Tuesday, December 22, 2009

First Winter Storm on 12/19- 12/20/09

Hi Everyone,

Well it happened....We got our first big storm on Saturday 12/19 - Sunday 12/20. It started at about 9pm on Saturday and at the height of the storm we were getting about 3"/hr. The storm continued until 4pm on Sunday!! When all was said and done we had 2 feet of snow with drifts that went up to about 3 1/2 feet high!

My brother Wade stopped by to do some snow removal, then was called out on a tow- then David came home and finished up the remaining clean up.

May went out and immediately buried her face in the snow and ran around checking things out! LOL She just loves the snow!!

I have a feeling this will be a snowy winter for everyone.

Well I am off to upload some pictures for you to check out....until we meet please take care and have fun!!

See Pictures in Album #163 : http://picasaweb.google.com/pandadmd5880

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Upper Falls Region - Scarecrows

Hi there,

On Monday- October 12th Babs and I were getting ready to head home from Niagara Falls, NY.

I found out that in the Upper Falls Region the local towns were having a Scarecrow Festival. Through out the towns there was going to be Scarecrows that were made by local families and businesses. It sounded like fun so Babs and I decided to check it out.

We reached the area and started our Scarecrow hunt!! LOL

We were able to find quite a few- some were really good!!

The first town we went to was Lewiston, NY. A very quaint town with shop lined streets and the sidewalks were brick paved.
One of the shops that Babs "just had to stop in" was-" The Little Yellow Chocolate House". This store had many sweet treats and gift ideas. The owner (Jonathan Boas) was very friendly and helpful in our search for scarecrows....Babs couldn't resist getting a piece of Peanut Butter Fudge, before we continued on our way! LOL

The Little Yellow Chocolate House
476 Center St.
Lewiston, NY 14092

While we were there I saw something I had never seen before....a black squirrel. He was jet black and so cute!! I have seen grey ones, brown ones, and even a white one once- but this was my first black furry encounter!

Our next stop was in Youngstown, NY. There were only a couple of scarecrows here...but while there, we also found they cute decorated fire hydrants..so we took a few pictures of them too.

Our last town to visit was Sanborn...once we had finished seeking out the scarecrows it was time to head back home.

See Pictures in Album # 162: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

We decided to have lunch before we got back on the highway. We ate at Shannon Pub 2250 Niagara Falls Blvd. -- Buffalo, NY 14150
http://www.shannonpub.com/
The food was tasty and the wait staff was great. It was a very relaxing atmosphere- with Irish music playing the in the back ground.

After we finished we were on the road again!! We made good time getting back home and had no problems.

Well that is all for now...will be back soon I'm sure....Can't go too long without having an adventure!! LOL

Until then- take care everyone- Love Donna

New York- Niagara Falls

Howdy,

On October 10th, my friend Babs and I headed to Niagara Falls, NY for the weekend. It was a long drive up with the rain, but relaxing...mostly beautiful farm land.

We had stopped at a rest area on the way up....and there was a tourist booth there. After looking at may brochures and talking with the consultant there we signed up for a tour with: Niagara Majestic Tours
www.niagaramajestic.com
We chose the American Tour- which includes: Niagara, Reservation State Park, Goat Island, 3-Sister Island, Prospect Point,Terrapin Point, Luna Island, Maid of the Mist, Cave of the Winds, NYS Observation Tower, Whirlpool Rapids, Robert Moses Power Plant, Upper Niagara River & Rapids.

Once we arrived at the hotel we took it easy and had some dinner.

On Sunday morning we were picked up at the hotel by the tour company. It was a full and exciting day. This was my 2nd visit to the Falls. I had been there when I was 12 y/o. My Grandmother took my brother and me up to visit family. So it was great to see the area and how much it had changed over the years. Babs on the other hand had never been here before...It was great watching her enjoy the wonder of the Falls !!!

Once we finished the tour -we were exhausted and opted to grab some Chinese food and bring it back to the hotel... The next morning we were going to visit the Upper Falls Region and head home.

Off to post next entry..Have a wonderful Day!

See Pictures in Album #161: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Monday, October 5, 2009

Topsfield Fair- Topsfield, MA

Hello Everyone,

It has been awhile since I last wrote in here…hope everyone is doing well.
I have been busy helping Mom out….she had surgery in September on her shoulder. She is doing much better but still has a long ways to go!!

On October 4th, my friend Janine and I went up to the Topsfield Fair together. This was the first time out for me in quite a while- it felt good. My son David and his new girlfriend Dee were going to be up at the same fair that day.

I got up early and headed to Abington to pick up Janine….we wanted to go very early to beat the traffic- it gets real bad up there at fair time- in the past we have sat in traffic for 2 hrs trying to get into the fair.

It is one of the regions longest running agricultural fairs….and I love it!!
We got there about 9 AM- it had rain really bad the day before and was still cloudy…so not many people were out and about yet….

I was a wonderful day. We got to see horse/team pulls, petted & fed some animals, got to see some really awesome flowers and vegetables arrangements!
We took many pictures….I have posted a few for you on my site.

Please See: Album #160: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

I hope you enjoy viewing the pictures… and if you are ever in the area the 1st week in October please check out the Topsfield Fair- It’s a wonderful family oriented event.
For more info on the fair check out their site: www.topsfieldfair.org

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Update for everyone.

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to touch base with you. I am doing pretty good. Finally the SUV seems to be fixed after spending close to $6000! (since May).
My dog May is also doing better- she had been very sick for a few months.....
But still I won't be going out on the road yet.... Mom found out last Friday that she has to have surgery on her shoulder tomorrow. She has a 4-6 month recovery ahead of her- so I am staying here to help her. If all goes well and no other problems come up I will go back out in the Spring.
2009 was a wash out as far as traveling goes- but that is ok...I have been blessed with the traveling I have been able to do so far!
I will try to get a couple of weekend trips in this winter...so check back every now and then to see where I disappeared to!! LOL
This summer has gone by fast... it started out as a rainy dismal summer, but ended quite nice.
I was able to get some pictures (on my cell phone ) of a beautiful rainbow in early August, and also got some nice sunset pictures. I have posted them for you to enjoy too!
Well everyone please take care and I'll be in touch again soon- Love Donna
SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #159: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Day in the Sun and Sand on Revere Beach- 7/18/09

Hi Everyone,
Last night while watching the news I found out that there was a Sand Sculpting contest at the Revere Beach in Revere, MA. (located just north of Boston)
So today I decided to take a ride and check it out- mom came along for the ride.
It was a very warm, humid day. There were many people at this beautiful beach. If was a bit foggy over the water but otherwise a perfect beach day.
There was swimming, sunning, kite flying and the sand sculptures.
This annual contest has quite the following- many people came this week to see the works of art. There were vendors, music, food, balloon guys...and of course tons of sand!! I was able to get a lot of great pictures- I hope you enjoy them.
If you would like more info on the Sand Sculptures see: http://www.reverebeachpartnership.com/nessf07/index.htm
SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #158 : http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Spring time....

Hi Everyone,

Spring has finally sprung!!! The trees and flowers are in bloom....baby critters are everywhere!

At Mom's there is a bunch of wildlife to watch and enjoy....from the birds, to the squirrels & bunnies.


We are puppy sitting for David & Jane while they move back to MA from TN....our guest is Miss Hannah...she is a Caron Terrier. She and my Miss May for the most part get along pretty good- Miss Hannah has some health issues so sometimes she doesn't want Miss May around her but they are still bonding. The proof is in the pictures....Check out Miss May modeling the latest of eye wear for dogs, for Miss Hannah!!!! LOL

I am a bit antsy these days...yearning to get back on the road.....Still having repair issues with my SUV. The next thing is to get the brakes done on the 3rd of June. Hopefully that will be the end of the repairs...but not sure, I have a loud rattle in the front end, that they have to check out!

Hope everyone is doing well these days.......Have a wonderful day and enjoy the pictures of Spring time in Taunton and Miss May's modeling debut!!! LOL

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #157 : http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Saturday- It appears Summer is here LOL- what happened to Spring???

Hi Everyone,

Today was a beautiful Summer day- the only problem is that it's still Spring!! We reached 81 today here in Taunton...... Boston tied the record of 83, and Worcester beat their record of 83 by having temp of 85.....what happened to Spring??? LOL We just had 3 days of rain so now with the warm temps today and tomorrow....everything is going to be growing like crazy! Hopefully I can get out soon and get some pictures of the beautiful Spring Colors.
The kids in this area had Spring Break this past week.
On Friday I am having more work done on the SUV.... hopefully will have everything fixed and ready to travel by June...but we will have to wait and see.
Well take care y'all.... I'll be back soon- Love Donna

Monday, April 13, 2009

4/13/09 Update

Hi there,
I did it!!! I finally am caught up to date with my blog!!! I got behind when I ran into a problem with the old blog site. It took me several months to find the best site to use. I found The Blogger and am very happy with it.
But once I fell behind it was very overwhelming...I had to transfer 2yrs of blogs over to this site then catch up on all the ones I hadn't written yet!! I had been keeping notes about my travels so I wouldn't forget anything.....Then I had to go through the thousands of pictures I had taken and pick out a few for each blog entry.....but it's done now and hopefully I will never have to go through that again.

The past month has been challenging. First, May got very sick and I had to take her to the hospital... I am glad to report that she is now doing very well. She just had a check up on the 3rd and is in good health.
Then a little over a week ago I lost the transmission in the SUV- almost $1300 later it was fixed. The day after I got it back- I decided to go for a ride to RI to a dog friendly beach.... just as I got into RI- I heard a strange noise and the engine light came on. I pulled over immediately and called for a tow. The mechanic at the garage said it was a good thing I did- I had lost 2 belts and the water pump!! He said if I had continued to drive it - I would have lost the engine too....These latest repairs will be another $550 .... So needless to say a lot of money has gone out recently!
I am grateful for one thing- and that is I was suppose to have been back on the road by now (was scheduled to leave March 1st), but due to the weather conditions in the areas I was heading too (Northern states and Midwest) I had decided to postpone my departure. I really would have hated to have had all of this happen when I was out on the road.
It looks like I will be heading out the first of June now. By then things weather wise should be more stable. Since I tent most of the time- I really don't want to deal with snow, floods, and tornado's! LOL
I also was contacted recently by a cousin Betty (on my dad's side of the family) that I hadn't heard from in many years.... come to find out she is now living in the Ocala area of Florida....not far from where I spend most of my time when I am in FL. So we will be keeping in touch and plan to see each other the next time I am in the area.
Will be going now.....take care everyone and I will be back soon I'm sure....so check back soon!! Love Donna

3/9/09 Magic Wings Conservatory

Hi Everyone....

I have been back home 3 months now. May and I have been enjoying the winter...we both love the snow!
Today my friend Babs and I took off for South Deerfield, MA. We were heading to the Butterfly place.
I had visited another Butterfly Conservatory when I was in Key West, and was looking forward to seeing this one. Babs had never been to one before and was very excited to go.
We had a wonderful time. It is so great to see all the beautiful butterflies and flowers, birds and other critters you find when you come to visit the conservatory.
It is a very peaceful and relaxing place to visit. We took tons of pictures... hope you enjoy them!
Take good care til we meet again... Love Donna

For more info see: http://www.magicwings.com/

See Pictures in Album # 156: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

1/2/09 Getting ready to head to West Coast

Hi,

David and I spent the morning with the girls today. Amy had to go to work. So we took the girls to Loggerhead Park, at Palm Beach - to see the turtles that have been rescued locally.
This was a great place to visit- there was so much info about turtles and their rescues. It was cool to see all the baby turtles that had been saved....two babies were brought in while we were there!
For more info on this park see: http://www.pbcgov.com/parks/locations/loggerhead.htm

See Pictures in Album # 154: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Then we stopped by Amy's work to say goodbye...(we were heading over to the West Coast of Fl to Tarpon Springs- then going home).
We took the girls out to lunch...after which we brought them home said our goodbyes and hooked the trailer back up - and headed to my cousin Mia's.
On the way there we had a small problem with the trailer... a tire/wheel fell off. It must not have gotten put back on tight enough when we were working on it. After some maneuvering of lug nuts from the SUV we were back on the way to Mia's.
We arrived about 8pm. After getting cleaned up we joined everyone at the party- there were about 30 people there. Everyone was having a great time! I went to bed early as we had to leave around 6am to make sure we got David home by Sunday night- (he had work Monday morning).
See Pictures in Album # 155: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Take care everyone!- Love Donna

1/1/09 David & I going to WPB

Hi There...
David and I finished packing up and started out to West Palm Beach....we were going to visit with our good friend Amy and her girls.
They did not know David as in FL or on his way to see them- it was going to be a huge surprise for them- as it had been about 2 yrs since they had last seen him!
We arrive about 1pm and I placed a call up to them and said I had arrived and needed help bringing my things in .... in the mean time David hid on the other side of the SUV.
(On the way down David and I made a bet on who would be more surprised Amy or the girls....)
Well they came down and after being greeted by May- they came over to SUV to help me...as we unloaded things- David popped up and said hello......well Amy is the one who was the most surprised- she went nuts....screaming and running around the SUV to give David a huge hug....followed closely by the girls!
It was a great reunion. Later that evening we went out for some dinner- then to bed for the night.
Be back shortly with more postings....Love Donna
See Pictures in Album # 153: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

12/31/08 Day visitng family

Hi there,
I took David over to Port Richey to meet our cousin Michael at his restaurant "Fatty 'N Mabel's". We ended up having a bite to eat and a couple of drinks. It was great seeing Mike again.
I told Mike we were going to take a ride down to Mia & Bob's for a visit. Mike then asked us to drop off a coffee urn to Mia for her party Friday night.
Next we arrived at Mia's. We had a great visit with Mia, Bob, and Shane (Sara had just left before we arrived). Before leaving we were invited to come back on Friday. Mia was having a party that was a combination of birthday and going away gathering. So agreed to come back on Friday.
We then headed back to Summerfield for the night- we were going to West Palm Beach in the morning.
Take care everyone...Love Donna

12/30/08 David arrives in FL

Hi Everyone,

David flew into Orlando tonight. John and I picked him up.....MayMay was so very excited to see him!!
David and I are going to visit family and friends for a few days- then he will drive back to Massachusetts with me.

12/19/08 Old Town- Kissimmee, FL

Hi,

Today we took a trip to check out Old Town. This is a retro-speciality shopping area that has many shops, restaurants, amusement rides and classic car shows ( car shows on Friday's & Saturday's).
It was fun stepping back in time and looking through the different shops. I was able to find a license plate for my mom's car- that had the Patriots and Red Sox logo on it....
We also took a ride over to Melbourne- to see the ocean.
It was a great day! Now I am off to post another entry...take care everyone- Love Donna

For more info on Old Town see: http://www.old-town.com/

See Pictures in Album # 152: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

12/21/08 Lake Louisa- Clermont, FL

Hi there,

Took a ride to Clermont today with John and May to check out Lake Louisa. This is a large state park with many available activities including camping, swimming and fishing. The beach was great. Definitely a wonderful place to spend the day...enjoy the pictures.
Take care everyone!- Donna

For more info please see: http://www.floridastateparks.org/lakelouisa/

See Pictures in Album # 151: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

The Crab Shack- Visit with family

Howdy!

I went to Hudson for a week to visit with my Aunt and Uncle. We had a great visit. My uncle helped me with the trailer...it really needed new wiring for the lights. He also did a few other extras to make traveling easier and safer.
We went to lunch at a restaurant not to far away. It was called the Crab Shack. It is located in Port Richey. The atmosphere here is great- in evening and on weekends they have music here also. The food was very good. I took a few pictures- Have fun looking at them!
A special thanks to my Aunt and Uncle for everything!! Love you both very much!
OK well off to finish updating the blog....Take care everyone- Love Donna

See Pictures in Album # 150: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Sunday, April 12, 2009

November 2008

Hi Everyone,

While I was in Summerfield, FL - I found a solution for my over crowded SUV.
I found a used homemade trailer (truck bed made into a trailer with cap). I got it registered and brought it back to John's- where he and I worked on it to get it road ready. John did most of the work on it while I was visiting my family in Hudson- but he left some things for me to help with!! LOL
Then I brought it to Hudson for my uncle to check out- he had me leave it so he could work on the wiring and a couple of other things.
The end result was a trailer to haul all my belongings in- that frees up the inside of the SUV- which will give me more room for May (she will be joining me on my next trip out on walkabout) and give me a space to sleep if I need to stay in rest areas again. Thank you very much for all of your help John and Danny!- I couldn't have done it without your help!
Check out the pictures of our creation!!- Chat with ya soon- Love Donna
See Pictures in Album # 149: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

11/14/08 Watching Endeavour Launch

Hi,
I am getting excited, we are going to drive over to John's favorite fishing spot to see the shuttle launch tonight. We went to Bissit Bay, this is about 30 miles north-east of the launch site. We did some fishing waiting for the 7:55pm launch.
There were a lot of people here and many boats out on the river waiting patiently to see the shuttle. There was a full moon and it was a clear night- perfect conditions. I was talking with some of the people there- they were saying it was really a sight to see the shuttle going up at night....I was so excited about being there.
Finally the time came - over to our right there was a huge yellow/orange glow coming from behind the tree line. then slowly that bright light rose up in the sky- it lit the dark evening sky to almost a daylight brightness.....then came the rumble.....a deep bone vibrating rumble as the shuttle passed up past us...everything shook and May and another dog on the pier got real nervous and started to whine. All of us on the pier let out a collective cry of whoa, as the rumbling over took us!! We stayed and watched until we could now longer see the shuttle.
This was a very awesome experience!!! Take care til we meet again- Love Donna
See Pictures in Album # 148: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

11/10/08 Going to Texas for quick visit

Hi Everyone,
Two weeks later I was going to take a quick trip to TX to visit with Tommy and Leeann-Tommy was shipping back out to Iraq in December. They were both going back to Massachusetts for a visit in late November and I wouldn't be there- and I wanted to see them so decided to hike over for a few days. I made it as far as Tallahassee when I had another flat tire on the right front this time!!! This seemed so unreal to me to have 2 flats with in 2 weeks on 2 new tires. I called home while I was waiting for the tow truck. My mom said that there were reports on the news up there on valve stems failing on Trucks and SUV's. I called the place where I got the tires- they said to bring the tire back when I came home and they would look into it. So once again I was buying a new tire!! Not a happy camper.... It was now almost 8pm and I was out of money so I headed back to Summerfield- called Tommy and Leeann to give them the bad news that I wasn't going to be able to make it out for the visit. Be back later with more updates!- Love Donna

11/1/08 Lakeridge Winery- Clermont, FL

Hi,

Today John and I went to a local winery to take a tour and participate in a wine tasting. It was very interesting seeing the whole process that it takes to make wine ready to ship to local vendors.
The wine tasting was fun- we ended up leaving with 3 bottles of wine and a bottle of champagne!
Hope you enjoy the pictures- Love Donna
For more info on this winery please see: http://www.lakeridgewinery.com/

See Pictures in Album # 147: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

10/21/08 Plymouth, MA with John

Hi,
Yes it's true I am heading back to Florida...LOL My friend John flew up to Massachusetts- he had never been here before. I showed him around for a couple of days- on 10/21/08 - I took John to Plymouth- then on 10/22/08 we headed back to Florida. When we were just about to leave New York- I had a blowout on the left front tire. It was a scary experience. We were able to get over to the side of the highway with out any injuries. I called AAA and we got towed to a service station- once there we also became aware that the battery in SUV had died......so much fun!! I had just bought the 2 front tires in June and was not happy that I lost one already. We made it the rest of the way to FL without any problems.- Catch you later- Love Donna
See Pictures in Album # 146: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

10/18/08 Fall in N.E.

Hi,

Today Mom and I went for a drive to get some pictures of the fall colors around this area....It was a lovely day...sunny, warm and peaceful! Hope you enjoy the pictures- Love Donna

See Pictures in Album # 145: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

10/10/08 Lonestar at the Topsfield Fair- Topsfiled, MA

Hi Everyone,

Tonight I went to my favorite fall event. I went to the Topsfield Fair in Topsfield, MA. My son David went with me this year.
I love this fair!!! It has the old time feel to it. Tonight is special also because one of my favorite bands will be playing here tonight- Lonestar.
It was a great performance they put on!!! The Grandstands were placed for this free concert.... they band played for almost 2hrs....they played many of their hits and some of songs from their new album.
Everyone had a great time!!
Hope you enjoy the pictures- Love Donna
For more info on the Topsfield Fair see: http://www.topsfieldfair.org/

See Pictures in Album # 144 : http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

June 2008- Going back to Florida

Hi Everyone,
Went back to Summerfield, FL for a few weeks to visit. Took May fishing for the first time- she didn't quite know what to make of the catfish that John had caught!! LOL-
She gave the fish some kisses- LOL
Will be heading back home the first of August. See ya'll soon- Love Donna
See Pictures in Album # 143: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Early Summer - June 2008

Hi,
Hope this note finds everyone doing well.... Things are good here...Took a ride with mom to see the new Patriots Stadium in Foxboro, MA. It is really something to see- more that just a Stadium- there is a movie complex, restaurants, stores, museum....can't wait til its all done!
Hope to chat with you all soon- Love Donna

For more info about Patriot Place see: http://www.patriot-place.com/

See Pictures in Album # 142: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Spring 2008

Hi,
Just wanted to say hello everyone. Things are finally warming up here in Massachusetts.
Mom is doing better. The trees are starting to flower and May got shaved for the warm weather!
Keep checking back and I will have more info for you later- Love Donna
See Pictures in Album # 141: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

2/29/08 Friday in Ohio

Hi,
Woke up to it snowing lightly. It was still dark out but decided to get an early start. Then it started really snowing hard- blizzard like- I couldn't see a thing!!
I was driving on the Interstate going only 20 mph with my flashers on so I wouldn't get hit- I couldn't see the road so I was using the warning strip on side of highway to keep myself on the road (wake up bumps). I kept my right tires on the strip- I knew as long as I could feel the bumps I was still on the highway and not heading off the road.
By the time I made the next exit there was about 15 of us poking along- but amazingly there were idiots flying by us!!! Most of us got off the next exit and went to a truck stop to wait the storm out. The truck stop was packed. There was a lot of people with the same idea as me. We sat in the restaurant part and watched all the police, ambulances, and tow trucks going back and forth. More people came in to report cars and trucks off the road all over the place...I was not surprised with the way these crazy drivers were flying down the road.
About 2hrs later, the sun came out and things started to melt. I started back out again. I made a stop in Columbus to get my oil changed.
I had bad weather again when I got into West Virginia and had it all the way home...snow,snow,snow...what a long trip it was! I was glad to be back in Massachusetts.
I will be back to update you more later.....until then take care everyone!- Love Donna
See Pictures in Album # 140: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

2/28/08 On the Way Home- Kansas & Ohio

Hi,



I woke up about 4:30am on Thursday morning, in the rest area. It was mighty cold out!!! The sun was just rising. The snow storm that I had been driving through most of the previous day and night was now gone. Thank goodness the restrooms here are heated!! LOL I got cleaned up and was heading out- Thinking about heading to Oklahoma.

See Pictures in Album # 136: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Before long I was in Kansas. Mostly farms open country here.....you go miles without seeing nothing but farms. I got a call from my son David. He was asking if I could head home. My mom taken a fall and was going to need surgery, and her car died and she needed to get to doctors appointments. So home bound I was headed.

I made it through Kansas and into Missouri. I kept seeing signs for Nostalgiaville, USA. It peaked my interest so I decided to get off the highway and check it out.
This place was great!!! They had everything and anything for memorabilia from the 50's era on.. very retro!! They have an online site- so either stop in the store or check out their website, you won't be sorry...after buying a few gifts, I was again on the road.

See Pictures in Album # 137: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

I stopped at the welcome center/rest area in Kingdom City, MO and found a surprise. There was a memorial there for firefighters. It was a really beautiful memorial to those who had given their lives to save others. After taking several pictures I went inside. I spoke with a wonderful elderly gentleman who was telling me about all the different things to see in the area. Before long I again was on the road.

See Pictures in Album # 138: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

As I was getting ready to leave Missouri, I drove through St. Louis ( The Gateway City) and saw the famous St. Louis Arch. I got a couple pictures of it from the highway as I drove past. I will have to come back and check it out more another time.

See Pictures in Album # 139: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

By the time it got dark, I was in Ohio and getting very tired. I stopped at a rest area for the night. It was starting to spit snow again.

Well off to post the pictures for this entry....take care everyone and I'll be back soon.- Love Donna



For more info on the Firefighters Memorial see: http://www.ffam.org/MEMORIALFOUNDATION.htm



For more info on Nostalgiaville, USA see: http://www.nostalgicstuffusa.com/servlet/StoreFront

Friday, April 3, 2009

2/27/08 Grand Canyon, AZ Four Corners

Hi There,
It was now 4:30 AM on Wednesday morning. I couldn’t sleep anymore so I decided to head out on the road again.
I was heading to the Grand Canyon today looking for a place to land for a couple of days.
I crossed over the Hoover Dam- it was about 5 AM and still very dark out. At the check point the Officer asked where I was heading and where I had come from. Because the windows in the back of my SUV are tinted- he also asked me to roll down the windows so he could look into the back….guess he wanted to make sure I wasn’t smuggling anything. They were doing construction of the Dam, and there really wasn’t any place to pull over with all of the equipment. So I will come back to this area again and check it out more. Hopefully they will have a lot of the big cranes and things gone by then.
It was beautiful to see the sunrise as I was driving thru the mountains.
I arrived in Williams, AZ about 10 AM. I was seeing icy patches on the road…this was not a good sign as I was looking for a place to camp…and where there is ice snow is usually close by!! LOL
I made it to the Grand Canyon National Park around 11:30 AM. I stopped at the rangers station. The rangers confirmed what I suspected and that is that they still had a lot of snow cover up there. They said if I wanted to I could camp there…I checked out the camp areas but there was 1-2 feet of snow on the ground. Too much for me to set up a tent in.
This was my second time to the Grand Canyon. I was here in 2001 with my son David. The park still takes my breath away. There is no way to describe what you see here to truly let others know the beauty here.
In 2001 when we got back home I was telling my family about the experience….my brother said to me “ what is the big deal- it’s just a hole in the ground!!” Well a few years later he had the opportunity to visit the “hole in the ground”, when he got back- he apologized- he finally understood why I went on and on about what I had seen.
Everyone should try to visit this park…..It will take your breath away and reaffirm you faith in GOD and the creation of our wonderful planet!!
I spent the day driving along the south ridge and stopping at several of the vista / lookout points. If you would like further info about this park please see: www.nps.gov/grca
After leaving the park I was heading to Four Corners. This is where 4 states meet, AZ, CO, NM, UT. There is a Monument here, plus trading post/flee market type stands…. There are Indian goods made by Navajo Nation and food.
For more info on this area please see: http://www.navajonationparks.org/htm/fourcorners.htm
After spending about an hour at Four Corners, I was again out on the road- looking for a place to spend the night. I was up high in the mountains in Rio Grande National Park, and it was starting to snow quite a bit. After several hours of driving I finally found a rest area in South Fork, CO - for the night. It was very cold- so I dug out some more blankets…hoping that tomorrow would bring an end to the snow.
For more info on this area please see: http://www.southforkcolorado.org/

Enjoy the pictures!
See pictures in Album #134 ( for the Grand Canyon): http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880
See pictures in Album #135 ( for Four Corners): http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

2/26/08 Death Valley, CA // Badwater, CA // Grand Canyon, AZ

Howdy Ya’ll,
It’s now Tuesday…I am finally heading out of the San Diego area for good. I have been very fortunate to spend quite a bit of time in this wonderful area in the past month. But it’s time to move on now!!
My destination is Death Valley National Park. In particular I was looking for Badwater, CA. This is the lowest point of the Continental US. It is 282 feet below sea level.
I made it out there in the late afternoon. The salt flats were very interesting to see. At Badwater there it a visitors spot where you can walk out onto the salt flats- and up on the cliff behind the boardwalk is a sign to show where sea level is.
For more info about this area please see: www.nps.gov/deva/
I then headed out of the Death Valley Park. I saw a sign for “Area 51” It was dark now and I was looking for a place to land for the night. I drove thru Las Vegas, NV. The city was a sea of lights and people. I found a truck stop area about 10 mins outside of the city…near the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. I decided to catch some sleep here for the night.
Enjoy the pictures!!!
See pictures in Album #133: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

2/25/08 La Jolla, CA

Hi Everyone,
On Monday I headed to Mission Bay area of San Diego to meet up my friends Rick and Joyce from back home. They have been out in CA for about 2 weeks now and will be heading home soon.
It was great seeing them… it had been quite awhile.
We visited at the condo they were renting- then went out for lunch. After lunch we drove around the Mission Bay and La Jolla areas of San Diego.
One of the places we went to was the Solana Beach Coastal Trail. This was a very nice park. The visitors center was very informative and the walk/trails had views to die for!!
It was now getting late in the afternoon. So we headed back to the condo. I stayed a bit longer then headed back to the motel for the night.
On Tuesday I was heading back towards the east and I was planning to check out Death Valley, CA.
Hope you enjoy the pictures!!
See pictures in Album #132 :
http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Sunday, March 15, 2009

2/24/08 Dana's Point, CA

Hi there,

Its now Sunday morning. I am making my way back to San Diego. I came across a sign for Dana's Point. I remember my cousin Mia telling me about this place- so I decided to stop and check it out.
It is a beautiful cove area that has a Marine Center located there. After viewing the sea life in the Marine Center... I took the short walk to the ocean. It really is a beautiful view.

After leaving Dana's Point, I found a lookout area off I-5. Here you could see quite a ways up and down the coast. There was a compass built into the walk area- showing the directions of some major points nearby. I spent quite awhile here watching the wild life. There were birds and ground squirrels and other such creatures.... LOL

I then drove the rest of the way to San Diego- back to the same motel David and I stayed at!! The next day I would be visiting with Rick and Joyce for the day.

Enjoy the pictures!!!

See pictures in Album #131: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

2/22/08 Tulare, CA

Hi Everyone,

On Friday 2/22/08 I head back north towards Tulare. I will be meeting up with some of my online friends on Saturday.

I arrived kinda late to find a camp site so I stayed in a rest area for the night. The next day I met up with Elaine and Therese. We had lunch at a local restaurant and I was telling them about my walkabout and the things I had seen recently in Visalia and Exeter. They told me they had art work on buildings there too. So after lunch we were off to find more murals for me to get pictures of.....
We had a blast this is a very charming agricultural area. I really enjoyed my visit here. When we were done running around it was time to say goodbye....but no one wanted to say goodbye! LOL
Elaine then offered for me to stay the night with them. Her husband was a Minister at a local church and they had a room in the building just off the church. There was Elaine and her husband Charles, and Therese and her husband Mike. The 5 of us had dinner together over at Therese and Mikes. We had a wonderful evening...eating, playing cards and chatting!!
I want to thank Elaine, Charles, Therese, and Mike for all the warm loving friendship they showed me. I really appreciated all they did for me during my short visit. They have asked me to come back for a visit.... I will stop back when I come back out to do the northern part of CA.

For now it was time to get some rest- Sunday morning I was heading back to San Diego area- friends from back home are there on vacation and want me to stop in for a visit!

2/11/08 Mt. Figueroa - Los Olivos, CA

Howdy.....

On Monday I was checking out the Santa Maria area.... then I moved more south into Los Olivos area. Through out this region there are many farms and vineyards, rolling hills and very green grassy hillsides.

I went to the rangers station for Mt. Figueroa. I decided that this was the area I was going to stay for a bit. I also purchased a National Parks Pass. This is a really good deal. For under $100 you get a pass (looks like a credit card). This gives you free entrance to all National Parks across the USA. It also gives you other discounts...(even in some Parks) free camping. Kinda wish I had gotten this much sooner- as I have visited many National Parks so far and would have saved several hundred dollars by now. But lesson learned....and will know to get them from now on. Once you get the pass it's good for 1 year. I intend to use this pass a lot and will renew it when this one expires!!!

Mt. Figueroa is a good size mountain. It has primitive camping only. No electric no running water. I set up and settled in. Then went back down the mountain to get supplies.

I was the only camper up on "My Mountain" for my 1st - 5 days. Because the area was very remote and no one else was up there- I decided to set up tent and put all of my belongings in the tent and to live/sleep in the SUV, for safety reasons. There are a lot of big wild animals up here (black bears and mountain lions)... I didn't want to take any chances.

The weekend came and so did a few other campers- about 6 other groups...but by Monday the mountain and I were alone again!!! LOL

I was up on the mountain 8 days before I saw any rangers!! Once they realized I was up there- they did drive by once a day to check on me. The weather during my stay was great - sunny and in the 60's the whole time. I made a couple of side trips down "My Mountain" to get supplies and to check out surrounding areas. One area I visited was Solvang and the Santa Ynez Valley. This is a very quaint region. Known as the "Danish Capital of America" It looks like a Danish Village was plucked from Europe and set down in the USA. There are about 150 different speciality shops, vineyards, many B&B's...and many more things to see and do. It really is a place to come visit!!
For more info on this area see: www.solvangusa.com
Another area near by was the San Rafael Wilderness- in he Los Padres National Forest. This approximately 80,000 acre primitive wilderness area.

I had been up on "My Mountain" for 10 days when a Ranger came by to warn me about a bad storm coming in the next day. I told him I had been monitoring the weather...but thought it was going to be just rain. He agreed it would be just rain but the winds were going to be very strong- and he said up on Figueroa the winds can get really bad. He strongly suggested I not stay up on mountain during the storm- just in case. I thanked him and told him I'd move out the next day. The next morning was sunny and no sign of storm coming....but I started to pack up the SUV and just was I was putting the last of my things in the SUV - it started to rain lightly. By the time I was 1/2 way down the mountain it was pouring and the winds started to pick up. Once at the bottom of the mountain- it was a driving rain and the winds were unreal!!!! I was so glad I left when I did- I could just imagine how wild it would have been up on top of that mountain!

I went back to the motel in Santa Maria for the night and decided to head back to the Tulare area the next day to meet up with some friends.

So til we meet again take care everyone...off to get the pictures for this area together....Love Donna

See pictures in Album # 129: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Thursday, March 5, 2009

2/10/08 Visalia, Exeter, Kings Canyon

Hello Everyone,
Morning came quickly!! I was up and ready to explore the area. There was a heavy fog/mist over the area.


I start out driving around the Visalia area. All of this area is known as the gateway to the Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. This is area is loaded with many, many farms....most were orchids....It was a nice area. As I was making my way to Kings Canyon- when I discovered Exeter, CA. This quaint little town was great. There were many buildings with painted murals depicting the history of the area. It was very interesting walking around town - getting pictures of all of them.

For more info on the area see: http://www.visitvisalia.org/

http://www.sequoia-kingscanyon.com/

http://www.exeterchamber.com/

Once I made it into the National Park I found a lot of snow- the snow was higher that my SUV!! I made it to the giant Sequoias. These giants are something to behold!!! You will see in a couple of pictures a person standing at the base of the tree. This person was about my height 5'7", so you can have an idea of how big these trees are!!! Its hard to really get the full sense of the size of these huge trees!!! There is one that is down and hollowed out- you can actually walk through the interior of this tree!! If you ever get to this area This National Park is a must see!!!!!!!

By evening I found myself in Santa Maria for the night. I stayed in a local motel...will look for a camp area in the morning.

I hope you enjoy the pictures.
See Pictures in Album #128: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Saturday, February 28, 2009

2/9/08 Leaving Lone Pine and heading to Visalia

Hi there,

I am leaving Lone Pine now....It was a great visit... I will stop back here again to further investigate this wonderful area.

I had a long drive ahead of me. I came across an area known as Red Rock Canyon. The rock formations are a beautiful shade of red!! After stretching my legs for a bit and taking in the scenery I was once again heading to Visalia.

By the time I reached the area it was getting late- I found a KOA Campground. Decided to call it a day and get a good nights sleep

In the morning I would check out the area better, and head up to Kings Canyon.

Off to post pictures and more adventures..........take care everyone!!
SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #127: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Thursday, February 26, 2009

2/8/08 Lone Pine- Movie Road- Beverly & Jim Rogers Museum

Hey Everyone!!

Here is about my day in Lone Pine! I started by visiting the Beverly & Jim Rogers Museum.
This place is great!!! It is a museum of the history of film making in the Lone Pine area.
There have been hundreds of movies and commercials made here. Not all of the movies were Westerns either! That was a real surprise to me!

This museum was full of posters, costumes and many other artifacts from all the movies made here. There were saddles, outfits, guns, stage coach, autographs.....and so much more. They also had a small movie theater- where they show for free a 10 min movie about the filming in Lone Pine. The museum also had a wonderful gift shop with a lot of unique gifts.

After spending a couple of hours taking in all the sites here- I was ready to go out and see the actual place these movies were made. It is called Movie Road located in the Alabama Hills, at the base of Mount Whitney (the highest point in the lower 48 States).

It was so great to actually be where all those movies were made....to walk where so many famous people had walked before me....but more important to me was to see GOD's most wonderful beautiful creations... these mountains, and rock formations wowed me constantly!

I hope you like the pictures I took- trying to capture the beauty of this area!!

This whole area offers so much for everyone!!! Here are just a few things to see and do:

1) Eastern Sierra Museums- (there are 20 of them) here are a few of the web sites:
www.monocommuseum.org- Mono County Museum
info@friendsofbodie.org - Bodie State Historic Park
www.MonoLake.org - Mono Lake Committee Information Center
mbhs@qnet.com - Old School House Museum
www.nps.gov/depo - Devils Postpile National Monument
www.MammothMountain.com - Top of the Sierra
www.Mammothskimuseum.org - Mammoth Ski Museum
www.lawsmuseum.org - Laws Railroad Museum
www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo - Bristlecone Pine Forest Visitor Center
www.countyofinyo.org/ecmuseum - Eastern California Museum
www.nps.gov/manz - Manzanar National Historical Site
www.lonepinefilmhistorymuseum.org - Beverly & Jim Rogers Museum
www.nps.gov/deva/historyculture/house-tour.htm - Scotty's Castle
www.nps.gov/deva/ - Death Vally National Park, Furnace Creek Visitor Center, Borax Museum
www.maturango.org - Maturano Museum

2) Hiking Mt. Whitney

3) The Alabama Hills

4) The Whitney Portal Road

5) Movie Road

6) Rock Climbing, Fishing, Bird Watching

7) Death Valley National Park

8) Cerro Gordo Ghost Town

And these are just a few of the many wonderful things to see and do....If you ever find yourself in this area- please take the time to check out this gem in the Sierras!!


Take care everyone...off to get the pictures together.... take everyone- Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #126 http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

2/7/08 Arriving at Lake Diaz

Hi There,

Made it to Lake Diaz- this is where I will camp for the next couple of days- while I check out the area. It is a beautiful campground nestled in between 2 mountain ranges....the view is spectacular!! There were 3 others here camping.... it is winter time here and not many people camp this time of year.... I can imagine that in the summer this place is packed!!!

I made 2 little friends there were a couple of squirrels that had a home in a nearby tree.... I can already tell they are going to be a great source of amusement for me!!! LOL They are very active and playful.

After I was done setting up - I ventured out to the visitors center for the area to discover everything there was to see out here. Well needless to say there is tons and tons of things to see here. Between the mountains and the desert and everything in between!!! I know won't get it all in but I will try my best!! Once leaving the visitor center I went to Lone Pine to check it out- I found a few interesting things there to check out further- but it was getting late now- so I decided to head back to camp site for the night. There isn't much in the line of street lights up here.....so when it gets dark- it's very dark!!

I enjoyed a very quiet and peaceful evening ....it was a bit chilly sitting out by the campfire- but once I got into my tent and under my blankets...I was nice and toasty!! OK I am off to get my first pictures of this area ready to post.... will be back soon- Love Donna

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #125: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

2/6/08 Wednesday- Palm Springs and Ridge Crest



Hi There,




I left TwentyNine Palms in the morning to seek out some Mountain Ram art work in the Palm Springs area.




I arrived in Palm Springs a short time later. I did a quick drive thru and realized that parking the SUV and walking around would be a better idea. As this area is very congested with a lot of foot traffic....you can get around by car but with all the shops so close to one another and all the visitors milling around- it was easier to park and check things out. I went to the small visitors center/library. I was not getting much info or real help...I asked a few people about the art work or if they knew where I could find out more information about the Rams...I basically got the cold shoulder from everyone that I spoke with. I did find out about an Art Museum in the area- so I made my way there trying to find out more about the art work. Well when I got there....I got the the cold shoulder there too......so I was not overly impressed with the Palm Springs area. I got the impression that people here are a bit to snobby for my liking. I guess the don't take to outsiders very much....the only visitors they seem to be interested in are the local visitors! If you were from out of the area- they couldn't be bothered with you....very disappointed!!!

As I was making my way out of the area I did find one of the Rams. As you can see in the picture above. I found it outside a local bank. Well I am now done with this area!! LOL


Now to make my way to Lone Pine. I drove all day and it was getting late and I was noticing signs for free range cattle and I started having flash backs to New Mexico....LOL.....so I decided to find a place to settle for the night. By this time I arrived in Ridge Crest, CA. This lovely little town is nestled up in the mountains.


I was looking forward to arriving in Lone Pine the next day. I have been a long time fan of Western movies and I found out this is the place to visit- the mecca of where Western movies were made! A special thanks to my friend Jullie and all of her help finding out about this area..... It started when I was in TX visiting with her. Another friend told me that John Wayne had made several movies in the area around San Angelo......well after some research- Jullie and I found out that most of the Western movies I grew up watching were made in Lone Pine, CA!!!! So here I was making my way to Lone Pine.....can't wait to check out the area!!!


Well off to bed I went- wanted to get an early start..... Take Care til my next entry!!-Donna

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

2/5/08 Tuesday - TwentyNine Palms- Joshua Tree National Park

Hi There,

Another beautiful sunny day...... I stopped in the office to ask about some loud booming sounds I heard during the night. The clerk gave a chuckle and said that is "Our Marines " playing war games. They were shooting off their big guns. I hadn't realized that there was a large Marine Base just down the road in the middle of this desert. LOL
I headed to the museum- "29 Palms Art Gallery" 1st. The Gallery can be found at:
74055 Cottonwood Drive, TwentyNine Palms, CA.
For more info on the Gallery please see: http://www.29palmsartgallery.com/

I found Anne and told her about my travels and that I was looking for the giant painted tortoises. Much to my disappointment the project had taken place the previous year and all the pieces of art work had already been auctioned off. It was a project to help out the local Hospice Center. Anne did give me the name of the head of the Hospice, and I planned to go there for a visit- hoping they may still have one or two of the tortoise there. I spent about 1/2 hr looking around the museum at all the art work done by local artist. There were some truly beautiful pieces in the museum. I asked Anne about the art work painted on buildings around town, that I had noticed the day before. She told me about the "Oasis of Murals" a project that she and others had been working on. All of these paintings were a look into the heritage of the desert oasis area. The Morongo Basin Area. Anne gave me a visitor's guide of all the paintings in the area. I planned to visit all of them and get some pictures of them. She also told me about a project in Palm Springs of Mountain Rams ( I will check that out later). I thanked Anne for all of her help...and off I went.
I was now on my way to the Hospice Center hoping to see those giant tortoises.
I found the Center....but I was sad to hear that they had no tortoises left. They showed me some pictures of the ones that had been painted by local artist.....The artist had done a great job on them...sorry I don't have any pictures of them to share with you.
http://www.hospiceofmorongobasin.org/

I now took my "Oasis of Murals" guide and went on the hunt for art work around TwentyNine Palms. The guide was very helpful. It not only had a picture of the murals with brief descriptions- it also had a map to show me where to find them all!! There were a total of 22 different murals....all were very interesting!! I got pictures of all of them...I hope you enjoy them too.

To find out more about the "Oasis of Murals" please see: http://www.oasisofmurals.com/
SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #123: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

After going around town taking pictures I decided to get a bite to eat. When I finished I made my way to the Joshua Tree National Park. This National Park is part of the Mojave Desert. I spent the rest of the day exploring the Park....there is so much beauty in the desert!

For more info about this National Park see: www.nps.gov/jotr
SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #124: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

At sun down I headed back to the resort for some dinner, laundry, and pool time!!

Wednesday morning I was going to Palm Springs to try and find Mountain Ram Art Work, then heading to Lone Pine, CA.

2/4/08 Monday - Heading to 29 Palms

Hello Everyone,



Monday morning it was time to leave the motel that I had spent that 11 days at. I was now heading to 29 Palms a town out in the Mojave Desert. I was hoping to find a contact given to me by an art director in Ocala, FL.

She had told me about this other art center and their work with a project of giant painted tortoises.... much on the idea of the art work I have been finding through out the country.



I arrived in 29 Palms by mid afternoon. I found the art center but it was closed on Mondays. So I decided to find a place to set up camp for the night. I found a wonderful RV resort. It is called Twenty Nine Palms Resort. Located at: 4949 Desert Knoll Ave, TwentyNine Palms, CA.

The web site for resort is http://www.29palmsresort.com/



The prices were great and there was so much they had to offer. There were places for RV's, tenting and a few cabins. They had a huge indoor pool, sauna,hot tub, golf,club house (where many other activities are held- like music, dancing,dinners), card/dart/pool room, laundry facilities, and many more amenities. I would highly recommend this resort if you are in the area and need a place to stay.



After getting settled I found a grocery store in town and got some supplies. While I was out I noticed a lot of the buildings around town had art work on them. So I started to take pictures of them.



Now the sun was getting ready to set so back to resort I headed. Had some dinner, went for a swim and then settled for the night.



It had been a great day... and I was looking forward to exploring the area more the next morning.


SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #122: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Friday, February 20, 2009

2/3/08 Super Bowl Sunday!!

Hi Everyone,



This is the last day of David's visit. He will be on a plane tonight- heading back home to Massachusetts.
We did a little shopping and grabbed some pizza and settled into the room to watch the Super Bowl together. Our Patriots were playing against the NY Giants. It was a great game.....but unfortunately The Patriots lost....(soooo sad) LOL
After the game was over I drove David to the airport so he could catch his flight home. It was a sad evening- I really didn't want him to go home....I guess I was feeling a bit home sick.
I went back to the motel and got things together. The next morning I was heading to 29 Palms. I was looking for some art work that my contact - Nancy in Ocala, FL had told me about. I was looking for Anne at the 29 Palms Art Gallery. I was hoping to find giant painted tortoises.
****** Off to catch up on more entries LOL I am almost caught up to date.........................
(only 1 yr behind!! LOL).
Take care til we meet again.....Love Donna

Thursday, February 19, 2009

2/2/08 Saturday- Corando, Imperial Beach, Little Italy

Howdy,

Well it was now Saturday morning....the weather was beautiful as it had been all week.


David and I decided to take a ride over to Coronado Island. This is an island located in the Harbor. You get to it by crossing the Coronado Bridge. There are many homes, businesses and the entrance to the Naval Base, on this Island.....Also the famous Coronado Hotel.


We walked along the beach and enjoyed watching the dogs playing on the beach together (part of the beach is for dogs to romp- up near the Naval Base-end) There were also many, many, sail boats out on the water... It was a very relaxing morning.


After leaving the island we decided to go back to the Imperial Beach area. We found a quaint little coffee cafe'. We sat outside on their terrace area and drank our coffee and talked over all the many wonderful things we had seen so far. We also discussed the up coming evening activities.


We had found out earlier in the week that Saturday night in Little Italy there was going to be a "Passaporto di Carnevale"....sort of a Mardi Gras type night....there were going to be many activities, bands, singers, mimes, clowns and other such things.....


David and I had decided that we were going back to Little Italy to have dinner and enjoy the festivities. We were not disappointed. It was a fun night....we end up eating dinner back at Filippi's Pizza Grotto - and the food was superb!! After dinner we walked the whole length of Little Italy and took in all the sites and sounds......It was a wonderful way to bring our time together in San Diego to a close!


If you would like any further information about the above please see:
www.coronadovisitorcenter.com/
www.coronado.ca.us/
www.littleitalysd.com/Carnevale/index.asp


We got back to the motel late in the evening. THe next day David was flying back home.... we did not want this vacation to end...........

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #121: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

2/1/08 Friday- Day of Rest

Hi Again.....

This was our lazy day...... we have been going non stop for 5 days now...my back and whole body were shouting"STOP" !!! LOL

So David and I spent a very relaxing day doing just about nothing..... we slept in late, had a long breakfast......did some laundry.....watched TV..... and just rested up.

The week was going by so fast ....... David had a flight home Sunday after the Super Bowl..... It will be very sad to see him leave.

We decided to go out for dinner....we found a buffet style Chinese restaurant. the food wasn't bad. After dinner we went back to motel and just watched TV before going to bed.

1/31/08 Point Loma and Cabrillo National Monument

Back Again Everyone.....

After leaving the Wild Animal Park, David and I drove back to the coast. We were on our way to Point Loma and the Cabrillo National Monument.

At the beginning of Point Loma there is Coast Guard Light house and offices...one you leave the parking area there are signs explaining the sea life you are apt to see during your visit....then you proceed to walk down a series of walkways and paths to the edge of the cliffs. Standing out there on edge of cliffs is very awe inspiring. The birds fly by and you can almost touch them.... if you want - you can make your way down the cliffs to a small beach area- where you will find tide pools.

Once back up on the cliffs you can walk quite a ways along the edge of the cliffs enjoying the ocean view to the left and to the right a hill rising very high- and you can just barely see the top of the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, on top of that hill.

After taking in the view for quite awhile we made our way back to SUV. We drove up to another look out point- the view was spectacular!!

We then drove up to the top of the hill where the Cabrillo National Monument and the Old Point Loma Lighthouse are located. From there you can see all of downtown San Diego and its outskirts, plus the whole harbor area. The views are breath taking!! There is a small museum up there explaining the history of the area. The Cabrillo Monument is located just outside the museum. The old lighthouse was a few hundred yards away and it was great to see this old lighthouse.... lighthouses hold a special place in my heart.

The Park closes at sundown so around 4:30 we started to make our way down to the city area... On the way back down the hill we noticed a National Cemetery. It is amazing to look in any direction and see a straight row of pristine white headstones. We made it to the highway and decided that we did not want to sit in rush hour traffic, so we got off at The Old Town exit and made our way back to Cafe Coyote to have dinner. The food once again was to die for!! We waited there well into the evening before heading back to the motel for the night.

It had been a very long day....but well worth all the aches and pains I was now feeling!!! LOL
For more information about Point Loma or Cabrillo National Monument check out: http://www.nps.gov/cabr

Ok off to get the next entry ready....

Hope you enjoy the pictures of Point Loma.
SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #120: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Thursday 1/31/08 Wild Animal Park

Hey there......

Thursday morning David and I were up early once again. We had another full day ahead of us!!
Our first stop was the the Wild Animal Park located in the San Pasqual Valley of Rt 78. This park was truly wonderful!! There were so many animals to see and exhibits to learn from. There were rides, and special tours, food and shopping- a little bit of everything for everyone!!
This is a huge park...and needless to say by the time we got done I was very very grateful!LOL
There was one disappointment in the park that day. We had hoped to take a ride in the hot air balloon to get some great aerial views of the park but due to wind conditions that ride was not operating the day we were there.
We spent almost 5 hrs walking around and checking out all the animals. We did take one tram ride that took us out into the open areas where the animals roam.
If you would like more info on the park please see: http://www.wildanimalpark.org/
I hope you will enjoy the pictures of the park.
SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #119: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Wednesday 1/30/08 San Diego Zoo

Howdy Y'all,



On Wednesday morning David and I headed out to the San Diego Zoo. I was really looking forward to this adventure, because I was going to see my beloved Panda's!!!!

When we arrived, the zoo was just opening up for the day. There were a few school buses their with kids getting ready to check out the zoo.

Once inside we made our way around to all of the exhibits. We stopped to have a quick bite to eat at one of the many stands through out the zoo and we also went to the gift shop where I got a sterling silver panda for my ankle bracelet. We then went to one of the many shows offered at the zoo. To finish off our visit we took a tram ride around the zoo to get one more final look around. It was about 3pm when we left and heading back for downtown.

Once back in downtown San Diego we visited the Historic Gas Lamp Section. It was nice to see some of the old buildings and park areas. We were strolling along and getting hungry...LOL...we came across the Whiskey Girl and decided to have dinner there. The food and atmosphere were wonderful.

After dinner we decided we were not ready to head back to the motel yet...so we walked around town. The city is very busy and "colorful" at night! We came to a very interesting place and decided to check it out. It was called Dick's Last Resort. This is a very wild place !!!! LOL It would not have been a place I would normally frequent...but I am glad I checked it out.....They are a little too crazy in there for me....which is saying a lot....cause I am crazy myself!!!! LOL But I tend to be on the quiet side of crazy this place was hopping...in many ways!!!!! LOL After a couple of drinks and about a hour of people watching we were off again..... Our next stop was at a tavern called Maloney's. This was a quiet pub type bar. Mostly young college age kids in here...with a few of us older types!!!! LOL We stayed for a drink then decided that we would head back to the motel...we had another long day coming up......

Please check out the zoo pictures- I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I had taking them!! Until next time- take care everyone!!!!- Love Donna
SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #118: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Tuesday 1/29/08 Old Town, Harbor Tours,Trolley Tour, Seaport Village

Hey Everyone,

On Tuesday, 1/29/08- David and I ventured out once again to see more of San Diego! The weather was beautiful, sunny and high 60's. We got an early start as there was a lot to do today.... We started in Old Town.... where you get a taste for the early California life, The shops and restaurants in this area are great. The whole area is very interesting, lively and festive. We picked up the Sight Seeing Trolley here in Old Town and rode it as far as the Harbor. Once in the Harbor we took the Deluxe Full Bay Tour- (they offer 3 kinds of tours- (1) 1hr tour of North Bay, (2) 1hr tour of South Bay, or (3) 2hr Deluxe Full Bay Tour {North & South Bay})
Once we finished the relaxing 2 hr tour we took a ricksa ride past the Midway over to the Seaport Village. This wonderful area offers, many places to dine and shop and has a beautiful park that runs along the edge of the harbor. After spending awhile shopping and picture taking we caught backup with the Sight Seeing Trolley to finish that tour back to Old Town. We went through the famous Gas Lamp District.... David and I have plans to revisit this historic spot. As the trolley continued we came to a section of San Diego called Little Italy....well we just had to stop!!! We saw an Italian Restaurant that caught our eye and we hopped off the trolley once again. We decided to dine at Filippi's Pizza Grotto (1747 India St. San Diego).....This has to be one of the best places that I have been to in a very long time. The atmosphere and food were great!!! We thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience here. We were told about a Carnevalle that was going to be taking place in Little Italy that week- called "Passaporto di Carnevale". We made note of the dates and planned to attend the event. There were going to be groups playing music, mimes, and much much more- not to mention all of that Italian food!! We were looking forward to revisiting Little Italy soon.
Now we hopped back on to the trolley heading back to Old Town. We decided to find a spot to sit and relax (not wishing to drive on the 12-laners with all the folks coming home from work!! LOL) We chose the Cafe Coyote to have a drink and appetizers. This place is fabulous. Everyone was warm and friendly, the food was great (they make their own tortillas right there). After spending a couple of hours there- Dave and I made our motel- to settle in for the night.

For more info on places mentioned above please check out the following websites:
http://www.plazadelpassado.com/ (Old Town)
http://www.citysightseeing-sd.com/ (Sight Seeing Trolley)
http://www.sdha.com/ (Harbor Tours)
http://www.seaportvillage.com/ (Seaport Village)
http://www.cafecoyoteoldtown.com/ (Cafe Coyote)
http://www.gaslampquarter.org/ (Gas Lamp Quarter)

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #117: http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

Monday, January 12, 2009

Monday January 28th, 2008 Harbor MuseumTours

Hello Everyone,

After a good nights sleep David and I headed out to San Diego Harbor...to take in all of the museums on the waterfront...there are several!!

Our first stop was the Midway. This old aircraft carrier is now a floating museum, It is open 7 days a week from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

The Museum features a self audio tour- that tells the story of what is was like to serve on the carrier, there are also flight simulators, historical videos, gift shop, cafe' and much, much more. By doing the self audio tour you can go through the ship at your own pace and spend as much time at any area you wish. There is so much to see and learn from this tour. We spent about 2 hrs touring this carrier. Then we took a break and had lunch on the fantail of the ship in the cafe', and stopped by the gift store for a few gifts. If you would like to find out more about the Midway check out their website: http://www.midway.org/

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #110 : http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880



Next we walked about 1 city block to the next set of museums called Historic Ships. As we were making our way there- we came across several sculptures that lined the harbor and benches that had tiles painted by area children...they were all so beautiful to look at. Hope you enjoy looking at them too!!!

We arrived at the Maritime Museum. There were 5 ships that we toured in this group... (1)the tall ship- Star of India, (2) 18 th Century Royal Navy Frigate -H.M.S Surprise, (3) 1898 Steam Ferry- Berkeley, (4) Soviet attack sub- B-39 and (5) 1904 Steam Yacht. First we viewed the Star of India. This was a beautiful old tall ship from 1863. It was wonderful to be able to see inside one of these ship- We have had the tall ships come into Boston on several occasions- but I have never been able to go see them live, and here I was walking the decks of this grand ship. The wood work and artifacts were very interesting. There were several paintings aboard this vessel too. The living quarters were very cramped-space was limited and was used to it's fullest. After we strolled around the Star- we went aboard the H.M.S. Surprise. This was a ship similar to the one used to film the Russel Crowe movie Master and Commander. The third vessel we came to was the Soviet attack sub- B-39. By this time I was all walked out- my back was letting me know so...LOL ... I stayed above and watched the goings on of the harbor and the planes landing and taking off from airport, while David went below and prowled around. He took some really great pictures as you will see. The 4th vessel we went on was the Berkeley. This was a great example of what the old steam ships looked like. There was a lot of brass and stain glass windows. There was a gift store on this one too. We came across a guided tour that was being done on aboard- teaching the kids all about life on the sea. The last ship we went on was the Meade. A beautiful yacht. Needless to say by the time we finished touring 6 ships we were done for the day!!! LOL

To finish off our day in downtown San Diego, we decide to eat that the Rock Bottom Cafe...it was one of the restaurants featured on the GO BOOK we had purchased. The food and ale was great. After a relaxing dinner we headed back to the motel to save all of our pictures and to plan out the next days plans.
For more info about these ships- please see: http://www.sdmaritime.org/
For more info about Rock Bottom Cafe see: www.rockbottom.com

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #111 (for the art work) : http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #112 (for the Star of India) : http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #113 (for H.M.S. Surprise) : http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #114 (for the Berkeley) : http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #115 (for Medea) : http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880

SEE PICTURES IN ALBUM #116 (for the B-39) : http://picasaweb.google.com/Pandadmd5880