Vicksburg, Mississippi 1.0

We saddled up at 6 am and then tried to get the guys to stop at the Starbucks, but it wasn't going to happen. So off we went, just as the sun was rising.

We had this map of the "Great River Road" that we received from some tourist site before we left. Dave had the map laminated based up prior experiences with a map in places that were humid, rained, and then there's the wind while I'm looking up stuff on the go. Anyway, let's just say that it was not Great and there was no River...just a Road. We thought it was going to be similar to riding on the levees in the Delta, WRONG. The only time we saw the Mississippi River was when we crossed over it while leaving Arkansas to enter Mississippi.

We had been on the look out for a place for breakfast We thought we'd find one in West Memphis. We were really close to Memphis and I was hoping to visit Graceland. To beat the heat we just couldn't take the time. We were on the back county roads and these people don't dine out. In fact I'm not sure they have enough money to eat.....or fix their homes, which are just a notch above a card board box. We were in the poorest of areas....very rural.

This part of the country is black and white. We have not seen one Asian or Latin. We think they're speaking some other language because we can not understand a word they're saying. We can barely make out the white folk but it is totally impossible with the blacks.

Funny thing about the houses....I couldn't figure out why the people didn't close their garage doors...then I noticed that there were no doors! this is there covered patio! They have their grills and outdoor furniture in there. Some park their cars in there too.

We decided to ride on through to Vicksburg instead of breaking the ride in to two days. There just was nothing of interest along the way. At our eventual breakfast stop, at 8:30, we called the B&B (Baer House Inn) and they had two rooms for the night so we rode until 3 and checked in. Oh, at breakfast the service was so slow. The people were nice and the food was good and cheap. I ordered the most expensive item on the menu, $4.79. But still no coffee for me....they don't have decaf. And there was a big rain while we were waiting for our food, so it was good the service was slow. I did have grits so I feel like I'm officially in the south....the others turned up their nose at the thought of grits.

The B&B is roomy, clean and well located. There's another couple here and her best friends lives in Pleasanton! She visits often. How is that?! We walked a few blocks but it was way too hot for me and we returned to our rooms and showered.

We ate at another Inn located a few blocks away, Anchura Mansion. It's really cute, the service was great, and the food was FABULOUS! Our first really delicious meal. The prices were close to CA prices. We even had dessert for the first time on this trip!. Margaret had her best Lemon Drop ever and the guys shared a bottle of Healdsburg Cab. I'm not drinking on the trip due to the heat.

When we left the Anchura there was a symphony from the insects. Not a big fan of insects but the noise they make is somehow melodious and interesting. We saw a huge beetle on the walk back. Margaret said it was a June Bug......they arrive in June but they're having such a great time they stay through July :) I should tell you that Margaret was born in Arkansas and Scott says he has returned her to her home land. Dave has lived in the South but he lays no claim to the area. And for me? Born and raised in the SF Bay Area, God's Country. I'll visit the South but I know I'm made for home.

Just about everything is closed on Sunday so I may be having a day of rest.

Jonesboro, Arkansas

We left Branson by 7 am after a very tasty hot breakfast buffet. Good thing because it was hot again. Not like the first day, but the third day of this we knew would take it's toll. The riding was very nice. The roads are in good condition, much better than in CA, but that's not saying much. If you think the roads are bad while driving in a car, just imagine what it's like on a motorcycle. Although I'm still VERY impressed with the smooth ride on this bike.

We thought we might stop by and visit with the Maxwell's in West Plains, MO but it was getting way too hot and we wanted to get to our destination and get off the bike. It is very green during the summer time in the Midwest, I think because of rain and humidity. If you haven't experienced humidity, you are very lucky. The air is so heavy it can be hard to breathe. But your skin is really nice from the moisture!

We arrived in Jonesboro just in time for lunch. We lucked upon a GREAT BBQ place. We knew it was good because the parking lot was packed. We decided to stay here for the night and ended up at a new Candlewood Suites. It's more for an extended stay, but it is clean, well located, and has FREE laundry. I think our friend, who loathes chain hotels, is a new convert. She LOVES this place. And she even did laundry, which she chides me about on every other trip. But with the humidity, your clothes have the possibility of mildew. My jeans have stretched out so much that I can take them off without unzipping them! I wish it was because I've lost tons of weight, but that's not the case.

We ended up at the movies because there's no pool here and it's too hot to do anything else. We thought we had the guys agreeing to take us to Hobby Lobby, but that didn't fly. They did promise to take us in another town though....and they WILL. It was pretty funny trying to get a movie that we could all agree on. We ended up at everyone's second choice, Cowboys and Aliens.....good thing the admission was only $6 each. And we all shared one tub of $6 popcorn.

The funny part, of which there are no photos, is the outfits that the ladies wore. You see, it is very difficult to look stylish for a night out while being safe on a motorcycle. We had on lovely black capris with pretty tops and then....the attire for the feet was so industrial. We both changed once we were off the bike, but there were plenty of seconds looks when we were getting on and off the bikes. I looked at Margaret and laughed at her and she told me to knock it off because I didn't look so hot either....so we stood there pointing at each other and laughing. But there would be no permanent evidence!

We ended up having dinner at Ruby Tuesday's because this is a dry county and this is the only place to get a drink. Alas, there was a Cracker Barrel right next door. I was promised that I would be dining at a Cracker Barrel very soon. That gift card is burning a hole in my wallet. So good evening....I'm going to Google a Cracker Barrel for breakfast....I don't want them to forget their promise..and I'm having a cobbler, even if it's breakfast!

Branson, Missouri

How do you describe this place? Dave says "poor man's Vegas" and I prefer "hillbilly Vegas". It's a mile long strip in the hills completely devoted to entertainment. There are tons of theaters with live shows....mostly music, comedians, and magicians. We opted for the Presley family since they were the first and it's an authentic Branson experience.

We bought the tickets for a total of $65 a couple...which ticked me off because I forgot to ask for the AAA discount and they didn't ask. Anyway, we did enjoy the show, but not enough to buy the $20 DVD :)

We loved our hotel, Land of the Ozarks. It was clean, well located, and the restaurant was really good. As an added plus, we had the cutest waiter, Jay. I was reminded of Alex in Austria, but that's another story....

We've decided to leave early so we can miss the heat. I think it was even beginning to bother Scott & Margaret. I'm feeling a whole lot better. It was about 20 degrees cooler today and I was so much better able to deal with it. For one thing I finally got my appetite back. But I'm finishing day 2 of my vacation and I've had NO DESSERTS!

I haven't taken too many photos. I'm spoiled with my new fancy camera that I did not bring with me, and I've forgotten how to use my point and shoot. I promise to do better :)

Joplin, Missouri

Please note that I do not have my fancy camera with me. Dave took one look at it and said "we don't have room for that". So I grabbed my little point and shoot, my old favorite that I recently found.....trouble is I've forgotten how to use the thing! I did grab the book so after I read it, I'll be posting some photos.

We left Oakland at 7:30 am which meant I had to crawl out of bed in the dark. Our friends arrived and we crawled in to SIL's truck for a ride to the airport when it was still dark. So by now you all know that I do not like to get up before the sun has warmed the Earth, and I no longer drink caffeine, so this is not my preferred way to begin an adventure.

We arrived in Kansas City, Missouri around 1pm local time, jumped in to the "party bus" from the local Harley dealer that picked us up and we were off. The dealership was really nice, people were great, and we were on our way by 2pm.

So off we go in the hottest part of the day in the middle of a heat wave with the sun beating down on us. It was so HOT! The temperature gauge on the bike was at full tilt, 120 degrees! It was really around 115+ but I have no idea how to factor in the humidity.

We arrived at our B&B at 5:30pm. What with the heat, humidity, and wearing a cooling vest, let's just say that we all looked like we were rode hard and put away wet.....because, well, that's exactly what happened! I had time to climb in the shower with the water on absolute cold to bring my body temperature down and then we were off to dinner with Dave's family. Fortunately they picked us up and we didn't get back on the bike.

I could barely eat because I was exhausted and hot. I drank about a gallon of water and at half a quesadilla....Dave had a grand time. He's a lizard, the heat doesn't bother him...at all. We had fun visiting with the family and then they gave us a quick tour of the tornado devastation.

It has been two months and they've already made great head way in cleaning up the area, which is about 30% of the city of Joplin. They've even begun to rebuild. There's a lot of confusion because the people want to build and the government wants to change the building codes. They'll work it out. Also, there's some dickering with the insurance companies. At least 40% of the homes were not insured. They were owned by slum land lords and it wasn't worth it to insure the structure. In a couple of years the place may be totally new!

Home Depot, WalMart, and JoAnn's are totally ruined, but Hobby Lobby next door is untouched! Home Depot & WalMart are rebuilding already. The place looks like a new city where things are cleared, and like it was bombed in the places where they've done nothing. The trees are splintered or totally uprooted. The community and surrounding areas are being very supportive.

More Ezra!

It's been awhile since I've posted photos of Ezra. I know you're wondering what's up with that! And you probably need an update on what fabulous thing he's doing now...because as you know, he is an over achiever! His latest obsession is balls, he loves them.....any and all shapes and sizes. I just bought three new balls in various sizes. He is all about tossing/throwing and catching. He really has eye-hand coordination because, well, he is an over achiever. Dave loves to play catch with him. I do too, but it really is a special thing between Ezra and G-Pa.

See how cute he is? The eyes on the Car shirt match his baby blues

The "ready" position that Dave's taught him

He also likes to kick the ball now

Resting up, after TWO HOURS playing catch with G-Pa

The "Delay" Ride

This was dubbed the "Delay" ride because we were stopped at many road construction spots. No flag people, there were red lights, with a long delay.

We met up at Starbucks and off we went to Geyersville. We went up the Silverado Trail, then took 128 through Calistoga and then to Geyersville. We had lunch at the Hoffman House. I was so excited because I LOVE the food here. Well.....this experience was not good. I'm ready to write them off, but Margaret made me promise to give them one more try....we'll see. The patio was shaded, but the service was so awful, and my lunch choice wasn't spectacular. It took TWO HOURS for lunch....way too long.

It was getting pretty warm and I did discuss activating the cooling vest.....I should have done this. We took Skaggs Spring Road from Geyersville. It started out cool under the canopy of trees, but as we neared Sonoma Lake (I never knew there was a lake in the area, all the boats trailered behind SUVs should have been a clue) the trees disappeared and the heat rocketed up over 90. This is a tiny two lane (I'm exaggerating) road with plenty of twists and turns. The RV did pull over and let us pass, unlike our Yosemite experience. We were shocked when we came around a corner and met up with two 18 wheelers coming the other way! And just as we came within 5 miles of the end of the road, we came upon this little hippy type community....who decides to live in a place like this? Well, Margaret informed us this is a nudist community. We teased her about how she knew this...she simply smiled and rolled her eyes....lol.

The road ended up on the coast at a "town" called Stewart's Point. There's a little grocery store, gas station, and most importantly....toilets! We didn't buy gas, but we did take advantage of the other amenities....along with at least a dozen other bikers.

My handsome husband is so kind to pose for me

Donna & Bret do not always pose for me.....

Scott & Margaret very kindly pose

And here we are!

If anyone should tell you that CA is over populated and in need of open space, just show them this......within 100 miles of SF

There are plenty of dairy farms

Hard to tell, but plenty of wild flowers along the road

Nice riding...although I failed to take photos along the Coast on Highway 1...amazing scenery

On our way to Tiburon for dinner at Sam's

We left Tiburon at 8, arriving home at 9.....perfect timing since it was close to 100 degrees at home and cooled to low 80's by the time we returned. 320 miles with good friends....GREAT day!

Fun Thursday II

This is the second week that we had "Fun Thursday". We realized that we just don't spend enough time having fun, just doing fun things. As a reminder the first week we rode up to Yosemite. This week was just sad. We couldn't figure out a fun thing to do! Very sad. But that's why we realized we needed to do this, have a fun day.

I finally figured out that Dave would never think that spending a day scrapbooking was fun, I had to come up with his idea of fun....riding his motorcycle. So where to go? We couldn't come up with a destination. I surfed the motorcycle forums. We looked at maps. Finally I remembered reading about a day ride that included Calaveras Big Trees.

Dave didn't get excited about this, so I was a little concerned that he might not enjoy this destination. Dave is happy to ride, and ride, and ride some more. I like to have somewhere to stop and walk around, discovering what's to discover. We are so different. Because we love and respect one another, we try to humor one another!

After getting up at 4 am to take the kids to the airport, we went back to bed! Then we got up and left around 8:30 am after a quick bite for breakfast. The weather was perfect, not too hot and not too cold. We ended up having lunch around 11:30 in Oakdale. We have this funky diner that we like. It was called The Busy Bee, but it now has new owners and has changed names. We still call it the Busy Bee.

When we arrived at the Park, we paid our $8 and parked the bike. The temp was low 80's, just right. Since we knew we'd be walking around, we brought a change of shoes. Those motorcycle boots are not the best thing to hike in. The recommended hike is a short, flat North Grove Trail

The hike begins with the "Discovery Tree"

This is one HUGE tree stump

Way back in the 1800's the tree was chopped down and advertised as a Tourist destination. It was a HUGE success

We even opted for a guided tour. We usually do this on our own, a self guided hike with the informational map. The guide reminded us of our niece, Joanie

We learned all about the Sequoia's, as opposed to the Coastal Redwoods

The bark is pretty fire retardant & pest resistant....and hairy looking

I'm amazed at how many people visit California and never take the time to see the trees

Another tourist attraction for the early years, a tree to drive through

Then we rode home. It was up in the 90's through the Valley. I should have put on my cooling vest, but didn't. I must learn to use that darn thing and not wait.

Dave informed me that we probably would not be able to have another Fun Thursday for six weeks. That gives us plenty of time to think of something!

O'Dark Thirty

There are very few reasons to be up in the early morning when it's dark outside. My mind and body do not work until the Earth has been warmed by the sun. This is a real problem during the winter when the sun rises later, or not at all due to weather, I have difficulty functioning. I need sunshine, that's how it is.

So when the kids buy tickets for an EARLY am departure, everyone knows that Dave is doing the duty. But I do drag my body up, at least I think I'm up, so that I can say good-bye. When they leave, I crawl back in to bed. There is just no reason to pretend that I'm functioning. So it is with this warning that I include the following photos:

This is the young Swenson family on their way to the SJ Airport

G-Pa's awake, E...not so much. He still has bed head, and his sleeping binkies in his hand. When he sleeps he has one in his mouth and one in each hand.

And here's a look at Jessica's new do...VERY short hair...the back

The side....she really didn't want her photo taken, can you tell?