tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89078824347598719162024-02-07T00:29:46.737-08:00Becky's & Sandy's Excellent First Year of Retirement (and Beyond)Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-6198952730237242642009-04-07T14:06:00.001-07:002009-04-08T06:29:49.300-07:00Virgin Islands March 11-21, 2009We wish we could say that our trip to the Virgin Islands was fabulous and that we had a super time. We did see some great sites and had some fun times but it didn't turn out quite as planned. As with any vacation we had certain expectations about this trip. To start with, because we've been in warm, sunny Florida all winter, coming to another warm, sunny place wasn't quite as special as it should have been. And I think we would have enjoyed it more if we hadn't been "cooped up" on a saiboat.<br /><br />When we booked the TradeWinds timeshare we thought we should go a few days early and visit and snorkel the great sites at St. John's National Park on St. John, USVI. So, we booked a cabin in a campground that friends had stayed at and raved about. If we had known when we booked our flight how much this 3 day excursion was going to cost and how little new things we'd be seeing and doing we would not have done it. And even though we had never spent nights on the water we were looking forward to slowly sailing the catamaran, doing great snorkeling/scuba, windsurfing, kayaking and seeing beautiful scenery. Well, we certainly saw beautiful scenery!! And there was some great snorkeling, just not as much as in Belize. We motored more than we sailed and we rarely went slowly. The windsurfing and kayaking didn't pan out. We had been led to believe by RCI that there was a windsurfer on the boat. Instead we had to pay for one in one location only and we got there too late anyway. Sandy and I took the kayak out but the water was a little rough and there was no back support so it was not much fun. Unexpected pluses were the glass blowing, pirate show and the magician. Read on for info on those. And, of course, it was relaxing to be away from the TV, news, and cooking and fun to get to know other people. I guess we're spoiled after going to Club Meds and having great water activities and also snorkeling in Belize (Glover's Reef) which had phenomenal fish and coral.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wed, 3/11 - Fri, 3/13.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">USVI.</span> Our flight to St. Thomas and the ferry to St. John went smoothly. I took advantage of the time we had before the ferry to buy some groceries since they're a bit cheaper in St. Thomas. The island is very mountainous with narrow, winding roads. They drive on the left but the cars they use are American with the steering wheel on the left! We were glad we weren't renting a car. (We ran into people that said it was challenging!) However, it was interesting to ride in a taxi which was like a surrey with rows of seats in the open air sitting up to 12 people. We just had to hang on!<br /><br />The Maho Bay campground cabin was larger than we anticipated but just as rustic. However, I didn't anticipate a 2 burner camp stove. Not a problem. We managed. Our fridge was a big cooler that we bought a bag of ice for each day. (There was a restaurant but the prices were very expensive!) The best thing about the campground, besides being eco-friendly, was their recycling program for bottles. They have a glass-blowing program. It was so interesting to watch different glass blowers each evening. They also had some sort of offering every evening in the outdoor restaurant. Wednesday night they had contra dancing. Thursday night they showed the new version of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." We loved that movie and it was fun to see it outside. There was a beautiful view of Little Maho Bay from the restaurant. The first night we got a couple of little bites but bugs were really not a problem.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Fz1AVvWGi0KX_CevdhVaz2sRolyjHsDP2FabAO1OCir_CvPhjnsFbpLqnDGW4OPX1I42TlTGMpj26JXPK2THatN8ug626eqFPGcZqd6uYoyYONIUFYc2S3I3bnR1V8eEULOejttjF1g/s1600-h/IMG_0001-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Fz1AVvWGi0KX_CevdhVaz2sRolyjHsDP2FabAO1OCir_CvPhjnsFbpLqnDGW4OPX1I42TlTGMpj26JXPK2THatN8ug626eqFPGcZqd6uYoyYONIUFYc2S3I3bnR1V8eEULOejttjF1g/s320/IMG_0001-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322017114830940834" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQIZZSAnd9pmHkxvDsqNvSElMmrRcALd1U6BbmWuFpKY5B9diJHbKT3M2Bar04MKZqDQE-4hm5Y1_qiOcKu_XZlVgK_7dh57rVp79nH6AWfo_RnB-T-J4nU8zpeB2zNRrN72FAWDMWGw/s1600-h/IMG_0036.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQIZZSAnd9pmHkxvDsqNvSElMmrRcALd1U6BbmWuFpKY5B9diJHbKT3M2Bar04MKZqDQE-4hm5Y1_qiOcKu_XZlVgK_7dh57rVp79nH6AWfo_RnB-T-J4nU8zpeB2zNRrN72FAWDMWGw/s320/IMG_0036.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322017120036063346" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRTgnB3mk-_KcVZp8oYGrZk16TPSStLlBxmqMNtzNMdd3EXJWrtaS-6BL7PeBw_ki19wjjQkO5VTxRDso0U8cURwB4F4HNSbK6GVtYiC8rWqOJ0NauNtcpb7wnGiUnrrkkYQXCIc5QaHQ/s1600-h/IMG_0024.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRTgnB3mk-_KcVZp8oYGrZk16TPSStLlBxmqMNtzNMdd3EXJWrtaS-6BL7PeBw_ki19wjjQkO5VTxRDso0U8cURwB4F4HNSbK6GVtYiC8rWqOJ0NauNtcpb7wnGiUnrrkkYQXCIc5QaHQ/s320/IMG_0024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322017119964829314" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodSsPkrqpIL5MiPf8BRTZMj56xi9BFA-Hm68H-miZVlgM5rBZK-AYHRg69lOMKaLwfCWvxV87twvWocqssFZDWPj5jr2AA8TKm6f_gdbk2dD1Ecd06sDsrI_HnysNDCFWy9mM0HGdvpA/s1600-h/IMG_0030-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodSsPkrqpIL5MiPf8BRTZMj56xi9BFA-Hm68H-miZVlgM5rBZK-AYHRg69lOMKaLwfCWvxV87twvWocqssFZDWPj5jr2AA8TKm6f_gdbk2dD1Ecd06sDsrI_HnysNDCFWy9mM0HGdvpA/s320/IMG_0030-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322017131241144690" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Thursday we took a hike to Water Lemon Cay, a favorite snorkeling location. It was cloudy and there was quite a current so we just enjoyed the view and read. (The water was only 78 which was a bit too cold for me.) We learned from someone that to go to the underwater snorkeling trail run by the National Park at Trunk Bay you actually have to pay to go in. We were a bit surprised so opted out of that. On our hike back we stopped at Annaberg Sugar Mill Plantation ruins. It was very interesting and there were a husband and wife volunteer team that talked to us about it. We also quizzed the man about other things on the island.<br /><br />Since we were going to be going snorkeling a lot on the sailing trip we decided to spend Friday hiking. We took a hike from the north side of St. John, by way of Maria Hope trail, on the Bandit Map but not on the national park map, up to Centerline Road, and down the popular Reef Bay trail. It was quite a hike up but quite doable. The trail had good signage and explanations of things. It was mostly in the shade which was good. We saw lots of plants similar to what we had seen in Belize. The rock wall with plants growing on top was not your typical New England rock wall. We even saw termite nests in trees like in Belize. The petroglyphs done by the Taino Indians were interesting. The last thing to see near the water was an old sugarcane mill. There was some good signage to complement what we had seen at Annaberg. Then we came to the small beach and some rocks to sit on to eat lunch! There's interesting Pipe Organ cactus growing near the water all over the islands. We also saw a mongoose. On the way back we had a nice short shower (typical at this time of year). Even though the 8 mile hike was broken up it was good to get back home and rest a bit. I went off to make plans for which ferry to take to get us over to Tortola for the sailing trip on Saturday.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qhRa1Qryu3zBnK_triUaAlwsVr8WdeheFIcws1-a7qMRAdv8xkdpSGyrfRRKCpyuIeYXrsLZIFQuKoojFz6E6b2wajCAN2xfhxPXNOVFHePiuvHxhyphenhyphenZtKtVbWZgD5vP7pPIPGrcP97o/s1600-h/IMG_0010-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qhRa1Qryu3zBnK_triUaAlwsVr8WdeheFIcws1-a7qMRAdv8xkdpSGyrfRRKCpyuIeYXrsLZIFQuKoojFz6E6b2wajCAN2xfhxPXNOVFHePiuvHxhyphenhyphenZtKtVbWZgD5vP7pPIPGrcP97o/s320/IMG_0010-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322019008118604338" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPcZhk8zclfBSawCI25EXpuRgi5_pfIyrQNUIggMqJLPxJez2jK6bKWeuYQN4l7BZ236z2Y8rUzw2EXiBo6iSuew7Whd2hPxcJC0AvpkRI6Tc7h5Sh5_MFwIrGyzQ7fn2Tz8jlnpPoBJ0/s1600-h/IMG_0023.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPcZhk8zclfBSawCI25EXpuRgi5_pfIyrQNUIggMqJLPxJez2jK6bKWeuYQN4l7BZ236z2Y8rUzw2EXiBo6iSuew7Whd2hPxcJC0AvpkRI6Tc7h5Sh5_MFwIrGyzQ7fn2Tz8jlnpPoBJ0/s320/IMG_0023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322019013427244178" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf14i5AAS40xGpuz_NCyQirSouEPvYvBdR_07X9ofwBvC-qfYoZ3-6oGk-RPsOm6zELZ3o3iLdidoWd_Go2TKhReK6DfFEfOYC8pgBHrkCOK0I828fM56uB92aaFFM5EZubdYY2nsLn3w/s1600-h/IMG_0011-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf14i5AAS40xGpuz_NCyQirSouEPvYvBdR_07X9ofwBvC-qfYoZ3-6oGk-RPsOm6zELZ3o3iLdidoWd_Go2TKhReK6DfFEfOYC8pgBHrkCOK0I828fM56uB92aaFFM5EZubdYY2nsLn3w/s320/IMG_0011-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322019019032774930" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRD-huQ6MhNL5uVFDvCn4FBDIZJyyJ3i7kF27zKmW-E-D20kfUoeQ3XckUl-hwk4YEkYWZi8w6ZB-NcHbIzI0DjhNn3BADn-bQqhDmvTyne-JDsq0HDQhxw2VLWK9z7S2aeCD7mE6hY0/s1600-h/IMG_0016-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRD-huQ6MhNL5uVFDvCn4FBDIZJyyJ3i7kF27zKmW-E-D20kfUoeQ3XckUl-hwk4YEkYWZi8w6ZB-NcHbIzI0DjhNn3BADn-bQqhDmvTyne-JDsq0HDQhxw2VLWK9z7S2aeCD7mE6hY0/s320/IMG_0016-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322019023676588898" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br />Sat, 3/14.</span> After another taxi ride to the Westin, south of Cruz Bay, the town on the western end of St. John, we met up with the Twombly clan at the end of their weeklong vacation here. The grounds and the beach were big and beautiful and it was great to see everyone. We hadn't seen the beautiful Tully children for 1 1/2 years and we got our first look at the cute Jack Ryan! We visited, swam, ate lunch and then took off for the ferry to St. Thomas.<br /><br />Yes, we had to go west to St. Thomas in order to go east to Tortola. The seas were rough and our 50 minute ride from St. Thomas to Road Town, Tortola took 1 1/2 hours. Thank goodness they slowed down. It also allowed us to watch the semi-funny movie, "Mall Cop." I couldn't believe they had a movie on a ferry but it did pass the time and keep me focused on something! Customs took forever (about an hour) and we ended up being the last ones to arrive at Hodges Creek Marina for dinner on the catamaran.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BVI.</span> There were 6 cabins on the boat (the "Solitaire"), 5 for guests and the other for the captain and host/chef. The rest of the guests were Roger and Sharyn from Tucson, their friend, Doug, Roger's nephew, Steve and his wife, Diane, and their son, Steve and his wife, Jamie. Steve and Diane and Steve and Jamie all live outside LA. Roger and Sharyn were members of TradeWinds so had been on 2 or 3 other trips. Our crew were both from South Africa, Francois, the 23 year old captain and Jen Mullins, the 50 year old chef and mother of 5. Dinner was excellent and so was the company with us getting to know all of them better since they already knew each other. After dinner they taught us a fun card game called King's Corners.<br /><br />The cabin was set up efficiently but was much smaller than we anticipated. The shower head was the faucet in the sink that pulled up.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Vbv4kizP4rNvC0GxFjV9osUxUZXxX8G2XXrotoEyF4UgSJ2Bo966ZZWVt0_jg0XzaQlEDp6VYBIZ6EpEZ8ZTfrW-1IYZpSs1RrDBv9PrG7A_E8EbLWR3LDpqNr3WVHxLbbH85CQ6dtk/s1600-h/IMG_0001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Vbv4kizP4rNvC0GxFjV9osUxUZXxX8G2XXrotoEyF4UgSJ2Bo966ZZWVt0_jg0XzaQlEDp6VYBIZ6EpEZ8ZTfrW-1IYZpSs1RrDBv9PrG7A_E8EbLWR3LDpqNr3WVHxLbbH85CQ6dtk/s320/IMG_0001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322021859938339698" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3lp0DLacdcQ7lXM6ApkIjifDTrfjlqd9flByWh4bohUF4K_dwqEphOmJe5m9GF_nuI-_1CDgcGTuxUPchDgNJnF359vTz2IHZQVXjWnJzdMhNlYZh9B6BQITZYsMUnN2zNr2p1oBH1w/s1600-h/IMG_0006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3lp0DLacdcQ7lXM6ApkIjifDTrfjlqd9flByWh4bohUF4K_dwqEphOmJe5m9GF_nuI-_1CDgcGTuxUPchDgNJnF359vTz2IHZQVXjWnJzdMhNlYZh9B6BQITZYsMUnN2zNr2p1oBH1w/s320/IMG_0006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322021865099419810" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljEsGHipFg-vjM73fBhfnFHt516t8NOiCwkbeuQHo59gWfEFlEgHkzzODjzn6Zv93GqtLAw0CKS3vQ3jtMLO_BXgqILl821RGvU69hFjbVxZa4O214mCyEMiYASzqVMoysz7oO3UwP-A/s1600-h/IMG_0008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljEsGHipFg-vjM73fBhfnFHt516t8NOiCwkbeuQHo59gWfEFlEgHkzzODjzn6Zv93GqtLAw0CKS3vQ3jtMLO_BXgqILl821RGvU69hFjbVxZa4O214mCyEMiYASzqVMoysz7oO3UwP-A/s320/IMG_0008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322021875251267906" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgolNIihwObnBESqdfLA9I6QRt36vf73QW38lpnD9evk91On_nIRwFfCbabHwc5EnzKG5oxkwxa_jb7IIY59rNp0Ot72URIulpW6u8MmK1LgjG8qOKebHc8TOR3_YSGMAiSWYTMHlN4rPo/s1600-h/IMG_0007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgolNIihwObnBESqdfLA9I6QRt36vf73QW38lpnD9evk91On_nIRwFfCbabHwc5EnzKG5oxkwxa_jb7IIY59rNp0Ot72URIulpW6u8MmK1LgjG8qOKebHc8TOR3_YSGMAiSWYTMHlN4rPo/s320/IMG_0007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322021870998553778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6-PtOisG6gh3_JENF0EJkVAAujhU6OAfhhSAjY2HB2Se0Hblp-iSJm_EAKrBehqTaHWfQPtlYvPxh5Tiw0gflCQLrFZ6aNwQFsNxm4doWCyeXgF5EqOTusiiIcpjYAtxlw9s09KERZs/s1600-h/IMG_0022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6-PtOisG6gh3_JENF0EJkVAAujhU6OAfhhSAjY2HB2Se0Hblp-iSJm_EAKrBehqTaHWfQPtlYvPxh5Tiw0gflCQLrFZ6aNwQFsNxm4doWCyeXgF5EqOTusiiIcpjYAtxlw9s09KERZs/s320/IMG_0022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322024049502299266" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPXCWx9bg2bS3vNkRQxQJ7BrsS0HtHsJ1JeFlv9T90aZHvyHxxEK9ILLpAAA17AcpZMyksFz-BHCODNG_dXakCu0c-LPDnYBuCcPl5vy6eTMPe_LVXOcL987bJMs1QS5g0W_ezhl6dGA/s1600-h/IMG_0039.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPXCWx9bg2bS3vNkRQxQJ7BrsS0HtHsJ1JeFlv9T90aZHvyHxxEK9ILLpAAA17AcpZMyksFz-BHCODNG_dXakCu0c-LPDnYBuCcPl5vy6eTMPe_LVXOcL987bJMs1QS5g0W_ezhl6dGA/s320/IMG_0039.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322024049759474834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br />Sun, 3/15.</span> We motored for 1 hour to Cooper Island. (I thought we'd always just use the sails but Francois said it depended on how fast we could go with the sail.) The water was a little rough and I got a headache and had to sit looking out the back at land for the entire trip. (Sandy was fine so he read or did Sudoku while we moved.) Here we snorkeled in incredibly clear water. We saw the usual fish, sergeant major, blue tang, parrot fish, etc. and one new one for us. The ballyhoo is long and thin with a needle type nose.<br /><br />After a delicious lunch we motored to Cistern Point. (Now Jen made some strong ginger tea with shredded ginger for me to keep my headache from getting worse. I still had to sit and look at land while we were moving.) Here we snorkeled again. The coral was pretty with a number of fish. There was a large group of blue tang and we saw a trumpet fish.<br /><br />We motored to Virgin Gorda which took about an hour and took the dinghy to Spanish Town. It was very quiet as most of the stores were closed since it was Sunday. There were a couple of outdoor bars, one with live caribbean music that we enjoyed. We walked around the harbor which had lots of sail boats and some cabin cruisers. For us, it was a little too long to be there.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mon, 3/16.</span> Virgin Gorda. (The stormy weather negatively impacted our water activities today.) Before we even had breakfast we motored to The Baths, huge boulders created by bubbling up magma cooled by water. They were pretty cool looking. The water was still a little rough and it looked a bit stormy. (I still had a headache so had some more ginger tea after breakfast.) Francois took us in the dinghy to the shore to walk the path through the boulders which was fun. At the end we went snorkeling. There were a few fish but not many and the water was murky. It ended up raining when we finished snorkeling.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUNankQHqE2EQn3iA67pwAnYIbhXG1o5el4CKoppusArXJVoAc5l6g5iMeJFHnmKnrn_tjSuIWvgdC1tMpL1hdCelvetP3OqA04wUVzPXES4OR1K7w4emI_ke7kNwnMttv1h6ohYlnw8/s1600-h/15_13A.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUNankQHqE2EQn3iA67pwAnYIbhXG1o5el4CKoppusArXJVoAc5l6g5iMeJFHnmKnrn_tjSuIWvgdC1tMpL1hdCelvetP3OqA04wUVzPXES4OR1K7w4emI_ke7kNwnMttv1h6ohYlnw8/s320/15_13A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322025118730800946" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4q3J_0uw2ETXGzxn5DiBwmMFyWn9B2RVG0oittWeeIKyBR5iabIXv6PzNVK6Rsk_ykv_yf2H9qkWV6bR9b1Wf5CsvNP0E17giBv2KJfcE29wOzfj1XfEL_R0lYzp-zhAy3xKXJ7s-0Y/s1600-h/14_12A.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4q3J_0uw2ETXGzxn5DiBwmMFyWn9B2RVG0oittWeeIKyBR5iabIXv6PzNVK6Rsk_ykv_yf2H9qkWV6bR9b1Wf5CsvNP0E17giBv2KJfcE29wOzfj1XfEL_R0lYzp-zhAy3xKXJ7s-0Y/s320/14_12A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322025125592289218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We motored to Great Dog where we had lunch and a nap. Sandy went scuba diving in The Chimney which he thought was pretty good. He spent about 35 minutes on the ottom and really enjoyed the swim through the crevase. There were many beautifully colored sponges on the walls. Sharyn and I snorkeled. The water here was also a little murky and there weren't that many fish. The sun came out for about 1/2 hour the whole day. It was actually a little cool.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHA4qqoPiVI-CLtLpdqKgPxFgxzrHil__0LZYTknWIMUqwMrowJURsyAmG_BqYmB88xVWBTde3FsBwxIWROZg6dPosFDrp8HZWROb5wixsA0YrtKGtJAWt_jrxupXKRofQbHE6Xa5b1U/s1600-h/IMG_0042.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHA4qqoPiVI-CLtLpdqKgPxFgxzrHil__0LZYTknWIMUqwMrowJURsyAmG_BqYmB88xVWBTde3FsBwxIWROZg6dPosFDrp8HZWROb5wixsA0YrtKGtJAWt_jrxupXKRofQbHE6Xa5b1U/s320/IMG_0042.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322027499625582034" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQ8yRpJl9Lk72HHi_gfhyI6buW44CDkX93CS8tGfqca18X7digav_xwN_qni2JC5PIMR-0ascDrTbMQOBJglaoGfbSJuv6g5FR-hBq7DH2NXic0jiiw1mkOCOXD8t1qpMmAE7gRdGKp0/s1600-h/IMG_0034.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQ8yRpJl9Lk72HHi_gfhyI6buW44CDkX93CS8tGfqca18X7digav_xwN_qni2JC5PIMR-0ascDrTbMQOBJglaoGfbSJuv6g5FR-hBq7DH2NXic0jiiw1mkOCOXD8t1qpMmAE7gRdGKp0/s320/IMG_0034.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322027500129056594" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Next stop was Marina Cay (near Tortola) where Michael Beans puts on a Pyrate Show. (On the way to Marina Cay we passed by a home on a hill formerly owned by Danny de Vito.) Francois took us all ashore in the dinghy and told us where to get seats in this outdoor bar. Michael plays here 4-5 nights a week. They have a conch blowing contest and give prizes for wearing pirate clothes. His music was mainly Jimmy Buffet, Harry Belafonte, and the Beatles. He put on a really fun show - even if he wasn't giving out shots of rum to people for different things! (There were a few people celebrating St. Patrick's Day last night with green necklaces and hats.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1gKHCOcRspqwIZjD1_gA_pBOaB2zAdUr9G8bOsgiOIHOIY3BfF60hDaEz215lG41R_RWzgB_CkFtSEHlWdSuh6mv7374WMFE7bpD0D6dZBbqknESvZ8TV3l3yS5lz_nm69ik5CqHsoDY/s1600-h/IMG_0012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1gKHCOcRspqwIZjD1_gA_pBOaB2zAdUr9G8bOsgiOIHOIY3BfF60hDaEz215lG41R_RWzgB_CkFtSEHlWdSuh6mv7374WMFE7bpD0D6dZBbqknESvZ8TV3l3yS5lz_nm69ik5CqHsoDY/s320/IMG_0012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322028380152109554" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iWGhAeZGCFJ0klZYixNZj4HYmb5Og4Gq2T2ndlZUioCnv45UobM3wNTkHEmfw2f2ZTdL7VqoCHXtVen-RE-p7YD32Ies9jw1AumJCT2y7Vm1_jfiSa8PzDQVneUaDfQmF9OYbsdPbGw/s1600-h/IMG_0043.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iWGhAeZGCFJ0klZYixNZj4HYmb5Og4Gq2T2ndlZUioCnv45UobM3wNTkHEmfw2f2ZTdL7VqoCHXtVen-RE-p7YD32Ies9jw1AumJCT2y7Vm1_jfiSa8PzDQVneUaDfQmF9OYbsdPbGw/s320/IMG_0043.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322028386348295202" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo6HkK-eZku2wG4697fHMpyZzYPw8YyM2ZzGXwIbnO0be-lnYLlF1DNpL3ouaBnodY5OXL5bSoSIkCuppGv2CXwn8Okj5_ok6akeVspBZhBtDlsbwhakonGB5SqwcjwdwR3ObAa8NvfBE/s1600-h/IMG_0048.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo6HkK-eZku2wG4697fHMpyZzYPw8YyM2ZzGXwIbnO0be-lnYLlF1DNpL3ouaBnodY5OXL5bSoSIkCuppGv2CXwn8Okj5_ok6akeVspBZhBtDlsbwhakonGB5SqwcjwdwR3ObAa8NvfBE/s320/IMG_0048.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322028389700545906" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibd-Jq7qQNG8MBOEriER0hmH69WZ8BJTQyaJzPooQlbJd6HKNLhz7HIqynX9TX-2WWllKE6ys56CoyCxn44oJMFclzmSZFphHTqd0IVw-tC34Y0IpY5prmHKYlLnh3xXT-phI1cAyRk9Q/s1600-h/IMG_0050.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibd-Jq7qQNG8MBOEriER0hmH69WZ8BJTQyaJzPooQlbJd6HKNLhz7HIqynX9TX-2WWllKE6ys56CoyCxn44oJMFclzmSZFphHTqd0IVw-tC34Y0IpY5prmHKYlLnh3xXT-phI1cAyRk9Q/s320/IMG_0050.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322028392653213650" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br />Tues, 3/17.</span> St. Patrick's Day. After breakfast we motored to Mountain Point on Virgin Gorda. It was sunny all day and gorgeous! It was a long trip but I felt fine so I could actually read my book. We snorkeled before lunch. (The water was warmer now!) The coral was okay with one different fish but I couldn't find it in the fish books. After another delicious lunch Jen gave us a sales pitch about the TradeWinds timeshare. It's certainly unique but we weren't interested. We were already feeling the effects on being on a small boat 24/7.<br /><br />We motored to Leverick Cay in North Sound in north Virgin Gorda. It was one of two nights where we were responsible for eating out. The others were meeting friends in an expensive restaurant. Sandy and I read and played cribbage on board before we ventured out to find a place to eat. We needed some exercise so walked around the hilly town for a while and then went to get some food. We stopped in the grocery store and noticed something that we had noticed on another island. Obviously their clientele are big wine drinkers. Both stores allotted a whole wall, floor to ceiling, to wine! There was really only two other choices for dinner, a sit down place that was super busy or pizza take out for $20. We opted for the pizza which took so long to make that we brought it back to the boat to eat. But it was very good! After dinner we talked with Jen for a long time which was nice. She's an interesting person. She hikes and loves to sail in races.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wed, 3/18.</span> Finally a sunny, calm day! We motored with our sails to Beef Island to get provisions. There are some interesting art shops here, one with really nice metal and raku pieces. After lunch we sailed to White Bay in Jost Van Dyke. The powdery-sand beach was beautiful with the mountain rising up behind the obviously planted palm trees. Relatives said we had to stop in at the Soggy Dollar, an outdoor bar. The name refers to boaters wading in to shore and then having wet money to buy their drinks. Cute! What we really wanted to do was go see Seddy at the bar "One Love" who entertained us with illusions. This bar was really unique. There were t-shirts hanging on the ceiling with sayings and signed by people. There were old hats, sunglasses, swim suit tops, and license plates on the walls. You get the picture. I signed the bar with a marker "Becky & Sandy 3/09 Amherst, MA." Look for it if you go there. Seddy, a native virgin islander was amazing. We were standing in front of the bar and he did cards, coin and string tricks right in front of us. He was unbelievable! It was so much fun!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjoAuvTuk9V_gePT1w9IXZVWj5V6ggQTelHG0GSpAfN5RTcFWjbBfNDfYs-VymeyYIVTHD6ceNqscUwzG9xJcByMxOJAgFqVYCnZEm3MfCBZDXr4uwl5-znExS0fL-eodnUUVxE3T2cQ/s1600-h/IMG_0069.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjoAuvTuk9V_gePT1w9IXZVWj5V6ggQTelHG0GSpAfN5RTcFWjbBfNDfYs-VymeyYIVTHD6ceNqscUwzG9xJcByMxOJAgFqVYCnZEm3MfCBZDXr4uwl5-znExS0fL-eodnUUVxE3T2cQ/s320/IMG_0069.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322029943327451314" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sWvCFjVXiv69LDIbpl-x1d2dzlffb8zt4v-t_kfcdmo-mlWJN2BfGFo2BZvANtsDZ2BsW2sd07cnQy9bFkW4yY8QtBexHyjvmBwZrM9cDTlAIJ8a50Zyq6x-hDXbm0N3HjdWcuvMMOc/s1600-h/07_5ACrop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sWvCFjVXiv69LDIbpl-x1d2dzlffb8zt4v-t_kfcdmo-mlWJN2BfGFo2BZvANtsDZ2BsW2sd07cnQy9bFkW4yY8QtBexHyjvmBwZrM9cDTlAIJ8a50Zyq6x-hDXbm0N3HjdWcuvMMOc/s320/07_5ACrop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322029957196577794" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I finished reading John Grisham's "Playing for Pizza" a fun, light book and also Janet Evanovich's "Plum Lucky" which was great! Here's Sandy napping on deck.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6uK2WJmxbo-Z9xjmpZeo4L8Fl9ffia9AskE2yzSmW7fWK7hgUoo3_Dvc6Hi7K6w3kJtYzdgOsaZaCT8akthS5xbXvzMLFQ13GH2U-LvX0tSyFxOj7zW76SUcrVZzFl-PPJusSk1UuJY/s1600-h/IMG_0066.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6uK2WJmxbo-Z9xjmpZeo4L8Fl9ffia9AskE2yzSmW7fWK7hgUoo3_Dvc6Hi7K6w3kJtYzdgOsaZaCT8akthS5xbXvzMLFQ13GH2U-LvX0tSyFxOj7zW76SUcrVZzFl-PPJusSk1UuJY/s320/IMG_0066.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322030379413008802" border="0" /></a><br /><br />At White Bay there was this amazing looking sailboat called the Maltese Falcon. Francois said the owner of the boat (Tom Perkins) is selling it for $150M. He also wrote a book about it called, "Mine's Bigger." <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780061227943/Mines_Bigger/index.aspx">http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780061227943/Mines_Bigger/index.aspx</a> . Oh, what excess!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Oz5v6nLKgT713dN7AMrfeCoGWm2Q8zYekZ9UFFZ1HSjcBsXZ2AJqV1Wo7VwXB_raWL855S5UD1I_3Q5oFQRrCb4xDSWkzDd1LBLlmlf9p0u_Oj67QIJh8jK3vaWkp4oVUX51TsqUaLU/s1600-h/IMG_0068.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Oz5v6nLKgT713dN7AMrfeCoGWm2Q8zYekZ9UFFZ1HSjcBsXZ2AJqV1Wo7VwXB_raWL855S5UD1I_3Q5oFQRrCb4xDSWkzDd1LBLlmlf9p0u_Oj67QIJh8jK3vaWkp4oVUX51TsqUaLU/s320/IMG_0068.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322031879176676770" border="0" /></a><br /><br />That night Francois and young Steve "stole" the dinghy from the other TradeWinds sailboat, Turquoise Dreams. Ah, what trickery ensues after a bit of drinking!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thurs, 3/19.</span> The other sailboat didn't realize their dinghy was missing until Francois called them. Everyone had a good laugh but as they were leaving they tried to hit us with water balloons. These weren't just thrown, they had a huge slingshot. Well, it was all in fun except Sharyn got hit with one in the arm and created quite a bruise. After that slingshots were off limits.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMm4Dysf4i4nzG_L6Q-8HBgBWgcGLCLLzK14KcQspwFpR0LkufCKIVlBeAC5c_7woJVI7KaRX9H1YyVSdkUpU5lPapf5B1qiJvo_XVf7EzyQIu-w7b8DFf2fjnSLcGB2lBwd0Bp8GkKC8/s1600-h/IMG_0111.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMm4Dysf4i4nzG_L6Q-8HBgBWgcGLCLLzK14KcQspwFpR0LkufCKIVlBeAC5c_7woJVI7KaRX9H1YyVSdkUpU5lPapf5B1qiJvo_XVf7EzyQIu-w7b8DFf2fjnSLcGB2lBwd0Bp8GkKC8/s320/IMG_0111.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322031883141838338" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We motored to Sandy Cay, a small island reportedly to be the Microsoft screensaver (when the other palm tree was still there). It was a really cute uninhabited island. We snorkeled in water that was a bit warmer than earlier in the week but there weren't very many fish because of all the dead coral there. That was a sad sight. I did see an interestingly shaped spotted fish called a trunk fish.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMmOMMSh1_LfAKck-2B611awZjB6Ta0AIk-s07u4fzkD8d6xG2vQwc50stJBsEAGqm_hQkOqhpwxUyr74VSxFhQiGUUDzY7bTrNdXWroNKcBv6Pp83wePTjsCa4v44qgNmUPgIv9gV_UA/s1600-h/IMG_0078Crop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMmOMMSh1_LfAKck-2B611awZjB6Ta0AIk-s07u4fzkD8d6xG2vQwc50stJBsEAGqm_hQkOqhpwxUyr74VSxFhQiGUUDzY7bTrNdXWroNKcBv6Pp83wePTjsCa4v44qgNmUPgIv9gV_UA/s320/IMG_0078Crop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322033951671325426" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When we were anchoring I saw some people and two young girls on shore. The girls looked like they were enjoying themselves running around and doing cartwheels. When we got to shore I talked to them. The man owned the boat (Zia) and was father of the two young girls. Joe, from Annapolis, and his wife Christy and girls had been sailing all over the world for 4 years!! What great learning experiences! <a href="http://www.setsail.com/s_logs/boyle/zia.html">http://www.setsail.com/s_logs/boyle/zia.html</a><br /><br />Next stop was Soper's Hole in West End, Tortola. On our way into the harbor we passed by Alan Alda's house on a point. Pretty cool!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQo84Y2Q0danorJySirgx7YsX_6qNEewlECer35-QGnKFo5lS1JoV-lIhhB7RKWiOxqUx9d3EqFOtlb63sLXF3yQku2N20OJTCmDeZRtpZFVRk0ZY1ioDkdePXFbznd391Bu4NUawrBY/s1600-h/IMG_0084.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQo84Y2Q0danorJySirgx7YsX_6qNEewlECer35-QGnKFo5lS1JoV-lIhhB7RKWiOxqUx9d3EqFOtlb63sLXF3yQku2N20OJTCmDeZRtpZFVRk0ZY1ioDkdePXFbznd391Bu4NUawrBY/s320/IMG_0084.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322035001618649682" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UvOtg5SlipZ_YvS_37Ej3Up8mdQThnJ8CgmS8q8bHo0tGd1LeO_zSp0KZFDh1035gO5OMdwoAkqnj0L1iDWaoY5KzpLFb-2P9UegkRvXAV-8xCIOpY-BKgllARnSjofU19aLFKE61H0/s1600-h/IMG_0083.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UvOtg5SlipZ_YvS_37Ej3Up8mdQThnJ8CgmS8q8bHo0tGd1LeO_zSp0KZFDh1035gO5OMdwoAkqnj0L1iDWaoY5KzpLFb-2P9UegkRvXAV-8xCIOpY-BKgllARnSjofU19aLFKE61H0/s320/IMG_0083.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322034996255561282" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It was a cute harbor with shops painted with typical caribbean colors. We looked around the shops but we're not really shoppers so it was a little long to be there.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnizGJz9Vuu7J29zRvKNJdj8bMJ6177lXF92fnegKSAizCdFDBRwjJTn2GpWPFKVB6WT1g00TjRim3VUDilv-pUsdBRMpJnNEvIubY_lYgAI8nP8lb634FBdgrXDIer98r60mnYsIztc/s1600-h/IMG_0091.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnizGJz9Vuu7J29zRvKNJdj8bMJ6177lXF92fnegKSAizCdFDBRwjJTn2GpWPFKVB6WT1g00TjRim3VUDilv-pUsdBRMpJnNEvIubY_lYgAI8nP8lb634FBdgrXDIer98r60mnYsIztc/s320/IMG_0091.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322036024988299506" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5rQ9m8R3XgFUVgBkBDH-Amr7Cn-atdhsVfHLtGciNBCN1HdDL77vy88QGBZw5Gi7DCC3XGzb782NElgHPVoFpmoevgKaQ3MnpVN-0FCIdQb_Q8LgjFOWOBJtxI-ZQFjs4rKltx6-l9I/s1600-h/IMG_0098.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5rQ9m8R3XgFUVgBkBDH-Amr7Cn-atdhsVfHLtGciNBCN1HdDL77vy88QGBZw5Gi7DCC3XGzb782NElgHPVoFpmoevgKaQ3MnpVN-0FCIdQb_Q8LgjFOWOBJtxI-ZQFjs4rKltx6-l9I/s320/IMG_0098.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322036040171955954" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />North of Norman Island was "The Indians" with rocks that look like tepees. That had the best snorkeling so far. The rocks went down about 40 feet and there was lots of sea fan coral. Fish we saw: lots of parrot fish, a school of anchovies near the surface, foureye butterfly, sergeant major, damselfish, and scrawled filefish. Yellow-tail snappers followed us around.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwP1w0j5yO2M-6sxfB0piICEXeDfQwrD4h4EP8W2QS0UlKWrmH8k0VhtVlSL12CeU1hKboE4qQguEasmKqWt1wZyIai1Y1MC7kbXlelBOyHhR6mDx9i2Jhy1kxA8R5yXrZzvH79gNilts/s1600-h/IMG_0100.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwP1w0j5yO2M-6sxfB0piICEXeDfQwrD4h4EP8W2QS0UlKWrmH8k0VhtVlSL12CeU1hKboE4qQguEasmKqWt1wZyIai1Y1MC7kbXlelBOyHhR6mDx9i2Jhy1kxA8R5yXrZzvH79gNilts/s320/IMG_0100.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322036808013402562" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Fri, 3/20.</span> We motored to "The Caves" at Norman Island. The snorkeling in and around the caves was even better than the Indians. I've never seen so many sergeant majors together. I saw 5 fairy basslets in one place. There were also lots of blue tang going back and forth, some light blue and some dark blue. The coral was great too: lots of yellow and rust colored flower coral, staghorn and other coral.<br /><br />Sandy did a wreck dive of the famous Rhone, a royal mail ship that sunk in 1867 and broke up into 2 sections. He thought it was pretty cool to swim through one section and see teh skeleton of a ship from the inside. Parts of the movie, "The Deep" were filmed here. The water was pretty rough with a strong current so I opted out of snorkeling.<br /><br />We moved the boat a bit and Francois took some of us to Salt Cay to look around. When the Rhone sank here in 1867 the residents of Salt Cay rescued several people. The queen of England gave the residents ownership of the island until for as long as they or their decendents lived on the island. A person named Norman Durant lived here until 2003. He died in 2004. He was the last of the decendents and the last to mine the salt here. It was pretty cool to think that this one man walked around the ponds and picked up and broke apart chunks of salt. We found out that he traditionally left the island on Queen Victoria's birthday and symbolically offered her payment of one pound of salt to stay on the island. Apparently there were graves but we didn't see any evidence of them since I read they're unmarked. But it looked like someone else lived here since we saw a chicken running around. I saw some green and brown beach glass so started a collection. Here are some random scenic pictures.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7LhhOsybJfkqAyedzgyL83KMVMSOVP25fWkPWVOMJwa2_54zBGApdhv_f7cv2nBi4DTFsprfpmpRRcFsU4pVAihmX_lKmUjgqVe6pgZxhpmAU-cn11HN1pQVtMAfp6EeEmE6XxEoxRRI/s1600-h/IMG_0120.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7LhhOsybJfkqAyedzgyL83KMVMSOVP25fWkPWVOMJwa2_54zBGApdhv_f7cv2nBi4DTFsprfpmpRRcFsU4pVAihmX_lKmUjgqVe6pgZxhpmAU-cn11HN1pQVtMAfp6EeEmE6XxEoxRRI/s320/IMG_0120.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322039280486225298" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWHwd2wPRuXD3qi48QO1u0aXU2c6iLH953tcOkQbUjXRAj_z3oKRf4fEK59Ufxqhyf-UvhLsqrQ8qtUFbRIy-7q8AfjU1f8eb-iqzFkGrs4JglM8I3K-UAIXaMqcZGRxrixX_PFYFw_w/s1600-h/IMG_0053.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWHwd2wPRuXD3qi48QO1u0aXU2c6iLH953tcOkQbUjXRAj_z3oKRf4fEK59Ufxqhyf-UvhLsqrQ8qtUFbRIy-7q8AfjU1f8eb-iqzFkGrs4JglM8I3K-UAIXaMqcZGRxrixX_PFYFw_w/s320/IMG_0053.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322039307067603010" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69egM1lQtE96hcnVBbI7TQPEMkTktmzEUrsBA26Lof8TmJZJLZVAJUk_yO7V3fV_8ah93LD4RC4v0Fv6QTnGAgQg02uVL4VNgcuGNAtu0JjXJHXbOc7V9uB2V2nYYZEbOUdTyNL4_Qq0/s1600-h/IMG_0054.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 228px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69egM1lQtE96hcnVBbI7TQPEMkTktmzEUrsBA26Lof8TmJZJLZVAJUk_yO7V3fV_8ah93LD4RC4v0Fv6QTnGAgQg02uVL4VNgcuGNAtu0JjXJHXbOc7V9uB2V2nYYZEbOUdTyNL4_Qq0/s320/IMG_0054.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322039310745842882" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUt7BwghMiA1JLl-pPH99HbWFJh4nKG2wFQXxSpBD_k2bTYHFA422Fbsg98n3uAKgqe_m4w4ymqvR53gaQ2lPNr3FeCJeOIMreqcCwoP94WO3w3fydpdSOJZ-k-JKUclP_KJWvQln-cYc/s1600-h/IMG_0094.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUt7BwghMiA1JLl-pPH99HbWFJh4nKG2wFQXxSpBD_k2bTYHFA422Fbsg98n3uAKgqe_m4w4ymqvR53gaQ2lPNr3FeCJeOIMreqcCwoP94WO3w3fydpdSOJZ-k-JKUclP_KJWvQln-cYc/s320/IMG_0094.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322039315779972530" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We had a very late lunch (3 PM), napped and motored back to Hodges Creek Marina, Tortola. Yeah! Real showers at the marina. This was our second night to eat on our own. Again the choices weren't many. We walked down the street to Pusser's, overlooking the water, and had delicious dinners. The rest of the people took a taxi to the other side of the island to eat. It would have been nice to join them but just the taxi ride ($24 total) was just too expensive for us.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sat, 3/21.</span> We said our goodbyes and took a taxi to the ferry that would take us back to Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas. We went right to the airport and had a nice lunch there. The airport was packed and it took a long time just to get through security. Our flight was on time and we made it into Miami about 6:30 PM. We looked forward to getting home, even though it was a 2 1/2 hour drive.<br /><br />One thing we didn't like after we got back was that we felt like we were still on the boat. Our heads didn't feel quite right. Finally by Sunday night our equilibrium returned. OK, we learned that sailing is not for us.Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-48646277020519258522008-10-14T16:51:00.000-07:002008-10-31T12:30:10.708-07:00MA to Florida 10.08We said goodbye to Amherst and our friends for 7 months and headed south.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday, Oct. 8, Middlebush, NJ; Philadelphia, PA.</span> Middlebush is a village now part of Somerset near New Brunswick in central New Jersey. I have fond memories of growing up here. It's a little village where I walked a half block to elementary school and had lots of other girls to play with.<br /><br />We parked at the old Colonial Farms restaurant now O'Connors Beef & Chowder House. I wanted to walk around a bit before lunch with some childhood friends. My first impression was that it was much smaller than I remembered. Of course, the trees had grown a lot in 40 years! I also thought it was a lot farther from my house to the school. I stopped to take some pictures of the house where I lived from birth until 19. What a surprise to see a man come out of the house. It turned out that he and his wife were the people (from Chicopee, MA) that bought our house in 1967 when my parents moved to Brazil for 5 years. What a wonderful surprise! John and Mary Vaughan were so nice to spend time talking with us and walking us around the property. Everything in our yard was smaller than I remembered.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIanjj9SV3AADQ4pEDcoaaLC2OwAjSk1_MlE6UMrkLN-N-Sdy0fOWre_iW3BUEA-IvvBjN1KVP3uV1uO8YwmdvzZBqRuuIhjUi8De54C9edkQRWh6ubnNyjxSKxNFzQ8VRYnEEkJHcw-s/s1600-h/IMG_0010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIanjj9SV3AADQ4pEDcoaaLC2OwAjSk1_MlE6UMrkLN-N-Sdy0fOWre_iW3BUEA-IvvBjN1KVP3uV1uO8YwmdvzZBqRuuIhjUi8De54C9edkQRWh6ubnNyjxSKxNFzQ8VRYnEEkJHcw-s/s320/IMG_0010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263322778023306274" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJBZJNsPfgUVbsvhYj7NJDx7ka56NwGpka7c36sqU7tvjuNE7w7rdFuMd5U9KA0cpD0O3Hf-lO25fS2WfpjvathrRcBRWSn53Wx_Ayt3w716DodjEqoTm6iuEzYh3iCGIGFgOFisaRe8/s1600-h/IMG_0012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJBZJNsPfgUVbsvhYj7NJDx7ka56NwGpka7c36sqU7tvjuNE7w7rdFuMd5U9KA0cpD0O3Hf-lO25fS2WfpjvathrRcBRWSn53Wx_Ayt3w716DodjEqoTm6iuEzYh3iCGIGFgOFisaRe8/s320/IMG_0012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263322793629817810" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Lunch with Betty Cunningham Lewis, Jackie Sander Griffiths and Lorie Weidner Carkhuff was great. We had been friends since we were little! During our 2 hour lunch we reminisced and just caught up with each other. We'll definitely keep getting together.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcoqp2HY9C1SWsGSIDKEp6SbhZfH5p8n3zUFZq8XfaG0MicmbjfdQR3mxqZj67NlNjY4On0ZwdffoPNtvPnlf3C3coB8IFOHIKEKs1XFEzJOAKnkHz4-qfOszG53uRa-G4I0ELo9z5nuo/s1600-h/IMG_0024.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcoqp2HY9C1SWsGSIDKEp6SbhZfH5p8n3zUFZq8XfaG0MicmbjfdQR3mxqZj67NlNjY4On0ZwdffoPNtvPnlf3C3coB8IFOHIKEKs1XFEzJOAKnkHz4-qfOszG53uRa-G4I0ELo9z5nuo/s320/IMG_0024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263323285522582370" border="0" /></a>In Philadelphia we met our old neighbor and Julie's friend, Kate Gagnon, at Rosie's Yarn Shop, the yarn store where she works. We had a great visit over dinner before we headed off to a play, "Rock 'N Roll," by Tom Stoppard. Another person from our old Amherst neighborhood, Libby Woodbridge, was in it. She just graduated from Boston University as a theater major and this was her first professional role. It was an interesting play and Libby was great in her supporting role! We got to congratulate her after the play and visit a bit. We hadn't seen her for at least 4 years.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEv78qlESk6SFJGXJdlG3WO76JDApc7P_XWA577Yg6r9IgRqdEFU93trPjFwy_kI1SV-TR7raGKR0M-Q11gEg2gubeH7dzkaTw2xzWbSc4L69mGOceSE36_u7ay7DU7JGVi0AVNHbplM/s1600-h/IMG_0026.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEv78qlESk6SFJGXJdlG3WO76JDApc7P_XWA577Yg6r9IgRqdEFU93trPjFwy_kI1SV-TR7raGKR0M-Q11gEg2gubeH7dzkaTw2xzWbSc4L69mGOceSE36_u7ay7DU7JGVi0AVNHbplM/s320/IMG_0026.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263323684490806578" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQsVDQnr4xsRXFQ-ELgePH4LH3b-nx3Ft8FHZ623cWhqHEgzmerIsphocsOmcV9c70poreO3ucj8kgT4dEekO3XadUGpv7Ftqjy_Xf9Cj-ud9Sx0CHecRIzue9B1f9h53TRRVYgrC0fY/s1600-h/IMG_0031.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQsVDQnr4xsRXFQ-ELgePH4LH3b-nx3Ft8FHZ623cWhqHEgzmerIsphocsOmcV9c70poreO3ucj8kgT4dEekO3XadUGpv7Ftqjy_Xf9Cj-ud9Sx0CHecRIzue9B1f9h53TRRVYgrC0fY/s320/IMG_0031.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263323693663274674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Oct. 9. Hawk Mt.</span> This morning we met Peg and Mike Ross, friends from Shutesbury, MA at Hawk Mountain in Kempton, PA. The mountain is a fly through for birds because of the thermals caused by the warm air next to the mountain. We went to North Lookout where there was a guide with a powerful scope ready to help all of us spot and identify the many hawks. (He even had a stuffed owl as a lure for birds to come closer to us.) There were school groups coming and going all morning. It was a beautiful day with the morning fog being burnt off as the sun warmed the air. The valley on both sides was lovely despite the continued haze. About 10% of the trees had changed colors. We saw about 35 sharp-shinned hawks and a number of other birds of prey. The visitor center was excellent. One short video showed the sky (at the end of September) when the hawks were flying in full force, hundreds at a time. (We saw maybe 2 or 3 at a time.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQyAiquc3gUd7mSTYxnkhpFQNpmjaST5GtpEcg0OjYR8QNoHbnJM1D2e_dKWBxi1HcZ59FXasBU8Lct5F6jPs0TP7Yh2HIOQg4VGhwMAN-b7Rpt4GdnNRIAAm5fuqfrLapp2XAurbjWY/s1600-h/IMG_0033.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQyAiquc3gUd7mSTYxnkhpFQNpmjaST5GtpEcg0OjYR8QNoHbnJM1D2e_dKWBxi1HcZ59FXasBU8Lct5F6jPs0TP7Yh2HIOQg4VGhwMAN-b7Rpt4GdnNRIAAm5fuqfrLapp2XAurbjWY/s320/IMG_0033.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263324505213645026" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEck5Umh0zElG0brOaL5Rmm1B3ocmH8CLlrw0XovNdw1mEaaF406C4XO-cXyMzCboRuSx9QRrAvzT6BMhoodALfGqLUQgpoSioCsslDNXJmhG_iAO7_BlMaSUQa3D7ecrOF0i8uZlDdc/s1600-h/IMG_0034.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEck5Umh0zElG0brOaL5Rmm1B3ocmH8CLlrw0XovNdw1mEaaF406C4XO-cXyMzCboRuSx9QRrAvzT6BMhoodALfGqLUQgpoSioCsslDNXJmhG_iAO7_BlMaSUQa3D7ecrOF0i8uZlDdc/s320/IMG_0034.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263324510907106898" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAeMwA6r8Q6FgCprcPweNXdO0Mm0t02EaXh9ZNUJROuTkSMVhRJ1lc0JqYnvvxy4aFOZKaYGRrmL3MunFqF4QjZikrUxaMUP3NgLhp68w2kvWzjAZeKM4QwCFO7ix6i9ea2esp6YapYs/s1600-h/IMG_0035.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAeMwA6r8Q6FgCprcPweNXdO0Mm0t02EaXh9ZNUJROuTkSMVhRJ1lc0JqYnvvxy4aFOZKaYGRrmL3MunFqF4QjZikrUxaMUP3NgLhp68w2kvWzjAZeKM4QwCFO7ix6i9ea2esp6YapYs/s320/IMG_0035.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263324998026839074" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbw3Q0wSmPKhVq6wpGOUH5zeFMHGFRfJJLUw7v0SSCczvX2evYCJ7DSG0UF0L6b0TRxibB9JPT9JAyUbc7tVEd35WlxYgwbcTZ4O6JmX3FiEkQmLFbFXkURAT2JAd1mc5SYOZlIPdasbo/s1600-h/IMG_0047.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbw3Q0wSmPKhVq6wpGOUH5zeFMHGFRfJJLUw7v0SSCczvX2evYCJ7DSG0UF0L6b0TRxibB9JPT9JAyUbc7tVEd35WlxYgwbcTZ4O6JmX3FiEkQmLFbFXkURAT2JAd1mc5SYOZlIPdasbo/s320/IMG_0047.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263324524092995314" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Oct. 10. Gettysburg, PA</span>, the location of the turning point in the Civil War with the north winning. We had a bit of a drive so didn't arrive at Gettysburg National Military Park until 11 AM. We were really surprised to see so many people! But then I remembered that they just opened up their new Visitor Center last month. It was really well done! First there was background info on the Civil War. Info on the battle (July 1, 2, and 3, 1863) was organized into Day 1, 2, and 3 with a short movie as well as artifacts. All the battles left over 51,000 soldiers dead, wounded or missing. What a horrible battle! And, of course, this is where President Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg address at the dedication of the cemetery in November 1863. There are a number of tours and we took advantage of one about the battle on Day 3. We could have done a self-guided car tour of the battlefields but that will have to wait for another visit.<br /><br />We spent the night at Sandy's sister's house in Stanardsville, VA.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Oct. 11-12. Fredericksburg, VA.</span> We visited with Gail and Dale Ganott and arrived in Fredericksburg by mid afternoon. We visited a friend of mine from Middlebush. Kathy Sellers Wilson and her husband, Rob, took us on a little tour of the town. After dinner we went to a concert at their church. (It was Julie's birthday and she's in Vancouver, BC filming 2 episodes of "Supernatural" on the CW network. We called her but had to leave "Happy Birthday to you" in a message.)<br /><br />Our first stop on this gorgeous fall day was the Fredericksburg National Military Park Battlefield Visitor Center. They had a small museum with a movie. The major battles here were in December 1862 and May 1863, so before the Gettysburg battles. We took a guided tour as well which was very helpful. He helped us visualize the soldiers and the actual battle at that site. The Confederates won this battle mainly because of geography. They were hidden from view in a sunken road behind a stone wall. We walked around the battlefield and found a small cemetery which was from before the Civil War. The gate showed the impact of cannon fire.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2d8SS2bGjppdRpZ94MuMMCT6jmWrkLqKxcY1y46mBUvtRLS2HIJzTeWA8F-Wdsn_UbYm71iJUCEITTLwevVCveEkpZb9u2nRDOFrNdbpmNAVL8nWUqGbr6slPxWDXRbSjuqDVBxM284/s1600-h/IMG_0002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2d8SS2bGjppdRpZ94MuMMCT6jmWrkLqKxcY1y46mBUvtRLS2HIJzTeWA8F-Wdsn_UbYm71iJUCEITTLwevVCveEkpZb9u2nRDOFrNdbpmNAVL8nWUqGbr6slPxWDXRbSjuqDVBxM284/s320/IMG_0002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263326603272476210" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yz-eZxGAVtmyXh1v-DAfFa-zgOOkHQt834QuB7iblU1Ag2d2aITTAnLkxk2QkXF8ajThWK2TrED0yROywY8EvqTGl0YtfkaQTmB6fbWZAppZLkIIyfw-Y50O1_g9B2JyeSpq9A6wW5o/s1600-h/IMG_0004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yz-eZxGAVtmyXh1v-DAfFa-zgOOkHQt834QuB7iblU1Ag2d2aITTAnLkxk2QkXF8ajThWK2TrED0yROywY8EvqTGl0YtfkaQTmB6fbWZAppZLkIIyfw-Y50O1_g9B2JyeSpq9A6wW5o/s320/IMG_0004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263326610950119042" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Before we left there Julie called to say she and Michael were engaged!!! We're so happy for them!<br /><br />We walked down to the Kenmore House which was built in 1775 by Fielding, a wealthy merchant, and his wife, Betty Washington Lewis, George Washington's sister. The interior had colorful<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><strong style="font-weight: bold;"></strong>paint and wallpaper and beautiful decorative plaster ceilings. No one knows who did the gorgeous plaster work.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZxhaJRp4FGGtAeAZa88sHQJwE8dTZvtKvO0IW3GRGFUddovcvDjIzm82Uch4LvgFVoxcEWnLhXT1ZXRhDAgagz-BPzKB7aZl97biPC0N73NnBTJYSqhpIZE8ZCaOgMuPBn6-kMsMwAOk/s1600-h/IMG_0015.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZxhaJRp4FGGtAeAZa88sHQJwE8dTZvtKvO0IW3GRGFUddovcvDjIzm82Uch4LvgFVoxcEWnLhXT1ZXRhDAgagz-BPzKB7aZl97biPC0N73NnBTJYSqhpIZE8ZCaOgMuPBn6-kMsMwAOk/s320/IMG_0015.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263326618798199298" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifWwrKv8BKlHA7MRDMYK3qgrUYhUQRXvC39Cwmfpynnpw1PRy9Jm8-cMAlS6CQxc9r_nJKszAGjtbR2_sk7qM1sICdisY3wYFjL59ZVf9Hs1bQOljBX91y0JRRm9AAxzohykwmNTkgffM/s1600-h/IMG_0017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifWwrKv8BKlHA7MRDMYK3qgrUYhUQRXvC39Cwmfpynnpw1PRy9Jm8-cMAlS6CQxc9r_nJKszAGjtbR2_sk7qM1sICdisY3wYFjL59ZVf9Hs1bQOljBX91y0JRRm9AAxzohykwmNTkgffM/s320/IMG_0017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263326626376255778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5J_mDuRJHGm9qxQnyP4HnD1DI7wO-i5EbjpD6ydaZFjXrD-IG6kT5h78BuI5f3mgB6en0P2P4m84WjC2a7BXq9Hi0FEJaq3M3g-dIldIzb4xVlk15V2zQKWodDCJ7vpcv9iIpOFtLyIw/s1600-h/IMG_0023.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5J_mDuRJHGm9qxQnyP4HnD1DI7wO-i5EbjpD6ydaZFjXrD-IG6kT5h78BuI5f3mgB6en0P2P4m84WjC2a7BXq9Hi0FEJaq3M3g-dIldIzb4xVlk15V2zQKWodDCJ7vpcv9iIpOFtLyIw/s320/IMG_0023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263327707864533506" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_IDXZSVyBYRMDpeejuS81aHDyADVB5B-DNBXJDRbDd7lfBCM7QqLRGsrqOqM8iLk6XbiSq6n3HU-2YnjRl8hiNXIFxOv2Ssgq09ykVXcOaJOhx0ZKPVtjus0lpVQB8cmlWDRu5Wxd0s/s1600-h/IMG_0020.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_IDXZSVyBYRMDpeejuS81aHDyADVB5B-DNBXJDRbDd7lfBCM7QqLRGsrqOqM8iLk6XbiSq6n3HU-2YnjRl8hiNXIFxOv2Ssgq09ykVXcOaJOhx0ZKPVtjus0lpVQB8cmlWDRu5Wxd0s/s320/IMG_0020.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263327698904919346" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We walked downtown which has been renovated and filled with shops. The last stop was really fun. The Hugh Mercer Apothecary was a museum of 2 role players from 1784. One explained all the liquids and herbs that Dr. Mercer used to heal people. The other showed the other tools of his trade, including live leeches! (We had hoped to visit the Rising Sun Tavern which has a tour but we ran out of time.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfXc5yIEv0fzoLiqa-GDjvHZHlGB4bZICJL0MeFlwd19TOA_wPW9K3-H6K89SKa0yLtbttsIn9DYTFgxnGr_UuukiaiRVs4zxNJPaqTJjvpUcJb7itqmOxhTZGXnSFmp4wI5r2PLa3am8/s1600-h/IMG_0010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfXc5yIEv0fzoLiqa-GDjvHZHlGB4bZICJL0MeFlwd19TOA_wPW9K3-H6K89SKa0yLtbttsIn9DYTFgxnGr_UuukiaiRVs4zxNJPaqTJjvpUcJb7itqmOxhTZGXnSFmp4wI5r2PLa3am8/s320/IMG_0010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263328517606968770" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisKfHTPAowM4e6wgsb0t5lfwPim_91rYfkpZ-zF52bPgA1wuXf62QsCeD3jJ4mXMcj_TjOctv-3_xguFLSxJDvXYY9E-QG8Xk1ddXHBWsqLqxolVEN0txP3a0xschK-iG8wXeKkF12Fb4/s1600-h/IMG_0024.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisKfHTPAowM4e6wgsb0t5lfwPim_91rYfkpZ-zF52bPgA1wuXf62QsCeD3jJ4mXMcj_TjOctv-3_xguFLSxJDvXYY9E-QG8Xk1ddXHBWsqLqxolVEN0txP3a0xschK-iG8wXeKkF12Fb4/s320/IMG_0024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263328525766640850" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Thanks to Kathy and Rob for their hospitality! Kathy's mother lives nearby and we all had dinner together on Sunday. I think it was especially fun for her seeing me "all grown up." As we drove south from Fredericksburg we saw a number of fields of cotton on the side of the road. Wow! My first thought was seeing pictures of slaves picking cotton in fields like this.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89z9xN-HSinqlgU3vfPdtAIw9pPuKMS2k6cF2TDGbrDDLueEZSD1Cy00R6dEBfDLqVMPOig-S2t8icUw2a60_gqN5_1tBhccDUmviYCQr63c_tYB3SEjtzIbqlilecdOPWtxIVZJnmKE/s1600-h/IMG_0026Crop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89z9xN-HSinqlgU3vfPdtAIw9pPuKMS2k6cF2TDGbrDDLueEZSD1Cy00R6dEBfDLqVMPOig-S2t8icUw2a60_gqN5_1tBhccDUmviYCQr63c_tYB3SEjtzIbqlilecdOPWtxIVZJnmKE/s320/IMG_0026Crop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263328533798279298" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tfO0X1EmSO1nyhzKNt285SZen20nJe30oMlmqvPfYnbm2y7AcXVoJwXWkE_opNrk8KMRxacwUPuVxZu89Ka4NrMw91PH67fWgN1nYLsAL6Vldb8KdYAROU6oXIWCQWGYfBXsTazOvfs/s1600-h/IMG_0032.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tfO0X1EmSO1nyhzKNt285SZen20nJe30oMlmqvPfYnbm2y7AcXVoJwXWkE_opNrk8KMRxacwUPuVxZu89Ka4NrMw91PH67fWgN1nYLsAL6Vldb8KdYAROU6oXIWCQWGYfBXsTazOvfs/s320/IMG_0032.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263328544002124978" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Oct. 13-14. St. Augustine, FL.</span> This city has really pretty Spanish architecture. There are lots of things to see in America's oldest city but we only had one day. (I had read that parking was scarce so we parked in a lot behind the Visitor Center.) We started with a tour of Flagler College, the former Ponce de Leon Hotel built in 1888. There was a short movie followed by a student-led tour. What an amazingly beautiful woman's dorm! It's one of the finest examples of Spanish Renaissance Architecture in the US. Henry Flagler made his money in real estate, railroads, and as a partner with Rockefeller in Standard Oil. He wanted to build a place for rich northerners to come down by train for January through March. There are Tiffany stained glass windows , murals, and gorgeous architecture. Even the dining room chairs were amazing.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPHiV5rwCzVBfBdfCrsV-YEm8K3H9mLS-5bAKLP75jIYDBEJ3VrV-k5hYr6tA47ei0UGBhvqcZPJ-5NXjNytCMgMlDLuF-2c1hLc5N7NKwjJsoqkCc4lAXw5sTCDIc7zlmyX3Vh7vfDU/s1600-h/IMG_0004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPHiV5rwCzVBfBdfCrsV-YEm8K3H9mLS-5bAKLP75jIYDBEJ3VrV-k5hYr6tA47ei0UGBhvqcZPJ-5NXjNytCMgMlDLuF-2c1hLc5N7NKwjJsoqkCc4lAXw5sTCDIc7zlmyX3Vh7vfDU/s320/IMG_0004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263330939426699186" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidt6DSvEN1QX-yP53-lrKMZcGl8IDX-8cdjlNYUcXFZUs_nJd2nNuzXYJC5lr-IqX3RsgNEsI27ragKy2Jqa0WZkV9OS5eQYlpYTkjwxktuvBxzfSAkW5bpJ00Casv47ReDmdcgflYn-g/s1600-h/IMG_0009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidt6DSvEN1QX-yP53-lrKMZcGl8IDX-8cdjlNYUcXFZUs_nJd2nNuzXYJC5lr-IqX3RsgNEsI27ragKy2Jqa0WZkV9OS5eQYlpYTkjwxktuvBxzfSAkW5bpJ00Casv47ReDmdcgflYn-g/s320/IMG_0009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263330962919706578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3gl80BWbg7u94khiqVbeBNTR9Z7vTNek9E5cGg6dn6Y6aYrMuyS4ARLFcRoHtfwGzJxWVwzAT3pp4-1OrQ29BnZK0EFH-bK5K8X_Jhhfyg_s6nGXcVhfAJA6ha11juuokmCEjrn6l5g/s1600-h/IMG_0013.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3gl80BWbg7u94khiqVbeBNTR9Z7vTNek9E5cGg6dn6Y6aYrMuyS4ARLFcRoHtfwGzJxWVwzAT3pp4-1OrQ29BnZK0EFH-bK5K8X_Jhhfyg_s6nGXcVhfAJA6ha11juuokmCEjrn6l5g/s320/IMG_0013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263330955511707602" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWrdr-uUOUJsDvEnPrJxGG2wC8inj4pjpZejykdHANEWRiLbmPLRk9a1y7vzl3F5DK29lfjblZ9G5Tlw08DxyfiL6WWVvav_kVePg5Y_NFLqPloHfFdSQNqEJnGd4eXDUYJwVaiQSRgnY/s1600-h/IMG_0011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWrdr-uUOUJsDvEnPrJxGG2wC8inj4pjpZejykdHANEWRiLbmPLRk9a1y7vzl3F5DK29lfjblZ9G5Tlw08DxyfiL6WWVvav_kVePg5Y_NFLqPloHfFdSQNqEJnGd4eXDUYJwVaiQSRgnY/s320/IMG_0011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263330949523378146" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The fountain in the front courtyard was a creative sun dial. It was surrounded by 12 frogs spouting water. The frog in the right picture is saluting. He represents 12 o'clock. It really was accurate but off by an hour because it was daylight savings time.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVt9qxeXEwC2AFtoCS9l8vWINI0vgAcnbO8M0TheQJTsmRk1M47XgV1eWu7bQQVgBZO7oX7KQYjrTdwf1Ytg3EeECF-qeqZ5nqxAl9Uj33NnLY7-QCgwVCCln_xL_llU4JW37upay49Aw/s1600-h/IMG_0014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVt9qxeXEwC2AFtoCS9l8vWINI0vgAcnbO8M0TheQJTsmRk1M47XgV1eWu7bQQVgBZO7oX7KQYjrTdwf1Ytg3EeECF-qeqZ5nqxAl9Uj33NnLY7-QCgwVCCln_xL_llU4JW37upay49Aw/s320/IMG_0014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263331646247143778" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgro5ZQM_hR2PSNRd8ORNWMPg_Lan6qsG7u0WKPt45OiOEDOQ6v-mqcBMGWrk0WsQquNnqkhn8LweFhgrLi_RuYwxpxafWmhGwVJ-rY0FxDueN30GIcS1zhd555PkusxC56tCsxBJxD0/s1600-h/IMG_0015.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgro5ZQM_hR2PSNRd8ORNWMPg_Lan6qsG7u0WKPt45OiOEDOQ6v-mqcBMGWrk0WsQquNnqkhn8LweFhgrLi_RuYwxpxafWmhGwVJ-rY0FxDueN30GIcS1zhd555PkusxC56tCsxBJxD0/s320/IMG_0015.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263331650058224882" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The Lightner Museum (old Alcazar Hotel) across the street was the playground, and also a small hotel, also built by Flagler. It was built in 1887 and is one of the earliest poured concrete building. It has a beautiful courtyard with a stone arched bridge over a pond. It housed the gym, sauna, and the largest indoor pool where swimming competitions were held. It closed in 1932 and was purchased by Chicogoan Otto Lightner in 1946 to house his collections of antiquities from all over the world. Two years later it became a museum. The three floors had a little bit of everything including a mummy and a shrunken head. We saw a demonstration of mechanized musical instruments, the precursors to the juke box and player piano. And I really loved this cradle! The museum definitely has something for everyone!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqr0wnr-7cZq4RWXp9hzlkCsLeIzvoxF0FR1SRTisrVEo3PWFkXCYRfu6H1p-XjjMUwBA5hGGLON6c5PAWpXLs9JEhfn3LEPFrK1aOoGGQwVMQ_T_y1fGrr8I_r4d3o-6wjCcOw2w2x4/s1600-h/IMG_0002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqr0wnr-7cZq4RWXp9hzlkCsLeIzvoxF0FR1SRTisrVEo3PWFkXCYRfu6H1p-XjjMUwBA5hGGLON6c5PAWpXLs9JEhfn3LEPFrK1aOoGGQwVMQ_T_y1fGrr8I_r4d3o-6wjCcOw2w2x4/s320/IMG_0002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263332633443403778" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxnohm3sSO63xYd3hekmqaEHI4KQmodohXSy5dvS9OoJqUS-9HFMaseRrWwkOP2TQpjQ6qwf5YX3Tmo25DtHPb8oZCM3xRc8JqphFqyt6adaNb1gerrRhcX6TgcvlA793YBvxSvUzna4/s1600-h/IMG_0017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxnohm3sSO63xYd3hekmqaEHI4KQmodohXSy5dvS9OoJqUS-9HFMaseRrWwkOP2TQpjQ6qwf5YX3Tmo25DtHPb8oZCM3xRc8JqphFqyt6adaNb1gerrRhcX6TgcvlA793YBvxSvUzna4/s320/IMG_0017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263332645404829730" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-S6h9XBCru_5QYlZEUVELZpcJ3E8VhlwNz4c-EQvmMf2BuO8fyThIDR45olZ5nAWH5li9pcCrRk8bS8Gc5UDwJicA-XEoYv_YK5NIeqw-ohtuA_3spbhc8qBnn-Zrdt-6-K-JIdRE6Y/s1600-h/IMG_0019.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-S6h9XBCru_5QYlZEUVELZpcJ3E8VhlwNz4c-EQvmMf2BuO8fyThIDR45olZ5nAWH5li9pcCrRk8bS8Gc5UDwJicA-XEoYv_YK5NIeqw-ohtuA_3spbhc8qBnn-Zrdt-6-K-JIdRE6Y/s320/IMG_0019.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263332654951775042" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuo5r_ePfaWJ4LQ5R5Yrr9JqkSLoLJ0HcuSFDVO99TcdpXTHZq4a3Jp8-n0zVwgNxmhQxK9f_VZFYoK75EO23NH1M9TqP8WXbhsqH294uZEhPh_wH9C5RwZxUykHr6F3IPAwooCsXI_Ik/s1600-h/IMG_0024.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuo5r_ePfaWJ4LQ5R5Yrr9JqkSLoLJ0HcuSFDVO99TcdpXTHZq4a3Jp8-n0zVwgNxmhQxK9f_VZFYoK75EO23NH1M9TqP8WXbhsqH294uZEhPh_wH9C5RwZxUykHr6F3IPAwooCsXI_Ik/s320/IMG_0024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263332660967980482" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The St. Augustine Visitor Center had an interesting video about the struggle of the early peoples of St. Augustine focusing on one family.<br /><br />The Old St. Augustine Village Museum and the Fort will have to wait until the next visit.<br /><br />Wednesday morning we had a great visit with friends from Amherst, Patrick and Dianne Smith. Patrick was the middle school orchestra leader and string teacher. Dianne taught voice and was Julie's voice teacher at Holyoke Community College. They also lived below us in Greenleaves for a year. They retired to Jacksonville but continue to teach in the area.<br /><br />It was a great week reconnecting with friends and family and seeing historical areas of our great country.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next stop: our home in Fort Myers, Florida!</span>Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-9934260681801747702008-09-21T19:50:00.000-07:002008-10-30T07:32:00.600-07:00San Francisco, Davis, Sacramento 9.08<span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, Sept. 20-Wednesday, Sept. 24.</span> Hearing that we were heading for San Francisco, our friends George and Scott told us we shouldn't miss the Dale Chihuly exhibit at the de Young Museum, part of Golden Gate Park. Fortunately for us he told us in plenty of time for me to look at the website and get a timed admission ticket. (This was a very popular special exhibit!) Chihuly is a glass artist who makes incredibly gorgeous pieces. We first saw his work in the Bellagio Hotel ceiling in Las Vegas last summer. We spent a long time admiring his work and I took lots of pictures. We loved it so much we bought a poster showing his glass in a boat that we'll put up in Florida. They were also showing an interesting movie about a workshop he did which showed him creating on paper and other artists implementing his design. It really helped us appreciate the glass pieces knowing a little bit about how they were created. We poked around at other exhibits but the Chihuly exhibit really was the best! Since there are a lot of things to see at Golden Gate Park, next time we'll make time to visit the arboretum and conservatory of flowers.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5xjMkmwl2ti1Ao0LwPuxmAPuQ6_izVpDkXNDmJzMf6rKkJztfEPjEQfZ8NjA2eGgGEus8IrSmrl27P-lVPJZvFzRZ-RhZIq7rfOLuNlj_SFmAf1RSdd-57K5uflWFvqZebiapRz9vR4/s1600-h/IMG_0004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5xjMkmwl2ti1Ao0LwPuxmAPuQ6_izVpDkXNDmJzMf6rKkJztfEPjEQfZ8NjA2eGgGEus8IrSmrl27P-lVPJZvFzRZ-RhZIq7rfOLuNlj_SFmAf1RSdd-57K5uflWFvqZebiapRz9vR4/s320/IMG_0004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261626836524932114" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJOBIm-stejbOLWC1zf7qHJGuW7FR1IhKkcs2yFPAl-gTfGKzdyFZhqzoYcaqfppr3SQc029KmsKEuDBsQhMK-7JvGPmv_h9570ABc5pzb4bRrVAlLGnMgrfpFOxO2wuw8eJSN5VxyoU/s1600-h/IMG_0001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJOBIm-stejbOLWC1zf7qHJGuW7FR1IhKkcs2yFPAl-gTfGKzdyFZhqzoYcaqfppr3SQc029KmsKEuDBsQhMK-7JvGPmv_h9570ABc5pzb4bRrVAlLGnMgrfpFOxO2wuw8eJSN5VxyoU/s320/IMG_0001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261626827299278178" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeg9NWdfghsnXkrTfRbk-ANE6qvYaL2Nd5nE8dhZJTQHvinRmyN3gVrtELG6Oy1xuB58xfQ2_vxghP7pI8dwwkkcriDx4MZ9Uqc69jcottxTDXwgSShPIPfPye6o8_7RCD-ZMrNVR5xY4/s1600-h/IMG_0009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeg9NWdfghsnXkrTfRbk-ANE6qvYaL2Nd5nE8dhZJTQHvinRmyN3gVrtELG6Oy1xuB58xfQ2_vxghP7pI8dwwkkcriDx4MZ9Uqc69jcottxTDXwgSShPIPfPye6o8_7RCD-ZMrNVR5xY4/s320/IMG_0009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261627674457657378" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfN8EdZC2sWYLmtGVkNjF-FKjIZyUJ2tFjttYWx6_EGS7buNsJWdBFLHTtfgvQYfFFqG6143N5Wib2l3vuxuZ9UFW3huWhEBGPYxeh2lC8r0sAuh_Nz5ixju58luP7N0VthTgE_6Vp5ko/s1600-h/IMG_0013.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfN8EdZC2sWYLmtGVkNjF-FKjIZyUJ2tFjttYWx6_EGS7buNsJWdBFLHTtfgvQYfFFqG6143N5Wib2l3vuxuZ9UFW3huWhEBGPYxeh2lC8r0sAuh_Nz5ixju58luP7N0VthTgE_6Vp5ko/s320/IMG_0013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261627683456987986" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8p_rjGIGQdXUocGwVy8d-HaXEyoRfOmKh3_4Wo-pv4UeSXdaN_F1ju6KgK7-z8nMSfOMw3dY_vI-jYWC8YPp1eIGTZTfWQLJXj6nLG5MByXCv5JGAbHAo2PRr-LJfVqG9lyqy01vSznI/s1600-h/IMG_0035.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8p_rjGIGQdXUocGwVy8d-HaXEyoRfOmKh3_4Wo-pv4UeSXdaN_F1ju6KgK7-z8nMSfOMw3dY_vI-jYWC8YPp1eIGTZTfWQLJXj6nLG5MByXCv5JGAbHAo2PRr-LJfVqG9lyqy01vSznI/s320/IMG_0035.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261627698081495058" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMK0mBFMRiAV3baDZ_PW9bybH7Np6W4g0zIyR94XzXa6O_Z3TVQ6FxTnYbvy0ePWNlDTwXmZqynSvxtWKpuo7l2Ihe7a_gmFRw4mC0OTmTLQc0L9e4ZF9tBPKu1iX9Cbfgg-9Db7gSKdM/s1600-h/IMG_0027.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMK0mBFMRiAV3baDZ_PW9bybH7Np6W4g0zIyR94XzXa6O_Z3TVQ6FxTnYbvy0ePWNlDTwXmZqynSvxtWKpuo7l2Ihe7a_gmFRw4mC0OTmTLQc0L9e4ZF9tBPKu1iX9Cbfgg-9Db7gSKdM/s320/IMG_0027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261627694053111826" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZKadieBpzaqDLwFax6xdyrB7Vpv47cuzCwYLqkr9WmbAmwW3oXHHU8fab26uh542YSK5wH_SoGK-8__PidqzBMhzkW4ZbK7uWh_JMpumLgquojzTg1-VY0KfNDznYt3PSfxM8ID_WSQ/s1600-h/IMG_0038.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZKadieBpzaqDLwFax6xdyrB7Vpv47cuzCwYLqkr9WmbAmwW3oXHHU8fab26uh542YSK5wH_SoGK-8__PidqzBMhzkW4ZbK7uWh_JMpumLgquojzTg1-VY0KfNDznYt3PSfxM8ID_WSQ/s320/IMG_0038.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261628755982380546" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekLbnjU3V5yePk_ZhvOsTk4YUVDu8d8Egn1egGTFtW3o4_hIVKgNjb9wJIEa3zPMBB-xTiS3T6rRxi24oouOlPIPT-1fWz9c-44AE8AiMojlOf_gi6e1Riti8kcd4EeBAKHi77I2MAZY/s1600-h/IMG_0065.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekLbnjU3V5yePk_ZhvOsTk4YUVDu8d8Egn1egGTFtW3o4_hIVKgNjb9wJIEa3zPMBB-xTiS3T6rRxi24oouOlPIPT-1fWz9c-44AE8AiMojlOf_gi6e1Riti8kcd4EeBAKHi77I2MAZY/s320/IMG_0065.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261628767116314562" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJUIbhE1GCv1WhqlT4iPBP1X_2IwjKRAT8XmuuhJa6cwZxy3ymCMdGNAqTeGhyvdr3HAgd6ylQyLY0wk1r_MLjCsFaLYUb0kzO_Cs3X33gEKsq4M4GgZ-W7UNffdpme0aQRBHNm4QF_k/s1600-h/IMG_0078.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJUIbhE1GCv1WhqlT4iPBP1X_2IwjKRAT8XmuuhJa6cwZxy3ymCMdGNAqTeGhyvdr3HAgd6ylQyLY0wk1r_MLjCsFaLYUb0kzO_Cs3X33gEKsq4M4GgZ-W7UNffdpme0aQRBHNm4QF_k/s320/IMG_0078.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261628784710108642" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMf9qA8czMeTHvfUM6o9qwUyKm8iMyDPPr8K9oKQWnkEjlWfadXwlIEm3ARdWDJ7ENH9rnZeqwZ-GmWY9XQi9A2swM3ScsOoxVDCgC8WW06VBpYI9rlytViw0t_mVk9IsfwPTDx7nKGS0/s1600-h/IMG_0080.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMf9qA8czMeTHvfUM6o9qwUyKm8iMyDPPr8K9oKQWnkEjlWfadXwlIEm3ARdWDJ7ENH9rnZeqwZ-GmWY9XQi9A2swM3ScsOoxVDCgC8WW06VBpYI9rlytViw0t_mVk9IsfwPTDx7nKGS0/s320/IMG_0080.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261628789496489074" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We left San Francisco and drove north to Napa and dinner with Jim & Dianne Rubins. We had a wonderful visit!<br /><br />Scott and Libby let us use their apartment since they were in Duluth vacationing with her parents. We enjoyed taking long walks through the UC Davis campus and downtown. The weather was great - sunny skies with cool temps in the morning and then up to the low to high 80's. Sunday night we wanted to see how "Mad Men" did in the Emmy's but they have no TV. We could have gone to their club house but it was on from 8 to 10 PM and decided not to. Instead we checked out the winners online. We made a good decision. Julie watched with friends and said it was so boring, that is, until "Mad Men" won for best drama. Yeah!!<br /><br />Monday we had a really good tour of the Sacramento Capitol building and saw a movie about CA history. That night we picked Scott and Libby up at the airport. (Here also is Scott's and Libby's apartment. Do we have enough laptops?)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2UGew7YfJiK0Oigb2rtibNNlawiniuFOR7IF-NLRNee5vgeIpa2FjHx_s5oedQS5Rkx3ytfG8EFWz1c6JUfwbsV1YrLDaUgsA0QMXK_QpYUt9Lb082sJ9jDQ03K3foeaaIgBsEMY4ik/s1600-h/IMG_0001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2UGew7YfJiK0Oigb2rtibNNlawiniuFOR7IF-NLRNee5vgeIpa2FjHx_s5oedQS5Rkx3ytfG8EFWz1c6JUfwbsV1YrLDaUgsA0QMXK_QpYUt9Lb082sJ9jDQ03K3foeaaIgBsEMY4ik/s320/IMG_0001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262314407052397202" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSzIzlO8nMIsuYi2iupI5wc7YtnJPSU7ZR6KXmrXXFo6dIvAFuYI7sDnmqotr4uxPsYQIj0q0OfGNs8nYVqbNJJiS9eeShRrG3EIA7Db6j9B4o-x-oWIJLR4M2cnncAB2KedeTeyOm1g/s1600-h/IMG_0002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSzIzlO8nMIsuYi2iupI5wc7YtnJPSU7ZR6KXmrXXFo6dIvAFuYI7sDnmqotr4uxPsYQIj0q0OfGNs8nYVqbNJJiS9eeShRrG3EIA7Db6j9B4o-x-oWIJLR4M2cnncAB2KedeTeyOm1g/s320/IMG_0002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262314413503977586" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Tuesday we took a scenic drive through Napa to Santa Rosa. First stop was the Luther Burbank Home & Gardens. The town and home and his gardens were beautiful. We were happy to be able to get in on a tour. We learned that Mr. Burbank was a horticultural genius born in Massachusetts. Over his lifetime he introduced more than 800 new varieties of plants. Among his varieties still popular today are the Russet potato and the Shasta daisy. He developed so many varieties but had patents for none since he died in 1926 before there were patents for plants. Here are just a couple of flowers in his garden.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8u9TVIRwNBMpo7723XuSzePudI6LjNRjOhfrzaUSj4rnBRFMFFG_wzFkML9_mH5OKxEx5UWa32ThDUGHjlNKROl65TQIlVF9KJlJ1mkN7HsNrtAhWwAYTBYHTS15l2O1paOecw-KzN4Q/s1600-h/IMG_0006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8u9TVIRwNBMpo7723XuSzePudI6LjNRjOhfrzaUSj4rnBRFMFFG_wzFkML9_mH5OKxEx5UWa32ThDUGHjlNKROl65TQIlVF9KJlJ1mkN7HsNrtAhWwAYTBYHTS15l2O1paOecw-KzN4Q/s320/IMG_0006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262314433877894914" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUCFehqqBvSHtVyiDE-ZJ529rxCfKADROqfo6sBQmom6B_WwGtqtoPH3jG7jAMyUOqxE-u8yG1Bi51EXjATJaRsyAbPtYwnipwfFn1KPbnKBZCtdBU2E0456LSUixRjRNwGquqokD-6Q/s1600-h/IMG_0038.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUCFehqqBvSHtVyiDE-ZJ529rxCfKADROqfo6sBQmom6B_WwGtqtoPH3jG7jAMyUOqxE-u8yG1Bi51EXjATJaRsyAbPtYwnipwfFn1KPbnKBZCtdBU2E0456LSUixRjRNwGquqokD-6Q/s320/IMG_0038.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262314442707738674" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Libby hadn't seen the redwoods yet so we headed to Armstrong Redwoods State Park in Guerneville. It's north of Muir Woods and is on a smaller scale. We checked out some huge trees and then went on a pretty steep 4 mile hike. It was fun just visiting with Scott and Libby. We topped off the day at a Thai restaurant in Santa Rosa.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRP6bSpKUSlpqk5dIikWR3epcmdIcix4uXe-LwhZMVCQdLwzCMyCUG0EhQyjQhoyMkiA_wrxYn6XnyOD3K43_JKVtsAwin4cJsBFAKmP5NTbyEqqVJYMiGG14lrdTEWNWaW7TA8JDkfJA/s1600-h/IMG_0052.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRP6bSpKUSlpqk5dIikWR3epcmdIcix4uXe-LwhZMVCQdLwzCMyCUG0EhQyjQhoyMkiA_wrxYn6XnyOD3K43_JKVtsAwin4cJsBFAKmP5NTbyEqqVJYMiGG14lrdTEWNWaW7TA8JDkfJA/s320/IMG_0052.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262347384329341842" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rucmZswqHInyK9434NWqdhZGMUqa_7gtOEcakrYrIqcJQ_58xeMgrmy8eSg7AYBBgvsy4mFAT4eXgT0g2ZzxLPXjcogyGs8EjmrHNMjav0s3nyLY88tYYL5MP9895ijCIfQu9vQxntw/s1600-h/IMG_0053.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rucmZswqHInyK9434NWqdhZGMUqa_7gtOEcakrYrIqcJQ_58xeMgrmy8eSg7AYBBgvsy4mFAT4eXgT0g2ZzxLPXjcogyGs8EjmrHNMjav0s3nyLY88tYYL5MP9895ijCIfQu9vQxntw/s320/IMG_0053.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262347902104697698" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuMnAUl-N4wuyGvHOtgEywxrQgUw8t5j9BpjT2FgWf2qDN6X_HBvG-1gqs3uoe54fVk8WHaF7zLTSKtJw0-T5B_f3ixADxniQWf_m1YCDleIo5bDwG9z-MB8IVS67Jg_Zuo12UPft8te8/s1600-h/IMG_0056.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuMnAUl-N4wuyGvHOtgEywxrQgUw8t5j9BpjT2FgWf2qDN6X_HBvG-1gqs3uoe54fVk8WHaF7zLTSKtJw0-T5B_f3ixADxniQWf_m1YCDleIo5bDwG9z-MB8IVS67Jg_Zuo12UPft8te8/s320/IMG_0056.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262347917992911858" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4Ne1pAgg62-sIrxJN46HcHG7K0JtGzNSmpoeEw83_2mEdOsRLaGZSExVWh7SXe1dFb6xraFbSMU9oUMoMIYAXyCY9md3M6cPFXep4yfcacLTdtr4q4yEEEGfUI3WfidgwUHHWhtSZ10/s1600-h/IMG_0058.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4Ne1pAgg62-sIrxJN46HcHG7K0JtGzNSmpoeEw83_2mEdOsRLaGZSExVWh7SXe1dFb6xraFbSMU9oUMoMIYAXyCY9md3M6cPFXep4yfcacLTdtr4q4yEEEGfUI3WfidgwUHHWhtSZ10/s320/IMG_0058.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262347924939565474" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Wednesday was convocation for UC Davis at the Mondavi Center (funded by Mr. Mondavi of the Mondavi wine family). We decided to go at the end and saw the marching band play. After there were great refreshments! We noticed they were really into making sure that people recycled properly. The plates and utensils were made from corn starch! We wandered through campus (lots of bikes!) down to the weekly farmers market, bought some things and then saw a band and singers at the park where the market is. It was fun to see so many people, families, kids, and students just out enjoying themselves. Scott said they don't usually buy much here since the Dixon market has better prices.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlyPZ27rIpCA2ORVR33VxemqCexApjZmpFk2dAhyphenhyphenTVUnV_py5lV5S6QgZkWyno7Cf5gf5aVeEIO9ryAYlVRuZCueoGpUJfw9-k4PiF0CMguWlGogOc89Qnaov-WQ3DZEqJiJbuKc70Zlw/s1600-h/IMG_0065.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlyPZ27rIpCA2ORVR33VxemqCexApjZmpFk2dAhyphenhyphenTVUnV_py5lV5S6QgZkWyno7Cf5gf5aVeEIO9ryAYlVRuZCueoGpUJfw9-k4PiF0CMguWlGogOc89Qnaov-WQ3DZEqJiJbuKc70Zlw/s320/IMG_0065.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262353055658601682" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93wJpJu9kUhKEthNYdxRU7WJYabEoCYtq_pxhJSmYbJcW4uDBNVRtujd22c20-tHwlxUpWxC_XnH_ue1tTwHXG2kiNheGhGykHxd9ye92gQS7UlOCQBVbtMY-xlxBeDrmmGS1aGbMmsk/s1600-h/IMG_0066.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93wJpJu9kUhKEthNYdxRU7WJYabEoCYtq_pxhJSmYbJcW4uDBNVRtujd22c20-tHwlxUpWxC_XnH_ue1tTwHXG2kiNheGhGykHxd9ye92gQS7UlOCQBVbtMY-xlxBeDrmmGS1aGbMmsk/s320/IMG_0066.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262353063588760194" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We really enjoyed our time in Davis. Thanks to Scott and Libby for letting us use their apartment! We said goodbye to California until December when we'll visit again.Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-87099706109614807522008-09-19T20:17:00.000-07:002008-10-25T12:59:51.345-07:00LA to San Francisco 9.08Friends had told us to take our time driving up the coast since there were so many beautiful vistas and places to visit. And they were right!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday, Sept. 16 - Friday, Sept. 19.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Santa Barbara, Solvang, Hwy 1, Salinas, Monterey, Carmel, Santa Cruz.</span> From Santa Monica we took the 405 to 101 to Santa Barbara. What a beautiful town! We took a guided tour in a van where we sat up high. We saw the pier and the waterfront with its tall palms, lots of bikes for rent, Old Town, the Santa Barbara Mission, and the Courthouse among other things. It's an expensive town to live in but great to visit.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66edjyP0Rta2KO0BJebzE3ajnjN7T4TEjPvLRENkTZ_6UY5CqJrCWO0En_NJJ3Sk9SgqwiI4CtAPilbjya7zj-RvpL_GbVjGgZXDzD2OTH_HgjN6bTEgilwE5fBVAVfLmcUJiq27TUO6g/s1600-h/IMG_0051.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66edjyP0Rta2KO0BJebzE3ajnjN7T4TEjPvLRENkTZ_6UY5CqJrCWO0En_NJJ3Sk9SgqwiI4CtAPilbjya7zj-RvpL_GbVjGgZXDzD2OTH_HgjN6bTEgilwE5fBVAVfLmcUJiq27TUO6g/s320/IMG_0051.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259613899254151010" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB2J0ddUtWKHs-jXlzxusx0eYtx-wuPpEDSZ_Oem55_UwR8uGiF2cfvJQdmpVYXi1GtvGgdKL3yWFzkWyjGR7KCdGKo394f7ajPCOrxA2mpBE1u3Y1z1rr_uSc8MAyw3rldI3mx9Y2NwMo/s1600-h/IMG_0052.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB2J0ddUtWKHs-jXlzxusx0eYtx-wuPpEDSZ_Oem55_UwR8uGiF2cfvJQdmpVYXi1GtvGgdKL3yWFzkWyjGR7KCdGKo394f7ajPCOrxA2mpBE1u3Y1z1rr_uSc8MAyw3rldI3mx9Y2NwMo/s320/IMG_0052.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259613092865841330" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgaX3J9mCj2rKD1qbXe-5Sl1ddQU3Vm8IldERXuHzRpZqvZMLXC5JHO8vFdhgUSgEHtN_Jeq-3okzqCL7wXyjiV5RjcYhUuK10sS0x0ZBuxwX_fh2txNUqIqMyl82Fl3U6ZBKmfKecT9m6/s1600-h/IMG_0038.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgaX3J9mCj2rKD1qbXe-5Sl1ddQU3Vm8IldERXuHzRpZqvZMLXC5JHO8vFdhgUSgEHtN_Jeq-3okzqCL7wXyjiV5RjcYhUuK10sS0x0ZBuxwX_fh2txNUqIqMyl82Fl3U6ZBKmfKecT9m6/s320/IMG_0038.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259613099966716690" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_hsZVPXgAkEmU3Al23y5BgSMv3DQkAVJN-HXl72FQhvUrAYLo6IHStW_WVHjj5mub6rVFSfB-qlK2QoHlPeDp10TBxPOrGnIgxtt679WtMv0_PTiqrai84jXS9O38AG1Nq1l-a82JliN/s1600-h/IMG_0042.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_hsZVPXgAkEmU3Al23y5BgSMv3DQkAVJN-HXl72FQhvUrAYLo6IHStW_WVHjj5mub6rVFSfB-qlK2QoHlPeDp10TBxPOrGnIgxtt679WtMv0_PTiqrai84jXS9O38AG1Nq1l-a82JliN/s320/IMG_0042.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259613108127059586" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LSKAoyv4rvKoacIMNHi63LHK7ufJmiYeeofK8DtYA5FfI7rU9GI-Cp23nc_jzRr_aMzDFxmDyBRX_qujiXGnxhNNnaqGT8FDCqwgPCiRi3Rq3-kpslTkiSNdZhREgZHZmw0AiP-Z4LDd/s1600-h/IMG_0045.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LSKAoyv4rvKoacIMNHi63LHK7ufJmiYeeofK8DtYA5FfI7rU9GI-Cp23nc_jzRr_aMzDFxmDyBRX_qujiXGnxhNNnaqGT8FDCqwgPCiRi3Rq3-kpslTkiSNdZhREgZHZmw0AiP-Z4LDd/s320/IMG_0045.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259618646098663058" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpp_3fGpXG2dRW6cx4m27ZGTTSwDKO11tt8LWdO_NRg3dhrZkUOJNhVAKUpijpZBgIvbKVN9Rf5OmGDoDC4pdgnSHxt4y-Wuh-gEb2apZLgKda69Hl37eLprEWMBMsK0PU4DWeb5aVJEEf/s1600-h/IMG_0050.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpp_3fGpXG2dRW6cx4m27ZGTTSwDKO11tt8LWdO_NRg3dhrZkUOJNhVAKUpijpZBgIvbKVN9Rf5OmGDoDC4pdgnSHxt4y-Wuh-gEb2apZLgKda69Hl37eLprEWMBMsK0PU4DWeb5aVJEEf/s320/IMG_0050.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259613102636492450" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />We love the look of Norfolk Island Pines!<br /><br />It was an informative tour and helped us get situated and decide where to go next. We chose the courthouse. It was built in 1926. The tile work was beautiful. There was even a huge room filled with murals of historical events. The last picture of the white building was the jail. Pretty nice looking jail! It isn't used anymore though.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjieyuvR67NheAdRLbtagpg2cGdQjTw1uB-nenloi5J-BOq6UXsOmYhcw-6kPWfmEAzp61jPiSztMoY-5-Md0LSfK9T5LiUUDpYu4gEmSkxZoMloigvP-rfEqSW52yMvtogXZcg9OYb-3_H/s1600-h/IMG_0075.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjieyuvR67NheAdRLbtagpg2cGdQjTw1uB-nenloi5J-BOq6UXsOmYhcw-6kPWfmEAzp61jPiSztMoY-5-Md0LSfK9T5LiUUDpYu4gEmSkxZoMloigvP-rfEqSW52yMvtogXZcg9OYb-3_H/s320/IMG_0075.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259622046270514258" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplv0wQMwn1s8uLU9ySHusRl_SzasdIkUA0c_rGff_VoG-3ldHQrJJTirRAfHWgrwJTeLHdu5bJ2mnzCAi3gvoEoah0WLoq3tksjeU0GFpCEwFI8b9C735DWrlUEk19sIrqBSeGsPo70Wz/s1600-h/IMG_0060.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplv0wQMwn1s8uLU9ySHusRl_SzasdIkUA0c_rGff_VoG-3ldHQrJJTirRAfHWgrwJTeLHdu5bJ2mnzCAi3gvoEoah0WLoq3tksjeU0GFpCEwFI8b9C735DWrlUEk19sIrqBSeGsPo70Wz/s320/IMG_0060.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259622035013614018" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCy9CqiFIqFObfzdH4v_59H032sRRTougOZROFeq-Yb2s8GHxbYji5ENdPJFGZX3wq2k7Jhe7YXvX8zr5eEGipi2i9BJKvhbK2dQLG-8PZ7iCh-fCCyd7MuJLdR9xqWvumbSJmxHZTVbc/s1600-h/IMG_0076.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCy9CqiFIqFObfzdH4v_59H032sRRTougOZROFeq-Yb2s8GHxbYji5ENdPJFGZX3wq2k7Jhe7YXvX8zr5eEGipi2i9BJKvhbK2dQLG-8PZ7iCh-fCCyd7MuJLdR9xqWvumbSJmxHZTVbc/s320/IMG_0076.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259622040651503682" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzfhIc2kifXXHXo9o-TPUq-QJrI2DD_stms9OPNhS9QCWSbWKWCzSg2zCBBxLz5oX4MfO6LM0mdjrQuhDCpfuTv3RR81w3maRnvfLB7Uq3KAWBojbvccO7HjRuB4LBTwwIjngtlJoKI9WS/s1600-h/IMG_0071.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzfhIc2kifXXHXo9o-TPUq-QJrI2DD_stms9OPNhS9QCWSbWKWCzSg2zCBBxLz5oX4MfO6LM0mdjrQuhDCpfuTv3RR81w3maRnvfLB7Uq3KAWBojbvccO7HjRuB4LBTwwIjngtlJoKI9WS/s320/IMG_0071.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259622054599894818" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The view from the top (3rd floor) of the courthouse where the clock is was great!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvThxKwHcVwZZvjHK9JNjsPTbqgKM5rUOcVLYbeX-Niwuz2UiwlPkBoSuNsWh4p0ohlbWKB2HHOq0ecagRU9XcPYgNTOVMeJD_X64tPSS2guA_Qq8z7L9lYTUe3JQHxGQHaQ48ZMa7tetF/s1600-h/IMG_0080.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvThxKwHcVwZZvjHK9JNjsPTbqgKM5rUOcVLYbeX-Niwuz2UiwlPkBoSuNsWh4p0ohlbWKB2HHOq0ecagRU9XcPYgNTOVMeJD_X64tPSS2guA_Qq8z7L9lYTUe3JQHxGQHaQ48ZMa7tetF/s320/IMG_0080.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259625019003605810" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5Ii6MLoyYQFMgfAZt8KTvsc3ONwZFOy5dhUDnEYG59w5kRU0E9dIP5JTNniLfiqtAU5QpMu5_0IvMcAjaW30Awg-lUAoTw6zXc4xWlBXMfnhlaZpYPCe4e2JNcaTI2WPJY3_4K7_TUgw/s1600-h/IMG_0079.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5Ii6MLoyYQFMgfAZt8KTvsc3ONwZFOy5dhUDnEYG59w5kRU0E9dIP5JTNniLfiqtAU5QpMu5_0IvMcAjaW30Awg-lUAoTw6zXc4xWlBXMfnhlaZpYPCe4e2JNcaTI2WPJY3_4K7_TUgw/s320/IMG_0079.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259625023277999714" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />How nice to see tiles in the sidewalk and benches.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-RK5WrO4z7KCsHtolHshgC6NGhWu_CBy8Fw1nsYgjTTuul9_NQzOjWVK5h_7MAl7YvPGTqT3bpfY35c6OD6g1VZqaDrr3NEsStm5BM-mhRiaazLRLL1lZw8VlCB6zzUTmSeRR9l66UC9p/s1600-h/IMG_0053.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-RK5WrO4z7KCsHtolHshgC6NGhWu_CBy8Fw1nsYgjTTuul9_NQzOjWVK5h_7MAl7YvPGTqT3bpfY35c6OD6g1VZqaDrr3NEsStm5BM-mhRiaazLRLL1lZw8VlCB6zzUTmSeRR9l66UC9p/s320/IMG_0053.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259618652038394226" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMF4AZGVfuC6_gzdluGb5X_mSFyjGCHrR39G0LKYK10sW3kBYmn7_I_gizVVEnkEmJXqEsGot3uQS5oJBEpBHwqemTFgRRF5dAVncXxlJHHgHgE5nQn13TxGIEPFtvEU3UkkZ62s9ocSHd/s1600-h/IMG_0059.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMF4AZGVfuC6_gzdluGb5X_mSFyjGCHrR39G0LKYK10sW3kBYmn7_I_gizVVEnkEmJXqEsGot3uQS5oJBEpBHwqemTFgRRF5dAVncXxlJHHgHgE5nQn13TxGIEPFtvEU3UkkZ62s9ocSHd/s320/IMG_0059.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259618656477380530" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We took a detour to see Solvang, a Danish town. One article said to be sure to try out one of the bakeries. We liked the Danish style architecture downtown and the pastries were really good! A nice afternoon snack.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_yoTR9ZMA8UnfFFPt88BoiV-nCnIBgFsIeIJQZmcdDXvvJh7O38H_qFftkPz6M2Q7ON_0i7X__LZcQuCdbTnjPqbieP_gDGoeGRwJgiFr7nRHiJUaArfR38iC7zPKtWhOP_fZ3ISbbp-/s1600-h/IMG_0084.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_yoTR9ZMA8UnfFFPt88BoiV-nCnIBgFsIeIJQZmcdDXvvJh7O38H_qFftkPz6M2Q7ON_0i7X__LZcQuCdbTnjPqbieP_gDGoeGRwJgiFr7nRHiJUaArfR38iC7zPKtWhOP_fZ3ISbbp-/s320/IMG_0084.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259626201041707842" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuowpokEO20hWNuSP0fEhvhTe9uSYeeQO9w3Qmf5S3G93R4YChKAA_kKR1TG8EgEonAZmQkauFmUclb-nuy6frJMVAxkERcTqi025rcMzupeorxshgbsZ1oBu731XEg-ednW9oFaXwwzQ/s1600-h/IMG_0085.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuowpokEO20hWNuSP0fEhvhTe9uSYeeQO9w3Qmf5S3G93R4YChKAA_kKR1TG8EgEonAZmQkauFmUclb-nuy6frJMVAxkERcTqi025rcMzupeorxshgbsZ1oBu731XEg-ednW9oFaXwwzQ/s320/IMG_0085.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259626205914743570" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Between Santa Barbara and north of Solvang there were brown hills and cattle as well as fields of crops and grapes.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmbVvN-WYSbusFTRnA-9MJMtH6knLmEtlq2i04ujI13A1rQDr9orpn1NnsO_ioUdyh-eR8qtwYK2ePF4rjoPGR4hPWWepTq2V59HHwpGTJrbBIkQS67qtmrY9KoO8yC2VPiHPhs61Gmck/s1600-h/IMG_0083.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmbVvN-WYSbusFTRnA-9MJMtH6knLmEtlq2i04ujI13A1rQDr9orpn1NnsO_ioUdyh-eR8qtwYK2ePF4rjoPGR4hPWWepTq2V59HHwpGTJrbBIkQS67qtmrY9KoO8yC2VPiHPhs61Gmck/s320/IMG_0083.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259625193203908930" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnJq5tpTRx87GOd-BB5VV-V4SOioWdn3HZ8k153Bh2sZvXy5g-Pc6n-cGN7YyAcoojfruu4yfk0wUhOCTzfKUrKVI4emcur3BzdvXnzVhDhdUJtVnGabJxCLTSbLf8GKEAX62TIiI9sbH/s1600-h/IMG_0093.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnJq5tpTRx87GOd-BB5VV-V4SOioWdn3HZ8k153Bh2sZvXy5g-Pc6n-cGN7YyAcoojfruu4yfk0wUhOCTzfKUrKVI4emcur3BzdvXnzVhDhdUJtVnGabJxCLTSbLf8GKEAX62TIiI9sbH/s320/IMG_0093.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259625040218298674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />We spent the night in San Luis Obispo and drove off to our scheduled tour at the Hearst Castle the next morning. It's farther north on the coast with an amazing setting. John Randolph Hearst, of Hearst newspapers and magazines, was quite an entrepreneur. He also was very conscious of appearances. He often entertained movie stars and directors and people in the highest social class. His home was built on 40,000 acres that his father had originally bought in 1865. It was very pretty Spanish architecture and not over-the-top like we had anticipated. (He did drive his architect crazy since he changed his mind a lot!!) It has 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, 19 sitting rooms, 127 acres of gardens, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, a movie theater, an airfield, and a private zoo. We saw the zebras grazing with some horses near the road. Getting an invitation to the Hearst home was coveted in the 1920's and 30's. His wife and children preferred Long Island. So he had a mistress in California! First we saw a National Geographic movie called "Building the Dream" which gave us a lot of info on Hearst and the actual building of the house. A bus took us to the top so the views were awesome just driving up there. There were a number of different tours offered but ours was just a general one.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidp7GogeuF_Phbxzad7EVR5MjMqQHdcbX0LkMvGOi7Z81LM3pWSK_MWsWwXSdHKvo8l-gCna71ZfBfvOMxPPLO4wtLWj1PncYKHJd-StQsB5i3pY8yln0tFNS0PF7aB4ve48kgMA93g6mz/s1600-h/IMG_0168.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidp7GogeuF_Phbxzad7EVR5MjMqQHdcbX0LkMvGOi7Z81LM3pWSK_MWsWwXSdHKvo8l-gCna71ZfBfvOMxPPLO4wtLWj1PncYKHJd-StQsB5i3pY8yln0tFNS0PF7aB4ve48kgMA93g6mz/s320/IMG_0168.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259630812442128066" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUo2bvsoJ3b_oRC7ZHq7ylpeGAxpfziDPNx6C7Jy8o4zfgvLycj2OSmRAQ10e4SHPqhY-0aqaCF6j44MZXGr4M2JyardKqakbmDmHcyLaJM88jN0QYfLTjUJ2S75fpzSy4RsV0Sce5pdyo/s1600-h/IMG_0101.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUo2bvsoJ3b_oRC7ZHq7ylpeGAxpfziDPNx6C7Jy8o4zfgvLycj2OSmRAQ10e4SHPqhY-0aqaCF6j44MZXGr4M2JyardKqakbmDmHcyLaJM88jN0QYfLTjUJ2S75fpzSy4RsV0Sce5pdyo/s320/IMG_0101.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259630821446814610" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQx0R82DU6liIGndTUu_tRfOAKCZ4CsOl_hrutluFkd9hHqN6k2iu7aWHcGFgC6khDOm-Jrns30qUuKe5gooNCqKFfu6ya8DZ3LL1jAvNKwyU4peD5fwsURhzEaL34sct7-zfhhLULlAf8/s1600-h/IMG_0106.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQx0R82DU6liIGndTUu_tRfOAKCZ4CsOl_hrutluFkd9hHqN6k2iu7aWHcGFgC6khDOm-Jrns30qUuKe5gooNCqKFfu6ya8DZ3LL1jAvNKwyU4peD5fwsURhzEaL34sct7-zfhhLULlAf8/s320/IMG_0106.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260790404269040738" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIPJ3XcLT4DxEj53jtiBNb-X5tXyC4kZM-KL7_OHpTq65ggHIplpSs_sj0qd2spPKERdQDVnTxPkN-ovdSifCCgw5rfi1oM7aXq33mER4dQTl2dTH1UxAp1cUs3bpKMKkQEwun5bPEmHH/s1600-h/IMG_0116.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIPJ3XcLT4DxEj53jtiBNb-X5tXyC4kZM-KL7_OHpTq65ggHIplpSs_sj0qd2spPKERdQDVnTxPkN-ovdSifCCgw5rfi1oM7aXq33mER4dQTl2dTH1UxAp1cUs3bpKMKkQEwun5bPEmHH/s320/IMG_0116.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260790407272694338" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyafQ4nR8hl_lAqTQbEzZoaXtdPMFaYGzjwendFaHsicPFaLAX8B-8JCQ1NruZ5U1zTmpzNqojHtakQB4tbUWjZiW-k0x9CVqecd3Ga30jD3QvftDcjl07s8BnMKkBpf2MIlRdGWHayBO/s1600-h/IMG_0120.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyafQ4nR8hl_lAqTQbEzZoaXtdPMFaYGzjwendFaHsicPFaLAX8B-8JCQ1NruZ5U1zTmpzNqojHtakQB4tbUWjZiW-k0x9CVqecd3Ga30jD3QvftDcjl07s8BnMKkBpf2MIlRdGWHayBO/s320/IMG_0120.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260790415640721058" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqX2U4nkf2gqKlRR7Gsg9guCzDiKkX31OcfGlRU5C-6-cf9fOBzuWEGA3SGwi4pejbKylGGaMzdoJ9cN3_vZE7GRdnvzSrFNg8jm_MmHwGaUL7i2pC5jftudG42PdMDGrT10RgWMiec7Bs/s1600-h/IMG_0131.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqX2U4nkf2gqKlRR7Gsg9guCzDiKkX31OcfGlRU5C-6-cf9fOBzuWEGA3SGwi4pejbKylGGaMzdoJ9cN3_vZE7GRdnvzSrFNg8jm_MmHwGaUL7i2pC5jftudG42PdMDGrT10RgWMiec7Bs/s320/IMG_0131.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260790421999823650" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Hearst was big into recycling before it was even a word. He collected used chairs, panels, doors, lamps, etc. to use in his home. The indoor pool was pretty amazing with a high dive which Johnny Weismuller, Olympian swimmer and "Tarzan" used.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnZ0sQbOEeA0CYhcipxRqkoHtudNU_ol0DK__uJJib2R2k04WhFvIn45ZCIujzJ6EY7KNaG0pqhPN9G_9r4r82phnTQDlCWOUfq-mdePDO1Iorm_S1FVJ-spH8kl87NuJz0CoBU6sCCJky/s1600-h/IMG_0140.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnZ0sQbOEeA0CYhcipxRqkoHtudNU_ol0DK__uJJib2R2k04WhFvIn45ZCIujzJ6EY7KNaG0pqhPN9G_9r4r82phnTQDlCWOUfq-mdePDO1Iorm_S1FVJ-spH8kl87NuJz0CoBU6sCCJky/s320/IMG_0140.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260792530921849570" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cDRbFIQ1L3KqDuaj-c7yEYT7bItBQNc3sXas5YFVh4IMUovmXDmdRHFaiMN2SYs49uhJ6U3jMBj5lDWLDOAQbFfN44g_lPnFr6oLhPS_pUKNpdwWILLbFkOZpMVTsv-dZEZTd97i2tPL/s1600-h/IMG_0142.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cDRbFIQ1L3KqDuaj-c7yEYT7bItBQNc3sXas5YFVh4IMUovmXDmdRHFaiMN2SYs49uhJ6U3jMBj5lDWLDOAQbFfN44g_lPnFr6oLhPS_pUKNpdwWILLbFkOZpMVTsv-dZEZTd97i2tPL/s320/IMG_0142.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260792535004486050" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUmu7U57foiLk2FQdiS-HhYdAsjcmIzjnf2XHJJGN8G3GjH_OFlCheuTLyq0IJpC_bHGJstzKE16knyrm62Ofia2syh_j6Q7gLd1WbAPafUM6xPcng1Qm8NaSm5kiqNLmOXzDNyy0Wd8s/s1600-h/IMG_0150.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUmu7U57foiLk2FQdiS-HhYdAsjcmIzjnf2XHJJGN8G3GjH_OFlCheuTLyq0IJpC_bHGJstzKE16knyrm62Ofia2syh_j6Q7gLd1WbAPafUM6xPcng1Qm8NaSm5kiqNLmOXzDNyy0Wd8s/s320/IMG_0150.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260792543843073378" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRiulDgwwyXmwSMVdMw3qoHsYgSTqKxPVvlE5iOEuhB9ufORqOlYtOcrCrv1r5gi21rjImgXmJMeIysQrmLi7l_TSBDzaK7nvrrukwu7vww0rTacp0gRgFoMejpMxJ4gx9TMlgFo3NcFMf/s1600-h/IMG_0154.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRiulDgwwyXmwSMVdMw3qoHsYgSTqKxPVvlE5iOEuhB9ufORqOlYtOcrCrv1r5gi21rjImgXmJMeIysQrmLi7l_TSBDzaK7nvrrukwu7vww0rTacp0gRgFoMejpMxJ4gx9TMlgFo3NcFMf/s320/IMG_0154.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260792555723481506" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Elephant Seal Point was just north of San Simeon. We saw lots of seals but you couldn't get very close. There were also many places to stop along the road to take in the beautiful scenery!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvShp_Sh0XBHaqZe4swR0kcKfGae9UMU3_255TGDEUNpwwFRawa0XgxXFmr4z_JLmJUQ_yrfrSNmz6g-7kdpv3Tnw1LrEc86kUH2B5S8xvM5FFpgpePnbnlbEP_xx36nLYpChuh6hbKGc/s1600-h/IMG_0176.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvShp_Sh0XBHaqZe4swR0kcKfGae9UMU3_255TGDEUNpwwFRawa0XgxXFmr4z_JLmJUQ_yrfrSNmz6g-7kdpv3Tnw1LrEc86kUH2B5S8xvM5FFpgpePnbnlbEP_xx36nLYpChuh6hbKGc/s320/IMG_0176.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260795138501033330" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTtE3eUN03CLAcph4PZTxQ-dd7Yx2bX7_EjjTcSZf71mAEHcBZBoqicC46Kp1MUuXmLbh8mJA-szhzbXT9non3EbX0X50p-0jAT6nxWCU2xLcTvWxtK73C0LvkWL4Fb9mK5AeS2g6lLNs/s1600-h/IMG_0185.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTtE3eUN03CLAcph4PZTxQ-dd7Yx2bX7_EjjTcSZf71mAEHcBZBoqicC46Kp1MUuXmLbh8mJA-szhzbXT9non3EbX0X50p-0jAT6nxWCU2xLcTvWxtK73C0LvkWL4Fb9mK5AeS2g6lLNs/s320/IMG_0185.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260795150354881378" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipOWXQFwT53qdYiclMah8qbtskrr4TBGFFKyR30FtkjhV7zMogxsrpvltQSXUOhmiBrInxod8mzNKVCKE71Q7sctAW9kRGkx4hDJIAtR8pPEPq8oLkGJDl0Xbjb-gBwDy2iZy9KGguPErb/s1600-h/IMG_0193.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipOWXQFwT53qdYiclMah8qbtskrr4TBGFFKyR30FtkjhV7zMogxsrpvltQSXUOhmiBrInxod8mzNKVCKE71Q7sctAW9kRGkx4hDJIAtR8pPEPq8oLkGJDl0Xbjb-gBwDy2iZy9KGguPErb/s320/IMG_0193.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260796415228333458" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBvRQs8ezHmxKlDjjde2wBCJnupecllWCZq777FeC0-81ymtWjTHmZ52_ktO7B0iWyA1Y5nC6JwQ88tmI6LSdDHupzVelcaCsEKZsxCHBYjsrFAGxWJ-h5-a6VguPQvSBGKyz_GmhT1mt/s1600-h/IMG_0200.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBvRQs8ezHmxKlDjjde2wBCJnupecllWCZq777FeC0-81ymtWjTHmZ52_ktO7B0iWyA1Y5nC6JwQ88tmI6LSdDHupzVelcaCsEKZsxCHBYjsrFAGxWJ-h5-a6VguPQvSBGKyz_GmhT1mt/s320/IMG_0200.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260796403928535490" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCR266FleEjGqHdJ-f4nxbmWy-eBl0wkEOogLMOoF5ue2Kbc2Xf3IQxgNIaqodf67XJOWsqYkj4FQWNpmZLl-f3_ZWCBp62wn27F0EpBkBKN_szstUxV6K3S-HmpSTdM_UN8A_xcDdH2L/s1600-h/IMG_0213.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCR266FleEjGqHdJ-f4nxbmWy-eBl0wkEOogLMOoF5ue2Kbc2Xf3IQxgNIaqodf67XJOWsqYkj4FQWNpmZLl-f3_ZWCBp62wn27F0EpBkBKN_szstUxV6K3S-HmpSTdM_UN8A_xcDdH2L/s320/IMG_0213.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260796408141519826" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRh82JdXdz_eEs-14RcTW4uLvW0mm_ePjd6JTLhH2DTbzN6bJQMedg199sVM51OAQdCvNbbaRDbCz_FQqUT7wtH9fPvkxvErPTjb42d3_XqHKabX6cXsvPj65m8tiPZgkGpZOBQWIgeMA/s1600-h/IMG_0194.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRh82JdXdz_eEs-14RcTW4uLvW0mm_ePjd6JTLhH2DTbzN6bJQMedg199sVM51OAQdCvNbbaRDbCz_FQqUT7wtH9fPvkxvErPTjb42d3_XqHKabX6cXsvPj65m8tiPZgkGpZOBQWIgeMA/s320/IMG_0194.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260796420897525778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We drove up Big Sur and took a hike at Molera State Park. We saw the results of the fires that had burned in September.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmN15HobgyKVycv-FE6ah3GGuch_IMtCcOERY-pSB8Y0iaNjPP8wq8nBykYfS7mGf282h1YsnQNHrEWm0zxWqugmThooOdP2OOnJB2Lht1Q6G07lkf9Udj-7SmPa4ZmaJcOr2oJIdzbM/s1600-h/IMG_0204.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmN15HobgyKVycv-FE6ah3GGuch_IMtCcOERY-pSB8Y0iaNjPP8wq8nBykYfS7mGf282h1YsnQNHrEWm0zxWqugmThooOdP2OOnJB2Lht1Q6G07lkf9Udj-7SmPa4ZmaJcOr2oJIdzbM/s320/IMG_0204.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260797877184038610" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0b7nVmocbv4yYg8xBSK6qtAYT0t0O-6GvCuaFL51n9C0yQes7haenBbnBkEjviAioAcro-DktbVo9MOtA20FpIDTKDknCv5jG2p0eEyKzLlEDHgPCkHaYVYviZEOe9Rc7J8IsQOfwRNc/s1600-h/IMG_0217.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0b7nVmocbv4yYg8xBSK6qtAYT0t0O-6GvCuaFL51n9C0yQes7haenBbnBkEjviAioAcro-DktbVo9MOtA20FpIDTKDknCv5jG2p0eEyKzLlEDHgPCkHaYVYviZEOe9Rc7J8IsQOfwRNc/s320/IMG_0217.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260797881974433570" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Seemingly never ending beautiful scenery!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jgUtmRCZ6Df9179zdN2lUddSflqhd9W77Ao8LKyc3Sf6nkePY9ocCZNkC-KZ7-9gpPM5oYhMj7idL_ZqWQrrvi72oWBSBwXWdvjVHbda8PaF_DK8Wq3hIznzeMR1Kk6dwAYvFhq_Ssc/s1600-h/IMG_0232.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jgUtmRCZ6Df9179zdN2lUddSflqhd9W77Ao8LKyc3Sf6nkePY9ocCZNkC-KZ7-9gpPM5oYhMj7idL_ZqWQrrvi72oWBSBwXWdvjVHbda8PaF_DK8Wq3hIznzeMR1Kk6dwAYvFhq_Ssc/s320/IMG_0232.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260798965011636738" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7lDfsYzknVAcAFTJiJP4bkKQjgZJoJnUQEi3Keo7U2tWc5XwjntHe6dc7P0z0tSXbUowIITURdwC1yno3jd0fArpJ_qEL_iAb-NtVESHa-0q2v3qFK8WlhcbirR7h0bAt4n0JxllN94/s1600-h/IMG_0228.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7lDfsYzknVAcAFTJiJP4bkKQjgZJoJnUQEi3Keo7U2tWc5XwjntHe6dc7P0z0tSXbUowIITURdwC1yno3jd0fArpJ_qEL_iAb-NtVESHa-0q2v3qFK8WlhcbirR7h0bAt4n0JxllN94/s320/IMG_0228.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260798957275730834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We spent the night in Salinas and learned a bit about that city and its location in a lush valley. It's the salad capital of the US. The majority of US lettuce greens are grown here. We also saw acres and acres of broccoli. Castroville, north of Salinas, is the artichoke capital. We found a great authentic Mexican restaurant for dinner in Salinas.<br /><br />Monterey Aquarium (in Monterey) is on Cannery Row, the old fish canning factories made famous by John Steinbeck. We were here with Scott and Julie 17 years ago and thought it was fabulous. Now they've added to it and it's even better! We watched them feed the cute little penguins. And the jellyfish were really interesting to watch.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Dwa9-DMzBa0pBXNvOP_fO5BJZFMh27_3q2vn-CqTAYOXZtcjd_6yrM4hrxbI-fHe2TCUrZ22_6M1wGrrVqHtHsjdOTxOEJ-uwENbccYhx7oUXzexT931ET_2IbgeKneNZJOB6rKmrgA/s1600-h/IMG_0016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Dwa9-DMzBa0pBXNvOP_fO5BJZFMh27_3q2vn-CqTAYOXZtcjd_6yrM4hrxbI-fHe2TCUrZ22_6M1wGrrVqHtHsjdOTxOEJ-uwENbccYhx7oUXzexT931ET_2IbgeKneNZJOB6rKmrgA/s320/IMG_0016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260819709842884002" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ar-UA_ZRfg6ad89SkZD6Tt0p5hBc97XKBJgDLLZK6V4dwMc8qNpc6a-kMJzEeso_3lQnAMlGN4h85v-__qcO96OkHsBG-RxkK1Kyw1-jXhLa4lhOcqGe7THSV6xrikOK6wxOZlInpvY/s1600-h/IMG_0025.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ar-UA_ZRfg6ad89SkZD6Tt0p5hBc97XKBJgDLLZK6V4dwMc8qNpc6a-kMJzEeso_3lQnAMlGN4h85v-__qcO96OkHsBG-RxkK1Kyw1-jXhLa4lhOcqGe7THSV6xrikOK6wxOZlInpvY/s320/IMG_0025.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260819720834426418" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfa1EW3xI64Fm1SLWC-bM3nq6BgPbMghznOx2rIOtV-99ozTH1xkt_mNVlaAzy9vh9_6j31GlAmMCQwIw_K6sEpqgcqr2i1Tp4aSX1AVpH6folz1V46s_dFLwkZVzMAWrU3kwn6_4TbA/s1600-h/IMG_0030.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfa1EW3xI64Fm1SLWC-bM3nq6BgPbMghznOx2rIOtV-99ozTH1xkt_mNVlaAzy9vh9_6j31GlAmMCQwIw_K6sEpqgcqr2i1Tp4aSX1AVpH6folz1V46s_dFLwkZVzMAWrU3kwn6_4TbA/s320/IMG_0030.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260819727166507058" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNwi6Z5Yv1XMf92DqEeJP182arWjB5bso371iuVX02Wbf6oYi0Q3ZTZ_GJHOrXJAk0X2vdGGTLhyyOBzWz4lF0NDWdc-zrFlCZ9CY1XGxqCEpETYKxXUs7U-Lp8rMOxScrl41dyBnxFU/s1600-h/IMG_0027.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNwi6Z5Yv1XMf92DqEeJP182arWjB5bso371iuVX02Wbf6oYi0Q3ZTZ_GJHOrXJAk0X2vdGGTLhyyOBzWz4lF0NDWdc-zrFlCZ9CY1XGxqCEpETYKxXUs7U-Lp8rMOxScrl41dyBnxFU/s320/IMG_0027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260819723989694594" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The starfish in the touching pool were such pretty colors and shapes. And the sea anemones were fun to watch. I had never seen so many live sand dollars.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicCiQvnzqdfIpwXFt9ACckoEDTqyJOew7XyKk04eKCo2wJI9Jolfbjt-AnY5uhhw1fEB2-VuG41jQLR-zZCQuB4Eevc9BcvogyiT1durUPBQFWyESn9OXOfGufzX2rgVWclivB4nsadDM/s1600-h/IMG_0045.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicCiQvnzqdfIpwXFt9ACckoEDTqyJOew7XyKk04eKCo2wJI9Jolfbjt-AnY5uhhw1fEB2-VuG41jQLR-zZCQuB4Eevc9BcvogyiT1durUPBQFWyESn9OXOfGufzX2rgVWclivB4nsadDM/s320/IMG_0045.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260819740274189506" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi7OlG1BK9aaSmsQhZWNvJMvzLyNa-wLd4kUpfJLxV7hcjhJMaE4bpv9Q2V2-DHkNuDZsFHlC6Y3mFBML1gSjOQiqDicCzdi9QWaA9awNOUz7mutiXVE0X2ExOfFjh0yXd-zgK654Fqjk/s1600-h/IMG_0048.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi7OlG1BK9aaSmsQhZWNvJMvzLyNa-wLd4kUpfJLxV7hcjhJMaE4bpv9Q2V2-DHkNuDZsFHlC6Y3mFBML1gSjOQiqDicCzdi9QWaA9awNOUz7mutiXVE0X2ExOfFjh0yXd-zgK654Fqjk/s320/IMG_0048.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260823146634325554" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1ptelZ7vF1mM-__bnkEjLoY4Y9agaCS_RLe6-du2haIu8uCI0BuEL0xpc9FX9EGIVG-8xX9fLwtGo2ha4NntPeyxfwDnBjdhNsBQBtC7JTbQZHR9UOnm0HRZSm7re0LL3fl-XQMEeUI/s1600-h/IMG_0061.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1ptelZ7vF1mM-__bnkEjLoY4Y9agaCS_RLe6-du2haIu8uCI0BuEL0xpc9FX9EGIVG-8xX9fLwtGo2ha4NntPeyxfwDnBjdhNsBQBtC7JTbQZHR9UOnm0HRZSm7re0LL3fl-XQMEeUI/s320/IMG_0061.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260823165639155090" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnPkkP9qtrodZ6uNSJFZHVHeHF3pKUuUnndYZCY78nFdkVwDIOuUMAVoyZ6mMJQq_90hMfCz79ek2zQE0Cggq8KiiWrITTWDcrvC_NFei-ijJ9OSpC-PYjT2z0zKvHnXuTsQCaNmcI3U/s1600-h/IMG_0057.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnPkkP9qtrodZ6uNSJFZHVHeHF3pKUuUnndYZCY78nFdkVwDIOuUMAVoyZ6mMJQq_90hMfCz79ek2zQE0Cggq8KiiWrITTWDcrvC_NFei-ijJ9OSpC-PYjT2z0zKvHnXuTsQCaNmcI3U/s320/IMG_0057.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260823167442375698" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here's my favorite tropical fish, the Moorish Idol and an outdoor porch at the aquarium where we watched the sea lions and birds.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiF0Xt7J-8pc-9Exbvvv1wzll0RHjL_Q1jztxTzQ-e-qFHZr0ZvSJYhoArNYaa6XS37BqOtGQ_s05TvYVbUcufi5HqWzXqKGitiIPfG9f6SC7RLk47FSRN80cCEe5DqKN_fF8eOTA_dM/s1600-h/IMG_0071.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiF0Xt7J-8pc-9Exbvvv1wzll0RHjL_Q1jztxTzQ-e-qFHZr0ZvSJYhoArNYaa6XS37BqOtGQ_s05TvYVbUcufi5HqWzXqKGitiIPfG9f6SC7RLk47FSRN80cCEe5DqKN_fF8eOTA_dM/s320/IMG_0071.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260830142878009938" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_3B3MYRwtA3aBmWuYW31jln_UDRApmjxQNFUR2pnaErCIfygLYalCbZxvgJ5iBE6ZuV_YW-bo2GEbNfiCLHvJY2CbADIoSA3tTOc-NiZiuA1kaJ_5DzMEpJyKVc1lw9rz-AKZ1-svts/s1600-h/IMG_0081.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_3B3MYRwtA3aBmWuYW31jln_UDRApmjxQNFUR2pnaErCIfygLYalCbZxvgJ5iBE6ZuV_YW-bo2GEbNfiCLHvJY2CbADIoSA3tTOc-NiZiuA1kaJ_5DzMEpJyKVc1lw9rz-AKZ1-svts/s320/IMG_0081.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260823183125269378" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The last time I drove the scenic 17 Mile Pebble Beach Drive was with my parents in 1964. I don't remember much except the Pebble Beach golf course on the cliffs. It also goes through the Del Monte Forest. We paid $9.25 to drive it. We could use that money as credit in a restaurant on the drive but they're very expensive so we didn't. People live on these roads but you just follow the red line. There are 21 stops. The drive was once a trail on which covered wagons carried guests from the Hotel Del Monte to picnic grounds along Pebble Beach over 100 years ago. We loved the beach with all the cairns. The appropriately named Bird Rock was covered with sea lions, harbor seals, and birds.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIIybvpi1rP9JyTc037c3RWBs0k_ZcImJZP09DCTaKjhZclQwABSjpVu8zqIYNXr1-EbtIqROgbmBWdjycY_spn2Si70YDmTS-yJFpSA4yygYShXr6mMlop7MX_oteWi8zAJ3w-HITpc/s1600-h/IMG_0086.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIIybvpi1rP9JyTc037c3RWBs0k_ZcImJZP09DCTaKjhZclQwABSjpVu8zqIYNXr1-EbtIqROgbmBWdjycY_spn2Si70YDmTS-yJFpSA4yygYShXr6mMlop7MX_oteWi8zAJ3w-HITpc/s320/IMG_0086.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260832897454713586" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcHodkcNjJzO7lU9uKU_FAXZ9ldF037_hRt2xqLBf84HgSw6z27hy9nBkv2kWZvF5LR1osk2KmHTpCBWSg-DlsMr-Knj8pprHuttz2AWQWxLo-drKdxr20v1OaNJPC7-mL7wenn_lPKdY/s1600-h/IMG_0094.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcHodkcNjJzO7lU9uKU_FAXZ9ldF037_hRt2xqLBf84HgSw6z27hy9nBkv2kWZvF5LR1osk2KmHTpCBWSg-DlsMr-Knj8pprHuttz2AWQWxLo-drKdxr20v1OaNJPC7-mL7wenn_lPKdY/s320/IMG_0094.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260832900741543634" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We saw some unique houses and estate homes.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-9bTX5xwj-v_3fcDTCM6Yxv7OPGRhn8FUE7MHS83yEPP2ukRi-lTQZU7_5mnOdgufZG7GJNmh_aaGCaH1l1FAlspwxZVd-nt5O20CBD0M0C8uz6YZ5IOFEkGXV7oczD99MqggS3rk6A/s1600-h/IMG_0096.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-9bTX5xwj-v_3fcDTCM6Yxv7OPGRhn8FUE7MHS83yEPP2ukRi-lTQZU7_5mnOdgufZG7GJNmh_aaGCaH1l1FAlspwxZVd-nt5O20CBD0M0C8uz6YZ5IOFEkGXV7oczD99MqggS3rk6A/s320/IMG_0096.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260832906858896450" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyfkAL0a-GjbdGCtcGiKdY9fCBtqF0c0jY3GVEPLu4xGJR2pJ_tAF3RjO18rI9ekIpt9_vDEUelAq416L1jbHaRr4WB_kIBMHab6TTHdhkhoh26UuvDtU4JUKwFOq0Y5I2MizkiHBBuM/s1600-h/IMG_0101.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyfkAL0a-GjbdGCtcGiKdY9fCBtqF0c0jY3GVEPLu4xGJR2pJ_tAF3RjO18rI9ekIpt9_vDEUelAq416L1jbHaRr4WB_kIBMHab6TTHdhkhoh26UuvDtU4JUKwFOq0Y5I2MizkiHBBuM/s320/IMG_0101.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260832918950261906" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlE-RK5xgvJtYm94isSkHyyYKCvkaMPePCo7Qq9j-HCoy__XbqQQgE-hGi_kEgQx6wvZWkVZ8TnAVmDLBjIyBAxDjVV6ErlvluRLl4qiqAaqsdLeDmVRTtuRwZ9uGkrZLDw14P9tQRdE/s1600-h/IMG_0102.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlE-RK5xgvJtYm94isSkHyyYKCvkaMPePCo7Qq9j-HCoy__XbqQQgE-hGi_kEgQx6wvZWkVZ8TnAVmDLBjIyBAxDjVV6ErlvluRLl4qiqAaqsdLeDmVRTtuRwZ9uGkrZLDw14P9tQRdE/s320/IMG_0102.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260834826677852242" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPVHvr2SrxCzz2nSs7lBezjHTx6el9wZEP7pZt8fjPKND2IyIXxd7Er0n0KOOnR-ppQktGhnmpjXbTr_e5-RmjXifp_nj-vqS6lTvAIzXV5rIYjLgFJ3woCJLGhAuzHBnRQttXhZeQ9Q/s1600-h/IMG_0111.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPVHvr2SrxCzz2nSs7lBezjHTx6el9wZEP7pZt8fjPKND2IyIXxd7Er0n0KOOnR-ppQktGhnmpjXbTr_e5-RmjXifp_nj-vqS6lTvAIzXV5rIYjLgFJ3woCJLGhAuzHBnRQttXhZeQ9Q/s320/IMG_0111.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260834828400265746" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I had to get a picture (the one on the right) of the famous "lone cypress" whose picture is actually copyrighted. (I can't sell the picture.) It's a symbol of fortitude and is the eternal symbol of the Pebble Beach Company.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjr-x7uwzFCRc6iXMjiO8nVrW1fxu_QTI-t-ENi9D32VmztPJkR_fEiQjPcelBzaqdjjIds5l3xr_fSNWSer0JTTA6ylhq48hMt_bPhpmKDlmrPj4yk6K3UST8BPg9FV04G5D93vmYeg/s1600-h/IMG_0115.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjr-x7uwzFCRc6iXMjiO8nVrW1fxu_QTI-t-ENi9D32VmztPJkR_fEiQjPcelBzaqdjjIds5l3xr_fSNWSer0JTTA6ylhq48hMt_bPhpmKDlmrPj4yk6K3UST8BPg9FV04G5D93vmYeg/s320/IMG_0115.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260834845531129570" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSN_gqMMi6PphM-06nC4ttgdLLPPhWjlvBfi5wh8bg738ywzsfVQywKLcSIv4SixdLvVQAge0cOw3exD2priD96eve5gdWYTXDQmMhSB6m_JISWJUV80fJLAxE1IsMAwBu5sMp1zE5RM/s1600-h/IMG_0112.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSN_gqMMi6PphM-06nC4ttgdLLPPhWjlvBfi5wh8bg738ywzsfVQywKLcSIv4SixdLvVQAge0cOw3exD2priD96eve5gdWYTXDQmMhSB6m_JISWJUV80fJLAxE1IsMAwBu5sMp1zE5RM/s320/IMG_0112.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260834836862923602" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We stopped at the Lodge at Pebble Beach to check out restaurant prices - a bit steep for us but there were lots of people. We enjoyed the view from the outdoor cafe overlooking the 18th hole. Quite a golf course!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRO3txGlUvqL05TgCtoEOqUuoDucoz-YrcBu545gsTi6F0ERn-GEbJ0EEm8rJWkIWK3TFqICV8WEdqU0yy79m_1Pv_hGufClXW9JlOfrGljP47y0cPzbUNYpitnvqVSCsFEPiSlLnPpw/s1600-h/IMG_0117.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRO3txGlUvqL05TgCtoEOqUuoDucoz-YrcBu545gsTi6F0ERn-GEbJ0EEm8rJWkIWK3TFqICV8WEdqU0yy79m_1Pv_hGufClXW9JlOfrGljP47y0cPzbUNYpitnvqVSCsFEPiSlLnPpw/s320/IMG_0117.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260837234054296642" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUBARcdsXAxBRgMRZ3vmcz8T3E7xRAz7qPdkfoy2aG1WoHSDTRphZ-RwFGKBNxYvc0GJOQpTsQ2F61WBGYljN1Q7ubjDhB3h1N0uP8RqXiUWPmWP9j846UemFipfcssUYgvZRRTekSBY/s1600-h/IMG_0122.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUBARcdsXAxBRgMRZ3vmcz8T3E7xRAz7qPdkfoy2aG1WoHSDTRphZ-RwFGKBNxYvc0GJOQpTsQ2F61WBGYljN1Q7ubjDhB3h1N0uP8RqXiUWPmWP9j846UemFipfcssUYgvZRRTekSBY/s320/IMG_0122.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260838567846916946" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We drove through Carmel and then down Ocean Avenue to Scenic Road to check out the beach. Of course the town and beach were beautiful! This is where Clint Eastwood was the mayor in the 80's.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfHtv_GLJL5A7wjY1q5ghx6DaRXWyyWiupfET8kPI2GbMxdWGW5MDoT6M1l9zueDG6qJppzLr9Mw7qTp2Kz5UoZ3ztdy6OOtsEef7KNJC2-GCWm35peNCEzPbICO685A3CaaBbh15Eso/s1600-h/IMG_0128CarmelBeachHouse.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfHtv_GLJL5A7wjY1q5ghx6DaRXWyyWiupfET8kPI2GbMxdWGW5MDoT6M1l9zueDG6qJppzLr9Mw7qTp2Kz5UoZ3ztdy6OOtsEef7KNJC2-GCWm35peNCEzPbICO685A3CaaBbh15Eso/s320/IMG_0128CarmelBeachHouse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260837259308183266" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9bPwNZ3Xd2O5MA8Y20ocnA-vLSB6C4Z9RNzLNWkTwwchJQNdvIGWzcZYnQzhmPwFT7cygcX7fNZB3hQZYINIT7rbGX-WGWzRSkbJIqkqcuGcyEOsP2TwoUtH8jx1vEGcitrmCBNSzB8/s1600-h/IMG_0124CarmelBeach.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9bPwNZ3Xd2O5MA8Y20ocnA-vLSB6C4Z9RNzLNWkTwwchJQNdvIGWzcZYnQzhmPwFT7cygcX7fNZB3hQZYINIT7rbGX-WGWzRSkbJIqkqcuGcyEOsP2TwoUtH8jx1vEGcitrmCBNSzB8/s320/IMG_0124CarmelBeach.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260837248775064978" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Santa Cruz beach boardwalk has the oldest beach amusement park in California. We were there too early for the rides to be going but there were lots of people playing volleyball. Under the pier rested many sea lions on the pilings. They're fun to watch and are they loud!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTqftfgADsjQajtRIejb9wMhJw_NIQLvBM9Juy1Gq0xUQqD7lMO1tqVUu1Na5CXdY2ZP4e0z75J7wgwgO_oRFeNpxg7P4qXwgcz4zy7_u-rhoQg0GTfDG4ivEYEmy8hdMQJoi7V9a_T3U/s1600-h/IMG_0009SantaCruzAmusementPark.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTqftfgADsjQajtRIejb9wMhJw_NIQLvBM9Juy1Gq0xUQqD7lMO1tqVUu1Na5CXdY2ZP4e0z75J7wgwgO_oRFeNpxg7P4qXwgcz4zy7_u-rhoQg0GTfDG4ivEYEmy8hdMQJoi7V9a_T3U/s320/IMG_0009SantaCruzAmusementPark.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261096008016723586" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRGL2TOzn5rAbnN5AxUdcJqG3PenwmBr5MKovXdDCUT5N1l4c0FBetum5dMT_yxdw6Evdp2VNlLp0zEckv88NKbKhyphenhyphenG_jDfQln2e8VoIrCMEDailNGj_UfTIfZPw-wzgrt1SpHz5CMTfg/s1600-h/IMG_0014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRGL2TOzn5rAbnN5AxUdcJqG3PenwmBr5MKovXdDCUT5N1l4c0FBetum5dMT_yxdw6Evdp2VNlLp0zEckv88NKbKhyphenhyphenG_jDfQln2e8VoIrCMEDailNGj_UfTIfZPw-wzgrt1SpHz5CMTfg/s320/IMG_0014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261096009060818050" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNcPQWmtRfFgiHj2XRHJyFZGNSJIr6p5iQnj0C62UczAHGbH0WpQipk5y6lTCmaWFDLe3b2cy0KXQ28jNsBeXnNP4dESIdF-Z8TiMD0NK7xoZagMYKVsFqYplcJf3lSp9YjIRYHUR2fo4/s1600-h/IMG_0023.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNcPQWmtRfFgiHj2XRHJyFZGNSJIr6p5iQnj0C62UczAHGbH0WpQipk5y6lTCmaWFDLe3b2cy0KXQ28jNsBeXnNP4dESIdF-Z8TiMD0NK7xoZagMYKVsFqYplcJf3lSp9YjIRYHUR2fo4/s320/IMG_0023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261096036998308226" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvVnq8bASIxj0zZ2Cp1V2Uk-wCZW9TjYyP0oSlEW1QMbPhfaYeLeU32243tAWQtUtEgQzPZEBCijh6Ms_ttowugwyVAthK7r2CKNMJAuoy_q2xtPMwAHn4tBXZ9Qln237WBWsa30N0txs/s1600-h/IMG_0026.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvVnq8bASIxj0zZ2Cp1V2Uk-wCZW9TjYyP0oSlEW1QMbPhfaYeLeU32243tAWQtUtEgQzPZEBCijh6Ms_ttowugwyVAthK7r2CKNMJAuoy_q2xtPMwAHn4tBXZ9Qln237WBWsa30N0txs/s320/IMG_0026.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261096018628389554" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />If you've never heard a sea lion, click on the video.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dydaFjR8ZizLpMpzhA2BnXEdf_w_ZIVn421zKXSDKHUIzGhvN3MhNBcEoUmi5y9IdxJrwAdWx_Pkp7MnZJh3w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />More beautiful scenery between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5JM3BiI9rCK0-0486m-PUP24OJ60qdVp2FdcKT8aIqwUxfZOEETRtUZPEbA7r5JswWiEa5-Fb9Bh3_TkzDnmL2J4t-5l2-TcpoOZhrt5jPfpLR6Fx1TsM_JtYWF-IxnaaIqOD5prYI0/s1600-h/IMG_0027.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5JM3BiI9rCK0-0486m-PUP24OJ60qdVp2FdcKT8aIqwUxfZOEETRtUZPEbA7r5JswWiEa5-Fb9Bh3_TkzDnmL2J4t-5l2-TcpoOZhrt5jPfpLR6Fx1TsM_JtYWF-IxnaaIqOD5prYI0/s320/IMG_0027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261098908772529090" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-QqekbUECdQiMj2DSvMYvzHvtc9YJqDQNmMQnr6q7HubT8MZ8lB9H529lPDr8tGcdvSqIU1S0zXshOK8wytFh597Di09E8Zjt9ep1QVmw0mKMCdG8o4XtTBTbIxi8cSxzKdMlNZ2OZw/s1600-h/IMG_0043.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-QqekbUECdQiMj2DSvMYvzHvtc9YJqDQNmMQnr6q7HubT8MZ8lB9H529lPDr8tGcdvSqIU1S0zXshOK8wytFh597Di09E8Zjt9ep1QVmw0mKMCdG8o4XtTBTbIxi8cSxzKdMlNZ2OZw/s320/IMG_0043.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261098917847054194" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Half Moon Bay Golf Links is near San Francisco. We took a walk to the beach at the Ritz Carlton and enjoyed the golf course, the nice houses, and the beautiful scenery. We thought it was nice that they let the public enjoy all this!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5n6k2w1NQPoKvJO0k84BrgXml-ZHEfWTjmuLhXBN4ZITOwvtkzjvpS2X_ZwxrnbJz9M8HdWS1GCsw_sQfW_2dBDK8q-mOHj7CvanlLRNUAaesc9BtReWK6aj6hyy4Dp28scALbYBTjtY/s1600-h/IMG_0053.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5n6k2w1NQPoKvJO0k84BrgXml-ZHEfWTjmuLhXBN4ZITOwvtkzjvpS2X_ZwxrnbJz9M8HdWS1GCsw_sQfW_2dBDK8q-mOHj7CvanlLRNUAaesc9BtReWK6aj6hyy4Dp28scALbYBTjtY/s320/IMG_0053.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261099760891002386" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5G-0ZT5uKuXtxHMiBcLgQXoEB4r7PA4QkDlvrkxfDw9ll2oHJ4Kt7XSssKixnw1F7Z30VL9xTpZ_nnPpAZy_YY4OwcK8mn27mobW6K1-5S8vYja7JwaVQMn700W_k8WfVzTqiw3f6iyw/s1600-h/IMG_0056HalfMoonBay.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5G-0ZT5uKuXtxHMiBcLgQXoEB4r7PA4QkDlvrkxfDw9ll2oHJ4Kt7XSssKixnw1F7Z30VL9xTpZ_nnPpAZy_YY4OwcK8mn27mobW6K1-5S8vYja7JwaVQMn700W_k8WfVzTqiw3f6iyw/s320/IMG_0056HalfMoonBay.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261099763359324610" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FjaQHJvFzNV1sRmDLFHxl5w_2WdeO8u4wfc3CqRvBVsQzpq6lyihooUU7-KxCZbD7Vf_njslXNF83CW8suJ7c7NR7JdTigPt4poykiUEtot2oMx80JBe5q4097ROpsPOLrDzSK7adHE/s1600-h/IMG_0057.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FjaQHJvFzNV1sRmDLFHxl5w_2WdeO8u4wfc3CqRvBVsQzpq6lyihooUU7-KxCZbD7Vf_njslXNF83CW8suJ7c7NR7JdTigPt4poykiUEtot2oMx80JBe5q4097ROpsPOLrDzSK7adHE/s320/IMG_0057.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261099774340489826" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvd1whjF0jxd6JBTSxfWlRgehUucfZ2n7IM-0_tKGGHTCDunN_wctO4Kt8NCc5hbwTSKzS6RFNcqeMXz25rRFpVokEGFFuK-8HI6C2GoGNjSj3I8dQQCvlqi1eHaiqQziLxno_UDyuGo/s1600-h/IMG_0064.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvd1whjF0jxd6JBTSxfWlRgehUucfZ2n7IM-0_tKGGHTCDunN_wctO4Kt8NCc5hbwTSKzS6RFNcqeMXz25rRFpVokEGFFuK-8HI6C2GoGNjSj3I8dQQCvlqi1eHaiqQziLxno_UDyuGo/s320/IMG_0064.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261099782844093394" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The drive up the coast was gorgeous. We saw clouds, sun, fog with most temperatures in the 60's. Unforgettable! On to San Francisco!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5G-0ZT5uKuXtxHMiBcLgQXoEB4r7PA4QkDlvrkxfDw9ll2oHJ4Kt7XSssKixnw1F7Z30VL9xTpZ_nnPpAZy_YY4OwcK8mn27mobW6K1-5S8vYja7JwaVQMn700W_k8WfVzTqiw3f6iyw/s1600-h/IMG_0056HalfMoonBay.jpg"><br /></a>Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-8336950294071734052008-09-15T15:06:00.000-07:002008-10-18T11:22:37.431-07:00LA (Santa Monica) 9.08After our trip to Canada, we spent 3 days at the Mullins' house going through 2 weeks of mail, dealing with things, and repacking. Finally we were ready to fly out to California to see the kids.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sept. 11- 15. Santa Monica.</span> We got a great price on a one way car rental at Santa Ana Airport (much cheaper than the LA Airport). It was only an hour's drive from Julie's. Believe it or not, traffic wasn't too bad. And it was nice to have warm, sunny weather.<br /><br />The first day we dealt with transferring the title of our '93 Camry to Julie. This also involved her getting her CA license and getting a smog inspection for the car. That afternoon Julie had an audition in Burbank. We drove by lots of movie studios, dropped her off and then hung out in a park. We had a 7 PM date with our friends, George & Scott at the Hollywood Bowl, the outdoor amphitheater. We were having dinner and then seeing the LA Philharmonic & Brian Wilson (formerly of the Beach Boys). It was really neat to be there. George and Scott have box seats fairly close to stage. They provide small tables that hang over the edge of the "boxes" for a meal or just drinks. They had brought a delicious vegan dinner of lentils, falafel balls, heriloom tomatoes, and pie and wine from New Zealand in honor of Michael. The orchestra was great. We were really shocked at Brian Wilson, though. He showed no emotion at all. He also doesn't have much of a voice. But the people accompanying him were excellent. It was fun to hear the songs and they had people dancing in the aisles and singing along. At the end they had fireworks to celebrate the end of the summer season. It was great to see George and Scott. And we thank them for the wonderful seats and the wonderful meal! (See the bottom of this for a short video clip of "California Girls.")<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngkw7fxBgPMEfxoUs3W3cwyNNilNgZQPAsX9Z-ZVqpRO0r5PO7Ffc0LBuW4_CELghVfj7wTiSx8wFJmCFVV1cepokzaTQP_OjXz8selPZvC0Y8wFbARGsb_rRMGUbWHN3zWhGttpiwUcE/s1600-h/IMG_0017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngkw7fxBgPMEfxoUs3W3cwyNNilNgZQPAsX9Z-ZVqpRO0r5PO7Ffc0LBuW4_CELghVfj7wTiSx8wFJmCFVV1cepokzaTQP_OjXz8selPZvC0Y8wFbARGsb_rRMGUbWHN3zWhGttpiwUcE/s320/IMG_0017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258514606853321746" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHQljrpLEUE1mlKLqmEuEPBwrBSa8_Fp7DBjQzDOfyRDJOTBWM11WMKDc7NTNItix1ZnM3cS1PgN6YYed2vOUr_NHpzeBT-TfCvPC73YiDJPLB5j2HSZvxslKjX6drfPfwkH-KJcyBy5g8/s1600-h/IMG_0021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHQljrpLEUE1mlKLqmEuEPBwrBSa8_Fp7DBjQzDOfyRDJOTBWM11WMKDc7NTNItix1ZnM3cS1PgN6YYed2vOUr_NHpzeBT-TfCvPC73YiDJPLB5j2HSZvxslKjX6drfPfwkH-KJcyBy5g8/s320/IMG_0021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258514612488494626" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9jHc1K6K6swJnsepXXGidB1msYqTniLPakSahY1jDcByX31FZ12aeWEBvKA-R_21bW1dYaOIiOAu8oZprzRRJDZOmIILCS0CYbFaTpiMXpwNEB8KhecDua4N8-C_Uql3GLrLmCbFxyxyp/s1600-h/IMG_0044.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9jHc1K6K6swJnsepXXGidB1msYqTniLPakSahY1jDcByX31FZ12aeWEBvKA-R_21bW1dYaOIiOAu8oZprzRRJDZOmIILCS0CYbFaTpiMXpwNEB8KhecDua4N8-C_Uql3GLrLmCbFxyxyp/s320/IMG_0044.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258514620180169074" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hhqir2o30qnI-GrDeEFPXYNCsWH4jLdMLvKrE0s6U8_0RZBQdDRvXjK9MRC-WPYj86ci76jrnqkDaUwYQiNkZvIGZ9rSqAKW17s0xqIePS0z10hsO0UKoEPQhk_n_2d2YEBVj5EFUsRE/s1600-h/IMG_0050.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hhqir2o30qnI-GrDeEFPXYNCsWH4jLdMLvKrE0s6U8_0RZBQdDRvXjK9MRC-WPYj86ci76jrnqkDaUwYQiNkZvIGZ9rSqAKW17s0xqIePS0z10hsO0UKoEPQhk_n_2d2YEBVj5EFUsRE/s320/IMG_0050.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258514631433430722" border="0" /></a>Julie's and Michael's apartment is pretty good sized and really nice. It's in a great location. They can walk to everything, the beach and famous Santa Monica pier, the Farmer's Market, library and the coop. Their neighborhood is a mix of apartments & single family houses. The first few days we were there it was hazy until late morning and then in the low 70's and breezy - not warm enough for me to have a bathing suit on but lovely for any outdoor activity. That's one thing they love about Santa Monica. It can be 80 in LA and 70 in Santa Monica!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdQYwFsqWkuIRjN2fx75A4OszgUCSoWjb2XlRHdkCZAgfieo8wVFKDQt36Ikc9Ly1h7M_iHU5ABTpx9ZkI6bgsZ2MTel_q3WeREa5ulMefjBetikFt0aHW0bD-eL8awF68pHYVJyqRhyS/s1600-h/IMG_0006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdQYwFsqWkuIRjN2fx75A4OszgUCSoWjb2XlRHdkCZAgfieo8wVFKDQt36Ikc9Ly1h7M_iHU5ABTpx9ZkI6bgsZ2MTel_q3WeREa5ulMefjBetikFt0aHW0bD-eL8awF68pHYVJyqRhyS/s320/IMG_0006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258529425638233218" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKB73cthMM1NgIKKFwm76TIqkff73Z3cV6j6pxa4fHWTUwU9edMmg4wSGiVLjLaLAeXmOBV_Unxo-eFr-BUUeE2KWumA2zI8x7aUkMITpQgxHIEVfJdb1OoJdCifGNZRcg6ilWl66zAEL/s1600-h/IMG_0005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKB73cthMM1NgIKKFwm76TIqkff73Z3cV6j6pxa4fHWTUwU9edMmg4wSGiVLjLaLAeXmOBV_Unxo-eFr-BUUeE2KWumA2zI8x7aUkMITpQgxHIEVfJdb1OoJdCifGNZRcg6ilWl66zAEL/s320/IMG_0005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258529417638231346" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKw91R09x-cpUKNuH7QysqodBZMk78JFP5YfU98D3s-8_cPIXwUVyr2mcInj2QbJjqz1CwO4k8yo2PTJk0JVW6j0u6xfqptTWtrUf8xpHQVg1rNrGvBsXP7kBdxqHILEiI-QVELk6bkO2/s1600-h/IMG_0001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKw91R09x-cpUKNuH7QysqodBZMk78JFP5YfU98D3s-8_cPIXwUVyr2mcInj2QbJjqz1CwO4k8yo2PTJk0JVW6j0u6xfqptTWtrUf8xpHQVg1rNrGvBsXP7kBdxqHILEiI-QVELk6bkO2/s320/IMG_0001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258529435944508930" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMNl9V3KLBuhmFG1fNwcd7VWdhGFzdK6b5MWYSObgxJk2m0SVZ0WG_Du3wtLCOip968rZ7_ycRwMAeHPGCQw_6BXkpWCFNOI8kq1VpHDNeipkSo799l2ioMQrLuhmYsuR-ipndNOqhe_i/s1600-h/IMG_0002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMNl9V3KLBuhmFG1fNwcd7VWdhGFzdK6b5MWYSObgxJk2m0SVZ0WG_Du3wtLCOip968rZ7_ycRwMAeHPGCQw_6BXkpWCFNOI8kq1VpHDNeipkSo799l2ioMQrLuhmYsuR-ipndNOqhe_i/s320/IMG_0002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258529439583867858" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />There was a cool electric car on her street and my favorite flower, the Bird-of-Paradise.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTfsmmEnpHWHMrO42Iu-NQpKpT_k1z1NAu84Dwqz-0NWBjkWIDA3G3AbOFoedF8Lj8Yin1RD25r49GDtbWquW2n5FTAsq8inK3-BoGxSQpURoc5g4xanr-FhNISYX12kykl2Zt9YzGZwjW/s1600-h/IMG_0027-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTfsmmEnpHWHMrO42Iu-NQpKpT_k1z1NAu84Dwqz-0NWBjkWIDA3G3AbOFoedF8Lj8Yin1RD25r49GDtbWquW2n5FTAsq8inK3-BoGxSQpURoc5g4xanr-FhNISYX12kykl2Zt9YzGZwjW/s320/IMG_0027-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258550444703852674" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0ANO431WPuLUOD_sfKf2cRA59Yj8XQLKTV6STFBLzEgF0rS6cBNIK8HygELo_c1ar9yIk8-miyEtYccyvPY78gybCsO7lpwusfK1QGuqjEyC6VaKkmNXkOE_OJRi9twBoMu5y7EtIbup/s1600-h/IMG_0026-1Crop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0ANO431WPuLUOD_sfKf2cRA59Yj8XQLKTV6STFBLzEgF0rS6cBNIK8HygELo_c1ar9yIk8-miyEtYccyvPY78gybCsO7lpwusfK1QGuqjEyC6VaKkmNXkOE_OJRi9twBoMu5y7EtIbup/s320/IMG_0026-1Crop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258550452403675730" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The beach is pretty amazing. First of all it's at the bottom of cliffs (palisades) and the beach is really wide. There are lots of beach volleyball nets set up. Right at the edge of the beach there's a biking/walking path 22 miles long from Malibu to Torrance. We walked to the beach every day just for exercise. Way off in the distance of the first picture you can see the amusement park at the pier. The water is pretty chilly here but there were a few brave souls.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsds-gR8CpvRH6t9kZRpKrUatdPKQU8whdYcy5xrWWTIKFkyFo_4snC4wX_F9oE_QAkpemWv9ubw07hgZTjT6fBcA7AA_r0SeHM3PB49xyKJkveNdoV7l2vKAJcBgdbLEvggWVrYs3z9uI/s1600-h/IMG_0006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsds-gR8CpvRH6t9kZRpKrUatdPKQU8whdYcy5xrWWTIKFkyFo_4snC4wX_F9oE_QAkpemWv9ubw07hgZTjT6fBcA7AA_r0SeHM3PB49xyKJkveNdoV7l2vKAJcBgdbLEvggWVrYs3z9uI/s320/IMG_0006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258546367092305586" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgECMP43IayAhbCgyTwm8Q33CIk1lmdl07gwww06EimvyiBMSKhhoC2zfpevvHNv5J7CMf-bNsEa3T5xMO-s3xL5lpWn_gC8uAhllH7yL8o57AFS744AapoVC4NCvEa6-cHjOHIrwgOEzQK/s1600-h/IMG_0019.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgECMP43IayAhbCgyTwm8Q33CIk1lmdl07gwww06EimvyiBMSKhhoC2zfpevvHNv5J7CMf-bNsEa3T5xMO-s3xL5lpWn_gC8uAhllH7yL8o57AFS744AapoVC4NCvEa6-cHjOHIrwgOEzQK/s320/IMG_0019.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258546379707647218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This cool looking gnarled tree was at the top of the cliff. I liked the sign on the apartment building across from the beach advertising free sunsets!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zrO9BUgP8MNHvKiO9gro2wSrG-nE6N0LMBcsW6fVX_KCZtEtHzj7HdV6leJSyOk8RwBSBZLaJhqTBa3R0n_EP9W2blBYDqTWtR36naxGHz2h1uuz-Fg0ccPZ2BT5sZ1GAf3KC4uC9xeA/s1600-h/IMG_0012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zrO9BUgP8MNHvKiO9gro2wSrG-nE6N0LMBcsW6fVX_KCZtEtHzj7HdV6leJSyOk8RwBSBZLaJhqTBa3R0n_EP9W2blBYDqTWtR36naxGHz2h1uuz-Fg0ccPZ2BT5sZ1GAf3KC4uC9xeA/s320/IMG_0012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258546374084290706" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TGAXMaGmHQt7C0IUjmi4lfbTTE1ZKuqjhRqTl2QQ3kRdHBx_UbjZIit-uHbupbTOowYxEch1bh4r3ckRDGItVR56xsLSSowqBbernWC1nc852XU6DIZhfQVFyW-4Uifw9ciD4V_gqGx0/s1600-h/IMG_0022-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TGAXMaGmHQt7C0IUjmi4lfbTTE1ZKuqjhRqTl2QQ3kRdHBx_UbjZIit-uHbupbTOowYxEch1bh4r3ckRDGItVR56xsLSSowqBbernWC1nc852XU6DIZhfQVFyW-4Uifw9ciD4V_gqGx0/s320/IMG_0022-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258546391419688338" border="0" /></a>One night Michael had to work (as a waiter at the Wilshire Restaurant) but the 3 of us went to the Getty Center. You park at the bottom of the Santa Monica Mountains and then take a tram to the top. It's a beautiful setting - the view, landscaping and buildings are really amazing. The buildings house paintings, sculpture, and furniture from 1600 to 1900. We definitely will go back. (If you drive, you pay to park but museum is free.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIH0sOKdNrzjvDEQecONgeepmhcQEwEmMpd8WoJG2lnpOPtmE__lV7m5E-rAFiwfWTgUAHfjogaYULK5AtuKO4__ofV_m7G7ZFLkHOeU2cvJstLw7z2ov-qbNDEGqwpB4bTxh_p9oE7i1L/s1600-h/IMG_0040-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIH0sOKdNrzjvDEQecONgeepmhcQEwEmMpd8WoJG2lnpOPtmE__lV7m5E-rAFiwfWTgUAHfjogaYULK5AtuKO4__ofV_m7G7ZFLkHOeU2cvJstLw7z2ov-qbNDEGqwpB4bTxh_p9oE7i1L/s320/IMG_0040-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258548439348693378" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOxIZp-EBiADYW7ANvnB2pdAFoSs1mFwY_IndYD9jKzzmxGjw6CdFWOCBQMXPPRzb8wMOdxu7i0_fvNgfdtReE3Y8Pa9KV7-iyUjuDBBO0WyXRFcw3OKfhevcuuzmOxm63VMUv1QChJmz/s1600-h/IMG_0041-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOxIZp-EBiADYW7ANvnB2pdAFoSs1mFwY_IndYD9jKzzmxGjw6CdFWOCBQMXPPRzb8wMOdxu7i0_fvNgfdtReE3Y8Pa9KV7-iyUjuDBBO0WyXRFcw3OKfhevcuuzmOxm63VMUv1QChJmz/s320/IMG_0041-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258548446825311714" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Sunday Will Matthews came over for lunch. We hadn't seen Will in about 3 years so it was great to see him. He's still doing the voice of a cartoon character and also writes comedy in hopes of getting work as a writer. We met Michael's parents, Jim and Sylvia, for dinner at Real Food Daily, an excellent vegan & organic restaurant. On the way to the restaurant we walked to the beach again & down 3rd Street Promenade which is closed to traffic. There's lots of music, street performers, and very expensive stores. We had hoped to watch Julie on "Mad Men" but they don't have a TV!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwPsFEN91q801qZaBKdeedrHK1biD6ADl-MMmB35MmPbu32IW6G_D-pKGll58C0bWZkb5SPjyZf9APGGf6fDB39O5MXb-DoLG1qejqQk_seBxXnlnchdbm8TDk-jV5Pk4J3NGCGr-mX4I/s1600-h/IMG_0051.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwPsFEN91q801qZaBKdeedrHK1biD6ADl-MMmB35MmPbu32IW6G_D-pKGll58C0bWZkb5SPjyZf9APGGf6fDB39O5MXb-DoLG1qejqQk_seBxXnlnchdbm8TDk-jV5Pk4J3NGCGr-mX4I/s320/IMG_0051.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258548454452884194" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrX05kEXzPqPjL2NyZ1BLD9lqiaMUY6bPpDE6CcdqSi0JyaJwh3zvDKjFkXlW84fZhgp5lwvpSa09wHrwJNGMmwirnD7LOeJvEd06dD8i7v9ugFhOyQchIqxKLyqbMJe4v4uBn7FTM33q/s1600-h/IMG_0008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrX05kEXzPqPjL2NyZ1BLD9lqiaMUY6bPpDE6CcdqSi0JyaJwh3zvDKjFkXlW84fZhgp5lwvpSa09wHrwJNGMmwirnD7LOeJvEd06dD8i7v9ugFhOyQchIqxKLyqbMJe4v4uBn7FTM33q/s320/IMG_0008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258554114531292530" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Monday Julie took us down to Main Street, south of the 10. At the Visitor's Center we picked up a guide to historic buildings downtown to use at another time. We walked down Main Street and window shopped. The stores were more reasonably priced than 3rd Street. Here's a picture of the other side of the pier amusement park. And we saw this really interesting building with fake windows!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuy2Zylx7elRfTzYI3omMnpcYMT3wJf6YYxuqlxGyvq5k8fO_SlucmHTJ5-CPHwVDf6Ql1z4OFlvpAEBD9H2M3Rf6VAfQfGexDfRTgT84Zo7VsIYX_SwYDF4kzzdv6MTD3AuSIiTIsnJhE/s1600-h/IMG_0003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuy2Zylx7elRfTzYI3omMnpcYMT3wJf6YYxuqlxGyvq5k8fO_SlucmHTJ5-CPHwVDf6Ql1z4OFlvpAEBD9H2M3Rf6VAfQfGexDfRTgT84Zo7VsIYX_SwYDF4kzzdv6MTD3AuSIiTIsnJhE/s320/IMG_0003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258552172195299570" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0MF9RDVqVP1AdyLlMsPA0Ebzj6lh-kuIKhG6yeLohD-GJeAdfmXE04kd1UYdlOCYZR86NoMk2PqEXWLFG6M2Oiu0Tp6iriyJQf27RdLzhrFPnmyF3X3FabZPvLEYdJTl1Kt5hbEO78nW/s1600-h/IMG_0005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0MF9RDVqVP1AdyLlMsPA0Ebzj6lh-kuIKhG6yeLohD-GJeAdfmXE04kd1UYdlOCYZR86NoMk2PqEXWLFG6M2Oiu0Tp6iriyJQf27RdLzhrFPnmyF3X3FabZPvLEYdJTl1Kt5hbEO78nW/s320/IMG_0005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258553001135426786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In the afternoon Michael took us on a hike to some pools at Malibu Creek State Park up in the brown mountains. (They turn green during the winter rains.) When we arrived the film crew from "Cold Case" was finishing up their shoot. The pools were really pretty but had slippery rocks at the edge. Michael was the only one who went in the water and got refreshed!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoqe5byM7XS8uBJBWnlh_skblphG9nhXogGCrUcb8Wags2VP5NU3sdegY1EtEUQZ7E54Uh1K-5lngBLEldORs7bO8mGz6ZezNEwyhbItwLbA9sgEwY3lOEEeD7-PX8HP_6wUZurZYGY7t/s1600-h/IMG_0025.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoqe5byM7XS8uBJBWnlh_skblphG9nhXogGCrUcb8Wags2VP5NU3sdegY1EtEUQZ7E54Uh1K-5lngBLEldORs7bO8mGz6ZezNEwyhbItwLbA9sgEwY3lOEEeD7-PX8HP_6wUZurZYGY7t/s320/IMG_0025.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258553013926627330" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDElIKLgzkJOiU-JhnvRQHCpmhE3lqFOha-sJ7TtG6Ef9z_Zichbs82N50SoQp4EZgjCJB9LLbvhQsVKUYhcTzC6K3joP7TVZheECldjEd4HBNKHGUhnQ3qyxJWPYcrm-3yRZALObPICrx/s1600-h/IMG_0009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDElIKLgzkJOiU-JhnvRQHCpmhE3lqFOha-sJ7TtG6Ef9z_Zichbs82N50SoQp4EZgjCJB9LLbvhQsVKUYhcTzC6K3joP7TVZheECldjEd4HBNKHGUhnQ3qyxJWPYcrm-3yRZALObPICrx/s320/IMG_0009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258552993836360514" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />We always love to spend time with Julie and Michael and their cute cats, Clovis and Teela. Although it was a little challenging to figure out where the cats should be for the night in their one bedroom apartment. (They like to rise with the sun!!) Clovis liked to play with his "Duckie" or jump up to catch a toy while Teela preferred playing with a twist tie. They were fun to watch!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmX07eriabgyopy3w_ZA0Zkxtve0lqqc_V45cdOqQ2o6nTrf28vGo9IwREAoRRljWRl4W8nYOISnCw9J9pdkUqUE1qhAJ_vLrRsEzqA0qH5qel7Q_Osn9pFz44BB0r4hd9210xjStsxM4/s1600-h/IMG_0030.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmX07eriabgyopy3w_ZA0Zkxtve0lqqc_V45cdOqQ2o6nTrf28vGo9IwREAoRRljWRl4W8nYOISnCw9J9pdkUqUE1qhAJ_vLrRsEzqA0qH5qel7Q_Osn9pFz44BB0r4hd9210xjStsxM4/s320/IMG_0030.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258550458958261666" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pDCLE63DGrfsvwxTPm083mxj-4F_rR-Y1no1ktN2xlf-d7NT21Y7wNZRETDgePz9JkNh-ql8PmdK0yLDXBiptm4QiAxzbeUWKps2QeeJODB50vW6oF3BSD1XQayhylV7d1PGe7d6iP0w/s1600-h/IMG_0004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pDCLE63DGrfsvwxTPm083mxj-4F_rR-Y1no1ktN2xlf-d7NT21Y7wNZRETDgePz9JkNh-ql8PmdK0yLDXBiptm4QiAxzbeUWKps2QeeJODB50vW6oF3BSD1XQayhylV7d1PGe7d6iP0w/s320/IMG_0004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258554105109389314" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFHAisJJTALqCG2Jz0ImelkAwo6TAUkwIPiN_OcY2IGUcBxb93xK1kxZ5iueOu-ZGkuEORPIprrko4MJ9T65h1V6lW3XDZj8RXXwstDtgKfYRBUrasJuLfHYmd9JrndDUUK4oYJLifXQF/s1600-h/IMG_0020.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFHAisJJTALqCG2Jz0ImelkAwo6TAUkwIPiN_OcY2IGUcBxb93xK1kxZ5iueOu-ZGkuEORPIprrko4MJ9T65h1V6lW3XDZj8RXXwstDtgKfYRBUrasJuLfHYmd9JrndDUUK4oYJLifXQF/s320/IMG_0020.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258553006948212098" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDywxpfK3x0Q0kLY93WGRu6qUI-c94hBHhVB4t05dlN17LiNSncx6ymG5V124T0hKIYxi_NjNNToLxLrz3Fcol8FttWzf67DMGGIwETC5UFdR7vTG5AQSzFO7MN4MydlwFzbm7zrgMNun3/s1600-h/IMG_0042.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDywxpfK3x0Q0kLY93WGRu6qUI-c94hBHhVB4t05dlN17LiNSncx6ymG5V124T0hKIYxi_NjNNToLxLrz3Fcol8FttWzf67DMGGIwETC5UFdR7vTG5AQSzFO7MN4MydlwFzbm7zrgMNun3/s320/IMG_0042.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258548461887924946" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span>We really had a great visit! Santa Monica is a really nice to place to live and Julie and Michael are really happy with their apartment and its location. They hope to be there for a few years!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Next trip: Coastal California.</span><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw6hw8vq5CPLZoMJLElnyAHCP1STi0O8pDKXOKolfDIvHS_xsJuAc7mw_Cbz9NqSF0SeBDoaAJck9CbbAXyrQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-88540875913807356852008-09-14T17:24:00.000-07:002008-10-06T12:43:46.130-07:00Prince Edward Island<span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday, Aug. 31. Windmills, Seaweed Pie & a Traffic Light. </span>We planned on checking out the Agricultural Exposition in Wellington, a french area, in western PEI. But when we got there the exhibits had been taken down and there was nothing to see until the afternoon. So we left and headed up to the northern most end of the island, North Cape.The landscape is much more flat on this side but we saw plenty of potato fields like we had in the center of the island.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcpP6-ow2cICELFXDaaR8EXIh_t2CTwnCWnM2jc_B2cAzYjFYNlLVR_Y7mlkTnaE8R7K-sSuNOHIn1GXVXu1N157S4aiyVDAbN-uhTwWUydTJZ2ml9iuI6-YGZtmb86jUTN7EcnpUdkcES/s1600-h/IMG_0106Potatoes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcpP6-ow2cICELFXDaaR8EXIh_t2CTwnCWnM2jc_B2cAzYjFYNlLVR_Y7mlkTnaE8R7K-sSuNOHIn1GXVXu1N157S4aiyVDAbN-uhTwWUydTJZ2ml9iuI6-YGZtmb86jUTN7EcnpUdkcES/s320/IMG_0106Potatoes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253383588892472210" border="0" /></a>We knew we had arrived when we saw the tall windmills. The North Cape Interpretive Centre featured an aquarium and displays about the wind research facility. We were impressed to learn that it supplies 5% of the island's electricity. A real plus to this visit was seeing Irish Moss being raked along the shore. It was then taken by truck to roads on the cape and spread out to dry. We talked to a woman spreading (on a Sunday). She said it took a day to dry but she wasn't sure it would dry since the sun had just come out in the afternoon. After it was dry it was packed into a bale and sent to many locations to be processed into carrageenan, a thickening agent used in ice cream, cosmetics, etc. Years ago horses pulled rakes on the shore to pick it up. It was pretty amazing to think that they were still doing this all by hand and drying it on the dirt. (We found out later that it's not all dried this way.) We went on a long walk on the Black Marsh Nature Trail which leads through an open bog. We even saw cranberries growing there. Our next stop was Miminegash where we planned on having Seaweed Pie at the Seaweed Pie Cafe. We had no idea what we were going to have. It turned out it was a sponge cake bottom and a creamy, but not too sweet, and slightly green topping. It came with a choice of strawberry, raspberry or blueberry sauce. It really was very tasty. Of course, the fun part was just thinking we were eating seaweed. The waitress actually showed us how they cook the seaweed down and remove the slightly thick, clear carrageenan. It was very cool to think that they actually did this all from scratch! At one intersection we saw a traffic signal different from any others we've seen, red square, diamond yellow and circle green.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQBjWf7PI4g2TbXekto2wG0ky3bViUDSZwPUumvl9I7W9ii-fzGQA_quysuZyDwW_mR1HbQhe-q_TRzRrJOV6xKgie5BxCckyQykG7JPjUrXNZy0Ul3Mup4bkqXR7cHojzS17Bt_YSczP/s1600-h/IMGP2393.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQBjWf7PI4g2TbXekto2wG0ky3bViUDSZwPUumvl9I7W9ii-fzGQA_quysuZyDwW_mR1HbQhe-q_TRzRrJOV6xKgie5BxCckyQykG7JPjUrXNZy0Ul3Mup4bkqXR7cHojzS17Bt_YSczP/s320/IMGP2393.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253025908340935778" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lDhAaZwRs7AkJLxcAOP3TLPImBIO0k-zPkPNiTwIgL1zta5yYXdZMJ6J5pzUkyllaKmZ2f8NVD2PecUrV8maCbgWgkilplGRupC5jJZbFRq_Wli69f-pzp_k2RI7_xEg2YbgXiR8E8Fb/s1600-h/IMGP2404.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lDhAaZwRs7AkJLxcAOP3TLPImBIO0k-zPkPNiTwIgL1zta5yYXdZMJ6J5pzUkyllaKmZ2f8NVD2PecUrV8maCbgWgkilplGRupC5jJZbFRq_Wli69f-pzp_k2RI7_xEg2YbgXiR8E8Fb/s320/IMGP2404.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253025913464222386" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIY1zA57Gzl3WtLJ1wsfz9zyATqc3GWOWX4C6knaiQJMfka8WQPxFqoYbwUz01fDhdI2_48nfXjHlxID-cdOzK8b4UXwDvuj_0SanAZlJXMiCIK7aX9h7ci7Ll9RlLBWsSF0QVcTjEOHMG/s1600-h/IMGP2399.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIY1zA57Gzl3WtLJ1wsfz9zyATqc3GWOWX4C6knaiQJMfka8WQPxFqoYbwUz01fDhdI2_48nfXjHlxID-cdOzK8b4UXwDvuj_0SanAZlJXMiCIK7aX9h7ci7Ll9RlLBWsSF0QVcTjEOHMG/s320/IMGP2399.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253025918522038802" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgunbBSm-iH5aLM5KOe7vmM15UWM88J2PyKqPR9Yh-1Ttup1yQAsWQy3B82me1Y9FIvn17usGN5HvO2bPXbovOG8zks3y4giMzxxjyCREMu1EzENufXLbYIkr8yEwp2gN_xmwpHMU5dcvf7/s1600-h/IMGP2428.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgunbBSm-iH5aLM5KOe7vmM15UWM88J2PyKqPR9Yh-1Ttup1yQAsWQy3B82me1Y9FIvn17usGN5HvO2bPXbovOG8zks3y4giMzxxjyCREMu1EzENufXLbYIkr8yEwp2gN_xmwpHMU5dcvf7/s320/IMGP2428.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253025916636619650" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday, Sept. 1. Rain Storm and Our Fill of "Anne".</span> The wind and rain started during the night and kept up all day. It was so windy that David and Betsy in the second floor bed could feel the house move! We decided to stay home. We ended up watching TV, reading, and watching the movie version of "Anne of Green Gables". It was a nice way to spend an ugly day. Oh, in the morning David noticed that the track to the sliding glass door was filled with water. The carpet in front of the door was soaked. We mopped it up but it kept coming in. I called "Sandy" at the management office and he came to check it out. David ended up readjusting the door and that seemed to do the trick. We had tickets for the musical, "Anne of Green Gables" in Charlottetown, about 40 minutes away and had planned on having dinner there. Fortunately the rain had let up and when we arrived the sun actually came out. We had an excellent dinner at Mavor's Bistro right in the Confederation Centre where the play was performed. Mavor Moore, the father of Canadian Musical Theatre, was instrumental in getting the center built. The play was excellent! Of course, we were all reminded of the Amherst Community Theater production and who played which part. This was a very professional performance. In the lobby there was a glass case showing a miniature Green Gables and all the characters on the lawn - all done in sugar! It was created by a Japanese man and was pretty amazing.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2GsQ_Z-RTNC5RPttk0SLF4TmurMUySi8UnAGFbUijpRwvxPrTd9Mq3xhFjQDbr4teGh1C-G12V24Eoiuy5SnI-cauadgOvLMUz6KpAlxOUVClSsGFA-O5ifNXa6bMIhiXCDWJGrjPB0Gt/s1600-h/IMG_0013AnneSugarHouse.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2GsQ_Z-RTNC5RPttk0SLF4TmurMUySi8UnAGFbUijpRwvxPrTd9Mq3xhFjQDbr4teGh1C-G12V24Eoiuy5SnI-cauadgOvLMUz6KpAlxOUVClSsGFA-O5ifNXa6bMIhiXCDWJGrjPB0Gt/s320/IMG_0013AnneSugarHouse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253030278100705346" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDE7V4xoqIWh_quyKkEg3IncTzYzr5tJsMM_Q9shPB6r_PwgOOUEUslR-ExVLgQA2jzl-3AQo96onmM1is-878SjuwlAIpHnCwD5FbUGptmIOx1i_YTHxb538skqRc4nISQVfpGPsupqoK/s1600-h/IMG_0015.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDE7V4xoqIWh_quyKkEg3IncTzYzr5tJsMM_Q9shPB6r_PwgOOUEUslR-ExVLgQA2jzl-3AQo96onmM1is-878SjuwlAIpHnCwD5FbUGptmIOx1i_YTHxb538skqRc4nISQVfpGPsupqoK/s320/IMG_0015.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253030280840852290" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span><br />Here's a mussel farm in one of the harbors and some beautiful scenery.</span><span><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtB6TsUFh4fuX287Qr3xiHEkyBtQJ7CbmK-5o6QHveh6xqZrAJMqmH11FMIexjW4bFqa6pmimdG7IVOw2oJA1U7DPR4viz1jsvWj6M9jAIkEMzcfX6gpPpYL5MBCfAPW_wJoLKTC3TFmDS/s1600-h/IMG_0017MusselFarm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtB6TsUFh4fuX287Qr3xiHEkyBtQJ7CbmK-5o6QHveh6xqZrAJMqmH11FMIexjW4bFqa6pmimdG7IVOw2oJA1U7DPR4viz1jsvWj6M9jAIkEMzcfX6gpPpYL5MBCfAPW_wJoLKTC3TFmDS/s320/IMG_0017MusselFarm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253386925290341810" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrJY8C558DNNaYsQJEfBxkFQqsyQd8PJBrjJ5T9ldPZkSkxAcLc5bIk9BIhyphenhyphenAp_XEFwJBbR0h2JOKrfBTx6i-XjFJ2YQoG7VL3CCIaR6hyphenhyphenNrONE-TzDXwh5p7jq5foNZrBJpOY8uWldjk/s1600-h/IMG_0019.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrJY8C558DNNaYsQJEfBxkFQqsyQd8PJBrjJ5T9ldPZkSkxAcLc5bIk9BIhyphenhyphenAp_XEFwJBbR0h2JOKrfBTx6i-XjFJ2YQoG7VL3CCIaR6hyphenhyphenNrONE-TzDXwh5p7jq5foNZrBJpOY8uWldjk/s320/IMG_0019.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253070856946340226" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPgxZMmIlzVeO9TEedDIO2lVuXZHHNpnQ3olBytV8RcwL9-csH5wHRC3yxgc4TLtqwuETArE9ZIc7_C2i8Terx76fuE3Mo6u3bxqTwJIQ8Y7c7xf8syVyxXrPOW86P7lqKTob6Q11V5vS/s1600-h/IMGP2680.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPgxZMmIlzVeO9TEedDIO2lVuXZHHNpnQ3olBytV8RcwL9-csH5wHRC3yxgc4TLtqwuETArE9ZIc7_C2i8Terx76fuE3Mo6u3bxqTwJIQ8Y7c7xf8syVyxXrPOW86P7lqKTob6Q11V5vS/s320/IMGP2680.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253383592602913122" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SfzfUTpyeBv-MAYO8OQOmJgU5VstDxmJt_0MnXYySJd3RNYna95-qqd2J0jQZsw2pK8BfbgqBzfHMkJNCPG0Owf8ieeCW_uqNVDIjlV0MAqX6OjAHiTSSEBa8_hRlBEpPCIjdhVXFD2s/s1600-h/IMG_0018.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SfzfUTpyeBv-MAYO8OQOmJgU5VstDxmJt_0MnXYySJd3RNYna95-qqd2J0jQZsw2pK8BfbgqBzfHMkJNCPG0Owf8ieeCW_uqNVDIjlV0MAqX6OjAHiTSSEBa8_hRlBEpPCIjdhVXFD2s/s320/IMG_0018.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253070851860750786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />C</span></span><br /><br /><span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Tuesday, Sept. 2. Green Gables and </span></span><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cavendish.</span></span> It was a beautiful sunny day so we headed to Green Gables Heritage Site where Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of the Anne books, grew up. It was the inspiration for many parts of the series. There was a museum about her, a barn, the Green Gables house and also trails in the Haunted Woods and Balsam Hollow. I loved the quotes from her books scattered here and there along the trails. For instance, by the brook there was a quote. "Brooks are always in good spirits. They never do anything but laugh." Doesn't that just sound like something Anne would say?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSqnd2x9aDXRnukVSdIy1ZEdZV7dFzjYKffzew0qVa5cJuPAem3jRVtk8jPKOt23FS8qs-1ylz5vqiMkyUs2BW47RZ07pJ5xYu9MGeONMzDD-3tE7bZgiaRIqgG1VYVFqFQqYK-23l0kM4/s1600-h/IMG_0069GreenGables.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSqnd2x9aDXRnukVSdIy1ZEdZV7dFzjYKffzew0qVa5cJuPAem3jRVtk8jPKOt23FS8qs-1ylz5vqiMkyUs2BW47RZ07pJ5xYu9MGeONMzDD-3tE7bZgiaRIqgG1VYVFqFQqYK-23l0kM4/s320/IMG_0069GreenGables.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253077133345399986" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMuPPIbJsR17oC7ObGya9PUd6ndx2ewn4GTj9mmYQWO2yxmLBlKhTxjyPZxbvv_IyryLEf8nwbqCnTzN08ly2MElYwyQlqUdyRCLaeLfhQcZWrYaC5z52RUpgH_SxsFGkcWfK8UuJQJdo/s1600-h/IMG_0033.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMuPPIbJsR17oC7ObGya9PUd6ndx2ewn4GTj9mmYQWO2yxmLBlKhTxjyPZxbvv_IyryLEf8nwbqCnTzN08ly2MElYwyQlqUdyRCLaeLfhQcZWrYaC5z52RUpgH_SxsFGkcWfK8UuJQJdo/s320/IMG_0033.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253077137421998306" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Two more Annes!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZI425hZYxLcxhhJIoOoec_xMuHjFkmVfgZuL7Vno8KbbEi0U53jTcXpNuPNefEYVrZEPxFjJiyX4QFoptX8yFubx9fLpNmpObIEjibxqKeFfDMsd8pxUBV97SnXT5qIqlwoUVE7zh1IOz/s1600-h/IMG_0028.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZI425hZYxLcxhhJIoOoec_xMuHjFkmVfgZuL7Vno8KbbEi0U53jTcXpNuPNefEYVrZEPxFjJiyX4QFoptX8yFubx9fLpNmpObIEjibxqKeFfDMsd8pxUBV97SnXT5qIqlwoUVE7zh1IOz/s320/IMG_0028.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253077142416230162" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBu8VuXi5Lku1MFnN-FlKX917tHM-rKleLt02OpI1EGf1ii1ZUJen0jdOeZdaZ6ctgDa0w5D9WC9pGkOJZ3NN5_NQDOoO3p8h0NFop37X2D_8FC5Hsl5Fw_eTYbUMb3OiwE3dO7ixfJe2S/s1600-h/IMG_0030.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBu8VuXi5Lku1MFnN-FlKX917tHM-rKleLt02OpI1EGf1ii1ZUJen0jdOeZdaZ6ctgDa0w5D9WC9pGkOJZ3NN5_NQDOoO3p8h0NFop37X2D_8FC5Hsl5Fw_eTYbUMb3OiwE3dO7ixfJe2S/s320/IMG_0030.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253077142708365266" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Next stop was not far away. It was the Cavendish Beach National Park, on the north central shore of PEI. What a fabulous park! We had a picnic lunch with our Raspberry Cordial from the Green Gables store.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsu7-yw0DfhanOw4axNALDh8H8nt9dp9yD7z7WwnK4RMoGpRCeL-_D-XtQm-lCzARmmvT7Elz7vqZXrAOTraTdd4gQfnqTfo8vinLzVC1ja4z7L0eGOzu7Pq3lN1_3vw_9VvqYWtkIdE7/s1600-h/IMG_0080.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsu7-yw0DfhanOw4axNALDh8H8nt9dp9yD7z7WwnK4RMoGpRCeL-_D-XtQm-lCzARmmvT7Elz7vqZXrAOTraTdd4gQfnqTfo8vinLzVC1ja4z7L0eGOzu7Pq3lN1_3vw_9VvqYWtkIdE7/s320/IMG_0080.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253379278486863810" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdbTzE9CQA5BbJAeIvYobM7BvRIeXLS3jO7NqqH6Ln_wGxn-b4uNjWUqjMX1XdqnL2Tq1LXviwEQlYl7y8yOtEnX7lP3eu8KMCcV6f-rp5QubqeymJm1KtqNJiDhOptf4cJs8skhDR6q6/s1600-h/IMG_0085.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdbTzE9CQA5BbJAeIvYobM7BvRIeXLS3jO7NqqH6Ln_wGxn-b4uNjWUqjMX1XdqnL2Tq1LXviwEQlYl7y8yOtEnX7lP3eu8KMCcV6f-rp5QubqeymJm1KtqNJiDhOptf4cJs8skhDR6q6/s320/IMG_0085.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253379777970677682" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />What beautiful red cliffs!! They're so striking next to the green grass at the edge and the blue of the water (at least when the sun's shining). We did a couple of hikes, one across a marshy area on a movable boardwalk. For dinner we got lobsters and mussels and cooked them ourselves. M-m-m-m! The house we're renting was someone's summer home so it's incredibly well equipped. They had everything we needed to cook our delicious meal.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbp1Y8r36snip-zYpFqlCHK0qAQf8SF-ZNkIttL3NYtdarFXu0ZY3acj9TMgSi418yJX2BIm-IDVYnGjUivIauI0yyI3AApuSIAZYOFiVg8eT9WQP1Sss5ztsGqP2z7i_q34F0SJfzT4P/s1600-h/IMG_0088.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbp1Y8r36snip-zYpFqlCHK0qAQf8SF-ZNkIttL3NYtdarFXu0ZY3acj9TMgSi418yJX2BIm-IDVYnGjUivIauI0yyI3AApuSIAZYOFiVg8eT9WQP1Sss5ztsGqP2z7i_q34F0SJfzT4P/s320/IMG_0088.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253379781345849906" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_qbRTUXoOZOOv3cmPDwSSwobTVUBIURoi_G7h5xkbFggbpwCh5-n7ng_JRrWwvtkvk9H87d9VtODrpxpVeKp5MKROYKi9U8UD_PCAlY1jPGHN8F6xB_iW6YuEkqgjwfuSQVHmFLonwms/s1600-h/IMG_0098.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_qbRTUXoOZOOv3cmPDwSSwobTVUBIURoi_G7h5xkbFggbpwCh5-n7ng_JRrWwvtkvk9H87d9VtODrpxpVeKp5MKROYKi9U8UD_PCAlY1jPGHN8F6xB_iW6YuEkqgjwfuSQVHmFLonwms/s320/IMG_0098.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253379785370712354" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />They have amazing facilities here. A picnic shelter with a stove and sink?? Here's a modern gabled house that was near the house we rented.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gC1Gw-xuRA03OTW9rJZzesNb1pjk6w6mMSHP1ijs7SFF2u7xln5nmXIJbNqBABwuEMqn3CWVAkeuKLItj29nLPTqt5mlmKdgZOx8OGlh9FRtqjRb3s5fGXn2z_dZW8DEC3VWSQsAvFQP/s1600-h/IMG_0094NatlParkPicnicPavilionWithStove.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gC1Gw-xuRA03OTW9rJZzesNb1pjk6w6mMSHP1ijs7SFF2u7xln5nmXIJbNqBABwuEMqn3CWVAkeuKLItj29nLPTqt5mlmKdgZOx8OGlh9FRtqjRb3s5fGXn2z_dZW8DEC3VWSQsAvFQP/s320/IMG_0094NatlParkPicnicPavilionWithStove.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253379788594134722" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCTlt3_3AsxALwvt2cC2Iu3OkRz-qF4zSkOvUAEHziGiFVejVP-nxjpaLeya2sk1vCoyR_W40Fn_AvytWPrZ1E8ij-g80eD9EYMCi4m78YcwD76UjhbDpe8wiqOI-2Wiop4pIjbbFMoMR/s1600-h/IMG_0002TypicalGabledRoof.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCTlt3_3AsxALwvt2cC2Iu3OkRz-qF4zSkOvUAEHziGiFVejVP-nxjpaLeya2sk1vCoyR_W40Fn_AvytWPrZ1E8ij-g80eD9EYMCi4m78YcwD76UjhbDpe8wiqOI-2Wiop4pIjbbFMoMR/s320/IMG_0002TypicalGabledRoof.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253383582574485426" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We saw very few pleasure boats here since so many people earn their living on boats. (Where we saw a lot was in the Charlottetown where a number of people (not fisherman!) have summer homes.) We stopped at a scenic viewpoint and heard this bagpipe player announcing that the bus was leaving.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Bdhrc_nj94MEXj74DJL1wVKdi3Iev5CC8WKaPB9FGoHBz8hzK9gHUQSbo1PjT1nbZrBcm57WRkvRBx1bWGc1IX-Qvqm3X0m6QTwC0InGA50zE-xscTPdP8JHOXXR8CL7MRU55kAsDiXW/s1600-h/IMG_0021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Bdhrc_nj94MEXj74DJL1wVKdi3Iev5CC8WKaPB9FGoHBz8hzK9gHUQSbo1PjT1nbZrBcm57WRkvRBx1bWGc1IX-Qvqm3X0m6QTwC0InGA50zE-xscTPdP8JHOXXR8CL7MRU55kAsDiXW/s320/IMG_0021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253399051412885602" border="0" /></a><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxihEPUHnut-k6uuIzGeJFvT8j52WIj6tkkbjcPuIi-16IXvBVAWqmU0zMpXkIAOQtmWwg37Z7VPfyEKzcIuw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday, Sept. 3. North Rustico, Dalvay, and Chalottetown.</span> Sun again!! We walked on the boardwalk down to the picturesque North Rustico harbor and lighthouse. There were many idle lobster traps waiting for fall season to begin.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTy0ZpeKciODq38-eCU5IUpYq9_HeCZTuezttpi-FnL2isvoLGEf1aOPHvSS-CVrFPHXlnsRZfhrAEhseEW3S-IuHQtiMqFOV0mwRJlHP9cBMdkeZmgdcWTSmxYxfB_0YKLc5QtGs9M2He/s1600-h/IMG_0006NorthRusticoHarbor.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTy0ZpeKciODq38-eCU5IUpYq9_HeCZTuezttpi-FnL2isvoLGEf1aOPHvSS-CVrFPHXlnsRZfhrAEhseEW3S-IuHQtiMqFOV0mwRJlHP9cBMdkeZmgdcWTSmxYxfB_0YKLc5QtGs9M2He/s320/IMG_0006NorthRusticoHarbor.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253394330966533010" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqVt4ELbVe_DCZJgwmzz_jrcDSUM3mb9aEIKEHjAfpeUMpZRCcyDu__F0QdmyHeHJB90TSmJzhLOlMsu1zDfmSdUNKg5fNRLpRLGs-2adjQ9SVVeLIS8uP7EzC_xZmVApamTw91O0Br5pf/s1600-h/IMG_0014LobsterTrapsWaitingForFallSeason.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqVt4ELbVe_DCZJgwmzz_jrcDSUM3mb9aEIKEHjAfpeUMpZRCcyDu__F0QdmyHeHJB90TSmJzhLOlMsu1zDfmSdUNKg5fNRLpRLGs-2adjQ9SVVeLIS8uP7EzC_xZmVApamTw91O0Br5pf/s320/IMG_0014LobsterTrapsWaitingForFallSeason.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253394335329708178" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86usF5f0Z4wGbPNM7ROr4J3rARGl55ix1UDzG4O6QZv_sN2Dbd2ffTIZBVwPdN9u0ojxsrqYMYQRIxMSxmMMdZfMRySb0WrsivGQJ6LdYhzS54JaVs1Z36kZyAFXI7hZUUr9w61heHVZQ/s1600-h/IMG_0018.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86usF5f0Z4wGbPNM7ROr4J3rARGl55ix1UDzG4O6QZv_sN2Dbd2ffTIZBVwPdN9u0ojxsrqYMYQRIxMSxmMMdZfMRySb0WrsivGQJ6LdYhzS54JaVs1Z36kZyAFXI7hZUUr9w61heHVZQ/s320/IMG_0018.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253394341417100354" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFcFTT5au02TtUhB5WhGK7UuRRDqqKIbGXclwZYUXfPAL9faTHP4CPZqFwPAICtZOUhzOUg_CFeO9zsi875iwY2PQRgDdcLN5g5WRBdGaS6e9jZ_c-FgGyXy8xGk2rc1AjJRpET77WZ7z/s1600-h/IMG_0022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFcFTT5au02TtUhB5WhGK7UuRRDqqKIbGXclwZYUXfPAL9faTHP4CPZqFwPAICtZOUhzOUg_CFeO9zsi875iwY2PQRgDdcLN5g5WRBdGaS6e9jZ_c-FgGyXy8xGk2rc1AjJRpET77WZ7z/s320/IMG_0022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253394341926437458" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The road to Dalvay Park runs next to the Confederation Trail, the old railroad now bike/hike trail. The Dalvay Resort was gorgeous!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_SAGfwuAM_j6KKtUzvwmaM1dqt-O2gq4eo1TSvX7SxJYf54p1r33Y20jUYA4u0zqfoU8-8HSnE-mWrBvmHp5I2akJny7r_C6San8LhOMq2V12_YzG8BFvGLv8nc6UI0qpIsWYmDmFfUT/s1600-h/IMG_0054DalvayBikePath.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_SAGfwuAM_j6KKtUzvwmaM1dqt-O2gq4eo1TSvX7SxJYf54p1r33Y20jUYA4u0zqfoU8-8HSnE-mWrBvmHp5I2akJny7r_C6San8LhOMq2V12_YzG8BFvGLv8nc6UI0qpIsWYmDmFfUT/s320/IMG_0054DalvayBikePath.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253703018447476322" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeqGDDHUwyCnvBcSXYei6wFW1u__Gk083Sbmsw9oM8yyCtjE6NPp_owGIc4K0HDlQhZs4VGVEfXGpLskMIDShqzMSjd92CCHZ3a6jvg1L9TWhH__QWvUwm1qUe9CXUPnBs6ax1N8k8qdO/s1600-h/IMG_0060DalvayByTheSeaResort.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeqGDDHUwyCnvBcSXYei6wFW1u__Gk083Sbmsw9oM8yyCtjE6NPp_owGIc4K0HDlQhZs4VGVEfXGpLskMIDShqzMSjd92CCHZ3a6jvg1L9TWhH__QWvUwm1qUe9CXUPnBs6ax1N8k8qdO/s320/IMG_0060DalvayByTheSeaResort.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253400217120653346" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />We hiked on the Bubbling Brook trail and were supposed to see birds but didn't so it wasn't that interesting. At the very least we had a good half hour power walk. We were lucky that the rain didn't start until 2 minutes after we got back to our car. We drove in the rain all the way to Charlottetown where it cleared up. Lucky us! We parked by the Visitor's Center and saw the cruise ship, Maasdam, in port. (I had previously found out that there were ships there on Sunday and Wednesday so to avoid the most popular "Anne" tourist areas on those days.) In front of Founders' Hall there was a sand sculpture of a potato, that important PEI crop.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJ9YolVYxrwz9b7aoqMU7AMRNHM5uJ83U54oQ14HG1QtkHrB3yR0H8f7SC37TmtKr6RiMbkiED_GPFUvvMJV6mwvm1Xixk358pvxU-GdtC1nDzOZ-mREKPkv1vMHAUTMRVQ8yYtm79zlw/s1600-h/IMG_0070CharlottetownHarbor.Wednesday.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJ9YolVYxrwz9b7aoqMU7AMRNHM5uJ83U54oQ14HG1QtkHrB3yR0H8f7SC37TmtKr6RiMbkiED_GPFUvvMJV6mwvm1Xixk358pvxU-GdtC1nDzOZ-mREKPkv1vMHAUTMRVQ8yYtm79zlw/s320/IMG_0070CharlottetownHarbor.Wednesday.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253400219799306386" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVsGOmENf4E5akewjPXPUiOR3ro17D23amVd-WVRzOLofE09Edy1YFW0-I3OAbZTbWlTeYN8rYahv3aKHH4pH4bhjFalHysYdf38sssquxgjJ1EIHxzfsCBRf_qQqJ01Ncb08xmR8QnmX/s1600-h/IMG_0067SandSculpture.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVsGOmENf4E5akewjPXPUiOR3ro17D23amVd-WVRzOLofE09Edy1YFW0-I3OAbZTbWlTeYN8rYahv3aKHH4pH4bhjFalHysYdf38sssquxgjJ1EIHxzfsCBRf_qQqJ01Ncb08xmR8QnmX/s320/IMG_0067SandSculpture.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253400222903867234" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We took a headset tour of Founders' Hall which gave us a good history of the Confederation of Canada with its 10 provinces and 3 territories. Then we took a little walk on the boardwalk by the harbor and watched the cruise ship move away from the dock and then turn 180 degrees to head out to sea. Our evening entertainment was a Ceilidh, this time a family of 2 brothers and 2 sisters who entertained us with step dancing, fiddle playing and singing. It was great! It was at the Stanley Bridge Community Hall and it was packed, probably about 130 people. The Woman's Institute, who sponsors the ceilidhs, sold strawberries on ice cream for $3. The Ross family entertains here every Monday and Wednesday night from about July through mid September. It's a little fuzzy but it will give you a good idea as to the fiddle playing and step dancing.<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzt6GbMXOzLAZ1qUcIH5ele9LcKXJNamEBuk-7i1XSv5G_VAHQUJXftUflbkdaUDcJ_C47lJP1BY7gTPmWdXA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday, Sept. 4. Shipbuilding and Summerside.</span> (It's been between 62 and 72 every day in Canada. We had not expected to wear our long pants so much!) We love the countryside, sometimes rolling, sometimes flat. Pine trees separate the patchwork fields.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOm074fqs3kTqxFbRSy0qT-XgmpRUgz8vOcdoZSxnSQxjgu1HpQaowCwus436JsakEFJ5kf9LYYTBJtXFmOWHxxMj-xZgcLz-Poxf6o1ixh7GxIQXKzlabeLv0JvjLczlxxWRObeylAfZE/s1600-h/IMG_0010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOm074fqs3kTqxFbRSy0qT-XgmpRUgz8vOcdoZSxnSQxjgu1HpQaowCwus436JsakEFJ5kf9LYYTBJtXFmOWHxxMj-xZgcLz-Poxf6o1ixh7GxIQXKzlabeLv0JvjLczlxxWRObeylAfZE/s320/IMG_0010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253070848610381922" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The woman from the Stanley Bridge Women's Institute, who talked to us last night before the intermission, said that every little village has a Women's Institute and that in the early 70's the prime minister asked all of them all over PEI to take charge of the movement to clean up the island at the grassroots level. Boy, did it work! Most everything is very neat here. On the whole, people mow their lawns, keep their yards neat, and keep their houses in good repair. And there's no litter. There are groups of 3 recycle bins everywhere!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQ_4jbHDRaqtdBI6NLj3Izf3iFZ9zQhyphenhyphenUogsmRtLypxBSMjbxJzhjnlQ-erqzE9QFZjnBKybezpAJA_JBYvmhrTkiKktqsy9r8gDe52TelNEuVc79gVztOtJZ8NNsJ3UoH9AhUea924Bo/s1600-h/IMG_0012RecyclingCenter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQ_4jbHDRaqtdBI6NLj3Izf3iFZ9zQhyphenhyphenUogsmRtLypxBSMjbxJzhjnlQ-erqzE9QFZjnBKybezpAJA_JBYvmhrTkiKktqsy9r8gDe52TelNEuVc79gVztOtJZ8NNsJ3UoH9AhUea924Bo/s320/IMG_0012RecyclingCenter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253381908509607122" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtO3laLmZgf7MT-q6e_qQzSWHrudUG7E7KyDefsGthomOKpzvKE02aMDjWTml-tEVIHzmi1B8UpQXCgHoasffSs08egXNWEy1RdhBQINnF4oLaqmjYha9v8mxkpMxalLJVx7ID3olWSsg/s1600-h/IMG_0078PEIRecycling.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtO3laLmZgf7MT-q6e_qQzSWHrudUG7E7KyDefsGthomOKpzvKE02aMDjWTml-tEVIHzmi1B8UpQXCgHoasffSs08egXNWEy1RdhBQINnF4oLaqmjYha9v8mxkpMxalLJVx7ID3olWSsg/s320/IMG_0078PEIRecycling.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253381920075965250" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We started out with a cloudy morning but hoped for sun. We stopped at a craft store on our way to Port Hill and learned about making white ash baskets. The woman was kind enough to show us how she takes a long bit of ash, shaves it, pounds it and then splits it. Then she splits the strips again and smooths them. In Port Hill we visited the Green Park Shipbuilding Museum. It was small and we learned a bit about shipbuilding. There were hundreds of ships built in PEI. (Also, many ship wrecks on the coast!!) The museum was old and could be updated with the information presented better. What was really interesting was a visit to the beautiful Yeo House, built in 1868 by the son of the person who started the shipyard. We were the only ones there so got a personal tour. The guide knew her stuff as she'd worked there for 31 years! We saw lacemaking, spinning wheel, etc. We never heard of dusting with a goose feather. By the time we got done with the tour the sun came out.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif9LBbMZ0VYDWh2Kn6yLpJKGXjGbzVjLM-Wu3rNsjcngNfR8RZc8SAvJczgSMNRwwOPuY4M2lIEJQiZ5mxa11tem_qrQ7IPPL3PHR_OsmrnjhIUK95TDxxdUQPP7De6QVp_y6nDcOUmm8q/s1600-h/IMG_0007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif9LBbMZ0VYDWh2Kn6yLpJKGXjGbzVjLM-Wu3rNsjcngNfR8RZc8SAvJczgSMNRwwOPuY4M2lIEJQiZ5mxa11tem_qrQ7IPPL3PHR_OsmrnjhIUK95TDxxdUQPP7De6QVp_y6nDcOUmm8q/s320/IMG_0007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253409059544388114" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEo1NhAUCnp7shKkGgHWB4tSPqgBuIfV5JWlJk7x_57hNKNFWrrbetGNAzDyaHZvrsTOKX8ieGtGMO2SMrQPDbRq2oTuMWf39SgrafAp3Uixa1z9wgi6xB_jfa3kSKUzuT9rqtmpAF_lm/s1600-h/IMG_0004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEo1NhAUCnp7shKkGgHWB4tSPqgBuIfV5JWlJk7x_57hNKNFWrrbetGNAzDyaHZvrsTOKX8ieGtGMO2SMrQPDbRq2oTuMWf39SgrafAp3Uixa1z9wgi6xB_jfa3kSKUzuT9rqtmpAF_lm/s320/IMG_0004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253409064210018818" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtI3UBY4G94JSpJo83knjevszk_CU_il-EG_MShAelyH9gUEV9aixGls34_ISEja6ZrZLnwbNy9FrssJ4u_TlSkbOFEXhLML08RJZqnVNXfIXG7V9tn3DRBotyn84tTgtzJL03eDrri1-G/s1600-h/IMG_0001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtI3UBY4G94JSpJo83knjevszk_CU_il-EG_MShAelyH9gUEV9aixGls34_ISEja6ZrZLnwbNy9FrssJ4u_TlSkbOFEXhLML08RJZqnVNXfIXG7V9tn3DRBotyn84tTgtzJL03eDrri1-G/s320/IMG_0001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253409048332011778" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFsIMQWeIYFJooU0j3b1AN8RZj_TOuooMjSGylNkqZwe77OtKgxxL2fULt_ZnfmKmSrX5xidUzS3D2EJQz6-foY-uT9lSgDlNAiBEWkRsD8EgS0AeHnXdGzsnjkG6r-E1vnJD5p5wipuP/s1600-h/IMG_0002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFsIMQWeIYFJooU0j3b1AN8RZj_TOuooMjSGylNkqZwe77OtKgxxL2fULt_ZnfmKmSrX5xidUzS3D2EJQz6-foY-uT9lSgDlNAiBEWkRsD8EgS0AeHnXdGzsnjkG6r-E1vnJD5p5wipuP/s320/IMG_0002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253409053595090226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />We then drove to Summerside. First stop was the Wyatt Heritage Properties. We could have taken a tour but there wasn't a cloud in the sky and we really wanted to be outside. So we opted for buying the $3 book and doing a self-guided tour. There are some really beautiful and interesting houses in Summerside. We saw this cool sailor carving on the trunk of a tree. There are also a number of murals depicting the town's history which were done in 2001. We lasted about 1/2 hour and then headed down to the water and the boardwalk. There were some shops where we saw the original "PEI (red) Dirt Shirt." We had a nice walk along the cove on this beautiful afternoon.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufMopcwkHWa6IRbJPxPf5XN8qxGj0EuMw0_80oUsOVqzlPnDJZsirqIA40I8dq3NfjIItdJTubMP0pKlCQRRXHq2Nus_eH_aX_1O1FPZFNpXkkmf4fLCSbRTuyW8Nu00-wHlXs7tsrCcF/s1600-h/IMG_0008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufMopcwkHWa6IRbJPxPf5XN8qxGj0EuMw0_80oUsOVqzlPnDJZsirqIA40I8dq3NfjIItdJTubMP0pKlCQRRXHq2Nus_eH_aX_1O1FPZFNpXkkmf4fLCSbRTuyW8Nu00-wHlXs7tsrCcF/s320/IMG_0008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253409826147674930" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJ7uZIng3BCMwogEe6NBczFzCuhzO98zZDAD_1xqHKkA6WKbsqsrN0TQ7xgGEbMR0Q8JgXk3AdemsP7S1K-4jdXR876_SjFyBdpvfPbrcJoUyY257kDEiGrqM6hVtLf1sQfwYV2BIoVwb/s1600-h/IMG_0009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJ7uZIng3BCMwogEe6NBczFzCuhzO98zZDAD_1xqHKkA6WKbsqsrN0TQ7xgGEbMR0Q8JgXk3AdemsP7S1K-4jdXR876_SjFyBdpvfPbrcJoUyY257kDEiGrqM6hVtLf1sQfwYV2BIoVwb/s320/IMG_0009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253409832182885602" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVhFlhwfEcZKNTS_UusTlVLLwKdlBIRfXhxegovvkhtR4mkPam1hJAtEEkpKppcDUTGVPG0PYmjWjcVFBd2WzLm9G8TszgF01kVthEBXw8Cv8alucTrbe1umiEf_GSu3RRXbAQX6e14oo/s1600-h/IMG_0013.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVhFlhwfEcZKNTS_UusTlVLLwKdlBIRfXhxegovvkhtR4mkPam1hJAtEEkpKppcDUTGVPG0PYmjWjcVFBd2WzLm9G8TszgF01kVthEBXw8Cv8alucTrbe1umiEf_GSu3RRXbAQX6e14oo/s320/IMG_0013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253409836659944642" border="0" /></a>On the way home we tried to find the house that Bill Read's sister, Ginger, recently had moved to a spot near the Tryon Lighthouse. But we really couldn't find it. We went to the New London Lobster Restaurant for dinner. It was recommended by the owners and also by a woman we met in Summerside. We parked and noticed a car from Massachusetts with a Cape Cod Hospital parking sticker. We ended up sitting next to them and asked if he knew someone that Betsy and David knew. Sure enough, they did! We all had really good dinners at reasonable prices. Tomorrow's our last day in PEI and we hope the forecast is correct for sun all day.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday, Sept. 5. Sunny - all day!!</span> We spent the day at the newest National Park at Greenwich, about 1 3/4 hours east of us on the north coast. The scenery was great.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6En8IPCgYXODi9qQqpDH5jAKmQiH18Sut95ke1ROln0jqZRsI9UNH6sxZ_Xbveieu2wJMWd7jp41Q5jWVXJOXeDKd5g8BXhSX_gbvDwr3o3B2tCjcGaTLUn9XFTq5OXSyKU-JwhdRR0j/s1600-h/IMG_0011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6En8IPCgYXODi9qQqpDH5jAKmQiH18Sut95ke1ROln0jqZRsI9UNH6sxZ_Xbveieu2wJMWd7jp41Q5jWVXJOXeDKd5g8BXhSX_gbvDwr3o3B2tCjcGaTLUn9XFTq5OXSyKU-JwhdRR0j/s320/IMG_0011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253419087489153106" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7GF9K_r1_h26VHlSTdMWZICGfboGjGKeUMRKk1JmTJxeZFaCEeGsHaKXaeOfOC_SMCK8pjj8hwuAJzlXQESiX4fYurhWBkkoEr_vsTf0oY7et3ySgdQn1XfGagex2mOdciDQx-rhRB4W/s1600-h/IMG_0016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7GF9K_r1_h26VHlSTdMWZICGfboGjGKeUMRKk1JmTJxeZFaCEeGsHaKXaeOfOC_SMCK8pjj8hwuAJzlXQESiX4fYurhWBkkoEr_vsTf0oY7et3ySgdQn1XfGagex2mOdciDQx-rhRB4W/s320/IMG_0016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253419087994867970" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQWl0RFZMR3QENeTHHcrWK4bC5dnea5nmx3neO8SzPW9OP7x3fnFgNE2tRtcUuUrVivXlg_iaQXGixT46XQfroFcUSohc93KKKLm2cpUlfOha0zILVjx_N8Ex1xdoT4LolrGCVk5tDr5e/s1600-h/IMG_0021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQWl0RFZMR3QENeTHHcrWK4bC5dnea5nmx3neO8SzPW9OP7x3fnFgNE2tRtcUuUrVivXlg_iaQXGixT46XQfroFcUSohc93KKKLm2cpUlfOha0zILVjx_N8Ex1xdoT4LolrGCVk5tDr5e/s320/IMG_0021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253419093592854610" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7t46xD3MWc7yTR2ne1oOzzpV0XYuK09Hr0dmXlx8tSN1MbLl3zycEbxFX5YWf-XAgEvFjiRxK-6f6DEWdtbzVRcsHnW6P-Kqjp2ph_TLfLCUO0vTU42Zp6i4iBjXRs-lUY0RoRo0C0iB/s1600-h/IMG_0034.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7t46xD3MWc7yTR2ne1oOzzpV0XYuK09Hr0dmXlx8tSN1MbLl3zycEbxFX5YWf-XAgEvFjiRxK-6f6DEWdtbzVRcsHnW6P-Kqjp2ph_TLfLCUO0vTU42Zp6i4iBjXRs-lUY0RoRo0C0iB/s320/IMG_0034.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253419094867870786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />As we came upon the town of St. Peters we had a glorious sight of the St. Peters Bay. We saw many rows of mussels in the bay. The people in the boat are pulling in mussel socks where the mussels have grown. I'm not sure if the dark scattered buoys are for mussels or crabs.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTFePxS5Gn2BzHcIsUtC5DyKeLrgeY9jIKAK4Tu_8gxg8nr_c71UpIBZdGsAF3NuwObQ5nFvI8cOdbfKHpcNrwDEfCtM8Q05HHzLN_ayHz3L9dNyRsFjZSdACdq6Jo7XN71XwUVqLagL5/s1600-h/IMG_0032.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTFePxS5Gn2BzHcIsUtC5DyKeLrgeY9jIKAK4Tu_8gxg8nr_c71UpIBZdGsAF3NuwObQ5nFvI8cOdbfKHpcNrwDEfCtM8Q05HHzLN_ayHz3L9dNyRsFjZSdACdq6Jo7XN71XwUVqLagL5/s320/IMG_0032.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253421217744420898" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKHDHZfzI-Q2326RUAq0Qx5a9rUe5vFUFLpaW_okxLb1AKGvYc3qfKatu33ltMVsM53NWOM4l84O62ZXlixQdyRbjL095ONRPEs4FvEr_Sx81NANV0Uk7pGlkr3HFk0Lf3hbSbJomOCKT3/s1600-h/IMG_0033.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKHDHZfzI-Q2326RUAq0Qx5a9rUe5vFUFLpaW_okxLb1AKGvYc3qfKatu33ltMVsM53NWOM4l84O62ZXlixQdyRbjL095ONRPEs4FvEr_Sx81NANV0Uk7pGlkr3HFk0Lf3hbSbJomOCKT3/s320/IMG_0033.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253421217191176466" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcxZWFZqBdCl4ovf3_rePZoel64-P8Wc3oPu20F0QPDq3_Fxk9tauYmu_qYEW0PQfJ2CbN_Rwz3U6skr6GYfbsLkWVskxaSAnfUIzfzqNxH-J5KjcbRm2N-M8Tey531HmFJucu1fJOQw6/s1600-h/IMG_0027.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcxZWFZqBdCl4ovf3_rePZoel64-P8Wc3oPu20F0QPDq3_Fxk9tauYmu_qYEW0PQfJ2CbN_Rwz3U6skr6GYfbsLkWVskxaSAnfUIzfzqNxH-J5KjcbRm2N-M8Tey531HmFJucu1fJOQw6/s320/IMG_0027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253421221427393474" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfg1YbmslDA5QADSP85cAZ9p1r6R0Hx2tNsv88dVHcKtHtfneLb_GC3DCWccL4mhgwpsbVaV9x1-BdSC3lx7PGa8rQqOCjU9gXczhpRRYPB1QxVvZqeIoAPQXqm1ZEyF5lOJyQeF-YLOWK/s1600-h/IMG_0035.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfg1YbmslDA5QADSP85cAZ9p1r6R0Hx2tNsv88dVHcKtHtfneLb_GC3DCWccL4mhgwpsbVaV9x1-BdSC3lx7PGa8rQqOCjU9gXczhpRRYPB1QxVvZqeIoAPQXqm1ZEyF5lOJyQeF-YLOWK/s320/IMG_0035.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253421226252902114" border="0" /></a>The Interpretation Center opened in 2001 was excellent! There were many displays with short videos and even a map of the park that you could walk on. I really liked the exhibit of Micmac baskets. They're really unique.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7uOegkL83MtTHrysFpDZ-hhThnoh5iUbpAsvpxIVT8M_-YW1NulrvIeSB5tvoESkW8_6_L2lR2P0wFIpRShVYqmx_5tGS8Uj9vbFgyrbKl0LcjDVvgB-qLAm3adqXcypxX17NeyYC-PDL/s1600-h/IMG_0036.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7uOegkL83MtTHrysFpDZ-hhThnoh5iUbpAsvpxIVT8M_-YW1NulrvIeSB5tvoESkW8_6_L2lR2P0wFIpRShVYqmx_5tGS8Uj9vbFgyrbKl0LcjDVvgB-qLAm3adqXcypxX17NeyYC-PDL/s320/IMG_0036.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253431299074045602" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSiy11SzbUHDqLJZbHOhIsEO-xHi2JX6jhWsnw2ME9a8NkeTZp3P6Q46L9esS_afoe6x13wSKb9LKwgmOIu6ajy26rXWnPjqpJCXbXQdXQG6YCVPVzHxT0IbBuP5mohEzrkYZgmfaUyXhT/s1600-h/IMG_0037.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSiy11SzbUHDqLJZbHOhIsEO-xHi2JX6jhWsnw2ME9a8NkeTZp3P6Q46L9esS_afoe6x13wSKb9LKwgmOIu6ajy26rXWnPjqpJCXbXQdXQG6YCVPVzHxT0IbBuP5mohEzrkYZgmfaUyXhT/s320/IMG_0037.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253431296841605986" border="0" /></a><br /><br />One special thing about this park was its parabolic sand dunes, formed because of a combination of their location on a peninsula and the winds. The hike to the dunes were through fields, woods and finally a floating boardwalk. The boardwalk was above what should have been a dried up swamp was filled with water because of all the rain they had had. (It wouldn't have been as pretty if it had been dry.) The beach had waves rolling in one after the other.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDTpew7FMpSkEh3f9aDGu5y0XBfBVgPwGjKyzmLGYvdoSyeQKGPy20zV_PLZE-L3MvZ4MRxv73nfk8yd0adPvXO8ajkVZs2_77O2RarMa1DTRfY8_FaIUTCS_U_U5jzrxIJip8ClJdrZjL/s1600-h/IMG_0130.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDTpew7FMpSkEh3f9aDGu5y0XBfBVgPwGjKyzmLGYvdoSyeQKGPy20zV_PLZE-L3MvZ4MRxv73nfk8yd0adPvXO8ajkVZs2_77O2RarMa1DTRfY8_FaIUTCS_U_U5jzrxIJip8ClJdrZjL/s320/IMG_0130.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253431300257988834" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQxRooyOgeMCBTQvAqHAPKHPjp_j1_E_6Z0ywGJbPZQe1hDFcsODcyNjkWo_KbaLjOQLlJPmx85qQIOn_CLctKXXxuxI9RJelmgNmvM4hzhLFxYkcwJcpnsvHbaWHJ6_EdgETdH_crJzD/s1600-h/IMG_0109.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQxRooyOgeMCBTQvAqHAPKHPjp_j1_E_6Z0ywGJbPZQe1hDFcsODcyNjkWo_KbaLjOQLlJPmx85qQIOn_CLctKXXxuxI9RJelmgNmvM4hzhLFxYkcwJcpnsvHbaWHJ6_EdgETdH_crJzD/s320/IMG_0109.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253432706633843090" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHynvLfBHZlGhn_4X3rJoYSLaXAAu4NoHsXDGWtOoUqg7jILe6Uci1h53DsqtW_p0ySEXywTEdXH5OcIDXCRcUAjPxENex4xPan98BpjeAp9OdV8xqxHXxVaxk_8cioslKRD9XNb4seRS/s1600-h/IMG_0054.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHynvLfBHZlGhn_4X3rJoYSLaXAAu4NoHsXDGWtOoUqg7jILe6Uci1h53DsqtW_p0ySEXywTEdXH5OcIDXCRcUAjPxENex4xPan98BpjeAp9OdV8xqxHXxVaxk_8cioslKRD9XNb4seRS/s320/IMG_0054.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253432700063346498" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_XpDhHvB6eWVq9ejc1Mkp669edLV_0zsse6_k8SA9cWCX1HETSXkGaVYvWbDsV6ufEqQjE8xuMMMI-o82RISGRdGmtPSI9WKrohoV9Lv33ra9QUtnHJ82WDCALHS6a4Dp2HQSSogbiGs/s1600-h/IMG_0045.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_XpDhHvB6eWVq9ejc1Mkp669edLV_0zsse6_k8SA9cWCX1HETSXkGaVYvWbDsV6ufEqQjE8xuMMMI-o82RISGRdGmtPSI9WKrohoV9Lv33ra9QUtnHJ82WDCALHS6a4Dp2HQSSogbiGs/s320/IMG_0045.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253431307635995042" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYI30WjR23AT5fO94G7jFKz-tObvSzxhNrI2HWVAEPLMcAJf4bEEXC-hUp_aFKgK6OUp_rptr2u1xmeXsW2VEonG0JcQgLGN68DjFbp2IBYixGbKzNJ50t-bC93_iEvpqhobDBw_9EVvqP/s1600-h/IMG_0118.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYI30WjR23AT5fO94G7jFKz-tObvSzxhNrI2HWVAEPLMcAJf4bEEXC-hUp_aFKgK6OUp_rptr2u1xmeXsW2VEonG0JcQgLGN68DjFbp2IBYixGbKzNJ50t-bC93_iEvpqhobDBw_9EVvqP/s320/IMG_0118.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253432912775244706" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge3PIJ_Do3DIrvbkUkPkOPFGpexkP6SLt0shzM2QFMKOwIa7QD3b0Cg67Wz7aCQu2lsw5W-eFNEV-0zXW6PqDZU_0QPVJ0q5Mna3NI-784Id80CF7krasNjEExaI-1TtcQEGH5quDIHHGL/s1600-h/IMG_0116.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge3PIJ_Do3DIrvbkUkPkOPFGpexkP6SLt0shzM2QFMKOwIa7QD3b0Cg67Wz7aCQu2lsw5W-eFNEV-0zXW6PqDZU_0QPVJ0q5Mna3NI-784Id80CF7krasNjEExaI-1TtcQEGH5quDIHHGL/s320/IMG_0116.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253432710342787522" border="0" /></a>There were red pebbles and rocks worn smooth from the water but the wave action leaches out the iron from the rocks so the sand dunes are mostly whitish although the sand has some red and black grains in it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmzv-GAmcwDkEbOIheqIcGnhF7ikwA6wAkosGvPnjrrKdFxGAdx8TwUDyFwB32_yB9G_rDZzSQx-bFC1ffuDY_gIrBgHl92H7WoyIO6AmmjFJ67YGM-bseWeiodXRhyphenhypheniQUHNSIHpOIU_2/s1600-h/IMG_0050.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmzv-GAmcwDkEbOIheqIcGnhF7ikwA6wAkosGvPnjrrKdFxGAdx8TwUDyFwB32_yB9G_rDZzSQx-bFC1ffuDY_gIrBgHl92H7WoyIO6AmmjFJ67YGM-bseWeiodXRhyphenhypheniQUHNSIHpOIU_2/s320/IMG_0050.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253431312326135394" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I also loved all the spider webs all along the boardwalk. I figured out that I could get a good picture if I just used the flash.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoDsodIz4xkk5xoeD0rwULONLSM3VgOCxaVSVYVgQ5SBeOTAnnEj_SAwLvyAHgokdbqiRmDzKUu3RQA6AHyZjZZfibiVt5FjhkKBF0cz94LUZhzxAdyGwgyKgwBua0X5fNVlwB8eXwqN2/s1600-h/IMG_0088.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoDsodIz4xkk5xoeD0rwULONLSM3VgOCxaVSVYVgQ5SBeOTAnnEj_SAwLvyAHgokdbqiRmDzKUu3RQA6AHyZjZZfibiVt5FjhkKBF0cz94LUZhzxAdyGwgyKgwBua0X5fNVlwB8eXwqN2/s320/IMG_0088.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253432702848364258" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcytXn0zHHtvVD05B5FY_-Lt_NbegHx4458ijZium1we_zXXrThcJIS7PlnZzWSX0v81WoJT7QD_CApUcM4VBKKsISc56ubBEQN7EzuVph1pWSmURw62vuXdmMLfov6LhRGB7h4fQK9Li/s1600-h/IMG_0084.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcytXn0zHHtvVD05B5FY_-Lt_NbegHx4458ijZium1we_zXXrThcJIS7PlnZzWSX0v81WoJT7QD_CApUcM4VBKKsISc56ubBEQN7EzuVph1pWSmURw62vuXdmMLfov6LhRGB7h4fQK9Li/s320/IMG_0084.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253434439836971090" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We just couldn't get enough of the sun. It was so nice to have it all day. We heard that this was PEI's rainiest summer. I guess that was the case in Amherst too although all the time we were in Canada getting rained on Amherst was dry! We ended the day with some PEI ice cream and then mussels and cod for dinner. Delicious! A great last day here.<br /><br />We all loved PEI. It was so beautiful! We really didn't walk on the Confederation Trail as there was too much else to explore.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, Sept. 6. Back to Ogunquit, ME.</span> We had planned to be in Fundy National Park, see the big tide and go kayaking and hiking but the prediction of heavy wind and rain made us change our plans. We drove to Ogunquit. It worked out great since it starting raining when we were almost in Ogunquit. We stopped at the DeLorme Map Company near Freeport (exit 17) and enjoyed the huge physical globe they have. It was also fun exploring the book store. We found some really funny books that some people will get as Christmas gifts!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday, Sept. 7. Beautiful Ogunquit!</span> We were really glad we made the decision to come home early since it poured all night and today the rain was over New Brunswick. It wouldn't have been much fun hiking. Instead we took a lovely walk on the beach at low tide and thoroughly enjoyed the sunshine and warm temperature.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next trip: California to see the kids.</span>Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-65658774883547913952008-09-10T17:08:00.000-07:002008-09-10T17:19:27.388-07:00Fort Myers to Amherst<span style="font-weight: bold;">May 2008.</span> We had a great trip back to Amherst! We were so happy to be able to spend a couple of days over Memorial Day weekend in Fairfax, VA with friends who used to live in Amherst, Mark and Karen Paster. Their daughter, Nicole, used to be on the swim team with Julie. Mark just retired and bought time on a sailboat with 3 others. We had a great sail on the Chesapeake and enjoyed seeing the Naval Academy in Annapolis. After the trip we had a great dinner in Annapolis.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHs2-NWQlpQE1TRWfRLKvCP1B8MHgIp78ce8G1kBNDVnZYAQbY_dQKLGwP8bSAg03wXfJW3L7cttfRm5IF-wDaLCS_VuKeIFfyUJFz9fDVmz0OoXl8VCkVjUV6FlYUT5D3p2iCs4UgH4t/s1600-h/001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHs2-NWQlpQE1TRWfRLKvCP1B8MHgIp78ce8G1kBNDVnZYAQbY_dQKLGwP8bSAg03wXfJW3L7cttfRm5IF-wDaLCS_VuKeIFfyUJFz9fDVmz0OoXl8VCkVjUV6FlYUT5D3p2iCs4UgH4t/s320/001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244549898970724882" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokR57Y_kYNZ9WK_0aTUow2WllepFrKYT2PNmTVTAIcj5DZM8RcsaadeEF7IXkdBZQ8nWW8YnfkSPaW-D1AiJi467Qp1MazXHLnEP8guUwvcY04A-QZcDROI5UcfO3X3kmnNNQ9P1vgRVY/s1600-h/008Mark+%26+Karen+Paster.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokR57Y_kYNZ9WK_0aTUow2WllepFrKYT2PNmTVTAIcj5DZM8RcsaadeEF7IXkdBZQ8nWW8YnfkSPaW-D1AiJi467Qp1MazXHLnEP8guUwvcY04A-QZcDROI5UcfO3X3kmnNNQ9P1vgRVY/s320/008Mark+%26+Karen+Paster.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244549908061544274" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMy6WeE5yR1NXa3YLNyfyu97KZRFDvQ8z45IvdmakAP3gJKK3N0pi7Ra7a84WLBEe-2TNlM-5cBY_PhrGx75A7mKni33j0eg0SXUuFWMxgzWYTeRoJpTis84AASPf_vVSPQf2fTSqjGGl/s1600-h/012Naval+Academy.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMy6WeE5yR1NXa3YLNyfyu97KZRFDvQ8z45IvdmakAP3gJKK3N0pi7Ra7a84WLBEe-2TNlM-5cBY_PhrGx75A7mKni33j0eg0SXUuFWMxgzWYTeRoJpTis84AASPf_vVSPQf2fTSqjGGl/s320/012Naval+Academy.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244549912235828610" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQq09lfbHZGltevJBWpdqOwYlph81oPNBIEBH1BKW1DsHOp6HfBTO71H4LU480ZRD31mH-MBtBiXsDFT8ljkxbGsS4tIzA1nUCB6g89JIZyrp11Aw60PeU1h1OWlcQFBhtRAl3_0F0bRZV/s1600-h/018.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQq09lfbHZGltevJBWpdqOwYlph81oPNBIEBH1BKW1DsHOp6HfBTO71H4LU480ZRD31mH-MBtBiXsDFT8ljkxbGsS4tIzA1nUCB6g89JIZyrp11Aw60PeU1h1OWlcQFBhtRAl3_0F0bRZV/s320/018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244549919809778450" border="0" /></a>Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-48912988822662897982008-09-09T13:47:00.000-07:002008-09-28T13:33:02.600-07:00Nova ScotiaWe went to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island with Amherst friends, David & Betsy Mullins, who went rafting with us and then to Lake Tahoe last summer. (Thanks to Marla Michel and Marg Burggren who gave us ideas on hiking and sightseeing!)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday, Aug. 22.</span> We drove up to Ogunquit, Maine where Sandy's mother has a house. We had a beautiful day to enjoy the beach and play bocce ball. We knew we were headed towards temps in the 60's in Canada so we really enjoyed this last day of sun and warmth.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday, Aug. 24.</span> Our first day was really fun even though it was a long drive. It really didn't seem so long since we took breaks and switched drivers every two hours. We also listened to music CDs and Twilight Zone CDs. Our XM Radio brought us a Red Sox win over Toronto. And it was sunny! We opted for a drive through Maine and New Brunswick instead of the ferry since with the four of us sharing costs it was much less expensive and not much longer. The scenery was much the same in New Brunswick as in Maine - lots of pine trees! We had a picnic lunch but stopped for dinner in Amherst, Nova Scotia, just over the border from New Brunswick. (They even had a building made from the same stones as our Amherst Town Hall.) Our first night was spent in a cottage in Troy, Nova Scotia, just over the border into Cape Breton (part of Nova Scotia). Paul Bunyan's Cottage #3 looked out on water and was small but clean and very adequate for our one night stay. Too bad it wasn't sunny here.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLbW-FAk3HaAYnJnbzy0LHI0NLn4RRhmaENE6GxbmRKQ6BBTtt902XMOB2Pb62GlE8sO0lcxx1e8xOkQXIQWo5f93_ltQKiLNiC6ZV80uOhDoRSxdLIEbnIBlOhxV2MqFJMwmncSRyib7x/s1600-h/009MainetoNB.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLbW-FAk3HaAYnJnbzy0LHI0NLn4RRhmaENE6GxbmRKQ6BBTtt902XMOB2Pb62GlE8sO0lcxx1e8xOkQXIQWo5f93_ltQKiLNiC6ZV80uOhDoRSxdLIEbnIBlOhxV2MqFJMwmncSRyib7x/s320/009MainetoNB.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244157403751175074" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LpR0L0OyKOBMXGQcDy84NJ6EnuLmWX6_f1eZL_ElSv7znV3AUM9ihVf0tNF9Pc2WUOtNJRiW6irhsErrilURJr3Pop98JM34RTSn7d_n_H4oD7ncKCYw_-76fN2YGQv8spMYAQ9mgLPf/s1600-h/IMGP1996.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LpR0L0OyKOBMXGQcDy84NJ6EnuLmWX6_f1eZL_ElSv7znV3AUM9ihVf0tNF9Pc2WUOtNJRiW6irhsErrilURJr3Pop98JM34RTSn7d_n_H4oD7ncKCYw_-76fN2YGQv8spMYAQ9mgLPf/s320/IMGP1996.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244157396185723186" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_iV2tHN9heyUXCiX_oL3KEPWDm5RYRR2aooUBlwCU7WbkOQVFC_HZ4-DEnQ6wkt6a64u8K5vB5lGmkLk5YE-yJ66QH2F9XsRI1Fv8keEaSsfkgjz95c1N1RrUB1jaVd6xQDIhdO7nT3k/s1600-h/014BayViewCottageTroyNS.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_iV2tHN9heyUXCiX_oL3KEPWDm5RYRR2aooUBlwCU7WbkOQVFC_HZ4-DEnQ6wkt6a64u8K5vB5lGmkLk5YE-yJ66QH2F9XsRI1Fv8keEaSsfkgjz95c1N1RrUB1jaVd6xQDIhdO7nT3k/s320/014BayViewCottageTroyNS.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244157406142210498" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZ_X7DRff3Vv2qz7WGVEsCxtU5PBsdgPci359zGQziy2An8RWbnkChpj4Hst0d3_sMt1i_Ybnm-W9tfnyqL8nFumIZHXQaT4_ile92n-JMqby_9E4kakkL2Ndbz17thF1fXoPHXfA0i6Z/s1600-h/018.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZ_X7DRff3Vv2qz7WGVEsCxtU5PBsdgPci359zGQziy2An8RWbnkChpj4Hst0d3_sMt1i_Ybnm-W9tfnyqL8nFumIZHXQaT4_ile92n-JMqby_9E4kakkL2Ndbz17thF1fXoPHXfA0i6Z/s320/018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244157410115507170" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday, Aug. 25.</span> The weather was pretty bad today: fog and rain on and off. We had an hour and a half drive to Louisbourg to visit the impressive Louisbourg Fortress reconstructed to show how it looked in 1744. It was built by the French and was occupied by both the French and the English over a number of years. In addition to the more inexpensive buildings with wooden shingles it had some beautiful wood framed homes with slate roofs for the high ranking military and also stone buildings. There were all the buildings typical in a small town as well as inns for visitors since there were many people who came here to trade goods.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCf7_xgQMmkf2qeQXHuNo4Ea65gx93dTXJs2YiAwAdCeDUx1tom1OE92sRSrRk521I5TykgbTethqxC8e3V5sqLSaZ0oG7uP02yU3Wjuwwo4VN80UQwvrsStnIy3-yn4wvSFfzBReSHaSJ/s1600-h/019LouisbourgFortress.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCf7_xgQMmkf2qeQXHuNo4Ea65gx93dTXJs2YiAwAdCeDUx1tom1OE92sRSrRk521I5TykgbTethqxC8e3V5sqLSaZ0oG7uP02yU3Wjuwwo4VN80UQwvrsStnIy3-yn4wvSFfzBReSHaSJ/s320/019LouisbourgFortress.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244159547969577634" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicaC_C2kCq159CG9Fg9uAzirviiLY9WET8zbsLo7bucNjH4ZshVzYC6Z2Dq5GfA7_2TBMaAv_HCC1xC41Nrc58l8fmBbn93ZZx_v4HSjU0gE3JTS9_tohIS3jaMMwN52GEtoPFXfR-1aEJ/s1600-h/022.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicaC_C2kCq159CG9Fg9uAzirviiLY9WET8zbsLo7bucNjH4ZshVzYC6Z2Dq5GfA7_2TBMaAv_HCC1xC41Nrc58l8fmBbn93ZZx_v4HSjU0gE3JTS9_tohIS3jaMMwN52GEtoPFXfR-1aEJ/s320/022.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244159548655472066" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmjSfwQJNQleUqYhrQtJS6moPeAwCVNaFswLjlNCph-Yy3NbvYnJudXbRx9bio-XccueXN8TXfKuZ4goK1V9izKvJE4vo9wpEzEEziRpJJ86AayXsRX6D8n24ZZKsZ4qRHRmMxiVf3094/s1600-h/024.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmjSfwQJNQleUqYhrQtJS6moPeAwCVNaFswLjlNCph-Yy3NbvYnJudXbRx9bio-XccueXN8TXfKuZ4goK1V9izKvJE4vo9wpEzEEziRpJJ86AayXsRX6D8n24ZZKsZ4qRHRmMxiVf3094/s320/024.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244159553003133250" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTof88u4yRjq3AlnseCy6iRdX-XZ33cqG4lEh9JPzSVf4ygLCCft_fbb3L_Pw_3RDpUzz-AQ_FQ3pNsS0DM5mRkHmnj-PhLNmfi76NmE9E5NZLZ-QpUz-2T4lXSlDnrOthioeHm8cWmyWg/s1600-h/025.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTof88u4yRjq3AlnseCy6iRdX-XZ33cqG4lEh9JPzSVf4ygLCCft_fbb3L_Pw_3RDpUzz-AQ_FQ3pNsS0DM5mRkHmnj-PhLNmfi76NmE9E5NZLZ-QpUz-2T4lXSlDnrOthioeHm8cWmyWg/s320/025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244159563107206434" border="0" /></a>We had a fun lunch in one of the taverns, complete with costumed waitresses and food/drink served in pewter. The menu consisted of food typically served then: beans and macaroni, vegetable rice soup, bread, and little french desserts. (The huge napkins were used by the army men to keep their uniforms clean.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrXBU_xS_mdKQz1VkwZmk5Nn1xsb6CjWftixId7ZtTqmVS5al5zQZ2DC9L962aFylgxpl5i7vemeWTp1nnwgCt4obgTZSjPSn4ssrl1V8ORGqpNtAYY0Eu0usFQ76Xynzx01mky81bhQc9/s1600-h/030.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrXBU_xS_mdKQz1VkwZmk5Nn1xsb6CjWftixId7ZtTqmVS5al5zQZ2DC9L962aFylgxpl5i7vemeWTp1nnwgCt4obgTZSjPSn4ssrl1V8ORGqpNtAYY0Eu0usFQ76Xynzx01mky81bhQc9/s320/030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244160394648079554" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZThH_PbVYQVKwrc7C_J-I_uJEK9-UTyTwHtgFNQVE3T1FTQK_B5uOX9CcpFW67gpoIVAq4FlzgG74DuegqyGcKjtdA-8eYGYSgeb2BaB3GBoj2MtzRrYNEICzdu51oGcOlLqA11dyEufF/s1600-h/031.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZThH_PbVYQVKwrc7C_J-I_uJEK9-UTyTwHtgFNQVE3T1FTQK_B5uOX9CcpFW67gpoIVAq4FlzgG74DuegqyGcKjtdA-8eYGYSgeb2BaB3GBoj2MtzRrYNEICzdu51oGcOlLqA11dyEufF/s320/031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244160406705765186" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We had a 3 hour drive north to our cottage where we'd stay until Saturday. The closest route was using the Ingonish Ferry (costing $5) and taking 5 minutes. All it did was go back and forth a very small stretch of water. You just got in line and would never need to wait more than 10 minutes.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAHa6ZYucwVBawADAJwFZAmBzupr1LFPWYf5KK4GCjmsbIupyBWrBQ8-2RKFRYnetLYsGJYURmHx4QacvquQQI9EaTmlMhAz7tdYe7VzfvK-x-LYo1D4opX9dhr73Jg1IGV0cFGl2BtVg/s1600-h/050.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAHa6ZYucwVBawADAJwFZAmBzupr1LFPWYf5KK4GCjmsbIupyBWrBQ8-2RKFRYnetLYsGJYURmHx4QacvquQQI9EaTmlMhAz7tdYe7VzfvK-x-LYo1D4opX9dhr73Jg1IGV0cFGl2BtVg/s320/050.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244510717163652514" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We followed the Cabot Trail through lots of evergreen trees and hilly terrain until we reached the Beach View Cottage, a small house built on South Harbour (picture). It was a beautiful setting (even at 10PM). The house was quite new. There were even bird feeders and a screened-in porch. Too bad we never got to enjoy the porch.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCuSgrMWQNIC2wMw2fN1MddmilHW2Sq0TGmy8iUBMSU4Ziw1Zsym59IcwIMGzixMje24eHjN2C0F1b2_rkv5Str45h_dOW0Z9IUJ2G9A4hxmMtVAcnZUlwZVdOS0ULiYVzFgRA6m7kaY6/s1600-h/090SouthHarbourViewFrBayViewCottage.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCuSgrMWQNIC2wMw2fN1MddmilHW2Sq0TGmy8iUBMSU4Ziw1Zsym59IcwIMGzixMje24eHjN2C0F1b2_rkv5Str45h_dOW0Z9IUJ2G9A4hxmMtVAcnZUlwZVdOS0ULiYVzFgRA6m7kaY6/s320/090SouthHarbourViewFrBayViewCottage.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244161699426709538" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Tuesday, Aug. 26. Beautiful Scenery & Coves.</span> The day started out bright but it gradually became very cloudy and cool. We explored the beach at South Harbour then went to White Point where there were piles of lobster traps (oblong) and crab traps (round). Everyone thought the clam chowder at the Chowder House in Neil's Harbour was the best they'd ever tasted! We wanted to hike up to Meat Cove for the view but we took the wrong path and then ran out of time. (Sandy stayed in the car because he was having allergy problems and needed to sleep.) On the way back we stopped at this convenience store/Post Office. This is a very rural area so these little stores are common. One day we actually were told to go to a gas station to buy maple syrup.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5q9r5mU4uVeee0V4sNCm_Jjil1LYAK5yXcRhKhPDomTBaK1wqGvA3ApZZeAUJ9JlQdBVGtb-rTDl-Ywsfx3rVs1ieXEJpEz6I41BvtAzYYbXmW8kVTwX2QTkm3HAIrLKkZ6tMeSDiY27n/s1600-h/041AspyBay.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5q9r5mU4uVeee0V4sNCm_Jjil1LYAK5yXcRhKhPDomTBaK1wqGvA3ApZZeAUJ9JlQdBVGtb-rTDl-Ywsfx3rVs1ieXEJpEz6I41BvtAzYYbXmW8kVTwX2QTkm3HAIrLKkZ6tMeSDiY27n/s320/041AspyBay.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244163340268908114" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvgNjpQWnCkQ6-lDotwteMx-_-ela9I4EJ9LRRHMnwAHJ20hDueK7Eg6cHKxbPECwdZr8ISPS5uCNkbpL_1OXh4npLzcwwiGNeRiR9T6ywYx31v3qEG1Zdp1Rx1ohmh2-QVu-KUmX2xaSM/s1600-h/039AspyBay.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvgNjpQWnCkQ6-lDotwteMx-_-ela9I4EJ9LRRHMnwAHJ20hDueK7Eg6cHKxbPECwdZr8ISPS5uCNkbpL_1OXh4npLzcwwiGNeRiR9T6ywYx31v3qEG1Zdp1Rx1ohmh2-QVu-KUmX2xaSM/s320/039AspyBay.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244163347517626194" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ciARDHqt42G9hPs9VEJ9mhpDPkoRfXrnPpGeVRhRLRut7OcCnVNRx3E15eZKz3E_WD_-cgY0NNhH3qjr9gDGpVj_jz4McOkA-Qi_BQ1FHoxXBuwA1kJbT_4U3qveFzh_7BvlQkNTqWJL/s1600-h/054NeilsHarbour.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ciARDHqt42G9hPs9VEJ9mhpDPkoRfXrnPpGeVRhRLRut7OcCnVNRx3E15eZKz3E_WD_-cgY0NNhH3qjr9gDGpVj_jz4McOkA-Qi_BQ1FHoxXBuwA1kJbT_4U3qveFzh_7BvlQkNTqWJL/s320/054NeilsHarbour.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244163355097084018" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWu5sMx_YNJBm7RhuX0m4XKJCMHmnSeCdhJm9Rgdf-WH0PNIJMfp5bot10i1cz263OAlNy5iMWYFfz7QkmgiqeFGXZKVXQPvBK1GC4CvE10F3ptzyM_5xp2PA-t6JxsP1n0T3W20xd6X_/s1600-h/052WhitePointHarbour.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWu5sMx_YNJBm7RhuX0m4XKJCMHmnSeCdhJm9Rgdf-WH0PNIJMfp5bot10i1cz263OAlNy5iMWYFfz7QkmgiqeFGXZKVXQPvBK1GC4CvE10F3ptzyM_5xp2PA-t6JxsP1n0T3W20xd6X_/s320/052WhitePointHarbour.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244163353403763442" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISWuc0NMi3KPEVnleT15TKCIpJK1tdCOuYA68KU7WXUd8glUHD7bUw6MmcXWaiIiSNroZ8IXB5CenHS94eb_We6BpCs2iMFuvsoPj8TmBOvhlj6qXVB0XjvPsQH7Vji8WCQr8Me46NjLt/s1600-h/088.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISWuc0NMi3KPEVnleT15TKCIpJK1tdCOuYA68KU7WXUd8glUHD7bUw6MmcXWaiIiSNroZ8IXB5CenHS94eb_We6BpCs2iMFuvsoPj8TmBOvhlj6qXVB0XjvPsQH7Vji8WCQr8Me46NjLt/s320/088.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244164580752869106" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-x3uQ8VTiefaqhf2eGyFRlfgJD3OftQw088ZjfPecwBaGNqcPk2wWc4m_1wUNkt5sy52858q6BQLab5Wq8bDHvUHSof0281b2Hy7CoDNMvcxykNMh4tAWScWpJtRKtRZdZ6RBSip0YnPO/s1600-h/089StorePO.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-x3uQ8VTiefaqhf2eGyFRlfgJD3OftQw088ZjfPecwBaGNqcPk2wWc4m_1wUNkt5sy52858q6BQLab5Wq8bDHvUHSof0281b2Hy7CoDNMvcxykNMh4tAWScWpJtRKtRZdZ6RBSip0YnPO/s320/089StorePO.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244164588620756082" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday, Aug. 27. Moose and Sunset.</span> We were out to find moose today and moose we found! We were headed west on the Cape Breton Trail to Skyline Trail when we saw our first one in French Lake. We first stopped for a short hike to Lone Shieling, a shepherd's hut. Our next hike was to MacIntosh Brook and its beautiful waterfall (in the rain). Bunch berry was everywhere we looked.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_FnRVhpxZszptSFn3irG2UuIl6zzAAkdpIlNrQodob656Eme5tDPrPBxOse7BnA0iyT0B1XnrEPDvRVDfWpIBjX7pbi4o8E3EKU_4oadrQAH7-AlJ92riZCnMAv_TcLQGJeHMxxUIq_v-/s1600-h/016Moose.FrenchLake.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_FnRVhpxZszptSFn3irG2UuIl6zzAAkdpIlNrQodob656Eme5tDPrPBxOse7BnA0iyT0B1XnrEPDvRVDfWpIBjX7pbi4o8E3EKU_4oadrQAH7-AlJ92riZCnMAv_TcLQGJeHMxxUIq_v-/s320/016Moose.FrenchLake.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244169792277774898" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7PaZ3CurR04AG74gb6RIxYvi8eg5Jxaif-4u88KtRhLd37Lwgmu2S1_3nCLX8d4KKq9qh4bk9sioqy7J-SKJuzZLG9UmzORzfcWzht3NbZG9ZV_e5aZse6yhy5U4zd-LayVUY1h1zdkA/s1600-h/001LoneShielingShepherd'sHut.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7PaZ3CurR04AG74gb6RIxYvi8eg5Jxaif-4u88KtRhLd37Lwgmu2S1_3nCLX8d4KKq9qh4bk9sioqy7J-SKJuzZLG9UmzORzfcWzht3NbZG9ZV_e5aZse6yhy5U4zd-LayVUY1h1zdkA/s320/001LoneShielingShepherd'sHut.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244167498075709554" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgom7PCa_AYKQaRcp-3xKb22_T2vrHkm9Ktup7XyOpY7dgFeTiQyRkkRmG59vJ6qm0s4swMdPyQfS6anJOJPA5q0x15sQWnsTWRDOOTBzf97AhA4uyD4DIovAQ8d0NQyOGbDPy3JarjD9zy/s1600-h/IMGP2315.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgom7PCa_AYKQaRcp-3xKb22_T2vrHkm9Ktup7XyOpY7dgFeTiQyRkkRmG59vJ6qm0s4swMdPyQfS6anJOJPA5q0x15sQWnsTWRDOOTBzf97AhA4uyD4DIovAQ8d0NQyOGbDPy3JarjD9zy/s320/IMGP2315.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244169787301864130" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxcNOTcTrcGkuk0JNkX68OZaA6GW8sDRhWGqiIX1f4ugcbnUIUDR9sBSeI47IylHyfcST65wVtQud3Jdk-MNz8vXAW22-nX-kesUPl_zLgb8UzG1-WfbPULOBBl_sB9jjQ7PvWdw3OutN/s1600-h/024BunchBerries.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxcNOTcTrcGkuk0JNkX68OZaA6GW8sDRhWGqiIX1f4ugcbnUIUDR9sBSeI47IylHyfcST65wVtQud3Jdk-MNz8vXAW22-nX-kesUPl_zLgb8UzG1-WfbPULOBBl_sB9jjQ7PvWdw3OutN/s320/024BunchBerries.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244171456110088354" border="0" /></a>Skyline Trail, one of the most popular hikes in Cape Breton, was fairly level and on a boardwalk. The views were awesome! At the end where the cliffs are there are stairs on different levels with benches to look at the view of the Bay of St. Lawrence. The sun came out so it was even more beautiful. Some people have seen whales from here but not us. We decided to take an alternate route back, just a trail, no boardwalk. We're so glad we did because we saw 3 moose in separate areas!! A mother and calf as well as a young bull just growing his first set of horns. These moose obviously were used to people being nearby since we were able to get quite close to the young moose. We had never seen a moose kneeling to eat.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13ff7_QI9h9PxGVuopUWi6PffphBWZKdBhOSf6WI-RhyphenhyphenOOrHqDBvru-H_DuGA9gNDGPKMC4uwta2bHu3rXfN_NJlTBfN1gJ0RAuiFBcBbyVfvAp3FJwSnbQXAK_3Rb4wq0Gn-ovBcVmZB/s1600-h/036.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13ff7_QI9h9PxGVuopUWi6PffphBWZKdBhOSf6WI-RhyphenhyphenOOrHqDBvru-H_DuGA9gNDGPKMC4uwta2bHu3rXfN_NJlTBfN1gJ0RAuiFBcBbyVfvAp3FJwSnbQXAK_3Rb4wq0Gn-ovBcVmZB/s320/036.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244172667078923394" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wQ-Tp4sKZ5HJ52U7KYd4PS0OiZgA5VofIQlC-4bya6kN6RmbSz2dJ6kKI4hLS4Mc7Ouf3YKT0QWbVyoUZ_XYdYWGz9-5p9VVX-24UEuEZ7UH5fSmIN-wSkF3rDOxqnBmuZS2Om4ZSnRT/s1600-h/011.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wQ-Tp4sKZ5HJ52U7KYd4PS0OiZgA5VofIQlC-4bya6kN6RmbSz2dJ6kKI4hLS4Mc7Ouf3YKT0QWbVyoUZ_XYdYWGz9-5p9VVX-24UEuEZ7UH5fSmIN-wSkF3rDOxqnBmuZS2Om4ZSnRT/s320/011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244167506082831442" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9GupX3eyV0sLsFQXJOsUNAzz7VEtAdx_oeMBfDhoiGZmrSNjFssxNY-hJTsW-_xgnA72wtfnnMotEVyDYIVQkvmHEQ5ktXIH5o5Q_P8fN8HMbymeLCp6bflkIMqfNa5xxR3jsTJS8Pcp/s1600-h/017FromSkylineTrail.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9GupX3eyV0sLsFQXJOsUNAzz7VEtAdx_oeMBfDhoiGZmrSNjFssxNY-hJTsW-_xgnA72wtfnnMotEVyDYIVQkvmHEQ5ktXIH5o5Q_P8fN8HMbymeLCp6bflkIMqfNa5xxR3jsTJS8Pcp/s320/017FromSkylineTrail.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244167515126135362" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7JE8la4n6EaoFm54gBYrcmUEdfJu2py_Ero4hIyWdok3PPEM12-Ylvud7uowZOaQ474LKpoc25HvCl868kid_8zHtYUrM3AqVhyphenhyphenoKg7KSNVGddRBvP2aHdJ2hFXT-JSi_viBOvaBD_LG/s1600-h/020BayStLawrence.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7JE8la4n6EaoFm54gBYrcmUEdfJu2py_Ero4hIyWdok3PPEM12-Ylvud7uowZOaQ474LKpoc25HvCl868kid_8zHtYUrM3AqVhyphenhyphenoKg7KSNVGddRBvP2aHdJ2hFXT-JSi_viBOvaBD_LG/s320/020BayStLawrence.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244167519507716962" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRz9rq1HIKHPgYGBaeC9Mbtm7M4vNgllXIORImvJ8s1HHa7u6rMDFbMNxgtekj5qKYJAfrmsQdI5n2MCRp3Y_PVN1csYK0VNyxGhUOGwWm3eTu0PdYda2rMmd7fPrbTZW6d777hT8yaZpN/s1600-h/021SkylineTrail.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRz9rq1HIKHPgYGBaeC9Mbtm7M4vNgllXIORImvJ8s1HHa7u6rMDFbMNxgtekj5qKYJAfrmsQdI5n2MCRp3Y_PVN1csYK0VNyxGhUOGwWm3eTu0PdYda2rMmd7fPrbTZW6d777hT8yaZpN/s320/021SkylineTrail.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244172663022341714" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiFDTRC7Qp26XIfTCKixmd81uRYjy3pCVWrtRIO_GiLlk9XQCv48W8yl9qwIz-pS02r77Qc3XXRtx-ZAaFctDdhyphenhyphenwEufQ7u_wV24ZE0Wx5DRZqFOCbtVTteMTFGdQiPmc-MgXt1KaDT-o7/s1600-h/034Balanced.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiFDTRC7Qp26XIfTCKixmd81uRYjy3pCVWrtRIO_GiLlk9XQCv48W8yl9qwIz-pS02r77Qc3XXRtx-ZAaFctDdhyphenhyphenwEufQ7u_wV24ZE0Wx5DRZqFOCbtVTteMTFGdQiPmc-MgXt1KaDT-o7/s320/034Balanced.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246025237276438322" border="0" /></a>We continued on our drive toward Cheticamp where we went to the Trois Pignons, a museum about the Acadian (French Canadian) culture and rug hooking. It was really interesting and the hooked rugs were amazing, especially the ones that were portraits. The sunset was incredible.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbcL_mPqGCvjvCnOmDim3H7e_QzRuo9xvr8x802lboRfigP528WjQtx6R9hRtRSebifOmAuap1WCiN3PThU5kCkRxoyXGL9iPCBhtM4wEd_fH8Slg4dCs6rKur0RJR346ctOtx2OTapTHo/s1600-h/038.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbcL_mPqGCvjvCnOmDim3H7e_QzRuo9xvr8x802lboRfigP528WjQtx6R9hRtRSebifOmAuap1WCiN3PThU5kCkRxoyXGL9iPCBhtM4wEd_fH8Slg4dCs6rKur0RJR346ctOtx2OTapTHo/s320/038.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244175614830887570" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNaC9ZC2Ojkbb_ay3bnEmBcKDhrwUWJf-c_7HJ8lRN6A-MibEqCDJdlIyQQtRwh8f0s-LRlsIaWgi7n8RToXTKGO9n4Dk3Qjpcw8RbUw2KGAtY_Zo0h4tRQZT4eBgsfD9Ef-mi1PBjkAI/s1600-h/047.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNaC9ZC2Ojkbb_ay3bnEmBcKDhrwUWJf-c_7HJ8lRN6A-MibEqCDJdlIyQQtRwh8f0s-LRlsIaWgi7n8RToXTKGO9n4Dk3Qjpcw8RbUw2KGAtY_Zo0h4tRQZT4eBgsfD9Ef-mi1PBjkAI/s320/047.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244175636808619010" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />At the museum the worker said they don't recommend people drive the Cabot Trail because of moose crossing the road so we drove extra carefully. Shortly after the sun set we were driving up a hill with the sunset still visible at the top of the road. We saw a moose silhouetted against the sunset. What an amazing site!! Unfortunately David couldn't get his camera out in time to get a picture. But you can imagine. The second moose crossed the road closely in front of us followed by a young moose we got blinded by our bright lights and started going away from his mother. Finally the mother must have made a noise and the young one followed. What a great site!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZtSXRcgYareZ4I8JQJaeQ-ENnBIATNUE476WNrBr8O9Sv75qG8syXRB3uxUKezbID9Va-L3Vq-bwN-QppiUxuIqHUpUQ4duKrKgMJqKdp90q2rP6m2a2qoZ34Nl5cAeBlII1GXSX4djr/s1600-h/IMGP2284Crop.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZtSXRcgYareZ4I8JQJaeQ-ENnBIATNUE476WNrBr8O9Sv75qG8syXRB3uxUKezbID9Va-L3Vq-bwN-QppiUxuIqHUpUQ4duKrKgMJqKdp90q2rP6m2a2qoZ34Nl5cAeBlII1GXSX4djr/s320/IMGP2284Crop.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244179815838306866" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Thursday, Aug. 28. Puffin Trip and Ceilidh.</span> We woke up to a very windy day. When we got to the Puffin Boat dock in Englishtown we were told that the Puffin boat tour we had signed up for was canceled because of 4 foot swells. Fortunately, Sandy and David didn't get seasick that day since they had just taken seasick pills. We took a hike to beautiful Uisge Falls when it started to rain lightly. We found this really cool tree that looked like a person's right leg over a rock with his left hand holding something.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtp8EGrmpTp8M_DMGzNKIZdCqlHSpdeNODrYwdTzTWrEJrkGkBEpw5JQkKmFy5ASFWcSACcZvch4zw5htNs9LX_zXPjNcpHWtaZ1D1iTKFXZDJcmY2HOZ0VFs4fZ8W0FGf38diRvnT8QSp/s1600-h/058.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtp8EGrmpTp8M_DMGzNKIZdCqlHSpdeNODrYwdTzTWrEJrkGkBEpw5JQkKmFy5ASFWcSACcZvch4zw5htNs9LX_zXPjNcpHWtaZ1D1iTKFXZDJcmY2HOZ0VFs4fZ8W0FGf38diRvnT8QSp/s320/058.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244514070715153906" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUbGNHgAkmgRP1S7TJLCDmgkbvMdKzqDyCP3WA_qnBUMIftNH73-k02_g6P1aeFZkllhaUCXp9Q7aBNZ2bZeakMA_9_FwiIENamriXzI-jnLskdnDGjzSvXvAMFE7pcnGpG9Tbqo1R-HNe/s1600-h/059.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUbGNHgAkmgRP1S7TJLCDmgkbvMdKzqDyCP3WA_qnBUMIftNH73-k02_g6P1aeFZkllhaUCXp9Q7aBNZ2bZeakMA_9_FwiIENamriXzI-jnLskdnDGjzSvXvAMFE7pcnGpG9Tbqo1R-HNe/s320/059.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244514071946455442" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMb1_6-FjyI8SjW5DfQOJfQ-4k79KDVFfIezFOeM7uDpRoh8q4tua4SsAcDJgL-MECD7yH6Zqx9oQ-A03bgadKCj4WWd5Zb7KdvgZ0kZ6I06r5qgdkO_Tkr7t_WVFDoWVNngoEpiGI0yVF/s1600-h/063.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMb1_6-FjyI8SjW5DfQOJfQ-4k79KDVFfIezFOeM7uDpRoh8q4tua4SsAcDJgL-MECD7yH6Zqx9oQ-A03bgadKCj4WWd5Zb7KdvgZ0kZ6I06r5qgdkO_Tkr7t_WVFDoWVNngoEpiGI0yVF/s320/063.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244514081146275282" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcVEH01Jlj2owpytve7bPLjmu-pOSzw21WbaimE1hKz8m3756ik3MErVkNYrEJ30fg0rbGaEkw0uQO7Wgt360nAoKP4ZH7SyDLWmNAq3336Qyfy9P-8Zfp4OSkGr7PWwwCF3bFZB1Y6Gn/s1600-h/054Crop.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcVEH01Jlj2owpytve7bPLjmu-pOSzw21WbaimE1hKz8m3756ik3MErVkNYrEJ30fg0rbGaEkw0uQO7Wgt360nAoKP4ZH7SyDLWmNAq3336Qyfy9P-8Zfp4OSkGr7PWwwCF3bFZB1Y6Gn/s320/054Crop.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244514092013879330" border="0" /></a>Next stop was Baddeck (Bah-deck') and the Interpretive Lakes Center. We learned about past, present and future of the Bras d'Or (brah-door) Lakes. Next was lunch and the Alexander Graham Bell Museum. It was super! What an amazing man Mr. Bell was. We learned he was more interested in possibilities instead of actualities. He and his wife built a home across the lake from the museum. It was still in the low 60's today but at least it wasn't raining most of the day. We walked downtown and found a cafe for delicious tea and coffee and muffins. We usually shopped for food at the Coop Grocery Store, found all over the island.<br /><br />We had a great dinner at Yellow Cello and then headed down to St. Michael's Parish Hall for a traditonal Ceilidh (kay-lee). It's a combination of Acadian fiddle playing, dancing, and singing. It was really fun! There were 2 main singers with a guitar and fiddle, husband and wife, Derrick and Melody Cameron. We were part of a square dancing group. Melody, introduced as being the best step dancer on the island, did her amazing dancing. The Cameron's were from Badou and explained a little about the families there. So many generations of families live there that people were called by their father's and grandfather's names. For example, Joe whose father was Harry and grandfather was Tom was referred to as Joe-Harry-Tom.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday, Aug. 29. Rain Again - what else!!</span> Actually, it was only cloudy in the morning and we headed out to the nearby North Highlands Community Museum in Cape North. It gave a great history of the area. (The other people in the museum were from Acton, MA!) We started talking to one of the volunteers who was a retired professor from CT. They owned part of a house on Cape Cod and last year unexpectedly bought a house in Cape Breton (inexpensive real estate here!). We enjoyed our conversation with him. We headed past a number of coves toward Neil's Harbour and the Chowder House again for lunch. We then drove down to Ingonish. It was still pretty cloudy but not raining yet so we went for what was supposed to be a really beautiful hike. We started behind the Keltic Lodge to Middle Head. And it was beautiful scenery except it was foggy and then it started to pour. We ended up sopping wet and had to change our pants at the Keltic Lodge when we got back.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhy9SGh7fjHy670NuNY2cIEcAF-3jPgj7vf2Q8jDRF72TTTqAnGwYryi-3aV1Mz5Ks8ka4xdN-fhz95J8npSKb751z35yZx9XquPDLzzu0mjpiKVqFzmWKAUNJbOYzBir_-BoIClL6qkz/s1600-h/082AtlanticOcean.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhy9SGh7fjHy670NuNY2cIEcAF-3jPgj7vf2Q8jDRF72TTTqAnGwYryi-3aV1Mz5Ks8ka4xdN-fhz95J8npSKb751z35yZx9XquPDLzzu0mjpiKVqFzmWKAUNJbOYzBir_-BoIClL6qkz/s320/082AtlanticOcean.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244516296494801826" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCJuPfYhMO-zahmzFbKKHGmeg1JAn7YRG1MSjowRGHiRDM3VRkk7rn65YTjZ3K7BGRdeQi5hfnUlwU9xk50CZKp3iNJGK2B8wVHjZ1-VkjReGAE__3Gva-RCeoRQ5iQIrJvFjAsQUo6C5P/s1600-h/084AtlanticOcean.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCJuPfYhMO-zahmzFbKKHGmeg1JAn7YRG1MSjowRGHiRDM3VRkk7rn65YTjZ3K7BGRdeQi5hfnUlwU9xk50CZKp3iNJGK2B8wVHjZ1-VkjReGAE__3Gva-RCeoRQ5iQIrJvFjAsQUo6C5P/s320/084AtlanticOcean.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244516296786721170" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here are some more random landscape pictures.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQIxTOSxZjLKdXYftznWgBlzuGc9qhHHq4jq1sBzqjiUw2KjGYdWGgoD7Li5PsurddvVepC4AjcE5odz4CJKv_HhqFAIKemQbw95k0aDDZwBbtakfmgYMnuom7dC5H6mCfymDvXsdTSU28/s1600-h/IMG_0007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQIxTOSxZjLKdXYftznWgBlzuGc9qhHHq4jq1sBzqjiUw2KjGYdWGgoD7Li5PsurddvVepC4AjcE5odz4CJKv_HhqFAIKemQbw95k0aDDZwBbtakfmgYMnuom7dC5H6mCfymDvXsdTSU28/s320/IMG_0007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246029501256641170" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjS78-_6nEjyUTW2kdpFSaLjrr_ZZwnNqobuU2VeJhRtWQAM94RZJn4Iv0E8_99S2DfPaZTesSi2S-otoTzmSdxLBdxuvaQIYcdiaF80QztdX9bMpac6F0iu0tvd85zrFQssQOUIOIHeoe/s1600-h/IMG_0014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjS78-_6nEjyUTW2kdpFSaLjrr_ZZwnNqobuU2VeJhRtWQAM94RZJn4Iv0E8_99S2DfPaZTesSi2S-otoTzmSdxLBdxuvaQIYcdiaF80QztdX9bMpac6F0iu0tvd85zrFQssQOUIOIHeoe/s320/IMG_0014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246029508023568418" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayl5VJQd7h3PhXQOrYYc86OwBhyphenhyphenpGsgDQ8oW-FpHP1h1yAYpmf_eAKGUXQynITXKAX2nxWAAbATMhAbgSZ3OSuB_siUcAv2eW3a4uWm8xOCMFdGmPGI61ifv1ZXEKXX5f5Eemme4Mm9CN/s1600-h/IMG_0020.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayl5VJQd7h3PhXQOrYYc86OwBhyphenhyphenpGsgDQ8oW-FpHP1h1yAYpmf_eAKGUXQynITXKAX2nxWAAbATMhAbgSZ3OSuB_siUcAv2eW3a4uWm8xOCMFdGmPGI61ifv1ZXEKXX5f5Eemme4Mm9CN/s320/IMG_0020.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246029508858694658" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwLLhr92h9Yqp_soxZ9gnxY8-8wR5hwIVqe9A3wI-ujc6SlT78PC69wX7jCkAbYbljivSWdWNflG-kymJXjXxsRabzxd4oc_ev02pJcZ31Z26bvFSHBacLb687aJIU8cddgVyFc_L0QEh6/s1600-h/IMG_0021Crop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwLLhr92h9Yqp_soxZ9gnxY8-8wR5hwIVqe9A3wI-ujc6SlT78PC69wX7jCkAbYbljivSWdWNflG-kymJXjXxsRabzxd4oc_ev02pJcZ31Z26bvFSHBacLb687aJIU8cddgVyFc_L0QEh6/s320/IMG_0021Crop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246029512604057298" border="0" /></a>We had fun playing Zomba (aka Crazy Rummy) one night and another night we listened to the Democratic Convention. Cape Breton proved to be much more mountainous than we thought and the scenery was great. A trip during sunshine would be even better.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, Aug. 30. Relocate to PEI.</span> It was a 7 hour drive to our cottage in New London, PEI. It was a really, really long drive through Nova Scotia. First we had to drive southwest from Cape Breton. We crossed the Confederation Bridge, an 8 mile long bridge. Coming to the end of the bridge we saw beautiful rolling hills with fields and pastures and red dirt! The first stop on PEI was Gateway Village. It was a cute turn-of-the-century village with a huge visitor center and displays. We picked up some info and headed north to New London. We were enthralled with the landscape from the bridge north: rolling hills, farm fields, and lobster/mussel boats in the harbor. It was an absolutely lovely landscape. And the house we rented for the week (at half price because it's now the off season) is beautiful. And we have a great view of the New London Bay.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUA98udXeHCoILIQAnFPAmEJFGdkC6xBIXTBqQ_GJzg7s80qG_mZZCk9xyXXTmVLzahpj-OrGMFxfbsgmRSSEtd89BAeoOQZXtbUb_ybDjDft2wxP2RJxcqFgR5yvpDjZBAbc3hCKMdDBu/s1600-h/32.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUA98udXeHCoILIQAnFPAmEJFGdkC6xBIXTBqQ_GJzg7s80qG_mZZCk9xyXXTmVLzahpj-OrGMFxfbsgmRSSEtd89BAeoOQZXtbUb_ybDjDft2wxP2RJxcqFgR5yvpDjZBAbc3hCKMdDBu/s320/32.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246032959645396002" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsK2DjbYi81aPwezdMYe6i5fcZGaS0bQPMagsRp1foH6u5vZUazHiEatmiubGvEIJPFAIsjZcMtYlLrhxE9PgxRXmcSDRJibgHfSWgKdsfFKJSkEpfuSsqKP3mgxI3IBeOOhigkfMeb07A/s1600-h/33.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsK2DjbYi81aPwezdMYe6i5fcZGaS0bQPMagsRp1foH6u5vZUazHiEatmiubGvEIJPFAIsjZcMtYlLrhxE9PgxRXmcSDRJibgHfSWgKdsfFKJSkEpfuSsqKP3mgxI3IBeOOhigkfMeb07A/s320/33.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246032964806912466" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioa20EWcwNMjgKlw_5jMfcs0DsHXzjgqPoH5_cLN61fr9ucKeJQCOTZksTbT0-ILKsfHDh-Tkrc4w0tO-rU_V3vEQc1F-pgzE1Swc7i_Nx_5EibgMdMJ4_1FegIh3ux2D2v03i-Ee51ICh/s1600-h/35EldredgeCottage.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioa20EWcwNMjgKlw_5jMfcs0DsHXzjgqPoH5_cLN61fr9ucKeJQCOTZksTbT0-ILKsfHDh-Tkrc4w0tO-rU_V3vEQc1F-pgzE1Swc7i_Nx_5EibgMdMJ4_1FegIh3ux2D2v03i-Ee51ICh/s320/35EldredgeCottage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246032969974829970" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_NspF17aKu9RWKxLGXWIo1ZFS26bxOfQ-K_91QvpTnm7aLVpiK2IzwsU335G7c2YiMVL-FH2Din9VHCjhYD99vmFu-ljq05qSAYRahc9fenPJGojOG8n5DY6SHDpmCNABhMuslYJuORm4/s1600-h/36ViewFrCottage.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_NspF17aKu9RWKxLGXWIo1ZFS26bxOfQ-K_91QvpTnm7aLVpiK2IzwsU335G7c2YiMVL-FH2Din9VHCjhYD99vmFu-ljq05qSAYRahc9fenPJGojOG8n5DY6SHDpmCNABhMuslYJuORm4/s320/36ViewFrCottage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246032976372734882" border="0" /></a>Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-88029640419574025122008-09-09T13:13:00.000-07:002008-09-19T20:17:16.569-07:00Summer 2008We arrived back in Massachusetts at the end of May. Besides friends we've been missing our subscriptions to Newsweek and National Geographic. We know we could go to the library to read them but we just didn't make it a priority.<br /><br />We spent June bouncing back and forth between Ogunquit, ME and Don and Melissa Kroodsma's house in Amherst. (Thanks Kroodsmas!) We rented Sandy Davis' condo in July and August which worked out great. We've become so flexible that it's not a big deal for us to live out of a suitcase as long as it's not for too long.<br /><br />Sandy's condo is in a great location and a very comfortable condo. (Although Sandy became allergic to something so was taking allergy pills the whole time.)<br /><br />It was great to be back in New England and we had lots of fun visiting friends (and some relatives) we hadn't seen for a year: in Amherst, at the James Taylor concert at Tanglewood, the McNiven reunion in Maine in August and The Bittersweets concert in Northampton on 9/8.<br /><br />We did some sightseeing in Vermont in June. We loved our visit to the scenic Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Park in Woodstock. There's a working dairy farm and museum. George Marsh was a pioneering environmentalist in the 1800's!! Frederick Billings continued Marsh's reforestation and scientific farm management. They had jersey cows which produced the most fat of any cow. Consequently they had the best butter around. They bred the cows, started being very productive and people came to find out their methods. The Rockefeller house, owned by Mary and Laurance Rockefeller (son of John D. Jr.) was gorgeous. (Mary was the granddaughter of Mr. Billings.) We took a tour and really learned a lot about the places in which he was instrumental in turning into national parks.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjly5q1owgPucCX6p5bBU9WVzepBm0b0tZuYpdtZUsnfB61sAGuTVuZPXqYxSv4piS4tCzoBnbrT7hO5Xre1bRKxJDJQxLQ6G_DiS9MHxO65Io47Ymxajj92ATqZ74nUFbLHDjvIrCpdhZk/s1600-h/037.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjly5q1owgPucCX6p5bBU9WVzepBm0b0tZuYpdtZUsnfB61sAGuTVuZPXqYxSv4piS4tCzoBnbrT7hO5Xre1bRKxJDJQxLQ6G_DiS9MHxO65Io47Ymxajj92ATqZ74nUFbLHDjvIrCpdhZk/s320/037.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244556796446050370" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwIbSOvwWlQUMEqmGG0yijYgE9PJHG-Zz59sba5c5_624q59w_5ZshoKLmcCQz4LNIwMsahtPZrZ09EcRwRQMKpZI7dN35Kl9EPEBot36943qUf5sjPZVA8CiqSufQ0so7BmdOxRP1G-v/s1600-h/033.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwIbSOvwWlQUMEqmGG0yijYgE9PJHG-Zz59sba5c5_624q59w_5ZshoKLmcCQz4LNIwMsahtPZrZ09EcRwRQMKpZI7dN35Kl9EPEBot36943qUf5sjPZVA8CiqSufQ0so7BmdOxRP1G-v/s320/033.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244556791817708082" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge623JHjAdf5mDH1g0a5Dj1NUJ-O6OP1J9Gq_k_GUc0nig198tM6H5-N02tmpACQM1L1O-FE4TegPZQqnGznisqFe7vJpsk7BplfH0pWN1zkPtornPfrzRtNf0WdG82REu_TQymoD9eIV5/s1600-h/050.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge623JHjAdf5mDH1g0a5Dj1NUJ-O6OP1J9Gq_k_GUc0nig198tM6H5-N02tmpACQM1L1O-FE4TegPZQqnGznisqFe7vJpsk7BplfH0pWN1zkPtornPfrzRtNf0WdG82REu_TQymoD9eIV5/s320/050.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244556806544898402" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs4IwHyvhG1uwq87CzU7ZBi1mDZskxTOb30oU0dCH3Vc_9EgpbmTLBIH3A6VXMxOF_iLV4VesFCyztRd8_2p3fmVZUAOaEEy7LJDgUNYlFNcEG-nAiwErPApcqw2hHFRSCf-3uaP64khup/s1600-h/052.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs4IwHyvhG1uwq87CzU7ZBi1mDZskxTOb30oU0dCH3Vc_9EgpbmTLBIH3A6VXMxOF_iLV4VesFCyztRd8_2p3fmVZUAOaEEy7LJDgUNYlFNcEG-nAiwErPApcqw2hHFRSCf-3uaP64khup/s320/052.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244556815010537842" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Our next stop was the Quechee Gorge and the Simon Pearce Glass Blowing and Pottery. We loved the covered bridge in Taftsville. And it was amazing to watch them "blow" a goblet!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBecThzZZIFO1aV1-bfVTYstAWUhj6luSetBkDW-K82DEi-6dMEAWp448jnTZimDed1VIVQY_Hm7vw5k66xLSdqf1d2UoU7gg4XWguax96gaWCiA70TRi9jP28ZsQZU47avqifxLAWwKgR/s1600-h/041.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBecThzZZIFO1aV1-bfVTYstAWUhj6luSetBkDW-K82DEi-6dMEAWp448jnTZimDed1VIVQY_Hm7vw5k66xLSdqf1d2UoU7gg4XWguax96gaWCiA70TRi9jP28ZsQZU47avqifxLAWwKgR/s320/041.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244558433283392194" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Ca6kXzSz8aWBhfz90FGx-zvZ8fui50B5SAEi7x2-vYfvjKw7BoGdICHtU-uCTVBtoylbjRsry4SKqbJndHm0E85n5BOmROvooeIrBMVVKcFYkxCD3nJrLZMWUsG2s7m5Vm7VBqvqURPa/s1600-h/047.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Ca6kXzSz8aWBhfz90FGx-zvZ8fui50B5SAEi7x2-vYfvjKw7BoGdICHtU-uCTVBtoylbjRsry4SKqbJndHm0E85n5BOmROvooeIrBMVVKcFYkxCD3nJrLZMWUsG2s7m5Vm7VBqvqURPa/s320/047.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244558436292640290" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It was super to see Scott and Libby for the McNiven reunion in Ogunquit, ME. They were also able to stay for a week after. They're doing great and are just starting to plan their wedding in Duluth, MN, Libby's home town, on Labor Day weekend 2009. Julie couldn't come. She and Michael are happily living in Santa Monica as of June 1. In August she finished filming "Mad Men" season 2. She's in episodes 1, 2, 8, 10, 12, and 13.<br /><br />Sandy had a great time playing a lot of golf. I practiced golf a little. Sometimes it hurts my shoulder so we'll see how it goes down in Florida.<br /><br />I bought genealogical software and have put on much of our family tree. I had fun finding out more family info on Ancestry.com. I'll need to add a little to it and also do a little more research. It has great options for different kinds of reports.<br /><br />Sandy started going to yoga with me and really liked it. Yeah! So we'll continue that in Florida.<br /><br />We saw some great plays at the New Century Theater in Northampton.<br /><br />We went to Debbie Mullins wedding to Lucien at the Lord Jeffery Inn. Others friends at our table: Doug & Denise Gagnon, Chuck Dauchy & Judy Weinthaler, and Kathy Melhorn & John Lemly. Great dancing! Great fun!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmC5nGt7Rd_Sra3afU9xbr2svGairq44P6kfbquzD0wZgpmdL0y1zulJc-LxpvIGsF0NBx2xWu81TvQFTjwvQK4T0m4o9-VytgB1Q4twLhE7RTMIv-lhbJvmTCUiCDxqjBe9rxNqS9Gx_/s1600-h/MullinsWedding7.08Crop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmC5nGt7Rd_Sra3afU9xbr2svGairq44P6kfbquzD0wZgpmdL0y1zulJc-LxpvIGsF0NBx2xWu81TvQFTjwvQK4T0m4o9-VytgB1Q4twLhE7RTMIv-lhbJvmTCUiCDxqjBe9rxNqS9Gx_/s400/MullinsWedding7.08Crop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246021208069434562" border="0" /></a>We both did some volunteering. Sandy: did hours of maintenance for the ABC House. Becky: a little for the Fort River Library and about 6 weeks at the Hitchcock Nature Center. We both volunteered for some Big Brothers Big Sisters fundraisers. We plan to continue volunteering for different organizations in Florida.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next blog entry:</span> our trip to the Maritime islands of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island with David and Betsy Mullins.Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-44937889341084751042008-04-19T12:25:00.002-07:002008-09-10T17:06:57.115-07:00Fort Myers<span style="font-weight: bold;">April 15-May 24.</span> We arrived back in Florida and stopped on the way to Ft. Myers to pick up some of our belongings and the mail at Sandy's mother's. It was great to get back to Ft. Myers and actually be able to unpack everything!!<br /><br />On Friday we drove up to Siesta Key to visit with some relatives: Sandy's mother, June, and his brothers and sister and spouses: John and Diane, Scott and Amy, and Linda and Jay. We had a great visit and a lovely day for the beach. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2ZC_lyIQiWK8Iv90nSen4atpoBvshwR0d7pCxZBQE_BWQooGVM1Vr_UH6si5o1pxik1C59ASagT5wGQRdsj1RyhiFwchmTsUvmfEwbdinyJtmGyEXqsxOIowgY4kDZ1Y14UuQFRe6AAb/s1600-h/IMG_0014Crop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2ZC_lyIQiWK8Iv90nSen4atpoBvshwR0d7pCxZBQE_BWQooGVM1Vr_UH6si5o1pxik1C59ASagT5wGQRdsj1RyhiFwchmTsUvmfEwbdinyJtmGyEXqsxOIowgY4kDZ1Y14UuQFRe6AAb/s320/IMG_0014Crop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244544484733718322" border="0" /></a>A week later Sandy drove up to June's to drive her north for the summer. He then flew home from Albany. They had a great drive and nice visit with his sister, Gail and husband, Dale, in Virginia.<br /><br />I took a couple of days when he was away and visited my mother in Largo. While I was there my brother flew down from Toronto to also visit her and then we all picked up Sandy at the airport and came back down to Ft. Myers. Bruce hadn't been there before. We a very relaxing visit. We read, swam, and did some sightseeing. We all enjoyed the Calusa Nature Center where we took a tour and saw our first albino raccoon. And Bruce enjoyed his short trip to the Edison Estates.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0BNh_lrj4CwrOAUNcYpGYhy087CmNXG8AhGbSm9LSJMtknWGwuSBAFuFaX6PGwFmlYrSgPZ5r4SY4BzHB4f-l4puBolLjS3N05cFRBi2ZnTdDiChIecpRweudIifhnt5I-cbs_Dt7iQGn/s1600-h/IMG_0002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0BNh_lrj4CwrOAUNcYpGYhy087CmNXG8AhGbSm9LSJMtknWGwuSBAFuFaX6PGwFmlYrSgPZ5r4SY4BzHB4f-l4puBolLjS3N05cFRBi2ZnTdDiChIecpRweudIifhnt5I-cbs_Dt7iQGn/s320/IMG_0002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244544489053492530" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPkuLmVU7k4sESJPBhYecN1jUEzDx7ud3tNAjZexqxR3oFcXuzu9t-IHQgpGKmwM-8CvG_Z8powlfQDZ1PPDUwLK-pymMFp8LWvZz6nxjbYh5eK8yb_0tQ-UOklZz9Q1ZfTezOjoQQ1FL/s1600-h/IMG_0010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPkuLmVU7k4sESJPBhYecN1jUEzDx7ud3tNAjZexqxR3oFcXuzu9t-IHQgpGKmwM-8CvG_Z8powlfQDZ1PPDUwLK-pymMFp8LWvZz6nxjbYh5eK8yb_0tQ-UOklZz9Q1ZfTezOjoQQ1FL/s320/IMG_0010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244544508918785746" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A week later our good friends, George and Carol McGeehan, from college, came to visit for a few days. We hadn't seen them in a couple of years so we had a lot of catching up to do. One night we went to the Fort Myers Beach for dinner and saw the moon rise. We also saw a great example of how our Florida frogs blend into the pastel color of the house. Another day we took a trip to Pine Island and visited an area where the Calusa Indians lived. There we saw many osprey. George and Sandy played golf and we all just enjoyed visiting. We hope they come back to visit us again in the winter.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMKg14J3RYWD_qX5Kmgt3BROojKzUWfm-ygjyBr34FfUCmmyLR86E0fJidqiVwMOlbP3ymQmVGVzz6DJOyLJws6wLC7dzbY-sS3aQU0QlHaL7Ndl80AiN8GtK4zFMC-JJUFQL89F92F4o9/s1600-h/IMG_0001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMKg14J3RYWD_qX5Kmgt3BROojKzUWfm-ygjyBr34FfUCmmyLR86E0fJidqiVwMOlbP3ymQmVGVzz6DJOyLJws6wLC7dzbY-sS3aQU0QlHaL7Ndl80AiN8GtK4zFMC-JJUFQL89F92F4o9/s320/IMG_0001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244544513196495618" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTjmKyq1B7PsOCsSrys1lhQ7Dwwyp0dyOr3VeQz4R_vCh0Ty0_3JX1sVCiYcFvk3SBPnwfSY13ENCS8chH2T517dlplUdgtSaRn0JUtbR67SSiiMnwVD57OVlgLudkCTzKQnUHG8Qy4bcY/s1600-h/IMG_0009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTjmKyq1B7PsOCsSrys1lhQ7Dwwyp0dyOr3VeQz4R_vCh0Ty0_3JX1sVCiYcFvk3SBPnwfSY13ENCS8chH2T517dlplUdgtSaRn0JUtbR67SSiiMnwVD57OVlgLudkCTzKQnUHG8Qy4bcY/s320/IMG_0009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244544816160682130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyPhnQ4QlCrFtvTcI_RsAet8PPXRH0KC2eIlJX6DEux74rCf3IrePT2ZtfN4g8RF2M2Pmqfrga2dunMlmF8js_B3vBSfW2j_hLFeMeyWY4XKn8RsczFlZtgMAQQB6DnMXI3Uz-hObZm_oG/s1600-h/IMG_0005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyPhnQ4QlCrFtvTcI_RsAet8PPXRH0KC2eIlJX6DEux74rCf3IrePT2ZtfN4g8RF2M2Pmqfrga2dunMlmF8js_B3vBSfW2j_hLFeMeyWY4XKn8RsczFlZtgMAQQB6DnMXI3Uz-hObZm_oG/s320/IMG_0005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244544501617219106" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uvOpsQZPnsPg_hS2kBhDaLPXjEtqyVxOERH57x89KMW-t72fX4DIVIMKRmf-Hm_UTEodCQsgwCOpcU22iKlSgDZaPhTFdzBNWZ27Em30XaGOtqrWAuOJEaqOvBonV_PK5gMs0fpbx0l-/s1600-h/IMG_0024.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uvOpsQZPnsPg_hS2kBhDaLPXjEtqyVxOERH57x89KMW-t72fX4DIVIMKRmf-Hm_UTEodCQsgwCOpcU22iKlSgDZaPhTFdzBNWZ27Em30XaGOtqrWAuOJEaqOvBonV_PK5gMs0fpbx0l-/s320/IMG_0024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244544820587828578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I started taking golfing lessons which I've enjoyed so far. I have 2 more to take in October.<br /><br />I also started taking yoga which I love. I'm hoping to get Sandy to do it with me. All those positions and stretches are great for everyone!<br /><br />Next post: Summer in New England.Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-14813607201847623862008-04-19T12:25:00.001-07:002008-12-09T02:25:36.369-08:00Tyler, Texas and New Orleans<span style="font-weight: bold;">April 10-14, 2008.</span> After we left Santa Fe on I 40 toward Amarillo the landscape went from mountains to plains. We took 287 out of Amarillo and even saw an enormous cattle ranch with literally thousands of cattle. Just west of Wichita Falls, TX we were pleasantly surprised to see trees and grass on the side of the road. There was a strange sight just east of Electra, TX: a ranch with 12 or so camels! We finished up a really good book on CD called Bancroft Strategy by Robert Ludlum.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8l4u_cjeGi6QQnZsMLGhcPRpgy23q3zSzVq4K3ad4RMLuLIT6KtXVzF0V2kul2h90Jnkl9yQz05O-44Gqq-fQA60An8rHAM6BWDwyNFBXdd6rJioCZZUhASiJw_ngbshmt6Qlf9lYy5s6/s1600-h/IMG_0037.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8l4u_cjeGi6QQnZsMLGhcPRpgy23q3zSzVq4K3ad4RMLuLIT6KtXVzF0V2kul2h90Jnkl9yQz05O-44Gqq-fQA60An8rHAM6BWDwyNFBXdd6rJioCZZUhASiJw_ngbshmt6Qlf9lYy5s6/s320/IMG_0037.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196674324167696770" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9B_tuJRM3GcT4NCeXbOzCfwuij_2T_FaodQd5KsisKNPP0AJfnZUKS5XqKhyJWdks4-uvreVm4K2PyIe_-XfzwO0HJ-yo1ls6qqr-2v6EYZJTelqOSfzZwXA3KLYKdQWhCYByzHyrrd6/s1600-h/IMG_0046.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9B_tuJRM3GcT4NCeXbOzCfwuij_2T_FaodQd5KsisKNPP0AJfnZUKS5XqKhyJWdks4-uvreVm4K2PyIe_-XfzwO0HJ-yo1ls6qqr-2v6EYZJTelqOSfzZwXA3KLYKdQWhCYByzHyrrd6/s320/IMG_0046.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196674337052598674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A few years ago we reconnected with Jane Vander Muelen Hoover, a friend from Hope College. When we started planning our trip we knew we had to make a stop. We're so glad we did. Jane and her husband, Andy, live in Tyler, TX, just east of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. We had such a fun visit. They have property on Lake Tyler where they built a boat house (and little kitchen, and living room/dining room/bedroom, and a separate bathroom). Plans are in the works for building a "real house" for their retirement. We took a boat ride around the beautiful lake and an adjoining one with their neighbors Jim and Karen Jordan. They also joined us for dinner. It was relaxing and the company couldn't have been better. Thanks Jane and Andy for a wonderful visit!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfoj8yp5uVNemYsrv98u5m6sms8jQxAo4f1ngLBiLeHkWgQ1xkbMwZdtHaurOu_4Nj7AnfI02Z-GtgnYok7i969VXHJJCr2D0y09vhqWNmg5Q9h8jg2-eUP_MWTDjsVAasg5-jReNQNhIe/s1600-h/IMG_0052.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfoj8yp5uVNemYsrv98u5m6sms8jQxAo4f1ngLBiLeHkWgQ1xkbMwZdtHaurOu_4Nj7AnfI02Z-GtgnYok7i969VXHJJCr2D0y09vhqWNmg5Q9h8jg2-eUP_MWTDjsVAasg5-jReNQNhIe/s320/IMG_0052.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196674757959393698" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRj1V1iG9mXHmjGDwREIcucovXub6TYS4tR2_AH8YxuNzR0hyphenhyphennX3sFn_-fPLiU7O5gWDgSYvDiAddrDMe6xnagM8v87K0SXea45furBcFxxr34vl6K-pQbo6qzUYRerL8YkvV5-gKKt2x/s1600-h/IMG_0057.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRj1V1iG9mXHmjGDwREIcucovXub6TYS4tR2_AH8YxuNzR0hyphenhyphennX3sFn_-fPLiU7O5gWDgSYvDiAddrDMe6xnagM8v87K0SXea45furBcFxxr34vl6K-pQbo6qzUYRerL8YkvV5-gKKt2x/s320/IMG_0057.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196674779434230194" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here are a few homes on the lake, some old, some new, and many large.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTN3140J3h_s373cl3mAegRtZwZ8ZVOUiwXVMgH5JbIGFC2A6s89CDxOB5RmQdPpdBbOiz6maGl1pVQ1UQASH3XIjIGzMxtF7S-RdC_SyzD2w62wZAvsmAPvKyVftpUBKWC9n5ofRArjsc/s1600-h/IMG_0063.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTN3140J3h_s373cl3mAegRtZwZ8ZVOUiwXVMgH5JbIGFC2A6s89CDxOB5RmQdPpdBbOiz6maGl1pVQ1UQASH3XIjIGzMxtF7S-RdC_SyzD2w62wZAvsmAPvKyVftpUBKWC9n5ofRArjsc/s320/IMG_0063.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196675659902525890" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXh5zLKybvz4zCTw7lnbwqaLFX0BKtnvQkr-VG_dKorCiEXiXtQqmo9O4sVMgjKLlyGTG28xzrodw20mi0qZCHNg-1AGwH3niBJqaMJY2Y1C6PWUo8i21Nf7CtbvzXYcOSjo5OlR8S0R3/s1600-h/IMG_0066.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXh5zLKybvz4zCTw7lnbwqaLFX0BKtnvQkr-VG_dKorCiEXiXtQqmo9O4sVMgjKLlyGTG28xzrodw20mi0qZCHNg-1AGwH3niBJqaMJY2Y1C6PWUo8i21Nf7CtbvzXYcOSjo5OlR8S0R3/s320/IMG_0066.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196675698557231570" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtZ8h0NP_hUyeJVCCSWyzOOhblxN11Act1b7OWr5p_YNmOkjsfN_Xd33QOL2Eq1qX2OdX4mrGYcCQ9wknz334-CaYnfkZQGiG3g9RZ-bPM0OJvRZWo8GURAcAsS0xQwpu9rUhf3CP9TXA/s1600-h/IMG_0073.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtZ8h0NP_hUyeJVCCSWyzOOhblxN11Act1b7OWr5p_YNmOkjsfN_Xd33QOL2Eq1qX2OdX4mrGYcCQ9wknz334-CaYnfkZQGiG3g9RZ-bPM0OJvRZWo8GURAcAsS0xQwpu9rUhf3CP9TXA/s320/IMG_0073.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196675745801871858" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAr3GLazbtdjTDWpwgDVwoWA3lO57d_UBDuhmlqEWdgAqwP4vx1-lK9ySE8xAJMUn6iz41FBAjiPEI8yqBW1yadVUrLdZ065bVo09xmE7iWS8EB41EXRnchSZj9V9VEtW8So9fQI5yjI6G/s1600-h/IMG_0072.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAr3GLazbtdjTDWpwgDVwoWA3lO57d_UBDuhmlqEWdgAqwP4vx1-lK9ySE8xAJMUn6iz41FBAjiPEI8yqBW1yadVUrLdZ065bVo09xmE7iWS8EB41EXRnchSZj9V9VEtW8So9fQI5yjI6G/s320/IMG_0072.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196676673514807810" border="0" /></a>The lake's one claim to fame is that the Home and Garden network built their "Dream Home 2005" on it. Unfortunately the winner found he couldn't pay the taxes so had to sell it. Too bad, it was beautiful!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXPUGIh-NK8rhzJJmbuVSewrhIx0z928MkgLMjQsKWPCQ1UVke-42OqViRZLWRFNOwV9vUSKf5fZjIt6_RIlYPcd1ra6KY-UNL9DOPQtE999TXBdlan2mRpFTdOt7eEquLzBa4lSlJ0Y8/s1600-h/IMG_0069.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXPUGIh-NK8rhzJJmbuVSewrhIx0z928MkgLMjQsKWPCQ1UVke-42OqViRZLWRFNOwV9vUSKf5fZjIt6_RIlYPcd1ra6KY-UNL9DOPQtE999TXBdlan2mRpFTdOt7eEquLzBa4lSlJ0Y8/s320/IMG_0069.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196677047176962578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Louisiana.</span> We crossed a river that obviously had had a bit of rain added to it recently - not sure if this was the Atchafalaya River. There was a nice, small visitor center at the Indian Bayou where we took a short hike along the Atchafalaya River and saw the ever present bald cypress. The river had a lot of algae in it too.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXg86r4I-JUnJ8ymJjYlVa0jKTJoFmMDIJqDa-mtrdi4aIwJNqrhvgjozY9xT-ByUWabzYI7ow59r1uciKckJHphH1gYj44gzOZNHb12X-amv_ME2qdBYCIJbFB2UmNNLNw2EGnB2bxjqU/s1600-h/IMG_0092.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXg86r4I-JUnJ8ymJjYlVa0jKTJoFmMDIJqDa-mtrdi4aIwJNqrhvgjozY9xT-ByUWabzYI7ow59r1uciKckJHphH1gYj44gzOZNHb12X-amv_ME2qdBYCIJbFB2UmNNLNw2EGnB2bxjqU/s320/IMG_0092.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196677051471929890" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJFdVE1vawqptxYyT1typ3v_nq-D8lw4uqbos7mV-KXggxBcEuJ9OsIpScfXw35664XURnvFisDyAKHM24vL6dJIuARKi26nxnR9cJIXafL354d_swZdSDMX4w4gwH0IMKyJr3Mgxmuef/s1600-h/IMG_0093.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJFdVE1vawqptxYyT1typ3v_nq-D8lw4uqbos7mV-KXggxBcEuJ9OsIpScfXw35664XURnvFisDyAKHM24vL6dJIuARKi26nxnR9cJIXafL354d_swZdSDMX4w4gwH0IMKyJr3Mgxmuef/s320/IMG_0093.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196677064356831794" border="0" /></a><br /><br />On our way out to Arizona we toured a plantation outside Baton Rouge. This time we decided to do a tour of New Orleans. We took the "Historic New Orleans Walking Tour" from the Bourbon St. Cafe Beignet at Legends Park (where you see these statues). (The tour was well done and gave lots of information.) We loved the French architecture with the wrought iron balconies. Some buildings are still in the process of being fixed up. (I think everyone knows by now that the French Quarter had no destruction from Hurricane Katrina. But we still saw some blue tarps from the highway.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwtZ5j8d3OzKnbMqXBSaLzJ35vaMh7YMe5BLVqBfdzzvkLDCO7LIGvt8NYU755ErQTZ0-PI37Y3l7ml1aCafO84bU4fdeXXli9zQgXXuPz7SETFcQvk22nLPERrj5RPchfhIxdGV2mOXo/s1600-h/IMG_0001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwtZ5j8d3OzKnbMqXBSaLzJ35vaMh7YMe5BLVqBfdzzvkLDCO7LIGvt8NYU755ErQTZ0-PI37Y3l7ml1aCafO84bU4fdeXXli9zQgXXuPz7SETFcQvk22nLPERrj5RPchfhIxdGV2mOXo/s320/IMG_0001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196677944825127490" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cn7xyNtYGP9JozHBbp5CiucxWvP1iqX2b9WOmzuG9BrrHtg6GSULpgsExHgK89VYFaEws97Gm2p62e7z7vY0A7Z59fBmJi-RhBws2WMB1h9n6VUR8R2Ye3kt59UY1E9CKfKmpqx-JNZN/s1600-h/IMG_0005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cn7xyNtYGP9JozHBbp5CiucxWvP1iqX2b9WOmzuG9BrrHtg6GSULpgsExHgK89VYFaEws97Gm2p62e7z7vY0A7Z59fBmJi-RhBws2WMB1h9n6VUR8R2Ye3kt59UY1E9CKfKmpqx-JNZN/s320/IMG_0005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196677953415062098" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0bfDLjlY-Dcf6lLEA79our7ARW68r4IwPlejijVE7GCNOFDZ-cvgTBxB0DpJt9f3fz0Ra8JkCrOZUmde5YG1WTOIyfvb-46sLYprF1xh7nVRTbnD73J0SY38fdfpanVLDmG73_E6gmuj/s1600-h/IMG_0002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0bfDLjlY-Dcf6lLEA79our7ARW68r4IwPlejijVE7GCNOFDZ-cvgTBxB0DpJt9f3fz0Ra8JkCrOZUmde5YG1WTOIyfvb-46sLYprF1xh7nVRTbnD73J0SY38fdfpanVLDmG73_E6gmuj/s320/IMG_0002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196677962004996706" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wWfRuflEy2Nk-5ccgWk_iXDsw_SeSc5b-SYcj3AuKegMB-KIZ3AzRn7GwKMlNWsPvZWDkqLl-SjqtKxDbW6T5EDwQNkHAkJzpx0m9_cDn_kbBxUqjch1-MvELR6X1Anlf_JBt8zR2UKl/s1600-h/IMG_0007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wWfRuflEy2Nk-5ccgWk_iXDsw_SeSc5b-SYcj3AuKegMB-KIZ3AzRn7GwKMlNWsPvZWDkqLl-SjqtKxDbW6T5EDwQNkHAkJzpx0m9_cDn_kbBxUqjch1-MvELR6X1Anlf_JBt8zR2UKl/s320/IMG_0007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196677970594931314" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6SX8VJ79O4-1Qo42UZ9ozirwrvLyX5n-cVug5xQdbneKx0Ac50zLvO9fipf918SCaEHylljW-kPErMyIoakJmWcBRmWPoS3tW_gWskPvmSq5XcSQaDqs92mh3Bv3x_Em3dDMNCcz1y0J/s1600-h/IMG_0008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6SX8VJ79O4-1Qo42UZ9ozirwrvLyX5n-cVug5xQdbneKx0Ac50zLvO9fipf918SCaEHylljW-kPErMyIoakJmWcBRmWPoS3tW_gWskPvmSq5XcSQaDqs92mh3Bv3x_Em3dDMNCcz1y0J/s320/IMG_0008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196678632019894914" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRrgg6q4-TrFzOosWCT6ZBFUOWe9DrMX17JLqt3rRxzl1N1zMgEXj8n0gCWhI61fqT6iPIWuF6kvYhHAvr5PeuEz1BPY3JWgQB9hyAuudVfBULzvAJXSwUbqAT3-ui4Bl7-6kMtVac5lDU/s1600-h/IMG_0020.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRrgg6q4-TrFzOosWCT6ZBFUOWe9DrMX17JLqt3rRxzl1N1zMgEXj8n0gCWhI61fqT6iPIWuF6kvYhHAvr5PeuEz1BPY3JWgQB9hyAuudVfBULzvAJXSwUbqAT3-ui4Bl7-6kMtVac5lDU/s320/IMG_0020.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196678644904796818" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I loved this tropical courtyard at the St. Louis Hotel.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblZM2x6mn5lo9GZe7-j7ai3GS2uIRxCWRExt3R2RitINi4kctHNrgWWGRz44nON1-GipctWyL-pbzghzUG44QCAYmi5tSH98u7I5iLXunMo3k_t27Bd3VMy2FsrZGf58l6_MEZBmvmDqK/s1600-h/IMG_0006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblZM2x6mn5lo9GZe7-j7ai3GS2uIRxCWRExt3R2RitINi4kctHNrgWWGRz44nON1-GipctWyL-pbzghzUG44QCAYmi5tSH98u7I5iLXunMo3k_t27Bd3VMy2FsrZGf58l6_MEZBmvmDqK/s320/IMG_0006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196679263380087458" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The St. Louis Cathedral is quite dramatic. It faces Jackson Square where there are often outdoor events. (In the picture they're taking away the stage from a weekend function.) On the other side of the square you walk up stairs and you see the Mississippi River, way up high, and the St. Charles trolley!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQ7-8AGK_F8GjHUP5u6nemjOfODIV2fy3KpphhK5jNOMjDbCRjNJi2_h37RiTaiQxeF06m8QgSzW-xFUreNdAp_3AjxX4KYVXcTvRIEHSJRSUhZGY0UaxqzvNJuomkAmvxz1m7G7gyPUQ/s1600-h/IMG_0021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQ7-8AGK_F8GjHUP5u6nemjOfODIV2fy3KpphhK5jNOMjDbCRjNJi2_h37RiTaiQxeF06m8QgSzW-xFUreNdAp_3AjxX4KYVXcTvRIEHSJRSUhZGY0UaxqzvNJuomkAmvxz1m7G7gyPUQ/s320/IMG_0021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196679271970022066" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIH32gdCpAv2TeqB0go5L7Rl1exr2YE4ghSl3kuuafyVHnf3MdBOgsgKBbjq-L4PXMvb98vcMVxwTiMbOKoRL9hqLqMi3fJznMFmQ6vAJN8VHalXUOicDFTwiQMLtHVbTf4o1CK9f1fMvk/s1600-h/IMG_0023.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIH32gdCpAv2TeqB0go5L7Rl1exr2YE4ghSl3kuuafyVHnf3MdBOgsgKBbjq-L4PXMvb98vcMVxwTiMbOKoRL9hqLqMi3fJznMFmQ6vAJN8VHalXUOicDFTwiQMLtHVbTf4o1CK9f1fMvk/s320/IMG_0023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196679280559956674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We really need to come back to New Orleans and spend a couple of days. There are a number of museums to see (not on a Monday, though), take the Garden District Tour and ride the trolley.Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-62382081582697703512008-04-19T12:24:00.000-07:002008-12-09T02:25:39.910-08:00Sedona, Flagstaff & Santa Fe<span style="font-weight: bold;">April 7-10.</span> We said our goodbye's to Jim and Sylvia Beck and Julie (maybe we'll see her again in July) and headed to Interstate 40 to 89 to Prescott, AZ where we were spending the night. NPR and a book on CD made the time fly. At the CA/AZ border we decided we should drive some of historic Route 66 for the heck of it. Well, it was pretty scenery but it was a very winding road which I drove so there are no pictures! (And it took a lot longer than if we had stayed on I40.)<br /><br />Tuesday we drove Route 89A north through Sedona and then Jerome, formerly a mining town, set on the hillside. (See the J on the hill.) We wouldn't want to drive some of those streets when there's snow!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigamgWjddiGKGDUXB6IEF3_6DGv4sbcqXWVQpxphtMFGbN7VWYip-HxseZIjmZ4FJ7hZR1XpCXiQA7S2k0DVMx3nNdx1tsL3jNwlzTT0nbzgmrzJFYGNXKNOFVxJDTaV-i8bsy2boCG09K/s1600-h/IMG_0204.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigamgWjddiGKGDUXB6IEF3_6DGv4sbcqXWVQpxphtMFGbN7VWYip-HxseZIjmZ4FJ7hZR1XpCXiQA7S2k0DVMx3nNdx1tsL3jNwlzTT0nbzgmrzJFYGNXKNOFVxJDTaV-i8bsy2boCG09K/s320/IMG_0204.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193581011411705826" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5g5yqLuVYsVE-TdQfAi7DwNLdUogJHRSG7znzxpaXQMm3fg7odbz7pTXS9Y6F6mlFAXLy_8Agpxejb4XMwVG_DGGICFvh2D7R3q50KkkImc56rfjZR0UIFqlymIUKpVWsuobKMQ1jRMp/s1600-h/IMG_0209.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5g5yqLuVYsVE-TdQfAi7DwNLdUogJHRSG7znzxpaXQMm3fg7odbz7pTXS9Y6F6mlFAXLy_8Agpxejb4XMwVG_DGGICFvh2D7R3q50KkkImc56rfjZR0UIFqlymIUKpVWsuobKMQ1jRMp/s320/IMG_0209.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193581020001640434" border="0" /></a><br /><br />What great scenery in Sedona. It's famous for its red rocks. As much as we love to hike, we decided that we'd make 2 other stops today so just drove up Airport Road for the view. We'll have to come back again and hike.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVIJIECf0QAQyG0VJF4MArn_EeSoktzX_jCGxzVOPKkimadQTIgliZ122H5UvysmmGWL9pIjq0M7eAYRy2j0o3eiILLy5B9JUl7CDSEqYXN60kC1H4nMpLkSeFhtA1F82a_kjG5uN6FKkK/s1600-h/IMG_0225.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVIJIECf0QAQyG0VJF4MArn_EeSoktzX_jCGxzVOPKkimadQTIgliZ122H5UvysmmGWL9pIjq0M7eAYRy2j0o3eiILLy5B9JUl7CDSEqYXN60kC1H4nMpLkSeFhtA1F82a_kjG5uN6FKkK/s320/IMG_0225.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193582682153984034" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjzd7L0Sq_1_glkPY09aPQ4eZBokcvj_pvNid65rc3AXpvOGH0eKTs4DvNKEAP5TZOiKGiwQo7nN3bhaVIFEC-3Cys9yA0vK2LnCW9oT2noUfJrAGkgoD66FGQZpDZpVSOT_35smhVGjE/s1600-h/IMG_0212.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjzd7L0Sq_1_glkPY09aPQ4eZBokcvj_pvNid65rc3AXpvOGH0eKTs4DvNKEAP5TZOiKGiwQo7nN3bhaVIFEC-3Cys9yA0vK2LnCW9oT2noUfJrAGkgoD66FGQZpDZpVSOT_35smhVGjE/s320/IMG_0212.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193582660679147522" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3j3xHROGYH2DQbLHwQ1ahoory1L4593Nw4nX6jiUIB260qStZv5v3dhf7Zwh3INbUFuYVCSyAU5HgQMD47PWNM7BFbC-LFb5CHZLnAnQvl2EvkzpIYI4wMn3PoieuSEC4lqQLykyiRvR/s1600-h/IMG_0213.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3j3xHROGYH2DQbLHwQ1ahoory1L4593Nw4nX6jiUIB260qStZv5v3dhf7Zwh3INbUFuYVCSyAU5HgQMD47PWNM7BFbC-LFb5CHZLnAnQvl2EvkzpIYI4wMn3PoieuSEC4lqQLykyiRvR/s320/IMG_0213.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193582669269082130" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCP8PYjEQZTBEna6Pb_OHirD2P7Be2qj13sBZVLtkatpEHUMcF9yAVEfEvCzp8iCXVGRJDVsgVJ8RdOQEm7SN5rmr0Okmmq3DDVzVMejdH-oRuQohaVk-iZrpIVWazPvkRm6G1y_f11MX/s1600-h/IMG_0237.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCP8PYjEQZTBEna6Pb_OHirD2P7Be2qj13sBZVLtkatpEHUMcF9yAVEfEvCzp8iCXVGRJDVsgVJ8RdOQEm7SN5rmr0Okmmq3DDVzVMejdH-oRuQohaVk-iZrpIVWazPvkRm6G1y_f11MX/s320/IMG_0237.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193582690743918642" border="0" /></a>The drive north on 89A toward Flagstaff was through beautiful Oak Creek Canyon. When we finally got to Flagstaff we saw a surprising scene right ahead of us, snow on Humphrey's Peak! (Sorry for the fuzzy picture.) (This was a warning of things to come in Santa Fe.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSu2ByfdV_UKxiU8kJo4VvSh4x5CDK08CKTz_Nbpn8GXZNciOzUHvPvdX-jKM3XyX_5j0EkbCrKHWJ-Q4mVeiUohNIxTCkFrVdbk3bfz5k1PEcFbFMJy6yI0E20EdmoYpytN-kWeuFZk8/s1600-h/IMG_0238.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSu2ByfdV_UKxiU8kJo4VvSh4x5CDK08CKTz_Nbpn8GXZNciOzUHvPvdX-jKM3XyX_5j0EkbCrKHWJ-Q4mVeiUohNIxTCkFrVdbk3bfz5k1PEcFbFMJy6yI0E20EdmoYpytN-kWeuFZk8/s320/IMG_0238.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193583176075223106" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHleyhNFUOaCXcG0Y-HmfDMNPC8-pgBrnt0BokyxWOIx19kNxn0lIu5esXTY7sWEYKvr8k9siheOHmcgMOKK0AQ8X7Q1YG0dqs7kzvOcy4kgciqNxVs-bu0iQRj2tRRyjlE657ixqok7l/s1600-h/IMG_0249.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHleyhNFUOaCXcG0Y-HmfDMNPC8-pgBrnt0BokyxWOIx19kNxn0lIu5esXTY7sWEYKvr8k9siheOHmcgMOKK0AQ8X7Q1YG0dqs7kzvOcy4kgciqNxVs-bu0iQRj2tRRyjlE657ixqok7l/s320/IMG_0249.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193583180370190418" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We saw many, many trains along I40 between Albuquerque and Flagstaff.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTPKAMv1ozWGRm4YntHC4DggqH8Xqu4F_RHdbjyGy5b7zvlTmLrRHl9LRehD6ILJ-pZp9fDQ2zVdYuSvbTTqeFVqKMwugtpSVIamdOVSha-t8XGUqM2BE8_zm6YgAnlquYnzlLvlYG7-u/s1600-h/IMG_0252.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTPKAMv1ozWGRm4YntHC4DggqH8Xqu4F_RHdbjyGy5b7zvlTmLrRHl9LRehD6ILJ-pZp9fDQ2zVdYuSvbTTqeFVqKMwugtpSVIamdOVSha-t8XGUqM2BE8_zm6YgAnlquYnzlLvlYG7-u/s320/IMG_0252.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193583442363195490" border="0" /></a><br />Meteor Crater, on I40, is privately run by the Barringers, the family of Daniel M. Barringer who, in 1902, first correctly identified the crater as being formed by the impact of a large iron meteorite. It's in the middle of nowhere but it's very impressive. Just imagine, it was created about 50,000 years ago by a meteorite traveling about 26,000 miles per hour! It's 550 feet deep and over 4000 feet across and is the best preserved impact site on earth. The museum gives information on meteorites, asteroids, etc. They also give guided walks in the morning and afternoon. Unfortunately, the afternoon one was canceled because it was too windy (and therefore dangerous to be walking on the rim).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxI6QZdQG7eMB-0W6-I65px1mGPQB9YXaeXy92M-HmYK4J6aHoC9Kgv_7hXUGJG8dAip4JvLXOzTXBz5FNbNUzcRkjKJgnFa_SUQgjC0hU13FAgmWC7Kp-PVtYUKZPf6e9AlbTYAUywR2H/s1600-h/IMG_0256.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxI6QZdQG7eMB-0W6-I65px1mGPQB9YXaeXy92M-HmYK4J6aHoC9Kgv_7hXUGJG8dAip4JvLXOzTXBz5FNbNUzcRkjKJgnFa_SUQgjC0hU13FAgmWC7Kp-PVtYUKZPf6e9AlbTYAUywR2H/s320/IMG_0256.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193584026478747762" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaECOYZPR41huCyAWY-7YTbsjsFeAgCTH17OznjLy1kouUGuj76Bd33F16QBtjI3XR8C3fmvfo1z_41yh7i5DL70Qv5pcWsoL2xKE5YED1Wiv3t-IElI62bLjNlCaH8rfLWb1mDdeuKsN8/s1600-h/IMG_0255.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaECOYZPR41huCyAWY-7YTbsjsFeAgCTH17OznjLy1kouUGuj76Bd33F16QBtjI3XR8C3fmvfo1z_41yh7i5DL70Qv5pcWsoL2xKE5YED1Wiv3t-IElI62bLjNlCaH8rfLWb1mDdeuKsN8/s320/IMG_0255.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193584035068682370" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Next stop was the Petrified Forest within the Painted Desert. Unfortunately, we had spent so much time in the Meteor Crater that we didn't really have time to actually see the petrified trees except a few from the car. The Visitor Center had good information though on the 225 million year old fossils. Next time we'll plan at least a few hours and do the drive between I40 and Route 180.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjU16LfYFYZtsxFXEa2ODSEopv6usoVkvLH_Vx-MPbRS6VpbSW9iHEDxIYVvzqnxu5Z8ZT49gJN96YvXxaflK5O_qksl60cNLxeT7NkqVP5Qxfsuua5HKuCBy6b8wmPfEWf-dl5AHqxFb/s1600-h/IMG_0257.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjU16LfYFYZtsxFXEa2ODSEopv6usoVkvLH_Vx-MPbRS6VpbSW9iHEDxIYVvzqnxu5Z8ZT49gJN96YvXxaflK5O_qksl60cNLxeT7NkqVP5Qxfsuua5HKuCBy6b8wmPfEWf-dl5AHqxFb/s320/IMG_0257.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193584039363649682" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0puy4acAkFCFALLobhh5W-3cdo0zAdRC5GB22rUlj86WO2HkjJxtNYFgq8oorWTOj6j-4XmPSgeZVKxO9pXf6OvqnugfUvehhg0sN_FE6C1bXYtecyELk2t-3RQ0rD_DshokeX-LOppAU/s1600-h/IMG_0258.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0puy4acAkFCFALLobhh5W-3cdo0zAdRC5GB22rUlj86WO2HkjJxtNYFgq8oorWTOj6j-4XmPSgeZVKxO9pXf6OvqnugfUvehhg0sN_FE6C1bXYtecyELk2t-3RQ0rD_DshokeX-LOppAU/s320/IMG_0258.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193584047953584290" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We awoke to a very cold, windy, and gray day in Santa Fe. It was only about 45 degrees and it definitely felt good to have our warm fleeces on. Santa Fe has a very well organized Museum Foundation that publishes a brochure on all the museums and the events/lectures and special exhibits for each. You can also buy tickets for multiple museums and save a few dollars. Our first stop was the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture on Museum Hill. It was excellent! It was organized differently than other Indian museums that we've been in. It had sections on Ancestors, Children to Elders, Architecture, Language & Song, Plants & Animals, Travel & Trade, Survival, and the Arts. One thing that made it particularly meaningful was that there were quotes from Indians regarding each section. Here are some examples. A Pueblo said, "Shelter is not just a place to live but an extension of the natural world. The roof is the father which protects and nurtures. The floor is Mother Earth which embraces us when we die." A Hopi said, "Treat the earth and the environment with respect, humility, and a sense of cooperation, and it will in turn provide for you." A Pueblo said, "Pottery reminds us of the sacred earth bowl within which we live. Designs help us remember the mountains, clouds, lightning and plants upon which we depend for our physical and spiritual survival." Apaches/Hopi have no word for art. They make pieces of life to see, touch, and feel that connects them to their creator. There were also some videos like one woman talking about what it was like to attend the compulsory boarding school where they couldn't talk their own language or practice any of their customs.<br /><br />It was really fun to have lunch with Kendra Lyons at the Santa Fe Baking Company. We've known her parents, Paul and Paula Lyons from a softball league for about 30 years maybe. And Kendra was also in plays with Julie. She's a junior at the College of Santa Fe majoring in Musical Theatre although now she thinks she'll go the LA movie/TV route. She looks great and she loves school. We had a great visit and a delicious lunch too!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbY2GWQbEBS4OjlKHTPrin3t1lbbKKh3WsYXLFYjFmeAiUcAeL_kVtLArWk1QhR7O1vtQx4waQSID1tejcTDlSlyK25y_q6cOliiOj8ahuXXtD-0_M3mS5FoPeQ4BZom2v9PtwW6a_GT3p/s1600-h/IMG_0001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbY2GWQbEBS4OjlKHTPrin3t1lbbKKh3WsYXLFYjFmeAiUcAeL_kVtLArWk1QhR7O1vtQx4waQSID1tejcTDlSlyK25y_q6cOliiOj8ahuXXtD-0_M3mS5FoPeQ4BZom2v9PtwW6a_GT3p/s320/IMG_0001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193594162601566402" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After lunch we went over to the opposite end of the courtyard to the Museum of International Folk Art. Alexander Girard contributed his immense collection of over 135,000 items from over 100 countries. The museum houses the largest collection of folk art in the world. We were lucky to be able to get a docent-led tour before we set out on our own. It was just amazing to see so many objects in one big room from so many different countries. It was very interesting! There was also an exhibit of textiles: fiber, weaving, lace and batik in the Girard Wing. I was especially excited about the exhibit of <a href="http://www.quiltsofgeesbend.com/">Gee's Bend quilts</a>. I had seen a very interesting PBS special on the women quilters of Gee's Bend, Alabama and how their work came to the world's attention. It's really unique. Besides all the wonderful quilts there were also videos of the quilters talking and some men that helped them make prints of their quilts. Mary Lee Bendolph (kind of the leader of this community of quilters) said that she prefers quilting with older fabric because "old clothes have spirit and she can't leave the spirit out of a quilt. The spirit is all we have to lead and guide us."<br /><br />When we came out it was snowing!! No-o-o, this is what we've been trying really hard to avoid! But, after all, Santa Fe is at 7000 feet so . . .<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0061WKCtOzV8Mmool3dq86LPnvYh5c5dapdgiwSPRUyqHSI9vDKrj9uv7iM9S2FaK6BJLsr9gO-pPtEJeM4f2axcKue-4eZ32ZtpaCrpNoCKNpvNUwepPRnqHMF3SqBsWsZ-q1Pn-4_4N/s1600-h/IMG_0006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0061WKCtOzV8Mmool3dq86LPnvYh5c5dapdgiwSPRUyqHSI9vDKrj9uv7iM9S2FaK6BJLsr9gO-pPtEJeM4f2axcKue-4eZ32ZtpaCrpNoCKNpvNUwepPRnqHMF3SqBsWsZ-q1Pn-4_4N/s320/IMG_0006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193594175486468306" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The next day there were still flurries in the air and snow cover in the foothills on the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It was about 20 degrees with the wind chill, another good day for a museum. We started with the Palace of the Governors (State History Museum) the seat of the government, built in 1610 when New Mexico was a territory of Mexico. It was added to and changed over the years as different groups were in charge. Santa Fe was founded in 1607 and is the second oldest city founded by European colonists. New Mexico finally became a state in 1912. The museum had a really nice, huge timeline which was helpful in getting the big picture of the history. There were also things like a stagecoach, tools, etc. The natives have always used the front area as a trading post. Now it's mostly items to sell to tourists. (See how bundled up everyone is.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaBBvFzkPmLL1seBnaSoKFOcTaprqTDm7X4fm45fMssfFKylgJkdV-oQX36aUO4IITH2ThK-RI4eLd4a8Dsb_WTJNRLtjaNdaA22kkqcgSYiTUi9OkYVslGDFM_mQmIrrJhX1khG9CIBK/s1600-h/IMG_0004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaBBvFzkPmLL1seBnaSoKFOcTaprqTDm7X4fm45fMssfFKylgJkdV-oQX36aUO4IITH2ThK-RI4eLd4a8Dsb_WTJNRLtjaNdaA22kkqcgSYiTUi9OkYVslGDFM_mQmIrrJhX1khG9CIBK/s320/IMG_0004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193982822782116066" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquaXuat3yyuKyZOZ-YN8lx0zuHKA1xE47HqtEfNQ83o36u-VGMEdQMNslfFFPNdYuv1pQ1pu3CR_GxndhUTppnKwBNyfAwxaI6AIveV40ZrKC5REu-o6fXHuLTrPDecR5BFrTV4TGRDjb/s1600-h/IMG_0005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquaXuat3yyuKyZOZ-YN8lx0zuHKA1xE47HqtEfNQ83o36u-VGMEdQMNslfFFPNdYuv1pQ1pu3CR_GxndhUTppnKwBNyfAwxaI6AIveV40ZrKC5REu-o6fXHuLTrPDecR5BFrTV4TGRDjb/s320/IMG_0005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193982831372050674" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Santa Fe downtown is a real mix of architecture. I'm sure there's an ordinance against really modern structures right here.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHkaSnOH6tnX4199Lx4Lbkt1sIJo0czXzkLGlqiTdfXqXOfCgRYcWNe5PDPFZRvHjaQ3Ybh_fz3UwuknW0VQZekc-zg36Rq9QaYnMBA1YcZkBCkGbx88_2tuRIScP4_XAR5SO7WmjxBi0/s1600-h/IMG_0006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHkaSnOH6tnX4199Lx4Lbkt1sIJo0czXzkLGlqiTdfXqXOfCgRYcWNe5PDPFZRvHjaQ3Ybh_fz3UwuknW0VQZekc-zg36Rq9QaYnMBA1YcZkBCkGbx88_2tuRIScP4_XAR5SO7WmjxBi0/s320/IMG_0006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193982835667017986" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20BuNGGZ8xu54jzY8eAcAeHMfiASxIYbOIfttz8it1WrHup93tB-aJD5QxQtEXw7cyAtr9Mwif9tM_l5AtdgmLLwOxVrNL_8_rfGWtr7VGMsnvJP0kJ0IdHCqY3pEGjij0axt7pX8VHuy/s1600-h/IMG_0009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20BuNGGZ8xu54jzY8eAcAeHMfiASxIYbOIfttz8it1WrHup93tB-aJD5QxQtEXw7cyAtr9Mwif9tM_l5AtdgmLLwOxVrNL_8_rfGWtr7VGMsnvJP0kJ0IdHCqY3pEGjij0axt7pX8VHuy/s320/IMG_0009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193982844256952594" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3KL1K7thQS75SkFH3jp0NPctoqrC3oVi8jGLLDUdqMAFa7bmWI5uUS1blGjjgjIr54oTAuqXe_EZh_LEuu609qEuUDBr4dBzUjtD9Fvu8K1wMZRCRSCZRhsIbw0hTD4fL080rmj-l2UF/s1600-h/IMG_0014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3KL1K7thQS75SkFH3jp0NPctoqrC3oVi8jGLLDUdqMAFa7bmWI5uUS1blGjjgjIr54oTAuqXe_EZh_LEuu609qEuUDBr4dBzUjtD9Fvu8K1wMZRCRSCZRhsIbw0hTD4fL080rmj-l2UF/s320/IMG_0014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193983462732243266" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWi05AqlNUTM01HUXpfP7e8iv-fod2UwEj0cIQWXrlL7hKgguFxJihNptMBS0JV5-F-Xb8Pq_SamPs9t4STMcsK_820qts7sH43JNGJzVWBGHratGWlmYMC-Yxlric_565OaPpeGgOLn-/s1600-h/IMG_0012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWi05AqlNUTM01HUXpfP7e8iv-fod2UwEj0cIQWXrlL7hKgguFxJihNptMBS0JV5-F-Xb8Pq_SamPs9t4STMcsK_820qts7sH43JNGJzVWBGHratGWlmYMC-Yxlric_565OaPpeGgOLn-/s320/IMG_0012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193983449847341346" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVQRnnADoP3r3UZ77heUlc9rhQr5s2mO9sZbbcpSKhZK5qGgKrYrVxtDR7SOYpBfgn91TiHcLu-VrAuuNtdir7wg7H1kiALjg0kxt9emE142jAF_RZ5qVQ6EnQv00qGKA8ZhN4nsfmDay/s1600-h/IMG_0010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVQRnnADoP3r3UZ77heUlc9rhQr5s2mO9sZbbcpSKhZK5qGgKrYrVxtDR7SOYpBfgn91TiHcLu-VrAuuNtdir7wg7H1kiALjg0kxt9emE142jAF_RZ5qVQ6EnQv00qGKA8ZhN4nsfmDay/s320/IMG_0010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193983454142308658" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBvB2kOIZye3MH04Y1ARzGk5lOZNl3e-FDP8DTXU6KWYipN2D_tGv9eENFC70JJcBfOEEMCY6gds2RX_-sxB7EQa4TNxuLYYVnJz04sjHmUG8lF4uWxT2p8_G-WslPON-M9XWGLTqJ_o2/s1600-h/IMG_0017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBvB2kOIZye3MH04Y1ARzGk5lOZNl3e-FDP8DTXU6KWYipN2D_tGv9eENFC70JJcBfOEEMCY6gds2RX_-sxB7EQa4TNxuLYYVnJz04sjHmUG8lF4uWxT2p8_G-WslPON-M9XWGLTqJ_o2/s320/IMG_0017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193983471322177874" border="0" /></a>However, the new state capitol building, a few blocks away and built in 1966, is quite modern. There was New Mexican Travertine marble inside and it was structured in the round but I didn't think it really went with the rest of the town. There was a self-guided tour but there wasn't too much to see. There was modern art on the walls and a special exhibit of New Mexico quilters. I liked the quilts best. Some looked more like paintings than traditional quilts. "<a href="http://www.quiltfashions.com/quilts/flamencofantasy/">Flamenco Fantasy</a>" by Michelle Jackson was my absolute favorite. Right outside the capitol was some forsythia in bloom (on April 9) and snow on the grass. As Kendra said it's typical for Santa Fe after one day of clouds and rain or snow the sun will come out, i.e. they have more sunny days than Amherst. We just saw the outside but didn't go in to San Miguel Chapel, built in 1610, which is the oldest church in the US. (Obviously it's been renovated as it looks in good shape.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvga3EzQE6IhB3rcllBTfWbCnSm-tSXgO_fvqd_s70a683m3PMofFkad6QbIJJmitpesE95kuslNKfnxOv99xwE4HMdA5Ggd-Ylifeiy006oXZCLGkrrJnc_WPmzuOFVqkGWQxF9sh5GP0/s1600-h/IMG_0016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvga3EzQE6IhB3rcllBTfWbCnSm-tSXgO_fvqd_s70a683m3PMofFkad6QbIJJmitpesE95kuslNKfnxOv99xwE4HMdA5Ggd-Ylifeiy006oXZCLGkrrJnc_WPmzuOFVqkGWQxF9sh5GP0/s320/IMG_0016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193984175696814434" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdt1aSE7n2fKCcSnL63xCYI7tcU3EsgGCJEvhGIlWw4I-nRXnB_YuJeECsA99PhVMIKbmmIkG7qaAQdjp1U5FVfcQIE85DYMI6QUxE7c35lFhfog3C0qnS0GJtq_8RatRVYRoBnCEzIbdP/s1600-h/IMG_0018.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdt1aSE7n2fKCcSnL63xCYI7tcU3EsgGCJEvhGIlWw4I-nRXnB_YuJeECsA99PhVMIKbmmIkG7qaAQdjp1U5FVfcQIE85DYMI6QUxE7c35lFhfog3C0qnS0GJtq_8RatRVYRoBnCEzIbdP/s320/IMG_0018.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193984179991781746" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span>We really liked Santa Fe and need to come back again!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Last stops before Florida: Tyler,TX and New Orleans.</span>Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-51964716391400460632008-04-19T12:23:00.001-07:002008-12-09T02:25:44.290-08:00California: Rancho Mirage & LA (1)<b>April 1-6, 2008. </b> <st1:place><st1:placename>Joshua</st1:placename> <st1:placename>Tree</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>National Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>. Unfortunately we entered at the southeast end in the <st1:place>Colorado Desert</st1:place>, part of the <st1:place><st1:placename>Sonoran</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Desert</st1:placetype></st1:place>, and there aren't any joshua trees here (so no pictures of one). But there was a cool oasis called Lost Palms. Everything is desert and all of a sudden you see huge fan palms with water at their base. We took a short hike and saw interesting rock formations and lots of wildflowers, some different varieties than in <st1:city><st1:place>Tucson</st1:place></st1:city>. (The Joshua Trees are in elevation higher than 3000 in the <st1:place>Mojave Desert</st1:place>.) We'll have to go to the western side next visit.<br /><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDXdC8iYN969oQ2YhrBHkz_0VdD6fFnoaoZeL5PpcJc6Li5ca6CZUvto57lEVIsatYgjgEpMmMD9Dy9NPM1VgcXGgQQdGGUwphBVu1_D6Z5dRZhuQzl2JdWK2o5kUjYBtIlDBG7d3XxSd/s1600-h/IMG_0006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDXdC8iYN969oQ2YhrBHkz_0VdD6fFnoaoZeL5PpcJc6Li5ca6CZUvto57lEVIsatYgjgEpMmMD9Dy9NPM1VgcXGgQQdGGUwphBVu1_D6Z5dRZhuQzl2JdWK2o5kUjYBtIlDBG7d3XxSd/s320/IMG_0006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192524642730417666" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ct1uOkRP0IdMvW0R9JoQhXbFQgtOggiSB9YD3xz2lB7wvdMlW4NunhxOesbGInlzzjdKKdWgmjXwSe-P_C7-SCdd8DkLzoes3HSUJvDrUkbvQsqPp7Zb4_eFAymBepBCvq0AjSAc7me2/s1600-h/IMG_0013.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ct1uOkRP0IdMvW0R9JoQhXbFQgtOggiSB9YD3xz2lB7wvdMlW4NunhxOesbGInlzzjdKKdWgmjXwSe-P_C7-SCdd8DkLzoes3HSUJvDrUkbvQsqPp7Zb4_eFAymBepBCvq0AjSAc7me2/s320/IMG_0013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192525085112049170" border="0" /></a><br /><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><u1:p></u1:p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJnwL1odLK7YzcoF5yItY_Ophp8b_SSBnCehIHSFDtTNGmbR7xj0tusaz59Alhm9IWUFahZACot4FC1Vzday5auWXqPO6wv9L13dIzGFhzmtTx7GOYJfaSIOBq_PSrBkdgCOoVE_7ROW6/s1600-h/IMG_0016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJnwL1odLK7YzcoF5yItY_Ophp8b_SSBnCehIHSFDtTNGmbR7xj0tusaz59Alhm9IWUFahZACot4FC1Vzday5auWXqPO6wv9L13dIzGFhzmtTx7GOYJfaSIOBq_PSrBkdgCOoVE_7ROW6/s320/IMG_0016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192524178873949650" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRA8sApyRDiHX6ZRuQZmS49nFHrWl2ApUenV7V51NO-SK3j4tmEInpAtaBU5F1YwrFZWKgNkO7GdXbU04JGfnSzUepKfxjR8ghFHUK6zb1iKx9ITTrzf-KA4k92X9-MQPOgeCy2T6J5RH/s1600-h/IMG_0023.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRA8sApyRDiHX6ZRuQZmS49nFHrWl2ApUenV7V51NO-SK3j4tmEInpAtaBU5F1YwrFZWKgNkO7GdXbU04JGfnSzUepKfxjR8ghFHUK6zb1iKx9ITTrzf-KA4k92X9-MQPOgeCy2T6J5RH/s320/IMG_0023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192524187463884258" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJiy6Uf1CENNxx1U7cM4pgMXLIN9S85RyjeNI18JHgvWGUM7gfpIsPZckfhHuNvkf05Id78T-6NW_8eVhjJ300x6rwNEpAymikLQVXbcs4iuB9HgMOU9y1vTrV-fsTJvD9xc63NfPMfsKI/s1600-h/IMG_0014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJiy6Uf1CENNxx1U7cM4pgMXLIN9S85RyjeNI18JHgvWGUM7gfpIsPZckfhHuNvkf05Id78T-6NW_8eVhjJ300x6rwNEpAymikLQVXbcs4iuB9HgMOU9y1vTrV-fsTJvD9xc63NfPMfsKI/s320/IMG_0014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192524204643753458" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiny8axJF9AE_oCndWEteNs7VGMv6xx5XN-NK39QL0mfAj5dqL0SWlcEXGOlfc-HJ2VIp8CVlg5B8pexzvChTxJ046q_TbxHZ7T7qGhaQPdFTjIjEbX_bJe5mlEmJqIZH8hb-XosVQMbxMQ/s1600-h/IMG_0021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiny8axJF9AE_oCndWEteNs7VGMv6xx5XN-NK39QL0mfAj5dqL0SWlcEXGOlfc-HJ2VIp8CVlg5B8pexzvChTxJ046q_TbxHZ7T7qGhaQPdFTjIjEbX_bJe5mlEmJqIZH8hb-XosVQMbxMQ/s320/IMG_0021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192525493133942306" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friends to Visit.</span> Next stop was Rancho Mirage, just south of <st1:place><st1:city>Palm Springs</st1:city>, <st1:state>CA</st1:state></st1:place> where our college friend, George Lee, lives with his partner, Scott. The town is beautiful! Very upscale with many large homes and some estates. They have a lovely home with pool and large backyard with established trees. We had a great visit with them, reminiscing with George about the old college days (at <st1:place><st1:placename>Hope</st1:placename> <st1:placename>College</st1:placename></st1:place> in <st1:place><st1:city>Holland</st1:city>, <st1:state>MI</st1:state></st1:place>). George is a great cook and he and Scott were great hosts. What a comfortable place to stay! (Front and back of house, view from our guest room, downtown, the 4 of us.)</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRssVzcn3vNkidBpaVfiR-zt0ZrmB6T6A07G_y0FQyXHojrLb8YxJfgo16s-HIPjM6EZsRBy8AEDHFu37kmHiS5Uuetbj3Me5IolrwfU63IWu-3Rb3ehzL8HAX4CM6pKJnR5Nj1iugqKo/s1600-h/IMG_0057.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRssVzcn3vNkidBpaVfiR-zt0ZrmB6T6A07G_y0FQyXHojrLb8YxJfgo16s-HIPjM6EZsRBy8AEDHFu37kmHiS5Uuetbj3Me5IolrwfU63IWu-3Rb3ehzL8HAX4CM6pKJnR5Nj1iugqKo/s320/IMG_0057.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192526485271387698" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJS6fCvUFeI83OHc1Cl-CkFiisZUBKzkhYxPF27Zz-WCSQqg_txKQFO0mncTRRQu58NNbxAkxnOPycKZ7nCsjdFpYDn0yYlQW2QvXAdtFwFCpykNetbjTBJWu9YFHEJW9zhlrU07O69E_g/s1600-h/IMG_0032.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJS6fCvUFeI83OHc1Cl-CkFiisZUBKzkhYxPF27Zz-WCSQqg_txKQFO0mncTRRQu58NNbxAkxnOPycKZ7nCsjdFpYDn0yYlQW2QvXAdtFwFCpykNetbjTBJWu9YFHEJW9zhlrU07O69E_g/s320/IMG_0032.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192526498156289618" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOAUISfW-dASTsXlrmbBB7F4lDM-Y5IWGVueN7BMEcKhTFIROsjY3HNwEbXUJyFVb4GkaFQkkxpoNT4h7DI_DJJqHB2lr1ssPLvId6aYXde12chqskW5zXnpzOkxybg8sDKr3J_w4zfSYX/s1600-h/IMG_0033.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOAUISfW-dASTsXlrmbBB7F4lDM-Y5IWGVueN7BMEcKhTFIROsjY3HNwEbXUJyFVb4GkaFQkkxpoNT4h7DI_DJJqHB2lr1ssPLvId6aYXde12chqskW5zXnpzOkxybg8sDKr3J_w4zfSYX/s320/IMG_0033.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192526493861322306" border="0" /></a><br /><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><u1:p></u1:p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFqI3ZNA3j7IeW_4cCSg48_cxwg9Zar78GlImK4MXjoHnf1Qrz_jNpJBNx38su1i8eKfGxLDWjZDk1I1n8bputBybn9awDfQ4aMVqZDvVQtLFqmJ0h90ycZ4OwHLtXolLuuEeoTHdyr5t/s1600-h/IMG_0054.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFqI3ZNA3j7IeW_4cCSg48_cxwg9Zar78GlImK4MXjoHnf1Qrz_jNpJBNx38su1i8eKfGxLDWjZDk1I1n8bputBybn9awDfQ4aMVqZDvVQtLFqmJ0h90ycZ4OwHLtXolLuuEeoTHdyr5t/s320/IMG_0054.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192526511041191522" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEV1k5cE3iKx9ainFn64ciC_Aw6cC87Sf2itnmSrvmnH_sZhaz9Hvpa2ujLqviAEY_PhqQhE5fvIiDAats5rAY4_Kk58dv-YoYoe_eHpkNQW6sUD6kmmM5wup4fJ-hM2Janl7Tq920fhL/s1600-h/IMG_0061.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEV1k5cE3iKx9ainFn64ciC_Aw6cC87Sf2itnmSrvmnH_sZhaz9Hvpa2ujLqviAEY_PhqQhE5fvIiDAats5rAY4_Kk58dv-YoYoe_eHpkNQW6sUD6kmmM5wup4fJ-hM2Janl7Tq920fhL/s320/IMG_0061.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192528160308633202" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBJY33FGJu8RVhbG5WMj4y5RwXExzmOf9sweePs6LCFnb33HLGg8RVYvi46nDeeEpOip4kpEBvFzSLd_KRA2GLDCJMTeqw_jhayjDr2EmAEzyhgvFE08cI6WkyjpgRt_u88i5kiAZ2yXWl/s1600-h/IMG_0059.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBJY33FGJu8RVhbG5WMj4y5RwXExzmOf9sweePs6LCFnb33HLGg8RVYvi46nDeeEpOip4kpEBvFzSLd_KRA2GLDCJMTeqw_jhayjDr2EmAEzyhgvFE08cI6WkyjpgRt_u88i5kiAZ2yXWl/s320/IMG_0059.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192528164603600514" border="0" /></a>They took us to The Living Desert (in <st1:place><st1:placename>Palm</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Desert</st1:placetype></st1:place>), an outdoor museum with plants and animals from all the warm deserts in <st1:place>Africa</st1:place>, <st1:place>Asia</st1:place>, and <st1:place>North America</st1:place>. It was really interesting and I'm sure we'll go back some day and spend more time. We actually were lucky enough to get a private tour by tram since their friend, Patrick, is a contributor. We also visited Patrick and his wife. He had gone to <st1:place><st1:placename>Deerfield</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Academy</st1:placetype></st1:place>. (A leopard grooving on scratching his chin, mommy and baby giraffe, a gila monster, and a spicebush butterfly.)<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDT6kS91G6wMy_yPWB1pOfOgWNUoON_qU91ZfMnSuUrNVpneLaz9JtDG6Oi329nsqX-5C7s3qY8H202hkM9efAjmuDP0mVccH6uerq3EdKwIuaxkpyG2QNHgtI4dw4o1OwcM_WNNzMKit9/s1600-h/IMG_0041.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDT6kS91G6wMy_yPWB1pOfOgWNUoON_qU91ZfMnSuUrNVpneLaz9JtDG6Oi329nsqX-5C7s3qY8H202hkM9efAjmuDP0mVccH6uerq3EdKwIuaxkpyG2QNHgtI4dw4o1OwcM_WNNzMKit9/s320/IMG_0041.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192529135266209426" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><u1:p></u1:p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdoh3iUUE6DVIPnf2LyzeXuOWRK6dzVtxF30EVHt9rRwXAjvJgJo1Zmm2y3AnaML01Llhk9c8qMGcxHSM8uYbbMox4SUonO6p-YQQ8xKVcdR2cH8T6Ei3wWuWwnd9FsWB-AJrLSGZxOXL/s1600-h/IMG_0042.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdoh3iUUE6DVIPnf2LyzeXuOWRK6dzVtxF30EVHt9rRwXAjvJgJo1Zmm2y3AnaML01Llhk9c8qMGcxHSM8uYbbMox4SUonO6p-YQQ8xKVcdR2cH8T6Ei3wWuWwnd9FsWB-AJrLSGZxOXL/s320/IMG_0042.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192529148151111330" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsdJrYdesmSX5qywlLWj-eelNglZ_UsJaCGqgKWHMEPi0PoUrGYKp0yQ_JL_jwqDlyZNfZeC4wWkQfF5ssCfXUxBXo8b23kbjIB8I2qBFaXB5qTvdnQQUP0xU8YLlrvS5-XUoltNGIk0J/s1600-h/IMG_0046.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsdJrYdesmSX5qywlLWj-eelNglZ_UsJaCGqgKWHMEPi0PoUrGYKp0yQ_JL_jwqDlyZNfZeC4wWkQfF5ssCfXUxBXo8b23kbjIB8I2qBFaXB5qTvdnQQUP0xU8YLlrvS5-XUoltNGIk0J/s320/IMG_0046.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192529152446078642" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRr8EBYouHfvOK9SqpYdRyxF3Avfxslz22h9h7mccynEcqA7tj1T_SnqkvkZdHwaIAPGxRVLkCKThZjrgEDFBHeTXcXpR6lhs6eQDGLT5L-fkPGrwMwymblw8iubXrg6LWlL3LHLEQYY8/s1600-h/IMG_0050.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRr8EBYouHfvOK9SqpYdRyxF3Avfxslz22h9h7mccynEcqA7tj1T_SnqkvkZdHwaIAPGxRVLkCKThZjrgEDFBHeTXcXpR6lhs6eQDGLT5L-fkPGrwMwymblw8iubXrg6LWlL3LHLEQYY8/s320/IMG_0050.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192529161036013250" border="0" /></a>George and Scott collect cars. They have 11 total (most at their LA home). When we went to dinner we drove in their Rolls Royce. That was really fun for us since we'd never been in one. Super comfortable! Some cool features: In the back seat it had a button to push to gently close the door. In case of rain there is an umbrella inside the back door. The hood ornament goes down when the car is turned off. The wheel covers are floating so that the "RR" symbol is always in the correct position.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><u1:p></u1:p><st1:city><st1:place>Sandy</st1:place></st1:city> drove George to LA and I rode in Scott's car. Scott grew up in the area so told me about how things looked in the 50's and 60's. West of Palm Springs, which is north of Rancho Mirage, is a set of mountains that create a wind tunnel that the utility company has taken advantage of by installing a windmill farm with thousands of windmills. It was quite a sight! What lucky people to be saving money on their energy costs!<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKC55S_EmT1iM3-nzyRHKUheLmEtTG03funMeRlnPiELBQJmDSs8R4BW9Ym5P3wEI7DlWZaGzSAVKDzhyphenhyphenvARwrENZOZcbIG770mnJFV1S0xKnkETqERpeHpgcfBRgTnmSzIiVShyphenhyphenUmxiaG/s1600-h/IMG_0077.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKC55S_EmT1iM3-nzyRHKUheLmEtTG03funMeRlnPiELBQJmDSs8R4BW9Ym5P3wEI7DlWZaGzSAVKDzhyphenhyphenvARwrENZOZcbIG770mnJFV1S0xKnkETqERpeHpgcfBRgTnmSzIiVShyphenhyphenUmxiaG/s320/IMG_0077.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192529169625947858" border="0" /></a><br /><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><u1:p><br /></u1:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><u1:p><br /></u1:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><u1:p><br /></u1:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><u1:p><br /></u1:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><u1:p>Their house in LA is in a very nice area on Los Feliz Blvd. A number of people associated with the entertainment industry live there or have lived there. Here's the back of the house, the guest house and the yard. It was such a comfortable place to stay. We enjoyed our days there tremendously! </u1:p>Thanks George and Scott. <u1:p>(We won't be there again since they're selling it and will only have their Rancho Mirage home.)<br /></u1:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><u1:p></u1:p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXABYM5D_Yao_L0TETfcJRV1VpJs_mQWKY4tFeHQw5kfSHtoolknH9KxaFImRKl6q0MKcCB2DSb7yHpyL5u3njaA51uJLzJGtRFLgbBqHtvo_T_VSuSao10MRQ8e2tZMSM3VXUu8heVbz/s1600-h/IMG_0081.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXABYM5D_Yao_L0TETfcJRV1VpJs_mQWKY4tFeHQw5kfSHtoolknH9KxaFImRKl6q0MKcCB2DSb7yHpyL5u3njaA51uJLzJGtRFLgbBqHtvo_T_VSuSao10MRQ8e2tZMSM3VXUu8heVbz/s320/IMG_0081.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192530539720515298" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2j6YMl4FpniLIg1ioiJuSENjEFO4oUOZAjMRgRatfhtRN09VwfYSUsvEza7D6gxb1MftXI0ZZy9NPgY0i3EESE7LbleI1AFXDHoR6-mb-1RNTR6bkjuFkeK9eyxh5RC80FdWYgud2wFjU/s1600-h/IMG_0087.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2j6YMl4FpniLIg1ioiJuSENjEFO4oUOZAjMRgRatfhtRN09VwfYSUsvEza7D6gxb1MftXI0ZZy9NPgY0i3EESE7LbleI1AFXDHoR6-mb-1RNTR6bkjuFkeK9eyxh5RC80FdWYgud2wFjU/s320/IMG_0087.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192530544015482610" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSLRHcqaOdG0Of9SWg9k8jk_Kuum14o1P5kBre8ehirWQIi4jhiJtQTRvM4zEh5ThG3lwRvsvsVCwVd41S27A2T3PmeBgNcUSj3VDiQpJh_LyYW2RvwJyFWczwW-dKAtJUa6ZOvMW7eAJ/s1600-h/IMG_0083.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSLRHcqaOdG0Of9SWg9k8jk_Kuum14o1P5kBre8ehirWQIi4jhiJtQTRvM4zEh5ThG3lwRvsvsVCwVd41S27A2T3PmeBgNcUSj3VDiQpJh_LyYW2RvwJyFWczwW-dKAtJUa6ZOvMW7eAJ/s320/IMG_0083.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192530548310449922" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKKu_AXU19xaYndLyOuSKigGoQ6NQZ7cCWqACXNgcqanxeIcS09qEQXVzt12wMFLKmbUcJCasu7oit7LuQZ2PEIDdzhAbky3UnKPBcjfbmHewtl1kX4nOkfIfLfLGQJ3iDE-oiotXjHDn/s1600-h/IMG_0085.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKKu_AXU19xaYndLyOuSKigGoQ6NQZ7cCWqACXNgcqanxeIcS09qEQXVzt12wMFLKmbUcJCasu7oit7LuQZ2PEIDdzhAbky3UnKPBcjfbmHewtl1kX4nOkfIfLfLGQJ3iDE-oiotXjHDn/s320/IMG_0085.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192530556900384530" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">LA Area Sightseeing: </span><span>(The weather was a bit chillier here, only high 60's to mid 70's.)</span><br /></p>1-Disney Concert Center (North Grand Ave.). George, Sandy and I took a free tour of this center which was really special to do before our attendance there at night to hear the Los Angeles Philharmonic. It was dedicated in 2003 and designed by Frank Gehry with the generosity of Lillian Disney, Walt's widow. It has interesting curves (flower petals) with complementary petal designs in the carpet. I especially loved the rose petal fountain on one of the terraces made with broken bits of Delft china, a favorite of Mrs. Disney. The concert we saw (with Julie too, thanks to George) was the premier of the new LA Philharmonic conductor from Venezuela, only 27 years old, named Gustavo Dudamel. He was excellent! The incredible violinist was Leila Josefowicz. Wow, we've never seen a violin played so energetically. We all loved being in this beautiful building with amazing acoustics! (They have TV screens in all the hallways so if you're late you can watch until there's a break.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZ9tKQ_2BHklMExshm7IJIibJIVxW4SAX6ma09TmMKGS06Wh0MSKesoF8TdvZERBSvA3Cq-oEm09NV7cuLLOQ-uXgoMkB1H5sB1fDkxFXPfXU6yoLBt74DDOhSP-catzqETZYiWS7F7U_/s1600-h/IMG_0089.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZ9tKQ_2BHklMExshm7IJIibJIVxW4SAX6ma09TmMKGS06Wh0MSKesoF8TdvZERBSvA3Cq-oEm09NV7cuLLOQ-uXgoMkB1H5sB1fDkxFXPfXU6yoLBt74DDOhSP-catzqETZYiWS7F7U_/s320/IMG_0089.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192532446685994786" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6c0G4Pdgc3FGCysTjSt18hbCNrtZjM8kVZxJtNpmMq2WgqWRc5VqhFrSpE8dYFStfwhT-QAjxVkV7upoHISmvw-f47bNNdHxl2F9w4qa1tcfTpnIjyQG9aaC8Pal_AoF_w7YIzpQ4aS75/s1600-h/IMG_0090.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6c0G4Pdgc3FGCysTjSt18hbCNrtZjM8kVZxJtNpmMq2WgqWRc5VqhFrSpE8dYFStfwhT-QAjxVkV7upoHISmvw-f47bNNdHxl2F9w4qa1tcfTpnIjyQG9aaC8Pal_AoF_w7YIzpQ4aS75/s320/IMG_0090.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192532459570896690" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEictN4IjwkpuqbbTmcliwBmWplKPlTkH_5Lywhp0sAHdJtr3czK__LSdy2zPB0ToXQBbnrYvM1V0tBv5_5ogTO6fHguCRftCfe-U3OCWVW4BmL72scfsA3TFYQgCFekTjAHQ_HaV5hGhScs/s1600-h/IMG_0096.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEictN4IjwkpuqbbTmcliwBmWplKPlTkH_5Lywhp0sAHdJtr3czK__LSdy2zPB0ToXQBbnrYvM1V0tBv5_5ogTO6fHguCRftCfe-U3OCWVW4BmL72scfsA3TFYQgCFekTjAHQ_HaV5hGhScs/s320/IMG_0096.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192532468160831298" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHQMSTV-qdGWV23IJX83Cfh1fLdn6BV2enIYcbDqWFZi6rd1Cr3IRpmHPAYZGtT0JNZWRLixp7CKKqjiN5wIgNDwQDDrk9in_JyUUcf3W7JJEH8nb_daEI6GN8Vl1m0bEKGJ4AdB-cqam/s1600-h/IMG_0092.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHQMSTV-qdGWV23IJX83Cfh1fLdn6BV2enIYcbDqWFZi6rd1Cr3IRpmHPAYZGtT0JNZWRLixp7CKKqjiN5wIgNDwQDDrk9in_JyUUcf3W7JJEH8nb_daEI6GN8Vl1m0bEKGJ4AdB-cqam/s320/IMG_0092.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192532476750765906" border="0" /></a>2-The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. It was down the street so we stopped by this big, beautiful cathedral. We also visited its huge mausoleum made with Spanish limestone. Lay people can actually be buried or have their ashes buried here.<br /><br />3-Griffith Observatory in Griffith Park. Awesome views from the top of this park, 2 blocks from George's house. It's over 4000 acres and was bequeathed to LA in 1896 by Col. Griffith who made his fortune in gold. It also has a Greek amphitheater, hiking paths, bridle paths, and an observatory and museum at the top. The museum is small but well worth a visit. There are interesting displays on stars and planets. The museum exterior is in a number of movies including "Rebel Without a Cause" and "The Terminator". You can also see the famous "Hollywood" sign from the top (3rd picture). (This was put up in 1923 as "Hollywoodland" as an ad but soon gained recognition for Hollywood so was kept with the "land" taken off. The letters are 50' high!!) In the picture the tall buildings are in Studio City. Too bad there's haze but we even had it in Tucson. At least it's improved in the past 30 years.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-048GlsJx8z8-ZPDgoyYfS2Buhwh2HxOa6JIgABl1kY4fIxZbMvShQqQEoq6L-e_3QEwj9GSm9FwPuRSj3404LWd31x-Kiq7WV_-II9qOmPu1AeY-aQ0BNhPJOMg_p1bz2lJ807NEQKp/s1600-h/IMG_0098.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-048GlsJx8z8-ZPDgoyYfS2Buhwh2HxOa6JIgABl1kY4fIxZbMvShQqQEoq6L-e_3QEwj9GSm9FwPuRSj3404LWd31x-Kiq7WV_-II9qOmPu1AeY-aQ0BNhPJOMg_p1bz2lJ807NEQKp/s320/IMG_0098.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192556369653833634" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCfyuXHGKhxjPAr6d8bcPXYDjxq9_sJdLnvYRk5lMAribwL79AqBP3iw-mpyY-P6o-DEqniBPEtqNyppfCLGgkN3f27w-_oOaoRqEdFo2ACEcnpp_jkqt5mwA9hBFLOmoqhzPoXfyQDeV/s1600-h/IMG_0102.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCfyuXHGKhxjPAr6d8bcPXYDjxq9_sJdLnvYRk5lMAribwL79AqBP3iw-mpyY-P6o-DEqniBPEtqNyppfCLGgkN3f27w-_oOaoRqEdFo2ACEcnpp_jkqt5mwA9hBFLOmoqhzPoXfyQDeV/s320/IMG_0102.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192556382538735538" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQK7Skw5pFE9y8Ybmwh1ZK5OwypSlbFGojeSQobedcYQl968XuST-_dwDoRa8wAisqbb9KaGsH7krRcAd-G5vgDlV0KKdoJT8khGtfpsNBP8nAVV-gagpL_iMEQ22-ukUX-w16thFPKdIZ/s1600-h/IMG_0101.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQK7Skw5pFE9y8Ybmwh1ZK5OwypSlbFGojeSQobedcYQl968XuST-_dwDoRa8wAisqbb9KaGsH7krRcAd-G5vgDlV0KKdoJT8khGtfpsNBP8nAVV-gagpL_iMEQ22-ukUX-w16thFPKdIZ/s320/IMG_0101.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192556391128670146" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xtgdKhWo2iUi6chLL4MIYYYbSfpW3U2Z43QPHN7EG73QPhPMOwVjaBpmT4SiSknDtxpuPWqFFfOM-Wrw3u4lgmr0SJO6dVlfI1GoYJKAOut_G4j9yH_T49D4Wvhwy26hj_UP4Z_wmE9K/s1600-h/IMG_0100.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xtgdKhWo2iUi6chLL4MIYYYbSfpW3U2Z43QPHN7EG73QPhPMOwVjaBpmT4SiSknDtxpuPWqFFfOM-Wrw3u4lgmr0SJO6dVlfI1GoYJKAOut_G4j9yH_T49D4Wvhwy26hj_UP4Z_wmE9K/s320/IMG_0100.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192556399718604754" border="0" /></a>4-The Getty Villa. (I'll do a separate post for these last three since I have so many pictures.)<br />5-Walking Tour of the Historic area of downtown LA.<br />6-Huntington Library and Gardens.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">More Friends to Visit.</span> We had a great visit with college friends, Dave and Marcia Postmus who live in Huntington Beach, about an hour south of George's. They gave us a tour of their town. Did you know there were oil rigs right off the beach?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeAYyYMF7o-n-x0TSJdAuT14hE6abI1jH4OsVkgki62T_3NpxN12VhuXxelSixYki0rojlbbASONoCE8JZR-avtCTNqRY7mnbf3zRSkcIpDJfW9yF5wgBwrHvvTiUrJFFuDJ3gErRC1Mz/s1600-h/IMG_0142.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeAYyYMF7o-n-x0TSJdAuT14hE6abI1jH4OsVkgki62T_3NpxN12VhuXxelSixYki0rojlbbASONoCE8JZR-avtCTNqRY7mnbf3zRSkcIpDJfW9yF5wgBwrHvvTiUrJFFuDJ3gErRC1Mz/s320/IMG_0142.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192138555235277826" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7D7KjJThFiG59xVi5nvmWnqWjU_QaSd7Spzn3jgGWVoZ2pHEmwqR0VzqQl9C-9MKlqm7hwJ1Q6e3US5TuForc38Y6T5WPpfKTTiYbbUmgX3El0_fZ1XEf5sc7ys2wF0tVewP2IHU8wOtk/s1600-h/IMG_0144.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7D7KjJThFiG59xVi5nvmWnqWjU_QaSd7Spzn3jgGWVoZ2pHEmwqR0VzqQl9C-9MKlqm7hwJ1Q6e3US5TuForc38Y6T5WPpfKTTiYbbUmgX3El0_fZ1XEf5sc7ys2wF0tVewP2IHU8wOtk/s320/IMG_0144.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192138572415147026" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Julie was with us for dinner, the Disney concert, a night at George's, the Huntington Gardens and then at her boyfriend's parent's house in Pasadena. It was wonderful to see her again and do things with her on her new turf. (Yes, she's moving to LA permanently at some point in 2008.)<br /><br />It was great to see Julie's boyfriend, Michael's parents again. Jim and Sylvia Beck have lived in the Pasadena area for more than 25 years and a few years ago downsized to a condo. We had dinner with them and spent the night. Pasadena is a really pretty town.<br /><br />We had a great time in LA and look forward to many more visits to see Julie (and Michael) and go north to see Scott and Libby.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next stop: Prescott, AZ and onward to Florida.</span><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);"><u1:p> </u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-32740181588800613912008-04-18T11:24:00.000-07:002008-12-09T02:25:47.313-08:00California: LA (2)<span style="font-weight: bold;">April 1-6, 2008.</span> LA Sightseeing (cont):<br /><br />4-The Getty Villa. The daughter of friends of ours from Amherst, the Pastides, works here as a museum educator so we were thrilled that George also wanted to take us there. Katharine was able to steel away from her desk for a few minutes to give us a short introduction. It was great to see her! J. Paul Getty, opened the Malibu villa in 1974 after first opening the Getty Museum in 1954. Now there's a new museum in downtown LA. The villa (modeled after a Roman country home) is an "educational center and museum dedicated to the study of the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria". It's really impressive. There are numerous tours, a movie, gardens, special exhibits, and lots to see. We only were there a few hours but could have spent 4-5. We'll be back! (There's no admission but you have to make reservations and pay for parking.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlYrdMh6FR8Ur2ZQL5UNrJ4jzofA2gtZ5dfyspWgKTd72rc1s_K18NRcNDQ2T09QZssVpRQxIOstrNPUpkZqBRpgaomQvO5H0oPLzPGejp0gUvlpKYHN1Qsdt9NayFFIvVaCVZs8bSme1/s1600-h/IMG_0115.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlYrdMh6FR8Ur2ZQL5UNrJ4jzofA2gtZ5dfyspWgKTd72rc1s_K18NRcNDQ2T09QZssVpRQxIOstrNPUpkZqBRpgaomQvO5H0oPLzPGejp0gUvlpKYHN1Qsdt9NayFFIvVaCVZs8bSme1/s320/IMG_0115.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192533894089973602" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwZ8st-7ERNADYfxop5Ts7AlR8COCO5W83YXk9NVL5eyuv3c8r-ikYa91as-3wmgiWDrJZKMlq6DrdJ6SO9JrLfUa1qJdyzibRLWPohvW5fu9wd7SOndHdnqcED3YaM7QUO5-JQnjPCh4/s1600-h/IMG_0117.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwZ8st-7ERNADYfxop5Ts7AlR8COCO5W83YXk9NVL5eyuv3c8r-ikYa91as-3wmgiWDrJZKMlq6DrdJ6SO9JrLfUa1qJdyzibRLWPohvW5fu9wd7SOndHdnqcED3YaM7QUO5-JQnjPCh4/s320/IMG_0117.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192533902679908210" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5-ornz2-DVne9tjjRTVrY4SpWW13v5Bv1fDCcblTNP9xIO-Jwq9woJv-3KJAUR-_-UqzHPvIz6Km4OBU4bf_8-2l138gogEksPSwWPjFR5Xze0ZVcZkrSKtR0chb22ryH5IK2ZHi_yjF/s1600-h/IMG_0120.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5-ornz2-DVne9tjjRTVrY4SpWW13v5Bv1fDCcblTNP9xIO-Jwq9woJv-3KJAUR-_-UqzHPvIz6Km4OBU4bf_8-2l138gogEksPSwWPjFR5Xze0ZVcZkrSKtR0chb22ryH5IK2ZHi_yjF/s320/IMG_0120.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192533906974875522" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCgRjq79hFw3TD9wCGyaHGZzjS-yrOq6VeP6Jqri2eWbaK6iEII9ccTfi265Pv8njVuQ43IBQPJn6cpZzMQ1Ne7XfrKzP6sbt7JW0H0cSk6yKBKrD0rHQ4qwDsZ3dytCSjbS2f9_B_xBm/s1600-h/IMG_0113.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCgRjq79hFw3TD9wCGyaHGZzjS-yrOq6VeP6Jqri2eWbaK6iEII9ccTfi265Pv8njVuQ43IBQPJn6cpZzMQ1Ne7XfrKzP6sbt7JW0H0cSk6yKBKrD0rHQ4qwDsZ3dytCSjbS2f9_B_xBm/s320/IMG_0113.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192533911269842834" border="0" /></a>5-Walking Tour of the Historic area of downtown LA. (This tour really helped us see LA from a historical perspective and not just as an entertainment capital.) Our excellent volunteer guide was an urban planner from the LA Conservancy which was formed in the mid 70's to help save the Library from being torn down. It now offers lots of tours (for a very reasonable $10). The tour started at Pershing Square, named after the General in WWI. LA was founded in 1781 by 44 people. First called the Town of the Queen of Angels, by the late 1840's was the largest town in California. There was a real boom in population in the late 1880's. Most of the historical buildings were built in the late 1890's and early 1900's. Most of them were low as there was a strict height limit until 1957. (Here are some of the modern buildings near Pershing Square.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH09RyJcsu5KYMlPBgNbKTuB66fk4SfnOgtHXf-2JHkNjL0gaJHkg7NHRHRrY6fsdN7uT1Djg_zFwja_JhZ7-4tRpkh_fQfcPlTLNgcQq6Hi2Aruz4GSa0khh4Qvdzqu2-StA1O7xX1Pe8/s1600-h/IMG_0123.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH09RyJcsu5KYMlPBgNbKTuB66fk4SfnOgtHXf-2JHkNjL0gaJHkg7NHRHRrY6fsdN7uT1Djg_zFwja_JhZ7-4tRpkh_fQfcPlTLNgcQq6Hi2Aruz4GSa0khh4Qvdzqu2-StA1O7xX1Pe8/s320/IMG_0123.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192512114310814866" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Pacific Mutual Building (now the Pacific Center) was a Beaux Arts building, the first part built in 1908. It was so elegant with beautiful marble and detailed work.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjge9iPI4GfPDal2z47Wga1aeKrBK69VAWBsxxryVZD4DdF9CYS8q2BDcoktEz9WVWBUT0O-ySyxgJDFOsOvfZyamhBawOKeepO8EyFmD1mkMVzuPP8kTzQbcEjodyUbtNGdlL5qCfpxB2X/s1600-h/IMG_0134.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjge9iPI4GfPDal2z47Wga1aeKrBK69VAWBsxxryVZD4DdF9CYS8q2BDcoktEz9WVWBUT0O-ySyxgJDFOsOvfZyamhBawOKeepO8EyFmD1mkMVzuPP8kTzQbcEjodyUbtNGdlL5qCfpxB2X/s320/IMG_0134.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192506651112414322" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQdBMaoYggMtLQKKUomZQBEGGKQn2c-UGrHynsJOLg_FYfF8azIauZeiz4MK9QUJT6ikjdHZCisPvttvKr4BqHc1uHmsyGWITqxDF7Qn5QrsN_EzZjSNngCY36OwC0RtAF3kM6p9-cWfb/s1600-h/IMG_0135.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQdBMaoYggMtLQKKUomZQBEGGKQn2c-UGrHynsJOLg_FYfF8azIauZeiz4MK9QUJT6ikjdHZCisPvttvKr4BqHc1uHmsyGWITqxDF7Qn5QrsN_EzZjSNngCY36OwC0RtAF3kM6p9-cWfb/s320/IMG_0135.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192506668292283522" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Art Deco Southern California Edison Building was also beautiful, especially the ornate elevator and the lobby ceiling.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXulnMcEe60nvGZiQRIv5Er84GHcE_y3ntiGWOZRvs7xLoWFdYLNGrWri-dPBu7enHl-YmuK4NBM2hAz02XTXkV6Kdav0rx5KeDvRt6eShjXSs3YLkBKMZ1vlGKCw6chlscQx2XDnsGuV/s1600-h/IMG_0124.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXulnMcEe60nvGZiQRIv5Er84GHcE_y3ntiGWOZRvs7xLoWFdYLNGrWri-dPBu7enHl-YmuK4NBM2hAz02XTXkV6Kdav0rx5KeDvRt6eShjXSs3YLkBKMZ1vlGKCw6chlscQx2XDnsGuV/s320/IMG_0124.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192512127195716770" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqdI2ishBfROlCAZJ34EWmrZ0fqzXWYKGL17Tzcw-s1hd-tLnVV8AIAGraOJRtIe2fZHZoO9AG0cZdgn8D2DlCAmO5Oa2HJoTPGYtwmqcAzvfxFNw3-TX13NSUshqXQgn52gQtm2YDAuP/s1600-h/IMG_0125.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqdI2ishBfROlCAZJ34EWmrZ0fqzXWYKGL17Tzcw-s1hd-tLnVV8AIAGraOJRtIe2fZHZoO9AG0cZdgn8D2DlCAmO5Oa2HJoTPGYtwmqcAzvfxFNw3-TX13NSUshqXQgn52gQtm2YDAuP/s320/IMG_0125.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192512131490684082" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBqE7W3-RYr0SaJirUnRy8waLJHL-Ta3vyWmbOOxzc6l4asgPGrfcHSvvJdOZfbclxOAcREhoeZ20NZhhSvod-y-PlzHaHbinmbtODkOWvegukF6dqgYv9EbRaoCXMTqNhuif4CcPyvi8/s1600-h/IMG_0126.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBqE7W3-RYr0SaJirUnRy8waLJHL-Ta3vyWmbOOxzc6l4asgPGrfcHSvvJdOZfbclxOAcREhoeZ20NZhhSvod-y-PlzHaHbinmbtODkOWvegukF6dqgYv9EbRaoCXMTqNhuif4CcPyvi8/s320/IMG_0126.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192512144375585986" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Los Angeles Central Library was an old building with a new wing opened in 1993 after 2 fires. I especially liked the hangings in the new section which goes a number of stories under ground. The escalators are at the bottom of the picture.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyv3fQmx3z2jBGcv1ZMjJtfI67noX3ZvK7peRtkchts7Y1w6EG2_EfhS5RisvKPVwZGFRoACke-GO2McCxhtcDj9RiFNPcF-p3XWSZ-284gP18bcjj6fxKM45d_iuNXwEG3C4cgaNIQSIv/s1600-h/IMG_0136.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyv3fQmx3z2jBGcv1ZMjJtfI67noX3ZvK7peRtkchts7Y1w6EG2_EfhS5RisvKPVwZGFRoACke-GO2McCxhtcDj9RiFNPcF-p3XWSZ-284gP18bcjj6fxKM45d_iuNXwEG3C4cgaNIQSIv/s320/IMG_0136.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192513372736232658" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We had never heard of Angels Flight (Railway). It was built in 1901 to carry people up and down between downtown and the fashionable Bunker Hill district. It was a funicular, having two cars on the same cable. It was interesting to think about it being used for so many years. It was dismantled in 1969 but restored last year. Unfortunately there was an accident and it is now out of service (hopefully not permanently). Near that is the famous Grauman's Theater, nicknamed the "Million Dollar Theater", since that's about what it cost to build it for showman, Sidney Grauman. It has lavish terra cotta ornaments on the outside with apartments on the upper floors.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTrbj1D-XAEW8R824oyJm-r1RrBsQ__ZuogDe9BG2SsDlUG2RzaQ4-ZdDo3HwJA5tC0D6lXPlbOfF_z85oROwrTAoo6ZIdZCe2s7qURYWP0bZK2XOJytcsxTLtesJHSkDnPe_P1MFpJfR/s1600-h/IMG_0127.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTrbj1D-XAEW8R824oyJm-r1RrBsQ__ZuogDe9BG2SsDlUG2RzaQ4-ZdDo3HwJA5tC0D6lXPlbOfF_z85oROwrTAoo6ZIdZCe2s7qURYWP0bZK2XOJytcsxTLtesJHSkDnPe_P1MFpJfR/s320/IMG_0127.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192513381326167266" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bwziBS5tf9szfe0WQLhyphenhyphenX_ulFWal9JxU7Tl25JB4mggFrwoOYxGqZZCacMWiZZXtTKKzq33IRAl88gHSIimhq1axuECNopAKU_5-53dYnHYBLRt0-xfpRoHM84QsoNctgH2_9XVNzDhE/s1600-h/IMG_0129.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bwziBS5tf9szfe0WQLhyphenhyphenX_ulFWal9JxU7Tl25JB4mggFrwoOYxGqZZCacMWiZZXtTKKzq33IRAl88gHSIimhq1axuECNopAKU_5-53dYnHYBLRt0-xfpRoHM84QsoNctgH2_9XVNzDhE/s320/IMG_0129.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192513866657471730" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The Bradbury Building was the most impressive for me. It's one of the oldest commercial buildings in the downtown area. What I loved was the open cage elevators, marble stairs, and ornate iron railings. What a great place to work (if you have to work!). It was used in the movie, "Bladerunner". Julie and Sandy took a seat on either side of Charlie Chaplin. (I'm not sure why Mr. Chaplin was there.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgknl79IHoyPj9Jmgk2auk9LxwgzydMcpwpAAKN5pzdT52nrXXvJQtkv80qr84mINxEZ31DRSFdg56-ZsrkwmE6hZgCJb0WAIDgGQOoOGGv1OcD1ZF8RSq7H5alUa-hVIgbiADM92qfe4_D/s1600-h/IMG_0131.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgknl79IHoyPj9Jmgk2auk9LxwgzydMcpwpAAKN5pzdT52nrXXvJQtkv80qr84mINxEZ31DRSFdg56-ZsrkwmE6hZgCJb0WAIDgGQOoOGGv1OcD1ZF8RSq7H5alUa-hVIgbiADM92qfe4_D/s320/IMG_0131.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192516164464975106" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszUnTzfx9THhao9iOz5X1KYqcx1GkPP0XuK5E4e2pR6ckriA-wb_CWgj58pcX6B0txXg0xVcx4X-p1hCOf8WfVWW2M5S5y52YaLN-6n4yxTIJF5BCOFx6pbSVBNF-i04UV_kYXBPw-b3v/s1600-h/IMG_0132.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszUnTzfx9THhao9iOz5X1KYqcx1GkPP0XuK5E4e2pR6ckriA-wb_CWgj58pcX6B0txXg0xVcx4X-p1hCOf8WfVWW2M5S5y52YaLN-6n4yxTIJF5BCOFx6pbSVBNF-i04UV_kYXBPw-b3v/s320/IMG_0132.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192516168759942418" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Also on the tour was the Pacific Finance Building, Biltmore Hotel, Mayflower Hotel, Subway Terminal Building, Broadway Department Store, and the Grand Central Market.<br /><br />6-Huntington Library and Gardens. This is a pretty famous place in Pasadena. People come to do research in the library. It houses rare books which constitute one of the world's largest and most extensively used collections in the US outside of the Library of Congress. (No real need for that but it's nice to know.) There are art collections too but we took a tour of the huge botanical garden and Chinese Garden. There were so many beautiful plants. Here are just some we liked: agave, aeonium voodoo, arenarius, puya alpestris, unidentified (if you know this let me know), and a rare yellow camellia. The new Chinese Garden was very cool and beautiful and a place to go back to and really spend some time. (We were there on a Sunday when it had just been opened to the public so it was really crowded.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAn6TOcfTgYKP_Bk6U2OSF9yfXNcojBJJUlw8Ta4Pqpujo9eJZYLPFI8XsUABk3BZi2PCXAJgWcCMVGBJmoeS6mvXkdqP4Feu-7xOyDx5QOk5cOB7jXWk3lvqeA4RUL5dEmxKSGjD8saVF/s1600-h/agave.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAn6TOcfTgYKP_Bk6U2OSF9yfXNcojBJJUlw8Ta4Pqpujo9eJZYLPFI8XsUABk3BZi2PCXAJgWcCMVGBJmoeS6mvXkdqP4Feu-7xOyDx5QOk5cOB7jXWk3lvqeA4RUL5dEmxKSGjD8saVF/s320/agave.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192517757897841954" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtHJjOrRWghJ6mbTLaZs_9eKA6aaXG8QOQvVS-hBOiain9pWVWWuEy2FX9zQTWzE3vXVJdHguzI1xD8u8hhgd90sBgWwGjRA82INQfZWZNcy01Oq1yZqA52PUSx4itC7jSQyFfV2ju7xY/s1600-h/aeonium+%27voodoo%27.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtHJjOrRWghJ6mbTLaZs_9eKA6aaXG8QOQvVS-hBOiain9pWVWWuEy2FX9zQTWzE3vXVJdHguzI1xD8u8hhgd90sBgWwGjRA82INQfZWZNcy01Oq1yZqA52PUSx4itC7jSQyFfV2ju7xY/s320/aeonium+%27voodoo%27.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192517762192809266" border="0" /></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPiz_u2-zVSRi26n0H3_Qv9yzlR6j7wdIfAxX3ugUTr3e3nJtmXoAy0AcOkJRfCXZfJ1zNR7N2XSzO_P121G2yZkMB8340yKyCTSffdPzcx-k-ni6f-JR0P4GMFCDd9iRJW4XHIc4xbLOP/s1600-h/arenarius.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPiz_u2-zVSRi26n0H3_Qv9yzlR6j7wdIfAxX3ugUTr3e3nJtmXoAy0AcOkJRfCXZfJ1zNR7N2XSzO_P121G2yZkMB8340yKyCTSffdPzcx-k-ni6f-JR0P4GMFCDd9iRJW4XHIc4xbLOP/s320/arenarius.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192517775077711170" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSAXmJdmRl9ow6CJSffS4twEIapYBtp847t293HoX25z1r-drg99DaIQvJ118frldbXyMoFWV0EfaweZ0X0sNM8wD2mdzyvoSo49PH4fEfT5o6OVDEdB7JVk-Vp4kyv8E8H_xjGlg3lVk/s1600-h/puya+alpestris.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSAXmJdmRl9ow6CJSffS4twEIapYBtp847t293HoX25z1r-drg99DaIQvJ118frldbXyMoFWV0EfaweZ0X0sNM8wD2mdzyvoSo49PH4fEfT5o6OVDEdB7JVk-Vp4kyv8E8H_xjGlg3lVk/s320/puya+alpestris.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192517779372678482" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI27RH6FiCrCDVydSMNdRdVdAtn1fr7hiRu5mnwt8JtsDhDNM98lkLAci4lAnimihJ2-57Vb9AatLOVRYpEILqkIeX3EFxIb92XrDaVbZw_Mly9L8D-p6jf-0051thV8vzWNWesm2i8-tJ/s1600-h/IMG_0167.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI27RH6FiCrCDVydSMNdRdVdAtn1fr7hiRu5mnwt8JtsDhDNM98lkLAci4lAnimihJ2-57Vb9AatLOVRYpEILqkIeX3EFxIb92XrDaVbZw_Mly9L8D-p6jf-0051thV8vzWNWesm2i8-tJ/s320/IMG_0167.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192517787962613090" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhwLLOe4HC_eIzj2OnoU8W7PeoZpMfE4dhKQKr_uOt3w4mPKtlPSVCOzWSsgaxPsmmS7en0ZSv1Ek0j6r-INpOA7TvJ5VppdWCvUeMWd8d9zH9Q4Zi4gsBj8t9RE5OZd_Aw6GQCDbrBaQ/s1600-h/yellow+camellia+%28rare%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhwLLOe4HC_eIzj2OnoU8W7PeoZpMfE4dhKQKr_uOt3w4mPKtlPSVCOzWSsgaxPsmmS7en0ZSv1Ek0j6r-INpOA7TvJ5VppdWCvUeMWd8d9zH9Q4Zi4gsBj8t9RE5OZd_Aw6GQCDbrBaQ/s320/yellow+camellia+%28rare%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192518780100058482" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-U0CcYLkuwEZ3wbfubrSqpGa78AB1kgXdluv8Fcl2NXEE4v7xVaubEQKd3ijF-Ro6-SuY29jJ8H9tpxalBP4XN4GLTHEfLcXIKEuqF-WnvCZvMlZ8XgBSy93AjTCsZzSbGPAqEBujaUWG/s1600-h/IMG_0169.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-U0CcYLkuwEZ3wbfubrSqpGa78AB1kgXdluv8Fcl2NXEE4v7xVaubEQKd3ijF-Ro6-SuY29jJ8H9tpxalBP4XN4GLTHEfLcXIKEuqF-WnvCZvMlZ8XgBSy93AjTCsZzSbGPAqEBujaUWG/s320/IMG_0169.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192519231071624578" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnRMw9ujS6BaolAqr74YUoLKt5DVuNzAY9jtHNf2cG4nmmpOAiNYuwrUzjTzbJoaDAgbjmTjaz_FiDRQDxGJEvyIb1pDGcNx3e-pUkYx06XH5HMckxECBKyDb5baapMN3RmwAkyy6PBFI/s1600-h/IMG_0174.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnRMw9ujS6BaolAqr74YUoLKt5DVuNzAY9jtHNf2cG4nmmpOAiNYuwrUzjTzbJoaDAgbjmTjaz_FiDRQDxGJEvyIb1pDGcNx3e-pUkYx06XH5HMckxECBKyDb5baapMN3RmwAkyy6PBFI/s320/IMG_0174.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192519239661559186" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPnuvV7wFKDIcNcVl9TOM5qF1ZBbNVPJk_JEYpdmhhb7b2nBMOnKHc2GqfACJT0ms7jKQR6f_XljcoZQxvJ_BTM7fcH4v9z8oRQ2x6zvTnF1BMl4EDwWP-gjgOcLP_zU-_RAa11dluCY8p/s1600-h/IMG_0178.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPnuvV7wFKDIcNcVl9TOM5qF1ZBbNVPJk_JEYpdmhhb7b2nBMOnKHc2GqfACJT0ms7jKQR6f_XljcoZQxvJ_BTM7fcH4v9z8oRQ2x6zvTnF1BMl4EDwWP-gjgOcLP_zU-_RAa11dluCY8p/s320/IMG_0178.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192519243956526498" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /> </span>Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-69615206392015370382008-03-29T14:35:00.000-07:002008-12-09T02:25:56.244-08:00Tucson - Week 4<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" >March 24-31.</span><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" > </span>We’ve had such a wonderful time in <st1:city><st1:place>Tucson</st1:place></st1:city>. It definitely exceeded our expectations which were visiting friends, great hiking, seeing the desert in bloom, learning about desert plants and seeing hummingbirds (and a little golf for Sandy) all while enjoying sunny moderate temperatures. We’re sad to go. <o:p></o:p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">This week we really took a good look at what we hadn’t done and what we really wanted to do. There are so many great places to visit we could easily have spent another month! <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">This is the view we had most days coming down from the foothills into <st1:city><st1:place>Tucson</st1:place></st1:city>. We often saw washes which looked like dry riverbeds but were areas where the heavy summer rains flowed. Also, here's a typical house.<span style=""> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYWp8F9nyXblSNWHK97KN8XeGrY3tjzGExg_YbhN_mlOssbIVEruG2JwfZgPWbyWcUOpULwy3t7OmnMUZmeAAnzMUhr6WGksfhi_yDsZdfUDMhF1dr4ME0yYOJnJqBlQZV3XcUj3IxzlO/s1600-h/IMG_0002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYWp8F9nyXblSNWHK97KN8XeGrY3tjzGExg_YbhN_mlOssbIVEruG2JwfZgPWbyWcUOpULwy3t7OmnMUZmeAAnzMUhr6WGksfhi_yDsZdfUDMhF1dr4ME0yYOJnJqBlQZV3XcUj3IxzlO/s320/IMG_0002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188896124870470482" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIX0QOikhth5tK4cNWldu8ZMH15Me0qFci1YAo6hdX-y_8niqDe9-WzFLlAgXujWHC9u6T20NiPaBe4q6fxSFggz3alMvdV096N5dBAZrjYrbZ9z04a4fRl_vTOCVY14g5Zh_86umRaDe7/s1600-h/IMG_0004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIX0QOikhth5tK4cNWldu8ZMH15Me0qFci1YAo6hdX-y_8niqDe9-WzFLlAgXujWHC9u6T20NiPaBe4q6fxSFggz3alMvdV096N5dBAZrjYrbZ9z04a4fRl_vTOCVY14g5Zh_86umRaDe7/s320/IMG_0004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188896142050339682" border="0" /></a><br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITKXD7xEgl0m_WRO_-CJBi-oTZFmzXYViMuCW9JBgThi88oEesOP6mYrJSC5aK4mBsk9ZwX7JLH9dXfULBONyMqJVgLhQ4_GWrGGW7Grcn1st0Rjjk4KN_zXZrilzw0kZ46EcJZbkOdr8/s1600-h/IMG_0034.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITKXD7xEgl0m_WRO_-CJBi-oTZFmzXYViMuCW9JBgThi88oEesOP6mYrJSC5aK4mBsk9ZwX7JLH9dXfULBONyMqJVgLhQ4_GWrGGW7Grcn1st0Rjjk4KN_zXZrilzw0kZ46EcJZbkOdr8/s320/IMG_0034.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188896150640274290" border="0" /></a>We had delicious vegan meals at a restaurant Julie told us about called Lovin’ Spoonfuls. It’s a small operation but had room for about 40 people. (The owner was the cashier the night we went and I was able to talk to her about the ingredients in the dishes.) <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b>Hikes: </b>(The temperatures have risen to the mid 80's so this week we started our hikes in the morning.)<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">1- <st1:place><st1:placename>Sabino</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Canyon</st1:placetype></st1:place> Recreation Area, Bear Canyon Trail to <st1:place><st1:placename>Seven</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Falls</st1:placetype></st1:place>. This was one of our most enjoyable hikes (about 8 miles round trip). We were told at the <st1:place><st1:placename>Visitor</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Center</st1:placetype></st1:place> that we might have to cross streams of ankle deep water so we brought a small towel. In reality there were stepping stones across all the crossings. This made it a really fun hike! The falls were very dramatic. We came around a mountain and began to see the falls starting at the top of the mountain. We ate lunch in a great spot above the bottom 2 falls and cooled off our feet in the water. It was very cold mountain water!!<br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqiDqTUjfehceyE8nqDZvmPJ0HoFj3rr9XHau-W8sW4u11kuf1EpOIHg5Nj6tFlL8TOPPBCDoSLjB2WgE8nL-71g8vuMssm5ua2507ZKbaVW2uKuis5OwuwVS3LvJ2SPDtJPQch4BpEUl3/s1600-h/IMG_0007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqiDqTUjfehceyE8nqDZvmPJ0HoFj3rr9XHau-W8sW4u11kuf1EpOIHg5Nj6tFlL8TOPPBCDoSLjB2WgE8nL-71g8vuMssm5ua2507ZKbaVW2uKuis5OwuwVS3LvJ2SPDtJPQch4BpEUl3/s320/IMG_0007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188897576569416610" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_BK-FZPhflU3J0guxRqwDNKf2IJjOJj5QAsm4u83AvhBF9YBv4gD6wazntjbYcTs1RelNeByv3y5ZRosfx4JloQadTvswiXjVCSdPmLhvCqa-OHUDlMhLgy5QP83nIO8qFf0Bm7xdCkD/s1600-h/IMG_0005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_BK-FZPhflU3J0guxRqwDNKf2IJjOJj5QAsm4u83AvhBF9YBv4gD6wazntjbYcTs1RelNeByv3y5ZRosfx4JloQadTvswiXjVCSdPmLhvCqa-OHUDlMhLgy5QP83nIO8qFf0Bm7xdCkD/s320/IMG_0005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188897598044253122" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZ0gCWDK5aLLb_Sd98XOGko2WI6oUjr5VUdJ5kwUNBZlRjgG7gaMY2ye1Dk2P_pQ_ii3lGb17X6sZR4LP3YuesUhRALOLIPCT-MHg4FUfgTRFPxW-RX_quWRlcYRr2KeVUDnQc5YL1NF3/s1600-h/IMG_0009Cropped.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZ0gCWDK5aLLb_Sd98XOGko2WI6oUjr5VUdJ5kwUNBZlRjgG7gaMY2ye1Dk2P_pQ_ii3lGb17X6sZR4LP3YuesUhRALOLIPCT-MHg4FUfgTRFPxW-RX_quWRlcYRr2KeVUDnQc5YL1NF3/s320/IMG_0009Cropped.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188897615224122322" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNCINUmzAYGPVyAvaHOkl2jv3Yx9aVS2jsU6RRXXfaRozrJlDJWMG1r1TF3h8G3HqoUHlWruBHipVtUds2f787VKmPag-aNL0ItcMk4Q1m5cEID5R-TPLX01008pGtW-ae4QdqAjNv0r24/s1600-h/IMG_0016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNCINUmzAYGPVyAvaHOkl2jv3Yx9aVS2jsU6RRXXfaRozrJlDJWMG1r1TF3h8G3HqoUHlWruBHipVtUds2f787VKmPag-aNL0ItcMk4Q1m5cEID5R-TPLX01008pGtW-ae4QdqAjNv0r24/s320/IMG_0016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188897628109024226" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="">The wildflowers were out in full force. Here also is a picture of a fleabane.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9nDkPlOY-DdXl9cUnhFgERnl5j_a9ZRBGnl9YzLHJQlQd7-fME6wCQz_6I5ZcT9PGzNZqe0vonRuOqHFcLF0C9hfuFh962kkuc0PD1re4qMofzuQ5xBGRy2oWohcDMvUFRT9bD59po7I2/s1600-h/IMG_0012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9nDkPlOY-DdXl9cUnhFgERnl5j_a9ZRBGnl9YzLHJQlQd7-fME6wCQz_6I5ZcT9PGzNZqe0vonRuOqHFcLF0C9hfuFh962kkuc0PD1re4qMofzuQ5xBGRy2oWohcDMvUFRT9bD59po7I2/s320/IMG_0012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188898989613657106" border="0" /></a></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeC9UuuPSddPHsCVuiiXVyrxt6RIoGTgsJaAqE0kA2x0VCWMjncWnKOUA1lAcNs981rbi6MUibASKy2sXjJPTXcKUqL_eZ3p5DUBUa5bSlIlmT5t7JW_yiAU1Ar4fFvvr1etIdUDP8px_J/s1600-h/IMG_0001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeC9UuuPSddPHsCVuiiXVyrxt6RIoGTgsJaAqE0kA2x0VCWMjncWnKOUA1lAcNs981rbi6MUibASKy2sXjJPTXcKUqL_eZ3p5DUBUa5bSlIlmT5t7JW_yiAU1Ar4fFvvr1etIdUDP8px_J/s320/IMG_0001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188898663196142578" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="">We saw the first of the new prickly pear pads.<span style=""> </span>We keep trying to find a saguaro with many arms. This one could be up to 150 years old!<span style=""> </span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5UgrubAKzm6ymgjaTYYKUDhQ0bCq7crLeI1jMtTmPtA6W7bvV_wYkb-yldArU1CGa5XWzq4NoBUcdwKsOHilV9UXmkho_QmfOjgDShzHsf4j61DCr-k7ki5XmOK2bHE11XQFJyH8-JP4S/s1600-h/IMG_0018.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5UgrubAKzm6ymgjaTYYKUDhQ0bCq7crLeI1jMtTmPtA6W7bvV_wYkb-yldArU1CGa5XWzq4NoBUcdwKsOHilV9UXmkho_QmfOjgDShzHsf4j61DCr-k7ki5XmOK2bHE11XQFJyH8-JP4S/s320/IMG_0018.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188899457765092386" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3AaS_obqWYJo7doRKTLJm0aQBiWaHZ1e22cOFFMJ4rIYp7_ZF9IcuXB4VafPQT2o_LWdN0NGklySuqbPfGA8P9ZEtJK1Q7gpLjQzoFWy_Xt3HK1TY8Jx4sPMO0KSXGBTtoSeFbmtTZxw/s1600-h/IMG_0013.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3AaS_obqWYJo7doRKTLJm0aQBiWaHZ1e22cOFFMJ4rIYp7_ZF9IcuXB4VafPQT2o_LWdN0NGklySuqbPfGA8P9ZEtJK1Q7gpLjQzoFWy_Xt3HK1TY8Jx4sPMO0KSXGBTtoSeFbmtTZxw/s320/IMG_0013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188899466355026994" border="0" /></a>2-Saguaro National Park East, Tanque Verde Ridge Hike. We signed up for a guided hike not knowing which trail we'd use. It turned out to be a hike we had already done. It was a bit different than what we expected. We thought we'd learn about some of the plants and flowers but the leader gave us little information except which mountain ranges we were seeing. It was fun, though, talking with the others, many who lived in <st1:city><st1:place>Tucson</st1:place></st1:city>. One woman lived summers in <st1:place><st1:city>Portland</st1:city>, <st1:state>ME.</st1:state></st1:place> One woman was a third grade teacher from <st1:state><st1:place>Indiana</st1:place></st1:state> who was on spring vacation and staying at a vacation house of her brother who lived in <st1:city><st1:place>Boston</st1:place></st1:city>. One woman brought up “Mad Men” and 2 other people said they loved watching it. They thought it was pretty cool that Julie was in it.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">3-Saguaro National Park East, Douglas Spring Trail to Bridal Wreath Falls. This was a very pleasant, not too strenuous 5 mile round trip hike. On the way we saw a desert iguana, horned lizard, an unidentified bird taking off, a mallow, and a bush dalea.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKO_bn82I5Mtfwb5br2VrUsarcCvoJ1WVaj0tKyEKJw82KAshjNbwP_vCT6OndTN-5Uq1Qmquf9msUu0FD5ndKOPw61edNtVtfIF6LE1G3olAj-Kbh64RX6kyU6PR8LJaRicsYjFt-dkpg/s1600-h/IMG_0014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKO_bn82I5Mtfwb5br2VrUsarcCvoJ1WVaj0tKyEKJw82KAshjNbwP_vCT6OndTN-5Uq1Qmquf9msUu0FD5ndKOPw61edNtVtfIF6LE1G3olAj-Kbh64RX6kyU6PR8LJaRicsYjFt-dkpg/s320/IMG_0014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188900338233388098" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqYlYsXMhG1vijBZbp6zPUQZ2jqQ8YZiTIL5fhK7mc5sZ6xWVMWFhBfVB7c60QTehqOYN_7sWKtsrm7OgIW7-m7MPv_vhYrCpmfpmsobO-T4AzhM9pHsfsGCZbGZzQLOHSBN6TeMmdu0Pu/s1600-h/IMG_0025.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqYlYsXMhG1vijBZbp6zPUQZ2jqQ8YZiTIL5fhK7mc5sZ6xWVMWFhBfVB7c60QTehqOYN_7sWKtsrm7OgIW7-m7MPv_vhYrCpmfpmsobO-T4AzhM9pHsfsGCZbGZzQLOHSBN6TeMmdu0Pu/s320/IMG_0025.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188900346823322706" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH-_zKI1FwROEYEWWJ8qgoQiBkhOVt71v0defqh8jFB6QkY-hlfJSYT_EyffyS5fRcowzFnQV1kItWnCh3xwUOE3zE0MlNLcjfICi4rWZdC8Lsc4AkEaayaLB_YDeLXrvzMbOoEQMrtF6I/s1600-h/IMG_0019.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH-_zKI1FwROEYEWWJ8qgoQiBkhOVt71v0defqh8jFB6QkY-hlfJSYT_EyffyS5fRcowzFnQV1kItWnCh3xwUOE3zE0MlNLcjfICi4rWZdC8Lsc4AkEaayaLB_YDeLXrvzMbOoEQMrtF6I/s320/IMG_0019.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188900351118290018" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhISmIOGgC5VSJs3OgdPmKhw-buxOrP4-Ya5GymRx0ohonf3S5auLL45tsFrkPxYpnysKsjFSvoq6lmhoo8w_tTTxRV76FrgE0tIlqJLkShdDlwJXtzEsGTlXBMYUUdfhMfAe03p7ht6N/s1600-h/IMG_0021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhISmIOGgC5VSJs3OgdPmKhw-buxOrP4-Ya5GymRx0ohonf3S5auLL45tsFrkPxYpnysKsjFSvoq6lmhoo8w_tTTxRV76FrgE0tIlqJLkShdDlwJXtzEsGTlXBMYUUdfhMfAe03p7ht6N/s320/IMG_0021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188900364003191922" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzl8GyWtaadq2T79bUfxxI5Y1dBm3VC4wLNADulD_wtXBNAr2cxfLd62-ilqvyUhXRHQfxAUFHvGGv0j1oIuknC0GHRGx56O-oiWz8O2GCZjWBFTwZtdQSbaknmdOoz8UWKBDksaYuvRds/s1600-h/IMG_0001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzl8GyWtaadq2T79bUfxxI5Y1dBm3VC4wLNADulD_wtXBNAr2cxfLd62-ilqvyUhXRHQfxAUFHvGGv0j1oIuknC0GHRGx56O-oiWz8O2GCZjWBFTwZtdQSbaknmdOoz8UWKBDksaYuvRds/s320/IMG_0001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188900368298159234" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="">We had no idea whether or not there would be any water in the falls. As it turned out there was just a little water. A woman we met there said she had come 6 weeks ago after a good rain and there was lots of water there. One interesting sight was 2 saguaros which had been brought down by heavy rains.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoX6uCqTc5NKTfizGdljIwEjw9sWHMHU8fLTiOV-QIN1UX15r-tgKst7qOXe8VAYjh3YG-svmyolmJmkhxdYHrXx6RmSdOqfuKeX4gxqqW_uMrqwyw36x4MXrZN0CDzTLZKPqgl9Fv3gML/s1600-h/IMG_0015.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoX6uCqTc5NKTfizGdljIwEjw9sWHMHU8fLTiOV-QIN1UX15r-tgKst7qOXe8VAYjh3YG-svmyolmJmkhxdYHrXx6RmSdOqfuKeX4gxqqW_uMrqwyw36x4MXrZN0CDzTLZKPqgl9Fv3gML/s320/IMG_0015.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188903202976574610" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJQo9_KiF-ma0FvFWtJJXA6OV5oiuP8PiSSxKCYw1nR6Y11vhOTmY_uBk-QOzXFle9Wsv_AmBr19JvUA_cDmPhID1wBKnU7_wJW3KCc3_BPU7ghWqjeD2DAukY-2A4Rd01LBxNIn9-50y/s1600-h/IMG_0018.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJQo9_KiF-ma0FvFWtJJXA6OV5oiuP8PiSSxKCYw1nR6Y11vhOTmY_uBk-QOzXFle9Wsv_AmBr19JvUA_cDmPhID1wBKnU7_wJW3KCc3_BPU7ghWqjeD2DAukY-2A4Rd01LBxNIn9-50y/s320/IMG_0018.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188903211566509218" border="0" /></a>On the way back we had a terrific view of the blooming brittlebush (yellow is the predominant wildflower color).<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwT_LZ8I2Pfh_Iw9LmY8rm4hyeejmPZMu5R82Oq4Mk47vviHG5t5U3uZxwNofuZiTBFxXA-nlG1R_fqR4bVQO6J8hXMwozHR7DF8UT0YQkcx6vAtPrLEjaBVnnSpCGCK27zd1ZmWWhoFy/s1600-h/IMG_0022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwT_LZ8I2Pfh_Iw9LmY8rm4hyeejmPZMu5R82Oq4Mk47vviHG5t5U3uZxwNofuZiTBFxXA-nlG1R_fqR4bVQO6J8hXMwozHR7DF8UT0YQkcx6vAtPrLEjaBVnnSpCGCK27zd1ZmWWhoFy/s320/IMG_0022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188903757027355826" border="0" /></a><br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="">4-Saguaro National Park West, <st1:place><st1:placename>Wasson</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Peak</st1:placetype></st1:place> (4687’ el.). This was our very last hike in <st1:city><st1:place>Tucson</st1:place></st1:city>. It was a very comfortable and breezy day to do this pretty strenuous hike. But at the saddle and again at the top the views were the best! We felt like it was <st1:place>New England</st1:place> day in Saguaro West. First we met a couple from <st1:place><st1:city>Holden</st1:city>, <st1:state>MA</st1:state></st1:place> who had fond memories of taking their kids to the beach at <st1:place><st1:city>Ogunquit</st1:city>, <st1:state>ME.</st1:state></st1:place> At the saddle we met a young woman from Wells, ME whose sister had gone to <st1:place><st1:placename>Hampshire</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>College</st1:placetype></st1:place>. Near the top we started talking to a man who was originally from <st1:place><st1:city>Manchester</st1:city>, <st1:state>CT</st1:state></st1:place> and was now an architect in <st1:city><st1:place>Tucson</st1:place></st1:city>. It was fun talking to other people. The architect was especially helpful in pointing out sights from the top. The orange flower is a mariposa lily. The yellow is a desert mallow. I couldn't identify the others. It was also interesting how this saguaro found a place to grow in the rocks.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHULABJ8bVkeJXbgrV3j085JXaAoUJxHCcfnQwnqee3FpCblewsGANfWkjalpuawh19iCCI8zCmBLGIKPhqsn5KE2UVYHwFlJPyM_Vglsco8quINPvCw0jOQ1ag2-8aUkDMnI4QJA7empl/s1600-h/IMG_0007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHULABJ8bVkeJXbgrV3j085JXaAoUJxHCcfnQwnqee3FpCblewsGANfWkjalpuawh19iCCI8zCmBLGIKPhqsn5KE2UVYHwFlJPyM_Vglsco8quINPvCw0jOQ1ag2-8aUkDMnI4QJA7empl/s320/IMG_0007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188910289672613058" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHxjhfBjUyKF3RGGGPkMzlMwWA6nMBf_wGeKtkp9b3sKPPMcSSk4zsqMaWejWJnyHJ0Igc_ozQ8NnzzMdtzxGOP7Yk_LucT0K5oe3I2K84cL9wB4xOB7xBTU90RHP6Be9Ctxa1Tm8yyTS/s1600-h/IMG_0013.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHxjhfBjUyKF3RGGGPkMzlMwWA6nMBf_wGeKtkp9b3sKPPMcSSk4zsqMaWejWJnyHJ0Igc_ozQ8NnzzMdtzxGOP7Yk_LucT0K5oe3I2K84cL9wB4xOB7xBTU90RHP6Be9Ctxa1Tm8yyTS/s320/IMG_0013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188910293967580370" border="0" /></a><br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3LtZZgraSNRHxsZXMVOwNE-zCOl5Qud7r_OafXzEYWa-uirKOznPnncrwvfE-XR3Cmoo4ky98G__uTGZm_RkVf4uE95Ld926Uk68FwMFeVfqyV2JCB1ohqRFMPmUuakO982JsM6v473w/s1600-h/IMG_0012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3LtZZgraSNRHxsZXMVOwNE-zCOl5Qud7r_OafXzEYWa-uirKOznPnncrwvfE-XR3Cmoo4ky98G__uTGZm_RkVf4uE95Ld926Uk68FwMFeVfqyV2JCB1ohqRFMPmUuakO982JsM6v473w/s320/IMG_0012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188910298262547682" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzgZI5wCo54KwI5pgX7Innutq43V9rURsh9cW46hHe8LGkGvEewAzgrJyfS7-KgBLQ5_rSvUgfVGo-EYA1nz2wsm23smPU6aaXROgwthgz-D17M7io65P1AMVtSJGt0-nGQ2JWKFpz5CP/s1600-h/IMG_0006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzgZI5wCo54KwI5pgX7Innutq43V9rURsh9cW46hHe8LGkGvEewAzgrJyfS7-KgBLQ5_rSvUgfVGo-EYA1nz2wsm23smPU6aaXROgwthgz-D17M7io65P1AMVtSJGt0-nGQ2JWKFpz5CP/s320/IMG_0006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188910306852482290" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9vjATKiJuTbNoWJf2HSwIWmohls-K33zsYeppdvCgRwzZSGlrSkfDMsHLkTwS5aHaywpXtX_V7YojNX8iTqtTUzCXW8J9BOHNPa6P_NC8cckZao6E5rWDadneCPNRHQCP1dQvaUGiWsM/s1600-h/IMG_0022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9vjATKiJuTbNoWJf2HSwIWmohls-K33zsYeppdvCgRwzZSGlrSkfDMsHLkTwS5aHaywpXtX_V7YojNX8iTqtTUzCXW8J9BOHNPa6P_NC8cckZao6E5rWDadneCPNRHQCP1dQvaUGiWsM/s320/IMG_0022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188910311147449602" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4Qo3v0l2AxBGD9S7sbzozyw5clWU1RCe29RgsxM0BzyIJaYffiAtcZU-yNa2how6tAyCNIPJtI7KmCBb4YcMsWY9aWD14XqxrB158kzbw6dJFgGoYIGzomoAYc9Wwj4tr0taoYdu5kGY/s1600-h/IMG_0023.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4Qo3v0l2AxBGD9S7sbzozyw5clWU1RCe29RgsxM0BzyIJaYffiAtcZU-yNa2how6tAyCNIPJtI7KmCBb4YcMsWY9aWD14XqxrB158kzbw6dJFgGoYIGzomoAYc9Wwj4tr0taoYdu5kGY/s320/IMG_0023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188910985457315090" border="0" /></a><b>Missions. </b>The Mission San Xavier del Bac was founded in 1692 and built to really wow the Indians with an elaborate structure and colorful paintings. Its mission was to "civilize" the Indians and get them to be loyal to <st1:country-region><st1:place>Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The priests couldn't quite understand the Tohono culture moving with the seasons but over the years they converted many to Christianity. It's the only mission that still preaches to the Tohono O'odham nation. An interesting video showed the painstaking repairs made to the building and paintings. It's ongoing. The exterior adobe plaster was made with sand, lime and prickly pear juice! (This is similar to the tabby plaster in <st1:place><st1:city>Ft. Myers</st1:city>, <st1:state>FL</st1:state></st1:place> and <st1:place><st1:city>Savannah</st1:city>, <st1:state>GA</st1:state></st1:place> made with sand, lime, and the local seashells.)<br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNiaE_hvznW6f-hIhgzs7IbgIRfJpYFXTITJO8LWl74fA0KzPZlrveKPDK5cb9T8mh6gQKjPC7PIyADphyphenhyphenHF-UOKsBCX1Cghf06gWWftXhVjX_ALZPRtYhFrEbplbAcEq7f5JpPebDHHg/s1600-h/IMG_0001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNiaE_hvznW6f-hIhgzs7IbgIRfJpYFXTITJO8LWl74fA0KzPZlrveKPDK5cb9T8mh6gQKjPC7PIyADphyphenhyphenHF-UOKsBCX1Cghf06gWWftXhVjX_ALZPRtYhFrEbplbAcEq7f5JpPebDHHg/s320/IMG_0001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188914357006642466" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0VaPWUEwK6RMotKruhta8Rl-1K_Bsf_W2LVKjHRjl0jmr5D2VoxO2zuwNM1sXMIyJiEjINWxxTWFj4bKHvP58y5zyUeXGTEjvpnDlCF9cd0vi2phvOkYY0VN2imMGzcHv_Xj4dh1e8be/s1600-h/IMG_0003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0VaPWUEwK6RMotKruhta8Rl-1K_Bsf_W2LVKjHRjl0jmr5D2VoxO2zuwNM1sXMIyJiEjINWxxTWFj4bKHvP58y5zyUeXGTEjvpnDlCF9cd0vi2phvOkYY0VN2imMGzcHv_Xj4dh1e8be/s320/IMG_0003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188914361301609778" border="0" /></a>Farther south in Tubac was the <st1:place><st1:placename>Tumacacori</st1:placename> <st1:placename>National</st1:placename> <st1:placename>Historic</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Park</st1:placetype></st1:place> which consists of the remains of a mission to the Pima Indians. It was established in 1687 but the actdual church was built in the early 1800's. Besides Christianity they brought different food: wheat, cows, horses, sheep and fruit trees. There was a very interesting replica of an adobe home that a Pima family would have lived in. The 4 corners were mesquite tree trunks and the ceiling was ocotillo branches. The sides were adobe bricks plastered with more adobe. It was amazingly cool inside.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PdbrpUxg0wWL3UKo47wE8FApzU84TdTFE98eGd8W4r7qip7xL2_vNkHXpkhcGxHQBhjW9Ec2spftFdOW8OcaE18bWH5pPPK_e6JRbouW5btwqn4zctxARXeQkIlBbBhZbwnjTZcl9Jn_/s1600-h/IMG_0016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PdbrpUxg0wWL3UKo47wE8FApzU84TdTFE98eGd8W4r7qip7xL2_vNkHXpkhcGxHQBhjW9Ec2spftFdOW8OcaE18bWH5pPPK_e6JRbouW5btwqn4zctxARXeQkIlBbBhZbwnjTZcl9Jn_/s320/IMG_0016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188914365596577090" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw57m8UazjB29yU9TaWIHRduMaZCGd4qyN3o0RD0qR_w_BYtWwExcA-N5G7IRQ-oyDyW9kMpIZNNsd1ectKpvOSTm6srHQ_nMwrePiruL-H5trOZUCXlnLpsIh6lKEbW7L3oQiaGkCyemA/s1600-h/IMG_0017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw57m8UazjB29yU9TaWIHRduMaZCGd4qyN3o0RD0qR_w_BYtWwExcA-N5G7IRQ-oyDyW9kMpIZNNsd1ectKpvOSTm6srHQ_nMwrePiruL-H5trOZUCXlnLpsIh6lKEbW7L3oQiaGkCyemA/s320/IMG_0017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188914374186511698" border="0" /></a><b>Baseball, Wetlands, Gardens.</b> George got us some free tickets to a 1 PM Diamondbacks vs. <st1:place>Rockies</st1:place> game. We got to go to the <st1:place>Rockies</st1:place> stadium which, unfortunately, has little shade. The game was fun to be at but it was so hot that we had to leave early.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsFI7ga0UcVliuFhQp5bOLnKNQIN-kpGHJcwhdnZ8vF1OHAd2gMcwP0JcArzr-jOZgeAib3Nw67uRj5ZRgHIv8x42wicm8JjsRAq4HlVotWDmj-SFG8GUCdwppfNn4mnmMbqF_ynI9VHa/s1600-h/IMG_0005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsFI7ga0UcVliuFhQp5bOLnKNQIN-kpGHJcwhdnZ8vF1OHAd2gMcwP0JcArzr-jOZgeAib3Nw67uRj5ZRgHIv8x42wicm8JjsRAq4HlVotWDmj-SFG8GUCdwppfNn4mnmMbqF_ynI9VHa/s320/IMG_0005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188915950439509410" border="0" /></a><br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">We read in the paper that there were a lot of birds at the Sweetwater Wetlands so we had to check it out. It’s a lovely area in west <st1:city><st1:place>Tucson</st1:place></st1:city>, near Interstate 10. It’s used as a secondary effluent for wastewater and has lots of trees and 3 ponds. There were lots of ducks but we really didn’t see many birds except a yellow headed blackbird. But it was so pleasant, about 75 and breezy.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="">Sonora Desert Museum (Trip 2). This time we we went to a demonstration to see the raptors fly and eat and learn a little about them. That was really fun. We saw a great horned owl (eating and taking off), barn owl (see his tongue in picture 2), and ferruginous hawk (which only winters in AZ).<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2O28JjqE0B9-P_v1bxhNTgB9OiQZMko-PPODKuorWw0x-C-jJOUxPfdfYtVJAZgCEy7eSKf09BdVfLPXvepfH37QpCJPdNdD_PT3m6q2-lptXtdO5yQavctUmv5bDZlf1ZW87a4qyUsyF/s1600-h/IMG_0005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2O28JjqE0B9-P_v1bxhNTgB9OiQZMko-PPODKuorWw0x-C-jJOUxPfdfYtVJAZgCEy7eSKf09BdVfLPXvepfH37QpCJPdNdD_PT3m6q2-lptXtdO5yQavctUmv5bDZlf1ZW87a4qyUsyF/s320/IMG_0005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188916921102118322" border="0" /></a></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm6ketwHADi53PDAlICu4QM3UkVoMdaNyhKHleFn0Own6-DKiubyY7bV0PLE_d3X-9AI4bfk6eYnlK6u4iJOhg995gU7sYZeSWRwGdbrZO9qdBZ15Mle37Gfu2OaI5eg4sNRv6hG_LfXAl/s1600-h/IMG_0020.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm6ketwHADi53PDAlICu4QM3UkVoMdaNyhKHleFn0Own6-DKiubyY7bV0PLE_d3X-9AI4bfk6eYnlK6u4iJOhg995gU7sYZeSWRwGdbrZO9qdBZ15Mle37Gfu2OaI5eg4sNRv6hG_LfXAl/s320/IMG_0020.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188916925397085634" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhobIK_jgJ77YlPyBkjDM9wGfWpkshWAb1uY5XWNKu0pKa2LPWmIZGNNmPt5N9kLRBAEsKRLshW_xIw7RjuQ21LvtTpQ160Is148cAqqnevdaOPEmElpOxiZI6VOx3WJr3A6wtfrBhuNxJc/s1600-h/IMG_0027.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhobIK_jgJ77YlPyBkjDM9wGfWpkshWAb1uY5XWNKu0pKa2LPWmIZGNNmPt5N9kLRBAEsKRLshW_xIw7RjuQ21LvtTpQ160Is148cAqqnevdaOPEmElpOxiZI6VOx3WJr3A6wtfrBhuNxJc/s320/IMG_0027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188916933987020242" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqxN3DApKQ_v3L80zkflYcj-DKXwUIn9rzCJLrgsXJUT9Xpn0yWwqUZ_Cn8b-ULFvBB05Gyx3oiEEDcG-jt1dZS2WW-WboY4ra6exYuuKKa1bu3AM2LvmYTzFwd5SMVn2SryEjybTL_lK/s1600-h/IMG_0036.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqxN3DApKQ_v3L80zkflYcj-DKXwUIn9rzCJLrgsXJUT9Xpn0yWwqUZ_Cn8b-ULFvBB05Gyx3oiEEDcG-jt1dZS2WW-WboY4ra6exYuuKKa1bu3AM2LvmYTzFwd5SMVn2SryEjybTL_lK/s320/IMG_0036.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188917900354661874" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2W2PCj1U1z_bJzFKoeuBfwLK3NpTbs6KkWPUjCWHM8Hr3mUqess5BcbdWN5SxOYUNLGXkmruSwt7yrecj5EyoNXqurxynLgDva9TfHwiTNhnlGkKuvTWbdaf85uGicSrZrOMWe69G2es/s1600-h/IMG_0051.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2W2PCj1U1z_bJzFKoeuBfwLK3NpTbs6KkWPUjCWHM8Hr3mUqess5BcbdWN5SxOYUNLGXkmruSwt7yrecj5EyoNXqurxynLgDva9TfHwiTNhnlGkKuvTWbdaf85uGicSrZrOMWe69G2es/s320/IMG_0051.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188918179527536130" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXQIz95Uu5dR-Ff1toYS3JQWaHMmMGW1HOt_BJ1q1QO5XtIhkLqFrEZKVYd9A5RzsSIxxxP9LEUobPixnrCZUPqbQ0XJ7tRLV25kPAXHGHo0FkYEawRkjjBH4H7Ls8_Z1V820qf3ACuJL/s1600-h/IMG_0054.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXQIz95Uu5dR-Ff1toYS3JQWaHMmMGW1HOt_BJ1q1QO5XtIhkLqFrEZKVYd9A5RzsSIxxxP9LEUobPixnrCZUPqbQ0XJ7tRLV25kPAXHGHo0FkYEawRkjjBH4H7Ls8_Z1V820qf3ACuJL/s320/IMG_0054.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188918192412438034" border="0" /></a>Then we saw docents holding a kestrel and a screech owl. Here's also a roadrunner which we saw everywhere but I was never able to get a picture of until now.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgQwjQgi7V_Lzk2ZjRYSD_mxuN-dY26ClTztvjolv5ioUB3f2yHwtlgHFOFhj93GIqAABnZzbXk1IgDFhl0kRL7DcJPf5xMNakF6N7O_KKj2P9x-Escxx63r7MFzxMt8sFdUgJSbXuaRh/s1600-h/IMG_0081.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgQwjQgi7V_Lzk2ZjRYSD_mxuN-dY26ClTztvjolv5ioUB3f2yHwtlgHFOFhj93GIqAABnZzbXk1IgDFhl0kRL7DcJPf5xMNakF6N7O_KKj2P9x-Escxx63r7MFzxMt8sFdUgJSbXuaRh/s320/IMG_0081.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188918647678971426" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXgpfybVaAmId53W0ZFGobLoPzuFfw9LmjkZLMKBTu_tswNrEG4ckzkGSzSxrX8A94uNGpfWeJvqG_Ft7UABfM185Xri7GviBcGft6aU20K8Xx2S1VIYEqQfTN7J5yZcqpmaxF3RSdkdH/s1600-h/IMG_0106.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXgpfybVaAmId53W0ZFGobLoPzuFfw9LmjkZLMKBTu_tswNrEG4ckzkGSzSxrX8A94uNGpfWeJvqG_Ft7UABfM185Xri7GviBcGft6aU20K8Xx2S1VIYEqQfTN7J5yZcqpmaxF3RSdkdH/s320/IMG_0106.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188918651973938738" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVnorP2Fvbn_wyuIIzr8NW6ripJWZYgcyjfSmvz5hAv0fsZXpbB_aBW0vx5Bxt_8KU_8uF0esOwoCiwuEnh8QX_NjBgEVUBTs1Xeuxh-XX_diaTgQVVsoZ4STZCB64_U0UpHq4bCxjZgYC/s1600-h/IMG_0101.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVnorP2Fvbn_wyuIIzr8NW6ripJWZYgcyjfSmvz5hAv0fsZXpbB_aBW0vx5Bxt_8KU_8uF0esOwoCiwuEnh8QX_NjBgEVUBTs1Xeuxh-XX_diaTgQVVsoZ4STZCB64_U0UpHq4bCxjZgYC/s320/IMG_0101.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188918656268906050" border="0" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style=""></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p><b><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Zoo and “Boneyard”.</b><span style=""> </span>The Reid Park Zoo is a town zoo with a lot of animals for a city of its size. It was really cute and great for kids to see wild animals up close. We loved seeing the giraffes, an elephant getting a shower,<span style=""> </span>the scarlet ibis, and an albino peacock (that was a first for us).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxEWipnbae8NX7xHIDkobYnDJ3SXXx6dlezNuylcE2fNrlgSzjb1O9sMIq-DyCQHs_RfAp7P1PxvgHuvMmNatoa7LmgAsZY6hha31ap19Tl0PWIBwfjJ0Lse1miPsOmXJee1BGIf_9_n3/s1600-h/IMG_0036.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxEWipnbae8NX7xHIDkobYnDJ3SXXx6dlezNuylcE2fNrlgSzjb1O9sMIq-DyCQHs_RfAp7P1PxvgHuvMmNatoa7LmgAsZY6hha31ap19Tl0PWIBwfjJ0Lse1miPsOmXJee1BGIf_9_n3/s320/IMG_0036.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188919502377463378" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz86tVkveYE3suXKoo_Y8GkXeqYvycD3BfBfRn874hCqlpDJ1HyhPLMOjJH6tpQvFW1OHA1b4wo0yrY3TYkqjQEy2MXJsu_TFEaRKByNcGgH2CJ3WiinQ6By7Ug5VhFVmxC9NA45I3Fk8E/s1600-h/IMG_0034.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz86tVkveYE3suXKoo_Y8GkXeqYvycD3BfBfRn874hCqlpDJ1HyhPLMOjJH6tpQvFW1OHA1b4wo0yrY3TYkqjQEy2MXJsu_TFEaRKByNcGgH2CJ3WiinQ6By7Ug5VhFVmxC9NA45I3Fk8E/s320/IMG_0034.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188919506672430690" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-wsi2hK_vkOXn6huFiBam9kLV8mxCT6SywY0fUL6DO25uf0fVk2LxRG2lt8ixfJhl0hgZdF8taWfjUqlGdgAN2EGJpzsdRd09QO8IyCkLP7-Le8dujMolR09ZyyJjPCLyIolT7XGYoet/s1600-h/IMG_0041.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-wsi2hK_vkOXn6huFiBam9kLV8mxCT6SywY0fUL6DO25uf0fVk2LxRG2lt8ixfJhl0hgZdF8taWfjUqlGdgAN2EGJpzsdRd09QO8IyCkLP7-Le8dujMolR09ZyyJjPCLyIolT7XGYoet/s320/IMG_0041.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188919515262365298" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJ5njhYLb5N8ZxqvQx9Lw2a9RJIs8N90O8GMXGRIGHXKZ4YixMo9i6jCI-uVB4L0xRdSICTJfpGL_bB4qO6VU257rEFp9KNbSqydc-FgPsXB3BR7EZhdxdD_MpYC_Q9S58_YDTe4S2jWg/s1600-h/IMG_0038.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJ5njhYLb5N8ZxqvQx9Lw2a9RJIs8N90O8GMXGRIGHXKZ4YixMo9i6jCI-uVB4L0xRdSICTJfpGL_bB4qO6VU257rEFp9KNbSqydc-FgPsXB3BR7EZhdxdD_MpYC_Q9S58_YDTe4S2jWg/s320/IMG_0038.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188919519557332610" border="0" /></a>The <st1:place><st1:placename>Pima</st1:placename> <st1:placename>Air & Space</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Museum</st1:placetype></st1:place>, next to the Davis-Monthen Air Force Base, has tons of aircraft and also offers a tour of an area which basically is a junk yard for planes, military and commercial. We chose to only do the boneyard tour since we had already been on the Smithsonian tour of planes in <st1:state><st1:place>Virginia</st1:place></st1:state>. We got on a bus and had an interesting live narrated tour of the area. This area was chosen because of the hard clay soil and dry climate. There are about 4000 planes with more than 20,000 parts sold each year. The guide said that it was run very efficiently. For every dollar spent on the facility they make $10. (Run by the government and efficient? Isn’t that an oxymoron?). Here is a picture of a fighter being towed to its parking space and another of a bunch of planes. They all have their windows covered with white protective plastic.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhyphenhyphentqQlpEZlMywATtQ-2FBI9wjI3e6R5pZapvYee265rkpQZIhVwIysjDGlNiFwWI_brH_qhLataO6BrE_Ck7O2fRC-y6DItb5EyG4dLsFx9dG_XDXefqTyLBkZazGvIxifKkQfjT9OC4/s1600-h/IMG_0024.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhyphenhyphentqQlpEZlMywATtQ-2FBI9wjI3e6R5pZapvYee265rkpQZIhVwIysjDGlNiFwWI_brH_qhLataO6BrE_Ck7O2fRC-y6DItb5EyG4dLsFx9dG_XDXefqTyLBkZazGvIxifKkQfjT9OC4/s320/IMG_0024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187432112858156706" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqMa4VNRQHt-zMcO1tXpcegk2MamgwCcyIUuKI_QEk89Ars8MdnYtHowGIL-2R6kMhJaByCkqo4fiVuZmHJRwY4rCHWHBxd927XBwdmHzuCHhDD2T0y_3UwcvULjaZwKsMgedY_vkLp4m/s1600-h/IMG_0023.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqMa4VNRQHt-zMcO1tXpcegk2MamgwCcyIUuKI_QEk89Ars8MdnYtHowGIL-2R6kMhJaByCkqo4fiVuZmHJRwY4rCHWHBxd927XBwdmHzuCHhDD2T0y_3UwcvULjaZwKsMgedY_vkLp4m/s320/IMG_0023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187432125743058610" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b>Friends.</b> We had a wonderful visit to Larry and Helene Feldman's in Tubac. Helene, a co-worker of <st1:city><st1:place>Sandy</st1:place></st1:city>'s who worked in the library at <st1:place><st1:placetype>Fort</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype>River</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype>School</st1:placetype></st1:place>, retired here with her husband 2 years ago. They have a beautiful new typical southwest adobe home in a new neighborhood. And of course I loved the hummingbirds that had just begun to visit her feeders.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFi6Mna9UT4crVjy4gCX9WeBMOwOFFBRD6gxejvQUdVczwPg8yZz_iG2FJ54p8J7UkLMYacuzRxcqfPtVooW-osY3oKLDEPGmrolICpmetNxboN3m-8n9bUiLqnqipC940wxtr5YNQ34Z/s1600-h/IMG_0006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFi6Mna9UT4crVjy4gCX9WeBMOwOFFBRD6gxejvQUdVczwPg8yZz_iG2FJ54p8J7UkLMYacuzRxcqfPtVooW-osY3oKLDEPGmrolICpmetNxboN3m-8n9bUiLqnqipC940wxtr5YNQ34Z/s320/IMG_0006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188915340554153314" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmihFqm508OJpMM3ZG0Z_u7JnFLWhFRg3szD_r7n2sn_tBQRiEx6Y-IzSnuyiNOXzj8mKqkwqgpAcZXj3olRt396mAPUWkdM45TixZilHiiCd3nT5yJrLblG0GW3f8EoSN1FRv9TF_kb5d/s1600-h/IMG_0009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmihFqm508OJpMM3ZG0Z_u7JnFLWhFRg3szD_r7n2sn_tBQRiEx6Y-IzSnuyiNOXzj8mKqkwqgpAcZXj3olRt396mAPUWkdM45TixZilHiiCd3nT5yJrLblG0GW3f8EoSN1FRv9TF_kb5d/s320/IMG_0009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188915349144087922" border="0" /></a><br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="">We met her husband, Larry, at a restaurant in the nearby town center. (It's really an artist's mecca.) We had a lovely lunch with them before heading to a nearby ranch to see Larry's new hobby. He's helping to start a business with mini horses used as therapy for people of all ages. The horses were very cute. Helene keeps busy volunteering as well.<span style=""> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSUz3FAXTJnOhJIdKC_c87euqRu5-ERUEJgaTJivwRI1Hy4E5YNCN9N6088vjKd1dggIjXc8CLRyW46TsRYHoTZSq06Me1fL7DmrsD83iIjeCLRroDrFUPhrClH1I2LnnZtd52CbUcOVl/s1600-h/IMG_0014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSUz3FAXTJnOhJIdKC_c87euqRu5-ERUEJgaTJivwRI1Hy4E5YNCN9N6088vjKd1dggIjXc8CLRyW46TsRYHoTZSq06Me1fL7DmrsD83iIjeCLRroDrFUPhrClH1I2LnnZtd52CbUcOVl/s320/IMG_0014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188915353439055234" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHBZ3lBx_xGNVF8RyDMJhQWDaOTk-GV1jEyAC_G6PrBAo5Z3WjD5MiY6awQwgK0cijsnOZMZpZZW7pwOsGv1BqKSP_dTJxbZITUQlfu_weAPzRF-dUEFOfRzV7pv9zZm_ov7J5r4kje_Qn/s1600-h/IMG_0015.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHBZ3lBx_xGNVF8RyDMJhQWDaOTk-GV1jEyAC_G6PrBAo5Z3WjD5MiY6awQwgK0cijsnOZMZpZZW7pwOsGv1BqKSP_dTJxbZITUQlfu_weAPzRF-dUEFOfRzV7pv9zZm_ov7J5r4kje_Qn/s320/IMG_0015.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188915357734022546" border="0" /></a><br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> Sunday breakfast was at Rigo’s in <st1:place>South Tucson</st1:place>, a predominately Mexican community. The Ruopp’s took us there for their great breakfast buffet and mariachi singers. It was delicious and really fun to hear the band. We’ve had such nice visits with them that we hope we see them again in <st1:city><st1:place>Amherst</st1:place></st1:city> or <st1:place><st1:placetype>Ft.</st1:placetype> <st1:placename>Myers</st1:placename></st1:place>.<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDWef8o6VVaw6ZbzVMu8DGbfOW670m_ieVj8QU8fXv5rBuT_KNdg6eIjgk4RVCg6IOEfzCqSsFJMnBxpQuL-YXgVSRFbcAWoLkOVCHiDuF_FOmx_a-APKqubBtCDX7upDr7LBTE3plfFX/s1600-h/IMG_0005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDWef8o6VVaw6ZbzVMu8DGbfOW670m_ieVj8QU8fXv5rBuT_KNdg6eIjgk4RVCg6IOEfzCqSsFJMnBxpQuL-YXgVSRFbcAWoLkOVCHiDuF_FOmx_a-APKqubBtCDX7upDr7LBTE3plfFX/s320/IMG_0005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188893977386822450" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpONjX_qdjFjf6hH7_SqWAqYkJRu_wbfNvtjutZwUyAuB7wZXt1AwiQpN7U8zy3pV0LhKW02TZArvy0lCT52cb_ZKCgMTh5VyMeDN28F7JYq4WDbAEJBmK0SdrC_n-VV32uO6BWZuLBSx/s1600-h/IMG_0004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpONjX_qdjFjf6hH7_SqWAqYkJRu_wbfNvtjutZwUyAuB7wZXt1AwiQpN7U8zy3pV0LhKW02TZArvy0lCT52cb_ZKCgMTh5VyMeDN28F7JYq4WDbAEJBmK0SdrC_n-VV32uO6BWZuLBSx/s320/IMG_0004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188893990271724354" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDWef8o6VVaw6ZbzVMu8DGbfOW670m_ieVj8QU8fXv5rBuT_KNdg6eIjgk4RVCg6IOEfzCqSsFJMnBxpQuL-YXgVSRFbcAWoLkOVCHiDuF_FOmx_a-APKqubBtCDX7upDr7LBTE3plfFX/s1600-h/IMG_0005.jpg"><br /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-29976290228278820792008-03-29T14:30:00.000-07:002008-12-09T02:25:58.223-08:00Tucson - Starr Pass Resort Weekend<span style="font-weight: bold;">March 21-23.</span> Instead of just going to dinner with George Sierra at the Starr Pass Resort where he works in Tucson, he wanted us to "experience" the resort. He was able to arrange Easter weekend to do just that. We had a fabulous weekend! This was such a treat for us since we've never stayed in such a nice resort. The weather was perfect, about 80 and sunny.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidL4cZj03LdaTE9vy9XezMSm8lu7fBnj14pmb9Gxg8kSNF2o4RUWHDBjjtJI_4fo7RQmG9mHnukans1AACyBN0BBKLj7Prb4z-VM-73kt18ywOAm_QnILQFzaW-csInyTvQO8QcjNTRurm/s1600-h/IMG_0007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidL4cZj03LdaTE9vy9XezMSm8lu7fBnj14pmb9Gxg8kSNF2o4RUWHDBjjtJI_4fo7RQmG9mHnukans1AACyBN0BBKLj7Prb4z-VM-73kt18ywOAm_QnILQFzaW-csInyTvQO8QcjNTRurm/s320/IMG_0007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183335469268264626" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNTwxhNxaPvpdo-YIku72vXJRZtouI3gIuQc3KA8hdPF7_uSgZpL5x7qt_81usq0c-lPBCsuTr_KdS0QWdWGT_DHo8Jfej5gdhr_fr_r0CP6VOqCaxG7P7U1KFDCe9AmZUscFZU9qx6sG/s1600-h/IMG_0010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNTwxhNxaPvpdo-YIku72vXJRZtouI3gIuQc3KA8hdPF7_uSgZpL5x7qt_81usq0c-lPBCsuTr_KdS0QWdWGT_DHo8Jfej5gdhr_fr_r0CP6VOqCaxG7P7U1KFDCe9AmZUscFZU9qx6sG/s320/IMG_0010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183335473563231938" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The view from our room showed the newly opened Lazy River and water slide. We really enjoyed this!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl38iy82Pwv68RDyt75r_sK73x2Zw6tujWgQns1RJjBl3TxRLIJ9LdhkMWmvCjcTkLQMVYDmKIKnfnXPoBZPt80ZaaWb3kjaG6CytXLxPTchtGoP-ry15SU69zufte-LwVAWzghyngkP9E/s1600-h/IMG_0009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl38iy82Pwv68RDyt75r_sK73x2Zw6tujWgQns1RJjBl3TxRLIJ9LdhkMWmvCjcTkLQMVYDmKIKnfnXPoBZPt80ZaaWb3kjaG6CytXLxPTchtGoP-ry15SU69zufte-LwVAWzghyngkP9E/s320/IMG_0009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183335804275713746" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VKRccGjAOt7fN5ajwKizVZwBA_wLZ8a56vYloPIiStsuEsPOp967KxZh3QJsCXj3yrQXkg_g-3TcWYewltwkmlb_cVjS-G8rrF4ZwdLY6hqmi1CeTJvd7korgqJUp2vR_A7GAE1affGk/s1600-h/IMG_0055.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VKRccGjAOt7fN5ajwKizVZwBA_wLZ8a56vYloPIiStsuEsPOp967KxZh3QJsCXj3yrQXkg_g-3TcWYewltwkmlb_cVjS-G8rrF4ZwdLY6hqmi1CeTJvd7korgqJUp2vR_A7GAE1affGk/s320/IMG_0055.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183335812865648354" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The views from the patio were magnificent, first the 2 reflection pools, then the 27 hole golf course, and then the mountains and the city of Tucson. (There was also a kiddie spray "pool" and a lap pool and spa.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMp3PKgk_k2d77uBPpr7p9NVB8He95sXjtoi8J-bOS1SMB02JlpEecEv1_TjNLGTLM-GZCTO0VKUfpiVXIuGttBTo9sW6HLTORm4DwTnycvpBCjgVNwQn4yfvwRIPSZ3JWRB-E-3MXrJ7n/s1600-h/IMG_0036.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMp3PKgk_k2d77uBPpr7p9NVB8He95sXjtoi8J-bOS1SMB02JlpEecEv1_TjNLGTLM-GZCTO0VKUfpiVXIuGttBTo9sW6HLTORm4DwTnycvpBCjgVNwQn4yfvwRIPSZ3JWRB-E-3MXrJ7n/s320/IMG_0036.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183336182232835826" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxr3UKx5ZtzV05t6Y98NI916StLcQrdoFeNyND0KUO3egAumpklOtQyY6z-RA_dlG9Rw_ia-5Cc2F-W81Mz0mQbNdYl8lMrEHV23KVlX8XKK4hMn8gt8WdxcQyTYGHOoUipbtOCdqNslUw/s1600-h/IMG_0008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxr3UKx5ZtzV05t6Y98NI916StLcQrdoFeNyND0KUO3egAumpklOtQyY6z-RA_dlG9Rw_ia-5Cc2F-W81Mz0mQbNdYl8lMrEHV23KVlX8XKK4hMn8gt8WdxcQyTYGHOoUipbtOCdqNslUw/s320/IMG_0008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183336190822770434" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih48RleGclEfPWOJPfb4wuv3MHoySin_7UjiSLA2IGLeVaIw0uQzR81vuQIXuEkjIy1W0RLSFx_RHnvZQdGAgwTu_e5KAbayTeOwz9dF8TR-kLMqFlfUW-E_pRCCQAe-u20KUVDdvMvOZh/s1600-h/IMG_0028.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih48RleGclEfPWOJPfb4wuv3MHoySin_7UjiSLA2IGLeVaIw0uQzR81vuQIXuEkjIy1W0RLSFx_RHnvZQdGAgwTu_e5KAbayTeOwz9dF8TR-kLMqFlfUW-E_pRCCQAe-u20KUVDdvMvOZh/s320/IMG_0028.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183336203707672338" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The resort is on the west side of Tucson next to Tucson Mountain Park. In fact, there are hiking trails right from the resort into the park. We went hiking every day. We found two nests of a desert wren, one in a cholla (unusual side entrance), the other in between two saguaro arms.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV5PT_wlWKZ6Pfh8roVC7cwPM5EZikHcYoaZB3Wb9JSuhZ6RJ5CW7CPdKnwsRRQPSyFq3e7faF-H0KqfZExY3zBa9WlVDHI2tKZ6hbKL3Av1b5Z8uFdYxn4gRcfroMMQtdCGQibdGo308W/s1600-h/IMG_0021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV5PT_wlWKZ6Pfh8roVC7cwPM5EZikHcYoaZB3Wb9JSuhZ6RJ5CW7CPdKnwsRRQPSyFq3e7faF-H0KqfZExY3zBa9WlVDHI2tKZ6hbKL3Av1b5Z8uFdYxn4gRcfroMMQtdCGQibdGo308W/s320/IMG_0021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183336959621916450" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2jgp7-942-5OdIU80MrqM_Y7ZZMG1OCYBf9E_RWKqG5gYsKNch_mZzqgoC1hZENJuRGT26kM1RIxCUB3G7PJpco7UeLSS8-J2cXZwW9A7KYvYrD9Ciaq1Rn69BSrYUCqihtb237RwH25/s1600-h/IMG_0061.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2jgp7-942-5OdIU80MrqM_Y7ZZMG1OCYBf9E_RWKqG5gYsKNch_mZzqgoC1hZENJuRGT26kM1RIxCUB3G7PJpco7UeLSS8-J2cXZwW9A7KYvYrD9Ciaq1Rn69BSrYUCqihtb237RwH25/s320/IMG_0061.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183336963916883762" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We also saw some more unusual saguaro and a dead one. It was amazing to see the skeleton of one and still see it very much alive. This little one is anywhere from 15-25 years old although it's really hard to tell from its height.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZKLN90y_rAlqnNBrp0ISd6zzzGfJyiVyBdMSgDuwQggONt2fLSh7R5EklHsI2xAkYSL2prpELOhSR0WAIHqA5MD3ibRgz62lNBjNra12NFiYYtNy49pKkRRHwYxs5BYgtyLIKeX39v-m/s1600-h/IMG_0060.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZKLN90y_rAlqnNBrp0ISd6zzzGfJyiVyBdMSgDuwQggONt2fLSh7R5EklHsI2xAkYSL2prpELOhSR0WAIHqA5MD3ibRgz62lNBjNra12NFiYYtNy49pKkRRHwYxs5BYgtyLIKeX39v-m/s320/IMG_0060.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183337745600931650" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_5guiPird8gBoJCcogZorUOK0v2i2i3u4Yd1W1KoeXs8YHdAaaq2wPmNQhG6IB9hGtWVJFpPOeTZtB82hSDUcKm3aeNAdf1f5rCjANt0W3jpI8lDcqKDiRhqpLCtUORc7sqXykgcoacQ/s1600-h/IMG_0022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_5guiPird8gBoJCcogZorUOK0v2i2i3u4Yd1W1KoeXs8YHdAaaq2wPmNQhG6IB9hGtWVJFpPOeTZtB82hSDUcKm3aeNAdf1f5rCjANt0W3jpI8lDcqKDiRhqpLCtUORc7sqXykgcoacQ/s320/IMG_0022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183337754190866258" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFfTkiwnZwuD99ofcQgM_SzBUjwOcSQpdN02Hn156KjGnd-as5y4sIfSLaVNBBd467mxUxKS37ha-Qhh-07QH6w-y28iLKYWmUzRnnIIpzvQnmAqjxMcd5oIKn5mUeWfuOjfKPoRlOpUJ/s1600-h/IMG_0074.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFfTkiwnZwuD99ofcQgM_SzBUjwOcSQpdN02Hn156KjGnd-as5y4sIfSLaVNBBd467mxUxKS37ha-Qhh-07QH6w-y28iLKYWmUzRnnIIpzvQnmAqjxMcd5oIKn5mUeWfuOjfKPoRlOpUJ/s320/IMG_0074.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183337762780800866" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7HBHXGVmemk9q1PUs1erWpgE6ZBmmKn7bJgLvemGBmdqEofJoFgsloyH1C5tT9nbjpUlmbUgddBQVcXcqcLrTjUSoRk51fQUTzlnWDcxX9UebkoqjeeMuQ1AYhGRvjtBpqh4uftncXpB/s1600-h/IMG_0016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7HBHXGVmemk9q1PUs1erWpgE6ZBmmKn7bJgLvemGBmdqEofJoFgsloyH1C5tT9nbjpUlmbUgddBQVcXcqcLrTjUSoRk51fQUTzlnWDcxX9UebkoqjeeMuQ1AYhGRvjtBpqh4uftncXpB/s320/IMG_0016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183337767075768178" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />There were lots of activities all weekend, mostly geared to kids since it was Easter weekend. But there were also guided hikes and bike trips (for a fee). Late afternoons they give everyone a complimentary shot of tequila and we hear a story about it. (We still don't like tequila, definitely a flavor to acquire.)<br /><br />George treated us to a superb dinner at the Primo Restaurant (also in Orlando and Rockland, ME). We had pork, red snapper, an apple tart and zeppole (like fried dough balls) that basically melted in your mouth. Saturday we had lunch at the casual spa restaurant. It was excellent too. We had a chicken panini, grilled shrimp salad and a pina colada smoothie.<br /><br />At night we retired to our room where we put on our Starr Pass bathrobes and enjoyed our complimentary magazines with our "turn-down chocolates". Ah, luxury!<br /><br />Thank you so much George!!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsqYrr43DaGtN0Qek0exzGO2MUhHVpq94wjIhIDXgTmxj5FltwfLIp1pNiH2DDxZLMcHIkSy_trGQgfB50Nd7aat7KA1NVxcAjX4jUE91FLhhTatqRZCoWPhjBo03VG16kH52RtdcQiJZ/s1600-h/IMG_0032.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsqYrr43DaGtN0Qek0exzGO2MUhHVpq94wjIhIDXgTmxj5FltwfLIp1pNiH2DDxZLMcHIkSy_trGQgfB50Nd7aat7KA1NVxcAjX4jUE91FLhhTatqRZCoWPhjBo03VG16kH52RtdcQiJZ/s320/IMG_0032.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183338535874914178" border="0" /></a>Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-9482457027181857672008-03-28T16:42:00.000-07:002008-12-09T02:26:14.755-08:00Tucson - Week 3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-v_aIWwUQqb8mxzdw9XvpZulKpMDhFridTt6k7ouwvd7F451_9kLJyMs3WjXBAY40V1DvpBFCKuWV_IGolmEG9C70yIh1MCZIh3T5DL8MJpC4PeCj5qPQ1LlkyDx6pUOYxQQO9Q5G2Pvx/s1600-h/IMG_0036.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-v_aIWwUQqb8mxzdw9XvpZulKpMDhFridTt6k7ouwvd7F451_9kLJyMs3WjXBAY40V1DvpBFCKuWV_IGolmEG9C70yIh1MCZIh3T5DL8MJpC4PeCj5qPQ1LlkyDx6pUOYxQQO9Q5G2Pvx/s320/IMG_0036.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183341881654437778" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">March 16-20.</span> Some random info: The mountains surrounding Tucson are: Tucson, Santa Catalina, Rincon, Santa Rita, and the Tortolita Ranges.<br /><br />Pima cotton was developed by the University of Arizona and named for the Indians here. The Pima Indians cultivated the crop which was originally developed in the 1700's.<br /><br />Tucson is really a lovely city in which to drive. It prides itself with lots of art along the roads. They have art on the overpasses, interesting artwork on some highway walls, and even artwork on corners like this.<br /><br /><br />Sunday was a very cold day, cloudy, a little rainy and only in the 50's!! It actually snowed at 5000' and higher. That was cool to see. We had lunch at Gloria Conover's and Lucas Macri's house. Gloria is the granddaughter of our family friend, Marge Conover, whose 90th birthday we attended in Michigan in September. We had such a nice time, delicious food and great conversation. They have two adorable and engaging children, Nico, age 6, and Valeria, age 4.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tj1KfoRS492MuGm7XpJLNgT1Gog0fvJ4rY9S2AbwKRi-FuJVtUP8isxBt6-KTtc_ewAPGZ1GaEB2rO2M4Sb3ch6AwRqVADXKPszMbUKOq-bDGyNHN8GhmPlrPuniP_nhr5ZLx07hA-z2/s1600-h/IMG_0035.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tj1KfoRS492MuGm7XpJLNgT1Gog0fvJ4rY9S2AbwKRi-FuJVtUP8isxBt6-KTtc_ewAPGZ1GaEB2rO2M4Sb3ch6AwRqVADXKPszMbUKOq-bDGyNHN8GhmPlrPuniP_nhr5ZLx07hA-z2/s320/IMG_0035.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183329443429147954" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8OLN6VAxwEdpj4Aky1R-5HNzHZ8t1X7tdo4ZdipuEg1zkSIsd1wJetYk8x-oCt4uWmSEjgkP4wjqZ-9R6wUTdQlD_-tX4mGm6eI99-_5228Hj2McLsVm8p8oiViHhX4cZeYXTXE8CyhS/s1600-h/IMG_0033.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8OLN6VAxwEdpj4Aky1R-5HNzHZ8t1X7tdo4ZdipuEg1zkSIsd1wJetYk8x-oCt4uWmSEjgkP4wjqZ-9R6wUTdQlD_-tX4mGm6eI99-_5228Hj2McLsVm8p8oiViHhX4cZeYXTXE8CyhS/s320/IMG_0033.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183329447724115266" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The Ruopp's recommended that we go to the Arizona State Museum on campus to see the Paths of Life exhibit. The museum is beautiful and the exhibit was excellent! It covered all the southwest Indians including those tribes in Mexico on the Sea of Cortez. We'd never seen anything about them before.<br /><br />Tohono Chul Park is a museum of native plants laid out in separate gardens with some attractive to hummingbirds. There's also a tea room. The small gardens are really beautiful. It was an absolute joy to walk through this park!<br /><br />Amherst and Ft. Myers only have the ruby-throated hummingbird so it was fun to watch these others: the broad-billed and the black chinned.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGnx6AKi8LVqJdgI7M5kBbIoLDFKkeCNzDAdKgPyz7HVbFGfr3LLy3BD-2fQXUc2QbZUIIHpYGK9m0lwFNgP20rC2O9eRYBjtmPBZ5GJOdZ9iMsq5C-1IaacmxDGZw08yNnR2j1ZoEPwk/s1600-h/IMG_0087.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGnx6AKi8LVqJdgI7M5kBbIoLDFKkeCNzDAdKgPyz7HVbFGfr3LLy3BD-2fQXUc2QbZUIIHpYGK9m0lwFNgP20rC2O9eRYBjtmPBZ5GJOdZ9iMsq5C-1IaacmxDGZw08yNnR2j1ZoEPwk/s320/IMG_0087.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183329967415158098" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6vY12TXDAMKGCoAHsLEvGKvaAr8r44nb2Bh_uOuobNnI1zmgTvsr3Xh1DRQ8Y1lwEAyzMpoN6sk3n2YudybChHGoh6xiqo3BKd268zNp65Cwz_eIqfNJvrXNG5l8OEKP-owMmpoAtq5X/s1600-h/IMG_0071.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6vY12TXDAMKGCoAHsLEvGKvaAr8r44nb2Bh_uOuobNnI1zmgTvsr3Xh1DRQ8Y1lwEAyzMpoN6sk3n2YudybChHGoh6xiqo3BKd268zNp65Cwz_eIqfNJvrXNG5l8OEKP-owMmpoAtq5X/s320/IMG_0071.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183329971710125410" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7KkwOrU5ZgPTFcnhvI1Bt8EB-NNb8XEcu8sL0QWu8tgFLEsNSsktTJaJ3zTLS6fumR2jyAjeggUOsORJyav8WBgdbZ5yXFBBq454SybPettUlj1wKJp-DqVff8fDFq-V-ZKCRQ6JZ_pgQ/s1600-h/IMG_0065Cropped.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7KkwOrU5ZgPTFcnhvI1Bt8EB-NNb8XEcu8sL0QWu8tgFLEsNSsktTJaJ3zTLS6fumR2jyAjeggUOsORJyav8WBgdbZ5yXFBBq454SybPettUlj1wKJp-DqVff8fDFq-V-ZKCRQ6JZ_pgQ/s320/IMG_0065Cropped.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183329976005092722" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We really loved this tree which looked from a distance like a lilac bush. It's called a Texas Mt. Laurel. The flowers here were amazing!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxK6ideJWhtMemqKniVjE50kAGdCIsQBFqAn8Jy1tU4NsFhesPQ0lSXNxk6mYTRlnMQQ5N8CV_T5a5x-_hmF_mSzb_bLUWTI7VRSrUEYAaCzm43ZhBAHbsGzRLT3UTmq0iPYCBGLYSxY_/s1600-h/IMG_0062.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxK6ideJWhtMemqKniVjE50kAGdCIsQBFqAn8Jy1tU4NsFhesPQ0lSXNxk6mYTRlnMQQ5N8CV_T5a5x-_hmF_mSzb_bLUWTI7VRSrUEYAaCzm43ZhBAHbsGzRLT3UTmq0iPYCBGLYSxY_/s320/IMG_0062.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183330676084761986" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatzV6EqotMu5wr9n0WANlmoNmLDmHu729V-lAy6Bpo22dzK7QnGH0I_tdYRYSt5XJ4dj_l8xNX-l863yIsyEq9twyBwUwTtByttlT7CkE_oNg1z7Nk4NtPFAbnHYUeCknjEJXmU4p2I1X/s1600-h/IMG_0055.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatzV6EqotMu5wr9n0WANlmoNmLDmHu729V-lAy6Bpo22dzK7QnGH0I_tdYRYSt5XJ4dj_l8xNX-l863yIsyEq9twyBwUwTtByttlT7CkE_oNg1z7Nk4NtPFAbnHYUeCknjEJXmU4p2I1X/s320/IMG_0055.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183330684674696594" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The flowering barrel cactus, silver torch cactus and agave were also beautiful.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmAf_yCOkcNhNAgmdvf3q5Vp9R1JwcrdSkQLlN4m-kcxjwb85iwVjGAOa_a8yL-WeZ-OAG6lZ8_GAoqU7FZbVOZJavNqJO6sn2u2OXFSA6Xokf1DaMDor4Ey8EPA3BVzPRHIsLTRkF4jh/s1600-h/IMG_0059.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmAf_yCOkcNhNAgmdvf3q5Vp9R1JwcrdSkQLlN4m-kcxjwb85iwVjGAOa_a8yL-WeZ-OAG6lZ8_GAoqU7FZbVOZJavNqJO6sn2u2OXFSA6Xokf1DaMDor4Ey8EPA3BVzPRHIsLTRkF4jh/s320/IMG_0059.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183331316034889122" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdohI0wjTjlYSBmD3OZb8E9uX5kA50t5o_b9-4FgYrg9lpyPSebuyEfWqO8jwq6aHenmxFhO1aebWT-BBbOaLgXI0HpEKgh3BpVFzBIwD7t7gUS1Z9XnrOczeXq3zQJvN972YDFs-Sbc2/s1600-h/IMG_0053.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdohI0wjTjlYSBmD3OZb8E9uX5kA50t5o_b9-4FgYrg9lpyPSebuyEfWqO8jwq6aHenmxFhO1aebWT-BBbOaLgXI0HpEKgh3BpVFzBIwD7t7gUS1Z9XnrOczeXq3zQJvN972YDFs-Sbc2/s320/IMG_0053.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183331320329856434" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBtP2q5bKLO53_QUzvtCVbgAzmUZzR9R1-Tld1wGRxPjSsNJ23UY4hwNS9-tbE9CSXAs00PZCAMPbA8__MtjP4tfa9VppuNx1nqyPwfdudCxvWY2VCf9B1oKAeTSfJRxxd5DSFEW1mZ2Nn/s1600-h/IMG_0088.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBtP2q5bKLO53_QUzvtCVbgAzmUZzR9R1-Tld1wGRxPjSsNJ23UY4hwNS9-tbE9CSXAs00PZCAMPbA8__MtjP4tfa9VppuNx1nqyPwfdudCxvWY2VCf9B1oKAeTSfJRxxd5DSFEW1mZ2Nn/s320/IMG_0088.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183331328919791042" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here is one of the lovely courtyards and a ramada (a brush shelter). (Some ramadas have roofs made of ocotillo branches. We had no idea that the Ramada hotels were named after this!)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ84vmR1w9ueH0A7462w8JUMmuIx7vCz7AQYM41dKb2NUXzQRRm1cfgKCey6jc-4ebEEGITE8o_EIIQk5nh2lekGNbaaEI4JgHkXt8jecQG3hUBatKsnkO-frulOb8UOLYuxuyYNItp2xH/s1600-h/IMG_0054.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ84vmR1w9ueH0A7462w8JUMmuIx7vCz7AQYM41dKb2NUXzQRRm1cfgKCey6jc-4ebEEGITE8o_EIIQk5nh2lekGNbaaEI4JgHkXt8jecQG3hUBatKsnkO-frulOb8UOLYuxuyYNItp2xH/s320/IMG_0054.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183332037589394898" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQr87w-AjhE4dgyIDNX5h_Uk_XXXNnmZSsCERMydUFn0gPaL0omz8U5TyaW2U2mtzjr5_AECJ6MVbcRaC8sqYgUm1wwPBgv_qyYevBvw7zejyJPsg6j2_NKgVt7gonjG2AfRLOSKyJIwQ/s1600-h/IMG_0063.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQr87w-AjhE4dgyIDNX5h_Uk_XXXNnmZSsCERMydUFn0gPaL0omz8U5TyaW2U2mtzjr5_AECJ6MVbcRaC8sqYgUm1wwPBgv_qyYevBvw7zejyJPsg6j2_NKgVt7gonjG2AfRLOSKyJIwQ/s320/IMG_0063.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183332050474296802" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And more amazing saguaro. (We wish we could see them in bloom but that's not until mid-May to mid-June.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCrH0LA0r8EMV6eloafoZ6IJGs4ve7PzmPiqV1GngqLtqdKojpEFVxvbcRiLVFTUAcJKP3qdI6Q8O9pJoC_tJOMMDkEkPDXcLzRh3ZLJJUCulfbNXhjt4TER9VbZ7TBGYaZbO7mKzakeD/s1600-h/IMG_0061.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCrH0LA0r8EMV6eloafoZ6IJGs4ve7PzmPiqV1GngqLtqdKojpEFVxvbcRiLVFTUAcJKP3qdI6Q8O9pJoC_tJOMMDkEkPDXcLzRh3ZLJJUCulfbNXhjt4TER9VbZ7TBGYaZbO7mKzakeD/s320/IMG_0061.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183332402661615090" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5R93Yt7zzkn-ayWsms971P7U1ER1EzZCBYuse4zzkiGNm6aarxEE6w9jJ8PW9UaeOWhiQaaa0TYYcuNXxRIrax0Cctt40MyKrGWwnmgPpSjtxjhW50PVk-bzH6rSEVrOm-QHFLZVzsvAn/s1600-h/IMG_0044.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5R93Yt7zzkn-ayWsms971P7U1ER1EzZCBYuse4zzkiGNm6aarxEE6w9jJ8PW9UaeOWhiQaaa0TYYcuNXxRIrax0Cctt40MyKrGWwnmgPpSjtxjhW50PVk-bzH6rSEVrOm-QHFLZVzsvAn/s320/IMG_0044.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183332406956582402" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />One great hike was in Saguaro National Park East. We took the Tanque Verde Ridge hike, about 3 hours round trip. There was lots of rock climbing which is really more fun than just a flat path. There were great views and more wildflowers. We also saw twin saguaro and twin yucca. We returned about 5:30 and the moon was just rising.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNdY4wEWNgE9Wk7ok_zDO8-JOviIQbMhH-Xt6SalRnwinubM4krF9hS92O8yV6GDH2y6eA-PQAzjY6CzC-zjWpoZoMpppQd4SRabievcGQppDCD3saSiGhD2T5XcE8w8gp9IXX-Sg0Wkk/s1600-h/IMG_0006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNdY4wEWNgE9Wk7ok_zDO8-JOviIQbMhH-Xt6SalRnwinubM4krF9hS92O8yV6GDH2y6eA-PQAzjY6CzC-zjWpoZoMpppQd4SRabievcGQppDCD3saSiGhD2T5XcE8w8gp9IXX-Sg0Wkk/s320/IMG_0006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183333115626186258" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbsrursd8UbZyfcprDDzdtyJn7pmB53gV6tIWtHtvtPqUBKY5CtxjER1DnjLkLxRFcJWd0EGt9uGxZXkhSZoxZY8g2wrBBfM4Kv6Bh7NSO97zQg-mXbQj_u67C4FU4sx6M7SNZKhj-V8KN/s1600-h/IMG_0005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbsrursd8UbZyfcprDDzdtyJn7pmB53gV6tIWtHtvtPqUBKY5CtxjER1DnjLkLxRFcJWd0EGt9uGxZXkhSZoxZY8g2wrBBfM4Kv6Bh7NSO97zQg-mXbQj_u67C4FU4sx6M7SNZKhj-V8KN/s320/IMG_0005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183333124216120866" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzUkY_3Xl8g_Lby7Cd8hXqsqAZYc63pt2pOR6AfTxnTqOC0CXvwwVW9LkF1xCd1n6u9jPJl-YUGwvGsjFk895C6m7mnMpJ2xKUfzqi7MgXfP_hHXWjw8Om-rEWeh5r7jacLNYBPPJRqk1/s1600-h/IMG_0007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzUkY_3Xl8g_Lby7Cd8hXqsqAZYc63pt2pOR6AfTxnTqOC0CXvwwVW9LkF1xCd1n6u9jPJl-YUGwvGsjFk895C6m7mnMpJ2xKUfzqi7MgXfP_hHXWjw8Om-rEWeh5r7jacLNYBPPJRqk1/s320/IMG_0007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183333132806055474" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWHpR0aRzv4T1tzxTrg9HRslUWJfvk6VP1ybSqqXQ_8WV29bhOOzru7Wj18mscBcKFEM8GGtYxFvpzc_quLkKKDrge6GWRv0fIKM4FvrAYDHezSjp3yogtfTz9mtSrB0zABcQ7rUEGfFG/s1600-h/IMG_0008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWHpR0aRzv4T1tzxTrg9HRslUWJfvk6VP1ybSqqXQ_8WV29bhOOzru7Wj18mscBcKFEM8GGtYxFvpzc_quLkKKDrge6GWRv0fIKM4FvrAYDHezSjp3yogtfTz9mtSrB0zABcQ7rUEGfFG/s320/IMG_0008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183333141395990082" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A couple of people told us we should hike Picacho Peak north of Tucson. We didn't really know what we were getting ourselves into. It was by far the most difficult hike we've ever done (Hunter Trail to the peak at 3,374' el). It was so steep in places that they had to put in steel cables!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKevanvMCChlGAEIvnfjjH9wI5M76I2InXTuxxLg1is5mE6q-jpHOB__FXjADcgMsUP7mKBH8HhqzTD3dE8mtyIanVdAgO4nPPUIK-ARx82FZidUkMmWSkyiop37OZqdeWn4dlEZCotlp_/s1600-h/IMG_0011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKevanvMCChlGAEIvnfjjH9wI5M76I2InXTuxxLg1is5mE6q-jpHOB__FXjADcgMsUP7mKBH8HhqzTD3dE8mtyIanVdAgO4nPPUIK-ARx82FZidUkMmWSkyiop37OZqdeWn4dlEZCotlp_/s320/IMG_0011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183333983209580114" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4xp6kbglQSqptVFUOJyhWcX_Kc5j1awsJ-j5fKg2D3M8CjDpHFOymBvdqkOzvajG4pW_9WdxIwkjZNxY1Z33Felrou0eB65txnyHut3gwfMiSnvfI6mYtFWf1VOP763LUS1AT45lE_V3d/s1600-h/IMG_0018.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4xp6kbglQSqptVFUOJyhWcX_Kc5j1awsJ-j5fKg2D3M8CjDpHFOymBvdqkOzvajG4pW_9WdxIwkjZNxY1Z33Felrou0eB65txnyHut3gwfMiSnvfI6mYtFWf1VOP763LUS1AT45lE_V3d/s320/IMG_0018.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183333991799514722" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYCgGMrV6l95D5SyyJVoMLj_i-Bn06-716iTy6t7wT1dQLbXBRAqwe6Zyl6bDiB7iVkzDmDhFt04xJIzWaF7Nz8G2-oULUQAi-Rv5Y1Up18k74rU5ApTv1dlrSq7h-HBBbWIk66Lx84jV/s1600-h/IMG_0025.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYCgGMrV6l95D5SyyJVoMLj_i-Bn06-716iTy6t7wT1dQLbXBRAqwe6Zyl6bDiB7iVkzDmDhFt04xJIzWaF7Nz8G2-oULUQAi-Rv5Y1Up18k74rU5ApTv1dlrSq7h-HBBbWIk66Lx84jV/s320/IMG_0025.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183333996094482034" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsIcDN7OJF_ckrMf-gXSVPPFaH0JO81yWBi0vleFkFn9PjePGddu6ZO3OIpmCxFFgkGtKA0tr45qf_XAElSMdUgLXbodcvLWfHDh4c3fst4256RuIhU9mIeisbEHQOQzvyXXsNig-TR2o/s1600-h/IMG_0035.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsIcDN7OJF_ckrMf-gXSVPPFaH0JO81yWBi0vleFkFn9PjePGddu6ZO3OIpmCxFFgkGtKA0tr45qf_XAElSMdUgLXbodcvLWfHDh4c3fst4256RuIhU9mIeisbEHQOQzvyXXsNig-TR2o/s320/IMG_0035.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183334008979383938" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It was a beautiful view from the top but we don't really want to do it again. In the picture from the top you can see a long train. Someone told us there were about 15 trains a day through here from California.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBzPPECo45wfKt1_SdXg9rJVdBnP2TdNFQQ_OlvgI3QIsRr2EoC1_9-2XUHvoMaaUPpDMvhpf1g66BxrdefkzYWgLGFDxm0r9ozfxsmhupxiXru55Viv2MFLRDiFARA2uhfxHM0MFsx0s/s1600-h/IMG_0022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBzPPECo45wfKt1_SdXg9rJVdBnP2TdNFQQ_OlvgI3QIsRr2EoC1_9-2XUHvoMaaUPpDMvhpf1g66BxrdefkzYWgLGFDxm0r9ozfxsmhupxiXru55Viv2MFLRDiFARA2uhfxHM0MFsx0s/s320/IMG_0022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183334687584216722" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNGt6zUlciYklJDHRQq5hgC9FeJ1szc4Kis5daPPw0OBdkaDRPlQiKhR1JInaZlbZyLwGytrkTPY0H3A1aKJLEJrWgjUlDDsLcFX-FXTB0lXEjpWXhTfLb3nuc5Y0J3t_8iPuyK0aunE67/s1600-h/IMG_0012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNGt6zUlciYklJDHRQq5hgC9FeJ1szc4Kis5daPPw0OBdkaDRPlQiKhR1JInaZlbZyLwGytrkTPY0H3A1aKJLEJrWgjUlDDsLcFX-FXTB0lXEjpWXhTfLb3nuc5Y0J3t_8iPuyK0aunE67/s320/IMG_0012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183334691879184034" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Did you know that most of John Wayne's westerns were shot at <a href="http://www.oldtucson.com/">Old Tucson Studios</a>? In most westerns there are a few token saguaros and the mountain in the backdrop is Golden Gate Peak. (See picture.) They still film here a few times a year but every day it's a place to relive westerns. We went on an interesting tour with a guide who was also the historian. He had even been an extra and been "killed" a few times. He spewed lots of facts about in this western so-and-so met up with so-and-so, etc. If you're really into westerns you'd love this place. There were some hokey stunt shows, a staged bank robbery, and some pretty decent musical shows, one with can-can girls in the saloon. The girls went into the audience and picked 2 guys to help them out. Well, Sandy got picked and was a great sport about putting on a silly dress and trying to do the can-can! They had the set from the old TV show, "High Chapparal" and the house and some of the stores from "Little House on the Prairie." The little museum of the films shot there was interesting.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-0cjEANi_Dnl8ohCHv8UtQG5MSP1wRvcvQTqUWbmEh3SaQkXQlc-jT-wxItqoGWEjdMRjx52ClimV8b9Uf5vFQB9f3kz4EdVs0TIRdELPY4XCTpR0J1bWoOdaecEQe9yATg53TINaGU8/s1600-h/IMG_0024.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-0cjEANi_Dnl8ohCHv8UtQG5MSP1wRvcvQTqUWbmEh3SaQkXQlc-jT-wxItqoGWEjdMRjx52ClimV8b9Uf5vFQB9f3kz4EdVs0TIRdELPY4XCTpR0J1bWoOdaecEQe9yATg53TINaGU8/s320/IMG_0024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183734561924376482" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We attended an excellent production of "To Kill a Mockingbird" put on by the Arizona Theatre Company, a professional theater group.<br /><br />Office work!! One day we got a month's worth of mail from June McNiven (where our mail is being forwarded now) so had to take time to sort through that and deal with a couple of things. We finally got all the necessary forms so Sandy could do my mother's taxes.<br /><br />We can't believe we have only one more week here. There are so many places we haven't seen or hiked!Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-79525048020697082502008-03-24T17:54:00.000-07:002008-12-09T02:26:20.213-08:00Tucson - Week 2<span style="font-weight: bold;">March 8-15.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Wildflowers, snow, desert life, more mountains, and hot springs!</span> We had a great visit with our dear friend Jim Rubins from Napa, CA. He arrived on Saturday and we went directly to dinner and then to the Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium on the University of Arizona campus. We were lucky to get in on 2 shows: the mission to Mars and the current night sky. Both were excellent. We also got to see a great view of Saturn through the telescope set up on the roof.<br /><br />Sunday we decided to take Jim to a very popular hiking area only 5 minutes from our condo called Sabino Canyon Recreation Area. We took the scenic and narrated tram up the mountain to hike from there. It used to go up almost 4 miles. But then there was a flood in July 2006 which wiped out some of the bridges. Until all the bridges get repaired it now only goes up 2 miles. We hiked up the Historical Trail and then the Phoneline Trail. At one point the water went over the bridge. It was only about an inch so you didn't really need to take off your shoes.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPDfQtzeQg_AmMR9ZNZFeiTVYblExABpj0Eai13Mp-ls39lR4aFbBfTr3NPi-MVUVO1rEhjSHdQFoweIqiQaOkeag656xj_PRXeH5rMhnaPNMIVokqq8jUdJMTNAgXMW5W8JK2qciVo05/s1600-h/IMG_0034.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPDfQtzeQg_AmMR9ZNZFeiTVYblExABpj0Eai13Mp-ls39lR4aFbBfTr3NPi-MVUVO1rEhjSHdQFoweIqiQaOkeag656xj_PRXeH5rMhnaPNMIVokqq8jUdJMTNAgXMW5W8JK2qciVo05/s320/IMG_0034.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181869644174778946" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TiWeNC6PYIzAokcPQqh3qUsdIjGhtfWdcMbo3v-cpzUxeaQ-Z7eZNLiHrDUqVgTn4WkykL9cUrwyw9bIkjflM4MXEDErCOMonrTVBjPtd1Z89u8TUOaqXziGPtbmtS8gqNSzaHHHNbzT/s1600-h/IMG_0021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TiWeNC6PYIzAokcPQqh3qUsdIjGhtfWdcMbo3v-cpzUxeaQ-Z7eZNLiHrDUqVgTn4WkykL9cUrwyw9bIkjflM4MXEDErCOMonrTVBjPtd1Z89u8TUOaqXziGPtbmtS8gqNSzaHHHNbzT/s320/IMG_0021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181869635584844338" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymCHkON3vPgeVyn30EoCr20buAB_xSqTLPrt5kqbAgJ2V3GuDgnaN1PdXZwnvRJaesXjOVIv_vlxHcS4xB2HA0QbSAe0EggsKGBIx5UqJx0XO_z2HZLebTHa88tXOYOCAzWT4_V45sEEC/s1600-h/IMG_0013.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymCHkON3vPgeVyn30EoCr20buAB_xSqTLPrt5kqbAgJ2V3GuDgnaN1PdXZwnvRJaesXjOVIv_vlxHcS4xB2HA0QbSAe0EggsKGBIx5UqJx0XO_z2HZLebTHa88tXOYOCAzWT4_V45sEEC/s320/IMG_0013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181869622699942434" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuh_1KINn9ESOhKTU2tP8j9FefAMh8DNoU8DnODp63NBNeNkulsMyFXNrPr-mfK_AKN5rPF27ihD_XlzV43FI-u7nbg6SosJOj-b82-OqqcVtHcYCs6MLAfkD4exPcpKpwkddY8lYwAzLq/s1600-h/IMG_0012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuh_1KINn9ESOhKTU2tP8j9FefAMh8DNoU8DnODp63NBNeNkulsMyFXNrPr-mfK_AKN5rPF27ihD_XlzV43FI-u7nbg6SosJOj-b82-OqqcVtHcYCs6MLAfkD4exPcpKpwkddY8lYwAzLq/s320/IMG_0012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181869614110007826" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It was beautiful scenery even with the partially washed out road.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Ls91pNKP1A1LEAGqRuTqLxkgHGPzCHAwGSGgAHMKUYYce61ZG9M9yD3eOoUVaqQwbz06bScmEHWFMGATnDTPA4OOvi-Mp-ONg7rns4nH20_nQ73jM94YJBQD_aBrRygtPR5yeiwtTULI/s1600-h/IMG_0033.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Ls91pNKP1A1LEAGqRuTqLxkgHGPzCHAwGSGgAHMKUYYce61ZG9M9yD3eOoUVaqQwbz06bScmEHWFMGATnDTPA4OOvi-Mp-ONg7rns4nH20_nQ73jM94YJBQD_aBrRygtPR5yeiwtTULI/s320/IMG_0033.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181870597657518674" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7yKTVCAlIJmGRosm4GFyzZigxOyvTjEWJ4IadbkT-GDOLqyJDzK_tT51dIQpJD1HzxVvwtRGygEz7aihB_u5uL7kMxQ1n61QTEYu1-EbqefJPXCYLPJa28ykELIYL0T4T_oXlDaThU53/s1600-h/IMG_0025.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7yKTVCAlIJmGRosm4GFyzZigxOyvTjEWJ4IadbkT-GDOLqyJDzK_tT51dIQpJD1HzxVvwtRGygEz7aihB_u5uL7kMxQ1n61QTEYu1-EbqefJPXCYLPJa28ykELIYL0T4T_oXlDaThU53/s320/IMG_0025.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181882318623270098" border="0" /></a><br />There were a number of places where there was sand created by the broken rocks. It was a neat area for kids to play in.<br /><br />We learned that it was the best showing of wildflowers in 5 years because of the rain in the last couple of months. We were really lucky. Some favorites were: Evening Primrose, an unidentified white flower, Mexican Gold Poppy, and Tangerine Poppy.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMySISjMlLO29T080lJ47uj8u10nOD3iTWvnLu2UBgTN_cUjAHyNY0q2xB4QKYqzeBNqlpDm2zRHfIovLpJ01aXvU3uieO8roM2hyHCdO4-T9vIGTGg9TnUe53PD5zyJvEmTh-Qhyphenhyphendvia/s1600-h/IMG_0014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMySISjMlLO29T080lJ47uj8u10nOD3iTWvnLu2UBgTN_cUjAHyNY0q2xB4QKYqzeBNqlpDm2zRHfIovLpJ01aXvU3uieO8roM2hyHCdO4-T9vIGTGg9TnUe53PD5zyJvEmTh-Qhyphenhyphendvia/s320/IMG_0014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181871456650977922" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JAAq1EVuhDNuBHLRGxk6M51OAo1sH2A3QzV1Oin5OqD6Pe2mDoGy6bImuaaG5ImXBDs4cq1r3UlzjOjLEMoJ8uz1e1wKtjL7BAVCm8ErOo7XoWm3weiIkckTEFxlXhpGfozR8AK3CzrK/s1600-h/IMG_0017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JAAq1EVuhDNuBHLRGxk6M51OAo1sH2A3QzV1Oin5OqD6Pe2mDoGy6bImuaaG5ImXBDs4cq1r3UlzjOjLEMoJ8uz1e1wKtjL7BAVCm8ErOo7XoWm3weiIkckTEFxlXhpGfozR8AK3CzrK/s320/IMG_0017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181871460945945234" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCwBdWVOu1qYerffEWWUvZ7Rg3hXGH2ukOh1a9UWcR-kSlISU5sEorbNP-TBgCBgmNn9gKCfqSQjT4q5KS7FtPVORIq-hqFLPoK8_wGy7xA7Pgj0U7uKHWUvYr0Ar1kxa6DIFIYr6sK0XQ/s1600-h/IMG_0071.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCwBdWVOu1qYerffEWWUvZ7Rg3hXGH2ukOh1a9UWcR-kSlISU5sEorbNP-TBgCBgmNn9gKCfqSQjT4q5KS7FtPVORIq-hqFLPoK8_wGy7xA7Pgj0U7uKHWUvYr0Ar1kxa6DIFIYr6sK0XQ/s320/IMG_0071.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181888520556045586" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJ8C07GNYocFNvZ2vJjymx7f_RLoucYx9nMyMDwoG2QldRGXm8jruW7EhfIDMdjbqx3-S8kkWTZNsdNWXOKc2g2nwCXoTPolqQL0bOXLKfOXdir0jxFoIbZ6z9gWKfs1HhnA7rVSLF-vu/s1600-h/IMG_0011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJ8C07GNYocFNvZ2vJjymx7f_RLoucYx9nMyMDwoG2QldRGXm8jruW7EhfIDMdjbqx3-S8kkWTZNsdNWXOKc2g2nwCXoTPolqQL0bOXLKfOXdir0jxFoIbZ6z9gWKfs1HhnA7rVSLF-vu/s320/IMG_0011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181872014996726450" border="0" /></a>George Sierra said to definitely go up Mt. Lemmon so that was our next stop. It had interesting rock formations and lots of viewing areas on the side of the road. We even saw some rock climbers.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnzPcW_j3UIbgJWDIyPDRcvCAIQ35k-TASRPZBgGLS5Taxz8xpNTg7YBQ65VvkaYbYH5ONMrIlr4RfyxNLIQWgaBlLCKyBY8JZL0lStfq0TP6o_Kk-24csCsJP1dWJ9l73AlX7_hKfKLk/s1600-h/IMG_0047.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnzPcW_j3UIbgJWDIyPDRcvCAIQ35k-TASRPZBgGLS5Taxz8xpNTg7YBQ65VvkaYbYH5ONMrIlr4RfyxNLIQWgaBlLCKyBY8JZL0lStfq0TP6o_Kk-24csCsJP1dWJ9l73AlX7_hKfKLk/s320/IMG_0047.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181872942709662434" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaQHbeg4yulB38m9iwSxRfIzENq80Su8lVdyG4_7AYQHtaLFr8WVwJUyZCgIOu0AZwRb6sxQ-5R5qwdg1geIDZ54YVkj3E8IbNqCCS9hD0UbUm0sQznw-zNfDWOPMMS-QzDaJVGxD0Jy0/s1600-h/IMG_0042.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaQHbeg4yulB38m9iwSxRfIzENq80Su8lVdyG4_7AYQHtaLFr8WVwJUyZCgIOu0AZwRb6sxQ-5R5qwdg1geIDZ54YVkj3E8IbNqCCS9hD0UbUm0sQznw-zNfDWOPMMS-QzDaJVGxD0Jy0/s320/IMG_0042.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181872564752540354" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We learned that there was a fire last year which destoyed almost all the buildings at the top where there's the small town of Summerhaven and a ski resort. (We wondered why it looked like everything was just being built.) At the very top (7840' el.) kids were playing in the snow!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vTsjSM8qM07yQzhnNNKbexo4otePpWrMmCmphQxBjGni91iNG7R6Ko2KjCSXbJ2O-7M3ys5Rwn0bwQkXVDyiS2LXWcDeb76PaMyoQYR6qGH4Z73sROueW1LcyjstrafZAr8PTIUlaQrU/s1600-h/IMG_0055.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vTsjSM8qM07yQzhnNNKbexo4otePpWrMmCmphQxBjGni91iNG7R6Ko2KjCSXbJ2O-7M3ys5Rwn0bwQkXVDyiS2LXWcDeb76PaMyoQYR6qGH4Z73sROueW1LcyjstrafZAr8PTIUlaQrU/s320/IMG_0055.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181873355026522882" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBDfZCZTv4X61xxesAtR_M8ySkSJULAiPLMwoUruPKq712HJpYEbbQO1ZpQF8Jl9g5_1s4L262pziXNLs5X9Fs1vs28_t5mBpMocpyp7zM1SKbdo1lnrYXpE7AMIPohwjlMYd6z44Hr4c/s1600-h/IMG_0061.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBDfZCZTv4X61xxesAtR_M8ySkSJULAiPLMwoUruPKq712HJpYEbbQO1ZpQF8Jl9g5_1s4L262pziXNLs5X9Fs1vs28_t5mBpMocpyp7zM1SKbdo1lnrYXpE7AMIPohwjlMYd6z44Hr4c/s320/IMG_0061.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181884384502539490" border="0" /></a><br />Monday we headed to the famous Saguaro National Park (West). What great views! At the top there was a closed mine shaft.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij35L74d-bIC8s0-myXl4sCxEsOIs6g2c3UvNF0h4OeOqBHXAPxk3d6fNO-cWYpRsGoDDgiUhK-LU5AI038oMVK0n6i2q613hg87YUGSsHnLCp0sDKqLVQBFsPGMj1VkW48gbwTtifoy00/s1600-h/IMG_0120.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij35L74d-bIC8s0-myXl4sCxEsOIs6g2c3UvNF0h4OeOqBHXAPxk3d6fNO-cWYpRsGoDDgiUhK-LU5AI038oMVK0n6i2q613hg87YUGSsHnLCp0sDKqLVQBFsPGMj1VkW48gbwTtifoy00/s320/IMG_0120.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181873982091748130" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnfxR8vAvo7HSRFlY9cPeBPiWvwny6dccaSEzqu36Ggqi3e0gp8Iy3eIYQ7CY0UMoYEpD4gGAxZRUy-rxKuFpq3O8XJ8Pu5IATEDg0aTU003mRZJ2OO6HPhoNCDhRG8i2TwqSfAK79Tq6/s1600-h/IMG_0105.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnfxR8vAvo7HSRFlY9cPeBPiWvwny6dccaSEzqu36Ggqi3e0gp8Iy3eIYQ7CY0UMoYEpD4gGAxZRUy-rxKuFpq3O8XJ8Pu5IATEDg0aTU003mRZJ2OO6HPhoNCDhRG8i2TwqSfAK79Tq6/s320/IMG_0105.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181873994976650050" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Some interesting plants we saw were: saguaro, blooming ocotillo, teddy bear cholla, and fish hook barrel cactus fruit.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvzdwEJLt1hdi8sj8fiCwiEeR6K0_0lauVp0sfjXjRib96ssR0NRysFM_86QWwM_2l0YcVi2XRtGbwbKA-h6cXwgKXXMKSA-fH_ZgmmuEZZuN-p2StOm4yX3TYatjlPIjrPD5PI9vt1cc/s1600-h/IMG_0111.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvzdwEJLt1hdi8sj8fiCwiEeR6K0_0lauVp0sfjXjRib96ssR0NRysFM_86QWwM_2l0YcVi2XRtGbwbKA-h6cXwgKXXMKSA-fH_ZgmmuEZZuN-p2StOm4yX3TYatjlPIjrPD5PI9vt1cc/s320/IMG_0111.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181874699351286610" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLITcza7xdHkYzi-TlRqQEJAoOIHYdODHDWL5IUaWkcHtE-l6PBGB4oVAQS71OaTN3859VRpg7IGgkPqI2LKstmp4SDlHHVH9Tp0BfVmCsL-u0k6IU-XCMz1Z7OWFH7FBABbVI_pYQ7IAN/s1600-h/IMG_0099.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLITcza7xdHkYzi-TlRqQEJAoOIHYdODHDWL5IUaWkcHtE-l6PBGB4oVAQS71OaTN3859VRpg7IGgkPqI2LKstmp4SDlHHVH9Tp0BfVmCsL-u0k6IU-XCMz1Z7OWFH7FBABbVI_pYQ7IAN/s320/IMG_0099.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181874703646253922" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrBAfF1TjiNImW0vEhP49CCn2GdVlcqzFNuRxr07Qq9K6FXFvYQCvdq5ZTYGVZ_uLNTJGwPH7iHPRi9pqoJhKw7If9m7JkSDywCL4X2HHNKFO3Yrk8ELivy0yk6q2hLKQlnnV_jW4mRLS/s1600-h/IMG_0102.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrBAfF1TjiNImW0vEhP49CCn2GdVlcqzFNuRxr07Qq9K6FXFvYQCvdq5ZTYGVZ_uLNTJGwPH7iHPRi9pqoJhKw7If9m7JkSDywCL4X2HHNKFO3Yrk8ELivy0yk6q2hLKQlnnV_jW4mRLS/s320/IMG_0102.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181874707941221234" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdy-9uJ60jfe8ZTbflMUhaFAerfaW7-sg0KB2iU27eQQsvtIzcYttCgVD5fHTQpQK6_yGz8jiCE3g-K-JBCnJfz0-tSEY-HKe3cI5kzg4YWBBlP87ImwCPlEZEZ_VoWQx9D8DaYrB3GQeF/s1600-h/IMG_0128.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdy-9uJ60jfe8ZTbflMUhaFAerfaW7-sg0KB2iU27eQQsvtIzcYttCgVD5fHTQpQK6_yGz8jiCE3g-K-JBCnJfz0-tSEY-HKe3cI5kzg4YWBBlP87ImwCPlEZEZ_VoWQx9D8DaYrB3GQeF/s320/IMG_0128.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181874725121090434" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Some beautiful flowers we saw were: Wild Hyacinth, Wild Heliotrope, Desert Chicory, and Silverbell. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkjSdd9U9hBh_kxGpxkDjY52jIaJdSmmJHAOMQSl0vKtoWgkJV8GdOGYjvV0ulsKxqvguUqeZE0D8Uuzlh3rUGO1UuDNtK_sc4zT8cPrZ_vZwSZfQpE54Jzd1RLuz_wgCBgKm_maN3fLz/s1600-h/IMG_0066.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkjSdd9U9hBh_kxGpxkDjY52jIaJdSmmJHAOMQSl0vKtoWgkJV8GdOGYjvV0ulsKxqvguUqeZE0D8Uuzlh3rUGO1UuDNtK_sc4zT8cPrZ_vZwSZfQpE54Jzd1RLuz_wgCBgKm_maN3fLz/s320/IMG_0066.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181875682898797458" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0Gr7vxqnpahAoc0VGLNQ4tgyuJ4ZYFCOf-q7Ze7zmDgoO1XeZCmnMU3shmi5E2DYiS9o3kX8mrkUV35sF3O6lm5VOt6jOQ4cu_si0c7J7_DgEiC7_9SOsbQ_PpoqQ22eP1-xXih8-FSI/s1600-h/IMG_0045Cropped.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0Gr7vxqnpahAoc0VGLNQ4tgyuJ4ZYFCOf-q7Ze7zmDgoO1XeZCmnMU3shmi5E2DYiS9o3kX8mrkUV35sF3O6lm5VOt6jOQ4cu_si0c7J7_DgEiC7_9SOsbQ_PpoqQ22eP1-xXih8-FSI/s320/IMG_0045Cropped.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181875687193764770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_bcm6rODE2mWdnEFguOfqeF3zwfzlNJuHC6GwrXjL-9cB4tAfce-g3SnRTUqrLSvoezxhNUKyn5En3dAJ2bZIicHBy8BrKnRR4h3k0WCF7brnCmaolD3ZGcBP2vKmvPwuDtZo9kKvAcog/s1600-h/IMG_0131.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_bcm6rODE2mWdnEFguOfqeF3zwfzlNJuHC6GwrXjL-9cB4tAfce-g3SnRTUqrLSvoezxhNUKyn5En3dAJ2bZIicHBy8BrKnRR4h3k0WCF7brnCmaolD3ZGcBP2vKmvPwuDtZo9kKvAcog/s320/IMG_0131.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181886287173051634" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglo7T2PBUQffjkJ3i8RuBRg0TPqWw9dNCvlmZOiG00T8f1-gKRd-F5hIwc1eo2fTchqVfl3irX1O53vq2kWOTDiAJr5avfolnFBZGwvtOxUZs9avJkUGMtlQlW8VZ-QRK4wpui_4o-0hKZ/s1600-h/IMG_0117.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglo7T2PBUQffjkJ3i8RuBRg0TPqWw9dNCvlmZOiG00T8f1-gKRd-F5hIwc1eo2fTchqVfl3irX1O53vq2kWOTDiAJr5avfolnFBZGwvtOxUZs9avJkUGMtlQlW8VZ-QRK4wpui_4o-0hKZ/s320/IMG_0117.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181876267014349778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here I am among the beautiful Mexican Gold Poppies and Jim pretending to be a cactus.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsLzbVnMar66AIvpUBMPyA5yB-EsiW5_JJODT_wjeMYAwki0em3lW2xp_l7BvD4JYsdA-rcBN391iHfVdA6wZx_CikxlXqmDCZ3WdNw3ZFnGS60l32ox0-wTtDVCGtxxvl0F1Pn9FyRbWt/s1600-h/IMG_0123.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsLzbVnMar66AIvpUBMPyA5yB-EsiW5_JJODT_wjeMYAwki0em3lW2xp_l7BvD4JYsdA-rcBN391iHfVdA6wZx_CikxlXqmDCZ3WdNw3ZFnGS60l32ox0-wTtDVCGtxxvl0F1Pn9FyRbWt/s320/IMG_0123.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181876675036242914" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68LIN9aE_7Vc8CRe68VM2vijkqt6LKzvNkcLr1KjNFPKd3cPCueaZLkFg4KM3sfrzi-npkGEzMpgrlCT0HdBU3UhwIztg0vIaOsJ8T1ROQibXV2jD0XkhJlNp0VcwP1qM2ocZVyZl-AeL/s1600-h/JimCactus.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68LIN9aE_7Vc8CRe68VM2vijkqt6LKzvNkcLr1KjNFPKd3cPCueaZLkFg4KM3sfrzi-npkGEzMpgrlCT0HdBU3UhwIztg0vIaOsJ8T1ROQibXV2jD0XkhJlNp0VcwP1qM2ocZVyZl-AeL/s320/JimCactus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181886746734552322" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum was excellent! It was mostly outside: plants, animals, birds, and insect. There were special hummingbird and bird aviaries. It was well laid out and great information. My camera battery ran out, all the demonstrations are in the morning, and we didn't get to see everything so we'll have to come back. (This was another 2 for 1 with the Tucson Passport.)<br /><br />We said goodbye to Jim and had a fun dinner with Doug and Sarah Ruopp. We hadn't seen them since they moved from Amherst 8 years ago. We had a lot of catching up to do!!<br /><br />One day we drove about an hour and a half to Bisbee, a mile high city. We first heard of Bisbee from the J.A. Jance books about Sheriff Joanna Brady. It's an old copper mining town, now a tourist town. It's in a dry, small valley and the town is built up on the sides of a mountain. The town has more than 300 kinds of minerals in it, more than any other town in the US!! In the early 1900's, when copper mining was at its height, the town had the largest population between St. Louis and San Francisco. We toured the quaint Copper Queen Hotel with rooms named for J.A. Jance, Teddy Roosevelt, and Lily Langtry (turn of the century entertainer). It's reported to be haunted and there is a ghost log book where you can write your experiences. That was fun to look through. They have a really cool pool on the 2nd floor built into the hillside.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjow_bqWU3kSfk-YreNU1gmQvh3MaotF7DJb19WnBeL7k3yU1CFsn8hhriwMDnNMMfxJpHkZ_8Jtrf8QYNBTyuHJGQOFvgtzwXI0wXUGVx-ZUhCqWPgDBD1K89950s3G7jZwqiYeVD_GNHA/s1600-h/IMG_0009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjow_bqWU3kSfk-YreNU1gmQvh3MaotF7DJb19WnBeL7k3yU1CFsn8hhriwMDnNMMfxJpHkZ_8Jtrf8QYNBTyuHJGQOFvgtzwXI0wXUGVx-ZUhCqWPgDBD1K89950s3G7jZwqiYeVD_GNHA/s320/IMG_0009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181877525439767570" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAb62adYgp3cPaIG7ETA8IT-nUBVLTHfo2Q8P0Y5wekkvhbOvKM7rDCj-DKWn8B-Qf0AkYa2zwPWIPtMYM7eNsYeHhja3bJ4W_gucCZcC5MAUp84Kq65_L9i6zmx4UlsvPaOGMtwy8uqoP/s1600-h/IMG_0008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAb62adYgp3cPaIG7ETA8IT-nUBVLTHfo2Q8P0Y5wekkvhbOvKM7rDCj-DKWn8B-Qf0AkYa2zwPWIPtMYM7eNsYeHhja3bJ4W_gucCZcC5MAUp84Kq65_L9i6zmx4UlsvPaOGMtwy8uqoP/s320/IMG_0008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181877521144800258" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We opted to not do the Copper Mine tour since we had done a tour of a silver mine in Colorado and the operation is similar. We did tour the very interesting Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum. The mining section was created by the Smithsonian.<br /><br />The San Pedro Riparian Conservation area was really a nice change for us: water!! (Riparian refers to an area along a stream or river.) They had some really informative displays. We took a nice self-guided nature walk with a pamphlet. We saw 2 vermillion flycatchers like we did in Belize. It's a gorgeous bird - red and black. We also saw a Harris Hawk, yellow warblers, towhee, and other birds we couldn't identify. We enjoyed seeing the leafing Cottonwood trees along the San Pedro River and the wide plain surrounded by mountains.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkw6tYMAPhg61WzN3lkWbX0sPhuMsbIq9oP2JCv1FedkcOadak6dLOce-UPGaviv-lwgB7iMb4tNxMywAw9REN2G_4x3GuFKPtT__yd8jpJrbfInJN97scvq5SXbAVoHQEB466dhyphenhyphenQkZvi/s1600-h/IMG_0014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkw6tYMAPhg61WzN3lkWbX0sPhuMsbIq9oP2JCv1FedkcOadak6dLOce-UPGaviv-lwgB7iMb4tNxMywAw9REN2G_4x3GuFKPtT__yd8jpJrbfInJN97scvq5SXbAVoHQEB466dhyphenhyphenQkZvi/s320/IMG_0014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181878152504992818" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNpYx5UytKUd4oICCG0tfXiHOVQfrj4sITXgHeiI4ge74VYx6M7z90nUhweZy-ENipyYHrHfRI7htAxmDn_FgirG50eMLttk29pDL2KXNciU1PLlqWQ3dg7vXUg44iw-4wcdPne4qXuhC/s1600-h/IMG_0011Cropped.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNpYx5UytKUd4oICCG0tfXiHOVQfrj4sITXgHeiI4ge74VYx6M7z90nUhweZy-ENipyYHrHfRI7htAxmDn_FgirG50eMLttk29pDL2KXNciU1PLlqWQ3dg7vXUg44iw-4wcdPne4qXuhC/s320/IMG_0011Cropped.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181878143915058210" border="0" /></a><br /><br />One day Doug Ruopp took us to some favorite areas of his: the beautiful Buenos Aires National Wildlife area, where we saw a great blue heron, vermillion flycatchers, and a few other birds and Madera Canyon in Arivaca where we hiked Mt. Baldy. Mt. Baldy was covered with pine trees. It was a great hike from 5600' to about 7000'. It was refreshingly cool as we hiked up. As we passed through Sahuarita we saw acres and acres of pecan orchards. Unfortunately, by the time we got to the orchard store to buy some they were closed.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AFkvv8d4oq13IYSfqrNzy0TgCy5FkbxixmurazPvnMtvAHXBgKraQY8xVeFqfAg1rYUMG_fDpwPDwz61ECCS735OgWUNW1dPNxJYNepVEyov9DE-KGYHra5AAIVArzUEJFAGL5WGMwLp/s1600-h/IMG_0002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AFkvv8d4oq13IYSfqrNzy0TgCy5FkbxixmurazPvnMtvAHXBgKraQY8xVeFqfAg1rYUMG_fDpwPDwz61ECCS735OgWUNW1dPNxJYNepVEyov9DE-KGYHra5AAIVArzUEJFAGL5WGMwLp/s320/IMG_0002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181879084512896066" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMIetsdX6TdsIBZ89qSgEgmnibgFr8jY0KGM7FIruhRC949_znsOiLEp4maZAS7PhQnHnQIXYziDT8nr9OiF0donpOqhSLfvJfmigv3gV2435_wLmRLyXEwpCMjh6uwd0ZDJ6D_ZMCNxUi/s1600-h/IMG_0011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMIetsdX6TdsIBZ89qSgEgmnibgFr8jY0KGM7FIruhRC949_znsOiLEp4maZAS7PhQnHnQIXYziDT8nr9OiF0donpOqhSLfvJfmigv3gV2435_wLmRLyXEwpCMjh6uwd0ZDJ6D_ZMCNxUi/s320/IMG_0011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181879097397797986" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><br />Agua Caliente (hot springs) State Park had a short guided walk that we were so glad we took. The park is gorgeous! It was a former hotsprings resort with lakes. It was a refreshing change from the desert plants even though we knew the palm trees were not native. We saw a number of birds and signs of a bobcat and javelina. There were very cute pintail ducks in the lake and it was fun to see the great horned owl perched in a palm tree.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ1EztPsRkMTP1rcEZz03X2zLgb_TdKV3-pa2BA7T1oTCnCtPQofnp_TmniYdKR13LX8RkxDz6RI3VufDhXT8xplWqeW2gGqg2Gll9nLC9fCBQ_NiR5LUUsW5eVXMYMyUUwanamk1qKu8P/s1600-h/IMG_0013.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ1EztPsRkMTP1rcEZz03X2zLgb_TdKV3-pa2BA7T1oTCnCtPQofnp_TmniYdKR13LX8RkxDz6RI3VufDhXT8xplWqeW2gGqg2Gll9nLC9fCBQ_NiR5LUUsW5eVXMYMyUUwanamk1qKu8P/s320/IMG_0013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181880033700668546" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9b_cO8qMqwkRqxhJpBvVl0yXssv_EpHOCkWUsfYYCpb3oRzKDjnzvYXqNu6uZu78KmthWVEWK1_Zbf7qSHNGvnmjJ14noTd0RN1ACFTTJsUwPdmXMEuIICXHFPLVx77hKNRWFz8uwbNXW/s1600-h/IMG_0012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9b_cO8qMqwkRqxhJpBvVl0yXssv_EpHOCkWUsfYYCpb3oRzKDjnzvYXqNu6uZu78KmthWVEWK1_Zbf7qSHNGvnmjJ14noTd0RN1ACFTTJsUwPdmXMEuIICXHFPLVx77hKNRWFz8uwbNXW/s320/IMG_0012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181880025110733938" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ur5DedNRwFOwlqMtibmCxlBVO0tOzALOZbsOKH5Ua9gu59auQvK1TnDDnZbZdR47v4uWAwXAmsiB_-7H_vvbXOou96oNiQqr8Ljf3yzGTpxZ-B2llo1n75PbG5sfTrXonVvwq9F5V_ak/s1600-h/IMG_0014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ur5DedNRwFOwlqMtibmCxlBVO0tOzALOZbsOKH5Ua9gu59auQvK1TnDDnZbZdR47v4uWAwXAmsiB_-7H_vvbXOou96oNiQqr8Ljf3yzGTpxZ-B2llo1n75PbG5sfTrXonVvwq9F5V_ak/s320/IMG_0014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181880037995635858" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjggho2Pm6_ISprH4oHkK_LjVMuDfyEYcgPVE9cT4RhZyHdeFSEhmHNyZnrgMya4GgxTfRDbQN1ixKC1654w-mrWEL9n8dkBKrE8one6P7uexd48WRCZ3f07k2qgpRm0UFmuKVAKg-JsKeS/s1600-h/IMG_0017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjggho2Pm6_ISprH4oHkK_LjVMuDfyEYcgPVE9cT4RhZyHdeFSEhmHNyZnrgMya4GgxTfRDbQN1ixKC1654w-mrWEL9n8dkBKrE8one6P7uexd48WRCZ3f07k2qgpRm0UFmuKVAKg-JsKeS/s320/IMG_0017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181880042290603170" border="0" /></a>Here's a picture of the Craycoft Drive, on an unusually partly cloudy day, which takes us up to our condo. And here's a typical house in the Ventana Foothills - lovely, isn't it?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9m5Qqq3c-4WiUP1GUybZwiteqZDR_X1TfUWTZcBO-vQNHvDcxqzAjfm3e5-3NscP0jhwQe8HmgV6wpleWCHAb6s9CLsV0OT6XVboSc2FlxSBHMvh6pLdDUAzMadLm4vpBPTbENAcL4jk/s1600-h/IMG_0019.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9m5Qqq3c-4WiUP1GUybZwiteqZDR_X1TfUWTZcBO-vQNHvDcxqzAjfm3e5-3NscP0jhwQe8HmgV6wpleWCHAb6s9CLsV0OT6XVboSc2FlxSBHMvh6pLdDUAzMadLm4vpBPTbENAcL4jk/s320/IMG_0019.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181880557686678706" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEE-x5ESVJXGf2NE0v1dF2TWgxmv0XKAs3dGWAifaWhu9ZspkTgaksNLMn3qMmEuYYovZAlD6H2CsBsbRlXpBDsySvp8NnjJeisrlXkse98dK4vwd5Mc9eknXCsjCGCXP9LXSJwmIYUjYp/s1600-h/IMG_0025.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEE-x5ESVJXGf2NE0v1dF2TWgxmv0XKAs3dGWAifaWhu9ZspkTgaksNLMn3qMmEuYYovZAlD6H2CsBsbRlXpBDsySvp8NnjJeisrlXkse98dK4vwd5Mc9eknXCsjCGCXP9LXSJwmIYUjYp/s320/IMG_0025.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181880566276613314" border="0" /></a>Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-89581088993114647782008-03-17T17:43:00.000-07:002008-12-09T02:26:23.493-08:00Tucson - Week 1<span style="font-weight: bold;">March 1-8.</span> On our way to Tucson we stopped at Fort Bowie in Bowie, AZ. It took a while to actually get there because the GPS kept telling us to turn where there wasn't a road. (We finally got good directions from a man on a tractor.) The fort was a 45 minute hike up a hill to a very picturesque site. Fort Bowie (5000' el.) was on the Overland stage route and the control center for skirmishes with the Apaches. Geronimo finally surrendered here in 1886. There are so many mountains around here that the military communicated with each other using "talking mirrors" on the mountaintops. You can see the remains of most of the 30 some buildings and was finally closed in 1894. There's a small visitor center with lots of historical info and pictures.<br /><br />We were thrilled to finally get to Tucson and see the condo where we were going to spend the month. It's beautiful and sits at the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Our "backyard" is full of stately saguaro cactus.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTf0O63802gThyphenhyphenSyWhogX-CsOq439dXGG_6UYzK_4g1r3HCdLv8_thk4PtlkLKrVUvHEPuynmSZ55G3BbrBUAPlCKd6QX39v1cbJuJM4m5VaWI19YkcYssw3Yx5_GQgRTwK5KWN7ZA0GR/s1600-h/IMG_3593.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTf0O63802gThyphenhyphenSyWhogX-CsOq439dXGG_6UYzK_4g1r3HCdLv8_thk4PtlkLKrVUvHEPuynmSZ55G3BbrBUAPlCKd6QX39v1cbJuJM4m5VaWI19YkcYssw3Yx5_GQgRTwK5KWN7ZA0GR/s320/IMG_3593.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178915042831479666" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9eV44dNGMTBS2Iwk_-dpMcVxChrtwISpVfMEyoG6OF7KUmEwKOxVYMTODJ7hpc7En5oGv_yhENaXOFfEokIMaZg3UM-OU8ge9GIthMnlNDzbFwBTTDJvWixNIjXFHIalYpgh4oUQ68ea6/s1600-h/IMG_3606.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9eV44dNGMTBS2Iwk_-dpMcVxChrtwISpVfMEyoG6OF7KUmEwKOxVYMTODJ7hpc7En5oGv_yhENaXOFfEokIMaZg3UM-OU8ge9GIthMnlNDzbFwBTTDJvWixNIjXFHIalYpgh4oUQ68ea6/s320/IMG_3606.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178915047126446978" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialfbECPBo4toQk7WWsLumjJEfVLvi7A7xCUJ-YdplKkSHkoMehjED2fGmiNhgz6yPb2xx4vq7P2pAEE2lF4-BjCdut1oHxvbuCAVNY1qJ9f8F5y-cYU1GxKntAjhOHAzrGG2IC1B9KF8b/s1600-h/IMG_3567.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialfbECPBo4toQk7WWsLumjJEfVLvi7A7xCUJ-YdplKkSHkoMehjED2fGmiNhgz6yPb2xx4vq7P2pAEE2lF4-BjCdut1oHxvbuCAVNY1qJ9f8F5y-cYU1GxKntAjhOHAzrGG2IC1B9KF8b/s320/IMG_3567.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178915038536512354" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlBJPdk-6hVQMwRqAhisl2Ft3sjZKHLOVeHzEDai0u634iiilwPHsbq6rBkFqZLcxOoBZJRYWlk1u1VP_gcyWrp-9g-1dh08EAavYWMyK1V2-fRqO88NZidtq3aSjN1-3B4hBlaVctkCv/s1600-h/IMG_3572.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlBJPdk-6hVQMwRqAhisl2Ft3sjZKHLOVeHzEDai0u634iiilwPHsbq6rBkFqZLcxOoBZJRYWlk1u1VP_gcyWrp-9g-1dh08EAavYWMyK1V2-fRqO88NZidtq3aSjN1-3B4hBlaVctkCv/s320/IMG_3572.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178915029946577746" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Sandy has been consumed with doing the taxes for our Amherst condo association and our own taxes. Obviously, we are also doing a bit of sightseeing and hiking.<br /><br />We went on a self-guided walk through the downtown following the Presidio Trail (an aqua line painted on the sidewalk). Fort Tucson was the first establishment here in 1775. (The name Tucson is from the local native American tribe (Tohono O'odam) word Chuk Shon meaning "at the black base" of the mountain.) All that's left of the 11 acre fort with 10 foot high walls is one wall. On the trail was also a beautiful renovated plaza (La Placita) with a gazebo where, in the 1880's, the stagecoach would stop. Now it houses the Visitor's Center and lots of small shops and restaurants - very relaxing and beautiful. It was wonderful to see orange trees in peoples yards! Besides a number of other interesting historical buildings we stopped at the Temple of Music & Art. It was built in 1927 and now is the home of the Arizona Theatre Company (where we'll see a play in 2 weeks).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfqM_7rpVenziIsAvl2IxHTD_0ELCQk9x_Hyj6Mtjvolut_7BUGL7EiTJvFqMdL-4z0LzKkItR8Ag0uzmzojD60G1HGQQRWQmlHFMpw8XoNbwmjFxFEGydaH7ITxVCsv_IucYE9qCtKBb/s1600-h/IMG_3579.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfqM_7rpVenziIsAvl2IxHTD_0ELCQk9x_Hyj6Mtjvolut_7BUGL7EiTJvFqMdL-4z0LzKkItR8Ag0uzmzojD60G1HGQQRWQmlHFMpw8XoNbwmjFxFEGydaH7ITxVCsv_IucYE9qCtKBb/s320/IMG_3579.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178917405063492498" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIhuhLpbzfTAVVc4ZJ7XzYtQ3ucBDo0hzOS0nZ5rDO1cth-8_u4QuGi9fHZRMEbEOM1EX1TpNwtcK1CZ_gv4ugizPWSP559AU2d65_uqmaBGmc2QfGjwZFIPxNpqfZHXbyzSL_ocy25bOp/s1600-h/IMG_3584.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIhuhLpbzfTAVVc4ZJ7XzYtQ3ucBDo0hzOS0nZ5rDO1cth-8_u4QuGi9fHZRMEbEOM1EX1TpNwtcK1CZ_gv4ugizPWSP559AU2d65_uqmaBGmc2QfGjwZFIPxNpqfZHXbyzSL_ocy25bOp/s320/IMG_3584.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178917413653427106" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyu1dc2ej_KWbzEUIDZM53TgJK4gAAWXTXHDVpt6As02K-U9kTUzU9ZqG7Qy8wNlb6IFRXtWPCmG0bmvwpu8c3mN3PvycantIOhbR7rdTUsdanNh6NjWTWkWPYQaXIyRGVQEMbjDnrLgb/s1600-h/IMG_3588.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyu1dc2ej_KWbzEUIDZM53TgJK4gAAWXTXHDVpt6As02K-U9kTUzU9ZqG7Qy8wNlb6IFRXtWPCmG0bmvwpu8c3mN3PvycantIOhbR7rdTUsdanNh6NjWTWkWPYQaXIyRGVQEMbjDnrLgb/s320/IMG_3588.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178917417948394418" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPBhLE0QRODtRoC02KA_FVSjtKZAJNoYZYbAI_NLPfvRCcHXIxEFu_ZOmx8riYfeqoawGFrHRf3TYke3QI29iLRTuzppZjdATjv9BAhB9EBzKqdsZ0rCtP6ukS-jb-vd9uFKDAyCJf4gg/s1600-h/IMG_3590.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPBhLE0QRODtRoC02KA_FVSjtKZAJNoYZYbAI_NLPfvRCcHXIxEFu_ZOmx8riYfeqoawGFrHRf3TYke3QI29iLRTuzppZjdATjv9BAhB9EBzKqdsZ0rCtP6ukS-jb-vd9uFKDAyCJf4gg/s320/IMG_3590.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178917426538329026" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It was a beautiful, sunny day for our downtown visit. The only downside was returning to our parking lot and discovering that our front license plate was missing! Well, it could have been taken anywhere from Big Bend until that day. We had to file a police report and will hold on to the report in case we get stopped by the police when we come back to Massachusetts in May. Then we'll have to get new plates. I guess we should be thankful both plates weren't taken.<br /><br />The Ventana Canyon Trail is accessible from our development. It's a very cool trail because it's narrow, has lots of stream crossings (you step on the rocks), and takes you a couple hours up the mountain if that's what you want to do. We also hiked the Sabino Canyon about 15 minutes east. Some of the saguaro is huge and the skeleton is really interesting. Native Americans had a number of uses for the balsa-wood like sticks from the skeletons.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJzHNVCJAhmuSv1iRPzk-_8v5wdhRdIXjwrKx2yHf8yZfid7Yh7FspwWe3Pfq3Y_VRmsMhRq18Jyv23bqiijWZLnzHhfUkqKqwl2mm0P7bqSqtIxoLBdmN2crJelyQaABANJ44HkNc14o-/s1600-h/IMG_3608.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJzHNVCJAhmuSv1iRPzk-_8v5wdhRdIXjwrKx2yHf8yZfid7Yh7FspwWe3Pfq3Y_VRmsMhRq18Jyv23bqiijWZLnzHhfUkqKqwl2mm0P7bqSqtIxoLBdmN2crJelyQaABANJ44HkNc14o-/s320/IMG_3608.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178922434470196306" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmXR_Gz7JAJgHi-tJ6D1Tj4Wx615HvzLLdiZPpGKwb-qWGOPbln1szOnJK6xsDReu5FQQoI3O0RGVXokcSMiXSaxu_edJJTHWStgjNLVeKuCFtUWSk_iYKnBtaMnTdVFPXK60E6Ch13Uw/s1600-h/IMG_3626.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmXR_Gz7JAJgHi-tJ6D1Tj4Wx615HvzLLdiZPpGKwb-qWGOPbln1szOnJK6xsDReu5FQQoI3O0RGVXokcSMiXSaxu_edJJTHWStgjNLVeKuCFtUWSk_iYKnBtaMnTdVFPXK60E6Ch13Uw/s320/IMG_3626.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178918951251719170" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZCoetBf_YL8P8XN3kcaXHfMVBRkcKknmyqjHZBKcA7FU7aCf272S81DWU87PWrE3gImSCCbEcJV5GQtpyjMzB6O-8YKo3bspgoctaY04pJ-hiGDNcjyXD7fkIj2v-i3SDgDXgbPntOOS/s1600-h/IMG_3618.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZCoetBf_YL8P8XN3kcaXHfMVBRkcKknmyqjHZBKcA7FU7aCf272S81DWU87PWrE3gImSCCbEcJV5GQtpyjMzB6O-8YKo3bspgoctaY04pJ-hiGDNcjyXD7fkIj2v-i3SDgDXgbPntOOS/s320/IMG_3618.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178918942661784562" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbn28qavBTPpD8Dqf8RrOXwR6j0LGEbEV4ByH0lp7g59Fem8iOWuKLjaXpNoFU23Um-BZ_QBuNzOu5bOUYDoGAphjv1Cyrom5Kj4GhtH-xt4M77wmkaTfGgWy26yMFnxRirwlvuhPRE53g/s1600-h/IMG_3610.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbn28qavBTPpD8Dqf8RrOXwR6j0LGEbEV4ByH0lp7g59Fem8iOWuKLjaXpNoFU23Um-BZ_QBuNzOu5bOUYDoGAphjv1Cyrom5Kj4GhtH-xt4M77wmkaTfGgWy26yMFnxRirwlvuhPRE53g/s320/IMG_3610.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178918934071849954" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The weather has been in the mid to high 70's during the day and in the high 40's at night - a refreshing change from Texas and New Mexico weather.<br /><br />We had George Sierra, our "stepson" from the Amherst ABC house, over for dinner and had a great visit. We hadn't since him since Denver in July 2006. He works in Tucson at the Starr Resort, a 5 star resort!<br /><br />For nighttime entertainment we've been watching Season 1 of the TV show "24". We love it!<br /><br />We took in a spring training game between the Arizona Diamondbacks & the Chicago Cubs. It wasn't too exciting until the last 2 innings. AZ had been behind until the 7th inning and ended up winning. It was a really nice stadium and we enjoyed talking with some other retirees from Michigan.<br /><br />We also went to a University of Arizona softball game. We knew they were outstanding because of their wins against UMass and their NCAA wins (the last ones in 2006 and 2007). Wow! We were impressed. They won 18-2. There were a bunch of people in their 70's and 80's near us who seemed to know all the players. It was a really nice stadium with a board that showed a picture of the player when she was up. Definitely more money has been put into it than UMass's stadium.<br /><br />We had a great visit to Biosphere2 in Oracle, northwest of Tucson. It was opened in 1991 by Space Biospheres Ventures as a human experiment living off the land in a closed air environment. There were different ecosystems for small animals, insects, plants, and areas to grow their food. There were also "lungs" which compensated for the heavy cold air at night replacing the warm daytime air. Two problems arose: they couldn't grow as much food as they needed and they ran out of oxygen (fake hills made from cement were absorbing it!). Besides the tour it really meant a lot to hear a talk by Jane Poynter, one of the people who lived there from 1991-1993. Her book, "The Human Experiment," describes how the 8 people (4 men, 4 women) struggled socially.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzvhcOG9dZPDnoQyxGSaCQig-pxPUFbKZWLOh52_EpK3dqsA3R4o-2JqVRtsCEpfJS0De62zsb3uj_s7OCq-rZHzrO4861RIkJU4z9oKmoH9ieXLlponPcd2Rexgo6eysR6WZWbW0I3p9j/s1600-h/IMG_0003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzvhcOG9dZPDnoQyxGSaCQig-pxPUFbKZWLOh52_EpK3dqsA3R4o-2JqVRtsCEpfJS0De62zsb3uj_s7OCq-rZHzrO4861RIkJU4z9oKmoH9ieXLlponPcd2Rexgo6eysR6WZWbW0I3p9j/s320/IMG_0003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178920390065763346" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdurmZm53lAKULvr2k3_PlD1rk8iqr1LT9_XFpejbd9C8gil4kn7vZNlkS_IcCKpnB01bOeKq9VIYDwD4ulldVqXd_feahM7Cjutfk2HEYUQCyVNQ2k1zXCa3qSgKy4SMDpIh7yExm575/s1600-h/IMG_0007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdurmZm53lAKULvr2k3_PlD1rk8iqr1LT9_XFpejbd9C8gil4kn7vZNlkS_IcCKpnB01bOeKq9VIYDwD4ulldVqXd_feahM7Cjutfk2HEYUQCyVNQ2k1zXCa3qSgKy4SMDpIh7yExm575/s320/IMG_0007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178920402950665266" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEVOh_m3GIfOpolcS6q2Xl2VMEXWlqJNXxLRSW5fdAZPgm2dhfvgzq03xCiQ1-rWkwDwFhEbBzuanOg0v3lnCERQmp6qnoaDECSzWlRB8GjUABtQVlx-pY1FbTFwxow7jW1NF2HQ2VwX-7/s1600-h/IMG_0005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEVOh_m3GIfOpolcS6q2Xl2VMEXWlqJNXxLRSW5fdAZPgm2dhfvgzq03xCiQ1-rWkwDwFhEbBzuanOg0v3lnCERQmp6qnoaDECSzWlRB8GjUABtQVlx-pY1FbTFwxow7jW1NF2HQ2VwX-7/s320/IMG_0005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178920398655697954" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46nNZUzRsyIAZ9-B62qKR3ennUgx0yIOvklckFvZTb91m8FRHa9eusWoqs-FYRZPLqOBsJlwBcMjRpS7-7Lh4lNbVxWjy_kCE8dUq5kQXVkqQrOGkslOk6XYH8cqTPpFV9C7AV-s63dno/s1600-h/IMG_0009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46nNZUzRsyIAZ9-B62qKR3ennUgx0yIOvklckFvZTb91m8FRHa9eusWoqs-FYRZPLqOBsJlwBcMjRpS7-7Lh4lNbVxWjy_kCE8dUq5kQXVkqQrOGkslOk6XYH8cqTPpFV9C7AV-s63dno/s320/IMG_0009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178920411540599874" border="0" /></a>Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-56232265243647247542008-02-26T19:03:00.000-08:002008-12-09T02:26:28.173-08:00On the Road to Tucson (4) Carlsbad & Las Cruces<span style="font-weight: bold;">February 26-27, 2008. </span>Carlsbad Caverns National Park has to be the most impressive natural wonder that we've ever seen. We've been to a few caves, including Mammoth Cave, but none compare to the immense rooms and fantastic creations in Carlsbad. Words cannot adequately describe this awesome park. And neither can pictures but I did get a few decent ones.<br /><br />Carlsbad is in southeast New Mexico within the Guadalupe Mountains of the Chihuahuan Desert. The cave was discovered in the late 1800's by a cowboy who saw bats emerge. He was intrigued and began exploring the cave. It was not formed by flowing water as Mammoth Cave was. It began forming 250 million years ago as a 400 mile long reef of a large sea composed of sponges, algae and seashells. As the sea retreated the reef was buried under salts and gypsum and cracks developed. A million years ago there was an uplift of the tectonic plate which allowed rain to seep down through the cracks. The stalactites and stalagmites began forming about 500,000 years ago from hydrogen sulfide mixing with water to form sulfuric acid which dissolved the limestone. The result was calcite hardening on the outside of the drips. It was amazing to think that the formations we were looking at formed so long ago. (From late March to October you can hear a talk about the bats and see them leave their cave at dusk. But right now they're still in warmer Mexico.)<br /><br />We arrived in time to do a self-guided walk into the Big Room using the Natural Entrance. The cave is 56 degrees and the biggest room is 1075 feet tall. We spent about 2 hours down there! Here are pictures of the area outside the cave, the natural entrance and the long switchbacks down to the bottom. You can also take the elevator down which they make everyone take back up. (They were renovating the Visitor Center which was supposed to reopen in June.)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyf-smVhvofs5LTS-1jy3SRoYC3h52QxeiMsQxJY3c5EdfHo2NFJ46SJWPZyVfoLmPYWwkK9gio8nrbTVxCcqECyzoll3S-ylLV6mLJ7I2tvI4nUlnjXp56JEM2Qgv3aMUkf_uquBpg0c/s1600-h/IMG_3522.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyf-smVhvofs5LTS-1jy3SRoYC3h52QxeiMsQxJY3c5EdfHo2NFJ46SJWPZyVfoLmPYWwkK9gio8nrbTVxCcqECyzoll3S-ylLV6mLJ7I2tvI4nUlnjXp56JEM2Qgv3aMUkf_uquBpg0c/s320/IMG_3522.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176575337922146690" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLE0ie_aloQgZgMqD4P2mXpud1D8jyv39EC8UjpnayrzR3kVKol8LS6A60fpMlD_MBpxmLb0_4bTHsr7da6jaWDdDrXnT4juFIjiM_3guAHILJcZA72gD5uaK_2MTFDud_L53vVA74j3k/s1600-h/IMG_3378.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLE0ie_aloQgZgMqD4P2mXpud1D8jyv39EC8UjpnayrzR3kVKol8LS6A60fpMlD_MBpxmLb0_4bTHsr7da6jaWDdDrXnT4juFIjiM_3guAHILJcZA72gD5uaK_2MTFDud_L53vVA74j3k/s320/IMG_3378.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176575273497637218" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzuP1HklOOjTVSv7RH-YT2089wzAJaVGhpWoxzA6zi4oqadXxMkPv_SwPfZEEbkDo-Nlw2-DIHX3KJVWZ44J9pyImPba9IeAX4jLKRXtmjQNTZmQzFslKAPQp4WWep8iHH94cMcdLvg94/s1600-h/IMG_3520.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzuP1HklOOjTVSv7RH-YT2089wzAJaVGhpWoxzA6zi4oqadXxMkPv_SwPfZEEbkDo-Nlw2-DIHX3KJVWZ44J9pyImPba9IeAX4jLKRXtmjQNTZmQzFslKAPQp4WWep8iHH94cMcdLvg94/s320/IMG_3520.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176575256317768018" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />There are a number of different kinds of formations in the cave. I don't have a name for the first one but the next ones are drapery, straws, and popcorn.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPhkbuJyyGmhYfpvNAlJlaz0tBpCs9tkM6J1rjy3YjXC9cul2xyIuTBM22v_1mRmEAURNd67Edi-Gb0KDMESYj_e7GdzhLTquFWHsxYh84LOXjAPHsMlcyXoAWGr1yQwLv6u9E1GmHxM/s1600-h/IMG_3389.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPhkbuJyyGmhYfpvNAlJlaz0tBpCs9tkM6J1rjy3YjXC9cul2xyIuTBM22v_1mRmEAURNd67Edi-Gb0KDMESYj_e7GdzhLTquFWHsxYh84LOXjAPHsMlcyXoAWGr1yQwLv6u9E1GmHxM/s320/IMG_3389.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176576579167695250" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3F5W32ni5YgowrPdsHUFZ8TG7NB68Sy8njc5XhNGOJb7o_QquERRteSCcqkhUL1TL89QhKBABXgvba5gUnxHrqEPizVISGNz65m1m154GoFa9N_jUXON-s20hY1oslc6D5Lnmm1HM3iM/s1600-h/IMG_3403.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3F5W32ni5YgowrPdsHUFZ8TG7NB68Sy8njc5XhNGOJb7o_QquERRteSCcqkhUL1TL89QhKBABXgvba5gUnxHrqEPizVISGNz65m1m154GoFa9N_jUXON-s20hY1oslc6D5Lnmm1HM3iM/s320/IMG_3403.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176576604937499058" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIyHM5TM1oLNxfyXo5VmHLkuTekntSBbUpPPDGi7KiCLeV_jKcWk_4ipfQJ3YRnCS2wHu5e40KQGtWkoHUTGQXd20KQe1bClSCLx8r0QQ9JzVWbKLTyJi38Yqfke8AjhATxO6eMK-OBIE/s1600-h/IMG_3391.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIyHM5TM1oLNxfyXo5VmHLkuTekntSBbUpPPDGi7KiCLeV_jKcWk_4ipfQJ3YRnCS2wHu5e40KQGtWkoHUTGQXd20KQe1bClSCLx8r0QQ9JzVWbKLTyJi38Yqfke8AjhATxO6eMK-OBIE/s320/IMG_3391.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176576596347564450" border="0" /></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmUZl_Ujh2iC-UNtl3KlVN1nTr_ywSvYXOEOcATQWIsrvyNDXHo3PBd6_erHWIBQX-IQJBjmDSSBC1qBgXJPWT1bYllCxRYNWn_r2wSo9zA7ekDzR8L2IH7vxHG2B0rlmJI9dyLmSTXI/s1600-h/IMG_3414.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmUZl_Ujh2iC-UNtl3KlVN1nTr_ywSvYXOEOcATQWIsrvyNDXHo3PBd6_erHWIBQX-IQJBjmDSSBC1qBgXJPWT1bYllCxRYNWn_r2wSo9zA7ekDzR8L2IH7vxHG2B0rlmJI9dyLmSTXI/s320/IMG_3414.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176576617822400962" border="0" /></a>Here are some interesting formations from the Big Room.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0Hgwn9Eay5Kpdgj5bY0fWwkqaxXZuAFqdj3zGVFZ2PY-3Ty90uVgjm5tbid3v2KwCO4rliaSgbQjw7DGYLCAFrHSKYDcVYmYBHb6eu9PBHLr4yR0MbNPuO_Q6MJKCi7cSnuMAMFeAig/s1600-h/IMG_3456.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0Hgwn9Eay5Kpdgj5bY0fWwkqaxXZuAFqdj3zGVFZ2PY-3Ty90uVgjm5tbid3v2KwCO4rliaSgbQjw7DGYLCAFrHSKYDcVYmYBHb6eu9PBHLr4yR0MbNPuO_Q6MJKCi7cSnuMAMFeAig/s320/IMG_3456.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176577373736645090" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_wyfL_neIFMLAzlhNMPeXs0YqMWW5X66XFjK9HxZPAWTnpRstv01BtK7zjYkKdG4rDkGzabWWV3Hjta5YviCKxq_S85R6rc5D31oSiFmDF94dTuY_QsqAEDlSVwctsYjx9150IHbJLw/s1600-h/IMG_3433.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_wyfL_neIFMLAzlhNMPeXs0YqMWW5X66XFjK9HxZPAWTnpRstv01BtK7zjYkKdG4rDkGzabWWV3Hjta5YviCKxq_S85R6rc5D31oSiFmDF94dTuY_QsqAEDlSVwctsYjx9150IHbJLw/s320/IMG_3433.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176577360851743186" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We took 2 guided tours. The first was the Left-hand Tunnel where we went in with candle lanterns. Here are some formations from that tunnel.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4dJv-jVmYTYOyH8Zql3Ql4lrRVX0G1yctWrGOiTo-v6zGsFlz8xNxXhxhXpbqspuWg2chCqpGBT59eLwu08YdL1b0FQR5d2anbyw47fKkQvdY9AcnbDOtYSVcPZAZqX8Dg3MVw9HSMbo/s1600-h/IMG_3469.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4dJv-jVmYTYOyH8Zql3Ql4lrRVX0G1yctWrGOiTo-v6zGsFlz8xNxXhxhXpbqspuWg2chCqpGBT59eLwu08YdL1b0FQR5d2anbyw47fKkQvdY9AcnbDOtYSVcPZAZqX8Dg3MVw9HSMbo/s320/IMG_3469.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176578318629450258" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqBEtTCKcXGgNtDDb95h5YDjRhOGLgBrRImCr9hocdrErmpg6n0DqWD8SZX6DtTvCAzwS5hQTl5GPNYw0VSYVXa5DdFvykp_8SDKN5L4ypnzk5Lp1jcZfxjqZbECNSywos3K5rubaqpc/s1600-h/IMG_3465.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqBEtTCKcXGgNtDDb95h5YDjRhOGLgBrRImCr9hocdrErmpg6n0DqWD8SZX6DtTvCAzwS5hQTl5GPNYw0VSYVXa5DdFvykp_8SDKN5L4ypnzk5Lp1jcZfxjqZbECNSywos3K5rubaqpc/s320/IMG_3465.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176578305744548354" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pFTCwFouDhyphenhyphenGx140b2VG-gkJEpWYGKtwm1tW57Kzs8P90qFHYGSahKMTg7_edCm6NAS_tjdBPd8F4W3iCTmPHGnz6Ok8R0yBpGq6g5dhfmCDCw9cXw3OIb-KQPUDPt3z8bKwrLb7XaE/s1600-h/IMG_3463.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pFTCwFouDhyphenhyphenGx140b2VG-gkJEpWYGKtwm1tW57Kzs8P90qFHYGSahKMTg7_edCm6NAS_tjdBPd8F4W3iCTmPHGnz6Ok8R0yBpGq6g5dhfmCDCw9cXw3OIb-KQPUDPt3z8bKwrLb7XaE/s320/IMG_3463.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176578297154613746" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The tour of King's Palace was much more impressive with its huge rooms and interesting formations. Both guides gave pretty much the same general information. Some of these pictures may be from the Big Room since after the tour we spent another hour walking around and gawking at the formations.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqomdCl-NiL8D-8ddMd9-JXM4IZOiRwHRuWm4BPjaBB8vaDvvj-s4to-lvx73CoKI9ZNL3A4UPEuK8aBQ8Om7uT9tNKT2_FpLDAgdXCk7u-iCHLhx4SxVsXbCs4pyb7r7vo5Iw0HCVkZ0/s1600-h/IMG_3507.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqomdCl-NiL8D-8ddMd9-JXM4IZOiRwHRuWm4BPjaBB8vaDvvj-s4to-lvx73CoKI9ZNL3A4UPEuK8aBQ8Om7uT9tNKT2_FpLDAgdXCk7u-iCHLhx4SxVsXbCs4pyb7r7vo5Iw0HCVkZ0/s320/IMG_3507.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176579877702578802" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBq4EsWxlhtoStAnAFhBHurUEw9KhZiPE3tvEBfVDweOeT153rwOFUwsNOKfaDbbQEIOCSfl0Z80cdYa-UXlrY4G0a8rDvbAYuKNRPfY7xhiWeACVtebiJdAuheXrBAQqCwnrtvUCuMkI/s1600-h/IMG_3506.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBq4EsWxlhtoStAnAFhBHurUEw9KhZiPE3tvEBfVDweOeT153rwOFUwsNOKfaDbbQEIOCSfl0Z80cdYa-UXlrY4G0a8rDvbAYuKNRPfY7xhiWeACVtebiJdAuheXrBAQqCwnrtvUCuMkI/s320/IMG_3506.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176579233457484386" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8T5ECSgI8qCTyec-UWSynE89N7iCQW3Er7Yf1q9a83hITzTSY7TB7EqWG9tjG8tkFTq6-526q2X6oKm6MZwjgMCV81p7W3jDFaq1XjHvO3OxT37zNc3wUfBRKv5uhExYjo9uOlw3JOrc/s1600-h/IMG_3502.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8T5ECSgI8qCTyec-UWSynE89N7iCQW3Er7Yf1q9a83hITzTSY7TB7EqWG9tjG8tkFTq6-526q2X6oKm6MZwjgMCV81p7W3jDFaq1XjHvO3OxT37zNc3wUfBRKv5uhExYjo9uOlw3JOrc/s320/IMG_3502.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176579220572582482" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR2HsaPM3TqrbAikNr14VqB_JuZIXmlNHiQTywhZ_DZEpSFCdssIQ4OLtiyAPj6b80mVYt7veX98z1UKEHQF8zFlLPiHJ2qhN7dtjED4ilDBjoL15Dm93DKnhANGmWFy8URKoJEZOkUm0/s1600-h/IMG_3492.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR2HsaPM3TqrbAikNr14VqB_JuZIXmlNHiQTywhZ_DZEpSFCdssIQ4OLtiyAPj6b80mVYt7veX98z1UKEHQF8zFlLPiHJ2qhN7dtjED4ilDBjoL15Dm93DKnhANGmWFy8URKoJEZOkUm0/s320/IMG_3492.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176579211982647874" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_lI4EQZPKAkCoWGM_wu9rKMfgSZzwDzXhYyocvrWAQpBbFIu2pgMsQPvXa7yqLYmigES1bOuMDvLvKF6FS3GxefRTP4BVqTdYCiR21d-aRy4eQBwGVllU_i2PRuAQIpUUMHT-PvlM04/s1600-h/IMG_3486.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_lI4EQZPKAkCoWGM_wu9rKMfgSZzwDzXhYyocvrWAQpBbFIu2pgMsQPvXa7yqLYmigES1bOuMDvLvKF6FS3GxefRTP4BVqTdYCiR21d-aRy4eQBwGVllU_i2PRuAQIpUUMHT-PvlM04/s320/IMG_3486.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176579203392713266" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBAW0kNAnLe5LJzZPOX0yGeE0F2UyDiwqcRFVvF2f8rxUVMm-scPA44xLs3LgrMY0IkHH0UwLdRhNiwqDVithwzwuCCbgYaTQx1K6xq6ZesOT1gZNvRHawk6jaYYlnN3IhThTTxKXlVdc/s1600-h/IMG_3481.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBAW0kNAnLe5LJzZPOX0yGeE0F2UyDiwqcRFVvF2f8rxUVMm-scPA44xLs3LgrMY0IkHH0UwLdRhNiwqDVithwzwuCCbgYaTQx1K6xq6ZesOT1gZNvRHawk6jaYYlnN3IhThTTxKXlVdc/s320/IMG_3481.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176579186212844066" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />February 28-29, 2008. </span>Las Cruces, New Mexico isn't all that far from the border of Mexico so here and there in northern Texas and around Las Cruces there are Border Patrol stops. At one the officer saw we were from Massachusetts, asked where, and told us he was from Gardner and his aunt lived in Northampton!<br /><br />We went to a small Natural History Museum at a mall which was a really good children's museum. We also went to a museum at the New Mexico State University where there were interesting exhibits on the depression in that area and pottery. We walked around the gorgeous campus and found the theater that was having a production. The next night we enjoyed the play, "Reckless" by Craig Lucas. It was really, really enjoyable and well done by the students.<br /><br />Dripping Springs was where we decided to hike. It was all uphill but had an interesting old mountain camp which was turned into a TB sanatorium in the early 1900's.<br /><br />After reading an article in the USA Today we decided to check out White Sands National Monument. We are so glad we did. It was amazing. It's at about 4000' elevation. Imagine 275 total square miles of dunes, if you can. Only 115 square miles are actually located within White Sands National Monument, the rest are part of the White Sands Missile Range. There was a great Visitor Center with a short movie and displays. We learned that these sand dunes are like no other because the sand is made of gypsum. The simplified explanation is that gypsum leaches out of the mountains when it rains, dries up, crystallizes and gets blown away. This obviously has gone on for thousands of years. And every year the dunes move a few inches to the northeast (away from the missile range). Some have vegetation: yucca, small trees and shrubs and some are bare. It looked like huge snow drifts. One interesting thing is that because of all the blowing sand they actually have to use a snow plow on the roads!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogb06sp19sBhBoVQTYjanCm34Bgh6u_1n856x0054-S757s1C9ERWcWNIj11vlA4n7q2kWZiNE1fOOuie3KiMgNxrv7Zj0EAWqCgiL0ndX6m131unARWV163SU6_AxeM2P4EK_d3QRhVS/s1600-h/IMG_3541.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogb06sp19sBhBoVQTYjanCm34Bgh6u_1n856x0054-S757s1C9ERWcWNIj11vlA4n7q2kWZiNE1fOOuie3KiMgNxrv7Zj0EAWqCgiL0ndX6m131unARWV163SU6_AxeM2P4EK_d3QRhVS/s320/IMG_3541.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176581037343748786" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGR7A3y-YrQR2nzRBP0W6giGXYLqb9XgJXoq2O4pXKOj_NCeyyv_aOgrLsTRU5j2Bnco5txEcg4QvYKYdmgg85MdZtQ6tj5gf-fj241lJ10c5dPlaK8KEYf2gdzGJRxWJELGMD4Ggwd_A/s1600-h/IMG_3536.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGR7A3y-YrQR2nzRBP0W6giGXYLqb9XgJXoq2O4pXKOj_NCeyyv_aOgrLsTRU5j2Bnco5txEcg4QvYKYdmgg85MdZtQ6tj5gf-fj241lJ10c5dPlaK8KEYf2gdzGJRxWJELGMD4Ggwd_A/s320/IMG_3536.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176581028753814178" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4Iv58AqeQf9nTasyBti8NWQr3L2Qixis2SKjWJmX17PQSZne8MHX_0rnRH7zq1Ugk-LsJbkse50SReWoz5YVBk_kiFtoiYR0Wy48dG001qds7k5porETYqEzIwQohZYLoNopEw9bb1Y/s1600-h/IMG_3533.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4Iv58AqeQf9nTasyBti8NWQr3L2Qixis2SKjWJmX17PQSZne8MHX_0rnRH7zq1Ugk-LsJbkse50SReWoz5YVBk_kiFtoiYR0Wy48dG001qds7k5porETYqEzIwQohZYLoNopEw9bb1Y/s320/IMG_3533.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176581020163879570" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pU1Lh-JmaJcjzuJOeBCmMg-eCxPhe5Lv9Bdh901Y7lQUiOuTJTq-z-AkghSHUulcxFZkYgK7TaKu3xq-S2nQPnUSgsOCaEMVVThGdvxuDKA6lxKBZPPis6BDxNfpNIqQxdFd2movSc0/s1600-h/IMG_3529.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pU1Lh-JmaJcjzuJOeBCmMg-eCxPhe5Lv9Bdh901Y7lQUiOuTJTq-z-AkghSHUulcxFZkYgK7TaKu3xq-S2nQPnUSgsOCaEMVVThGdvxuDKA6lxKBZPPis6BDxNfpNIqQxdFd2movSc0/s320/IMG_3529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176581011573944962" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Because of blowing sand and the heat, here is their unique set-up for picnic tables.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEi6risK5QQbP-dIDNkD97vZVIzcy32uFKIYvKj7AJHRnrt4lTeF4Z-ZoTePf6lVvBFH9FVg1IHfKJ_ypooZdTh69wE7sMGItUo45zUo4AOXy7Qg-MsWFFQwzojhBDNtsi8ateDI52hMJp/s1600-h/IMG_3543.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEi6risK5QQbP-dIDNkD97vZVIzcy32uFKIYvKj7AJHRnrt4lTeF4Z-ZoTePf6lVvBFH9FVg1IHfKJ_ypooZdTh69wE7sMGItUo45zUo4AOXy7Qg-MsWFFQwzojhBDNtsi8ateDI52hMJp/s320/IMG_3543.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176581685883810514" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We decided to do the 4.5 mile round trip Alkali Flat Trail. (Finally, after 2 miles we reached the "flats.") It was only 75 degrees but felt like 85 with the reflection of the sand. Fortunately there wasn't blowing sand but there was a breeze. It was a hike unlike any other. We walked up and down sand dunes following stakes that were trail markers. In a few places we saw the top 2 inches of trail markers and then new ones they had put in! You can see how tall some of the dunes were. Here I am next to one. It was exhausting but really a very cool hike.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBmPrw-NDkMj66JncjmYYRzxoUbdSwv74jk8CNYcQd579cy7z4HH9MyZQhYEZDySAzkaj-rsAWvym08yo0btAk9trEnAMvTB8B7nafKBlpCdMAD7Q6-V15fqQe2EhUxS67hebkv5gXi5s/s1600-h/IMG_3558.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBmPrw-NDkMj66JncjmYYRzxoUbdSwv74jk8CNYcQd579cy7z4HH9MyZQhYEZDySAzkaj-rsAWvym08yo0btAk9trEnAMvTB8B7nafKBlpCdMAD7Q6-V15fqQe2EhUxS67hebkv5gXi5s/s320/IMG_3558.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176584782555231026" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRu0BP15YIPX2WtHBW2jIJZYrnrEvz3Q39hTvAQDzAxHg9jLH0zq2qqQgsCCarX_QhZQj-XQugWXComXRn4aXxOP5hoCJpHB9_FYaX8def7lE6wVDuSq0bZnYf2OSBAfg_97dcX-RdWaH/s1600-h/IMG_3553.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRu0BP15YIPX2WtHBW2jIJZYrnrEvz3Q39hTvAQDzAxHg9jLH0zq2qqQgsCCarX_QhZQj-XQugWXComXRn4aXxOP5hoCJpHB9_FYaX8def7lE6wVDuSq0bZnYf2OSBAfg_97dcX-RdWaH/s320/IMG_3553.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176584761080394530" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQA3yYQBBuEW3gwbV2Orhx7mEOoFxuP6Vm7Hy2J-jX2pCbgv2Ty8cgu9IRq_tSazpM8m5onwmzNlA78FAUHHH_WZ03afu2nw_AlQZjJSKZ7ZzbPpVtsgEcEQMGKXVj50r7kBVv93l8ewAV/s1600-h/IMG_3550.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQA3yYQBBuEW3gwbV2Orhx7mEOoFxuP6Vm7Hy2J-jX2pCbgv2Ty8cgu9IRq_tSazpM8m5onwmzNlA78FAUHHH_WZ03afu2nw_AlQZjJSKZ7ZzbPpVtsgEcEQMGKXVj50r7kBVv93l8ewAV/s320/IMG_3550.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176584752490459922" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-tTnf41tlzJf8PIAd2ZT5muli9UQSpfVM_q6Zkf66hNDSmmV4UymN0BO1TgwIjdyhk0Ztm_KOWwHUYZaJbY2WMvLa33N3gbFftBB_7q7dZwLJUQTx7Xu8psXYnnLFk19TJkqmLxdoJRPJ/s1600-h/IMG_3538.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-tTnf41tlzJf8PIAd2ZT5muli9UQSpfVM_q6Zkf66hNDSmmV4UymN0BO1TgwIjdyhk0Ztm_KOWwHUYZaJbY2WMvLa33N3gbFftBB_7q7dZwLJUQTx7Xu8psXYnnLFk19TJkqmLxdoJRPJ/s320/IMG_3538.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176582145445311234" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Y9yAgvoC-Y3dK_bujgTf3YJJstYLJFrxnGcl6XDVuIWY8w0fdJCN5KMpm_bx9dERkP1bnKYyS1tmZqjHa4GxSsB83aKNt6mpwwSt3RpLXaGvOWqFDdGEUnw83dHBeIQkcbiCs67T7ipF/s1600-h/IMG_3546.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Y9yAgvoC-Y3dK_bujgTf3YJJstYLJFrxnGcl6XDVuIWY8w0fdJCN5KMpm_bx9dERkP1bnKYyS1tmZqjHa4GxSsB83aKNt6mpwwSt3RpLXaGvOWqFDdGEUnw83dHBeIQkcbiCs67T7ipF/s320/IMG_3546.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176582136855376626" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEGEIFkuAsADVVyIGDF7tV8-W3wcY3aMrYbobWy7VjsuDevG8Y0-f-ZrBQTE3EFzM7dRBXW1wuf4mHWI1AV77pj6Mz0l-lW-WeBYdbJOqo6tcA6DPWwgaBiwapyT2ZLM5GNjXwce5f4SW/s1600-h/IMG_3539.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEGEIFkuAsADVVyIGDF7tV8-W3wcY3aMrYbobWy7VjsuDevG8Y0-f-ZrBQTE3EFzM7dRBXW1wuf4mHWI1AV77pj6Mz0l-lW-WeBYdbJOqo6tcA6DPWwgaBiwapyT2ZLM5GNjXwce5f4SW/s320/IMG_3539.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176582128265442018" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />At one point we met a couple of retired teachers from London, Ontario (Brian and Bernie Legg). We started talking about retirement travel and found out that they rented a friend's condo in Ft. Myers every November-December. Not only that but it's in Heritage Palms where the Hurwitz's condo is. We exchanged emails and plan on reconnecting next winter.<br /><br />Here's a typical scene from northern Texas and southern New Mexico, an oil rig.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNd9aDO8dXtQRMmZ7URfw5bmtlX5FB7mwgXJikzdKTfYSCF-gUL5FR_3pRh8vcjP2sdHncUFQSnVoqpT2gAzjNHstWE16Ke6GS3YSeqH-Eq_DcngBTCK-DtBrYi2QOAkpWR_bLM3wdso9/s1600-h/IMG_3376.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNd9aDO8dXtQRMmZ7URfw5bmtlX5FB7mwgXJikzdKTfYSCF-gUL5FR_3pRh8vcjP2sdHncUFQSnVoqpT2gAzjNHstWE16Ke6GS3YSeqH-Eq_DcngBTCK-DtBrYi2QOAkpWR_bLM3wdso9/s320/IMG_3376.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176585538469475138" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next adventure: March in Tucson, Arizona.</span>Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-31894410515163112972008-02-26T19:02:00.002-08:002008-12-09T02:26:31.157-08:00On the Road to Tucson (3) Big Bend National Park<span style="font-weight: bold;">February 23-25.</span> Big Bend National Park is located in southwest Texas on the Rio Grande River bordering Mexico. It's huge! It's a really desolate area but it has a stark beauty. There are mountains, desert, and water!<br /><br />We stayed at the Chisos Mining Co. Hotel in Terlingua since we wanted a kitchen. It was basic but it did have AC and worked out fine. There was a nice sunset one night and the stars we saw reminded us of the Grand Canyon.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpddpUUectIKZdcfD1gJRnqgqtce_9vDSttTTzazQpBX5mzuvJV0buuxm5r-1pUmRAX48M1KK4mqRdxh9D6srWvL3q-_8jiFQvEX1ynwpHzk1O0E9bYseksa6NcpLgNY1xy2t8U0ymLY/s1600-h/IMG_3372.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpddpUUectIKZdcfD1gJRnqgqtce_9vDSttTTzazQpBX5mzuvJV0buuxm5r-1pUmRAX48M1KK4mqRdxh9D6srWvL3q-_8jiFQvEX1ynwpHzk1O0E9bYseksa6NcpLgNY1xy2t8U0ymLY/s320/IMG_3372.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173581115767836434" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We hiked about 5 hours every day, in 2, 3 or 4 separate hikes. Sarah Collins had recommended 2 hikes: Grapevine and Lost Mine. We hiked Grapevine Hills trail first. It was 60 degrees but sunny and windless so it felt much warmer. All of a sudden I heard "Whoosh-whoosh." I looked up and there was a black vulture overhead. We've never before heard the sound of a bird's wings that were so far away. (We've heard hummingbirds close to us.) Common in much of the desert here is prickly pear cactus, the red, purple, and blind (no spines), cholla, ocotillo and various other plants. There was a little rock scrambling at the end but the Balanced Rock was really cool. And what a great view from there. We couldn't get over the blueness of the sky. As we drove the unpaved road to get back to the main road we saw 3 javelina crossing. One person said they were really a road hazard because they stay in packs and cross the road slowly.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiseNbw6hW40dvJZqU3XdiVIJ7XyvjIa3xOdo8V5SmfMOeKuUVDBeodQ04_LHxz0gi8_6B1yKjkasew7Y-tRQPeKbCKkXCA28Pg7-SfX8ceKRynsYwh-qxm8GBuBzmrgukQSCDQduK7iOo/s1600-h/IMG_3281.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiseNbw6hW40dvJZqU3XdiVIJ7XyvjIa3xOdo8V5SmfMOeKuUVDBeodQ04_LHxz0gi8_6B1yKjkasew7Y-tRQPeKbCKkXCA28Pg7-SfX8ceKRynsYwh-qxm8GBuBzmrgukQSCDQduK7iOo/s320/IMG_3281.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173582004826066770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE9ydoxf3AM2sVc5Y7zVbs5rpSx8gzxfhPocYVaQ3y7Dj2Qsq3d0rLvJbcplg6t-eCznM4oRZ6hs7cpaPTg92r5YUG0C33V1aMl10Ei1wm4ykaFZCrxK57Soh4I7swQsyIQunc-TTMe2c/s1600-h/IMG_3271.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE9ydoxf3AM2sVc5Y7zVbs5rpSx8gzxfhPocYVaQ3y7Dj2Qsq3d0rLvJbcplg6t-eCznM4oRZ6hs7cpaPTg92r5YUG0C33V1aMl10Ei1wm4ykaFZCrxK57Soh4I7swQsyIQunc-TTMe2c/s320/IMG_3271.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173581970466328370" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BUElYFsJB4fivJj7G04Xa-WMepCCrl9IPMQQDj_derOphVSYsixwKvo7MpGMG3Inkj6CnFcNPyvMXlcOEd4pCQRexN2x4JyDdv8rTz56p897Ml4MH44t8IwVez94oOmO3G9BQwDEHJA/s1600-h/IMG_3302.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BUElYFsJB4fivJj7G04Xa-WMepCCrl9IPMQQDj_derOphVSYsixwKvo7MpGMG3Inkj6CnFcNPyvMXlcOEd4pCQRexN2x4JyDdv8rTz56p897Ml4MH44t8IwVez94oOmO3G9BQwDEHJA/s320/IMG_3302.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173582017710968674" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHsa2KNwGOpSZeipBeHLI1884z1mzYHKSvu05ISE_MAT7A5WnFNdcfs7Q6IpDc1grdHGv1JY8rOSVL-Zz1nTfbz2923FK_MlJ_p8EqUoixP3CEIp5Z4okhclmNfK2t2K0FdngkjRTl5o/s1600-h/IMG_3274.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHsa2KNwGOpSZeipBeHLI1884z1mzYHKSvu05ISE_MAT7A5WnFNdcfs7Q6IpDc1grdHGv1JY8rOSVL-Zz1nTfbz2923FK_MlJ_p8EqUoixP3CEIp5Z4okhclmNfK2t2K0FdngkjRTl5o/s320/IMG_3274.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173581987646197570" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk2RiiJui0Xjb7xui-gjdFwUDj_ekcS_ltpPC-l8rxyObY-jvzxms0GGEVr9aGgt_v9egNdX0SXqcR9HzfpI35eVW5Pyn7-1A1qBHizmIaib9Fy91Is30e0Bh034y1FrUYYDFq9-8uEFw/s1600-h/IMG_3269.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk2RiiJui0Xjb7xui-gjdFwUDj_ekcS_ltpPC-l8rxyObY-jvzxms0GGEVr9aGgt_v9egNdX0SXqcR9HzfpI35eVW5Pyn7-1A1qBHizmIaib9Fy91Is30e0Bh034y1FrUYYDFq9-8uEFw/s320/IMG_3269.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173581128652738338" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3I-0kOs-28At6jDRa9R7JuyAouktsyVw9foXqNx9oJ4_ohkxyWeN5_-u_-Bn9ihm9LKZfBaGx-a6qzSBF5n52t2dlAxL4DQjPXG__TIDNe8vGFM1uxV2oSKgT8H0h73Uj9acUr9l0A5w/s1600-h/IMG_3305.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3I-0kOs-28At6jDRa9R7JuyAouktsyVw9foXqNx9oJ4_ohkxyWeN5_-u_-Bn9ihm9LKZfBaGx-a6qzSBF5n52t2dlAxL4DQjPXG__TIDNe8vGFM1uxV2oSKgT8H0h73Uj9acUr9l0A5w/s320/IMG_3305.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173582026300903282" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2os681FS4uTHFpwN4II4YX0IYShdyA-yFsXmbVTxpHDmHGbUTTeKSVWTC-piiJ_wvBq01tTNaJxZAy9gf9qdpAJgdicR43D3atQ6tWUQ8i5MD1JXbqVYffgxPsozC1cA8j20f7YO4MH0/s1600-h/IMG_3289.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2os681FS4uTHFpwN4II4YX0IYShdyA-yFsXmbVTxpHDmHGbUTTeKSVWTC-piiJ_wvBq01tTNaJxZAy9gf9qdpAJgdicR43D3atQ6tWUQ8i5MD1JXbqVYffgxPsozC1cA8j20f7YO4MH0/s320/IMG_3289.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173589808781643650" border="0" /></a>We took a guided hike of Tuff Canyon, a very different formation. It was white volcanic rock. We also learned two new words: dikes are uplifted rock that looks likes like it's poking out of the ground, breccia is like a conglomerate but the bits of rock are angular and sharp. Our tour guide was a volunteer like many. Besides the informative talk we found out that he (Ted Rowan) was a retired earth science teacher from Falmouth, MA. He knew Charlie Camp who spent 1 year teaching there and also knew our friends, Sharon and Ken Chapman. Ken was assistant principal of Fort River when it opened. Sharon used to teach math at ARHS and now teaches at Falmouth HS.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGKf7tGdHZIzdzq35oKplJRKFNgZLbLG124keLo00PXBos3FfoXotRkHBtp9GOeu6a8ZXGTuT8Br4lu0NNVhHp8Pf658HjAt5c0IOEIA9J1SeetMcH2WqqAZ3V2Hfs7kj98FCYsHT6Mw/s1600-h/IMG_3313.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGKf7tGdHZIzdzq35oKplJRKFNgZLbLG124keLo00PXBos3FfoXotRkHBtp9GOeu6a8ZXGTuT8Br4lu0NNVhHp8Pf658HjAt5c0IOEIA9J1SeetMcH2WqqAZ3V2Hfs7kj98FCYsHT6Mw/s320/IMG_3313.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173590616235495314" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthwEujp65-d65mtQAJXqhNfTZVvMKso05SqQQR1TnB_Qm6I0ibRLLDb4jAM6tbote-9Zwfv1dXr9K5tyWi-8WMBje6uI8_zGfB7bO59tA_ZtNU8n2WfIuFx0NPbPYgzr4tnITGgHGdb4/s1600-h/IMG_3339.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthwEujp65-d65mtQAJXqhNfTZVvMKso05SqQQR1TnB_Qm6I0ibRLLDb4jAM6tbote-9Zwfv1dXr9K5tyWi-8WMBje6uI8_zGfB7bO59tA_ZtNU8n2WfIuFx0NPbPYgzr4tnITGgHGdb4/s320/IMG_3339.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173590646300266402" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />By the time we hiked the very pretty Santa Elena Canyon in the late afternoon it was up to 85 and felt pretty warm. We walked across a creek that fed into the Rio Grand River and on up the canyon. It was actually cooler there because there were tall grasses next to the river.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh728n-mrSzSneVSLO33rs5Q9lZIQ-njYUjq7dCkGE1C9q8iCOvbuzphyphenhyphen_BRotcXSnfcuf1Q2brgmQb2H4e5BfnfF_6SnC_S3FedhjhBnRJsr1z2g5RqlS8Yt6fdaqMlS2BNSfU1N1PewQ/s1600-h/IMG_3329.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh728n-mrSzSneVSLO33rs5Q9lZIQ-njYUjq7dCkGE1C9q8iCOvbuzphyphenhyphen_BRotcXSnfcuf1Q2brgmQb2H4e5BfnfF_6SnC_S3FedhjhBnRJsr1z2g5RqlS8Yt6fdaqMlS2BNSfU1N1PewQ/s320/IMG_3329.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173590972717780914" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LalIoYAmX-Ue1XkXn0oQNTYG39y0INeG7PLCqi9ZBTLw475HXkn25zKsLyODz8OrcyKnEo1Sray6FP4o_kI0QuEo0_7t2Yx78_VQccK2C3NFv2RS6Z7enXBGqQo4zO5wwjGcZqugH94/s1600-h/IMG_3325.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LalIoYAmX-Ue1XkXn0oQNTYG39y0INeG7PLCqi9ZBTLw475HXkn25zKsLyODz8OrcyKnEo1Sray6FP4o_kI0QuEo0_7t2Yx78_VQccK2C3NFv2RS6Z7enXBGqQo4zO5wwjGcZqugH94/s320/IMG_3325.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173590985602682818" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The next day was predicted to be warmer so we headed up to the Chisos Visitor Center at 5400' elevation. What a nice change of scenery: spruce, pine trees, juniper and oak trees - just lots of green. We saw 2 mule deer on our way down the Window Trail which led through a dry river bed that cut a path through the rock.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjky85KY_CWnIW4KO3HdQ8W0hObAmF-FUb3xrlqe9H70nnVzF5L2stx3nExX6G-iFwX4Khe2n1MGwFFJRLw19l8uuVUgy-36EKsCeXT271X4pKo2ziHEpIne1tIy_BO1IzlytwMa5nqCpg/s1600-h/IMG_3356.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjky85KY_CWnIW4KO3HdQ8W0hObAmF-FUb3xrlqe9H70nnVzF5L2stx3nExX6G-iFwX4Khe2n1MGwFFJRLw19l8uuVUgy-36EKsCeXT271X4pKo2ziHEpIne1tIy_BO1IzlytwMa5nqCpg/s320/IMG_3356.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173591342084968402" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrxClV0-41yyqdR6hI38_yqmZ9iVodWYzBviRwHkoNDB2zgpoLkaEMvKbFM3aCSQwEjquXOF8XXY6WpUb8oQ5kyXy3wIEJUFcLk0pr6sKAh-4VFSDF5iqe0Kxc4INklLHuM1QKxSR1M8/s1600-h/IMG_3353.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrxClV0-41yyqdR6hI38_yqmZ9iVodWYzBviRwHkoNDB2zgpoLkaEMvKbFM3aCSQwEjquXOF8XXY6WpUb8oQ5kyXy3wIEJUFcLk0pr6sKAh-4VFSDF5iqe0Kxc4INklLHuM1QKxSR1M8/s320/IMG_3353.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173591350674903010" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A short hike took us to a good view of a mountain aptly named Mule's Ears.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTesLe3alINZXjOMI-lhQ2Uanc8YSqIoEIc95uWv-FRggeqqBREu1pGmmvEaRbjeNszOZpbSfIAntNSQI_aZRot8497fyy_ggQ8Yjswu56VWYSHw5qUlqBu91WY6CzvDjHJvNybFmdbQ/s1600-h/IMG_3334.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTesLe3alINZXjOMI-lhQ2Uanc8YSqIoEIc95uWv-FRggeqqBREu1pGmmvEaRbjeNszOZpbSfIAntNSQI_aZRot8497fyy_ggQ8Yjswu56VWYSHw5qUlqBu91WY6CzvDjHJvNybFmdbQ/s320/IMG_3334.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173591668502482930" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Lost Mine trail was our most strenuous hike as it took us from 5600' to 6850'. It was steep and there were a lot of switchbacks so I was glad I had my hiking poles (a retirement gift from work). The views were gorgeous. It was actually very windy at the top and it was hard to even talk - but it wasn't hot!! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_xKiRu50Mozhd2bFIL386hf8kgfhPUfpgiog-u3k4zi2kACF9GUtOsoCxPObEb-HQBVM1_nJ1RBrZcObmsDZM8XLHN_PLuVu2eXQOq3YsDw34nWNG7k2r_OUiIhAQPZupUG7KiRP-Tc/s1600-h/IMG_3361.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_xKiRu50Mozhd2bFIL386hf8kgfhPUfpgiog-u3k4zi2kACF9GUtOsoCxPObEb-HQBVM1_nJ1RBrZcObmsDZM8XLHN_PLuVu2eXQOq3YsDw34nWNG7k2r_OUiIhAQPZupUG7KiRP-Tc/s320/IMG_3361.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173592128063983618" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcX2ABgaDe2MAR2sxRSLOJWoOOB7fyu78GrgRkDstjugQVydZd8WJZKzICpEk-eUX4ggAGCdd5Xrkr2fxyygSJ2KlaAkpQs6yMKAyGYnJbm37S8RsD1WTRynuSPKip-IVxsuqL8T198w/s1600-h/IMG_3347.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcX2ABgaDe2MAR2sxRSLOJWoOOB7fyu78GrgRkDstjugQVydZd8WJZKzICpEk-eUX4ggAGCdd5Xrkr2fxyygSJ2KlaAkpQs6yMKAyGYnJbm37S8RsD1WTRynuSPKip-IVxsuqL8T198w/s320/IMG_3347.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173592140948885522" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpQGXRNNFJnm6_85hlxwHt8GnN1sLGhlVBZetJulxJd9lIMmWlXocMH0338GhZHe01cG0Gf3zlGrZfgNY2Lcvn-QbslmE0dMEc4PcZD9FF-rKJftdwgWGAybLbptFRbA71-agSRf6jK4/s1600-h/IMG_3363.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpQGXRNNFJnm6_85hlxwHt8GnN1sLGhlVBZetJulxJd9lIMmWlXocMH0338GhZHe01cG0Gf3zlGrZfgNY2Lcvn-QbslmE0dMEc4PcZD9FF-rKJftdwgWGAybLbptFRbA71-agSRf6jK4/s320/IMG_3363.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173592145243852834" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpChyphenhyphenpIZPHMG5hk2TQGThpfLi5SkLF9tZGakAuSfJeR0Yq7vOJ3OkExtSHjVIGrDZbXkLKoK_em-tZgBZJ9rnTAzyBFBpMVAb11_cocpik6dI_TwTSXAVszd5fn6-UDkfpKrixJbmgoUs/s1600-h/IMG_3370.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpChyphenhyphenpIZPHMG5hk2TQGThpfLi5SkLF9tZGakAuSfJeR0Yq7vOJ3OkExtSHjVIGrDZbXkLKoK_em-tZgBZJ9rnTAzyBFBpMVAb11_cocpik6dI_TwTSXAVszd5fn6-UDkfpKrixJbmgoUs/s320/IMG_3370.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173592158128754738" border="0" /></a>A<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A sign outside Terlingua read "Loose Cattle." And you thought Texas cattle were all safely behind fences! (We didn't actually ever see cows roaming like in Belize.) Gas was $3.46/gallon here although the farther north we drove the less expensive it became. It's always hard to guess what the gas prices will be in another town. And we really haven't bothered to check online. It was wonderful hiking in Big Bend but we were looking forward to going underground in Carlsbad, NM.Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-48083137360648823592008-02-26T19:02:00.001-08:002008-12-09T02:26:33.131-08:00On the Road to Tucson (2) San Antonio & Austin<span style="font-weight: bold;">February 19-22.</span> San Antonio and Austin, about an hour apart, were great cities to walk around and see the sights. We decided to spend 2 days in each, while staying in San Antonio. (We even got to eat Texas-shaped waffles at the Residence Inn!)<br /><br />Our first stop in San Antonio was at the Conservation Society to pick up a self-guided walking tour of the historic downtown. One our way there we met a couple from northern Ontario admiring the old victorian houses, those renovated and those needing renovation. They were on a Friendship Force trip. This is a travel exchange started during the Carter presidencey. (thefriendshipforce.com) Sounds intriguing. I'll have to get more information.<br /><br />We parked for free in a residential neighborhood and walked about 15 minutes to the Rivercenter Mall where we saw an IMAX movie, "The Alamo...The Price of Freedom." The 40 minute movie (for $10.50) was a re-enactment done by the History Channel. It was excellent. Finally, I understand the significance of "Remember the Alamo." In 1836 the Texas Territory declared independence from Mexico (most residents were from America & Europe). The President didn't like that so he stormed the fort. (The name Alamo was taken from the town that the Mexican military was from who occupied the fort in the early 1800's. Before that it was a mission.) The Texans were greatly outnumbered but fought to the bitter end to defend their right to freedom and independence. Unfortunately, they were all killed by the Mexican troops. Within a month Sam Houston defeated the Mexicans and Texas finally got its independence. The Alamo is basically a memorial to those courageous people who died, two famous ones being David Crocket and James Bowie. There are artifacts, historical information and a short movie (a good complement to the IMAX movie).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWj5tVATODt3opgxUlbCj2QxW2YvueTMeeaRHyNKSGX-GZ-4_hX9XWn7PZupc8-eHF6UVDZYV3qPHgng0zcvcYBFGdiLZnuK9FOhYA6vYXcKzO4rugkJI6Qv33vto5eLBhTUzoN2aMhHQ/s1600-h/IMG_3220.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWj5tVATODt3opgxUlbCj2QxW2YvueTMeeaRHyNKSGX-GZ-4_hX9XWn7PZupc8-eHF6UVDZYV3qPHgng0zcvcYBFGdiLZnuK9FOhYA6vYXcKzO4rugkJI6Qv33vto5eLBhTUzoN2aMhHQ/s320/IMG_3220.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172592822318190098" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The Riverwalk is gorgeous - a great way to spend some time walking and people watching. It's also cooler by the water. What an amazing idea, first conceived in 1929 after the 1921 flood. It was finally finished in 1941 as a WPA project. There are stores, hotels, and restaurants with walks, waterfalls and beautiful landscaping along a 2 1/2 mile stretch of the San Antonio River. It was really relaxing to eat our lunch at a table next to the river watching ducklings and small cruise boats, with Andean music in the background. Later we took the informationative 20 minute cruise. On our next visit (in November) we'll go at night when the trees are lit up like it's Christmas!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWbKG7uIq9STGJ_DYOJzjoXoXcX_3lRZV4Ok6i9NgNR4PLSsOvS4ZGEOievVDURm7YCJbyEZOzACJ2iBw8B5VAE6BqjUqDBTmccqKX5ohXKTeaUNdfGMxwncNRdupZLGK1LSnr5Eg0Ms/s1600-h/IMG_3218.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWbKG7uIq9STGJ_DYOJzjoXoXcX_3lRZV4Ok6i9NgNR4PLSsOvS4ZGEOievVDURm7YCJbyEZOzACJ2iBw8B5VAE6BqjUqDBTmccqKX5ohXKTeaUNdfGMxwncNRdupZLGK1LSnr5Eg0Ms/s320/IMG_3218.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172592908217536034" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GCwEGTr_2MhUm00AkOAY4nnCwHUjhTuvzWZoDwL_OgRZGz8CdxPvU6bWhbPMMfcCDthH5-6zSePuddIaA336cjDPIDE5_jCisVxjvOHihyphenhyphen462uSRIjlWGWhm62yL8wX5wOcTf1YOYeI/s1600-h/IMG_3222.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GCwEGTr_2MhUm00AkOAY4nnCwHUjhTuvzWZoDwL_OgRZGz8CdxPvU6bWhbPMMfcCDthH5-6zSePuddIaA336cjDPIDE5_jCisVxjvOHihyphenhyphen462uSRIjlWGWhm62yL8wX5wOcTf1YOYeI/s320/IMG_3222.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172592976937012802" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwDLv_d5-q4brUsMQo-TYVjpoWGhDtoRhoJp3ldUDytqgxgqohBQSBp4dudu-ytoQzz7qs1MUxOOjdQ90feCI9YtWmD0JMHam2-e81jt7HxyTA7Saa2cyDKIpJH8hw26mQ1Zc_Ty3vSa0/s1600-h/IMG_3253.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwDLv_d5-q4brUsMQo-TYVjpoWGhDtoRhoJp3ldUDytqgxgqohBQSBp4dudu-ytoQzz7qs1MUxOOjdQ90feCI9YtWmD0JMHam2-e81jt7HxyTA7Saa2cyDKIpJH8hw26mQ1Zc_Ty3vSa0/s320/IMG_3253.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172593002706816594" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6ktW05k7SNkH9nRFNF58J8KZXJMJL1Tr3Wrz0ttZW5adUYt0s-IxkSaOOnW2-X0YanjJ8Ge9Ss1YhGKAaEqUatqLsnqaoKpjL1C_ZKrofkNH94jaDP_xVG_tru4kQXnDnD4lVfIeONY/s1600-h/IMG_3221.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6ktW05k7SNkH9nRFNF58J8KZXJMJL1Tr3Wrz0ttZW5adUYt0s-IxkSaOOnW2-X0YanjJ8Ge9Ss1YhGKAaEqUatqLsnqaoKpjL1C_ZKrofkNH94jaDP_xVG_tru4kQXnDnD4lVfIeONY/s320/IMG_3221.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172592916807470642" border="0" /></a>For 50% off we went back to the IMAX theater and saw the story of Lewis and Clark made by National Geographic. It was excellent and added to the information we got from a book on tape we had listened to a couple of years ago. What courageous people they were!<br /><br />At the Witte Museum we learned a lot about the geography of Texas. Wow, Texas has a little bit of almost everything: desert, plains, woods, mountains, prairie, and swamps/marshland. There were also good displays of the Native Americans who lived here.<br /><br />Austin is in a little higher elevation than SA, partly in the "hill country". The Visitor Center had a bunch of different walking tours and we chose Congress Street since we were headed up that street anyway to tour the Capitol. (We've found that visiting capitol buildings gives us great overall information on a state.) We saw interesting old architecture. The Driskill Hotel was gorgeous with a stained glass dome on a hall ceiling. And where else but in Texas would you find not a leather couch but a cow-hide couch!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3xjIrdnVzFt5SNoQvz54IF7OXcLT6Vsc4EwkrwdmxHo7dqSPyVD1tImTdSnQCGPb2J6ukeucuu4YmRhduKLKhO7id15WU15IQm6TJOWo1fJsVhEDhJfgGCflnRBEpFPTZsafFhKFE50/s1600-h/IMG_3223.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3xjIrdnVzFt5SNoQvz54IF7OXcLT6Vsc4EwkrwdmxHo7dqSPyVD1tImTdSnQCGPb2J6ukeucuu4YmRhduKLKhO7id15WU15IQm6TJOWo1fJsVhEDhJfgGCflnRBEpFPTZsafFhKFE50/s320/IMG_3223.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172594772233342562" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uPG2iKQVRcqExmpmGe7M_h69vBrNbP1yxXr4BFPW7YtPksRkBAJc24BWG_syCPS0mTrHqnqFwrNI7wEMxJvc4QTpiqONJ6914ZsGtVsyPyNIvfHeDmC7z51omooB_-qgDOTfjxPhvW0/s1600-h/IMG_3228.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uPG2iKQVRcqExmpmGe7M_h69vBrNbP1yxXr4BFPW7YtPksRkBAJc24BWG_syCPS0mTrHqnqFwrNI7wEMxJvc4QTpiqONJ6914ZsGtVsyPyNIvfHeDmC7z51omooB_-qgDOTfjxPhvW0/s320/IMG_3228.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172594780823277170" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6B6RumAVMjuC3lAnp4d1IB252OK3naLhvug3vjaEwlmE7AFPhBPC3FzOLj20-tQar1DO5ip3p9ZBw9JuFqu4b2lKX29QzNUgEX48Hhrzva-IAGnFY0NUEOPe_Lb1lhlSiMuUkVpiYbg/s1600-h/IMG_3226.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6B6RumAVMjuC3lAnp4d1IB252OK3naLhvug3vjaEwlmE7AFPhBPC3FzOLj20-tQar1DO5ip3p9ZBw9JuFqu4b2lKX29QzNUgEX48Hhrzva-IAGnFY0NUEOPe_Lb1lhlSiMuUkVpiYbg/s320/IMG_3226.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172595549622423202" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGxuJwGRdJ2wBSVx6TZUzTCAqOrIk-9gwYyYAolwAW9nWJXJCanVUmT2h5USQmIIcTnmV8kZSEXEnRcMj1I4GjfI0yEFmwAS6fcBXsBeZZPpClFcfmqVjTMbrD6d4ojAYPwL27tB9p2g/s1600-h/IMG_3227.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGxuJwGRdJ2wBSVx6TZUzTCAqOrIk-9gwYyYAolwAW9nWJXJCanVUmT2h5USQmIIcTnmV8kZSEXEnRcMj1I4GjfI0yEFmwAS6fcBXsBeZZPpClFcfmqVjTMbrD6d4ojAYPwL27tB9p2g/s320/IMG_3227.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172594798003146386" border="0" /></a>We had a really enthusiastic tour guide for the capitol, the tallest of all the US capitols, taller even than the US Capitol Building! (Who's surprised?) The billboard says it all. One interesting thing was that after an election pictures of all the new legislators are displayed along with pictures of their children and grandchildren!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_-ihGr5zp_8xmAaDbQf5k6e7Wua7bt2Y2Fso5lUL_XW5kAZEh9smqwT9kunAZrM2sTHjdKqOFQkdxjxLTuNdWZXTsU16p8SU40Cuuyp60ulxrRp_Z6VyA3hQL8UeKz1lRYEpi7yiSBs/s1600-h/IMG_3251.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_-ihGr5zp_8xmAaDbQf5k6e7Wua7bt2Y2Fso5lUL_XW5kAZEh9smqwT9kunAZrM2sTHjdKqOFQkdxjxLTuNdWZXTsU16p8SU40Cuuyp60ulxrRp_Z6VyA3hQL8UeKz1lRYEpi7yiSBs/s320/IMG_3251.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172596631954181810" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEh6HgL77gP4VgYsnsJVsggwXLZg-iGayoelHwj-IOJy-lQTFjK4SXqa6KSQnpoT4N95l2wbNzbMkNaPV9OWWYY_Cn2UCJlmdwtl7dWsGUQokmMH_Sch_pdt0xMj32m5B-LseJeRTSheY/s1600-h/IMG_3232.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEh6HgL77gP4VgYsnsJVsggwXLZg-iGayoelHwj-IOJy-lQTFjK4SXqa6KSQnpoT4N95l2wbNzbMkNaPV9OWWYY_Cn2UCJlmdwtl7dWsGUQokmMH_Sch_pdt0xMj32m5B-LseJeRTSheY/s320/IMG_3232.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172596640544116418" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum on the UT campus was excellent! Opened before LBJ died, it displayed the highlights of history in words, pictures, and video from LBJ's birth in 1908 until his death in 1973. (It's the only presidential library that's free, per LBJ's request.) On the 4th floor was a 1/8 scale model of his Oval Office as well as photos of other main rooms in the White House along with Ladybird's oral description. They even had a role player of Sen. Johnson in 1959 give a speech and take questions. We continue to learn more history.<br /><br />A hike up Mt. Bonnell gave us a great view of the Colorado River (not the same one that flows through the Grand Canyon) and the big, beautiful homes below each with their own boat slip. What a great view! Homes on the other side were just as large.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93lRSbCqMeUj4UJgtcef9n1kO3j0yoH2F9ZOOOgje1S7PhawHr6eXSAIDIOpSTMZkgOOpcYyB-EgDkwpgkA1i-zIlXk2LWUg1Wd75z7GHlwknTJq4aH4GiCILIupCZbPsZyTXOvaDQMk/s1600-h/IMG_3243.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93lRSbCqMeUj4UJgtcef9n1kO3j0yoH2F9ZOOOgje1S7PhawHr6eXSAIDIOpSTMZkgOOpcYyB-EgDkwpgkA1i-zIlXk2LWUg1Wd75z7GHlwknTJq4aH4GiCILIupCZbPsZyTXOvaDQMk/s320/IMG_3243.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172597366393589458" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6nNPtE3mLuTpEKkhS9StyCsaLjuto3CLgI6NE79EIn9qc9GMzrznfloO8wugYt4uaoQ6Rc_dDOOwpj2-2wAqPaZnRuTocbg4N_guaumouoaYdtfwvlLJFI2FPJij-dxuS7zFsWiabYqs/s1600-h/IMG_3233.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6nNPtE3mLuTpEKkhS9StyCsaLjuto3CLgI6NE79EIn9qc9GMzrznfloO8wugYt4uaoQ6Rc_dDOOwpj2-2wAqPaZnRuTocbg4N_guaumouoaYdtfwvlLJFI2FPJij-dxuS7zFsWiabYqs/s320/IMG_3233.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172597379278491362" border="0" /></a><br />Thursday (2/21) was a pretty exciting day in Austin. We took a walk through the UT campus as they were prepping for the Clinton/Obama debate: lots of TV vans, cameramen, portable fences, secret service men, and people with campaign signs.<br /><br />The Texas History Museum, very close to campus, was excellent. Texas is a unique state. Besides their slogan "Everything is begger in Texas," they showed a movie promoting pride in being a Texan and "anything is possible." It was a real rah-rah movie. (Did you know that Texan students pledge allegiance to the flag of Texas?) The museum was organized really well: Encounters on the Land, Building the Lone Star Identity, and Creating Opportunity (ranching, oil, etc.). There was also a very interesting special exhibit of first person accounts of historical events like Thomas Jefferson observing the first violence of the French Revolution and President Carter's notes on a private meeting with Pope John Paul II. We also saw another IMAX movie there, "Dolphins and Whales." I've never seen them up so close. It was very cool!<br /><br />Our visit to Austin was capped off with a delicious dinner with friends at Chez Zee. We met Colleen Schmitt, her fiance Jason, and Sarah Collins there. We've known Colleen since she was little and are friends with her parents. Sarah is a friend of Scott's and we've known her and her parents since junior high. They all work in Austin. It was really a fun evening, with never a pause in conversation!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMRKy_5w1ik5bSxVRJNvu9wK2Lu8g9ccOf_nNl5RGqpH0W7Q_rKsC8zX6RlkcPSDKd0OGLSr1nyM-C9LPAySUKNuXUBJYNMUhGiAxWWLGXFKkpEPpro_P_YVPd71w0Jqdcgi31mWzAGQ/s1600-h/IMG_3249.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMRKy_5w1ik5bSxVRJNvu9wK2Lu8g9ccOf_nNl5RGqpH0W7Q_rKsC8zX6RlkcPSDKd0OGLSr1nyM-C9LPAySUKNuXUBJYNMUhGiAxWWLGXFKkpEPpro_P_YVPd71w0Jqdcgi31mWzAGQ/s320/IMG_3249.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172598014933651186" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1-6Q_iogpuQ6ibzz6PG94O-qnBTGFE1GOGDW2fwysoDEv-MlSLKPvqCgNmr9-5pDF2eEuNe-Cnstkqdj6imp-G7oGhamj5GUMCUeKoGNKQS6NYGBNGNQyA5tQoAhyw3XnwmrJBBB5lM/s1600-h/IMG_3250.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1-6Q_iogpuQ6ibzz6PG94O-qnBTGFE1GOGDW2fwysoDEv-MlSLKPvqCgNmr9-5pDF2eEuNe-Cnstkqdj6imp-G7oGhamj5GUMCUeKoGNKQS6NYGBNGNQyA5tQoAhyw3XnwmrJBBB5lM/s320/IMG_3250.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172598023523585794" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next adventure: Hiking in Big Bend National Park on the Mexican border.</span>Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-65515946652724682502008-02-26T18:53:00.000-08:002008-12-09T02:26:34.184-08:00On the Road to Tucson (1) Seaside & Baton Rouge<span style="font-weight: bold;">February 13-15, 2008.</span> We spent time with Sandy's mother in New Port Richey. His sister Gail and husband Dale were visiting from Charlottesville, VA so we had a nice little reunion. We kept busy doing laundry, reading through and dealing with 4 weeks of mail for us and my mother, reorganizing (what really doesn't need to go with us for the next 2 months), and making some final plans.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">February 16-17.</span> We spent the night in Ft. Walton Beach near Destin and Seaside, Florida. We had read about the planned community of Seaside and that the movie, "The Truman Show" was shot here so we wanted to check it out. What a beautiful place! It was created as a pedestrian-friendly community of cottages with white picket fences and elevated porches to watch the sun set on the Gulf. It has a charming town square with an outdoor amphitheater and some of the street are cobblestone. The beach is gorgeous! In Destin we had a delicious seafood dinner at Fisherman's Wharf Seafood House while watching the sun set and boats move in and out of the harbor. (I didn't have my camera so here are some I copied.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieqcCPHzeXSrz0O19wLB3L3IrZD0O_7hAgPC3jnf4KFr4o62m-VPzpK33nzeuoKJHu4z3vZQUieJi_mYKZGoY3POBivEIrYbKeSIxDC5OnarWsUgGSBtSgdnAndWc3QZIx02OKhmgebSc/s1600-h/Seaside+Cottage1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieqcCPHzeXSrz0O19wLB3L3IrZD0O_7hAgPC3jnf4KFr4o62m-VPzpK33nzeuoKJHu4z3vZQUieJi_mYKZGoY3POBivEIrYbKeSIxDC5OnarWsUgGSBtSgdnAndWc3QZIx02OKhmgebSc/s320/Seaside+Cottage1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172063604768599938" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYb8Y_dYk3BB20jx1ekv-mPnGK21nfYBDucXRD8rmqERRz3oGY6HGxCCzlMxa3ZLc5m28lEsedh4s6lkHlp88YBkjEEl_cV6B2VGWazvDHeMJfaStZF7lj5k2W3PIfUJK9gUqakf5Z-a0/s1600-h/Seaside+Beach+View.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYb8Y_dYk3BB20jx1ekv-mPnGK21nfYBDucXRD8rmqERRz3oGY6HGxCCzlMxa3ZLc5m28lEsedh4s6lkHlp88YBkjEEl_cV6B2VGWazvDHeMJfaStZF7lj5k2W3PIfUJK9gUqakf5Z-a0/s320/Seaside+Beach+View.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172063600473632626" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4G9uL5PCa_GvNYBleu92IZai05D-jTGozUdaJeZRKGEBc4q3hMKIzZv30xpk-t6-inZ8mOw2mCI_Rnygg0zYQOahplrtoLji-87YTPhOe905so-aYm5V7Zq42S-UHpuCQ4AXMb_8_uzE/s1600-h/Seaside+Beach.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4G9uL5PCa_GvNYBleu92IZai05D-jTGozUdaJeZRKGEBc4q3hMKIzZv30xpk-t6-inZ8mOw2mCI_Rnygg0zYQOahplrtoLji-87YTPhOe905so-aYm5V7Zq42S-UHpuCQ4AXMb_8_uzE/s320/Seaside+Beach.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172063596178665314" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br />February 18.</span> The leaves were just starting to come out here. (It's interesting seeing signs of spring so early.) We had some heavy rain on and off for about an hour but were lucky the tornadoes were north of us!!<br /><br />Our destination was the Laura Plantation, a creole plantation, noted to have an excellent history tour. Creole here means a mix of slaves from Senegal, Indians, Europeans (some from the Spanish Canary Islands), and French Canadians. It was started as a 20,000 acre sugar cane plantation by a French Canadian. (The land was an alluvial plain of the Mississippi River so it was very fertile.) The house was built in 1805 and named Laura Plantation by Laura Miller's father (a descendant of the original owner) to get her interested in taking over as manager. Laura managed it for about 9 years and then got married and moved to St. Louis. When she was 70 she started writing her memoirs which led to the wonderful history tour. (The guide was a decendent of one of the slave family and was excellent. He was so animated!)<br /><br />It was an interesting design specific to creoles. All the beams were cut, notched and numbered first. Then it was put together. There were no hallways but air could move through the front door and out the back door. There were many slave homes, some still lived in until the early 70's.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlpXequ2NL23tseCLOn2n_wn_E8jSB5iA-zLudFAqGpSJUikmPuykpl7YEMltVxchSj38aLBQTZQ7eKQ9OfFI-sA9dVynJCDDvDTvNyh88GnRd7IyvOADfGOW2ipszERSYuxT8Px2Q88/s1600-h/IMG_3201.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlpXequ2NL23tseCLOn2n_wn_E8jSB5iA-zLudFAqGpSJUikmPuykpl7YEMltVxchSj38aLBQTZQ7eKQ9OfFI-sA9dVynJCDDvDTvNyh88GnRd7IyvOADfGOW2ipszERSYuxT8Px2Q88/s320/IMG_3201.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172062917573832482" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_WVPz3TCyChunrFSC9QTHYjpGirdTpSL4JcAQ7xbx_2kgbxotPjdSLFfAdtU6Q_SXNHWlTmbM-sMS050YnDPUJBTqPXzvSIaUXPCKWqvQntY8RQ5k_5pYyr09A3RzMkzfvEnsknUz9v4/s1600-h/IMG_3197.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_WVPz3TCyChunrFSC9QTHYjpGirdTpSL4JcAQ7xbx_2kgbxotPjdSLFfAdtU6Q_SXNHWlTmbM-sMS050YnDPUJBTqPXzvSIaUXPCKWqvQntY8RQ5k_5pYyr09A3RzMkzfvEnsknUz9v4/s320/IMG_3197.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172062930458734386" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There was a huge live oak in the front yard and beautiful formal gardens.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruvBu2AvpLciqDBO1c0J7EOkQOjdqmfEtB7AsNpr4Yu62M8IORmdhKMjSse1PHXAyqW8kBgcCcK7MMLg-kFyG_0Yaiatft345__MtD-L4J60y49uBuCTRvbfxa6rjWMSB1mlpb81f3SY/s1600-h/IMG_3204.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruvBu2AvpLciqDBO1c0J7EOkQOjdqmfEtB7AsNpr4Yu62M8IORmdhKMjSse1PHXAyqW8kBgcCcK7MMLg-kFyG_0Yaiatft345__MtD-L4J60y49uBuCTRvbfxa6rjWMSB1mlpb81f3SY/s320/IMG_3204.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172062943343636290" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-Zpii74GgTJQWyp2tHTIE_pJD9ILpy0mnmn7ar3CRyVcBP09tsB2SqvtRde7lpJ0QXwXqM73Zz_cTqRUx1ba6FQSChXaHkkS4oy8WaFrzzC4GVqfGRfpeK6E1QkMBE_Xdysqkvl5HaU/s1600-h/IMG_3200.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-Zpii74GgTJQWyp2tHTIE_pJD9ILpy0mnmn7ar3CRyVcBP09tsB2SqvtRde7lpJ0QXwXqM73Zz_cTqRUx1ba6FQSChXaHkkS4oy8WaFrzzC4GVqfGRfpeK6E1QkMBE_Xdysqkvl5HaU/s320/IMG_3200.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172062951933570898" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We were really quite ignorant about the ethnic makeup of southern Louisiana and their effect on the state's culture. French was spoken there and creoles ran the politics until 1912. After that more non-creole had moved there and became more powerful in politics. Houses were even painted different colors to denote whether French was spoken. The creoles painted theirs with bright colors like you think of caribbean island colors. The English houses were white. By 1917 the non-creole mandated that only English be spoken!! At that time the Laura Plantation house was repainted white.<br /><br />An interesting sidelight was about the origin of the Br'er Rabbit stories. A creole, Alcee Fortier, who lived nearby liked to listen to the slaves' stories from their ancestral home in Senegal. He wrote them down and years later made the tales into a cartoon when he worked for a newspaper. These were then written into stories.<br /><br />We had another delicious seafood dinner at Mike Anderson's Seafood and Oyster House in Destin. Their cole slaw was made with honey mustard instead of mayonnaise. I'll have to try thatBecky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-28731070576688291112008-02-25T16:56:00.000-08:002008-12-09T02:26:35.274-08:00Belize City<span style="font-weight: bold;">February 10-12.</span> We spent our last 2 nights back in the Best Western Biltmore in Belize City. Sunday we just relaxed. We swam in the beautiful pool and played cards, cribbage, and read.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudn9O9M7gQeB735gfsn-z2MpTDFg0EtCZyIE2agPaA10v90t21mYPs_Bpe18doqXPIK7NrTwONLJ2Frioftr-e7Mi0JgWrP5v9_KLeDY0khFL0Cj-Zn6xx9kN1FeE-szPqFvFJ6CaYoM/s1600-h/IMG_3184.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudn9O9M7gQeB735gfsn-z2MpTDFg0EtCZyIE2agPaA10v90t21mYPs_Bpe18doqXPIK7NrTwONLJ2Frioftr-e7Mi0JgWrP5v9_KLeDY0khFL0Cj-Zn6xx9kN1FeE-szPqFvFJ6CaYoM/s320/IMG_3184.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171669734792720050" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMfoSB9pWidqRbaeKlpBHyERa0k_CMeIkrVpPCCefWSyqaocwjVcUsIRyh4-uSenA_b-jJrGKqnH-gp1bFOKRU2vs7p4CGonkb2WPe0hxfkv6VqEbU426aEp86uUU6JpdRj0LElQFF8I/s1600-h/IMG_3185.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMfoSB9pWidqRbaeKlpBHyERa0k_CMeIkrVpPCCefWSyqaocwjVcUsIRyh4-uSenA_b-jJrGKqnH-gp1bFOKRU2vs7p4CGonkb2WPe0hxfkv6VqEbU426aEp86uUU6JpdRj0LElQFF8I/s320/IMG_3185.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171669743382654658" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Monday we spent $1.50 on the bus into Belize City and then $15 for a taxi for about a 10 minute ride to Old Belize. This a very good small museum covering the history, ecology, and culture of Belize. Outside there were videos showing these areas plus tourism. They even provided a guide to talk about the exhibits. (This was a good complement to the things we had already learned.) Some new things we learned. 1) Major exports: sugar (60% of exports), mahogany, citrus (mostly oranges & grapefruit), bananas, and fishing (lobster & conch). 2) 42% of Belize's plants have some medicinal value. 3) Sugar cane makes molasses, then brown sugar, then white sugar, and then rum. 4) From the 1600's to the 1800's mahogany was logged and taken by boat to England to be made into fine furniture. Caribbean and African slaves were employed in this. Their families remained and became one of the ethnic groups, caribe. 4) The first car in Belize City was in 1903 but there were very few until the 1970's because people couldn't afford them. 5) The other ethnic groups are Creole, a mix of African slaves and European; Mestizo, a mix of Spanish and Yucatan Mayan; Mayan (3 main groups); and Garifuna, a mix of former Nigerian slaves and Carib Indians from St. Vincent. In the same location was Cucumber Beach, a beach and "water park" with a slide and bouncy water thing. It was a school day so was empty but looked like it would be fun to go to.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguEZ-HY917QMhYZFijBrTI-Hk-kxXDa4vfRdXoTtnOCZWt7bEUw0ymLc8HYdA0MbLScLCRczXuynGPV115OrULaJQoMQ7Jbjg9jszhScr53jpkcC5beCYfazOVg78fBAp7Q5PBbHv0XYo/s1600-h/IMG_3169.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguEZ-HY917QMhYZFijBrTI-Hk-kxXDa4vfRdXoTtnOCZWt7bEUw0ymLc8HYdA0MbLScLCRczXuynGPV115OrULaJQoMQ7Jbjg9jszhScr53jpkcC5beCYfazOVg78fBAp7Q5PBbHv0XYo/s320/IMG_3169.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171670091275005650" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGytt0zrpnA9_GEY_ZXlEOwuNGV48DZ9UVp4llaBJqGyHgGWtdYt7DRaHIEPg7Z58JYxaV63ZXw_q32qZ1SDI5o-UTBemH0cCw9TIjcu8TtbKX4q-o137H48fAakv-b28qfOzrLSX-ujI/s1600-h/IMG_3171.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGytt0zrpnA9_GEY_ZXlEOwuNGV48DZ9UVp4llaBJqGyHgGWtdYt7DRaHIEPg7Z58JYxaV63ZXw_q32qZ1SDI5o-UTBemH0cCw9TIjcu8TtbKX4q-o137H48fAakv-b28qfOzrLSX-ujI/s320/IMG_3171.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171670095569972962" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A Ride with Natives: Someone had told us that no bus went to the museum. When we got there we asked if the bus stopped there. It did. We waited with 2 other men for the bus to go back to Belize City. After about 5 minutes a car stopped because the driver knew one of the men. They both were getting in the car when the man asked where we were going. We said the swing bridge in Belize City. The driver said he was going very near there. So, here we were basically hitchhiking without the thumb and in a foreign country - not something we'd think of doing in the US! But it was a lovely drive and good conversation. The driver was probably in his mid thirties and a videographer for a TV station and a Catholic Church. He also worked on other movies in Belize. He was very articulate and was one of the only natives we met who didn't have a British accent.<br /><br />We walked over the swing bridge, famous because they actually swing the center perpendicular so tall boats can go through. There were lots of boats on the open water side of this bridge.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDLv9iFra8f0d6tsI1QuXPheVbDWzU8PMzzuTADV1MaSSPBVIglkHklg7I8Ovi6hyEYDOW0Nv4-qttBc8yY9QsfnDGeIX2334aSNKL2tOApukFk2fadXWdz1N9F00fKEz-2Y3PLnZ8UQ/s1600-h/IMG_3175.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDLv9iFra8f0d6tsI1QuXPheVbDWzU8PMzzuTADV1MaSSPBVIglkHklg7I8Ovi6hyEYDOW0Nv4-qttBc8yY9QsfnDGeIX2334aSNKL2tOApukFk2fadXWdz1N9F00fKEz-2Y3PLnZ8UQ/s320/IMG_3175.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172055538820017906" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihg90T9ghDnp38sXgjCWhUJyU2TXP8nzc2U5o05BP77ReMnwHXK7KUxQ7REnUZjmMh-sjyk3FqZhAYep7eHkfw04PAJBgE-SJhfm2jigypC2c-jj7-eA2NDyhbkAT3D01HQspVl7qVLs0/s1600-h/IMG_3182.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihg90T9ghDnp38sXgjCWhUJyU2TXP8nzc2U5o05BP77ReMnwHXK7KUxQ7REnUZjmMh-sjyk3FqZhAYep7eHkfw04PAJBgE-SJhfm2jigypC2c-jj7-eA2NDyhbkAT3D01HQspVl7qVLs0/s320/IMG_3182.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172055560294854402" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We could've gotten food from one of the many street vendors but chose to go to Big Daddy's in the Commercial Building next to the bridge. It had been recommended by Slickrock and Frommers. It looked like a family thing with homemade food. Here's our delicious salad, stew chicken, rice and tamale.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2JwRre5cP2Ej7DJqn6vv1qT1d6OmRwpsmoj4CfbPHYD9CBlXlLcSka2uWeSslgxdtmiPcPEP0qVj4sdMsqyNDrUyIKfgycqf7bG9hAL_QAuOE9b5RLA1CEdksbxCU79tyXP3R_5C7CEY/s1600-h/IMG_3178.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2JwRre5cP2Ej7DJqn6vv1qT1d6OmRwpsmoj4CfbPHYD9CBlXlLcSka2uWeSslgxdtmiPcPEP0qVj4sdMsqyNDrUyIKfgycqf7bG9hAL_QAuOE9b5RLA1CEdksbxCU79tyXP3R_5C7CEY/s320/IMG_3178.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172055573179756306" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There was a great grocery store about a 10 minute walk from the Biltmore called Brodie's where we got our food. Sometimes we had a sandwich for breakfast because that's all they had! We were very flexible. We just needed to eat. One night we opted for a Chinese restaurant a little further down the Northern Highway. Tuesday we headed to the airport and said goodbye to Belize. It had been a very good trip. I've already started a list of things to see and do on the next trip some day.Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907882434759871916.post-69279565475798091102008-02-21T07:33:00.000-08:002008-12-09T02:26:38.274-08:00Belize-Slickrock Adventures<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJsxzRpuMMhTVcZkiw7jq53LS-rM9cJ4RzrxDUwsVEC2Mg2om4dzk3wWjfcJ5MwEq1z6-mT-8gxpowKAf2y6ToI6l2hYZNKDlLM8-syMbI0b6S1oEZeWfWsBEkvLCKIn6JqsWi4XLzN_U/s1600-h/94200001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJsxzRpuMMhTVcZkiw7jq53LS-rM9cJ4RzrxDUwsVEC2Mg2om4dzk3wWjfcJ5MwEq1z6-mT-8gxpowKAf2y6ToI6l2hYZNKDlLM8-syMbI0b6S1oEZeWfWsBEkvLCKIn6JqsWi4XLzN_U/s320/94200001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170000109206072738" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">February 3-10.</span> One of the highlights of our travels so far was spending a week with fun people on a 13 acre island and playing at water sports in the turquoise water.<br /><br />We couldn't have been a more congenial group. We all started at the Best Western Biltmore in Belize City with a group meeting with a guide and then dinner. The next morning was breakfast and a 2 1/2 hour trip to Long Caye in Glover's Reef. (The Biltmore is a really nice hotel. The courtyard and pool are beautifully landscaped. We liked it so much that we decided to stay here for the 2 days following our island trip.)<br /><br /><a href="http://slickrock.com/">Slickrock</a> is headquartered in Moab, Utah and is a very well-organized sports adventure "camp". (They also offer half island trips and half land adventure trips.) The guides were great, the equipment was great, and the setting was heavenly. The cabanas were rustic, we used compost toilets, and solar heated outside showers (very cool) and the island used wind and sun power. The cost seemed a little high but you got a lot for your money. It was well worth the price! The guides even guided us in snorkeling, helping us locate cool fish and enormous lobsters. And we loved sleeping with our screen-less windows open listening to the surf breaking 10 yards from the cabana!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjBHyYUvyU9a358cEi_QkvyxiXHu1iH3ICQOrLQbpsN6CduAufp7th5dmZjHE53qIHfVh6wGMvmDHnlYBbIWkCD3tEJCjTWQwi_blDIt7WMrHOwSRHnC_w2rlj5EfvHqBVukrIMJ2_kM/s1600-h/IMG_2990.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjBHyYUvyU9a358cEi_QkvyxiXHu1iH3ICQOrLQbpsN6CduAufp7th5dmZjHE53qIHfVh6wGMvmDHnlYBbIWkCD3tEJCjTWQwi_blDIt7WMrHOwSRHnC_w2rlj5EfvHqBVukrIMJ2_kM/s320/IMG_2990.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169995346087341346" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiVkgeSOTIrRz-dbkoo0qnRYf0mmxDWsWU9pn12NcplUYYBxuvUc7-PwHWK7OCq7pRIwBjS1ktLZ9yXzo8GQrFHvI77BAS7Wa3Qvh8Lg3BzMWOLvczFiFKrDRx_mwN8KwWl6RjBxQK8UM/s1600-h/IMG_2965.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiVkgeSOTIrRz-dbkoo0qnRYf0mmxDWsWU9pn12NcplUYYBxuvUc7-PwHWK7OCq7pRIwBjS1ktLZ9yXzo8GQrFHvI77BAS7Wa3Qvh8Lg3BzMWOLvczFiFKrDRx_mwN8KwWl6RjBxQK8UM/s320/IMG_2965.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169995363267210562" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6Y5CYt6jj0YbNgZSf9JLsbuqeLxx-H9ta8meMEsUvQJHcChNWuMzKm7vehByOJ7kMa9hOhEh3Sv5CzSbWeBfLQjs4wTtLPOm0UiBZnw-7CuUb1KRDW1oJPGwQuPteKrKoZocBtkXles/s1600-h/IMG_2969.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6Y5CYt6jj0YbNgZSf9JLsbuqeLxx-H9ta8meMEsUvQJHcChNWuMzKm7vehByOJ7kMa9hOhEh3Sv5CzSbWeBfLQjs4wTtLPOm0UiBZnw-7CuUb1KRDW1oJPGwQuPteKrKoZocBtkXles/s320/IMG_2969.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169995358972243250" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqa6JjPG4QxFEMJTcYBGcKduZ4uwsbq4RB4ipN3TEjhyZDA0buecb46NxLggiO4w0SskE8YGAXmMtehxnO_fg7vT-VRgA1varhAdi9o4rvZ7hKMEmsGTHjElfrZVP6rflUHj4LXkxCq2Y/s1600-h/IMG_3012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqa6JjPG4QxFEMJTcYBGcKduZ4uwsbq4RB4ipN3TEjhyZDA0buecb46NxLggiO4w0SskE8YGAXmMtehxnO_fg7vT-VRgA1varhAdi9o4rvZ7hKMEmsGTHjElfrZVP6rflUHj4LXkxCq2Y/s320/IMG_3012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169995376152112466" border="0" /></a>Belize's reef is the second longest in the world. (Longest is Australia's Barrier Reef.)<br /><br />Staff: Joelle, originally from Montreal and now from Victoria, B.C., was our head guide. She was assisted by Eduardo and Jose, both from Belize. They were super. Besides being very competent and patient they were also very personable. The guides even gave us very interesting short talks on geography, coral, fish, and Mayan history. There were 2 Belizean women who cooked all the meals.<br /><br />Sports: Sea kayaking, surf kayaking, snorkeling, windsurfing, and scuba (for a reasonable fee). I had the most fun windsurfing. It was the best windsurfing week of my life!! And the diving for Sandy was awesome! (For safety, we had to wear helmets for windsurfing! Not a big deal.)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkzxf0zlgHNR9nkCZP6u9Jal6i8dhsvDwsmHvX9wGO-u8shGOtkUBH1Zv5-tHKpQ9a-WW4CMoakVxZMAvmLAuybtHnKc_Z3oK1d4t3MJTDC8xMy0NcUx2ovG1z64aEeDQ9e5FVLiUCoiA/s1600-h/Sandy+Scuba.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkzxf0zlgHNR9nkCZP6u9Jal6i8dhsvDwsmHvX9wGO-u8shGOtkUBH1Zv5-tHKpQ9a-WW4CMoakVxZMAvmLAuybtHnKc_Z3oK1d4t3MJTDC8xMy0NcUx2ovG1z64aEeDQ9e5FVLiUCoiA/s320/Sandy+Scuba.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169999284572351874" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwm5Y9aRCKUz8BwteG0h5lcOA21rr9BbOcWWT31WmLBrn03a9EtqKEJVhFL6k0D70INEY_wl-g-hXIol50GH8dldjOra-geUE6mb0-DyuXs7LXzsW9wwYfBttOayxcVwpOSdYs8Dk0Ybs/s1600-h/IMG_3139.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwm5Y9aRCKUz8BwteG0h5lcOA21rr9BbOcWWT31WmLBrn03a9EtqKEJVhFL6k0D70INEY_wl-g-hXIol50GH8dldjOra-geUE6mb0-DyuXs7LXzsW9wwYfBttOayxcVwpOSdYs8Dk0Ybs/s320/IMG_3139.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169996918045371746" border="0" /></a><br /><br />They gave us instruction and then let us do our thing. But they always offered guided activities. There are so many patch reefs nearby that we could swim or kayak to a different one twice a day if we wanted to. Other activities included a guided nature walk, low tide exploring and beach volleyball. Here I am with Rosemary after we kayaked 3 miles each way to a neighboring island to explore the marine research center and snorkel. I found by the end of the week kayaking a distance was much easier.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUq982SYQxpL79qiyNu7qiOiY9XZCbsXdJKoIG_QJk0HbXB2EUMszFHPndn_yR56XwoF5OA97aS3PfNu0KcilaTiknI2Yrra5vCTJdWe1nGZP_Q1GQPrwGuzKTr0s22FWD9GAfjUALARM/s1600-h/kayak.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUq982SYQxpL79qiyNu7qiOiY9XZCbsXdJKoIG_QJk0HbXB2EUMszFHPndn_yR56XwoF5OA97aS3PfNu0KcilaTiknI2Yrra5vCTJdWe1nGZP_Q1GQPrwGuzKTr0s22FWD9GAfjUALARM/s320/kayak.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169996926635306354" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Some underwater things we saw besides coral were a barracuda, nurse shark (both harmless), octopus, and a hawksbill turtle. There also were numerous beautiful fish (we identified 35 varieties) and huge lobsters (since no one can fish in this preserve). (The last 3 pictures are thanks to Julie who had an awesome camera.)<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRykwAxmvo_S0NG9QPcVkw8qGvat-2brnw0CPCFbUgHsG73pmcxTLnEUfVvIXOLKY_5uO9JCM0m2s4RHR9MIwy46OKSWpo87k0dNPHfe923GFsZ9T_etkPAHzwsc7FN9aqdfZqHqGHoOY/s1600-h/94200005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRykwAxmvo_S0NG9QPcVkw8qGvat-2brnw0CPCFbUgHsG73pmcxTLnEUfVvIXOLKY_5uO9JCM0m2s4RHR9MIwy46OKSWpo87k0dNPHfe923GFsZ9T_etkPAHzwsc7FN9aqdfZqHqGHoOY/s320/94200005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170008394197986962" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORAHZfGpbnbSxhJzG6gvhg3IAIikHwckKZYuhxfjTOiXdbw-eF7VmVMpNngQCP22sqcJIjfmxLICwYYFTqPp57iT2mr3yCmp6gSHEkMX4RWZ75iDVMSEIlDm9vsI_N6dXhnMVr6O73Ow/s1600-h/Nurse+Shark.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORAHZfGpbnbSxhJzG6gvhg3IAIikHwckKZYuhxfjTOiXdbw-eF7VmVMpNngQCP22sqcJIjfmxLICwYYFTqPp57iT2mr3yCmp6gSHEkMX4RWZ75iDVMSEIlDm9vsI_N6dXhnMVr6O73Ow/s320/Nurse+Shark.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170002402718608850" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAHwEN5dL-h7frmDBtK-0UlLLZ5sFGyfRxCqSvQSY_OFWlAUNtbf63FcJoYJj9OH-0LzIQRQyvakiZ44pHMImDQVnFr74AuoijaWwkgB6F7Ibx-k96ommZFSPkA1pMpxRtLt3R9CMJRQ/s1600-h/Octopus.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAHwEN5dL-h7frmDBtK-0UlLLZ5sFGyfRxCqSvQSY_OFWlAUNtbf63FcJoYJj9OH-0LzIQRQyvakiZ44pHMImDQVnFr74AuoijaWwkgB6F7Ibx-k96ommZFSPkA1pMpxRtLt3R9CMJRQ/s320/Octopus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170000972494499250" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZxoMdlZERNlGXMdpTLd8hCAL0GefFLwEPRkhqFADTdDsuKR7bTu3vRLSJC46y1CGbsx3ME7fd3-ow_sOZir5GSdMvR1tPK1DRfX12CtM7UFMp6pfcS1FcCEG1BphKiWqntrOPutuhjI/s1600-h/HAwksbill+Turtlejpg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZxoMdlZERNlGXMdpTLd8hCAL0GefFLwEPRkhqFADTdDsuKR7bTu3vRLSJC46y1CGbsx3ME7fd3-ow_sOZir5GSdMvR1tPK1DRfX12CtM7UFMp6pfcS1FcCEG1BphKiWqntrOPutuhjI/s320/HAwksbill+Turtlejpg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170000981084433858" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />At one end of the island was an osprey nest on a tall frame that had been constructed for their nest. They had two babies which were fun to spot. Usually, though, when we got too near, the mother would start squawking and the baby would duck down. Notice the sneaker at the bottom of the nest. (Thanks to Jennifer for the great picture.)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJn3Cwh7orDTg8t-VGOmaD9I7bI5f8Rx1xiu9QY2IvuIpRgTBYm6zIxc8rJGj8_eDLDL8epfeEcHFTEeGB7WKOOFVrxAJ7ZibviFYKR-dE_2dxod3GSg-bgvC7ElNa_Rnz_eOYkWfIQsA/s1600-h/Ospey.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJn3Cwh7orDTg8t-VGOmaD9I7bI5f8Rx1xiu9QY2IvuIpRgTBYm6zIxc8rJGj8_eDLDL8epfeEcHFTEeGB7WKOOFVrxAJ7ZibviFYKR-dE_2dxod3GSg-bgvC7ElNa_Rnz_eOYkWfIQsA/s320/Ospey.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170003489345334770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Other common things on the island were iguanas that lived in the rocks and scores of hermit crabs. We even witnessed the changing of shells. About 30 crabs ganged up on a bigger crab, got it out of its shell and killed it. Then one of them took over his shell and all of the oher crabs moved up to a larger shell!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRczewU91fuj-PLHmLtFKf0Uv_gGpSNfFqGc3LujM4qKekMv3oRypsQLg7c_dEfwXRhIlFRZttecF3Xz1ps0QlYhJEOSHAiuf7So4d_uZgABevQBInFOX5QqB2ITeJo-WEZ4LqHMEpCeM/s1600-h/IMG_2973.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRczewU91fuj-PLHmLtFKf0Uv_gGpSNfFqGc3LujM4qKekMv3oRypsQLg7c_dEfwXRhIlFRZttecF3Xz1ps0QlYhJEOSHAiuf7So4d_uZgABevQBInFOX5QqB2ITeJo-WEZ4LqHMEpCeM/s320/IMG_2973.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170004210899840530" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEn0cTNUrTuqf5ZK6w4zfh8ZE4PxWCEMFx8kK7Y7RwwkITIK8hwviVBtLTPewJhIzNxpCfKZ40Kun4Sxlb9t_DNK1Q4hHFCHVp_uXmi5lbh-DB4WqQFIhlaGsixEqw3IJBGdvOp6gbOGg/s1600-h/IMG_3079.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEn0cTNUrTuqf5ZK6w4zfh8ZE4PxWCEMFx8kK7Y7RwwkITIK8hwviVBtLTPewJhIzNxpCfKZ40Kun4Sxlb9t_DNK1Q4hHFCHVp_uXmi5lbh-DB4WqQFIhlaGsixEqw3IJBGdvOp6gbOGg/s320/IMG_3079.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170004202309905922" border="0" /></a><br /><br />On our low tide walk we found lots of brittle stars under the rocks.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-7JTZnhwZj6tvRYkbTPRpOVb6K6zK3VBOVUphIrnZbgLxSjaZnE-InOienw8Y9C74uwitIbrmANv_oobl4Ews4LD7lpXAsWNNYqjleNQCLqtFtnQW2tw309q0-J6kH6qSG3lNpZ9dtc/s1600-h/IMG_3094.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-7JTZnhwZj6tvRYkbTPRpOVb6K6zK3VBOVUphIrnZbgLxSjaZnE-InOienw8Y9C74uwitIbrmANv_oobl4Ews4LD7lpXAsWNNYqjleNQCLqtFtnQW2tw309q0-J6kH6qSG3lNpZ9dtc/s320/IMG_3094.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170004730590883362" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here's the dining room (with a sandy floor) where we had all of our delicious meals! They were so good I took home a few of the recipes. We especially loved the Lime cookies, Creole Shrimp and Key Lime Pie.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtLIq0JmwB-DHIQVIhbpws5J3OMInoJcKWpdFviHh5igH5R_RqEgfeMJcJ0MDVf_uVnTUa9k7Fe8KBscqPGHORdYUAwylsC_-5ddijG-H8Qotshqs11c08cdZVmAQtFk6I-PD23fCeCo/s1600-h/diningroom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtLIq0JmwB-DHIQVIhbpws5J3OMInoJcKWpdFviHh5igH5R_RqEgfeMJcJ0MDVf_uVnTUa9k7Fe8KBscqPGHORdYUAwylsC_-5ddijG-H8Qotshqs11c08cdZVmAQtFk6I-PD23fCeCo/s320/diningroom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170005052713430578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The people on our week were so much fun to be with. We all got along great. Their friendship really added to our enjoyment of the week.<br /><br />Here are some scenes from gorgeous Long Caye and us showing how much we loved our week.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8w4k_G42yEGolN-a81tS9HVOsxQKSJCQldMs0gPls6ztQHPGQAmW9tmjFg0NhduXqScuDBkm5GCJkqMDg0ohKQoZfjBfs7AopncXYFuYJgMEKFCadiHkEmYiUjGa6FZYFLDVhw6MMos/s1600-h/IMG_3074.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8w4k_G42yEGolN-a81tS9HVOsxQKSJCQldMs0gPls6ztQHPGQAmW9tmjFg0NhduXqScuDBkm5GCJkqMDg0ohKQoZfjBfs7AopncXYFuYJgMEKFCadiHkEmYiUjGa6FZYFLDVhw6MMos/s320/IMG_3074.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170005757088067186" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwltAKfyybIz1DrDQ297-iN5bYDVjXQmGfAxHd0Lqsbi2qx7txe94bcRQS27jegjU2Oxcfpx2K_e460w5ZexIfP_-Iz5rjZBRzvThZdYIL0I4E5FQONgLo9tvtVOvQPNjbC9GT17P0XUI/s1600-h/IMG_2962.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwltAKfyybIz1DrDQ297-iN5bYDVjXQmGfAxHd0Lqsbi2qx7txe94bcRQS27jegjU2Oxcfpx2K_e460w5ZexIfP_-Iz5rjZBRzvThZdYIL0I4E5FQONgLo9tvtVOvQPNjbC9GT17P0XUI/s320/IMG_2962.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170005752793099874" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljxV5pU1zflXihvMgwZ-ZyhEGkXNS1FzS0xXJwMq49vWSNfTLaWALx2xo04vhEpOtgxbOBbP3-jAr1UZMx6D6_Ocff8sPSpSgNoR2_8uk-6LvKGvtptJOGOwsGgMrM7jBiiVToe3BQjo/s1600-h/IMG_3041.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljxV5pU1zflXihvMgwZ-ZyhEGkXNS1FzS0xXJwMq49vWSNfTLaWALx2xo04vhEpOtgxbOBbP3-jAr1UZMx6D6_Ocff8sPSpSgNoR2_8uk-6LvKGvtptJOGOwsGgMrM7jBiiVToe3BQjo/s320/IMG_3041.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170005744203165266" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFlBd_8ihXS3WwETt3faqzBezm1Zfwrrqp78FDqGXYg28eDJSx63kkj2eiVFo9vjioGeFiIAkXKHSq8XUZ54OBPwOomX05sE2awz2HKpjhgYis1YbhkcnlIbm5yX-TAKy3uRew4GrZ9Mk/s1600-h/IMG_3164.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFlBd_8ihXS3WwETt3faqzBezm1Zfwrrqp78FDqGXYg28eDJSx63kkj2eiVFo9vjioGeFiIAkXKHSq8XUZ54OBPwOomX05sE2awz2HKpjhgYis1YbhkcnlIbm5yX-TAKy3uRew4GrZ9Mk/s320/IMG_3164.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170008385608052354" border="0" /></a>Becky & Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15369773019100839869noreply@blogger.com0