Oct 25, 2008 - Last Two Days

We stopped in Twin Falls to see the new temple there. It's beautiful. Then we drove to Fielding to see Mom's brother Donald and his wife Eleanor and Aunt Betty Jean. They prepared a delicious meal and we had a wonderful visit.

In the morning we drove to Brigham City to see Mom's sister Carol. While there Jane and her daughter stopped in. We visited for an hour or so. It was great.

We didn't take any pictures, though. I am so mad at myself.

We stopped in Layton to see Alyson and Katie who are roommates right now. Aly is

working at Staples and attending college. Katie is working at a day care center. We took them to lunch at Candleman's favorite burger place.We realized on the way to Layton that we missed the opportunity of pictures of Aunts and Uncle, so we were sure to take the camera into the girls' appartment and I took a picture of these few wacky and wonderful people.

From Layton we drove home, dropping Mom off at her house and sorting out our treasures. It was bittersweet to be home - we had such a wonderful time but it's always good to be home.

Oct 24, 2008 - Geiser Grand Hotel

We spent the night at the Geiser Grand Hotel in Baker City. This hotel has seen better days, but it was still fun to stay there and now I won't be wondering what it would be like. They really need to fix it up and make it the showplace it should be; maybe there's just not enough business.

We stayed in rooms on the 2nd floor that overlooked the dining room below and looked up at the pretty skylight.

We enjoyed a delicious breakfast in the dining room in the morning - eggs benedict, eggs rockefeller and trout and eggs. Poor Candleman looks like he spent too long in the Saloon - what a ham!

I laughed at the sign printed on this hotel across the stree and a block away; the sign was were it could be seen from the Geiser Grand. I ask you, does that place look modern? It may have done in 1930 or 40 or whenever it was built compared to the 1889 Geiser Grand. Today it just

looks silly, but freshly painted. Hmmm, what's with that?

One last picture from Baker City. This house is across the side street from the hotel. So lovely, but I think the wood shutters in the top, front window are not attractive. Gee, I hope those people don't come to critique my house!

Oct 24, 2008 - Draper Girl's Farm

We stopped at the Draper Girl's Country Farm in Parkdale, just outside of Hood River on Hwy 35. We bought two companions for our travel gourd as well as lots of fresh apples and pears. The selection was amazing, but we couldn't remember what types we had the minute we were in the car. It would be great to live close to orchards and fruit stands.

I was impressed with this little write up: "Our grandfather Roman started the tradition of self-service after hours, and we continue to offer this to our guests. Just stop on by and help yourself and put the money in the bin. "

Draper Girls offers the best apple cider I've ever tasted. Oh, my! It may be the best drink ever. They have one of a few licensed non-pasteurized cider mills in the state, so we could stock up because it needed to be refrigerated. So we only bought 2 bottles. It is to die for.

Oct 24, 2008 - Timberline Lodge

This lodge was built during the Depression by the Work Progress Administration and was dedicated by Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Today it is a year round ski lodge. As much as we love Mt. Hood (see last post) we decided it looks better from further away.

It was massive on the inside and was bit of a maze to find our way around. Part of that was because repairs were being made to the front door so we had to enter through a side door and then wander through halls to find the front desk.

We did enjoy sharing a bowl of cream of cauliflower soup that was delicious.

Oct 24, 2008 - Mt Hood Scenic Drive

Can you believe this picture?! I was so worried that we would be driving through a snow storm on the day we drove around Mt. Hood. Au contraire, the weather was perfect.

We stopped in the small community of Sandy, Oregon to take pictures of this glorious scene. Can you even imagine living where you could look out and see this, or go out for a stroll and just turn your head and WOW! The scene to the other side is nothing to sneeze at either. When we were driving along the coast, both Mom and Candleman picked numerous houses or places they would live if they could drop everything and live a dream. Both would enjoy living right on the ocean. I would like to live close but not right there. When we got to Sandy I said that this is the type of place I'd like to live. They conceded if they couldn't live on the ocean they'd like to live here.

Oct 24, 2008 - Columbia River Gorge & Crown Point

We drove on hwy 84 from Portland to Multnomah Falls but then we turn around and headed west again, this time on the old scenic highway. It's a beautiful drive as the road twists and turns as it makes its way up to Crown Point. We visited the recently remodeled Vista House. The picture of Vista House I borrowed from the internet. It was taken on the day of its reopening.

We were surprised that the gift shop and dioramas about the gorge and the old hiway and Vista House were downstairs in a circular hallway around the outside walls. The main floor is open to the ceiling and has lots of windows to see out to the beautiful views. There are also sidewalks on the backside of the structure so people can snap some good shots.. .

Oct 24, 2008 - Multnomah Falls

When we first started planning this trip we talked about not going to the ocean, but then we just couldn't pass that up so we planned 2 days for the ocean. So glad we did. We also weren't going to visit Multnomah Falls, but when push came to shove, we just couldn't leave it out. So we drove the extra miles to see the falls (it cost us maybe 25 miles), but it was worth it. The falls are quite magnificent and it was fun to see them in the autumn.

We stepped into the gift store for a quick look-see. They had some really nice winter coats that fit me. The price so low and the quality so high that we

decided to get a coat for Alyson, who we knew needed a new winter coat, and for Katie because she loves the falls. All three of our coats are identical in a beautiful shade of light blue. And they are reversible. There was a sale - buy 3 get 1 free. We tried calling Jenny and Krisit to see if they needed new coats, but didn't reach them, so Candleman got a new coat even though he didn't particularly need one.

Oct 23, 2008 - Portland's Chinese Gardens

The Chinese Garden is one of my favorite spots. It's so tranquil and harmonious. Portland's sister city, Suzhou, built this garden. Chinese artisans constructed the walls, buildings, pavilions and walkways using materials and tools they brought from China.

The garden is mostly in the style of Ming dynasty gardens and it is considered a winter garden. There is a tree that blooms in November and fills the neighboring blocks with an intoxicating smell. There is a Magnolia tree with will keep its big swelling buds until spring when it will bloom. A Oriental Plum is one of the harbingers of

spring and will bloom in February. Even though it is a winter garden there were a few fall trees - very lacy and delicate like those in the Japanese Garden.

A classical Chinese garden consists generally of five elements: plants, stone, water, architecture and poetry. As we wandered around enjoying the beauty we enjoyed some pleasing Chinese music. I thought it was piped in over speakers and I also thought the instrument was a flute. As we came to the Tea House we decided to go in. That's when we discovered the music where the music was coming from.

This was a string instrument that we had never see before. The man playing allowed us to take some pictures and he talked with us about the instrument. He said it was very easy to learn - instead of notes the music is written with numbers. What a great concept. I thought I might come home and translate some piano music into this number form and I might be able to play the piano. Candleman, who loves to buy instruments and who even plays them, was most excited. Someday we hope to find one of these for him.

They served our different flavored herbal teas in individual little teapots. Mom liked Candleman's pot best, but I liked our little blue flowered pots better. We tried Hibiscus, Rose Hip and, oh, I can't remember. It was a delightful experience, absolutely delightful.

I love the picture I took from the upstairs window of the rooftops. Speaking of windows,

I love the windows in the buildings. And speaking of roofs - these are made in columns so that the rain runs down the columns and then it hits a little stone guard that causes the rain to fall in individual drops. We were hoping to see rain while in the garden so we will have to return. Oh, darn. Our weather was perfect - October cool but clear skies.

There were some beautiful bonsai plants throughout the garden - deciduous, evergreens, bushes. It's just amazing. I never thought of a big redwood being made into a bonsai, but isn't it wonderful?

Last time we visited we talked about bringing a book with us next time and staying for hours, sitting, reading, contemplating, walking, sipping tea, sitting, reading, soaking in the harmony, tranquility, and loveliness.

I carried the book I was reading, Cassandra & Jane by Jill Pikeanthley, in hopes I would get 15 minutes or so to sit, read and contemplate. I sat down next to Candleman on one of our favorite benches. I opened my book and Candleman nudged me and said, "If we want to get into the gift shop, we better get going before they close." Hard choices! I wish I would have chosen reading. Candleman did buy a recently published book that interprets the columns of poetry found throughout the garden, so that was good.

Oct 23, 2008 - Portland Sights

Portland is a city of statues, artwork in stores and in the neighborhoods, a city of fountains and parks and a city of culture and diversity and, of course the city of roses.

The elk statue has a drinking trough for horses around its base. It was given to the city in 1900 when there were still horses using the main streets. The elk is in commeration of the wild elk that use to (before 1900) roam the streets.

The 38-foot figure of Portlandia (located on the Portland Building) is made of hammered copper sheeting over a steel armature - the same method used in the Statue of Liberty. Her image was adapted from an old Portland city seal.

Across the street from the Portland Bldg is an insurance building that features this inviting plaza at street level. These two men are enjoying their lunch hour in this tranquil setting. These type of plazas and

terraces are very common, making the downtown area a nice place to work and to visit.

Portland has some notable buildings. The KOIN bldg is definitely easy to recognize in the city scape. It's the 2nd tallest bldg in Portland - the tallest is the Wells Fargo Building. Wanted to mention that for Shaneen. The scale of many architectural projects is relatively small, as a result of the relatively small size of downtown-Portland blocks (200 feet by 200 feet) and strict height restrictions enacted to protect views of nearby Mount Hood from Portland's West Hills.

Another fountain/sculpture that we passed in our short

morning in downtown Portland is titled Quest. That name for that fountain explains why the locals call this piece of artwork Three Orgasms in a Fountain. No further comments!

Portalnd has a large China town. On a previous visit Candleman and I ate at an authentic Chinese restaurant. Though it was an interesting experience and fun, I won't ever do it again. I'll take my Chinese food Americanized from now on.

All three of us had visited Powell's, the largest independently owned bookstore in the world, on previous visits and with other people. The main store - Mom is standing outside the main store - is a city block in size and 3, 4 or 5 stories high. Both times we felt overwhelmed. It's not the kind of store for a brief visit and I think it would help to have in mind a few books you're interested in before entering. We showed up at 4:15 in time for me to meet a book blogger friend in the coffee shop. We visited for 40 minutes. Candleman had been roaming the store and picked up a couple of items, but he wanted to buy all the Odd Thomas books by Dean Koontz in hard back - it wasn't good enough that we owned all the paperback editions! He said I could mooch those. Mom had found a couple of books, but spent most of her time visit with SuzieQ and I. That left 10 min. for me to choose something. I had seen a lady reading a David Baldacci book at one of the lighthouse we visited earlier on the trip and the section for him was right nearby, so I bought Hour Game. Then when looking for a book by Charles de Lint (I bought my first by him here) I saw a big, nice, illustrated book of Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett. I loved reading that book earlier this year so I grabbed it and headed for the checkout. My Powell's experience was totally delightful, especially meeting SuziQ.

The last picture is of a building I especially like for its architecture and colors.

A picture we didn't get that I wish we had was of Paddy's Bar and Grill. Candleman and I have been looking forward to a 2nd visit. Once before in the middle of the day we were walking around the Tom McCall Waterfront Park and needed a cold drink. We walked up and down a few streets looking for someplace, anyplace that would suffice. Finally we stumbled on Paddy's. We shared a sandwich and a whole picture of ice cold lemonade. Oh, it was so good. We didn't keep track of the name, so looking for Paddy's took us a little time, but when we found it we knew it was 'the' place. Tonight it was rock n'rolling and loud, but fun. It was quite a dramatic change from our afternoon in the tranquil Chinese Garden. The lemonade was great. Candleman order Banger and Mash, Mom tried a Barbeque Pulled Pork Sandwich and I had - gee, I forget! We all were very happy with our choices.

Oct 23, 2008 - Pioneer Courthouse Square

I was looking forward to our touring of downtown Portland, but things didn't pan out as planned. I think we were all a bit tired; at least I was and I didn't feel very well. We arrived at Pioneer Courthouse Square to major construction and noise.
I was happy to visit the Square again and look specifically for things I missed when we hurried through here on a previous trip.

I love the top picture, because when I was posing with the 'Allow Me' statue I didn't realize that Mom was sitting behind me getting such a kick out of my antics. Notice he's wearing one of my scarves - Candeman's doing.

The second picture is of one of the famous Benson Bubbler drinking fountains.

The third picture is of the left side of the fountain. Portland is known for its fountains - it has many.

Picture number four shows the ample seating area/stairs, currently occupied by a class outing.


The fifth picture is the fingerpost sign. Very cool.

The last picture is of the chess board artwork.

Oct 22, 2008 - Grant's Park in Portland

Author Beverly Cleary of Henry Huggins and Ramona Quimby fame is from Portland. In her honor a park that is close to her two childhood homes features a statue of these two characters and Henry's dog, Ribsy.

We used these statues to model some of my crocheted scarves and hats so I could post them on my hatsoffthehook.etsy.com shop.

Not one of the three of us had ever read any of Beverly Cleary's books so we listened to the delightful first chapter of her first book, Henry Huggins(pub 1951), while driving to Portland from Tillamook.

I really like this park. In addition to the statues there's a water fountain, a high school, and some distinguished trees. The last picture with Mom and I is with a huge plane tree.

Big Chocolate Disappointment

I didn't think I would ever use the words chocolate and disappointment in the same sentence, but that describes my feelings after visiting the renown Moonstruck Chocolate Cafe in Portland. I skipped dessert at Papa Hayden's, which boast 22 scrumptious looking desserts, in favor of a mint chocolate truffle from Moonstruck. Guess what, they didn't have one mint chocolate truffle - not in milk chocolate, white chocolate, or my preference, dark chocolate. I couldn't believe it. That is just wrong! They said it's not the season and that they would have some around Christmas. I settled on 2 pieces of chocolate that cost $2.50 each. Neither was anything to get excited about.

In all fairness, I did not try their famous root beer flavored milkshake made from white chocolate ice cream or their hot cocoa which is supposed to be delicious, so I can't say it they would have lived up to their promise or not. All I can say is that I won't be going back. Instead I will look for a Macy's and buy a box of their impossible-to-beat Frango mints.

Oct 22, 2008 - Pittock Mansion in Portland

The Pittock Mansion is located on top of a hill (mountain) in Washington Park overlooking Portland. It was built by a newspaper tycoon for his young bride. We opted to not take the tour because Candleman and I did that on a previous trip, but in hindsight I wish we had. Mom would have enjoyed it and I know I would have enjoyed it a second time, too. They closed the tours at 5:00, but when we poked our heads in to see the foyer there was a nice lady that insisted we come in and see some of the main floor. That was a treat and very nice of her.

The grounds are large, beautiful and provide a sweeping view of Portland and Mt Hood. Actually, Candleman was able to identify four volcanic peaks and they told us on a clear day they could see five.

There was a little bitty gift store where I know we bought a few items. I often wish after I get home that I could remember where I bought certain momentos - it would sure be a good idea to write that down in the little notebook I take along. Or even a quick snapshot when we're paying for items would be helpful.

Later we drove around the Alphabet District where we ate a light dinner (before 5 when their prices skyrocketed shamelessly) at Papa Haydens. We all agreed that the food was nothing to rave about. They offer 23 different deserts, but just looking at them was enough. We opted to save dessert for Moonlight Chocolates, just up the street.

Both nights in Portland we stayed at the LaQuinta near the convention center.

Oct 22, 2008 - Japanese Garden in Portland

I wonder if this garden would be as beautiful any other time of year. The brilliant reds, oranges and yellows of some of the trees added so much to the vistas that I'm wondering if all green trees and bushes would have such a stunning effect.

This garden is a walking garden as there were only a few benches or other places to sit. Even in October there were enough people that I felt we had to keep moving in some places so as to not gum up the works.

I'm so glad we went to the Japanese Gardens because they were breathtakingly beautiful. It would be nice to find a bench and spend the day soaking up the delights while engaging in a bit of reading on the side. Oh, some nice refreshing herbal tea would be nice while I was reading.

Oct 22, 2008 - Vietnam Memorial in Portland

This memorial located in Washington park is a Solace Garden. It consists of a 1200 foot spiral path within an immaculately landscaped bowl containing lawns, flowers and low hedges surrounded by a mixture of tall trees. Along the path are understated monuments which name soldiers killed or missing. Each monument is year specific and effectively communicates the progression of the war: a slow beginning escalating to a crescendo then diminishing before the end.

I was reminded of a labyrinth as we walked this slowly inclining circle. The act of walking in a circle is an inducer of a meditative mindset (and heart-set) and before we reached the first monument I was feeling contemplative.

Each spaced monument covers a 5-year period of the war. At the top were listed a few tidbits from everyday life in Oregon, what was happening in the nation and in the world and mile markers in the war. The rest of the memorial listed names of Oregonians who had lost their lives in the war.

The slight effort I had to put into walking this path, along with the feelings I had reading the monuments and the time to contemplate on the spiral walk filled me with thanksgiving for all the people who have defended the liberties I enjoy today. And, of course, I felt great sorrow for the lives that have been lost in preserving freedom.

Oct 22, 2008 - Tillamook Cheese Vistors Center

The three of us love a good gift shop and, believe me, this is a good one. And it's big, with so much variety and so many Jim Shore items! The first picture shows Mom and Candleman in the front gift store. We found a cute steer weiner dog for Kristi and a Santa ornament for Jen and John.

In the back area is another shop that features cheese, jams, Tillamook sourveners, pie filling, soup mixes, candy, etc. Did we ever find some wonderful things back here.





The last picture shows part of the dining area, the ice cream counter with just a little line, the back shop to the right, and the fudge counter even further right. Not shown in the picture is the food counter. Several years ago Katie and I ordered such a delicious hamburger, so all three of us ordered a hamburger based on my opinion. The hamburger was NOT very good this time.

This large area is crowded during the summer. We were glad that there were short or no lines. We had ice cream cones last night and they were so delicious we ordered another for the road. The black walnut was my favorite, but I also liked the Huckleberry Swirl.

Oct 22, 2008 - Chasm Bridge (Neahkahnie Mt)

Chasm Bridge features stone masonry on the bridge and on the railings, which extend nearly uninterrupted around the mountain. It provides a spectacular view of the ocean.

Mom and Candleman enjoying the ocean panorama and what looks like a good discussion. Hmmm. . . how can I take pictures and still get in on the talk?!









The sun was coming through the clouds like it does for first visions. It looked so elegant shining down the side of the mountain and, though I knew I wouldn't be able to capture the look on film, I had to try. Without the picture I'm sure I would forget this sweet nature moment.

Oct 22, 2008 - Tolovana Beach

We stopped at Tolovana Beach to get some pictures of Haystack Rock which is just off the shore from Cannon Beach. Candleman strolled down the beach as Mom and I tried to soak up the sight, feel and sound of the beach so we could keep it with us. (We thought this might be the last view of the ocean for this trip.)

There was one little seagull on a log right by our feet. Mom decided to throw him a bit of her muffin. Withing a minute there were at least a dozen seagulls hoping for some muffin. It was crazy!

Calndleman soon joined in on the fun. They would toss crumbs into the air and the seagulls would fly up and grab it before it hit the ground. There may be laws about feeding the seagulls, but we sure had fun.

Oct 22, 2008 - Seaside

It was interesting to note how one hotel/motel is connect to another by their parking lots. The blue awning in the background was a different hotel. This went on for most of the length of the beach.

I quickly snapped this picture from the car window as we drove down Seaside's main road on our way back to the hwy. I thought that doorway was so attractive.

Our original plans were to drive from Seaside to Portland on hwy 26, but since we didn't get to spend the quality time we had hoped to in Tillamook, we made a a change. We decided to drive the nearly 60 miles back to Tillamook and then drive to Portland on hwy 6. This way we would also be able to see some of the sights we missed driving in the dark last night.

Oct 21, 2008 - Seaside

We arrived at Tillamook just minutes befor closing time. We each enjoyed our first ice cream cones from Tillamook. Since it was getting dark we drove straight to Seaside where we stayed the night in a hotel right on the beach, unfortunately we were all too tired for a stroll before bed.

It was fun to see the star fish lights all down the main street in Seaside. We didn't see (or notice) those on previous trips that showed us Seaside in the day.

I also tried to get a picture of the Lewis & Clark statue at night. The silhouette turned out kind of nice I think.

Oct 21, 2008 - Cape Meares Lighthouse and More

Our last stop on the Three Capes Scenic Drive was Cape Meares. We haven't done this complete drive before only the smaller loop from and back to Tillamook. For this route we left Hwy 101 about 8 miles north of Neskowin. The first cape was Cape Kiwanda, the second Cape Lookout and the third was Cape Meare.

From here we got another view of the 3 Arch Rocks. We could see the arch in two of the rocks from this vantage.


















The last time Mom visited Cape Meare the lighthouse was under construction, so we felt strongly that we needed to bring her back so she could see this little gem at its best. Unfortunately, we arrived too late and the gift shop was closed. The walk down the long slanting ramp was so hard on me this time. My knees were killing me and walking down a slope is the worst.

Candleman walked to the Octupus Tree (a Spruce) and took a few pictures for us to see.

Oct 21, 2008 - Oceanside

Before entering Oceanside we took this picture through the windshield of the Three Arch Rocks.




















I purchased The Photographer's Guide to the Oregon Coast before the trip and it provided some useful information. It's from this book that I learned about Maxwell Mountain Rd in Oceanside. We followed this one lane, twisting road up the mountain and passed houses that had beautiful views. The end of the road featured a panoramic view of the ocean, the town and another view of the Three Arch Rocks.

I will forever dream about sitting on those people's back patio, reading my book, sipping on lemonade and mostly watching the ocean. Can you just imagine?!

Oct 21, 2008 - Cape Kiwanda

Thirteen miles north of the Hwy 18 junction with Hwy 101 is Cape Kiwanda. This was a beautiful beach which features the coast's 2nd Haystack Rock ( the other is in Cannon Beach). That person walking up the beach (top pic) is Candleman.

Unlike other capes on the coast, which have an igneous history (big chunky black rocks), Cape Kaiwanda is sedimentary in origin - more like our cliffs in Utah.

We sat on a huge log and watched the surfers for quite a while. One had a motorized board so he didn't have to paddle further out from shore after each run. You can't really see all the surfers in this picture, there must have been 8 -10, but you can see the pretty sandstone rock that is striking with the ocean waves.

I took my shoes off and enjoyed the feel of the sand in my bare toes.

Oct 21, 2008 - The Otis Cafe

We passed the Otis Cafe on our way to see the Drift Creek Covered Bridge. A few minutes later we drove back and, in a brave mood, stopped for lunch. Boy, are we glad we did. It was 2:30 in the afternoon on a weekday and all 5 tables were busy the whole time. And in the time we were there (45 min), 12 loaves of Molasses Bread went out the door.

I absolutely loved that molasses bread. The whole wheat was good, too. Their clam chowder was delicious and Candleman said the chicken fried steak was very good.

We will go back if we are ever back. Otis Cafe is located on Hwy 18 just off the coast hwy. I wonder how much they would charge for shipping on a couple loaves of molasses bread?

Oct 21, 2008 - One Covered Bridge

The only covered bridge we saw today was the Drift Creek Bridge. I was located only a few miles off Hwy 101. This bridge was saved from destruction by a family who took it in
parts to their property and reconstructed it. They made an agreement with the state that it would be available for the public to view it.

I was disappointed that it was the same type and look as my favorite little North Yachats River Bridge. We clicked a picture without even getting out of the car, even though the story about the bridge was touching.

Oct 21, 2008 - Connie Hansen Garden

I don't know where I read about this garden, but when I did I thought it might be worth a look since it wasn't out of our way. This garden is located at 1931 NW 33rd St in Lincoln City - only a block from the highway. Of course, late October is not the peak season. If we ever come back in the late spring we'll have to stop again.

The garden was built over several decades by Connie Hansen, an avid gardener and artist, after she moved to this coastal town in the early seventies. At this time, the garden is run by The Connie Hansen Garden Conservancy, a non-profit group committed to preserving this garden and sharing it with the public.

Even at this time of year there were beauties to delight us. I was astonished that there were so many flowers in bloom. And was most surprised to see fuschia growing as hardwood bushes and cyclamens growing outside in the ground. Both of these plants have only been known to me as indoor potted plants.

Oct 21, 2008 - Cape Foulweather

I learned since we've been home from our trip that Yaquina Head was named Cape Foulweather until 1873 when the cape 10 miles up the coast received the name. So in 1778 when Captain James Cook named Cape Foulweather he was naming Yaquina Head. I'm just surmising things here - not really sure.

The only building on Cape Foulweather is a gift shop named Look-out Gift Shop. I think that's just to keep us confused since there is a Cape Look Out further up the coast.

Oct 21, 2008 - Yaquina Head Lighthouse

It was a beautiful day when we visited this lighthouse. Mom and I strolled around the grounds and visited the lady in the lighthouse who was greeting people. This is neither here nor there but I remember she was reading a David Baldacci book that I haven't read yet. Can't remember the title, though.

Candleman climbed up the 114 steps to the top where a guide explained the daily jobs of the light keeper. I remember something about adding oil and trimming the wick.



















The pelicans were out in number on all the rocks around the Yaquina Head. It was fun to watch and listen to them. I didn't see any of them scooping up fish wish I wish I would have.

Oct 21, 2008 - Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

We saw this lighthouse from across the bay when we were out on the south jetty taking pictures of the Yaquina Bay Bridge, but waited until this morning to visit it, rather we visited the parking lot and nearby picnic area. This is the oldest wood-frame lighthouse in the state and is no longer used as a lighthouse but a museum.

I thought this little clump of trees was typical of coastal trees and the two birds courting in the treetops added special appeal. If you look close you can see the Yaquina Bay Bridge in the background.

And yet another tree. I like trees and can't resist a picture of an interesting one.

Oct 21, 2008 - More McCullough Bridges

A second look at the bridge in Newport - the Yaquina Bay Bridge (1936). This time in the daylight and from the north shore.

The next bridge we saw today is the Rocky Creek Bridge ( 1927) The only way to see this one is to leave Hiwy 101 on the Otter Crest Loop which was once Hwy 101, but now is a one-way roadway. The cove is called Whale Cove. Recently discovered artifacts and historical research have led many to believe Sir Francis Drake landed here. I'd like to learn more about that.

That last McCullough bridge we saw today and on this trip is the one in Depoe Bay. (1927) This bay is famous for being the smallest bay in the world.

Oct 20, 2008 - Sylvia Hotel in Newport

We spent the night at the Sylvia Hotel in Newport. Since we arrived after dark the first two pictures were taken in the morning. We had to get shots of the outside of the this interesting hotel to keep it sharp in our memories. The hotel is situated right on the beach with the Yaquina Head Lighthouse just up the coast a short distance.

Sylvia Hotel is a booklovers hotel. There's no TV but lots of books in the 3rd floor library. Candleman and I went to bed at 10, but Mom stayed up reading by the warm fireplace.

We arrived at the hotel in time to have dinner. They serve dinner family style, meaning that everyone sits down at 7:00 and the food is served in bowls that are passed around the table. We had to call in advance and let them know our choice of 3 entrees.

Candleman had rack of lamb that he said was great and Mom and I had scallops and shrimp that was okay. We sat at a table with a couple from Beaverton, Oregon. The owners have us play a game where we tell two truths and one lie. The others can ask a few questions to help them figure out which is which.. We had a lot of fun. The dining are is called the Tables of Content. Clever and cute.

Mom stayed in the Shakespeare room that was decorated really cute. There was a sign above the sink that read, "Out Damn Spot." And in the bathroom another sign reading, "To Pee Or Not to Pee . . ."

Candleman and I stayed in the Herman Melville room. It was decorated as cute as the Shakespeare room, but it was still a fun room. The hotel is very old, but they are doing some fun things to fix it up and the book references all around the hotel added so much to the theme. It was a wonderful experience with only one draw back. Our room was on the 3rd floor (next to the library) and the dining room was down 3 flights. My knees were killing me that day and the climbing was especially bad.

Oct 20, 2008 - Misc. Moments

Driving into Springfield from the north after our jolly jaunt over the mountain owned by Weyerhaeuser to find two covered bridges, we stopped for a delicious lunch at Izzy's. In the parking lot we asked a lady what kind of tree we were seeing all over the place with red tips.
She didn't know but informed us that eventually the whole tree would be bright red before it lost its leaves. We saw lots of trees in various stages from green to totally red.


This lady told mom that she really liked her sweatshirt. She said you don't usually see 'chocolate angels' on things. She was chocolate herself. Quick-thinking and kind words followed from Candleman, "I'll bet their is no shortage of chocolate angels in heaven." She smiled big at that and so did we.



A cute building and interesting woodcarving in Florence.
































I like this picture of a a cliff in Alsea and all the seagulls playing on the sand. I'm sure they are eating some little sand creatures.

Oct 20, 2008 - Cape Perpetua

Just a few miles south of Yachats is Cape Pertetua which
offers a magnificent view 800 feet above the ocean the highest point on the Oregon coast. It wasn't the clearest of days, but we did get a view of the Spouting Horn, Cook's Chasm and Devil's Churn.

Candleman walked out to the West Shelter where he took this terrific picture of the shelter and the picture looking down on the coastal highway, Spouting Horn and Cook's Chasm.

As we were getting ready to leave the fog came in heavy so we couldn't see below us at all. Views and fog were quite amazing.

Oct 20, 2008 - Heceta Head Lighthouse

Twelve miles up the coast from Florence is the Heceta Head Lighthouse. We stopped at a viewpoint to take some pictures. Here are some of the things we saw. As you can see the fog drifted in and out. It added to the feel of it being October.







The next two pictures of Heceta Head Light and Inn are taken from the Cape Creek Beach.

Oct 20, 2008 - Conde B. McCullough Bridges

Clicking on the pictures will enlarge them.
One thing I wanted to do this trip is get pictures of all the bridges along the Oregon coast that were designed by Conde B. McCullough. We saw 7 bridges today and 5 of them are on listed on the National Register. We arrived at the coast in Florence, so our first McCullough Bridge was the Suislaw River Bridge (top) built in 1936.

Thirteen miles north of Florence we crossed the Cape Creek Bridge(upper right) built in 1932. There's a little road that leads from Hiway 101 down to a little beach where we could see the bridge. We could also see the Heceta Head Lighthouse and Inn from that beach. A few years ago Candleman and I found a live crab in one of the tidepools here; no tidepools today as we arrived at high tide so instead we were treated to magnificent waves.
We missed Big Creek Bridge. Were we just not paying attention or did we decide to not stop? I can't remember. The Tenmile Creek Bridge (left) was hard to get a picture of because of all the growth around it, but we did find one little space. Whoops! we missed Cummins Bridge, too.

We did get a couple of pictures (through the windshield) of the Alsea Bridge (right) that joins Waldport and Alsea. This bridge was rebuilt in 1991, but it contains the arch from the original bridge engineered by McCullough.

As the sun was coloring the clouds with restful shades of pink, blue, lavender and orange we stopped on the south side of the Yaquina Bay Bridge (bottom right) for some pictures. This bridge in Newport was built in 1936. It's one of the easiest for me to recognize; maybe because I've taken so many pictures of it.

The last picture is just too beautiful to leave out. I took it from the back seat as we drove over the bridge and off into the sunset. Actually, we headed to the Sylvia Hotel were we were going to have dinner and stay the night.

Oct 20, 2008 - Florence, Oregon

Our first stop on the Oregon coast was Florence. We took pictures of the Suislaw River Bridge then stopped in Old Town at one little shop. We thought this fingerpost was cute, showing the distance to other Florence cities of North America. Florence, Nova Scotia is the furthest at 3,717 miles.

There were two little shops close by, but we only went in one. We deserve big pats on the back from all those who know us. Mom bought two really cute children's books. In fact, Candleman took me back to show me this cute book he thought our grandkids would enjoy and it was gone - in Grandma's hands. I bought a little weiner dog Jim Shore ornament for Kristi. I don't remember if we bought anything else. If I could, I probably shouldn't disclose too much information.

Oct 20, 2008 - Covered Bridges

Click on pictures to see them larger.
The McKenzie River Bridge (left)was off Hiway 126 just a little ways. It was a fun side-trip because we were able to see some lovely homes nestled in between beautiful autumn trees and scenery. I envied the people who lived on the other side of the bridge and were able to drive through it on a regualar basis. Wonder if it would loose any of its appeal over time?

Just past Vida on Hiway 126 is the Good Pasture Covered Bridge.(left & below) It is of the same design of the McKenzie River Bridge. Other than needing a fresh coat of paint, it looked pretty stretching across the river in the mist and the rain. Looking at the bridge from the front it doesn't look as long as it really is. Autumn colors just added extra beauty.

I use a wonderful program when I plan our trips. I entered in the North and West coordinates for the 2 bridges we wanted to see just north and east of Eugene and the trip planner showed me the little back road I should take. What it didn't show me was how the terrain, up and down and all around. As close as I can figure it was only 15 miles from the time we left Hiway 126 to the first bridge, but it felt incredibly longer. Mom thought we were on that road about 4 hrs (I think that comment was tognue-in-cheek). I thought it was more like an hour and a half. As we climbed the mountain on Angels Flight Rd the pavement ended and the road was covered with small basalt rock. A little further on there was a sign announcing that we would be entering private property if we continued. We already felt like we had gone too far to turn around so we continued on. It soon became apparent that this mountain was owned by a lumber company as we could see signs of cutting. We continued on with fears of never reaching civilization again and the probablity that there may be a locked gate at the end of our journey. Candleman commented that if we did indeed find a covered bridge at the end of this he would be heartedly surprised.
We finally came to a stop sign, which meant civilazation - YAY! When Candleman checked for crosswise traffic he looked to his right and there was the bridge just yards away! Whew! was my response. So this bridge that put our very lives in peril was the Wendling Covered Bridge. (pic at left)

Not far from the Wendling Bridge was the Earnest Covered Bridge, also referred to as the Mohawk River Bridge. This bridge appeared in the movie Shenandoah, filmed in the Mohawk Valley during the mid 1960s. The movie company altered the bridge to reflect Civil War architecture, and then restored it back to the original condition in 1965. From here it was a cinch finding our way to Springfield & Eugene.

I thought we stopped at the Wildcat Creek Covered Bridge just off Hiway 126 not far inland from Florence, but I don't seem to have a picture of it. And an aside - After Wildcat Creek Bridge we were hoping to stop at the Gingerbread Village, but we missed it completely. Hopefully, this note will serve as a reminder if ever we are in this neck of the woods again.

The last bridge we saw today was my favorite - the North Yachats Covered Bridge. There's something about the 10 mile drive from the coast out to this rural farming community and then arriving at a dead end at this cute little bridge. And if that wasn't enough the setting for this bridge is magical. When you arrive at the bridge there's a little turn around spot to park that's under a huge spruce that completely covers the road and car and quite a bit of the bridge. It's an amazing tree. It kind of shows up behind the bridge in this picture. In this case a picture will never capture the magic. You have to stand out under this tree and walk through this bridge and look down from the slanted sides to see the river trickling on its way.

While we were driving to and from the N. Yachats Covered Bridge we saw these Oreo cows. They are really called Irish Belted Cows. I remember teaching my students about them when we were studying evolution. It was cool to actually see some that were not in a picture.

Oct 20, 2008 - Belknap Springs Lodge

It seems like I snap a lot pictures, but when I get home and look through them there are always major omissions. Today I realized we didn't get a picture of the lodge before we left. We got several pictures of the trees and flowers across the parking lot. I love that one evergreen that has redish-orange tips.

Off to the side of the lodge was a patio with a small orchestra. I put some of my crocheted scarves on them for photos for my etsy.com shop.








Mom took this picture of Candleman and me with one of the scarves.

There was a bridge across the McKeanzie River that led to several different gardens. Mom and I made it a little ways while Candleman quickly scurried around and took pictures of the rest. Here's just a sampling to show how beautiful the area was in the fall.






Does anyone know what this beautiful flower is?This cute 2 sided bench caught my fancy. It wouldn't fit in the car with all our luggage, so I left it behind in the lodges garden. I'm sure they would have missed it.

Oct 19, 2008 - McKeanzie Pass

We drove from Bend to Sisters and then over the McKeanzie Pass (hiway 242). Talk about startling and amazing! On this drive you can see the highest concentration of snowcapped volcanoes (and associated glaciers) in the lower 48 states. We stopped at Dee Wright Observatory, a stone memorial that offers panoramic views of the Cascade Mountain Range as far north as Mt. Hood. The sun had disappeared over the horizon and it was cold and windy so Mom and I stayed in the car, but our brave Candleman climbed the winding trail to the observatory in his shirt sleeves.

The observatory has openings (windows) and each provides a view of one specific volcano peak. So Candleman was to learn the names of some of the mountains we had questions about. Since it was dark our pictures didn't turn out well, but they still provide a reminder to us of this unusual terrain. In the top picture you may be able to see a light spot to the right of the observatory - that is Candleman.

With Dee Wright Observatory behind us, I took a picture from the car at the scene in front of us - the North Sister and the Middle Sister and piles of basaltic rock. This ancient lava flow covers a 65-square-mile area and in some places is 1,700 feet thick.

We stayed that night at the Belknap Springs Lodge.

The map shows the northern part of the Cascade Lake Scenic Drive and our route from Bend through Sisters to Belknap Springs.

Oct 19, 2008 - Bend

Driving into Bend from the eastward loop of the Cascade Lake Byway was beautiful. Our first impressions of what we thought would be an dry, perhaps ugly, little town were soon replaced by the beautiful scene before us. The city was well-laid out and very picturesque as we wound our way into town along the Deschutes River. The trees were lovely dressed in their autumn leaves, the buildings draped the cliffs, and people strolled along the sidewalks enjoying the autumn sun. It was quite idyllic. Sadly, we didn't take any pictures until we arrived at Anthony's Restaurant in the Old Mill District.

We first stumbled upon an Anthony's when visiting Washington state a few years ago. Candleman had blackberry cobbler for desert and, from then on, we always check to see if there's an Anthony's in the area when traveling to the Northwest. This Anthony's was the ONLY one in Oregon. Luckily, it was on our way. Unluckily, they did NOT have blackberry coblber so Candleman settled for huckleberry cobbler, which was good, but not as good as blackberry. I had a delicious salad with grilled salmon. The salmon was topped with a huckleberry-onion sauce. It was to die for.
The first four photos on this post were taken from the Old Mill District. From there we headed to downtown. In the next picture Mom is trying to get this man to forget his woes of an empty wallet by reading her good book, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. We drove past Drake Park with it's Mirror Pond that are both located downtown. Absolutely beautiful. I was able to get one photo of the park before we drove off into the sunset.

Oct 19, 2008 - Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway

The lady at the quilt store in LaPine suggested we take the Cascade Lake Byway because it was so beautiful and it had several lakes. We drove west on a little road 2 miles north of LaPine and then North on the Highway 46 that goes through the community of Elk Lake. We continued on this road as it loops back heading east and drops into Bend. For so much of the drive all we saw was pine trees skirting the road on both sides. We could have seen this on our Utah mountains. I think the lakes must be off side roads. We did drive down one side road to Hosmer Lake.(1st pic) Took several pictures that show Mt. Bachelor in the background. Hosmer Lake is a fly fishing only lake that has trout and fresh water salmon.

We did see one lake from the main road: Devils Lake. (2nd pic) It was beautiful and very unusual. It's hard to see this in the pictures, but the the emerald green water is so clear and shallow that you can see the bottom. They say that boats on the lake look like they are floating in mid-air. We didn't see any boats, unfortunately.
Across the road from the lake was this cliff that hinted of all the volcanic activity that occurred all over this area thousands of years ago.

On this final leg into Bend we could see many mountains of the Cascade Range: Bachelor Mt, the 3 Sister mountains, Washington, Jefferson and Broken Top.

This little map shows our route from LaPine to Bend. Clicking on the map will enlarge it.

Oct 19, 2008 - Outback Trail in Oregon

We left Lakeview after taking a few pictures of the town, unfortunately they turned out a bit fuzzy. We drove right past Alberts Rim and Albert Lake. The amount of light and the shadows didn't show off the rim very well. In hind sight, I wish we had driven a little ways up the road and got a better look. The country north of Lakeview along Highway 395/31 hosts lots of cattle.
Summer Lake was very interesting. There were little puddles of water here and there, but mostly it was light tan dirt. The lake area was huge. It almost filled the whole basin. Candleman said he read that Summer Lake only fills every 300 years or so. We stopped in a small town, probably Paisley, for a rest stop. No gas stations open; only a little grocer, but no restroom. Some ladies directed us to the city park that had a porta-potty. Desperate times call for desperate measures! I took a picture of Paisley's main street because the trees looked so pretty.
Driving into LaPine in hopes of finding a gas station, we passed a quilt store. While Candleman filled the car, Mom and I walked down the street to the quilt store. We figured it would be closed on Sunday, but thought we could get a peek in the windows. Not so, they were covered with pretty curtains,but the door was open. Oh lucky day!

It was such a cute store with lots of fun things. We both bought some fun keepsakes. I bought a tool to make some cute scarves using Homespun fabric.

October 18, 2008 - Adele to Lakeview

Earlier today we saw wild burros, which was surprisingly exciting. However, the real "moving" experience of the day was looking for this sign in Adele, OR. Why bother you might be asking yourself. Awhile ago a booklogger friend, SuziQ posted her own picture of this sign and said, "Bet you've never been here!" I had been there and was passing by this tiny town again soon. Today, in fact! So I had to get a picture. The sign faces the one store that serves as gas station, post office and probably home for several of the few citizens of this little community.

Mom's cough from yesterday grew even more persisitent. She suffered from laryngitis most of the day. Candleman felt improved, but he also had a horrible cough. We all took Cold MD - those two to get better and me to prevent a cold.

From Adele to Lakeview we drove along side a beautiful little stream. Oops! My journal reminds me that it's not a stream but the Camas River. The pictures don't do it justice or else after driving all day through Nevada this little stream looked like an oasis to us.







We asked the clerk at the Best Western Motel in Lakeview for restaurant recommendations. He suggested a Mexican restaurant just next door. We walked around the corner of the motel and took our first look at the restaurant. Whoa! I had huge doubts. No idea what Mom thought, but Candleman was not to be deterred. In we went and in rushed the 3rd, 4th and 5th doubts, although it smelled wonderful. It was the right place to eat. Candleman says it was THE BEST Mexican food he's ever eaten. He ordered Carne Asada, thin strips of steak. Mine was delicious, too. I had Arrozde Pollo (chicken and rice).The name of the restaurant is El Aguila Real. If you are ever in Lakeview, Oregon and if you love Mexican fool, then you really must eat here.

Oct 18, 2008 - Wild Burros

The drive through Nevada is always desolate and long, but as we were nearing the Oregon border we drove through the Sheldon Wildlife Refuge and saw some wild burros a ways off the side of the hiway. We turned around and went back for a better look. As luck would have it there was a little dirt road that took us right to the burros. We got some really great up close pictures. Surprising to see a black and white burro.



The sage brush is actually pretty dressed in its fall colors.

Below is a picture of our route from Salt Lake City to Lakeview, Oregon. Even though the speed limit was 75 mph and the roads are relatively straight, the days trip was nearly 10 hours. We filled the gas tank in Winnemucca.

Oct 17, 2008 - Our Travel Gourd

I recently watched a show on the Travel Channel where a young man was taking a trip throughout the northeast to enjoy the fall foilage. One of the first things he did was stop at a roadside stand and buy a gourd for his dash. I thought that was a fun idea.

We stopped at a grocery store in Kamas to find our traveling gourd. They didn't have any gourds, but we did find this cute little pumpkin. Mom thought we should add the two ears of colored corn. I think the idea of a traveling gourd is for good luck - ours was just for ambience because we said a prayer before leaving home asking the Lord to bless us on this trip. I figure that's better than relying on a little gourd. So our gourd/pumpkin is there to make us smile.


It occasionally, does somersaults across the dash because it is enjoying its sojourn on our dash so much. Once I had to hand down some stiff discipline and set him on my lap because he was just way too rambunctious. But most of the time he is well behaved and sits in his little perch enjoying the sights, whispering his pleasure to the corn cobs.

Oct 17, 2008 - Friday Family Send-Off

Today was the first day of our long anticipated trip to Oregon. Candleman went off to work and I moseyed around the house doing laundry, packing and printing our some instructions. Mom and I were planning on having all day to get ready because Candleman wouldn't be getting off work until 6, or 5 if we were lucky.

Candleman called at 11:30 and said his boss is sending home early; not so he can get an early start but because he was miserable with a cold. That darn cold had plagued our family for 2 weeks. Of course, Candleman did not even contemplate canceling the trip. I called Mom and asked if she could be ready by 1:00. We didn't pick her up until 1:30 because I couldn't get ready fast enough.

Not only would we get to our first destination earlier, but we would be able to meet others of our family and enjoy dinner together. Three of my siblings (Mark, Susan, Shaneen) were in Salt Lake City for the UEA weekend. They get together each year, along with Mom, and take a short driving trip. This year they did some sight-seeing in SLC because Susan's son, who lives there, just became a new father the week before. Susan wanted to stay with them and help out with new baby, Robert Brent. Isn't he a handsome boy? I can see a little bit of both parents in him. I always enjoy watching the new little ones that come into our family as they grow.


Alyson and Katie drove down from Layton and picked up Cassie to join us, Jason, Rachel and Robbie came and my brother Greg, who lives in SL and his fiance, Jenny Lou and her daughter and friend were there. We ate at the Olive Garden. And as always with this wonderful family, we had wonderful conversation sprinkled with lots of laughter. That night we stayed at the Super 8 on Jimmy Doolittle Rd, out by the airport.

On our way to SLC there was so much traffic that Candleman took the beautiful route through Wolf Creek Pass. So much more relaxed and beautiful. We stopped just long enough for him to show us this head stone placed here by the Japanese Association of Utah in honor of a Japanese aviator who crashed near here in 1925 while on a flight over America, Europe and Asia.

Kingman, Arizona

We spent the morning West of Tucson at Saguaro National Park and at the Sonoran Desert Museum. We couldn't believe how much greenery was growing in this formidable desert!

The Saguaro Cactus grew in abundant forests that boggled our minds!

We stopped in Surprise to visit my dear sister, Norma and her husband Victor. Such gracious hosts. They have a lovely, welcoming, home, decorated with wonderful Navajo and Guatamalan art and artifacts. Their cultures blend as beautifully as their lives have.

It was so good to spend a few hours catching up.

We enjoyed a wonderful Mexican dinner with them before driving on to Kingman to spend the night.

Phoenix, Arizona

Cameron, Arizona, where we spent the night. Wonderful, reasonably priced accomodations, with a superior gift shop, restaurant, and convenience store.

The LDS Chapel in Cameron is small but nice.
The Grand Canyon is breath taking always. But this time of year is special. Cool, but nice, clear and greening, small crowds and plenty of peace and majesty.

I prefer the North Rim for visiting, but the South Rim has so many wonderful lookouts and grand vistas. It is clear that if you want to avoid the crowds, hit the North Rim.
Near Flagstaff, as we headed down Oak Creek Canyon we found a family out building a snowman in the fast melting snow.

Sedona was so beautiful, and congested, and beautiful, and under construction, and commercial, and beautiful. We ate at Wildflower Breads and enjoyed the artisan breads and great food.

The Mesa Temple was more imposing than we expected. Very beautiful with wonderful grounds. The tangerines were ripe on the trees.

We drove to Tucson and spent the night.

Cameron, Arizona

We began our day with the lovely drive from Cedar City to Zion National Park.

Here are a few photos of the beautiful time we spent there soaking in the sunshine and being inspired by the majesty.

The temperature was mild, around 65 F. Yet the trees were bare and melting snow was pouring off the gigantic stone walls.

I loved that the winter sun was still at an angle, making for interesting light, sharp contrasts and unusual shade patterns.

The Great White Throne is always awe inspiring standing so solitary and imposing amongst the canyon walls.

While the portion of the canyon that is drivable is relatively small the number and variety of vistas seems infinite. Time of day and position of the sun make for an endless variety of views in the ever changing constancy of these magnificent stone walls.

During the Great Depression the CCC boys did much of the work in our early National Parks. Here is a beautiful example of their workmanship. We think the presence of man has artfully enhanced the beauty of this special place.

A peek from one of the portals in the l.l mile tunnel leading to the park's east entrance. An engineering wonder, completed in 1932.

We drove to Kanab where we had a wonderful lunch in a great little diner called Rewind. Check out at Fiddling With My Food.

We continued on to Lake Powell and made a stretch stop at the Glen Canyon Dam.

From there we drove to Cameron, Arizona on the Navajo Reservation. Cameron has a wonderful motel and restaurant complex. Very pleasant atmosphere and reasonable rates made this a prime stop on our journey.

All of the photos are clickable to get a larger more detailed view. I didn't have time to Photoshop them, but I think they're pretty good and representative of what we are seeing.

Cedar City

We enjoyed a perfect day for travelling. We journeyed through Roosevelt, Duchesne, over Indian Canyon, through Price, Huntington, Emery and stopped for lunch in Salina.

In Salina we ate at Mom's Cafe. I first heard about the place from Robert Fulghum in his book It Was On Fire When I Lay Down On It!. He said they serve great Chicken Fried Steak. He wasn't wrong. It's an old fashioned cafe that's been serving meals since 1926. They even made the cover of National Geographic Magazine; which they proudly display on the wall, alongside a signed photo of Caroline Jensen, the proprietor, with Willie Nelson. I really enjoyed the Chicken Fried Steak, perhaps the very best I've had. The gals ate Salmon and when I tasted that I was jealous! It was fabulous.

I topped off my meal with a Blueberry Sour Cream pie that was to die for. The crust was flaky and wonderful and the filling was out of this world!

We poked around sleepy little Salina and visited an old 5 and 10 Cent Store where the gals bought some cards and peanut clusters.

We enjoyed the day and the scenery of Central Utah. It was sunny and warm. In fact we're wondering if we really want to go further south.

While travelling we enjoyed listening to Alan Alda's memoir called Never Have Your Dog Stuffed. It is humorous, warm, enlighting and surprising. What an interesting life that man has led.

We rendezvoused with Booklogged's sister and neice in Cedar and went to a great little restraunt called The Garden House. Their soups of the day were amazing! Cream of Asparagus and a Mushroom Rice soup were both flavorful and delectible. They import a strudel from Germany that is not to be missed. One serving was practically enough to feed the whole table of five. I did share a few tastes and managed the get on the outside of the rest of it.

We finished the day with a fun round of Farkel and hit the hay.

See more at Fiddling With My Food!

On The Road Again

This is the scene outside our door this morning, 28 February 2008. The temperature is 21 degrees farenheit and we've had it. So it's on the road again. This time we're bound for Arizona. Candleman has never been south of the Grand Canyon and we hear it is pretty nice down there this time of year.

We expect to be gone six days and hope you'll join us on our journey as we report in each day.

Unlike our trip to Newfoundland, Booklogged hasn't had time to plan much so if you have suggestions for things to do and places to EAT, please let us know.

We're hoping a wet winter has produced abundant wildflowers. Candleman hopes to extend his quest for the world's best Chicken Fried Steak. We'd like to visit Candleman's little Navajo sister in Surprise. We are taking Booklogged's Mom with us as far a Cedar City where we'll see her daughter and hopefully some of her kids.

Birdwatching ought to be great and the scenery fantastic. Mostly though, we're looking for a little sunshine and some warmth to easy the rheumatism and gladden the heart.

Maybe, we can even thaw out the trusty Yukon.

August 3 - Kansas City

The last time we visited Nauvoo all we saw was some remnants of the foundation. The original temple was dedicated in 1846 and destroyed by fire, a later, a tornado, after the Saints were driven from Nauvoo. That last visit was a sad one contemplating the loss of this magnificent building. So, you can imagine how wonderful it was to return and find it rebuilt and even more majestic than we dreamed.

We even drove around to the other side of the Mississippi so we could see it as the Saints last viewed it as they left for the west.

Next we drove across Missouri to a place called Adam-Ondi-Ahman. There is nothing there but woods and beautifully mown grass. There is no visitor's center and very little interpretive stuff. Still, it is clearly a special place and we were glad to visit this sacred ground. Some day we believe Christ will return and this quiet peaceful place has been prepared to receive him.

August 1 and 2 - Chicago

There isn't time to describe all the fun we had in Chicago. We saw one of Frank Lloyd Wright's houses. We even drove through the South Side and saw Al Capone's old house. We visited the Japanese Gardens, the Bahi shrine, the site of the Chicago Exposition, the Temple, the Hard Rock, Rock and Roll McDonald's, Gino's, where we had the famous pizza. We ate Russian food, the borsht was wonderful. We took a river tour and a bus tour and saw lots of wonderful sights.

Booklogged even learned to play Peek-a-choo!

July 31 - Palmyra to Elkhart, IN

Before we left Palmyra we visited the Temple. It had been closed the day before. It is small, but very pretty. The stained glass windows portray the Sacred Grove, which they overlook.

The Kirtland Temple was amazing. So interestingly built, for so long ago. I wish I could have taken pictures of the inside as well. I had some concern about taking the tour because I feared a sense of rivalry between The Community of God, who now owns the Temple, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That was not to be the case. There was great tact and sensitivity. There were lots of interpretations especially for LDS people who clearly see this temple in a different light than their hosts. The visit was a very pleasant, uplifting and inspiring experience.

We finished the day driving to Elkhart, Indiana.

July 30 - Palmyra

We began a wonderful day with a visit at the home of the Wiley's. Booklogged's parents became fast friends with them years ago when both young families were stationed in Guam while serving in the Army. They had such wonderful stories to tell. And, though strangers to both of us, seemed imediately to be like family. We spent a wonderful and too short hour and a half with them.

Next we drove to Fayette and visited the Peter Whitmer Farm. This was the site of the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 1830. It was neat to stand in that very space.

From Fayette we drove to Palmyra and drove to the top of the Hill Cummorah. Pictured is the monument to the visit of the Angel Moroni. The next stop was the two Smith homes and the Sacred Grove. It was amazing to visit the very space where Moroni visited Joseph Smith on that singular night so many years ago. And it was so wonderful to walk quietly through the trees of the Sacred Grove.

For me, it was all a very unexpected experience. I came here with no doubt that the church is true. I have enjoyed convincing manifestations that the church is true, long since. I didn't come here expecting anything of that sort. I just wanted to see and touch these sacred spaces for myself. I don't entirely know how to describe what I felt here. Maybe I can put it this way.

About 18 years ago I was once holding my youngest daughter in my arms. It was a special moment. I then realized that I had had such moments with my older daughters but that I could no longer remember in much detail those previous experiences. They had grown and my memory of them had faded and become altered by their changing faces and ongoing association. I longed for those memories, those feelings and hoped some day in heaven, my mind and heart could enjoy perfect recollection.

So it is with my testimony. I first new the Book of Mormon was true way back in my teens. While reading in Mormon of the demise of that great people who had enjoyed so much and then lost it to wickedness. When Mormon cried "O ye fair ones....", I cried too, for I knew the story was true. God had poured that knowledge into me in a way undeniable. I have, since, had many precious moments with the Book of Mormon. Moments which have sustained me though my trials and carried me though life. Moments which like that one with my daughter, are real but not ever-present. So, as I stood upon the Hill Cummorah and looked out over the valley I was surprised and overwhelmed when suddenly I felt as though all of the experiences I had ever enjoyed with that wonderful book were there, present with me, in the here and now. It wasn't new, it didn't change anything; but it was real and was a precious and welcome gift from a loving Heavenly Father.

July 29 - Utica

We had plans to do some sight seeing today, but it took us two and a half hours to get across the border. That cut our time pretty short. So, besides sitting in the heat and exhaust for all that time we just drove, hoping to make tomorrow a little more restful and pleasant.

It's not like the day was all misery. The drive through the Adirondacks was beautiful and being back in the States on much smoother roads was great. New York is amazing. Even the big cities are swallowed up in trees and greenery. The farms are lovely. The people speak English. Fuel and food and accomodations are much less expensive.

Booklogged got quite choked up thinking about coming home the US of A. That is, until the chaos of the border crossing. The guards are respectful, earnest and thorough. But we couldn't help noticing all those forests and fields on either side, which would be so easy to passed through without detection. I'm sure the Border Patrol does the best they can. But it isn't much of a stretch to imagine people being able to easily sneak across.

We also couldn't help noticing the number of cars which would drive down the truck lane for a great distance and then crowd their way into the line ahead of the rest. We were reminded that there are plenty of people in the world who take little thought of others and somehow think they are sufficiently superior to deserve to take advantages like that. I'd almost rather keep those out of the county than the ones we have officially labelled as unwanted. Still, in the over all picture, there was a huge number more, of folks who just got in line and quietly, if not patiently, waited their turn. Good on 'em.

July 26, 27, and 28 - Quebec City

We've been having too much fun to blog of late, so I'm catching up a little. We pulled out of Prince Edward Island on Thursday, crossing the Confederation Bridge. The bridge was shrouded in fog, so we didn't get any pictures. The bridge is six miles long and only ten years old. Prior to it's construction the island province was only accessible by air or sea. It was free to cross on the way in but cost us $40.00 to get out!

We drove through northern New Brunswick and back in to Quebec. This end of Quebec is entirely French speaking. We found few who could even get by in a little bit of English. The farms are prosperous, the forests vast and there is a special french charm to the villages. Unlike western Quebec, the road signs and others are only in French.

We stopped for the night in Rimouski on the St. Lawrence Seaway. We were surprised how large this city, we considered obscure, turned out to be. We ate in a family style restaurant where we enjoyed our first escargot. Candleman enjoyed them more than Booklogged however. The food was nice and though the waitress couldn't speak English we got along okay.

Friday was spent driving along the North Shore. What a treat that was. There are high table lands along that coast with rivers cutting through them down to the sea. So it was up over the top, with majestic views of the sea, then back down steep narrow roads into villages, this repeated several times. The villages were always charming and inviting. Each featured a large cathedral expressing centuries of devotion. They all had narrow winding streets which were steep and seemed like I imagine the French Riviera to be.

One village specialized in sidewalk cafes, the next specialized in art, the next in boutiques, its fun how things become localized as like minded artisans and merchants congregate.

At Tadoussac the road meets the Saguenay River which in navigable. Building a bridge would be an enormous challenge over its wide mouth, especially one high enough for ships to pass under. So, they ferry the traffic across. Three free ferries (say that three times real fast), large enough to hold fifty cars and trucks run furiously back and forth keeping pretty good pace with the traffic. We were only delayed about 20 minutes and the ferries were filling up each time.

We arrived in Quebec City at around 3:30 PM. This afforded us time to a take a bus tour of the city. It was worth the money for we learned so much about this wonderful place. Perched strategically high above the St. Lawrence, Quebec is the only walled city remaining in North America. The Citadel, well designed to defend the city and the walls surrounding the city are well maintained. All of the buildings within the walls are old and full of history and character. The streets inside are narrow and winding and seem very European. It was great to spend time wandering these beautiful and surprising streets. There are museums, theaters, boutiques and sidewalk cafes everywhere. Quebec is a very pedestrian city, though you can drive around inside the walls. Just outside the walls is a large and wonderful parking terrace that is hidden beneath a park. One can walk to almost anywhere within the walls from the parking terrace in 20 minutes or less. Beneath the walls on the St. Lawrence side is the old lower city. It has been largely reconstructed around a few old buildings that are nearly400 years old. An active church and Champlain's first home are there. Newer buildings here are built like those of the long past. The streets are open only to pedestrians. The shops and cafes are all dolled up with flowers and bright window treatments and we had a ball walking along looking at it all.

We spent Saturday revisiting favorite places from the tour. In the evening we caught a bus out to Montmornecy Falls to see the International Fireworks competition. China presented that evening. It rained and rained but let up just as the fireworks were about to begin. Unfortunately, the humidity and temperature combined with the heat and smoke from the fireworks developed a dense fog and not long into the wonderfully choreographed musical extravaganza we could no longer see much but brightly colored clouds. We had a great experience though and were mostly sad for the Chinese performers who had worked so hard to present something the audience and judges hardly got to see. The falls are magnificent and taller than Niagara, though not nearly so wide.

We got home after midnight, tired but pleased with our experience.

All in all Quebec is far and away our favorite city of the trip. It's charm, warmth, history and welcoming feeling are superior to any place we've visited. Montreal doesn't even come close!

July 24 and 25 - Charlottetown

Which photos to show you from Prince Edward Island was a tough call. We've never seen a place that enchanted me more. The cities are small and the farms run right up to the edge of them. As for the farms - they are as picturesque, well kept, productive and charming as any We've ever seen! They are all situated on rolling hills. Each is bordered and neatly accentuated by dark evergreen trees. Often there is a pond or sea shore to add to the scene. Often, too, is a church to enhance the pastoral scene. Always there are large barns and charming homes.

We visited the Anne of Green Gables Museum, located at the home where Lucy Maude Montgomery grew up. That was a great way to get a feel for this wonderful Province as it was 100 years ago. Asside from the machinery, not much has really changed.

Charlottetown, the Provincial Captol, is small and inviting. We loved spending an evening there. We enjoyed a super performance of Anne of Green Gables the Musical. Very funny and moving.

The show really did justice to the book.

The drummers, pipers and highland dancers were great at a performance we enjoyed at the Piping College.

All in all the PEI is like stepping back into a quieter, slower, more simple time. A place in which we would love to stay.

Music

You can't travel with Booklogged without some new music. It's a great idea. Then when you listen to it later, memroies come flooding back, of the sights, sounds, smells and tastes that it accompanied as we traveled. I can't listen to Roger Miller without thinking of driving across Kentucky at night, hurrying to meet Aly at the Atlanta airport. I can't listen to IZ without thinking of the Oregon Coast. I can't listen to Gorge Inti without dreaming of Vancover Island. I love to put on our Willow of the Wilderness CD so I can wander back to Concord and Walden Pond.

The Maritimes are big on music. With a Celtic style all their own, their jigs, reels, shanty's and ballads are wonderful and tell stories of these wonderful people and places. We have a few wonderful CDs that will always bring these beautiful folks and their delightful land to our recollection.

I wish there was a way to share a Ceilidh with you. There is something very special in just regular folks singing and dancing together. No formality, just good fun, where everyone participates. I think the loss of this kind of entertainment is one of the worst things TV has done to us. That and the homogenization of North America. Even in Newfoundland the young people talk the same as anywhere else from sea to shining sea. It's sad to see the old manners of speach and the old cultures disappear. We're all becoming the same old boring people we see every day on the television.

Still, many Maritimers are trying to hang on, if only for the sake of the tourist dollar.

One of my favorite oddities in the Newfoundland music scene is an instrument called the Ugly Stick. It's just any old broom or mop handle with washers and bottle caps and maybe a cheap pot or a tin can or two attached. Any noise maker you like will do. We saw one for sale that was so elaborate they wanted $200.00 for it! I plan on making my own. Any way it is played by pounding it on the floor while rapping on the side or attached objects with a drum stick. It is amazingly fun and versatile. Depending on the imagination and talent of the player of course.

The band on the Caribou had a name for this third member of the band and expressed their love for his willingness to play for free.

To me the Ugly Stick speaks of the common gift of music. We've come to think that only the gifted professional performer is worthy of making music for us. Here I've learned that music and dance belong to everyone and are not just spectator sports. Here, even if it's just tapping a foot, everyone participates, everyone performs. Anyone can play an ugly stick. Even me.

July 23 - Amherst

We said farewell to Newfoundland and enjoyed the passage back to Nova Scotia. There was a little band onboard who entertained us with Newfoundland music. They have a style all their own and were delightful to listen to. The passage was smooth and we arrived in North Sydney by 2:30.

We decided to drive down the east side of Lake Bras d'Or this time. Some fellow travelers had tipped us that we ought to stop in Big Pond at Rita's Tea Room Rita MacNeil is a famous singer here in Canada. The lunch was nice and the old remodeled one room school house was very beautifully appointed.

Candleman had a hard time leaving Cape Breton as it was a favorite place for him.

We stopped in Antigoish and poked around a little, then drove on to stop for the night in Amherst, Nova Scotia.

July 22 - Port aux Basques

We headed for Port aux Basques to spend the night. It's an early call to catch the ferry in the morning. Like most Newfoundland towns the houses are colorful and arranged on hillsides for neat panoramas.

We stopped by the meadow where we saw the Showy Lady Slippers last Tuesday and found that they have mostly faded away. We couldn't have had more perfect timing last week! They were in their prime.

We went to Cape Ray and the J. T. Cheesman Provincial Park in hopes of seeing a Piping Plover, no luck. The little town at Cape Ray is having their "Come Home Year" celebration. Every five years each town in the Province has their Come Home Year to draw everyone back for a reunion and celebration. Most of the houses in town were decorated with flags like are shown in the picture. Campers and trailers were everywhere as families and friends gather to celebrate their roots and get reacquainted. Neat tradition.

We spent some time by the sea and then checked in to our Hotel. The Caribou was just pulling into port as we arrived. We'll be leaving this wonderful place tomorrow. A little sad, but with much yet to see, do and look forward to.

Food

Just a word about food. We alway try to find food that is indiginous to the local we are in. In keeping with that theme we've enjoyed some really neat and interesting stuff.

In Wisconsin we tried our first Fish Chowder. It was delicious! Better than Clam Chowder in my book. Since then we've had about a dozen variations on the Fish Chowder theme and found everything from lousy to fantastic in that regard. Look forward to our attemps at it when we get back home. We love it and hope to develop a great recipe of our own.

In Michgan we tried Pasties (mentioned before) these were brought to Michigan either by the Finish or the Cornish depeding on who you ask. Don't ask either when the other is present. Things could get nasty. Pasties are sort of a meat pie, but not cooked in a tin. Just rolled in the crust and baked. They're great!

In Montreal we had been advised to try Poutine. This a concoction made by filling a platter with home made french fries then adding cheese curds and covering it all with brown gravy. It was super comfort food, but pretty high on the calorie count.

In a little town called Knowlton, Quebec we tasted our first every Maple Syrup Pie. That was a treat!

Digby, Nova Scotia is famous for their scallops. They were fantastic there and everywhere else we've tried them. Large and tender and tasty, no matter how they make 'em.

In Cheticamp, which is part of Acadia, Booklogged had a beef and pork pie that was out of this world. What a wonderful crust it had.

Newfoundland has be full of culinary surprises. The first was called Mess. Mess is an expanded version of Poutine. It too starts with french fries but includes fried hamburger, stovetop stuffing, cheese, gravy and frankfurters and anything else that suits your fancy. A lumberjack meal for sure. Also, we've tried Cod Tongues which are delectible. The most fantastic fish and chips, are served here, though I was disappointed that they served them with a plastic packet of Kraft Tartar Sauce, which is lousy. This evening I had a Moose Stew that was simply wonderful.

Now for the piese d'resistance! Newfoundland is berry land. They have strawberries. We found a wild patch today and found those tiny little morsels very yummy. They have blueberries, partridge berries and our favorite - bakeapple berries. Bakeapples are in the raspberry family, grow wild, are hard to pick and sell for up to $80.00 per gallon. They're not on until the end of August but restraunts freeze them and serve them over cheese cake and we're here to tell you that absolutely nothing goes better on cheese cake than Bakeapple berries. It is a match made in heaven, absolutely ambrosia! We think this is the thing we'll miss most when we leave, for these berries are found no where else.

As you can tell we are enjoying eating our way across the country and by the look of my wasteline, I should be fasting my way back.

July 21 - Grand Falls

We started off the day with a visit to Cape Spear, which is the Eastern most spot in North America. There are two light houses up there and a breathtaking view of the Atlantic as well as St. Johns and the Cabot Tower on Signal Hill. While looking at the sea from Cape Spear I noticed several Humpback Whales horsing around in the sea. They were probably a mile off but it tried to get some photos of them breaching. I've posted a couple of the best shots. Not great, but then for the distance, not bad. You can see one breaching. The white side of the V is his long pectoral fin. The other side is, of course, his head.

We drove back into town and saw Water Street. Candleman bough himself a Bodhran from O'Brien's Music Store. O'Brien's claims to be the oldest store on the oldest street in the oldest city in America.

Next we drove up to Cabot Tower on Signal Hill and took some pictures including some of the city from that angle.

We then drove into Quidi Vidi Gut. A cute little place where the sea sneaks into a tiny bay. From there we drove by the Army Base now occupied by Canadian Forces and up to Torbay Road. Torbay road is now Yuppyville. McDonald's, strip malls, motels and gas stations for about three miles. We got on the TCH (Trans Canada Highway) from there and headed West.

On our way to Grand Falls we diverted our path to take in some scenery around Trinity Bay. What a beautiful place!

July 20 - St John's

Today we hustled through rain and fog from Gander to Bay Bulls for another boat excursion. We wanted to see the Puffins. We got more than we bargained for. We saw Puffins, but also Murres, Razorbills, Greater Black Backed Gulls, Herring Gulls and Kittiwakes. And then we saw whales! Lots of 'em. The Puffins were great fun to watch. The sea was full of them. They would emerge from the deep with a mouth full of Caplin and struggle into a frenzied flight back to the burrow to feed the chick. The sky, the sea and Gull Island, were crowded with them. Them and Murres especially!.

Also we met a remarkably for real Newfie! Our Captain, Loyola, was Newfoundlander through and through. Joking and singing with an accent so thick we had to strain to understand him. His accent was part Irish, part Bostonian with a heavy pirate slant. We loved listening to him.

The day was spent either traveling or on the excursion. We did turn in quickly enough to get some rest and some laundry done.

July 19 - Gander

We began the day visiting L'Anse aux Meadows. This a site on Newfoundland's Northern Penninsula where Leif Erikson and his Viking explorers had an outpost in the New World. Archeologial evidence makes it plain that the settlers here were indeed from Scandanavia during the period of Leif's saga. There is no doubt really that this was indeed a Viking outpost with eight buildings. The digging has been completed, but the remains of the buildings are left as they were found. Simple mounds of earth really, elevated where the sod walls had once stood. Near the original spot Parks Canada has built a five building replica of the village. The Vikings built houses just like these in Norway, Iceland and Greenland. They would have been quite snug in these well insulated shelters. The settlement would have been occupied by these Europeans shortly after the year 1000, almost 500 years before Columbus.

We had a great time looking around.

We saw an iceberg floating off shore at a nearby village.

L'Anse aux Meadows is about 12 hours from St John's so we spent the rest of the driving and made it to Gander at around 10:00. It rained the entire way. Traveling with Booklogged is like that. The only difficult weather we get is during our down time. When we want to be out doing something, the sun shines. Even with the rain, the trip was splendid. The sea was like a mirror beneath the clouds and rain and looked pale and cool and cozily sleeping under a blanket of fog.

July 18 - St Anthony

Today we drove up the Northern Penninsula of Newfoundland. The weather must be much more harsh up this way. The Tuckamore trees (black spruce) are stunted, gnarly and short. There are fishing villages every few miles up the West Coast. This road was completed in 1967 before which the only means of travel was boat and in the winter, snowmobile or dog sled. Before the road these people were very isolated. The road follows the shore most of the way and the views of the sea were breathtaking. We noticed along the roadside there were dozens and dozens of little fenced in gardens. Mostly, potatoes, carrots and root crops were growing in them. Even way out from towns, here's be a cute little garden in the borrow pit. Also we saw huge stacks of fire wood, and large racks of lobster traps arranged on the roadside. We found out later that though this is all Crown Land along the road, the people are permitted to use it. Nearer the coast there is little or no topsoil and the wind and sea spray are too harsh for gardens so, since the road was built people have come out and staked out a little spot to grow a garden. Also, they are permitted to cut wood in the winter. The go in on snowmobiles, cut the wood, sled it out to the roadside and stack it. They in the fall after it has cured the truck it all home. The honor system is a given in Newfoundland and no one worries about their garden being raided or their wood stolen. The fences around the gardens are to ward off the moose and caribou.

In St. Anthony we caught a boat tour which took us to see whales and a lovely iceberg. We saw a (rare for this area) Baluga whale and several Humpbacks, one up close. It was very exciting.

Booklogged sat on a box on the prow with a cute little lady. As we plowed over the rollers they were hanging on to each other for dear life in order to stay on that box. We all got such a kick out of their antics, trying to stay balanced.

We enjoyed a nice supper with more Bake Apple for dessert and turned in early to catch up on some sleep and some blogging.

July 17 - Rocky Harbor

Up early, we boarded the Caribou for our passage to Newfoundland! It is a huge vessel. As we sat in the parking lot among dozens of semi trucks and RVs and a club of travelers each of whom was towing a long Airstream trailer, we wondered how we could possibly all fit. We did. There were two decks of vehicles. On the upper decks were gift shops, a restaurant and a bar with live entertainment. There were reclining seats near large windows, where we found a place and camped.

Candleman spent most of the passage out on the foredeck though. There was a young German fellow out there doing a seabird count. He helped Candleman add four new species to his bird list. About halfway across it grew very foggy, but Niels and Candleman stayed out and enjoyed a great conversation about so many interesting things.

We arrived in Port aux Basques at around 2:30 and headed for rocky harbor. We found Newfoundland to be beautiful and quite diverse. This southern area is forested and green and quite like Nova Scotia.

Booklogged had noted a comment on Google Earth that there was a place not far off our path where we might find a Showy Ladyslipper. We headed that way and found not one but dozens of them in a quiet little meadow! We were thrilled to see so many in full prime display!

We happened upon a couple of fox kits on the side of the road. They were Red Fox but one was the rare black color. They were beautiful and Booklogged got some great photos of them.

We checked into our room in Rocky Harbor, right on the bay. The weather was wonderful so we walked to a little restaurant called Fisherman's Landing and had supper. Most of the food was just satisfactory but for dessert we enjoyed an amazing treat. There is a berry called the Bake Apple which is found only on the island. We had Bake Apple cheese cake that was to die for. We both thought it the very best cheese cake topping ever created!

July 16 - North Sydney

We spent the day on the Cabot Trail. It's not really a trail but a road that travels around the northern most part of Cape Breton Island. Up here roads are often called trails and lakes are often called ponds.

Our first stop was The Clucking Chicken restaurant for breakfast. We'd received a tip that they had a great bakery. They did! We bought enough extra stuff that we were surviving on scrumptious pastries for a couple of days. We had Scottish Scones, Chocolate Apple Strudel, Apple turnovers and Poridge Bread, not to mention breakfast.

We drove through a few quaint fishing villages and way up north to Meat Point overlooking St. Lawrence Bay. We'd hoped to see whales but weren't so lucky. The sea from the cliffs was so lovely though, that we weren't disappointed. The villages up there are so remote and you can tell the people really depend on one another. One had a little community center where they could gather, play games, eat, sing, and dance to while away the long winters. On the wall was a hooked rug with a sign calling it Oprah's Rug. Apparently Oprah Winfrey had been given it as a gift in Africa, and having received more than she could keep, had passed it on to someone who passed it on to here. They were so proud to have and display it.

We drove up over the Cape Breton Highlands where we stopped to walk around a bog that had been supplied with a nice board walk. We saw the most wonderful wildflowers, close up, including a couple of different orchids and some pitcher plants.

Our next stop was Cheticamp in the heart of Acadia (L'Acadie). You may remember that the Acadians were French and were driven from here, some of whom moved to Louisiana and became those we call the Cajuns. Many have now returned from exile. We enjoyed the food, more like home cooking than any restraunt yet. The waitresses wore traditional dresses and were so funny and charming, mostly middleaged housewives.

We finished the day driving over Kelly's Mountain and on the North Sydney for the night.

Square Dancing

Since both Candleman and I were square dancing, we couldn't get a picture. So after the first dance I graciously stepped out to allow someone else the chance. (Not to mention, I was pooped!) So here you see Candleman (in blue) promenading his partner (in green) while the girls play a Cape Breton reel.

July 15 - Baddeck

We’d seen Halifax the previous evening and loved it. But it was so busy and full of people we decided to call that good and move on. We drove up to Cape Breton Island and on to the village of Baddeck. What a beautiful place. Situated on the shore of Bras d’Orr Lake it is one of the most picturesque places I’ve seen on earth. There was a schooner sailing on the lake as we drove through town.

Alexander Graham Bell lived and raised his family in Baddeck. He did much of his research here as well. There is a wonderful museum displaying much of his life and work. We enjoyed it immensely.

We poked around town, enjoyed a nice meal in a wonderful restaurant in an old Victorian home. We finished this great day with a Cailidh (pronounced Kay-Lee) at the local community hall. A Cailidh is in English, a kitchen party. There was fiddle music and Booklogged and I actually square danced. It was a fun and homespun evening, complete with oakcakes for refreshments. Cape Breton is very Celtic. The population mostly deriving from Scotland. The people and the place are very special.

July 14 - Lower Sackville

We got up excited about crossing the Bay of Fundy on the ferry. We had hoped to see whales. Candleman probably saw a Minke Whale but it was only a short glimpse. There were also a few dolphins some distance off as we were approaching Digby. Our disappointment at seeing little in the whale department was offset by the opportunity of spending the passage conversing with some wonderful people we chanced to meet. The were Ken and ? and we spend the whole three hours visiting with them. She and Booklogged are both teachers and avid readers. He started out on a farm in Nova Scotia much as I did in Star Valley, though he stayed, through his youth. Still in was interesting how much we had in common. Ken and I stood on the foredeck the whole time watching the sea and hearing stories about farming, harvesting scallops and working timber in Nova Scotia. Ken now works for the Canadian Department of Defense in Ottawa. He tells great stories and lots of them. For once Candleman was out talked.

We stopped for a lunch of scallops (Digby is famous for them) upon landing in Nova Scotia. The scallops were great and plentiful, but the rest of the food was pretty pathetic.

We drove across the island to Lunenburg. That was fun. We were on country roads and enjoyed seeing the woods and farms along the way. We stopped for gas in a little place called Barss Crossing. The people were so nice and folksy. We found some fresh picked strawberries to enjoy as we feasted on the scenery.

Lunenberg was beautiful. Lots of colorful houses all dolled up in paint and filigree. I’d like to be in the paint business in a town like this. They look like they have to paint their houses nearly every year! We had supper in Lunenberg and were once again disappointed in the bland, poorly prepared food. Lunenberg is near Oak Island, wherein lies the Money Pit. They’re working on making money on tourism at the pit but haven’t got it open yet. The treasure at the bottom, has never been reached. Look it up, it’s a very intriguing mystery.

We drove to Halifax to spend the night but found every hotel and motel in the city booked. They’re having the tall ships festival in the harbor. We saw one sailing on the bay. We ended up staying in Lower Sackville. I looked for the Bagginses, but uppity as they are, I guess they live in Upper Sackville.

July 13 - St John

On the road from Bangor to New Brunswick the road to Calais takes you to the top of a long wonderful ridge. The Great North Woods stretch as far as the eye can see in every direction and are a wonder to behold! I can’t imagine bushwhacking through that wilderness of trees. No wonder the original colonists were confined to the coast for two centuries.

After crossing back into Canada we drove to Alma and then the Hopewell Rocks. What an amazing place. In this upper part of the Bay of Fundy the tides are the highest on earth. The Bay narrows and the rising tides are magnified in the confinement. Additionally, the ebb and flow create a bathtub effect, which further amplifies the tides. They rise and fall four stories every 6+ hours. We arrived at low tide and enjoyed walking around on the bottom of the ocean. Places that were 30+ feet under water just hours before. The Hopewell Rocks are fanciful freestanding formations which have been eroded by the tides. Often they are smaller at the bottom and larger at the top. Usually, they have trees and ferns growing atop them. It was great to explore among them. Near the rocks we found vast mud flats left exposed by the receding tide. In Alma we saw fishing boats lying on the bottom with sea far away across the mud. In a few hours, they’ll be floating again, tie up to the dock.

We spent a lot of time at Hopewell and loved it. We drove up through Moncton and then back to St John New Brunswick to the spend the night.

July 12 - Bangor

We got up and poked around Montreal a little. I guess we were reluctant to leave this beautiful city. Our next stop was Knowlton, Quebec, a pretty little town near Lac Brome. We enjoyed the beauty and had a lovely lunch in a great little restraunt. The town has a pretty church on a little lake with a waterfall beneath it. Next we drove to Sutton where 8 generations ago Candleman's ancestors Dudley Gilman and his wife Mary Hariman lived. They were the parents of Rebecca Scoville. The one we found on Scugog Island, Ontario. Here again they lived in some of the most beautiful farm country on earth!

We entered the US at Richford, Vermont and then drove to a little town called St. Johnsbury where Booklogged's mother had once seen a beautiful library. We were a half hour too late and could only take pictures of the exterior of the building. St. Johnsbury is a small, beautiful Vermont town with lots of big impressive churches and the wonderful library pictured here. From here we drove across New Hampshire and into Maine were we saw so many wonderful views of the Great North Woods and wonderful farms and villages. Also, a great covered bridge.

We spent the night in Bangor, Maine.

Interesting Architecture

These first two pictures are in Montreal.

These colorful balconies are on a back street in Montreal. Aren't they lovely?


I think this interesting balcony is to be found in southern New Brunswick. I tried to write down where I took my pictures, but I have not done well in this regard. If anyone knows where, I would appreciate knowing.



These two gorgeous Victorian homes are in Baddeck, Nova Scotia. Baddeck was the home of Alexander Graham Bell. We visited the museum and learned that he was a most phenomenal man and did much more than invent the telephone. We have taken many pictures of beautiful Victorian homes. The ones in Lunenburg and Baddeck are especially lovely.

July 13 - Bay of Fundy

The Bay of Fundy was quite a wonder. Candleman described it so well. So I'll just add a couple of pictures.
I didn't expect such brown water when the tide is low. Amazing, isn't it?

July 11 - Montreal - Joie De Vivre

We decided the only way we could really get the feel of Montreal was to hop on a tour bus. We were so well rewarded for that choice. Not knowing where we were going and the stress of fighting traffic would have made it impossible to see was the tour bus showed us in just a couple of hours.

Here are a few highlights! Montreal is truly a diverse and magnificent city!

We will barely scratch the surface and think we'd like to return and spend days wandering her beautiful streets.

It is so fun to hear French spoken everywhere we go. There are plenty of English speakers though and we haven't had any trouble getting along.

July 11 - Montreal Churches

Montreal is such a beautiful city with so much grand architecture! Here just a few of her churches and cathedrals. They claim more than 300 within the bounds of the city.

July 10 - Ottawa to Montreal

Canadians resent the fact that most Americans can't even name the Capitol of Canada. To avoid such embarrasment make note of today's post.

We had a most wonderful morning in Ottawa near the Parliament Buildings. We attended the Changing of the Guard which was most impressive. There was a parade in review including an impressive marching band. The soldiers stood for inspection the formality of which was remarkable. These have been time honored ceremonies in the British Commonwealth for centuries. The Canadian Royal Guard in their red coats and tall fur hats looked very much like the Royal Guard at Buckingham Palace in London.

To our delight the Changing of the Guard was followed by the performance of a drill by the King's Guard of Norway. I actually liked their parade better because there was more action. The inspection got a little slow and boring. The Norwegians looked so smart in their dark uniforms. The white stripes on their trouser legs really accentuated the syncronization of their drill. They also had a fine band supported by a group of fanfare brass. It was interesting that for hats they wore bowler derbys with a plume attacted to the side.

As we watched I noticed a soldier standing at attention behind us. I wasn't sure she would speak to me, she seemed so focused and resolute. She did however, and we enjoyed a nice and informative conversation. The Norwegian Army consists of career officers and conscripted troops. Each young man in Norway, if he is fit, is required to serve in the armed forces for one year. These young people have only served since September. It is amazing how polished they are in only nine months. They will return to civilian life again this coming September.

We thought it cool that this was the first time the Norwegians have performed in Ottawa and we were here to enjoy it.

The city is magnificent as are the many government buildings, monuments and shrines that surround Parliament. We'd like to come back and spend more time here someday.

July 9, 2007 (Toronto to Ottawa)

We got up and ate breakfast in the cafeteria. They provide a very nice breakfast bar which is included in the price of the hotel room. There was fresh fruit, eggs prepared in various ways, bacon, sausage, pancakes or French toast, cereal, yogurt, whole apples, oranges or bananas, muffins, croissants, juices, and even my morning diet coke. All in all, much better than a continental breakfast. It was 10:15 as we were leaving the cafeteria. Since they quit serving breakfast at 10;30, all of a sudden the students were swarming in – sleeping as late as they could without missing the food!
Before leaving Toronto, we went to the reference library and took a few pictures. We thought it impressive, but nothing over our own Salt Lake City library. We expected an old building, instead we found a modern one. Then we went to an old church centered in a graveyard. There was a funeral being held inside, but the seats were out of sight from the open front door which revealed the beautiful stained glass windows at the front of the chapel. We drove around the old cemetery and saw some wonderful headstones and nooks and crannies.

It was then on to Port Perry and Scugog Lake where Candleman has some ancestor’s. He was trying to locate their headstones. We first drove to Scugog Island to visit the museum. Then drove around the island looking for a cemetery. We found one, but it was an Indian cemetery with only a few headstones. There was one larger monument with all the names they knew of. Candleman followed one clue after another. Each clue provided an important piece to the puzzle; and each led to the next. As Candleman narrowed the area, we stopped at a farm house to ask for help. The sweet lady who answered the door told us that her property was the original Scoville homestead and pointed us around back to the cemetery. Candleman was able to locate the headstone of both Rebecca and Stephen Scoville. It was very thrilling.

The Scugog Island is a little quiet community, but there is a casino up north on the reservation. Both its big parking lots were packed.

After our success finding the cemetery we went back to Port Perry, a beautiful little town. The storefronts are all fixed up so lovely and quaint. We ate a delicious early supper at the Court Jester’s, a restaurant recommended by someone from the blogging community. I’m sorry to say I can’t remember who because I would really like to thank them for the great recommendation.

We hadn’t expected to be in that area for so many hours, so we didn’t get on our way to Ottawa until nearly 5:00. The scenery was beautiful but the speed limit was only 60 mph. I thought I’d go crazy at first, but soon I settled down. We arrived in Ottawa about 9:00. The chintzy hotel wants to charge us $11 a day for internet connection.

July 9 - Scugog

The first photo is of the farm that now stands on the original Scoville homestead. The next is of the land next to the cemetery which as you can see runs down to the lake shore.

Finally, a photo of Stephen and Rebecca Scoville's broken headstone.

It lists both of their names and their dates of death. He died 26 February 1869 (born in 1783). She died 28 February 1870 (born in 1782). You can't see the small inscription arching across the top of the stone but it reads, "Who bears my cross shall surely wear my crown."

I don't know if I can adequately express how I felt at discovering their final resting place and being able to walk on that sacred ground. I did the original research that tied them to my family history. I stood proxy for Stephen in the Temple when he was baptised, ordained to the Priesthood, endowed and sealed for time and all eternity to Rebecca and his posterity. Perhaps because of the spirit of Elijah as foretold in the book of Malachai, my heart has been turned to my fathers. I feel like theirs have also been turned to me. Ever since I learned of them I have longed for this day when I could touch the ground wherein they lie and walk upon the soil on which they toiled. The difficulty we had in locating the spot only enhanced the earnestness in which I sought the place. It seemed as though a miracle that we found it at all. Clue lead to clue, chance and opportunity lead to kind people and finally success!

I couldn't choke back the tears at the thought, that I should have this privilege and experience these feelings and touch this beautiful place.

I feel like the link that has been forged in my connection to these wonderful people has been strengthen and confirmed. I am theirs and they are mine, forever.

Here is a Google Earth image of the Scoville Family Cemetery.

July 8, 2007

What a day! We are staying at the 85 Chestnut. That’s the name of a hotel that the University of Toronto purchased and now operates. Our room is set up as if it’s intended for two students – two double beds, two closets and two desks, so we think it acts a dormitory in the winter months. We have a breakfast voucher that allows us to eat in the cafeteria. Again, very much the college atmosphere. It’s been a fun experience.

We rode on an English-style double-decker bus for a tour of the city. We wanted to sit on the top, open deck because it offered a better view, so when it started raining we decided to stay put. At the end we looked like drown rats, so the rest of the day I was concerned about my straight hair. Our tour guide was very good – informed us and kept us laughing, too. After the tour we ducked into the Hard Rock Café to buy Candleman a new pin for his collection. Thankfully, it cost much less than the $17.50 pin from Hard Rock Niagara Falls. Everything was way overpriced in Niagara, but we expected it would be.
Back to Toronto. We went to the Eaton Center and looked in a couple of shops. The noise was comparable to the buzz of thousands of bees in a hive. At first I felt claustrophobic. Picture Christmas shopping in a Utah mall and you sort of get the feeling. At some point I tried to relax and enjoy the energy, but that didn’t last long. From the mall, we went to the Trinity Square Maze. Myke was very impressed and took several pictures. I think we can expect a maze in the backyard some time in the next little bit.

Then we drove around taking pictures of a couple of beautiful Catholic cathedrals and a few other buildings of interest. This is a picture of our new dream house. This evening was one of the best on our trip. Lotus Reads and her husband and beautiful daughter picked us up and took us to dinner at La Boujadi, a Moroccan restaurant. The flavors were so new to us, but absolutely delightful. The best part of the evening was visiting Lotus and her warm, courteous family. This is the first person I’ve met someone who I only know through blogging and it was so much fun. You know how sometimes you wonder what you will say? No problem! We could have talked nonstop for several more hours without a single lull. Candleman and I fell in love with these gracious people, who were so willing to answer our questions about lifestyle, religion, etc. And I thought it was neat that both our husband’s were more than willing to join us. Mr Lotus Reads is just about as amiable as Lotus herself. This evening will always be a highlight of our trip and I will always have a soft spot in my hear for Toronto because of Lotus and her family. Thank-you, dear Lotus. We cherish this memory.

Some Photos of Toronto

July 7 - Niagara (Hamilton to Toronto)

Niagara Falls was so very majestic and awe inspiring. It is hard to comprehend the magnitude of what your able to behold at such amazingly close proximity. The mist blocks much of the view, but I was most impressed with the way the water curves over the brink and then turns to foam.

It is a bit startling that the noise isn't deafening! We could chat in conversational tones right next to the falls.

The place has become a tourist trap, full of glitz and plastic. The crouds were enormous and as we departed found the approaching freeway to be a 40 mile long parking lot. We felt we got out of town just in time.

We're so glad we saw the magnifience of the falls, but couldn't leave the crowds behind soon enough!

July 6, 2007 (Bay City to Hamilton, Ontario)

I got a good night’s sleep, but Candleman stayed up late working on our blog and then he always wakes up early so he’s a bit tired today. He went to get the oil changed on the car while I slept. I did wake before he returned and had time to post a review on a book which we listened to.

We stayed in Bay City last night and today are driving around the ‘green thumb’ of Michigan. Beautiful farm land dotted with lovely groves and forests of deciduous trees. There is the occasional sighting of Lake Huron. The temperature has been between 69 and 71 degrees. Right now I am sitting under the shade of a large maple tree and there’s a cool whisper of a breeze through the car windows. Myke is looking at gravestones in hopes of finding his ancestors graves. We had much luck earlier finding ancestor graves in Unionville, MI.

One of the delights of being in the East is how soft it makes your skin, hair, and fingernails. I wonder if they sell lotion back here. I’ll bet if we could see the demographics for hand lotion sales, Utah would be a contender for #1. Our fame would be expanded from merely being the Jello capital.

We almost drove ourselves too far today. I don’t know what I did when planning this day, but it ended up being far longer than we expected. Candleman was tired from too little sleep the night before. We were both ready for more of the car time. From Michigan’s thumb we had a bit of a wait trying to get across the border into Canada at Lake Huron, Michigan. When we got going, Candleman said he had seen a speed limit sign. I said that I just saw one and the speed was 70. He gave me this knowing look, which I interpreted to mean, “I know it’s slower and I know you’re just trying to encourage me to drive faster.” Come to find out that was what he was thinking at all. He told me I wasn’t believable, that it was probably more like 100. I said that if I had said 100 he would know I was lying. His reply was that I better be smarter in the future because we were in Canada now and it’s in kilometers now, not miles. Live and Learn, I say.

We ended the day in the very bizarre world surrounding the beautiful Niagara Falls. Truly a wonder to behold. We saw the fireworks at night and saw the colored light on the falls. Very lovely.

July 6 - The Green Thumb

The Thumb of Michigan is full of rich farmland and wonderfully tended and prosperous farms. The crops are beautiful and seem weedless and bountiful. The farmyards are neat and painted and lovely.

Our first stop was Unionville where we found the graves of my grandmother's grandmother, Amaressa Scoville Beattie and her parents Oliver T. H. Scoville and Mary Burke Scoville. Oliver was a veteran of the Civil War. The graves are left to right, Amaressa, Lizzie, Mary and Oliver.

Next we drove to Huron City where we found Amaressa's Husband and my great great grandfather John Beattie.

Huron City doesn't really exist anymore. But there is a wonderful museum which is a collection of houses, a church and some barns from the period. The weather was cool and the scenery pastorially perfect!

We drove on down to Port Huron and across the St. Clair River in to Ontario, Canada. We got a pretty stiff interview while crossing the border, even with our passports.

Our next destination was south of London, Ontario where we found, by pure luck, the Pond Mills Cemetery. We had hoped to find John Beattie's parents, William and Martha Beedon Beattie, there but were unsuccessful. We did find John's brother William though. It was such a beautiful place and so thrilling to be where they were.

July 5 - UP (Marquette to Bay City, MI

Michigan's Upper Pennisula is a very unique place. They seem to have a culture all their own. The trees struggle here. There's plenty of moisture, but the weather is harsh. They get an average snowfall of 15 feet each winter.

The folks are independent and say "eh," a lot.

We enjoyed looking around Manistique. Here is a photo of their lighthouse.

Another unique item in the UP is a food called Pasties. Meat, potatoes, rutabega, onions, carrots, all go inside a crust which is baked. Then gravy or butter are poured on top and you eat it. Some say it came here with the Finnish, others claim the Cornish miners brought it with them. We say it's tasty and are bringing home a recipe.

Booklogged had a blackberry/peach pie at the Pasty shop, it was delicious.

July 5 - The Mackinac Bridge

We crossed the Mackinac Bridge from the Upper Penninsula to the "mitten" of Michigan. What an imposing sight.

We pulled off at the South end and stopped in a little park to take a few pictures. It was wonderful to watch the ships pass beneath this beautiful piece of engineering.

We enjoyed it so much we just sat around in the cool shade watching the world go by.

We're having such a wonderful time together and seeing such wonderful things. We live in a marvelous world.

We stopped for the night in Bay City, Michgan. Tomorrow is hunting for Candleman's ancestors graves and Ontario!

Giggles

We've enjoyed some good laughs so far on our adventure. Here are three favorites.

July 4 - Independence Day (Hibbing to Marquette, MI)

We had quite a time getting to Lake Superior. Being the 4th we had detours in nearly every little town we encountered. We saw some of several parades. Here we are almost 2000 miles from Utah and people and celebrations aren't all that different at all. We finally made it to Gitcheegumee and the Split Rock Lighthouse. We had a great time seeing how things were back in the 20's when the lighthouse was in it's prime. There were folks in period costumes and period furnishings in the Keeper's house.

July 3- Bismarck, ND to Hibbing, WI

We slept in a bit in a comfy bed in Bismarck. Ooo and the pillows at the Comfort Inn were soooo nice. They had a note that informed us that if we stole them they’d charge us $15.00 each for them. When Candleman went to check out he offered to buy a couple. They informed him that they aren’t for sale and begged him not to steal them. Alas and alack, we left them there.

North Dakota’s Capitol building is more like a grain elevator than a house of state. We took some photos anyway. We also visited the Old Governor’s Mansion and the Bismarck Temple before leaving town.

July 3 - The Mighty Mississippi

Minnesota is a wild and woodsy place. We were amazed at how many resorts and trees we found.

We were caught in what, back home, we'd call a gully washer, but here was little more than an afternoon shower. No wonder there's water all over the place.

We made our way to Itasca State Park to visit the headwaters of the Mississippi River. We enjoyed wading from shore to shore.

Candleman figured out how George managed to throw a silver dollar across the Patomac River.

This was a cool refreshing and fun filled break.

July 3 - Lady's Slipper

Ever since Booklogged first started chasing wildflowers we've longed to find a Showy Lady's Slipper.

Poking around in Itasca State Park we found one!

They're much larger than we expected.

We still hope to find one in Newfoundland, that and a Piping Plover for Candleman's bird collection.

July 2 - Devil's Tower

If you're ever cruising I-90 and see an exit sign for Moorcroft, Wyoming, and you're tired of fast food, be sure to pull over at Donna's Diner. There is no Donna, but there is great dining!

Candleman had the second best Chicken Fried Steak of his life!

The service was fast and friendly, the price was right and the food was great! Booklogged enjoyed Chicken Strips that would embarrass the McDonald's version.

Devil's Tower was very impressive.
Candleman kept humming, Da Da Da Dum Dum in the deepest voice he could muster. I think he's wanted a Close Encounter ever since he saw the movie. The hills and dales of this corner of Wyoming are green and forested, with wonderful farms nestled here and there. We loved it!

July 2 - The Big Horn Mountains

Crossing the Big Horn from Tensleep to Buffalo was awesome. These rival the Colorado rockies in majesty and beauty.

The highway was great and the scenery breathtaking at every turn.

Powder River pass is at 9600 feet.

July 2 - Thermopolis Hot Springs

Thermopolis, Wyoming is famous for it's hot mineral springs. They have several resorts and spas where you can soak in the hot soothing (smelly) water. In fact The Wyoming Bath House is state run and you can soak there for free! We didn't take the time.

The minerals in the water form travertine formations that are interesting. The first photo is of a mound made by standing a pipe vertically and letting the mineral water flow out the top. The minerals build and build until you have an interesting and quite pretty mound. The second photo is of the terraces that have formed naturally were the water seeps from the hillside. The springs are on the bank of the Big Horn River, which is the same as the Wind River but changes names at the mouth of the Wind River Gorge.

2 July - Pheasants

We were amazed at the vast beauty of the Dakotas. Green grass prairie, wheat fields and other crops rolling over the hills as far as the eye can see.

Regent, North Dakota claims to be the pheasant hunting capitol of the world. We believe it! The place is infested with them! Candleman tends to stretch the truth at times, but honestly, we saw hundreds along the roads!

They are big, healthy and abundant.

July 2 - Enchanted Highway

Between Regent, North Dakota and I-94 lies the Enchanted Higway. Every few miles along the route we found gigantic figures of sheet metal standing along the road.

We've not learned how they came to be. We assumed they were to draw tourists, but Regent doesn't have any place to accomodate tourists.

We found it an amusing way to finish a wonderful day.

1 July 2007 - Utah to Thermopolis, WY

Candleman and Booklogged have completed their first day out! We didn't get on the road until noon, but still made great time and finished the day in Thermopolis, Wyoming.

Crossing familiar territory gave us a good shake down. By the time we got on new turf we were already in the groove; settled in and over the giddiness of being underway.

We stopped in Rock Springs and grabbed a couple of Travel Bugs and some geocoins to carry to points beyond. From there we travelled north where we intersected the old Pioneer Trails and crossed over South Pass. Approaching the Wind River Mountains was awe inspiring. They're so rugged and majestic. Their foothills lead us into Lander. Candleman had been there as a boy and was excited to revisit The Sinks and The Rise. Here the Popo Agie River roars down a steep canyon, makes a hard right turn and dives into the mountain. It is amazing how much water the cavern can swallow without even a burp.

A quarter mile down the canyon, the water calmly emerges at the rise in a large pool that overspills and flows on toward the valley. The Rise has a lofty perch from which one can see into the pool and watch enormous rainbow trout cruise in the pristine spring waters. We encountered a couple from Derby, England at the Sinks. They were a delight to visit with, not only because of their delightful accent, but because of their enthusiasm for life!

We stopped at a little Thai restraunt in Lander for a lovely dinner. Our server was a handsome young Thai man named Neung. In his broken English and on a napkin, he explained that Neung=one, in other words, number one son. He also told us that his brother's name is Song. Sure enough, Song=two. Booklogged had veggie sandwich, but Candleman had Thai food, a plate of sticky rice noodles with bits of pork, green onion, peanuts, preserved radish and fried egg. It had a rather sweet sauce and was amazinly simple and tasty.

After dinner we headed on North. We stopped between Arapahoe and Riverton at a filling station/casino on the reservation, where we found gasoline at 2.80 a gallon! Obviously, they planned on making their money inside. (*Note added 1-10-2009: Gas prices that summer were over $3/gal. Right now in Vernal they are $1.69. We've seen gas as low as $1.35 on the Wasatch Front)

Along the river was pretty and green, but much of this area is dry and quite barren. Not too many interesting features either. Soon however, we approached Boysen Reservoir and looping around it we entered the Wind River Gorge. It's stark majesty is very impressive. We were amazed at the number of mountains in this region. We followed the river to the valley below and Thermopolis where we spent the night.

It is a bit tricky to match text and photos in this program, so I'm just going to include a few along with the dialog. They'll be in order and pretty much self explanitory in most cases. Hopefully, we can give a good enough sampling to let you see what great sights we're seening.

July 1 - Photos

The Candleman Has Retired

It's official! The Candleman no longer works for UPS! He departed Friday evenining with a solemn ceremony (pictured here). After 22 + years, leaving so many friends, customers and co-workers alike, was such sweet sorrow.

He was touched by the many many expressions of farewell and fond good-wishes.

Old UPSers never die the just get delivered. Hallelujah!

Do old UPSers wear boxers of briefs? Depends.

Thanks to a fire in Neola, The Candleman rode off into a spectacular sunset.