Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Just keeping it alive
Monday, July 02, 2007
Final update - finally! A few statistics
Finally, after almost one year, the final post. Here are a few statistics:
Start Date: May 26, 2006
End Date: July 6, 2006
Days on the Road: 42(amazingly enough, exactly as planned from the start!)
Total Miles: 9,964
Average Miles per Day: 237
Best Gas Mileage: 10.05 mpg
Worst Gas Mileage: 6.79 mpg (Mostly in the mountains going fast to get home)
Average Gas Mileage: 8.05 mpg
Highest Fuel Price (Regular Unleaded): $3.10 (July 3rd)
Lowest Fuel Price: $2.53 (July 6th)
Average Fuel Price : $2.81
Frozen Burritos Consumed: Lost Count
Number of Days Driving in the Desert: Too Many
Start Date: May 26, 2006
End Date: July 6, 2006
Days on the Road: 42(amazingly enough, exactly as planned from the start!)
Total Miles: 9,964
Average Miles per Day: 237
Best Gas Mileage: 10.05 mpg
Worst Gas Mileage: 6.79 mpg (Mostly in the mountains going fast to get home)
Average Gas Mileage: 8.05 mpg
Highest Fuel Price (Regular Unleaded): $3.10 (July 3rd)
Lowest Fuel Price: $2.53 (July 6th)
Average Fuel Price : $2.81
Frozen Burritos Consumed: Lost Count
Number of Days Driving in the Desert: Too Many
Labels: Final Entry
Monday, July 10, 2006
Here's a look at all the states we've visited in our Motorhome (California was on a previous trip)
Later, we'll post a few statistics and highlights for the trip - like miles traveled, etc.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Trail's End...
We discovered Cracker Barrel Country Stores in every state except here on the West Coast and Nevada. Geared for travelers, they are so much fun!
Old fashioned toys and candies, and a front porch filled with rocking chairs so you can "set a spell"! You can "borrow" books on tape and return them at any of their locations.
We spent MANY hours listening to some great tales on the road, and several nights in Cracker Barrel parking lots.
Remember when McDonald's looked like this? This one is in Boise, Idaho. We actually didn't over do on fast food. It's nice to take your kitchen with you on the road!
Our last night on the road, and we had a beautiful camping spot right on the Snake River.
Simple pleasures really are the best! Joseph thoroughly enjoyed his wind-up balsa wood airplane (from Cracker Barrel, of course!)
The Oregon Trail Interpretive Center was very interesting.
We stood in the actual wheel ruts of the Oregon Trail!
Home at last...
...in time to enjoy our own hometown celebration of Derby Days!
So good to see friends again "jazzing things up" in the parade!
Who has the biggest smile: This clown or three weary travelers happy to be home?
A scramblin' good time at the carnival!
Even the Fun House at the carnival can't compare to the happiness of just being home.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Time to catch up again - 29 new pictures!
"Remember the Alamo"
San Antonio River Walk
Along with a couple of regular sized ones, which ran across the road in front of us, we spotted the World's Largest Road Runner in Fort Stockton, New Mexico. And they say everything's bigger in Texas, hmph!
billions of billboards!
Despite miles of reminders, we never did stop to see The Thing?
We've been through rain, wind, sun, snow, hail, but fortunately no dust storms.
Nothing like an ice cold Sarsparilla in a real Ghost Town - Steins, New Mexico. The girl working there told us her grandpa called up her grandma on the phone one day and said, "Sell the house, we bought us a ghost town!" Not MY idea of a fun retirement project, but to each his own!
Geronimo! (monument where he surrendered)
a tornado in the distance on the way to Tombstone, Arizona
We took a stagecoach ride in Tombstone.
The world famous OK Corral where we watched a re-enactment of the famous gunfight.
We saw thousands of this and many other types of catcus.
Yes, we actualy were on Route 66, if only briefly.
Entering the Grand Canyon.
At the South Rim.
Sunset over the Grand Canyon.
Dinosaur footprints in Navajo country, AZ. This was a roadside attraction, where a very drunk (at 8:30 a.m.) tour guide showed us around. Very sad (the alcoholic), but the footprints were intersting.
A Navajo house (a Hogan, pronounced "Hoogan").
A great view from mom's seat. Oh yeah, note the formations in Monument Valley out the window.
Some examples of the hundreds (thousands?) of impressive rock formations we passed. we thought these looked like carved statues of people.
Four Corners monument. We stood on Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. Four new stickers to add to the map on the back of the "Rig"!
Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings. The winding up and downhill mountain roads sent mommy cowering under the table and turned her green. Is that how they got the name Mesa Verde?
Joseph thouht the cliff dwellings from 1200 AD were cool. They were much bigger than they apear in this photo. Mommy wouldn't know, she was still recovering under the mesa!
Wilson Arch in Utah.
The guys made it to the top! (Sometimes it's really good to be the designated photographer!)
The Great Salt Desert, Utah. We recognized the Morton Salt plant by the picture of the little girl with the umbrella. Remember when it rains, it pours? This wierd sculpture was just sitting out there in the desert.
Independence Day at West Wendover, Nevada. They were celebrating the town's
15th anniversary.
Making a spectacle of myself with the free glo-sticks the Mayor passed out (along with cherry pies!)
This was part of an excellent small-town fireworks show: a full 18 minutes long with an excellent grand finale.
"Remember the Alamo"
San Antonio River Walk
Along with a couple of regular sized ones, which ran across the road in front of us, we spotted the World's Largest Road Runner in Fort Stockton, New Mexico. And they say everything's bigger in Texas, hmph!
billions of billboards!
Despite miles of reminders, we never did stop to see The Thing?
We've been through rain, wind, sun, snow, hail, but fortunately no dust storms.
Nothing like an ice cold Sarsparilla in a real Ghost Town - Steins, New Mexico. The girl working there told us her grandpa called up her grandma on the phone one day and said, "Sell the house, we bought us a ghost town!" Not MY idea of a fun retirement project, but to each his own!
Geronimo! (monument where he surrendered)
a tornado in the distance on the way to Tombstone, Arizona
We took a stagecoach ride in Tombstone.
The world famous OK Corral where we watched a re-enactment of the famous gunfight.
We saw thousands of this and many other types of catcus.
Yes, we actualy were on Route 66, if only briefly.
Entering the Grand Canyon.
At the South Rim.
Sunset over the Grand Canyon.
Dinosaur footprints in Navajo country, AZ. This was a roadside attraction, where a very drunk (at 8:30 a.m.) tour guide showed us around. Very sad (the alcoholic), but the footprints were intersting.
A Navajo house (a Hogan, pronounced "Hoogan").
A great view from mom's seat. Oh yeah, note the formations in Monument Valley out the window.
Some examples of the hundreds (thousands?) of impressive rock formations we passed. we thought these looked like carved statues of people.
Four Corners monument. We stood on Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. Four new stickers to add to the map on the back of the "Rig"!
Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings. The winding up and downhill mountain roads sent mommy cowering under the table and turned her green. Is that how they got the name Mesa Verde?
Joseph thouht the cliff dwellings from 1200 AD were cool. They were much bigger than they apear in this photo. Mommy wouldn't know, she was still recovering under the mesa!
Wilson Arch in Utah.
The guys made it to the top! (Sometimes it's really good to be the designated photographer!)
The Great Salt Desert, Utah. We recognized the Morton Salt plant by the picture of the little girl with the umbrella. Remember when it rains, it pours? This wierd sculpture was just sitting out there in the desert.
Independence Day at West Wendover, Nevada. They were celebrating the town's
15th anniversary.
Making a spectacle of myself with the free glo-sticks the Mayor passed out (along with cherry pies!)
This was part of an excellent small-town fireworks show: a full 18 minutes long with an excellent grand finale.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Liberty Bell, Philadelphia
First Supreme Court, Independence Hall, Phildelphia
The Constitional Convention was here at Independence Hall, Phildelphia
This is the actual chair George Washington used.
Independence Hall, Phildelphia
William eating a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich "Here's to you, Willy"
Philly "Firefighter" - at the Philadelphia Firefighters Museum
Elfreth Alley - Oldest Continously Occupied Residential Street in the U.S.
Betsy Ross' House
Many Philly bldgs have murals like this.
"Master Firebuilder" Joseph bought the wood and marshmallows himself, as well as tended the fire.
An example of how very old (17th and 18th century) houses have been updated.
Flag Day at Annapolis, MD
Pizza boy
Capital Building
View of the Washington Monument from the Lincoln Monument
Inside the Lincoln Monument
The White House
Gardens at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's Virginia Plantation
Monticello
Jamestown, VA "Ranger Joe"
Our guide who took us through the old capitol building at Williamsburg, VA
George Washington and troops marching down the Williamsburg main street
Williamsburg Knuckleheads
"Minuteman Joe" at Williamsburg
Our first visit to Cracker Barrel Country Store - being handed our Welcome Packet!!
Cracker Barrel porch. The rocking chairs are for sale.
Our Fort Wilderness campsite at Walt Disney World
Our favorite ride, "Pirates of the Carribean," was closed, but we found this indoor virtual game to play instead. This is inside "DisneyQuest," a single building at "Downtown Disney" that was full of games.
Julie with her pals at Downtown Disney.
On board a Disney Bus. One of many rides.
Typhoon Lagoon was one of two water parks at Walt Disney World. LOTS of fun! In two days at water parks we were only kicked out of the water once for a thunderstorm.
Do you rememeber this hand-slapping game from when you were a kid? Joseph and William played it a lot to while away the hours waiting in line.
The monorail runs right through one of the Disney resorts. Cool.
Ten months AFTER Katrina in New Orleans
They were right. Everything is big in Texas. It may be hard to tell in this picture, but this grasshopper was at LEAST three inches long!
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