Helena, Montana

We left Washington on May 1st, giving ourselves about two weeks to meander back to Hillman, Michigan, with stops along the way to three more state capitals: Helena, Montana, Pierre, South Dakota, and Madison, Wisconsin. We arrived in Helena on May 2nd, and toured the capitol and the town on the 3rd.

From the outside, the capitol building gave no hint of the beauty that lay hidden inside. Of the traditional dome style, the old and weathered building loomed gray against the cloudy skies, and I remember thinking that it could use a little TLC, something to perk it up a bit. But the minute we walked through the doors, it was like being transformed into another world. The beauty of the architecture, the stained glass windows, the long barrel vault skylight, the murals depicting the history of Montana, and the intricate details found in every corner you looked made it hard to tear your eyes away from one spot to the next. I hope the pictures I have posted will speak for themselves. (Remember to click on the picture to enlarge it!)

I had always pronounced "Helena" as "HeLEEna" but as we soon found out, the correct pronunciation is actually "HELena", and when I looked this up on the web, I found an entertaining story of how this came about. Here is the clip from Wikipedia on the origin of the name, and how it is pronounced today.

"Helena was founded with the July 14, 1864 discovery of gold in a gulch off the Prickly Pear valley by the "Four Georgians", who were gold prospectors. The city's main street is named Last Chance Gulch and lies close to the winding path of the original gulch through the historic downtown district.

The original camp was named "Last Chance" by the Four Georgians. By fall, the population had grown to over 200 and the name "Last Chance" was viewed as too crass. On October 30, 1864, a group of at least seven men met to name the town, authorize the layout of the streets, and elect commissioners. The first suggestion was "Tomah," a word the committee thought had connections to the local Indian people of the area. Other nominations included Pumpkinville and Squashtown (as the meeting was held the day before Halloween). Other suggestions were to name the community after various Minnesota towns, such as Winona and Rochester. Finally, a Scotsman named John Summerville proposed "Helena," which he pronounced "hel-EE-na," "in honor of the heLEENa in Scott County, Minnesota..." This immediately caused an uproar from the former Confederates in the room who insisted upon the pronunciation HELena, after Helena, Arkansas, a town on the Mississippi River. While the name won, the pronunciation varied until approximately 1882 when the HELena pronunciation became dominant and has remained so to the present. Later tales of the naming of Helena claimed the name came variously from the Island of St. Helena, where Napoleon had been exiled, or was that of a miner's sweetheart."

Family Visit (Washington)

After leaving Idaho, we started moving towards Elma, Washington for a family visit. My Mom lives in Montesano in an assisted care facility, and one sister lives close by. My other three sisters live in California, and we had planned for all five sisters to be in the area at the same time to visit with our mom, and with each other. Dan and I arrived at the Elma RV Park on a Friday and got settled in for the weeklong stay.

My daughter and two granddaughters live in Seattle, about 90 miles from the RV Park, so they drove down on Sunday for a visit. We took the opportunity for a surprise visit with my mom, and she was delighted to see not only her daughter, but also her granddaughter, and two great granddaughters. We spent the afternoon catching up and working puzzles in the facilities activity room.

My three sisters from California arrived later that night, and on Monday we all got together for the first of five days of visiting, reminiscing, and getting together with our mother. It isn't often that the five of us have a chance to be together, and even less often as time goes by. We all felt like we grew closer over this visit, sharing various aspects of our lives with each other, and gaining a new appreciation for one another. Having the opportunity to visit with mom all together, for several days in a row was a special treat for all of us.

My niece and her family also live nearby, and we were lucky enough to have them come for a visit one evening as well. It was a fun filled night of food, laughter, and music and came to an end much too soon.

Here are some pictures of this very special family visit.

Boise, Idaho

My mother lives in Washington State, and as it turns out, three of my sisters from California were planning a trip up North for a visit in April or May. (I also have one sister who lives in Washington as well.) So, being in California in April meshed nicely into these plans and the sisters reunion will take place the last week in April. After making the decision to go back to Michigan, via Aberdeen, Washington, Dan and I decided we would take a round-about route the Pacific Northwest via Boise, Idaho so we could visit the Capitol. I also happen to have a niece (and her family) who live in Boise, so there was more than one reason to take this route.

We arrived in Boise on a Monday, and on Tuesday we met my niece for coffee at Big City Coffee, a very fun coffee, breakfast, and lunch place I recommend if you are ever in the area. Afterwards Dan and I toured the State Capitol, dropped by the natural foods CO-OP for lunch and a little shopping, then to the Old Idaho State Penitentiary for a self-guided tour of the prison that operated until 1973.

The Capitol, built in 1905, is of the traditional dome style, and was designed by John Tourtellotte, whose vision was to create a building that emphasized natural light and use it as a decorative element. He used light shafts, skylights, and reflective marble surfaces to capture natural sunlight and direct it to the interior space. For Tourtellotte, light was a metaphor for an enlightened and moral state government, and the building is referred to as the "Capitol of Light". Along with the natural lighting, the use of interior lights projects a soft golden glow throughout the building.

The atmosphere is formal and stately. Classic Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns support the rotunda, and the marble floors come from quarries in Alaska, Georgia, Vermont, and Italy. The columns themselves, although they look as if they are made from marble, are actually a finished surface composed of scagliola, a mixture of gypsum, glue, marble dust and granite, dyed to look like marble. Scaglioila originated in Italy during the 16th century as an alternative to marble, which was both expensive and very heavy.

I have included a few pictures of the "Capitol of Light" from our visit.

Sacramento, California March-April 2010

There will always be a part of me that considers the Sacramento area my home. I was raised from birth to age 18 in Orangevale, and spent the next 32 years living in various parts of Sacramento. I still have children and grandchildren that live in the area. And even though Dan and I travel full time all over the country, and live by the motto "Home is Where You Park It", both of us still have our regular doctors and dentists in the area. We have our favorite restaurants, and know where to go for just about anything we need. I am always excited when I think about coming to Sacramento, because I know I will see my family, and feel a sense of comfortable familiarity in my surroundings.

So, when I was twice the victim of thieves during my recent stay here, it was especially upsetting, and left me feeling sad and let down by what I think of as my home town. First my bicycle was stolen from the RV Park we were staying in, and it was cable locked at the time. It took the thief a few tries to cut through it, but eventually the deed was done and my bike was gone. A couple of weeks later, our truck, which was locked, was broken into and my purse with all the normal things you find in a purse, was stolen. The entire week following that was spent trying to diminish the repercussions of possible financial loss and identity theft. I know, I know… why did I leave my purse in the truck? Even if the door was locked? Don't think I haven't beat myself up over that one!

But the wondrous event that brought us here in the first place, and what really made it all worthwhile despite the bad luck, was the birth of my newest grandchild, Pearl Eve. This is my fifth grandchild, and I was lucky enough to spend time with all of them during our recent stay. Because seeing them can wipe away just about any sadness I might feel about anything else, I am dedicating the visit to Sacramento and these photos to them.

Skiing In Flagstaff, Arizona

Even though we are in sunny Arizona, we were delighted to take advantage of the snowy mountains in the Flagstaff area for a three day ski getaway. We tracked the weather for a couple of weeks, and when it looked like the conditions were most favorable, we booked a room in the "Ski Lift Lodge & Cabins", loaded up our gear, and headed out.

Flagstaff is about 145 miles from Surprise, with MapQuest giving us an estimated 2 hours 13 minutes on the road. We left Wednesday morning, wanting to arrive in Flagstaff about lunch time, then spend a couple of hours in the early afternoon getting the lay of the land before checking in to our room at the lodge. Before long, we ran into rain, and as we climbed, the rain turned to a rain-snow mix, and finally, just snow. There was also several feet of snow on the ground in and around Flagstaff.

After lunch, we checked out the Snow Bowl Ski Resort for down hill skiing and The Flagstaff Nordic Center for cross country skiing, our plan being to spend one day at each place. With so much snow on the ground, and the forecast calling for sunshine and clear skies the next couple days, we were anticipating a great couple days of skiing. We were not disappointed!

Thursday we headed to Snow Bowl. The snow conditions were perfect, the crowds manageable, and the weather in the morning was perfect. After lunch it started getting foggy, then the snow clouds followed the fog, and soon it was lightly snowing. We skied a while more, but when visibility kept diminishing, we decided to pack it in. It was a really fun first ski of the season.

Friday we drove to the Nordic Center where we spent the day cross country skiing. The weather was pristine! Clear blue skies, nary a breeze, and the sun shining off the snowy forest floor like sparkling diamonds. It was peaceful and quiet, everything blanketed in white, the snow absorbing the ambient sounds. Sometimes all you could hear was the swishing of the skis across the snow. Although we weren't the only ones there that day, at times that is how it seemed.

I've included some pictures the lodge, Snow Bowl, and the Nordic Center.

White Tank Mountain Regional Park

The Phoenix area is not only a desert, it is also surrounded by numerous mountain ranges. To the northeast are the McDowell Mountains, to the west are the White Tank Mountains, and the Superstition Mountains lie to the east. The Sierra Estrella is southwest, and within the city itself are the Phoenix Mountains and the South Mountains. All these mountains are an easy drive from Phoenix and the suburbs, offering thousands of acres for hiking and biking. With the mild winter climate, this is the perfect time of year to explore these trails. So far Dan and I have taken a couple of hikes and one bike ride in the White Tank Mountains, about 18 miles away, an easy drive out of the city, located in White Tank Mountain Regional Park.

The park itself sprawls over 29,572 acres where the 4000-foot-high White Tank Mountains separate the Phoenix Basin of the Salt River Valley from the Hassayampa Plain. The mountains are steep, deeply serrated with ridges and deep canyons, and include fault lines. Floodwaters, pouring down chutes and dropping off ledges, have scoured out a series of depressions, or "tanks", in the white granite rock below, thus the name of the mountains. There is evidence of ancient Arizonans dating back 10,000 years, with hundreds of figures and symbols pecked on the rock faces of the Mountains.

Dan and I really enjoyed hiking and biking through the many varieties of cacti, including Barrel, Saguaro, Cholla, and Prickly Pear. Unfortunately this isn't the time of year when these cactus bloom, but then again - do I really want to be scaling a mountain with a 1300-foot elevation gain in 100 degree plus weather? Probably not!

Hope you enjoy these pictures of our most recent hike and bike ride in the White Tank Mountains Regional Park.

Surprise, Arizona

We wrapped up our summer in Michigan on September 30, 2009 and started our southward trek on October 1st. We were scheduled to arrive in Surprise, Arizona, our winter destination, on November 15th. In the six weeks between leaving Michigan and arriving in Surprise, we had RV maintenance scheduled, a new truck purchase (unscheduled), and family to visit. After making the rounds and taking care of our business, we arrived at the Sunflower RV Resort, one day ahead of schedule.

Surprise is a suburb not too far west of Phoenix. It is an outgrowth of Sun City, and the population grew by tens of thousands during the 1990's and early 2000's as retirees flocked to the area. Then you add the snowbirds, like us, that come to live here for a few months each winter, and you can imagine the congestion! It was sort of a shock leaving the bucolic and peaceful village of Hillman and landing smack dab in the middle bustling city life again. It is possible to insulate yourself from the mass confusion somewhat if you never leave the resort, but occasionally you do have to go out for supplies. And golf, which is the main reason we ended up here to begin with. Several other golfing couples we've met along the way were congregating here for the winter, so we decided to join them.

Sunflower RV Resort offers a lot of amenities in and of itself: Bingo• Bocce Ball• Cactus Ranch House Grill • Car Wash Area• Computer Center• Dinner Dances• Dinner Theater• Driving Cages• Exercise Classes • Fitness Center• Fitness personal trainer • Grand Ballroom• Heated Pool and Spa• Hiking Club• Horseshoe Pits• Kitchen• Lapidary• Laundry Facilities• Library• Massage Therapy On Site• Meeting Area• On-site Post Office• Outside Patio Area• Pet Area• Pickle Ball• Picnic Area• Ping Pong• Pitch 'n Putt Course• Pottery/Ceramics• Putting Green• Quilting & Sewing Room• RV and Boat Storage• Shuffleboard Court• Silversmithing• Social Hall for Community Gatherings and Parties• Stained Glass• State-of-the-Art Fitness Center • Three spas and a Eucalyptus Steam Room• Two Tennis Courts• Vendor Market Day• Water Volleyball• Weekly Dances• Wood Carving• Wood Shop. Okay, you get the idea…

At first I wasn't quite sure about the "tin city" we were parking in. Row after row of streets lined with mobile homes and RV's. No lawns, but a lot of rock and concrete, cactus, and palm trees. But, I figured, we are in the southwest, the dessert, and I'm sure this is the appropriate landscaping for this kind of climate and terrain. After being here for a few weeks, I have actually come to appreciate the regional approach to landscaping. Especially during Christmas it was fun to see the blending of traditional decorations with the existing flora - twinkling lights wrapped around a prickly cactus, silver bulbs placed on the tips, and palm trees sparkling decorated like a Douglass fir.

Upper Peninsula, Michigan

No trip to Michigan would be complete without a trip to the Upper Peninsula, or the UP (pronounced YOU PEA, not "up"). The UP is where the Yoopers live (those who live beneath the Mackinaw Bridge, which connect the upper and lower peninsulas, are referred to as the Trolls). So, two summer trolls (that would be Dan and I) decided we would take a short trip to the UP for possible hiking, to see Lake Superior, and enjoy the gorgeous scenery. Our fist mistake was to make this a "short" trip. There was just too much to see and do for a three day trip, half of which was spent driving. But since the drive itself was quite beautiful, with just a touch of autumn in the air turning the tips of the trees yellow, red, and gold, we really couldn't complain about that too much.

Our first stop was to Big Spring, also known by its Indian name, Kitch-iti-kipi. Two hundred feet across and forty feet deep, this is Michigan's largest spring. 10,000 gallons of water a minute gush from its fissures in the underlying limestone, and is absolutely crystal clear from the surface to the floor. By means of a self-operated & tethered observation raft, visitors are guided to vantage points overlooking fascinating underwater features and mysteries. Tiny swirls of sand on the bottom of the spring are kept in constant motion by gushing waters coming up through the fissures.

After Big Spring, we wound our way to the town of Marquette, a major port on Lake Superior and home of Northern Michigan University. Because Lake Superior is so big (it even has waves like you see on some ocean beaches), it has quite a coastal feel to it, with beautiful beachfront homes all along the shoreline. This was a fun town that we only planned to spend one night in, and we wished we had allocated more time (next year!). We stayed the one night, then started moving towards Whitefish Point the next day.

On our way we stopped for a guided boat tour to Pictured Rocks on Lake Superior. These awe-inspiring cliffs are shaped by wind, ice and pounding waves. The cliffs are colored in shades of brown, tan, and green by the iron, manganese, limonite and copper in the water. As the water trickles down the rocks or mountains, and waves slam into the cliffs with a vicious suddenness, the sandstone Pictured Rocks are formed and changed.

Turned out we had to head home after this due to problems with the truck, so we never made it to Whitefish Point. Next year, next year…

The picture above that looks like it is upside down (trees on the top, water on the bottom) is actually a picture taken of the reflection on the water at Big Spring.

Visit From a Friend

In August, Jim Esarte, a good friend of ours from Sacramento, flew to Michigan to spend a couple of weeks visiting with us. Jim had never been to this part of the country, and since we were here, it gave him a good reason to make the trip. We tried to cram as much activity as possible into those two weeks! We played a lot of golf and made several day trips to nearby towns and tourist destinations. We also attended one of the Elk Viewing Rides & Gourmet Dinners, as well, so Jim could get a feel for Thunder Bay Resort. When Dan and I had work obligations, Jim struck out on his own and explored surrounding areas.

One of our visits took us to Traverse City, "The Cherry Capitol of the World", and the second most popular tourist destination in the state behind Mackinaw City. After spending a couple of hours shopping in the quaint downtown area, we drove on to Petoskey to the Odawa Casino for dinner and a little gambling. On another day we drove to Mackinaw City and took the ferry to Mackinac Island where we spent the afternoon walking across the small Island, exploring and looking for the perfect fudge shop.

Another outing took us to Sault Ste Marie in Michigan, where we stopped by the Soo Locks, then crossed the international bridge into Sault Ste Marie in Ontario, Canada for a quick tour. The Soo Locks allow ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes and pass an average of 10,000 ships per year in spite of the locks' being closed during the winter (January through March) when ice shuts down shipping on the Great Lakes.

The three of us played several rounds of golf here at Thunder Bay, and Dan and Jim went to two other golf courses in the area as well.

We very much enjoyed Jim's visit and are very happy that he took the time to come all the way across the country to spend time with us this summer.

Comerica Baseball Park, Detroit, Michigan

Attached are some snapshots of Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers.

As anyone who has followed our blog already knows, one of our goals as we travel the country is to get to all the Major League Baseball fields for a game or two. So whenever we find ourselves in close enough proximity during baseball season, we build a trip to the nearby park into our visit. Since this summer we have been in Michigan, we made our way to Detroit for a couple of days to watch the Tigers play against the Seattle Seahawks. We drove north to Detroit, about 225 miles, on Wednesday, August 19th in time to catch the evening game, which Seattle won (Seattle 3, Detroit 1). The next day the weather was touch and go with a big storm forecast for the afternoon game, but with only a 6 minute rain delay, the game was played to completion, this time with Detroit the winner (Detroit 7, Seattle 6). Since we aren't from Washington or Michigan, it was easy to root for both sides (although, if truth be told, I am a little partial to Washington State).

It was fun touring Comerica Park, where the Tiger theme is everywhere you turn. Comerica is located in downtown Detroit, and you can see the high rises as you sit and watch the game. You can find a tiger Merry-Go-Round and a baseball Ferris Wheel for the kids to ride, and all the usual assortment of ball park food. We were lucky enough to find veggie burgers (vegan, even!) and veggie dogs to choose from, and fruit bowls and stir fry vegetables and rice were also available. After we had a beer and gorged ourselves with peanuts, we could have stopped right there, but we went with the veggie burgers anyway. We want to do our part to keep the veggie options available, haha!

Next year if we come back to this area we will try to make it to either PNC Park in Pittsburg, or Progressive Field in Cleveland - or maybe both!