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5 October 2015 – Lexington, KY – Rochester, NY – Finger Lakes Region, NY – Ithaca, NY – Cape Charles, VA

By on October 6, 2015 in Kindred Spirit III

     From St. Louis, MO, we made tracks to Louisville, KY, where we spent several days.  This is the home of Churchill Downs and numerous distilleries.  We took a tour of the Downs and watching a race was part of the deal.

How can you not LOVE the hats!

     Probably the best known distillery is the Evan Williams and their Bourbon Experience, located in the heart of downtown Louisville, combines two of America’s favorite things—history and Bourbon.  We took the Speak Easy Tour and were led through a pseudo fire place and fake safe door. After providing the correct password to the proprietor, we were admitted into his Speak Easy bar looking like it came right out of the Prohibition Days.  We learned that in those days there were 3 political parties—the Democrats, Republicans, and the Prohibitionists.  The latter group probably morphed into the Tea Party of today. 


     There were 30,000 Speak Easys in NYC during prohibition and interestingly enough, crime was increased during that time—far greater than when bars and saloons were allowed.  Our guide was an excellent actor and attired as you’d expect an “illegal” bartender to be.  His Speak Easy is beautiful with a dark wood glistening bar; antique furniture, dark paneling—making us feel like we were in a time warp.  By the way, Evan Williams was KY’s first commercial distiller and the only grain they use is corn.  


     Our next stop of significance was Cincinnati, OH.  This probably won’t be amusing to you but it cracks me up—I must be easily entertained. Guess what street our RV Park was on??? Round Bottom Road!!! They had to dig deep to come up with that name. 

     This was our first visit to Cincinnati and our first taste of Cincinnati Chili at the famous Skyline Chili in downtown. Call me a skeptic but cinnamon in chili? It was absolutely outstanding! Our server said she puts bibs on all first-timers.  The manager, cook, and server treated us like royalty.  We had the 5 Way Chili—-spaghetti, watery/runny chili, beans, onions, and about 5 pounds of cheese on top.  The cook emerged from his cocina and said he saw us trying to twirl but said, “that spaghetti is all cut up.  You can’t twirl Cincinnati Chili” and they all laughed.  That was really a fun experience—gastronomically speaking as well as entertaining.



     The staff said if we really wanted to round out our Cincinnati experience, we needed to walk over to Fountain Square and have Graeter’s Black Cherry Chocolate Chip ice cream.  We were obedient and it was mouth wateringly scrumptious and a treat for the palate.  We told Graeter’s that Skyline Chili sent us so they described a pizza joint around the corner but we could not eat another crumb.  We have it filed away for next time.  Perhaps an omen and warning from the street name of Round Bottom—-to shun Graeter’s Ice Cream and Skyline Chili. Round Bottom—a prophecy?  The city has a magnificent waterfront with miles of paved hiking/walking/cycling paths.  We had a fabulous time in Cincinnati. 

     Lake Erie State Park, Brockton, NY, provided a very refreshing interlude.  We’ve been going to commercial/privately owned campgrounds that have a different flavor than state and national parks.  The views were breathtaking from high bluffs that overlooked Lake Erie.  The sites were huge with mature shade trees and we were perched right on the water’s edge.  This park is smack dab in the middle of the Lake Erie Concord Grape Belt providing easy access to many fine wineries.

     We’re right on the water and even though it looks as if it’d be smooth sailing out there, the waves are lapping at the shale shoreline. The soothing sounds are reminiscent of my years spent on Pensacola Beach—however this may be a tad more comfortable. We’re kicked back in our recliners beneath the huge mature leafy trees listening to the tranquilizing rhythmical music of water meeting shore; no blinding sun nor sand in our chairs. This is so palliating after a hard day of retirement. I just may never want to leave here. Trees are showing some color changes; wood camp fires are filling the air with the sweet scent of fall; the park is meticulously maintained and only the wave’s reverberation and the bird’s song pierce the air. This is peace personified!

     Bill’s sister, Doris, and her quite large family live in upstate NY and we were eager to spend a few days visiting there. Her green thumb produces a flower garden comprised of a palette of colors and varieties.  I love nothing better than real homegrown tomatoes.  She had so many that they were rotting on the ground and on the vine.  I tried to rescue as many as I could.  

     She surprised us with a bottle of wine named Kindred Spirit.  In case you don’t know, that’s our boat’s name.





     Who’d have ever thought!  We enjoyed visiting with so many family members. Bill took me on a Bender Tour of every place he ever lived in that area, the schools he attended, his university, companies where he’d worked, and the reminiscent journey wouldn’t be complete without one of his favorite meals from a historic greasy spoon and then a trip lakeside for a big bowl of Abbott’s Frozen Custard which is a great way to build up that big ol’ layer of fat for the wintertime.  


     We were looking forward to seeing New York’s Finger Lakes.  We’ve been there by boat but the perspective from land is somewhat different.  Just outside of Ithaca, we found a very remote (that translates into no phone or wifi) park that was another piece of solace. At last! A break in our marathon travels to don our hiking duds and hit the trails.  This region is exquisite and a water-lover’s utopia with lakes, cascading waterfalls, rivers and creeks, all carved thousands of years ago by ice-age glaciers. Consequently, this makes for some of the best wine-growing areas in the world!




     It was quite interesting to learn that, per square mile, there are 758 graduate-degree-holders in Ithaca.  One one hill of the city is a Tibetan monastery and on another, a 50,000 watt solar plant.  One of the breweries grows its own hops, a deli raises its own pork and a bar that mixes its cocktails based on what’s fresh at the farmers market.  Do they have waterfalls???  There are over 100 within 10 square miles of downtown.


     The Ithaca area provided more hiking opportunities than we could explore in our 5 days there.  The highlight being Watkins Glen State Park, the oldest and most famous of the Finger Lakes State Parks.   Glen Creek has poured down the glacially-steep valley for 12,000 years leaving 19 glistening waterfalls and cascades from its paths.


      Watkins Glen State Park is the most famous of the Finger Lakes Parks. Within two miles, the glen’s stream descends 400 feet past 200-foot cliffs, generating 19 waterfalls along its course. The gorge path winds over and under waterfalls and rim trails overlook the gorge. We hiked the Indian and Gorge Trails which includes more than 800 stone steps and our foot prints are on every single one of them.  

     Cavern Cascade is one of the two waterfalls that we could walk behind, made possible by the wearing away of a thin layer of shale rock underneath a tougher layer of sandstone.  Rainbow Falls is the other one and in late afternoon, the sun creates a rainbow there.
     Fractures in the rocks tell a story.  The cracks, called joints, run up the wall.  We followed them with our eyes across the creek bed and up the opposite wall.  They represent a continental collision that pushed up the Appalachians in PA and the Allegheny Plateau which includes the Finger Lakes Region.

     The Treman State Park is an area of wild beauty with the rugged gorge called Enfield Glen as its scenic highlight.  We hiked the winding trails following the gorge past 12 waterfalls, including the 115 foot Lucifer Falls.  Our hike led us through an oasis of cool (enough for a sweatshirt), dense woods in a long, narrow gorge.  The trails also offer spectacular views, unique geological formations and a narrow valley quite rich botanically. On site is a historic 19th century grist mill that was interesting to see its preserved remains.

      I took a day off to read and paint so Bill, fueled by his youth and never-needs-recharging batteries, hiked 8 miles of Buttermilk Falls which gets its name from the foaming cascade formed by Buttermilk Creek, flowing down the steep valley into Cayuga Lake, another of the Finger Lakes.
     
      NY’s Finger Lakes area is definitely a destination and for more than just a few days.  If you relish immersing yourselves in nature and enjoy hiking, put this on your traveling Bucket List.  We found it absolutely “gorge-ous” and were left spellbound.

     For Bill, the trip’s highlight was the Canadian Rockies.  For me, it was the zipping!  I believe we’d both agree that Watkins Glen ran a very close second.

     Kinda feel like we’re winding down as we travel to Cape Charles, VA, for our semi-annual trawler rendezvous.  Then we’ll put “home” in our cross hairs and travel southward as we head to Kindred Spirit III who’s awaiting our return as she rests in Brunswick, GA.  We both admit to missing her although 6 months of land travel has been a wonderful respite.


     Cherrystone RV Park, Cape Charles, VA, is huge!  There are 300 acres right on Chesapeake Bay and over 700 campsites. There are FOUR swimming pools but for some reason that I fail to understand, above the Mason-Dixon Line, pool plugs are pulled Labor Day.  The weather’s just as nice as it was then so what’s the deal?  We’re right on the bay and an unobstructed view to the west with beautiful sunsets!

     We have seen many many things but it has really been a marathon of a trip.  Next season we’ll go slower and stop and smell the roses.  There’s no way to see it all but we sure did try.  I would’ve loved more “lay days” and when the opportunity was presented, I relished every moment.

    
 Now our blog’s all caught up and my feelings of guilt about being remiss have vanished with the currently setting sun.


“You must search for the loveliness of  America. It is scattered. It is not obvious.  But when you find it, it touches you and binds you to it like a great secret oath taken in silence.”

     Struthers Burt, Jackson Hole, WY, Dude Rancher 1934



Bill and Laura
Cape Charles, VA













   





























28 September 2015 Loveland – Golden – Pikes Peak – Garden of the Gods – CO Springs – Denver – St. Louis, MO

By on September 28, 2015 in Kindred Spirit III

   Loveland, CO, was a great base for cycling and hiking and we took advantage of as much of as time permitted.  We moved on to Golden as a station for Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods neighborhoods.  


















     
     We drove to Colorado Springs to visit the USAF Academy and its beautiful campus.


  USAFA Chapel
     

     It had been years since we’d been to Pikes Peak, so we opted for the Cog Railway since the drive up there is on a curvy 2 lane road with switch backs and no guard rail that consumes 2 ½ hours.  The tram was fun and provided the opportunity to chat with other tourists.  At the summit, we were at 14,110 feet and the wind chill was 38 degrees.  We were desperately seeking O2——but amazingly some people are actually lighting up! We were having a hard time breathing with our crystal clear lungs!
Rocks atop Pikes Peak

Our view from the top of Pikes Peak where the oxygen is a commodity
Our round trip ride to Pikes Peak.
      Curiosity took us to Central City, CO, which is older than old with abandoned mines, ancient buildings and lots of casinos which seemed to be the only reason for its being.

     We loved Cheyenne, Wyoming. The RV park where we stayed, Terry Bison Ranch, is a real sure ‘nuff working ranch of 2700 acres. There’s a gift shop, breakfast cafe, lunch and dinner restaurant, nightly campfires, horse back riding, fishing, and even a train that runs around the perimeter of the property.

      The little black horse was born just a few hours prior and he’s is taking his first tenuous steps. 

     There is a “zoo” of animals with 6 camels, 3000 bison, llamas and alpacas, but I didn’t know which was which; and either emus or ostrich.  I don’t know much (if anything at all) about farms, but it was interesting to wander around and enjoy the “fresh” barnyard scents. There’s an old decorated bus made into a chicken house with chickens that have fancy feathers around their feet—think they’re the type used in cock fights.



      This was a real serendipity; an adventurous place to spend a few days and definitely a different atmosphere for us. The saloon has live music with dinner–all on the property and just a stone’s throw from our coach. This should be a very interesting visit. Already have my Fake Cowgirl Gear “laid out” and ready to wear.

Nothing special–just one of the things I love which is wood grain.

      




     Zip lining has been on my bucket list for a very long time and I don’t mean one for little children but one that would provide an over-the-top adrenaline surge.  I found the perfect one and as their ad states, we “embraced the wedgie”. 



     Our day of zip lining, for me, was the denouement of our 6 months and was far more than an adventure.  It was an experience!  We rode down Colorado’s longest and fastest zip lines ranging from 850 feet to over 1,900  feet long.  Our speeds were up to 60 mph even though it didn’t seem that fast and up to 250 feet above ground!  This was an absolute blast!! Almost four hours of longest and fastest zip lines in CO—6 of them.

The Mile High City

Beautiful gold leaf atop CO’s capitol in Denver
Bill has a knack for always finding old cars, trains, planes, tractors…anything that was once mechanical



     After watching the vivid azure skies punctuated by the whitest,  fluffiest, marshmallow clouds of the wild west diminish in our rear view mirrors, we spent three very long days crossing KS and MO to land in St. Louis, MO, for the Labor Day weekend. The MS River divides MO and IL and the bridge connecting both cities was bicycle friendly. Right in the center of down town is a strange place for an RV Park but that’s where we were and the location was perfect for scooting around playing, very well, the roles of tourists.
     President Thomas Jefferson brokered the greatest real estate deal in US history with the Louisiana Purchase from France’s Napoleon.  Our country doubled in size for a mere $15 million making St. Louis the gateway to the West. Its Gateway Arch celebrates a 50th birthday/anniversary this year.  


The St. Louis Old City Hall framed by the Gateway Arch to the West

    The monument is such a pristine beauty to behold with its brushed stainless skin and its clean catenary shape.  The height is 630 feet and the width at ground level between the outer sides of the legs is also 630 feet.  This testament is quite secure with a foundation of 60 feet.  Does it face true north?  No, it’s 18 degrees off.  Late September, the National Park Service plans to honor the Arch’s half-century marking the setting of the final piece of the nation’s tallest manmade monument.  

     We took the trip to the top and you can see the Cardinal’s stadium in the distance with game in progress.
Beautiful landscaping along the main drag downtown St. Louis
     
     The City Museum is not just a museum! We read its story prior to our arrival which was amazing and exciting, heightening our anticipation but there is absolutely no way to describe it. You’ve got to personally experience it to be able to “get it”.





     It occupies a 600,000 square-foot former International Shoe Company in down town St. Louis. The museum is an eclectic mixture of a children’s playground, surrealistic pavilion, and architectural marvel made out of unique, found objects. It’s the brainchild of internationally acclaimed artist, Bob Cassilly, a classically trained sculptor and entrepreneur.


Thousands of tiny gears mounted on the walls with marbles placed in their centers
Remember Shoney’s Big Boy from 50 years ago?

     The artisans have constructed the museum from the very stuff of the city, reaching no farther than the city’s borders.  They are using reclaimed building and industrial materials with features such as old chimneys, salvaged bridges, construction cranes, miles of tile, a cantilevered off-the-roof school bus, 2 old fire trucks, a 10 story slide, and even two abandoned airplanes upon which children of all ages can play.
     St. Louis is the home of Anheuser Busch Brewery which provides a half day of entertainment and education.  The visitor’s center is extravagant and welcoming to tourists.  
     The dream of every Clydesdale is to have the correct coloring and to be chosen to be a Budweiser Clydesdale.  Check out their indoor climate controlled stalls with their names hanging above their “slots” carved and in gold leaf–complete with stained glass windows.

The Anheuser Bush Clock Tower


Validation by a satisfied consumer
     So much to see and do and so little time to do it.
Bill and Laura heading east…then south.
St. Louis, MO 

18 August 2015 Utah Salt Lake City – The Great Salt Lake – Park City – Sundance

By on August 18, 2015 in Kindred Spirit III

Utah’s State Capitol
      Loved Yellowstone and the Tetons but time to move on to Salt Lake City that we used as our base to enjoy not only that city but also a side trip to Park City and Sundance.  Park City began as a raucous, rough and tumble silver-mining boom town but nearly faded into history as a ghost town.  Later it re-invented itself as a ski town that has grown into a “destination”.  I fell in love with this quaint little town.  It’s a funky, quirky, artsy place and a haven for just about any athletic endeavor you could think of—except swimming.  Didn’t see a drop of water except for the stream that ran beside one of the restaurants.  A couple about our age who are full-timers there, approached us–(we must’ve had the look of what-should-we-do-first?) and provided us with so much info of places to go and do and see that we wouldn’t have gleaned from any of the tourist brochures.  It’s a precious, darling, historic little town.  Look forward to returning but not in the winter–think temp’s dips below our 65 degree comfort zone.  Robert Redford’s Sundance was an exciting trip.  I looked and looked but never saw him.  Maybe we should’ve called in advance.  :-)

    



     We enjoyed a day on Antelope Island State Park, the largest island in the Great Salt Lake.  There are free-roaming herds of bison, bighorn sheep, mule deer, and pronghorn antelope.  A 7 mile causeway across the lake joins the island to the mainland.  From that vantage point, the views are stunning of the Wasatch Mountain Range and the Salt Lake City skyline.  This is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River and a remnant of pre-historic Lake Bonneville which covered more than 20,000 square miles during the Ice Age.  Water flows into the lake from four river drainages but there is no outlet so whatever goes into the lake, stays there.  Water leaves the lake only through evaporation, consequently leaving behind high levels of minerals.  It is America’s Dead Sea. 
      Bill, a non-floater, demonstrates the high salinity of the Great Salt Lake
 Bill floats like a  rock but look at my very buoyant hubby.  In the summer when the lake is down, the salinity is about 27%–obviously much more dense than is the ocean. The trek from the parking lot to the lake’s edge is about a half mile of wading through very soft ankle-deep sand and rocks.  Certainly not a time to leave your water bottle behind.  Bill sorta rinsed his shorts and the next morning they had dried and they stood all alone and by themselves in the corner!  


     Knowing that Thursday night is the rehearsal time for the Mormon  Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra, we made it a point to be there for that.
     WOW!! We sat in on the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra rehearsal on Thursday night. What a long dreamed-of treat. We were in the Conference Center Auditorium which occupies 10 acres. It is ENORMOUS, seating 21,000 people!! The sounds made me tingle down to my toes.  🎶

A fountain atop the 10 acre Conference Center

Conference Center Bell Tower.  

Notice the waterfall

Angel Moroni atop a spire

The visitors’ center has many “life-like” photos

7,667 pipes for the 5 rank organ

     The rehearsal just wasn’t enough so we returned on Sunday morning for their service and to see and hear the live performance of Music and the Spoken Word.  This has aired every Sunday morning for 80 years.  I struck up a conversation with the lady sitting beside us.  She had worked at Temple Square for many years and was a wealth of information.  She retired and moved to SC, the state from which we retired.


     After the service, we toured several of the buildings which are outstanding structures.  No short cuts were taken with the construction nor furnishings.  They thought of absolutely everything. The sanctuary in the Conference Center is being re-carpeted with 7 ½ acres of carpet!  One of the tours was of the roof and the guide said that the plantings there and on the ground level around the building are to camouflage it’s tremendous 10 acres.  This is truly a feat of engineering.  There are no visible support beams.  Besides the previously mentioned 21,000 seats, there’s a 900 seat proscenium-style theatre and 1300 parking spaces below the building on FOUR levels.  On the roof are 4 landscaped acres with trees, an alpine meadow of grasses and wildflowers, fountains, and a waterfall.  The main support beam weighs 621 tons.  The structure exceeds building code requirements to withstand seismic forces in the event of an earthquake.  



Strolling the city’s streets, I just found the 2 types of architecture–the old brick and the new glass buildings–an interesting contrast

     Salt Lake City has an Apple Store, REI, Blick Art Supply, an independent mechanic who put on new brake pads and other “mendables” that he found on our Toad/Towed plus all the other stores you’d expect in a big city.
A view from Antelope Island of the Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake


 Time to pull up the tent stakes and begin moving east.

Bill and Laura Bender
18 August 2015

12 August 2015 Coeur d’ Alene, ID – Spokane, WA – Portland, OR – OR Coast – Eugene, OR – Bend, OR – Boise, ID – Arco, ID – Yellowstone – Grand Tetons

By on August 12, 2015 in Kindred Spirit III

A frozen waterfall near the porcupine encounter at Lake Louise

   







Windmill Farms abound

 

     Calgary was a difficult place to leave but it was in our rearview mirror as we saw Coeur d’ Alene in our cross hairs and arrived to celebrate our independence after just recently enjoying celebrating with the Canadians.  That was a delightful little city—beautiful, a college town, water water everywhere,  very bicycle friendly.  In that area it wasn’t uncommon to have streets dedicated JUST to bicycles and if cars had to share with us, the bike lane was plenty wide enough so that lessened our fears of becoming a statistic. 



A big shoe to fill
Spokane, WA


          Took a little side trip on a simply perfect day to investigate the OR coast north of Coos Bay.  Several years ago we covered Coos and south.
   

The Oregon coastline invited us to stop and frolic.

     Tillamook Cheese Factory also summoned us where we tanked up on many cheese samples THEN did not resist their ice cream made with very rich whole milk and many other ingredients that made me wonder why my shorts are too tight.  Sure was good!

Sweetest guy in the world dwarfed by
Biggest truck in the world



     When we were in Coeur d’ Alene, I swam in the Spokane River, clear as a bell. Not another soul out there but 2 white ducks. This was the best thing (workout) since St. Petersburg’s pool months ago. Beautiful 4th of July celebration morning. Swimming, my passion, is a very rare treat!!!

     We ordered and received our Bike Friday’s 8 years ago and have been eager to go to their headquarters in Eugene, OR, to see where our bikes were conceived and birthed. We had our bikes turned up, enjoyed a great tour of the facility, and even met the owner/designer of the line of Bike Fridays.

     Bend, Oregon’s, 36.3 mile Twin Bridges Scenic Bikeway with an elevation range of 3010 feet to 3800 feet beckoned us.  As “flatlanders”, it definitely wasn’t the easiest ride we’ve ever done. Breathtakingly beautiful but we felt we’d earned our locally crafted beers and pizza on our way home. I never want to leave Bend…but the Deschutes isn’t trawler navigable. Hiking! Cycling! Wineries! Microbreweries! Lovin’ it!
About 10 minutes into our ride, this rose up to say, “now aren’t you glad you got out and started your day with nature and solitude?”


     It’s not everyday that we find a giraffe peering over the fence at us nor do we often see a broken dam and surfers making good use of it. We cycled the marvelous Boise Greenbelt today and these were just a few of the things we saw. The state capitol has yellow ribbons on the columns for our military troops.


     
     This was a blast!!! I’ve been dying to do this forever. Even though we live on a boat, Bill is NOT a water person so he never exuded an ounce of enthusiasm when I’d mention a white water rafting trip. There was only one way to solve that problem so I made reservations, paid for our trip, and said, “Guess what we’re going to do Thursday.” I dragged him kicking and screaming—he even left heel marks in the parking lot. Guess who LOVED it and has agreed to do it again! I couldn’t resist “falling in” and that water was probably only 33 degrees (not really) but didn’t take long to acclimate. What a great day. Didn’t want the trip to end.  My next project is to get him on a zip-line over rivers and gorges. 

Bill’s port side near back in khaki cap.  I’m front, starboard, pink cap.


     After 2 nights in Arco, ID, home of Craters of the Moon National Park, we were Yellowstone-bound for 5 days. There are miles of lava fields that look like coarsely tilled very fertile soil. A historical marker at a scenic pull-off boasts that “Since 1949, more nuclear reactors — over 50 of them — have been built on this plain than anywhere else in the world.” The town of Arco became the first city in the world to be lit by atomic power from a reactor built in 1955. The Arco reactor later suffered a partial meltdown — another World’s First but there isn’t a highway sign bragging about that. This is a sad little town reminding us of something out of an old western movie with tumbleweeds blowing around and sage brush everywhere. Kinda expect to see Gun Smoke’s Chester come hobbling out of one of the dilapidated buildings.



These exquisite views are new to us each day.

      Our visit to Jackson Hole, WY, offered hang-gliding which is another thing on my bucket list but could arouse no interest from my husband.  The next one we come across, I’m going even if I have to do it alone.



     2 of our 5 Yellowstone days, we spent a full 12 hours of hiking, entering the park at 5:30 AM.  The other 3 days weren’t as long or as strenuous.  Had no idea I should’ve trained for this trip–like maybe using the Ironman program.  Every day we were on the move and still didn’t see it all.  Think it’d take at least 2 weeks of 10-12 hour days to not miss a thing.  There’s no way to describe the beauty—each just needs to see this for themselves.  We continued to marvel at our Father’s world—the canyons, sculpted and carved from intricacy to boldness; the meadows and forests, colored and textured with His brush and palette; and the clarity and intoxicating force of the cascading waterfalls. When He flung this world into space, He did it was all for our pleasure. After 12 hours and many miles on our hiking shoes, we were running for the barn with full hearts.


     Yellowstone can be one of the most freeing and unique places in the world if you know where to go.  Probably the majority of the park visitors never leave the boardwalks or the Grand Loop Road.

Sapphire Pool
Artist’s Paint Pot

Yellowstone is famous for its many geysers but the hot springs seem to come as a surprise to tourists.  We saw hot water flowing over patches of brilliant yellow, orange, red, and green.  Hot pools were lined with color and even the steam appeared to be tinted.



Geyers in Yellowstone are everywhere.




     These colorful deposits are microbial even though it seems amazing that organisms could live, much less thrive, in water too hot to touch. They are called thermophiles, can’t live anywhere else.

     
     The Grand Prismatic Hot Spring is the largest thermal hot spring in our country and 3rd largest in the world.  If your travel plans include Yellowstone, park your car in the Fountain Freight Road trail lot and after about a mile or two hike you will receive your reward of a spectacular view of this spring in its entirety.  It has 3 distinct colors–white on one side, pale red or an orangey color in center and on the other side, a light sky blue.  The orange color is due to pigmented bacteria, the blue color is due to refracted skylight and the green is chlorophyll. Each color coordinates to a specific microbe that thrives at very different temperatures. 


     Seems that Old Faithful is as much of a national landmark as Mount Rushmore whereas the thermophiles are as under appreciated as the water spouts are over-marketed.  It is the heat-loving microbes that literally put the yellow into Yellowstone.  









 We were captivated by an Old Faithful performance lasting over 4 minutes!!!   
Rodents have never been my favorite critter but these little prairie dogs are cute as can be and real hams.

     



Buffalo/Bison were plentiful; elk not so much; but we never saw not one single bear!!!
Old Faithful Inn where we had a view of geysers and a sumptuous brunch.





























Currently, we’re in the Tetons for 5 days and continue to exclaim at every turn we take.



Bill and Laura Bender
8 August 2015




   
   






2 July 2015 Alberta, CA

By on August 10, 2015 in Kindred Spirit III
                                     Calgary, Alberta, Canada



Seems like flowers and especially baskets, are fuller and much more vibrant than our southern ones.  Each time I see one I can’t help but effervesce about their abundance and beauty.


     We’re almost 4 months into our 6 months of “land cruising” and are excited about how much our learning curve is flattening.  Several months ago we were very excited but VERY apprehensive about what lay ahead. Now, our baseless fears are gone, each day becomes easier and more fun and we’re “in the groove”. There is one thing that we are having difficulty with from 7 years of moving slower than a snail’s pace is that we’ve traveled so far but it hasn’t been an ordeal at all. Weather doesn’t dictate and we have a car!!! 


     As I was close to retirement, several of my patients said they would expect me to return to work after a bit because retirement is so boring.  I have never looked back.  On the other hand, Bill was afraid he would be bored because he was never a day without a job for 44 years.  He has never regretted his retirement.


     This is a more sedentary lifestyle than water cruising which helps explain the many over-weight people that we see. I think I’m headed in that direction because we’re eating like we’re on vacation—but this is our LIFE!!!. We have to make a very special effort to get out and break a sweat and get our heart rate up. No idea why that’s so difficult unless it’s because the coach is so much more comfy and more ergonomically friendly than the boat. Temp is always perfect; starting genset is only the flip of a switch; the shower is wonderful; and we sleep like dead people. We’re great sleepers on the boat but this is even a more sound sleep—didn’t believe that could be possible. Life is good and everyday we are thankful for our health and the opportunity to revel in this nomadic lifestyle.

While in Alberta, we saw countless fields drenched in vibrant yellow; a                           spectacular showing of canola.

   

Beautiful Banff, Alberta!

   Lake Louise is beautiful, clear, and colder than a well digger’s shovel! Loved it. Don’t know temp but in summer it ‘sometimes’ gets up to 50 degrees!

     On a hike up the mountain that you see in the background, toward the glacier, a porcupine cornered Bill.  He dared not step over and there was no way to go around this critter so it was a Mexican Standoff.  The guide said that the glaciers are becoming less and less each year.



     We’re loving the low humidity and cool breezes of Calgary, Alberta, and surrounding areas but we’re involuntarily experiencing and “internet fast” which is driving me crazy and that’s a short trip for me. No phone service. Only connection to the rest of the world is via texting—sans pictures. Whatever did we do before the internet? How’d we know where to go; how to get there; where to find…; other than snail mail, how to stay in touch with family and friends…? Think we’ll hang around for the Calgary Stampede—we’ve got the costumes! Hee-haw!!!!!

When Canada Day rolled around, we rolled down there on our bikes to celebrate along with them. Great cycling opportunities there.
 This struck me as a very strange/unusual sculpture in downtown Calgary
     Loving the low humidity, cool breezes and temps in the 60’s in Calgary but sadly we’re experiencing an “internet fast” here.Whatever did we do before Google?  How’d we know where to go; how to get there; what to do when we  got there; how to communicate with friends short of snail mail…? The deficit is driving me crazy and for me, that’s a short trip.  We celebrated Canada Day right along with the Canadians in Calgary and when we left, it was 66 degrees.

Site of 1988 Winter Olympics


      My sweet Bill had his 69th birthday so to celebrate, he rode 69 miles on his little Bike Friday then said, “what the heck—let’s make it 70!” So he did and what a poster child for excellent health and great conditioning for such an old man!

    



            Bill’s birthday breakfast to fuel his 70 miles bike ride.


We’re on the move.  Hope you can stay with us.


Bill and Laura Bender

21 June 2015 Bozeman and Big Sky, Montana

By on June 22, 2015 in Kindred Spirit III
     Not only is today a day to honor our fathers, it it also marks our 8th week of loving our new adventure of land cruising. We were excited but VERY apprehensive about what lay ahead. Now, 2 months later, the baseless fears are gone and each day becomes easier and more fun. There is one thing that we are having difficulty with from 7 years of moving slower than a snail’s pace is that we’ve traveled so far but it hasn’t been an ordeal at all. Weather doesn’t dictate and we have a car!!! Two great things that removes lots of uncertainties.

     This is a more sedentary lifestyle than cruising which helps explain the many over-weight people that we see. We have to make a very special effort to get out and break a sweat and get our heart rate up. No idea why that’s so difficult unless it’s because the coach is so much more comfy and more ergonomically friendly than the boat. Temp is always perfect; starting genset is only the flip of a switch; the shower is wonderful; and we sleep like dead people. We’re great sleepers on the boat but this is even a more sound sleep—didn’t believe that could be possible. Life is good and everyday we are thankful for our health and the opportunity to revel in this nomadic lifestyle.

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13-18 June 2015 Deadwood, SD, and Surrounding Areas

By on June 18, 2015 in Kindred Spirit III
Tame yet wild.
They wandered to our car sticking their heads in the window looking for a handout.
       We’ve settled in just outside of Deadwood, a historic mining camp built on a rowdy history of gold, gambling and gunpowder. We planned to stay 3 days but each day we beg for “just one more”.  There is so much to do here within a 50mile radius so it’s just a great place to use as our base. 

     
     Our first stop was Mount Rushmore, rising from the plains as a prelude to the Rockies. This is a must-see for any tourists in the South Dakota Black Hills and is one of our nation’s most significant and enduring patriotic symbols.  Gutzon Borglum, also creator of Stone Mountain’s carvings, sculpted the colossal faces of U.S. presidents, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, representing the first 150 years of America’s democracy.


     We beat the crowds and soaked in the beauty of this monument that was washed in the early morning light as we reflected on the symbolism of the four presidents and the magnificent engineering feat required to carve from a granite mountain.  If your patriotism needs a revitalization, this vista will fill the bill.

     To fully appreciate and understand the significance of Mount Rushmore, we visited the Rushmore-Borglum Story.  In Borglum’s opinion, women carry most of life’s burdens so he sculpted a female Atlas holding the earth’s global responsibilities on her shoulders. 

     About his presidential carvings, Borglum said, “…let us place there, carved high, as close to heaven as we can, the words of our leaders, their faces, to show posterity what manner of men they were.  Then breathe a prayer that these records will endure until the wind and rain alone shall wear them away.” No words can describe the beauty of Mount Rushmore.

    Have you ever wondered how and why those 4 particular presidents were chosen?  I have and here’s the “how come”.  The birth of our nation is symbolized by George Washington.  Thomas Jefferson represents our country’s expansion with the Louisiana Purchase.  Theodore Roosevelt was a leader in our development signified by the Panama Canal, Trust Buster and Conservation.  Abe Lincoln worked to preserve our nation in saving the union during the Civil War.  So that’s “how come”.


Obviously, this is BEFORE Wild Bill’s demise
Is it true that you’re known by the company you keep?
Birds of a feather….?

      In Deadwood, there are more than 80 gambling halls in Deadwood and at least that many watering holes. Thanks to TripAdvisor, we went to a newcomer to the Deadwood scene, Pump House at Mind Blown Studio.  It’s a one-of-a-kind establishment that’s a deli, coffee house, and glass blowing studio all in one, homed inside a retro Texaco gas station.


     While there, we witnessed the re-enacted murder of Wild Bill Hickok and the capture and trial of the cowardly killer, Jack McCall. On Main Street, known for its bars, brothels and gambling houses, Wild Bill was playing poker in Saloon No. 10 when McCall walked in and shot Will Bill in the back of the head.  Bill was holding two pairs, Aces and Eights, which became known as the Dead Man’s Hand. Jack was first tried by a miner’s court in Deadwood and found not guilty.  He was later tried, executed and buried with the noose still around his neck.


    

     Lead, SD, a century-old community founded by miners and merchants, has some of the most spectacular scenery in North America. Thousands of miners and muleskinners made and lost their fortunes there and sometimes all in one day. One of the first enterprises there was  the Gold Rush of 1876 and the Homestake Gold Mine which produced 40 millions ounces of gold during its lifetime, valued over a billion dollars. The mine closed in 2002, and was American’s longest continuously operating, largest, deepest mine in the western hemisphere and stretching over 8,000 feet below the town of Lead.


Bridal Veil Falls
Spearfish, SD

     This is Lakota Sioux Indian territory and their word, “paha sapa” means “hills black”.  From a distance, the Black Hills look exactly like that—dark, misty prominences rising from the otherwise undisturbed prairie. The Sioux’s must not have been flatlanders because the name “Hills” is misleading.  18 of the Black Hill’s peaks surpass 7,000 feet; Harney Peak, being the tallest of them all, at 7,242 feet.  On hiking trails, any group is limited to “25 beating hearts including stock and pets”.  Thought that to be a funny way to enumerate those in a hiking group.

One of the hand carved tunnels


      There is so much wildlife in the Custer State Park Park—pronghorn, prairie dogs, whitetail and mule deer, elk and bighorn sheep that roam the precipices and prairies during the day and at night you can hear the mournful howl of coyotes.



     Custer State Park in the Black Hills covers 71,000 acres and every inch is playground. There are 3 dedicated drives; Iron Mountain Road, Needles Highway, and the Wildlife Loop Road.  We experienced all 4. Nearly 1300 massive bison roam the prairie.  They’re gargantuan with males weighing up to a ton.  They look like they’d move at trawler speed but they can run 30 mph.

     Iron Mountain Road is part of the Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway leading from Custer State Park to Mount Rushmore. There are 3 granite tunnels that perfectly frame the memorial in the distance.  “They” said that building the highway was a crazy idea and could never be built.  Mr. Norbeck didn’t listen. He mapped out a route on foot and on horseback that captured the grandeur of these ancient mountains and the rest is history.  His 70 mile long byway is one of the the most outstanding byways in America.
    
     Needles Highway is a must-do drive when visiting the park. 
It features soaring granite pinnacles, man-made tunnels and hairpin curves all leading to beautiful Sylvan Lake, the crown jewel of Custer State Park.  Granite outcroppings resist erosion, consequently clusters of towering, slender peaks have formed spires reminiscent of a Gothic cathedral. The Needles Eye is a granite formation that looks like the eye of a needle.



The Needle’s Eye
Custer State Park, SD




    

     On the Wildlife Loop, altitude 5000 feet, we stopped at Blue Bell Lodge which is as comfy as a pair of old jeans and offers a Western experience that was a pure delight.  We had dinner of buffalo meatloaf and buffalo tips with fresh sautéed mushrooms which was superb.  Loved the bar’s stools which are saddles.


     Ending our stay here we drove to Hill City, SD, and took a trip back to the days of yesteryear when steam engines chugged across the country.  Our round trip excursion in1880 authentic vintage cars was pulled by a steam driven iron horse. Bill wanted to sit in an open car as close to the engine as possible so he could smell and hear everything the engine “emitted”—-so we did.  We traveled through meadows and canyons of the Black Hills to Keystone, SD, returning to Hill City.  Both the weather and temp were beautifully perfect and Bill was like a little kid.

Our 1880 Steam Engine Train Ride

     We depart the Black Hills area tomorrow heading in a north westerly direction.  Experiencing the terrain/topography/landscape and history of South Dakota’s Black Hills, has been an experience that is indelibly imprinted in our minds.



  

































Bill and Laura Bender
Monaco Dynasty Baroness Motor Coach

13 June 2015 Minneapolis, MN – Badlands, South Dakota

By on June 13, 2015 in Kindred Spirit III
     Madison, WI, was a great treat for cyclists and was terrific for us but difficult to leave.  Time to press on to Minneapolis which is the number one among the top 50 most bike friendly cities in our country.  Bill had to celebrate that fact by doing a 60 mile ride on his little 20” wheel Bike Friday.  He loved “setting a record” for himself.  Now he wants to go 70.  If he had a real bicycle, he could probably keep up with the young hot dogs!  On the day he chose to do that, he came upon a GM old car show so that gave him even more delight.  We took a ‘day-apart’ day and I stayed home and did things I wanted to do and never stepped out the door while he was out laying out the miles and seeing old stuff.  

      While in that city, we made several futile attempts to locate Minnehaha Falls by bicycle and HAD to see it before leaving so we drove there and discovered a beautiful park.  Se Salt is a cute little restaurant within the park that a bike shop employee told us about so that’s where we had lunch.  When we spied Surly Bender beer, you know we had to have it even though we don’t really care for dark beer but this was quite good.  I’m sure the name had a lot to do with it.





     Loved that city because it IS a city and because it has so many little funky eclectic areas reminding me of Atlanta’s Little Five but with different flavors.  Look forward to going back there again.




    The Corn Palace, is a place Bill visited as a child and he was eager to take me there. It’s uniquely American on the rolling prairies of Mitchell, South Dakota.  The building is famous for the huge colorful murals on its outside walls. They are redesigned every year but this year it’s also going through major face lift.

     In June, the rye and sour dock from last year are removed from the building and new bundles are stapled there and completed by the end of July.  Artists transfer their sketches to roofing paper which is attached to the mural panels.  13 shades of colored corn are planted locally each April in carefully separated plots to ensure plants don’t cross-pollinate and dilute the purity of the colors. Then they are hand-picked, along with other prairie plants especially for the murals.
  
     Artisans combine bundles of rye grass and sour dock, a hearty prairie plat, and staple the bundles to the frames..  The end result is the colored ears of corn being carefully sawed in half, trimmed, and nailed to the wall to create the variegated images for which the Corn Palace if famous. They work all summer to complete the mosaics so that it’ll be completed by fall for their festival to celebrate agriculture and the productivity of the South Dakotas.  

     The theme is different every year—-it’s sort of a corn-by-number mosaic as they use 3,000 bushels of rye, oat heads and sour dock to complete their designs. They were only about ¼ of the way completed when we visited.

     Next, we visited the small town of Wall, SD, whose Main Street is definitely western and is home to the world-famous Wall Drug Store, circa 1931.  I always like to know “how come” so here’s the story.  In 1931, a couple bought the only drugstore in Wall and after a 5 year trial, they hadn’t grown too much but they were still seeing many cars passing by without stopping.  On an a sizzling July day, they had an idea.  The folks traveling through the hot dusty prairie must be very thirsty so they put up signs on the highway announcing “free ice water” and the rest, as they say, is history.  FREE ICE WATER!  This uncomplicated and creative idea rocketed them to success. As a child, Bill was also wowed by this icon but 60+ years later it’s experienced exponential growth to 76,000 square feet and probably just about that many opportunities to make purchases. As the saying goes, “if they don’t have it, you don’t need it.”  

     I found the Trip Advisor reviews to be very negative but when we arrived, it was mind-boggling to see the varieties of “stuff”—both  quality items and tourist-trap junk. Wall Drug is a must-see——if for nothing else but just to say you’ve been there.  




     The Badlands Country beckoned us next and is a short drive from Wall.  For almost 2 centuries, the area in and around Badlands National Park has been an important center for paleontological research.  Some of the most spectacular fossil and rock accumulations in North America were found in this area.  and give scientists clues about how early animal species lived. It’s a wonderland of water chiseled spires, ragged ridges, rugged canyons and prairie.  The lower prairie lies along the floodplain of the White River, is grass-covered and scattered with isolated steep-sided hills with flat tops somewhat like a mesa but more narrow.   As you approach the upper prairie, the grassy flat lands begin to undulate—-and then there it is! 



“The Wall”, standing between the two as a barrier to north and south travel.  “The Wall”, is a rugged ribbon 0.5 to 3 miles wide displaying a succession of pigmented steeples and ridges with snaking ravines.   So that’s “how come” the town of Wall got its name. 







     In this land of the Sioux Indians is revealed some of the most rapid landscape changes anywhere on earth.  Hundred of centuries and erosion has hewed blade-like margins and abysses, chimneys, turrets and turtle back humps.  The siltstone, mud stone and volcanic ash area are easily worn away by nature’s forces resulting in a sculpted fairy land. I was fascinated by the strata while learning about the origin of each with explanations of the variations in coloration.  


     The Visitor Center has interesting displays of the geology and paleontology.  Two paleontologists were at work in a display room and were more than eager to answer my multitude of questions.  It was hard to pull myself away from watching them carefully and gently remove tiny particles of mudstone to reveal a hidden treasure.  One, who was working with a minuscule jack hammer, said that his project, about 37,000 years old, has already revealed to him that his treasure contains remains of a carnivore identified by feces that has a pink cast to it.



     The Badlands National Park’s 250,000 acres continue to be rich in prehistoric animal fossils and a variety of wildlife.  Prairie dogs are plentiful and the herds of majestic Big Horn sheep and bison continue to roam and graze.  We didn’t see any eagles but those little prairie dogs would be easy pickings for them.


We’re loving it and please stay tuned.


Bill and Laura
Monaco Dynasty Motor Coach























6 June 2015 Mall of America, Minneapolis, MN

By on June 9, 2015 in Kindred Spirit III
Water Park

     What an overwhelmingly impressive experience for us two country bumpkins.  Neither of us are shoppers but we’d heard so much about the Mall of America in Minneapolis that we just had to go there.  If you’ve never been, you should put it on your bucket list.  We were there for hours and, believe it or not, walked out empty-handed.  It just look forever to try to take in all of it.  There are 4 levels housing shops, restaurants, IKEA, furniture stores, bars,  theatres, ice rink, 3 hotels, a water park Bass Pro, a dinner theatre, an aquarium, and a HUGE amusement park——definitely a sensory over load on all levels.  And, if that were not enough, it’s expanding!!!  If Nordsto

m isn’t within your budget, there’s a Dollar Tree, a Sears and JCP.

Ice Rink



     The MoA has over 42 million visitors annually, the most of any mall in the world, and employs over 11,000 year-round and 13,000 during peak seasons.  It’s located on the site of the former Metropolitan Stadium, where the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Twins played until the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome opened. A plaque in the amusement park commemorates the former location of home plate, and one seat from Met Stadium was placed in Mall of America at the exact location it occupied in the stadium.



     The Mall of America has a gross area of 4,870,000 square feet or 96.4 acres which is enough to fit seven Yankee Stadiums inside.The mall is  symmetric with a rectangular floor plan. Mayo has markers inside for walkers with designations for a mile, 5K, 10K, and 13.1 miles.  Beyond belief and overwhelming is our description of that day’s experience.


Bill and Laura
Loving our new adventure and in our 6th week.


26 May – 4 June 2015 Batavia, IL – Geneva, IL – Madison, WI

By on June 7, 2015 in Kindred Spirit III

     Long ago when we were new to living aboard our boat (although not new to boating) and had been full-time cruisers for about a month, we met a couple, Linda and Loy, with whom we immediately struck a bond.  They were long-time…