Published on this date.
Tuesday 3/06/2012
Left home about 2:40am. Arrived in Charlotesville,Va at 2pm. 11 1/2 hours. GPS gave us some problems. In Hartford, it had us get off of RT84 and ended up doing circles around a particular block. Stopped in Penn. and had breakfast at Perkins. 4/It was ok nothing special...pushed their bakery items. Stayed at Hampton Inn, used 7500 Hilton pts and $40. Walked over to Chili's...had a good time. Blended in with a group of regulars. The bartender (Ellie) grew up in Cumberland, RI and worked at J's deli in Smithfield. Her ex husband works in J's in Cumberland. Became friends with a retired welfare judge(Tom who is italian but can speak polish), a hedge fund owner, and Patty who is successful at playing the market. Tom suggested that we should spend more time to visit the local attractions. Charlotesville is very nice and old colonial. Definitely on list to visit with more time to spend.
Wednesday 3/07/2012
Had breakfast
at Hampton Inn and was very good. Also took a couple of "to go" breakfast
bags which we used later. Left around 9:20am for Charleston,SC.
Stopped at JR cigars. Arrived at the Residence Inn at 5pm. Hotel was
nice ... 2 bedroom and 2 bath suite. Went to the managers reception at
6pm for wine/beer and brautwurst sandwiches.
Thursday 3/08/2012
Breakfast
at hotel. Went to downtown Charleston .. had a good time. Will
definitely spend more time in the future to see more sights. Walked
along the water front. Highlight was Moes downtown tavern. Had several
beers and fried Polish peorgies (good). Bartender (Loran) was great.
Waitress grew up in NH. Worked out with the exercise bands. Went to
managers reception for beer and mexican nachos. Took a walk and smoked a
cigar.Friday 3/09/2012
Saturday 3/10/2012
Did an hour on treadmill. Bought oatmeal at hotel (good..$4, but got fruit and nuts with it). Took a ride into Tallahassee. Very clean and nice city. Strolled through a farmers market. Went to Sonics, and brought it back to the room. Tried going to Chili's, but that most restaurants had waiting lines out the door. Went to Subway and brought it back to room. Although the hotel was nice in appearance, there must have been some event going on because there were many kids running around the corridors and by sliding glass door. No peace and quiet until very late at night. Lesson learned...on weekend stays, get a room far away from the pool.
Sunday 3/11/2012
Did an hour on treadmill. Bought same oatmeal for both of us. Left hotel around 10am for Daphne, Alabama. Arrived around 3pm. Being a Hilton gold card member, got upgraded to a room with a balcony and facing the water with a great view. Called and met up with a friend for dinner at Lamberts (recommended by lady at visitors center). On the map it looked like it was around the corner from the hotel, but took over an hour to get there. Restaurant was good with old time atmosphere. People would go around with bread rolls, fried okra, cabbage, homefried potatos, etc. Had liver and onions and Sharon had chicken pie. Scheduled to play golf with friend tomorrow.
Monday 3/12/2012
Thunderstorms, so ended up not playing golf. Had breakfast at hotel Sharon liked because of the magic word....FREE. Friend came over for coffee and discussed many of his cross country trips in his rv. He has been here since Jan. 5, and is paying $300 a month for his camp ground spot. Decided to stay in the area for an additional 2 days (4 days total), so booked the same hotel (Hampton Inn,4 days for $160 and 50,000 points). Free breakfast and manager's reception at night with free cocktails. Sharon and I took a long ride down the coast of Mobile Bay. Stopped along the water and took pics. Ended up eating at the same restaurant (Lamberts). Sharon brought the camera with the intention of taking pictures....so far she has taken none. She decided to take pictures inside the restaurant. She took one of me and wanted one of herself. I took one, she decided she did not like it so I had to take another,and another...etc.. After about a dozen attempts, decided it was enough. Got plenty of food, so took doggy bags. Went back to hotel to wait for manager's reception.
Tuesday 3/13/2012
Tuesday 3/13/2012
Played golf at Timbercreek ($40 includes cart and bag lunch). Met up with 2 others from Wisconsin and Michigan. They are staying the winter in Fairhope. Pays $1800/month for 2bed/2bath house. Might consider doing it next year instead of Fla. Shot a 93. Sharon stayed around hotel. Went to Subway at night and brought back subs.
Wednesday 3/14/2012
Played golf with friend from NJ. Did terrible but had fun. Went for a ride down to bay; Fairhope is very nice. May consider renting for a month next year. Sharon went for a nature walk and took some wonderful pics, like the one above. Drove into downtown Mobile. Bridge to get there was 7.4 miles long. Small/clean city, but looks like a major shipping area (many large docks with cranes to offload ships). Went to Subway and brought back subs.
Thursday 3/15/2012
Drove to Biloxi. Mississippi had one of the nicest welcome centers. Stayed at Palace Casino Resort. Got a $59 rate for a handicap room....turned out to be nice. Pic of bathtub below. Rate jumps up to $249 the next day.
Friday 3/16/2012
Had breakfast at hotel. Drove to New Orleans. Got lost trying to find the Days Inn (about 25 miles out of the way due to the gps). Hotel is a dump and about 17 miles from downtown, but hard to find a reasonable hotel due to St Patty's weekend. We drove into New Orleans and down to Bourbon St. The street was alive...just like the Miller beer commercial on tv. We strolled down the street and stopped in a couple of places for drinks.
On the way home, we stopped at Subway and brought subs back to the room.
Saturday 3/17/2012
Woke up at 6am and went for a long walk. Had breakfast from a limited selection at the hotel. The place was a zoo. Sharon wanted to go to the Bayou Sauvage wildlife refuge. It is promoted as having over a hundred variety of birds, alligators, wild pigs, etc. During the long walk we only saw one small lizard and a rabbit. We stopped at Kentucky Fried chicken then back to the hotel. We waited until 5pm to go back to Bourbon St. It was St Patty's day and the place was packed. Most were inebriated. We stopped at one place and had a drink. We strolled around and came across one of the best jazz bands I have heard, playing on the street. The singer and leader of the band was a big black woman who could really sing and play a great clarinet. The drum player was a black girl about 7 or 8 years old. The pic that Sharon took does not do justice to the entire group. I have it on the camcorder.
Came across a voodo store. In front is where the haunted house tour starts.
Sunday 03/18/2012
Left New Orleans. In summation: great time, dumpy hotel, and driving around was a scary experience. Many drivers think they are on a NASCAR track.
It was about 240 miles to the Texas border. There are many small casinos along route 10. We stopped in a welcome center in Parish County off the highway. It was really nice and friendly. Landscaped nice and had a 280 year old tree in the front.
From Alabama, we have crossed many long bridges. The one in Alabama to Mobile was 7.4 miles long. We crossed one that was 17.6 miles long crossing bayous and rivers in Lousiana. Texas had an unusual welcome center, built over marshland with a boardwalk into nature in the back.
Checked into Hampton Inn (typical nice quality) in West Orange Texas. Worked out in the fitness room. We had intentions of going to Chili's with Sharon navigating. Well, should have used the gps. Rather than drive around, I pulled into a restaurant/bar called Spanky's. Had a good meal than went to the bar in the back, where we spent several hours. Was a typical local bar atmosphere and smokey. Talked with a guy who worked in Blackstone, Ma ten years ago. Also met with a person who lives in Pembroke,Mass and was down on business. Small world considering we were in a local bar in a small town in Tx. Beers were $1.25, so I had quite a few.
Monday 3/19/2012
Drove to Baytown (outside of Houston); staying at Hampton Inn for 2 nights. When leaving Orange, there was a road sign that had El Paso 890 miles away (Texas is a wide state). Had oil changed and walked over to Chili's for lunch. Went to the city of Houston and drove around. Nice, clean, big city; but it seems they roll up the carpets after business hours. Got distracted by Minute Maid stadium (Houston Astros play here) and drove down a one way street the wrong way. A lot of horns being blown. Drove back and had dinner at Denny's. There are a lot of oil refineries in the area. I can understand why there is an initiative to build a pipeline from Canada to Houston.
Drove to Baytown (outside of Houston); staying at Hampton Inn for 2 nights. When leaving Orange, there was a road sign that had El Paso 890 miles away (Texas is a wide state). Had oil changed and walked over to Chili's for lunch. Went to the city of Houston and drove around. Nice, clean, big city; but it seems they roll up the carpets after business hours. Got distracted by Minute Maid stadium (Houston Astros play here) and drove down a one way street the wrong way. A lot of horns being blown. Drove back and had dinner at Denny's. There are a lot of oil refineries in the area. I can understand why there is an initiative to build a pipeline from Canada to Houston.
Tuesday 3/20/2012 (15th day)
Used treadmill for an hour. Severe thunderstorms and tornado's not far away. Waited to late morning and drove to Galveston. It was an enjoyable trip inspite of the rain. It was over an hour away and drove by many of the oil refineries. Galveston is a long island that was one of the wealthiest places until a 1900 hurricane wiped it completely out. It now resembles a great beach resort. Because of the weather, there were some huge waves.
Wednesday 3/21/2012
Drove to San Antonio, and staying at hotel Indigo on the Riverwalk. Great hotel. The back has a great patio facing the Riverwalk (which is a great feature of this city). Had a great salad at a local deli, and walked to the Alamo. In talking with people back home that visited with the Alamo, they were not impressed. I was. The most common picture of the Alamo is the church, but there is a fort/wall that encloses a huge city block. The famous battle was in 1836, but the missionary was built 110 years prior. Went back to the hotel and had several drinks on the patio, and smoked a cigar. Talked with a few people that had common interests....like the one who goes to Moe's tavern when he is in Charleston. At night, walked down Riverwalk to the market area. Very impressive. There are many cafes and restaurants along the walk. Had dinner at a Mexican place (Rita's). There was a trio that went around serenading diners. The one we were at, a guy approached them and asked them if he could sing. he was fantastic, he got a standing 'O'.
Thursday 3/22/2012
Bought a 24 hour pass on the River taxi. Went to Alamo again...still impressed. Found out that one from RI and 3 from Mass were killed in the Alamo attack. Walking to the mall, Sharon spotted a gift store and went in. I stayed outside and spotted a bar sign (Menger Bar). Told Sharon to meet me at the bar. Turned out that it was a historic bar attached to a hotel...established in 1859. Has the same decor and atmosphere as back then. Teddy Roosevelt organized his Rough Riders from there. Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, Babe Ruth, and even beloved Bill Clinton (in 1992) drank there. Had a Bloody Mary then walked to the Mall. Had lunch at Chili's and sat at a table overlooking the Riverwalk. There was a group playing their fluted pipes and sounded real good. Got back on the River taxi and went back to hotel. Sharon stayed on for another 4 hours. For dinner, took the River taxi to the market place and ate at a Mexican restaurant (The Original Mexican restaurant), sitting at a table close to the river...pretty good. Caught the last river boat back.
Friday 3/23/2012
Drove to Fort Stockton, Texas. Staying at Super 8....not bad, used coupon. Noticed during the drive that there were many hills with no trees, just scrubs. Did not see any lakes or rivers (so the terrain is pretty barren and dry). Did see many wind turbines that seemed to go on for miles (If you squint hard you can see them in the second pic below). Speed limit was 80mph. Arrived at destination but could not understand why the hotel rates were so high given the desolate town with no attractions. Went to the historic fort and did not even get out of the car. Seems to be more car washes then gas stations and restaurants due to lack of vegetation (like an old John Wayne cowboy movie).
Saturday 3/24/2012
Of all places, small motel in a desolate town, meet a couple from Wareham, MA. They been doing xcountry trips for many years. Ate breakfast at the motel and drove to El Paso,Tx which was about 250 miles. Most of it was flat dessert like land surrounded by bare mountains. Picturesque at times. Stopped at a lookout point and took some great pics. Saw a few trains that seemed to be a mile long. Hardly any civilzation until we hit the outskirts of El Paso (17th largest city in US). A lot of traffic. We checked into Embassy Suites and then went to Chili's for lunch. Drove through the city which was large and clean. Since it was only a couple of miles from the Mexican border, there were many Mexican stores catering to Mexicans. Drove back to hotel and waited for happy hour. The hotel room was hot, there was also a power outage causing a total blackout in our room. Did have a decent view from the balcony of our room. There was a large oil refinery within a half mile from the view of our balcony.
Sunday 3/25/2012
Ate breakfast at hotel and drove towards Albuquerque,N.M. Staying at the Park Plaza Inn. Sharon wanted to see the White Sands National Park. Some reason we got lost (thought gps was leading us astray)....about a 100 mile loop. Had to go through a Homeland Security Checkpoint. White Sands was nice. Out of nowhere you see miles of white sand. It is actually gypsum (result of wind and environmental conditions on the surrounding mountains). Dunes looked like the dunes in Truro. We bought our NPS passport books, and our senior lifetime passes to National Parks. Driving there we went through the White Sands US Missile Base. Hundreds of miles long. They sometimes shut down part of Route 70 and much of the area when they are doing missile testing. We also came across The Valley of Fire. When we first approached it, we thought there was a fire, but the whole valley (miles long) had rocks of a blackish color. It really looked like a fire destroyed the whole place, but it did not, it is due to layers of lava. There was a park there with picnic benches and a boardwalk that wound through the valley. Arrived at hotel, then dined at the famous Route 66 diner . Drove down route 66 through the city of Albuquerque. Nice, clean city about the size of Providence. There were many old and sup'd up cars rallying. Nice view from our balcony.
Monday 3/26/2012 (4500 miles driven so far)
Drove to Arizona and staying at the Quality Inn in Williams. Stopped at the Petrified Forest National Park along the way. It was enjoyable, had a couple of museums, the Painted Inn, terrific views, and petrified trees. There was a 28 mile drive that brings you to all the points of interest. No charge because we had the senior lifetime pass. You cannot take any objects (petrified wood) from the park, else $350 fine. But there are stores outside the park that sell the wood. Along the drive there was were miles and miles of barren plains. Did see many Indian Reservations (do not live in teepee's,actual houses or trailers). Also saw many BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) trains that were extremely long being pulled by up to 4 engines. Did not notice the rise in elevation (6200-7400 feet) because the terrain all around seemed flat. Williams is a great small town, route 66 passes through it. Ate at a great family restaurant called the Pine Country Restaurant. Hotel was ok, only big problem was the internet speed. Gave up many times doing anything, reviews of hotel mentioned it too. Temp got down below freezing, there was frost on the car.
Had breakfast at motel then drove to the Grand Canyon. Williams was just over 60 miles from the canyon on route 64. Took the shuttle to Hermit's Point on the south side of the canyon. Terrific views. Sharon bought a walking stick. Walked to the next view point which was over a mile away, then took the shuttle bus back. There were many viewing points, and wherever you stopped, there was a great view. The bottom of the canyon was over a mile down. Saw the movie on the Grand Canyon at the visiting center. There are many options: walking paths down the canyon (no rails to prevent falloff on about 2 foot wide path), take a mule down, helicopter, etc. Took a lot of pics. Drove back walked around Williams and ate dinner at the same restaurant.
Wednesday 3/28/2012
Ate breakfast at motel and went to McDonalds to use the internet. Drove to Las Vegas staying at the Fremont Hotel (Sharon got a rate of $89 for 2 nights with a $40 food coupon). On the way, drove historic route 66 and stopped at a section with old stores (tourist attraction). Tried helping someone work on his beat up car (see below). Stopped at the Hoover Dam and walked around. Terrific sights, amazing how it was built in the early 1930's. Below at the river level, there were autos parked at one of the buildings. There were no roads going down, so there must be roads built inside the mountain. At the hotel, they only had valet parking which threw us off because our cloths and luggage were in disarray. Walked the old strip at night. Amazing as to the amount of activity going on the streets with entertainment. On the strip, overhead, there was this curved roof that runs about a half mile connecting all the casinos. At night it turns out to be a giant tv with scenes and music playing from various groups (Bon Jovi, Queen,etc.). Ate the dinner buffet at hotel (good quality). Gambled a little.
Went to the breakfast buffet at hotel (again good quality food). Went to a sister hotel to use internet. Walked around a bit. Came across the Heart Attack restaurant. If you weigh over 350, you eat free. They have an ambulance outside, the waitresses are dressed as nurses, and you have to wear a hospital gown over your clothes.
Back to hotel and stayed around for gambling and drinks. At night, walked the street again to view the entertainment. The overhead roof on the streets is a tv with over 12 million lights and made by LG.
When they played the song Bye Bye Miss American Pie and the songs from Bon Jovi, the crowd really got into it.
Friday 3/30/2012 (500 miles)
Off to Bakersfield California. Sharon got the motel so we end up at a place called the Vagabond Motel. The name pretty much describes the place and it's customers. (I guess we fit right in). During the drive, we saw over 200 miles of nothing: desert (Mojave) with scrawny brush and barren mountains. But once we got within 70 miles of our destination, we crossed over a mountain and we saw green and trees. We also stopped at a restaurant in Vermo called Peggy Sue's. A real nice 50's restaurant off the highway that was crowded. Haven't had a real milkshake in decades, and this week I had 2. It is amazing that all these nostalgic restaurants and shops in New Mexico and Arizona bring in the tourists. Busloads.
Ate at Chili's and back to motel. I think someone must have died in this room. Sharon was laying in bed and I was at a table, and the light switch turned off for a couple of seconds and then back on. You could actually hear the switch do it. Strange. (actually, it occurred 2 more times since writing it).
Saturday 3/31/2012 (5400 miles)
Drove to Monterey, staying at Travelodge (got from using Priceline). Wanted to see San Luis Obispo since I was there close to 30 years ago. There was no direct major route there, so the gps had us on route 58. What a challenging ride. The narrow road zigzagged up the mountains with a great many hairpin turns. No guardrails (15 mph or less in many turns). If you did not pay attention or were going too fast, you would go off the cliff, and you would be a skeleton before anyone found you. There was absolutely nothing (civilization) for many miles. This road through the mountains lasted for over 50 miles. Drove through San Luis Obispo (beautiful town surrounded mountains) and drove up route 1 along the coast. Drove through the parking lot and visiting center of the Hearst Castle. Did not take the tour because it was raining pretty good. The drive up the coast was breathtaking, and again it was a nail biting drive. Narrow road along the mountains with many hairpin turns. No guard rails in many places. It was raining which help cause more rock slides. Soooooo, you had to keep an eye for not going over the cliff into the ocean, and an eye for what turn was next; and also watch for rock slides. We actually had to avert several falling rocks. We saw what we would call a snow plow back home, plowing the rocks off the road as if it was snow. This ride along the coast and Pacific Ocean was great considering the challenging ride. I would recommend this drive to anyone traveling through California. Arrived at the hotel and it is pretty nice. Have to break out the Johnny Walker after this drive experience.
Some rich dude has a house with a breath taking view (below).
The pic below is an example of the road with no guard rails, a slight mishap and man your history.
A huge bird on top of a tree drying out it's feathers.
Extended our stay at the Travelodge for a 2nd night. Drove down to Monterey waterfront. It was very nice, but it was windy and cool. Took a few pics and drove to Fisherman's Wharf. There were 2 wharfs. Very nice. The 2nd one had many shops on it. Being Sunday, there was a good crowd. Sample tested about 6 clam chowders at different restaurant fronts. Ended up going into one for drinks. It was nice, even had the fireplace going. Between the wharfs were a lot of boats moored (some real huge). There was a large rock jetty about a hundred yards from the end of the wharf, and you could hear a group of seals. There are a lot of seals around here. Yesterday driving up the coast, there was an elephant seal lookout. We stopped and looked down and saw some seals, but saw one that was dead....bummer. Drove around the Old Monterey and it was nice, similar to Hyannis with it's shops. There was a sardine factory there that you could tour, but Sharon refused to do it. After leaving, we stopped at subway and brought subs back to the room, Towards night, we drove to Carmel. The town is built on a hill with many lavish/pricey stores. Very picturesque. Sharon came across a tea shop that she visited 10 years ago when she came to San Francisco with me for a conference. Went down to the waterfront which was down a very steep road from the shops. The beach was great, but due to the wind, there were some huge waves. Looked off to the right, and saw the famous Pebble Beach golf course. Saw the sole Cyprus tree on a ledge at the end of the course. Went to Chili's for dinner. OMG saw 2 young ladies kissing each other (on the lips) on the other side of the bar.
Above pics taken off Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf.
Above pics taken off Carmel Beach. It was windy so the waves were big. The golf course is Pebble Beach.
Monday 4/02/2012
Off to Ukiah which is about half way to Crescent City and the Redwood Forest National Park. Drove up route 1 which is very picturesque winding through the mountains. Stopped in San Francisco to have lunch on Fisherman's Wharf. Ate at Boudin At the Wharf restaurant and had clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. Sharon had chili in a bread bowl. The chowder was not as good as yesterday's on the Monterey Wharf, but the sourdough bread was terrific. They have a unique setup where one side of the building is the baking of the bread process and is glassed enclosed for all to see. The finish process is putting the loaves in a basket and on a hook where an overhead conveyor brings it to the actual restaurant (which is the other side of the building). After lunch, crossed the Golden State Bridge. There were a lot of people walking across the bridge to take pictures. From the bridge and the wharf, Alcatraz did not seem that far away. Staying at the Day's Inn. Went to a 50's restaurant called Be Bop's. Had my 3rd shake of the week.
Above pic of Alcatraz.
Interesting toilet on Fishermans Wharf in SF. Press a button, and the curved door opens for you to enter. You do your thing and press a button to get out. After you leave, the door automatically closes and goes through a cycle of cleaning and sanitizing before the next patron enters. Process takes about a minute.
Above is the 50;s restaurant, Be Bops.
Tuesday 04/03/2012
Driving to Crescent City which is close to the Oregon border. Staying at the Econo Lodge. Drove route 101 which brought us winding up and down the mountains and at times along the Pacific Ocean. Most of the time it was raining and foggy (in the clouds). It was a shame because it would have been more scenic.
You can actually see redwood trees starting at the Monterey County line. But the road went through some real tall redwood forests. The battery in the camera went dead so were unable to take pictures. Did take a few with the camcorder. Came across a herd of large elk, had Sharon stop the car (she was driving), and used the camcorder. Stopped at one of the Redwood Forest visitation centers. It was pretty nice. There are 2 types of redwood trees: Coast Redwood (to 380 ft high,to 2,000 yr old, and to 22ft diameter) and the Giant Sequoia (to 311 ft high, to 3200 yr old, and to 40 ft diameter). Charged camera battery. Ate dinner at the Apple Peddlers restaurant. Drove down to Battery Point (nice views). The waves were pounding the jetty. The was a light house on an isolated rock. There was part of a redwood tree trunk in the park. You could actually stand up inside the trunk.
Wednesday 04/04/2012 (6200 miles)
Drove up route 199 into Oregon then onto route 5. Heading to Redding,Ca and staying at the Quality Inn. Great drive, very scenic. The whole drive up the California coast into Oregon has been the most scenic parts of the country that I have seen. Hope to revisit this part of the country again. Weatherwise, we had periods of sunshine, rain, sleet,snow and hail (several times going through the mountains). Last few days, acquired the flu, so not ambitious. Sharon went to Pizzahut for takeout. One observation is that RV's is probably the way to go next time. There are RV parks everywhere and close to attractions. Will consider looking for a motorhome when I return home. Tomorrow going to Reno,Nevada for 2 nights at Homewood Suites (using Hilton points, $100 + 30,000pts).
Drove up route 199 into Oregon then onto route 5. Heading to Redding,Ca and staying at the Quality Inn. Great drive, very scenic. The whole drive up the California coast into Oregon has been the most scenic parts of the country that I have seen. Hope to revisit this part of the country again. Weatherwise, we had periods of sunshine, rain, sleet,snow and hail (several times going through the mountains). Last few days, acquired the flu, so not ambitious. Sharon went to Pizzahut for takeout. One observation is that RV's is probably the way to go next time. There are RV parks everywhere and close to attractions. Will consider looking for a motorhome when I return home. Tomorrow going to Reno,Nevada for 2 nights at Homewood Suites (using Hilton points, $100 + 30,000pts).
Tunnel through the mountain in Oregon, very nice scene.
Thursday 04/05/2012
Drove through some nasty conditions (below).
Gas prices (below), Arm and a Leg for anything beyond regular.
Ate
breakfast at motel and headed to Reno (200 miles). The drive was like
we experienced coming into California. Winding roads through the
mountains. When we left it was above 40 degrees, but going through the
mountains, it got down to 23. There was snow and sleet, had to be
careful with ice conditions. Yesterday and today we saw signs that
required vehicles to have chains to proceed. This must be during mid
winter or when there is a lot of snow and ice. With the grades of the
roads up and down the mountains, it is understandable. When we were
coming down a mountain approaching Susanville, we saw what looked like a
tornado without the swirl It was actually a cloud with defined
boundaries. It is amazing what the mountains do to the clouds.
Approaching Reno, we saw the change in the environment. From mountains
with trees and greenery to barren mountains. Checked into Homewood
Suites, and it is luxury compared to what we have been staying at.
Sharon likes it because most things are free: dinner, breakfast,
internet, parking, etc. For dinner had a great salad and pulled pork
sandwiches with refried beans, along with beer and wine. Sharon went up
for seconds, it is a good thing we have a suite with a separate living
room. Staying 2 nights.
Friday 04/06/2012
Last night we did make it to the Atlantis Casino, but cut it short because of feeling weak from flu. Today, was a waste. Stayed in hotel most of the day to rest. Did make it to another 50's restaurant for dinner (Joe's Diner), and yes, another shake. Extended stay a 3rd night (Homewood Suites) to recover from flu.
She actually thanked me several times for taking her pic.
Saturday 04/07/2012
Had a great breakfast at the hotel. Drove down to the city of Reno and spent several hours at the Eldorado Casino. I played the slot machine at the bar and the bartender was passing me some quality beers. I was tipping him pretty good. He was showing me beers from all around the world and kept saying "this your next one". My $20 lasted a along time at 25 cents a spin. A guy sits down next to me and he was playing $25 a spin ($1 at max bet of 25). Well, almost made it around the world with the beers, but Sharon came and said it was time to go. We had dinner at a great family restaurant : The Black Bear. Apparently there are a few around. Took home a piece of coconut creme pie which was great. I stayed at the hotel, and Sharon went back to the Atlantis Casino.
Sunday 04/08/2012 (6500 miles)
Great breakfast again at hotel. Checked out and headed to Ely Nevada (320 miles). We took the "Loneliest Road in America", a.k.a The Pony Express Route, a.k.a Route 50. This was definitely a lonely boring ride. See the same thing for hundreds of miles....nothing. Barren mountains and plains. There were several turnoffs to install and uninstall chains on your tires. The elevation was pretty high, even for the plains (6400ft - 7600ft). Did pass a sign that said Naval facility (middle of the desert). This was the old Pony Express route, did pass by several ruins of stone buildings that served as stops for the mail and railroad. Did pass through a couple of old frontier towns: Austin and Ely (the one we are staying in). We are staying at the Historical Nevada Hotel and Casino built in the 1920's. I guess famous people have stayed here: Lyndon Johnson, Clark Gable, Mickey Rooney, etc. As you walk down the hotel corridors, there are name plates on the doors of where they stayed. The hotel is not bad, with a casino with slots on the first floor and live gambling in the basement. There are historical artifacts all over. Got talking to the woman bartender and she said her ex worked at a gold mine 2 hours away. The miners stayed in Ely and would catch a bus to the mine at 3am, work a 12 hour shift, and take the 2 hour bus ride back. She said the gold mine is still in operation. There is also a copper mine close by. Spent some time at the bar at the hotel, and Sharon and I had a beer at a bar across the street. Had a prime rib dinner at the hotel. Went back to the room and Sharon went downstairs to gamble.
Great breakfast again at hotel. Checked out and headed to Ely Nevada (320 miles). We took the "Loneliest Road in America", a.k.a The Pony Express Route, a.k.a Route 50. This was definitely a lonely boring ride. See the same thing for hundreds of miles....nothing. Barren mountains and plains. There were several turnoffs to install and uninstall chains on your tires. The elevation was pretty high, even for the plains (6400ft - 7600ft). Did pass a sign that said Naval facility (middle of the desert). This was the old Pony Express route, did pass by several ruins of stone buildings that served as stops for the mail and railroad. Did pass through a couple of old frontier towns: Austin and Ely (the one we are staying in). We are staying at the Historical Nevada Hotel and Casino built in the 1920's. I guess famous people have stayed here: Lyndon Johnson, Clark Gable, Mickey Rooney, etc. As you walk down the hotel corridors, there are name plates on the doors of where they stayed. The hotel is not bad, with a casino with slots on the first floor and live gambling in the basement. There are historical artifacts all over. Got talking to the woman bartender and she said her ex worked at a gold mine 2 hours away. The miners stayed in Ely and would catch a bus to the mine at 3am, work a 12 hour shift, and take the 2 hour bus ride back. She said the gold mine is still in operation. There is also a copper mine close by. Spent some time at the bar at the hotel, and Sharon and I had a beer at a bar across the street. Had a prime rib dinner at the hotel. Went back to the room and Sharon went downstairs to gamble.
Our Hotel in Ely
Monday 04/09/2012
Left hotel and had breakfast at McDonalds. Headed for Green River, Utah (330 miles). Before the Utah border, stopped at the Great Basin National Park. Took the one hour tour of the Lehman Cave. This was great, had a good tour guide. Crossed into Utah driving on "The Loneliest Road in America", and I have got to say that Utah, driving on this road, is one of the most scenic of this trip. Stopped several times at viewing rest areas to enjoy the scenery. The terrain is pretty much of what we have seen the last couple of weeks, but the formation and color of the mountains and plains made the views exceptional. At times, it felt like we were driving through the bottom of the Grand Canyon. On this road, you can go for many miles without seeing another vehicle. Essentially no gas stations or restaurants. Have to make sure I have a full tank of gas before leaving the hotel. Hate to break down on the road, sometimes have no bars on the cell phone. We are staying at the Super 8 Motel (pretty nice). When I picked this town for a stop and the previous one (Ely), they looked like decent size dots on the map, but driving down the highway, if you blink, you could miss them.
Left hotel and had breakfast at McDonalds. Headed for Green River, Utah (330 miles). Before the Utah border, stopped at the Great Basin National Park. Took the one hour tour of the Lehman Cave. This was great, had a good tour guide. Crossed into Utah driving on "The Loneliest Road in America", and I have got to say that Utah, driving on this road, is one of the most scenic of this trip. Stopped several times at viewing rest areas to enjoy the scenery. The terrain is pretty much of what we have seen the last couple of weeks, but the formation and color of the mountains and plains made the views exceptional. At times, it felt like we were driving through the bottom of the Grand Canyon. On this road, you can go for many miles without seeing another vehicle. Essentially no gas stations or restaurants. Have to make sure I have a full tank of gas before leaving the hotel. Hate to break down on the road, sometimes have no bars on the cell phone. We are staying at the Super 8 Motel (pretty nice). When I picked this town for a stop and the previous one (Ely), they looked like decent size dots on the map, but driving down the highway, if you blink, you could miss them.
Tuesday 04/10/2012 (7200 miles)
Had breakfast at hotel and headed for Denver, Colorado (340 miles). Staying at the Hampton Inn. During the early part of the drive, I had NPR news on, and knew Sharon was not interested in it. So I thought I would ask her a simple question that she could think about. I asked her: What town were we in 1 week ago from today? After several hours, I had to break down and tell her (but, was able to listen to the news for a while). Drove 60 miles (route 70) and hit the Colorado border. We drove through Grand Junction which was very scenic town. It was like you were driving through the basin of the Grand Canyon. Mountain ranges that just dropped off onto each side of the highway. These mountains were of the same type that we saw in Utah: barren, colorful, with great looking formations. We then hit a different type of terrain. This is ski country, so it was great driving rt 70 up and down the mountains and driving through towns like: Hot Springs, Glenwood Springs, and Vail. Very picturesque. Drove by several ski slopes, and people were still skiing. The Colorado River runs along rt 70 and saw some kayakers running the rapids. Drove into some great tunnels through the mountains. Stopped at the Visitor's Center in Georgetown. This is a very small town, but saw a Subway across the street. Bought a sub and sat at a picnic bench at the Visitor's Center, which is at the base of 2 very large mountains. An awesome sight. Colorado is definitely on our list of places to visit again. Checked into the Hampton, which turns out to be very nice. Used very little points and no $$$. May stay a 2nd night.
Had breakfast at hotel and headed for Denver, Colorado (340 miles). Staying at the Hampton Inn. During the early part of the drive, I had NPR news on, and knew Sharon was not interested in it. So I thought I would ask her a simple question that she could think about. I asked her: What town were we in 1 week ago from today? After several hours, I had to break down and tell her (but, was able to listen to the news for a while). Drove 60 miles (route 70) and hit the Colorado border. We drove through Grand Junction which was very scenic town. It was like you were driving through the basin of the Grand Canyon. Mountain ranges that just dropped off onto each side of the highway. These mountains were of the same type that we saw in Utah: barren, colorful, with great looking formations. We then hit a different type of terrain. This is ski country, so it was great driving rt 70 up and down the mountains and driving through towns like: Hot Springs, Glenwood Springs, and Vail. Very picturesque. Drove by several ski slopes, and people were still skiing. The Colorado River runs along rt 70 and saw some kayakers running the rapids. Drove into some great tunnels through the mountains. Stopped at the Visitor's Center in Georgetown. This is a very small town, but saw a Subway across the street. Bought a sub and sat at a picnic bench at the Visitor's Center, which is at the base of 2 very large mountains. An awesome sight. Colorado is definitely on our list of places to visit again. Checked into the Hampton, which turns out to be very nice. Used very little points and no $$$. May stay a 2nd night.
Wednesday 04/11/2012
Staying at Hampton Inn a 2nd night. Drove to Rocky Mountain National Park. Drove through the town of Golden which is very scenic and a college town. Saw the Coor's Brewery. Drove through another scenic college town. There are an amazing number of people riding bicycles. On some of the country roads the hills/mountains are extremely steep but that does not seem to bother them. Stopped at the Estes Visitor's Center which is in a very quaint town. You could see the Historic Stanley Hotel from the center. Decided to go there and walk around. The hotel was built in 1909 and in great condition. Convinced Sharon to have lunch there. It was great and pricey with table linens and real silverware. It definitely was worth it. There have been many past guests that were of the rich and famous. Stephen King stayed here and got the inspiration to write the book "The Shining". Although the movie was not filmed at the hotel (which surprised King), King had his "The Shining" tv series filmed at the hotel. Part of the movie "Dumb and Dumber" was also filmed here. In the main room, there was a 1904 auto powered by steam. It was manufactured by the Stanley Auto Company from Needham Mass. So the builder of the hotel also was into auto manufacturing. We then drove through Rocky Mountain National Park, and had our NPS passport books stamped. There was a herd of elk laying on the side of the road. Apparently they are used to it because it did not phase them when we stopped to take pics.
Thursday 04/12/2012
Left for Salina, Kansas (440 miles). Once you got by Denver, the mountains disappeared. For the next 420 miles it was all level farms ..... boringggggg. A couple of things we did see was a huge herd of buffalo running, and about 20 mikes of wind turbine farms. Other than that there was nothing to see, so no pic's. We are staying at the Ramada Inn, which is very nice. It appears that it is a large convention center. When you walk out of our room (staying on the 3rd floor), you are facing a large enclosed foyer (very nice). It also has an O'Malley's Irish Pub and Sports Bar. After I save this update, I think I will tip a few.
Friday 04/13/2012
Leaving for Columbia, Missouri about 370 miles. After leaving Salina, the views were more scenic. We have reservations at The great American Value Motel. After checking in, we went to the room. The pic looked ok when making the reservation on the internet, but this was the ghetto of motels. Turned to Sharon and said that even if we had to eat the cost, we are not staying here. Fortunately, when we told the receptionist we were not staying, she said there will be no charge. Stayed at the Red Roof Inn across the street. Ate dinner at Chili's.
Saturday 04/14/2012
Left hotel and had breakfast at Bob Evans. Driving to Indianapolis,Indiana. Stopped in Saint Louis and visited the Jefferson National Park (the Arch to the Midwest). Went up to the top for viewing. There are 8 trams that go up at the same time. The tram car is very small with seats for 5 (a very tight squeeze unless there are small children). Takes 4 minutes to get to the top, the you walk up some stairs to get to the viewing area. There are several small windows on each side for viewing. Because it was cloudy and raining, you could not see too far. Did see the stadium where the Cardinals play. Drove to Indianapolis and staying at the Marriott Residence Inn for 2 nights. Ate at Denny's.
Leaving for Columbia, Missouri about 370 miles. After leaving Salina, the views were more scenic. We have reservations at The great American Value Motel. After checking in, we went to the room. The pic looked ok when making the reservation on the internet, but this was the ghetto of motels. Turned to Sharon and said that even if we had to eat the cost, we are not staying here. Fortunately, when we told the receptionist we were not staying, she said there will be no charge. Stayed at the Red Roof Inn across the street. Ate dinner at Chili's.
Saturday 04/14/2012
Left hotel and had breakfast at Bob Evans. Driving to Indianapolis,Indiana. Stopped in Saint Louis and visited the Jefferson National Park (the Arch to the Midwest). Went up to the top for viewing. There are 8 trams that go up at the same time. The tram car is very small with seats for 5 (a very tight squeeze unless there are small children). Takes 4 minutes to get to the top, the you walk up some stairs to get to the viewing area. There are several small windows on each side for viewing. Because it was cloudy and raining, you could not see too far. Did see the stadium where the Cardinals play. Drove to Indianapolis and staying at the Marriott Residence Inn for 2 nights. Ate at Denny's.
The walk down to catch 1 of the 8 trams. Small door opens and you squeeze in.
Sunday 04/15/2012
Staying at Residence Inn. A bit noisy. We have an end unit overlooking the trash bin and close to the airport, and close to the highway. About 1 am, people were raiding the trash bin and throwing some metal over the wall and were loud. Sharon called the front desk and the person went outside and told them to be quiet (so they must have had the ok). I did not hear anything, but Sharon is a light sleeper and heard everything. Drove to the "Brickyard", the Indianapolis Speedway. Parked inside the track, where the gift store and museum were. Was going to do the Petty ride, but they were extremely busy because they were rained out yesterday, and they needed to take care of all the reservations. The track is 2.5 miles long, and noticed that from any seat, you could not see the whole track. Drove through the city, saw the Lucas Oil Stadium where the Indianapolis Colts play. The outside walls were brick, and did not look big, so it was very deceiving. The city was fairly big and clean.
Staying at Residence Inn. A bit noisy. We have an end unit overlooking the trash bin and close to the airport, and close to the highway. About 1 am, people were raiding the trash bin and throwing some metal over the wall and were loud. Sharon called the front desk and the person went outside and told them to be quiet (so they must have had the ok). I did not hear anything, but Sharon is a light sleeper and heard everything. Drove to the "Brickyard", the Indianapolis Speedway. Parked inside the track, where the gift store and museum were. Was going to do the Petty ride, but they were extremely busy because they were rained out yesterday, and they needed to take care of all the reservations. The track is 2.5 miles long, and noticed that from any seat, you could not see the whole track. Drove through the city, saw the Lucas Oil Stadium where the Indianapolis Colts play. The outside walls were brick, and did not look big, so it was very deceiving. The city was fairly big and clean.
Inside the track. Museum and gift stores.
Does not look like a football stadium.
Monday 04/16/2012
Checked out of hotel and drove to Berlin, Ohio (360 miles). Sharon wanted to stay in Amish country and Berlin is supposed to be one of the largest Amish area's. Staying at the Berlin Hotel an d Suites. It is really nice. Room has a balcony with a nice view of the farm area. Hotel has a movie theater, large indoor swimming pool, and a huge fitness area with all the machines. Sharon extended the stay for a second night. We saw several Amish horse and buggies traveling down the road. Drove to the center of town and ate at a restaurant where supposedly all the locals eat. There were a lot of locals there, but not impressed with the meals. Afterwards, went across the street for an ice cream, which was a good buy. Most of the shops were closed around 5pm. Saw a man on the side of the restaurant offering horse and buggy rides around town for a donation. Maybe tomorrow. It has been real windy and was sitting on the balcony and the wind blew off a freshly poured Johnny Walker Black. Have thoughts of playing golf tomorrow if the wind subsides.
View off our balcony
Back view of our hotel
Tuesday 04/17/2012
Played golf at Fire Ridge GC. Got the senior rate of $18 (a real good deal). Went out alone so finished up in 3 hours. Went with Sharon to a few shops in the country. Stopped at this store that looked like a chalet in Switzerland. They make a variety of cheeses that you can see from a glass wall. There were many different free samples. Prices were reasonable, so bought some rolls of cheese. Drove by a local restaurant on this country road, and there were about a dozen horse and buggies hitched up to a post. Stopped at a 2nd store located on a farm. They had a huge assortment of homemade pies and other desserts. A taste of free samples indicated they were great. Also on this farm there was a display of various animals. They had the largest horse around weighing 3000 lbs. They also trained and sold horses for pulling plows, buggies, etc. Through the drive, saw several 3 to 4 horse teams pulling plows. After this 2nd stop, I got all shopped out and had Sharon drop me off at the hotel. A good part of the day, watched (from our balcony) this girl dressed in a dark Amish outfit spreading mulch. A very hard worker, never took a break. Have to look for an outfit like this for Sharon. Ate dinner at an Amish Buffet. It was exceptional. For the last 2 days, only saw women working the restaurants, the shops the hotel, and even saw them doing yard work. I guess the Amish men have their own responsibilities, but did not see many. All in all, I was skeptical at first at staying overnight in Amish country, but liked it so much stayed a 2nd night, and put it on our list to visit again.
Cheese factory we visited (above and below)
View of road from our hotel balcony horse buggy
Some event going on, a bunch of horse buggies tied up at our hotel
Wednesday 04/18/2012
After checking out of the hotel, went to the 2nd Amish store we visited yesterday to buy a couple of great homemade pastries. I asked the Amish girl waiting on me if the ones on display were fresh, she hesitated a moment, then said yes (I knew they were not from being there yesterday). The girl at the cash register smirked / smiled at her. Well, the girl turned around and took the pastries from a rack rather than the display. I found this amusing because due to their religion, she did not lie. Supposedly made reservations at the Towne Hotel and Suites (part of the Marriott chain) in Williamsport, Pa. Well I guess I did not do step 5 of the process of making a reservation. When I got there, I was told there was no reservation under my name, and they were booked. Saw a Hampton Inn down the road, and inquired about a room, they were also booked. They let me use their computer in the business center to make a reservation at a Hampton Inn in Shamokin Dam, Pa (34 miles away). After driving through Williamsport (nothing special about the town), I wonder why all the hotels were booked on a Tuesday night. I must say that after explaining my mistake, the personnel and management at both hotels were very friendly and did everything they could to help me out. Drove to Shamokin Dam, and checked into the Hampton. Ate at Garfields restaurant which was in a mall. Sat at the bar (similar to a Chili's). Noticed that there were several groups of locals that frequent the place. Majority were drinking soda, iced tea, coffee, or water (non alcoholic). I felt funny drinking my beers in front of them. Over this trip, we spent a total of 15 nights at a Hampton Inn (part of the Hilton chain). Each one was of the same quality. You always knew what to expect. The Hampton Inn will always be our first choice on any future trip. Well, this is our last night on the xcountry trip, tomorrow we will be home.
