If you've ever been on a cruise you probably remember that in one of the last daily newsletters there is a listing of the amounts of commodoties used on the trip, usually food and liquor. Well, it's in that same spirit that we present a few statistics from our wonderful trip. days: 74 miles driven: 12,643 number of states: 31 number of Nat'l. Parks visited: 9 places stayed: 30 pictures taken: 6800 (aren't we glad we don't use film!!) number of blogs: 25 temperature range: [View Full Entry]

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We left Williams yesterday and drove to Sedona via Oak Creek Canyon. There were some spectacular views as we first climbed some and then descended well over 2000 feet into Sedona. After a quick stop at the Visitor Center, and a wonderful lunch at the Coffee Pot Restaurant, we set out to explore the town a bit. Incidentally, the restaurant got its name from the rock formation behind it that looks like an old-fashioned percolater, not because it specializes in coffee, although it does advertise 101 different omelettes. We spent some time wandering around the Tlaquepaque Plaza, a shopping ar [View Full Entry]

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The Grand Canyon............INDESCRIBABLE..........so I won't even try. Enjoy the pictures. [View Full Entry]

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First of all, must issue a disclaimer: Tom had a really tough time downloading the pics for this blog, so they are a little jumbled. However, we are trusting in the intelligence and discernment of our readers to figure it out! One of the greatest things about this trip has been the ability to stop whenever we want. On the way from Durango to Santa Fe we saw a sign that said "Aztec Ruins National Monument". This park contains more examples of ancestral Puebloan buildings, and extended the thread that began with Mesa Verde a bit more. (the term Aztec [View Full Entry]

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We've had two really amazing days here in Durango! Driving here from Limon, the scenery changed from flatland to the mountains that we mostly associate with Colorado. Durango itself is a little over 6,000 feet in elevation. On Monday we took the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway; left at 8:15 am, returning at 5:30 pm, with a 2-hour lunch stop in Silverton. When we boarded the train from the quaint little depot, we weren't quite sure what to expect, but boy, were we in for a treat! First of all, this time of the year the deciduous trees are all shades of [View Full Entry]

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When we left you, we were in Clarkesville, Tennessee, and we are now on our third day in Durango, Colorado. Apologies for being so long between blogs, but we've been really busy. After leaving Tennessee, we drove through a bit of Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri, spending the night in Kansas City. As you can see, we saw an unexpected bit of fall color in those states, and were both quite surprised at the topography of Missouri; we expected flatland and instead there were low, rolling hills. I reminded Tom of how Independence, MO was one of the main jumping off and [View Full Entry]

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The significant thing that happened today is that we FINALLY left South Carolina! After being in Hilton Head for a week, we left for Greenwood, SC after a telephone call with the endodontist. Tom's brother Stan (also known by his family name of Buddy) and his wife Carol live there. We enjoyed spending time with them in Maui earlier this summer, and were anxious to see them again. We spent a wonderful few days there with them visiting, relaxing, fishing and, as you can see from the pics, eating. Even with my abscessed tooth I was able to eat, since Carol [View Full Entry]

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Hi from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. If you like to golf, this is the place for you....there are 17 courses on the island. We've taken advantage of our week here to relax a bit. The beach scenes are a 5-minute walk from the condo. I think the beach grass just says Atlantic Ocean, and is so picturesque. Tuesday night we went to the local comedy club, and once we found it, had a fun, inexpensive evening. The reason I say "once we found it" is that this island is very dark at night, so that the loggerhead turtles that hatch [View Full Entry]

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Once we realized that Charleston was a bit further from Hilton Head than we realized (over 2 hours), we decided to stop and sightsee there before going on to our condo. We took a carriage ride through the historic district, and it was the perfect way to see this part of the city, because of the narrow width of the streets, and the slow pace gave us ample time to really take in the scenery. There were so many old houses and churches, as you can see from the pictures. Most of the houses have a piazza where they would [View Full Entry]

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Even though the main purpose of our travels these past two days has been to work our way south to Hilton Head, S.C., we've seen and experienced some really interesting things. Yesterday was a 4-state day, beginning in New Jersey, continuing on through Delaware and Maryland, and spending the night in Norfolk, Virginia. We took a car ferry from Cape May, NJ to Lewes, DE, an 80 minute trip and 17 miles. Tom made reservations the day before so we'd be sure to get on. The alternative was backtracking and adding about four more hours of driving. Tom sure enjoyed the [View Full Entry]

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