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Herb & Martha Discover America
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  • Herb Newman

Herb & Martha Discover America

I am a recently retired nurse and my husband and I have just sold our house and we are going to full-time RV until we get tired of it.
There is so much of this country that I haven't seen. Herb has seen a lot more of it, but it was 50 yrs ago. Read more
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  • Herb & Martha Discover America

    Niagara Falls, NY & ON

    June 12, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    Niagara Falls is kind of like the Grand Canyon--it's singular majesty makes it a bucket list item the world wide. But it had another significance for Herb and I. It was the closest point we would be going to that would allow us to meet a long-time Facebook friend, Hilde Wagner. For many years, Hilde and I have posted, commented, replied, PM'd, and never met face-to-face. I am pleased to say that we rectified that. Hilde and her daughter, Erika, drove the 90 miles from Kitchener to Niagara Falls to have lunch with us on the Canadian side of the Falls. It was a delightful afternoon! Both Hilde and I are notorious introverts, polite small talk is hardly our strong suit, but we talked for hours. Herb and Erika, normally more garrulous took a back seat for a while.

    After we got to the campground Monday, we drove the 12 miles to the Falls and got a look at the Falls. The sheer size of the Falls are completely mind-boggling! We weren't able to take any of the tours or boats where a tour guide could overwhelm us with the massive amount of water that rushes around Goat Island to form the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Horseshoe Falls. The best views of the Falls are from the Canadian side and we got some amazing views.

    I have had a good sense of magnetic direction for much of my life. I have lost a good deal of it, but I can usually pinpoint north by studying the sunlight.
    Some things are a given: Fresh water rivers east of the Continental Divide flow south and east, toward the Atlantic Ocean. Fresh water rivers west of the Continental Divide flow south and west, toward the Pacific Ocean. The water flows over the Niagara Falls is backwards—the river (and the Falls) flows north! Hilde reminded me that the Great Lakes are connected and water flows from Lake Superior to Lake Michigan, to Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and through the St Lawrence River to the Atlantic Ocean. If you look at the picture of the lakes you can see that Lake Erie, even though it is somewhat south of Lake Ontario, the water will flow from Erie to Ontario, regardless of the fact that the connection is northward.    Read more

  • Herb & Martha Discover America
    Roy Orbison exhibit1StonesMichael's gloveMichael's jacketCool transparent guitar.Johnny Cash's guitar1Journey's Hall of Fame plaque (for Sarah and Jacque and their teenage obsession with Steve Perry).

    Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

    June 9, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    We got set up with a campground halfway between Cleveland and  Akron. We got up early Friday to go to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. It was impressive from the very first and we loved it! It is absolutely the place where senior citizens go to feel young again! They did an excellent job of showing how the roots of rock 'n roll coalesced from jazz, gospel, rhythm 'n blues, country, and folk music. There is even an exhibit about the conservative mind-set (not unlike today's) railed against rock 'n roll as an invention of the devil. The music is loud, pervasively loud, but it draws you in to each section as you go around. The best thing is that as it unwinds, more or less chronologically, it has something for every age. There are items on display from every age and type of music, right up to a stage dress for Taylor Swift.

    Incidentally, their cafe showcases local chefs and is excellent. On the food side, a very old friend of ours suggested we go by her nephew's new delicatessen, which we did. Everything there is fresh--farm-to-table fresh and was excellent! <https://larderdb.com/&gt;

    Today we went to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They don't allow pictures, but it was rather ho-hum frankly. I was somewhat under the weather with a mild gastrointestinal issues, so that might account for my disappointment.    Read more

  • Herb & Martha Discover America
    This steam engine attained a speed of 110+1The Wright Bros. airplane.The US captured this German sub in 1944.

    Museum of Science and Industry

    June 5, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    Monday we did the Museum of Science and Industry. Very interesting--but we were about museumed out at that point, and although I have discovered that if I take them for a long walk in the morning, and another long walk after dinner that tend to do well, they need more outside time and attention (yeah, I know--who'd a thunk it?). 

    Loved it though. There were scads and scads of kids and it was loud. but we had a good time.    Read more

  • Herb & Martha Discover America

    Navy Pier

    June 4, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    Navy Pier we did 'cause you haven't seen Chicago unless you do the Navy Pier and take pictures of The Bean, so here are the requisite pics:

  • Herb & Martha Discover America
    The Field Museum
    Cool chandelier.Bid sucker!Panorama of a big dinosaur.Diorama: Don't be an ass!One of their earliest specimen.Doesn't look like a whale to me!Cool diorama.

    The Field Museum

    June 3, 2018 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 61 °F

    After taking the train into town, we started out the day at Al's with an Italian beef. It was much better than the Chicago dog. For the uninitiated, a Chicago Italian Beef is smoked, shredded beef with sauteed green and red bell peppers and onions. Pretty good, actually!

    The Field Museum was fantastic! There was a special exhibition of mummies (wasn't allowed to photograph) that was wonderful. Many of the items on exhibit have been there for more than a hundred years.  I recently finished a fictionalized account of the rivalry between two paleontologists whom were responsible for the discovery of ancient dinosaur bones in the Dakotas about the time of Custer's Last Stand. I love that kind of stuff! The book gave me the understanding of what they went through back then and the bones provided a framework for the story. One of the things I really liked was how great the dioramas are. The animals were posed in family groupings and even their expressions were perfect.    Read more

  • Herb & Martha Discover America
    The Metra train to downtown.
    We got a Chicago dog at Al's--to be honest Jesse makes a better Chicago dog!Field Museum.This has to be my favorite. The colors are breathtaking!This shows how Toulouse-Latrec was misshapened. He had normal torso and his legs were the size of a 6 yr olds.1

    Chicago, The Art Institute of Chicago

    May 31, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    So, on Thursday, we took the train to downtown (an hr and 20 minutes) and walked from the Ogilvie Transit Station to the Art Institute. At the risk of showing my plebeian upbringing, I was completely blown away by the Impressionists! Herb and I took an Art Appreciation course in 2009 and these pictures all appeared in that course and now, here I was--right in front of the real paintings! I could see the brush strokes that Manet, Monet, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Latrec made as they painted them a hundred or more years ago!Read more

  • Herb & Martha Discover America
    We started off our day with deep-dish pizza.
    Lots of very tall buildings!The Chicago River.

    Chicago, May 30

    May 29, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    We drove from Minneapolis to Union, IL. The Chicago KOA is actually 56 miles Northwest of Chicago. It's a really pretty park and the next day we drove downtown. The traffic was a nightmare, parking was $26 for 4 hrs, but we had a wonderful time. The city is so alive and vibrant. I loved the Riverwalk, We had a Rosati's deep-dish pizza that was the best thing I have ever eaten! we walked around, taking pictures as we g0.  The road home in traffic was, shall we say, difficult. We figure that we spent at least $36 plus the aggravation. For the remainder of our forays into Chicago we took the Metra train--$9 each way, with a $10 Weekend pass for all the rides Saturday and Sunday. 

    The dogs were left alone for 8 hrs, so there was that.    Read more

  • Herb & Martha Discover America
    There were large exhibits of Asian art the day we were there. This is a Japanese lacquer.
    A beautiful Jewish menorah.Not sure about this. A sculpture of a man and woman melded together, but yet seem to be wrestling.T Rex (like you didn't know).Brontosaurus.Minnehaha Falls.Minnehaha Creek.Feeding the wild boar.A hot cat!

    Minneapolis-St. Paul

    May 26, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 90 °F

    I have fallen behind in my Blog posts, but it was really on purpose.  I thought to condense my thoughts about Minnesota in one blog post. Our trip here from Branson was in two segments. Branson to Des Moines was a long segment and it had recently rained and the KOA was a muddy mess, but it was just an overnight stop. The next day, our trip was a short one--or would have been if I hadn't put the wrong address into Waze. But we finally arrived at Town and Country RV Campground with plenty of daylight left. 

    Herb is still dealing with a partially torn rotator cuff, so after wrestling this rig 300 miles or so, he needs a day of rest, so Monday was it , except for locating the stores that have stuff we really need. Costco has Fonzie's prescription and PetSmart carries the brand of weight management dry food that Touly eats and neither was available in Branson.

    Tuesday we  went to Mall of America. It is as advertised--YUUUUGE! We saw about a ¼ of it Tuesday, went back yesterday (Friday) and still have more to see. We were pleasantly surprised that the MOA sets apart some spaces for active duty military and veterans.  The center of the mall is an full-sized amusement park with lots of rides. Food is broken down to fast-food and more upscale restaurants. We loved Noodles and Company. Herb said his Beef Stroganoff was very good and my buttered noodles and Parmesan was to die for. 

    Wednesday we saw the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Has a lot of great exhibits. And it's free! On Thursday we went to the Science Museum of Minnesota--it was very entertaining. Tons of school kids competing for the various science stations with a few old fogies like us. 

    Yesterday we for a short hike to the Minnehaha Falls and we got some wonderful pictures.

    Today we went to the Minnesota Zoo. It's certainly one of the best zoos I have ever seen. The animal habitats are really well done and they had animals that I have never seen. And Margaritas--they had Margaritas! 

    It sounds like we are on the go all of the time, but in truth, we limit our excursions to about 4 hrs and get back to the RV in time to get a nap in. The lack of stress we no longer feel related to chores that we SHOULD be doing is wonderful! I highly recommend it!

    Minnesota is beautiful, green with big trees and woods. The people are warm and friendly. Their drivers are polite. In California, a turn signal is an invitation for drivers behind you to get ahead of you. Here they actually wave you over. (With all of their fingers, mind you!). I miss sunrises and sunsets, but you need a horizon for that.

    Info on the zoo which is on the top-10 US zoos: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Zoo    Read more

  • Herb & Martha Discover America
    Herb and I took a cruise on the paddle wheeler Showboat Branson Belle.
    A island in Table Rock Lake. (Art shot)Jim Stafford show, we really enjoyed it.We took a city tour/lake tour in an amphibious Duck.Lake Table Rock.Lake Taneycomo.Herb and I in front of the Beverly Hillbillies car in the museum at College of the Ozarks.The church at the College of the Ozarks. Very beautiful!Beautiful scenery.Foggy morning.

    Branson 2.0

    May 18, 2018 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 73 °F

    My first impression of Branson was that it was Las Vegas circa 1955, but having spent a week here, I have some to find it is truly so much more than that.  

    Branson is iconic heart of the Ozarks. Country music has a very long, rich history here, so the establishment of an area where there were many artists who established permanent and/or semi-permanent theatre shows was a natural progression. The many shows that are here are generally reasonably priced, family-centered and the staging and talent are top shelf!

    As a desert rat, I am loving the green everywhere. Humidity be damned—my cracked and bleeding hands are finally healing!

    There is a college here, the College of the Ozarks that offers a range of 4-yr bachelor degrees. Their statement: “C of O is unique among higher education institutions in America: no tuition is charged, all students work on campus, debt is openly discouraged, and no federal, state or private loans are made.” 

    They operate a hotel, grow their own vegetables and livestock, and operate a restaurant that is totally farm-to-table. We were not able to eat there—you have to get reservations weeks ahead! https://www.cofo.edu/.    Read more

  • Herb & Martha Discover America
    The greenness is a wonder when you are used to the desert brown.
    2Branson KOA is a beautiful park, with all of the amenities:which I define as a campground with Wi-Fi, cable TVThe view from my front door.

    Branson, MO

    May 13, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    Yesterday we left Oklahoma City and continued on to Branson. For some reason, it seemed a difficult trip and it was hot when we got here.  We got overheated getting set up and that didn't help. Since getting to OKC my sinuses have been playing havoc with me--unaccustomed humidity I am guessing and I am taking pseudoephedrine 90 mg to decongest and quell the head pressure.

    I had been told that Branson would likely be disappointing when we got here, and they were right. Straight out of the 50s Las Vegas cheesy! Cheap and totally touristy, but it has a certain character even for that. I will take lots of pictures, promise, and we can snigger together. 
     
    The country is beautiful--lush green grasses and trees cover rolling hills. There are lakes and rivers wherever you go and we will most assuredly explore many of them. I think we should unpack Herb's SUP and give it a workout.    Read more

  • Herb & Martha Discover America
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    1112111

    Nat'l Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum

    May 9, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    I have extremely impressed by Oklahoma City! Initially, I had been rather off-put by the right-wing rhetoric emanating from Oklahoma in the news. Stuff like this: "...in the Oklahoma House, the press-averse head of the House’s chaplain program, State Rep. Chuck Strohm (R-Jenks), has done all he can to make sure no non-Christian faith leaders are given an opportunity to give a prayer in the House chambers." <http://www.reddirtreport.com/red-dirt-politics/…; But that certainly doesn't represent the warm, down-home people who make up the people here.

    The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum was s wonderful experience! Certainly one of the best museums I have ever seen. Art and culture in equal portions and I especially liked the exhibit that paid homage to the depiction of cowboy culture in the movies and TV.

    https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/    Read more

  • Herb & Martha Discover America

    Day 4 and 5 of our adventure

    May 8, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    Yesterday we visited the inside of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. It was really worth the trip and if anyone is coming to OKC to visit I would recommend taking the time to take the tour. It was a real eye opener. Martha did post some pictures on Facebook.

    Today we took a water taxi along the Bricktown canal. It is OKC version of the river walk. It was pleasant and we did learn somethings about the area. We are talking about going back either Thursday or Friday evening. Bricktown is basically their entertainment district.

    All is going well and looking forward to Branson.    Read more

  • Herb & Martha Discover America

    Day #5--Bricktown Water Taxi, OKC, OK

    May 8, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    They've created a riverwalk reminiscent of the riverwalk in San Antonio (it's a man-made canal, 1 mile long and 4 ft deep--a pretty pale imitation, but WTH!) . It's a pleasant couple of hours anyway. The bronze statues of the Oklahoma land rush are spectacular--larger than life and incredibly detailed. If you don't know, they were called "Sooners" because so many managed to sneak in early and claim their parcel. Read more here: <https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the…;Read more

  • Herb & Martha Discover America
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    Day 4--Oklahoma City Memorial Museum

    May 7, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    We visited the OKC Memorial Museum on Monday. I remember the tragedy well. I was in Day #1 of my re-certification for PALS at Cook Children's Hospital on April 19, 1995 when we heard about the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. About 2/3 of the building was destroyed--including the day care on the 2nd floor. The doer was a home-grown terrorist, Timothy McVeigh, who planned it as a retribution for the Branch Davidian debacle.

    The memorial is very moving. It starts out describing the day as just like any other--until it wasn't. Read more here: <https://www.history.com/topics/oklahoma-city-bo…;    Read more

  • Herb & Martha Discover America
    The Honda Civic on the tow dolly
    Big country!A previous fire, I presume.Pretty country.Happy camper #1Happy camper #2Choctaw KOA.

    Day #2, Choctaw, OK

    May 5, 2018 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 72 °F

    Day 2:

    Yesterday we left Albuquerque and started a whole new chapter of our lives. I had truly expected that it would feel scary to be homeless, but I quickly realized we weren't homeless--we have a very comfortable home. And we get to drive it to wherever we go!

    Friday we packed up all the outside bins and stuff and put them in the RV or in the car, then we had a fairly easy drive to Amarillo. Once there we got hooked up, returned the outside bins outside and ordered an Uber to Saltgrass Steakhouse. Unfortunately I lost a black polyester sweater that I bought cheaply at the Aloha Stadium Flea Market in 2006. I have always loved it, but Uber charges $15 for returning a lost item--heck, it didn't cost that much when I bought it! One of the things I have learned as I have aged is that wasting emotional energy in getting upset about pretty much anything is exactly that: a waste!

    This morning, the task was even easier because we developed a system! The drive to Oklahoma City was pleasant and only about 4 hrs. Which is a good thing since by the time we got here, Herb's left shoulder and arm were in agony. Fortunately we have 7 days to rest his shoulder.

    Driving toward Amarillo, the country was all pretty much desert, but I was amazed to find Oklahoma really looks a lot like North Texas (I know, Duh!, right?). It's pretty country--grassland and some really pretty trees. The campground here is really pretty. Lots of shade trees and friendly folk. Herb's new computer was waiting when we got here. My new bluetooth headset arrived too. Only problem was it wasn't bluetooth--I hate when I so that. But, WTH, I ordered it through Fry's and it was free shipping  back.

    One of the things that was a pleasant surprise is how well the dogs have traveled. We are all developing a daily rhythm that stays the same no matter where we are. Stay tuned..    Read more

  • Herb & Martha Discover America

    Last day before trip!

    May 3, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F
  • Herb & Martha Discover America

    Zero Day -2

    May 2, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    Well, we've spent the last two weeks getting the RV set up for us to travel with all the stuff we're going to need and it looks like we are there! Last goodbyes to the kids tomorrow and a last goodbye to our dance buddies at The Dirty Bourbon tomorrow night, then we will get up Friday morning and take off East. First stop Amarillo for one night, then on to Oklahoma City for a week. I hope you will all go along with us and that I can keep you entertained!

    We had casually talked about taking an RV to see all the country for many years, but when we discovered how much we enjoyed RV-ing, coupled with my need to hang up my stethoscope because I was just too damned old to work like a dog anymore, we decided it was time. Another issue was that we moved to Albuquerque to give the kids here five years or so before moving to someplace in Texas (cue the Tanya Tucker song, “Texas When I Die”). We ended up giving them 9 years! 

    In any event, the time had come to sell the house and move on, so we bought the RV last year and put the house up for sale in November. We closed on our house April 19, to JR and Emily Shaw who turned out to be Bob Jagla's niece. Bob is a retired nurse I knew from Presbyterian Hospital and we used to walk with him at the mall every day--we really hit it off with JR and Emily and celebrated the closing with them at Ruth's Chris. It was totally cool to sell to someone who saw it as their dream house!

    The timing worked out perfectly however. The weather North and East of here has finally broken and Spring has sprung! I had my heart set on Branson, Mall of America, Chicago, Cleveland (Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame), Canton, Ohio (Football Hall of Fame), Niagara Falls, Cooperstown, NY (Baseball Hall of Fame), New York City, and points South, so this is where we head to first. I am officially excited!

    Getting the RV ready for two people with TONS of stuff was no easy task. We pretty much bought out The Container Store! Arranging it so we could access what we needed while preserving room to walk around and the dogs to stretch out, without looking like the Joad family from Grapes of Wrath was top priority! 

    The video shows how it looks. This is the best it's gonna get so let's get this adventure started!!

    https://youtu.be/Rwot5zTxmj0    Read more

  • Herb & Martha Discover America

    High Desert RV Park

    April 21, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 41 °F

    The biggest obstacle to our getting on the road to our adventure in America has been passed. The house is sold, the new owners, JR and Emily Shaw, are getting it ready to their specifications. We had a really nice dinner with them at Ruth’s Chris the night we closed—they paid the whole, very expensive bill for the dinner, because they said, we had been gracious and because we left a lot of stuff we couldn’t take/store/sell/or pawn off on family! BTW, while the company was wonderful, the food was exceptional!
    The second obstacle was Herb finishing his rehab from his foot surgery, which is essentially done, but 2 months ago, while he was non-weight bearing on that foot, he fell off his knee walker when he made a sharp turn, landing on his left shoulder. It has been really painful and Dr O’Guinn at Presbyterian has tried a steroid shot and PT. When that didn’t work he ordered an MRI. We have the result on his MyChart, which used the word “tear” when discussing the rotator cuff tendons and ligaments. Much of it went over my head, but we have an appointment with the Dr. Wednesday to discuss options.
    In the meantime, we are comfortably ensconced in an RV park in West Albuquerque with the dogs, Touly and Fonzie. With very few obligations, we have some things left to see in New Mexico. This is a very beautiful state and while the weather this week hasn’t been ideal, it will be improving! I think today might be a good to go see the travelling Da Vinci exhibit at the Natural History Museum!    Read more

  • Herb & Martha Discover America

    Getting ready

    April 9, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    I am a recently retired nurse. My husband, Herb, is retired postal and USAF Reserve. We have a Class C RV and we are going to travel this beautiful country while we still have the health and energy to do so. There's a lot I haven't seen. Herb saw a whole bunch of it when he was 20 or so--he and an another soldier took an Army exhibit 18-wheeler all over, but that was 50 yrs ago and they weren't thinking of sightseeing at the time!

    As we sit here, in our old house with the chaos of packing all around us, we are also setting up our itinerary. Herb is always organized and he likes to know where we are going and when and he carefully builds a binder with all the various reservation confirmations and addresses to enter into the GPS. It's also a good way to keep our eye on the prize. 

    So far, we are leaving here May 4, stopping in Amarillo overnight then spending a week in Oklahoma City.. Then we will head on to Branson, MO for a few days. We haven't yet looked at the shows that are available, but we do know we are going to go to Carbondale, IL, so Herb can look at the college campus, Southern Illinois University, Extension Program that gave him his Bachelor's after 32 years of mostly fruitless butting his head against the brick wall of Algebra--nevertheless, he persisted! 

    Our next long stop will be Minneapolis/St. Paul: I have a driving NEED to see the Mall of America while some stores are still open! Fortunately, I was astute enough to marry a man who likes to shop (eat your hearts out, Girlfriends!) 

    Then we will be off to Chicago for a few days and head for New York with side trips to Cleveland's Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame, Canton's NFL Hall of Fame, and Cooperstown, NY for the Baseball Hall of Fame and, of course, Niagara Falls. That's about the first third of our plans. You don't think I'm excited, do you?    Read more

    Trip start
    April 21, 2018
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