Massachusetts Urban “wildlife”

Posted on August 17, 2011August 17, 2011 by Dusty Roads

My day trips have been cut a bit short because one of my kitties may be sick. I say “may be” because there are a bunch of subtle signs which may or may not mean anything. Like me, they are getting older and a bit more “creaky”. Complicating the puzzle is that I don’t know which kitty is having the issues. They are both acting pretty normal so this has prompted a visit to the vet and blood panels. Not cheap.

Editor in Chief

Rocky, our Editor- in- chief, went first. I should have preliminary results in a day or two.

Then it will be Smokey’s turn. Smokey is actually the older of the 2 cats so statistically , he should be having age related issues before Rocky but who knows. We all age differently.

Smokey

So between worrying about the “boys” and finding myself cash poor from the vet bills, I haven’t been able to explore too far from home.

But even with those restrictions I still managed to run across a bit of urban wildlife. Last year I watched a Ground hog all summer as it nibbled the grass right next to busy route 44.

I saw it a couple of time this summer but not as often as before…until today. I think I know why it hasn’t been quite so prominent. It has a family. Today there were 3 of them. One larger one and 2 smaller ones.

I’d tried to photograph them before but they seemed more skittish this year than last so I tried something different today. I parked across the road in the Wendy’s parking lot and tried to time the pictures between the passing cars.

The bigger one has a much darker face and head. It’s a big one!

Something scared them off before I got the camera set up but I waiting around and pretty soon 2 of them came back out. Clearly the traffic doesn’t bother them.

I didn’t see the third one again.

A is for Alaska

Posted on August 15, 2011August 15, 2011 by Dusty Roads

or Alabama or Arkansas or Arizona..any other “A” states? I think I got them all.

Where is this going? you might ask and my answer is Alaska , Alabama, Arkansas and Arizona.It’s not just where am I going but where have I been and where do I still want to go.

There’s a magnetic map they make where you can collect a magnet from each state you visit and eventually the whole map will be covered with magnets. Maybe I’ll get one someday. Until then I think I’ll just go on chronicling and planning .

To that end I thought I’d take stock of things and the easiest way is alphabetically.

So of the 4 states that start with A I’ve only been to one, Arizona, the Grand Canyon State, home of Red Rock Country and the New Age land of Sedona. It’s where I took my first and so far only helicopter ride. I’ve stuck my feet in the Colorado River at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I’ve marveled over ancient Indian Ruins and strolled through an “African Serengeti” and all that only scratched the surface.

Alaska. Where to start? It’s such a huge state. It’s where I hope my vacation will take me in 2012. I want to see the glaciers and animals; lots of wild animals. There should be bears and seals and bald eagles. There might even be a wolf and whales. We’ll cruise the Inside Passage and spend time in Denali.

Now we get to the other “A”s. Arkansas and Alabama. I don’t know much about them as far as tourist locations but lets see what I can dig up.

Arkansas: Well the Clinton Library immediately comes to mind. After all, Bill Clinton is still a prominent figure, not some dead president. But if that’s all there is it would be a very short visit. Arkansas is a center for quartz crystal mining. Hot Springs and Mt. Ida have Dig-Your-Own Crystal Mines. That could be interesting. The Arkansas Ozarks are beautiful forests and mountains with loads of hiking trails but beneath your feet is a labyrinth of cave systems. Tours abound so that could also be interested along with canoeing and kayaking the wilderness areas with my trusty camera in hand. I’m sure there’s more and I’ll have plenty of time to see what else I can find.

Last but not least is Alabama. Right off the bat I can tell you there are National Parks. A great opportunity to collect my Park Stamps. I believe there are 7 separate parks spread throughout the state. Indian culture…the Trail of Tears of the Cherokee people as they were forced to leave their homeland. How about other history. Alabama was a hot bed of history in the civil rights movement and a visit the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute sounds like a good way to start exploring it. There are Zoos and Aquariums and more history with the Civil War Trail. Sounds like that could be a very full vacation too.

After the “A”s comes “b” but I don’t think there’s a state that starts with “B”? Am I wrong? If there are no B’s we’ll have to move on to the C’s. But I’ll save that for another post.

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If any of you have been to these states or live there and can offer some suggestions or insight, I’d love to have your comments.

The Battle of Rhode Island 1778

Posted on August 13, 2011August 13, 2011 by Dusty Roads

Have you ever heard of the Battle of Rhode Island? I hadn’t. But when I was in Portsmouth at the Green Animals I ran across a reference to it. It was quite an accident. I saw a scenic pull off and decided to investigate and there was a story board.

The Battle of Rhode Island was also known as the Battle of Quaker Hill and took place on August 28, 1778. It was the objective of the Continental forces to recapture the island then known as Rhode Island (now called Aquidneck Island) from the British forces. It was an important objective of the colonials that the coast remain in Rebel hands to facilitate communication amongst the coastal colonies.

Rhode Island was a key , strategic location. Whoever controlled the island controlled Narragansett Bay.

The Battle was inconclusive resulting in a standoff. But the Continental army was plagued by recruitment issues and desertion so on the evening of August 28, 1778 the rebel force retreated to Bristol and Tiverton giving control of the island to the British .

Today the location of the battle is a National Historic Landmark.

Scout’s Tips~ Airline Travel

Posted on August 11, 2011August 11, 2011 by Dusty Roads

Scout

Good Morning my friends. Scout here and glad to be back. Last time we got together I shared some tips on finding the “perfect cruise” .Today I’d like to share some of what I’ve been learning about booking airline flights. This seems to be changing from day-to-day. Between changing regulations and airlines looking for ways to keep fares down but make up the difference in very creative fees there’s no end to the possible pitfalls. For example baggage fees and allowances are always changing and vary airline to airline but I think I covered much of that in past posts. So today, let’s concentrate on the travel part.

Airline Travel

Whats’s the best seat on the plane? First class , of course but after that how do you choose your seat? You know, you’re booking online and there’s that seating chart and you get to pick an open seat..aisle or window; over the wing or in the back?

Well it depends on your priorities. He’s a couple of things to consider: If you are looking for comfort and a smooth ride, pick a seat over the wings. If you’re looking for quiet then you want to sit as far forward as possible while avoiding the galley and rest rooms. For more leg room try the first row or seats near the emergency exits.

When is the best time of day to look for flight to get the best deals? Airlines usually reload their computers at midnight. So as soon after that as you can may offer some major savings. Airlines often have flights that were reserved but not paid for that are added back in to the inventory so there may be more options.

Watch for Sales! Not just on your airline of choice. Often when one airline announces a sale other airlines will soon follow suit so it pays to keep your eyes and ears open and click around.

Fare Alerts: On some sites like Kayak you can set a Fare Alert and be emailed when the price changes on the flight you asked to have watched.

Fly Small. By this I mean fly the smaller airlines which are subsidiaries of the “Big Boys” Two examples are Delta Express and Metro-Jet. Dusty has flown Delta Express a number of times without any problems.

Check surrounding airports. Most online travel sites give you the option to check surrounding airports. Often there’s a less expensive option to a neighboring city. Depending on your particular trip you may find a connecting flight , a bus route or , if you were going to rent a car anyway, just driving to your destination city. Dusty and her sister did that on a trip to Hawaii. They flew out of Hartford instead of Albany.

Take advantage of Overbooking. If you have flexibility this is a great way to get upgrades or free flights. Dusty has used this trick several times when traveling alone since she isn’t inconveniencing anyone else. For this trick you need to be booked on a flight that is over-booked. This happens a lot around the holidays or Monday morning or Friday afternoon, but a lot of it is just by luck. When it does happen the ticket attendant will ask for volunteers to give up their seats in return for some compensation. Sometimes money, often a ticket voucher or a free upgrade to first class on the next flight to your destination. Dusty has witnessed “bidding wars” where the airline keeps sweetening the pot if they don’t get enough volunteers on their first try. Dusty loves those! 🙂

Neighboring Airports. We talked about this already but I thought I’d toss out some of the main airports where options might work for the everyday traveler.

For the BOSTON area…TF GReen in Providence, RI; Manchester NH; and even Hartford CT can give you lower cost flights in exchange for using alternate transportation for the last leg into Boston.

When traveling to Washington D. C. try the Baltimore airport. It’s close but not the D.C. Hub.

New York City, the Big Apple….don’t forget Newark , NJ is just across the river. Plenty of ways into the “City” from there.

LAX? Los Angeles. Be sure to check nearby in Orange County, Burbank or Ontario (California) airports.

Websites. Keep in mind that some airlines only work through their own website so a site like Kayak or Priceline won’t have these offerings.

Social Networks. More and more airlines are offering special sales to their online community. To get in on these you have to be connected. Find their website on Facebook and Twitter and then be sure to click the “Like” button.

Well, I think it’s time to wrap up this post. I hope you find this helpful. Until next time..Happy Traveling!

A Favorite Repeated~Hawaii

Posted on August 8, 2011August 8, 2011 by Dusty Roads

Back when I was just trying out this blogging stuff I was using a different platform. I thought that it might be nice to share some of those old posts now and then. I’m dipping into that now as I just did not have time to put the finishing touches on my post for today. At lot of changes were made at work while I was away and as I try to wrap my little brain around them I’m finding that I am coming home to brain fog, no clear thoughts to write about. I have today off so hope I’ll get back on track but in the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy a story from the trip to O’ahu that my sister and I took a couple of years ago.

O’ahu , Pali Lookout

I’m not sure where I heard it but it seems to me someone told us that one of Oahu’s nicknames is the Rainbow Island and it was easy to see why. Each morning there were rainbows and again each afternoon. Our recreation deck was on the 29^th floor. The pool, hot tub and grills were located there. The first morning we were there I headed up bright and early and there it was…an almost perfect rainbow arching over the building.

There was always a wonderful breeze thanks to the trade winds so even at 80 degrees at 8:00am, it didn’t feel hot. When you look from the 29^thfloor toward the ocean and Waikiki beach, you can see the pink building that is the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. The Royal Hawaiian is an icon that has hosted such guests as Babe Ruth, President John F. Kennedy and numerous Hollywood Stars.

We started our first full day in Honolulu by doing a little exploring on foot. We walked down to Waikiki Beach first and then worked our way back to the condo by going through the International Market Place.

Every kind of souvenir and T shirt was available here. There were a couple of men with parrots outside and we spent some time with them taking pictures. There was also a gorgeous mosaic wall that we just had to take pictures of too.

Then back to the condo to pick up the car and drive around a bit. We followed the coastline taking time out and stopping at every Scenic Overlook. It was just so beautiful. One spot that was a must see was the Pali Overlook and it did not disappoint. The views from here are magnificent! The official name is Nu’uanu Pali Lookout.

Pali means cliff in Hawaiian.

It was here that Hawaiian Warriors fought for control of the island. The King of O’ahu who also ruled Maui, Moloka’i and Lana’i sought to defeat Kamehameha, the ruler of Hawai’i but that wasn’t how things worked out. Kamehameha’s warriors forced the defenders of O’ahu back to the Nu’uanu Valley until they reached the Pali where many warriors refused to surrender, instead jumping over the cliff. With this victory Kamehameha gained the momentum he needed to unite the islands. This unification was completed around 1810 when Kaua’i (which was never defeated in battle) joined by treaty.

A century later when the first paved road was built through the mountains workers uncovered an estimated 800 skulls at the foot of the cliffs, the remains of those Hawaiian warriors lost in that fateful battle so many years before.

There are story boards at the lookout that commemorate this event in Hawaiian history.
I took many pictures here because of the spectacular views and was pleasantly surprised when I was given a calendar with Hawaiian photographs to see that I had taken an almost identical picture of the Pali to the one in the calendar! Nice to know the pros liked that shot too .

After the drive we stopped at Hilo Hattie’s and that turned into a real shopping spree.
Hilo Hattie’s is the flagship store for Hawaiian apparel. I still visit their web site regularly.
Back at the condo we spend some time in the pool and hot tub before we headed down to dinner. There’s a buffet on the corner near us called Smorgy’s so that was our stop for dinner. Very convenient. There was a brook running through the restaurant and it was only partially roofed. The windows were open so birds flew in and out even joining us at the table. Might not be the most sanitary way to have dinner but no different than having a picnic and it was fun.