America The Beautiful -- Our Land of Diversity

Ethan and I have been so blessed this summer to be able to tour our country. It seemed like such an overwhelming journey when we began our trip in June, but taking a day at a time, we planned our adventure and had a wonderful time. It has been great having no time constraints.

We have stood in awe of our snow-covered peaks and seen beauty in our deserts and the farmlands in the midwest. We have walked the beaches of our pacific coast, seen magnificent waterfalls and beautiful glacial rivers.

We have met people from all walks of life, many nationalities and faiths, and feel we have been placed in the pathway of those who have needed help in one way or another, words of encouragement or prayer.

We have enjoyed all the wild animals we have seen...the buffalo, elk, moose, antelope, black bear, long horn sheep. It has all been wonderful.

We have had a wonderful reunion with Ethan's family, as well as reunions with old friends we haven't seen for years.

Words cannot adequately express the feeling of thankfulness we have in our hearts. This is a trip we will never forget......and you can all look forward to being bored with hundreds of pictures!!

Thank you for following us on our adventure. It has been fun blogging. I never thought I could do this....now to figure out how to get the pictures from the iPad to a disk!! Apple Store..here I come!!


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Shenandoah National Park

August 20, 2011

When we started our trip in June, the first park we wanted to visit was Shenandoah NP. We entered the park and went to the visitor's center. The weather was cold and rainy, and the forecast for the week was more of the same. Since we wanted to get out and do some walking to waterfalls, we decided to leave and return on our way home.

So.....here we are again at Shenandoah National Park. The weather is sunny and warm today, and we are looking forward to a good day. The mountains are gentle and covered with trees, and we are reminded of home.....I think we are ready to end our summer-long journey.

We walked in to Dark Hollow Falls....a bit of a walk, but it was nice and cool. We saw a black bear walking up the river....on the opposite side from us. Wish he had come closer to the water so I could have taken a picture. The water in the river was low, so the falls were not full. It was still very pretty.

The views from the overlooks were beautiful, showing the valleys below and telling the history of the area. Skyline Drive is 105 miles long!


Pictures taken today in Shenandoah National Park.


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Location:Virginia

The Great Smokey Mountains National Park

August 15, 2011

We spent today, August 15, in Smokey Mountains NP. After so many days traveling in the Midwest, it was so nice to see green again.

I loved the mountains covered with trees, and the beautiful green vines draping the rocks along the road. There were rivers following the road through the park with nice big "hopping rocks" scattered throughout the water. I'll never forget the last time I tried hopping across a river on the rocks....I slipped and fell in! We were geocaching with friends Pam and Jim, and boy was the water cold!

We took a road in the park 7 miles off the main road to Clingman's Dome. What a great spot. We walked up another half mile once we got there to the dome....and then went up the dome. You can see 360 degrees and view all the mountains on a clear day. Today, the Smokey's were living up to their name, and we were in the clouds.

We had a great time in the park today. Tomorrow, we will be in Maggie Valley, NC checking on our property, and then want to spend time visiting with old friends in the area.



Smokey Mountain pictures.


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He's exhausted just walking the few feet to the sign.....how is he ever going to make it to Katahdin!!










Clingman's Dome in the park.




We met the nicest family from Ohio when we were walking up to Clingman's Dome. Meet Aric, Alex and Tatiana.....think we might miss our grandchildren?

Location:Tennessee and North Carolina

Midwest USA

August 15, 2011

The last four or five days we have been meandering through the Midwest of our country....taking the "scenic route" as Ethan likes to call it. We have traveled through the small farm towns and seen the farmers hard at work. We've seen hundreds of acres of farmland with fruits, vegetables and grains growing, and have seen the farmers harvesting their crops. We've also seen hundreds more acres of open range with cattle grazing...also have enjoyed seeing the horses, antelope and buffalo.

I know I could not live in the flat, treeless farmland of the Midwest, but so thankful for all the hard working farmers who do live here to provide us with so much of our food. I'm sure we do not realize how hard they work for all of us.

We are now in Tennessee. We have left the open sky feeling behind us, and we're now enjoying the beautiful trees and rolling green hills. I have to say that I love it.

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Boot Hill Museum

August 11, 2011

Today we traveled through Kansas.....very flat and very hot! So thankful for the air conditioning in the car. We stopped in Dodge City for lunch and decided to tour the Boot Hill Museum. It was an interesting and fun walk through the cemetery and the replicas of the buildings. A lot of the furnishings were original, and the people in the stores and saloons were dressed in early 1800's garb.

It was a nice break in an otherwise boring drive. The flatland just about put us to sleep. Happy to be settled in for the night and will continue our trip fresh in the morning.



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Here's Ethan in jail....the original jail back in the 1800's!




Boot Hill Cemetery...given this name because the cowboys were buried with their boots on.

Location:Dodge City, Kansas

Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine

August 9, 2011

Today we went to Cripple Creek, CO to tour an old gold mine. The Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine was an active mine until 1961. There are still working mines in this area today. We got in a cage with five other people and was taken 1000 feet below the surface. We learned about the history of mining in this area and was shown just how the miners found the gold veins. The tour was an hour long and it was very interesting. I can't begin to imagine how hard the men worked underground every day with only small candles for light.

We have enjoyed our stay in the Denver area so much. Erik has been a wonderful host. We will be leaving tomorrow to continue our journey home.




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We found our perfect vacation home in Cripple Creek, CO...needs just a little attention, but great location. There's a casino right across the road!

Location:Cripple Creek, Colorado

Big Horn Sheep and Denver

August 7 & 8, 2011

Sunday was a hot day in Englewood, CO...which is a suburb of Denver. Erik took us to the foothills where it was much cooler. We stopped at a lake to check it out, and talked with the people fishing. Ethan had his binoculars and was looking all through the mountains for big horn sheep, but found not a one! A couple told us about Guanella Pass not far from where we were. They said it was worth the drive with beautiful scenery and views. So, we headed up the winding road with NO guardrails--in some areas!! As we were traveling up through the pass, Ethan was talking about not seeing any big horn sheep in the mountains....we made a turn and what do you think was right in the road? You guessed it....6 or 7 big horn sheep. I think we took 19 pictures.

The views from the summit of the pass were spectacular. We were close to 12,000 feet elevation. There were hiking trails all through the mountains, and a lot of people were hiking. We never would have known about this pass if we hadn't stopped and talked with the people fishing.

On Monday, we took the train into Denver. Ethan wanted to take a tour through the United States Mint. We found the building and asked about the tours. Well.....all tours were full for the next 6 weeks. If we showed up the next morning at 7:30 a.m., we could get standby tickets, but there would be no guarantee that we would be able to get in for a tour.

We walked back to the place we came from and took the bus to the
Federal Reserve Bank. Finally found it, and went in to see about a tour. All we needed was our picture ID...not a problem....EXCEPT for the fact that we both left our ID in the car! So, no tour for us! We struck out on both tours!
All we could do was laugh!

We did get to tour the beautiful Capitol building. The was a quilt exhibit in the capitol building, which was wonderful. Since I am a quilter, I really enjoyed the exhibit and voted on the ones I liked best.

Although we didn't see what we wanted to, we had a great day. We went back to Erik's apt. and I cooked dinner....first time I've cooked in two months!



Some of the pictures of the Big Horn Sheep in Guanella Pass.


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Sorry.....this does not belong here!







This little guy walked right up to the car and looked at me.

Location:Colorado

Rocky Mountain High, Colorado

August 5, 2011

We took two days to drive from Salt Lake City to Kremmling, CO. If you've never been to Kremmling, you haven't missed much. We actually found a very nice hotel there....very thankful for that.

Today, we spent our day at Rocky Mountain National Park. What a beautiful park. We saw a herd of elk--Ethan thinks there were around a hundred of them. I loved the wonderful green meadows at such a high elevation...no wonder the elk love it there. The drive took us over 12,000 feet in some places. I'm sure the snow will not be melting. Even with the sun shining, the wind was so strong...and it was cold. Another park we will not forget.

Many of you reading this know Erik Pelton. Erik left Maine to live in the Denver area, so we gave him a call as we wanted to at least see him while we were in Denver. What a nice young man Erik is...he pretty much insisted that we come spend the weekend with him, so we are at Erik's apartment and plan to have a great weekend with him. His gift of hospitality comes naturally, I sure!

Today, August 6, has been a great day for us. We went to church with Erik, took him out to lunch, and then he took us to The Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. What an amazing place! It's hard to believe all these hugh red rocks are in this one area with majestic green mountains surrounding them, and Pikes Peak in the far distance. It was just beautiful and such a contrast to the surroundings. We've had a wonderful time with Erik.


We feel like we're on top of the world! We are standing at 12,310 feet...highest we have ever been. Rocky Mountain NP is awesome!


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Pictures taken at Rocky Mt. National Park








We are at The Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs...what an amazing outcropping of red rocks surrounded by all the magnificent high green mountains.












This rock is called Balanced Rock and weighs

Bingham Canyon Copper Mine

August 3, 2011

Yesterday was another beautiful day in Salt Lake City. This valley is soooo big and surrounded by majestic mountains. There are nine canyons that come into Salt Lake.

Yesterday we visited the Bingham Canyon Copper Mine. It is the only open pit copper mine in the world. It's 2 3/4 miles across at the opening and 3/4 of a mile deep. Over the past 100 years, this mine has produced over 18 million tons of copper. We were over 6,600 ft. at the visitor's center, and it was very interesting to read the history of the mine and the surrounding area. Also interesting to see the mine at work.

We will be leaving Salt Lake today after spending four great days here. It was wonderful reconnecting with my friend Libby. After several days of talking, praying and many tears, we have decided we need to head back home. Ethan is having some health concerns that need to be addressed and we will feel more comfortable being home.

We ask for your prayers for us as we travel that we will be safe and that Ethan will be fine, and we thank you for those prayers.



At the copper mine visitor's center....one of the tires on the dump trucks that haul the ore.





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Some of the beautiful mountains that surround Salt Lake City.








The dump trucks look like matchbox trucks at the bottom of the mine.

Location:Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake Cty

July 30, 2011

This is our week of family birthdays. July 24 was grandson Jeffrey's birthday, July 26 was son Jeremy's birthday, today, July 30 is son Anthony's
birthday, and August 2 is son Brad's birthday. First time we have ever been away on their birthdays!

We took two days to travel from Lassen Volcanic NP in California to Salt Lake City. It's a long drive across Nevada....and pretty boring too! I tried real hard to find beauty in the high desert of Nevada....and some of the mountain formations were very pretty. Can't say I would want to live there.

As we crossed the state line into Utah, we entered the Great Salt Lake Desert....white as far as you could see for the next half hour or so. Salt Lake City is a beautiful city. My friend, Libby Hunter, who I grew up with in Lancaster lives in SLC. We had dinner with her last night and had such a good time...we haven't seen each other in probably 30 years. It was a nice reunion.

Today we went to the Family History Library and spent five hours tracing our family history. Ethan had a lot of success tracing his family back to France and England. It was so exciting for him to find all this information. My search did not go that well, but made a start on it anyway.

Well, it is now Sunday, July 31. This morning we saw the Mormon Tabernacle Choir perform. We've heard them before and even seen them on television, but a live performance is very impressive, indeed. From there, we visited the Cathedral of St. Mark's where my friend Libby is one of the clergy. We are now relaxing in the International Peace Garden...very beautiful place, and will meet Libby in a few hours for dinner. Have had a wonderful time reconnecting with her.

We are going to relax here for a few more days before we make our next plan. We have enjoyed Salt Lake City.


The high desert of Nevada.


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Another pictures taken in Nevada






I can't seem to get through a single blog without getting a picture in that doesn't belong!!!!


Libby and me. We had just finished dinner at a small place called Sage...totally all fresh veggie organic vegetarian restaurant......so delicious!





Libby took us all over the city...it has been great having a tour guide. We are up on a mountain looking down into the valley in the evening. You can see a part of the Great Salt Lake to the left of the picture. She said the lake is at least 150 miles long.

Location:Utah

Lassen Volcanic National Park

July 27, 2011

There is always a first time for everything, and today was the first time we have ever been in shorts and sandals with snow over our heads on July 27th....elevation over 8,500 feet.

We didn't know just what to expect at Lassen NP, but saw some beautiful scenery. Lassen Peak was very barren, and was still covered with a lot of snow in many places. People were walking through snow on nearby trails....that wouldn't be us in our sandals!

As we were coming down the winding mountain road with NO guardrails, we came to a geo thermal area beside the road. It was so interesting to see smoldering hot liquid and a cold mountain stream just feet away.

Our tour of the Northwest National Parks has been a wonderful experience for us. Each park has it's own uniqueness and beauty. We have so much to be thankful for, and thank God every day for all He has given to us.
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Lassen Peak is over 10,000 feet.





Oops.....another mountain, another place...sorry!!





If you look closely, you will see Ethan trying to get out of the snowbank to use the potty....nothing like a COLD seat!!!!

Location:California

Crater Lake National Park

July 26, 2011

It is hard to find the words to describe the beauty and grandeur we saw today. I had seen pictures of Crater Lake, but pictures just don't tell the story. I have never seen such deep dark blue water before. The lake is over 1900 feet deep and is only water from rain and snow....it was awesome. We drove the 31 miles around the lake, with 10 foot snow banks along parts of the road. Most of the majestic mountains were still snow covered.

Each park we've visited has had it's own unique beauty. It has been such a blessing for us to see all these places....an experience we will never forget.



Pictures taken at Crater Lake.


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Location:Oregon

Redwoods National Park

July 25, 2011

After spending two days traveling down Oregon's beautiful coast, we made it to Redwood National Park in California.

Yesterday we spent the day walking through the redwoods. What a wonderful experience walking among these quiet giants of the forest. It was so peaceful...like a special sanctuary.

Many of the trees had been scarred by wildfires years ago, and were still alive. These trees towered over us at least 300 feet and many of them were at least 800 years old....some much older. We will never forget this part of our journey...if these trees could talk, what stories they would have for us.


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Oregon coast...it was beautiful, but the wind was so strong and cold.








This group of redwoods is called the Cathedral and many weddings each year take place in this peaceful setting.





I could not look up enough to get the top of this tree. Guess I should have laid flat on my back....it was huge!




Can you believe the trunk of this tree...and it's not all in the picture!





Ethan has been looking in the woods for elk to no avail. So we have stopped for a picnic lunch yesterday and he is looking all through the meadows and high grass for elk, but there are none. Where do you suppose he saw them....on someone's lawn!





A mother whale and her baby came up the river near where we were staying in Crescent City, CA. The baby swam back to the ocean, but mama was still swimming around in the river. Ethan said it looks like she was about 40 feet long....a gray whale.

Location:California