Moving West 12/7-12/27/2015

On the road again Dec. 7.  We sold our house of 41 1/3 years.  

Our two vehicles are loaded with the only possessions we kept.

Phil drove the Roadtrek and I drove the Buick.  

I think my Christmas cactus knew we wouldn't be here for Christmas.  

It was in full bloom Nov. 21.                               We also had a snowstorm Nov. 21.

We carry so many memories with us.  We moved in on a "Trivial Day."Aug. 9, 1974.
Gerald Ford was sworn in as President as we made this our home in Rolling Meadows, IL.   We raised our three children, were involved in many activities with them, our community and the Chicago area.  We were avid Chicago Bulls fans in the Jordan era but remained diehard Packer fans.

Our first stop going West was in Macomb, IL to visit with our grandson Jason.  He is a Junior at Western Illinois University.  We stayed overnight at Walmart.

On the road again Tuesday Dec. 8.  To my sister, Claudia and Bob's near Sun Prairie, WI. for lunch.  We had a wonderful visit with them and Bev, my sister and her husband Tom.

Since Dec. 8 is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception we attended a Prayer Service at St Patrick's in Mauston, WI.  We stayed overnight at Flying J, Marston.  Each night we would move things off our bed in the RV so we could find our bed.  In the morning we'd anchor things down again and be on the road.

On the road again Wednesday Dec. 9 to Savage, MN to visit my brother Pat.  When we started the trip Phil said the RV was handling hard.  He had gotten different tires before we left Rolling Meadows but realized an adjustment had to be made. So he stopped at a Goodyear dealer in the Minneapolis area.  We met up along the way.  We stayed overnight at Pilot Truck Center near Alexandria, MN.

On the road again Thursday Dec. 10.  Driving near Spiritwohd, ND I thought the horizon looked interesting.  It can't be mountains already???!!!

As we continued on the road I realized it was low lying clouds.  

Near Richardton, ND

 We stopped at a rest area near Gibbs, ND.  The low lying clouds never produced rain or snow.  But I thought it was interesting.

 Beautiful sunny skies as we get a view of the snow covered mountains near Greycliff, ND.

We stayed overnight at Walmart in Miles City, MT.

On the road again Friday Dec. 11.  There was a little dusting of snow on the vehicles when we got up in the morning but it was melted by the time we were on the road.
 Coming into Butte, MT. we saw our first snow on the ground. Butte is 5540 feet elevation.  In planning our trip I'd seen some mighty cold temperatures at Butte so we made sure we didn't stay overnight there. We stayed overnight at Missoula, MT Walmart.

On the road again Saturday Dec. 13

Once again a dusting of snow in the morning but by the time but the roads were good.  We were so blessed with good road conditions.  Traveling across North Dakota and Montana we could have run into some mighty fierce storms.  This is near Huson, MT.  

Near Alberton, MT. it was a winter wonderland....as long as the roads were clear it's beautiful.

Traveling in the shadows of Lewis and Clark.  

Crossing the Columbia  River.
We made it.....over 2.200 miles.  We arrived at Ted (our son) and Allison's. Saturday afternoon.
Sorry, no photos of them but Phil with their dogs, Hitcher and Brixie.  

On the road again Sunday Dec. 14.  We attended Mass at St Thomas More.
They seem to be a very dynamic Parish.

On the road again Monday Dec. 14 to the Spokane Senior Center to play Bridge.  Phil found them on-line.  We had a great time.

On the road Tuesday Dec. 15 to get our driver's license.  We started the process to get the license for the Roadtrek but it involved going to a dealer to get a quote on the price of the Roadtrek.

On the road again Wednesday Dec. 16 to the Motor Vehicle Dept. to get our license.  We had to pay a tax of the worth of the vehicle.  Once that was accomplished we were able to go to St. Thomas More Parish Center to play Bridge.  We had a great time again.

On the road again Thursday Dec. 17 to look at condos with a realtor.  We didn't find anything we really liked.  But at least we started looking.

No traveling on Friday Dec. 18 because of the snowfall in western Washington.

Looking out Ted and Allison's backyard to the Riverside State 

On the road again Saturday Dec. 19.  The winter wonderland roads were good.

The "lake that goes forever" near Cle Elum.

Ski Lifts at Snoqualmie Pass.  

Snoqualmie Pass Summit.

Ahh, we made it to Corrina and Tait's near Seattle.  We got there several hours before their Annual Christmas party that we have heard about for years.  We enjoyed visiting with family and friends.

We attended Mass at St. John Vianney on Sundays and Christmas Day.
We had a wonderful 8 days preparing for and celebrating Christmas with Corrina, Tait, Teagan and Cooper.  We went to the bar the 2 Sundays to watch the Packers games, went to Teagan's basketball game, got out for some good walks and just time hanging out together.

New England States 4/16 - 5/3/2015

On the road again April to May 3 to see Ted, Allison, his wife, Rusty, her brother and Catherine,our goddaughter run the Boston Marathon.  

Stops on the trip:  Syracuse, N.Y., 

Mary Eddy Museum and Bunker Hill, Boston Marathon, Boston;  

Nathaniel Hawthorne's House of 7 Gables, U. S.'s Oldest Candy Store and National Visitors Center and Maritime Museum, Salem.  

State Capitol, Concord, N. H. 

Frank Lloyd Wright home, Currier Art Museum, Manchester, N.H.

Lunch with Phil's cousins 

New Bedford Museum with our friend, Tom.

Two Newport Mansions.

Camped and hiked at N.Y.'s Taughannock State Park.

American clock and Watch Museum,Bristol, CT.

Corning Glass Museum, Corning, N.Y.

Steamtown National Historic Site and Trolley Museum, Scranton, PA.

Maritime Museum, Erie, PA.

Rutherford Hayes home, Delaware, OH.

Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn, MI.

Whitney Plantation, Edgard, LA 3/5 & 9/2015

On the road again Thursday March 5.

Wow, what a change in weather.  At midnight the temperature was 71.  I awoke at 2:30 am.  It was 75 degrees.  At 7:30 it was 41 degrees and dropping.  But I know I dare not complain.  Back in Phil's hometown of Merrill, WI it is minus 21 degrees.

We toured the Whitney Plantation Museum., Edgard, MS.  It is "the only plantation museum dedicated to understand the facts of slavery."  The Big House is the "earliest and best preserved" Creole Plantation on River Road.

We start in the Antioch Church.

Inside the Church are statues of many children.  Thru the WPA in the 1930's many former slaves told their life experiences.  Theses statues depict their ages at the end of the Civil War.

Wall of Honor lists the slaves who were on this Plantation before 1840.

 The field slaves were given Sunday off.

Names of 107,000 who were slaves in Louisiana before 1820

 It was cold and blustery.  I'm bundled up in coat, hat and gloves.  The tour guide said it is good to do tours on a cold day like this.  We have to realize the women slaves had one dress and the men capri pants.  No shoes, no coat or gloves but still they had to work outside.

"Field of Angels" where 2,200 slave babies who died before their 3rd birthday are remembered.

Slave cabins and kettles for boiling sugar cane.

The slaves took their water from the nearby stream.  Could have worms, bugs, many impurities in it.

Oldest detached kitchen in Louisiana.

Straight walk to the Big House to serve the food.

 Olive oil vessel buried partially in the floor was used to keep food cool.

 Main dining room floor is tile in case of flooding.  
 What we would call the living room

 Office

Master Bedroom.  A house maid wanted to be sure to keep her "inside" job.  Remember it's cold outside today and it was warm in the Big House.  Maybe the missus would like a fire and that would warm her bare feet.  There were 20 house slaves.  They were 24/7.  Always available.

Throughout the tour we learned of the many uncertainties the slaves faced.  Would they get the bath water the right temperature.  If not what would the misses do to me?

At an auction in 1840 a 12 year old carriage driver went for $1200, the most for Louis, a blacksmith & cooper for $1600, a household worker for $700.

It was very touching to read the memories of the former slaves.  How harsh their working and living conditions were and the insecurities of measuring up to the Master's expectations.

Very moving.

We have been watching the weather and see how cold it is from here (SE LA) to home.  We decided to stay 2 night at Bayou Segnette State Park, Westwego.

Friday March 6 was a day of R and R.  Phil worked on genealogy in the morning and I worked on the blog in the afternoon.  I visited with new friends that we met at the Grand Isle State Park.

 Love the lights a camper has.  Solo cups and Christmas lights.

 Beautiful sunset at Bayou Saynette State Park.

 On the road again Saturday March 7.

As we travel I-55 I notice the trees are starting to leaf out.  At home they usually leaf out the first of May.

Bridges, bridges, bridges.  We have traveled numerous especially in Louisiana and Texas.    The bridge to Grand Isle, LA was 8 miles but their is not the longest we traveled.  The Atchafalaya Basin Bridge is 18 miles and we travel is twice.  

We stayed at a Flying J Truck Center in Jackson, MS.

On the road again Sunday March 8

 We attended Mass at St. Richard's in Jackson, MS.

We stayed at Pilot Truck Center in Marion, IL.

On the road again Monday March 9 and after 83 days we made it back home.

Home again, home again.  As you can see in our backyard some of the snow has melted.  I read they set a record of being the coldest February.  We left Dec. 17 (but had some January weather days in November).

We traveled 8533 miles.  We explored parts of San Diego, enjoyed activities in conjunction with and  attended the Rose Parade, Nixon and Reagan Presidential libraries, the Hearst Castle, Big Sur highway, 5 California Mission churches, 2 of CA's deserts, Joshua Tree National Park, celebrated Christmas with new friends at Jojoba Hills Escapee Park, Monterey Aquarium, and John Steinbeck Museum during our 31 days in California.

We experienced our first Quartzite gathering, visited family and friends in AZ and TX.  We were awed by the McDonald Observatory, impressed by the presentation at Fort Davis, learned about the Biosphere, the seafood industry and camped often by bayous and on barrier islands.

We hiked up in the Chiricahua Mountains, walked 5 miles seeing the Historic homes in Lake Charles and visited some of the "Painted Churches" near San Antonio, TX.

We have fond memories of celebrating Mardi Gras in Gautier, MS with other Roadtrekkers and at Rainbow Plantation, AL.

I was so impressed by the Walter Anderson Museums, Ohr-O'Keefe Museum, the Sports Art Museum and the Whitney Plantation.

Our food highlight was the Low Country Boil at Pogo and Vicki's.  What a great time hanging out in their backyard with 30 other Roadtrekkers.  We ate plenty of gumbo, po' boys, great steak and cooked fresh shrimp.

It was a fabulous trip.  The RV is unloaded.  Now to dream of our next trip.....the Boston Marathon..to watch.