Day Two in La Porte

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I can't believe I have so much catching up to do. I quess we have been having too much fun, too many miles, visits with friends and then too tired or no internet connection to write.
Day Two/March 16, 2010:
We arrived in La Porte, Indiana about 3pm as we gained an hour. always a blessing.
Donna (Hay) and Ed Ludwig treated us to a very nice dinner at their Country Club. It was a wonderfu visit with long time friends.
The next day Donna and I met for breakfast that lasted many hours as we went down memory lane. We met while I was living in Chicago and her brother Bill Hay was playing hockey with the Blackhawks with Louie. We go back a long way. (1966)

Later on Tuesday, March 17 we arrived in Indian Head Park , Illinois to visit with our friends John and Patty Lehman. We met in 1966 while living in Chicago. We arrived about 4pm just after the fire department had left. They called Patty to let her know dinner was ready. They were in Aurora partying as it was St. Patarick's Day and before they left John put a corn beef in the oven for dinner. It was over cooked, the house was full of smoke and the other guests had to go into action and cook another corn beef. All turned out well and John and Patty were getting their Spring cleaning done early compliments of the insurance company. We were able to stay in the house even if we did smell like last nights dinner. We had a lot of laughs and the Lehman's do know how to roll with the punches.
We had lunches out, dinner's in and a lot of warm companionship. Kathleen (their daughter) and Kevin had us over for a wonderful pork roast dinner and we had a lovely evening with tieir family. We are blessed to have such wonderful friends.
Patty and I an her friend Carol went to Chicago to shop and Kirk and John and Mike De Paolo went to visit Ralph Frieze a canoe museum friend. We both had a great day. Of course, Kirk is negotiating to get canoes for the museum. Ralph has many as he has tried to start a museum in Chicago.

Day Seven, March 21
We depart Chicago for a very long drive to Branson, Missouri
It is a beautiful day although it did snow heavily the day before we left. But the sun was out and the roads were clear for out drive.
We drove as far as Pacific, Missouri which is just the other side of St. Louis. The fact that it was a Sunday made the driving very easy going through St. Louis.
The next day we left at 9am and drove to see the Fantastic Caves. We took a ride in the tram through the caves. How wonderful was this considering the fact that Kirk is finding walking so difficult. He was able to sit and enjoy the ride.
We arrived in Branson after having dinner at a crazy fun restaurant Hobart's where they throw the rolls at you. Great food and lots of fun.

Day Eight though Eleven, March 22-25
We stayed at Branson Nantucket a wonderful timeshare way up on a hill over looking table lake. We had great dinners on the wharf, saw many shows. Including The Liverpool Ledgends (Beatles), John Denver Show, Legends including Elvis, Buddy Holly, Little Richard. We saw the Imax Hubble, Rock and Roll. The music was all great and the interpretures were so great. The weather was 75* and only the day we left did it rain like crazy in the morning. It was very foggy so we waited about an hour until the fog lited. We stopped at Big Cedar for a wonderful lunch. We then visited Eureka Spring and the lovely little Thornwood Chapel built by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. It was made of wood and glass and tucked into the woods. Very peaceful and beautiful setting. We arrived at our friends Jan and Dean Muetzel at 5.

Day Twelve and Thirteen, March 26,27
We spent two restful and pampered day with the Muetzel's. Jan was in Kirk's class at U of T. Their friendship goes back a very long way. she tells me all the girls were crazy about him and wondered why he did not ask any of them out. He said 'he did not have any money" and she said 'they would have paid'. A bit late in the day now . They took us to see the Hobb museum of Natural history.

Day Fourteen, March 28
Our original plan was to leave for Santa Fe. Kay and Douglas (Kirk's son) were to meet us in Palm Desert for a week and were unable to come there. So plan B was to meet in Santa Fe. Douglas was working on a real estate deal and was unable to leave Steamboat Springs so we made the decision to go to Steamboat Springs so we could spend some quality time with them. I told them family was more important than Santa Fe. So we changed direction and instead of going south to Interstate 10 we headed north to Interstate 70.
We spend the night in Wichita, Kansas. Neither of us had ever been to kansas. We stopped many times along the way to see and do. It is very desert like and hot.

Day Fifteen, March 29
We drive as far as Burlington, Colorado (just inside the border). Surprised to see how desert like and very flat this area is.lots of large farms. We ask if anything is going on in the town and find out The Airman of Note are playing at the local highschool. (free concert)
What a wonderful evening of music. It all began with Glen Miller and his orchestra 60 years ago.

Day Sixteen through Day Nineteen, March 30-April 2
We loved the drive approaching the mountain through Denver. The beauty of the Rockys is breath taking.
We arrive in Steamboat at 5pm to a wonderful roast beef dinner (we always make it for dinner, it seems!) It is 70* and the sun is shining We wake up the next day to 6" of heavy wet snow but this does not deter us from seeing the area. Douglas driving of course. we see snow geese and visit a park with the most amazing wooden carved figures out of trees. Many pictures to show.
Every night Kay makes the most wonderful meals. Osco buco with lamb, shrimp with grits, lentil soup for lunch. We were throughly spoilt with all the delicious homemade meals. We had such fun with Kay and Douglas and it is always great to be with our family.
We had more snow on Friday but this time it was light and fluffy but deep. I am now wearing Kay shoes with a good tread.

Day Twenty, April 3
We leave Steamboat Springs for our drive south to Moab. About 300 miles. We stop in Grand Junction. CO for old time sake and have lunch at Dolce Vita where we had dinner many years before when we were visiting with Douglas and had flown into GJ. It was great food as we had remembered. I found a wonderful shop and bought some great cards and little gifts for our families at home.
We spent the night in Moab, Utah and on the way spent several hours in Arches National Park. Spectacular!

Day Twenty one, April 4
We were on our way to Chenle, Arizona where we had reservations. BUT we ran into a sand storm . If you think driving in fog is bad it is nothing comparted to a sand storm. We had to drive very slowly as it was hard to see and the sand was covering the road and very dangerous so we stopped in Bluff and a wonderful inn called The Desert Rose. It was all that and more and the most delicious meal with the indian fry bread. I swear it is still on my hips. We met some new friends and had dinner with them and then they joined us in Canyon de Chelly. We went to Monument Valley to see the beautiful red mountains but because of the sand storm you culd not see a thing and it was very dangerous to drive so we missed this park.

Day 22, April 5
We called ahead to the hotel and they allowed us to delay our reservation for a day and the tour we had booked into the canyon was also very considerate.
We had a good day driving and arrived at Chinle at 7pm that evening. A light dinner and into bed as the next day would be very interesting and long.

Day 23, April 6
We are up early and have our breakfast in the local dinningroom and meet with our Navaho guide Bobbie. He was raised in Canyon de Chelly so we were blessed to hear all the stories of his life with his grandmother and all her teachings. What a wonderful canyon and we were able to get so closed to all the ancient ruins. What beautiful gentle soft spoken people. Many pictures to share and great stories.
Our tour was finished by 1pm and we left for Sedona visiting The Painted Desert (markings in the sand of turquoise, pink and blue) and the Petrified Forest (wood that is millons of years old) on the way. It was a long and now dark drive into Sedona arriving at 10pm.
We stayed at Sedona Summit where we had stayed two years before when my Container/Woman Group came and then Alexandria and Kirk arrived for the second week. Beautiful property.
We got bumped as they were renovating the resort and did not have enough rooms for us. They put us up in a 5* hotel Sedona Rouge and gave us $200.00 for meals for the inconvenience. Here we met the owners of the Fred Astair Dance Studio. They invited us to join them the next two evenings in the lounge for dancing. Two of the men had won many international dance contests. So you can imagine I was having a ball every time I was asked to dance. Kirk had fun taking pictures and flirting with the ladies. He even had a dance or two himself.
We had such fun.

Day 24-26
We did many of our favorite things. Lunch at Enchantment in Boynton Canyon, visiting the Chapel in the Rocks, Going to Jerome, eating at the Bakery, visting Talapaqui Village and all the artists. Most of all enjoying the atmosphere of these beautiful red rocks. Watching the sunset. So we totally relaxed and enjoyed our time here in Sedona. They also gave us another day in Sedona to make up for the late day of arrival.

Day 26, April 10
Depart Sedona via Jerome and Prescott. This route took us through the mountains and over the passes to Palm Desert visiting old western town and beautiful scenery and meeting great people along the way. We arrived in Palm Desert at our timeshare Desert Breezes at 9pm.

Day 27, April 11
My friend Joyce Boyer Phillips comes and meets us at the condo for a wonderful reunion. It has been at least 15 years since I have seen her. She was my best friend in high school. We met the first day of school and have been friends ever since. we have shopped ar Chico's until we drop, wonderful dinner's at their beautiful home backing on Shadow Mountain Golf Course. Kirk rode the cart one day while George golfed and Joyce and I had a famous three hour lunch and chico's. George also took Kirk flying model airplances in the desert. Kirk and george went to Joshua Tree National Park to see the 1000 year old trees. He had a wonderful day and Joyce and I had another marathon lunch and great time going down memory lane and all the fun stuff we did in high school. I had forgotten I had so much fun. On Friday we moved into the Marriott Desert Springs Villas in Palm Desert. We are facing the mountains and over look the golf course. We have our breakfast every morning on the balcony. There is something very peaceful about the desert. We are both very relaxed and enjoying our time here. Joyce and George have been so good to use. I hardly have to think as she has every day planned. This is so nice. Yesterday Kirk and I went up the Ariel Tram on San Jincento in Palm Springs. It is 8550 feet high. We had a wonderful lunch and enjoyed the view. the cable car ride was super. It turned 360* as it went up the mountain. Great picture taking. We have driven through the whole area and Palm Desert is a much nicer area than Palm Springs and only 40 minutes apart. (in my opinion)> We definitely want to come back next year. We only have three days left here in PD and then we start our journey north up the coast of California. We will make our first stop in Santa Barbara, then Carmel and then San Fransico and then the Redwoods. on to Oregon and riding on the sand dunes in a dune buggy and through Washington. We will go as far as we want each day and stop a lot so we can see and do and have fun on the way. Hopefully we will be in Vancouver on April 30. We will stay with our friend Carel Wilkin and visit with Kim Niddery (our niece), Brad and Wendy Franklin, Marjory and Greg MacGregor so it will be a busy few days before we move on to Kelowna to visit my kindergarden friend Carol Baker and her husband Keith. Then to Edmonton to visit with Kirk's nephew Kirk (his name sake) and wife Debbie, then to Regina to visit with Jack MacKenzie and long time friend of Kirk's and then on to Winnipeg to visit Kirk's cousin's Audrey and Inga. The last leg of our journey will be to visit our dear friends the Chartier's in Smooth Rock in northern Ontario and then home. We hope to be home on May 23 if not sooner.
I will add to our blog as we move along and the time permits and the internet connections are available.
I will try now to add some photos but not sure how that will work. This is when I need my grand daughter's around or I wish to be 10 again. I am sending this as is and not even checking spelling as I want to get it sent before I lose it. Last night after typing for three hours my screen went black. But this morning it was all here. Thank you God.
It is 6:30 and it is beautifully cool and the sun is shining but it will be 92* in no time.
God bless you all. Until the next entry.

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