Now on a southeasterly course, Tillie Tours opted to bypass the Dione Quints Museum in North Bay and the Canadian Clock Museum in Deep River in favor of a day in Ottawa. Ottawa has a nice municipal campground & the local library (don’t forget to support your own!) sold us bus tickets to the heart of the city. Walked around the market area & walked to lunch at a Mexican restaurant (a first for Mary – the food, not the walk); walked across the bridge (John stuck one last heroic pose - can you see John cast in bronze in the park in Earlville?), anyway walked to Quebec (one more province under Mary's belt) to the Canadian Museum of Civilization; walked back over the bridge to Ontario & the Parliament buildings; did a walking tour of the Parliament offices & chambers; walked around some more; walked to dinner at a Thai restaurant (another first for Mary); walked back to Parliament for the evening sound & light show (worth staying for); & finally walked (not too briskly if you hadn’t guessed) to the bus stop. If you’re over 40 & want to feel old, ride the evening bus – Patty, John & the bus driver raised the median age to about 12. Anyway it was a great day in Canada’s capital. Mary got several chuckles from the Canadian version of the French language. And we managed to avoid that Canadian delicacy – French fries & gravy, but regretted not getting a “beaver tail” for Mary to sample.
Yesterday, Tillie was reluctant to leave Canada so decided to have another flat tire a mile from the border. (What was her problem???!! We did all the walking the day before while Tillie rested her feet. Anyway, once again, thank you Cousin John for that N.J. air in the spare!) John & Mary made quick work of changing it as did our friendly Canadian neighbors in fixing it. Goodbye Canada, hello USA.
Who said Europe has to have all the castles? Boldt Castle on one of the Thousand Islands is beautiful & you can’t get a moat much prettier than the St. Lawrence. It was our last tourist stop and also our last night camping in Tillie this trip. (If you think that sounds sad, we’ll be happy to have you come & camp in her for a few days.)
Where can you eat breakfast these days for $7.16 – that’s not per person but for 3 people with table service? The answer is the Crystal in Watertown. The décor, menu & prices haven’t changed in at least 50 years – and we keep going back ever so often to check!
And now Tillie has brought Patty & John full circle & Mary almost. Check the blog tomorrow for a few assorted tidbits from the trip.

Tillie Tours loved upper Minnesota, Wisconsin, & Michigan - relatively level, flat, scrub trees growing close to the road to keep John's eyes on the road, temperatures in the low 80's, lots of constructions giving her many chances to stop and cool her tires. John longed for the winds and hills & munched on pretzels to stay awake. Mary & Patty desperately searched for things to stop and see. (Perhaps Lady Bird had not travelled these roads when she promoted eliminating billboards.) When the welcome center host says "there's not a whole lot that direction", it is a challenge!
However, we did see...
- Forest History Museum in Grand Falls, MN (worth a stop)
- the shores of "Gitche Gumee" (Hiawatha wasn't in)
- breezed through Tula, MI with a pop. of 2 (1 house)
- took a 2 mile detour on an old cement highway with grass growing in to see the Toonerville Trolley... it wasn't back from its 6 hour tour (we all wondered what it took 6 hours to see!). However, the post card said it was the longest 2 foot gauge train in the world. The motel nearby advertised direct dial phones (and you've been wondering why it's so hard to find an internet connection!)
- the Soo locks between Lake Superior & Lake Huron.
Today we're in Canada and, thanks to the W. Nipissing tourist office, are able to add this to the blog (no photo upload available). The scenery is a bit more interesting but so far the only thing of note might be Bruce Mines (Canada's first copper mines) & Kaleb (home of a world champion dog sled team).

It’s not our fault! Call your Congressman. The northern US is sorely lacking in available wireless connections.
Where have we been??? Glacier Park to begin. As you can see in the photo, Tillie Tours was right at home among the park’s restored tour buses. She went up, over, around, up, and down the Highway to the Sun giving her passengers (not the driver who was supposedly hanging onto the wheel), a breathtaking view STRAIGHT DOWN the sheer mountain walls she was trespassing. Judy Keck & Karol Kucinski would have been scrambling for position and blind folders behind the driver.
We were so impressed by the beauty of Glacier Park we decided to brave the grizzlies and camp for a night in the park. The ranger told us the campground was full but to drive around anyway as sometimes people leave early. Tillie proved her worth yet again. On our second pass through, campers in a huge RV flagged us down and said they had plenty of space if we wanted to share their site. Yes!
At the entertainment in the hotel that night (we walked the mile over to it), we learned how to use the pepper spray Judy gave us in case we saw a bear. If a bear charges you, drop to a fetal position and spray yourself in the face so you can’t see the awful things that are going to happen. We walked briskly back to the campsite, humming loudly & trying not to think about it.
Friday we started east again. Driving into the FLAT, HOT Montana plains in the summer is not for the weak. WARNING – this stunt should only be tried if you are completely addled or wish to become so.
We would have said the same for North Dakota if it hadn’t been for the Kenmare “Honkers”, Bev & Orv (Kenny’s folks). They live outside Kenmare, the Snow Goose capital of N.D. (hence the town mascot) and only 6 miles from Canada. The canola fields are blooming a cheerful yellow and abut flax fields just starting to bloom with their blue flowers. It couldn’t have been prettier and more peaceful. Bev fixed us a wonderful lunch (Saturday) with cukes & radishes from their garden as was the rhubarb on the cake. And Orv put the heat wave into perspective by letting Mary sit (WAY UP) in the tractor he uses for snow removal…. Think about it!
Then it was on to the geographic center of N. America. Didn’t we already do that? Nope. That was the center of the US in Nebraska. This location is in Rugby, N.D. Saturday night we camped in an undiscovered municipal campsite in Michigan, N.D. It was beautiful, quiet & there were no other campers. A first!
Sunday we headed east once passing by Larimore, ND which is not only home to Miss North Dakota but also boasts, if their sign can be believed, the “Largest Concentration of Tree Shelter Belts in the World”. We decided to keep driving.
Then it was on to Minnesota where we passed a sign for “Pet Haven Cemetery – Winter Storage”. For lunch we took a detour south to Itasca State Park which has the headwaters of the Mississippi River, only a couple of feet wide as it empties out of the lake. Guess it has to start somewhere. Tillie got a bit nervous on our way to see Paul Bunyan and got a flat tire. Luckily the spare still had that NJ air cousin John had put it in and John got it changed in 100 plus temperature in the sun - so hot the jack sunk about 6 inches into the hardtop. However, the tire was easily fixed at the station across from Paul B. (only a blown value stem) and we were on our way. Nice campsite by one of Minnesota’s Lakes – we went swimming with the fish and who cared what else… anything was better than the heat!

Who is that playing hide & seek? It's Tillie, of course! We're not quite sure if her tent sides are waterproof so added a tarp just to make sure Mary stayed dry in the upper bunk. The mesquito tent over the picnic table was also a good addition.
Although we had a few showers, we were still able to have s'mores by the campfire on our last night in British Columbia.
This morning, Cyndy waved bye in her Impala & we saddled up Tillie & headed for Montana. Tonight we're camped in Hungry Horse (Mary can relate.) Tomorrow we plan on taking the limited access "Going to the Sun" highway through Glacier Park. This should be the last major challenge for Tillie in the Rockies.
PS - Did we mention our campground is in town with a nice heavy duty metal fence around it? They don't say but Patty suspects it's to keep out the bears. Many of the campgrounds don't advise camping if you have a soft-sided tent. We're not sure if that applies to Tillie or not but who wants to take chances?

Sorry we missed a day but the internet service Cyndy received with her room is VERRRRY slow so we finally gave up last night. It was 9:00 and dinner somehow seemed more important. Because we're so far north and on the very edge of the mountain time zone the sun doesn't set until around 10 so it's throws your sense of time way off.
Anyway, take a look at Tillie's big brother. They run these tour mobiles up over the Columbia glacier icefields. The temp. was around 40F with a breeze so you can understand why there's still so much snow. They have signs posted along the way to the foot of the glacier showing how much it has receded in the past 100 years. We opted not to take the bus ($38 per person to ride over snow seemed a bit excessive). We walked UP to the base along a trail they provide so we could all say we'd touched a glacier. Everything in this area seems to be either UP or DOWN - no flat ground.
Today we went on a short hike up Johnston Canyon (UP & DOWN of course) and saw some beautiful waterfalls. Then on to Radium Hot Springs to soak in the public hot springs. I'm sure we now look (or at least act) 10 years younger. Mary's appetite continues to flourish.
Tomorrow Cyndy flies back to Philly and we crank up Tillie and head to Montana and Glacier National Park.

Yikes! Patty is 60!!! And like she requested the event was celebrated by having tea at the Chateau Fairmont Lake Louise. Bridge couldn't join us but sent a WONDERFUL bottle of champagne. And we had the best table ever with a view looking directly over Lake Louise.

After waddling away from the tea, Cyndy drove us over to Morraine Lake where we took the "easy walk" to the end of the lake. This time it was easy and was only 1.5 km one way, just the perfect length to keep us moving instead of napping. The water in that photo really is that color, a turquoise blue.

An update on the blue cheese... it did survive until Cyndy arrived but just barely as Mary was hungry and Tillie's frig has decided to die. However it left the cheese a perfect temperature. It didn't look like blue because it was creamy yellow inside but it tasted like blue and was absolutely DElicious on the currant/rye bread. We highly recommend that combination.

Okay folks, what's the equivalent of 5.5 km? what's the equivalent of 400 meter rise in elevation? what's the equivalent of the Canadian version of an "easy hike"? Patty & Cyndy are here to tell you that it = GRUELING! However, we must admit the views were incredible. In the first photo you can just see the hotel at the end of the lake where we started out from. (Patty & Cyndy are smiling only because they're on the way back DOWN the mountain!) You can also notice the switchback in the trail to the left. The reward at the end of the trail was a tea house near the glacier field. Patty & Cyndy had a very overpriced tea but who cared at that point! Mary & John decided to press on for another half hour for some more up close and personal time with the glacier (the photo on the right).

The rendevous was successful! Cyndy arrived in Golden without any problems. We arrived in Golden without any problems. Tillie arrived in Golden without any problems. Cyndy has a room with the beautiful view you see in the photo. The rest of us have a campsite within half a block with the same view if we walk half a block.

Tillie has managed to take us by such sights in B.C. (in addition to the incredible view!) as the world's largest grower of ginseng; the chainsaw art capital of Canada; the houseboat capital of Canada; the largest enclosed refuge for grizzly bears... (where is that pepper spray Judy gave us when we left?). After all this excitement, Tillie Tours has decided to subcontract the next few days to a quite new Impala with automatic. Tillie thinks holding down the campsite will be quite enough for her.

We’ve eaten well everywhere we’ve been but Canada does make it easy. About 5 miles from where we camped last night was a farm that made their own cheese – wonderful soft goat cheese and a goat cheddar which made our NY cheddar almost pale in comparison. Plus we got a cow’s milk country cheese and a blue which we haven’t tried yet. From there we drove another 10 miles to what was described as the country’s best artisan bakery. It surely must be! We ended up with 3 loaves of bread including a dark rye with currants made especially for the blue we got. We’re trying to save both to share with Cyndy when we meet up with her tomorrow.
The variety of today’s landscape was amazing. We started out in very green farmland surrounded by cloud topped mountains. From there we drove through a mountain canyon that was steep, rugged and oh so beautiful. Once out of the canyon, it was almost like we were back in Wyoming again with rugged mountains, sagebrush desert, wind, heat, dry. Eventually we drove back out of that into the greener lake area we’re in now that leads to Lake Louise & Banff. Tomorrow it’s on to Golden where we’ll meet up with Cyndy.
PS – Mary’s appetite seems to improve, if possible, the higher we go in elevation. We really don’t think she understands the meaning of the word “leftover”.

After spending a wonderful time with Joe & Cathy we packed Tillie and hopped a ferry off Whitbey Island. Tillie must have looked like a typical islander because they tucked her in the middle of the ferry rather than giving her the prize front position she had when we came over.
Guess who we met for breakfast on the mainland? Sharon, a.k.a. Bubbles! We almost missed her because she had been off on a family/friend kayaking trip. Believe us, Sharon looked much better in person than she does in the photo. Unfortunately, we only took one so there wasn’t much choice. And John HAS to start practicing another variation of his historic pose. Anyway, it was GREAT to see Sharon. We definitely have to come back when we can spend some time with her and the rest of the family. If you want to hear of a real adventure coming up just think of Sharon on her annual ladies kayaking trip going north of Greenland to kayak among the icebergs, nor whales and polar bears. There’s not much chance of her keeping a blog up there!
Once again on the road, we headed north to the little town of Sedro-Wooley where we met Cookie and her friend Dean. When you meet Cookie it’s easy to understand why she and Kathleen Dillon (Auntie), have been lifelong friends. Both Cookie & Dean are terrific folks and, like everyone else we’ve visited, made us feel so welcome. With only our unexpected call 10 minutes before we arrived, they even fed us lunch… a wonderful soup with fresh peas from their garden and Walla Walla onions (Vidalia’s have nothing on those onions!).
More photos and we were off for Canada. Tillie cleared customs without any problems, thank heavens! We might have been there hours if she had been selected for a thorough search. Now if only Mary remembers to use the same passport (she has both a US & French one) when we leave Canada. Anyway, we stopped at a lovely campground in Harrison Hot Springs, B.C.. We opted out of the sulphur baths but did go walking by the lake and peered over the fence at the championship sand sculptures. Perhaps we should enter next year and do one of Tillie!

July 4th! – a parade, a fly-over (2 planes & a helicopter), flag waving, candy tossing, Mary’s first hot dog & John’s ??? hot dog (John said it was mediocre so he’s still on the lookout for a better one to treat Mary to or is this just an excuse for him to have another one?), Patty’s first lumpia (a Philippine egg roll), a carnival, fireworks tonight – a very American fourth. Trust you all celebrated too.
The prize photo of the day was “The Latte Lady” selling coffee drinks and fruit smoothies from a VW bus. What do you think, folks? Any suggestions for a business for Tillie once she gets traveling out of her system?

Today we went touring, leaving Tillie behind to relax and enjoy the solitude for a change. Took the ferry to the mainland and met Patty’s cousin, Jane, for lunch at one of Seattle’s famous seafood restaurants. It had only been ??? years since they’d seen each other (more than 30 we’re sure but who wants to count beyond that). They recognized each other instantly as neither had changed a bit. Of course, the BIG signs they carried saying “Jane” and “Patty” may have helped (just kidding).
Cathy & Joe’s daughter, Melissa, & her two small kids joined us for lunch as well. A real family get-together.
Then it was back to the island for a little shopping at the commissary (military retirees definitely do get their perks!), and a little more sightseeing. Uncle Joe, Cathy & Mary are on Erie lookout – what a view. Apparently hanggliders jump off that mountain but Mary forgot to pack hers so had to be content staying grounded with the older folks.
After such a grueling day it is back to hanging out in the hot tub again to prepare mentally as well as physically for the 4th.

Like we said, Tillie is a real beach bunny. We took a wrong turn this morning and ended up at the world’s longest beach. Where? Long Beach, of course. Who would have guessed?

Is it snow? Is it sand? No, but it could be chicken feed, or driveway fill, or those little gray pills middle aged women take. Still haven’t guessed? It’s a huge pile, one of many we saw, of oyster shells.



Then it was TREES, TREES, TREES and GREEN, GREEN, GREEN (almost enough to equals the HOT and FLAT of the plains). Washington certainly grows them bigger and taller than any we see in the east. However, unlike the plains, they don’t go on for days and by the middle of the afternoon we were on the ferry to Whidby Island. We were in line 3 which meant we were about the 40th vehicle in line. Unlike the ferry to Vinalhaven, this one was considerably bigger and we had no problem getting right on board. In fact, Tillie was put right up front so she got a bird’s eye view of the voyage.

Uncle Joe (another of Mary’s real uncles) and his wife Cathy are hosting us for the next few days. Right now everyone except Tillie is luxuriating in their hot tub overlooking the bay. Not bad.

State parks are wonderful places to stay but they haven’t caught on yet that internet access might be a good thing to offer… hence no blog from yesterday.
Crater Lake was spectacular and Tillie made it without any problem. There was still plenty of snow on the ground. Half the rim road around the lake won’t open until the end of July. The 6% grade on the way down was made for Tillie – she purred contentedly and used just enough gas to keep her engine running.
Then it was on to California, mainly so Mary could say she’d been in California & could put another state on Tillie’s map. It proved to add several highlights to our trip. The northern edge of the National Redwood Forest is on that route. The redwoods here were probably some of the smaller ones but they were HUGH! Then it was on to the Pacific. We just realized that even though Mary flew into Newark we did not take her to the Atlantic becomes starting west so she cannot yet say she’s been coast to coast. Guess we’ll have to bring her back east with us.
Anyway we’ve been taking old, scenic route 101 up the coast seeing such highlights as the world’s largest Monterey Cypress; the area that produces more lily bulbs than anywhere else in the world; the sea lion caves (the only mainland place in the world that’s home to sea lions) – from a distance they look like giant slugs and sound a bit like John some mornings when he’s waking up; the breathtaking Oregon coastline (perhaps we shouldn’t use that adjective as we kept going into and out of “Tsunami Hazard Zones”); and of course the Tillamook cheese factory (Oregon’s largest tourist attraction). Mary managed to eat all of her VERY generous ice cream cone and half of Patty’s – she seems to have inherited the Grossmann appetite. Hopefully, she will return to France before she develops the all too typical American back profile we witnessed at the factory.
Tillie decided she needed a little sprucing up for the beach so left her old, dented gas cap at the first Oregon station we stopped at. She is now sporting a shiny new jazzier model. From Boise on she seems to be feeling at home. We’re now up to 40 “on the road” VW’s like her. She’s no longer so lonesome.

It was off to Oregon this morning skipping back and forth over the Oregon Trail before heading north. Three days of chatting easily in Garry's car spoiled us and we were quickly back to starting every answer with "What?". Tillie definitely believes in keeping her motor loudly purring to give us time to ponder our own thoughts.
Bob & Elinor had suggested we head slightly north from Boise toward John Day, Oregon, as that was a prettier route to Crater Lake than going straight west across the desert. They were absolutely right. Who would ever believe the Fossil National Monument which covers about 20 square miles could be so beautiful? The visitor center has a wonderful exhibit and you can watch the researchers chipping away at rocks to uncover the fossils. If you ever come to Oregon it's a not to be missed sight.
We only had time to visit the John Day Center named after, you guessed it, John Day. They say on the posted info that "John Day was of no importance". Now really, we think they could have phrased that a bit better. The river is named for him and thus the area, but he was only at the beginning of the river 100 miles away and never came this far south. He was just a regular "joe", not a Lewis & Clarke type.
Tonight we're camping just north of Crater Lake. Broke out the mesquito tent to put over the picnic table as the mesquitos seem to be quite taken by Tillie. We agree, she is charming (especially when she runs!).

It was off to Oregon this morning skipping back and forth over the Oregon Trail before heading north. Three days of chatting easily in Garry's car spoiled us and we were quickly back to starting every answer with "What?". Tillie definitely believes in keeping her motor loudly purring to give us time to ponder our own thoughts.
Bob & Elinor had suggested we head slightly north from Boise toward John Day, Oregon, as that was a prettier route to Crater Lake than going straight west across the desert. They were absolutely right. Who would ever believe the Fossil National Monument which covers about 20 square miles could be so beautiful? The visitor center has a wonderful exhibit and you can watch the researchers chipping away at rocks to uncover the fossils. If you ever come to Oregon it's a not to be missed sight.
We only had time to visit the John Day Center named after, you guessed it, John Day. They say on the posted info that "John Day was of no importance". Now really, we think they could have phrased that a bit better. The river is named for him and thus the area, but he was only at the beginning of the river 100 miles away and never came this far south. He was just a regular "joe", not a Lewis & Clarke type.
Tonight we're camping just north of Crater Lake. Broke out the mesquito tent to put over the picnic table as the mesquitos seem to be quite taken by Tillie. We agree, she is charming (especially when she runs!).

It was off to Oregon this morning skipping back and forth over the Oregon Trail before heading north. Three days of chatting easily in Garry's car spoiled us and we were quickly back to starting every answer with "What?". Tillie definitely believes in keeping her motor loudly purring to give us time to ponder our own thoughts.
Bob & Elinor had suggested we head slightly north from Boise toward John Day, Oregon, as that was a prettier route to Crater Lake than going straight west across the desert. They were absolutely right. Who would ever believe the Fossil National Monument which covers about 20 square miles could be so beautiful? The visitor center has a wonderful exhibit and you can watch the researchers chipping away at rocks to uncover the fossils. If you ever come to Oregon it's a not to be missed sight.
We only had time to visit the John Day Center named after, you guessed it, John Day. They say on the posted info that "John Day was of no importance". Now really, we think they could have phrased that a bit better. The river is named for him and thus the area, but he was only at the beginning of the river 100 miles away and never came this far south. He was just a regular "joe", not a Lewis & Clarke type.
Tonight we're camping just north of Crater Lake. Broke out the mesquito tent to put over the picnic table as the mesquitos seem to be quite taken by Tillie. We agree, she is charming (especially when she runs!).

We almost forgot to put Idaho on our map - Yvonne got to do the honors. Their very comfortable, air conditioned (have we said that before?) home, is in the background.
Today was another day down memory lane. We went by where John took his first swimming lessons, by John's Jr. High, by where he used to ride his bike (which was almost everywhere), by the train station where he and his family first arrived in Boise, by the spot where his father used to put his cigar when they went to the movies (trust me, the pool photo shown is more interesting), to the historical museum where John & Garry were shocked that toys like they played with were on display, to a nursing home where John used to perform for the residents etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. Had lunch with Steve Brown, one of our fellow VISTA's in N.C. A good day.
Tonight we're going to see "Funny Thing Happened..." in the open air Shakespeare Theater which should be fun. And tomorrow we're off bright and early to Oregon & Crater Lake and another adventure.

Post from Tuesday...
Last night we had cocktails at Ramona (whom we hadn’t seen in… Yikes!, we’re not telling) and her husband, Dale’s. They have one of the Boise’s houses built in the early 1900’s that is heated by a hot water well. Guess there really is an active volcano somewhere below us. Just don’t think about it, just don’t think about it,… (Sorry, but we somehow deleted the photo)
Early this morning John picked up Tillie at Boise’s VW shop where she got fiddled with and tightened up and given a clean bill of health to head west. Garry met someone just bringing in her old VW who had actually lived in it for 5 years and traveled throughout the US in the 70’s with her 2 dogs and a parrot. When she finally bought a house in Boise the dogs and parrot refused to leave the van. Patty & Mary doubt they would ever choose to sleep in Tillie when a bed & bathroom are available, however,
John????
Garry took us on a luxurious ride in his air conditioned Jag through the mountains to McCall. It is very beautiful there and also 20 degrees cooler than Boise that topped 100. Garry treated us to a boat trip around the lake where John lost his Riley’s cap to the wind and water. (Patty is somewhat relieved as they were forever going back to places where John had left it.) However, John’s scalp should either think about growing back some of that hair overnight or find a new head covering before venturing out in the sun again.


Tonight we were treated to a wonderful dinner at Bob (he & Frank – Mary’s father, have been friends since 2nd grade) and his wife Elinor’s. They have all sorts of interesting things growing in their yard… an orange tree that’s hardy here, beautiful hydrangea including a huge oak leaf one… did you know an almond tree can be pollinated by an apricot tree? Ponder that one for a while…

Post from Tuesday...
Last night we had cocktails at Ramona (whom we hadn’t seen in… Yikes!, we’re not telling) and her husband, Dale’s. They have one of the Boise’s houses built in the early 1900’s that is heated by a hot water well. Guess there really is an active volcano somewhere below us. Just don’t think about it, just don’t think about it,… (Sorry, but we somehow deleted the photo)
Early this morning John picked up Tillie at Boise’s VW shop where she got fiddled with and tightened up and given a clean bill of health to head west. Garry met someone just bringing in her old VW who had actually lived in it for 5 years and traveled throughout the US in the 70’s with her 2 dogs and a parrot. When she finally bought a house in Boise the dogs and parrot refused to leave the van. Patty & Mary doubt they would ever choose to sleep in Tillie when a bed & bathroom are available, however,
John????
Garry took us on a luxurious ride in his air conditioned Jag through the mountains to McCall. It is very beautiful there and also 20 degrees cooler than Boise that topped 100. Garry treated us to a boat trip around the lake where John lost his Riley’s cap to the wind and water. (Patty is somewhat relieved as they were forever going back to places where John had left it.) However, John’s scalp should either think about growing back some of that hair overnight or find a new head covering before venturing out in the sun again.


Tonight we were treated to a wonderful dinner at Bob (he & Frank – Mary’s father, have been friends since 2nd grade) and his wife Eleanor’s. They have all sorts of interesting things growing in their yard… an orange tree that’s hardy here, beautiful hydrangea including a huge oak leaf one… did you know an almond tree can be pollinated by an apricot tree? Ponder that one for a while…

Today was the day to visit the sites in Boise and walk down nostalgia lane. The photo is of 101 N. Garden where John & Frank (Mary's father) grew up. It is also the spot where wolverines were first successfully bred in captivity. You may want to note these events are both true but did not happen at the same time.
We also visited the capital building where Governor Steunenberg's statue is in front of the building. Steunenberg brought law & order to Idaho in the 1890's but met an untimely demise when he went to get the paper one morning and was blow up by a bomb. For some reason, John's original 4th grade poem still is not recorded. In case you have also missed it, it goes like this... "Old Steunenberg didn't know his fate when they wired the bomb unto the gate. But when for the paper he did go, he found his life at all time low."
Another piece of trivia - John sang in the capital, and the post office. Apparently kids were allowed to roam freely in those days, and John liked the sound of his voice echoing in the halls. The capital is beautiful and really amazing to us New Yorkers in that there's no security checkpoints to go through.
Every time Patty has come to Boise the temperature has been in the 90's. Those who live here contend that most of the year is very pleasant, but Patty remains unconvinced.

Guess what? National forests in Idaho don’t have wireless but they do have beautiful campsites. Saturday we started from Jackson, Wyoming and went almost straight up (10% grade = STEEP) over the Teton pass. Tillie decided second was the gear for her, giving us plenty of time to enjoy the spectacular view. Not all vehicles could be that considerate.
Then it was on to Idaho. First mountains and then miles of potato fields – those famous potatoes have to come from somewhere. Then endless miles of sagebrush and lava outcroppings, home of the world’s first nuclear energy plant and still a nuclear research facility. It is truly desolate so it is no wonder they decided to put it here. John took us to Craters of the Moon which is very picturesque as only old lava fields can be. It was here that we met Tillie’s sibling, only a year newer, but definitely from the same family. It still runs too! Mary went off exploring some of the lava caves while John & Patty sensibly decided to remain in Tillie out of the sun.
Finally we were out of the desert and drove north into the start of the Sawtooth Mountains that are beautiful. We camped near Ketchum/Sun Valley, did a bit of touring around town, then went back to camp to grill Mary’s first T-bone (a cut they don’t do in France). For dessert she had her first s’more. Although their may be some argument, Patty is obviously the best at roasting marshmallows.
Today we drove up & down, up & down, up & down through the Sawtooths. Unfortunately, thousands of acres of pine forest have been almost destroyed by the pine beetle. We had lunch in Idaho City where John had once considered buying the old hotel/bar. Patty again gave thanks that it never happened.
Garry & Yvonne’s home is beautiful & air conditioned! Garry fixed us a great meal featuring all Idaho products, including one of his great pies – cherries are in season as are apricots. We got lucky!

We made it back without being eaten by bears! But before today's adventure we'll fill you in on yesterday 6/22..
We had an early morning planning session and decided to head straight to Yellowstone and "do" the Tetons on the way back and to Idaho.
It's official! John is an "old duffer" - got his Golden Age pass which lets all of us and Tillie get in free to the national parks. Even got us a discount on camping (even though the ranger said if he didn't have a card he'd give him the discount anyway - guess the day's driving must have made him look his age!) A beautiful campsite, running water & a bathroom close by & free firewood for only $9. Of course the ranger did mention there was a grizzly sighting in our campground that morning...
Yellowstone is always beautiful. The trees are starting to grow again on the thousands of acres that were burned in '88. The wildflowers are incredible. The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone spectacular. We've sighted elk, pelicans (honest), trout, a wolf, bison. Question - why do bison love to hang around the sulfur hot springs? a)the springs smell better than they do b) the acid deposits they roll in takes off their molting fur c) it gets rid of buffalo fleas d) it's cheaper than going to a spa in Saratoga.
Anyway, we've seen lots of volcanic activity, from bubbling gray mud to incredibly blue and stinky hot springs. After visiting LOTS of them we ended up at Monument Geyser Basin and walked down to see Steamboat Geyser. Patty had had enough fumes and geyser excitement for one day so opted to go back & sit in Tillie & continue work of her memoirs of a geyser. Those with a stronger German heritage walked on to see Portchop Geyser.


Today we started the morning at Old Faithful who faithfully performed right on schedule. We also saw the kids from Louisiana who were driving the other old VW we saw a couple of days ago. They had spent the night in the parking lot and had pushed their VW to the service garage that morning for a new fuel pump. Tillie's not the only one who acts up now and again.
Went on to see several more geysers before turning around and heading south through the Tetons which are Patty's favorite. We looked for the Jenny Lake Lodge which John had remembered as a youth but the rangers said the new, smaller lodge was the only one that had ever been there.???? Lots of stops for picture taking including Mary's first sighting of a moose.
Now we're in Jackson looking for a night on the town!

John & Rob transplanted the starter motor once again last night and we all took Tillie on a test run into Boulder. Lots of turning on and off of the engine. She performed beautifully although the ride back to the ranch was a bit scary. When they say "terminal winds" off the mountains in early evening they mean it literally! However, Tillie stuck to the road and we got back safely.
Tillie made one last effort this morning to stay in Boulder. For some reason her timing went aschew overnight but John fixed that easily enough. Kenny made us a lovely breakfast, we packed things up again, hugs and kisses all around, and we were off and running heading toward Wyoming.
We spent most of the day driving through incredible scenery on highway 287. It felt like we were in the set of a cowboy western with Tillie and her 85 horses bucking the wind all the way. In Colorado we saw lots of antelope and John seranaded us with "Home, Home on the Range". Unfortunately, or perhaps it's fortunate, he only knows one verse. Do NOT believe it when you see all those people and animals out on the range in the movies supposedly filmed in Wyoming. We went miles without seeing even a bird.
Tomorrow it's off to the Tetons and maybe even Yellowstone. If you don't see a post for a couple of days it will either be because our national parks don't have wireless or I've been eaten by a bear.

Sarah & Kenny have great parties and the one last night was no exception. They have so many nice and interesting friends. One member of our Tillie travelers “partied” more than the others.
After folks went home, Rob went down and installed the relay on the VW. This morning John went down and, with Kenny’s help, finished the wiring and it started like a dream. To give it the old temperature test we all piled in and John drove us to the Butterfly Pavilion just outside Denver. Lots of fluttering about, gorgeous colors. Even saw some butterflies emerging from their cocoons. The bug room wasn’t as colorful but a couple of hundred cockroaches and a few tarantulas made it almost as memorable. Then we all pile into Tillie and wait. Nothing happens. Once again it’s back to giving her a “gentle” push to get her started.
Back at the ranch, John & Rob take off the starter motor once again, then take it in to Boulder to exchange for another one. Luckily they honored the warranty of the one we got in St. Louis so we didn’t end up buying a new one. But all work and no play makes John a dull boy so we piled into Rod’s 1967 Chrysler Fury for a ride into the mountains (Zimmerman tours we called it). A convertible is a great way to get a panoramic view of the mountains. Ended up at Pete’s Beaver Park Inn (he’s a friend of S&K&R & standing next to the sign) for the best pizza we’ve had in ages. Followed it up for a short hike up, up, up the mountain. The photo was taken when we were half way down.
Having been delivered safely back at the ranch by Zimmerman tours, John & Rod are performing another starter motor transplant on Tillie. Personally I just think she’s intimidated by the height of the mountains she has to take us over. Perhaps I’ll blindfold her before we leave for the Tetons in the morning.

Sarah & Kenny have great parties and the one last night was no exception. They have so many nice and interesting friends. One member of our Tillie travelers “partied” more than the others.
After folks went home, Rob went down and installed the relay on the VW. This morning John went down and, with Kenny’s help, finished the wiring and it started like a dream. To give it the old temperature test we all piled in and John drove us to the Butterfly Pavilion just outside Denver. Lots of fluttering about, gorgeous colors. Even saw some butterflies emerging from their cocoons. The bug room wasn’t as colorful but a couple of hundred cockroaches and a few tarantulas made it almost as memorable. Then we all pile into Tillie and wait. Nothing happens. Once again it’s back to giving her a “gentle” push to get her started.
Back at the ranch, John & Rob take off the starter motor once again, then take it in to Boulder to exchange for another one. Luckily they honored the warranty of the one we got in St. Louis so we didn’t end up buying a new one. But all work and no play makes John a dull boy so we piled into Rod’s 1967 Chrysler Fury for a ride into the mountains (Zimmerman tours we called it). A convertible is a great way to get a panoramic view of the mountains. Ended up at Pete’s Beaver Park Inn (he’s a friend of S&K&R & standing next to the sign) for the best pizza we’ve had in ages. Followed it up for a short hike up, up, up the mountain. The photo was taken when we were half way down.
Having been delivered safely back at the ranch by Zimmerman tours, John & Rod are performing another starter motor transplant on Tillie. Personally I just think she’s intimidated by the height of the mountains she has to take us over. Perhaps I’ll blindfold her before we leave for the Tetons in the morning.

A fun day in Boulder! Can you tell from the photo where we went? Second clue… there were wonderful smells of hibiscus, peppermint, cinnamon, orange etc. Third clue… we all had to wear hair nets and John had to wear a mustache net but unfortunately no photos were allowed. Fourth clue… the bear Sarah is kissing is Sleepytime (Yes, Kenny was a bit jealous.) The answer is Celestial Seasonings. Having started in a garage, production has expanded to a capacity of 10 million teabags a day. Over 100 different varieties are available and we could have sampled every one but choose not to.
This morning Rob & John took Tillie’s starter motor to Boulder’s VW guru. They were escorted into his inner sanctum for a consultation. They came back with a new improved wiring diagram and special harness this guy designed that supposedly fixes the design problem that Tillie has. In the cool of tomorrow morning, Rob & John will perform “surgery” once again. The good news is that the motor is not “fried” and everything else seems to be working well.
Sarah & Kenny have planned a big party for tonight. We’re hoping they will still be in shape to take us for a picnic and hiking in the mountains tomorrow.

Ok, ok… we missed yesterday but only because our campsite didn’t have wireless. However, it was a great day. Barb & family took us in the morning to the Konza Prairie and a friend of hers gave us a great tour. It’s a 8,600 acre “virgin” prairie used as a research facility by Kansas State. Among interesting things they’re finding out is prairie grasses respire(?) more carbon dioxide by an unbelievable amount (that’s my scientific term) than all of the traffic on I70. We also saw bison. More info than that and you’ll need to look it up on the internet.
After sandwiches back at the house, the kids gave Tillie a push down the driveway and we were off and running. First stop, Cawker City, KS to see the world’s biggest ball of twine. There is still time to participate in the “twine-a-thon” the first weekend in August if you’re interested…
Then on to Lebanon, KS, the geographic center of the US. Other that a marker, there’s not a lot more going on in Lebanon. From there we went on to Nebraska. Why? So we could add Nebraska to our state map on the van of course.
We camped at the Prairie Dog State Park campground in KS and saw….???? The answer, in case you really need to know, will be available at Thanksgiving.

Today on to Colorado!!!! HOT, HOT, WINDY, WINDY, FLAT, FLAT!! We did this trip in a Saab 35 years ago. Perhaps it’s not necessary to do the trip through western Kansas and eastern Colorado too often.
Finally we reach Denver. We call Sarah, Sarah calls us. We’re all excited. Plans are made to rendezvous at the Legion. Simple directions, I70 into Denver and then… there’s an accident ahead of us. The temp is 95. We’re going up a hill. The VW has an air cooled engine. Traffic is almost not moving. And now we’re not moving at all. AAA to the rescue! The last 50 miles to Sarah & Kenny’s we got the royal treatment.

Tillie loaded onto the back of the tow truck with a wonderful view. The three of us squeezed into the cab of the truck (it was air conditioned! And the guy didn’t make one of us find another way to get there – he was fine with Mary sitting on John’s lap). So now Tillie is nestled into S&K’s barn awaiting some tender loving care by Rob & Chuck.

We made it to Kansas and Gruenbacher's not so little house on the prairie. Barb & Don and their kids Rosie, Peter, Joy & Antonio have made us so welcome. They have wonderful views in all directions from their home. The prairie is quite beautiful with some wildflowers that we have in the east and some we don't. The neighbor had just hayed the adjacent field into high round bales just to give the kids something to climb on we think.

Back in St. Charles, Connie & Roland and their daughter & grandkids waived goodbye to us around 11 this morning. The correct starter came in this morning for Tillie so she appeared ready to go. How was the drive? HOT, HOT, HOT! When the thermometer in the car registered 100 we hid it in the glove compartment. WINDY, WINDY, WINDY! Several times it felt like we were going to be blown off the road. In the middle of the heat and wind we stopped for gas and Tillie wouldn't start. Luckily we were on a hill so Mary & Patty didn't have to push in Missouri but something still seems to be wrong. (John & Peter who is 8 are working on problem right now.)

Other than that, Mary had her first Big Mac (and probably the only one we'll treat her to while she's with us.) And one of the things Barb gave her for dinner was cottage cheese (something else they don't get in France). Barb, following her mother Helen's example, also made us great chocolate chip/oatmeal/peanut butter cookies to keep us fortified on the road.

Patty has discovered the advantages of ear plugs. No, Frank, it's not that Mary talks too much. In fact, in spite of the new Quietpack 3 muffler system, conversation as we know it is not possible in Tillie.

Tomorrow we're off to see more of the prairie.