A trip to the old home town . . .

My parents grew up in Hillsdale, Illinois, a small town in the Quad Cities area of the state, near the Iowa border. My dad's mom lives in Bloomington/Normal with my Aunt Christine, her husband Lyndon, and my Uncle Bill, so my parents and I decided to take a long weekend (well, they decided and I invited myself along) to visit my grandma, their old hometown, and some other friends and relatives. We planned our trip for the weekend of August 27th-30th.

We arrived in Peoria early Friday morning, rented a car, and hit the road for Hillsdale. Even after 32 years of marriage, my mom still gets nervous as a passenger, especially when my dad's playing tour guide as he drives. I, however, loved riding around with my dad pointing out farms where he used to work, the meat packing plant (formerly Illini Meat Packing Plant, now a Tyson Farms plant) houses my maternal grandfather built, the river shack he grew up in, and the house where I spent the first four years of my life. It was an interesting tour; a lot of the places look like they haven't c

hanged much in the 25 years since we moved and the 14 years since my last visit.

We stopped by to visit my dad's aunt Doris, who still lives in the same house she lived in when my dad was a kid. Her daughter and daughter's family live there as well, and we got to meet the whole bunch. That was the first time I had met that particular set of cousins.

After that, we tried to visit my dad's Aunt Donna & Uncle John, but they weren't home. They are in their mid 80's and still active and social. We found out later that Friday is their night out on the town. They called and we arranged to go back the following morning. Donna & John live in East Moline, which is also the World Headquarters of the John Deere Corporation (my dad worked for John Deere in the early 80's, he was laid off, and we moved to Arizona). We drove by the old factory where my dad worked, which is still there,

although the building he worked in has been torn down, and also visited the World Headquarters, which has a free small museum right inside the entrance. The headquarters are situated on several hundred acres that is kept up as a park, and is beautifully maintained.

We arrived at 10 to 5, so only had a brief tour of the museum. Did you know John Deere started out building bikes?

After that, we headed into Moline to have dinner at Frank's Pizzeria, a local treasure, and some of the best homemade sausage I've ever had. My parents said it hasn't changed at all since they went on dates here during High School. We tried to get ice cream at The Ice Cream Palace just down the road, my dad talked about how when he was a kid they served cones with two heads so you could have double the ice cream. We were disappointed though; they may still be named The Ice Cream Palace, but guess what they DON'T serve?? That's right; they now only serve Mexican food as a sit-down restaurant. I didn't realize that signage was that expensive to replace. . . .

Still full from pizza, we decided the lack of ice cream was probably better for us, and headed to Viola to try and visit Paula Lundquist, my mom's best friend from high school. We were in luck, because even though we didn't have a working phone number, she happened to be home and she put us up for the night.

The next morning we woke up and visited with Paula's husband Doug (he had been working the night shift when we showed up, and Paula left for work early Saturday morning), then headed out to find some breakfast and back to Donna and John's house. We succeeded in both. I even bought some crafts that my great-aunt Donna had made, for my niece Zoey. (pictured here upon return from IL)

We did find ice cream after leaving John & Donna's, we stopped at Whitey's, a Quad City treasure. You can order it online and have it shipped, but $80 is a little pricey for me. I'll just have to go back for more. Finally we were on the road to Grandmother's house, quite literally over the river and through the woods. I hadn't seen my Grandma in over a decade, since she moved away from Arizona, and it was great to visit. Since I was just an annoying know-it-all teenager when my grandma had lived with us, I hadn't really taken the time to get to know her, or her stories. I spent the two days we visited catching up on everything I'd never asked before, and learned quite a bit. My grandma is a tough lady; she is currently undergoing dialysis 3 times per week, but her mind and memory as still sharp as a tack. My uncle Bill is working with my Grandma to develop a family tree and the stories to go along with it; and by memory she can go 4 generations back for both her family and my Grandpa Don's family. My grandfather passed away a few years ago from prostate cancer.

It was a great weekend. I hadn't seen Christine and Lyndon since my last trip to Illinois 14 years ago, and it had been about 9 years since I'd seen Bill, so it was nice to catch up with everyone. On Sunday we went to a town fair in Lincoln, then Bill made fantastic fajitas for dinner; and I impressed even Lyndon with my homemade salsa.

I'm looking forward to visiting again soon; this spring when the snow melts. Hey, I'm a desert dweller now!! I've posted pictures from the trip; as I review them I realize I didn't take nearly as many as I should have, but I was trying to take in everything and pay attention to my dad's stories, so forgive me for not having my camera always at the ready.

Seattle Weekend-Meeting Lili

Pete & Jill decided to adopt, and after a year of classes, background checks, home visits and other preparations they received a call asking if they'd like to foster a little 7 year old girl, right around my Aunt Jill's birthday in October. After several months of fostering, and miles of red tape, they were finally able to legally adopt her just in time for 4th of July. Matt & I timed our visit to coincide with the Red Sox being in town, and got to meet our newest cousin.

It was a great weekend, nice to catch up with Pete & Jill, escape the 115 degree weather in Phoenix (although there was a massive heat wave in Seattle the temperature hit 80!!), and just relax. Lili had left us the most adorable welcome card on our bed, since we arrived after her bedtime. She wanted to know if we had pets, did we like to play the Wii (she bought one for the family with her own money) and what color our eyeballs were!! Too cute.

When we woke the next morning, Lili had already left for day camp, so the adults took advantage of being childless, and after a leisurely breakfast we headed out the door for vodka, wine, and beer tasting! (It was after 11am, no need to panic). From where Pete & Jill live in Bothell, we were able to hit Softail Spirits (vodka made from apples), The Columbia Winery, and then the Red Hook Brewery for lunch and a tour.

We made our way back to the house, Pete grilled dinner (steaks and king crab legs) and we hung out with Lili. She is an adorable little girl, and the three of them make a happy family.

After Lili went to bed we continued to drink wine and played cards, Shanghai. I refrained from throwing my cards at Jill during this game. It may seem silly, but sitting around, having dinner, talking, laughing, and playing cards is my favorite part of vacationing with family.

The next day we laid low, just hung around the house in the morning and early afternoon, Jill cooked breakfast, and Matt played Lili's tiny red guitar. She was quite impressed.

Afterwards, we headed into Seattle to eat at the World Famous Duke's Chowder House. I love Chowder, and the day was again beautiful. We took an after-meal stroll around the lake, then headed to Safeco field for the Mariners-Red Sox game (Lili's first ball game). Safeco field looked more like Fenway with all the Red Sox fans.

Sunday, our last full day in town, was devoted to a whale watching tour. It was an amazing day, with Minke whales, Killer whales, seals, salmon, bald eagles, and amazing scenery. The captain said it was one of the best wildlife days in memory.

All in all it was a fantastic trip, and I was sad to leave my family and the beautiful Pacific Northwest. but we will be back.

Howdy, Howdy, Howdy-Horseback Riding in COS 10/4/09

Having already had a fantastic dinner, attended a concert, hiking (legal and not so much), and a party, Doug & I were still up for more adventure when Sunday morning rolled around. We took to the road, and stopped at McDonalds so I could run in for a cup of coffee (Doug and his green tea-nice for the afternoon, but I need caffeine to wake up), and it was the world's slowest McDonalds. All I wanted was coffee!! I eventually got my steaming cup of morning goodness, and we trekked to the Stables at the Broadmoor.

 It was a quiet morning, just us and a a couple who arrived late. Doug & I were praised highly for being early enough to leisurely fill out our paperwork, and of course we got the best horses, Juliet & Cheese. Our tour guide Kenny asked if I had ever ridden a horse before, and I replied "not since I was 12" and he said, "So that would be a yes." He then asked Doug, who had been standing right next to me as I mounted my horse, if he had ever ridden a horse, and Doug replied, "not since I was a kid" The poor tour guide just shook his head and said, "so that would also be a 'yes'".

 He was an excellent guide, funny, knowledgeable, friendly, and extraordinarily helpful. He took pictures for  and of us. The views were absolutely breathtaking.

About 30 minutes into the ride, I had a saddle malfunction. I was sliding off the side of the horse, so I had to dismount and have Kenny re-adjust my saddle.

During the ride, I noticed that Juliet's ears seemed peculiar. I inquired to Kenny, and he explained that she had been born in the middle of a blizzard, and by the time they found her, she had frostbite in her ears, so she lost the tips. Poor thing! She is an excellent trail horse though, responsive, sure-footed, and calm.

The ride was about 3 hours, and I felt it towards the end. But it was worth the saddle soreness to be back on a horse (my first time since I was 12!!) and to be out on such a beautiful day and see a part of the trail not easily gotten to by foot.

Saturday in Colorado Springs-October 3rd 2009

Well, it's taken me several months, but I'm back to blogging, and picking up where I left off. Saturday morning after our late night at the Better than Ezra concert, Doug & I still managed to hit the trail early for hiking!

We went up to St. Mary's Waterfall, and having found that was a ridiculously short hike, scrambled our way to another trail.

Our ridiculously short hike soon became a 4 hour adventure, as we scurried along rocks, dropped cameras, and ate snacks. We did our best "Anchorman" poses, then set off for civilization.

We rounded out the afternoon by having pizza at Leon Gessi's, ice cream, then some rousing bouts of Guitar Hero with Doug's friends. I even got to meet Colorado Amber.

Sunday at Boston-A Hot Completion Sunday August 16th

Sunday morning rolled around, and all we really had left of our original plan was the Freedom Trail. (Since I botched the directions so badly earlier). We had some breakfast, then headed out on the trail. Unfortunately the sun had come out, and it was HUMID. We trudged out way around the town, with sweat glistening off us. About 20 minutes in, I realized this should have been the first thing we did, as the freedom trail goes through most parts of Boston, and we would have had a better layout of the town for our adventures. Live and learn.

We went through a few graveyards, discovered Little Italy (or the North End), and saw Old Ironsides, the oldest ship still in commission. We didn't make it all the way to Bunker Hill, it was too hot and we were done in.

We made it back to the hotel, collected our luggage, and took our last trip on the T back to the airport. Luckily we were upgraded for the flight home, and thus concluded our Boston Trip. Overall, it was a highly successful trip. We didn't kill each other, had several new experiences, and I got a ton of great photos.

Harvard, Museums, and Lobster Bakes. Boston Saturday August 15th

We had purchased the Boston Ticket pack, which meant we had prepaid for admission to several museums in addition to the Aquarium, which we had visited on the first day. I wanted to walk through the Harvard campus, and coincidentally the Harvard Natural Museum was on the list of places we could peruse. We hopped the T (experts at this point), and headed to Cambridge. You exit the T right onto Harvard square, and it was impressive. The streets were filled with students and parents attending orientation.

To get to the Harvard Museum of Natural History, you had to walk through campus, naturally. It was beautiful, and we got to hear snippets of tours being led through the grounds.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the  museum; there were many specimans, fossils, glass flower arrangements from the 1800's, and a meteorite room!

After the Harvard tour we went back towards the Charles River to visit the Science Museum. 

 

It was geared more towards kids, but it was free, and there were several really interesting exhibits, including the CritterCam by National Geographic that scientists attach to animals in the wild to observe their natural behaviours. Matt found a plane engine and a triceratops that he adored.

On our way back to the train station, we encountered a beautiful old hotel (way out of our price range). It was quite posh inside, but I was only able to snap a picture of the exterior.

After a quick nap, we left the hotel for a late dinner at Legal Sea Foods by the harbor. I received a Management Excellence award at work, and part of the prize was a dinner to be expensed! We went all out for our last night in Boston with a nice bottle of wine, crab cakes, a lobster bake, and a delicious berry tart with coffee to close the meal. It was my first whole lobster (well, the first time I'd had more than a tail, but we split a large lobster), and it was delicious. Our waitress was amazing, she had all sorts of great recommendations for wine, dessert, how to order the meal, and even gave us the name of a cool Irish bar for after dinner fun. What a great night!!

Sam Adams Tour!! Friday in Boston-August 14th

Friday morning we lazed around the hotel room, then around 1pm, decided to head out to the Samuel Adams Brewery, which offers free (donations requested) brewery tours. For a $2 donation to a local charity you get an hour tour, a sampling glass, and three 7oz samples of beer. A young college student was our guide, and he got to carry a full size Sam Adams glass full of beer, which he drank frequently throughout the tour. That would have been a hell of a lot more fun than my college job!!

After the tour I made my way through the gift shop, buying a sweet Cherry Wheat tap handle that is too long to function on our new kegerator and a set of 4 Sam Adams lager glasses which came with a sturdy Octoberfest stein.

We went back to the hotel to deposit our loot, and since it was still early we decided to walk the freedom trail. Unfortunately I have no sense of direction and we cast out with a right turn instead of a left and wound up in a wrong part of town. After several more turns, trying to read the map upside down, and wondering if were going to be mugged, we gave up the search. Luckily, Matt didn't get angry at me, and we eventually found our way back to the hotel, then on to a bar for dinner. At least it was an adventure!!

August 12th&13th-Arriving in Boston

Europe doesn't seem to be in my plans for 2009, so I took Matt to Boston, which was as far East as we could go. A co-worker of mine who lives in Boston said if we ever made it out that way when the Red Sox were playing at Fenway, he would sell us his season tickets for a game. I managed to arrange the trip for the week of the Detroit series. The game was Thursday, and we took a red eye out (less points and guaranteed first class) Tuesday night. We arrived in Boston after a 5 hour flight at 5am, EST.

After gathering our luggage, we made our way to the "T Station" and only had to change trains once to arrive at our hotel, which was conveniently located just outside of a T Stop on the orange line. I loved Boston's public transportation; it made life much easier, and was a lot more economical then taking cabs, which we didn't have to do at all. We checked into the Downtwon Boston Doubletree, found a Dunkin Donuts for coffee, avoided a ridiculously expensive breakfast at the hotel, then took the T back to the Aquarium stop and waited for the New England Aquarium to open up for the day.

It was grey and overcast, so we thought we would avoid the rain by staying inside. (Later this proved to be the wrong decision. The weekend was HOT and HUMID. This coming from two people who have lived in AZ almost their entire lives.) If you ever visit Boston, definitely make time for the aquarium. We spend a few hours there, and there were some amazing exhibits. A large tank filled with a representative sample of fish/turtles/sharks from the Caribbean, a Penguin display, a seal exhibit, and lots of little tanks with a ton of educational information. As the morning wore on, more and more families and school groups showed up, and it was encouraging to see the kids so excited about something other than television or video games.

After the aquarium we walked over to Faneuil Hall Marketplace in search of clam chowder and beer for lunch at a local pub. We were not disappointed. After lunch it was back to the hotel for naps, then getting all cleaned up for our dinner cruise aboard the Odyssey.  The cruise was recommended by a few of my friends, and definitely worth the splurge. We got to dress up and get a few nice photos, as well as enjoy being out on the water, seeing the small islands in the harbor, and a light house. We shared two bottles of wine, had dinner, and danced. What a wonderful evening, and a perfect start to the trip.

Seattle Trip-April 2009

Matt & I went to Seattle for a long weekend to visit Pete & Jill (my uncle & aunt) and play tourist. Matt had never been to Seattle before, and we visited several places that were new to me as well. Our first day we arrived, then drove out to the Tulip Festival. Our timing was perfect, as it had still been freezing until the week before we arrived, so the flowers were freshly bloomed and the colors were amazing! We went back to see Pete & Jill's new house in Bothell, took a short nap, then had dinner at Red Hook and even got to see some live music and dancing!





The next day we got up and had breakfast at a bar in Seattle, drove out to the Sound, went to the Jimi Hendrix Music Experience and Science Fiction Museum, briefly walked through the overly crowded Pike's Place Market, toured the Seattle Aquarium, and had an amzing seafood dinner at Elliots. It was a great day.




The last day we visited Jimi Hendrix's grave on the way out to the Northwest Trek (as in Star Trek, as Matt so eloquently explained). They had quite the shrine, and I thought it was tastefully presented. The NW Trek was a lot of fun, after a tiny bit of drama when Jill realized she had left her professional camera at the Wendy's 45 minutes back. Luckily they had it, so she went for her camera while Pete walked with us. I really enjoyed the experience, with all of the animal exhibits, bears, beavers, moose, bison, and goats!