A Family Wedding

Our oldest granddaughter was married on September 2.  Kayla Johnson and Wes Sutton were married on Sunday night (Labor Day weekend) at 7pm.  She was a beautiful bride and married a guy who is absolutely the coolest ever.  We all love Wes so much.  He's a great addition to our family.  It was so warm that afternoon.  The majority of the pictures were taken at the Waverly Golf and Country Club where Kayla spent most of her high school years as part of the golf team.  They both attended Waverly High School, Wes was an outstanding wrestler and Kayla was a wrestling cheerleader.  A cuter coupler you'd be hard pressed to find.

And we were given the gift of another great grandson, Parker.  Parker is 3 years old and so full of personality.  He's just too cute!  And we all love him.

TUESDAY--SPECTACULAR!! WEDNESDAY--HOME!!

We were only an hour and a half outside of Buffalo NY when we left on Tuesday morning.  Glad to get to the park early, but disappointed that it was so commercialized.  You could drop several hundred dollars taking in all the 'attractions' but we have always enjoyed the natural state of things.  

And we weren't disappointed with what we saw.  We took lots of pictures and some video and can't wait to show them on the TV.  For us, the Falls was beyond description.  We spent 3 hours at the park on the walking paths and viewing the falls from every angle we could.

It was humbling....A mammoth area and the power of the water going over the damn was something that just has to be seen first hand.  Our pictures can't begin to show it all.

Again, there seemed to be people from all over the world.  Speaking  within their groups: German, Japanese, Indian and lots from Canada.  This view shows the opposite bank which is the Canadian side of the falls.  Originally we had planned to cross over to Canada and view both sides, but in the end we didn't.  We walked and looked for 3 hours until we had our fill.  Pretty chilly when we got there--only about 45.  Lots of people had winter coats on, but the sun was shining and all the walking kept us warm.

By 1:00 our focus turned toward the trip home and we decided to leave.  Drove until 6:30 - stopped in Ohio and got a room, then ventured 4 miles into the little town of Wauseon-about the size of Waverly.  Stopped at a steak house 'Sullivan's' and had the best meal of our trip.  Steak smothered with sautee'd mushrooms and asparagus.  A couple of good glasses of wine and we were raving to the waitress about how great the food was.  Before we left, Nick Kline,  head chef came out and talked 'Hawkeye' with us.  What a great guy -- and what a great place to eat.  If you're ever in the area check it out - just off I80/90.  

Decided whoever was awake first should wake the other one.....I was awake at 2am, but tried to go back to sleep.  No luck so at 3:45 got up and showered and Chuck got up shortly thereafter.  Left the hotel about 4:30 and it looks like we'll be home middle of the afternoon.

It's been a great trip - we had a great time - but we're really looking forward to getting home.  John will be working this week to finish up the kitchen and I'll post pictures so everyone can see what great work he does.....

WE DID IT!!

We did Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park!  And our legs are telling the story.  Did a lot of walking and climbing Saturday and Sunday.  We shopped and explored and by the end of the day, we knew we needed a day of rest.

So, this morning we decided to head for Niagara Falls.  A day of sitting in the truck sounded pretty good however -- until noon -- every time we got out for gas or eating we found it very difficult to walk.  Sitting wasn't the answer after all.  We felt better after getting out 3 or 4 times and walking around.

Took no pictures today.  We drove to Syracuse, NY and are actually ordering pizza in.  I'm looking forward to a nice hot bath and watching the news. In an effort to have a non-stressful vacation, we decided not to watch any political shows after the debate so I have no idea what's going on in the world.  I feel like I've been out of touch forever.  My political friends can feel free to email me with any updates regarding President Obama.  (I made no promises not to get info via email--we just aren't talking politics to each other!)

Caught the end of the Packer Game (damn) last night.  And we watched Drew Brees break Johnny U's record last night and shortly thereafter fell asleep.

Expecting to get to Niagara Falls early in the day tomorrow - I think we've only got about 150 miles to go.

SUNDAY....Seeing Bar Harbor

We moved to the Bar Harbor Grand Hotel today.  I always think it's interesting how these websites make things look so different than what they really are.  This hotel is actually located in the middle of the shopping area; to me it looks like it could be located on a beach.  And there's lots of other buildings around it.   But it's a very comfortable hotel and the lowest priced one we've had so far.

We spent most of the day today touring the park.  It's a pretty amazing place and has everything from forests to sea shores.  The colors are extraordinary.  Not like back home where it's all fall colors.  There's lots of evergreen trees here so the red and gold leaves on the deciduous trees are mixed in with the pine trees.

It's not easy to see here, but the roads are winding through what is mostly granite rocks moved from glaciers.  Here we walked off the road and into the woods and the entire woods are filled with huge granite boulders that have been moved by the glaciers.  Everything is granite.  It's really something to see--when you look closely you can see that the trees are actually growing on top of the boulders.  In 1947 a huge fire destroyed half of what had been mostly evergreen trees, now the deciduous trees have come up and mixed in with the evergreens.  So beautiful.  We got out and walked through the thick woods at every opportunity.  It was interesting to me to see the trees that have fallen and decayed.  White birch decays totally, but the bark actually stays in tact.  I can't get enough of it.

There's actually a sandy beach on this part of the island.  Beautiful clear water and sand.  

And then, all these huge boulders are right at water's edge.  Most actually covered during high tide.  The rocks that appear to be black are actually covered with kelp that grows from spores left by the water, I guess.  

We stopped so many places and got out and walked on the big boulders that go to the edge of the water.  Seagulls are everywhere.

We stopped at the Jordan Pond House for lunch.  It's built near Jordan pond which is the cleanest water and a public water supply for all of Seal Harbor.  Had a great lunch of soup and popovers and blueberry tea.

They seat as many outside as they do in.  Tables and chairs right on the grass, but no bugs.  It was a gorgeous day.  Talked to people from Quebec, Japan, Germany, makes you proud to live in this country; so many people want to see the United States and are impressed with what is here!!

Today will be our last day here.  Tomorrow we're leaving for Niagra Falls.  Haven't mapped it out yet, but I'm assuming it will be about a 2 day drive.  I'm ready for a couple of days in the car, resting.  Talked to John and Judy K tonight and it sounds like Waverly had 28 degrees last night and the leaves are falling fast.  Things will look different when we get home, I'm sure.

Saturday-Bar Harbor, Maine

It seemed like it took forever to drive the 4 hours from Portland.  The last half of the trip was through one little town after another at 50 miles an hour.  The scenery was absolutely beautiful.  We arrived at the hotel at noon and were able to check in right away.

Here's where we're staying.  OMG!! The Tahoe is in the parking lot with a Mercedez  on one side and a BMW (and the license plate said they were members of the 'Manatee Cove Yacht Club') on the other.  I hope I blend in with my new sweatsuit from Wal-mart.

The harbor is filled with sailboats and small yachts (one big one).  The water is beautiful and surprisingly clear.  We walked around the hotel and got everything spotted out.  Outdoor pool and hot tub.  Chuck said he would go to the hot tub with me later.  Hoping the weather lasts.  It's sunny and 70 degrees.  Rain is supposed to move in late this afternoon.

We ate lunch at an outdoor Irish pub and people watched awhile.  Then spent the next couple of hours shopping.  Lots and lots of little stores with everything you can imagine.  Tons of people everywhere.  The shopping area is about 4 blocks by 2 and up and down hill.  Reminds me of Boston.

 We have been talking for days now about our first real Maine lobster, but when we got back from our 2 hour hike around town, we had a glass of wine in our room and went to the hot tub.  Well, that did us in....we felt like jelly fish so opted instead to have some fruit and cheese, take a shower and watch TV.

Tomorrow we'll be doing the 27-mile Loop around the island (in the car).

Friday--Getting Better.....

Left Geneva, NY 7AM--planning on a big day of driving if we're going to get there on schedule.  As we drove into Massachusetts, the colors were really coming alive.  At the foot of the Adirondak Mountains it was really beautiful to see the fog settled in between us and the dairy farms.

OMG!  I started playing around with the posting I did this morning and lost all that I put on.  Pictures and narrative.  So, if you had already read it, this will be different as I'm sure I won't be able to write everything exactly as I had it.

But, we didn't get far and the fog settled in more and we drove most of the morning in weather like this.  Time for lots of stitching!

Through Massachusetts and this was New Hampshire.  The colors really started coming out.  We only had about 40 miles in NH,  and we crossed the border into Maine.  

It was pretty rocky right away.  Lots of small towns.  It was interesting , I noted, that most houses are built close to the road--especially as we got closer to the shoreline.  Somehow people figured out how to build houses between the road and the shore line.

By 2:30 we decided we could probably drive as far as Augusta and stop for the day.  And that's when the fun really began.....

I checked Expedia on line, then called and found out that there no rooms available from Augusta to Bar Harbor!!!  Well, we really started to panic and Chuck immediately exited the interstate and started driving around town looking for any hotel.  I finally got him to just drive into a parking lot and take a deep breath.  When we started out again it didn't take long before we found something.  It was a Hilton, but we were in no position to shop around!  They had 2 rooms left both for $239/nite.  OMG!!  He almost had an attack right then.  The clerk right away said she would give it to us for $200.  We checked in, got our stuff in the room, and immediately opened our bottle of SeaBiscuit Merlot and poured a glass.  Then we realized, we didn't even know what town we were in!!!  We had landed in Portland - still 4 hours from Bar Harbor!

Worried about finding a room for the 3 nites were were going to be in Bar Harbor, I got on my PC and started looking for a place.  Everything I found was completely booked.  We didn't realize how big Columbus Day weekend was for the park.  Finally, I found a room for Saturday nite in one resort and and Sunday and Monday nites in another one.

We are going to be way over our budget on this vacation!  I had always heard the cost of living was a lot higher on the East coast and this proves it.  Highest price we've paid for gas so far is $4.25/gal and there's the toll roads.

In fact, Chuck is having another tantrum because we just pulled into another toll booth!  He's having a hard time enjoying all the beauty around us......

Wednesday & Thursday--On The Road

It was a slow start on Wednesday morning. By the time we got packed, stopped for ice, filled up with gas, and headed out of Waterloo it was 10:00.

Travelling in Iowa was uneventful.  The drive through Illinois didn't offer much either as it started to rain about mid-day and continued until we stopped in Elkhart, IN.   I have been excited to use my new mobile internet connection, but found that by the time we crossed the Indiana state line, I had no service.  After dinner, I tried to connect at the hotel and didn't have good luck; then decided nothing much had happened, I was too tired I so just closed everything up.

Since Chuck wants to do all the driving, I'm occupying myself with projects that I brought along.  Wednesday I worked on a knitted stocking.  Sorry to say, the yarn is so tangled, I had to finally stop until I have some time to untangle it.  Thursday I worked on a cross stitch project.  I'm sure it's amusing to the people in the toll booths.  I'm supposed to be the navigator, but I don't like it.  If we take a wrong turn, it's always my fault!

Thursday was a beautiful day.  Still not much color; not even as much as back home.  But the sun was out and traffic moved pretty fast.  Hadn't driven on toll roads for awhile and Chuck doesn't like them.  But a person can really make good time.  We are really impressed with Indiana's travel centers.  About every 30-50 miles there is a huge complex that includes Starbuck's (almost always) and 4 or 5 places to eat.  We had a Panera lunch outdoors; it was 70 degrees.  We saw lots and lots of vineyards along the highway.

The first real color we have seen.  

I don't know if I've ever seen such brilliant reds.  It's obvious there hasn't been a frost here yet, as all of the impatience are still in full bloom.

We drove later than expected.  It was hard to find a place off the troll road to stay. Most motels were 5-10 miles from I90.  We waited until 5:30 - then took an exit to Geneva, NY.  It was a 6 mile drive and we got the last room at the Hampton Inn.  The attraction for this area is Fingerling Lakes(?).  We hadn't heard of them, however the town is full of sail boaters.  We walked to get some dinner and the streets were filled with sea gulls.  I'm still not in the habit of taking my iPad with me when we get out, so I missed getting pictures.  OK, I need to get my act together.  My postings so far aren't very interesting.

Woke up at 3am today, Friday.  Couldn't get back to sleep, so felt this would be as good a time as any to get some emails answered.  I did have internet connection yesterday afternoon, so I'm hoping that I can do some blogging on the way.  Hoping to get to Maine today - it will mean a long day I think.

So Much Fun!!

It's like a step back in time.  Because they have such a large number of tourists most of time, they  offer so many unusual things.  Neat clothing, gourmet cheeses, wines and of course, their fantastic food.

The old wood floors creak under your footsteps.  You walk up to the counter and place your order, you are given flag to identify your order, they deliver.  Did I say the food is extraordinary?

In the back corner table sits Sharon.  She's a bead artist and shared with me that she no longer cooks. Her husband died 8 years ago and so she comes here after her work out at 7am, has breakfast, works on her bead work at that same table until lunch.  She has lunch at the General Store, then goes home.  At dinner time, she comes back to town and picks up something for dinner at one of the other restaurants.  She and her husband built there own home up on a bluff on the edge of town and she hasn't had a television for 35 years.  She builds houses that she designs herself out of the smallest beads and shows them at art shows around the area.  I love visiting with her.  Yup, that's Chuck reading the paper.

We worked all day stitching on our project bag, not nearly close to being done. It will have to be completed at home.  Lori Markovich is the designer - her company is La-D-Da and she had many wonderful patterns---bought several and am excited to do some of her other pieces

Friday was our class with Jo Morton.  Those of you that quilt will recognize that name as a well-known designer.  Her quilts are amazing and her teaching techniques are unsurpassed.  I feel like no matter how the experienced the quilter is, she always has new things to teach.

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Jean Elliott and I shared a table.  I met Jean at my first Boxwood and Berries and we've been friends since.  She's from Brown Deer, WI and a very talented artist in her own right.  This trip I think she received 6 or 8 orders for her custom suitcases.  Those are made to order for the customer and decoupaged (?) with theme papers.  They are unbelievable and I have a couple myself.

Nancy Knight shared a table with Betty Day.  We all became immediately fond of Nancy.  She traveled to Spring Green with her husband, Larry, from Georgetown, TX.  They are antique collectors and Nancy is a realtor.  I don't know why I didn't get a picture of  Betty. 

Betty hard at work.  Betty is from the Madison area; we met at a previous Boxwood event.

I didn't get a picture of another new acquaintance, Ann Toale from Independence, IA.  It was a treat to find another person from Iowa (there aren't that many that go) and she fit right into our little group also.  She and I are making plans to take in Country Sampler's Christmas Open House in November.

Well, Friday was Homecoming for Spring Green.  We took a break in the afternoon to watch the parade.  The surprising thing for me was the streets on both sides were lined with spectators drinking beer.  And there was a huge beer tent in the back of one of the bars with tons people celebrating Homecoming......must be a Wisconsin thing!!

I didn't stay for dinner on Friday night.  Instead I packed up and headed home.  Arrived about 9pm with the Tahoe packed full of goodies.  It took me most of the weekend to get it unloaded and organized.

I have today and tomorrow to get ready for our trip East.  Planning to leave on Wednesday and will continue to blog when I can on the way.