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It's about time for me to end this blog.  We've arrived home. End of story.

Grand Teton National Park

We've been enjoying another visit to the Teton Valley, just west of the  Grand Teton National Park in Idaho. The Walls are renting a condo for the next year here in Victor, Idaho and we're lucky enough to be visitors to their here.

The mountains have been spectacular and the visiting has been great.

The Tetons

South Dakota and Wyoming

All day Sunday was spent driving mostly across South Dakota. We moved from the green, lush corn and soy bean fields to the grass lands, wheat and pastures of Eastern Wyoming on Monday.  We waved at the Bad Lands and the Black Hills and turned north to visit Devils Tower, a National Monument that we're waved at every other time we drove Interstate 90.  It was a great visit and very interesting up close.

This is the view we've always seen from I80 - that's it
in the middle of the horizon

From the Visitors' Center

Closer to the base

Bob on the trail around the base

Today, we're off to the Tetons, where John and Wanda Wall are staying for the summer (as is usual for them) and a couple of days visiting.

Iowa

Friday was spent as any tourist would do.  We went to Galena, IL and walked around all the shops is town.  That got old really fast, but we did tour the historical museum in town, General Grant's home there, and visited a local winery for a little tasting on our way back to the campground.  Even bought some wine.

This picture of the Savanna/Sabula bridge is being shown again because we learned something interesting about it today.  It's for sale, for nothing.  The states of Iowa and Illinois are wanting to build a new bridge, which is slated to be started in 2015.  This steel truss bridge was built in the 30's and is on the National Registry of Historic Places. The only hitch in buying this bridge is that it has to be moved and preserved "in its historical significance in perpetuity." No small job. Just thought you'd like to know. This is how we crossed the Mississippi this morning, into the town of Sabula, Iowa's only island city, basically in the middle of the river.

Bridge for Sale

 Tonight (Saturday), we've stopped at Storm Lake, Iowa and are at a marina/campground right on the shores of Storm Lake.  It's a pretty, little, natural lake and a popular summer vacation spot.  We were lucky to get the last empty spot.

On the Road, Again

We're staying at the Mississippi Palisades State Park in Illinois.  It's a beautiful park on the River. The river is still very high around here, and parts of the park are inaccessible, but the views from the high bluffs are great.

Looking north

Looking south

Just looking

When we went into Savanna, just south of the park, for an ice cream cone, here is what the city riverside park looked like.

A little hard to have a picnic.

River, river everywhere

Our campsite is very secluded, to all but the bugs, which are numerous and varied.  But the road away from our site is very interesting.  These trees are bent over the park road.  The trunks are huge curves. I wonder where their center of gravity is???

I haven't identified them yet, but will for the next post.

Camping in Racine

We had a great weekend camping with the Perdue/Mitchell gang over the 4th of July.

Two adjacent sites for tents and RV

An ice cream treat was popular

Three kids, three bikes, three tents, lots of room to play

We tried every playground in the area, including a gigantic one at North Beach in Racine.

Area for small ones

Plenty of trails and climbing to explore

We went to the beach.

Some of us got wet and some if us enjoyed the sand and sun

Thanks for being patient with the lack of posts on this blog.  We've been more into the "doing" than the writing while in Wisconsin.  Later this week we'll be on the road again, heading for Oregon. We are going back home before going to southern California.  See you on the road.

Finally in Wisconsin

Here we are at the Cliff Side County Park just south of Milwaukee.  Yea!  Having dinner with Sam and Emma and Grace tonight (oh yes, Jennifer and Greg will be there, too).  We are again enjoying this well cared-for park.  Hoping for good weather over the Fourth of July weekend when the gang will be here camping with us. Last night's storms gave everything a really good soaking, but no wind damage around here.

Bob reading at our campsite

A Camping Move Across State

Algonac State Park continued to give us great river shots.  A we played bridge with the Sears every night.

Not even sure what Coast Guard Boat this is

But we had to move on.  And so we moved to the west side of the state.  The Pioneer County Park was a beautiful, spacious park on Lake Michigan when we were here two years ago.  We practically had the whole park to ourselves in October.  This time things were much different. On a hot, June weekend, all 200+ sites were full of families, enjoying the out-of-doors and the Lake Michigan swimming.  The Girl Scouts next to us were entertainment by themselves.

We visited with Natalie (Bob's cousin). Paula (her sister) and Steve were there and we got to see them again.

We did a pub crawl in Muskegan

We walked out to the end of the pier

Stood against the lighthouse - Do you think it needs some paint?

A picture of it from the Internet

A camping move down-state

Algonac State Park was our next destination for a camping site from which to do some more visiting.  It's a great little spot on the St. Clair River.  We had talked with Kingsly and Lulene Sears and knew that they might be camping here this week - are they are! Some meals together and a few hands of bridge should round out the days.

Our campsite is only about 300 yds from the river's edge.  We're being treated to lots of boat traffic to watch.

2 masted tall ship on it's way to Bay City for the Tall Ship Challenge

3 masted tall ship, probably also going to Bay City

One of the many Great Lakes Freighters that passed by the park

Were you wondering?

Were you wondering where we are? We drove to Chicago two different weekends from the cabin. The first weekend was for the reception/BBQ picnic with the Olson clan. First cousin Nancy had a party for her son Jeremy and new daughter-in-law Misty.We got to visit with the other Bill Olson cousins and with Jenn and Greg who came down to the picnic from Milwaukee, grandkids in tow. We stayed with them at an airport hotel with a pool, for an extra fun time.

Grace, Sam and Emma in pool with Greg watching

On our way back to the cabin, we stopped and visited with Bob's cousin Paula and her husband Steve.  We had a nice visit, the guys fit in a round of golf and we had a special dessert that was very good.

Apricot Upside-down cupcakes - yummm!

One day, back at the cabin, we were doing the laundry at the Gladwin laundry and we had a first.  This is the transportation the one of our fellow laundry user was driving.

Amish transportation

I was surprised to see them using the washing machines.  We had seen the horse-drawn plows in the fields a few days earlier when we drove up M18 to visit with Tom and Kay Mears in Prudenville.  It was pouring down rain and 2 plows with 4 or 5 horses each were plowing a field. They were still working when we drove back south in the evening, almost dark.

Back to Chicago and the CCC Reunion the next weekend.

Linda and Claudia (old boss)

Linda, with MaryJane (Kansas City) and Diane (Wichita)

The CCC folks ate Saturday night dinner on the Navy Pier and the Chicago 4 masted tall ship used for local cruises was docked right outside our window. It was a great weekend with old friends.

"Windy"

Still at the Cabin

The Stoffers have gone on to visit their son in Ohio. We're here at the cabin slapping the mosquitoes by ourselves.  Just a few shots from the Tittabawassee:

Bob reading on the one warm afternoon

 Some of you may recognize the locals in this picture.

Two swans off the dock.

FYI - in Michigan

John and Jane Stoffer met us in Michigan for a short visit while they were in the area.  We've met up with then in many different places in the US.  This time Michigan.  We chose to go to the Olson Cabin on the Tittabawassee River for three days of relaxation and visiting.  We spent Sunday night with Peg and Dave in Tawas and then came over to the cabin. We'll be here until we drive to Chicago for a family party/reception on Friday.

An Indiana Experience - Wamplers Lake

In Vermont the slide on our RV did not operate correctly. We called the factory in Elkhart, IN and made arrangements for them to check it and make repairs on Friday morning.  It turned out to be much more involved and they needed to remove the slide and replace some broken parts.  They worked all day and still didn't finish.  We drove on to visit with Glenn and Barb Meyers at their summer cottage on Wamplers Lake in the Irish Hills of Southern Michigan and left the RV to be finished. Bob went back on Saturday to retrieve the RV and bring it into Michigan.  We're enjoying a relaxed visit with Barb and Glenn; a little kayaking on the lake, dinner at Jerry's Pub and a slow cruise around the lake on their pontoon boat.

Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont

We left New Brunswick on Monday and headed for the States. We drove south and west to stay outside of Bangor, Maine, trading the black flies that had come out with a vengeance as it was warming up in Moncton for the mosquitoes in Maine. On Tuesday night, Vermont gave us a drenching thunderstorm.  I guess that's life in a campground.

On Tuesday we decided to drive US 2, across Maine, New Hampshire and part of Vermont.  No one has had time to repair their roads from the winter damage.  Some parts of Route 2 were just fine, some shook us up royally.  We stopped for lunch near the White Mountains National Forest on the Androscoggin River.  It was a beautiful road-side rest area.  And we drove by Mt Washington, opting not to take the famous trail to the top.

Bob standing by the  Androscoggin River

Beautiful day for a picnic lunch

I need photo shop to get rid off the telephone pole.
Just pretend it's not in front of this shot of Mt Washington 

Prince Edward Island

Today's excursion was to Prince Edward Island.  We crossed the Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick to PEI, knowing that the return toll was $45.  It was a little shocking at first, but we did have to return. The bridge was built in 1997 and is eight miles long, connecting the island to the mainland over the Northumberland Straits.  This picture shows a wide view of the bridge, so wide that you have to look really close to even see the bridge.

Confederation Bridge

We drove along some beautiful country side and farmlands.  PEI grows a lot of potatoes.  One stop was to look at a little fishing village that is on one of the inlets from one of the bays.

French River, fishing village in the background

We made our way to Cavendish to see the landmarks and area made famous by Lucy Maud Montgomery books about Anne of Green Gables.

L.M. Montgomery's birthplace

The Green Gables house

Bob at the front door

After Cavendish, we drove to Charlottetown, the capital of PEI. We had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the waterfront. The Hillsborbourgh River and West River come together to form the Charlottetown Harbor. Our view was perfect, over the water and over the park and over the location of our dessert.

Charlottetown Harbor and one of the marinas (Some empty slips waiting for the warm weather to really come)

Dessert

After lunch we went through the exhibits in Founders Hall. The confederation of the Canadian territories started with a meeting in Charlottetown in 1864. They were meeting in PEI because the representative from PEI refused to go anywhere else to have these talks.  That can give you an idea about how things went with these early politicians. They did form a confederation, but PEI didn't join until 1873.

Halifax - Day 3 Nova Scotia

It's Saturday and a day of rest for us.  We're back at the RV in Muncton after three days in Nova Scotia. Laundry and relaxing are the day's agenda.

On Friday, we drove into Halifax in the morning and visited the Halifax Citadel there, a very interesting military national historic site on a hill above the city and bay. The first fort was build on this hill in 1749 and the fourth and current fortress was built as a result of the War of 1812. The French and the British were not the best of friends when it came to claiming territories in this end of Canada. The strategic location played a part in the British Navy even until 1906, and then with the Canadian military through World Wars I and II.  Very interesting.  And the fortress certainly looks impenetrable. Some pictures to follow:

View of the city as we walked up the hill to the gate of the Citadel 

Guard at the gate

Bob at the door

Practicing shooting of the cannon.  The masts are part of the fort and were used
for communication with ships in the bay and the people of Halifax

These kilted lads were practicing on the grounds for some of their live demonstrations

Another view of them with a general sense of the inside of the fort

Linda with cannon - notice track so they could aim in several directions through the grassy rampart

One view of the city through an opening in the rampart

Walking back down the hill, I got a good shot of the Old Town Clock tower, built in 1800. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and commander-in-chief of all military forces in British North America, had the four sided clock built to resolve the tardiness of the local garrison.

Old Town Clock

Then we drove down to the water front and walked around on a beautiful day and enjoyed the wharf.

Linda on the boardwalk with the Tall Ship Silva in the background, used for local sails

The Acadia was "on display" and described as the largest artifact in the Atlantic Maritime Museum that is there on the water front.  She's a museum ship, "one of the best preserved Edwardian ocean steamships in the world." She specialized in the charting of the coastline of Eastern Canada from 1913-1969.

This is a picture of the Old Town Clock up on the grounds of the Citadel looking up from the water front.

Old Town Clock up the hill

After Halifax we drove to Peggy's Cove.  It's a barren rock (granite) community on the edge of St. Margaret's Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.  We had lunch there and Bob had his first lobster.

Peggy's Cove Light House

Looking back at the village. Our place mats said population of 35, year round

Some carvings by an art studio

Bob gets instructions from the waitress for eating his crab

That's hard work

Perhaps you can sense that we had a very busy day.  We drove back to Muncton to rest up for our last day in the Maritimes on Prince Edward's Island.