Quoted from Linda’s daily Facebook posts during our travels

10/31:  Arrived in Sydney safely very early in the morning of day 1 of our Down Under adventure. Got to our hotel, stashed our luggage and wandered a bit. Went to the Australian Museum – excellent exhibits! Then the Anzac war memorial – very moving. Back to hotel to move into our room. Small rest as we did not want to sleep too early! We went out for dinner and tried Indonesian fare. Tasty. Then back to hotel to crash!

11/1:  Down under day 2: started with breakfast after a long night of sleep. Still a bit of jet lag. Then walked to the quay, and rode Captain Cook’s hop on, hop off harbor tour. Great views of Opera house and Sydney bridge. On to the zoo, Shark island, Wilson Bay and Manly Wharf. We got off there and walked a couple of blocks to Manly Beach. The waves were stellar, saw folks surfing, and school kids having PE on the beach, with learning to surf on the agenda later on the wharf side, which was much calmer water. The day was really beautiful. We then hopped back on the boat returning via the same stops. Many sailboats on the return trip! We then experienced public transportation and rode the “Light rail” back to our hotel for a short rest. Dinner was at Lotus in the Galleries mall area. A really fantastic day.

Famous Sydney Opera House

11/3:   Falling behind! Day 3 was cloudy and raining, so we explored the Queen Victoria Building…a mall of 5th Avenue type stores. It has some stunning architectural features and stained glass. 3 levels above grond….and then the Lower levels! They connect to other shopping areas! One could get lost and never come topside for days. We had a relaxing afternoon in our hotel room. Tom went out for carry-out dinner.

Interior of the Queen Victoria Building

11/4: Day 4 was Sunday. We took our time getting going, but by 930 we were on our way to breakfast. We had seen so many food options in the Lower levels of the QVB, we were sure we would find something interesting. Lot of lunch type food but not a proper breakfast. So we ended up in the QVB second level, in a Cafe. I had a delicious avocado, egg bagel, with a VERY strong “long coffee:.

We then headed down to The Rocks, near the Quay, to visit their artesian market. It is only on the weekends, so we were glad we found out about it.

By mid afternoon, I was beat, so we headed back to the hotel to rest. Along the way back. We stopped at Woolworths for a few groceries. We had a picnic dinner in the room before heading back to the Quay for an evening bus tour of the harbor! Very good guide, and saw lots of different sites. The bats in the trees at Mrs. Macquarie’s seat were numerous and active.

11/5: Monday was day 5. We started early for a day trip to the Blue Mountains. Thomas Suppan made delightful bfast rolls with smoked salmon and gouda, which we ate once we were on the mini bus. Why can’t we have good bread in the US?

First stop was Featherdale Wilderness Park. We saw Wallaloos, Cockatiels, Kangaroos (even an albino one!), a huge crocodile, Dingos, a wide variety of birds, Echidnas, Tasmanian Devil. Many were loose in the park and would eat out of your hand! Next stop was Lurnea, a lovely small town. We would have liked more time to explore. Tom saw a Wool shop, so I had to stop. I acquired 100 gms of golden brown Merino fiber, that i will process when we get home. We had time to order lunch, but had to take it to go due to time constraints. I had a pie with caramelized onions topped with goat cheese that was scrumptious. Tom had a meaty robust pie that was also delicious.  On to see the Three Sisters at Echo Point. Stunning geography. Tom’s pictures are much better than mine. We clearly saw the ‘Blue’ of these mountains. I thought it would be similar to our Smokey Mountains, but it is completely different! The many Eucalyptus trees contribute to the Blue haze. The next stop was Senic World. Neither of us would recommend primarily because the railway option was closed for it’s 7 year major maintenence. This meant only the cable cars were running. The line for the cable down to the valley floor was an hour long. Standing in line is NOT what we wanted to do. We did get down to the valley, but only had 15 min. to walk before heading back up. Then it was an hour and a half ride to Parrametta, where we cought a very back to the Quay in Sydney. Overall this was a great day trip, but we would have cut Senic World and spent more time in Lurnea.

The Three Sisters Rock Formation

11/6: Day 6: Tuesday. On our own for the day. We rode the light rail to the Quay, and headed to the Opera house for an up close view. We tried several times to get a tour, but could never get two spots on same tour! So if you plan this, give 2-3 days advance to schedule.

From the Opera house, we went up into the Botanical gardens. Very lovely. Many different plants…a bottle tree, who knew? Lovely flowers, multiple groves of large bamboo – with the wind, they make a haunting melody punctuated by clicking.

Our destination thru the gardens was the NSW Art Museum. It’s free! And huge. We barely made a dent in viewing. I did capture a photo of the Shearing Shed since it hit my wool addiction. Also an Aboriginal art piece that was inspired by the Pleiadees (sp?) or better known as the Seven Sisters (which i can spell!) We walked thru the North end of Hyde Park, and admired a fountain depicting Neptune, i think. It was beautiful in the sunshine.

We were blessed with lovely weather, tho we did have some sprinkles just before heading into the art museum.

11/7: Wednesday, day 7, 2025.12.05

Today was the Hop on, Hop off red bus tour day. First, we rode the entire route to help determine what we wanted to see and hop off, and back on. It had a recorded description of what we were seeing. We had already done quite a few of the big ticket items, but learned more details. So we got off at stop 5, to see where they bring in the new year…like Times Square for us. That is the round fountain, and signs to various destinations.

We got back on and off at stop 6: Wooloomooloo (8 ‘o’s’). We had pies at Harry’s, a famous stop for many famous folks. Up front, I am not a fan of pot pies, but my experience is the banquet kind, which was one of the dinners she made when my dad was travelling for work. Not a favorite. This was not that!!!! This was a meat pie with mashed potatoes on top of the pie, and mashed peas on top of the potatoes. You dug into the layers, and the crust actually became a bowl, that soaked up gravy. The crust was delightful after eating the center. And the peas with potatoes was really tasty. I generally am not a fan of peas. The seagulls and pigeons expect handouts and are quite brazen. We had an army of them watching us take every bite!

We then intended to go to the Austrailian Maritime museum, but the bus didn’t stop! So we went to the next stop, which was the Chinese Gardens. I would absolutely recommend seeing this garden spot. It truly is an oasis within the city. Several pagoda, and walking trails. We saw so many lizards! The plants, flowers, and waterfalls contributed to the tranquil feel of our visit. Personally. It might have been better than the Maritime museum, but don’t tell Thomas Suppan ! We ended the day at the quay, and finally had fish and chips, which i had been jonesing for the last couple of days. Again. A stellar day in Sydney!

Sydney Chinese Gardens

11/8: Thursday, day 8, 2025.11.06

Second day of the hop on, hop off bus tour, but this was the blue line. Is is our last full day in Sydney, 🙁.  Not as many stops on the blue line, but it travels a larger area than the red line. The first stop we hopped off at was Centennial Park. This is a lovely, and ver large green space. It is where this weekend’s (and most all other) Polo match will be held. It has a large horse trail loop, as well as several ponds, with wooded glades dispersed within it. At this point, i have walked my feet off, and I only made it about halfway into the park before calling for a longer break at a picnic table. Thomas Suppan continued on to see the flying foxes. They are part of the bat family, and since it was the middle of the day, we did not know if we would see them as dusk is reportedly the best time to see them. Tom was amazed at their activity level and the sheer numbers of them moving in the trees of the Grove by the pond. He will have to post his pictures!

We walked back to the bus stop and hopped on to go to Bondi beach. What a beautiful beach! We watched the swimmers and surfers. Tons of people on the beach, we could not imagine how busy it must be on the weekends. We thought we would grab some lunch, but nothing grabbed us, and the prices seemed even higher than in Sydney CBD. We ended up with ice cream cones from none other than Ben & Jerry’s! They really hit the spot! You never go wrong with ice cream at the beach on a beautiful, sunny day! Back onto the blue line, thinking we would ride it to where we had started that morning. A very scenic drive by Watson’s Bay and Rose Bay, but there was tons of traffic. So glad we were not driving. I think the bus was really running behind schedule, so it terminated at the Central train/bus station. So the new adventure was riding the light rail back to Town Center, which is one stop before QVB. Walk back to the hotel, spent the evening sorting laundry, packing it, and repacking our bags. We also figured out public transportation schedules to the airport for our flight tomorrow.

Bondi Beach

11/9: Friday, day 9, 2025.11.07

Not a lot of excitement today. We packed the last loose items into our suitcase, and braved the Sydney train (metro/subway) to the domestic airport. Very smoothly. Checked our bags, got on a plane to Cairns. Arrived safely in Cairns, grabbed an Uber to our hotel. Room is very nice, larger than the one in Sydney!

We walked to dinner and went for Italian. A lovely meal overlooking the Esplanade (boardwalk) and the ocean. Tide was out, creating mud flats for a couple hundred yards. We then walked along the Esplanade on the search for distilled water at Woolworths – no luck. I headed back to the hotel while Thomas Suppan went to a Coles and found it!

11/10: Saturday, day 10, 2025.11.08

Thomas Suppan headed off early to scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef. He will have to post his photos.

I had a leisurely breakfast, and went on an adventure to walk to a Art store with yarn. Did I mention it is a lot hotter here in Cairns than it was in Sydney! It was quite a walk, but I found Cairns Create It exactly where Google said it was. A lovely haberdashery with a wide assortment of supplies. The folks, as expected were very friendly. I bought a couple things my knitting kit was short on and some tatting threads! So unusual to see tatting thread in a store.

I intended to try the Cairns bus system to get back to the hotel, but when I asked for some direction, Megan offered to drive me. That is above and beyond on customer service!

I spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening lounging by the pool and swimming…35 meter long pool!

11/11:  Sunday, day 11, 2025.11.09

No excitement today, so no pictures.

In the morning my phone decided it needed to do umpteen million updates. So I stayed close in hotel room and tatted on my new shuttles and thread while it jumped thru all the updates.

It finally finished so I put on my backpack stuffed with dirty clothes, and carried two small bags to the nearest laundromat. 2.5 hrs later, I had clean folded clothes. I returned to room and sorted on the bed. It was about 3 PM, and Thomas Suppan was due back from scuba diving about 330. I headed back down to the pool. Some swimming and good stretching done in the water. Tom had returned, and showered, and joined me for Happy Hour. I had wine and he had ginger beer…his new favorite. We went to dinner at the Vine Room, which is the restaurant attached to the hotel. It was tasty, but long. Tom was fading before my eyes…he was exhausted from the scuba diving!

So we headed to the room and an early bedtime as we have an early start tomorrow.

11/12:  Monday, day 12, 2025.11.10

Early rise for our day trip to Kuranda with Billy Tea Safari. Drove out of Cairns through rain forest and then once over the mountains, it was Savanah bush. First stop was Skybury Cafe and coffee roaster. Beautiful views, and a delicious mid-morning snack. Next was Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park Guided tour. Beautiful views. A stone outcrop that looks like Queen Victoria. All limestone formations. Saw the site of the copper shelters. Apparently they were never profitable! Then saw the Balancing Rock. A fairly long drive to the Granite Gorge park. Totally different feel from the limestone. Many beautiful birds and variety of reptiles. Wallabys all over!

Chillagoe-Mungana Cave

11/12: Tuesday, day 13, 2025.11.11

Remembrance Day.

We walked past the Cairns Rememberance day service held on Esplanade. We paused to listen for a bit. We continued walking with the goal of an Aboriginal art gallery. Beautiful artifacts. We also stopped in a gift store next door. A couple stores down was an Ugg store, and we checked that out too. Then we headed to the Cairns Aquarium. Very interesting. They presented on various water environments throughout Austrailia. We quite enjoyed it. We went back to our hotel. I swam in the pool and enjoyed time in the loungers. We spent the evening getting our bags re-packed for a travel day tomorrow. I have been playing with the tatting shuttles and thread purchased a couple of days ago!

11/13: Wednesday, day 14, 2025.11.12

Travel day.

We had breakfast and caught an Uber to the airport. Flew to Alice Springs.

Karen Wallace met us at the airport. So very good to see her. Tom has photos of us arriving in Alice Springs. Stan Wallace got off work and we had a great time catching up with good friends. I did start tatting a doily, so here is the center motif.

Linda’s Australia made Doily

11/14: Thursday, day 15, 2025.11.13

Relaxing morning. Stan Wallace and Thomas Suppan went for a run together. Karen Wallace was up super early for work and came home about noon. My tatting doily is growing!

We played a card game new to us….Exploding Kittens. Easy, fun.

The big event was a Kangaroo Sanctuary tour. We held baby Kangaroos! We walked thru the sanctuary and saw several “mobs” of Kangaroos. The goal of the sanctuary is to return Kangaroos rescues back to the wild. Over the years, several could not be let go due to injuries, or simply because they were too accustomed to people. These were the Kangaroos in the sanctuary. Many baby roos are rescued from mother’s pouches after mom was killed by a car on the highway. The sanctuary trains folks on caring for them, and per natural timelines, raises them until they are old enough to release back into the bush. We learned so much!

Tom with a baby Roo
Stan Wallace with a baby Roo

11/15: Friday, day 16, 2025.11.14

Walked around Alice Springs. Visited a gallery and a couple of shops.

Big event for the evening was the performance of Mama Mia by the local Alice Springs community theater group. Super fun double date night with Stan Wallace and Karen Wallace .

Third round of tatting completed on my doily. It is going to get slower as it gets bigger!

11/16:  Saturday, day 17, 2025.11.15

We went to the Botanical garden in Alice Springs with Karen Wallace in the morning. Again such interesting plants and story about the area. Saw a Wallaby with a youngster just hopping around.

A Wallaby (which is really just a small kangaroo).

In the evening, Karen and I went to one of her book clubs. They were celebrating the holidays, and played the stealing Santa game. Everyone had brought a wrapped book, so everyone had a new book to read. I received a very beautifully printed and bound young adult fantasy fiction book by a new Melbourne author. Looking forward to reading it!

11/17: Sunday, day 18, 2025.11.16

We started the day attending church with Stan Wallace and Karen Wallace . A lovely service. With Aboriginal translations of scripture! Two women were baptized. A blessing to be present for that. We then piled into the car for the roughly 400 km drive to Uluru (Ayers rock). Again, varied turaun throughout. We saw feral camels! Lots of cattle. There was a roadside stop which gave us a lovely long distance view of Uluru. We arrived and checked into the hotel. We had about 2 hours until sunset, so we had a lovely but quick dinner and headed to the national park.

A beautiful sunset set the rock to its glowing sunset red. It was phenomenal to watch the light change as the sun set. We all took a million photos! I hope we captured it.

Ularu at Sunset

11/18: Monday, day 19, 2025.11.17

Up by 4 AM to catch the sunrise over Uluru. Park opened a 5 AM and we were the third car in! Several busses, so the crowds felt a bit heavier than sunset the evening before.

The sunrise was in progress as we drove to thru the park to the sunrise viewing spot. The pinks and blues of the sunset were present bu in reverse of the sunset. They had faded by the time we reached the viewing area. We still saw the glow of this huge rock. One can really see why this place had such spiritual significance to the Aboriginal people.

Ularu Morning

We returned to the village for a lovely breakfast buffet. Then back to the park. I stayed at the Cultural center while Karen Wallace , Stan Wallace , and Thomas Suppan went to an 8 AM ranger-led Malla walk. My left ankle was really hurting.

After the walk, we met up and piled into the car to see the Kata Tjuta rocks. The Aboriginal meaning for this formation is ‘many heads’. Again, astonishing geological formations.

By about 1 PM, we were back in the car for the long drive back to Alice Springs. Stan really took on all the driving for the trip so the rest of us could relax.

When we arrived back to the Wallace’s home, Tom and I packed our bags in anticipation of travelling the next day. It was so great of Karen and Stan to host us and show us around. We have missed seeing them and reconnecting was the best!

11/19: Tuesday, day 20, 2025.11.18

Travel day.

Thomas Suppan had packed a roller carry-on suitcase that we filled with dirty laundry and things no longer needed. We mailed that home to reduce our baggage load which needed to be smaller for the internal, domestic flights in Austrailia.

Then we were off to the Alice Springs airport to catch our flight to Melbourne.

Karen Wallace completed her hostess with the mostest duties with flair! Thanks so much to her and Stan Wallace for a fabulous visit.

We arrived safely in Melbourne to be picked up by our friend Lisa, who we know from our condo in CO. Lisa drove through prime traffic hour in Melbourne to take us to her childhood home in San Remo, on the Western bay, near Phillips Island. When we arrived we met Lisa’s sister, Kate (Cate?), who was as lovely as Lisa. Their home is on the ocean side and has stupendous views as the sunset.

11/20: Wednesday, day 21, 2025.11.19

We have been here 3 weeks and the adventures continue!

After a leisurely breakfast, Lisa started us off with a walk on the cliffs near her home. Stunning views. We then headed to Churchill island, which is a historical, working farm. Many diverse plants, different farm animals (the peacock was entertaining). They did have sheep, and a Shearing Shed! From there she drove us onto Phillips Island for a Koala sanctuary. It was mid-day and we were really expecting to see Koalas sleeping in trees. But the Koalas were in prime form. We even saw a wild Koala who was poaching on the sanctuary grounds! The most entertaining was ‘Roger’ who was a real ham for the camera. He came down his tree, walked and bellowed (mating season behavior), walked along a branch, and then posed for photos not 5 feet from the fence! I took a video of his movements that I hope will post.

A Koala just Chillin

Lisa then took us to the local seafood place and we had Fish & chips – even tho she doesn’t like fish! From there we headed back home for a rest, before the finale of seeing the Penguin March at sunset! I have a couple pictures of the area, but the penguins are quite small, so hard to see. And a shot of the 3 of us bundled up to watch!

The penguins head out to sea to feed, and returning after a few days to their burrows. Day in, and day out.

11/21: Thursday, day 22, 2025.11.20

A very early morning as Lisa, a horse 🐎reproduction vet, needed to collect seamen from a stallion to ship off to a customer whose mare was ready to receive. So we drove across Melbourne, thankfully the traffic was not super congested and we arrived earlier than anticipated.

Lisa had pointed out a good brekkie and coffee place about a mile from the stables. She let us drive her car! Thomas Suppan drove on the wrong side of the road and successfully delivered us to breakfast. We had expressly planned NOT to drive on this trip. That was probably a good choice as it really seems odd to drive on the left. We had a lovely breakfast with coffee and tea. We headed back to the stables just as Lisa was finishing up.

Then she drove us to her current home near the Golum (sp?) Valley. I only took one picture of all rock outcropping as we neared her property. Lisa has 3 horses and a couple steers and a super fantastic garden. I didn’t take any pictures of it today – my bad.

11/22: Friday, day 23, 2025.11.21

Lisa took us to see painted silos. We visited 4 sites. The community hired street artists (graffiti) to paint the silos in 2019, and it has become a tourist attraction for the area. Even on a Friday during business hours, we saw several folks at each site. The paintings usually referenced historical people/animals that were part of the towns history. The artwork was interesting and detailed. All were completed in less than two weeks of on-site painting time, although I am sure there was significant pre-planning in order to complete in that time.

One of many painted silos

11/22: Saturday, day 24, 2025.11.22

Lisa generously drove us into Melbourne to see the Botanical Gardens and the Victoria Museum. Such variety of flora and fauna in the Botanical gardens. I am starting to recognize some local plants. Several examples of New Zealand Flax, which is not at all like European Flax! They even had a cacti garden. The rose garden had an intensely aromatic rose – i captured a pic of Lisa smelling these, but did not get the label and name. In the fern garden, there were so many fronds that I photographed to see the fibinanci series in nature!

Melbourn Botanical Gardens

The art museum was mostly Art from outside Austrailia, although there were some Australian artists represented it was not Aboriginal at all. There were two HUGE candelabra, if I remember right they were Baccarat (sp) and from the Tsars of Russia.

It was another fabulous day in Australia!

11/23: Sunday, day 25, 2025.11.23

Lisa took us around the local area to see God’s creation in the Goorum valley. I tried to take pics of the signage at each spot, as my brain is getting so full of different memories!

Goorum Valley

We then headed back to Lisa’s home, had a late lunch and loaded our bags into the car. Yes, another travel day! I finished another round on my tatting in the car.

Our flight was fairly late…and 8 PM departure with arrival in Brisbane at 10 PM.

Typically not an issue but our destination was actually Mooloolaba (try saying that three times fast!) Which was just over an hour from the airport. We arrived at our hotel at midnight! We were totally beat.

11/24: Monday, day 26, 2025.11.24

Wow, still very tired from the day before, or maybe all our adventures have caught up with me!

Anyway, we were very low-key today. We went out for breakfast and it was delicious. Tom headed off to a Coles which was just a block from our hotel. I went back to the hotel to start laundry! The suite we have has a washer and dryer. Really lovely place, and a second bedroom for the Wallace’s when they join us on Wednesday.

While nice to have the washer & dryer, they were apt. Size, so it took 3 loads to get all our dirty laundry clean. And the dryer took forever! But it did get the job done, and was just the right activity level for me!

11/25: Tuesday, day 27, 2025.11.25

Well, after the relaxing day yesterday, I thought we would take a short walk and check out the beach and ocean water. Turned into a Long walk to reach the light house and painted water tower. Unfortunately we could not get to it because of the Mooloolaba river was the end of the boardwalk. It was a lovely walk. Very nice infrastructure. Pathway/boardwalk was well maintained. Beach access every 100 yds or so. With many showers along the way to since off salt water and sand. It was hot and humid, but a good breeze when close to the water. Shade is a valuable commodity!

Mooloolaba Beach

11/26: Wednesday, day 28, 2025.11.26

Can’t believe that tomorrow would be Thanksgiving at home! Hope all our friends have a great time with family and friends!

Walked the boardwalk in the opposite direction today. Made it to the Alexander beach area. Lots of surfers! Took it a bit slower than yesterday and did not walk quite as far, but it was a bit cooler than the day before.

After I went in the hotel pool which was not really big enough to swim in and was a bit chilly! Moving over to the hotel tub/jacuzzi was more relaxing. The jets on my left ankle felt SO good.

Relaxed thru the afternoon, anticipating the arrival of Stan Wallace and Karen Wallace . They arrived safely shortly after 8 PM.

11/27: Thursday, day 29, 2025.11.27

Happy Thanksgiving from ‘down under’!

We headed up the coast to Noosa for some kayaking on the Noosa river. We followed that with a 2.5 hour boat cruise on Lake Cootharaba. The lake is very large, yet very shallow. It is the gateway to the Australian Everglades! I did not know they had Everglades! Funnily enough, we are in the Austrailian state of Queensland and their state motto on their license plates is the ‘Sunshine State’. Very interesting tour, learned lots of facts about the area and what history took place near or on the lake. We headed back to our hotel and walked to the shop and restaurant area. A nice meal, but everyone was tired from all the fresh air!

11/28: Friday, day 30, 2025.11.28

Black Friday is a thing in Australia too…Who knew???

I think we all did a bit of online shopping, or price hunting!

Tom and Stan went for a jog fairly early, while Karen took a walk to try to reach the lighthouse! Stymied by the river access with bo bridge!

We headed to the beach to get in the ocean from the Sunshine Coast of Australia. Water was cool at first, but we quickly adjusted. The sun was very hot

Even with sunscreen, both Karen and I were a little pink!

We then ran to the post office so I could mail some postcards on our way to the Sea Life Aquarium. Again very interesting. A great collection of seahorses!

Seahorse

We then DROVE to the lighthouse access. It was convoluted in the car, but not as many traffic circles as Noosa. I think they were every 300m yesterday!

The lighthouse is appropriately on a point, and the other side was more beautiful beaches. Less people, and it looked like it went much deeper faster than the crescent beach by the center of Mooloolaba.  The lighthouse is quite modern in appearance…more resembles an ait traffic tower than a traditional lighthouse. The mural on the water tank was so representative of the nature and wildlife of the area. So glad we did get there! Of course, Karen is an avid lighthouse fan, and might have mutinied if we didn’t get there.

We then drove back to the wharf area for dinner. I had a nice salad, Karen Wallace had a bucket of prawns, Thomas Suppan had roast duck, and Stan Wallace had ribs. We were full again! We headed back to the hotel, and everyone spent a bit of time packing as we needed to get on the road for travelling tomorrow!

11/29: Saturday, day 31, 2025.11.29

Travel day.

We got an early start for the Bisbane Airport. It was such a blessing to have the Wallace ‘s for the past couple of days. And they rented a car, since they are competent Australian drivers by now! My sense of right and left has been even more confused while here. The driver on the other side of the car, and driving on the left really messed me up.

Rental car dropped off, and we headed in together, only to split as Karen Wallace and Stan Wallace went towards their Quantus flight, and we headed to Virgin Australa. We likely won’t see each other until December 2026!

Our flight was smooth and short. Yet another time change. We rode the subway back to our ‘old” Sydney stomping grounds. We checked into different hotel…the Sydney Hilton. Very nice accomodations with a view of the Town Hall, lite up for Christmas and the QVB.

Sydney from our hotel

We had dinner at a burger place in the Galleries, which is right next door to the Hilton. Thomas Suppan had a lamb burger that he quiteliked, while I had a grilled chicken with brie and a low carb bun. The bun was almond flour based, and very tasty.

We will have a good night’s sleep and a relaxing day tomorrow.

11/30: Sunday, day 32, 2025.11.30

Our last full day in Australia.

We did sleep in a little. Headed down for the hotel’s complimentary breakfast buffet. Quite the spread! Relaxing day planned. No real tourist viewing, but we are smack dab in the middle of the shopping district. We each went our own ways. I headed to a haberdashery ( such a fun word!) Called Morris and Sons. A very nice yarn store primarily. Then walked thru the QVB. They have a HUGE Christmas tree in the roundabout I photoed when we were last here. My destination was the Galleries and the Kinokuniya Sydney bookstore. I have been to their store in Seattle. Tons of books in both English and Japanese, and lots of specialty stationary items. So fun. I then checked out the Black Friday sales at the Ugg stores we had found with best prices. Still expensive!

Back to the room, for a rest and charge my phone. Tom came in with warm food from the basement food court. We had seen a fish place that closed before we could buy anything last time. He made sure to get there when it was still open.

I then headed down to the fitness center. They have a 25 m pool for lap swimming. I used the treadmill first, and they announced the pool was closing inn 15 min. So much for 24 hour fitness! Gym is open but not the pool! So i did not get a swim, but did get 10K steps in!

Spent the rest of the evening getting our bags repacked for the travel home tomorrow. We have had a GREAT time and are so blessed!

Flight tomorrow out of Sydney at 1150…and we land in Houston an hour earlier than we leave! That dateline thing is something!

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Our plan upon buying a home in South Carolina was/is to escape the most brutal Summer months.  This will usually involve a trip to our happy place at Steamboat, but this Summer the schedule didn’t work out.  So, we looked at the map for our next adventure.  Our timeshare club has two locations with RV parks:  one in Virginia (chronicled previously) and one in Wisconsin (Wisconsin Dells).  So, reservations in hand, we set off.  Travel was uneventful, and we earned a few Cracker Barrel points along the way.  We arrived at our site at “Christmas Mountain Village” and set up.  No issues.  (Amazing/boring).

We did very little research prior to our arrival, so we were surprised to find that Wisconsin Dells considers itself to be the water park capital of the world.  It may have a legitimate claim.  It has the highest concentration of indoor and outdoor water parks in the world, with over 200 water slides.  Spoiler Alert: Linda and I never actually made it to a water park.

Christmas Mountain Village is a ski resort.  Now, I’m not saying that it lacks anything in elevation, but most of the resort doubles as a golf course in the warmer months.  You can draw your own picture.

So, what DID we do while we were there?  Well, we did a wine tasting at an Alpaca ranch.  That was pretty cool, actually.  We got to hand feed Alpacas and then sample some local and international vintages.  The Alpacas were friendly, but more interested in the food than the people.

Wine and Alpacas, what more could you want from Wisconsin?

Bicycling.  This will amaze folks in the South: Wisconsin has this thing called “road shoulders”.  These are spaces, parallel to roads, where a bicycle can safely travel.  Amazing.  Some are even labeled as “bike lanes”, and they can go on for miles!  It was lovely!  I took several trips along non-busy roads, past endless farmlands (corn) and through woods and parks.  The moderate temperatures were most welcomed.

Wizards Quest.  Imagine an escape room inside a 3 level gymnasium (with internal walls).  Instead of the scenarios each taking place in their own space, the quests are spread across the entire space, overlapping with one another.  There are different environments, but your quest could take you through any and all of them.  You get quest information from a provided IPAD, plus from elements that you find along the way.  It was great fun for the two of us, whereas a full escape room scenario usually requires more players.  It was well done.

Wisconsin Ducks.  We did a Duck boat (WWII amphibious landing craft) tour in Boston many moons ago, so this was a go.  We go to see the Wisconsin River in the “lower Dells” section.  This is mostly canyon, with water carved walls and limestone towers.  We also did a boat tour on the upper Dells, which also has Canyons but is predominantly forested.  During the Depression, a wealthy philanthropist with vision bought several miles of land on the Wisconsin River and set it aside to be kept in its natural state.  His legacy continues to bless the area today.

Kayaking.  Of course, kayaking.  I mean, there was water, right?  John and Brook Gabris, whom I met through our local Charleston kayaking club,  are the Summer hosts for a campground on Lake Superior.  I had scheduled to Visit the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior through a commercial firm (5 days of kayak camping).  However, storm weather forced the company to cancel.  However, the weather eventually cleared, so I headed up to Little Sand Bay, pitched a tent for a couple of nights, and spent two days touring around the Lake Superior Sea Caves with John.  I was greatly surprised to discover how peaceful Lake Superior can be (except when it isn’t).  There were mild (1’ or less) surge waves on an otherwise glassy expanse of water.  We did a 3 mile open water crossing to Sand Island and explored the sea caves in the limestone cliffs.  When we started, the target island was shrouded in fog.  We may have angled a bit off course, but as we approached the wrong island we found our bearings and redirected.  There are numerous caves along the coast, many of which you can paddle into, as well as “worm holes” or short tunnels that you can paddle through.  We returned in sunlight and still calm seas.  The next day we drove to an area where there are Sea Caves on the mainland cliffs, accessible after a 2 mile paddle along the coast.  It was, again, a delightful paddle with a knowledgeable guide and pleasant companion.  I also got on the water in the Dells, both on the upper Dells and on Delton Lake.  Delton lake is a bit smaller than I expected, and ringed with development (since the Wisconsin River is not available in the area due to the preservation I mentioned above. 

Lake Superior sunset
You don’t see this view of Lake Superior every day

Cheese Curds.  Ok, not a place.  However, they are somewhat peculiar to Wisconsin.  Cheese curds are a side product of cheese making.  There is not a lot of byproduct per batch, so they are not common elsewhere.  However, there is so much cheese production in Wisconsin that there are enough curds for commercial sales.  Cheese curds have a similar density to Mozzarella, and can be consumed straight up or breaded and deep fried.  They are produced during the production of several types of cheese, so you can get Havarti curds, or cheddar curds.  They also come pre-spiced, for more variety.  Worth a try.  Oh, and regular cheese in Wisconsin is pretty good, also!

The Dells (overall).  In addition to water parks, Wisconsin Dells is home to a host of other entertainment venues.  Multiple Escape Room businesses, multiple Duck Boat businesses, Zip Lines, Ropes Courses, boat rides, boat rentals, miniature golf, full sized golf, themed restaurants, Animal Safaris.  It’s like Orlando, in the middle of a forested nowhere.  It has fun for all ages, but we were more inclined towards the forested nowhere.

After 3 weeks in Wisconsin, we headed east.  The primary motivation for our entire trip was to be in New Hampshire on 3 September.  That was my daughter’s 40th birthday.  (Impossible, right?).  This was all about vengeance.  24 years ago, my loving daughter, in a conspiracy with my wife, presented me with a 40th Birthday cake with a tomb and headstone on the top.  We ate the cake, but I kept the daughter-made ceramic headstone.  For 24 years.  On the 3rd, I got to return it.  Revenge is a dish best served cold!

Working with her husband, we ambushed her at Jenness Beach, NH.  We snuck up behind her as she lay upon her towel.  “We got some extra cake here, anybody wants some”.  Tactical surprise was achieved!  The cake was a food coma inducing chocolate torte, appropriately decorated with a grave and the words “With Sympathy”.  Amber’s reaction was worth the trip.

Amber with her birthday cake
Amber and the death of youth

Challenges.  It wouldn’t be a Suppan trip without challenges.  It would not shock any fellow RV’er if I say that RVs are not built to house standards.  In addition, the structure needs to survive barreling down the road, with all the bumps and twists.  Caulked seems come open over time, and moving parts stop moving.  I think that I’ve got the ceiling leak fixed.  That leak apparently started in Charleston.  It takes a bit of time for things to dry out, so I’m still holding my breath to see if I got the openings fully sealed.  Same with the sidewall leak which soaked the floor in a corner of the kitchen. 

Ok, leaks in RV’s are not rare.  Slide failure is less common.  For the uninitiated, slides are portions of the RV which extend outward when the RV is at rest, increasing living space.  The slide in our bedroom has failed.  I read that there was a means to manually extend the slide, via a nut on the bottom of the motor.  However, there is no direction regarding how to get to the bottom of the motor.  After several hours of searching, I found the area of the floor (from under the RV) that I needed to cut away in order to access the nut.  Using a drill, we were able to extend the slide on one side, while the motor on the other side continued to function.  Until it didn’t.  A volt meter reading confirmed that both motors were fried.  A couple of hours more of cutting unveiled the nut for the second motor.  Of course, you would need to switch back and forth between the sides to extend or extract the slide this way; one inch on the left, one inch on the right, repeatedly.  I put two new motors on order, and I’m hoping that “overnight air” really means “overnight”.

Update: motors arrived and installed.  Slide works wonderfully!  We were able to begin our journey home.

Further update: took the RV to a dealer in Charleston upon our arrival home.  The sidewall leak was due to a broken weld in the frame.  $4000 later, RV is sealed up tight.

We stayed at Colonial Beach, VA for a week. We got to visit some friends in Manassas, and visit a few sites we never got to when we lived there, like the VA State Capitol.

VA State Capitol Building

We also went to the Civil War Battlefield of Chancellorsville, where Stonewall Jackson was fatally injured. His absence at Gettysburg a few weeks later may have changed the outcome of the battle, and the war.

Granite Marker where Stonewall Jackson was shot
The location where Stonewall Jackson was shot
Tom and Linda at Chancellorsville

Our trip home included a stay at Kiptopeke State Park, near Cape Charles, VA. I taught kayaking at the annual Kiptopeke Sea Kayaking Symposium, sponsored by Cross Currents Sea Kayaking.  I had a blast, and helped 4 students get their first roll (a milestone in Kayaking!).

In what I can only attribute to Divine intervention, my departure from the kayaking symposium coincided with the arrival of my cousin Debbie and her husband Ken in Richmond, VA from Scottland.  Richmond is on the way to Charleston.  I had not seen Debbie in over 45 years!  (She lives in Scottland, so I’m claiming that as an excuse).  It was a joy to see her and Ken (whom I had never met).  We shared childhood memories and life updates.  It was wonderful!

Our return to Charleston was uneventful from there forward.  Yay!!

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Our Trek: Nemesis

Ok, I know that it has been a long while.  We left you last in Belize, back in November.  For my 3 remaining readers, I have a reasonable excuse for at least 3 months, which will generate much pity, but I will get to that.  Let’s just say for now that I am re-learning how to type with two hands. 

After Belize, we returned to Mobile, Alabama and then headed to Charleston to close on our new house.  All went well.  Tom rented a UHaul trailer and headed up to Manassas, VA to get our bed and a few other items out of storage.  With hired help, he loaded and returned without further ado.  It was beyond wonderful to have our bed back!  I guess we old folk can get cantankerous regarding what we put our backs on.

Then, we were once again off to Steamboat.  I won’t overload you with details on that.  One fabulous multi-week stay in Colorado ski country is so much like the next one, but we did have a blast!  The snow was plentiful, and conditions were awe inspiring.  During one 7 day period we had 4 feet of snow fall.  It just kept pilling up! 

Truck, half covered in snow
It piles up!

However, you will be glad to know that there was some work involved.  Linda’s dad has a larger Condo in Steamboat, in the same building as ours.  It is available to us at any time.  So, we decided to sell our condo and pay off our new home.  This meant removing everything that we wanted to keep from our condo and either putting in the Somers condo, or taking it back with us.  Also, for those of you with a weirdly effective memory, we still had our storage trailer (remember that accursed thing?) with many of our possessions (such an appropriate word) in Colorado.  I put 4 new tires on it and we drove it back to South Carolina.  So far, so good.  With the addition of the trailer goods, our house was now adequately, though sparsely, outfitted.

Linda’s fabric studio is the top floor.  I don’t mean “on the top floor” I mean “the whole top floor”.  This is approximately 1000 sq feet.  To normal people, that would seem to be a lot!  Reality check: she is squeezing to make all her stuff fit.  It was carpeted.   That may seem great, but not for a fiber room.  Linda’s activities invariably produce small bits of string, cloth and fiber which imbed themselves into carpet like a half-consumed tootsie pop in a 5 year-old’s hair.  So, the carpet had to go, to be replaced with “Luxury Vinyl Plank”.  It made no sense to fill the room with stuff and then set about replacing the flooring, so Tom prioritized this project.  Number 1 with a bullet!  Until…

OK, so here is where my pitiable excuse for not updating this website comes in.  Long story short; (or shortening story short, if you like leading puns:) Tom fought the saw, and the saw won.  All four fingers on the left hand were impacted, with the middle finger cut to the bone, and the ring finger cut through the bone, but still attached.  The fingers were sewn up in Frankenstein style at the ER. 

Three fingers, palm side, with obvious fresh stitches
Tom was in Stiches

This was most inconvenient, and delayed the floor project by a good 2 weeks.  (Parenthetical note: This was in early March.  Now, in early June, I have recovered enough feeling in the fingers that I can type with both hands, but I make a lot of mistakes with the left one (think “e”, “w”, “s”, and “d””).)

We still had a lot of stuff in Manassas for which we were renting 2 storage bays.  So, Tom and Linda headed up to Manassas for a trailer load, taking our own trailer, now with us from Colorado (this will be very pertinent later).  We managed to squeeze in visits with just a few friends, then headed back to SC.  Storms were forecast for late afternoon, and indeed we hit torrential rain once in SC.  Then 40 miles from home, we are flagged down by a passing motorist.  I look back, and there are sparks flying from the underside of the trailer.  We are in a construction zone, with no place to pull off, so we spark on down the highway until we can pull off.  The issue was obvious: the wheel is completely missing on the right side of the axel that we didn’t replace.  The hub was bent, and various parts were roadway grinded.  Then, the rain we had passed through caught up with us.  We limped into a truck stop, and got the OK to leave the trailer there overnight.  We unhitched and drove home.  The next morning, we arranged for a flat-bed tow to bring the trailer to our house.  (40 miles at flatbed rates = $800)  Ouch.  Over the next couple of weeks, Tom YouTubed his way through replacing the axel.  He also figured out how to wire the electric brakes (they had not worked up to this point).  Yay.  And we moved everything from the trailer into the house, which was now markedly less sparsely furnished.

At this point, the trailer and Tom were not on the best of terms.  This relationship continued to deteriorate.

Another trip  to Manassas was needed to get the last of our things.  This was a very short turn-around trip.  On the way up, near Florence, SC, Tom glanced in the side mirror and happened to see a wheel rolling past.  Suspecting the worst, Tom pulled over and confirmed that the roll-away was indeed off the trailer.  The bolt holes in the rim were now each over 1 inch in diameter AND all five bolts were sheared off.  This wheel was off the axel Tom had just installed.  We slow rolled our way down the highway to a Walmart for a new wheel, and to Advance Auto for 5 new lug bolts.  With a few borrowed tools (the guys at Advance Auto were Awesome!) the lugs were replaced and we were again on our way.  We arrived in Manassas about 3 hours later than anticipated, but we made it.  The trailer was packed the next day, and we closed out the leases on the storage.

Return trip: within 15 miles of Florence, SC (See above) we were signaled by a trucker.  Another emergency pull-off.  This time, one of the wheel hubs (older axel) was pretty much on fire.  Smoke poured from the wheel.  The wheel came off without being unbolted.  The entire wheel assembly had melted down.  A quick google search located a farm service store that had wheel hubs.  We left the trailer by the side of the road, and were off to do some shopping!  The store had everything needed, as long as you knew what it took.  Another google search revealed the mysterious contents of a wheel hub, which I collected from various bins and took to the cash register.  I checked out as the store was closing.

The previously molten hub required considerable time, physical force, and dubious use of tools to disassemble, but the job was completed, in daylight, and we completed the journey home.  The next day we emptied the trailer and soon parted with that demon-possessed infernal hunk of metal, wood and rubber.  We are happy to rent to meet all future trailer needs!  Then again, I am never moving from this house until the moving vehicle is a hearse, so I should be good without any trailer (except maybe one for kayaks).

A white Box Trailer
The Nemesis of the title; the Demon Trailer

We are delighted to report that we have found our new church home, Harbor City Church.  Linda has signed on as a greeter, and Tom has worked a few projects for it.  Tom is connected with a local paddling group, and has gone on several extended kayak journeys. 

Sunset
Sunset at Seabrook Island, Wavepaddler Kayaking Symposium

Linda has connected with the local knit wits, sorry, knitters, and spinners, and quilters, and… you get the picture.  She has also joined the Magnolia Gardening Club.  This is mostly to get help identifying what is growing in our yard!  The previous owner believed in promoting the use of local plants.  Not being locals ourselves, it is difficult sometimes to distinguish between what should be fertilized and what should be pulled.

Flowers in the Garden 1
Flowers in the Garden
Flowers
More Flowers
And Yet More Flowers
OK, they look like flowers to me
Frog on a large leaf
Ok, definitely not flowers, but I’m going for the cuteness factor

 We have come to terms with South Carolina Summer in a manner best exemplified by the phrase “sweat happens”.  Holding off sweat with an anti-perspirant is like holding off a herd of charging bison with a flyswatter.  Rather, you just surrender to the sweat, allow it to wash over you, and know that everyone else is pretty much sticky and smelly also.  It is an amazing feeling of freedom once you get there.

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  1. Wecome back to blogging! We’ve missed you! Your fingers look gross. Your adventures are THE BEST! Just curious..how many miles have you two traveled since you retired? I am happy your settling in and have all your stuff, for now. (I personally believe you have more stuff somewhere and will have to go get it – cant wait to hear about that!) Yes, your summers are sweltering. Been there, done that. I am glad Linda has a space of her own. I am also happy Tom is kayaking – the salt water will help heal his gross fingers – kayaking also promotes peace of mind. (so my sister tells me). Glad that trailer has left you. I bet when you see other people towing one of those, you both just shake your head and say “oh, I remember when…..”. Your flowers are beautiful, I know absolutely nothing about plants, I believe plants, pets, kids, jobs, stuff like that is called responsibility and I want nothing to do with that word. We are happy you two are safe and settling in. We speak of you often.

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Just so some of you don’t need to go google searching, I will tell you: Belize is just South of Cozumel, Mexico, on the Gulf of Mexico (at least, that’s what we still call it for now).  It is a small, tropical country where English is the predominant language.  We stayed near the city of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, which is an island off the coast accessible by ferry or plane (we took the plane). 

Linda and Tom standing in front of a colorful sign with the letters "San Pedro, Belize"
We made it!

We rented a house via VRBO right on the beach, with a private pool and dock. 

Multi-colored house under palm trees, with beach and ocean in front
Our Belize Accommodations, shot from our private dock
Ocean shoreline, lined with palm trees and boat docks
The view from our private dock
A thatch covered dock on the ocean
The view of our Dock

This was a great family trip, as we were joined by son Nate, daughter Amber, son-in-law Dave, and Linda’s dad, Joe.  Joe may be in his 90’s, but he definitely hasn’t given up on his bucket-list!

Ambergris Caye has one major road running the length of the island, with two parallel roads in the vicinity of the major city, San Pedro.  Most domestic water comes from individual cisterns, filled by rainwater from the roof (and, as I later saw, from the drains of air conditioner units.  Drinking water is from bottles.  That’s not to say that it is primitive, we had internet, cable TV, running (hot) water, etc.  The house was well furnished.   We were met at the airport by the house owner’s representatives, who guided us to our residence in golf carts.  That may seem odd, but golf carts outnumber automobiles by a 20 to 1 ratio. 

Golf carts in a tropical setting
The major mode of transportation; Golf carts

There isn’t anyplace that is really far to get to on the island, so you don’t need to get anywhere very fast.  Also, the salted air plays havoc on metal, so a car’s lifespan wouldn’t be very long.  We found the golf carts that we rented to be entirely sufficient for our purposes for the two weeks we were there.

What does one do on Ambergris Caye?  It should not surprise you that most activities involve water.  Amber took an ocean swim out to the encircling reef, ½ mile out.  I accompanied her in a tandem sit-on-top kayak which came with our rental.  It wasn’t the fastest or longest kayak trip I’ve taken, but it was good to accompany Amber, as the waters are criss-crossed by pleasure boats, fishing boats, the ferry, and cargo boats.  A swimmer would be invisible.  At least the kayak would have provided a dull “thud” when hit, before sinking.  Fortunately, there was no issue, and Amber was the only one in the water for that trip.

Surely there was more to do!  Yes, you are right.  Linda, Dave, Amber and I went out on a speed boat and Amber and I went tandem parasailing.  The view was spectacular, as we got up about 300 feet.  We saw several rays in the water beneath us, and we got an almost too close view of a cargo ship passing below.  The ride was most gentle, the landing was easy, and I would recommend it to anyone not terribly afraid of heights. 

Tom and Amber suspended from a parachute being pulled by a boat
Tom and Amber Parasailing

But wait, there’s more!  The whole lot of us took a dinner cruise on a sailboat.  It was a private charter and a 3 hour tour.  The sunset was spectacular, and cruising along on the front deck, staring at the stars above was almost magical.

Ok, now for heightened adventure.  Amber, Dave, Nate, Linda and I went snorkling.  First, we dropped in on a reef for a view of the fish.  Next, we went to shark-ray alley, which lived up to it’s name.  The area originally became know for its shark population because it is where the fishing boats would clean their fish.  Now the snorkel charters keep the denizens there by feeding them as the divers jump into the water.  This may sound hazardous, but they are all nurse sharks, which are not hazardous to humans.  Once the feeding started, the sharks came by the dozens!  I simply could not get a good count, as we were mobbed.  They ranged in length from 4 to 9 feet.  I loved it!  So did the rest of the group.

Ok, now for more coolness:  Amber, Dave, Nate and I then went scuba diving.  The reefs off Belize are world famous for their color and variety of life.  We were not disappointed.  The soft corals and sea fans were plentiful, there were fish everywhere, including 30 lb plus groupers, and we saw sharks on.  To the nurse sharks we had previously seen were added Caribbean reef sharks, which are also not inclined toward feeding on humans.  For perspective, I have 70 plus dives under my belt and I’d previously only seen one shark in the wild.    We did 6 dives over 3 days, and on every dive we saw sharks.  We also saw numerous sea turtles, which are just really cool!  As an added bonus, Amber and Dave also got their advanced scuba diver certifications.

Not all the creatures of Belize are in the water.  We did not see any of the legendary jaguars, but the iguanas were regular visitors to our villa, and everyplace else we went.  As we were walking back to the road from our parasailing adventure we came upon a tree that was loaded with some very large specimens.  The largest was at least 5 foot.  They put on an impressive display of grunting and waiving their neck sacks.  Ok, that may not sound very impressive to you, but to another iguana: major impact!

Iguanas clinging to a thicket of tree branches
Look Close! How many iguanas can you count?

As our days dwindled, we took a ½ hr golf cart trip up to “Secret Beach”.  Ok, there is no way it is actually a secret; the place is well developed, with a great infrastructure, pagodas, beach chairs, trinket kiosks, and staff available to fill you hand with a drink as quickly as you can think of it.  I guess the reason it is “secret” is that the paved road ends well before you get there.  You bounce along in your golf cart (I mean that literally) on several miles of unpaved road before the concrete returns, signaling that you are near.  It was a pleasant diversion for the day.

Tom, Linda Amber and Dave reclining on loungers at a tropical beach
I don’t see how you could call this beach a secret!

We did not spend any time on mainland Belize, except at the airport.  However, it would be worth a return trip.  Archeological digs there uncover new pyramids and cities on a regular basis.  If, like me, you have a thing for Aztec and Mayan history/culture, it’s a great place to visit.

Other highlights: Virginia and Dwaine.  We decided to hire a cook for most of our dinner meals.  They came with the food prepared to cook, and provided us with a variety of meals catered to our requests.  Amber and Dave eat very little meat, so on the days that meat was on the menu, Virginia and Dave prepared for them a different protein.  We had a wide variety of food, most of it influenced by the local cuisine, including fresh caught snapper and conch.  They were a joy to chat with while they prepared and served our meals, and we learned much about local customs and culture.  It was a special highlight of our trip.

Virginia and Dwaine join Amber, Dave, Joe, Linda, Nate and Tom, mugging for the camera
Virginia and Dwaine pose with our crew

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  1. Wow, what a beautiful place! You all look so happy. In ref to the Iguanas, umm I only count 1…please mark up the image and resubmit…lol. Your adventures are dreamy, almost like I am there! So glad retirement is treating you well. That is what its all about, being well …in your soul. Waiting on your next post….

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August saw Linda and Tom looking at houses near Steamboat for a stationary home.  Both of us miss the connection to community that we had back in Manassas, and decided that it was time to put down roots.  Housing in Steamboat is quite expensive, so we looked at nearby communities, within 30 miles.  After much research and looking at multiple houses, we settled on a log house in Clark.  We talked with our real estate agent about putting in a bid.  While we were still working on that, the agent came back and said that the seller’s agent told him that the sellers were pretty firm on their price.  This caused us to do some serious soul searching.  As we were initially deciding to buy in Steamboat, we agreed that we would only stay for 10 years.  We realized at the time that living in icy conditions may not be optimal when we are approaching 80.  Now, we were also considering how long it stays cold in Steamboat (the first snows often come in September, and the snow doesn’t stop falling until May).  With the ardor for the house we fell in love with fully cooled, we decided that the condo was quite sufficient for our needs in Colorado, and our roots would be better planted elsewhere.

Previously, we had considered settling in Charleston, SC.  We talked about it even before our son Nate decided to settle there, but his presence added incentive.  As things work out, we were already headed  to the area.  We had decided to visit Savannah, Georgia in Late September/early October, and we had reservations at a Campgrounds that is mid-way between Savannah and Charleston.  However, before that, we had an appointment on the Virginia eastern shore.  Late September is time for the annual Kiptopeke Sea Kayaking Symposium.  Last year’s event was blown out by a tropical storm (see Episode 8 for details).  Tom was very much looking forward to the chance to teach at this year’s event.

Our reservations were at a campsite called Virginia Landing.  I’m not sure what landed there, but they didn’t leave much behind!  It has the basics; electric, water, and some have sewage hook-ups, which we were blessed to obtain.  The campsite is 5.5 miles south of the thriving metropolis of Quinby.  Quinby is a fishing community.  It has its own post office!  And a dock.  That’s about all there is to be said about it.  Once you pass through Quinby (which happens very quickly) the road has no branches until you reach the campsite at the end.  The road actually runs on a peninsula which is parallel to the mainland.  Ok, admittedly, there is a golf course on the penninsula.  During the many times a drove past during our 2 week stay, I don’t recall seeing a single golfer.  However, the course is well maintained, much to the delight of the resident deer population.  Between the golf course and the farmers fields, I did not travel that road once without seeing deer.  On one trip (on my bicycle) I counted 42 along the way.  The campground itself had about the same level of attractions as the rest of the peninsula, but it served as sufficient lodging while I attended the symposium. 

The Kiptopeke Symposium was great fun.  Tom has been attending since 2012, first as a student and now as an instructor.  The first day there he taught rolling.  He was able to help several students make progress in their journey toward an effective roll.  For most, it is a long journey.  It took Tom a year of working and practicing before he had a reliable roll.  Most people work through many sessions to get there, so he wasn’t expecting a 100% success rate.  However, significant progress was made.  The second day was teaching “Introduction to rougher water” with Brian Blankenship, an instructor Tom has known for 12 years or so.  The students were paddlers with experience on flat, calm waters, but little ocean experience.  We took them out to areas of moderate wave, with currents and winds.  For most, it was the first time they had attempted an “open water” crossing of about a mile.  They successfully gained experience in a moderate ocean environment.  It was another good day.  The third day of instruction was again rolling.  Most students saw significant progress, and one got her first roll!  Yay!  It is always exciting for an instructor when a student gets their roll.  I guess it’s like being a flight instructor and your student flies solo.  Once you roll, you are ready to tackle more challenging conditions and learn how to kayak surf, which is great fun!

Kiptopeke wrapped up and we headed toward Savannah.  We overnighted at the Cracker Barrel in Florence, SC, as Hurricane Helene came through.  Winds rocked the RV a bit, and the rain fell pretty heavy.  By morning, nothing but puddles faced us, so we were on our way.  However, conditions at our campsite in Yemassee, SC did not weather the storm so easily.  We got a call while travelling there that trees had fallen and blocked access to the campsite.  Also, the electricity was out an restoration uncertain.  We took our time getting there, stopping for groceries and supplies along the way.  Our RV has a generator, so when we got the message that the entry was open, we went to the campsite and set up.  The generator worked fine for us and we settled in.  There was still a lot of standing water from the heavy rains, and branches down everywhere.  I will note that over our three week stay there, the put a lot of effort into getting everything cleaned up nicely.  Power was restored two days after our arrival.  Helene was little more than an inconvenience for us.  As you may have heard, others were not nearly so fortunate.

We had contacted an agent in Charleston, and we started looking at houses.  We had looked online at houses over a wide geographic range near Charleston, and our agent dutifully drove us all over the place to view our selections.  Over the course of the first 8 days, we realized that while some of the communities in the area are lovely, ultimately we wanted to be relatively close to the water (due to Tom’s Kayaking) while staying far enough away that the house didn’t have a basement pool every time the tide was high. 

Ultimately, we selected a home with a neighborhood pool (for Linda) and a neighborhood dock on the Stono River (for Tom).  We are a 30 minute drive from the Ocean, which seams just about right. 

Our new home in Charleston, SC. Closing 16 December 2024

Tom has several friends and acquaintances in Charleston that he has made through kayaking. 

Tom in a yellow kayak, Charleston Harbor
Tom in Charleston Harbor, kayaking with Ashley Brown

That will make the transition to this new area much easier.  Linda has already begun to connect with local sewing/knitting/weaving/spinning groups as well.  We close on the house in December.  We will have plenty of room for visitors, with two guest bedrooms, each having their own bathroom.  Y’all come on down and stay a while!

In keeping with our original plan, we did spend a couple of days in Savannah. The city squares are quite beautiful, and there is so much history to explore.

Oak Tree draped in Spanish Moss, Savannah
One of Savannah’s 16 city squares

We also hit the museum and encountered this statue, which may be familiar to some. It no longer resides in Bonaventure Cemetery as the site-seers became overwhelming after the book came out.

Bird Girl, from the cover of “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”, a tale of Savannah

The plan for the second half of October was two weeks in the Florida Keys (without the RV).  We drove the camper to Mobile, Alabama and set up there.  Then we left Toby with Linda’s dad and we drove to Marathon Key.  I will note that although Highway 10 was clear all across Northern Florida, Hurricane Helene had left its mark.  An unending string of downed trees lined the highway from Jacksonville to Tallahassee.  The crews were out cleaning up, but the magnitude of the work will keep them busy for a while.  Driving from Alabama to the Keys took us through Orlando.  Here, Milton had also left reminders.  We didn’t see the devastation that Milton left on the Gulf Coast, but there was evident wind damage and highway signs down.  However, as it happens, the Keys were pretty much unaffected, and our accommodations there are in prime shape.  So far, we have been to the Sea Turtle Hospital (turtles really are adorable)

Turtle Sanctuary
Entrance to the Turtle Sanctuary
Baby Turtle
Baby Turtle: what could be cuter?

the Dolphin Research Center, and we went to Key West for the Sea Wreck Museum and the Mel Fisher Museum (if you are into Scuba Diving or Treasure Hunting, you may have heard of the $400M wreck he found after 16 years of searching, the Atocha). 

It was “Fantasy Week” in Key West.  Apparently, there are lots of guys whose fantasy is to walk around in a Tutu.  More power to them.  We ended our Key West visit in Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Restaurant.  Linda had the seafood platter.  Tom had a cheeseburger.  If you are a Parrot head, you understand. 

Tom and Linda at Margaritaville, Key West
Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, Key West

Staying on Marathon key.  This last week, the winds are all 15 – 20 MPH.  Last week it was only 10, and Tom did some kayaking and bicycling. It’s not that Tom CAN’T kayak in 20 MPH, having repeatedly done so.  However, experience says that it is a slow slog, and not nearly as much fun.  That pretty much goes the same for the bicycling, with the added thrill of potentially getting blown off one of the bridges linking the keys.  I know, whiney-crying retiree problems.

We found this great locals bar, Dockside.  Sunday night is “jam night”.  There is a band, but they rotate in musicians from the locals crowd. They are all known players, so they just step in and start jamming.  The music is all 70’s or so, and most of the folks have probably been playing the songs since Casey Casem first put them on his top 40.  One of the bassists needed help with his walker to make it on the stage (not a joke).  The music is awesome!  The lead drummer rotated out, but none of the locals stepped-up.  A German Tourist in his early 30’s volunteered.  The dude knew how to swing a stick!  His PARENTS probably heard the songs when they first came out, but clearly they had raised him right.  Oh, and the place serves a pretty good fish-abnd-chips.

It has been a good time!

3 comments

  1. WOW! That is ALOT. I feel like you two were penned up for years and have just been let loose! We could never keep up with all you do! The house is absolutely beautiful! What an awesome choice. I hope it has a “place” for Tom’s tools, he has spoken about missing them. And a room for Linda, with lots of sunlight, to show all her beautiful work. We are so happy with your adventures and decisions…welcome back to the east coast…we missed you.

    Reply

  2. Exciting news ! Thrilled to hear about your adventures and your new home base. We look forward to seeing you both some some where in the path of all of our travels in kayaking and camping and other adventures.
    Much love – Woody and Mary

    Reply

    1. Indeed! We will have plenty of room, and two guest rooms! I’d even like to have our group come down here for a weekend or so for some paddling. I know that the travel would be longer than to Kiptopeke, but it is a lovely location. We could have beds for 4 in the house, and another 4 in the camper! Just a thought. Will you be doing the June/July Kipto in 2025? If in June, I could possibly make it. I would very much like to see all of you again!

      Reply

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We arrived back in Steamboat at the start of June.  You have probably noticed that this is a common destination for us.  Linda first visited here in 1978 with her family.  I came in December of 1983, shortly after we married.  I had skied back east for 10 years or so, and could handle anything the mountains there threw at me.  However, the night I arrived in Steamboat in 1983, we received 14” of fresh powder.  I excitedly hit the slopes with Linda.  I don’t use the word “hit” in a figurative sense.  I hit them forward, backward, on both sides, and I’m sure with the top of my head.  After about two hours of my flailing antics, Linda finally turned to me and said “I thought you said you knew how to ski”.  It was not my proudest moment, but I was undeterred.  By the end of that visit (which included several feet more of snow) I was able to make it down most of the slopes with my equipment, and my dignity, mostly intact.  I’ve been hooked ever since.  A couple of decades ago, we started coming here in the Summer, and fell in love with this place all over again.

Steamboat Ski Resort during the Summer
Steamboat Ski Resort from Emerald Mountain across the Yampa Valley

  The ski mountain is open for biking, and there are numerous well-maintained trails.  Also, right next to the Steamboat downtown (about 3 miles away) is Emerald Mountain, which is spider-webbed with a multitude of trails of varying difficulty and slope.  Unlike the ski mountain, biking uphill is not always a 10% grade!  But wait, there’s more!  The entire area around Steamboat has extensive mountain bike trails. In addition, there is an extensive network of gravel roads, AKA dirt roads, which has become very popular.  They even have a 100 mile “Tour de Steamboat” organized gravel ride in July, and the “Gravel Grinder” in August.  And just to put the cherry on top, the people around here are very “bike friendly”.  In Alabama, to be honest, every time I went for a ride a would get honked at, sworn at, or some other foolishness.  I would often go for 20 plus mile rides and not encounter another bicyclist.  In Steamboat, just about everybody rides.  Using bikes for chores or other transportation is quite common.  You also see lots of parents with kids, either on separate bikes or on bikes made for multiple riders.  It is just a great place to bike, but wear your sunscreen!

We came to Steamboat in June this year so I could kayak the Yampa River, which actually runs through Steamboat.  I’ve kayaked it in July and August previously, when the flow was in the 300 – 500 cfm (cubic feet per minute).  That was fun.  However, June is when the river flow peaks from the snow melt.  I managed to get out on the peak flow day, which was 3500 cfm.  That was a wild ride!  There was no paddling off cliffs, but I could reasonably compare some sections of it to the course used for the Kayak Cross competition in the Olympics.  It was worth coming early.

A Kayaker (not me) on the Yampa
Tom holding a paddle, standing by two kayaks, at the edge of the water.
Tom getting ready to paddle

I am a big fan of recumbent bikes.  As you know, if you’ve been following, I have a Bachetta Aero which I’ve been keeping with the RV.  I didn’t bring it to Steamboat because of, well, the hills.  They are doable on a mountain bike, because of the gearing.  Also, you can pedal a mountain bike at 2 mph and still keep it upright.  However, the Bachetta will simply fall over below 5 mph.  Yes, I’ve done this.  It is not a highlight.  So, on the way to Steamboat I picked up a three-wheel recumbent by Catrike.  This would have resolved the “falling over” problem, but still would have left the hills insurmountable.  To tackle the hills, I added an assist motor.  With a little help from a facebook group, I got the motor installed and everything working. 

Tom's Electric assist, three-wheeled recumbent trike
My tricked out Trike

Some would say that I’m just motorcycling, but it is not that easy.  I still need to pedal, and I keep the assist on the lowest level.  It really takes the edge off the long, steep hills, which lets me go further.  I’m regularly doing 40 plus mile rides, and seeing parts of the surrounding area that I’ve never been to before.  It’s a lot of fun.  Of course, I’m also riding my mountain bike, and struggling up the hills, in very low gears.

Let’s see; biking and White Water kayaking.  Not bad, but what else?  OK, I also took some friends kayaking on Steamboat Lake.  Two of the people were in the 8 – 10 age range.  I love teaching kayaking to kids.  They get the joy of it!  And Steamboat Lake is a really beautiful location.  The lake is about 2 Square Miles in area, and all contained in a State Park.  It’s kind of ideal (and I will be talking more about the area later).

At the end of July I flew out to Sacramento to meet with my two brothers.  Rick lives in Sacramento, and Jim had flown out from Pennsylvania.  The primary purpose of our trip was to scatter mom’s ashes in San Francisco Bay.  My brother Rick has a large fishing boat, which was our conveyance for this mission.  Oh, and we also went fishing.  The ashes were spread near Alcatraz (no hidden meaning there).  Rick and Jim both caught sand sharks (2-3 ft long), plus some other local fish that wasn’t much bigger than the bait.  I got two bites, both of which immediately severed my line.  These were most likely sharks, but not of the toothless sand shark variety.  I’m not totally disappointed about NOT hauling something toothy into the boat.

The Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge from the overlook on the Presidio
Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island/Prison in San Francisco Bay

While there, Jim and I also visited Sutter’s Mill.  This was the location of the first gold discovery in California.  They were building a sawmill for lumber to build San Francisco.  It was to use the power of the Sacramento River to power the mill.  In the runoff area (where the water goes after turning the paddlewheel) they first found gold.  In the end, the sawmill never saw much use because once gold was found, Sutter couldn’t get workers willing to do the menial task of running the mill.

Site on the Sacramento River where Gold was found at Sutter's Mill
Original Site of Sutter’s Mill
Replica of Sutter's Mill
A replica of Sutter’s Mill, recreated 50 yards from the original location

Linda continues with her spinning, weaving, and knitting endeavors.  Once again, she has entered several projects in the Routt County Fair.  Last year she won several awards, and continued this year. 

Woven Table Napkins
Woven Table Napkins
Woven Purple Scarf with Routt County Fair Award Ribbons
Woven Purple Scarf
Knitted multi-color socks
Knitted Multi-color socks

The year coming up will be quite eventful, but you will hear about that in future blogs.  I am enjoying the variety of experiences we are having, and the amazing places we are visiting.  We have several friends here in Steamboat, and I am enjoying the times we spend together.  However, I’m starting to miss having a purpose.  That’s not the same thing as having a job; I don’t miss that.  It’s more about helping others.  To do that, I think that I’m going to need to get more connected to the community, and figure out where my skills and abilities can be applied.  I’ve been to two “trail maintenance” days, one river clean-up, and provided support for a mountain bike race.  That’s a start, but I want to do more.  That need may be the limiting factor in how long we want to remain “homeless”.

2 comments

  2. WOW!!! YOU ARE SO BUSY! When we read your blog its like we are with you…how awesome, all the adventures and all the reflections..lol. Love the bike story…falling over…we did laugh. And Linda’s work is so precise and beautiful I can’t imagine her not winning. I am glad you took care of your mom this summer…it means a lot, you haven’t forgotten, respect and love, how wonderful. Your blogs are interesting, insightful and funny…print each one and publish for all the people who only dream!! We will be waiting for our…no – your…next adventure!!

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I last wrote of our times in Florida (Disney World and Universal Studios)  We next spent 2 weeks at Peace River, Florida, 70 Miles South of Orlando.  While at Peace River, Tom headed a bit north, solo, to Seabrook Island (near Charleston, SC) to attend the first, hopefully annual, Charleston Paddling Symposium.  This was hosted by two most excellent friends and paddling instructors, Ashley Brown and Jeff Atkins, who operate “WavePaddler” in Charleston, SC.  I have learned much from them over the years, and greatly benefited from their friendship.  The symposium brought together an amazing group of Sea Kayakers, many of whom I’ve met before.  It is a gorgeous setting, and we had great fun plying the ocean while further developing skills.

Tom returned to Florida, picked up Linda (and the RV) and headed back to Charleston.  We left Florida for a visit with our son in Charleston, SC.  A primary purpose for this visit was for Tom to drive Nate to Mobile, Alabama for Nate to pick up a 2004 Volkswagen Bug owned by his late grandmother.  Ok, it’s not exactly a “chick magnet”, but it is low mileage and reliable transportation.  We will call this “bonding time” for Tom and Nate. 

While there, Tom and Linda visited Fort Sumpter, in the Charleston harbor.  This was where the first shots of the Civil War were fired, when southern troops fired upon the federal fortress.  The fort was, at the time, much larger and imposing that the remaining ruins.  Eventually, after days of heavy bombardment, the Federal forces were allowed to retreat to the Federal ships which were then blockading Charleston harbor.  Did you know that the island upon which Fort Sumpter resides is man-made?  I didn’t, either.  There was probably a shoal there at the time, and it was built up to support the fort.  There is a land bridge to the island during low tides, but it is covered at high tide.

Fort Sumpter
Fort Sumpter, Charleston Harbor
Fort Sumpter Sign
Fort Sumpter Sign
A cannon inside Fort Sumpter
A cannon inside Fort Sumpter

Tom also had the opportunity to do some sea kayaking with a few of his paddling buddies from the area.  We did some surfing one day, and just paddled around in the harbor on another.

Next stop was Lake Anna, in Virginia.  Every year, the Chesapeake Paddlers Association puts on a weekend Kayaking Clinic at Lake Anna.  It is a great location, as the water is the cooling pond for the nearby nuclear station, so the water is 10 – 15 degrees warmer than anything else around.  The focus of the clinic is on improving the skills and safety of new paddlers.  Tom has been an instructor there for several years, and has also been known to sing a few songs around the campfire.  We stayed at Lake Anna State Park, which is a little known gem.  Late April was empty, and quiet.  The park is well laid out, with spacious campsites and clean facilities.  While we were there, our friends William and Alma Casaverde came to visit for a day.  It was wonderful to see them and talk while we strolled the wooded trails around Lake Anna.  It was a very special time.

Linda Suppan, William and Alma Casaverde, and Tom Suppan
Tom Suppan, Alma Casaverde, Linda Suppan, and William Casaverde

Onward to; Maryland.  This was primarily to feed Linda’s fiber addition.  No, not dietary fiber: sheep and wool.  The beginning of May sees the annual Maryland Sheep and Wool festival (yes, it’s a real thing).  Linda spent two days wandering among the sheep, goats, alpaca, and fellow fiberholics.  If you are into that stuff, it’s amazing.  If not, it’s inconceivable.

While we were in the area, we went to Gettysburg.  That was amazing!  It is apparently one of the most completely documented battlefields in America.  There are markers designating where corps and regiments fought.  The field where the most famous battle, Pickett’s Charge, took place just has to be seen to be believed.  The southern forces attacked across a wide open field into the face of Northern troops which held the high ground (ask Darth Vader how that works out!). 

Site of Pickett's Charge
Gettysburg, the site of Pickett’s Charge

General Lee thought that simultaneous attacks on the right and left flanks would spread the Union forces out and allow the charge to overwhelm the Northern Forces.  However, the flanking attacks never really materialized, and the men of Pickett’s Charge were mowed down like wheat.  The site marks the Northern most penetration of Southern Forces. 

Copse of Trees that Lee's men used as the focus of their attack
The Copse of trees that Lee’s forces attacked towards
The Angle, about 100 yards from the Copse of Trees. The most Northernly point attained by the army's of the South.
The Angle, about 100 yards from the Copse of Trees. The most Northernly point attained by the army’s of the South.

After Gettysburg, Southern forces were pretty much in retreat until their surrender at Appomattox, VA, almost 2 years later.

We also visited the Antietam/Sharpsburg battlefield.  This was yet another example of mass charges across open ground, resulting in mass casualties.  There was also a Union charge across a heavily protected bridge, which required multiple attacks before the Federal Forces finally made it across and secured both sides. 

The Bridge over the Antietam River.
North and South Armies waged a bloody battle to control this bridge.

This was also the site of the infamous “Bloody Lane”, where opposing forces fired at each other across a sunken farm road, from a distance of less than 50 feet.  5000 troops died at this location alone.  By the end of the battle, the lane was so full of bodies that you couldn’t walk the lane without stepping on them.

The Bloody Lane
The Bloody Lane. Soldiers fired from the wooden pickets on opposite sides of the road
Antietam open field, which changed hands 5 times during a single day of battle
Antietam open field, which changed hands 5 times during a single day of battle

What struck me most is that these two battles were not about securing a specific location.  The battles at Manassas/Bull Run, for example, were focused on disrupting rail traffic at a major junction.  That makes sense.  But Gettysburg and Antietam were simply about engaging the opposing army and killing as many of the opposing forces as possible.  I suppose that is a strategic outcome, but it makes it easy to understand why the Civil War was so deadly.  Well, at least the battles were army vs. army, and not the intentional killing of civilians we see today.

2 comments

  1. So awesome and interesting, thank you! It has been many years but I do love Charleston, S.C. We have also been to Antietam/Sharpsburg battlefield. Bloody lane, bridge and it was so quiet when we visited. Made me wonder about the ground we walk on today, who will walk on it in 162 years from now.. The kayaking sounds so cool & refreshing today (heat index over 100) and the sights you had to of seen. I know Linda loved the the sheep & wool festival, there is where her heart is! Eddie and I think of you both often and try to guess your next adventure! We know your having the best time…how is RV living?

    Reply

    1. Thank you Pam and Eddie. Great to hear from you!
      Weather in Steamboat has been perfect. Nights get down in the 40’s, with days in the 70’s and 80’s. The RV is still in PA, we are staying in our Steamboat Condo. We’ve started initial explorations into buying a house out here. We are thinking of actually buying next summer. We are enjoying the RV Travel, but we both miss the connection to community and having long-term, in-depth relationships. Also, I like to build things, so I miss my tools too! I already volunteered for a bike trail building effort, and next weekend I’ll be taking part in a river clean-up day. For the following weekend, I’m holding a kayak training day to teach rolling.

      Even if/when we buy a home, we will still keep and use the RV. We will just plan for shorter excursions (3 – 5 weeks). There are so many places out west here that we need to hit (Yosemite, the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, just to name a few). If you ever get out this way, let us know. We’d be glad to put you up and spend some time together.

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Break from Reality!
Anybody seen Tinkerbell

OK, we are at Disney World, but they now own Star Wars, and I’m not too cool for drool!  We went to the Magic Kingdom first, and relived our earlier days.  Back in College, a group of friends, including Linda and I, piled into three cars and did our Penn State Spring Break in Florida (1982).  We first hit Tampa, but did a day in Disney World.  This is probably where Linda and I first became “an item”, even though we were driving in separate cars.  So, it was fun to revisit the Magic Kingdom again.  At that park, things are astonishingly the same.  The one-liners on the Jungle Cruise may have evolved over the 4 decades ensuing, and they no longer shoot at the hippopotamus, but the Tiki Room, and Space Mountain, and all that was little changed.  I will mention that the Pirates of the Caribbean now includes multiple appearances of Captain Jack Sparrow, who did not exist in 1982, but was otherwise the same experience, also.  The whole day was a thorough immersion in nostalgia.

Can you guess?
Can you guess where this is?

Epcot Center didn’t even open until the fall of 1982, so that was totally new to me (Linda had been there on a “business trip”.  I really enjoyed Epcot, with the focus on different cultures.  Ratatouille was wahe y more fun than I expected.  We watched a Canadian Group perform (some fun, eh?), and bought unique varieties of English Tea.  The ride inside the big globe, which is the symbol for Epcot, was interesting.  It was a journey through the history of mankind.  It ended talking about the growing impact of a few young people tinkering in their garage.  Keep in mind, Jobs started in his garage in 1976.  So the ride was looking at that point in history from only 6 years later.  The Tiki Room probably started with computer banks the size of a house, and could now be run from a laptop.  Amazing.

These are not the Droids you are looking for
These are not the Droids you are looking for.

Disney Hollywood Studios had all the Marvel Themed rides and attractions.  That was great fun, and the Guardians of The Galaxy ride was wild.  For me, the real attraction was the Star Wars Environment.  The rides were amazing, and the atmospherics surrounding each ride were almost as noteworthy.  You felt like you were on a movie set (or the real thing, if you are delusional).  I didn’t wait the time required for a picture with Darth Vader, but the opportunity was there.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom was also very cool, and that is where the Avatar ride was.  That was pretty intense.  As I remembered and utilized some of the relaxation techniques that I learned during my abortive attempt at pilot training, I became more comfortable with the motions of the rides.  Several were challenging to my digestive retention.

Recommendations for Disney Visitors:  If you are planning to go for multiple days, spend a little less by getting the lightening pass and the park hopper addition and going half the number of days.  Lightening pass gets you in an expedited line.  It significantly decreases your wait times.  So, if you planned to go four days, one at each park, the expedited line, plus the park hopper option (allows you to move between parks in the same day) will allow you to do as much (other than line waiting) in half the time.  What you save in lodging, meals, and entry tickets will more than pay for the additions.  Also, if you are taking kids, which truly makes the experience complete, spending less time in lines is very much worth it.  Note, a few of the very popular rides have a reservation system.  It is just one ride per park. The system opens at EXACTLY 7:00am.  You want to be prepped and ready, because by 7:02 the reservations may be filled for the day.  If you are successful, you will be given a group number and an estimated ride time.  They will text you with your actual time as it approaches.  You then have a 1 hour window to make it to the ride.  You will get on fairly quickly.  Other suggestion; get to the park at opening, and immediately go to the one (nonb-reservation) ride that you most want to experience.  You have about a one-hour window before the line reaches full strength.

Bottom Line: Linda and I had a good time.  However, unless and until we have grandchild to take, I don’t see us returning.

And the next Universe

And the next Universe
And in the next Universe

We also did Universal Studios parks in two days.  We could have probably done it in one, if we wanted to push the “open to close” effort.  However, Toby was back in the RV, and we didn’t want him alone for two long.  Well, OK, that’s the official reason.  These old bones not being up to 12 hours of high-G rides had nothing to do with it.  The Harry Potter environment was enchanting. (Yes, I did that on purpose).  The rides were exciting, and the effort at creating the Diagon Alley area was impressive.  It is a “must see” for fans of the series (Books or Movie).  They also have the express lines, but they aren’t cheap here, either.

Harry Potter World

Harry Potter World

Diagon Alley

Diagon Alley

On a lighter note

Great fun!

After-note; Linda’s dad is doing well.  The heart pacer is doing it’s job, and he is adjusting to his new reality.

2 comments

  1. Finally! Glad to see your traveling again. Sounds like so much fun and love the mention of memories (and grand kids). You two look so relaxed! Where is the next adventure? We cant wait.

    Reply

    1. Hello, Pam and Eddie! We are again on the road. Working on my next update. It was a fun spring, with lots going on. We were even able to meet with some old friends from Manassas Baptist when we were in Fredricksburg, VA and then in Hershey, PA. It was wonderful to meet with friends. We feel very blessed to be able to do what we are doing!

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We are back in Steamboat.  We left Mobile on 16 January.  A cold front and ice storm had just swept much of the country.  We stopped in Shreveport, LA for  the night, and found it shrouded in ice.  Nothing moved.  It took considerable searching to find an open place to eat.  Careful ice-driving got us to our lodgings for the night, and onward the next morning.  Most of the city was still barricaded in, awaiting the warming sun to banish the unfamiliar glaze.

We stayed in Denver the second night, then onward to Steamboat (a three hour drive).  The snow covering is very good here.  We’ve been hitting the slopes on our skis, and I also snowboard.  I’ve also stepped out on the mountain in snowshoes.  “Isn’t it awfully cold?”  Well, the temps are low (single digits at night, highs in the 20’s and 30’s).  That sounds uncomfortable, but it is not.  The air is thinner (7000’ altitude) so it doesn’t take the heat from you as quickly.  Also, the air is dryer, which likewise doesn’t pull heat from you.  Also, you dress for the temperatures.  Heavy coats, hats, and gloves are standard.  If you are going to be outside for any extended period of time, thermal underwear or lined pants are just standard.  You can always dress for the cold, but there is a limit to how much you can undress for the hot.

I could try to describe it here, but pictures are better.

The view from Tomahawk ski run

We are here in time for the Steamboat Winter Carnival.  It happens every year, for the last 111!  It started as a means of beating back the mid-winter doldrums, but has morphed into a grand celebration and a celebration of the ranching traditions of Steamboat and the long history of excellent winter sports.  It is also a fund raiser for the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, which supports the development of youth winter sports athletes.  There are formal sports competitions which are part of it, but the real fun takes place on the streets of Steamboat Springs.  I captured some shots of the horse drawn ski shalom and the “donkey jump”, but I missed the shovel race (yes, the athlete rides a shovel, pulled by a horse), and the 5 person ski race (5 people on one pair of custom skis).  This town definitely has character.

View of the Ski Mountain from town. The main street is covered in snow for winter carnival
Downtown Steamboat, with the main street covered in snow for the winter carnival. The ski mountain is in the background
Kid's ski jump on the downtown main street
Kid’s horse drawn ski jumping during the 2024 Winter Carnival. Takes place on the main street through town.

I’ve never had the chance to ski so many days in a single year.  My skiing has markedly improved, and I received some excellent input from a couple of friends who were formerly ski instructors here.  I’m never going to be competitive at any of these winter sports, but I feel pretty good about my skill level.  Of course, the weather was perfect, with many blue-sky and sunshine ski days.  It actually feels pretty warm when the sun is shining down upon you as you ride the lift up, or ride the moguls down.  Snow coverage was also excellent; so far, Steamboat has had the most snow fall this season of any Colorado resort.  Sure, the resorts in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains have had more, but they are all closed due to the roads!  Steamboat is currently at 330 inches.  That’s 28 feet of snow.

This is the view of fireworks over the lower mountain, from our condo balcony.

While Nate, Amber and Dave were in town, we all went to an escape room in downtown Steamboat.  What fun!  The time limit was an hour.  We were done in 36 minutes.  It was amazing to watch as everyone contributed to the solution.  It’s a shame that we never put that creative brain trust to work on something profitable!

We left Steamboat on 29 July.  As we were preparing to return home, we were informed that Linda’s dad had been diagnosed with a low heart rate (30 bpm).  By the time we returned to Mobile, he had a pacemaker installed.  He is doing fine, and we have been able to help him return to his residence.  It has been a blessing that our retirement has allowed us to be where we needed to be during some challenging situations.  However, I am now hoping for a break from those type of situations.

We are in Alabama until 15 March, then we are going to Disney World!

3 comments

  2. Wow, beautiful images… Sounds like you two dont stop, so happy for you. Keep us updated, as so many of us are traveling with you…

    Reply

    1. We are enjoying the journey, that is for certain. I hope all is well with you both. I’ve been keeping up on the news regarding sale of the
      Rock. It’s tough to see it go, but it does put the church on a solid footing for moving forward.

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Ok, not my home, nor Linda’s.  However, it is the adopted home state of Linda’s parents for the last 35 years, so we are spending the holiday months (October, November and December) in Mobile, AL.  If you are going to spend time in South Alabama, that may be the best time to do so.  The temperatures have been moderate, and the humidity generally pretty tolerable (I was going to use another word, but I couldn’t remember if it was bearable or bareable.)

First, I collected my new-to-me bicycle.  It is a Bacchetta Aero, from 2003.  Why buy a 20 year old bike?  Well, it is a recumbent bike of very high quality.  The frame is titanium, and the components are top notch.  It was lightly used.  If you are familiar with bikes, you know that quality components, if serviced reasonably well, will last a very long time.  And of course, a titanium frame could out-last me.

The Bacchetta is very leaned back, with the crank at the front.  The reason I wanted a bike of this configuration is that it will fit in a standard bike rack, which makes it easy to transport.  Once it is moving, it is light, fast, and very comfortable.  However, it does take some “getting used to” to start moving.  I have flopped over several times in the course of starting.  Fortunately, it isn’t very far to fall.  I routinely take 20 mile rides, and have done a 25 and a 32mile ride since getting here.  Recumbents (Bents) dramatically reduce the strain on your neck, arms, and butt, improving the pleasure of riding (in my opinion).  I like mine.  I’ve been riding another bent for some 17 years, but it is a different configuration.  That one is now staying in Colorado, as it is very long and doesn’t transport as easily.

I’ve kayaked several times on the Dog River.  No Alligators seen yet.  Other kayakers tell me that sightings are rare, and the gators don’t bother with you unless they feel you are threatening their nest.  It is best to stay out of the reeds and in the middle of the waterway.  I’ve also done some paddleboarding, including my first night paddleboard trip.  That is a very different feel, when the horizon is not terribly obvious.

Bacchetta Aero
Bacchetta Aero Bicycle

We are settling to the RV and making it our own.  I removed one of the three couches and built a storage unit/drop leaf table to replace it.  That has worked out well.  We have a dining area in the back, but when it is cold or Linda is in the midst of one of her projects, this serves us for comfortable dining. 

Cabinet Table

Open Cabinet
Closed Cabinet

I also removed the bedroom TV (we never had one in any of our homes).  That wall space, above an existing counter and between two wardrobes, is now a set of shelves/cubbies.  By using flexible bins, we now have very adequate storage for our clothing. 

Before Installation
Cubbies Installed

The project that scared me the most was replacing our power converter/charger.  This takes household current, when we are plugged in or using the generator, and converts it to 12V for charging the batteries and for running the many things (like the lights and refrigerator) that are designed to run on 12V.  I upgraded our batteries to Lithium, but they take s different charger to work at their best.  The work was very simple, I was just daunted by the potentially catastrophic results if I messed it up, as in, no power for anything.  Thankfully, that went well.  Go figure.

In November I went to Tybee Island, GA to update my Kayaking Instructor Certification.  This is required every 4 years.  It was a really top notch group of kayakers, most of whom were also high level instructors, plus the two Instructor Trainers, whom I’ve worked with previously and highly respect.  There you have it, experienced kayakers in a top notch kayaking destination.  Much fun was had by all, even if we did need to break it up with all those lessons.  Also, I now have contacts for Kayaking in Orlando, Florida and Anchorage, Alaska.  At least one of those is on our itinerary for this spring!

From Tybee I went up to Pennsylvania to go hunting with my brothers.  This is an annual event.  My older brother comes in from California, and my younger brother owns the 11 Acres in Chester Springs upon which we hunt.  I saw several deer, with a few in range of my crossbow, but none that I wanted to take home.  Maybe next year, eh?

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Thanksgiving and Christmas were spent with Linda’s parents in Mobile, AL.  Meals were had at their retirement community dining facility, which is much more restaurant style than cafeteria.  You select from a respectable menu, and the meals are good (think Denny’s, or Holiday Inn).  There were also several Christmas programs, a choir performance, and a Christmas sing-along.  Linda’s brother, Kirk, came in from Atlanta for a visit, as well.  We also went to a New Year’s Eve Party at their community.  There was lots of great conversation, and more dancing than you might expect.  However, I should note that the party ran from 7 – 9 pm.  Technically, it was a still a New Year’s Eve party, but no one hung around to see the ball drop.  It is a great group of people, many of whom led very interesting lives.  Still, Linda and I plan to stay on the road for a long time before we would consider settling in at such a place.

Since you have hung in through the pablum above, well, here is where it gets more difficult.  Per plan, we packed up and winterized our RV to leave in Alabama while we headed to Colorado for 2 months of skiing and other winter fun.  We were on the road for 3 hours when we got the call that Linda’s mom had been taken to the hospital in an ambulance.  We turned around but arrived back in Mobile too late.  Linda’s mom had passed.  She had been in pain from a failed hip surgery for a number of years.  Her actual passing was unexpected, and quick.

If you will allow me a moment, I will share a few brief thoughts on my mother-in-law.  Whatever horror stories you may have heard of MIL’s, none applied to mine.  She grew up in post war Berlin, and came to the US at age 26, speaking little English.  Her teaching certification from Germany was not valid in the US, so she set about gaining US certification while tending bar.  She met her future husband and they married 6 weeks later (I didn’t think you could even get a venue that quickly)!  She started teaching in the US, and had a daughter, Linda, and 5 years later, a son.  When, after a couple of years of difficulty in school, Linda was diagnosed as dyslectic, it was a caring teacher and Linda’s mom who painstakingly transformed her from a struggling child into the exceptional student who eventually got a bachelors in petroleum engineering and a masters in CIO.  Linda’s mom became so engaged in dealing with her own learning challenged child that she altered her career course and specialized in learning challenged children for the remaining 30 plus years of her teaching career.  The last 20 years of her career were in Alabama.  She had a huge impact on her students there, to the effect that you had children with their traditional southern drawl, but also with a distinct Germanic accent.

She was a remarkable woman, and is greatly missed by those who knew her.

Kirk Somers, Liese Somers, Joe Somers, Linda Somers Suppan.

Above: Kirk Somers, Liese Somers, Joe Somers, Linda Somers Suppan

Although we missed being there for her final moments, we were blessed with the opportunity to spend 3 months sharing time, meals, and conversation.  Had we not retired and hit the road, that would never have happened.  We move forward missing her, but without regrets.

For the life celebration service, our son, daughter, and son in-law came to Mobile, as did Linda’s brother, Kirk, his wife, his two sons, one daughter, two daughter in-laws, and one son in-law.  That’s the whole bunch.  Although the occasion was sad, it was great to share time and stories with the extended family.  The generation following us is most talented and quite remarkable.  They are interested in issues of significant world-wide importance, and are willing to work and make sacrifices to deal with those issues.  They have a compassion for others, even when they look/act/think differently, that exceeds anything I ever possessed.  I hope that we have not hindered them too greatly with some of the messes we leave behind.

On 16 Jan, we re-packed our RV and hit the road, Steamboat Springs, Colorado bound.  News from the high country will follow in episode 13.

7 comments

  1. We are sorry for your loss and excited for your return “home”. Be safe. Eddie + I are always waiting to hear of your next adventure!

    Reply

    1. Thank you, Pam and Eddie. We are certainly enjoying our time in Colorado, plus Amber and her husband, Dave, Plus Nate are here with us this week. It has been a very good time. Hope you both are doing well.

      Reply

    2. Thank you, Pam. It has been good to be here in Steamboat, even reflecting on the times we were here with Joe and Liese Somers. It has been a special family place for us for 40 years!

      Reply

  2. I’m sorry to hear about Mrs Somers passing. However, I’m glad you both were able to spend time with her. That’s something most people are not able to do.
    I hope all is well with you, Linda, Linda’s father and the rest of your family.

    Reply

    1. Thank you, Fran. Steamboat was the perfect place to go. It was a family gathering place that we shared with the Somers, and our kids, for 40 years. Lots of great memories bubbled up over the last few weeks.

      Reply

  4. We are doing very well here. Amber, Dave and Nate joined us for a week. Which was most special. Update forthcoming!

    Reply

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We have arrived in Mobile, Alabama, where we anticipate settling in for a while.

Sweet Home Alabama

Ok, not my home, nor Linda’s.  However, it is the adopted home state of Linda’s parents for the last 35 years, so we are spending the holiday months (October, November and December) in Mobile, AL.  If you are going to spend time in South Alabama, that may be the best time to do so.  The temperatures have been moderate, and the humidity generally pretty tolerable (I was going to use another word, but I couldn’t remember if it was bearable or bareable.) The weather in Mobile, Alabama is lovely, if you pick the right season.  After many years of periodically visiting Linda’s parents here, we know when to come, and when to not do so.  We have been enjoying temps in the 70’s and 80’s, with moderate humidity.  Our camping area is quiet and shaded nicely. 

First, I collected my new-to-me bicycle, bought on Ebay. It is a Bacchetta Aero, from 2003.  Why buy a 20 year old bike?  Well, it is a recumbent bike of very high quality.  The frame is titanium, and the components are top notch.  It was lightly used.  If you are familiar with bikes, you know that quality components, if serviced reasonably well, will last a very long time.  And of course, a titanium frame could out-last me.

Bacchetta Aero
Bacchetta Aero Bicycle

The Bacchetta is very leaned back, with the crank at the front.  The reason I wanted a bike of this configuration is that it is a recumbent that will fit in a standard bike rack, which makes it easy to transport.  Once it is moving, it is light, fast, and very comfortable.  However, it does take some “getting used to” to start moving.  I have flopped over several times in the course of starting.  Fortunately, it isn’t very far to fall.  I routinely take 20 mile rides, and have done 25 and 32 mile rides since getting here.  Recumbents (Bents) dramatically reduce the strain on your neck, arms, and butt, improving the pleasure of riding (in my opinion).  I like mine.  I’ve been riding another bent for some 17 years, but it is a different configuration.  That one is now staying in Colorado, as it is very long and doesn’t transport as easily.

I’ve kayaked several times on the Dog River.  No Alligators seen yet.  Other kayakers tell me that sightings are rare, and the gators don’t bother with you unless they feel you are threatening their nest.  It is best to stay out of the reeds and in the middle of the waterway.  I’ve also done some paddleboarding, including my first night paddleboard trip.  That is a very different feel, when the horizon is not terribly obvious.

Dog River

We are settling into the RV and making it our own.  I removed one of the three couches and built a storage unit/drop leaf table to replace it.  That has worked out well. 

Space with couch removed

Before Cabinet Install

Cabinet installed

Closed Cabinet

Cabinet open

Open Cabinet

Cabinet with table deployed

Cabinet Table

We have a dining area in the back, but when it is cold or Linda is in the midst of one of her projects, this serves us for comfortable dining.  I also removed the bedroom TV (we never had one in any of our homes).  That wall space, above an existing counter and between two wardrobes, is now a set of shelves/cubbies.  By using flexible bins, we now have very adequate storage for our clothing. 

Before Installation
Cubbies Installed

The project that scared me the most was replacing our power converter/charger.  This takes household current, when we are plugged in or using the generator, and converts it to 12V for charging the batteries and for running the many things (like the lights and refrigerator) that are designed to run on 12V.  I upgraded our batteries to Lithium, but they take a different charger to work at their best.  The work was very simple, I was just daunted by the potentially catastrophic results if I messed it up, as in, no power for anything.  Thankfully, that went well.  Go figure.

In November I went to Tybee Island, GA to update my Kayaking Instructor Certification.  This is required every 4 years.  It was a really top notch group of kayakers, most of whom were also high level instructors, plus the two Instructor Trainers, whom I’ve worked with previously and highly respect.  There you have it, experienced kayakers in a top notch kayaking destination.  Much fun was had by all, even if we did need to break it up with all those classroom lessons.  Also, I now have contacts for Kayaking in Orlando, Florida and Anchorage, Alaska.  At least one of those is on our itinerary for this spring!

From Tybee I went up to Pennsylvania to go hunting with my brothers.  This is an annual event.  My older brother comes in from California, and my younger brother owns the 11 Acres in Chester Springs upon which we hunt.  I saw several deer, with a few in range of my crossbow, but none that I wanted to take home.  Maybe next year, eh?

2 comments

  1. Sounds like your adjusting well to your new way of life… especially the nice weather! Paddle boarding at night! Brave! You are missed.

    Reply

  2. We miss you, too! We’ve found a good church to attend while here, but the relationships take time to form. Still, it has been good to be here with Linda’s parents, and to be able to help them with some needs.

    Wishing you both a very Merry Christmas, and a great time with you family (at least, I know Eddie enjoys it! 😉

    Reply

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So, what do you do for a day, when the son you are visiting needs to actually go and earn his living?  We turned to the app WalknTours.  This app has recorded tours in a variety of cities.  It uses your phone GPS to take you on a tour of the city, giving you detailed information on where you are at and directions to the next tour stop.  We used it to do a walking tour of the Charleston French Quarter. 

Charleston Halloween decorations

It was very informative, and allowed you to go at your own pace.  The price is very reasonable.  It was a gray and rainy day, and we were soaked by the end, but it was still a pretty good day. 

We met Nate in the evening for a dinner at the Shakey Crab, which was more fabulous seafood, in the low-country-boil style.  The tablecloth was from a paper roll, and the food was served to you in a plastic bag, but it was delicious.

Saturday was planned as a day for Tom and Nate to hit the water on SUP boards.  However, the winds picked up, with winds at 14 MPH, and gusts to 18.  Anyone who has been on a SUP in the wind knows that it is just not the very definition of fun, so we re-routed to a walk on the beach which, although it was still windy and overcast, it was not an exercise in futility.

Sunday was great fun.  We scheduled a private auto tour of Charleston, mainly focused on barbeque, a brewery and a distillery.  At the brewery, there was also an axe throwing range.  Now, I’m not certain that OSHA would endorse this co-existence, but it was kept safe, and we had great fun.  The key to success seems to be to developing a consistent throw.  I now have the confidence of knowing that if someone attacks me, and they are exactly 15 feet away, and I happen to be carrying a specific type/brand of axe then I could probably do them in (2 times out of 3).  That one goes on my resume!

Of course, no trip to Charleston would be complete without a trip to the Angel Oak. It is estimated to be between 400 and 500 years old. It stands on land which was formerly a plantation, and is said to be haunted by the ghosts of formerly enslaved persons.

T

2 comments

  1. Axe throwing? Come on! You were once our Sunday School Teachers! Linda is correct, a skill that may be needed later.

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We swung back through Virginia to load up a sofa and a few boxes into the “garage” portion of our RV, then off to visit our daughter and son-in-law in Manchester, NH.  We had heard that Cracker Barrel welcomes RVrs to spend the night in their parking lot, and this turned out to be the case.  We stopped in at a CB, had dinner, bedded down for the night, and had breakfast there the next morning, then we were on our way.  There are no facilities hook-ups, of course, but our RV is quite “self sustaining” for a few days, as long as you aren’t counting on the AC.

Our time in New Hampshire was delightful.  We were towing a kayak trailer behind the car, which Linda drove, while Tom piloted the RV.  The kayak was one that Tom made, to be kept with the two that Tom made for Amber and Dave.  Of course, we had to get all three on the water, and had a lovely paddle. 

Tom and Amber also went for a Stand-Up Paddle board paddle on a lovely lake, while Linda took pictures of us and spun fleece into wool with one of her drop spindles. 

The weather was perfect.  Amber collected a few samples of algae blooms to send off to the Department of Health.  She has previously identified toxic blooms and her reporting led to the closing of a lake by the state.  Warmer temperatures have resulted in an increased number of toxic blooms in locations where this has not been a problem historically.

Tom and Amber also went for a lovely bike ride.  Manchester has an impressive network of bike lanes (and Amber aggressively advocates with the city council for more) and also lovely rail-to-trail bikeways.  We put in a few miles long a river with a lovely tree canopy.

Another highlight of the visit was the seafood boil.  Amber prepared a seafood boil of shrimp, scallops, clams, corn, potatoes and, of course Lobster (this is New England, after all).  It was fabulous.  We also had raw oysters as an appetizer.  It was the quintessential New Hampshire experience. 

Our first event was watching the piglet chase.  Youngsters are recruited from the attendees to enter the arena a chase after young piglets.  It is a time limited event.  If they catch a piglet, they get to keep it.  Needless to say, the piglets are very enthusiastic about not being caught, so it is an entertaining show.  There is also and adult version.  Frankly, the kids were more entertaining, and they were better at it than the adults.

Next, we saw the horse pulls.  A team of horses is hitched to a pile of concrete blocks sitting on a flat bottomed sled.  The weight is increased, and the teams are eliminated when the weight exceeds their capacity.  It was amazing to watch, as the horses are really energized to pull, so they need to be quickly lined up, and their harness ring is dropped on the sled’s hook.  Once they hear the hook hit the ring, they are off like a bolt.  We were joined at the fair by two German exchange students whom Amber and Dave are hosting.  This was quite an experience for them.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a New England county fair without the competition of the massive produce.  There are a number of categories, including sunflowers and various gourds.  However, the real draw is the massive pumpkins.  These are of a size that Cinderella could have actually ridden in, weighing close to 2000 lbs.  Ok, it would be a bit cramped for old Cindy, kind of like riding in a Cooper Mini.  Still, it could be done.

Amber and Dave have a home which dates to 1890, or thereabouts.  They have been updating and modernizing over time.  The progress they have made so far is amazing.  They have restored much of the original woodwork, and Dave has done some beautiful parquetry on the floors.  Of course, they both have full-time jobs, so it takes time, but what an amazing accomplishment so far!

We returned to Virginia for a few days, staying at Pohick State Park on the Potomac.  The purpose of this stay was to sort through our three storage units and reduce it to two.  This was completed over the course of several days, but it was so time consuming that Tom never got a chance to Kayak, despite the location.  Of course, another time time-suck was the campsite itself.  The site we were assigned to was impossible to access with the RV we own.  Because it was a holiday weekend, they didn’t have a lot of options for us, other than moving between 3 sites over the 5 day stay.  Sooo, we once again got a lot of practice with the packing, hitching, set-up, un-hitching, etc.  We are starting to feel like old pros!

2 comments

  1. New Hampshire is beautiful! Been there many times. You two are so busy and having so much fun. Thank you for sharing and allowing us to travel with you!

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Much has transpired since our departure from New Orleans.  We headed back to Virginia to pick up our RV.  Then we headed off to Kiptopeke State Park, at the south end of the Delmarva peninsula, near Cape Charles.  The trip was thankfully uneventful, but a bit unnerving.  The brochure height of our camper is 13’ 4”.  The Cheasapeke Tunnel height is listed as 13’ 6”.  Nothing came off the top, so both figures were reasonably accurate.  Still, the pucker factor was high.  Tom headed off to kayak surfing practice/training, prior to the Kiptopeke Sea Kayaking Symposium, at which he was to be an instructor.  The weather was calm, and predicted wave action looked mild, so expectations were low.  It’s a three mile paddle from the put-in to the surfing action, through coastal marshes.  A stop on shore prior to heading out showed some wave action, but it was pretty far out.  We paddle the distance and found the waves to be close to perfect!  Three footers, with occasional 4s, with long runs and gentle breaking.  We surfed for hours, and I had some of the longest runs ever.  It was a wonderful day.  Day two, at a different location, gave us areas of bouncy seas, but not much you could ride.  Still, it was a good day on the water.  And then…

Back at the camp-site, the park ranger had come by at noon to advise Linda to get all loose items secured, as a storm was in the forecast.  By the time Tom returned from Kayaking at 4, the direction had changed to: “the park is closing, you need to leave”.  We learned just how quickly you can pack up and re-hitch a 5th wheel RV.  Our goal was to get across the bridge/tunnel before winds forced it to close.  We wanted to get west, away from the water, as quickly as possible to avoid the worst of the storm.

We successfully got across the bridge and drove toward Richmond for about an hour before we stopped to regroup.  Here is where Divine grace came in.  For several years, we have hosted a Marriage Retreat at a timeshare property in Gordonsville, VA, about 60 miles west of Richmond.  It is called Shenandoa Crossing.  Of the several hundred properties in our timeshare group, only two have RV facilities, and the Shenandoa Crossing is one of them.  We had seen the RV area, but always stayed in the cabins.  At 8pm, we called and asked if they had an opening for that evening; they did!  We finally got there at 10 pm, pulled into the site (with some maneuvering, as it was tight) popped out the bedroom slide and crashed.  We didn’t even unhook the truck until the next morning.  It proved to be a great site to regroup, as we knew it well.  It gave us time to begin actually moving into the camper (this was only our 4th night sleeping in it).  Also, on the multiple times we had been there in the past, Tom had always looked longingly at the small lake on the property as another body to kayak on.  Well, the kayak was on the car, and here was the chance.  The lake perimeter is only about 2 miles, and it was glassy calm.  Still, it was a chance to do something that I never thought would happen.  The picture attached to this post is a photo of the main lodge at Shenanndoah Crossing, from the water. Victory!

Shenandoah Crossing Lodge, from the water
The photo that I thought I would never shoot.

We stayed through the weekend at a very nice, well maintained site (the “common” bath/shower was individual rooms, with locking doors, each as clean as a hotel room).  Next stop: New Hampshire!

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We made it to New Orleans with little trouble, well, at least to start.  Toby was kenneled for the 12 days, as our accommodations didn’t allow pets.  The contrast with Colorado is about as stark as you can get.  Colorado is in the top two healthiest states in the nation.  High levels of physical activity, combined with an emphasis on healthy eating result in one of the longest lived populations in the nation. 

Louisiana is on the very opposite end of the spectrum.  That is not without reason.  The heat and humidity make outdoor activities less appealing.  You see a few bikes on the road, but not many, and there are few bike trails to ride them on.  The humidity and heat doesn’t let up all that much in the evening. They have a rent-a-bike program, but usage appeared to be low.  However, I think that one of the most significant factors is the food.  It was amazing!  Heavy creams and sauces, combined with very generous portions left us in a food stupor several times.  That’s not to say that all we did was eat.  We did a riverboat jazz cruise (OK, it was a dinner cruise, but some grace here, please!).

Our Riverboat
Our Riverboat
Sunset on the Mississippi
Sunset on the Mississippi

  The swamp boat tour was a highlight.  Let me tell you, there is no way that alligators are an endangered species.  They were abundant.  Our boat captain brought them in by feeding them marshmallows.  Honest!  There was also a family a racoons who were brought  out of their lair with the same enticement.  Of course, we also saw lots of winged wildlife, as well.  The National WWII museum was very well done, with a focus on the people; not just the generals, but the foot soldiers.  There were lots of war artifacts, but it never felt like a glorified gun show.  Linda and I both highly recommend a visit.  It WILL take more than a day to see the whole thing.

Bronze statues of WWII Soldiers
Bronze states of WWII Soldiers receiving a briefing

Travel in New Orleans was easy for us.  The Trolley/Streetcar got us to most every place we wanted to go, and the stop was 100 feet from our hotel.  We travelled across the city on it to the City Park, which is sprawling and has many attractions, but our visit wat focused on the New Orleans art museum.  It is primarily populated with loans and donations from a few very wealthy members of New Orleans high society.  Still, it was a nice museum, with a smattering of everything, from Dutch Masters to Mesoamerican pottery.  The “Immersive Van Gogh” was in New Orleans.  We missed it when it was in DC, so this was a chance to make up for it.  It was very interesting and informative and it will change you perspective about who Van Gogh was.

Lake/Fountain at City Park
The Lake and Fountain at City Park
New Orleans Museum of Art
The New Orleans Museum of Art

The plantation tour we took was interesting, and made it clear how much the plantations depended upon enslaved labor.  Once that went away, the plantations pretty much failed.  The contrast between the owners’ lifestyle and the workers’ lifestyles couldn’t have been more striking.

Of course, we did the haunted New Orleans tour (Meh).  However, the graveyard tour was very interesting without being ghoulish.  There is much to learn of New Orleans history in its graveyards.

Above Ground Cemetary in New Orleans
One of New Orleans’ several above ground cemetaries

We met our objective: we wanted do more than the flyby tour of New Orleans that we did in the past.  12 days gave us the chance to see all we wanted.  That’s not to say that we will never return (the food really is that good), but we won’t need to do it soon.

Toby survived the kennel.  Ok, he did come down with Kennel Cough (as in, he was coughing when we picked him up), and it did end up going to pneumonia, but he recovered, with the help of antibiotics. He was pretty quiet and subdued for about a week. I’m not saying that was bad…

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Playing with Toys (by the Yak)

I HAVE MY TOYS!  And it is glorious!

Whitewater kayaking on the Colorado River with Tommy Gram was amazing!  I got to spend three days on the upper Colorado River, Covering the stretch from Pumphouse to State Bridge. 

Pump House to State Bridge

These weren’t “bomb down the river as fast as you can” days, but rather “play on every feature you can” days.  The first day was a solo.  The second and third days I joined a class of L3 and L4 whitewater instructors who were recertifying.  They were all from Albuquerque, New Mexico (a former stomping ground).  I learned so much and gained a great deal of confidence.  Tommy owns “Whitewater Attainment” and is an ACA L5 Instructor Trainer Educator, which means that he trains the people who train the instructors who train the students.  He is super patient and encouraging and it was time well spent, and tremendous fun.  It’s hard to capture what the water is like in photos;  the waves look pretty minor until you are in the middle of them. 

We spent some time scooting in and out of this feature, getting kicked out and coming around to jump back to try again.  I had several opportunities to practice my combat roll (AKA an unplanned roll).  Water temps were 55 degrees, to there was considerable incentive to execute the rolls quickly and completely.  No one in the group had to swim.

I had the chance to take local friends Mark and Rona kayaking on Steamboat Lake.  Steamboat lake is an amazing setting at the foot of Hahn’s Peak.  The mountains surround the 1100 acre lake and the view is just breathtaking.  Mark and Rona used my sea kayaks, while I used my whitewater kayak.  Rona was a little hesitant at first.  She had kayaked previously, but only in a Tandem.  Suffice it to say that once she got a little confidence she found the experience quite exhilarating.  It only took her about an hour on the water before she was chasing after boat wakes to ride the bumps.  It was a great experience for the three of us.  I know they liked it because Mark then convinced another acquaintance and his son to go out a few days later to the same location.  They both picked it up quickly and we did a very energetic run across the length of the lake.  My decision to bring the sea kayaks to Colorado was well rewarded.

Fall colors view of Steamboat Lake with cloudy sky.

I also brought my recumbent bike to Steamboat.  The downside to recumbents is that they tend to drag on the up-hills.  They tend to be heavier than standard bikes (referred to as “wedgies” by the recumbent crowd), and you can’t stand in the saddle for extra leverage.  Your only option is to gear down and grind.  On the flip side, they have dramatically lower wind drag, and are excellent on the flats and absolutely scream on the down-hills.  The upright seat position allows you to see much more around you without the neck strain, hand strain, back strain, or butt strain.  For anything on flat or maintained gravel roads, I find that the advantages exceed the uphill drawbacks.  On downhills, they absolutely scream.  I hit 49.7 MPH coming around the back of Emerald Mountain (on a well-maintained asphalt road).  It felt like I was on a rocket sled, but never out of control.  Of course, recumbent bikes are severly limited on mountain trails, so I will always keep my mountain bike. 

If anyone is reading this (a big question) and they are interested in recumbent types and characteristics (an even smaller set), let me know and I will opine on that.  I’m not an expert, but I’ve ridden one since 2005, I own two currently and will be picking up a third next month.

Alas, this episode closes with two days of repacking what is coming east with us and distributing the rest between two condos and the trailer which will remain behind. 

Next up: New Orleans!

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After several weeks of waiting, the parts for our trailer finally arrived in Indianapolis.  The repair was quickly accomplished (and only $600 more than the estimate).  After a two-day drive out, and two days back, we had our “stuff” in Steamboat.  Of course, the trip was NOT entirely uneventful.  About 200 miles into our return journey, debris in the road left us with another flat tire.  However, this one deflated gracefully.  However, even fix-a-flat couldn’t resurrect the tire, so we made an unscheduled pit-stop.  Fortunately, in one of Tom’s rare instances of foresight, we had stopped at Harbor Freight earlier that morning and purchased a 3-ton floor jack.  So, while Linda went to Chick-filet, Tom unpacked the jack and went to work.  The tire was changed and ready to go before Linda retuned with dinner!  We were on our way and completed the journey without incident.

Next came the unloading.  The trailer was packed in haste when we left VA, so we had to lay eyes on everything to figure out what needed to be retrieved and sorted.  Our Condo in Steamboat is now packed, wall-to-wall with boxes as we slowly sort through.  It’s amazing how much stuff we have that we don’t really need.

The legendary “blue bank bag” holding Tom’s passport has still not been located.  However, upon sorting through files that Tom’s Mom had kept, we found Tom’s original birth certificate and his original Social Security Card.  These had been written off as lost several decades ago, so replacements had been obtained and used throughout Tom’s working career.  Their sudden appearance was most timely, and made possible yet another journey for Tom: back to South Dakota, to get his “real-ID” drivers license, and to register the vehicles in SD.

Tom set out solo, 400 miles, to Box Elder, SD.  Box Elder is a “Satellite City” of Rapid City, SD.  So is Sturgis, SD.  If you have even moderate knowledge of motorcycles, you can imagine what that means.  The place swarms with two wheelers.  That’s not a bad thing.  In fact, the restaurant/bar next to the hotel in Rapid City was having its weekly Biker’s rally.  There was a live band in the parking lot, and the parking lot was lined with motorcycles of every make and description, and many custom machines as well.  The wait staff was suitably inked, gaged, and pierced. 

Sickies Motorcycle Rally
Sickies Restaurant Motorcycle Rally

Tom settled in quite comfortably with an avocado topped burger and chili, with a local brew.  Note: folks in that neck of the woods eat their chili cold.  That takes some getting used to, but it is still quite good.  It just doesn’t suitably melt the cheddar.

Oh, now for the reason for Tom being there: the new license was quickly and easily issued the same day as Tom’s arrival.  However, vehicle registrations aren’t done at the DMV, so that effort was planned for the next day.  Internet sleuthing indicated that the location for registrations was only 2 miles from the hotel, but didn’t open until 11 am.  Time arrived at 10:30 after a leisurely morning (and another trip to Harbor Freight), only to find out that it was the wrong location. NEW registrations were done at the court house down-town.  Oh, and that location opens at 7 am!  Tom went downtown, parked, and was walking to the building when he came across and unexpected sight: a police office carrying a pig.  You can’t make this stuff up.  The officer (female) smiled and just said “I know, how ironic”.  Tom just replied “I’m not saying anything.  I’m not stupid”. Plus, she was armed.

After a half-hour wait in line, it was Tom’s turn to present the documents for vehicle registration.  Turns out that the Virginia Titles listed “Thomas AND Linda Suppan”.  Therefore, Linda’s signature was required to issue the new titles.  Did you notice that Tom set out Solo?  Yes, Linda was back in Colorado.  The clerk was very pleasant and helpful, and filled out all the forms so Tom could take them with him BACK to Colorado and get them signed.  They could then be submitted by mail.  Yay.

A disillusioned Tom set off on the 400-mile return trip to Steamboat.  The journey was uneventful, and the scenery is awe-inspiring.  The deer and the antelope were seen playing on the prairie throughout South Dakota, Wyoming and eventually Colorado. 

Not Devil's Tower
Stone Formation in Wyoming (Not Devil’s Tower, but a miniature version)

Arrival went fine, and the registration documents were signed and expressed out the next day.   

Tom has Whitewater kayaking training (as a student) on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week, which will be great.  We are down to our last two weeks here (for this trip).  It seems like the end is all too quickly approaching.  The odd thing is that previously, two weeks was the TOTAL duration of our longest trips here.  It is amazing how your perspective changes when you don’t need to rush back and resume your job.

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  1. Just getting to reading through these and they give me a chuckle. Life never seems to be how we planned, but finding the original birth certificate and social security card when needed had to be a God thing. Keep having fun and keep posting!

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Wall Drug

We stopped here on the way to Steamboat.  If you have travelled out west, you may have seen signs for “Wall Drug”.  What is “Wall Drug”?  Well, for one, it is huge.  It is in the town of Wall, SD.  The town probably wouldn’t exist without the Drug Store.  Of course, calling it a drug store points more toward its origins than its current status.  I mean, there is actually be a drug store somewhere within it’s 74,000’ footprint, but I didn’t stumble upon it.  Comparing it to a Bass Pro Shops, or Cabellas gets you closer, but not quite.  It has mounted trophies on the walls, but it also has a 6’ Jackalope and a Tyrannosaurus Rex in the courtyard. 

Animal Mounts in Wall Drug
Animal Mounts in Wall Drug

The 500 seat restaurant will certainly serve you buffalo burgers and elk steaks while you scan their extensive collection of western art on the walls, but they are best known for their donuts (with a free donut and coffee for veterans; yes, I did avail myself of the offering).  Being reasonably close to Sturgis, SD, the parking lot is frequently overrun with motorcycles, with an emphasis on Harleys.  They have a rock shop, an indigenous American artwork shop, cowboy boots and hats, fossils, geodes, crystals, and just about everything else you could think of.  It was a fun stop-over at an iconic “roadside America” site.  If you are in the area (think; Mt Rushmore) it is worth the stop.

Sheep and Yak at Wall Drugs
Sheep and Yak at Wall Drug

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  1. Tom,
    Really good to see some news about your travels out West!
    Our family has a pending trip out to see Mt. Rushmore in the near future and I had a stop to see Wall Drug in South Dakota on our draft itinerary – glad to know it will be worth the stop.

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    1. Great to hear from you Mark. Yes, wall Drug was cool. You could spend a whole day there! Just watch your gas gauge; towns, and gas stations can get pretty spread out, and the ones in the middle of nowhere charge a premium!

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We arrived in our happy place, Steamboat Springs, CO, on 22 July.  For those of you who hear the words “Steamboat Springs” and think “World Class powder skiing”, you aren’t wrong.  That’s what first brought us here.  Linda’s first visit was in 1978, I first came the winter after our marriage in 1983.  Since then, we discovered Summers in Steamboat.  It’s incredible!  Mountain Biking, Road Biking, River Tubing, Fishing, White Water Kayaking, Lake Kayaking, hiking; they are all readily available.

Eagle Cooling
Spreading its wings to cool off

Our dear friends Stan and Karen Wallace came to visit us on 26 – 31 July.  We wore them out!  We started with a hike on the Tombstone Trail at Steamboat Lake.  It’s moderate difficulty, and only a mile long, but the view is spectacular.  Several Eagles were spotted, airing their wings to cool off in the 90 degree heat (but it’s a dry heat!).  We then hit the marina and did some paddle boarding.  This was new to Karen and Stan, but they both engaged valiantly.  A good time was had by all.

Karen and Stan on SUP
Karen and Stan celebrate their first time on SUP boards

An early morning wake up got us to the Yampa Valley Hot Air Balloon Rodeo.  28 balloons went aloft, and it was amazing to have them fill the sky. 

Balloon Lift-off
Balloon Rodeo Lift-off

Afterward, we did a tube float down the Yampa River, which runs right through Steamboat. 

Tube float on Yampa
Floating on a Tube down the Yampa River
Karen, Stan, Linda and Tom with Tubes
Karen, Stan, Linda and Tom survived the treacherous Tube ride down the Yampa

We next went to the hot springs to warm our frosted buns, and we finished off with a night at the Rodeo.  Riding the bucking broncos looks tough, but riding those bulls looks like it just shouldn’t be done.  Horses want you off their backs, but bulls want to kill you.

Steamboat Rodeo
Bull Riding. The guy with the number just landing on the ground is supposed to be the rider

There was also an amazing display of trick-riding.

Trick rider standing on horses
Trick rider standing on two horses as they gallop around the arena

The following day we took it a bit easier.  We did an “escape room” with a western theme.  Two engineers, a physicist and a law enforcement professional were stressed to solve the challenge in an hour.  We did finally find the gold, but I’m glad the room managers don’t post videos of our flailing efforts.

Stan and Karen are now back in Virginia.  Coming back from dropping them off in Denver, I had a Mule Deer Buck try to commit suicide on my truck.  Fortunately, I saw him coming and braked in time.  The look in his eyes (I got to see them quite close) was that of sincere determination. 

I hit the Emerald Mountain, on the West side of Steamboat, for an exhausting 4 hr. bike ride.  Gravel and trail riding in Colorado is a bit different than back in VA.  First, you need to avoid the cows on the trail.  They are generally pretty slow to get out of your way.  Second, you need to avoid what the cows leave behind on the trail.  I don’t mind a bit of dirt and mud, but that stuff ain’t either.  Talk about trail hazards!

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