Final Chapter of Tales from the Trail

Well I guess I left everyone who has been keeping up with this blog hanging there at the end. Sort of quit blogging about the time we got to Kansas. What's to say about Kansas. "Oh Look! Another corn field" Well after all the mountains we crossed on this trip (and you all know how I hate mountain driving) Kansas with its flat boring landscape was a welcome relief. Caught up on my napping crossing Kansas. Hadn't really planned to cross Kansas. We were going to go across Nebraska but due to flooding on the Missouri River Hwy 29 was closed at Joplin so we had to reroute. Anyway we visited Lee's brother-in-law in Holt MO and his brother and wife came from IL to visit with us also again. From there we went down to contribute to Mississippi economy in Biloxi then over to Panama City to visit Niki and her family (my Granddaughter) Then on to home last Monday. We have been home one week now and just getting caught up on our rest. Never thought I would want to leave home again after that trip but guess what folks. I am already looking and planning for future trips. Oh well go figure. So ends another one of our road trips and a wonderful time we had and a lot we saw and fantastic people we met along the way. So until our next trip everyone just keep on keeping on at whatever you are doing.

Tales From the Trail - Day 57

Salt Lake City and all that it implies!

What an incredible day this has been! It started out bright and early this morning when we gussied up and got ready to go hear the choir. We had breakfast at this hotel where we are staying. (oh I will add a brief addendum to yesterdays tale at the end of this day about this hotel) We had a good hot breakfast. Well it was good but it wasn't really hot but it was free so what can I say? We then headed out for the convention where the Mormon Tabernacle Choir broadcast their program live every Sunday. And wasn't it great that we got here on a Sat so we could hear the choir on Sunday morning. Just worked out that way. The choir was magnificent!
The spokesman told everyone to hold our applause until the end and surprisingly enough everyone did just that. But you just wanted to break into a round of applause every time they finished a song. After the concert we walked around temple square took pictures and chatted with the missionaries that were just everywhere. We asked a lot of questions and they answered all of them. We were curious about them and how they lived in general. They all seemed to be mostly young women but Lee seemed to think there were some young men also. They were from all over the world. The two we talked to the most were from Illinois and Australia. We wondered how long their missionary duties lasted and how they lived. They said they would save to come here and live. When they get here they would give their money to the Church, the Church would then find them living quarters and pay them a monthly allowance. They would stay for 18 months. Sounds like a good opportunity for a young person to see some of the world and work at something they believe in. They of course asked us questions like for example what church we attended and did we want to contact us when we get home. They were not at all pushy with their proselytizing though just trying to gather in all they could into their fold. We enjoyed our chat with them.

Well after we left the Temple Square we headed back to the hotel to change into SHORTS. YES THAT IS WHAT I SAID. SHORTS! We had moved our warm weather clothes to the back or our cloths rack in the car and have been dressing in jeans and sweaters since Atlanta. So properly dressed for the weather we headed out to Antelope Island which is the state park and where we could see the lake. Well we got there and drove around the island which is accessed by a long causeway. The causeway was full of birds. Just hundreds of them. We went inland and to the visitors center. Saw a few movies and then headed out to see the bison. They have a heard of between 500 and 700 depending on the season. Once the calves are born the heard of course increases. They have a big round up and test the animals for their health, then they sell them off to various places. Like other parks who want to increase their herds, private individuals who want to raise bison etc. We learned that while we call them buffalo and also bison, buffalo is technically incorrect. That would be their African cousins the Cape Buffalo and also the Water Buffalo. So they are really Bison. They also have Pronged Antelope and Big Horned Sheep. We didn't see antelope or sheep but we did indeed see the bison. They were all over the place and a very large herd. Back and for the across the road and right in front of us. I took some still Pict's and also some movies. I will attempt to put them on here and also face book. Don't know if I will be successful. Anyway a great day. We topped off by having a cheap dinner at Wendy's. Good Day

OK the room. We had booked the is room using our rewards points. The room was at a discount price of $79.00. We had enough points we got 2 nights and had to pay a difference of $37 dollars. Not bad. Well we got to the hotel and the power was off. They couldn't do anything for us. Couldn't find any record of our reservation and were very sorry but their was nothing they could do. So I showed them my confirmation number on my cell phone and they were still sorry. I said well I know it is not your fault but I have a booked and paid reservation ($37 ha ha ha) so where does this leave me? Well they were pretty flustered doing business by lantern light, people walking out when they found there was no electricity and people who were already here calling to complain. Guess the prospect of having an hysterical old lady in their lobby they started a manual search for a room for us. Well they found one and what a room it is. I am 100% sure this was not the room we were scheduled to get. First of all they said they didn't think there was anything on the first floor and I said well I am sorry I told them at Hotel.com I had to have a ground floor or an elevator. I have a bad heart and can not climb stairs. Well they found this room for us and it is a beaut. Jacuzzi, Micro, small fridge and a separate sitting area. Oh well we are in now so guess its ours.

That is all for this now. Tomorrow we continue heading East.

Happy Trails see you soon.

Tales From the Trail - Day 56

Driving from Pendelton OR to Salt Lake City July 9, 2011

Another long long day of driving but at least we had good roads. We left Pendelton OR at about 7:00 AM driving through some interesting landscape. We had long stretches of flat country (a welcome relief for me as I am tired of mountains) then some mountain areas but nothing like we have been driving through. These mountains looked to be very old and worn down. They were very rounded off and not high at all. Some of them didn't even have trees on them save for a scattered spruce here and there. Many of them were covered with a yellow vegetation but not flowers, some sort of a grass. At one point in our travels we saw Mt. St Helen and Mt. Rainier off in the distance. Both very impressive white snow covered peaks. We had good roads all of the way and in Idaho we took a scenic bypass and saw some fossil fields and some pretty waterfalls. Never found the old historic bridge we were looking for but consoled ourselves with a milkshake. Not a good idea for me with my unsettled tummy problems I have been having. Be real glad when that is all behind me. The speed limit in Idaho was 75 and then you cross the border to Utah where it dropped to 65. Boy ya gotta be ready for that one. Jill (the GPS) was flashing red at Lee to slow down. Well better Jill than the man with the blue. At some time yesterday we got tired of Jill's voice, fired her and hired Jack. He is just as annoying as Jill so guess we are just stuck with annoying. So that is all for Saturday, it is now Sunday morning and we are off to hear the Mormon Tabernacle choir sing this morning.

Happy trails to all and will see you real soon

Tales From the Trail - Day 50 to Day 55

July 3 to July 8

Well golly gosh gee whiz. It has been a long time between postings and lots has happened. I won't even begin to put things in chronologically order I will just randomly post as I thing of stuff. Lets see I left off where we had gotten to Skagway a day late but still managed to catch the next ferry to Juneau. That being done we got to Juneau and of course being southeast Alaska it was raining and it continued to rain until we were almost to Bellingham Washington. I honestly don't know how people live in that dismal dreary climate. Sure its beautiful but when you are in your 70's (if you have good sense) you don't want to be out running around in the cold and wet weather. So between the bad roads in northern Alaska and the miserable weather in South East Alaska we decided somewhere along the way we are just dyed in the wool "Florida Crackers" and will just stay that way. So Juneau, what we did in Juneau. Lets see! We got our car washed and a lousy job it was, we washed our cloths and some other woman had the dryer tied up for ever so we went to Auk bay buy the Ferry terminal and found a laundromat and dried them there. On the 3th we were going to go watch fireworks but they were at midnight and of course it was raining so we went to bed pulled up the covers and went to bed. Getting a little tired of sleeping in the daylight. The midnight sun was a novelty but kinda over it now. On the 4th we drove over to Douglas Island to see what was going on. Nothing was. Apparently it all happned on the 3rd. There was a parade happening in Juneau so couldn't get in there so went back toward the Ferry landing and went "Out the road which is a 40 mile run to the end of the road and the people who live there call it "out the road" It was a beautiful ride then we turned around and came home. Also forgot to mention we went to see Mendenhal Glacier. It is magnificent. It is just so big it is unbelievable. After 5:00 when the parade was over we went back into Juneau and went to the Red Dog Saloon. It is a pretty neat pub, bar, don't know what it is classified but it is cool. Drank about 1/4 of a beer and had some potato skins and listened to live music. On the night of the 4th we went to bed early early early. CAN'T and I repeat CAN'T miss that Ferry. Cabins all booked up on the next one out which is not until the 12th. So up early and in line an hour early but we got on that ferry and got our cabin. I was quite surprised by the boat. I surly didn't expect a cruise ship I figured it would be way down on the list of luxury boats but it was surprisingly not TOO bad. The cabin was small and vry spartan. Bunk beds yuk! Lee took the top being the gentleman that he is. The food was not too bad. Have had worse. Had better too but it was edible and not too price and huge helpings so we split our entrees and bought a side of soup. So we spent the days sitting in the lounge looking for whales bears etc. A bear was spotted with her two cubs but of course I missed them. I did get a really good whale tale and some lighthouses. Big cause for excitement last night just before we went to bed. Number 1 there was a sunset. Hadn't seen a sunset for a while. Then number 2 just before I went to bed I looked out the window and it was actually dark and lo and behold there was a moon. Hadn't seen a moon or dark since somewhere in Northern Canada. Woo Hoo we are getting back to the normal way of things.

Tires hit the pavement in Bellingham Washington (the lower 48 folks) at 8:30 this morning. We drove down to Seattle went up in the Space Needle, decided not to have dinner there for a number of reasons. One being you have to book a week in advance and 2 we want to head home. Then after viewing Seattle and being devastated by finding out there is no such hospital as Seattle Grace. But then with the wacky Doctors they have who would want to go there? Oh well out of Washington state and into Oregon. We have stopped the night in Pendelton and will get up early tomorrwo and try to make it to Salt Lake City. That is about all. Can't thing of anything else I may have missed.

Take care and Happy Trails

See you all real soon now

Tales From the Trail - Day 48 & 49

July 1 - Day 48

Tok to Skagway

Well folks here is where JJJ (Jeannie's Jolly Jaunts) takes a little blurp. Well not really a little blurp a pretty big one. It all started early in the morning of July 1. Now remember this date as it becomes ssignificant as the story unravels. As stated in the previous blog "we got a long haul today." We are expecting to be driving at least 10 hours according to good old Jill and usually the way we stop and piddle around on the way you can add 2 more hours to that. Well Lee was supposed to have the gas tank filled up as we are heading for remote areas to say nothing for the fact we are going once again through "frickety fracking" Canada where I have to do all my conversions from kilometers lites etc to figure our gas mileage. So the plan is we are getting up at 4:00 am finding a place somewhere along the way to get coffee (have I mentioned anywhere along the way BC Jeannie is a veritable 'itch?) and hit the road. So I am so the alarm goes off at 4:00 after one of my "having trouble sleeping nights." Seems I have those when we have a stressful day the next day. Anyway alarm goes off, feet hit the floor and Lee says "I forgot to get gas" lets sleep for a couple of more hours." So I lay back down. FORGET IT I CAN'T SLEEP NOW. I get back up start Jill up to see where a gas station is. Good old Jill! She even furnished phone numbers. Good news is I have cell service here. I call the first number a Chevron station and get Daryl who in his welcome southern accent says "Yes Mam I am open 24 hrs a day and yes Mam I have coffee." I get Lee back up and said lets roll. We pack up and out the door to Daryl's get our gas, coffee, tea for Lee and a couple of greasy spicy egg, sausage, cheese sandwiches. Well with my delicate stomach I seem to have developed that didn't sit well. After a few bites I wrapped mine back up and put it back in the bag. We will deal with the rest of that one later. So on the road with my coffee and an unsettled tummy we try to see if we can keep on the time schedule Jill has set for us. We are traveling over some of the worst roads we have had since the TOW/TH. Remember that one from a few blogs back. We will be traveling along at 65 - 70 mph when bingo orange flags on side of road (if we are lucky. sometimes we hit the bad part with no flags) and we are all of a sudden on gravel road. Pot holes big enough to sink a full sized loaded Semi with trailer. We followed another car for a long time which was good cause he acted as a pilot car. When he would put on the brake lights or start shaking we knew trouble was ahead. Presently we came to a flag person who stopped us for one of those stops where you have to wait for a pilot car. Well Ms flag lady had a pet seagull that she was feeding. She told us the seagull comes every morning for breakfast. I gave up the rest of my sandwich and sat and watched the seagull eat every bit of it except the meat. Didn't like the meat. The pilot car came presently and led us over road that was far better than we had been traveling on with no pilot car. GO FIGURE! So back on the road again traveling faster than we should I am keeping my mouth shut. Got a long way to go. So late in the day we are closing in on Skagway. We are now going through Whitehorse and I am looking at the paperwork for the Ferry that we are supposed to catch first thing in the morning. Looks to me like we have to be at the ferry landing REAL early in the AM but it is a bit confusing as to exactly what time we must be here. One place says 3 hrs before sailing which is 7:00 am and one place it says 1 hr before sailing. We decide we better call. Damn good thing I did call. So I'm talking the the Ferry agent and he says "Well I have you for Juneau to Bellingham but Skagway to Juneau was cancelled." Well in my little snippity voice and waving my paper work around (which he can't see) I am saying OH NO NO NO. I would not have cancelled this trip. How would I get to Juneau without the ferry. "Yes Mam he says. We have you as a no show" Oh no I have my confirmation right here. We are sailing (and I look down at my paper) on Oh shoot! July 1 at 7:00 am. Lee said I did not say shoot. I think I did but he assures me no I said something else. So I start wheedling and groveling and telling him as to how as soon as my husband turns loose of the steering wheel he is going to surly kill me. So my friend Sean on the phone says well for a nominal fee we can change this one. But make sure we are not late for the next segment as we will have a long wait in Juneau cause all those ferries are sold out. So all's well that ends well for that little blurb. And good old Lee is just laughing at me. So we roll into Skagway to the Ferry terminal and get our tickets. Oh yes those folks know all about "the Lewis's" Guess word travels fast when some dumb tourist screws up. I don't know how I did that. So far everything as been working like clockwork. We have been where we were suppose to be when we were supposed to be there. With the Yellowstone exception that got us off our schedule and that wasn't due to poor planing it was rock slides road closures etc.

Border crossings! Now that is really funny. Coming into Canada we get this agent who gives us the 3rd degree. Wants to know were we are going. Said to Sakgway. Why are you going to Skagway. To catch a ferry to Juneau. How long are you staying in Skagway. One night. Now What earthly business is it of his to know how long we are staying in Sakgway. Last time I checked Skagway is in Alaska which is part of the United States we are Americans so why should he care how long we are staying there. So we get past the Canadian Border Nazi and be bopping along. Well when we come to the American Border they don't even stop us no flags no nothing. We just breeze right in. CRAZY! Oh and did I mention we got to Skagway in 9 1/2 hrs instead of 10.

July 2 - Day 49

Ferry

Not wanting to miss this boat even after Lee set an alarm clock I set another one. Well I was awake 1/2 hour before the first one went off and was up, dressed and had everything packed and ready to go before the second one went off. Lee got up and off we went to the ferry. We were second in line and was entertained by watching the woman who was moving to Anchorage and stopping by to visit her children in Juneau. Anyway I digress. We watched her wash her truck using rags and a bottle of Windex. We couldn't talk her into doing ours which was really bad again due to the Alaska highway. OH and I forgot to mention on yesterdays segment. We got two cracks on our windshield from rocks being thrown up by trucks which along with the huge dent will have to be fixed when we get home. So getting to Juneau we checked into our room and went in search of a car wash and a place to get some fruit etc to take on the ferry southbound in 3 days. I had forgotten how bad the weather is here. Don't know why anyone would want to live here. It is cloudy and rainy every day. YUK! There are supposed to be fireworks here tomorrow. How they can do fireworks when it doesn't get dark is beyond me but if we can find out what time they will happen we may go see them.

Well That's all for now.

Happy Trails and will see you all soon.