Morels

Exploritas (aka Elderhostel) hosted a morel mushroom program in Tustin, Michigan for four days beginning the day after we returned to Romeo from our visit to Snoqualmie.

On our first full day we had talk about wildflowers on the 160 acre grounds of Kettunen Center, then went on a walk looking for them. Incidentally, Kathy found the first morel on this walk. After lunch a prof from MSU gave introduction to mushrooms, including the elusive morel. Then off to a couple sites looking for them. The group of 15 of us found some but certainly not as many as we would have liked. That evening we tasted our morels used in a cooking demonstration.

Tuesday and Wednesday we began the day birdwatching, listening and then trying to locate the birds . After breakfast Tuesday a northern Michigan farmer explained how he cultivates mushrooms to supplement his truck farming income. Kathy won the log that he demonstrated his shitake mushroom spores inoculation--we should have our first harvest next summer. That afternoon Kathy and I took a long walk through the woods while others worked on canoeing and kayaking.

Wild turkeys was Wednesday morning talk with demonstrations of various calls, habitat, and display of stuffed birds.

That afternoon, after the program close, Kathy's friends who were in the group followed us down to Emerald Lake for a visit on their way home.

We had great fun, enjoyed meeting others, and learned much on our first Exploritas program.

Northwest Adventure

Our ten-day trip to Snoqualmie focused around a couple events at Spencer's school--an open-house and Grandparents' Day where the grades performed before all visitors followed by Spencer hosting us (including his other set of grandparents) in his classroom. Great fun at Spencer's school.

We arrived a week earlier than the school functions. We joined Spencer and Garrett with their outside activities:

• Tai Kwon Do (Spencer is working on his next belt)
• t-ball (Little League jamboree with parade of teams, practice, game for Garrett)
• ice hockey (both boys are on skates practicing and getting instruction)
• flag football.

In the meantime we worked with Amy cutting some junk trees from behind their house (Garrett thought we were in a rain forest), got our morning Starbucks (rainy weather kept us to only a couple walks), played with boys, allowed the women to beat the men at Euchre, played with the boys, saw IMAX 3D with boys How to Train Your Dragon, and played with the boys! All the while Amy fixed us great meals, found us unique restaurants, and took us shopping with the boys.

This was our longest stay in Snoqualmie but we had so much fun it seemed very short.

Snoqualmie Ridge in November

A week at James and Amy's (Spencer and Garrett, too) in Washington at the beginning of the rainy season. Beautiful weather for our flight out Wednesday (11/4) where we met Brenda at Sea-Tac Airport and picked up her rental car. We couldn't seem to find a place for a late lunch so we went directly to Reagan's house on the Ridge. Late lunch with Amy and Garrett, then on to pick up Spencer at his bus stop. Later to see Spencer at Tae-Kwon-Do class.

Thursday we got the boys off to third grade for Spencer who gets a ride to school with James on his way to work and preschool for Garrett who shares rides with another boy. After we picked up the boys from preschool and dropped off Kyle we were off to do some shopping--the girls to a craft barn and the boys (Garrett and I) off to Home Depot. Then late lunch at a great steak house. We picked up Spencer at his bus stop and were off to home to get Garrett ready for soccer.

Breakfast Friday was in North Bend at George's Bakery for some of their fabulous baked goods, especially their BIG doughnut. Spencer's school had teacher workday so he and G-man (preschool M, T, Th only) had a great time at Imagine Children's Museum in Everett--water discovery; train, plane, and bus exploration; art center; construction arena; rooftop play and climbing; and self-directed theater kept the boys (and adults) busy for hours. Met James at home, the off to Kent for dinner at Spiro's followed by WHL hockey game; Seattle Thunderbirds lost to Spokane Chiefs.

We are now in the midst of some serious rain and on Saturday morning Spencer plays soccer in the water and mud of a nearby park. I am proud he tolerated the cold rain, playing very hard in difficult conditions. We boys watched some college football (which starts 9 am there) including Purdue's win at U of Michigan for the first time in our children's lifetimes! and a nostalgia rush playing vibrating football (called electric football when I was a kid), the game where plastic football players move on a vibrating field until the ball carrier is touched by an opponent. Meanwhile, the women were off to a scrapbook and craft convention and fabulous lunch.

After a lazy Sunday morning we dressed for threatening weather we expected in Seattle for the Seahawks-Lions football game (luckily it was dry, though cool and overcast). Lunch at a Chinese restaurant in the International District, the off to the game where we watched the Lions end the first quarter ahead 17-0 but finally lost 32-20.

Monday found us easily fixing some doors and laundering clothes between transporting the boys. Amy fixed dinner for us and we watched Monday Night Football which begins at 5:30!

Kathy and Amy help at Spencer's school on Tuesday while Brenda works on business and I read my book at a nearby Panera Bread. We pick up Garrett from school along with a friend and his brother who we watch so their dad can work from home. All of us go to a McD with a play area for the boys. Later Mexican cuisine for our last dinner.

Brenda, Kathy, and I go to the airport together early Wednesday, drop off the rental car, and grab a quick bite for breakfast. Brenda got on her flight and we ours a couple hours later--since she had a stopover our planes landed about the same time. A wonderful visit, the first time we'd all been together in well over a year.

Tillson Street Halloween Decorations

Now is a special time for residents on Tillson Street in Romeo who decorate their homes and front yards for Halloween. Kathy and I took our walk up and down Tillson Street which stretches from Van Dyke to Sisson. It is amazing. Each house (there are about 30 in all) has there own theme: a graveyard with headstones of prominent historical Romeo figures who are recognized by street names in the village, a castle home to tens of skeletons, one dedicated to cartoon character Charlie Brown and his search for The Great Pumpkin, and an extremely large collection of jack-o-lanterns carved to represent cats, dogs, happy folks, and sad sacks. The list goes on. As does the fun.

Kids love it, as do their parents and grandparents. If Spencer and Garrett were here, we'd certainly take them on the yearly fun visit to Tillson Street.

Back to the Lake

Last Wednesday we left for only our second trip to Emerald Lake this season. From then until Sunday we worked on projects, went to dinner with Kelvin, fished, took a Ranger ride "back east", mowed, cut up and moved downed trees, trimmed, fished, got rid of spider webs, took a pedal boat ride, and read. Weather was warm and mosquitos were active. Another great trip.

And on the Sea

After we settled in our cabin and dinner, the cruise ship left Seward with us on deck.  The room seemed small but adequate for us since we spent our time on deck, in port, at the theatre, and listening to musical performers.  The next day at sea the ship pulled up among small icebergs as close as safely possible to Hubbard Glacier's six mile wide face.  A beautiful sunny day we saw eagles soaring and harbor seals sunning themselves on the icebergs and swimming alongside the ship.

On Sunday we docked in Juneau set between the mountains and the sea.  We walked up to the Alaska State Capitol for a guided tour, then past the Governor's House only open to the public for the annual open house around December 7.  Up a steep climb we found the House of Wickersham, a Victorian manor lived in by the man responsible for Alaskan home rule, the Alaska Railroad, the University of Alaska, and Mount McKinley National Park.  The guide summoned us in even though the house is closed to the public on Sundays. On our walk back to the ship we saw St. Nicolas Russian Orthodox Church and the obligatory saloon (Red Dog Saloon).  As we walked about we noticed the abundant lush vegetation and that most cars are older and smaller (the same throughout our stops).   That evening we sat "fore" and watched as we sailed through some straits.  

In Skagway on Monday we took a historic walking tour from the Klondike National Historical Park Visitors Center.  Gold.   That afternoon we boarded the narrow gauge White Pass and Yukon Railway for a ride up to the pass climbing alongside the turbulent Skagway River before summiting at the border between Alaska and British Columbia where we saw ice still on the river and deep snow alongside the track, and flags marking the border.

Tuesday we were "tendered" to Icy Strait Point shore.  After walking along the rocky beach and nature trail we walked into Hoonah, the largest Tlingit village in Alaska.  Along the way we saw eagles, one eating its fish lunch atop a piling and others perched in trees.  The town was different from the others:  houses were modest, roads were narrow, jewelry stores were absent, fishing harbor looked ordinary, boats looked used.  This is the fifth season of cruise visitation for the village and they permit only one ship at a time--I hope it does not change too much over time.  Refreshing.  That night we had a formal dinner of lobster followed by Baked Alaska.

We walked about Ketchikan Wednesday where we took a bus to see collection of totem poles--short stop, too commercialized.  Back in town we visited a museum and stopped in their library for 15 minutes of free Internet.  The stores are beginning to look familiar so back to the ship and a snooze on deck. 

After a day at sea seeing beautifully forested mountains nearby on either side we reached port in Vancouver, passed through immigration and customs, and were transported to our hotel.  We along with Bill and Ginny from Alabama took a bus to University of British Columbia Botanical Gardens, a collection of at least seven different gardens including an Alpine Garden arranged by continent, and A Walk in the Woods.  Especially interesting was the Physic Garden displaying medicinal plants (Bill is a pediatrician and Ginny a nurse).  That evening we had our farewell dinner as we followed Game 7 between Detroit and Pittsburgh intermittently in the bar.  After that we strolled a while finding near the museum a countdown clock for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

We arose at 2:30 am Saturday morning for our taxi ride to the airport.  Eight of our group were aboard the 5:40 am flight to Salt Lake City.  Upon arrival there Kathy and I read on the departure board that our flight to Detroit was cancelled (the other six were off to Newark).  It took several conversations to learn we were rebooked on a 3:00 pm flight affording us five hours of unscheduled airport touring.  After our somewhat bumpy flight to DTW we arrived home close to midnight.  Bring in the bags. Tired.  Happy.  Great trip.  Good night.  We'll start the laundry in the morning.

...To Shining Sea.

We visited Alaska on a twelve-day tour that included a land portion from Anchorage to Denali NP via motor coach and train, then motor coach to Seward.  There we boarded our ship for our cruise that stopped in Juneau, Skagway, Icy Straits Point, Ketckikan, and Vancouver.

We arrived in Anchorage late Tuesday afternoon and, after checking in to our hotel, walked about the downtown area passing the official starting line for the Iditarod Dog Sled Race, a world class stuffed Kodiak bear, and a memorial to Alaskan statehood, then met our tourmates at dinner.  With light streaming in the windows until near midnight (4 am Romeo time) we resisted sleep.  Though we know about the increased daylight, the experience was sensational, sitting up with light through our window so we could read until near midnight.

Wednesday morning we rode to Telkeetna.  There the Telkeetna River and the Chulitna River join the Sustina River.  Along its banks we got a panoramic view of Mt. McKinley (Denali) with Mt. Foraker,  and dipped our hands into the cold water to scoop up flour rock, the fine sediment deposited from glacial runoff.  Walking back through the town we found a small cafe with bakery in the historical district (downtown) that served wonderful cinnamon rolls--should have bought two.   We boarded the Alaska Railrod train in Telkeetna for Denali Park.  The rails followed a river winding its way up to Denali Park.  Here our hotel sat on the banks of the Nenana River and because we had no air conditioning we left the doorwall open for cooling and for the white water noise which lulled us into a sound sleep.

The next morning we took the Denali Natural History Tour into the park where we saw young Grizzly bears playing in a meadow beside a stream not far from their mother, Dall sheep high up in rocky terrain, caribou, moose, and ptarmigan on the side of the road; a rustic, still used ranger cabin; and of course Denali.  For two full days we have viewed the "the great one", seen only about 20% of the time because of the fog, rain, and clouds, but for us 100% of the time.  That afternoon we were driven back to Wasilla for the night.

Our first stop on Friday was at a sled dog training facility run by the family of Joe Redington, Sr. who founded the Iditarod Race in 1973.  Kathy took a ride on a wheeled sled pulled by sled dogs--MUSH.   A short ride later along the Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet we stopped at Begich-Boggs Visitors Center from where we can view Portage Glacier, walk along Portage Lake, and touch floating glacial ice. We then rode in the Kenai peninsula, back and forth between mountains, to Seward where we boarded our cruise ship later in the afternoon.