December 29, 2011

Well, Christmas is over.  I love the holidays with our sons.  It's a quiet, uncomplicated time together but our love for one another is ever present and Jack and I are always reminded of the blessing God has given us when it comes to the respect and love of our sons.  They are grown men now but we are often still moved to tears as our hearts swell with the love our sons show us. Between you and me they are the men they are today, the caring sons they are because their dad paved the way for them; showing them how to respect their parents just as Jack showed for his parents. 

Five days and counting.  I keep praying that the weather will hold out.  Last year we ran in to a total freaking snow mess.  Clear skies in Indiana but the minute we hit Kentucky the snow gods came out to play.  Seemed the snow followed us all the way to Alabama.  I do not want a repeat of last year, going up the back side of a mountain, in total darkness with only the headlamps guiding our way in unknown terrain, and me bargaining with God all the way up.  It was so scary that I was actually afraid to move.  Was afraid any sudden movement to the right would send us hurling over the side of a mountain. 

Keeping our fingers crossed.

Heading South on January 2, 2012

We are finally going to be heading South on Monday, January 2nd.  Being new to this retirement gig one thing we, regrettably, have learned the hard way; no not stay in Indiana during November and December if at all possible. The weather can change in a heartbeat. We really did enjoy the holidays with our sons and friends but we think in the future we will head South  around the first of November. We may come back to Warsaw during the Christmas holiday but at this point we will cross that bridge when we get to it.

Last year we traveled through several states seeing many beautiful sites America has to offer.  We met nice people and enjoyed every minute of it.  This year I wanted to try something just a little different.  I wanted to stay in one place the entire winter and begin the trip home the latter part of April.  Last year we came home too early. Indiana's weather was still cold and crappy.

Our Second Year in the Retired Lane

Is there a sun in Indiana?  Jack and I are beginning to wonder.....can you say depressing?  Studies have proven that the sun or bright light lifts the spirit.  Since I was kicked out of Ace Hardware and their green house section (I think they were yelling something about my TV and cooler as being the last straw) I knew it was time to head South. But three reasons kept us in Warsaw through the end of the year; 1) Celebrating my sister's birthday with her as we have done every year 2) Christmas with are sons 3) Bringing in the New Year with our dear friends Jim and Linda.  However,  as much as I love each and every one of the aforementioned I am thinking that for the sake of our sanity, Jack and I must head South in October next year. 

We've tried to stay busy while in Warsaw these past few months but have to tell you it didn't work out too well.  Going to the fitness center began to be a pain in the butt.  Literally.  At first, as most people do, I began gunghoe with my workout.  The more I worked out the more I enjoyed it.  But then a week and a half off to stay with our niece, Ellie,  in Lancaster put us out of the mood and going back became a pain in the butt; and the hip and the knee.  Most of us know how that merry-go-round works.  We've all been on it. The count down in the search of sunshine was on.

Our 2011 Chicago Bike Trip August 25, 2011

Our week in Chicago is coming to an end.  It's been hot as heck with the humidity crazy horrible.  I'd sweat (oh, excuse me, perspire) just opening the door of the RV. We usually plan a trip to Chicago every year just so that we can ride the Lake Shore Drive trail.  It's an 18 mile trail with beautiful scenery on both sides of the trail.  We extended our stay here at the Dunes so that we could catch a cooler day which was forecasted for  today; Thursday. Jack loves the heat; me, not so much.  At all. 

We were up and out by 8:30.  Since Chicago is only 44 miles away we wanted to wait until morning traffic had died down.  The day began beautifully.  Cool, sunny, blue skies.  Perfect start to what promised to be a wonderful day.  That is.....................until we hit Indiana's toll booths.

Not sure how many of you have used Indiana tolls lately but be prepared if you haven't yet had the pleasure.  We first experienced the automated tolls coming back from New England when we entered Indiana from the East.  We thought then that perhaps it was an experiment the new owners, who purchased our Indiana toll road, were conducting.  You know, to make life better for travelers;  traffic flow faster, better, etc., etc.   WHAT A LOAD OF PURE CRAP!!!! We went through 6 different Indiana toll booths today and 4 of those booths DID NOT WORK CORRECTLY.   One wouldn't register dimes when entered for a 60 cent toll; another wouldn't take dollar bills while yet another wouldn't take any money at all even though the green light was on for the toll booth.  They have a blue button on the automated booth to call for help.  Jack hit the button several times.  All times we were placed on hold because "all agents were busy!!!"  WTH???? Horns were blowing and tempers were flaring in many of the lanes.  So, can you imagine our delight when we encountered a real live person at a toll booth.  We, though, did not see him until we had already entered yet another automated booth.  And guess what?  Didn't work.  Big surprise. Jack blew the truck horn  The gentleman meandered over to our truck.  Told us to use the "blue button."  I was afraid Jack was going to tell this poor guy where he could put his "blue button."  Jack told him we thought the automated system was a piece of you know what and the guy said to us, "Well, get use to it.  Next week everyone is on their own because I will no longer be here to help people."   Mark my word.  We will be hearing about people going postal at Indiana's toll booths.  Thanks, Mitch.  Awesome job you did there, selling our toll road.  How many Hoosiers lost their job with that brilliant decision?  Ok.  Off track, I know but just an FYI....before you decide to use an Indiana toll road take a Valium first and DO NOT under any circumstances carry a firearm with you.   Take lots of money (it cost us $7.00 to go 3 miles (1.5 miles each way) on one stretch of toll road (but this was in Illinois) and lots of patience. 

But the day in Chicago was beautiful and we enjoyed ourselves tremendously.  We took our bike ride, although through the years (and the added pounds) of riding the Lake Shore trail, the miles I can do becomes less and less.  The wind from the lake kicked my butt today and by the time we reached the Navy Pier my legs felt as if they were made of lead. Recovering we parked our bikes at the Pier and walked downtown for lunch.  Later we took a lake cruise along the shore line and Jack snapped some wonderful pictures.  

As we were winding up our day in downtown Chicago we knew it was time to head back up the trail.  I wanted to cry. I was certain I wouldn't make it.  We always carry a little cooler with us on our bike rides with iced down water bottles.  Jack retrieved our last bottle of water for the return trip.  The ice had melted so Jack dumped the water in to a nearby shrub.  Why waste water when a plant could use a drink?  Good for him.  What he had no way of knowing was that a bird was perched in the shrub and the shock of the cool water frightened the bird.  He flew away, fluttering frantically from the water.  The poor thing had an injured wing.  I had to walk away.  But Jack,  warmed my heart so much as I watched him bend down and scoop the injured and frightened bird into his hands and place him back in to the shrub.  We will assume the little thing recovered.

Although we could have lived just fine without the toll booth stress and the little bird fiasco the day was indeed a great day.  Lots of exercise and enjoyment but now it's time to turn in.  I am exhausted.  Hope you enjoy the pics.

Returning home tomorrow.  Not another trip planned until late September.



A fountain at Jackson Park which is south of downtown at 63rd St. and Lake Shore Drive.



Janet was thinking about getting a little something to putz around Winona Lake in but the "Blue Moon"  may not be the most ideal boat.



The new Soldier Field with the old columns.





Injured and killed Chicago Police Memorial





We are heading north and getting closer.




This is where we leave the bikes and head off on foot.




Not sure the name of the building but it's awesome.





A look inside at Mother Hubbard's, a neighborhood bar.  Beer was cold but not your traditional Chicago hot dog.




Bob Newhart taking a rest.





Leaving Chicago by boat looking back at Navy Pier.



Sunday July 24, 2011 thru July 28, 2011

We haven't even left the campground today.  Spent time at the pool reading and occasionally taking a swim to cool down.  Tomorrow we will be driving more than our 4 hr. limit and traveling 6.5 hrs. for a one night stay.  From there we are heading towards Niagara Falls for several days.  After Niagara Falls, an overnight stay in Ohio and back home in Indiana Friday.

July 25, 2011

Spent the night at a KOA campground in Herkimer, N.Y.  We didn't even unhook the truck as we knew we'd be heading out quite early the next morning.  What we did not know about Herkimer but found out from some other campers, is the fact that this area is a huge mining area.  People from all over the world come here to mine for quartz diamonds.  We saw Indian women in their full dress (from top of head to toe) going across the road to the mines.  It sounded fun, however with our time constraints and the fact we were both tired we passed on trying our hand at mining.  Perhaps next time.  This rv park had a cute little dog park and being able to let the dogs run is always a definite plus for them and for us. Unless there are other dogs in the park; big or small, it doesn't matter.  Little, itty, bitty Miss Sydney thinks she owns the place and has to go around letting every dog know that she is the boss.  She may be tiny but she can get to another dog's nose for a quick nip before they knew what hit them.  So, obviously we avoid dog parks when there are other dogs around.  Miss Sydney does not play well with others. An elderly lady, at one campground, said to me, "You can just tell that she is a little Miss Pris."  Sydney looked at her, as God is my witness, stuck her nose up in the air, as if to say, "Yes I am.  And it is none of your business!" So anyhow.....we missed mining and since SOMEONE couldn't play nice at the dog park we had to walk down by the river to let the dogs exercise.  Jack has some pics of that river to follow.  So actually it turned out better for us.  The river was stunningly clear, and moving rapidly, reminding me of the river we swam in as children growing up in Ohio.  We really did enjoy this one night stay.  I would absolutely recommend this KOA to anyone wanting to try their hand at mining.  The park is very well kept and beautifully situated in the hills of northern New York and sits on the edge of this serene river. The peacefulness is worth the trip itself.

July 26, 2011

Made it to our next destination; Youngstown, N.Y., 12 miles from Niagara Falls. Another KOA but not nearly as nice as the one in Herkimer but cost much more.  It is so very difficult to select a campground.  We do research on the Internet, read reviews and still pull the ole' RV in to a few stinkers now and then.   Not much we can do about it once we arrive; just make the best of it.  At least no bugs these past few days.  Been too darn hot for them to come out of hiding, although today was much cooler.  Thank goodness.  For a few days there I thought I'd walked in to a sauna and someone forgot to tell me.  Geez!   We did meet a couple of very nice people.  The first couple we met had been at the Herkimer KOA when we were there camping.  We didn't even notice; but they did.  We see so many people it's difficult to remember everyone you see or meet.  They recognized Miss Sydney by the bow she wears in her top knot. Wonderful, nice people.  They did mine at Herkimer and mined quite the stash.  From the goodness of her heart she gave me a beautiful quartz diamond.  I was shocked and didn't want to take it but she insisted saying, " You were at Herkimer N.Y. you have to have a Herkimer diamond."  She and her husband were extremely nice people and we had hoped to get together with them later in the evening.  However, we met our next door neighbor campers from Boston and spent several hours chatting with them at our picnic table.  Loved it!  We meet such interesting people on the road and these two were our kind of people.   We invited them to call us next year as each July or August they travel to Shipshewana  to stock up on meat from Yoders'. In fact they get orders from many of their friends for meat from Yoders. Bill said that he and Ruth will have people over for cook outs and he often serves up Yoder's steak.  Said he gets the best reviews he ever does over the steaks.  Hence, all of the orders they take with them to Shipshy.   They have a large freezer in their motor home to accommodate all of the orders from friends and family.  They also make the trip to Intercourse, Blue Balls (honest to goodness towns) and Lancaster,  Pennsylvania to buy pickles and other Amish food.   They gave us a jar of pickles from Intercourse and trust me they were yummy.  I guess I know where Jack and I will making a trip to one day soon.  This couple is from Boston and make the Shipshewana trip every year.  We live so close and have never tried any of Yoder's meat. Go figure.

Besides spending time with my aunts, cousin and friends in Chillicothe, Kara and Skip and Ellie in Lancaster I have to  say that today made all of the heat, bugs and bumper to bumper traffic this past month all worth it. Since Jack does all of the driving he may beg to differ but for me today was the climatic ending to a memorable month.

While having breakfast this morning I asked our waitress, a local, which side of the Falls she would suggest we go to?  Without a seconds  hesitation she told us, "The Canadian side by all means.  It's a fun atmosphere, lots of shopping, restaurants, clean, and the views are much better."  She continued, "The U.S. side", she lowered her voice, " is in a ghetto area and really nothing to do."  We had heard this from several people but being Americans we wanted to support our country so last evening we had decided we would go to the American side and if time permitted we'd run over to Canada.  After our waitress's advice, though, I looked at Jack and said, "Uhm.....I think we should go to Canada first."  Since we had our passports with us we made the easy trip across the bridge in to Canada and smack dab in the middle of a a gazillion people.  Obviously our waitress wasn't the only one who felt the Canadian side was better.  Although there was a ton of people it wasn't a pushing or suffocating kind of crowd.  Everyone seemed to be taking their time and simply enjoying the excitement around us.

From the Canadian side the view of the Horseshoe was absolutely stunning.  God's hand in the beautiful creation of these Falls is so evident.  This was our third time there (Jack's 4th) but it's the first time the full impact of it's beauty really registered with me.  As a gift to me Jack took us out on the Maid of the Mist Boat Tour.  OMG!!!! AMAZING....that's all I can say.  Each passenger is given a rain poncho, included in the price of the ticket.  I wanted to feel the fall's water on my face and back suggesting to Jack that we not wear our ponchos. He's like,"Well, that may not be such a good idea."  And as it happened we were first on the boat so we were able to position ourselves at the very front of the boat.  The very best spot to see everything perfectly.  Also the perfect spot to get soaked, even with the ponchos on (thank goodness I listened).  To explain to anyone the peace and tranquility I felt while riding in that boat so close to the Horseshoe Falls, hearing the roar of the water, being in a total, almost blinding mist, would be very difficult to do.  It's something a person would have to experience themselves to appreciate the sheer beauty of it all.  We did, however, walk seemingly miles, so when we finally got back to the truck I was almost giddy.  My legs hurt, my feet hurt but the pain was really all worth it.


July 27, 2011 10:00 p.m.

Jack hasn't felt well for a couple of days; chilling, fever, aches and pains. Bless his heart.  I am the one who suggested making this stop at Niagara Falls and while he hasn't complained one bit, living with someone for 40 years you know when something isn't right with them.  He's in bed, at my urging, to hopefully get a good nights sleep before we head out tomorrow.  We had planned on stopping somewhere in Ohio for the night but Jack is insistent on driving straight through.  He wants to get home.  And I must admit I do as well.  The trip has been wonderful, seeing the ocean and even though the water was freezing, playing in the waves for awhile. Finally visiting our nation's capital (thanks again, Gabe), seeing Philadelphia.  By the way....heard yesterday on the news that Taco Bell owns the Liberty Bell.  Can you believe that?  I wonder who owns the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty.  McDonalds? But the month away has been relaxing and entertaining.

It's so interesting to see how others around the country live.  It is my belief that we all have this fantasy that everyone else on earth never fights with their spouse, has problems with their kids, loves their jobs, and is just always happy and loving life.   Sometimes it feels as if we are the only one who thinks that some days life is one big shit hole and we sit at the bottom of that hole.  We ALL have those days.  Each and everyone one of us.  But traveling around as we have done this year we have learned that there are so very many others out there who have it so much worse than anyone most of us know.  Jack and I often get off the beaten path in cities; we go behind the neon signs, the fancy restaurants, the shops and we see the life, real life behind the touristy attractions.  Many of the living conditions of so many most of us cannot imagine.  It breaks my heart.  Especially when the politicians we have voted in to office with the hope of making our lives better have no idea how so many of our citizens live.  No idea. 

We love the United States of America.  Our freedom has come at a price of many, many lives and I pray that we always remember those lives that have been taken to protect that freedom.  Because of their sacrifice,   we have the freedom to write the things we do here without fear of being jailed for talking about things others in some countries may be jailed for writing,  We have the freedom to travel to other countries, to praise and pray to our God, to go about my life without listening for bombs or gunfire.  But a few things Jack and I have noticed throughout our travels is troubling.  First of all, like today.  Why the United States does not capitalize on the revenue of tourism at the Falls is hard to understand.  On the Canadian side there were thousands of people.  Looking over at the US side, while observing the Falls, there was just a small smattering of people;  a fraction of the people who stood on the Canadian side. I felt a sad tug at my heart as I viewed the few who stood across from us.  Another troubling area is the condition of our roads.  We had to PAY to travel the Pennsylvania toll road.  Jack and I both agreed that they should have paid us to travel the road.  What a stinking, freaking mess.  The holes and ruts were sooooooo bad in Pennsylvania that I swear to you I am shocked that one of us didn't break a bone while bouncing on their horrible, pathetic toll road..  It is a wonder we had anything left in tact in the RV.   We did loose a few drink glasses but nothing else.  We ended up having to pay over $225.00 in tolls just to travel our own American roads.  And many, just not Pennsylvania, were a total mess.  Ohio has the nicest travel stops but without even seeing a sign that we were entering Indiana we would have known exactly where we were when we stopped for a late lunch.  We ate lunch (Jack started the generator so we could heat up hamburgers)at a picnic table in Indiana's 1st. travel center going West on Interstate 80, doing so for the dogs to get some much needed exercise.  We had to walk through weeds a foot tall just to get to the one picnic table the center provided.  I was embarrassed that Indiana has let our travel centers go to heck or in fact, have closed many centers down.  Also, we traveled to Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, New York, Maine, Massachusetts and Connecticut (most of the $225.00 toll fees) but through all of those states and all of those toll booths we were greeted by real, live friendly people.  Okay, well, mostly friendly. But at least they were people.  We get to Indiana's 1st. toll booth and it is all automated, therefore backing traffic up 1/2 mile out.  It was crazy.  Also noticed that Ramada Inn has advertisements all over Indiana's automated booths.  Didn't see any other state do that.  Of course since the Australians own our toll road now I guess anything goes.  They say you should never, ever discuss politics or religion with friends.  So I won't.  I'm just saying.

Okay.  Enough preaching.

We are home now, safe, sound and tired, although Jack has already taken a quick motorcycle ride.  Pulled in to Warsaw around 5:30.   We'll stick around Warsaw until sometime in September when we have a trip planned for the U.P. in Michigan.   We might go up to the Indiana Dunes State Park for a couple of days in August to ride our bikes on Chicago's Lake Shore Drive like we have done previously.

Jack has tons of pictures to follow.  Hope you enjoy them.


Here you go,

Jack



My little Sydney with my shades on. By the way, I have as many pairs of sun glasses as I do Ball State tee shirts.




This little station in Standish, Maine said they didn't have a plug to fix my 18 ply steel belted 19.5" tire but did tell me where to take it. It happened to be in the middle of nowhere but they were doing work on large road grader equipment wheels and they fixed it with no problem. 




I told Janet we were going to find the meanest, skankiest bar in North Windham, Maine to have a drink or two.  I really know how to show her a good time.  Actually we usually have the best time at these places.  In North Windham 302 was supposed to be it but instead we found a big wedding reception going on for a couple old farts that were our age. 




We ended up here but it was way too normal.  If having 38 tv's is normal.




Tanner and Sydney saying "You want me to do what! Oh hell no!"




The stream at the KOA campground in Herkimer, NY.




The biggest greenhouse we have ever seen just down the road from our campground in Youngstown, NY.




The view going across the bridge to the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls.





Just before the water goes over the Horseshoe Falls.





One of several Maid of the Mist boats going into the Horseshoe falls.




The Horseshoe falls on the Canadian side.




The American falls




Huli upfront ready to get her afternoon shower.





This is the last picture I could take due to the amount of water we were receiving.




That look says "that shower we got wasn't so bad" or "I want to tell the guy/girl in front of me to pull that wedgy out of his/her butt".




Huli tried the Pale Ale kept in the old Westinghouse refrigerator and said it sucked.  She had me finish it and I agreed with her.





We were two tired Hoosiers who were up here and needed to be down there with no easy way to walk it so we took the train or what I thought was a finicula, at least in Pittsburgh that's what it's called.



Yea, this is the way to go down that big steep hill.



Relaxing do nothing kind of a day