November 2, 20107
Wrap up time! Sorry for the long delay - lots going on. We are back in Hoquiam as of October 27th, staying at Hoquiam RV Park, space #19. We will be here for the winter.
So let me catch up with "the rest of the story":
Sept 19-24: Great visit with Casey and Sabrina. More kayaking, trip to Charlotte, got Baxter groomed again, Oil change for the motor home, great fun just relaxing and enjoying the visit. More "Sequnce", more cooking (and eating!), still warm so got to enjoy the pool more.
Sept 25: On the road for Washington by 8:15. Running the freeways to make time. N orthbound I-77 to I-64 in West Virginia, in order to avoide the Devil's Tail on I-40 in North Carolina (a TERRIBLE chunk of steep, twisty, windy road). Saw lots of Asplundh trucks returning from the hurricane in Florida. Travelled thru North Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, and Kentucky. Drove a portion of the Appalachian mountains - leaves were starting to turn and scenery was beautiful. First time in West Virginia - very pretty state. Overnight at the Walmart RV Park in Louisville, Kentucky.
Sept 26: Happy 94th Birthday, Mom! On the road at 8 AM, westbound I-64 into Ind!iana, then Ohio (crossed the Ohio River). Louisville is a pretty town - saw the Louisville Slugger HUGE bat at their factory (from the freeway - missed getting a picture).Drove through Illinois, and changed time zones from Eastern to Central, so gained an hour. Crossed the Mississippi (always think of my Dad teaching me to spell Mississippi - "M, I, crooked letter, crooked letter, I, crooked letter, crooked letter, I, humpback, humpback, I") Then crossed the "wide Missouri" into Kansas. Overnight at Topeka, KS Walmart, dinner at Chik Fil 'A. Never ate there before - was OK.
Sept 27: On the road at 8 AM. Gas in Topeka, 62 degrees already! Westbound I-70. Drove the first 8 miles of the interstate highway system (milep-osts 341-389) established by President Eisenhower - pretty cool! Gray skies today, thunderstorms predicted for the Great Plains. Drove by Fort Riley, KS - home of The Big Red One!. There is a Buffalo Soldier museum as well as a US Cavalry museum and the Dwight D. Eisenhower museum and library (in Abilene). Saw oil wells, the Russell Stover candy factory (HUGE!). Mike was disappointed - no buffalo herds, Indians, or cattle herds and chuckwagons!! Lots of windmill farms, windmills pumping water for stock tanks, saw a few longhorms (really long horns!!) - definitely cattle country and flat! Also saw stone fence posts - pioneers were ingenious and used the resources available - not many trees there. Rest stop near Grainfield, KS for tomato sandwiches - Yum! Crossed into Mountain time zone. Into Colorado and Denver at 4:45 pm. Elevation 5,280 feet - the Mile High City. Temperature 59 degrees - getting colder.... Turned northbound onto I-25. Overnight at a Walmart in Tinmath, Co (near Fort Collins) - a long day...
Sept 28: On the road at 8:15 - raining and 53 degrees this morning. Will get the bugs washed off the front of the motor home! Into Wyoming, saw lots of coal-fired power plants in KS, CO and WY. Good and terrible sections of roadway, speed limit is 80! Seeing lots of antelope. Lunch at rest stop in Kaycee, WY - Baxter got to meet a pot-bellied pig in a pasture next to the rest area - he didn't like the pig much! Temp warmed up to 66 and sunny. Crossed into Montana at 3:30. Turned westbound I-90 and saw a cow overpass over the freeway just past the state line! Crossed the Continenal Divide at 9:45 PM. Drove as far as the $50,000 Silver Dollar Bar and Casino just west of the Idaho/Montana state line -got there at 1:25 am!!! Cold outside!
Sept 29: Foggy and cool. On the road at 9:40. 44 degrees this morning. Westbound I-90, crossed into Idaho and changed time zone back to Pacific time. Stopped at the Costco in Post Falls for supplies and gas, the on to Gallangers in Colville - arrived at 2:45. Stopped in Colville to dump the holding tanks and fill up with water.
Sept 29 0 Oct 18th - fun and games with Gallangers! Mike and Al went deer hunting (black powder) and Mike got a huge 3x2 Mulie. I canned 12 quarts of meat to share with Al, and the rest went to steaks and hamburgers. Lots of Sequence games, Mike went elk hunting but didn't get anything. Fun Trip to Spokane for a Dr. appointment for Susan - lunch at Mongolian Grill (a "must-do" when we are there). /Did our annual "Jesse Stone/Tom Selleck" marathon. Good times!
Oct 19th: On the road to Wintrhop via North Cascades Highway. Gas in Colville, prop0ane in Republic, arrived at Pearrygin Lake State Park (outside Wintrhop) at 4:30. Gray and overcast, but the leaves have turned and the color was dazzling!
Oct 20th: Headed for Mount Vernon, more amazing fall color. A lot of snow had already fallen on Washington Pass, but the roadway was clear. Always such a beautiful drive. Got to Mount Vernon and had dinner with Mark and Kathy Feiro at a local pub. Good conversation and beer!
Oct 21st: Lazy morning, then to the Pumpkin Patch with Kathy and Charlie (Eric and Amanda's little guy) and Juanita and Sloan (Jaimie and Michael's little girl). Really cute kids - so lots of fun. Dinner at Kathy and Marks that night - "chili-getti" - yum! Will have to add tht dish to my collection!
Oct 22nd: On to Fort Casey, on Whidbey Island. Got a campsite right on the beach, and had beautiful weather, but getting cold now. Saw sea lions, lots of wild bunnies and sea birds, lots of ships, regular ferry crossings, etc. Hot dogs and S'Mores for dinner. Nice walk with Baxter.
Oct 23rd: Back to Oak Harbor to check out the Marlette mobile homes at a dealership there. Back to the motorhome, a nice walk, and early to bed.
Oct 24th: On the 1145 ferry to Port Townsend and Fort Worden. A nice ride, and much cheaper than driving around thru Seattle - $60 for the motorhome and Jeep. 1st in line to board the ferry, so a nice view of the water from the deck of the ferry. Another beautiful sunny day. Settled into Fort Worden and took a nice long walk with Baxter. They have done a lot of brush clearing and really opened up the trails, bunkers and views - very nice!
Oct 25th: Mike was up at 4:30 AM fpr a walk with Warren. Glennis kept the bed warm! Lunch with Chris and Warren Walvatne at their son Dan's house (they are house sitting for him). Very disappoint3e4d we were unable to see the Northern Lights the past two nights - a little too much low cloud cover on the Straits....
Oct 26th: Mike did the 4:30 walk with Warren again - a 4 mile route around Port Townsend! Back on the road, headed for Hoquiam at noon. Quick stop at Costco in Sequim, and also left a note for Jeff Monroe, the foundation guy, at this shop in Sequim. Met up with Dan and Rose Baker-Monaghan in Forks and had pizze and a good fisit. Back in Hoquiam at the Hoquiam River RV Park at 9:40 PM, and the end of our big adventure. Total mileage for the trip was12,720 miles!
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
September 18, 2017: Catch up time again. Where does the time go when you're having fun?
September 3rd: Headed for Burlington, VT to replace the awning on the motor home (planned after we hit a pole with it last time we were in Burlington). Kind of a rainy day, good day to travel. Saw lots of turkeys, but STILL NO MOOSE! Hello!!!!
Overnight at the Walmart in Conway, NH .Nice quiet parking lot with lots of room. Had the last of our deer steak, PEI potatoes and wonderful fresh beets for dinner. Happy to discover the DISH service is working again, so caught up on US news. Stopped at an LL Bean outlet on our way there, found shoes for Mike and jeans for me. It poured rain when we got to New Hampshire, but settled down that evening.
September 4th: On to the road to Burlington and Pete's RV. Took a break in Bath, NH to check out a cool covered bridge and the oldest general store in the US. Had awesome apple cider donuts and some New Hampshire creme soda - we're all about healthy eating! Arrived at Burlington, parked in the Pete's RV lot so we would be there first thing in the AM for our appointment! Poured rain again, but that's OK - we were snug and dry.
September 5th: Awning all replaced, but the material for the new one has a bad spot in it. So new material ordered and shipped to North Beach RV at Hogan's Corner to replace it when we back to Grays Harbor. It's always something! Did a Costco run while waiting for the awning to be fixed. On the road mid-afternoon, gassed up at a real, old-fashioned gas station with a very nice owner and a mechanic on duty! Dave's Sunoco on Williston Road in South Burlington, VT - stop by to fuel up if you are ever there! Only drove as far as Berlin, VT to overnight (stayed there on our way east as well - nice big Walmart parking lot, off the beaten path and quiet). Lots of rain today, and an awesome thunder and lightening storm this evening!
September 6th: Lazy morning. Buttoned up the motorhome and then went to tour a granite quarry in Graniteville, VT, which was really cool. They had the world's only granite bowling alley, so of course Mike had to bowl a few. Took several gutter balls to get the hang of the plastic bowling ball, but then he converted a spare! Way to go, Mike!
Also checked out a meadery in Groton, VT. Really nice owners (young family with 3 small boys) and learned lots about making mead. Good mead and also excellent ice cream! Decided to stay over again at Berlin Walmart, light dinner and some TV, and then to bed.
September 7th: Happy 67th birthday, Mike! Headed for Lebanon, NH in the rain, but sunshine later in the day. Had a problem with the bedroom slide not wanting to retract - called Tiffin Service number and was able to determine one of the slide motors had somehow been unplugged, so an easy fix (Whew!). Checked out more of the area - went to another maple syrup farm/dairy. Not as nice and neat as Goodrich's that we visited on our way east, but still fun. Spotted a new product for Justin and Jenny Stiefel and HDC - you guys really need to make this with your Brown Sugar Bourbon. We would be happy to volunteer as taste testers to make sure you get it right!
Treated Mike to a birthday dinner at Jesse's Steak House and Tavern in Lebanon - had the best prime rib we have ever eaten! Back to the motorhome, took Baxter for a walk, and then to bed.
September 8 - 11th: On the 8th, traveled to Dorchester, NH, where my great-grandpa Streater lived before homesteading on the Queets river. Beautiful area, and we can see why he chose the Queets - very similar, except NH has hardwoods with a few evergreens, while the Queets has evergreens with a few hardwoods. Settled in at Ames Brook Campground in Ashland, NH, which is about 20 miles from Dorchester.
Toured around the area, made a big loop around a few of the highways and across one of the scenic highway passes. The leaves are just starting to turn, and there are really pretty spots of color. Saw more cool covered bridges (they are everywhere!) and visited a number of picturesque New England towns - beautiful country.
Met up with Don and Sandy Hansen on the 9th, and had fun exploring around Dorchester. Found Streeter Woods Road and Streeter Mountain (obviously Great-Grandpa Frederick Nelson Streater, who homesteaded on the Queets, changed the spelling of the name!). Streeter Mountain made us feel like the Waltons - Don decided his new name is "Don-boy!" Talked to a long-time resident working in his yard who said the area used to have lots of big farms and sheep, but now the fields have grown back to trees. We saw old, old, old stone fences that were used to contain the sheep.
Back with Don and Sandy on the 10th, for a big loop tour up to Mt. Washington and lots of New Hampshire scenery. A wonderful day with wonderful cousins and good conversation - we always enjoy spending special time with them, and are SO thankful for our family! Said good-bye to them at
Up early on the 11th and back to the "town hall" at Dorchester to see what other information we could find about the Streaters. Talked to a very helpful town clerk, and got names of other resources we can contact to get information on marriages, births, deaths, and property records. Will be exciting to see what other information we can come up with - we are hopeful to be able to pinpoint the location of Frederick's home and his father's farm, and also get other information. Unfortunately, the sources were not available for personal contact, so we will have to make do with email and possibly phone calls. Fun playing detective and hunting down leads!
The BIG discovery of the day was the cemetery where Nelson and Anna Streeter (Frederick's parents) were buried! I asked the Dorchester clerk for the location of cemetery's close to Streeter Woods Road and Streeter Mountain, and it turns out there is a cemetery less than a mile from there. We drove down a dirt road (Old Cemetery Road off of Cheever Road) right to the Cheever cemetery, pulled into a little parking area, and Mike said "well, there he is!" I looked up and there were the headstones for Nelson and Anna Streeter, right by the fence around the cemetery! We were so excited. We also found another Streeter that I think is one of Nelson's siblings, along with her husband (he is a Merrill) and her son who died at 9 months. Will be fun figuring out the relationships and adding them to the family tree!
Also snagged a few pictures of "Streeter Mountain" - goodnight, Don-Boy!
Back to the motorhome, and ice cream for dinner.Decided to go on a "moose tour" as this was most likely our last chance to see on, and the company was advertising a 97% success rate. Called the number - they only do tours on Wednesday and Saturday this time of the year, so we were out of luck! Don-Boy had suggested we try driving about 80 mph down one of the local roads just at dusk - that might be a good way to "encounter" one! We passed on his suggestion!!
Got things packed up and ready to go in the morning, and to bed.
September 12th: On the road and down the interstate, headed for South Carolina with a stop at Hyde Park on the Hudson in New York to tour FDR's home and the presidential library there. Got messed up and missed a turn just a little out of Ashland and had to re-route to get back on track, then had a TERRIBLE time getting through Claremonth, NH! Took us 3 tries to navigate a pretty complicated set of interchanges and twisty turns through the town, but we finally made it! Finally got southbound on Interstate 91, and took a brief detour/rest stop to visit a Vermont Country Store at Rockingham, NH. Found some Rada knives (they are wonderful knives made in the USA) for the motor home kitchen, and got some black truffle cheese and some orange creamsicle fudge for a snack. Saw our first deer in New England along the side of the freeway, but STILL NO MOOSE!!
Traveled through New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. Overnight at Fishkill, NY Walmart. Wondered why so many place names ended in "kill" (yes, New Yorkers are strange, so it fits right in!). Googled the question, and discovered that "kill" is an Old Dutch indication that the town or area is located on a body of water, a river, a sound, etc. That made sense and helped me think of New Yorkers as "less weird"!) Went to the Redline Diner in Fishkill for a late dinner - had gyros and sweet potatoe fries, which were very good.
September 13th: Headed for Hyde Park and the FDR home and presidential library bright and early. What an amazing place and amazing story. The library was beautifully done, and it was so interesting to hear about FDR and how he handled his inability to walk at his home in Spring Hill. He and Eleanor were amazing people and made such an important difference to our country. We were there for 6 hours and could have spent a lot longer. Definitely a place to go back to for another visit.
Saw the last "moose" signs in New York. We are firmly convinced moose, like Sasquatches, are a myth used to entice tourists and that they really don't exist!! The people that perpetuate the myth have gone so far as to post 4x8 highway signs, painted bright yellow with flashing caution lights, warning drivers "Slow down, Moose can kill you!"!!!
Back in the motor home and south-bound towards South Carolina. Travelled through New York, Pennsylvvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia, and stopped overnight at the Walmart RV park in Martinsburg, VA. More ice cream for dinner! :)
September 14th: Rain overnight, up and on the road by 0800. Stopped at the Virginia/North Carolina line to fuel up before going into North Carolina (gas is much cheaper in VA). South bound I-84 and then onto I-77, and arrived at Casey and Sabrina's at about 1700. Joyful reunion and lots of visiting.
September 15-18: Visiting, beat the pants off the guys at Sequence, church on Sunday morning, brunch at Cracker Barrel. Did some shopping and lots of eating, enjoying Pineapple Upside Down Cake drinks made from Heritage Distilling Company (HDC) Brown Sugar Bourbon, pineapple juice and lemonade - definitely addicting! Had a wonderful Low Country Boil for dinner last night (shrimp, sausage, potatoes, onions, corn on the cob, Old Bay seasoning) -cooked up and then drained and dumped out on the table on newspaper. Fun meal! Cleaned up the motor home this morning, and spent some fun time lounging in the pool with Casey and Sabrina.
Mike and Glennis
Things we have learned:
September 3rd: Headed for Burlington, VT to replace the awning on the motor home (planned after we hit a pole with it last time we were in Burlington). Kind of a rainy day, good day to travel. Saw lots of turkeys, but STILL NO MOOSE! Hello!!!!
September 4th: On to the road to Burlington and Pete's RV. Took a break in Bath, NH to check out a cool covered bridge and the oldest general store in the US. Had awesome apple cider donuts and some New Hampshire creme soda - we're all about healthy eating! Arrived at Burlington, parked in the Pete's RV lot so we would be there first thing in the AM for our appointment! Poured rain again, but that's OK - we were snug and dry.
September 5th: Awning all replaced, but the material for the new one has a bad spot in it. So new material ordered and shipped to North Beach RV at Hogan's Corner to replace it when we back to Grays Harbor. It's always something! Did a Costco run while waiting for the awning to be fixed. On the road mid-afternoon, gassed up at a real, old-fashioned gas station with a very nice owner and a mechanic on duty! Dave's Sunoco on Williston Road in South Burlington, VT - stop by to fuel up if you are ever there! Only drove as far as Berlin, VT to overnight (stayed there on our way east as well - nice big Walmart parking lot, off the beaten path and quiet). Lots of rain today, and an awesome thunder and lightening storm this evening!
September 6th: Lazy morning. Buttoned up the motorhome and then went to tour a granite quarry in Graniteville, VT, which was really cool. They had the world's only granite bowling alley, so of course Mike had to bowl a few. Took several gutter balls to get the hang of the plastic bowling ball, but then he converted a spare! Way to go, Mike!
Also checked out a meadery in Groton, VT. Really nice owners (young family with 3 small boys) and learned lots about making mead. Good mead and also excellent ice cream! Decided to stay over again at Berlin Walmart, light dinner and some TV, and then to bed.
September 7th: Happy 67th birthday, Mike! Headed for Lebanon, NH in the rain, but sunshine later in the day. Had a problem with the bedroom slide not wanting to retract - called Tiffin Service number and was able to determine one of the slide motors had somehow been unplugged, so an easy fix (Whew!). Checked out more of the area - went to another maple syrup farm/dairy. Not as nice and neat as Goodrich's that we visited on our way east, but still fun. Spotted a new product for Justin and Jenny Stiefel and HDC - you guys really need to make this with your Brown Sugar Bourbon. We would be happy to volunteer as taste testers to make sure you get it right!
Hmmm - could there be HDC Brown Sugar Bourbon Blueberry Jam? - Yum!
Treated Mike to a birthday dinner at Jesse's Steak House and Tavern in Lebanon - had the best prime rib we have ever eaten! Back to the motorhome, took Baxter for a walk, and then to bed.
September 8 - 11th: On the 8th, traveled to Dorchester, NH, where my great-grandpa Streater lived before homesteading on the Queets river. Beautiful area, and we can see why he chose the Queets - very similar, except NH has hardwoods with a few evergreens, while the Queets has evergreens with a few hardwoods. Settled in at Ames Brook Campground in Ashland, NH, which is about 20 miles from Dorchester.
Glennis and "Don-boy"
Old stone walls used for sheep fencing
More stone walls....
Dorchester Town Hall
Church at Dorchester Commons - fun to imagine Nelson and Anna and their family going here!C
Wider view of the church
Old schoolhouse - wondered if Frederick attended here?
Back with Don and Sandy on the 10th, for a big loop tour up to Mt. Washington and lots of New Hampshire scenery. A wonderful day with wonderful cousins and good conversation - we always enjoy spending special time with them, and are SO thankful for our family! Said good-bye to them at
their hotel (they are headed for Niagra Falls) and back to the campground.
Up early on the 11th and back to the "town hall" at Dorchester to see what other information we could find about the Streaters. Talked to a very helpful town clerk, and got names of other resources we can contact to get information on marriages, births, deaths, and property records. Will be exciting to see what other information we can come up with - we are hopeful to be able to pinpoint the location of Frederick's home and his father's farm, and also get other information. Unfortunately, the sources were not available for personal contact, so we will have to make do with email and possibly phone calls. Fun playing detective and hunting down leads!
The BIG discovery of the day was the cemetery where Nelson and Anna Streeter (Frederick's parents) were buried! I asked the Dorchester clerk for the location of cemetery's close to Streeter Woods Road and Streeter Mountain, and it turns out there is a cemetery less than a mile from there. We drove down a dirt road (Old Cemetery Road off of Cheever Road) right to the Cheever cemetery, pulled into a little parking area, and Mike said "well, there he is!" I looked up and there were the headstones for Nelson and Anna Streeter, right by the fence around the cemetery! We were so excited. We also found another Streeter that I think is one of Nelson's siblings, along with her husband (he is a Merrill) and her son who died at 9 months. Will be fun figuring out the relationships and adding them to the family tree!
Nelson Streeter - our great-great-grandfather!
Ann Streeter - our great-great-grandmother
Unknown how this one is related - will have to figure it out!
Not sure how this one is related.....
Inscription on the bottom of the above headstone
Infant son of Emma Streeter (strange the father is not mentioned!)
Husband of Ann Streeter
He was also a Civil War veteran
Streeter headstones in a row...
Streeter Mountain is the first ridge in the picture, not the larger one behind it....
Back to the motorhome, and ice cream for dinner.Decided to go on a "moose tour" as this was most likely our last chance to see on, and the company was advertising a 97% success rate. Called the number - they only do tours on Wednesday and Saturday this time of the year, so we were out of luck! Don-Boy had suggested we try driving about 80 mph down one of the local roads just at dusk - that might be a good way to "encounter" one! We passed on his suggestion!!
Got things packed up and ready to go in the morning, and to bed.
September 12th: On the road and down the interstate, headed for South Carolina with a stop at Hyde Park on the Hudson in New York to tour FDR's home and the presidential library there. Got messed up and missed a turn just a little out of Ashland and had to re-route to get back on track, then had a TERRIBLE time getting through Claremonth, NH! Took us 3 tries to navigate a pretty complicated set of interchanges and twisty turns through the town, but we finally made it! Finally got southbound on Interstate 91, and took a brief detour/rest stop to visit a Vermont Country Store at Rockingham, NH. Found some Rada knives (they are wonderful knives made in the USA) for the motor home kitchen, and got some black truffle cheese and some orange creamsicle fudge for a snack. Saw our first deer in New England along the side of the freeway, but STILL NO MOOSE!!
Traveled through New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. Overnight at Fishkill, NY Walmart. Wondered why so many place names ended in "kill" (yes, New Yorkers are strange, so it fits right in!). Googled the question, and discovered that "kill" is an Old Dutch indication that the town or area is located on a body of water, a river, a sound, etc. That made sense and helped me think of New Yorkers as "less weird"!) Went to the Redline Diner in Fishkill for a late dinner - had gyros and sweet potatoe fries, which were very good.
September 13th: Headed for Hyde Park and the FDR home and presidential library bright and early. What an amazing place and amazing story. The library was beautifully done, and it was so interesting to hear about FDR and how he handled his inability to walk at his home in Spring Hill. He and Eleanor were amazing people and made such an important difference to our country. We were there for 6 hours and could have spent a lot longer. Definitely a place to go back to for another visit.
Saw the last "moose" signs in New York. We are firmly convinced moose, like Sasquatches, are a myth used to entice tourists and that they really don't exist!! The people that perpetuate the myth have gone so far as to post 4x8 highway signs, painted bright yellow with flashing caution lights, warning drivers "Slow down, Moose can kill you!"!!!
Back in the motor home and south-bound towards South Carolina. Travelled through New York, Pennsylvvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia, and stopped overnight at the Walmart RV park in Martinsburg, VA. More ice cream for dinner! :)
September 14th: Rain overnight, up and on the road by 0800. Stopped at the Virginia/North Carolina line to fuel up before going into North Carolina (gas is much cheaper in VA). South bound I-84 and then onto I-77, and arrived at Casey and Sabrina's at about 1700. Joyful reunion and lots of visiting.
September 15-18: Visiting, beat the pants off the guys at Sequence, church on Sunday morning, brunch at Cracker Barrel. Did some shopping and lots of eating, enjoying Pineapple Upside Down Cake drinks made from Heritage Distilling Company (HDC) Brown Sugar Bourbon, pineapple juice and lemonade - definitely addicting! Had a wonderful Low Country Boil for dinner last night (shrimp, sausage, potatoes, onions, corn on the cob, Old Bay seasoning) -cooked up and then drained and dumped out on the table on newspaper. Fun meal! Cleaned up the motor home this morning, and spent some fun time lounging in the pool with Casey and Sabrina.
Mike and Glennis
Things we have learned:
- Moose are a figment of someone's imagination!
- Finding family roots is so much fun
- New Hampshire is very much like our area of Washington
- South Carolina is still muggy and hot!
- Spending time with family is awesome......
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)