Homeward Bound

 We are on our way home after spending time with our grandson Ike, Hannah, and our new great grandson Elkan.  Had a great time sharing stories about our family and dining with them.  We had real local cajun food. It was delicious.  We also enjoyed spending time in their home and we got to play with Elkan who will soon be walking.  

Today, we are in Mississippi at a KOA campground.  We have had a great time, but it will be nice to be back home.

The Big Texan

 Left Albuquerque and headed to Texas.  We camped at the Big Texan RV Park. 

We also treated ourselves to a steak dinner with friends at the Big Texan Steak Ranch.  The restaurant offers a challenge to their guests. If you can eat a 72 oz. steak, roll, baked potato and salad in a hour it is FREE.  It doesn't happen often, but it has been done.

Oh, our steaks were delicious and we took half of our 8 oz. steaks back to the coach.

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta 2025

 Arrived at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta and got settled in before the balloon launch.  We were amazed at the variety of balloons and the number of attendees.  Below are some pictures of this great morning.  We were amazed that we were able to walk on the field and even visit the pilots and crew. 

That afternoon we visited the Turquoise Museum  we saw employees slice and polish turquoise.  The museum had on display a stone that was worth over 16 million.

Later we went to the Nuclear Museum which chronicled the development of nuclear energy and the use by the military.  Behind the museum there were several planes and equipment that were used to transport nuclear equipment.

The next morning we attended the Special Shapes Rodeo which included Mickey Mouse, aliens, parrots, and even Smokey the Bear.

 

                                                                                                                                                                               

   

                  

After sunset we were treated to a drone light show and fireworks.  The fireworks display rivaled many Fourth of July Celebrations.

The hot  air balloon figure to the right is made with drones are in a formation controlled by a computer. 

Saturday we visited the Hot Air Balloon Museum.  The displays were well done and interesting.  We enjoyed the virtual hot air ride.  We wore virtual glasses that displayed scenes from a hot air balloon and made you feel like you were actually riding in a balloon.  You could see all around you, above you and below you.  If was an effective ride.

Grand Canyons Wonders

 The Grand Canyon is a natural wonder which is found Arizona.  It is a site of natures amazing rock formations which have been sculpted by wind and water.  The Colorado River has been cutting the rock for centuries and the canyon is still being changed to this day.  To look at the river at the bottom of the canyon it seems that this would be an impossible feat.  The following photos will give you a taste of what we experienced on our trip.

The rugged layers on the sides of the canyon are breathtaking.  Other formations are more rocky and lack the pink and red color.

If you look carefully in the middle of the picture you may be able to see the muddy Colorado River that has eroded tons of dirt and rock to form today's canyon.

At the end of our drive on the south rim of the canyon we walked to the Desert View Watch Tower which was built in1906 by VerKamp and operated as a store to serve visitors.  Today is serves as the Grand Canyon Conservancy park store.

Bryce National Park and the Hoodoos

 Drove through Bryce Park and saw more canyons with beautiful red geological formations.  While Zion displayed the layers of soil and rock that had been eroded, Bryce had large rock outcroppings.  We enjoyed Bryce more because it was not as busy and we were able to pull off the road at parking areas.  

Entering the park we passed through arches.

We took this picture of the Natural Bridge from one of the many scenic parking areas.

A hoodoo is a tall, thin spire of rock formed by erosion. Hoodoos typically consist of relatively soft rock topped by harder, less easily eroded stone that protects each column from the elements. They generally form within sedimentary rock and volcanic rock formations.

Had a late lunch at the lodge.  After lunch we headed back to our coach.

Awesome vistas in Zion National Park

 Zion is a must see national park.  The few pictures included do not do justice to the views that we saw.  The rock formations are huge and only give you a taste of the beauty of the landscape found in Utah. We drove around the east side of the park and drove though the Zion-Mount CarmelTunnel that was 1.1 miles long and was built in 1920's.  Entering the tunnel was like entering a cave because it was not lit inside.

Tomorrow we plan to return to Zion and go into the interior of the park. 

We were fortunate that we were treated to the color of the Aspens which had changed to their fall colors.  What a glorious experience.

Ghouls and Goblins

 We arrived at our campground after a six hour drive though Idaho and ending in Utah.  As we entered the campground we were greeted by ghouls and goblins.  The management had already decorated for Halloween.

Heading for Cedar City Utah near the canyons. We plan to visit Bryce and Zion National Parks.

The wildside of Bozeman

 Have enjoyed spending time with Patrick and Lena, and their dogs Ranger and Scout. The dogs were well behaved and loved being with us inside or out.

 
They live beside a creek and below the foothills.  It is a scenic area.  They have seen moose along the stream and in their yard.

We have spent time retelling stories of the past and laughing about the things that we did as a family which did not always go as planned.  Having not been in the area for some time we went back to our favorite restaurants and marvelled at how the town has changed from a quaint town into a growing city with congestion and traffic.

In the evening we played several games of "aggrevation" which was Bettie's dad's favorite game. 

This evening we are preparing to be on the road again and heading to Bryce and Zion National Parks.

Arrived in Bozeman

 Arrived at Bear Canyon Campground in Bozeman.  The day began with rain and wind, but it cleared up by noon and the scenery was beautiful.  Took this picture from our campsite. 

Spending time with Patrick and Lena the next few days.

When you see the teepees you are in South Dakota

 Arrived in South Dakota today and  stopped at two rest areas.  The picture shows the teepee that welcomed us to South Dakota.  The  second rest area is Bettie's favorite. If you pass Chamberlain, SD you will see a beautiful stainless steel sculpture that celebrates the Native American culture.


 This rest area also has an excellent small museum that has artifacts and displays explaining the trials of the Lewis and Clark expeditions that explored land which President Jefferson wanted to open to expansion westward.  They met with native americans, documented plants, and animals which they encountered and mapped rivers in the area that could be navigated.  Information shared with Jefferson was valuable to the early pioneers who traveled west.

Amana Colonies

We arrived Amana Colonies and stayed at an RV park that is huge, level, and quiet.  The next day we visited the shops and restaurants in this quaint village. We always visit the furniture shop which has furniture handcrafted from beautiful hardwoods.  This year it was interesting to see that they are now
showcasing more contemporary furniture designs.

We also visited a toy store which had a wide variety of toys from the past.  No computer games, or electronics.  It did have wooden blocks, stuffed animals, and "Dick and Jane" readers.  What a pleasant change.  

Had a coffee and lunch at Ronneburgs which had delicious German food.  After lunch we saw houses that were covered with vines.  We found out they grow grapes on their houses which they later harvest for wine.

Great First Day - Arrived at Galesburg, IL KOA

Had a great day to travel.  No rain and moderate traffic. We arrived at the Galesburg, IL KOA and setup on a nice shady site. One of the attractions in the area is a railroad museum which maintains a variety of older train equipment including a steam engine.  Unfortunately, the museum was closed, but some of the railcars and an engine were located outside. 

Albuquerque Balloon Festival 2025

 

On September 16th, 2025 we will be traveling west, visiting kids, hiking in some of our National Parks, attending the Albuquerque Balloon Festival, and traveling to Baton Rouge, LA to see our great grandson.  

Visit our site to enjoy our adventures out west.

Venice - "Tranquil canals, artful footbridges and Gothic splendor"

This was the last stop on our Mediterranean Cruise.  As we approached the city, the splendor of the past Venetian Republic was an awe inspiring sight.  The magnificent buildings, the ships, and the sleek boats cruising beside us.

As we traveled along the coastline to the pier where we would be moored we continued to see many Venetian Gothic structures as seen on the left. The arches and stained glass are characteristics of the this style of architecture.  It should be noted that these huge buildings are built on large timber piles driven into the mud.  The entire city was built on a swampy area and that is the reason that canals are used even today as the only form of transportation in the city.

Even today gondolas are still used to transport people about the city.  Water is essential for all services.  The police, ambulance service, and fire use boats.  Cars and bicycles are banned in the city.  So you either walk or take a boat. 

Because canals are everywhere stone bridges are used for pedestrian traffic.  We had to cross four stone bridges to get from our ferry to St. Mark's Square.

This bridge was used to transport prisoners from the justice building where trials are held, to the prison across the canal.

On our walking tour we walked through calli which are like narrow alleys. They are maybe five feet wide and with the tourist traffic it was slow going to get to St. Mark's Square, but it was worth it.

St. Mark's Square or the Piazza San Marco was spectacular. We viewed St. Mark's Basilica and its bell tower which are amazing and date from 1060 to 1100.  The pictures below show the beauty of the structures and the congestion in the piazza.

 

Also located on the piazza is the St. Mark's Clock Tower.  You will notice the lion near the top of the tower. It is the symbol of the city. 

Although this was the last day of our adventure, it is one that we will never forget.  The adventure was a great celebration of our 50 years of marriage.

Who knows what is next in our future, but we look forward to many more years of marriage. 

Split - Roman Palace of Emperor Diocletian

Split is one of Croatia's oldest cities, built around the ancient Roman Palace of Emperor Diocletian. He built the palace for his retirement on the Adriatic Sea. Harbors were essential for commerce and the growth of a city. Greeks were located at this location in the 6th century BC while the palace was built over 1,700 years ago.

We entered the palace through one of the basement passageways. We were told that after the emperor was killed people moved into the palace, but they did not have a way to get rid of their trash and the basement became filled with rubbish. Today, the cellar rooms have been cleaned and shops now flourish in the basement.

At noon we greeted by the Roman Emperor with his wife and Roman Guard.

This tour gave us the best understanding of Roman engineering which was some of the best during ancient times. Many structures had arched ceiling which could carry more weight. Before the ceiling could be built scaffolding had to be built and

we saw where the huge beams had been placed.

As we walked through the palace it was evident that architecture

was present from several different periods including some modern structures.

The bell tower has survived conquests and wars. It remains as a focal point in the middle of the palace and the bells continues to peal on the hour.





We not only enjoyed the tour of the palace, also the breathtaking views of the coastline.