Sigh, all good things must come to an end....

And so must this wonderful trip of ours.  Tomorrow we fly home to Syracuse via Chicago.  Thank you to all who have hung in there with us throughout this two week odyssey.  Who knows, Paige may need someone to accompany her back east in the spring.  A cross country bike ride has been tossed around, just sayin.  And they (and I mean THEY) will need a blogger (ME!).

Today was like the cherry on top of a hot fudge sundae.  We got to spend it with Lauri!!  Joel and I started out our day with a monorail ride down to Seattle Center to be the first riders up the Needle.  Visibility was not the greatest but that did not detour us.  We are here; we want to see and do it all!  Lauri met us at the Chihuly museum and gardens right there in the Center. Yes, I know I keep bringing him up and posting pictures of his glass artwork, but it is truly awe inspiring and beautiful.  Anyway, back to Lauri.  She is great!
We have not seen her in four years but that time just melted right away.  We shared stories and laughed and caught up and enjoyed a fabulous lunch at Maximilien's at Pike Place Market.  We wandered through the market and soaked up all the sights and sounds and smells.  Such a vibrant place!  Hated to say goodbye but we hugged and parted ways in the late afternoon with a promise to return soon.  On our way back to the hotel we decided to ride the huge ferris wheel on the pier over the bay.  Crazy to think that the two of us who both kind of hate heights should do TWO sky high events in one day.  Of course we were the car that stopped at the top for hours....not really, just minutes...to let others out:) One more fancy dinner (

Seattle's best!

So I will try to recap the last two days as best I can because it all seems such a blur of driving, eating, and imbibing!  John and Lisa, the owners of the Shady Oaks b and b, served up a wonderful breakfast of fresh fruit and eggs benedict to all the guests at 9 am on their patio.  What a wonderful way to start the day.  We packed up and headed back to the coast to continue our adventure north.  My goal was to find Glass Beach near Fort Bragg (remember Margo, you told me about this years ago?!)  Apparently back in the 70's and 80's the residents there were allowed to dump their trash over the cliff.  Over time all the glass bottle shards tumbled smooth and now the beach is literally "litered" with beach glass...any other garbage is long gone.  So it was a field day for me (Kelly and Fran you would have been in heaven too!) EXCEPT any removal of the glass is forbidden.  I may have snuck a piece or two into my pocket:)  Anyway, we ended up spending some time on the rocks and the beach enjoying a picnic lunch.  As we drove even further north we were treated to miles and miles of giant redwoods lining the road.  There was a hokey spot where you could pay $5 to drive through a redwood, take pictures, and visit the souvenir shop so that's what we did!  Our destination for the night was a Hilton in Eugene OR but it became apparent that we were not going to make it in a reasonable amount of time.  The roads are extemely windy and steep and actually taxing on the driver so we cancelled that reservation and booked into an oceanfront lodge in Crescent City CA where we did some laundry, ordered in a pizza, and watched tv...so reminiscent of our bike trip days (well at least the evenings that we actually "stayed in!")  Got the the good nights sleep that was needed and out the door by 6.
The final leg to Seattle began.  We had a good 9 hour day ahead of us so our only planned fun activity was lunch in Portland OR.  We were very impressed with the casual, laid back feel to this fairly major city.  sunny day, happy people, awesome meal at Huber's in downtown.  Got really excited as we approached the city where Joel's sister Lauri has lived for over thirty years.  We have never been so this visit should be lots of fun!  Talked to Lauri and made plans to meet on Friday.  In the meantime we checked in to our hotel, freshened up then headed out to walk the city and then enjoy a fabulous (can you tell by the look on my sunburned face??) meal of raw oysters and foi gras atop a seared day boat scallop at a place called the Brooklyn.  Ahhhhh.

So many wineries, so little time!

Oh my goodnes what a fun day we had!  Didn't start out so well with a thick fog covering San Francisco and a huge traffic jam on the road heading into southern napa.  We thought we would never make it to our first appointment which was at the Hess Vineyard at 10 am.  Luckily though the sun broke through and the traffic eased up and we were just fine.  Hess has a nice chardonnay which I really like.  We tasted that in addition to several other variatals.  We also got to view Mr. Hess's private modern art collection and take a tour of the winery with Carlos, a very entertaining young man!  Our next stop was the town of Yountville where we had a lunch reservation at Bottega owned by celebrity chef Michael Chiarello.  Joel had cavatelli with lobster and I had rigaotni with rabbitt.  Dad may be right about putting on some pounds:)  We just had to stop into Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery for a little sweet afterwards, of course.  On the road again northbound to St. Helena where I was on a mission to try Starmont chardonnay at the Merryvale Vineyard.  Bob Reynolds has a bottle waiting for me back at his shop, which I can now say is going to be great!  Got to try it and then some other whites and reds that suited Joel.  The pourer liked us so she treated us to two extra tastes that the owner had only opened up that morning for friends.  Saw on the map that Trinchero Vineyards was not far away so we contacted Tom to see which of their reds is his favorite.  He told us that the petite verdout is like a dream in a bottle.  We tried to get the pourer to let us take a taste but that was not on the "menu" for the day.  He actually told us that cases are limited so Tom should order some more for Kikkos grand reopening in two weeks!!  Okay, so now it is 4 pm and we feel like we should head to our bed and breakfast to rest up a bit before dinner.  Our GPS took us the long way there, however, and as luck would have it we drove right by Rombauer Winery.  Made a quick u turn and snuck in a tasting right before they closed.  Isn't it always the unplanned adventures that are the best?  We got to see old Mr. Rombauer toddering around.  We got to not only taste their award winning and expensive (right Adam and Maria?!) chardonnay, but our pourer gave us two free wineglasses and waived the tasting fee AND poured Joel a glass of  a fabulous red and me more chard just cuz.  Gotta love Rombauer.  Now it was off to the b and b where they offered a happy hour on the patio from 5 to 6 with more wine and cheese and crackers.  Met some nice folks from all over doing the same type of touring as we are.  Fun!  7:15 dinner reservations at the Wine Spectator Greystone Manor which is the west coast CIA.  Thought of our friend Mila who is studying hard and doing well at the CIA in Hyde Park.  Our servers were excellent as was the food and the atmosphere.  By 8:30 though the wall came down.  Done, done, done!

Amazing vistas

Lots of pictures and few words will have to suffice for tonight...sunburned and tired but just wanted to share a few really nice moments from today's adventure.  Hearst Castle was AMAZING.  Hard to believe one man could accumulate so much wealth and create such a spectacular home which is merely one of his many.  We particularly loved the gardens and the pool and of course the dining room.  You all know how I love to entertain...can you imagine the dinner party I could put on here?!  Had the top down on the ole mustang all day, through hot and cold.  Stopped off at a beach where sea lions frolic.  Kind of hard to see but we snapped a shot of two lions coming in towards shore.  Boy were they noisy!  Further on up Route 1 we happened upon Nepenthe in Big Sur which is a restaurant recommended to us by Lori Felice, thank you Lori!!  What a view.  What yummy food. What a pesky crow who kept trying to steal our yummy food!  So, even though there was a good amount of fog along the way we thoroughly enjoyed the sweeping vistas, the breathtaking switchbacks, and the peletons of cyclists who were all going the other way:)  Joel was quite jealous.  Pulled into San Francisco later than we had hoped so we really didn't get to sightsee at all, but we did have a fabulous meal at Tyler Florence's restaurant called the Wayfare Tavern.  Fried oysters, dates wrapped in bacon with a pesto sauce, Halibut and rear filet, oh and popovers ALMOST as good as my Dad's!  Off to wine country tomorrow:)

From the Mountains to the Sea

For those of you who are still hanging in there following us on our adventure I will fill you in on the last two days.  Yesterday dawned as beautiful as I am told it does every day...sunny and 70's.  Joel and I grabbed a couple of coffees to go and headed out on a little hike around Lake Arrowhead.  Two things struck us; the houses surrounding the lake are gorgeous and the people who live here love their dogs!  I get that:)  We decided to join Captain Jim on a paddle boat tour of the lake after breakfast.  His tour included facts about the town, the lake and all the celebrities who have lived there and the ones who still do...Sammy Hagar from the band Van Halen, Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys, and Mark Harmon from NCIS.  It is a completely private lake.  The only way anyone would have access is by owning a home there, interesting.

Paige and Charlie picked us up after lunch and we headed "down the mountain" to pick up our rental car at the Ontario Airport.  Before that though we hit Walmart and Lowes to stock up on the things that Paige will need and also get her started on her rock garden project.  Joel and she concocted this plan to beautify the front of the Zuger Drive house with a stone area puntuated with pavers on which each of the residents, Paige, Charlie, and the two new naturalists can display a statue that represents them best.  They have already started the work!  Had a sumptuous meal at the Lodge with the two of them then they headed back to Crestline and we to bed.

Funny thing about the temperature out here in California.  We started out this morning at 58 on the mountain.  Of course we popped the top on our convertible mustang, though, as we headed down (had the heat blowing on us and coats on!) but by the time we reached the San Bernadino area it was 86.  On came the AC.  A little further on down the road the marine layer enveloped us and we shivered in a 50 degree temp again...top up!  Anyway, finally hit the coast at Ventura and started our trek north.  Stopped in Santa Barbara to walk the pier and check out a local arts and crafts fair.  We were surprised at how crowded the harbor area was and decided to keep heading up the coast to find a more quiet place to have lunch.  We did. Had fish tacos at an oceanside dive bar just south of Pismo Beach, our destination for the day.  The Cliffs Resort where we have booked in for the night has quite an awesome spot right on the Pacific.  We are just now watching the sun set from our deck.  How do you like the cute duck that greeted us as we checked in? 

Will blog again in a day or two:)

Mission Accomplished!!

We have successfully returned Paige to her Western home, Crestline California and Lake Arrowhead Ranch.  Six days and 3,000 miles across twelve states...good times!  After a pleasant breakfast poolside at the Bellagio we exited Vegas with ease; Paige at the wheel.  Another short day, 3 and a half hours to San Bernadino where we saw Garrett off on a metro train to his home in Ventura.  He is heading to a waterskiing competition this weekend.  What fun we had travelling across country together!  Hopefully he will be able to come east again to visit for the holidays. 

We could tell Paige was happy to be back "on the mountain."  After settling her back into her house on Zuger Drive we were treated to a tour of her camp, (both sites) and all her haunts. If you look very carefully at the picture of Paige in front of her workplace you may find a "character" peeking out from behind the sign:) We met Charlie at the Bear Claw at 5 sharp for a welcome home drink.  Got to meet some of the local color which is always fun.  To top off a great day,  the four of us dined on delicious, fresh homemade Italian food at a place called The Cottage compliments of Charlie.  We are staying at a beautiful resort on Lake Arrowhead for the next two nights then on Sunday just the two of us begin phase two of our adventure which is driving the California coastline north...destination Seattle, WA.  Keep checking in if you wish.  I will blog the highlights:)

Viva Las Vegas!

Today was certainly one of contrasts!  We began with a 2 plus mile hike/climb in Zion starting before the sun even rose and ended with a late dinner at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Vegas.  Let me tell you what happened in between...we were up for breakfast and on a shuttle into the park by 6am.  We hiked to the emerald pools which has three levels of waterfalls and ponds.  Saw deer (and a few other people) along the way.  As the morning lightened Joel sat on a boulder in a zen moment and waited for the sun to rise. It finally did after taking it's sweet time and we headed back down.  Arrived back at the Hampton before 10 so we could have a second breakfast!  Packed up and hit the road soon after so we could be in Vegas for a late lunch.  Once again the drive was stunning.  Plus today was a short one; about three hours.  We passed through Arizona and one more time zone.  Checking in at the Bellagio was a hoot!  There must have been 50 others trying to do the same thing at the same time but I have to say they are extremely efficient at moving people.  We were in our rooms within a half an hour with the luggage not far behind.  Just had to admire the Chihuly ceiling in the lobby (remember our fascination with his work last year in Oklahoma at the museum?).  Now we just had to find Charlie.  Again, remember him from last year?  He is the program director for Paige's camp in California and has become our friend.  We met up at Olive's at the Bellagio for lunch and had a really raucous time...great food too:)  Hit the strip afterwards even though it was nearly 100 degrees.  Wandered through Caesar's Palace and the Venetian and had a few drinks at the Rhumbar at the Mirage.  We decided to take a little breather before dinner and catch some of the Denver/Baltimore game.  A must if we are to continue to take in this crazy town well into the night:)  My first time here (the others have all exprerienced Vegas at least once; some MULTIPLE times!) and I have to say I like it-for a short stay!

What a Difference a Day Makes!

And by that I mean that the topography we experienced on our drive today was spectacular from beginning to end (all 10 hours of it!!).  Carol provided coffee and treats for us before we headed out at 4:30.  By the way, my computer died last night before I had the chance to say how much we appreciated the hospitality of the Norcross family on this trip.  Visiting family and friends has always been the highlight for me on our adventures.  Last year Paige and I stopped in to see our niece/cousin Sarah in Albuquerque on our way to California, and three years ago (can't believe it was that long ago) Joel and I shared time with over 10 of our family and friends...you know who you are!...on our bike trip from Maine to Florida.

So back to today...after leaving Broomfield we immediately got into the mountains and began heading west through switchback passes through the Rockies.  We saw all the big ski resorts and can't imagine the traffic jams that must occur in the winter as there is only this one road leading to them.  At one point we were screaming downhill at a 7 and a half grade with trucks passing us on the left.  Still and all it was beautiful and fun.  We stopped a few times along the way for photo opps and gas, which by the way we almost ran out of.  Got down to 35 miles left in the tank and started to worry about where the next station would be.  If anyone has done this drive they know that amenities are few and far between...sometimes there is a hundred miles of nothingness.  No worries.  As we approached Zion National Park the already beautiful scenery became stunning.  My pictures don't do justice to the amazing striations of color and texture and height.  We couldn't stop oohing and ahhing.  Checked into our Hampton in Springdale which is right at the entrance to the park and then immediately headed out in the car to explore with Garrett at the wheel and Paige with the map.  There are many scenic drives and hikes and tours.  Today we followed a twelve mile path up and down and all around.  It took us through a funky tunnel and to several observation points.  Paige was extremely excited to see a long horned sheep on the rocks!  She and Garrett also educated us on the different types of trees and how the huge rock formations came to be and how they will disappear in the future; but certainly not in our lifetime!!

Another terrific day!  Dinner at a steak and seafood grille within walking distance.  Joel, Paige and Garrett even sneaked in a run.  Holly hit a few shops:)  

Rocky Mountain High

So we got to sleep in a little today; well sort of!  Enjoyed a Hampton breakfast at 6 then back in the car heading west by 6:30.  Nebraska seemed to drag on forever.  So different from Iowa...no lush green rolling hills, only a flat, dry, brown landscape.  The most excitement we had was pulling out our cell phones at the mountain time zone line to see whose changed first as we crossed.  Oh, and Garrett got to ride a dinosaur!  Poor guy almost suffered third degree burns waiting for me to snap the picture.  I forgot to mention that it reached 95 degrees by 9am. 

Our destination today was Broomfield Colorado, a suburb of Denver where our relatives from Rome have lived for the past 5 years.  Carol and Bob used to live across the street from us on Madison Street and then again across the street from Joel Rhein in Saratoga.  Carol took us on a terrific tour of their town and points of interest.  This is a beautiful area with cloud spotted blue, blue skies and mountains in the distance.  All the buildings are new and big and the population seems young and active.  Love it! Carol served up a delicious meal and we were joined by her kids and their families for dessert.  So wonderful to see Brian and meet his wife Leslie and their adorable kids, Cooper and Gemma. Had a blast catching up with Laurie who used to babysit my kids.  She just got a new job teaching second grade.  Hubby Neil couldn't make it but we send him our best!

Our kind of town...Chicago

Wow!  Five states in 12 hours of drive time!  Quite a day.  We travelled through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska with a glorious three hour layover in Chicago.  We all agreed that the windy city is impressive and seems very liveable.  It didn't hurt that today was sunny and 70's AND a holiday which meant happy people all around.  Indvertently we had an extra hour to explore because we forgot about the time zone change and arrived before the Art Institute opened at 10:30.  We visited the "bean", walked along the magnificent mile, and wandered down to the pathway along lake Michigan to check out all the sailboats.  The gang humored me a bit and spent time viewing a special exhibit at the museum called Passion for Fashion which highlighted style inspired by the Impressionists, my favorite being Seurat's La Grande Jatte. Lunch was at the Grille in Millenium Park, then as we were walking back to the car, Garrett and Paige got frisky with one of the statues on the promenade.  Either Joel was unaware of the shenanigans or he didn't approve!

After Chicago we still had a good 7 and a half hours to our Omaha Nebraska Hampton.  All four of us took a turn at the wheel as the route was pretty much a straight shot west on Route 80.  Surprisingly though the landscape was extremely green and dotted with lovely farms.  The cornfields went on forever as the road rolled up and down.  Also abundant were magestic windmills, hundreds of them!  Country soon turned into suburbs which merged into the fairly large city of Omaha which we entered as the sun set.  We had already researched a dinner spot called the Upstream Brewery where we received free beer compliments of the Hampton.  Not bad:)  Weary bones tonight I'm afraid but no complaints.

Rock and Roll!

Up at 3 am, on the road by 3:30, buying tickets to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland Ohio as the doors opened at 10; priceless!  What a great day we had.  All of Paige's stuff, our luggage and even her bike on top of the Escape fit perfectly.  Traffic was light and the weather cooperated.  Thanks to Garrett for helping with the driving!

We so enjoyed our three hour immersion into the sights and sounds of the history of music in America today.  Joel and I were familiar with most of the words to most of the songs, Paige could sing some of the words to some of the songs, and Garrett admitted with a smile that he knew one word to one song!  The museum was currently featuring the Rolling Stones with fifty (!) years worth of memorabilia, and some of you will recognize the props from Pink Floyd's The Wall which is Joel's all time favorite album.

We found our way to a cool waterfront bar/restaurant in the "Flats" area for lunch then followed a circuitous route (that darn directions app!) to our Hampton where we rejeuvenated for a bit before taking a pleasant walk downtown to the Blue Point Grill which is touted as Cleveland's best seafood restaurant.  Raw oysters, grouper, trout, lobster mashed potatoes, chowder and, oh yes, key lime pie.  Heaven!  Our stroll back included enjoying some neat old architectural buildings and some very cool modern statues.  We (well two of us who shall remain nameless) topped off the night with a viewing of this week's Breaking Bad which was, well....bad!

Long day tomorrow. G'night!