SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA
John and I said goodbye to Kristen and Chris on Tuesday morning, Sept 18. They were leaving soon afterwards for Yokosuka, Japan, where Chris was being reassigned as a Navy Officer. They had taken us out to dinner the night before, and we shared a toast to their wedding and to the many adventures that awaited us both. 
John and I left shortly after our goodbyes for our 6-week road trip.

SIOUX CITY, IOWA

We drove lots of miles, across many corn fields (very dry) to get to our first major stop, which was Sioux City, Iowa.  John's mother grew up in Sioux City, and he has heard some of the stories, but had never been there. We found his mother's senior picture in a high school yearbook in the genealogical libray, as well as some other interesting tidbits; found the grocery store his grandfather owned (now a seedy bar), and the older apartment complex where his grandmother lived in her later years, and probably the home his mother lived in, although we weren't sure if it was the same home, even though it was the correct address. We found the Graceland Cemetery and the Griffen family plot where his grandmother, grandfather and other relatives are buried. All of this was a real high for John. We only wish there were still some relatives alive who could fill in the stories.







We also went to a museum and learned more about that part of the country, including the huge corn palaces they had built earlier -- all out of corn cobs!

MILWAUKEE

Our goal was to get to Milwuakee by Saturday so we could meet up with Karen Hagen and attend the worship service on Sunday where she is the minister --Tippecanoe Presbyterian Church.  (Karen was on staff at Christ Church United Methodist years ago – her depth of spirituality was evident even then.)  She has developed a unique style of ministry and worship at Tippecanoe, and we were very moved by her genuine commitment and creativity, and spiritually-centered space.  The worship was lively and spirited. She has developed a unique Living Waters ministry that offers spiritual direction and worshops, and they have an important outreach ministry to the lower economic area of Milwaukee. 
While John watched a 49er game back at the hotel in the afternoon, Karen and I had a wonderful lunch and visit at her condo.

CHICAGO

One of our most interesting stops was in Chicago.  We spent 4 ½ days with Garry and Sarah Gooding, who have a lovely condo on the 9^th floor in downtown Chicago.  It was such fun to walk to restaurants and museums, or ride the public transit to outlying areas.   (Their main home is in Santa Rosa, but they stay in Chicago some of the year.  Such a different life-style from suburban living.) Nothing is cheap in Chicago – we had to pay $28 to park our car for 3 hours the first afternoon!  And if the Goodings had purchased a parking space (which they didn’t because they don’t have a car there), they would have had to fork out $35,000 – just to park their car!  It was such a wonderful place to spend a few days.

The city has done a good job maintaining a clean downtown with attractive landscaping and plants. We especially enjoyed the architectural riverboat tour, the Art Museum, the Millenium Park, and the Chicago History museum, among with other activities.   Had to taste the Chicago hot dogs at a fun restaurant across from their condo;  then had to go to the “best bbq in town” that Garry loves before leaving.   Great visits with the Goodings.  A special time.

 

Nice landscaping in downtown Chicago

Highrises from riverboat tour

The Bean in Millenium Park

This...in a train station, fresh flower bouquet in a clean restroom with mouth wash and lotion!

Beautiful Chagall windows at the Art Museum and another exhibit, surprisingly good, at the Navy Pier.  The Navy Pier was established in the early 1900's as a economic incentive, but then was transformed into a facility that housed soldiers during World War I.  It was named Navy Pier in memory of the World War I veterans.  It now has restaurants, shops and rides, including a 150' high ferris wheel modeled after a ferris wheel twice that high that had been at the World Exposition in Chicago in 1893.

We were in Chicago on one of the few days they raise the bridges to let the sailboats pass under before Winter sets in.   We did lots of walking, lots of eating, and lots of great museums.

PETOSKEY, MICHIGAN

One of the main goals was to spend time with the Davenport families in Petoskey, Michigan.  This was the first time I had been there in the Fall.   We happened to hit the peak of the Fall colors – the trees were gorgeous.  God’s paintbrush is alive and well!  

We stayed with Jim and Helen who live in an attractive home in the woods, and had great walks with Helen and (dog) Casey.  Jim barbequed hamburgers/hot dogs for both families the first Saturday evening we were there.  It was special to be staying there when Erik and friends were getting ready for their Homecoming Dance.  Erik is a senior at Petoskey High School, and is being offered a basketball scholarship at a college in Michigan – he's such a great kid.   One of the days Helen had off work, we had fun painting pumpkins with Lauren.  Enjoyed another day at their house after our walk (before it started to rain) making applesauce and butternut squash soup with Helen, while Jim and John watched sports.  We had a great salmon dinner by the fireplace watching the 49er game.   A great relaxing day.





We also spent time with Ann, who took 3 days off work while we were there.  We went to a corn maze one day with Ann, Natalie and Elizabeth, and another day went with them to a Harvest celebration and farmer’s market (when it hailed on us one minute and had sunshine the next!).  One of the best side trips was a great drive through the Tunnel of Trees with Ann, ending up at a Polish restaurant on the Lake.   Best sauerkraut we’d ever had!  The trees were gorgeous, and another perfect weather day.  Another evening we had a great Michigan fish dinner with Ann at a nearby restaurant.  Elizabeth kept us entertained!

We spent as much time with grandkids as we could, and had one-on-one with all six grandkids who live in Michigan.  (Grandson John lives in California.)  We’ve missed out on watching the special events in their lives because we live so faer away.  Erik is a great basketball player, and Natalie is a great soccer player, but unfortunately she had knee surgery earlier in the year and is out for the season. Devin now works at restaurant at Bay Harbor on Lake Michigan—we surprised him at lunchtime one day;  he surprised us with taking care of the bill!   He seemed so competent in that role (memorizing everything all five of us had ordered without writing it down).  We were happy to meet his girlfriend later in the week.  Another day we picked Elizabeth up from school and went to Bill’s (a wonderful farm market I always love going to) to pick out pumpkins so we could have a “carving party” at Ann’s that night.  We may have helped get the pumpkin carving and pumpkin seed roasting started, but it was Ann’s boyfriend Mike who really got in the thick of it with Elizabeth!

The last night both families got together for pizza and pictures. It was good to be in Petoskey at that particular time, offering as much support as we could. We’re not very active grandparents because of the distance, but John committed himself to doing more texting to stay in touch. (He is already regretting that commitment as he easily gets frustrated! We will soon be updating our rather ancient cell phone, so that may make it easier.)

We don't get to spend much time with these Michigan Davenports, so it's always hard to leave.

We stopped at Grand Rapids, Michigan on our trip south to have coffee with Sarah.    She will be the first grandchild to graduate from college – we unfortunately will miss her graduation in December, but we are so very proud of her.  She is such a beautiful young woman, and her work at Victoria Secret and her major in marketing will get her far!   We were sorry to not have been able to meet her boyfriend, but sounds like he will be around for awhile, so next time…!

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS

 We went to Springfield, Illinois because of a recommendation from Garry Gooding, whose mother lives there.  We visited with her over lunch at her senior residence (she’s an active 96-year-old who I had met when she visited Garry in Santa Rosa.) 

The main tourist attractions in Springfield are related to Abraham Lincoln who developed his law career and was elected to the legislature there before becoming President of the US.   Went to several historic sites, and especially enjoyed the Lincoln Museum.   Amazing displays, including one of the few hologram shows in the country.   The Lincoln Tombstone was quite an impressive stop.  For dinner one night we went to a Route 66 diner where the corn dog originated!  Also enjoyed lunch at an older restaurant near the courthouse – a place Barak Obama had frequented when he was serving in the legislature there.

  Lincoln Home

A wonderful re-creation of Lincoln's life in the Lincoln Museum.  We learned quite a lot about the Civil War days by the various museums we went to on this trip.

Lincoln's tombstone -- supposedly good luck to rub his nose at the entrance to the tomb!

 

Went on a tour of the Illinois State Capital -- we could imagine Barak Obama sitting in the Senate gallery with the large chandeliers.



 ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

Spent two nights in St. Louis at the Drury Inn closest to the Arch.  We learned about Drury Inns from a Care-a-vaner friend.  Their hotels are very nice;  they serve wine and supper in the evenings as well as a full breakfast in the morning.   
We spent some time in the Western Expansion museum at the Arch and went to the informative Lewis & Clark film there.  Didn’t go up in the Arch – I had done that years ago when I visited Kristen who served on a 2-year UMC young adult mission at a children’s home (Epworth Home) there.  We even drove by the home for old-time-sake.  We especially enjoyed the Missouri History museum. 

We had lunch with a friend of Kristen’s from Epworth days who had been at our home during Kristen’s wedding.   Fun to meet up with a native!  I went on a tour of a fabulous cathedral -- took 75 years to put all the glass mosaic tiles in the sanctuary.  Lots of history in the tile murals.

 OKLAHOMA CITY

We drove into Oklahoma City in a pouring, lightning and thunder storm.  It rained so hard we had to pull over to the side of the road.   It cleared later, so we drove out to a Cracker Barrell restaurant – a homestyle-cooking-type-chain generally found in the South that I wanted to enjoy before they disappeared from the landscape.   Went to the Oklahoma Memorial the next morning before leaving the area.  Very moving to see the reflective pool and all the empty chairs representing those who died in the federal building bombing.  Nicely done memorial.   Across the street from the memorial is the United Methodist Church that reached out after the bombing;  they now have an outdoor chapel.

I had wanted to go to the only Reconciling UMChurch in the area that morning – wanted to support a church in Oklahoma who had the courage to make that kind of stand, but because the service at 11:00, we felt we didn’t have the time before a time commitment in Amarillo, TX.

AMARILLO, TEXAS

We followed the Historic Route 66 for some time.  Went into one of the museums at a travel stop.
Driving across the state line, we recognized the “bigness” of Texas by their rest stop/visitor center.  Biggest one we’ve seen.

 

 

Had to get to Amarillo in time for the 49er game.  (Are you catching a drift here?  We work around the 49er schedule!)  We ate dinner at a steakhouse next to the hotel.  We skipped the 72-ounce advertised steak (free if you could eat it all in one sitting), and had a delicious (6 oz!) filet mignon steak. 

Finally had time to do our laundry -- not everyday someone gets to walk into a Holiday Inn with a bag of laundry!

We've never eaten out so much or stayed in hotels as much as we have on this trip.  Our biggest travel trips in the past have been with our trailer, which is a lot cheaper on the pocketbook, until we stop at gas stations!  Gas has been in the $3.65-4.35 range, so we’re glad we’re in the Prius that gets 45+ mpg.  And it is so much easier to get around in cities with a small car – we avoided big cities when pulling a trailer!

 ALBUQUERQUE

I love the desert southwest – the red rock formations, the rust-brown-gold colors on the buildings, the Native American art, the chile strings hanging by the front doors.  So we enjoyed walking around Old Town, going in and out of the shops of jewelry, art, and other mostly Native American wares.  Had dinner in the oldest home-structure-turned-into-a-restaurant, enjoying the weather as we sat out on the patio with the fountain behind us eating our “Christmas” meals – red and green chile sauces on top of the main entree. (Their term!)  We tried to go to the Turquoise Museum to learn more about the mining of turquoise, but made a wrong turn, so kept going to the Center for Contemplation and Action that Richard Rohr formed.  (We’ve read some of his books and have received their publications.)  Walked the labyrinth, and soaked in the serene, spiritually-centered garden space. 

 Then went to the State Park on the Rio Grande River to walk on their trails, along with a couple hundred children on a field trip.  (We’ve actually encountered many elementary student field trips in museums on our trip – the downside of traveling during the school year.  But this really is a wonderful time to travel with generally less crowds and mostly great weather.) 

The Indian Pueblo museum was the most interesting stop in Albuquerque.  Learned so much about pueblo life and what the US government did to the Indian culture.  Greedy, manipulative, dishonest interactions are not a new thing – we have much to repent for as a nation.  Part of the museum, though, also explained how the government has tried to reverse some of the wrongs of the past.  Had a wonderful lunch in their restaurant – again with lots of chile.

The only time on our whole trip that we actually lounged outside by a pool for a bit was in Albuquerque—a relaxing way to bring the major part of our adventure to a close.  We did go to the exercise rooms in many of the hotels, but never the indoor pools.  All of the hotels had pretty great breakfasts, and we added to our lunches sometimes with the yogurt, bananas or boiled eggs that we “snitched” from the breakfast room.  Most of the hotels had small refrigerators and microwaves, so we sometimes heated up lunch leftovers for dinner.

LAS VEGAS
Driving across the desert and then down from the higher elevation into Las Vegas was like going into another world.  Skyscrapers again, only this time, all for the purpose of adult entertainment!  It was interesting to walk in and out of the casinos with their lavish decor.  Thought we were in front of real waterfalls at times, or in a lush Hawaiian garden at others, or a circus, or...  all fake!

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

We are ending the trip back in California.  My nephew, Alex and his Scottish bride Kate were married at the top of a mountain (where they often bicycle) at a ranch/winery setting in Augoura Hills.  It was such a unique wedding.  Kate is very artistic, and made many of the decorations.  They walked in with their parents on either side of them, while a bagpiper provided the music.  The words they said to each other were very moving and heartfelt. 

After the wedding everyone was invited to join in the Scottish dances (with instruction) before the wonderful dinner.  Lots of unique touches to this special weekend.

 

Alex even got into kilts to do the Scottish dances.  Everyone was invited to join in.

The appetizers and dinner were fantastic.  I took a picture of the salad with butternut squash and goat cheese on top.  But then was enjoying the rest of the meal so much, forgot to take pictures.



It was also just fun to be with my Pickrell family.  The sad part was that Kristen, who loves being with family, is now in Japan.  She and Chris have moved into their 2-bedroom apartment on the navy base there, and Chris is already out to sea now.  Kristen is hoping to get a social work job through the military. 

After the wedding we stopped by my niece’s (Lorraine and partner Val) ranch who lives in one of the canyons nearby.   They have 5 horses and 3 mules that they use in equine horse therapy.  Very interesting.

VENTURA, CALIF

Our final week now we spent in one of our favorite places -- the wonderful beach house in Ventura.  (Thank you, Linda!)  The weather has been glorious -- blue skies and lovely waves that wash up right next to the seawall of "our" house.  We spent a little time with Jason and each of my brothers while there -- Alan &  Sue from Seattle area.  (Alan's son Alex was the reason we were in Southern California -- to attend his wedding.  Brother Kim came for the weekend and spent most of the day on Saturday surfing -- he's pretty good -- and he surfs right in front of our house, so we get lots of entertainment.  His wife Jeanette stayed home at the last minute -- her daughter was having contractions and delivered a baby boy over the weekend.  Good thing she stayed in Visalia so she could take care of her grandson and welcome a new baby into the family.

We had English tea one morning with our friend Joan Niebank, formerly of Santa Rosa, now living in Camarillo.  We were on our way to the Reagan Library that day -- an interesting museum, with replica of the Oval Office, and the retired Air Force One plane that seven presidents flew in. 

 

What a trip it has been – an unforgettable one in every way.

USA 2012

John and I said goodbye to Kristen and Chris on Tuesday morning, Sept 18.  They were leaving shortly for Japan, where Chris was being reassigned as a Navy Officer.  They had taken us out to dinner the night before, and we shared a toast to the many adventures that awaited us both.  We left shortly after our goodbyes for our 6-week road trip.

SIOUX CITY, IOWA

We drove lots of miles, across many corn fields (very dry) to get to our first major stop, which was Sioux City, Iowa.  His mother grew up in Sioux City, and he has heard some of the stories, but had never been there.  We found his mother's senior picture in a high school yearbook in the genealogical libray, as well as some other interesting tidbits; found the grocery store his grandfather owned (now a seedy bar), and the older apartment complex where his grandmother lived in her later years, and probably the home his mother lived in, although we weren't sure if it was the same home, even though it was the correct address.  We found the Graceland Cemetery and the Griffen family plot where his grandmother, grandfather and other relatives are buried.  All of this was a real high for John.  We only wish there were still some relatives alive who could fill in the stories.

 

We also went to a museum and learned more about that part of the country, including the huge corn palaces they had built earlier -- all out of corn cobs!

 

 



Leaving Hilo

We flew home on Thursday and are now back in our Santa Rosa home. It is good to be back, but we have some precious memories of our time in Hilo, Hawaii. They include:

1. The people in the church were so very friendly and welcoming, and made us feel special. They completely furnished the parsonage with just about everything we would need to make it feel like home, and often gave us small gifts or food items.

2. The diversity of ethnicities was refreshing; we white-skinned people were in the minority.

3. The spoken Hawaiian language is beautiful, and the culture is imparted often through the hula dances, drumming and chanting -- all of which adds flavor to who they are.

4. It rains a lot in Hilo, particularly during the months we happened to be there, but for the locals, it didn't seem to rain enough. We would often be awakened at night because of the loud downpours on our metal roof.

5. We were lulled to sleep--or kept awake!--by the coquis (small frogs that would come out at night with their all-night mating calls; they sounded a lot like birds.)

6. We didn't mind the small geckos that inhabited the house with us, but we didn't enjoy the cockroaches, or the small flying termites that were drawn to the light at night (they lost their wings when flying around) but somehow they would disappear about 8:00 every night.

7. We will miss the beautiful beach parks where we would picnic, or just sit and read, and watch the waves and the local people having a good time.

8. We will miss the wonderful seafood meals, and the fresh pineapple and papayas and other fruits and vegetables at the open-air market every day of the week.

9. We will miss all the gorgeous flowers and lush vegetation.

10. Lots of lava everywhere -- but then without the volcanoes, the islands wouldn't exist! If we wait around another 15,000 years, though, we could stand on a new island being formed now under the sea near the Big Island.

10. We loved having so many guests share the experience with us.

It was truly a special time for us.


We leave with memories, and gifts. Tom Olcott, the pastor of the Church of the Holy Cross (UCC), is a wonderful artist. He gave us several of his paintings before we left; we will proudly display them in our Santa Rosa home to remind us of Hilo: Mauna Kea; downtown Hilo; floral bouquet...

We had a difficult time packing up our 3 suitcases to come home. We ended up leaving some things behind because we exceeded the 50-lb per bag weight limit.

We took a couple days R&R on the Kona side of the island after I officially ended my work at the church, again staying at the Sheraton Hotel in Keahou. We had hoped for a lot of sun, but it rained some even on that side of the island. But we did get to snorkel and sit by the pool some. In the evenings at that hotel, they shine a light onto the ocean, and the manta rays feed on the plankton just off the rocks by the hotel. They are a joy to watch, but even more entertaining this time were 3 crazy guys who climbed over the rocks to get in the water and swim with them.

We also went into the Hulilee Palace in Kona, with the beautiful furnishings from around the world, and were again given some of the history of the monarchy before statehood. Very interesting.

We also enjoyed meals out at Huggos, an open-air restaurant on the water with music. We had lunch before leaving at the Fish Monger in the busy part of Kona. A nice ending to our Hawaiian work/holiday!

On our last full day in Hilo, we were given a tour of Green Point Nursery by Eric (pictured), and his father. His father started in the anthurium business 30+ years ago, and now has a multi-million dollar operation and large staff. I have never seen so many anthuriums -- and more colors than I ever realized! The plants grow in a lava rock mixture, not soil, and are kept at a certain temperature and moisture level due, in part, to the mesh screen overhead and their irrigation system. They are using very progressive techniques. Quite fascinating -- and beautiful!

We ate at the Hilo Bay Cafe, rated one of the best on the islands, for our last night -- we had to use the gift card there that one of our guests (thanks Alan & Sue) had given us! Another terrific meal -- ono is our favorite seafood, and the presentation there is always beautiufl. We don't usually have dessert, but we splurged with a piece of decadent lava cake with java ice cream.

John kept up his exercise program at the YMCA that was just down the street from our house in Hilo. I didn't, so with all the food we've eaten, and lack of exercise for me, I'm looking forward to more exercise when we get home.

We returned to our wonderful home, lovingly cared for (part of the time we were gone) by Jennifer Weil and Jerry Wilhelm. Everything was sparkling clean and ready and waiting for us when we arrived in the wee hours of Friday morning. We thank God for such a marvelous experience, safe travel, new friends, precious memories.

Mahalo (thank you) for being one of our blog readers. Farewell for now!

11th week in Hilo

Our last full week has been somewhat uneventful. One day we went back to Volcano National Park with Stan and Karen, hoping to finally get in a good hike. Alas, it was the stormiest day yet --rain, thunder and lightning and quite cool. No hiking. And to think the prior week had been warm and sunny most of the week!

Since they have a lot of contacts here, we invited one of their friends over for lunch one day. Keliko is a professor of Hawaiian language and culture at the University. Very interesting to hear his stories. He was the MC at a community event we went to on Sunday afternoon.

On Karen and Stan's last day here, they took us to another beautiful area on the island that had great snorkeling, but we were too late in the day to get in the water. And we were on our way to a "last supper" with them at a restaurant in Pahoa -- a funky little town not too far from us. Great dinner!

I was privileged to be part of a welcoming lunch for a missionary from Japan who flew into Hilo this week. She and her husband are Filipino but she has served at a University in Japan for 25 years. Another great global exchange.



Friday evening we invited Geoff and Lyn over to dinner (the former Harvest for the Hungry gardeners in Santa Rosa who now have an eco-farm in Hawaii. -- We did a field trip to their place with members of the church here.) It was a little unnerving as to what to serve for dinner, but I think the macadamia-nut mahimahi, eggplant-tomato-pasta, soy bok choy and salad did okay. They brought wine they had made from their farm products, so we were all happy. It is so great to re-connect with them here.


On Sunday the Church of the Holy Cross congregation did a great farewell for us. We were given leis (homemade), gifts, coffee, paintings (Pastor Tom Olcott is a wonderful artist), framed art--so many things, including a reception with more food! One of the women made a haku lei (head ring) for me that was gorgeous. I just wish I had long brown hair and darker skin to make it look as gorgeous on me as it was just by itself! The whole congregation sang the beautiful farewell song, Aloha Oe, to John and me at the end. Very touching. This congregation has been super welcoming and gracious.

Mother's Day afternoon we went to a "Mother's Day May Day Mele" at one of the theaters -- lots of hulas, guitars, ukeleles and singing. Such beautiful voices and graceful dancing. We planned to close the afternoon out at one of the beautiful beach parks, watching the waves crash, drinking a glass of champagne and eating macadamia nuts. It looked like it was sunny when we started, but by the time we left the theater, it was cloudy and threatened rain. Oh, well--that's been our Hilo experience!

We have a couple days of R&R before flying home on Thursday. I'll do one final wrap-up, and then this will all go into the "precious memories" file!