David and Karen Journey – DNKJOURNEY
DNKJOURNEY- Happy Journeys wherever we travel!
What an amazing way to end a two month journey in the RV, dry camping at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. We camped in the rv at one of the VIP campgrounds located adjacent to the Launch Field, a very short walk to the to the launch field.
For nine days in October, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta creates an enchanted world of special-shaped balloon rodeos, twilight balloon glows, and vibrant balloon-filled skies.
Our initial trips in our new RV were to Jacksonville, FL and Hilton Head, SC. David completed Radiation on August 14 and had follow-up appointments with his doctors on August 20th. On August 21st we departed Jacksonville in our new RV, with Mayo Clinic in our rear view mirror, headed for Colorado and New Mexico.
First stop in Colorado, was Chatfield State Park in Littleton, CO, a suburb of Denver. After 4 nights, we moved to our Carl and Julie’s driveway for a few days. We celebrated being back in Denver with a Barbeque and friends.
Next stop was Green Ridge Campground near Grand Lake, CO. This was a good test for the RV where we boondocked, no hookups, using water from our fresh water tank and generator to give our batteries a daily charge.
We covered northern, central and southwestern Colorado during this trip. It was great timing for us to enjoy: the sound of a Elk bugle in Rocky Mountain National Park; cycling Breckinridge and Frisco’s great bicycle paths; soaking in the Hot Springs in Mt. Princeton; seeing the ruins at Mesa Verde National Park; camping with family; Colorado fall colors.
In Ridgeway, Colorado, our son and grandkids camped with us in their RV. We had fun roasting marshmallows and making smores with the grandkids. Ridgeway is where we enjoyed Colorado’s fall colors. Our final stop in Colorado was Pagosa Springs.
We welcomed an addition to the family, a new RV, a 2019 Jayco Greyhawk Model 30Z, a 32′ Class C.
With a home in Florida, it was time to downsize our RV. March 2019, we sold our 2014 Keystone Montana Fifth Wheel and 2008 Chevrolet 3500 HD truck.
In addition to selling our RV we traded our 2015 Honda CRV and purchased a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox and configured it to be towed behind the Jayco. This gave us the opportunity to drive/ride together in the RV and share the driving experience.
The Jayco afforded us a home at Mayo Clinic during David’s cancer treatments during the spring and summer of 2019. First long trip in the Jayco was a two month trip to Colorado (see blog post).
We entered Prince Edward Island via the saltwater road. The 14-mile, 75 minute trip across the Northumberland Strait from Caribou, NS to Wood Island PEI by ferry was the perfect choice. The breeze was brisk and the sea air cool and the scenery was spectacular. This is the holy grail of our trip. The ultimate destination. The destination that beats all other destinations.
The Confederation Trail is a gentle, meandering, rehabilitated rail line. It is living a new life as a multi use, crushed gravel cycling path connecting wetlands, bays and charming communities. The beauty of a converted train track is that the grade is never more than two per cent. We chose the section between St Peter’s and Morell. It is a picturesque, peaceful stretch, showing off the red dirt dunes covered with swaying grasses, buoys marking string after string of mussel socks, (mussel farming) and glimpses of the bay. We finished the ride in true Canadian style — poutine and really cold Cokes at a picnic table, visiting with other riders.
PEI National Park, near North Rustico, a small fishing village that specializes in seafood dinners and deep sea charters also has a paved two-way cycle trail. A nine km route lets you wind past the amazing, iconic red sandstone cliffs of Cavendish. You could not help but stop at the secluded coves and red-sand beaches. We finished the ride in true PEI fashion — Richards Seafood Shack. Fresh scallops and a cold brew (PEI’s Beach Chair Lager) overlooking the bay.
We prepared to ride the North Rustico Trail; even stopped at a deep sea fishing provider to clarify trail directions. We were on a charter boat heading into the ocean within the hour. He convinced us that spending all our time on the shore would be to miss half the story. Spontaneity is good. We caught mackerel and cod off the coast of PEI and it was really fun, a great way to see the island, plus we got to keep the fish! We also caught lots bottom feeders that we could not bring home, but were interesting to look at. Staff filleted our catch and fed the seagulls with the waste. They were magical. We finished this day with dinner at the Blue Mussel Cafe. Where the seafood is fresh, and the owners are fantastic. (They are also my cousins.)
Anne (with an E), as everyone knows, is my friend with a feverish imagination and unchecked enthusiasms who is perpetually seeking “kindred spirits”. Anne is peculiar and intelligent; she speaks in exclamations marks!!!! But the primary reason I love the movies and TV shows is they are filmed in my beloved PEI. And when I am in Denver or Florida or wherever, it is my way of introducing (or remembering) landscapes and cliff-scapes of this place I hold dear. PEI in a box, or PEI on demand. We did go to the musical Anne and Gilbert to enjoy the characters and story of this small, freckled and indefatigable girl who is perfectly imperfect. Then enjoyed the pedestrian mall and cafes of downtown Charlottetown.
It was sad to leave, the view of French River, the fishing villages, the rural roads and the red dunes, I think they beckon us back.
There is a phrase you hear in Canada’s Atlantic provinces “Come From Away”, it means you are welcomed as a visitor. When I phoned my cousins to invite them to dinner, they would ask “how long are you home for”, we were welcomed as family.
I cannot understate the emotional up side of visiting with family on PEI. From relearning about the acreage of my grandfather’s farm (150 acres) understanding the history of the homesteads, (there were 2) seeing how they have been lovingly restored by my cousins, to reminiscing, gathering for home cooked dinners, with family and their children and lots more storytelling, looking through old photo albums; finding pictures of my mother in her 20’s (she would be 99 this year) and me (I was 14) and connecting to the sights, names and vistas bring back happy times as a kid.
A New Brunswick transportation official said, wistfully, that he lived in the ”drive-through province.” People drive through New Brunswick on the way to/from Prince Edward Island (PEI) each summer. I guess we are guilty of nearly the same, but we drove around New Brunswick for 10 days or so, here are some of the spots we enjoyed . . . on the way to PEI.
St. Andrews by the Sea was settled in 1783 by Loyalists living in Maine, who were peeved to find that their town, which they presumed to be in Canada, was in fact included in the United States after the American Revolution. They then dismantled their homes and floated them to New Brunswick on barges.
They weren’t the only ones who worked hard to settle there. In 1890, Sir William Van Horne, built a huge summer compound on Ministers Island, which can be reached only when the famous 28-foot tide is out. The rocky pathway leading to the island — just outside of St Andrews, is under water for two six-hour stretches each day. We bicycled there- twice- at high tide, to check it out, and at low tide to cross over and try mountain biking over hill and dale, enjoying the views and the adventure of it all.
At Hopewell Rocks and at the St. Martins’ sea caves, it is easy to feel the power of the Bay. The cave, at St. Martins’, is only exposed during low tide, where you can walk on the ocean floor to explore the cave. It’s all about extremes here—extreme tides, extreme weather and also extremely good food. We enjoyed the food of my youth. Since my mother was raised in this region, I gobbled date squares at the bakery, slowly, and delicately inhaled fish cakes with green tomato relish on the side, and then . . . fish stew with the freshest lobster, scallops, mussels and shrimp that could be found, probably that mornings take from the boat ramp in town. Each bite, a gastronomic event that took me home, to 50 years ago.
At Alma, the Upper Salmon River empties into the Bay Of Fundy. At low tide, if you stand at the river’s mouth, you see water flowing out. A few hours later, birds and driftwood float upstream, and eddies form where currents meet. At high tide, the estuary looks like a giant lake. We were looking for moose, at the only one we saw was in front of the local gift shop!
Every summer, people from around the world visit Peggy’s Cove in Nova Scotia. The surrounding rustic village, with piles of lobster traps and colorful boats bobbing in the bay, The rugged coast, the mighty Atlantic breaking over ageless rocks. Tall lighthouses stand sentinel. The day we picked the fog was thick, the air had a drizzle, and our experienced was softened. By the light available for photography, by the chilly day in the harbor.
We arrived at Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, a star shaped fort, just in time for a daily firing of the noon canon by the Royal Artillery, a long standing Halifax tradition. Here historical reenactors conduct marching drills, and explain life at an 18th century outpost. The long, lingering notes of a solitary bagpiper filled the inner yard of the fort before being joined by the sounds of drums and marching feet. The music signaled the start of the 78th Highlander regiment’s daily muster parade. Halifax is also the place where the Titanic rescue ships put into port. There is a cemetery there for some of those who died.
Lunenburg NS is home to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, where the Blue Nose II a fishing and racing gaff schooner calls home. The original ship was wrecked in 1946, and became an important Canadian symbol because it won a race among fisherman and became the pride of Nova Scotia. Today, Blue Nose II is a tall ship and represents Canada in sailing festivals around the world.
Cape Breton coast became a feast for the ears, the eyes, the stomach; and pure hell for Karen’s legs. The Celtic Shores Coastal Trail is a 92 km (57mi) multi use trail along a former rail bed. It is a well maintained packed gravel trail. It has stunning views, switching from ocean coastal to inland river and then forested landscapes. But even better, the surrounding communities are rich in Celtic culture. We easily jumped of the trail to grab lunch and be entertained at the Celtic Interpretative Center in Judique.
In western Cape Breton, the hills are alive with the sound of music. So are the parish halls, the pubs, even several barns. It’s a joyful noise — one made with fiddles, accompanied by pianos, bagpipes or guitars and underscored by the pound of dancing feet. “Ceilidhs” pronounced KAY-lees, are old school kitchen parties combining music, stories and dance. It is infectious; it starts with an involuntary head bob, and perhaps a convulsing knee, before you know it you think square dancing could be in your future. It is just old-fashioned fun, and we could not get enough. We went out nearly every night, and recorded the joyful noise to upload to the blog.

This warm hospitality was the backdrop to our planned time on the Cabot Trail. The road loops around mountains, along rivers and through the Highlands National Park of Canada. On the west side of the island, the hills get steeper, the roads get twister and the views are more stellar. It is the kind of place where you find a quiet spot to sit and take it all in.
And as the final surprise, you know who was here before us? Alexander Graham Bell. Born in Scotland, he sought familiarity and space as he worked on his ideas. He found it here in Baddeck, Nova Scotia (New Scotland) and his children donated the results of his work in communication — the telephone prototypes —aerospace — In 1909, the first Canadian airplane, the first hydrofoil. The man was brilliant. This driving, on the way to PEI, was so much more than I could have anticipated.
click here for sampling of Fiddle Music
Video of folks playing the Fiddle at The Barn on Cape Breton Island, NS
Hopewell “Flowerpot” Rocks, is one of the most spectacular places to experience the Bay of Fundy in all of New Brunswick. The famous, towering flowerpot rocks were created by the winds and tides over millions of years. The late cartoonist/entrepreneur Robert Ripley of Ripley’s Believe it or Not saw the urn-shaped, vegetation-topped rocks in 1936, thought they looked like giant flower pots and gave them their vivid name.
The Bay of Fundy is 170 miles of craggy cliffs, thundering waves, and ecological wonders. The size of the funnel shaped bay helps create the world’s most extreme tides. Water levels rise and fall by as much as 48 feet every day when tons of seawater crash into the shore. See photo showing the tide change for August 13.
The park ranger explained “We get 160 billion tonnes of water in and out of the Bay of Fundy each tide, you would need to collect the water that thunders over Niagara Falls for one year and nine months to be seeing the same amount that we get in and out daily here.” You’re going from bare ground to fifty feet of water every six hours. Nothing gentle and leisurely about the ebb and flow of these tides.
With narrow stalks of soil and bulbous tops, the rocks form fantastical, asymmetric shapes. They are topped with tufts of trees and greenery. It’s as if they’ve been carved by a giant sculptor with a taste for whimsy; the giant sculptor is the sea itself.
“The soil has a unique composition-a mix of sediment and sandstone. They’re both soft and easily eroded.” He indicates the very tops of the formations. “Combine that with a top layer of firm soil and high tides that range between twenty-five and fifty feet, and this is what you get.”
Part of the Hopewell Rocks experience is a beach walk along the ocean’s floor among the flowerpot-like formations. We had timed our visit so we could take a guided tour of the area when the tide was completely out. Here you are literally walking on the ocean floor. We happened to visit with the new moon, which also means the largest differential in tidal extremes. We were greeted by a team of scientists who asked visitors to spread out at the waters’ edge. With the lowest tide (minus 1 foot) out for only 10 minutes or so once a month, scientists are researching “life at the edge”. So 60 volunteers spread out to help search for/document the types/numbers of creatures (soft shell crabs and worms) existing in that small strip of ecosystem. Visually, the mud flats were one of the highlights of our visit, you can peer out at a vast landscape of mud that is exposed due to the falling tide.
Visiting Hopewell Rocks isn’t quite complete until you return at high tide to venture around the formations by kayak. Jokingly referred to as obstacle kayaking, threading your way thru narrow openings and openings in the rock. The big difference though, was the number of people around. When we were kayaking among The Rocks, there was no one else in sight. It was surreal having such a beautiful place to ourselves. Paddle alongside cliffs that plunge from the green forests of Fundy National Park into the Bay, drift into the wave-carved sea caves, and take a rest on one of Fundy’s hidden beaches that are swallowed twice daily by the highest tides in the world. The Bay of Fundy is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that features extraordinary rock formations that are scoured by the tides. View the rugged coastline and the amazing land and marine ecosystems at sea level.
Reaching the launch site we were treated to the sight of thousands of Sandpipers – or at least I think that’s what they were as they make up the bulk of the two million shorebirds that visit the Bay of Fundy every summer. They come to the Bay of Fundy to fuel up on the nutrient rich mudflats for their trip to South America. It was a treat to see them – even from a distance. I really fell in love with these little birds, catching them in their annual migration down south. I couldn’t peel my eyes away from the absolutely majestic scenery.
After 5 days of driving, we finally arrived in Bar Harbor Maine and setup the RV just outside Acadia National Park. This stop is the start of our summer journey, Maine and the Canadian Maritimes. On this first leg we are joined by Irene and Jim who live in Boston, a mere 5 hours away, and we are all enjoying their first visit to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park.
When in Maine . . . . Skip the fancy restaurants and choose a lobster shack. Wearing plastic bibs, we got down and dirty, tearing a lobster apart with our fingers. Sitting elbow-to-elbow at wooden tables on a warm evening, with a breeze off the harbor, this is the perfect way to say, “Welcome to Maine!”
What makes Acadia so special for me is the juxtaposition of granite mountains and ocean, dense forest and sandy coves, lakes and tidal pools. The geological extremes are the result of glacial activity and a melting process that totally shaped the area. It was the first National Park east of the Mississippi.
The weather on the Maine coast can be shifty. Up on Cadillac Mountain the sea mist rolled in, you couldn’t see a thing. Then, the wind would blow and off in the distance white puffs attached themselves to islands. It is all very moody, and in the end was fun to photograph.
We enjoyed a two hour excursion along the park’s “carriage roads” that loop up hill and down dale. “About 45 miles of gravel road were designed and built in the early 20th century by John D Rockefeller Jr.”. The financier once owned much of the park’s 75 square miles and spent summers here. On these lanes, no motorized vehicles are allowed (not even e-bikes), horses do the work; we admired the scenery in comfort, without building up a sweat – as we traveled over – or under – elegant stone bridges. We saw maples, aspen, birch and soaring white pines.
The best way to view the park, of course, is from the water. We chose the 4-masted “Margaret Todd” sunset tour. The boats’ crew hoisted the sails, we traveled into the bay, with a glass of wine, live music, good friends, this had all the right elements. Except one…. the sun. Unfortunately, the clouds became thicker, the mist turned to rain, yes, the weather here is shifty. After all the point of being at sea is all about enjoying the ride, feel the boat’s moods and the weather whipping the sails.
Then there are our trusty kayaks, for years they have provided us with exercise, beauty, and a singular way to leave people behind. I love being in our inflatable Hobies’, especially when the loons are wailing.
The next day Dave and I took a course on photographing coastlines. I hope it serves us well as we travel through the Canadian coasts.
The remainder of summer 2016 (3 months) was spent traveling the Southeast USA covering states of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. A relatively small area, 375 miles if you drove straight through, but what would be the fun in that? We had 3 themes for this journey: Civil war history; water/beaches; and culture (concerts/theater).
We found a list (of course there was a list involved) of the 50 most preserved Civil War sights a with an interpretation center. The National Parks took over many, and they do a great job.
When President Lincoln was elected in November 1860, South Carolina succeeded from the Union declaring themselves a separate country. However, military forces, belonging to the Union were barracked at Ft. Sumter which South Carolina interpreted this as a foreign force within its territory, moreover, Union forces refused to surrender the fort. The confederate forces shot on the fort, destroying it in April 1861, this became the first shots of the Civil War!
Ft Pulaski was considered invincible. Its 7-1/2-foot solid brick walls were backed with massive piers of masonry. Confederate forces provisioned it with 6 months of supply, determined to protect the Savannah River. The North however, had a new weapon; the RIFLED bore cannon (vs the smooth bore). The rifled bore would provide extra spin and distance on the shell. Ft Pulaski lasted 48 hours.
From November 15 until December 21, 1864, Union General William T. Sherman led some 60,000 soldiers on a 285-mile march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. The purpose of this “March to the Sea” was to frighten Georgia’s civilian population into abandoning the Confederate cause. Pre-Civil War Savannah was praised as the most picturesque and serene city in America. It was known for its grand oaks festooned with Spanish moss and its genteel citizenry. Upon entering Savannah, Sherman was said to be so impressed by its beauty that he could not destroy it. On December 22, 1864, he sent a famous telegram to President Abraham Lincoln, offering the city as a Christmas present.
We toured Andersonville Prison near Athens, GA, an iconic reminder of the horrors of Civil War prisons. It was overcrowded to four times its capacity, with an inadequate water supply, inadequate food rations, and unsanitary conditions. Of the approximately 45,000 Union prisoners held at Andersonville during the war, nearly 13,000 died. The photo with the headstones was taken at Andersonville. (POW conditions of the Civil war were so egregious, the National POW museum stands there today).
Chickamunga Battlefield in Tennessee was one of the bloodiest battles of the civil war. Veterans held reunions on the field, and petitioned Congress to create a park. The veterans returned to the battlefield and found their position when a specific event occurred. Today, the park has hundreds of monuments that show a regiment north and south positioned against each other and a placard chronicling what happened at that spot. The Military Park was conceived “not to honor one army, but both.” It is the first military park of its kind. Chickamunga is located near Chattanooga, we had a photo opportunity of the Chattanooga Choo Choo and a tour of a local Tennessee distillery.
Hilton Head Island had miles of beaches. Water and beaches were fantastic. We discovered the sand was hard enough to ride bikes on the beach! That’s cool. Hilton Head SC is just 20 miles from Savannah. Savannah itself with the squares (a 1/4 city block dedicated to green space) was the perfect reprieve from the summer heat. Did you know Savannah is the birthplace of Girl Scouts? Karen’s inner cadet came out visiting the Juliette Gordon Low house.
We camped next to state parks, lakes, beaches; water was everywhere, but we did not kayak. The tides from high to low were 15 feet! Every 12 hours or so 15 feet of water came rushing in or rushing out. One water trail had trees larger than our kayak floating by. We decided, our inflatables were good, but no match against water like that and the razor sharp oyster beds that covered the shoreline. So when life gives you oceans, we eat their seafood. Fish Boils were heaven. Oceans also give you aquariums and turtles, and other great ways to spend your days.
An anchor activity, planned months in advance was Charleston, SC. Our most enjoyment came from “cultural exploits”. The Spoletto Festival, in Charleston, SC starting Memorial Day weekend was the summer highlight. This festival has been going on for 40 years and is 18 days of dance, theatre, music, comedy and all things cultural. Literally, there were 30 or more cultural events every day. From seeing “The Importance of Being Ernest” to listening to the Westminster Choir to Comedy Clubs, to the singing of Amazing Grace in Charleston, SC the ground zero of the slave trade in the 1800’s. We had 14 date nights and each one was distinct from every other. In addition to theatre at night we went plantation viewing during the day. These grand old homes and their gardens were magnificent. We got to see our first magnolia tree in bloom! Summer concerts in parks, and along rivers, bicycling and meeting lovely people rounded out our summer. Jekyll Island, GA had the most beautiful bike trail I have ever been on, as it followed alongside the beach.
We are writing this blog post in Atlanta, GA, where we will store the RV and begin our next chapter which includes: Russia; Scandinavia countries; Germany; France; and Spain. We return to the US in mid November via a trans Atlantic cruise.
We just spent 3 months (Feb, Mar and April) in Florida, more time than we spend to see an entire country! But, Florida is big, or it is certainly diverse, you drive a few hours and feel like you in a whole different place.
Ft Myers, where we settled in for our first foray in a 55 and over community is spectacular. (Theatre, history, kayaking, wildlife): So much so that we are going to return for the season next winter.
David connected with a sport plane group at the local airport and successfully checked out in a light sport airplane and logged 8 hours this winter. That is a major milestone, and place of happiness for him.
David’s sister from San Francisco joined us for a week, making all 4 siblings in one place. Karen’s friend Priscilla from Littleton, CO joined us for a week of sightseeing. We visited David’s cousin Marty many times as he lives in Punta Gorda, a short 15-minute drive from the RV.
We saw the Florida Keys and the Everglades under the wing of the Cessna T-210 with our good friends, Carl and Julie, and ate Key Lime Pie like there was no tomorrow! The beach, snorkeling and the chance for Carl and David to attend Sun and Fun (the second largest air show in America), while the girls enjoyed a few days sunning in San Juan.
The little grandkids came and loved the beach, sandcastles, and seafood. The world famous Florida Amusement Parks are always a hit, and did not disappoint. Denver had a blizzard while they were in Florida, and the weather was all the sweeter.
The teenage grandkids came and we were able take in a spring training baseball game, hike in a wildlife management area where they saw a turtle digging a nest and laying eggs. Alligators swimming just below the surface, and baby eagles fledging. These are the gifts you want to give your kids.
Next stop in Camp Casa is Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
Of course, given the opportunity, we would be in kayak or bike, or visiting someplace new. “We can update the blog at night” but night time would find us asleep in our chairs or too tired to think much. We were headed to the big Keystone Montana rally in Goshen, Indiana when Megan joined us on our journeys as an angel. We did attend the last couple days of the rally and the Keystone factory repaired a few warranty items that had made themselves known as we rumble down the road. We moved thru St Louis and spent time with both sides of our family, always healing. Then to Nashville and an evening at the Grand Ole Opry with my sister Gemma who lives a few hours away. We finished in south Atlanta where we spent our week cleaning, waxing, closing down and winterizing all the vehicles. They live in storage there until we return in late January.
The summers goal was to circle Lake Superior. We spent more than a two months in Minnesota alone, then Wisconsin and both upstate and downstate Michigan. We ducked into Canada on either side of Lake Superior: Thunder Bay and Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. The entire journey was 4,500 miles on the truck and many more on the car since we considered side trips the stuff of life.
Summer always goes by too quickly. The opportunity to do something outside, with the sun on your face and wind providing a cool alternative. Caravan life is perfect for summer. We would enjoy the landscape, paddle the course of the river, explore the small towns, have a campfire, check out the stars, then moved the rig and do it all over again. The journey this summer was one of the best summers I can remember in my whole life.
The waterways were amazing. Never saw the Great Lakes so completely, we followed Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron. We had many adventures from the water perspective: in Picture Rocks National Park, in Isle Royal National Park, in bicycling along the waters edge, in camping directly on the shores of Lake Superior for a week in Grand Marais, MN.
We discovered the joys of the rail to trail system for bicycling, fully utilized in this part of the country since the iron ore mines were closed. The hardwood trees, and the density of the forests reminded me of my origins in upstate New York. The trail system is a smart use of resources and good for your health. It almost always is near a Dairy Queen ice cream store, a plus when you are thirsty after a long ride.
The people were so friendly, the river access points were well signed, the scenery was beautiful, and it was a summer to remember.
With having kayaked nearly 100 miles on rivers and lakes, and bicycled over 300 miles on rail trails, it was time to get some culture in Minneapolis (MSP), MN. The RV park is in Prior Lake, a suburb of MSP and on the Dakota reservation and casino. Yes, David lost but Karen won.
Other cultural events attended was Mall of America; Costco; the Uptown Annual Art Fair; and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Wacipi (Pow Wow) .
We attended the Grand Entry for a Pow Wow just minutes from our RV Park. You can see from the pictures, it was colorful, loud, multi-generational. Also it was enriching to see such expression of pride, culture and a sense of belonging and community everywhere around me. It was especially wonderful to see young children participate with such enthusiasm, after all these kids will take this forward and keep the culture alive.
Pow Wows are the Native American people’s way of meeting together, to join in dancing, singing, visiting, renewing old friendships, and making new ones. The pow wow is a method to renew Native American culture and preserve the rich heritage of American Indians.
There are several different stories of how the pow wow was started. One belief is when the Native American tribes were forced onto reservations, the government also forced them to have dances for the public to come and see. Before each dance they were lead through the town in a parade, which is the beginning of the Grand Entry.
A pow wow session begins with the Grand Entry, during which all the dancers line up by dance style and age. They then enter the arena while the host drum sings a special song. Normally, the first in are veterans carrying flags and eagle staffs, followed by the head dancers, then the dancers follow in a specific order. Pow wow singers are very important figures in the Native American culture. Without them there would be no dancing. The songs are of many varieties, from religious to war to social.
Many of the various types of dances performed at a pow wow are descended from the dances of the Plains tribes of Canada and the United States. Besides those for the opening and closing of a pow wow session, the most common is the intertribal, where a drum will sing a song and anyone who wants to can come and dance.
Arriving in small towns, we seek out a live theater with local performers. One play was Avenue Q in Duluth,MN that was outstanding. Think of Avenue Q like Sesame Street for grown ups. The actors playing the puppets remain on stage throughout the entire show, and react to their puppets and mimic their actions. It’s a super fast moving show, and was really fun to watch.
Situated at the westernmost point of the Great Lakes on the north shore of Lake Superior, Duluth, MN is accessible to oceangoing vessels from the Atlantic Ocean 2,300 miles (3,700 km) away via the Great Lakes Waterway and the Saint Lawrence Seaway. Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area.
Duluth, MN forms a metropolitan area with Superior, WI called the Twin Ports. The cities share the Duluth –Superior harbor and together are the Great Lakes’ largest port transporting coal, iron ore (taconite), and grain.
David got reacquainted with an old friend in Superior, WI, and took her out over Lake Superior. This old friend was a 1978 Cessna 172 that he had owned for several years in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.
Our next two stops, after departing Duluth, was in Hayward, WI and Taylor Falls MN. Our friends from Denver, Julie and Carl joined us as we tubed down a river and kayaked the St. Croix River.
We stayed in a town on the north shore called Grand Marais, MN. This town is the eastern and southern end of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and the Gunflint Trail. We happily enjoyed more, great kayaking on beautiful interconnected lakes, then, we stopped at a full service lodge for a hearty late lunch; the best of both worlds. Trappers and early settlers used the Gunflint Trail for hundreds of years to bring their pelts to trading forts on Lake Superior.
Just up the road was a living history museum dedicated to the voyageurs. Live historians still man the trading fort, in character, explaining how canoe routes then land portages (like the Gunflint Trail) ran from Hudson Bay or NW Territories to the Great Lakes to Montreal, then onward to Europe where those tall black, beaver felt hats were made. The first nations people reenacted their shelter creation (birch bark logons), and creating fire with the rubbing of two sticks. All of it was educational and just fun.
I have to mention the people. We stayed for two weeks because of a medical issue. The doctors speak about their choice to participate in rural health care. I did not realize that meant they call you, to see how you are improving, or the pharmacist gives you his card and lets you know he is on 24 hour call. Or the campground hosts worked very, very hard to fit your unexpected extension into their space available.
When we were cleared to leave and after seeing the sights and kayaking the wonderful lakes we departed for Thunder Bay Canada where we stayed for 3 nights before heading back to the US for Duluth, MN.
While kayaking the lakes we often heard the call of the loons. Click on link to hear these calls. The eerie calls of Common Loons echo across clear lakes of the northern wilderness. Summer adult loons are regally patterned in black and white. In winter, they are plain gray above and white below, and you’ll find them close to shore on most seacoasts and a good many inland reservoirs and lakes. Common Loons are powerful, agile divers that catch small fish in fast underwater chases. They are less suited to land, and typically come ashore only to nest.call of the Loon.
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, is a 1,090,000-acre wilderness area within the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota. We based ourselves in Ely, Minnesota to explore the central Boundary Waters Canoe area, and Grand Marais for the Gunflint section of the wilderness. Partially because you needed a GPS to ensure you came out where you went into the lake; and mostly because David has a new Garmin GPS watch, I can accurately report that all together we kayaked 37.5 miles in about 7 excursions into the park.
1,000 lakes lie within the wilderness of the protected area. Canada joins this vast lake country wilderness with another 1.2 million acres and another thousand lakes. This is Mecca for paddlers., very serene and quiet with the exception of the sounds of loons. The labyrinth of waterways was long used by the fur traders to bring their pelts to market.
Each day, we simply chose another lake that had a public access point and completed the required BLM permit. Although we chose day trips, you could feel the excitement as groups would be paddling off with the canoes stocked with food and sundries for their week long excursion. Some groups chose to use a canoe taxi and paddle one direction. Then further on you would find another group looking towards the take out point, with visions of showers and comfy beds to look forward to.
When off the lakes we enjoyed cruising around town, visiting the wolf center, having late lunches in the magnificent log lodges alongside the lakes open to commercial outfitters. The scenery was amazing, green, dense, variegated, wild and endless. There are too few places to experience such vast peaceful space, We feel very lucky that we did.
Karen and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary on July 11. It has been truly wonderful and a blessing. When looking back on that day we met 14 years ago we discussed every thing from retirement to traveling. I had 5 more years before retirement and Karen 9 years. Now both being retired, we are full time travelers.
When we first met, Karen was planning a solo trip to Peru that included hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. After a few months of dating, we discussed the possibility of me joining her. I did some Internet searching and purchased airline tickets to Lima where I joined her a few days after her arrival. She met me at the airport with flowers and from that day on there was no looking back.
The maps in this blog post contain pins where we have been in the last 14 years. We sold our house in Aurora, CO in May of 2012 and have been full time travelers since. We alternate travel with our RV (Camp Casa) for 4 months somewhere in North America and 4 months in a destination over seas.
It has been a wonderful 14 years and look forward to many more years of traveling with my partner, friend, and wife.
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Isle Royale, a rugged, isolated island, far from the sights and sounds of civilization. In the northwest corner of Lake Superior the Isle is surrounded by Lake Superior, Isle Royale offers unparalleled solitude and adventures for backpackers, hikers, boaters, kayakers, canoeists and scuba divers. Here, amid stunning scenic beauty. It is one of Michigan’s 5 National Parks, and one of the very few island national parks in the United States. It is mostly a spectacular north woods wilderness.
Visitors traveling to this Island paradise must arrive by boat or seaplane. Transportation services depart from Houghton, Michigan, Copper Harbor, Michigan and Grand Portage, Minnesota. Our ferry trip is a long one, some 55 miles from Grand Portage MN. But that’s the only transportation service from Minnesota. The Voyager II makes twice weekly crossings in just over 2 hours – then another 5 hours following the northern contour of the island from west to east dropping off (or picking up) canoeists, backpackers and finally passengers, to the one developed area of the island, the Rock Harbor Entrance. At Rock Harbor, there’s the Rock Harbor Lodge offering cabins and motel-style rooms. The Lodge, owned by Forever Resorts, has a dining room and grill that are open to all island visitors and also operates a Marina, General Store, and other amenities. The U.S. National Park Service operates Rock Harbor Visitors Center who collects a $4/day fee for each visitor on the island (David’s senior National Park Pass was not accepted).
Except for the small-developed area of Rock Harbor, the island is entirely wilderness. It’s a huge island. Isle Royale is 45 miles long and about 10 miles wide. It’s the second largest island in the Great Lakes. Isle Royale is home to 1200 moose, 3 wolves and many loons. We didn’t see any moose. It’s a wilderness and hence much more rugged and pristine, the vegetation is incredibly thick. This makes it one of the most unusual places in North America, a spectacular and rugged Great Lakes wilderness that’s very close to America’s heartland.
David and I took a nice hike exploring along the shore of this great island, where we came across a number of beautiful scenes in the moderately foggy conditions on an Isle Royale summer afternoon. The day we embarked from Grand Portage the fog was thick; rolling in and out all day along Isle Royale, and open Lake Superior was fogged in tight throughout the day. That is dense fog hugging the shore in the distance of the photo, though you can hardly see that it’s there. It’s the absence of the horizon that indicates the fog’s presence.
We took local boat transport supported by NPS interpretative Rangers to outer islands to visit lighthouses, and learn about historic fishing enterprises and an active moose research station.
The fog lifted during our first of 3 nights staying on the island. The remaining time on the island was sunny and mild with the water temperature reported to be 37 degrees. The spring flowers are in bloom along the trail, making the way even more beautiful. The water environment is excellent for breeding mosquitoes and biting black flies. They aren’t too bad near the beach because of prevailing winds, but inland trails are thick with them. The solution is a head net as modeled by Karen. It’s must be pretty bad when you see all the hikers wearing them. Karen must have gotten a dozen bites on the back of her neck before giving in and wearing the fashionable green netting.
Nisswa MN is celebrating their 53rd turtle racing season. How do the turtle races work? Racers gather in the center circle and release their turtles when a whistle blows. We watch while the turtles make their way to the outer circle. The first turtle to the outside ring wins! The races, held every Wednesday, attract about 400 people a week. Despite my pre race “chat” and the mid race water dousing, my little green friend took a few s-l-o-w steps and watched the race very close to the starting line . . . . . TWICE. Both of my races resulted in terrible results. Thank goodness there was an A&W root beer float as a consolation prize.
And if that wasn’t kitschy enough . . . .
We bicycled on the Paul Bunyan bicycle trail to visit a 30 and 1/2 foot tall Paul Bunyan statue just to sit in the palm of his hand. Many towns claim to be the birthplace of this north woods “giant” and it is curious to see how he and his sidekick blue or are celebrated. But the real celebration was that bike rides here in Minnesota are epic. There are literally hundreds of miles of “rail to trail” systems which are maintained as state parks. They are maintained, mowed, signed, and within a 3% grade because of train constraints. They are paved over a thick rail bed so there are no frost heaves. This day was a 27 mile ride and we are certainly enjoying this bike friendly place.
And finally, we found the headwaters and first trickle of the Mississippi River at Itaska State Park. We learned “Mississippi” is an Indian word that means water that covers a large area, so I guess they named that right. We learned that a drop of water that enters the Mississippi at Itaska State Park travels for 90 days before it arrives in Gulf of Mexico. The river was 2 feet wide and perhaps 1 foot deep, perfect for little kids on a hot summers day.
Our kayaking journey down the Mississippi River began in Brainerd, 100 miles south of where the mighty rivers humble source is located in Itasca State Park. We heard the call of the loon and watched bald eagles soar above the majestic virgin pines. Our float on the river was slow, the strong headwinds and the little flow on the river took us about 4 hours to travel 11 miles south to Crow Wing State Park.
The next stop on our RV journey is very close to Itasca State Park, 1,475 feet above sea level, where the Mississippi River begins its journey to the Gulf of Mexico. This stop is also just a few miles from Bemidji, Minnesota where the legendary superman and woodsman, hero of the early logging days, Paul Bunyan, was born.
Driving from Phoenix to Tucson after 24 hours of flying; delivering the RV to Yuma for repair; meeting the grandkids in Disneyland; four day RV trip to Colorado; a soak at Mt. Princeton Hot Springs in Buena Vista, CO; a Shadowcliff Memorial Day Volunteer weekend in Grand Lake, CO; two quick weeks in Denver visiting family, friends and doctors and lastly, attending our grandson Chases’ continuation ceremony from Middle School.
We readied the RV and departed Denver on June 10 for our next adventure. We are on our way to the boundary waters of Minnesota. As shown on the map, we traveled through Nebraska, South Dakota, and now our journey truly begins. First stop in Minnesota – Ashby and now Nissiwa, with each stop on a lake and bicycle path. Next two stops bring us closer to the boundary waters and then the “circling of Lake Superior by RV”.
Updates coming – Great stories and photos detailing our journeys since departing New Zealand in March 2014.
New RV; Summer in Grand Lake, CO; Hot Air in Albuquerque, NM; Southwest US; Snow Skiing in Colorado.
David loves to fly. We had a great opportunity to connect with the local aero club and rent a Cessna 172 plane, similar to the one he had owned in 1980s. The local instructor could do the radio side and act as a local guide while David flew along our previous travel path and over the reef. Up over the Captain Cook Highway; over Port Douglas and the Low Islands and it’s lighthouse and finally to the outer reef, where the plates end and it drops quickly and deeply to the Pacific. The islands and the color of the water was so varied , the aqua blue punctuated by coral growing just beneath the water. Green island is another private resort where you can stay! and after seeing to from the sky I realize you can snorkel right off the beach.
I don’t want to leave! But now I can say that we have seen the reef from many perspectives and locations. Now we need to go sailing for a few days in the Whitsundays — oh wait, that’s the next blog.
You walk between tall columns of giant gray trees, dappled with innumerable shades of green. You taste the oxygen-rich air, heavy with moisture. It imbues you with an inexplicable euphoria. You wander on as though in a dream. Strange fragrances waft among the compost odor of decaying vegetation. All around, vegetation of incredible lushness spills upon, over and under itself. Vines and lianas cavort, twist and tumble in every direction.
A spot of color might be a flower… then it moves and turns out to be a butterfly. The cicadas’ tinny whine pervades the forest, but the sound stops respectfully as you walk close. The insects’ instinct for life is strong—they don’t know who you are.
An alien cooing spreads through the forest. Luckily, the naturalist-guide is an expert on the local wildlife, so he identifies the strange sound as a bird called the Screaming Piha—the names of animals are as weird as the sounds. Late in the evening, the rainforest comes alive with sound, a true cacophony of birds and ducks, insects making the loudest racket.
We did a tour that took us high above the rain forrest via a Skyrail to the small town of Kuranda, where we toured this little village for a few hours before heading back via an old railway. The famous Kuranda Scenic Railway was built over 120 years ago and winds its way through the tropical mountain ranges between Cairns and Kuranda. And of course we upgraded to Gold Class which included finger foods and most of all free wine and beer during the 1 1/2 hour train ride.
The Daintree is internationally recognised as being one of the most ecologically fascinating natural areas in the world, as one of few remaining truly pristine tropical rainforest places on the planet. Despite their relatively small size, the rainforests are home to an amazing diversity of life and provide a living record of the ecological and evolutionary processes which have shaped Australia’s plants and animals for over 415 million years.
The yellow leaf in the pictures is a pre-oak, dating back to the dinosaurs in the Gondwanan rainforest. The Gondwanan is when South America, Africa, India, Australia, NZ, and Antarctica were all one continent, before the plates began to break apart. Yep, 340 million years ago, this plant began and through refinement and natural selection it becomes the mighty oak. The plant in the picture is the original species and is only found in Australia, and only at a certain altitude. The guide said that plant right in front of us was about 200 years old, but the soil is so rich and the water so abundant it continues to grow.
Someone, dumped a couple of roosters up in the rainforest, now the guide feeds them so they followed us around the whole time we were having our lecture. It was too funny.
