Day 23 - Arriving home in Autumn

From Columbus, Ohio, to home, we drove through leaves that were changing further and further. Western PA is especially great for viewing beautiful forests. But, most important, we arrived home in time to grab spinach fettuccine and sauce-makings at Highland Park Market and have a homemade dinner with Penelope. (Okay, it was pretty late by the time we sat down to eat, but it was good.)

On the way, I read a book on the Spanish Frontier in North America to Maynard. I learned tons about the Spanish development of Florida, the Mississippi Delta, Texas, New Mexico, and California. Cool stuff.

Signing off, now. End of trip!

Day 22 - Kansas, Ill, Ind, & Ohio

We're charging home fast. Hope to make it some time tomorrow night!

The Eurovan seems to have a wonky switch or fuse; don't know when lights will work or fan.

Am ready to be home.

Day 21 - Down from the mountains to Kansas

Maynard kept checking the rear view mirror as we drove through Pueblo, CO, and east, away from the mountains. Today was sunny. Yesterday the rain, clouds, and shafts of light in the Nevada & Utah deserts explained why folks there are true believers -- whether in religion or aliens. Among other things, we passed cosmic ray collectors yesterday. Today was more practical. Lots of grain was being piled as seen above (the wind was strong; the grain seemed to me to be getting dirty). Also, we saw over 20 miles of "stored" auto-railcars. At 55 railcars to a mile, that's a lot of unused stock. Strange. In 2006 the threat to railroads was that scavengers were stealing pieces of track because the scrap value was so high. Now we see many miles of unused equipment parked in odd spots, on tracks that may not be used again. My last thought for the day is that I have to look up the red spiky plants that are being grown in many fields. Can't figure out what they are.

Day 20 - Route 50 through Utah into CO

The strange thing about deserts is that no two look like, nor does any desert look boring. However, we haven't taken enough desert pics on this trip. I wish I hadn't left my camera back in Pennsylvania! These rocks are from Utah and Colorado; there were odd sections in between with former lakes, sand dunes, and vast expanses. Maynard likes to bet on the length of a stretch of road ahead -- we had several straight stretches of over 20 miles. 'Long toward the CO border, we met a twin Eurovan. It's owner lives in Park City and camps with her two dogs in spring and fall. That's the only time she uses her Eurovan. Tonight we're in Gunnison.

Day 19 - The loneliest road in America - Route 50

We left Sacramento early this morning, taking interstate 80 to the east side of Reno where we picked up route 50. Folks are trying to make this road a tourist memory like route 66 with even less luck. Route 50, built for the telephone lines as well as rail and roads, is aptly nicknamed "the loneliest road in America." Lots of straightaways across deserts of sage and dry lakes. Lots of up and downs on twisting roads through mountain ranges. Most of the day we were above 3800 feet, even at the low points. Now, in Ely, Nevada, we're in the heart of the Great Basin. So far the car has behaved.

Days 15, 16, 17, & 18 - SP Annual Conference

Men with trains. Here are pics from several layouts Maynard visited. During the rest of the conference, he attended presentations and we both worked to sell the trains he brought. Success! We're bringing home only 1 box, having brought 5 boxes. Even better -- the Eurovan was repaired on the last day of the conference, so we'll be leaving Sacramento according to our original schedule.

Day 13 - Eureka!

The fun and beautiful part -- driving up the Central Valley to Redding (hot!), then turning toward the coast and winding through the mountains. We checked out the area of Humboldt State (Lew gave Maynard a book on great college for retirees.) Eureka had more folks my age. We wound down the coast driving through redwood forests. They're incredible. We ended at Fort Bragg. Our room backed on a field and the ocean. The waves on the rocks were mesmerizing. Finished the day with a great fish meal.

By the way, the transmission is en flight (I wonder if it's coming by way of Lufthansa).

Turns out the new water pump is leaking like crazy. The Eurovan will be as good as new by the time we get it back -- everything on it will new!

Gotta Transmission?

Maynard thinks the Eurovan prefers flying over driving. It's up on a lift at the moment. And it's new transmission is being shipped in from Germany. The difficulty with the process isn't the time on the airplane; it's US Customs. So, this rather essential part may arrive in four days or ten. (If it takes ten, I'll fly home in order to be in time for an appointment with Penelope.)

So, it's just as well that we hauled all the way to Sacramento yesterday. After consigning the Eurovan to its new lodging at the Niell VW service department, we rented a small car and headed for Lake Tahoe. The drive from the north to south ends of the lake is stunning; the drives to and from Sacramento (especially returning to the city on route 50) gave Maynard lots of tight turns.

We're open about our adventure tomorrow; the day after (Wednesday) is the start of the SP Convention here in Sacramento. I'll tell you tomorrow what we ended up doing.

Day 12 - We Two Geezers

Discovered this morning that we had the days of the week wrong. Yesterday wasn't Sunday, after all! Complete Geezer moment.

Watched some more trains at different points of Tehachapi Loop before heading to Sequoia National Park. The twisting road up is spectacular, as the terrain changes from Central Valley floor to hills to sharp mountains. Giant Sequoias only grow around 7,000 feet. They dwarf everything around them; it felt like the elves' forest in The Hobbit.

Then the Engine Light came on. (The coolant light had intermittently signaled since yesterday.) Might be the transmission or the computer or broken sensors or, most likely, SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF. Anyway, we hobbled up to Sacramento, as the Eurovan decided that 3rd gear was its highest setting. Tomorrow we'll visit a VW dealer. (Drum roll.)

Day 11 - Dawn

We hadn't planned to watch the sunrise over the canyon, but we woke early, so we drove to an eastern pulloff and watched the strobelight of sun light up bits of the canyon, slowly. We'd seen many turkey vultures previously; today we saw flocks on the move. (A good story: a guide said that the best place to see condor's is at busy Canyon Village in early afternoon. After all, these birds are looking for masses of fat mammals all tending precariously close to a cliff edge.)

Driving out of the canyon and west, we've left AZ for CA. The coolant light was/is flashing, but we faced the Mojave Desert successfully. (Hope to get the oil changed in Sacramento, AND hope the light only means a broken sensor.) Maynard took me to the cool photo stops of Tehachapi Loop this afternoon. The color of the golden hills dotted with live oaks is lovely, as is their undulating form. Maynard likes the train part = tracks that wind around hills or through tunnels or in twists. The engines almost loop back on the cars.

Day 10 - more Grand Canyon

We ended up staying 3 nights at the Grand Canyon (we'd planned on 2). There are many trails and view points; the canyon is a lot to take in. Then there's the geology and the history of the area as well. The Eurovan was fun to camp in, too. I like the fact that the Grand Canyon is set up with shuttle buses. Today we retraced our steps to Powell's Point on the west side before heading out to Mather Point and eastern viewpoints.

Day 9 - Walked 8 miles of the rim trail

I'd always wanted to see the Grand Canyon. The pics are always stunning, but they're nothing like the real thing. We walked from the campground out to the rim trail, wandered off towards the bus to the Hermit's Rest (the west end of the rim in the park of the south canyon), then walked most of the way back. By the end of the day, we were tired (hey, we're old and out of shape!), but we'd seen fantastic views.

Day 8 - Meteor Crater and into the Grand Canyon

A giant meteor fell into the earth's atmosphere and ripped a huge hole into the earth in Arizona. Don't believe me? Check out the picture of Maynard posing in front of Meteor Crater. Now to the more mundane: We'd stopped in a Navajo attraction to see the canyon of the Little Colorado. These dogs appreciated the shade of the Eurovan.

Day 7 - Cliff houses, petroglyphs, petrified, & a horse

Well, I don't have a pic of the horse. He was standing at beside a pump at a gas station in Chinle, AZ. He liked the shade.

Navajohs live in Canyon de Chelly growing crops such as peaches. The canyon base has trees and farms. Along the interior cliff sides are houses from the Basketweavers/early Puebloan Indians. Another great site is the Petrified Forest, a very different Badlands from those further north, like the Theodore Roosevelt National Monument. Besides strange formations, there are many petrified trees; the pic shows several which are just appearing from the rock edge. Within the ruins of a pueblo at the park there are pictographs. Tonight we ate an amazing southwestern meal at an old Harvey Hotel, La Posada in Winslow, AZ. (Yep, and there's a mural of "standing at the corner of Winslow, AZ, too.)

Day 6 - Chaco :( but El Morro :)

We tried to drive into the Chaco Culture area from the south, but the road was mostly rock and we decided to turn around. Right then, it started raining, perhaps as a sign of renewal (too much How to Read Literature Like a Professor!). Anyway, we headed instead to El Morro a jutting rock ridge on which history is written. (Though, first, an early people built a pueblo on top.) Anyway, Ancient Ones drew pictographs; Spaniards identified themselves from the 1600s, white English-speaking settlers (including a 12-year-old girl) provided their signatures in the 1800s, as did explorers, soldiers (one brigade came with camels, just pre-Civil War), and railroad surveyors. Finally, the railroad was laid not at the foot of El Morro but 25 miles away, leaving this outpost in the outfield. Besides being pretty easy to recognize at a distance, El Morro boasted a water hole, not spring-fed but naturally filled with rainwater. Everything adds up to a lovely spot to visit. But I've gotta see Chaco Culture next time!

Day 5 - NM - Tucumcari compared to Santa Fe

We happily drove into New Mexico this morning, and saw wildly different cities and topography through the day. Tucumcari's bit of Route 66 includes broken down hotels, partially scrapped trailer parks (with ancient electrical supply apparatus), and remnants of gas stations and souvenir stands. In contrast, Las Vegas is rebuilding itself, trying to make the most of multiple national historic register buildings. By the end of the day we were strolling along the streets of Santa Fe. Fun art, good food. The landscape changed drastically as well. We crossed from high prairie to mesas & buttes before climbing over the Sangre de Cristo mountains. The views were spectacular.

Day 4 600+ miles to Amarillo

From Missouri through Oklahoma to Texas (Amarillo) today. We have now made up the day we lost with the car repair.

Here's the SECOND Baldwin steam loco Maynard has found so far.

Ate at a hilarious Texas steak house -- all cowboy ambiance. If you eat a 72 ounce steak in an hour, it's free. A guy from Ohio was trying to succeed.

Day 3 - Cahokia

The Mississipian Indians from around 900 AD through 1200 AD created a complex culture. In the river bottom land just over the Mississippi River from St. Louis a huge city developed. Cahokia has many mounds of several sorts. Some were used as graves. The large central area (you can see down to it from Monk's Mound) was open for ceremonies and gatherings. Beyond that were many houses. Twenty thousand people lived here at its height. Monk's Mound is 110 feet high. Pretty, cool, huh?

Day 2 - Turning a lemon into a G&T (or nearly)

That drip turned out to be a broken water pump.

Fortunately, friendly people at a Starbuck's included a lady whose drives a VW beetle & whose husband owns a GMC/Buick dealership down the street. While they sent out for a new pump, they lent us an aged LeSabre. Also, a mechanic told us about good train-sighting places along the Sand Patch grade. Grabbed a rope to climb to a bench above the rails where this pic was taken; met the installer of said rope & bench who toodles around in a parachute plane. Lunched in an 18th c tavern which is now run by a Russian Orthodox priest & wife.

Finally hit the road at 3 PM, car repaired. Only made it to Columbus tonight. Needed a drink after all that!

Day 1 - to the SW corner of PA

Tooled down interstates to the Laurel Highlands of PA. Lovely, rolling ridges. The trees are already turning. Camped at Laurel Hill State Park near Somerset. Fun to use the Eurovan, but we brought too much stuff.

Strange dripping from the engine . . .

We're heading out today, pointing towards the Southern Pacific Railroad Convention in Sacramento (it's the weekend of October 2nd). This trip is in the Eurovan and we're camping, hopefully in state and national parks. There won't be internet access, so I may not post things often. I haven't decided what to focus on -- maybe pictures. The Grand Canyon will appear on the way.

Day 34 - Home and an Invitation

As we crossed the Poughkeepsie River, I finally figured out how to shoot quick pics from Maynard's camera as a train came east to west. We're home. Penelope kept the home fires burning (perhaps at outside temperatures too high for comfort, but with absolutely no emergencies) beautifully. Mom has weathered a low period and a fall and has come out gracefully and still dedicated to the greenhouse at Avery Heights. I'm really looking forward to Lew's visit next week. I have to include Jacqui's incredible housework while we were away. She even cleaned our basement! What a woman.

Before I go further, I'd love to have you guys over some time soon. Please give me a call at 860-668-5672 to give me your schedule, and I'll do my best to coordinate. If the date that works best for most doesn't work for you, let's get together -- definitely.

I want to end with a few reflections that didn't fit with the daily news. First, I was struck by how nice people are; Gerry LaPlante said this after his bike trip across country last year, and it rings true. People are friendly. They like to chat. They aren't dishonest or antagonistic. They like to share things about themselves. In comparison to the way I live and think at home, the West seemed safer. Second, I admit, I love to listen in on other people's conversations. I listened to people talking about local hospitals closing, about Sarah Palin and politics, about job uncertainty. I didn't hear arguments; folks seemed to be among others who shared their concerns. There were odd moments of recognition, too; in a restaurant in the Alyeska, a beautiful, blonde young woman reminded me of Grace Vianney. Yet, Grace's conversation about old movies and her balletic stances at the English department party were full of intellect and life (charis); the girl I saw was merely a pale reflection of Grace. I also loved watching little children and dogs, both of which were plentiful.

Like the trips in literature (Maynard will groan), I was trying to run away to Alaska. Our cat, Colona, died at 20 years old in February. Puck died at 10 years old in May. It's hard to come home to a house without pets. Even more, I'm very sad about leaving my job. I'm too attuned to thinking about kids and connecting with them. Penelope's copy of the latest Suffield Academy Magazine came in the mail while I was gone, and, reading it, I realize that I've only been putting off the grief I feel.

That said, I've always wanted to go to Alaska, and this was an amazing trip. I love being with Maynard; I like feeling like a tough explorer in the car when I see all the folks cached away in tour buses; I like being there -- where the mountains are, where the wild animals are, where the history took place, where I feel that the sky and horizon go on forever.

Good times. Thanks for coming along.

Day 33 - Ishpeming, MI to Batavia, NY

Having a computer and internet access had been a boon last year on our trip to the UK; it has proved so again this time around. Also, finding the right book makes a huge difference in the last days, as we tell ourselves we're still on the trip, but we're actually focused on zooming home. As we hurdled across the UP today, we kept an eye out for Seney, the town where Ernest Hemingway isolated himself in order to recuperate from his war wounds. (I hadn't realized that he ended up with about 200 pieces of shrapnel in his leg.) Two Hearted River runs north to Lake Superior, but Fox River runs through Seney. This is probably the area that inspired some of the Nick Adams stories, such as, "Big Two Hearted River" and "Indian Camp." Later, we charged down the interstate that cleaves the top of the main section of Michigan, driving past the Walloon Lake area where Hemingway's family had their summer home. I'm tempted to think that Summit, the town depicted in "The Killers," found its inspiration here. There just aren't real towns on the UP, at least now.

Also, we'd acquired a terrific book at the visitors center for the Voyageurs National Park in upper Minnesota. A reprint of a 1941 publication by the Minnesota Historical Society Press, The Voyageur's Highway is as interesting for its auther as for its content: both are fascinating. Author Grace Lee Nute of North Conway, NH, graduated from Smith in 1917, then achieved an MA from Radcliffe, and, finally, earned her PhD from Harvard in 1921. She studied under Frederick Jackson Turner at Harvard who recommended her for the job of manuscripts curator at the Minnesota Historical Society. Nute was clearly an avid outdoorswoman, an early, outspoken conservationist, an obsessed researcher, an inspired writer, and someone who could recognize and communicate the complex image of the mix of lakes and portages defined through the fur traders' canoe route between Lake Superior and Rainy Lake. Reading the book aloud and talking about it made the time on the highway interesting.

Day 32 - Duluth, MN to Marquette, MI

I was surprised by Duluth, as we came over the hill above the city; a full oreboat was crossing towards Wisconsin on Lake Superior, and the city looked clean and vibrant. We drove down to the 1880s Depot, passing warehouses and manufacturing areas that are now funky businesses. (I wish the same could be done to Holyoke!). The Depot houses four museums, one of which is a transportation (mainly train) museum. Besides the lovely old engines, Maynard focused on box cars, his current fascination. He had great examples of their architectural styles, forms of trucks and couplers, and even handles. Besides enjoying the trains, I checked out the logging museum and a special exhibit on the immigrant experience. I never made it to the art museum; we needed to head out. We drove across Wisconsin, then started through the upper peninsula of Michigan. We're spending the night in Ishpeming. There's a (closed) mine here that has great late Victorian architecture. We'll try to get some pics in the am.

Day 31 - Through Ontario Lakes to Virginia, MINN, mines

Horrified by the low speed limits in Ontario, Maynard drove -- very slowly -- along picturesque lakes until we crossed the border at International Falls, Minnesota. Then, happier, we followed the edge of Voyageurs National Park at a higher speed. The info at the visitor's center was disappointing; Maynard had already told me more about the voyageurs than the NPS volunteer knew. But we picked up a book about the voyageurs that looks good. From there we toodled on down to the iron range and are spending the night at Virginia. There's a huge former iron mine here that looks simply like a beautiful lake. There are plenty of working mines, too. Maynard promised to show me taconite, so he found some railroad tracks near a former mine and picked up a handful of round, brown spheres:taconite. We're now bringing a few handfuls home.

Day 30 - Watrous, Saskatchewan to Steinbach, Manitoba

Last night our motel hostess told us about the extreme rains Saskatchewan has been receiving; today we saw the results as we drove through the southeast quadrant of the province, and, indeed, for much of southwest Manitoba. Many, many fields are unplanted, and more have small ponds. A welcome lady at Moose Jaw said that farmers can't even collect insurance because they couldn't get their crops in at all while it was raining. The area specializes these days in pulse crops -- chickpeas, lentils, all sorts of peas, canola, alfalfa, and other things. Farmers have switched to dry farming and crop rotation. Then, we discovered another new source of landuse: oil digging. More and more small pumps appeared as we drove east, looking like small, clean dinosaurs monotonously bobbing. Maynard told me that a huge oil field has been recently discovered that starts around Bismarck, ND and extends into Canada. It just started opening up several years ago. He thinks it's a very deep field. Some people feel that it's has the potential that Texas oilfields had. We've ended the day a tad southeast of Winnipeg, no longer feeling at all prairie-ish or even plains-ish. The truly strange experience these days is the lack of light in the evening. Why isn't the sun still out at midnight?

Day 29 - Vegreville, Alberta to Watrous, Saskatchewan

We turned down the chance to see the world's largest pierogi (it is skewered on top of perhaps the world's largest fork), the world's largest mushroom (in concrete, no less) and the world's largest tomahalk, choosing instead to search for 45 minutes for Saskatchewan's second longest train trestle. Of course, it was just around the corner; you just had to know which corner of which dirt road to check. (Three slightly lost Canadian military cadets showed up once we'd finally found the bridge; unfortunately, they were looking for something else ((in French, the poor Quebecois boys))). The bright, dayglo yellow of the canola plants almost burns your eyes. We spotted a red pickup truck in a field of canola and almost wrote a William Carlos Williams poem. Things are on the surface here: ponds, oil derricks, and absolutely huge potash mines. We're spending the night near Manitou Beach. The lake there is salt water because the mineral content is so high. I waded a bit. Now I need to check the internet for several bets I have with Maynard: isn't "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" a 60s tune? And, what is the christian name of Queen Elizabeth IIs mother?

Day 28 - Dawson Creek to Vegreville, Alberta

Okay, we know about small towns finding something big with which to identify themselves. A few days ago we saw a signpost forest -- tons of signs from around the world on fences along a town's main drag. This morning I feasted my eyes on the largest beaver I'd ever seen -- in fact, it's the largest beaver in the world. So there. But this evening, Vegreville, Alberta, beat the others with the world's largest pysanka. That is, the largest Ukrainian Easter Egg in the world. When it was created in the 1970s, new technology had to be developed for the first mathematical or geometric definition of an egg shape, the first practical application of the theory of mathematical curve definition known as B-splines, the first architectural shell structure in which the surface completely closes on itself, and more. The egg is aluminum anodized in gold, bronze, and silver. It weighs 5000 pounds. It actually moves slowly in the wind. HRHs Elizabeth & Philip came by to dedicate it. Plus, it has meaning. A pre-Christian symbol for Ukrainians, the pysanka shape and colors combine pureness, protection, and lots of other ideas. I really feel that I've found one of the trips great discoveries in this egg. Of course, our waitress had to present further challenges. After the pysanka was erected, a Ukrainian town 15 minutes west built the world's biggest sausage. And another town, just north, has identified itself with the world's biggest pierogi. She says they're considered the breakfast corner of the province.

Day 27 - Muncho Lake to Dawson Creek

We started the morning seeing caribou on the highway. Then one of our favorite highway attractions: being first in line at road construction. It's always fun to chat with the worker signalling when to drive on. Today was special: we scored as the first car from CT in the week that they'd been on that site. What's interesting is that CT was the last state they needed to complete Alaska and the lower 48!

Again, I was struck by the change in landscape as we drove through the upper Canadian Rockies, then, late in the day, onto the prairies. Canola is a major agricultural product of this area, which means that there are broad swathes of yellow in fields that stretch forever. We ended the day at Dawson Creek, the starting point of the ALCAN, the Alaska Highway. Roosevelt ordered that a highway be constructed to link Fairbanks, AK with Dawson Creek, BC after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. The highway -- mostly built new but using some existing roads and tracks -- was constructed in 8 months and 11 days. We've now finished everything that ties to Alaska. Tonight we began to plot our drive across Canada.

Day 26 -Whitehorse to Muncho Lake

I bet Maynard this morning that we wouldn't see any interesting wildlife today. (It took awhile to negotiate what constituted wildlife. No ground squirrels or crows.) Then, after lunch, in 20 miles we saw 4 brown bears, 1 grizzly, and 2 bison. I stopped counting after we saw more bears, a herd of bison, and clusters of stone sheep (they look like goats). Both the sheep and bison had new babies to show off. The moment I worry about, though, is when the bicycler we saw headed up a mountain over which we had just seen the grizzly actually met the bear. Meals on wheels.

The landscape is changing; partly it's because not all of the western Yukon/BC area was glaciated. It was steppes in the days of Beringia (before the continents separated). Also, there are more people -- albeit RVers headed west. At the end of the day, we were visited by a grey jay who wished to taste our dinner. Things remain exotic, yet we know we're headed east.