Disney Pictures

Sleeping Beauty's Castle and Ron and Bernice

Watch Out For the Snakes and Alligators

This is what the car ride looks like from inside the car.

The Happiest Place In The World

My mind is going!!  Forgot to write about our trip to the Magic Kingdom before we went to the Kennedy Space Center.  We were very fortunate to stay at Shades of Green, a DOD hotel in the resort area of Disney World.  Park your car and ride buses or the monorail all over the 28,000 acres.  A very nice hotel with several great restaurants, golf course, gift shops, small exchange, laundry and fun bar.  We spend one evening in the bar with loads of enlisted guys doing karaoke and having the time of their lives.

First day was our trip to the Magic Kingdom.  Oh my, this humidity can zap your energy in a short time but at the Park there are lots of areas to sit in air conditioning and we carried water for hydration.  The Jungle Ride was first on the list and luckily, no lines.  Just as good as I remembered from Disney Land, and more importantly, cool. Next, and again, no line, we did Pirates.  Always a favorite of mine and Ron and Ron and Bernice enjoyed it, not to mention that we were out of the heat.  Much to my family's destain, we did the Tiki Hut.  I love that place with all of the great music.  I did Splash Mountain alone as Ron and Bernice took the warnings of "bad back, high blood pressure", etc to heart and just watched. Can you believe it, but I got the front seat and got a good soaking but no complaints as it cooled me down for a while!!!  We did ride on the big river boat and went in and out of exhibits.  We also rode the car ride which was different.  No way to get into trouble on this ride as you could only steer left or right a short distance and they went pretty slow.  I really wanted Ron and Bernice to experience It's A Small World but would you believe, it was under reconstruction.  Too bad, everyone should do that once in their lifetime.  Ha!  As we were exiting the park we were fortunate to watch the ceremony as the flag was taken down.  Lots of pomp and circumstance in the ceremony, patriotic music  and marching band.  Quite impressive.  Three old folks limped their way on the monorail and bus back to some relaxation at the hotel.  A really fun day for all of us.

Welcome to Kennedy SpaceCenter

Quite an impressive spot for visitors.  This is the home of America's Space Shuttle, the last place on earth for International Space Station hardware and where probes are sent deep into space.  It is where visitors roam the historic trails of Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo.  We saw the largest rocket ever made--the mighty Saturn V,  America's lunar transportation.  27 brave men, secured atop a 36-foot rocket, journeyed to the moon and back, fulfilling the dreams and imagination of people around the world.  We enjoyed a 45 minute movie showing rocket launches, shuttle launches and work that is being done on and in the Space Station.  Seeing pictures of scientists working and moving in and about the Space Station was especially interesting..
 Leaving the Kennedy Center we visited the US Astronaut Hall of Fame.  Here is the largest collection of personal astronaut memorabilia ever assembled.  There are pictures of all of the astronauts and a listing of each mission they were part of.  Loads and loads of interesting stories of the space program from the beginning to present day.

At The Kennedy Space Center

Here is yours truly at Kennedy Space Center

Peek of Shuttle Discovery at Kennedy Space Center

Shuttle Discovery sitting on launch pad waiting for a November liftoff.  You can just get a peek !!

Atlantic Ocean and Florida Lighthouse

In the Atlantic Ocean, such warm water.

At the top of the lighthouse in St Augustine

Into Florida

Well, one more state to add to the list--today we entered Florida, just a few miles from King's Bay Sub Base.  Now we are headed to St Augustine, Florida, the city that Ponce de Leon looked for the fountain of youth but, like him, we were unsuccessful.  But it is a beautiful city along the coast where German Subs sat along the coast and shot artillery during WWII.  Scary to know they got so close to our shores.

St. Augustine is the home of the Ponce de Leon Lighthouse, Florida's tallest lighthouse, 203 steps, which yours truly climbed.  Actually an easy climb with a lovely view from the top.

Here is where I finally got my feet in the Atlantic Ocean.  So, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, I made it!!  Now have to make it back.  Driving south along the coast was beautiful and the water was so warm.  Drove by the Daytona Speedway and that place is huge.  Looks so much larger in real life than on TV, not that I am a NASCAR fan.  Then our car was pulling us inland toward the Orlando area and Disney World.  We managed to make a few wrong turns before arriving at Shades of Green, a DOD hotel in the Disney Resort area.  I am impressed with the hotel and our room is huge.  So tomorrow, Magic Kingdom!!!

St Mary's Pictures

Typical home in St. Mary's

                Beautiful park along the St, Mary's River

                                         

Kings Bay Submarine Base

I made a fairly big mistake in selecting a hotel after spending the day in Savannah.  I decided the Navy Lodge at Kings Bay would be a good  spot ($51/night) and we could drive back to Savannah the next day and see more of the history there.  But, bad planning, as it is almost 3 hours from Savannnah to the base.  We didn't get there until dark and had a heck of a time finding the Lodge, but finally settled in and decided to make any decisions after we had a good night's rest.  In the AM we talked with a lovely reservation clerk who gave us good info on the area and we decided not to drive back to Savannah, but to visit the small town of St, Mary's.  First, we drove around the Sub base and saw what we had missed in the dark the night before.  This is a beautiful base, loads of trees and greenery and what appeared to be very nice on-base housing.  There is a bike/walking trail all around the base and I walked a short way on it one evening.  Only think missing was submarines--never saw one!

We drove off the base and to the city of St Mary's, the gateway to Cumberland Island National Seashore, the largest of the Georgia Coast's barrier islands.  The city is situated on the St Mary's River and quaint with white picket fences and historic buildings.  Loved the City park along the river and looking out to the Cumberland Island National Seashore.  A lovely setting even thought it was hot and humid, which seems to be norm for the area.

Savannah pictures

This ship came by us along the Savannah River and  was carrying coffee beans from Panama and they could have been some Steven and Taressa saw recently in Panama!!!

                                   Horse drawn carriage which we rode in around Savannah.

Savannah

Savannah,, the lovely city in southern Georgia, is based on the ingenious system of squares.  In this grid-like model of urban planning, homes, churches and businesses surround each square, creating a network of interconnected neighborhoods.  Riding in a horse drawn carriage, our guide filled us with so much history that it rattled my brain.  Only a few things stuck in my head:  the streets are built over cemeteries; James Oglethorpe, along with a native American leader, Tomochichi, created the city in the heart of the Georgia wilderness;  Forrest Gump was filmed in Savannah; this is the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts and her home is painted the same colors as the Brownie uniforms;  Sherman's men spent so much time in a Savannah cemetery and had nothing to do so they recarved many of the grave markers so if you walk around you will see many weird dates, like a woman who had 5 children when she was ten years old; and the architecture of the city is outstanding.  We cruised by Paula Dean's and listened to some jazz in the city center.  A short walk down to the river found many more shops and restaurants and the beautiful river.  Had a great dinner in a pub along the river, shrimp and hushpuppies, before leaving the lovely, but hot and humid Savannah ,driving south to Kings Bay Sub Station.

Leaving Atlanta

The day finally arrived and we had to say goodbye to George, Mary, Lovely Jen and Sam the boss cat. I cannot tell you what a wonderful time we had with this delightful family. Things that stick in my mind are; great conversations over pot after pot of coffee, great meals prepared by Mary, site seeing in and around Atlanta, seeing the stunning jewelry designed by Lovely Jen, enjoying Mary and George's lovely and spacious home, playing with Sam and having him wake us up at 6 am howling like crazy, watching Ron sweep leaves from the deck and then in a few hours having the deck covered again, walks thru the beautiful neighborhood, our time in the C130 simulator, watching George eat his sugar free pudding loaded with whipped cream and then letting Sam lick a spoon of whipped cream, just to name a few. Thank you guys for a week of fond memories.

For us we now head for Savannah and more southern history. Happy trails to us
Sent from m iPhone

C130 Simulator

This is my ID used for a special trip to Lockheed Martin in Marietta, GA. George is a retired Air Force pilot who has thousands of hours in the C130 and now is in the C130 program at Lockheed. He is in the simulator department and was able to take all of us in the C130 simulator. What fun and educational. I tried to fly the plane and you all would have gotten a good laugh. There is a small wheel at your left hand to keep the nose wheel straight as you taxi down the runway for takeoff. Well, I could not keep it straight and we took off going to the left of the runway!! I managed to fly all over the sky and could not find the airport when I needed to land. Hard to believe I have a private pilot's license! Lovely Jen was next and did a great job with good coaching from dad, George. Bernice was up next and found it was harder than it looked when you just stand and watch. She was all over the sky and her blood pressure probably jumped way out of line!! It is amazing how realistic it is when you are sitting in the cockpit and "flying" the plane It was an adventure that none of us will ever forget. Thank you George.

"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!!"

Bernice and I were fortunate to visit the home, in Atlanta, where Margaret Mitchell wrote Gone With The Wind.  It was interesting to learn that she never thought the book was written well.  Quite an interesting tour, especially the video that showed how some of the stars of the movie were cast, how many directors and writers and camera men came and went during the filming, and how the sets were set up for some of the huge scenes.  And, of course, the big star for us, Mr. Clark Gable!!!

(no subject)

For My Republican Friends

A nice tour of CNN in Atlanta. Didn't see any of their "celebrity" newscasters but interesting to see how broadcasts are set up and aired. The escalator is one of the longest in the world, taking over two minutes to ride to the 8th floor. All in all, interesting to see the actual broadcasting studios, the huge cameras and teleprompters, and learn how the weather people manipulate the screens.

Sam

This is Sam, a beautiful 17 year old cat who rules the roost here in Georgia!! He belongs to lovely Jennifer but everyone caters to him. As soon as dinner is being put on the dining table he sits on the floor near the table and waits for his tuna or salmon treat which he eats while we have dinner. If he doesn't get what he wants he meows loudly until he gets someone to feed him or pay attention to him.

Chihuly glass

This is a spectacular piece done by Dale Chihuly for the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. I think I took a great picture if I do say so myself!!

Atlant

Ron, Bernice, Mary and Jennifer at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. What a lovely collection of trees, roses, orchids, plants and sculptures. Atlanta is so hot and humid so it was nice to go in the tropical building where there was lots of misting!!

Atlanta, Here We Come

Leaving Nashville, we set the old GPS on Woodstock, Georgia, home of Larry's sister, Mary, her husband, George and their daughter, lovely Jennifer.  Not much excitement on the way, but fun to see more of Tennessee, which has such beautiful mountains and trees and again a first for me, driving thru Kentucky, another beautiful state and hopefully sometime I will see more of it, especially Louisville, home of the Kentucky Derby. 

We have many places to visit in and near Atlanta so will be busy here for a few days.  Looking forward to the Coca Cola tour, Centennial Olympic Park, CNN, Margaret Mitchell home, etc. etc.  We are so fortunate to be with George, Mary and Jennifer as they are the host and hostess' with the mostest!!!

More about all of this at a later time.  The CTS is a great ride and we are enjoying it thoroughly.  Happy Trails to Us.

Addendum to Nashville

Hope I won't have as many mistakes in this message as I did the last two!!!  Just wanted to mention that on the morning we left Nashville we decided to drive down town and see the original Grand Old Oprey, which is the Ryman building.  Also, the street where so many entertainers had played and maybe became famous, is there also.  So off we go with the GPS giving us the directions.  Well, believe it or not, but the Titans, the football team of Nashville was having a home game and the streets were a mess.  Their stadium is very close to the down town area and all of the parking garages were closed and the parking meters were covered so you could not use them.  Many of the corner lots were set up for parking but it cost a whopping $20 and the Titan fans were happy to pay.  All we wanted was about 60 minutes at the most, so after driving around the block a few times we decided that Ron and Bernice would hop out of the car and take some pictures and I would drive around the block until they were finished.  So, amongst the Titan fans and a few Raider fans, Ron and Bernice jumped out of the car and took off for a picture taking adventure.  I drove around and around, wishing a parking place would come available, but no such luck.  After a few spins Ron and Bernice got back in the car and we left town, heading to Atlanta.  Probably not the best way to see Nashville, but at least it wasn't a total loss.

Sorry For the rMessed Up Message

Pictures of Larry's brother, Ron and his wife, Bernice and also me, with a rental car.  Larry thought we would not be comfortable in the Blazer and said we should get a more comfortable vehicle.  Pretty snazzy, don't you think?  First day we drove to Bloomington, IL, just because that was as far as we wanted to go and then the next day into to Memphis,  TN.  Thought we would get a picture of the Grand Old Opry even though it is not open yet since the flood in May,  but no such luck.  You cannot get close to it until they are ready to reopen.  How lucky can one be?  Did drive to downtown Nashville and saw the Titan's stadium and some of city center but that was about it.  Saw the area where the big flood happened but you cannot get close to the buildings.  But it was fun driving thru Wisconsin, a first for me, into Illinois, then Kentucky and then Tennessee another first for me.  Got pretty tired of corn and soy bean fields but the scenery in Tennessee is much nicer, many trees and some hills.

Tomorrow we will drive to Woodstock, Georgia, to visit Larry's sister, Mary, her husband George and daughter, Jennifer.  Will be fun to see them and spend time in their home.

For a chuckle, think of three over 70 year olds in a bright red Cadillac CTS, cruising down the freeway listening to 50's music on the satellite radio!  Should keep you entertained for a while.

HERE WE GO

Leaving Minnea

Ravine Lake, a Little History Lesson

Evelyn and I drove to Ravine Lake to see what had been the old bathhouse.  It is now a restaurant and ice cream store.  As you can see, Evelyn enjoyed a big dish of butter brickle ice cream.  There are old pictures displayed at the bathhouse and she is holding a picture of her sons, Ron and Larry, taken at the lake in 1948  That was a fun day for Evelyn.

I spent 2-1/2 days with Evelyn and we had a great time, talking about her past and her family.  She forgets things but then all of the sudden it will come back.  She also invited me to eat with her at her table in the nursing home.  It was important for her to have me see her routine and meet the other ladies at the table.  Can't say much for the food but it was enjoyable to see her daily life in the dining room. Regretfully, I had to say goodbye to my dear mother-in-law and head further east.  She is a wonderful lady and I feel so privileged to be part of her life.

Not much interesting from Huron to Minneapolis.  Lots of corn fields but I have always enjoyed seeing all of the silos on the farms, different sizes; some fat, some skinny, some short, some tall.  But, let me tell you, corn field after corn field can become pretty boring.  But now I am at Ron (Larry's brother) and Bernice's home in Minneapolis and we are preparing to leave on Friday and head to Larry's sister, Mary's, home near Atlanta.

Have only been in the Atlanta airport so looking forward to seeing the city.  Coca Cola here we come!!

Happy Trails to us!!

Lovely Evelyn

Evelyn Friese who was 95 years young in January.  She lives in a nursing home in Huron, SD and loves to go for rides around town and see how the town has changed over the years.

Very Unusual Place

If you have never been to Mt Rushmore you should make a point of visiting there.  Unless you are there in person you cannot experience the feeling of patriotism you feel when seeing those four faces chiseled in the rock.  I was there 36 years ago and this time was just as awe inspiring.  All of the flags of each state are flying as you walk toward the mountain and it gave me the chills.  So beautiful.

Leaving Mt. Rushmore I continued my drive toward Huron, SD, Larry's hometown.  On the way you have to stop at Wall Drug.  Where the hell is Wall Drug?  Out in the middle of no where is a huge western looking store that sells everything-- food, drinks, donuts, clothing, postcards, key chains, coffee mugs, guns, trinkets, jewelry and would you believe, even drugs!!!  Well worth the stop just for a milkshake made with homemade ice cream.

Mt Rushmore

Very awesome.






Just to prove that I was there!!!

A VERY LONG DAY

I wanted to see more of Yellowstone Park so this morning I drove back in the park (saved $25 again with my Golden Eagle card) and drove east.  At the visitor center I was told that there would probably be more wild life in this part of the Park.  Along the way I did see one buffalo and a deer and was rather disappointing but in a short distance you could see herds of buffalo across the river, about a half mile away.  My little camera didn't take very good pictures of them so far away but would you believe, a few more miles down the road and a whole herd was walking along the highway.  We had to sit and wait for them to amble their way slowly down the road and head out in the meadow again.  So, I did get to see the buffalo.  Also saw herds of antelope grazing in the meadow.

This was quite a drive, going out of Yellowstone at the northeast gate, there were no signs and I just kept driving along with other tourists and drove and drove, up and down along very curvy roads, some rather tight turns and it seems like we would never come down out of the mountains.  I see on the map that we were on the Chief Joseph Highway.  Eventually I ended up in Cody, Wyoming, then east to Greybull, south to Worland and then east to Buffalo and Highway 90.  Then a straight shot to Rapid City and now I am at Mt Rushmore.  Of course, it was dark when I got here so will wait until tomorrow morning to see the "guys".  Was here 36 years ago but things have changed so much.  

After a visit to Mt Rushmore in the AM I will head east to Huron, SD for a day or two with Larry's Mom, Evelyn.  I will stay at a rental room they have at the Assisted Living Center so I will get to spend some good times with her.  Looking forward to a shorter day tomorrow, today I was driving for almost 11 and 1/2 hours.

So, a nice shower and it is off to bed for me.  Yes, I have been checking for bedbugs!!!!!

Happy Trails to me.

Western Wyoming

More Yellowstone

B

Beautiful mountains in 
Yellowstone.

Yellowstone Twp

A

Buffalo (bison) in the road.  I had to sit there for about five minutes before they walked off the road.

YELLOWSTONE PARK

Old Faithful

Left Missoula early this morning heading east on I90, next stop, Yellowstone National Park.  The drive was full of wonderful scenery; mountains, some with a dusting of snow, plains, cattle ranches, wheat fields, rivers and lakes.  Crossed the Continental Divide at about 6900 feet.   Arrived at Yellowstone about 1:00 and headed immediately to see Old Faithful.  It was a 50 mile drive thru the Park on a narrow, winding road, climbing up thru the mountains and thru some lovely meadows with elk and buffalo.  I did see two buffalo but there was no place to pull off the road to get pictures.  You just have to take my word.   The Yellowstone River runs thru the park and many people were in their waders and standing in the river fishing for some mountain fish.  There is some road construction on the way to the geyser and the delay each way was at least 30 minutes which made the trip a little slower than it should have been.

Arrived at Old Faithful, parked and followed the crowd and was fortunate to arrive about 5 minutes before the eruption.  The Geyser starts with a small blow and progresses to a much higher eruption.  Didn't go as high as I thought it would but it was well worth the trip.  Now I can scratch that off my bucket list.

Back at the hotel outside the Park I asked the front desk clerk about a good place for dinner.  He said to go about a mile down the road to a place called Rosie's.  I decided to walk as I had been in the car all day and it felt good to get out and move the bod.  Dinner was great--I had Buffalo meatloaf.  Larry says meatloaf is good to have for dinner as you can digest it better than a big steak so guess that was my reasoning and I really enjoyed it.  Now I should have a good night's rest because of the walk and the meatloaf.!!!  By the way, the Golden Eagle Pass was the real ticket.  The park entrance is $25 each day.

Tomorrow I will drive east thru the Park where they say there is the possibility of seeing more wildlife.  Maybe I will get that picture of the buffalo that eluded me today.   Hopefully, I should end up at Mt Rushmore tomorrow so be prepared for some new pictures.

Happy Trails to me.