Nana and Poppy Go Vermont

Vroom-vrooom

2009-09-28T00:56:00.000-07:00

Today was an interesting day. I learned a whole new definition of the word “jerk", although I was actually using another name, and at the end of the day found a new community of friends.

This morning, Carl and I went on an outing with the Porsche Club of Vermont. [ed note: would that be the Green Mountain chapter?] He had been impressed because he’d been a member of the Northwest chapter for 20 years, and never did anything, and the minute he changed our address to Vermont, he was contacted. They were planning a drive from Shelburne Farms (on Lake Champlain south of Burlington, about 80 miles away) to the Morgan Horse Farm, and then on to lunch in the town of Brandon . [ed note: I quite like the town's motto: Unhurried, unspoiled, unforgettable]

This did not sound like fun to me because

Carl’s Porsche is really LOUD!!
He drives it way too fast, especially on curvy mountain roads
The radio is literally from, 1971
We had to leave at 7 AM
Most important, it has no cup holders

The membership chair of the group had called, and said he would meet us at a gas station near Woodstock, and then we could drive in a caravan to Shelburne Farms. When we arrived at that ungodly hour, we met the membership guy, and another member, who was driving a Maserati, who informed us that both of his Porsches were in the shop. He insisted that he had gone to Shelburne Farms many times, and we should follow him. After a 70 mile drive up I-89, we got off the freeway, and while we were following him, we had a map, so realized that he was going the wrong way. The other driver (Mr. Membership chair) also had a map, and also knew we were going the wrong way. However, Mr. Maserati was driving so fast, we could barely keep up, let alone signal him that he was wrong. Instead of winding up at Shelburne Farms, we wound up at a junction between the first two destinations, but 15 minutes late, with about 30 miles still to go to Shelburne. Turns out Mr. Masarati was using memory (it turned out he’d only been there once), with no GPS or a map.

So, we had to forego Shelburne Farms, and head straight to the Morgan Horse Farm. He insisted on leading us to the MHF, but I had put it into my iPhone GPS, and ignored him. We (and Membership guy) arrived in about 10 minutes, and Mr. Maserati took half an hour. Who knows how he went. He also told us that he really didn’t need to see the Horse Farm, since his daughter raised Morgan horses. As I said, what a jerk.

I should add that I felt we had stumbled into an episode of “Newhart.” All the people we met at the Porsche Club reminded me of Larry, Daryl & Daryl. Not what I’d call a real simpatico group.

We did take some photos, but it was raining, so we didn’t get the full value of the beautiful scenery.

This evening, we made our first foray to the Woodstock Area Jewish Community Center for Yom Kippur services. It is amazing how you can feel kind of lost, (coming to a new area), and going to a service can make you feel right at home. It was a very warm, welcoming group, and I think I will enjoy getting involved. It reminded me a lot of the temple in Tacoma.

Meanwhile, the house is a mess, still boxes everywhere, but we have made some headway. We still can’t find pots & pans, and are tired of going out, so we are resorting to TV dinners & bagged salad.

The good news is that we do finally have TV & internet. I can do this from home, not the library.

Only 5 more days until the British contingent of the family arrives!
Only 13 days until all kids & grandkids are here, which should be a real zoo! Can’t wait.

Our view

2009-09-27T01:18:00.000-07:00

No real comment this time -- just a quick shot of the view of Mt Tom from the house

Thank goodness for free Wi-Fi

2009-09-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

We have been in Vermont two days now, and so far we love it. I am getting very frustrated, however, dealing with Comcast. In a rural area like this, apparently, you can’t just call for an appointment, you ask for one, and they get back to you. I have been waiting now for over 26 hours for a return call, but meanwhile, we have no internet, no cable (actually no TV at all), and no home phone.. I have gotten as far as getting a phone # assigned (802-457-7116 if anyone wants to try), but that’s all. I am about to threaten to get satellite and see if that works. I am sitting in the library which has free wi-fi.

Of course, our house is a mess with boxes everywhere. We are living in the basement, with renovations going on upstairs. We don’t want to unpack too much, because we’ll just have to repack it to move it upstairs, hopefully in the next two weeks. [ed note: I hope so!]

Vermont is so beautiful. I can’t add any photos right now [ed note: library photo courtesy of library website], but I will try to soon, before the leaf-peeping season is over. We drove to the major city of Rutland to do some shopping, and passed Killington ski resort. Obviously not open yet for skiing, but the leaves have started to change dramatically, and it is spectacular. I was reminded how much my life has changed when I was excited to see a Bed Bath & Beyond. We were in the big time!!

I will try to keep up my blog, and I hope I can convey how exciting this all is!

Ed note

2009-09-23T00:47:00.000-07:00

When my mom told me she was planning to keep an e-mail journal of her and my dad's cross-country travels, I immediately thought a blog was the only way to go -- how better to showcase both narrative and photos in an easily accessible way?

So I offered to set one up, pasted her first e-mail into Day 1 -- and VermontersToBe was born. Now, I fully expected my computer-savvy mom to pick up the reins within a day or two, but with all the actual trip-going, she didn't really have time to learn the Blogger basics.

I have to say I'm glad she didn't. For the past 3+ weeks, Mom/aka Sue has been sending me the copy and photos by e-mail, and I've done the production, with the odd editorial comment and web-link thrown in. And I've really enjoyed it -- quite happily I think it's made me read the journal that much more closely, and many times I've pictured myself on the ride along with them. And by searching for various links, I've actually learned a bit along the way. (as well as found a few random images online; apologies to the copyright holders if any, but as I don't think we're a commercial enterprise, I hope you don't mind!)

So though my parents' cross-country journey may be over, their Vermont journey is just beginning. So I hope this blog is too -- I'm sure we all can't wait to read all about their ongoing New England adventures -- may there be many more!

Days until Ed, Ashley and Paige have a cross-Atlantic journey to join in the adventures: 9

Day 24 -- Vermonters-we-are

2009-09-21T23:30:00.000-07:00

We are in New England! We left New York this morning and drove to Woodstock, to check out our house. Remakably, after a six month remodel from long distance, there was very little that we were unhappy with. We actually unloaded some of our stuff, so now we have belongings in our new home. Our furniture is arriving tomorrow, so then we will feel like homeowners. For now, we are in a motel in Hanover NH, home of Dartmouth University.

We did think about buying a new TV here, and could have discovered the joy of illegal no-tax shopping. Vermont residents are supposed to let the state know when they buy things from tax-free NH and as a new resident of Vermont, we always will. Just like everyone in Washington lets that state know when they buy things in sales-tax-free Oregon. [ed note: you may notice a few edits to this last paragraph; the way it was originally written implied you had indeed cheated your new home state. Which the editor is sure you didn't, and would never condone.]

After many tries, I finally reached Comcast, but they were very vague about when they could get there to set us up, so after today, until then, we will have no internet, although we can check our e-mail via iPhone. So, for now, this is my last entry. [ed note -- noooooooooooo! I'll have to work on my own blog now!]

We have traveled almost 5000 miles, and seen some amazing things in this wonderful country. We are both so grateful to have had this opportunity. We have seen every license plate except Mississippi and Hawaii and many Canadian provinces also. We already miss our friends in Washington, but are looking forward to seeing all of our kids on a more regular basis, and making new friends here.

Day 23 -- No more little town blues

2009-09-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

We are in the home stretch now. Our last day in NY, and tomorrow we actually reach Vermont, although we can’t actually sleep in our house until Tuesday when our furniture is delivered.

We went to New York City this morning by train. It’s so convenient, and the train from White Plains goes right to Grand Central Station in half an hour. We arrived right before lunch time, and I felt that I had to have Jewish deli food, which was hard to find in the Northwest, and certainly won’t be available in Vermont. I had wanted to go to the 2nd Ave. Deli, but it was closed because of Rosh Hashanah,and so we walked up past Rockefeller Center
to the Carnegie Deli, which is really touristy and crowded, but the food is yummy. Even Adam Sandler sings about it in the Chanukah Song. New York is so walkable, and there is so much to see. I’m sure it was at least a mile, but it didn’t seem like it [ed note: according to Nike+ Map My Run (TM), it is 1.2m, so indeed at least a mile]. We gorged on matzoh ball soup and pastrami sandwiches. [ed note: and pickles, I see...]

We walked up to Central Park, then back down to 53rd St. to the Museum of Modern Art. Unfortunately, after buying our tickets and seeing one floor out of three, Carl got sick, and we had to leave. I don’t think there was enough time for it to be the deli food, so who knows what caused it. We decided that becoming members of MOMA was a smart and cost-effective thing to do. We can now go back for free, and it will pay for itself in three trips, and hopefully the next time, he’ll make it through the whole museum. (He’s fine now!)

We said a long goodbye to the Olsons, knowing we’ll see them again in only three weeks. We really do miss Seattle, and our friends, but those kids make it all worthwhile.

We finally saw a Delaware plate!
12 days till we see Paige, Ashley & Stefanie

Day 22 -- Sleepless in Sleepy Hollow

2009-09-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought our sightseeing was over, and we were just going to be hanging out with the kids.

However, they had plans for the afternoon, and it was too nice to stay inside, so we was went a few miles north to the bustling town of Sleepy Hollow (really), and took a tour of Kykuit, the mansion built by John D. Rockefeller in 1909. It has been lived in by four generations of Rockefellers.

It is magnificent, and really not too ostentatious compared to lots of “summer cottages” of the rich that we’ve seen before. It is a 40 room house on 4000 acres on the Hudson. When Nelson Rockefeller (generation #3) lived there, he spruced things up by bringing in his fabulous art & sculpture collection. No photos were allowed inside, but really the most impressive thing was the grounds, with the Hudson River as a backdrop. The tour started at (but did not include on our ticket) Philipsburg Manor, a restoration of a farm of the 18th century, complete with heirloom animals. We will have to go back there another time with the kids. I think they would love the animals.

The village of Sleepy Hollow was called “North Tarrytown” until 1996 when the city fathers figured out they could capitalize on being the home of the writer Washington Irving. Tarrytown & Sleepy Hollow are charming villages, with lovely shops & restaurants, and lots of beautiful (and expensive) homes.

We had a quiet (as quiet as possible) dinner with the Olsons, and now are back watching the Mariners play the Yankees in Seattle. Not too exciting, other than hearing the Yankee announcer say (in shock) that the Washington Huskies beat USC!! How great is that. Go Huskies!

Tomorrow, we are going to New York City for the day.

13 days till we see Paige, Ashley & Stefanie [ed note: aw, thanks, Mom]
Still no Mississippi, Hawaii, or Delaware [ed note: I think Delaware is the most likely at this stage... but who knows -- keep your eyes peeled in NYC!]

Day 21 -- R&R

2009-09-18T23:11:00.000-07:00

Quiet day today, which has been nice after 20 days on the road. Unfortunately, gentle readers, it doesn't provide much for the journal!

As promised in yesterday's post, we Toby-sat in our hotel much of the day. Note to self: six-year-olds get bored quickly in hotel exercise rooms! We also ran a few errands, including a visit to the Apple Store at the Westchester Mall to get my iPod looked at. [ed note: why are iPods soooo popular when they always seem to be breaking?! I know mine has to be restarted almost every day. And yet Apple retains this great image, and Microsoft / PCs are buggy... hmm... ok, ed rant over.]

Then back to Chez Olson (Beth Olson?) for a lovely Shabbat dinner to start the Rosh Hashanah holiday period. So L'Shanah Tovah everyone, whether you're celebrating at this time of year or not -- may the year ahead be full of family, fun, and new adventures!

New out of state license plate seen: None, not even in the mall parking lot
Days till we see Paige and Ashley: 14

Day 20 -- Colleges and Kiddies

2009-09-17T22:12:00.000-07:00

If I could live my life over again, I think I would do whatever I had to do (like possibly study in High School) to go to Cornell University. We spent about an hour walking around the campus, and it is absolutely beautiful. On the shores of Lake Cayuga, the campus has rolling hills, beautiful eclectic architecture, creeks running through the grounds, and of course, an Ivy League education. I don’t think the photos do it justice.

The part of the town of Ithaca near the school seems, on quick review, to be quintessentially college. We went to breakfast, and seemed to be the only people over 30, and the only people not studying, or using the free wi-fi.

We then left Ithaca and drove to White Plains. We are here until next Monday the 21st when we finally will leave for Vermont, in anticipation of our furniture arriving Tuesday.

The big attraction in White Plains of course is of course the Olson family which includes our two oldest grandchildren, Toby & Beruria. We went out to dinner with Kara and the kids (Jess was at work), and got a refresher course in dining out with a 6 and a 2 1/2 year old. Toby is getting so big, and read to us to show what he’s learning in 1st grade. Beruria is a delight, and fascinated with princesses and ballerinas. Needless to say, these visits with grandchildren are, the highlight of our trip.
So tomorrow we are picking Toby up at 9 AM, and babysitting all day, since his school is closed. He says he wants to just hang out, because he likes hotels. Tomorrow night is Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), and it will be very strange for us. We can’t go to Kara’s temple, so we’ll just observe it privately.

New out of state license plate seen: Connecticut (three to go- Mississippi, Hawaii, Delaware)
Days till we see Paige and Ashley: 15

Day 19 -- Falls Fever

2009-09-16T22:43:00.000-07:00

Wow, did we have a great day. We went to visit Niagara Falls, and it is indeed spectacular. I know it is full of tourists, but sometimes that is for a good reason! Our hotel was walking distance to the a great overlook of the Falls, and then we took a funicular (steep train) down to the street right on the Falls. We took some photos (not that they can convey the beauty and force of the Falls), and then did a walk called “Journey Through the Falls” [ed note: according to the website, this appears to be called 'Journey BEHIND the Falls', but we'll let you off this time...] which actually went down to the base of Horseshoe Falls (the Canadian side), and then walked through tunnels that took us behind them. So there we were right BEHIND Horseshoe Falls [ed note: hence the name of the walk]. There was a tremendous spray, and we got a little damp, but fortunately the cost of the walk included a really cheesy yellow plastic poncho with a hood.

After we saw everything worthwhile on the Canadian side, we went back to the USA and went to Goat Island, which had a walk out to the TOP of the American Falls, almost to the edge. It was a wonderful morning, and showed us how great things are when you can do so many things on the spur of the moment. (So far, not working has its benefits, although not getting a paycheck is not so great.) I would recommend Niagara Falls to anyone who gets a chance to go. Just stay away from the tourist trap “towers” and ferris wheels that promise great views. The Falls can be seen just as well without those things.

We are staying in Ithaca, home of Cornell University, in the Finger Lakes region of New York. We picked a place called Best Western University, thinking it would be near the campus with a lot of ambience, maybe on the Lake, and it turned out to be in a strip-mall on the outskirts of the town. Oh well, it actually is quite nice. Tomorrow before we leave Ithaca, we’ll check out the campus, and maybe spy Lake Cayuga. [ed note: did you know there's a Cayuga Lake Wine Trail? Something for your next trip perhaps...]

We only have to drive a few more miles, and we’ll be in White Plains with the Olson kids! Apparently, Toby doesn’t have school on Friday, so Kara asked if we’d babysit. Can’t wait!

New out of state license plate seen: VERMONT (finally!), Nova Scotia
Days till we see Toby & Beruria: Tomorrow!!
Days till we see Paige and Ashley: 16 (You may have noticed this jumped by a few days -- I had been counting the days wrong all along.)

Day 18 -- It's only Rock 'n' Roll

2009-09-15T22:14:00.000-07:00

Well, we never made it to Progressive Field, even for a quick look. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was so incredibly interesting, it took longer than we had planned.

We had thought we could see it in three hours, and it was impossible. There was so much R & R history, that we could have easily spent the whole day. There were special exhibits about the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, and the 50th anniversary of Motown. I highly recommend it to music fans, and there is something for every age. Six floors! So much to see (including Janis Joplin's Porsche, below), and so little time. So, we will have to save the baseball field pilgrimage for another day, and come back to Cleveland and do that and spend more time at the R & R HoF.

One slight problem; Because there are so many baby-boomers, many museums have raised the senior age to 65. That is not the problem. The deal is, Carl goes to the ticket booth and asks for two senior tickets, and they look at us, and NEVER QUESTION IT!!! I have over two years to go!! What to do? It’s a question of $$ vs. ego, and since we’re now, officially, old retired folks on a fixed income, I guess the $$ win. If my grandchildren are reading this (and if they are, they really are geniuses), do what Nana says, not what Nana does.

We had a slight change in plans. We found out that our belonging are not arriving until the 22nd, so we decided to take an extra day and visit Niagara Falls. It turned out that a Raddison in Niagara Falls, Ontario, was having an incredible Expedia special, so here we are. We arrived too late to do any actual sight-seeing, but now our road-trip is officially international. We had decided to bring our passports because we didn’t want to trust them to movers, and it gave us the flexibility to go to Canada. The town of Niagara Falls, Ont, seems to be Las Vegas-like, with a strip of high rise hotels, a casino, and LOTS of tourists. The desk person at the Radisson thought we were nice looking, I guess, because she upgraded us to a falls-view room. From our room, what we can see is spectacular, and I can’t wait to do a little more walking around tomorrow.

Because we are in Canada, we can’t use our iPhones without incurring huge roaming charges. It’s amazing how dependent we’ve become on instant internet at any time! Well, we’ll be back in the USA tomorrow.

New out of state license plate seen: New Hampshire
Days till we see Toby & Beruria: 3 (The only bad thing is that this number didn’t go down!)
Days till we see Paige and Ashley: 18

Day 17 -- On the Road Again

2009-09-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

A day late, I want to send a Happy Anniversary (11 years!) to Kara and Jess, and a big Happy 35th Birthday to my delightful son-in-law Jess!

We left Chicago, and Lucy and her parents, this morning and began the drive to Cleveland. It was hard to say good-bye to her. She is such a happy baby, and so full of smiles.

There was so much food left over from yesterday’s lunch that we were able to make sandwiches and take some salads and fruit for a picnic. I know I said that I would never eat again, but it turned out to be possible.

We stopped in South Bend, Indiana so that we could see Notre Dame University. [ed note: interestingly, the University is the 3rd to come up when Googling simply 'Notre Dame', after the Cathedral, and a 6th Form College in Leeds. Wonder if that's only because I'm Googling in the UK.] Classes were in session, so at one point, we were trapped at an intersection by what seemed like thousands of walking students. I had heard that the football stadium was called “The Golden Dome,” and I thought I had found it, but it turned out to be just a church on campus. We did see the legendary football stadium, and, surprise, it looked just like a, well, football stadium.

We didn’t pass many parks on the interstate, so our picnic lunch turned out to be at a rest stop somewhere in Indiana. It was just as good as if it had been in a park. Thanks, Amy & Brian for the great left-overs.

So, now we are in Cleveland. There does not seem to be much life downtown after dark, except that we found a kind of “restaurant row” on 4th St., and found a nice pub to have dinner and watch Monday Night Football. I keep forgetting that we are now in the Eastern Time Zone, and that all these sporting events don’t start until 8 PM. I am going to have a real problem being a sports fan in Vermont, since I seem to root against all the New England Teams. I have been in Seattle so long that I really tend to root for underdogs.

Tomorrow, it is off to Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians for a quick look, (unfortunately the Indians are not on a home stand) and then the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

New out of state license plate seen: Louisiana (thanks to a quick drive through a Notre Dame parking lot).
Days till we see Toby & Beruria: 3
Days till we see Paige and Ashley: 19

Day 16 -- BFF

2009-09-13T22:30:00.000-07:00

This morning was Lucy’s Baptism. It was the first one I had ever attended. We then had a very nice lunch at Brian and Amy’s condo, and met a lot of their friends. Once again, there was a LOT of food. In fact, there was so much food at this lunch today, that I don’t even know if I’ll ever eat again, but I have a suspicion that somehow I will.

Parking near the church, and near their condo is an adventure. Basically, street parking is the only option, and there is very little. The church is relatively close to Wrigley Field, so we could have paid $25 for a spot, but luckily we saw someone pulling out, and only had to walk about half a mile (literally), and I was in heels!

I want to take this opportunity to really, and publicly thank my dear friend Gail. We first met way back in the mid-sixties, when we were both still teenagers, and then shared an apartment our last year at Berkeley (she graduated, it took me two more years), She was in my wedding, but we lost touch with each other during the 70s when we were both busy having kids, and moving around the country. Gail moved to Chicago with her family many years ago, and we reconnected through the internet (what an invention). She has opened her apartment to us, and let us use her bedroom, indeed make a mess of it. She has insisted on buying us dinner, and has even done laundry. This trip to Chicago would have been much more stressful without her help. Carl went to bed early last night and the two of us stayed up talking, and, at least to me, the years melted away, We both have grandchildren now, and if you look really closely (really really closely), you will see wrinkles, but I think the forever friendship will always be there. Thank you, Gail!

Tomorrow, we leave Chicago, and head on to Cleveland, and then we will be off to see the second set of grandkids.

Days till we see Toby & Beruria: 4
Days till we see Paige and Ashley: 20

Day 15 -- Wildcat, Bruin, Husky Fever

2009-09-12T01:27:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that Gail lives right next to the Northwestern University football stadium? With a view of the practice field from the bedroom? We were awakened at 7 AM by about 15 area high school bands practicing loudly for the half-time show. It really was fun for a while. Apparently they had all practiced separately for a medley of Michael Jackson songs, and now it was time for them to put it all together. It took a while until they were all able to start & finish at the same time.

Later, we went to “Wildcat Alley” on the practice field which is a pre-game party, complete with Beer Garden, and open to the public. In spite of the Beer Garden, there were lots of young families, and I was told that Northwestern Games are a family affair. This seems to be quite a departure from UW Games. Also surprising was the lack of traffic as we were driving away right before game time. I was trying to imagine what the roads near Husky Stadium would be like on a Game-Day!

We went to Brian & Amy’s for the rest of the day. Carl went with everyone else (including Lucy) to the German Fest down the street from their condo, and I had some time to myself for the first time since we left. As part of the Fest, there was a parade down Lincoln Avenue with yet more bands.

We had a very quiet Saturday night, having dinner at a Mexican restaurant, and then watching college football. We were delighted that our alma mater, UCLA managed to hold off Tennessee, but then watched the USC-Ohio State game, and were sick at the outcome. We saw that the good old UW finally won a game for the first time since 2007. Go, Huskies.

Days till we see Toby & Beruria: 5
Days till we see Paige and Ashley: 21

Day 14 -- Relaxing in the Windy City

2009-09-11T12:29:00.000-07:00

We had such a relaxing day. We slept in, and it was really nice to have nothing to do. And NO WHERE TO DRIVE!! We went for a long walk along Lake Michigan, with Gail, and walked by the Baha’i Center, which is an incredible edifice! Then we went for a drive with Gail & her significant other, Jim Gordon. We drove north up to the town of Lake Forest, and saw some gorgeous homes right on the lake. Unfortunately, we didn’t have our camera to give evidence of the spectacular 10 million $$ homes.

In the evening, it was yet another dining splurge. We went to a tapas restaurant in a Strip Mall near Gail’s condo, and between the three of us, ate about 10 different things, including dessert.

I’m pretty sure that we are not going to get to Downtown Chicago on this trip, but there is so much pleasure in being with my old friend, and with seeing my granddaughter, that I don’t care.

No sightings of license plates. I am dropping this stat until further notice.
Days till we see Toby & Beruria: 6
Days till we see Paige and Ashley: 22

[ed note --I know I said Days 14 & 15, aka Sept 11 & 12, would be combined, but hey -- an editor's perogative is to edit, aka change.]

Day 13 -- Lincoln, diners, and babies (well, one baby)

2009-09-10T22:52:00.000-07:00

We are in Chicago! We arrived about 5:00 after driving from Springfield. Springfield was the home of Abraham Lincoln, and there is a wonderful Lincoln museum in the city. Very informative exhibits, and a realistic depiction of the devastation of the Civil War. It was interesting that Lincoln was apparently loved or hated. The political cartoons of the day were scathing. We also went to Lincoln’s tomb, a great big obelisk in the middle of an ordinary Springfield cemetery. There was a funeral going on, and it struck me that it would be really cool to be buried in the same place as Lincoln. [ed note: I'm sure that can be arranged...]

Also of note, as usual, was the food we ate. That book of “500 Things to Eat” has really come in handy. Springfield is the home of something called the “Horseshoe", which is bread topped with scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, cheese and a huge mound of hash-browns. A sort of “cholesterol on a plate." [ed note: perhaps what really killed Lincoln?] We had read about it, and had to have it, so went to a diner listed in the book. It was great. We could have had gravy, but decided to forego that! One order was enough for both of us.

Now, here we are in Chicago with Brian & Amy and baby Lucy. What a joy she is, and very active. She is only 4 months old, and doesn’t like to “sit” on your lap, she likes to try to stand! She is a happy baby, and her smiles are delightful!

We are staying with a very dear friend from my college days, Gail Weisberg, who lives in Evanston. Gail stayed with us for a week in Seattle last year, and I’m glad for the chance to see her again.

We will be in Chicago until Monday the 14th, and it’s nice to be able to stay somewhere for a while.

No new license plates seen.
Days till we see Toby & Beruria: 7
Days till we see Paige and Ashley: 23

Intermission, continued

2009-09-10T01:10:00.000-07:00

Good ol' Ed here again. Looks like I was a bit overly ambitious with my timing - and the update for Thursday September 10 will be done Saturday morning GMT, so available for your reading pleasure Saturday 12th. But to keep things in order, I'll date it 10 September anyway -- the magic of blogging revisionist history. And then updates for the 11th and 12th will be up on the 13th. And if 1 train leaves Chicago at 50mph, and the other leaves White Plains at 55mph, when will they cross paths?

Still following?

Good. See you tomorrow...

Intermission

2009-09-10T00:59:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately due a computer saga far too complicated to recount, the publication of "Day 13 -- My Kinda Town" will be delayed. We hope to have it up by the end of Friday, London time, and then be back on schedule (that's pronounced shed-yoooool, doncha know) from tomorrow.

Thanks for your patience...

Day 12 -- Ol' Man River

2009-09-09T00:45:00.000-07:00

We spent the morning at the Truman Library. Very interesting and informative. Truman was the president when I was born, and was one of my mother (the political junkie)’s favorite presidents, so I spent a lot of time looking at the exhibits of the details of his life. He was so decisive about so many things: the bombing of Japan, recognizing Israel, standing up to McCarthy, integrating the military. And, he truly believed “The Buck Stops Here.”

When he left office, his popularity was really down, but a recent poll of historians calls him the 5th best president, ahead of Jefferson. After he left the white house, he lived only half a mile from the library, and worked there every day. I was reluctant to leave, but we did have to move on!

We drove on to Springfield. On the way, we stopped in the town of Hamilton, Mo. (population 1813), to find a place for lunch, and again had really good luck with a local diner, with so-so food, but friendly people. Hamilton turned out to be the birthplace of JC Penney, and although we didn’t stop at it, we did see the JC Penney museum. [ed note: oddly enough, there also appears to be a JC Penney Museum in Plano, TX -- how much history does this department store have? And considering JC Penney's first store was in Kemmerer, WY... but I digress.] Everything in the town is named after him, including the Penney Mall and Penney High School.

We also stopped in Hannibal, Mo., right on the Mississippi. It is the hometown of Mark Twain, and the setting for Tom Sawyer, and 'America's Hometown', according to, well, them. I was more interested in the actual historical things, like the Mark Twain boyhood home, than the fake things like the Becky Thatcher House. We were too late to get into any of the homes, but we did stroll down to the Mississippi and take some photos.

So, we are in the state capital of Springfield, just waiting to go to Chicago tomorrow.

One thing we have noticed is that EVERY highway is undergoing road work. There are long stretches of the interstates & other highways that are down to one lane each way. It can’t be a coincidence, so we are glad to see that the states are using their stimulus money.

New Out of State License Plates: Georgia (7 left)
Day when we see Lucy: TOMORROW!!
Days till we see Toby & Beruria: 8
Days till we see Paige and Ashley (sigh, I give in) : 24

Day 11 -- KC Pit Stop

2009-09-08T00:49:00.000-07:00

Today has been a very relaxing day, because we haven’t done any traveling, just hung out in KC. We actually exercised this morning in the hotel’s exercise roon, and I learned how out of shape I am from a week on the road.

We then went to the “Museums at 18th & Vine.” That is the former hub of the African-American community of Kansas City, and the home of the American Museum of Jazz and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, both fascinating. Apparently, Kansas City is important in the history of jazz, and this museun highlights the jazz greats who either grew up in the city (Charlie Parker), or ones who came through on their way to fame & fortune (Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald.). There were exhibits on the different facets of jazz (melody, harmony, rhythm), none of which I understood, or had fully appreciated. We had to share the museum with a 4th grade field trip. I guess summer’s really over!
Kansas City is famous for its barbecue, and we went to lunch at a KC institution, Arthur Bryants. We feasted on ribs, BBQ beef, and the best baked beans we’ve ever tasted. Although there seemed to be a lot of tourists, there were many locals also, and it seemed really genuine. This road-trip is really proving to be not so healthy!

We then went to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. This documents the period before blacks were welcome in the major leagues, so were forced to form their own teams & leagues. The leagues died in about 1950, a casualty of (at last), integration in the majors, thanks to Jackie Robinson. Many major stars, such as Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Ernie Banks got their starts in these leagues, and the major team was the Kansas City Monarchs. The tragedy was the GREAT players who never got to play in the majors such as Josh Gibson, who hit 800 home runs,, and died at 35. As a baseball fan, and a lover of history, it was very interesting for me.

One of the things on our life to-do lists is to visit every major league ball park. Tonight took a step towards that goal by going to Kauffman stadium to see the Royals play the Tigers. We rooted for the Royals, and they won! It is a beautiful ballpark, recently renovated and very cozy. The Royals aren’t a very good team, so this late in the season is was easy to get great seats at very little cost. We ate ballpark food (hot dogs). This is a disaster for diets!

Tomorrow, we are going to the Truman Library, and then off to Springfield, Ill. Chicago and Lucy are getting closer!

Out of State License Plates Yet to be Seen (easier): 8 -- Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Vermont - None seen today
Days till we see Lucy: 2
Days till we see Toby & Beruria: 9
Days till we see Paige and our amazing English son-in-law* : 25

*[ed note -- let's just say this addition was not my idea... however there was a strong suggestion that if this edit were not made, Paige may not get on the plane to Boston in 25 days...]

Day 10 -- Goin' to Kansas City

2009-09-07T00:45:00.000-07:00

Today was just a driving day. Not a lot of sight-seeing on I-29 between Sioux Falls and Kansas City.

However, we had brought along a book “500 Things to Eat Before It’s Too Late,” written by two NPR contributors, which indicated that some of the best catfish in America is at a place called the Surfside Club outside Omaha on the Missouri River. Carl loves catfish so we GPS’d our way there along a dirt road off the interstate.

As we drove up, we saw signs about dress codes, and since it was called the Surfside CLUB, we worried that it was a sort of boating club where we wouldn’t be appropriately dressed. That turned out to have been a joke, because the building was basically a shack with picnic tables for those who chose to eat outside.

The menu was on the written on a wall: catfish dinner, or chicken dinner, both served with cole-slaw, fries and corn fritters, all deep fried. If you know me at all, you know it’s been a long time since I had anything deep fried. I had chicken and it was delicious and worth all those other lunches of salads. It turned out that at the table next to us was an Omaha family where the Dad in the group had lived in Bremerton & Gig Harbor. What are the odds? The server was very friendly, and at the end of the meal she showed us the tradition of throwing our leftover corn fritters into the Missouri, and watching the carp come up to the surface to grab them. Of course, she took us outside before we paid the bill, and we started to walk away. The friendly owner intercepted us, in a friendly manner, of course, and we apologetically paid up. Pretty much everyone in there was local, and I feel so sorry for people who rush through the county eating at Applebees & Dennys. It was an experience I wouldn’t have missed for anything!

The terrain has completely changed from Plains to farms and rolling hiss [ed note -- I think she means 'hills', but 'hiss' is also a possibility, with the wind through the cornfields]. Lots & lots of corn!

So, here we are in Kansas City, basically the biggest city since Portland. We are resting here for a day, and doing some sightseeing in KC tomorrow. We are divided between seeing the Truman Presidential Library and the Museum of Jazz. [ed note -- I think you'll find this is called the American Jazz Museum... and gets my vote - not that I have one!]

New Out of State License Plates seen: Massachusetts (no National Parks to check out the parking lots)
Days till we see Lucy: 3
Days till we see Toby & Beruria: 10
Days till we see Paige : 26

Day 9 -- Cheese-tastic (with a Bit of Park Beauty on the Side)

2009-09-06T22:34:00.000-07:00

It’s a good thing we went to Mt. Rushmore yesterday. Today turned into another long day, with lots done. We started out going to Wall Drug, which is an amazing place, and worth the stop. It is the absolute height of Carl bought a poster. It was at that point that I realized I had lost my most-used credit card, which kind of put a damper on the day, but at least we are not liable, according to B of A.

Then, we went on to a short loop around Badlands National Park. Last year we bought a senior pass for $10, which gets us into any national park for the rest of our life. We are getting our money’s worth, and it’s one of the benefits of aging. I had not been aware of this park, but Carl really wanted to go, and it was so worth it. The ground has been eroded away over many millions of years, and result in canyons & crags. Carl compares it to Bryce Canyon, another place I’ve never been. It is also home to many dinosaur fossils. It was a magnificent drive.

From the magnificent to the super-cheesy (or should I say corny) Corn Palace in Mitchell., SD This place has to be seen to be believed. It is a huge “palace” for concerts & college basketball, and the outside is decorated with murals made of corn & wheat, literally. Thousands and thousands of corn cobs in yellow, red & orange decorate this thing, and the murals are changed every year. This year one of the murals is the Space Needle, so I felt like home.

The Great Plains are truly Great, but tomorrow we are leaving for some actual Midwestern cities. We are staying tonight in Sioux Falls, SD, and it is the biggest city we’ve been in since Reno. Tomorrow we are going through Omaha on our way to Kansas City. Is it back to civilization, or back to harsh reality? I can see how there is a huge disconnect between rural America and the “mainstream” America as seen on TV.

New Out of State License Plates seen: Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky. Rhode Island, Ontario, Quebec
Days till we see Lucy: 4
Days till we see Toby & Beruria: 11
Days till we see Paige : 27

Day 8 -- Hitting the Dakotas

2009-09-05T00:46:00.000-07:00

What I learned today:

Do not EVER call a motel 2 miles from Mt Rushmore on the Saturday before Labor Day and expect to get a room,. Recession or no, that was a dumb move on my part, and why I am writing this from Wall, SD, and not Keystone or Rapid City.
Do not ever go to a Mexican restaurant in South Dakota. How do you ruin a Margarita? And, how do you make fajitas & enchiladas that are totally bland? Just go to a place with no Hispanic presence!
If you go to Mt. Rushmore, make reservations way ahead (as mentioned in #1), and go at night when they have the lighting ceremony. There really isn’t much to do except look at the mountain (very impressive, much better than photos), so you might as well go at twilight. If you go at 6 PM, it seems silly to hang around for two hours, so we didn’t.
This is a magnificent, diverse country. We have seen so many different types of scenery! Eastern MT, and ND & SD are beautiful, and you see where the term “Great Plains” comes from. Not as flat as I had expected, but you can see forever. It is very arable, so different from the desert and the mountains. I feel unbelievably lucky to be making this road-trip.

We did achieve two milestones. Carl and I have been on a mission to get to every state. I had never been to North Dakota, and he had never been to SD. We left Miles City, and headed straight for Bowman ND, and arrived there at lunch time. Our rule is you have to actually eat in a state to count it, and we had a delightful lunch in a local diner. Just comfort food, BLT and grilled cheese sandwiches. We talked to a couple –Roy & Lois, who’d lived there all their lives (about 60 years), and they said that they couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. A real slice of Americana.

Then we headed down to the South part of the Dakotas. We went to Deadwood, at the north end of the Black Hills, which is a restored town dedicated totally to tourism & gambling. The main street was like out of the old west, except with casinos and t-shirt shops everywhere. We did find a sports bar owned by Kevin Costner who made Dances with Wolves nearby. It was the only place to have a snack that wasn’t part of a casino.

Then began our big adventure to find a place to stay, in anticipation of visiting Mt. Rushmore tomorrow. Every place we called was full,. We sat in a parking lot in Rapid City and called just about every place in the AAA book, to no avail. I almost had the feeling the people we spoke to were laughing at us for even trying. We tried Rapid City, Keystone, Custer, & Spearfish with no luck. At that point, we decided to visit Mt. Rushmore today, and then travel on to Wall, about 50 miles down the road. Thank goodness Mt. Rushmore is open until 9 through September. Wall is famous for Wall Drug, which evolved from a place to get a drink of water on the Plains to a huge tourist joint. Supposedly there are billboards advertising it for many miles down the highway, but we couldn’t see them in the dark.[ed note: these signs do exist; your editor saw them when she made this trip in the opposite direction] We are going there tomorrow, and I’m looking forward it. Our plans tomorrow are just to go as far as possible in SD, but make it an easy day.

New Out of State License Plates seen: Indiana, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, Alberta
Days till we see Lucy: 5
Days till we see Toby & Beruria: 12
Days till we see Paige: 28

Day 7 -- Rollercoasters and Red Lodge

2009-09-04T22:34:00.000-07:00

If you could find Rexburg, Idaho yesterday, you can probably find Miles City, Montana, which is where we find ourselves, after a long day!

We decided last night that we could cut off some miles, and do some sightseeing if we cut through Yellowstone National Park instead of going around it. Our plan was to go from the West entrance directly to the NE exit, and stay on the north end of the Park. Once we were in the park, we learned that the road we were going to take was closed, so we had to go around, and it ended up taking 4 hours! It really was fantastic scenery, very mountainous and green. We were stopped a couple of time by buffalo crossing the road.

We then headed up to I-94 via Montana Route 212. This is called the Beartooth Highway, and believe me Roller Coaster Highway would be a better description. I don’t understand how someone who hates roller coasters, like Carl, can be in 7th heaven on a road like this, and someone like me who loves them was white-knuckle all the way. The road wound through Beartooth Pass, which was 11,000 feet, and then back down. In some parts it was not paved. The scenery was BEAUTIFUL, as we wound back and forth between Wyoming & Montana, but very scary. Hard for me to look down.

Once we finished with the theme park part of the ride, we traveled on 212 towards I-94 via the town of Red Lodge. This had special nostalgia for Carl, because in 1966 his beautiful 1953 Jaguar was wrecked by an older (70ish) woman driving without a license. He wasn't badly hurt, but had to spend a week sorting things out, so he remembers Red Lodge very well.

We had decided to stay in Forsyth, Montana , about 100 miles east of Billings, and called ahead to book something that looked promising. When we got out of the car, we took one look at the place and cancelled our reservation. I’m not sure what was worse-the condition of the motel, or the two good-ol'-boys sitting outside, but we decided that going 45 more miles to Miles City was the wiser choice. So, here we sit in the Holiday Inn Express, and lo and behold, the Mariners are on TV here (and winning as I write this).

Tomorrow we are off to the Dakotas, both North & South.

New Out of State License Plates seen: Iowa, Kansas, Manitoba, Florida
Days till we see Lucy: 6
Days till we see Toby & Beruria: 13
Days till we see Paige : 29

Day 6 -- Sin to salvation

2009-09-03T00:49:00.000-07:00

Happy 9th anniversary to Brian & Amy.

What a difference between Nevada and Idaho. Nevada is really barren, and once we got far enough into Idaho, it was very green, nothing like I was expecting; Twin Falls, where we stopped for lunch is one of the most prolific farming areas in the country. Lots more than just potatoes. Before we left Nevada, we took some photos in the booming metropolis of Jackpot, which exists to support casinos.

Carl actually let me drive today, and managed not to back-seat drive too much. I guess I was driving fast enough for him. I went all the way from Twin Falls to Idaho Falls. We actually did some sight-seeing in Idaho Falls. The Falls (which are on the Snake River)themselves are right in the center of town, and there is a lovely Riverside park, with a walking path. Carl climbed halfway down to the river on some very unsteady rocks to get photos. I was too nervous to watch, figuring any minute he would fall the rest of the way, which would really spoil the Vermont adventure. As you can see from the photo below, he survived (phew), and I took this photo to prove Carl has actually been on this trip.
Since we got an early enough start we were able to go all the way to the town of Rexburg, 25 miles past Idaho Falls. There is a very large Mormon presence in Idaho, and there is a branch of BYU in Rexburg. Idaho Falls had a large Mormon Temple (in the back of the photo above), and a smaller LDS church.

We modified our plans for tomorrow, and are going to drive through a part of Yellowstone Park on our way to somewhere, Montana. We are getting to at least Billings.

New Out of State License Plates seen: Montana, Illinois, Utah, North Carolina, Colorado, Nebraska,
Days till we see Lucy: 7
Days till we see Toby & Beruria: 14
Days till we see Paige : 30

Day 5 -- Farewell California

2009-09-02T00:54:00.000-07:00

Today was really a bittersweet day. We said goodbye to Uncle John & Aunt Roberta, and hope to see them again, but who knows? Northern California is pretty far from Vermont.

We drove from Yuba City, CA to Elko, Nevada. It was the most dreary scenery I’ve seen in a long time. A lot of tumbleweed, and barren hills, and the drive was endless. Nevada does have a 75 MPH speed limit, which Carl loved, and took as permission to drive 85. The drive was so hypnotic I started falling asleep, so Carl wouldn’t let me drive, but I think the real reason was that he knew I wouldn’t drive fast enough!

Other than that, not too much to report. I did express wonder that anyone ever moved to this part of the country, and cities like Elko and Winnemucca sprang up.

After dinner, I couldn’t resist the casino at the Red Lion, and managed to play black-jack for 20 minutes and made 8 dollars with a stake of only $40.

Tomorrow we’re headed to Idaho Falls, but if we get an early enough start (ha), we might go farther.

New Out of State License Plates seen: Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Minnesota, Michigan, Idaho, New Mexico, Virginia
Days till we see Lucy: 8
Days till we see Toby & Beruria :15
Days till we see Paige : 31

Day 4 -- Relaxing with Family

2009-09-01T00:53:00.000-07:00

A very relaxing day. Uncle John & Aunt Roberta planned a family barbecue, and we spent the day with Carl's cousins Steve & Bonny Long, his brother John & John’s kids Amy, Kim, Tim and Susan (Tim’s girlfriend) & Kim’s adorable children Jane & Quinn.

It reminded me of the importance of family, and the reason we are doing this whole Vermont thing. Jane is the same age as Beruria, and we had fun having a tea party. I asked her to visit us in Vermont, and play with her cousin, and she assured me she would. We also enlisted Steve & John to help us finish the attic in our new house, in exchange for free room & board. I hadn’t spent a lot of time with Bonny in quite a while, and remembered why I like her so much. The food was great, and of course I ate too much. So far, in spite of our best resolution to do “planks” and “crunches” every day, we have done them exactly zero times. We did walk for about 35 minutes this morning.

We weren’t in the car, so we didn’t see any license plates. A word about that: the rule is for a plate to be “out of state” it can’t be from where we currently are. Therefore, for example, once we entered California, a CA plate is no longer out-of-state. Our goal is to see all 50, although I will be very surprised if we see one from Hawaii!

It is very frustrating to have no internet service. Uncle John only has one computer, so there is no need for him to have a network. People are getting too savvy, and all the available networks are password protected, so we are out of luck with this computer. We can use John’s to get on the net, but can’t get this document or photos out to anyone.

Tomorrow we are headed for the metropolis of Elko, Nevada. The Holiday Inn there has free internet, and we will be sure to use it, and get this newsletter out. I’m sure you are all waiting with bated breath!

New Out of State Licence Plates seen: big fat 0, as noted...
Days till we see Lucy: 9
Days till we see Toby & Beruria :16
Days till we see Paige : 32

Day 3 -- Miles and miles of I-5

2009-08-31T00:53:00.000-07:00

Today was our longest day, 530 miles. We left Portland at about 9, right on time, and drove to Yuba City, California, to spend two nights with Carl’s favorite Uncle John,, and Aunt Roberta. The drive went fairly smoothly, and, thanks to GPS, we found our way to their home easily.

Even stopping for lunch, (and even with me driving for two hours) we were there by 6:30. The weather was REALLY hot, typical central California, but their home is lovely (and air-conditioned), and we had a nice dinner. John is only 14 years older than Carl, and lived with his (John’s) parents during Carl’s early years, so they are very close. We hadn’t seen them in a few years, but they the time melted away as they told hysterical stories about the 50’s. When Carl was little, his grandmother owned a house in the hills in Elsinore, CA, and all the cousins & siblings pulled all kinds of mischief there. I’ve heard the stories many times, but I never get tired of hearing them. And, there were actually some new stories this time, especially about Carl’s grandparents.

The beauty of travel in 2009 is that we are able to get phone calls while we are driving. Had a nice talk with Janelle, and one with Kara. Keep the calls coming, especially to Carl’s phone, and then we can both talk on the hands free.

New Out of State (and Country) License Plates seen: Alaska(!), Washington DC, California, British Columbia, Nevada, Texas
Days till we see Lucy: 10
Days till we see Toby & Beruria :17
Days till we see Paige (well, that’s after we get to Vermont) : 33

Day 2 -- Wining and Dining in Portland

2009-08-30T01:46:00.000-07:00

Today we went with the Rogges to their country club for a great breakfast, and then it was off to the Willamette Valley wineries for some wine-tasting. I had no idea there were so many places to tastes wine in the SW part of the Portland area. Carl had a great time, and was very impressed. One of the wineries had a great art gallery, with the owner's paintings and photos. The artwork was the high point of the day for me.

We finished the day with a GREAT dinner at the Urban Farmer, a restaurant in the Nines Hotel, in downtown Portland. Portland is a beautiful city, and I have always liked it. The weather was wonderful too -- Low 80s. It was a terrific day.

Tomorrow: California.

New Out of State Licence Plates seen: Arizona, Wisconsin, Missouri, New York
Days till we see Lucy: 11
Days till we see Toby & Beruria: 18
Days till we see Paige (well, that's after we get to Vermont): 34

Day 1 -- Beginnings

2009-08-29T01:26:00.000-07:00

Today was the start of our big adventure. It didn’t start out too well. Our plan was to leave at 10 AM.

When I awoke at 6, to find Carl starting to pack, it occurred to me that we were right on the mark, since I (mistakenly) thought that that was all that had to be done. As I went about cleaning the apartment for the walk-through with the landlord at 8:30, I was so excited that things were going as planned. Then, Murphy’s Law took over. I looked in the closet, and there was a suitcase, stuffed with sweaters that was supposed to be on the moving van. Carl had thought it was my suitcase for the trip, and had put it in the closet so the movers WOULDN’T take it. We were worried enough about having room in the car, and now there was one more thing to take.

The landlord showed up right on time at 8:30, and we passed with flying colors. It was now 9 AM. Carl decided we should go to Glo’s, a diner a couple of blocks away that has wonderful breakfasts (and The Breakfast Blog appears to agree with us). When we finished there, it was already 10:30, but we were still OK. However, we then had to go to the post office to mail yet another (heavy) box that we realized the movers hadn’t taken. That mistake cost $36. Suffice it to say that by the time we packed the car (with the extra suitcase), and were ready to leave it was noon. (OK, two hours late) . As we were backing out of the driveway, Carl remembered that somehow we had not taken any of our cameras out of one closet. The problem was, we had left our keys in the apartment, and locked the door, thinking we were done. We called the landlord, and found out he was in Everett, an hour away. I guess we sounded desperate, because he told us where there was a master key hidden. We were able to retrieve our stuff, and FINALLY were on the road at 12:30. We had to go to my gallery to say goodbye, and then to the Goodwill to drop off some final donations. On the freeway, we heard the dreadful news: “I-5 South in Tacoma is stopped from Port of Tacoma Road to Highway 18, due to a car fire.” Fortunately, Carl knew an alternate route, and we stopped in Tacoma to say goodbye to Roy (Carl’s brother-in-law). By the time we got on the road from Tacoma, it was 3:00!!!

We did arrive in Portland about 6, and had a great visit with Kristin, Carl’s niece and her partner, Suzanne and then it was off to West Linn, where we are staying with the Rogges (Brian’s in-laws). Their home is so lovely, and we had a great dinner, and the day ended happily. So far, in my mind, we are just on a weekend trip to Portland. The finality of this move still hasn’t clicked in.

Out of State Licence Plates seen: Oregon (in Washington), Washington (in Oregon)
Days until we see Lucy: 12
Days until we see Toby & Beruria: 19
Days until we see Paige (well, that's after we get to Vermont): 35