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Monday, October 26, 2009
October Colors
COLORS! Fall colors of reds, oranges, golds, electric yellow, Girl Scout green and deep fir tree green! Bright beige fields of field corn with mammoth green combines chasing up and down the rows, chewing up the rows of corn and spitting out huge clouds of dust, trying to beat the time clock of the approaching rain. They are all out this weekend!! Bud, Carol, H and I are down in Circleville Ohio to soak up all the bright hues before they are all gone till next year!
Thursday morning we hooked up the “mobile motel” behind the Jeep and the guys played leapfrog down I75 then Rt 68 thru the rolling hills and valleys of Ohio. As we went along we watched the racing combines, knowing the weather forecast that was to come would cut short their hurried harvest attempts. The rains arrived that night and stayed in Central Ohio for the days to come. Thursday afternoon we were parked side by side in AW Marion State Park, just a few miles east of Circleville and “The Greatest Free Show on Earth”! The renowned Circleville Pumpkin Show started in 1903 and was just the storefront pumpkin display put on by the Mayor of the city. It has grown to cover blocks and blocks of downtown streets. There are 2 parades a day from Wednesday thru Saturday each with a different theme. Several streets are totally blocked off from vehicle traffic and are filled with food vendors of anything and everything pumpkin - from burgers, pancakes, and donuts to cheesecake, fudge and ice cream! You’ll find games, rides, crafts, and pumpkin souvenirs. H took us all out to dinner that evening – out to the picnic table and the fire ring behind our trailer! The menu included baby back ribs finished there on the fire, mashed potatoes and green beans brought from our garden. We were too full to enjoy them so the Applesauce spice cupcakes had to wait for another day! We mellowed out and settled in to watch the mesmerizing fire of the campfire until it dwindled to just red coals before we each bid the other a good night and good rest.
That night the rains did come and pattered on the roofs of our shelters most of the time. And it rained on and off all Friday, sometimes quite hard. There were no farmers in the fields today. We had breakfast out and then went exploring the area, including Deer Creek State Park, 20 miles west of Circleville. Back in town we donned our rain jackets and sloshed thru a now and again puddle to see what was going on at the Pumpkin Show. Inspite of the drizzle and dampness – the streets were still full of festival goers. The streets were full but the rides were not! Enough was enough and we headed back to the quietness of our “mobile homes”. Drinks and hor ‘doovers were shared in the patch of dryness under the canopy of the trailer until it was time to go in for dinner at Bud and Carol’s motorhome. Then it was Bud’s turn to win at dominos!
Saturday morning was still wet and the ground is now covered with golden leaves that just yesterday all looked securely glued to the tops of the trees. We hugged our dear friends goodbye and waved them on their way back home and we slowly finished packing up. We moved on southeast towards Hocking Hills State Park via another one of H’s shortcuts - cross country and around back fields and colorful woods. Not too many trailers wander thru those winding, curvy, narrow roads but we did find a good place for breakfast. Just don’t ask where! We don’t have a clue! On our way thru the forest and the hills of the park, we stopped at several points and walked the rims of several deep wet gorges. Way too slippery with inches of newly fallen leaves covering slimy brown mud to attempt any ventures for us old folks to go down the myriad of steep steps to view the caves and cliffs from the bottom. Then there would have been the return climb back up those trails!
There is no wifi in the campground so we are now off again to find the Lodge and will borrow some of their wifi to send emails and to post this! We’ll chat again soon!
Thursday morning we hooked up the “mobile motel” behind the Jeep and the guys played leapfrog down I75 then Rt 68 thru the rolling hills and valleys of Ohio. As we went along we watched the racing combines, knowing the weather forecast that was to come would cut short their hurried harvest attempts. The rains arrived that night and stayed in Central Ohio for the days to come. Thursday afternoon we were parked side by side in AW Marion State Park, just a few miles east of Circleville and “The Greatest Free Show on Earth”! The renowned Circleville Pumpkin Show started in 1903 and was just the storefront pumpkin display put on by the Mayor of the city. It has grown to cover blocks and blocks of downtown streets. There are 2 parades a day from Wednesday thru Saturday each with a different theme. Several streets are totally blocked off from vehicle traffic and are filled with food vendors of anything and everything pumpkin - from burgers, pancakes, and donuts to cheesecake, fudge and ice cream! You’ll find games, rides, crafts, and pumpkin souvenirs. H took us all out to dinner that evening – out to the picnic table and the fire ring behind our trailer! The menu included baby back ribs finished there on the fire, mashed potatoes and green beans brought from our garden. We were too full to enjoy them so the Applesauce spice cupcakes had to wait for another day! We mellowed out and settled in to watch the mesmerizing fire of the campfire until it dwindled to just red coals before we each bid the other a good night and good rest.
That night the rains did come and pattered on the roofs of our shelters most of the time. And it rained on and off all Friday, sometimes quite hard. There were no farmers in the fields today. We had breakfast out and then went exploring the area, including Deer Creek State Park, 20 miles west of Circleville. Back in town we donned our rain jackets and sloshed thru a now and again puddle to see what was going on at the Pumpkin Show. Inspite of the drizzle and dampness – the streets were still full of festival goers. The streets were full but the rides were not! Enough was enough and we headed back to the quietness of our “mobile homes”. Drinks and hor ‘doovers were shared in the patch of dryness under the canopy of the trailer until it was time to go in for dinner at Bud and Carol’s motorhome. Then it was Bud’s turn to win at dominos!
Saturday morning was still wet and the ground is now covered with golden leaves that just yesterday all looked securely glued to the tops of the trees. We hugged our dear friends goodbye and waved them on their way back home and we slowly finished packing up. We moved on southeast towards Hocking Hills State Park via another one of H’s shortcuts - cross country and around back fields and colorful woods. Not too many trailers wander thru those winding, curvy, narrow roads but we did find a good place for breakfast. Just don’t ask where! We don’t have a clue! On our way thru the forest and the hills of the park, we stopped at several points and walked the rims of several deep wet gorges. Way too slippery with inches of newly fallen leaves covering slimy brown mud to attempt any ventures for us old folks to go down the myriad of steep steps to view the caves and cliffs from the bottom. Then there would have been the return climb back up those trails!
There is no wifi in the campground so we are now off again to find the Lodge and will borrow some of their wifi to send emails and to post this! We’ll chat again soon!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Westward Ho - Home
A little slow getting this chapter of the west trip posted. In fact Bobbi is still busy and I have to try my hand at writing this final chapter of Westward Ho.
We made it home Tuesday Sept.29th 10:45 p.m. We pushed it from Wisconsin to make it home and sleep in our comfortable waterbed. It sure seemed like a treat to sleep in our own bed for a change. One of our few stops on our push was in the Upper Peninsula for home made pasties (pronounced pah stees) for lunch near the city of Escanaba. We passed thru the state of Michigan in rain from morning till we got home.
Now that we are home, and winter feels like it is fast approaching, we have a lot of work to catch up. Bobbi has been busy with closing down her gardens, picking the vegetables, trimming back plants and storing her flowers bulbs for the winter. She also had a lot of inside work to do like washing curtains and drapes after we had new windows installed in the three bedrooms. With that project completed the whole house now has updated windows. I started on my projects, winterizing the boats and motorcycles, closing down the hot tub and yard work.
We have a long weekend trip planned to central Ohio for Oct. 22nd. This will be like a little pre check of the trailer, then it is time to get serious about packing it up and getting ready to close the house up for the winter so we can head to Florida. The time is approaching fast; it looks like it is about six weeks from now.
Will keep you posted
We made it home Tuesday Sept.29th 10:45 p.m. We pushed it from Wisconsin to make it home and sleep in our comfortable waterbed. It sure seemed like a treat to sleep in our own bed for a change. One of our few stops on our push was in the Upper Peninsula for home made pasties (pronounced pah stees) for lunch near the city of Escanaba. We passed thru the state of Michigan in rain from morning till we got home.
Now that we are home, and winter feels like it is fast approaching, we have a lot of work to catch up. Bobbi has been busy with closing down her gardens, picking the vegetables, trimming back plants and storing her flowers bulbs for the winter. She also had a lot of inside work to do like washing curtains and drapes after we had new windows installed in the three bedrooms. With that project completed the whole house now has updated windows. I started on my projects, winterizing the boats and motorcycles, closing down the hot tub and yard work.
We have a long weekend trip planned to central Ohio for Oct. 22nd. This will be like a little pre check of the trailer, then it is time to get serious about packing it up and getting ready to close the house up for the winter so we can head to Florida. The time is approaching fast; it looks like it is about six weeks from now.
Will keep you posted
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Westward Ho Eastbound
When we were up in Glacier National Park, Lola (the GPS) got so dizzy that she quit talking to H and the compass was so disoriented that it took till Saturday to unwind itself. So, Saturday, the cruise was set and the automatic pilot was on. It must have been set, because the road was straight as an arrow, due east thru brownish gray grasslands of north central and northeast Montana on Rt 2. It took us a week to get across the state that afternoon! We were following an east/west railroad track that had more traffic on it than the road we were on! Long, long trains with 2 and 3 engines pulling miles and miles of grain cars or cars stacked 2 high with semi truck boxes! There was very little truck traffic on Rt 2 which was a relief after being on all those 2 lane winding roads in Washington state, crossing traffic with all those double trailered semis and log trucks! Down Rt 13 to pick up the intrastate Rt 94 and North Dakota was our only change in direction.
North Dakota faired just a bit better - the grasslands changed to sunflower fields and grain fields, some harvested and some still waiting. Only at the oasis of a small town were there any green trees. Bismarck is the state capital but the only part we explored was the Select Inn Motel and the American Steak Buffet across the highway!
Sunday morning and not only has the time changed but the season certainly has also! Yesterday was capri and short sleeve, sunny summer weather. This morning is heavy gray clouds, wet pavement and STRONG tailwinds. It’s definitely fall. No worries about sun in the eyes as we headed on our way - just ahead of the next storm! Due east we flew again and with the tailwind the gas mileage improved, too. H’s navigation system is pointed towards home now! He wants to sleep in his own bed – SOON! Rt 94 in Minnesota changed direction to southeast once we rounded the curve in the road just past Fargo. The colors at the edge of the road, out to the horizon changed to green grass and darker green trees and red barns! Yellow aspen changed to deep red sumac. The occasional vehicle or truck changed to a steady stream of traffic and then heavy traffic as we reached Minneapolis. The Mall of America just south of Minneapolis was the intended port of call for the afternoon. The bypass around to the south of Minneapolis itself was lined with shopping centers and we were heading for the BIGGIE! One of the parking garages was even bigger than the entire Franklin Park Mall in Toledo. We entered the mall at the Bloomingdale entrance on the 4th level of the mall but never did find Bloomingdale’s! We saw it from the pedestrian walkway tho!! We’ve been told that there was an amusement park on the lower level of the mall. Since it was a Sunday afternoon the Nickelodeon, Dora the Explorer, Blues Clues, SpongeBob Squarepants themed mega park was a cacophony of noise, electric colors, amazing rides and KIDS! Talk about sensory overload! There were roller coasters in orange, yellows, purples and lime green. A Demon Drop ride for bigger kids and one for the little ones also! ( I thought about Raegan!) A merry-go-round like the one at the Toledo Zoo and a ferris wheel almost as big as at Cedar Point! There was a swinging ride that was a mammoth skateboard where the passengers were in rotating seats that twirled around and around on top of the skateboard as the giant board swung high like a huge pendulum. AND – the Cedar Point ride that takes you straight up and then zooms straight down - - - it was there too! In bright turquoise! It reached almost to the glass windows in the ceiling! The food court was up on the 3rd level and we ate our Orange Chicken with chow mein from Panda Express at a table right by the railing overlooking the “park”, so we could watch the action below. We did not ‘shop” but we did walk some of the many levels, amazed at all the stairs, escalators and cross over walkways. The Mall of America needs a girlfriend to shop with – not H! We did go into Sears - does that count? Lola was confused with all the layers of the parking garage but she did catch up once we were back out on the street and we quickly wove thru traffic and back up onto the interstate. We made it over the Mississippi River into Wisconsin with fond memories about the start of our journey and our stay downriver in LaCrosse. Menomonie is one town west of Eau Claire and thanks to yet another traveler’s coupon we’ve got a place to “camp” for the night at one more Econo Lodge for a reasonable price. Monday we will see Michigan once more!
North Dakota faired just a bit better - the grasslands changed to sunflower fields and grain fields, some harvested and some still waiting. Only at the oasis of a small town were there any green trees. Bismarck is the state capital but the only part we explored was the Select Inn Motel and the American Steak Buffet across the highway!
Sunday morning and not only has the time changed but the season certainly has also! Yesterday was capri and short sleeve, sunny summer weather. This morning is heavy gray clouds, wet pavement and STRONG tailwinds. It’s definitely fall. No worries about sun in the eyes as we headed on our way - just ahead of the next storm! Due east we flew again and with the tailwind the gas mileage improved, too. H’s navigation system is pointed towards home now! He wants to sleep in his own bed – SOON! Rt 94 in Minnesota changed direction to southeast once we rounded the curve in the road just past Fargo. The colors at the edge of the road, out to the horizon changed to green grass and darker green trees and red barns! Yellow aspen changed to deep red sumac. The occasional vehicle or truck changed to a steady stream of traffic and then heavy traffic as we reached Minneapolis. The Mall of America just south of Minneapolis was the intended port of call for the afternoon. The bypass around to the south of Minneapolis itself was lined with shopping centers and we were heading for the BIGGIE! One of the parking garages was even bigger than the entire Franklin Park Mall in Toledo. We entered the mall at the Bloomingdale entrance on the 4th level of the mall but never did find Bloomingdale’s! We saw it from the pedestrian walkway tho!! We’ve been told that there was an amusement park on the lower level of the mall. Since it was a Sunday afternoon the Nickelodeon, Dora the Explorer, Blues Clues, SpongeBob Squarepants themed mega park was a cacophony of noise, electric colors, amazing rides and KIDS! Talk about sensory overload! There were roller coasters in orange, yellows, purples and lime green. A Demon Drop ride for bigger kids and one for the little ones also! ( I thought about Raegan!) A merry-go-round like the one at the Toledo Zoo and a ferris wheel almost as big as at Cedar Point! There was a swinging ride that was a mammoth skateboard where the passengers were in rotating seats that twirled around and around on top of the skateboard as the giant board swung high like a huge pendulum. AND – the Cedar Point ride that takes you straight up and then zooms straight down - - - it was there too! In bright turquoise! It reached almost to the glass windows in the ceiling! The food court was up on the 3rd level and we ate our Orange Chicken with chow mein from Panda Express at a table right by the railing overlooking the “park”, so we could watch the action below. We did not ‘shop” but we did walk some of the many levels, amazed at all the stairs, escalators and cross over walkways. The Mall of America needs a girlfriend to shop with – not H! We did go into Sears - does that count? Lola was confused with all the layers of the parking garage but she did catch up once we were back out on the street and we quickly wove thru traffic and back up onto the interstate. We made it over the Mississippi River into Wisconsin with fond memories about the start of our journey and our stay downriver in LaCrosse. Menomonie is one town west of Eau Claire and thanks to yet another traveler’s coupon we’ve got a place to “camp” for the night at one more Econo Lodge for a reasonable price. Monday we will see Michigan once more!
Friday, September 25, 2009
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