Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
Finger Lakes Wine Tour
This past Tuesday, a friend and I went on a day trip bus tour with the Busy Buddies group. It was a wine tasting tour with stops at three wineries in the Finger Lakes and a lunch cruise on Seneca Lake in Watkins Glen. I had been looking forward to this day trip – I love the Finger Lakes and have not been to Watkins Glen since I was a child! I woke up that morning and it was raining – HARD – and the forecast showed heavy rain, including possible thunderstorms, and cooler temperatures all day! I hoped it wouldn’t ruin the day! As it turned out……it didn’t!!! It rained off and on and we had to put our hoods up to get into a couple of the wineries without getting wet, but we were mostly inside and the rain let up at key times to let us enjoy the day! As for the boat ride – it rained while we were eating and then the sun came out and it warmed up when we were done with lunch so we could open the windows and enjoy the view! Perfect cooperation from the weather!
So – here’s how the day went!
The bus picked us up at Tops in Albion and we rode to the first winery – Wagner Winery and Brewery in Lodi, NY. We had five rounds of tastings where we could choose if we wanted the sweet, dry, or beer offering. I tried one of the beers – a nice pilsner that I really enjoyed. The rest of the rounds I picked a wine – mostly the sweets, but did try one dry red. I liked them all and purchased two that I particularly liked. We left with our complimentary wine glasses and the taste of fine wines on our pallets!
Next stop was the lunch cruise on Seneca Lake. It was a very nice two hour cruise – the food was INCREDIBLE!!!! Usually, I find the food on these lunch cruise things to be “OK” and sometimes a little less than “OK” – usually a buffet. This was a sit down meal served by waiters with table cloths and real silverware!!! We had the choice of roast beef or chicken – I had the roast beef and my friend had the chicken…..both offerings were sooooooo good!!! And, the scenery was beautiful and the weather, once it stopped raining after lunch, was quite pleasant, in deed!
This was our boat
My lunch —- it was soooooo good —- the best roast beef I’ve had in a long time! So tender, juicy, and a rich, delicious flavor! The potatoes were good, too! But, it was the carrots that had everyone talking — both the roast beef and chicken entrees came with the carrots —- we all thought they used some special tool to make them into those little balls and everyone commented on how super sweet and tender they were! Simply amazing!!! Later, Mitzy, our travel agent who organizes trips for the group, told us they were from Argentina and they actually grow that way!!! I gotta try to find them…….maybe Wegmans carries them???!!!! They also served us a wonderful salad, rolls, and a brownie for dessert!
I missed getting a photo of the huge waterfall we saw, but did get photos of several small ones, like this one
It’s a little early for the fall foliage, there, but we got to see some……
Painted rocks — parts of this was actually painted by the Seneca Indians long ago — the flag and tee-pee were added later.
Salt factory — I forget the specific details we were told, but suffice it to say that there is enough salt to be mined from the Seneca River to last the whole world a VERY long time!!!
Out next stop was the second winery on the tour – Magnus Ridge Winery in Rock Stream, NY. This was everyone’s favorite! They put us in a big tasting room where we sat at long tables. They came around with EIGHT rounds of tastings (we chose between sweet or dry each round) and cheese pairings (of course, I skipped the cheese because of my allergy, but everyone else raved about it)! I liked every wine I tasted, except one – and that one I didn’t particularly care for it, but didn’t really DISlike it! I purchased four bottles – three for myself and one for my brother for his birthday, along with two different cheeses for his birthday, as well (he’s not allergic – haha)!
the tasting room
The Sweet choices with their cheese pairings (except the Cheeky Monkey – that was a dipping oil that I tried and did not like at all)
Our last stop before heading home was Anthony Road Winery in Penn Yan, NY. It was a nice winery, but we were kinda spoiled by the last one, so……LOL I did enjoy their wines, but none blew me away to the point I wanted to purchase one. Their gardens, though, were amazing — so beautiful and fun to walk through and photograph!
I was amazed at the beauty of the trees on either side of the entrance —- they are Weeping Alaskan Cedars! So whimsical!!!
Our tour bus……
One of many quotes painted on the ladies room walls……..hahaha
And, this is what I bought —- remember, one bottle and the cheese is for my brother’s birthday, so it isn’t as much as it looks like……hahaha! For myself, I got two from Wagner Winery and three from Magnus Ridge Winery…..and the complimentary wine glass (they gave it to us……I didn’t sneak it off in my purse!!! hehehe)
Another fun day trip with the Busy Buddies group…….I always enjoy the things Mitzy puts together for us!
2018 Caravan Tour – Idaho and Utah
In my fourth and final post covering our recent Caravan Bus tour of five western states, I’ll talk about and provide photos of our 7th and final full day – Idaho and Utah!
IDAHO
We didn’t spend a lot of time in Idaho — but, the main stop was one of the best stops on the trip! We stopped at the National Oregon Trail Center and it was amazing! It was created and maintained solely by volunteers and donations. The center offers a first hand experience of what it was like to travel from Missouri to California in the 1800s by wagon train along the Oregon Trail. More on that as we get to the photos! I didn’t take a lot of photos while we were in Idaho — I regret that!
Former location of the Bank of Montpelier, that boasts being robbed by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid on august 13, 1896 – they got away with more than $16,500 in gold, silver, and currency! There is a Butch Cassidy museum there, now!
Hard to see the true color in this photo thru the window glass, but this lake has the most amazing aqua water — said to be bluer than the Caribbean!
We went inside and were greeted by volunteers dressed in period clothing. We were first brought into a room where a gentleman explained the use of the wagons – how they loaded them with all their belongings, which left no room for riders – everyone walked, except the severely ill and dead. It was very expensive to join a wagon train, so it was typically the wealthy or upper middle class who were able to go. They had to purchase a wagon and then an appropriate team of animals to pull the wagon – usually oxen because they were the strongest and cheapest to purchase, as well as horses to be used if someone needed to venture off for whatever reason. It was a LONG and difficult journey and not everyone made it. Those who died along the way were put in the wagons so they wouldn’t be slowed down – they had to make it so many miles every day in order to stay on schedule – and they were buried at the next stop.
This is a buffalo chip — everyone on the wagon train had a job – it was the kid’s jobs to hunt for and gather buffalo chips that were old enough to be dried just right. They found that buffalo chips were extremely efficient fire materials – they burned hot and long.
Then, we were taken into a dark room where we got on a wagon and sat along the side benches. Once on the wagon, it began to pitch and bump as we proceeded on a simulated trip along the Oregon Trail. During this time, recorded readings of actual diaries of pioneers who traveled the trail were broadcast for us to listen to – fascinating!
We then left the wagon to sit around a simulation of a camp at the end of a long day on the trail where a lady explained what happened during the camp hours and told stories passed on by those who made it to their destinations.
Then, when she was done, she asked the ones who were given white handkerchiefs to stand in a row in front of the group. When they did, she told us to say goodbye to them — they represented the 1 in x that died along the trail……and then she waved her hand and declared them “back to life”! 😀
It was an awesome experience! So interesting and fun! Our guide told us that they are very proud of their little center and theater…….we all agreed that they SHOULD be, cause they created something truly amazing!
Another cool thing happened while we were at the center! One of the volunteers asked where we were from and my friend and I said “Upstate NY” – she said that one of the other volunteers was from there, too! So, she found her and pointed her in our direction — I figured there is a lot of area in that category, so it was highly unlikely that she was from anywhere near us, here in tiny little Albion! So, when she came over to talk to me, I narrowed it down and said I was from Western NY and she said she was, too —- she said, I doubt you’ve heard of it and said she was from Lyndonville……OMG – that is in the same county as Albion and just a few miles away! So I told her I was from Albion and she said she’s never come across anyone out there that’s ever heard of Lyndonville! So we chatted a bit before we had to say good bye so I could get back on the bus!
I wish we had spent more time exploring Idaho —- I think I’d like to go back, someday, and see more of it!
UTAH
We spent the rest of the day and that night in Utah. This is another state that I think I’d love to return to and see more of! We drove through a good portion of the Utah country side – so beautiful – like all the other states we visited during our seven days!
We stopped for lunch in, I think, Lava Hot Springs – home of the “Famous Raspberry Shakes” – which I had had to try – it was very good!
We spent several miles on a VERY high twisty turny road on the side of a mountain……it was a bit scary at times!
And, finally, we got to Salt Lake City…..where we stayed at a hotel right in the middle of downtown – a couple blocks from Temple Square and the Mormon Tabernacle! We were let out to tour Temple Square and it was fascinating! Two lovely young missionaries led a guided tour through two of the buildings and the courtyard. We toured the Tabernacle and the Assembly Hall – we could not tour the Temple, because only those Mormon who follow the strictest of the church’s covenants and are declared “clean inside and out” may enter – temples are considered THE House of God and no unclean thing may enter – they are not used for regular Sunday worship – only sacred rituals, such as weddings, etc. Sunday services are held in Meeting Houses – a more informal house of worship. So, the Temple was off limits to us. We also toured the beautiful gardens in the courtyard.
This is the Tabernacle — I was surprised that it looked more like a sports arena than a place representing religion and worship……until I got inside!!!
Inside the Tabernacle — the two young missionaries who led our tour.
This organ has over 11,000 pipes, multiple keyboards, and multiple sets of foot pedals! WOW!
The organist was playing while we were there – the sound was amazing! We were told that the acoustics in the Tabernacle are perfect – if the organist wasn’t playing they could drop a pin in the choir loft and you could hear it in the back of the room!
This is the Assembly Hall that we also toured — it is currently used for worship, meetings, lectures, recitals, and concerts.
The benches are original to the building – they are situated very close together and had to be elevated on blocks (see the bottom of the legs) because people were typically much shorter and smaller than they are, today!
The girls explaining the significance of the statues and gardens in the courtyard
I believe this is the back side of the Temple
View of the front of the Temple as we drove past it in the bus
The Mormon world headquarters office building is a HUGE building near Temple Square
Then…….we had a wonderful opportunity! The Mormon Tabernacle Choir rehearses in the Tabernacle every Thursday evening, except when they are on tour, and it is open to the public! We were there on Thursday evening!!! WOW!!! So, we attended the “Farewell Dinner” to end the tour and then whoever wanted to go listen to the choir went back to the Tabernacle after dinner! DUH – of course, we wanted to do that! It was amazing —- the sound was so awesome!!! I was a bit disappointed that it wasn’t the emotional experience I expected it to be —- since it was a rehearsal and open to the public, people were more informal – they came and went and talked during the rehearsals…..so, it took away from that emotional experience……but, that aside, it was still an awesome experience and we were so very glad we went. I loved getting to hear them in person in that beautiful building!
After we left the rehearsal, we went back to the hotel and prepared ourselves for an early morning flight back home……our wonderful vacation was over! I am so happy that I was persistent and didn’t give up when I first found I waited too long to get in on the tour! I loved every minute of it…….sure, there were a few parts that were less exciting than the majority of it and my knee decided to be a little stinker and blow out on me! But, over all, it was an amazing trip — one full of awesome memories and experiences! I would totally do another Caravan Tour — they put together wonderful itineraries!
So……with this trip, I am now down to just THREE states I still need to visit: Kentucky, Colorado, and New Mexico! I figured I would try to knock them out in 2019, but now my travel buddy and I started talking about the possibility of doing a Viking River Cruise and I already booked a Transatlantic Cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Ireland in the Spring, so I’ll see how things go……I can only do so much in a year! hahaha Once I’m done with visiting all 50 states, I have a few I’d like to re-visit and see more of! So, my travel days are not at risk of ending any time soon! 😀
2018 Caravan Tour – Yellowstone and The Tetons
Post # 3 of our Caravan Bus Tour of five western states. This post covers Day 4, 5, and 6. We spent these days in Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons at Jackson, WY. Yellowstone National Park is the first National Park in the United States and is located mostly in Wyoming, but also extends into portions of Montana and Idaho. When we woke up on the morning of day 4, we spent more time in Montana as we made our way to Yellowstone and our return to Wyoming.
More scenes driving through Montana – we followed the Yellowstone River and the Lewis & Clark Trail to Livingston, Montana and then into Wyoming through Yellowstone National Park:
This herd of sheep was being shepherded by a cowboy on a horse right on the side of the road as we drove by – see the far left side. Unfortunately, the swaying of the bus and the speed we were going caused me to miss the chance to get the cowboy in the photo!
Entering Yellowstone National Park and more scenes as we followed the Yellowstone River – locations along the Yellowstone River is where the movies “A River Runs Through It” and “Horse Whisperer” were filmed – both ones I’ve seen and love! We also saw a lot of people out standing in the river fly fishing!
Roosevelt Arch – park entrance
Pronghorn
45th Parallel of Latitude halfway between Equator and North Pole
These dingbats were out trying to get close to the wildlife……I got much better photos from a safe distance with my zoom lens!
And more dingbats…..
A lot of burn over areas from the last big forest fire……
We saw a few of these — park sponsored tour vehicles
Mammoth Hot Springs – Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming – this place was totally awesome! So beautiful! We were told to not walk off the designated areas because the ground around the hot springs is extremely fragile and to not attempt to touch the springs, water, or other surfaces due to danger of severe temperature and chemical burns!
Despite the high temps and chemicals, beauty still finds a way to survive!
Before leaving Mammoth Hot Springs, we were treated to some elk that were lounging by the Visitor’s Center:
Again – photos taken from a safe distance, but pretty close up —- rangers were there making sure no one got too close!
Another hot spring we stopped at for a photo op – there are LOTS of hot springs and geysers in Yellowstone:
Our hotel for two nights in Yellowstone was the Old Faithful Inn, just steps from – you guessed it – Old Faithful! It truly is faithful, too — it is predicted to erupt every 45 minutes, plus or minus 10 minutes, and it goes off pretty darned close to the prediction and lasts several minutes. The Old Faithful Inn is the oldest inn in the park. There is NO internet and very limited cell reception, NO air conditioning, and NO TV in the rooms! They want you to get out and enjoy the park! Also – the rooms in the main (original) part of the lodge don’t have private bathrooms…..luckily, we were in the newer wings, but it was COLD, so the heat wasn’t the best, either! But, it was cool staying there and it was a beautiful old lodge!
And, there were these adorable little bear soaps in the rooms!
I got some cool video of the eruption, but it won’t let me post it —- not the right format! 😦
On Day 5 we made stops at another hot spring – Fishing Bridge at the Norris Geyser Basin and Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon — a gorgeous gorge with an amazing waterfall, and Yellowstone Lake!
On Day 6, we made our way out of Yellowstone National Park and into Grand Teton National Park! We saw the amazing jagged Teton mountain range and scenes where the movie “Shane” was filmed. We also stopped at a little chapel that was used in the movie “Spencer’s Mountain” (which the TV series the Waltons was based on) and is still in use, today! They had no need to install a stained glass window over the alter — see the beauty outside the clear pane glass window in the photo below to see why! We also stopped at Jenny Lake, which was so breathtaking it brought tears to my eyes! The big stop of the day was a float trip down the Snake River – WOW – that was awesome…..getting in and out of the oval inner-tube like raft was a challenge, but the ride and the scenery was incredible! At the end of the day, we stopped at Jackson Hole, WY and got to wander around before checking in to our motel in Jackson.
The white in these photos of the Tetons is not snow (although, I believe there is probably snow up there) – this particular white areas are actually glaciers!!!
Jenny Lake:
Chapel of the Transfiguration, built in 1925, was used in the movie “Spencer’s Mountain” and still in use, today:
Float Ride on the Snake River – a two hour ride with some of the most amazing scenery:
The raft that launched just before us…..so you can see what we floated in!
Sadly, I don’t remember our tour guide’s name, but he was a real cutie…..and muscles galore…..and a smile to melt an iceberg!!!
Friends we made during the trip!
Just before we got on the float ride, we got to see a mama bear and three cubs! There were rangers keeping people at bay and, while I did get to see them, I wasn’t able to get any photos from where I was, but a couple of my friends did and they were nice enough to share with me!
Jackson Hole, WY – really cool little town!
These antler arches were at every entrance to a center square park area
Our motel had towel animals by the bathroom sink!!! Just like on a cruise!!! I got all excited!!!
These big birds were all over the place — the tail feathers were an iridescent blue/green! So pretty — I asked our guide what kind of bird they are and he said “oh, the big black birds wearing a tuxedo? Those are Rocky Mountain Magpies!!!” So cool!!!
So, after spending the night in Jackson, WY, we headed on to Idaho and Utah……the subject of the next and final post for our trip! Stay Tuned – coming soon!
2018 Caravan Tour – Wyoming Part One and Montana
Let’s continue on our journey across the western states. Day three took us through a section of Wyoming on our way to Montana. We will return to Wyoming after some time in Montana, but to keep us in the order we traveled, I’ll come back to Wyoming when we get back into it on Day four!
My friend and travel buddy doesn’t like her photo taken, so I had to get sneaky about it at times! 😀
We left South Dakota and entered Wyoming mid-morning. Our first stop was Devil’s Tower — you know, the place made famous by the movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”! It was so cool to get to have a photo stop there. I had hoped we could see it in 2016, but it didn’t work out that we could. So…..finally, I got there! 😀
The Indian legend of the Devil’s Tower is that a group of young girls (I believe they said 3) were playing when a huge bear came upon them. They ran and when it became obvious that they wouldn’t be able to outrun the bear, they huddled together and prayed that they could be raised higher than the bear could reach. Suddenly, the earth around them began to rise up to save them. The distinctive streaks on the sides of the tower are said to be claw marks from the bear as he tried to reach the young girls, but failed to do so!
It isn’t as easy as it looks to get good photos from a moving bus window! Things you see and want to photograph are speeding by faster than you can capture them — I missed a LOT of great shots because by the time I got the camera focused in on something it was either out of the shot or the bus would sway and my finger would miss the button….but, I was able to get some……and the rest are in my memories!!! Here are some views from the bus window through Wyoming:
Mining for coal — much different than mining coal in the hills of WV, KY, etc….
Our little snow fences fail to compare with the snow fences in the west!!!
We drove through and had lunch in the old west cowboy town of Sheridan, WY. Wish we could have had time to wander around a bit, it was really cute. But, I did get some photos from the bus window.
After lunch, We entered Montana…….
and then immediately entered the sovereign nation of Crow Country, which is about 2.2 million acres NOT considered a part of Montana, even though it is inside Montana’s borders. It is the greatest span of land still not under control of the American government.
We stopped to visit the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in the Crow Nation. In 1876 in the Valley of Little Big Horn, Sioux and Northern Cheyenne, led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, overwhelmed General Custer and his Calvary. It was a solemn place! There is a large National Cemetery beside the site that has nothing to do with the battle and markers all over the area leading up to the peak showing where bodies were found after the battle. There is also a memorial to the Indians who fought in the battle. My knee was in bad shape, so I didn’t walk up to the memorials, but got some nice shots from the visitor center and attended the talk by a park ranger who is a member of the Crow Nation – he told the story of the battle and dispelled some myths.
Views from the bus window as we drove through Montana:
Coal is a huge industry in the west!
They put up these poles for the eagle and osprey to build their nests in an attempt to keep them from doing it on power line poles!
We spent the night in Billings, Montana. Next up will be Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons – some in Montana, but mostly in Wyoming!
2018 Caravan Tour – South Dakota
Here is the first post from my fantastic tour of five western states! It was a trip I was bound and determined to do…..and, I guess the travel God’s agreed that it should happen! The Busy Buddies group I belong to had this trip planned for early summer – it was a Caravan bus tour that started in Rapid City, SD and ended in Salt Lake City, UT. When I saw it on the 2018 trip list, I knew it was something I wanted to do, but hemmed and hawed about it and waited too long! By the time I finally decided I was going to do it, the bus was full! UGH!!! So, I asked the travel agent who arranges all the trips for the group if my friend and I could book the same tour with Caravan at a different time. She looked into it and said that particular trip is sold out for the rest of 2018!!! WHAT??? That trip has a bus that leaves just about every day all year! So, I called Caravan myself – not that I didn’t believe Mitzy – I did – but, I wanted to see if there were ANY options. And, yep – the Caravan rep I spoke with confirmed they were totally sold out! But, he did offer to put me on a waiting list in case someone cancels (along with a TON of other people who were put on it before me) and on the list to get the 2019 dates and pricing as soon as it comes out around Thanksgiving time. I figured it was the best I could do, so I had him put me on BOTH lists! Then……a few weeks later, I got a call from the Caravan people saying there was a cancellation for Oct 7-14 and there are now two open seats!!! WOW!!! They said I had 24 hours to call back to book it or pass on it! I got right on the phone with my friend to see if we could do those dates…..she said yes……I called Caravan back and we were booked!!! Score one for persistence and not wanting to take “no you can’t” for an answer!!!
I’m so very glad I didn’t just say – oh well, missed out on that one – and not pursue it further cause it was an amazing trip! I’m not a huge fan of bus trips – yeah, a day trip here and there with the Busy Buddies or other travel groups or even a 2-3 day thing, but a whole week on a bus? That’s why I was hemming and hawing about it……but, it wasn’t bad at all – it was a comfortable bus and having a tour guide and someone else to drive was the key to making a really good trip a really GREAT trip! Also – I had been to SD before (remember my Most Excellent Adventure in 2016?) and the two major attractions – Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse – were things I’d already seen and the places in SD I’d truly love to visit again (Custer Park and the Badlands) weren’t on the agenda – so I kinda discounted the first couple of days as – OK, been there, but it’ll be nice. BUT – I saw things I didn’t see the first time and, again, having a tour guide really made it extra special! So – SD was pretty amazing, after all! And…..going with a group of strangers, instead of the Busy Buddies group allowed us to meet and get to know some new people! And……the weather was better on our trip than the one the Busy Buddies went on – they got snowed on in Wyoming – we did have some chilly mornings, but the weather couldn’t have been more perfect! So……YES……so glad I didn’t give up on this trip!!!
This is our awesome tour guide – Jim Kelly – and our driver, Mike, with our bus! Jim was the BEST tour guide EVER……he talked non-stop and was sooooo knowledgeable – he filled us with so much information and was so very helpful at every stop!
Here are some pics from our time in South Dakota – days 1 and 2:
I actually took this photo when I was in SD in 2016 – couldn’t get one this trip because we flew in! But – had to include it! LOL
We arrived in Rapid City, SD mid day and found these two great statues in the small Rapid City Regional Airport – nice little airport!
After we got settled in at our hotel – The Rushmore in downtown Rapid City – we decided to explore the historic downtown area and have some dinner. I didn’t get to visit downtown Rapid City the last time I was in SD – even though we stayed at a campground right on the edge of Rapid City, so this was all new to me. And, what a wonderful downtown area it was! They have branded their town “City of the Presidents” because of Mt. Rushmore. There are wonderful bronze statues on every corner of the two main streets in downtown Rapid City – every President is represented up to Bill Clinton – Obama is in the works, but not positioned, yet! The best part is they look so “real” – they were all done by different artists and they chose to sculpt them in ways to show off their personality or something significant in their presidency or personal life. Here are just a few of my favorites – we did 1/2 that first night and the other 1/2 after we got back to the hotel after sight seeing the second day.
Kennedy was my favorite and the first one we saw – right on the corner of our hotel! He is depicted with John-John and he’s handing him a toy airplane! It is such a warm and touching scene!
I really loved the Lincoln one, too! He, too, is shown with his son, who is dressed in a civil war costume and playing with a toy canon. Another heart string tugger!
We had dinner at Thirsty’s
There was a President’s Information Center that had miniature versions of all the statues and you could get a “Presidential Ice Cream”!
We stopped to rest and “people watch” at a lovely little splash park
Of course, I had to try out the splash pad……it was a hot day!
More shots of our walk around historic downtown Rapid City:
They turned an old fire house into a restaurant……the building and the murals around the courtyard were just incredible!
These were located all over downtown (away from the curbs so they weren’t confused with parking meters) — what a cool idea!!!
On day 2, we visited Crazy Horse Memorial and Mount Rushmore:
I was able to get a better perspective of this awesome monument than I did last time I was here – we took a bus down to the foot of the mountain and between being MUCH closer and having a zoom lens, I got some great shots of the detail.
This was taken from where we were at the foot of the monument with no zoom…..
And, from the regular observation points
The scale model of what it will look like when it is done with the in-process full size monument behind it
Crazy Horse was once asked “where are your lands, now?” after the government started taking over vast areas of Indian land – he replied, “My lands are where my dead lie buried.”
This is a zoomed in shot of a breathtaking view of Mount Rushmore at a photo stop on the road to the monument – we didn’t see this view when we were there in 2016……from this angle, you can only see Washington – the rest of the Presidents are set back where they can not be seen from here!
No zoom — showing how it looked from our photo stop location
We had lunch at Mount Rushmore and I gave in and tried the Buffalo Hot Dog and Buffalo Chili — no, not Buffalo seasoning — made with actual Buffalo meat!!! The hot dog was good – a weird texture and drier than a normal hot dog, but good. I wasn’t as crazy about the chili – it had a gamier taste to it – I only ate a few bites.
And…..I just HAD to recreate a photo I took when I was there in 2016…….helping Mr. Washington with a little booger problem!
September 10, 2016
September 8, 2018
And, finally — just some shots of the scenery from the window of the bus as we drove through South Dakota on our way to Wyoming:
I’ll be back to blog about the rest of the trip in at least two more posts……..
Fave Daily Photos – Catch Up….yet, again!
Bad Blogger…..Bad!!! I know I keep saying that it has been a crazy busy summer and I need to make time to post…..I sound like a broken record, for sure! But, it has been crazy! I wanted to get caught up on some of my favorite daily photo challenge photos before I start posting about my recent and upcoming adventures! I just got back from a whirl wind five state tour that started in Rapid City, SD and ended in Salt Lake City, UT! It was FABULOUS!!! I promise to get started on what will surely be multiple posts with photos and commentary about that wonderful adventure soon – hopefully, today, but more likely tomorrow! I need to be sure that adventure is recorded because I have a day trip adventure and a cruise to Bermuda and a trip to Long Island all in the coming months that I’ll have more to share from!!! So, here goes……let’s catch up these daily photos, first – just some of my favorites taken since the LAST time I played catch up!
Topic was: Leaf
Topic: Sunshine
Topic: Flying
Topic: Edge
Topic: Toppings
Topic: Trust
Topic: Nature Macro
Topic: Wall
Topic: Red
Topic: Dad
Topic: Balloons
Topic: Musical
Topic: Dance
Topic: Kick
Topic: Broke
Topic: Swing
Topic: Steps
Topic: Swish
Topic: Handsome
Topic: Hanging
Movie Review – Christopher Robin
I like to go to movies that just plain make me feel good……and today I did just that! It was a rainy morning – we needed it, so this is not a complaint by any means – so, seeing the characters in this movie was a welcome warm tug at the old heart strings! Christopher Robin brought all the Pooh characters to life – literally – for a wonderful adventure and valuable life lesson.
As the movie opens, we see Pooh and all his friends saying goodbye to young Christopher Robin, who is being sent to boarding school by his parents and he won’t be able to visit 100-acre woods any more. Ewan McGregor was amazing as the adult Christopher Robin. Married with a young daughter, Christopher has gotten wrapped up in work and being an adult with adult responsibilities and lost touch with his family and his inner child…….until one day, Pooh comes looking for him to get him to help him find his lost friends!
The movie is heart warming, funny, fun, and sends a powerful message – don’t ever forget what and who is most important in our life! It is meant to be a children’s story presented by Disney…….but, I think every adult needs to see it and take heed to the underlining lesson for us all!
I do love movies like this and this one didn’t disappoint, one bit! I rate it a solid A++ and highly recommend it!
Some of my favorite quotes”
Winnie The Pooh: People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.
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Christopher Robin: I wonder which way.
Winnie The Pooh: I always get to where I’m going by walking away from where I’ve been.
Christopher Robin: Do you?
Winnie The Pooh: That’s the way I do it.
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Winnie The Pooh: Doing nothing often leads to the very best kind of something.
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Winnie The Pooh: It’s always a sunny day, when Christopher Robin comes to play.
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And, my very favorite:
The Trailer:
You silly ole bear…….. 😀
A Daring Visitor
So, I had to move my desk and computer to make room to convert my den into my Boutique for my Lula Roe business…….which means I thought I wasn’t going to get anymore great photos of birds and squirrels at the Bird Buffet while sitting at my desk! I did put a feeding station outside the window that I now look out from my desk – which is now in my dining room – but, it just hasn’t been the same!!! I get birds, but they prefer the feeding stations in my back yard. There are trade offs in life…..sadly, this has been one of them!
Then, a couple weeks ago, I was sitting at my computer and suddenly the very tall double shepherds hook outside my window – literally two feet from the window – started to jerk back and forth causing the bird feeders to sway!!! I thought, what the heck…….and then I saw it……a squirrel had leaped onto the post and made his way up the shaft to where the seed cakes were hanging to steal himself a treat!!! He went through a series of daring feats to get the morsels and then balance himself on the top to eat and back and forth till he had his fill and left. He absolutely saw me watching him and taking his picture – we made definite eye contact on multiple occasions – but didn’t seem to mind at all! Although he was close enough to get great photos, I still zoomed in to get even better ones!!!
My new friend has been back at least once that I was there to witness! He’s been fun to watch……
Daily Photos – Catch Up!
What happens when I don’t make time to tend to my blog? I have to cram a lot in to catch up! So…..here are a few of my favorites from my Daily Photo Challenge since the last time I posted any of them……since, like mid-June!!! Oh, I’ve written some blog posts since then and I’ve taken many, many more photos since then…..I just haven’t posted any of the Daily Photo Challenge photos on here since then!!!
WHEW! OK, all caught up……hehehe
Ganondagan 2018
I participated in a Bible Study at the Albion First United Methodist Church led by Kae Wilbert on Native American history and the connection with the United Methodist faith….and Christianity in general. It was a fascinating study and Kae did an amazing job presenting the information. We ended the study with a day trip to the Ganondagan Music and Dance Festival in Victor, NY. I was in awe of everything we learned, saw, and participated in during the study and our day at Ganondagan! Visit the Ganondagan web site by clicking here. Please visit the site and at least read the information on the home page, as it will give much better information than I can, here!
Ganondagan State Historic Site, located in Victor, NY is registered as a National Historic Landmark. Here are some photos from the festival:
Historically, the site was the home of many Long Houses – long bark huts that housed entire families of Seneca Indians. When a Native American man married, he would move into his wife’s family long house and, if he was of a different clan, he would become a member of the wife’s clan. It was a strong matriarch society. There is a full size Seneca Bark Long House on the property that depicts the typical living quarters of a Seneca family in the 1600s.
The welcome message and prayer, explained in English and presented in its entirety in the Seneca language:
We were treated to a very entertaining story telling session – complete with the ancient story of why dogs sniff each other’s butts – by the wonderful Story Teller, Tonia Loran:
And, then there were songs and dances! This was just amazing!!!! The performers of the Iroquois Social Dancing were Bill Crouse and the Allegany River Indian Dancers – most of whom were Bill Crouse’s daughters, grandchildren, and son-in-laws. I absolutely LOVED this part!!!
This 4-year-old (on the right) was incredible…..and so cute!!! He took is participation very seriously and was so good – he also looked like he absolutely loved doing it!
In addition to singing and dancing, they explained the meaning and purpose of their various clothing and regalia.
This dance was performed by the youngest and the oldest in the group!
And…..there was food!!! Attendees could choose from Indian Tacos, Buffalo Burgers, Venison Sausage, Bear Sausage, Corn Soup, and some more typical festival foods…….I chickened out and had a hot dog!
The property is also home to the Seneca Art and Culture Center that was recently built in 2015.
This one is titled: Mother Earth Waking Up After Winter……it was simply stunning!!! My favorite!
There were also craft booths with some of the most beautiful artistry I’ve ever seen! But, as I was taking a photo of something that caught my eye, I was asked politely to not photograph the artists work. I respected that request and assumed the others likely felt similarly, so no photos of the arts and crafts that were for sale.
This is an annual festival……I highly recommend you go, if you ever get the chance! I just may go again in the future!
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