsfyAylDoDvpm9x7rjcRrvN85AyJ0lIiizw/s200/IMG_1144.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371749776246588834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.blogger.com/href=" com="" _t4oai2zsg4i="" soxj8yfbxbi="" aaaaaaaaaus="" kr0st1roh8q="" h="" jpg=""><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNUycb9761bfzfO_CtsdZ9g75faYwfk2zSqqi2M9OpUmxbNm27-G2SYjBIChhzM0c9xE5xQNuUmqKbWTuQCcXJq2UFHZ_lRCsAJzMPMEC5xYnWIS9LrN1tFmTeBh_BKsRYDjBIwPfsPA/s200/IMG_1184.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371749764239023122" border="0" /></a>On July 25<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">th</span> we left, vowing never to attend another <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">GNR</span>, and headed for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Medora</span>, ND and the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Despite this vow, we did have a good time overall with lots of great memories. It's just that the quality of the event did not justify the effort to get there and the time involved.Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-649485676819331812009-04-15T09:27:00.071-05:002011-03-05T14:47:09.459-05:00Spring Trip - GA, FL, TX<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" try="" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6E1iiojhyrlFT8sT8ixqog0yVI6lSjkjXmzvS3GGpDLXyozxiWq60iUxtgcMDsCttVKLm6-Z5jdTI5W_gGoC9tHOwiTZSfG1_EWPEXvaM_xLL6Cm52z-DmJ_37oHpSm54AtTnuM_t4OM/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 209px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8AvIP5lPGhTzha3KHwRaR5LYBnIS834glDbGfOsbNbIZVvUzudDdvyAxmmIDPJbongJw9E5SCbiWERG1PAbx4gynQ76jqMMkISFyrNgQEIK4YBVBUI_JMdWYIbIxjtI7YwGnEOP88znw/s320/IMG_0228.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324927074096917730" border="0" /></a>We left home on March 14 and arrived safely back after 50 days on May 2<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">nd</span>, having covered 4,331 miles, attending Rallies in Perry, GA, Tampa, FL, and San Antonio, TX and visiting Houston, Galveston, Big Bend, Del Rio, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Langtry</span>, Austin, Dallas, College Station, and Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas.<br />Our first stop was the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">FMCA</span> rally at Perry, GA, traveling 195 miles. There, we met four fellow Sun City <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">RVers</span>, including Walt & Chris, Harry & Marilyn, Rhoda & Les, and Bob & Eleanor. The rally included many seminars of interest to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">RVing</span>, displays by various vendors, infomercials, and of course thousands of motor homes. We had a nice camp site between two pecan trees. It was dry camping, no utilities, but we were self sufficient, at least for five days while we were there. At left is a picture of where we camped. Yes, they are all pecan trees.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPsG-0pXxi2w_XsexVddhPfKTyJajNLPF5-opbcEo-6fofMN_xjw_zZJNIAbdqmLPJbwwteUI1BetQ0oZZOuKWp0ZKOo4qPTOdAf0CkCvSwMi2MVb98x4voqIVUEsOs_qcYzqvandrQY/s1600-h/IMG_0230.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPsG-0pXxi2w_XsexVddhPfKTyJajNLPF5-opbcEo-6fofMN_xjw_zZJNIAbdqmLPJbwwteUI1BetQ0oZZOuKWp0ZKOo4qPTOdAf0CkCvSwMi2MVb98x4voqIVUEsOs_qcYzqvandrQY/s320/IMG_0230.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325301534216730258" border="0" /></a> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Freightliner</span> had on display new tires for the rear which replace the duals. I'm standing next to one in the picture, they are really wide, which you can't tell from the front. From Perry, we traveled 349 miles to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Seffner</span>, FL for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Freightliner</span> Rally at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Lazydays</span>, one of the largest RV dealers on the East coast. At both rallies we met old friends Danny and Marcie who we first met on our River Road Caravan. Unfortunately, the Rally was a bore, little to do as an organized group, although we kept busy, mostly looking at new motor homes. The previous month, I had dropped off my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Bachman</span> locomotive to have it converted for battery operation at John's Hobbies in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Summerfield</span>, FL; so, we spent a day to pick it up. At the same time we visited Don <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Garlits</span> "Big Daddy", <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">NHRA's</span> Number 1 Drag Racer of of the last 50 years, drag racing museum located nearby. He was the first to break the 170, 180, 200, 240, 250, and 270 MPH barriers. By the time we got back, it was evening. At right is one of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Freightliner</span> chassis exhibits.<br />From FL, we headed towards Huston, TX. While traveling through the FL panhandle we encountered severe storms and tornado warnings. Although I10 remained open, many other roads, especially those going North through GA, were closed due to flooding. On both the 27 and 28<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">th</span> of March, we had to spend several hours at rest areas waiting out the tornado warnings, high winds, and heavy rains. While traveling through LA, we stopped at the same RV park that we had stayed in while on the River Road Caravan last October. We even got to say hello to the same lady and her two girls who had minded Millie while we were sightseeing in New Orleans last Oct.<br /><br />From there we went to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Kemah</span>, TX, between Galveston and Houston,Marina Bay RV Park, having traveled a total of 1,241 miles. We liked this park and stayed there a week, visiting the Houston and Galveston area. We enjoyed NASA Space Center Houston and spent two days touring the facilities, which were really outstanding.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7HPpcAWvfTENt0EPp6dxkqI8zkaDDUy4fK3BakbdE1dxZ0Mr3Dxae_8VnRLWTOhD6uVOaIxZw7xijWQfVO8KFvSE3I9qV4YHVaxm48kyIcrtmkrpkf7ZiyJI7Y3J0YQ-sFVVdFWZDU1I/s1600-h/IMG_0253.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7HPpcAWvfTENt0EPp6dxkqI8zkaDDUy4fK3BakbdE1dxZ0Mr3Dxae_8VnRLWTOhD6uVOaIxZw7xijWQfVO8KFvSE3I9qV4YHVaxm48kyIcrtmkrpkf7ZiyJI7Y3J0YQ-sFVVdFWZDU1I/s320/IMG_0253.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324938959388475666" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS82CNxWN_xNShfpFYphZKNTHpkKXbNi9O8xvk0eKIhLmrivJ68I-_pR_FNsnTcl1aNmbC9WDZA6CydfOFlY7SXYWjHyycUvodIzboU18A-WwuahOHHzKUxIVYrbEVmBKSeL_nRgVvxPo/s1600-h/IMG_0233.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS82CNxWN_xNShfpFYphZKNTHpkKXbNi9O8xvk0eKIhLmrivJ68I-_pR_FNsnTcl1aNmbC9WDZA6CydfOFlY7SXYWjHyycUvodIzboU18A-WwuahOHHzKUxIVYrbEVmBKSeL_nRgVvxPo/s320/IMG_0233.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324938957059679682" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />At left is a mock-up of the Orion space capsule which will hold 6 astronauts. It will go to Moon and Mars in upcoming space missions. I'm standing in a mock-up of the Shuttle at right. Below is our official NASA photo.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDANkDoKEB3BJQ0-iPXQFZyV9LEnhHYKAjfzooZ6rAo7Z8l2GFBeXClLRSkoIIxpnWQV0X4dtrzO4FSeOnvx9e6Vypz_VnIj7im_RruUBoGJCEVhe-WVpAsJAqmUouVdjeqHd0GccOeRk/s1600-h/NASA-Houston.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDANkDoKEB3BJQ0-iPXQFZyV9LEnhHYKAjfzooZ6rAo7Z8l2GFBeXClLRSkoIIxpnWQV0X4dtrzO4FSeOnvx9e6Vypz_VnIj7im_RruUBoGJCEVhe-WVpAsJAqmUouVdjeqHd0GccOeRk/s320/NASA-Houston.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331673505340109426" border="0" /></a><br />We spent one day in Houston, visiting the Natural History museum and walking around the underground passages in downtown. But, WOW, what traffic! The highway system was amazing, 8 lanes all over the place, cars whizzing left, right, straight forward. We were glad to have gotten back to Marina Bay safely. We visited the San <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Jacinto</span> Monument which commemorates Sam Houston's victory over Santa Anna, thereby gaining independence for the Republic of Texas. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtrvJ9LUk6YTy2V10JJyfXe4lK0b8QwA9ib-xXDBX7_VE6jVGp6NcvHnhfjn3JtVI9nw6ODvERxJcLnYfm-WnD0CtcZHHz1iFECFcbQYvGMTw6a_y-6UlmJEed9BfkJH_TNvyNI1GCj0/s1600-h/IMG_0273.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtrvJ9LUk6YTy2V10JJyfXe4lK0b8QwA9ib-xXDBX7_VE6jVGp6NcvHnhfjn3JtVI9nw6ODvERxJcLnYfm-WnD0CtcZHHz1iFECFcbQYvGMTw6a_y-6UlmJEed9BfkJH_TNvyNI1GCj0/s320/IMG_0273.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325306924606331570" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwfwp_kE-5nsVwDLSCMU30GWo7beajJTVtjuNIDqVuXiFOv73dJaCA_4OvgGHQC-34CObCzPBgiG9i2X2h2CyLv8P5QLsQlegNUFvBVAPSeyUAgTP3frWdlQCIHAw7Py90_56JepsHvw/s1600-h/IMG_0270a.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwfwp_kE-5nsVwDLSCMU30GWo7beajJTVtjuNIDqVuXiFOv73dJaCA_4OvgGHQC-34CObCzPBgiG9i2X2h2CyLv8P5QLsQlegNUFvBVAPSeyUAgTP3frWdlQCIHAw7Py90_56JepsHvw/s320/IMG_0270a.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325306918168197394" border="0" /></a> Next to this monument is the battleship "Texas" which served in both WW I and WW II. It is steam powered (like the nuclear ships of today), originally using coal, but later oil. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXsoMIAJ5vlJbSlC1pT_Fjf-7XmB_EcWwWvfrxvbV0EZC3PHGeFzbHSldjuYe3qneuAfldZm7EEwnHgMPaSca1gV2DPXspDJ80E-lfXuVMRimULSKxJdZoWrvLVG9apw26_Xz0RLqTWY/s1600-h/IMG_0284.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 235px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXsoMIAJ5vlJbSlC1pT_Fjf-7XmB_EcWwWvfrxvbV0EZC3PHGeFzbHSldjuYe3qneuAfldZm7EEwnHgMPaSca1gV2DPXspDJ80E-lfXuVMRimULSKxJdZoWrvLVG9apw26_Xz0RLqTWY/s320/IMG_0284.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325306926685458562" border="0" /></a>You can see the San <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Jacinto</span> Monument between the gun barrels of the "Texas". I toured the "Texas" and saw in addition to the usual facilities such as barbershop, bunks, latrines, mess, a sign for the prophylactic room, one of the necessities for service men on long sea tours.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMDyF7rUCNq4rqJwKrJ5uq8q25m_PUppDTPrnpfZ2XwK6Kb1OmhW3RtMV8id59LpSnZ7gN1enBKy1VKHphS83pyH3GAbQo7kYvmkzjhy6LqjuufQLZ5vtHp5k9xhWH3HeS4MDKQ_rDwQ/s1600-h/IMG_0362.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMDyF7rUCNq4rqJwKrJ5uq8q25m_PUppDTPrnpfZ2XwK6Kb1OmhW3RtMV8id59LpSnZ7gN1enBKy1VKHphS83pyH3GAbQo7kYvmkzjhy6LqjuufQLZ5vtHp5k9xhWH3HeS4MDKQ_rDwQ/s320/IMG_0362.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325381251700690594" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjbWn7cBEh5yg1aLyJIG32_vi42b7NMAL4Z74TxD3I1VTfOVNCRdXlpf_SddGQFZvw-fYD-wEB1VATS0epY8Ikbnjdf-_NNd7K2IZjAcIhWNIZ7nQU-yCgQ-U1ui3Wlygu83N6EnumI8/s1600-h/IMG_0361.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjbWn7cBEh5yg1aLyJIG32_vi42b7NMAL4Z74TxD3I1VTfOVNCRdXlpf_SddGQFZvw-fYD-wEB1VATS0epY8Ikbnjdf-_NNd7K2IZjAcIhWNIZ7nQU-yCgQ-U1ui3Wlygu83N6EnumI8/s320/IMG_0361.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325381245761116018" border="0" /></a><br />We also visited the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Haak</span> vineyard located several miles from our RV park in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Kemah</span>. We enjoyed wine tasting and a delightful dinner outdoors right next to where the grapes were growing. The setting sun, as you can see, was very bright, causing us to squint.<br /><br />Galveston also provided many opportunities for sightseeing. On the Gulf coast, the beach was nice, but not of the same caliber as Hilton Head.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5swH6Dyg5qE8xQ4-5bCZciACGdTLBxNBoqY05olzkw1TVXweZIIdB71X_SwG6ozWocWYQTu4iEsNovUxmugGlLwphXpHf31lkqG4HsskpXE_7SsKWGph_2E5QUUw4hBmiVtdNT1Cfm8Q/s1600-h/IMG_0359.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5swH6Dyg5qE8xQ4-5bCZciACGdTLBxNBoqY05olzkw1TVXweZIIdB71X_SwG6ozWocWYQTu4iEsNovUxmugGlLwphXpHf31lkqG4HsskpXE_7SsKWGph_2E5QUUw4hBmiVtdNT1Cfm8Q/s320/IMG_0359.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325385295429902562" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqA1_Jn_0a03C4KMqE2vt4QE4DZLnjL6vJHAZ9BMqmyUN54UhUlcqksV8cFC8JlD5NQu1E8XcJRljGT0a71OvM-RsNHT8W0Qp4L96mlgZsuMIz0W4AY-6VFh6eV_GjbdR-KKb_B_OsNaQ/s1600-h/IMG_0298.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqA1_Jn_0a03C4KMqE2vt4QE4DZLnjL6vJHAZ9BMqmyUN54UhUlcqksV8cFC8JlD5NQu1E8XcJRljGT0a71OvM-RsNHT8W0Qp4L96mlgZsuMIz0W4AY-6VFh6eV_GjbdR-KKb_B_OsNaQ/s320/IMG_0298.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325385289917138578" border="0" /></a> Hurricane Ike caused huge waves to go over the statue where we are standing. In the Houston-Galveston, there was much evidence of damage, including beached boats and blue tarp <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">FEMA</span> roofs. Our RV park was also flooded and downtown Galveston had over 4 feet of water as shown in the above picture. We also visited an oil rig museum and saw a traveling raptor display, live birds of prey, including eagles, hawks, and owls.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHzUa9uSPq0DhQEGwz8O2HDsciJrCgMHQgSotMCisQR0j6ElsYX_7af78-ufqunxnjm7UXWtHQc82RNgHE9nM0w-9fuKSM97Ivo8sdt0qt00PtB9Wjy7Y0wfLWMt_Ev1p4xINJFzkTN4/s1600-h/IMG_0358.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHzUa9uSPq0DhQEGwz8O2HDsciJrCgMHQgSotMCisQR0j6ElsYX_7af78-ufqunxnjm7UXWtHQc82RNgHE9nM0w-9fuKSM97Ivo8sdt0qt00PtB9Wjy7Y0wfLWMt_Ev1p4xINJFzkTN4/s320/IMG_0358.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325388210635520898" border="0" /></a> A beautiful American bald eagle is posing for us with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Lill</span>.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JTokwIERzStDsO9XIEI6E1ncfuCsP1YNOpEZStk5L3K6mu_ZoSx1UlxEHNAcLtZMAcDc9iedSL_UvKwrt3XN3A7na7yrbHdHloA_Wr8_0zPAZeHmIYd2nXhJ7DqR_Z6JMm9T5EE680Q/s1600-h/IMG_0335.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JTokwIERzStDsO9XIEI6E1ncfuCsP1YNOpEZStk5L3K6mu_ZoSx1UlxEHNAcLtZMAcDc9iedSL_UvKwrt3XN3A7na7yrbHdHloA_Wr8_0zPAZeHmIYd2nXhJ7DqR_Z6JMm9T5EE680Q/s320/IMG_0335.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325387116152727762" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We visited the railroad museum, but it was closed as a result of the flooding. The yard and adjoining RR terminal building housed the museum on the ground floor.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahKN44f2h8SrTfebd4HslUCn-RAGVpudxety870-QoyJTwS7-OH_y9X1tmMeeHa2fIB-LUOuxBd-gVxRfF49jRh3g6HwSvw-FGyrrk-2IdWrCxEk0zow0XuL3KmVMVX5HbruXn8MMj9o/s1600-h/IMG_0324.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahKN44f2h8SrTfebd4HslUCn-RAGVpudxety870-QoyJTwS7-OH_y9X1tmMeeHa2fIB-LUOuxBd-gVxRfF49jRh3g6HwSvw-FGyrrk-2IdWrCxEk0zow0XuL3KmVMVX5HbruXn8MMj9o/s320/IMG_0324.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325390680478318706" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLzWEHIIob9Wj_b02Zl-2Xjttv0qZnecEGFpRO1QGb4-i5AkFMXXWjpq9mRqw-Ug64zmgL3y9wOI1eKYQY6wT1Kpa_D7ojbvmubmK9EcQVpUnZGS9k4Z1SBoLHmIV83tENHdJspRkyIU/s1600-h/IMG_0315.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLzWEHIIob9Wj_b02Zl-2Xjttv0qZnecEGFpRO1QGb4-i5AkFMXXWjpq9mRqw-Ug64zmgL3y9wOI1eKYQY6wT1Kpa_D7ojbvmubmK9EcQVpUnZGS9k4Z1SBoLHmIV83tENHdJspRkyIU/s320/IMG_0315.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325390676126985874" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Otherwise, the terminal was open, it housed several government service agencies on the other floors. From the ladies restroom I got a nice picture of the yard as seen above left. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjAfaKOwvF0EU5xYQISyFu8r473X6Eo3dKx3ntUKT6VaHwgYMYCtBIFx9vckvXrvDeXwSnToGVZ-V08AcRJygbpmsynRochhAKU2jVZJ-wJAOuLONYkjqBDF7q2iLb1r8BJlJt75JXnoY/s1600-h/IMG_0289.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjAfaKOwvF0EU5xYQISyFu8r473X6Eo3dKx3ntUKT6VaHwgYMYCtBIFx9vckvXrvDeXwSnToGVZ-V08AcRJygbpmsynRochhAKU2jVZJ-wJAOuLONYkjqBDF7q2iLb1r8BJlJt75JXnoY/s320/IMG_0289.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325392754465431810" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Our RV park was within walking distance of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Kemah</span> boardwalk, an area of amusement park, restaurants, and a large marina. Good food and drink were enjoyed here more than once!<br /><br />We left <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Kemah</span> on April 5 and headed 642 miles west to Ft. Davis, TX. En-route, we drove through San Antonio via I10 and were surprised as to how big it had grown since we were last there in 1961 on my way out of the Army at Ft. Bliss, TX, to my new job at Martin-Marietta in Orlando, FL. The highway system is a maze of 4 and 6 lane highways, ramps and overpasses. In 61 we drove into San Antonio, visited the Alamo, and exited, in probably less than one hour. This can not be done today. We enjoyed two days at Ft Davis, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCg4V4sm7bL9V1uwhY0evQiGTGLK1rYwChXr5C50Q0OuV5oBpPPw1DiCQHPLccigaXw5dKRphUo7rdG63ygpcTkRzjOYuvhtPm0Yp0-P8ZLM60Fo4Z-odfzNDznKv4lZRZJnOUV-xM5r0/s1600-h/IMG_0367.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCg4V4sm7bL9V1uwhY0evQiGTGLK1rYwChXr5C50Q0OuV5oBpPPw1DiCQHPLccigaXw5dKRphUo7rdG63ygpcTkRzjOYuvhtPm0Yp0-P8ZLM60Fo4Z-odfzNDznKv4lZRZJnOUV-xM5r0/s320/IMG_0367.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325397101696095298" border="0" /></a>visiting Ft. Davis, the old Army fort,<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaCGBDWAYayYZlmtPueS4cBoFoLAv0AZLRklbOPxb9meULTwngLb7jSttrtkG-xGyBdxO-tMVm8MXyL8hV65MGfmWZVR4WoUEhlLPlojVouZ-UssBZ2s-hb-cbgiG9p8T6Jee-96QjJzw/s1600-h/IMG_0376.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaCGBDWAYayYZlmtPueS4cBoFoLAv0AZLRklbOPxb9meULTwngLb7jSttrtkG-xGyBdxO-tMVm8MXyL8hV65MGfmWZVR4WoUEhlLPlojVouZ-UssBZ2s-hb-cbgiG9p8T6Jee-96QjJzw/s320/IMG_0376.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325397109809166514" border="0" /></a> which was along the trail from San Antonio to El <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Paso</span>. El <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Paso</span> is 200 miles to my right in the picture above,<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLISxCSMbNMI0yDnObucXIsWvzaTdYcPmxz6tH_hqDvdJAmBua4DKQtcSAdM21m3RUeSaJFRroBYrwqiX_cJcArWodVGEKy2Cck6v_oIoiotfpma0dE435Bz85PsPkuQ6cO0TxljjHeHA/s1600-h/IMG_0370.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLISxCSMbNMI0yDnObucXIsWvzaTdYcPmxz6tH_hqDvdJAmBua4DKQtcSAdM21m3RUeSaJFRroBYrwqiX_cJcArWodVGEKy2Cck6v_oIoiotfpma0dE435Bz85PsPkuQ6cO0TxljjHeHA/s320/IMG_0370.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325397109134509698" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CHqa0Of-yl7YTREoM_QFUjdPGegv0_U1k0L_ktz31j9KmCW_2N6MaXSQqyeg8CayOEQ7ZKU97BzWKkviTQdCa-V77lRt54A4IX8Wn-X_HcadhXLZpmZRBdY2dFXPnZgNwQqycikFVTI/s1600-h/IMG_0375.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CHqa0Of-yl7YTREoM_QFUjdPGegv0_U1k0L_ktz31j9KmCW_2N6MaXSQqyeg8CayOEQ7ZKU97BzWKkviTQdCa-V77lRt54A4IX8Wn-X_HcadhXLZpmZRBdY2dFXPnZgNwQqycikFVTI/s320/IMG_0375.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325397106083174530" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />and the McDonald observatory. Two hundred miles was the closest that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Lill</span> wanted to get to El <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Paso</span>! Our visit to McDonald was just great. It had super displays, great lectures, and a night program with several telescopes aimed at Saturn, the moon and various stars.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBVZX2__ZP4laFNDcbV4drDKZmldkNCxPwwDVJO8XdrcZL-AnsVMZscLXVYVp7eXvgG5NPwzM-QC1wv3DXqtf9LxlMYb7cPtvF3OPFzw5w9Js9G44l3CtHi1EZv15GHZyrZWMeUWfLL0/s1600-h/IMG_0379.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBVZX2__ZP4laFNDcbV4drDKZmldkNCxPwwDVJO8XdrcZL-AnsVMZscLXVYVp7eXvgG5NPwzM-QC1wv3DXqtf9LxlMYb7cPtvF3OPFzw5w9Js9G44l3CtHi1EZv15GHZyrZWMeUWfLL0/s320/IMG_0379.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325400293366172034" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoexLsTybnIwlH5RldpeEr7a8DGYuaY3iFCL3f4J-68VrVDQwFf5ysXPnInNjtvazi0Tzo1I3Ax2M-UlEWnMpmbW3P8_H1t0X0ErdQgo_T83eqTI42lmrwpbD9l7eeMHRjuxsqPTX4iLs/s1600-h/IMG_0395.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoexLsTybnIwlH5RldpeEr7a8DGYuaY3iFCL3f4J-68VrVDQwFf5ysXPnInNjtvazi0Tzo1I3Ax2M-UlEWnMpmbW3P8_H1t0X0ErdQgo_T83eqTI42lmrwpbD9l7eeMHRjuxsqPTX4iLs/s320/IMG_0395.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325400294168948738" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioXSOM2POXXrH8VGUTFf33ZPT4nmZycG7LzgkxNYIs0HRB_eTYkrUEEavV_mDrJVX8cQG3Z-Cj4eD_J8pJ-d5tFkSp4DkZ_d0VMOx4gzX_Dtnmye40ymtLkpGRcQFI-FxL5ffaxUsRsBg/s1600-h/IMG_0377.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioXSOM2POXXrH8VGUTFf33ZPT4nmZycG7LzgkxNYIs0HRB_eTYkrUEEavV_mDrJVX8cQG3Z-Cj4eD_J8pJ-d5tFkSp4DkZ_d0VMOx4gzX_Dtnmye40ymtLkpGRcQFI-FxL5ffaxUsRsBg/s320/IMG_0377.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325400290013901026" border="0" /></a>While there we witnessed a large meteorite traveling through the night sky and illuminating the darkness with a bright green and red glow. It was a one in a million sight, the largest meteorite we have ever seen. Unfortunately, I was unable to get a picture of it.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />From Ft. Davis we made our way to Big Bend on April 8, a short trip of 285 miles. We traveled through the town of Alpine where a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">DISA</span> college of mine, Jim, lives, but unfortunately they were tied up on that day and we couldn't get together.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7jtLyjDF4pf3m-0HjhI_qbadJiS0QJkCD7lyqKzFiRJU5N7BbP4sK81h4k6v7ripuDFuzgqFwG8xWPwA_QTIrRqEozS91ImITLhdSX4XwJY_BatvXqBA9h6sbUJp-5rJasB_PNltjPA/s1600-h/IMG_0396.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7jtLyjDF4pf3m-0HjhI_qbadJiS0QJkCD7lyqKzFiRJU5N7BbP4sK81h4k6v7ripuDFuzgqFwG8xWPwA_QTIrRqEozS91ImITLhdSX4XwJY_BatvXqBA9h6sbUJp-5rJasB_PNltjPA/s320/IMG_0396.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325400298865904354" border="0" /></a>Our approach to Big Bend was via Marathon on the East side of the NP. The scenery was as spectacular as when we first visited 48 years ago while I was stationed at Ft. Bliss. So far, our trip covered 2,312 miles and $822 in diesel fuel.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The two pictures below show how we camped back then; slept in station wagon and ate out under a pavilion.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2yZRNu_YkozvYTk64Y38oCSFHsCDJH6c8WW_qluDXNQUFAw0Pt-Ta_TD2qDBcg5zbQAHzostlPq5sej-aeIqtSYvnLpb-o-CWk3P-vJhpuY-5EMiAQP914clv8qSoxREJr6uzj31C-A/s1600/1961BIG+BEND_May023.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2yZRNu_YkozvYTk64Y38oCSFHsCDJH6c8WW_qluDXNQUFAw0Pt-Ta_TD2qDBcg5zbQAHzostlPq5sej-aeIqtSYvnLpb-o-CWk3P-vJhpuY-5EMiAQP914clv8qSoxREJr6uzj31C-A/s320/1961BIG+BEND_May023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580683045626572210" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDjQyEb6XHJFEaBlP65dIE9fc57lC1BeoKaPacndg5nB8iPDSiBUMaAYA-2u-yYKPC3sjGy7x-34o3PtCp8kUiQrbDNdAEOf6l4YiBg-9Zu57WmV2sqTHVFEHltA302JHDlSD2MODG4U/s1600/1961BIG+BEND_May021.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 273px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDjQyEb6XHJFEaBlP65dIE9fc57lC1BeoKaPacndg5nB8iPDSiBUMaAYA-2u-yYKPC3sjGy7x-34o3PtCp8kUiQrbDNdAEOf6l4YiBg-9Zu57WmV2sqTHVFEHltA302JHDlSD2MODG4U/s320/1961BIG+BEND_May021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580683040486727298" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsAFl2rikeV5VgKzFCfjx_1ZrtlDrUmQF9B8sV2UP__Bj2bKO6bCs8snNL92tWjcDzjxkkBpt00UBZ1KkudAucI1B9AO4phrDch30CcTWWn8MX9dogswnqZ5vVYoQr4qFE7Ira0HWZGE/s1600-h/IMG_0400.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsAFl2rikeV5VgKzFCfjx_1ZrtlDrUmQF9B8sV2UP__Bj2bKO6bCs8snNL92tWjcDzjxkkBpt00UBZ1KkudAucI1B9AO4phrDch30CcTWWn8MX9dogswnqZ5vVYoQr4qFE7Ira0HWZGE/s320/IMG_0400.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325417260797161154" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1Py5PNIDHDw-A4SI_PLHWsvjCxhHZo53WOXXH2j0GKq8pDxOTCXj7JetOdKGAUEt1j8P0GTYvx8K1APPAVlNA4YPwRNQUDG9Q667emFJptVpmWFA_yeTXTHYra1Epet-f5KDUmhxVeQ/s1600-h/IMG_0397.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1Py5PNIDHDw-A4SI_PLHWsvjCxhHZo53WOXXH2j0GKq8pDxOTCXj7JetOdKGAUEt1j8P0GTYvx8K1APPAVlNA4YPwRNQUDG9Q667emFJptVpmWFA_yeTXTHYra1Epet-f5KDUmhxVeQ/s320/IMG_0397.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325417258190377698" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We camped at Rio <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Grande</span> Village from 8 to 12 April, boon-docking, no electric, water or sewer, except for what we carried with us, using our generator only between 8am and 8pm. We could not get any radio stations, thank goodness for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">XM</span> radio and Direct-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">tv</span>. No <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">internet</span> or cell phone service as well. At this lower elevation, about 1,800ft, the temperatures were in the high 90 in the afternoon, and 50s at night. Unfortunately, when we had to shut our generator off, it was still very hot. Dust and wind prevailed all through our trip in Texas.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs54zWGRRnX_5gBdu3IqQia8fePLC7jyu3uAn3_cbiThC-z8HrN3aL_o8JrnWwG3duqUTLPQWrzzaFLcDUsGwPJegfx_X8mUI3v5FhpRAz7yg6K3Rn_FuvytksJVzOx97yiX8Os1woeCQ/s1600-h/IMG_0421.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 231px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs54zWGRRnX_5gBdu3IqQia8fePLC7jyu3uAn3_cbiThC-z8HrN3aL_o8JrnWwG3duqUTLPQWrzzaFLcDUsGwPJegfx_X8mUI3v5FhpRAz7yg6K3Rn_FuvytksJVzOx97yiX8Os1woeCQ/s320/IMG_0421.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325450223705770338" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxYrZ616a8_PahpOsz9cDqOJgGKQBmqOsOylJw9f5Ugouc8t2FYsS1rN1lAvvNks5-_cjdFISgcFTxjcsaAncR28vkoKv1tHGWyfsi0wQwCWxgrpq3mt-hsCcB6E7ktU_1fauRgeLQKk/s1600-h/IMG_0447.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxYrZ616a8_PahpOsz9cDqOJgGKQBmqOsOylJw9f5Ugouc8t2FYsS1rN1lAvvNks5-_cjdFISgcFTxjcsaAncR28vkoKv1tHGWyfsi0wQwCWxgrpq3mt-hsCcB6E7ktU_1fauRgeLQKk/s320/IMG_0447.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325488271109940434" border="0" /></a>We spent most of our time<br /><br />hiking at Boquillas Canyon, Chisos Basin, Hot Springs, and Santa Elena Canyon, and driving from one end of the park to the other. At Boquillas Canyon, it was very windy.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQzM-vl_QhJuzvAcZzsxKM3K-1Fj8sYZqsjGK7y9z192b7qP-wpWWGRCCREphICKjfwkhp69VVxv41qjFIiVYircdYVXDbLtCBw0YmPxkk1P0i9Wxkv-vS1z8LqUnilGBy3cziSrmqgVM/s1600-h/IMG_0422.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQzM-vl_QhJuzvAcZzsxKM3K-1Fj8sYZqsjGK7y9z192b7qP-wpWWGRCCREphICKjfwkhp69VVxv41qjFIiVYircdYVXDbLtCBw0YmPxkk1P0i9Wxkv-vS1z8LqUnilGBy3cziSrmqgVM/s320/IMG_0422.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325450221213310354" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtrisCHF-zLW7S9MQzaI-mss3mfak32lTRLDD34IwG1Qr-UCu_CaloZl1ymMfLU_BLvpCzVl6TtDJcRI_aGkvHeCPA0-FvkVO3D8_Ef-hFrCmoRE1jZhoyFkBJ6wsZMtWGrkr7_50tBgU/s1600-h/IMG_0419.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 232px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtrisCHF-zLW7S9MQzaI-mss3mfak32lTRLDD34IwG1Qr-UCu_CaloZl1ymMfLU_BLvpCzVl6TtDJcRI_aGkvHeCPA0-FvkVO3D8_Ef-hFrCmoRE1jZhoyFkBJ6wsZMtWGrkr7_50tBgU/s320/IMG_0419.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325450221836733058" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />You can see the wind whipping at us in the photo on the left. The Rio Grande is at our backs, here in Boquillas Canyon, we heard a Mexican singer, on the other side of the river, who was once featured on NPR. His magnificant voice boomed through out the canyon. Here, the water levels are low, and lots of Mexicans cross the river to sell trinkets to tourists. What they do is leave their articles, usually walking sticks, jewelery, painted rocks, etc, on the American side along with a price list and a jar to collect money. Periodically, they walk or ride across the Rio to collect their money or replenish the junk for sale. Also, periodically, the rangers come by and confiscate their goods. All this is as a result of closing the border since 9/11. Since the Mexicans keep a close eye on their goods for sale, I doubt if tourists steal their goods or money. You'd be surprised as how quickly they can cross the river. These trinkets are placed all along the park's Mexico border.<br /><br />Chisos Basin is some 6,000 ft high and thus much cooler. We hiked several trails here and it was here that we had camped some 48 years ago. As a young married couple, we slept over night in our 1961 Plymouth station wagon, the camp site at which we stayed is still there and it was a real thrill to see it again like it was 48 years ago. The one thing that was not there were the stables from which we had a nice horseback ride to the "Window", as shown below right.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQiJgi_Hku5Zp-rItQG2ggQ5iMFDpHvnLVcygALOTjfq_9oQK1ayQMrPY1OImaFZgfB5i_4SBghYC2kemesOsYtVUrfqWdvrEXaHSTkVbe6ih5bt__RDrmwobXLIroPaz1iTUKyUr3MIQ/s1600/1961BIG+BEND_May013.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 272px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQiJgi_Hku5Zp-rItQG2ggQ5iMFDpHvnLVcygALOTjfq_9oQK1ayQMrPY1OImaFZgfB5i_4SBghYC2kemesOsYtVUrfqWdvrEXaHSTkVbe6ih5bt__RDrmwobXLIroPaz1iTUKyUr3MIQ/s320/1961BIG+BEND_May013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580682043121600546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />That area is now developed with a lodge and cottages. What a shame, that ride was the highlight of our trip there in 1961.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLcqY6rhPcT5A-v11QXrDqmgBYWUpeZssdnc9ssu2-qle3ezkW5f7o6qyzd-CIzwLM7NscafhvUREG84pdC0hWKMw1z7c6KJevJ8Hh1FrazSD2m3bWBJD2WyWWMSg3UVH9F9xJQfKXLw/s1600-h/IMG_0455.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLcqY6rhPcT5A-v11QXrDqmgBYWUpeZssdnc9ssu2-qle3ezkW5f7o6qyzd-CIzwLM7NscafhvUREG84pdC0hWKMw1z7c6KJevJ8Hh1FrazSD2m3bWBJD2WyWWMSg3UVH9F9xJQfKXLw/s320/IMG_0455.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325460150223865714" border="0" /></a>Here is a beautiful sunset at the "Window" and us hiking on some of the Chisos Basin trails.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcuEJfRVijkGeYda1s7cvNnBVNAw9Ux9iPXZJRGIw-5T48QjPAMn5ULlLlLIXmlfnc__uWphscylqvFX69jpGkPfdj73LmyLUzMykqIWYIdiJiZ0rGRUHN8GDrhiUQVrh0YH1AtidMGk/s1600-h/IMG_0437.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcuEJfRVijkGeYda1s7cvNnBVNAw9Ux9iPXZJRGIw-5T48QjPAMn5ULlLlLIXmlfnc__uWphscylqvFX69jpGkPfdj73LmyLUzMykqIWYIdiJiZ0rGRUHN8GDrhiUQVrh0YH1AtidMGk/s320/IMG_0437.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325460154805042210" border="0" /></a><br /><br />At this altitude, hiking, although strenuous, was cool and comfortable. We took our time and enjoyed the scenery.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHajCW_zb1nbSb1hH0bpe80_74n_J8pLBGd9bfRNZD8Vu71t9Eh8Fl7GTdtYwJLl6xYY6dzK1XwtG5lKCkJblUaWfRmdtWq9LuLct2QNWws1_ghOCNnUQo3_gM3p0MYonbN_7L_iYYCX8/s1600-h/IMG_0454.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHajCW_zb1nbSb1hH0bpe80_74n_J8pLBGd9bfRNZD8Vu71t9Eh8Fl7GTdtYwJLl6xYY6dzK1XwtG5lKCkJblUaWfRmdtWq9LuLct2QNWws1_ghOCNnUQo3_gM3p0MYonbN_7L_iYYCX8/s320/IMG_0454.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325466652022853682" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ABhCF2XAmuWiHx6zekfJ0D5l99AAE8NQvZSozUtxsrbmjdoGjr4erdYqT0ZJ9znQSznWGaqt4VvdyUGk1FCkMBXHy1gL9DsE6rlkfew9VcoLsLLfSdH6ij0Ki6cvlkslPBbBpeIwmp8/s1600-h/IMG_0458.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ABhCF2XAmuWiHx6zekfJ0D5l99AAE8NQvZSozUtxsrbmjdoGjr4erdYqT0ZJ9znQSznWGaqt4VvdyUGk1FCkMBXHy1gL9DsE6rlkfew9VcoLsLLfSdH6ij0Ki6cvlkslPBbBpeIwmp8/s320/IMG_0458.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325466647204823106" border="0" /></a> The Chisos Basis was much cooler than in the lower elevations at Rio Grande Village.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhItLpcQqDBHpkd1gHoMjngtjg1nscheG4puztjxsvZf2B6NtLlT3B7rGXf8IqdqAyzv2As9sjwEVCSaPxC-cuEvQJeUPZg_lxzmDHS7XNrdv07zxYezkLUbHHroASkHq5W0_tm9oBF6iQ/s1600-h/IMG_0457.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhItLpcQqDBHpkd1gHoMjngtjg1nscheG4puztjxsvZf2B6NtLlT3B7rGXf8IqdqAyzv2As9sjwEVCSaPxC-cuEvQJeUPZg_lxzmDHS7XNrdv07zxYezkLUbHHroASkHq5W0_tm9oBF6iQ/s320/IMG_0457.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325469944748898114" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Not far from Rio Grande Village is Hot Springs. This is the remnants of a spa built along side the Rio Grande at the beginning of the 19th century.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis4bcBSkhSbQaxcT6hnoMUhgZ9DAEoIqglcExXHWPV0b4TCFjGR5gR_q_iOcX-1pdZVUGXe7tzQe6EQnIIHGQCdn-roaUTA1PCWa28WKc7E6MQ21plVyVXoEXnjtN6B8tl8n46FA4734Q/s1600-h/IMG_0448.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis4bcBSkhSbQaxcT6hnoMUhgZ9DAEoIqglcExXHWPV0b4TCFjGR5gR_q_iOcX-1pdZVUGXe7tzQe6EQnIIHGQCdn-roaUTA1PCWa28WKc7E6MQ21plVyVXoEXnjtN6B8tl8n46FA4734Q/s320/IMG_0448.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325474634438165858" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDFe8VWZY14jgheiMV-G-BvnfTgQd-FOcqmqdObeOc3OcSyrGEI383LGlo_C5AenS0toznqeNL3q1jA96Nu_XpfqXf8BhSMN_xYv4n3IhWOjfPSR_5PwvVzWVKbNGXH4T1AM15w-Lcyg/s1600-h/IMG_0449.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDFe8VWZY14jgheiMV-G-BvnfTgQd-FOcqmqdObeOc3OcSyrGEI383LGlo_C5AenS0toznqeNL3q1jA96Nu_XpfqXf8BhSMN_xYv4n3IhWOjfPSR_5PwvVzWVKbNGXH4T1AM15w-Lcyg/s320/IMG_0449.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325474616503315810" border="0" /></a> The waters were 105 degrees, which in 96 degree weather doesn't do much for you. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBih5-7UjZrwttzuqm4w2sloPlAE2Qcol8dVDwfcH4GKUX401mB5j8JIxmcWUWZ7FeXBQ6l7RDbLAwgf3H7SEJq5rTF1T2VUQ7vR_e7M6y1peofVGl9PLn0f1haYxHgyG5c7nPdpcd6E/s1600-h/IMG_0451.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBih5-7UjZrwttzuqm4w2sloPlAE2Qcol8dVDwfcH4GKUX401mB5j8JIxmcWUWZ7FeXBQ6l7RDbLAwgf3H7SEJq5rTF1T2VUQ7vR_e7M6y1peofVGl9PLn0f1haYxHgyG5c7nPdpcd6E/s320/IMG_0451.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325474637090640082" border="0" /></a>It was a sort but nice hike to the Hot Springs. In the pictures of the hot springs, it is the Rio Grande River in back of us with Mexico in the background. Needless to say, there were trinkets for sale along the path to the Hot Springs.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />One of our trips was outside the park to Terlingua which is just outside the East entrance. Terlingua, to be kind, has not much to offer, but it did have a ghost town within it, the remnants of the mining<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTsiJceOYEjK2JgTdSWUmNy2ekCEVYrqIxSgrnGcjO8fBg0ZjHn4QcoP9nQrzLCckdX7Kq2S6RSx8yUJZ_RU-zDOzrBn7Nr8eDcSCVdxfSDyPd7MJ26YerF_X0gNUod9kF-q7K978l1w/s1600-h/IMG_0440.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTsiJceOYEjK2JgTdSWUmNy2ekCEVYrqIxSgrnGcjO8fBg0ZjHn4QcoP9nQrzLCckdX7Kq2S6RSx8yUJZ_RU-zDOzrBn7Nr8eDcSCVdxfSDyPd7MJ26YerF_X0gNUod9kF-q7K978l1w/s320/IMG_0440.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325480806049081058" border="0" /></a> town that it once was. We didn't find any ghosts, but there were people living in some of the buildings that from the surface looked uninhabited.<br /><br />We also drove on a number of dirt roads, some of which were longer than we had anticipated.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfgVQ9wBRd02OgkJ5M4f7sWH4XDRWtqgvzwz0g0dHDP7gwUerZqsFmMQDm5Faa6iXhhIauSL6VVMzd4fLUlawJC2I8bMVwAvmlIYEcEra79NA7Z8LCLOThZYUPdRryIFqJtdgtJ0MHCM/s1600-h/IMG_0439.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfgVQ9wBRd02OgkJ5M4f7sWH4XDRWtqgvzwz0g0dHDP7gwUerZqsFmMQDm5Faa6iXhhIauSL6VVMzd4fLUlawJC2I8bMVwAvmlIYEcEra79NA7Z8LCLOThZYUPdRryIFqJtdgtJ0MHCM/s320/IMG_0439.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325477989613083826" border="0" /></a> Here, we tried to get to the balanced rock, but the dirt road was 8 miles long and at 15 mph, it would have taken us two hours just to get there, so we turned around. We did see the balanced rock in a picture in the ranger station.<br /><br /><br /><br />We also had visited Santa Elena Canyon back in 1961 and were anxious to see it again. The Pictures below were taken in May 1961.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPI6gPHJKNb6RFtRfQm-rcdR_Z2pqI5olM3Nvtwge4eq7tPXQJnzbcx-F6O-ERP8X1qLH0jINCb1DSKH822BrOI4wUzyq0988oyXP2l5hoQvgzg52lYIXWV2iDiQ1LyG3iB4yrOTaXGY/s1600/1961BIG+BEND_May029.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPI6gPHJKNb6RFtRfQm-rcdR_Z2pqI5olM3Nvtwge4eq7tPXQJnzbcx-F6O-ERP8X1qLH0jINCb1DSKH822BrOI4wUzyq0988oyXP2l5hoQvgzg52lYIXWV2iDiQ1LyG3iB4yrOTaXGY/s320/1961BIG+BEND_May029.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580680859621980098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQl3hN5yeIi8cmIVgdz8cN_UC-uKG_iqdOvgACIvABniWUwHxkqYgooygISKfmSs5x5NwsWdJDnf9TBr02tJtQzK2HRSy3fawbDHVBl9lS7r5EW-KIpyekVqChmH1MFJb57Cf20yYHA8/s1600/1961BIG+BEND_May031.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQl3hN5yeIi8cmIVgdz8cN_UC-uKG_iqdOvgACIvABniWUwHxkqYgooygISKfmSs5x5NwsWdJDnf9TBr02tJtQzK2HRSy3fawbDHVBl9lS7r5EW-KIpyekVqChmH1MFJb57Cf20yYHA8/s320/1961BIG+BEND_May031.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580680855810509810" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />From a distance, it looks exactly as we had remembered. But up close, we noticed that the grove of reeds by the river side were gone, replaced by a silted bank about two to three feet high. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DdUhUXVrTbwTF9v0oRv2IHdYmi-HraoJYBiMQkWIsLQb-Ckdfgj9sWHA0hAGUvbS9bC35vXooMHFFfGpHJoZGszw3ylDUK0yfqu6EDkP1GWV_Xer0RX9D2QBD9SsxIoPzWka2oCry_Q/s1600-h/IMG_0445.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DdUhUXVrTbwTF9v0oRv2IHdYmi-HraoJYBiMQkWIsLQb-Ckdfgj9sWHA0hAGUvbS9bC35vXooMHFFfGpHJoZGszw3ylDUK0yfqu6EDkP1GWV_Xer0RX9D2QBD9SsxIoPzWka2oCry_Q/s320/IMG_0445.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325485728099368482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJaiJcJBrGVtMFOFveX0t1Tkq8o6be9P0C4ncdKOQjq1MMh6E56ggXQf1wifcct65Q9BiNfaxPu8gXdJPNCcZPMxVxJLSWNYzzftfytz48cQVMKY5qy9uL6tm8a53fSwRRuJli71Y-rlk/s1600-h/IMG_0443.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJaiJcJBrGVtMFOFveX0t1Tkq8o6be9P0C4ncdKOQjq1MMh6E56ggXQf1wifcct65Q9BiNfaxPu8gXdJPNCcZPMxVxJLSWNYzzftfytz48cQVMKY5qy9uL6tm8a53fSwRRuJli71Y-rlk/s320/IMG_0443.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325485720817019682" border="0" /></a>This is a result of the flooding last fall when Mexico had to release a lot of water from a dam that flowed into the Rio and silted the canyon where the Rio and flooded our campground at the same time.<br /><br />We left Big Bend on April 12, traveling 144 miles to Langtry, TX. I wanted to visit Langtry because of a Western movie about Judge Roy Bean staring Walter Brennan and Gary Cooper I saw.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWTujl3-Yv6pez2FI_u3zr0lvXvDvz2nXEws4XloxqGo71HceAIUN8yW0xxxpQE3ZoXyY0h5NnPgSUF5YeYwRD0J7Zy10A29f1WXosLJq7TptAkvsvlpSJX7_-KMjyGLoPwNHX21ajF04/s1600-h/IMG_0477.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWTujl3-Yv6pez2FI_u3zr0lvXvDvz2nXEws4XloxqGo71HceAIUN8yW0xxxpQE3ZoXyY0h5NnPgSUF5YeYwRD0J7Zy10A29f1WXosLJq7TptAkvsvlpSJX7_-KMjyGLoPwNHX21ajF04/s320/IMG_0477.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331649333064520802" border="0" /></a> Below is Walt in the Jersey Lillie, while at right Lillian is entering the courthouse/saloon.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZeEgI43BQSsKRbUbsqQ5TsAWn4cKG3z4JCbEn5o6rYIDDs4kHl5oqaVNNwrGG8Rb_2dsnTwFa-eKe8-1BWqQcWCYD9eHU_c7iZl8zLjt2UICeeyp8t1z2zq6A82Zi7a8YgFn5wGf7da8/s1600-h/IMG_0475.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZeEgI43BQSsKRbUbsqQ5TsAWn4cKG3z4JCbEn5o6rYIDDs4kHl5oqaVNNwrGG8Rb_2dsnTwFa-eKe8-1BWqQcWCYD9eHU_c7iZl8zLjt2UICeeyp8t1z2zq6A82Zi7a8YgFn5wGf7da8/s320/IMG_0475.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331649328219124578" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvEwtmWzDsoD0q3S8koxDer9RCj-Q59BcpwtFRIuNhq9vOfonb6oc8XucYsJqwX4Vz_rzVCVUZC5Yz6LE9YHDB3MmDuXVYIhNkC7-eo-DasbSZC3BmbYr1fNST5yczR-DulaffnZkY1g/s1600-h/IMG_0472.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvEwtmWzDsoD0q3S8koxDer9RCj-Q59BcpwtFRIuNhq9vOfonb6oc8XucYsJqwX4Vz_rzVCVUZC5Yz6LE9YHDB3MmDuXVYIhNkC7-eo-DasbSZC3BmbYr1fNST5yczR-DulaffnZkY1g/s320/IMG_0472.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331649320668210098" border="0" /></a> The real Judge Bean was an interesting person who advertised himself as the Law west of the Pecos in the 1880s. He insisted that the town was named after his idol, English actress Lillie Langtry; his saloon and courthouse were named the Jersey Lillie. Others insist that the town was named after a civil engineer named Langtry who directed construction of the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway in the area.<br /><br /><br />From Langtry, we traveled 199 miles to Del Rio, TX, staying on US 90, which is right on the border with Mexico. We stayed at the Holiday Trav-L-Park. At this point we had traveled 2,570 miles. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rLZBD64d40fVihlOm6EvHMRvypSvkkphicvRdbPTTRWE2XRGVrWM-QgNcL4CcvNfxs7hC7PQaDq4-O7sax8_EyuuP6To9fF5kLEudG5WyUGtNLBaMTdqbRrLdzJJqoxBUkdXeSy1VxE/s1600-h/IMG_0498.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 193px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rLZBD64d40fVihlOm6EvHMRvypSvkkphicvRdbPTTRWE2XRGVrWM-QgNcL4CcvNfxs7hC7PQaDq4-O7sax8_EyuuP6To9fF5kLEudG5WyUGtNLBaMTdqbRrLdzJJqoxBUkdXeSy1VxE/s320/IMG_0498.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331657128505978098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7dU_ObCez_WiKhVAqjAJX94w6tX0kWYInsdlu95FIBMkWW8WpwYOKHnmNz66ExXTN3vD9fAFqofUkbVdHrSY8Z3brQF1Yna8yXdqTpCq9F17wJHSe7gdtFR1RbKEb6tjDkohbAM7m_U/s1600-h/IMG_0495.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7dU_ObCez_WiKhVAqjAJX94w6tX0kWYInsdlu95FIBMkWW8WpwYOKHnmNz66ExXTN3vD9fAFqofUkbVdHrSY8Z3brQF1Yna8yXdqTpCq9F17wJHSe7gdtFR1RbKEb6tjDkohbAM7m_U/s320/IMG_0495.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331657123843714258" border="0" /></a>Del Rio is near the Amistad National Recreation Area which features Lake Amistad, a man-made lake formed by the dam across the Rio, just below where the Pecos empties into it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDMppydATm8NV8zDO9v6wqKrKf9mGn0PpgvpLealihZrc_BqImCOQK2Ru-Na5JIlslUP0HtrggR1a98CV9Jbctv-sS_43eBg9Htveo8u2HqxlTfPOlKpFdrNF8XBHGV-_87tPOsI2YXE/s1600-h/IMG_0533.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDMppydATm8NV8zDO9v6wqKrKf9mGn0PpgvpLealihZrc_BqImCOQK2Ru-Na5JIlslUP0HtrggR1a98CV9Jbctv-sS_43eBg9Htveo8u2HqxlTfPOlKpFdrNF8XBHGV-_87tPOsI2YXE/s320/IMG_0533.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331655376897614274" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRN365P3Y-WaBpRKr3TeMDS4oKEwjxp-MpmvNg9y3fW80eRN3p1n8pdLnk3ZDEqDvczP7LEcAcVhWczOtWPBMjYic0fAe6DweiWsMuKQD6ZAkcYpWl1TduHS4-sqRXXoGvWceM_wsol84/s1600-h/IMG_0501.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRN365P3Y-WaBpRKr3TeMDS4oKEwjxp-MpmvNg9y3fW80eRN3p1n8pdLnk3ZDEqDvczP7LEcAcVhWczOtWPBMjYic0fAe6DweiWsMuKQD6ZAkcYpWl1TduHS4-sqRXXoGvWceM_wsol84/s320/IMG_0501.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331655376885864242" border="0" /></a>There, we visited the Val Verde Winery where we tasted and bought some excellent tawny port and red wines, the lake and dam, Seminole Canyon State Park with its aboriginal cave paintings, and two local museums. The museum at Seminole Canyon had a nice exhibit of pictographs where I'm pictured, while below we saw cave pictographs such as this, they varied in age from several hundred to well over 2,000 years.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUEaC3CDKVlhiowjfpb2N-cguu3fe__j1q4WaQU8sNJtUEupmrd48rck7DPsGLgy40MVUxqxjrO_LAY8munVTOfKuWDYGENg2EuGpI_F9cncjcZIVMSrbZoC12wrpeRVvVrMBj5XHstqM/s1600-h/IMG_0520.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUEaC3CDKVlhiowjfpb2N-cguu3fe__j1q4WaQU8sNJtUEupmrd48rck7DPsGLgy40MVUxqxjrO_LAY8munVTOfKuWDYGENg2EuGpI_F9cncjcZIVMSrbZoC12wrpeRVvVrMBj5XHstqM/s320/IMG_0520.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331660154324682162" border="0" /></a> At this point in our trip, Millie had accumulated a lot of Texas dirt and needed a bath really bad. Afterward, she smelled more like an indoor dog again. Occasionally, we had meals in the motor home, but most of the time we ate out - Texas beef can't be beaten. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Inn7d59SHqNdFvTHjhuibhtlIYIJ27Cvvr6dM_c0RfluHyDZwahAB5oKIGYlTxfMn4M6DBLYlBfyEoSXe41nrHWYPB7ecFu2cHJSbWsk68-EMRPwlL7ya9Umreyk0X1JMsMzGXayTYA/s1600-h/IMG_0534.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Inn7d59SHqNdFvTHjhuibhtlIYIJ27Cvvr6dM_c0RfluHyDZwahAB5oKIGYlTxfMn4M6DBLYlBfyEoSXe41nrHWYPB7ecFu2cHJSbWsk68-EMRPwlL7ya9Umreyk0X1JMsMzGXayTYA/s320/IMG_0534.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331660159079600866" border="0" /></a>In Del Rio we visited <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzl9j7pmsjd4WZsXSpVYXVj9Rj7vWLMvXUWh6sU3z-36IEBXaEWixhN42Sm5bBne0LmRZLXQ_ojD-T2hNT2wKdvrCmjY_qTNXmL_2BGBRT9C4BvMJkCij5eSikJtND5ir50FyyvcDlKE/s1600-h/IMG_0559.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzl9j7pmsjd4WZsXSpVYXVj9Rj7vWLMvXUWh6sU3z-36IEBXaEWixhN42Sm5bBne0LmRZLXQ_ojD-T2hNT2wKdvrCmjY_qTNXmL_2BGBRT9C4BvMJkCij5eSikJtND5ir50FyyvcDlKE/s320/IMG_0559.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331663667372839714" border="0" /></a>the Whitehead Memorial Museum where Judge Bean is buried. At left is a picture of a Spanish road marker, while below Lill and I are in an exhibit area.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJuv_uPULVUAXv8OSpj-zyuuFVmpDxUB4CZd1lyNYnXKuoovnCZjdGKA4suG_dZGaubwTuWxhqjxmyCz2yNTBA12nA_vFTNmkHjdkPux4Xh8sfpAaFmv2WlZyy5sYLwMnySbWbH2yqPc/s1600-h/IMG_0543.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJuv_uPULVUAXv8OSpj-zyuuFVmpDxUB4CZd1lyNYnXKuoovnCZjdGKA4suG_dZGaubwTuWxhqjxmyCz2yNTBA12nA_vFTNmkHjdkPux4Xh8sfpAaFmv2WlZyy5sYLwMnySbWbH2yqPc/s320/IMG_0543.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331660166092060434" border="0" /></a> Here we are pictured with the famous judge. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd77A65PZNI83OKXpW5c1_kC5VOhDBB1ydlBwM-8ReI7rpzVnA0Boq0q5GWM9fapLGrK2GOVIEt-DqKyzxjqMWQuDo6WnAnfRkaf9dJkul7dIcTLYX2mKfwWZFpImlAenRLXtL8tTL-aE/s1600-h/IMG_0550.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd77A65PZNI83OKXpW5c1_kC5VOhDBB1ydlBwM-8ReI7rpzVnA0Boq0q5GWM9fapLGrK2GOVIEt-DqKyzxjqMWQuDo6WnAnfRkaf9dJkul7dIcTLYX2mKfwWZFpImlAenRLXtL8tTL-aE/s320/IMG_0550.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331663672415089650" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The border with Mexico is in the middle of the Amistad Dam.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdilWOZmytqFf1amMZ5pANA5w0uf2qNF3QRfVQOVXCmltIuAiEjpVFAUxrA46jtUQXr-zm_08VShtgQ2nd31GnI99jiYQHc-gRJ0EUJcdMVHAExP8qQmzyUIvUfOHmtAQB54uOuZ6aHQ/s1600-h/IMG_0564.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdilWOZmytqFf1amMZ5pANA5w0uf2qNF3QRfVQOVXCmltIuAiEjpVFAUxrA46jtUQXr-zm_08VShtgQ2nd31GnI99jiYQHc-gRJ0EUJcdMVHAExP8qQmzyUIvUfOHmtAQB54uOuZ6aHQ/s320/IMG_0564.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331663672174855746" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We stayed a total of four nights in Del Rio, one of our treats was breakfast at IHOP and a nice steak dinner. After we left, we realized that one bottle of Port was not enough, but too late to go back to Val Verde and get another one. From here, we headed to San Antonio which was only 59 mile away. We stayed there from 16-26 April, attending the WIT San Antonio Fiesta Rally. The Rally started on April 19, but we got there two days earlier, on Friday, April 17th. On Saterday, we visited President Johnson's Museum<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzopJSev4OTfxIMT_LuEZF6mLGpIod4896LDpOz6LuKDRMRcwKljp6TWlGnq9bdPGdcT1-7Reh80vroDTKcUZOrBSH2WmiN7x0WA5TSHmV5WFMABuTyHpKbz9Jd-JRykNiB0GqjGTEXg/s1600-h/IMG_0589.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 255px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzopJSev4OTfxIMT_LuEZF6mLGpIod4896LDpOz6LuKDRMRcwKljp6TWlGnq9bdPGdcT1-7Reh80vroDTKcUZOrBSH2WmiN7x0WA5TSHmV5WFMABuTyHpKbz9Jd-JRykNiB0GqjGTEXg/s320/IMG_0589.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331679515182579810" border="0" /></a> and Library in Austin, TX,<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvJ0Rc068R7Wul3TFaB9S6jRvwSgRo3HwB3vy3U1hGf51rvLP6e3BHhZNXOqOeJVJ4Yyh4XMwXJrSrF7pLq-t8Q2U9-QTjOM3uDYiog7bBMBEH8BuNPC36Zsl7QJ90n10eelvzI0CVzI/s1600-h/IMG_0594.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvJ0Rc068R7Wul3TFaB9S6jRvwSgRo3HwB3vy3U1hGf51rvLP6e3BHhZNXOqOeJVJ4Yyh4XMwXJrSrF7pLq-t8Q2U9-QTjOM3uDYiog7bBMBEH8BuNPC36Zsl7QJ90n10eelvzI0CVzI/s320/IMG_0594.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331679529873781922" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmK-GDkOnR2cmJJkkF7OadYdfmfSCwaMwn1DTQiWmA_j2ElOpryOc7n-Lq1_LZ2EvkeVwoA2kVJq0Ia1FEQMCtLNJFEHLcHO_TtSZ3A_oqj_Hv1YHRodvV5jc66CqEeIshDgbcG3RT5E/s1600-h/IMG_0593.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmK-GDkOnR2cmJJkkF7OadYdfmfSCwaMwn1DTQiWmA_j2ElOpryOc7n-Lq1_LZ2EvkeVwoA2kVJq0Ia1FEQMCtLNJFEHLcHO_TtSZ3A_oqj_Hv1YHRodvV5jc66CqEeIshDgbcG3RT5E/s320/IMG_0593.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331679529313956306" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NeP0wKHONjfkvROzpSLbXJzBUD7oxY-ThMuQaBtp6Qp5ES2QQYYeGvhcI9k6X7bAWNcxUR5-Efcb50RVBjyZLGsa2xZybFhDo7rUUKexYTOy_W3LoQIR_Li5rG6s-DXja48lxB1k52g/s1600-h/IMG_0591.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NeP0wKHONjfkvROzpSLbXJzBUD7oxY-ThMuQaBtp6Qp5ES2QQYYeGvhcI9k6X7bAWNcxUR5-Efcb50RVBjyZLGsa2xZybFhDo7rUUKexYTOy_W3LoQIR_Li5rG6s-DXja48lxB1k52g/s320/IMG_0591.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331679524539778370" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjygULtbYruYM1QEXRdiD4_xCujejzWMy63mwX0jX1m9CzsKYs4ECXSd-xJL86o61svBfg1KqExKOwEVQ0rF-ZULvPzQWap2rBgin-oioMoVuEw2oOC5Gt6yaYpucU2-QCJ3EAMld2SbvA/s1600-h/IMG_0588.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjygULtbYruYM1QEXRdiD4_xCujejzWMy63mwX0jX1m9CzsKYs4ECXSd-xJL86o61svBfg1KqExKOwEVQ0rF-ZULvPzQWap2rBgin-oioMoVuEw2oOC5Gt6yaYpucU2-QCJ3EAMld2SbvA/s320/IMG_0588.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331679515421770882" border="0" /></a> which was about 90 miles from our campground, Admiralty RV Resort.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTh9ejSaGQYg7iY2O2vrzkhl_OjCCoKUd0ZOn0hft2OvCT1LCzHjlovLAhuuJr6W0DC230n8vqYZHqdgmzHVcXsDywViyXCWAdKL7AVytl2R7RRPAfSiFh6rNGlwe_BQeXrn1-gS5Z1vo/s1600-h/IMG_0641.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTh9ejSaGQYg7iY2O2vrzkhl_OjCCoKUd0ZOn0hft2OvCT1LCzHjlovLAhuuJr6W0DC230n8vqYZHqdgmzHVcXsDywViyXCWAdKL7AVytl2R7RRPAfSiFh6rNGlwe_BQeXrn1-gS5Z1vo/s320/IMG_0641.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331684945426181058" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7kA83YV6u2QUConn9u9ATqg3U-MQpXeg5DjSt6vmCfjh_xSSw-vOzWGEOkITZ17Hsh_OVwbjV32d4t-6i28yKjjlGnbZD2psL9SsJxIEpBh-CcquueBr6aIOcfPxrZ9fy_UtmLEIfpE/s1600-h/IMG_0640.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7kA83YV6u2QUConn9u9ATqg3U-MQpXeg5DjSt6vmCfjh_xSSw-vOzWGEOkITZ17Hsh_OVwbjV32d4t-6i28yKjjlGnbZD2psL9SsJxIEpBh-CcquueBr6aIOcfPxrZ9fy_UtmLEIfpE/s320/IMG_0640.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331684942373273266" border="0" /></a> Many evenings in our motor home were spent relaxing with a good book. Usually, while Lill read, I was busy on line, depending upon the quality of the WIFI or editing my pictures. The Fiesta Rally started on Sunday with an orientation and then a Mexican dinner at Mamacita's.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Monday was a full day touring missions in the area<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Ihd3PCg0eRa97LW3O_mqXAMTe7qaOsathlPCqQM1YFQfJC30zgsXqWV3ds6jYosKvAna3Q8JfqdOPiX9gQipOZHflUOUYoVaqWFB1tUk7dO0PWlskG_ycPPfqRqYkh5NpFLVyGvWfC0/s1600-h/IMG_0601.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Ihd3PCg0eRa97LW3O_mqXAMTe7qaOsathlPCqQM1YFQfJC30zgsXqWV3ds6jYosKvAna3Q8JfqdOPiX9gQipOZHflUOUYoVaqWFB1tUk7dO0PWlskG_ycPPfqRqYkh5NpFLVyGvWfC0/s320/IMG_0601.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331683435941317730" border="0" /></a> and viewing the Fiesta River Parade while we dined outdoors at Michelino's Ristorante Italiano. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vzB95JGYVQVgaWibRxt8Tyg17vg9vEkCZt1_iSQ-gcWCDpPY5HXGKLZf2uPgSq_LTrPeeJChX-lW69Kf2HBUnF6aZorktkWzf9sfOF6WGo7BcSzfYJG5y5Dty1kK0BBtzTIIh90E9a0/s1600-h/IMG_0613.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vzB95JGYVQVgaWibRxt8Tyg17vg9vEkCZt1_iSQ-gcWCDpPY5HXGKLZf2uPgSq_LTrPeeJChX-lW69Kf2HBUnF6aZorktkWzf9sfOF6WGo7BcSzfYJG5y5Dty1kK0BBtzTIIh90E9a0/s320/IMG_0613.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331683448510369762" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGcdUY2AaitbQQ9PpD8LcQD_SAD748pJTXuQ3sqcfz6T-3VBdO0jFgTmitw_yhzrO-7gabhR6F5ofoivWUUpwk6HNb_U5Rw_pVIU3DfjKdVTuVIPaExqP287x5NqfQ6ILhA00T-RF5i4/s1600-h/1961Alamo01.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGcdUY2AaitbQQ9PpD8LcQD_SAD748pJTXuQ3sqcfz6T-3VBdO0jFgTmitw_yhzrO-7gabhR6F5ofoivWUUpwk6HNb_U5Rw_pVIU3DfjKdVTuVIPaExqP287x5NqfQ6ILhA00T-RF5i4/s320/1961Alamo01.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352013487878366514" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxVJH2kLALgq3wAE_U5Nhtch8lKEeLYeSoegjGt1q3HMoovY6QUajltGmDbHqId7MJOGBRmj95pKQiXBBc2tBoRH-EdRs6jqOwakoxnrHNpBZ5wmMi8TFUL5d2OpfdZb1dk2RYnWyqsw/s1600-h/IMG_0609.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxVJH2kLALgq3wAE_U5Nhtch8lKEeLYeSoegjGt1q3HMoovY6QUajltGmDbHqId7MJOGBRmj95pKQiXBBc2tBoRH-EdRs6jqOwakoxnrHNpBZ5wmMi8TFUL5d2OpfdZb1dk2RYnWyqsw/s320/IMG_0609.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331683449566920450" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In 1961 we had visited the Alamo on our way to Florida after being discharged from the Army at Ft. Bliss, TX. Except for the "Davy Crockett" hotel sign, the Alamo is little changed. The cars and clothing styles have changed a lot in 48 years. That's Lill in the black cowboy hat walking towards the Alamo<br /><br />The River Walk area where we dined is lined with nice restaurants, hotels, condos, etc. On Tuesday, we had our night in Old San Antonio. We visited La Villita where we enjoyed entertainment, food, souvenirs, and music representing the many ethnic groups that have settled in the area: Mexico, Germany, Italian, French, Irish, etc. This event is only held at Fiesta time in San Antonio.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCd-jTKk7kJ9ltbntgu7PAL53954zyjh_mo5xpeGGdJ3RxE092YkduAZzroiCSpVzLWv2sT9oPePPf5uoBGuUl9qE7jUzBw1NJIrbdvElTfHnpbcR0957JWz9TtA_Ldl0iec93XQXbQY/s1600-h/IMG_0651.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCd-jTKk7kJ9ltbntgu7PAL53954zyjh_mo5xpeGGdJ3RxE092YkduAZzroiCSpVzLWv2sT9oPePPf5uoBGuUl9qE7jUzBw1NJIrbdvElTfHnpbcR0957JWz9TtA_Ldl0iec93XQXbQY/s320/IMG_0651.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331687549270999186" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLtmuKVa5xFjsoVBX1XJd0_3PTaI3TQcomeUdm58bL7sVzqZkjFrNcLFgXkwP8DYqxSjw0CpF93EJkH9qvvu4SuBkV6cUlgTsaWS6-wqmXftr0ewOGw2YSogl6Mzna1qgIVX8nuGbwktE/s1600-h/IMG_0649.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLtmuKVa5xFjsoVBX1XJd0_3PTaI3TQcomeUdm58bL7sVzqZkjFrNcLFgXkwP8DYqxSjw0CpF93EJkH9qvvu4SuBkV6cUlgTsaWS6-wqmXftr0ewOGw2YSogl6Mzna1qgIVX8nuGbwktE/s320/IMG_0649.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331687544915487538" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I was surprised to learn of the strong influence of German settlers in the area.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The following day we had a private barge tour on the San Antonio River. On each of our trips, we were transported from our campground by motor coach, below is a picture of us waiting to board the bus for a trip.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqZaA4fHYQuoWk2A3r9csaAeJsfmSXIS71VsDrngvDN6a_zwwTlpCsV43pJKiudIY8HfRXlQCJSJG08YLhaBpwNwMKDA4yqJYDyj2w0z94Wd_lHTXQ246wiEI5NnT9e8YcgW4XE81YDI/s1600-h/IMG_0665.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqZaA4fHYQuoWk2A3r9csaAeJsfmSXIS71VsDrngvDN6a_zwwTlpCsV43pJKiudIY8HfRXlQCJSJG08YLhaBpwNwMKDA4yqJYDyj2w0z94Wd_lHTXQ246wiEI5NnT9e8YcgW4XE81YDI/s320/IMG_0665.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331689043430199810" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGVRQYhfu5OIJLc1iiIjg_4tT-FvUEKZ7lATRBcAfhpjYyj7GTeBF9SXxqYrtKevbrOhi8mtaRIb79uDNrKQw26dPop53EyBv-MTo5kVcASq-qFsUzRovjbBp6wlGS0jylDU0IucVa34/s1600-h/IMG_0658.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGVRQYhfu5OIJLc1iiIjg_4tT-FvUEKZ7lATRBcAfhpjYyj7GTeBF9SXxqYrtKevbrOhi8mtaRIb79uDNrKQw26dPop53EyBv-MTo5kVcASq-qFsUzRovjbBp6wlGS0jylDU0IucVa34/s320/IMG_0658.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331689040426796770" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Thursday, April 23, was a shopping day; we visited the Mexican market in downtown San Antonio, where I bought myself a nice Texas hat, which I'm wearing while leaning on the bar in the Buckhorn Saloon & Museum. From there we visited the SAS shoe factory where we saw how they make shoes and how they sold them. The factory had a very interesting museum/store, featuring antique cars, lots of candy, and of course shoes.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4oJAb-xDtiXeRl6aqh3qz9jineKeWOsPxkz6I1RKFg0Nr7ksfi3mNio6ip2gyecUuXUhzh7b2f5XDxzzKTG79Oxso8kBzLzsNimRsDni0N-cB8FQBJQfS6-0iOfDIYARrUMhWnqtYDs/s1600-h/IMG_0693.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4oJAb-xDtiXeRl6aqh3qz9jineKeWOsPxkz6I1RKFg0Nr7ksfi3mNio6ip2gyecUuXUhzh7b2f5XDxzzKTG79Oxso8kBzLzsNimRsDni0N-cB8FQBJQfS6-0iOfDIYARrUMhWnqtYDs/s320/IMG_0693.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331692193343547314" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhv4sg2gBocdyLKIVax489dEvV7niUs9lE2dCcJEZQeRJs1pw7NREWVa6z2zWbnXq1dN1UySjR1Vr3rFVH-NayH0zBS5lIjHgCDGWyqLoVLpqPiVIOC56gEkv4H7TPzm5EkhCWM-D7l4/s1600-h/IMG_0684.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhv4sg2gBocdyLKIVax489dEvV7niUs9lE2dCcJEZQeRJs1pw7NREWVa6z2zWbnXq1dN1UySjR1Vr3rFVH-NayH0zBS5lIjHgCDGWyqLoVLpqPiVIOC56gEkv4H7TPzm5EkhCWM-D7l4/s320/IMG_0684.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331692193030191634" border="0" /></a><br /><br />While in San Antonio, we all visited the Alamo for a photo op. The Heroes of Texas Independence provided an excellent backdrop for our group photo of all the participants representing 14 states and 23 Winnebago motor homes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaNPl3aI00r6AgnLq3X_V0v5lUKQwawtmRkrdZG-f3hh1c5y2MTalIf9DofxOaTtRvujFpKSCRZbjft8t0ez1r-8Dx5Hvkd68CTp2UKg2XUO38sh-oDM1HLtiNUO4dTWvU3yv50NqEsI/s1600-h/Fiesta+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaNPl3aI00r6AgnLq3X_V0v5lUKQwawtmRkrdZG-f3hh1c5y2MTalIf9DofxOaTtRvujFpKSCRZbjft8t0ez1r-8Dx5Hvkd68CTp2UKg2XUO38sh-oDM1HLtiNUO4dTWvU3yv50NqEsI/s320/Fiesta+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332085746845251218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Lill in a blue t-shirt and me in a white t-shirt are in the lower right.<br /><br />Friday is our Big Day! The Battle of Flowers parade, where we had reserved seating. The theme is "Hats off to Texas".<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8AkaJwahwp92PkKlQS7GnuL3Q8DnIKwYvYhW_85m8wVi1TLd7nEdJ1dZvtZOHiBhDyYxCSUoBd_qynmJ_DmpeAE9VKV4YCf0XOoyRCZpRNVqC-gt2JFBtudIX4ePFwpjehitZynuaXvc/s1600-h/Hats+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 273px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8AkaJwahwp92PkKlQS7GnuL3Q8DnIKwYvYhW_85m8wVi1TLd7nEdJ1dZvtZOHiBhDyYxCSUoBd_qynmJ_DmpeAE9VKV4YCf0XOoyRCZpRNVqC-gt2JFBtudIX4ePFwpjehitZynuaXvc/s320/Hats+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331694312139442178" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The whole purpose of this parade is to honor the Texas heroes of independence who gave their life at the Alamo and place a floral tribute on its lawn for each of the fallen defenders. The parade is both festive and solemn to honor these heroes. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvfdAFLtEAPqKMnw85lbcBLnCYlaoqDaAjvzYworjZ-fsc4SiYqxsYH5bUAhnIFDrpFTvrOQr4-s9AOB-vpSW7_1t9wByvglRlhLeNzeNaXoCI5lBM-ME3ewsyAOh7lMYRQK2Ce4imTE/s1600-h/IMG_0694.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvfdAFLtEAPqKMnw85lbcBLnCYlaoqDaAjvzYworjZ-fsc4SiYqxsYH5bUAhnIFDrpFTvrOQr4-s9AOB-vpSW7_1t9wByvglRlhLeNzeNaXoCI5lBM-ME3ewsyAOh7lMYRQK2Ce4imTE/s320/IMG_0694.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331697146469409154" border="0" /></a>It began in 1891 and is the largest parade in the country planned and organized exclusively by women. There are 100 organizations that belong to the Fiesta San Antonio Commission and Fiesta includes 107 santioned events during the 11-day celebration.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7SZkcJhUaFUKCoMtEdXIEKiCqZTm1wMtYO0mzy4-6jOoatlf_IhvRb0HkWG_wGkn7l42MuRmUa011xJ5AcRzDvyfqteUdsLCz3gdvRuy0c2dYB4wpMFywlDSZXNvdDQneRK6BdGLdfs/s1600-h/IMG_0715.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7SZkcJhUaFUKCoMtEdXIEKiCqZTm1wMtYO0mzy4-6jOoatlf_IhvRb0HkWG_wGkn7l42MuRmUa011xJ5AcRzDvyfqteUdsLCz3gdvRuy0c2dYB4wpMFywlDSZXNvdDQneRK6BdGLdfs/s320/IMG_0715.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331697161186985410" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS7tizqMFoO-o0fz8wLYgZpFJ7LvmK4MAlKIbg485Nqiw8B8P55HFbfQ023uZIyxB-tYWKzPUQznl3DPpxHmlAQgQB9SQa-PGDGg31T635yzQdYGRRcazGksgso9DzRyHD_A9SNY1uH0s/s1600-h/IMG_0705.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS7tizqMFoO-o0fz8wLYgZpFJ7LvmK4MAlKIbg485Nqiw8B8P55HFbfQ023uZIyxB-tYWKzPUQznl3DPpxHmlAQgQB9SQa-PGDGg31T635yzQdYGRRcazGksgso9DzRyHD_A9SNY1uH0s/s320/IMG_0705.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331697157084630178" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsuNbW2OYokfKRLADBwAk-PqJwaCyjbfosvM9bBLUpC96CcQ6rRplb3T5DtX7BcJBT63AAeLG6uIJ1-eP20DzqTEsDFaUKFkMOv-6itYPYsxLu42OYT7_ojF4TOKknifgGf_N96Ll_bk0/s1600-h/IMG_0698.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsuNbW2OYokfKRLADBwAk-PqJwaCyjbfosvM9bBLUpC96CcQ6rRplb3T5DtX7BcJBT63AAeLG6uIJ1-eP20DzqTEsDFaUKFkMOv-6itYPYsxLu42OYT7_ojF4TOKknifgGf_N96Ll_bk0/s320/IMG_0698.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331697150371528530" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As you can see, there were many different floats, marching bands, horses, and antique cars in the parade. The Budweiser Clydesdales and Dalmation were even there!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Omt9LzZxyVzIQ7yuD6OMhtFsfLRq45aIOPcpHG3yilPQmjfH5dZuH0qslx8gnjRfJm_b2xCIEWWgXWFO_yzgbkCl4JwKGMlJz5L6dEyxXZuqxh9OuQ_19G8yoo1LKXDpbgdB1sr0EeE/s1600-h/IMG_0803.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Omt9LzZxyVzIQ7yuD6OMhtFsfLRq45aIOPcpHG3yilPQmjfH5dZuH0qslx8gnjRfJm_b2xCIEWWgXWFO_yzgbkCl4JwKGMlJz5L6dEyxXZuqxh9OuQ_19G8yoo1LKXDpbgdB1sr0EeE/s320/IMG_0803.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331699773477540450" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtTrRrpAOwH5bOBryHvT22iT1jz4YqXVJwMf6XLmrlnIv5ML38UOsvaWCP7TAxP8WJ3AolwDIpIRlENMRZyrKWy2kIyvpr7jdkHo8ptIApz9ptP-RoURZxVi0BMzLxegrGgbYzaCcbiI/s1600-h/IMG_0745.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtTrRrpAOwH5bOBryHvT22iT1jz4YqXVJwMf6XLmrlnIv5ML38UOsvaWCP7TAxP8WJ3AolwDIpIRlENMRZyrKWy2kIyvpr7jdkHo8ptIApz9ptP-RoURZxVi0BMzLxegrGgbYzaCcbiI/s320/IMG_0745.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331699772232002370" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMPAUgDf6ZYPUSLSNGmYJQmr_Qi6-ebD8aAhQOJiDluJ_pOQpi_rhFNjza5r5AOQjdyhzmBYwxHHUaC7A8iEKlqwm9j1wfwsKsf0WkJJ5xLkfv7laLRr9VYafL_YiZ8ucvqA-EgANFEtM/s1600-h/IMG_0837.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMPAUgDf6ZYPUSLSNGmYJQmr_Qi6-ebD8aAhQOJiDluJ_pOQpi_rhFNjza5r5AOQjdyhzmBYwxHHUaC7A8iEKlqwm9j1wfwsKsf0WkJJ5xLkfv7laLRr9VYafL_YiZ8ucvqA-EgANFEtM/s320/IMG_0837.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331704658292645890" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Dln8Gat-KHEk12AvSx0aERZC7-E1m8Edko8nOtLkosj9XnVH-szAQ2LcFgwbYZ4rm1RLaUIVcfM8rgU4B8F2KhuizD6fdz_LkCBTk3VwPfjKqsq9YhcCfg_DKMqkVvDCN-nTODCR7QQ/s1600-h/IMG_0810.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Dln8Gat-KHEk12AvSx0aERZC7-E1m8Edko8nOtLkosj9XnVH-szAQ2LcFgwbYZ4rm1RLaUIVcfM8rgU4B8F2KhuizD6fdz_LkCBTk3VwPfjKqsq9YhcCfg_DKMqkVvDCN-nTODCR7QQ/s320/IMG_0810.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331702351623897202" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The climax of the parade was the placing of flowers at the Alamo,<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldrtE64nyxreWVtEAqvn_eG4VMX6-KpmwaVwc5kzTCp_gYLuQPG2KuAO3lgHZ0_1vwz8xNGN1pN-yqL1AXE2q5ULBr9crZp3brr70dR2oy9cD1BrkIbImF_5wVr-Fky81rUOxz8EfXcs/s1600-h/IMG_0844.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldrtE64nyxreWVtEAqvn_eG4VMX6-KpmwaVwc5kzTCp_gYLuQPG2KuAO3lgHZ0_1vwz8xNGN1pN-yqL1AXE2q5ULBr9crZp3brr70dR2oy9cD1BrkIbImF_5wVr-Fky81rUOxz8EfXcs/s320/IMG_0844.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331702346355345458" border="0" /></a>a solemn tribute to Texas' heroes of independence.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The day after the parade, we toured the Texas Hill country, visiting Lyndon Johnson's Stonewall, TX ranch nestled on the banks of the Pedernales River.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenxqLNYNPRQ1ubI-QVbhaxtPzKisKjIIEgaO7k_-U7Pdx_evkyybzuG-PlQ6DVcI37DDP1tYRZZ0ff4346TeHFM0O0dZLFKorF3B6jMEVpfle14Nd44A7aQSQMAeSE8MbXw9_MaxkYZo/s1600-h/IMG_0853.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenxqLNYNPRQ1ubI-QVbhaxtPzKisKjIIEgaO7k_-U7Pdx_evkyybzuG-PlQ6DVcI37DDP1tYRZZ0ff4346TeHFM0O0dZLFKorF3B6jMEVpfle14Nd44A7aQSQMAeSE8MbXw9_MaxkYZo/s320/IMG_0853.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331708116054879234" border="0" /></a> In the adjacent show barn are Lyndon's various automobiles, mostly Lincolns.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXJiy5W0Xd8Z4P5hR3VlSCURUKXJTE-E4s8Li2LjgyjD2LSa6l4MAiPGx1TwLGopjCHkjFY6DDRcCtY74Lc6EkazO8u7cMby3osSxYNyqHhFLLqdE7DtI_rMvM-pXcIDdZie0z1K53zc/s1600-h/IMG_0858.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXJiy5W0Xd8Z4P5hR3VlSCURUKXJTE-E4s8Li2LjgyjD2LSa6l4MAiPGx1TwLGopjCHkjFY6DDRcCtY74Lc6EkazO8u7cMby3osSxYNyqHhFLLqdE7DtI_rMvM-pXcIDdZie0z1K53zc/s320/IMG_0858.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331709514769466834" border="0" /></a> He did have a German Amphicar, the blue convertible above, which is an automobile that can go in the water as a boat.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwC5dEmwouMbqf18zDNOhPXeh8qNdrs5hflpN9LVEJdsH_glawZyvbRP0_fRSWcTk9oDQjDM9GjCfoFulsZ1vCkV29XBvXdURa62FBqVxVFjaDlds04Po9fD-ePo4tjITb79dNH3333A/s1600-h/IMG_0848.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwC5dEmwouMbqf18zDNOhPXeh8qNdrs5hflpN9LVEJdsH_glawZyvbRP0_fRSWcTk9oDQjDM9GjCfoFulsZ1vCkV29XBvXdURa62FBqVxVFjaDlds04Po9fD-ePo4tjITb79dNH3333A/s320/IMG_0848.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331708106177271938" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMP0_FuRat5xs5TIquoCNIAlCQEFwsxu2HOl9KmsKQ90VgwGmIO1FucueP1muq8OOj3cH0vwPxrxvu2i3tP4MMvpBtsPbPMFAyFz-9yDRRbbZPkB3kQT7dDFtDjgdyEMKX2FyN2UJbGo/s1600-h/IMG_0852.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMP0_FuRat5xs5TIquoCNIAlCQEFwsxu2HOl9KmsKQ90VgwGmIO1FucueP1muq8OOj3cH0vwPxrxvu2i3tP4MMvpBtsPbPMFAyFz-9yDRRbbZPkB3kQT7dDFtDjgdyEMKX2FyN2UJbGo/s320/IMG_0852.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331708104720575714" border="0" /></a> From there we visited the Nimitz museum in Fredericksburg, TX, which was founded by German settlers.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />From there, we stopped at Luckenbach for a quick beer and some bull riding.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCxG0afcZN9VF4UMx8YT9qevGUYEtg7zf6qkDfyZiKYYK2DP4fWn35E8bn5k1UZsRW3gYxNMo2ccAFtVTxoye_9tCKNQn1O-d6UI2h3pgOoCLWzsCZ8FDzFexomeNtivY1avq6DCon_w/s1600-h/IMG_0868.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCxG0afcZN9VF4UMx8YT9qevGUYEtg7zf6qkDfyZiKYYK2DP4fWn35E8bn5k1UZsRW3gYxNMo2ccAFtVTxoye_9tCKNQn1O-d6UI2h3pgOoCLWzsCZ8FDzFexomeNtivY1avq6DCon_w/s320/IMG_0868.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331711244026158962" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZd5jYsetNc0pf-BtzXwpvfw_69R3f8b9rZTqmLKF9OXsj50fxAHqLj_VNEcUYr_7d-6kowQXqi-BKsWRdOjb2xQNgYWiokPHruAu3-RKh5gQjfQKYEyBSZqCef-Ff-bu87-1T2QHhvYI/s1600-h/IMG_0867.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZd5jYsetNc0pf-BtzXwpvfw_69R3f8b9rZTqmLKF9OXsj50fxAHqLj_VNEcUYr_7d-6kowQXqi-BKsWRdOjb2xQNgYWiokPHruAu3-RKh5gQjfQKYEyBSZqCef-Ff-bu87-1T2QHhvYI/s320/IMG_0867.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331711238097159554" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I got on the bull after, not before, I had a local brew. Luckenbach is a bikers destination, mostly H-Ds were there.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ryaVHXP1qCcmBgDgttCHb1Q149goCtMH_tcfdk4h7LIdgwFVA91lXSTKSGlo_2aEjb9mb__23B8UB0Swq_lp0nMY7-CwxrQrLOnMob2txbaGFM7Rw4NDmMjSS9QWpD3GOkmowHmU6Uw/s1600-h/IMG_0876.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ryaVHXP1qCcmBgDgttCHb1Q149goCtMH_tcfdk4h7LIdgwFVA91lXSTKSGlo_2aEjb9mb__23B8UB0Swq_lp0nMY7-CwxrQrLOnMob2txbaGFM7Rw4NDmMjSS9QWpD3GOkmowHmU6Uw/s320/IMG_0876.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331711245550632066" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGD-pvtnZ0N8xmbMSS0tVzaBxEKjsIBTcqJbBkzgVHlJ2nQjqabfqTAIQ2MqZQMIihP__G_e7Fo7sn1T6DXtqczNjY9h4RpMb2jW0Hey4Kga7f5EW2xjX21wnLrTKnXCMBCdLrHyLGc20/s1600-h/IMG_0870.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGD-pvtnZ0N8xmbMSS0tVzaBxEKjsIBTcqJbBkzgVHlJ2nQjqabfqTAIQ2MqZQMIihP__G_e7Fo7sn1T6DXtqczNjY9h4RpMb2jW0Hey4Kga7f5EW2xjX21wnLrTKnXCMBCdLrHyLGc20/s320/IMG_0870.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331711247189097554" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Sunday, April 26, was the last day of the rally; we visited Sea World of Texas which was within sight of our campground. The RV park provided a shuttle.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_EW7zl1YKuWhFUXgyYg5WeOoIdQg2Jf1u64A0LSP-oK5ATxKTGm06pEjkTXuJIxa0K_vdP6FILbmEkN4cwVhuxmx28y9dLrepWJJrQxsVo15Gr9v6EMWBEMg2uqQCvo4NNUxkXgaaj4/s1600-h/IMG_0941.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_EW7zl1YKuWhFUXgyYg5WeOoIdQg2Jf1u64A0LSP-oK5ATxKTGm06pEjkTXuJIxa0K_vdP6FILbmEkN4cwVhuxmx28y9dLrepWJJrQxsVo15Gr9v6EMWBEMg2uqQCvo4NNUxkXgaaj4/s320/IMG_0941.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331715619681048082" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqNzr-sH968EVs_VUgp5dA9QvSkHkZCAi0Ta4ZZXxVCdknkmKwHXLrD1UUY5X6LPjr5_VVxtFYsBLdt51SEtqlP4xPEuk1ihinPqpzpz0TWOsgpBDq7enP2UVoVGxgUa5MqudyyPC6Bc/s1600-h/IMG_0933a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 231px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqNzr-sH968EVs_VUgp5dA9QvSkHkZCAi0Ta4ZZXxVCdknkmKwHXLrD1UUY5X6LPjr5_VVxtFYsBLdt51SEtqlP4xPEuk1ihinPqpzpz0TWOsgpBDq7enP2UVoVGxgUa5MqudyyPC6Bc/s320/IMG_0933a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331715618250539586" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJ8psYyMKW5mKetrq_CnbBLTNg9_eTQ0ebGSB9SGQrNGb1H942ppR7H6EnIEsfCBWptewe5V4JrUh6V0mAoBgbO4lRHD7aWQSemajH6OsMoVMXQU1lhcce1VMB8zMjKkyLtJpLUL-5vg/s1600-h/IMG_0916.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJ8psYyMKW5mKetrq_CnbBLTNg9_eTQ0ebGSB9SGQrNGb1H942ppR7H6EnIEsfCBWptewe5V4JrUh6V0mAoBgbO4lRHD7aWQSemajH6OsMoVMXQU1lhcce1VMB8zMjKkyLtJpLUL-5vg/s320/IMG_0916.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331715616204120866" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0RLuWj_JRsGTOphKWnuq7Kyvvj_qTzwwVKqZNnCr25j2JPDmBLwhp6jDW9jgPfu9kF19vcaxKm0uQwGr2FxXdLpRHhq6ZwPo6fToBiMXxs7hZF4TYQOmC5ADHTftbe5bXcWrwyfYPfo/s1600-h/IMG_0893.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0RLuWj_JRsGTOphKWnuq7Kyvvj_qTzwwVKqZNnCr25j2JPDmBLwhp6jDW9jgPfu9kF19vcaxKm0uQwGr2FxXdLpRHhq6ZwPo6fToBiMXxs7hZF4TYQOmC5ADHTftbe5bXcWrwyfYPfo/s320/IMG_0893.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331715615637600434" border="0" /></a>We saw several shows including sea lions, dolphin, and Shamu.<br />On Monday we said our goodbyes over coffee and danish, then we left for Dallas, a 157 mile trip. We stayed at Plantation Place RV Park in Sunnyvale, TX. In Dallas we visited my old DISA colleague Ed Casper and his lovely wife Nancy. Our total travel distance to see them was 3,033 miles. Nancy and Lillian both worked at Perot Systems in Reston. We hadn't seen each other for ten years, so we were all happy to be reunited again, even if it were for two brief days. As Lill and Nancy talked about the people they knew at Perot, Ed and I silently listened: the people at DISA were not interesting individuals, therefor they provided no conversation. Or, is it that women just like to talk about anyone. Nancy is an artist who paints under the name Nancy Baird and showed us several of her wonderful paintings. We got to their house on the 27th and after a nice tour of their place, Ed treated us to a nice steak dinner. The next day we got there in the afternoon and visited South Fork Ranch, the Ewing home of "Dallas" fame, where the four of us are pictured. The other picture is of Ed at his PC where he spreads the "DISA news" to the scattered DISA retirees.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9m8Zcj-mwFCj1eMLiJS9bnk36eIMU4A2PMai0Z1tB36Fg5ejt0VBRnWpiJiAsd7G86HtFXxcp26b29wW7Bwac1iijsGpnmH3tZUK13INwJXw_BPo6hvF0K3I3oDOXWo1d6_omD6EInk/s1600-h/IMG_0969a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 259px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9m8Zcj-mwFCj1eMLiJS9bnk36eIMU4A2PMai0Z1tB36Fg5ejt0VBRnWpiJiAsd7G86HtFXxcp26b29wW7Bwac1iijsGpnmH3tZUK13INwJXw_BPo6hvF0K3I3oDOXWo1d6_omD6EInk/s320/IMG_0969a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331729880667767346" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguo7qxgEpXFmM4C7zbwbyPeTpiINu2RZPuIEId5dAn8Jou_lVeT2a_rXDBOS2atY17DkKudVTkm9K4EzJ-o9rIb_yJ6-UdmAw9OnhWi3Tfbu0dOY5IqnyWp8g8xFGNhrWqILxLaXQU1vE/s1600-h/IMG_0960.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguo7qxgEpXFmM4C7zbwbyPeTpiINu2RZPuIEId5dAn8Jou_lVeT2a_rXDBOS2atY17DkKudVTkm9K4EzJ-o9rIb_yJ6-UdmAw9OnhWi3Tfbu0dOY5IqnyWp8g8xFGNhrWqILxLaXQU1vE/s320/IMG_0960.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331729874877589762" border="0" /></a> Again, Ed treated us to dinner, after which we spent a relaxing evening in their house.<br /><br />The visit went too fast, on Wednesday April 29th, we left for College Station, Texas A&M, and the George H. W. Bush Museum and Library, a trip of 306 miles.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qfh-SAIdrP1zNdWyyC-frlsBuX5yjPwg68h_WyqKDQJDUG2iCOifAXrJBxTv1Qf-nNSxtBWEiDdk12oBi0s88uuWCYnzeHmgU3xfhWKccZaEAkaco1pLvvjqMZ1o5557WypOzy-Ij-Q/s1600-h/IMG_1019.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 205px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qfh-SAIdrP1zNdWyyC-frlsBuX5yjPwg68h_WyqKDQJDUG2iCOifAXrJBxTv1Qf-nNSxtBWEiDdk12oBi0s88uuWCYnzeHmgU3xfhWKccZaEAkaco1pLvvjqMZ1o5557WypOzy-Ij-Q/s320/IMG_1019.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331732587743254210" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZX8tf0swXoK_YHqGBe6ZZK_UFFah6AmrCmUugQmgYh55b3JoHDuJQW8kzBWWSoBt10o9piPxqEDfJfLom1yZ8zmwXZTDhp_3PCdBaeslWzMIz-nUPDDerw9NHmNcORxzhFB4bDkjzjU/s1600-h/IMG_0970.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZX8tf0swXoK_YHqGBe6ZZK_UFFah6AmrCmUugQmgYh55b3JoHDuJQW8kzBWWSoBt10o9piPxqEDfJfLom1yZ8zmwXZTDhp_3PCdBaeslWzMIz-nUPDDerw9NHmNcORxzhFB4bDkjzjU/s320/IMG_0970.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331732583610639154" border="0" /></a><br />We parked in their parking lot and were able to spend the night there in our motor home. The museum is the nicest Presidential one we've seen and so far we've visited the Eisenhower, Johnson, Truman, Clinton, Hoover and Roosevelt Presidential museums. Johnson's was in my view had the least interesting and unimpressive exhibits and facilities.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_VkXkxA5nY58n5pPGqGSoq8bguOpYUDbwYCNT1A6DsiZAHu5pegfRqlQzd7vIQWS6O1n-na6aUgY-ljqluUP7zU7D3GLEADUBWtv-wPFkREAYZuEbjx-JezsVuh5YxHWHcZJNTCvtQ8/s1600-h/IMG_1017.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 207px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_VkXkxA5nY58n5pPGqGSoq8bguOpYUDbwYCNT1A6DsiZAHu5pegfRqlQzd7vIQWS6O1n-na6aUgY-ljqluUP7zU7D3GLEADUBWtv-wPFkREAYZuEbjx-JezsVuh5YxHWHcZJNTCvtQ8/s320/IMG_1017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331735593113415330" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QIHD3nv4WSzIBvC7n0C5Pd94yPy5IHQaMLftqDuaV4GwSRvLmx-_5aXPtWOHr5xGHCv16fmqhi596vj1wPgHy_j9Z50_mislV9nWQAT2Na6qkfQh8Y0gd6g04QSwGbbvRniQ8yIPf5Y/s1600-h/IMG_0974.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QIHD3nv4WSzIBvC7n0C5Pd94yPy5IHQaMLftqDuaV4GwSRvLmx-_5aXPtWOHr5xGHCv16fmqhi596vj1wPgHy_j9Z50_mislV9nWQAT2Na6qkfQh8Y0gd6g04QSwGbbvRniQ8yIPf5Y/s320/IMG_0974.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331735585934925666" border="0" /></a><br />And here we are in the Oval Office on President Bush's chair, and you thought it was Bill and Monica.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrXP5RgugrZawuLnlo7mQygRk3FOH94JrFWxTrKnggX1gZo8xRpfM9Gje8IIJcwI82kQw2JwsdmzmhZRs2Nl0cHzqD45TLIgCo1bCFy3T04SXt3_1mQoX7ivfVXuyj18HlZXDdu-Okck/s1600-h/Bush+White+House.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 255px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrXP5RgugrZawuLnlo7mQygRk3FOH94JrFWxTrKnggX1gZo8xRpfM9Gje8IIJcwI82kQw2JwsdmzmhZRs2Nl0cHzqD45TLIgCo1bCFy3T04SXt3_1mQoX7ivfVXuyj18HlZXDdu-Okck/s320/Bush+White+House.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331737904021963810" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here are some of the exhibits we saw on Iraq and Bush's stints at the UN, congress, ambassador to China, and White House .<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiaKo_If1toKm9LLb_XFJhyphenhyphendgP1IIH0IIOpeVImCuyfA4Tgdwd4iVRk-iggYh0gRRrQSPTetxNK9dYWmGp6MICburBiQE5CvfvKPl-AqNdmPGOND7Dz1uh2uzLDbmQwYbfuu8m9p-tNM/s1600-h/IMG_0997.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiaKo_If1toKm9LLb_XFJhyphenhyphendgP1IIH0IIOpeVImCuyfA4Tgdwd4iVRk-iggYh0gRRrQSPTetxNK9dYWmGp6MICburBiQE5CvfvKPl-AqNdmPGOND7Dz1uh2uzLDbmQwYbfuu8m9p-tNM/s320/IMG_0997.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331739933881775698" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkZb4hLHL5lPHY05Vy6JYTxNYpMO6cPIuDj2zCcJnUYNlop8sxc5MPhwIkeFY1Y6_BGBMKtq36p0-fTNzpjipwmR0JFMN7A9njcL1DNVA0ucRPAnucHSj-wBb0vgh5mkIjmQCHWkaRjc/s1600-h/IMG_0986.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkZb4hLHL5lPHY05Vy6JYTxNYpMO6cPIuDj2zCcJnUYNlop8sxc5MPhwIkeFY1Y6_BGBMKtq36p0-fTNzpjipwmR0JFMN7A9njcL1DNVA0ucRPAnucHSj-wBb0vgh5mkIjmQCHWkaRjc/s320/IMG_0986.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331739928380475458" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5k92VZ8nZszM2tuaHmoERXKHEfpsJwPh7wrGUwWSYQ3C_-iOiBBeSs2qJXmBF5RYT-y7ykzUdFABBAPRrYEwF_2Xij0pH5fk13uGy588ldnWfhvcU2f5c2piMLhrjWWLyCuPxJ-B78x4/s1600-h/IMG_0990.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5k92VZ8nZszM2tuaHmoERXKHEfpsJwPh7wrGUwWSYQ3C_-iOiBBeSs2qJXmBF5RYT-y7ykzUdFABBAPRrYEwF_2Xij0pH5fk13uGy588ldnWfhvcU2f5c2piMLhrjWWLyCuPxJ-B78x4/s320/IMG_0990.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331739930542063570" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOkxI1msDXLhCNW83X246HiGQlKlUfRozbONBgMmgS6su5E8REuXMfxwZ0ZhheahhPXdSrOrkucHcSEGDdgN8Dn4UwTCGmfDKwwl0e3Q6OuKqqyFl3wdasBaIm7jl9MeYDD63M6dkBpb8/s1600-h/IMG_0975.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOkxI1msDXLhCNW83X246HiGQlKlUfRozbONBgMmgS6su5E8REuXMfxwZ0ZhheahhPXdSrOrkucHcSEGDdgN8Dn4UwTCGmfDKwwl0e3Q6OuKqqyFl3wdasBaIm7jl9MeYDD63M6dkBpb8/s320/IMG_0975.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331739924843288882" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwJzlgI3VNQcajvBpbd6o1A8kOPGaTqpNdFEIz3CyEDvDuu64a7ikh7PxW1PliXsgke582f95slQhZvDzfwDli_e4PAXzXnXkpxFWFl4ryTmYyAmxivhqzR9Z6FHGJbFRIQS9Hd16ZeU/s1600-h/IMG_0984.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwJzlgI3VNQcajvBpbd6o1A8kOPGaTqpNdFEIz3CyEDvDuu64a7ikh7PxW1PliXsgke582f95slQhZvDzfwDli_e4PAXzXnXkpxFWFl4ryTmYyAmxivhqzR9Z6FHGJbFRIQS9Hd16ZeU/s320/IMG_0984.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331741384646849394" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And, the grounds were beautiful and well maintained.<br /><br />Below, Lill is looking at the site where the Bush's will be buried, their daughter Robin is already there.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LTb7JJ4FukKy5NrPgE9VvZZuFlc00_64sewOtPH9KHhgpK0thoYqh42aBYWCii732VIGy2e9R5lUHVj_gR89urtpapg074AwbGD23VLTOgP9ihRG8tuENWsKqFCEPvXa9GUZ92u24Nw/s1600-h/IMG_1008.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LTb7JJ4FukKy5NrPgE9VvZZuFlc00_64sewOtPH9KHhgpK0thoYqh42aBYWCii732VIGy2e9R5lUHVj_gR89urtpapg074AwbGD23VLTOgP9ihRG8tuENWsKqFCEPvXa9GUZ92u24Nw/s320/IMG_1008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331743020783233618" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCa2HdUf3MP-KYJ5vfAaEKexN_q7mg9CjwfM3FGwRb17vZti_kMYaVsMFarQxtXkFQM29mp8GaV3atdGkSUciCzzYPaaku8FuEG3Qp-xtqSJlw74vKu5hWSqCc4qSEUqzo9dAi5EB7828/s1600-h/IMG_1016.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCa2HdUf3MP-KYJ5vfAaEKexN_q7mg9CjwfM3FGwRb17vZti_kMYaVsMFarQxtXkFQM29mp8GaV3atdGkSUciCzzYPaaku8FuEG3Qp-xtqSJlw74vKu5hWSqCc4qSEUqzo9dAi5EB7828/s320/IMG_1016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331743011528506002" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6csphSqRp0eeJakFJWyxQEZM137OqYB-mMh4EacXx8ckkXuLuN8GscqM3IkqtlEkBKEdIqvhbQPG1IBPH4tHliP_UZN5eBzaR6Vj9oepGU6J1X8Opt13kqzkKWMaYbp1mvHyYi1863Os/s1600-h/IMG_1013.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6csphSqRp0eeJakFJWyxQEZM137OqYB-mMh4EacXx8ckkXuLuN8GscqM3IkqtlEkBKEdIqvhbQPG1IBPH4tHliP_UZN5eBzaR6Vj9oepGU6J1X8Opt13kqzkKWMaYbp1mvHyYi1863Os/s320/IMG_1013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331743009624775218" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The statue with the horses represents the freeing of East Germany and the fall of the Berlin Wall which took place during Busch's administration. We left College Station on April 30th and drove along the Texas Independence Trail to Washington-on-the-Brazos where the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed.<br /><br />On the way, we ran into some trouble as a result of the recent severe storms in Texas. The road was closed, but there was no sign at the turn off, with the motor home and tow, when I encountered the road closed sign, I had no place to turn around.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWaHc_b685p_BkViWC_8RfwSl7m6VL0UZ1F8HtEWZUBZudS8RvlKxP5NhKuXswIgqHShdDbn-PmV9lLHAgBaphWtI2ZlNBpHIPbkuEp3SfZcHqrGf9-Y42GUvZ7GlUYjVNmjPWmdticlk/s1600-h/IMG_1021.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWaHc_b685p_BkViWC_8RfwSl7m6VL0UZ1F8HtEWZUBZudS8RvlKxP5NhKuXswIgqHShdDbn-PmV9lLHAgBaphWtI2ZlNBpHIPbkuEp3SfZcHqrGf9-Y42GUvZ7GlUYjVNmjPWmdticlk/s320/IMG_1021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331746835347173026" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLT7DNNzEjJphBhtb7VI3s1dqr1leCuVvvUWeKTZXDrtD7GqL6PvV1h8uiFxUGOiPzf7K9hbBePQnmfh7DwFLxeXf2tHgj-Eg-JKF91Z-CXa_mzm4vmcMAj83Z6x4u0-6IsOyC2Xg8I6E/s1600-h/IMG_1020.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLT7DNNzEjJphBhtb7VI3s1dqr1leCuVvvUWeKTZXDrtD7GqL6PvV1h8uiFxUGOiPzf7K9hbBePQnmfh7DwFLxeXf2tHgj-Eg-JKF91Z-CXa_mzm4vmcMAj83Z6x4u0-6IsOyC2Xg8I6E/s320/IMG_1020.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331746832237239922" border="0" /></a><br />I was fortunate in that there was a Texas DOT person on the scene inspecting the damaged road. He opened the road for me and I was able to cautiously proceed to the historic site and Star of the Republic Museum.<br /><br />We got to Washington and toured the Historic Site of Independence. Below is the Star of the Republic Museum. The printing press exhibit was very interesting. It tells about Gail Borden, the publisher of the Telegraph and Texas Register, who kept the free press rolling until Santa Anna had the press thrown into Buffalo Bayou. Gail was also a tireless inventor in addition to being a great newspaperman. His most interesting invention was the "locomotive bath house", an innovation where women could bathe in the ocean at different locations on the coast equal to men, but without the exposure. He invented one of the earliest forms of hardtack and jerky, a biscuit with meat, that was the precursor to C-rations for the army in the field. His most successful invention was condensed milk, also for the army in the field, which gave rise to Borden's milk products of today.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguMlhaWxmfOUT0yX_dMBTN2bOJpqTPI615aBoxcd_sd9p58YYijhbtVpeB31wL51DAUyssKDukB4BetK_D76Ve1MFhRt-fMr-c4yo5L_ZK4kvvX1ISS9JNVBC-vtzU8d5KAp3nVg8MQ34/s1600-h/IMG_1033.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguMlhaWxmfOUT0yX_dMBTN2bOJpqTPI615aBoxcd_sd9p58YYijhbtVpeB31wL51DAUyssKDukB4BetK_D76Ve1MFhRt-fMr-c4yo5L_ZK4kvvX1ISS9JNVBC-vtzU8d5KAp3nVg8MQ34/s320/IMG_1033.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331748283685539090" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBetxwctLCmHqrMRirnmKr95xErJDt0op8hsddkQbNHhoBDf7RhjzihwdX85GwTpEGQQgp0_ftXjwfqA8hEsGhda7NkZmkqKU0FjMshvqmigk2KPwvgkUKFUs4q24f6koMftgh2hci7Qc/s1600-h/IMG_1029.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBetxwctLCmHqrMRirnmKr95xErJDt0op8hsddkQbNHhoBDf7RhjzihwdX85GwTpEGQQgp0_ftXjwfqA8hEsGhda7NkZmkqKU0FjMshvqmigk2KPwvgkUKFUs4q24f6koMftgh2hci7Qc/s320/IMG_1029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331748276752395634" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_wX1kKGA4br2Icu1FTq-xpCqTWmI18E_OnVQkq0zvqYBMKEK2K-kjloTyXmxPboNz4jzoUNJAbj_lVVosvzphWbCBlhEe57jRj7vgyyY13RJHdkr5guKmhFQ1D8CV_k5UHMZ7XUe8H8/s1600-h/IMG_1025.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_wX1kKGA4br2Icu1FTq-xpCqTWmI18E_OnVQkq0zvqYBMKEK2K-kjloTyXmxPboNz4jzoUNJAbj_lVVosvzphWbCBlhEe57jRj7vgyyY13RJHdkr5guKmhFQ1D8CV_k5UHMZ7XUe8H8/s320/IMG_1025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331748275418677234" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The pictures below are of the replica of Independence Hall and of me posing as <span style="font-size:130%;">George C. Childress </span>drafting the Declaration of Independence.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjubbBQWPRaW2S6cuz_hfr0veK7KaAAinPhOLbTzgX4MKU6DbdmjxLQU4G_Cthei-vfGk5HJ24blm9Lle-BVKPxoO8qin5pulj0OoqgmwLDWnHq2nR6tXn0MxXEvulc2eXyuoX13y8HZIo/s1600-h/IMG_1024.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjubbBQWPRaW2S6cuz_hfr0veK7KaAAinPhOLbTzgX4MKU6DbdmjxLQU4G_Cthei-vfGk5HJ24blm9Lle-BVKPxoO8qin5pulj0OoqgmwLDWnHq2nR6tXn0MxXEvulc2eXyuoX13y8HZIo/s320/IMG_1024.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331748276212401922" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />And, yes that is the nice Texas hat I got at the Mexican market in San Antonio. That object on my left is not a whiskey bottle, but a lamp.<br /><br />We left Washington for our 1,116 mile trip back home, traveling along I10 to Mobile, than North towards Montgomery and than East through Auburn, Al, Columbus, GA, Perry, GA and on to I16 East towards Savannah. While we were overnight in Montgomery, we tried to call Michelle, no answer, left a message, but she didn't return our call, so, we were unable to visit her at Auburn.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKNMtQD5fRMsBp80E0cpnsVWNwyIny8CeEWiTQqfE4aFOq1zaXqSRq6lrLQleDgt8dtFIPKzMEbJIQUD2oRx8POlNhlkNHaPCYk5YU9f_RAz1m751pZbo7RH0XUYoG3lHFL7tRUhS2UM/s1600-h/IMG_1036.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKNMtQD5fRMsBp80E0cpnsVWNwyIny8CeEWiTQqfE4aFOq1zaXqSRq6lrLQleDgt8dtFIPKzMEbJIQUD2oRx8POlNhlkNHaPCYk5YU9f_RAz1m751pZbo7RH0XUYoG3lHFL7tRUhS2UM/s320/IMG_1036.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331752409751819106" border="0" /></a><br />Along the way at a rest stop, we ran into a family from China who wanted to see our motor home. So, I gave them the grand tour.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />After 50 days and 4,331 miles, we arrived home, safe and sound; and nice Carolina weather.Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7598146401399799170.post-36397388216611749332008-10-28T17:44:00.008-05:002008-10-28T18:14:23.512-05:00Michelle's Tour of Auburn UniversityAfter completing the Great River Road Caravan in New Orleans, we headed home. Our trip went through Auburn, AL and Columbus, GA, thus giving us the opportunity to visit our granddaughter Michelle who is a freshman at Auburn University. We took her and her boyfriend Ryan out to dinner, pizza, at the Brickoven. On Saturday, Oct 25, the weather was sunny and relatively warm; Michelle gave us a wonderful tour of the campus. Below are some pictures of Michelle, Lillian, Millie and I as we toured the campus.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzi2QckPj91UOUF8gn7FnmMQNnpz9hhyphenhyphenGr2wrvdEKzkdddMCL2iDizpsCmpc6KO8_fHgI9N1T6FgA3iVKx5OwZvWZ3gqTWITYq8WvisTzyQAio1UgUZQXX-RrhoqeWonO17PijC9AX4s/s1600-h/PICT0311.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzi2QckPj91UOUF8gn7FnmMQNnpz9hhyphenhyphenGr2wrvdEKzkdddMCL2iDizpsCmpc6KO8_fHgI9N1T6FgA3iVKx5OwZvWZ3gqTWITYq8WvisTzyQAio1UgUZQXX-RrhoqeWonO17PijC9AX4s/s320/PICT0311.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262341409582481682" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVC-f4phvaizq-3AAGo8lt45tDydTfe2fb3xD4U-5fd5148d2_eybwD7p12k9XmqxgqbyD3lEdlPp9Oq0Bm-mGXPJWMfMDdo9DWJq9QlylvAgn7rVVVp3Te5B3SPOiwZR_naK_OG5_nE/s1600-h/PICT0316.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 255px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVC-f4phvaizq-3AAGo8lt45tDydTfe2fb3xD4U-5fd5148d2_eybwD7p12k9XmqxgqbyD3lEdlPp9Oq0Bm-mGXPJWMfMDdo9DWJq9QlylvAgn7rVVVp3Te5B3SPOiwZR_naK_OG5_nE/s320/PICT0316.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262341405146233378" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GdJRoU5PMpcM-fehqatqiaBhWgZvRpMCtzutCrVwSUzEtjQsZjiLXDdmrzMNdwi9J7aApxzrqtkJyERbDfeefiV_0DUPIaIDNRAyzIM5LRyoCF3M56PuyxjwvG5_JtUaWdppMZYBTyA/s1600-h/PICT0319.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GdJRoU5PMpcM-fehqatqiaBhWgZvRpMCtzutCrVwSUzEtjQsZjiLXDdmrzMNdwi9J7aApxzrqtkJyERbDfeefiV_0DUPIaIDNRAyzIM5LRyoCF3M56PuyxjwvG5_JtUaWdppMZYBTyA/s320/PICT0319.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262341400932253474" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenBWmFUDKBCOQXyM-uYSo-t-7CjxRzDs08Fj3icXNOpBj6b-f5_k-VHmGDQzmsZreGEoiGa3oIkt5UUiSA6yq7qcS02lf7z5Qs2lHnCa5JuXG2nVou-Ag2MEKdhQ5ckEtGw_Qgt5XJ9c/s1600-h/PICT0315.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenBWmFUDKBCOQXyM-uYSo-t-7CjxRzDs08Fj3icXNOpBj6b-f5_k-VHmGDQzmsZreGEoiGa3oIkt5UUiSA6yq7qcS02lf7z5Qs2lHnCa5JuXG2nVou-Ag2MEKdhQ5ckEtGw_Qgt5XJ9c/s320/PICT0315.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262342345097130114" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6wPXSIMVl_TsJ4MdU1anAAqBAozXIHzIedmOKLrMYbS7GIMiX_Tqvn8Dh4CTBqQSF8rPmHy2htjzl4J1ZGlespdRrXQ-BvoUjl1bBV0zY62BuAEVV3zXktssZhGvA5tXwdK6OJEyMGY/s1600-h/PICT0317.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6wPXSIMVl_TsJ4MdU1anAAqBAozXIHzIedmOKLrMYbS7GIMiX_Tqvn8Dh4CTBqQSF8rPmHy2htjzl4J1ZGlespdRrXQ-BvoUjl1bBV0zY62BuAEVV3zXktssZhGvA5tXwdK6OJEyMGY/s320/PICT0317.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262342339640467458" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFU_66tdSbNKV-f0KiFZQohwt9Iv3xpNno5NEdwftgwTLoz6dQHxNNEQTki5S852ySq3DVIs8g9S_WF8r1gJeQk_CVCwtWEwijnQUbQ0Yssx__QZx5wu_U22KwLvdcQXs4wtTytWip9og/s1600-h/PICT0307.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFU_66tdSbNKV-f0KiFZQohwt9Iv3xpNno5NEdwftgwTLoz6dQHxNNEQTki5S852ySq3DVIs8g9S_WF8r1gJeQk_CVCwtWEwijnQUbQ0Yssx__QZx5wu_U22KwLvdcQXs4wtTytWip9og/s320/PICT0307.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262342339293951986" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkdvQqCfLI9NfDbEgOn7HKiTcoimfD-bmXIldJCISHoDh9tDt_vkEAJpfAa3C7JIV-AhkrNl2BF5A3oJ38J2oTmC5J657Mr2515adWfgvXP6xpUaUBVTDZ7uILgrQ86iHfD-XSnwETvc/s1600-h/PICT0303.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkdvQqCfLI9NfDbEgOn7HKiTcoimfD-bmXIldJCISHoDh9tDt_vkEAJpfAa3C7JIV-AhkrNl2BF5A3oJ38J2oTmC5J657Mr2515adWfgvXP6xpUaUBVTDZ7uILgrQ86iHfD-XSnwETvc/s320/PICT0303.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262342330925637282" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2QnBPkgTNirYa53TgVXsUgrR8nYQXSIEnx_8Ui4_nKlh0r4Fsp3WCt8yw-HO2oZqGt0aReSRuMruFYw0hA7t5mbq5gGoImW6mteKpsahxQfBueWUtPFqkjKWt6sih78dx5d83doPIvYI/s1600-h/PICT0313.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 205px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2QnBPkgTNirYa53TgVXsUgrR8nYQXSIEnx_8Ui4_nKlh0r4Fsp3WCt8yw-HO2oZqGt0aReSRuMruFYw0hA7t5mbq5gGoImW6mteKpsahxQfBueWUtPFqkjKWt6sih78dx5d83doPIvYI/s320/PICT0313.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262343091807706514" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7pqrDeAD9bXxzjx_F_O7aZDPICWLAuQ8lMsggM4K6ODc4a46qnONv7BrH32mKRocN7uq1n2BSFHtqmDeb2c40odAXwIVaLQi8cXxGGNiNz_8gAbkABO6TxUOYkr_FTku-cgR7Z7I_3g/s1600-h/PICT0322.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7pqrDeAD9bXxzjx_F_O7aZDPICWLAuQ8lMsggM4K6ODc4a46qnONv7BrH32mKRocN7uq1n2BSFHtqmDeb2c40odAXwIVaLQi8cXxGGNiNz_8gAbkABO6TxUOYkr_FTku-cgR7Z7I_3g/s320/PICT0322.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262343111134195554" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgefKmAeH4moQ9oqHoTqLvMEYU1MZYd4yuTnG7yY0JsC8hga33TolQLo65_2VzOlwgEr898pDCbtpH7U9-0mo5R-4io-bJ_hiMWHhtJBks-88tO3jm3iype-Bb6lL5F0p8s0-kUcu1UR4Q/s1600-h/PICT0304.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgefKmAeH4moQ9oqHoTqLvMEYU1MZYd4yuTnG7yY0JsC8hga33TolQLo65_2VzOlwgEr898pDCbtpH7U9-0mo5R-4io-bJ_hiMWHhtJBks-88tO3jm3iype-Bb6lL5F0p8s0-kUcu1UR4Q/s320/PICT0304.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262343107944214434" /></a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In our motor home, calling moma in CT on her iPHONE, Michelle studying in the library.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Walthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13996042394348316907noreply@blogger.com