Summer Family Adventure - #113

It is now Labor Day weekend, the official end to the summer vacation season; how did it go by so fast? 

We ended our summer with a wonderful family trip. It had been years since my immediate family were all together; not easy when we’re separated by an ocean. We planned this adventure a year ago; the time always seems so far off but then it arrives…passes - but leaves wonderful memories! 

Originally, we had discussed visiting an island - but quite frankly, I’ve had enough of those.  I do love the ocean, but I get my fill during our time in Mississippi and even at home when we visit Plymouth.  But, I hadn’t visited any of the northwest states or National Parks in that area - so we decided on Yellowstone. I heard a lot of great things about Bozeman, Montana, too. And so it was decided! 

We arranged to meet up at the Bozeman Airport on Saturday 8/16; Charlie, me, Brooke, Rakib and the kids on our flight from Boston; Holly and Greg from Paris via an overnight stop in Seattle, since Paris does not fly into Bozeman. We picked up our spacious and comfortable 15 passenger van and the eight of us, along with lots of luggage, headed to our Air B&B house in Big Sky.  

If you’ve never been to this corner of Montana, it is absolutely stunning! 360 degree views of mountains, lakes. The population is small, houses are spaced far apart, roads are great and traffic is null. The air is sweet but the higher elevation of 6-9000 feet we experienced can be a little taxing especially when your norm is sea level. For people who love the outdoors and still young enough to participate, this is a great place to live! The downside is the cost.  Even though there is no sales tax, it is very expensive. And winters are laden with snow - but if you are a skier - I guess that’s a good thing!

We ate at several restaurants and had great meals - the best hamburgers, barbecue! At our rental house, we prepared our breakfast and lunch daily; one night we broiled hot dogs for dinner.  

Our activities included ATVing ( which I did not do as little Wally could not participate so he and I hung out), lots of hiking, archery, shopping and taking in that glorious scenery! Our house also had a hot tub and was extremely comfortable with four bedrooms and 4-1/2 bathrooms.

                                  Lone Peak 

After our 5 day stint in Big Sky, we headed to West Yellowstone for our 3 night stay at Parade Rest Guest Ranch. We rented two log cabins and arranged for the all inclusive package - which provided for all meals at the dining hall, cookout, hayride and horseback riding. The whole family rode - though at different times.  

We arrived Wednesday 8/20 which happened to be Wally’s 6th birthday. With dinner that evening, the ranch provided a delicious homemade birthday cake to celebrate! 

Well in advance of our trip, I hired a private guide to take us through Yellowstone.  This was the best money I ever spent! Amy was fantastic - extremely knowledgeable, passionate, kind and caring. She met us at 9 am at the ranch; we took off in our van to the “Park”. Yellowstone National Park is amazing! The unique geological features, wildlife, people communing with nature including an eventual E.L.E* percolating below- it is a truly spiritual experience! The ranch packed us lunch and water to go in a cooler which we munched on while waiting for Old Faithful to blow! We visited geysers, hot springs, mud springs, lakes, waterfalls, canyons  - endless beauty! Definitely a once in a lifetime event! We returned to Parade Ranch after 6 pm just in time for dinner- it had been a full day!

                            Old Faithful 

Horseback riding at the park was fun! I was so impressed with Deena and Wally’s ability to ride with no fear! They did great!

We also enjoyed a cookout one evening which included a hayride for some of us ( others went riding) and entertainment. We really had a great time at the ranch!

Eventually it was back to Bozeman for an overnight near the airport and then we all went our separate ways the following day - the six of us to Boston; Holly and Greg back to Seattle and then Paris. They really had some major travel and time changes.  

So what’s in store for next year? Well- we’re thinking about meeting up in France! Hopefully we can make that happen! 

*E.L.E - Referencing movie Deep Impact. 

Be It Ever So Humble… #112

Arriving home is a great feeling; traveling can sometimes feels like you’re in a state of limbo. It didn’t take us long to settle into our place and appreciate being home in our apartment. I had missed our adjustable bed, our dishwasher, great TV, private internet and it is definitely nice having more space - I won’t lie! Shortly after we got home, Charlie was out to his shed; I won’t see him until next fall now ( LOL)! 

It is also wonderful being with the family and being able to pop up to see them. The kids come down often to show us things they’ve learned or toys they received. We’ve had family dinner together, babysat the kids for a parents’ date night and looked forward to celebrating Mother’s Day with our 4th annual mother-daughter tea! 

Getting back to our activities, we attended Tuesday Bingo at the Stoughton Senior Center and were so pleasantly surprised by the greeting we received! They actually announced “welcome back to the snowbirds”!!  I was also asked to lead another craft group by popular demand;  I have now scheduled a day in June. I signed myself up for a forthcoming writing workshop, art education talk and therapy garden class over the next few weeks! I’m going to be busy! 

Since being home, I’ve experienced increased pain and stiffness in my left knee; stairs were difficult. Luckily, I was able to get a quick appointment with my primary care doctor and went directly to have an X-ray on my knee(s). My right knee has very minimal arthritis but my left is full blown with tricompartment bone spurs. I have an appointment with an orthopedist in a few weeks. As I am not keen on injections or surgery if needed - I decided to research and start a regimen of arthritis exercise and strengthening my legs, plus using topical glucosamine and a friend recommended I try Aleve  to reduce inflammation and pain.  After just a couple of days, I have been much, much better! I actually took a short walk yesterday and stairs are not a problem now. I actually feel almost normal - with an occasional twinge. So I will keep at it.  If I could actually lose a few pounds, my body would probably appreciate that too.  Charlie and I exercised at the “Y”on Wednesday ( it is free that day to seniors) and will try to add that to our weekly routine. He needs to work on shoulder pain. 

I purchased new tires for my car, met up with my friend Robin for coffee, participated in Thursday Scrabble at the library, zoomed an exercise group with my instructor Judy who had retired during the winter (but is still offering classes for free), visited IKEA with Charlie for lunch and a few small items and did a lot of gardening and yard cleanup when it wasn’t raining. All this busyness puts me in a positive frame of mind and keeps negative thoughts and things I have no control of at bay. We are making plans to meet up with lots of friends we haven’t seen since before we left. Our summer looks exciting! 

Hope everyone has a great summer - full of adventure and good times. Signing off for a bit! 

100 Miles More and Home! -#111

It’s hard to believe we left Bay St. Louis on April 14th - a mere 12 days ago; it feels so much longer! We traveled east, then south to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and then back up north on Route 95 heading home - well over 2200 miles total. Though we honestly weren’t anxious to return home - we are now! Days and days of driving will do that to you! 

Saying goodbye (for now) to Bay Hide Away

We are returning home tanned with a few extra pounds on us but happy and overflowing with great memories. 

Without our travel trailer in tow- we have a lot less stuff; unpacking will be a breeze in comparison. Our truck rides beautiful with the new tires; it was a more comfortable and confident ride. 

Our trailer all tucked in until October 

The cottage at the campground; a beautiful, cozy, comfortable way to end our season. 

As we drive our last 100 miles through Connecticut and Rhode Island,  Charlie comments how the trees are just beginning to fill out; new buds glow bright green. It’s a return to spring for us. 

Taking a driving break and eating our pb&j sandwiches at a rest stop. 

Minnie has become the quintessential traveler. She has gotten very comfortable and just sleeps on top of her bag on the floor of the cab. She has also been the perfect motel/hotel guest. I tried to book places that were pet friendly but most of the time - especially because it was just overnight- we just snuck her in and out. 

We spent 5 days in Florida- meeting up with family to honor our Mother, Grandmother and GG on the year anniversary of her death and to view her final resting place. We held a small personal service reading poems, letters and my sister asked me to read the blog post I wrote last year about my mom’s death. (Mortality)         We think my mom would have been pleased with how her end of life was handled. 

Unveiling our mom’s engraving 

It was wonderful having both my daughters in Florida and I look forward to our upcoming trip in August when my whole immediate family will be together! In the  meantime, we stayed at a beautiful hotel in Palm Beach Gardens and enjoyed our beautiful suites ( cat friendly) as well as the amenities the Embassy Suites offered. We also did a lot of fun things! 

Back on the road again, we figured we could make it home by the following weekend. Charlie came up with a great suggestion to visit South of the Border ( on the border of the Carolinas ) a well known travel stop - that he hadn’t been to since he was a kid and I had never been to! Over the years, this travel marker -also  known for its funny and inviting billboards- has expanded to include a motel and many other activities like reptile zoo, mini golf, arcade, carnival rides plus tons of shopping! The motel had the best indoor heated pool! We loved it! We stayed two nights - so we had one full day to enjoy the amenities- we had a great time! Plus the motel room was more like an apartment- complete with carport for our truck and front porch! 

And now, on our final leg home, we are anxious to return. We should get there just after noon on Saturday the 26th April. 🏡 

Packing# 110

Today is one of our regularly scheduled Gulf Coast thunderstorms ( or so it seems). Mississippi certainly does not skimp on rain! 

On Monday morning, Charlie brought our truck in for regular maintenance; we love our mechanic shop in Bay St. Louis .  They are talented, reasonable and just the nicest people. 

I knew the weather would be shitty most of the day so I decided I would use this time to begin the packing process, starting with our clothes. As I went through our closets, it occurred to me we definitely brought too much this year! Hence, I decided to leave a bunch of clothes; we won’t need to bring as much next trip. Also we’re leaving our winter gear which takes up a lot packing space; it will be stored in our under bed compartment until needed. 

When the weather lets up, I am planning to do laundry. I brought two storage containers into the trailer ( from the truck) to pack clothes; they are temporarily hanging out in our shower, the only space available where they would not be in the way. 

By the afternoon- the rain stopped - laundry done ✔️. We received a text from our mechanic. It was not the best news; we needed new tires, front end alignment, and a few other things. It was going to be a much bigger bill than we anticipated but it needs to be done! The other downside - we wouldn’t have any vehicle for a few days.  I thought about renting a car - but truthfully- there was no place we really had to go.  I had just food shopped a couple of days prior so we had everything we needed. I figured we could use this time to pack and do maintenance on the trailer.  

The days went by quickly! I packed, cleaned, walked, cooked. We took showers, recaulked seams on the trailer, and continued to get rid of stuff - like my charcoal grill and assorted things that really need to be replaced like mats and a floor runner. I defrosted my outside refrig and turned off. I’ll do the inside next week when we get ready to move to the cottage. I have a minimal amount of food left. 

On Thursday afternoon we happily got the truck back!  As we are in countdown mode to leave, we wanted to revisit places and restaurants we enjoy. We donated money to the Silver Slipper Casino and enjoyed their buffet, participated in another painting class in Diamondhead, Wednesday Mexican Train at the library, and Thursday free coffee and beignets at the Palm Court Cafe. We picked up a couple of cupcakes at Sugar Pop and will probably dine out a few more times before we take off on next Monday morning. We are excited to be spending a couple of nights in the campground cottage while we complete the remainder of getting the camper/truck ready and get the trailer covered. Then it’s off to Florida for five days and home to Stoughton!