Let’s Take a Trip Together

[susi-steppins]

@jenc what a great way to get to know others here.

I have been to the Texas gulf coast, but it was many years ago.

The thing that I remember the most is seeing the houses up on stilts and being able to drive on the beach.

My husband and I were pretty young and we saw a dead alligator gar on the sand and we had never seen anything like it.

I live outside of Denver in Colorado.

I really love it here.

I love that there are 4 seasons.

The winters are cold as they should be and the summers are warm.

There are a lot of trees that turn beautiful colors in the fall and the spring is full of wildlife.

We have deer that run through the yard and we have bears and elk higher up in the mountains.

There is a gambling town not too far away called Blackhawk that has recently built some new hotel/casinos that are big and beautiful.

There are many lakes to visit and the mountains are full of very scenic drives.

Another plus is we are pretty close to the middle of the country so it isn’t too far from anywhere.

Great place to visit and an even better place to live.

 

[jen-cueva]

Thanks, @s-steppins. Can you believe that I saw some live deer in the yards along the bay a few weekends ago while out on our drive? I told my hubby, Manny, that I could not believe they were out in the heat this early. LOL

If you revisit the area now, I bet many homes built on stilts are not the same. Most stand 3-4 stories tall. So many were destroyed after multiple hurricanes were sold and had to rebuild.

Denver area sounds beautiful. I love to have the seasons change, but I’m not too fond of too much cold, too, if that makes sense, LOL.

The lakes and scenic drives are what I am craving, so thanks for those descriptions.

Now, about dinner? But I enjoy traveling along with y’all.

My hubby loved it as he visited the kiddos during his time there. They are now in San Diego, and who knows where they will travel to after 6 months there.

Thanks for your tour as you share why you enjoy the area near and around the Denver area,

[terry]

G’Day, Australia is a land of extremes.

About the size of Continental USA, Driest inhabited Continent on the planet, Largest coral reef (Great Barrier Reef)  longest straight stretch of railway line (300 miles) largest cattle station ( Ana Station app.9500square miles) , Responsible for the largest area of Ocean for search and rescue . ( Great Southern Ocean) . Longest continuous fence (dingo fence 3450 miles) ,Most wild horses and Camels (400,00 plus Brumbies (mustangs).  Oldest Tropical Forest ,dinosaur land (Daintree Forest).On the East Coast there is a mountain range that runs from the top of Oz to the bottom called the Great Dividing Range about 50 -100 miles in from the coast. 80%+  of the 26 million people live between the Coast and the range and until covid a high % never ventured over the range into the outback instead they holidayed overseas. There are only six states ,one territory and the Capital so in four of those States you can drive all day at 60 mph from South to North and not leave the State  ,actually you can drive all day and not see another car on some highways. I retired to the sub tropics on the Coast about four hour drive from the bottom end of the Great Barrier Reef . One word PARADISE. Right now around 30,000 humpback whales are going up the east coast from Antarctica to the warm waters of the Coral Sea to mate and give birth. Then around Oct-Dec they go back . They stop along the way in Bays to rest the young and can be seen from the beaches or from small boats.Amazing sight. Around 40,000 move up the West Coast.
Now the nasties and there are lots of em. Na they are all friendly .

[jen-cueva]

Hi @terry

Australia is another place I would visit. My husband watches a few of the guys on his YouTube that are in Australia and travel. It looks like a bunch of fun. Sun, sand, and nice food and drinks as they travel.

I am unsure where in Australia that they are located, so I will ask him. It is 3 guys. I would middle ages, and up they have a grand time.

I have never been to Australia or Denver, so y’all are offering me such an adventure.

[judy-nelson]

I like ve in Southeast Idaho. It is a beautiful place to live and visit. We are at the door of Yellowstone Park and the GranTeton National Park. We can take day trips to the Parks. There are rivers to float down and plenty of beautiful hiking trails.  So much beauty. We have the 4 seasons. Autumn is especially beautiful.  Along with spring with all the trees and plants push up through the winter. Blue skies!  The winter is snowy. More some years than others. But it brings skiing and snow mobiles. White Christmas!

[jen-cueva]

Hi @silvergramma, this is another location I ma not yet been to; it sounds amazing. How high is the elevation near you?

I would olo9ve to come and visit each of you, if possible.

I lobe the fresh autumn air and a White Christmas, if it is not snowing for more before and after, LOL.

Each of your locations around absolutely gorgeous. I am having an enjoyable time reading about the places. Now, shall you add an extra seat at dinner?

Thank you all.

[roger-bliss]

I live in Wasilla, AK about 45 miles north of Anchorage. I can’t think of anyplace else to live in the summer. All sorts of beautiful scenery and lots of outdoor activities. I love the long daylight hours!!! Today for example we have close to 15 hours of daylight. During summer solstice we get around 19 hours of daylight.  I drive a dump truck during the summer. My wife just retired from the north slope (Prudhoe Bay) oil fields last December.

I used to love winter when I was involved in outdoor activities. Not so much now though. Got stuck here last winter due to health issues and covid. The shortest day light hours is around 5 during winter solstice. It can get pretty depressing.  I can’t participate in outdoor activities like I used to. Since ’07 we have wintered in AZ. Can’t imagine living anywhere else during the winter. I enjoy driving the Alcan every fall and spring in our pickup camper. We spend a lot of time riding our motorcycles during the winter months. We belong to a motorcycle camping group and hit several camp-outs during the winter. My wife worked 2 weeks on and 2 off. She commuted to work from AZ. Glad she is retired now.

 

[judy-nelson]

We are about 4600 feet elevation. On a very clear day we can see the tips of the Tetons. Nothing but bad smoke in the air this summer. Bad for breathing.  Have a reall great day. Give a smile to something in nature today.

[jen-cueva]

Hi @silvergramma, I think that now I may do better with elevation. I hope once I am fully recovered from COVID, that will be an option.

It sounds like a gorgeous place with a view of the Tetons. I have seen some pictures, but I am most certain that pictures do not do it justice.

I hope the smoke eventually will clear. I know that must be difficult for you. How are you coping? Do you stay indoors mostly?

Yes, I was outside watching it rain earlier with Sasha, our mini schnauzer. I try and get a bit of fresh air and enjoy nature most days when the humidity is not so darn high here.

Thanks for sharing. I would love to come and visit, especially during the fall.

[jen-cueva]

Wow, @wheeldog, the summer sounds beautiful in Alaska. I would certainly want to visit during the summer as, like you, I am not much of a winter person anymore.

I love that you camped and were “snowbirds” in AZ for the winter. @ripple76 lives in AZ. I love it there, too, But it has been years since I have been there.

My husband and I used to ride his motorcycle with a group, and it was so much fun. I would use a backpack to carry my oxygen and did that for years. Then, I lost some of my strength, and it was difficult for me to get on and off his bike. Eventually, he sold it. He did not enjoy going without me. Our friends suggested a trike; I said maybe when I am a tad older, LOL.

Thanks for sharing so much about why you enjoy the long days and summer in Alaska. Which months would be the best if I were to plan a trip there? Any specific months or anytime during the summer?

[judy-nelson]

With all the smoke, I stay inside most of the time. And it drives me crazy because I love being out on my porch enjoying nature. We feed the sparrows and I love to hear them chattering. We are having a little rain today which help clear out the smoke for a few days.
Our favorite thing is in the fall. We go up to the Tetons with a lunch and eat by Jenny Lake ( you can look that one up). In mid September All the visitors are mostly gone because school has started and the sky is such an amazing blue and the mountains so close. You will have to visit sometime. I’ll hold a lunch for you!  Judy.

[jen-cueva]

I am sorry @silvergramma, your porch sounds nice when the smoke clears. I hope that this rain will help it settle some. so you can get out for a short time. Sitting and watching nature with the animals and the fresh smells is therapeutic.

September sounds like an amazing time to visit. I did look up Lake Jenny; I would love to come over and sit on your porch. Now, if I could transport myself to visit you all, that would be a dream.

Thanks so much for sharing; I hope everyone is enjoying our trips like I am.

[roger-bliss]

End of May and June are the best times to visit. “Usually” that is the driest time……but……not 100%. With your situation the best way would probably be to fly and rent a motor-home. That way you have transportation and a place to eat and sleep. It will save you a lot of money and if you get tired or need a bathroom all you have to do is pull over.

My wife doesn’t want to ride her own bike any more and now that she is retired, we want to get a dog. I am thinking of selling her bike and using the money to put a side car on my bike. That way the wife and the dog could ride with me.It would be cheaper than a trike.

About 20 years ago we ran into and older couple on a Goldwing. The wife about had it riding on the back, getting cold and wet. The solution was they had a Hannigan Side car. It was fully enclosed and the husband had rigged up a heater to work off the bikes cooling system. They were pulling a tent camper behind. Both seemed to be “Happy Campers”. You guys ought to get back into riding!!!

[jen-cueva]

We have seen some with sidecars, too @wheeldog. But I mostly have seen dogs in the ones that I have seen.

That couple with the heater and all sounded like it was perfect. Plus, they were happy. We may eventually get into it again; I certainly miss the wind in my face and that freedom, nothing like it—such a cool story.

My hubby has mentioned selling our home and buying a motorhome to travel. I told him, renting one and temporary is different than full-time. Plus, we would kill one another, JK.

May is the perfect time to plan a vacation, with this Texas heat and humidity. Who knows, we may show up in your area one day. I could put my hubby to work if ya needed any truck work, Hehe.

[roger-bliss]

Might wanna give that full timing RV deal a try before selling your house. We were thinking of doing that too. However, when this covid thing made things weird…..we rethought it. Lots of people love the full time lifestyle…others try it and hate it. If you sell your house and wanna go back…it’s too late. This is a pretty good forum for full time RVers.  https://www.rvnetwork.com/?_fromLogin=1  Lots of stuff on full-timing on YouTube too.

Stop by if you make it up here….have a RV stop with water,sewer and septic.

 

[jen-cueva]

Hey @wheeldog, you make some important suggestions. I did suggest to my hubby that we should rent one for a week or 2 first. That is a major change from our home, although it is smaller as we downsized about 5 years ago. It certainly is much more space and a yard and 2 car garage.

Thanks for that link, too.

I am not ready to do that full-time for certain. I know that @cdvol3gmail-com and her hubby and furbaby did this RV lifestyle while and then COVIOD hit. So, she has some thoughts on this, too, I bet.

Wow, dog-sledding, I had no clue that we had a big-time star here. I love that article in the Chicago Tribue. That is so cool! I always loved watching dogsledding on TV but heard it is hard work. I am so happy that you shared that with us. You should be on that beer commercial, “the most interesting man in the world,” now, there is a new profession for you. Or have you done that, too? LOL

My “son-in-love” guided for fish in Alaska during his college years. He loved it; he would love to go back to Alaska and BC. He guided in both areas while in college as an engineer.

This is so much fun, and I love getting to know y’all better.

[roger-bliss]

I am not a star. lol Running dogs up here is just as common as you and your husband taking off on your motorcycle. Most all of my friends ran dogs and alot ran the Iditarod. Our normal is way different than Texas normal. Your SIL can explain it.

[jen-cueva]

Hi @wheeldog, I had to laugh as I read your response this morning.

I realize that Alaska is a different way of life than most states here, especially in Texas. But, I still think that you are a star, and I am happy that you shared that story with us.

Learning more about one another only brings us closer.

My SIL has certainly shared his love for Alaska and BC; I am headed to see him and my daughter in San Diego, Ca, tomorrow for a few days. So, know this will be part of our discussion, sometime during our time there. I will ask him all about running dogs.

[roger-bliss]

Have a fun safe trip to SD!!

Let me know what kind of rules regulations they have for Covid. I hear you need some type of vaccine passport to do things??? If so let me know how to get one.

[judy-nelson]

Thank you for sharing. We have always wanted to visit Alaska.

[roger-bliss]

Let me know if you need any help planning a trip up here. We have lived up here 43 years and both have worked in tourism. At one time I had my own tour company. The wife and I would be happy to help you out.

[jen-cueva]

Geez, @wheeldog, is there any profession that you have not tried yet? I love it!

[roger-bliss]

There is a few.;-) I used to do high adventure dogsled tours in Denali Park during the winter and drove motor coach for a cruise line in the summer. Dog mushing is where “wheel dog” came from. They are the dogs directly in front of the sled. They are the biggest, toughest and dumbest dogs in the team….they get hit in the butt with the sled every now and then and don’t get mad…….just give you the “evil eye”. I figured those traits make a good truck driver…..that’s where the name for my company came from.

My tourism adventures came before the internet so there isn’t much out there. We are talking ’80 and ’90’s. I got out of dogs when I finished the Iditarod in ’94. I was an outdoor type.  This is a cool article that was published in the Chicago Tribune when I was working for another tour company before I started my own. Got to take it with a grain of salt as travel writers have a tendency embellish stories…..kinda like the news.LOL

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1988-02-07-8803280711-story.html

This is my stats from the Iditarod. I scratched in McGrath in ’86 and finished in ’94. Didn’t come close to winning…..only 2 people finished behind me…..but finished, which was my goal.

https://iditarod.com/race/mushers/710-Roger-Bliss/

Anyway, I have always had a tendency to push myself to the limits…..still do. Guess that’s where my attitude comes from. With this PAH I push it till I have to stop, catch my breath and keep going.

You can’t let anything beat you…..gotta keep fighting. Never give up!!!

 

 

[Colleen]

I live in WA state, in the small city of Kent. It is 83 miles from Mt. Ranier but it’s breathtaking 14, 411 feet makes it appear like you can reach out and touch it. Looking at it every day is something I don’t take for granted.

The Cascades start showing hints of snow around late October and the resorts open around mid-November. I was about 8 years old the last time I was on skis but I admire those who hit the slopes every year.

I also live a little under 20 miles from Seattle where the icon of the Pacific Northwest resides – the 605 ft space needle. If you visit go to the top and enjoy the spectacular view!

I was actually born and raised in South Jersey, so I am a big seafood lover. Thankfully, being close to the Pacific Ocean, that is something I get to still enjoy. Salmon is the fish of choice here and it is delicious!

The Seattle area does live up to it’s reputation of getting a lot of rain. If that isn’t your kind of weather then the summer months and early Fall are the best times to visit here. Autumn is my favorite season and I’m in love with the WA during that time. Taking random drives to take in all the colorful trees is what I enjoy most in October – with a hot beverage from Starbucks in hand.

[roger-bliss]

Our son lived in Everett when he was in the Navy…..beautiful area. We bought our last pickup in Mt Vernon (Blade Chevy). We have spent a little time in the area. Now he lives near Bend, OR…..also a beautiful place.

If you take your shoes and socks off are your toes starting to grow together?? I hear if you live in the wet pacific north west too long you get webbed feet from all the rain.;-)

[Colleen]

@wheeldog haha guess what! My middle toes are webbed! It’s a genetic thing. My grandmother and father have it and my youngest son has it more than any of us. Truth be told that is why we moved to the Seattle area. LOL!

[roger-bliss]

Cool, you prove me right. LOL Ex DIL had the same thing….even before they moved to Everett. Never let her off the hook and razzed her about it.LOL

[jen-cueva]

Hi @colleensteele, you know that it needs to be during the fall if and when I visit Seattle. Maybe we could have a birthday celebration. 😀

Seattle is certainly another spot on my travel list. Plus, I would love to meet you and the fam. Let’s not forget @cdvol3gmail-com and Dick.

I thought that you were a bit farther from Seattle, so that is nice to know. I would love to watch the snow bunnies, but I am clumsy and could never snow ski, LOL.

Although I am taking a short trip next week, y’all are giving me a bad travel bug. I am hopeful that in the next few years that I can travel a bit more.

[carol-volckmann]

Wow Jen, what a great way to get to know folks from Australia, Alaska, Texas Gulf Coast!

We now live on the pensula of Puget Sound just west of Seattle WA. We move here from just on the east side of the Cascade mountains. Loved our mountain home. Sadly sold it because of the wildfires every summer getting worse. We then bought a 30′ motorhome and toured the country. When covid hit we bought a home here on the wetter side. As Colleen said – summer and fall are the best times to visit.

Like Colleen Dick and I both from the East Coast – Dick upper state NY and I grew up in New England.

We both ended up in the Caribbean where I sold Dick a cruising size sailboat. We have also lived in Florida, SC and NC before moving out west.

Jen when you and Manny come to the Seattle area it would be fantastic for us to get together with you, Manny and Colleen and family!!!! ????????❤

 

 

[Colleen]

@cdvol3gmail-com I some how missed the fact that you and Dick are originally from the East Coast. Do you still have your accents. I thought I lost mine but friends out here claim they can still here it. While home these past few weeks I picked up again real quick!

[jen-cueva]

Wow, @cdvol3gmail-com, Puget Sound sounds gorgeous. Like I mentioned to @colleensteele, Fall would be the time that I would love to visit y’all.

I did not realize that you grew up along the East Coast. Maybe I did and forgot, LOL.

I love that you sold him that sailboat, and now y’all are one amazing couple. How long have y’all been married? I love this story.

Thanks, @colleensteele; this topic popped in my head one day. I am happy that I posted it, too. I enjoy learning about y’all and the areas that you live in.

[sally-hoffman]

Since no-one has mentioned Florida, I will tell you about Sarasota.  It’s a lovely city.  Small, clean and lively.  It has theaters, opera, ballet etc. and many many many great restaurants.  The beaches are fantastic.  We have many, but Seista Beach is world famous.  Sarasota was the home of the Ringling Circus.   There is a wonderful circus museum and the home and museum  of John and Mabel Ringing is specutular.  It is the home of the wonderful Ringling School or Art and Design.  There is also a circus school where students learn trapeze arts.  I, too, came from the East Coast. Born and raised on Long Island and lived 12 years in Maine.  Come to visit.

[jen-cueva]

Hi @mainegal, I did guess that you lived in Maine by your name here.:D

Each time I write to you, I think I kept thinking Maine, not Florida, LOL.

Another East Coaster, wow, so interesting that we have so many of y’all who grew up along the East Coast.

The circus school, now that is the fact that I had no clue. I have heard that Sarasota is a common area for retirees; do you find that true?

How are your summers, heat, and humidity-wise? I would guess that it’s not as humid as us here along the Texas Gulf Coast. What do you think? Thanks for sharing as we travel along to your areas.

[Colleen]

@jenc I don’t know how you get up with the idea for this topic but I think it’s my all time favorite!

I’ve so enjoyed kicking back with a cup of coffee and virtually traveling around with all of you. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this discussion. This is fun!

[carol-volckmann]

You’re right Colleen, this topic is fun – thanks Jen. Neither Dick nor myself have kept our accents – I no longer say “pack your ca in the havad yad…” Going back there, the accents do have a time to sneak in there sometimes! ❤