Ritchie Review

Mexico Week 1

2008-02-12T12:20:00.000-08:00

Our first day in Mexico was spent travelling from Mission, Texas to Ciudad Victoria. We were surprised at all of the beautifully seeded fields that stretched to the horizon. I thought that the Mexicans must have ‘auto-steer’ on their tractors, as the rows were as straight as can be. One of our caravan leaders informed me though that the locals are just well-practiced farmers. Our first day also was one where we learned how a caravan works, relaying messages up and down the group of 18 rigs with our CBs, to inform each other of road conditions, traffic hazards, and travelling directions.

Our second day was a shorter day of travel, and I remember mentioning that I could picture Zorro riding through the short trees and hilly terrain. It was somewhat dry in that area, and hot weather. We camped behind a hotel near the city of Tampico, and had use of their beautiful pool and garden facilities.

Our third day was one of very long travel. We discovered in a big way that you can’t make fast time on Mexican roads. We dodged pot-holes that entire day, and also had a good working over with ‘topes’, the speed bumps that are located in every town. (One town had 13 topes!) The scenery was beautiful, as we travelled through lush orange orchards that climbed high onto the hills around. To me it was reminiscent of vineyards in Italy. Mexico’s beauty began to really take hold of us that day. And in the evening, we were installed into an RV Park along the Emerald Coast on the Gulf of Mexico. The waves of the ocean were rather violent there, so we enjoyed the pool facilities instead, especially the water slides. J We stayed at
this location for three nights of fun.

On a day-trip from the Emerald Coast, we visited the exquisite ruins of El Tajin. This site included 6 or 7 pyramids and several other buildings and facilities, such as 17 ball courts. Some of the structures of this location were only discovered within the last 20 years, and the jungle had to be removed carefully from on top of them. Our guide explained the ritual ball games that were central to this culture; these included the bi-annual human sacrifice of the winner, which was considered to be a great honor. The ‘jewel’ of El Tajin was the pyramid called the ‘Temple of the Niches’ which included niches or alcoves numbering the days of the Mexican calendar. I was very impressed.

Right beside the El Tajin ruins we were thrilled to see the Papantla Flyers. This is a team of men who climb up a 90-foot pole and then swing round and round the pole on ropes as they descend to the ground. The descent took about 10 minutes, and how these men remained conscious in an upside down position for that long is a mystery to me. It was quite interesting to see.

Padre Island National Seashore, Texas

2008-02-02T10:01:00.000-08:00

From San Antonio, we headed south. We had a few days to spare before having to be at the southern tip of Texas, so we camped along the beach at Padre Island National Seashore. This barrier island seashore is 70 miles long, and we were delighted with the opportunity to drive on the beach (we've never done that before). Water currents in the Gulf of Mexico tend to lead right to this stretch of beach, so there are plenty of shells to find, but also a lot of sea trash as well.
We were also pleased to be allowed to collect seashells at this national park. We had fun searching the beach at every low tide, and also learned to identify several of the varieties. The Visitor Center had examples of most of the common shells, as well as 'sea beans' (any seed which floats over the oceans, including things like coconuts; these seeds can migrate all the way from Africa.) Padre Island is composed of three habitats: the beach, the grasslands, and the dunes. We saw all three of these in our explorations of the island.
We also learned that Padre Island is one of the major nesting grounds for the endangered Kemp's Ridley turtle. Unfortunately, nesting season doesn't occur until April.
We had a wonderful few days camping at Padre Island. We were in the campground about 100 metres from the beach. We noticed that some people parked their motorhomes right on the beach for camping; I guess that excitement will have to wait until next time.
For the past four days, we have been in Mission, Texas, preparing for our 6-week tour to the Yucatan area of Mexico. We got our travellers' visas and vehicle permits. And, over the past few days we have been meeting new arrivals who will be a part of our tour group. We are looking forward to an educational.

San Antonio, Texas

2008-02-01T19:10:00.000-08:00

After completing the historic Natchez Trace Parkway, we made our way westward across Louisiana, which had much more farming activity, and into Texas. Eastern Texas was quite picturesque with large forests (and forestry) and lakes. We camped at a Corps of Engineers campground right on a dammed lake (west of a town named Jasper). As we proceeded westward, however, the land opened up into more ranching pasture land, and it was nice to see cattle again.

We camped near San Antonio for several days, but the rain and cold kept us inside. On one hot, sunny day we ventured into the city for the purpose of seeing the Alamo. The Alamo was a mission in its origins, but is better known now for the part it played in the Texas Revolution, as the birthplace of Texan Independence. The battle between the Spanish army and about 189 Texans and supporters lasted for 13 days, but in the end, all of the American defenders of the Alamo were killed. Among the famous men who died there were James Bowie (known for his Bowie knives) and Davey Crockett (the famous frontiersman from Tennessee). We saw items owned by each of these men as we went through the Alamo, but as it is considered ‘the Shrine of Texas Liberty’, we were not allowed to take photos in the building.

A few miles from the Alamo, we went to the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park. We visited two of the four mission churches contained in this park. The first was Mission Concepcion. We were absolutely awed by this church. One of the aspects of this site which makes it so impressive is that the church is all original. Built in the 1750s, it still looks in great shape. I was fascinated also by the original frescoes which still adorn the inside of church. Apparently in its day, the entire façade of the church was also covered with colorful frescoes; what a sight it would have been to see. As it was, it seemed to me that we were walking through old Spain.

The next site we visited was the Mission San Jose. This location had some restoration done to it, and was more extensive in that it had a large walled courtyard around the central church. The walls were built with rooms within; these housed the local natives who worked at the mission in the 1700s. The living quarters had built-in ovens and stoves which were made of clay/plaster, just as the walls were. Our experiences at the San Antonio Missions were wonderful; we only wish we would have had time to see all four of the church sites.

Natchez, Mississippi

2008-01-25T12:06:00.000-08:00

The terminus of the Natchez Trace (ie. MP 0) is the city of Natchez. Oh, by the way, the name Natchez is pronounced like ‘matches’, only beginning with ‘n’. Natchez was one city that seems to have escaped the ravages of the Civil War, and is known for its many antebellum mansions that date back to pre-Civil War days.

We visited the home of William Johnson. Known as the ‘barber of Natchez’, William Johnson was a freed slave who became quite wealthy by owning and operating several barber shops. Historically, he handed down a 'treasure' by keeping excellent diaries, explaining different aspects of life of his day.

We also visited the mansion named Melrose. It was built 20 years before the Civil War, and still has most of its original furniture and floor-coverings. The interior is exquisite. We were amazed at the high ceilings – 14 ½ feet. It’s a must-see for anyone in southern Mississippi.

Natchez State Park, Mississippi

2008-01-25T12:04:00.000-08:00

At Mile Post 10 on the Natchez Trace is Natchez State Park. We stayed in this campground for several days too. But the most exciting event that happened while we were there was that it snowed. The locals said that it hadn’t snowed there for seven years. We had thought that maybe during this year away we wouldn’t see any of the white stuff. The kids took advantage of it to have fun making snowmen. Elise even made snowmen depicting the entire Ritchie family.

A side-trip from Natchez State Park took us to what remains of a magnificent mansion. We arrived at the Windsor Ruins at dusk, and it added to their mysterious atmosphere. Ironically, Windsor survived the ravages of the Civil War, only to be destroyed a few years later by fire caused by a smoldering cigarette.

I enjoyed the mural of the Natchez Trace Parkway at the Visitor Center. We also thought the wildlife was exciting to see. There were lots of deer, but the animals/birds that we found most fascinating are those that we don't have at home: the armadillo, wild turkeys, and the bright red cardinal birds.

Grand Gulf Military Park, Mississippi

2008-01-25T12:03:00.001-08:00

Grand Gulf is another Civil War site on a side road off of Mile Post 45, on the Natchez Trace. Located along the Mississippi River, it is now a park of restored or moved historical buildings. Grand Gulf has a campground, so we had lots of time to explore. The Spanish moss hanging on trees in the cemetery made the place look very mysterious. The look-out tower allows people toview the great river in three directions. The metal jail cell looked ominous. There was a one-man submarine that was used for smuggling liquor during Prohibition. I enjoyed the collection of horse-drawn carriages, including a hearse and a Civil War hospital wagon.

Vicksburg, Mississippi

2008-01-25T12:00:00.000-08:00

The city of Vicksburg (20 miles from Mile Post 60 of the Natchez Trace) was also a scene of Civil War action. Probably the most famous aspect of this battle was that the Union army held the city under siege for 47 days, during which civilians actually took shelter in caves under the city.
Vicksburg was located on the Mississippi River. Therefore naval boats plied the water of the river. One Union boat, named the Cairo, was sunk by a Confederate torpedo. Because the vessel went down in 12 minutes, almost all the artifacts went down with her, and were very well preserved. There is a museum dedicated to this boat and its artifacts.

The Cairo was a special kind of boat called an ‘ironclad’, which means that it was a wooden boat that was covered on the top with iron. The river mud preserved much of the original boat, which is now displayed under a giant tent.

Shiloh National Military Park, Tennessee

2008-01-24T21:39:00.000-08:00

One rainy day we visited Shiloh National Military Park, an hour or so off of Mile Post 320 of the Natchez Trace. This Civil War site saw a 2-day battle in 1862. The Confederates took the advantage on the first day of battle, taking many prisoners. The Union army welcomed reinforcements during the night, and as a result, they took the battle on the second day. With the ensuing heat, the commanders found it necessary to bury the dead soldiers quickly, and for the first time we saw a mass trench grave for the Confederate soldiers.

While we were studying the displays in the Visitor Center, the national park ranger informed us that we had to take cover in the basement due to an imminent tornado warning. There were about a dozen of us visitors huddled in the furnace room of the Visitor Center, listening to the battery-operated radio for reports. The tornado did pass through within 10 miles of us, but all we witnessed was the pouring rain that accompanied the storm. It made for an exciting experience.

Tupelo, Mississippi

2008-01-24T21:27:00.000-08:00

Along the Natchez Trace we found some other locations worth mentioning. At the city of Tupelo (MP260) we toured the birthplace of ‘the king’ – that’s right - Elvis Presley. Elvis was born in 1935 in a small 2-room house on ‘the wrong side of the tracks’. It’s amazing that from this humble beginning he met with such success, and at such an early age. He was recording music by the age of 18, and bought Graceland in Memphis for his parents in his early 20s.

Tishomingo State Park, Mississippi

2008-01-24T20:59:00.000-08:00

We found a beautiful state park at Mile Post 304 on the Natchez Trace Parkway, so we stayed for several days. The man-made lake made this a great place for photos and reflections.

We also discovered that this park had quite a history, including a pioneer cabin. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was also active at this location. The CCC was a government-run employment program for young men during the 1930s. There were hundreds of CCC camps around the United States during the Depression. This program gave work and income to the workforce in an era when neither was plentiful, and many improvements were made in national and state parks. Their labours are still evident today in many parks that we have visited. Here in Tishomingo, they made several stone buildings, a swimming pool, a swinging bridge, and a dam for collecting water.

Morgan enjoyed making friends with the ducks.

Ivy Green, Tuscumbia, Alabama

2008-01-24T20:18:00.000-08:00

One of the most inspiring points of interest that we visited just off the Natchez Trace (MP320) was a home named Ivy Green, the birthplace of Helen Keller. It was built by Helen’s grandfather in the year 1820. Helen Keller was born there in 1880, a healthy baby. At the age of 1 ½ years, Helen suffered from an extreme fever which left her blind and deaf. The fascinating story of her young life can be seen in the story “The Miracle Worker”. Our family watched this as a movie a few years ago. This summer while we were in Illinois, we saw the story again, as a play. “The Miracle Worker” is about Annie Sullivan, the teacher who introduced Helen to the concept of language, and therefore changed the life of this little girl from one of frustration and lack of control to one of order and discovery. Seeing the actual location where Helen’s life-changing experiences really happened was awesome!

Do you remember the scene where Helen locked Annie Sullivan in her room? Helen’s father had to rescue Annie by putting a ladder up against the house.

One fact that I found fascinating was that the main house of Ivy Green was a mere 30-40 feet away from the ‘cottage’ where Annie took Helen for two weeks of privacy, to try to make a break-through with her young student without the Kellers’ intervention. This photo shows just how close the building are.

Just steps away from the house, the water pump still stands. This is where Helen finally understood the concept of language, when Annie used manual sign language to spell out the word W-A-T-E-R in Helen’s hand. After that moment, Helen was a sponge for learning.

Helen’s break-through came when she was six years old. Soon she learned how to print words on paper. Using a template to keep her lines straight, her printing was very neat. As a young lady, she also met inventor Alexander Graham Bell who worked closely with the hearing-impaired. He became a long-time friend.

Ivy Green is a wonderful historic site not only because of its human story, but also because of its artifacts. About 80% of the contents of the house are original to the Keller family, including the furniture, quilts, and clothing.

Helen Keller did not pass away until 1968, so there was plenty of opportunity to have her photo taken. We saw several photos of her throughout her life, and many with Annie Sullivan who remained ‘teacher’ for her entire life. As an adult, Helen worked promoting programs and understanding for the visually- and hearing-impaired.

Natchez Trace Parkway, Tennessee-Alabama-Mississippi

2008-01-24T07:19:00.000-08:00

We spent almost two weeks in January traveling down the historic Natchez Trace Parkway, now administered by the National Park Service. The Natchez Trace was a very important national road that became well-used in the 1700s. At that time, farmers and traders floated their wares down the Mississippi River on barges, from the Kentucky/Tennessee areas to the southern cities of Natchez and New Orleans. They would sell their products, including the lumber of their flatboats, and then return home by walking up the Natchez Trace. The entire road stretched for 500 miles, and was often a dangerous trail due to disease, natural hazards, unfriendly natives, and bandits (it was well-known that people heading north on the Trace had just sold their wares for ‘big money’). After the year 1812, when the first steamboats started plying their way up the Mississippi River, the Natchez Trace became less-used, but the history that saturates this area makes it a very interesting and nostalgic trip.

Due to the expanse of the Trace (it is now a 444-mile groomed parkway), it is difficult to organize the photos and stories. I will try to mention the Mile Post # of the sites I mention. Because we traveled from Nashville southward t0 Natchez, the mile post numbers went from greatest to smallest.

Double-Arch Bridge is a beautiful structure that was opened in 1994, and is 155 feet above the ground below. (MP 438)

The tobacco barn exhibit explained how that crop is grown. Its seedlings have to be transplanted, and it has to be harvested by hand so it is extremely labour-intensive. We saw some tobacco hanging in the barn to dry. (MP401)

Fall Hollow was beautiful due to the heavy rain we experienced the night before. Quite likely it would have been dry otherwise. Morgan had fun going behind the falls in several locations. (MP391)

We were surprised to hear the name of Meriwether Lewis on the Trace. He was famous due to his exploration of the American West ... as in 'Lewis and Clark'. Why would Lewis' name come up on the Trace, you ask? Well, he died under suspicious circumstances (murder or suicide?) at an inn (locally called a 'stand') along the Trace road in 1809. His grave is there as well as exhibits describing his lifetime achievements. He was in his early 30s when he died. (MP386)

The Natchez Trace includes several examples of Indian Mounds, some dating back over 2000 years ago. Bear Creek Mound was squarish in shape. (MP 341) There were eight conical burial mounds spread over 90 acres at far-away Pharr Mounds. (MP287) Mason strolled beside the two Bynum Mounds. (MP 232)

The second largest Indian Mound in the United States is located at Mile Post 10. This is Emerald Mound, and is thought to have been used for ceremonies and temples. It covers an area of almost eight acres. This giant mound is flat on the top, but also has another prominent mound on each of its two ends.

Along the historic road are the graves of 13 unknown Confederate soldiers from the Civil War. It is unknown whether these men died as a result of wounds from battle, or disease, or other circumstances. It remains a mystery. (MP 270)

The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway helps to link up 459 miles of navigable water from the Tennessee River to the Gulf of Mexico for boaters. It is locally known as the Tenn-Tom Waterway. (MP 293)

As we got farther south on the parkway we encountered an eerie Cypress Swamp. Here again the swamp was displaying the effects of the recent rains; we heard that it had been dry a month before. The swamp is the home of tupelo and bald cypress trees, that grow 'knees' that stick up out of the water. (MP122)

Throughout the Natchez Trace there are numerous places where a person can walk on the Old Trace, in the footprints of those historic frontiersmen. The segments of the original Trace are kept preserved by the National Park Service. In some areas, heavy usage and poor soil conditions made the Trace 'sink' or erode away. These Sunken Trace areas can be 15 feet lower than the surrounding land. The following are photos of the parkway and the historic Trace.

Nashville, Tennessee

2008-01-23T17:06:00.000-08:00

We started out the New Year 2008 in Nashville, Tennessee, and there we encountered our first chilly weather, dipping substantially below freezing. The cold weather seemed appropriate as Allan, Morgan, and Mason went to see an NHL game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Nashville Predators. It was quite an experience cheering for a ‘visiting’ team, and the guys definitely felt out-numbered. It didn’t help that the Oilers lost that game 5-2.

We celebrated Elise’s 15^th birthday (Jan. 5) by going to the Grand Ole Opry at the historic Ryman Theater in downtown Nashville. It was a fun evening of music. There were lots of golden oldies there, including Jimmy Dickens, Mel McDaniel, George Hamilton IV, and John Conlee. The kids enjoyed the more up-to-date entertainers like Chuck Wicks and Darryl Worley. Once you see the singers live-onstage, you sure recognize their music more on the radio.

Our evening bus tour of the city included local civil war sites, the Parthenon, the state capitol building, the ‘mall’ (gardens and statues stretching for about a mile down the hill from the capitol), an acre-big stone map of Tennessee, the ‘bat’ building, and several downtown saloons. We even saw some would-be country and western stars singing on the street corners; Nashville seems to be a city where people dream big dreams.

Jimmy Carter National Historic Site, Plains, Georgia

2008-01-23T17:05:00.000-08:00

Close to Andersonville is the town of Plains, Georgia. This was and still is the home of former US President Jimmy Carter, who was elected in 1976 as America’s 39^th president. The town boasts several Jimmy Carter points of interest: the farm where he grew up, his old high school, his former campaign office (which is located in the old train depot), the church where Mr. Carter still teaches Sunday School lessons, and a National Park Service Visitor Center. We spent the day learning about this honorable man, one of three American presidents to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Plains, Georgia is also famous for its agricultural crop: peanuts. In the peanut store on Main Street we tried peanut-flavored ice cream, peanut brittle, fried peanuts, and boiled peanuts. That was a true southern experience.

Andersonville National Historic Site, Georgia

2008-01-23T17:03:00.000-08:00

Several years ago, Allan and I watched a movie on the History Channel called “Andersonville”. It told of the horrendous story of life in the Confederate POW camp named Andersonville, during the Civil War. We were curious as to whether such a horrible story could be based on fact, and after visiting this historic site in Georgia, we realize that the film portrayed the POW conditions quite truthfully. Although short-lived (barely over a year), the 26 ½ acre area contained within the palisade housed 32,000 prisoners at one time. The death toll rose to 13,000 due to disease, starvation, filthy sanitary conditions, overcrowding, and exposure to the elements. Prisoners constructed shelters out of anything available. An open, unoccupied space between the palisade and a short fence was known as the dead-man zone; anyone entering that zone was shot dead. Some Union soldiers imprisoned at this camp even tried to tunnel their way to freedom to escape the atrocious conditions.
Andersonville now houses a museum dedicated to POWs of all wars. It was an education for all of us, and we recommend it to anyone traveling through Georgia. If you are planning a trip to that area, you may want to watch the film that Allan and I first viewed several years ago (we bought a copy of it on DVD and are willing to loan it out to anyone who is interested).

Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center, White Springs, Florida

2008-01-23T17:01:00.000-08:00

After two beautiful months in Florida it was time to leave after Christmas. Our last stop in that state was at Florida’s State Park commemorating the American composer Stephen Foster, who lived from 1826 to 1864. Our younger readers may not have heard of this song-writer, but the older readers should remember songs like: Oh Susanna, Camptown Races, Old Folks at Home, and Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair. The museum housed several musical instruments of the day, and many dioramas portraying Stephen Foster’s songs. Florida’s state song (which was written by S.F.) starts with the words “Way down upon the Swanny River….”, which led me to believe that Stephen Foster was a southerner. As a matter of fact, the man was actually from Pennsylvania,and, needing a 2-syllable river name to fit into his lyrics, he changed the name Suwannee (which is a famous river in northern Florida) to Swanny. It seems that the composer never did visit the Suwannee area in his life. After composing more than 200 songs, Stephen Foster died at the age of 37. Interestingly enough, at the time of his death he only had 37 cents in his pocket.

Port Saint Lucie, Florida (Christmas)

2008-01-23T16:21:00.000-08:00

Our pre-Christmas week was spent with my dad’s cousin Elise (from New York), along with her son and his family (from Alaska), in Port St Lucie. They fed us well and took us to the beach where our kids had fun in the sand and in the high waves. The boogie boarding was awesome!

We also took in some wonderful church services, including a concert of Handel’s Messiah and a Christmas Eve communion service.

Before leaving Port St Lucie, we went to the Manatee Observation and Education Center to discover more about this interesting species. These big beasts have a prehensile upper lip which means that they can grab items and wrap around them with their upper lips. They also have solid bones; their ribs were collected as ivory before the manatee was put on the protected list as a threatened species. Although manatees live along the salt-water coasts, they are drawn to areas where they can find fresh water for drinking, like rivers, springs, etc. Manatees are mammals; they breathe air (ie: they can’t breathe under water), they have hair on their bodies, and they produce live-babies who nurse behind their mothers’ front flippers.

Everglades National Park, Florida

2008-01-04T21:44:00.000-08:00

At the southern tip of Florida is the third largest American national park: the Everglades. We spent several days investigating the area. We went on boat trips to explore the mangrove swamps of the Everglades. There are many types of mangrove trees, some sending shoots up from the bottom, and others sending branches down into the water to take root on their own. We also went on a 15-mile bike ride to get right into the Everglades. Hiking the boardwalks also gave us some excellent views of wading birds (blue and white herons, egrets, ibises, anhingas, etc), turtles, and of course the ever-present alligator. Camping at Long Pines campground was very peaceful, and we also saw some beautiful sunsets in the Everglades. It's a gorgeous place.

Bahia Honda State Park, Florida Keys

2008-01-04T21:42:00.000-08:00

About 30 miles back from Key West, we stayed at Bahia Honda State Park, whose beaches were voted as the best in the USA in 1992. Unfortunately the windy conditions obscured the snorkeling for us, but we had fun camping on the beach-front and investigating the park’s other wonders. We discovered the history of the Overseas Railroad which was built by Henry Flaglar in the early 1900s. He believed that Key West’s deep port was an excellent location for importing goods, especially those coming through the newly-constructed Panama Canal. So, he built a railroad from southern Florida all the way down the Keys (about 125 miles). When travelling down the keys now, we saw evidence of the bridges used for this railroad, and indeed, one of these old bridges is a famous landmark at Bahia Honda. It was on the pilings of the old bridge that we saw a 4-foot long bright green iguana. Bahia Honda also has small a colony of an endangered butterfly called the Miami Blue. We saw a few of these butterflies (or what looked like them) flying around. The Nature Center and the rangers at Bahia Honda were a wealth of information, and helped to make our visit a wonderful experience.

Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys

2008-01-04T21:40:00.000-08:00

From Disney World we travelled south to the end of the Florida Keys at Key West. That is where we caught the catamaran boat to take us to Dry Tortugas National Park. The Dry Tortugas is a collection of small keys 70 miles west of Key West. The main key/island is almost completely covered by an old fortress named Fort Jefferson. It was used as a POW prison during the American Civil War; probably its most famous inmate was Dr. Samuel Mudd, the doctor who set the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth shortly after that man assassinated President Abraham Lincoln.

Once we arrived at the site, we took a tour of the fort, which was very interesting. Since the Dry Tortugas keys have no fresh water to drink, the fort was designed to collect rain water in cisterns; unfortunately the weight of the fort (due to the more than 16 million bricks used in its construction) caused the cisterns to crack, leaving only 7 of the 109 cisterns able to hold the fresh water needed.

We also saw evidence of some modern history-in-the –making when the guide showed us a “chug”; this was a make-shift boat used by Cubans to get to American soil. Apparently if the Cubans can get onto American soil, they are allowed to stay in the USA. If the Coast Guard picks them up in the water, they are returned to Cuba, 90 miles south. (The "chug" is seen behind the Ritchies, on the beach.)

Even with my passion being history, probably the biggest thrill for the entire family was going snorkeling in the aqua-marine colored water that surrounded Fort Jefferson. It was our first real experience with the snorkels, and we all enjoyed seeing the incredible sea-life: colorful fish of various sizes, coral, sea fans, etc. When Allan strayed off by himself, he even encountered a menacing-looking barracuda and also a Portuguese Man o’ War jellyfish.

Our trip to Dry Tortugas National Park was capped off by a thrilling trip home. The catamaran boat bucked the 8-foot waves like a bucking bronco. So, the 2+ hour trip seemed to take a lot longer, especially for the poor people hanging over the edge getting sick. The Ritchie family faired very well, with no one feeling any adverse effects.

It all made for an extremely memorable day!

Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, Disney World

2008-01-04T21:36:00.001-08:00

During our 10-month tour around North America we called Fort Wilderness our ‘home’ for 6 weeks. Yes, it was our home-base for visiting the Disney theme parks. However it became home to us in more ways as well. Fort Wilderness has a children’s sports program; the boys played lots of football, dodgeball, kickball, volleyball, wiffle ball, capture the flag, and ultimate frisbee. Elise liked the crafts sessions better. And the entire family took part in the Pool Parties that happened several times a week; pool parties consist of hula-hoop contests, limbo competitions, ‘musical dots’ (somewhat like musical chairs), and dancing events. Morgan won the most prizes in these fun pool parties. Of course, our family spent hours at the pool too, having fun, practicing swimming techniques, doing aquacise, and learning to use our snorkels. Biking was also one of our favorite pass-times, riding around the forests and the lakes of the campground. Another pass-time which we started to become quite good at was shuffleboard; it’s not only for old folks. Fort Wilderness is the home of the Tri-circle-D barns and petting zoo; we liked watching the cast-members preparing the big horses for their wagons and carriages. Fort Wilderness is located on a lake across which we took the boat to go to the Magic Kingdom; but the white-sand beach and the Spanish moss-covered trees made the lake-front very romantic. In addition, every night Fort Wilderness has a campfire sing-along, followed by a Disney film shown at the outdoor theater; this was a favorite for us all. We were amazed at how quickly our time at Fort Wilderness slipped by, and will remember it as our Florida home.

Murray Visit to Florida

2008-01-03T15:30:00.000-08:00

Once our 10-day Disney tickets were used up, we welcomed a visit from my parents, who live in Edmonton, Alberta. Their visit lasted only 5 days, but it was so nice to see family after our 5 months away from home. We took Grandma and Grandpa out to Cape Canaveral where we toured the Kennedy Space Center. We actually saw a Space Shuttle (or at least its fuel tanks) standing up at the launch pad; it was due to be launched in January, 2008. Dave and Pearl enjoyed relaxing by the swimming pool, as the weather stayed around 80-85 degrees F. during their stay. We did some exploring around the Disney properties: the resorts, transportation, restaurants, stores, and the beach. We also watched the ‘electric water parade’ which sails by Fort Wilderness every night. It was a very special time sharing this special place with such special people.

Disney World, Orlando, Florida

2007-12-01T13:17:00.000-08:00

From the Kennedy Space Center, where we were encouraged to strive for our dreams, we drove the hour or so to Disney World, whose slogan this year is ‘Where dreams come true’. We stayed in Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground for the entire month of November (see the future blog site for more details on Fort Wilderness). From there, we took Disney’s free transportation (including boats, monorail trains, and buses) to the four major Disney theme parks:

1. Disney’s Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is basically a twin to Disneyland in California. It has all the old classic rides and attractions, like: It’s a Small World, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, NASCAR race cars, the Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Jungle Boat ride, and the Country Bear Jamboree. Cinderella’s castle is at the center of the park and makes a beautiful backdrop for photos. As with every Disney park, there are also plenty of opportunities to get your picture taken with Disney characters and to get their autographs.

2. Disney’s EPCOT

Walt Disney himself made plans for EPCOT before he died. EPCOT stands for the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. This park is divided into two basic sections: a ‘world showcase’ displaying pavilions of different countries throughout the world (including one for Canada), and a scientific section with pavilions for themes like energy, the land, the sea, the human body, outer space, and imagination. Although there are some rides in this park, it is more of an educational facility, and therefore seems to be geared more for older visitors.

3. Disney’s MGM Studio

Morgan and Mason like MGM for the Tower of Terror (a drop-of –doom type of ride) and also for the Rock ‘N Rollercoaster that does corkscrews and loops. Elise, Allan, and I are more interested in going to the shows, like Beauty and the Beast. At MGM they also have an Indiana Jones Stunt Show and an Extreme Vehicle Stunt Show. There are tours of the backlot of the studio, as well as the prop warehouse and the costume design facility. We saw lots of items from Disney’s recent movies such as the Pirates of the Caribbean and Narnia. One of my favorite exhibits describes the life and achievements of Walt Disney, and his eventual plan to create Disneyland, and later, Disney World. What a fantastic man he was. Elise and I also really enjoy the tour of the animation studio, especially when they have a drawing lesson in which we learned to create some of the famous Disney characters like Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald and Daisy Duck, Goofy, and Pluto. We spent hours drawing. It was a great experience.

4. Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom is Disney's largest park. It is like a combination of zoo and rides. The African Safari ride took us right beside beautiful animals like giraffes, elephants, wildebeasts, rhinoceros, warthogs, gazelles, etc. Morgan and Mason were thrilled with a new rollercoaster ride called Expedition Everest; Allan and I even tried it out. Wow! What a thrill. We also enjoyed the river rapids ride, whose purpose it is to get the riders completely soaked. Animal Kingdom also boasts several wonderful shows: Dinosaur, Birds in Flight, Finding Nemo, It's Tough to be a Bug (3-D), the Lion King, and Pocahontas. We always do lots of walking in this park, but it's fascinating to explore all of its different treasures.

Kennedy Space Centre, Cape Canaveral, Florida

2007-11-17T15:58:00.000-08:00

A couple of hours south of Saint Augustine is Cape Canaveral, Florida. We spent two days learning all we could about the United States’ Space Program at the Kennedy Space Center and the Astronauts’ Hall of Fame. We saw some 3-D IMAX films about the International Space Station and lunar landings. We also went on a simulator of a shuttle-launch…..quite the experience. We were just 5 days late for seeing a real launch of the space shuttle, but were kept up-to-date on what was going on at the International Space Station. We saw where Canada’s ‘Dextre’ was being built; it’s a two-armed Canadarm type of machine that is due to be added to the International Space Station in the future. We actually met an astronaut named Story Musgrave who went into orbit six times on the space shuttle (more than anyone else). One thing that was repeated often during our Space Center visit was to strive for the impossible, because through hard work and perseverance those dreams can come true.

Saint Augustine, Florida

2007-11-17T14:57:00.000-08:00

Once in Florida, we went to Saint Augustine, the home of a fortress named Castillo de San Marcos. This was Spain’s northern-most stronghold in the New World. Built in the 1600s, the fortress is original and is still in wonderful condition. In fact, the Castillo was never taken by force, but exchanged hands (ie: was handed over to British and later to American control) only through peace treaties. Not only has the fortress withstood military attack over the centuries, but it has had to weather many tropical storms. We experienced one when we were there.
Kennedy Space Centre, Cape Canaveral, Florida
A couple of hours south of Saint Augustine is Cape Canaveral, Florida. We spent two days learning all we could about the United States’ Space Program at the Kennedy Space Center and the Astronauts’ Hall of Fame. We saw some 3-D IMAX films about the International Space Station and lunar landings. We also went on a simulator of a shuttle-launch…..quite the experience. We were just 5 days late for seeing a real launch of the space shuttle, but were kept up-to-date on what was going on at the International Space Station. We saw where Canada’s ‘Dextre’ was being built; it’s a two-armed Canadarm type of machine that is due to be added to the International Space Station in the future. We actually met an astronaut named Story Musgrave who went into orbit six times on the space shuttle (more than anyone else). One thing that was repeated often during our Space Center visit was to strive for the impossible, because through hard work and perseverance those dreams can come true.

Fort Frederica, Georgia

2007-11-17T12:32:00.000-08:00

Our highlight in Georgia was Fort Frederica National Monument. Fort Frederica was the closest English outpost to the Spanish holdings to the south, in the New World. The fort consisted of a small military establishment, as well as a grid-plan town of ‘blocks’ of buildings. Only the foundations of the town continue to exist now.

As with many of the national park sites, the rangers at Fort Frederica were wonderful. Ranger John involved Morgan, Elise, and Mason in his musketry demonstration. He had them marching and participating in rifle drills. They looked like a mini squadron. The kids may have been out of their comfort zone, but still seemed to enjoy the experience.

South Carolina

2007-11-11T19:22:00.000-08:00

From Kentucky we bee-lined it back to the Atlantic coast. It was fun staying at an RV Resort called Pirateland at Myrtle Beach. The rain showers we experienced there kept us out of the ocean waters, but the pools were fun for the kids. Allan and I enjoyed strolling along the beach, watching the surfers, water birds, shore fishermen, and waves.

Our travels took us southward to a city called Georgetown, where we toured the Rice Museum. Interestingly enough, the Georgetown area used to be the world’s largest exporter of rice, with about 40,000 acres under cultivation. The success of the rice production was due to tidal irrigation; flood gates were opened during high tide, when the fresh water from the local rivers backed up and entered the diked rice paddies. For we Alberta farmers, this type of agriculture was very interesting

From Georgetown, we went to the historic city of Charleston, South Carolina. We crossed over the Cooper River on the beautiful new Arthur J. Ravenel , Jr. Bridge, which opened in 2005. It is now a ‘landmark’ of the city. Of course, after the numerous Civil War sites that we toured over the past couple of months, we felt it necessary to visit Fort Sumter in Charleston. Actually Fort Sumter is on an island in the Charleston Harbor, and is famous for being the location of the first shots fired in the Civil War. The fort itself was very interesting, but so was the 35-minute boat ride out to the island. We saw lots of sailboats and dolphins plying through the water.

Mammoth Cave, Kentucky

2007-11-11T18:13:00.000-08:00

From Tennessee we travelled north to Kentucky in order to see the world’s longest known cave, Mammoth Cave. Although 367 miles of the cave have been surveyed, they estimate that it may have as many as 600 miles of length. The cave is made of eroded limestone, but there is a sandstone ‘cap’ over top of most of the cave, which has prevented water from percolating down and forming cave formations. Because of this lack of water, the majority of Mammoth Cave has no stalactite/stalagmite decorations. Its huge size is what is impressive.

An hour’s drive (through picturesque farmland) from Mammoth Cave is the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site. This famous president came from very humble beginnings, and his humble attitude continued throughout his life. The site included a museum and also an impressive stone building which contained a replica of the cabin in which Lincoln was born.

The rain we experienced in Kentucky was the most constant rain we’ve had on our entire trip. It makes a person appreciate the sunny times.

Great Smocky Mountains and Dollywood

2007-11-11T16:55:00.000-08:00

After leaving Cape Hatteras, we travelled west in North Carolina, past the state’s capital city of Raleigh (which we Albertans remember as the home of the Hurricanes, who stole the Stanley Cup away from our Edmonton Oilers a couple of seasons ago). We continued west to Great Smoky Mountain National Park, which is a park shared between North Carolina and Tennessee. We did several hikes in the park, and saw some of the old cabins of the mountain pioneers. It was wonderful to see the beautiful colors of the fall foliage in the foreground and the hazy greys and blues of the ‘smoky’ mountains behind.

On the north edge of Great Smoky Mountain National Park lies the city of Pigeon Forge. It is a tourist town designed for family fun. Probably its biggest claim to fame is that it is the home to Dollywood, a theme park featuring Dolly Parton and her Tennessee mountain upbringing. While we were there, Morgan and Mason enjoyed the roller-coasters and the water-rides. Elise, Allan, and I explored the ‘Craftsman’s Valley’ where we watched demonstrations of glass-blowing, carpentry, weaving, soap-making, candle-making, and wood-carving. We also took advantage of the country music concerts offered at Dollywood and saw T. Graham Brown perform in person. It was also very interesting to see how Dolly Parton herself rose from humble beginnings and still has a strong faith in the Lord.

Cape Hatteras, North Carolina

2007-11-11T15:20:00.000-08:00

During our travels to Cape Hatteras, we went through northern North Carolina and saw many fields of cotton. Some had already been harvested at that time (mid-October), but some fields were still green, and even other fields were still in their seedling stage. This led us to believe that the growing season is very long, perhaps year-round.

We camped at the Kitty Hawk RV Park, which was bordering the beach, so right away the boys got out their boogie-boards and tried out that sport as the waves rolled into the shore. They seemed to get the hang of it, and they appreciated that the ocean water in the Carolinas seems a lot warmer than in the northern states. We also spent some beach time when we went to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, which was beautiful with grassy dunes and warm sun. The kids had a sand-castle –making competition. At the National Seashore we also went to the Bodie Lighthouse, which is a 156-foot tall brick structure that was built in 1870.

North Carolina has the slogan “First in Flight” written on its vehicle license plates, and Kitty Hawk is well- known for being the location of the Wright Brothers’ first successful flight. After years of testing gliders in the area, Orville and Wilbur Wright built an engine-powered cloth airplane which had four successful flights on December 17, 1903, the longest of which was 852 feet long and lasted 59 seconds. Unfortunately this prize airplane was flipped over by the wind shortly after their tests were completed on that historic day, and was damaged. That didn’t stop the inventive spirit that was so prevalent in that era.

We were surprised to find another National Parks Service jewel at Cape Hatteras, and that was a place called Fort Raleigh. Also described as the ‘Lost Colony’, this was the location of the first attempted permanent English settlement in the New World. Sponsored by Queen Elizabeth I, the colony was established in the 1580s, but by the time the British came back to check on the colonists after the wars with the Spanish Armada, everyone in the settlement had disappeared. Sir Walter Raleigh made many voyages trying to locate any survivors, but it still remains a mystery as to what happened to the settlers. It was a very interesting location, steeped in history and mystery, and was an excellent ending to our North Carolinian coastal experience.

Colonial Williamsburg Peninsula, Virginia

2007-10-14T18:11:00.000-07:00

From Washington D.C. we travelled south to the Colonial Williamsburg peninsula in eastern Virginia. We camped at the Williamsburg Christian Retreat Center which was a fine facility. From there we made day trips to some impressive historic sites.
Historic Jamestown is called the ‘birthplace of America’. 400 years ago, in 1607, the first permanent British settlement in North America was established there. The 104 men and boys that sailed across the Atlantic in three ships built a fort at that location. The area was originally inhabited by Powhatan natives. Chief Powhatan was the father of the famous Indian girl named Pocahontas. It was very interesting to discover more about her story there, and also the life of Captain John Smith. We saw an active archaeological dig site, and also many artifacts that were unearthed at Jamestown. It was a really neat place, especially with its special position in history.

Our next visit was to the Yorktown Battlefield. Here was the last major battle of the American Revolution, occurring on October 19, 1781. Britain’s Lord Cornwallis surrendered to General George Washington, and established the groundwork for America’s true independence from England. The mock-up of a naval ship in the Visitor Center was interesting, although being only one-fifth of the ship’s actual size made it quite ‘fun’ for Allan to go through.

We saved Colonial Williamsburg for our last location to tour. Having seen so many reconstructed historic sites, it was nice to see a town with a great number of original buildings in it. In the Capitol building we learned how colonial government was run, and also some of the grievances that the colonies had against the mother-country of England. The Courthouse indicated how people were tried in that day. We also visited the ammunition magazine, a milliner’s shop, the blacksmith, silversmith, foundry, weaver, apothecary, taverns, and original homes of famous and influential people. Probably the most impressive for me was going into the Bruton Parish Church, which has had continuous services since 1715; there we got to sit in George Washington’s and Thomas Jefferson’s personal pews. Will we ever live up to the greatness of such men? A thought-provoking idea as we wrapped up our tour of the Williamsburg peninsula.

Washington D.C.

2007-10-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

We left Luray, Virginia when Allan returned from Silver Valley, and then moved to a campground closer to Washington, D.C. The fun started even before we left the campground, when our new neighbors let us try out their Seg-Way riding machines.

We packed a whole lot of sight-seeing into our few days in Washington D.C. First, we did a walking tour of several miles in order to visit the major monuments and memorials around the ‘National Mall’. The World War Two Memorial was our first stop. Its sunken location and splashing fountains make it a fitting tribute to those who fought in that war. We then walked along the ‘Reflecting Pool’ to see the grand Lincoln Memorial, in which Lincoln’s statue sits regally on a huge chair. Lincoln saw the US through some of its toughest days in history during the Civil War. Allan read out the Gettysburg Address to our family, which was engraved on the memorial’s wall. Looking out from the steps of the building we saw the view that Martin Luther King Jr. saw (minus the thousands of people of course) when he gave his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech in 1962.

On either side of the Lincoln Memorial sit two other memorials, honoring the sacrifices of the soldiers at Vietnam and Korea. The facial expressions on the statues at these two memorials showed the anguish, heart-break, and determination that the soldiers must have felt. We continued on to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. This president also witnessed his country going through difficult historical periods, namely the 1930s Depression and World War II. The rock walls and waterfalls reminded me of strong mountains, and there were many famous quotes displayed. Allan and I were both surprised and impressed with this unique monument. As we walked around the peaceful Tidal Basin we soon arrived at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. Once described as ‘the muffin’, I thought the round building looked very elegant along the waterfront. It honors a president who was one of the major writers of the Declaration of Independence which called for equality for all people, and one’s rights to ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’. We ended our tour of the memorials by going up to the top of the 500-foot tower in the middle of the National Mall, called the Washington Monument. From there we had great views including the White House, the Capitol, and the entire ‘mall’ area.

Part of the National Mall is taken up with the numerous museums that make up the Smithsonian Institute. We were delighted to be able to go through several of them.
The Holocaust Museum described the heart-rending story of the Jewish people and other minorities in Europe during World War II. On a lighter note, was the Museum of Natural History that had displays of animals from all over the world, as well as geological wonders. We saw the famous Hope Diamond there. We also went to the Air and Space Museum which told the story of air travel from the days of the Wright Brothers to the modern Space Shuttle. There was also a section there called Treasures from American History; I was delighted to see things like an autographed baseball of Babe Ruth, Albert Einstein’s pipe, R2D2 and C3PO, Dorothy’s red shoes and the scarecrow costume from The Wizard of Oz, a cotton gin, George Washington’s uniform, Helen Keller’s watch, General Custer’s coat, an original John Deere wooden plow, and Abraham Lincoln’s top hat.

We have seen many ‘treasures from American history’ in our travels so far, but I think we’d all agree that the National Mall area of Washington D.C. contains many of them. We had a great time in this nation’s capital city.

Country Waye Campground, Luray, Virginia

2007-10-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

Country Waye Campground was our 'home' while Allan was in Silver Valley at the end of September. It was a beautiful, quiet, comfortable location. Our view included the Shenandoah Mountains, the well-groomed campground lawn and pavillion, and a corn-field and silos in the distance.

Luray Caverns, Virginia

2007-10-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

Camping near Luray for an extended period made the Luray Caverns an understandable location for one of our fieldtrips. The cavern was discovered in 1878, and opened for tours a mere three months later. I was impressed that almost the entire cave surface was decorated with formations. Because early tourists were encouraged to break off stalactites for souvenirs during the first few decades of operation, some areas of the caverns suffered obvious damage. But on a whole it was an underground wonderland. Some of the neatest features were the reflecting pool, giant columns and flowstones, the 'wishing well', and the 'stalacpipe' organ.

Shenandoah, Virginia

2007-10-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

Our home-base campground near Luray, Virginia was nestled at the west base of the Shenandoah Mountains, so we had only a 10 -15 minute drive to get to Shenandoah National Park. The major feature of this park is Skyline Drive, which follows the ridge of the mountains so that one can have views to the east and views to the west within very short distances of each other. Because of our close proximity to the park, we visited it several times and enjoyed several hikes, ranger programs, museum displays, visitor center informational films/slideshows, and wildlife-viewing (including a black bear, many deer, vultures, wild turkeys, Monarch butterflies/caterpillars, and a praying mantis). The views were sometimes foggy or hazy, but after a windy night, they were clear and awe-inspiring. A popular park with Washington DC inhabitants, it soon became very popular with us as well.

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

2007-10-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

From our home-base in Luray, Virginia we drove for just over an hour to get to Harpers Ferry National Historic Park in West Virginia. Harpers Ferry is an original historic town situated at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, where the states of Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia meet.

The town had a varied background. We were surprised at how much we learned. One important incident in American history that happened at the site was the Raid of John Brown. He was an abolitionist who took a personal stand against slavery, by capturing the Harpers Ferry arsenal in 1859. Although his raid ended in failure, and indeed John Brown was executed for treason, his actions got people thinking, and just over a year later the Civil War began. Harpers Ferry was also the home of the famous Storer College which was a school open to all races. There was a lot of early industry in the town, and it had a wonderful system of canals to help power the factories. The town had a Civil War background, as a Union supply base. We realized that Harpers Ferry had wetlands surrounding it, but it has also gone through numerous major floods. It is a town that just keeps coming back, and was an extremely interesting location for us to visit.

Virginia

2007-10-02T06:06:00.000-07:00

Once we arrived in Virginia, we found a nice campground to call home for two or three weeks. During that time (the last weeks of September) Allan flew home to Silver Valley in order to get some final chores accomplished before the winter snows arrive. So, the kids and I spent our days working on school assignments or going on field trips. We found that our location at Luray, Virginia was central to many national parks and other sites.

Manassas National Battlefield Park was the location of two separate battles during the American Civil War. In July of 1861, First Manassas (or First Bull Run) was the first major clash of the war. In that way it was rather a gruesome shock for the sight-seers who drove their horses and buggies out from near-by Washington DC to watch 'the show'. The Manassas brochure claims, "Soldiers on both sides were stunned by the violence and destruction they encountered." It was at this battle that Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson received his famous nickname of 'Stonewall Jackson' for his stalwart defense of the line, which helped to bring a Confederate victory to this battle. The Battle of Second Manassas occurred in August of 1862, and was a much bloodier affair than the first. After three days of fighting, the Union army retreated, opening up opportunities for an 'invasion of the north' for Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

The next national battlefield that we visited was Antietam, in Maryland. The battle occurred on September 17, 1862, and is well-known as "the bloodiest day of the Civil War". There were three important areas of fighting: the cornfield, the Sunken Road (later to be known as Bloody Lane), and the Burnside Bridge. At the end of the day about 23,000 men lay in the field as casualties. It was considered a Union victory, but in hindsight, if Union General George B. McClellan had pressed his advantage at this time, he may have been able to put an end to the Confederate army, thus ending this horrible war three years earlier than actually happened. The American Civil War lasted from 1861 to1865, and took the lives of more than 623,000 soldiers (more than any other war in US history).

Pennsylvania

2007-10-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

As we headed south of New York state, we entered Pennsylvania. We were impressed with the smooth roads we encountered throughout the entire state. It was also interesting along the major highway to see the tracks of the horses and buggies of the Amish. Although we saw traffic signs warning of these slow-moving vehicles, we didn't actually see any of them.

The highlight of Pennsylvania was going to Gettysburg National Military Park. The Battle of Gettysburg stretched for three days from July 1 - 3, 1863, half-way through America's Civil War. The horrors of this war were evident in the number of casualties during the Gettysburg battle: 51,000. This was the largest number of casualties in any battle of the Civil War. When the military cemetery was dedicated in November of that year, President Abraham Lincoln was invited to say a message to the assembled crowd. His famous Gettysburg Address was merely 272 words in length, and took only a few minutes to deliver, yet brought meaning to all the death, and hope to the living. The sacrifice displayed at this site was very thought-provoking.

We left Gettysburg at about 4:00 p.m. and soon left Pennsylvania, to enter Maryland, and then West Virginia, and Virginia, all within the space of an hour or so. The scenery became more farm-oriented.

The next day, September 14, we celebrated Mason's birthday. He turned 13, so now all of our children are teenagers.

New York State

2007-10-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

From Rutland, Vermont, we drove the few short miles to New York state, and soon found ourselves at Saratoga National Historic Park. This was an important site in America's War of Independence, because US victories here (over Britain's world famous army), on September 19 and October 7, 1777, were a turning point in the war, and eventually led to America's full independence from Britain. We learned that the War of Independence lasted from 1775 to 1783, even though the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. We also learned that at Saratoga, Benedict Arnold was an extremely successful and well-loved general, but was not given the credit due him. Because of this, and the fact that he later married a woman with British sympathies, he 'turned coat' , became a spy for the Brits, and was thereafter remembered as a US traitor. Morgan, Elise, and Mason dressed up in period costume in the Visitor Center. It was an interesting location.

From Saratoga, we drove west to do some business in the western section of New York state. So, New York City is 'on hold' for now. Hopefully we'll have a chance to fit it in later.

New England States

2007-09-25T16:43:00.000-07:00

We crossed over to the United States on September 4, 2007. The next day we were enjoying Acadia National Park on the southern shores of Maine. Acadia is actually on an island, and is one of the most-visited parks in the US. We started our visit getting the background of the park in the Visitor Center. It was a favorite retreat for the wealthy, like the Rockefellers. We drove the Loop Road, first ascending Cadillac Mountain, which at 1530 feet in elevation is the highest mountain along the America eastern coast. Imagine the views from there....ocean and islands all around. We continued our tour at Sand Beach, which is the only sandy beach in the park. The kids attest that the water was too cold to actually go swimming, but they had lots of fun jumping in the waves. Morgan also collected crabs. Thunder Hole is where the in-coming tide makes a roaring sound in an alcove in the rocks. We didn't get the full effect of this as the tide was low. We continued around the loop seeing Otter Cove and Jordan Pond. The scenery was beautiful. We also went to two ranger programs while we were in the park: one slide show about the history of the national parks service, and one called a 'hawk watch' where we sat on Cadillac Mountain with binoculars and identified the birds in the air. We learned a lot at both programs.

Morgan, Elise, and Mason were ready for some "fun" after the last weeks driving and site-seeing. So, they spent some time in the pool, which they loved. We also had lots of fun playing a few rounds of mini-golf at the "Pirate's Cove". That was probably the coolest mini-golf course we've ever been on. :)

From Maine, we moved west into New Hampshire, and camped along the Kancamagus Highway which is famous for its colorful fall foliage. We were abit early, but the leaves were actually starting to change color. And what a beautiful location. The biggest thrill for the kids was when we stopped at a river where swimming was allowed. It was a hot, hot day, and you can imagine that we didn't get any farther for hours to come. The waterfall was fun to sit under, and the kids jumped off the rocks into the water. I'm sure they would have been happy to stay there for weeks. :)

The next morning, we explored our first covered bridge of the trip. It was really neat. We also hiked to some gorgeous waterfalls in rock gorges. We took in the views from the summit of Mount Kancamagus before descending and leaving the White Mountain National Forest. We recommend this area to anyone travelling in Hew Hampshire.

Our next major stop was just as we entered the state of Vermont. Queche (pronounce Kwee-chee) Gorge, in over a mile long and 165 feet deep. The hike down to the river accentuated the heat of the day, but well-worth it.

Another highlight in Vermont was the New England Maple Museum. We sure learned a lot about maple syrup. For example, it takes about 40 gallons of maple sap to make one gallon of syrup. Also, one tree can yield about 16 quarts of sap in one day. At the 'free sample' room we tasted a variety of maple products: syrups, jams, salsa, cookies, candy. A person can sure gain weight there. :) It was also the funnest gift shop we've come across on the trip so far. It's fun to have fun. :)

New Brunswick

2007-09-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

Since we already spent some time in New Brunswick (including going to Murray Corner where my grandfather came from), we didn’t spend much more time in that province, after leaving Nova Scotia. However, what we experienced in those short days was wonderful.

We spent a couple of days along the shores of the Bay of Fundy. This bay is world-famous for its tremendous difference between high and low tide. We saw a

fantastic demonstration of this at the mushroom-shaped ‘flower pot’ formations of Hopewell Rocks. First we strolled along the ocean floor while the tide was out. The way that the ocean has eroded the rocks there is very picturesque, but one doesn’t get the full effect of it unless the tide is low. We took several photos of the neat formation. Then, to understand the significance of the tide, we returned at high tide. We discovered that while we were there, for some reason, the tide was even more extreme than usual, raising an astounding 44 feet!

Why are there such extreme tidal differences in the Bay of Fundy? Well, apparently it is because of the gradual funneling of the shorelines from the bay’s mouth to its end, and also due to the bay becoming gradually shallower at the same time. It is somewhat like the high water one can make when sloshing water from one end of the bathtub to the other.

We drove through Fundy National Park and then headed toward Fredericton. We camped at Mactaquac Provincial Park, near a dammed lake. The next day we drove a few more miles to a place called Kings Landing. It is a town made up of many of the old homes that were relocated before the dam flooded them. The resulting historic settlement is wonderful. We strolled through the homes, and listened to the historical interpreters explain the history of the houses. They also gave us many demonstrations of weaving, spinning, dying wool, grinding grain at the grist mill, and sawing logs with a water-powered saw. One thing that also made the day special was meeting a very friendly and encouraging family from Maine. Special people are a real blessing on this trip.

Nova Scotia

2007-09-24T18:22:00.000-07:00

Once we returned from Newfoundland, we stayed on Cape Breton Island (Nova Scotia) for several days and went touring on day trips. One of our excursions took us to the Fortress of Louisbourg, which was France’s capital settlement in the colony of Atlantic Canada in 1744. I was surprised to discover that Canada was much more desirable to France as a source for cod than it was for furs. At the fortress, costumed interpreters described life in the colony. I wouldn’t have enjoyed being a soldier, although the firing of the long rifles was interesting for Morgan and Mason. Elise was thrilled with the opportunity to knit a few rounds for one of the interpreters, while the lady explained how to weave a willow basket to Allan and me. We also saw some wonderful examples of historic costumes.

Next we toured around the Cabot Trail, with beautiful ocean scenes from the cliffs of Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The boys had fun scaling the rocks on either side of Mary Ann Falls, but probably enjoyed Black Sand Beach the best, where we stopped for a picnic. Farther around the Trail we strolled through the 350-year old hardwood forest at the Lone Shieling (a crofter’s cottage). It truly was a fantastic day.

One of the stops I appreciated the most on Cape Breton was going to the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site. Sure, he was the man who invented the telephone. But did you know that Alexander Graham Bell also invented the hearing aid, desalination systems to help stranded sailors make fresh water from sea-water, a metal detector, new wing designs for the up-and-coming airplanes of the time, and also a high-speed hydrofoil boat? He also worked with Helen Keller and her teacher Annie Sullivan. He was an amazing man.

From Cape Breton, we headed to Halifax, where we toured the Citadel of the city. The fortress was truly impenetrable in its day, due in part to its star shape. The soldiers in kilts displayed their marching capabilities for us, and we witnessed the firing of the noon canon, as well as a bagpipe and drum concert. We saw where the dreaded Halifax Explosion took place during World War I, and also saw Theodore Tugboat (from the CBC’s children’s program) plying the waters of the harbor.

We found the scenery of Nova Scotia to be awe-inspiring, and would love to return one day.

Newfoundland

2007-09-17T16:36:00.001-07:00

From Prince Edward Island we drove directly through Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island to get to the Newfoundland ferry. The kids and I found the 6-hour crossing to be abit hard on the constitution, but Allan had fun acting like the drunken sailor, weaving from one side of the aisle to the other.

We took a rest day in Corner Brook, and did a day-trip out along the Captain Cook Trail, that borders the Bay of Islands. Captain James Cook surveyed the area in 1767. The scenery was beautiful, with the many islands in the water.

Next, we drove up the Viking Trail to the north, on the western side of the island. We drove through the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Gros Morne National Park, and after 4 or 5 more hours of driving, we found ourselves at the northern tip of Newfoundland. We stayed at Viking RV Park, which got us in the mood for another UNESCO World Heritage Site: L'Anse Aux Meadows. This is the where Norsemen established a settlement in North America around the year 1000 A.D. It was a fabulous site, and the National Park rangers were wonderful at giving us the background of the place: how it was discovered, details about the archaeological dig, and the items discovered that prooved that this was a genuine Norse site.

Later we drove for a half hour to St. Anthony and sat on the cliff for an hour. We managed to see a far-off iceberg (although it was past their season), and a couple of whales swimming by, as well as a couple of pods of porpoises. A real thrill.

On our way back south down the peninsula, we stopped at a provincial park called the Arches. Here we saw how the ocean carved out holes in the rocks, and formed archways. The boys loved climbing all over the rocks.

We returned to the main body of Newfoundland and took a few days to drive along the Trans Canada Highway to St. Johns (first exploring around Twillingate Peninsula). At St. Johns, the colorful houses are a site to see. We learned the history of Signal Hill, and its importance during the World Wars, and also as the point where Marconi received the first trans-Atlantic radio-wave transmissions in 1901.

No trip to St. Johns is complete without a stop at Cape Spear, the eastern-most point of land in the Western Hemisphere. We took the appropriate tourist photos, and also toured the historic lighthouse on the cape.

It was time to leave Newfoundland, so we drove across the island again, stopping at the Joey Smallwood view point at Gambo. (Joey Smallwood was the man who brought Newfoundland into Confederation in 1949.) The ferry-crossing back to Nova Scotia was much calmer, and I enjoyed standing at the bow and trying to catch photos of the many pods of porpoises that crossed our path. Alas, they were all too fast, but it was a fun way to end our trip to the wonderful province of Newfoundland. :)

PEI

2007-08-29T15:48:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been a long time since we updated.... the trouble with trying to find WiFi.

Prince Edward Island enchanted us with its beautiful scenery. Everyone told us you can drive around the island in a day, but we ended up staying for almost a week. We were impressed first with the construction marvel of Confederation Bridge, which is about 13 kilometers long and has been open for 10 years now. It sure made the trip to PEI fast and painless.

No trip to PEI is complete without a look at the Anne of Green Gables sites. We toured the Green Gables home, upon which Lucy Maud Montgomery based her descriptions of the house in her novel. It was actually the home of a family relative, and she spent a lot of her childhood time there.

We also spent a day at the fictional town of Avonlea, where several actors in costume entertained us all day with singing, races, country fair competitions, and vignettes from the Anne of Green Gables novel. We all got into the spirit of the day, and Allan even entered the manure-toss competition. :)

The kids found it hard to believe that any place would have a museum about 'potatoes', but PEI does. Potatoes are an important part of PEI's economy, and we saw lots of crops of them. While visiting the west side of the island, we also went to Cedar Dunes Provincial Park. The red-sand beach was beautiful, as was the lighthouse there.

We also spent a day at Charlottetown, where we went to 'Province House'. This is where the Charlottetown Conference was held 1864, and the idea of confederation was first discussed. It was quite awe-inspiring to think that our nation became a nation right there. The visitor center's 'time tunnel' took us through the events of 1864 and also showed how each other province joined the country throughout history. That was a neat way to end our tour of the beautiful province of PEI.

2007-08-10T18:34:00.000-07:00

After Ottawa, we travelled to Quebec. It was a strange feeling for me, knowing that I could often be my family's soul means of communication with the fracophone population. But I found that the language came back relatively quickly, and I enjoyed talking with people, even in line at the grocery store. Everyone seemed to understand me with no problem, and I even got some comments on how well I spoke. :)

In Montreal, we stayed with Lenore Fletcher, a friend since my Rimouski days. We spent lots of time at the community pool, and were so thankful as we found the Montreal weather to be extremely hot. Lenore's son Jonah is a real dear, and got several ribbons at the swim-meet that we attended. It was nice to visit Old Montreal on our last morning there. The Notre Dame basilica was a highlight.

Our next stop was Quebec City, where we met up with Sylvain and Darcy and family again. It was great to see the same friends a week or so apart on this trip. Sylvain and his daughter Rachel took us to the walled Old City that first evening. It was really fun, as the Festival of New France was on, and there were many partiers dressed in medieval costumes. It seemed to fit so well with the cobblestone streets and the stone buildings that looked like they had come out of a medieval European village. We visited the old city several more time in the following days, as well as the Citadel, which is the star-shaped fortress which is part of the walled city. The Plains of Abraham was right beside the fortress, so the kids saw lots of sites from their Canadian history textbook from last year. We also visited the Museum of Civilization in Quebec City.

We took a quick trip north through forests and mountains, and eventually emerged over a hill to see flat farm land stretching for miles. This was the first time since leaving Alberta and Saskatchewan that we saw the crops of wheat, barley, and oats. We also saw corn, soy beans, sunflowers, and lots of hay being put up. The historic village of Val Jalbert was really interesting; it was an old pulp and paper town, set on a beautiful river with a spectacular waterfall.

After crossing to the south of the St Lawrence River, we met up with the parents of the family with whom I lived when I took my French course in Rimouski in 1987. It was so much fun visiting with them...as if 20 years hadn't passed since we last saw each other. We continued around the Gaspesie, and saw the sight where Jacques Cartier first landed on Canadian soil, in 1534. It fills me with awe to think about it. We continued to the famous Rocher Perce, which is a giant rock with a whole in it, just off the coast. When the tide is out, people can walk out to the huge rock, but when the tide is up the rock is well into the water. We suffered our worst weather at Rocher Perce as we camped on the cliff; the wind and rain were bad enough to close some of the local highways and caused a home of slide down a slope (killing one person). We were sure worried during the night as the wind rocked the motorhome. Thankfully the wind died down the next day, and we were able to continue on our trip.

Yesterday, we just crossed into New Brunswick. We stayed at Sugarloaf Provincail Park last night. It is located at the local ski hill, and has something called an Alpine Slide. This is a small version of a luge run that is used during the summer with sleds on rollers. Allan and I tried it once and it was a lot of fun. We got passes for the kids to go down the run, and that kept them busy for hours. They had a hoot!

We are presently at what is known as the Acadian Peninsula in New Brunswick, and still French is the language used in the community. In a few days or so we hope to go to Prince Edward Island, so I guess our Maritime experience is about to really begin.

2007-07-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

Today, we've been away from home for a month.... and no one is homesick yet. :) After leaving London, Ontario, we went to Burlington to visit with Allan's old Silver Valley school buddy, Mitch Seekins and his wife Nicole. We also met Mitch's two daughters, who are almost the same age as our kids. The Seekins family took us to downtown Toronto, where we went up the CN Tower. It was a clear day and the views were superb. Mason was the only one brave enough to go onto the glass floor part, that looked straight down to the ground. The tower is 553 metres high, so it is quite something to overcome the fear of the height if you are looking straight down.The next day, we went with the Seekins to Niagara Falls. It was wonderful! We took pictures at the brim of the falls, and then went on the tour into the tunnels underneath the falls. We all looked pretty cute in our yellow rain capes (that were provided with the tour). Next, we went on the Maid of the Mist, which is the boat that takes you right up to the base of the falls. It was neat to see the water spilling over the brim, almost on top of us.

Later, we went to the Butterfly Conservatory, where there were over 50 types of butterflies flying around. We all had fun taking pictures in the conservatory, as the butterflies are quite used to people and therefore are very obliging subjects.

After Burlington, we drove north toward the Muskoka Lake area of Ontario. We had supper with Debbie (Junk) Lloyd and her family (an old friend from my Fort Edmonton days). The Lloyds live on a lake, so the kids went out tubing with the Lloyd kids, Jeremy and Heather. It was a very fun evening.

A few miles down the road, at Rosseau, we met up with another old Fort Edmonton colleague, Sylvain Croteau, and his family. Sylvain's wife's parents have a cottage on Lake Rosseau, so we spent a couple of days canoing, kayaking, and swimming in the water. It was such a neat experience to enjoy the Canadian Shield lake, and to visit with friends from decades ago.

The Ontario experience continued as we camped in Algonquin Provincial Park for several days. The highlight of our time there was to go to a ranger program one evening, and to go to "Loggers' Day" to see how logging was done in the 1800s.

Today, we spent the day in Ottawa, first seeing the changing of the guard, with the soldiers in their red uniforms and big black bear-fur hats. We then toured the parliament buildings, which was fascinating. We'll recognize the House of Commons when we next see it on the news. One of the highlights of the tour was going up to the top of the Peace Tower, from which we had very impressive views of the city and many of its famous sites. We also strolled down beside the Rideau Canal where we saw the lock system in operation. We were glad to be able to see how they actually work.So, we are still enjoying our learning experience.

July 20, 2007

2007-07-20T15:06:00.000-07:00

We are 3 weeks into our trip now and are having a great time. After leaving Alberta, we visited with Bill and Ula Knelson in southern Saskatchewan. We also visited with Allan's dad's relatives south of Swift Current; they were a delight.

Then we drove down to Peoria, Illinois where we spent a day going through some of the Caterpillar facilities in the area. First we went to the foundery where red hot molten metal is poured into forms that are made of compressed sand, to make Cat engines. Next, we toured the forge building, inwhich hot metal 'billets' are punched into track links - a quick rendition of the old blacksmith shop. Our next stop was the tractor assembly building where we saw Cat crawlers being put together from start to finish, then painted and shipped off to far-off places in the world.

We realized that Peoria was just a couple of hour's drive from Illinois' capital city, Springfield, famous for its Lincoln history. We camped for several nights at the nearby New Salem, where Abraham Lincoln first settled when he moved to Illinois. The historic village, with costumed interpreters, was a wonderful site and we learned a lot about local crops and pioneer lifestyles. In Springfield we toured Lincoln's home, law offices, the old state capital building, Lincoln's tomb, and the fabulous Lincoln museum. What a wonderful place to learn.

We returned to Canada via Sarnia, and toured the oil museum at Oil Springs, Ontario, where the first commercial oil well in the world was put into production in 1858. Ontario's oil history is much different than that of Alberta.

We also enjoyed going through the Uncle Tom's Cabin Museum in Dresdun, Ontario. The kids and I have been reading the novel of Uncle Tom's Cabin as a novel study in our homeschooling, so this was a great experience. Even though the book is a novel, it was based on the life of a real man, Josiah Henson, who escaped slavery via the Underground Railroad.
For the last two days we've been in London, visiting with Heather and Brad Berdan. I think that even I could maybe be tempted to become a gardener if I lived here. The plants are beautiful, and many are in full bloom right now. We'll keep in touch whenever we can.

We are almost started on our trip!

2007-06-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

Charlene looks pretty relieved, now that she is with her sister Natalie at the Bidulock family re-union on the Bidulock family farm.