Way up North - land of the Celts June 10

Newtons manor closed Detour at York to see white cliffs and scarborough. Soufflé and pavlova perfect meringues Walk on beach Determined to make pies, meringues and soufflé when I get home.

Oxford to Cambridge June 9

Very big breakfast Shortest route not always the best route. Traffic circles Happy Patrick Kathy and Neil Lovely house Folks Small village Braai

Bath and Thames June 8

We spent the night in a hotel that occupies a row of five homes built in the Georgian style. It was too expensive for my tastes, so I talked mom into letting us skip their extravagant breakfast and eat breakfast at a sidewalk cafe. It was good to soak up the early morning sun while eating chicken and mushroom pie and eavesdropping on local conversations. We toured the Roman Baths and then explored the Bath Abbey. Archeologists have done a wonderful job in excavating and preserving the Roman remains. After one last gaze at the Royal Crescent - and dreams of Jane Austin's heroines, we were ready to move on to Oxford. We strolled the grounds of Radley College - a private boarding school on extensive grounds. Public footpaths crisscross the property and we were surrounded by cricket matches and tennis games. Three years ago, we had a wonderful family holiday on the Oxford canal system. We had docked near Radley to attend a wedding and eaten at the local pub. Clare and I had a lovely long walk along the Thames before dinner. She spoiled us by making a huge pavlova and coating it in thick English cream.

Penzance to Camborne to Bath June 7

We spent the night in a wonderful B&B in Penzance - The Estoril. It is in the quiet end of town and close to the promenade. After a big breakfast Mom and I took a long walk. We watched a lady brave the cold water to swim her daily circuit in the bay. I don't think I could be that dedicated! We could see St Michael's Mount in the distance. I love the fact that it can be reached by causeway during low tide, but only by boat at the high tide. The harbor at Penzance was full of boats and pretty busy. Workmen welding old hulls, others moving equipment and ferries leaving for nearby islands. On our way back to the B&B we investigated the run down cathedral and some tropical gardens. I am amazed to see how many South African plants grow in the southwest. We thought the mobile fishmonger was a great idea. The primary reason for visiting Cornwall was to see Camborne. We lived there during 1980. What good memories - lovely people, great weather, many day trips, and swimming in the cold Atlantic Ocean. We were surprised at how busy the main street was. Our apartment looked no different and "the fishy" was still at the same place on the other end of town. It was however closed so we could not treat our selves to eating fish and chips out of newspaper. Our drive up to Bath took us over the moors. A harsh but beautiful place to live. So many plants were in bloom. We were also close to the River Severn, so we decided to drive the toll bridge over the river - just for fun. Neither of us had visited Bath before and we were excited to see the Georgian architecture and Roman Baths. We parked downtown and strolled the street looking for "The Royal Crescent." An awesome sight. Closer to the baths we discovered a bridge built over the River Avon, modelled after the "Ponte Vecchio" in Florence. The shops on the Pulteney Bridge were quaint. A swan and her signets were peacefully gliding on the water under the bridge. Throughout our trip I have been feasting on British fare - Cornish pasties, sausage rolls, and fish and chips. Gorgeous!

Cornwall June 6

Steph and I started the day with a walk around Ivybridge. 8am in the morning is a noisy and busy time of day to be walking through town. Motorists do not yield for pedestrians so it can be difficult to cross streets. The river running through town, coming off the moor was full and noisy. After saying goodbye to Steph we drove into Cornwall and started exploring the cost. Getting down into the harbors was fun. The roads down to the waterfront are narrow and quite scary. Sometimes you get yourself into a narrowing road going nowhere, so one solution is to back up - a harrowing experience in this large car, but I turned around in the smallest of places just to escape the dead end. While travelling down to Charleston harbor we were just inches from people's front doors. This picture actually shows a particularly wide section of the road. When I was exploring the village I negotiated my way around the back of these houses only to find that the back door to the house is actually a door out of the attic window! Two floors above the front street level. These small fishing towns no longer rely on the fishing industry, but on tourism. As a result ice cream and Cornish pasty stores are everywhere. There were two tall ships in the dock at Charleston. Maintenance work was being done on both of the ships. I wonder if they play to sail them on the open seas. We ended our day at the Minack Theatre, near Lands End. Each time I am in Cornwall I return to the theatre, and I love it more each time. Last time we were here it was cold, windy and raining, and Michael added some entertainment by locking the keys in the car, this time was rather subdued. The weather was perfect, seats were superb, and play was good.

Mostly Devon June 5

Just outside the hotel we discovered on of the original "gates" into a pasture. The field was about four feet above the road so one had to climb a couple of stone stairs before climbing over the slab of vertical rock forming the perimeter wall. We concluded that the gate had been well used because the steps were worn down. Modern styles are simple but fun. I just wonder how the dogs get through from one field to the next. e discovered some beaches covered in pebbles, others covered in sand, and others with a mix of both. Walking over pebbles, and pebbles racing after a retreating wave create wonderful sounds. And best all you don't get sand in your shoes. Sandy beaches are good for building castles and running on. Quite a few kids playing on the beach. Cornwal and Devon have tested my driving skills. Lanes are often only wide enough for one car so you stop often to let other by, or backup to a wide spot if you land up nose to nose. Notice the tire marks on the road to get a sence of how narrow it is. Dinner in Ivybridge with Steph finishes a perfect day.

London to Somerset June 4

Rich was kind enought to loan me his Bose earphones so I made a point of watching a movie while crossing the Atlantic. The distraction of the movie and a quick nap made it feel as though the trip was almost over before it began! I quickly made it out to the rental car and was soon driving south to Surrey - and Mum. I am always so navigationally challenged here in the UK - no road is straight and they are all sorrounded by vegetation. After a quick cup of tea we were one the road - only to return an hour later to collect mum's walking cane. There was no way we could explore England without the forgotten stick. After a few wrong turns and many fields of bright yellow rapeseed, we made it to Salisbury. One could see the Cathedral steeple from far away. Am imposing view.The grounds of the Cathedral were full of people enjoying the beautiful weather. We entered the Cloisters of the Cathedral which enclosed two wonderful, ancient trees. The view up to the spire was gorgeous. We then walked into the Chapter house which houses the Magna Carta. Written in 1215 and sealed by King John. A document which inspired the US Constitution. We also saw the oldest working mechanical clock - built in 1386. Overall an impressive visit. We muddled our way down to Tintinhull, near Yeovil. A lovely, peaceful Inn amongst farms. I did a lovely walk on public footpaths amongst cattle and sheep. Dinner was tasty liver - yum! Plan to get in an early walk tomorrow morning.

Paradise just up the road

We are so lucky to be living just a few miles from Beaver Brook trail. I have been on it a few times since finishing up my classes and each time I notice new vistas and marvel at the beauty of the area even though it is sandwiched between two very busy highways. I have found some new hiking friends and hope we can continue walking throughout the summer. The wild flowers are starting to bloom - I will have to return to the trip mid June to see what has flourished.

Memorial Day weekend in South Park

Emerging from a cold and windy winter, and a long cool, wet spring we were pleasantly surprised by the mild and sunny weather up in the mountains, south west of Denver. South Park is not yet snow free but the sun’s rays are warm and generating a lot of runoff. Our trail was almost a stream by mid afternoon! Our campsite was near a stream where the beavers are constantly making new dams. They took down a tree the first night we were there - saw it in the road on our way out! Mike decided to rough it in the wild for one night - even Rocky was too scared to stay out there alone, so he escaped the tent and ran back to us. Michael survived the night - extra snug in his feather sleeping bag - Thanks Judy. Ant and Allie preferred the luxury of the camper. We all enjoyed a visit from Jason, Nicole and Stella. After a steep hike up to Jefferson Lake, a relaxed afternoon at the campsite and marshmallows around the campfire we were ready for bed soon after dark. This is the first trip Rob was not with us - he was working all weekend and had to fend for himself. We missed him.

Christmas 2012

This post is a revival of our trip logs. Hopefully I will catch up on a whole slew of past trips since I last blogged.

This December we headed west to the Pacific coast. LA, San Diego then on to Phoenix. We got on the road early, after an evening party at Mt Vernon celebrating a friend's 50th, and drove through to Las Vegas. We spent the night in a KOA behind Circus Circus. The boys explored the casino and amusement park while Rich and I got the camper setup. We caught up with the boys in the Circus amusement park. From there we explored The Strip. The ceilings in the Venetian took my breath away - again. (pics)

The boys had great fun collecting "business cards." We saw the fountains at the Bellagio, and Mike found Mario and Luigi.

After a few hours of walking we finally had dinner off the strip - Sushi bar. It was good. Our feet were sore and our eyes tired, so we caught a taxi back to the camper. Bed was very welcome. After a late start we decided to go see the new bridge over the Black Canyon at the Hoover Dam. It is an engineering marvel and affords a great view of the Hoover Dam.

Just south of Vegas we hit a traffic jam, and landed up behind Jem and family. They were also driving through to LA to spend Christmas with us. The traffic was so slow we spent quite a bit of time walking back and forth between cars. Rob, Mike and Ryan walked ahead of us by about a mile and it took us a good half hour to catch up with them. It was fun watching trucks block off the emergency lanes as people tried to bypass the jam by racing alongside us all. It always astounds me how large the sprawl is in the LA valley. Jem got ahead of us and reached their hotel first. Once we arrived we collected Mom and headed for the beach. Out campsite was just west of LAX, right on the beach. Noisy (plane overhead) but three steps from the sand and a bike path extending the length of the LA bay. The boys and cousins always have a great time together. They talk non-stop (as long as no computers are around) and love to explore. Mike and Rich went for a ride south, so Jem and I decided to follow them.

We landed up riding 14 miles and Mike treated us to a seafood soup snack before returning to the camper. Christmas day was a great success. The best thing was Mike's gift of Season 2 of Big Bang Theory. It entertained us throughout the trip. We had Christmas lunch at a Chinese all you can eat buffet - wow teenagers can eat a lot! Our trip to see the Endeavor Space Shuttle was great. You can walk right underneath it and almost touch it. The earthquake proof supports were intriguing. I thought the displays of older space capsules were creative. You can get to within 1 inch of the capsule and really see the details. Everyone - except Rich and Mom did a long ride to Santa Monica Pier. They followed in the car and did their own exploring on the way. There really is something special about riding along the beach, smelling the ocean air and watching the ocean. Rich is so happy next to the water. The kids did lots of swimming - but with wet suits on. The water is too cold to do it without the extra layer! After four days at Dockweiler State beach we had a farewell breakfast at "Eat at Joes"

and said goodbye to Jem et al., and moved south to Laguna beach area. Rich had discovered a new State Park - Crystal Cove. What a gem.

The views from the camp sites are tremendous and the beach is lovely. There is a nearby coastal path and Trader Joes!

The quiet there was very different to the plane noise at Dockweiler. We were close to the South African store so we stocked up on home treats. We also discovered a great Greek restaurant - Athena Gyro, in Laguna Hills. I discovered a semolina Greek pudding - Halvas! All too soon Mom was heading back to SLC and we moved on the Chula Vista, south of San Diego. A RV park at the marina with lots of rules - very quiet though. We snuggled down in the camper when a downpour and hailstorm moved over the area. It is a joy to see so much rain. The proximity to the San Diego Bay was wonderful and on the first morning we saw Dolphins. There is a 25 mile bike route around the bay - so we cycled up to San Diego and the Midway aircraft carrier.

We were not allowed to board the passenger ferry to cross the bay (dogs not allowed) so we had to return to the RV park the same way we had come. Rich and I drove the remainder of the route the next morning. The drive out of San Diego to the east is incredible. Beautiful hills and valley give way to sand dunes and desert. It was a welcome treat to get all the bath towels dry - the moisture at the coast is something we are not used to. We got to Phoenix and the Lost Dutchman State Park quite late, but were up early the next morning to get Rich on the plane to New York. The thought of four days in the same place was very relaxing. We toured Taliesin West - Frank Lloyd Wrights winter home, a college Mike is interested in, and did a wonderful hike into the Superstition mountains.

We also discovered a quaint restaurant next to the state park - Mining Camp Restaurant. By the end of the week I had caught up on all my sleep and finished another book. The perfect end to a good holiday. We collected Rich from the airport and headed out of Phoenix. On our way to Albuquerque we toured a Meteor Crater - fascinating.

Temperatures plummeted and our stop over at a rest stop on I25 outside Santa Fe was chilling. We were lucky with the weather - no ice or snow on the roads so the trip back to Denver was uneventful. Thinking back on the trip - I am amazed at how well we all get on while living in such cramped quarters. I know the camper is large, but it is still astounding that we can coexist in such harmony. I am so grateful that we can have these times together. Good memories: traffic jam on an interstate in the middle of Nevada, Christmas lunch, breakfast at "Eat at Joes", sitting on the beach with Rich - watching the sunset, time with mom, Jeremy and his family, Greek lunch at Laguna, San Diego bay dolphins, Phoenix saguaros and desert evenings, the Superstition mountains, listening to audio books while on the road.