home again

ok, we are home
this is bizarre not to be writing about my day (so here i am writing about my weekend)

and while the weekend wasn't as action-packed as our vacation
there was still lots of football, a couple of showings, several dog-walks (buddy has had his first visit to my new abode)
lots of time doing real estate research on the computer
e-mails asking questions about properties

the kids are off to nangor with steve and his sister and family
they are totally excited to be going there

so, back to work routines, gym routines (don't hold me to that)
i was surprised to find that i did not gain any weight while i was gone
julie you would have been so proud of me
i have passed my 6 month mark of no pepsi/chocolate (although i did have sugary candy while i was away)

home again home again jiggedy jig

we arrived home at 5:55
and put on 4731 km on our amazing adventure

we left lehighton (sp?) pennsylvania around 10:30
and totally boogied home

we did slow down to take a picture of the scranton pa road sign
really wanted to drop in and see 'the office' folks

we did drive into binghampton, but once again arenas are not very welcoming in the off-season
we tried to find a sports shop so amanda could buy a jersey
but not a chance

then on the road again
stopped for lunch in this little burg
called cortland
turned out the new york jets were having their training camp there
at the SUNY cortland campus
unfortunately we were too rushed to try to see them
but man, there were tons of people
everywhere there were signs welcoming the jets and their fans
the restaurants were packed!!

so we continue on our way
syracuse, watertown, alexandria
i spend my last american dollar on some treats at the duty-free for sean
(lucky him)

then amanda turned off the gps, said if i couldn't make it home from gananoque i shouldn't be allowed to leave the house again

we made it to the corner of carling and churchill at 5:55
and that is our trip

it was amazing
so much fun
amanda has coloured in a map of the states we have visited
i will take a pic and post it (she was really impressed with her colouring between the lines)

she was also keeping track of the licence plates we saw
we are missing 3 or 4, vermont, nh, hawaii of course, alaska, new mexico (although some people behind us at the arch in st louis were from new mexico, the man kept loudly proclaiming that grizzly bears might perhaps like to eat little children from new mexico (huh???) anyway, we were quite surprised to see an alaska plate today, so we feel our journey was complete

looking forward to next year's trip
we are thinking north-east states

the road from washington

the road from washington takes you through maryland, delaware and pennsylvania

we left washington this morning
and headed for baltimore
hardly took any time at all
we got into town
and our mission was to see the ball fields
and the charm city cake place
so we drove by them
then went to the cake place
but didn't stop because it is in a nasty neighbourhood

then we headed over to the harbour
had some crab cakes, and crab soup (yum to both)
bought some souvenirs
then headed out of town
onward to Philadelphia
saw the Liberty Bell
the arenas (football, baseball, hockey)
just drove by quickly, didn't attempt to see any of them up close
we have figured out by now that they don't want you there

then we went to find philly's most awesome philly steak sandwich
amanda had seen them on tv
rough neighbourhood again
awesome sandwiches though
they were totally yummy

then off to scranton
or so we thought
friggen traffic was a nightmare
so we are in a small hick town called lehighton
watching big brother
we are on the road tomorrow and heading home

runaway ramps

another feature of mountain driving
was these ramps advertised
as runaway ramps
wasn't sure what they were until we approached one
they are off-ramps
that end about 40 feet in and continue on with sand (like a golf course sand trap)
i'm glad i didn't have to see any of them in action

random thoughts

we have had such amazing weather on this trip
it rained coming through toronto on our first night
then rained overnight
we never had rain again until we went through the mountains
then it spit for a minute (not even enough to put on the wipers)
then we passed a sign for a town called rainelle
then a few minutes it rained enough to put on the wipers
rained for a few minutes
then we passed a sign for a town called rainelle
how bizarre

Newseum

canadian embassy in the background
with the capital










the 9-11 display

American History Museum

the washington monument







i forgot steven colbert has his picture here now instead of the portrait gallery
and he faces the washrooms
instead of being located between the men's and ladie's
we did see this picture last year on the first morning it was displayed at the portrait gallery, so this is very funny for us


here is julia child's kitchen, looks a bit cartoonish with the green/blue colour







and i forgot the berlin wall at the newseum

wednesday in washington

wow
what a busy day
weather was nice
was only 88 today
can i think of any more w's for washington and wednesday?
think not
we went to the museum of american history
with archie bunker's chair
and julia child's kitchen
it was pretty cool
barry's favourite thing was leaving
barry had fun in the invention circle
he spent a lot of time trying to make a maze for a pingpong ball to go through
there was a transportation section that had a slab of pavement from route 66
but since we have walked across a bridge that was the original highway it was a bit of a let-down (not!) it was still very cool
we are abraham lincoln'ed out
it is his bicentennial so he is everywhere and since we went to his museum we are feeling a bit overwhelmed
then we went to the Newseum
which was totally cool
lots of video clips, a great 9-11 exhibit, complete with kleenex and believe me you (I) needed 2 of them, it was very moving
they have a portion of the antenna that was on the north tower, it is powerful
they had this amazing 4-D movie, 3d glasses, motion, wind, water, rats scurrying under your feet (yeah, that was totally freaky!)
we have participated in 2 other 'movies' like this, at the henry ford, they simulated working in a factory, smells, sounds, liquid sprayed on you, and the abraham lincoln had one that was a civil war re-enactment, these movies are really great and for not too much $$

then we participated in rush hour traffic back to the suburbs
that was totally fun (not)
it really didn't take long, we are only 10miles from downtown
so a quick bite to eat
and then we went to the gijoe movie (fun!)
and now we are ready for sleep

st louis arch

st louis arch

washington and 93degrees

holy friggen hot batman
we landed in dc today

well, we passed the james monroe museum so decided to head in
got there, after a few passed around the block
it is in fredickersburg virginia
small town
get there, there is a handwritten sign on the door
they are closed for renovations
bummer
so, back on the road

traffic from hell to get into town
we tried to see the redskins field, shop
nope
there was soccer all over the building and the shop was 'open'
but you had to phone them if you wanted to buy anything

anyway
we headed into town
parking, try to find it
then try to find some quarters
then the lineup for the air and space museum was miles long
and it was so friggen hot we decided to head out for lunch and the hotel

we are staying in maryland
cheap, but pretty close
we tried to find a mall to pick up that redskin jersey
we are in the land of the shopping mall and couldn't find anything decent
oh well
laundry
some big brother (holy cow if you are watching, fun stuff!!)
more laundry

we are planning a big day in the city tomorrow
so off to bed

the colonel

this is just for fun

dad,this is for you

this is where we placed the gps
which is fine when amanda is navigating
i can still see it fine and it's not distracting
it gives you warnings about when you need to turn
what your speed is
what the speed on the road is
it's pretty cool
if i was by myself i would put it more to the centre (i can't reach it where it is )
not that you should be playing with it while you are driving, but sometimes you need to make adjustments
it has been in the centre and surprisingly it is not distracting

Monday means West Virginia and Virginia

we made it to Richmond Virginia
left Charleston this morning
travelled through west virginia
stopped off at an artisan's place
picked up some 'hillbilly hot sauce' (how funny is that?)
and a huge lollipop for barry
meant a very quiet trip
very uneventful trip
although, man those mountain roads burn up the gas
beautiful views
we drove through the alleghanies including a bunch of national forests
visited the woodrow wilson museum and his first home
very well done exhibit and guided tour through the house
barry did a scavenger hunt and received a $100,000 bill with
woodrow wilson's face on it
(they made about 8 of them, then decided it would be foolish for anybody to lose the damn things)
then off to richmond virginia
chiplote's (yum)
then off to a mall so barry could visit his beloved zumiez (west 49 of the states)
not much different from west 49
but barry and alex got some new clothes for school
maxed out the credit card so i had to walk with one of the workers to the bank machine (just so he could show me where it was, but his co-worker, who was back at the store with amanda and barry wondered if i was going to kidnap him)
that was totally embarrasing, but at least there was money in the bank
barry got a whack of stickers (like 500) so he will be advertising this company until the end of time
then back to the hotel
a little reading
then off to bed
we are headed for washington tomorrow

Louisville Slugger

old chain of rocks bridge

Sunday = Louisville Ky and Charleston WV

what a day
we started out in Louisville
went to Churchill Downs
site of the Kentucky Derby
did a tour there, very interesting
the young man who presented has been around there since he was a very young boy
so he knew a lot about the subject
we didn't bet, there were no actual races being held there today
but there were tons of people coming to bet on televised racing
barry totally wanted to get a riding crop, but as it did not say churchill downs, secretariat, or kentucky derby that was nixed (bad mood for quite a while, should have got the crop and used it on him!)

next off to the louisville slugger museum and factory
impressive tour, no bats being made today but lots of visuals
and it meant that it was quiet for the presentation
there were an unbelievable amount of bats in a pretty small space
about the size of the loeb on richmond at island park, maybe smaller
there were bats in various stages of development
and tons of shavings all around
at the end of the tour we were each given a small (foot long or so) bat to take home with us
not bad for $25

then off to see the colonel himself
it wasn't an actual museum
it was in an information centre and there was a small corner dedicated to mr sanders
there was a time-line of his life, some older buckets, but alas, no banks!
glad we went, but a little blah

so, off to west virginia
it is absolutely beautiful here
and finally, no smoking in restaurants,
i asked at the one we went to tonight and the host asked where i came from that they would allow such a thing
missouri and indiana both had smoking sections in their restaurants
although last night they didn't ask me which i wanted, so i was unaware
until people behind me were being asked for a choice
the girl at the counter said that because we had a child with us we had to sit in the non-smoking area, (thank goodness, total yuck)

anyway
amanda and barry are off for a swim
i'm going to try to download some of our photos
and that was our quiet sunday

Saturday means Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky

man, that is a lot of states
we headed out this mornning to the 'chain of rocks bridge'
which is a little north of st louis
and was the original crossing point over the mississippi of route 66
it has been closed for about over 30 years
was destined to be demolished
but with some foresight they refurbished it
and it is now a pedestrian/bike crossing point
it was pretty cool
not as many people as the brooklyn bridge, but a few bikers
and a very few pedestrians
we were warned not to go there late (muggings) but it was 11ish, so we were fine
we walked to the state line and ventured back
it was a nice day for that kind of venture, very hot at the bottom, nice and breezy along the bridge

then off to louisville
not a very adventurous trip
except for going through 4 states to get there, that is so cool

we are staying right downtown and had time for a swim for barry
and headed out for dinner across the river (ohio this time) in indiana

i'm a little bummed because i left behind my blankie in st louis
just tried to get in touch with the hotel, they are gone for the day
hopefully it will catch up with me when we get home
ack!!

that's it, we are back in the eastern time zone
see if that makes a difference to our days
see you tomorrow

If this is Friday we must be in St Louis

busy day
headed over to the Arch this morning
after poor Amanda trying to get registered in her fall session classes

barry got to go for a swim while we waited for that

walked over to the arch, quick to get there,
about 7 minutes altogether
but lots of negotiating of flashing red lights
under a free-way
not a great pedestrian friendly environment
but we did make it

it is pretty spectacular in person
we headed in
security check
go through your bags
xray your bags
make you take off your belts,
try to make you take off you bracelets that haven't come off in 23 years
make you go through 3 times because you keep beeping
(not sure why)

anyway we made it in
thought we would head to the top
sure, in 3 and a half hours
think not

there is a pretty cool museum there
about western expansion

then we headed off to the city museum
actually, had lunch in a tgifridays first
'smoking or non-smoking'?
huh?
really, they have places that you can smoke inside still?
we almost left, but decided not to

then off to the city museum
very interesting place,
barry had a blast
we were there for about 4 1/2 hours
there were several floors and an open roof-top
all made from reclaimed items
a bus hanging over 10 floors of building
a ferris wheel at the top
outdoor domes for climbing, 12 floors up
very interesting

then off to another diners, drive-ins and dives spot
iron barley (not that i can even eat barley!)
there was a bit of a wait
it was about a 10k drive from downtown
a total hole-in the wall
we finally got seated,
the food looked amazing
the menu was pretty diverse
and it was quite yummy
they offered us desert, but not there
the waiter directed us to a frozen custard place that we didn't end up finding
oh well,
back to the hotel
for a lovely round of laundry
and now it is time for bed
that was friday

thursday

very early start this morning
there were notices up on one of the side streets yesterday that said that a nearby road was closed due to filming
sounds kinda cool right
so i headed over there this morning around 8
nope
but there were other notes saying that they would be there tomorrow and the next day
bummer
wandered back to the hotel
headed out of chicago
but decided to see soldier field
and the united centre first
nope
soldier field, could have paid $19 to park
think not
there were some 'off event' parking spaces, but apparently there were some meetings with very important people today so we were given the bum's rush
so off to the united centre
totally closed up, no parking, no doors open
oh well, we got some good pics

so off to springfield
long drive
got there around 3ish
headed to the abraham lincoln museum/library
what an absolutely amazing experience
one of the docents encouraged us to experience the theatres there
we went to 2
i have never been so impressed by anything ever!!
unbelievable
the first one was about 'ghosts from the past'
it looked like it was a live presentation
the special effects were awesome
the 2nd one had amazing effects as well
gunfire, thought we were being shot
smoke, rumbling
really felt like you were experiencing the civil war

the whole museum was absolutely amazing
so now we have a new mission, visit presidential libraries/museums
(we have actually planned to see monticello, thomas jefferson, anyway)

so, off to st louis
the kids got to see some bum being arrested while i was checking into the hotel
hey, shawn smith if you are reading this, shawn smith checked us into the hotel (he's a little darker than you though, but just as much hair)

nice intro
we are right downtown, unfortunately not focused on the arch
but what an amazing site, we saw it from the highway, it was totally awe inspiring
it is huge!!

st louis looks like a really nice city, lots of tall buildings, not really what i expected at all
we will be here for 2 days, so lots of chances to check stuff out

and that's it for today
lots of driving
lots of experiences
barry is keen to hit a zumies, but that means suburban mall, (yay!!)

wow, what a day

we headed off to the planetarium

quite a walk almost 3 miles

we grabbed a hotdog and lemonade at a lake-side vendor

amanda can just not figure out what people rave about with chicago and new york hot dogs

they are the same boiled dogs you would make at home

disappointing, but oh well

the planetarium was cool

i learned that a nebula was a new star (never knew that)

there was lots of stuff to do, lots of hands-on, lots of interesting trivia

barry had fun

he made a bracelet with some beads that change colour in ultra-violet light

(can't quite believe he enjoyed that, but he spent about 20 minutes with a docent learning about it

had lunch there, then we did a water taxi to navy pier

lots of people on that, we had to wait for a 2nd taxi to come

which was cool, because the second one was double decker, nice breeze on the water, beautiful sunny day, around 80degrees

then we did the architectural boat tour (thanks bandi) totally worth the time and money

it was an hour, on the chicago river, very interesting speaker, lots of great stories about the buildings, the river, the people, the cows of mrs o'leary that started it all

then off to the beach, we walked a very small way, and we were right there

what an amazing sandy beach, it was beautiful

again, a perfect day

we all dipped our feet into the lake

barry had a great dip

i just went in to my ankles, it was a bit weedy and chip-baggy

chilly too

spent about an hour there

then walked back to the hotel

tidied up a bit

collected the car

then off to glenn's diner

it was featured on diner's drive-ins and dives

it was about 10k north of where we are

bit of a slow drive, but fine

chicago drivers are ok

amanda had a steak sandwich, i had crab cakes (which were totally awesome) and barry had spaghetti with meat balls, he liked the garlic bread

then drive back to the hotel

barry is watching some bizarre reality show (wipe-out, he says it is a really awesome show)

and that is it for wednesday

heading out early tomorrow morning

a couple of blocks away they are doing a movie shoot, so we will walk over to see what is going on

then off to springfield to see abe lincoln's home

we are exhausted already

but chicago was amazing

great food, people and weather

Tuesday

well, we made it to chicago

we ventured through detroit

which was very uneventful (thank goodness)

no problem at the border

we got to battle creek and i thought it would be cool to see where kellogg's began

we went into the town and ended up at some upper canada looking village

that advertised itself as an adventist adventure

think not!

it was pretty closed up looking

so we headed out of town

did get some pics of toucan sam and some of the snap/crackle guys on some hospital

then off to kalamazoo

went into town, again not very interesting, but when the hell are ya gonna get to kalamazoo??

into indiana

then illinois and chicago

thank goodness for the gps

it made the transition into downtown chicago very easy

although we ended up underneath the hotel

but eventually we found the front entrance

we had forgotten that chicago is an hour different from ontario time, so we had an extra hour

we left at about 5something to go to the cubs game

taxi was supposed to be about 15 minutes or so

but we got to the field about 6:00

missed out on the bobble heads (guess we weren't part of the first 10,000 people)

got traditional baseball food, hotdogs, pizza, soft drinks, pretzels (no, i only had the pretzel and water)

then slushies, cotton candy, peanuts

ugh!

the game went into deep overtime

12 innings

the phillies won

4 - 3

the cubs totally sucked

but it was fun to be there

we really enjoyed it

absolutely will not bore you with our cab driver from hell!

what a freak

it's 11:43 now, which of course is 12:43

we should all be sound asleep in our beds

so that is where we are off to

good night

Monday

wow, what a great day
we had a blueberry pancake breakfast, yum
then headed out to detroit with suzanne
we went to the henry ford museum
we did the factory tour and museum
it was truly an amazing experience
they had a 'guitars, rock stars and cars' exhibit
which was very cool, but we kept seeing vehicles that we had seen at the rock and roll hall of fame last year,
duh!
it was a special exhibit, on loan from the rock and roll hall of fame
barry got to sit in the bus that rosa parks refused to stand on
we saw jfk's convertible that he was shot in, that was very moving
and the factory tour was quite impressive, they were putting together F-150's
pretty spectacular how those conveyor belts move
and how incredibly clean the factory was
back to dad and em's
then off for manicures and pedicures, special treat for em's birthday next week
a very relaxing evening
then off for rib dinners
back home to dad and barry (starving dad and barry)
yummy ribs
another piece of blueberry pie
update the blog
off to bed
we are off to chicago tomorrow

Sunday

we made it into Windsor
followed a lady who was doing 135/140 and just blew through London/Chatham/Essex County
safely arrived
off to the wine show (i'm the designated driver)

man, what a drive
the wine show was way out in the country
near colchester where we stayed a few years ago at a cottage
on the shore of lake erie
man it was hot
and beautiful out there
there were 12 wineries showcased
some pretty great food
lots of fun
suzanne won the first raffle prize
$25 wine certificate and bottle opener
from the winery that we were going to visit and purchase wine from
so after the wine show we headed out there
then off to the blueberry fields
bought some amazing blueberries, some yummy tarts and a pie
then back to dad and em's
for pizza and salad
quiet night with the big brother back stabbers
going to make a batch of soap for em's birthday
with some supplies that i left here last year
and that's it for today
see you tomorrow

Saturday/Sunday

wow, what an early morning
we picked up Aiden and Gary for 7:00 (well, 7:05)
got out to Millenium Fields for exactly 7:30
lots of people were there,
turns out we didn't start to play until 10:30
but the time flew by
the kids got in lots of practicing
lots of snacks
it was an amazingly gorgeous day
24, nice breeze, lots of sun
the games were fun
lots of small injuries though
and a suspected broken finger on our quarterback (ouch keegan)
by the time 3:00 rolled around the kids were toast
but they did awesome!
so it was tidy up time
back home
empty the car
(into steve's garage, thanks steve)
re-pack (thanks amanda)
and ..... road trip begins!!
oh yeah, stop for gas
try to decide whether we wanted to go under the great lakes or continue on the 401
so we stopped in brockville for maps (and junk, and magazines, and drinks, and . . . )
401 won
kingston for arby's (totally yum!)
started to rain just as we got into toronto
that was a bit miserable
we made it as far as guelph
(i've never been to guelph, but my mom was born here)
had a very good sleep
just about to get some of that continental breakfast
and head out to windsor
so, we are on our way

will update later

saturday aug 8

the car is filled to the brim
we are packed
but for football not for our trip
all day at the field, 7:30 to 4:00
then, our bags are ready to be installed in the car
and we will be off
looking forward to our road trip

my ankle is feeling much better (thanks bill)

my cruise control is not ($1000 to get it repaired, i can be my own cruise control!)
but the rest of the car is up for the trip

Preparation for trip

Well, we are in the final stages of preparation for this trip.

Amanda will have her final exam on the 7th, Barry has Mosquito Madness on the 8th, a full day of football, should be a blast, but loooooonnnnnnng. We won't be done there until at least 4, by the time we head out of town it will already be late, so we will have to stay overnight before we get to Windsor, but that's ok, we will be there on Sunday at least. Looking forward to seeing everyone there, it will be a very quick fun-filled visit.

Then off to Chicago, we have our tickets for the Cubs at Wrigley Field on August 11th, they are playing the Philadelphia Phillies (who I recently hear are the world champs, exciting!!)

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives had two Chicago eateries on yesterday, one was totally scary though, ugh!, but we will totally head out to Glenn's Diner, it's only a mile from Wrigley Field, so that's kinda cool.

We are booked into a downtown hotel, glad we planned ahead, hate to get to town and not be able to stay right in town.

Only a few days to go, we are totally psyched.

I totally wrecked my ankle this week, lots of ice though, a trip to my physio-god and hopefully I will be able to do lots of wandering in the states.

Off to get the car tuned up before we leave (and hopefully get the cruise control working)

Cheryl Amanda and Barry