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    23 августа 2015 г.
    Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlПутешественник

    Ready, set ...

    23 августа 2015 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

    Just a week til we leave on our cross-country trip via the southern route. Our plan is to make a bee-line to Atlanta to visit Heather's family. From there, we plan to head north to check out the two Carolinas, and possibly a few points further north. We will then meander across the southern US, aiming to be back home by December.

    So that's the plan, but life is what happens while you're making plans. Our plan for this blog is to keep it a short and SIMPLE log of our adventures so you can follow along, and we can jog our increasingly geezerly memories in the future.

    Getting excited ...    Читать далее

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  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlПутешественник

    First stop ... Ellensburg

    31 августа 2015 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    We picked up our wonderful housesitters, Natalia and Will, at the train at 10:30. We conducted a whirlwind reindoctrination to the house and a fun lunch where we caught up with each other. Picasso registered his nose-out-of-jointness by alternately running downstairs, coming back, running out of the house, coming back, and complaining just enough to be sure he had reminded Will and Natalia who was boss. At 1:30 we hopped in the geezer-mobile and headed for our first stop ... a quick hop over the mountains to Ellensburg.

    We stayed at a lovely KOA with a campsite right on the river. We took a minute to get off on the right foot with our fitness plan for the trip, doing a few planks, 1legged squats, before heading into town for dinner. Boy, did we luck out with a beautiful place called the Valley Cafe. Chicken chipotle corn chowder, full bodied and perfectly seasoned, fresh garden salad with toasted pepitas and basalmic vinaigrette. And as we were getting up to head out, we were undone by our crafty waitress who brought out the dessert tray. We opted to SPLIT the key lime pie. It was heavenly, and deserved to make it into our photos.

    We finished the evening with a stroll around the surprisingly historic and interesting Ellensburg downtown (see photo of H with friendly native), followed by another brisk stroll down by the river to make sure we reached our 10,000 step goal for the day.

    Soon showers and to bed after a MOST satisfying induction to our 2015 Southern Crawl.

    A few photos follow, as well as a link where we THINK you can take a look at our detailed route for the day. If it works, Gordon will be very proud. Please let him know!

    Your two geezers in paradise, Day One

    https://www.followmee.com/mapx.aspx?file=g/gand…    Читать далее

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  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlПутешественник

    Mr fixit rides again

    1 сентября 2015 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    Fortunately, the better half of this travel duo is also known as Mr. fix it. On our way across Washington Gordon called Toyota to find out exactly what was done to fix our cruise control and back up light problem last time. Just a fuse. That sounds like a job for… Mr. Fixit.

    We pulled off the road at Post Falls Idaho for lunch at the Big Bear Deli. As we approached the deli, a choir of angels began to sing. We were right next to a Napa Auto Parts store that just happened to sell FUSES. As we speak Mr Fixit is installing the critical part. Victory is OURS!

    Lunch was good, too.    Читать далее

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  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlПутешественник

    Misery in Missoula

    2 сентября 2015 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ 🌙 54 °F

    A little over-dramatized, I guess. We were just tired after our first long day driving, and the Missoula campground is enormous AND they parked us by a bunch of school busses. And a large klieg light. And Gordon had an ENORMOUS scratch on one of his glasses lenses and before he discovered it panicked that he was going blind in the middle of a BUSY GROCERY STORE!! We calmed down after dinner, closed the curtains against the klieg lights, enjoyed the very hot and clean showers, and tucked ourselves in for a long sleep.

    We're up and at'em again this morning, heading for Billings. We can't believe we can't make it out of Montana in one day, but Billings does have that sweet coop with good bread and an excellent local beer collection.    Читать далее

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  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlПутешественник

    Anaconda Rest Stop

    2 сентября 2015 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    Okay. That'll teach us. We stopped for a simple exercise and bathroom break at the Anaconda rest stop on I 90. In the course of walking around the parking lot we found a little paved trail. It turned out to be a nature walk through natural preserved Prairie. It was simply gorgeous, and us without a camera. Sorry folks.

    There were myriad prairie grasses with incredible seed heads, countless gorgeous little prairie flowers, a bubbling brook with a bridge over it, remains of an old log cabin, and all surrounded by big sky and distant mountains. And us without a camera.

    But we got a lot of steps in. Up to 6500 already.    Читать далее

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  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlПутешественник

    Nothing to report ... just our location

    2 сентября 2015 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ⛅ 95 °F

    We made it to Billings about 4, HOT AS BLAZES! Our car said 105º but I hope it's LYING. Coop was disappointing, managed to find an appetizing dinner. We are camped 3 spots from the Yellowstone river, lots of trees, and are very glad we opted for air conditioning in the geezer-mobile. Tomorrow's the longest day before we have a day's rest.

    Your two geezers in paradise, Day 3.    Читать далее

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  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlПутешественник

    I-90 SD Exit 170 KOA

    3 сентября 2015 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    We like this KOA better than the big KOAs.

    To get here, we passed through the Cottonwood National Grasslands that we had missed when we went thru the Badlands last year. Absolutely breathtaking!

    Toward the end of the drive, the weather was really building in front of us. Heather was driving like a fiend while I was calling out regular updates from the radar app and we finally caught it. Taught those bugs splattered all over the windshield a lesson, too. She has a future ahead of her as a storm chaser.

    This KOA is on a small lake with lots of water fowl. It is about 90 degrees, but there is a nice breeze that makes it feel more like 80.

    We are sitting out, enjoying the breeze and bird calls, anticipating the pieces of cherry and coconut cream pie from Marlin’s Truck Stop that await us in the cooler.

    Your two geezers in paradise, Day 4    Читать далее

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  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlПутешественник

    50's Diner in a train

    4 сентября 2015 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    We stopped in for coffee to go before we hit the road, and expected maybe a diner in a railway car. But this was the whole train. Complete with a waitress who was probably serving coffee when this train plied the rails across the country. We resisted the caramel topped sweet rolls. Too sticky.Читать далее

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  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlПутешественник

    Getting rummy in big city traffic

    4 сентября 2015 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    Nearing the end of day 4 of driving like bats out of hell so we can spend 2 days in one place over Labor Day weekend. Not exactly tired, but been on the road a while. And we're geezers. Driving through Sioux City ... LOTS of road construction. Rude drivers cutting in. Gordon being VERY helpful (he says I have to say that). Big trucks switching lanes. Cones in the way. "Lots of red lights ahead." "That truck wants over." "Looks like traffic is letting up ahead." "Really? Well, I trust your lazed eyes. They're better than mine." "Not as good as they used to be. Boy, I can't wait til they they have eye and tooth implants. They could implant a baby eye, and it could grow and grow, and when it is ready it would just pop out your old eye." "Just 30 miles til our exit."Читать далее

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  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlПутешественник

    Onawa KOA

    4 сентября 2015 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    We arrived at the lovely Onawa KOA situated on a small lake. The lake is an oxbow of the Missouri Rivier. The weather has changed to warm and humid. Quite the change from the dryness in Montana and South Dakota.

    Here is Heather pouring a glass of wine to celebrate our arrival.

    We are staying here for two nights. Tomorrow we will visit the loess hills and the keel boat museum.    Читать далее

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  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlПутешественник

    Keelboats!

    5 сентября 2015 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    We saw keelboat replicas that float at the Lewis and Clark State Park! This is the fun thing that allows us to get our Iowa decal! And best of all... there was no admission fee!

    Earlier we drove through the Loess Hills State Forest and Scenic Drive. Loess is pronounced "loss", which is what we thought of the small hills that Iowa is so proud of.Читать далее

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  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlПутешественник

    Johnny's Corner Cafe

    6 сентября 2015 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    Another local watering hole, this time with omelettes the size of Nebraska itself. And a 12 inch diameter pancake. And a waitress that moves at the speed of sound carrying it all, and she still finds time to smile.

    By the way, the Onawa McDonalds was doubly entertaining this morning as, along with the bill-hatted regulars, there was quite a gaggle of aging bikers tricked out in beards, vests, and biker moll bling. Took a while to get our coffee but the convivial atmosohere and sartorial splendor made the wait worthwhile. Sorry, no pic. A couple of the men looked dangerous.    Читать далее

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  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlПутешественник

    Our Angels make themselves known

    6 сентября 2015 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    I forgot to mention: We were contentedly packing away pancakes and eggs at Johnny’s Corner Café, when we started to hear chimes. We looked around for who might be getting a phone call. But the chimes went on and on, and they were an exceptionally pleasant ringtone. Finally, I decided it was our Angels registering their presence (or perhaps just their approval of our culinary choices). It was then that I noticed all the clocks on the wall, and that it was 11:00 on the dot. But I am unbowed. Angels know how to ring clocks.Читать далее

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  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlПутешественник

    Our Angels are working overtime

    6 сентября 2015 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 91 °F

    You may recall our ambitious plans to stay fit on this trip, and our strong resolution, especially when driving long days, to keep our backs in trim with exercises and walking. I’m afraid our resolutions have fallen victim to midwestern heat and humidity. Either that or we are total wimps. But when it is pushing 100 degrees with 80% relative humidity, it’s bleepin’ HARD to exercise. I had located a gym in Onawa where we could get day passes, but we had to fall back on the Wilson Nicoll memorial, “Lord knows we tried,” when we found it was closed over Labor Day weekend.

    Today, probably just as a sop to the resolution gods, did a quick search and found a YMCA just off the freeway, just about 10 miles before our campground exit. It was still early when we arrived in Kansas City, so even though our own YMCA usually closes over Labor Day, we decided to look it up. As we pulled into the parking lot, the aforementioned Angels began singing up a storm. There were CARS in the parking lot. It was a beautiful, AIR CONDITIONED, YMCA. We grabbed our Go-Bags that Gordon had cleverly had us prepare, and we were off.

    We are now cooling down in the air conditioned trailer with chilled satsumas and a local chardonnay. The KOA office just MIGHT have hand scooped ice cream in 8 flavors in the office that is open until 9:00. Life is good.    Читать далее

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  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlПутешественник

    Oak Grove KOA

    7 сентября 2015 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ 🌧 72 °F

    This KOA is pretty full. We are parked close to the pool and jump pad and saw lots of children having lots of fun last night.

    It never cooled off last night. It started out in the high 90s. At midnight it was still in the mid 80s. At 6 this morning it was still 77 degrees. Then the rain came and cooled it down to 73. There was thunder and lightning and rain and some wind... lovely weather.Читать далее

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  • Geezers in ParadiseSouthern CrawlПутешественник

    Whittington Woods Campground

    7 сентября 2015 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    As we got off the freeway to go to the Benson KOA, we passed this campgound that we had stayed at before. I thought about it a bit and decided that it was our Angels telling us that we should stay HERE! One has to listen for those messages you know. So here we are again.

    Last time they were giving away free eggs from their chickens. They still have chickens, just not as many. It seems that bobcat got some of them. But the rumor is that the bobcat got hit by a car and the chickens are safe once more. The ones that are left are quite enjoying the trash left behind by the Labor Day revelers.    Читать далее

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