Escape Artists

Miami

2011-11-07T06:03:00.000-08:00

Spent last weekend in the Miami area. We started our trip with a bike ride through Key Biscayne with a group of tennis friends, riding through exclusive and quite charming oceanfront neighborhoods. We made our way to Cape Florida State Park and stopped for lunch at a restaurant that overlooked 'No Name Harbour'. From there we pedaled on to the Cape Florida Lighthouse, Crandon Park and finally a visit to the former zoo at Crandon Gardens where peacocks still roam. Afterwards, Paul & I headed off to South Beach for an overnight at a wonderful boutique hotel call the Shore Club. Turned out to be "Sleepless Night' in Miami - an event that takes advantage of daylight savings time to pack in 13 hours of musical, theatrical and dance performances. After a lovely candlelight dinner, we wandered over to Lincoln Road and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the festival. The next day we walked all along the waterfront of South Beach and even spent a little time relaxing on the beach before heading home. A short, albeit sweet, get-a-way!

Bike ride photos here

South Beach photos here

Weekend in Chicago: Wildcats, Wolverines and Runners, Oh My!

2011-10-10T05:58:00.000-07:00

You've heard the tune, now for those (Michigan fans) on the game bus, here are the words:

Go U Northwestern!; Break right through that line.; With our colors flying,; We will cheer you all the time,; U Rah! Rah!; Go! U Northwestern!; Fight for victory,; Spread far the fame of our fair name,; Go! Northwestern win that game.

Or Not.

Pat headed west to San Diego to see Craig and to check out the big Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena, so I had an extra ticket to Northwestern - Michigan game. Kevin (of Cambier Park fame) and I met at o' dark thirty for the flight to ATL and ORD. ATL portion worked fine but as we watched ORD and MDW flights leave without us we changed course and headed to Milwaukee on a wide open flight. Weather could not have been nicer in Chicagoland over the Columbus Day weekend. Arriving on the NU campus, we found a parking spot amongst the enthusiastic NU and Michigan tailgaters and walked the campus along the shoreline admiring the beautiful Lake Michigan views. We met up with Jim, Meredith, Lauren and Dana at Tommy Nevins, a local Evanston eatery that was packed to the gills with fans. NU played a good first half but was shut down completely in the 2nd half as the Michigan fans went home happy with a 42-24 win.

"That's alright, that's ok, they're gonna work for us someday!"

Or Not.

After an obligatory stop for some Italian Beef at Mustard's Last Stand and short visit to Phi Delt tailgate party, we called it a night.

Sunday was another beautiful day but a little too warm for the Marathon. Met up with M & J in Chinatown to see Lauren come cruising through at Mile 21 looking pretty darn good but feeling a little overheated. We then took the El up to Grant Park for the finish line and some nice refreshments that Lauren's employer lavishly laid out for friends and family in the hospitality tent. Afterward, we ambled over to the post race party and met up with our Naples friends, Dave & Kathy, who were on scene to cheer for John Fred who was completing his first marathon.

All in all it was a classic fall foliage weekend that I topped off with a long Columbus Day bike ride with Gulfstream Johnny on the North County Trailway in Somers, NY.

Thanks to Lauren for making it all possible with tickets to the game and to the post race feast. And congratulations on completing another marathon.

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Goodnight Irene

2011-09-02T07:36:00.000-07:00

Leaving Naples ahead of Hurricane Irene, we headed for NYC to celebrate our anniversary with an overnight and the Broadway show ‘Jersey Boys’. We arrived just after the earthquake and just before the hurricane! After touring NYC, we battened down the hatches at the lake house and headed off to Minnesota (as planned) to help paint some rooms at Slider and Mary’s house. Once the painting was done, we headed west - the eastbound flights were backed up for several days due to the storm. Turns out Captain Slider was working a trip to San Diego last Monday - so we hopped on board his flight for a quick visit to see Craig and take a spin in his new '09 Volvo C30. Still waiting for flights to clear heading east, we departed San Diego to Salt Lake City to check out Park City. We’d never been there before and heard nice things about it. After a whirlwind tour of Park City, we returned to CT to head to Woodstock for an Elton John concert and to clean up the debris from Irene. What a week...Goodnight Irene!!

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North Dakota

2011-08-03T08:15:00.001-07:00

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We needed to check the box on a few states we haven't explored yet and chose North Dakota and the Badlands of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Flew into Bismark where Lewis & Clark spent their first winter at Fort Mandan. Still evidence of the Missouri river flooding in Bismark, not to mention hotels were scarce due to displaced homeowners from the floods. We enjoyed our quick tour of ND....from the wide open spaces of the farmlands to the interesting geological formations in the park. Box checked!

2011 RAGBRAI Day IV: The Cast of Characters

2011-08-02T23:15:00.000-07:00

It's Day 4 of the Ride Across Iowa and thousands of riders of all shapes, ages, sizes and abilities are back on the road riding every imaginable cycle. Today's route from Boone to Altoona is relatively short, 56 miles, and has 1,147 of elevation gain. While each rider has a unique story to tell, here is a short bio of each member of Team Mach Busters (yeah, I know, we're still working on a name and, possibly, a bus as well):

Meet the Mach Busters

First, meet Bud, aka LavaMan. Bud is a retired heavy equipment operator whose last gig was driving a heavy sled across the North Pacific. The skipper was known for barking out commands on his 747 high over The Pond: " where's the trop, son?", "yes, yes I see," "oh, very well", "son, when I was your age.........". LavaMan is also a serious chess fanatic who now volunteers his time teaching the game to Chicago area youngsters. During his working years, while his fellow crew members were logging layover time parked on a bar stool at the Flyers Lounge, Bud could typically be found at the local chess hangout happily playing game after game. This is Bud's 6th RAGBRAI, all but 1 accompanied by his daughter, Tracy - talk about makin' memories - wow! Bud is prone to sunburning hence the name 'LavaMan'.

FMO Tracy Trouble is representing Ocho Company on the Ride Across Iowa. Voted Class Clown by fellow graduates in Glen Ellyn HS Class of '90, there is almost nothing she won't do for laugh during RAGBRAI week. While not riding her bike around the country, Tracy can be found at the controls of the FD's big rigs wheeling around the Twin Cities. She is our go-to gal in each host town, gathering intel at the local FD on where to go for the best food deals. Packing up at the Pork Belly camp on the last day, Tracy misplaced her RAGBRAI wallet (ziplock baggie) which contained cash, credit cards and her Fire Dept I.D. and, don't ya know, somebody actually turned it all in. What's up with that? Wouldn't have been the outcome if she lost it somewhere within Red Sox Nation.........Only in Iowa, you betch ya.
Oh yeah, FMO....that's short for Fire Motor Operator or, in Tracy's case, Find Me Outside!

Gulfstream Johnnie, aka Goose, is a retired Teterboro based Gulfstream jockey. When not building yet another beautiful Connecticut home for himself and Anne, he can be found restoring his MGB or sailing on Long Island Sound. Goose provided the laughs (ours, not his) on RAGBRAI Day 2 when he tried to restore balance to his digestive system by downing 2 Dulcolax pills followed by fig and horse radish chasers. It all kicked in while in the back of "Mayor" RoyBoy's pickup during our personal tour of the town of Carroll. "Mayday, Mayday, Gulfstream Johnnie requesting IMMEDIATE deviation to ANY bathroom....I SAY AGAIN......." He spent the rest of his uncomfortable evening not far from a kybo living up to his moniker, "Goose".

Ted Shred, aka Slider, is the consummate outdoorsman. If he's not riding the mountain bike trails around the Twin Cities' fine trail system, then he's on his road bike or rollerblading or paddling his kayak or snow boarding down Buck Hill. Along with Gulfstream Johnnie and PF Flyer, Slider is section-hiking the Appalachian Trail and, so far, has completed the AT from NJ/NY border through NY, CT, MA, part of VT and most of the Presidentials in the White Mountains of NH. Slider funds his outdoor activities by working part time as a FAA licensed Bus driver employed by an Atlanta based multinational. When he finally hangs it up, you'll find Slider mountain biking or windsurfing on Maui where he currently owns a home with million dollar views of the West Mauis and Haleakala. Tick tock, tick tock.....times a wasting Teddy Boy!

Please click here to see pictures of Day 4, Boone to Altoona

Ride Across Iowa

2011-07-31T08:41:00.000-07:00

RAGBRAI (n) : A rolling county fair in which one eats and drinks their way across Iowa.

Mention to someone that you just rode the RAGBRAI and you'll either get a blank stare or a high five. For the uninitiated, RAGBRAI stands for (Des Moines) Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. The route is selected each year in late January and starts on the western side and winds its way to the eastern side - Missouri River to Mississippi River - with overnight stops in small towns along the way. My buddy, Bud, has been trying to get me to do this ride for about 5 years and, frankly, the very last place I wanted to vacation in late July is Iowa. However, I did cave in last summer and, due to a back injury, I drove the support truck for Ted and John. Yes, I did find it entertaining - but nothing like the act of bicycling from town to town and savoring each stop's wide variety of vendors.

It is almost impossible to describe the esprit de corps among the people associated with RAGBRAI - the 10 to 15,000 riders plus vendors, support drivers and town's people. I'll have to let the pictures do that. I'm sure this ride is on no one's bucket list but it should be. Just do it.

2011 RAGBRAI
Missouri River to Mississippi River
Glenwood, IA to Davenport, IA
via
Carroll, Boone, Altoona, Grinnell and Coraville
7 days 449.9 miles
July 24 - July 30, 2011

Click here to see Day 2 and 3 RAGBRAI pictures.

Yankee Road Trip

2011-07-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

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Me: Hey look at this, Yanks in town for a 4 game series. Up for a road trip?

Lenny: I'll call Greg, get the tickets. You pick me up at 2:30. Be in St Pete by 5 - first pitch at 7:10.

Me: WilCo.

Well, I did pick them up but only got as far as Ft Myers before a regularly scheduled eyelid leak test forced me to pull over in favor of former race car driver, Greg J (of Naples Lakes fame). Greg put the Saab in high blower and made excellent time to the ball park. After a short delay for a blown transformer which cut power to a few sections of lighting, the Yanks pulled ahead in the 8th and then it was lights out for Tampa as Mariano came in for the 9th and quickly dispatched the Rays for the victory. Long game - long drive home. Crawled into bed at 3. Up for tennis at 7:00. This sedentary Florida lifestyle is going to kill me. Anyone know when the shuffleboard season start? Help!!

Fish Fear Them

2011-07-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

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Spent a relaxing day aboard the Dizzy Too, a 3370 Pursuit Offshore fishing boat owned by my Ashton neighbor Captain George. It's a beautiful vessel equipped with twin Yamaha 250s and a very nice electronics package. Assisting George on the voyage were two pros, (golf and tennis, that is) Hunter and Denny. Both are experienced 10,000 Islands fishermen. Al, another Ashton neighbor and I ( 2 rooks) rounded out the crew for today's trip to the 'T' Tower. We departed Coon Key Marina and made our way out to Cape Romano and then on to the 'T' Tower, about a 30 mile run offshore in absolutely ideal weather conditions - (well, maybe it was a little toasty out there until a nice breeze popped up around 4 PM). We fished for about 7 hours off the 'T' with minor success, catching a few Mangrove Snappers. We even hooked up with three Goliath Grouper but could not even move them as they broke our lines (or ran into the tower superstructure and cut them). We did see a large sea turtle 2 or 3 times that was lounging near and under our boat. With few bites, Hunter seemed to think the fish were spooked but I knew word had passed quickly in the underworld that the Dizzy Too was on scene - heads up group(er) or you end up on George's dinner plate. In the late afternoon, activity picked up markedly when we landed a Barracuda and then scored a 30 pound Permit which Hunter divided up for each us to take home for dinner. Cap'n George threaded the needle between a few thunderstorms on the way back, picking his way skillfully between cells back to safe landing at Coon Key. All in all, a great day on the Gulf - thank you Cap'n George!

Sony Ericsson 2011

2011-03-29T18:26:00.000-07:00

Today was The Player's Club annual trip to Key Biscayne for the Sony Ericsson Tennis Tournament. For most of the day the rain held off and we got to see some great tennis. When the rain suspended play, we went shopping and sampled some of the food & refreshments available. All in all a good day with our tennis friends!

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San Diego

2011-03-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

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Quick weekend trip to visit Craig in San Diego. Pat logged some shopping time on Friday while Paul watched March Madness at an outdoor cafe. On Saturday, Craig drove us through the Cleveland National Forest to the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park to see the wildflowers in bloom. The desert blooms only happen for a few weeks each year - lucky for us they've had some rain and we got to see lots of color. Sunday found us in Pacific Beach where we toured Craig's workplace and had lunch in town. Afterwards we headed to Craig's house and Paul took a spin on Craig's new Harley Sportster. Pat passed the art of pirogi making on to Craig and we ended our day with a nice dinner of fresh pirogi. Off to the airport on Monday morning to stand by for our flight home....

You say 'Beaufort', I say 'Beaufort'

2010-05-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

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Low Country

Drove the Jeep from FL to CT via the coastal route. First stop was Beaufort in the South Carolina Low Country. Met up with fellow Northwestern and Horace Greeley HS graduate John and his wife, Mary Ann who live in this charming coastal community. We stayed at the Beaufort Inn and had dinner at Plums looking out over the town square to the Intercoastal Waterway.
505 miles 9:40

You Say Beaufort, I say Beaufort
From Beaufort, (SC) we drove to Beaufort (NC). Although pronounced differently, it is also situated directly on the waterfront on the Intercoastal waterway. Our hotel, the Inlet Inn, overlooked a small marina where a few transients were docked for the night - from 30 foot sailboats to 80 foot power cruisers. Had dinner at The Market restaurant where Paul sampled the local Trigger Fish.
380 miles 6:30

Piracy: Hostile Takeover Without the Paperwork

Headed north from Beaufort to the ferry at Cedar Island, NC. 2:15 minute ride across Pamlico Sound to the little village of Ocracoke. Pirate country. Ocracoke Inlet was Edward Teach's (Blackbeard) favorite anchorage. It was a perfect location from which to view ships traveling between the settlements of northeast Carolina and we could see why he chose it. Lunch and shopping before heading onto the next ferry to Cape Hatteras and the Outer Banks. Only 123 miles in Jeep today but still an 8 hour day.

First Flight

While in Kitty Hawk, we had to check out Kill Devil Hills where Wilbur and Orville made the first powered flight back in 1903 which in turn led to airports, lunar landings, frequent flier mileage and long lines at security checkpoints. Very impressive site you do not want to miss. The town was named for the rum "that could kill the devil". Afterward, we headed north towards the 12 mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel which deposited us on to the Delmarva Peninsula. Our next stop was a slight detour to Chincoteague Island to see the famous ponies and National Seashore. We drove the final 6 hours to Candlewood Lake, arriving at 11:30PM.
590 miles 10:15

Ash Thursday....8 hours in Roma

2010-04-19T18:59:00.001-07:00

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33 years ago, I invited my new girlfriend to fly with me in a single engine, 4 seat Cessna 182 from Danbury, CT to Freeport, Bahamas. An all night flight no less, in what was my first red eye flight in my 42 years as a pilot. It even featured an unscheduled enroute maintenance stop in St Marys, GA. (That would be a whole other story.) No food service - so brown bag it if you want to eat. Impressive, eh?

Well, last week I had a 10 day trip with layovers in Rome, Paris, New York and Atlanta and convinced the same girlfriend (wife) to come along on my 300 passenger A-330-300 Airbus for the first part of the trip: JFK - Rome. Neither of us had been to the Eternal City so we looked forward to exploring the sights we have long heard about. Although the flight had plenty of open seats initially, we held our breath at the gate and she made it on board and in first class. Just a little different than our trip to the Bahamas in January of 1977.

Our NYC based cabin crew could not have been nicer or a more fun group to be around. All business on the airplane, but once off, they kept us laughing especially throughout our bus rides. We landed in Rome on schedule but had to wait a bit for our rooms to open at the boutique hotel, the Londra Cargill. After a quick breakfast and 2 hour nap, we hit the streets running. So little time - so much history to see. Our first stop was at a site that contained ancient Roman ruins. We then walked a few blocks to the Pantheon and from there to the Piazza Navona, Rome's most famous baroque square where we took in some impressive work by Bernini and Borromini. We took a roundabout route to the Spanish Steps where we arrived to enjoy late afternoon sun and spent some time taking photos and admiring more work by Bernini and others. We were a little surprised to hear the obelisks located throughout the city had been pilfered from Egypt long ago. Near the Spanish Steps we started looking for an outdoor cafe and found a nice spot to enjoy a prosecco and dinner. We still wanted to see Trevi Fountain before calling it quits and were happy that we saw it at night - quite a spectacular sight. We did the obligatory coin toss over the shoulder and were reasonably sure it made the fountain - so I guess we'll be going back (soon). We walked back to the hotel via another of Bernini's works, the Triton Fountain on Piazza Barberini.

After arriving back at the hotel we learned of the volcano eruption in Iceland and its possible effect on air travel, which was especially worrisome for a standby traveler. Friday morning we headed to the Rome airport a little concerned that the flight, which previously had many open seats, was now filling up rapidly due to volcanic ash disruption of other European flights. I boarded to complete my pre-flight preparations and was relieved when Kevin, the Purser, stuck his head in the cockpit to inform us that "your Captain is on board in 5C". Funny guy, but a relief to not leave her stranded in the volcanic ash unknown after convincing her to some along. She was possibly the last non-rev passenger to leave Rome or any other European city for quite some time. Talk about an Escape Artist!

Aside from worries over ash clouds, we had 8 glorious hours of exploring Rome in perfect weather. Well worth the 18 hour flight times. As Arnold would say, "We'll be back." On to New York City.....

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California Dreamin.....

2010-02-14T11:25:00.000-08:00

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Got the call from Craig a few days before his scheduled departure - wingman needed for his cross country move after his friend had to bow out. Luckily, I had some time so I headed up to Rochester, NY. Proposed EDT at 6 AM to be in Chicago to hang out with Cousin Lauren. Departure time repeatedly revised and finally hit Wegmans for road snacks before hitting the road at 4PM. Sorry, Lauren....maybe next time. We double clutched the Grand Cherokee and headed westbound on I90 towards Erie, PA, Cleveland and Toledo - and called it quits outside South Bend.

After a tasty Fairfield Inn breakfast the next morning, we hit the road - but first did a lap around the Golden Dome of University of Notre Dame. We timed departure so as to meet up with my retired airline buddy (Bud, actually) outside Chicago for lunch. While we ate, Craig logged in for a scheduled phone interview for an IT position at UCSD. Afterward, we crossed the Mississippi and made it into Iowa where we ran into the only weather and road problem of our trip. We kept the speed down to 45MPH and stayed in the slow lane as the snow and cars piled up. We saw 4 cars overturned, 1 jackknifed truck with a U-Haul trailer and an 18 wheeler off in the weeds. In Adrian, IA we stopped for dinner at the Happy Chef - meatloaf with bacon? Never trust a GPS search of restaurants.

That night, we stayed at another Fairfield Inn in Council Bluffs, IA on the banks of the mighty Missouri River. The next day we entered Nebraska after crossing the river and pressed on to Colorado where the elevation continued to climb imperceptibly to over 4000 feet. About 100 miles out, we caught sight of the front range of the Rockies and before long were upon it doing 45 MPH in second gear and trying our best not to heat up the brakes on the steep downhills. No way we wanted to try out the brake failure lanes which looked pretty scary.

We overnighted near Breckinridge, CO in the small town of Frisco which had a rustic downtown filled with restaurants and shops. We had a burger and beer at the Moose Jaw and retired early - probably due to effects of the high altitude - elevation over 9000 feet. Next morning, we reconsidered the idea of going snowboarding at Copper Mtn. due to the cold and desire to put some miles behind us. We did not however, pass up the exit to Moab. We detoured to Arches National Park - arriving in time for an impressive sunset over Park Avenue. The town of Moab was pretty much shut up for the winter as many of the restaurants had 'See you next season' signs posted.

After getting a sandwich at City Market, we headed back to I 70 and made good time across the southern Utah mountains and arrived about 11 PM in Cedar City near Zion NP. During the ride across the mountains, we pulled over and doused the lights to take a few minutes to appreciate the beautiful night sky - not a soul around but us.

Thursday morning, we stopped in St George, UT for gas and then cut the corner of Northern Arizona through spectacular scenery of the Virgin River Canyon on I-15. Breaking out the other side, we entered Nevada and sped along to our planned lunch stop in Las Vegas. We spent a few hours taking in the sights and dining in Vegas before moving on across the Mojave Desert to San Diego - arriving around 10 PM. Mission accomplished - and in position for the interview scheduled for the next day.

On Friday, an hour before leaving for the interview, he asked me to trim the hair where he couldn't reach on the back on his head. Bad idea! I didn't realize he had taken the guard off the razor and proceeded to plant a nice racing stripe down the back of his head. Uh oh...quick, in the car and off to local barber to save the day. Couldn't even see where I had screwed up but he was a little stressed going into the interview.

Four days later - after visiting several apartments and numerous trips to IKEA, he's all settled....now enjoying sunny days and warm winter temperatures as a SoCal resident.

Got Rings?

2009-11-16T15:52:00.001-08:00

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NY Yankee baseball. Since the 'old' Yankee Stadium was built in 1923, from Babe Ruth to Derek Jeter......86 years, 40 World Series appearances (46%), 27 World Championships (31%). A remarkable achievement. Thanks to King George for his willingness to field a contender every year.

Friends gather on Naples Beach to celebrate another World Series victory and throw the ball around.

Home, Safe at Home

2009-10-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

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Ok, fans - this about wraps up this vacation. I hope both of you have enjoyed reading about our 3 week See America Tour which has taken us through 16 states (not including the 6 day trip to Amsterdam, Memphis and MSP that preceded all this). From Seattle to Portland and Minneapolis.....onward to the Appalachian Trail in Vermont...winding up on the drive from Candlewood Lake to Naples. The winner is........... a tie between the Columbia River Gorge and the Blue Ridge Parkway between Blowing Rock and Asheville. The AT hike and Antietam were close seconds. So were Portland and Seattle. Minneapolis was pretty cool, too. So was our visit to F5 in Westport. And then there was Candlewood Lake. Heck, it was all good - but now it's time to head back to the salt mine.

Crown Jewel of the Blue Ridge Parkway

2009-10-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

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Those that have been to the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock and Boone, NC, are nodding, thinking "yup, Crown Jewel - that's about right". Now for those that have not been, SLOWLY put your hands in the air, step away from the computer, throw a couple of things in the suitcase, start the car and double clutch it for the High Country of North Carolina. Not tomorrow - right now. The foliage is at peak and, even as life long New Englanders who have seen a few autumn colors, we can say that it doesn't get any better than what you'll see today on the Blue Ridge Parkway between Blowing Rock and Asheville in the Pisgah National Forest. Oh my, the hikes you can take in that area. Don't forget to bring the kayak as there are plenty of rivers and streams in the area. If you're into climbing, you can check that box also. I don't know how the skiing is in the winter, but there are a couple of areas if so inclined. Boone (as in Daniel) is also home to Appalachian State University which has a very nice hillside campus and a decent football team (sorry to remind you Wolverine fans). The Village of Blowing Rock is a must see if in the area - lots of character and charm. Have a nice trip.

Landscape Turned Red

2009-10-10T08:41:00.000-07:00

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Closed up the lake house by 4 pm on Tuesday and got on the road looking a bit like the Clampetts (or the Griswolds?). With the kayak strapped to the luggage rack, we headed directly to Eastern Mountain Sports at the Danbury Mall to buy the Thule system so I could attach Craig's kayak carrier to the car. I assembled the Thule system in the Macy's parking lot and hoisted the kayak back into position. By 6:30 PM, Jethro and Ellie Mae were headed west on I-84.

We made it to Chambersburg, PA which is just west of Gettysburg. Being Civil War buff, I was excited to be on hallowed ground again although the landscape of Chambersburg had been transformed into a string of motels and fast food restaurants. It was here on the Village Green in this sleepy town in June, 1863 that General Lee met with General AP Hill and decided to move on to Gettysburg where the famous confrontation took place almost by accident. I have been to Gettysburg over 10 times and plan to go back more as it is the holy grail for Civil War followers. However, a close second would be Antietam in Sharpsburg, MD and I had never been to that battlefield. Detour.

The Battlefield is now managed by the National Park Service. Here, just 9 months before the Battle of Gettysburg, Union forces almost wrapped up the war during a day long engagement which was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history with about 23,000 casualties. It was the first major battle in the Civil War to take place on Northern soil and General McClellan, who had in his hands a copy of Lee's Orders that outlined the South's plans to split the Army, still could not act fast enough to get it done. Southern reinforcements arrived just in the nick of time from Harpers Ferry to save the day.

Under bright blue skies, we drove around the area stopping to read some of the monuments erected later by the units that fought there on September 17, 1862. I finally got to see the famous Dunker Church, the Cornfield, Burnside Bridge and Bloody Lane which I have read so much about over the years. It was at this battle that Clara Barton, who would go on to found the American Red Cross, brought bandages, lanterns and food for the wounded of both sides. A Union surgeon christened her "The Angel of the Battlefield". Although the Battle of Antietam was ultimately fought to a draw, it was seen by President Abraham Lincoln to be enough of a moral victory to issue the Emancipation Proclamation which freed the slaves in the rebelling states. It also redefined the Union war effort giving it the 2 goals of preserving the Union and ending slavery.

Antietam is worth the visit if you're in the area. Stephen Sear's Landscape Turned Red is a good read to get some perspective on the events that took place there. Next stop - Blue Ridge Parkway.

No Joy in Mudville

2009-10-02T19:39:00.000-07:00

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Actually, that is not true. While there was quite a bit of mud and slime to trek through on our 3 day, 40 mile hike in the Green Mountains of Vermont, we were actually very happy campers - warm, mostly dry and well fed. With this hike I have now section hiked the AT from the NJ-NY border through NY, CT, MA and on to Manchester Center, VT. Not a whole lot in context with the overall 2166 mile length of the trail but still a good distance. This hike with Ted and Bob started off Rt 9 in Bennington at noon on 9/29 after being dropped off by our taxi driver. The beautiful blue sky had faded into threatening dark clouds and by 2:00 o'clock we donned the rain gear and trudged uphill in moderate rain, protected somewhat by the forest canopy. On the way we met a couple of SOuthBOund thru hikers, Big Tuna and Foghorn-Leghorn (more on them later), who informed us that our destination, Goddard Shelter, had about 20 women already camped there - shelter full. We decided to find a stealth site and set up our tents for the evening. The rain, which had stopped for about an hour, started up again as we began making dinner so we headed into the tents for cover around 6:30 and called it a day. 9 miles down. The rain continued through the night and finally quit around 8 AM. Didn't think I could sleep for 12 hours but I did with no problem.

Wednesday we hiked over Glastenbury Mt in the mud and fog. We got to the Story Spring Shelter just ahead of the large group of women and found the shelter already full of more SOBOs so we decided to continue on to a SOBO-recommended stealth site along Black Brook, 2.2 miles up the trail. We had to break out the headlamps for the last 45 minutes of the hike which was not a big deal. The campsite was indeed very nice. 13 miles today, 22 total and 18 to go. Not looking good for reaching the car tomorrow.

Thursday, we broke camp at 8 AM after a rainy night and began the hike up Stratton Mt where we caught a glimpse of the season's first snowfall. I climbed the fire tower but didn't get too far as it was covered in snow and ice. I did manage a couple of nice pictures and a quick phone call despite the howling winds. We were making excellent time on the trail and got to Stratton Pond well ahead of schedule where we had a hot lunch. Back on the trail, we got to the Spruce Peak Shelter trail and decided to trek the additional 2+ miles to the car since we were still feeling pretty good. Those 2 miles turned out to be the toughest of the day and most of it was in the dark. Arrived back at the car at 8:30 PM - 18 miles for the day. Pass the Advil, please.

Sidebar: Back to Big Tuna and Foghorn-Leghorn who turned out to be quite talkative. She was a CPA for Ernst and Young and had quit to thru hike the trail. He (Big Tuna) was a restoration architect for the City of New Orleans. When I mentioned that my niece had just completed a thru hike (NOBO), she asked what her name was. At the mention of her trail name, Loon, she said they had been enthusiastically following her journal. Small world. They had almost met Loon in NH but missed her by an hour according fellow hikers, Hot Sauce, Katchup and Mustard, who had been traveling with Loon. They even remembered reading about Uncle Paul in the journal. Wow, almost a rock star. Check out Loon's AT journal at http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=262097 Apparently, she had quite a following.

The Rose City

2009-09-29T05:40:00.000-07:00

We spent a few days in Portland recently exploring the neighborhoods of the city. Chinatown & Old Town blend together; the Pearl district is an old warehouse area now known for it's creative side: artists, designers, writers and boutique shopping. The Northwest district has a very neighborhood feel with a mix of housing, great restaurants and shops. We wandered through the University district and enjoyed the campus of PSU. The Historic Waterfront district is a scenic park along the Williamette River made for bicyclers and pedestrians. The Downtown district is the city's business center - again filled with great shopping and restaurants. Lots of local breweries dot the city and most notable is how bicycle friendly the city is. A day trip found us touring the historic highway enroute to the Columbia River Gorge and town of Hood River. Beautiful area, very user friendly city.... love to go back someday!
See the photos here....

The Emerald City

2009-09-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

We started with a walking tour of the UW campus. Stopped for lunch at a restaurant overlooking the waterfront where you rent kayaks on Lake Union. Spent the next few days exploring Pike's Place Market, Downtown, Belltown, Pioneer Square, Chinatown and Capitol Hill neighborhoods. For postcard views of the city we headed to Kerry Park in the Queen Anne neighborhood. Dinner at Salty's enroute to Alkai Beach with Kendall and Janice - and more fabulous views of the city from across the water. Paul & I toured the Boeing Factory and took the ferry over to Bainbridge Island for an afternoon while Craig toured Fremont and Ballard Locks and logged some time in the area coffee shops. Enroute to Portland, we stopped in Bellevue for lunch just to see the city. Seattle has it all: citylife, mountain views, beautiful evergreens and water views everywhere you look.
See the photos here....

Going down to Yasgur's Farm...40 years later

2009-08-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

See the other photos here....

We missed the Woodstock Festival, Aug 15-18. 1969. Had other plans. Those who say they remember it, probably weren't there either. It's hard for us to believe time has passed so quickly. After a month's notice that they were not welcome in Walkill, NY, the organizers of the music festival, Woodstock Ventures, set up shop on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel Center, NY - a natural amphitheater. The festival was organized to promote their new recording studio in Woodstock, NY, about 50 miles from the actual site of the big concert. Backed by the fortune of an heir to a pharmaceutical fortune, they quickly set up the site but were woefully unprepared for the number of people that swarmed in, many of whom eventually abandoned their cars after hours of gridlock to walk miles to the site. The 4 day concert attracted an estimated 4 to 5 hundred thousand folks, seemingly spontaneously assembled. It is easily the grandest musical venue to this day, featuring the biggest names in rock n' roll, who were helicoptered in from the relative comfort of the Holiday Inn in nearby Liberty, NY.

"3 days man!....the NY State Thruway's closed!" "Be advised the brown acid is not particularly good...but it's your own trip." Good advice, certainly, but after surveying the carnage created by a half of million people soaked by 3 days of thunderstorms, I quickly concluded that they had better had been on something no matter how great the music was.

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the trash you make. When Woodstock ended on Monday morning, after Jimi Hendrix gave his memorable performance, over 600 acres of garbage was left behind on Max Yasgur's dairy farm. It took over 400 volunteers and $100,000 to remove it all. A huge hole was dug to bury shoes, tents, bottles, and other debris. The garbage filled the hole and created a pile of trash that was set on fire, burning for days. The resulting pollution triggered a fine from the town of Bethel - just one of many that would would trail Woodstock Ventures for years.

Years later, the area has been tastefully preserved as the Bethel Woods Arts Center and includes a museum that is well worth the trip even if you don't see one of the many concerts scheduled during the summer months under the beautiful pavillion. To us, Woodstock is recent history but to the many youngsters we saw viewing the museum's artifacts and eagerly buying souvenirs, it might as well have been a Civil War era battlefield. Though a battle was not fought there, it did mark the birth of a new nation - the Woodstock Nation. The rest, as they say, is history. Woodstock remains both unique and legendary.

Thanks to hosts Frank and Gogi for inviting us to stay at their Catskill lake house retreat and to see the Loggins and Messina Concert - amazing performance almost 40 years to the day of the original Woodstock Festival....Peace and love.

http://www.bethelwoodscenter.org/concerts.aspx

Woodstock Trivia: The other band that played last night, Poco, said that they, too, had been invited to play at Woodstock back in '69, but their manager had already booked them to play that weekend at a high school auditorium in Long Island for $500 more than was offered by the Woodstock promoters. Hope they invested that surplus in Apple stock.

One Question, Please, Otosan

2009-08-16T15:24:00.000-07:00

See the rest of the photos here...

So Pat and I are enjoying patio dining with Maui Dave, Masami and others at Luckey 13s after our bike ride a few weeks ago and Masami mentions that she and Dave are going to Maui via Honolulu in a couple of weeks. As (bad?) luck would have it, I'm the Captain on their flight. Dave, who is one of our 747 pilots, had the jumpseat and Masami sat in back and got the royal treatment from our Lead Flight Attendant and his crew. Prior to boarding, we took these pictures of Dave and Masami on the flight deck.

Well, it turns out that the purpose of the trip is to visit with Masami's family in Osaka, Japan where Dave is going to ask Masami's Dad for permission to marry his daughter. Although Masami's parents, Ikeiko and Otosan, speak English very well, he'll ask the question in his best Japanese. They're now spending a week in Maui prior to the trip to Osaka so he can polish up his command of the Japanese language. Good luck David-san! What we all want to know is this....... if Otosan says 'NO' to a gaijin son-in-law, must you commit seppuku to save face? Stay tuned......

Amsterdam

2009-08-04T06:02:00.000-07:00

See the rest of the photos here....
I was teamed up with an old friend, Smokin' Joe M from Chicago, on a recent trip to Amsterdam. The overnight flight arrived in AMS on a wet Sunday morning. After a 3 hour power nap we hopped on our bikes around 4 PM and rode through the crowded streets of Amsterdam. We took the Buiksloterweg ferry across the river and then headed out to the country to Monnickendam via Nieuendam, Durgerdam and Holysloot. After a cold beverage in Monnickendam, we headed back to Amsterdam via Broek en Waterland, an idyllic little village where we stopped for numerous photo ops. Great 25 mile, 7 hour ride. Back in Amsterdam, we had a refreshment at Mulligans, an Irish music house and then a late dinner at Wok to Walk just off the Leidseplein which is a lively square in central Amsterdam popular for its nightlife, restaurants, bars, cafes and coffeeshops. Beautiful weather after a rainy start....nice way to spend a Sunday in August.

St. Paul & Minneaoplis

2009-08-03T07:41:00.000-07:00

See the rest of the photos here

Spent a fine week exploring the twin cities! The area has an amazing bike path system. We rode around Lake Nokomis Sunday and then drove to St. Paul where we sat on the terrace at W.A. Frost and had an appetizer. Afterwards, we walked across the street to Moscow on the Hill and sat on their back patio and enjoyed pierogis for dinner. Monday, I got called out for a pop up overnight trip to Anchorage while Ted and I were cycling to Cleary Lake so Pat spent that day and part of Tuesday exploring the shopping around the Twin Cities. Our host, Ted, took her back to Cleary Lake on Tuesday where she biked the trail while he rollerbladed (8 miles). They picked me up at MSP around 4:30 with bikes in tow and we headed for Masami's house in St Paul and hooked up with her and Dave and Masami's house guest from Japan, Chuta, for a ride on the Big Rivers Regional Trail (13 miles) and an eventual dinner on the patio of Lucky 13's, a trailside restaurant.

Wednesday, we dropped Ted off at MSP for his day turn to San Diego and, as Pat requested more shopping time, I dropped her at Edina's Crate and Barrel while I went to Starbucks to try to update my manuals to Delta's phase 3 transition specs. Oh, the pain of it all.....don't get me started! For lunch, we drove over to the U of Minneota area, Dinkytown, for a delicious Greek meal at Kafe 421. We then walked around the riverside campus of "The U".

Thursday evening we hooked up with our Lely Resort friends, Ben and Linda, for some tennis in Eden Prairie followed by a nice dinner on the back deck at Jake's Restuarant.

We loved the ambiance of St Paul so much we spent Friday looking at apartments in the Summit Hill area. Probably just wishful thinking by a tired, old pilot who has commuted all but 2 years of his 30 year airline career. Thanks to Dave for showing us around and introducing us to some of the local residents. We had a nice lunch at Billy's on Grand Ave and then headed back to Ted and Mary's (yes, she surfaced after her week in Maui and all night flight from HNL!) where Chef Ted treated us to a expertly grilled steak, fresh corn on the cob and red potatoes dinner on the back deck. Feeling a bit sluggish, we all then took Easy for a twilight walk in Ritter Park.

I dropped Pat off at MSP on Saturday morning for the flight to RSW and then Ted and I resumed sheetrocking duties on the new third bedroom we have been working on for the past 3 months when not riding the bikes (could have used more of your help, Johnny Boy!). One small area to go. We called it quits around noon and went for a ride to Cleary Lake and I then packed up for the evening flight to AMS.

What a nice week - thanks to Ted and Mary for their hospitality.

Sailing....Sailing.....

2009-07-23T10:04:00.000-07:00

See photos here

Sailing on Long Island Sound on the Chardonnay - Milford to Stratford, CT for lunch at Knapps Landing. Many thanks to our hosts Captain John & First Mate Anne!

Brother, can you spare a half mil?

2009-07-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

See Photos Here

We searched high and low on Cape Cod and just as we were getting ready to leave, we stumbled upon a picture perfect seaside town. Bike path, tennis center, cute downtown and small airport....met all our requirements!

Shhhh......

Getting the band back together....

2009-07-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

Connecticut Air Service employees reunite - it was fun to catch up after 30 years! See the photos here....

Adirondacks

2009-07-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

Driving through the Adirondacks, we headed to St. Lawrence University for Doug and Amanda's wedding. The next day (Father's Day), we took a side trip to Alexandria Bay in the 1,000 islands where we toured Boldt Castle. Stopover in Saratoga Springs for a short overnight stay - nice town!

All in a weekend visit....see the rest of the photos here .

Homeward Bound

2009-06-19T20:07:00.000-07:00

See today's photos here

Cassidy's Corner

Well today is the last day of our trip. We had to get up early to get in the car. It did take a while for me and Tyler to get up. Bea and Papa went to go get the breakfast and brought it to our room. I had some eggs with toast, it was good and it sure did fill me up. In no time we were out the door and in the car. We had an hour and a half long car ride to the airport in Grand Junction, CO. I had a nice nap in the car that I really needed after having to get up that early. We went to the gas station and then we were at the airport. It didn’t take that long to get everything done. We were on our first flight that was only an hour long - that’s it. When we got off the flight we were in Dallas and we had some lunch at this restaurant called Fridays - that was really good. Then we took the train to our gate - the train ride was fun, I love those trains. We were at our gate and ready to go on the 3 and a half hour flight to La Guardia airport, but I was not ready - I can not stand long flights. You’re just sitting there doing nothing. Well, that was our day. I hope you enjoyed reading our blog. Thank you for reading. Bye!

Tyler's Tales

Well today was pretty long. I woke up early and had some French toast and then got dressed and left. The car ride I really can’t tell you much about because I was asleep the whole time. But I woke up at this gas station and then we were at the Grand Junction, CO airport, that airport is pretty small. American only goes to Dallas from there. We got on the flight and I just listened to music the whole time. It wasn’t that bad because it was a short flight. We landed in Dallas and then had some TGI Fridays for lunch. I got a Jack Daniels burger. After that we got on the train and headed to our gate. On the way we saw the city of Dallas and Dallas Cowboys stadium. Once we got there it was time for our next plane to La Guardia which I’m on right now. We boarded and I took about 3 naps for about 2 hours long total. I woke up and now I’m watching a movie on my iPod “Without a paddle”. Now we’re about to land in LGA and it was a fun trip. There was a good balance of excitement and relax time. Well I had fun and I hope you had fun reading. That’s the end of this blog and thanks for reading. Bye.

My top choices:
ATVing
Hummer 4 Wheeling
Fiery Furnace Hike
Mesa Verde, Canyonlands and White Water Rafting all tied for 4th

Pat's Perspective

You haven’t heard from me yet as I’ve been the technical director for our blog. By the time I get the photos loaded into the computer, uploaded to Flickr and the blog set up for the daily input, I’m done! Besides, I’m not sure I’d have anything else to add to each day’s posting; the kids have told our vacation story so well. It’s been a trip I’ll remember always; for the sights as well as the time spent with Tyler and Cassidy. It’s been a wonderful opportunity to spend time with them on our own, get to know them and discover what a great sense of humor they each have. We’ve had 6 packed days of adventure and exhaustive traveling…...I’ve loved every minute. Thank you Cassidy and Tyler for taking time to spend with us, the memories will last a lifetime!

Get real

2009-06-18T20:16:00.001-07:00

See the rest of the photos here....

Cassidy's Corner

I cant remember exactly whether I slept in today or not, but I think I did because I didn't go down to breakfast because Bea and Papa brought breakfast to our room. Well we all got changed and were headed out the door to go to Canyonland National Park. On the ride up there, I have to say that there were some amazing views that I can't even explain. We reached Canyonlands and went up to the ledge and looked at the mountains. Out of no where comes Alyssa - our guide that took us on the rafting trip yesterday! We could not stay for long, so we took some pictures and we had to leave. We headed off to go to lunch, and I had a cheeseburger that Bea and Paper were shocked that I finished. We headed back to the hotel to get our sneakers on and get ourselves ready for the hike at Arches National Park to the Fiery Furnace. We were in a rush so in no time we were already out the door. When we reached the parking lot we met our guide and she explained the rules and we were off. In the beginning it started to rain which was actually very cool because the guide said that it was amazing because we saw waterfalls - well little ones. We did have some hard points on the hike but that was OK. Tyler and I were pretty much the only ones that were taking the hard way on the rocks. We were jumping off the rocks like crazy! When it was towards the end we were under a big rock arch. Our guide was explaining that she really did like this hike. We were headed off to the parking lot and hopped in the car heading to the hotel. Papa and Tyler picked up some Chinese food that was really good. Everybody I am really sorry I did not put a lot of information in this but I was typing before and I was doing really good with a lot of detail, but then I pressed back space and the whole thing disappeared. I am really tired now because I have been typing for like an hour so I am really sorry.... really but Tyler will maybe say more. Well, goodnight!

Tyler Tales

So today was a long day and no Cassidy I won't be saying more. Haha. I'm tired and probably won't give much detail. Well, it started out with some french toast in our room. We took a ride over to Canyonlands National Park and then went for lunch at Zaks restaurant again. We went hiking in the afternoon in Arches National Park and that was pretty cool. Our guide's name was Carrie and she was cool and knew a lot about the park. On our hike we saw a lot of red rock and towers made of it. We started off with some nice easy terrain, but it eventually worked its way up to some rocks where you had to shuffle sideways -we saw arches and canyons. After our hike we got Chinese take out for dinner, we were all too tired to eat out. You never had spicy before this Mom! This was the spiciest thing Ive ever eaten. Well now I'm tired and going to sleep. Long day tomorrow. Night.

Captain's Log

We skipped the mountain bike ride this morning and instead drove to Canyonlands National Park, a 40 minute drive from the hotel to the lookout. I do not have the words to describe the panoramic view. Suffice to say, the scene before us looked like it had been photoshopped. Unreal. If you go to Moab, don't miss this treat. Pure eye candy which we thought couldn't be topped until we hiked Fiery Furnace in Arches NP later in the day. Park Ranger Carrie St. Clair led the hike and you would have to search a very long time before finding someone who was as knowledgeable and excited about her subject matter. And she has only been at Arches for one season. Carrie is a graduate of Mary Washington University in Fredericksburg, VA and has previously worked at Fredericksburg National Military Park. She came complete with props to show us at various stops along the way how the Arches' sandstone formations were formed as well as the various key components of the ecosystem. The hike started out on a very wet note but the shower quickly passed and left us with a rare glimpse of waterfalls and waterholes which are a rare occurrence in this desert-like park. So rare, Carrie later said, that this was probably her most enjoyable hike in Arches. Near the end of the hike, in an enclosed canyon with Surprise Arch looming overhead, Carrie summed up what we had learned on the hike and said we, the people who visit the Park, were the heart of Arches. She encouraged us to get out and explore the park (staying off the fragile crust) but also to pass the word back home that it is a place worth visiting. Well said, Carrie. One observation I have during this week of exploring 3 National Parks is that so many of the visitors are speaking other languages, mainly German. I also heard a bit of Japanese and had a nice conversation with with a lady from Australia while doing the laundry this evening. It's great that folks from around the world want to see the sights in our Parks. If you get to Arches, go straight to the Visitor Center and make a reservation for the earliest available guided hike into the Fiery Furnace - this is one event that will not disappoint.

The week has flown by and it's time to head back to CT. It was a memorable trip with our grandchildren. We saw amazing sites, had a lot of laughs and learned some interesting things in our travels to Mesa Verde, Canyonlands and Arches. Durango and Moab are towns worth visiting and make a good base of operations for all the activities the areas have to offer. On to the Adirondacks....

Rollin' on a river....the mighty Colorado

2009-06-17T19:08:00.000-07:00

See the rest of the photos here

Cassidy's Corner

Well today I did actually get to sleep in. We had breakfast down stairs. I had the same thing as I had all the other days. We had to leave hotel around the hour 11:00. The river rafting company came to pick us up and we hopped in the van and were off. When we arrived, we got our life jackets and some shoes that you can wear when you are on the raft. Then we had to take a bus to the river to get the rafts out and put them in the river. When we reached to river we had to wait till all the paddles were put in and the raft was ready. While we were waiting I was making my life jacket looser so I could actually breathe and take a deep breath! When the rafts were ready we hopped in and took our seats on the edge of the raft while the guide was introducing herself; her name was Alisa. She was very nice and kind. When we headed off down the river we all had to introduce ourselves, and tell something interesting about us. My interesting thing is that I am in gymnastics. We had to go through a few rapids, but they were not that bad. When we reached the place where we were going to have a tasty lunch, I had a turkey sandwich. One of the other guides challenged me to a handstand contest. After I was done eating my lunch I went to practice my handstands. Then it was time for the challenge. I won the first round, then I lost the second one but I won the third round and so I won the whole thing. I had to go against the other guide who they call the world champion. She won that challenge but only by a second. Then off we went on the raft again. We went through about three more rapids and I got splashed big time on one of them. Then a couple of people went swimming. We reached the area where they took the rafts out. They loaded the rafts while we went swimming....... well not me, the water is like in the 50s. We took the bus back to the hotel. We changed out of our bathing suites and back into clothes and we went out to eat. I had some chicken tenders and some ice cream. We headed back to the hotel, then rested by the pool and went to the playground. Well I need some rest so, I hoped you enjoyed!

Tyler's Tales

So today was a pretty long day. In the morning I woke up and had a french toast breakfast. After that we were on our way to white water rafting - that was pretty fun. Our guide's name was Alisa and she was cool. We started off with some pretty calm waters and came upon some rough rapids, well not that bad actually. The build up was worse than the actual ride. After we got by that part it was a pretty easy going ride. We stopped for lunch and I had a Ham and Cheese sandwich. Cassidy won the handstand competition against one of the guides and then lost by a split second to a girl guide. After lunch we headed down the river to our drop point and went to the beach. Papa & I took a swim, have you ever been to Rhode Island in March? Well, the water was cold and I couldn't feel my body. After the bus ride home we stayed at the hotel for a little and then we were off again. We went to the mountain bike place to check the times for tomorrow and then back to the place where we got the hummer tour. Brad dont get mad (haha)...you will anyways. Last night when we were leaving the hummer place, the silver camera slipped out of my pocket and the hummer ran over it. Turns out it's a very durable camera. After that we went off to dinner where I had a wrap that was ok, and some ice cream for dessert. We came back here and hung around the pool and the room. But now I'm tired and going to bed. Night.

Captain's Log

Up at 6 this morning to wash a large load of clothes. Good to go again. We had a big breakfast and were picked up by the river outfitter, Adrift Adventures. There were about 40 others in the group for the 1/2 day of rafting on the Colorado River, including a large contingent of Boy Scouts from the Salt Lake area who were on a week long High Adventure Trip. The scenery was spectacular along the river which cut through 1000' high red sandstone canyon walls. We stopped halfway into the ride for a surprisingly tasty buffet lunch on a sandy beach. We had 4 boats in the group. There were 7 people in our raft plus our Guide, Alisa who is spending her first summer in Moab as a river guide. She was very upbeat and friendly and was quite adept at maneuvering the raft. Picking her way carefully through the rapids, we hardly got wet at all. A few of us took a turn at the helm and I was surprised at how heavy the oars were. Alisa spends her winters teaching snowboarding near Salt Lake. What a life! I think Cassidy was in awe and, when a bit older, may become a river guide during the summers when not at work teaching her second graders. Well, maybe. After some down time back at the Aarchway Inn, we hopped in the car and drove back to the Hummer place to retrieve the pieces of Tyler's camera which had apparently lost a stress test to the Hummer sometime last night. We had a nice dinner at the Moab Brewery before heading back to the Aarchway. Tomorrow is our last day in Moab and Tyler and I are planning to go mountain biking at Klondike Bluffs. Later, we take a Ranger guided walk in Arches NP at Fiery Furnace.

Just like Naples.....only different

2009-06-16T21:01:00.000-07:00

Hummer Tours - look closely
who is in that vehicle???

More photos here....

Cassidy's Corner

Well today was a pretty extreme day. First we woke up and went across the hall to go into the breakfast room to have some toast, english muffins, and the best hot chocolate. Then we hung out at the hotel till it was time to have some lunch. For lunch I had some chicken tenders. Then after lunch Tyler and Papa went ATVing. For Bea and I that was not part of the plan; so we went shopping and I got a little stuffed animal. We headed back to the hotel to hang out until it was time to go pick Tyler and Papa up. After we picked them up, we went back to the hotel and stayed for a little while. Then we went to dinner and after dinner we went on a Hummer tour. I was literally biting my nails all the way to my knuckles. Tyler gave Bea and I some nice advice: "when we fall... not if we fall ... you need to put your arms across your chest". He was being very..... helpful if you put it in a totally different way. Also he told us: "when we are going up the hill, make sure you lean forward so we do not flip backward" even though the people behind us were not helping that situation. They were.....big...large I should say. And I swear I thought that the lady sitting in the back was having a panic attack; or she was having a heart attack. Then, this is were I thought I was going to die! We had to go down this very steep hill - or as they call it the 'wall'. We were balancing on two wheels - then we had to do it a second time which really wasn't as scary since I had already done it once. As we were heading back (the tour was almost over) -to wake us up he starting going really, really fast towards the edge of the cliff like he was gonna run right off of it. Then took a really sharp turn since there was a bush there. After we got back at the place where we left our car, we headed back to the hotel and got ready for bed. Speaking of bed I need to get some rest -so goodnight!

Tyler's Tales

So today was the best day of the trip. We woke up and I had some french toast for breakfast and milk. After that Papa and I rented ATV's to go up on this Mesa, it was awesome. There were amazing views all around and some tough terrain. We were on rock for half the time and on dirt the other half. The rock had some steep drops and some bumpy hills. Some times I had to look back to check if Papa was still on. Yes, I drove and he rode as the passenger. The terrain wanted you to go one way but you had to fight to stay on the path. The dirt was my favorite though. We had mogul type things that were kinda like little jumps. There was also some banked turns that dipped around trees so it kinda felt like a race. We stoped at some places with good views. Have you ever seen that Marine commercial where that guy is climbing that huge cliff without ropes and then there are soilders on the top twirling their guns? Well we saw that rock and that guy who climbed it wasnt even a Marine. He is some local who free climbs everything. We rode on to some other rocks that had fossils in them. We saw some dinosour bones and a tree fossil that was ingrown on the rock. My top speed was 38 only because I had to stay behind the guide; if I didnt it would have been much higher. After that we went and had some dinner before our Hummer tour. The Hummer tour was much more exhilerating than it seems. We went up some 45 degree angles to start off the drive. After that we drove over Oprah's butt (dont ask). We went up some more hills and down some more. We had this lady and her husband in the back seat. They were well, large. I thought we were gonna backflip. The lady almost had a heart attack every two seconds and was hyperventilating the whole time. We came up to this place called the 'wall'. The wall was a 65 degree angle drop and we got up on three wheels. The poor lady almost died. After we got down it, we went up it again. We stopped and talked to our driver Tom. He was really cool and had some interesting stories. Then another driver showed up named Kent. He was a real cowboy and a former sheriff. He had some stories about mountain bikers falling off cliffs when he was on a search and rescue crew. When he was 11, he did his first tour on a raft. And when he was 10, he did his first drive through the crazy terrain. After that we went back down the wall and up it halfway - in reverse. The lady almost died again. OH, I forgot - in the beginning we were on a slope going slow and the driver, Tom, used a fake gearshift lever and pulled it out and let go of the brake. Bea and the lady screemed! Well, we got to our last stop overlooking these cliffs that are actually a fault line and we saw a dinosour foot print. Then we looked at this steep hill called Lions Back where people would drive to the top and turn around and go down. It's shut down now because people hurt themselves. This one girl on the way back down put it in neutral and went 65 mph and flipped over. Its on youtube - look it up. Another guy put his car in this crack in the rock because he fell off the side and parts of the car are still wegded in there. Finally we went back to the place to drop off the Hummer and got our car back. Now we're back at the hotel and ready to pass out. I wrote first, so now its Cassidy's turn. Tommorow is white water rafting and some other stuff not planned yet. So I gotta let Cassidy type and I'm sure tomorrow will be another long post, but this is definitely the longest so far. So I'll type tommorow. Night!

Captain's Log

Lazy morning again. I made arrangements for ATV and Sunset Hummer Ride then drove to Arches NP Visitor Center to buy tickets for the popular , mazelike Fiery Furnace Walk - Thursday was the earliest we could get. Then off to lunch in town at the Slick Rock Cafe. "Ordering 1 mayo - hold the burger!" Actually, the burgers were quite tasty. Afterwards, Tyler and I got dropped off at the ATV trail which is about 11 miles west of town. Having just celebrated the 41st anniversary of my 16th birthday, I fully understood the TMan's desire to get behind the wheel as well as his need for speed. We started the Monitor and Merrimac Trail in the 4th position but after eating way too much red dust, I suggested he move up to be our guide's wingman. Our guide was a pleasant young man named Dennis O'Reilly, a local who also happened to be a former Utah State BMX champ when he was 16. His promising career was ended, however, when he took an 'easy' jump and landed awkwardly, breaking his face. (Not a typo). Anyway, he led us along the trail with amazing views of the rock monoliths and we stopped at the base of the Determination Towers which Tyler described above. We then sped thru Mill Canyon (a little wet) and then stopped again in Tusher Wash where we hiked a short distance to view dinosaur fossils and what was an old stone house of a blacksmith. This house was one of the stops on the Pony Express (no email then) because the riders could get water for their horses. Dennis said it took 2 days to reach Moab from that stop - a 25 minute drive today. This whole area was where many Westerns were filmed back in the '50s (John Wayne) before Uranium was discovered. In the 80s , Moab was discovered by mountain bikers and is now the mountain biking capital of the world. Dennis also informed us that this area was once covered by a great inland sea 350 million years ago. All that remains of Lake Bonneville is the Great Salt Lake in the northern Utah. All in all, it was a very cool ride and the TMan was a pretty slick driver as he banked in the turns and accelerated out of them. As the camera man, I managed pretty well as the GIB (Guy in Back) but did collide once or twice with Tyler's helmet on a couple of jarring drops. We then showered off the red dust and headed for Zaks for dinner before meeting up for the sunset Hummer ride. Our waitress suggested we stop and pick up some Depends which one person in our party did not find funny. But, we did persuade Bea to come along after consuming some liquid courage. Tom Gwinn, our 30 yr old driver from CT, drove us into Hell's Revenge which was not misnamed. Right out of the chute found us driving precariously up the Devil's Backbone with 0 (zero) margin for error on either side. I think Tyler and Cassidy's posts aptly describe the rest of the ride which was thoroughly enjoyed by all (except one lady in the back).

Outfitter: High Point Hummer and ATV 281 Main Street 435-259-2972

Livin' the Dream!

2009-06-15T21:18:00.000-07:00

See the rest of the pictures here....

Cassidy's Corner

This morning I actually got to sleep in, well only a little. I woke up at 6:23 then I went back to sleep. Then after that I woke up at 7:47. I woke up early because of the different times. After that Bea and Papa went to go get some breakfast. I had some eggs, potatoes. Yummy. Then we were headed off to go to the groceries store to buy some snacks for lunch. After that we were headed for a long ride to Mesa Verde National park. I was living the dream. I have always wanted to ride up on the mountains. The roads were very twisty. When we were riding up on the mountains we had awesome view. We saw rocky mountains and the beautiful open land of Colorado. When we were close to Mesa Verde, we took a stop to take some pictures that were amazing. Then we reached Mesa Verde. Tyler and I found some little booklets that taught you all about the Mesa Verde. Then it was finally time to go see the amazing, and beautiful sight of the Cliff House. The Mesa Verde was very hot, but it was worth being out in that heat. The Indian cliff dwellings were very rocky of course and beautiful to see. Then at the end we had to climb ladders up into the tall mountains to exit the Mesa Verde. I have to say that was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. After that we took a 2 hour ride to Moab, Utah. Now we are in a fancy hotel. Goodnight.

Tyler's Tales

Well I'm really tired and it was a long day. This morning I woke up and had some oatmeal. After that we went around town and I got my dad a Fathers Day gift and myself a new Burton hat. We came back to the hotel and had leftovers for lunch and then we drove to Mesa Verde National Park. It was awesome - you can see so far away and its just huge mountains in the background while looking at huge cliffs and valleys. We were so high up that it was kinda like being on a plane and looking down out the window. We took a tour of the pueblos and they were really cool. They were old and not allowed to touch anything because it would turn black from our oily hands. To get out we had to go up this really skinny staircase and ladders. Then we took a long drive out here to Moab and now I'm tired. So tomorrow is yet again another busy day.

Captain's Log

Durango. It is great to be back walking the streets of this old western town, home of the famous Durango-Silverton Railroad and Purgatory Ski Resort. Lazy morning at the Marriott and then we spent a couple of hours seeing the sights in the town. So much to do here but we're movin' on. Must come back another time (said the same thing last year). Enroute to Mesa Verde NP, we saw the big mesa miles from the Park entrance. The road wound up to the 7600' level via switchbacks with occasional steep drop-offs. Cassidy said she was livin' her dream! Bea, however, was not and was using a lot of body English to keep the car on the road. No sweat. Tyler had the best descriptor for the amazing views - 'sick'. We signed up for the 5 PM guided tour with about 50 others. The guide, Byron Parker, was a young Ranger and recent UNC graduate. He had such a droll, low key delivery that kept everyone tuned in to a fascinating insight into the lives of the Cliff Dwellers. The site was remarkedly intact for something that was built in the 1100s. We left the Park around 6:30 and proceeded via Dove Creek to Moab, arriving within a minute of Cassidy's predicted ETA and she won the large cash prize of $1. Tomorrow, Tyler says he wants to either raft the Green River or go mountain biking. But, we could take the Hummer tour of Canyonlands NP. Guess we'll know after we make a few calls to the outfitters.

Westward Ho!

2009-06-14T12:25:00.000-07:00

See more here....

Cassidy's Corner: Well it was a little complicated to wake up at 5:00 in the morning , but at least it was for a good reason. By the time all our bags were in the car we were headed off to the airport. When we reached the airport we had our yummy breakfast (pop-tarts and chocolate milk). Then it was time to go on our flight to Denver, Colorado. The flight was really long, 4 hours to be exact. I was going to watch my movie Twilight, but the dvd player was not charged the right way so I did not get to watch my favorite movie. By the way, that was one of the loudest flights i have ever been on. There were three Lyla's on the plane. One was screaming at the top of his lungs. When that flight was done we had to go on the train and go to a different terminal. Then we figured we made a mistake and had to go back to the terminal that we were in before. Then after that long walk we reached the presidental club which is where you can relax in peace and quiet without having to be in that loud airport. When we were in there there was a plug so we could plug in the dvd player and we watched Twilight Special feature which was really nice. After waiting at least 2 hours we were finally ready to go on our next flight. Now I tell you it took a long time to get all those people on the plane even though it was a very small plane. I took a little nap in the beginning then i woke up and we were still at the gate. The flight was a really bumpy flight but that is ok. Then we went to get our bags. We hopped in the car and were off to the hotel. When we reached the hotel we hung out for a while then went out to eat. We went to a restaurant called Steamworks. I got some mac-n-cheese. Then we were out back to the hotel. There is a tennis court and a basketball hoop. We had a tennis match then we played basketball. We came back to the hotel and got ready for bed. Well that was my busy day now I need to get some rest. Goodnight.

Tyler's Tales: So today was really longgggg. Woke up at 5:30 and dragged myself around the house. After that we all got into the car and I passed out on the way. Went into LGA and had some breakfast (pop tarts and milk) and went through security.The flight was horrible, well some parts were ok. The ok part was that I got a movie in the beginning but I could still hear Lyla. All three of them. One kid I thought was dying because he was screaming "LET GO OF ME" over and over. Well after that four hour nightmare we got lost for a little in the Denver airport. We finally got to our presidential club and Cassidy and I watched Twilight special features. She almost died seeing Edward haha. Then on to flight number two. I took a nap as soon as I sat down and then when I woke up we were still taxi-ing (I have no idea how to spell - school's over) so I thought I slept for 5 minutes. Not the story. I slept for 1 hour and we had to wait. We finally took off and I slept some more. After that we got out bags and got into the rental car. As were driving it's so rural it seems not real - kinda like a movie. We got to the hotel in about 15 minutes and crashed for about 5 minutes. Then off on the road again. We went to Steamworks (a restaurant) and I got some spicy pasta. Cassidy saw some girl drawing on the floor with chalk and it was weird but the restaurant gives you the chalk. We were about to outline papa's body like a crime scene but decided it was best not to. Oh and I don't know why but everyone in this town rides a bike. That was random. We came back to the hotel and they have a tennis court, a basketball hoop and Cassidy had a lot of extra energy (with no chocolate somehow.) We played tennis and papa and Cassidy won. But I'm a baller so I won in basketball. Now after all that, its 10:15 local time but add 2 hours and yeah I'm tired. Well I typed first so it's time for Cassidy to get on. Brad, I hope your recovery goes well. Chunk miester flesh has got to lay off the cheetos. And mom try not to kill her before I get back :) Well Cassidy is sitting next to me and I;m dead tired so I'll type tomorrow night.

Captain's Log:

Got to bed Saturday later than planned and awoke way too early on Sunday to the sounds of heavy rain. Off to airport at 6:15 - only 15 minutes late- not bad. The entire process was surprisingly painless - quick trip to LGA, off-airport parking, a quick bite to eat and through security to the Frontier gate. Must have been 10 micro people on the trip - all seated near us and each screaming in succession. One was surely being waterboarded, or it sounded like he was. Oh, my! Headphones were a greatly appreciated. Watched a couple of oldies - Good Will Hunting and The General's Daughter - and twice conducted a 20 minute check on the eyelids for leaks - both successful. Got to DEN and asked the crew if we could borrow the A-320 cockpit for a photo shoot. No problem - nice folks at Frontier. Made our way to Terminal C to use the Delta Crown room and learned that it had been shut down. No problem - back on the train to Terminal A (from whence we came) and my card was good at Continental's Presidential Club. Nice. Hung out there until next flight (4 hrs between flights - but the drive to Durango would have been twice that). Afternoon thunderstorms in DEN made for a slow taxi out and departure and we got a re-route north around the weather which added 30 minutes to flight time. Had a couple of bumps but generally a nice ride in a Bombardier Q400 Turboprop. Tyler woke up to get great shots of the mountains and won the day's MVP photo contest. Finally arrived in DRO, picked up our ride and headed for the Marriott Residence Inn. 2 BR, 2 bath suite. Sweeet. Had a nice dinner at the Steamworks Brewery and watched a bit of the NBA Finals. They had the best nachos which we devoured while Cassidy entertained us with her new comedy routine. Back at the hotel, Cassidy and I beat Tyler in the Durango Cup tennis finals. A real nail biter which we pulled out in a tiebreaker. Then we picked up the roundball & played PIG. Papa got a righteous beat down while Cassidy hung in there to pick up 2nd. T Man didn't miss a money shot.