Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park

First, a little back story....

One of my summers up in Denali National Park, I worked at the Visitors Center (shout out to LoMo!) where tourists would purchase bus tickets and campground spots.  It would frustrate me to no end when someone would come up to my window and not know anything about Denali and how to access the park.  They saved their entire life to come to Alaska, did no research and got pissy when they found out the shuttles were full or not available for the one day they had in Denali (Seriously?  One day?).  To fully explain access to the park, it took about 20 minutes.  Now, add a long line of folks, and it's no wonder that I didn't fulfill my work contract that summer and quit.  Not to worry...I landed a job with a flightseeing company and found a cute trailer to live in near Healy.

Now, I am that tourist (kind of).  We arrived on Friday evening to Estes Park.

1.  Gorgeous. 
2.  Rocky Mountain National Park is right here.  Hmph.  Should have consulted a map.
3.  I did no research because I thought we were just coming here for a wedding.  Silly me.

We picked up tons of brochures, pored over them for the best hikes to do, asked around at the local pizza joint, and finally visited one of the five visitor centers on this side of the park.  Twenty dollars later, we were in the park, huffing and puffing up to three lakes with an 1,100 feet elevation gain.  Worth the gasping (just me), many rest stops, and a lot of water.

Nymph Lake

Dream Lake

Emerald Lake

All of the lakes had huge mountains above them, and Dream Lake was filled with greenback cutthroat.  Leader-shy and savvy, they ignored the fisherman and cruised the shallows giggling, I am sure.  Emil and I caught some caddis, ants and grasshoppers to feed the fish.  They came right up to them, and we watched them snack away.

At our campground, a group of 24 elk wandered through and nibbled on the trees and bushes.  Ground squirrels, rabbits, mule deer, and birds are abundant everywhere.

The sun is blazing, and the sky is blue.  Time to explore downtown Estes Park and play a round of mini golf before heading west.

Bonus:  Questions/comments to me while working at the Visitors Center

1.  Give me two tickets to the top of the mountain.  (Denali)
2.  My bus trip was ruined by a crying baby.  Babies aren't natural!
3.  So, the shuttle takes six hours.  If it leaves at noon, what time will I be back here?
4.  How long is the eight hour shuttle trip to Eielson?
5.  What time do you let the animals out of the cages?
6.  Can I take a plane and land on top of Denali?

Gerald Ford Museum and the lovely Lake Michigan

Yesterday, we toured the Gerald Ford Museum in downtown Grand Rapids.  It was the first Presidential Museum I've ever been to.  The building boasts some great exhibits, including a special exhibit about Betty Ford, which showcases her clothes and family pictures and traditions inside the White House.  There is also a replica of the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room.

Troy Wise - This was in the museum too!

Today was another beautiful sunny day, so we packed a picnic and went to explore Lake Michigan - only 30 minutes away.  The boys brought their skimboards, a raft, and plenty of sunscreen.

Nice form

Sharing the raft

Perhaps a perch?

This could be my boat...if I had lots of money.

We'll be sad to leave Michigan, but I am looking forward to exploring St. Louis and other parts of the midwest.  Time to load up on tuna, jelly, turkey, and desserts for camping!

Grand Rapids Day One

The drive from Cincinnati to Grand Rapids was pretty easy, and it's my first time visiting the great Pure Michigan state.  Emil is familiar with the area since he used to work at Post Cereals in Battle Creek.  His fondest memory involves free cereal at every work break.

We are here visiting Wendy and her family.  I've known Wendy since 1993ish.  We were fellow waitresses at California Dreaming Restaurant in Greenville, SC.  I know, so long ago, right?  We even survived being roommates and sharing a bathroom, which she often locked me out of somehow (it had a door in to her room and the hallway).  I visited her several times when she lived in Washington DC and also in Fayetteville, Georgia.  We also met up every other Christmas at her Mom's house when we both returned to Greenville.  Her parents also visited us when we lived in Anchorage.

John fixed a gourmet dinner upon arrival.  Roast pork loin, potatoes/carrots/onions, and sauteed spinach.  We relaxed after dinner and discussed sightseeing possibilities.  Their two kiddos, Adrian and Adam are adorable, fun, affectionate, and spirited.

Today, we rode our bikes from their gorgeous house (almost completely unpacked which is amazing since they just moved here 10 days ago) to Millennium Park.  It has a beach, splashpad, five ponds, trails, and tennis courts.  http://www.accesskent.com/CultureLeisureAndTransit/MillenniumPark/.

After lunch, we explored downtown Grand Rapids and drove over to the campus to see Wendy's new office.

President Gerald Ford and Emil

The boys playing in a huge button - piece of art.

Statue of Rosa Parks and someone's hand.

Neat reflection of a building in a building.

Flying pig - another interesting piece of artwork

Tomorrow, we'll continue exploring Grand Rapids while Wendy is at work.  I've also been assigned to unpack the formal dining room.  This may take some time as I want to be extra careful!

Mark Waterpark off my Bucket List

We took the nephews to The Beach Waterpark yesterday.  I've never been to a Waterpark, so it was a learning experience.  Aaron took us on the biggest scariest ride first.  Thanks.  The Cliff is one big drop, and you will be airborne for at least an hour (okay, only a few seconds, but it feels like an hour).  We rode it once.  That was enough.

Aaron is so brave!

Sam is totally airborne!

After four hours of rides, we were hungry, sore, and totally worn out.  I'm so glad we didn't spend the whole day there. 

Last night, we went out to dinner with Uncle Ron.  It was so good to spend time with him and talk.  After dinner, we dropped by the Cincinnati Observatory.  http://www.cincinnatiobservatory.org/.  After listening to a lecture on asteroids, we peered through the telescope and saw Saturn!  We saw the rings and stars above it.  From the portable telescope outside, we saw the moon.  It was HUGE and very clear.  There were craters visible, and the moon seemed to sparkle like diamonds.  What an experience!

Today is our last day in Cincinnati.  We really love it here and would move here.  But, there are no close trails for mountain biking and fishing is limited.  Hmmmm.

Best Night Ever....at Aglamesis Brothers Ice Cream

Home Projects completed yesterday:  Painted stairwell and ceiling, weeded flower beds, cleaned chicken coop, harvested five cucumbers and three zucchini, straightened up the new barn.

All this hard work was rewarded by a delicious meal at Laszlo's Iron Skillet, complete with Schnitzel, potato pancakes and hot slaw.  http://www.laszlosironskillet.com/.  Karla's hot slaw is much better than their version though. 

We ended the evening with Aglamesis Brothers Ice Cream, where the servers know Emil by his "order."  Arriving right before they closed for the evening, the super cute servers asked if we were willing to eat our ice cream in to go cups instead of the metal dishes.  They said it's been a long day, and it would be less dishes to wash.  Sure thing.  As they scooped up our order one by one, the girls became confused and duplicated the double scoop of black raspberry chip.  WOO  HOO!  They asked if we wanted it, and my adorable nephews actually paused before answering.  You know me...I piped up immediately and said yes, we would take it.  BEST NIGHT EVER!  What would have made the night go down in history is they duplicated another double scoop of mint chocolate chip and red raspberry chip.  Unfortunately, they did not offer that one to us.

Today, we are building supports for the old barn, running errands (Aglamesis Brothers run), and prepping the front door for a paint job.  The humidity is lower, and nighttime temp should be in the mid 50's.  Nice.

Rejoice!

My brother, Tom, has been working in Afghanistan for almost two years.  I haven't been in Greenville when he's home for R and R, so the last time I saw him was July 2009.  He and his family are here in Cincinnati for a week, and I invited myself and Emil to be here at the same time.  YAY! 

Today, we played games, cooked out, and visited.  My Grandma and Uncle Ron also came over for the fun-filled afternoon.  Other than a quick thunderstorm, the weather was pretty nice, although quite warm.

Dinner Menu:
Hamburgers, hot dogs
Corn on the cob cooked in the fire
Hashbrown casserole
Watermelon, canteloupe

Playing corn hole

Elizabeth has an impressive throwing arm!

Fresh corn on the cob courtesy of Uncle Ron

Prepping the antique ice cream maker - pass me the rock salt!

No turn at cranking = No cherry cordial ice cream

Uncle Ron's turn to crank

Torturing the baby of the family never ends

Ted, Sara, Tom - Sweet siblings

David, my nephew, was the lucky one to lick the paddle

It was really great to spend time with the family.  Catching up with David, my oldest nephew, was fun.  He'll be 23 on Tuesday.  Time sure does fly by.

Next up:  Biking the Loveland Bike Trail early tomorrow morning if weather permits, errands (this really means going to Aglamesis Brothers), hanging up a towel rack in the bathroom, pulling down wallpaper in the hallway, and making tacos for dinner.  

Farewell Northeast

We are sad to leave our friends in Providence.  Definitely went through withdrawal from their kind hospitality and comfy furnishings as we camped two nights in Ithaca.  Emil has fond memories of his time at Cornell.  Before leaving, we had a lovely dinner at Taughannock Farms Inn.  http://www.t-farms.com/.  The meal is all inclusive...appetizer, salad, entree with starch and veggies, and dessert.

Strawberry Soup

Smoked Sausage and Cheese Plate

Roast Turkey

Lemon Chicken

Chocolate Obsession

Vanilla Cheesecake

For our departing breakfast, we dined at State Street Diner.  The hangout for college kids after a night out on the town.  I love diners in the Northeast.  We've eaten at several during our trip, and I appreciate a good cheap breakfast with real butter on wheat toast.

Fold down seats

Today, we watched my nephew, Sam, in his testing for his Senior Green belt.  It was really neat to see the Demo Team, as they showed off their skills, particularly jumping over three people to kick through a board.

Sparring

He did very well, and I'm sure he passed the test.  We will know next week or so.

Tomorrow is a big day.  According to my nephew, Aaron, it's a "mini family reunion."  Family, games, food, and good times.  I'll post some pics tomorrow!

Last Day in Providence and Beyond

We had a great time biking at Big River with Walter, Melanie and Sylven.  Emil had a HUGE smile on his face the whole time.  He missed biking.

Walter and Sylven

Sylven = all smiles on her new bike

Melanie kickin' butt on her first mountain bike ride

Back on the road again....

Stopped in at Berkshire Products that carries slabs of lumber bigger than your apartment.  http://www.berkproducts.com/.  Emil had a grand time looking around at the wood and burls.

Sawmill and additional buildings not pictured

Slab cut of a burl

6 ft wide, 18 ft long.  Big wood, big prices.

A little off the beaten path was the Remington Arms Museum.  They stopped factory tours last year.  Boo.

A slight detour to Heid's Hot Dog Stand in Liverpool, NY.  They have really interesting shaped hot dog buns.

Okay, my favorite part of yesterday is Lee and Great Barrington, MA.  My heartfelt thanks to Melanie and Sylven who told us to stop in these cute towns.  I LOVE Great Barrington!  Lots of antiquing, small town, lovely gourmet grocer, and friendly people.  This is my kind of town!  I already read about it on Wikipedia, and it's on the list of potential places to live down the road.

Today, we are hanging out in Ithaca and walking around Cornell, Emil's alma mater.  It's hot (78 degrees, but feels like 100), none of the buildings have air conditioning (what the heck!), and we can't find a coffee bar.

Good times.