Last Night :(

I can't believe it but our trip is almost over. Dad will be dropping me off in Charlotte, NC tomorrow morning, where Mike (who is staying with a couple of high school friends) will be responsible for getting me back to Charleston. He and his two friends are going to a concert tonight where they will no doubt consume large amounts of alcohol while reminiscing the glory days at Norwich High School - I'm actually a little nervous as to what shape I will find them in tomorrow! Only having to take me to Charlotte will save Dad quite a bit of travel time so it's good things have worked out this way. We left Columbia, MO this morning around 8:30am and have on the road since. We just crossed the boarder into NC. The drive today has been fairly uneventful. We did drive through St. Louis, MO and see the famous Gateway Arch. I drove for a few hours- through Nashville! There was traffic! I think Dad was getting nervous but he managed to keep quiet and we made it out unscathed (some punk in a Lexus did almost hit us when changing lanes - he got a long, angry honk thank you very much). We are going to stop for the night in Asheville, NC and I plan on getting a nice, end-of-trip dinner...no gas station sandwich like we had last night! :)

And you think driving across Pennsylvania is bad...

Well Dad and I have started the long trip back to the east coast. We left Denver around 8:30 this morning and have been in Kansas most of the day. It is so flat and covered with fields that it almost feels like you're running in place. Now I know why Monica was so upset when Chandler got transferred to Kansas! However, we have finally found a spot in the country that the senior citizen tour buses don't go! Guess they aren't interested in the Oz Museum. Kansas is the only state we have come across that charges tolls (must be they've been chatting with NY) and we are currently in traffic backed up 2 miles from the toll booth. I see a bit of jaw clenching from Dad (for those of you who are, um, lucky enough to know what that means!) :) I still like it though because it adds to the places we've been/seen and is yet another indicator on how much this country varies in terrain. I drove for about 3 1/2 hours earlier and Dad actually dozed off! I guess that goes to say deep down he doesn't REALLY think I went to the Linda Bartle School of Driving!

Boulder, CO

Dad and I are in Boulder, CO where we just finished a fantastic mountain biking trail, beginning at the Dowdy Draw trail head and connecting to the Spring Brook loop, just on the outskirts of Boulder. It is about 50 degrees here today and quite windy making it feel like 40, so Dad and I took our time getting going this morning to let things warm up. Good thing they didn't warm up too much because he and I were working up quite the sweat biking up the mountain! It was a great ride (and I managed not to dump my bike - success!) and the view at the top was worth the hard work. Of course what goes up must come down so we had a great time on the downhill :) Now I am going to talk Dad into going into downtown Boulder for some lunch - and I'm talking real food not a powerbar or some pretzels and sunflower seeds. David and Mary El Emerson (my dad's business partner and close family friends) are actually on their own cross-country trip (on their motorcycle!) and are in Denver right now staying with Mary El's daughter, Janelle. We have been in touch with them throughout our trip to see if we are ever in the same area and we finally have crossed paths. We are all going to head out to dinner tonight so we are looking forward to that. Big surprise - I'm already thinking about dinner and I haven't even had lunch! :)

No biking but 2 beautiful parks...

Well Dad and I didn't get to do any biking in Moab :( After we headed out for the second time this morning to check out the weather and see if maybe we could do some biking, I could feel the wind sway the car and vetoed that idea. As much as I wanted to bike, I was a bit to wary of the fast-changing weather to let myself venture too far from the car. Just as well since it started hailing when we got back to the hotel! Going to Moab wasn't a complete wash though since there are two national parks, Arches and Canyonlands, very close by. For two places so close to each other, they are completely different. Arches consists primarily of massive sandstone mountains and structures that had been eroded into different structures and shapes, including, you guessed it, arches. Canyonlands is the largest and least visited of the five national parks in Utah. As you drive through the park you see these huge canyons on either side of the road, compliments of the Green River and the Colorado River. We drove to Grand View Point and it really was that. It makes you feel like you're on the edge of the earth. Although we didn't have time (or much inclination - I could see the dirt blowing in the 50 mph wind!) to hike either park, I'm very glad we went to see them, even if briefly. We never know if we will ever get the chance again and it seems a shame to not stop and see the reasons why they became protected land in the first place! We are now making our way to Boulder, CO for what will most likely be the last active day of our trip. Hopefully the weather cooperates! Dad is aiming to get back to NY Sunday night (half of this duo does actually have a job to think about!). It will be a 2 day trip (26 hours) to get me back to SC and then another day (14 hours) to get Dad home from there. Good think he likes driving! :)



P.S. As we were driving I saw snow flurries...meriting a couple of hot cocoas when we stopped for gas :)

Bryce Canyon National Park

Yesterday Dad and I hit up Bryce Canyon National Park, UT. It was amazing (I feel like I say that about everything we see/do, but I really mean it!! I have seen some of the best sights on this trip!). The canyon is full of points, pinnacles, steeples, and spires. It was a spectacular view. We hiked down into the canyon on the Queen's Garden Trail. We even stopped to enjoy the vew and a PowerBar lunch! We only stayed in the park long enough for the hike as we are running out of time on our little trip :( After Bryce we made our way to Moab, UT (huge mountain biking town), which is where we are now. Unfortunately, the one day we are in town the weather is not great. The forecast was calling for isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon so Dad and I got up at 6am to hopefully get some biking in before the storms. However, just as we were pulling out of the parking lot it started thundering and lightening (we had JUST watched the weather channel and all it said "tempurature 72 under fair skies"...guess the weatherman isn't any better out here!) It is also VERY WINDY here so I'm worried I might get blown away! We came back into the hotel to figure out what to do. We can't complain too much though as this is the only day in 2 1/2 weeks that we have had a problem with the weather. Guess it was bound to happen sooner or later! I think we are going to venture out now and see if we can do something....I don't wake up at 6am for nothing!! :)

P.S. I can't believe I forgot to mention this the first time it happened a few days ago but yesterday dad let me drive for the second time!!! Granted the first time was across the desert with a very straight road and not many cars, but yesterday we were in Utah and there were actually curves in the road! Before you know it I will be navigating the Rocky Mountains! :)

The Grand Canyon and Zion National Park

Dad and I had a busy day yesterday...starting with a 5am wake-up! We decided drag ourselves out of bed to go see the sunrise at the Grand Canyon (with a pit stop at McDonalds to get a large coffee for me!). It was absolutely incredible and so worth it. We had a perfect morning- crystal clear and not too cold. There were quite a few people there who clearly had the same idea we did. I overheard one guy say to his wife after the sun had come up "Ok it's up. Now where are my pancakes??" I'm sure sunset would have also been beautiful but unfortunately we didn't have the time to find out. We are on our last week with still so much to do! I am just glad we got to go for a little while - I think everyone should see the Grand Canyon. Sure some people might think it's just a hole in the ground but to stand next to something so completely massive and nature-made, it's really quite humbling. After leaving the Grand Canyon, Dad and I headed towards Zion National Park in Utah, about a 5-6 hour drive. Zion is such an incredible park. I wish we could have spent more time there. We did get to go for a hike though (and sweat our asses off - it was HOT and hardly any shade! Probably a good thing we went for the easier of the two hikes we were looking at!). Such a beautiful place though. Seeing the red, pink, and white rocks against the brilliant blue sky was amazing. After our hike we drove about an hour to Cedar City, UT for the night. We are now headed to Bryce Canyon National Park, UT. Dad forgot to clean the windshield this morning and he just pulled over and gave it a spit-shine (literally). Awesome.

Get your kicks...

On route 66! Dad and I decided to detour off I-40 on our way to the Grand Canyon and take historic route 66 for a while. I'm so glad we did - I feel like it's not really a cross-country road trip without swinging by 66. That's how people did it before interstates came along! We cranked the oldies station (um, I mean classic), rolled down the windows, and enjoyed the Arizona sun. We also did a drive-by of downtown Williams, AZ, located on route 66. Talk about stepping back in time! Although a bit tourist-trappy, it also had such a charming, old-town feel...it was almost like nothing had changed over the decades (minus the Safeway grocery store and Starbucks!). There was even a bar & grill called Cruiser's that was blaring all of Mom's favorite oldie but goodie songs...she would have been dancing in the street! We are headed for Tusayan, AZ for the night, which is about a mile south of the Grand Canyon entrance...should work out well if I get motivated to drag Dad out of bed for a Grand Canyon sunrise! :)

Yosemite National Park

Dad and I spent yesterday at Yosemite National Park. It was an absolutely gorgeous, sunny day. With that blessing, however, came the mobs of tourists (ourselves included!). Call me my father's daughter, but I have a hard time enjoying a beautiful park when I practically have to jockey for position to take a photo! We stuck it out though and hit up some of the really touristy spots of Yosemite Valley and Glacier Point, which are touristy for a reason. The views were absolutely incredible. After Glacier Point, Dad and I headed to Mariposa Groves, which is where the huge sequoia trees are. When I say huge, I mean HUGE. It was so awesome to see them. I don't think pictures do them justice...you can't grasp how big they are until you are standing next to them. Even then I felt like I was in some version of "Honey I Shrunk the Kids." While in Mariposa Groves, I talked Dad into a taking another hike (shocking since he is still complaining about the one at Yellowstone!). I told him it was only 1.6 miles round trip to the Giant Grizzly, a mammoth sequoia tree in the park (the diameter of the base is almost 30ft in circumference!) that is more than 2000 years old! Once we made it to the Giant Grizzly, I'm not sure what prompted us more to keep hiking...wanting to see more of the sights listed on the trail map or to get away from the crowds! Either way we kept going and by the end of the day ended up hiking probably around 6 miles. I think the best part of the day was when we got out into the middle of the woods where there was no one else around and we could really appreciate the park. Things went a bit downhill when we got back to the car. It seems someone had clipped the bikes (which are on a bike rack on the back of the car) with a side-view mirror (we're not positive that is what happened but that is all we could come up with) and had broken the rack and put a dent in Dad's bumper. The rack was still working but everything was crooked and probably wouldn't hold for the entire trip back. We stopped at Lowes on our way to the hotel so Dad could get some zip-ties to piece the thing back together. It was too dark when we got to the hotel so he is out there this morning working on it. The good thing is Dad has the uncanny ability to rig things so that they work. Hopefully I didn't just jinx him writing that! Once we get things back together (fingers crossed!) we will be hitting the road to head to the Grand Canyon! It's about a 10 hour drive from here so hopefully we can make it there today and go to the park tomorrow. I also hope that nothing more happens to the Camero because I don't know how much more Dad can handle!

On the road again...

19 hours and 4 new tires (Dad was getting close to needing new ones anyways and decided better to do now than risk having this happen again!) after realizing we had a flat tire, we are back on the road! We've had to alter our original plans of making it to Yosemite today (it's about a 5 1/2 hour drive from where we were) so we are thinking of driving 3-4 hours and then going to Yosemite tomorrow. Dad wanted to drive to the nearest bar but I told him I'd spent enough time in Corning, CA and we'll get him a cocktail (or 2!) in a few hours :) We have both handled this surprisingly well (as our family knows we aren't two of the most patient people and putting us together in this situation could have been disastrous!). Dad was smart and kept me fed, hydrated (of the cola variety) and in the air-conditioning...he's learned a few things in 25 years! Although this put a cramp in our plans, it's all part of the adventure and things could be worse. I do find it a bit humorous that this same thing happened when Mom and Dad drove across country almost 40 years ago in his old Camero! I'm sure she is real jealous she missed this adventure!

What's a good road trip...

Without a FLAT TIRE. Yes that's right, Pops and I are stranded in Corning, CA. After checking into the hotel for the night and freshening up, we headed off to find dinner. We were following the directions Juan Pablo (that would be our GPS...we like to name them in our family) was giving us and were about a mile from the hotel when Dad said "I don't think the road is THAT rough" (although they are doing a ton of construction around here), he pulled over and sure enough, the rear passenger-side tire was flat. Since we were on this dark country road, Dad drove back to the hotel (with me cringing the entire way). Since there wasn't likely to be a tire place still open, we decided deal with this in the morning. However, because the spare is buried in the back under all of our stuff, AND we have the bikes on the car...it looks like a flat bed truck to the nearest tire shop could be in order! Never a dull moment around here. Don't worry though, as upset as Dad was he was still thinking about his little girl (and the fact that she was hungry BEFORE we even got to the hotel) and took me across the street to McDonald's. Ok let's be honest, he was actually thinking about himself because he knows how I turn into Bitchy Bartle when I'm hungry:) Not exactly the dinner we had in mind (Dad REALLY could use a cocktail now!) but who am I to complain. At this point I was so hungry I plowed through an order of fries faster than Mom at the county fair! We went real classy style and ate the car in the parking lot of the hotel while waiting for AAA (before deciding we should just wait until morning). Ahhh it's not funny but really it kind of is...now fingers crossed we get this situation squared away tomorrow and don't lose too much time...we have much more to see and do!

Biking in Oregon and off to Cali we go!

Dad and I just finished biking 21 miles on the OC&E Rail Trail in Oregon. We started at the main trail head in Klamath Falls. The first 6 or 7 miles were paved and pretty easy riding but then we hit the dirt and gravel path which was a bit tougher going. The old man kept up pretty well though :) I think the country views of Oregon would have been wonderful on what should have been a cloudless blue sky, but unfortunately the forest fire I mentioned in the previous post followed us here and kept us from seeing too far off into the distance. Now we are headed for Yosemite National Park (we are going to stay in Redding, CA tonight and probably won't get there until sometime tomorrow) and I am hoping we don't run into the same problem with California forest fires! On a side note I would like to mention how sad Dad and I were to hear about the passing of Brandi Estelow, who lost her battle with cancer. Brandi and I went to high school together (one year apart) and to lose someone so young is heartbreaking. It makes me even more appreciative that I have had the opportunity to take this trip with my dad. It's important to live each day to the fullest and I feel we are doing that on this trip. God bless you Brandi.

A Smoky Day at Crater Lake, OR...

Dad and I have just made it to Crater Lake in Oregon and I am saddened to report that due to a forest fire a couple hundred miles away in Oakridge, OR the smoke has almost completely blocked our view! We can just make out the outline of Wizard Island. The lake is the product of a volcanic erruption and is completely surrounded by mountains. It is supposed to be a spectacular shade of blue but that is something we are not meant to see today. However, although the park is covered in a haze of smoke, it is easy to see how beautiful it is. Hopefully someday I will make it back and see it in all its glory! On to Klamath Falls, OR for some biking!

Bend, OR...I need a cocktail!

Dad and I are in Bend, OR for the night after a looooong day of driving (about 11 hrs!). Once we made it to Bend, we checked in at the Holiday Inn and freshened up for dinner, getting to the restaurant (some italian place) around 8pm. Now, keep in mind we did cross a time zone today so technically it was 9pm to us. Once we'd been sat, the waitress came over with some bread and to take our drink orders. I ordered a glass of pinot grigio, to which she responded "Which kind?" and then listed two different kinds. I picked one (What do I care? I drank boxed wine for 4 years in college...I'll drink ANYTHING). Her next question threw me through a loop, "6 oz. or 10 oz.?" (I've never been asked this before!). Not being a lush like my mom (I'll get a pissy text as soon as she sees this...love you Mom!), I politely asked for the 6 oz. Then the waitress asked (in a very rapid manner!) for my ID, and I just as quickly replied "Ashley" before I realized what she was talking about. She gave me the strangest look while Dad burst out laughing (Cut me some slack! We'd driven 700 miles...it was really 9pm (almost my bedtime) to me...she just brought over warm bread and my lunch subsisted of pretzels, sunflower seeds, an apple and diet pepsi...GIVE ME A BREAK I NEED A DRINK!). After I realized my mistake I quickly dug out my license and said, "On second thought, I think I need the 10 oz." :)

Oh Idaho...

We've been on the road since 9 this morning, ultimately headed for Crater Lake, OR (the deepest lake in America and the 7th deepest in the world! Supposed to be a fantastic sight...and a good 12 hour drive from where we were!). We are in the middle of Idaho right now...I've seen lots and lots of fields of potatoes (we did see a sign for a potato museum - as tempting as it was to stop we decided to forge on. I wonder what they have there - an homage to Mr. Potato Head?). It's a beautiful day and we've got the windows down and are cruising along quite nicely. The song, "Old Time Rock and Roll" just came on the radio. When I was a senior in high school (and big into dancing), the senior dance at the studio was a father/daughter number to that song. I made sure to remind Dad of his big "debut" :) I think it's only fitting that we should hear that song on our trip!

A Day at Yellowstone

Dad and I spent the day at Yellowstone National Park. It was amazing. We had beautiful weather (sunny, 60 degrees) and saw many spectacular views. To see the vastly different ecosystems within the park is pretty incredible. From geysers to dry and rocky to Yellowstone Lake and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (awesome)...there is so much to see and do! I managed to talk Dad into taking a 3.6 mile hike on Elephant Back trail, the top opening out into a spectacular view of Yellowstone Lake. I know once Dad gets back home he is going to tell everyone, "Ashley tried to kill me! She dragged me straight up a mountain!", but only half the hike was up (although it was quite steep) AND I let him sit and enjoy a PowerBar at the top! I think that was pretty generous of me :) After that we made our way to the Old Faithful geyser where we stopped to checked out the Old Faithful Inn, one of the parks few hotels and something my mom would love. From its gigantic fireplace in the lobby (made with over 500 tons of stone!) to its outdoor deck overlooking the geyser after which it was named, it's really beautiful. I should have lobbied to stay there instead of the Days Inn we are headed to now! After scoping out the Inn and what could have been, Dad and I got some cookies, milk and hot chocolate and headed towards the geyser for its next show. It was fantastic to witness such nature in action when it errupted. I would have to say our only disappointment from today was that we didn't get to see a bear...and let me tell you, we were looking! Our hike was through bear country! I'd say that's not much to complain about though given the day we had...and I even said to Dad when we were on our hike (about 2 miles out in the woods at the top of a mountain), "I know I said I wanted to see a bear, but I think if I saw one out here right now I might shit my pants!" :)

Homeless at Yellowstone...

Dad and I just drove through part of Yellowstone National Park. I am completely in awe of it. The park is enormous and I'm a bit overwhelmed to say the least! It is absolutely spectacular. We stopped at a visitor center and picked up "Yellowstone: The Official Guide to Touring America's First National Park." I have some homework to do tonight so I can figure out the best use of our time! We definitely plan to spend all day tomorrow in the park and maybe Wednesday as well. I have already put at the top of my list to see a grizzley bear so I'm hoping that happens! Tonight we were going to stay in Gardiner, MT, which is the north entrance to the park, but when we got there around 6:30pm we couldn't find any vacancy (my magical charms did nothing to help us). So now we are headed to Livingston, MT (about 45 minutes away) to look for something. We saw a ton of campers as we were leaving the park and this ALMOST makes me wish I was a camper (notice I said almost). Oh well it's all part of the adventure. Guess we are getting to see more of Montana than we planned!

A muddy situation...

Dad and I just drove through Big Horn National Forest on our way to Yellowstone. We had to go way up in the mountains and back down the other side. The landscape and scenery were fantastic, the curves sharp and dangerous (good thing I wasn't driving!), and the air crisp and clean. We ran into some construction at the top where they had ripped up the road - combined with the snow they had gotten up there and it was a bit of a mud pit. I could practically feel Dad's skin crawl with the thought of mud on his precious car! As soon as we got to the bottom of the mountain he pulled right over and went to work. I got put to work too...but not before I snapped this picture! :)

Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and a nice bike ride...

Dad and I have had a pretty busy day. This morning we set off to see Mount Rushmore National Monument. To see one of the most famous symbols of America in person was pretty incredible. Also, learning the story behind the monument, from beginning to end, really made me think about what a great country we live in. No dream is too big to chase (the monument was constructed over a period of 14 years...through the Great Depression and with none of the modern technology we have today!). After Mount Rushmore, we went to see another larger-than-life mountain sculpture, Crazy Horse. This monument is to serve as memorial for the Oglala Lakota tribe and all Native Americans in response to Mount Rushmore. It is a work in progress (and has been for more than 60 years) and is no where near being done, but it's a remarkable undertaking and hopefully someday I will get back there to see the progress that has been made. After than, Dad and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and biked 21 miles through South Dakota's Black Hills on the George S. Mickelson trail. It was a fantastic way to see the countryside. Although I did almost hit a cow (he was on the trail!) I managed to not fall off my bike today. Now we are headed for Gillette, WY for the night. We wanted to get a jump on the 6 hour drive we have to our next destination - Yellowstone National Park! Now I only hope the PowerBar I just ate wasn't considered my birthday dinner (yours truly turned a quarter of a century old today...that's how my dad likes to phrase it because it makes him feel better about his senior citizen status)!

Badlands National Park, SD

Dad and I spent the entire day driving and it culminated with an auto-tour of Badlands National Park in South Dakota. It was, to quote my mom, "totally awesome." Not the typical picture the term "park" usually brings to mind, the Badlands are a spectacular combination of prairie grasslands and bizarre rock formations of huge towers with corrugated walls and plunging crevices. As my guidebook says, "the Badlands is like seeing an ocean someone burned all the water out of." It truly is a place unlike anything we have ever seen. Just driving in, Dad and I were in complete awe. The view was literally breath-taking. To top it off, we arrived late in the day and got to witness the sun setting over the park. "Totally awesome." After leaving the park, we headed to the nearby town of Wall, SD to look for a place to stay. After checking into the local Best Western, we headed to the Cactus Cafe and Lounge for dinner. Wall truly made me feel like I was in the Wild West...minus the digital neon signs. Once we got back from dinner, the real fun began. Anyone who knows my dad, knows he is fanatic about his cars. We'd picked up several insect accessories on our drive today and Dad put me to work scrubbing them off the windshield and front of the car. At 9 o'clock at night. In a crowded parking lot. Now, don't get me wrong - I think it's great that Dad takes such great care of the things he loves (including his family) and has worked hard for. All I'm saying is the next time he asks me if I want to go to the bar next door for another drink after dinner, I'm not going to leave the decision up to him!

Driving, driving, driving...

Dad and I have been on the move since 8:30 this morning (Central Time). So far we've driven 534 miles (with at least another hundred to go!). We've covered all of Minnesota and half of South Dakota. The landscape is almost completely flat and with fields spread as far as the eye can see. I've seen lots of corn, farms (regular and wind), bales of hay, cows (I swear we are not in Chenango County!), and on more than one occasion have had my sense of smell of assaulted by the potent stench of fresh manure (and this coming from an Oxford girl!). I don't know what they're using out here but it is RIPE! You might think this has been one of the more boring days of our trip, spending it all driving with practically the same scenery, but that couldn't be more wrong. It is an absolutely gorgeous day with not one cloud in the sky - one of those days made for rolling down the windows (and making sure everything is weighted down...a pair running shorts came precariously close to flying out the window!), cranking the radio, picking a direction and driving. There is something about the wide open space that is so peaceful. I can't believe this time yesterday we were biking in the mountains of Wisconsin!

Hayward, WI

I'm sweaty, tired and bleeding...but in surprisingly good spirits! Dad and I just finished mountain biking in Hayward,WI on the Hatchery Creek Trail in the Chequemegon National Forest. I read about the trails in my guidebook and thought they sounded like something we might like. I managed to dump myself (twice!) off my bike. There may have been some choice words coming out of my mouth but if a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound? Ok, ok so Dad was there and is well aware that it does make a sound:) Anyways, someone had to pick me up out of the bushes! The tumbles were worth it though as the trail was fun and challenging, and the weather was perfect. There is a big annual mountain bike race tomorrow in Hayward, so Dad and I decided not to even try to get a room there. We are headed about an hour south to Rice Lake, WI. It looks to be a little bigger on the map so hopefully we'll have some luck there. I like riding in the camero but not sleeping in it! Tomorrow will be a big driving day to get across Minnesota. We are headed for South Dakota to hit up Badlands National Park, Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse. Can't wait!

Mackinac Island, MI

Dad and I spent a fantastic day exploring Mackinac Island, located in the Straits of Mackinac (where Lake Huron and Lake Michigan meet). Accessible only by ferry and car-free (they banned them in 1898), primary means of transportation are horse-drawn taxis and bikes. That being the case we brought our bikes on the ferry and set off to check things out. We starting by biking around the entire island, which is 8 miles in circumference. It's a flat easy ride with awesome views of Lake Huron and the Mackinac Bridge. After that we decided to check out the rest of the island (most of which is covered by the Mackinac Island State Park). We had a pretty steep uphill climb to the top but the view was totally worth it. At this point, breakfast was a distant memory and I asked Dad for one of the several Power Bars he is always trying to feed me. With a look of shock and surprise he sheepishly admitted "Gee I never thought you'd actually want one...I don't think I have any." I think probably only my family can truly appreciate the hilarity in this situation but he will never live it down. Since a trip to one of the restaurants in town would require riding back up the hill to finish sight-seeing, I decided to suck it up and wait it out. We headed off to tour Fort Mackinac, a fort built by the British in 1790 and the sight of the first battle of the War of 1812 . As luck would have it, they had a restaurant and I got a great lunch with a spectacular view (see previous post) out of the old man (bet he won't forget his Power Bars again!). Afterwards we finished touring the fort and heading back to town to catch the ferry back to the mainland. We grabbed some in of North Michigan's famous fudge (chocolate peanut butter of course) for the ride back. Needless to say there wasn't much (any) left by the time the ferry docked :) If you are ever even remotely close to Mackinac (or even if you're not!) I seriously recommend going there. Although it's a bit out of the way for most people, it is seriously worth the trip. Dad and I are now in Manistique, MI on sparsely populated Upper Peninsula og Michigan. Just to give you an idea of the place...when we asked the front desk attendant for a place to eat where we could get dinner and a nice glass of wine she responded with "Oh. Well that is a bit rare around here..." After some thinking she came up with two places that have a liquor license. We ended up at Teddy's which turned out to be the right choice. Teddy was very friendly and the food was great. Can't wait to see where we end up next!

It's 5 o'clock somewhere!

Dad and I are just enjoying a nice afternoon glass of wine with our lunch at the Tea Room on Mackinac Island....check out the view from our lunching spot! More details to following later...we are about to find out how well wine and biking mix (just know that I already fell off my bike once...pre wine!)

Gaylord Focker....I mean Gaylord, MI

Dad and I have settled down for the night in Gaylord, MI. It was about 60 degrees when we got here (now about 50) and I was freezing! I think my 2 weeks of Southern living has already made me go soft. I can only imagine what I will face when I go back to NY for Christmas! Anyways, when Dad and I checked into the local Holiday Inn, we asked the front desk rep for a good place to get dinner. She suggested a local restaurant called the Sugar Bowl. It was delicious! I highly recommend it to anyone who comes this way. It's been around for 80 years and it's easy to see why. I even talked (like I had to twist his arm) Dad into a Cosmopolitan. The waitress was making her dessert speech and came across Bailey's cheesecake in her list...while neither of us were looking for dessert, the mention of Bailey's did get Dad's attention so we both had some on the rocks (A dessert favorite among the Bartle family). We are stuffed but happy. Off to Mackinac Island tomorrow!

Wabash Cannonball Rail Trail

Dad and I are just leaving Maumee, OH (suburb of Toledo) where we biked about 17 miles on the Wabash Cannonball Rail Trail. It was flat and mostly paved so not too strenuous a ride. However, it's a beautiful, breezy day here so the weather was perfect. It's nice to get out and experience the country on a bike, instead of just driving by in a car. I almost knocked Dad off his bike trying to avoid a low-hanging branch coming right at my face...fortunately he's had enough experience with the dog getting in his way when he takes him out biking that he managed to keep it upright! Now we are headed for Mackinaw City, MI where hopefully tomorrow we will takes our bikes on the ferry to explore the automobile-free Mackinac Island (my guidebook says northern Michigan is known for it's fudge...I wonder how much Dad will sample trying to find some that compares to Grandma's...)

Somewhere outside Dayton, OH

Nothing too exciting to report...Dad and I are just outside of Dayton in Troy, OH for the night. Dad thought the Holiday Inn Express was looking pretty good judging from the cookies on the front desk....until he realized (on our way to our room) that they weren't chocolate chip! What a cookie snob. Since we spent the morning biking in the Smokies...we spent the afternoon and into the evening covering some ground. Driving with Dad is a lot more uneventful than driving with Mom. I enjoy being the navigator and just watching the land (as opposed to my life) go by:) It's definitely different mindset when you don't have an actually destination and/or schedule. Tomorrow we plan to drive a couple hours and do some biking just outside of Toledo, OH. There is a 63 mile rail trail there that covers 4 counties (don't worry I won't drag the senior citizen on all 63 miles!).

Berea, KY

We are stopped at the thriving metropolis of Berea, KY as Dad's front right turning signal went out (I, being my mother's child probably would have finished the entire trip and driven for 3 more months before I had any idea it was out). We stopped at Jerry's Autos & Repairs to get it fixed. However it was Floyd who helped us out (berryannoying came in handy for that little photo opp!)

Cades Cove

Woohoo! My phone is working again so I can post from my phone on the road. Dad and I have just left the Smokies and are on our way north. We went into the park this morning and biked Cades Cove, an 11 mile one-way loop around a Euro-American settlement that began in the early 1800s. It was a great ride and very scenic. Also, we saw two bears sleeping in a tree! Dad distracted the park ranger while I snuck a little closer to get some good pics (see photo....he's out like a light!). We make a good team :) we are now driving through a place called Pidgeon Forge and I can honestly say that Tennessee folks sure do like their pancakes. I've never seen so many pankcake houses in my life!

Gatlinburg, TN

After dinner tonight Dad and I spent some time wandering around Gatlinburg. Just on our drive in I had to laugh out loud so I knew walking around would prove to be entertaining. I can only describe this town as the equivalent to Lake George....on crack (yes that is a fun house in the picture). It is a total tourist trap but still has its own charm. We went in the Hollywood Star Cars Museum (guess who's idea that was!). It was actually pretty cool and we saw a lot of cars that had either been owned by celebrities or had been in a movie or on TV.

On top of Old Smokkkyyyy

On a lunch of pretzels, sunflower seeds, and diet coke, Pops and I made it to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park! We arrived at the Oconaluftee Vistor Center around 4pm...we would have made it around 2:30pm but I opted to take the scenic route of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Dad did not miss the opportunity to point out how much us kids used to complain about taking the "scenic route" when we were younger (Mom too!) This one was totally worth it as the views were awesome. I only wish we were here later in the fall- I can only imagine what it must look like once the trees have changed color. Since we arrived so late in the day, Dad and I decided to drive through the park to the gateway town of Gatlinburg, TN to set up camp (by camp I mean Quality Inn). We're going to head back to the park tomorrow for some biking and hiking. Once we got to the hotel I managed to get Dad's laptop working so we can get online....but now for some reason my phone isn't working for internet and email....maybe by the end of the trip we will get both pieces working (but highly unlikely since technology HATES me!).

And we're off!

A bit of a rocky start since dad's laptop was working last night but not this morning (gotta love technology!) So blog posts may end being made solely from my phone (fun fun!). We just stopped at Target to grab a cooler (not sure why- last I checked Power Bars don't need to be chilled and as the Bartle family knows...I'll be lucky to get anything else!) First scheduled stop are the Great Smoky Mts on the North Carolina and Tennessee border...unless we find something else we want to do/see first! Oh the joys of not having a schedule :)
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