The Third Day

Oh my! I cannot believe it has been so long since my last entry. Allow me to catch up a bit...

Let's see...working in Colorado...that's where I left off. What a great experience that was! It is an economical way to see an area. We have learned that there are places all over the world where we can "give of our talents" while we have an extended stay. (And there are accomodations for singles, too.) If you are considering something like this, I recommend good research. It also helps to know your limitations. I would do it again - definitely.

Moving on...there hasn't been as much big traveling going on, with the exception of a rather extensive trip around the western US. There was a family gathering in southern California, and, well, we thought we'd work a trip in around it! We left East Texas in early June for points west. Specifically, New Mexico, Arizona and California. We figured that if those narrow winding roads in Scotland didn't scare us, then we'd do fine on the US Interstate. We made it to Las Cruces, NM the first day...about twleve hours. That was just an overnight to refresh and recharge, we didn't really do much there. Then we moved on to Scottsdale, AZ, where we were able to tour Old Town a little and see the capitol in Phoenix. We had a visit with friends who graciously housed us for the night and fed us a terrific steak dinner, followed by Blue Bell ice cream, of course! The next day we enjoyed some variety in scenery as we made our way to Los Angeles. I loved the wind turbines. Oh, I know, some people think they mar the landscape, but in a kind of strange way, they are really interesting to watch. And hey, if we are getting power from them, how can we complain? I'd put one up at my house, if I could.

Now, I don't recommend this kind of driving to everyone. We just happen to do it well. We make a rather comfortable bed in the back seat, and we take turns resting and driving. We make an itenerary ahead of time, so we know where we will stop for the night. I try to have room reservations for us, too, but sometimes we just have to "get a room" somewhere. In this case, our goal was really to get to California, not to see a lot on the way, so we start out early and "bust bugs" for the whole day. We eat in the car a lot, too, rather than take time at a restaurant. But when we get to a place to stay for the night, then we take a little time to unwind.

Huntington Beach is where the family activities took place. Graduations and school programs were attended and parties following. Our two youngest daughters (college students) flew out and joined us for the week in southern California. We did the tourist thing, Warner Bros studio tour, saw a taping of So You Think You Can Dance, checked out the footprints at Mann's Theater, strolled along (did not purchase anything) Rodeo Drive...you know, the tourist stuff. A beach day or two were restful, even if I did get way too much sun. It's a difficult vacation because driving in LA is really awful. But for a once or twice in a lifetime experience, it's do-able. Around day 10, we put the daughters on a plane back to Texas (and jobs) and Wayne and I drove north. Ah-h-h! Peace and quiet again.

This time, there was more stopping...Hearst Castle, Big Sur, Monterrey Peninsula, Pebble Beach, Napa Valley wine country, golf, shopping, tours and, of course, photos. I also squeezed in a visit with my former college roommate. We left California and headed east around day 15 of the trip.

Once again, to get to a destination (this time, Fort Collins, CO) was our goal, so we did very little stopping through northern Nevada. One note: the sight of the salt valley after crossing into Utah was unbelievable. I almost pulled over and woke up Wayne. But I let him sleep. Park City is a good overnight stop. Cool and pleasant. Lovely scenery. Would have liked to have seen more of Salt Lake City, but that will have to wait until another trip. The next day on to Laramie, Wyoming. There is some great western scenery along the way. If you were a child of the fifties, you might find yourself lost in the memory of a lot of old western television shows and movies. Laramie is a good stop for a walk about...the pedestrian bridge over the railroad is fun. If you wave at the trains, you might get "whistled" at. But we had grandchildren to see, so we traveled on, south, this time. There are antelope and deer to look for as well as a variety of birds of prey. I never cease to be awed by the changes in the rocks, in their texture, color, shape - we have a beautiful country. We reached Fort Collins around day 17, stayed for about one week and headed back to Texas. We arrived home in early July. Over 3600 miles added to the car. Time for and oil change!

With the exception of the California Coast Highway, we stayed on main Interstate and State Highways, because covering ground was our goal. The roads were good, the traffic tolerable (except for LA and San Francisco areas) and the experience was unforgettable. I love to drive and I will continue to tour this way until it's just not an option. If you endeavor to take an extensive driving vacation, do your homework and plan carefully. It also helps if you really like your traveling partner!

About eight days was all we got before heading out on our next adventure. This time we drove to Colorado - to work!

First stop was to see grandchildren and give their parents a little time away. We had lots of fun, but I was reminded that I am way out of practice at taking care of a one-year-old and a three-year-old. Quite exhausting!

And if that wasn't exhausting enough, we moved into the YMCA Conference Center at Estes Park. We worked for about one month there in Conference Services and Housekeeping. Our work was often very physical and the days began early. But what a wonderful experience!

Our room was about the size of a college dorm room, with a bathroom "en suite." The building we lived, called Farichild, was built in 1923. It can house around ten couples. Evenings were spent visiting, reading, watching television or playing dominoes.

Outside, the elk and deer grazed.

Our days began at 5:30AM when we awoke to the noise of the coffeemaker. The local radio station updated us on the weather, news and high school sports, as well as playing a rather eclectic mix of music from the 1940's through the current popular charts. We went to breakfast at 6:30. The dining hall buffet offered good food, plenty of it, and a reasonable variety of choices. I reported to the housekeeping department at 7:00. After eight hours of work (with a lunch break) I walked back up the path to Fairchild. On most days, I'd have a little snooze until Wayne got in around 4:00PM.

Edinburgh is everything you've read about it. Plenty to do to keep busy, and you probably won't be able to do all you want.

The open bus tours are a good idea to see an overview of the city and then make plans for more in depth touring. All of our guides were interesting and they were all different.

Walking is just a way of life, and navigating the city bus system took a little effort, but we managed. All the drivers were quite kind and most helpful to the confused tourists - all except one, that is. I guess there's one in every city. Maybe he was having a bad day. Didn't slow us down, though.

Besides the usual touring, we watched a film crew setting up for a commercial taping on one of the beautiful old streets. Quite an interesting mix of modern life in the midst of the antiquities. One fabulous treat was the full moon shining over Edinburgh Castle. Unforgetable!

I will recommend good shoes (a couple of pair), good maps (more than one) and patience. We had a "Ghost Tour" that was okay, but not great. I think we will skip that next time. I do not recommend a convertable automobile. We were able to have the top down only three times in two weeks. Might save that for a sunnier climate. Go back? We'd love to!

Something many travellers may not think of as an activity is live theatre. We have a great appreciation for theatre (actually, that's how we met) and so we stopped in to see what the theatre was like in St. Andrews. We were able to get tickets for the opening of Losing Louis, a comedy that has received great reviews while playing in London. It was truly enjoyable. We were a bit concerned that we might have difficulty understanding, what with us being Americans (Texans, even) and the Scottish accents being - well, Scottish! Nothing to worry about. We got every word. Granted, some of the "local humor" got by us. That is, references to particular places, people and events, but we agreed with the London reviews. Great fun! It is supposed to open in New York in October.

So, don't overlook the opportunity to see some local or professional theatre while touring. I think you might be surprised how fun it is.

Well, it has been a while since my last post, but there is so much to do. Sitting in front of a computer is not an option!

We have finally gotten beautiful weather. Wayne has put the top down on the car, and we will enjoy the day in St. Andrews. No golf, we decided, since we have many opportunities to play at home, and we just don't want to sacrifice the time here.

The Isle of Skye was fabulous. And the drive from there to Grantown on Spey took us from rocky seashore through deep woodlands and around Loch Ness (no monster). Elgin has grown up considerably since my last visit, and the traffic was not to our liking. But we managed to see Fort George (very interesting), the Elgin Cathedral ruins (fascinating), a few more distilleries (no, that's not all we do) and the Speyside Cooperage. We have found that we tour slowly, and we don't schedule too ambitiously.

The Edradour distillery is beautiful...one of the nicest we have ever seen. Very small, very pretty, the people there very nice. (And the whisky's also very good.) It is a little secret of Scotland. Well worth the trip on the winding roads.

The "Old Course" at St. Andrews is much better manicured than I recall. But, the town itself is largely unchanged. Probably my favorite place in Scotland.

We have the top down on the car, and we plan a relaxing day out and about the town. Hopefully a sunset dinner, too.