Friday in Maryland

Another very pleasant day in the State of 'MEH-re-l'nd' (not 'MARY- land'). This morning, Carmel drove us down to Point Lookout, where there is a lighthouse at the junction of the Potomac and Chesapeake Bay. And also the remains of the civil war's Fort Lincoln. Cornfields, soy beans and red barns were all over the place. 

We passed through St. Mary's City which was the original capital city of the state and which had some replicas of the original (1634) buildings which you could pay to peruse but which we did not. Also wooden fences made with no nails - just rails interlocking really.

We saw Grace and Peace OPC church, a lovely white building set amidst tall trees, then met Lt . Col. Dave for lunch who had a half day off due to the imminent long weekend. We had some Mexican fast food which had beans, rice and salad in it and other unknown goodies but tasted good.

After lunch, Lindy and Carmel went for a drive around the Mennonite area. Here you can see a couple of the horse-drawn buggies they use to get around...

They then visited a fabric shop... enough said.

Pete went with Dave, who drove him around the naval base, pointing out the many amenities available for the 30,000 military and other personnel who work there. The main work is as a testing facility for aircraft, where needed modifications can be identified and included in the production models. There was a staggering array of hardware, as already mentioned. They finished by checking out the naval aircraft museum, full of models and actual examples of aircraft and components.

Getting home about 4 pm we spent the rest of the afternoon watching for Humming Birds, red Cardinals, and numerous other birds and squirrels while sitting outside in the soft evening light watching the water. 

Actually Dave took Dad out in the little canoe, and they looked like two old Grandpas as they lounged in their boat floating along the water down to the Potomac and back. 

Lachlan came home from his school camp so it was good to see him...both kids are sounding very American already! This has been their first week back at school after the long Summer break. They both needed their beds tonight.

It was lovely to have a leisurely dinner together and to enjoy good chats. Two of our girls rang us tonight too (Grace and Sophie) which was very special. Tomorrow it is off to DC, as Washington is called here. It has been a lovely few days here in Maryland.

Maryland, Thursday 29/08/13

On Tuesday, the first challenge was getting to the airport from our digs in Henderson, Las Vegas. This meant calling a taxi. We said goodbye to Shana, our hostess, who went off to a court hearing. Googling the taxi companies led me to believe that they were a pack of criminals, however we finally settled on Desert Cabs. The dispatcher said the taxi would pick us up shortly after 11am, so I waited outside for him, praying that there'd be no hitches. Seconds before he arrived, Shana returned and said she'd take us to the airport! I tipped the cab driver for his trouble, and Shana duly delivered us to McCarran International, where we checked our cases. We were glad to be leaving LV - what we had learned about the place and what we saw was not very encouraging!

After some lunch, we boarded our plane, which left the gate in good time, taxied out to the tarmac, and then returned to the gate. A technical hitch delayed us, so we arrived an hour late into Baltimore. It was so good to see Dave Houghton waiting for us at the baggage carousel. In no time, we had our cases, and set off on the long drive to the Houghtons' place at Tall Timbers, MD, arriving there at around 12:20am their time (3 hours later than our body clocks).

They live in a lovely waterside location in the "Landings" estate, in a house rented from the Admiral who commands the Patuxent ('Pax') River naval base, and who now lives in style on the base. Here's the front, with Grace:

And the rear deck, with Carmel.

The view down the back yard is hard to take:

(The water is an inlet of the Potomac River)

Next morning, Thursday, after Grace had gone to school (Lachlan is away on a two-day school camp), and Dave to work, Carmel took us for a drive down to St George Island. On our way back to visit the shopping centre, we were going to drive past the base when Dave rang, and invited us to drive in and pick him up. There had been a 'change of command' ceremony, and his section was open for inspection!

So we were able to see a number of aircraft which were present for testing by the base staff, including the new P8 Poseidon reconnaissance/anti-submarine warfare plane (a modified Boeing 737), and actually enjoy a conducted tour of this high-tech machine by Lt Colonel Houghton, here pictured with his wife Carmel, standing beside the P8.

Then it was to Khols store where we found shoes and shorts for Dad which were desperately needed and some other goodies. Driving home through the picturesque countryside was lovely. They grow corn and soya beans here and there are pretty red barns everywhere. We walked to the 'beach ' later, not very far away where the Potomac River is SO big it looks like the ocean. There were jellyfish visible in the water so swimming is not an option at this time of year. The children enjoy using a kayak though and, and fishing is a productive pastime.

In the evening Edd and Jennifer Cathey came for dinner. Edd is the OPC pastor of the congregation where Houghtons are members, so it was lovely to meet them, and together we enjoyed David's super smoked pork 'butt.' Edd knows Grace whom we plan to visit in Philly, but he had heard she was quite ill so we are trying to get more info and may have to modify our plans a bit.

The Grand Canyon adventure.

What an amazing day! The Lord has blessed us so much - there was no sign of the predicted rain or storms and we have been able to do all we'd hoped.

The day began with our leaving the house about 6am and walking the half hour to Green Valley Hotel. No one seemed sure of exactly where we were supposed to be waiting (including the Tour people), but thankfully the mini bus arrived and 'Gary' stowed us aboard. Only 12 people on the bus so it was nice to have it a bit more personal. Gary Bates was loud, but a mine of information and filled our brains with history and other facts all the way. That's him on the right, with Don, a member of the Hualapai people who own the Western Rim of the Grand Canyon.

We left Nevada fairly soon and found ourselves in Arizona in the Mojave Desert - bare mountains all around with some huge areas of very flat desert. Sandy pebbly earth with small grasses, very grey, red, brown appearance. The 'Joshua trees' were interesting; that is what they are called but actually they are cacti; they can be a thousand years old and this is the only place in the world where they are native. Gary pointed out numerous varieties of plants, shrubs and trees, most of which are small, as you'd expect in a desert region.

When we were leaving the pick-up point, we told Gary that we'd like to upgrade our tour to include the helicopter/boat ride, and that his booking clerk had said that we could do that at the Canyon. He assured us that would be doable, and sure enough, after we arrived at the main shop/booking area, Roy took our money, and we joined a party of four Chinese tourists. (Most of the visitors were of the Asian persuasion -- hardly any Muggles at all.)

Neither of us had ever been in a 'chopper' before, and it was great -- really exhilarating! Especially when we 'dived' off the edge of the Grand Canyon, and began our descent to the Colorado River below.

Flying close to the massive cliff faces, we slowly descended to a landing platform alongside the river.

Then it was down a rocky path to a boat, which took us upstream for a few hundred metres, then went round in circles while the pilot took photos of his passengers. The river is very deep apparently and was flowing very fast.

Too soon, we were aboard the chopper, and back to the landing area. Gary met us, and we joined a hop on/off bus to Eagle Point, where is the (in)famous Skywalk -- a glass-bottomed walkway that extends out over the Canyon. 

At $32 per head, we might have considered it, but we'd had a chopper ride, compliments of our loving children who had gotten together and presented us with a sum of US currency, with the instruction to 'do something frivolous' with it! Well I don't know whether it was 'frivolous' but we sure had to pinch ourselves realising we were in a helicopter in the Grand Canyon!!

Another visitor offered to take our picture:

It is hard to know what to say about the Canyon - it really is mind blowing. The majesty and might of our amazing God is so clearly evident. The Hualapai whose land this part of the Canyon is on want to keep it like it was for their ancestors, and so there are no fences, safety rails or nets etc. After caring for it for 25 years, they've had not one tragedy. Their community is dry and that is perhaps another reason that their record is so good whereas on the South Rim part operated by the US Govt where alcohol is permitted, safety rails and fences are installed, they have an average of 10 falls per year!

Next we went to Guano Point - so called because of the massive amount of bat guano found in a cave on the opposite side and subsequently mined using a cable car to access it. It was very beautiful here and we clambered over rocks and walked all over the area.

Part of the package was lunch at the Hualapai Ranch. We enjoyed totally scrumptious pork ribs, while being serenaded by a C&W guitarist. Outside, miscellaneous cowpokes were throwing lassos, shooting blanks, and locking up tourists. There was almost a lynching...

Then back to the Hoover Dam, where a pistol-packing security person conducted a peremptory inspection of our vehicle to make sure we were't carrying a nuclear device, or similar ( the yanks are very security conscious -- but I suppose I'd be paranoid too if everyone was out to get me).

The Hoover dams the Colorado, and forms Lake Mead behind the massive wall.

Finally, we visited Boulder City, created in the 1930s to house the 5000 dam workers who built this engineering wonder. In Hemenway Park, we encountered the (wild) Big Horn Sheep which come there to feed.

And then back to Las Vegas, where our guide kindly dropped us not far from the BnB. So tomorrow, on to Maryland, and the Houghton family!

Bellingham to Vegas

It was a hot night - well, fr non-acclimatised Canberrans, anyway! (I would like you all to know that Dad had to come and ASK ME how to operate the shower last night - did you get that - he ASKED ME!!!) Dad: yeah well, I missed the instruction video. And this was only ONCE: not EVERY place we stayed...) (Mum).. Excuses, excuses!

At this BnB, we were introduced to some new (to us) gadgets: first, a wine 'spritzer,' which is a kind of funnel through which you pour your wine, and air is introduced through a narrow, horizontal port. It also filters out any sediment, and the drink actually tastes better! The other was a spring-loaded device which you place over the upper part of your boiled egg. When you pull and release the spring, the cup fractures the top of the egg in a neat circle, so it is ready for beheading.

Dixie and Don served up a scrumptious breakfast, and we learned that we were their first Australian guests. They very kindly drove us to the airport, where we stood in the check-in line for a while, and made it through security without being arrested, or strip-searched. They did, however, confiscate some contraband: two bottles of dihydrogen monoxide (H2O). Now waiting in the departure hall.

The first leg of our trip was uneventful, and we landed in Seattle on time. Our bags were checked through to LV so all we had to do was wait for our next flight. This time, it was a 737-700 and we had changed our seats to the left side, hoping we might see Mts Baker, Rainier or even St Helen's. Thanks to the clouds, we saw none of them!

We arrived on time at 1:50pm into Las Vegas, and after collecting our bags (we later found that TSA had opened Lindy's to check something - not a bottle of water, but probably a bottle of maple syrup!), we caught a cab to our next BnB, in Henderson. Our cabbie was a real African - from Ghana- and had been here only 12 months. He told us LV has a population of 2 million so it's a very big city stuck out here in the middle of the desert, and mostly revolves around gambling and entertainment. We were amazed to see slot machines along the concourse at the Airport even. There is gold and oil in them thar hills so there is a bit of honest industry!

Our hostess, Shana Bachman, came home  and introduced us to Lilly (she is trying to eat the 'pen' as I'm writing this) and Gideon, the resident cats who are overly friendly. We'd already been enjoying their company. Lilly has a pug face - very funny looking. 

Shana is an Attorney here and one of the world's beauties (her Mother is Korean).

Well the weather for tomorrow is revolving around a cyclone and there may be thunderstorms and flash floods in the Colorado River. We know the Lord does all things well so we'll wait and see. We've worked out our 2 1/2 km walk to where we have to be picked up for the tour to the Canyon so plan to leave at 6.15am with umbrellas and ponchos at the ready. 

Sunday - Vancouver and Bellingham, USA

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Saturday in Vancouver

We enjoyed a 'long lie' this morning and then blueberry pancakes with maple syrup again - oh it's hard to handle! It was good to have time to catch up on washing etc and chatting to some of you guys at home. In the afternoon we went to visit the Stels. This family looked after Dad in 1989 when he was here for the ICRC meeting. They have 4 sons and the youngest, Verne (here in photo) was 9 years old then. He was able to call to see us as he actually remembered Dad and said, 'Didn't you have a beard!' (Verne is a 'realtor' -- a real estate agent. See below.)

We had such a special time with Harry and Siska for an hour and a half. The Lord's family is such a blessing.

Ted and Kwee had taken us, slumming it again in their open topped Subaru!! But as Ted was a bit unwell we just came straight home afterwards, enjoying a walk and then another special time of wining and dining outside in the beautiful Summer evening. Dad has been fixing and helping with computer, TV and DVD problems so hopefully all is fixed now.

Rob 'face-timed' us tonight as he drove across the flat treeless plains of South Australia: such a contrast to the massive rugged mountains and glaciers, and huge and prolific pine trees we saw yesterday. So good to hear from him though.

Friday trip to Whistler

Another marvellous day. After a delicious bacon and eggs breakfast, we set off for the town of Whistler, about 150km trip from here. Whistler was the location for some of the 2010 Winter Olympics events, and the final medal presentation ceremony.

On the way up Route 99 (Sea to Sky Hwy) we made a couple of stops to admire some beautiful waterfalls. The first one was Shannon Falls, south of Squamish, at the top of Howe Sound. Perhaps surprisingly, we felt no ill-effects from being at Squamish.

We stopped at Tantalus Viewpoint for morning tea. Here there was a wonderful vista of snow-capped mountains, the highest of which was 7500 feet. When we get home, I'll stitch some photos into a panorama, but here are a couple to give the idea:

Next was Brandywine Falls, 47km north of Squamish. It's allegedly named thus after the prize in a competition between two lumberjacks to guess its height, many years ago. (These days, it's 70m high.)

En route, we called by a place to get up close and personal with a brown bear. And yeah, I kept my head this time.

We arrived at Whistler and found that we had loads of company! It's school holidays just now, and the ski runs are serving as mountain bike runs. The kids ride the chair lifts up, and then come speeding down. Great fun. Also, this weekend, there's an ironman comp. there, and the place was rapidly filling up with competitors, support teams and spectators. Here's part of the extensive mall precinct:

We enjoyed pizzas at a local joint, from where we could see mountain bikers and chair lifts.

As mentioned above, Whistler has an Olympic Games connection, so the mandatory photo was taken with one of us in an arm wrench...

After leaving the very pretty town, Ted took us to see some local holiday cabins. So Shell, this is what we're looking for, on about an acre or so! Can you see what you can do? The mountain view is pretty important too. I guess we can manage without the glaciers as I don't think there's too many of those around Newcastle.

Then we headed down the mountain, stopping a couple of times, including at Porteau Cove which is on Howe Sound and where several shipwrecks have been sunk as a haven for pretty fish and snorkelers to enjoy. It is very fjord-like with the very high Coastal Mountains coming right down to the sea and apparently the water is also very deep.

We also passed the Cliffs of Insanity...

And then to Horseshoe Bay where we watched the massive ferries come in and load the hundreds of cars waiting and then leave for Vancouver Island and other places further north. We had fish and chips watching this idyllic scene before heading home as 4 tired bunnies!!

Thursday in Vancouver

Today we were in recovery mode so had a slow start and a leisurely breakfast. We did go for a 4 km walk in Tynehead Reserve. It is a lovely large tract of bush land with the Serpentine River (just a creek really) running through it which issues in to Mud Bay where we visited the day we arrived. This river is where salmon up to a metre long go up to spawn and die. It happens in about a month's time so we didn't see any, but we were amazed at how they get up this creek which is just like a bubbling mountain stream full of rocks, tree trunks and not very deep.

We saw many Maple trees, also more Hemlocks (memories of Socrates?), Cedars and Douglas Firs - all very big trees. It was a lovely walk but at 29°C we were very hot when we got back.

At the top of the walk in front of a maple tree.

Kwee made us a delicious lunch which is a Montreal delicacy: smoked meat with pickled cucumbers, and mustard. It was very yummy. We seem to be doing a lot of eating!!

Tomorrow the plan is to go to Whistler which is on the edge of the Rocky Mts so it will be a big day - about 150km north.

Wednesday in Vancouver

Praise God for sleep...it actually was almost 12 hours. Anyway we both felt so revived and almost normal (?).  Kwee made us a super brekky - blueberry pancakes with Maple Syrup; very yummy. 

Then we set off for Stanley Park which is a major attraction in Vancouver. It is a large area of bush on a sort of peninsula covered in Rain forest, just north of the CBD. A storm in December 2006 severed and destroyed over 10,000 trees but now it looks quite dense with tall trees so you can imagine how big it must be. 

The Vancouver area reminds us somewhat of Auckland cos everywhere you look there is water. 

We did some walks including one to see the Lions Gate Bridge where I could hear 'Meditation' being played so beautifully. As we walked nearer the sound it was a man playing a one-stringed violin type instrument. It was so lovely; he then played Canon! (The pic is specially for you, Jen!)

Dad bought us a (huge) walnut and maple syrup ice cream...mmmmmm.

We saw a blue Heron which apparently can disguise itself in various ways, also lots of Canadian Geese. 

We had lunch on one of the Points seeing many big ships waiting to come into the harbour. Coal, timber and minerals are some of the big exports from here.

Then it was to Grouse Mt. which is not too far from the CBD but spectacular. It is like a tourist resort and you get to it by going up 1100m in a gondola. 

Incredible views of the city as well as the rugged mountains near and far. We were struck by seeing Mt Baker which is in Washington State (US) and is over 4000 m high, covered in snow and appearing out of the mist, with the sun on it. 

Our first visit on Grouse was to Grinder and Coola -- two grizzly bears who have been raised from cubs in captivity. So Harry, here is your picture:

After the lumberjack show, we went on a second chair-lift to the top, where there is one of those useless bird-killing windmills (it wasn't turning). 

Great views, though!

The final thrill was the birds-in-motion show, all raptors. Memories of our visit to Taronga Zoo. Amazing. First was a bald eagle... Still young, so still has his top feathers (unlike some humans I know). 2 metre wingspan.

Then the horned owl, which was very cute (but bore no letters).

A ferruginous hawk

A turkey vulture named Judge Dredd. One of nature's garbage collectors.

Some kind of falcon (not a Ford)

Leaving the mountain after 5 hours, Ted drove us to Burnaby Mt, to watch the sun set over the water.

Pretty spectacular.

Then home for four tired tourists!