We left Kentucky on August 2nd and crossed into Indiana
Then Illinois
Then Missouri, where we passed the Gateway Arch in St. Louis
When we arrived in Kansas, we spent the next week with cousins. We drove all over visiting family from both sides and were able to celebrate two 90th birthdays! It was a great time.
Post Rock is made from the local limestone.
The open plains
My cousin played tour guide in Wichita and took us to see the Keeper of the Plains
He also took us by the old Boeing site where my grandfather worked, Cessna, Lear Jet/Bombardier, and more. Our oldest loved being able to see one of the big aviation centers of our country. Maybe one of these days, he'll go back for a tour! I hear you can only get one if you buy a plane..... anyone got an extra million-plus lying around??
While we were there, my daughter and I joined another cousin for a side trip to Missouri Star Quilt Company in Hamilton, MO, which was every bit as wonderful as I had hoped! I mean, a whole town dedicated to quilting?! A shop for each style of fabric?! A revitalized economy? People from all walks of life being able to start over and learn a new trade? Yes, please! Sign me up!
We left Kansas after a week of fun and crossed into Colorado, where we saw all kinds of different landscapes and weather.
The Colorado River
I may not be a hot-weather-desert person, but no one can deny the beauty of Utah, which is where we went next!
From there, we crossed into California and spent the next week with family at my husbands family cabin in the Sierra Nevadas. If you've been following us for a while, then you might remember that my Father-In-Law passed away in October. This was the time that we all agreed on to lay him to rest. We shared stories and memories, we made new memories, and we got a lot of work done on the property.
The cabin is pretty remote and is in an old gold mining town from the 1800's. Dirt road is the only way to get there.
When you own any kind of property, there's always something to do to maintain it. We all chip in where we can.
This year, a few trees and lots of branches needed to come down for safety reasons. It was fun to watch the arborist work.
This is how the tree trunk looked when it was neatly stacked (by me!). What you don't see is the whole field of debris from all the branches that were cut. I'm happy to report that everyone worked together to get the yard organized and raked before we left. You can't beat that sense of satisfaction after a job well done.
My favorite! Wild Sweet Peas. They grow EVERYWHERE in the Sierras.
The local berries were ripe while we were there, so the kid-cousins picked sweet blackberries by the side of the road while the adults foraged for the elusive gooseberries....
Wild Sierra Gooseberry- These things don't mess around!
We boil them down to make a delicious jelly. They're very hard to find, so it's a treat when we are able to make it.
Bears, deer, and snakes are the main wildlife we see by the cabin. No rattlers this year!
One of the favorite pastimes there is ATV riding to lakes and vistas. The kids are all old/big/experienced enough to drive solo this year, so they had a lot of fun!
The weather was perfect for the funeral and we had a nice ceremony. We were all very impressed with the volunteer color guard. The bugler played the most beautiful version of taps we had ever heard! I think Ernie would have liked it. We sure miss him.
Our last stop, and big finale for this Great Family Adventure, was in Oregon for the total solar eclipse! We noticed a lot of smoke hovering in the air between Northern California and Oregon due to wildfires.
The traffic wasn't bad but as we got closer to John Day, Oregon, which is where our camp site was, we noticed a lot of RV's by the side of the road and tents in every available open area. People from all over had come to see the total eclipse.
Some friends had reserved a spot on private property by the river where a group of us could enjoy totality together. They even invited an astronomer to tell us all about what to expect and why everything was happening. It was really interesting! Everyone who went was very nice and the kids really enjoyed making new friends and playing in the water.
The eclipse itself was an experience of a lifetime! Just as the astronomer said, the sky became darker, the animals at the farm next door went to bed, the air got chilly, shadows sharpened, and we were able to see totality with our naked eyes (wearing special glasses the rest of the time). Words can't even do justice to how amazing it was!
We were prepared...haha!
We all monitored the progress of the moon.
This is how the eclipse looks when looking at the shadow of a colander.
Shadows sharpened
Right before the cow went to bed...
The moment of totality!
Totality.You could see the suns corona! This picture obviously doesn't do it justice.
The moon after it had crossed over to the other side of the sun...
The next day, we packed up and headed for home. We all cheered when we saw the Washington sign! Home, at last!
Next week this blog will feature a new adventure....returning home! We hope everyone reading this has had an amazing summer!! Thanks for following along!
- Jen
P.S. Sending our best wishes and prayers to our friends in Texas. We hope you're safe and sound wherever you are. <3
I have loved reading along and will be sad when it's finally over! But I am glad you're back home!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Nan!! I can't wait to see you again!! We'll have to plan something as soon as I can leave the dogs again. 😉
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