Glen and Khris Back In The USA

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2009-01-25T06:30:00.001-06:00

phewww....we arrived home in Adelaide at 12.30pm.....my gosh...we left our lovely friend Marilyns home about 5.30pm and arrived at the airport in LA at 6.30pm. The flight left LA on time at 8.30pm with a stopover in Auckland, NZ which we had not idea of when we booked the ticket 5 months ago....then a stopover in Melbourne and then home to Adelaide....so 26hours from the time we left Marilyns. We did get a few hours sleep but not a lot. Then we had to go grocery shopping when we got home as we had cleared out the fridge of absolutely everything. Boy did I need a few hours sleep after that, and I did have a good sleep. I did not want to wake up but forced myself to wake up so I would get some sleep tonight and hopefully start the day out "normal" tomorrow.

Hollywood

2009-01-21T22:52:00.010-06:00

Marilyn, Glen and I went to Hollywood today. We walked the "Walk Of Fame" and have taken many different photos but didn't get to spot any "stars" until we were driving along Hollywood Boulevard on our way to a screening of Craig Fergusons show when we pulled up at some traffic lights. As I looked at the car next to me I see a familiar face and I pointed at this guy in the car thinking for a moment that I am not really seeing who I think I am seeing. I am saying to Marilyn who is driving and Glen behind me in the back seat "that's Eric Roberts"...LOL..pointing at him and smiling at him he smiles, nods and points back at me as if to say "yep its me"....LOL...OMG I can't beleive it....and bugger me dead but I dont have the camera in my hands and by the time I have shuffled through my handbag he has taken off. I just cant beleive I got so close and didn't think quick enough.

So after that excitement we went to the screening of Craig Ferguson Late Late Show. We had a great time....laughed and laughed....even if it was on cue...seriously, he was funny even though I had never heard of him before...a great Scottish accent.

Yes some of us had to get to Hollywood the "hard way" but as you can see I made it!!!! The "casting couch" was damn hard too!!!

Back in Long Beach

2009-01-20T13:02:00.002-06:00

Yes we are back in Long Beach CA. Twelve weeks is nearly over. We have had a wonderful time here in the States with all the wonderful sights and terrific friends we have met and stayed with across the country. We feel so privileged to have had this opportunity.

Canyonlands

2009-01-18T00:11:00.014-06:00

Well I just don't have enough words to describe yet another magnificent place. I keep saying awesome, gorgeous, beautiful, amazing, terrific.....what else can I say? Fabulous, breathtaking, unbelievable, spectacular....JUST BLOODY BRILLIANT is probably what us Aussies would say!!! I took 219 photos today and yesterday 274.Gosh knows how many Glen has taken...mine are "happy snaps" and I just aim and click.So here we go....there are a few this time to look at....if you double click on them you will see them better.

Mesa Arch - WOW what a view - If you click on this photo you will see two people sitting on the top in the middle. As silly as I think they are Glen had just walked along the top of the arch - he set up his camera on a tripod and I just had to click the button to take the photo. You will all have to wait til he processes all the photos to see it.

Khristina eating a healthy lunch of baby carrots, celery, snap peas and philidelphia cream cheese.

This cute little bird was hanging out for scraps. Does anybody know what this little bird is called? I have now been told this little bird is a Titmouse. Thank you "nskog" but you are set to no-reply so I couldnt reply to your comment.

We walked for about an hour and a half...well trekked up and down rocks...well huge rocks. It was like doing a step aerobic class. But good fun. We both really enjoyed it. You have to follow the piles of rocks "cairns" to get to the view points. At times it was a bit of hit and miss where the rocks were with the snow in places.

The sunset on our way out of the Canyonlands towards where we are staying tonight. Beaver in Utah.

Arches National Park, Utah

2009-01-16T21:36:00.013-06:00

Arches National Park is another gorgeous place to see in Utah. We spent most of the day there and would love to be able to go back but alas, time is running out. Only 7 days to go before we fly home. Tomorrow we are heading to Canyonlands.

Park Avenue

There was a lot of ice around and the red dirt had blown over some patches. Glen found out twice how slippery It could be. We cracked up laughing because he had a previous hard fall earlier and I had just slipped where he was and I had warned him but with the dirt covering the ice and sunglasses on it was hard to judge. We did get a good laugh out of ourselves though.

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Windows

Double Arches

Glen and I looking back across to the other side which are the previous photos. We climbed as far up and back into the arches so that we could get this terrific view.

It was after 3pm when we got to Delicate Arch and we decided not to do the 3 hour hike to the Arch but did a short hike to an area that we could get photos. These are all my happy snaps, but hopefully when Glen does get his organised you can see the better photos.

Grand Junction to Arches National Park, Utah

2009-01-16T20:33:00.005-06:00

On our way from Grand Junction to Arches National Park it was so cold that most of the scenery was of snow, ice and fog. All the trees along the way were like popsicles. It really was very pretty and very cold. Minus 13 celcius while we were driving this morning.

Snow-Mobiling

2009-01-15T18:47:00.013-06:00

What great fun we had today snow-mobiling. We drove about 40 minutes from Silverthorne to a place called Green Mountain. We then went on a private tour with our guide Mike and his dog Gibson. Mike does snow-mobile tours in the winter and water rafting in the warmer seasons. We had such a good time so if you ever are in the area and want to give it a go, contact Mike!

Gibson travelled on Mikes lap the whole trip. We went for 2 hours up into the mountains and then stopped for a short time where they have a tent set up and have hot drinks for us. There they have a huge flat area where we got to put our foot on the gas and let it rip. Glen of course had a much heavier lead foot then I did....well I would have gone faster but I am not that game. Glen said he reached top speed of 60mph where I got one stretch at 55mph. Most of the time it was about 40mph for me.

Glen ready to go snow-mobiling.

Glen amongst the Aspen trees - The aspen reproduces exact specimens of itself on top of the same, old roots. They can eventually spread over a large region. The aspen tree is usually the first growth after a fire because the root system is protected, being so far under the ground.

Mike took these photos for us using Glens camera.

Gibson loves the snow. Here you can see Gibson jumping for snow balls Mike was throwing up in the air and then digging down into the snow searching for sticks. Gibson was just have a ball in the snow...and eating the snow.

The other tour guide had a chocolate labrador who thought he was going to ride with Mike and Gibson...he jumped up on the snow-mobile and wasn't going to get down..lol

This photo was taken along the road on our drive to Grand Junction where we are tonight.

Snow-Tubing

2009-01-14T19:40:00.008-06:00

Today we drove to Keystone, Colorado (90 minutes west of Denver) and went snow-tubing....LOTS OF FUN....gives a bit of head spin when they "spin" you....ohhh myyy I could only do it twice and that was it for the spinning...lol. The altitude (11,900ft) sucks the oxygen out of you too - especially for us "lowlanders"! Over the hour there it felt like I had been jogging for a whole hour...huffing and puffing.

We're currently in a hotel in Silverthorne at what they call "the summit" of the Rockies and will be heading off in the morning for some snowmobiling and hopefully some fantastic views over the mountains.

Here is Glen being pushed off backwards.

Glen taking this photo from mid way down the slope on the tube and Khris at the top looking down.

Catching the escalator back to the top.

Khris being pushed off backwards.

Resting on the way back up on the escalator.

Looking out from the top where we did the snow-tubing....aren't the mountains just beautiful.

Denver, Colorado

2009-01-13T23:20:00.003-06:00

Today we drove about 1160km from Tracy, Iowa to Denver, Colorado. When we left this morning at 9.30am it was minus 18 degrees celcius....brrrr....the temperature stayed below zero until 2pm. When we drove over the Colorado border towards Sterling we viewed a lovely sunset. Tomorrow we plan on heading to the snow to do some snowmobiling.

Brrrrrrrr

2009-01-12T22:34:00.003-06:00

Today the temperatures were a low of minus 18 degrees celcius to a high of zero. Tomorrow the low is minus 14 degrees celcius to a high of minus 12 and getting worse during the week. It is probably a good thing we ae heading out tomorrow to head down to Colorado which will be a little warmer. If you can say warmer when the temperature is zero (freezing)...lol

Today in Tracy, Iowa

2009-01-12T21:47:00.003-06:00

Today Pat and I did a bit of sewing. We made a notebook cover from a pattern from "This and That". Very simple to put together. I will take a pic at some stage and put it up when I can. We also went shopping at Pats mums Quilt Store which she runs from home about eight houses away....how convenient!!! OMG I got some good fabric deals. $2.55 yard for Quilters Calico . For us Aussies theis fabric is small florals which sort of look like the 1930's flowers not like "calico" in Australia. Take a look at the website for more great specials. She had a quilt called "Crackers and Cheese" made up in these fabrics which really looked good so I had to have that pattern too.

We just had some fun with the "cat from hell"....their cat "puddy" doesn't seem to like anybody...not even the owners...lol...thank goodness they have had his front claws removed as he "attacks" anybody who walks near him....he was hilarious...he even stalked Glen at one stage to "get" him. Just when you think he likes you he "attacks". And he lets out the most deadly meowwwwww as he attacks...LOL..."puddy" had us in fits of laughter.

Arrived in Tracy, Iowa

2009-01-11T22:05:00.004-06:00

Today was a better day for driving to Tracy, Iowa. Although very cold and minus 9 degrees celcius, the roads were clear and we made better time. We woke late and had a late breakfast at IHOP. We arrived about 2pm at Pat and Bruce's house. We took a quick drive to the lake nearby and got to see some bald eagles from a distance. Glen couldn't a good photo to put up unfortunately, but he counted nearly 30 eagles in the trees along the river. Dinner was roast beef, mashed potatoes, beans and "noodles and gravy"...now this was a first but OMG they were so yummy. Then we had a really yummy chocolate cake with butter sauce poured over it for dessert....NO CALORIES at all...lol. There is a blizzard warning in effect from late Monday until early Tuesday morning, so we will be watching the weather before hitting the road again. Because of the weather we will give South Dakota a miss and head to Colorado and hopefully do some ski mobiling in the Rockies.

Below is a map of where we are and the next leg of the trip (click to enlarge). Only 11 days left before heading home ! Where has the past ten weeks gone ? !!!

Toronto to Illinois

2009-01-10T20:18:00.005-06:00

Today we said goodbye to our friends Bev and Graham in Don Mills, Toronto and into Michigan, across to Indiana and into Illionois over about eleven hours. Four hours were through heavy falling snow. We took things as carefully as we could to ensure we got here to Molina, Illinois safely. We did see at least a dozen cars off the road, but fortunately no serious accidents. Tomorrow we head off to a town called Tracy in Iowa to visit with an online friend.

Today in Hamilton, Ontario

2009-01-09T19:04:00.004-06:00

Bev and I drove to Hamilton, Ontario to meet Linda from an online group. We were going to have lunch at the "Outback Steakhouse" but unfortunately it was not open for lunches. Would have been interesting to see how authentic the meals were...LOL. We did however have a nice lunch at Montana's and we then went on to visit to quilt stores. I was again very good and only brought an Aunt Philly's toothbrush rug tool and pattern. We then went to Micheals again were Bev had a great time buying. I got some more scrapbooking items for half price. OMG unreal prices.

At the Beach Today

2009-01-08T20:03:00.003-06:00

Yes today at the beach we played in snow not sand!!!

Looking out of Bevs window.

Weight Watchers Here I Come

2009-01-08T19:11:00.004-06:00

Tonight we went out to the little local eatery and had meat pie, mushy peas, chips and gravy....OMG it was GOOD. I had to show them how "we" in Queensland eat it. Lift up the top of pie, put the mushy peas on top then put the lid of the pie back on. Then pour lots of gravy all over the pie and chips. Graham had to take the incriminating shots so that when I get back home I remember that I need to go visit the local WW group.

Yeh I am washing it all down...LOL

Graham and Bev looking so innocent...LOL

Visit with Bunny

2009-01-08T10:28:00.006-06:00

Yesterday on our way to Toronto we stopped over for lunch with another lovely friend Bunny. She lives in Williamsville, NY and was on our direct path so we couldn't not stop and put the face and voice to yet another wonderful online friend. Bunny does the most amazing art. She is so talented. Painting, drawing, quilting. Truly amazes me how talented she is. She has shown me the easiest way to do hand applique. She uses freezer paper and a glue stick. She doesn't claim this technique but because she has rheumetoid arthritis she has used this technique to make things easier for herself and others. And I can say it sure does look easy and I will most definately be trying this out when I get home as I have put of hand applique because its been so difficult. Our visit was really lovely and Bunny was a wonderful hostess. She spoiled me rotten with lots of her lovely patterns so I will have lots to do when I get home. She also gave me an apron and some lovely cards she with pictures she had drawn and had printed on them. You can seem Bunny's designs on her website.

Toronto

2009-01-08T10:23:00.003-06:00

Yesterday we arrived at our friend Bevs in Don Mills, Toronto. The snow is fairly thick here and looks so pretty. We went and had dinner out lastnight at the local fish and chips place and you wouldn't beleive what they had....MEAT PIE!! For us Aussies we just love our meat pies. So both Glen and I wanted meat pie....but you wouldn't beleive it...they had sold out!!! The waitress said every Tom, Dick and Harry had come in during the day and taken every last meat pie. So we will be heading back tonight for meat pie, mushy peas, chips and gravy...LOL...on top of that surprise the waitress was born in Melbourne Australia and had moved to Canada with her mum and dad when she was seven. So we had a good old chat.

More Friends

2009-01-06T21:56:00.003-06:00

Today I got to meet three more online friends....woohooo....Dianne, Judy and Jean met Glen and I at Dunkin Donuts for a coffee and then us girls left Glen for a day at quilt stores and Joannes. I was very good and only got a couple of patterns and some scrapbooking supplies so that when Glen prints off the photos I can scrap them. I wont be holding my breath for Glen to print them and will bet you I print them off before he does. I forgot my camera and so did Glen so I am waiting on Jean to send me a copy of the photo she got of us girls today.

West Monroe, NY

2009-01-05T15:15:00.004-06:00

Yesterday we drove from West Buxton, Maine to West Monroe, NY state. Most of the day was spent driving but we arrived about late yesterday afternoon at Deb and Phils. We were here on our last visit. since then a lot has happened. Deb lost her nephew who she raised as a son. Sam was only 17 and died of a heart attack. Yes, a heart attack. Such a shock and of course there were lots of tears being the sook I am. Deb has now gotten into photography in a big way and has opened a Studio so Glen and Deb have talked photography all night and day....lol....today I wasn't feeling well so I stayed home and went back to bed til after lunch and Glen and Deb went to the studio. Tomorrow we are going to have a photo taken at the studio as Glen and I really dont have a good photo of ourselves so now is the chance to have it done. I will also be meeting up with some other girls in another quilting group so will go out for lunch and of course some quilt stores and leave Deb and Glen to talk photography.

Long Island, NY to West Buxton, Maine

2009-01-03T07:35:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we left Long Island to head to West Buxton in Maine. On the way we made a stop at Bethel in Connecticut and had lunch with Karen and Bill from an online broup. We went to their local diner and had lunch and chatted. We didn't have a great deal of time but we at least I can now put faces and voices with thier names. And beleive it or not, I forgot to take a photo. But Karen did give me a lovely sewing kit made with bee fabric because the group is called Beehive.

We arrived at our friend Mary Ann's in West Buxton about 6.30pm and had some lovely soup for dinner with a sandwich. Glen then had brownies for desserts....lots of brownies for desserts...he was pretty impressed with them. Mary Ann hasn't been well and the girls in my CRAFT group made a Healing Heart quilt for her so she knows all her freinds are there for her when she needs a cuddle.

1st January 2009

2009-01-01T22:26:00.008-06:00

Isn't it wierd when you have to start writing another year in the date. Today Eileen and I went out to Michaels and got 40% off nearly everything....cards, notepads, beads, magnets, lots of goodies....scrapbooking papers were 30% off. So when I get home I am hoping Glen will be organised and print photos for me to do a scrapbook.Saying that I am still waiting on photos from three years ago to be done. So I might have to just do my own and not worry about his. I got to meet another online friend from quilting group. Kim, Eileen and I had lunch and shopped...chatted and laughed. It was again wonderful to put the face and voice to the emails.

Here are some photos of our day out with Eileen and Gordon in New York.

Christmas tree, Prometheus and the skating rink Rockefeller Centre

Prometheus

Eileen and Khris in windy NY

Elmo and Khris

Tomorrow we head north towards Maine. We are expecting to see lots of snow up there. How exciting. We have had snow here in Long Island and the temperature was minus eight degrees celcius.

...............HAPPY NEW YEAR...................

2008-12-31T21:32:00.007-06:00

We had a nice quiet night watching the New Years Time Square celebration on the big screen at Gordon and Eileens. Cheers!!!

Snowing in Long Island

2008-12-31T16:07:00.005-06:00

Today is snowing...wooohoooo....its just beautiful. Eileen and I went out for a short trip to Joanne's and got caught getting back with the traffic. There were a couple of accidents along the way. Nothing too serious thank goodness, just enough to clog up the road and make the trip home very slow.

2008-12-31T16:07:00.001-06:00

My CRAFT group had an Advent Swap for Christmas. We send 24 little pressies and 1 main present for Christmas day. My partner was Karen in Sacremento and this is all my goodies I got....I was soooo spoilt.

Oops...... forgot .... speeding again !

2008-12-31T10:32:00.006-06:00

Khristina had another run in with "the law" that she "forgot" to mention. On our way to Lancaster in Pennsylvania (on the Turnpike) the state police stopped us for speeding. Luckily the "trooper" only gave Khristina a written warning - so no ticket ! Funny thing was she cried after she was let off ! She really has to learn to cry first - not afterwards
Anyway, I get to pay out on her because she's been caught more than me !

New York, New York - The Big Apple

2008-12-29T22:04:00.009-06:00

What a day!!! Up by 7am and back to the hotel about 8.30pm....phewwww....but what a day!!! An amazing place. So BIG, and BUSY....the BUSTLE and HUSTLE...move it or lose it...or get stomped on! We a sightseeing tour on the big red double decker buses. Some have no roof on them and you get a wonderful view of all the city sights from up high. It was pretty cold though, about 8 degrees celcious today which is about 46 degrees farenheit.

We did the "Uptown Loop" which included Central Park - which always reminds me of the "Home Alone" movies;`Dakota Apartments which is where John Lennon lived and was shot;American Museum of Natural History;Grants Tomb.

We also did the "Downtown Loop" which included, Time Square,The Empire State Building, the World Trade Center site and on top of that we had a cruise on a short stretch of the East and Hudsons River to cruise past the Statue of Liberty. Unfortunatley you can no long enter the Statue of Liberty due to 9/11.

Taxi's...we have never seen so many yellow taxi's in one place at one time. OMG they were everywhere. So of course we had to buy a yellow taxi as a souvenir and red double decker bus. Sitting at the top of the double decker bus and right at the front I was "back seat driving" but not for our bus driver....lol...but for all the other maniacs on the road...lol...I literally felt like I was on a roller coaster ride, not knowing what turn would happen next and if I was going to be flung from my seat.

Philidelphia to New York

2008-12-28T17:25:00.002-06:00

Today we had to say goodbye to Dianne and Artie and drive from Philidelphia to New York. We are currently in a Comfort Suites motel room and tomorrow we plan on getting a bus into New York city to see the city sights.

Philidelphia

2008-12-27T21:24:00.005-06:00

Yesterday we arrived late in Philidelphia at our friend Diannes home. Today we rode the what they call the "L" which is an elevated train to see Independence Square. Unfortunately all the tickets had been given out by 8.30am but we did get to see the Liberty Bell and the outside of Independence Hall. The security to visit the Liberty Bell was tight checking all bags for weapons. Dianne's home is a what they call a "row" house and is right around the corner from where some of the scenes of "Rocky" was shot. The Pet Store which is now called JM Tropical Fish was actually owned by Dianne and Artins friend. The shop is no longer operating but we got to stand right outsided the store. Her house is also around the corner from where part of the movie "Shooter" was made with Mark Wahlberg in it. I must say its a pretty interesting neighbourhood. Quite a rough neighbourhood and very different to what we are used to. I am sure if I didnt have Dianne with me I wouldn't feel comfortable walking the streets on my own. Today we got to meet Pam from my CRAFT group and her children. We had a wonderful time with everybody and once again it was wonderful putting faces and voices to my internet friends.

Dianne, Pam, Khristina

Pam and Khristina

..............WE WISH YOU ALL A VERY........

2008-12-25T12:31:00.003-06:00

We would like to wish all our friends a very Merry Christmas and thank you all for you friendship throughout the year. We have been so very fortunate and priveleged to have met such wonderful friends along the way on our trip and will cherish you all for a long time to come. Meeting everybody has bonded our "internet" friendship and I know I hold you all dear to my heart. For a giggle skip over to see us our Christmas dance.

Mike, Rose, Glen and Khris at the Gibbons home in Maryland, USA.

Today we tried a warm drink called "Wassail". Here is the defininition from Wikepedia.

The beverage typically served as "wassail" at modern holiday feasts with a medieval theme most closely resembles mulled cider, historical wassail was completely different, more likely to be mulled beer or mead. Sugar, ale, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon would be placed in a bowl, heated, and topped with slices of toast as sops.

Happy Birthday Rose

2008-12-25T11:45:00.012-06:00

Today Rose had her birthday. Our friend Karen Mallory made Rose a lovely doll for her Birthday/Christmas present as we transported it from California to Maryland for her.

Frederick Quilt Store

2008-12-25T11:40:00.005-06:00

Yesterday Rose and I went to a quilt store called Pins and Needles. OMG there was yet another terrific sale on fabric. Santa knew I had been a good girl all year so let me take advantage of this great sale and I got some gorgeous Christmas fabrics for $3 per yard. How good is that! I brought some fat quarters in some newer ranges of fabrics and we both brought some patterns. Rose had a field day and brought fabrics and books too. I will take a photo soon of the fabrics and post it later. We then got home and made a "no sew fabric gift bag". We have yet to finish it as we didn't have "grommets" which are the little metal rings that they use for the holes in the bag.

Gettysburg

2008-12-23T17:28:00.014-06:00

Today we managed to climb out of bed by 9.30am. We have both been enjoying the sleep ins we are getting. Eventually we headed off with Rose to Gettysburg. This is an amazing place full of history. The Gettysburg Information Centre is amazing with the Museum and the Gettysburg Cyclorama painting which is just phenominal. They have it set in a circular theatre that you can walk around in and the narrator tells you the story of what happened at Gettysburg. They have props in the front of the painting which give you a 3D affect and you really feel as if you are there. We really needed more time in the museum but unfortunately we just didnt realise that we needed more time there. We went for a quick drive to see the many many monuments that are scattered throughout the battlefields. These photos are from my little camera as you could be waiting for a while if we wait for Glen to organise all his photos.

Major General G Meade

42nd New York Regiment - Tammany Regiment

Pennsylvania State Monument at Gettysburg has both the names of its generals carved into the top and their likenesses sculpted at the corners. The base is surrounded by tablets bearing names of less-decorated but equally brave soldiers who fought in the battle.

Huffing and Puffing and blowing the house down

2008-12-22T18:14:00.006-06:00

The old fairy tale of the wolf huffing and puffing and blowing the house down is what today reminded me of. Wow, the wind was really blowing today, so unfortunately we chose not to go to Gettysburg. It really wouldn't have been fun trying to walk around there today. Tomorrow is supposed to be better so we are planning on visiting Gettysburg tomorrow.

Rose and I decided to go to her local quilt shop, well as local as she can get. I was very good and only brought twelve fat quarters. You brought five and got the 6th free.I got to meet a fellow blogger Toni who also is a Quiltville/Bonnie Hunter fan. Toni is also on two Yahoo quilting groups I am on.Isn't it wonderful how the internet has made the world so much smaller and we can get to meet people from other countries due to meeting online. Although Toni and I didn't realise we were in the same groups as they are rather large groups.

Just a giggle for you

2008-12-21T20:15:00.002-06:00

New Windsor, Maryland

2008-12-21T19:38:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we made it to our friend Rose's home in New Windsor, Maryland. Today we had a nice day sleeping in and resting. Rose and I did some stitching. I finished stitching down the binding on my Carolina Crossroads quilt and another healing heart quilt I am giving to a friend. Tomorrow we will head out to Gettysburg

The Amish

2008-12-21T15:42:00.007-06:00

It was amazing to see so many buggies and all the Amish out and about around Intercourse. The buggies even have indicator and brake lights and are obviously just part of normal traffic.

The smaller kids looked cute in the traditional clothes. They all live such a simple life in a really picturesque environment - kinda made us envious in a way, although it would be waaay to hard to live how they do.

You can pick the Amish farms by the lack of power lines and the clothes lines full of old fashioned garments. The younger people sometimes use large scooters (leg powered variety) to get around, but older kids also use the horse and buggies.

Aparently when kids turn 16 Amish youth are allowed to live outside the bounds of their faith, experimenting with alcohol, premarital sex, trendy clothes, telephones, drugs, and wild parties("Rumspringa"). By allowing them such freedom, their parents hope they will learn enough to help them make the most important decision of their lives - whether to return to traditional ways or not. Apparently all but 5% of them return to traditional Amish life !!

Cold Dry Intercourse

2008-12-20T20:40:00.010-06:00

Today was dry and cold in Intercourse. We had a lovely day throughout the local area and got to see lots of buggies and Amish people. Glen did get some photos along the way. I had a lovely few hours browsing all the craft shops....and oh boy, there were some wonderful primitive crafts in Intercourse. I found so many things I would have loved to buy and bring back home, but alas, I had Glen hovering not far away. I did however get a few smaller things that I know are going to fit in the luggage. Found some prim snowmen that were half price, so couldn't resist them. Purchased primitive teatowels, a metal hanger for them with a little barn star on it. I found a gorgeous red cardinal bird made by a local man I just had to have. You all know how much I adore the red cardinal birds. I couldnt' resist getting some more fabric either from The Old Country Store. Glen and I both admired the quilts in the museum and oh boy, did they ever have some gorgeous handmade primitive santas, dolls and other goodies. But wow, were they expensive up there. I couldnt justify paying a $110US dollars for a very small sized doll even though I would have loved to. I tried to convince Glen it would be a good Christmas pressie but it didn't work...he would be converting right back to Aussie dollars and at $160 I dont think he fell for it...agghhh

Some of the lovely quilts at the museum. There is a close up of each one to see them in details as best as my little camera would do.

Wet, soggy Intercourse

2008-12-19T16:22:00.008-06:00

We arrived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania yesterday and today we headed out in the wet, soggy, rain for Intercourse, Bird-In-Hand, and Paradise. If you click on the Intercourse link it will explain how Intercourse is believed to have gotten its name. Yesterday our drive took about eight hours from Clark Lake to Lancaster and it cost $24.50 in toll fees. Agghhh that is about $35.60 in Aussie dollars. Imagine all the fabric I could have brought...lol

It has rained non stop all day. It really has put a damper on all the lovely shops I want to visit. I did however visit a couple of quilt shops. And yes, I brought more fabric. It was Moda fabric and the price was only $5.47 per yard. How can one pass that up. And it was a lovely muddy coloured range of fabric. I brought some cute Pot Holders made by locals which I really thought deserved to be brought. Something a bit fussier then I would make. I visited The Old Country Store and spent ages going through everything in there.They had fabrics for just $6.50 a yard and I didnt buy any because I had alreayd brought fabric across the road. But I did buy some little kitchen tools made from cherry oak. They are handcrafted and so cute. I will take photos later. No photos got taken today with all the rain coming down. We passed many horse and buggies but with all the rain it was impossible to get photos.

Off to Pennsylvannia.....

2008-12-17T20:55:00.003-06:00

We're on the road again tomorrow...... heading to Lancaster, Pennsylvania - which is Amish country. There is a winter storm heading east, so we will have to drive about 8 hours so we arrive before it does. Could be snow, freezing rain and icy roads - but as long as we get to our destination all should be good. A couple of days there and then to Rose's in Maryland (north of Washington DC). NJ and George have spoiled us again and we look forward to calling in again when we head westwards after new year, it's so nice here by the frozen lake with the snow......

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

2008-12-17T16:48:00.008-06:00

I always think of that song Let It Snow by Bing Crosby when I see snow or anything that reminds me of snow. What a lovely snowy day today here in Clark Lake, Michigan. It really is just gorgeous, so we had a PJ day today here at NJ's. Well I did. I was feeling very tired and slow, so we stayed home, ate, snoozed, read some magazines and chatted. NJ did a bit of sewing and getting her doll patterns organised. She put the patterns onto template plastic for when she is ready to make them.

Ice Cream Parlour

2008-12-16T21:52:00.009-06:00

The story of the "Dare to be Great" challenge costs $30 = 21 scoops of icecream to be eaten by one person in less than an hour. If you can do this you get it for free. 209 attempted this in the last six years and only nine people have managed to accomplish it.

NJ and George took us to the Icecream Parlour which has the BIGGEST parfaits and sundaes we have ever seen. We came here on our last visit three years ago and of course we forgot the camera, but not this time. We think they have actually reduced the size of them since last time.

George had his "usual" a double dip chocolate soda.

This is NJ with a "Turtle Sundae" which was huge and she actually finished it off.

Glen had a "Topper Parfait which really is bigger than this photo looks and I had a "Junior Fudge Brownie" which I could barely finish, but Glen finished the last bit off.

We had a day out today and went to a store called Whole Foods. Its a gourment store with so many gourmet foods and more than I thought possible. NJ really went to town buying yummy cheeses like camembert, brie and more...she got lots of different olives and marinated sweet peppers. Tonight we have eaten so much and we both feel as if we will burst. We didn't get home til 9.30pm so it was a late dinner. We went to see NJ and George's grandson play ice hockey which really was fun to watch even though they are only 13 years old. I get pretty excited....lol...they won 3 to nil so it was even better. George had to drive home in the snow which really was not too bad but you could not see the line markings on the road and I am so pleased it wasn't us having to drive as we really wouldn't have know where to drive. It was about 17 degrees farenheit which is about -8 degrees celcius. We are thinking there has been about three inches of snow already. I am thinking it might be a nice snowy day tomorrow and I can get a lovely photo with lots of snow.

brrrrr

2008-12-15T20:51:00.004-06:00

brrrrrr.....its pretty nippy here in Michigan. This afternoon it was minus 9 degrees celcius (16F)....George and NJ took us to Cabela's, a huge sporting goods store that has an amazing display of stuffed animals. These were full life sized stuffed animals thoughout the store. These photos are from my little camera so not the best but will give you an idea.

Clarkelake, Michigan

2008-12-14T17:53:00.003-06:00

Today it was time to say farewell to Mildred and Jeff and travel to Clarkelake, Michigan to our friend NJ and George's place. Mildred and Jeff spoilt us for breakfast with Tom Horton donuts for breakfast...wow these were real good donuts. I don't usually eat donuts but boy these were so good!! These tasted as good or even better than the Krispy Kreme donuts that everybody raves about.

Meeting another online friend

2008-12-14T17:47:00.003-06:00

Yesterday Mildred and I went to The Fabric Shack and met up with another internet quilting friend Sharon. I was very controlled again and only brought a few charm square packs. This shop really has the most extensive range of Moda charm squares and Jelly Rolls that I have seen on my trip to date. We had lunch and it really was terrific to put another face and voice to the name in the emails.

Washington Court House, Ohio

2008-12-12T19:03:00.008-06:00

Yesterday we arrived in Washington Court House, Oregon at Mildred and Jeffs home. OMG this house is to die for. Very impressive home built in 1899. Today we had a drive out to Columbus. We went to Starbucks for coffee and then to a restaurant called "The Cheesecake Factory" and had a really lovely lunch with some very impressive cheesecake for dessert. OMG Glen and I shared one as we couldnt have eaten more than one piece alone.

Glen, Khris, Mildred and Jeff

Mildred and Jeffs House

Khris at Starbucks - Mildred and Jeff's favourite place

Khris and Mildred

Edgar Springs

2008-12-12T19:01:00.004-06:00

We met Kath from my Yahoo CRAFT group and stayed with her for a short time. Even though it was short we had a lovely visit. Kath is a terrific person who does a lot of quilt making. She is the "queen" of Quilting Books and has impressive library of quilting titles. We did have a quick trip to a store in a town called "Licking" which of course carried quilt fabric and I picked up about 10 yards for around $2.50 a yard. Yet again another terrific bargain. Will post more and post photos when I can.

We had our first sighting of snow at Kaths. This is her apple tree.

Kath and Khris

Leaving Norfork Arkansas to Edgar Springs Missouri

2008-12-09T18:50:00.006-06:00

This morning we were a bit slow to get going. We have had a wonderful visit with Cynthia and Raymond and once again we have been very spoilt. We finally got the car packed and the four of us headed out to Mals Diner for breakfast....well, more like lunch. Glen and I both had a chuckle as it reminded us of the typical American tv show where the diner is called "Mel's Diner"....We have now arrived at our friend Kath's in Edgar Springs, Missouri. We will post more photos when we can.

Blanchard Springs Caverns

2008-12-07T21:01:00.008-06:00

Today Cyn and Raymond took us to Blanchard Springs Caverns. What an amazing place. We had a wonderful guide who was very knowledgable. Paul made the tour extremely interesting and we really recommend a trip to these caverns. Blanchard Springs Caverns is a magnificent limestone cave system starting more than 200 feet underground. We took the "Dripstone Trail Tour" as the bats are hybernating at this time of the year so the "Discovery Trail Tour" is closed.

The main mineral deposited in the speleothems (cavern formations) of Blanchard Springs Caverns is calcite, the same mineral found in the limestone layers that make up the bedrock of the Ozark Mountains. Calcite is dissolved from the limestone when surface water, containing carbonic acid absorbed from the air and soil, percolates down through the rock and into the cave. When this acid water - carrying a calcium bicarbonate solution - encounters the air inside the cave, the carbon dioxide is released. The water then deposits the calcite. Layer upon layer of calcite deposit will eventually shape the speleothem.

Norfork, Arkansas

2008-12-06T18:09:00.005-06:00

Yesterday we arrived at our friend Cynthia and Raymonds home in Norfork, Arkanasas. They have a lovely home on 10 acres of land out in the country. Cynthia is a mad gardener and has planted masses of Iris bulbs. None are in flower at the moment but wow it would be spectacular when they are all in flower. We were very tired and had a good sleep in this morning. Cyn cooked bacon, eggs and biscuits for breakfast. Biscuits with just butter on them are very yummy and of course we both love bacon and eggs. They then took us for a drive into town to show us the local area, shops, dam and lake. Tonight we are going out to eat Chinese for dinner as Cyn and Raymond eat out a bit.....they are both like me and not into cooking...lol

Quick trip to Louisianna

2008-12-04T21:37:00.004-06:00

We drove from Caddo Gap, Arkansas this morning to Monroe in Louisianna to meet up with two good friends from my yahoo group CRAFT. Rowan and Deanna spoilt us with gifts. OMG am I going to have to go on a serious diet when I get home. We have been spoilt with meals and all sorts of food goodies from all our friends. Tonight we are in a motel in Monroe and are not interested in eating a meal so have been snacking on some bread Barbara made with cheese she gave us....oh and good old vegemite. I had a dessert of sour straps...lol...yes, I like the sugary lollies (candy) and Glen likes the chocolates. Deanna has me stocked up with Peanut Butter cups now. I am in serious trouble now...lol

Rowan, Deanna and Khris

Rowan and Khris showing off her lovely bag Rowan made.

Caddo Gap, Arkansas

2008-12-04T20:05:00.004-06:00

We travelled from Woodward, Oklahoma to Caddo Gap, Arkansas to our friend Barbara and Sonny's. We didn't have much time with Barbara and Sonny but we had lots of laughs and a great time catching up again. We visited Barb and Sonny three years ago almost to the day. Sonny is an avid hunter and we got to have deer for dinner again. He smokes it and it really is terrific. Barbara is a great cook and makes all sorts of preserves, breads, cobblers, pies and really did spoil us. Once again we feel very spoilt and priveliged to have such great friends. I truly hope one day that all the girls we get to visit with here in the States will come visit Oz and we can reciprocate all the generosity we have recieved from everybody. Gracie the dog sitting on Sonny's lap was a rescue dog that Sonny picked up with her brother and he says for the Grace of God she survived. She was starved and nearly dead. She has sucked Sonny in big time and has him eating out of her paws...lol

Woodward, Oklahoma

2008-12-02T22:35:00.007-06:00

We made it safely to Pennie and Davids in Woodward, Oklahoma on the 30th November. We had a lovely time even though it was a short visit. Pennie fed us up well and made lots of good food which were firsts for us. A really yummy meatloaf and for breakfast this morning a "breakfast pizza"....all good stuff. Hey, I even tried biscuits and white gravy and you know it really was pretty good. Glen chickened out although his excuse was getting a hair cut and he grabbed a burger.

This photo is of Pennie with her Healing Heart quilt that my yahoo group CRAFT made for her. Pennie has had a terrible year with a rotator cuff tear and operations to try to repair it. Unfortunately with little success.

David is pictured with the aussie cap we brought over for him. Told him we couldn't let him get away without a photo of him in his cap.

Leaving Phoenix

2008-11-29T21:52:00.006-06:00

Our time has come today to pack up and leave our wonderful friends Roslyn and Walt in Phoenix. Roslyn and I have the loss of our eldest son in common and both boys named Matthew. We are both also Aussies. Roslyn married Walt an American and has lived in the States for over 40 years. We have a special bond as well as our friendship. It was hard saying farewell even though I know we will be in touch online. The last few days were so enjoyable. We laughed and chatted about Aussie accents, slang words, American accents and the odd words we both use. We compared similarities and laughed and teased about all the odd differences our countries have. It was so much fun and Walt really was such a great guy you couldn't but love him. He treated us like one of his own and made us feel so welcome and comfortable. I think Roslyn has turned him into an Aussie...lol.. and what other dog to have but an Aussie Terrier called Button.

We headed out from Phoenix to our next friend Pennie's in Woodward, Oklahoma. We left at 9am this morning and have arrived in Amarillo, Texas at about 8pm where we have settled into the hotel for the night. Thank goodness for wireless internet and hotels who have it.

Spending four days with Roslyn and Walt and we only remembered to get a last minute photo with my little camera the night before we left. Somehow the settings on my camera got changed too and unfortunately it isn't the best photo but will have to suffice.

Fabric Shopping in Arizona

2008-11-29T21:27:00.005-06:00

On Friday Roslyn and I went fabric shopping. Ohhhh what fun it was!! I got to meet some more of my online friends from another quilting group online. Susan, Moira and Fran met Roslyn and I at Quiltz....and guess what? They had 30% off all fabrics!!! So what's a girl to do but buy fabric!! I brought fabric in mind for particular projects and was just thrilled with the price. The girls and I then went and had lunch and chatted for some more before Roslyn and I headed to check out two other quilt shops and Joannes. Joannes had all their notions on sale so I got 50% off everything I brought there which was just brilliant. It really was great to put faces to names and emails and spend some time chatting with the girls.

Fran, Khris, Moira, Susan and Roslyn where we had lunch and of course the fabric I got at Quiltz.

Thanksgiving with the Attwood Family

2008-11-27T23:23:00.007-06:00

Glen and I got to have a wonderful Thanksgiving with the Attwood Family. Roslyn and Walt have a great family. The eldest son Andrew and his wife Lana hosted Thanksgiving at their home. We got to meet Lucas and his family, Jonathon and his wife Madeline with her mum, dad and brother. Guess what girls. They are orginally from New Zealand and still have that strong kiwi accent. It was soooooo good to hear it. Had to get Margo to say "fish and chips"...lol...Fred and Margo were terrific people and we really enjoyed their company as much as we enjoyed all the company on the day. We ate too much as usual but truly enjoyed the great food and wonderful company. Out of twelve or so adults not one of us remembered to take a photo. Can you beleive that!!!

Phoenix Arizona

2008-11-26T11:26:00.005-06:00

Just a quick note to let you know we made it to our friends Roslyn and Walts place in Phoenix Arizona. It is nice to be in a normal home with friends again rather than a hotel room. Will have to fill you in more later...hugs Khris

Glen had his 47th birthday today here in Phoenix. Three years ago we came to the States he had is 44th birthday in the Grand Canyon in the morning and then Monument Valley in the evening. Roslyn is a very good cook so Glen has enjoyed all his meals and Walt likes to drink Guinness so Glen is doing pretty well between the two of them spoiling him with good food, good beer, and even some Aussie Wine. I as usual never know what to buy him for a present and while we were here they had this huge bag of individual dark chocolate pieces with cranberry, blackberry and almonds. So Glen did enjoy those. They should last a while. I will take a photo when I can. Got him some beef jerky too as he likes that too.

Canyon De Chelly

2008-11-23T21:21:00.013-06:00

We made it to Canyon De Chelly after a few hours drive. It's on Navajo land and entry to the canyon floor is restricted in all but one area, so we drove to all of the outlooks on the southern rim. We weren't up to the hike to the bottom - and to be honest some of the other sights we've seen in the last week were more than comparable. I guess you can become indifferent (or blase`) about such amazing scenery after seeing so much of it. Even some of the roadside scenery here would be outstanding at home and now we simply keep driving.

There is some interesting history involving the Navajo of the canyon, who were forced marched out of the canyon after Kit Carson, the army and traditional enemies destroyed everything and killed many in 1864. The Navajo were not allowed to return for four years and many of them died during that time.

The canyon is still home to about 80 Navajo families and you can see a lot of the canyon floor from above. There are ancient ruins of the Anasazi dating back to about 900 AD on some the cliff faces and a spectacular sandstone spire rising almost 1000ft from the canyon floor, called Spider Rock. Ancient folklore says that Spider Women live atop the rock and keep the bones of their victims there. It's probably hard to see the scale of the rock - if you click on the pic you can see a small river and a vehicle track behind it. I've just noticed that on the lower right of Spider Rock, it looks like there is a number 5 painted on it - it's just the light and the rock texture.

If you look click the photo below, you will see some ruins known as The White House Ruins, apparently built around 960 AD. Other ruins are much higher on the clifs and it makes you wonder how they were accessed.

A pic of trees on the canyon floor. Still a bit of autumn colour..... looks better if you click on it.

Anyway, we ended up leaving the canyon and drove further south - the small town of Chinle` near Canyon De Chelly was "less than spectacular" (downright ugly) and we still had time. We are now at a town called Holbrook on the Interstate (I40) and will be heading towards Phoenix tomorrow. More later.....

Next leg of the trip........ Canyon De Chelly

2008-11-22T23:26:00.002-06:00

The map shows our next drive - from Page to Canyon De Chelly (pronounced Canyon De Shay). It should take about 4 hours, so we'll head off reasonably early and spend the afternoon at the Canyon and plan the next day. More later....

Antelope Canyon........ WOW !!!!!!!

2008-11-22T22:41:00.012-06:00

We visited Lower Antelope Canyon today and spent nearly 2 hours wandering (navigating, treading carefully, climbing up and down!) it's length. The canyon is quite long - but very, very narrow. The shot of Khristina and I (camera on tripod) is in one of the wider parts. Make sure you click on the photos to see them properly - hopefully it's worth it.

Antelope Canyon is a "slot" canyon - which means it is very narrow. In this case, extremely narrow - a foot wide at floor level in some places, and by a foot wide I mean your own foot, not 12 inches ! The entry to the canyon is down through a slit in the flat rocks - it just looks like a crack in the ground. The area is on Navajo Tribal land and controlled by Navajo families. Thankfully it's in the off season and it wasn't too busy, so at times we had the place to ourselves (not much room in there anyway).

The place is VERY popular with photographers - and understandably so. I could have spent double the time there easily. You have to use a tripod, because it is quite dark and flash does not do the job. The way the light comes through, and the patterns in the sandstone rocks are truly amazing. Khristina and I both loved the place, and it kind of made you feel like a kid again - exploring a secluded place. Carrying a camera, tripod and camera bag was interesting because you literally have to squeeze through some areas - but so very worth it.

One of the highlights of the trip so far - just so much of a visual feast in Utah and Arizona, it's hard to choose the best parts.

Here's just a few shots I took - I haven't even looked at the rest. I'll have to put them in an an album/slideshow - with the rest, when I catch up. Khristina took over 50 photos as well - it's just that kind of place.

As you all can see Glens photos are worth waiting for. But I did take photos and am addding mine just for the sake of it....hopefully when Glen gets all his sorted out you will have a great feast of photos.

As Glen said above, the path was very narrow a lot of the way and you could barely put one foot in front of the other. Even a skinny guy like Glen had problems. We also had to be a contortionist to get around the bends due to the structure of the canyon walls. Was great fun though and a real adventure. My photos below were trying to show the narrow path and how curving, winding and fun it made it to navigate. The last photo is Glen climbing down into the slot from ground level. That was very interesting taking those first few steps down.

Page.......... well worth a look.

2008-11-21T16:29:00.005-06:00

Well, thankfully other people leave behind power adapters at hotels as well. The manager found one and gave it to me this morning, so Khristina is off the hook, until next time !

Page is a great little place. About 9,000 people live here permanently and they get nearly 3 million visitors annually - mostly because of Lake Powell and Glen Canyon. The town is on top of a mesa, and the surrounding area is either lake or magnificent canyons. The Glen Canyon Dam is the reason the town was built in the late fifties, and it's an incredible piece of engineering - with an impressive bridge adjacent to the dam wall. Before the 387 metre long bridge was finished in 1959, it was 197 miles by road to cross the canyon !

This morning we had a quick trip to the visitor centre at the dam and watched a video on the dam's construction. Interesting how they built it and the facts on the Colorado River and Lake Powell (1,960 mile of shoreline). The water supply and hydro electric capabilities are obviously very critical (to several sates) - the security is worse than an airport with not even a handbag allowed in the visitor centre !

We then went to Horsehoe Bend only a couple of miles downstream from the dam. It's a 270 degree bend in the Colorado River - 1000ft below the viewpoint. I heard plenty of "... move away from the edge" and "get back" from Khristina, even thought it wasn't as bad as I though it would be.

We stopped at a scenic point on the way back to town, and it too was great. I lay down when getting to the edge of this one - it was a bit too scary to stand at the very edge. All incredible scenery and we'll be staying three nights here just to try and see as much as we can. We have to go back for the Dam tour and might even do a boat trip on the lake, as well as visit Antelope Canyon - a picturesque slot canyon which I'm looking forward to. More later......

Bryce Canyon..........Hoodoo Gurus !

2008-11-21T09:34:00.007-06:00

Bryce Canyon was just as amazing as we remembered when we visited three years ago - although no snow on the hoodoos this time. The hoodoos are all the colorful vertical rocks - and there are heaps. The place is just breathtaking - impossible to describe or capture faithfully in a photograph.

We watched sunset from Sunset Point and saw the ampitheatre of hoodoos change colour and had dinner in our room just down the road.

The following morning we visited the the viewpoints and took a short hike on the Navajo loop trail down to "Wall Street", which is a closed in area with some trees and hoodoos.

The trail down (350ft vertically) was mostly switch back turns because of how steep it was - and it was an incredible walk. We dreaded the climb back up - the altitude (8300ft) really got to us - but it was SO worth it. The sloth canyon at the bottom and being amongst the hoodoos was just fantastic. Lots of huffing and puffing with stops on the way up, but the hour was one we will never forget. When the photos are added, make sure you enlarge them by clicking so you can see the size of the people compared to the canyon. Khristina is getting good use out of her little camera - and I'll get some shots uplaoded at some stage - probably in albums/slideshows as there are just too many.

Everywhere you look in southern Utah there is something worth photographing. It's almost a visual overload. It's easy to pass sights that would be amazing elsewhere - but now just seem ordinary for this area. So much colour in the cliffs and rocks - and they change as you drive.

Bryce Canyon to Page

2008-11-21T09:34:00.003-06:00

Yesterday we crossed the border and drove from Bryce Canyon, Utah to Page in Arizona. I have done it yet again. Left the electrical adapater at the last hotel and we are going to have a problem finding one here in Page. No Radio Shack in town. Walmart is our only hope, but last time they didn't have them. I am in big poo!! Glen can't charge his camera without it. I can't use my hair straigtener without it!!!! Agghhhhh....can you all hear me screaming from Page, Arizona!!

Kodachrome Basin State Park

2008-11-19T23:15:00.000-06:00

More of my photos of our drive today. We had a quick trip through Kodachrome Basin State Park. This State Park probably doesn't get the attention all the others do but it truly is a gorgeous place to see. Click on the photos to enlarge them and getter a better view.

Okay, okay, I couldn't help myself when I saw this. Come on, don't tell me nobody else can see what I see...lol

Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument

2008-11-19T22:36:00.000-06:00

Just a few of my happy snaps of the drive from Capitol Reef National Park to Bryce Canyon until Glen goes through his hundreds of photos. These photos are the drive today through the Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument spans nearly 1.9 million acres and the canyons and cliffs seem to go on and on. Don't forget to click on the photos to getter a better view of them.

Capitol Reef National Park to Bryce Canyon

2008-11-19T20:43:00.001-06:00

Today we drove from Capitol Reef National Park to Bryce Canyon. The drive here was just amazing and again, no words can describe the continuous wonderful scenery. Canyons galore. Windy roads galore. I (Khristina) have decided I really really am terrified of heights. The roads were winding and narrow and there were no barriers. They just dropped straight down. Oh my gosh, I felt so scared driving that I drove so slowly and couldn't take my eyes off the road ahead of me. We stopped many times for photos and for me to look at the terrific sights. Glen terrifies me with how easily he can get close to the edges. I do not know how many times I said "take a step back". I would truly be horrified if we had a child with us. I just couldn't stand it.

We booked into Ruby's a Best Western hotel which is just a short drive from Bryce Canyon. We then headed to Bryce Canyon for the sunset. We were there for some time and Glen got lots of photos. We will head back tomorrow to tackle the walking paths. Ohhh my I am scared just thinking about them. Narrow, winding walking paths and such a loooongggg wayyyy down. Oh dear!!

You will have to put up with my happy snaps until Glen gets those hundreds of photos done. They seem to be turning into thousands very quickly...lol

Capitol Reef National Park

2008-11-19T08:58:00.000-06:00

My (Khristina's) happy snaps that were taken yesterday at Capitol Reef. Glen could be some time processing the hundreds and hundrds of photos he has taken. So I thought I would share what my little camera has to offer. As Glen said in the previous post this is an amazing place and words cannot describe how spectacular it is. Hopefully when Glen gets his photos organised they will better show you how gorgeous this place is.

Glen at Hickmans Natural Bridge

Glen at Chimney Rock

Looking out from the car I took this photo through the windsreen.

Twin Rocks

The Castle - as we drove along I said to Glen it reminded me of a church but it was called The Castle.

Hickmans Bridge - Glen got there first - you might just see him waving in the pic.

Along the trail - Glen in front of me as usual.

Amazing Utah........ breathtaking

2008-11-18T22:37:00.000-06:00

We chose to see Capitol Reef National Park first and we were far from disappointed. It's amazing and hard to capture in photographs - but I tried, way too many times. Every corner provided a new vista and incredible scenery of rugged, multi coloured cliffs. Too many pics to post - but there will be some, eventually.

The park is isolated and at around 8000ft, higher than anywhere in Australia (our highest mountain is Mt. Kosciusko at 7310 feet). There is an old abandoned settlement called Fruita, where the information centre now is - only an old school house and about two other buildings left from the Mormon settlement from the late 1800s. The Mormons planted fruit trees and there are still 2700 left that are maintained by Rangers. Visitors can harvest when in season and there are cherries, peaches, pears and apples among others.

We took some scenic drives and walked a bit - the place is almost deserted (the way we like it), but obviously much busier in other seasons. It's hard to to describe the place, but it was breathtaking in more ways than one. We saw deer up very close, some old buildings, ancient petroglyphs (rock carvings) and some fall colour - all with the backdrop of the most incredibly layered cliffs. In all we spent about 5 hours in the park.

The plan was to stop at Panorama Point for sunset, but we decided to take a short hike to a landmark natural bridge - or arch. It was "only" 1 mile (1.6km) - but we didn't realise that it was also very steep (classed moderate)...... it started so flat. Before long we were huffing and puffing because of the altitude and the trail was soon all in shadow. We persevered - and it was really nice. Amazing rocks, cliffs and eroded walls leading to the natural bridge, and a really nice trail - very pristine. Apparently there are sometimes cougar in the area - not sure if I want to see one up too close, but hey...... we managed with the bear !

Poor Khristina struggled a bit, but she hung in there and kept up most of the time (she went to bed after dinner). It would have been so much easier at sea level! I hope we can do some more short hikes later on - maybe in Bryce Canyon tomorrow. Luckily we found a good hotel right by the entrance to the park and had a great homestyle dinner with veges ! Anyway...... we missed sunset, which would have been worth it - even as the light faded, Panorama Point was spectacular, so I'm off for the sunrise instead. It'll be about -6 celcius (21 F) in the morning - time to break out the cold weather gear. After that we are driving south on Scenic Byway 12, which is supposed to be one of the top ten drives in the US. I've seen some pics and it should be spectacular (Waayyy to many superlatives in this - but the scenery is hard to describe. You have to experience it to belive it - seriously). More later......

On to Utah...... altitude and Khristina's run in with the Sheriff !!

2008-11-18T22:09:00.000-06:00

We traveled a about 8 hours or so from Baker City, Oregon to Provo (Utah) yesterday - down through southern Idaho. It was an uneventful drive and relatively boring. Great sitting behind vehicles on the Interstate that drive fast on the long straight interstate highway - you quickly find out that the cruise control will only set at 90 miles per hour (150km/h) ! The speed limit is 75 & most traffic is sitting on 80 mph, so cruising behind some other cars at 90 is no big deal - so far.

We headed into Salt Lake City as it was getting dark, just in time to see some snow capped mountains on the left as we drove in. Nothing much exciting to see in the dark - except for noting just how much they light the place up - seems excessive when it's not pretty. We hit some heavy traffic on the freeway going south, but it still travelled quite quickly - 60 mph, no hold ups like peak hour at home in any of our cities.

We ended up at Provo, which is about a half hour south of Salt Lake City - although it is really just another suburb, I guess.

We had about a three hour drive south to Capitol Reef National Park this morning and Khristina drove. Partly on the interstate and then on some small highways through very small towns. We crossed some mountains up to 8400 ft - and heard a POP - both thinking it was the car. I then realised that the packet of Cheesos had burst from expanding in the altitiude !! Don't get that back home !!

We were only a half hour away from Capitol Reef & looking for a "restroom" break when the local Sheriff busted Khristina for speeding !! LOL.... heh heh not me this time, although I was caught last trip 3 years ago, and pulled over and let off in Oregon by a Deputy Sheriff near La Pine last week...... Anyway - he didn't let Khris off. $82 or she can appear before The Judge (I don't think so on either count). Rotten bugger could of let us off with a warning ! He was in an unmarked pick up truck coming the other way in "a short area where the speed is reduced". They can wait for their money - just like Kansas is from my last "citation". Revenue raisers just like home......

But at least it wasn't me....... :-)

Waterfalls & snoring...........

2008-11-17T01:18:00.000-06:00

Yep , Khristina is snoring in the bed next to me as I write this. To be fair, she had a bad night's sleep last night and it is after 11 pm her in Baker City, Oregon.

We left Mike and Barb's this morning and drove to Multnomah Falls via the old highway that parallels the Columbia River. Yep - we've changed our plans and didn't make it to Washington state - maybe next time.

Very pretty drive along the old highway (thanks, Barb). Quite a few waterfalls - the highest being Multnomah, which is 620ft high. The scenery was great and the river is huge - something we don't get a lot back home. There was also still a bit of fall colour in the trees and lots of leaves on the ground, so it was well worth the drive.

Once we left Multnomah Falls we rejoined the interstate and headed east, which itself was quite spectacular along the Columbia River Gorge. The highway goes along the southern edge of the gorge and it was really amazing to see the cliffs and rock formations on both sides. The far side had rugged rock formations with steep rolling hills behind for quite some time. Unfortunately there wasn't too many "overlooks" on the highway to take photos, so no pics.

Anyway, after driving about 400 miles for the day (650km)- and sightseeing, we called it a night at Baker City - which I think is about an hour from the Idaho border. It'll be along day - on into Utah and heading to the south of the state. Below is a map of tomorrow's drive - not sure if we will get as far south, but you will be able to see some of the National Parks we hope to visit. There are too many too see, but we hope to see a few. Remember to click on the map to enlarge. More later......

We got a couple of photos of Barb, Mike, Malachi and ourselves before we drove out. The first photo is Barb showing Khristina how to make the toothbrush rugs.

This photo is for my kids. We slept in a trailer at Barb and Mikes. It was a real novelty sleeping in the trailer.

I (Khris) went to Malachi's school with Barb and met the kids...it was so much fun. The kids got to ask me questions and we had a really good time. The kids said I had an accent and sounded different to them...lol...I showed them Aussie money and they thought that was pretty cool. I even got cuddles good-bye from the girls. It was really good fun.

Tillamook ..... aeroplanes and ice cream !!

2008-11-17T00:57:00.000-06:00

Mike, Malachi and I had an interesting day at Tillamook air museum, which is housed in an old WW2 blimp hangar, with numerous old and rare - and airworthy warbirds.

Some really great history about Oregon during the war as well. I didn't know that Japan launched helium lifted incendiary bombs from Japan high into the high jetstream winds that floated all the way to Oregon! Not too successful, but there were casualties when people tried to move them, apparently.

Mike is an ice cream fan so we also visited the Tillamook ice cream and cheese factory. The area is famous for it's dairy products. Too many flavors to try - but I managed two cones.The Aussies beat 'em hands down with cheese, though. They only had four kinds to taste - all cheddar. We still can't get over the orange cheese - it's either that or very pale yellow like the butter ! The eggs here are also pure white - no brown ones at all - Maybe Obama can do something about that...... ;-)

Anyway, I'll post some pics of the aircraft and the huge wooden hangar (15 stories high and 7 acres in area) when I get a chance - along with some pics of San Francisco, and Oregon. Yeah , I know...... I'm getting behind, just too much to photograph.

Arrived in Lebanon Oregon

2008-11-15T13:19:00.001-06:00

Glen and I arrived at Barb's and Mike's in Lebanon on Thursday the 13th. Barb is just as I imagined from talking to her online all these years. We went to the Fabric Depot in Portland yesterday and lo-and-behold there was a 35% off fabric sale and 25% off everything else. So....whats a girl to do? Buy fabric of course!! On the Thursday we arrived Barbara took me to a quilt shop called Greenbaums in Salem and I got to meet Michelle from a Google Group I am in called Beehive. Michelle is just so lovely and it really was terrific to put a face and voice to the emails. Unfortunately we didn't think to take a photo but I did buy fabric at Greenbaums which were again great prices. Half a yard for $2.99. So I got some Moda fabrics. What a bargain. We also visited a shop called the Craft Warehouse. Wow, that is one terrific place to shop for fabrics as well. I got a bundle of 6 fat quarters on sale for $10.49 so I grabbed 2 Mary Englebreit bundles. I also got the cute ME charm pack.

Glen, Mike and Malachi headed to Tillamook Air Museum. We all had a wonderful day out. Glen will process photo's of the museum but for now I know all my crafty friends will love seeing the fabrics I got. I couldn't beleive we were there for three hours and I really only saw three quarters of Fabric Depot. I really could have brought so much more, but I know I still have 10 weeks so thought better and tried to be as good as I could be without being armed with patterns in mind for the fabric purchases.

Wilma and Khris sewed today

2008-11-12T23:02:00.000-06:00

Wilma and I sewed today. We had been out shopping the other day and brought a really gorgeous charm pack in muddy coloured fabrics and decided to make a a cute litle hand bag with them.

These few photo's were taken just before we headed out from Wilma and Larrys the following day. Glen, Wilma and Larry then Khristina, Wilma and Larry.

Tomorrow's Drive

2008-11-12T20:47:00.000-06:00

We're on the road again tomorrow - leaving La Pine and heading east to a town called Lebanon, which is lower in altitude and about an hour and a half south of Portland. It's only about a two and half hour trip, which should be a nice easy drive. We've got a couple of full day drives coming up. More later......

Slideshows and albums........

2008-11-12T20:16:00.000-06:00

Just a reminder that you can view some slideshows by clicking on the links on the right hand side - and if you are just starting to read the Blog, start from the bottom (I hate that). I've added some Alcatraz pics and there is now a slideshow link.

If you follow this link to our Picasa albums you can browse the pics and see on a map where some were taken, as well as access the albums and slideshows.

Oregon......trees, trees, trees

2008-11-12T01:58:00.000-06:00

After about a seven hour drive, we arrived at La Pine (Larry and Wilma's). La Pine is in the Cascade mountains of Oregon - very scenic area with an abundance of conifers and lakes. A lot of the scenery is similar to some pine forests (on steroids) at home but much prettier with mountains and lakes thrown in. It's also close to the High Desert area and it's also an old volcanic place with lots of rock and old lava flows.

It's getting quite cool now, freezing over night and only 8 or 9 during the day (C) - which is about 48-50 Farenheit. There has already been some snow here (but not much laying around now) and it won't be long before it starts getting deep. Some of the roads heading higher up into the mountains are closed and people are driving with winter tyres - some of them studded. In Larry's car today it sounded like driving on gravel at slow speeds. Some of the places will only be accessible by snowmobile and lakes freeze over. It's all interesting to us, as we don't experience anything like the winters here.

Khristina and Wilma went shopping today, so Larry and I bailed and he showed me around the local area. Some really beautiful lakes and camping areas that are used in the warmer months. I learned a lot about the different pine trees (Jack Pine, Ponderosa, Fir etc) and the local fishing, which seems incredible. Hunting, fishing and the outdoors is so popular here - and understandable considering how pristine the landscape is.

We went to The Sportsman's Warehouse, which is the biggest outdoors store you can imagine. Like the size of K-Mart at home, but selling fishing, hunting and camping equipment. Row after row of fishing rods, flies , and lures. Outdoor clothing of every description, boats, waders, cold weather gear - and the guns and pistols. GOOD GRIEF !!! I counted over a hundred pistols alone on the wall - and that doesn't include the display cases. Rifles, shotguns, muzzle loaders, archery equipment and stuffed animals hanging from the walls - some of them huge. I asked to hold a couple of the pistols, the biggest I have ever seen. They made Dirty Harry's 44 Magnum look like toy - seriously !! One was a 50 calibre revolver with a 10 inch barell. The salesman has a friend who uses one in Alaska with a telescopic site to shoot bear !! I wanted to take a photo of the thing, but it wasn't allowed.

Whilst the girls were shopping, we went all over, checking out some great places. I even got to see a Bald Eagle in the wild at a small lake where they hunt salmon. Apparently the water was a little high and recently you could see them catching fish quite easily. Unfortunately I couldn't get close enough to take a good photo but we saw several. The scenery was impressive even though it was raining. More later .....

The streets of San Francisco.......

2008-11-12T01:13:00.000-06:00

Our second day in San Francisco was spent driving around visiting different areas, including the Golden Gate bridge. We walked part of the way over the bridge and were lucky enough to have fantastic weather the whole day. We spent some time at the base of the bridge and drove through The Presidio, which is an old ex-military area nearby.It was surprising to see such a pretty area with lots of space, greenery and Aussie gum trees (Eucalypts). There were plenty of joggers and pedestrians out enjoying the Sunday weather, and even some surfers catching waves - literally just next to the Golden Gate bridge. No beach and freezing water!

Driving in the city is interesting, to say the least. The hills are like you may have seen on TV - incredibly steep with sometimes heavy traffic and lots of stop signs. I took lots of photos and will try and sort them soon and post an album. I also took some night shots of the Golden Gate at night and it was unusual to be at the end of the bridge by myself - nobody else around at all, except a skunk. I was busy taking some shot and this skunk wandered up and started foraging for food. I was busy and decided not to approach it just in case it did it's defensive manoeuvre, so no photos.

We rose early and headed out for Oregon at about 5am, crossing the Golden Gate and finding an overlook, taking some photos at dawn. It was a great view and something to remember. Photos later.......

San Francisco

2008-11-09T11:36:00.000-06:00

Well we made it to San Francisco late yesterday morning. It was just over a two hour drive from Karen & Stephen's place at Penryn (near Sacramento). We drove around the city for a bit and had look around. We visited Fisherman's Wharf and the crooked street (Lombard Street)and checked out the city neighbourhoods. No parking anywhere, but the city is very unique - especially the houses. We also did the Alcatraz tour from late yesterday afternoon - ferry across to the island in foggy weather, but it cleared up for the ride back. Still chilly, though. Out and about today seeing the sights.

Alcatraz was interesting, and there is a couple of photos below. Khristina may need locking up if she keeps collecting stuff to carry around the country and then take home !!

Morro Rock

2008-11-09T00:05:00.000-06:00

Our first stop was on the road on the way up the mountain - you can see a big domed rock above, which we climbed. It's called Morro Rock and you get there by climbing 400 steps. The track was very narrow and Khristina started talking to a guy that wouldn't shut up. He was friendly, just very talkative - make that very, very talkative. The view was well worth it, as you can see - you can see a long way and right to some of the highest peaks in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Some of the peaks were over 12,000 ft. You can see by the photo on the left, just how steep the stairs were. The altitude just compounded the huffing and puffing (we never did get fit before the trip like we planned to!)

Glen and Khristina together at the top.

The very chatty stranger and Khristina.

The drive into the mountains....

2008-11-08T02:10:00.000-06:00

Sequoia was an amazing place. The road is very narrow in most places with lots of hairpins - and you climb up to nearly 7000ft (as high as our highest mountain). It also gets quite cold - down to nearly freezing when you get up really high..

Sequoia Photos

2008-11-08T01:05:00.000-06:00

I've sorted some pics of the national park visit and there is a link up the top on the right side of the blog. The pics are in a Google album and this link (the pic) should get you there .

Sequoia & Kings Canyon NP

Remember you can click on a pic in the blog to enlarge it.

Arrived in Sacremento

2008-11-07T11:32:00.001-06:00

We arrived at our friends Karen and Steves home in Penryn on Wednesday the 5th after a very tiring drive through the windiest roads of Sequoia NP and Kings Canyon. This is just a quick entry to let you all know where we are. Glen will update the blog with all the particulars and photos soon. I left the aussie adapter in the hotel which didn't impress Glen as we couldn't charge the laptops or camera but worst of all I couldn't use my hair straightener. Glen went out yesterday to Radio Shack to purchase a new adapter and some other items we will need along the way at good old Walmart. Watch this space for Glens update on Sequoia NP and Kings Canyon.

I am currently sitting in the Travelodge just outside of San Francisco adding these photos of all the goodies I brought while I was at Karens place. She was so good to me and gave me some 40% coupons from Joanne's that we could also use at a shop called Beverly's. OMG I got my first Jelly Rolls...can you beleive it. 40% off!!! I got Moda Jelly Rolls and I also got a 2.5yard piece of Moda fabric for 50% off and it was already on sale for $3.99 a yard. So I was in fabric heaven!! The charm pack was the only thing I payed full price for. It is the same range as the yardage I brought. So they will be fun to make a tablerunner or something small out of.

Karen and I are Advent Swap Partners in our Yahoo CRAFT group so I dropped off her pressies and I got mine....we get to open one gift every day from the 1st of December and on Christmas day we open the larger gift. Look at my lovely gifts all in a quilted bag!!! I can't wait to open them. Karen was so sweet and added a few spares for me just in case I couldn't wait for the 1st of December...lol...of course I couldn't, so while I was there I opened one gift which was the BEST bunch of fabric charm squares. OMG I cant wait to start sewing them all together. Thank you Karen you are so good to me and I already feel so spoiled.

Karen and Khristina.

Where we're headed tomorrow...... click to enlarge.

2008-11-05T01:06:00.001-06:00

Election Night

2008-11-04T23:58:00.000-06:00

I've been watching some of the election coverage tonight and heard Obama's speech on becoming the President elect. He's extremely articulate and his speech was really good. He spoke about a 106 year old black lady from Atalanta, Georgia who voted today and all the changes she has seen in her life - from the beginning of the 20th century - no voting rights, no civil rights and all the progress. It was punctuated with "Yes We Can" and "this is our time" - very inspiring - all in front of 120,000 people in Chicago.

Some of his speeches are really worth listening to (even for an ignorant Aussie) and I can understand why people compare him to Martin Luther King. His inauguration speech should be interesting. The amount of people supporting him is amazing over here. Apparently there were 1.5 million volunteers helping his campaign today and they are much more passionate about their politics here than home.

I found it interesting that their polling booths can be just about anywhere - homes, garages you name it. Also interesting that they vote on "Propositions" (at least in California), where they have a say in state issues like gay marriage (which may be defeated), animal rights, renewable energy etc. An enormous amount of pre-election advertising on the state issues here.

Apparently California is a very safe Democratic state, so McCain and Obabma didn't bother to campaign here, but I think people are tired of all the coverage - the same as happens at home.

I just noticed our dollar is up 4 percent today after the election - keep it coming Obama !

Bed time (Khristina is snoring). More later.........

From the foothills of The Sierra Nevada (click to enlarge the map)

2008-11-04T23:19:00.000-06:00

Back again. Khristina is sound asleep next to me - and has been since about 8 pm. We're at a little hotel near the Sierra Nevada Moutains in a town called Three Rivers, a tiny town just outside the Sequoia National Park.

We picked up our rental car this morning and were lucky enough to get a free upgrade to a Nissan Altima(pronounced "Neesahn" here). Nice car - almost the size of Commodore and with all the extras. Keyless ignition was fun first time out - had to ask how to start it (foot on the brake). We left Long Beach about 1030 am and headed north on the freeway - all 6 lanes in one direction - two were closed in some areas, it's sometimes 8 lanes each way. The traffic was good - 70 mph speed limit and the traffic cruises around 80 (135 kph) once you get into the country. I had to tell Khristina to slow down once or twice - petrolhead ! I think it was close to 300 miles (500km) by the time we visited the National Park Visitor centre and returned to the hotel and found some dinner (Mexican again). Looks like it will be quite cold tomorrow when we head up into the mountains (over 6000ft) - it was bad enough late this afternoon and we were only just past the foothills. Had to break out the parkas tonight.

We went for a short walk this afternoon inside the Park to check out the river and it's gorge and we'll have more time tomorrow. You have to store all your food correctly here in case of bears. Although late in the season, they can still wreck your car trying to get at it, so it has to go in heavy metal lockers or in your boot (trunk). We saw a pic of car door that was bent in half by one bear trying to find food, and that would prove difficult !

We'll visit the giant sequoias in the morning - the largest trees in the world. The General Sherman tree is first and then on to the General Grant and Kings Canyon. The roads here are sooooo windy and narrow - and no guardrails - of course Khristina can't handle the passenger seat (gets ill) so I get to "enjoy" all the curves. Slowly getting used to sitting on the right without a steering wheel in front ! We both still walk to wrong side of the car to get in and Khristina keeps indicating turns with windscreen wipers.

Out & About...... and leaving Long Beach.

2008-11-03T21:54:00.000-06:00

Hey all. Glen here. Funnily enough, Khristina was out quilting today - so thankfully Marilyn loaned me her car and I was re-introduced to driving on the other side of the road. I had to make sure the rental car was sorted and pick up a few things, so I drove from Huntington Beach - Long Beach and return. Much busier than sleepy old Adelaide. No crashes, and getting used to it again - tight right and loose left turns, that way you don't take a corner in the wrong lane ! We had a Tomtom GPS delivered here before we arrived and I would have literally been lost without it. It will be invaluable for the whole trip - especially when Khristina is shopping and I can get away (and find my way back to pick her up - if she's lucky).

We're pretty much packed and ready to roll tomorrow. Just have to pick up the rental car and pack it- and wait for the LA traffic to quiet down a bit (gotta love those freeways with 6 or 8 lanes each way). Off to our first National Park - Sequoia about 4 hours NNW.

Thankfully, petrol (gas) is going down in price and is cheaper than 12 months ago. The national average is $2.38/US Gal (3.78 litres) as of today and with oil now $60US/barrel it will hopefully decrease further. Khristina has worked out that we will probably drive 20,000 Km (12,000 miles), so we need all the help we can get.

Khristina already has to get at least two jobs when we get home to pay for her fabric shopping !!! More later......

Hey its Khris here...while Glen was out and about for the day I was with Marilyn and her friend Terrie. Marilyn was quilting a Healing Heart quilt for our dear friend in our Yahoo CRAFT group.

My Birthday Present

2008-11-02T23:18:00.004-06:00

Glen had brought me a birthday present which I couldnt get until I got here to Long Beach as Australia didn't have my favourite colour. So my thoughtful husband had to get it from the States for me. My favourite colour is red and this is such a cute little camera. Now the thing about this is he didn't just think of me. He thought of himself too because last time on our trip to the States I would always be saying "quick take a pic of this". So, he was thinking of himself too...lol...but it is so little it will fit very easily into my handbag.

More Shopping

2008-11-02T23:17:00.001-06:00

We also went to Joanne's today and brought batting for Healing Heart quilts that Marilyn will quilt tomorrow when we go to her friends place who has a long arm quilting machine. The lady at Joannes was oh so wonderful. We had a 40% off coupon which we used for the batting and the lovely lady pulled out another coupon from under the counter and used it for one of the books. How lovely of her. It only cost about $6US for one of the books. How nice was that!!!

Fabric Shopping

2008-11-02T22:57:00.000-06:00

Today Marilyn and I went to a discount fabric shop called M&L's....ohhh my gosh....this place is awesome...it is humungous and the prices are unbelievable especially for us Aussies....I brought about 25 yards of fabric but the best buys were these 1930's for $2.98 yard. I went with patterns in mind so that I could go home and actually know what I would be making with these fabrics.

We went to a local place for lunch called Pauls and I had an oh so yummy Chicked Ceasar Salad for lunch and Marilyn had these yummy deep fried battered zucchini...something I don't think we have in Oz. And such huge servings and still so cheap. I am going to end up 10kg heavier by the time this three months is over.

Finally Here !!

2008-11-01T22:53:00.005-05:00

We made it safe and sound to Los Angeles and our wonderful friend Marilyn has picked us up and we are now comfortable in Long Beach.

On the 4th when we pick up the hire car and head to Sequoia National Park. We always feel sooooo spoilt. We didn't get as much sleep as we would have liked to on the plane and were so tired today. We had some yummy lunch at a Mexican place which was really was so yummy and so cheap. We forgot how BIG the meals here in the States are and how cheap things are. Marilyn took me to M&L's discount fabric store which is absolutely humongous and have amazing prices. I was so tired though and I just couldn't think to know what to buy and because Glen was with us we decided we would go back tomorrow when I was more energetic and Glen wasn't there either.

This is Marilyn's oh so yummy pear pie she made for dessert...I have never had pear pie but I can recommend pear pie anytime...it was delicious.

Time is Ticking Away

2008-10-29T07:08:00.010-05:00

Wow time has flown by and Glen and I have only two days to go before we fly out to the States. It has been 3 years since we last visited and we are so very excited to be going again. We have such wonderful friends in the States that we are looking forward to spending time with. We also have new online friends that we are looking forward to meeting. We will be gone for twelve weeks which still doesn't seem enough time. There is just so much in the States to see and do that we really do need to be there at least 6 months....hold on, a year would be better!!!