The Martin's Blog

March 7 – Mosaic Staircase in San Francisco

March 8 – Yosemite National Park

Tunnel View Yosemite Valley

Bridalveil Falls

El Capitan

Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls

Merced River and Half Dome

Kate and Tom

Lower and Upper Yosemite Falls

Recreated Indian Village behind Museum

Round Meeting House

Tom & John Muir

Mirror Lake 5 mile Loop Hike

Mirror Rocks

Mirror Trees

Yosemite Grant – 1st U.S. Government protected land.  President Lincoln signed the bill in 1864!  This was before Yellowstone was made the world’s first National Park in 1872.  We had dinner in the Mountain View restaurant at the Yellowstone Lodge, went to an evening program on the geological formation of the Yosemite Valley, and then spent the night in Curry Village.

March 9 – drove to the Badger Pass Ski Area (on the road to Glacier Point) and did a snowshoe hike with Ranger Rick.

 

Mole and Weasel on hat and holding white Ermine

Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias – hiked about 5 miles round trip to Wawona Point (6,810 ft) gaining about 1200 ft in elevation.

Fallen Monarch

Bachelor and Three Graces

 Tree Hugger

Grizzly Giant – one of the tallest in the grove, estimated to be 1800 years old!

California Tunnel Tree

Sequoias and Snow

Fallen Tunnel Tree

Wawona Point Vista

Museum was closed

March 10 – rented a little Fiat from Enterprise and drove to Fort Ord National Monument outside of Monterey CA.  President Obama designated this former Army base as a BLM National Monument in 2012.  We did a 2 mile hike in the eastern part of the park.

Drove south on route 1 to Point Piedras Blancas Light Station.  The beaches just south of there were covered with Elephant Seals.

Mostly elephant seal pups

Dead Pup – hundreds don’t make it, though the total population is up to 20,000

Approaching Morro Rock and Morro Bay CA

Morro Bay harbor

Soupfin Shark, Calamari and Shrimp Special first night and Rockfish Special for dinner the next day

March 11 8am – Drove to Morro Rock

Then drove to the entrance to Piedras  Blancas Light Station.  Our little Fiat rental – unsafe at any speed!

We did a two hour tour of the Light Station with a BLM Ranger

These tours are offered at 9:45am three days a week during the off-season.  The top of the light station was removed and can be seen in Cambria CA just down route 1.

Hearst Castle, San Simeon CA – “The Enchanted Hill”

Start of our tours – after being bused to the castle

William Randolph Hearst was noted for his Newspaper Empire and eclectic tastes –

Front of Casa Grande modeled after a Spanish church

The Assembly Room was the first stop on the Grand Rooms Tour

Refectory

Amazing ceilings!

Billiard Room – billiards and pocket pool

The Upstairs Suites Tour – started with the Doge’s Suite

Library

Meeting Room – office in back

One of numerous bedroom suites

We then did a Self Tour of the grounds

Overlooking Pacific Ocean

Neptune Pool

March 12 – Carrizo Plain National Monument

Looks like water in Soda Lake

View from Soda Lake Overlook Hill

No Water at this time – just a salt encrusted basin (CA has received only 0.3 of it’s normal rainfall this winter)

“Salt” Storm – blowing from Soda Lake

Cover your face!

Driving across Carrizo Plain – not possible when it rains

Approaching Temblor Range

Wallace Creek Trail – hiked about 2 miles

Hiking along the San Andreas Fault

Very Windy!

Earthquake Sensor

Cesar Chavez National Monument – Declared a national monument by President Obama in 2012.  It commemorates the struggles and accomplishments of the farm worker movement.  The graphic on my T-shirt is the symbol of the movement, strikes and boycotts to establish the country’s first permanent agricultural union.

Re-creation of Chavez’s office and a migrant worker’s room in Visitor Center

Memorial Garden

1927 – 1993 (66) – note rosary on headstone

Tehachapi Loop – one of the 12 Railroad Wonders of the World

A long train can pass the end of it’s own cars as it circles around the loops

March 13 – Drove from our motel in Tehachapi to the south end of Carrizo Plain NM and entered by way of the Elkhorn Grade Road

South entrance on Soda Lake Road

Erosion Gully

Former Traver Ranch

Temblor Mountain Range across plain

Goodwin Visitor Center

Arranged for special permit tour of Painted Rock with Ranger Ryan

Caliente Mountains in background

About 1.5 mile round trip hike

Remains of Chumash Indian rock art can be seen many places on rocks

Looking out from Painted Rock

South outside of rocks

Rattlesnake – watch your step!

View from Southwest

Amir, Helen, Afsaneh, Tom at Negeen Persian restaurant in Campbell CA

Buffet top arranged for Persian New Year – “Nowruz”

March 14 – Kate off to work

Hiked to Corona Heights in afternoon with Casey for a good view of San Francisco

March 15 – drove to Tomales Bay about an hour north of San Francisco for a picnic

Tomales Bay Oyster Company

Bought a dozen Tomales Bay Medium Gold Oysters, a bag of Clams and rented a “shucker” knife

 

It was about noon and we were lucky to get one of the last picnic table/grills available.  We shared the table with Josh and Marrisa who came about twenty minutes later and discovered none were available.

The first oysters and clams were eaten raw

Then Helen and Kate did their magic on the grill

All the ingredients for Oysters Rockefeller, potato salad, mango salsa, etc. where prepared the night before

Delicious!!

After filling our bellies, we had a short drive to Point Reyes National Seashore 

We did an enjoyable 2 mile stroll along the beach

Casey loves the water!

Tidal pool where she pushed sand around with her nose –

It was a tiring day!  Kate and Casey slept while we watched the final episode of Downton Abby

Vera was visiting and we had Stacy & Brad’s children for an overnight and then the day and evening of Halloween while they were doing trail riding in Indiana.  We went to Marmon Valley farms for pony rides in the afternoon and then did trick or treat in the evening.

Leva

Geert

Hattie

Kitten, Horse and Cowboy hat gifts

Halloween Night

The wicked witch (wind) of the west struck at 11:45pm on Halloween Night.  I was sound asleep and must have jumped a foot out of bed when a huge limb blew off our tulip poplar in the front yard and hit the roof above our bedroom.  Plaster filled the air and I thought one of our windows blew out.  The electricity was out, so I got out my headlamp, flash light and rain jacket to survey the damage.  I checked the attic and discovered one of our chimneys was gone!  The fire department came but was unable to help.  These pictures are from the next morning when a tarp was put over the chimney hole on the main roof.  This is going to be a long term step by step process to get all of this repaired.

As we were driving to TX on July 23^rd we received a call from Chad telling us that Seamus Padraig Martin was born at 11:18am!  He was 7 lbs, 20 in and has red hair!  We drove 13 hours that day (900 miles) and stayed the night in Texarkana.  We drove 6 hours the next day (300 miles) and were at the Martins at 12:30pm.

Liz, Drago, Chad and Seamus

Our job was Watching/Walking/Playing with Drago.  Chad and Liz had just won the “Home of the Month” award for their community.

Drago Man – 21 months

 

8/1/2013 – Big Thicket N PRES, Chad and I drove to the Visitor Center and then hiked the Kirby Nature Trail and Sandhill Loop.

We then rented a canoe and paddled from Hwy 327 to Baby Galvez in the Village Creek Corridor Unit, only 2.1 miles. The water was too low, so we decided to take-out at that point and return to Katy.

 

8/4 – Leaving, the tigress is MaMoe (Drago’s name for Liz’s Mom). She stayed for another week to help out.

Our first stop on the way back to OH was the Natchez National Historical Park Visitor Center in Mississippi.  All of the sites that follow are on or near the Natchez Trace Parkway.

We then did a self-tour of the William Johnson House.  William was a mulatto slave named after his owner.  He was given his freedom in 1820 at the age of eleven.  He went on to be a very successful businessman owning 3 barbershops, a bath house, a farm and having other substantial land holdings.  He died in 1851 before the Civil War.

Interestingly, Johnson purchased slaves and put them to work on his properties

Melrose – “A Cotton Kingdom Estate,” was our next stop

Melrose (1849) was an antebellum mansion (meaning before the Civil War)

We had a great one hour tour from a NP ranger.  Melrose was built by John McMurran , purchased in 1865 by Malin Davis and lived in by his descendants (Kelly family) until 1976, when it was sold to John and Betty Callon.  Public tours began in 1932.  It was acquired by the NP service in 1990.

Front parlor – note 14k gold leaf

Dining room with “pukah” (hanging mahogany fan) that was operated by a slave to shoo flies from food

Master bedroom with day bed, only three families have lived in the home and it has many original furnishings

Child’s room, Melrose is considered by many to be the finest home in the Natchez region

There were three sets of slave accommodations.  These are the houses of the slaves that worked the grounds

We next visited Monmouth (1818), which is now a B & B and restaurant with beautiful gardens

Sunset on the Mississippi River

8/5 – Start of the Natchez Trace Parkway, 444 miles from Natchez MS to Nashville TN

The Natchez Trace originated from a series of Indian trails.  The Trace was economically, politically, socially, and militarily (e.g. Andrew Jackson, War of 1812) important to the U.S. during its early development.  Indians, traders, soldiers, postriders, settlers, slaves, circuit-riding-preachers, outlaws and adventurers traveled the Trace.  Also, “Kaintuks,” river boat men, floated the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to Natchez or New Orleans with their goods and then returned by way of the Trace.

Emerald Mound – the second largest temple-ceremonial mound in the U.S.

Built and used by the “Mississippians” between 1200 and 1730

Mount Locust Inn and Plantation – one day’s walk from Natchez

The first stand (Inn) opened at this location in 1801

The home has been restored to its 1820 appearance

Called the “Sunken Trace” because this sandy section was worn down by travelers

Rocky Springs Town Site

Rocky Springs Church and Cemetery – 1837 Methodist church is preserved by former congregation members who hold regular services here and gather at an annual “homecoming’ each spring.

Mississippi Mud Cake at the French Camp Academy’s Council House Café

Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site – in the beginning of 1864, President Lincoln made Gen. Ulysses Grant the supreme commander of all Federal forces.  Grant now accompanied the Army of the Potomac and Maj. Gen William Sherman was put in charge of the western armies.  Sherman sent Brig. Gen Samuel Sturgis and 8,100 Federal troops to northern Mississippi in order to protect his supply line, the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad, from attack by Maj. Gen. Nathan Forrest and his cavalry (3,500 men) as Sherman marched toward Atlanta.  The armies met at Brices Cross Roads on June 10, 1864.

After fierce fighting, the Federals retreated back to Memphis.  There was a bottleneck when a wagon overturned at Tishomingo Creek Bridge and Forest was able to capture artillery pieces, guns, supplies and over 1,000 Federals.  The loss would have been much greater had it not been for the United States Colored Troops who were in rear guard positions and slowed the Confederate pursuit of the Federal retreat.

Brices Cross Roads was a Confederate victory.

Sherman now put Maj. Gen Andrew Smith in charge of the Federals and ordered him to pursue the Confederates.  They marched from Memphis and the armies met and fought in Tupelo Mississippi on July 14-15, 1864.

Knowing the Federals were coming, the Confederates (Maj. Gen Steven Lee and Maj. Gen Nathan Forest) attacked them five times but were unsuccessful – the battle was considered a draw but it prevented the Confederates from attacking Sherman as he “marched to Atlanta and the sea.”

You have just read about two battles.  The Civil War has been an interest of mine since I was young.  However, battlefields and cemeteries are not Helen’s favorite places.  Our next stops in Tupelo were not on my bucket list but were of great interest to Helen.  That’s called cooperation.

Elvis Presley was born on 1/8/1935 in this house, which was built by his father.  He died in Memphis on 8/16/1977.

This is a car similar to the one Elvis’s father drove when the family moved to Memphis when he was eleven.

Ice cream cone at Drive In where Elvis “hungout” – oldest restaurant in Tupelo

Elvis’s booth

On the way out of town we stopped at the Hardware Store where Elvis’s mother bought him his first guitar.  Helen tells me that Elvis really wanted a gun or a bicycle for his birthday but his mother thought that a gun or bicycle would be too dangerous for him.  Now wasn’t that interesting?

After leaving Tupelo we continued on the Parkway through the northwest corner of Alabama and on to Collinwood TN.  The info we had stated that there were cabins there.  Well, there was one cabin and it was taken.  We asked about and found a room in the back of the Video/Game/Hardware store.

Everything at the local restaurant was fried, so we chose a salad for dinner.  Helen ordered hot tea and the waitress said “Great I just made some, do you want sweet tea or unsweetened?”  Helen said “unsweetened.”   Well, she brought a 16 oz plastic glass with warm unsweetened tea.  Check out the sign!

8/6 – Our first stop back on the Natchez Trace Parkway was Metal Ford of the Buffalo River

The stone bottom reminded frontier travelers of stone-surfaced “metaled” roads of the day

Our next stop was the grave of Meriwether Lewis of the famed Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Meriwether was only 35 when he was shot or committed suicide (remains a mystery) on October 11, 1809 as he was traveling the Trace back to Washington.

Swan Hollow Falls

The Gordon House (1818) – Gordon was a Captain with Andrew Jackson and served on and off with him from 1812 to 1818. He was able to operate a ferry across Duck River, stand (inn) and trading post at this location by forming a partnership with a Chickasaw Chief.

Double Arch Bridge near the northern terminus of the Natchez Trace Parkway and Nashville

Completed in 1994

Stones River National Battlefield Murfreesboro TN, southeast of Nashville

New entrance for the 150^th year anniversary of the battle

The Emancipation Proclamation was to go into effect on January 1, 1863. Lincoln pushed his generals to strike a blow.   In December of 1862 the Army of the Potomac met with disaster at Fredericksburg Virginia and Grant’s Army of the Tennessee was unable to crack defenses north of Vicksburg MS.  Lincoln’s only hope was the Army of the Cumberland in Nashville TN.

On December 26, 1862 Gen. William Rosencrans led his army of about 43,000 out of Nashville to seek victory against Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg’s Army (about 38,000) of the Tennessee at Murfreesboro.

At day break on December 31, 1862 Bragg’s Confederates struck first as the Federals were having breakfast.

The Federal line gave way except for Hazen’s Brigade in the Round Forest

Built in 1863 by Union soldiers, just six months after the battle, the Hazen Monument is the nation’s oldest intact Civil War monument.

Four attacks on Hazen’s position were beat back.  At dusk the fields of Hell’s Half Acre were covered with hundreds of Confederate dead and wounded.

Fierce fighting took place all day across the battlefield and thousands were killed and wounded.

The next day, New Year’s Day 1863, both armies buried their dead and cared for the wounded.

On January 2, 1863 the battled resumed with the Confederates again attacking the Federals.  At one point during the battle, 57 Union cannon killed or wounded 1,800 Confederates in a matter of minutes!  At the end of the day Bragg’s forces retreated and this was a major victory for the Union.  In this picture you can see part of the Stones River National Cemetery.  The Battle of Stones River cost 13,249 Union and 10,266 Confederate casualties.  About one third of each force!

7/14 – Sunday was always family day.  Even though we no longer have children at home we thought – “Why not have a Family Day!”

Our first stop was Huffman Prairie Flying Field Interpretive Center and the Wright Brothers Memorial at Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB).  It is part of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.  We watched an award winning video about the Wright brother’s plane designs and trials, toured the museum, and after a little instruction, got to try and fly a 1905 Wright Flyer III.

You were given three attempts to keep the plane (video simulation) in the air for three minutes without crashing.  It was harder than it looks but we both earned our certificates!

I have always loved airplanes and am considering donating my 1950’s airplane card collection to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

Wright Memorial erected by Daytonians in 1940

The world’s first airport, replica of 1905 hangar and launching catapult at Huffman Prairie Flying Field

 

6/13 – We arrived home from the Virgin Islands at 11pm on 6/11 and had to be at the Dayton airport at 8am for our flight to Newark and then Bogota Colombia.  Sooo, we had 33 hours for sleeping (2 nights), laundry, paying bills, doing yard work, etc. before leaving.  There was nasty weather all day and both of our flights were delayed.  We finally arrived in Bogota at 1:30am on 6/14 and had to make our way from the airport to the Marriott.  We hooked up with another American, took a taxi and got there at 2am.  We and our bags had to be scanned and sniffed (dog) before entering the hotel.  That was standard procedure wherever we traveled.   Slept 3 hours and left for the airport at 6:30am for our flight to Cali.

6/14 – Our Avianca flight arrived in Cali at 9am.  Manuel and Silvana were there to meet us at the airport and drive us into Cali.  Manuel is from the Canary Islands.  His sister Carmen lived with us during the summer of 1987 and he came to the U.S. in 1992 and did an extensive tour with us to the Southwestern US.   We were in the Canary Islands in 2003 and he visited us again for Thanksgiving in 2008.  We told him way back when, that when he got married, we would be there!

We checked into the Dann Carlton Hotel and immediately left for a pre-arranged tour of Hacienda El Paraiso about an hour outside of Cali.  This is a historical/fictitious location that is used for a Colombian TV series.

The tour was in Spanish and we were told a bit boring but the Hacienda and countryside were beautiful.

Afterward we had lunch at a local restaurant.  Helen had fresh trout.  I had a chicken tamale and we both shared – delicious!

6/15 – We found an English speaking taxi driver (Jorge) and took a tour of Cali in the morning

Cali from Cerro de los Cristales (The Hill of Crystals) –

There is a large statue of Christ on top.  We could see it from our hotel.

Carmen accompanied us on a taxi tour of Cali

Sculpture depicting the history of Colombia

Spanish explorer overlooking Cali

Chicago has cows, Cincinnati has pigs and Cali has cats!

Metropolitan Cathedral (1841)

Iglesia de la Merced (The Church of Grace), Cali’s oldest church, 1680.  It is on the site where Cali’s founders celebrated their first religious service in 1536.

It is common for statues in churches to be dressed

Leaving the hotel for wedding

Wedding chapel at Hacienda Las Manaitas

The ring

Manuel, Silvana and parents

Carmen

Elegant setting

Appetizers, three course dinner and desserts

First course – shrimp with sauce and fried banana

First dance – salsa!

At 11pm a carnival group arrived and really revved up the party!

Helen dancing with the devil!

Dads

6/16 – We had a late breakfast and about noon traveled outside the city to Tinajeros and the La Tinaja Restaurante Bar.  This is a cattle ranch where they have a huge under roof open area with picnic tables, stage, dance floor and bar.  In the center is a runway where they parade horses on the hour.

I thought the column of beer was interesting

This was called “Baby Beef” – nothing small about it!

They even had Happy Meals!

Horse show –

Singer and mariachi band from Acapulco Mexico – he rode in on a horse!

Valle de Cauca between coast and middle mountain ranges

We had an evening flight to Bogota and again stayed overnight at the Marriott

6/17 – We took the shuttle to the airport at 6:30am and arrived in Newark about at 3:30pm.  Glad to be back in the USA, note passport torch!  However, we had plane problems and did not get home until 2am the next day!

6/4 – We were supposed to leave Dayton at 9:30am.  When printing boarding passes I discovered that American Airlines had canceled our flight from San Juan to St Croix and did not inform us.  After four hours on the phone we had to totally redo our schedule and had to leave Dayton at 5:30am – that meant we had to get up at 3am!

After arriving in St Croix, we picked up our rental car (you drive on the left side of the road).  Our first stop was the Cruzan Rum Distillery near the airport.  We took the $5 tour and were rewarded with two drinks each at the end.

Molasses from the sugar cane fields of Guatemala

Fermenting Tank

The longer it is aged, the darker the color, the higher the quality and the less alcohol content

Enjoying the product

Frederiksted fort on West side of island where cruise ships dock, where slaves were emancipated in 1848

We had an outstanding room, view of Christiansted, pool, etc. at Carringtons Inn B & B

There were five rooms but we had it all to ourselves

View from our balcony

Great breakfasts!

6/5 – Drove to Point Udall, named for Stewart Udall (Secretary of the Interior).  This is the eastern-most point of U.S. territory.  It is where the sun first shines on our territory.  This is the Millennium Monument (2000) – a sundial.  The western-most point of the U.S. is on Guam and is also named Point Udall – after Stewart’s brother “Mo” Udall (AZ Congressman)

View toward Buck Island Reef National Monument (island in distance).  Note small bandage on knee from arthroscopy three weeks earlier.

Christiansted – Capital of Danish West Indies when Sugar Was King

Fort Christiansvaern – built by Danish in 1749

Hotel on the Cay – you get there by launch

View from the Sea

Steeple building (1753) was St Croix’s first Lutheran church.  It is now part of the historic site.

Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve.  Visitor Center on top of hill

We climbed the tower to view Salt River Bay

View of Bay – on his second voyage (1493) Columbus sent a boat ashore to meet with the natives.  The Spaniards met a canoe of Caribs (natives) and a fight took place.  One Carib was killed and the rest were captured.  Two Spaniards were wounded, one fatally.  It was the first documented skirmish between Europeans and New World natives.

Crab cake and Calamari appetizers at Angry Nate’s on the boardwalk of Christiansted

6/6 – Buck Island Reef National Monument full-day sailboat excursion

Headed to Buck Island – it is one mile long

Snorkeling off beach –

Great day and colors –

Snorkeling off sailboat at underwater trail –

Buck Island was declared a National Monument by President Kennedy in 1961.  At that time, the reef was in pristine condition.  It currently shows the effects of both humans and nature (hurricanes).

Rum punch on return trip

6/7 – Flew Cape Airlines to St Thomas, walked a mile to the main road pulling our suit cases and carrying our back packs to catch an open air truck (bus) into Charlotte Amalie.  The Charlotte Amalie ferry to St John wasn’t running, so we took another open air truck to Red Hook to catch a ferry.

Ferry Captain’s chair, car ferry can be seen out window

Our first stop was the Virgin Islands National Park Visitor Center

Over half St John is national park land, with the bulk of it donated by Rockefeller interests in 1956.  We rented a jeep and started driving to Cinnamon Bay.

View of Cruz Bay with the Gallows Point Resort out on the distant peninsula

Trunk Bay (underwater trail)

Arrived at Cinnamon Bay and checked into our campground beach cottage.  We had come here 45 years ago for our honeymoon but I had not made a reservation and no cottage or tent accommodations were available.  As a result we ended up sleeping on the beach until it rained and finished the night on a picnic table under a metal roof with the birds and hermit crabs.  This time I made the reservation one year in advance.  So, you could say this was a second honeymoon!

No AC and restroom 100 yards away BUT we were right up from the beach!  Note deer in upper right of pic

Our beach at Cinnamon Bay

Local sand shark

6/8 – Our 45^th wedding anniversary.  Each year I surprise Helen and only give her information on how to dress or pack if we are doing a trip.  She did not know we were going to the Virgin Islands or that we would be staying in a cottage at Cinnamon Bay.

After breakfast, we rented beach chairs and snorkeling equipment and headed for Trunk Bay and the underwater trail

Hawksnest Beach – our Cialis pic

This is the beach we slept on 45 years ago!

The next six photos are from our 1968 honeymoon

This was our beach towel bed until it started to rain!

This is our picnic table bed with the birds and hermit crabs

The next four photos show that we really haven’t changed much – must be our healthy lifestyle!

 

Ready for a night out on the town in Cruz Bay – 2013

Drinks and Grouper dinner at Zozo’s restaurant in Gallows Point Resort

Sunset chat

6/9 – We started the day by touring the ruins of a sugar plantation at Cinnamon Bay

We then drove to the east side of the island.  This is a view of Coral Bay

Iguana eating mango by road

Round Bay

This bay and beach gave us access to Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument (entirely underwater).  We snorkeled around point into Elk Bay.  This was the best snorkeling on our trip.

Sunset dinner at the Parrot Club in Cruz Bay

6/10 – Caneel Bay and rental jeep

Ferry back to St Thomas

We took a taxi to Charlotte Amalie.  This is a view from the harbor with the Vendor’s Plaza on the right, the Governor’s Mansion in the middle on the hill and Villa Santana, where we had a two story efficiency apartment, just below and to the left of the mansion.

This is the first floor of our apartment at Villa Santana, with a view of downtown.  Our apartment was in one of the out-buildings of Exiled General Antonio Lopez Santa Anna’s Villa – the Mexican hero of the infamous slaughter at the Alamo!

View from our second floor balcony.  Hassel Island, which has much historical significance, is at the entrance to the harbor and is an undeveloped part of Virgin Islands National Park.

Nice little hike down to the city and back up to the Villa –

Emancipation Gardens – smoothie from market on hot day

Fort Christian – Charlotte Amalie was the islands capital under Denmark until 1917

Harbor side of Fort and Legislature Building on right

Waterfront cannon and Hassel Island

Mojito special (also called Cuba Libre) at the Greenhouse Bar & Restaurant – light rum, carbonated water, lime juice, lime, mint and sugar syrup.  These were followed by fish tacos – yum!

6/11 – Had breakfast at Jen’s Gourmet Café’ and Deli and then Helen spent the morning shopping for her 45^th wedding anniversary presents!

First stop was the Vendor’s Plaza where a bluish stone called a Larimar, from the Dominican Republic, was a popular item.  Colorations vary from white, light-blue, green-blue to deep blue.

Earrings, pendants, and stone were purchased at this stall

Shopping alley catering to cruise ship passengers – this is a duty free port

We also hit several stores on the main street called Dronningens Gade and Helen bought a gold bracelet with diamond solitaire and double hoop gold and white gold earrings.

Now broke, we headed for the airport where our plane departed for Atlanta at 2:35; we were home at 11pm

March 2 – We left SF at 7am and arrived at the gate for the Point Sur Lightstation at 9:45.  The lightstation is part of the Point Sur State Historic Park.  A volunteer guide opened the gate at 10am and we drove to the base of the moro rock formation for our guided tour.  The lightstation (1889) is one of only two active turn-of-the-century lightstations in the country that are open to the public.  The three hour tour involved walking up the road to the top of the rock while the docent described history and structures.

Sea Lion

A nice lunch at the Nepenthe Restaurant overlooking the Pacific

Our next stop was McWay Falls in Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP.  It is only a quarter mile hike to lookouts from which you can see the Falls spilling onto the sand as the waves crash in from the ocean.

Shocked at the fantastic view!

Sandollar Beach (USFS) – rock piles, sand and crane

We had a light dinner and spent the night in the Fernwood Resort – an old 50’s era motel.

March 3 – We were up early and off to find Pfeiffer Beach (USFS).  This was the best beach we visited on our entire trip – cypress tree riparian zone, rocks, arches, surf, birds and even purple sand!

See Pfeiffer Beach Video at http://youtu.be/Q2erjJ7zYIw

Proceeding north, Pt Lobos State Reserve was our next stop.  We hiked the South Shore Trail and then the Sea Lion Loop Trail

Sea Otter

Sea Lions

Cypress Grove Loop Trail

View from Cannery Point

Whalers Cabin and Museum at Whalers Cove

Monterey Bay Aquarium in Carmel

Sea Cucumbers

Jelly Fish

On the way back to SF we stopped at the Negeen Persian restaurant outside of San Jose to have dinner with Amir and Afsaneh.

 March 4 – Golden Gate Park from the top (9th floor) of the de Young Museum

Tai Chi

We were able to see the special Dutch Painters exhibit at the de Young Museum including the “Girl with a Pearl Earing” by Vermeer.  There were 35 paintings representing the Dutch Golden Age on loan from The Hague.  Here is a picture of a glass sculpture from the museum that really impressed us –

Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park

March 5 – We first walked Casey on Baker Beach (Battery Chamberlin).

We then drove across the Golden Gate Bridge to the vista point at Horseshoe Bay and Battery Cavallo.  The Sailor’s Statue overlooks SF Bay, the GG Bridge, and San Francisco.

Impressive U.S. Coast Guard plaque

Rosie the Riveter – World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond (north bay).  World War II was an important stimulus for moving women into the work force and toward gender equality.  Seven hundred and forty-seven ships, mainly Liberty and Victory cargo ships, were launched from the Richmond Naval Yards.

Rosie the Riveter Monument

Check out those guns!

Refurbished Red Oak Victory Ship

In the evening, we had a hardy dinner (including potato pancakes!) at the Suppenkuche restaurant

March 6 – Napa Valley tour with Amir and Afsaneh, our first stop was the Darioush winery.  It was started by an Iranian and has Persian motifs from Persepolis – the ancient ceremonial capital of Persia.

We had lunch at Boskos Trattoria Italian Restaurant in Calistoga

We then took a short drive to Old Faithful Geyser of CA – one of only 3 “Old Faithful” geysers in the world.  Who knew?

March 7 – the Nestle rabbit caught us just as we were ready to go down into the BART station at 16th and Mission – one free Nestle Chocolate drink for later in the day.

We took the BART to the end of the line in Dublin/Pleasonton in the east  bay and were picked up by Dave and his wife Carla.  I had met Dave on our Arctic trip in AK last summer.  We drove to Danville where we were picked up by a National Park Service van to be driven to Eugene O’Neil National Historic Site.  O’Neil was a famous playwright who won the Noble Prize for literature in 1936.  He took his prize money and built the Tao House outside of Danville to “get away from the world.”

Office

Beautiful view from the house –

O’Neil produced many American dramas, e.g. – “The Emperor Jones,” Anna Christie,” The Hairy Ape,” “Desire Under the Elms,” “Mourning Becomes Electra,” “The Iceman Cometh,” and “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.”  This sculpture is in Danville across from the library and is a quote from “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.”

After lunch at La Boulange in Danville we drove to Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial on the Military Ocean Terminal Concord Army base on Suisun Bay.  This is an active Army base and we needed pre-approval with name, ID, etc. to get a reservation on the National Park Service tour, which is limited to 15 because of the size of the van.  We were first checked in and photographed at the entrance to the base and then permitted to continue the tour.

Port Chicago was the sight of the worst homeland disaster during World War II.  It was a Naval site for loading munitions for the Pacific theater and on July 17, 1944 when two munitions ships were being loaded they exploded killing 320 men.  It was a huge explosion with a debris-filled cloud rising 12,000 feet and a shock wave felt 40 miles away.  Two hundred and two of the men were African American enlisted personnel who were relegated to the menial loading tasks.  About three week later when 258 African Americans survivors were being marched back to continue loading munition ships – they refused because of unsafe conditions.  This was called a “Mutiny” and all were jailed.  Two hundred and eight later yielded, completed their terms, and were given bad conduct discharges.  Fifty refused and faced the largest mass mutiny trial in naval history.

Despite being represented by Thurgood Marshall, these men were found guilty and sentenced to 8 to 15 years imprisonment and dishonorable discharges.  A black mark in naval history.  Their acts of civil disobedience brought to light the injustices of racial segregation in the military and was an important catalyst for the American Civil Rights movement.  Following this tragedy the Navy began addressing the issue of both safety and segregation.

March 8 – Helen and I began the day by taking Casey to the Fort Funston beach, which is dog friendly.  It was a good hike and a bit of a climb back to the parking lot.

We then took the trolly to the waterfront and finished our tour of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park that we had started last year.  Kate and I had our second annual mani-pedicure that evening and we then heated frozen pizzas and watched the James Bond movie Skyfall.

March 9 – Our first stop was Muir Woods National Monument.

Our two mile morning walk through the redwood forest was delightful as can be seen from these photos.

We then drove to Stinson Beach, walked the beach, and had lunch at the Breakers Cafe.  We then drove south along the ocean and stopped at a headland where we could see Muir Beach.

View north from overlook

We did a quick walk on Muir Beach and then headed for the Marin Headlands Visitor Center.  We then had to hustle to make it to the trail to the Point Bonito Lighthouse as it closed at 3:30.

After a nice dinner at the Indian Oven restaurant, we drove to the Oakland Bay Bridge where they had just started a two year LED light display a few days before.

Check out a video of the bridge lights at – http://youtu.be/sgQXyxRSYaA

March 10 – We went to mass at the Spanish Mission Dolores (1776 but rebuilt after the earthquake) and then had brunch at the Crepevine.  Our flight left SF at 2:30 and we switched planes in Denver.  We didn’t get home until 1am due to the three hour time change and the one hour lost switching to daylight saving time!

Three of four children were going to be out-of-state for Thanksgiving so we decided to do a short road trip with Peter, Heather, Muy and Bunni (their dogs) to Mohican State Park in central Ohio.  We drove up the day before Thanksgiving and arrived in time to do a six mile (round trip) hike on the lower North Rim and Hemlock Gorge trails.  The weather was unseasonably warm as we hiked along the Clearfork of the Mohican River.

We had a nice dinner in the Mohican Lodge and stayed in “dog friendly” room with two double beds.  Peter & Heather brought drinks and snacks for our evening Farkle games!

November 22, 2012  “Thanksgiving” – Peter made coffee in the room and got out the orange juice he had brought as well as the blueberry buckle, pumpkin bread and banana bread that Heather had baked the day before.  We served the ladies breakfast in bed!

We then drove to the dam to start our three mile hike to Little and Big Lyons Falls, the Covered Bridge and back to the dam along the Pleasant Hill trail.

We celebrated Thanksgiving early because the Fischers were going to be in Kansas City.

Drago’s birthday is 10/10, but Chad and Liz organized a party for him on saturday so we could be there.  Six near one year olds and parents made for an interesting afternoon!

My morning walk –

October 13, 2012

San Jacinto Battleground – April 21, 1836 – Texas State Historic Park

Chad and I drove to the east side of Houston to tour this important historic site.  Santa Anna had already taken the Alamo and also executed over 300 Texans who had surrendered at Goliad.  However, he made the mistake of splitting his forces leaving him with about 1300 at San Jacinto.  The Texans had about 900 men and Sam Houston attacked in the afternoon when the Mexicans were not ready.  Santa Anna was so confident he had not even posted sentries!  It was a slaughter, with cries of “Remember the Alamo” and “Remember Goliad” over 600 Mexicans were killed  with the loss of only a handfull of Texans.  The next day Santa Anna surrendered and Texas had won its independence.

At 567 feet, this is the world’s tallest memorial stone column.  It is 12 feet taller than the Washington Monument, plus it has a 35 foot Texas star on top.

USS Battleship Texas – commissioned in 1914, is the only surviving battleship to have served in both world wars.  It is about the same length (573 feet) as the memorial is high!

Peace!!!

It was great fun, we were able to go three levels above and below the main deck.