30th Wedding Anniversary Trip

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Howe Caverns
7. maaliskuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ 🌬 -1 °C
Some more photos that Cathy took for us at Howe Caverns.
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Howe Caverns
7. maaliskuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ 🌬 -1 °C
It was then onwards to the Howe Caverns.

‘Lester Howe, his wife Lucinda, and their three infant children – Huldah Ann, Harriet Elgiva and Halsey John – settled in the valley east of Cobleskill. The location of the cave entrance had been lost to history, but there was talk of a mysterious “Blowing Rock” – a strange rocky ledge from which a cool breeze of air emanated on even the hottest days.

Howe and his family farm were located adjacent to the caverns’ hidden entrance (the farmhouse foundation stood on Dug Road, just east of Boreali’s Restaurant until I-88 was built). There is no doubt Howe was fascinated by stories of the strange local phenomenon “Blowing Rock.” Reports of the day placed its location just north of the “Kobles Kill” and ten miles west of the Schoharie River – on or near his property.

There are several different accounts of the caverns’ history, but the most often told (shortened for the touring public) is that Howe found the cave by accident on the 22nd of May, 1842. On many hot summer days he noticed his cows pastured in this same spot, not on his land, but land owned by neighbor and friend, Henry Wetsel. When Howe approached his herd, he began to notice the temperature getting cooler. His dairy herd had gathered near the cave’s hidden entrance to feel the cool air coming from below, and Howe had indeed found the mysterious “Blowing Rock” and gave credit, in particular, to a cow named “Millicent” for helping with the discovery. Howe then entered the cave with his neighbor Henry Wetsel.

On May 22, 1842, Howe entered the cave with Wetsel. Day after day, the two returned to explore the caverns. Each time, they would go a little farther. Each time they would emerge wet and muddy, but exalted by the thrill of their discoveries. They hammered a piece of tin into a lamp to burn whale oil as their light source. They explored about one and a half miles of underground passageways – all by the dim, flickering light of the small oil lamp. They built a raft and crossed what we know today as the Lake of Venus.

In February, 1843, Howe purchased the property from Wetsel for $100.

At age 33, Lester Howe opened Howe’s Cave as the country’s third commercial cave venture. Improvements in the cave began almost immediately with Howe’s announcements to the press rivaling his cave with the great Mammoth Cave of Kentucky.

The treasure that was 156-feet below the earth’s surface, that had so delighted Howe and Wetsel, had begun its mission of thrilling millions more.’

And we were one of the millions today. Both Dave and I said it when we visited the underground caves in Wellington NSW and said it again today, you just never know what is underground!

And you can’t say this too often that you got to ride in a boat underground!

So many photos taken today that would take pages and pages of the blog so will just post some.

Another amazing day on our adventure!Lue lisää
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Rest day
8. maaliskuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 0 °C
Today was a much needed rest day. As the weather was extremely windy making the temps drop well into the negatives, we decided to have a look around Walmart and Barnes & Noble before heading back home for lunch and a rest in the afternoon.Lue lisää
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Sap House
9. maaliskuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ -5 °C
Today we headed to The Sap House at Stone House Farm in Sharon Springs for breakfast. It is a big maple farm where they tap their trees and make their own maple syrup. It takes 40 litres of sap to make 1 litre of maple syrup.

From February each year for 12 weeks they open their farm up for people to come and enjoy all you can eat waffles, pancakes and maple sausages with their own maple syrup, maple butter, maple cream and maple sugar as condiments. And they don’t disappoint. Ever so thoughtful Cath had some gluten free pancakes and waffles for me.Lue lisää
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Hyde Hall Covered Bridge
9. maaliskuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ -1 °C
After breakfast, Cath and Michael surprised us with a visit to the oldest covered bridge in America called the Hyde Hall Covered Bridge. It was only about 20 mins from the Sap House.

First built in 1825 and restored in 1967, it truly didn’t disappoint. It was made even more special visiting with Cath and Michael in the snow.

We saw bobcat prints and there was a sign saying there had been bear sightings.

Truly magical morning.Lue lisää
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Ice Hockey
9. maaliskuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 3 °C
Our day was topped off with a road trip to Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls to see the Adirondack Thunder play Wheeling Nailers from West Virginia. These teams are State professionals, the feeder teams for the NHL.

Absolutely brilliant fast game with just a bit of biffo seeing the home team Adirondack Thunder score 2 goals in the last 10 minutes of the third period to take home the win.Lue lisää
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Weston, Vermont
10. maaliskuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 2 °C
Our holiday wouldn’t be complete without a trip up to our favourite place, Weston in Vermont. And today surely turned on the gorgeous weather for us, it was like a spring day.

We left early and had a look around, made a few purchases at the Vermont Country Store before heading back. We got back about lunchtime then after lunch Cathy and I again made the most of the gorgeous day and went for a long walk.

Cathy is at mandarin class this afternoon so I headed out again for a long walk, it was amazing.Lue lisää
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Sick day
11. maaliskuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ -1 °C
Not something you want to say on an adventure however it happened.

Dave came down with a stomach bug on our way home from Vermont yesterday and I came down with it this morning. Dave was feeling better when I got sick.

After spending the whole morning sleeping plus a little into the afternoon, I started to feel better just no appetite.Lue lisää
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Goodbye Nisky Hello Atlanta
12. maaliskuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ 🌙 8 °C
We went to bed early last night as we knew we had a very early start in the morning for our flight to Seattle via Atlanta.

Up at 3.15am to pack the last few things before Cathy taking us to the airport at 3.45am ready for our 6.00am flight. It’s a very busy time of the morning at Albany International Airport so we can now understand why they say to be there 2 hours before your flight.

Checked our bags, through security though I was patted down again, then onto our gate to wait for our flight. A few snacks bought from Hudson News so we had something to eat as there was no food except snacks on the plane.

Before we knew it we were in the air and again before we knew it we were landed in Atlanta.

This would have had to have been one of the smoothest flights we have ever had, from takeoff to landing.Lue lisää
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Goodbye Atlanta Hello Seattle
12. maaliskuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ 🌧 7 °C
The hour layover we had in Atlanta went so quick and before we knew it we were boarded ready for our longer flight to Seattle.

Both Dave and I slept most of the way so the 5.5 hour flight seemed quite quick. We had Delta Comfort + seats which were amazing, so much more room for Dave and he didn’t fidget the whole way.

Landing in Seattle, we grabbed our bags, made the long trek to the Uber pick up area and ordered an Uber. This was by far the most expensive Uber we have had so far but it is so much easier than navigating public transport with luggage.

We arrived at our hotel at 1.00pm local time (we had gained 3 hours of time) and was hoping our room would be ready as check in wasn’t until 4.00pm. We were in luck, our room was ready so we unpacked, had a bit of a rest then headed out to Whole Foods and bought some groceries. We are in a perfect location as Whole Foods is just around the corner. Plus the Space Needle is a short walk and we can see it from our room.Lue lisää
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Our first taste of Seattle
13. maaliskuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C
We had a very slow morning this morning as we are still trying to acclimatise to the 3 hours difference from the East Coast. Dave is back to feeling 100% however I was still feeling a little yuk this morning and most of the day until later this afternoon. Hopefully will be back to 100% tomorrow.

When we were ready, we headed out and surprisingly it wasn’t raining, Seattle is known for rain. We headed to the water to take in the amazing views across the bay.

Seattle is a little like San Fransisco with its hills and houses but the streets and avenues are very much like New York City.

For most part the area of the city we are staying in being between Belltown and Uptown is very clean and safe however on both our walks today we saw fentanyl use and fentanyl drug deals going down right out in the open, and we weren’t even in the sketchy parts of the city.

This morning’s walk saw us walk to the cruise terminal, where you can see the snowcapped Mt Rainer, before walking back into town to see where the ice hockey arena was as we are thinking of seeing a NHL game tomorrow night. The area is only about 1km from where we are staying and right across the roads from the Space Needle.

While we were near the stadium, we had to duck for cover as it was sunshine one minute then a small hail storm the next.

As the photos show, there are also some amazing street art here in Seattle.

We headed back to our room via Walgreens for lunch and a rest.Lue lisää
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Pike Place Market and much more
13. maaliskuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C
After a bit of a relax and phone recharge, we headed out to explore the piers the other direction to what we took this morning.

We first walked past the glass domes which are the headquarters of Amazon.

I also found the way they place their street and avenue names quite cute.

The new piers we visited have the Pike Place Markets, Seattle Aquarium and the Waterfront which is along the lines of Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. We just sat and took in all the atmosphere before heading back through the markets (which we will explore more tomorrow) and stumbled upon Ghost Street and The Gum Wall, where people chew up gum and stick it to a wall. Dave found it fascinating and I found it stomach churning.

Amazing day in another amazing seaside city we are growing to love.

We walked 10kms today.Lue lisää
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Pier 56 onwards
14. maaliskuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C
Today we explored the piers further on to what we did see yesterday. This part of the waterfront is very much like San Francisco minus the sea lions. Lots of shops and eateries.

We strolled along the waterfront, sat, watched all the boats and ships, admired the Cascade Mountains as the weather was so clear and just took in the atmosphere.

We then did a little shopping for souvenirs before having some lunch. On our way back up along the piers we heard some seagulls so went and sat with them for a while. As we were there the water police were practicing their diving and as we both found that interesting we had to take photos for Tommy who is a little obsessed at present.

We headed back up through the streets and visited Target before heading back to our room for a bit of a rest. It was about 2.00pm and we headed out again at 4.00pm to see if we could buy tickets for the NFL game that was happening at the stadium near us at 7.00pm tonight. It was about a 10 minute walk and we were lucky to secure some tickets.

On our way back to the room, we went via Wholefoods to get some fruit salad, milk and water.

Back at the room, we didn’t have long to wait before we headed back to the stadium for the game.

We walked 13.7kms.Lue lisää
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Seattle Kraken v Utah Hockey Club
14. maaliskuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C
We were lucky enough to secure tickets to the game after my Ticketmaster account for some reason wouldn’t allow me to purchase them (well more like my debit card wouldn’t let me). Could have had to do with my address being in Australia and I was purchasing the tickets whilst in America. Didn’t have any trouble buying the basketball tickets whilst in Australia so really don’t know what was wrong.

We made it to the arena about 6.30pm and a quick trip through security where you have to empty all your pockets and walk through scanners (and yes Dave was pulled up because of the size of his watch, happened at the basketball as well).

The seats were had were in the nose bleed in the last row but we could see everything.

The atmosphere and the game were bloody amazing seeing the home team secure the win 4 to 2. Seattle scored in the first 46secs and scored in the last 4 minutes so it was a great game! So much so I was too busy watching to take many photos.Lue lisää
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Rest day
15. maaliskuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ 🌧 7 °C
Today has been a complete day af rest, mainly because it has been raining heavy all night last night and most of today. We had a late night at the hockey last night and a sleep in this morning so decided to have a rest day. We did all our washing ready for the next part of our holiday in 2 days time when we fly to San Fransisco for the last part of this amazing trip.

I did today however look at the temps we will be flying into back in Australia and we really and truly don’t want to face those temps as we are still enjoying temps in the negatives and single digits!Lue lisää
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Space Needle
16. maaliskuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C
Today we had another quieter day as Dave is having some issues with his back/legs so we have decided to have quieter days to see if this helps ease any inflammation or the cause of the pain.

We did however head to the Space Needle and took in all the views of this beautiful city. We first explored the outdoor observation deck before heading back inside and stand on the glass revolving floor and observation deck taking in not only the views out but also the views from underneath it.

Amazing experience. We have an early start in the morning having to be at the airport at 8.30am for our 10.30am flight to San Francisco for the last 4 days of our adventure before making the long trek home on our Thursday (Friday in Australia).Lue lisää
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Travel Day - Seattle to San Francisco
17. maaliskuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
Travel day to our final destination on this amazing adventure, back to where it all started, San Francisco.

We got our Uber at 8.00am for our 10.30am flight out of Seattle. I have to say Ubers in Seattle whilst great are bloody expensive, about double to three times what we have paid in other cities. I looked it up and Seattle is the only city that make sure all Uber drivers including Uber eats are paid the minimum wage.

We have taken many Ubers on this trip and Dave was super happy that our Uber driver today talked the whole way, every other driver we have had never say anything even if we try to start conversations.

Flight was good and quick, all our Delta flights have been amazing! I even got to get a photo of the Golden Gate, Alcatraz and the Bay Bridge all in one photo from high above the clouds! Dream come try.

After landing and getting soaked waiting for our Uber we were at our hotel. We are staying at Powell Place which is up in the hills a little more away from Fisherman’s Wharf. I nearly lost my luggage getting out of the Uber as the hill is so steep my carryon with all Tommy’s presents nearly ended up down the bottom of a very long steep hill!

Unfortunately as Dave is still having trouble with his legs and not being able to walk for very long, this place isn’t the best for that though it is beautiful and full of charm with the cable car going passed all day. Hopefully with a bit more rest, he will be able to do some more walking over the next couple of days before we fly home.

After we settled in, I headed off to Trader Joe’s to get some food. Lucky I didn’t have to walk the really steep hills as I had 3 very full, very heavy bags to carry back.

Late afternoon now so we are just relaxing taking in the views ready for another day tomorrow.Lue lisää
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Pier 39
18. maaliskuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
Though when we first arrived yesterday, we questioned our choice of hotels mainly from worrying about the hills, to not being able to get late checkout to the front end guy being quite rude.

A relaxing afternoon and great nights sleep allowed for a clear head and a pivot in my thinking on what we could do to improve everything.

First thing this morning I went back down to reception and explained the situation again why we needed a late checkout (our flight doesn’t leave until 9.00pm and we had to be out by 11.00am). We came to a compromise in we would stay in the room we are in tonight and then swap rooms tomorrow and pay a late checkout fee and we can leave as late as needed. Only trouble is we won’t have the amazing street views but weighing that up against spending 9 hours at the airport before we fly out was a much better option. This way we can shower and be fresh for the flight home and only have to leave the hotel at 5.30pm. And happy to say the front end guy was in a much better mood than yesterday and was actually laughing and smiling today!

With that sorted, I then went onto the next thing weighing on my mind and that was how to get to the wharf without too much walking and too much expense. Came up with the best option of a 3 day pass on the cable cars that basically stop right at our doorstep and drop up right near the wharf.

We headed down to the wharf just before lunch today, had lunch at Applebees and then soaked in the amazing atmosphere that is Fisherman’s Wharf. Dave ship spotted, seal lion watched and people watched while I did some shopping (I only just realised I had bought many things for everyone else and hadn’t bought anything for me).

After shopping we enjoyed an icecream while watching a 300m container ship come in under the Golden Gate and right passed us on the wharf. Dave nearly didn’t get his icecream as when I was just about to him a huge seagull flew down and took a big bite out of it. Scared the shit out of me.

It turned out to be a pretty amazing day!Lue lisää
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Cruising the San Francisco Bay
19. maaliskuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
While Dave rested today, I caught the cable car to the Wharf as I wanted to get some t-shirts I saw yesterday.

As I got to the wharf they were announcing a 1 hour cruise of the bay and I thought why not. I am so glad I did, it was amazing. It went out under the Golden Gate, back around Alcatraz and then over towards Bay Bridge, all the while learning all the history of San Francisco. Well worth the $39 it cost.

A quick visit to the Cable Car Shop to get some t-shirts, then around to see my sea lions before getting the cable car back to our room. Great afternoon spent.

Tomorrow is our last day of our adventure, we fly out at 9.00pm. Looking forward to seeing everyone again.Lue lisää
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Cruise
19. maaliskuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
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Goodbye San Francisco
20. maaliskuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
The last day and travel home went by in a blur.

We spent the day in our room packing and just relaxing. I went out at lunchtime to get some lunch and walk those amazing hills of San Francisco one last time.

We had our shower and packed the last of our bags before heading to the foyer to await our Uber to the airport. We had a late flight of 8.50pm so we headed out to the airport at 5.00pm.

Well we were lucky to get to the airport in one piece, our Uber driver was a manic. He was doing nearly 80mph on the freeway when it was only 55mph. He squeezed through spaces in traffic that a motorbike shouldn’t have fitted and then proceeds to tell us he has gone through 2 cars because of accidents (not his fault he says I begged to differ).

Our flight was open to check in so we printed our boarding passes to find that we didn’t have the exit row seats we had paid for. We had spent an hour on the phone with Air NZ the night before because of this and they still had it wrong.

After about 20 mins of negotiations we were secured our exit row seats, then a quick pass through security before our wait at our gate.

We both slept most of the way from San Francisco to Auckland only waking for our meals, so we were feeling very refreshed in Auckland. A slow trip through security in Auckland as they only had 2 gates open for lots of planes coming in (still don’t know why you have to go through security again after coming off an international flight and not having left the airport). Another 3.5 hour wait for our next flight which they had taken our exit row seats off us and even checking at the gate was told all exit row seats were assigned.

Well you could imagine our annoyance when we got on the flight to see that there were 2 exit row seats available on either side of the plane in our section. Dave checked with the steward and he could move to one of them once take off has been completed. One of the ladies he sat next to wasn’t impressed at all and complained but was soon put in her place by the steward and Dave.

We landed on time, filled in our customs card and changed into cooler clothes then it was time to get our luggage and head through customs. We only had one small timber ornament to declare and it was time to meet Tommy and Kenz at the arrivals gate.

And what a homecoming it was, Kenzie and Tommy had made us a sign and Tommy was super excited to see us running up to give us a big cuddle.

Smooth trip back to Highfields making a diversion through Toowoomba so I could collect my new glasses before heading home.

Tommy was excited to get all his gifts and once we had unpacked our suitcases and put the washing on it was time to head up to get some groceries.

We were to go and pick up our new puppy the day after we arrived home however when we got back from groceries we had a message to say that she needed to change the time of collection to late afternoon. We suggested that we head out there now and she agreed. What a way to beat any jet lag, just keep on the go for the whole day.

We arrived home with Dottie Grace at 7.30pm and in bed at 9.30pm so hopefully no jet lag will greet us.

Another amazing adventure had, so many memories made, so many kilometres travelled and so much breathtaking scenery seen along the way.

Until our next adventure …….Lue lisää
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30th Wedding Anniversary Trip Matkaaja
Hello Auckland
22. maaliskuuta, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌙 15 °C
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Welcome home Nanny & Grumps
22. maaliskuuta, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
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22. maaliskuuta 2025