Fall 2009 California Trip

Ellen and I have just returned from a 37 day visit to California visiting with Jen, Dan, Elise, Thomas and Julia. We have wonderful time. The first 25 days of our trip we stayed across the street from Jen and Dan house sitting for one of their neighbors. This was our second time we have had the opportunity to house sit on their street. This type of arrangement has worked out well for both us and the respective homeowners. We had very comfortable surroundings with provided both Jen and Dan and Ellen and I some alone time as well as the convenience of being “neighbors”. On two occasions Elise and Thomas were able to spend a weekend night with us as well.

During our recent stay we were able to take a couple of side trips. All of us spent four days in Southern California in the city of Carlsbad. This is the home of Legoland a amusement park for children. As you may gather from the park’s name, legos are used in many very creative ways to make movie and cartoon characters as well as cities. It is really quite amazing to see these works which are conceived and constructed by very talented individuals. The trip was the fulfillment of a promise Jen and Dan made to the children when it was that they would be moving to California. Thomas, in particular, has taken to the construction of lego models and has become quite proficient. He received a gift of a 1034 piece lego set which was designed for children ages 9-12 to put together. Thomas, being 5 years old, was quite pleased with himself when he produced this creation entirely on his own. He has put additional lego sets on his Christmas list this year.

While in Carlsbad we also visited Sea World and La Jolla. Each of these days was filled with excitement for the children with the animal exhibits at Sea World and the amazing acts. You never seem to tire of seeing a whale and dolphins jump out of the water and perform various tricks. The kids got to feed the dolphins and seals which was a lot of fun. While playing on the beach in La Jolla we were able to see seals playing in the surf and men and women swimming long distances in the ocean. This was a very memorial trip for both the children and the adults.

I celebrated by 60th birthday during this trip. Julie and Rich and their children were visiting Jen and Dan at the time. So, I had a lot of voices singing happy birthday to me while the candles on my carrot cake that Jen made were burning before. Jen arranged for a sitter for the 6 children and the adults went out to a wonderful dinner. I could not have had a nicer birthday.

Ellen and I ventured up to San Francisco and spent the day at Salsalito and Tiberon. These two cities are on the San Francisco Bay and provide magnificent views of the city from across the bay. We also visited Santana Row an upscale shopping district in San Jose.

Ellen and I have now returned home and are preparing for Christmas gatherings with family and friends. We had decided to decorate for Christmas before leaving for California on October 23rd. So, it was very nice to walk into the house and see the tree up and decorated. Even though there is no snow on the ground, we are beginning to get into the Christmas spirit.

Pictures from our fall California trip can be seen at:


More later . . .

Naples FL, Oct. 2009

Ellen and I have been visiting with my brother John and his wife Joan in Naples Florida for the past 11 days. We left Cleveland on Thursday, October 8th and returned to Cleveland on Monday, October 19th. This was an opportunity for us to see the new condominium John and Joan purchased last February. We arrived very early in the morning on Friday after taking a late flight out of Cleveland. We have spent the past 11 days enjoying very hot weather (90+) and the hospitality of John and Joan. We have been able to see many different places in South Florida and to meet a number of their neighbors and friends.
The following is a brief description of our comings and goings during the visit:

• Friday, October 9 visited outdoor fruit market in the town of Immokalee. Visited Ave Maria Catholic community development, time at the pool
• Saturday, October 10 went to Wiggins Beach. The sand was white and the water warm. Also went to the pool
• Sunday, October 11 has lunch at Zookies and watched the first half of the Browns game (they lost). Ellen’s friend Calee came to visit.
• Monday, October 12 visited Marco Island and Tigertail Beach. Water was very warm (90 degrees). Had lunch at Snook’s and drove into Naples
• Tuesday, October 13 kayaked around the lake at The Quarry. Rode the golf course and saw the beautiful grounds. Went to Doc’s for dinner and watched the sunset.
• Wednesday, October 14 visited Captiva and Sanibel Islands. Toured the Ding Darling Preserve. Had lunch at the Green Flash. Went shopping for Halloween items at for clothes at Bells’. Dinner was at Zookies.
• Thursday, October 15 spent time at the pool. Went to a movie.
• Friday, October 16 visited Tin City in Naples; lunch was at Fitzgerald’s Irish restaurant. Went to Gus and Lou’s for drinks. Dinner was at the club.
• Saturday, October 17 had rain in the morning so we cancelled the boat rental and visited a Flea Market. Used the workout room, swam and then had dinner at West Bay Beach Club
• Sunday, October 18 John left for D.C. Ellen, Joan and I toured the summer homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. We had lunch at Joe’s Crab Shack in Ft. Myers.
• Monday, October 19 return home

Ellen and I have had a wonderful time during our stay in Naples. John and Joan have a very nice condo and a beautiful development in Florida. Every day was as if we were at a resort. We understand why they enjoy this lifestyle in Naples.

You can view pictures of our Naples trip at

http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/NaplesFLOct2009?feat=directlink

Move later . . .

Goodbye Nova Scotia

9/22/2009

We were up early once again packing and preparing the house for our departure. This morning there was a heavy fog which kept us from seeing the bay. This was the first time we experienced fog which the locals told us was quite common this time of year. We said goodbye to our home the past five days and set off for Cape Sable. We found a beach area that we walked, but once again the heavy fog limited our view. We might have missed a turn along the way (we can blame that on Jill) but, we were a bit disappointed in Cape Sable. We saw a very depressed area that was not very attractive. We left and continued to Yarmouth and the Yarmouth lighthouse. Again, we were met with heavy fog which we were told is present the majority of the time. We can only imagine what the views would be like on a clear day. We took in the history of the lighthouse and met a tour bus of folks from Pennsylvania. One man we talked with grew up in Toledo and had a relative who was the editor of the Toledo Blade. Small world! We returned to Yarmouth and had lunch at Rudder’s. Once again, we had a fabulous lunch. We will have a difficult time not eating seafood each time once we return back home. The ferry boat ride back to Bar Harbor was once again enjoyable. We continue to marvel at the boat skills of the captain who expertly maneuvered the boat. We got though customs and then checked back in at the White Columns B&B. We walked downtown and had dinnner at an outdoor restaurant that was recommended to us by John’s friend Doc.  It was very pleasant and the food once again was delicious.

We leave in the morning for Bangor Maine and our afternoon flight back to Ohio.  It was a great trip.  We have learned that Nova Scotia and Maine are rugged beautiful locations.  We all would like to return once again and be able to spend more time in this beautiful part of the country.

Visiting Shelburne

09/21/2010

Today was a bit of a slower pace for us. At lease for Schick standards! We traveled a short distance to the town of Shelburne. This quaint harbor town was the first site on the Eastern seaboard for the construction of sailing ships. Many large sailboats were constructed during the peak days of this harbor town. The town is also known of the birthplace of the dory boat. There is a charming wharf area which was being transformed into a movie set. We learned that Hollywood was filming the movie Moby Dick here with shooting to begin in two weeks. Workers were busy constructing the fronts of buildings for the movie shoot. We had lunch on the wharf at the Sea Dog restaurant which had an outdoor eating area overlooking the bay. The restaurant also had Wi-Fi which allowed us to check the internet. Our meals were good and the sunny pleasant weather added to this experience. We left the town and traveled up the bay to Sandy Point where there is a lighthouse. During low tide you can walk the 50 yards out into the bay to the lighthouse. We were not able to do this as the tide was not yet low enough. We left the Shelburne area and returned to the house.


Once back at the house, we gathered up shovels and buckets and went clam digging in the bay outside the house. It took a bit of experimenting to learn the art of clam digging. Joan was most successful of all finding seven clams. John found several and Ellen found one. I explored the tidal pools and the outlining rocks while the digging was underway.

We will be cooking four one pound lobsters for dinner this evening. Not sure who is going to eat the clams!

We leave in the morning for Yarmouth and the afternoon ferry back to Bar Harbor. We can’t believe our time here is over. This is a beautiful country with wonderful, friendly, and rugged people. We hope to one day be able to return.


Here is a slideshow of pictures from today:



More later . . . .

Chasing the Tidal Bore

09/20/2009

We spent the night at The Palliser Motel in Truro, NS. Truro is located at the far Eastern end of the Bay of Fundy. The Salmon River runs past the hotel and drains into the Bay. We learned from the hotel and restaurant staff that the location of the hotel is an ideal spot to watch the tidal bore. The tidal bore at this location is very strong and pushes a wall of water from the Bay of Fundy into the river. We were told that in the summer time the parking lot and adjoining roadway are packed with cars as people come from all around to watch the tidal bore here. After breakfast, we got into the car and drove along the South shore of the Bay of Fundy stopping at Maitland and Burntcoat. We were able to see effect of low tide at these locations of the Bay. We spent a lot of time exploring at Burntcoat Head Park. This is the location of the world’s highest recorded tides. We were able to walk on the floor of the Bay examining rocks and plant life. We could begin to get an idea of how high the tides were going to be as we had to climb down into the Bay floor. It was hard to imagine at that point the effect of the soon to be coming high tide. We then drove back to the Palliser Motel for lunch. Around 1:50 p.m. we saw the wall of water about two feet high begin to quickly rush up the river. It quickly passed our location, but the rush of water past us continued. We left Truro and retraced our route from earlier in the day back to Maitland and Burntcoat. The streams and rivers in these areas which were void of water earlier in the day were now overflowing. Areas at Burntcoat Head Park where we have explored which were ¼ to ½ mile from the shoreline were now under close to 60 feet of water. This is the area where we were walking earlier in the day. The sight of this change from low to high tide and the dramatic rise and fall in the depth of the water was amazing to view and experience.
We left the Bay of Fundy with a much greater appreciation of nature and this daily ebb and flow of the waters of this area. We returned to our house after a long drive. We were glad to be back home. Tomorrow we have plans to explore the area near the house and then sadly prepare for our return trip back home.

Here is a slideshow of pictures from today:



More later . . .

Exploring Nova Scotia – Day 3

09/19/2009

We left the house around 8:45 this morning with day trip plans to travel North visiting Southshore cities on the ocean. We started this morning by visiting the Crescent Beach area. The travel guides state that you can drive your car onto the beach. We had trouble finding the area described in the guides. Once found, the high tide and threatening rain made it impossible to try driving on the beach. We could see why this is such a popular area of Nova Scotia. We continued our drive along the coast to La Have. Here we were treated to wonderful baked goods at the La Have Bakery. We purchased sticky buns, a bowl of soup and loaves of french and cheese bread along with coffee. This was a very good mid-morning treat. We made our way down the street to the ferry crossing. We crossed the La Have river on the ferry and continued down the road to Lunenburg. Here we found a quaint harbor town with several streets of shops and a bustling wharf area. We visited many of the shops and then watched the tour sail boat Bluenose II launch with passengers preparing for a windy ride. We then traveled up the coast to Mahone Bay where we ate lunch at the Mug and Anchor. Like all our meals to date, it was excellent. Seafood does not get any better than when it is caught in the waters that you can see. We then traveled around the bay towards Peggy’s Cove. We stopped at the memorial to the victims of the Swiss Air plane disaster. This memorial is positioned in line with the site of the crash and the neighboring harbor town that assisted with the recovery of the airplane wreckage. We left the memorial for a short drive to Peggy’s Cove. This harbor was built around the fishing industry years ago. The lighthouse located there is on an outcrop of large rocks. This photographic setting made for good pictures as well as fun climbing the rocks. We then drove North passing through Halifax on our way to Truro. We will be spending the night here with plans to watch the tidal bore tomorrow. The rising tide pushes into the Bay of Fundy and the rivers that flow into the bay. The tide water’s collide with the river water running in the opposite direction which results in the creation of waves large enough to surf or to ride over in zodiac boats. The Bay of Fundy experiences extreme differences in high and low tides. We are looking forward to seeing this phenomenon tomorrow.

Here is a slideshow of pictures from today:



More later . . .

Exploring Nova Scotia – Day 2

09/18/2009

We got an early start this morning by leaving the house around 9:30 a.m. on our exploration of Nova Scotia. We drove out to a nearby point and walked along the shoreline to get a view of the house from the Oceanside. The tide was in and the area available to us for walking was narrow and rocky. We decided to return to this area later in the day at low tide. We next drove through the tiny towns of Rockland and Little Harbour on the South Shore stopping at Louis Head. We walked this sandy beach taking pictures and taking in the scenery. We continued North on Route 103 to Kejimkujik National Park. We hiked about two miles on a beautiful trail which took us to an area called Harbour Rocks. Here we watched one group of seals play in the water and another slumber on rocks. After taking many pictures and soaking in the wonderful views, we got back on the trail and returned to the car. The entire hike was about two hours. We got a recommendation from the park ranger for lunch at a place called the Quarterdeck on Summerville Beach. We drove North once again on Route 103 and found the restaurant / villa. The restaurant was right on the beach overlooking the ocean. We had a delicious lunch of lobster omelets, lobster sandwich, and a shrimp, lobster, scallops salad. It was wonderful as was the view from the restaurant. We stayed long enough to tap into their internet service before starting our drive back to the house. We visited once again the area we have previously hiked earlier in the day. This time it was low tide. We were able to walk on the now available sandbar over to the island that is partially owned by the same man (a friend of John’s) who owns the house where we are staying. It was funny to be walking in the area that several hours earlier was under water. We took a lot of pictures and then returned to the car for our short drive to the house. We were all quite tired from the hiking and will be sleeping well this evening.

Here are some pictures from today:


More later . . .

Hello Maine !

The Schick's have arrived in Maine! John, Joan, Ellen and I arrived in Bangor Maine around 11:30 a.m. this morning. We got our rental and drove to Bar Harbor where we spent the afternoon window shopping. We had claim chowder, lobster rolls and nachos for lunch.

We are staying this evening at White Columns Inn http://www.anneswhitecolumns.com/ This B&B was once a church. We are all happy with our choice of accommodations.

Our adventure continues tomorrow when we take the 8:00 a.m. ferry to Nova Scotia. We are looking forward to our ferry ride on The Cat http://www.catferry.com/ Not sure how long it will take to get to Lockeport, NS where we will be staying. The GPS unit proved helpful today and will certainly help tomorrow (hopefully it contains road information for Canada).

Here is a slideshow of pictures from today:



More later . .

Arches National Park

All Good Things Must Come To An End

After 9 days on the road visiting 7 national parks, we have concluded our national park tour by spending the day at Arches. We were in the park for 7 ½ hours driving close to 52 miles and hiking close to 5 1/2 miles on a number of trails. We started the day at the Visitor’s Center by watching a video on the park and the importance water plays in the cycle of life at the park. Water provides both the nourishment and destructive force which has created the magnificent national parks we have had the opportunity to visit.

We visited Courthouse Towers area and the La Sal Mountains Viewpoint. This distance mountain range is snow covered and a stark contrast with the red rock mountains. We hiked the 1 mile Park Avenue trail which descends steeply into a canyon and continues down the wash to Courthouse Towers. Along with way we saw the Three Gossips, Sheep Rock, Tower of Babel and The Organ rock formations. We then drove to The Windows Section where the famous Balanced Rock is located. This huge rock is delicately balanced and seems on the verge of falling at any minute. We hiked The Windows trail which is 1 mile long and leads to North and South Windows and Turret Arch which are three massive rock formations. We then visited Cove of Caves and the Garden of Eden. We next drove to Upper Viewpoint area for the Delicate Arch. This is one of the more popular formations in the park. We then drove to Fiery Furnace area viewpoint. To enter the trail in this section of the park requires a ranger-guided hike. This 3 hour tour is something we were interested in, but could not work into our schedule. We then drove to the Devils Garden area where we saw the Skyline Arch, Tunnel Arch, Pine Tree Arch and Landscape Arch. There were 4 more arch formations in this area that we wanted to see. However, it would have required at least 3 more hours to complete. We just ran out of time.

We left the park quite satisfied with our accomplishments for the day. We stopped in downtown Moab for some shopping and then dinner. We plan on starting our drive back to Ohio in the morning. We think it will take at least 3 days.

This will be our last entry in the Blog. We hope you have enjoyed reading about our trip and following us along the way. We are very happy to have had the opportunity to make this trip. We will have been away from home for close to 90 days. We have seen various parts of our country and spent time with our daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. We have met people from all parts of the world along the way. This has been a great way for us to start my retirement.

I have posted pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/ArchesNationalPark?feat=directlink

Thanks.

Canyonlands National Park

Happy Easter!

This has been one of our longer yet enjoyable days. We left Capital Reed National Park this morning around 7:30 p.m. for the 3 ½ hour drive to Moab, UT. We were again on UT Route 12 which is a Scenic Highway. Other than a close encounter with a wild turkey, fortunately it thought better of crossing the road, the drive was once again very beautiful. After we got off Interstate 70 and began to get closer to Moab, we saw signs to Canyonlands. We decided to drive the additional 45 minutes and visit there today. This resulted in a lot of driving today (234 miles), but the best use of our time since we are only 3 miles from Arches National Park which we will visit tomorrow.

Canyonlands is different from the other parks visited in that there are no lodging, food or water facilities available. Fortunately, we had plenty of food and water for our day in the park. Canyonlands is the largest national park in Utah. It is divided into four major sections, Island In The Sky, The Maze district, Horseshoe Canyon and The Needles. Since Island In The Sky is the Northern most section of the park and closest to Moab, we decided to spend our day in this area of the park..

After a quick stop at the Visitor’s Center, we drove the 14 miles of the Scenic drive to the Grand View Point Overlook. Along the way, we quickly saw that the size of the canyons were immense. The view from the Grand View overlook includes over 100 miles of canyons and includes the Colorado and Green rivers. We hiked the 2 mile Grand View trail which runs along the canyon rim. At this park and others visited, many of the trails are on sliprock with the path being marked by a manmade pile of rocks which act as directional points. These are known as cairns. After our hike, we went to Buck Canyon Overlook. Once again, we were treated to majestic views of the canyon floor. We then proceeded on to another location known as Upheaval Dome. Here we hiked close to one mile to view what is described as a crater-like area of unknown origin. It was believed to have been created from either a meteor strike or from a salt dome. The inside of the crater is a beautiful jade green. We were able to see not only the crater, but the canyon below it. We then stopped at the Green River Overlook where the Green River runs in the distance. Our final stop of the day was at Mesa Arch. This ½ mile trail took us to the canyon rim where the stone arch hangs from a 500 foot cliff. We were also able to view the Washer Woman Arch which is located on a distant mountain..

We returned to Moab checked into our hotel and had our Easter Dinner at a local Brewery/Restaurant. Tomorrow we will spend the day at Arches..

You can see pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/CanyonlandsNationalPark?feat=directlink.

More later . . .

Capital Reef National Park

We woke up this morning in Bryce with three inches of snow and poor visibility. We began our three hour drive to Capital Reef not knowing the full extent of the road conditions. Most of the way it was a difficult drive as the temperature dropped to 23 degrees and the snow continued to fall. We were on a road designated as being a Scenic Highway, however a good deal of the time we were only looking at the roadway trying to find the white lines. The drive really was beautiful as we went up to 8000 feet through the Dixie National Forest. There were times when it was a bit tense as we were driving up and down this steep windy road that was snow covered. At one point we seemed to be at the top of the mountain with steep dropoffs on either side.

We were glad to arrive at Capitol Reef where it was sunny and 44 degrees. As we have done at all other National Parks, our first stop was to at the Visitor’s Center. We watched a movie on Capital Reef and then began with the 10 mile scenic drive through the park. At the end of the paved road, we continued on a 2 ½ mile gravel road which took us deep into the canyon. This road was very narrow which put us close to the base of the canyon walls. There were steep mostly red canyon walls rising up all around us. This national park, when compared to the others we have visited to date, seems to have more boulders and rock debris that have fallen to the base of the mountain. The prominent colors we are seeing here in the rock formations are red, green, white, cinnamon, and chocolate brown.

At the end of the gravel road, we hiked the 2 ½ mile Capital Gorge trail. At one time, early pioneers tried to drive their wagons through this canyon. They “registered” their passing by carving their names into the rock wall. These markings date back to 1888 and were visible to us. This trail is also highlighted by a series of water pockets that have formed into the rocks. There were given the name of The Tanks and served as a water reservoir for the early settlers. We then drove the rest of the scenic drive including the Grand Wash gravel road which was 2 miles long. Next, we went to the Hickman Bridge trail. This is a 2 mile trail which takes you to the base of the Hickman natural stone arch which forms a bridge. At this point in our day, it started to hail. Fortunately, it passed quickly and the sun came back out. Our last stop was at the petroglyphs where we could see early Indian carvings into the mountain side.

As we were driving to our hotel for the night, we ran into more hail and lightening. Fortunately for us all our planning activities for the day had been completed at this point. So, if you are keeping score, today we had snow, hail, sun and rain with a temperature range from 23 degrees to 50 degrees.

Tomorrow we leave for Moab UT and Arches National Park.

You can see pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/CanyonlandsNationalPark?feat=directlink

More later . . .

Bryce Canyon National Park

Who Knew A Hoo Doo Would Be So Spectacular?

We left Zion National Park around 9:00 a.m. and headed out of the park towards Bryce Canyon National Park. The Zion tourist literature describes this route as windy and picturesque. We were not disappointed. We went through a one mile long tunnel that took us to the other side of the mountain which we discovered was completely different. The rocks were different colors and shapes. We stopped at the Checkerboard Mesa where you can see both vertical and horizontal patterns in the rock walls. It did resemble a checkerboard or a large quilt.

We arrived at Bryce Canyon National Park around 11:30 a.m. We stopped at the Visitor’s Center and then drove the 18 mile scenic drive into the farthest point of the park. From here, we reversed our path and stopped at each recommended overlook for a panoramic view of the canyon. The weather was mild at 44 degrees with some snow still on the ground and mountains. The highest elevation was at 9000 feet. It is truly amazing how the winds, rain, and erosion carved out a canyon that resembled giant sand castles with spirals, and towers. The small formations of rock are given the name of Hoo doo’s. The rocks are mainly red, pink and white. We decided to hike the Navajo and the Queens Garden trails. Contrary to yesterday at Zion where our hikes took us up into the mountain, today the trails lead down into the deep canyon. We hiked a total of three miles in two hours. We had to look up, down and all around so that we would not miss any of the spectacular sights. This caused me to take 272 pictures, a new personal record and each one worthy of a National Geographic cover. Don’t I wish!

We have found each national park to be unique and different from the next. This had made it difficult for us to say which park has been our favorite. Sequoia was all about the giant trees, Death Valley was about color and vast desert spaces, Zion was about mammoth mountains, and Bryce is about intricately carved rock formations.

Tomorrow we leave for Capital Reef National Park. We are looking forward to seeing how this park compares to the others.

I have posted pictures (no, not all of them) at http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/BryceCanyonNationalPark?feat=directlink

More later . . .

Zion National Park Day 2

We rode our bikes the 1 ½ miles from the hotel to the entrance of Zion today. We then rode the 1 ½ mile Pa’rus Trail which follows the Virgin River to the Canyon Junction shuttle stop. We got on the shuttle and rode to the Zion Lodge stop which is the trailhead for the Lower, Middle, and Upper Emerald Pool trails. We hiked these trails for a combined length of four miles. The emerald pools are the result of water seeping through cracks in the mountain and cascading down as waterfalls. The moss on the rocks gives the pools their green color. There were many large boulders in the area and hikers were climbing and resting on them taking in this setting. It was beautiful and we did not want to leave. We then returned to the Zion Lodge and had lunch on the outdoor patio while we planned the balance of our day. We decided to take another hike this time on the Angels Landing trail. This trail is described as strenuous and the description was accurate. The narrow and windy trail goes up 1488 feet and provides great views of the canyon. The hike was our most difficult to date with the last half mile to Angles Landing up the side of the mountain with chains serving as handholds for the narrow passage. We decided this section of the trail look too adventurous for us and elected to go an additional ¼ mile along the West Rim trail. The views were wonderful and all the effort of this hike was well worth it. The rock formations are beautiful with a mixture of red, green and white colors. We were surrounded by canyon walls during parts of the hike. To our amazement, there were two guys who were running up the trail. This could certainly be described as extreme training. Angles Landing is appropriately named as we felt closer to heaven. We returned to the stop and gather up our bikes for the ride back to our hotel. We stopped along the way to shop and browse at several stores. We ended up with dinner at one of the many restaurants.

Without a doubt, this was our most physically challenging day. So much for a relaxing day by the pool!!

We leave in the morning for Bryce Canyon National Park.

You can view pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/ZionNationalParkDay2?feat=directlink

More later . . .

Zion National Park Day 1

We left Las Vegas this morning at 9:00 a.m. and arrived at Zion National Park at 12:30 p.m. We checked into our hotel and then ate lunch. This national park is different from the others visited to date in that there is a shuttle bus service which takes you into and around in the park. No car traffic is permitted on the main roadway after April 4th. The shuttle was very convenient and easy to use. There are eight stops along the route and we rode the entire length of the park (about 45 minutes) to the last stop. We hiked the Riverside Walk trail which was 2 miles long and took about 1 ½ hours. The trail took us to the point called the Narrows where the canyon walls are met on both sides by the Virgin River. This is a popular hiking spot in the summer since you can hike up river in the river. This is the only way to reach up river since the canyon walls go right up to the river. We then got on the shuttle for a short trip to Weeping Rock trail. This short but steep ½ mile trail ends at a rock alcove with dripping springs coming down on top of you. We then got back on the shuttle and walked the Grotto Trail. This ½ mile trail was right on the Virgin Rivers edge. It was now after 5:00 p.m. and we returned to our hotel room for a swim in the pool and soak in the hot tub. This really wiped us out! We managed to get dressed and get dinner without falling asleep in our meals.

We have decided to spend another night here. We will take in some additional hikes in the morning and then relax the remainder of the day poolside.

I have posted pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/ZionNationalParkDay1?feat=directlink

More later . . .

Death Valley National Park

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

We were up and gone at 8:00 a.m. for our drive to Death Valley National Park. On the previous day, we were traveling South on the West side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Today, we traveled North along the East side of the range. It was very eerie when we arrived at the entrance of Death Valley National Park. The single lane windy road with numerous dips took us through a vast deserted land surrounded by mountains. We stopped in Stovepipe Wells at the ranger station to get park information. We then went to our first destination of Furnace Creek Visitor Center. We watched a short movie about the park, loaded up our water supply, and started out. It was 93 degrees. From there, we stopped at the Harmony Borax Works. This is the site where borax was produced from salt and then transported by the 20 mule teams which Borax made famous in their television commercials. We then went to Badwater basin which is the lowest point in North America being 282 feet below sea level. This was the site of a lake which evaporated leaving the fragile white salt deposits. We drove to Devils Golf Course which has salt deposits similar to Badwater basin. The difference is that these deposits are much higher and resemble coral reefs. It looked like a large field of frosted covered shredded wheat. We then drove the nine mile loop of Artists Drive. This is a very beautiful view of colorful mountains with unique formations the result of volcanic activity. The mountains were green, yellow, salmon pink, gold, chocolate brown resembling an artist’s palette. We then took a short hike into Golden Canyon. It was very hot and windy. The canyon walls were molded by rain runoff into spectacular shapes. We then drove to Zabriskie Point. This was a lookout point of a panoramic view of the valley. Our last stop of the day was at Dantes View. This lookout is located 5000 feet above the valley floor and provides a view of the lowest and highest locations in the park.

We then drove to Las Vegas where we spent the night. We will be on our way to Zion National Park tomorrow.

You can view pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/DeathValleyNationalPark?feat=directlink

More later . . .

Kings Canyon Day 2

Monday, April 6, 2009

We drove South into Sequoia National Park to the General Sherman tree. This is the largest tree in existence. It was quite spectacular. While there, we took a two mile hike on the Congress Trail which was snow covered. There were waterfalls and streams along with special groupings of giant sequoias named after presidents and congressional branches of government including The House and The Senate. It was a very quiet and peaceful hike with few individuals on the trail besides us. We left and then drove to the Giant Tree Museum. This was also the trailhead for the three mile Moro Rock hike. Moro Rock is a granite dome 300 vertical feet up. There are 400 steps to get to the top which provides a 360 degree view of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. This was a strenuous hike, but well worth the effort. While on the top of Moro Rock, we met individuals from Paris, Switzerland and Slovakia. Throughout our entire trip we have met individuals from many different parts of the world.

We began our drive out of the park and encountered a very windy scenic road with spring wildflowers and blossoming trees. The road followed the windy bolder laid Kaweah River which was running forcefully.

We left Sequoia for our drive to Death Valley National Park. Along the way we saw miles of fruit and nut trees. We stopped in Tehachapi CA for the night.

I have posted pictures at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/SequoiaAndKingsCanyonDay2?feat=directlink

More later . . .

On the Road Again

Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park

Ellen and I left Los Altos for Ohio on Saturday, April 4th. We were able to see Elise’s first T-Ball game of the season. What fun!! They play 3 innings with each player getting to bat during their half of the inning. There are no outs. The last batter is the “home run “hitter which means she/he can run all the bases instead of stopping at first. Elise and Ella (her teammate) made the play of the game. A groundball was hit to Elise who caught it and threw to Ella playing at first base. Ella caught the ball as well for the only true out of the entire game. We were all quite proud of Ellie’s hitting as well.

Saying our goodbyes was difficult for everyone. The kids did much better than me. I really do not like it when we must leave Jen, Dan, Elise, Thomas and Julia. We had a great trip. I could not have asked for a better way to start my retirement. We have built many memories. We are already looking forward to our June return trip to California.

We drove four hours to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. The drive east of Fresno, CA was through an agricultural area with many fruit and nut farms. The road up and into the Sierra Nevada mountain range was beautiful. We have been on a number of windy roads with beautiful scenery on our trip. This was no exception. We checked into our room at the John Muir Lodge and enjoyed dinner. This morning we began our exploring of the area with a drive to Hume Lake. This manmade lake was built in the late 1800’s for the logging industry. There was a three mile trail around the lake which was very nice. We are able to use for the first time our walking sticks (thanks to our son-in-law Dan) which we really like. We left Hume Lake for General Grant Grove to view the General Grant Tree which is also known as “The Nation’s Christmas Tree.” This tree is the second largest tree in the world and is named after Ulysses S. Grant. We then drove a short distance into Sequoia National Park and stopped at an overlook of the Sierras. Later, we hiked most of the way to Panoramic Point. This was quite strenuous and uphill all the way. After that, we were done for the day.

Tomorrow we will drive 35 miles South into and through Sequoia National Park. We have plans to visit several recommended points of interest before moving on to our next destination.

I have posted pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/SequoiaAndKingsCanyon?feat=directlink

More later . . .

Return Trip to Ohio

We start our return trip back to Ohio Saturday after being away for 75 days. It is hard to believe the time has gone so quickly. Our road trip out to California was great. We were able to see many interesting and beautiful parts of the country.

Our time in Los Altos with Jen, Dan and the grandchildren was memorable. We were able to walk Elise to school in the morning, read to her class, pick her up after school or her art class, help with homework, take Thomas to school, take Julia to Gymboree, go to ice skating lessons, soccer lessons, hikes, bike rides, and a trip to Monterey Bay Aquarium all with our family. It was great! Being able to stay 9 houses down from Jen and Dan's was very convenient. Elise and Thomas were able to spend the night with us and use the hot tub and pool. The pool water was cold but, we went in anyway. Thomas and I scored a 1000 from judge Elise for our dual cannonballs. We have watched Julia change each day with new words that often amaze us. She seems to understand everything we tell her. I love it when she runs and jumps into my arms.

Jen and Dan have been great and recently treated us to an overnight stay in San Francisco. Ellen and I walked the city, took a ferry boat sightseeing trip, and had a wonderful meal overlooking the Pacific and a beautiful sunset. It was another great memory of our stay in California.

As much as we want to stay here, we also know that it is time to go. We will return to our new lives at home with me retired and Jen, Dan and the kids back to their routines without us, at least for a few months. We have plans to be back in CA in June for a week. I am already counting the days.

We have an ambitious return trip planned with stops in a number of national parks in California and Utah. We are committed to remaining flexible with our travel plans and will take it as it comes. We think it will take about 14 days to get back to our house.

More later . . .

Lake Tahoe - Day 2

Today, we went on a two hour snowmobile ride in the North Lake Tahoe area. We each rented a snowmobile and were in a group of 10 riders. We rode through trails that took us on flat straightaways as well as trails that were narrow and hilly that took us right through the woods. There are more than 100 miles of trails at this location. We stopped at various points to group back up as well as to hear from our guide regarding the trails we would be approaching ahead. We got a chance to ride at a higher rate of speed when we visited a frozen lake. The highlight was an uphill climb on a trail that lead us to the top of Mount Watson at 8,200 feet. From here we could see out over Lake Tahoe and the surrounding mountain ranges. It was very beautiful. We returned to Squaw Valley and had lunch after the ride.

We are not looking forward to leaving tomorrow . . .

I have posted pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/SquawValleyDay2?feat=directlink

More later . . .

Lake Tahoe

Ellen and I spent today driving around Lake Tahoe. It took us 4 1/2 hours including a lunch at an Irish Pub. The weather was great with sunny blue skies and a temperature in the mid-40's. The lake is really pretty and is lined with beautiful homes. We make stops along the way to take in the views. We also stopped at a park and went for a one hour snowshoe walk. The trail took us right up to the lake's edge and we walked along the shoreline. It was a bit odd walking in the snow along the edge of a lake.

I have posted pictures of the Village at Squaw Valley where we are staying along with pictures of Lake Tahoe. You can find them at: http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/SquawValleyDay1?feat=directlink

More later . . .

Getting Settled

Since my last posting Ellen and I have been getting settled here in Los Altos. We have been here close to two weeks and have been staying at Jen and Dan’s house. This past Saturday, they took Elise and Thomas on a ski trip to Breckenridge, CO where they met up with Julie and Rich and Amy and Justin. The group of “cousins” are enjoying themselves in what is fast becoming an annual trip. Ellen and I are taking care of Julia while the rest of the family is away. We have been exploring the Los Altos area museums and parks. Ellen and I went up to SF last week and took a 13 mile bike ride along the waterfront. We rode across the Golden Gate Bridge and back which was a thrill. Getting up to the bridge from the shoreline was quite a difficult up hill ride. We then had lunch at Scoma’s which is on the water on Embarcadero Drive. Just as our very nice lunch was concluding it started to rain. So the 5 mile ride back to our car got a bit interesting (and wet). All in all it was a very enjoyable day. We have plans to visit Squaw Valley for 3 nights and 4 days next week. There has been a lot of snowfall and we plan on snowshoeing and maybe taking a snowmobile excursion.

I posted some pictures of our bike ride in SF and of the grandchildren at
http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/February2009?feat=directlink

More later . . .

Road Trip - Day Fifteen

WE MADE IT!

15 days and 4150 miles after leaving Concord, we arrived today at Jen and Dan’s. Our final day of driving started out in Monterey Bay. We had another wonderful weather day. This was our sixth day of blue skies, sunshine and no clouds. We discovered a bike path right outside our hotel which lead us to the beach, Fisherman’s Wharf, Cannery Row, and the Aquarium. I would like to say that staying at our hotel next to the bike path was planned, but it was just great luck. After our ride we got on the road to Santa Cruz for a quick tour. We just passed through as we were anxious to get to Jen and Dan’s. We arrived at their house and immediately jumped into our grandparent’s role. It was great to see Jen and the kids. Dan is away on business and we will get to see him in a couple of days.

Ellen and I really enjoyed our trip out to California. Each day was a new adventure in interesting and beautiful places. We did well with travel directions thanks to Jill (our GPS system).

This will be my last posting for a few weeks. Ellen and I will be getting settled in here in Los Altos. We look forward to bike rides, walks, and maybe a side trip or two.

I have posted pictures at
http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/MontereyBay?feat=directlink

More later . . .

Road Trip - Day Fourteen

We left San Luis Obispo this morning and got on CA Route 1 for a scenic ride up the coast. We stopped in Morro Bay and went kayaking for an hour. It was great fun being in the Bay with clear blue skies and no wind. We saw California Sea Lions and sea otters. I was glad they kept their distance from my kayak. We had chowder and fish tacos at an outdoor restaurant overlooking the Bay. After some shopping, we continued our drive up the coast. It was very beautiful and we make a number stops along the way at the scenic overlooks. After passing Big Sur we drove through Carmel and drove the 17 mile drive. We are spending the night in Monterey Bay and will leave in the morning for Santa Cruz and then Jen and Dan’s.
I have posted pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/PacificCoastHighwayRt1Day1?feat=directlink

More later . . .

Road Trip - Day Thirteen

This morning we did a very typical tourist thing. We went on a 4 hour LA/Hollywood group tour. It turned out to be a good idea. There were specific locations we wanted to see and trying to drive around LA would have been very difficult. So, the group tour took us to these places and we did not have to worry about traffic, parking and directions. The tour included Beverly Hills and Hollywood with stops at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Rodeo Drive and the Hollywood Bowl overlook. We did not see any movie stars, but we were able to view their homes. We left Santa Monica and drove up the coast past Malibu to Santa Barbara. We visited the Old Mission which was the tenth of the California missions to be founded by the Spanish Franciscans in 1786. We left Santa Barbara and headed up the coast to San Louis Obispo where we are spending the evening. We will leave in the morning for Monterey Bay and arrive at Jen and Dan’s in the next 2 or 3 days. Our road trip is fast coming to an end.

Like all the pictures I have been posting, each has a special meaning to us. I have not taken the time to try to explain what each picture represents. I hope you enjoy them.

I have posted pictures of Hollywood at http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/Hollywood?feat=directlink

I have posted pictures of the Old Mission at Santa Barbara at http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/SantaBarbara?feat=directlink

More later . . .

Road Trip - Day Twelve

We started our day in Palm Springs by swimming in the hotels heated pool and spending some time in the Jacuzzi. We then went up on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. This tram has the world’s largest rotating cars. The floor of the tram slowly revolves so that everyone gets a 360 degree view. As many as 80 individuals can ride up the mountain at one time. The trip takes 10 minutes and we went two and one half miles up to the top of Mt. San Jacinto State Park. We went from 2,643 feet at the base of the mountain to 8,516 feet at the top. San Jacinto is a 14,000 acre park with more than 54 miles of hiking trails. The temperature was quite different at the top (40 degrees) than the base (62 degrees). We took a walk in the woods which was quite beautiful. There was hard packed snow on the ground and the sky was blue with not a cloud to be seen. It was very enjoyable. We then watched a video on how the tram was constructed. It was quite an amazing engineering feat. After lunch at the restaurant which looked out over the valley and Palm Spring below, we drove around Palm Springs. We really enjoyed this city which has 350 days of sunshine a year. We left around 1:00 p.m. and arrived in Santa Monica around 3:30 p.m. The LA freeways were very busy. Again Jill (our GPS) was a great navigator. This was a short driving day. We checked into our hotel and then went down to the beach. We were able to ride our bikes along the boardwalk until after sunset. The boardwalk and pier area is quite a mix to individuals from all walks of life. You can see most anything. After our ride we walked to the Third Street Promenade. This is a several block long collection of stores and restaurants where the street traffic has been eliminated. There were multiple groups of street performers which made for quite an entertaining evening.

I have posted pictures of our trip on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway at http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/PalmSprings?feat=directlink

More later . . .

Road Trip - Day Eleven

We did not want to leave the South Rim of the Grand Canyon this morning. It was going to be another beautiful day. But, we were on the road by 8:00 a.m. with Joshua Tree National Park in California our next destination. We arrived around 1:00 p.m. Once again, Jill (our name for the GPS) was a big help in getting us to our next stop. Joshua Tree is an 800,000 acre park that is known for its Joshua Tree. We found out that it really is not a tree but, a species of the Yucca plant. One of our guide books states that Mormon pioneers traveling across this desert area thought the tree looked like the prophet Joshua leading them on to the Promised Land with upraised arms. They must have been delusional from a lack of water! We were not sure what this national park would have in store for us besides these trees. What we found were numerous areas of large smooth rock formations that were very interesting and fun to climb. We learned that this is a rock climbers paradise. We drove up to Keys View which at 5185 feet is the highest point in the park. We could see Palms Springs down into the valley from this location. We could also see the San Andreas Fault line. We learned that the ground near the Fault line is moving apart by two inches each year. We drove the entire 38 miles from the North entrance to the South entrance of the park. This roadway straddled the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert. We stopped along the way at various points of interest. This included an up close view of the Cholla cactus plant. Signs warned of the danger of touching this plant. The sharp thin spines can penetrate clothing, shoes and flesh. Regardless of the signs, I am sure there are individuals who cannot resist the urge to touch the plant. This reminds me of the Wet Paint Do Not Touch signs. Don’t you always want to see just how wet the paint is??? This plant also is known as the teddy-bear cholla due to its fuzzy looking appearance. We left the park and drove to Palm Springs were we are spending the evening. Ellen keeps looking for movie stars. She has decided to settle for me.

You can view pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/JoshuaTreeNationalPark?feat=directlink

More later . . .

Road Trip - Day Ten

This morning we got up to watch a beautiful sunrise over the Grand Canyon. It was cold but well worth the wait. We then took a 25 mile drive along the South Rim on the Desert View Drive. There were multiple vista points along the drive where we stopped to view the Canyon. Each location was unique and offered a slightly different view. We ended our drive at a location called Desert View which had a five story watchtower which overlooked the canyon. It offered some of our best views of the Colorado River. We got a great view of the river with our binoculars. We then took a hike down into the Canyon on the South Kaibab trail. The trail was a series of switchbacks that was steep and challenging. We must have started our hike right after a group of mules as we could not miss the little presents they left behind on the trail. We hiked for one hour and stopped to rest while enjoying the magnificent views. The experience was somewhat spiritual as we were viewing this beautiful natural landscape that was thousands of years old in an absolute quite environment. The return trip was much more physically challenging. As the saying goes, what goes down must come up. That motto helped us determine our level of descent into the Canyon. We were quite pleased with ourselves and the level of stamina it required to both descend and ascend the trail. Along the trail we met interesting people of various nationalities and varied hiking plans. Some were on a short trip like us while others were going all the way to the bottom of the canyon for several days. A park ranger we met was just on a 17 mile hike. Earlier in the day we met a group of 12 college students beginning a nine day hike. It was interesting watching them prepare their gear and very large backpacks. Our backpack was a bit smaller since it consisted of four granola bars an four apples along with two jugs of water. After our hike we did some shopping and get ready for dinner. This evenings dinner was a treat to ourselves at a very nice restaurant. We had a table that was next to the fireplace and in front of a large window which looked out onto the Canyon. The dinner was great, the view was memorable, and we reminded ourselves how fortunate we were to be experiencing this trip at this time in our lives.
We will leave the Grand Canyon in the morning. This evening we are planning the next stop on our trip.

I have posted pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/GrandCanyonDay2?feat=directlink

More later . . .

Road Trip - Day Nine

We left Albuquerque this morning at 6:30 a.m. for our 407 mile drive to the Grand Canyon. The landscape on our drive was quite varied. We went from flat prairies to snow covered mountains after we passed the Continental Divide. We saw many old run down towns with very poor housing as seen from the highway. The drive from Flagstaff to the park entrance was quite beautiful. We passed through wooded areas of pine trees with quite a bit of snow on the ground. We arrived at 12:30 p.m. and stopped first at an area outside the park entrance. There was an IMAX movie on the Grand Canyon which we watched. We then entered the park and stopped at Mather Point which is the first lookout area as you enter the park on the South Rim. The sky was clear and the sun was bright. This gave us excellent views of the Grand Canyon. I took a lot of pictures which will hopefully capture the magnificent views we experienced. We walked along the South Rim trail for almost two hours taking in the Canyon for various lookout points. Along the way, we spotted a mule deer with a large rack of horns. Right behind him was a female with several fawns. There were within 50 feet of us. We watched the sunset from Hopi Point. The clear blue sky with the setting sun made for a spectacular sunset.

I have posted pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/GrandCanyonDay1?feat=directlink

More later . . .

Road Trip - Day Eight

We spent the day touring Albuquerque. We visited the Pueblo Indian Cultural Center. The Center traces the history of the Pueblo Indians, their culture, environment, foods, and craft work. There were a simple people whose lives were deeply connected both spiritually and physically to the Earth. We then visited the International Balloon Museum. Each October, Albuquerque serves as the site for the largest hot air balloon festival in the world. Over 700 balloonists come from all over the world come to participate in this two week event. The Museum had a collection of early balloons dating back to the dirigible up to modern balloons. We learned that each balloonist has a chase team to provide support. These individuals must follow the balloon wherever it goes and be prepared to assist it when landing. This sounded to me to be a lot of fun! We then had lunch at Diner66 which is located on the famous Route 66. The diner was right out of the 50’s with the décor, the menu and the way the employees were dressed. Our hamburgers and milk shares were terrific! After the lunch we felt a need for some exercise, so we walked along a trail that runs next to the Rio Grande river. It was too windy to consider riding our bikes.

This evening we were planing on riding the Sandia Peak Tramway. This 2.7 mile journey to 10, 378 foot Sandia Peak is on the world's longest unsupported span. Unfortunately, high winds cancelled the tram from operating. We watched a wind gage register at times up to 45 miles per hour winds. So, we were disappointed on not having the experience of riding this tram, but also thankful the operators were thinking safety first.

More later . . .

Road Trip - Day Seven

We left Carlsbad this morning at 7:30 a.m. and arrived in Santa Fe around 12:30 p.m. We passed through Roswell, NM and fortunately did not see any aliens. We did see an interesting sign at a rest stop. It said “Watch for rattlesnakes”. Once again, we were glad we did not see any. The drive up from Carlsbad was over some very stark countryside. For miles we could see nothing but very flat prairie lands. As we got closer to Santa Fe, the mountains began to appear with some having snow on top.

In Santa Fe we visited a number of shops which, as you might expect, featured native Indian items. These included turquoise and silver jewelry, pottery, clothing and hats. This is the slow season and there was hardly anyone in the stores. Outside the Palace of the Governor’s, local Indians had their wares for sale. They placed their items for sale on blankets which were laid on the sidewalk. We also visited St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral. It houses the La Conquistadora chapel which has the oldest Madonna dating back to 1625. St. Francis is the first church in New Mexico to obtain the status of Cathedral. We next visited San Miguel Mission Church. It is one of the country’s oldest churches that has been in continual use.

We left Santa Fe and drove one hour South to Albuquerque. We checked into our hotel and then visited an area called Old Town. This is a district of the city that is 300 years old and features shopping much like what we saw in Santa Fe. Comparing the two cities, the shops in Santa Fe were more upscale. We had a Mexican dinner at High Noon a local restaurant. Built in 1785, it is said to have housed both a gambling casino and a popular brothel. Other than paying for our dinner, we did not use or dollars for gambling or any other vice.

Tomorrow we plan on taking a ride on the Sandia Mountain Tram. At 2.7 miles, the tram is the longest in the world. The panoramic view of the area should be spectacular. Afterwards, we hope to take our first bike ride on a trail that runs through the city along the Rio Grande River.

Here is a link to some pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/SantaFe?feat=directlink

More later . . .

Road Trip - Day Six

Today we visited Carlsbad Caverns which some have labeled the 8th Wonder of the World. We took a self-guided tour of the Natural Entrance and Big Room locations. There were 50 stops throughout the tour where we listened to recorded messages. It was very informative and extremely beautiful. Once we finished the tour, we took the elevator back up over 700 feet to the surface. We learned that new areas of the caverns are being discovered and explored by scientists. We had hoped to view the nightly flight of bats out of the cavern. However, we learned that they migrate to Mexico for the winter and will be returning later in the spring.
We then took a 9 ½ mile scenic drive on Walnut Canyon Desert Drive. This is a gravel one way road that loops through the desert mountain scenery. We stopped along the drive to take a 45 minute hike on Rattlesnake Canyon Trail. Fortunately, we did not see any rattlesnakes! The hike was strenuous and it was very hot. We wisely cut it short and did not complete the entire trail. We were very glad to get back to the car!

We leave tomorrow for Santa Fe which is about 5 hours away. We are not sure yet if we will spend the night there or go down to Albuquerque for the night.

Here is a link to some pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/CarlsbadCaverns?feat=directlink

More later . . .

Road Trip - Day Five

We left San Antonio at 7:30 a.m. for Carlsbad, NM. We traveled the 450 miles in 7 1/2 hours. There were sections where the speed limit was 80 mph. The scenery was varied with areas of plateaus, mountains, and flat lands. The drive from the interstate route 10 to Carlsbad was through several very small and desolate towns. There were times when there was no car in sight in either direction. Both sides of the road were endless flat lands with an occasional cow or horse. We did see a number of oil wells pumping. Sure glad we did not have any car trouble!

We are staying about 20 miles from the caverns which open at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow. We will leave in the morning hoping to get into an early morning tour group.

More later . . .

Road Trip - Day Four

Ellen and I spent the afternoon and early evening on the Riverwalk. This is an area where the San Antonio River winds through the downtown. There are restaurants, hotels and shops which line the river. It is an area full of activity with lots of people. We also visited the Alamo which is a short walk from the Riverwalk area. We took a walking tour of the site and learned a great deal about the history of the Alamo and the battle that was fought there many years ago.
I have posted pictures at the following site:

http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/SanAntonioTX?authkey=1_l6aeYP588&feat=directlink

More later . . .

Road Trip - Day Three

This morning we left Tulsa, OK and drove to Oklahoma City to visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial. The site of the federal building which was destroyed has been turned into a beautiful memorial. The indoor museum is closed due to a water line break which flooded one floor of the building. Fortunately, none of the exhibits were destroyed. We were able to view the outdoor memorial which sits on the site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building which was destroyed. There is a survivor’s wall, a field of empty chairs (one for each victim), a reflecting pool, a rescuers’ orchard, the survivor tree and a children’s area. At each end of the reflecting pool, which is located on what was the street in front of the former federal building, sits a Gates of Time monument. The East Gate represents 9:01 a.m. on April 19, 1985 and the innocence of the city before the attack. The West Gate represents 9:03 a.m., the moment the bomb exploded. Ellen and I were moved by this memorial and how the innocence of this city and the country changed in less than one minute’s time.

We left Oklahoma City and drove just over three hours to Dallas, TX. We visited the Dallas Book Repository the site of the assassination of President Kennedy. We took an audio self-guided tour that was very interesting. We were able to be on the 6th floor of the building where the shots were fired. Later, we walked the roadway, sidewalk and grassy knoll where the president’s car was passing at the time of the shooting. Ellen and I each reflected on where we were when the announcement came that Kennedy had been shot.

We left the Book Repository exhibit, had dinner at a nearby restaurant and then left for our hotel for the evening. Tomorrow, we are off to San Antonio, TX which will be a four hour drive.

We are doing well and enjoying ourselves.

Here are links to pictures taken at these two sites:

http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/OklahomaCityNationalMemorialMuseum?feat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/JFK?authkey=qgLMMNIm6HA&feat=directlink

More later . . .

Road Trip - Day Two

Yesterday we visited the St. Louis Arch. I took a number of pictures as it was a clear sunny day. There was hardly anyone there so we lucked out and had easy access to the exhibits. We saw a movie on how the arch was constructed. It is quite an engineering marvel. Then, we got into a very small enclosed tram car and took a 4 minute ride to the top observation area. It was very beautiful looking out on the Mississippi on one side and the city on the other side of the arch. The ride back down is faster only taking 3 minutes. We then watched a movie on the Lewis and Clark exhibition which was very interesting. St. Louis, and the site of the arch, was the starting point for Lewis and Clark on their journey to explore the West. We then toured a museum which was filled with artifacts and information from the early settlers. Later we visited the Old Courthouse where a famous trial on Dred Scott was held. He was a slave who sued for his freedom. We then drove 5 hours to Tulsa where we are spent the night. We leave this morning for Oklahoma City to visit the memorial there. However, we just found out that there was a major water leak at the memorial and it is closed until February 1st. So, we will only be able to visit the outside park. We then plan on driving to Dallas later in the afternoon.

Here is a link to pictures taken:
http://picasaweb.google.com/tschick62/CaliforniaOrBust?authkey=Pg_o4dGalRM&feat=directlink

More later . . .

Road Trip - Day One

We got out of Painesville at 7:15 am this morning. A fresh snowfall made it very difficult to get out of our development. For a moment, I thought our first day's travels was going to amount to 1/2 mile. The roads were snow covered and slippery until we got South of Cleveland. We saw several accidents and were glad to see sunshine and dry roads as we proceeded towards Columbus. The 10 hour ride to St. Louis was enjoyable. We listened to Cd's, and XM radio including the inauguration of President Obama. We found and checked into our hotel and had supper. We are reviewing our plans for visiting the St. Louis Gateway Arch tomorrow.

More later . . .

We are off in the morning!

We had a rough start to our final day at home before our trip. The power to our neighborhood went out early this morning. After a while, it came back on only to shut off again. This happened three times. We needed to run a number of last minute errands and were glad to see the power was back on once we returned home.

We spent the rest of the day packing and loading the car. We will finish up in the morning and be on our way. We can't wait!!

more later . . .

We are getting close!

A lot has happened since my last posting. Ellen and I returned from Los Altos, CA where we spent the holidays. We really enjoyed out time spent with Jen, Dan, Elise, Thomas and Julia. Once back home, we began working on plans for our California or Bust road trip. We have been plotting our route, researching points of interest, talking with a representative from AAA who was most helpful, speaking with a former national park ranger who works at Dodds Camera, and organizing items to take on the trip.

We have our route completed with plans to take our time and visit as many cities and highlights as possible. This will extend our time in getting to Jen and Dan's, but we think this will be OK. Since we will be staying in an extended stay hotel in February, we may as well stay lengthen our trip out to CA in order to take in more sights. We hope to be able to stay at the home of one of Jen and Dan's neighbors during March. If this works out, it will be great for us since we will be staying just down the street from Jen and Dan's.

I have been working as well in getting a web camera working. The camera plus a thermometer will allow me to see the temperature inside our house while we are away. One of my concerns is a problem with the furnace. Now I will be able to see the temperature in our house and know that the furnace is working properly.

Lots of last minute items to take care of tomorrow as we hope to leave on Tuesday, January 20.

More later . . .