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!