Mountain Ranges, Olympic Venues & Famous authors

( Craig writes) We traveled from Malone, New York to Waltham, Massachusetts today and drove through both the Adirondack and Green Mountain ranges taking short hikes in each of them.  Passing by Lake Champlain we stopped in Lake Placid, New York for coffee. Lake Placid was the site for the Winter Olympics in 1932 and in 1980.

                              Becky and Nicole hiking in the Adirondack Mountains in New York

       Craig and Becky dancing to the song "Moonlight in Vermont" while actually being in Vermont!

 

                                          Nicole found us a great coffee shop in Lake Placid.

                    Nicole and Craig contemplating over lunch in the Green Mountains of Vermont.

We arrived in Concord, Massachusetts just before the famous Orchard House (Louisa Mae Alcott's home) was closing but the tour staff decided to give us a special guided tour as the last one of the day. The three of us enjoyed the informative tour and the special treatment from our friendly guide. After the house tour we went to visit the Author's Ridge at the nearby Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. It was very interesting to see the graves of the literary giants Louisa Mae Alcott, David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Ralph Waldo Emerson all in close proximity of each other.

                             Two book lovers at the home of the famous author Louisa Mae Alcott.

Louisa Mae Alcott's grave in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, Massachusetts. Notice the writing pencils many admirers have left on her grave in tribute.

O, Canada!

 (Craig writes) Becky and I have enjoyed our trips to the beautiful country of Canada over the years. We had previously  traveled to the Maritimes and Prince Edward Island in the east and to Victoria, Vancouver Island & British Columbia in the west. Today we traveled to the amazing city of Montreal with our granddaughter, Nicole, and explored many of it's fascinating areas. Driving from our airbnb apartment in Malone, New York we crossed into Canada at the Trout River border crossing. After answering a few questions and checking our documents the Canadian Border officer stamped our passports and welcomed us to Canada. As we drove through the little town of St. Martine Becky and Nicole spotted a French bakery named "Le Sacre Pain" (The Sacred Bread). Walking inside the shop we were greeted by the wonderful smells of fresh baked pastries, coffee and a warm "bonjour" from the smiling lady behind the counter. We purchased a selection of pastry items and some coffee then enjoyed both at their outside dining area. The pastries and coffee were delicious and set the tone for the rest of our day exploring Montreal together.

                We discovered a delicious pastry shop in St, Martin, Canada on the road to Montreal.

                                                        A few of the freshly baked pastries.

As we crossed the St. Lawrence River headed into Montreal our excitement grew! Our son, Matthew, and our daughter, Ashlea, had been to Montreal before and had suggested a few places they thought we would enjoy seeing. One of the first places we visited there was Mont Royal. There are three peaks on Mont Royal with the highest being 764 feet above sea level providing a great place to view the city of Montreal below.

                                                     Driving across the river into Montreal.

                                 Becky and Nicole at Mont Royal overlooking Montreal, Canada

Nicole enjoys a variety of teas from around the world and in her pre-trip planning had discovered a tea shop she wanted to go to while in Montreal. Camellia Sinensis was the name of the shop and we enjoyed a tea sampling of several international teas along with detailed information about the origin of each tea from Jean Francois, one of the store managers. Nicole purchased some of her favorite tea to share with her family when she gets home.

                                   Jean Francois weighing tea and their wall of teas behind him.

                                    A happy Nicole after enjoying an international tea sampling.

We walked a little over 7 miles around Montreal taking in it's unique beauty, friendly people and enticing food smells. Lunch time found us dining on some yummy, spicy Indian food at a restaurant named Swagat. We met an interesting gentleman who was dining at the table next to ours named Francois Renee. Renee was a native Quebec Frenchman who was very proud of his Quebec heritage. So much so that he commented that "there was Quebec, then just the ROC". He explained that Quebec was the best and then there was just the Rest Of Canada! Renee provided us with much entertainment and French Quebec history over our lunch together. We also found it amusing that we were in the Latin section of Montreal, eating Indian food while chatting with a French Quebec gentleman. truly an "international experience".

                                         Nicole and Papa enjoying lunch together in Montreal.

Touring New England and the Wilder Farm

 Laura Ingalls Wilder is one of our favorite authors. She wrote the "Little House" books that our kids enjoyed growing up. Becky and I got a chance to visit the Ingalls homestead in De Smet, South Dakota on our trip across America in 2021 and also wanted to visit the Wilder Farm in Malone, New York. The Wilder Farm was where Almanzo Wilder lived for several years as a child and is the place Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about in her "Farmer Boy" book. Our granddaughter, Nicole, has a keen interest in the writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder and loves travel as much as we do. The interest in going to new places and seeing new things developed into a joint trip to New England with Nicole. One of the primary places we wanted to visit was the Wilder Farm near Malone, New York. Nicole contacted the farm and set us up to volunteer for a day while we were visiting. In addition to touring the farm Nicole borrowed some 1800's period clothing to wear to really look the part as she toured. The Wilder Farm Director, Donna Johnson, was a cheerful person who was delighted by our interest and Nicole's costume. We enjoyed a fascinating day learning about farm life in the 1800's and hearing many background stories as Donna and Nicole gave us a personal tour. The pictures below show some of the farm and Nicole giving a tour.

                                            In the actual parlor of the original Wilder home.

                                           Nicole telling about how the corn crib was used.

 

One of the events mentioned in "The Farmer Boy" book was that Almanzo entered some of his livestock into the Franklin County Fair many years ago. We got to go to the same fair grounds and enjoyed observing horse, cow and other animal showings by the local 4H Clubs. Nicole said she could not go to the fair without eating an elephant ear (fried dough with cinnamon and sugar on it) and riding one ride so she got to enjoy both while we were there!

On our way up to Malone we stopped at the Gettysburg National Park in Pennsylvania and Alexandria Bay in New York. Visiting the Gettysburg civil war battlefield always brings some sadness as it is the site where over 5100 men were killed, wounded or M.I.A. over the two days the battle lasted. It was also the site of President Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg address.

On a more positive note we enjoyed a boat tour of the 1000 islands on the St. Lawrence River that left from beautiful Alexandria Bay. Seeing the mansions on Millionaires Row and Boltz Castle from the water was a fun experience! The 1000 islands area (actually over 1800 of them) is truly a beautiful area with clear water and stunning views. Becky and I said if we ever had several million dollars to spare we could buy a summer place on the St. Lawrence river near Alexandria Bay! It would only be a summer place as the river freezes with about 30" of ice and the temperature is extremely frigid during the winter months. 

We have enjoyed our New England trip and plan to visit Montreal, Canada tomorrow! Here is a pic of Becky and Nicole rolling around on a luggage cart at our hotel. A you can see it really is a fun trip.

Our Botanical Garden

We have been working on our garden in the side yard and it is looking more and more colorful. Our Cheek grandchildren began referring to it as "Nana & Papa's Botanical Garden" so the title became official. Becky designed the layout with a curving pathway around the main planting areas which make it very eye appealing. Here are some pics from the beginning of our project. It will be an ongoing, everchanging work of love! Our new evening pastime is to sit in the Botanical with some wine and watch the garden solar lamps come on one at a time. When it is dark enough for all of the solar lights to come on we enjoy it for a few minutes longer then retire for the evening. 

Becky's love of horticulture and all things plant related has led to her acceptance in the Horticulture Program at Central Piedmont Community College beginning August 2022. We are excited about this opportunity and know our garden will continue to grow exponentially with new plants!

We Like Calling North Carolina Home

While traveling is a passion of ours we also enjoy being back at our beautiful home in Huntersville. After towing our Rpod 196 travel trailer, "Wander Yonder 2",over 11,500 miles Craig decided he had towed enough for awhile so we sold it. The decision to sell Wander Yonder 2 was a tough one for us as we had experienced well over 100 days/nights in comfort, convenience and safety in it. It had also enabled us to see so many fascinating places and meet so many interesting people as we traveled across the country camping. We will certainly miss some aspects of having our travel trailer but realize that different seasons of life offer different opportunities so we continue to move forward.

Years ago when our grandchildren started joining our family we decided it would be great to develop ways to have special times with them both collectively and individually. Out of this thought came Camp Nana Papa, Bank Nana Papa, girl cousins trips, boy cousins trips and individual 13th birthday trips. Camp Nana Papa became an annual event where we would have a week long themed camp at various locations. Bank Nana Papa was created to encourage our grandchildren to save some of their money and we paid them monthly interest. They enjoyed getting their monthly interest checks in the mail and learned a little about handling money along the way. The individual 13th birthday trips were times when we took a grandchild on a trip they had selected. So far we they have chosen fun trips to Walt Disney World, cruises to the Caribbean and a nature/fishing trip to the Florida Everglades.

Isaac's original birthday trip was scheduled for May 2020 but was postponed due to the Covid pandemic. We finally got to go on his trip earlier this month to south Florida splitting the week between Sanibel Island and the Everglades. Between an airboat ride, a swamp buggy ride and a private fishing charter we enjoyed many memorable moments and made more great memories with him.

We only have one more 13th birthday trip to go as Nadia, our youngest grandchild, says she would like to go to Walt Disney World for her trip currently scheduled for December 2022.

Over the years we have enjoyed many fun trips to Walt Disney World but have never stayed at the Disney Polynesian Resort. Our oldest grandchild, Addie, decided to gift us this Christmas with a WDW trip that includes staying at the Polynesian Resort. We are very excited about making this trip with her and are appreciative of her treating us to such an extravagant gift!

As the year 2021 ends and 2022 begins we are hopeful that our good health continues and that we will be able to continue our travels discovering new places, meeting new people and learning more about the beautiful world around us.

Sanibel and Ft. Myers

 

We discovered the J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge on our first visit to Sanibel Island, Florida back in 2003.  Ding, a cartoonist by trade, founded the National Wildlife Federation in 1936 and his famous duck drawing is still used today in signage for National Wildlife Refuge areas across the country.  The 6,400 acre refuge is great place to observe migratory birds, alligators, lizards, fish and multiple varieties of plant life in their beautiful, natural setting.  A slow ride through the refuge gave us another opportunity to see, hear, and smell some of the real Florida we had enjoyed a few days earlier back in the Everglades.  Sanibel Island and it's tiny adjoining Captiva Island really have a Caribbean feel to them with their white sand beaches and clear water.  We enjoyed getting our feet into the cool Gulf Coast waters and on the sandy shell-filled beaches.  

Just a few miles away from Sanibel we stayed at a cute cottage in Ft. Myers for a few days.  The cottage was located close to the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford Winter Homes and Gardens.  On our tour through the buildings and gardens we learned many interesting facts about Edison and Ford and their families.  These two men were good friends and shared a love of camping as well as inventing things. In his lifetime Edison held 1,093 patents in his name and Ford had 150 in his name.  The most commonly known are Edison's light bulbs and Ford's Model T cars.  Their homes and gardens were next door to each other and their families apparently enjoyed each others company as well.  

Edison was totally deaf in one ear and only had 20% hearing in the other ear which we found interesting in that he invented so many items related to sound.  One humorous anecdote our tour guide told us was that Ford was very careful not to embarrass his good friend Edison about his lack of being able to clearly hear conversations.  Due to Edison's hearing difficulties it was particularly hard for him to understand conversations and almost impossible to read lips while people ate at dinner parties.  When Ford would tell a joke or say something to the group, he would always write it down on a slip of paper first and then privately hand it to Edison.  Craig could readily identify with Edison's hearing difficulties and understand what a kind gesture Ford had extended to his good friend.

As we departed Ft. Myers we decided to drive northeast up the center of the state and see some more of the many picturesque small towns and lakes that help make Florida the beautiful state it is.  We skirted around Lake Okeechobee, Florida's largest fresh water lake, and made our way past Lake Placid and Lake Jackson along with other smaller lakes.

We had originally decided not to go to Walt Disney World Resort but we found ourselves in Lake Buena Vista and the car just turned right into the Lime Parking Garage at Disney Springs.  While there we enjoyed walking around, had a tasty lunch at the Polite Pig, and picked up amazing desserts at Amorette's Patisserie.  

Everglades City, Florida

On our quest to see areas new to us in Florida we decided to travel to Everglades City. This is an area that is surrounded by millions of acres of mangrove made islands, alligators, snakes, cougars, multiple types of birds, mosquitoes, various flora and fauna varieties and tremendously beautiful natural views. Back on September 10, 2017 hurricane Irma caused massive destruction of this area with over 10’ of storm surge and 155 mph winds. Irma pretty well leveled the area and now almost 4 years later they are still rebuilding their little town. The official population is only about 200 people here with another 340 people in nearby Chokoloskee, a small community a mile or so further into the Everglades that is also still rebuilding from hurricane Irma.

Once we got to Everglades City we saw several signs advertising air boat adventures from different vendors. Since mornings are cooler, with less bugs and better chances of seeing wildlife we opted for a 9:00 morning tour with the Everglades City Airboat Tours. Captain Blake was our boat driver and tour guide. We wore headsets with boom microphones to make it easy to chat with the captain and each other as well as to muffle out some of the airboats engine noise. On our ride we saw manatee, aquatic birds and alligators but the best part of the ride for Becky was when Captain Blake would go full throttle and speed across the swampy water making tight turns as we zipped through the mangrove “forests”. In many places the clear openings in the mangroves were just big enough for the boat to get through and Becky giggled with joy as we flew by the heavy jungle type growth of the beautiful mangrove swamps. Truth be known I was doing a bit of giggling myself as it was great fun.

Since we had enjoyed the airboat tour so much we then drove down to the Everglades National Park Welcome Center and booked a ride on a pontoon boat for a water tour over to some of the parks famous 10,000 islands. Our tour guide, Captain Bobby, did an excellent job of pointing out multiple bird species, manatee and dolphins. It was almost like a naturalist lecture with Bobby explaining the history and habitats of the plants and creatures we observed while boating along the various cays and open water areas we passed through.

While in Everglades City we are staying at the Ivey House Inn. The Ivey House Inn is an older hotel structure with rooms and suites. Our room is just steps away from a lovely lanai covered swimming pool with tropical plants around it. We really enjoyed having the pool area so close to our room and are pleasantly surprised how quiet and peaceful the whole Inn is.