Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument

Custer Hill at Little Bighorn Battlefield

We slept well at the LaQuinta in Glendive but arose early and headed west on I-94 across Montana.  After driving for nearly two hours we stopped for our raisin bran and banana breakfast at a rest area along I-94 then got back on the interstate.  We dropped down to I-90 to visit the Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument.  Once again, our National Park Pass got us entry into the area without the $25 fee.

After checking in at the gate and stopping by the visitor center, we walked around the National Cemetery located on the site of the skirmish at Cemetery Ridge.  The many graves here are not from the 220 soldiers who died in the June 1876 battle but rather military deaths from more recent action.  A helpful ranger at the visitor center told us that he would be doing a talk at the site where the last of Custer’s men died.  There were several tourists at the site, but not what one would expect in other National Parks on Labor Day holiday.

The ranger’s talk was one of the best that we have heard at historic sites.  He was very well informed on the known facts about the battle and all of the area events leading to the actions on those days and afterwards.  He cited Stephen Ambrose’s book, “Crazy Horse and Custer,” several times, but mentipointed out oned a few things that have become known since that book was published.  From the vantage point where we were standing we could see where troops led by Reno and Benteen fought.  The location of the native villages were just below.  We were standing on the high ground where Lt. Col. Custer and his remaining soldiers shot their horses to make a breastworks until their ammunition ran out and they were killed by the Arapaho, Cheyanne and Lakota. 

We walked to the nearby memorial for the natives who died in the battle and were especially interested in reading about a 1948 reunion and interview with surviving native warriors. After walking around the grounds a while, we mailed a couple of postcards that we bought at Theodore Roosevelt National Park at the Crow Agency post office and headed west on I-90. 

Graves of the 7th Cavelry

As we drove west through Montana, the smoke in the air became worse and worse.  Some of the smoke was from fires on the West Coas,t but some was from fires in Montana.  It has been a very dry year, and lightning has caused many acres of forest to burn in the mountain west. 

We had the Ritz crackers and Jif peanut butter from the squeeze bottle for lunch along with grapes and Aldi trail mix.  We stayed on I-90 west until Butte, Montana, where we picked up I-15 which took us south to Rt. 41 that we followed into Idaho.  We drove through a number of areas that had burned recently, including one section of pavement that was replaced because of damage from the fires this summer.  We could see smoke billowing from the mountains just to the west and south of us.  Smoke and ash from these fires filled the air. 

We had planned to stop at Big Hole National Battlefield in Wisdom, MT, near the Idaho border.  This was the site of the 1877 battle between federal troops and the Nez Perce tribe who were attempting to flee into Canada to escape persecution.   However, as we approached, we learned that the area was closed due to the fires.  We were disappointed but plan to return to the park on a future visit. 

We headed down U.S. 93 through Salmon, Idaho, to May, Idaho, where we found Mark and Cindy’s new home easily.  Their home is a beautiful log structure with vaulted ceilings, a large modern kitchen, a barn and walk-in meat locker.  They own approximately 150 acres, mostly leased alfalfa fields irrigated by a large pivot.  Most land surrounding their property is owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), so they have access to vast expanses of land.  Their well provides plenty of water to irrigate the alfalfa field and house as well as filling a deep pond near the barn.

Whittington's property showing pivot and house in north

Mark made a delicious dinner of chicken and beef enchiladas followed by his homemade ice cream. We chatted and enjoyed seeing them.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

As expected, we awoke at the Super 8 Eau Claire early, so we put the few things that we brought into the motel back in the car and headed West on I-94.  It helped that we were on Central Time which gave us another hour so although it was 5 am local time it was 6 am by our internal clocks still on Eastern Daylight time.

The drive through western Wisconsin and Minnesota were generally uneventful. The farms and fields where dairy cattle graze look exactly like we would expect. There was major construction in Minneapolis that had I-94 closed. We decided to go around the city to the south on I-494 but later learned that it too was closed. We had to drive north of the city on I-694 to get through the city and eventually back on I-94. We had a lunch on Ritz crackers and Jif peanut butter in a squeeze bag. Although we usually have peanut butter and crackers on many of our travel days, the squeeze bag made eating on the road so much easier.

Since we are big fans of the movie, Fargo, we had planned on stopping long enough to take a snapshot or two at some of the sites from the film. However, we learned that no scenes from the movie were actually filmed in Fargo so we kept on moving into North Dakota.

Eastern North Dakota is very much like Minnesota and Wisconsin. However, we came to a place in the western side of the state where the landscape changed dramatically. The fertile green pastures of the east gave way to Badlands with sagebrush and arid landscapes.

Our major stop on this day of travel was at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in western North Dakota. The park was established in 1947 and was made a National Park in 1978. We were surprised that we had never heard of it before we planned this trip. An article we read identified the park as one of the most overlooked parks in the nation and, as such, doesn’t have the heavy visitor load that some of the more popular parks experience. The National Park senior pass that we purchased in California last year for $20 waived the $30 park admission for us. Using the map provided by the ranger at the visitor center, we drove through the park and stopped at many of the short walking trails to interesting site. Visibility was severely limited because of the forest fires throughout the west. While some of the smoke was being carried by the wind from the large California fires, numerous fires are burning in Montana and Idaho.

One of the longer trails took us to an overlook of a valley formed by strong winds that travel up the canyon. Another trail led us past a very large bison herd grazing on a hillside. Several times while driving, our way was blocked by a bison herd on or crossing the road through the park. We also saw a band of wild horses that roam freely through the park. Several prairie dog villages were along the road or on one of the hiking trails. 

Since it was the Labor Day weekend, there were a fair number of visitors in the park. It was not crowded, and many of the visitors were local. We did see one car with Kentucky license plates, so we approached them at one of the stops. As we neared we saw that their car was from Scott County, our home county. Upon meeting them we learned that they had lived just a couple of miles from us on Oxford Road. The husband was the retired principal of Scott County High School. We were amazed at meeting people from so near our home at this National Park.

We left the park around 6 pm and got back on I-94 west into Montana. A short stop at the last North Dakota exit allowed us to top off our fuel before getting into the higher gas prices in Montana. We split a rotisserie chicken sub from Subway that we both found very tasty. We were soon in Glendive, Montana, where we found our LaQuinta motel and went straight to sleep. We thought that the LaQuinta was very nice as well as being clean and quiet.

Idaho Vacation - Travel Day 1

We awoke around 4:30 am, ate our travel breakfast of Raisin Bran and Greek yogurt and got on the road a little after 5 am.  Most of the things had been packed in the car in days before, so only items in the cooler to be loaded.  We were able to load the car days ahead since we use the 2008 Camry as our daily driver and would be taking the 2018 Camry.  This would be the first long drive we had ever taken in it. The car was very comfortable and the advanced safety features were welcome on a three day drive across the country. 

We were happy to get through Cincinnati and Indianapolis before much traffic started.  Since it is a holiday weekend, we hoped that we would not have the weekday traffic that is typical around the midwestern cities. Mary started the trip by driving while I provided music by connecting an older iPod to her car’s audio system.  The drive through Indiana and Illinois was uneventful and with little traffic.  I took over driving in Southern Illinois sometime in morning.  The car was a pleasure to drive except when I would forget to signal during a lane change and the lane departure alert would sound.  It would take some time for me to get used to this safety feature.  As expected, traffic around Chicago was heavier but not terrible.  Certainly not what we would experience on a weekday.  Lunch at a rest stop was a cold cut sandwich and fresh fruit. 

Mary at the Castle Rock in Wisconsin 

Once we were in Wisconsin, we made a few stops at rest areas and places where there were attractions.  It was good to stretch our legs, look for a geocache and admire a giant cow figurine or other roadside stop.  One particularly interesting stop on I-90 was at the Castle Rock wayside, a monolith in the Wisconsin Dells area.  This large stone outcropping was over 100 feet tall and looked like the turrets on a castle.  We walked around it, found the Earthcache for the feature, and then continued our drive to the Super 8 in Eau Clair, Wisconsin on I-94. 

Northwest end of Eau Clair is the town of Elk Mound, Wisconsin.  Elk Mound is the corporate home of Menard’s, our favorite hardware store/builder supply.  The hotel where stayed was just a few yards from Menard’s headquarters and their flagship store. 

Since Culver’s Restaurant chain started in Sauk City, Wisconsin, specializing in quality beef and dairy foods, we decided to get cheeseburgers and fried cheese curds from there as carry out. With the resurgence of COVID, we were more comfortable getting the meal as carry out and having it in the hotel room.

The room was a fairly typical Super 8, near the highway, clean and quiet so it suited us just fine.

   

Geocaching at Myakka River State Park

Mary signs the log at a gadget cache

As in previous nights here, we slept very well last night. We turned in at 9 pm and were asleep before our heads hit the pillows. We awoke at 6 am and had the predicted raisin bran and yogurt breakfast then left for Myakka River State Park about 20 minutes away. We had been to Myakka on Thursday but didn’t come close to seeing everything that we wanted to see. This is a huge park with many miles of trails, so we decided to visit some hiking trails that we hadn’t been to before. We also thought that we might try to find a few of the many geocaches that are hidden in the park. The first cache that we found was a “gadget cache,” which is a container that may be easy to find but requires some problem solving to open. Mary had not been much of a geocaching enthusiast before, but the Myakka geocaches from Perez8, the cache owner really won her over. We spent most of the day finding geocaches on several trails. Before we knew it, we had found about two dozen geocaches and walked over seven miles in the park.

Cool gadget cache

We took a break for our standard Ritz cracker and peanut butter lunch then walked on a power line trail for a few last geocaches. Just as we started on the trail, we saw five huge turtles basking beside an alligator. We continued to the end of the trail where we found the cache and saw a red shouldered hawk sitting on a branch just a few feet above us.  As we noticed before, there was a lot of damage in the park from the feral hogs.  It is clear that the state park system is trying to eradicate the hogs, but their reproductive rate gives the pigs an advantage.  The ground in some areas appeared to have been tilled by a giant tractor.  

Wild hog trap

We left the park at 2 pm and drove back to the apartment where we showered and packed for our departure on Wednesday morning. At 6 pm we left for Walt’s Fish Market in Sarasota. Several people recommended it to us as the best seafood in this part of the state. Since Walt’s has been in business as a fish market and restaurant since 1918, we supposed that they must be doing something right. We arrived at 6:30 but learned that we would have about an hour wait for an outside table. That was fine with us since we were not in a hurry and we preferred to stay outside so we could remain socially distanced. We were seated at an outside table that was about 20 feet from another table. We both had the “choose two” basket options. Mary had local grouper and coconut shrimp with coleslaw and fries. I had the local oysters and clams with onion rings and fries. Neither of us finished our meals but split a slice of their key lime pie. Because the computers were out, we paid with cash to make things easier for our waitress. We both enjoyed our meals especially since it was our last Florida meal for at least a year.

Alligator basking in the afternoon sun

As always, our time in Florida was fantastic. Spending a week here each year in midwinter is just right for us. We always leave wishing we had just a few more days to spend here and planning for next year. Although we try to come to a different part of the state each year, we prefer the Gulf Coast over the Atlantic Coast since the weather tends to be warmer and more predictable in winter. We are hopeful that the COVID vaccines are effective and we can take more trips. We aren’t certain that we will be back to Florida next January since we may go out west or elsewhere. However, we certainly enjoy our time here.

We were very happy with our AirBnB apartment. The hosts parents who lived in the house on the property were pleasant and helpful. The apartment was clean and convenient to the things that we visited. The rental car, our 2021 Corolla, was just right for our needs and gave us great 41 mile per gallon fuel economy for our time here. Because most of our travel was confined to the Tampa Bay area, we didn’t drive nearly as much as in some years.

We were happy that we came when we did because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made it to Super Bowl LV which, coincidentally, would be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Although attendance will be much lower due to COVID restrictions, it is certain that the area will be a much different scene in two weeks.

All in all, this was one of the better Florida vacations that we have taken. Part of the reason is the perfect weather we had this week, part was visiting dear friends that we seldom see and part was that we confined our travels to a limited area and spent less time driving. However, we were much more liberated on this trip. We didn’t have anything hanging over us at work or home when we returned. We were much more flexible in our scheduling and took time to enjoy each day. We would be leaving the state in the morning returning to snow and forecast temperatures in the teens. However, we can eagerly look forward to coming back and exploring other areas of the state. 

Kayaking at Lido Key

After waking at our AirBnB apartment, we had our raisin bran and yogurt breakfast then prepared for a trip to Lido Key Beach. On the short 20 minute drive we noticed the number of Amish and Mennonites living in the area. We had seen them before riding bicycles, especially the three-wheel cycles, shopping at area stores and eating in local restaurants. As we drove, we observed houses with bicycle racks but no cars in the driveway.

Kayaking at Lido Key

After arriving at Ted Sperling Park at Lido Beach, we reserved a tandem kayak from Kayaking SRQ for three hours. We reviewed the map of the area while the liveryman brought our kayak to the water’s edge. The kayak was surprisingly maneuverable even with our lack of experience. The area is well known for the mangrove tunnels, dense growths of the mangrove trees that cover the narrow channels through the area. We made our way easily through the mangroves viewing ibis, herons, egrets, anhingas and a raccoon. The birds had little fear of us in the kayak, so it was easy to get a good view. 

Green Heron in the mangroves

The kayak bottomed out in a few places since it was near low tide. At one place, we had to get out of the kayak and push it through the shallow area. In another mangrove tunnel that was not much wider than the kayak, we were fighting the current from the incoming tide.  problem was made worse because the channel was not wide enough for us to paddle the kayak. We ended up using the paddles as poles to get us back into open water. 

We stopped at a small beach area where we could pull the kayak up onto the sand and rest our arms. We met a pair of kayakers from Boston who were disoriented so we pointed them in the direction of the launch site for kayak rentals. As noon approached and the kayak was due back, we made our way to the drop off point and returned it to the Kayaking SRQ employee.

Great Blue Heron at Lido Key Beach

We had our peanut butter and crackers lunch near the launch site then had the bananas and apples as we drove to the parking for the beach area of the park. After parking, we kicked our shoes off and walked the length of the beach all the way to the small beach where we stopped in the kayak. There were several groups swimming, fishing and sunbathing at Lido Beach. We noticed several Amish families fishing, although we didn’t see many fish being caught. 

The thing that really impressed us was the texture of the sand. It was softer and finer than flour, almost like walking in corn starch. It was very white and loose. We took a few snapshots of shorebirds as we walked and enjoyed the beautiful 80-degree weather. We were happy that we had kayaked earlier while the temperatures were still in the 70s.

We left the Lido Beach area around 3 pm and returned to the apartment to get dry clothes and prepare to go to another park. We decided on Oscar Scherer State Park that has excellent hiking trails. We found a few geocaches and walked parts of the legacy, blue, red and green trails and found several caches. We left the park and went across the Tamiami Trail highway to find a geocache in Shoreland Park.

By then we were tired and starting to get hungry, so we returned to the apartment to shower, change clothes and prepare for dinner. We decided on J. R.’s Old Packinghouse since we had enjoyed such a good meal a few evenings ago. Although the restaurant was very busy and the parking lot was overflowing, we were seated outside immediately upon arrival. Our table had a palm tree growing up through the middle of the table. As before, J. R. greeted us warmly and the waitress took our orders. Mary had the Cuban roast pork with beans and rice and chicharrons on the side. I had the shrimp Po-boy with fries and coleslaw on the side. Like our previous visit, the food arrived quickly after we ordered. Both of us were very happy with our meals and were somewhat disappointed that they were out of key lime pie. It is probably for the best since we were both really full.

We returned to the apartment where we relaxed and took care of the things that we needed to do before bed.

Visiting in Sebring

Once again, we were able to sleep in until nearly 6 am. After our raisin bran and yogurt breakfast we looked at options for the remaining days of our Florida vacation. We were pleased to have a video call with the Koehler’s a little before 8 am. It was great to see them.

At 8:30 we left for Sebring to visit our friends, Steve and Marcia. We stopped at a Racetrac gas station to fill the Corolla rental car. This is the first fuel that we had to buy since renting it on Wednesday afternoon. We were happy that we had used less than 10 gallons of gas in all the driving that we have done this week. The first part of the 90-minute drive to Sebring was a little foggy, but the sun cleared the fog about 45 minutes into our drive. As we neared Sebring, Mary spotted a group of wild hogs in a pasture. We stopped the car and saw about 25 pigs including a large boar, several sows and about 20 piglets of varying ages and sizes. Although we had seen a great deal of damage from the feral swine at several of our hiking locations, this was the first group of pigs that we had seen this week.

We were so busy visiting that we forgot to take any
photos so this is one of Steve & Marcia from 2020

We hung out with Steve and Marcia for over an hour then went to lunch at Dimetri’s Restaurant near their home. We have been there several times before and have always had excellent meals. This visit was no exception We were happy to ride in Marcia’s “hippy bus,” a 1977 Volkswagen minibus painted in a psychedelic theme. Marcia had the shepherd’s pie, Steve had the fish sandwich, Mary and I had the special which was two local grouper filets. One was stuffed with spinach and the other with crab. Everyone enjoyed their meal.

After lunch we went back to their house for a visit, leaving around 3 pm. As predicted, our time with them was a highlight of our trip to Florida. They are great friends, and we treasure every minute that we are able to spend with them.

We took a southern route back to Sebring through the town of Arcadia and stopped at a small park near Saratoga called Rothenbach Park. We walked the 2.7-mile nature trail around the park to get our daily walk in. We left the park just before they closed the gates at 6 pm and stopped at a nearby Publix market to get breakfast items and fruit that we would need for the remainder of the trip. We really like Publix and find that the quality of their food items is typically good.

We arrived back at the AirBnB apartment before 7 pm and watched the recorded service from our Georgetown United Methodist Church. We are considering kayaking tomorrow but our options for the day are open.

Venice Beaches

Enjoying the sunshine at Blind Pass Beach

After walking nearly 12 miles yesterday, we slept very well last night. We managed to stay awake until 9:30 and slept until nearly 6 am. We had our usual travel breakfast of raisin bran and Greek yogurt and planned our day. Because our feet were still sore from all the walking on Thursday and Friday, we were looking for a day with less walking, so we looked at area beaches, especially on Manasota Key in Venice and Englewood.

Great Blue Heron on Blind Pass Beach

We left the apartment around 8 am in shorts and t shirts because the temperature was already nearly 70 degrees. We drove from Sarasota onto the barrier island near Venice. We have always heard about visitors finding attractive shells and fossilized shark teeth in the surf. Mostly we just wanted to get out in the sunshine and enjoy the beautiful warm and sunny day. Our first stop was at Blind Pass Beach, where we parked and walked south along the beach for a couple of miles. 

Most of the people at the beach were near the public access point where there were lots of beach chairs and umbrellas. Several families were fishing in the surf, and many people were looking for shells and shark teeth. Most people had long-handled strainers allowing them to scoop material from the surf and sort for teeth and shells. These fossilized teeth ranged from 2.5 million to 200 million years old and ranged in size from nearly as small as grains of sand to as large as dessert saucers. We took our shoes off and waded in the surf walking to the south end of the public beach area. We collected about 20 fossil shark teeth from ¼ inch to ½ inch in size. We returned to our rental car around 10:30 for a snack and rest.

After our usual Ritz crackers, peanut butter and fruit, we walked back to the beach and walked north for about an hour before returning to the car in the beach parking area. We drove south on the key to Manasota Beach where we walked on the beach briefly, but it wasn’t much different from the Blind Pass Beach. We continued north to Casperson Beach which is probably the most popular beach in the Venice area. As with the other beaches, lots of people were sunbathing, fishing and tooth hunting near the beach access. After we walked a couple hundred yards along the beach, there were very few people. The sand here was much finer than at the other beaches although there were a lot of large rocks in the sand at the surf line. There is a short nature trail that winds near the beach but there were no interpretative signs or other aids to visitors.

Great Egret at Venice Rookery

We left Casperson Beach for the short drive to the Venice Area Audubon Society Rookery. There were a number of birders around the pond at the small sanctuary some with serious lenses and camera equipment. However, we didn’t see any birds that one wouldn’t see in any neighborhood park in south Florida. We walked around the pond and took a few snapshots then drove back to our apartment in Sarasota.

When we arrived, we met the parents of the AirBnB host who live in the house in front of our apartment. Dave and Sara are a nice older couple who gave us a lot of information about the area. They told us to call on them if we needed anything during our stay.

As soon as we got in the apartment, we both got showers and changed clothes. We were still covered in sand and saltwater from wading at the beaches. Getting showered refreshed us and we started thinking about dinner. Mary found Heinrich’s German Grill in Sarasota that is only 5 miles away. We were seated immediately on arrival. Mary ordered a veal schnitzel prepared cordon bleu style. I had the veal jaegerschnitzel which has mushroom gravy. We both has red kraut and spaetzle on the side. Both of our meals were very good but was the only meal on this trip for me that wasn’t some type of seafood. This was the most expensive meal we have had on this trip by far, but it was very good so we have no complaints.

John and Mabel Ringling's Gardens

Although I had fallen asleep a little after 8 pm, I managed to sleep in until nearly 6 am. I can’t remember when I had 10 hours of sleep. We had our usual travel breakfast of raisin bran and yogurt with a banana. Mary looked up places north of us where we could do some hiking and sightseeing. We had some time since the Ringling museum and gardens are only a few miles away.

Winter home of John & Mabel Ringling

We arrived at the home of John and Mabel Ringling a little after they opened at 9:30. This was not only the winter home of the Ringling but was where training and headquarters for the circus was located. We weren’t really interested in touring the home, art museum and circus museum so we paid the $5 per person fee to tour the large gardens on the property. We were impressed by the number and variety of trees from all over the world. The fact that we were seeing monarch caterpillars on the milkweed plants in January was fascinating to us.  Mary also appreciated that she saw some of the milkweed species that we planted last year.  Everything was clearly labeled with species and geographic distribution of the plant. Mabel Ringling’s rose garden was quite extensive as well. We walked around the exterior of the house and admired the walkways paved with stone from around the world. The back patio had a dock for visitors arriving by boat. The house window glass was all hand blown stained glass. The garden of dwarves had dozens of statues of little people in various roles. We were especially impressed by some of the gigantic banyan trees dotting the grounds.

Mary in the Ringlings' rose garden

After two hours we left and drove north to Bradenton where we found Robinson Nature Preserve. The nearly 700 acre area has miles of walking trails through a variety of habitats. Our lunch was in a screened gazebo where we enjoyed our usual peanut butter on Ritz crackers with an apple. We walked a lengthy trail through wetlands, mangroves and prairie and saw a large number and type of birds. There were several active osprey nests and other birds of prey in the bay area. We met a couple there originally from Huntington, and the woman, Gwen Russel, taught at Milton Middle for a number of years. We chatted with a couple from northern Illinois who were kayaking in the waterways in the preserve. From the observation tower, we could see a lot of the surrounding area.  As at Myakka River State Park, there was a great deal of damage to the area from wild hogs.  Large tracts appeared to have been tilled with tractors from the rooting on the feral pigs. We were tired after the long walk and were happy to be back at the car a little after 2 pm.

View from the observation tower at Robinson Nature Preserve

We started driving north across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge stopping at the fishing piers on each end of the bridge. Lots of people were fishing as well as picnicking and walking, all enjoying the beautiful day in the upper 70s.

We arrived at the home of Pat and Jackie Collier at 3 pm. We knew the Colliers when we were at Bates Memorial Presbyterian Church. Jackie is the church secretary, and Pat is now the minister at Kenova Presbyterian Church. After visiting a while, we went on a walk in the park that is nearby where they usually walk. Clam Bayou Nature Preserve is a nice park in a residential area of St. Petersburg. We saw egrets, herons, pelicans as well as ospreys. It was great visiting with them and seeing their new condo. By the time we were back to their place, we had walked nearly 12 miles today.

On our way out of St. Petersburg we stopped at. Beall’s outlet and bought University of South Florida shirts since Emily is finishing her doctorate here.

Along the drive south there was an accident on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge causing a slowdown, but it was cleared up quickly and we continued on our way. Since it was nearly 7 pm, we were hungry and decided to go back to KaCey’s Restaurant where we had eaten on Wednesday.

Despite being busy we were able to get an outside table right away. There were propane heaters outside warming the air. Our food came out very quickly after we ordered. Mary had the fish and chips , which she reported were very good since the fish was lightly breaded and the fries were hot and prepared just right. I had the cod-zilla sandwich which had a generous serving of blackened cod on a ciabatta roll with French fries on the side. We both had a tasty serving of coleslaw. We were hoping to share a slice of key lime pie, but they were out of pie this evening.

We returned to our apartment before 8 pm and relaxed before bed. We were both very tired and planning on sleeping well.

Deep Hole at Myakka River State Park

We both slept well at our AirBnB and were able to sleep until 6 am, which is an accomplishment for us. We had the raisin bran and yogurt that we bought at the Winn-Dixie last night. We decided to go to Myakka River State Park today since it is less than 10 miles from our apartment.

Birds and gators at Deep Hole

We arrived at the park and paid the $6 per car admission then checked on the trails in the park. The volunteer who checked us into the park suggested that we get a pass through the wilderness area to the area of the park known as “Deep Hole.” We were pleased to get there when we did because the park only permits 30 visitors per day into the wilderness area. After we got our passes there were only 2 passes available for the day, and we were there before 9 am.

Dozing alligator at Deep Hole

We drove the short distance to the parking area for the wilderness trailhead entering the code at the gate to gain entry. We packed cameras, water bottles, binoculars and bird identification guides and started on the walk. Most of the 2.5 mile walk to the deep hole is through a dry prairie that the park burns every two years to replicate the natural conditions of the prairie. There were more black vultures flying and roosting in trees than we have ever seen. We passed a few people on the trail, but with a limit of 30 per day it was not well traveled. After the 2.5 mile walk over the flat terrain, we passed by a small lake that was connected to a water filled sinkhole that is reported to be 140 feet deep. Several people stood near the Deep Hole watching and photographing the wildlife. About 100 alligators there, some swimming and others basking in the warm morning sun. Black vultures walked dangerously close to the snouts of alligators warming on the bank. Although we were hoping to see a scene from Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, the birds appeared to know just how close they could get.

Black vulture playing chicken

We were amazed at the variety of wading birds that were along the shore from several specials of egrets and herons to spoonbills, storks, pelicans, ibis and many others. We chatted with several people watching the birds and alligators then started on the 2.5 mile walk back to the parking area.

Once at the car we drove back to the visitor center, returned the wilderness pass and found a shady spot for a picnic lunch. The temperature was already in the upper 70, and we were both ready for lunch and a bottle of water. Our usual store brand Ritz crackers and creamy peanut butter made a good lunch along with an apple from last night’s shopping.

Mary at the Birdwalk

We drove to the end of the park where there is an area called The Outpost with a restaurant, canoe rentals and a gift shop. We didn’t stop but started driving back to a short trail called The Bird Walk. There were a lot of birds in the shallow marsh, although not as many as in the Deep Hole. However, this area was much more accessible requiring only a short walk on a pier rather than a 5 mile hike. Mary met a lady there from Versailles, Kentucky while I talked with Steve Minor in the cell phone. We hadn’t had a cell signal most of the day, so I took advantage of being able to reach him. We plan to visit them on Sunday. We were happy that we had worn shorts and T-shirts because the temperature seemed very warm.

Large turtle basking on the nature trail

Our last stop in Myakka River State Park was at the William S. Boylston Nature Trail. This nature trail is less than a mile long but has a Canopy Walk with a 76-foot-high tower and a suspended walkway in the palm forest. It was pretty neat. We met a group there from Braxton and Calhoun Counties in West Virginia. Although the trail wasn’t long, we spent some time reading the interpretative signage and generally exploring the area.  On this and most of the other trails in the park, we noticed a great deal of damage from wild hogs.  It is difficult to imagine the extent of the habitat damage these feral hogs are causing in the area.  

We enjoyed the bananas that we packed as we drove out of the park and back toward our apartment. We made a quick stop at a Target along the way to buy some fresh sunscreen.

We crashed at the apartment for a couple of hours before heading to dinner a little before 6 pm. Mary had read a review of J.R.’s Old Packinghouse that their Cuban sandwich was vote the best in the state of Florida. We took the short drive a few blocks to the restaurant and got a table outside on the front porch. Propane heaters were running despite what we believed was a warm evening. I got the special, blackened catfish over jambalaya, and Mary got the Cuban sandwich with tortilla chips. We both enjoyed our meals and shared a little of each other’s plates. The owner, J.R., came over to chat and was very pleasant making sure that we enjoyed our meals and felt welcome. We were pleased that the meal was less than $30.

We returned to the apartment and relaxed after the hikes of nearly 9 miles today and a large dinner. Tomorrow we hope to visit the home of the Ringling Brothers in Sarasota.

Arriving in Sarasota

Since we didn’t fly until afternoon, we were able to do last minute packing and preparing for our trip before leaving at 9:30 on Wednesday morning. We made the drive to the Hilton off Turfway near Cincinnati airport arriving around 10:30. We parked beside the hotel, check at the front desk and took the shuttle to the airport. Onestopparking always proves to be a good option for us.

We ate our packed lunch after we checked our bag but before we went through security. Because of our Global Entry status, we used the TSA PreCheck line and went through security quickly. Afterwards we walked around the airport to get some exercise. We were struck by the lack of passengers in the airport. We speculated that there would be a surge in travel once more people are vaccinated and are more comfortable traveling. 

Our flight boarded and departed on time. The flight wasn’t full but had more passengers than we expected based on the number of passengers in the terminal. There was a seven-month-old baby in the row behind us, but she was happy for the flight. We would never have known that she was there. Another girl on the flight had a small dog in a carryon bag that yipped constantly. It didn’t even sound like a dog but more like a squirrel barking. Through the flight we both read eBooks. Mary got me started on Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon books set in National Parks. This one, Track of the Cat, is set in Guadalupe National Park. So far, I am enjoying it. 

We arrived at the St. Petersburg Clearwater airport by 4 pm, so Mary got our checked bag while I stood in line to get the rental car from Enterprise. We got a 2021 Corolla which is just right for us and gets good fuel economy. The hour drive from the airport to our AirBnB in the Fruitville area of Sarasota. The lodging is a separate one-bedroom apartment with a full kitchen. We are happy with the apartment and especially the price we had to pay. 

After getting our bearings we went out for dinner and to get grocery items for breakfasts and lunches. Mary found a local eatery called KaCey’s nearby. Mary got the crab cake dinner with broccoli and sweet potato fries, and I got the cod and shrimp basket with fries and coleslaw. We swapped cod and shrimp for a crab cake, and both of us really enjoyed our meals. The restaurant was small but by using outside tables and spaced inside small tables, they were able to keep a good business going. 

After leaving the restaurant we stopped at Winn-Dixie for the usual raisin bran, yogurt and fruit for breakfast and peanut butter and crackers for lunch. We registered for a Winn-Dixie card to get the discounts. 

After the store we returned to our apartment to relax and prepare for our day tomorrow. 

Returning home from the Pacific

As with most vacations, we are always anxious to leave on a trip, but we are always ready to return home. Perhaps just getting back to a routine is a lot of it.

We were at the airport around 4:30 am. I dropped Mary and the luggage off at the Delta terminal of Sacramento Airport then drove to the rental car return area. The Enterprise representative checking in the cars was very pleasant and helpful directing me to the place to catch the shuttle to the terminal. We left a note on the seat of the rental Ford Fusion describing the many problems that we found with the car. We made sure to notify Enterprise of the car’s problems when we were consulted on the satisfaction survey. We had driven over 2500 miles on our trip and tolerated the car, but I would never take another one like this for any extended travel.

The shuttle returned me to the airport quickly, and Mary had already checked our bag. This time it was just under the 50-pound limit thanks to Mary shifting some heavy items to our carry on. However, that caused an issue at security. The huge bag of wheat pennies caused my camera bag to be pulled for inspection. The TSA agent was pleasant and found no problems with the bag, and we made our way the short distance to the gate. We had some time before our flight, so we ate the granola bars and other things we had packed for breakfast.

The short flight from Sacramento was fairly full but because of COVID-19 social distancing, we had an empty seat between us. We watched some of a rock documentary on the life and career of David Crosby of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young before landing in Salt Lake City.

We bought a sandwich to share from a vendor at the Salt Lake airport. It was too early for lunch. but there would be no meal service on the flight, so we took it onboard with us to have during the flight from Salt Lake to Cincinnati. We were pleased to learn that the CDC was reporting that air travel is very safe during the pandemic because of the precautions that airlines are taking. The HEPA filtered air exchanges appeared to be a major reason for the safety of the flights. As with our travel two weeks earlier, the cabin was sanitized between all flights, and the crew gave out sanitizing wipes as we boarded.

We finished watching the David Crosby documentary then watched a similar program on Linda Ronstadt that had many of the same people being interviewed. Both were part of the Southern California musical movement of the 1970s giving rise to the Eagles, Poco. Flying Burrito Brothers, The Byrds, Jackson Brown, Buffalo Springfield, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and many other of our favorites. We both enjoyed the programs although we had seen part of the Linda Ronstadt special a year or so ago.

We landed in Cincinnati on time and picked up our checked bags quickly and made our way to the area where the Hilton shuttle picks up. We waited for the shuttle for nearly an hour before I called the number from onestopparking and was told that the shuttle now runs on an “as needed” basis as travelers call from the airport. The van came shortly after our call. The driver, originally from Williamson, WV, was very pleasant and helpful taking us to our car at the Hilton for the hour drive back home. We knew that we would have a mountain of laundry, mowing and other chores in the next few days, but we were happy to be home. The pandemic would require us to have a two-week self-quarantine, but with all of the upcoming work at home, that wouldn’t be a problem.

Apple Hill Orchards

On our last day of fall vacation, we awoke early and packed up our things for the trip back to Kentucky early on Tuesday morning. Since our checked bag was a little heavy, we pulled some items out for our carryon bags. A large bag of wheat pennies from her father’s coin collection was the heaviest thing to be lugged home. We put the few things that we would need for Monday and the return flight on Tuesday close at hand.

Yeh, Allyson, David & Peewee

David made another excellent breakfast for us, and we sat around visiting while planning our day. David suggested the Apple Hill area where 133 listed farms, wineries and attractions are open to the public for tours, festivals, food and drink in the fall. After driving around the area for a bit in David’s Jeep, we settled on Rainbow Orchards where we bought hot apple cider doughnuts and a couple of pies. The area reminded us a lot of farms near us that have fall festivals like Gritt’s Farm in Putnam County and Evan’s Orchard near us in Georgetown. We ate a few of the doughnuts at a picnic table at the orchard then came on back to David and Yeh’s house. We managed to save the pies and a few doughnuts to share with Allyson since she did not join us on the trip.

The afternoon was mostly lazy, just enjoying the time to see David, Yeh and Allyson. After a late lunch, we packed up our things and headed toward the Day’s Inn in Woodland, CA, only a few minutes from the Sacramento Airport. The motel was fine and check in went smoothly. Dinner was carryout from the nearby Denny’s across from the motel. We wanted to get to sleep early since we needed to leave for our flight by 4 am.

Visiting with the Fergusons

The guest bed where we slept at Ferguson’s was very comfortable. We slept well but woke at our usual 5:30 am. We read a little and did our German lessons before coming down for tea. David made omelets filled with beef bourguignon and covered with a light sauce. Like all of David’s creations in the kitchen, the omelets were outstanding. After breakfast, David started preparing our lunch which were steaks done with a sous vied device, a very complex salad with many ingredients and mashed potatoes and gravy.

While the steaks were in the water bath with the soups vide running for two hours, we took a ride in David’s 2021 Jeep Cherokee Trackhawk with a 707 horsepower engine. It can move! We stopped at David’s Bach to Rock music school and toured the studios and classrooms. We were impressed with the instruments and technology at the school.

After we returned to the house, we enjoyed the steak lunch that David prepared earlier. The steak was exceptional. After removing the meat from the bags in the sous vied water, he put them on the outdoor grill to brown the steaks. We were impressed how perfectly the steaks were cooked to medium rare all the way through with remarkable consistency. Everything was excellent and made for a memorable meal.

To get some exercise, Mary and I took a long walk through the neighborhood in El Dorado Hills. The name was very appropriate for our walk. We walked up the steep Ridgeview Drive to Ridgeview Park, an El Dorado Hills city park then came back to the house.

We watched some football on television with David and Yeh while Allyson worked on a school project. During halftime of the Minnesota-Seattle game, Yeh made Chinese pork filled dumplings that were quite good and a perfect snack after our large lunch. Their dog, Peewee, started to make up with us although he never completely came around.

Lassen Volcanic National Park

There was a good bit of light coming through the curtains at the Redding Travelodge, but it was quiet so we both slept well enough. After waking a little after 5, we showered and did our German lessons before checking out around 7 am.

View from Manzanita Lake

We had a breakfast of applesauce and a protein bar on the one-hour drive to Lassen Volcanic National Park. We appeared to be among the day’s first visitors since the ranger at the north entrance gate was just raising the flag. We wanted to get there early since the park is very popular, and we wanted to be sure to get a parking place. We had read that the rangers strictly enforce that visitors park only in available spaces.

Otter in Manzanita Lake

Our first hike, the Manzanita Trail, was a little over a mile around Lake Manzanita. When were at this park in September 2012, we did not drive this far north so we had never been to this lake. We were the first to park in the lot. The air was cool so our long pants and sweatshirts felt good, but we didn’t need our jackets. The lake was beautiful, and the water was crystal clear. When we got about half way around the lake, we saw something moving in the water. A few minutes later 4 river otters were swimming near us. The mother and three juveniles played just a few yards from us for several minutes before moving on around the lake. There were some nice views of Lassen Peak, whose peak was still under a cover of cloud. By the time we returned to the parking area, there were only a few visitors in the area. Mary went to the visitor center to get her National Park Passport stamp and to buy a postcard for Peter.

Bumpass Hell hydrothermal area

We continued to drive up the mountain and learn about the area’s history. We learned that the mountain exploded only a little over 100 years ago. In 1915 there was a tremendous event that blew volcanic debris over a large area. In fact, Lassen is still considered an active volcano.

Steam vents at Bumpass Hell

Our next stop was at Bumpass Hell, a hydrothermal area, that is probably the park’s most popular attraction. Although the parking lot was filling, we were able to get a spot quickly. The air had cooled to the lower 40s, so we wore our jackets and hats for the hike. The Bumpass Hell Trail is about 1.5 miles each way with a 500 foot elevation rise then a 250 foot descent into the volcanic area. Because we were hiking at an elevation over 8,000 feet, we took the ascent slowly so as to not get winded. The air temperature dropped into the 30s as we were on the trail and a strong wind picked up, so we picked up our pace to keep warm. Our face masks actually felt good, keeping the wind from our faces.

Boardwalk through Bumpass Hell

Bumpass Hell Trail was being well traveled today, probably because it was a Saturday and people were wanting to get out during the pandemic. Unlike other trails that we were on for the past two weeks, few hikers were wearing masks. Because we were faster than some and slower than others, we passed a lot of other hikers on the steep trail. There was an abrupt drop off over the edge of the trail, but the path was well maintained and safe. 

Geysers and vents at Bumpass Hell

As we approached the Bumpass’ Hell area, there was no doubt that we had arrived. A very strong rotten egg smell of sulfur hung in the air. The strong wind drove the stench at us as we continued on the trail. Once we were at the location, we had the feeling that we were here seven years ago but couldn’t remember the long trail. We walked along the boardwalks through sulfur vents, boiling mud pits, geysers and steam holes all through the area. We continued to think that this was one of the places we had visited.

We took a lot of photos and walked back on a different trail toward the parking lot. Along the way we chatted with a family from nearby Oroville, California. They told us that until a couple of years ago the parking area was much nearer the Bumpass’ Hell site. They mentioned something about a tourist getting injured, which resulted in the trailhead being moved to make the potentially hazardous locations less accessible.

The 1.5 mile walk back to the car seemed to go more quickly, probably because it was more downhill than up. By the time we got to the car, a line of people were waiting for parking spaces. We left the lot to find a place for lunch at a less crowded stop. A few visitors were at the Sulfur Mine stop, but since the volcanic features were near the road, people didn’t tend to stay long and there were plenty of parking spots. We found a large boulder near the parking area and had the turkey sub that we had bought at the Walmart deli in Redding this morning.

Boiling mud pit at the Sulfur Works

The Sulfur Works site was a really great stop with a boiling mud pit, several steam vents and sulfur deposits, all of which are viewable from a sidewalk along the main road through the park. There were a number of tourists at the site, but people tended to move. As with the Bumpass Hell site, few people were wearing masks.

The last stop of our day was at the visitor center at the south entrance to the park. This entrance appeared to get a lot more visitors than the northern entrance that we used this morning. We used the southern entrance when we were here in 2012.

While driving toward Sacramento I had to stop along the road for a quick power nap that really restored my energy. Then we continued to David and Yeh’s house near Folsom, arriving a little before 5 pm. The only slowdown was in Wheatland, California where a construction project as well as activities at a pumpkin farm had traffic backed up. That added about 30 minutes to our drive time.

We were happy to see David, Yeh and Allyson since we hadn’t seen them since they came to Huntington for Emily and Ian’s wedding in June 2014.

Yeh made shabu shabu with fish, shrimp, squid, beef, fish balls, mushrooms and bok choi dunked in hot seasoned broth. We enjoyed everything including the nice red wine to accompany the meal. Both David and Yeh are very accomplished in the kitchen and always serve exceptional meals. This was no exception. We stayed up chatting and reminiscing until after 10 pm when we turned in.