Category Archives: Vacation

Lazy Saturday Morning

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Lazy Saturday Morning

It’s just a lazy  Saturday morning for Banner, Balboa and me. The start of a 3 day weekend. I hope the weather will cooperate for the weekend. Right now it doesn’t look too good. It’s dark and rainy.  I’m taking advantage of the calm before Balboa starts his morning crazy cat antics. We’re enjoying a bit of Cat TV together.

We have to negotiate what to watch. Banner likes mice and squirrels, Balboa is excited by the birds and I like the fish. Something for everyone!

Where to Go When COVID has Past?

A laid back lazy Saturday seems like a good time to think about a trip once COVID is under control. “They” are saying it will be safe to travel in the fall. All I can say is we’ll see. But I still don’t know where I want to go. I’m leaning toward trying to pick back up on my canceled trip to Colorado. I had that booked for last August but by the time August rolled around COVID had everything in lock down. So here are my options for Colorado:

  • Breckenridge , Colorado
  • Vail , Colorado
  • Durango , Colorado
  • Steamboat Springs , Colorado
  • Avon , Colorado
  • Telluride , Colorado
  • Winter Park , Colorado
  • Mesa , Colorado
  • Fraser , Colorado
  • Keystone , Colorado
  • Estes Park , Colorado
  • Granby , Colorado
  • Aspen , Colorado
  • Beaver Creek , Colorado
  • Dillon , Colorado
  • Frisco , Colorado
  • Copper Mountain , Colorado
  • Silver Creek , Colorado
  • Pagosa Springs , Colorado

This is quite a list. I’m not sure how I will ever choose. Missing from the list is Colorado Springs and Denver.  They were on the list before COVID and more places have been added!

My Thoughts, Your Thoughts

My original trip was booked in Steamboat Springs. I thought I’d like the hot springs there and maybe see some wildlife. But I’d also like to go to Telluride and take the Gondola. The ride on the “G” provides expansive vistas of the San Juan Mountains, Aspen-cloaked mesas and sun-struck waterfalls.

 

 

Anyone from Colorado or who has visited Colorado want to chime in with a suggestion? Advice welcome.

 

Memory Lane

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Memory Lane

It’s a rainy Saturday morning. The weather folks say we’re getting a nor’easter with snow in the mountains. Seems like the perfect day to continue with my trip down Memory Lane. Last week we talked about Key Largo, Colonial Williamsburg, The Grand Canyon, and Maui. Let me see…where else have I been?

Airport CowboyJackson Hole Wyoming- 2017

My trip to Jackson Hole was a top 10 trip even though I almost got snowed in the day I was leaving. Located on the southern end of Grand Teton National Park the views are extraordinary. The Teton range rises from the valley floor with nary a foothill. Like a dragon spine the mountains are just there! Tall, jagged and majestic.  Throw in the wildlife and the history and you truly get a taste of the old  west.

 

 

A pair of Bull elk

Majestic Bull Elk in the Elk Reserve

Bear Up a tree

Black Bear

Jackson hole is not far from another amazing place. Yellowstone National Park.

Before the Charge

2 Grumpy Bison

Yellowstone National Park- 2017

Filled with geysers, mud pots and majestic mountains, Welcome to America’s First National Park.  This, like the Grand Canyon, should be on everyone’s must see bucket list. There is no place like it. This is also where I thought I was going to become a statistic- DOA in Yellowstone when 2 Bison decided my little rental car was challenging them. That was one scary moment! 

Old Faithful Erupts

Old Faithful

 

Besides the Bison I was lucky enough to see Grizzly 399 , the most famous grizzly bear mother in the world. This was a real high for me. I just wish she’d turned around for a frontal picture.

3 bears out for a stroll

Grizzly 399 and cubs

As long as we’re talking about wildlife, I can’t forget the trip to South Dakota that I took with my sister. 

Mount Rushmore

South Dakota -2010

When Sandy said let’s go to South Dakota I was puzzled. What’s in South Dakota? But it turned out to be a great trip. Besides the huge stone monuments of Mount Rushmore and Sitting Bull there were National Parks, wildlife, cave systems and the amazing scenery of the Badlands! We even got to see wild horses and visit a dinosaur dig!

 

 

Race the wind

Wild Horses

Badlands

That’s about all I have time for today so we’ll say goodbye with my little prairie dog friend. This is the iconic photo from the South Dakota trip. 

 

Prairie Dog with Flower

Oh, the Places I’ve Been!

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Oh, the Places I’ve Been!

Oh COVID how you’ve clipped my wings! But that doesn’t mean I can’t revisit the places I’ve been. Today I thought I’d take a trip back in  time to re-visit some of the places I’ve been. Care to come along?

Key Largo Fla – 2019

John Pennekamp State ParkNature at it’s finest. This northern most Island in the Florida Keys offers diving, snorkeling and a lot of Ocean Fun. My favorite spot- John  Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. But be prepared with water shoes . The shoreline is sharp coral that can bruise and cut bare feet.              

Great White Heron in Mangroves – Key Largo 2019

Iguana at Pennekamp Park 2019

 

Busch Gardens – 2018

Colonial Williamsburg, VA (and Busch Gardens) – 2018

Just weeks before my hip replacement surgery I made a trip to Colonial Williamsburg. It was much colder than I expected Virginia to be even if it was November. I was joined by family and friends. 

Colonial Williamsburgh 2018

 

Carriage Colonial Williamsburgh 2018

On the South Rim, Grand Canyon 2008

Grand Canyon Arizona- 2011

If you have not been to the Grand Canyon you are missing an amazing sight. I’ve been twice and can’t wait to go again. When I first saw the canyon my mind could not embrace it all. It was too large, too majestic. I was with a guide and he warned us but I still felt dizzy and overwhelmed. Something this magnificent just couldn’t be real! But it is. 

Grand Canyon- 2011

Grand Canyon 2011

Maui Hawaii – 2020

Hawaii is one of my favorite places. I’ve been to the  Big Island, Oahu and Maui.  My latest trip was right before the pandemic. I was back on Maui and had a chance to go SNUBA diving. It’s like Scuba but your tank is floating on a raft on the surface and you breathe though a hose. The other big difference is that you do not need to be certified to SNUBA making it something everyone can try.

snuba at Turtletown 2020

Wind Surfing 2020

Oh, the Places I’ve Been!

This was fun. It’s nice to reminisce now and again. And I have so many other trips to share. Maine for Puffin watching, Sedona and my first helicopter ride . The amazing state of Alaska and Denali National Park. I can’t forget Yellowstone and Old Faithful, Florida and swimming with Manatees or the Big Island and snorkeling with Manta Rays. Not to mention Bears and Moose and Elk in Wyoming. The Teton Mountains are magnificent rising from the valley floor. We have a lot to talk about!

The Grand Teton

The Grand Teton 2017

Adirondack Wildlife

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I’ve been telling you about the beautiful scenery and abundant food  in the Adirondacks but  what about the Adirondack Wildlife? There’s certainly plenty of that around even if we didn’t see them all. You can find black bear, bobcats, coyotes /coy-dogs, Red fox, beaver, muskrat, ground hogs, deer, maybe a moose in the north and tons of squirrels & chipmunks. And we can’t forget the traditional road kill of possums, raccoons, skunks and porcupines!Then there are the birds. Herons, blue jays, crows, ravens, woodpeckers, chick-a dees,  hummingbirds, finches, sparrows red winged black birds, loons…. Throw in a few raptors- various hawks and owls and even bald eagles.

Of course we can’t forget  the scaly creatures- snakes (including rattlesnakes), turtles from little sliders to whopping snappers, and fish. The only alligators are those some stupid people released thinking it would be fun. Those people are cruel idiots. Excuse me for being so blunt but they are signing the poor alligator’s death warrant. They are not good people.

The Eastern Cougar

The eastern cougar was declared extinct on January 22, 2018. Once this big cat roamed all of the eastern states dining on deer meat. But as the herd disappeared so did the cougar.However as white tailed deer made a comeback in places such as the Adirondacks there are sporadic sightings reported. Are they really extinct? Are the sightings of the eastern cougar or their western cousins? Who knows but like Bigfoot they don’t seem to be going away anytime soon. 

 

The Little Mammals

Mid way through my visit we descended on my sister. We met her for lunch at Cooper’s Cave then retired to her house to take in the mini wildlife in her back yard. We enjoyed the antics of her tiny menagerie for several hours while catching up on family gossip. As much as Sandy complains about the chipmunks and squirrels digging holes in her yard, she still keeps an ample supply of peanuts on hand. The squirrels and chipmunks come first and then the Blue Jays. We even saw her hummingbird! 

 

 

Puzzle Progress

I forgot to post an update on the last post . As you can see the progress isn’t fast but it is steady. 

So Much Food

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We Didn’t Go Hungry

We sure weren’t hungry on this vacation! Seems like every meal was suitable for Paul Bunyan. So much food! We’d start our day with something quick but not necessarily light in the camper or at McDonald’s. Although McDonald’s usually makes me cringe I do like their breakfasts. Marvelous Marvin often joined us for breakfast. He was with us in “Spirit” but in his summer attire. Moose don’t like hot weather.

But back to the food. I already told you about Tail o the Pup. So let’s see where else we ate.

The Swiss Kitchen

The Swiss Kitchen in Tupper Lake is described as “Comfort food for a quick bite”. Located at 92 Park St, Tupper Lake, NY 12986 it’s a step up from fast food but doesn’t make it to the level of fine dining. Like they say, comfort food and plenty of it.  As we came in we saw a local member of law enforcement seated at a table next to the door.  If the local police eat here I’m sure it will be good.  I had shrimp and onion rings. Yes, those are really onion rings on my plate. Huge aren’t they. Jim settled for a hamburger (or was it a cheeseburger?) and onion rings. Very reasonable prices and very tasty.

A & W Root Beer

Another time we were just deciding we should find someplace to eat and there was an old fashioned A&W Root Beer Restaurant.  This was just a blast from the past. So many of these restaurants have gone out of business but I remember them from when I was a kid. The folks would take us out for root beer floats. The car hops would bring our meals and sodas on trays that set on the car window. The portion sizes here were more reasonable and typical fast food but it was just enough.

A & W Bear

Cooper’s Cave

We went to Cooper’s Cave a couple of time. Cooper’s Cave is a restaurant and craft beer brewery in Glens Falls NY. It’s located at 2 Sagamore St, Glens Falls, NY 12801. The restaurant is named for the site of the fictional hiding place of Hawkeye and his companions made famous in the James Fenimore Cooper novel The Last of the Mohicans.  The food is good and there is a wide variety to choose from. If you are still hungry after the ample portions, they also serve that summer staple-ice cream.

Ambrosia Diner

Located at 518 Aviation Rd, Queensbury, NY 12804 Ambrosia Diner is typical diner food. Now diner food is real comfort food. I’ve never met a diner I didn’t like. But beware. We went to Ambrosia for a “Lite Lunch”. Kind of silly really. Anyone who likes diners knows there is no such thing as “Lite” anything. I had my old faithful diner choice- open faced hot turkey sandwich. Half of which came back to the campground with me for later. Delicious but way more than I could manage at one sitting

George Henry’s

I tried again for something “Light” at George Henry’s in Warrensburg. George Henry’s is right in the heart of Warrensburg, located at 3735 Main St, Warrensburg, NY 12885. I ordered a grilled cheese with tomato sandwich expecting a little thin sandwich that would be gone in 2 bites. Wrong again. When the waitress brought my plate I almost told her there was a mistake. Thick Texas toast sized slices of bread oozed cheese. It looked yummy but OH MY! So much food! I think I had the French onion soup too. It was a soup and sandwich combo. Great food but bring your appetite.

Martha’s Dandee Creme

Martha’s is a fixture of Lake George life. My family has been coming here since I was a little kid. It’s always a treat to stop for soft serve. It just wouldn’t be a visit home without a stop here. It’s grown and expanded and I hope will still be around long after I’m gone. For the Best! Soft Ice Cream around you have to try Martha’s (and I do love DQ but Martha has them beat). 1133 U.S. 9, Queensbury, NY 12804.  TIP: A small cone is plenty large enough!

Like I said in the beginning- So much food!