New Camp Site

Just today, we moved to our new digs- for the next several weeks. From my kitchen window, I see a golf course, with a small pond between us and whatever "hole" that is. You can't see the flag in this photo because it's behind the tree.

We're away from most of the other people because they're tucked into the forest on the other side of the golf course. We specifically looked for a place with open sky so we can have TV and internet.

We're told that over the holiday week-end we'll have company. They'll be parked all along the tree line where you can barely see picnic tables right now. Otherwise we've got the whole section to ourselves. If it snows on us before we go, it'll look really pretty in here.

New England

New England is so pretty. The place we're parked is surrounded by woods. Here are some views. The upper right photo is taken from our rear window. The lower right is from our side window. That's hard to beat, isn't it? So far there haven't been any critters that I'm aware of but I keep expecting to see something walk out of the woods.

VW RV

There were so many requests to see the RV Bug! Sorry it took so long to get it posted. Here it is. Cute, eh? To refresh your memory, this was in Arizona, in a little town off I-40, half way between Flagstaff and the New Mexico border.

Low Bridge, Everybody Down

Low bridge, everybody down!
Low bridge, for we're comin' through a town!
And you'll always know your neighbor,
You'll always know your pal,
If you've ever navigated on the Erie Canal.

Larry and I were trying to remember the Erie Canal song while we watched a tour boat go through two Erie Canal locks. This is just the chorus. I found the whole song on the internet but I don't remember the verses. Truthfully, I only remember the first two lines of the chorus. How about you?

The last time we came through these parts, we saw some locks in Canada but I wanted to see the Erie Canal. Not surprisingly, the modern Erie Canal is not the same as the historic one. It's been rebuilt twice, making fewer but larger and deeper locks along it's length.

It would take too much to post the series of photos so I put them on "My Photo Album" on line. Go to http://travelingturtles.myphotoalbum.com to see them.

While in the area we decided to revisit Niagara Falls. Here's a couple photos from there. The Canadian side is a lot more commercialized. The tall buildings you see in the background are in Canada. They have built a beautiful park with formal gardens along the falls which are very pretty. Perhaps I should add those to "myphotoalbum"as well.

Last, but not least, we visited QRS Music in Buffalo. This is where player piano rolls are made. What a fascinating tour! The majority of the process is old fashioned and dare I say, out of date. But then, piano rolls are not exactly a modern commodity. There are two methods of creating the punches in the rolls - both slow and very manual. When I say manual, I mean a person sitting there with an exacto knife cutting the little holes in the master copy (for one method). Back in the 80's they began to use computers for some parts of the process. Get this, they're still using 1980's Apple II computers! The machines they do incorporate are about 200 years old. We got to get right up close and personal to each step along the way.

Factory Tours

Now that we're half way across the US we're starting to slow down our pace - just a little. We spent two nights in Ohio which gave us a day to tour.


Yesterday we visited Louisville Slugger in... you guess it - Louisville, Kentucky. They have a great visitor center and the tour takes you right out into the midst of bat making. You might be amazed to know how many of our products are made with a good deal of good ol' manual labor. While Louisville Slugger has computerized lathes to turn the bats, everything else, from sanding, staining, etc. is all manual.

Today we visited a carousel production and restoration company in Ohio. Photos of the actual critters were not allowed so we only have photos of the finished carousel in the town center. It was fascinating to see how these animals are created from blocks of wood - entirely by hand. Well, they do use power tools but they are hand-held tools, like mini chain saws, other types of saws and grinders are used. Initially, they take of larger pieces of wood while gradually being more and more selective, until they're finally down to sharp, knife-like hand tools. Then comes the piecing, more carving, sanding, painting and painting some more. It's a process that takes weeks from start to finish. A complete critter sells for thousands of dollars.

Evansville

We were privileged to spend the week-end with good friends. Over the years, they have come to visit us nearly every other year wherever we were living at the time (CA, NV) and we've managed to visit them only once before this week-end.

Seth and his new wife Stacey joined us for a very yummy BBQ dinner on Saturday night. They make a great couple.

Sunday morning we went to church and found that it was very similar to our church in Las Vegas. We felt quite at home. But, of course, every time we get together we feel quite at home with Carl and Karen.

We drove around a little looking at property values. We were surprised to find that housing was very affordable (especially compared to CA or NV). It is actually possible to buy a solid older home in a fine neighborhood for under $100K. Now we can add Evansville to our list of affordable places to live.

Carl gave us a tour of the old jail - part of his jurisdiction on the job. We saw cells, visiting areas, the kitchen, guard observation rooms, restraint devices, and jail keys (I wish I had taken a picture of those - they are pretty much like what you see in the movies or cartoons, big keys on a brass ring). I will be on my best behavior from now one because I never want to be behind bars! I'm with Karen thinking this would be a great field trip for kids. They would be on their best behavior too after that!

Singing Trees

Somewhere around Kansas City, KS it began to rain. I noticed all the birds had taken to the trees because as I passed the trees they were singing. Later, I realized it wasn't birds I was hearing but rather Cicadas.


Here's what I found on the intenet, "Cicadas are notorious singers. The song is a mating call produced by the males only. Each species has its own distinctive call and only attracts females of its own kind even though rather similar species may co-exist. Cicadas are the only insects to have developed such an effective and specialised means of producing sound. Some large species such as the Greengrocer/Yellow Monday and the Double Drummer produce a noise intensity in excess of 120 dB at close range (this is approaching the pain threshold of the human ear)."

Sure enough, from Kansas City and East from there we have heard many trees that sing... and many that don't. Apparently, Cicada's like certain trees better than others.

Sioux Falls

Here I am at a computer that I can't load photos s0 check this particular entry a week or more from now and see if photos have been added.

We're in Sioux Falls where I'm becoming a resident. For those of you from smaller cities you'll not find this unusual but for the rest of us; get this. In a matter of 3 hours we picked up mail, I got my drivers license, we registered to vote (not at DPS - Department of Public Safety - where my license was issued), paid vehicle registration (at the courthouse - not at DPS), I got added to the bank account that Larry opened a long time ago, and we applied for new passports. In Las Vegas - or CA for that matter - it could easily have taken 3 hours just to get a license and pay registration!

Sioux Falls is a very nice city. If it weren't for the harsh winters I think I would like to trade the RV for a house here. It's big enough to have all the perks like the big chain stores, a small airport and a big hospital, but small enough to be friendly. It's clean and pretty too. The houses are well-maintained and cute.

Home, Home on the Range

Where the deer and the antelope play...

Here I am in Montana and there really is deer and antelope - not necessarily playing, unless a fawn bounding after it's Mom is called playing.

Here's a photo of an antelope. Can you see him? One of these days I'll have photo editing software and will be able to crop photos like this. Right now, I'm just glad to get the photo added to this entry.

I flew here on Sunday and am staying with my life long friend, Cindi, and her family. We all went to a bull-riding event on Sunday night. Sorry - those photos just didn't turn out well enough to share.


Yesterday morning, Cindi, Jessi and I went horseback riding. Then we went for a drive to visit the National Historic Monument of Little Bighorn (formerly known as Custer's Last Stand). After that we went to Sheridan, WY and visited a rope factory and western museum with awesome leather workmanship.

Here's Jessi with the horses. I didn't think fast enough to take the camera when we went riding so I took these photos the next day.

Sailing Through the Southwest - Part II

This is continued from the previous post. I was having trouble getting the photos to load so I published the post and then tried again.

The Wigwam Hotel is in Holbrook, AZ. It was just too kitschy to pass up the photo opportunity. I believe there may be many of these specimens along Route 66 but we'll not be taking that route. Not this time anyway.

We also saw a VW bug made into a RV. I have a photo of that too but didn't want to bore you too much. I love having the digital camera and snapping shots here and there.

If you find these interesting and would like to see more all you have to do is encourage me just a little. :-) Feel free to make comments.

Finally, if you've never been to Sante Fe', New Mexico, I thought you'd like to see the dominant architecture there. I kid you not. These adobe residences are not isolated novelties. This construction style is prominent.

I didn't take any photos of Northern New Mexico but you might be interested to know that it's actually beautiful. There are alternating pine forests and green rolling hills which grow increasingly more mountainous toward the North. Las Vegas, NM is green! Who knew? Did you?

Sailing Through the Southwest

Two days ago we left Las Vegas. Now we're in a little farming town in East Colorado. It's been an interesting drive. First of all, did you know the bridge to bypass Hoover Dam is finally underway? Check out this photo. The first of the pillars are going up.

Next, monsoons were the order of the day. Not far into Arizona - at White Hills to be exact - there was a monsoon to the left of the freeway. The contrast between a nice day and a big storm was quite obvious.

My friends in Las Vegas are accustomed to this, but my CA buddies will find this unusual.

A couple hours later, between Seligman and Williams, we found ourselves in the middle of a monsoon. It was raining so hard at one point that 95% of the cars were pulling off the road. When I finally decided to join them on the shoulder, I could only see about 5 feet ahead of me - not enough to see the edge of the shoulder. I've been in thick fog before but I don't ever remember it raining that hard before.

The rest of the trip included mostly partly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms - thankfully, off to the sides of us.

Good-by Rat Race!!

Good-bye Rat Race!! This scrapbook page is from June 2000 when we began our first full-time RV adventure. That adventure lasted two years.

One week from tomorrow, Adventure II begins. We will leave Las Vegas with our 34' 5th wheel and make our way to New England. Why? Because we want to watch the trees turn red, orange, yellow, and other shades of autumn.


Hello Turtle Pace!! With our home on the road, we will slowly work our way around the US. Visits some places we've been to before and definitely some places we missed the first time around. We'll use this blog to post photos and tell stories and generally keep in touch. Please, post your comments! It will make it fun for everyone. Check back often!