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Late
OCTOBER 2008
Driving trip from SC to WI to see Heidi's son
and family |
A fun Halloween pumpkin tent
|
A
strange combination - a huge white cross and church, and an Adults Only
store, got a chuckle from us
|
The
bridges around Lexington Kentucky were a phenomenal photo op
|
ELIZABETHTOWN,
KENTUCKY
New Albany and Salem Railroad (The Monon).
Fugitive slaves' use of this Railroad in escapes caused controversy in the
1850's.
|
Natural
mountain stone walls, common when
driving through the mountains in Tennessee/ Kentucky, always
beautiful. The timing of the trip meant the beautiful autumn colors
were rampant, what a treat. Some photos looks like Impressionist
paintings, and still cannot capture what we saw and felt. We never
get tired of it.
|
We
enjoyed seeing this tank humorously painted like an ear of corn, you can
see how the Gutwein gourmet popcorn company www.gpopcorn.com
, 13 miles north of Indianapolis (Exit 141, Lafayette IN) processing the
corn right from the fields.
|
BEREA,
KENTUCKY
KENTUCKY ARTISAN'S Center and town
Birthplace of Handicraft Revival
An impressive store of Kentucky artisan crafts
is well worth the stop. The rest of the town has plenty of little
artsy shops to visit |
Lost
& Found, basketry and wood creation
POSSUM gourd, great folk art piece
Woven and wood basketry & vase
|
Large
bentwood chair and bench in the entryway of the Center
|
Chris
Ramsey turned wooden HATS are world-famous
|
Artists
decorated giant hands all around town |
On
the sidewalk leading to the Center
|
OLD TOWN ARTISAN'S VILLAGE, where we found the
rest of the Hands |
The
Power of Make-Be-Leaf
|
Outside
the bank, "Headed Home"
|
|
Tin
Man
|
|
Yatsugatake
Hand
|
Photo
tour of
LIZZADRO LAPIDARY MUSEUM of ART
Elmhurst IL - Link below to Rocks Page 7:
Lizzadro Lapidary Museum, Illinois Virtual Tour
|
Travel
is FATAL to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.
(Mark Twain) |
MAINE
July 26 through August 5, 2008
|
The
Washington Memorial in D.C.
Daisies!
|
Jerry's
Gemstones in Saco, Maine where we delivered 600 pounds of fossils &
crystals
Heidi with Mary in front of Mary's shop she
runs with her husband Jerry
|
LEN
LIBBY Chocolate House, Saco
Lenny, the world's only life-size chocolate
moose, 1700 pounds of milk chocolate, sculpted in 4 weeks, made in
1997. A life-size bear in milk chocolate is beside it.
|
Funtown,
Splashtown Adventure theme park in Saco, LOOK at the big cone slide.
I am a little unsure how it works, but it looks FUN!
|
Our
favorite coffee (Tim Horton's, a Canadian based company) has PLENTY of
cafes in Maine, what heaven!
|
Adorable
rental cottages everywhere in Maine
|
A
spillway behind the town Old Town, Maine. A refreshing place
|
Maine
Indian Basket Weaver's Alliance co-op, a wonderful place to see unique
basket work and hunting clubs, but no photography allowed.
The Wabanaki Arts Center Gallery carries the
work of the Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot Indians using
ash & sweetgrasses.
Old Town, ME
|
Princess
Watahwaso's teepee (Bright Star of the Penobscot), a Family Museum, Indian
Island ME. Built in 1947, also called Chief Poolaw's Teepee.
It features Native crafts. A great place.
|
PENOBSCOT
NATION MUSEUM
OLD TOWN, MAINE
Root Clubs made from root bundles of immature
gray birch trees (not
war clubs, there was no word for war among this tribal nation) new &
old. Short clubs used to finish off a kill on an injured animal, longer clubs made later
to stave off soldiers that had spears as weapons. They believed they
were releasing the spirits of animals & birds from the wood they were
carving. The clubs were also carried in dances and religious
ceremonies.
Penobscot Native people in Maine sold off some of
their ancestor's clubs, then began making new ones, and re-purchasing the
ancient ones, to preserve their Penobscot & Wabanaki cultures.
Below is Museum Coordinator James Neptune
sharing these stories of the Penobscot Nation with us, as we viewed
thousands of years of their Native American history. Our thanks!
This particular wood has unusual roots that
are sanded and sharpened to enhance the club's effect. A
fascinating find! |
Ancient
ceremonial root club
|
Assortment
of new root clubs
|
The
first COMPOUND BOW, pre-European
|
Large,
ancient rootclub
|
New
walking sticks using old techniques & paint styles
|
Folk
art wooden snake, we both fell in love with it!
|
New
Tomahawks
|
Art
using feathers and a bird, in a wooden bowl
|
Unique
Eastern Woodland ash basketry
|
|
|
UPDATE
August 2009 - guess what we found in an antique store in Vermont?
You guessed it - a ROOT CLUB from the Penobscot Indian tribe. AND
that night we checked online and found (and bought) two tiny ones on
eBay. Photos below. At an appropriate time when we go back to
Maine, we will present these as gifts to the museum, as these clubs must
come Home. |
Small
club #1 found on eBay, says "Omega in the Woods" and incomplete
name N.E. Con... dated 1935
|
Small
club #2 found on eBay
|
Large
club found in Vermont, the root top is decorated like a bird's head with
beak
|
OTHER
SIGHTS |
A
cemetery mausoleum grown over, wonderfully unique (Old Town ME)
|
The
expected Moose Caution sign along the road in Maine
|
Typical
Maine wild blueberries. Maine exports more wild blueberries than any
other state or country in the world. We ATE SO MANY BLUEBERRIES!
|
Antiques,
Books & Wine
A memorable book store in Ellsworth ME.
A wine tasting area will eventually be located in the tower.
|
KISMA
Preserve, Ellsworth ME
Out front is a moose made of mixed media, benches made into
alligators, and a view of a llama. We do not prefer to see caged
animals, and do not recommend this..
|
Glenn
and I enjoyed the WHALE WATCHING out of Bar Harbor, aboard the Catamaran
Friendship V. Here is the harbor and one of the Catamarans,
and a whale replica to enjoy.
We viewed numerous Finback Whales that
surfaced to blow, breath and dive.
We relaxed in the comfort of the large cabin
when traveling out and back.
The Bar Harbor dock, made with limestone, was
quite picturesque
Tide is out, many enjoyed walking to the island and back during high
tide, collecting finds along the way
|
FINBACK WHALE SKULL,
at the College of the Atlantic Natural History Museum
|
RINEHART
RESTAURANT
within the Wonderview Inn complex, overlooks
Bar Harbor from high above. A truly beautiful sight of the harbor,
lovely restaurant, superb dining and service, especially since we were
alone as we went early
|
BAR
HARBOR WHALE MUSEUM, Maine
http://www.barharborwhalemuseum.org/
|
Ancient
Whale, Ambulocetus natans, 49 million years old
|
Minke Whale, stranded near South Harpswell ME
April of 1987
|
Atlantic
White-sided Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus)
|
Long-finned
pilot whale, Globicephala melaena
|
Pygmy
sperm whale (Kogia breviceps). This mature PREGNANT female stranded
& died on Dyer Island off Vinalhaven ME due to gut blockage from a
knotted plastic bag found in her intestines
|
True's
Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon mirus)
|
Harbor
Seal (Phoca vitulina concolor)
|
Humpback whale skull (megaptera
novaeangliae), from whale named Incubus, stranded 1994 on Falmouth, Cape
Cod, cause of death unknown
|
Harbor
seal mother and pup
|
Common
bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
|
Harbor
Porpoise (Phocoena Phocoena)
|
Harbor Seal (Phoca
vitulina)
|
Dolphin
& seal skulls in a row, individually photographed above |
Exploding
Harpoon gun, originates back to 1860's
|
Whale skeleton suspended
from ceiling
|
In
PROSPECT, Maine
FORT KNOX Historical Site, Seabreeze
Restaurant
and Penobscot Narrows Observatory & Bridge |
Looking
towards Fort Knox State Historical Site. "Protector of the
Penobscot", this fort was quarried from Mt. Waldo, 5 miles upriver
(last 2 photos). Note the bridge in the background.
The Penobscot Narrows Observatory & Bridge contains a tower on
one end that is actually an Observatory.
The mine from which the stones for the Fort
were quarried
|
SEABREEZE
RESTAURANT
Verona Island, ME
A cozy place where we laughed when orders were switched, ate beans for breakfast
(among other things), a specialty in this area. Good people and good
food!
Janica Danforth & Laurie Ames are the ladies that made the
restaurant memorable
|
Unique
Rock Shop in Verona Island ME had painted the floor like a giant specimen
of amber with bugs. A great little place to stop!
|
Wood
carving, man & dog, Frankfort ME
|
Trunks
carved with faces, outside a sewing shop in Belfast, Maine
|
Update
December 2009: A customer wrote us after finding our wooden totem photos
(above), trying to find the source to buy one. They had also visited
Belfast, found the garden faces, and he wanted to buy one for his wife for
Christmas. Here is Rudy's wife (Oct. 2009) in front of the same
artist's work in Belfast. He was able to get enough info to track
down the artist and buy the piece he wanted.
|
Flowers
in Belfast
|
Bronze
moose, outside Belfast ME
|
Car
with torpedo on top, in Camden ME, advertising the Hope Jazz Festival
|
MAINE
LOBSTER FESTIVAL
Harbor Park
ROCKLAND, MAINE
Huge metal lobster, and a giant red lobster,
at the fest
The lobster cookers
We expected to taste lobster in many different
dishes. Instead, there was the lobster dinner, or lobster roll, clam
chowder, and a few other seafood places, but not the diversity of foods we
expected.
We listened to the Lou Gramm musical concert
sponsored there at the Festival. We still find ways to enjoy, anywhere we are,
however, as this Pirate threatened to cut Glenn's throat, and Glenn is
actually laughing. It was a great moment..
|
A
wooden alligator in a private yard, we spotted it from far away on the
road. Neat!
|
Bees
and flowers in front of the Lie-Nielsen Toolworks in Warren, Maine, a
manufacturer & showroom of impressive hand made heirloom quality
tools.
www.lie-nielsen.com
|
Always
angling for another special photo, here is one of the remains of a pier on
a waterfront in Maine
A really large, new CHOCOLATE HOUSE in
Freeport, Maine
|
The
Udder Place Coffee hut (Brunswick Maine), charming!
|
We
overnighted with friends Rhode Island, meeting again after 7 years since
we had our shop in Boulder City Nevada. It was wonderful to see how
the kids had grown, and re-connect with Kevin & Kim. We will
never forget you.
|
The
Zakim Bridge, completed in October 2002, the jewel of the Big Dig,
Boston's new cable stay bridge over the Charles River. It was a
challenge to figure out how to get the new highway across the Charles
River without disturbing the existing double-deck I-93 bridge or the
MBTA's underwater Orange Line subway tunnel. The
solution was provided by world-renowned Swiss bridge architect Christian
Menn. Read more!
http://www.boston.com/news/traffic/bigdig/special/galleries/bridge/intro.htm
Named for Zakim, a man who built an impressive
resume as a social justice activist, serving for two decades as executive
director of the New England office of the Anti-Defamation League. |
Fortress
Storage, Boston, LOOK at the SIZE of the PADLOCK and CHAIN!
|
Heading
west from New York City to western NY, a bad storm was on its way into NYC
that downed trees and took down electrical grids
|
We
visited an old friend, Henry, near Buffalo NY, in his lakeside home.
He and Glenn posed for me, amazing to see two grumps smiling, AT THE SAME
TIME.
Henry's geraniums
|
LETCHWORTH
STATE PARK
The Grand Canyon of the East, along the
Genesee River, just 35 miles from Rochester NY. A refreshing visit,
though some scenic views were somewhat overgrown with foliage. The
Wolf Creek drops
Flowers left by a visitor on the rock barrier,
on Tea Table Rock
A kayaker far below
A buzzard on the ledge
First of three major waterfalls, this one is
on the Wolf Creek that cascades 225 feet
Second
|
A
wind farm energy project in upstate New York State, seen off Hwy 14 built
along a mountain ridge, a real surprise!
|
The
first familiar view of kudzu (we adore the formations of kudzu), in
Virginia, on our way back home. Our alien antenna ball adds a
surreal vision.
|
A
doe and fawn in our own yard, we're really HOME!
|
JUNE
2008 LOUISIANA & MISSISSIPPI
New Orleans, Gulfport, Biloxi |
One
of the split bridges we crossed in Alabama on the way to New Orleans
(called the Crescent City because of its location at the bend of the
Mississippi. We were here shortly after the major Mississippi River
flooding in Iowa and other Midwestern states bordering the river, though
it did not affect New Orleans
View of Lake Pontchartrain showing the new
bridge (left) and the old bridge never fixed (right), and the view through
the reeds of the sunset
Going back over the new bridge, note the
destroyed road through the slats of the bridge railing, and the railroad
bridge further in the distance, it was nice to be able to make an art form
of the view:
Plenty of other road and bridge building going
on close to New Orleans:
Canal Street, some original buildings, some
demolished, some being remodeled. It looked better than I had
expected though I am not kidding myself on the work going on behind closed
doors and the frustrating delays. Here is a grand building on Canal
Street, street cars, a horse wearing a hat, pulling a carriage crossing
the street
Downtown New Orleans, near Harrah's Casino,
the Mardi Gras theme is evident
Downtown New Orleans, still beautiful, music
in the air, horse or mule drawn carriages. Here was an unusual white
mule we saw:
We're on Decatur Street in New Orleans in the
French Market area. Here's a Joan of Arc statue at the
beginning of the Market
We spotted a wonderfully strange van embellished
with glass dinner plates, saucers, stained glass, glass nuggets, etc. what
a sight! The Motto: "It's better to go somewhere slow,
than nowhere fast". Note the top of the van that has a glass
chess set glued to it, and many drinking glasses.
This man painted silver uses a special powder
that breathes so it is not harmful to skin, he shows us the jar. He
is part of the "Silver Alliance", a group that paint themselves
silver and walk or ride through New Orleans. Others paint themselves
gold. This is a growing group that do this
A restaurant was boiling crawfish by the
handful from this cooler, the hostess showed us how to break them apart
and suck out the meat.
Many original buildings showed evidences of
humidity (grass growing from the bricks) as well as permanent damage from
Katrina, though the charm was surprisingly intact. We were
saddened and proud at the same time, very conflicted feelings. Those
who live here and remember the Way it Was will never be fully reconciled
with this New Normal, as many historical buildings & homes are gone
forever.
Note the interesting piano keyboard railing,
and armored knights:
One store (Auntie Sally's) making chocolate
pralines, we couldn't resist buying a box after seeing so many throughout
the French Market. They were delicious.
Music evident everywhere, here is a musician
pulling his specialized guitar in a rolling cart
Colorful tile mural and sculptures
A donut with no hole, covered in powdered
sugar called a "Beignet" is popular everywhere in New
Orleans. This is a typical "post-Beignet table".
They taste much like Spanish Sopapillas but with powdered sugar instead of
honey:
We heard jazz music and followed it to an art
center with a terrific band, Glen Andrews and the Lazy Six, music to heal
the soul and bring laughter back:
A sampling of the beautiful flowers in the
French Market
|
We
had a panoramic view from our Hilton Hotel room, overlooking the
Mississippi River, the bridge, the tugboats pushing barges, the cruise
ships, plenty of activity to appreciate
Oops - a SPIDER on the window outside, looks
like the Monster Spider that Ate New Orleans:
In a Mardi Gras store, an appropriate T-shirt
statement we could agree with..."Make Levees Not War".
There's Heidi, masking for the camera
|
IRISH
BAYOU
Here we are in Irish Bayou, a tiny town
virtually untouched since Katrina. Here a unique castle home is
leaning into the bayou, damaged from Katrina. Note the steps to
nowhere beside the castle
|
BAY
ST. LOUIS/GULF SHORES/BILOXI
Mississippi
This beautiful new marker is on Lake
Pontchartrain on Highway 10 at the beginning of the bridge
GULFPORT
Evidence of many piers that used to dot the
Crescent coastline, now just the supports remain, though one or two of the
piers have been rebuilt, along with a marina. The beaches were
scraped clean. We saw hardly any tourists walking the beach, as the
infrastructure is still scanty though you can drive to hotels and casinos
not far away. The one beach where we saw umbrellas and flying
American flags was like an oasis
A historic beachfront property with Spanish
style buildings that comprised the VETERAN'S HOME in Gulfport was
uninhabitable. It was more than sad to see the empty
buildings. A whole lot of work to rebuild.
This "Gator's Souvenir City"
structure is being re-created as it was before, a welcome sight along the
coast:
Post Katrina
Another destroyed structure, very typical of
almost endless work yet to be done. I could not possibly document
more than a tiny bit, but I hope this gives you an idea.
|
The
rebuilding of the casinos has been the first order of business, and though
the residents are grateful for the money & tourism it brings to the
area, they don't always appreciate how the casino money has taken over the
coastal towns. The hotel owners on Highway 90 are 100% booked most
of the time, just with construction workers for the casinos, road
building, bridge building, etc.
|
CARVINGS
OF DEAD TREES
by the Mississippi Master Gardener
Association,
Operation Rejuvenation Project
One of the most heartening sights we
documented were the dead trees along Highway 90 (in the median and on the
north side of the road) on the coast between Bay St. Louis, Gulfport and
Biloxi that have been transformed into animal carvings of dolphins,
pelicans, sailfish, shark, sea turtles, cranes, eagles, parrots and
seahorses. The sight of these lifted our spirits as I am sure they
do to thousands of others every single day. Making lemonade from
lemons. Bravo.
|
CAMILLE
MEMORIAL
On Highway 90 in Biloxi, we found the Camille
Memorial, a beautiful hurricane shaped mosaic, surrounded by black marble
tablets with the names of the victims. The bent flagpole is the
intentional message of the impact of Camille.
Unfortunately, we did not learn about the
Katrina Memorial built by the Extreme Makeover folks in Biloxi (and the
same mosaic artist that did the Camille hurricane swirl did the Katrina
wave) until we returned home and did some research:
http://www.gulf-coast.com/Attractions/KatrinaMemorialBiloxi.html
One of the beautiful live oaks, many did
survive the onslaught of Katrina, a welcome sight:
A link to view some of the significant damage
documented by the Gulf Coast News and some of the progress. A lot of
these landmarks and certain areas mean a lot more to us after being there:
http://www.gulfcoastnews.com/KatrinaPhotos1.htm
|
OHR-O'KEEFE
MUSEUMS OF ART, Highway 90, Biloxi
This was under construction at the time
Katrina hit, there has not been a lot of progress to rebuild this as yet,
but it looks like there are plans in the making. They are operating
out of another transitional building elsewhere in the meantime.
Great simple art hanging on the fencing too, bright and cheerful
|
Welcome
humor with this toy caterpillar road grader bungied into place on
this big flatbed trailer, spotted in Alabama on the way home. Or it
shrunk!
Across from the Creek Poarch Casino right off
the freeway near Atmore, Alabama was a little gas station with R. J's
Hickory House, Barbecue & Grill inside, the best barbecue we'd had in
quite awhile, strange but true
|
THE
VARSITY Restaurant, Atlanta
We couldn't resist a stop in downtown Atlanta,
right off the freeway, to our favorite hot dog joint. "What'll ya
have?" is their favorite phrase to keep the lines moving with placing
their orders. It is ALWAYS busy but seldom a long wait. Three
levels - the main level where the food is made & served, another level
with tables, a third area of parking with roller-skate servers to your
cars. Generations of customers continue to come for all the obvious
reasons, the food and the atmosphere.
We looked for long-time employee Erby
Walker to serve us, it turned out he had passed away the week
before. A wonderful tribute was displayed in
appreciation.
|
Alaska
trip posted on its own pages |
AURORA
FOSSIL FESTIVAL
We added plenty of great photos of the
Festival, Museum and the Fossil Club's displays, posted to Fossils page 9,
link below:
Fossils Page 9
|
A
truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour |
MAY
24-26, 2008
Immediately after the Aurora Fossil Festival,
we felt time for a walkabout, and struck out for the
OUTER BANKS, NORTH CAROLINA
all the way from the south end, Okracoke
Island, taking the car ferries between islands north to Roanoke Island
(staying overnight at Cedar Island) |
On
the Okracoke Ferry
Pelicans and cormorants on the pilings, and
seagulls:
|
On
Okracoke Island, you can see how close the road is to the beach, though
there is always a dune between them. The snow fencing makes for
postcard photography
Gas prices, we did not know they would spiral
DOWN shortly after this trip
|
The
architecture of the Outer Banks is distinctive in height, as most homes
must be this high to see the ocean beyond the dunes near the ocean shores
In contrast, the tiny Salyo NC Post office is
primitively tiny:
A surprise Space ship House on Cape Hatteras,
near the Shore Birds & More store. It is an uninhabited
residence
|
Another
surprise, a cactus blooming outside an ice cream shop
|
ELIZABETHAN
GARDENS
Manteo, Roanoke Island
The Elizabethan Gardens is a glorious living memorial to the men and
women of the Roanoke Voyages (1584-1587) who tried to carve out a living
in a strange new world. Over 500 different plant species are found in the
10-acre site on the north end of Roanoke Island, adjacent to Waterside
Theater (where the Lost Colony play is re-enacted).
The bronze statue of Queen Elizabeth I , the largest of its kind in
the world:
|
Pansies
& violets abounded
|
|
|
Heidi
is enjoying herself, guaranteed when she is among trees and flowers:
|
|
Unforgettable
trees and vines
|
A
gorgeous form of Begonia(?)
|
|
Marble
statue of Virginia Dare, one of the vanished members of the Lost
Colony. Chiseled in 1859, it was lost in a shipwreck off the coast
of Spain, recovered 2 years later to complete its journey to the U.S.
|
The
Sea Gypsy IV, a PIRATE SHIP that takes on tourists, Manteo harbor, Roanoke
Island
|
If
you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and avoid the
people, YOU MIGHT BETTER STAY HOME.
(James Michener) |
Thanks
to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel across the
country from COAST TO COAST without seeing ANYTHING
(Charles Kuralt) |
APRIL
26-28, 2008
A walk on the beach,
Myrtle Beach SC |
Fun watching the birds run from the waves,
finding shells, fossils and sharks teeth. Always a relaxing time for
both of us:
Jellyfish on the shore this particular week,
we attempted to make an art form of it through our photography.
There is beauty even in death.
|
ART
SHOW, MYRTLE BEACH SC
We found a single artist to feature from this
show, as he was so outstanding.
Nnamdi Okonkwo is based in Atlanta,
Georgia. He created these huge bronze sculptures of women.
They are phenomenal. He has a workshop and gallery in Atlanta, visit
his site at:
www.nnamdiart.com
Here he is, sitting beside one of his Ladies
Here is a setting of 3 of his bronze ladies in
various poses. It stops every single person in amazement at the
sheer size and grace of them, here are five angles of the same
grouping. This is one of those things that must be felt in person to
be understood, though we attempted to capture the mood with our
photography.
Mother and child, two different sculptures
Three other small sculptures, just as
beautiful and moving as the larger ones:
|
APRIL
2008
ALLIGATOR ADVENTURE, Myrtle Beach, SC
Featuring UTAN, the largest croc in captivity
in the United States
Link to Gators page 7 to view the Virtual
Tour:
Gators Page 7
|
MARCH
2008
AURORA, NORTH CAROLINA |
An
unexpected stop on the way back from NYC in Aurora, NC at the AURORA
MUSEUM to see the new fossil Toothed Whale on display. View that
visit on
Fossils Page 9 |
MARCH
13-17, 2008
NEW YORK CITY |
We
left for a slingshot trip to the City Thursday night & Friday to
deliver our 10 foot gator taxidermy mount to a buyer there. We
delivered it at 1:30 p.m. right in the heart of the Theater District on
46th Street on Good Friday, the New Orleans themed restaurant is
called
BOURBON STREET
We drew quite a crowd to see all the OTHER
gator items we had brought. But since we were parked in a
cockeyed position (no parking spaces, of course)
we spent just a few minutes inside. I'm
sure once they position him at his best, he will be quite
impressive! The restaurant is beautiful, two stories high, with
wrought iron railings, a huge wooden mantel behind the bar, Mr. Gator on
the right hand side. A real re-creation of the flavor of New
Orleans.
|
We
"Toured the City" from the car for less than an hour
before shooting back through the Lincoln Tunnel and heading home on a more
leisurely drive. As everyone knows, you can't expect to take your
car to NYC and expect to actually park. You need to park it at an
Auto Train Parking Lot and take the train in to do any serious sightseeing
and enjoy the restaurants and shopping. But Glenn adapted to driving
like the best of 'em, you can be sure, weaving across traffic as they all
do. It IS as crazy as they say. |
Approaching
NYC from the South
Through the Lincoln Tunnel:
|
Broadway
& 7th
A sandwich board ad for a barber shop on a
street corner
|
A
Clydesdale & trailer statue for kids, at the entrance to Central Park
|
O
|
A
Statue of Liberty on the edge of Central Park (not THE Statue,
however). This wasn't an ad for a Tax Prep company, maybe someone
else knows what it was for (?)
|
Times
Square
|
Double
decker bus
|
The
Fashion District (a/k/a The Garment District), a giant button on top of a
kiosk, and a common sight of fabric rolls being unloaded:
|
Leaving
NYC, through the Lincoln Tunnel "No Honking $350 Fine" (right)
|
Leaving
the City behind
|
A
beautiful place we saw on our way out
|
Entering
New Jersey, already the pace has decreased. Whew! Of course,
then a plane landing at Newark airport flew overhead less than 100 feet
above us. But that was awesome.
|
NOVEMBER
2007
PHOENIX, BENSON Arizona trip
The fact that this was a dual birthday for
both Glenn's brother Frank and Frank's wife Diane made this a special trip
from the start. Here's Frank & Glenn in front of Glenn's
birthday gift to him last year, a big jasper rock for their yard
|
KARTCHNER
CAVERNS
Benson, Arizona |
We went to the Kartchner Caverns in Benson
Arizona, though no cameras, purses, anything carried or in your pockets
are allowed in. A mist sprayed at the entrance kept lint attached to
our clothing for the duration, we went on tours through two different
caverns (The Rotunda Room, and the Throne Room where we saw the
Xanadu Kubla Khan throne). We were impressed at the policies and
care taken to keep this growing, virgin cave alive and as pristine as
possible for future generations to enjoy. It is closed part of the
year, as it is a bat habitat, during the breeding season.
Discovered in 1974, it was kept a secret for
14 years until laws and plans were in place to protect it from vandalism,
exploitation and ensure the survival of its delicate ecosystem.
http://www.explorethecaverns.com/cave.html
Flowing Rock (calcium
deposits from flowing water)
And an angel wings "Shield Rock"
that is not on the public tour..
Due to a malfunction, the entire cave was lit,
rather than the lights shutting off behind us, so we had a rare panoramic
view of the caverns that even some of the guides had never seen before.
Heidi was even "Cave-Kissed" by a
drop of water falling from the roof to what would have been a developing
stalagmite that was now a walkway. |
We
learned about Fried Egg Stalagmites
|
Bacon
drapery Stalactites
|
Soda
straw stalactites
|
Also
Popcorn Stalactites, and Helictites (stalactites that grow every which
way) |
Photos
compliments of the Kartchner Caverns State Park booklet purchased at their
gift shop |
GARDENS
outside the Kartchner Caverns Visitor Center
A restful area to relax and talk, photos of
Glenn with his brother Frank, special people in a
special place. |
|
OTHER
TRAVELS IN ARIZONA |
Herds
of steer are grazing on this STEEP hillside, what a chuckle we had seeing
this!
|
The
Salt River Valley, a panoramic view enjoyed by all
Note the crashed car halfway down the slope,
we saw quite a few of these unfortunate vehicles, not to mention their
former occupants
|
How
did they manage to stack this wood this high on this truck?
An imponderable! We saw this at a small
town on the way to Frank and Diane's property where they will eventually
build a home
|
On
their property I found a "Pretzel Tree" I promptly dubbed with
that name. Frank & Diane are looking forward to building here,
it is beautiful country.
|
We
had a casual dinner at the
Apple Tree Restaurant in Benson, Arizona
our quirky waitress made us laugh at her
antics and forgetfulness, the rest of the staff joined in the fun.
We haven't had such a great time in years. What an appropriate
end to a cheerful trip! |
NOVEMBER
2007
MCLELLANVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA
On our way home from the Charleston Airport,
after returning from Arizona, on a whim we drove into McLellanville after
seeing a billboard for a new seafood restaurant - T W Graham & Co. |
Glenn opted for the baby clams for which he
was glad, I had the home made coconut custard pie that was like no other,
I took another piece with me of that and the Charleston chocolate
pie. Wow!
Inside we found a gigantic wooden head, there
on display from a local artist.
The owner has such a sense of humor, we saw a
fantasy creature made of a deer skull, (gator or dolphin, unidentified but
assuredly legal) skeleton and a horned tail.
A giant shrimp that kids & adults would
pull a string to make it "swim" through the air
And a Crab from Hell (keep your sense of humor
and your fingers to yourself!)
They also had an impressive array of found
fossils on display, we helped identify a few for the owner. Another
pleasant experience. We will be back! |
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER
2007
|
Atlantic City, NEW JERSEY SHORE Trip
The Visitor's Center near Atlantic City is a
real landmark:
The
Jersey Shore is memorable, especially the 5+mile boardwalk. Here we
are at the beach
A side trip to a craft show brought us to
Smithville NJ, where there was a great row of shops including this
wonderful carousel:
At
the Noyes Museum of Art (Absecon/Oceanville), we were more intrigued with
the wood marquetry flooring. I'm sure they thought we were nuts...
Of
course, photos of Trump's Taj Mahal could not be avoided:
Surprisingly,
they have wind generators here (this is the view from Absecon NJ), they
are amazing structures.
|
November
1-2, 2007
another visit to New Jersey, though not so
warm this time. |
Ocean
City, a beautiful mural on a building wall, downtown
A hurricane worked its way up the coast, we
left Myrtle Beach after it had passed, only to land in New Jersey, drive
to Ocean City, and see the hurricane causing enormous waves for brave
surfers. Wave runners pulled divers out far enough to ride the
waves. What a spectacle! We shot some photos from the
beautiful pavilion, due to the cold wind & spray:
The ocean & sky made for postcard
pictures:
The boardwalk in Ocean City was just as
special as that in Atlantic City. Most of the vendors were open,
brave souls! Of course Heidi always orders the custard wherever she
can find it.
|
SHRIVER'S
FUDGE & TAFFY STORE
Then we came upon the taffy store... they've
been here since 1898 (109 YEARS!)
Notice the beautiful wood showcases, the
stained glass windows, the store has delicious products and so much
character, it invited us to linger...
The candy train, and the gorgeous, huge
Victorian mirror:
And the white chocolate figures such as
horses, stagecoaches, flowers, and man & woman figures that can be
ordered for weddings, etc.:
And all the chocolate, pralines & taffy
choices to make, it was AWFULLY HARD (smile)
The fudge, pralines and taffy for which they
are famous, are made right on site:
|
A
terrific great white shark model display, and a goofy fish at the mini
golf:
|
FREE
PIZZA if you can eat one in an hour or less. The record time?
NINE MINUTES!! Look at the SIZE of these pizza pies!
|
While
driving through the area, we found this alcove with beautiful homes.
In fact, the architecture on the Jersey shore is unique, enough as a
destination just for the viewing
|
LANE'S
GARDEN MARKET
Linwood, New Jersey
ROCK stone FACES! Not just a great garden & landscaping
company. The owner carves huge boulders into faces, and has an eye
for growing & arranging beautiful flowers and vegetables into a
cornucopia of art.
Here are some examples of the face boulders:
And a boulder pile waiting for him to
create more faces:
A picturesque and soothing koi pond,
beautifully landscaped with bamboo trees
An unusual draping tree
And an incredible mural of a hand in nature
|
OCTOBER 2007
SEATTLE, WA |
Overpasses and concrete highway walls in the Seattle area often have hanging
vines and growing things naturally adorning them
First view of the Space Needle
|
Pike
Place Market
Home of the Flying Fish
The fishmongers there found they attracted a
crowd when they threw big salmon from person to person behind the counter,
with plenty of shouting and hoop-la. It helped their business,
that's for sure! We watched the fun as the did this several times
while we observed, then they would throw a fish into the crowd who
screamed and backed away, only to find out that a plush salmon toy
(looking like the real thing) had actually been thrown. The joke was
on them!
|
The
first thing that struck us was the incredibly colorful FLOWER MARKET
area. Not only were the blooms huge, the flowers appeared exotic but
were actually local (dahlias, kale flowers, etc) and the prices were more
than reasonable. IF we lived here, we'd be getting an armful every
few days. I apologize for the volume of photos, we couldn't decide
which to leave out!
|
The hanging flowers and roof shrubs across from the
Pike
|
Also
outside, a decorative chili tent, WOW
|
MUSHROOMS
-
|
Tiny
Patti pan squash
|
Specialty
colorful PASTA at the Pappardelle's
|
Halibut
cheeks, shrimp, jumbo scampi, Alaska king crab, Dungeness crab
|
Jumbo
scallops and HUGE lobster tails
|
Asian
musician just inside the market
|
A slightly scary balloon maker
|
A
Puget Sound wolf fish (a type of eel), a truly fearsome critter
|
A
wooden box carver, nothing ordinary!! Of course I purchased one of
these unique gnarly boxes
|
Piroshky
(pirogies) a wonderful ethnic Polish food, across from the Market
|
Across the street from the Market was a Starbucks
Coffee (remember, Starbucks was BORN here), there was a country band playing,
accompanied by two patient dogs
|
Slate
& brass art, these are embedded right in the concrete of the sidewalks
near the Market. This one reads:
I have always known that at last I would take this road. But
yesterday, i did not know it would be today. Narihira (9th century,
Japan)
|
Roses
at a shop in the blocks near the Market
|
Decorative
sewer piping on the side of a brick building, near the Market. An
art form can be ANYTHING!
|
A
crow broadcasts his opinion from the roof of a store near the water's edge
(Puget Sound)
|
YE
OLDE CURIOSITY SHOP
Downtown Seattle, water's edge, Puget Sound
Just about as interesting as our OWN store was
(and our website now is), we reveled in the wonderful dusty weirdness of
this unique store |
A
fantasy creature created from several critters put together, yeeks!
|
A
gnarly mako shark jaw with a float ball in its mouth
|
Wolf
fish head
|
Real
shrunken heads
|
A
rare shrunken TORSO of a Jivaro Ecudorian head hunter
|
Smallest
shrunken head
|
A
walrus skull with THREE tusks
|
Shoulder blade of
a whale, and a vintage harpoon gun
|
A view of Puget Sound, and Mount Rainier (between
the bridge spans)
|
DALE
CHIHULY GLASS BOWLS
at an Art Gallery, near the waterfront,
Seattle
Since we love glass and Dale Chihuly's work,
stopping here was not an option. A few photos show comparisons of
the same glass art piece, as seen through Glenn's and Heidi's camera
lenses |
|
FREMONT
OPEN AIR MARKET (suburb of Seattle) |
Photos
of the Space Needle at night, and from the top
|
At a weekly outdoor market in , a wood fired stove where they make
pizza - yum!
|
It looks like a hybrid of cauliflower & broccoli, I am unsure, but it was
just fascinating
|
THE
Fremont TROLL UNDER THE BRIDGE
A truly amazing sight, this huge troll created
of concrete lurks under the north end of the Aurora bridge in Fremont (a
suburb of Seattle) is a MUST SEE if you are in the Seattle area. He
is "crushing" a VW bug in his hand. His one eye is a car's
hubcap. |
Other attractions in Fremont include: a
20' statue of Lenin (no one knows why), an old rocket mounted on the side
of a building that blows smoke every hour, and dinosaurs carved of living
hedges. We'll catch photos of that NEXT TIME! |
PADUCAH,
KENTUCKY
October 2007 |
Quilt
Museum |
A "quilt" tile
An exquisite quilt done with puffins:
The gift shop itself was worth the trip to the
Quilt Museum, though we thoroughly enjoyed both. |
Barges
on the Ohio River, Port of Paducah |
You can get a sense of the size of the barge
from the car on shore
A birdhouse near the river's edge, bent no
doubt from the wind
|
A
Train on display near the Port of Paducah
Illinois Central |
And close up photos of some of its working
parts
|
Hancock
Fabrics, Paducah
(not affiliated with the chain) a HUGE store
we had looked forward to visiting again. Here are quilts hanging
from the ceiling |
|
Flowers that would be a raffle award at a Farmer's market near the Quilt
Museum
|
A
friendly cat at the motel where we stayed, of course Glenn couldn't resist
feeding & petting it
Flowers blooming along the highway
|
JULY
2007 |
The
work of a skilled sculptor?
Actually this is exhaust pipe from a Loris salvage shop! |
MAY
2007
FRANKLIN, NORTH CAROLINA Gem Show
|
Here's
an example of the crystals from Brazil you can see at the show
|
One
booth showing the calcite display items available
|
Uncut
LAPIS LAZULI gemstone from Afghanistan
|
The
nearby town of Sylva, NC was displaying their Confederate Flags on the
Courthouse, not your typical choice for a patriotic statement
|
Our
friends Renee & Dale bought a carved moose from wood carvers "The
Bear Necessity", as a symbol of their new business "Outside the
Norm". They sure bought enough inventory to get a good start!
Renee and Heidi in the parking lot of the
Whistle Stop Mall, having a light-hearted girly moment
|
We
visited our favorite furniture store in the Whistle Stop Mall, Amish-made
log furniture. We will own one of these beds one day, if we can ever
get it home and have a ceiling high enough!
|
A
baby miniature pony, along with its mother, our "Awwww" photo of
the moment
|
Across
the street from the miniature horses was this wolf-dog on the porch (I
shot the photo from a distance, for safety sake!)
|
MAY
18-28, 2007
EL PASO, Texas
We actually went to El Paso to cross to Juarez
to get dental work done (American-trained dentists that do terrific work
on crowns & root canals for a fraction of the American prices).
We, of course, explored the surroundings and have much to share!
|
STATUE
at EL PASO AIRPORT
The Don Juan de Onate Salazar (holding the La
Toma Declaration in his hand), riding on an Andalusian horse unveiled in
April of 2007 (the month before we arrived) is the largest & heaviest
equestrian statue in the world at 34 feet tall, 18 tons. |
|
POST
OFFICE, EL PASO TX
At the post office near the airport, there was
a LONG line...it turned out this was a designated day to file your
passport papers for the new regulations. This is a big deal for a
border state such as El Paso. Here is Glenn with Margie, the postal
clerk who explained it to us. Thankfully for us, the SHORT line was
for postage. A great and friendly post office!
|
|
EL
PASO SADDLE BLANKET STORE
A place everyone must visit when coming to El
Paso, it retains the flavor of the Old West, and the colorful Mexican
history as well
|
Great
vintage cars in the parking lot
|
The
traditional Wooden Indian near the entrance
|
A
view of the main showroom, there are so many rugs and blankets it will
boggle the mind
|
The
front desk, flanked by colorful Great Danes
|
The
pottery & artifacts room
|
Dream
catchers made of jaws, and religious crosses
|
Lots
of cow horns to choose from
|
Artifact
costumes & pottery for the Day of the Dead parades
|
Other
incredibly colorful pottery of roosters, bulls etc.
|
Leather
saddles galore
|
Hand
painting work-in-progress on a cow skull
|
|
|
GROCERY
STORE
Local foods always interest us, here in El
Paso was an endless selection of hot peppers, rice, beans, big cinnamon
sticks, and pickled pork skins |
|
El
Paso...a walkabout the town |
Tradicione's
furniture store on Gateway Blvd. with unique wrought iron animal
figures on the fence, and a beautiful mural:
|
Right
next to that, the "YES" store with Tropical Colorful prom
dresses that were such a treat to the eye! A number of designers
display in this store, see the link below for even more. Wow!
http://www.yesboutique.com/index.html
|
An
Oriental Imports store that had a huge vase with crystalline glaze (the
glaze has real quartz crystals within it that GROW when they are put in
the kiln to fire. Heidi has a collection of them, but none this
big! If only we knew how to get it home...
|
The
stone used in many buildings, fences, garages and other structures made
the architecture of El Paso interesting, we drove many miles to view the
handiwork in stone:
Then an unusual kiosk
The famous Rosa's Cantina from the song
"El Paso" by Marty Robbins:
Another colorful restaurant:
|
Floral
delivery trucks - what a great idea!
|
This
private residence was full of what appeared to be Hindu goddesses or
gargoyles or both:
|
Many
of the overpasses were made into art forms with mosaics of brick &
colors
|
Just
outside of the Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino entrance, an
enterprising three-some created shade and seats to fish in the
canal. We met Buddy, Irma and Sam
|
Beautiful
blooms right in El Paso
|
WHOOPEE
BOWL ANTIQUES
Outside of El Paso, this eclectic store took
up some of our time to explore. Cast animal figures of ram, cow,
gator, horse, bear, gargoyles, cactus, wrought iron gates, dinosaurs,
buffalo, bulldogs, pigs, Indians, cats, elephants, elk, hippo - and that
was just OUTSIDE |
Even live koi in a large pond:
Mariachi band of musicians in iron..
INSIDE - a taxidermy raccoon that was
hilarious--who scared him? And a llama made of shag carpet?
A silver belt buckle just for
"Diane", what a story that must have been...
|
THE
PASTRY CHEF (A European Bakery & Restaurant)
Turtle Cove Shopping Center, El Paso
A wonderful surprise to find, especially the
gifted Polish pastry chef Kazimiera Helinski that we complimented on her
delicious & beautiful hard work. How can you resist the ladybug
& butterfly cookies? And so many other pastries to choose
from. She came here in 1981 at the age of 41 as a refugee from the
Polish Revolution. We are glad you came! |
|
EL
PASO MUSEUM OF ART |
a
HUGE horse head at the entryway
|
Elegy
on the death of Cesar Chavez
|
An
upended boat sculpture
|
Hmmm,
a shapely form, but a but cold for Glenn's taste:
|
The
Fireman
|
EL
PASO MUNICIPAL ROSE GARDEN
Right in El Paso, another pleasant surprise
was a beautifully well-kept rose garden, that included a ball park
too. Just enjoy the variety and exquisite formation of the roses...
To comfort man--to whisper hope, when
e'er his faith is dim, for who so careth for the flowers will care much
more for him.
|
|
We
drove by the office of, a
one-armed man handy with a gun! Glenn tells of his Corvette fitted
with cuffs for knives, guns, etc. that he could switch his artificial arm
over in a jiffy.
http://www.spymall.com/investigators/ |
A
patriotic flower flag at the Wal-Mart store
An unforgettable view from Rim Road on
Memorial Day, of the Wells Fargo Bank in El Paso displaying an American
flag on its building
|
Glenn's
old friend and neighbor Darlene, a fellow horse lover, is still thriving
in her home and enjoying her horses out back
|
BALLOON
FEST at the Water Park
An extravaganza of balloons launching, we saw
it all from the bluff at the Water Park, starting at dawn (free, the bluff
road runs alongside the water park). What an experience! You
will see the progress from a field of cars to an explosion of color.
The sound of the propane heaters, the colors growing, then rising,
multiplying. Everyone's a kid at heart when you see something like
this. An uplifting experience! |
Tweety Bird!
The winds had begun to change, becoming
dangerous for one balloon that landed near the road
An ENORMOUS Rain Forest Tree balloon with
parrots & toucans, it took a long time to fill, then due to the wind
change, it never took off.
This balloon also never had time to inflate
before the winds changed a different direction and they had to deflate.
A Huge Purple People Eater balloon, another
unusual balloon!
|
CATTLEMAN'S
STEAK HOUSE RESTAURANT
Not to be confused with other Cattleman's
Restaurant Chains, this is a single entity, at Indian Cliffs Ranch, 35
minutes from El Paso. Started & continued by proud German Dieter
Gerzymisch, first to accommodate the dining needs and horse rental for the
soldiers at Fort Bliss, it kept growing to the entertainment destination
you see today. It has also been a movie location for numerous films
shot here.
http://www.cattlemanssteakhouse.com/
Always a dining experience, it was a pleasure
to re-visit. |
An
extensive array of bronze animals scattered throughout the spacious
acreage
|
The
entryway carport was alive with the noise of small birds
|
Cannons
& bells adorn the entry
|
Glenn was already planning to have the "Dinosaur Ribs" from the
longhorn cattle famous in the area
|
Plenty
of ambience of the Wild West, with memorabilia and Western saddles
everywhere
|
Is
this a happy man or what?
|
Movies
shot on location here
|
An
exotic animal zoo, including ostriches (with eggs)
|
Quail
|
Peacock
|
Llama
|
Buffalo
|
Sicilian
burro
|
Brahman
bull
|
|
Fascinating
El Paso fashion is for the young women to wear high heels with Capri
pants, I snapped this picture in the parking lot, but we saw this often
during our stay in El Paso.
|
NEW
MEXICO (May 18-28, 2007) |
LOCAL
FLORA & FAUNA, New Mexico
Since it had rained recently, we experienced
the wonderful bonus of seeing the desert bloom as never before |
Soapstone
yucca
Of course, while taking this photo, I picked
up this little friend on the hem of my pants, ouch!
|
Prickly pear cactus in bloom
|
Other
wondrous desert blooms
|
Two-Room
School House, Hwy 54 (on the way from El Paso to Alamagordo), Oro
Grande NM
We saw a sign for a "Beggar's Festival
& Hobo Convention" and turned in out of
curiosity.
We found an interesting gentleman caretaker
who explained the unique roof water collection, and how he continues to
raise money to restore the school house. He also told how the school
bell had been shot at and eventually stolen.
|
Turtle
race! This was for the festival
|
Post
office, across the street, for Oro Grande NM
|
Bird
of Paradise bushes
|
Purple
& yellow flowers near the school house
|
Hobosaurus
- a new species of dinosaur!
|
Inside
the schoolhouse, it was a re-sale shop
|
"All
hoboes & beggars must leave town after festivities concluded"
|
Hand
made wooden cars & trucks, made by a retired colonel turned cowboy
|
The
Wishing Well (a toilet full of rocks, inside a truck tire)
The Wishing Well Token you get for
making a donation:
|
RATTLESNAKE
PIT, MOORE'S TRADING POST
Outside of Alamagordo approaching Cloudcroft,
we saw this quonset building and had to stop. They did indeed have a
rattlesnake pit, folks would reach a fishing pole with a balloon down
there for the snakes to bite & pop the balloon. |
Inside was a big re-sale store, in the back
room was a REALLY LARGE rattlesnake, though without a size reference this
will not impact you as it did us:
What we did find of interest was a LARGE zebra
skin in pristine condition, which we bought and kept till we chose to sell
it in December of '07:
|
WHITE
SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT
Alamagordo, New Mexico
A unique 275 square miles of PURE WHITE GYPSUM
SAND, the world's largest. To the north is the White Sands
Missile Testing Range. The dunes grow and change by the minute,
though due to the surrounding hills (the Tularosa Basin), the gypsum never
escapes. So it dissolves when it rains, grows beautiful gypsum
crystal formations, then the wind breaks them back down to sand again. |
Changing
from desert to what appears to be snow but it is just the white sand
|
Selenite,
satin spar, desert rose, and gypsum flowers are the four crystalline
varieties of gypsum
|
Examples
of gypsum, selenite rosettes, gypsum made into wallboard, and into plaster
of paris
|
Examples
of river sand, Hawaii volcanic sand, Florida coquina shell sand, and the
gypsum white sand
|
The
shapes of the dunes: dome, ripple transverse, crescent barchun, and
hairpin parabolic
|
The
view of the entire Tularosa Basin showing the white sands and dry
"playa" Lake Lucero
|
Some
vegetation can survive rooted in the sand
|
Heidi
squinting at the bright white of the sand
|
You
would swear you were driving in a snow covered region. The
appearance of a "snow plow" did nothing to dispel this thought.
Some vegetation has to have long roots to
withstand the shifting sands
|
An
area with covered picnic tables where we wrote up postcards to mail, one
of the more unusual picnic spots we've been!
|
More
of the succulent cactus flowers in the landscaped area of the Visitor's
Center. A colorful ending to a highly unusual experience
|
NEW
MEXICO MUSEUM OF SPACE HISTORY
(previously known as the International Space
Hall of Fame). 28 countries furnished artifacts and other exhibits
of man's conquest of space.
Alamagordo NM (we did not go in, but here are
a few photos of the space capsule and the John Stapp Space Park).
There is also an Astronaut Memorial Garden, dedicated to the memory of the
7 astronauts who perished when the Shuttle Challenger exploded on 1/28/86
as we can all never forget. There is an observatory in the
background. |
|
McGINN'S
PISTACHIO TREE RANCH
Ever see where pistachios grow? We
did. They even produce WINE! One miles NE of Alamogordo on Hwy
82 towards Cloudcroft, we came upon this lovely log store.
They even sold koi fish in a pond out front. Yummy pistachios in
flavors you never even imagined (hot hot hot)
www.PistachioTreeRanch.com |
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LAS
CRUCES - Farmer's Market |
We
found a lady (Chris Crafts) making hats from plastic bags (30 in each hat,
machine washable, it takes her 8 hours to make one. She uses bags
from: Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowes Target, IGA, Walgreen's, Hobby Lobby,
Best Buy, Unravel Yarn Shop, and Albertson's, also Hefty and Ruffies bags.
to get the variety of colors she sells. Of course, Heidi bought one.
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March
2007
COLORADO
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The
town of Cripple Creek, 9,494 foot altitude - we flew here from Myrtle
Beach (sea level, -0- altitude), to almost 10,000 feet - no WONDER we were
short of breath when viewing this quaint gold-mining themed Casino area
Burros bronze statue, near the visitor's
center, which was an old railroad car, the inside was very cozy:
On the road from Woodland Park to Cripple
Creek, a hilarious Roadside Americana scene of the Flintstones and
dinosaurs. Note the blowing snow on the last statue, we were missing the
mild temperatures of South Carolina!
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Gorgeous
views of many mountain peaks, including Pike's Peak
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On
the road from Denver to Trinidad, Colorado, a herd of antelope blend with
the best of camouflage into the surrounding fields:
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A huge wooden carved ostrich at a Pottery Shop
we found between Colorado Springs and Woodland Park
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A
beautiful lodge home for sale in a Woodland Hills neighborhood
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Deer are comfortable walking through a residential
neighborhood in Woodland Park
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