Best Anniversary Gift Ever

The parents are arriving back in the U.S. today. Although, they don't celebrate this day, it just so happens to be their 14th wedding anniversary. We proudly present their two children, lovingly cared for and safely delivered home. Happy Anniversary, Kristy and Chris.

The Last Hoorah

After shopping, arcade, and Flying Horses in Oak Bluffs, we took the kayaks for a late afternoon test run at the harbor on July 4th. We had a yummy BBQ dinner of ribs, cheesy potatoes, island corn and other fixins' before our final treat at Mad Martha's for ice cream.

Last day of fun

Today is Independence Day! We are thinking about going shopping and watching the parade. Also there are fireworks and we might see those. Quiet day so far, but hoping that it will be more fun later.

Kids on the vineyard

Long Point, WT

Long Point

Movie: Williamsburg

We're in Scotland, too

Grapes

Busch Gardens

Mt. Rogers, VA

Crowne Plaza

Enroute to Williamsburg

We were out the door at 7:20 a.m. for our first big adventure of our 18 days of fun. Solo, a car load of electronics, snacks and "The Art of Racing in the Rain" on audio should make for a pleasant seven hour ride.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD

Dear daddy I hope you birthday is treat worthy

I am having a great time at best friends pet care

although I am having a great time Rrrrring I can't

wait to see you! Miss you and love you

              Your poodledoodle (Callie)

Lordy, Lordy, Chris Turns 40!

Happy Birthday, Chris!

Movie: Loantaka

Sunday and Monday

 So far we have been so busy and have not had any time to write.

On Sunday we got up and went to the bakery. We got a big coffee cake, two pastries, and 6 cupcakes for later. Then, while my brother and I biked, my grandparents walked. When we got back, we had to make four cards each.  Just when we were finishing, my aunt and uncle came with their two month old. Then we went to our great grandmother's house for dinner.

On Monday, the cleaning lady came and she brought along her ten-year-old daughter.  We made bracelets then my grandma decided that if Valeria, the cleaning lady's daughter, wanted to, she could come on our bike ride. She stayed for a while. After she left we made pizzas. It was very fun.         

Bikes, Hikes and Red Mango

Already we are behind on our blogging. Father's Day, K's birthday and cleaning for the cleaning lady set us back.

We took a really nice bike ride in the woods to honor the double celebration on Sunday. Baba walked Solo, K jogged and the kids rode bikes. It was home to make cards for Ally, Paul, Baba, K and Billy. Little Huddy arrived with his parents around 12 noon, and we had brunch on the deck.

Later in the day, we went to see Nanny and took her out to dinner at Tabor Road. The waiter was amused by the two little gourmands at the table.

On Monday, we got moving right away and cleaned for the cleaning lady. Because school is officially out, the cleaning lady brought her 10-year-old daughter to work. Valeria was very sweet and enjoyed the other children in the house.

We all went for a bike ride/jog/dog walk to a new location. Half-way around the 3-mile loop, we stopped into St. Hubert's. We were allowed to visit the rescue cats and dogs. It was very sad, and we wanted to take them all home.

We took our new friend for our favorite new treat: frozen yogurt at Red Mango in Summit. Valeria went home and so did we. Later in the evening we made grilled pizza for dinner. Yummy!

Movie: Watchung Reservation

We're Off!

Happy Kids, Happy Grown-Ups

There's nothing like a couple of sweet kids to lighten things up around the house. With our teenager down in the dumps, our young visitors are brightening everyone's day. First, they had us laughing over a couple of rounds of Apples to Apples, a fun kids card game.

Then, we all participated in a heartwarming project for Billy. We made "get well cards" in the art studio. It was fun! 

After Oreo pancakes, and two meats, we were really off to start the day.

First Day of Fun!

We just got here last night and are already settling into northern NJ. My parents are in Scotland for a trip with my mom's side of the family, but you can't ask for much more than hanging out with your grandparents. As only 9:50 am Solo, their dog, has already made my gray pants black.

As I am typing we are just finishing breakfast and getting ready for a bike ride so I guess I will go go we are leaving soon.  







 

From Seattle to Vineyard Haven

After a few nights in Sleepy Town, the car wheels were turning again, only this time on I-95.  The PacWest Odyssey comes to an end in the northeast.  Now it's time to take to the hammock, and steer clear of presidential motorcades on our quiet little island.

Sunrise over Lake Michigan

The sunrise over Lake Michigan was beautiful. In fact, I haven't seen a sunrise over Lake Michigan in over thirty years. We got up and out at 6:02 am (cst). The trip odometer was 6,919 at the start of our final leg. Bill drove the first shift, while we all slept. I took the second shift at the wheel after lunch. It was a perfectly uneventful ride. We pulled into our driveway in Sleepy Town just before 7pm, with a final trip mileage of 7,689. Lots of miles, and we all agreed, we'd do it again tomorrow! Great odyssey, and a great and beautiful country, too!

A Great Day at Wrigley Field

Bill and Solo took an early morning run along the lake while I slept in. Later, we walked down Michigan Avenue to Yolk for a hearty and delicious breakfast. The boys did the same thing, just a couple hours behind us. We all hopped the Red Line for Addison Avenue and found our seats at Wrigley Field. It's always fun to show off that beautiful park to baseball fans. Jack was impressed. The Cubs played Houston in a rather slow nine innings, after which the score was tied at one. The game got a little more exciting in extra innings, and the Cubs lost 4:3. It was, nevertheless, a fun afternoon in the blazing sun. After cooling off back at the hotel, the boys decided to walk to Navy Pier for some food and excitement. Bill and I walked around the block to Lou Malnatis on State Street for famous Chicago pizza. It was very good, and we were very tired. The teens checked in with us around 10:30pm, and that's all I remember.

Sweet Home Chicago

With the trip odometer at 6,566 miles, we pulled out of Des Moines, and continued with our journey on I-80 for Chicago. Bill wanted to relive his college days by taking us to Steak and Shake for lunch in DeKalb, Il, home of Northern Illinois University. We pulled onto South Michigan Avenue around 2:30pm, and valeted the car at the Hilton Chicago, one of our favorite grand old hotels in our hometown. They also welcome pets. After we settled into our very comfortable rooms on the 22nd floor, we took a four mile walk along the lakefront to Navy Pier and back. When given the option for dinner with grown-ups, or doing their own thing, the teens opted to go to Gino's on Superior Street while we went to The Gage to meet family. The grown ups went to Kitty O'Shea's for a night cap in the hotel, and Billy and Jack stopped in to say hello to Nancy and Terry, Billy's aunt and uncle, before calling it a day. It's good to be home:)

Serendipity in Iowa

Text message from long time friend Irene (IG) 9:08 am:

IG: Baby boy 8 lbs 14oz this morning.

KR: Awesome! Big dude! Congratulations, Grandma. Where are you now?

IG: Des moines Iowa !!!

KR: So am I!

IG: You have to be kidding.

KR: Staybridge Inn. Going to Chicago. We have to meet today. YAY!

IG: I can meet this morning.

KR: Excellent. Where? When? Bizarre, eh?

IG: When are you leaving Des Moines?

KR: No schedule.

And so my day in Des Moines began with the above text message exchange, as I was doing the final laundry on this trip. Life's little surprises! Irene, my dear friend from high school, and one I was hoping to surprise tonight in Oak Park, IL is in Des Moines on business. We decided to extend our stay in Iowa another night. Irene came by our hotel for a quick visit before the boys left us alone. The girls went for lunch, and the boys grabbed a bite to eat before seeing the movie Inception. We all had a nice afternoon. Surprisingly, the guys loved exploring the expansive Jordan Creek Mall. So much so, the teens went back to the mall for dinner and loitering. Bill and I enjoyed a nice evening to ourselves, with drinks and dinner at PF Changs' bar. Serendipity was the theme of the day. Gratitude is the theme of life.

Back to the Flatlands

The teens got to sleep in this morning. At 11:30am we embarked on the final 1500 miles of our PacWest Odyssey. Nebraska is probably our least favorite stretch of highway. The only highlight during a few hundred miles was a kid driving 70 mph, all windows down in the blazing heat, and "Boats 'n Hoes" written on his back window. Curious. The new in-car entertainment audio book is The Lion by Nelson DeMilles. We pulled off I-80 in Des Moines around 5:00 pm, found a hotel, and had a delicious Midwest steak dinner. Bill politely complained about the racket at the table next, and the manager put our meal on-the-house. That was professional, but the father of the unruly children was very offended. In fact, I thought he was going to punch out Bill. Excitement in the heartland. I took Solo for an evening walk around a man-made lake next to the hotel, and reflected on our incredibly successful journey. I am so grateful to have had not only good weather, but good fortune guiding our safety and health over the highways and byways of our travels.

Boulder and Beyond

It was nice to linger over coffee, and take in the view on a lazy morning at a beautiful home on the mountains. We packed our bags and said good-bye to Leslie. Leslie bid farewell to the "three Solos" referring to Billy, Jack and Solo as her three mellowest house guests ever. Jeff had left early to play golf. We stopped at Larkburger for lunch on our way out of town. Yum. The drive through Vail Pass and beyond was breathtaking. We stopped in Boulder for a stroll along Pearl, a little shopping at Urban Outfitters, and some entertainment on the river. We also took in the campus. Surprisingly, there were plenty of students milling around. Then it was back on the highway to Cheyenne, WY for dinner. It was not a pleasant experience. Creepy people dining. Eww! We checked out a couple campgrounds in route, but decided to just drive into Nebraska for a few hours and stay at a roadside hotel. We lost another hour by the time we stopped in North Platte, NE at 12:30am (cst). I think we all felt a little blue leaving the beautiful mountains, and officially starting our trek home as we found ourselves on Interstate 80 eastbound:(

Severe Clear in Wolcott, CO

The crisp, cool night air gave way to another beautiful day in Colorado. The severe clear day beckoned us out to play. Leslie invited me to attend a ladies luncheon/ fashion show at her club, the Red Sky Ranch. I put on the only nice outfit that I brought on the trip, and met some lovely woman. For many, Vail was their third or forth home. Crazy wealth. Staggering, actually. Ironically, one of the models was previewing the same outfit that I was wearing. Who knew I could be so cutting edge fashion-forward!?! We had a good laugh at the table. I met the boys back at the house and embarked on a Timberline class 3 rafting tour down the Colorado River. I was the only one to admit that I was a little nervous. It was a blast! It started out with the rapids, five sections. Once that was out of the way, it was a relaxing pace through the spectacular Glenwood Canyon. In the few hours that we were gone, Jeff and Leslie threw together a barbecue. Back at the house, we had some drinks and burgers, and met some more friends. It was another fun day! The teens enjoyed sleeping under the stars so much that they did it again. One final note, Jeff loves Solo!

Adventures around Beaver Creek

The day couldn't have started out more civilized. Leslie was expecting us at the Red Sky Ranch Golf Club. Wow! What an incredible view from the terrace breakfast table. In typical fashion, Leslie had a list of activities and area attractions for us to consider. Wasting no time whatsoever, I made a white water rafting reservation for tomorrow, and we jumped in her car and headed over to 4Eagle Ranch. There, we booked the boys on a 1:00pm zip line tour. It was a two-hour activity where you dangle in a harness hundreds of feet above a river, and zip a thousand feet across the canyon on a wire.

Not fun to me. Not fun. Leslie and I went to the cute little town of Edwards for a little shopping and the best truffle French fries ever. We met up with the boys, had a quick tour of her fabulous mountain home (8,550 feet elevation) and headed out to the Beaver Creek rodeo. They guys really enjoyed the rodeo. We all met back at the house. The boys decided to sleep under the stars in their sleeping bags on an upper deck. The stars were amazing!

Eagle-Vail

Billy had a mission to accomplish at the Eagle, CO post office this morning, so we all participated in the mailing of a thank you gift to his hosts in Canada. It was as if the clerk behind the counter had never handled an international package before. After about 30 minutes, we were on our way! A lively debate ensued about false advertising, and government services. Among the shipping options advertised at the post office was a "flat rate box", which was marked "$10.75 for domestic or international" destinations. When Billy's shipping postage totaled $23.00, we asked the clerk if we could use the flat rate box. She said "No, that's only for domestic mailings." Go figure. Anyway, we toured the sweet little ski village of Vail, which was alive with summer activities and tourists. Solo waited patiently at our feet while we had a lovely lunch next to a babbling brook. He was later rewarded with a swim. As we watched in horror, he got caught in the rapids, went down a little waterfall, fought the current and found his way back to us on the  river bank.  Whew! Bill took the helm of the Odyssey on the narrow, curvy and steep road through White River National Forest. It was a  beautiful ride. We explored various sites for which to set up base camp for several nights, but quickly knew we were out of our league with the rugged challenges (no water available) and waayyy scary remote locations. Jeff and Leslie, long time friends from NYC, insisted that we stay at their home in Vail, so we decided to take them up on their generous offer, albeit a little too late to arrange for the night.  Unable to immediately reach Leslie, we went back the the Best Western in Eagle, and then later firmed up a plan to meet for breakfast. We heart Colorado, though the teens think it's "red neck" country.

PacWest Odyssey

Tue 13 - Entering Colorado
Eagle

The Utah border was a quick morning ride once back on I-84. The scenery is rolling hills, and sage brush, just before it turns mountainous. The air is hot and dry. This remarkable fair weather continues to bless our journey. After a couple of hours in the car, we found a decent restaurant in Salt Lake City. A quick tour down Temple Ave. and we were back on the road. The route was increasingly beautiful as we travelled into the Rocky Mountains, the stomping ground of my childhood vacation memories. High winds and looming thunderstorms brought us to the Best Western hotel in Eagle, CO. The ride was uneventful, but we were all riveted by the conclusion of Under the Dome, the audio book by Stephen King, which has provided thirty hours of in-car entertainment, and the subject of countless discussions over meals and campfires since the start of our PacWest Odyssey.

So Long Portland

At 6:55am, with the trip odometer at 4281, we left Portland. In what appears to be typical cloud cover and a much cooler 56 degrees, it's kind of a relief from the blazing sun that's been with us each day of this amazing trip. It was a gorgeous ride south-eastbound. The sun eventually popped out and the Columbia River, and surrounding countryside came to life. Between the wind gusts and the blowing dust, it was also a scary ride at times. One little tidbit of information, Oregon is the only state outside of NJ where full service fueling is mandatory. We stopped in Boise, ID for lunch. We were hoping for the best Idaho French fries ever, but that was not the case. After logging about 600 miles for the day, we pulled off I-84 about 6pm (we lost an hour with MST). The men set up camp and I ran for groceries. We grilled chicken and corn, watched the teens play Frisbee, and just relaxed in the foothills of Idaho.

Pioneer Courthouse Square

It was well worth the 25 minute wait for brunch at Mother's. We are eating our way through the Northwest! On the way back to the hotel we scouted out Portland's World Cup viewing venue at Pioneer Courthouse Square. Bill ran to the car to get our chairs, and we sat comfortably in the middle of the action. The hot sun was so intense, it became unbearable for me at times. It felt as if the whole city of Portland was watching the final match on the giant TV screen. Jack slept soundly, through all the cheering and vuvuzelas, at the hotel just two blocks away. After Spain's victory over the Netherlands, Bill and I took Solo to the Columbia River Gorge, and the Multnomah Falls.

We couldn't find the off-leash dog section, but saw some pretty sights, nonetheless. The teenagers were feeling like Chinese food after their day of exploration. We reunited for another nice dinner, and took to our rooms for relaxation on our last night in Portland.

Saturday in Portland

Walking through Portland's Historical District is somewhat reminiscent of an east coast city. While the teens slept in, Bill and I had breakfast at the Morning Star Cafe and then strolled over to the outdoor market. Vineyard. On. Steroids. We've been on a mission to find Martha's Vineyard south for a potential retirement venue, but we accidentally found the Vineyard NW. The Saturday market revealed all the creative and entrepreneurial talent of the community. Musicians and dancers entertained the throngs of people. Lots of energy flowing in the streets! The teens joined us for the scene, and then we parted ways. Bill and I ducked into a bar to watch the last 15 minutes of the World Cup match between Germany and Uruguay. We all met back at the hotel and Billy set the next agenda. He led the way to Powell's book store. OMG. A fascinating collection of new and used books. Again we parted ways. The teens pursued Apples' music store, and we hung out at an outdoor cafe in the Pearl District, with Solo at our feet. We all met up again at Blue Hour restaurant for dinner, with Solo at our feet. An awesome day in the city!