Want to read about more Rippel vacations?
Check out these!
Southwest 2011
Wisconsin/Minnesota 2011
North 2010
South 2009
Wyoming, etc. 2009
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
Day 12-- Homeward bound, Friday, November 4, 2011
We drove from Tucumcari, New Mexico home to Great Bend, Kansas.
At Texahoma, Oklahoma, we drove north into Kansas and visited the Morton County Library in Elkhart, Kansas and the Stevens County Library in Hugoton, Kansas. Both are nice libraries which gave us some ideas to bring back to our jobs.
At Texahoma, Oklahoma, we drove north into Kansas and visited the Morton County Library in Elkhart, Kansas and the Stevens County Library in Hugoton, Kansas. Both are nice libraries which gave us some ideas to bring back to our jobs.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Day 11-- Heading back across Arizona, Thursday, November 3, 2011
We drove the whole day and camped in Tucumcari, New Mexico.
Day 10-- We leave Las Vegas and spend the "dam" afternoon, Wednesday, November 2, 2011
In the morning, we played one more game on roulette to test Kathy's new strategy. This new strategy was more risky than Kathy's earlier strategy. Kathy ran out of $20 in chips after two or three spins. Chris cashed in after one of two more spins andhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif walked away with $2 more. We left Vegas immediately heading for the Hoover Dam.
We took the dam tour. The tour guides made lots of "dam" jokes. We went into the
bowels of the dam. Inside the dam are two miles of tunnels. We walked only about 300 yards of them. They showed us the generators (shown here). Their explanation of how the dam was built and worked was clear, but very brief. Not a lot of detail.
Before 2010, the Hoover Dam was part of 93 highway from Nevada toward Kingman, Arizona. On October 19, 2010, the Hoover Dam Bridge, officially called the Mike O'Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge took over this role. Now the drive over the bridge merely leads to parking lots on the other side of the dam. The road past the parking lots is closed. So to drive to Kingman, Arizona, we had to drive back over the Hoover Dam and back several miles to catch 93 highway south, which took us over the new bridge toward to Kingman. (Pictures of the bridge.)
We took the dam tour. The tour guides made lots of "dam" jokes. We went into the
bowels of the dam. Inside the dam are two miles of tunnels. We walked only about 300 yards of them. They showed us the generators (shown here). Their explanation of how the dam was built and worked was clear, but very brief. Not a lot of detail.Before 2010, the Hoover Dam was part of 93 highway from Nevada toward Kingman, Arizona. On October 19, 2010, the Hoover Dam Bridge, officially called the Mike O'Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge took over this role. Now the drive over the bridge merely leads to parking lots on the other side of the dam. The road past the parking lots is closed. So to drive to Kingman, Arizona, we had to drive back over the Hoover Dam and back several miles to catch 93 highway south, which took us over the new bridge toward to Kingman. (Pictures of the bridge.)
Day 9-- Las Vegas!! Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Las Vegas! The very name conjures up images of various types for folks all over the world. I say this because Las Vegas is full of visitors from other countries, not just American tourists! We finished our night playing roulette with a whole table of Chinese players; some were not English-speakers either. Their enthusiasm was catching and we had fun trying to communicate small things with our neighbors who did not speak English. But I get ahead of the story...
What does "Las Vegas" mean to you? Gambling, wedding chapels, strip clubs, extravagant hotels/casinos, the Fremont Street light show, the shows, Pawn Stars? Well, we did NOT have much to do with ALL of the above. But we did do some sightseeing and at least viewed some of them from the outside!
We started our day walking through Circus Circus (we camped behind it in the KOA
campground!) and ended up stopping to take part in a short lesson from one of the dealers on playing Blackjack. The casino offers these free sessions every morning for some of the most popular games. Our instructor was helpful and freely answered questions from all the "students". We even were able to play a mock game to reinforce what we had been taught. (Of course we didn't get to keep our winnings!)
We enjoyed that class so much that we decided to return for the next class on roulette. We had a little free time first, so we went upstairs to watch some of the circus acts (it IS Circus Circus, after all!). We saw two acts at that time; both were very good. The first was a clown doing tricks with a Diablo, a Westernized Chinese yo-yo. He made it look so easy, but the things he could do with it and how easily he could catch it was awe-inspiring. Here is a YouTube video of his act.
The second act was a male/female acrobatic act. Wow, was she limber! They both were also very strong and muscled, but definitely not like weight-lifters! (You could not DO those moves with a weight-lifters body!)
We then returned to the casino and took the roulette class. There were just three of us (the other student had been in the earlier class, too), so we got to ask lots of questions.
It was time to go do some sightseeing, but, as happens in Vegas, we were enticed by a nearby casino, the Riviera. Chris had been reading about roulette and the edge, the odds, the probabilities, etc. He had reported that a single zero roulette table was a little better deal for the players, so when Kathy noticed that the Riviera advertised single zero roulette, we had to go in and try our system on those tables.
And we did have good luck, though we can't attribute it to the zero-situation. We cashed out with seventy-some dollars. We only gamble for fun, not to make money, necessarily (although it's more fun that way!). So we always start with $20 only and leave the table if we lose everything. Big spenders, huh?
We then bought our bus pass and headed for Fremont Street. We decided to use public transportation because driving in Vegas and finding parking was not that appealing. But part way to Fremont Street the bus driver announced that if we wanted to go to the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop we needed to get off at the next stop.
For those who don't recognize the shop's name, this is the pawn shop highlighted on the History Channel's Pawn Stars program. So, of course, we hopped off the bus and went down the several blocks to see what it was like in reality.
Guess what? It looks like a pawn shop; albeit they have LOTS of high-ticket things there. They also have lots of souvenirs about the shop and the show. And lots of tourists... But it was fun to visit the shop and look and the merchandise; we helped some other tourists by taking their photos. Our only regret was that we didn't see ANY of the "stars" of Pawn Stars!
While walking down the street later, we passed many wedding chapels. We've often heard of people getting married in wedding chapels in Las Vegas (we even have family who have!), but had not really seen them. Some of them actually look quite charming with a nice garden area for outdoor weddings. A few others look a little more seedy and/or less romantic.
OK, it's quite obvious that we are easily distracted when on vacation. I think that's three times so far that morning. Nevertheless, we started walking down the street towards Fremont Street. Part of Fremont Street is now covered, over several blocks, by a canopy. It's essentially an outdoor mall now. This area is now called the Fremont Street Experience and has a light and sound show every night using the canopy. We didn't stay for the show, so that we could go see some more of The Strip. (Pictures of Fremont Street.)
But we did stop long enough to have a beer at one of the bars with outdoor seating. Across the street was a new restaurant/bar called Heart Attack Grill. This place actually flaunts the fact that they serve up huge portions, high calories, etc. They let anyone 350 pounds or heavier eat for free.
We didn't go in, but stood outside. One of the young female employees, dressed as a
nurse, sat at one of the window tables looking out and waving or smiling at potential customers walking by.
We could see other employees inside dressed as doctors and nurses. An ambulance sits outside the building.
The burger in the picture is the Triple Bypass Burger. It contains 4 1/2 hamburger patties, 8 slices of American cheese, one tomato, one onion. AND the bun is supposedly coated with lard. Livestrong.com claims this burger is 8,000 calories.
Because Chris, Ben, and Kathy have been on a new eating plan, since Labor Day, focused on eating correctly with correct portions (and we are losing weight!), we found the whole idea behind the Heart Attack Grill disturbing. In a time when the medical profession actually states that obesity is actually at epidemic proportions in the U.S., it almost seems irresponsible to actually promote it. It's bad enough that portions in most restaurants are still way too big and have way too many calories... this goes beyond that! OK, I'll get off my soapbox [kdr].
Admittedly, it was cute in a gimmicky-type way, but...
Video news report discussing Blair River's, Heart Attack Grill spokesman, death at 29. [car]
Another interesting attraction that is part of the Fremont Street Experience was a zipline running down much of the canopied area. The rates seemed to be pretty reasonable, but when compared to Chris and Blake's zipline experience in Wisconsin it was rather tame. They got to ride 5-6 different ziplines over trees and lakes, etc. But I'm sure the Las Vegas version is still fun.
We once again caught the bus and headed out to The Strip. We wanted to see what some of the other hotels/casinos that we have heard about looked like inside. It was getting dark, with a brisk, cool wind outside, so we just walked through a few: Venetian, Caesar's Palace, Mirage, and part of the Bellagio. We had been in Treasure Island the night before. Chris' favorite was the architecture of the plaza area of the Venetian (it reminded him of St. Mark's Square in Venice); Kathy liked the Roman street in Caesar's Palace because of the high vaulted ceilings painted like the sky.
At The Mirage there is a really great fish tank with all types of brightly colored fish. We also made a point of going to the fountain show outside the Bellagio. The fountains spray in elaborately designed patterns to the music of Frank Sinatra singing "Luck be a Lady." (YouTube video) This fountain was designed by WET Designs that designs fantastic fountains all over the world.
It was back on the bus to return to Circus Circus. After eating supper, we once more tried the roulette table. We spent quite a few fun hours, but can't brag about any big winnings. The fun came from the group of people around our table (mentioned in the first paragraph). On this occasion the bidding was fast and furious with most of the table covered with a variety of numbers of chips each spin.
We returned to our camper late and pretty much called it a night. Kathy hopes her doctor appreciates how much walking she did during the vacation!
What does "Las Vegas" mean to you? Gambling, wedding chapels, strip clubs, extravagant hotels/casinos, the Fremont Street light show, the shows, Pawn Stars? Well, we did NOT have much to do with ALL of the above. But we did do some sightseeing and at least viewed some of them from the outside!
We started our day walking through Circus Circus (we camped behind it in the KOA
campground!) and ended up stopping to take part in a short lesson from one of the dealers on playing Blackjack. The casino offers these free sessions every morning for some of the most popular games. Our instructor was helpful and freely answered questions from all the "students". We even were able to play a mock game to reinforce what we had been taught. (Of course we didn't get to keep our winnings!)We enjoyed that class so much that we decided to return for the next class on roulette. We had a little free time first, so we went upstairs to watch some of the circus acts (it IS Circus Circus, after all!). We saw two acts at that time; both were very good. The first was a clown doing tricks with a Diablo, a Westernized Chinese yo-yo. He made it look so easy, but the things he could do with it and how easily he could catch it was awe-inspiring. Here is a YouTube video of his act.
The second act was a male/female acrobatic act. Wow, was she limber! They both were also very strong and muscled, but definitely not like weight-lifters! (You could not DO those moves with a weight-lifters body!)
We then returned to the casino and took the roulette class. There were just three of us (the other student had been in the earlier class, too), so we got to ask lots of questions.
It was time to go do some sightseeing, but, as happens in Vegas, we were enticed by a nearby casino, the Riviera. Chris had been reading about roulette and the edge, the odds, the probabilities, etc. He had reported that a single zero roulette table was a little better deal for the players, so when Kathy noticed that the Riviera advertised single zero roulette, we had to go in and try our system on those tables.
And we did have good luck, though we can't attribute it to the zero-situation. We cashed out with seventy-some dollars. We only gamble for fun, not to make money, necessarily (although it's more fun that way!). So we always start with $20 only and leave the table if we lose everything. Big spenders, huh?
We then bought our bus pass and headed for Fremont Street. We decided to use public transportation because driving in Vegas and finding parking was not that appealing. But part way to Fremont Street the bus driver announced that if we wanted to go to the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop we needed to get off at the next stop.
For those who don't recognize the shop's name, this is the pawn shop highlighted on the History Channel's Pawn Stars program. So, of course, we hopped off the bus and went down the several blocks to see what it was like in reality.
Guess what? It looks like a pawn shop; albeit they have LOTS of high-ticket things there. They also have lots of souvenirs about the shop and the show. And lots of tourists... But it was fun to visit the shop and look and the merchandise; we helped some other tourists by taking their photos. Our only regret was that we didn't see ANY of the "stars" of Pawn Stars!
While walking down the street later, we passed many wedding chapels. We've often heard of people getting married in wedding chapels in Las Vegas (we even have family who have!), but had not really seen them. Some of them actually look quite charming with a nice garden area for outdoor weddings. A few others look a little more seedy and/or less romantic.
OK, it's quite obvious that we are easily distracted when on vacation. I think that's three times so far that morning. Nevertheless, we started walking down the street towards Fremont Street. Part of Fremont Street is now covered, over several blocks, by a canopy. It's essentially an outdoor mall now. This area is now called the Fremont Street Experience and has a light and sound show every night using the canopy. We didn't stay for the show, so that we could go see some more of The Strip. (Pictures of Fremont Street.)
But we did stop long enough to have a beer at one of the bars with outdoor seating. Across the street was a new restaurant/bar called Heart Attack Grill. This place actually flaunts the fact that they serve up huge portions, high calories, etc. They let anyone 350 pounds or heavier eat for free.
We didn't go in, but stood outside. One of the young female employees, dressed as a
nurse, sat at one of the window tables looking out and waving or smiling at potential customers walking by.We could see other employees inside dressed as doctors and nurses. An ambulance sits outside the building.
The burger in the picture is the Triple Bypass Burger. It contains 4 1/2 hamburger patties, 8 slices of American cheese, one tomato, one onion. AND the bun is supposedly coated with lard. Livestrong.com claims this burger is 8,000 calories.
Because Chris, Ben, and Kathy have been on a new eating plan, since Labor Day, focused on eating correctly with correct portions (and we are losing weight!), we found the whole idea behind the Heart Attack Grill disturbing. In a time when the medical profession actually states that obesity is actually at epidemic proportions in the U.S., it almost seems irresponsible to actually promote it. It's bad enough that portions in most restaurants are still way too big and have way too many calories... this goes beyond that! OK, I'll get off my soapbox [kdr].
Admittedly, it was cute in a gimmicky-type way, but...
Video news report discussing Blair River's, Heart Attack Grill spokesman, death at 29. [car]
Another interesting attraction that is part of the Fremont Street Experience was a zipline running down much of the canopied area. The rates seemed to be pretty reasonable, but when compared to Chris and Blake's zipline experience in Wisconsin it was rather tame. They got to ride 5-6 different ziplines over trees and lakes, etc. But I'm sure the Las Vegas version is still fun.
We once again caught the bus and headed out to The Strip. We wanted to see what some of the other hotels/casinos that we have heard about looked like inside. It was getting dark, with a brisk, cool wind outside, so we just walked through a few: Venetian, Caesar's Palace, Mirage, and part of the Bellagio. We had been in Treasure Island the night before. Chris' favorite was the architecture of the plaza area of the Venetian (it reminded him of St. Mark's Square in Venice); Kathy liked the Roman street in Caesar's Palace because of the high vaulted ceilings painted like the sky.
At The Mirage there is a really great fish tank with all types of brightly colored fish. We also made a point of going to the fountain show outside the Bellagio. The fountains spray in elaborately designed patterns to the music of Frank Sinatra singing "Luck be a Lady." (YouTube video) This fountain was designed by WET Designs that designs fantastic fountains all over the world.
It was back on the bus to return to Circus Circus. After eating supper, we once more tried the roulette table. We spent quite a few fun hours, but can't brag about any big winnings. The fun came from the group of people around our table (mentioned in the first paragraph). On this occasion the bidding was fast and furious with most of the table covered with a variety of numbers of chips each spin.
We returned to our camper late and pretty much called it a night. Kathy hopes her doctor appreciates how much walking she did during the vacation!
Day 8-- Death Valley to Las Vegas on Halloween, Monday, October 31, 2011
Today, we drove through Death Valley, California to Las Vegas, Nevada. Death Valley is a colorful and varied landscape. My pictures of the mountains don't capture their color. Therefore, I will let more knowledgeable photographers show those mountains.
Death Valley is the lowest spot in North America. Signs along the roads provide elevation above sea level or below sea level. Badwater the lowest point, -282 feet below sea level. In the distance behind us, in the picture, are the salt flats, just a layer of salt about 6 inches thick. Nearby is a pond of salt water. An early surveyor wrote "badwater" on his map when his mule refused to drink from the pond nearby. We saw at least three different tiny animals in the pond. One was a water strider. During our whole vacation, the temperature has been pleasant to slightly cool. It was actually a little hot here, i.e., upper 80s or low 90s.
Another interesting place is the "Devil's Golf Course." From a distance the land looks like overzealous plowing. But when you get up close you can see that these huge clods are a mixture of soil and slat. Huge blobs of salt. In the smoother areas, the dried soil cracked. Salt water in cracks evaporated leaving the salt to fill the cracks..
Death Valley does have some sand. A young French speaker tried to impress his girlfriend by hitting golf balls off the sand. The bushes are creosote bushes which grow well in the sand because it absorbs and holds water.
The one cool place we didn't see is racetrack playa where rocks are blown across the valley floor leaving tracks.
Since this is Monday, we scooted down to Las Vegas to see Cirque de Soleil's Mystere in Las Vegas. We made it to Treasure Island Hotel and Casino with almost an hour to spare. After the show we drove over to the KOA campground at Circus Circus. This became our base for the next day. Before going to bed we played roulette in the casino for about an hour.
Death Valley is the lowest spot in North America. Signs along the roads provide elevation above sea level or below sea level. Badwater the lowest point, -282 feet below sea level. In the distance behind us, in the picture, are the salt flats, just a layer of salt about 6 inches thick. Nearby is a pond of salt water. An early surveyor wrote "badwater" on his map when his mule refused to drink from the pond nearby. We saw at least three different tiny animals in the pond. One was a water strider. During our whole vacation, the temperature has been pleasant to slightly cool. It was actually a little hot here, i.e., upper 80s or low 90s.
Another interesting place is the "Devil's Golf Course." From a distance the land looks like overzealous plowing. But when you get up close you can see that these huge clods are a mixture of soil and slat. Huge blobs of salt. In the smoother areas, the dried soil cracked. Salt water in cracks evaporated leaving the salt to fill the cracks..Death Valley does have some sand. A young French speaker tried to impress his girlfriend by hitting golf balls off the sand. The bushes are creosote bushes which grow well in the sand because it absorbs and holds water.
The one cool place we didn't see is racetrack playa where rocks are blown across the valley floor leaving tracks.
Since this is Monday, we scooted down to Las Vegas to see Cirque de Soleil's Mystere in Las Vegas. We made it to Treasure Island Hotel and Casino with almost an hour to spare. After the show we drove over to the KOA campground at Circus Circus. This became our base for the next day. Before going to bed we played roulette in the casino for about an hour.
Day 7-- A sober ending to wash day: Manzanar, Sunday, October 30, 2011
On awakening in Mammoth Lakes, Kathy announced that the first order of the day HAD to be washing clothes! So we headed in to the business district and found a laundromat. This activity used up much of our morning (yes, we don't always get up and around bright and early; which should not be a surprise to those that know Kathy! ;-) ), so we didn't get to0 far during the day's drive.
Remember the really OLLLLDDDD sequoia trees we saw a few days ago? Well, Chris was very interested in seeing some REALLY old trees, so when we saw the turn-off to go to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, we simply had to go. A winding road up took us, eventually, to the Visitor's Center administered by the US Forest Service.
Chris decided to to hike up some of the trail toward some other, older trees than
what we had already seen and photographed on the way in to the site. He stopped at a fallen tree that had been 3200 years old when it fell in 1676! The plaque at the site also said the rings are so compact that one inch can contain 100 yearly rings! The oldest known bristlecone pines are over 4,000 years old. The oldest one (exact site undisclosed) is named "Methuselah."
If you compare the photos at of the bristlecone pine on the left to those of the sequoia on the right, you will see that just because you are tall and stately doesn't mean you will win the aging race! Being shorter and rather gnarly seems to work....
After returning to the main highway, we continued toward Kathy's "must-see" location
on the trip: Manzanar National Historic Site, or the Manzanar War Relocation Center. Many readers of this blog may not be familiar with Manzanar. Manzanar was just one of several "relocation centers" (internment camp!) set up by the federal government beginning in 1942 for Japanese Americans.
Remember that this was shortly after Pearl Harbor had been attacked. American feelings were high and the war with Japan was escalating. In order to "protect" Japanese Americans from anti-Japanese discrimination (and to round-up potential "enemies"?) Japanese-Americans in the western 1/3 of the United States were sent to one of the camps with very little notice. Many either lost their businesses, homes, and belongings (they could take what they could carry only) or had to sell or have someone watch over their property for an undetermined length of time.
These centers were behind barbed wire and had guard towers with armed soldiers looking IN, not OUT, so they actually were little less than "prison camps" in many ways. Families often had to share a barracks (one big room) with strangers. They later split up the area with blankets so they could have more privacy).
The one difference from the usual prison camp it was attempted to have this community at Manzanar continue as "normally" as usual. Since several generations were living at Manzanar, there were schools for the kids, complete with sports teams, cheerleaders, bands, etc. Because they internees could not leave, other teams would come to the camp to play ball games (so Manzanar ALWAYS had the "home court advantage!" Teens from the nearby communities would come out for dances and some of the local high school students even petitioned to allow the Manzanar teens to attend the local high school. This didn't happen...
The community of around 10,000 residents also had factories they worked at, newspapers, and other aspects of American communities. Since residents could not leave, however, recreation was an important part of life. Some citizens made beautiful Japanese gardens for everyone's enjoyment (remember, this area is basically desert surrounded by mountains), but baseball was the big activity. They camp included 100 baseball teams, in twelve leagues! (Ansel Adams picture of a game.) Both men and women's teams were available.
The older generations at Manzanar were often immigrants from Japan since the late 1800s when emigration from Japan was allowed. However, the younger generations were mostly United States citizens!
This is the tragedy and the shame of the internment camps, as far as I am concerned. (and many others) Although our Constitution gives us some many rights and freedoms, all of these U.S. citizens had those rights violated! Big time.
There are no proven cases of espionage or sabotage by Japanese Americans during World War II, I believe. On the contrary, eventually many of the Japanese (both immigrants and next generation citizens) were allowed to join the armed forces and served gallantly in the European theater. A group of Manzanar detainees were deported because they would not, or could not, answer certain questions about loyalty during this time. Some were because of principles, some because the questions confused them or seemed to contradictory.
Before touring the museum and grounds (most of the buildings are gone now), a film is shown, Remembering Manzanar. The film is very informative and Kathy left with tears in her eyes; from sympathy, anger, and shame for the U.S. Chris also found the film moving.
Since it was late in the day, we really didn't get to view the museum completely. Kathy will be adding the book Farewell to Manzanar, by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, to her reading list! [readers using Pathfinder Central can place a hold there!-kdr]. We did follow the driving tour of the grounds and got to read the informational signs before it got too dark.
Explore the link for the National Park (several paragraphs above) to learn even more about the history of this important site in American history.
We spent the night in a very nice RV park south of Manzanar near Lone Pine, California. Boulder Creek RV Resort had good facilities, a large store, even a jacuzzi. Chris especially liked the large community room; it had many nice groupings of sofas and comfortable chairs, as well as TV and tables to eat at. A free muffin and coffee breakfast is served. The showers were also very nice (yes, we seem to be somewhat obsessed with shower facilities!!)
Remember the really OLLLLDDDD sequoia trees we saw a few days ago? Well, Chris was very interested in seeing some REALLY old trees, so when we saw the turn-off to go to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, we simply had to go. A winding road up took us, eventually, to the Visitor's Center administered by the US Forest Service.
Chris decided to to hike up some of the trail toward some other, older trees than
what we had already seen and photographed on the way in to the site. He stopped at a fallen tree that had been 3200 years old when it fell in 1676! The plaque at the site also said the rings are so compact that one inch can contain 100 yearly rings! The oldest known bristlecone pines are over 4,000 years old. The oldest one (exact site undisclosed) is named "Methuselah."If you compare the photos at of the bristlecone pine on the left to those of the sequoia on the right, you will see that just because you are tall and stately doesn't mean you will win the aging race! Being shorter and rather gnarly seems to work....
After returning to the main highway, we continued toward Kathy's "must-see" location
on the trip: Manzanar National Historic Site, or the Manzanar War Relocation Center. Many readers of this blog may not be familiar with Manzanar. Manzanar was just one of several "relocation centers" (internment camp!) set up by the federal government beginning in 1942 for Japanese Americans.Remember that this was shortly after Pearl Harbor had been attacked. American feelings were high and the war with Japan was escalating. In order to "protect" Japanese Americans from anti-Japanese discrimination (and to round-up potential "enemies"?) Japanese-Americans in the western 1/3 of the United States were sent to one of the camps with very little notice. Many either lost their businesses, homes, and belongings (they could take what they could carry only) or had to sell or have someone watch over their property for an undetermined length of time.
These centers were behind barbed wire and had guard towers with armed soldiers looking IN, not OUT, so they actually were little less than "prison camps" in many ways. Families often had to share a barracks (one big room) with strangers. They later split up the area with blankets so they could have more privacy).
The one difference from the usual prison camp it was attempted to have this community at Manzanar continue as "normally" as usual. Since several generations were living at Manzanar, there were schools for the kids, complete with sports teams, cheerleaders, bands, etc. Because they internees could not leave, other teams would come to the camp to play ball games (so Manzanar ALWAYS had the "home court advantage!" Teens from the nearby communities would come out for dances and some of the local high school students even petitioned to allow the Manzanar teens to attend the local high school. This didn't happen...
The community of around 10,000 residents also had factories they worked at, newspapers, and other aspects of American communities. Since residents could not leave, however, recreation was an important part of life. Some citizens made beautiful Japanese gardens for everyone's enjoyment (remember, this area is basically desert surrounded by mountains), but baseball was the big activity. They camp included 100 baseball teams, in twelve leagues! (Ansel Adams picture of a game.) Both men and women's teams were available.
The older generations at Manzanar were often immigrants from Japan since the late 1800s when emigration from Japan was allowed. However, the younger generations were mostly United States citizens!
This is the tragedy and the shame of the internment camps, as far as I am concerned. (and many others) Although our Constitution gives us some many rights and freedoms, all of these U.S. citizens had those rights violated! Big time.
There are no proven cases of espionage or sabotage by Japanese Americans during World War II, I believe. On the contrary, eventually many of the Japanese (both immigrants and next generation citizens) were allowed to join the armed forces and served gallantly in the European theater. A group of Manzanar detainees were deported because they would not, or could not, answer certain questions about loyalty during this time. Some were because of principles, some because the questions confused them or seemed to contradictory.
Before touring the museum and grounds (most of the buildings are gone now), a film is shown, Remembering Manzanar. The film is very informative and Kathy left with tears in her eyes; from sympathy, anger, and shame for the U.S. Chris also found the film moving.
Since it was late in the day, we really didn't get to view the museum completely. Kathy will be adding the book Farewell to Manzanar, by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, to her reading list! [readers using Pathfinder Central can place a hold there!-kdr]. We did follow the driving tour of the grounds and got to read the informational signs before it got too dark.
Explore the link for the National Park (several paragraphs above) to learn even more about the history of this important site in American history.
We spent the night in a very nice RV park south of Manzanar near Lone Pine, California. Boulder Creek RV Resort had good facilities, a large store, even a jacuzzi. Chris especially liked the large community room; it had many nice groupings of sofas and comfortable chairs, as well as TV and tables to eat at. A free muffin and coffee breakfast is served. The showers were also very nice (yes, we seem to be somewhat obsessed with shower facilities!!)
Day 6-- Yosemite, in all it's glory, Saturday, October 29, 2011
Our campground for last night was right south of Yosemite National Park, so we woke up expecting to begin visiting Yosemite that morning. Kathy was out-of-sorts since last night because the nearest restroom to our campsite (up a hill!)closed at 9 PM ahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifnd we walked up AFTER that!!She was still grumbling this morning...
However, we were easily distracted when driving through the first town after our
campground, Coarsegold, California. It was the day of the Coarsegold Tarantula Festival. We saw the sign as we went by and proceeded to turn around to check it out. The Festival seems to be a kind of craft show, flea market, Renaissance Festival, and cook-off combination with activities for all ages during the day.
We were just there for a while, but did find some interesting buys at the booths. The booths of the Festival are set up around the Coarsegold Historic Village; there are permanent businesses there also. The thrift shop had a great sale with almost everything 1/2 price off. We picked up some things for the camper, such as measuring cups (we think we left our nice Pampered Chef one at Needles, CA!) and another blanket. The nights have been pretty cool and our feet have been cold; but the new blanket will sure help!)
So, on to Yosemite! The scenery is majestic. Lots of mountain roads that keep Kathy gripping the armrests (but not as bad as all the switch-backs in Sequoia Natl. Park). The valley, where the Visitor's Center is found, has a whole community built up around the tourism business, with resort-type lodgings, in addition to campgrounds, etc. The view from the valley was also great; check out some of the classic Ansel Adams photographs that he did of Yosemite...
One of the stops we made along the way was to walk up near the Bridal Veil Falls
that are often seen in photographs. This time of year finds the water flow much lower than in the spring, when the snowmelt begins. But it was still impressive.
After leaving the valley we drove across the entire northern part of the park on Highway 120. Many of the vistas were awe-inspiring. It was getting late in the day (because we had spent the extra time in Coarsegold), so we stopped for the night outside the eastern side of the park at Mammoth Lakes, CA.
Our campsite at Mammoth Mountain RV Park was completely on asphalt, but was fine for a quick overnight stop. They also had good showers.
However, we were easily distracted when driving through the first town after our
campground, Coarsegold, California. It was the day of the Coarsegold Tarantula Festival. We saw the sign as we went by and proceeded to turn around to check it out. The Festival seems to be a kind of craft show, flea market, Renaissance Festival, and cook-off combination with activities for all ages during the day.
We were just there for a while, but did find some interesting buys at the booths. The booths of the Festival are set up around the Coarsegold Historic Village; there are permanent businesses there also. The thrift shop had a great sale with almost everything 1/2 price off. We picked up some things for the camper, such as measuring cups (we think we left our nice Pampered Chef one at Needles, CA!) and another blanket. The nights have been pretty cool and our feet have been cold; but the new blanket will sure help!)So, on to Yosemite! The scenery is majestic. Lots of mountain roads that keep Kathy gripping the armrests (but not as bad as all the switch-backs in Sequoia Natl. Park). The valley, where the Visitor's Center is found, has a whole community built up around the tourism business, with resort-type lodgings, in addition to campgrounds, etc. The view from the valley was also great; check out some of the classic Ansel Adams photographs that he did of Yosemite...
One of the stops we made along the way was to walk up near the Bridal Veil Falls
that are often seen in photographs. This time of year finds the water flow much lower than in the spring, when the snowmelt begins. But it was still impressive.After leaving the valley we drove across the entire northern part of the park on Highway 120. Many of the vistas were awe-inspiring. It was getting late in the day (because we had spent the extra time in Coarsegold), so we stopped for the night outside the eastern side of the park at Mammoth Lakes, CA.
Our campsite at Mammoth Mountain RV Park was completely on asphalt, but was fine for a quick overnight stop. They also had good showers.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Day Five: Sequoia National Park
Yesterday's campground had California quail. This morning's campground had acorn woodpeckers. They peck holes in trees and put acorns in them. The telephone pole beside our campsite was riddled with holes.
As I said earlier, Sequoia National Park was just eight miles down the road. In the park, Sequoia trees tend to be clustered in groves. (Pictures) Groves does not mean only sequoia trees lined up in neat rows. Groves means a concentration of Sequoia trees with lots of other evergreen
s mixed in. In fact, most trees in the groves are the other evergreens.Despite being hundreds of feet tall, their roots only about 3 feet underground. As long as the root system remains in tact these trees continue growing until they fall over. When they fall over they create an opening in the forest for many new Sequoia trees to grow. It is common to see three or four Sequoias in a row.
Sequoia bark doesn't burn well because it lacks pitch. Since the big Sequoias are so old, they have lived through many fires. Many Sequoia trees have openings in the bark and you
can see the insides blackened by past fires. The tree rings of Sequoias can show the history of local forest fires.In fact, fire has an important role in the spread of Sequoia trees. The trees produce thousands of 3-inch long cones with tiny seeds. These seeds can remain on the tree for 20 years. The cones remain closed until fire opens the cones releasing the seeds. Fire also exposed the forest floor so the seeds could germinate in the soil.
The forest service practice of stopping fires allowed old leaves, limbs and other vegetatio
n to build up on the forest floor preventing the Sequoia seeds from reaching the floor and germinating. So for a while no new Sequoia trees were starting. For the past 25 years, the forestry service has introduced controlled fires to clear away brush and exposing the forest floor to allow new Sequoia trees to grow.After a day looking at Sequoias, we headed down to Fresno and then north again on highway 41 toward Yosemite National Park.
Day 4: Needles, California to Sequoia National Forest
This morning was glorious. The bushes beside our camper were in bloom. A bevy of four cute California quail were running around the campground scratching for food.
Leaving the campsite we headed west along Interstate 40 through the Mohave Desert (Pictures), past Barstow to Bakersfield. We drove through residential areas with palm trees, slim evergreens and low California style houses. We ate lunch in a small, expensive restaurant on Stockdale Highway called Little Italy. Kathy had cheese manicotti. Chris had Salmon Mediterranean. Both were very good.
We next shopped at Walmart. Had two car keys made. Shopped for some groceries, etc.
After Walmart, we took highway 99 north to Fresno. At Fresno we changed to highway 198 north to the campground near Three Rivers, eight miles from Sequoia National Park.
On the way, we stopped at a roadside fruit and vegetable market. We purchased tomatoes, pears, one yellow sweet potato and bags of dried pears and hot spicy dried mangos.
Leaving the campsite we headed west along Interstate 40 through the Mohave Desert (Pictures), past Barstow to Bakersfield. We drove through residential areas with palm trees, slim evergreens and low California style houses. We ate lunch in a small, expensive restaurant on Stockdale Highway called Little Italy. Kathy had cheese manicotti. Chris had Salmon Mediterranean. Both were very good.
We next shopped at Walmart. Had two car keys made. Shopped for some groceries, etc.
After Walmart, we took highway 99 north to Fresno. At Fresno we changed to highway 198 north to the campground near Three Rivers, eight miles from Sequoia National Park.
On the way, we stopped at a roadside fruit and vegetable market. We purchased tomatoes, pears, one yellow sweet potato and bags of dried pears and hot spicy dried mangos.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Painted Desert and Fossil Trees
We spent the first half of today driving through the Painted Desert National Park (Pictures) and the Petrified Forest National Park. (Pictures)
In the late Triassic period, from 225 to 200 million years ago, all the continents were joined together in one giant landmass called Pangea. The land occupied by these parks was approximately were Panama is now. Three rivers flowed through the area, depositing a 1,000 foot thick layer of mineral rich, hence colorful, soil. This formation is called Chinle. Later when the land rose, erosion exposed colorful layers of soil now called the Painted Desert.
Petroglyphs adorn some of the rocks. A dark "desert varnish" covers many rocks in the desert. From 2,000 to 650 years ago, Indians chipped away the desert varnish exposing the lighter rock beneath. The light colored rocks are in the patterns animals, people, and some symbols. One of the most famous collections of petroglyghs is called Newspaper Rock. Hundreds of petroglyps reach at least 20 feet up the rock face and stretch at least 40 feet horizontally. It is an impressive display.
At the bottom of the Chinle Formation are fossilized trees. In the Triassic period, the logs of 200 foot tall trees floated down the three rivers, becamed waterlogged and sank into the river bottoms. Silt covered the logs protecting them from decay. Mineral rich silicon dioxide seeped into the logs replacing plant cellulose with minerals, thus fossilizing them.
After leaving these two parks, we drove West stopping for the night at a very nice campground outside Needles, California.
In the late Triassic period, from 225 to 200 million years ago, all the continents were joined together in one giant landmass called Pangea. The land occupied by these parks was approximately were Panama is now. Three rivers flowed through the area, depositing a 1,000 foot thick layer of mineral rich, hence colorful, soil. This formation is called Chinle. Later when the land rose, erosion exposed colorful layers of soil now called the Painted Desert.
Petroglyphs adorn some of the rocks. A dark "desert varnish" covers many rocks in the desert. From 2,000 to 650 years ago, Indians chipped away the desert varnish exposing the lighter rock beneath. The light colored rocks are in the patterns animals, people, and some symbols. One of the most famous collections of petroglyghs is called Newspaper Rock. Hundreds of petroglyps reach at least 20 feet up the rock face and stretch at least 40 feet horizontally. It is an impressive display.
At the bottom of the Chinle Formation are fossilized trees. In the Triassic period, the logs of 200 foot tall trees floated down the three rivers, becamed waterlogged and sank into the river bottoms. Silt covered the logs protecting them from decay. Mineral rich silicon dioxide seeped into the logs replacing plant cellulose with minerals, thus fossilizing them.
After leaving these two parks, we drove West stopping for the night at a very nice campground outside Needles, California.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
To Holbrook, Arizona (nearly)
At the Tucumcari KOA camp, last night a family checked in claiming they were going to pitch tents and, instead, moved into one of the campsite's cabins. In the morning there was a confrontation between the campsite owner and the family who claimed they did not sleep in the cabins. We left before the confrontation came to a head.
Most of the day was spent driving to Arizona interrupted by three events.
The first event is that Chris locked the keys in the car at a rest stop. We borrowed a neighbor's cell phone to call 911 who called a wrecking service in the town of Clines Corners. He came in about 20 minutes. He took about 30 minutes getting the door open. The seals at the bottom of the windows were two tight to get his tool in. So he tried using another tool to open our side vents. The challenge with the side vents is that there is a button that needs to be pushed and held down before the latch can be turned. He was out of practice and had trouble remembering how to use the tool. Eventually, he used two tools. One to hold down the button. One tool to turn the latch. This experience cost us $60.
The second event was shopping in a Hispanic grocery store. We tasted the cheeses. We purchased a pound of fajitas in a huge display of meets that included chickens feet among other unique delicacies. Eventually, Kathy and I went through the cafeteria line. Kathy had chili rellenos with refried beans and rice. I had tripe with refried beans and rice. The food was good. Since the seeds had been left in the chilis, the chili rellenos was hotter than Kathy liked, The tripe had good flavor, but very greasy.
In Gallup, we stopped at Richardson's Trading Post. It is a pawn shop where the Indians pawn their turquoise and silver belts, bracklets, etc. The display counters had hundreds and hundreds of genuine silver and turquoise belts, bracelets, rings, huge belt buckles, Hopi Kachina dolls, and Zuni Navaho bear fetishes, etc. that I believe the Indians themselves once wore. This stuff was pawned and had not been recovered by their owners. Through a door leading to the back I could see hundreds more belts waiting to be claimed.
Another part of the store contained stacks of Indian rugs going back to the 1800s, shelves lined with baskets and pottery. These are good, high quality handicrafts. Like the stuff you see in museums. Not the sloppy stuff you see in most souvenir shops. The back of this store was blocked off by some stacks of rugs. Looking passed these rugs to the delights beyond, hanging on the wall are two paintings on hides of battle scenes between the Indians and the cavalry. The hides are very white and the colors very bright. So these paintings are probably new, but they are cool, nonetheless. Someone has posted 23 pictures of the inside of this store, Perry Null Trading Company, and Shush Yaz Trading Company.
Tomorrow morning we visit the Petrified Forest National Park. Photos.
Most of the day was spent driving to Arizona interrupted by three events.
The first event is that Chris locked the keys in the car at a rest stop. We borrowed a neighbor's cell phone to call 911 who called a wrecking service in the town of Clines Corners. He came in about 20 minutes. He took about 30 minutes getting the door open. The seals at the bottom of the windows were two tight to get his tool in. So he tried using another tool to open our side vents. The challenge with the side vents is that there is a button that needs to be pushed and held down before the latch can be turned. He was out of practice and had trouble remembering how to use the tool. Eventually, he used two tools. One to hold down the button. One tool to turn the latch. This experience cost us $60.
The second event was shopping in a Hispanic grocery store. We tasted the cheeses. We purchased a pound of fajitas in a huge display of meets that included chickens feet among other unique delicacies. Eventually, Kathy and I went through the cafeteria line. Kathy had chili rellenos with refried beans and rice. I had tripe with refried beans and rice. The food was good. Since the seeds had been left in the chilis, the chili rellenos was hotter than Kathy liked, The tripe had good flavor, but very greasy.
In Gallup, we stopped at Richardson's Trading Post. It is a pawn shop where the Indians pawn their turquoise and silver belts, bracklets, etc. The display counters had hundreds and hundreds of genuine silver and turquoise belts, bracelets, rings, huge belt buckles, Hopi Kachina dolls, and Zuni Navaho bear fetishes, etc. that I believe the Indians themselves once wore. This stuff was pawned and had not been recovered by their owners. Through a door leading to the back I could see hundreds more belts waiting to be claimed.
Another part of the store contained stacks of Indian rugs going back to the 1800s, shelves lined with baskets and pottery. These are good, high quality handicrafts. Like the stuff you see in museums. Not the sloppy stuff you see in most souvenir shops. The back of this store was blocked off by some stacks of rugs. Looking passed these rugs to the delights beyond, hanging on the wall are two paintings on hides of battle scenes between the Indians and the cavalry. The hides are very white and the colors very bright. So these paintings are probably new, but they are cool, nonetheless. Someone has posted 23 pictures of the inside of this store, Perry Null Trading Company, and Shush Yaz Trading Company.
Tomorrow morning we visit the Petrified Forest National Park. Photos.
Kansas to New Mexico, all in a day's play -- Monday, October 24, 2011
Another year's vacation sneaks up on us! Although we had told everyone we were going to the Florida Keys this year, our first night out was in Tucumcari, New Mexico!
We had gone places for the weekend for the last month, so it was nice to actually spend a weekend at home. So, we took it easy on Saturday and gradually packed the camper on Sunday. Kathy was loading her clothes after dark!
Got up as usual on Monday morning, packed the food and headed to the library to do a couple of quick things on the way out of town (and borrow some movies!). A few more Great Bend errands and we were on the road, finally, heading toward California. We're entitled to change our minds! Lunch was on the run as we drove along: some of our favorites from Mary's Kitchen Burritos in Great Bend! (Chiles relleno for Kathy and a bistec for Chris). It won't be the last Mexican food we have on this vacation...
Rather an uneventful trip, unless you count changing timezones!
Supper in Dalhart, Texas, at one of the many Mexican restaurants. We really liked the freshly-mad salsa they served. Unfortunately we can't remember the exact name! There at least three Mexican restaurants in Dalhart starting with a "P"; it's one of those we think!
Drove a long stretch of really deserted road from Dalhart to Tucumcari in the dark. Many semis seem to travel that way however; at least that's what we mostly saw!
Bedtime found us a the KOA in Tucumcari.
We had gone places for the weekend for the last month, so it was nice to actually spend a weekend at home. So, we took it easy on Saturday and gradually packed the camper on Sunday. Kathy was loading her clothes after dark!
Got up as usual on Monday morning, packed the food and headed to the library to do a couple of quick things on the way out of town (and borrow some movies!). A few more Great Bend errands and we were on the road, finally, heading toward California. We're entitled to change our minds! Lunch was on the run as we drove along: some of our favorites from Mary's Kitchen Burritos in Great Bend! (Chiles relleno for Kathy and a bistec for Chris). It won't be the last Mexican food we have on this vacation...
Rather an uneventful trip, unless you count changing timezones!
Supper in Dalhart, Texas, at one of the many Mexican restaurants. We really liked the freshly-mad salsa they served. Unfortunately we can't remember the exact name! There at least three Mexican restaurants in Dalhart starting with a "P"; it's one of those we think!
Drove a long stretch of really deserted road from Dalhart to Tucumcari in the dark. Many semis seem to travel that way however; at least that's what we mostly saw!
Bedtime found us a the KOA in Tucumcari.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Home Fires... -- Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Yeah, we know, we're behind. At least we've gotten this far. Keep checking back... we're on I-70, almost home! Click on the "2011" in the right-hand column for all of this year's posts...
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Body Worlds: Science the Easy Way -- Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Yeah, we know, we're behind. At least we've gotten this far. Keep checking back...
Monday, August 1, 2011
Shop 'til You Drop -- Monday, August 1, 2011
Yeah, we know, we're behind. At least we've gotten this far. Keep checking back...
It's Magic! -- Sunday, July 31, 2011
Today, Kathy wrote a list of quite a few attractions and then asked Blake which three he definitely wanted to do.
To be continued...
To be continued...
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Zippity Doo Dah-- Saturday, July 30, 2011
After breakfast we first visited Top Secret, one of the local attractions. Although we had all read some negative reviews of the site, Blake thought it was intriguing, so off we went. The coolest thing about this place is the exterior; it's a large replica of the White House, upside-down!! Inside they have it decorated with all the furniture, etc. on the ceiling so that you feel like you are walking on the ceiling. OK, that's about the extent of what was interesting here; although, as Blake put it, "our guide seemed real nice."
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Blake enjoyed the tour around the site. Chris and Kathy thought it had potential if they just plain hyped it as a "haunted [White] house" attraction. Several times the guide let the visitors walk down very dark tunnels on their own, sometimes with surprises along the way. They could also make use of the basic premise and make more of the fact that something has happened to the White House and we have to gather clues; or we time travel in to the future and find the White House in this condition and discover all these anomalies on the premises, etc. Oh, well, what's a trip to a tourist town without something like this?
Our big planned activity took place during the afternoon. After a lunch at perhaps the largest (and noisiest) McDonald's we've ever seen, we headed over to Bigfoot Zipline Tours. Kathy didn't take part in this activity because the doctor recommended she not do it because of the osteoporosis in her spine. Afterwards, Chris agreed this was probably a good call, after all!
The zipline course has 6 ziplines. You start by climbing 4 to 6 flights of steps to the top of a tower. The zipline course ranged from 462 feet to 1,397 feet. The last and longest course was a race between Blake and myself. Blake was given a headstart and won the race.
Our zipline guides were Gilligan and Jordan. Since Jordan caught us at the other end, he would go first showing us the trick they encouraged us to try. Gilligan would stay behind and attach each of us to the zipline and send us on our way. Our equipment consisted of a harness, helmet and leather gloves with thick leather attached to the palm. We were supposed to hold on to the harness with our left hand and use the glove on our right hand to lightly hold the zipline for control and breaking. Chris tried all the tricks, but had difficulty using the glove to guide and brake because it is too fat and weak. Nevertheless, it is fun.
One of the nice things is that the Bigfoot people let Kathy go out on one of the buses about two hours after the guys left. She was delivered to the final tower and got to go up and see Chris and Blake come zipping toward her on the only double zipline of the course. So at least she got to see what they looked like!
We purchased one of the photos of Blake ziplining and one of their entire group.
Next stop on the vacation agenda was a tour of the Upper Dells on a jet boat! We took the tour with Captain Ron's Original Dells Jet Boats. This is one form of Dells tour that both Kathy and Chris and never done before, so it was another new experience for all three of us! Although the tour itself is much like some of the slower boat tours of the upper Dells, it's the speed that makes it different! And to spice things up, Captain Ron would "put on the brakes" and that would splash many of the passengers. If you want to get really wet on the tour, sit in the first couple of rows in the boat. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) we were running late getting there and the three of us ended up sitting in the back of the boat. We still were splashed, but not much.
For supper, we decided to go eat Japanese food at Ginza of Tokyo. We enjoyed watching our food be prepared at the table, and Chris also ordered some sushi. There were two other parties at our table; both from Wisconsin. That made 7 adults and three kids; it was fun watching the kids experiment and try to use chopsticks. Well, actually, Chris was teaching the other adults how to use them too!
Such a busy day... we ended it by going to the nearby drive-in theater, Big Sky Drive-In. Yes, Wisconsin Dells still has a working outdoor theater. Not only do they have a drive-in, but there are two different screens! Annndddd.. each screen shows a double feature of first-run movies for the same price! Blake chose to go to Captain America. We enjoyed it, but Blake was really wiped out after the movie, so we didn't stay for the second feature, the third Transformers movie.
One bit of excitement "hit" when we were entering the theater lot. After paying at the booth, we began driving in and heard a crash. We had no idea what it was! Chris got out and looked and couldn't see anything at the beginning. He finally found the pieces of our lid for our vent on the camper. Come to find out, there was a bar across the entrance and it must have been just a fraction too low for our van!
But wait, there's more! When we got back to the campground it was very dark (after midnight, etc.). Kathy was trying to be quiet in the campground and Chris couldn't hear her directions, plus couldn't see much behind him in the dark. Long story short, he scraped a tree while he backed! This may not have done much more than scrape a little paint, but we had been lazy (and hot!) and had left the louvered windows in the back open. We ended up losing the bottom louver off the back passenger side... Bad words were spoken, testy words were exchanged, life went on...
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Blake enjoyed the tour around the site. Chris and Kathy thought it had potential if they just plain hyped it as a "haunted [White] house" attraction. Several times the guide let the visitors walk down very dark tunnels on their own, sometimes with surprises along the way. They could also make use of the basic premise and make more of the fact that something has happened to the White House and we have to gather clues; or we time travel in to the future and find the White House in this condition and discover all these anomalies on the premises, etc. Oh, well, what's a trip to a tourist town without something like this?
Our big planned activity took place during the afternoon. After a lunch at perhaps the largest (and noisiest) McDonald's we've ever seen, we headed over to Bigfoot Zipline Tours. Kathy didn't take part in this activity because the doctor recommended she not do it because of the osteoporosis in her spine. Afterwards, Chris agreed this was probably a good call, after all!
The zipline course has 6 ziplines. You start by climbing 4 to 6 flights of steps to the top of a tower. The zipline course ranged from 462 feet to 1,397 feet. The last and longest course was a race between Blake and myself. Blake was given a headstart and won the race.
Our zipline guides were Gilligan and Jordan. Since Jordan caught us at the other end, he would go first showing us the trick they encouraged us to try. Gilligan would stay behind and attach each of us to the zipline and send us on our way. Our equipment consisted of a harness, helmet and leather gloves with thick leather attached to the palm. We were supposed to hold on to the harness with our left hand and use the glove on our right hand to lightly hold the zipline for control and breaking. Chris tried all the tricks, but had difficulty using the glove to guide and brake because it is too fat and weak. Nevertheless, it is fun.
One of the nice things is that the Bigfoot people let Kathy go out on one of the buses about two hours after the guys left. She was delivered to the final tower and got to go up and see Chris and Blake come zipping toward her on the only double zipline of the course. So at least she got to see what they looked like!
We purchased one of the photos of Blake ziplining and one of their entire group.
Next stop on the vacation agenda was a tour of the Upper Dells on a jet boat! We took the tour with Captain Ron's Original Dells Jet Boats. This is one form of Dells tour that both Kathy and Chris and never done before, so it was another new experience for all three of us! Although the tour itself is much like some of the slower boat tours of the upper Dells, it's the speed that makes it different! And to spice things up, Captain Ron would "put on the brakes" and that would splash many of the passengers. If you want to get really wet on the tour, sit in the first couple of rows in the boat. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) we were running late getting there and the three of us ended up sitting in the back of the boat. We still were splashed, but not much.
For supper, we decided to go eat Japanese food at Ginza of Tokyo. We enjoyed watching our food be prepared at the table, and Chris also ordered some sushi. There were two other parties at our table; both from Wisconsin. That made 7 adults and three kids; it was fun watching the kids experiment and try to use chopsticks. Well, actually, Chris was teaching the other adults how to use them too!
Such a busy day... we ended it by going to the nearby drive-in theater, Big Sky Drive-In. Yes, Wisconsin Dells still has a working outdoor theater. Not only do they have a drive-in, but there are two different screens! Annndddd.. each screen shows a double feature of first-run movies for the same price! Blake chose to go to Captain America. We enjoyed it, but Blake was really wiped out after the movie, so we didn't stay for the second feature, the third Transformers movie.
One bit of excitement "hit" when we were entering the theater lot. After paying at the booth, we began driving in and heard a crash. We had no idea what it was! Chris got out and looked and couldn't see anything at the beginning. He finally found the pieces of our lid for our vent on the camper. Come to find out, there was a bar across the entrance and it must have been just a fraction too low for our van!
But wait, there's more! When we got back to the campground it was very dark (after midnight, etc.). Kathy was trying to be quiet in the campground and Chris couldn't hear her directions, plus couldn't see much behind him in the dark. Long story short, he scraped a tree while he backed! This may not have done much more than scrape a little paint, but we had been lazy (and hot!) and had left the louvered windows in the back open. We ended up losing the bottom louver off the back passenger side... Bad words were spoken, testy words were exchanged, life went on...
On Wisconsin... In Which We Have Seen Kyle, Shawn, Maddie, & Atlas! -- Friday, July 29, 2011
Kyle and Shawn actually had to go to work, like real people (not vacationers!), so we were on our own for the morning. We made plans to meet Kyle for lunchtime before we headed north out of Madison. The guys had some breakfast there at the apartment and then we made a trip to Wisconsin Active Sportswear so that Blake could buy some Badger gear (yes, he's still a Jayhawks fan, but he has an aunt in Madison now!).
The rest of our morning was actually spent in Middleton, Wisconsin. For you Kansas readers, think Overland Park related to Kansas City. (And Madison seems to be a combination of Lawrence and Topeka, only bigger...). Middleton is the home of the National Mustard Museum. The museum is in the basement and shows some history of mustards, plus hundreds of containers of mustard from around the world! The displays are divided by state and country, even. It was interesting to see that some of the European mustards are packaged in a toothpaste tube-like container.
But we really had fun upstairs on the ground floor. This is actually the "gift shop". They have a lot of t-shirts with clever sayings (about mustard, of course) and other unusual gift ideas. The bulk of the shop is mustard after mustard, grouped in various categories. Want a mustard made with some sort of liquor or beer? Look over there... Want one made with fruit? Look over there... The best part is that they have a tasting stand, where knowledgeable staff will discuss the mustards and let you taste-test! Yes, we did alot of that; but we also left the shop with quite a few mustards and assorted clothing, etc!
Back to the apartment for a few more minutes with Kyle, and then we bid Madison "good-bye" for now. For those of you that are asking, "Why didn't you visit all the other cool things in the Madison area?", we have done so (all three of us) in earlier trips, plus we hope to be visiting up there other times in the future!
So, on to our destination, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin! For Kathy's kids, this name conjures up other memorable trips to similar sites: Keystone, South Dakota; Branson, Missouri; and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. What do these four locations have in common (other than the fact that the kids and I have all visited them)?
During the late afternoon we walked around downtown, ate, and visited the Ripley's Believe It or Not museum. We do NOT recommend the Wisconsin cheese and beer soup at High Rocks; it was really awful as far as we were concerned. Buyer beware.
We found a nice campsite north of town at Stand Rock campground and will stay here two or three nights.
Earlier in the day we purchased tickets for the Rick Wilcox Magic Show, so we headed over there at 8pm. We had great seats right on the third row, but we couldn't seem to convince Blake to volunteer! This was the second time Chris and Kathy had seen this show, although much had changed. All three of us enjoyed the show.
The rest of our morning was actually spent in Middleton, Wisconsin. For you Kansas readers, think Overland Park related to Kansas City. (And Madison seems to be a combination of Lawrence and Topeka, only bigger...). Middleton is the home of the National Mustard Museum. The museum is in the basement and shows some history of mustards, plus hundreds of containers of mustard from around the world! The displays are divided by state and country, even. It was interesting to see that some of the European mustards are packaged in a toothpaste tube-like container.
But we really had fun upstairs on the ground floor. This is actually the "gift shop". They have a lot of t-shirts with clever sayings (about mustard, of course) and other unusual gift ideas. The bulk of the shop is mustard after mustard, grouped in various categories. Want a mustard made with some sort of liquor or beer? Look over there... Want one made with fruit? Look over there... The best part is that they have a tasting stand, where knowledgeable staff will discuss the mustards and let you taste-test! Yes, we did alot of that; but we also left the shop with quite a few mustards and assorted clothing, etc!
Back to the apartment for a few more minutes with Kyle, and then we bid Madison "good-bye" for now. For those of you that are asking, "Why didn't you visit all the other cool things in the Madison area?", we have done so (all three of us) in earlier trips, plus we hope to be visiting up there other times in the future!
So, on to our destination, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin! For Kathy's kids, this name conjures up other memorable trips to similar sites: Keystone, South Dakota; Branson, Missouri; and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. What do these four locations have in common (other than the fact that the kids and I have all visited them)?
During the late afternoon we walked around downtown, ate, and visited the Ripley's Believe It or Not museum. We do NOT recommend the Wisconsin cheese and beer soup at High Rocks; it was really awful as far as we were concerned. Buyer beware.
We found a nice campsite north of town at Stand Rock campground and will stay here two or three nights.
Earlier in the day we purchased tickets for the Rick Wilcox Magic Show, so we headed over there at 8pm. We had great seats right on the third row, but we couldn't seem to convince Blake to volunteer! This was the second time Chris and Kathy had seen this show, although much had changed. All three of us enjoyed the show.
If It Rains, It's Still Fun!-- Thursday, July 28, 2011
We ate breakfast in downtown Amana and headed for the meat market. The restaurant gave us tokens for a pound of brats for $1, so we had to take advantage of that. And, of course, we spent more money there, just as they hoped!
The morning started with thunderstorms, so the temperature was better than the day before, but the humidity it still, naturally, pretty darn high! Chris and Kathy will be ready to return to the much lower humidity of central Kansas before this vacation is over.
Our first planned stop was in Dyersville, Iowa. Since it was still raining we first visited the National Farm Toy Museum. If you ever owned or played with any toy even remotely related to farms and farming, this is the place to reminisce. All companies are represented, even though the Ertl Company began the Museum.
With her love of genealogy, Kathy's favorite part was a whole wall tracing the "genealogy" of present day AGCO . It's amazing how many companies have merged to create this company! Some of the best known names, even to this non-farm kid, are: Massey Ferguson, Gleaner, White, Hesston, etc.
The rain had stopped, so we headed to our "real" Dyersville destination, the Field of Dreams Movie Site. Even though the field was awfully soggy, with standing water, Chris and Blake were able to play a little catch and pose for the photos Kathy wanted to take. [photos to be added] Since the corn is nearing harvest time, we even got to take shots of them entering and exiting the cornfield. (For those of you that don't understand that part, you really need to watch Field of Dreams!)
The site was a little different from when Kathy took her kids years ago, but still is a peaceful stop for families, whether you like baseball or not! There's a new souvenir stand now, but that's about it. I appreciate the simplicity. As stated in the promotional information: "Enjoy the surroundings. Bat a few balls, play a little catch, run the bases or sit and dream on the bleachers."
After leaving the Field, we were officially on our way to Madison, Wisconsin, home of Kathy's daughter, Kyle. But even stalwart travelers need to eat, so we stopped in Dubuque, Iowa, at a restaurant Blake had enjoyed with his folks, Crust.
By the time we arrived in Madison, both Kyle and Shawn were home from work. We had a good visit with the two of them and enjoyed watching the antics of Maddie, the cat, and Atlas, the dog.
The five humans went out to eat and spent the rest of the evening talking and watching the new version of Arthur.
Another high-point of the day was the fact that we got to sleep in the apartment for the night, out of the heat!
The morning started with thunderstorms, so the temperature was better than the day before, but the humidity it still, naturally, pretty darn high! Chris and Kathy will be ready to return to the much lower humidity of central Kansas before this vacation is over.
Our first planned stop was in Dyersville, Iowa. Since it was still raining we first visited the National Farm Toy Museum. If you ever owned or played with any toy even remotely related to farms and farming, this is the place to reminisce. All companies are represented, even though the Ertl Company began the Museum.
With her love of genealogy, Kathy's favorite part was a whole wall tracing the "genealogy" of present day AGCO . It's amazing how many companies have merged to create this company! Some of the best known names, even to this non-farm kid, are: Massey Ferguson, Gleaner, White, Hesston, etc.
The rain had stopped, so we headed to our "real" Dyersville destination, the Field of Dreams Movie Site. Even though the field was awfully soggy, with standing water, Chris and Blake were able to play a little catch and pose for the photos Kathy wanted to take. [photos to be added] Since the corn is nearing harvest time, we even got to take shots of them entering and exiting the cornfield. (For those of you that don't understand that part, you really need to watch Field of Dreams!)
The site was a little different from when Kathy took her kids years ago, but still is a peaceful stop for families, whether you like baseball or not! There's a new souvenir stand now, but that's about it. I appreciate the simplicity. As stated in the promotional information: "Enjoy the surroundings. Bat a few balls, play a little catch, run the bases or sit and dream on the bleachers."
After leaving the Field, we were officially on our way to Madison, Wisconsin, home of Kathy's daughter, Kyle. But even stalwart travelers need to eat, so we stopped in Dubuque, Iowa, at a restaurant Blake had enjoyed with his folks, Crust.
By the time we arrived in Madison, both Kyle and Shawn were home from work. We had a good visit with the two of them and enjoyed watching the antics of Maddie, the cat, and Atlas, the dog.
The five humans went out to eat and spent the rest of the evening talking and watching the new version of Arthur.
Another high-point of the day was the fact that we got to sleep in the apartment for the night, out of the heat!
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!-- Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Chris and Kathy arrived in KC, MO on Tuesday night and stayed at the Jason & Toni's household so we could start out bright and early (?) on Wednesday morning. Although Jason leaves for work even brighter and earlier, Toni had some munchies to start the day and off we went!
This is our second "grandkid" trip. Kathy's grandparents began by taking their 10 grandchildren, one at a time, on each child's own vacation. Their two kids and spouses continued the tradition and now the original grandchildren are taking the next generation! This year it's Blake's turn! Thie challenge for us is to find activities for a pre-teen boy...
The BAD -- Our first stop wasn't too far north of Kansas City, Jesse James' birthplace. The tour wasn't bad, it's Jesse that we're talking about here. The movie shown at the beginning of the tour shows how Jesse and Frank got started in their lives of crime during their lives as Bushwhackers during the Civil War. (Well, they might have called it the "War of Northern Aggression" since they were Southerners in a Union state!).
Several rooms of museum displays are there at the Visitor's Center and then we took a guided tour of the actual house where the James' lived for several generations. One of the main themes seems to be the role of Jesse and Frank's mother in, not only their lives, but as a fiercely protective mother of all her children.
When Jesse was killed (while straightening a picture on the wall of his own home) by a man he considered a friend, his mother, Zerelda, had him buried in the front yard of the family home with a tall monument. She even moved her bed so she could watch out the window and make sure no one came to desecrate the memorial!
Zerelda was actually married three times; Mr. James, a preacher, was her first husband. She lost two children because of Jesse's life choices: Jesse and one of his young half-brothers, Archie, who was killed when the Pinkerton detectives through a "bomb" in to the house hoping to flush out Jesse and/or Frank.
We began with our first of our sports-related trivia here at the James Farm. The family maintained the site as a tourist attraction for at least three generations. One of Frank's sons liked golf, so for awhile the home had a three-hole golf course attached so that visitor's could play a little golf when they came too! We then headed out of Missouri in to Iowa
The GOOD -- Our "good" is an all-American legend. John Wayne was really born as Marion Robert Morrison in the small town of Winterset, Iowa. "Duke", as he became known, only lived in Winterset a few years, but visitors can tour his home and view memorabilia from his long and varied career. As Blake pointed out, people think he was just in Western movies, but he was in a lot of different ones: war movies, one in Ireland, sports movies, "romantic comedy", historical movies, etc.
Our sports trivia of the tour was the fact that John Wayne, as he became known later, played football on a scholarship for the University of Southern California.
Although the house is small, the curators have filled it with movie stills and other mementos of Wayne's career. There are also items from his childhood, even a copy of his parents' wedding license.
If one wants, you can take a photo next to one of the several images of Wayne found in the gift shop.
The UGLY -- Oh, yes, there is no doubt what is the UGLY of our day... the heat!!! There was a disagreement (Chris and Kathy) about whether the air conditioner was working in the camper van. The result is that we rode the rest of the day with the windows open!! It was hot, hot, hot! I believe the gauge hovered around 100 for most of the day with maximum humidity ranging from 62-98!! Maybe it was the humidity, not just the heat.
Even at night when we were setting up our camp at the Amana Colonies Campground in Amana, Iowa, the sweat was just pouring off us (I apologize if anyone's tender senses are offended, but it WAS offensive). In the end, Chris slept outside on the sleeping bag on the ground most of the night while Kathy and Blake slept in the camper. After a cool shower, it wasn't too bad once we actually settled down for the night,
Chris moved inside around 5:30 AM or so when a thunderstorm actually arrived!! That did lower the temperature, but the humidity was awfully high!
A high point of the evening was eating in Marengo, Iowa, at Phat Daddy's restaurant. We saw lots of people entering, including children, so we figured it must be popular. The food was very good. And it had the extra perk of being air conditioned! ;-)
This is our second "grandkid" trip. Kathy's grandparents began by taking their 10 grandchildren, one at a time, on each child's own vacation. Their two kids and spouses continued the tradition and now the original grandchildren are taking the next generation! This year it's Blake's turn! Thie challenge for us is to find activities for a pre-teen boy...
The BAD -- Our first stop wasn't too far north of Kansas City, Jesse James' birthplace. The tour wasn't bad, it's Jesse that we're talking about here. The movie shown at the beginning of the tour shows how Jesse and Frank got started in their lives of crime during their lives as Bushwhackers during the Civil War. (Well, they might have called it the "War of Northern Aggression" since they were Southerners in a Union state!).
Several rooms of museum displays are there at the Visitor's Center and then we took a guided tour of the actual house where the James' lived for several generations. One of the main themes seems to be the role of Jesse and Frank's mother in, not only their lives, but as a fiercely protective mother of all her children.
When Jesse was killed (while straightening a picture on the wall of his own home) by a man he considered a friend, his mother, Zerelda, had him buried in the front yard of the family home with a tall monument. She even moved her bed so she could watch out the window and make sure no one came to desecrate the memorial!
Zerelda was actually married three times; Mr. James, a preacher, was her first husband. She lost two children because of Jesse's life choices: Jesse and one of his young half-brothers, Archie, who was killed when the Pinkerton detectives through a "bomb" in to the house hoping to flush out Jesse and/or Frank.
We began with our first of our sports-related trivia here at the James Farm. The family maintained the site as a tourist attraction for at least three generations. One of Frank's sons liked golf, so for awhile the home had a three-hole golf course attached so that visitor's could play a little golf when they came too! We then headed out of Missouri in to Iowa
The GOOD -- Our "good" is an all-American legend. John Wayne was really born as Marion Robert Morrison in the small town of Winterset, Iowa. "Duke", as he became known, only lived in Winterset a few years, but visitors can tour his home and view memorabilia from his long and varied career. As Blake pointed out, people think he was just in Western movies, but he was in a lot of different ones: war movies, one in Ireland, sports movies, "romantic comedy", historical movies, etc.
Our sports trivia of the tour was the fact that John Wayne, as he became known later, played football on a scholarship for the University of Southern California.
Although the house is small, the curators have filled it with movie stills and other mementos of Wayne's career. There are also items from his childhood, even a copy of his parents' wedding license.
If one wants, you can take a photo next to one of the several images of Wayne found in the gift shop.
The UGLY -- Oh, yes, there is no doubt what is the UGLY of our day... the heat!!! There was a disagreement (Chris and Kathy) about whether the air conditioner was working in the camper van. The result is that we rode the rest of the day with the windows open!! It was hot, hot, hot! I believe the gauge hovered around 100 for most of the day with maximum humidity ranging from 62-98!! Maybe it was the humidity, not just the heat.
Even at night when we were setting up our camp at the Amana Colonies Campground in Amana, Iowa, the sweat was just pouring off us (I apologize if anyone's tender senses are offended, but it WAS offensive). In the end, Chris slept outside on the sleeping bag on the ground most of the night while Kathy and Blake slept in the camper. After a cool shower, it wasn't too bad once we actually settled down for the night,
Chris moved inside around 5:30 AM or so when a thunderstorm actually arrived!! That did lower the temperature, but the humidity was awfully high!
A high point of the evening was eating in Marengo, Iowa, at Phat Daddy's restaurant. We saw lots of people entering, including children, so we figured it must be popular. The food was very good. And it had the extra perk of being air conditioned! ;-)
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