We’re on the road again . . . to Gatlinburg!!

Since we returned from the 2-month retirement trip on August 18th, we’ve both been pretty laid back, and haven’t done much of anything.  Of course, John resumed his schedule of golf on Thursdays, and his choir and quartet participation at Trinity on Wednesdays and Sundays.  I’ve been catching up on a few projects at the house.

When we returned in August, we weren’t home but a very few days before we realized that we had to completely replace our AC and heating system . . . Whew!  That can change some plans for future travel in a hurry!  In fact, we won’t be able to make the “out-West” trip due to that unexpected hit.  However, we feel abundantly blessed to have been able to do the East-Coast trip like we did.  So, we’ve just settled in to looking forward to some short trips along the way.

As we do make those short trips, I’ll trip to keep you informed through this blog so you can perhaps enjoy it from a distance.  Like the one we’re on now . . .

Even though it’s not a long trip, and we’ll be back home on Monday, we’re nonetheless excited and thrilled to be heading to Gatlinburg again.  It seems like such a long time since we’ve been there.

For John and me . . . Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg are all about eating and shopping.  Our very favorite meal to enjoy while in this area is breakfast, and you can be sure we will be going to Apple Barn in Sevierville, Old Grist Mill Restaurant in Pigeon Forge, and Log Cabin Pancake Restaurant in Gatlinburg.  And that doesn’t even include all the sinful delights we will be consuming, like Karmel Korn (the Gatlinburg name for Caramel Popcorn), handmade Taffy, Peanut Brittle, and Marshmallows-on-a-stick dipped in Chocolate and Caramel!!  Mmm-mmm good!!!

We get in a pretty good amount of walking, and we even have a walking track right next to the KOA RV Park in Pigeon Forge where we’ll be camping.  However, I’m afraid all the walking we can get in might not overcome all the calories we’re about to mount up.

We’ll also be perusing the annual Craftsmen’s Fair in Gatlinburg, marveling at all the handmade items that are on display for sale.  We have frequented that fair for many, many years now.

So . . . back to eating . . . if anyone wants anything brought back to you (Apple Butter, Caramel Apples, Taffy, etc), place your orders now.  Otherwise, you can just think about us and drool with the assurance that we are eating our way to heart attacks and diabetes while here!!

We won’t be taking any photos along the way on this trip . . . John forgot his camera . . . and anyway,how embarrassing would that be to have nothing but photos of us eating straight through our 5 days!!!

Much love to all,

Frances

Hershey, Pennsylvania . . . the sweetest place on earth!!

Well, I actually made it to the final post for this unbelievable journey we began back on Friday, June 22.  While it’s true that I had additional computer challenges in the past couple of weeks, I believe at times that it became a psychological hang-up for me to go through with actually letting go of my connection with all of you.   But, I suppose all good things must come to an end, so I’ll not delay any longer . . .

On Friday, August 17, we made it to Hershey, PA . . . the sweetest place on earth!

Our first visit was to The Hershey Story, where we went through their museum . . .

Mr. Milton Hershey, born in 1857, was a truly amazing man . . . one who tried several career paths and failed . . . and tried again, but failed again . . . but never gave up.  Milton Hershey was insatiably fascinated with candy making.  At this time in history, milk chocolate was considered a delicacy . . . very expensive . . .  and largely the domain of the Swiss.  Finally, through trial and error in the early 1900s, Milton Hershey hit upon the right formula of milk, sugar and cocoa that enabled him to realize his dream of mass-producing and mass-distributing milk chocolate candy.  What had once been a luxury for the rich was to become an enjoyment that anyone could afford . . . the Hershey Bar.

Not only was Milton Hershey a genius, he was a visionary.  He wanted something special for his employees.  His vision led him to create for them a model community in Hershey, Pennsylvania . . . by building schools, parks, churches, recreational facilities, and housing for his employees . . . he even added a trolley system for his workers.

His philanthropy didn’t stop with his employees . . . he and his wife had a passion for children who were in need.  In 1909, the couple opened Hershey Industrial School for orphaned boys.  It eventually opened its doors to girls as well, and ultimately became known as the Hershey School.  Milton Hershey transferred much of his wealth, which included ownership of Hershey Chocolate Company, to the Hershey Trust, which still to this day funds the Hershey School.  As we moved through the museum, it was really uplifting to hear telecasts of several of the graduates tell of the successes in their lives because of this gentle, caring man . . . Milton Hershey.

Mr. Hershey’s philanthropy in his final years continued when he ignited a building mini-boom in his town of Hershey, PA, to keep his employees working.  He ordered the construction of a large hotel, a community building and new offices for the Hershey Company.

Hershey continued to work well into his eighties.  He died in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on October 13, 1945. His legacy as a businessman and philanthropist continues to this day.  The Hershey Chocolate Company has endured as one of the world’s great candy makers, with brands that include Almond Joy, Mounds, Cadbury, PayDay, Reese’s and Twizzler.

I know that’s a lot of history, but since I’m one of very few people on earth who doesn’t eat chocolate, it became my intention to learn as much about this wonderful product without reaping the benefits of its taste.  And, it was truly fascinating to me to learn of this great entrepreneur and how he started this world-famous company called Hershey Chocolate Company.

While in The Hershey Story, we took advantage of the “Chocolate Lab”, and got a chance to pour our own chocolate bar . . .

So . . . . . . . we donned hairnets and aprons and dove right in (cute, aren’t we!!) . . .

John put graham cracker crumbs on top of his . . . go figure why you’d mess up Hershey’s chocolate with graham cracker crumbs . . .

I, on the other hand, knew that Jenninfer, Leslie, and Kennedy (my chocolate lovers) would love my chocolate bar the best, being completely devoid of any foreign objects . . .

Then, when we moved on down to Chocolate World . . . THE official Hershey Chocolate Store . . . we saw more Hershey products that we’ve ever seen in our entire lives!!!!!

Well, believe it or not, while at Chocolate World, we donned hairnets and aprons AGAIN to go through another chocolate bar-making process.

We didn’t actually pour these . . . we used computers to select the kind of bars we wanted made. . . the names we wanted on the outside of the wrapper . . . and the type of packaging we chose for each.  Then, we watched them go down the assembly line. It was SO much fun!!!  And, here’s the bar I followed through the process just before it went through the packaging machine . . .

And, of course as you know, when we got back to the RV park after being in Hershey all day, we got the call from a friend in Birmingham informing us of the death of our dear friend, Joe Young.  And, as you also know, we immediately broke camp and hit the road for the long trip home.  And, as much as we enjoyed each and every state we visited, the state sign that really lit both of us up was our own Alabama State Line sign . . .

And, as you can guess, we weren’t at all upset about being able to see our Kennedy again.  The main thing she consistently asked us to get her were some boas.  So, here she is in ALL 9 of the boas we brought her, along with her specially-made Hershey Chocolate Bar . . .

Again, thanks to all of you who were interested enough to follow us all the way through our trip via this Blog page . . . and thanks again to Paige Townley and Lauren Sinnott for all you did to convince me to do it, and for all you did to set it up for me.  I’m actually very grateful that you insisted, as it will be tremendous for John and me to be able to review it from time to time.  I’m printing each entry and compiling all of it in a little booklet so we can enjoy it for years to come.

We pray we will be able to make another trip soon . . . hopefully to head West to California and back.  Perhaps I can rev up the old Blog again for that trip!!

Until then . . .

Much, much love to all of you . . . please take time to do something special for someone else, looking for nothing in return . . .

Frances

Back in Pennsylvania, for different reasons . . .

Wednesday, August 15 was the travel day from Niagara, Ontario to Hershey, PA . . . just a series of signs, but I can assure you that we were so thrilled to see the following sign . . .

And, I never thought I’d be so happy to see this sign . . .

And then eventually we made our way back to Pennsylvania . . .

So . . . on Thursday, August 16, we took in Gettysburg . . . a stop that John had looked forward to as much as, if not more than, any other stop we made during the entire 2 months . . .

First, at the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center, we took in the Gettysburg Cyclorama.  In the late 1880s, French artist Paul Philippoteaux took brush to canvas and created the Battle of Gettysburg Cyclorama painting, depicting “Pickett’s Charge”, the climactic Confederate attack on the Union forces during the Battle of Gettysburg on July 3, 1863.  He spent months on the battlefield researching the Battle of Gettysburg with veterans, a battlefield guide, and a photographer.  It took Philippoteaux and a team of assistants more than a year to complete it.  The result is a breathtaking oil painting that measures 377 feet in circumference and 42 feet high.  Longer than a football field and as tall as a four-story structure, the Gettysburg Cyclorama painting immersed us in the fury of Pickett’s Charge during the Battle of Gettysburg.  Together with a sound-and-light program, there’s an overhead canopy and a three-dimensional diorama foreground that realistically features stone walls, broken fences, shattered trees and a cannon.  Very moving, to say the least . . .

Then, on to the National Cemetery, which was the setting for Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, delivered at the cemetery’s dedication on November 19, 1863 . . .

Keep in mind that this National Cemetery was actually part of the massive spread of battlefields . . .

More pics of the battlefields, taken from the National Cemetery . . .

We continued on the self-guided riding tour of the battlefields, with General Lee’s headquarters being next . . .

The official name of the creek running through the Valley of Death between Devils Den and Little Round Top is Plum Run, but it gained a second name after the slow stream ran red with the blood of fallen soldiers for a few hours in July, 1863. With the rain on July 4, 1863, it overflowed the banks and drowned some wounded men who hadn’t been collected yet, reportedly all Civil War Confederates. The valley was littered with so many bodies that it was over a week after the Battle of Gettysburg ended before the fallen men could all be buried.

We were overlooking the Valley of Death from Little Round Top to get this photo.  Seems a little strange to see the “modernism” of cars and buses, but this is the actual land where one of the bloodiest battles of Gettysburg was fought . . .

This massive and beautiful monument in honor of the soldiers of Alabama who fought at Gettysburg is on the self-guided riding tour.  It was sponsored and given by the Alabama Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy in November of 1933 . . .

The self-guided riding tour took several hours.  Through all of it, John and I were both taken by the massive amounts of battlefield land, and the fact that most of it is still intact in its rugged condition . . . no buildings have been built on most of it.  So, as we walked over this land, we felt great humility from the realization that during that 3 days of horrendous fighting in Gettysburg . . . July 1-3, 1863 . . . there were some 23,000 Union soldiers and some 28,000 Confederate soldiers who were killed and lay on the very grounds where we actually walked on August 14, 2012 . . . pretty moving for both of us.

Well . . . almost finished with this magnificent journey for you via words and pictures . . . there’s one more post coming . . . Hershey, PA . . . it was a delightful and very ‘sweet’ visit . . . hopefully, you’ll have that one to read sometime tomorrow (Tuesday, August 28).

Until then, I hope all of you have a pleasant and productive day . . .

Much love to all,

Frances

Niagara-on-the-Lake . . .

My date for the Niagara Falls experience was incorrect (the ‘oops’ of trying to do a major catch-up, after the fact) . . . we actually were there on Monday, August 13.

Then, on Tuesday, August 14, we drove to a quaint little town called Niagara-on-the-Lake.  Like most of the other beautiful little townships we’ve enjoyed along the way, Niagara-on-the-Lake has its own unique distinguishing marks.  One of those would be its wineries . . . some 26-30, according to the map we had.  In fact, the Niagara Region, of which Niagara-on-the-Lake is a part, produces 80% of Canada’s wine.  We visited a couple of them, the first one being Chateau des Charmes . . .

This photo outside of Chateau des Charmes includes our dear friend, Don Archer, who still wore the boot that protected the toe he broke twice since leaving Georgia on their journey on July 27 . . .

Next, we visited The Ice House Winery, one of the homes of the much-touted icewine that is made in this area of the country.

Icewine is an ultra-rich, super sweet dessert wine made from the intense liquid of naturally frozen grapes.  In short, icewine is wine that is made from grapes that have been allowed to literally freeze on the vine, significantly concentrating the grapes’ sugars and intensifying the flavor profile. These frozen grapes are then pressed, squeezing out the drops of juice before running through the fermentation process. The tradition of making icewine is well-rooted in Austria and Germany (locally known as “eiswein”); however, Canada has got the current claim to icewine-making fame, with the majority of the market’s icewine offerings coming from British Columbia.  Legend has it that icewine was discovered by a German winemaker who was away from his vineyard during harvest (never a good idea) . . . and when he returned, all of his grapes had been frozen on the vine. Undeterred, he carried out the unorthodox harvest as usual and proceeded to press his frozen grapes for fermentation.  The result, the first eiswein, which has become more popularly known as icewine.  This is Jennifer and me with the young lady who introduced us to icewine, and to their very unique icewine “slushies” . . . m-m-m-m-m-m good!!  And, she was apparently a wonderful salesperson . . . she sold each of us $150 worth of icewine!!

And this is John and me hugging and loving on the white polar bear statue in front of The Ice House Winery . . . supposed to be good luck . . .

Niagara-on-the-Lake also has its claim-to-fame in the area of history.  During the War of 1812, the Niagara River was a vital water transportation route between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.  The “Front”, as it was known, was the scene of many battles, including the ferocious Battle of Fort George between the British stationed there and the American forces based across the river.  The fort sustained heavy damage from cannon fire and, virtually destroyed, was captured by the Americans.  However, it was retaken that same year by the British.  After the war, it was abandoned and fell into ruins until the 1930s, when restoration of the earthworks and buildings began.  Fort George was designated as a national historic site in 1921.

While we were at Fort George, there was a musket demonstration by these young re-enactment solders, which was very interesting . . .

Good pic from John to get these soldiers right at the moment they fired the muskets . . .

At the beginning of this post, I mentioned that Niagara-on-the-Lake has some of its own unique distinguishing marks, and some others of those are the following:

• First Capital of Ontario
• First Anti-Slavery Legislation was passed
• First Library in Ontario
• First newspaper in the Province
• Oldest Golf Course in North America (Don, Jennifer and John actually had a tee time set, but got rained out.  We ate a delightful lunch at the clubhouse, however, which we enjoyed thoroughly.)

This visit to Niagara-on-the-Lake wound up our amazing stay in Canada.  It not only provided some of the most breathtaking experiences, but it afforded John and me some very special and treasured time with our fantastic friends, Jennifer Jones and Don Archer.  It has been years and years since we’ve been able to be with them, and we’re so grateful for both of them being in our lives . . . and for the time to catch up on our talking, hugging, laughing, sightseeing, and loving with them for these 4 precious days.  We love you, Jennifer and Don!!!

Until the next post . . . be good to others, and to yourself as well . . .

Love to all,

Frances

Niagara Falls . . . another of God’s special creations . . .

On Sunday, August 12, we experienced one of the most powerful wonders of Nature in the world . . . Niagara Falls.  And, what a spectacular wonder it is!

We were on the Canadian side of the Falls, and this is a view of the U-shaped Falls that are on that side . . .

. . . and another view of the U-shaped Falls . . .

You think the wind was blowing a pretty good bit, or was it just another bad hair day?

My sweet John, with the U-shaped Falls behind him . . .

We took the Journey Behind The Falls.  This is one of the little side tunnels that opens out behind the great Falls . . . perhaps you can see the drops of water . . . what a thunderous noise it makes, whether you’re in front of, or behind them!

As part of the Journey Behind The Falls, we stepped out onto a platform that was right beside the right side where the Falls come down . . . oh, my, what unleashed and uncontrollable power that is!!

This is a picture John took of the Maid of the Mist boat that travels right up inside the U-Shape of the Falls.  The water is churning so violently that the motor on the boat is simply running to keep it stationery in the water so its passengers can feel the strength of the mist that comes off the Falls.  It’s like being in a torrential rain!  We actually took the boat trip within a half hour after John took this photo . . .

And, John took this from the Canadian side of the Falls to capture a view of the Falls on the New York side . . .

Now, we were actually on the Maid of the Mist when John took this of the viewing platform that is on the New York side . . .

And, this is a shot from the Maid of the Mist of the Falls on the New York side . . . see the people on the viewing walk?

And, another photo from the Maid of the Mist of the New York side of the Falls . . .

He tried to take photos while we were in the U-shaped Falls, but it was absolutely too windy and wet to get anything!

This experience affected me as much as, or more than, any other site we saw on the trip.  I was awestruck at the mighty sounds and scenes of Niagara Falls.  For me, it was Mother Nature at its best.  I felt so small, once again, in comparison to another of God’s creations.  I continued to add to my new respect for the enormity of true, raw Nature.  So powerful . . . so beautiful . . . so amazingly wonderful . . . I feel so blessed to have been able to make this visit . . .

Much love to all . . . and please be kind to one another . . .

Frances

We’re in Canada!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK . . . so even though we have been home one week today (Saturday, August 25), I will be completing all the posts through the final parts of our trip . . . beginning with our arrival in Canada . . .

We were so excited on Saturday, August 11, to arrive at the Canadian Border!!

BUT . . . . what an ordeal to cross into Canada!!  This is what we saw as we came over Rainbow Bridge to arrive at border customs . . . a mass of humankind trying to do the same thing we were . . . see Niagara Falls from the Canadian side . . .

But, as usual. . . this, too, did pass . . . we did indeed arrive at our campground . . .

Our friends, Jennifer Jones and Don Archer, arrived at about the same time we did on Saturday.  We all got set up and headed out to get a late lunch/early dinner.   This RV Park did not have cable TV, so after dinner Don spent hours trying to get our TV to work . . . never successfully got it to work, so no TV in Canada for us.

Sunday morning, the 12th we drove to St. Catharines . . .

. . . a little touristy township, to eat breakfast, which turned out to be a series of errors and dead ends . . .  like spinning our wheels . . . we went in circles, traveled distances searching, went to old downtown St. Catharines on waterside . . . parked & walked to restaurant only to find it didn’t open until noon on Sundays (it was 9:50 am) . . . some passing runners directed us around the corner & up a couple of blocks to Rozie’s Breakfast Café . . . 20-25 minute wait . . . decided to move on to IHOP about 3 miles up the road . . . came to a really neat little café at Port Dalhousie as we were trying to get to IHOP . . . ate there . . . very good breakfast . . . met some rowers who were racing in The Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, the most famous rowing course in the world.

After breakfast, we drove back to Port Dalhousie . . .

A shot of the beautiful Lake Ontario from Port Dalhousie . . .

My beauiful friend, Jennifer Jones, and me with Lake Ontario behind us . . .

Then we went to see the antique Lakeside Park Carousel at Port Dalhousie . . . and it’s still only 5 cents a ride!!  It is 100 years old, and has 68 animals, including horses, lions, camels, goats and giraffes, and four chariots. The accompanying music is played by an antique Frati band organ which uses a system of paper music rolls to serenade riders. Each animal has been hand carved, and the horses still have real horsehair tails. The carousel animals have all been carefully restored by the Friends of the Carousel, who continue with annual maintenance and repair work to keep the carousel in sound working order.  The original Looff lion (creation of the Charles I.D. Looff Company of Riverside, Rhode Island) on the Lakeside Park Carousel is one of five existing Looff lions in all of North America, and it is the only one that has its head turned to watch onlookers as it circles by. The second lion on the Carousel was carved in 2004 by the Friends of the Carousel to replace the original lion that was stolen in the 70s.

There are two lighthouses on Port Dalhousie Pier, originally built as navigational aids to direct ships into the harbour and the First, Second and Third Welland Canals (more on the Welland Canal system further down).

The outer range, built around 1879, is located at the end of the marina pier . . .

. . . and the inner lighthouse is located further inland.  The present inner range lighthouse was rebuilt around 1898.

Both local landmarks were integral to the early Welland Canal System.  The Inner Range Lighthouse is non-working, and houses the Niagara College Sailing School on its lower floor.

We then saw one of the neatest things of the entire trip.  We drove to Lock 3 Viewing Station of the Welland Canal System, which is in St. Catharines.  There’s an elevated observation platform that is ideal for watching ships maneuvering the lock system. We experienced watching a private vessel come into Lock 3 from Lake Ontario going to Lake Erie . . . saw them go through the process of filling Lock 3 with water from Lake Erie so the vessel could navigate into those waters . . . FASCINATING to watch!

The gate begins to open on the Lake Ontario end where the small craft awaits . . .

. . . and in it comes to begin this fascinating process . . .

Now looking to the other end as the water begins to flood in from Lake Erie . . . notice how low the water line is at this point . . .

The small vessel is now tied off about mid-way of the lock with ropes that were let down from above by docksmen . . .

Now, in a matter of minutes, the water has reached almost the top of the Lock . . . see how much higher the vessel is now . . . it is now in eye-view of the dock where they have been tied off.

Now looking again to the Lake Erie end where the gates begin to open to allow the vessel to pass into the waters of Lake Erie . . .

Now getting one final look back to the beginning gates where the vessel came in to the Lock to begin the process . . . gates now closed on that end . . . notice that the water level of Lake Ontario on the other side of those gates is much, much lower than the level that is captured in the Lock . . .

And we look back at the other end to see that the little vessel is on its way through the opening to Lake Erie . . .

What a delightful way to end a perfectly delightful day!

My next post will have some gorgeous pics of Niagara Falls that I hope you’ll enjoy . . .

Much love to all,

Frances

We’re coming home today . . .

It is with great sadness that I share the news of the death of Joe Young.  Joe and Becky have been our friends since our daughters, Leslie and Ginger, started kindergarten together.  John and I got the call yesterday (Friday) around 6 pm EST.  We broke camp immediately and left the RV park by 7 pm.  We hope to get back home this evening by 7 pm so we can be assured to be able to be with Becky, Melissa and Ginger.  Joe was a wonderful husband, dad, and friend.  Please remember all of his family at this very difficult time.

I will finish up my Blog posts after I settle back in at home.

Much love to all,

Frances

The gorgeous State of Vermont / White River Junction, Quechee, Woodstock, Stowe & Waterbury . . .

We arrived at our newest ‘temporary’ home . . . in Vermont . . . the Quechee Pine Valley KOA . . . on Saturday, August 4.  The location of this RV park was centrally located to some cities we wanted to visit . . . Quechee, White River Junction, Woodstock, Stowe and Waterbury . . .

One of the main attractions in Quechee is the Quechee Gorge . . . they call it “Vermont’s Grand Canyon” . . .

On Sunday, August 5^th, we started out early on our typical exploration of the area . . . starting with White River Junction.  We have some dear friends who lived in White River Junction a number of years ago, so we wanted to drive by the house where they lived and take a current photo to send them.  We had the address, keyed it into our GPS, and got to the street with no problem.  The problem was that the lowest house number was nowhere near the 10 we were looking for . . . numbers were from 56 to 356.  We learned from the Visitor Center in downtown White River Junction that their street had been re-numbered several years ago as required by EMS.  She sent us to the Fire/Police Department, where we spoke with a policy dispatcher via a speaker phone.  She was kind enough to give us the new number . . . 116.  We drove back, found 116, took the photo, and were on our way . . . by the way, Nancy confirmed that we ultimately got the correct house!  Victory!!

We drove later that day to Woodstock, and found it to be like so many of the little townships/villages we’ve found in New England . . . quaint, clean and lovely, lots of unique shops, but nothing that stood out above any other.

On Monday, August 6^th, we drove to Stowe, VT . . .

And here’s the broad on the bridge . . . this was a precious little footbridge . . . couldn’t resist getting a shot of it . . .

We were driving around Stowe, and the neatest thing happened.  We came up on a little Catholic Church where a man and a lady appeared to be either doing wood carving on the exterior of the building, or doing some meticulous painting on it.  We pulled in and saw the most interesting-looking paintings done on each section of the exterior of the building.  As we drove around to the side where the man and the lady were painting their current, and final section, we were led to stop and ask them questions about what the paintings represented.  The man’s name was Matthew Strong, and he was so kind to stop and tell us the story behind the paintings.  The church was built on property owned by the family of a Brother Dutton.  Sometime before WW I, Brother Dutton felt called to go to Molokai to serve his God and his country doing what he could to help . . . it was an area overrun by leprosy.  There was a priest in Molokai named Father Damien, working alone to try to minister to the needs of the residents of the area.  Being a farmer all his life, Brother Dutton worked there for some 6 years teaching the people farming skills . . . how to survive and provide for themselves.  Each of the sections of the exterior of the building had been originally painted back in the 1940’s by a French painter . . . time and weather had worn all of it down tremendously.  Three summers ago, Matthew Strong’s friend, who is a member of the church, talked Matthew in to stripping and sanding down the old work, and painting/tracing over the remaining shadows that time had etched into the wood.  This shows the old wood on the 2 lower wooden slats before Matthew has done his stripping and sanding . . .

This is the young lady working with Matthew Strong to help him refurbish this visual story of Brother Dutton’s life . . . working on the final panel of the project . . .

The following panel (Brother Dutton saluting the American Flag), depicts a time just after WW I when Theodore Roosevelt, who was a good friend of Brother Dutton’s via written communications, had ordered a fleet of US ships to travel around the world to encourage peace and unity.  He had a special fleet to go by Molokai to do an honorable review of Brother Dutton, his volunteers, and the people of Molokai . . .

Just hearing Matthew share this story with us was so inspiring.  Matthew is not a member of this church . . . he has given his time for 3 summers totally as a gift.  He is a professional wood carver by career there in the Stowe area.  He showed us some photos of some of his latest woodwork, which were amazingly beautiful.  Of course, those who know me know that I love fine wood, and I truly admire someone like Matthew who can look at a piece of rough lumber and see a finished piece of art . . . what a talent!  And what an unexpected blessing John and I received that day!

Our next stop in Stowe was the Trapp Family Lodge.  I’m also known for being a Sound of Music fanatic.  I saw the movie when it premiered back in the 60’s . . . 6 times.  And, the von Trapp Family has always fascinated me.

In the early 1940’s, after having fled the Nazi regime in Europe, the von Trapp family settled in Stowe, Vermont on an enchanted farm with sweeping mountain vistas reminiscent of their beloved Austria.  They began welcoming guests to a rustic 27-room family home/lodge in the summer of 1950. After a devastating fire in 1980, the original structure was replaced by a striking new 96-room alpine Lodge, now attended by 2,500 acres of magnificent indoor and outdoor resort amenities. The entire property is still owned and operated by the von Trapp family.  And it was truly enchanting!

And, this is a fractional sample of one of the views from the lodge . . .

Then, it was on to Waterbury . . . another of the small townships in close proximity to our RV park . . .

The couple of drawing cards for Waterbury are (1) Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory . . .

And, there’s that little old couple again, sticking their heads where they don’t belong . . .

And, the second attraction for us was the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Factory and Store, which were a bit disappointing . . . public was not allowed in factory itself due to health & safety factors . . . and the “store” was a very small visitor center/ virtual tour store . . . not very impressive.  But, we did get to buy a bag of John’s favorite Green Mountain Coffee.  Not a total loss.

Now, we’re back in New York . . . this time in the mid-part of the State . . .

Our RV Park, The Villages at Turning Stone RV Park . . . in a town called Verona . . . is an enterprise of the Oneida Indian Nation.

And, yes, it is the home of Oneida Stainless Steel . . . we hit the outlet store fairly quickly and got some great deals on some stainless steel pans for the RV.

And for you, Miss Kennedy . . . yet another WalMart in Verona, New York!

We’ll leave Verona this Saturday, the 11^th, headed for The Niagara Falls Canada KOA RV Park, where we’ll enjoy a week of spending time with some dear friends, Jennifer Jones and Don Archer, who will also be camping in the same RV Park.  So, my next update will come after we complete that part of our journey.

Please take care of yourselves . . . do something meaningful for someone else . . . and know that

You are loved . . .

Frances

New Hampshire . . . our first train trip . . . the White Mountains . . .

I’ve always LOVED train trips!!  Now, perhaps that is just because I’ve never been on one . . . that is, until we discovered this Conway Scenic Railroad trip about 60 miles from our campground.  We decided to take the long trip of the selections . . . 5 hours total for the round trip journey from North Conway, NH to Crawford Notch, NH.  It’s only about 25 miles from one point to the other, but the train travels very slowly so everyone can take in the breathtaking scenery while traveling through the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  During the trip, we climbed over 1300 feet to the “Gateway of the Notch” . . . much of the travel was along the beautiful Saco River.  The following is the diesel locomotive that carried us to and from our destination . . .

This is the Dome Car in which we rode, the Dorothea Mae.  We went upstairs to the dome area for our seats, which meant we had glass windows around and above us.  Cool!!

This is the dining car, the Hattie Evans, where we enjoyed our lunch while on the return trip . . . eating while riding and enjoying gorgeous scenery . . . can’t beat that!!

A view of Mt. Washington (the highest point in New England) . . . even though it was raining during this portion of the trip, that didn’t spoil the beauty and grandeur of Mt. Washington, or any of the other peaks we saw.

Our destination . . . Crawford Notch . . . a combination train station/gift shop/museum/restroom stop . . .

And here’s that little old couple again . . . this time enjoying lunch in the dining car, the Hattie Evans . . .

A beautiful photo from the window of the dining car, showing how we’re nestled for the moment between the mountain peaks, and also how high up we are from the highway below . . .

John took this shot from the front of the dome window, showing the 4 cars in front of ours, plus the “big yellow engine” . . .

And after our return from our journey . . . as we drove back to Littleton . . . we stopped to try and capture for you how high up we were . . . and more importantly, how the tracks were laid literally on the side of the mountain, with a straight-down drop-off . . . you can see the trestle on the left, and then you see a white horizontal line to the right of the trestle . . . that’s the open tracks on the side of the mountain!!

One of the most amazing things for me to grasp is the fact that construction was begun on these very tracks in 1875 . . . an impressive feat for the time, considering the need to span two gorges, a dozen streams and blast through the Gateway.  These tracks were used for passenger and for freight trains by the Maine Central Railroad until 1958 (Passengers) and 1984 (Freight).  The Conway Scenic Railroad bought and began to run seasonal passenger train service in 1995.  And, I’m so glad they did!!!

In case you couldn’t read between the lines, I HAD A GREAT DAY ON MY FIRST TRAIN TRIP!!!!

And, of course . . . for you, Kennedy . . . we used this WalMart in Littleton, NH, several times!!

As I finish up this entry, it’s now 11:30 am on Saturday, August 4^th . . . we’re pulling out of the Littleton KOA heading for White River Junction, Vermont.  Nancy Harris Smith (one of our original Emmanuel Singers) and her husband, Nathan, and their daughter, lived in White River Junction several years ago.  While we’re visiting there, we’re looking forward to driving by to look at the house where they lived, and get a photo of it for them.  And, we hope to get a good experience seeing the Green Mountains of Vermont.  “Talk” to you again soon . . .

Much love to all,

Frances

Maine’s Acadia National Park

Back in 2006, John and his hiking buddies hiked several trails in Acadia National Park.  So, on Monday, July 30^th, the noteworthy part of our being in this area was John’s chance to show me some of Acadia’s grandeur, beauty, ruggedness, and danger.  We decided to accomplish this by riding the park loop road.  The following photo op came early on the ride . . . try to tear your eyes away from the broad on the wall and take in the absolutely gorgeous scenery in the back . . .

The following photo was at Bubble Pond, taken by a nice young lady who was sitting at the waterside with her husband.  Although we never really saw any bubbles in the water, there was no denying its quiet beauty, as it was nestled right between two rounded mountains . . .

Thunder Hole is the place in Acadia National Park to experience the thunder of the sea against the rocky shores of Maine!  Thunder Hole is a small inlet, naturally carved out of the rocks, into which the waves roll. At the end of this inlet, down low, is a small cavern where, when the rush of the wave arrives, air and water is forced out like a clap of thunder. Water may spout as high as 40 feet with a thunderous roar!  Hence the name: Thunder Hole . . .

And that little old couple just showed up again at Thunder Hole!!  They’re everywhere!!!

The cliff-side Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse was built of brick in 1858 on a stone foundation, and stands 56 feet above mean high water.  Congress appropriated $5,000 for the construction of the Bass Harbor Head Light after it was determined that “sufficient need” existed to have a lighthouse near the entrance to Bass Harbor. There is a keeper’s house that remains pretty much in its original form. The house serves as an actual full-time residence for a U.S. Coast Guard family. When we arrived at the lighthouse, we saw a path on the right side that took us to back side of the tower and lighthouse.

On the left side was a path that appeared to go into a tree canopy. This led to a stairway that followed down the front face of the cliff . . . eventually arriving at a prime spot for capturing a picture of the lighthouse, with boulders and cliffs the likes of which I’ve never encountered.  So, I stayed put somewhat at the top, on flat ground, while John ventured down to the rocks below. There are no guardrails or boardwalks for safety once you get to the bottom. This is just the typical rugged Maine coast with its roughness, loose stones, and slippery spots.  But, my brave knight in shining armor was victorious in getting us the following spectacular photos . . .

And yet, with all its ruggedness and danger, Sand Beach is one of its very special treasures . . .

But, you still see the rugged boulders and rocks looming right at, and above the sandy beach . . .

Early on, I mentioned the ever-present danger of Acadia, which partially lies in its hiking trails.  Acadia is unlike any other area that John has hiked . . . which include the Grand Canyon, Mount Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Yosemite, Haleakala (in Hawaii) . . . Acadia is primarily amazingly huge rocks, boulders, and cliffs . . . very difficult and challenging.  When we came to Precipice Trail, John stopped to show me one of the dangerous parts of Acadia.  John and Charlie did not hike this particular trail back in 2006 (and I’m really glad they didn’t!).  A sign at the Precipice Trail Head clearly warned, “Danger”.  Then, he handed me the binoculars to view some hikers near the top of Precipice Trail . . . they were so high up that I could hardly see them, but what I could see was that they were literally walking on a totally exposed mountainside cliff . . . nothing but a straight-down drop-off from where they were walking!  It was that evening I learned of the cruel danger it really presents when I saw on TV that a young college girl had fallen to her death from that very cliff on the Precipice Trail . . . the Saturday before we were there on Monday.  Needless to say, it caused me to think a great deal about this hiking thing that John loves so much.  It made me more grateful than ever that he had been blessed with good health and safety through all his years of doing what he loves to do!  And, just another reminder of how precious is the time we all have here on earth together.  Let’s be careful out there . . . enjoy life . . . go for the gusto, but be careful!

Much love to all,

Frances