THEODORE ROOSEVELT PARK



The Bison Statue

We leave Bismarck at about 8 am. It is still dark and chilly and begins to rain heavily. As it turned out it rained off and on the entire day. The drivers here didn't seem to mind and continued to drive over the limit.
The scenery, when we can see, is endless. Endless sky,endless plains. It is so very easy to imagine looking out over the area and seeing huge herds of bison where now there are cattle and crops, sunflowers, corn and other things I know not what.
We change time zones again at Hebron so now we are again where we began this morning - time wise.
All along we have been looking for signs of FRACKING. Here we are in Dickenson, ND and see the first indication of fracking. Building housing units, RV, motels galore. Flames from new wells, pumps dot the landscape with the accompanying tanks and machinery. All the while farms stretched to the horizon.

A highlight is Theodore Roosevelt National Park and Pete is anxious to see what we can see even with the rain. Fortunately, the rain turned to a drizzle as we pulled in and Pete said, "Look at the statue of the bison." I looked up and the statue moved! Yes, there were several very, very large bison grazing at the information stop. Photos, yes, without getting chased.

The view of the badlands from there is more than a camera can record. Amazing, and it brings to mind a memory of that first trip across country in 1959 when I was 21 and first married and came upon the badlands in Wyoming. That was when I was positive that I was being taken to the end of the known world. The Craters of the Moon and Yellowstone did nothing to dissuade me of this impression.

Here the leaves have pretty much changed and are gorgeous. Now for the first time since Utah or so we see tall mountains in the distance. Now the clouds are close to the ground laden with water again ready to dump over the landscape.

Yikes, snow on a mountain near the entrance to Yellowstone. Sun going down now dark to the left of us, shinning sun on the buttes and mountains to the right. Time to find a place for the night.

Livingston, Montana is where we are.

BADLANDS IN THEODORE ROOSEVELT PARK

TWO DAYS OF DRIVING





MY 4 x 6 PAINTING (because my camera is out of order)


 Sunday, early start from our economy motel - more later - heading toward Omaha, Nebraska.The scenery is about the same and it is still warm 84 degrees or so. In Kansas City we glimpsed the King Stadium where the the Royals play. It has been smoggy!!!???? Notice that the Rest Stops are "modern" in that there is wifi and then there are those that are "regular". On this long part of the trip we passed the time by relearning some of the state capitals.

We noticed many solar panels on homes and buildings. When we stopped for gas we paid $3.05. Made our usual Sunday phone calls to Tom and Joan. We were in Iowa by the time we talked to Joan who was born there. Went across the Missouri River on which we noticed riverboats and thought that would be an interesting trip.

We entered South Dakota at about 1:30 pm after we had driven what seemed like another long trip. Just a note of trivia, there are signs that warn that the interstate highways can be closed if lights are flashing and in order to do this there are gates. There is some very severe weather in this part of the country.

Stayed at a Residence Inn by Marriott on Sunday night in Sioux Falls. Lovely room for two tired travelers. A good nights sleep and off today to Fargo, ND and beyond. The morning is a soft grey and it is 57 degrees outside. Soon we are driving through VERY foggy with some light mist. When the sun comes out now and then we see that the leaves here are turning fast and we realize that we are almost as far north as you can get in the US and have been in Corpus Christi almost as far south as you can get.

We continued in the drizzle and went across the Continental Divide. Today we entertained one another first with the crossword puzzle and then, while I was driving, Pete read aloud some of the book club book, "Reading Like a Writer". Driving the last 100 miles today was easier than in the morning. The highway was straight and quiet and never crowded. We also found Sirius Radio very entertaining.

A room tonight in Comfort Inn Suites in Bismarck, ND, which brings me back to motels in general. We have been lucky getting very nice rooms with prices from $69 (not so good) to Holiday Inn Express high of $134. The best was the Residence Inn. Anyway, thinking about motels made me harken back to the first time we drove across country in 1959. The motels were not much and were not abundant. I remember one night, being young and having driven until well after dark in the middle of nowhere, we could find no place to sleep and pulled over on the side of the road to wake up the next morning with a big cow staring in my window. I was frightened never having been so close to a cow or maybe it was a bull. Of course, there were no cell phones, no phones along the road side and very few rest stops. We went from Virginia to Boston, called home. Then from Boston to Chicago before being able to call home again. From Chicago to Seattle not calling home at all. My parents were in the dark as to how their precious daughter was doing. After all I was going to an unknown part of the world, Seattle, where Indians and cows roamed the streets. LOL

We will try to stop at Roosevelt Park and continue on tomorrow to see how far we can get.

THE EARTHEN MOUNDS OF CAHOKIA

We had driven so long on Friday that this am we were almost at our destination.  Cahokia Mounds, the largest prehistoric Indian city north of Mexico.  The mounds covered about 4000 acres and there were at least 120 mounds.  Farmers took down many but this site, which is a World Heritage Site, 




Monks Mound Cahokia

protects the central portion, about 70 mounds.  The largest is Monks Mound which reminds us so much of the Teotihuacan in Mexico is pictured here.  The area was first settled in about AD 700 and from AD 800 - 1000 the culture was highly structured and complex.  Corn, at first, was grown for food then for trade from this area down the Mississippi.

The mounds were built by hand over many years and are ceremonial, homes for elite and burial mounds.

About 20,0000 people may have lived here in the hay day. It was a bigger city than London at one time. Around the year AD1200 the population began to decline and eventually (1300's) the city and surrounding population was almost abandoned. It may have been over population,climate change, war, either from outside or inside, or a number of other conditions all leading to the demise.

Yes, we enjoyed it thoroughly. Walked over the beautiful parklike area, saw wild turkeys and lots of birds. The Museum has wonderful educational exhibits and is extremely interesting and well done. So we started at 8:45 and stayed until 11:45. Then again took off , this time thru Missouri. Pete says he could write a tale about Missouri drivers. The highway was extremely congested for the first 70 miles or so but after a while it was okay. Lots of trucks. Drivers who hang out in the left lane enticing other drivers to tailgate closer than I have ever seen.
Anyway, here we are now in Sweet Springs, Missouri where the catfish was good and the people friendly. Tomorrow is another day full of surprises.

VERY LONG DRIVE FOR OLD FOLKS

On Friday we drove thru West Virginia's beautiful hill country to Kentucky. The roads were good and not much traffic.  There has been some road work in almost every state we have been in.  Again we enjoyed beautiful scenery.  Can't say enough about the beauty of the United States.  We love every place we have been.  Friendly people everywhere, of course. 

In Louisville, Kentucky we spotted what we thought was a capital dome?  In Louisville?  No, the dome was a golden one on top of a very tall building. 
We saw the KFC center, the Ohio River and very attractive architecture in the city. 

Traveled 121 miles thru Indiana and noticed that the deciduous trees  were interspersed with some evergreens now.  Pines, cedars and spruce.  The farms are growing soy beans and hay on the gently rolling hills. 

In the afternoon the temperature was close to 85 degrees.  We are now in central time and the land has begun to be flatter. Many humongous farms.  WE DROVE TOO FAR!!!!

Stopped for the night on the east side of the Mississippi.  I was really tired even though Pete did the driving. 


BLUE CRABS

VISITING RELATIVES



The Man on the Potomac

Have been very busy visiting, talking, listening and having fun with my sister and brother, sister in law, nieces and nephews and new little babies. My camera is out of order so I will try to post a photo from Pete's Kindle.

We were served with my sister in law's super crab cakes first thing. I was supposed to share but didn't. They were scrumptous. My older brother looks great after major health problems. I slept in the same room I slept in from the time I was about 8 until I was 17. Some improvements (air conditioning) have been made but we didn't have to use the air conditioning.
The next day my sister made a delicious lunch and we chatted for at least 2 hours. Back to my brother's house (my old house) on the Potomac river where we ate again and chatted some more. So much fun being with them. Met two of my sister's grandchildren. They are both extremely photogenic. Met my brother's granddaughter who was just born. She is absolutely gorgeous. Said goodbye to all yesterday and left early this morning (Thursday).

Drove from Dahlgren, Virginia. Stopped at Chancellorsville Battlefied where we enjoyed an updated visitors center that is extremely well done. On through the Virginia horse country which is absolutely beautiful and then through the mountains to Charleston, West Virginia where tonight we are resting. Along the way, we enjoyed the most beautiful scenery. Leaves just beginning to change in some higher areas. We would love to take that drive in a couple of weeks when all of the leaves will be changed and colorful.

We are doing well and hope to get close to St. Louis tomorrow. We want to visit Cohokia. Tell you about it tomorrow if I can get wifi.

FLORIDA TO SOUTH CAROLINA

Today (Sat. 20th) we left Tallahassee and drove again on the I10.  The long, long straight highway with tall pines, swampy areas and not too much traffic.  Not too many bill boards in this state but a few off to the side.  Nothing like the forests of billboards in LA. and MI.  Anyway it begins to rain again.  Really, really hard rain.  No see rain.  The rain in Seattle takes a back seat to most of the rain we have seen on this trip.  We have seen rain in every state from New Mexico to Florida.  I hope they appreciate it. 

Pete competed his goal!!!! He has completed the Interstate 10 from Los Angeles, California to Jacksonville, Florida. Yay!!!!

Ate in a local restaurant tonight.  I made the wrong choice today.  Oh well.  

Early on Bourbon Street Random Photo

BREAKFAST IN MISSISSIPPI, GAS IN ALABAMA, LUNCH IN FLORIDA

Yes, what a day!!!

Just what it says up there.

We actually left from Louisianna and ate breakfast in Mississippi - somewhere - then drove thru to Alabama where we GOT GAS FOR $2.96 PER GALLON. Nice low east coast price.

We drove on straight thru Alabama (short coast line) trying to find NPR because other than very tall, very abundant billboards, the highway was straight and miles and miles of piney woods and swamps. Hey, it was pretty but lots of it.

Pensacola, Florida is just across the line from Alabama and Pete lived there from the time he was 6 months until 4 or 5 so he wanted to visit the Naval Aviation Museum. We spent some time there looking at the planes his father flew and imagining his father being a flight instructor from 1934 until 1940. Pete has vague memories of the later years, when he was 3 to 5, of times with his mother, father and baby sister. After a nice walk around, we returned to the car and thought we would stay on the back roads to Panama City because we had lots of time, right? But we got tired of the traffic and stop lights and headed back to I10. But before we did, we stopped for lunch at Arby's - not so good.

Pete is determined to fulfill his goal of driving the entirety of Interstate 10. We seemed to cover a lot of miles in a short time. Stopped in Tallahassee for the night where we were lucky to get a room since there will be a big football game today. Clemson vs FSU. Everyone was reved. We have been staying in Sleep Inns and find them excellent and priced right. We had dinner in Florida too at Waffle House and that wasn't bad if you made the right choices.

Had really good wifi service last night and again tonight making it a lot less frustrating to write and check up on things.

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANNA

Pete is enchanted by New Orleans!



One of the many buskers

Now can I continue? Our hotel is right on Bourbon Street, Four Points by Sheraton. We made reservations online the night before. Arrived about 2 hours before our room was ready so checked in and took care of our luggage and car and off we went. Well, I was not doing too well with the walking after all of the sitting and it was probably 88 degrees with 98% humidity. We did go to the Jackson Street Park and saw the paddle wheel take off. Got back, our room was just ready and a very nice one. That evening Pete went out and tried to get me up on my feet to see the crowds on the streets.

We took an excellent City Tour the next day with a wonderful, knowledgeable guide - John. John had the most cajun accent and we all loved it. I appreciated him pointing out different signs left from Katrina and relating his own experiences. We saw several different neighborhoods which are making a come back with people fixing up their homes. Saw lines on signs showing the height of the water also chalk notes on houses. We saw the French Quarter, the Garden District, the French market and, Pete’s favorite the cemetery. It was interesting, of course, all burials are above ground because the water table is so close and if there is a flood or a good rain, the caskets would rise. Most of the “tombs” are elaborate and most, that we saw, are very old. We were told that a tomb has two shelves. The body is put in the upper chamber for 1 year and 1day and then is taken out and the bones and dust is put in an urn leaving the tomb free to be used again. Voila! Resurrection. We weren’t allowed to step on the grass because we might or would get bitten by fire ants.

Yes, we did see the Harry Connick Music Town and the home that Nicolas Cage recently managed to sell. We ate beignets and drank iced coffee and suffered from the heat during the day. The evening was very nice. By the way, there is a definite smell to New Orleans but I did see the city workers using a pressure washer with disinfectant cleaning the inside of the stinky garbage cans which were ever present on the streets.

No, we can’t move on without talking about the food. I have eaten more fried foods on this trip than I have in years and years and it was GOOD. Oysters, fish, shrimp and crab. Yum.

We did go out after dinner and walked Bourbon Street along with many many other people looking at people and those who were asking to be looked at. Buskers painted and posing, playing all sorts of instruments. Hawkers trying to get us in to the Barely Legal night club and live Music inside every establishment competing with one another. Bourbon Street is closed to traffic and people set up shows. In front of our hotel a very popular show with two young men doing break dancing. Drew a big crowd.


We enjoyed our New Orleans adventure and are impressed with the friendliness of the people.
We left early the next morning.

FROM PADRE ISLAND, TX to NEW ORLEANS, LA

Our trip resumes......




Pelican



View from Doc's Restaurant

We drove along the Texas Tropical Trail for miles and miles. Very rich farm country where we saw fields covered with white egrets. We seemed to be alone on the 2 lane highway for a time. In Refugio, Tx we saw many large old classic southern homes, some in disrepair but many well kept. And then came the RAIN!!! A downpour off and on for miles where we could barely see the car in front of us. The scenery changes (when we can see), the trees are taller and there is more green. HOUSTON - still raining hard, gully washers, dumping for miles. Cars driving with no lights, black clouds so low they touch the ground. Then sprinkles. Now bare and dry. Stopped at a rest stop when it got so tiring before Beaumont, Tx. More rain. Stopped for gas in Orange, Tx OMG it is hot as hell and so humid it is hard to breathe. We have been on I10 for 880 miles just in Texas.
Now in Louisianna - Stay the night in Sulphur, LA. Lots of oil refineries thus the name. Rain at night. Lake Charles is beauiful, green and neat. Land is cultivated for sugar cane. We ran into more traffic here than all other parts of trip so far. I10 is a busy highway between Lake Charles and Baton Rouge. 
Lake Ponchatrain Causeway is an amazing engineering feat. 24 miles of elevated highway - bridge - over the lake. There is a $3.00 toll and interestingly enough there are various turnarounds. There is also a drawbridge. The lake is huge and looks like an inland sea. It was very quiet when we went over but Katrina in 2005 sent it into New Orleans with a vengence.




Lake Ponchatrain Causeway



VISITING MY FIRST COUSIN IN ALPINE

I am haveing a difficult time this time doing anything on this blog.  I start and stop and have problems with inserting photos but here I go again trying to catch up. 

We had a very nice almost week in Ruidoso, New Mexico.  Then traveled on to Alpine, Texas.  That trip was quite easy driving at a high speed.  Lots of desert scenery.  We found my cousin in Alpine and visited for a couple of hours.  It was so wonderful seeing her again after 55 years.  I don't think we would have recognized each other if we had been on some street but it was just a treat.  She and her husband have the ultimate cat - two - Maine Coon!!!  They are absolutely beautiful and I fell in love with them.  They are both very active in retirement.  He paints!  Really lovely compositions and brushwork.  She volunteers at museum and library and hospital and I am sure I couldn't keep up with her.
   We spent the night in Ft. Stockton, Texas and the next morning we left headed to San Antonio. Another easy, high speed trip.  Very good, quiet roads made the miles fly by.  Arrived after noon at Pete's sister's and brother in law's beautiful home.  The next morning we caravanned down to Padre Island stopping first for lunch at Joe's Crab Shack.  The rental house is gorgeous and in a beautiful spot.  The back door leads to the canal and T rented a boat today so we can explore the inner coast and see birds.  I think tonight we will use it to travel to the restaurant for dinner.  They are very hospitable and are showing us the sights.  Good thing too because we probably won't come this way again.  We love the beach and the birds.

Susan and Pete at Padre Island

2014 ROAD TRIP FIRST PART

Planning and thinking about this trip seemed to take a very long time. Many of our friends, especiallly Pete's friends, said we were insane to do this - at our age. Well, we did take those comments and more into consideration along with on and off aches and pains, but we decided this was doable and probably the next to the last road trip of its kind. (We have another planned.) We began on Monday, Sept 1st from Seattle. The Interstates were practically empty and so the going was good. Around 2pm at Baker City, Oregon we did run into traffic and road work. We stopped early in Ontario, Oregon. The scenery to this point was beautiful but familiar. Lots of large farms, wheat, corn, grapes and so forth. The skies clear blue and beautiful. On Tuesday as we went through Salt Lake City, I noticed miles of bad air. Layer after layer of smog or something. Such a disappointment to see so much pollution in such a gorgeous area. The next day was spectacular scenery to Moab, Utah. Unbelievable rock formations, rocks, huge mesa's of varied colors. I loved the colors in the ground coverings - every imaginable shade and tint of green and gold. Pete did have some back pain but not bad just irritating that he couldn't bend down with the same agility as he was used to. It is better now. A very good samaratan in Gallop,NM heard Pete speaking to Tom on the phone and insisted upon giving Pete a brand new back support for his seat. (He isn't sure that it helped but maybe it did and if we have a chance we will give it to some other traveler.) Yesterday, Thursday, we reached Ruidoso, NM and our condo for a week. It is located high up in the mountains and has bears residing in the area. Yes, it is beautiful and not too hot. There has been some rain here and it is DRAMATIC. Lightening strikes in the mountains and flash floods to be watched for. The skies are amazing!!!! Humongous billowy white clouds hanging over the mountains and above them darker storm clouds. We saw many, many beautiful horses and lots of cattle that looked sleek and happy grazing on open range. Tomorrow we will play 9 holes of golf and see how it goes. We do need the exercise. While we are in this area we will visit as many of the local sights as possible. Today we went to the Casino and gave them about $20 but didn't enjoy it so much because the 1cent machines are fake and you still have to play 50 cents. I don't like that and besides even with the air filtering that they had it still was a bit smokey. I am trying to insert a photo or two but the internet is slow. Later.....