January 10, 1999
January 25, 1999
January 30, 1999
February 7, 1999
February 12-17, 1999
February 19, 1999
March 3, 1999
March 5, 1999
March 6, 1999
March 7, 1999
March 8, 1999
March 9, 1999
March 10, 1999
March 11, 1999
March 12, 1999
March 13, 1999
March 14, 1999
March 16, 1999
March 18, 1999
March 22, 1999
March 29, 1999
March 30, 1999
March 31, 1999
April 1, 1999
April 2, 1999
April 3, 1999
April 5, 1999
April 6, 1999
April 7, 1999
April 8, 1999
April 10, 1999
April 24, 1999
April 25, 1999
April 30, 1999
May 1, 1999
May 9, 1999
May 28, 1999
June 5, 1999
June 8, 1999
June 11, 1999
June 12, 1999
June 13, 1999
June 18, 1999
I arrived back in South Dakota today. I am in Chamberlain. It
is my first time in this part of the state. I came by post from
Spokane, Washington. Chamberlain is a town of about 2,000
people. It lies in a valley along the Missouri River. My new
trustee, Lou, took me for a walk after supper. We walked about a
mile to American Creek Park. Lewis and Clark's famous continental
exploration team camped here on their way to the Pacific. It made
me wonder, "Did they eat fruitcake on their journey?" Lou
reassured me the explorers hunted and fished for their food and
and are long dead. Today, the area of their camp is a nice park
with a beach, playground and camping facility. It is located
where American Creek runs into the Missouri. We sat on the beach
to talk and get to know each other. Lou took a picture so I
could remember the start of our journey together. As the sun
started to set, Lou had an idea. He took me for a walk (about
1/2 mile) to St. Joseph's Indian School. I liked the campus, and
it was fun to watch the kids in the summer program at play. All
are Lakota Indians. Lou suggested a picture by the entrance. I
wanted to jump into the arms of the Statue of St. Joseph where he
held a young Jesus, but Lou stopped me. He thought someone might
think I was being disrespectful. So, I just sat on the rail
surrounding the statue. Lou says we'll be traveling soon, but until July 1st, he'll be busy packing and cleaning for his move back to Virginia. He promised he'll try to take me around the
local area, but we'll have to play it by ear. (They'll have to
be his ears as I don't have any myself).
June 26, 1999
July 1, 1999
July 2, 1999
July 3, 1999
July 5, 1999
July 6, 1999
July 7, 1999
July 8, 1999
July 9, 1999
July 10, 1999
July 11, 1999
P.S. I almost forgot a favorite stop today. (See how this hog
business upsets me?) We visited a major HQ for fruitcake and
cheese distribution by mail in the US, The Swiss Colony Company,
near New Glarus (site of a Swiss historic village). Also, Lou
took me to the Mt. Horeb Mustard Museum, perhaps the only such
museum in the world. It focuses on mustards from all over the
world. After tasting some, I know why people don't put mustard
on fruitcake. YUCK!!!
July 12, 1999
July 13, 1999
July 14, 1999
July 15, 1999
July 18, 1999
July 21, 1999
July 22, 1999
July 23, 1999
August 12, 1999
August 13, 1999
August 14, 1999
August 15, 1999
August 16, 1999
August 21, 1999
August 22, 1999
August 23, 1999
August 25, 1999
August 27, 1999
August 28, 1999
August 29, 1999
September 5, 1999
September 6, 1999
September 8, 1999
September 9, 1999
September 10, 1999
September 11, 1999
September 23, 1999
September 24, 1999
September 25, 1999
September 26, 1999
October 4, 1999
October 5, 1999
October 6, 1999
October 7, 1999
October 8, 1999
October 14, 1999
October 16, 1999
October 17, 1999
October 18, 1999
October 23, 1999
October 24, 1999
October 25, 1999
October 26, 1999
October 29, 1999
October 30, 1999
October 31, 1999
November 6, 1999
November 8, 1999
November 9, 1999
November 10, 1999
November 11, 1999
November 12, 1999
November 13, 1999
November 14, 1999
November 15, 1999
November 16, 1999
November 17, 1999
November 18, 1999
November 19, 1999
November 20, 1999
November 21, 1999
November 22-24, 1999
November 25, 1999
November 26, 1999
November 27, 1999
November 28, 1999
December 2, 1999
December 3, 1999
December 4, 1999
December 5, 1999
December 13, 1999
December 14, 1999
December 15, 1999
December 20, 1999
December 23, 1999
December 25, 1999
December 27, 1999
December 31, 1999 - January 1, 2000
January 7, 2000
January 8, 2000
January 12, 2000
January 22, 2000
January 26, 2000
February 4, 2000
February 5, 2000
February 6, 2000
February 7, 2000
February 8, 2000
February 10, 2000
February 13, 2000
April 1, 2000
April 3, 2000
April 23, 2000
May 3, 2000
May 18, 2000
May 19, 2000
May 20, 2000
May 21, 2000
July 19, 2000
July 22, 2000
October 27, 2001
August 18, 2002
October 4-14, 2002 I'm not sure where my next adventure will take me, but maybe it will be a little cooler! When I was in Arizona, it was almost 100 degrees and I really thought I was going to melt. But I made it and I'm on my way back to Virginia today.
October 21, 2002
December 31, 2002
March 22, 2003
March 27, 2003
March 28, 2003
April 5, 2003
Next stop...Luray. After we'd handed our tickets to the Stepford child taking them, I saw a sign. Luckily, I was just peeking out of my travel bag. It said something about no food. Uh oh. I'm hoping they meant open, edible food. The tour group was rather large, so I told them to just hang back, and I'd keep a low profile. Cassie, our tour guide, seemed a bit uptight, so I didn't want to risk her wrath. She told us that the drips from the ceiling were called Cave Kisses and with each one that hit us, we'd be in for a year of good luck. Again, I only got wet. I saw more flowstone, columns, stalactites, stalagmites, lakes, etc. I got to throw a penny in the wishing well. We'll just have to see if I get my wish. Saw the famed fried eggs and the princess column. They named it the Princess Column because they found bone fragments of a young Indian woman at the base of the column. Pluto's Ghost was running around the caverns too. They pushed a button to demonstrate the stalacpipe organ. "Oh, Shenandoah" has never sounded...um....quite like that. I'm not really sure what it sounded like before, but I'm sure it never sounded like that. Once we escaped the caverns, we made a quick stop for some more greasy grub at the Luray Caverns restaurant. Next door held the Car & Carriage Caravan. We made a lightning trip through. Really neat old cars. Too bad I couldn't try a few out, but they had ropes up all over the place. Before we high-tailed it to the next caverns, we made a stop at the Luray Singing tower. The bells weren't ringing, but it made for a neat photo op.
I couldn't understand their drive to continue. I was getting a little tired of being underground, but we kept going in spite of my objections. However, at the next stop, there was a bit of a respite from the tunnelling. They took me to American Celebration on Parade. It's a collection of parade floats on display right down the hill from the entrance to Shenandoah Caverns. My absolute favorite was a float full of polar bears. When I pushed a button, the bears moved. The one in the middle was rolling around on its back. I got to see the Sphinx up close and all sorts of other HUGE floats. After scrambling through and snapping a few photos, we drove up the hill to tour the caverns. Shenandoah is the only one with an elevator. We were called to the elevator by the third tour guide of the day, Casey. He told us about the Cave Kisses, but he had his own theory about them. He said they grew hair. Again...I just got wet. It was another small tour group, but I didn't mind. I had already picked up a lot of information about caverns from the last two tours, it was nice to get one that wasn't a lot of talk. I got to look around at my own pace and to take all the pictures I wanted. There were bacon formations and an echo chamber. Also, stalactites, stalagmites...etc. The best part was Diamond Cascades, a sparkley formation that glittered all over the place. There was an interesting optical illusion in one part. In the distance, we were told to look at a certain spot. Then we were asked to guess how big the formation was. On a whim, one of the people I was with guessed 2 foot 4. He was almost right. However, Casey told us that we had to find that formation before we would be allowed to leave the caverns. Uh oh. I felt like I'd spent enough time underground already. Lucky for me, we were led back to the elevator anyway. After being brought back up to the surface, we got to see Mainstreet of Yesteryear, a collection of antique, animated department store window displays. That was fun, but I was afraid that they might think I'd escaped from one of them.
It was getting late, but we still had Endless Caverns on the list. That's kind of what today has been...endless caverns. They weren't too far away, so we made it and were the last tour of the day. This time, we had a private tour. James, our final tour guide, was pretty cool. It seems that in the 20's, the owners of the caverns held prohibition parties in an underground chamber they called the ballroom. They had a formation that looked just like Santa's sleigh as well as the requisite stalactites and stalagmites and columns. There was one gigantic difference, these caverns had bats that weren't afraid to be seen. They were hanging on the ceiling and the walls and flying around. On the way out, one had fallen onto the pathway. James scooped the little guy up and placed him out of harms way. When we circled back around, I think he was flying around. Another difference was the manganese tinted ceilings in the blue room. As we headed out, we left through what seemed to be a vintage 20's door. Very art deco-ish.
By this time, I figured the day was over. Now, when have I ever been right? While rushing from cavern to cavern, they'd noticed a teepee by the side of the road and decided that I would love to have my picture taken with it. To tell the truth, I would have liked to have propped my little fruitcake feet up and pried off my little fruitcake shoes and watched a mindless comedy or seven. But once we got there, I was glad they'd dragged me along. Not only was there a teepee, but a totem pole too. There was a soft ice cream stand..."Custard's Last Stand"...ha ha ha ha ha ha. Too bad it was being repaired. I would have gotten a picture with that and my bow and arrows. Now, do you think the fun was over??? NOOOO! Driving down Rt. 11, there's a sign. A small sign. A tiny sign. A sign that only too many hours in a car could make you see. Written on that sign are the words covered and bridge. SCREEEECH! Not even quite sure where I was, but I saw my first covered bridge. Rode across it a few times. Sadly, there was quite a bit of graffiti. However, they assured me that the pictures could be doctored so it wouldn't show. And so ends another hectic day in the life of a fruitcake.
April 19, 2003
April 27, 2003
May 3, 2003
May 16, 2003
May 17, 2003
May 24, 2002
May 31, 2002
June 1, 2002
June 2, 2003
June 3-7, 2003
June 8, 2003
I was picked up at the party and driven to meet my grandparents. My grannie took quite a fancy to me seeing as I'm her only
grandchild.
I was driven to Leesburg to be deposited with my first trustees,
Mary and Andy Baker. So far, I don't get car sick. Later... I met Damien and bonded for the first time with a reptile.
My hopes were deflated when news that my upcoming trip to Rio
was cancelled. I hid in my box for three days.
Took a side trip to Double Tollgate, Virginia to see DinosaurLand.
They were trying to raise my spirits caused by my thwarted trip.
But to no avail, it was closed. However, I did get to pose with
a few of the dinosaurs. Later...I bowled a personal best of 84. After 2 games, I was pooped, so I sat out the third and helped plan my web page. I'm pleased with it so far. However, I have
discovered that I have a few vices. I drink when I bowl. It made me very tired. Maybe it was the bowling with a ball I wasn't used to, but I doubt that was all of it. There was no lofting for me.
I was packed up to be mailed to Herb Bateman's office to catch
my ride to Mardi Gras. ...No, not with Herb Bateman, but with
Julie, my next trustee.
New Orleans is unlike any other place on earth. The atmosphere
is relaxed and gives one the feeling of benign, familiar
surroundings even if the fruitcake visiting has never been there
before....of course that was before the festivities began.
Arriving at NOIA, a moderate sized airport considering the amount
of traffic the place must see each year, the planes flew across
Lake Pontchartrain. Below, even from several thousand feet, we
could see the Lake Pontchartrain Bridge, the longest bridge in
the world stretching from horizon to horizon. After a short
shuttle ride from the airport, we hopped a cab for the west side
of the garden district. All around us the magnificent architecture
and deep southern hospitality blew us away. Off in the distance
we could hear jazz wafting out of a restaurant. The place was a
small brick atrium. Hanging plants adorned the walls. It had an
old French cafe feel. After stuffing ourselves, we headed over
to the French Quarter where the party was going full tilt.
Carnival, as Mardi Gras is referred to by the locals, is quite possibly the wildest experience one can have without leaving the
United States. Parades and drunken college students are the order
of the day and that order is carried out to the extreme. Pausing
our way through the noisy and sometimes naked crowd, we sought out
Pat O'Brien's. On the balconies, people gathered, participating
in the age-old custom of bead bartering for a glimpse of human
anatomy. All around us people chanted, "Show your tits!" To my
surprise, many were obliging and received plastic beads for their
efforts. The parade was quite awesome. Floats, and masked people
flowed through the congestion on the street. Each of the floats
carried costumed people throwing beads into the crowd. Occasionally,
a float would go by with someone who had a familiar name....such
as Harry Connick Jr. After finding O'Brien's, we sucked down our
daqueris. There were one or two out-of-control revelers who had
to be carted off by the New Orleans Police Department, but for the most
part, people were behaving themselves. At about 2am, we wandered
through the streets trying to find our hotel. Accomplishing this,
we settled into our quiet room and slipped into a drunken, beaded
unconsciousness.
Arrived home a little pickled. Heard I missed a trip to a ski
resort while I was gone. Oh well. Maybe next time.
I've been packed up again, but driven to Fredericksburg to meet
up with Kevin to go to Germany.
Left for Germany. After getting a ride up to Dulles from Fredericksburg,
we left at 11:45 and flew up to Pittsburgh where we had a 4 hour
layover. Fortunately, Kevin had relatives in Pittsburgh, and they
came to the airport and took us out to lunch. The flight from
Pittsburgh left on time , and we got on our way without any problems.
We got to Frankfurt at 7am on Saturday. Then, we made our way to
the train station and bought a ticket for Freiburg. It was a long
170 mile train ride after such a long flight. We stayed at Kevin's
friends Ellen's, about 1.5 miles outside Freiburg.
Afternoon. We made our way down into Freiburg for the first time.
Ellen doesn't have a car, so it's either walk, bike, or take a
street car. The first time we walked down.
We took a train up to Lake Shluchee and hiked around it. There was snow everywhere, and it snowed on us while we hiked around
the lake. Then, we took the train home and rested all evening.
We walked back down to Freiburg and walked around sightseeing all
day. In the evening we met several of Ellen's friends and saw
"Shakespeare in Love" in German. The we walked back down to
Littenweile.
It was raining in the morning, but we went ahead and took the
streetcar down to Freiburg. Midday, the sun came out, and it was
nice again. We spent the day walking around shops and buying
gifts. Then streetcarred back up to Littenweile.
Biked down to Freiburg and saw a local performance of
"Biographie-ein spiel" by Max Frisch. Walked around town some
more and met up with Henry, an MWC student who is studying abroad
this semester. Went out to dinner with him. Luckily, he doesn't
like fruitcake. Biked "home."
Walking into town to see a Cathedral today. It was really pretty.
Lots of stained glass. Cool architecture. We walked up the
stairs to the top of the tower. Good view.
Took a bus over to Colmar, France. It was a 35 mile ride there.
We took a walking tour of the major sites, including a section
called little Italy. This did resemble pictures Kevin had seen
of that country. We took the bus "home" again.
Walked around doing some last minute shopping and visited some
friends before packing up for the return trip.
Took at taxi at about 4am to the main train station since the
street cars didn't run that early. Got on my train and headed
back to Frankfurt. After a short delay, we caught the flight
home. Kevin's mom met us at the airport and took us back to
Fredericksburg.
Packed up again for overnight postal to Sioux Falls, South Dakota
to visit Lisa, my next trustee. I'm not as worried about postal
this time as the first. But I am worried that I might
accidentally spend St. Patrick's day in a box and not get a green
beer.
Not to worry! Not only did I get a green beer, but I got a shot of raspberry kamakazi, Morgan diet and my picture taken with a server at the Crow Bar. I thought she was mighty cute. I drank them all under the table, and I'm not even Irish! I wasn't feeling too hot by the time the night was over, but boy I sure had fun before then.
I'm feeling better today, but I'll spend the day resting up for my journey to Las Vegas tomorrow.
I am exhausted after my airplane ride to Vegas and back to South Dakota.
And I'm being packed up to go postal back to Virginia. I didn't get
lucky and win big, but I almost got lucky in love when I found a
wedding chapel. Only problem was, there was no future fruitcake bride-to-be available. So, I smiled big for a picture in front
of the sign instead. I was on top of the Stratosphere Tower overlooking Vegas. My favorite form of travel was the limo ride back to the airport. My scariest moment was when I thought I was going to get gobbled up by a tiger at the mirage. Lucky for me,
it was just a statue. I hated leaving Las Vegas since I was
having so much fun, but I am anxious for my next adventure.
I did remember to send a postcard. VIVA LAS VEGAS BABY!!!
After a nail biting few days Ed arrived home in time to be driven
to Woodbridge to meet up with his next trustee. Tanya. She'll be
accompanying him to England.
I spent most of the day bored in the suitcase packed between 2
pair of jeans. Until about 2 o'clock, that is, when we finally
hit the road. We had to go all the way to Philadelphia because
of bizarre arrangements so that my trustee could meet her brother.
In doing so, we hit 3 rush hours. I could tell from all the
stopping and starting and the general lack of momentum. My
trustee's brother said that whoever invented the words "rush
hour" is the same person who coined "parkway" and "driveway,"
which I thought was pretty funny. But we made it, and the plane
took off at 9:25pm. I love the sensation of flying. However,
I could do without the red eye flight and the hostess can't serve
me a drink when I'm stuffed in the luggage compartment. The
consolation is that the pilot said we will reach 37,000 feet.
We landed in Gatwick airport after 10 am, local time. Even though
my trustees were wiped out, they decided to go sightseeing anyway.
So, they took an express train from Gatwick to London, dropped the
luggage off at the hotel where we'll be staying and hit the
streets. We rode on the top of a red, double-decker bus to St. Paul's Cathedral where we climbed 530 steps to the top of the dome for a good view of the city. In the evening, we went to a
pub called the Shakespeare so that we could sample fish and chips
(heart attack on a plate!) and English ale. Unfortunately, the
after work crowd thinned out before my trustees finished eating,
and they were understandably tired after being awake for almost
36 hours straight, so they decided to call it a night. Besides,
we have to wake up early for a Jane Austen tour.
April Fools! The tour wasn't what I expected at all. We didn't
spend very much time at Jane Austen's house, only an hour and a
half, which wasn't enough time to see everything, but it was nice
for all that. We went to Winchester first to see Jane Austen's
burial place. We wandered around until we decided to have lunch
on a river bank about 5 miles from town, since it was such a
lovely day. Only then did we go to Jane Austen's house, which is
really a museum. There I discovered that my trustees read
everything, although I could've buzzed the place in 20 minutes
and headed for the gift shop or garden! Oh! We traveled in a
bus which was like an American mini-van. However, my trustee has
fallen in love with the tiny English cars, and this dwarfed everything else on the road.
Bank holiday. That meant that almost everything I tried to see
was closed, which really got discouraging after the first three
hours. Fortunately, it was another perfect day weatherwise, so
walking around was no problem. We also rode the tube so much
that I'm an expert at it now. The best part of the day came in
the evening when we went on a Jack the Ripper tour. Our tour
guide was an expert on the subject; he even wrote a book. I had
a good view of everything because my trustee's brother insisted
on being up front (in a group of about 150 people). Although,
sometimes, my trustee had a hard time keeping up unless she grabbed
the back of his jacket. They've really cleaned up on the East
End compared to what the tour guide described....gruesome fascinating
stuff. We bought his book and he autographed it.
We started our bus tour bright and early this morning. We joined
a group of 23 people who will tour the British countryside. I
never realized how green it is, nor how many lambs there are.
Mostly we just drove, but we stopped in York for a guided tour.
Another nice day, so everyone was out touring, and some of the
narrower streets were very crowded, but my trustees are experts
at keeping together now. Back at the hotel we had "happy hour"
with the other members of our group before attending a gourmet,
4-course meal. Fortunately, I wasn't on the menu. Everyone
stuck around to chat and my trustee's brother ate 3 different
kinds of desserts, which amazed everyone but my trustee. He hadn't
liked anything else on the menu and was still hungry. Luckily,
he doesn't like fruitcake either.
We made it all the was to Scotland today. We stopped in
Edinborough, where we had a man in a kilt give us a guided tour.
When he assured us that he did have something under his kilt, we
all felt much safer. He showed us the castle, and other people
just joined in our tour until we were a sizable group.
Afterwards, my trustee and her brother took the divide-and-conquer
approach. He went for pizza and into an art museum. Meanwhile,
I stayed with my trustee who walked around to take pictures of
the castle from various angles. Then she went to Admiral Nelson's
telescope tower. Unfortunately, she arrived 2 minutes before the
tower closed, so we couldn't climb up to the top (I wonder how
many steps that would have been). SO we just wandered around the
park dedicated to Admiral Nelson because it had good views of the
city below.
Many adventures today! Rain set in, but one of the wipers on the
bus broke , so we had to stop for at a woolen mill while someone
came to fix it. Finally, we were on our way to Chester. We went
there by way of the Lake District and it cleared long enough for
us to really see it. What gorgeous country. The gently rolling
mountains, the lakes in the valley, the intense green-I loved it
all. When we stopped in a little town for lunch, my trustee and
her brother immediately headed for a quick walk in the countryside
instead. By the time we arrived in Chester , we were very late,
so we only had time for a quick tour. I admired our tour guide's
patience, although my trustee's brother later summed it up...
"Look! Buildings!" I need to see it again in the sunshine.
We returned to London by way of Wales and Stratford-on-Avon.
We spent the morning in Wales. Again the country was beautiful,
but very cold. The bus driver tried to give us a crash course in
Welsh, but all I remember is that "araf" means "slow." In the
afternoon, we went to Stratford-on-Avon. I saw Shakespeare's
birthplace and the spot where he used to live. An irate preacher
who lived there much later burned the actual house down because
he tired of all the tourists. The tourist's are still there, but
he isn't. We also saw where Shakespeare is buried. Afterwards,
we headed back to London. We caught traffic just outside of
London. The evening's entertainment consisted of going to the
laundromat so that my trustee's brother would have enough clean
clothes for his stay in Amsterdam.
I guess that we can say that we dedicated the whole day to
travel. My trustee's brother left Heathrow airport for Amsterdam
at 8:45 am. Then my trustee and I had to catch the Gatwick
Express train because our flight left at 12:30 pm. The flight
was pretty uneventful, especially if you spent it all in the
overhead compartment. I was glad that I wasn't in with the rest
of the luggage, but I would've appreciated lunch, a drink, and
the in-flight movie. We arrived in Philadelphia at 3:30, which
felt like 8:30 except for the bright sun. Luckily, we didn't hit
any rush hours, and we returned to my trustees house shortly
before 9pm (or 2 am, London time). My trustee unpacked me right
away because she knew how tired I was. And thus concluded my
adventure in Great Britain. I can't wait for my next!
Back home with the family. We drove up to Harper's Ferry in the
back of Mary's Jeep. A very bouncy ride. We got turned around a
few times and went 4-wheelin' in a parking lot. Accidentally, of
course. Since we couldn't actually park in Harper's Ferry, we
had to park at the visitor's center and take a shuttle bus to the
historic part. We got a few interesting pictures with local
reinactors and local signs. Then, we ate lunch at a place called "The Garden Spot." I lost my appetite when a man coughed up a
lung behind me and asked his wife if she was hungry. VERY
unappetizing. Then, we headed to John Brown's Wax Museum, a very
creepy place indeed! The brochure stated that it incorporates
"the latest development in electronic lighting, sound, and
animation." Although, John Brown's wax figure looked up at us,
we're sure there have been many more innovations since the
brochure was penned. Then, we walked up to Jefferson's Rock. Quite a tourist infested place crawling with children. After
resting a while, we hiked a bit farther to a cemetery at the top
of the hill. Hiked back down barely catching the last shuttle
bus back to civilization. Rode the bus with what we suspect was
one of the Bee Gee's. After the excitement of the past week, it
was good to drive back home.
I was in a wedding. Two friends of my trustee got married and needed an extra usher, so I helped out. It was a nice ceremony
held at the Unitarian church. The reception was a lot of fun.
The bride and groom had a cake fight.....luckily, they didn't
take a fancy to throwing me into it. We all danced the Hokey
Pokey. Sorry to say, I didn't catch the garter.
Went to the movies. Surprised to see a movie poster with my name on it, so we got a picture. Then, we went bowling with my new friends Trudy and Randy. I didn't do too badly on the second game.
Equipped with my new library card and a keen desire to MAKE new
friends, I have checked out a few cookbooks.
On my way to the Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester, VA, I
was involved in an accident. Actually, I was run over by a car.
Even though there was no major damage to me or the car, it
certainly re-shaped my life. Still made it to the festival.
Not quite in time for the parade. But in time to scarf down
some cotton candy.
Went to the Renaissance Faire. Saw the big cats show and a mud fight and Shakespeare in a duel and Jousting. Got a Photo with
one of the Queen's Ladies in Waiting and a Camel. Rode an elephant too. After the festival I had to help feed the 7 cats and 18 kittens.
Here we are at the Richmond Braves baseball game against the Toledo Mud Hens. The weather is exceptional, and I'm craving a
hot dog, peanuts and cracker jacks. My seat is great, just behind the visitor's dugout, and I have a swell view. The people are more entertaining than the game. (The Brave's are losing, top of the 5th) Someone nearby is wearing too much cologne. My small companions are fighting over the sodas. The crowd is not
very enthused tonight, and a lady behind me says that is unusual.
A couple of chicks further down are rooting for the Mud Hens, so
I'm giving them nasty looks. At the 7th inning, we all stood,
danced and sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Everybody is
trying to get their face on the big screen and chasing the TV
camera. At least the Braves are consistent, another game lost.
Score at the 8th: Mud Hens 6, Braves 0. We left during the 8th
inning before we were thrown out. Parker and Cailin had lost all
interest in the crowd and game and eaten all the food. There was
nothing left to do but fight.
On my way to Washington. Postal. Not my favorite form of travel,
hopefully, I won't get lost.
Got to Spokane. Just a little shaken up from the trip. Won't get
to spend a whole lot of time here, but Patrick and Diana have
some neat things planned for the weekend.
Very perspiring day. Patrick took me for a long bike ride on the
Centennial Trail ALL THE WAY TO IDAHO!! Saw a cute little spuddette while I was there, but she was a little young and only
had eyes for some old tator tot. The trail was about 60 miles of
bike riding. Luckily, I didn't have to pedal much.
Diana and Patrick and their dog took me hiking today at a place
called the Bowl and Pitcher. I got to ride in style in a well
equipped fanny pack attached to Pumpkin. We were all exhausted after 8 miles of hiking. I can't help but think about that little
Idaho potato though.
It's my last day in Washington. They took me for a ride up to
Canada. WOW!! It was great until we got lost! Went to a place
called Castlegar. They tried to pull one over on me and not tell
me that we were lost. When I noticed that we were passing
Castlegar again, they told me that since I liked it so much, we were going
through again. Turned out we had taken a 50 mile loop road that
just brought us back to where we were. Well, tomorrow, it's back
in the box and back to the mail for another gruelling trip through
the postal service vans. Sigh!
I thought Lou had forgotten me! We had only been around his
apartment, and I was bored while he went to work each day. (I
wish I had my own legs. Oh, well.) Finally Lou took me outside
today. We went by car across the Missouri (west)into Ocoma, a
town of 300 people. It was a special occasion, the public
celebration of Al's Oasis and its 80th anniversary. It started as a small store and now is a favorite stop for tourists with a gas station, restaurant, grocery store, hotel and more. It is
sort of like the famous Wall Drug, but smaller and more practical.
Anyway, they had people dressed up for the kids, free ice cream,
a drawing for money, a year's supply of milk, and also cookout
supplies. The big drawing was not held yet. It is for Budweiser's
Sturgis Rally Celebration and won't be until the end of summer.
Lou entered and hopes to win the motorcycle. As for me, I didn't
win anything. (I would have liked the milk. I am feeling a bit
dry lately.) I couldn't enter as I am not 21 yet. That seems so
unfair. After I'm 21, I'll go to Sturgis. Once Lou had eaten
and shopped, he took me to the post office to mail a post card.
We also visited downtown Oacoma and and took a picture by the old
school. (I already had one at Al's Oasis.) We then went back to
the apartment.
We are on our way! First stop-Crow Creek Reservation and its
"Lode Star Casino." We went in and played slots. Lou won! He is now $60 richer. We were going to take a photo inside, but we
knew that no camera's were allowed. So we got one outside. I also had the chance to send a post card. Next stop...Lower Brule Reservation. Lou showed me around as he said his good-byes to people and places. No casino this time (although there is one). Lou said a fruitcake can only be so lucky, and we shouldn't push
it. $60 is good enough for us. Just a quick detour on this leg to revisit the site of Ft. Reliance. It was an old fort for cavalry "back in the day" as the Indian kids say back on the reservation. There is no more fort to see but the scenery is fantastic! I was told that cavalry used to be issued hard tack and fruitcakes and rations. I don't believe it, or I'm sure we would have found some fruitcake bits still lying around. Now
we'll head back to Chamberlain for a few more visits and errands.
I stopped by "The Morningstar" (Native American store) on Main
Street in Chamberlain. I had a great time. I even tried on some
beaded moccasins and a hat. We then drove to Pukwana, SD for the
night.
Our big adventure starts today. We drove to Mitchell to see the
Corn Palace. The exterior is all corn and the design changes each year. My knowledge about corn (for food, gas, plastics, etc.)
has grown substantially. (This is the world's only one.) Afterwards, we took a short walk to the Oscar Howe Art Center. A famous Lakota artist originally from Crow Creek Reservation. The center has changing exhibits of his work and other American Indian artists. On my way to Huron, I stopped by the Archdome.
This museum is a working dig site for a prehistoric Indian village near Mitchell Lake. I saw a close relative/ancestor there: boiled off Bison fat mixed with berries and nuts. Sounds yummy! Speaking of food, Lou took me to the Red Barn in Huron for lunch. (Boy can he eat! I'm not sure I'll be able to fit
next to him by the end of the trip.) It was an all you can eat
buffet. Cheryl Ladd of "Charlie's Angels" fame used to work there,
and there are many mementos on display. She is South Dakota
grown and Huron is proud of it. I am glad Lou ate well. He
was starting to look at me funny. (Did you ever see a fruitcake
sweat? You would have today.) As we prepared to leave Huron, Lou
took me on a short detour east on Rt. 14. We visited what he has
been told is the biggest pheasant in the world. A very large
statue on top of a liquor store, I still became afraid and tried
to hide in the tall grass nearby. The Ring Neck Pheasant is the state bird I think, but this was ridiculous. It was about 2
stories high and standing on a one story building. Afterwards, we drove east some more. We visited "the little town on the prairie," De Smet, SD. It was the day of the pageant. We toured the surveyors house (where Laura Ingalls and family lived while Pa worked in it) and Ma and Pa's later and last home afterward.
We then drove to the De Smet cemetery. I wanted a picture at the
family plot. I stood next to Pa. (He did love his fruitcake so!
God bless his soul.) There were no rooms available in the
one motel nor the one bed and breakfast, so it was back to Huron
for the night.
We got a bit of a late start due to some things Lou had to do,
but the rest of the day was "wunnerful, wunnerful." (you'll see
what I mean, so keep reading.) We headed west on a beautiful
sunny day to visit the Pierre area. I learned that Pierre
(pronounced "pier" by locals) is the state capital. We stopped
by the state house and saw the grounds. Afterward, Lou took me
across the Missouri River to Ft. Pierre (a smaller town) to see
the Verendrye Monument. Verendrye was a French explorer who in
about 1740 claimed all the land for the King of France. In this
century, a tablet with the claim was found on a hill on the
south side of town. Now a small park rests on the spot with
great views of the river. Lou wanted a picture, but I almost
refused. I didn't like his joke about the tablet really being
made out of a Christmas fruitcake. I found that offensive, but
with his apology, I calmed down. The photo went great, but then
trouble struck. The film finished and Christine's cheap camera
hadn't the film completely done (into the roll) despite
indications to the contrary. Thus, Lou opened the back
exposing some of the film. Hopefully all of the photos aren't
lost. Lou and I couldn't figure out how to fix it, so he left
the film in until we talk to Christine or give the camera back.
Personally, I'm a bit miffed. You would think she would have
sent along a better camera with a first class fruitcake like me.
Anyway, Lou said he'd use his own camera for a while. South of
Pierre is Fort Pierre National Grasslands (park). After checking
it out on its boarder, we headed north. Lou mentioned "Dances
with Wolves" was filmed for the most part near here. We then
had quite a pretty drive up route 83 into North Dakota. In
Strasburg, we visited the birthplace of Lawrence Welk. We just
got there in time. They were closing in 25 minutes. The was the
most "wunnerful" part of my day. The town of Strasburg was very
pretty. We visited another historic site, Saints Peter and Paul
church. It is on the National Register of historic sites for its
European ornate style. It was built by Russian-German immigrants
and many in Strasburg still speak German fluently. This is where
the Welks went to church. As we left. we picked up the Standing
Rock Pow-Wow on the radio. I wanted to go, but Lou said it was
too far. As I began to get huffy, Lou found another celebration
for us to attend. We visited the Linton Centennial Celebration
and fair. This town puts on a great party. We could have stayed
til closing, but the 3 small motels were filled. So, Lou took me
on the ferris wheel, and we walked all over town. (The fair was on Main Street and stores and businesses throughout town had
special things going on.) We then head north. At Sterling, we
came upon a hotel. The proprietor, an elderly lady, advised us
that she was full. Lou asked where maybe the next available hotel
would be found going north. She said MAYBE Minot (3 hours away).
She took pity on us and let us stay in a basement room usually
only used during hunting season. It had no TV, no phone and one
small window, but it will work for us. At least there is a
bathroom and a shower down the hall! She said that most of the
places were filled because of all the centennials and the holiday
travelers. So, we are sleeping in (or under) Top's motel, very
near the Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
Today is a day of rest (no travel), but we need it after the 4th.
We left Sterling early (7:30) and headed north on a rural highway.
It was quite a lovely ride, but it was long. Our first stop was
in Rugby, a small town proclaimed the geographical center of North
America. We visited the monument where I became the center of
attention for Lou's camera. After arranging for lodging (we didn't
want to get stuck without any), we headed north to visit the
International Peace Garden on the border with Canada. We drove around the scenic drive, stopped to hike on a lakeview trail (we
saw a wild mink!), and walked around the formal gardens (where we
visited the Peace Chapel, Peace Tower, bell tower and giant
floral working clock). Near the perennial garden, we went to a
singing concert by a group called "The Pride of Manitoba." Yes,
I got to travel into Canada in this park. After about 3 hours,
we headed out. We took a circuitous route back to Rugby where we
visited Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation. Lou took me to the
tribal casino of the Chippewa, and he came out $20 ahead. OH! I almost forgot! In Dunseith (west of the reservation) we stopped to check out the "W'eel Turtle," built in 1982 of over 2000 steel w'eels and stands 2 stories tall. Once we got back to Rugby, we visited a museum called Pioneer Village. It had a collection of
relocated pioneer-aged structures. After dinner, Lou took me for
a walk to town. To celebrate the fourth, we visited 3 of the 4
bars on Main Street (nothing fancy) and settled at the Overtime
Bar. I must bring Lou good luck, because the bartender gave Lou
some free drinks and a farmer bought him one too. We watched the
fireworks from the window. It was a pretty good show for a town
of about 3,000. Lou had his fill of drinks and walked home. I
could have driven us, but I liked the night air and walk. I
never drink....OK, once in a while!! I have no desire to be a
rummy-cake!
It was a beautiful day (warm but in the 70's). Our first stop
was Devil's Lake. There was a lot of flooding near the roads,
but we made it around OK. We visited Fort Totten, described as "the best preserved military fort of the frontier era west of the Mississippi River." The fort later served as an Indian school
and then a sanitarium. It became a school again (1940-59) for
the local reservation community. In 1960, the fort started in
1867, became a historic park. My favorite building was where
they used to teach baking skills. It felt homey to me. As we
were on the Devil's Lake Sioux Indian Reservation, Lou invested
in a local economy at Spirit Lake Tribal Casino. He ate the buffet (seemed like almost all of it) and lost some money in the slot machines. He is still ahead for the trip, but he could
stand losing some pounds rather than dollars. After lunch, we
went east into Minnesota through Grand Forks. You could still
see evidence of past floods. It was a long drive to our next
stop, but worth it. In Bemidji, we saw the famous and huge Paul
Bunyan and Blue Ox statues plus the statue of Chief Bemidji.
Then, we headed south to Lake Itasca State Park. We got to walk
to the head waters of the Mississippi River. It was almost like the Indigo Girls song, but despite being narrow, it is only one
or two steps down, not 5. Lou took me through the water to the
other side. So, I have walked across the Mississippi! Lou got a
nice picture of me wading in the river. It is a beautiful park
with many old growth trees. We then began to look for a place
for the night. We found a great place with log cabin units,
right along the Fish Hook River on Park Rapids, MN. We stayed at
Lee's Riverside Resort Motel. As the sun set, Lou took me to the
river to watch the kids fish and eat ice cream he bought at a
local store.
We started off bright and early to head south. We stumbled upon
a unique statue of a saint names Uhro. He supposedly cleaned the crickets or grasshoppers out of Finland, but Lou thought he'd read it was all a joke. It was in Menahga. We continued south
to Alexandria, Wisconsin to visit The Runestone Museum (with the
Kensington Stone, thought to be made by the Vikings and left in
Wisconsin in the 1360's). Outside is a huge Viking statue, a great place for a picture. Afterward, we headed southeast to
Sauk Centre. We visited the Sinclair Lewis Interpretive Center
and Museum. Lou found out that another controversial Viking site
was nearby off or Route 28. We went hunting for it and with some
difficultly found a large rock in a field. Some thing the rock
has viking markings and was used by Vikings to hold a mass.
(Why, I am not sure.) Having accomplished our visit to "altar
rock," we headed back to town to visit Sinclair Lewis' boyhood
home. Lou then had an inspiration. He had heard me whining
about leaving North Dakota, so he suggested we visit the world's
largest buffalo in Jamestown. Soooooo, off we go back northwest
to North Dakota (passing through Fargo, I looked for anyone
chopping up anyone in a chipper but didn't see anything. Maybe
next time.) Once in Jamestown, we arrived at the National Buffalo
Museum and took a tour. Next to it lay the Pioneer Village (with
old buildings and displays) and the world's largest buffalo. At this point, we had a very special experience. We saw White Cloud, a white buffalo, among the museums' herd on the museum's free range. It was a very fortunate experience, he was resting on a
hilltop near the fence line. White buffalos are a sacred
symbol/animal for many plains Indian tribes and are very rare.
We then headed south for a night in Edgeley, ND.
Well, it was quite a day. We drove quite a ways south until our
first stop, Pipestone, MN. We ate at a historic inn in the town
and walked around a bit. Then we drove to the national monument,
a preservation area where American Indians still quarry for a
red stone that they shape into bowls for their sacred pipes (and
make some other items too). I was a bit tired of his jokes saying
he would carve me up, but fruitcakes are too hard, frankly, I
find his fruitcake humor a bit stale! Anyway, he took me around
the museum and hiking trail, but he wouldn't take me out of his
cargo pocket. It is a sacred site for American Indians, and he
said he didn't want to offend anyone by taking my picture there.
Now, why would anyone be offended by a fruitcake? Anyway, I
finally convinced him to take a picture of me by the entrance
sign. Afterward, we took a back road southwest to Sioux Falls.
We stopped in Garretson to see Devil's Gulch. The hiking trails cover an area where Frank and Jesse James were in a shoot out
with a posse from Minnesota. Jesse is said to have gotten his
horse to jump the approximately 20 foot gorge avoiding capture
and death. The trails were nice and the Devil's Waterfall, and
Devil's Kitchen, and Devil's Stairway (where Frank escaped into
the river canyon below) were all pretty. We then headed to Sioux Falls, a pioneer monument overlooking the city and its Hormel meat packing plant and stockyards (Eat Beef....Not Fruitcake!), the USS SD Battleship Memorial and Terrace Park with the Japanese
Gardens. We also visited a couple of Lou's friends. It is Lou's
last night in South Dakota, and we stayed east of Sioux Falls in
Brandon, SD.
We went "down in the valley of the Jolly Green Giant" today, Blue Earth, MN. We saw a 55 1/2 foot (with base) statue of the giant in the home of Green Giant Foods. He weighs 8,000 pounds, and
his shoe size would be 78. His smile is 48 inches wide. He is
huge, but how can you not like a giant that smiles and laughs all
the time? (Ho, Ho, Ho!) It was erected in 1979 when interstate
90 was completed at Blue Earth. We didn't make another tourist
stop until on a scenic highway (16). We visited Spring Valley.
An 1876 church is now a museum for the town and its "Little House"
connection via Alanzo and Laura (Ingalls) only lived here one
year (1890-1891). The highway continued through a couple of
state forests/parks. We ended up across the Mississippi in
Lacrosse, WI. There are a lot of high bluffs along the
Mississippi at this point. Our hotel had a restaurant/bar behind
it (The Bikini Yacht Club) on a deck. We ate there as the sun
set. After a few beers, I wanted to take a swim in the
Mississippi. Fortunately, Lou was sober and stopped me at the
rail. (I don't swim, I just sink.) He took me home and put me
to bed. So much for not being a run cake.
We started the day with a view from Grandad Bluff over Lacrosse. BEAUTIFUL!!! (Except when Lou threatened to throw me over the
edge for my behavior last night. Apparently, I had gotten a bit
too friendly with out bikini waitress. Oops!) We walked back to
the car, and he took me for a surprise trip on a paddlewheel boat on the Mississippi. It looked like the old steamboats and operated like them except it now uses a safer power source. We saw 2 bald eagles and 2 great blue herons among other sites.
Upon our return, Lou took a picture of me by a gigantic Hiawatha
statue (17 tons, 25 feet tall) and a walk in the riverside park
and in the older section of Lacrosse. Before leaving town, we saw
"The World's Largest 6 Pack." At the Heilman Brewery for "Old Style Beer." The brewery has been bought out so I couldn't get
a tour. Sooooo, no free beer for me to sample. As I still had a
headache from last night, I decided to take one anyway....one of
the 6. It must have been quite a sight to watch Lou pulling me
away from the beer storage unit. (I have grown to like beer!)
It probably still has scratches on it. The brewery closes the
end of this month. We were lucky to see it at all. I even got a
picture by the original Heilman Mansion. Lou got me back in the
car, and we headed south on 14/61 and 35. It was a pretty trip
along the river bluffs and considered among the prettiest drives
in the USA. Finally, we made it to Prairie du Chien. When the
US took the area, someone suggested changing the name to the
English "Dog Flat," but he lost and the French name stayed.
Somehow, the name is pronounced by the local residents "Prairie
du Sheen" or "Prayer du Sheen." Go figure!" We stopped at Ville
Louis, an old mansion owned by early fur traders. Lou didn't want
to pay the $8, so we saw the outside and the nearby remains of Ft.
Shelby and Ft. Crawford (War of 1812 period). It was fortunate
we stopped. The "Town and Country Jamboree" was going on with
live entertainment. We watched people dance, listened to music, and checked out all the crafts. (As Lou ate some Texas style BBQ, I snick away for some beer. Yum!) Lou, now satiated, wanted to
show me a park nearby in Iowa, The Effigy Mounds National Monument.
It was for prehistoric burials and rituals that ancient peoples built
these mounds and strange designs. It is considered by some Native
Americans as sacred, so Lou once again introduced me to his cargo
pocket. (I think he was actually still upset by last night.) He
took me on a 4 mile walk, and he did let me out at some of the overlooks
from the bluff tops. (He even took my picture once.) Luckily, we
found a hotel. Lou heard about a rodeo. So, at 7:00pm, we went
to the Prairie du Chien Cope-Skol Professional Rodeo. We saw all the events until it closed down at 9:30pm. Because of the jamboree and rodeo, the town had fireworks. We caught those too. There was one last thing Lou caught....me drinking beer again. He wasn't pleased. He sent me back to the hotel. I had to sneak into the bathroom just to write this!
Man, I was one pickled fruitcake. I forgot to mention some cowboy
humor I picked up at the rodeo. What do you call a cow with no
legs? Ground beef. OK, OK, not good enough? How about this one:
How are blondes like cow chips? The older they get the easier
they are to pick up. Alright, so maybe it was the beer that makes
them seem funny. Anyway, Lou forced me out of bed early. We headed
to Iowa again. First, we killed 15 minutes at the Miss Marquette,
a casino paddleboat. Lou is only $5 ahead now. (Serves him right!!)
We just went there to wait for our first stop to open. The stop,
Spook Cave, was worth it. We took a boat tour into an underground cavern. For years, people spoke of ghostly strange noises coming from an opening in the bluff. In the 1950's, an explorer discovered
the caverns with its stream. It was pretty tight quarters, and the
small boat powered with a battery engine banged into the sides and
rocked a lot. I got pretty sick. No more beer for me....At least
for a while. After the tour, we left Iowa back into Wisconsin.
We went by back roads to Mt. Horeb. There is a big Nordic influence
there, and Lou wanted some Norwegian meatballs at an old diner there.
(I still couldn't eat, but started to feel better.) Lou then told
me how the town wanted to present me with the keys to the city.
He took me to a short ugly man on a pedestal. I tried to take the
keys, but he would not let go. I pulled and pulled until I fell
on my butt. It was only a wooden statue of a troll, part of Mt. Horeb's Trollway, a group of troll sculptures lining the main boulevard. I was totally embarrassed. Lou apologized and took me to the local history museum. We then headed south into Illinois. We drove a long time until we finally got to Tampico, IL. We had earlier passed through Dixon, claiming to be President Reagan's hometown. (We didn't stop.) Now, I found out why. We were going to see his birthplace.
Unfortunately, it closed before we got there. I wanted to get in
anyway. I started to pick the lock only to have Lou tackle me.
(He is no fun!) It was a second floor apartment, so I didn't even get
a look in the windows. We continued our backroads tour through Illinois,
and I must say I'm not impressed. I thought we'd go somewhere fun
like Chicago, but no such luck. Lou took us to Kewaneem the "Hog
Capital of the World!" We are stuck here for the night. I can't
believe it. Lou is such a swine!!
We started today with a refreshing walk and coffee break in
Kewanee Park, then we were off. We drove south and then, once
off the main highway again, east to Peoria. Lou stopped at a
playground and let me out. I wasn't so good with the swings, but
I loved the slides. I wondered why Lou was being so nice to me
after being so angry recently. He said he wanted to see how a
fruitcake would play in Peoria. He said newsmen and pollsters often ask about things playing in Peoria. A supposedly
all-American town. He then promised me a champagne brunch. I
was hungry after playing, and we hadn't eaten. Also, I liked the
idea of champagne despite my vows to stay alcohol free. After a
lot of driving, we stopped at a Cracker Barrel restaurant in
Champaign, IL. I was a bit perturbed, let me tell you. We
finally finished with the boring state of Illinois. Our first
stop in the state of Indiana was Crawfordsville. We visited the
Ben Hurr Museum. The author lived in the town and had built an
incredible building to write in. The grounds were open, but the
museum was closed. Lou and I looked in the windows. I had to
climb up, but it was worth it. I even got to see some armor from
the movie. We continued east until Speedway, the site of the
Indianapolis 500. Lou took me to the museum and hall of fame at
the track. Lou might drive me crazy, but he also drove me to a
good place this time. I even got to drive around the track.
(Ok, I was driven on a bus, but I made it around.) I even snuck
into a few cars in the museum/hall of fame. After we left, I
tried to get Lou to speed to our hotel in Buckeye Lake, Ohio.
He refused, just when I was starting to think he was a cool guy.
We stated off with another historical stop, The National Road and
Zane Grey Museum. I protested loudly, but Lou pulled me from the
car. He lay me down in front of an antique steam roller and made
threats about flattening me. I decided I best behave. The museum
in Zanesville, Ohio partly commemorates Rote 40, the first national
road in the U.S.A. It became known as the National Road. (Big
Deal! A national fruitcake could be more important than this,
but I said nothing. The steamroller was just outside, and I
didn't want to be as flat as Route 40.) The other part of the
museum remembered the author Zane Grey who had been born in
Zanesville. He wrote a lot of westerns and loved fruitcake I'm
told. That part of the museum was ok I guess. (Lou liked both
parts. What a punk!) He then took me to drive on part of Route
40 and see the famous Y-bridge in Zanesville. We rode over it,
and it really is in the shape of a Y. We then went to an overlook,
and I saw it was kind of neat. It is supposedly unique and famous
in the world. I could only ask, "Y?" (Lou hated that, so I kept
asking.) Next stop was Marietta for lunch and a walk. It was named
after Marie Antionette, it is famous for colonial expansion of the
US. It had the first settlement and government for the USA out of
the boundaries of the first 13 states. We saw a monument made by
the same guy that made Mount Rushmore, the old landing point for
paddleboats, and a bunch of antique stores. The Marquessa
Lafayette landed at the port, so the town claims it is the site
of the start of American tourism. (She toured the US for about a
year.) I wish I was at the end of my tour with Lou. All this
history makes my brain hurt. Maybe I should have had a drink with
lunch...Nah, I guess not. Christine will stop my drinking anyway,
so I might as well get used to it now. We are almost home as we
crossed the Ohio river into West Virginia today. We are spending
our night in Beckley, WV.
"Almost Heaven, West Virginia" MY BUTT!! I almost died from
claustrophobia and cold damp air in the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine. It was a real mine that was closed in about 1910. I liked the pullcar ride though, about 1.3 of a mile underground. As we drove toward Virginia, Lou took me to New River Gorge, the Grand Canyon of the East. I don't understand why he's into these things, but the gorge was pretty. Dangerous too. I almost fell in from
the overlook. Lou saved my life, so maybe I've been wrong about
him being a Lou-ser. We spent our night with friends in Lexington,
Va.
We visited Virginia Military Institute today. I was checking out
one of Stonewall Jackson's canons used by units in the Civil War.
Jackson taught artillery to cadets with them. They were called
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I climbed into John to look around. It was pretty dark. I took out my matches for a light, but Lou thought that probably wasn't a swift idea. We also visited Washington and Lee University and Robert E. Lee Chapel (where Lee is buried.) Our tour of the Lexington area finished by visiting one of the 7
natural wonders of the world, "Natural Bridge." We hiked around and saw the cave of the "Lost River," waterfalls, and a few more
things. It was a good way to end our trip together as it is a
wonder we didn't kill each other at times, but now that I'm back
in Virginia, I feel better about it all. Would I go with Lou again?
Maybe, but not with all his stuff. I'm tired of being crammed
in a box! Well, Christine's on her way to get me, and then it
is home sweet home....until next trip!!!
After just 2 days at home, Grandad is taking me to Texas....
Woo-hoo! Finally going to spend sometime with Gramps, he is
taking me to Austin, Texas for a computer school. Trip to the
airport was boring except the parking deck was full except the
top floor. It was high enough to see the airplanes. Got checked
in and had to wait for an hour before takeoff. Had my eye on a
real cute chick but didn't say anything to her because Gramps
said she was a real cute cookie, and she probably wouldn't go for
a fruitcake. He laughed real hard at that, but I didn't think it
was funny. Flight from Richmond to Ohio then to Austin. Arrived in Austin and Gramps let me pick out the rental car. I picked
out a Ford Explorer because I knew Gramps liked 4 x 4. He said
he approved. Checked in the hotel and Gramps turned in early. I
fell asleep in front of the TV.
First 2 days were boring. I had to stay at the hotel while
Gramps went to school. And he didn't leave me the car! Finally
got to go to school today. I was in the class for 2 hours before
I realized that those machines along the wall were computers. I
thought computers sat on top of a desk! These things were bigger
than the desk! Gramps said not to worry about it because I was a
fruitcake! He laughed again. Went for a tour of Austin after
school and out of town. Sure glad I live in Virginia! Texas has
too many miles and miles and more miles and miles of nothing.
The next evening, we went into town and I wanted to go to a
topless bar, but Gramps said only fruits went into that bar,
not fruitcakes. He laughed real hard again! I still don't know
what's so funny.
Up early, packed, had breakfast, and went to school. I didn't
learn anything, but then again, I was too short to reach the
buttons. Gramps told me that the computer was a Raven! Scared
me for a few seconds until I realized it wasn't a bird! (Ravens
eat fruitcake!!!) Got a tour of the IBM plant. Sure glad Gramps
didn't get lost because the plant covered at least 40 acres. The
trip home was REAL boring! I got put in the suitcase, and I had
heard that airlines ALWAYS lost luggage! I slept all the way home.
On my way with Mary now. In Detroit, we had to sit on the runway
for 30 minutes to burn off fuel, we were overweight...that is
bizarre logic even to a fruitcake. Food is terrible, champagne
is keeping me sane.
Off to Tokyo. Watched 3 personal videos. (My Favorite Martian
was funny, so that tells you I'm waaaaaay jet lagged.)
Boarding Malaysia Air to....you guessed it, Malaysia. They're
serving eel for dinner - YUMMY! The pilot announced his 2 minute
long name: Aziah Ahmad Abu Bakar Suleiman Mahayidden Tan Sri
Kesvapillai...feeling safe now.
Visited Petronas Towers (tallest buildings in the world at this time) in downtown Kuala Lumpur. Our guide Arul says the stress
tests on the bridge between the towers FAILED....meaning some
heavy wind may just rip it in half! Cool!
Shopped in Central Market, met a real Burmese person.
The week is gone! Now we're flying to Zurich, losing 6 hours and
looking forward to meeting some bodacious cheeses. I will be
"Hans" Dibble on this trip.
Arrived in Milano - surrounded by Versace and Zegna. We've
decided to drive straight to Venezia for the day - Molto Bene!
Fruitcake should go well with a little grappa!
Got in late from one watery trip - must have been 105 degrees,
and I think I shrunk a bit. Saw the Bridge of Sighs, gondolas and Place de San Marco. Too many tourists though, should come in October...but the boat ride is great.
Spending the week in Lario (near the Swiss border) at Telespazio
headquarters. The hotel is ancient, like a monetary, but it's
right on Lago di Como and the mountains are gorgeous. Got
pastaed out and have moved to anti-pasta....is there
anti-fruitcake out there?
Shopped in Bellagio - now I must go back to Vegas and visit the
casinos. Learned the Milanese designers don't make clothes in my
size...guess most Italians have bigger necks. Viewed the works
of Francesco Musante at Valentinarte Galleria...he's a tempura
expert and a bit perverse.
Drove to St. Moritz, Switzerland. Crossing the border was exciting since our Italian rental was like a magnet to the
Swiss Frontier Guards...made it through, but they refused to
stamp my passport...SNOBS! No skiing yet, but touched an Alp and ate at a lovely outdoor cafe. Drove from St. Moritz to LeViguo - this is a duty free town in a deep Alpine valley and
is snowed in 7-8 months of the year. Awesome shopping and the
views are fantastic! Ate at a five-star restaurant, La Lanterna
Verde on the return trip. Must remember pizzochero, inferno, and
spumone!
Flying back to Dulles...almost didn't make it to the airport as
the road is flooded - had to make a 30 minute detour around Milano
and come in the rear. Ugh! Settled into my seat and sipping champagne
once again - been a strange but intense 2 weeks.
"On the road again...." Arrived at Dulles International to start
another vacation. The only aggravating part is I had an hour and
a half layover in Atlanta. Made it into Miami at about 2:15pm and
rode the bus to the pier to my ship, the Majesty of the Sea. I
had an hour "Welcome to the Cruise" show that featured a really
good comedian, and our cruise director also introduced himself to
everyone. After the show, I hit the dining room. I shared a
table with two women from Ohio, both of whom were named Leslie,
and a charming couple from Brazil. They speak little to no
English, and I speak little to no Portuguese, but we all hit it
off. We exchanged addresses, and fortunately, we all have people
that can translate each others letters for us. Tomorrow is a
simple day at sea before I start my excursions the rest of the
week. Plan to sit by the pool and read a little.
Quiet day at sea. I got up around eight and had a quick breakfast. I spent most of the day lying by the pool and reading. About
2 o'clock, they have a poolside horse race. Basically, six wooden
sticks with horse head cut outs on them. They rolled dice for the
race to advance the horse and you bet on which horse you thought
would come in first. It was silly, but cost a dollar to play,
and I had fun. I also met a cute little Eclair from Kansas today.
Her name is Fan C. Do'nut, and she said her family originally came
from France. We made plans to have dinner together and then see
the show tonight. I'm looking forward to tonight. The show we're
having that ventriloquist Jay Johnson. He was the guy that used
to be on the old sitcom "Soap." Well, have to take a nap to be
ready for tonight's festivities.
Yesterday, we anchored at Labadee, Haiti. I wanted to go
snorkeling, but the mask wouldn't fit. Instead, Fan and I lay on
the beach most of the day. Today we have docked at Ocho Rios,
Jamaica. I met Fan for breakfast (which did not go at all well.
At one point, she believed she saw her cousin on a guest's plate
and became quite alarmed.) We took a short walk on deck and later
we'll go into Ocho Rios for some horseback riding.
Wow, what a day! Today we arrived at Grand Caymen. I took a
tour that went to a town called Hell.....yes.....Hell. It's
named that because there is a series of limestone formations
that look like a miniature version of Hell you would expect from
Dante's Inferno. After Hell, we went to the Grand Caymen Turtle
Farm. I made another new friend there as well. I was supposed to go snorkeling at Sting Ray City, but my first tour came back
to pier too late, and the other tour had already taken off. So,
I came back to the ship early and took a nap.
Okay, I had my first real letdown of the trip today. We pulled
in at Playa del Carmen, and I had planned to go to the Mayan
ruins, only Mexico has a law that no fruit can come ashore off of
cruise ships. While I'm not totally fruit, I still wasn't
allowed to go ashore. So I went ahead and slept in late, then I
went poolside for the day. Fortunately, a couple of new friends
I made aboard are going to get pictures for me. Tomorrow we'll
be at sea all day, heading back to Miami.
Well, my last day at sea. The ship will be at sea all day, and
we'll arrive at Miami about 5:30 am on Sunday morning. Then,
I'll debark the ship at about 9am, and we'll be taken to the
airport. This has been a great vacation, and I know I will
definitely take another cruise in the future.
Wow! What a day! Grandpa yanked me out of my PJ's at 2:30 am,
threw me in the Ranger and said, "It's time to boogie!" I slept
most of the way to Nags Head and woke up just as we were racing
the sun to the ocean...the sun won but not by much. I think I
recognized one or two waves from my cruise. When we got to the
Outer Banks Gramps took a left at Southern Shores, and we went
through Duck, Monteray, and Corolla onto the 4 wheel drive area
and went back to Virginia via the beach. What fun! My grandpa
plays "dances with waves" with the truck, and we look for
seashells. Gramps took my picture on a piling that was part of
the boundary between Virginia and North Carolina. Grammie got
scared when a wave nearly blew me in the water. The border on
the Virginia side is the beginning of False Cape State Park.
Grammie helped me sign my name in the register, and then we began
the grueling ordeal of serious beach combing. Only residents can
drive through the park so we had to walk 6 miles both ways.
Needless to say, I'm a little shorter! I wanted to go swimming,
but Grammie said it would make my raisins soggy. We found
bunches and bunches of shells, mostly whelks and about two
bushels of sea sponges. I was some porpoise, monarch butterflies,
lots of ghost crabs, sea birds - gulls, sanderlings, etc.
Finally headed to Nags Head, registered at the motel, got cleaned
up, and went to the Wharf for dinner. Had "all I could eat" King
Crab legs and Satan's dust. I was so tired I fell asleep at the
table. We made a quick stop at Food Lion for supplies and then
back to the hotel and a good night's sleep.
Today, I woke up bright and early, had breakfast, and headed out
to the beach. We stay in Nags Head so we can take our choice of
directions - Corolla - Hatteras - Manteo, etc. Nags Head is about
midway. This morning we headed north. On the way we stopped by
the Whalehead Club. The Club is located in Currituck, NC. Currituck is an Indian name for "Land of the Wild Goose." The
club was built by Edward Collings Knight, Jr, and Executive with
the Pennsylvania Railroad and American Sugar Refinery for his
wife Amanda Marie Louise LeBell. She enjoyed hunting and was
good with a shotgun, however, because she was a woman, she wasn't
allowed in the all male hunt clubs on the Outer Banks. Soooo, in
1922, her husband bought 2,000 acres, including one of the hunt
clubs that had refused Mrs. Knight membership, and construction
began. The house was completed in 1925 and cost $325,000. The
building supplies were shipped by barge from Norfolk, Va, and it
was the first home on the Outer Banks to have a basement,
elevator, and swimming pool. The house had five chimneys, nine
dormer windows, cork floors, courderoy walls, copper shingles on
the roof, many signed and numbered Tiffany glass globes, solid
mahogany doors and pink tiles on the walls of the kitchen. It
was built as a private residence and later became a hunt club, a
boys school, and a corporate retreat for an aerospace firm. The
Whalehead Club was purchased by Currituck County and is currently
being transformed into the Currituck Wildlife Museum and will
showcase wildlife of the sound, northeastern N.C. and the back
bay area of southeastern, Va. It will also feature the history
of water fowl hunting and the artistry of decoy makers. Next, I
saw Currituck Beach Lighthouse. It was built in 1875 and was the last lighthouse built for the N.C. coast. There are 212 steps to the top and boy is that a long way up! Though my raisins would
melt!!! From the top, you can see the ocean, the sound, and the
thin strip of land in between. The whale-oil lamp was magnified
with a high-powered imported Fresnel lens which was mounted on top
of a rotating base. The light could be seen by ships from up to
50 miles offshore. The lighthouse itself stands 158 feet high and
is unpainted brick. It can be seen from 18 miles out to sea. The
Lighthouse Board ordered each Outer Banks lighthouses to be painted
in a distinctive manner to make them recognizable during daylight.
The Currituck Light was the only one that remained unpainted. The
Keeper's House is also interesting. It was a 2 family Victorian
home where the light keepers and their families lived. Grannie
has a friend who is related to one of the men who was born in the
light keeper's house. It was the middle of winter and he and his
brother were so small that they were kept warm in the holding oven
of the wood stove. He tells interesting stories of the "joys" of
carrying fuel up the 212 steps to keep the lamp burning in summer
and winter. Several trips per day had to be made to make certain
the oil reservoir was never empty. Some of their other chores were
cleaning the glass and lens of the light, making weather reports and
repairing storm damage. After this, it was back to the beach and
more shell hunting. I saw 2 sharks today and made friends with a
ghost crab. He was almost as big as I was. Grammy kept a close
watch on us because she thought he would have eaten me if given
the chance, Then Gramps took me to Wishing Woods for a hike of
about 6 miles. We saw foxes and deer along the way, lots of birds,
and a bunch of sand and bushes and sea oats. I was so tired that
I fell asleep on the way back to the motel. After I took a nap and
had dinner, we decided to hit the beach again. The tide was out and
the moon was full. We could see seashells as they rolled ashore.
To be sure we didn't miss any, Gramps carried his light. When we
first got on the beach, another car drove up and was shining a flashlight
around. Gramps accepted the challenge and pulled out his 150,000,000
candlepower locomotive spotlight. The duel was over in a matter of
seconds. I'm telling you, it was as bright as day whenever he turned
that thing on. We had a great time beach combing, watching a ship at
sea and wondering why it was dead in the water with several spotlights
trained on one area. We figured they were pirates making someone
walk the plank. We saw a huge shooting star that left a bluish, green
trail as it disappeared (I made a wish.) We also were fussed at by
foxes who thought they should have the beach to themselves.
This morning I slept in a little because we wanted to wish Christine a
happy birthday and didn't want to wake her up too early. We sang
"Happy Birthday!" to her over the phone. I felt a little guilty
because I wasn't there to make her a "fruit cake" - literally,
Grammy makes her a cake of fresh fruit and candles stuck in grapes
(Christine's a vegan). Anyway, since I wasn't there, I had to force
myself to try to have fun. We finally got started, we headed south.
Our first stop was Oregon Inlet. It's a fisherman's mecca. In 1974,
the all-tackle record for blue marlin was caught just offshore. It
weighed 1,142 pounds. To date, that is still the record holder. Trucks,
SUV's and all manner of four wheel drive vehicles line the shore with
fishermen dreaming about catching "the big one." We walked a bit,
investigating the shell situation and finally headed out to Bodie Lighthouse. Bodie Island is the area south of Whalebone Junction and South of Nags Head. Legend says that the name came from the numerous bodies of of shipwreck victims that littered the shores
of the area and the original name was "Body's" rather than Bodie.
The lighthouse was built in 1872. It is horizontally striped and
150 feet tall. It was originally located on the north shore of
Oregon Inlet to guide sailors through the dangerous channels. Today
it is almost 2 miles from the inlet because the inlet has slowly
migrated south. This lighthouse isn't open for climbing, but the
keepers house has been turned into a visitor's center. There is
also a nature trail here that is well worth the trek. Back in the
car, we headed almost next door to the Pea Island Refuge. It is
a six thousand acre refuge located on the northern part of Hatteras
Island. It has fresh water ponds and islands and is a major bird
migratory route in the northern hemisphere. From the observation
trail, we saw egrets, heron, ducks, many other birds and freshwater
turtles. Driving through Pea Island on Rt. 12, we saw places that
had been damaged by hurricanes Dennis and Floyd. Some of the dunes
had big gaping holes in them. There were miles and miles of evidence
of heavy equipment trying to push the sand from the road and back
where it belonged. In one section, they actually had to rebuild a
section of the road so that it curved more inland. Our next stop
was in Buxton where we visited Hatteras lighthouse. It has been moved approximately three thousand feet from its original location to save it from becoming a casualty to erosion. We went first to its original site and the only thing there was a ring of rather large pink marble slabs marking where the foundation had stood. They have even moved
the keeper house. We could see the lighthouse on its new foundation
from the old site. We then returned to our car and drove a short
distance followed by a rather nice hike through a rough trail to
see the new location. It was fenced off so that we couldn't get
too close. The steady drone of a generator and workmen with yellow
hats let us know that construction was still under way. I got a
wedgie sitting on a fence to get my pix taken. At one point my
hat actually blew on the other side of the fence and Gramps had
to scramble for it. There were mosquitoes as big as pterydactls,
and I was afraid that at any minute my raisins were going to get
sucked dry! I found out that Hatteras lighthouse is the southern
end of the chain of three lighthouses that mark the Outer Banks
at forty five minute intervals. At that distance, ship captains
always have a light within sight...as one disappears off their
stern, another comes into view off their bow. Considering there
are over 2,000 known shipwrecks along the Outer Banks, I guess
every little bit helps. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest
brick lighthouse in the nation at just under 200 feet; there are
268 steps to the top. It is not open to the public yet because
of the move but hopefully it will reopen once everything is completed.
After leaving Hatteras, we stopped at several on-ramps to the beach.
At one of these stops, we happened upon some surfers. I explained
my "world traveler" situation to them and told them I was anxious
to experience surfing. Here I made a new friend Joey who took me out on his surfboard to catch some waves. DUDE!! What a blast!
I mean, like far out, man! I'll admit, I was a bit afraid at first,
but once you get the "hang ten" of it....DUDE..!!! That's surfer
talk for, "I had a really good time with my new friends." We made
one other stop on the way back. It was a tiny Post Office in Salvo, I think. This place was so small that if they got more than three letters, they had to open the window to make room. I was so beat
after surfing, so I had a quick dinner went straight to sleep. We
leave tomorrow. Heavy sigh.
Got a leisurely start this morning. Took our time packing. I
didn't have a lot to pack, just my beach towel, my shades and my
hat, but we were out for breakfast at around 11am. After breakfast,
we went to a place called Galaxy Golf, and I had a very close
encounter with a Star Wars Imperial Walker. Man, was it HUGE! I
had visions of becoming a pancake! There was also a spaceship landing with two little aliens getting out. It was very interesting. From here, we went shopping a bit, then over to Jockey's Ridge, the east coast's highest sand dune. I wanted to go hang gliding,
but nobody was up to it, so I just enjoyed kite flying. After
Jockey's Ridge State Park, we went by the Wright Brother's
Memorial at Kill Devil Hills. Here is where the first man ever
flew. They were Orville and Wilbur Wright. Life size models of
their glider and place are in the visitor's center and outside there
are camp buildings set up to resemble the 1903 site. Also, there
is a marker where the first place took off and three distance markers
showing the length of the first three flights. Just enough time
for one more beach trip. Once we got there, I saw some of the
legendary wild horses. There were four of them and one colt.
They are part of only a few that are left of a vanished herd of
wild Spanish Mustangs that roamed the Outer Banks for 400 years.
While Gramps took one last trek on the beach, I hung around
waiting for my ghost crab friend to show up. Grammy wanted to get
a picture of us, but every time he came out she was looking the other
way. When she moved to aim the camera, she'd scare him, and he'd
run back into his hole. He's very shy. After Gramps got back from
his walk and we had to leave, I dropped some cheese crackers by the
ghost crab's front door, so he could have a snack. As I repacked
my beach towel, I yelled, "See ya," real loud down his sand hole. I know he heard me. It was later when we left and really late when we got home, but it was a great trip.
Wow! I never thought rental cars could be such a major pain!
Finally got a Toyota with an off balance tire. Nice highway noise.
I'm off to see New England in the Fall! After a long drive, and
passing through Maryland, over the Delaware Memorial bridge and
through New Jersey via the turnpike, we got to New York. Had to
take a Halloween detour through Sleepy Hollow, NY. It used to be North Tarrytown, but since they wanted some tourism money, they
changed their name to Sleepy Hollow. I tried to find the Headless
Horseman Bridge, but it was rainy and I didn't feel like stopping
and the AAA directions weren't that great. After Sleepy Hollow,
we made it through Hartford without the driver hyperventilating.
She doesn't cotton to Connecticut drivers. Finally arrived at
Sturbridge, MA for the night. Ate dinner at a family pizzeria.
Very sweet people, and I met the cutest little Baklava, but she
was already engaged to a Canolli back in Italy. Sigh. Will I
ever find Miss Right?
Went to Salem, Ma after tooling around Worcester looking for the
Halloween Outlet. Got a few disembodied heads. Couldn't find
the fog machine liquid though. Then it was on to Salem. Never
again in October. Way too many people and crossing the streets
is hazardous to the health of any fruitcake. I did get a picture
taken in a stockade and saw a really cheesy wax museum show. Also picked up a love potion and stopped to pay my respects at the courtyard. Maybe I'll luck out and the potion
will work. We ended up sitting in a lot of traffic and staying in
a crappy motel. That's what I get for not insisting on reservations
before the trip!
After 2 days of gray skies, we have had a bit of sun. Fed hash brown
nuggets to birds at breakfast. The first bird just landed on the
hood of the car and looked at me. I was worried he wanted
fruitcake! I had to distract him with breakfast, and he flew off.
Then, it was off to Maine. Went to a few outlets and got a great
deal on a pair of hiking boots. Then, we went up to York and saw
the ocean and hiked a condemned oceanside trail. Then we all went to eat "Lahbstah!" They walk funny here, but they're friendly.
Then went to see Kate in a place called Weare, New Hampshire. Where? Weare! Saw Smokey the Bear there in Weare. Haven't been to a dump before.....Only they called
it a transfer station. It was a dump. Really a dump.
Well, I've been to Hell in the Caymen Islands. Today, I was in
Purgatory. Purgatory Chasm Reservation in Massachusetts. Hiked the chasm. Haven't found a willing foodstuff to try my love potion on, so I almost jumped at lover's leap, but they talked me down.
After that, we almost blinked across the edge of Rhode Island,
but we stopped at the George Washington Area for a freezing 2 mile hike, and I carved my name in a carving log. Sigh....still no hearts to carve. We braved the wind for a shot on top of a big rock over looking the lake. Stopped in Southbury, CT to grab a bite at a natural food store. Yummy stuffed shells and "fake" cookies. Now, it's a lightning trip back to try to save some money on the rental car.
I'm being mailed to California. Hope the luck with the postal
service holds.
Welcome to sunny San Diego! The postal system came through once
again, arrived in downtown San Diego on the 22nd floor of the
Harcourt building. What a view! I can see the Coronado Bridge!
Can't wait to see what's out there.
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Cool beans! Jerry (my host) arranged to have me fly to Hawaii
with his friend Jim. We leave tomorrow morning for a few days in
Oahu. Then I'll be back to tour Sand Diego with Jerry. He says
he know where a bunch of other fruitcakes hang out. Ought to be
fun!
Good morning Hawaii! Well in keeping with my experience of late
planes, I was delayed 5 hours out of LAX, but I am finally here
on the North Shore of Oahu at the Turtle Bay Hilton. The travel day started at 4:30 PDT, and I finally checked in at 8pm PDT about 15 1/2 hours, and I am still in the states. Long day yesterday,
but I am wide awake and ready to see what the North Shore of this
island has to offer. I think I will see about playing some tennis
as well as catching some rats by the pool. I am sure some snorkeling
is in order as well. More later.
In the past couple of days, I have soaked up some rays, played
some tennis and smash ball as well as gone snorkeling in the east
cove beside the hotel. The highlight has been the visit to
Waimea falls and bay today where I watched some cliff diving and learned a little hula dance.
Final entry for the Hawaiian vacation. Visited Waimea bay again
and did some body surfing. Great Fun! Travel back tonight to
LAX and then to San Diego. On my way back, I'm going to have
dinner in Waikiki.
A couple of days off to recuperate after my trip to San Diego,
and now I've got the weekend ahead of me. We're going diving at
La Jolla shores. There are supposed to be leopard sharks all
over the place. We'll see...
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No sharks, but we still went out. Cold water out here in CA.
Jerry promised me I'd be Ok. He got a wetsuit, I got a Ziploc. Thank goodness for sunny San Diego days. I dried out/warmed up pretty quickly.
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70 miles NE of San Diego is the Palomar Observatory. Oh, and at an elevation of 5,550, you can see EVERYTHING! Drove through the Rincon Indian Reservation an the way up. Kinda scared though!
There are all there warning signs for mad cows. I thought they
only had 'em in the UK, but apparently, they're roaming around
Palomar Mountain waiting for unsuspecting tourists to step out
of their cars...
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Happy Halloween! Well, not yet, but Jerry and Tobi took me to
Nates Bu....I mean Bates Nut Farm in Valley Center, CA, on our way back to San Diego. We picked out a few pumpkins to carve,
met up with a couple of the locals. Score! Had a full moon over the pumpkin patch! No great pumpkin, though. Linus is a.....
Down and up yesterday, south and north today. Headed to Mexico
this morning, then to Hollywood.
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Back in San Diego for a pit stop on the way to Hollywood. Tijuana was, well, a pit! Smog you could walk on a people everywhere wanting you to buy stuff, and no one had anything in my size.
But they did have someone my size: a skeleton for Day of the Dead. Jerry bought me a morbid Mexican amigo, someone to help Christine and her family celebrate Halloween. And while we were setting up
a shot to celebrate the moment, some guy (we'll call him Pedro)
came up to offer his assistance....for a buck. Thanks, Pedro!
But now, we're back in the U.S. and after a blended mocha, we're
off to Hollywood.
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Hol-ly-wood! Ok, Denny's, but we're in Hollywood. A bite to eat
across from the KTLA studio before we head to the Walk of Fame.
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Did the Walk of Fame, sat on more stars than Heidi Fleiss. For such a famous area, it sure is a crummy part of town. As the Walk of Fame implies, all the stars are walked on...and FILTHY! I really
gotta wash. Hope I didn't catch anything. I saw Elvis! He let Jerry take a picture of him and me in front of Mann's Chinese Theater. He lives!!! Maybe I won't be so hasty in washing my package after all. So we drove to Griffin Park and took a minor
hike to get a shot of the Hollywood sign. Really lucky having Tobi around to navigate. Otherwise, we'd have been in gazyland.
Made my debut at the Hollywood Bowl in front of an audience of four tourists. If there was ever a time I needed a Mr. Microphone,
it was then. "The cow kicked Nellie in the belly in the barn...."
Back to San Diego...
Jerry took me out to Coronado to see the Hotel del Coronado. Took a minor tour through the hotel, then out to the beach to mess around on the rocks and waves. "Some Like It Hot" was filmed here as well as "Baywatch", "Hart to Hart", and several other shows. Got to see some tide pools, a Navy ship on the horizon, and a jet landing on the Naval Air Station. Beautiful beach there. Probably my last
view of the Pacific before I head back to VA in a day or two.
Got a quick trip to the San Diego Zoo over lunch. Saw some meer kats, flamingos, and a s*&% load of school children! Hot as hell walking around on the blacktop. Wanted to spend more time, but Jerry had to get back to work. Ah, the life of them employed...
Looks like I'll be heading back to VA tomorrow. Jerry wants to
get all the photos and stuff packed up tonight so nothing's left
behind.
Home again, home again jiggity jigg....by Fed Ex even. The
delivery person wouldn't get out of the van though. I guess she
was scared of the dogs.
Went to a Halloween party dressed in my Hawaiian garb. I was supposed to be a spider, but Christine hadn't finished my costume.
Instead, I was a loaf of Hawaiian bread. Terrifying haunted walk
through the woods though. Had lots of fun listening to ghost
stories and eating lots of creepy food. Took Dead Ed along for
company. He didn't need a costume.
Went hiking 8 miles along the Blue Ridge Parkway. I think we hit
a bit of the Appalachian Trail. Happy Halloween, but no tricks or treats for me. I had to help one of Rob's get his computer set
up. Also entertained his 3 cats. I don't think they'd ever seen
a fruitcake before.
Back in a box. Being mailed to St. Louis this time. Wonder if
I'll see Judy Garland....oops. I hope not. That would be scarier
than Halloween in her present state. Hope the weather's ok.
Arrived in style via the United States Postal Service. The postal
carrier did not believe that I was (and am) a fruitcake...much
less, a world-traveling one, at that. Speaking of, I am a little
tired. Jet lag, hiking and everything has taken it's toll on this
po' little cake. I'm going to take another vacation here in
Saint Charles, Missouri - sleepy suburb of Saint Louis, home of
the King of Beers. Even though I already had a vacation of sorts
on the boat, I was still very busy and active. It was the kind of
vacation that you need a vacation to recover. This will be truly
restful.
Well, I just don't know how restful this will be, actually. There
is a baby -- more like a monster baby. He puts everything in his
mouth and he likes me. Uh-oh. He may be just a year old, but he
can still walk faster than me. I have a pretty good view of the
television from the dining room table. It's safe there.
I found out that these people would never drink an Anheiser Busch
product. They are beer snobs and proudly proclaim it. My drink
of choice is champagne, but imported and microbrewed beer will do
just fine. I'll probably have plenty of champagne next month
anyway.
Still warm. It's not good for a fruitcake. I forgot to write
that Grandma sent me off from VA in a hat and scarf. Sheesh!
It doesn't even feel like fall, much less, almost winter. Kind
of somber today, being Veteran's day.
Slept in. Watched kids' shows with Paul. They are kind of silly
but educational too. Paul dances by bopping up and down or
swaying from foot to foot. He's no MC Hammer, more like Axel
Rose. Who, I found out, caused a riot when Guns and Roses was
here last. They've not been back.
Errand day. Bank, post office, grocery shopping. I like riding
in the front of the grocery cart. It makes me feel like the hero of
the Titanic. "I'm the fruitcake of the world!!" Ha. Flirted
with the cashier.
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These people are nuts over football, but only college football.
They watched as many games as they could. I just stayed out of
the way. Their favorite, Virginia Tech won again. My ears are
ringing from the hollering.
Lazy day. Played in the yard. Watched some TV. Drank a beer.
I got yanked out of bed (was having a nice dream about a sexy
little croissant who....well, nevermind) and dragged to a place
with lots of rugrats. Didn't like it much. I can just imagine
them tearing me from crumb to crumb, so I stayed in the stroller.
Watched TV. Bear in the Big Blue House, zapped, watched previously
taped Martha Stewart, zapped, watched M*A*S*H--really like that
show, NYPD Blue is on right after that. I'm not really old enough
to watch it, but it sucked me in, and I couldn't turn it off.
That Rosie O'Donnell cracks me up. Oprah--she's changed.
Zapped. News. More M*A*S*H (hooray). Stupid evening shows.
News. Everyone else to bed. Zapped. My eyes are glazed over.
Sleep.
See above.
See above.
See above.
Let's do something! Grocery shopping again. College football
again. At least I got out.
The Gateway Arch is cool! It's made out of stainless steel sheets and is HUGE!! The elevator to the top is a chain of
dryer drums. Didn't look too safe, so I declined the offer to
go up. Went to the Museum of Westward Expansion instead. There
is a statue of Thomas Jefferson here. The official title of the
whole place is The Jefferson National Expansion Monument, or
something like that. The Louisiana Purchase, William and Clark
and all that. Jefferson is all over, I can't get away. Looked
at the Mississippi River. Not as big as I'd thought. There are
flagpoles on the river bank. The Flood of 1993 reached to just
below the flags. Wow! Had a late lunch at the St. Louis Brewery
and Tap Room. More stainless steel--this is more useful though--
used to make beer. Good beer.
See last week. I'm rested and all ready to go.
There is a lot of activity. I'm staying out of the way or I
might accidentally get thrown in a pot or the oven.
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Dinner. The turkey is lovely. Family and Thanks and Food and Happiness. I sound like some stupid commercial. Zap! (Football on TV)
Today is the final game for Virginia Tech's regular season. It's
on regular TV (CBS), but we're going to a sports bar to watch it!
It should be fun!
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It {hic} was! Giant TV screens, beer, screaming fans, beer, and food! What a {hic} game!
Woke up with a big fruitcake-ache. Think I'll take a walk for
some hair o' the dog that bit me....we all went to downtown Saint
Charles. What a quaint little town. It looks a lot like
Fredericksburg. Little shops, a river (the Missouri), antiques,
old buildings. It was the kickoff of the holiday season. Met
Santa - he gave me a candy cane. Got to ride in a carriage--that's fun, but was kind of smelly. Didn't get too close to the horse.
They like fruit. Stopped at Rick's Tap Room on the way home. It was early in the day so Rick was working the liquor store and
bar by himself. Wrecked havoc upon the bar while Rick was upstairs. He's a nice guy.
Whew! Enough rest. Errands took up @ 10 miles each day on
average. That's less than my other adventures, but I needed a
break. It's on to Nashville.
Still here, so going to Nashville via Next Day Air!
Arrived via my old friend the U.S. Mail from the Gateway to the
West to Music City- Nashville, Tennessee. First stop of any
travel veteran, such as myself, the all important souvenir shop.
Perused the post cards to get an idea of the places awaiting a visit from me. But wait, what's this? Jack Daniels' cook book.
Maybe I can find one of my southern relatives in here. Alas, no
fruitcakes, but a whiskey nut bread - no doubt a distant southern
cousin. Now, let me try my hand, so to speak, at some of the
music that even though I now have arms, they just aren't long
enough for a career as a guitarist - perhaps I'll sing instead.
Oh, right. No mouth. Oh well, at least my new friend Sock Monkey has long enough arms to play guitar. I tried to take a spin in a mode of transportation I hadn't tried, one that was
just my size -- a stagecoach. But where are the horses? I can't
get too far without horses. Wow, I've done so much, and
I haven't even left the souvenir shop. Pray tell, what might the
rest of my visit bring? If nothing else, I hope I can get a
cowboy hat before I go home.
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Well, I couldn't find a cowboy hat in my size, what is that
about?! But I thought I could I could do with a countrified
straw hat and a Nashville belt buckle. Won't I just fit right in. NOT! Anyway, now that I'm all duded up, I'm ready to tour
Nashville.
Motored around the Opryland Hotel after dark to admire the
millions (more than 8 million, they say) of lights that they use
to decorate for the holidays. They also say that there are so
many, they have to start putting them up in August. They were
truly spectacular, photos wouldn't do them justice. I have to
admit, however, that it was a bit odd viewing Christmas lights in
December with the windows rolled down and temperatures in the high
60's after getting into the 70's. But enjoyable none the less.
Raining here in Nashville today, but wanted to take in some sights
anyway, so I got myself some rain gear and headed out. First stop,
Bicentennial Mall where I stopped to pay my respects at the WWII Memorial. It is dedicated to those who helped make the world safe for fruitcakes everywhere. At lease that was my take on it.
Also got a great view of the state capitol and the Nashville skyline. Lovely though a bit soggy. Also, stopped to view the brand new
stadium, Adelphia Coliseum, the Cumberland River, and more of the
skyline including the "Batman Building." It's really the Bell South Building, but everyone around here calls it the "Batman Building" because it looks like the caped crusader. Wanted to check out
where all the music in Music City is made, so stopped on Music
Row to see the studios and record companies, including RCA's Studio B where many stars including the Kind himself! Ok....that was nice, but what I really want to see is how the stars live. So I think I'll swing by Alan Jackson's and and George Jones' houses.
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Well, they certainly are living large. Alan's house was phenomenal.
I just checked it out from the car, didn't think he'd let me in.
Before I headed to George's house on the other side of town, I
thought I'd take the scenic route and travel down a bit of the
Natchez Trace Parkway. Beautiful, even though it's just lightly past peak for colors, seeing as all the leaves are gone. It is
still raining out, off and on, but I figure if I can survive SCUBA
diving, a little Tennessee rain ain't gonna hurt me. Looky here,
I'm talkin' like a native.
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Then, on to George's. On the way, I even got to see the bridge
abutment where he almost lost his life last year. You can see
how much of it he took out from where they have replaced the old
with the new cement. Maybe, since he has to pass it every day,
it will remind him not to drink and drive and not to use the
telephone and drive and not to fiddle with the tape deck and
drive. Probably not. Got out to admire George's holiday
decorations. He must have known I was coming. He even set up a
little rocking chair for me.
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Well, I had a great time seeing Nashville, but I lost my hat.
I think I left it at George's. So, I have no souvenir to take
home. But I have my memories, some fruitcake recipes, some photos
and a dream to be the first fruitcake to win a Country Music
Association award.
Grannie made fruitcakes today. One of them is a most beautiful
thing I have ever seen! Her name is Natasha Dolores Jessica Chun.
She goes by Jess. (N.D. Jess Chun) I think she likes me, but
she has to soak in the fridge until Christmas. But after all the
others, I don't want to get my hopes up.
Robert and I are heading to Moorestown, NJ after Robert finally
awoke and picked me up at Grannie's house. We ran into three
accidents on the way. Luckily, I was in a large van and not
worried about my safety. We arrived at the Econo Lodge at 5pm.
Place sucks. Robert couldn't take me out because he had to get
on the internet and prepare for class. I settled down with a
glass of wine and dozed off.
Wait! It's too early! 5am. Whoa! No time to shower. Check
out and drive to class. Not much in Moorestown. Malls, gas
stations, and the NJ turnpike. Rob had to leave me in the van
during class. Security is tight and I didn't have clearance to
attend class. That's ok. I didn't want to hang out with a bunch
of computer nerds anyway. 12 hours later, Robert emerged from
class tired and mumbling something about "I can't believe it took
that long!" Back to Va.
Went to Roanoke today. You'll never guess what I did! I was on
the news! It will air on Thursday on the 5 o'clock news on
channel 7 in Roanoke. Kenny made it possible. He's a cameraman
for the news. The guy that did the interview was cheesy, but seemed like a nice enough guy. I have decided not to go into TV
news for a career. It would be one huge headache after another.
Deadlines! Deadlines! Deadlines! After the interview, we met
up with a friend of Rusty's. Amy works in the Roanoke Hospital's
morgue. They wanted to embalm me for points, but I'm still
trying to get a date with Jess. After I talked them out of
embalming me, we ate at a place called New York Pizza. There was
a man wandering around just sitting down in random booths.
Luckily, he didn't sit down with us. They later told me that he
was the owner and didn't speak much English. Then, we took a
drive to see the Roanoke Star. It was pretty, but very cold. Haven't gotten the pictures back, but hopefully, they'll turn out
Ok. On the drive home, I fell asleep.
Took the evening and rode around looking at Christmas lights.
Decided that some people need to get awards for their work.
Either that or jail time.
I got a big surprise from Grannie! She got me skis! Now, all I have to do is find someone to take me skiing. After opening presents, we spent the day cooking. Some of the relatives came over and Jess finally came out of the fridge. We had Christmas dinner together. We really had a good time watching all the Christmas specials on TV. It really is a wonderful life.
Went to Washington, D.C. to see the National Christmas Tree and the museums. Got my picture taken with some dung beetles. We rode the carousel on the mall and I almost got sick. Saw the actual Howdy Doody marionette. About froze my feet off, luckily I remembered to bring my scarf and hat. Stole the Hope Diamond,
but Christine made me put it back and settle for a pin with a picture of it....something about a curse. I was going to give it to Jess though. I hope she likes the fake one.
Grannie and Gramps had a New Year's Eve party. We played board games and drank champagne and watched Gramps' fireworks. Jess kissed me at midnight....sigh. In a week, the contest will be over, and I haven't tried out my skis. However, I've heard rumors that I'll get to travel more even after the contest is
over. But I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
The video from my TV appearance came today! Kind of a cheesy
interview, but what do you expect for an interview with a
fruitcake. I wonder if I can use it on my web site.
I WON! I WON! I WON! WOO-HOO! At the end of the night I had
976 points. Didn't break 1,000, but I was close. Fun was had by all (I think). It was great to see all the other fruitcakes again. My cruise buddies showed up for a while (Trudy and Randy). I was toasted quite a bit and came away quite toasted myself. Luckily, Christine was driving. There's no way I'd be able to pass the sobriety check!
Went to the birthplace of George Washington...Pope's Creek Plantation. Found a few shark's teeth. The park ranger chased us off because the beach closes at sundown. Personally, I thought he was a little early. Oh well. It was fun while it lasted.
Surprise! Grannie and Gramps threw me a birthday party. With cake and everything. My Great Uncle Donnie was there, we made a
video for my Great Aunt Babby. She's 29......or that's what
everyone tells me. My birthday present hasn't arrived, and they
don't want to ruin the surprise! I WANT TO KNOW!
Imagine my surprise! It snowed all day yesterday! I went skiing on fresh powder today. Just in the yard, but to a fruitcake, even a windshield in a black diamond slope.
"So Ed, you've won the fruitcake race. Now what are you going to
do?" "I'M GOING TO DISNEYWORLD!!!!"
Got up at the crack of dawn to go to the airport. The trip down
was fine. We landed in Orlando, and it was cold! About 50
degrees. I rented a Lincoln Town car for my trustees. It is
very classy. We went to Sarasota for a day. Had to drop in on
some friends.
We went back to Orlando. The hotel has 2 pools. I might catch
some rays if it ever warms up. Good thing I wore my scarf and
hat. Went to Disney MGM Studios. Saw lots of people shivering because it is still only 50 degrees. Tomorrow it is supposed to
be warmer.
Went to Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Much warmer today. I actually
felt comfortable without my hat and scarf. Saw Cinderella's
Castle. It was very spooky. Walked my legs off. Good thing
I got some nice shoes. It was a good day overall.
Bummed around the hotel. Trying to recover from walking. I didn't
get to see any of the Disney characters. I am bummed out about
that.
Low profile today. Went to the beach. Daytona Beach. People
drive their cars up and down the beach. You could get run over
if you aren't careful. My room is on the beach but faces inland.
I could have gotten an oceanfront room if I'd listened to a time
share special. Since I don't have a bank account or credit, I
decided against it. I just watch the cars go by.
Got home in one piece. I was picked up, but before we left, we had an evening of games. We played a lot of clue. I didn't want to stop until I won once. But I kept saying they did it in the kitchen with the fruitcake and invariably, they never did.
I've been hanging out at Dahlgren School with another traveling buddy. Flat Stanley. we are different though. He gets cloned and sent around with each student. After hours, we sneak out of the classroom and run around the school. The teacher has been wonderin why we both look tired all the time.
Had to go to the dentist today. Got a fruit canal. Luckily, I was gassed, so I didn't feel a thing. The dentist thought I was going to have to get a filling too, but when he saw I already had a fruit and nut filling, he said it would just be redundant. I was lucky I had my sunglasses...those dental lights are blinding!
I go to the dentist and now, they give me an Easter basket. Look at all that candy!!! They want my teeth to rot out so I'll have to go back to that dentist, don't they. That bunny's awfully cute though. Maybe we can go out after they go to sleep.
Uh oh....disaster has struck! I was arrested. I'm still not sure what happened. I think it had something to do with indecent exposure. Or driving under the influence. They tell me I'm pretty pickled. It was a humiliating experience. They put me in handcuffs, took a mug shot, gave me a breathalizer test, and fingerprinted me! Technically, since I don't have fingers, it was a mitt print. How will I ever live this down?!?! I did have a little fun though. When they left the room, I took some 911 calls.
Reunited and it feels so good...NOT! I'm back with Lou again. Ok, maybe I was a bit sentimental at the end of our South Dakota to Virginia pilgrimage, but that was then. Now he is taking me to Cape May, NJ with his girlfriend. I'm sure he is going to ignore me. (It could be a long trip.) He picked me up at Tony's house and he has already left me in my box overnight. I think I miss Christine already.
Wow! I did not realize it from my box, but when he let me out of my box this morning, we were in Alexandria, Va. No time was wasted. As soon as the pickup was loaded with our bags, we got on the road. Lou's girlfriend, Kristine, me me, and she convinced Lou to leave me out for the ride. (She's nice. How did he ever end up with her?) After a ride through the Maryland and Delaware countryside, we finally made it toour goal, the Lewes to Cape May ferry. I was pretty excited about the boat trip. We drove right on. Everything looked good for a fine time. Lou took me to the front of the ferry for a look around. Then it was back to Lou's old ways. He made me guard the pickup while he and his girlfriend went to the upperdecks to have a drink and look around. I guess he thought I was a third wheel. After the 17 mile trip, we were in Cape May. We made it to our bed and breakfast, Leith Hall. I was more than pretty excited. It was very elegant. We even had a fireplace in the room. Once again, Lou was my black cloud on a sunny day. Well, actually, it was a rainy day outside. Lou was worried I'd get soggy, so he made me stay in as they went out to explore. Isn't that always the way? He always has an excuse to leave me out of the fun.
More rain, and more room time. Lou's such a wet blanket, I'm surprised I'm not still wet from our last time together. Speaking of wet, I wish there was a wet bar in this room...
Finally! It is our last day, and despite the rain, Lou let me go somewhere. We visited Sunset Beach and got to see the remains of the last concrete ship made by the U.S.A. Apparently, during WWI, the U.S. experimented with making ships with concrete (12!) They actually worked but not as well as the new steel ships being made, so the program was cancelled. This one, the Atlantis, was brought to Cape May as part of a scheme to make more money only to run around and sink, A bit of it still rests above the waves. Also, at the beach, I made a new friend named "Sharkdog." We took a photo on a boat we found, but Lou wouldn't let us row out to the wreck. Party pooper! Afterwards, it was off to Cape May light. That was fun to see, but it was my last sight until we got home. It was back in the box for me! I can't wait to get back with Christine. Even jail was more fun than the shoebox Lou used to haul me around!!!
EEK! I thought I was dying!!! Luckily, Christine noticed before I completely lost myself. Yesterday, she brought me a chair so I could sit with Grampie in the computer room and watch him make stuff on the computer, I fit in perfectly. However, there was a problem. I had a tear on the end of my seal, so as long as I was lying down, it wasn't a problem... However, sit me up and I leaked out my insides. I was sitting in a puddle of myself when she found me. I don't know where I'd be without her. Probably sopped up in a few paper towels and forgotten. Grampie resealed me and hopefully I'll be traveling again soon.
Well, well, well. I went to Delaware. Blink and you could miss it. We went up to visit Lauren and check out a Halloween store in her town. But you know my luck, it closed five minutes before we arrived. ARGH!!! I'm getting excited already. Grammie got me a beekeeper's suit. Anyway, we ended up going to Border's, Pizza Hut, a craft store, and Toys R Us. Had fun in spite of missing the Halloween store. Lauren and her animals were cool!
I lived through another Halloween party. There were some really cool moments...when Alyssa and Daniel dropped onto the side of the trail near all the glowing eyes and scared Grammie. And when Rob was hanging in the tree where the dummy usually hangs, he scared one of the neighbors into the woods off the trail. There was also the one handed man starting the chainsaw. A few more things...a homemade flying crank ghost, a disco pit, a gate with a bone latch. Really cool soundtrack this year. There was an owl hooting on the looping CD. Once it was turned off, there was still an owl hooting. We sat out in the woods for a while afterwards and listened to it hoot.
After 2 years of being a homebound fruitcake, I finally got to go somewhere. They took me to Green Valley Book Fair. Still in the same state, but I guess I shouldn't complain. Picked up some new traveling books to try and get back into the swing of things since I haven't gone anywhere for a while. On the way, we stopped by a furniture shop with a HUGE adirondack chair out front. Of course, I just had to sit in it!
I'm here at Lake Havasu City, with my friend Lisa Reker. Her husband Troy is racing at the World Finals Jet Ski Races. He rides a Yamaha Super Jet, and today I got to have my picture taken on it! I hope it comes out! I'd never been on a jet ski before and wanted to stay on longer, but Troy had to get out and practice. I'll need to get a lifejacket to fit me. Then, in the same afternoon, I got to go boating! Lisa's friend Jason moved to Lake Havasu City from Sioux Falls, SD and bought a boat and gave us a ride to Copper Canyon and underneath the London Bridge. WAY COOL!!! I even got to have my picture taken on the boat! Lisa and her friend Amy were in the picture too. I know I'm quite the ladies' man!
Thought I was going to have a chance to go to Antarctica. However, the trustees to be were worried about the customs laws in New Zealand. It seems there can be no outside fruit coming in unannounced. All I can say is maybe if you tell them I'm coming, they'll roll out the red carpet and let me play through. Oh well. They say there might be another trip next year. Maybe they can figure out a way around New Zealand.
Had a gut wrenching reunion with Lou tonight. Ended up spending most of New Year's Eve at Tony's party. I was only intending to watch the festivities, but when Lou showed up he CONVINCED me to have a drink...or two....or three...etc. By the time I left, Lou was holding me over the trash can so I could wretch. It's all fun and games until somebody loses his lunch. Luckily, I wasn't driving or I would have landed myself back in the slammer. Before Lou got there, I met a guy who had a traveling bear. I don't remember the premise behind the bear because of my later inibriation, but I remember it had something to do with a motorcycle ride.
Took a drive up to Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. Lots of people were out because the weather was almost perfect. All of the snow this winter has kept me holed up inside my bag. In fact, there was still some snow left in the mountains. I got a traveling bag, so it's easier to pack up and go now. The drive was fun and the scenery was beautiful. I got to stop a few places and look at Thornton Gap and the Shenandoah River. After driving north into Front Royal, I wanted to stop and eat at The Village Idiot and make a few new friends, but they didn't want to stop there. They said something on the order of, "What if they've lost their idiot and want to keep you?!" So I had to settle for a picture with the sign. "The Village Idiot restaurant and pub...stupid name, incredible food." We ended up going to Royal Dairy. It was very dineresque and had quite a history. It was a gathering place for teenagers in the 40's and 50's...I think that went into the 60's. Somewhere in there it turned into a ceramics shop. Then it morphed back into the Dairy. Neon signs and all. We went to a batting cage afterwards. They didn't have a helmet my size so I couldn't hit. Well, now it's back in the bag...
Decided to take a tour of some of Virginia's Civil War battlefields. Started out late in the day and made it out to the Chancellorsville Battlefield. Played around the ruins of Chancellorsville Tavern and got my picture taken on a cannon. Took a tour of the visitor's center and posed with some of the ammunition. Looked like someone had left a spot for me. I guess in a way, I am ammunition. People tell me I'm a blast. Saw the approximate site where Stonewall Jackson was shot then headed over to the battlefield. Took a rest on some of the ammunition boxes. I didn't get to hike the trail because I fell in the box where the maps were supposed to be. My chaperones decided to try and fit in a few more sites even though the sun was slowly sliding down the sky. So, with a lead foot through some nasty traffic, we made it to the Fredericksburg battlefields. Got to sit on another canon and saw some sort of pyramid across the railroad tracks. Too bad the signs said we couldn't cross the tracks. I would have like to have climbed to the top. Accidentally sat on some Confederate trenches before I noticed the sign that said to stay off the earthworks. Oops. The sun was still up...barely. Lightning drive to Mayre's Heights. A national cemetery. Very beautiful place. Lots of stairs. Posed for a shot with some cannonballs. Finally, it was too dark to speed through any more tourist attractions, so we went to eat. I found a new friend in the form of a huge inflatable pig. Then set out to Carl's...a must for locals and visitors alike. Hot fudge maple nut sundae...luckily I'm not wearing a belt!
Off to see more of the battlefields. This time we started in Fredericksburg and worked our way out. Went to Chatham Manor, also known as the Lacy House. It was used as a field hospital during the Civil War. Clara Barton tended to the wounded there. Even before most of the plants come out, the grounds are beautiful. Had a chat with some goldfish. Found a tree that had been shot through with holes. There was a space just big enough for me. They were afraid I would fall into the tree and never come out, but I insisted they take a picture. Before we went inside, I made sure to scrape my shoes. They put me in the fireplace to pose with the dated fireback. After Chatham, we went out to Guiney Station to see the house where Stonewall Jackson died. It's a quaint little place. Even though it's right next to the railroad tracks, it's very peaceful...except when someone pushes the button to hear the audio tour. You can hear that thing for miles around! Then we drove up to Bloody Angle and walked a trail. Saw a spot where a 22 inch oak tree had been cut down by small arms fire. After leaving there, we took a wrong turn that was sanctioned by the park map and ended up on what looked like an old logging road. Had to turn around when the car ran out of clearance. We drove out to the remains of Catharine Furnace and to the place where Lee and Jackson's last bivouac. After driving around looking for a high water area that has probably since been bridged over, we headed back into the city of Fredericksburg. It seems that there are ornamental pears everywhere that aren't quite as ornamental as they'd hoped. Being in full bloom, the stench of the blossoms was nauseating. Don't get me wrong, I like flowers. However, when they smell like socks that haven't been washed for longer than I've been traveling, I have to object! Being a hungry fruitcake, I was taken to Sammy T's. Had some great vegetable soup while looking at the beautiful, stinky blossoms. I'll definitely sleep tonight!
This morning, earlier than I thought humanly possible, I was dragged to the car. Next thing I know, I hear them talking about spending the day underground. Were we going undercover? I had no clue, so I just kept listening. Through the power of deductive reasoning, I figured that we were going to be taking a whirlwind tour of some of Virginia's caverns. They wanted to try for five!! Seeing as we got a bit of a late(?) start, they cut their list to four. Our first stop...greasy fast-food breakfast. Ugh. None for me thanks. I'm greasy enough as it is. Then it was on to Skyline Caverns in Front Royal. We arrived later than planned, but still within the first hour of their daily operation. There was only one other couple waiting for the tour. As we perused the tourist pamphlets, a woman rushed in to discuss plans of taking her bus full of girl scouts to the caverns as soon as possible. Oh no! Not that! Anything but that! Luckily, as they were finalizing their plans, our tour was called. We left them behind at the desk to wait for their turn. Our tour guide John was cool. He had a great dry sense of humor. He told us that if we got hit by one of the drips from the ceiling, we'd have good luck for a week. I think I only got wet. As we were led through the caverns, we saw all sorts of formations: stalactites and stalagmites and columns and flowstone and lakes and a waterfall. Even a trout pond. When they were originally digging out the caverns, Walter Amos got his hat sucked into a naturally occurring vacuum. When they dug passage, they found spikey white crystals growing from the ceiling. Anthodites. After the tour, we were going to try and get a train ride, but the track was being repaired. I guess I'll just have to come back some time to ride the train another time.
Sped my way to Pennsylvania, 300 miles at lightning speed. Over the river and through the woods to Nathan's grandma's house. His grandma's cool -- she likes beer and men with tattoos and piercings! Yikes. The little dude, Nathan, thinks I'm awesome. Let's hear it for the Ed-ster! I was quite helpful this trip. I cut flowers for an arrangement. I'm quite handy with the scissors.
This weekend has been a lot of fun! Lowryin came for a quick visit from Delaware. Once of these days, I'm gonna have to get my little fruitcake self together and go up there and hang out again. On Saturday, they took me up to Walls Bakery a little past Waldorf, Maryland to get some eclairs. I don't think it makes me a cannibal if I indulge in a few desserts now and again...as long as I stay away from fruitcake, right? But let me tell you...those eclairs are HUGE! Definitely bigger than me! Maybe take two of me and smash us together, cover 'em in chocolate and you've about got it. I was suppose dto pose for a photo while eating one of the delectable treats, but I inhaled it to fast. All the pictures were blurry. This morning we got up early and headed toward the west. I finally got to visit Dinosaurland. It was open this time. However, there was a kiddy party in full swing, so there was a lot of standing around waiting for my photo ops. Had a few close calls with the triceratops and the pterydactyl and the shark, but I got to swing my legs from King Kong's palm and ride a stegasaurus. Almost too much fun for a fruitcake to handle! As we only had a few hours before Llorein had to scoot back to Delaware, we decided it was time to high-tail it on down to Sperryville, Virginia...home of Cooters, an eating establishment and Dukes of Hazzard museum owned by Ben Jones "Cooter" himself. As we drove in, we reckoned that there must be some sorta live music since the parkin' lot was packed and tunes were waftin' from underneath the trees. We decided to check out the museum first before gettin' caught up in all the excitement. As I gazed around at all the vintage, autographed memorabilia, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have my very own TV show and have millions of people tune in to see what trouble I can get myself into from week to week. As we walked out of the museum...I saw it...The General Lee in all its glory! The big "01" on the side and everything! Talk about a photo opportunity! BUT IT GETS BETTER!!! Just as we snapped the picture, Loiriene leaned over and said, "Hey! There's Ben Jones!" My first true brush with stardom! He was very nice and posed for a picture with me. Imagine it...me, Cooter, and the General Lee. "Jus' some good ol' boys...never meanin' no harm..." He also gave me his autograph! Now how cool is that?!?!?! Thanks Mr. Jones for makin' this fruitcake's day!!! After catchin' a bit of "The Hazzard County Boys" and chowin' down on a cheeseburger, we headed back home. What a day, what a day!
Would you believe I've actually been some place twice now! Wow! I can't believe it myself. I went to the Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester again. Stopped by to visit some family members of one of the people that took me. Made friends with a lawn gnome. Great guy. After chatting for a while, we went to check out the craft show. Almost got a pair of loafers, but they weren't my size. After the crafts, we went out to the Virginia State Arboretum. I needed a break from the crowds. It was beautiful. Lots of flowers and trees. After a romp through the woods, we went to the amusement section of the festival. I wanted to take a pony ride, but I didn't bring my riding helmet. Guess I'll have to remember to bring it if I come back again. Went into the fun house. Lots of wobbly floors. The house of mirrors was fun. I kept getting dead ended. Also got to see what I'd look like REALLLLLY TAAAALLL. Didn't get a picture of that one though. Got a shot of how I'd look squattier than I already am. Great. Just what I need. Proof that I'm shrinking. Another let down...I wanted to visit the oddities of nature tent, but they wouldn't take me. They said that I'd be turned into an exhibit. I had to settle for a picture with one of the signs.
Today, they took me to Natural Chimneys in Mt. Solon, Virginia. It would have been a great trip if it hadn't been for a school group from Northern Virginia. Might I mention the name of one of the chaperone's while I'm at it? Mrs. Berger, you have no control over the children you were supposed to chaperone. I'm not sure if she was the teacher or not, but I have never seen kids so unruly and dangerous. Pay attention to the signs or fences? Nope. They seemed to want to plummet to their deaths. AND THE CHAPERONES WERE MORE THAN PREPARED TO LET THEM! Just curious, but what's wrong with human children? Could it be their parents don't teach bounderies or respect? Just a thought from a fruitcake. After watching the heinous group of urchins plow through the woods making their own trails and killing vegetation as they trounced, I got a few shots of the view. Also tried to make friends with a squirrel. I think he was a little nuts though. As we were about to leave, we saw what seemed to be a giant red rabbit hopping around. Since there was a campground near, we came to the conclusion that it must have escaped. Having seen a brochure for the Dayton Farmer's Market, we stopped by to see what they had. Now I'm all ready for halloween. But you'll just have to wait and see my costume. Picked up a new hat as well. On the way back, we stopped by the Blue Ridge Pottery. I got a vase and met a cat that looked as if it had been rolled in clay and left to harden. Very friendly but very unkempt and very heavy.
Didn't think I'd be heading out again so soon. Today, I was taken down to Colonial Beach, Virginia to see an exhibit on Yesterday's Tomorrows on loan from the Smithsonian. Basically, it was a history of the way people have viewed the future. Got to converse with a few robots and saw a video on the space program. After gleaning as much information as my little fruitcake brain could manage from a skimming of the exhibit, I was treated to a visit to the George Washington's Birthplace National Historic Site. I got to take a house tour. Took a gander around the grounds as well. Saw a gander and a bunch of geese too. Tried my hand at being a blacksmith. Smashed my thumb, but no bones were broken. Checked out the loom, but I didn't touch it as I didn't want to get tangled in the yarn. Walked through the gardens. Met a horse and watched some baby groundhogs run for all their legs were worth. There was a room in the house with furniture that was just my size. I assumed that it was a children's play area, unless the Washington's were all little people.
Went for a wander down to Colonial Heights, Virginia. We were searching for an old tree that one of my chaperones used to play on as a little kid. It's called the Cucumber Tree. It's called the Cucumber Tree because the magnolia seed pods resemble cucumbers. It resides outside of the Violet Bank Museum. The Violet Bank house is a replica of the original that burnt down in 1810. The original house served as Robert E. Lee's headquarters during the first 6 months of the Petersburg Campaign during the Civil War. After snapping a few pictures with the gigantic old tree, we went through the house for the tour. The tour guide, along with her husband, were very nice and informative. He had grown up in the area and after the tour spent some time reminiscing with one of my chaperones about Colonial Heights.
I'm going on the road again with Lou. This time he is married to Kristine, and I wasn't sure if that would cramp our usual travel style. So far though, it all looks good. We met at a fine drinking establishment in Fredericksburg, Orbit's, and we had a few cold ones with the owner, Tony. It wasn't like back in Rugby, North Dakota on my first trip with Lou. (At least as far as I remember that night, if you know what I mean. Ouch, my head hurts just thinking about it.) But hey, we are older and wiser now. Our reunion was still quite a time though. After hanging out for awhile, I made friends with the band coming into play tonight. I even got to play a drum solo. This should be a rockin' trip!
On the road and in my box…it seems Lou thinks three's a crowd. Kristine's sweet, but Lou sure runs hot and cold. It seems I still have a love-hate relationship with him. No sooner than being reintroduced to Kristine, I was in my box for the ride south. We stopped in a hotel for a night, and they even left me in the car. Now that's gratitude considering all Lou and I have been through! I hate him, hate him, hate him!
Yowsa, finally a breath of fresh air! Lou was really getting on my nerves. He must have known this because he gave me a pep talk about forgiveness before letting me out of my box. He was taking no chances, as he knows my temper. I get out of the box and I find I'm at a place proclaimed "The Smallest Church in America" in South Newport, GA. Lou claimed the medieval right to sanctuary. No matter how mad I was, not even I could try to kill him on sacred ground. Built in 1950, the church measures 10x15 feet. Some smaller churches have claimed the title since then. Lou said it is a real church with services once per month. Inside, it has a tiny pulpit, pews and even a tiny stained glass window. Well, in that atmosphere, I quickly forgave Lou. (Heck, it seems I always do.) We took a quick tour, and I forgot all about my troubles. I even began to think of the future. This church could be a great place for a couple of fruitcakes to marry. In any case, I began to enjoy myself so much; I went a bit crazy and did my Quasimodo imitation. I crack myself up! Apparently, Lou and Kristine weren't as amused. They put me back in the box for the rest of my trip south. Later that day, we finally arrived, and I saw light once again. We were at Amelia Island, Florida. I really forgave them then! We stayed at the Elizabeth Point Lodge, noted as one of the finest bed and breakfasts in the United States. It is right on the beach! Maybe I'll meet a cute fruitcake yet!!!
Wow! I'm a bit brown and sticky from the sun, but my time at the beach has been superb. I didn't meet anyone interesting, but I sure enjoyed hanging out. The only thing missing were my friends, margarita or daiquiris. Oh well, it was a no alcohol beach, and lou refused to break the rules. Despite the barbaric rule about alcohol, I liked sitting around on the beach, watching the waves, and building sandcastles. Lou tried to get me to swim, but I had none of that. Those dolphins swimming so close to the beach might have confused me with a delectable fish. No thanks! When not on the beach, we explored around town. I wasn't too into shopping, so I climbed palm trees looking for coconuts, just like on Gilligan's Isle. Now it is time to go. Alas, I'll be heading north coconut-less.
I cannot believe it. Who does Lou think I am…a piece of luggage? I was left in my box in the trunk the entire trip home. It was a good thing we had such a nice time in Florida, or else our relationship would be over. I don't blame Kristine. Lou's the troublemaker. Still, it kind of made me weepy to think of leaving Lou and Kristine…or perhaps it was just the heat. No matter, I guess I'll be off on another adventure soon.