One of the problems with our lives is that we spend so much time anticipating and looking forward to events and they come and go so quickly. It is amazing to think that we have been on the road in this wonderful country for three months.
As I said at the end of my last blog, when we left Kelli and Don’s the plan was to go to Olympic Nat’l Park for a few days then head south so we could visit Mt Rainier and Mt St Helens before heading down the west coast to the southern states for winter. Weeelllll we got on the road and before we even got anywhere we change our minds (mainly because the weather was not looking too flash) and decided to give Olympic Park a miss and head straight to Randle, WA which is halfway between Mt Rainier and Mt St Helens.
We headed to the Shady Firs RV Park and didn’t bother booking. We have discovered that all the RV parks in the north are either closed or closing for the winter or, if they are open all year they have lots of empty spaces. Shady Firs is a beautiful spot and had lots of empty spaces - in fact - we were the only ones there when we pulled in.
The weather on Monday wasn’t flash - lots of cloud around - but we decided to go to Mt Rainier anyway. We entered the park from the east at Ohanapecosh and headed west. Ohanapecosh has the most magnificent old growth forest. I almost laid on my back on the ground just to soak in the enormity of these giants. You will certainly get a crick in your neck looking up all the time. As it was the last day of the summer season for the visitor centre and the camp ground, the walks were extremely quiet and sort of surreal. We found ourselves whispering so as not to disturb the serenity of it.
We wound our way through the park as we headed to ‘Paradise' which is the closest that you can get by car to the mountain itself. Did you know that Mt Rainier has more named glaciers than any other mountain? Anyway, we arrived in Paradise after waterfalls, creeks, glaciers, beautiful autumn colours, majestic forests and breathtaking views, only to find that the summit was covered in cloud. Never mind, we had an incredible day and decided that as we had only seen one side of the park we would come back on again so that we could see the west side of the park and maybe get a better view of the summit - weather permitting.
That decision was one of the best that we have made because Tuesday dawned with amazing clear skies and was just a beautiful autumn day. Keeping in mind that the weather could change very quickly up there, we headed straight up to Paradise to take advantage of the clear skies. If I say that it was amazing, brilliant and breathtaking would that give you some idea of how absolutely beautiful it was. If I could add all the photos that I took, you may get some idea. And it doesn’t matter that I am not a photographer or that I have a little inexpensive digital camera, the views and sites are so amazing you would think I was a professional!! Seriously, the views are so lovely they make even me look good!
There are so many hiking trails in the park but I have to tell you, if the sign says 1.2miles then ignore the one and the decimal point because the trail will be at least two miles. And if it says 0.4miles then double that! We took the walk to Nisqually Glacier Lookout and then on the all down-hill trail to Nisqually Falls (oh yes and it is all up hill going back to the car!). But they are so worth the effort!
We had a very late lunch at the Lodge at the entry to the park and then enjoyed a leisurely wander through the ‘Trail of the Shadows”. We saw evidence of beavers, the hot springs and once again the most amazing old growth forest. Do I overuse the word amazing? I will have to expand my use of superlatives so that I can adequately describe what we see!
We come away from a day like today both physically and emotionally spent. There is just so much to take in that you end up with SOD ( for newbies to this blog that is the acronym for Sensory Overload Disorder) once again.
But, come the morning, we are up and eager to do the whole lot all over again as we planned on heading to Mt St Helens. It seems incredible that it is 30 years since the eruption.
The drive to the east side of Mt St Helens is truly lovely with beautiful forests and it isn’t until you get closer to the mountain that you actually come face to face with the results of that catastrophe.
There are areas that have been replanted and are beginning to cover the scars however there are significant areas that have been left and there is very little sign of recovery. One of the things that is hard to accept is that there are areas close to the mountain that appear untouched by the blast while other areas much further away were completely erased. Spirit Lake, which is on the north (?) side of the mountain, is just the most beautiful lake except that there are huge expanses of fallen logs floating - from a distance it was hard to know what was on the surface of the lake but as we got closer (and used the binoculars - oh duhh) you could see that they were dead trees. There are huge areas where the logs have just bottled-necked.
We sat in the shadow of Mt St Helens to have lunch and contemplated the amazing forces of nature that could bring such devastation to people’s lives and the whole area surrounding the mountain. Quite a sobering moment.
We have a new plan!! From now on we will take at least one day a week when we do not go sightseeing or rushing around. It is the only way I am going to get any ‘jobs’ done! We have realized that we have plenty of time and we don’t need to see everything right now!! I don’t know how long it will last but we will see!!!! Maybe just for this week, so tomorrow is the day.
It is Friday and off we go again! This time we are headed to the Oregon coast of which we have heard so many wonderful things. It will have to be good given that the beaches at home (West Aust.) are magnificent! I will attach a photo of a beach at Esperance (south coast) just to give those of you who haven’t seen a West Aussie beach, some idea of how magnificent they really are. The kid in the photo is our youngest son who was on a ‘road trip’ with one of his friends from Connecticut.
We are staying in Lincoln City, OR at a beautiful RV park on the banks of the Selitz River. It is the most gorgeous setting and is a good start to our exploration of the Oregon coast. We headed south to Newport and the following day went north towards Tillamook stopping along the way at some of the scenic outlooks.
Depoe Bay is the cutest place with its harbour. I don’t know that it is the smallest harbour in the world but it is cute. One thing I didn’t know was that Captain James Cook landed at Cape Foulweather on the Oregon Coast!! We stopped at some beautiful places and I actually saw a whale (from a long way away!) I think if I had to compare the Oregon coast I would have to say it was more like the Great Ocean Road in Victoria than the beaches of WA. It is certainly beautiful and some of the little bays, the huge outcrops of rock and the Sand Lake were stunning. The Tillamook Cheese and Ice Cream Company was a wonderful stop too. They have 38 different flavours of icecream. Yummy!!!
Our next move will be towards Crater Lake but I think we may do a small detour as I believe that around Roseburg there are some wonderful wineries!!! My sort of place is Roseburg. The only problem is, that unlike our visits to Margaret River (back home), we won’t be able to buy a couple of dozen bottles to take home with us. No room in the RV - bummer!!!!!!
Take care of you and yours and happiness and good health to all our friends and family.
Till the next, hopefully not so long, episode in this saga I will say ooroo and catch you again soon!
Our fifth wheel and the truck
Monday, October 18, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Week Eleven - Seattle
The plan for this week was to stay with Kelli and Don for a couple of days then to head down south as the weather cools. Well you know the saying about the best laid plans of mice and men!
Unfortunately I brought a cold with me off the cruise so we decided to hang around Seattle for a bit longer before moving to Olympic National Park however, Kelli and Don invited us to stay with them for a while. (No one had told them that that was a fatal mistake!!) As it turned out we stayed a week and had a fabulous time with two lovely people and two gorgeous dogs. Greta is a two year old St Bernard and Guinness is an eleven month old black Labrador. It was such fun!
Don and Kelli took us down to the locks on the river in Seattle on Sunday. We also visited Pikes Place Market which is pretty famous and has appeared in several movies including Sleepless in Seattle. Whatever you may want to buy you can just about guarantee you will find it at the markets. Norm bought a Chicken Hombow - interesting taste. The pastry is a bit sweet with the savoury chicken inside. Then we went for a stroll along the water front. Guinness needed some practise!
Monday, Kelli took us up to Snoqualmie (pronounced Snow-kwol-me) Falls just out of Seattle. A really lovely spot although the work being done to improve the hydro electric program was a bit of a mess and we couldn’t walk down to the bottom of the falls (can’t help bad luck)!
We had dinner with Sandra and Bruce (Sandra is the other Bruce’s sister - Bruce and Mary) on Tuesday night. Mary had forwarded all the books Norm had ordered on line to Sandra’s home so we picked all of them up. We had a lovely dinner and met their grandson Indy.
Wednesday night we had dinner out with Kelli and Don and their daughter Amy and five month old grandson Mason - gorgeous little boy. It was Amy’s birthday and we ate at Red Robin. All you Aussies out there if you get a chance to have a burger at Red Robin I urge you to do so. I have tried two of their offerings and their burgers are to die for!!! Just beautiful - you could call them gourmet burgers - they are sooooo good!
WOW!!! Kelli had agreed to feed Greta’s puppies for the breeder while they were away so on Friday Norm and I accompanied her. WOW!!! Greta had had two puppies about seven weeks ago and had adopted an Irish Wolfhound pup as well. The puppies were just gorgeous except for the wolfhound which is quite ugly really. Kelli and Don are keeping one of the St Bernard puppies for themselves when the pups are old enough. BUT the thing is that these people had three St. Bernard puppies, an Irish Wolfhound pup and ….. wait for it….. five full grown St Bernards and two small terriers!!!!!! Dedication with a capital D!!
After feeding the pups and ‘relieving’ the two ‘inside’ St Bernards and the terriers we set off for the Oktoberfest!!!! We visited the Puyallup Fairgrounds and had a wander around. Norm had a dark ale - he is really developing a taste for the stuff and we had some lunch. Norm and I weren’t game to try the sauerkraut and played it very safe with some clam chowder - not very German at all! But still very yummy!
And Don, you have really started something! Norm bought a pack of that 'Black Butte Beer' you gave him the other night! But he is still only allowed to have two in the fridge at any one time!
Saturday was the highlight of the week for me. Kelli and Don train guide dogs for the blind and Guinness is part of the program. I can’t remember where we went but it was somewhere in Oregon where there is a Guide Dogs for the Blind program. We had front row seats for the Graduation Ceremony - but wait - it is the graduation for the dogs.
It was a very emotional ceremony with the people receiving the dogs telling how they became blind and what it would mean to them to have a guide dog and then the trainers would speak. I have to say it was with a great deal of admiration for all these people that I sat there. To take a puppy and train it for more than a year and then to have to hand it on would be so difficult and I know they are being trained for that purpose but I would find it very hard to give up a dog that had been such a huge part of your life for that time. What the trainers have to do in that time is amazing. Don takes Guinness to work with him everyday! It is a 24/7 task to ensure these dogs are ready to work with a blind person. I have a new found admiration for the work these volunteers do in getting these dogs ready. They are an amazing and selfless group of people.
Anyway, Sunday Norm backed the fiver out the driveway while we stopped traffic both ways and we headed off to Olympic National Park. OOPS sorry changed that! Before we got to interstate 5 we changed our minds and decided to go to Mt Rainier National Park and Mt. St. Helen but that is next weeks episode so………
See you all next week for the ongoing adventures (or otherwise) of two very fortunate Aussies who are having the time of their lives.
And thanks to Sandra and Bruce and Kelli and Don for their hospitality and kindness.
Unfortunately I brought a cold with me off the cruise so we decided to hang around Seattle for a bit longer before moving to Olympic National Park however, Kelli and Don invited us to stay with them for a while. (No one had told them that that was a fatal mistake!!) As it turned out we stayed a week and had a fabulous time with two lovely people and two gorgeous dogs. Greta is a two year old St Bernard and Guinness is an eleven month old black Labrador. It was such fun!
Don and Kelli took us down to the locks on the river in Seattle on Sunday. We also visited Pikes Place Market which is pretty famous and has appeared in several movies including Sleepless in Seattle. Whatever you may want to buy you can just about guarantee you will find it at the markets. Norm bought a Chicken Hombow - interesting taste. The pastry is a bit sweet with the savoury chicken inside. Then we went for a stroll along the water front. Guinness needed some practise!
Monday, Kelli took us up to Snoqualmie (pronounced Snow-kwol-me) Falls just out of Seattle. A really lovely spot although the work being done to improve the hydro electric program was a bit of a mess and we couldn’t walk down to the bottom of the falls (can’t help bad luck)!
We had dinner with Sandra and Bruce (Sandra is the other Bruce’s sister - Bruce and Mary) on Tuesday night. Mary had forwarded all the books Norm had ordered on line to Sandra’s home so we picked all of them up. We had a lovely dinner and met their grandson Indy.
Wednesday night we had dinner out with Kelli and Don and their daughter Amy and five month old grandson Mason - gorgeous little boy. It was Amy’s birthday and we ate at Red Robin. All you Aussies out there if you get a chance to have a burger at Red Robin I urge you to do so. I have tried two of their offerings and their burgers are to die for!!! Just beautiful - you could call them gourmet burgers - they are sooooo good!
WOW!!! Kelli had agreed to feed Greta’s puppies for the breeder while they were away so on Friday Norm and I accompanied her. WOW!!! Greta had had two puppies about seven weeks ago and had adopted an Irish Wolfhound pup as well. The puppies were just gorgeous except for the wolfhound which is quite ugly really. Kelli and Don are keeping one of the St Bernard puppies for themselves when the pups are old enough. BUT the thing is that these people had three St. Bernard puppies, an Irish Wolfhound pup and ….. wait for it….. five full grown St Bernards and two small terriers!!!!!! Dedication with a capital D!!
After feeding the pups and ‘relieving’ the two ‘inside’ St Bernards and the terriers we set off for the Oktoberfest!!!! We visited the Puyallup Fairgrounds and had a wander around. Norm had a dark ale - he is really developing a taste for the stuff and we had some lunch. Norm and I weren’t game to try the sauerkraut and played it very safe with some clam chowder - not very German at all! But still very yummy!
And Don, you have really started something! Norm bought a pack of that 'Black Butte Beer' you gave him the other night! But he is still only allowed to have two in the fridge at any one time!
Saturday was the highlight of the week for me. Kelli and Don train guide dogs for the blind and Guinness is part of the program. I can’t remember where we went but it was somewhere in Oregon where there is a Guide Dogs for the Blind program. We had front row seats for the Graduation Ceremony - but wait - it is the graduation for the dogs.
It was a very emotional ceremony with the people receiving the dogs telling how they became blind and what it would mean to them to have a guide dog and then the trainers would speak. I have to say it was with a great deal of admiration for all these people that I sat there. To take a puppy and train it for more than a year and then to have to hand it on would be so difficult and I know they are being trained for that purpose but I would find it very hard to give up a dog that had been such a huge part of your life for that time. What the trainers have to do in that time is amazing. Don takes Guinness to work with him everyday! It is a 24/7 task to ensure these dogs are ready to work with a blind person. I have a new found admiration for the work these volunteers do in getting these dogs ready. They are an amazing and selfless group of people.
Anyway, Sunday Norm backed the fiver out the driveway while we stopped traffic both ways and we headed off to Olympic National Park. OOPS sorry changed that! Before we got to interstate 5 we changed our minds and decided to go to Mt Rainier National Park and Mt. St. Helen but that is next weeks episode so………
See you all next week for the ongoing adventures (or otherwise) of two very fortunate Aussies who are having the time of their lives.
And thanks to Sandra and Bruce and Kelli and Don for their hospitality and kindness.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
ALASKA !!!!!!
I have been hanging out for this week. Norm and I have never been on a cruise before so we are really, really looking forward to it.
Thanks to Kelli and Don who have so kindly offered to have the rig and the truck in their driveway for the next week and to take us to the pier and pick us up again. Such wonderful people.
Saturday morning Kelli dropped us off at the pier and we got all our luggage and stuff on board. We went for a walk around and then had some lunch. I love the ‘Free Style’ dining which means you can eat in one of four restaurants on board whenever you feel like eating. After sorting out the bags we went up on deck to watch the ship leave Seattle.
We went to the gym first thing Sunday morning and used some of the equipment. Sunday was spent at sea so we had lots of time to have a good look around. We made the mistake of going to the art auction and walked out with a fabulous piece of art. It will have to be shipped home as it is way too big to go on one of the walls in the fiver!
Monday morning saw us dock in the Alaskan town of Ketchikan. Amazing town - much of it is built over the water. We saw some salmon making their run up the streams and went to a native village where there were so many totems. I will have to post some of the photos when we get back - I forgot to bring the gizmo to download the photos from the camera to the computer. Although we went up the coast a bit to see bears none made an appearance so we lucked out there. Very wet and cloudy day today so it wasn’t a really good day for sightseeing. But who cares - never let the rain spoil an otherwise wonderful day!
We got up early on Tuesday morning as the ship was heading up a fioord to the Tracy Arm Glacier. What an incredible sight. The ship was able to get quite close to the glacier. We were surrounded by small (?) icebergs. The hot coffee (with liquor added) was enough to warm the insides very well! We proceeded north to Juneau which is the capital of Alaska and would you believe the only ways of getting into Juneau are by ship or air - there is no road in/out of Juneau!!
We spent the morning with our guide, August, as we did a trip around the town and then went up to the Mendenhall Glacier. Once again I run out of superlatives. The scenery is absolutely amazing. You take some photos and put the camera down only to find yourself lifting it to take more! The colours in the leaves are just gorgeous!
If we haven’t put on any weight on our holiday before we will certainly do so during this cruise! The Norwegian Cruise Line has what they call ‘Freestyle Dining’. It just means that you can choose to eat where and when you feel like it. No set tables or times! And the food is lovely - so many choices! I have tried to be good and eat salads but have to admit that I have slipped once or twice or thrice and it is only day three!!!!
Wednesday we arrived in Skagway in the morning and Norm and I took a tour with our guide, Missy, around town then went into British Columbia and then into the Yukon! Just magical scenery with snow covered mountains and pristine lakes. I can’t wait till Norm and I drive Alaska in the summer of 2012. Oh sorry forgot to tell anyone that this is now part of the plan!!!!
As the ship was leaving Skagway, we were farewelled by the locals in the traditional manner given to the last cruise ship of the season. Quite a few of them came down to the wharf to wave us off and give us the final goodbye BY MOONING the ship. For those of you who are a bit naïve (if there are any of you??) they lined up on the wharf, dropped their pants and bared their butts at us! It was just so funny !! I have some really good photos but they will need to be censored before I can put them on the blog!
A nice quiet day on Thursday with a late stop in Prince Rupert, British Columbia (Canada). An absolute gem of a town. We went for a walk around the town and then stopped at a park above the ship where some of the locals put on a performance for us. The singing was lovely and you couldn't imagine a lovelier setting. As the sun set, the water was like glass with a cruise ship in the background, it was just glorious.
We left Prince Rupert about 9.30pm on Thursday for the final haul back to Vancouver where we will disembark on Saturday morning. It has been an amazing experience that I will never forget and will just have to wait till 2012 to spend more time exploring Alaska!
From Vancouver it was a bus trip back to Seattle to have Kelli and Don pick us up - wonderful people!
Thanks to Kelli and Don who have so kindly offered to have the rig and the truck in their driveway for the next week and to take us to the pier and pick us up again. Such wonderful people.
Saturday morning Kelli dropped us off at the pier and we got all our luggage and stuff on board. We went for a walk around and then had some lunch. I love the ‘Free Style’ dining which means you can eat in one of four restaurants on board whenever you feel like eating. After sorting out the bags we went up on deck to watch the ship leave Seattle.
We went to the gym first thing Sunday morning and used some of the equipment. Sunday was spent at sea so we had lots of time to have a good look around. We made the mistake of going to the art auction and walked out with a fabulous piece of art. It will have to be shipped home as it is way too big to go on one of the walls in the fiver!
Monday morning saw us dock in the Alaskan town of Ketchikan. Amazing town - much of it is built over the water. We saw some salmon making their run up the streams and went to a native village where there were so many totems. I will have to post some of the photos when we get back - I forgot to bring the gizmo to download the photos from the camera to the computer. Although we went up the coast a bit to see bears none made an appearance so we lucked out there. Very wet and cloudy day today so it wasn’t a really good day for sightseeing. But who cares - never let the rain spoil an otherwise wonderful day!
We got up early on Tuesday morning as the ship was heading up a fioord to the Tracy Arm Glacier. What an incredible sight. The ship was able to get quite close to the glacier. We were surrounded by small (?) icebergs. The hot coffee (with liquor added) was enough to warm the insides very well! We proceeded north to Juneau which is the capital of Alaska and would you believe the only ways of getting into Juneau are by ship or air - there is no road in/out of Juneau!!
We spent the morning with our guide, August, as we did a trip around the town and then went up to the Mendenhall Glacier. Once again I run out of superlatives. The scenery is absolutely amazing. You take some photos and put the camera down only to find yourself lifting it to take more! The colours in the leaves are just gorgeous!
If we haven’t put on any weight on our holiday before we will certainly do so during this cruise! The Norwegian Cruise Line has what they call ‘Freestyle Dining’. It just means that you can choose to eat where and when you feel like it. No set tables or times! And the food is lovely - so many choices! I have tried to be good and eat salads but have to admit that I have slipped once or twice or thrice and it is only day three!!!!
Wednesday we arrived in Skagway in the morning and Norm and I took a tour with our guide, Missy, around town then went into British Columbia and then into the Yukon! Just magical scenery with snow covered mountains and pristine lakes. I can’t wait till Norm and I drive Alaska in the summer of 2012. Oh sorry forgot to tell anyone that this is now part of the plan!!!!
As the ship was leaving Skagway, we were farewelled by the locals in the traditional manner given to the last cruise ship of the season. Quite a few of them came down to the wharf to wave us off and give us the final goodbye BY MOONING the ship. For those of you who are a bit naïve (if there are any of you??) they lined up on the wharf, dropped their pants and bared their butts at us! It was just so funny !! I have some really good photos but they will need to be censored before I can put them on the blog!
A nice quiet day on Thursday with a late stop in Prince Rupert, British Columbia (Canada). An absolute gem of a town. We went for a walk around the town and then stopped at a park above the ship where some of the locals put on a performance for us. The singing was lovely and you couldn't imagine a lovelier setting. As the sun set, the water was like glass with a cruise ship in the background, it was just glorious.
We left Prince Rupert about 9.30pm on Thursday for the final haul back to Vancouver where we will disembark on Saturday morning. It has been an amazing experience that I will never forget and will just have to wait till 2012 to spend more time exploring Alaska!
From Vancouver it was a bus trip back to Seattle to have Kelli and Don pick us up - wonderful people!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Week nine
And I thought this would be a fairly mundane week with nothing but driving! What I didn’t figure was the countryside that we would be driving through.
On Sunday morning we reluctantly left Mary & Bruce in Wisconsin to start our trek across to Seattle. A journey through seven states and about 2000 miles.
Sunday we drove about 400 miles, 616 miles on Monday and Tuesday we covered 656 miles. Tired? You bet! I was exhausted!
Sunday we drove through Wisconsin and into Minnesota. WI is the dairy state and all around us were green paddocks and rolling hills with lots of cows. Minnesota is the state with 10,000 lakes and is really beautiful as you drive you see why it has been given this description. Sunday night we stayed at the R & R RV Park in Mitchell, South Dakota.
Monday we drove through SD and it was amazing what two weeks had done to the landscape. On our way over to Indiana the sunflowers were all standing upright facing the sun. It was like a sea of yellow. On our return the sunflowers were all standing with their heads bent looking so dejected. SD from I90 is fairly flat until you get close to Rapid City and the Black Hills make their appearance. We reached Wyoming and the landscape changed again. WY had a dry flat landscape except when you drive around a bend in the road and there in front of you is a beautiful, green valley. We boon docked somewhere in WY - I was too tired to remember!
Tuesday was another long day but as we left WY and reached Montana it was just amazing. MT was one of my favourite places on our previous trip in 2007. I just love the valleys, the mountains and the rivers. Just one of the most amazing landscapes. We reached Idaho and I was disappointed to see that there was not a potato in sight!! Interstate 90 winds its way through north Idaho through the Bitteroot Mountain Range. It is spectacular and we will have to go there again as I would love to have stopped to take in some of the scenery. We kept driving and reached Washington state before it got too dark. WA was the real surprise of the journey. I had always envisaged WA to be mountains and green trees and lush growth. Wow was I way off! Western WA is wheat growing country and is reasonably flat and dry. I was blown away by the giant sprinkler systems that are used to water the wheat. Tuesday night we stayed at a lovely RV Park in Moses Lake, WA - the only problem was that it was right next to the Interstate and the noise of the traffic was really loud.
I was hoping to spend a couple of nights in Moses Lake but with the noise of the Interstate, Norm decided that we would push on about 130 miles which would put us close to Seattle.
So on Wednesday we moved on through WA to Lake Sawyer where we stayed for two nights. I finally found the WA state that I had pictured. Ginormous lakes, mountains, fir trees and lush undergrowth! Just my sort of country!
Today (Friday) we packed up (once again) and drove about 25 miles down to Seattle where we have arranged with friends of friends to leave the rig at their home while we are on the cruise. Kelli and Don have kindly offered to drive us to the pier as well as picking us up when we get back.
Norm did an amazing job of getting the rig into the space. It was really squeezy! I will make sure I take some photos just to prove he can reverse the rig! No more pull thrus for him!
Tomorrow we start our cruise so until next week bye and hugs from us.
On Sunday morning we reluctantly left Mary & Bruce in Wisconsin to start our trek across to Seattle. A journey through seven states and about 2000 miles.
Sunday we drove about 400 miles, 616 miles on Monday and Tuesday we covered 656 miles. Tired? You bet! I was exhausted!
Sunday we drove through Wisconsin and into Minnesota. WI is the dairy state and all around us were green paddocks and rolling hills with lots of cows. Minnesota is the state with 10,000 lakes and is really beautiful as you drive you see why it has been given this description. Sunday night we stayed at the R & R RV Park in Mitchell, South Dakota.
Monday we drove through SD and it was amazing what two weeks had done to the landscape. On our way over to Indiana the sunflowers were all standing upright facing the sun. It was like a sea of yellow. On our return the sunflowers were all standing with their heads bent looking so dejected. SD from I90 is fairly flat until you get close to Rapid City and the Black Hills make their appearance. We reached Wyoming and the landscape changed again. WY had a dry flat landscape except when you drive around a bend in the road and there in front of you is a beautiful, green valley. We boon docked somewhere in WY - I was too tired to remember!
Tuesday was another long day but as we left WY and reached Montana it was just amazing. MT was one of my favourite places on our previous trip in 2007. I just love the valleys, the mountains and the rivers. Just one of the most amazing landscapes. We reached Idaho and I was disappointed to see that there was not a potato in sight!! Interstate 90 winds its way through north Idaho through the Bitteroot Mountain Range. It is spectacular and we will have to go there again as I would love to have stopped to take in some of the scenery. We kept driving and reached Washington state before it got too dark. WA was the real surprise of the journey. I had always envisaged WA to be mountains and green trees and lush growth. Wow was I way off! Western WA is wheat growing country and is reasonably flat and dry. I was blown away by the giant sprinkler systems that are used to water the wheat. Tuesday night we stayed at a lovely RV Park in Moses Lake, WA - the only problem was that it was right next to the Interstate and the noise of the traffic was really loud.
I was hoping to spend a couple of nights in Moses Lake but with the noise of the Interstate, Norm decided that we would push on about 130 miles which would put us close to Seattle.
So on Wednesday we moved on through WA to Lake Sawyer where we stayed for two nights. I finally found the WA state that I had pictured. Ginormous lakes, mountains, fir trees and lush undergrowth! Just my sort of country!
Today (Friday) we packed up (once again) and drove about 25 miles down to Seattle where we have arranged with friends of friends to leave the rig at their home while we are on the cruise. Kelli and Don have kindly offered to drive us to the pier as well as picking us up when we get back.
Norm did an amazing job of getting the rig into the space. It was really squeezy! I will make sure I take some photos just to prove he can reverse the rig! No more pull thrus for him!
Tomorrow we start our cruise so until next week bye and hugs from us.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Week Eight
‘Boot Camp’ on Goshen, Indiana this week.
Sunday we started looking around the Fairground for another couple that we had been chatting with on the Escapees forum and eventually found them. Only about 800 RVs in the place!!!
They took us on an excursion around the Fairground and we eventually located about eleven couples who are also members of the Class of 2010. For the uninitiated the Class of 2010 is made up of those people who take up full time RVing during the year of 2010.
By general consensus, the decision was made, that as we had the largest grassed area around our RV that the group would have a ‘pot luck supper’ at our place on the Monday evening. It was a really good night. More food than you could possibly eat and a beautiful evening to make it just lovely. Everyone came prepared with food and drinks, chairs, tables, cutlery and the best thing was that when they had all packed up and gone home there was nothing for Norm and I to do. Great way to have a large group over for a meal!
The whole week was very busy with workshops and seminars and both Norm and I learned an awful lot - especially some really important things that we were not aware of. Like not pulling into a service station with the fridge and water heater turned on as they both run on gas when we are on the road. They both have a pilot light which, if you are really unlucky, can ignite any petrol fumes around. Needless to say that now, before we pull in for fuel, we pull over and turn them both off!
Norm has a new mantra. He has become a bit of a story teller. But for those of you who know the man, I am sure you can just imagine him embellishing any story he is telling. His new mantra is ’Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story’! Boy does he do some embellishing! Some times I don’t even recognise the story!!!! He has often had his audience in stitches as he retells some of the more gruesome moments on our trip.
Wednesday was an early start as we were going on a bus tour of the Amish area of Indiana. It was really interesting and we were both so impressed by the attitude of the people to living their lives as simply as possible. In this day and age we had to admire that simplicity. We finished the tour off by having dinner in the home of a gentleman who, at the age of 25, converted from his Catholic upbringing, to Amish. He has married an Amish lady and has brought up three sons and established a successful horse breeding program. It was a fascinating day.
Finally on Thursday we had a chance to catch up with the ‘TrashQuiltLady’ and her husband Dick. I had met Nita on a quilt forum quite a while before we left home. The only problem was that the time was way too short but I am sure that we will meet again somewhere on the road.
The only positive about the end of the boot camp was that we would no longer have to listen to the numerous trains that moved around the perimeter of the Fairground at all times of the day and night! Apparently Goshen has the record for being the third busiest train depot in the US. And we heard every one!!!
We had decided to leave the boot camp after the closing ceremony on the Thursday evening. The thought behind this was to try to get through Chicago some time early in the night (8.30 - 9.00pm) and avoid some of the traffic problems for which Chicago is infamous.
It was very sad saying our farewells to the Class of 2010. We have been so lucky to meet such an amazing group of wonderful people and we will certainly miss them but will always have the opportunity to meet again somewhere in the great outdoor. Some have even said they may even come to Australia in the future. I have a list of those who said they would so they better watch out because I don’t forget!
We did manage to get through Chicago without too many problems - except for running a toll way. Oops we didn’t see it coming up and went straight through! Isn’t modern technology amazing. I got online straight away (as we continued driving down the Interstate) and using the computer and the credit card paid the exorbitant fee of $1.70 LOL! Norm thought I was mad but if you don’t pay it they add $20.00 to the fee to cover chasing you down!
We did witness the problems Chicago has with its traffic. For about five miles, the east bound traffic (thank goodness we were west bound) was at a stand still. There were probably two trucks for every car and they were just sitting in the biggest parking area you have ever seen. Four lanes of traffic standing stock still and not going anywhere!
We pulled off at a truck stop later in the evening and had a meal and then crawled between the sheets to have a sleep. Early to rise we headed north to Wisconsin where we are spending a couple of nights with Mary and Bruce. They have reliably informed us that we must not miss the ‘Cheese Days’ in Monroe, about half an hours drive from their home.
We arrived way to early - we had forgotten that we needed to put our watches back an hour!! Mary was trying to tidy the house before we got there and Bruce was still working but anyway it gave them both an excuse not to continue.
Back to the saga of the connection for the barbeque!! Mary had rung several times during the week to be told that it was in the mail!!! (US Postal Service again!) On Thursday she was told that it would be here Friday so I got on the phone to be informed that yes it had arrived!! Woo Hoo - Norm can start cooking now!!!!
The four of us climbed in the truck - the back seat is not a good place to sit for any length of time - and went to Camping World. Oops sorry Norm but the piece you need, and that they told you was all you needed for $25.00, was not all you needed and now you have to pay about $70.00 oh and that includes $22.00 for delivery because it was a special delivery. Not happy Jan!! To cut a very long story short they refunded us the delivery and we took home the two pieces so now at least we can have a barbie!
Oh by the way, I forgot to tell you that just after we arrived at Mary’s, Norm was leveling the fiver while I stood and gave him directions and all of a sudden there is this almighty bang followed by a prolonged hiss! Scared the proverbial out of me! I walked around the fiver to discover that one of the tires was flat on the bottom! LOL. Made Norm’s day as you can imagine. Anyway we did some ringing around and found someone to fit a new tire on Saturday. Very fortunate as it turned out that the tire place was also in Monroe which is where we were headed for the Cheese Days.
Now to tell you about the Cheese Days. Wisconsin is the dairy state of the US and they have a three day festival every second year to celebrate the cheese makers and their products. And we just happened to be able to fit it in to our itinerary!!!
There are tents around the town square of Monroe that are full of cheese to be sampled. As well as many food vendors and entertainment. The big thing is cheese curds! The only problem is that if they are any good as you eat them they squeak which puts my teeth on edge. Monroe has a Swiss heritage with buildings resembling those found in Switzerland. In fact Bruce has a Swiss heritage. We had a great day and, as always when we are with Mary and Bruce, spent much of the time laughing.
Tomorrow, Sunday, we will be getting an early start to our trip to Seattle because next Saturday we will be getting on board the Norwegian Cruise liner Star Princess for our cruise to Alaska. Week nine will be pretty boring as we have to cover 1877miles from Wisconsin to Seattle, Washington in about five days.
Take care and love to all our family and friends.
Sunday we started looking around the Fairground for another couple that we had been chatting with on the Escapees forum and eventually found them. Only about 800 RVs in the place!!!
They took us on an excursion around the Fairground and we eventually located about eleven couples who are also members of the Class of 2010. For the uninitiated the Class of 2010 is made up of those people who take up full time RVing during the year of 2010.
By general consensus, the decision was made, that as we had the largest grassed area around our RV that the group would have a ‘pot luck supper’ at our place on the Monday evening. It was a really good night. More food than you could possibly eat and a beautiful evening to make it just lovely. Everyone came prepared with food and drinks, chairs, tables, cutlery and the best thing was that when they had all packed up and gone home there was nothing for Norm and I to do. Great way to have a large group over for a meal!
The whole week was very busy with workshops and seminars and both Norm and I learned an awful lot - especially some really important things that we were not aware of. Like not pulling into a service station with the fridge and water heater turned on as they both run on gas when we are on the road. They both have a pilot light which, if you are really unlucky, can ignite any petrol fumes around. Needless to say that now, before we pull in for fuel, we pull over and turn them both off!
Norm has a new mantra. He has become a bit of a story teller. But for those of you who know the man, I am sure you can just imagine him embellishing any story he is telling. His new mantra is ’Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story’! Boy does he do some embellishing! Some times I don’t even recognise the story!!!! He has often had his audience in stitches as he retells some of the more gruesome moments on our trip.
Wednesday was an early start as we were going on a bus tour of the Amish area of Indiana. It was really interesting and we were both so impressed by the attitude of the people to living their lives as simply as possible. In this day and age we had to admire that simplicity. We finished the tour off by having dinner in the home of a gentleman who, at the age of 25, converted from his Catholic upbringing, to Amish. He has married an Amish lady and has brought up three sons and established a successful horse breeding program. It was a fascinating day.
Finally on Thursday we had a chance to catch up with the ‘TrashQuiltLady’ and her husband Dick. I had met Nita on a quilt forum quite a while before we left home. The only problem was that the time was way too short but I am sure that we will meet again somewhere on the road.
The only positive about the end of the boot camp was that we would no longer have to listen to the numerous trains that moved around the perimeter of the Fairground at all times of the day and night! Apparently Goshen has the record for being the third busiest train depot in the US. And we heard every one!!!
We had decided to leave the boot camp after the closing ceremony on the Thursday evening. The thought behind this was to try to get through Chicago some time early in the night (8.30 - 9.00pm) and avoid some of the traffic problems for which Chicago is infamous.
It was very sad saying our farewells to the Class of 2010. We have been so lucky to meet such an amazing group of wonderful people and we will certainly miss them but will always have the opportunity to meet again somewhere in the great outdoor. Some have even said they may even come to Australia in the future. I have a list of those who said they would so they better watch out because I don’t forget!
We did manage to get through Chicago without too many problems - except for running a toll way. Oops we didn’t see it coming up and went straight through! Isn’t modern technology amazing. I got online straight away (as we continued driving down the Interstate) and using the computer and the credit card paid the exorbitant fee of $1.70 LOL! Norm thought I was mad but if you don’t pay it they add $20.00 to the fee to cover chasing you down!
We did witness the problems Chicago has with its traffic. For about five miles, the east bound traffic (thank goodness we were west bound) was at a stand still. There were probably two trucks for every car and they were just sitting in the biggest parking area you have ever seen. Four lanes of traffic standing stock still and not going anywhere!
We pulled off at a truck stop later in the evening and had a meal and then crawled between the sheets to have a sleep. Early to rise we headed north to Wisconsin where we are spending a couple of nights with Mary and Bruce. They have reliably informed us that we must not miss the ‘Cheese Days’ in Monroe, about half an hours drive from their home.
We arrived way to early - we had forgotten that we needed to put our watches back an hour!! Mary was trying to tidy the house before we got there and Bruce was still working but anyway it gave them both an excuse not to continue.
Back to the saga of the connection for the barbeque!! Mary had rung several times during the week to be told that it was in the mail!!! (US Postal Service again!) On Thursday she was told that it would be here Friday so I got on the phone to be informed that yes it had arrived!! Woo Hoo - Norm can start cooking now!!!!
The four of us climbed in the truck - the back seat is not a good place to sit for any length of time - and went to Camping World. Oops sorry Norm but the piece you need, and that they told you was all you needed for $25.00, was not all you needed and now you have to pay about $70.00 oh and that includes $22.00 for delivery because it was a special delivery. Not happy Jan!! To cut a very long story short they refunded us the delivery and we took home the two pieces so now at least we can have a barbie!
Oh by the way, I forgot to tell you that just after we arrived at Mary’s, Norm was leveling the fiver while I stood and gave him directions and all of a sudden there is this almighty bang followed by a prolonged hiss! Scared the proverbial out of me! I walked around the fiver to discover that one of the tires was flat on the bottom! LOL. Made Norm’s day as you can imagine. Anyway we did some ringing around and found someone to fit a new tire on Saturday. Very fortunate as it turned out that the tire place was also in Monroe which is where we were headed for the Cheese Days.
Now to tell you about the Cheese Days. Wisconsin is the dairy state of the US and they have a three day festival every second year to celebrate the cheese makers and their products. And we just happened to be able to fit it in to our itinerary!!!
There are tents around the town square of Monroe that are full of cheese to be sampled. As well as many food vendors and entertainment. The big thing is cheese curds! The only problem is that if they are any good as you eat them they squeak which puts my teeth on edge. Monroe has a Swiss heritage with buildings resembling those found in Switzerland. In fact Bruce has a Swiss heritage. We had a great day and, as always when we are with Mary and Bruce, spent much of the time laughing.
Tomorrow, Sunday, we will be getting an early start to our trip to Seattle because next Saturday we will be getting on board the Norwegian Cruise liner Star Princess for our cruise to Alaska. Week nine will be pretty boring as we have to cover 1877miles from Wisconsin to Seattle, Washington in about five days.
Take care and love to all our family and friends.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Week seven
Week Seven
Welcome back!
Monday and I finally got to cut out all the pieces for the quilt I am making for the fiver. Norm spent a constructive time washing down the fiver and Bruce got the lawn mown (huge lawn - split between a push mower and a ride on) and then sat on the front verandah watching Norm!!! We had a quiet day which was much appreciated by yours truly.
Back to the saga of the connection for the barbeque on Tuesday morning. Well, as you can guess, when Mary and I got to Camping World we were informed that it hadn’t arrived and they expected in on Wednesday morning. Needless to say we weren’t impressed! And neither was Norm as he had already hooked the fiver and truck ready to leave. As it was far too windy to be driving the fiver anywhere, Mary and I decided some retail therapy was in order!! Norm was left at the house watching some TV as Bruce was already back at work.
On Wednesday we left for Bass Lake in Indiana. Well that was the destination when we left. We had planned a route that would see us avoid all contact with Chicago. Apparently Chicago is a nightmare to drive through!
Along the way our plans changed and we ended up in South Bend, Indiana not far from Elkhart and Goshen. We were getting some warranty work done on the fiver in Elkhart on Friday . So Thursday was spent doing boring stuff that has to be done no matter where you are.
This whole week was a bit on the tame side really - no amazing sites at all. But we are really looking forward to the ‘boot camp’ in Goshen. Hopefully we will meet up with some of the folks we have meet on the forum and especially the Class of 2010.
We arrived in Goshen on Saturday and were taken to our “back in” site! Yeah right!! Norm’s reversing skills with the fiver are not that flash yet so we pleaded for assistance and the parking people took pity on us and got us to drive straight in to the bay. The poor people behind us had to wait till we were in before they were asked to back in behind us. They were probably better at reversing than we are just yet!
Next morning we were up early. I wanted to finish making the cauliflower pickles I had started (only because I couldn’t find them anywhere and I like my piccalilli!!) Norm is a bit worried, he thinks he will be eating piccalilli every day for the rest of our stay. I made 13 x 1 pint jars! (Can’t translate to metric for the Aussies)
Next job, head off to the welcome ceremony and see if we can locate some members of the Class of 2010. We finally found one couple and then walked over the Fairgrounds in search of others. We are all spread out all over the Fairground. There is somewhere in the vicinity of 800 RV’s at the Escapade! So it could be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Week seven - a slower pace but very enjoyable. After all the running around we have done it will be a pleasure to spend a week in one place. Week eight here in Goshen then at the end of the week a cross country run ( >2000miles) to get to Seattle for our cruise to Alaska.
Bye all and take care of you and yours.
Welcome back!
Monday and I finally got to cut out all the pieces for the quilt I am making for the fiver. Norm spent a constructive time washing down the fiver and Bruce got the lawn mown (huge lawn - split between a push mower and a ride on) and then sat on the front verandah watching Norm!!! We had a quiet day which was much appreciated by yours truly.
Back to the saga of the connection for the barbeque on Tuesday morning. Well, as you can guess, when Mary and I got to Camping World we were informed that it hadn’t arrived and they expected in on Wednesday morning. Needless to say we weren’t impressed! And neither was Norm as he had already hooked the fiver and truck ready to leave. As it was far too windy to be driving the fiver anywhere, Mary and I decided some retail therapy was in order!! Norm was left at the house watching some TV as Bruce was already back at work.
On Wednesday we left for Bass Lake in Indiana. Well that was the destination when we left. We had planned a route that would see us avoid all contact with Chicago. Apparently Chicago is a nightmare to drive through!
Along the way our plans changed and we ended up in South Bend, Indiana not far from Elkhart and Goshen. We were getting some warranty work done on the fiver in Elkhart on Friday . So Thursday was spent doing boring stuff that has to be done no matter where you are.
This whole week was a bit on the tame side really - no amazing sites at all. But we are really looking forward to the ‘boot camp’ in Goshen. Hopefully we will meet up with some of the folks we have meet on the forum and especially the Class of 2010.
We arrived in Goshen on Saturday and were taken to our “back in” site! Yeah right!! Norm’s reversing skills with the fiver are not that flash yet so we pleaded for assistance and the parking people took pity on us and got us to drive straight in to the bay. The poor people behind us had to wait till we were in before they were asked to back in behind us. They were probably better at reversing than we are just yet!
Next morning we were up early. I wanted to finish making the cauliflower pickles I had started (only because I couldn’t find them anywhere and I like my piccalilli!!) Norm is a bit worried, he thinks he will be eating piccalilli every day for the rest of our stay. I made 13 x 1 pint jars! (Can’t translate to metric for the Aussies)
Next job, head off to the welcome ceremony and see if we can locate some members of the Class of 2010. We finally found one couple and then walked over the Fairgrounds in search of others. We are all spread out all over the Fairground. There is somewhere in the vicinity of 800 RV’s at the Escapade! So it could be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Week seven - a slower pace but very enjoyable. After all the running around we have done it will be a pleasure to spend a week in one place. Week eight here in Goshen then at the end of the week a cross country run ( >2000miles) to get to Seattle for our cruise to Alaska.
Bye all and take care of you and yours.
Week Six
Okay, so now we are on our way to Goshen for the Escapade on September 11th. Just a nice leisurely trip - if that is possible with Norm at the wheel? Just kidding.
We left Custer and headed east. Along the way we were going to visit the Badlands but unfortunately there was a severe weather report and as we traveled it was coming up behind us very quickly. We got caught in a bit of rain along the way but decided that our best bet was to get to our next stop in Mitchell before the worst of it hit. It was just as well because at about 7.00pm there was a tornado warning in Mitchell. It appeared to just pass to the North of us but was pretty awesome. The rain pelted down and the wind, thunder and lightning were brilliant. We sat in the fiver with all the blinds up just watching it.
Tuesday saw us still in Mitchell as Norm wanted to get the first service on the truck done before we moved on. And of course I had housewife duties to perform, namely the laundry! We met a really nice young couple and hope to catch up with them through the winter when we are in the southern states away from the snow.
Wednesday we took off again to make it to the Eagle Cliff Campground in Lanesboro, Minnesota for a two night stop over. Lanesboro was the most beautiful little town. Really picturesque with beautiful homes and lots of character. Thursday was a bit rainy and cold so we stayed around the campground and only went out for dinner.
Friday morning it was pack up again and point ourselves in an easterly direction heading for Wisconsin to stay with Mary and Bruce who we met in Leadville. It was a long weekend so the plan was to stay with them for a few days and then on Tuesday to go to Bass Lake in Indiana for four days before the Escapade. You all know about the best laid plans of mice and men!!!!
We had an excellent time with Mary and Bruce. We arrived on Friday evening much to Bruce’s surprise. Because we were so late I think he had given up on us! We went out for dinner with some other friends of M & B, Margaret and David. Dined at the Grumpy Troll in Mt Horeb. One of Mt Horeb’s claims to fame is the many trolls that dot the area. When the government put the interstate highway around Mt Horeb instead of through the town businesses came up with a tourist attraction that would draw visitors to the town - hence the many troll statues.
Saturday we went to Camping World where Norm finally bought a barbeque!!! Woo Hoo! But don’t get too excited - yes we have the barbeque but unfortunately the connection for the barbeque to the fiver wasn’t available. Finally got the young sales assistant to order one so it would arrive Tuesday morning, we would pick it up then and head off to Goshen! Haha - another plan gone awry!
After Camping World we went to Madison to visit the ‘Taste of Madison’ festival. Around the town square (?) all the local restaurants were serving food so patrons could sample their menu for a small price ($1 -$4). All proceeds went to charity. Norm and I sampled a ‘Corn Dog’ (Hot dog covered with corn meal and deep fried) and while we were reliably informed that restaurant corn dogs are better (So say Mary and Bruce!), we were not that fussed about them. We also sampled deep fried cheese curds and while Norm turned up his nose (cheese AGAIN) I thought they were great except as Norm said he could feel his arteries hardening just looking at them! We finished off our visit with cream puffs - really yummy. Norm didn't turn up his nose to cream puffs!
Sunday we stayed at Mary and Bruce’s home and had a lovely lunch with the whole family. Sons Hans and Tom and Han’s wife Emily. We had our first taste of Bruce’s famous Brat sausages. They are boiled in beer for a short time and then put on the grill (Aussies read barbeque for grill). Sound horrible? They were great really!
That evening we went to Margaret and Dave’s for a bonfire. Dave thought it was time he got rid of the Christmas trees from 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006 which had been waiting to be burned off! Mary took a jaffle iron and made cherry and blueberry pies on the bonfire. I had marshmallow and blueberries in mine - made an awful mess but tasted really scrummy! Norm also discovered that dark brown ale doesn’t cause hangovers!!!!! Need I say more!
Another brilliant week over - at this rate it will take us more than a year to see all the places we want to visit .. Oh well such is life…….
We left Custer and headed east. Along the way we were going to visit the Badlands but unfortunately there was a severe weather report and as we traveled it was coming up behind us very quickly. We got caught in a bit of rain along the way but decided that our best bet was to get to our next stop in Mitchell before the worst of it hit. It was just as well because at about 7.00pm there was a tornado warning in Mitchell. It appeared to just pass to the North of us but was pretty awesome. The rain pelted down and the wind, thunder and lightning were brilliant. We sat in the fiver with all the blinds up just watching it.
Tuesday saw us still in Mitchell as Norm wanted to get the first service on the truck done before we moved on. And of course I had housewife duties to perform, namely the laundry! We met a really nice young couple and hope to catch up with them through the winter when we are in the southern states away from the snow.
Wednesday we took off again to make it to the Eagle Cliff Campground in Lanesboro, Minnesota for a two night stop over. Lanesboro was the most beautiful little town. Really picturesque with beautiful homes and lots of character. Thursday was a bit rainy and cold so we stayed around the campground and only went out for dinner.
Friday morning it was pack up again and point ourselves in an easterly direction heading for Wisconsin to stay with Mary and Bruce who we met in Leadville. It was a long weekend so the plan was to stay with them for a few days and then on Tuesday to go to Bass Lake in Indiana for four days before the Escapade. You all know about the best laid plans of mice and men!!!!
We had an excellent time with Mary and Bruce. We arrived on Friday evening much to Bruce’s surprise. Because we were so late I think he had given up on us! We went out for dinner with some other friends of M & B, Margaret and David. Dined at the Grumpy Troll in Mt Horeb. One of Mt Horeb’s claims to fame is the many trolls that dot the area. When the government put the interstate highway around Mt Horeb instead of through the town businesses came up with a tourist attraction that would draw visitors to the town - hence the many troll statues.
Saturday we went to Camping World where Norm finally bought a barbeque!!! Woo Hoo! But don’t get too excited - yes we have the barbeque but unfortunately the connection for the barbeque to the fiver wasn’t available. Finally got the young sales assistant to order one so it would arrive Tuesday morning, we would pick it up then and head off to Goshen! Haha - another plan gone awry!
After Camping World we went to Madison to visit the ‘Taste of Madison’ festival. Around the town square (?) all the local restaurants were serving food so patrons could sample their menu for a small price ($1 -$4). All proceeds went to charity. Norm and I sampled a ‘Corn Dog’ (Hot dog covered with corn meal and deep fried) and while we were reliably informed that restaurant corn dogs are better (So say Mary and Bruce!), we were not that fussed about them. We also sampled deep fried cheese curds and while Norm turned up his nose (cheese AGAIN) I thought they were great except as Norm said he could feel his arteries hardening just looking at them! We finished off our visit with cream puffs - really yummy. Norm didn't turn up his nose to cream puffs!
Sunday we stayed at Mary and Bruce’s home and had a lovely lunch with the whole family. Sons Hans and Tom and Han’s wife Emily. We had our first taste of Bruce’s famous Brat sausages. They are boiled in beer for a short time and then put on the grill (Aussies read barbeque for grill). Sound horrible? They were great really!
That evening we went to Margaret and Dave’s for a bonfire. Dave thought it was time he got rid of the Christmas trees from 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006 which had been waiting to be burned off! Mary took a jaffle iron and made cherry and blueberry pies on the bonfire. I had marshmallow and blueberries in mine - made an awful mess but tasted really scrummy! Norm also discovered that dark brown ale doesn’t cause hangovers!!!!! Need I say more!
Another brilliant week over - at this rate it will take us more than a year to see all the places we want to visit .. Oh well such is life…….
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