May 5th Eerie Canal

May 5

Went to Erie lock cruise....crazy cool

Saw tiffany glass windows on outside of 1^st Pres church in Lockport

Underground railroad site at Murphy’s Orchards

Shopped for yummy jams there

Lake Ontario...weve seen all 4 borders of the USA

Stopped at Fort

Beautiful landscape on way to Niagara

Met up with Jessie Mack

Took pics of 3 sisters falls

Missing Maddie as she is at home at her Horn Blower Yacht cruise that they went on for the JSB this year......it ends up that Brandon asked Madison to go with him when we were at the statue of liberty.....they called us to tell us about the night.....Mrs. Fruchey asked them to teach the other kids how to classic dance and they did a dance demo of cha cha, nightclub 2 step, East Coast and West Coast Swing and a waltz....awesome!!!  At one point, the crowd parted and it was just Brandon and Madison out on the dance floor dancing.....how fun for them!!!  Madison was so excited

The Erie Canal boat ride opens today and we are going on the first boat ride of opening day.  We are very excited!  We had to drive about a ½ hour north from Niagara Falls to get to Lockport.  Thankfully when we arrived it was not crowded even though it was opening day.  Our boat was a cute little wooden boat about 20 feet long, with a open sides and a canvas covering. 

The Erie Canal was built between 1817 and 1825 and became American’s most successful and influential public works project.  It is 363 miles long and was the first all-water link between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes.    New York’s Governor, DeWitt Clinton tirelessly promoted the project even though New York thought he was crazy.    Many skeptical people nick named it as “Clinton’s Ditch” because they thought it could never be done, but Clinton proved them wrong!    It was 4 feet deep and 40 feet wide, cutting through fields, forests, rocks, cliffs, swamps, and it overcame hills with 83 lift locks.  It was the engineering marvel of the 19th Century.  When planning for the canal, there wasn’t a single school of engineering in the United States, so this massive project served as the nation’s first practical school of civil engineering.     For eight long years the men battle the we, heat, and cold, as the cut down trees and dug mostly by hand and animal power, mile after mile.    They created equipment to uproot trees and pull stumps and developed hydraulic cement that hardened under water.  They used hand tools and black powder to blast rocks.   The Erie Canal fulfilled Clinton’s ideas that New York would be America’s most prominent state, and would generate major wealth for itself and the nation.  The Erie Canal carried more westbound immigrants than any other transportation system and these immigrants spread the nation with different languages, customs, practices, and religions. 

Lake Erie is 570 feet higher than the Hudson River at Albany.  The original Canal had 83 stone-walled locks that lifted and lowered boats in a staircase.  Now the Canal has 35 locks.  Sixteen locks were required to climb out of the deep Hudson Valley and then they climbed steadily until the final barrier west at Lockport where the twin, five-lock stair cases, called “the Lockport Flight” climbed the steep Niagara embankment, which is where we went on our boat trip.   Finally a deep rock was cut and opened the water path to Lake Erie. 

Our boat ride began at the town of Lockport and we immediately went into the 2 locks that replaced the “the Lockport Flight” of five.    

It was fascinating watching the water flow into the lock and to see the boat rise up, in one lock and then the next.   After going through the locks the captain told us information on the history of the locks and canal.  After cruising for a while  we went under a bridge that was 399 feet wide – the second widest bridge in the world  . . . I’ve never seen anything like it.

The captain talked about the foot bridge where the donkeys would walk to pull the boats from 1825 to the 1860’s when they used steam.    We went back through the lock, down the canal, and under 2 lift bridges (not draw bridges that split apart, but a bridge that lifts straight up for boats to go underneath.  Today mostly recreational  boats go through the canal and it will take at least a week to go from Lake Erie to the Hudson River camping along the way.  It was a very fun experience to ride the boat & I’m so glad that we waited 2 days to do it. 

Next we went to downtown Lockport to the visitor center where they had a fabulous hands on museum of the Erie Canal.  The kids loved it!  Next door they had the beautiful  First Presbyterian Church with the famous original Tiffany stain glass windows.   Unfortunately the church wasn’t open but we got to look from the outside.

In the visitors center, they had information about an Underground Railroad museum and we inquired about it since we were going to miss the one in Cincinnati (it’s closed on the Sunday that we were going to be there).    It was on the way back to Niagara Falls so we decided to stop there.  It was an adorable old farm called Murphy’s Orchard.  It had a beautiful old colonial style brick house that  was built in the 1840’s. 

The bricks were all made on this farm.  The owner, Mrs. Murphy, has now has turned the front parlor, living room, study, and dining area of the home into an adorable tea room.  She also uses the land still to grow all kinds of fruits and vegetables and then she turns them into amazing preserves.  We were in awe when we walked into the tea room and saw all the yummy choices of preserves. 

The lady at the desk in the tea room took us to the barn where the Underground Railroad was and told us all about the history of this farm.  It was a very small museum but it was the original site and was made a National Historical Site several years ago.  They had a video for us to watch about the Underground Railroad and actual pictures from this spot, and the main thing that the kids learned was that the Underground Railroad was not underground and it was not a railroad.  It was free men and women secretly helping the blacks escape from slavery.   It was called underground because it was very secretive and the railroad represented the different types of transportation – on foot, by boat, by train, etc.   The slaves hid in their cellar basement that had no windows and was barely a 10 x10 foot space, and they would stay there for months.  Eventually they would escape into freedom.   It was awesome to see a non-commercialized, free place to teach the kids about the Underground Railroad. 

The other half of the barn was another area that Mrs. Murphy had turned into a little store for all her amazing preserves.  She had combinations that I had never heard of so we just had to buy some . . . .  watermelon jam, blueberry/raspberry jam, peach butter, kiwi jam, loganberry jam, pear spice butter. . . . we had a hard time choosing, but I think we bought one of something we had never tried before.   What a wonderful treasure that we found this adorable farm. 

When we left Murphy’s Orchard we drove straight north for about 5 minutes and we were at Lake Ontario.  We had the kids get out on go out on the pier of the small park we stopped at to see how large it is!  Now we can officially say the we have been at the four borders of the United States – Pacific Ocean, Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, and now Lake Ontario.

 We drove back on the north, west route to Niagara Falls and passed through 2 adorable old historic towns, with beautiful houses right on Lake Ontario and the Niagara River.  We were debating how much the houses might cost on the water, and our police friend, Jessie Mack, told us that they were about $250,000 – hard to believe they are so cheap, yet on water and beautiful!!   Hummm . . . do I think I could live here??

We stopped at Old Fort Niagara which was an active military post built in 1726 by the French.  Britain gained control of the Fort in 1759, during the French & Indian War, and held the post throughout the American Revolution.  They were force, by a treaty, to yield it to the United States in 1796.  It was recaptured by the British in 1813, and then surrendered to the United States for a second time in 1815, at the end of the war of 1812.   Even though we were too late to go into the fort, it was beautiful on the outside, built to look like a French Castle. 

We drove back to the police station by the Horseshoe Falls to find our police friend Jessie Mack to say goodbye and to give him some yummy jam that we bought at Murphy’s Orchid.  When we got to the station, he was there, and the kids were thrilled to see him.  He called us his ‘ Extended family”  and was  really happy to see us.  He told us that he had to take the guy last night threatening to jump to the hospital and that he was safe – we were happy to hear that.  He took us for another ride to the 3 sisters islands and we exchanged email information and then said goodbye.  He was an awesome man and we were blessed to have met him!!

On The Two Year Anniversary of "The Trip"

The Gillette and Douglas (missing Brandon) families March 18, 2014

This morning I woke with a quizzical feeling of “I am supposed to be doing something.”  It was just a run of the mill Tuesday with nothing more than laundry, schoolwork and perhaps a stop at the library to pick up the book I have on hold.  But then it comes to me that this is MARCH 18^TH.  It is the anniversary of our AWESOME adventure across the USA in 2012 or “THE TRIP” as we refer to it.  I closed my eyes and remembered back to what we were doing exactly two years ago at this moment.  We were rushing to pack the last items into their allotted areas, shower and stuff the cold food into the small fridge and ice chest.   We waved goodbye to husbands and Brandon as we set out onto the open road ready to experience all it had to offer us.  None of us really knew all that awaited us but we would not be disappointed in the long run.  As most who have embarked on a life changing adventure would agree, we have been left with a wanderlust in our hearts to continue on.   Pam and I talk often of the next chapter in our story that we desire to fulfill, the Northern border of the USA.  All too soon, we will be empty nesters with no children to tote along with us so we both feel the pressing down of the sand draining out of the hour glass.  With both of us working and teaching middle and high schoolers, we feel the pressures of daily life taking over us.  Time and money dictate those precious moments available to spend on trips but the dream lives on. We both will never regret the huge investment that we have made into our kids lives and memories.  The frequent comments when we read about or see pictures of the places that we have been are a welcome reminder to me of that.  To think that we may have inspired others to follow through on their own dreams is a nice thought, too.  Both my New Jersey relatives who traversed the country west this past summer and my brother, that will travel across the country this next summer, have made their dream to travel a reality.

 Today as I look at pictures, I am reminded of how quickly time passes….the kids have all grown so much.  True it has only been two years but their lives have changed a lot since "the trip".  I texted Pam a “Happy Anniversary” message and we both agreed that the blessings that we have experienced were worth the planning and saving.  To commemorate our trip we will have our second annual southern BBQ get together.  Our menu will include BBQ chicken, salad, baked beans, potatoes, cornbread and of course, benets.  Late, as always, we rush to get to our anniversary dinner at the Douglases.  Will things ever change???  Maybe not, but I hope that Pam and I have successfully given our kids a confidence to take off on adventures of their own and that they will see fun and exciting things in the future.  Who knows where the road will lead.......

On the One Year Anniversary of our Epic Adventure......reflecting for a magazine submission

Years ago when our oldest daughter was a first grader, a dream began to grow in the back of my mind and in my heart.  A dream that would eventually become a reality, but I'm getting ahead of myself.  At the end of kindergarten, I had decided to home school our daughter and was very excited to teach and encourage her to learn through hands on activities and experiences.  This would lead to many fun field trips and unit studies that made learning fun and real.  Eventually, we would add a younger brother and a baby sister to our family and I would make a new friend with children similar ages to my own.    As girlfriends go we discovered that we had a lot in common, especially a desire to help our children to learn from doing and exploring.   When it was time to take on the subject of our state history, we decided to traverse our beautiful state of California together, with our 6 young children, to learn about the diverse cultures and history that make our state great.  Our little band of excited adventurers toured from Northern California south to Monterey and all the way to San Diego, visiting along the way most of the California Missions, forts, the Kings Highway, the San Diego Zoo, Old Town San Diego, Solvang, and on separate outings the historic sites in Sacramento,  San Francisco, and Fort Ross on the north coast.  A few years later, we would do a similar trek a second time focused on the 3 younger kids. 

As we conquered these trips, we began to talk of our similar interest  to teach our children USA history by traveling.   We both dreamed of visiting Washington DC before our oldest children left for college.  The trips throughout the state of California had given us confidence that we could do it.  We decided to plan a 10 day RV trip with both of our families to the Grand Canyon.  Given the relative closeness to California, it seemed like a logical choice.  We traveled through the state of Nevada and into Arizona, stopping in Las Vegas and the Hoover Dam along the way.  It was a great trip where we made many fun memories, hiked along the  canyon rim, experienced beautiful views, rafted the Colorado River, saw ancient drawings on the walls of the cliffs, and  laughed ourselves silly at my husband and the 3 older children sleeping in a tent while it lightly snowed!!   

Where the seed had been planted before, the real dream was born, to traverse our great country and learn as much American history along the way.  We would spend MANY hours collaborating together to come up with a perfect plan for our ROAD TRIP EXTRAORDINAIRE!  During the next two summers, it was amazing to see our adventure take shape as we sat on the beach at Tahoe with our maps, atlases, iphones and trip binders.  We used AAA Trip Tik to plan our route and we would affectionately joke that we were modeling  this trip something like "Around the World in 80 Days", one of our children's favorite movies and book.  We decided to shorten it and make this fantastic trek around the USA in 75 days  and as our plans became more fantastic, ours and the kids excitement level grew.  We talked about it for so long that it sometimes felt like it was just a dream that would continue to allude us.  Finally, we put a concrete date on our departure and all of sudden it became a reality.  We intended to travel from mid March until May 31st, driving across the southern states and up the east coast, making our way back across the midwest to safely arrive back in California.  Our trip would take us to 37 states, traversing 13,000 miles of mountains, beaches, plains and deserts.  We planned to drive my friend's RV, stopping along the way to stay with friends and relatives and visit every important historical site we could find.  As the day of our departure grew closer, we made the final preparations, packed and laid in food supplies.  March 18, 2012 dawned early as we arose and excitedly pulled out of the driveway.  We were so excited!!  We rambled down the highway, 2 moms, 5 children and one packed to gills RV.  Did we have every we needed?  Too late, we would have to make do or stop at Walmart.....haha.  Over the course of the next 10 weeks, we would all grow closer, experience weather we have never imagined, see sites that were beautiful, meet many interesting people, learn about our country, and find real pleasure in the simple things in life (like clean bathrooms, full size refrigerators, and being on time...ha-ha).  We would get lost numerous times, close down almost every site we visited (yes, I am serious), arrive after closing time at almost every campground we stayed at, drive through scary lightning in Texas, snow in New Mexico, torrential rain in Louisiana, heat in the Midwest, choking smoke from fires in Colorado.  Amazingly, the only automotive trouble that we would encounter would be to get locked out of the RV one time.  We would see both foreign countries and the four bodies of water that border our country.  We experienced travel via RV, bikes, subways, trains, planes, boats, horse drawn buggies, ferries and, of course, walking many miles each day.  Along the way, we did our best to blog each day.  In this modern age, internet connections continually failed which taught us to just go with the flow!  Each day brought with it new experiences, stress, laughter and FUN!  Our children learned more in this 10 week period of time than some people learn in all of their years of schooling. 

Some of our favorite experiences were Williamsburg, Annapolis,  Hershey, PA, Washington DC, Mt. Rushmore, the Mule Trading Post in Missouri, getting a personal tour from a state policeman at Niagara Falls and buffalo herds in Wyoming.  At Antietam,  scene of the most deadly Civil battle, we made dinner in the RV while the kids climbed up a tower overlooking the Bloody Lane.  They gazed over the serene countryside imagining the battle that had occurred there.  In Philadelphia, we met Betsy Ross and ate at the restaurant that George Washington had his inaugural ball at.  In Plymouth, we would walk in the footsteps of my ancestor, John Alden, who was one of the pilgrims that arrived on the Mayflower.  I felt great pride seeing Plymouth Rock, knowing that my 9th great grandfather, John,  was the first one of the pilgrims to touch this rock as they came ashore.   At Ellis island, I emotionally traced my hand over the name of my grandfather that is on the wall of immigrants there.  While touring DC, we stopped at the National Archives.....what a feeling to stand in front of THE Declaration of Independence!   Walking under the earth at Mammoth Cave in KY was amazing!  In Kansas, we were thrilled to meet family that we had never met before.  We were blessed to visit and enjoy the hospitality of friends and family in 8 states.  I know that I speak for us all when I say that I have been awed to walk in history's footsteps.  Our countries story amazes me.

Our families enjoyed tasting many new culinary delights including catfish, jambalaya, hush puppies and bread pudding in Louisiana, benets from Cafe du Monde in New Orleans, delicious bbq throughout the south, deep fried peanuts and deep fried corn on the cob in Charleston,  SC, homemade pretzels and authentic root beer in Lancaster, PA,  lots of chocolate in Hershey, PA, NY cheesecake from Jrs. in NY, lobster rolls in Maine, real maple syrup and fabulous cheeses in Vermont,  lobster tails and other pastries at Carlos Bakery in NJ and Mikes in Boston, handmade candy at Hammonds candies and tea tasting at Celestial Seasonings both in CO .  Just thinking about it makes me hungry!

We would celebrate the birthdays of my girlfriend and both of her daughters, grieve the death of my father in law,  and reconnect with relatives and old friends.  In truth, this trip was a coming of age for us all as we lived in small spaces with 7-10 people (both dads and her son would join us at different times) in a small RV and experienced life on the road.  For 10 weeks, time stood still yet raced ahead at break neck speed all at the same time. 

Our final historical site was the Promontory National Historic Park where the golden spike was driven to connect the first transcontinental railroad.  As we exited the park and began the final leg through Utah and Nevada, we all felt a sense of finality.  We would drive past the Bonneville Salt Flats and then spend a day at Lake Tahoe before we finally made it home.  We all felt a strong sense that we would never be at this exact place again.  Home and families awaited us but behind us lay the stuff that legends are made of....the trip of a lifetime, memories not to be forgotten and the words all parents love to hear, "Mom, when are we going on another trip?"

As we drove that final leg of our trip, a strange pall settled over us.  We made two final stops in Fairfield at tour sites (Jellybelly and Budweiser) not wanting the trip to be over.  While we were excited to arrive home, each one of us had feelings of sadness.  It was the end of something epic.  We reflected on the funny parts of the trip and each one of the kids shared their favorite memories.  Entering the homestretch, my girlfriend turned on "Life is a Highway" and we all sang the lyrics loudly .  Awaiting us as we entered the driveway and crossed the finish line, were welcome home banners, race flags, friends and family, hugs, and a fabulous CAKE!  Our husbands had arranged a welcome home party.   What a sweet way to end our fabulous adventure!

One year later, as we celebrated The Trip Anniversary, we gathered together and cooked some of the yummy things that we had sampled while traveling.  It was fun to have each person comment on something that they fondly remembered from our adventure.  Good times, good memories. 

We are currently still working on the timeline and history books that the kids are making.  These books include pictures, information, facts, and memories they have about our momentous tour.  Many of  the 20,000 plus pictures that I took will make their way into these books.  I have always enjoyed travelling and history is my favorite subject so it is only natural that my enthusiastic travel companion and I have already begun to plan for our next trip to see the North Western states that were not included in the last adventure.  The kids are looking forward to it and so am I.  We need some new sweatshirts.......

May 31st.......The Long Road Home

 

 A morning of dragging feet as we all packed up, reloaded the rv, cleaned the condo and took a few quick pictures down at the lake.  We knew that we would be back in the next few weeks to laze on the beach but we all felt a strong sense that we would never be at this exact place in time again.  Home and families awaited us but behind us lay the stuff that legends are made of....the trip of a lifetime, memories not to be forgotten and the words all parents love to hear, "Mom, when are we going on another trip?"

 

leaving glorious Tahoe

 

Packing up and heading out for the last time this trip,,,,

Sweetbriar Condo on Lake Tahoe

 

...on the road again.....



See you at home!!

 

crossing the mountains of Tahoe

 

 

 

 

Lunch in Roseville with Pam's parents



As we drove that final leg of our trip, a strange pall settled over us.  We made two final stops in Fairfield at tour sites (Jellybelly and Budweiser) not wanting the trip to be over.  While we were excited to arrive home, each one of us had feelings of sadness.  It was the end of something epic.  We reflected on the funny parts of the trip and each one of the kids shared their favorite memories.  Entering the homestretch, Pam turned on "Life is a Highway" and we all sang the lyrics loudly .  Awaiting us as we entered the driveway and crossed the finish line, were welcome home banners, race flags, friends and family, hugs, and a fabulous CAKE!  Our husbands had arranged a welcome home party.   What a sweet way to end our fabulous adventure!



LIFE IS A HIGHWAY.....I WANT TO RIDE IT ALL NIGHT ALONG



 

heading down the homestretch......



......as we rounded the corner we were
 surprised to see a WELCOME HOME party!!!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 





crossing the finish line......we are HOME


 

love messages from our friends and family



 

 

Celebrating a trip well done with my travel buddy

our friend Jami made us the most FABULOUS cake




 Are you kidding??  We are whackos... ..we jumped in the back to get a little more info onto our blogs........
Just can't stay away from out little bedroom space!!!!!

Yes we did shop on this trip!!!  We brought home many keepsakes

This was my bedroom for the trip.......


 



As we unloaded just the important things from the rv that night, I had a few tears for it to be over.  It almost felt like mourning the end of something great.  After spending 3 months together, I was sad to think of not seeing Pam and the girls the next day.  Of course, we were excited to see Tim, Dave and the doggies, to share all of our treasures from the trip and tell of all of the adventures but life responsibilities and LAUNDRY awaited!!  Ah, reality.  Pam and I hugged and made a plan to finish unloading and cleaning the rv over the next few days.  I know that this will not be the last trip I share with her and her family.  I praise God for our friendship and the gift that He has given us.  I know that this has been a special "once in a lifetime" experience and I will never forget it.

 

 

1 Corinthians 1:4

I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.

 





 

 





May 30th...Tahoe and a day of rest (sort of)

 

Where is that special place that you feel refreshed?  Tahoe is that special place for me!  No matter the time of year or the accommodations, the moment I step foot from the car upon arrival I experience an immediate feeling of peace and a coming home of sorts.  I absolutely love Tahoe and the same old feelings came over me as we pulled into the parking lot of Sweetbriar last night or should I say early this morning.  Ha ha!  Even this morning, as we woke to sounds of paving trucks, the sense of peace and rest came over me.  We have been through some of the most wonderful and intense days of our life during this dream trip of a lifetime.  Today would be a day to recall some of those as Pam and I worked on our blogs and sorted through memorabilia for the history books that the kids are working on.  We all slept in......it was a glorious feeling to not be rushing to leave and just be able to "stay home".  The weather was pleasant and we donned shorts and bathing suits.  Of course, the water was chilly but the warm sunshine felt heavenly!!  We lugged our chairs and laptops to the beach and lounged while writing furiously to try to catch our blogs.  We got a little crispy on our legs and shoulders....oops!!  It was a nice day and we are beginning to feel a little rested...so thankful
for a day to recoup before we enter the real world again........life begins again tomorrow.



Catching some rays while catching up the blogs.....



digging caves for the hermit crabs



having fun on the beach with the hermit crabs





Brit and Mad enjoy the chilly water with snow in the mountains above



the big girls worked to finish their blogs, too



movie time.....



what a mess we made while working on history books.....

 









May 29.....May God continue the unity of our Country as this Railroad unites the two great Oceans of the world.  ~~engraved on the Golden Spike  

True to form, we woke up a little late (can you believe that one?)and hurried to get going on our way to Promontory Summit to visit the Golden Spike National Park.  Our drive took us about 45 minutes to get there but it was a nicer part of Utah than we had previously seen,  fields and some hills.  Seeing so much of the country, I feel like a real estate expert by this time.  Utah is not really my favorite.  It is pretty dry and not particularly nice to look at.  When we pulled into the parking lot, it was still early so there were only a few cars. 

The kids had the full attention of the rangers and that was great.  They immediately started to work on the Jr. Ranger books.  They were excited to do one last book, since we had thought that Arches would be the last one. 

We were pleased to know that the train would arrive around 10:00 which was shortly after our arrival.  Christian rushed to go outside to the tracks in great expectation of seeing the train come in.  In no time at all, No. 119 pulled in to the station which is located on the actual site of the final meeting of the rails. About 1.7 miles of track have been relaid on the original roadbed where the rails were joined.  No. 119 is a replica of the Union Pacific steam locomotive that met the Jupiter, the Central Pacific steam locomotive, on the tracks at Promontory Summit on May 10, 1869. 

After a golden spike was symbolically tapped, a final iron spike was driven to connect the railroads binding together the East and West.  In the end the Central Pacific had laid 690 miles of track and the Union Pacific had laid 1086 miles to make a grand total of 1,776 miles of track.  It took 6 years and about 50 million dollars to complete this monumental task.  Both sides required immense amounts of laborers.  The Union Pacific would employ Irish, German, and Italian immigrants, Civil War veterans from both sides, ex-slaves and even American Indians, 8-10,000 in all.  The Central Pacific would rely on several thousand low paid Chinese workers to do the bulk of the work from Sacramento into the Sierra Nevada and on to Promontory.  Coming from the east, Union Pacific started on easier terrain but they had raids by the Sioux and Cheyenne to worry about.  In the west, the Central Pacific faced the rugged Sierra Nevada range almost immediately.  Both faced logistical problems with keeping supplies replenished.  Every rail, spike, and locomotive for the Central Pacific had to be shipped 15,000 miles around Cape Horn before even getting to San Francisco to be transported up to the railway crews.  The Chinese workers hand chiseled with picks and then nitroglycerin to blast 15 tunnels through the Sierra granite, sometimes only gaining 8 inches a day.  At one point, the Union Pacific laid 8.57 miles of track in one day and laid down the gauntlet, with a $10,000 bet, that it could not be beaten.  The Central Pacific gladly took up the challenge and on April 28, 1869 successfully laid 10 miles 56 feet Of track near Promontory.

  There is a marker there that recognizes this accomplishment.  Both sides used surveyors, grading crews, tunnel crews, trestle builders, and track layers to get the railway put through.  Indian raids, the weather, and disputes between laborers were all deterrents to the success of the quest.  But persevere they did and eventually the work paid off to open America’s final frontier to better supply and trade routes, better postal service, tighter army control over Indian disputes, and quicker intercontinental travel and emigration.  The nation’s second transcontinental telegraph was strung alongside as the track advanced, allowing better communication through the country.  The ones to suffer through this expansion were the Native Americans who stood by and watched more of their lands open up to expansion and the buffalo almost die off due to overhunting and senseless killing.   Still, the indomitable spirit that drives us as Americans helped to settle the west and bring our country closer linked.  This spirit lives on in our quest for space travel and progression in technology.  We as a people have a desire to work hard and achieve our dreams......something we have seen on this journey we have been on, we can all appreciate and learn from this.

 

As we came into Bountiful, we decided to stop for gas, SLURPEES (a new favorite reward for doing writing...that and licorice, gum and Adventures in Odyssey.....who says bribery doesn't work), Starbucks and taco salads from Chipotle for the drivers(our rewards for hours of driving through the miles of nothingness)!  Bonus:  Starbucks had city mugs for Utah and we scooped them up.  Gracie, with all of the innocence of a child, asked us the other day "where are we going to put all of these new Starbucks mugs?"  Hmmmmm...guess we are cleaning out a cupboard.  I may have to convince a certain aunt of mine to get me the ones from Copenhagen and Paris.  While we were in town, we mailed the final few postcards.  WOW....I can’t recall how many postcards my little family has written on this incredible adventure but I would venture to say it may be close to 100 or more.  I know that sometimes I have mailed 20 at a time.  On top of that the kids have been writing in their history books about every place that we have visited...which has been no small task.   

 

at the Salt Lake Marina...that is the lake in the blue

passing MORTON salt on the way to the salt flats...

walking on the salt flats at Bonneville, UT

As we began our next leg towards returning home, via hwy 80 (yeah it's our hwy), we would traverse the same desert that some pioneers went through in wagons and horses.  It was a hot and dry day on the desert leaving Salt Lake City and on into the Bonneville Salt Flats. 

We got out and walked on the salt and the girls bagged some to bring home.  Christian had a good time digging in the salt.  There was a film crew staging a scene with two horses and we watched them as they set up on the bright sunny flat.  They told us they film from 4-9 am and 4-9 pm when the sun is not directly overhead.  Easy to understand why, we were so hot!! 

strange desert art on the way to the salt flats.....on Hwy 80

Hello Nevada....Goodbye Utah

Entering Nevada gave us all a "getting closer to home" feeling.  Although, this part of Nevada is not like home at all....dry, desolate land.  Stopping for gas, Christian was surprised to see gambling machines in the gas station.  I have to say, it was sad to see people sitting mindlessly staring at the gambling machines.....gas is going up $3.79-$4.09 along the way. 

our classroom on wheels.....state facts.....

The drive was mind numbingly boring, so we popped in the Adventures in Odyssey to listen to in the break times from writing.  The kids were very motivated to finish their writing in order to listen to a few episodes...no worry we had plenty of time to do both on this drive!!  We finally pulled into Tahoe around 1:00 am.  Good thing that we got an extra hour back today when we left Mountain time and entered Pacific time.  Pam and I, very trickily, parked the RV in the small spaces (we did take up more than one) at the condos that her dad owns.  Phew, glad that is done with.  On the door of the condo, there was a notice posted that all vehicles have to be moved out of the parking lot by 7:00 am tomorrow morning for resurfacing and striping...WHAT!  We were so looking forward to sleeping in...darn!!!  Better wake up early....by the time we fell into our beds it was around 2:30.......