Orange (and blue) for the Bird of Paradise plant at the KBG. It was a beautiful place with so many things to feast your eyes on. There are many wonderful sculptures as well as plants and trees. We had lunch at the KBT Tea Room...fancy. With all the English influence here, tea is a big deal. If we come again N will definitely be having high tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel :) It's on the 'must do' list for many. Evidently this hotel is on the list of places to see and be seen. The bus tour info said once a patron reported seeing a 'vagrant' on the lawn. Turned out to be John Lennon meditating :)
After we visited the gardens we returned to the Blue Bus and took the tour once again to return to Sea Point.
We also did some shopping at the Green Market Square again this morning. It is fun to bargain and I did get some fantastic deals today :)
Tonight is the South African dinner buffet. We love this food! It's a good thing we walked miles and miles today. Perhaps our pants will still fit when we return home.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Good Sabbath!
Green, the color of life, fellowship! Pastor Trevor Rich picked us up for church again today. What a blessing that was for us. We enjoyed chatting on the way, then we arrive at the Nazarene Church and are so warmly welcomed by all the wonderful people in that church family. Edna had called last night to invite us to lunch with them after church. We couldn't accept fast enough! What a blessing to be able to continue the wonderful fellowship through the afternoon. They fed us wonderful baked chicken, chicken curry, rice, salad, and a lovely dessert. The only thing to top the food was the sharing of our love of God and family. It's always amazing that wherever you are in the world, your brother/sisterhood with other Christians is so precious. We love this couple, and God willing, we will have a long relationship.
I wish our family could all be here with us. It has been a wonderful experience on so many levels.
We will be returning to the Green Market Square tomorrow, then on to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Pictures for Rachel! We will be going on the Red Bus which goes to both places. It is such a great opportunity to listen to information about this incredible place. We will be taking wonderful memories home with us.
I wish our family could all be here with us. It has been a wonderful experience on so many levels.
We will be returning to the Green Market Square tomorrow, then on to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Pictures for Rachel! We will be going on the Red Bus which goes to both places. It is such a great opportunity to listen to information about this incredible place. We will be taking wonderful memories home with us.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Table Mountain
We said good bye to Ardjan deBlaeij this morning. He stayed in our room until he left today. He is flying through Dubaij (sp) and we prayed for his safety.
About 10:00am we took the shuttle to Table Mountain. The sky and the water are this color blue. We had a great ride up the tramway. P kept his eyes closed for the ride up, but on the way down he was very brave and wide eyed!!!
While on the top we took a hike all around. The views are so spectacular. I can't wait to post my pictures when I get home. We had a little snack in the Cafe while we looked out at the ocean and Robben Island, etc. Breathtaking!
When we reached the botton of the tramway, our driver was waiting for us. This shuttle service from the hotel is fantastic. We were driven to the Waterfront where we had a little lunch and then shopped in the Blue Market. Picked up some more souvenirs :)
Later, we walked around the Victoria and Alfred Hotel area and watched some great street performers. Ice cream cones and then back to the shuttle pick up area.
We had a message from Pastor Trevor's wife when we returned to the hotel. Now she's it in phone tag. We are excited that we may get to worship with them again tomorrow. What a fine family!
Two more days here in this beautiful country. So blessed.
About 10:00am we took the shuttle to Table Mountain. The sky and the water are this color blue. We had a great ride up the tramway. P kept his eyes closed for the ride up, but on the way down he was very brave and wide eyed!!!
While on the top we took a hike all around. The views are so spectacular. I can't wait to post my pictures when I get home. We had a little snack in the Cafe while we looked out at the ocean and Robben Island, etc. Breathtaking!
When we reached the botton of the tramway, our driver was waiting for us. This shuttle service from the hotel is fantastic. We were driven to the Waterfront where we had a little lunch and then shopped in the Blue Market. Picked up some more souvenirs :)
Later, we walked around the Victoria and Alfred Hotel area and watched some great street performers. Ice cream cones and then back to the shuttle pick up area.
We had a message from Pastor Trevor's wife when we returned to the hotel. Now she's it in phone tag. We are excited that we may get to worship with them again tomorrow. What a fine family!
Two more days here in this beautiful country. So blessed.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Brown, the color of the township roads, grey, the color of the tin shacks, blue, red, yellow, green, the color of the children's clothes and the pictures on the wall in the Township Kindergarten. It is the Imizamo Yethu Township near Hout Bay. They do have tour guides (a.k.a. guards) as it is not safe to walk through on your own.
"In South Africa, the term township and location usually refers to the (often underdeveloped) urban living areas that, from the late 19th century until the end of Apartheid, were reserved for non-whites (principally black Africans and Coloureds, but also working-class Indians). Townships were usually built on the periphery of towns and cities."
We talked with some of the women who had developed craft ideas into businesses. Not really in stores, just in their homes or on the sidewalk. Bought a few things. Visited a 'tavern.' Why they have those I'm not sure. There is not much money. The homes are shacks, except for the homes the Irish are building for them. An Irishman saw the way these folks were living and donated money, and organized teams to go and build small dwellings of cement blocks. We visited a woman who was living in one of these homes.
At one place there was a table outside where about five pig heads were lined up. They were heating up the fire to begin cooking the meat. Good thing I didn't have to eat for quite a while. The smell was unforgettable!
We also went to a 'Kindergarten,' the only school in the township. The older kids may go to school 'on the outside,' though not all do. The children were wondrously curious. They all wanted to have their picture taken. Can't wait to post my own pictures after we return home. I will post some I found which are much like my own.
We did the Blue Bus Tour but we didn't have enough time to do Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden. We hope to do it before we leave.
Tomorrow.....Table Mountain Cableway. So excited!
In case you haven't seen yet, we welcomed Liam Joshua Ralya to our family last night. We cannot wait to hold him. We are indeed blessed! And in a couple of weeks we will welcome another little great grandson! It just keeps getting better.
Talk tomorrow!
"In South Africa, the term township and location usually refers to the (often underdeveloped) urban living areas that, from the late 19th century until the end of Apartheid, were reserved for non-whites (principally black Africans and Coloureds, but also working-class Indians). Townships were usually built on the periphery of towns and cities."
We talked with some of the women who had developed craft ideas into businesses. Not really in stores, just in their homes or on the sidewalk. Bought a few things. Visited a 'tavern.' Why they have those I'm not sure. There is not much money. The homes are shacks, except for the homes the Irish are building for them. An Irishman saw the way these folks were living and donated money, and organized teams to go and build small dwellings of cement blocks. We visited a woman who was living in one of these homes.
At one place there was a table outside where about five pig heads were lined up. They were heating up the fire to begin cooking the meat. Good thing I didn't have to eat for quite a while. The smell was unforgettable!
We also went to a 'Kindergarten,' the only school in the township. The older kids may go to school 'on the outside,' though not all do. The children were wondrously curious. They all wanted to have their picture taken. Can't wait to post my own pictures after we return home. I will post some I found which are much like my own.
We did the Blue Bus Tour but we didn't have enough time to do Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden. We hope to do it before we leave.
Tomorrow.....Table Mountain Cableway. So excited!
In case you haven't seen yet, we welcomed Liam Joshua Ralya to our family last night. We cannot wait to hold him. We are indeed blessed! And in a couple of weeks we will welcome another little great grandson! It just keeps getting better.
Talk tomorrow!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Robben Island
Grey for the color of the cells in the prison at Robben Island. Apartheid was a terrible thing. What precipitates a thought in one person that he is better than and must take dominion over another because of skin color? It always baffles me.
This morning we rose early again and caught the shuttle to the waterfront where we boarded the ferry to Robben Island.
On a sunnier, lighter note, we spent some great time with Catherine, Julianna, and Rebecca, Adrian, Louie in our hotel room. Sadly they are leaving tonight to return home. We will miss the laughter and tic tac toe games they play with Papa. Today they presented him with a gift. It is a tic tac toe board in a South African motif. Many games have already been played to 'break it in.' The deal is he must take it along to the Conference Grounds next summer so they can play without always having to find paper and pencils :)
Now we are waiting for news from Josh to learn of our newest great grandchild. Maybe it's a girl, maybe a boy. We are just so excited to be great grandparents again. And then in another couple weeks Jessica will present us with our new little great grandson, Judah. How blessed we are.
Next post will have baby info.
This morning we rose early again and caught the shuttle to the waterfront where we boarded the ferry to Robben Island.
1961-1994: Apartheid Republic of South Africa
Our prison guide was a political prisoner from 1978-1982. He was an anti-apartheid politically active student at the time of his arrest. Mandela was already there when he arrived. Our guide shared his personal experience and it was very moving. We toured the prison and saw the cell in which Mandela had been housed. There were many interesting facts and personal stories of how the prisoners actually made a conscious decision to triumph in this situation. Many of them consider it a blessing to have been there. The older, well educated gentlemen turned the prison into a 'university' where they taught the younger men mathmatics, geography, philosophy, etc. They actually flourished in this place of terrible adversity. Learning about the results of apartheid was one of the things we were hoping to do. It was a good experience.
- 1961-1991: Maximum security prison for political prisoners
- 1961-1996: Medium security prison for criminal prisoners
On a sunnier, lighter note, we spent some great time with Catherine, Julianna, and Rebecca, Adrian, Louie in our hotel room. Sadly they are leaving tonight to return home. We will miss the laughter and tic tac toe games they play with Papa. Today they presented him with a gift. It is a tic tac toe board in a South African motif. Many games have already been played to 'break it in.' The deal is he must take it along to the Conference Grounds next summer so they can play without always having to find paper and pencils :)
Now we are waiting for news from Josh to learn of our newest great grandchild. Maybe it's a girl, maybe a boy. We are just so excited to be great grandparents again. And then in another couple weeks Jessica will present us with our new little great grandson, Judah. How blessed we are.
Next post will have baby info.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Safari Day
Orange for the color of our favorite animals....the giraffes! They were adorable. And we got photos of them with their necks crossed like you see in all the pictures. The elephants charged us....can you believe it??!! We had to back up and go the other direction! Also, the rhinos weren't too thrilled to see us. It is amazing to see them 'up close and personal.' We also saw baby lions, Brent actually touched one! They throw dead chickens (eew) to the adult lions and they come near to eat. Fantastic photo op!! The waterbuffalo also charged....and once again, we were victorious in escape. The baby ostrich were adorable..and the adults strutted their stuff. There were springboks, and other boks that I can't remember the names of. Many zebras.
Our jeep driver was fantastic! It was quite chilly, and he actually stopped at his house and brought out jackets for the girls. That kind of service is pretty spectacular! We will have stories for quite a time to come. My camera battery was dead right at the end, so that was good. We're going to get another, so we don't have to think about it.
South African food buffet with the hotel manager for dinner tonight. Looking forward to it.
Our jeep driver was fantastic! It was quite chilly, and he actually stopped at his house and brought out jackets for the girls. That kind of service is pretty spectacular! We will have stories for quite a time to come. My camera battery was dead right at the end, so that was good. We're going to get another, so we don't have to think about it.
South African food buffet with the hotel manager for dinner tonight. Looking forward to it.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Beautiful Wedding
I can't get the correct color of pink, so I'm going with the green from Jisca and Brent's wedding. OK, I'm not sure this is the green either, but I'll continue.
We got up early and N went down to Suite 501, a.k.a., Hanneke, Jim, Mirjam, Pierre, and kids suite, to begin curling the little girls' hair. What a blessing to once again get the opportunity to work with little girls for a special occasion. Brought back lots of memories of times when I curled my girls' and granddaughters' hair for something special.
Then, off to the church. Our car was driven by Alex, a friend of Jisca from hotelschol. We had a great time driving through the beautiful countryside and into wine country. It was wonderful. The wedding was held in a very quaint little counry church, with stained glass windows and a thatched roof. There were beautiful little gardens, and a cemetery surrounding the building. Everyone was in a very anticipatory mood as we have all waited for this event.
Jisca and Brent did a wonderful work on this beautiful celebration. Everything was so beautiful and special. Brent was so anxious to become Jisca's husband that he even jumped the gun a little with his "I will." It was good to lighten the atmosphere and we all had a giggle. The pastor gave a wonderful message of love and marriage based on Christ being in the center. Brent's father read Scripture in English, and Jisca's Dad read the same passage in Dutch. It was a special touch. It is very evident that both families whole- heartedly welcome the couple into their respective families.
The reception was 'stunning.' Jisca and Brent enjoyed their 'party' immensely, as did all the guests. The room was beautiful, all the little details perfect, and the food outstanding. I wish I could do pictures, but alas, not yet. Check out Coby deBlaeij's fb for pics very soon. Coby also did a video of the event, and we watched it this afternoon.
This morning we were blessed to be picked up for church by the Pastor Rich who performed the wedding ceremony. He and his family stopped by the hotel on their way to church to give us a ride. It was a wonderful worship experience in a very small Nazarene Church in Cape Town. We fell in love with their family. We hope to connect with them again before we leave. They are warm and wonderful people.
After a delicious brunch in Suite 501, we watched Jisca and Brent open their wedding gifts. What a fun time. They received many wonderful things. This couple is much beloved by many. It is so great to be an 'adopted' part of their family. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time with them.
Tomorrow we are going on a safari. Very excited. Have to be on the road at 6:30am! Must get some sleep tonight.
The adventure continues.................................
We got up early and N went down to Suite 501, a.k.a., Hanneke, Jim, Mirjam, Pierre, and kids suite, to begin curling the little girls' hair. What a blessing to once again get the opportunity to work with little girls for a special occasion. Brought back lots of memories of times when I curled my girls' and granddaughters' hair for something special.
Then, off to the church. Our car was driven by Alex, a friend of Jisca from hotelschol. We had a great time driving through the beautiful countryside and into wine country. It was wonderful. The wedding was held in a very quaint little counry church, with stained glass windows and a thatched roof. There were beautiful little gardens, and a cemetery surrounding the building. Everyone was in a very anticipatory mood as we have all waited for this event.
Jisca and Brent did a wonderful work on this beautiful celebration. Everything was so beautiful and special. Brent was so anxious to become Jisca's husband that he even jumped the gun a little with his "I will." It was good to lighten the atmosphere and we all had a giggle. The pastor gave a wonderful message of love and marriage based on Christ being in the center. Brent's father read Scripture in English, and Jisca's Dad read the same passage in Dutch. It was a special touch. It is very evident that both families whole- heartedly welcome the couple into their respective families.
The reception was 'stunning.' Jisca and Brent enjoyed their 'party' immensely, as did all the guests. The room was beautiful, all the little details perfect, and the food outstanding. I wish I could do pictures, but alas, not yet. Check out Coby deBlaeij's fb for pics very soon. Coby also did a video of the event, and we watched it this afternoon.
This morning we were blessed to be picked up for church by the Pastor Rich who performed the wedding ceremony. He and his family stopped by the hotel on their way to church to give us a ride. It was a wonderful worship experience in a very small Nazarene Church in Cape Town. We fell in love with their family. We hope to connect with them again before we leave. They are warm and wonderful people.
After a delicious brunch in Suite 501, we watched Jisca and Brent open their wedding gifts. What a fun time. They received many wonderful things. This couple is much beloved by many. It is so great to be an 'adopted' part of their family. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time with them.
Tomorrow we are going on a safari. Very excited. Have to be on the road at 6:30am! Must get some sleep tonight.
The adventure continues.................................
Friday, October 22, 2010
A Day on the Red Bus
Red for the double decker 'topless' bus on which we toured the city and surroundings. We stopped at the 'Green Market,' an area where native arts and crafts are sold. We'll be visiting more extensively :) later next week.
We also visited St. George's Cathedral. "St George’s Anglican Cathedral, a gorgeous example of Victorian era design with magnificent stained glass windows and a crypt lies on Wale Street in Cape Town, and is known as ‘the people’s cathedral’ because of its role in the resistance against apartheid." Wikipedia
We also walked through a beautiful garden behind the church. Magnificent.
From there we went on to the District 6 Museum. Since we are here in South Africa, we wanted to know much more about Apartheid. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about District 6. "On 11 February 1966, the government declared District Six a whites-only area under the Group Areas Act, with removals starting in 1968. By 1982, more than 60,000 people had been relocated to the sandy, bleak Cape Flats township complex some 25 kilometers away. The old houses were bulldozed. The only buildings left standing were places of worship. International and local pressure made redevelopment difficult for the government, however. The Cape Technikon (now Cape Peninsula University of Technology) was built on a portion of District Six which the government renamed Zonnebloem. Apart from this and some police housing units, the area was left undeveloped.
Since the fall of apartheid in 1994, the African National Congress has recognized the older claims of former residents to the area, and pledged to support rebuilding."
It was really too much to take in. The museum is filled with photos and personal stories of the residents of District 6. It was very sobering.
Next we stopped at 'The Castle.'
"The Castle of Good Hope is the oldest surviving building in South Africa. Built between 1666 and 1679, this pentagonal fortification replaced a small clay and timber fort built by Commander Jan van Riebeeck in 1652 upon establishing a maritime replanishment station art the Cape of Good Hope for the Dutch East India Company, better known as the VOC (Verenigde Oos-Indische Compagnie). "
We ate lunch at the Castle and took the guided tour. Very interesting.
From the Castle we rode to 'Table Mountain.' What an awesome sight. It is a flat top mountain :) There was a lot of fog at the top of the gondola ride, so we decided to return later when we can see the entire vista. From the base of the gondola ride you can see so much of the city's shipping district. Great pictures. Hopefully I can put them on Ad's computer and get them on the blog....maybe tonight.
We continued on the red bus to tour many of the beautiful beach areas around Cape Town. Stunning sights.
A 'catch up' of last night.....We shared dinner with the deBlaeij family. Delicious Portuguese Chicken.....take out. It was a Hanneke fave, so of course we had to try it. Tonight Leon is cooking. Can't wait!!!
Maybe more later....or after the wedding tomorrow. What a blessing to be sharing in this wonderful occasion with this wonderful family.
We also visited St. George's Cathedral. "St George’s Anglican Cathedral, a gorgeous example of Victorian era design with magnificent stained glass windows and a crypt lies on Wale Street in Cape Town, and is known as ‘the people’s cathedral’ because of its role in the resistance against apartheid." Wikipedia
We also walked through a beautiful garden behind the church. Magnificent.
From there we went on to the District 6 Museum. Since we are here in South Africa, we wanted to know much more about Apartheid. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about District 6. "On 11 February 1966, the government declared District Six a whites-only area under the Group Areas Act, with removals starting in 1968. By 1982, more than 60,000 people had been relocated to the sandy, bleak Cape Flats township complex some 25 kilometers away. The old houses were bulldozed. The only buildings left standing were places of worship. International and local pressure made redevelopment difficult for the government, however. The Cape Technikon (now Cape Peninsula University of Technology) was built on a portion of District Six which the government renamed Zonnebloem. Apart from this and some police housing units, the area was left undeveloped.
Since the fall of apartheid in 1994, the African National Congress has recognized the older claims of former residents to the area, and pledged to support rebuilding."
It was really too much to take in. The museum is filled with photos and personal stories of the residents of District 6. It was very sobering.
Next we stopped at 'The Castle.'
"The Castle of Good Hope is the oldest surviving building in South Africa. Built between 1666 and 1679, this pentagonal fortification replaced a small clay and timber fort built by Commander Jan van Riebeeck in 1652 upon establishing a maritime replanishment station art the Cape of Good Hope for the Dutch East India Company, better known as the VOC (Verenigde Oos-Indische Compagnie). "
We ate lunch at the Castle and took the guided tour. Very interesting.
From the Castle we rode to 'Table Mountain.' What an awesome sight. It is a flat top mountain :) There was a lot of fog at the top of the gondola ride, so we decided to return later when we can see the entire vista. From the base of the gondola ride you can see so much of the city's shipping district. Great pictures. Hopefully I can put them on Ad's computer and get them on the blog....maybe tonight.
We continued on the red bus to tour many of the beautiful beach areas around Cape Town. Stunning sights.
A 'catch up' of last night.....We shared dinner with the deBlaeij family. Delicious Portuguese Chicken.....take out. It was a Hanneke fave, so of course we had to try it. Tonight Leon is cooking. Can't wait!!!
Maybe more later....or after the wedding tomorrow. What a blessing to be sharing in this wonderful occasion with this wonderful family.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Greetings from Cape Town, South Africa
Blue for the color of the Ocean which we view from our hotel room.
We arrived just after midnight. We had a two and one half hour delay on the tarmac in Amsterdam....technical problems with the engine (: They must have fixed it, because we arrived safely. It was wonderful to see Ad and Jim's faces looking up at us and waving when we entered the terminal in Cape Town Airport. And then just as wonderful were the faces of Coby, Hanneke, Jisca and Brent when we reached the hotel. What a blessing, Jisca got us a room right next to Coby and Ad. We had first thought we would be staying in a hotel next door to the Penninsula.
We slept in this morning...what a blessing to sleep in a bed after spending the previous night on the plane. We showered, put our things away and went downstairs to look around. Brent and Jisca found us and we had coffee together while getting our basic questions answered. Then we just listened as they shared their journey to this wedding day. What a blessing to hear their testimony of how God brought them together.
We had lunch in the hotel restaurant...delicious ....and wonderful service. This is a very beautiful hotel. All the hotel rooms are suites with what they call self catering. That means you have a kitchen :) So after lunch we walked to the super market and bought a few groceries. It took several minutes for the deli counter person to communicate to me how much sliced ham I would need. I am so not a metric measurement person!!! She was so patient.
We returned to the hotel and put our things away when our doorbell (yes we have a doorbell) rang. It was Hanneke and the girls. What pure joy to see those little girls again. We will be painting the nails tonight :) Shades of the Conference Grounds experience. P has continued his tic tac toe gaming with Catherine.....she is still winning :) imagine that!
We went for a walk along the ocean front. God's power shown greatly in the huge powerful waves crashing on the shiny black rocks. The views from any direction here are spectacular!
Hoping to figure out how to get my pictures on this hotel computer...check tomorrow.
We arrived just after midnight. We had a two and one half hour delay on the tarmac in Amsterdam....technical problems with the engine (: They must have fixed it, because we arrived safely. It was wonderful to see Ad and Jim's faces looking up at us and waving when we entered the terminal in Cape Town Airport. And then just as wonderful were the faces of Coby, Hanneke, Jisca and Brent when we reached the hotel. What a blessing, Jisca got us a room right next to Coby and Ad. We had first thought we would be staying in a hotel next door to the Penninsula.
We slept in this morning...what a blessing to sleep in a bed after spending the previous night on the plane. We showered, put our things away and went downstairs to look around. Brent and Jisca found us and we had coffee together while getting our basic questions answered. Then we just listened as they shared their journey to this wedding day. What a blessing to hear their testimony of how God brought them together.
We had lunch in the hotel restaurant...delicious ....and wonderful service. This is a very beautiful hotel. All the hotel rooms are suites with what they call self catering. That means you have a kitchen :) So after lunch we walked to the super market and bought a few groceries. It took several minutes for the deli counter person to communicate to me how much sliced ham I would need. I am so not a metric measurement person!!! She was so patient.
We returned to the hotel and put our things away when our doorbell (yes we have a doorbell) rang. It was Hanneke and the girls. What pure joy to see those little girls again. We will be painting the nails tonight :) Shades of the Conference Grounds experience. P has continued his tic tac toe gaming with Catherine.....she is still winning :) imagine that!
We went for a walk along the ocean front. God's power shown greatly in the huge powerful waves crashing on the shiny black rocks. The views from any direction here are spectacular!
Hoping to figure out how to get my pictures on this hotel computer...check tomorrow.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Laundry and Packing
......Less than 72 hours before we take off for our South African Adventure. We are so blessed to be able to go and witness the wedding of our friends. A week from today Jisca deBlaeij will become the wife of Brent Johansen,. Our friends Coby and Ad deBlaeij will see their youngest daughter marry. It truly is a big day, and all the family will be assembled.
We may have thought about visiting South Africa sometime in the past, but somehow the opportunity to share in such an important event as the marriage of people you care very much for seemed to elevate the idea to a possibility...and then to a reality. We will be very excited to finally be on the plane headed for Cape Town. We depart at 3:25pm on Tuesday. I will be blogging from P's iPod Touch, so I might not be as long winded. Back to laundry and packing.
We may have thought about visiting South Africa sometime in the past, but somehow the opportunity to share in such an important event as the marriage of people you care very much for seemed to elevate the idea to a possibility...and then to a reality. We will be very excited to finally be on the plane headed for Cape Town. We depart at 3:25pm on Tuesday. I will be blogging from P's iPod Touch, so I might not be as long winded. Back to laundry and packing.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Home Again
Pink today. Of course, it's my favorite color, and we're back home and in the 'pink.' It was five days of travel to get here, but it was worth it. My own bed is going to sleep me very well tonight. It's after midnight, so this will post on Monday, but we actually arrived late this afternoon. We were both quite bushed! The drive through the Chicago area went very smoothly. That was a blessing.
I've discovered that a daily blog is difficult to keep up when you go go go all day then have to be creative late at night. And I think my brain was fried from all the HEAT! It feels good to be wearing a fleece. Didn't think I'd ever say that again.
Tomorrow Laundry and Camper Cleaning!!! We probably will not be sleeping in the camper until we go to Florida after January.
Upon arrival home, I was blessed to be greeted by two huge roses on my favorite bush. They smell sooooo sweet. What a nice surprise.
I've discovered that a daily blog is difficult to keep up when you go go go all day then have to be creative late at night. And I think my brain was fried from all the HEAT! It feels good to be wearing a fleece. Didn't think I'd ever say that again.
Tomorrow Laundry and Camper Cleaning!!! We probably will not be sleeping in the camper until we go to Florida after January.
Upon arrival home, I was blessed to be greeted by two huge roses on my favorite bush. They smell sooooo sweet. What a nice surprise.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Omaha Ahead
Blue for the color of the cloudless sky. We're fueling up at a Flying J. Good sleep....hopefully no meltdowns today. I was a drama queen last night. Received some lovin' care...thanks to P and K and J.
Will stop more frequently today. Four hour stretches are too long.
Will see if I can be creative with some pics today. Oh, yeah, Iowa ahead :) maybe not. Greater opportunity in Chicago area.
Later....
Will stop more frequently today. Four hour stretches are too long.
Will see if I can be creative with some pics today. Oh, yeah, Iowa ahead :) maybe not. Greater opportunity in Chicago area.
Later....
Friday, October 1, 2010
Nebraska
Still yellow....can you say Nebraska!! We are in Lincoln. Nice campground. K is fixing dinner. I'm pretty beat....even though I did nothing but sit all day. How does that happen?
Not much to tell on a travel through day. Except that at our campground last night, they had a wonderful little restaurant where they did Pit BBQ. We bought some 'to go' and had it for lunch today. It was very good.
WiFi here seems to be working. We have supposedly had WiFi at just about every campground, but it doesn't always go as smoothly as they advertise. I usually just end up using my WiFi card. I can always depend on that. As a matter of fact, I was fb chatting with our friend Hanneke in the Hague, Netherlands, as we were tooling down I-80 today....it is quite a trip...pardon the pun :)
I answered my e-mail, played a couple games of Bejeweled Blitz, checked out my fb friends....all in the seat of the Dodge Ram!
I only have one picture today. I'll share it.
Blessings on the first day of October, 2010.
Not much to tell on a travel through day. Except that at our campground last night, they had a wonderful little restaurant where they did Pit BBQ. We bought some 'to go' and had it for lunch today. It was very good.
WiFi here seems to be working. We have supposedly had WiFi at just about every campground, but it doesn't always go as smoothly as they advertise. I usually just end up using my WiFi card. I can always depend on that. As a matter of fact, I was fb chatting with our friend Hanneke in the Hague, Netherlands, as we were tooling down I-80 today....it is quite a trip...pardon the pun :)
I answered my e-mail, played a couple games of Bejeweled Blitz, checked out my fb friends....all in the seat of the Dodge Ram!
I only have one picture today. I'll share it.
Blessings on the first day of October, 2010.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
On the Road Again
Sunny today, but only in the mid 80's. Made it through Wyoming....to Cheyenne. I think this is cowboy country, but haven't seen any :) Yesterday we made it to just inside Wyoming. The trip up through Utah was so interesting. We were going to take I 15 all the way north to I 80, but a great guy at a truck stop suggested we take a different route as there was a looooonnnnnggg slooow uphill grade. The route we took was very picturesque and doable!
We had a good night and a good day of travel today. Now what we have to look forward to is Nebraska! No offense Cornhuskers, but it is 500+ miles of flat and yellow!
We are in a nice park tonight and K fixed some wonderful chicken for dinner. We helped out with some sides and it was a good meal. It actually got so chilly that we had to go inside after dinner. It really does feel good to be chilly for a change. I fb chatted with Mary Raak today, and she said it was 111 at Hoover Dam today. I think I'm glad we're NOT there! Some crisp Autumn weather sounds very good now.
We've been following the Caring Bridge Journal of our friends, Tim and Tiffany Stob and their little family. What a blessing adoption is! We are so thankful that we can embrace children from many countries and call them our grandchildren. It is a wonderful thing,.
A note of sadness. K's friend, Rebekah, passed away today. She was 92. She reminded K of her mother, so it was a difficult loss. J and K visited Rebekah and her husband, Leo, last winter in Florida. They are so thankful now that they took the opportunity to make the trip. Please pray for Leo. It will be a difficult time for him.
Good night and God Bless.
We had a good night and a good day of travel today. Now what we have to look forward to is Nebraska! No offense Cornhuskers, but it is 500+ miles of flat and yellow!
We are in a nice park tonight and K fixed some wonderful chicken for dinner. We helped out with some sides and it was a good meal. It actually got so chilly that we had to go inside after dinner. It really does feel good to be chilly for a change. I fb chatted with Mary Raak today, and she said it was 111 at Hoover Dam today. I think I'm glad we're NOT there! Some crisp Autumn weather sounds very good now.
We've been following the Caring Bridge Journal of our friends, Tim and Tiffany Stob and their little family. What a blessing adoption is! We are so thankful that we can embrace children from many countries and call them our grandchildren. It is a wonderful thing,.
A note of sadness. K's friend, Rebekah, passed away today. She was 92. She reminded K of her mother, so it was a difficult loss. J and K visited Rebekah and her husband, Leo, last winter in Florida. They are so thankful now that they took the opportunity to make the trip. Please pray for Leo. It will be a difficult time for him.
Good night and God Bless.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Last Day in Zion
O.K. it was 104 degrees on Tuesday. I didn't have a chance to blog yesterday. So I'll tell you about yesterday... tonight. We took the shuttle to the Weeping Wall with the hanging garden. It was a short hike, but mostly UP! It was worth it, and we met a delightful Dutch couple. They are from Leiden in the Netherlands. We had a good friend who was an exchange student from Leiden when we lived in Middleville....40 years ago! That didn't have anything to do with the sightseeing, but I thought it was fun to remember Gerda Kromhout from Leiden :)
We continued to ride the shuttle all the way up the Canyon and then all the way down. We got off periodically in order to take some pictures of things I had missed previously. After lunch we took the shuttle downtown Springdale which is just a few blocks south of the Park. Did a little shopping and then went back to the Park Visitors' Center and stopped at the Sol Market for our final fruit smoothie. We have all become great fans of the frozen treat. It is too hot for ice cream and just right for the wonderful smoothies. K usually settled on strawberry banana, J had blueberry banana :( and P and I had mango. They're made with frozen fruit and a little apple juice. They were fantastic. It was sad to think we were consuming our last one! We went back to the campground and hung out in the AC to recoup. A belated birthday supper for P was at the Gourmet Grill located just in front of our campground. We had had lunch there on Monday (or 3 of us had lunch) and it was such a HIT that P decided he wanted to celebrate there! It was South of the Border food and it was delicious!
Tomorrow (Actually today) we're leaving Zion.
O.K. Now it's Wednesday and we left this morning about 10:30. The trip was uneventful except for the stop for lunch at a Flying J where we had 'must go' from our refrigerators. As we were getting ready to pull out, a man drove up on a golf cart and 'observed' that our tires were 'pulling apart' and we should drive up to the adjacent Tire Company and let them look at them. We were suspicious, but that does put some fear into the travel equation. We asked a motorhome driver who was getting ready to pull away from the Tire Co. (after he had had his tires replaced) how he happened to discover his tire problem! Funny thing....the same golf cart jockey had pulled up next to him with the same observation as he had shared with us!!! Red flag, red flag, red flag! We decided to continue on our way. Long story short, we made it to Evanston, Wyoming, just fine. We're praying for the same results the remainder of our trip.
As for the scenery....it was wonderful...and different than we had seen before. We are at about 6700 feet in a very picturesque little campground owned by the same family since the 1930's. Thankfully, they have upgraded nicely along the way. We will take off at a reasonable time tomorrow and not travel so far before stopping. It was quite a long day. We may actually have to have a blanket on the bed tonight! It seems to be about 55-60 out right now. It is a deep freeze compared to the triple digits in the Park. Good nite all.
We continued to ride the shuttle all the way up the Canyon and then all the way down. We got off periodically in order to take some pictures of things I had missed previously. After lunch we took the shuttle downtown Springdale which is just a few blocks south of the Park. Did a little shopping and then went back to the Park Visitors' Center and stopped at the Sol Market for our final fruit smoothie. We have all become great fans of the frozen treat. It is too hot for ice cream and just right for the wonderful smoothies. K usually settled on strawberry banana, J had blueberry banana :( and P and I had mango. They're made with frozen fruit and a little apple juice. They were fantastic. It was sad to think we were consuming our last one! We went back to the campground and hung out in the AC to recoup. A belated birthday supper for P was at the Gourmet Grill located just in front of our campground. We had had lunch there on Monday (or 3 of us had lunch) and it was such a HIT that P decided he wanted to celebrate there! It was South of the Border food and it was delicious!
Tomorrow (Actually today) we're leaving Zion.
O.K. Now it's Wednesday and we left this morning about 10:30. The trip was uneventful except for the stop for lunch at a Flying J where we had 'must go' from our refrigerators. As we were getting ready to pull out, a man drove up on a golf cart and 'observed' that our tires were 'pulling apart' and we should drive up to the adjacent Tire Company and let them look at them. We were suspicious, but that does put some fear into the travel equation. We asked a motorhome driver who was getting ready to pull away from the Tire Co. (after he had had his tires replaced) how he happened to discover his tire problem! Funny thing....the same golf cart jockey had pulled up next to him with the same observation as he had shared with us!!! Red flag, red flag, red flag! We decided to continue on our way. Long story short, we made it to Evanston, Wyoming, just fine. We're praying for the same results the remainder of our trip.
As for the scenery....it was wonderful...and different than we had seen before. We are at about 6700 feet in a very picturesque little campground owned by the same family since the 1930's. Thankfully, they have upgraded nicely along the way. We will take off at a reasonable time tomorrow and not travel so far before stopping. It was quite a long day. We may actually have to have a blanket on the bed tonight! It seems to be about 55-60 out right now. It is a deep freeze compared to the triple digits in the Park. Good nite all.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Yellow is for sunshine! More today :) It's supposed to get only to 94, but yesterday it said 97 and it was 100, so we'll see.
I am in the camper blogging this morning as we hiked about four miles totaled yesterday, and if I am to hike this afternoon, I need to give my poor hips a morning off. P and J and K are repeating the River Hike from yesterday, but with an additional 2 miles of actual river walking! They continue from where we turned around yesterday...and the hike takes you right into the Virgin River. I'm certain they will have a wonderful time. J has agreed to share his pics with me. This afternoon we hope to do the Human History Museum and a .6 mile mostly uphill hike to see some of the ruins the museum describes. That is one of the things I really wanted to do. To connect this beautiful place with its people is what I love.
Another subject. So many of you have asked me to format the blog to show latest blogs first. That is the way it comes up for me, and I've gone through all the formatting choices I can find and there seems to be no place for me to make a choice for that. Please help if you know the answer.
I went out to wait for J and K and P to return from their morning hike. They had called and asked me to meet them at the Gourmet Grill. So I was sitting inside drinking a Diet Coke when I saw a guy I thought looked a lot like Bob Raak, a friend we work with at the Conference Grounds. I knew Bob and Mary were traveling to the Grand Canyon, but never would have thought I'd see then in Zion. So I shook off the thought, when suddenly someone very strongly resembling Mary came into view. I went outside and low and behold, it was them.....and they are staying in the same park as we are. We had a good hug and they went on their shuttle journey and I went back to wait for the other three.
Turns out P, J and K had a fabulous hike along the River Walk and then through the river all the way to The Narrows! They took great pics so I could hike it vicariously. I was grateful. They had lunch and shared their journey.
I am in the camper blogging this morning as we hiked about four miles totaled yesterday, and if I am to hike this afternoon, I need to give my poor hips a morning off. P and J and K are repeating the River Hike from yesterday, but with an additional 2 miles of actual river walking! They continue from where we turned around yesterday...and the hike takes you right into the Virgin River. I'm certain they will have a wonderful time. J has agreed to share his pics with me. This afternoon we hope to do the Human History Museum and a .6 mile mostly uphill hike to see some of the ruins the museum describes. That is one of the things I really wanted to do. To connect this beautiful place with its people is what I love.
Another subject. So many of you have asked me to format the blog to show latest blogs first. That is the way it comes up for me, and I've gone through all the formatting choices I can find and there seems to be no place for me to make a choice for that. Please help if you know the answer.
I went out to wait for J and K and P to return from their morning hike. They had called and asked me to meet them at the Gourmet Grill. So I was sitting inside drinking a Diet Coke when I saw a guy I thought looked a lot like Bob Raak, a friend we work with at the Conference Grounds. I knew Bob and Mary were traveling to the Grand Canyon, but never would have thought I'd see then in Zion. So I shook off the thought, when suddenly someone very strongly resembling Mary came into view. I went outside and low and behold, it was them.....and they are staying in the same park as we are. We had a good hug and they went on their shuttle journey and I went back to wait for the other three.
Turns out P, J and K had a fabulous hike along the River Walk and then through the river all the way to The Narrows! They took great pics so I could hike it vicariously. I was grateful. They had lunch and shared their journey.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Sabbath in Zion
Good Sabbath from Zion National Park. This is some of God's best work! It is truly majestic here. We did two hikes....a river hike of two miles...then lunch...and finally a 1.2 mile hike to Emerald Pool. I will write more later.
Back from dinner at the Spotted Dog....there's a story about the way it got its name. Maybe I'll go into that, maybe not :)
Well what can we say, "We are record breakers!" We have experienced record high temps almost everywhere we've been on this trip! Today it was 100 degrees. O.K., it's the desert and it's dry...but 100!!!!!!!!!! It was quite cool this morning when we went on the ranger narrated shuttle trip. And our first hike along the Virgin River was quite cool....needed a sweater. But by the time we finished that hike it was already getting warm. Our afternoon hike was O.K. when we were in the shade, but the sun was definitely uncomfortable. When we arrived at the Emerald Pool, there was a mist coming out of the rocks and it felt good to be in the cool misted air.
The sheer sandstone rock walls here are the right type for sheer wall climbing. We watched them through the binoculars and at one point I was able to zoom in and get a pretty good picture of a couple people lounging on the rock wall enjoying a bite of lunch. INSANE! Our ranger guide said that the climbers have fewer accidents than average folks who walk too near the edge of cliffs, or wear unsafe shoes, etc.
Ranger Sarah gave us great information on the anthropology of the area. The water source, Virgin River, was what sustained the people and made it possible to live here.
The rock formations have wonderful names. The three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the Angels Landing, the Great White Throne, the Altar of Sacrifice, for example, are perfect for a Canyon named Zion.
Another interesting fact had to do with the small water falls dropping and dripping from the rocks. Some of the water that we saw seeping down was over a thousand years old. The sandstone is pourous and the snowmelt from the top makes its way down. The geologists can carbon date some of the mineral particles in the water and actually determine its age!!! That was an exciting fun fact.
There were many small flowers, yellow, purple, white, and occasionally red. The water source makes it possible for this to be quite a lush area...surprising fact.
God blessed us with a wonderfully worshipful experience in one part of His wonderful creation and we are so thankful we can be here.
Back from dinner at the Spotted Dog....there's a story about the way it got its name. Maybe I'll go into that, maybe not :)
Well what can we say, "We are record breakers!" We have experienced record high temps almost everywhere we've been on this trip! Today it was 100 degrees. O.K., it's the desert and it's dry...but 100!!!!!!!!!! It was quite cool this morning when we went on the ranger narrated shuttle trip. And our first hike along the Virgin River was quite cool....needed a sweater. But by the time we finished that hike it was already getting warm. Our afternoon hike was O.K. when we were in the shade, but the sun was definitely uncomfortable. When we arrived at the Emerald Pool, there was a mist coming out of the rocks and it felt good to be in the cool misted air.
The sheer sandstone rock walls here are the right type for sheer wall climbing. We watched them through the binoculars and at one point I was able to zoom in and get a pretty good picture of a couple people lounging on the rock wall enjoying a bite of lunch. INSANE! Our ranger guide said that the climbers have fewer accidents than average folks who walk too near the edge of cliffs, or wear unsafe shoes, etc.
Ranger Sarah gave us great information on the anthropology of the area. The water source, Virgin River, was what sustained the people and made it possible to live here.
The rock formations have wonderful names. The three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the Angels Landing, the Great White Throne, the Altar of Sacrifice, for example, are perfect for a Canyon named Zion.
Another interesting fact had to do with the small water falls dropping and dripping from the rocks. Some of the water that we saw seeping down was over a thousand years old. The sandstone is pourous and the snowmelt from the top makes its way down. The geologists can carbon date some of the mineral particles in the water and actually determine its age!!! That was an exciting fun fact.
There were many small flowers, yellow, purple, white, and occasionally red. The water source makes it possible for this to be quite a lush area...surprising fact.
God blessed us with a wonderfully worshipful experience in one part of His wonderful creation and we are so thankful we can be here.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
To Zion
Blue for the color of the sky. Not a cloud to be seen. It was a very interesting trip. Getting to Zion was easy. Getting through Zion was challenging to say the least. We entered the park from the East and traveled through the Main (South) entrance. There was 'road work,' there were switchbacks, tunnels...and amazing views of the canyon. We arrived at our campground, which is located only a block from the Main Entrance to the Park, about noon.
There is a shuttle which stops in front of the campground and runs through the Park. You can get on and off at any of the numerous stops. Tomorrow we are going to take a ranger-led shuttle ride. We have a few short hikes planned. This afternoon we saw a huge screen movie about the history of the canyon. It was very interesting.
K fixed a wonderful dinner of Portabello Mushroom Lasagne, herbed bread, and salad. Not a finer place to eat.
Today it was 96 degrees, tomorrow it is supposed to reach 97 with 98 predicted for Monday. I really hope the weather man gets it wrong this time!!!
There is a shuttle which stops in front of the campground and runs through the Park. You can get on and off at any of the numerous stops. Tomorrow we are going to take a ranger-led shuttle ride. We have a few short hikes planned. This afternoon we saw a huge screen movie about the history of the canyon. It was very interesting.
K fixed a wonderful dinner of Portabello Mushroom Lasagne, herbed bread, and salad. Not a finer place to eat.
Today it was 96 degrees, tomorrow it is supposed to reach 97 with 98 predicted for Monday. I really hope the weather man gets it wrong this time!!!
Moonrise
I couldn't resist posting this wonderful picture of the moonrise we saw from Inspiration Point last night. We almost gave up as the moonrise time was listed as 7:42pm. We were talking with some great people from southern California and so we weren't keeping track of the time. Suddenly, there it was. It was one day past the full moon, but it certainly looked full to us. It was another fantastic scene God blessed us with on this trip.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Bryce National Park
It's difficult to find a color in my choice of colors palate to match the colors in Bryce Canyon National Park. What a beautiful place. We signed up for a guided bus tour through the park for this morning. The sun was out and it shone beautifully on the many colored rock formations. The bus driver gave such a great commentary on many facets of the park, from geology, to biology, to anthropology to zoology. We learned so much and were thoroughly entertained.
After the bus tour, we returned to the RV's and had lunch while we plotted our next phase of this trip. We thought we might stay another day here, but decided we could get all the highlights in with a 2-night stay.
P and J had checked out the reasonable hikes available to us. We did a 1 1/2 mile hike from Sunset Point to Inspiration Point. It was tough, but we did it!
Tonight takes us out to Inspiration Point for sunset. So thankful we could do this trip. It seems that every park is more beautiful than the one before.
Tomorrow...."We're marching to Zion, Beautiful, Beautiful, Zion."
After the bus tour, we returned to the RV's and had lunch while we plotted our next phase of this trip. We thought we might stay another day here, but decided we could get all the highlights in with a 2-night stay.
P and J had checked out the reasonable hikes available to us. We did a 1 1/2 mile hike from Sunset Point to Inspiration Point. It was tough, but we did it!
Tonight takes us out to Inspiration Point for sunset. So thankful we could do this trip. It seems that every park is more beautiful than the one before.
Tomorrow...."We're marching to Zion, Beautiful, Beautiful, Zion."
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Moab to Bryce National Park
Moab was beautiful this morning as we left town. There was a hazy almost transparent cloud hovering over the Spanish Mountain range which loomed up at the back of our campsite. It was mesmerizingly beautiful.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Canyonlands National Park
This morning the sun shone beautifully and illuminated Canyonlands National Park as we left the Visitor's Center bound for the Islands in the Sky highlights. We drove all the way to the end of that road to do a moderate hike to see vistas from two directions. The views were spectacular, much different than Arches, our yesterday park. We could see that the sky was getting dark in the distance. J and K walked on ahead while N and P did some Raven watching and photographing. It began to get quite dark, so we turned around. Soon we heard J and K calling to us as they hurried back on the trail. Cudos to them. They made it allllllllllllll the way to the end of the trail. Just as we reached the truck, the heavens opened and the rains came down. The folks here in Utah, are thrilled as they get an average of 8 inches of rain per year. We are laughing at the fact that they were blessed with a couple of them the only day we have to see Canyonlands National Park!
We returned to Moab and lunched at Moab Diner! J is particularly fond of the Food Network Program, "Drive Ins, Diners, and Dives!" So he thought a trip to Moab Diner was in order.....even though it has not been featured on the show!
Diner food for all. It was a fun time. See the pic of J and K :)
The guys found out about some petroglyphs nearby in the Potash area. The sun was shining again and we were off! Well we found the spot where they were supposed to be visible! Rain, rain, go away! Come again after we're gone!
Wasn't to be. So we drove back to the campground and settled in.
We returned to Moab and lunched at Moab Diner! J is particularly fond of the Food Network Program, "Drive Ins, Diners, and Dives!" So he thought a trip to Moab Diner was in order.....even though it has not been featured on the show!
Diner food for all. It was a fun time. See the pic of J and K :)
The guys found out about some petroglyphs nearby in the Potash area. The sun was shining again and we were off! Well we found the spot where they were supposed to be visible! Rain, rain, go away! Come again after we're gone!
Wasn't to be. So we drove back to the campground and settled in.
You know what happens when the sun shines on rain? RAINBOW oh my ....RAINBOW. We enjoyed a lovely double rainbow. Thank you God, for blessing us with your unending promises of love and care.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Arches National Park
We went to see the Arches National Park today. It was a great experience. But can you say HOT... thus the sunny color for today. Have you noticed the color change each day? I have attempted to coordinate the color to the place or to a feeling.
It was 95 degrees quite a bit of the day today. Thank God for AC in the truck. Most of the park we could see from the truck, but we did make a couple of short hikes to see some of the arch formations. We all set out to see the Delicate Arch formation. We didn't know EXACTLY how far it was. In the heat and with walking problems, N and P only went a short way, but J and K decided they wanted to make the trek. They returned a half hour later saying they still had a long, difficult and uphill hike to make. They decided to turn around. Great attempt!
This place is unbelievable! We left about 9:30 this morning. We didn't arrive back to the camper until 4:30. It was 7 hours of amazingly spectacular views. We had heard from our Sue that Moab, UT was one of her favorite places. I can surely see why. Every curve of the road revealed something wonderful. Several of the rock formations have names given for their shape. There were The Three Gossips, Balanced Rock, Delicate Arch, Landscape Arch, etc. The Park Visitor Center suggested we look for shapes and name our own formations :) We made a few feeble attempts.
We had made reservations to do a dinner/ Colorado River boat evening ride complete with light and sound show projected on the huge rock walls that line the river. We all really enjoyed that. And we had the bonus of a full moon. It was beautiful. We are all thankful we have the opportunity and the ability to make this wonderful trip.
Tomorrow we're off to Canyonlands National Park. Supposed to rain :( Hope we get to see what we came to see. At least it's supposed to be Cooler :)
It was 95 degrees quite a bit of the day today. Thank God for AC in the truck. Most of the park we could see from the truck, but we did make a couple of short hikes to see some of the arch formations. We all set out to see the Delicate Arch formation. We didn't know EXACTLY how far it was. In the heat and with walking problems, N and P only went a short way, but J and K decided they wanted to make the trek. They returned a half hour later saying they still had a long, difficult and uphill hike to make. They decided to turn around. Great attempt!
This place is unbelievable! We left about 9:30 this morning. We didn't arrive back to the camper until 4:30. It was 7 hours of amazingly spectacular views. We had heard from our Sue that Moab, UT was one of her favorite places. I can surely see why. Every curve of the road revealed something wonderful. Several of the rock formations have names given for their shape. There were The Three Gossips, Balanced Rock, Delicate Arch, Landscape Arch, etc. The Park Visitor Center suggested we look for shapes and name our own formations :) We made a few feeble attempts.
We had made reservations to do a dinner/ Colorado River boat evening ride complete with light and sound show projected on the huge rock walls that line the river. We all really enjoyed that. And we had the bonus of a full moon. It was beautiful. We are all thankful we have the opportunity and the ability to make this wonderful trip.
Tomorrow we're off to Canyonlands National Park. Supposed to rain :( Hope we get to see what we came to see. At least it's supposed to be Cooler :)
Monday, September 20, 2010
Moab, Utah
Celebrating your birthday in this spectacular place...what a blessing. Yes, we finally made it to Utah. We arrived about noon without any further vehicle problems. PTL. We have about 10# of literature on this area. So much to see, so little time. After a conversation with the campground host, we have a plan. This afternoon we took a scenic drive about 20 miles along the Colorado River. We rode between such beautiful red rock formations. They were 'ginormous.' We stopped to take pictures and even made a stop at a winery located right on the river beneath the shadow of the rocks. There were some vintage auto enthusiasts staying at the resort. J had a great time inquiring about the cars. Very impressive!!!!!!
We stopped in downtown Moab to do some 'lookin.' There was a shop advertised in the local shops literature that had intrigued us. It was the 'Moab Dirt Shirt Shop.' Since P had such difficulty keeping little smudges from finding their way on to his clothing, I was thinking a 'dirt shirt' was just the ticket. The fabric from which the shirts are constructed is dyed with Moab red dirt. They were sort of novel, but on second thought, maybe we'll keep looking for a suitable souvenir shirt :)
Tonight we will feast on K's delicious Teriyaki Marinated Salmon, Israeli Couscous, and Baby Lima Beans. What a birthday feast for P. More to follow.
We stopped in downtown Moab to do some 'lookin.' There was a shop advertised in the local shops literature that had intrigued us. It was the 'Moab Dirt Shirt Shop.' Since P had such difficulty keeping little smudges from finding their way on to his clothing, I was thinking a 'dirt shirt' was just the ticket. The fabric from which the shirts are constructed is dyed with Moab red dirt. They were sort of novel, but on second thought, maybe we'll keep looking for a suitable souvenir shirt :)
Tonight we will feast on K's delicious Teriyaki Marinated Salmon, Israeli Couscous, and Baby Lima Beans. What a birthday feast for P. More to follow.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Colorado National Monument
Sunday was a beautiful day. We slept in a little, picked up some supplies, then had lunch together and talked about what we were going to do in the afternoon. It was a sabbath, but not spent in church. We rested for our trip into Utah tomorrow. We praised God for getting us here safely through all the vehicle problems.
Then we took a trip to the Colorado National Monument, located only a few miles from our campground. God outdid himself in the beauty of the monument. It is actually 23,000 acres of beautiful red rock, trees, sandstone rock, trees, and immense grandeur. You rise to a 6,000+ ft. elevation. It is spectacular! I know we're overusing that adjective, but it's difficult to describe. I'm sure our 'Pastor Tim' has probably seen this many times and will corroborate our impressions. We were on the Rim Rock Drive for over two hours. Every scenic overlook seemed more breathtaking than the last. We could see the Colorado and Gunneson Rivers, as well as the city, below. We are so thankful we stopped in this beautiful cityof Grand Junction, Colorado. I'm posting a picture of J and K taken somewhere the highest elevation. Enjoy.
We had a lovely dinner in a great Italian restaurant in Old Town Grand Junction. We will be headed for Moab, Utah in the morning, P's 69th Birthday :)
Then we took a trip to the Colorado National Monument, located only a few miles from our campground. God outdid himself in the beauty of the monument. It is actually 23,000 acres of beautiful red rock, trees, sandstone rock, trees, and immense grandeur. You rise to a 6,000+ ft. elevation. It is spectacular! I know we're overusing that adjective, but it's difficult to describe. I'm sure our 'Pastor Tim' has probably seen this many times and will corroborate our impressions. We were on the Rim Rock Drive for over two hours. Every scenic overlook seemed more breathtaking than the last. We could see the Colorado and Gunneson Rivers, as well as the city, below. We are so thankful we stopped in this beautiful cityof Grand Junction, Colorado. I'm posting a picture of J and K taken somewhere the highest elevation. Enjoy.
We had a lovely dinner in a great Italian restaurant in Old Town Grand Junction. We will be headed for Moab, Utah in the morning, P's 69th Birthday :)
Saturday, September 18, 2010
On the Road Again
Good Morning Family and Friends. John and Kathy's motorhome has a new water pump and we are rolling again. Their generator is in question at this time, but we're moving forward in faith.
Since we didn't blog yesterday, we'll share our Friday adventure on Saturday.
Stayed in the camper until mid morning, then picked up John and Kathy, hereafter referred to as J and K, and went to lunch at Panera Bread. Checked out the local offerings and decided on the Denver Mint and the Art Museum's King Tut Exhibit. Unfortunately we didn't know that the Mint closed about 15 minutes before we arrived :( However, the Art Museum was only 2 blocks away, so we just walked over. The Tut Exhibit was fantastic. We all enjoyed it very much. What a feat to send, move, or receive an exhibit of that magnitude and significance. One of the artifacts had never left Egypt prior to this time. Probably doesn't sound adventurous, but if you had been with us on the I-25 and Bus. 70 you might describe it as high adventure!!!
Then dinner and a movie.
We left Denver as J and K now had a repaired motorhome. However, they called us to say the 'engine light' was on again. J made a call and got the green light to go on. We followed them in case there was a problem...but everything was fine. We were all very thankful to God for getting us back on the road again.
God created spectacular artwork in Glenwood Canyon. We were wowed by what we saw. And the Colorado River flows alongside the highway....sweet sights. We decided to stop in Grand Junction. The Colorado National Monument is on our list of ttd's for tomorrow. Hoping to post a couple of pics. We will leave here on Monday morning for Moab, UT. We are thankful that we are able to go on with this long awaited adventure.
Since we didn't blog yesterday, we'll share our Friday adventure on Saturday.
Stayed in the camper until mid morning, then picked up John and Kathy, hereafter referred to as J and K, and went to lunch at Panera Bread. Checked out the local offerings and decided on the Denver Mint and the Art Museum's King Tut Exhibit. Unfortunately we didn't know that the Mint closed about 15 minutes before we arrived :( However, the Art Museum was only 2 blocks away, so we just walked over. The Tut Exhibit was fantastic. We all enjoyed it very much. What a feat to send, move, or receive an exhibit of that magnitude and significance. One of the artifacts had never left Egypt prior to this time. Probably doesn't sound adventurous, but if you had been with us on the I-25 and Bus. 70 you might describe it as high adventure!!!
Then dinner and a movie.
We left Denver as J and K now had a repaired motorhome. However, they called us to say the 'engine light' was on again. J made a call and got the green light to go on. We followed them in case there was a problem...but everything was fine. We were all very thankful to God for getting us back on the road again.
God created spectacular artwork in Glenwood Canyon. We were wowed by what we saw. And the Colorado River flows alongside the highway....sweet sights. We decided to stop in Grand Junction. The Colorado National Monument is on our list of ttd's for tomorrow. Hoping to post a couple of pics. We will leave here on Monday morning for Moab, UT. We are thankful that we are able to go on with this long awaited adventure.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The First Adventure
The first adventure is the blogspot adventure. If any of you have suggestions, please feel free to make them.
I thought it would be fun to share our 'travels' this way. So our Utah National Parks trip is the 'maiden blog voyage.'
Sunday afternoon we left for a Niles, MI campground where we met John and Kathy. They are following us in their motorhome. After an evening with a wonderful meal (Kathy is a gourmet cook...did we score or what?) of salmon on the grill, a lovely salad, green beans and brownies, we shared our hopes and expectations for this adventure.
Monday took us through Illinois, Iowa, ending in Omaha, NE. John and Kathy have some friends who live there in the summer. We met them last winter in Destin, FL. They are a lovely couple who had dinner for us when we arrived. It was great to see them again and enjoy a wonderful meal together.
Tuesday we made it to Big Springs, NE. Nebraska is never ending!
We were thrilled to see Colorado on Wednesday morning. You can begin to see the mountains on the far horizon after you've traveled only a few hours.
About 2:30 in the afternoon we were cruising through the Denver area when a motorcyclist was insistent that we pull over. We were on a busy Interstate, but Phil managed to pull over on the shoulder. By the time we got out of the truck there was smoke pouring from under the 5th wheel. We had a very flat tire. We were thankful to God for sending the thoughtful cyclist who alerted us in time to avoid a disaster. The guys changed the tire and we were off to Breckenridge to the nearest tire company that carried the tire we needed. They were great and helped us find a campground there. We were all pretty ready to stop at that point. The campground was absolutely spectacular. The ambient views of the mountains in Breckenridge surrounded us. Everything was either paved or beautiful grass. Fabulous! We went out to dinner to belatedly celebrate John and Kathy's Anniversary. Had a great time.
Thursday morning brought another 'vehicle issue.' When John attempted to start the motorhome, dark grey smoke billowed out. After several phone calls for information and opinions regarding best option, we headed back for Denver. It was a much shorter and safer option than going forward farther into the mountains to Grand Junction. We are here for at least tonight. The repair company will look at it tomorrow morning. By noon we should know how long we'll be here. We know that we make the plans and then God directs our way, and we are thankful for that blessing. For some reason we need to spend time here. It's all about the adventure.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)