tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72364834715069763072024-03-18T15:24:08.123-07:00The Unpaved RoadJillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.comBlogger414125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-50283496919139076992024-03-07T13:07:00.000-08:002024-03-07T13:11:25.577-08:00Weekend Getaway - Brooklyn, New York<p><span style="font-size: large;">Of the five boroughs of New York - Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island - Brooklyn is the city's most populous. Located on the western tip of Long Island, Brooklyn is known for its cultural, ethnic and social diversity. My daughter moved there a couple years ago (she also works there) and we made a weekend getaway for my first visit to this borough. Come along and see what we got up to on our Brooklyn getaway!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXn07CwV-MxKPisMZJIPkJP2-Dhqovbx_rZXb5TiQiRegjPaJ_03wcYe6T97wW4dBrNEWmjrC3RjKUZuXooM2Yd1llEEblDo4kBotI0iygvoHUzYk5BT9BvPXSf3Bkt4Fap88BlMpbdoneRPeJVJbrxdmPNSszDT9Vr52V0V1O3R84P49XrHz62Tsq5XU/s4032/IMG_5676.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXn07CwV-MxKPisMZJIPkJP2-Dhqovbx_rZXb5TiQiRegjPaJ_03wcYe6T97wW4dBrNEWmjrC3RjKUZuXooM2Yd1llEEblDo4kBotI0iygvoHUzYk5BT9BvPXSf3Bkt4Fap88BlMpbdoneRPeJVJbrxdmPNSszDT9Vr52V0V1O3R84P49XrHz62Tsq5XU/w480-h640/IMG_5676.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji139wOEFSonMG3MDqdUA83QIs47Iuvlb-JhvkH2LuilhyphenhyphenmIG5jnyJaK6VRABH8G_EszkF8UWoEdbw71Q_isPwp1jBlv04uCXMR-P9lQQuxaXIdQzrNhHowz5h6RrU8xMOaAvWnfOdBsL7l0jdca4dq2owcnJ3ifEODzp-yV2gAgn8vytAfh9jziZUW61P/s4032/IMG_5680.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji139wOEFSonMG3MDqdUA83QIs47Iuvlb-JhvkH2LuilhyphenhyphenmIG5jnyJaK6VRABH8G_EszkF8UWoEdbw71Q_isPwp1jBlv04uCXMR-P9lQQuxaXIdQzrNhHowz5h6RrU8xMOaAvWnfOdBsL7l0jdca4dq2owcnJ3ifEODzp-yV2gAgn8vytAfh9jziZUW61P/w480-h640/IMG_5680.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjil0Efz4dGUc8-PcS_59XFikkkEUCoDayLaE20Ew-7roQlWsLx4Zia0c3WzNV5oD5oGZKHkx2yRbL53kofUsvJJoG-u_eleVmD0TBM6fGjGUiyrNQASo3ohcC6OOaismGhGueOOiaxHXgv7j22nzqIlf7lGU7u2AtkLs1_DHh_DlieYtOjHvkLlfh8YTYO/s4032/IMG_5774.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjil0Efz4dGUc8-PcS_59XFikkkEUCoDayLaE20Ew-7roQlWsLx4Zia0c3WzNV5oD5oGZKHkx2yRbL53kofUsvJJoG-u_eleVmD0TBM6fGjGUiyrNQASo3ohcC6OOaismGhGueOOiaxHXgv7j22nzqIlf7lGU7u2AtkLs1_DHh_DlieYtOjHvkLlfh8YTYO/w640-h480/IMG_5774.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Underground Donut Tour</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I'm not quite sure where I found Underground Donut Tours. But I'm glad I did! While hard to explain, I guess that they can be described as a food walking/history tour that focuses on donuts. Right up my alley! Celebrating all things donut, the tours learn about each shops donuts and favorite flavors and then a enjoy a walk through the city. So I signed us up for a Friday afternoon Brooklyn Underground Donut Tour.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0GxsXeS7yNSchWZTgV8huZFt7dbNAgznOHsyI8FBxhA_DdxoPhdNOiEJ1FcYGD1OuUYWzawOtQVD2iGN3YhyZ_VAD6iEO5tFlBBf75WW-lTZx_9cMy-Yqpnp2jZDX8An52z3_JysfYBUncEwZQeXxkH9Nr33RPZVbxb7rl5WXQ0bWWRV1VIai-TmjEdgO/s3198/IMG_5591.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3198" data-original-width="2398" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0GxsXeS7yNSchWZTgV8huZFt7dbNAgznOHsyI8FBxhA_DdxoPhdNOiEJ1FcYGD1OuUYWzawOtQVD2iGN3YhyZ_VAD6iEO5tFlBBf75WW-lTZx_9cMy-Yqpnp2jZDX8An52z3_JysfYBUncEwZQeXxkH9Nr33RPZVbxb7rl5WXQ0bWWRV1VIai-TmjEdgO/w480-h640/IMG_5591.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2UrrppZR8YPe6VeUzaB8QWIA9q8iHJ-m1ZkjhvrnNgklKAqOs-WddbyFI0f2eSbUVuaYDP8V270AGvm7cL9cgFinXqM0DPoOuVJRXi4x6FxylpWRDVdr0StOKmPGcEFfMujeid53HxwSaaY_22R89N8oC_ArH007NVH5G-8Corv7efblIY1z0mZIpSgu/s4032/IMG_5601.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2UrrppZR8YPe6VeUzaB8QWIA9q8iHJ-m1ZkjhvrnNgklKAqOs-WddbyFI0f2eSbUVuaYDP8V270AGvm7cL9cgFinXqM0DPoOuVJRXi4x6FxylpWRDVdr0StOKmPGcEFfMujeid53HxwSaaY_22R89N8oC_ArH007NVH5G-8Corv7efblIY1z0mZIpSgu/w480-h640/IMG_5601.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX7qHk28hwqUOk4HQ4JsVTrNzwVi75K7Jtk3_y3jvQ3PYLTUI9smVhg155_-F8wySKjHYg8FdxFCkMAbsL6J-eyrfYk7Vm7suNpV9tEerDl45crs8oEx8Nj_COV2jsTW7zSNvxcFzGo-opnr4kGQH7q3B5Bd1kODthA3fS87I0e9ifoXCa4UDVKpiRUz1h/s4032/IMG_5613.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX7qHk28hwqUOk4HQ4JsVTrNzwVi75K7Jtk3_y3jvQ3PYLTUI9smVhg155_-F8wySKjHYg8FdxFCkMAbsL6J-eyrfYk7Vm7suNpV9tEerDl45crs8oEx8Nj_COV2jsTW7zSNvxcFzGo-opnr4kGQH7q3B5Bd1kODthA3fS87I0e9ifoXCa4UDVKpiRUz1h/w640-h480/IMG_5613.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0okvwf3xdGPDEO48_ZLE6pdiWg3OgRSriHqeZj9pvaAfJ7CyhrFUAGmsPAvsDiqxBEeI0piiqlSDhxpBbO0UAZ3Ad5imAiS9XDc5O1LJ7SQkAhrSsyQOlbtHcUViG2_GFglFYIWsJ3S-8cAYgHVw232Hb2SthK5iyaBqF58AnYLGUOXGqLpIJK1lPV0P/s4032/IMG_5603.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0okvwf3xdGPDEO48_ZLE6pdiWg3OgRSriHqeZj9pvaAfJ7CyhrFUAGmsPAvsDiqxBEeI0piiqlSDhxpBbO0UAZ3Ad5imAiS9XDc5O1LJ7SQkAhrSsyQOlbtHcUViG2_GFglFYIWsJ3S-8cAYgHVw232Hb2SthK5iyaBqF58AnYLGUOXGqLpIJK1lPV0P/w480-h640/IMG_5603.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7WL25PE6gt96dNiT5PhdQhT3Ht1z6O-wPrHSjSdVCgR6l148y64ckKqVsjtqhvAswZGHrGzHOmaKRqSPrWNIham0OxLe3HXMOW67jmpwOSNbFuoBTbv0m-j20M6lvNuw9Ma_VwnkqdcgBGkKs2eSiR-udewbxx6aUSrFCLluY1QKqdLV9tit7Kta55Rh/s4032/IMG_5604.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7WL25PE6gt96dNiT5PhdQhT3Ht1z6O-wPrHSjSdVCgR6l148y64ckKqVsjtqhvAswZGHrGzHOmaKRqSPrWNIham0OxLe3HXMOW67jmpwOSNbFuoBTbv0m-j20M6lvNuw9Ma_VwnkqdcgBGkKs2eSiR-udewbxx6aUSrFCLluY1QKqdLV9tit7Kta55Rh/w480-h640/IMG_5604.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We had a bit of a problem when a broken down subway train blocking the tracks and we had to urgently uber to our meeting spot. Quite late but not a problem as we were the only tour members that afternoon. We met our guide at the first shop and our tour officially began. Here are the four donut shops we went to:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">-the Doughnut Plant, where our guide, relying on the clerks opinion, purchased 3 different cake donuts for us to try - wild blueberry, hazelnut and tres leches. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4r4DZ0dPQS_NrC_ABTPkQUbNDhhRZiISow8vsNP0cDwv9LKossiyZK1Mxks7zVMZT-RbJyWXPrBSKkOwGYAlUzmxLrFQOMqj0J-goX_6FwxUXmEM5SBRN-0BUFB-_K770nv_7Lg1QVMt-7vtyUOGqxBPwve0GxHH4L_RLyZt4KZcQHggcI33Eg-6C4fX/s3192/IMG_5594.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2582" data-original-width="3192" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4r4DZ0dPQS_NrC_ABTPkQUbNDhhRZiISow8vsNP0cDwv9LKossiyZK1Mxks7zVMZT-RbJyWXPrBSKkOwGYAlUzmxLrFQOMqj0J-goX_6FwxUXmEM5SBRN-0BUFB-_K770nv_7Lg1QVMt-7vtyUOGqxBPwve0GxHH4L_RLyZt4KZcQHggcI33Eg-6C4fX/w640-h518/IMG_5594.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4oOcOeM3o3qkocqyrAo7H-g8SBr9ZjOJvUVzgUk5hSIZfGXXiYCShJ0zjwe1rqKNhna9JnofnkVrY49J4lLBVpaihUd3g_buR7-abh7JwNzX-Dyjv3HdEUb3poRtVye6CQIMBxo1Gpzx9N_0YWEzWkzrLi06n-7XunfXZZv0TTgtHGquRoYsy9YChkZWg/s4028/IMG_5592.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2496" data-original-width="4028" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4oOcOeM3o3qkocqyrAo7H-g8SBr9ZjOJvUVzgUk5hSIZfGXXiYCShJ0zjwe1rqKNhna9JnofnkVrY49J4lLBVpaihUd3g_buR7-abh7JwNzX-Dyjv3HdEUb3poRtVye6CQIMBxo1Gpzx9N_0YWEzWkzrLi06n-7XunfXZZv0TTgtHGquRoYsy9YChkZWg/w640-h396/IMG_5592.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">-We moved around the corner to Black Star Bakery & Cafe. More of a bakery than just a doughnut shop, we still had to try their doughnuts - apple, chocolate nut and a light as air jelly filled. All delicious but take that with a grain of salt as I may not have met a doughnut that I didn't like!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOEs7SgzeM1vhudnYyzKRtyfN60CBGPpnqDrJjXVZQ27vXNiMw1FUO29V50jhEuR62JK3ohyphenhyphendXTu-Ty7g9D-r-OZD4WLdcoIjfWfc-8Bquj5WtPrNmbfpUKnfTZEh0lgMxnojeChYlToi_Hmz1AxPxarakiwXjsDdn20HK3mZSwB7e9SnPyG2acamsyikV/s3173/IMG_5596.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3173" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOEs7SgzeM1vhudnYyzKRtyfN60CBGPpnqDrJjXVZQ27vXNiMw1FUO29V50jhEuR62JK3ohyphenhyphendXTu-Ty7g9D-r-OZD4WLdcoIjfWfc-8Bquj5WtPrNmbfpUKnfTZEh0lgMxnojeChYlToi_Hmz1AxPxarakiwXjsDdn20HK3mZSwB7e9SnPyG2acamsyikV/w610-h640/IMG_5596.jpeg" width="610" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ClWMYXFjMvcuZJF0dB1TD6fWbhvvh7OUucFA7-Vfc8tNSXjosM9N-nSqtnbTlPBq0rv1TN5pxs2ze2r9maJYE2Dkb9Mbza5oXyE6vMMIUmR0nZ3ciry6bweIlpRIhmxuvZ5cJknG2LFuyaO8fTBRR94UGxuBpBoGQQLN6fWcPnKm_FPcE9guOFwBzb-t/s4032/IMG_5597.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ClWMYXFjMvcuZJF0dB1TD6fWbhvvh7OUucFA7-Vfc8tNSXjosM9N-nSqtnbTlPBq0rv1TN5pxs2ze2r9maJYE2Dkb9Mbza5oXyE6vMMIUmR0nZ3ciry6bweIlpRIhmxuvZ5cJknG2LFuyaO8fTBRR94UGxuBpBoGQQLN6fWcPnKm_FPcE9guOFwBzb-t/w480-h640/IMG_5597.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXa-f7gFcENSPDuZcwnsZD9Us6cJzpawYU0qX1mWv_gSp6DVqd4J4t_GRLPG0LKGAhKY1fHo9tmLd3cMfZeQdJmbqCBvn0pprl3ukVsbnWnLUHh3CuHtj0_LbFNUVHj14vrp8THWFmbJJisUbXRqxEFg7D8KHBJ03RGWKVEVf9VZ3xeIju0LnBVgUy3JQ/s4032/IMG_5598.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXa-f7gFcENSPDuZcwnsZD9Us6cJzpawYU0qX1mWv_gSp6DVqd4J4t_GRLPG0LKGAhKY1fHo9tmLd3cMfZeQdJmbqCBvn0pprl3ukVsbnWnLUHh3CuHtj0_LbFNUVHj14vrp8THWFmbJJisUbXRqxEFg7D8KHBJ03RGWKVEVf9VZ3xeIju0LnBVgUy3JQ/w480-h640/IMG_5598.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">-A walk through McCarren Park with some history of Brooklyn by our guide (the total walk is about a mile) including it's industrial and immigrant past led us to Moe's Doughs. Moe's couldn't look anymore like a classic doughtnut shop than it did and we had one each of their most famous doughnut, the french cruller. Very light yet very filling.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXUNKVABtmp_2OveXKqiEhsMwNS-i4kP4OzopTW67JGBeAIY4RUCibnBeo0E-hOAysTj_1la4vK4vfkt2pqE7vryvqLMl44iIyAsUrc_9KKKlJhHJJyEpZWwPoKMpJiQyem7nTI9s7jQjUxXho3bwUaP4DKnlDL3FmhoFAtSWK2vjdgnpI8BzwrH6O1Hj/s4032/IMG_5607.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXUNKVABtmp_2OveXKqiEhsMwNS-i4kP4OzopTW67JGBeAIY4RUCibnBeo0E-hOAysTj_1la4vK4vfkt2pqE7vryvqLMl44iIyAsUrc_9KKKlJhHJJyEpZWwPoKMpJiQyem7nTI9s7jQjUxXho3bwUaP4DKnlDL3FmhoFAtSWK2vjdgnpI8BzwrH6O1Hj/w480-h640/IMG_5607.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJduh5gHquL9sf5Eoo84dbeMi_apJXgoku4-B9Y3Oe8J0_6JpE1x5MSg9Mz3NwrjpoKGqVJ6du_sIieTnTwZcXT296EsHgt_Vb0uxD7fAf_NYC0qBBGEN0b9x49Mtv_HVEM6_9sm0QOQwEgmSIHzLXZUkRnbcmebw2OEn9A8o6cmuf9DBqB6kiUSMH1mWx/s4032/IMG_5608.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJduh5gHquL9sf5Eoo84dbeMi_apJXgoku4-B9Y3Oe8J0_6JpE1x5MSg9Mz3NwrjpoKGqVJ6du_sIieTnTwZcXT296EsHgt_Vb0uxD7fAf_NYC0qBBGEN0b9x49Mtv_HVEM6_9sm0QOQwEgmSIHzLXZUkRnbcmebw2OEn9A8o6cmuf9DBqB6kiUSMH1mWx/w480-h640/IMG_5608.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">-Ending up at our final stop of the tour at the famous Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop. Open for 60 years, this family owned little donut shop is a neighborhood staple. There was no question in our guide's mind - we had to get the ginormous apple fritter. So one for each of us, which two of us didn't even finish, and suffice to say we were doughnut-ed out. I have to say I didn't even think that was possible. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSqS9pR6rCOEEsp8ontJce5TRFomDwlHdKOVXZYG22WSQS90MN2KwPNlLaeSgPe2J1LnksZBYB4DhZmm1qAw8nagGBoSOBiCqR3cq4fdgyReURHOLpcpO30O0abOb9uGzGZJIQjq9QgRFYhjUGasZweqTYw2ZCDexuQRKG6S_pVTuukkPuZA4CmeJQqlV/s4032/IMG_5614.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSqS9pR6rCOEEsp8ontJce5TRFomDwlHdKOVXZYG22WSQS90MN2KwPNlLaeSgPe2J1LnksZBYB4DhZmm1qAw8nagGBoSOBiCqR3cq4fdgyReURHOLpcpO30O0abOb9uGzGZJIQjq9QgRFYhjUGasZweqTYw2ZCDexuQRKG6S_pVTuukkPuZA4CmeJQqlV/w480-h640/IMG_5614.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_O66RhlkH-oH0L8Z9bGBZ10QVhcnAU60Zp9No9xbba2HXIeZsxVAPmQNtauSkBi859qh-hKi5EJnoEfyd93cLW4TLMBZUAlIalp6EBESJlVsUerut7pENIB3li_gYpGYaHHzWYex470INMutpodROvWuTW17k0wRpba8u2qHvDSxrL7uXfamXzIL8Hvx/s3026/IMG_5617.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3026" data-original-width="2232" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_O66RhlkH-oH0L8Z9bGBZ10QVhcnAU60Zp9No9xbba2HXIeZsxVAPmQNtauSkBi859qh-hKi5EJnoEfyd93cLW4TLMBZUAlIalp6EBESJlVsUerut7pENIB3li_gYpGYaHHzWYex470INMutpodROvWuTW17k0wRpba8u2qHvDSxrL7uXfamXzIL8Hvx/w472-h640/IMG_5617.jpeg" width="472" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHy4n5UZG5z_cCskR-BnYiffS8kLsg_7zdlbGtWhVVXN6-z79rbzMMS-y4jHV2oECIL8lIzpmNP0q6WmW8lAS1vQwuvxos-JjjOPOmXD7s3tjjj9lh9zGuTW5r-xjMOeB3ZL4HC8Wt1lrzQqlISjSb85RjIZEV-OQIds8f3dxYfJ_1wtf8diJro81AY7b/s3088/IMG_5620.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHy4n5UZG5z_cCskR-BnYiffS8kLsg_7zdlbGtWhVVXN6-z79rbzMMS-y4jHV2oECIL8lIzpmNP0q6WmW8lAS1vQwuvxos-JjjOPOmXD7s3tjjj9lh9zGuTW5r-xjMOeB3ZL4HC8Wt1lrzQqlISjSb85RjIZEV-OQIds8f3dxYfJ_1wtf8diJro81AY7b/w640-h480/IMG_5620.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I really enjoyed this tour! Casual walking pace, not too far, some history and donuts - who could ask for more?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Brooklyn Museum</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Brooklyn Museum is a 500,000 square foot art museum located in Brooklyn. It's the second largest museum in New York and houses some 500,000 objects. It was founded in 1823 as the Brooklyn Apprentices Library and merged with the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences in 1843. So it's been around for a long, long time.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TKRTu1WjTwRzCkdA3tLTIUgm-9gCYbgk8xePta0kS9Yy_bk-OOEp2bPwsW4AUO4WnJl5uWX8QCB_n_iKAinEHNX4P8l0FWKmJ11rqm4u7Phh5Pk0HiDuteE3cnro2xqGsC96ihSbIciyhlrr-7VCDvOHlE5Q3WNoK_NIk3mLJrZcphtWKv__-NaLiAUj/s4032/IMG_5648.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TKRTu1WjTwRzCkdA3tLTIUgm-9gCYbgk8xePta0kS9Yy_bk-OOEp2bPwsW4AUO4WnJl5uWX8QCB_n_iKAinEHNX4P8l0FWKmJ11rqm4u7Phh5Pk0HiDuteE3cnro2xqGsC96ihSbIciyhlrr-7VCDvOHlE5Q3WNoK_NIk3mLJrZcphtWKv__-NaLiAUj/w480-h640/IMG_5648.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Bp2nMG17MkQ_5eyHbHvsZO0D6gI55SXvQGC72nIrJasKeTB1-l2HXfAuS4sHJLRZF9h08Bi2DUCyo-Q2CVw_ZRhX053Toj7-Xxzr2NoJXriMNkw99LI1imdvq77m6swUsWSEnhpbmAe9GW7iTnSrH4u96H0_gZuRw5tyHHVRvU3tieBHeok2xvE5m3Xh/s4032/IMG_5650.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Bp2nMG17MkQ_5eyHbHvsZO0D6gI55SXvQGC72nIrJasKeTB1-l2HXfAuS4sHJLRZF9h08Bi2DUCyo-Q2CVw_ZRhX053Toj7-Xxzr2NoJXriMNkw99LI1imdvq77m6swUsWSEnhpbmAe9GW7iTnSrH4u96H0_gZuRw5tyHHVRvU3tieBHeok2xvE5m3Xh/w640-h480/IMG_5650.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_fJtfubZPhO_IeUkhtdCoRRpBvLJ4VaUi1vtJzzPLJrQtWI0FxhPM_wICXAWGTumab1YOU6hjLQXjdkyBx7m1UN4JqhCFIYlxJ28T7qQrl7eZjLhqolG36MupI1bJPicCdndIQ18oww9wF98GueQaaeStJpsRPnMjTCLmLByMQXcY6rMWJZoNwmapL8EN/s4032/IMG_5651.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_fJtfubZPhO_IeUkhtdCoRRpBvLJ4VaUi1vtJzzPLJrQtWI0FxhPM_wICXAWGTumab1YOU6hjLQXjdkyBx7m1UN4JqhCFIYlxJ28T7qQrl7eZjLhqolG36MupI1bJPicCdndIQ18oww9wF98GueQaaeStJpsRPnMjTCLmLByMQXcY6rMWJZoNwmapL8EN/w480-h640/IMG_5651.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our daughter was able to get a free pass as a perk of her job and then she got us Culture Passes via the Brooklyn Library. So we had a fun- and free - afternoon perusing this large museum. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5C8imGLe_Ty3EOuCcRLXuNDk5yQsHhM5i99NxgnU_9lI5ufU5Tyc8hoDHidryOJ8sQp9Xu4Ocq_B7yZSZ1ZmOC_OmTMVS68VRH__M-SeVq_xdRVI0kOi6g9SPTbqDHY9E7s7fnZfqw3FdbzXvexADpKVYp6HVQ-gojeKsv7GI7zxHn7QNJIFUOdobIWz/s4032/IMG_5652.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5C8imGLe_Ty3EOuCcRLXuNDk5yQsHhM5i99NxgnU_9lI5ufU5Tyc8hoDHidryOJ8sQp9Xu4Ocq_B7yZSZ1ZmOC_OmTMVS68VRH__M-SeVq_xdRVI0kOi6g9SPTbqDHY9E7s7fnZfqw3FdbzXvexADpKVYp6HVQ-gojeKsv7GI7zxHn7QNJIFUOdobIWz/w480-h640/IMG_5652.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbihS6l-t2K2IUSpMlc-Dk6FmQ5PBv621oi46VpX7JxVAAMZotdJCBIGe3g8mr8cRrLpXrE__depjhyphenhyphenVp2TLzNE-7_S6WL3oMIUzIMrH05OTKgX211SM6af_BnO2V2bluw3s390jGmwf7AfKvU-tUrN_qNfe-eTlgQIocUjqOKuC6pqaJuJfA_a34VwzDH/s4032/IMG_5655.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbihS6l-t2K2IUSpMlc-Dk6FmQ5PBv621oi46VpX7JxVAAMZotdJCBIGe3g8mr8cRrLpXrE__depjhyphenhyphenVp2TLzNE-7_S6WL3oMIUzIMrH05OTKgX211SM6af_BnO2V2bluw3s390jGmwf7AfKvU-tUrN_qNfe-eTlgQIocUjqOKuC6pqaJuJfA_a34VwzDH/w640-h480/IMG_5655.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUy9MechESskGRqvjPfl2DMv8BNWvaEejtylrbMKQ7PgMsF2aBshCP3W2xzf5PJV82evHU4mxaOOos-f3TIfY8ae04rnCfL2vcK9BykBKHl7uEF7b9eqXKgD86IQKr_8b4_alvF_hRgrecWVsjxenqrdd6qV_HgfHTYkMOBOpr-jcHt06XnhCboIBZK764/s4032/IMG_5653.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUy9MechESskGRqvjPfl2DMv8BNWvaEejtylrbMKQ7PgMsF2aBshCP3W2xzf5PJV82evHU4mxaOOos-f3TIfY8ae04rnCfL2vcK9BykBKHl7uEF7b9eqXKgD86IQKr_8b4_alvF_hRgrecWVsjxenqrdd6qV_HgfHTYkMOBOpr-jcHt06XnhCboIBZK764/w640-h480/IMG_5653.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Some of the collections include: Art of Asia, Arts of the Islamic World, Ancient Egyptian Art and Period Rooms. There are also rotating exhibits - right now they are exhibiting art from Alicia Keyes and Swizz Beatz along with photography from Paul McCartney. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrE5zKakqTBz0hcpYXg-NB_GQHAEltbEviMaqv-7bH-buobfIfQ4Nx5xhqFmpZOnKla86XMgO9wmJ_MZXkh1m_c_Hsf4gw7BuU78JzWEyYE6ngn_RGS7p2YvGnuZQhouHJ-Vq3dQLwb0Fm2PnErbtKdclSR68Ikw2CopRX7XvPteIj9lHL0PTiq5-EyuL/s4032/IMG_5664.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrE5zKakqTBz0hcpYXg-NB_GQHAEltbEviMaqv-7bH-buobfIfQ4Nx5xhqFmpZOnKla86XMgO9wmJ_MZXkh1m_c_Hsf4gw7BuU78JzWEyYE6ngn_RGS7p2YvGnuZQhouHJ-Vq3dQLwb0Fm2PnErbtKdclSR68Ikw2CopRX7XvPteIj9lHL0PTiq5-EyuL/w480-h640/IMG_5664.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7bc0D-UsZnpeehN4shHZnWl5cbPRtwQTjRHSLz4LnSxqc86B1ZllZ_VRAdM28ty4aa9YU5YCkr0fgoFUeWQCAi6MEiHJrxsUaqz3hnnaqEHAGMOsUmJ32SQgv1YUOX7sE3RY6LpuQ3iLIpDIh_w7F982rblwSEYfXnjckOUnbGsO0piBYhJIyS47UzE-k/s4032/IMG_5667.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7bc0D-UsZnpeehN4shHZnWl5cbPRtwQTjRHSLz4LnSxqc86B1ZllZ_VRAdM28ty4aa9YU5YCkr0fgoFUeWQCAi6MEiHJrxsUaqz3hnnaqEHAGMOsUmJ32SQgv1YUOX7sE3RY6LpuQ3iLIpDIh_w7F982rblwSEYfXnjckOUnbGsO0piBYhJIyS47UzE-k/w640-h480/IMG_5667.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGUgjRNKgzoEM34t3Djpv833HuXUSV5DhE4FkpzGU9bU7bYMZR2WhK_sL9UzmgnsdY3F3kf7fHfsw0Fmq0zboiwLv3Vcs0MZyuFp76M-9K73Qb_Q30W-kcdAHyfa4fNo9qBD4RplcrHAoN1zNCFUPWmfaJl7BSKHqMUnwjgdcB6A0OiOUIydabryLjfAUB/s4032/IMG_5657.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGUgjRNKgzoEM34t3Djpv833HuXUSV5DhE4FkpzGU9bU7bYMZR2WhK_sL9UzmgnsdY3F3kf7fHfsw0Fmq0zboiwLv3Vcs0MZyuFp76M-9K73Qb_Q30W-kcdAHyfa4fNo9qBD4RplcrHAoN1zNCFUPWmfaJl7BSKHqMUnwjgdcB6A0OiOUIydabryLjfAUB/w480-h640/IMG_5657.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is an area where you can walk through the museum storage area</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCYk2Nx6klYdhuGoruoaYnccMLri6YFQ-J69N7nfCaYlHBTLUa_KqL4RNvO_Xc0Wp01LmD82bG-PTScgcXc5e-G-L1sF2-zUBNdt5Nq7KyWS8BMS4Pohvb0MVLDWPm8P7X-zsTRKJzK27mjb3WkfWEw_Euf5gWW4IYdoSGduCXdJihPfoKisBeBDwzRfm/s4032/IMG_5661.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCYk2Nx6klYdhuGoruoaYnccMLri6YFQ-J69N7nfCaYlHBTLUa_KqL4RNvO_Xc0Wp01LmD82bG-PTScgcXc5e-G-L1sF2-zUBNdt5Nq7KyWS8BMS4Pohvb0MVLDWPm8P7X-zsTRKJzK27mjb3WkfWEw_Euf5gWW4IYdoSGduCXdJihPfoKisBeBDwzRfm/w640-h480/IMG_5661.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It's also a very popular gathering spot - there are food trucks and a market - when we were there on a beautiful afternoon. We got lunch and sat outside the museum people watching and enjoying a sandwich.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgj2nEiLzzu7KYzKWvuBgR1y81itKd-DMEdT9CbunJYnpVUV2gfrc0uyAdu00Dp2g5esR1bYgslS2WD7hPvtBi4fdw9_KpLDZY-OaWUPBcbEZUW5ibYo42CYyzrSho0VbCIGTQFUNAJmJsTgYTbyDsUPcGDqdeaVWXKN8Iv54JDrBNk3AnZrvYCnTvNhA/s4032/IMG_5672.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgj2nEiLzzu7KYzKWvuBgR1y81itKd-DMEdT9CbunJYnpVUV2gfrc0uyAdu00Dp2g5esR1bYgslS2WD7hPvtBi4fdw9_KpLDZY-OaWUPBcbEZUW5ibYo42CYyzrSho0VbCIGTQFUNAJmJsTgYTbyDsUPcGDqdeaVWXKN8Iv54JDrBNk3AnZrvYCnTvNhA/w480-h640/IMG_5672.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplnkutnC0D2tWF4cEs3OY-lhw8plNK6T8zaUfWUmToUL9KCZHUtm-I-gadgW7ITLR1tOop9vkGE5g0QDiTecWAdIqxDGTqVccUp9QwdkxcngFhuJ5xpU2nHWeM-NtIjVta2gv2B5yXH0-ML9mvZvhG2WykRC7rtTowPlj8YD_fwzZf6dOYGlLYk3RiMKo/s4032/IMG_5674.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplnkutnC0D2tWF4cEs3OY-lhw8plNK6T8zaUfWUmToUL9KCZHUtm-I-gadgW7ITLR1tOop9vkGE5g0QDiTecWAdIqxDGTqVccUp9QwdkxcngFhuJ5xpU2nHWeM-NtIjVta2gv2B5yXH0-ML9mvZvhG2WykRC7rtTowPlj8YD_fwzZf6dOYGlLYk3RiMKo/w480-h640/IMG_5674.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If you get the chance to visit Brooklyn Museum, I think you will enjoy this large museum with it's varied collections.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Brooklyn Brewery</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Several years ago on a trip to Seoul we went to a cafe that was an outpost, of sorts, of Brooklyn Brewery. So we really had to go and visit the real thing! We visited their tasting room in Williamsburg on a Saturday afternoon and there was a line to get in. It wasn't a long line but I'm sure it gets that way on Friday or Saturday nights.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6tQQ9cgKqbdW2XpYKgJY9ecrUDB3LaM1uKXkDz49VGzfPB59A-DBphtyzgIEKja2zCtrKSRzYF91JKIRPwI5_vlO_RsSgSxPs9u8ICJVU_S3jEITNZU4stBwoOj7_zF2VLfS0chXIZ5fruLii5odlxkQVk-Q9vurQ2VHZJ7mWD6N98-f4oaT3hJqOALu/s4032/IMG_5683.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6tQQ9cgKqbdW2XpYKgJY9ecrUDB3LaM1uKXkDz49VGzfPB59A-DBphtyzgIEKja2zCtrKSRzYF91JKIRPwI5_vlO_RsSgSxPs9u8ICJVU_S3jEITNZU4stBwoOj7_zF2VLfS0chXIZ5fruLii5odlxkQVk-Q9vurQ2VHZJ7mWD6N98-f4oaT3hJqOALu/w480-h640/IMG_5683.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In 1884 Brooklyn produced 10% of the beer in the US. Started 100 years later, in 1984, Brooklyn Brewery beer is available in 30 countries on five continents. And they're trying to make Brooklyn a powerhouse of beer production again. Some facts:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">-Their most popular beer is Black Ops, a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout. Good luck on finding it though - it's just that popular.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">- In 2014, their brewmaster was the first brewer to win a James Beard award.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgcmxwK_u8BOJMehbkGSLVxGB-GZ0C_962_bFDpbTKy6A1XrMTTkz-EkMsVBtmPGGtnpRizosX5hzd7bu8no1BwxRvqbKbLr7ZNCDG64gexrkqIUJaUlt1Rc9B5ASjyFSqwWxi8yrNpxYjduSfw3Hg8DFZut6OFXv69Z9JVwbZF8UXZMdisBXiJ23Qh5T/s4032/IMG_5682.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgcmxwK_u8BOJMehbkGSLVxGB-GZ0C_962_bFDpbTKy6A1XrMTTkz-EkMsVBtmPGGtnpRizosX5hzd7bu8no1BwxRvqbKbLr7ZNCDG64gexrkqIUJaUlt1Rc9B5ASjyFSqwWxi8yrNpxYjduSfw3Hg8DFZut6OFXv69Z9JVwbZF8UXZMdisBXiJ23Qh5T/w480-h640/IMG_5682.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLebp8-UoXK_UfaAmtRkPH2gS5-a8Ug2wB_Vs85BhGP3hgRBU_C9hCmElGkV74DXJTWNc7autPwOdR2d1asUA47PM5jY3RrMiJzUCvW1lzcOwpYgHqkphj8dEmnLdiqQLekAOW32HgnFactmzBXbEgr_rn50YC3lTZpeaPcMLO72YOAYo05GfR8-yp4XHM/s4032/IMG_5686.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLebp8-UoXK_UfaAmtRkPH2gS5-a8Ug2wB_Vs85BhGP3hgRBU_C9hCmElGkV74DXJTWNc7autPwOdR2d1asUA47PM5jY3RrMiJzUCvW1lzcOwpYgHqkphj8dEmnLdiqQLekAOW32HgnFactmzBXbEgr_rn50YC3lTZpeaPcMLO72YOAYo05GfR8-yp4XHM/w480-h640/IMG_5686.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We headed across the street from the brewery to Arlo Williamsburg (formerly the Williamsburg Hotel) to have a drink at their rooftop. With it's fabulous views, it's very popular. ( there was a line to go up in the elevator) Despite the crowds, we enjoyed the breezy rooftop, the views and an adult beverage. (If you decide you'd like to visit this rooftop, possibly go at an off peak time)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8wf7Iwq-MfDOUYFZByFYrRRPBuwpoLsbBqWbglZz53vYHVWXMGPSwAOJege3FHWda6548NoPLrLUs1yzwytQb9zd7xSWiXtu7sHFcUYu1rU23zYKRCFXxbQIEL5k1WL9btQQyEKIccFyJUUa38gI1FkNocFZk3YklgJlB_Zi0F5eRFOMOkWzAtwUyVI0/s3394/IMG_5687.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2545" data-original-width="3394" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8wf7Iwq-MfDOUYFZByFYrRRPBuwpoLsbBqWbglZz53vYHVWXMGPSwAOJege3FHWda6548NoPLrLUs1yzwytQb9zd7xSWiXtu7sHFcUYu1rU23zYKRCFXxbQIEL5k1WL9btQQyEKIccFyJUUa38gI1FkNocFZk3YklgJlB_Zi0F5eRFOMOkWzAtwUyVI0/w640-h480/IMG_5687.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWd5G3P5QaXO6dIl-y4EqxsJ_W8gQXri3BmYHAfzlsD80Pgueh8856_R3x87pN0gO0QhprB1kcY9XDpqr7n52mbwdzX1r0CTLuxI3_ttnh5VmAfBX4aNPdG4mZ7bjNRI0X3HJj7Jtxo_SgTLAX4DYFuASqV79df9WAouzRH3UB3VjsNZTjyOvoGwyt2gIR/s4032/IMG_5710.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWd5G3P5QaXO6dIl-y4EqxsJ_W8gQXri3BmYHAfzlsD80Pgueh8856_R3x87pN0gO0QhprB1kcY9XDpqr7n52mbwdzX1r0CTLuxI3_ttnh5VmAfBX4aNPdG4mZ7bjNRI0X3HJj7Jtxo_SgTLAX4DYFuASqV79df9WAouzRH3UB3VjsNZTjyOvoGwyt2gIR/w480-h640/IMG_5710.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz69zDV73LJmDPHsxoAsq10SghoKU1j-vur2bEki5AENDQTshtr1Okkm3Hyi0ksdREOYXwgxZShmpvmq6MbwEhPl_zAUlKQMklKsX67wBRGvtKexwCqKSBlK5lcxNBlEbivQ9YbhOnqApg8jDLfNHt3eMquG73uGZKBTnMeRSW9UCWpD89l_QoS31LGBl6/s4032/IMG_5709.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz69zDV73LJmDPHsxoAsq10SghoKU1j-vur2bEki5AENDQTshtr1Okkm3Hyi0ksdREOYXwgxZShmpvmq6MbwEhPl_zAUlKQMklKsX67wBRGvtKexwCqKSBlK5lcxNBlEbivQ9YbhOnqApg8jDLfNHt3eMquG73uGZKBTnMeRSW9UCWpD89l_QoS31LGBl6/w480-h640/IMG_5709.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_wfGdwGaan4PkiOr0XdQCfENFdoG95q0Qnxx5bPASR3l7mN0Qs01NNOfZYMHto3X2hNHp-HKvbhybcs7yMg8egAi1zy0CXt1ujOztHV8OzM8F8ukRpoP0GQlzAimohBjliGvGXfNdca4ovez-6qGfFFOgYeao7xkcZtT3XGRksnIBnwDRf7RvW_JO5oq/s4032/IMG_5690.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_wfGdwGaan4PkiOr0XdQCfENFdoG95q0Qnxx5bPASR3l7mN0Qs01NNOfZYMHto3X2hNHp-HKvbhybcs7yMg8egAi1zy0CXt1ujOztHV8OzM8F8ukRpoP0GQlzAimohBjliGvGXfNdca4ovez-6qGfFFOgYeao7xkcZtT3XGRksnIBnwDRf7RvW_JO5oq/w640-h480/IMG_5690.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6KsprUVTbAVpqhTdORMiKJPknfBD15cPBejyFLKpBTAoee-raeHqoEjxtwFJTMCTkhIHhWmDRyZizFqn0j2SE1ioyuyxSrixuOJvKeI_K6tw5kj4FIsrMmUUaUy9Osc7HiZojN_MhcQL5TUCT1p-lVLhL1ooYya8Cce31hv6AVWrSm0PFAAM1bMFAwBM/s4032/IMG_5694.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6KsprUVTbAVpqhTdORMiKJPknfBD15cPBejyFLKpBTAoee-raeHqoEjxtwFJTMCTkhIHhWmDRyZizFqn0j2SE1ioyuyxSrixuOJvKeI_K6tw5kj4FIsrMmUUaUy9Osc7HiZojN_MhcQL5TUCT1p-lVLhL1ooYya8Cce31hv6AVWrSm0PFAAM1bMFAwBM/w480-h640/IMG_5694.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGCh65876Lms0c0W7Pi7Hcfw3AjPr9tjouV69cl2J6AZ5kDgvHJ7Ibc5TpfTHH7SEt6e1YdyBhxMulWmRjVRIagsDe9OKo_z2cviAIpsRmD2ndFDLXKd3fZUAHwTJfhp-oAdQ7K4gIuAxME9MlEErSNTRM9o9HQHypYUxNSTBLV9ixOeHnTa0lZ1LF7FBe/s4032/IMG_5747.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGCh65876Lms0c0W7Pi7Hcfw3AjPr9tjouV69cl2J6AZ5kDgvHJ7Ibc5TpfTHH7SEt6e1YdyBhxMulWmRjVRIagsDe9OKo_z2cviAIpsRmD2ndFDLXKd3fZUAHwTJfhp-oAdQ7K4gIuAxME9MlEErSNTRM9o9HQHypYUxNSTBLV9ixOeHnTa0lZ1LF7FBe/w480-h640/IMG_5747.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvSFB3m2COCChga6ViHfte1zr-Spy9d9oK7dohDf6YSDyngOhFRmdt2egf1StmPqiUKUCBj-Wz7XPSQUV1hG8Ingb_x2l29NFecfITL7kSlTZdhemSijj5eMpa8edpYlc53-TcBEM002OP7PFHeiTeOdSmOpbgqFL6SJLfsNezN33pwTU5t32EraMHJl4/s3088/IMG_5707.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvSFB3m2COCChga6ViHfte1zr-Spy9d9oK7dohDf6YSDyngOhFRmdt2egf1StmPqiUKUCBj-Wz7XPSQUV1hG8Ingb_x2l29NFecfITL7kSlTZdhemSijj5eMpa8edpYlc53-TcBEM002OP7PFHeiTeOdSmOpbgqFL6SJLfsNezN33pwTU5t32EraMHJl4/w640-h480/IMG_5707.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Prospect Park</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Adjacent to the Brooklyn Museum, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Park is a 526 acre park that includes a zoo, an ice rink, a carousel, a band shell and the first urban area Audubon Center. You can bicycle, bird watch, skate, run, walk, do yoga and even visit the Green Market, which operates year round.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Jgsv5Wni2qi4uLZX90Odsuaxdt8rLBgFjBRUAtpWGUzbN4kifivcQerpq17NFF2-sYG8M_NI2CwNlV4qO8thUjsxjzsvU9yo443Uq2-95TBhjJfjUaEWA7XbtWRBse7alC3GR2yaD8n72WEoG5NR8tRJbAVFtNxt7m_L4kOOXD5YRUY-DyUVIpZ4kKPa/s4032/IMG_5781.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Jgsv5Wni2qi4uLZX90Odsuaxdt8rLBgFjBRUAtpWGUzbN4kifivcQerpq17NFF2-sYG8M_NI2CwNlV4qO8thUjsxjzsvU9yo443Uq2-95TBhjJfjUaEWA7XbtWRBse7alC3GR2yaD8n72WEoG5NR8tRJbAVFtNxt7m_L4kOOXD5YRUY-DyUVIpZ4kKPa/w480-h640/IMG_5781.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ37ALnEMElq4nvpUakgkGORCDcftoyN-wjlA8Et_JlZ3vlJFNHVfg1V7j1Cge_TqiZbmyy7HvEkEG2C1Hg9n7cVow298Aaxx6CIAn1eJQ1juw4e7H4KUGSK4v0A-NKSCKUjqCJC8OOWh0VFqt9Rtl71O6B0J25Kl3KrFzcK74tWi5TV_K_Zi5g3Pq0m2U/s4032/IMG_5777.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ37ALnEMElq4nvpUakgkGORCDcftoyN-wjlA8Et_JlZ3vlJFNHVfg1V7j1Cge_TqiZbmyy7HvEkEG2C1Hg9n7cVow298Aaxx6CIAn1eJQ1juw4e7H4KUGSK4v0A-NKSCKUjqCJC8OOWh0VFqt9Rtl71O6B0J25Kl3KrFzcK74tWi5TV_K_Zi5g3Pq0m2U/w640-h480/IMG_5777.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqWpCKr2YxMTmgG8bJ1fcG_F5PXKRfn3ewLi0QbmLOzmThAdylByjbA8dIo9SgnrLlcXJg2W3ChkGG4Me4oq_jwux469AuBlczzhKplPQOi8KSKCjBY9Ogenr3xQ4t89FiNTZcPliqg_YXRvhPagmZqysKdoGzrAQPPlmT32gQ4GT0FxQUtKL1sOnDz7e/s4032/IMG_7478.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqWpCKr2YxMTmgG8bJ1fcG_F5PXKRfn3ewLi0QbmLOzmThAdylByjbA8dIo9SgnrLlcXJg2W3ChkGG4Me4oq_jwux469AuBlczzhKplPQOi8KSKCjBY9Ogenr3xQ4t89FiNTZcPliqg_YXRvhPagmZqysKdoGzrAQPPlmT32gQ4GT0FxQUtKL1sOnDz7e/w640-h480/IMG_7478.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> We headed here for a walk along the lake and watched the kite flyers after our Mother's Day Brunch. It's a beautiful - and incredibly large - city park that our daughter is able to visit all the time, weather permitting, of course.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4G3Kbdb5bBXGmoL1ylJiS5E_xQsEUKvBCiyJMmb8QAHg16XamUD8bINWLIEeGA4wlObwBLXQWLPrlTJC97YK-MJ1scLP4jhFBoKiMESSion1Ge6FF620O540E438NtZ0YmwLyTAOHNO0OVvJF7NAXaPUc0UYaCVKhRr-ycQ3Slj7pISQKc7f_SF_HU9x/s4032/IMG_5782.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4G3Kbdb5bBXGmoL1ylJiS5E_xQsEUKvBCiyJMmb8QAHg16XamUD8bINWLIEeGA4wlObwBLXQWLPrlTJC97YK-MJ1scLP4jhFBoKiMESSion1Ge6FF620O540E438NtZ0YmwLyTAOHNO0OVvJF7NAXaPUc0UYaCVKhRr-ycQ3Slj7pISQKc7f_SF_HU9x/w480-h640/IMG_5782.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDJK0Uh9edIOTP6KfiCXwX8A8IfZKgoXX1sS4clWGpk0ADzwNsz5AF78aCJRh3W59qbgL3aPqLODHrNOKHR9TywYEKQMMizI-FeTvqUMHAwoH9eDc8L1qhPc16G6qRSySz7Pit3oMXSh_GRhO9OZQR0dJdvVHTWx0gKmOhDDujd4mtVuf7RBb0e39aJRx/s4032/IMG_5778.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDJK0Uh9edIOTP6KfiCXwX8A8IfZKgoXX1sS4clWGpk0ADzwNsz5AF78aCJRh3W59qbgL3aPqLODHrNOKHR9TywYEKQMMizI-FeTvqUMHAwoH9eDc8L1qhPc16G6qRSySz7Pit3oMXSh_GRhO9OZQR0dJdvVHTWx0gKmOhDDujd4mtVuf7RBb0e39aJRx/w480-h640/IMG_5778.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And with that it was time to grab our suitcases and jump on the subway, to another subway, to a train, to the airport. Easy breezy, right? But whatever the public transport issues, I'm always happy to visit one of my kids. I guess it's just how moms are! I look forward to returning and discovering more of what Brooklyn has to offer.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">How about you? Have you been to Brooklyn?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFNN6CsxaG2oRd6GBkajYhrtp8ZLuB3HqEbO9GdPfF8HEMjZSI9GS59hJxnJCjypZtMvY4fVDVeWuJPgfCUPJMbsdwzKRla6ZFt5TF0GINMdeggj8A5UwewAg5lK6j4Fkkk4rw24I74svvoTi-0wh0ETLsKOjKKZAgmAe1kH9wmuZTJFZme_QAXRF-ptH/s200/mcotw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFNN6CsxaG2oRd6GBkajYhrtp8ZLuB3HqEbO9GdPfF8HEMjZSI9GS59hJxnJCjypZtMvY4fVDVeWuJPgfCUPJMbsdwzKRla6ZFt5TF0GINMdeggj8A5UwewAg5lK6j4Fkkk4rw24I74svvoTi-0wh0ETLsKOjKKZAgmAe1kH9wmuZTJFZme_QAXRF-ptH/s1600/mcotw.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-26173960402212027692024-02-29T16:32:00.000-08:002024-03-01T13:44:27.972-08:00Driving the Ring Road around Iceland<p> <span style="font-size: large;">Iceland, Land of Fire and Ice. The Midnight Sun. Elves. Geothermal heating. Natural Hot Springs. Volcanoes. And the Northern Lights! The latter was our reason for booking a vacation package to Iceland - a winter vacation package. But then the whole world wide pandemic happened and we had to shelve traveling to Iceland for a bit. When we finally got around to rebooking, winter travel just wasn't working for us. So we went with a summer vacation package and decided that the Northern Lights would just have to wait. For now, it would be the Midnight Sun. And since we had those incredibly long days to pack it all in, it was decided to see as much of the island as we could by driving the Ring Road. Experts say that you need at least a week, possibly two. We had six days. Could it be done? Challenge accepted!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizIcCrJmrsjuJgUxQ6SWnxak04ulrwWK83TMBFWYOIlHuOu24NIxhxZQUg0uZI1wHpxQFLXIjtzSoTEH_ZkCn-mPXePTl732CFBdDhNnEc1qebh-_Kp-X6fjXehP6s-7mJefTnOPT5jW2NoryIyGRFHmtR-7007fHzzH_xUvsxTHsQlLCSJu6_vwB7zT7M/s4032/IMG_7748.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizIcCrJmrsjuJgUxQ6SWnxak04ulrwWK83TMBFWYOIlHuOu24NIxhxZQUg0uZI1wHpxQFLXIjtzSoTEH_ZkCn-mPXePTl732CFBdDhNnEc1qebh-_Kp-X6fjXehP6s-7mJefTnOPT5jW2NoryIyGRFHmtR-7007fHzzH_xUvsxTHsQlLCSJu6_vwB7zT7M/w480-h640/IMG_7748.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We flew into Keflavik Airport at 5:30am on a bleak, gray day and met up with our friends. The rental car was picked up and we headed north through the suburbs of Reykjavik towards the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. A priority at our first stop was to find something to eat. Here is the day by day itinerary of our trip on the Ring Road of Iceland! (Stay tuned for more in depth posts about each day)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgayFv4X1lpRipMIXn-XiKHwyTRSfIj1RHCN6E1q23sktYfm474yukUHCK8czEOYCenanRI-S4tPe3-f5CwK0RUJlUmjg6UPqHVqzeFIBdJ-PnkI_NYly7s9o_j5Q_pDUnZj7R10tM50TfzYY_CiJr2iQt2YTGB3YSAX9ton4z-Gsc0ba9_V5WZ6T6LGNI0/s4032/IMG_7641.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgayFv4X1lpRipMIXn-XiKHwyTRSfIj1RHCN6E1q23sktYfm474yukUHCK8czEOYCenanRI-S4tPe3-f5CwK0RUJlUmjg6UPqHVqzeFIBdJ-PnkI_NYly7s9o_j5Q_pDUnZj7R10tM50TfzYY_CiJr2iQt2YTGB3YSAX9ton4z-Gsc0ba9_V5WZ6T6LGNI0/w480-h640/IMG_7641.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Day One - Snaefellsnes Peninsula</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Snaefellsnes Peninsula, often nicknamed "Iceland in Miniature", is a peninsula on the northwest of the island. It is not part of the Ring Road but since it's the home of many natural wonders, including Snaefellsjokull National Park, we felt it was worth the detour. And indeed it was.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyIqsNAYiQptNmPPlwXUwE1rD5zV7lSayKLHzkyGNN9ZCBFlnQSbh_DCZT-o5lt-v_1qpv1GurDh3AtW3VTwhIqcHbw8K1d_AP0T2OPvisJRvF19MAf4u0mTxyuOyOLbgr2TXAGokTNWJBfvCkuEcyFYU4kbVzCZQ2LoEqz1OCMhAIyyZPe_b2ZhcN6qvP/s4032/IMG_7668.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyIqsNAYiQptNmPPlwXUwE1rD5zV7lSayKLHzkyGNN9ZCBFlnQSbh_DCZT-o5lt-v_1qpv1GurDh3AtW3VTwhIqcHbw8K1d_AP0T2OPvisJRvF19MAf4u0mTxyuOyOLbgr2TXAGokTNWJBfvCkuEcyFYU4kbVzCZQ2LoEqz1OCMhAIyyZPe_b2ZhcN6qvP/w480-h640/IMG_7668.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfi8YfHu7Eq_acQ5Cy5qavD8DVOqocag9vEo6Yes5iBZOkJfGezzPizx8rfLbTarIe5h156nmOZ19A7vvVs8yWQjFrO3ZL6ZIsujf9oUA-RXOwNAD2fRENaK5PHB1skOyp1DhNob3bTFhFiMB9lpEYrNd0P2F8bbh1BtaU2QRsgZiodogWzosu0AUsnsjN/s4032/IMG_7717.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfi8YfHu7Eq_acQ5Cy5qavD8DVOqocag9vEo6Yes5iBZOkJfGezzPizx8rfLbTarIe5h156nmOZ19A7vvVs8yWQjFrO3ZL6ZIsujf9oUA-RXOwNAD2fRENaK5PHB1skOyp1DhNob3bTFhFiMB9lpEYrNd0P2F8bbh1BtaU2QRsgZiodogWzosu0AUsnsjN/w480-h640/IMG_7717.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">Our visit here included: the Gerdburg basalt cliffs, Bjarnfoss, Budakirkja Black Church, views of Mt. Stapafell, and a stop to see the sea arch near Arnastapi. We stayed in the small town of Breidafjordur in a guesthouse apartment (with shared kitchen) arriving in the evening to find only two restaurants still open. We quickly slid in to grab some dinner and then collapse from jet lag. The adventure would continue the next day after we bought our breakfast at the grocery store - funnily enough the coffee shops didn't open until noon!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIP417xX7-KgQ0fmQlzcRHinRmsmqHAtp4GZyXIge0K3gEkM1YQvxgRHAC8UFHRm6QfcmBeLOwLD4yI7hHu0TeI3XGOVuis98P9_OZU57KRDi9NPWvkbZiS2_KKMLI371puD8UX527B5mqo7AwSbdxWr9zRaQGXpmSBZ5v9AMLJAnQyUVaTA2J_AWuQfkC/s3568/IMG_7660.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3568" data-original-width="3023" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIP417xX7-KgQ0fmQlzcRHinRmsmqHAtp4GZyXIge0K3gEkM1YQvxgRHAC8UFHRm6QfcmBeLOwLD4yI7hHu0TeI3XGOVuis98P9_OZU57KRDi9NPWvkbZiS2_KKMLI371puD8UX527B5mqo7AwSbdxWr9zRaQGXpmSBZ5v9AMLJAnQyUVaTA2J_AWuQfkC/w542-h640/IMG_7660.jpeg" width="542" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basalt Cliffs</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqShxci2UjkgEZuj36Aw59O0UvYTZH82cFxzTNn-SB9E4t6voN8py77YSP47tlBHKQGk2Ua2YtpFOs-MgoykYBIjgWMfv4BSVUSNeimRXnj3PseQ5mImRoZmmtfY972JU_DtVpeBL6MSnI-HYAGH18SEfesu-GlzmC44ZQ-xD4ZvCjfKXgxNIrv1vyPvG/s4032/IMG_7679.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqShxci2UjkgEZuj36Aw59O0UvYTZH82cFxzTNn-SB9E4t6voN8py77YSP47tlBHKQGk2Ua2YtpFOs-MgoykYBIjgWMfv4BSVUSNeimRXnj3PseQ5mImRoZmmtfY972JU_DtVpeBL6MSnI-HYAGH18SEfesu-GlzmC44ZQ-xD4ZvCjfKXgxNIrv1vyPvG/w480-h640/IMG_7679.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bjarnfoss</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9f9J7qBeWTgRnyfDKVqsfx_9x5KV6yf39vkXgiugR1TjYOCzBIJUc9zrw6R2p6biKp_yn63RTLUJJgpuOLmpqJFJCYCOV9ke4AwuvvG5BWMaS5h5QR_ScQjPLJlzssa_D9VfAhyphenhyphencrM9TB_P7lvNiZL39DSfr7yGFGdxjady4BGcc9c8_ssWGF71YrMkv/s4032/IMG_7702.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9f9J7qBeWTgRnyfDKVqsfx_9x5KV6yf39vkXgiugR1TjYOCzBIJUc9zrw6R2p6biKp_yn63RTLUJJgpuOLmpqJFJCYCOV9ke4AwuvvG5BWMaS5h5QR_ScQjPLJlzssa_D9VfAhyphenhyphencrM9TB_P7lvNiZL39DSfr7yGFGdxjady4BGcc9c8_ssWGF71YrMkv/w640-h480/IMG_7702.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Budakirkja Black Church</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Day Two: North Coast -Grundafjordur to Akureyri</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We decided to take a lesser known route out of Grundafjordur on our way to the northern city of Akureyri. We would drive north along the coast instead of the shorter route thereby allowing us to stop at Sigulfjordur, the northernmost town of the mainland, and driving in what was seemingly, the middle of nowhere. Seriously. Just lots of beautiful scenery, sometimes just a dirt road, some farms and very little else. If you want to get away from it all, this is the place to go. Though, funnily enough there was road construction! </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJXxZKBu4tWrD15MwBkIcM6bw5d_gSGjbtwoU4sO0Y55nIcSGCFki_b7B7tqUFEN_o0gxXy-yzC0EBs7lQ0S9p0eddoAPeyeEQakoRdTh97JCOQUdX3b9Xq8DCZsK9vFrIpXoRnJGJ-mRpI7qVzmKJPHStmgX5WYWMYaFQxToauhzhTY1HY-wsbc0scSh/s4032/IMG_7820.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJXxZKBu4tWrD15MwBkIcM6bw5d_gSGjbtwoU4sO0Y55nIcSGCFki_b7B7tqUFEN_o0gxXy-yzC0EBs7lQ0S9p0eddoAPeyeEQakoRdTh97JCOQUdX3b9Xq8DCZsK9vFrIpXoRnJGJ-mRpI7qVzmKJPHStmgX5WYWMYaFQxToauhzhTY1HY-wsbc0scSh/w640-h480/IMG_7820.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQy-HOO2H73KCM02DCmDchgywKO57qZd4mdscmC79PlnjPt59XE8M07fZFN1iw2bD9hbabYEE3lzWhPVlD85cRUe9GPrD40-oGzgM0wD_ROMY7nxhkUxt5D8aLFMvFvj2IDAZZauAdY_znehvyzZamK10EPcdtEmFlbkOGB-90jGPjVn5k2QSN7xCTENW/s4024/IMG_7813.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2645" data-original-width="4024" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQy-HOO2H73KCM02DCmDchgywKO57qZd4mdscmC79PlnjPt59XE8M07fZFN1iw2bD9hbabYEE3lzWhPVlD85cRUe9GPrD40-oGzgM0wD_ROMY7nxhkUxt5D8aLFMvFvj2IDAZZauAdY_znehvyzZamK10EPcdtEmFlbkOGB-90jGPjVn5k2QSN7xCTENW/w640-h420/IMG_7813.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSCu5jkFCVqbvSfu4eFR3oCZlsQzEWv_cGlPmj-9UzBKwji6CPMRvkX3G16bCWhgJ4Aq2McB8Wcb1QRypLkPTKPexgiO3_aVpd6D-tym7O6odzNjFHS3C1qKTdi90L4QHgLn32DfZe80dHzRrmTEBuUsn_7iY9P40zPzVL5ppiiLB4k_RKwKkOj3ZIDrwJ/s4032/IMG_7895.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSCu5jkFCVqbvSfu4eFR3oCZlsQzEWv_cGlPmj-9UzBKwji6CPMRvkX3G16bCWhgJ4Aq2McB8Wcb1QRypLkPTKPexgiO3_aVpd6D-tym7O6odzNjFHS3C1qKTdi90L4QHgLn32DfZe80dHzRrmTEBuUsn_7iY9P40zPzVL5ppiiLB4k_RKwKkOj3ZIDrwJ/w480-h640/IMG_7895.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">We managed to stop at two breweries and ended up eating dinner in Akureyri with some rowdy soccer fans. Our hotel was a beautiful property overlooking the water and we enjoyed a soak in the hot tub that night. </span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_AhiPsICYJVwEqk1QfRdR0rwG6ecY_oQXuBVjuRIblypyguu1-3mf02tGfPP4Askrnflj4bJqllNEWPlx2aq-ku2lKUBY_IpUFJoSe6TDNy40gi89Vs_twE2YykQeb5FqvH4sg8BzBvoYY6FdF00PWO4G2nUWpE57G3hoNasJVdLmNA0tOk57zehUnT5l/s4032/IMG_7914.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_AhiPsICYJVwEqk1QfRdR0rwG6ecY_oQXuBVjuRIblypyguu1-3mf02tGfPP4Askrnflj4bJqllNEWPlx2aq-ku2lKUBY_IpUFJoSe6TDNy40gi89Vs_twE2YykQeb5FqvH4sg8BzBvoYY6FdF00PWO4G2nUWpE57G3hoNasJVdLmNA0tOk57zehUnT5l/w640-h480/IMG_7914.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUhQv-TFL_A5A4XwuwCOZEy5t3SeSc0uPm3_RFh1M49ke1SkJnqq9ThphKRRRpMH3k9oPVJBHfgaoAxb7EHx_X3hFuF29em3NESlli_LRkRD0TJTA9RJ7kkaidnE00at1A5CGbJhliwFYMei6Q4G4-a2Z2AQtccRuk-SjFPmurSWeKWP592lDkTj_bF7Y/s4032/IMG_7922.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUhQv-TFL_A5A4XwuwCOZEy5t3SeSc0uPm3_RFh1M49ke1SkJnqq9ThphKRRRpMH3k9oPVJBHfgaoAxb7EHx_X3hFuF29em3NESlli_LRkRD0TJTA9RJ7kkaidnE00at1A5CGbJhliwFYMei6Q4G4-a2Z2AQtccRuk-SjFPmurSWeKWP592lDkTj_bF7Y/w480-h640/IMG_7922.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslpGwTdgW-nfCRiq7XIkm1QqpexyDl7Qxqp4FkD2nHRwa9e4Cz6qaCX1MZ5zIz7HdhBB84KoquJUKVNoLWdGNWCpkF82xZ1RgPZJGI3DS14fD2EhqfEZRVFz8DMJ8N0bi02FrANXFtlW6FGZN7UAfgMq_ZmMf_UP-lxI9ripN3AzmObqj_aD7cjMXfeOw/s4032/IMG_7953.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslpGwTdgW-nfCRiq7XIkm1QqpexyDl7Qxqp4FkD2nHRwa9e4Cz6qaCX1MZ5zIz7HdhBB84KoquJUKVNoLWdGNWCpkF82xZ1RgPZJGI3DS14fD2EhqfEZRVFz8DMJ8N0bi02FrANXFtlW6FGZN7UAfgMq_ZmMf_UP-lxI9ripN3AzmObqj_aD7cjMXfeOw/w640-h480/IMG_7953.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYCnCwhUKHsyWYvGhfzHZqPGOXjjyrMkGX_H_NiHW2mKhnBpBeAUwGmr2pbm_Hq9xSvdNfC10uT91VNI0xs4k5Ke3EEO0FMLsZpBUhOqOh3c7CXik7TpDxXVySqBIP_-5Op_SST9qclXSPR1nXMfvF-EIb123KpD8Ceh_ZC7eTR_VqrXCM0S7JXcVdVHeM/s4032/IMG_7974.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYCnCwhUKHsyWYvGhfzHZqPGOXjjyrMkGX_H_NiHW2mKhnBpBeAUwGmr2pbm_Hq9xSvdNfC10uT91VNI0xs4k5Ke3EEO0FMLsZpBUhOqOh3c7CXik7TpDxXVySqBIP_-5Op_SST9qclXSPR1nXMfvF-EIb123KpD8Ceh_ZC7eTR_VqrXCM0S7JXcVdVHeM/w480-h640/IMG_7974.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The inviting hot tub after a long day in the car</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Day Three: North Coast - Akureyri to Hofn</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The East Coast of Iceland is the land of the Eastfjords so our day today would be long, as fjord driving requires driving around as you can't go through, but full of dramatic scenery and small towns (the largest town in the region has a population of 2,300 people) We left Akureyri after breakfast at our hotel and visited: the striking Godafoss waterfall, the unique Myvatin Geothermal area, the small town of Seydisfjordur (including its rainbow street), and we even made an unplanned stop at a birdwatching museum on the volcanic Lake Myvatn. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Ica-GLipXcc1r8-7qEVn1KblRgGhEPx5bb1B_FyUj26PTqXvFuOPNfwX3gCS0NxDJbWZmkvgygbdj_IjJP7_AI97mQMLJq0-0tAqXXIFANNWd82J3xXStgSvSsy81_RPj_fNyMACfHei0F73pGYd-cyX7uyxXEA2s7Yg2j78Qd9NV3ykWH7Xk0Nzgeeh/s3088/IMG_8004.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Ica-GLipXcc1r8-7qEVn1KblRgGhEPx5bb1B_FyUj26PTqXvFuOPNfwX3gCS0NxDJbWZmkvgygbdj_IjJP7_AI97mQMLJq0-0tAqXXIFANNWd82J3xXStgSvSsy81_RPj_fNyMACfHei0F73pGYd-cyX7uyxXEA2s7Yg2j78Qd9NV3ykWH7Xk0Nzgeeh/w640-h480/IMG_8004.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2pqfI7eb7ntvk5kelUDwsz9JjOni-k9RZXZMqZ9bObC8BIpG5Egpt6eEsOUKUFHkFFZiGycbg2RHX4fsG1W8oV9tAG_LbOuD7gMAfwT9CVQCzW5APrmSn1G2YeFNham78Um6VFiZAKaoOtV31NxMI91xky2cLJ-AVq07H6MNRVaCpmbgwNkKyAVUx91h/s4032/IMG_8048.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2pqfI7eb7ntvk5kelUDwsz9JjOni-k9RZXZMqZ9bObC8BIpG5Egpt6eEsOUKUFHkFFZiGycbg2RHX4fsG1W8oV9tAG_LbOuD7gMAfwT9CVQCzW5APrmSn1G2YeFNham78Um6VFiZAKaoOtV31NxMI91xky2cLJ-AVq07H6MNRVaCpmbgwNkKyAVUx91h/w640-h480/IMG_8048.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMA-joI7AT9vs6gUd4xNNOKC_DP_YCUb1h91c8vCvZLDvuXs3HMDptka5AuMRRatBgfxjIXSejq5mjDt4L4tnLenLxP9ZKQfkWGofPuUh7yoojGG-RdBOeZ1lG-iByZ9_7CgNp3H43Mk9NuP8JBe7nmLI5MCFMU0XfDEWkINzk0I_CuwK9ZVtUr_mKasS/s4032/IMG_8054.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMA-joI7AT9vs6gUd4xNNOKC_DP_YCUb1h91c8vCvZLDvuXs3HMDptka5AuMRRatBgfxjIXSejq5mjDt4L4tnLenLxP9ZKQfkWGofPuUh7yoojGG-RdBOeZ1lG-iByZ9_7CgNp3H43Mk9NuP8JBe7nmLI5MCFMU0XfDEWkINzk0I_CuwK9ZVtUr_mKasS/w480-h640/IMG_8054.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The perpetual hot shower</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTRsIZVsAf_Jh49bQZiPX2H_22Oz9ZSzByqfxwA1Z5vIu4-_nQkWBb05gfog-ILYHwS_WZRd7E6ktJVZYNIN8pSYZLbR1UznnMR2o93Zk9_zLyNZ7q3eDRJn6tx7H3euJ-K2oNAnqslz72ickFK1BekHfbXeeg11Ees-wjuhI-94dwyXKWVrH710yZdeO/s4028/IMG_8081.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4028" data-original-width="2271" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTRsIZVsAf_Jh49bQZiPX2H_22Oz9ZSzByqfxwA1Z5vIu4-_nQkWBb05gfog-ILYHwS_WZRd7E6ktJVZYNIN8pSYZLbR1UznnMR2o93Zk9_zLyNZ7q3eDRJn6tx7H3euJ-K2oNAnqslz72ickFK1BekHfbXeeg11Ees-wjuhI-94dwyXKWVrH710yZdeO/w360-h640/IMG_8081.jpeg" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seydisfjordur</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">A very, good day with lots of dramatic scenery, as promised, which ended with the Midnight Sun at our guesthouse in Hofn. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYdbDl5akLClB_QQmaSz-dQNswL9sxqJ4Ai36YXtPWKnxS3HI0qwtMr_eIluB6T2x9OngP4yYq3qA2-YhJV9KCCHar3hH6hBKax7t9me5AjF5ZeAzM0ELvxpwf8_3YCf3dLyzIBF-pyFReQTDnIp0fQ0cWYHZKGBpBk7jeILQg3W8w60q9fyoce4b43kX/s4032/IMG_8268.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYdbDl5akLClB_QQmaSz-dQNswL9sxqJ4Ai36YXtPWKnxS3HI0qwtMr_eIluB6T2x9OngP4yYq3qA2-YhJV9KCCHar3hH6hBKax7t9me5AjF5ZeAzM0ELvxpwf8_3YCf3dLyzIBF-pyFReQTDnIp0fQ0cWYHZKGBpBk7jeILQg3W8w60q9fyoce4b43kX/w640-h480/IMG_8268.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About midnight</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Day Four: East Coast - Hofn to Vik</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This was a big day! We stopped at a grocery store in Hofn for some supplies for the long day of driving and then we were off to see not one, but two glaciers: the Hoffellsjokull Glacier and the Svinafellsjokull Glacier, ( The first was from a viewpoint a bit far away and the second was quite close) hiked the short but sweet hike at Fjadrargljufur Canyon and saw both of Iceland's Wow! factor stops of the glacier lagoon of Jokulsarlon and Diamond Beach (which were, quite conveniently, right across the street from each other.)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhkc0ZPHfsrpZBx67KsjGjybm8Vl6YEvIALt7XVcYNyy1M3JL1BCmvcKSGyvOY8BhuUW1C3WtKWsRlwR__d5nLxbC2EpBwGUti38f0Taz285geFPUYFWpeYRW9usAPThzg4nW_u3KirgLRodk0UiYaFNb-QLF2Vie5xX9n0kwSjqYWuvioos3ZN9kSmNp/s1793/IMG_8292.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1345" data-original-width="1793" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhkc0ZPHfsrpZBx67KsjGjybm8Vl6YEvIALt7XVcYNyy1M3JL1BCmvcKSGyvOY8BhuUW1C3WtKWsRlwR__d5nLxbC2EpBwGUti38f0Taz285geFPUYFWpeYRW9usAPThzg4nW_u3KirgLRodk0UiYaFNb-QLF2Vie5xX9n0kwSjqYWuvioos3ZN9kSmNp/w640-h480/IMG_8292.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXBzQkaYjovP8OOS2f0ie0s4C4KXF5QnXIcT04kgssfr2jfqTyXg4qbBuVlV5IlY5PmpfJPbWRk1KWzradoi9m5KzcqrrY3FwywdgGv5tyY5DRgdd_S95P6WzNPCEitpt9w3TekH3vqkbZIm8XcVlkftRZTmsv4eKos2KPmtl5XUpZI1FvoQAgJE056fnR/s4032/IMG_8316.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXBzQkaYjovP8OOS2f0ie0s4C4KXF5QnXIcT04kgssfr2jfqTyXg4qbBuVlV5IlY5PmpfJPbWRk1KWzradoi9m5KzcqrrY3FwywdgGv5tyY5DRgdd_S95P6WzNPCEitpt9w3TekH3vqkbZIm8XcVlkftRZTmsv4eKos2KPmtl5XUpZI1FvoQAgJE056fnR/w640-h480/IMG_8316.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJXR9c80VzVfck6MnweAPM9u3ilaWWF7Ee6EkeGc5mh8JsACnW3WhgZ93cN4KNfigaTjBFC0XV9GeQPQn2S_I5hv5E-XM5ei_pfHdNLv5EWB6imXmk4OblAHUl8o7FuSY87aLY9irrfehEgPsZW_Y3W2imvImny0BSirhMCU-DxGZMoRGVbbN4QtD00Gt/s3668/IMG_8359.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3668" data-original-width="3023" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJXR9c80VzVfck6MnweAPM9u3ilaWWF7Ee6EkeGc5mh8JsACnW3WhgZ93cN4KNfigaTjBFC0XV9GeQPQn2S_I5hv5E-XM5ei_pfHdNLv5EWB6imXmk4OblAHUl8o7FuSY87aLY9irrfehEgPsZW_Y3W2imvImny0BSirhMCU-DxGZMoRGVbbN4QtD00Gt/w528-h640/IMG_8359.jpeg" width="528" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diamond Beach</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg595CfKpn3tQcvLJmlV5F3FB2QW1JutJatoA06zTVeW5k0zLZ9pIdX-nQNay3lckaFQ8MBZyMUZkNKHidn12KuTRnaCF7iyvgL_BK9KkZcl02lI2Y1R2CBLqOutOgrxSfyxpudwY6SRBkcItj844atmrnBIGAllDhNEIQ_KOa3fVqgRLtjCuDO8OFSRmmH/s3024/IMG_8380.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg595CfKpn3tQcvLJmlV5F3FB2QW1JutJatoA06zTVeW5k0zLZ9pIdX-nQNay3lckaFQ8MBZyMUZkNKHidn12KuTRnaCF7iyvgL_BK9KkZcl02lI2Y1R2CBLqOutOgrxSfyxpudwY6SRBkcItj844atmrnBIGAllDhNEIQ_KOa3fVqgRLtjCuDO8OFSRmmH/w640-h640/IMG_8380.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqP258TW0OorU9_XZ4Uq1X7kzUzDhF-a_g85tyhhOxfQyGVA4IX3Cgu2ma2snHeemfWLTHWuSVLzbFfxMZ2rTHn8zTLSr__8cjoPRwVXYTR8MkR79eoZ8AyHa1HvAQiBzwrRiStzFHZ8IdHU8IOsudRkNF_3CuGpCtxqVh55zJ0jhCboxyARteEAk0isz/s4032/IMG_8394.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqP258TW0OorU9_XZ4Uq1X7kzUzDhF-a_g85tyhhOxfQyGVA4IX3Cgu2ma2snHeemfWLTHWuSVLzbFfxMZ2rTHn8zTLSr__8cjoPRwVXYTR8MkR79eoZ8AyHa1HvAQiBzwrRiStzFHZ8IdHU8IOsudRkNF_3CuGpCtxqVh55zJ0jhCboxyARteEAk0isz/w480-h640/IMG_8394.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkC8diye6VFY52rq74282tfrzxyDIh-FTGpEnHT8kT1eXw2phMyOpC_SHVgGD7jtftb1UVUOCQ8PYqUjt1vNkO3rqpDQoQFGKWHdFjJ5IV905wgiED7ZxpqrW0K-LFufaEnA-WAqSgrCUW8Cx-l39AEGHoyq8hkRaVudL49IGP0yQdX4AOd1CXMJeuOdJ/s4032/IMG_8414.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkC8diye6VFY52rq74282tfrzxyDIh-FTGpEnHT8kT1eXw2phMyOpC_SHVgGD7jtftb1UVUOCQ8PYqUjt1vNkO3rqpDQoQFGKWHdFjJ5IV905wgiED7ZxpqrW0K-LFufaEnA-WAqSgrCUW8Cx-l39AEGHoyq8hkRaVudL49IGP0yQdX4AOd1CXMJeuOdJ/w480-h640/IMG_8414.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We ended our day in the city of Vik with a walk on the Black Sand Beach (Reynisfara) with puffin sightings and a burger at a brewery before we called it a night at our hostel.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWa_JLZr8rL5LEWZHwApz7r8lXNM75niG1hdbwqGGR8gTFIWnImPiLDqZplOxwGvzWStfdf57rCnCXN1D8lvzqtIRNECp0KM6oV25NoctN32tS1tokLzChNuu-QqeaXyAin98ESf6mlWN7VB9PEpVwUmwao3s0Lbb9gaN8bFAmbNlqpouplPpzFqpo6Y9/s4032/IMG_8475.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWa_JLZr8rL5LEWZHwApz7r8lXNM75niG1hdbwqGGR8gTFIWnImPiLDqZplOxwGvzWStfdf57rCnCXN1D8lvzqtIRNECp0KM6oV25NoctN32tS1tokLzChNuu-QqeaXyAin98ESf6mlWN7VB9PEpVwUmwao3s0Lbb9gaN8bFAmbNlqpouplPpzFqpo6Y9/w480-h640/IMG_8475.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_PzLgGWlP9e_8hkF8khoHR_2Er67eMiRdQ_HyFe3uqmA8k0mChFAWXep_7ZZCjd1aC8_vE2cngmw3UQMZL4d36q2gFXWT3OfX-KQc55Q4jnqed8HmDii-ydIfAeZxvrUAsaLGtm6f3XSsER3WUN_H-RoSVtgdtnKKhuAZUn51kVwvwtPOsJuBoTWshUj/s4032/IMG_8508.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_PzLgGWlP9e_8hkF8khoHR_2Er67eMiRdQ_HyFe3uqmA8k0mChFAWXep_7ZZCjd1aC8_vE2cngmw3UQMZL4d36q2gFXWT3OfX-KQc55Q4jnqed8HmDii-ydIfAeZxvrUAsaLGtm6f3XSsER3WUN_H-RoSVtgdtnKKhuAZUn51kVwvwtPOsJuBoTWshUj/w480-h640/IMG_8508.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Day Five: South Coast - Vik to Reykjavik</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The South Coast of Iceland is the Wow coast. In fact, it's recommended that you drive the Ring Road clockwise so that you save the South Coast for the end of your trip instead of starting with it. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The South Coast, with its closeness to Reykjavik, and its abundance of natural wonders is one of the most popular parts of the country for travelers. Some of these natural wonders include: the waterfalls of Gulfoss and Skogafoss, the black beach of Reynisfjara, the Drangurinn Rock, the legendary rock with elves' houses built into it, the very popular Geysir and the Heart of Iceland, Thingvellir National Park. (which is part of the Golden Circle)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YxpmcagWrh-HQem75EuPoDLas3LxqTUO0sgpnlIADcLmLx88WuAg-mFiSl_iRqfuRfJKxST8ex3avxq-9lYbtKmhUUpDPZZqD2hEs0H8wVLj8HICduICo7tvLtDVXkgrhgkYuwMTI2O-OmfVKpXinAy_EbvvAPaSwiK-LV_Pd3gntwi3Skz45L6TPwbB/s4032/IMG_8570.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YxpmcagWrh-HQem75EuPoDLas3LxqTUO0sgpnlIADcLmLx88WuAg-mFiSl_iRqfuRfJKxST8ex3avxq-9lYbtKmhUUpDPZZqD2hEs0H8wVLj8HICduICo7tvLtDVXkgrhgkYuwMTI2O-OmfVKpXinAy_EbvvAPaSwiK-LV_Pd3gntwi3Skz45L6TPwbB/w480-h640/IMG_8570.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgPU-RsHUA6XhUcTrSV3FSWZ0tMVEWJI09gY1qsNBKvU1pGj525krDUwzpB4HVpS1yk6GoRTQYLXt8ASXUCL6DlvTeR8sZXMSow5FUhGqk5EGttOBpuDuKVTdrWuJTEkgbRa4fg8UPY6jLi5SGmOhA6MsjYZt6vkchKDya5iKXZPj2XuTG8TSMwwyXIiX/s4032/IMG_8601.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgPU-RsHUA6XhUcTrSV3FSWZ0tMVEWJI09gY1qsNBKvU1pGj525krDUwzpB4HVpS1yk6GoRTQYLXt8ASXUCL6DlvTeR8sZXMSow5FUhGqk5EGttOBpuDuKVTdrWuJTEkgbRa4fg8UPY6jLi5SGmOhA6MsjYZt6vkchKDya5iKXZPj2XuTG8TSMwwyXIiX/w480-h640/IMG_8601.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VuriY9aChXjIIgInD5cbQ7CoaFUxKmDAMF3szZMz01YNCFy1oHSGJ1fnCnE7P11J2AN9SNRxdsHJ8nRbISWq7c-vhAdCHgO4Oa7ff_LUOcp32rUK7r9iQxVawiEN3PRo7AwSg5n9H5p-HeFJDBWNbR0kfQOPVBKUJq9YDesboQh4C1AJWaEmgV4a0PMg/s4032/IMG_8660.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VuriY9aChXjIIgInD5cbQ7CoaFUxKmDAMF3szZMz01YNCFy1oHSGJ1fnCnE7P11J2AN9SNRxdsHJ8nRbISWq7c-vhAdCHgO4Oa7ff_LUOcp32rUK7r9iQxVawiEN3PRo7AwSg5n9H5p-HeFJDBWNbR0kfQOPVBKUJq9YDesboQh4C1AJWaEmgV4a0PMg/w480-h640/IMG_8660.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ibNepTKxWDwjmT-zoJG36cDoRubP5Y_ZQfPLx1NYVZf2TTWk-TnUbxJ5GlMbYqYn4RFUWqTAJVooRTxpQuygswjzU_fChwe_4NRnrzn9NYXre8EB7ebW9BloZDiniuR0bPrmPvEnw_Aixqh8VeBIvoL8yPV9Mam81MQhhyphenhyphen5-xp4eYoGTMrYSZRrxlvmv/s4032/IMG_8678.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ibNepTKxWDwjmT-zoJG36cDoRubP5Y_ZQfPLx1NYVZf2TTWk-TnUbxJ5GlMbYqYn4RFUWqTAJVooRTxpQuygswjzU_fChwe_4NRnrzn9NYXre8EB7ebW9BloZDiniuR0bPrmPvEnw_Aixqh8VeBIvoL8yPV9Mam81MQhhyphenhyphen5-xp4eYoGTMrYSZRrxlvmv/w480-h640/IMG_8678.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3krMh9ek7liSXW2aOLl2Vo4una1t2hkEIxPmrsgIlN2_0ljP5I6VbTYPrSPpXnr1A8xiO8G01oAqbUcVm0y_s6ZGk47V_6XkM3LJ_2OFc3p2dSQneoscK9piazKPeEbx-ZzLHJOfTUpqcwsGu0PyAjwvBAmosqHUF2t1lIC_QKFtEC1Hw1VHdAymOnac1/s4032/IMG_8685.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3krMh9ek7liSXW2aOLl2Vo4una1t2hkEIxPmrsgIlN2_0ljP5I6VbTYPrSPpXnr1A8xiO8G01oAqbUcVm0y_s6ZGk47V_6XkM3LJ_2OFc3p2dSQneoscK9piazKPeEbx-ZzLHJOfTUpqcwsGu0PyAjwvBAmosqHUF2t1lIC_QKFtEC1Hw1VHdAymOnac1/w480-h640/IMG_8685.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">We managed to do all of the above and I can agree wholeheartedly that the South Coast of Iceland is well worth the visit.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Day Six: Reykjavik</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We chose to spend more time seeing the natural wonders of Iceland than in its main city (population: 140,000) Reykjavik is a walkable, friendly city with a few main attractions and quite the Scandinavian vibe. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnNFq9JMMhIOwYATGAGMjFh86qdAGiEY22zMQKD0xmA_zUPtBh-1-wL63KfhhX2QtzS_tGH9Sp1eOZsUmvtFnMfHT39VWWtuObe8p_KDu4H6aqFcPfNnC9DLCDbX7TA434t__VvBVix6JG-lbJmzFEUEBd2DjRNXJCIdAcODUxkKN7pJjvzHGEBxJ4Omw/s4032/IMG_8712.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnNFq9JMMhIOwYATGAGMjFh86qdAGiEY22zMQKD0xmA_zUPtBh-1-wL63KfhhX2QtzS_tGH9Sp1eOZsUmvtFnMfHT39VWWtuObe8p_KDu4H6aqFcPfNnC9DLCDbX7TA434t__VvBVix6JG-lbJmzFEUEBd2DjRNXJCIdAcODUxkKN7pJjvzHGEBxJ4Omw/w480-h640/IMG_8712.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwAgNrxvTTecnQIiedsFj0dxtuvao7oLxoMv8zkmkPBkEjRHQDL7BB7UE5rwJSjYFtUuBvGohEtQZsuH6f21ypLoyJ7wauvU2Pn9vklAOptTNAfqP-h-7nmcshPTGLYtPJrB1_zPWvC2qXEd7syBnt8TuCdTtoeS1ZsM6eXUWBvUnkXHwDPniPjRNuqML/s4032/IMG_8724.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwAgNrxvTTecnQIiedsFj0dxtuvao7oLxoMv8zkmkPBkEjRHQDL7BB7UE5rwJSjYFtUuBvGohEtQZsuH6f21ypLoyJ7wauvU2Pn9vklAOptTNAfqP-h-7nmcshPTGLYtPJrB1_zPWvC2qXEd7syBnt8TuCdTtoeS1ZsM6eXUWBvUnkXHwDPniPjRNuqML/w480-h640/IMG_8724.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to the Skye Lagoon</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDB_x7a3wnF1kwM0gVUDqaE3PgWERde3GbD-_x1p5FlWaGKPrSTRDKMYXci0zAlDiavQ3NJF3X6_D8B-oa02l_-GpIWOILKC87BgX6n23xhYTsflmnjQNc6zaf2Q5wVbGyIDxDGMYPTJT9CwBuA2i29oTw8o0hAPIFhfIIfpTN7N53gcISXbGM33l1MI9Q/s4032/IMG_8765.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDB_x7a3wnF1kwM0gVUDqaE3PgWERde3GbD-_x1p5FlWaGKPrSTRDKMYXci0zAlDiavQ3NJF3X6_D8B-oa02l_-GpIWOILKC87BgX6n23xhYTsflmnjQNc6zaf2Q5wVbGyIDxDGMYPTJT9CwBuA2i29oTw8o0hAPIFhfIIfpTN7N53gcISXbGM33l1MI9Q/w480-h640/IMG_8765.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZitUDcTdJ1TxgaBej453zDlbWQXL8SYxpOmAp_C5DR0OF1hOgpp-Jkkl6fX4Gv1hzjzVeZgLBylciSrOKdZ9RrBOCXVhQLTJW7xuJXbouf81WcCARkbyEZ-3hI6amiWjA9wGF4vkR7qAy9CEsK31m2hBEyjR66M1baBazrsR8aMMfIGS158r2LX5Amc_3/s4032/IMG_8767.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZitUDcTdJ1TxgaBej453zDlbWQXL8SYxpOmAp_C5DR0OF1hOgpp-Jkkl6fX4Gv1hzjzVeZgLBylciSrOKdZ9RrBOCXVhQLTJW7xuJXbouf81WcCARkbyEZ-3hI6amiWjA9wGF4vkR7qAy9CEsK31m2hBEyjR66M1baBazrsR8aMMfIGS158r2LX5Amc_3/w640-h480/IMG_8767.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">We spent our brief visit here seeing the famous landmark Hallgrimskirkja, enjoying a beverage at an outdoor cafe, walking and shopping the pedestrian streets, munching down on some fish n chips at Reykjavik Fish Restaurant and visiting one of the highlights of our trip, the Skye Lagoon. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUW7PAeQgAhZGxACUr-EaZ-bBcfb3Y03XWwigfdOUFZqHcrNmJISKySohH_BBv-lKDT9lO-rgkYxSkyNdAAtWyCyfkaHlJbWQRdekGEmmFUVcaZK9X1UEG8620H1eBhUo1EeVutSYAC-LjW92mskr__WnyLxA7DyTfylhhCttPjJh1ovAOq9G0q6lWJey/s4032/IMG_8742.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUW7PAeQgAhZGxACUr-EaZ-bBcfb3Y03XWwigfdOUFZqHcrNmJISKySohH_BBv-lKDT9lO-rgkYxSkyNdAAtWyCyfkaHlJbWQRdekGEmmFUVcaZK9X1UEG8620H1eBhUo1EeVutSYAC-LjW92mskr__WnyLxA7DyTfylhhCttPjJh1ovAOq9G0q6lWJey/w480-h640/IMG_8742.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78GFsVpmgNJVmT3pqk45cl4IG4WySUzzBUhkfc0Mh8e9U60g-GoP2CLIpNPBRk7iSXU8QgvBwOwVKUz3s6MUO56UoiJZ2ZEzU4qHSdr3sLthZmPG-DFhkrVliOh9NZUvB_6lJfqOjtWuz42iRllBYiNtt4zViwagz-_fGpIhVk5IDYT9Zfi2-aOyAytKZ/s4032/IMG_8747.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78GFsVpmgNJVmT3pqk45cl4IG4WySUzzBUhkfc0Mh8e9U60g-GoP2CLIpNPBRk7iSXU8QgvBwOwVKUz3s6MUO56UoiJZ2ZEzU4qHSdr3sLthZmPG-DFhkrVliOh9NZUvB_6lJfqOjtWuz42iRllBYiNtt4zViwagz-_fGpIhVk5IDYT9Zfi2-aOyAytKZ/w480-h640/IMG_8747.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZsteuiWFx7kMt2fMG7yRY_IMyzWhidbXB9dG89cj_HsROP3Bq_wIvdricfiLWXr-8pPmvigFqMyGWW_6ouYcrCsw3awOPKxg-VJidENrRI8K5si9i4T0JFOZLmDxjhVXSoeznuwTU_HNZZQNq1LBtABBgL-L92pBmi6ld6zhEJUQsXEEL_p9Sy3CypjW/s4032/IMG_8775.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZsteuiWFx7kMt2fMG7yRY_IMyzWhidbXB9dG89cj_HsROP3Bq_wIvdricfiLWXr-8pPmvigFqMyGWW_6ouYcrCsw3awOPKxg-VJidENrRI8K5si9i4T0JFOZLmDxjhVXSoeznuwTU_HNZZQNq1LBtABBgL-L92pBmi6ld6zhEJUQsXEEL_p9Sy3CypjW/w480-h640/IMG_8775.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I don't know if there is any country more unique, picturesque or just plain unbelievable than Iceland. I absolutely loved our visit here. Yes, we spent a lot of time driving but I feel that we saw everything that we wanted - or needed- to see. Would I return? Yes, yes and yes! It's one of my favorite places I've ever been. Hopefully I will do that one day!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41I4TN9yHl7EmpQVQQs9G7EdQmInmk3wyjqtEoG0xrj_mvAUJagHHWfhVcjyiLfol0D_1jQMiOb8RBiOLqTrGeD7G-tOj34F-iYcRYz_tBxTRWNyTBC0pfmPdq5ATDHx8wNEU4yxG6NemdU1fa8enXnSzfk3EI7f63P6F3mVMx5gfAH7azfXZZ3n4Z_-W/s3814/IMG_8235.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2860" data-original-width="3814" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41I4TN9yHl7EmpQVQQs9G7EdQmInmk3wyjqtEoG0xrj_mvAUJagHHWfhVcjyiLfol0D_1jQMiOb8RBiOLqTrGeD7G-tOj34F-iYcRYz_tBxTRWNyTBC0pfmPdq5ATDHx8wNEU4yxG6NemdU1fa8enXnSzfk3EI7f63P6F3mVMx5gfAH7azfXZZ3n4Z_-W/w640-h480/IMG_8235.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxW8Xe07BdCoEu5JAvBx4OeoDvnVpwCnNWU8Iut321-SoRRoWK3kh3J6v4QlXZKOCpuE7Zv7TInE-i5aATzu3lxgiw1NPHjBxghOXDsawi2D5Yh99lvyY17mFSjrjwV91ebkjQnSBCMBwP105NxXrniG4z25Q9GEy6vl0NlSjN5LUZu6aJrI0MGpEJJNBf/s4032/IMG_8349.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxW8Xe07BdCoEu5JAvBx4OeoDvnVpwCnNWU8Iut321-SoRRoWK3kh3J6v4QlXZKOCpuE7Zv7TInE-i5aATzu3lxgiw1NPHjBxghOXDsawi2D5Yh99lvyY17mFSjrjwV91ebkjQnSBCMBwP105NxXrniG4z25Q9GEy6vl0NlSjN5LUZu6aJrI0MGpEJJNBf/w480-h640/IMG_8349.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvXWiPRE1VO3j2yCed54d8CRkDZ696x3Spx7LVwXUxCicnK0eM27YBIU8ihGXCmXX5c_ny-o8SuNRd-tRTPh0aQrkyjEdrdAUTVPtyz_jItmYz7bo_NekoiZkaVAv2No1cs6oGu6Y9M1cK879A8v1PlZfTMOvmSKwlPgDJn7OrbiSJDuT9a-WTeLPisa35/s3022/IMG_8631.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3022" data-original-width="2778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvXWiPRE1VO3j2yCed54d8CRkDZ696x3Spx7LVwXUxCicnK0eM27YBIU8ihGXCmXX5c_ny-o8SuNRd-tRTPh0aQrkyjEdrdAUTVPtyz_jItmYz7bo_NekoiZkaVAv2No1cs6oGu6Y9M1cK879A8v1PlZfTMOvmSKwlPgDJn7OrbiSJDuT9a-WTeLPisa35/w588-h640/IMG_8631.jpeg" width="588" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I've just skimmed the day by day highlights but stay tuned for more in-depth posts about what we did day by day!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">How about you? Have you been to Iceland? If not, is it on your travel wish list?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEionufiTK3H1q6bD3JYIjvA5d9b8lzD4pc_2MGblOFeJTvtx9ZjlP4C_nuxigL7thi8xVxk9LYu34BOLa3UJJSN-09XjNCd3tFPEvzC1Dsoj4yUZKlVhOJN0-mTqh6OoYC2ll-hSIZdIH7D8mzjxqVNVytyEc_rpm6Z_fBZiDZHMB87aexQI7lDwhGw80qr/s200/mcotw.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEionufiTK3H1q6bD3JYIjvA5d9b8lzD4pc_2MGblOFeJTvtx9ZjlP4C_nuxigL7thi8xVxk9LYu34BOLa3UJJSN-09XjNCd3tFPEvzC1Dsoj4yUZKlVhOJN0-mTqh6OoYC2ll-hSIZdIH7D8mzjxqVNVytyEc_rpm6Z_fBZiDZHMB87aexQI7lDwhGw80qr/w400-h300/mcotw.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-62037738497429303242024-01-31T18:17:00.000-08:002024-01-31T18:20:41.119-08:00Voyager of the Seas Part 2 St Maarten<p> <span style="font-size: large;">It's been brutally cold in Colorado - temps in single digits for several days with wind chills of -20 - so I'm focusing on some Caribbean warmth today. Let's go to St. Maarten and reminisce about the aquamarine water and some beach time!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxBnBHRrpc7X5Fwm8S0SuZLf7IpjedxbpD1Z_2E9NifZuLLY7grGmjETmP-PC6kCXVCmP8YyJVK5YX5zDPVUo7cpci2ysR6uCAKX-CRgAobsJH2G3YONCHZ9SWikvz6WD8JvQX66i8SJCFLWfK7wiCHqYiYSF37FjYL3QU8diawZ4rHgE0ws70ocICNmG/s4032/IMG_0167.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxBnBHRrpc7X5Fwm8S0SuZLf7IpjedxbpD1Z_2E9NifZuLLY7grGmjETmP-PC6kCXVCmP8YyJVK5YX5zDPVUo7cpci2ysR6uCAKX-CRgAobsJH2G3YONCHZ9SWikvz6WD8JvQX66i8SJCFLWfK7wiCHqYiYSF37FjYL3QU8diawZ4rHgE0ws70ocICNmG/w640-h480/IMG_0167.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpsGJSnwwH6q-87w7ifpR_zV5eGnoHQ0eC_2jtWPvTa9qjgR7M5havaajv5zn2hC-oDPEUHBCj3ehMD9SRAsG7yh8tgsqdGXfym_16-tyJPSgcN6NwdmMyLs-F04hyphenhyphenRKNeHvnL68Ylr3LBRqdit4mYyBNWZOTl3w9nmZ-nu85v992hLD30K2pH5emsdyXg/s4032/IMG_0197.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpsGJSnwwH6q-87w7ifpR_zV5eGnoHQ0eC_2jtWPvTa9qjgR7M5havaajv5zn2hC-oDPEUHBCj3ehMD9SRAsG7yh8tgsqdGXfym_16-tyJPSgcN6NwdmMyLs-F04hyphenhyphenRKNeHvnL68Ylr3LBRqdit4mYyBNWZOTl3w9nmZ-nu85v992hLD30K2pH5emsdyXg/w640-h480/IMG_0197.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZazTa5OvW-Y0zNbWG7-vPJ_C-_ZY-aYeaUd0RQ9vkxpVl_jB2bF22vU_wrVhkdOYD9ZmnlckIhZnYBCC4O0SaOUGLqjGqJuZL5yqDgnSg4GNp4_Iw3VDvfVtFSCM1GXMv3qo49-ZMRBM7AlkNx7t7NnHYnJfE01EU0kPuWHujcq2tG9qwYW-c5UlJPCvX/s4032/IMG_0219.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZazTa5OvW-Y0zNbWG7-vPJ_C-_ZY-aYeaUd0RQ9vkxpVl_jB2bF22vU_wrVhkdOYD9ZmnlckIhZnYBCC4O0SaOUGLqjGqJuZL5yqDgnSg4GNp4_Iw3VDvfVtFSCM1GXMv3qo49-ZMRBM7AlkNx7t7NnHYnJfE01EU0kPuWHujcq2tG9qwYW-c5UlJPCvX/w640-h480/IMG_0219.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">St. Maarten was our third stop on our Voyager of the Seas southern Caribbean cruise (if you'd like to read about the first two stops you can do that <a href="https://unpavedroad.blogspot.com/2023/12/oasis-of-seas-part-1-st-thomas-and-st.html">here</a>) For years I have been hearing about my brothers trip to St. Maarten, and I had never been, so I was looking forward to visiting this half Dutch - half French island.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXzFHw2tES6h-d1hRj5w0lH8xaWm3mXJEXekAsW0ruNGNQUjdgWGYlMR8OCInxm5TdsFQYPJp2Wt-JqIIWHH1bhqMWQMZRtI-zF-mrDwBl80xmDEz0pG0T2D75yiXirFBzN6ia7T6ASHW5N1uCWOHmUkrJa9cRqUhttDF8ryx_UyOhVQuXOjDqEnz6wI2/s3706/IMG_0186.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3706" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXzFHw2tES6h-d1hRj5w0lH8xaWm3mXJEXekAsW0ruNGNQUjdgWGYlMR8OCInxm5TdsFQYPJp2Wt-JqIIWHH1bhqMWQMZRtI-zF-mrDwBl80xmDEz0pG0T2D75yiXirFBzN6ia7T6ASHW5N1uCWOHmUkrJa9cRqUhttDF8ryx_UyOhVQuXOjDqEnz6wI2/w522-h640/IMG_0186.jpeg" width="522" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kbyi6TmnnHRr0ZSHP4XZQS4kkuDlG6TP_zKTmyo5ZtGBG4Iv6uW3tKECqpoEMHUc7OJYZ06kIPUonSajLzS3uGYNnEU0FKSggzzIN1-ZOjwHGGeJKOw97rhyphenhyphenzJMC3XY1gVB7HPt7VIPA2Ocn94oF_Hw6JHF77hhnLqvuXTWEYGK1E1680LuJx_CoIKDY/s4032/IMG_0249.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kbyi6TmnnHRr0ZSHP4XZQS4kkuDlG6TP_zKTmyo5ZtGBG4Iv6uW3tKECqpoEMHUc7OJYZ06kIPUonSajLzS3uGYNnEU0FKSggzzIN1-ZOjwHGGeJKOw97rhyphenhyphenzJMC3XY1gVB7HPt7VIPA2Ocn94oF_Hw6JHF77hhnLqvuXTWEYGK1E1680LuJx_CoIKDY/w640-h480/IMG_0249.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMiIu23yEyGGsCBho-QxQ6W9CGT_yOL4OfOa8fAs9d6VkfiRweW85X4k6YxIVJBmOLaF6bcmg2bDH-7cvDCPRjq66wFnnXDb0h81wZC4dA9QKP2XzNZsDKiOn0mhlXrZGuUwKPwwiNd4MMaLZI4f5wdfUv9cdbcgsXJfGZizdxOL6JCFdT_TmSIkI8Xrf3/s4032/IMG_0289.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2613" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMiIu23yEyGGsCBho-QxQ6W9CGT_yOL4OfOa8fAs9d6VkfiRweW85X4k6YxIVJBmOLaF6bcmg2bDH-7cvDCPRjq66wFnnXDb0h81wZC4dA9QKP2XzNZsDKiOn0mhlXrZGuUwKPwwiNd4MMaLZI4f5wdfUv9cdbcgsXJfGZizdxOL6JCFdT_TmSIkI8Xrf3/w414-h640/IMG_0289.jpeg" width="414" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">St. Maarten consists of Sint Maarten, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, on the Southern part of the island and Saint Martin, a French overseas collectivity, on the northern part. It's known as the smallest landmass to consist of two nations and I was hoping to visit both. We docked on the Dutch side so we planned to take the water taxi to the island and spend the morning there. Then we signed up for an afternoon excursion to the beach in the French side. Our day was all sorted.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_jNzAo8Xkw-HpHmpl7G7HcCe6GKkpDD7lDBtyQuqwaQ-BhqvzAdxaGisL7_eTTqz2VF58sd0DZ2Lur2nawDC3c7LQ2VBtZQ1wfLTaoRnI738Ukd4jeKbhV8B83OqLjgwxdobEkvU96lZQhmWSNwBq7N4xCvJxBs2LzT7aiVYCZfdWJfDozq1GExZqo5O/s4032/IMG_0189.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_jNzAo8Xkw-HpHmpl7G7HcCe6GKkpDD7lDBtyQuqwaQ-BhqvzAdxaGisL7_eTTqz2VF58sd0DZ2Lur2nawDC3c7LQ2VBtZQ1wfLTaoRnI738Ukd4jeKbhV8B83OqLjgwxdobEkvU96lZQhmWSNwBq7N4xCvJxBs2LzT7aiVYCZfdWJfDozq1GExZqo5O/w640-h480/IMG_0189.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62VxMCuX6IVscbYbyJmCHGO_9Ds35Tqispv-l75ltwUSy317IoUP3uirH6g5dxt1tHh5hJNyGWRbkBrF5-9ik9c9KUTY-ih4c-GD1U984KcNSE3wJyECjEYAa8yXm1yDsaFbIUHDQFp0yItSzH-98GOsDRluQ-G0fv-v8DvvSz9AhN5NQxoq28HiUbjcu/s4032/IMG_0195.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62VxMCuX6IVscbYbyJmCHGO_9Ds35Tqispv-l75ltwUSy317IoUP3uirH6g5dxt1tHh5hJNyGWRbkBrF5-9ik9c9KUTY-ih4c-GD1U984KcNSE3wJyECjEYAa8yXm1yDsaFbIUHDQFp0yItSzH-98GOsDRluQ-G0fv-v8DvvSz9AhN5NQxoq28HiUbjcu/w640-h480/IMG_0195.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizXxQHWCZvY7DsIYMwdevOiQtOyYDtRNfXvVqNFOg0DnNyprLr7PzKJe8zl1m1jR2rZ4gM5XQWQeoFpWp_bMj2PANabgplREmUBsxHy94GcY3jDvKF3TUyJJTYVWo0MYlr3MFjax-dffHuD57wQaJ23T6MCydqPuMseXXm-_YbnjGKFr6alKGpwUgHBdQa/s4032/IMG_0196.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizXxQHWCZvY7DsIYMwdevOiQtOyYDtRNfXvVqNFOg0DnNyprLr7PzKJe8zl1m1jR2rZ4gM5XQWQeoFpWp_bMj2PANabgplREmUBsxHy94GcY3jDvKF3TUyJJTYVWo0MYlr3MFjax-dffHuD57wQaJ23T6MCydqPuMseXXm-_YbnjGKFr6alKGpwUgHBdQa/w640-h480/IMG_0196.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The water taxi travels between the cruiseport and Phillipsburg. (Round trip is $7 per person) I was told that we needed to see Phillipsburg and especially do some shopping. So we walked some of the streets but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary that I needed to purchase. One cool thing we did see was an historic Dutch school, the Oranje school, and we could hear the students doing recitations inside. (It was originally built as a church in 1738, then became a school and in 1938 it became a government school)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCurWAglyAOHMXmdPqioeu1C46TPcojZPV-BmxjtzwuoLI1ZQUq6Z1XyeW4X9qKRjRGy2GSGN4Ia0EX1oHpIy64hHWQAEW-hOztDc4LgjnAZRmXAA9A24z-Lif4otwec4_9nryes1U_NwlxBZaH0W_PLHKJXFEtnpXGXCmjnquTaTbgh1zzj1SeuvpEUs/s4032/IMG_0190.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2825" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCurWAglyAOHMXmdPqioeu1C46TPcojZPV-BmxjtzwuoLI1ZQUq6Z1XyeW4X9qKRjRGy2GSGN4Ia0EX1oHpIy64hHWQAEW-hOztDc4LgjnAZRmXAA9A24z-Lif4otwec4_9nryes1U_NwlxBZaH0W_PLHKJXFEtnpXGXCmjnquTaTbgh1zzj1SeuvpEUs/w448-h640/IMG_0190.jpeg" width="448" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2a5zFttPdA3dycOJq_e5SYVJcTsu2g4EHvo98KRaeh1aJi-MhxrbgjsMd0ok-1BBwFwLUIhV52Eb63SNC1qsUWL0AWiP9ANF8RoHRjm6ZsFkbqX79p9UZdYT78qOuVsopkCrUHDvJRC8-a34hVrAJr8F1gLYIHUj9HzTLPfuqbJahXU5Zv9i1ewJR9VeE/s4032/IMG_0191.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2a5zFttPdA3dycOJq_e5SYVJcTsu2g4EHvo98KRaeh1aJi-MhxrbgjsMd0ok-1BBwFwLUIhV52Eb63SNC1qsUWL0AWiP9ANF8RoHRjm6ZsFkbqX79p9UZdYT78qOuVsopkCrUHDvJRC8-a34hVrAJr8F1gLYIHUj9HzTLPfuqbJahXU5Zv9i1ewJR9VeE/w640-h480/IMG_0191.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJK_UQYe9c1wEjD9JtzgLKbg8AQqWeNPYunVPTsUqnQD0XmR6XXNy9juyX6XI5-yq4dUFgTM-mxZBEFw89KgrpmW4_HWQ81f3FD8Fc8A1euIeg8kn7bP_g0s_aNp3K_dHYKxYvwju872FeED2Q3-N1dAf8LGCqM1Px9K24e4LTbrKyD3Xu4iz8GeNaYr7r/s4032/IMG_0192.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJK_UQYe9c1wEjD9JtzgLKbg8AQqWeNPYunVPTsUqnQD0XmR6XXNy9juyX6XI5-yq4dUFgTM-mxZBEFw89KgrpmW4_HWQ81f3FD8Fc8A1euIeg8kn7bP_g0s_aNp3K_dHYKxYvwju872FeED2Q3-N1dAf8LGCqM1Px9K24e4LTbrKyD3Xu4iz8GeNaYr7r/w640-h480/IMG_0192.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlsALHN3fG49xeABku1vd9MeFjc1ro-NLeODyHZy_Q-1vvtaEtt2EVktrYYAAf2MOpG9Xu67SSvNRbdIDZqxR8MJAwytP02xb0X1M_KEI9Q3tRtQ_xHFK2e7nQGn1fWAl-yIm8gICdMZ6oQpK1J57xCyL8jKCM6a4we9a5wqE24tk79moH8s2-z_ihBpND/s3967/IMG_0193.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3967" data-original-width="2729" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlsALHN3fG49xeABku1vd9MeFjc1ro-NLeODyHZy_Q-1vvtaEtt2EVktrYYAAf2MOpG9Xu67SSvNRbdIDZqxR8MJAwytP02xb0X1M_KEI9Q3tRtQ_xHFK2e7nQGn1fWAl-yIm8gICdMZ6oQpK1J57xCyL8jKCM6a4we9a5wqE24tk79moH8s2-z_ihBpND/w440-h640/IMG_0193.jpeg" width="440" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0OqOtppBL_2WM-WdxIAQmWg5w0hj5Yc_cRunvGt5DObGvDtz5x5h8c7-3vyOc81T9jThx8cwhVQUCIW1nhyphenhyphen2xsRBUopX3vB9wDZMlM03pvUdT7I0NJ3UaCesNNubNXvUf41bEAoyIxV31dBZQ2m_tYPpyyjHGVYbSx8_t92jOgMmwkhlPe4DFMnzAQKLx/s4032/IMG_0194.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0OqOtppBL_2WM-WdxIAQmWg5w0hj5Yc_cRunvGt5DObGvDtz5x5h8c7-3vyOc81T9jThx8cwhVQUCIW1nhyphenhyphen2xsRBUopX3vB9wDZMlM03pvUdT7I0NJ3UaCesNNubNXvUf41bEAoyIxV31dBZQ2m_tYPpyyjHGVYbSx8_t92jOgMmwkhlPe4DFMnzAQKLx/w480-h640/IMG_0194.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We still had plenty of time before our afternoon excursion so we decided to hang out at the "Dutch Blonde Beach Bar" in a very interesting building. Having just been in the Netherlands a few months before, I enjoyed talking to the Dutch bartenders (and I believe bar owners) about their country. And you couldn't beat the view!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOewLxQpTZmFegtN_4FQ54ytcXaAZ2nwpinKA96lME3ajrEhrgakIjYAT6Vx-hG7KaA67v41_dixDQcx-UBpD78gPBFQ1rJO7MtE9DCKgl2VDP4V6LkmOkY8F4dGImwmIDCCAcfKtd7kucOfzsmeKywbz2EVwKtVFy9-cbFyxjXH9O6Z_P2_aIYqKuzhl/s4032/IMG_0198.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOewLxQpTZmFegtN_4FQ54ytcXaAZ2nwpinKA96lME3ajrEhrgakIjYAT6Vx-hG7KaA67v41_dixDQcx-UBpD78gPBFQ1rJO7MtE9DCKgl2VDP4V6LkmOkY8F4dGImwmIDCCAcfKtd7kucOfzsmeKywbz2EVwKtVFy9-cbFyxjXH9O6Z_P2_aIYqKuzhl/w640-h480/IMG_0198.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpixiAe44FmOUx_F-d-WU2Gzs6g5OvcsUYqbqTT61AEq2f3GjMeq5BAYU4Go3WaRS7nUEy9mCA1R4QheviI5cowpkRRliUInhNYPrzewKlSaOSqb3yTsIrTAH3fBXnrGatrpZWRcaoIGaPz_4La-_rVeBIpyH3Uj2x3ODfx8aY1nVGL7yBiV4PRJ4OEmG/s4032/IMG_0199.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpixiAe44FmOUx_F-d-WU2Gzs6g5OvcsUYqbqTT61AEq2f3GjMeq5BAYU4Go3WaRS7nUEy9mCA1R4QheviI5cowpkRRliUInhNYPrzewKlSaOSqb3yTsIrTAH3fBXnrGatrpZWRcaoIGaPz_4La-_rVeBIpyH3Uj2x3ODfx8aY1nVGL7yBiV4PRJ4OEmG/w640-h480/IMG_0199.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-aU6QHJqT4cn29MvGBHiMkvejimesv4MYS65KAW8uiHXpA-xPiPE5dT9goHXtE8Sm0XphPBTOPg2NjxW27pxGT2X4hUT92C8-cZFrGrAnQInsQSqQ6SRuTLGItDHtmO7-iLih8ONY4Vlbvjnmhxsjz-OZe6Nk7nvTD08eqKcb8N1eXqZ2rw0JWs89bE8s/s3886/IMG_0201.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3886" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-aU6QHJqT4cn29MvGBHiMkvejimesv4MYS65KAW8uiHXpA-xPiPE5dT9goHXtE8Sm0XphPBTOPg2NjxW27pxGT2X4hUT92C8-cZFrGrAnQInsQSqQ6SRuTLGItDHtmO7-iLih8ONY4Vlbvjnmhxsjz-OZe6Nk7nvTD08eqKcb8N1eXqZ2rw0JWs89bE8s/w498-h640/IMG_0201.jpeg" width="498" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GMOoUnI4AGcYhHGjydPkv-WWe8KPz_lStwM22bciARiC41CFkIiZRejJyUMeCfywv-rsFCQD6VHuIS8STc8eulzyr_ewwfkzfHHaGlMVaW38ulda8FRMuJsYTE8oZ5mR4Ub2uTHZU3rLopLLg5VxdW1RZZdMTZ_5zkJDJn3Pwa9KK6Elvx-Nf2Yy4ZYz/s4032/IMG_0204.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GMOoUnI4AGcYhHGjydPkv-WWe8KPz_lStwM22bciARiC41CFkIiZRejJyUMeCfywv-rsFCQD6VHuIS8STc8eulzyr_ewwfkzfHHaGlMVaW38ulda8FRMuJsYTE8oZ5mR4Ub2uTHZU3rLopLLg5VxdW1RZZdMTZ_5zkJDJn3Pwa9KK6Elvx-Nf2Yy4ZYz/w480-h640/IMG_0204.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkyY4Ofd7Vj5J8mXiSgQHnBmc7QLo6z6jo6sQqATMabf8yhyphenhyphenYhSz_JliIm97Nzzxs2kucX64N2rwzmPTTXmk96W5uBFUlILX3yaP4TdYITMCwVe3sVrFC6-WwBTsHVhS3kqqKMDB10m9EfvCen4mhUMWUB17-3fbqwZ74fwb1oFVT-S9gKRv4piP753Wt-/s4032/IMG_0205.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkyY4Ofd7Vj5J8mXiSgQHnBmc7QLo6z6jo6sQqATMabf8yhyphenhyphenYhSz_JliIm97Nzzxs2kucX64N2rwzmPTTXmk96W5uBFUlILX3yaP4TdYITMCwVe3sVrFC6-WwBTsHVhS3kqqKMDB10m9EfvCen4mhUMWUB17-3fbqwZ74fwb1oFVT-S9gKRv4piP753Wt-/w640-h480/IMG_0205.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kF1zvHGhmJtrdAJHd0Xbq3g9S3FVi1YmLdueFjEcE45L7szOGYtAujaQ5lzrWJQ8vH9Lk7unZZ_Gwb49I8vIB5fmHz7wCxSnK-YhaTr3aERIxpOrdmGi9fnEHDbOPeMtmIcDdmN3ek6ZtQK3X8-ym72OCaLwhhNa7IrPkQGmaotCE80XWm0HoWTF_pdn/s4032/IMG_0208.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kF1zvHGhmJtrdAJHd0Xbq3g9S3FVi1YmLdueFjEcE45L7szOGYtAujaQ5lzrWJQ8vH9Lk7unZZ_Gwb49I8vIB5fmHz7wCxSnK-YhaTr3aERIxpOrdmGi9fnEHDbOPeMtmIcDdmN3ek6ZtQK3X8-ym72OCaLwhhNa7IrPkQGmaotCE80XWm0HoWTF_pdn/w480-h640/IMG_0208.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dutch Blonde Blonde Ale brewed on the island</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZmWbMP-tiu95C11pCd_pf9r8hb9HiTx8X7yaol5RM94Qjjh6aglz4Pp6ijxigsoYjJxIIo1bP0vmc4D4-6kU2QvjqGEP2pvS1NAQVTnoN-hCKgJj_e7366K1KwOTQS6w7v1S8RcDGZmC9MlGUvy0m-7Wv0-ygMWFjqj-TnQjcU5k-RYCib_m7VrVOFs2l/s4032/IMG_0213.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZmWbMP-tiu95C11pCd_pf9r8hb9HiTx8X7yaol5RM94Qjjh6aglz4Pp6ijxigsoYjJxIIo1bP0vmc4D4-6kU2QvjqGEP2pvS1NAQVTnoN-hCKgJj_e7366K1KwOTQS6w7v1S8RcDGZmC9MlGUvy0m-7Wv0-ygMWFjqj-TnQjcU5k-RYCib_m7VrVOFs2l/w640-h480/IMG_0213.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We took the water taxi back to the ship to get ready for our excursion. We were to take a coach to the French side of the island and be dropped off at Orient Beach - where one side is a nude beach and the rest is topless - to lounge in a beach chair. We were dropped off and given our included rum punch, found a chair and settled in. The beach was very nice - a bit windy but beautiful views. There were beach bars all along the sand and accommodations across the street.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjys55Kv_9uGNYhMaHFs2BOVEI-Lf6e2aCsgmjvgrgSfSMYwgVOyMlRj8N6r7Glpt3-MwU1Sv2Kej7KBNeMgKzdPtVLK6jtFjsgb18FEV_pTbUzh-ys5ScYnPeEmeqBa0kVodLgJwDf7L5XLMrbvKnIMRC_G71qK8_L1IrDr7uCybzBD7tyly3A5K7nzewc/s3908/IMG_0245.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2988" data-original-width="3908" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjys55Kv_9uGNYhMaHFs2BOVEI-Lf6e2aCsgmjvgrgSfSMYwgVOyMlRj8N6r7Glpt3-MwU1Sv2Kej7KBNeMgKzdPtVLK6jtFjsgb18FEV_pTbUzh-ys5ScYnPeEmeqBa0kVodLgJwDf7L5XLMrbvKnIMRC_G71qK8_L1IrDr7uCybzBD7tyly3A5K7nzewc/w640-h490/IMG_0245.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQQAMZmFRc3EQL4oue5-bvGDGAs7OnhaiSuZJiYm43u21AmJtEFniNMp56aEiC3HTrhVedE9vHW_hgeTus49Kjf1luJdpALPxKAM9cusgeQaa4s_LWNxgWEg0C7Qrk9P-Hfm0UHyyEnGTsFCIxY-Cz1ZCkyKKG0MwD6eH07MDI7MarUiB98UJNuca8VuI/s3889/IMG_0281.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2799" data-original-width="3889" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQQAMZmFRc3EQL4oue5-bvGDGAs7OnhaiSuZJiYm43u21AmJtEFniNMp56aEiC3HTrhVedE9vHW_hgeTus49Kjf1luJdpALPxKAM9cusgeQaa4s_LWNxgWEg0C7Qrk9P-Hfm0UHyyEnGTsFCIxY-Cz1ZCkyKKG0MwD6eH07MDI7MarUiB98UJNuca8VuI/w640-h460/IMG_0281.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHV2bdK5j5T7gDYUFu9KIWckGP-BSzIi9BmWpGayX28jHrEXZCGAk0vsJ5p_f8CLHOxvlKMHDc2xRrPI-AUTNE8IgqrofXNi0F2-vrVukTM9j_-M0aVbTaPWST0e1OpEGdpETduQAv4TZi6reaEli4xVzPS_OFYaOvhIxr_b0M_G7F3bbhcVO5koVT_Do/s4032/IMG_0292.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2713" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHV2bdK5j5T7gDYUFu9KIWckGP-BSzIi9BmWpGayX28jHrEXZCGAk0vsJ5p_f8CLHOxvlKMHDc2xRrPI-AUTNE8IgqrofXNi0F2-vrVukTM9j_-M0aVbTaPWST0e1OpEGdpETduQAv4TZi6reaEli4xVzPS_OFYaOvhIxr_b0M_G7F3bbhcVO5koVT_Do/w430-h640/IMG_0292.jpeg" width="430" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1riwvQR5ViHgPldR08kGMpWVH73nU0icwJ3xfs9eFpvoiBT2eU5q7hHD2U2gJRBJ37iER74Y-QeTVH_PNN_M0DuRKQ48FS2E3cq_6Fa1LCi7NDBrRXzt0pnHJnv2dyVTD08koSrbYLl0inG19aXkA-9Pm5slGpKmrtv1fmw0ooEqfcXV2rYSjlIL3pTR3/s4032/IMG_0237.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1riwvQR5ViHgPldR08kGMpWVH73nU0icwJ3xfs9eFpvoiBT2eU5q7hHD2U2gJRBJ37iER74Y-QeTVH_PNN_M0DuRKQ48FS2E3cq_6Fa1LCi7NDBrRXzt0pnHJnv2dyVTD08koSrbYLl0inG19aXkA-9Pm5slGpKmrtv1fmw0ooEqfcXV2rYSjlIL3pTR3/w480-h640/IMG_0237.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VqQW8voYXNaNEfBayqqWF-TtwFYgySftZ60ElJYhnK78Ij2ehDU-6TolTJ9hspLf2zTWVOoO7mSRGI3UMaiZjVYsX_fRhHAVXc_T_0kXA8fmoM5P1YiUixrxAOL0-2pslw-32fTERUxxBcFGyZNLFvp_xSdTz3liKnPdwHspIbgtKvdet1xjMrhxVZol/s4032/IMG_0244.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VqQW8voYXNaNEfBayqqWF-TtwFYgySftZ60ElJYhnK78Ij2ehDU-6TolTJ9hspLf2zTWVOoO7mSRGI3UMaiZjVYsX_fRhHAVXc_T_0kXA8fmoM5P1YiUixrxAOL0-2pslw-32fTERUxxBcFGyZNLFvp_xSdTz3liKnPdwHspIbgtKvdet1xjMrhxVZol/w480-h640/IMG_0244.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8g0gqe6Cl0ZO6U57b0g7lVdSvFdQhfbGuexZ79z2fSr5e-SAzWnuXXlhOeJxlhA9BI7sLYHZ00CXUtTRVKS8bWQDfFv68amQE1zmpHNjoPU1yR_qr4MRo1a4mYlYt6m8BFPC9KgBgykyDbcuc0jAcRmq2sZL0adtYC2jRKbDBcBSKlWHuNQteLdAmyAQ/s3088/IMG_0247.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8g0gqe6Cl0ZO6U57b0g7lVdSvFdQhfbGuexZ79z2fSr5e-SAzWnuXXlhOeJxlhA9BI7sLYHZ00CXUtTRVKS8bWQDfFv68amQE1zmpHNjoPU1yR_qr4MRo1a4mYlYt6m8BFPC9KgBgykyDbcuc0jAcRmq2sZL0adtYC2jRKbDBcBSKlWHuNQteLdAmyAQ/w640-h480/IMG_0247.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCAI-5imTTdv9XIhIhNDZH0eBPjyqeYZAa2yusVDYLOisL9u5BhbW5yEqLKX_pIvuxM9KyDaitjZ2wAByrJqGHhX_IiVP6o4miCCXHxCfY_RmLRiUVJ8Q2y36rSRIZyultQjmkQlTm1d4ack-xvYxXHJFSY2DC9ugIQ00bhCtucGGfwZJYqIPSC8DRhQMf/s3872/IMG_0252.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3009" data-original-width="3872" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCAI-5imTTdv9XIhIhNDZH0eBPjyqeYZAa2yusVDYLOisL9u5BhbW5yEqLKX_pIvuxM9KyDaitjZ2wAByrJqGHhX_IiVP6o4miCCXHxCfY_RmLRiUVJ8Q2y36rSRIZyultQjmkQlTm1d4ack-xvYxXHJFSY2DC9ugIQ00bhCtucGGfwZJYqIPSC8DRhQMf/w640-h498/IMG_0252.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> The blurb from the excursion guide said to expect people trying to sell you things but I think this was the most "beach selling" I've ever experienced. So we decided this was the time to take a nice long beach walk before the rains came in. We made it pretty far until we got to the "nude" area of the beach and turned around right before the rain came in. We took shelter in a cafe and then it was time to go. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJN3FfFFW7c8BH_O-CrygcXj7LrxQfBqzBbfMn2tFPbThBhSRNhsmIDSpuYRVOhV4pmSS_1pqJOLaCoH8p_ut4UxwuoAftATrK28MeMsimU19sCW_MnCt7EQv1_a2MtPr5y8U3RtvkxqaUzZ6ilvA33X3zSB4WlGuttW5uyMGAoMqBLFiSacR2zRrifFEV/s4032/IMG_0259.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJN3FfFFW7c8BH_O-CrygcXj7LrxQfBqzBbfMn2tFPbThBhSRNhsmIDSpuYRVOhV4pmSS_1pqJOLaCoH8p_ut4UxwuoAftATrK28MeMsimU19sCW_MnCt7EQv1_a2MtPr5y8U3RtvkxqaUzZ6ilvA33X3zSB4WlGuttW5uyMGAoMqBLFiSacR2zRrifFEV/w640-h480/IMG_0259.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Z1mtWORcUjcKDNe19xsUMnDlQoWmsM8MAQ8jbFAK7Hhn3Dwu7nF7zeOjcprOiiwEFmx_qt5IOTFLh-OZdfsLdZ1VUc52TuCWePGDAeUW4WjAMucZvG6YAKm5qWu50PwQb1jQxVL3dlvlyJj8mKwpceDPDPnxM-TyI-Hzu4aoxCjTzLxWRxXVCsbOkhw4/s4032/IMG_0267.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Z1mtWORcUjcKDNe19xsUMnDlQoWmsM8MAQ8jbFAK7Hhn3Dwu7nF7zeOjcprOiiwEFmx_qt5IOTFLh-OZdfsLdZ1VUc52TuCWePGDAeUW4WjAMucZvG6YAKm5qWu50PwQb1jQxVL3dlvlyJj8mKwpceDPDPnxM-TyI-Hzu4aoxCjTzLxWRxXVCsbOkhw4/w640-h480/IMG_0267.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaJPHoLN6BACG_bUuwokm7hg8OZP3bOwlqNQNAPGAc3OkPM5BjxNJeP_yT7MnJPpKhyeP5PtPEdorpBPZvnmNOl9_wsBt167wMG394lokqGKV-WMBAMUSCvOBACqX0c53NVY7oU50NxXtH0OY6krWSMo8Bt2RioiHvgXJx7Evcoxmt3hWQiu-9Qb1gZWS/s4032/IMG_0276.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaJPHoLN6BACG_bUuwokm7hg8OZP3bOwlqNQNAPGAc3OkPM5BjxNJeP_yT7MnJPpKhyeP5PtPEdorpBPZvnmNOl9_wsBt167wMG394lokqGKV-WMBAMUSCvOBACqX0c53NVY7oU50NxXtH0OY6krWSMo8Bt2RioiHvgXJx7Evcoxmt3hWQiu-9Qb1gZWS/w480-h640/IMG_0276.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8dpsggBskP2Ux8nBVrQyZT89EgfUOCc94AmNWYHBdtn4WGWcMNN6mLnajkTgcprK0LirH81Wcb6tmQbcEwRPpy0iDIGILbY3AgRyBBjlhZfwRp2EQaiOUzg0ieeTxokSXbWGOW_Tiimxuvto1zKEvmgnDu3QO_oWd5BF9_NBY-MO3XsxhkCt01BFexSZ/s4032/IMG_0253.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8dpsggBskP2Ux8nBVrQyZT89EgfUOCc94AmNWYHBdtn4WGWcMNN6mLnajkTgcprK0LirH81Wcb6tmQbcEwRPpy0iDIGILbY3AgRyBBjlhZfwRp2EQaiOUzg0ieeTxokSXbWGOW_Tiimxuvto1zKEvmgnDu3QO_oWd5BF9_NBY-MO3XsxhkCt01BFexSZ/w480-h640/IMG_0253.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BB5r-c8ptiOjHGjjHlVoPSQa0bUoukWIjBcTLbukkjYhh3IS_qdb4zXkQWVx7RGgHQZOiwVuVdz2ZWn6cbPUk5NNFojt7GRAq8t4HcTYevbJDe1pguBrnHLKcy7dCS0R3XmZjkXSE4rnMP6XL2wkPoPAi5G2yzBB_Fc4VRjnjOpy3FLHEThJRILJHA6o/s4032/IMG_0254.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BB5r-c8ptiOjHGjjHlVoPSQa0bUoukWIjBcTLbukkjYhh3IS_qdb4zXkQWVx7RGgHQZOiwVuVdz2ZWn6cbPUk5NNFojt7GRAq8t4HcTYevbJDe1pguBrnHLKcy7dCS0R3XmZjkXSE4rnMP6XL2wkPoPAi5G2yzBB_Fc4VRjnjOpy3FLHEThJRILJHA6o/w640-h480/IMG_0254.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGU1BULquTXrvASIfMo7igLiowk92JctHglvLuz261mM3gqBBLzFHJhCTN7Z5v_bwf6M8zlPeqLSdimJEJsrPYwcgnrqrq8HLo6pJ3kZpVOeE7C8f4_nJML3sgEFSCdyTk-mcjp-G3IBy29uMG0a3AMe4xIew10JWqtA3GxUDrxzsMrJm0krnb_o0__obq/s4025/IMG_0255.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2779" data-original-width="4025" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGU1BULquTXrvASIfMo7igLiowk92JctHglvLuz261mM3gqBBLzFHJhCTN7Z5v_bwf6M8zlPeqLSdimJEJsrPYwcgnrqrq8HLo6pJ3kZpVOeE7C8f4_nJML3sgEFSCdyTk-mcjp-G3IBy29uMG0a3AMe4xIew10JWqtA3GxUDrxzsMrJm0krnb_o0__obq/w640-h442/IMG_0255.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our drive back went quickly and before you knew it, it was time to set sail again. On to the next island!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTLd5TOHW7MtS4An48Tm0SblbOk_ZfXpXAJhrk5uXWmz2rXEvK4FF9PxtE5S6mS5vU9uAMNHk9sa5Dgs7YrHBd6SpvnAiFX1xE9oU_gOvRX_V9dMUjOXo7RvmVPxe2GdKFkOzwNjJQ1WAO_xMQq61y9BPYq_xWDQq95rFOanNQLm-EJP-XZPXq4Mw1TvL/s4032/IMG_0301.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTLd5TOHW7MtS4An48Tm0SblbOk_ZfXpXAJhrk5uXWmz2rXEvK4FF9PxtE5S6mS5vU9uAMNHk9sa5Dgs7YrHBd6SpvnAiFX1xE9oU_gOvRX_V9dMUjOXo7RvmVPxe2GdKFkOzwNjJQ1WAO_xMQq61y9BPYq_xWDQq95rFOanNQLm-EJP-XZPXq4Mw1TvL/w640-h480/IMG_0301.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOmpE1rkrc9U6NbPh-KJUmtsuQxsRDsjS9JYM4VP8dAcANm-G28OQDX3yMHv7IVTLBlRBOyAa580FhNrUKoKVrIQt9fB23bSnKS-UxC_LcnAjHfy79vFvWg1LNPeWtt3zi6alaOl74Q9vNJHKYIXtMuyDa5sm3UH93v1e3kZtlmVpan5h_6UD0b6dMKnn/s4032/IMG_0313.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOmpE1rkrc9U6NbPh-KJUmtsuQxsRDsjS9JYM4VP8dAcANm-G28OQDX3yMHv7IVTLBlRBOyAa580FhNrUKoKVrIQt9fB23bSnKS-UxC_LcnAjHfy79vFvWg1LNPeWtt3zi6alaOl74Q9vNJHKYIXtMuyDa5sm3UH93v1e3kZtlmVpan5h_6UD0b6dMKnn/w640-h480/IMG_0313.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimA3l-cO-EOAXsbUMHlb0abweKrHTpBPwpZWUq6YkOSLu9mFD5rMiUC0BLcCaXr6ScjZhETgRDpAP4M5V73AN_RVxvltjNDhtrMbAqnL8xaVxUC8_mfp9YlAsranVz3VuqtrW2ncmjB2wA4xcbU2C7MHoV2dm36-esmmbV6bNqvmswKtwbw6S1gfiX7L7j/s4032/IMG_0319.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimA3l-cO-EOAXsbUMHlb0abweKrHTpBPwpZWUq6YkOSLu9mFD5rMiUC0BLcCaXr6ScjZhETgRDpAP4M5V73AN_RVxvltjNDhtrMbAqnL8xaVxUC8_mfp9YlAsranVz3VuqtrW2ncmjB2wA4xcbU2C7MHoV2dm36-esmmbV6bNqvmswKtwbw6S1gfiX7L7j/w640-h480/IMG_0319.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">How about you? Have you been to St. Maarten?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitlcA2V1Hg0UfdOnCLH6Fs1Dt24b_6IKhOKH1goi_Q6As-E9MDAGpAn-_YDiS0XTaRCJ95YLiWM1j8IWECr1n6iwgCIUsoE4ICoTmjPaLi4vLL3jZLSAEhyphenhyphenhQgsJn5dpB6bVnHnO9OtNbeIrXtFLBJxa3DeqTyXDoTi1FWffx7MYW0IPqVWqf56YjghyxZ/s200/mcotw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitlcA2V1Hg0UfdOnCLH6Fs1Dt24b_6IKhOKH1goi_Q6As-E9MDAGpAn-_YDiS0XTaRCJ95YLiWM1j8IWECr1n6iwgCIUsoE4ICoTmjPaLi4vLL3jZLSAEhyphenhyphenhQgsJn5dpB6bVnHnO9OtNbeIrXtFLBJxa3DeqTyXDoTi1FWffx7MYW0IPqVWqf56YjghyxZ/w400-h300/mcotw.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-35167039331284325432024-01-18T12:58:00.000-08:002024-01-19T11:01:05.764-08:00STAY: Adrift Hotel and Spa, Long Beach, Washington<p> <span style="font-size: large;">If you've been around here for awhile, you'll know that most of our stays on our travels are in chain hotels using points - if possible - or in budget properties. Our Southwest Companion Pass (you can read about that <a href="https://unpavedroad.blogspot.com/2023/12/wrapping-up-2023-with-cute-little-bow.html">here</a>) expires next month so we're trying to make the most of it until that happens. So we booked a flight to Portland, Oregon for a weekend getaway as a belated anniversary trip. And drove to Long Beach, Washington (2 hours northwest of Portland). And since there were no chains on the peninsula that we could use points at, we decided to splurge for one night and stay at Adrift Hotel and Spa, a " hotel with modern industrial rooms and ocean views". </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQPIZ3AtCU09gu4iNCoPUUv9DjGbhTe58OIdjR7fYSsr2QyOftGvtpRmKqKdBwYAtjhGAEzPtXcb6qpcMgKScu45TOKhlm1DN4pFK7k82tU9e2lEyF-m2S-O8HYqfkUtMcWdqxghDLk9hm_N7B8VA4U4lX1WW-UblezEPe6a8-SUufeX6s6MPFR9qW1DY/s4032/IMG_5401.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQPIZ3AtCU09gu4iNCoPUUv9DjGbhTe58OIdjR7fYSsr2QyOftGvtpRmKqKdBwYAtjhGAEzPtXcb6qpcMgKScu45TOKhlm1DN4pFK7k82tU9e2lEyF-m2S-O8HYqfkUtMcWdqxghDLk9hm_N7B8VA4U4lX1WW-UblezEPe6a8-SUufeX6s6MPFR9qW1DY/w480-h640/IMG_5401.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-y8a4-MEuKcFWVaW65R-A6PfSr-iFd5TfMnzfRP-N33UPf22ioq2ZrTNx97et16eQXGGAQDUeTr8epIKXaekOl-3vjd0u83_6dw3kihdKarmWIcS1UHxO31wdO2aKq3ftGRItgxfgXLZGg84LIKo9nkOU_yG7HFQCEbhhFeR6QhdBpHQjzbGLApUZbWUR/s4032/IMG_5466.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-y8a4-MEuKcFWVaW65R-A6PfSr-iFd5TfMnzfRP-N33UPf22ioq2ZrTNx97et16eQXGGAQDUeTr8epIKXaekOl-3vjd0u83_6dw3kihdKarmWIcS1UHxO31wdO2aKq3ftGRItgxfgXLZGg84LIKo9nkOU_yG7HFQCEbhhFeR6QhdBpHQjzbGLApUZbWUR/w480-h640/IMG_5466.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Adrift is part of a group of six boutique hotels concentrated on the Pacific Coast (4 on the Long Beach peninsula and 2 in Astoria, Oregon on the Columbia River) that began as a single coastal boutique hotel in 2004. They are run as a Social Purpose Corporation which means that they are for-profit but they place social and environmental considerations at the same level as fiscal considerations - such as paying a living wage, giving great benefits and supporting Pacific Northwest artisans, farmers and growers. (And the restaurant, Pickled Fish, located at the hotel is an Ocean Friendly Restaurant)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYu9jHUuB7gnGFYmjIBCd8tVCfQx8kHRa1nLD03TPgWQZ1-ynTktp7Tb1MwoJ17QihwWD3fJ2XPUemFa8jnPPH7XejsAnGVMb-fVJ1cUNHYsVIzgtHXXwR7Mtgi094Mz5svYf9uJBMa0hA6jMo-0cY2zP6m6X6_CO67xY2trcL7hnM80E_5bP-FP00JdTN/s3694/IMG_5277.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3694" data-original-width="2732" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYu9jHUuB7gnGFYmjIBCd8tVCfQx8kHRa1nLD03TPgWQZ1-ynTktp7Tb1MwoJ17QihwWD3fJ2XPUemFa8jnPPH7XejsAnGVMb-fVJ1cUNHYsVIzgtHXXwR7Mtgi094Mz5svYf9uJBMa0hA6jMo-0cY2zP6m6X6_CO67xY2trcL7hnM80E_5bP-FP00JdTN/w474-h640/IMG_5277.jpeg" width="474" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAdbztiTj6nA0a5rocGJSqBSIhcl2poheXQ92AVMxtH-sBe-i_JJa9jTfCHBIQ1e6sVRYGbRhlXbJ8E77cu2NsvTUp2AjfFFfI_iJU0ngAgpW0zJo-USMWAGGUCWq5CGfZymmgSsGDz_D8YRUTm8_Ku-6hlTBjruYTSwnKEjjETThIscku1GRfXi1lmPCs/s4032/IMG_5330.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAdbztiTj6nA0a5rocGJSqBSIhcl2poheXQ92AVMxtH-sBe-i_JJa9jTfCHBIQ1e6sVRYGbRhlXbJ8E77cu2NsvTUp2AjfFFfI_iJU0ngAgpW0zJo-USMWAGGUCWq5CGfZymmgSsGDz_D8YRUTm8_Ku-6hlTBjruYTSwnKEjjETThIscku1GRfXi1lmPCs/w480-h640/IMG_5330.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Rooms range from the typical King or Queen room while Doubles, Bunks or Suites allow for more people. The decor is "modern industrial" while using recycled materials. There are two buildings - East and West - with all having ocean views but choose "ocean view" while booking for the best one. (There is no elevator in the East building) Wireless internet, memory foam mattresses, room service and a mini fridge are available in all rooms.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfee31ifOLXk1kXSTdYcG0P93AkJ18xMemfL9TaEWaDXLMUzDZu2XrQwoJZWzADcAEkPHSVbpmA6hx2AjqwiHPJaKeazfRWnjNGE4YO6e_ezo6QzgkUS5wBGmDgs470alH-PNgvJ9Ej_ud9ItE-XI6rnKZrghyphenhyphenOuFSg1W65O91MKF2SCxtXtYfXfHiCG0N/s4032/IMG_5279.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfee31ifOLXk1kXSTdYcG0P93AkJ18xMemfL9TaEWaDXLMUzDZu2XrQwoJZWzADcAEkPHSVbpmA6hx2AjqwiHPJaKeazfRWnjNGE4YO6e_ezo6QzgkUS5wBGmDgs470alH-PNgvJ9Ej_ud9ItE-XI6rnKZrghyphenhyphenOuFSg1W65O91MKF2SCxtXtYfXfHiCG0N/w640-h480/IMG_5279.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-sqEUyvQLY0D18nurs0ccsKmdou-_4NSwrLPCI32w83X_3vTRaIhs0OeIo_TEua26ffTQIzVQpN3hUJF3jCt9H020U5pk4p9XnI-WAzgaywPno1oHmbEKmvZh5ZF-8u7w523Vcw5zMfrB5jIlV368EKsuCrNQl8qfGDM4LHipTutXDLZ8Hq73qeAYofE/s4032/IMG_5281.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-sqEUyvQLY0D18nurs0ccsKmdou-_4NSwrLPCI32w83X_3vTRaIhs0OeIo_TEua26ffTQIzVQpN3hUJF3jCt9H020U5pk4p9XnI-WAzgaywPno1oHmbEKmvZh5ZF-8u7w523Vcw5zMfrB5jIlV368EKsuCrNQl8qfGDM4LHipTutXDLZ8Hq73qeAYofE/w480-h640/IMG_5281.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSMLMxkwY38U5-qvZuRhYbVOuKcvIKeWZtwewtKWaDNY0U0QckQy1daPFmzR2u_atI9oq29oHApU9Ri2wyQOtd5ftg_vV_VV7HKahw9ZcXZ3rHJL2mWsEItbrSs1SF6zl31eWujlhJRwAs6eivUaTxtUvTA8OU4POf9DBMGAJgvJtrWEbwG4l2PYn2IokT/s4032/IMG_5283.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSMLMxkwY38U5-qvZuRhYbVOuKcvIKeWZtwewtKWaDNY0U0QckQy1daPFmzR2u_atI9oq29oHApU9Ri2wyQOtd5ftg_vV_VV7HKahw9ZcXZ3rHJL2mWsEItbrSs1SF6zl31eWujlhJRwAs6eivUaTxtUvTA8OU4POf9DBMGAJgvJtrWEbwG4l2PYn2IokT/w480-h640/IMG_5283.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a bad view!</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-large;">One of the things that Adrift does best is the amenities. The lobby includes a coffee bar, small eco friendly gift shop, fireplace and free coffee stand. You can check out cruiser bikes to ride on the "steps from the hotel" Discovery Trail" (we decided it was a bit too windy for us) or play board games, read books or play ping pong in the communal spaces. And included in your room rate is a free tasting of their artisan spirts at Adrift Distillers located right on the property, which we did take advantage of. (My favorite was their flagship cranberry liquer made from local cranberries)</span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQhv7iud3bwmT6tSgC1Ug1haVq-VxL7NbYtVNjbiv0cfC-XK6LiX5XLC7MRwzZPTX49UEIwauvYDoBr10PlhJXpxal37HnRj7jD4F8o4n3n1KsX7QasjDidSggbqew1hBA61aXbA6ANzfaBG7Y_19NZRJbvNAPotU2epzVindlncU7yCFxTH7Dj32FAoWY/s3730/IMG_5286.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3730" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQhv7iud3bwmT6tSgC1Ug1haVq-VxL7NbYtVNjbiv0cfC-XK6LiX5XLC7MRwzZPTX49UEIwauvYDoBr10PlhJXpxal37HnRj7jD4F8o4n3n1KsX7QasjDidSggbqew1hBA61aXbA6ANzfaBG7Y_19NZRJbvNAPotU2epzVindlncU7yCFxTH7Dj32FAoWY/w640-h518/IMG_5286.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Game Room</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYH44nQ76kkKoI5Cnr1ws3XBZySE_c-w0V89bvPI9-ph9_B2WOrX31ttywbhKRjFCxJvwZ797rsBnS26yij7PcuJNOn7z5qQwxhSM6xMY5oJI4OvaXhmQe8s_kWVTgCoErokv49dzy5DZToZbYehEeKPGMjML0pXyD57d__Y-ASTCXPRhG2PFLiNT0EFBx/s4032/IMG_5406.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYH44nQ76kkKoI5Cnr1ws3XBZySE_c-w0V89bvPI9-ph9_B2WOrX31ttywbhKRjFCxJvwZ797rsBnS26yij7PcuJNOn7z5qQwxhSM6xMY5oJI4OvaXhmQe8s_kWVTgCoErokv49dzy5DZToZbYehEeKPGMjML0pXyD57d__Y-ASTCXPRhG2PFLiNT0EFBx/w480-h640/IMG_5406.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adrift Distillers</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMytbDhvgwT0vdLFeI8YDnuV5suNemtIHRYZlD2br6NyqaWptvyfk-bYaOnGzDJ0bbukZxPFKgkeysVAF_YzFz-HNOfxh4_UYAqduh7pQ8zNAlHNe7hce_wfTRIj4FEPYPX2wY5uwOvr7eJyfIUsULI93V5d1svmX81u1MNM5byVUxV76i2t4aU6CZJ1hF/s4023/IMG_5407.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2323" data-original-width="4023" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMytbDhvgwT0vdLFeI8YDnuV5suNemtIHRYZlD2br6NyqaWptvyfk-bYaOnGzDJ0bbukZxPFKgkeysVAF_YzFz-HNOfxh4_UYAqduh7pQ8zNAlHNe7hce_wfTRIj4FEPYPX2wY5uwOvr7eJyfIUsULI93V5d1svmX81u1MNM5byVUxV76i2t4aU6CZJ1hF/w640-h370/IMG_5407.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaetXDf9VACmWrPjkz03pctxTxaFzoYZsqOdi_rge8GhdaFR2Rp-pBcbip6qNGhVM69IvSomiDLt8G2SaQDZ5D4eJaQH2l_EX8z0Lo-DmMXOljEq092fZLnvcdw_CDO4joW4E-hItDVTo9msF0KnZ0GJOfOJyUzECytYyMyK6-FV0RSGZVh5EqA58LCiN/s4032/IMG_5408.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaetXDf9VACmWrPjkz03pctxTxaFzoYZsqOdi_rge8GhdaFR2Rp-pBcbip6qNGhVM69IvSomiDLt8G2SaQDZ5D4eJaQH2l_EX8z0Lo-DmMXOljEq092fZLnvcdw_CDO4joW4E-hItDVTo9msF0KnZ0GJOfOJyUzECytYyMyK6-FV0RSGZVh5EqA58LCiN/w480-h640/IMG_5408.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The pool house has a covered, heated - 95 degrees- saline pool, 3 barrel saunas, a fire pit and the full service spa (extra charge) I enjoyed my dip here on a very windy, rainy night and then a turn in the sauna to warm me up. There are adult only hours - when we were there it was 7 to 9am and then 9 to 11pm. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4r-MF2s92PiZXd0Xdy5G37ozCCxYRVivBK5uv9pB5Y5ABaiPvflcDjldtctdHrppFIvEGR5dU0BvYjVQyuf0ju5IICYrIBd1XAb_cMNyn04Z7fKy6NCaS68ypFl6pd_N0vKccEpM6_uquPpJIoK9UsFO2flVRKjZFJzQcLezgQ_jL7ivPdDS4HCIicRug/s4032/IMG_5404.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4r-MF2s92PiZXd0Xdy5G37ozCCxYRVivBK5uv9pB5Y5ABaiPvflcDjldtctdHrppFIvEGR5dU0BvYjVQyuf0ju5IICYrIBd1XAb_cMNyn04Z7fKy6NCaS68ypFl6pd_N0vKccEpM6_uquPpJIoK9UsFO2flVRKjZFJzQcLezgQ_jL7ivPdDS4HCIicRug/w640-h480/IMG_5404.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cuhQoIXXoNkpF9O0APiqQSjyK0zH9mHbGlHI0KxuZiDFx8RIrWokJbYSV__AH2BAlXDu8FXMj-9K0oR8mD956fuv3YvQ8uSh_I07tdqc-Kg-tm5SYGmBdSZhmCSwE0EAZYXKrObgk_3EFKYhCCXksnFF103RrRADKa6gz9I_pjTVdqsgoe8-XV9d49RV/s4032/IMG_5403.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cuhQoIXXoNkpF9O0APiqQSjyK0zH9mHbGlHI0KxuZiDFx8RIrWokJbYSV__AH2BAlXDu8FXMj-9K0oR8mD956fuv3YvQ8uSh_I07tdqc-Kg-tm5SYGmBdSZhmCSwE0EAZYXKrObgk_3EFKYhCCXksnFF103RrRADKa6gz9I_pjTVdqsgoe8-XV9d49RV/w480-h640/IMG_5403.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7yCPuTL1iZMDzYHyOOFEsr4wZLR2G9GemyQvUosnZjhz2CMDDVPbnyRqHf-nmGKYQouOlxmTW-UqH0Qwvk8bFMKT-dmL1U_utE0yKzIDGdn4T4E7piNDp7nU5KwNRkag61gV3Ald5qM80nkJj49hVUjTgBdXQ5E_LcF3ci4ap-oq7wbnm81kDtFZAgGG/s4032/IMG_5402.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7yCPuTL1iZMDzYHyOOFEsr4wZLR2G9GemyQvUosnZjhz2CMDDVPbnyRqHf-nmGKYQouOlxmTW-UqH0Qwvk8bFMKT-dmL1U_utE0yKzIDGdn4T4E7piNDp7nU5KwNRkag61gV3Ald5qM80nkJj49hVUjTgBdXQ5E_LcF3ci4ap-oq7wbnm81kDtFZAgGG/w480-h640/IMG_5402.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And last but not least, their restaurant, Pickled Fish, sources locally made or grown food for their menu. Its spot on the top floor of the West building makes for great sunset watching from the floor to ceiling windows. We popped in for a beverage on Saturday night to do just that. Then we opted to have Sunday brunch here - the fruit/date bread french toast was fantastic - instead of dinner so we could enjoy those ocean views. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3KNYg60z8TJZsvyWdANtd7iuxm8oBSafXSkGYVrfz8nVyobIzAZOoThqcNWcEGUE-WonIrhDDKb49qOPiCc3FX7e4vVCXfjgBr7hbcyLVVOR0mmkG9v5k4-J75qS1SEl4mckc983RrjgqXCXhpfLAXgFFqPbR63w2VSIccYhbh2BwDP1GF4GoynpWm_9G/s4032/IMG_5412.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3KNYg60z8TJZsvyWdANtd7iuxm8oBSafXSkGYVrfz8nVyobIzAZOoThqcNWcEGUE-WonIrhDDKb49qOPiCc3FX7e4vVCXfjgBr7hbcyLVVOR0mmkG9v5k4-J75qS1SEl4mckc983RrjgqXCXhpfLAXgFFqPbR63w2VSIccYhbh2BwDP1GF4GoynpWm_9G/w480-h640/IMG_5412.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwX-IZt8K6nm2h7h3aqDTfVZigXr0_xe6xIsyBhJx0GHe4xJTzEMyQkCfQKbCj7BnAVOPHfmsy6hJuI2Ir6lXhQwGrhqtZym0a340B0mqVeg-GMwUNDbG_Ad2YHbDQsFjnxz5z636SWCDC3UUJMmOEa2TjQvdKaTtAd2TrkGoNy6_1e5qNHnTCiK0aKIV2/s4032/IMG_5418.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwX-IZt8K6nm2h7h3aqDTfVZigXr0_xe6xIsyBhJx0GHe4xJTzEMyQkCfQKbCj7BnAVOPHfmsy6hJuI2Ir6lXhQwGrhqtZym0a340B0mqVeg-GMwUNDbG_Ad2YHbDQsFjnxz5z636SWCDC3UUJMmOEa2TjQvdKaTtAd2TrkGoNy6_1e5qNHnTCiK0aKIV2/w480-h640/IMG_5418.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpDjovp-5ccNBq0Hj3iiV4hUTGoCRU1ltz1RsHEo0qE1w-IPxwMk538Lc-f2hNd1ZpiRClIz9OjW42YqA-al0CyZ_gCZx5Qe6uscWRPOCx3K8QaNzAIP9gb1ERPMUhGHwLFXQvykEhEXAUIXMx0KAm_9j7s7OqtOMXaAfrbres9ZLYoU_yVxG5Ms4Fo2C/s3126/IMG_5429.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3126" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpDjovp-5ccNBq0Hj3iiV4hUTGoCRU1ltz1RsHEo0qE1w-IPxwMk538Lc-f2hNd1ZpiRClIz9OjW42YqA-al0CyZ_gCZx5Qe6uscWRPOCx3K8QaNzAIP9gb1ERPMUhGHwLFXQvykEhEXAUIXMx0KAm_9j7s7OqtOMXaAfrbres9ZLYoU_yVxG5Ms4Fo2C/w620-h640/IMG_5429.jpeg" width="620" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmoGb3MxWmF0lBg2vPU2LdXVdZosYdVW45I12GEqxj0nXFCSub78Ha08UFC0oEFyWEFu0NyhVb4euL91CqfDVRlVIjIsqmXWoxYSK45sNHr-Er6ddPznfbWBMvoKFCwpAMpft2TxLWBHZ59wvs4IJik5G8SvFE1wYctjA7WC2xvJp9KGRvH-dy4hmP1Im/s4032/IMG_5491.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmoGb3MxWmF0lBg2vPU2LdXVdZosYdVW45I12GEqxj0nXFCSub78Ha08UFC0oEFyWEFu0NyhVb4euL91CqfDVRlVIjIsqmXWoxYSK45sNHr-Er6ddPznfbWBMvoKFCwpAMpft2TxLWBHZ59wvs4IJik5G8SvFE1wYctjA7WC2xvJp9KGRvH-dy4hmP1Im/w640-h480/IMG_5491.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNVmkmvL3oushMvNYbwi4pPwMDhw8Pq0atH7kQpbBsfUd1oexwoSEmbBbVwimZul4K_Fp_wq1kTuaXbflecFLaepBdEcnoM1VEGr-NVCoYPBsA_9ndlD1ngoWdcLP1hcBvWy3Zd8SpzwGqRE7h8LsbGs5IEq0FnvifeHoqpuXwvKkjezx9lrHlfUaTVJQZ/s4032/IMG_5498.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNVmkmvL3oushMvNYbwi4pPwMDhw8Pq0atH7kQpbBsfUd1oexwoSEmbBbVwimZul4K_Fp_wq1kTuaXbflecFLaepBdEcnoM1VEGr-NVCoYPBsA_9ndlD1ngoWdcLP1hcBvWy3Zd8SpzwGqRE7h8LsbGs5IEq0FnvifeHoqpuXwvKkjezx9lrHlfUaTVJQZ/w480-h640/IMG_5498.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our one night stay here was very enjoyable. And I wouldn't hesitate to do it again if there just weren't so many other places to see in this big, beautiful world!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZv8OrHZ6nQPxOnQmhRepGUPY39rQEU7Mqm500XS-mjFotbD9bIeg97nCOXcBskA4stJk3CEVh604wasZ81AaRxlkjWmiiOCWfCaPI_Dt9xElX4ryAUq8RW-vCPrLpK1KPwgMaCRg00FgYPRkQJUSRniVVIJ-ew0kBOCsXtaV18Ws_T58w-foteqckLa7/s4025/IMG_5411.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2774" data-original-width="4025" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZv8OrHZ6nQPxOnQmhRepGUPY39rQEU7Mqm500XS-mjFotbD9bIeg97nCOXcBskA4stJk3CEVh604wasZ81AaRxlkjWmiiOCWfCaPI_Dt9xElX4ryAUq8RW-vCPrLpK1KPwgMaCRg00FgYPRkQJUSRniVVIJ-ew0kBOCsXtaV18Ws_T58w-foteqckLa7/w640-h442/IMG_5411.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">How about you? Have you been to Long Beach? Or stayed at any of the Adrift hotels?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9VKWthLdgw-Y-XWYI5o2UroHPCRCuxcblSKA6E05TjxEZExbkFz1ua_VS4Fo6ekorXsrbtxrymH7j9B_GrqutS6UmKEQQWtWZgI5POQBWPBywjxWIpeSEsf4NR8bd4xoUR0_iWQDPN324xJUL9jn9tUrhRTKlL5UErdXTlScTA47G6u8etw2O482urZX/s200/mcotw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9VKWthLdgw-Y-XWYI5o2UroHPCRCuxcblSKA6E05TjxEZExbkFz1ua_VS4Fo6ekorXsrbtxrymH7j9B_GrqutS6UmKEQQWtWZgI5POQBWPBywjxWIpeSEsf4NR8bd4xoUR0_iWQDPN324xJUL9jn9tUrhRTKlL5UErdXTlScTA47G6u8etw2O482urZX/w400-h300/mcotw.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-51358352188907366702024-01-10T12:57:00.000-08:002024-01-17T12:48:01.912-08:00Weekend Getaway: Truth or Consequences, New Mexico<p><span style="font-size: large;">As with so many good travel plans, this one went awry. My original intent was to fly from Denver to Albuquerque, drive north in a loop to Santa Fe and back. But the weather had other plans - well, it was February - so we fell back and punted. The weather in Truth or Consequences - and yes, that's really the towns name - looked to be much better so we headed south instead. It all worked out for the best as we really enjoyed our weekend getaway to the "game show town." Come along as we spend the weekend south of Albuquerque!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSQV_EY8maxUk6JCHntVcLqx4pdz2UoCOQ1xlak3cpQxBZtoaiuH-hwCY4OCVpXe685a_AoJWDmr0KlMjIBCE-_zcTnRqf-vYyJEhG4Ox0zrRn7Q_Qdu_SBmiGJRf-l-l4p5OLxh9zbfnZnHizMz9iRfoSKMSkN_lB1Bm8Aa-AdhWHUdBizpOBq6psDel/s4032/IMG_2501.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSQV_EY8maxUk6JCHntVcLqx4pdz2UoCOQ1xlak3cpQxBZtoaiuH-hwCY4OCVpXe685a_AoJWDmr0KlMjIBCE-_zcTnRqf-vYyJEhG4Ox0zrRn7Q_Qdu_SBmiGJRf-l-l4p5OLxh9zbfnZnHizMz9iRfoSKMSkN_lB1Bm8Aa-AdhWHUdBizpOBq6psDel/w640-h480/IMG_2501.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtV5aE8qVbeTUn1ow5K7vaWtIk74xB3DV5EQCxe09-ig_E6p5waVC0enErQzDQpZI0sgRBH7N0ud7_rWr9HjQRS0g40PDWkHr2MvcVgREQAxOnzcHpRQ2uwjP5reg-9uyL6fH-H9B8O7Jvkr4QwIbscr0qkCFwSXVWzuGYpOxMlc4aflSnQvwl8p9033qK/s3209/IMG_2656.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2407" data-original-width="3209" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtV5aE8qVbeTUn1ow5K7vaWtIk74xB3DV5EQCxe09-ig_E6p5waVC0enErQzDQpZI0sgRBH7N0ud7_rWr9HjQRS0g40PDWkHr2MvcVgREQAxOnzcHpRQ2uwjP5reg-9uyL6fH-H9B8O7Jvkr4QwIbscr0qkCFwSXVWzuGYpOxMlc4aflSnQvwl8p9033qK/w640-h480/IMG_2656.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-Lqv_QFtC9yEKM1MlKU1YVENcNaLSRE_FveWXDLPLWQLESeFULq6E1Ldq9QU_a2NJJ9B8o6W1MJlSxwOHuKT2u8rVDoFB2jpDe3CFcLWR-o_9nGmc5w_35i_gPtKRU6hgelarbJ6VTBrd8ThRYIe7T_Fq_7nwuJbLXsyL_SZCFPiF4G62gMoD-C3jr-y/s3308/IMG_2634.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2481" data-original-width="3308" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-Lqv_QFtC9yEKM1MlKU1YVENcNaLSRE_FveWXDLPLWQLESeFULq6E1Ldq9QU_a2NJJ9B8o6W1MJlSxwOHuKT2u8rVDoFB2jpDe3CFcLWR-o_9nGmc5w_35i_gPtKRU6hgelarbJ6VTBrd8ThRYIe7T_Fq_7nwuJbLXsyL_SZCFPiF4G62gMoD-C3jr-y/w640-h480/IMG_2634.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Originally known as Hot Springs for its well, ....hot springs, the town of Truth or Consequences got its new name in 1950 when the game show of the same name ran a contest. The radio show host Ralph Edwards offered to broadcast the Truth or Consequences game show from the first town to rename itself after it. The town, called T or C by locals, won the contest, kept the name and is the only town in the US named after a game show. Ralph Edwards was so taken with the town that he returned every year until his death and there is still a parade and festival held in his honor every May.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVF4XHCoN-0RynbqV9nJHBa23qr4UraLXbJyClcebP8cdzahCnq0USzzSGwSvLs18ZzgcIslsJcmgTetJ7zP9E2oLSjHsncJlSmVfcpWxHBH7ImkQe6U2P-qSWRpT0KI8KVybX2tGEcwuNi_ZGEEUo6kAX229NCiYRiji1nK65P3tO8Q05tUlcMJebUnPA/s4032/IMG_2571.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVF4XHCoN-0RynbqV9nJHBa23qr4UraLXbJyClcebP8cdzahCnq0USzzSGwSvLs18ZzgcIslsJcmgTetJ7zP9E2oLSjHsncJlSmVfcpWxHBH7ImkQe6U2P-qSWRpT0KI8KVybX2tGEcwuNi_ZGEEUo6kAX229NCiYRiji1nK65P3tO8Q05tUlcMJebUnPA/w640-h480/IMG_2571.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3tcpD4vNcWyH7Ynf87EAsTk30fRpQ0gy6yT1qDrJaxFdEvTQr6n2cqOOCoqmLoAtoJWJl7SdPYGvpVGB_PQvfe1BfJxR2v81YJHFcORc5OKT5pK7nNIYxMCvpd5noLR6OxJGx6pAbWvWOb4BBRVRUgm14kpPZnLfEwwQDQz3fgZQb1Vw983t-V-fWkEc/s4032/IMG_2614.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3tcpD4vNcWyH7Ynf87EAsTk30fRpQ0gy6yT1qDrJaxFdEvTQr6n2cqOOCoqmLoAtoJWJl7SdPYGvpVGB_PQvfe1BfJxR2v81YJHFcORc5OKT5pK7nNIYxMCvpd5noLR6OxJGx6pAbWvWOb4BBRVRUgm14kpPZnLfEwwQDQz3fgZQb1Vw983t-V-fWkEc/w640-h480/IMG_2614.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Riverbend Hot Springs</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Called America's most affordable spa town, also, T or C has 8000 residents. </span> <span style="font-size: large;">Now known for its hot springs as much as for its quirkiness, the springs contain some 40 different minerals with the main one being the germ killer, chloride. The prices and experiences of the hot springs run the gamut - we chose to visit one of the most popular, Riverbend Hot Springs. You can buy an all day pass enjoying the five public springs pools or rent one of the seven private baths which overlook the Rio Grande. (An hourly property pass is $25/35 and a private tub rental is $35/50 per hour dependent on time of day and week or weekend) Riverbend also has rooms, suites or casitas to rent so you can stay on the property and your rate includes use of the common pool area during open hours for no additional charge.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPESmLBXZ8G3PBWgW6oUSW_EU-jWYIoXPy1wPNAdYbEL56kTcslgLtiqB4GyEPFTLzIBBFMqwf0yDhrEjS07pewEDRhUKz2CoSRerG-rF1yR88_lYfZXYB4jlJY55MP98Q4pX0Ds97fB58tBc6lO3IvTIszAugmnX8rzJELDOfRfjhmxerO2VHq8PKu-c/s4032/IMG_2520.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPESmLBXZ8G3PBWgW6oUSW_EU-jWYIoXPy1wPNAdYbEL56kTcslgLtiqB4GyEPFTLzIBBFMqwf0yDhrEjS07pewEDRhUKz2CoSRerG-rF1yR88_lYfZXYB4jlJY55MP98Q4pX0Ds97fB58tBc6lO3IvTIszAugmnX8rzJELDOfRfjhmxerO2VHq8PKu-c/w480-h640/IMG_2520.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiecuT4sHdv3QvjaRMKoU6wI44My0MeglUtWFECebI2VV8AEvvnHwPQpNv6lMwec3ZDXASXkllQr62o6ew2FMgw2IAspM90kWlnLjtreXkMs5Vf_g1LQ4IwYr-nf3TZBWKH1B_6PajDL_EOfMnBpyVerRCSpoUcR0DSuqell5Y9Dk8sD1-j_knoFLpTmSR7/s4032/IMG_2543.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiecuT4sHdv3QvjaRMKoU6wI44My0MeglUtWFECebI2VV8AEvvnHwPQpNv6lMwec3ZDXASXkllQr62o6ew2FMgw2IAspM90kWlnLjtreXkMs5Vf_g1LQ4IwYr-nf3TZBWKH1B_6PajDL_EOfMnBpyVerRCSpoUcR0DSuqell5Y9Dk8sD1-j_knoFLpTmSR7/w480-h640/IMG_2543.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We rented one of the private baths which started with a change and shower in the public restroom. Then we checked in to our private hot tub room that had a great view of the river. Everything was handled effortlessly and it was a great afternoon. I would definitely go back if I had the chance.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68GOAnSjGvqJNh4leHZlUEC-UfFtWlU6j9F2p2qRC0lIEWow8VhWN8ndHBavcaFeGAOcpxz5_sWr2QbDYMtiKaO4LUYHOnpHRZDsBk2cEJXIFxr11tfyev230rex3hlUoPewVzD70-z1kAA9lS9to8dvUTUd9s5sOdumCyVaS2nB-Srw5QRTkLnMl5Qmp/s3469/IMG_2525.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3469" data-original-width="2602" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68GOAnSjGvqJNh4leHZlUEC-UfFtWlU6j9F2p2qRC0lIEWow8VhWN8ndHBavcaFeGAOcpxz5_sWr2QbDYMtiKaO4LUYHOnpHRZDsBk2cEJXIFxr11tfyev230rex3hlUoPewVzD70-z1kAA9lS9to8dvUTUd9s5sOdumCyVaS2nB-Srw5QRTkLnMl5Qmp/w480-h640/IMG_2525.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2n9h_ZhTG3PPqfPfMJ6ajFjYzt9M7g9qL7HA67K1g8uDkd_dqGav1TOJIB4XN7asPBn_LFB1UnxVVl7fBtCjvSh-rgK6o_Z_18uvel6cpNwF-4pzfQ4lfjel8J1I9FQJKJnv7Zd6xkRt4Ygt0FYsLAvYRbrmzq8uBtxT0WF2g2vHq-r1ukoLJyXCt2s-0/s4032/IMG_2530.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2n9h_ZhTG3PPqfPfMJ6ajFjYzt9M7g9qL7HA67K1g8uDkd_dqGav1TOJIB4XN7asPBn_LFB1UnxVVl7fBtCjvSh-rgK6o_Z_18uvel6cpNwF-4pzfQ4lfjel8J1I9FQJKJnv7Zd6xkRt4Ygt0FYsLAvYRbrmzq8uBtxT0WF2g2vHq-r1ukoLJyXCt2s-0/w640-h480/IMG_2530.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVugt3zIGf2nU6h-awe3Xi0E064Y_Igw5lAoaY7KN1YDsAE9KLRVJH-Q2GpAcIFThkCPJ9mudz79QRYchOthRiEm06HjMJ9TylgPi1rEOxtxcJv0mcBPF2jq-ugpBjVzqPvQnKmFvartybnR-J7DI-mBjxF5rALAxMMeXJK2s5Sane-Ei4z2UHlc1QVZzB/s4032/IMG_2526.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVugt3zIGf2nU6h-awe3Xi0E064Y_Igw5lAoaY7KN1YDsAE9KLRVJH-Q2GpAcIFThkCPJ9mudz79QRYchOthRiEm06HjMJ9TylgPi1rEOxtxcJv0mcBPF2jq-ugpBjVzqPvQnKmFvartybnR-J7DI-mBjxF5rALAxMMeXJK2s5Sane-Ei4z2UHlc1QVZzB/w480-h640/IMG_2526.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVa8n-1Ce7GvvuJeJo0pqATMmQq4ESUyLZR_bPjNsdjJ38vuvXAsrGsuFdIwKumwjZ0TnkDl1ZBuzmCuRO6uKhhzyB2Jaew1fG4hhHBsK0InzS7x6mThZ8ej8OeTL5dwo1O1Mlw-qjy7_T8U-RBQKBlpqDyCjg0OWoGRQT4kEJZXFfg49sfcFWX8NwFuT/s3386/IMG_2529.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2540" data-original-width="3386" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVa8n-1Ce7GvvuJeJo0pqATMmQq4ESUyLZR_bPjNsdjJ38vuvXAsrGsuFdIwKumwjZ0TnkDl1ZBuzmCuRO6uKhhzyB2Jaew1fG4hhHBsK0InzS7x6mThZ8ej8OeTL5dwo1O1Mlw-qjy7_T8U-RBQKBlpqDyCjg0OWoGRQT4kEJZXFfg49sfcFWX8NwFuT/w640-h480/IMG_2529.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Elephant Butte Lake State Park</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Elephant Butte Lake is a lake for all kinds of water activities - kayaking, swimming, boating, jet skiing and even houseboating - located at 4,500 feet of elevation with 200 miles of shoreline just outside the town of Truth or Consequences. It was created in 1916 when the Rio Grande was dammed up for flood control There are boat rentals, a marina, beaches and camping facilities available along with some historic sites to see. We checked in at the T or C Visitor Center to see what was going on in town the weekend we were there and they pointed us in the direction of Elephant Butte for an art festival that was going on there. We didn't make any purchases but it was fun to walk around the booths and see the state park and dam.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3oS3cNdRABi8dDGuFpSlim9yXCrmeaFLezfIhZjGsyu6eZtQpoXhyphenhyphenfJVMMTDMIdaiT2zfkZ_WyHV5UWBs1DPw6QbZdx8-944J7bpbQSOffPUxADyQSUGJZGkoXhrHyKb2oGIBiqBqzGLfQl_rORMhWuH54KRjUw-YQe4d-Hx9NEyabLj1wWJsirb_hWX/s4032/IMG_2564.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3oS3cNdRABi8dDGuFpSlim9yXCrmeaFLezfIhZjGsyu6eZtQpoXhyphenhyphenfJVMMTDMIdaiT2zfkZ_WyHV5UWBs1DPw6QbZdx8-944J7bpbQSOffPUxADyQSUGJZGkoXhrHyKb2oGIBiqBqzGLfQl_rORMhWuH54KRjUw-YQe4d-Hx9NEyabLj1wWJsirb_hWX/w640-h480/IMG_2564.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you spot the elephant?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnyjCsnKYvyZHaPQ8F_TQAmwm-wxaMnDaWwLWO3Jk6Nx1BRozt5VPt99xtoYJ5DIp1H1olN4oZ1rrKIzgn_dYASrvvhgh0m5ucV95QFEF6EQpEFggPqDLCpfohqRTCHF8Cpxt4VBqMq3-wr6uuCSYcIoNv0MTkOXxySU0kn8ijVCe-2QXpia86DOyp2snL/s4032/IMG_2571.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnyjCsnKYvyZHaPQ8F_TQAmwm-wxaMnDaWwLWO3Jk6Nx1BRozt5VPt99xtoYJ5DIp1H1olN4oZ1rrKIzgn_dYASrvvhgh0m5ucV95QFEF6EQpEFggPqDLCpfohqRTCHF8Cpxt4VBqMq3-wr6uuCSYcIoNv0MTkOXxySU0kn8ijVCe-2QXpia86DOyp2snL/w640-h480/IMG_2571.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the elephant</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrpfRxFTIGYfHTzOiXVUBKa0yYtJQFIBu2eVr0GhhM7FKELsbHcywwXSd2Lut3ooNxcytxmwY2xVHDU0ii81BCWoRS6vzVT6nz4yETEya5569_-jOgBu6D2XUfDWfxKgMz4D7oSsk1uCLjYnK4SVcb1Irmw51iUC4buwfc8xsOy5mmVW_ajXll3hQNqkd/s4032/IMG_2567.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrpfRxFTIGYfHTzOiXVUBKa0yYtJQFIBu2eVr0GhhM7FKELsbHcywwXSd2Lut3ooNxcytxmwY2xVHDU0ii81BCWoRS6vzVT6nz4yETEya5569_-jOgBu6D2XUfDWfxKgMz4D7oSsk1uCLjYnK4SVcb1Irmw51iUC4buwfc8xsOy5mmVW_ajXll3hQNqkd/w640-h480/IMG_2567.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Los Arcos Steak and Lobster</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">When we stopped in at the T or C Visitor Center, one of our questions was about a recommendation for Saturday evening's dinner. They pointed us in the direction of Los Arcos Steak and Lobster - in fact we ran into the visitor center employee at dinner that night. In business since 1970 - I believe the current owner is the grandson of the original owner - Los Arcos has a retro feel and specializes in steak, lobster, prime rib and fresh seafood. If you decide to dine here, be prepared for a wait. We arrived right when they opened and there was a line waiting to get in. Our meal was excellent but a little pricey which was okay - they allowed us to split the steak special and still get our own sides. I'd highly recommend a meal here if you're in Truth or Consequences.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnC-82MVvZLNEmhdgZ9LJ7ZzPTz8AKCvT0dgEIkTORVlJBcU-RFvFMSIEATh-pRUIq_jIJE73NEqfZqI0Mfw9i1_zM3QwZsFzlPhDMxU19YCGY_JIBwaeERjHt9Jc34Yax7JaI3d5eDnV6fn3ttTW2Pr5e4aWhXKkUe1pq5mk-CsFAIrkjI-LXJkiC12ku/s3488/IMG_2613.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3023" data-original-width="3488" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnC-82MVvZLNEmhdgZ9LJ7ZzPTz8AKCvT0dgEIkTORVlJBcU-RFvFMSIEATh-pRUIq_jIJE73NEqfZqI0Mfw9i1_zM3QwZsFzlPhDMxU19YCGY_JIBwaeERjHt9Jc34Yax7JaI3d5eDnV6fn3ttTW2Pr5e4aWhXKkUe1pq5mk-CsFAIrkjI-LXJkiC12ku/w640-h554/IMG_2613.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuyALY1bqVgdu7lW4i8Yk2S2QW6uRsE3RlVwGq_darP-EIjpYjAN24EgYDIPoZe4NOnAI1ReXO6lUB76ul5_IXMefouj_jLGIm0h1Gw2NVln3SDAjVT_-IOuqSJzVR0ONcGwRHeLqC2VmTbsWiX5ouCPqSYBo2hX8zoORXkSSvN0IK7A6LlxnkrlBt2vM/s4032/IMG_2615.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuyALY1bqVgdu7lW4i8Yk2S2QW6uRsE3RlVwGq_darP-EIjpYjAN24EgYDIPoZe4NOnAI1ReXO6lUB76ul5_IXMefouj_jLGIm0h1Gw2NVln3SDAjVT_-IOuqSJzVR0ONcGwRHeLqC2VmTbsWiX5ouCPqSYBo2hX8zoORXkSSvN0IK7A6LlxnkrlBt2vM/w640-h480/IMG_2615.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUh_JrLonKkkpdrNemDSsr5R3Kx2W1qpODMWdNmkaKjIxjKex5Qz-tg_siWUuO6K3lrods0bpt2o8HK1kb6OcrneQDbBueFg5QEGL27_9hvgz8-tcphc6gzNEM-JK0h3SnNs8hxhjZKcIQ8gPb6oXu_XHNzMl1eyBUbxHMlCSZe5FzSb6zCrSEssQ1ROv/s4032/IMG_2611.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUh_JrLonKkkpdrNemDSsr5R3Kx2W1qpODMWdNmkaKjIxjKex5Qz-tg_siWUuO6K3lrods0bpt2o8HK1kb6OcrneQDbBueFg5QEGL27_9hvgz8-tcphc6gzNEM-JK0h3SnNs8hxhjZKcIQ8gPb6oXu_XHNzMl1eyBUbxHMlCSZe5FzSb6zCrSEssQ1ROv/w640-h480/IMG_2611.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLkVycRnLnNaovEJi3DvGVQRIKR-wFAWWARyVn31QutlsiXa7dN5lqz-fipXaOAti3htKdn5YDa0clDuKUl2Gjt9rduj5d8suscZ641ibjPIGckO8hLg20qAb3eTXyXmhBwfMZKoblEGjqxA-debVReoIC_Il0TRnBOtEzDtIh6bEh2yRrUF1I5dG54EK/s3012/IMG_2607.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3012" data-original-width="2416" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLkVycRnLnNaovEJi3DvGVQRIKR-wFAWWARyVn31QutlsiXa7dN5lqz-fipXaOAti3htKdn5YDa0clDuKUl2Gjt9rduj5d8suscZ641ibjPIGckO8hLg20qAb3eTXyXmhBwfMZKoblEGjqxA-debVReoIC_Il0TRnBOtEzDtIh6bEh2yRrUF1I5dG54EK/w514-h640/IMG_2607.jpeg" width="514" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway Visitor Center is located in Truth or Consequences. The byway is named after the famed Apache leader, Geronimo, who was said to hide out in these hills of New Mexico.We left from here on Sunday morning driving the 50 miles to the ghost town of Winston, an abandoned mining center which still has a few residents. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOrxaUgWew76KVmQHnFOBUNuwrt3wyHQmD5mbI3XtYTlCeZikd4b5HJvq7NHRkwWOwRZ0K1FdOdAJYiF5XD_iLeYD7G18S8qwMAz2-ibYWcJhyphenhyphenTbVNValxKncQ9SsUy77z62Mvk-K6Zc-GdX422au7cLXNZSUhhzR5_fj8sLETBNjCP0zPFeATdr6kyOq/s4032/IMG_2657.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOrxaUgWew76KVmQHnFOBUNuwrt3wyHQmD5mbI3XtYTlCeZikd4b5HJvq7NHRkwWOwRZ0K1FdOdAJYiF5XD_iLeYD7G18S8qwMAz2-ibYWcJhyphenhyphenTbVNValxKncQ9SsUy77z62Mvk-K6Zc-GdX422au7cLXNZSUhhzR5_fj8sLETBNjCP0zPFeATdr6kyOq/w640-h480/IMG_2657.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPjN8IN-w6HgArC6JOUhD9vR8nE8NmyE3teU3QUh9VoPwPtlcogUjJo2L8aqySQLzUD9U0DySu52OOj38sINR9ysmqQjLA4FeENq9y4L0fk-VDkSlQk1paIW8EV3jvPsuaNPZXM64sRh4rzN3pI7EdXZEEES0pYxyZ8jngLvYT5rC_jAZujuwf00Qmurb/s4032/IMG_2662.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPjN8IN-w6HgArC6JOUhD9vR8nE8NmyE3teU3QUh9VoPwPtlcogUjJo2L8aqySQLzUD9U0DySu52OOj38sINR9ysmqQjLA4FeENq9y4L0fk-VDkSlQk1paIW8EV3jvPsuaNPZXM64sRh4rzN3pI7EdXZEEES0pYxyZ8jngLvYT5rC_jAZujuwf00Qmurb/w640-h480/IMG_2662.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_QKFMyPg1eAKk9Nv8R78BQVH9UPAI3w2EeRxNf6VKVXvOgFWJH8_1SPhBWyhB2ePRuQAtsmI6RSnDg8ngvLaK8X55AUwf2kVIGITWDwLTlsvIilhep-zeFZ9Dknjl4rob5hf-EgnYEXU8V3PI9lkXITIwJeLXJtFbpXaADdoR5w2abhiM2xdZlqkMYJX2/s3520/IMG_2623.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3520" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_QKFMyPg1eAKk9Nv8R78BQVH9UPAI3w2EeRxNf6VKVXvOgFWJH8_1SPhBWyhB2ePRuQAtsmI6RSnDg8ngvLaK8X55AUwf2kVIGITWDwLTlsvIilhep-zeFZ9Dknjl4rob5hf-EgnYEXU8V3PI9lkXITIwJeLXJtFbpXaADdoR5w2abhiM2xdZlqkMYJX2/w640-h550/IMG_2623.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVvq-5Vkz82Bt9KtK2mEoNG3qkaFZKJPxovWRahqbc8LoqOY1A6AtYiQqE97hkKgQ8SOLI3WxsGJWNpwz5C-8lXLnr70EYQy4FuBujmq1SoeGstEkIwKhyphenhyphenUhzm9HiogFvcHqUvsAu6J9zOjzfZWy3j4ANgz_upmhsyNrWsu5vFUbQum03MQbq1gCUkJoD/s4032/IMG_2643.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVvq-5Vkz82Bt9KtK2mEoNG3qkaFZKJPxovWRahqbc8LoqOY1A6AtYiQqE97hkKgQ8SOLI3WxsGJWNpwz5C-8lXLnr70EYQy4FuBujmq1SoeGstEkIwKhyphenhyphenUhzm9HiogFvcHqUvsAu6J9zOjzfZWy3j4ANgz_upmhsyNrWsu5vFUbQum03MQbq1gCUkJoD/w640-h480/IMG_2643.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The scenery was, as you can imagine by the name, quite scenic. We drove through desert and scrub, mountains and buttes and were quite possibly one of the only cars on the road. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbDdBjMSgSe2ehtowPSEQ1dR-N0JMx63fLcESaHFFklj9QD3CcTpibyEpTIXG9sI0zHnv99DQbPW_Pr6cTPXS0L2qcLmyAzFC2Npcp_Ah21T1hOTpek5xXUS31xvaKG6QNKZAxeq2Csnozs3N8nC2nHhy5yvDejEQldULXHGR8BEN66boUxLNC7Dr7c0If/s4032/IMG_2637.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbDdBjMSgSe2ehtowPSEQ1dR-N0JMx63fLcESaHFFklj9QD3CcTpibyEpTIXG9sI0zHnv99DQbPW_Pr6cTPXS0L2qcLmyAzFC2Npcp_Ah21T1hOTpek5xXUS31xvaKG6QNKZAxeq2Csnozs3N8nC2nHhy5yvDejEQldULXHGR8BEN66boUxLNC7Dr7c0If/w640-h480/IMG_2637.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRc_XzL9WbJoT-saf8rmm1ri5TNSW1U52HhjD4O-guhcp8rJyAVWSia2jskJ2-gCXX1VZ3cF1rWT4V6l1D3N17biiSFSn8NhYurx2ptmYtoQZ8vM5IgBR7ZnwnJZGljjMZXbXU5oqRWTNvBIHu-0vknW5i-IuHNZF-AAUyl-GLx4iXis4Wq8PIE3HjO4_/s4032/IMG_2641.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRc_XzL9WbJoT-saf8rmm1ri5TNSW1U52HhjD4O-guhcp8rJyAVWSia2jskJ2-gCXX1VZ3cF1rWT4V6l1D3N17biiSFSn8NhYurx2ptmYtoQZ8vM5IgBR7ZnwnJZGljjMZXbXU5oqRWTNvBIHu-0vknW5i-IuHNZF-AAUyl-GLx4iXis4Wq8PIE3HjO4_/w640-h480/IMG_2641.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL75x2UGE8w-KaRBwi1noiG96IeDI0THKvjqPJuRTAabEBfQgoGvfOFdi9jEq-f6FsFVIejF03r8no2ydRcWpiEzm5nKJ0LMcjT8qNOwrDRjEYFNmnTvDfv2qTzJ1j5_USVzyjIqhMs5KGvxvhKSJiyhZrtSyxEQcZdXuytQqyxeKzNULXZMU4cHPL-C8o/s4032/IMG_2645.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL75x2UGE8w-KaRBwi1noiG96IeDI0THKvjqPJuRTAabEBfQgoGvfOFdi9jEq-f6FsFVIejF03r8no2ydRcWpiEzm5nKJ0LMcjT8qNOwrDRjEYFNmnTvDfv2qTzJ1j5_USVzyjIqhMs5KGvxvhKSJiyhZrtSyxEQcZdXuytQqyxeKzNULXZMU4cHPL-C8o/w640-h480/IMG_2645.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Once we arrived in Chloride, we were greeted by a resident who gave us the history of the town and let us in to the closed general store. Chloride was a town who struck it big in silver mining and at one time, there were 13,000 residents. But the US Government decided that gold would be it's monetary standard, not silver, in 1893 and the town basically went bust. There were only about 100 residents who stayed and in 1976 a family came in and bought all the buildings, and essentially the town. Today the schoolhouse, the post office and a few other historic buildings remain. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxkW6SNIrE6BU8YQqayVrSGTaeo-w9ML8pNlD42XYcYIitJuDdT5h7KA2A5cohoVcGQ6kqyz_ce7IhpeGREUAonkYHcf8Ng0d1n-mYy1EZOSdLWoYGok8rYuMJPpFnL1tN87fmHkytPTk0rUGnDQumy30PsRY9wbFRAU3e1pOI_RP_1GdRqCBX5yF2iAI/s4032/IMG_2651.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxkW6SNIrE6BU8YQqayVrSGTaeo-w9ML8pNlD42XYcYIitJuDdT5h7KA2A5cohoVcGQ6kqyz_ce7IhpeGREUAonkYHcf8Ng0d1n-mYy1EZOSdLWoYGok8rYuMJPpFnL1tN87fmHkytPTk0rUGnDQumy30PsRY9wbFRAU3e1pOI_RP_1GdRqCBX5yF2iAI/w640-h480/IMG_2651.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiem7Oh-xdWrUjv5WalS3vrg63-U1hypzRg_7x1cenCm8rfo9B1sGnH8TpchbQ33AzCOmXj2GguTXu0ir6pYewQRZhclm_SplpA-jt50WIJZ3h8F_uZ4pHzmlD_v1YJ5_N0Rr0G4rd0UwvGnTxxGOfzWiOQWwfiyxvWvdITWlBIZPDw6udIjV9xy4xv5SkM/s4032/IMG_2653.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiem7Oh-xdWrUjv5WalS3vrg63-U1hypzRg_7x1cenCm8rfo9B1sGnH8TpchbQ33AzCOmXj2GguTXu0ir6pYewQRZhclm_SplpA-jt50WIJZ3h8F_uZ4pHzmlD_v1YJ5_N0Rr0G4rd0UwvGnTxxGOfzWiOQWwfiyxvWvdITWlBIZPDw6udIjV9xy4xv5SkM/w480-h640/IMG_2653.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A residential family cabin you could visit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg93XC7Yf0iMHm-sGTFgFJNh71x1D4m09ovUkKM1B2VSJ1Qc_UUXXZk1rZFSpwxHFnaDSjS5THH3phyphenhyphenSivEgk8QtRVB7U9DBGH9vRbgMan5AgM4QHW-FhjXy_14v1NSwBizAdpzAiOWlMZxA-yFu70l3grO9gsb-pS8tInVc9njOrJC3jSFuUHYrvPywRi/s4032/IMG_2654.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg93XC7Yf0iMHm-sGTFgFJNh71x1D4m09ovUkKM1B2VSJ1Qc_UUXXZk1rZFSpwxHFnaDSjS5THH3phyphenhyphenSivEgk8QtRVB7U9DBGH9vRbgMan5AgM4QHW-FhjXy_14v1NSwBizAdpzAiOWlMZxA-yFu70l3grO9gsb-pS8tInVc9njOrJC3jSFuUHYrvPywRi/w640-h480/IMG_2654.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdbMRLC6pqcV1bTChMhxW2yOnMYfvnI_cILjwLeb5RzrqS-6XvXF9lGft6oy_NpjP8PvT0wIcats80IbfuHeaN3EqYvfxhQbqwgKiJ28Tzv72t4xTLP1hsDptoLmq3Qp23WpaWruYLWbQmuhXltUxu8tNf6XK4tnGhUNA_98vj2Q2a65NZBhs865OqqFYS/s4032/IMG_2655.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdbMRLC6pqcV1bTChMhxW2yOnMYfvnI_cILjwLeb5RzrqS-6XvXF9lGft6oy_NpjP8PvT0wIcats80IbfuHeaN3EqYvfxhQbqwgKiJ28Tzv72t4xTLP1hsDptoLmq3Qp23WpaWruYLWbQmuhXltUxu8tNf6XK4tnGhUNA_98vj2Q2a65NZBhs865OqqFYS/w480-h640/IMG_2655.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The general store was run by a family with several children and was booming until the bust. The family sent their oldest son back east for college and basically closed the store until he would graduate. He never returned so the store is a "time machine" now from the 1890's. It was an extremely interesting visit and the woman who gave us the tour was very knowledgeable. (I'm not sure if there is a charge for the tour. When we arrived the guide asked if we were someone else - someone who had arranged a tour - and we said no. She let us into the buildings anyways. And we gave a donation to the town.)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOhvoh8LhqYvZxExy2IWyVmgYEquceMHwTtUI4euWO900bNav18wW1Rj3MI2HNsRBygm63XZ7KUfz4mgnnBLlErB6kANGnov9E7o3NuV5rHYtw69uRicMgFLvBcSFO_rxH_CiUs3IvgXSntPjDnhuIFFETeBMQV42-QXy1Q3_fI3eQRzkUBPJsBslmP8X/s4032/IMG_2648.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOhvoh8LhqYvZxExy2IWyVmgYEquceMHwTtUI4euWO900bNav18wW1Rj3MI2HNsRBygm63XZ7KUfz4mgnnBLlErB6kANGnov9E7o3NuV5rHYtw69uRicMgFLvBcSFO_rxH_CiUs3IvgXSntPjDnhuIFFETeBMQV42-QXy1Q3_fI3eQRzkUBPJsBslmP8X/w640-h480/IMG_2648.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNnBUK13UYB4IfJTOZbTR6DPboDbw4ul2uraI6z-olyPDEKqAFOnDi0WXiAQg7xIVbuCigZQPliMxshFGHfxzfv-4GznHaUhLXgqcyULdED4_m508KT5QVsWuxvhyk8Q-_v8iFWMfJyAd4Fpn7k8b6A2iQryXwxB8bj7YlddHMDdInmPjlaJ5PSiqACRN/s4032/IMG_2649.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNnBUK13UYB4IfJTOZbTR6DPboDbw4ul2uraI6z-olyPDEKqAFOnDi0WXiAQg7xIVbuCigZQPliMxshFGHfxzfv-4GznHaUhLXgqcyULdED4_m508KT5QVsWuxvhyk8Q-_v8iFWMfJyAd4Fpn7k8b6A2iQryXwxB8bj7YlddHMDdInmPjlaJ5PSiqACRN/w480-h640/IMG_2649.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzfmuLTT_1ULE8ngo1V45cFnTcHVcFnXlYFMnFGLXHtopRLcrxKw23fbkR-ADrPcd5JTIdtbLm8PEHDRjPhIPo_aDQ3Z0mQB56yKjr3zhrh0dx5miov5KT6P0IfxRB5WTX5N4MMS2YR5ChbUIkiuxRDnkHxzFtpowwzYh_zhJHeg9qvhYdwTDOs0X_BW4/s4032/IMG_2650.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzfmuLTT_1ULE8ngo1V45cFnTcHVcFnXlYFMnFGLXHtopRLcrxKw23fbkR-ADrPcd5JTIdtbLm8PEHDRjPhIPo_aDQ3Z0mQB56yKjr3zhrh0dx5miov5KT6P0IfxRB5WTX5N4MMS2YR5ChbUIkiuxRDnkHxzFtpowwzYh_zhJHeg9qvhYdwTDOs0X_BW4/w480-h640/IMG_2650.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is a 57,000 acre wildlife refuge that was created in 1939 to provide a critical stopover point for migrating waterfowl. Located in Socorro County - halfway between Albuquerque and Truth or Consequences - Bosque del Apache is known for the tens of thousands of crane, geese and ducks who winter here each year. There have been 394 different bird species observed here since 1964!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovJNY_Xm_1EpXoFRx5lF8EbbNDCInLAOjd39RUsi-vOBu42BX70eE9o4QPhwC4SRw81kSQM4HZw-epMBHmtGgBi2OM2UUzkA2u2-_p6lwxmfzg9l3lQjtFX2GfenIpTIcm0Y2YrUG_Hzszg8pHCy6jscOEGV8rzLQrnjfh73xxa8IcXiMZg7nrI30ko0m/s4032/IMG_2686.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovJNY_Xm_1EpXoFRx5lF8EbbNDCInLAOjd39RUsi-vOBu42BX70eE9o4QPhwC4SRw81kSQM4HZw-epMBHmtGgBi2OM2UUzkA2u2-_p6lwxmfzg9l3lQjtFX2GfenIpTIcm0Y2YrUG_Hzszg8pHCy6jscOEGV8rzLQrnjfh73xxa8IcXiMZg7nrI30ko0m/w640-h480/IMG_2686.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIUT7uh1d-hLMlcBZOjF-wIZxzFuNHtfLp7ho_ToQPaDJYoko_lHbE6hB_UYTnHi6J8ZGMgoNJFiOuUg1qTgbYyqLuH9gVIFb1f45Ziyjs0UFadJsf0VELSSew7hffVpgYcAVucFQkmhD4vidgPnIhGUA7RcR_lEbL0-Qj-L_2jQ2-VdCxH2KJpilEigVn/s4032/IMG_2688.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIUT7uh1d-hLMlcBZOjF-wIZxzFuNHtfLp7ho_ToQPaDJYoko_lHbE6hB_UYTnHi6J8ZGMgoNJFiOuUg1qTgbYyqLuH9gVIFb1f45Ziyjs0UFadJsf0VELSSew7hffVpgYcAVucFQkmhD4vidgPnIhGUA7RcR_lEbL0-Qj-L_2jQ2-VdCxH2KJpilEigVn/w640-h480/IMG_2688.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">This was one of those stops that was totally unplanned and turned out to be a winner. Mr. UR saw the sign and said let's give it a go. We stopped at the visitor center - as one does - and they told us about the loop drive. So we said, again, let's give it a go. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskQcif3kiFMvk36e3pv0Lb8v2rJ3I6FLSaBZxCBmHY4yu_tOkeRQqhaiabQSL2FOQrNNb4cRhTH6Mmdl9HoEzKB1awAdoNpNMv3xJKY8LKlt9apvKSQsd45DLCqjCgtufGcMruI-lCqi0YbbNyidBViyz8iOFW7m-QI45AO-yF2QjQA-65rztB_rixa8O/s2782/IMG_2689.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2086" data-original-width="2782" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskQcif3kiFMvk36e3pv0Lb8v2rJ3I6FLSaBZxCBmHY4yu_tOkeRQqhaiabQSL2FOQrNNb4cRhTH6Mmdl9HoEzKB1awAdoNpNMv3xJKY8LKlt9apvKSQsd45DLCqjCgtufGcMruI-lCqi0YbbNyidBViyz8iOFW7m-QI45AO-yF2QjQA-65rztB_rixa8O/w640-h480/IMG_2689.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandhill cranes</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The 12 mile loop drive took about an hour - we stopped several times - and we saw cranes, javelinas (wild pigs) and a coyote. A really great one hour investment of time on our way back to Albuquerque! (We did the driving loop but there are several walking trails if you have the time)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbrDqBdkQug9S1pNeSxP6HPMvghhyMpMiXwopeZAn3RFBGhaGqTY-yepTeaKSTWi0bVZ0DNddxp7kmYM92Vleg1jjUfW66fxNKAWYLER8k-h73C9ph-lMR1sGDqST7PHJ_X-vaK8tlmNwt6QNEIQ82KEyRx_oMW3LIeY8dYeOBsrmNHV6QUgVZkFFgZOEe/s4032/IMG_2692.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbrDqBdkQug9S1pNeSxP6HPMvghhyMpMiXwopeZAn3RFBGhaGqTY-yepTeaKSTWi0bVZ0DNddxp7kmYM92Vleg1jjUfW66fxNKAWYLER8k-h73C9ph-lMR1sGDqST7PHJ_X-vaK8tlmNwt6QNEIQ82KEyRx_oMW3LIeY8dYeOBsrmNHV6QUgVZkFFgZOEe/w640-h480/IMG_2692.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcUUaF5D7lE5jGnQOxpXa2t_fLDLIVCk9I0Eztsm8Qvo5Ilbo0eU3N9IB-SZaYQTDuApSkZTrKf8i6kjpsomwJsQrY5fNTnYtCfhutuxHnVX104WMeUecTYcxY2uv3qciPZ_Pal0Odhy-17MbURnPJiZKM2Fs8rL3IoCPFG6nCX7NnYxXUwJUl0kWaC7nB/s4032/IMG_2698.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcUUaF5D7lE5jGnQOxpXa2t_fLDLIVCk9I0Eztsm8Qvo5Ilbo0eU3N9IB-SZaYQTDuApSkZTrKf8i6kjpsomwJsQrY5fNTnYtCfhutuxHnVX104WMeUecTYcxY2uv3qciPZ_Pal0Odhy-17MbURnPJiZKM2Fs8rL3IoCPFG6nCX7NnYxXUwJUl0kWaC7nB/w640-h480/IMG_2698.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those dots in the distance are javelinas</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqjYqGJxW6ac_vzrzosGwVmpzDBRPh-YGyECK6LRWGYGXzmz1XK1tYn2Mx-ArHS0rgIA0wguiV0RcmZLcLiAMjgV53fx4PQET-e9oUUBRtbPpSCDX9UdU4hThM_r9xcU3mzogNpnTKqday4TRc4cHEgccSgaeKcAKMtDYSUMmyQRkuD1MUGz_wCp6urR3/s4032/IMG_2671.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqjYqGJxW6ac_vzrzosGwVmpzDBRPh-YGyECK6LRWGYGXzmz1XK1tYn2Mx-ArHS0rgIA0wguiV0RcmZLcLiAMjgV53fx4PQET-e9oUUBRtbPpSCDX9UdU4hThM_r9xcU3mzogNpnTKqday4TRc4cHEgccSgaeKcAKMtDYSUMmyQRkuD1MUGz_wCp6urR3/w640-h480/IMG_2671.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A javelina</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJexTBI0TDDJfTygHAQNTdMvm6PEsZNwNMKzbi1aGWvecMmuo7sOMKA-bC4-V5UJfIf1cNqvbva5ERREijmsIlxaCRbc7xIYNDec_LyO1xUQjjY6rvex50X0gGd1FKyQ3BahTPZz1iEyGLRCrJpzbtYuKjnQhRKu2PgYoaV4VokWgylZTTCCM9iJXIS8h1/s4032/IMG_2680.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJexTBI0TDDJfTygHAQNTdMvm6PEsZNwNMKzbi1aGWvecMmuo7sOMKA-bC4-V5UJfIf1cNqvbva5ERREijmsIlxaCRbc7xIYNDec_LyO1xUQjjY6rvex50X0gGd1FKyQ3BahTPZz1iEyGLRCrJpzbtYuKjnQhRKu2PgYoaV4VokWgylZTTCCM9iJXIS8h1/w640-h480/IMG_2680.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This coyote blends in rather nicely</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXy0wKYkwbJkWJWF7uQkKhoiWkWEWwckfI9MUCVUZwIoC-RifVsITUQ_CIMU_O2gkTgi3LriE7_YSum1kM0nhWxYSaA4u9BrGvULVtuerSOZUID8JzCtEBR3kpY2b5WGnQaq6aDYtqMU7HqAeYSAUxcxgmQE2WupLe_dfc-I3LoxZsj1cSi_26g0m_lD8_/s4032/IMG_2701.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXy0wKYkwbJkWJWF7uQkKhoiWkWEWwckfI9MUCVUZwIoC-RifVsITUQ_CIMU_O2gkTgi3LriE7_YSum1kM0nhWxYSaA4u9BrGvULVtuerSOZUID8JzCtEBR3kpY2b5WGnQaq6aDYtqMU7HqAeYSAUxcxgmQE2WupLe_dfc-I3LoxZsj1cSi_26g0m_lD8_/w640-h480/IMG_2701.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birds galore</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After our stop at Bosque del Apache, it was smooth sailing back to Albuquerque's Old Town for dinner and then a late evening flight back to Denver. A fun, and unique, weekend getaway!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">How about you? Have you been to Truth or Consequences?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvMuWk4s-UEnjwxLqFtH1cdgP3rnqu2e0o_oxnK_eHxti7JA_j-aMsVcV8qxzAka69MEjF9enSgQFRxy907VWlcpJcDnflNeZM35XbV3xMpgsScJ0g7TxoF6iYFxnrGV-ylP_BJAfN8sM7Q5No3yujlkx456Bm0sh44IbII9L48cGhXvTDx8hngFMY5nI/s200/mcotw.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvMuWk4s-UEnjwxLqFtH1cdgP3rnqu2e0o_oxnK_eHxti7JA_j-aMsVcV8qxzAka69MEjF9enSgQFRxy907VWlcpJcDnflNeZM35XbV3xMpgsScJ0g7TxoF6iYFxnrGV-ylP_BJAfN8sM7Q5No3yujlkx456Bm0sh44IbII9L48cGhXvTDx8hngFMY5nI/w320-h240/mcotw.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-29094980489241374832023-12-30T08:01:00.000-08:002023-12-30T08:07:09.172-08:00Wrapping up 2023 with a Cute Little Bow<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">2023 was another big year of travel! Despite the fact that we take care of our 2 year old grandson from Monday through Friday, we were able to take two b-i-g trips and several weekend trips. And even a few day trips in between! (Many thanks to our son and our grandson's aunt for making their vacation days, ours!)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwW4CXo3GTAC3tzwk1pjxDv2Gs8yoNnFPinWDAF7pIIHB8KBJ6itkO3ElcOZvl70v11QgQS5A1OivHyZ_HtkVRrRAoQbVr0PVZYWA3zle2GBBA20ibQlN9nVcqNxgV_JUA96MKBxvoohPj0rX4Il9G0iT9ksLefn-qLIsNEV-I38ydRQmoBxxWUIM9M2u/s4032/IMG_8509.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwW4CXo3GTAC3tzwk1pjxDv2Gs8yoNnFPinWDAF7pIIHB8KBJ6itkO3ElcOZvl70v11QgQS5A1OivHyZ_HtkVRrRAoQbVr0PVZYWA3zle2GBBA20ibQlN9nVcqNxgV_JUA96MKBxvoohPj0rX4Il9G0iT9ksLefn-qLIsNEV-I38ydRQmoBxxWUIM9M2u/w480-h640/IMG_8509.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I never want to look back on my life with regret. In fact, that fuels so much of my travels. So here are some of my no regret travel that happened in 2023 -</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>Countries visited:</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Iceland, Australia, Portugal</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>States visited:</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Colorado, Idaho, Washington, New Mexico, New York, California, Nebraska, Wyoming, Washington DC, Florida</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>A Birthday with a Big Zero</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I spent a long weekend in the Temecula/San Diego area at the end of August celebrating my 6oth birthday. My daughter was attending a wedding in LA that weekend and friends were celebrating an anniversary, also that weekend, so I decided that winery hopping in Temecula and coastal drives sounded like a great way to celebrate. Plus my niece and her family live in the area and my sister was going to be there. It couldn't have worked out more perfectly and it was a five day extended weekend with family and fun.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1QHmgJtTRc6o4R4w6Ke1xyKHmuYbJ237rv8T4y4ou2UIRO-l-tYv-D9_Fxe3TsYOJ-ry4-XnhS-WsvezAtWwL4XjoNFf7d1TqcBkD42zwI76GmD5QAcZQykUlzUusPZOhjE0NJ48dUw9-8nS_NlfSpxyiv3yfVxpEh9fX4FmhJDkn2nmwPmNWDVXoLOI/s4032/IMG_0044.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1QHmgJtTRc6o4R4w6Ke1xyKHmuYbJ237rv8T4y4ou2UIRO-l-tYv-D9_Fxe3TsYOJ-ry4-XnhS-WsvezAtWwL4XjoNFf7d1TqcBkD42zwI76GmD5QAcZQykUlzUusPZOhjE0NJ48dUw9-8nS_NlfSpxyiv3yfVxpEh9fX4FmhJDkn2nmwPmNWDVXoLOI/w640-h480/IMG_0044.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8xrWf0_bjHfI9K2q48k34XQEFGkYmirih5sLkTR9Ob4-A_2ATg7V85Xny32CqzZQ8UKwGvaJm4-yXqhhotMSuify33rfFkrn8i5i9mXZgXSaH1O95uYQwcQPSBi-EahyphenhyphenFOyZsnwUBfSus8BMispj1Osl_bEMykaa9lWIxx0EASb51FPlWGBZdqdeba7s/s4032/IMG_0101.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8xrWf0_bjHfI9K2q48k34XQEFGkYmirih5sLkTR9Ob4-A_2ATg7V85Xny32CqzZQ8UKwGvaJm4-yXqhhotMSuify33rfFkrn8i5i9mXZgXSaH1O95uYQwcQPSBi-EahyphenhyphenFOyZsnwUBfSus8BMispj1Osl_bEMykaa9lWIxx0EASb51FPlWGBZdqdeba7s/w480-h640/IMG_0101.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIbgO2OUjRqjEPJB5xsjnXjR1UQt4vugMucXKuF_zz7qcm4JIYHFWM2AB7-DX74wjLKYCfGYlD-Q_EJEC28UTKxkVTEHWlfaPEZtnusJyBvBeiLzbKIXEbfn93fjunqUaTLVDpSn-I5UKF6fU_U2d8GRVbM2rB4hK-6aED9jDAoUZSQUReRjdaJwCMcV8/s4032/IMG_0431.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIbgO2OUjRqjEPJB5xsjnXjR1UQt4vugMucXKuF_zz7qcm4JIYHFWM2AB7-DX74wjLKYCfGYlD-Q_EJEC28UTKxkVTEHWlfaPEZtnusJyBvBeiLzbKIXEbfn93fjunqUaTLVDpSn-I5UKF6fU_U2d8GRVbM2rB4hK-6aED9jDAoUZSQUReRjdaJwCMcV8/w480-h640/IMG_0431.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The Last of the Covid Delayed Trips</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We flew to Iceland over the July 4th holiday to complete the last of our covid delayed trips. The trip was originally supposed to happen in the winter - to see the Northern lights - and was purchased as an air/hotel package through Icelandair. The voucher had to be used by the end of 2023 and we knew we would use it by then but...our dates changed in the covid delay and we rebooked for summer. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2L2c68BfQ1ik87DyPoqQzwi3E3bK4NBSLMhd8MFYy41YNOMAZ3I_BhriunugkvNhANsTXhq3JukwYHIDUjYB8T0v7uKhbRWai8hQGNTH5Dw6Fb_6KcmiwzQOAqAWWn85HP4LOQV6qBqvFNSY8z-jShRHe5GgiK6bc4vQprsfHMpngO5ejiL2b8YAlVT0h/s4032/IMG_8572.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2L2c68BfQ1ik87DyPoqQzwi3E3bK4NBSLMhd8MFYy41YNOMAZ3I_BhriunugkvNhANsTXhq3JukwYHIDUjYB8T0v7uKhbRWai8hQGNTH5Dw6Fb_6KcmiwzQOAqAWWn85HP4LOQV6qBqvFNSY8z-jShRHe5GgiK6bc4vQprsfHMpngO5ejiL2b8YAlVT0h/w480-h640/IMG_8572.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkL-7zHk1bef65_G3hR9vl2vbUdFv8ckl57eMATYAaf3WtrodPaCUWYtGWVPZvDDbKfA55i40on0BFUueAEPQYg98rMCPs_Ks49FOCWBho_5LuCAnAwXiVZ51KVt-lHODbbtmTiNi6eikg3qmUOPZcHgmyvmEkAuv4yBKJKFzBjKZVsqXGQIuuGgQBwZV/s4032/IMG_7702.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkL-7zHk1bef65_G3hR9vl2vbUdFv8ckl57eMATYAaf3WtrodPaCUWYtGWVPZvDDbKfA55i40on0BFUueAEPQYg98rMCPs_Ks49FOCWBho_5LuCAnAwXiVZ51KVt-lHODbbtmTiNi6eikg3qmUOPZcHgmyvmEkAuv4yBKJKFzBjKZVsqXGQIuuGgQBwZV/w640-h480/IMG_7702.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We drove the Ring Road - clockwise - in a mere 5 days. And they said it couldn't be done lol. So lots of car time but I feel like we saw a good amount of the island. We ended in Reykjavik - where we spent the least amount of time - and capped off the trip with an evening visit to the Sky Lagoon (highly recommend a visit here)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYH569paZ7YFTsnlFjQaWg8sYIaYs1Bl4AhnT4J2UKuf0bK8_su2o_5IlFPZY1-UXI6P6CoSMChwKMlp6hL1QhB_zxKfDDLQWLyHSJDPyavOyzGU1Jau76K11ccFFrqn80XycgyL_NNk0kBBprTfaWKRJnAm72BdRJYoq-0wYAl9v2O0AF5t6Sda3h-zr2/s4032/IMG_8414.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYH569paZ7YFTsnlFjQaWg8sYIaYs1Bl4AhnT4J2UKuf0bK8_su2o_5IlFPZY1-UXI6P6CoSMChwKMlp6hL1QhB_zxKfDDLQWLyHSJDPyavOyzGU1Jau76K11ccFFrqn80XycgyL_NNk0kBBprTfaWKRJnAm72BdRJYoq-0wYAl9v2O0AF5t6Sda3h-zr2/w480-h640/IMG_8414.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">There will be lots more to come here on the blog about my visit to one of my favorite new places. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1Eg1o4g_UD6UfJWmxW7lemueg2rQNOo3H-l_G_n6q7zhe5NDVHsITXyTt2Lx_NW6KVornPpz2rSSp-Vufry5bK0rweqaGsG9R40W-1iSYp7ZRd-XPTXbguD7pbtpXYpgwXP99GtJ7lXTCc9fYjobHFrsUYoi3Y1HQSCeN0P3uzfTDEte40j7rJKVwdd3/s4032/IMG_8320.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1Eg1o4g_UD6UfJWmxW7lemueg2rQNOo3H-l_G_n6q7zhe5NDVHsITXyTt2Lx_NW6KVornPpz2rSSp-Vufry5bK0rweqaGsG9R40W-1iSYp7ZRd-XPTXbguD7pbtpXYpgwXP99GtJ7lXTCc9fYjobHFrsUYoi3Y1HQSCeN0P3uzfTDEte40j7rJKVwdd3/w640-h480/IMG_8320.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Earning the Southwest Companion Pass</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Simply stated, the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass is "the benefit that allows you to choose one person to fly with you, free of charge, every time you purchase or redeem points to fly." Historically, you must fly so many miles or segments to earn the pass. I have always had this on my radar as so many travel bloggers tout this pass. But I have never flown this much on Southwest. Sometimes, though, Southwest makes a credit card offer - get their credit card and spend so many dollars in a time period and you can earn the pass for the rest of that calendar year - which makes it doable for the average joe. When I realized that we could make that happend last year, we jumped on the opportunity.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvGV4Emwi8WjssLtp8n3Rqnc5KrkfU_cByMXxxM3iJOWS4hsnXsC0-mI0KTo_52GC1dkmJ1hwXIkjrnsYB6O2KizzOsFL3vKXHJZxz458KLdJZvmTLH2gAoZzfi3VUli1WOaac2qxu7u9qu_pWkxkDuSr478gnVRttNc9h4SaUYp17JS3tDSuG6YxaJPxp/s4032/IMG_7026.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvGV4Emwi8WjssLtp8n3Rqnc5KrkfU_cByMXxxM3iJOWS4hsnXsC0-mI0KTo_52GC1dkmJ1hwXIkjrnsYB6O2KizzOsFL3vKXHJZxz458KLdJZvmTLH2gAoZzfi3VUli1WOaac2qxu7u9qu_pWkxkDuSr478gnVRttNc9h4SaUYp17JS3tDSuG6YxaJPxp/w640-h480/IMG_7026.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We received our credit card in February and earned our pass in April. The pass is good until the end of February 2024. And we won't be able to earn it again with a credit card so we had to take full advantage of the pass this year. So these flights were buy one, get one free (actually $11.40 for the companion in taxes and fees) -</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Flight to LAX roundtrip for our Qantas flight to Sydney, one way flight to Charlotte for my brother in laws birthday (return flight was unavailable), flight to San Diego for the above mentioned big birthday, flight to Washington DC to watch a friend run the Marine Corp Marathon, flight to Florida to celebrate Mr. UR's and a friend's birthday and a flight to Boise, Idaho for a long weekend. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoju0ihG6EX_DN-d-_pA_QJbXQYPuCR_HesIIlXfLmLsx2_RVIw3CJZQYebUgpYt5h3c3F8NvmusbW_4JV7O504SyM6_58tnNOi3RylpLrsUHxej7BU_NZqwfqieYY6LZf4Un4JZnczYAiPcPW5MFe49NtmsNaCRHq8xLQO6vLDqQRwTdT1_PhaqBTxWX0/s4032/IMG_2303.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoju0ihG6EX_DN-d-_pA_QJbXQYPuCR_HesIIlXfLmLsx2_RVIw3CJZQYebUgpYt5h3c3F8NvmusbW_4JV7O504SyM6_58tnNOi3RylpLrsUHxej7BU_NZqwfqieYY6LZf4Un4JZnczYAiPcPW5MFe49NtmsNaCRHq8xLQO6vLDqQRwTdT1_PhaqBTxWX0/w480-h640/IMG_2303.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Upcoming trips using the Southwest Companion Pass before it expires in February-</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Weekend getaways to the Washington Coast for a (belated) anniversary trip, a weekend in Arizona for some warm weather in the middle of Colorado's winter and a long weekend to explore Texas' wine country (a return trip from 30 years ago when the wineries were just getting started)</span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>Australia</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Our daughter has lived in Sydney, Australia since the beginning of 2020. With the exception of covid lockdown, she has flown to us here in the states to visit. So we decided that it was our turn to go there. We had visited once before - she also lived there in 2018 - so we had done most of Sydney and also the Great Barrier Reef plus I had visited Tasmania with her on my own. So we decided to do a bit of Sydney and then take a road trip down the South Coast of New South Wales and visit some of the smaller towns.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Lbj7MP9j3TAwbGWQ-N6oJWH-635LdIdkdTohZSleGHxplUo5p56UZEZiZyFmlo6VePdF5txRzDEPPKC7BUDj_255w4EBM7du6-ky_8AAgVQLCVE99lT01dmPMFeTurQCKOIQroFpFe2DAYVGodP-YDL39p1Lf1GTDKmIfu53ME4Mg_w6tzK8BU5z-9xV/s4032/IMG_3725.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Lbj7MP9j3TAwbGWQ-N6oJWH-635LdIdkdTohZSleGHxplUo5p56UZEZiZyFmlo6VePdF5txRzDEPPKC7BUDj_255w4EBM7du6-ky_8AAgVQLCVE99lT01dmPMFeTurQCKOIQroFpFe2DAYVGodP-YDL39p1Lf1GTDKmIfu53ME4Mg_w6tzK8BU5z-9xV/w480-h640/IMG_3725.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">We drove the four hours to Batemans Bay with stops in Berry on the way south and Crooked River Wines on the way back to Sydney. We actually stayed in the small community of Malua Bay and took day trips to Broulee and Moruya along with a boat trip down the Clyde River (best fish and chips ever!) It was not only fantastic to visit our daughter but also to see some of the small, workaday towns of Australia. I can't wait to visit again and see more of Oz. It's a beautiful - and extremely large - country so I've only seen the tip of the iceberg.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkGkQFASiexWhBlv3dwifX3xMmoR-kRWyCLY6tNQSZqmGK1Pvh22aOiIjtKjbhFCQrBU6MayBkLrTIJixb86NIDT3rUnUvB2nfnLwc6zOHK__0K29I8TCuo5at7MujN8H4LAR91MiZ0WUFwmbcDOalCro4jj6bzWfYKxGUVbG_Cv3KpwHlI3WUsmK1bL-/s1636/IMG_3316.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1636" data-original-width="1227" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkGkQFASiexWhBlv3dwifX3xMmoR-kRWyCLY6tNQSZqmGK1Pvh22aOiIjtKjbhFCQrBU6MayBkLrTIJixb86NIDT3rUnUvB2nfnLwc6zOHK__0K29I8TCuo5at7MujN8H4LAR91MiZ0WUFwmbcDOalCro4jj6bzWfYKxGUVbG_Cv3KpwHlI3WUsmK1bL-/w480-h640/IMG_3316.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Of course, these are just the travel highlights. And of course, there will be lots more in depth on the blog. Plus I have already started planning travel for 2024. What kind of former travel agent would I be if I wasn't always planning? Some are booked, some are in the planning stages and some are just a glimmer in my eye. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size: large;">However it works out, I am always truly grateful for all the travel I get to do - from weekend trips to traveling all the way to another hemisphere. I believe that it truly enriches my life. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytiIv5RNytFAvd1PyI5UMHoR4SoXZ7UU5Z-olgwgW-NQPvtpD67zha3hik3_9zF5C0ozNIk1__tKTtwvKmjrG7MN41AG7EOzefFkLbagVoxuKNJyzeY_w6Mk8yf5QGGx9mNUfgVLHnTuVR-xY5v1H6dd4JMTuzhlN7554NApSZs_KB0qRPAQuq8fE5pS9/s4032/IMG_2115.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytiIv5RNytFAvd1PyI5UMHoR4SoXZ7UU5Z-olgwgW-NQPvtpD67zha3hik3_9zF5C0ozNIk1__tKTtwvKmjrG7MN41AG7EOzefFkLbagVoxuKNJyzeY_w6Mk8yf5QGGx9mNUfgVLHnTuVR-xY5v1H6dd4JMTuzhlN7554NApSZs_KB0qRPAQuq8fE5pS9/w640-h480/IMG_2115.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And I am thankful to all of you who take the time out of your busy lives to read this "travel diary". I thank you from the bottom of my heart. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZEj4N1-UOPvTD8Hmx5JfaZSetF_BC0QPUw8FAGQ7vX2MDWsCAjZUSkau7khPMROmx6pr3ut2g0nGV_R_ltJlcsPtdGC1DPJHx_RXE-VBgehYBJ_ncXMuxb3K5eBs1dIOX-dW_HPg9KmCLvwypAj0NzgWKW1FwdlQsw6o00pibOByGUJkeyYJw94dVsAdl/s4032/IMG_1607.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZEj4N1-UOPvTD8Hmx5JfaZSetF_BC0QPUw8FAGQ7vX2MDWsCAjZUSkau7khPMROmx6pr3ut2g0nGV_R_ltJlcsPtdGC1DPJHx_RXE-VBgehYBJ_ncXMuxb3K5eBs1dIOX-dW_HPg9KmCLvwypAj0NzgWKW1FwdlQsw6o00pibOByGUJkeyYJw94dVsAdl/w480-h640/IMG_1607.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhee_GbXrZd5MHYCjlS4HIGKdNV9IAFEbB0UkjM64lSnqodrWdMF81NSXU5RuduiXSlBCybEykQziYV7l9EWyGUdCMcMb8klx-gbv3OsudVBFCk7KEh04rK2uB9A9QYDjzqZDyjjslxrgNqtC1vPyO1eHPmRaAg6xcwZNnhXtWeyVKDxYWJ3B4LlDesgYU6/s200/mcotw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhee_GbXrZd5MHYCjlS4HIGKdNV9IAFEbB0UkjM64lSnqodrWdMF81NSXU5RuduiXSlBCybEykQziYV7l9EWyGUdCMcMb8klx-gbv3OsudVBFCk7KEh04rK2uB9A9QYDjzqZDyjjslxrgNqtC1vPyO1eHPmRaAg6xcwZNnhXtWeyVKDxYWJ3B4LlDesgYU6/s1600/mcotw.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-26616571870868985742023-12-14T14:07:00.000-08:002023-12-18T09:36:43.812-08:00Voyager of the Seas - Part 1 St. Thomas and St. Croix<span style="font-size: large;">Today I'm looking back on our 7 day Southern Caribbean cruise on Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas cruise we took last November. The itinerary included 6 islands with no days at sea. Of the six, we had been to two so we were looking forward to seeing some new islands on this itinerary. Let's get started!</span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDyTGRn6YApkrBFRaP15VCMBE2OetbkBrSgm1mw_Z3DKVmF-Dz6hzx-hIRCcRgl8hyphenhyphen9yb3k9MoKshT-9itZiTXDSHIDNbQCxaY5F5QlibkEFuG2D27mk_C5HbPE-9dlOSsTHz8RIYPdHp6BtZ7-ABig1ecejIMgjoQlSCbgQnHt0CgyEqo0kqoWstp7zy/s4032/IMG_0048.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDyTGRn6YApkrBFRaP15VCMBE2OetbkBrSgm1mw_Z3DKVmF-Dz6hzx-hIRCcRgl8hyphenhyphen9yb3k9MoKshT-9itZiTXDSHIDNbQCxaY5F5QlibkEFuG2D27mk_C5HbPE-9dlOSsTHz8RIYPdHp6BtZ7-ABig1ecejIMgjoQlSCbgQnHt0CgyEqo0kqoWstp7zy/w480-h640/IMG_0048.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>St. Thomas</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">St. Thomas was one of the islands that we had previously visited. But we had visited in 1995 so if my math is correct that was some 28 years ago. We were pretty sure that it had changed. But there was one place in particular we hoped hadn't changed too much - our favorite place we visited from before - Magens Bay Beach. Therefore, we signed up for a shore excursion that would have us spending the afternoon here.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9tozRn2LJlYi_SpJhGGA0XfeuGXloqHDwaFpaUR4r9JwF7Zy2YaNPF2qxqWeMyhQ5U_bkXX9LYs4GDeOTuVcy9QEnl9uhu_Sqycwc2eXP974GW9mBRIdfrrRJcZkEK8qSR8VnEtXd_FDWRvLjijMt4N9XrxqJauJfXk6TJFzWcstjKvbDidmA3N_9aDu/s3589/IMG_9918.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2692" data-original-width="3589" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9tozRn2LJlYi_SpJhGGA0XfeuGXloqHDwaFpaUR4r9JwF7Zy2YaNPF2qxqWeMyhQ5U_bkXX9LYs4GDeOTuVcy9QEnl9uhu_Sqycwc2eXP974GW9mBRIdfrrRJcZkEK8qSR8VnEtXd_FDWRvLjijMt4N9XrxqJauJfXk6TJFzWcstjKvbDidmA3N_9aDu/w640-h480/IMG_9918.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFF2ZRV5jbOqBDlwHarQ9Y4t0OYBJLgfpRVOxYCtB_wcLR_7ZTcWvW7N3KemgNP9Xgx5ImvcZfGHZTL_Uc4NLadB3-D4Zx9gdCycwpXpcddnu2HTaDvswpougGaKS3j3y0x1-rvvueMeZi1cbMP_g4ck8w0Unwe_YuySUpoGqSxWoq3X6HqQwwGtzvtmSb/s3754/IMG_9963.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2816" data-original-width="3754" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFF2ZRV5jbOqBDlwHarQ9Y4t0OYBJLgfpRVOxYCtB_wcLR_7ZTcWvW7N3KemgNP9Xgx5ImvcZfGHZTL_Uc4NLadB3-D4Zx9gdCycwpXpcddnu2HTaDvswpougGaKS3j3y0x1-rvvueMeZi1cbMP_g4ck8w0Unwe_YuySUpoGqSxWoq3X6HqQwwGtzvtmSb/w640-h480/IMG_9963.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMuSsJab563VOD04Jln_va3RsyUgdjDcWTyxqWxcmGxwMykQxkoQsZnD84S3_TZ0ZWShyphenhyphengVBTdFtj2W44pE-1BSirEu9u6rziAAgHwFHuV0jMKvDfS-YxCdK0kB6V1QZ9mgUlyW_pUJ6GeJZ6OemkiccfKOOI50uoYQ3t_74hWC99IOZS2vGaftHKH9Rw/s4032/IMG_9964.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMuSsJab563VOD04Jln_va3RsyUgdjDcWTyxqWxcmGxwMykQxkoQsZnD84S3_TZ0ZWShyphenhyphengVBTdFtj2W44pE-1BSirEu9u6rziAAgHwFHuV0jMKvDfS-YxCdK0kB6V1QZ9mgUlyW_pUJ6GeJZ6OemkiccfKOOI50uoYQ3t_74hWC99IOZS2vGaftHKH9Rw/w640-h480/IMG_9964.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHglLXejS7WaXct2QvQCqOnJE8OXiyLm3nuf08QrlhkHSlirxe2BJbpRFmBbT6uZ-N0MeO2ktpB9AsF7TmjXwylP7dtIvx7kOkgf8rDDfBWJGLi20lqQhJV4Xokhf0FeB9gSv469PQfrAA6jSMdqcvqCE097euYT1BmktHe2bQnRhSKx-YZq_3WJgPbLa/s4032/IMG_9965.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHglLXejS7WaXct2QvQCqOnJE8OXiyLm3nuf08QrlhkHSlirxe2BJbpRFmBbT6uZ-N0MeO2ktpB9AsF7TmjXwylP7dtIvx7kOkgf8rDDfBWJGLi20lqQhJV4Xokhf0FeB9gSv469PQfrAA6jSMdqcvqCE097euYT1BmktHe2bQnRhSKx-YZq_3WJgPbLa/w640-h480/IMG_9965.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRqn-6tHL5h6-dH0te3ROoqoShLXPQo0hzi2cnHbBvYP8Mc_eZcXo6zgjvJbnKiI3nHiU_HcB2bowlTIQw9otZGswlpze-zjyXOxTIgtULpKXZ1rpEzdtTlrygkdChUOd3NYWGk9gURSTkFczVoBYvoBeSjm3UCKS-1Cb4svO72sfwqzN1rQsZSahAy9U/s4032/IMG_9958.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRqn-6tHL5h6-dH0te3ROoqoShLXPQo0hzi2cnHbBvYP8Mc_eZcXo6zgjvJbnKiI3nHiU_HcB2bowlTIQw9otZGswlpze-zjyXOxTIgtULpKXZ1rpEzdtTlrygkdChUOd3NYWGk9gURSTkFczVoBYvoBeSjm3UCKS-1Cb4svO72sfwqzN1rQsZSahAy9U/w640-h480/IMG_9958.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">We met up with our excursion right by the ship and boarded our open air bus that would take us up the mountain and then down to Magens Bay. We drove through a very busy Charlotte Amalie and then made a stop - along with so many other buses - at the fabulous viewpoint overlooking a good bit of St. Thomas. It was just a quick stop for photos and then we were on our way.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWNFXNmE2FYz7GLgo9vH7mJBXWaG4m2s3jBi9jofHlrO7xROCINfqB7S3OQXxPPQjSs9eTc2HeYCiGJ-k_RIlyC99KpZZEwsyrVbe-udp6qoSfo3bAj6GuL1DyC16w44vXmW6Rp68XFqsyUO9cSrc0WfNd0z2WlQ4VK5MAzxFGeRPrDgEQSCnU6SsDNAV/s4032/IMG_9928.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWNFXNmE2FYz7GLgo9vH7mJBXWaG4m2s3jBi9jofHlrO7xROCINfqB7S3OQXxPPQjSs9eTc2HeYCiGJ-k_RIlyC99KpZZEwsyrVbe-udp6qoSfo3bAj6GuL1DyC16w44vXmW6Rp68XFqsyUO9cSrc0WfNd0z2WlQ4VK5MAzxFGeRPrDgEQSCnU6SsDNAV/w640-h480/IMG_9928.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvkskZ4krQYwEScjJOfylNgUJvgD1cK5XujFx_grzc46nkV9LTOLVnldF233yKBMlGixwry3GYKuyqgylakh1WmHS7K6FMp_dkXx2O20DiMxeZjjRJWUWF1mGa3lFomyn3779NlSeSDgQNRGrXpCnz7Cn0KkTSPp2dL6vhCnZMq57zj4mmoeI1wBi9LFt/s4032/IMG_9927.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvkskZ4krQYwEScjJOfylNgUJvgD1cK5XujFx_grzc46nkV9LTOLVnldF233yKBMlGixwry3GYKuyqgylakh1WmHS7K6FMp_dkXx2O20DiMxeZjjRJWUWF1mGa3lFomyn3779NlSeSDgQNRGrXpCnz7Cn0KkTSPp2dL6vhCnZMq57zj4mmoeI1wBi9LFt/w640-h480/IMG_9927.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhnDrSoBdptKfKCo0ynn8PQOA9rBXteL7CAtIcsdD7QTRi0IS6E0RQj_EdWFxqPhpzx8L23T6c9ybmYV5HB7vi1RsxN773oo9wC8TKInpTZQ5n5VV53sZXNU5xDDzlcxhxD34lrC7L2eFDjhJmFIrblOQwwzNGbbXYXBQza9dBwluBwmCy_KtKTM8y49k/s3088/IMG_9932.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhnDrSoBdptKfKCo0ynn8PQOA9rBXteL7CAtIcsdD7QTRi0IS6E0RQj_EdWFxqPhpzx8L23T6c9ybmYV5HB7vi1RsxN773oo9wC8TKInpTZQ5n5VV53sZXNU5xDDzlcxhxD34lrC7L2eFDjhJmFIrblOQwwzNGbbXYXBQza9dBwluBwmCy_KtKTM8y49k/w640-h480/IMG_9932.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">If my memory of Magens Bay serves me correctly, then the beach had changed quite a bit. Well, not the beach per se, but the tourist facilities on the beach. When we visited before it was just a beach with two cliffs on either side of the water. Now, unfortunately, there was a admission gate to enter, restrooms, a beach wear shop, a cafe and many lounge chairs that you had to rent. So much for no change. (I'm being very tongue in cheek here - I do realize that all things change)</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpsAmwk2sapkLuzxISew55JLY0-o9xAx0z99bAUSWjNuZXlMhuE7q96BgPDEvlCo-kd6Owo9Of_TYJWTL9NeMVSz02JDQExLODPyrzMUfsYSAZUVysL3PuVzHOzyPsNS2lnCwWrVVeZkpvRO0OGsv4_eOsE5OChqcUeIMBrKiMPM6xVJ7irYbGDqGsKQn/s4032/IMG_9938.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpsAmwk2sapkLuzxISew55JLY0-o9xAx0z99bAUSWjNuZXlMhuE7q96BgPDEvlCo-kd6Owo9Of_TYJWTL9NeMVSz02JDQExLODPyrzMUfsYSAZUVysL3PuVzHOzyPsNS2lnCwWrVVeZkpvRO0OGsv4_eOsE5OChqcUeIMBrKiMPM6xVJ7irYbGDqGsKQn/w640-h480/IMG_9938.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHNBu5YrV1TyhHNPKi55-5MJ5nTV2-VBV6v-qJiLPGKwnS81gfy_X-KJpcDUWulTLpzPtvevqgbgmf-iPWGkNNdF9IcjvsC2vjqBt5EPpl_OEqfijIQ6qZGB1xpdC0iot9tZiVesq_MR1p37d7IMbr3G0DOK8rUPAT-R0-e4CgaMEzCQ7sCq5CSJ4qmgfz/s4032/IMG_9942.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHNBu5YrV1TyhHNPKi55-5MJ5nTV2-VBV6v-qJiLPGKwnS81gfy_X-KJpcDUWulTLpzPtvevqgbgmf-iPWGkNNdF9IcjvsC2vjqBt5EPpl_OEqfijIQ6qZGB1xpdC0iot9tZiVesq_MR1p37d7IMbr3G0DOK8rUPAT-R0-e4CgaMEzCQ7sCq5CSJ4qmgfz/w640-h480/IMG_9942.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRwt1uEb11qQShBRbb4wq739s6zKTfwEgc7yjtgdIt3sdx-bNrdPshuEwrVXe7G3Dr3LplZz0AAJwzTpZ_AADLWvKjTpf__CZO4trAmRA_fC0S3HZyf8G-oQaQKx3RXeoF0XTLEkTmECQ7SIoDF79i5gLHTGgrJMeWSmDTqK9clEjE4Ox3FX5uW6A7lqU/s3088/IMG_9943.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRwt1uEb11qQShBRbb4wq739s6zKTfwEgc7yjtgdIt3sdx-bNrdPshuEwrVXe7G3Dr3LplZz0AAJwzTpZ_AADLWvKjTpf__CZO4trAmRA_fC0S3HZyf8G-oQaQKx3RXeoF0XTLEkTmECQ7SIoDF79i5gLHTGgrJMeWSmDTqK9clEjE4Ox3FX5uW6A7lqU/w640-h480/IMG_9943.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">So we walked across the parking lot and paid for our chair rental. Then we hung out in the clear water for awhile. We had a beverage. Enjoyed the breeze. And it was time to head back. As all shore excursions go, our time was too short. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSE7Wq3DxGDyfGYZPKvpgPw5W3ZOQrgrov1AbLlgD0yhhLRKK3guVTk0PmnfUencG-kpY20AIR4h_m2qwmo7yOIZ8pBNin8rI2T8IupUVoNEDmjt0LDr-a0vsmCxuGfyV3UHjL6QN9p-oywqtqHY84hq4NzeIqwWiSgZTBH-UU-SOe5PB2g6JUN6JbNCM/s4032/IMG_9948.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSE7Wq3DxGDyfGYZPKvpgPw5W3ZOQrgrov1AbLlgD0yhhLRKK3guVTk0PmnfUencG-kpY20AIR4h_m2qwmo7yOIZ8pBNin8rI2T8IupUVoNEDmjt0LDr-a0vsmCxuGfyV3UHjL6QN9p-oywqtqHY84hq4NzeIqwWiSgZTBH-UU-SOe5PB2g6JUN6JbNCM/w640-h480/IMG_9948.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4GmneNZTyMGyoAtbX-Y5C5sZ_RzIaOuc27wsIP4LndDCdw6Y4v8cuhw5M0x_m1VIW7vXWonaaVrk7ttX89uADuE_nRLQ8XiV7T7FdUkLdT5z85S4_JAHIO8GFwyt2XKhvJqvf7f_TZSiB7euwzBTg5IMdmQ_DHe_VA6Rf2VXz5OrFxynObiMU-xrzQGL/s4032/IMG_9949.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4GmneNZTyMGyoAtbX-Y5C5sZ_RzIaOuc27wsIP4LndDCdw6Y4v8cuhw5M0x_m1VIW7vXWonaaVrk7ttX89uADuE_nRLQ8XiV7T7FdUkLdT5z85S4_JAHIO8GFwyt2XKhvJqvf7f_TZSiB7euwzBTg5IMdmQ_DHe_VA6Rf2VXz5OrFxynObiMU-xrzQGL/w480-h640/IMG_9949.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNXhNciKa9025y2Qvfc8eRQRZ3miEbLifspWecsoJQ6GCvJswUAlSgCwZIt4gR9tv3qVk6KYqBnp24kFZCDz2nMKTiDjCFjFEvvZID4BLVsOE9xdLT31T-m3jMDuu6IHa4bZZwyo03S0nHhZ4V7ijVCF3SFblkP6GxIHgn0Ry5JVNDbwvzW1xz40_TMqi/s3607/IMG_9952.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3607" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNXhNciKa9025y2Qvfc8eRQRZ3miEbLifspWecsoJQ6GCvJswUAlSgCwZIt4gR9tv3qVk6KYqBnp24kFZCDz2nMKTiDjCFjFEvvZID4BLVsOE9xdLT31T-m3jMDuu6IHa4bZZwyo03S0nHhZ4V7ijVCF3SFblkP6GxIHgn0Ry5JVNDbwvzW1xz40_TMqi/w640-h536/IMG_9952.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMu7LTfVmSGit4fRkPfoV4TXyRQneAo5-dSKAHpyj4NCgm2pTQrK7iy_Vt_1Rlrwr-kAGJ2a5ocKWyn7TBFAAdZi_xx1RLfhClMFn-4vY6Y2lR2dybiPuf3TWyzQgy1k6SgWp85gaYAIoBYMbgJYssoEtuJAx9CYLSbxQeYlrfRkfuv2-AcdSKEDZuKvG/s4032/IMG_9953.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMu7LTfVmSGit4fRkPfoV4TXyRQneAo5-dSKAHpyj4NCgm2pTQrK7iy_Vt_1Rlrwr-kAGJ2a5ocKWyn7TBFAAdZi_xx1RLfhClMFn-4vY6Y2lR2dybiPuf3TWyzQgy1k6SgWp85gaYAIoBYMbgJYssoEtuJAx9CYLSbxQeYlrfRkfuv2-AcdSKEDZuKvG/w480-h640/IMG_9953.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The good spots on our visit were: the water was exactly the same - clear and calm to swim in. It wasn't crowded. And it wasn't too hot. Plus I liked that there were restrooms available and the chairs were comfy. It's just that memory and realism don't always go hand in hand. Did I still enjoy it? Oh yeah! A beautiful beach and a nice swim - fantastic!</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTCaJkCEnBGbBO6GTWJ3T0MtCxodKNRrih8nzU4k63soqqmIDoAkbRR5KZUobkhgtpVFBzYWJ5bn89NFvAV_LjdI-hruaz1zTNDe3pq7crvs3esShlShq7-IlCXSrHgCWixA2Us4dR5wDTggSPYG6ajRa3L0oi6kxHvkcQyM3EfeJ4EfUrGFAqSF9nWja/s4032/IMG_9949.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTCaJkCEnBGbBO6GTWJ3T0MtCxodKNRrih8nzU4k63soqqmIDoAkbRR5KZUobkhgtpVFBzYWJ5bn89NFvAV_LjdI-hruaz1zTNDe3pq7crvs3esShlShq7-IlCXSrHgCWixA2Us4dR5wDTggSPYG6ajRa3L0oi6kxHvkcQyM3EfeJ4EfUrGFAqSF9nWja/w480-h640/IMG_9949.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZ0QaHxLV2acKIB5xCZkxM685Yt7TsJbnhWeGGZqR_43L1wf7Ee5eTRjcWlNjFoD2W8J8OfTV1jzrQMKEeA_V5G3k6ny70LcZHJfm-4IPSpfLZLH-hH_GQ4yo6IXRO3g2pWWEAq7Kh2REILlI0rLBVO2ftI3bUw5063L8KoFPz-R-fh6c64Jq3W-JyvHv/s4032/IMG_9985.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZ0QaHxLV2acKIB5xCZkxM685Yt7TsJbnhWeGGZqR_43L1wf7Ee5eTRjcWlNjFoD2W8J8OfTV1jzrQMKEeA_V5G3k6ny70LcZHJfm-4IPSpfLZLH-hH_GQ4yo6IXRO3g2pWWEAq7Kh2REILlI0rLBVO2ftI3bUw5063L8KoFPz-R-fh6c64Jq3W-JyvHv/w640-h480/IMG_9985.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beverage upon leaving St. Thomas</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3k-ekSn6-nuLRgSj3QSe69MQEZGxcoGNBMYMVMPX8MRCLufRfCyc8bNF12EvPnDpjGzQ9ZwFlcPq2G-ryRdnINrjRacp3kXlozCwHY0vFmD2YGNZbaZc73_Xij5sqoms6YGjXruS3OxIatqOQxD-3JhWhVDNqnlpqm_AvCFlHP2xVF9L8w3LPblivgxUw/s3802/IMG_9986.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3802" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3k-ekSn6-nuLRgSj3QSe69MQEZGxcoGNBMYMVMPX8MRCLufRfCyc8bNF12EvPnDpjGzQ9ZwFlcPq2G-ryRdnINrjRacp3kXlozCwHY0vFmD2YGNZbaZc73_Xij5sqoms6YGjXruS3OxIatqOQxD-3JhWhVDNqnlpqm_AvCFlHP2xVF9L8w3LPblivgxUw/w640-h510/IMG_9986.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Views from the ship of St. Thomas</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdog9z0-tWI09OfJidC-8YxdQge8nqVZNCMpgfHSoCS1Zl2UETO2LkbqYCbPkRSvmUARjO8Pc5wn2mkWC2cmjgpRy9WW16qtHkkMpUOLppNwj9cYcm2BT5pyECVG6be6CotHiLJ5zuX3zLNeibif6a9pJqhqEYDKOshbPX-jjuBeS4eCI7MgToROEFS18-/s4032/IMG_9990.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdog9z0-tWI09OfJidC-8YxdQge8nqVZNCMpgfHSoCS1Zl2UETO2LkbqYCbPkRSvmUARjO8Pc5wn2mkWC2cmjgpRy9WW16qtHkkMpUOLppNwj9cYcm2BT5pyECVG6be6CotHiLJ5zuX3zLNeibif6a9pJqhqEYDKOshbPX-jjuBeS4eCI7MgToROEFS18-/w480-h640/IMG_9990.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>St. Croix</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">St. Croix was a very special stop for us as we had our very own tour guide. Our good friends daughter-in-law lives part of the time on the island - she wears many hats including chef and bartender -and she volunteered to be our tour guide for the day. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVCPwD_G1GLH5ZPAj2EJ_qcwAAbh79z-Nclj2nSJotkPALqml1tY7A3U5KF9tMeHtGR5UHX-j4DLKN3nLfp-br1F6G3VdUKL3GtL5moIQW4PqgXZshcImT7vgUf4SovBAkt5OUI61Yh-UBYtuxD3nSn9IlyG8ShXLOHKaJ5bGSrjyYM8upt9XirD2Vtlb/s4032/IMG_0082.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVCPwD_G1GLH5ZPAj2EJ_qcwAAbh79z-Nclj2nSJotkPALqml1tY7A3U5KF9tMeHtGR5UHX-j4DLKN3nLfp-br1F6G3VdUKL3GtL5moIQW4PqgXZshcImT7vgUf4SovBAkt5OUI61Yh-UBYtuxD3nSn9IlyG8ShXLOHKaJ5bGSrjyYM8upt9XirD2Vtlb/w640-h480/IMG_0082.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudAAtdkUzQyK4CUAxSyIqtRvZoaoQ5K2t9HPtt0q3VRsNqYlj_8tKKhQUkYBaHP56Lp_SVqwA38j14WE_X5wrA2ykyXCqe7S1ddoh-F3QwLH8Ug6V0W7jjKrgAgzykzLofZVCUvjM46hlcV-j-9INDGv682NBZXRyKujdpIUWVL5qn1K_T2QDil1CXAGU/s2799/IMG_0076.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2099" data-original-width="2799" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudAAtdkUzQyK4CUAxSyIqtRvZoaoQ5K2t9HPtt0q3VRsNqYlj_8tKKhQUkYBaHP56Lp_SVqwA38j14WE_X5wrA2ykyXCqe7S1ddoh-F3QwLH8Ug6V0W7jjKrgAgzykzLofZVCUvjM46hlcV-j-9INDGv682NBZXRyKujdpIUWVL5qn1K_T2QDil1CXAGU/w640-h480/IMG_0076.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">St Croix is one of three US Virgin Islands. Formally an island of the Danish West Indies. It's a laid back tropical destination with some popular attractions including Buck Island Reef National Monument (where Mr. UR went snorkeling), Christiansted National Historic Site and Cane Bay, a popular scuba diving and snorkeling spot.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQN8l06XaZH-QoE9FKyxjOSMKjZkkYKz2WQ_XyW5E3_xQK060pDYLAqc7P-pSBDm972LN-HbJUaKtEHC588q8v1xdVe7E_P3y-vLkCkV42ApxWAlVx-e633hh2ztaM5vDQ8Y7elPVBLmnFTZSnHXo-eNMLdtJwlZ7-pyfd9nA9RgBE89iN7pziZu1-fjw/s3865/IMG_0010.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2989" data-original-width="3865" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQN8l06XaZH-QoE9FKyxjOSMKjZkkYKz2WQ_XyW5E3_xQK060pDYLAqc7P-pSBDm972LN-HbJUaKtEHC588q8v1xdVe7E_P3y-vLkCkV42ApxWAlVx-e633hh2ztaM5vDQ8Y7elPVBLmnFTZSnHXo-eNMLdtJwlZ7-pyfd9nA9RgBE89iN7pziZu1-fjw/w640-h494/IMG_0010.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first view of St. Croix</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAEYJpm-cCrHEXzB5awrt1icseOcWHORGf0qZy0UTOQo4CaB4utU1Dtajsg8CqqUbanHSfLIYoJp6D-b_3UvqGJPb_FQs_HNCWU2w3luCcbXmpv-OaRV3WEzErfA4IviVHNphu4LaRsOg3JIweF_C4XvuN9orV0m7HCIps80LRT2nxKuEYQX2-a_T39d5l/s1515/IMG_0016.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1136" data-original-width="1515" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAEYJpm-cCrHEXzB5awrt1icseOcWHORGf0qZy0UTOQo4CaB4utU1Dtajsg8CqqUbanHSfLIYoJp6D-b_3UvqGJPb_FQs_HNCWU2w3luCcbXmpv-OaRV3WEzErfA4IviVHNphu4LaRsOg3JIweF_C4XvuN9orV0m7HCIps80LRT2nxKuEYQX2-a_T39d5l/w640-h480/IMG_0016.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of chickens</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Mr. UR signed up for a morning snorkeling excursion so I was meeting our friend for lunch until he was done. I started the day by visiting Fort Frederick in Fredericksted right by the pier. A US National Historic Landmark, it was built between 1752 and 1760 by Denmark-Norway to defend their economic interests and ward off pirate attacks. It changed hands from Denmark to the US government in 1917. It's a very interesting historical spot and I learned a lot from my short visit. (You really don't need very long here) The cost to visit is $5. And a side note, Fredericksted is referred to as Freedom City because in 1848 then Governor General Peter Van Scholten read a proclamation abolishing slavery.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyE-EumcQ5yL1AXl19_9BIiMrKbO7gRLUL8m-Pq1TJEsZTLefzoN9tGRqKmKu_MNSs2m_Q_apNpcY5qOnP-mJfjemkn8Tx6mmlkc4LeMk47dfswti9mHqFtZgjcmCJVmA7U9919_0FPgAHz-fuCaQ551NYGoDg0brDUhqb9gpFNF3SenDrdDlli0L8jRlo/s4032/IMG_0018.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyE-EumcQ5yL1AXl19_9BIiMrKbO7gRLUL8m-Pq1TJEsZTLefzoN9tGRqKmKu_MNSs2m_Q_apNpcY5qOnP-mJfjemkn8Tx6mmlkc4LeMk47dfswti9mHqFtZgjcmCJVmA7U9919_0FPgAHz-fuCaQ551NYGoDg0brDUhqb9gpFNF3SenDrdDlli0L8jRlo/w640-h480/IMG_0018.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1uxenIHwiulqhjE1xPsFgcPIjmopDMVXv7p2oNaeqZkirpO1ruJDCISdZr5FuZkaZtTmJu_0LF-kVMqonT2-ycYmgUqtW5c_dgRV908HNsJllsfz3ekD0pdTKSuPbMd9yxS3pKlWPW6Zf3b5P6-GZfOTLq5PPbB-5YDiO3zGaIsooB6GpSwPi5SKjALMH/s4032/IMG_0019.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1uxenIHwiulqhjE1xPsFgcPIjmopDMVXv7p2oNaeqZkirpO1ruJDCISdZr5FuZkaZtTmJu_0LF-kVMqonT2-ycYmgUqtW5c_dgRV908HNsJllsfz3ekD0pdTKSuPbMd9yxS3pKlWPW6Zf3b5P6-GZfOTLq5PPbB-5YDiO3zGaIsooB6GpSwPi5SKjALMH/w640-h480/IMG_0019.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_HMdXmxV-4MnxjMGT-bQlJTbrunORnuCKBZhuArYBsOLdfRuTyYRN8xiJ7QY3omFJmwNs5rX7rD-bw5d8qDm9H_uZeXdENSRsl64V6ibV77k9wh1tAYbQZ3IZh9_fMpDDojCzXyQdYUxP-aMVkOy513oOnec1rdq0aP7OCIdTN1R65kvG_jGUSHhyNVT/s4032/IMG_0031.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_HMdXmxV-4MnxjMGT-bQlJTbrunORnuCKBZhuArYBsOLdfRuTyYRN8xiJ7QY3omFJmwNs5rX7rD-bw5d8qDm9H_uZeXdENSRsl64V6ibV77k9wh1tAYbQZ3IZh9_fMpDDojCzXyQdYUxP-aMVkOy513oOnec1rdq0aP7OCIdTN1R65kvG_jGUSHhyNVT/w480-h640/IMG_0031.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Officers quarters</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF07_QmVN4eZD_LRmDKZ6blym-r1Zbq0qWazPoOiO8ltSWBQDrFVg19woo6S2X4-RsGbmsyfV-4evBKGNuTV0ELW9n0TlNcLC5wsCAzwdC0No60eSzTgsl1SMeCiMZ24BYyrIyG1mbiS0Xb625G9kHndSy5Z3aCvluqBRaB-hxbF9QQSleuz3BgqLaS_Qb/s4032/IMG_0033.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF07_QmVN4eZD_LRmDKZ6blym-r1Zbq0qWazPoOiO8ltSWBQDrFVg19woo6S2X4-RsGbmsyfV-4evBKGNuTV0ELW9n0TlNcLC5wsCAzwdC0No60eSzTgsl1SMeCiMZ24BYyrIyG1mbiS0Xb625G9kHndSy5Z3aCvluqBRaB-hxbF9QQSleuz3BgqLaS_Qb/w640-h480/IMG_0033.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a bad view from a fort</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdTfVxhJHCkkLVhaia9wYozYUpFTMv_m0JZtGz-ubqMDPvXPkj-vRGA-JNQy52x01W_UfRYD7JkzCjgGAbutuNRI8j6507NweAsFCy6u09xOsdX10oC-BZy-a0mBawgzvfNCR23SX7FunsyVj04J8sbemgRnRFK4auuIX-8X_lj9EBv1db_ojZb0eQdPSn/s4032/IMG_0034.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdTfVxhJHCkkLVhaia9wYozYUpFTMv_m0JZtGz-ubqMDPvXPkj-vRGA-JNQy52x01W_UfRYD7JkzCjgGAbutuNRI8j6507NweAsFCy6u09xOsdX10oC-BZy-a0mBawgzvfNCR23SX7FunsyVj04J8sbemgRnRFK4auuIX-8X_lj9EBv1db_ojZb0eQdPSn/w480-h640/IMG_0034.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OUdSxZpN4mnm4Fcm7A2cvdvl20dEZqEsRV3-aN2bs89QE4xI8O-2bXPPSKl3YQnBFDFNJDVLJAeO6PNQ0_3PgHVK_ELmfzT_zdvso1Oya3uvYsROpw5uSw554j3izGlU-hDJAwdjxAU5bapAWbq_bxoXBIO6cujFk3hHuixMlir8aE29BhyhmVPO05Pm/s4032/IMG_0035.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OUdSxZpN4mnm4Fcm7A2cvdvl20dEZqEsRV3-aN2bs89QE4xI8O-2bXPPSKl3YQnBFDFNJDVLJAeO6PNQ0_3PgHVK_ELmfzT_zdvso1Oya3uvYsROpw5uSw554j3izGlU-hDJAwdjxAU5bapAWbq_bxoXBIO6cujFk3hHuixMlir8aE29BhyhmVPO05Pm/w480-h640/IMG_0035.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exibit in the forts museum</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgTDUbekszYEOiczzZb44FQfZayL4o8ad2et_dWGc5gMHloR83bmd2Y401daB1QWvt4jaXBBHVf1tKN6FtaICC37DMhsIrm0iQ87NK3lHbUw4Q4PKF1lwZY44o02FcVBcL8uVwFtbdJiE6ce-KRjip_yQmjfEkSsGX7QISOrb6nrF9I5STlTjlpKyiy1d/s4032/IMG_0043.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgTDUbekszYEOiczzZb44FQfZayL4o8ad2et_dWGc5gMHloR83bmd2Y401daB1QWvt4jaXBBHVf1tKN6FtaICC37DMhsIrm0iQ87NK3lHbUw4Q4PKF1lwZY44o02FcVBcL8uVwFtbdJiE6ce-KRjip_yQmjfEkSsGX7QISOrb6nrF9I5STlTjlpKyiy1d/w640-h480/IMG_0043.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">After I sauntered through a street market outside of the fort, I then visited the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts. This small, but well done, museum "serves and promotes the rich cultural and artistic traditions of Caribbean art." I enjoyed my time here and would highly recommend a stop if you are in Fredericksted. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91bDpbDu82Fm9vGLBpwvB9KBhZsKQYNdLTl_vPL2c3A2-1oiFNRn9-f3gYWdwGPvadNavpq4xcQMtqZR-kKaD3bqpQIqeGPC5Ua6ZdWH7gxozqS7IW9sywjSsqXrwM8zZrdpSBZkCHTphWGKXc-0_xQ-gNIedQn3nEJQxnmiMkBpwmKa-YBspG4sPW77d/s4032/IMG_0051.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91bDpbDu82Fm9vGLBpwvB9KBhZsKQYNdLTl_vPL2c3A2-1oiFNRn9-f3gYWdwGPvadNavpq4xcQMtqZR-kKaD3bqpQIqeGPC5Ua6ZdWH7gxozqS7IW9sywjSsqXrwM8zZrdpSBZkCHTphWGKXc-0_xQ-gNIedQn3nEJQxnmiMkBpwmKa-YBspG4sPW77d/w640-h480/IMG_0051.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqr9kiNNOk5dcoomqP4uCb_CYqkFcOCxAw-CUKbZZfKZagIYlsr-NIZ9Kk7AGZfpBzzqSt3MCtkLlOcR24lHxlwsozsIdngis3mHuE1xnRCzZc2p5RACEA-Fv1Savu5HfAB8rNbED9mH5eCmOoK-6zCZugM6L3L9AnXjnJ8bODqBps8gJQu719ZIqas9L/s4032/IMG_0053.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqr9kiNNOk5dcoomqP4uCb_CYqkFcOCxAw-CUKbZZfKZagIYlsr-NIZ9Kk7AGZfpBzzqSt3MCtkLlOcR24lHxlwsozsIdngis3mHuE1xnRCzZc2p5RACEA-Fv1Savu5HfAB8rNbED9mH5eCmOoK-6zCZugM6L3L9AnXjnJ8bODqBps8gJQu719ZIqas9L/w640-h480/IMG_0053.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlwZgsab56c3lwoZ0QgpmLgyFFxNHJgEjzToQYe3fYiCdbJbV_QyRganFC5vaAp3dT71kIEmMGWCE9FN0z52aLtiaAO6GaSDYHKqYlKxD8R6XZQrsYfpiFoQ_HrinFSjsyD48iT_Xni5pL6rmJMRF9CrcQggveea136-uo4Uj1QzQ91PmMPpjEyGgUIRl/s4032/IMG_0054.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlwZgsab56c3lwoZ0QgpmLgyFFxNHJgEjzToQYe3fYiCdbJbV_QyRganFC5vaAp3dT71kIEmMGWCE9FN0z52aLtiaAO6GaSDYHKqYlKxD8R6XZQrsYfpiFoQ_HrinFSjsyD48iT_Xni5pL6rmJMRF9CrcQggveea136-uo4Uj1QzQ91PmMPpjEyGgUIRl/w640-h480/IMG_0054.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7cVuFuQR7nVd-w0mS_3kg6fIButFO8p6a6VBFPERLU5F1vnSW2eSFG5uNMwfvdJ-P_aZVufFEB7MXc8vlbM6O6fIVimT2c94mLQU3692NhBIPDFUG9cEhEfF-2FOjIAiRvjyvq84A9X11NIPnbTydWDvLdb7_FNvYJNTBvCWkouRdUi9GeGoi6tT5bS9Y/s4032/IMG_0055.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7cVuFuQR7nVd-w0mS_3kg6fIButFO8p6a6VBFPERLU5F1vnSW2eSFG5uNMwfvdJ-P_aZVufFEB7MXc8vlbM6O6fIVimT2c94mLQU3692NhBIPDFUG9cEhEfF-2FOjIAiRvjyvq84A9X11NIPnbTydWDvLdb7_FNvYJNTBvCWkouRdUi9GeGoi6tT5bS9Y/w480-h640/IMG_0055.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDShPBPKNeVK35B_tTLalp3lMmaDDz0Pdoi73cw4T_jLVZB3xTLdBMVkCZndHiRseDY_ozau2l0ekCMpJDfy9a48u4YTdUZ5bhiUhpZqrTZLTPapkKMt99La_z1zP69w5jBjtybxgDazTjsNBEaJK68s3KEe_Pfn3ueFUchKOYxyB6B0Py2Yzue6sJBik/s3688/IMG_0057.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3019" data-original-width="3688" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDShPBPKNeVK35B_tTLalp3lMmaDDz0Pdoi73cw4T_jLVZB3xTLdBMVkCZndHiRseDY_ozau2l0ekCMpJDfy9a48u4YTdUZ5bhiUhpZqrTZLTPapkKMt99La_z1zP69w5jBjtybxgDazTjsNBEaJK68s3KEe_Pfn3ueFUchKOYxyB6B0Py2Yzue6sJBik/w640-h524/IMG_0057.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRaTAn-cfstvYfxx0zmcrnAFalyQx8NKbpgE6KEp5cN8rkXc3-aoe0e9yogKAJFK7YyO413GEmEDLkolQjEAwAm1eU0dckpe2K376-3uWt_vIoFLNaKIUQL_nthjyDfTIRg68RTTY1w5SDfjdgDM01s5s7atjLBKP9KgG6VciFZnTkjpGMcFAY9AJQFru5/s4032/IMG_0059.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRaTAn-cfstvYfxx0zmcrnAFalyQx8NKbpgE6KEp5cN8rkXc3-aoe0e9yogKAJFK7YyO413GEmEDLkolQjEAwAm1eU0dckpe2K376-3uWt_vIoFLNaKIUQL_nthjyDfTIRg68RTTY1w5SDfjdgDM01s5s7atjLBKP9KgG6VciFZnTkjpGMcFAY9AJQFru5/w640-h480/IMG_0059.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshRrPvXVgN9uDgUSRpVR9V06gEx1OOoshi1OFr7jhxoi-n-1alh6TaS1NYs9VfnSHOyHXaSAMlSFufC218nCgfGTPMdc7AXwcChhxZKT-S8dZq6bqfpWxWUWgyWjJFFAmwEaqAnFZ9EvBItsy-Dx2uo1JqWsOsV3ZdyPsT33QV7-sNkTRhiH627bWtu7V/s4032/IMG_0062.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2725" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshRrPvXVgN9uDgUSRpVR9V06gEx1OOoshi1OFr7jhxoi-n-1alh6TaS1NYs9VfnSHOyHXaSAMlSFufC218nCgfGTPMdc7AXwcChhxZKT-S8dZq6bqfpWxWUWgyWjJFFAmwEaqAnFZ9EvBItsy-Dx2uo1JqWsOsV3ZdyPsT33QV7-sNkTRhiH627bWtu7V/w432-h640/IMG_0062.jpeg" width="432" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I met up with our friend for lunch and then Mr. UR joined us when he was done with his excursion. We headed out in her car for a tour of the island. First stop was the extremely unique Mt. Pellier Hut Domino Club which turned out to be a highlight of the day. Located in the heart of the rain forest, a thatched roof covers this locals haunt, jungle bar and it dirt floors. You can stop in for a cold drink - try the infamous momma wanna, a mixture of rum, honey and herbs- or a bite to eat and then feed the pigs beer! </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wm8hGXY0m0wS7wDt4UdTaX2SiWDxwJHGHr3Cx-e_k5fmYWwERyYi8OYWvyorkNc82TzxzvsDfF-zkbxZzXc5q-izXjJwXHz0JlNLwm2hPEE92NUbdFQkZPK2qUz09u21PD8WwhTace-NP94x4h1ycvecGGlFoXMXDL74U_lcF_aoGUIOKxL5nFxdrNId/s3648/IMG_0075.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="2985" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wm8hGXY0m0wS7wDt4UdTaX2SiWDxwJHGHr3Cx-e_k5fmYWwERyYi8OYWvyorkNc82TzxzvsDfF-zkbxZzXc5q-izXjJwXHz0JlNLwm2hPEE92NUbdFQkZPK2qUz09u21PD8WwhTace-NP94x4h1ycvecGGlFoXMXDL74U_lcF_aoGUIOKxL5nFxdrNId/w524-h640/IMG_0075.jpeg" width="524" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">This unusual activity started many years ago when the original owners of the bar, George and Norma, were farmers. They decided to downsize and sell all of their pigs but two. One of the visitors to the farm walked by Buster the pig with a beer in his hand and Buster helped himself. The rest is history. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj880fV_gN8-0scT90TbUDIDbu8HhanNA6kLBkdpE6XeLzqyJixm5Y8O7Xro5y-37h8fOWjZeL-9icbUyackwJFgyOKUzQ2E6wixapM1jzLO4wVYPoFC6lXnPUX_5zwOQolr21_JT3xsRYsA9UiPSqOgovjKOnLiiWC20enmDGOB5HQ2V4sCN0zoBMeCjee/s4032/IMG_0072.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj880fV_gN8-0scT90TbUDIDbu8HhanNA6kLBkdpE6XeLzqyJixm5Y8O7Xro5y-37h8fOWjZeL-9icbUyackwJFgyOKUzQ2E6wixapM1jzLO4wVYPoFC6lXnPUX_5zwOQolr21_JT3xsRYsA9UiPSqOgovjKOnLiiWC20enmDGOB5HQ2V4sCN0zoBMeCjee/w480-h640/IMG_0072.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7piHjKKB3lcIm6VoM4fOBNLkvPINxByCONM30vjWTMK4Coq9mPw-AujLlXUOHYF1v6Q0ljztr0RIesMkh1ExqdB4SOeXLsoBFK4hWFE1mkaj9kSf4wnM2qAuFTKBkVIxHFjN4H5OLET4Wi2dCKvUuxMbMeBTmV4mZWxbW9xVMavPvLSWId-aVAo6GQVXO/s4032/IMG_5404.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7piHjKKB3lcIm6VoM4fOBNLkvPINxByCONM30vjWTMK4Coq9mPw-AujLlXUOHYF1v6Q0ljztr0RIesMkh1ExqdB4SOeXLsoBFK4hWFE1mkaj9kSf4wnM2qAuFTKBkVIxHFjN4H5OLET4Wi2dCKvUuxMbMeBTmV4mZWxbW9xVMavPvLSWId-aVAo6GQVXO/w640-h480/IMG_5404.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">There are now 4 non-alcoholic beer drinking pigs kept on the property. You may buy a $2 beer for them and feed them it - they will happily drink it. We had a blast doing this and totally enjoyed our visit to this unique tropical bar. (Please be assured that the pigs only are fed non-alcoholic beer and they are treated like family. There is no abuse here.)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZWI-gwdbFGDsnQE29Chgb_zr-CZFzDxpKRD1fuOgMQkeEYb7AkB3FRYq55YZfrSN2QUDyjOKtxwvsqGivgoy-u2hn2rcqbVqRY1lMEIw01SANQbqbUG6O9DtwtExJU35DgivBBya6IEdd6HPjrMqaWunjAASLS0SGI9aS7RCqRTul3sRY_qm4VAlMY-q/s4032/IMG_5397.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZWI-gwdbFGDsnQE29Chgb_zr-CZFzDxpKRD1fuOgMQkeEYb7AkB3FRYq55YZfrSN2QUDyjOKtxwvsqGivgoy-u2hn2rcqbVqRY1lMEIw01SANQbqbUG6O9DtwtExJU35DgivBBya6IEdd6HPjrMqaWunjAASLS0SGI9aS7RCqRTul3sRY_qm4VAlMY-q/w640-h480/IMG_5397.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaM8I2h1eFjPVb2v4GEQ6waU6jHgy_kDb0EzaYf1aPMOiZ9hgzeVqf0-Aj9TCKAlw9JLzpiG3ym8yGceS7JX81Ce1kwVCUHOhK6VP2mjPinSyKpCG3ZxgNI3hYaSMP6xZzTi8sNZVbWsS2IIoeGlJM7osmmJMXFEXNkaxrcbMAep4l3ggeh0dp1qVe-O9X/s4032/IMG_5401.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaM8I2h1eFjPVb2v4GEQ6waU6jHgy_kDb0EzaYf1aPMOiZ9hgzeVqf0-Aj9TCKAlw9JLzpiG3ym8yGceS7JX81Ce1kwVCUHOhK6VP2mjPinSyKpCG3ZxgNI3hYaSMP6xZzTi8sNZVbWsS2IIoeGlJM7osmmJMXFEXNkaxrcbMAep4l3ggeh0dp1qVe-O9X/w640-h480/IMG_5401.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Next up was Leatherback Brewing Company where we enjoyed a Caribbean crafted beer. We were running out of time, however, so we made a short stop here before our friend hightailed it to the cruise dock. We made it in time! Though I do believe we were one of the last ones back to the ship for the 5pm onboard call.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVoWImAQeMV0r9grYlrab1hokXNK8tYVTa2_VKTaIpP_EtjU0ZxdbfAHSRkG4Y5iTu13M6I0axVRTNUBZy0dv4IyrEV3T0k526Mh_gX2K95kAyBsx9XWXlwh1q2znC4cV0FBivzhkyozcCLnlrlqj0sj6PJwaR3bZLj2nfj-J5sgt7JtncizHJEwnr8OR5/s4032/IMG_0091.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVoWImAQeMV0r9grYlrab1hokXNK8tYVTa2_VKTaIpP_EtjU0ZxdbfAHSRkG4Y5iTu13M6I0axVRTNUBZy0dv4IyrEV3T0k526Mh_gX2K95kAyBsx9XWXlwh1q2znC4cV0FBivzhkyozcCLnlrlqj0sj6PJwaR3bZLj2nfj-J5sgt7JtncizHJEwnr8OR5/w640-h480/IMG_0091.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1rh2jj1VHV-7NEu_oT7XyMeP8yq7VOFznVZutn64i77HpHCeHzVwkNEJVLvNYjQR0fHHHlPTNqfgs7PcuEzKJvDjxdm8dNN6jy1g3UUkLP7GbuFV7qMXSe2W0M1SiJuUO98kgP6d_dSl-P-do-5x4NnURdOJ61oJogjFeQN5orkm0QY02sP5ufL_k5b3/s3275/IMG_0093.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3275" data-original-width="2456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1rh2jj1VHV-7NEu_oT7XyMeP8yq7VOFznVZutn64i77HpHCeHzVwkNEJVLvNYjQR0fHHHlPTNqfgs7PcuEzKJvDjxdm8dNN6jy1g3UUkLP7GbuFV7qMXSe2W0M1SiJuUO98kgP6d_dSl-P-do-5x4NnURdOJ61oJogjFeQN5orkm0QY02sP5ufL_k5b3/w480-h640/IMG_0093.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1A53fX0PckqH7EL7uOsejcfrQwFx4PmS30E11JhU0PvDjINjXHsWkbJ7xd8Zl-PJ883cUZA-GTFVPKKzDGggkZAICZW9icOVwGH9RbKL1lGGE5jUq9YZ3Lx_hbYQ2Qgklluue4uy4RW9wAqJTbs4J6GO4FnS6jaSJIhQPdeOq3Z8Ef7aAUD1DSiaItDk/s4032/IMG_5411.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1A53fX0PckqH7EL7uOsejcfrQwFx4PmS30E11JhU0PvDjINjXHsWkbJ7xd8Zl-PJ883cUZA-GTFVPKKzDGggkZAICZW9icOVwGH9RbKL1lGGE5jUq9YZ3Lx_hbYQ2Qgklluue4uy4RW9wAqJTbs4J6GO4FnS6jaSJIhQPdeOq3Z8Ef7aAUD1DSiaItDk/w640-h480/IMG_5411.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our ship from St. Croix</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpSgS0O48g3Thb87DaE9OVKF1xwvGPeL87d8SUBuc9_whXFyOGbvvTUaVo8g-urHm9LKOvci6PfFIWrxhmnEkjFFbJYNCbyE2w4z3AvtfciwowPkjx1C5OrJKcY0nx1D7ED5tP9MT6TILdhwY9Fac_Y3yIuvAvfIGv0Iaip5K3FJYEezywXYMFavL1PKD/s3086/IMG_0101.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3086" data-original-width="1889" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpSgS0O48g3Thb87DaE9OVKF1xwvGPeL87d8SUBuc9_whXFyOGbvvTUaVo8g-urHm9LKOvci6PfFIWrxhmnEkjFFbJYNCbyE2w4z3AvtfciwowPkjx1C5OrJKcY0nx1D7ED5tP9MT6TILdhwY9Fac_Y3yIuvAvfIGv0Iaip5K3FJYEezywXYMFavL1PKD/w392-h640/IMG_0101.jpeg" width="392" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last ones on board?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_VNpNbwiXa29zVbFxMqhaewa_7Jj1JB7w8X73_ZZovs74mZE7sjlIWFC63Ri2wBKXNla9JpB_pUcVk8xAsvEynJXMwK164LbX7A3P4LdxROFNjnV5KwmaNfh7wo5wmDlXIBzZppe5sbPGnFdtKMrExiu1tW43i3h2nptWkj_WlY45NsKMPPstDtjPqcxo/s4032/IMG_0100.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_VNpNbwiXa29zVbFxMqhaewa_7Jj1JB7w8X73_ZZovs74mZE7sjlIWFC63Ri2wBKXNla9JpB_pUcVk8xAsvEynJXMwK164LbX7A3P4LdxROFNjnV5KwmaNfh7wo5wmDlXIBzZppe5sbPGnFdtKMrExiu1tW43i3h2nptWkj_WlY45NsKMPPstDtjPqcxo/w480-h640/IMG_0100.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div><span style="font-size: large;">I really enjoyed our day on St. Croix and many thanks to CJ. She made it extra special!</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANO3IBzC9w1h7h4AGOTF4FKBVduJFaZFDYZmIoW5IriKjSYypJnyWiraM4FSIUmszAaQx8xHSkpVaKwmQLyCKkK733c-iTtrETPp-SigEmG45bhvLo9_PFzUP3eSDaI-a0O77T9PEjdsFADy6R73Sp8-q0MTeUwICfRLagfEkEM5j0QNmcGithXRpvxDG/s4032/IMG_0136.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANO3IBzC9w1h7h4AGOTF4FKBVduJFaZFDYZmIoW5IriKjSYypJnyWiraM4FSIUmszAaQx8xHSkpVaKwmQLyCKkK733c-iTtrETPp-SigEmG45bhvLo9_PFzUP3eSDaI-a0O77T9PEjdsFADy6R73Sp8-q0MTeUwICfRLagfEkEM5j0QNmcGithXRpvxDG/w480-h640/IMG_0136.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQlMm2Nagm3VMdvRcrFMY8dxjbCkUwdEHWQkpYyENGzwrboStXOepeIRxWhiDGaCRhPPPS5dFQ0Elg-g7E9RxtJ9KK2ukzIRctn5nw4Z3N42wUBM33DFpGHB5t47vfq81rRrR9YHeSkSy1QrHIvrHosXf2kSkZ6U4Wtz5RaRyFLpVaA7y0lNE4s4OS5Uc/s4032/IMG_0141.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQlMm2Nagm3VMdvRcrFMY8dxjbCkUwdEHWQkpYyENGzwrboStXOepeIRxWhiDGaCRhPPPS5dFQ0Elg-g7E9RxtJ9KK2ukzIRctn5nw4Z3N42wUBM33DFpGHB5t47vfq81rRrR9YHeSkSy1QrHIvrHosXf2kSkZ6U4Wtz5RaRyFLpVaA7y0lNE4s4OS5Uc/w640-h480/IMG_0141.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">How about you? Have you been to St. Thomas or St. Croix?</span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdwnfyFUnTZEnxif4AKLdgCNVO_8apBA4WCBI_LYSqyv2emmPaNjgeltVv2V2LFalrDHzAZBNELlSfF326De6xWNSDJNMq_fmf_D9gMqTHJ9zrXhRjqrDxwXVCv-fJTMmQfsCl8odStwIsSJtEcda4C_Hg0aSCBCyumCie0kcv5nYchJKgRuFzMbW6Ik8/s200/mcotw.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdwnfyFUnTZEnxif4AKLdgCNVO_8apBA4WCBI_LYSqyv2emmPaNjgeltVv2V2LFalrDHzAZBNELlSfF326De6xWNSDJNMq_fmf_D9gMqTHJ9zrXhRjqrDxwXVCv-fJTMmQfsCl8odStwIsSJtEcda4C_Hg0aSCBCyumCie0kcv5nYchJKgRuFzMbW6Ik8/w400-h300/mcotw.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-83959208578813409052023-11-13T16:27:00.000-08:002023-11-13T16:29:05.101-08:00Weekend Getaway: Sedona, Arizona and the Verde Valley<p> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I appear to be a bit behind on recounting trips recently. (That seems to be a good problem to have - too much time traveling and not enough time to write) I realized that I never wrote about our weekend getaway to Sedona and the Verde Valley in Arizona. From last August! So, finally, here it is!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2NfTLfYVn_Ylq2TMZw0d18vEISAjubWJgIG-t829xVIXb_KhcntSK7xTzzr3bJP8Myv7av-rcV6WpYvYoAr4SZgT5uVUnM46S3QnR3_HULvGzINYlPiE-CkDY3FtLrgzxeFNYAv2FxaV-lvT6buB_zlwZiVeJUV0qX4kHRzDey7PTFr-rEqvnE_Rp-Sy/s4032/IMG_5675.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2NfTLfYVn_Ylq2TMZw0d18vEISAjubWJgIG-t829xVIXb_KhcntSK7xTzzr3bJP8Myv7av-rcV6WpYvYoAr4SZgT5uVUnM46S3QnR3_HULvGzINYlPiE-CkDY3FtLrgzxeFNYAv2FxaV-lvT6buB_zlwZiVeJUV0qX4kHRzDey7PTFr-rEqvnE_Rp-Sy/w640-h480/IMG_5675.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHvU9o1-zairCUnXsofKLbNZAZUsPwTZqcg9opL7tQygSTfbtdt6y4IqIy9PzQzEoYARnajtS9etN84GU9SiNYbqwYMiNLbj68trTMBx8lgHoDeGbPPNJPi9sk49GmQJDiy1G-gj-LKGvMX7IZCcV7goy8Un_xPjJZ0McDRuBUrfrG4O4IANVJUYDVIaBx/s4032/IMG_5807.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHvU9o1-zairCUnXsofKLbNZAZUsPwTZqcg9opL7tQygSTfbtdt6y4IqIy9PzQzEoYARnajtS9etN84GU9SiNYbqwYMiNLbj68trTMBx8lgHoDeGbPPNJPi9sk49GmQJDiy1G-gj-LKGvMX7IZCcV7goy8Un_xPjJZ0McDRuBUrfrG4O4IANVJUYDVIaBx/w480-h640/IMG_5807.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2zUmXsqFbJvkmmmxO6OxdDOm8sZTJa4Js4CqvzCK8fzMGxrRcC0eO9N7n_AaRq89A4AwXZJU626IlT1Gze56xj4XxnAlm6ddFn9pov334BQX2mLIXM6RjTNA2cKihit1-Z72E4prj9POZa2Xv_k13aArU7aPPN4XL7ZWag2JcO_vDA6w8VoD-cwWndSo/s4032/IMG_5762.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2zUmXsqFbJvkmmmxO6OxdDOm8sZTJa4Js4CqvzCK8fzMGxrRcC0eO9N7n_AaRq89A4AwXZJU626IlT1Gze56xj4XxnAlm6ddFn9pov334BQX2mLIXM6RjTNA2cKihit1-Z72E4prj9POZa2Xv_k13aArU7aPPN4XL7ZWag2JcO_vDA6w8VoD-cwWndSo/w480-h640/IMG_5762.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieuSKkbT8lYuw7GI7Tgh4xSbIBUOmpeLAHm_KpywBayV9LV77aiMwb4KbB-HZRwoTER9lhwPbWwbpqb_cbLq466ww3dF-d4FU6qqAK3P4zL-MgzlzRv-v8R9mIsKLPEOJiS67tU7a4ELjd4eKM7VM2qDsKlgo1d7eGWh5oPeumtZ79AiFLoN9KePLAdz1m/s4032/IMG_5599.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieuSKkbT8lYuw7GI7Tgh4xSbIBUOmpeLAHm_KpywBayV9LV77aiMwb4KbB-HZRwoTER9lhwPbWwbpqb_cbLq466ww3dF-d4FU6qqAK3P4zL-MgzlzRv-v8R9mIsKLPEOJiS67tU7a4ELjd4eKM7VM2qDsKlgo1d7eGWh5oPeumtZ79AiFLoN9KePLAdz1m/w640-h480/IMG_5599.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Arizona's Verde Valley Wine Region</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Overlooked by Mingus Mountain, the Verde Valley includes the Verde River and the Verde Valley Wine Trail. Located about 100 miles north of Phoenix, the region has gradual slopes and big temperature swings from day to night making it a good place to grow grapes.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8RwQsdxGDV-xvGQKzWRHLYnMZ7cvZyboiGoMPftsE_3LulUWFFjtRnHc8YEoSr_CF8miaAROh4yYmHW64xSvkW-BYarMzZcmlnKGNOwZAQraYpOFhyphenhyphenJh7CUZB268fI6Jm4lOF1-wKhI-Px1HEYT5tIYPV1rBlj-p4iIXks2kKr9ii0v38PpvQyUXQ905/s4032/IMG_5509.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8RwQsdxGDV-xvGQKzWRHLYnMZ7cvZyboiGoMPftsE_3LulUWFFjtRnHc8YEoSr_CF8miaAROh4yYmHW64xSvkW-BYarMzZcmlnKGNOwZAQraYpOFhyphenhyphenJh7CUZB268fI6Jm4lOF1-wKhI-Px1HEYT5tIYPV1rBlj-p4iIXks2kKr9ii0v38PpvQyUXQ905/w640-h480/IMG_5509.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzR7pz1qmondUFjIxzydvfrjKXtMjaX-luziVdYMc_6MaXkaJTeWRX0bryvMJ12lfw5wU3nICuBsPZOCTfEaKf7qIIrgJf7Y05zWb_LAQv5sKFcIgfgnFtXI04B0-qdVtIUaRI0DqyRlk5t0gTYIUMyQ3Q4KImzQboskd2U3FKxRBIMYobxvvnNZGu_CQA/s2538/IMG_5511.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1959" data-original-width="2538" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzR7pz1qmondUFjIxzydvfrjKXtMjaX-luziVdYMc_6MaXkaJTeWRX0bryvMJ12lfw5wU3nICuBsPZOCTfEaKf7qIIrgJf7Y05zWb_LAQv5sKFcIgfgnFtXI04B0-qdVtIUaRI0DqyRlk5t0gTYIUMyQ3Q4KImzQboskd2U3FKxRBIMYobxvvnNZGu_CQA/w640-h494/IMG_5511.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVEhJvrZ1AfV79m14C4j8_adsp85FJwJdpEzc9ZGA8lQxmw1pVJgPJiRnu3LkV4U54DeYglB4jcJmhDyNvVVBCha6jr6pt9dSUHm9Kip5_-en9dIvbauSPaFFcWJd-kbmupqnIxaN6oSDx9JMqyWAWcOlpZ-fLPv2uEt2JXWvVwQPZnTihEBN94nDiTAl2/s4032/IMG_5522.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVEhJvrZ1AfV79m14C4j8_adsp85FJwJdpEzc9ZGA8lQxmw1pVJgPJiRnu3LkV4U54DeYglB4jcJmhDyNvVVBCha6jr6pt9dSUHm9Kip5_-en9dIvbauSPaFFcWJd-kbmupqnIxaN6oSDx9JMqyWAWcOlpZ-fLPv2uEt2JXWvVwQPZnTihEBN94nDiTAl2/w640-h480/IMG_5522.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI25IHvavsoC4KfGjJHIYVYleZMnzZSgVTGbrvpJKf1hfQW_Q2paRfpyoPqOUUl5yPlqqksSQEHzXkgaqVlWuzMXQe1Wjif217L6wauCehqCIVBTN8UX28KzuRq288EKfWPAHy4lJ_uzQt5BXz-UvcI_T3iUzt0ZZEIFuSb3mPDk7bnSiJ0fwvZI3bsvqt/s4032/IMG_5551.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI25IHvavsoC4KfGjJHIYVYleZMnzZSgVTGbrvpJKf1hfQW_Q2paRfpyoPqOUUl5yPlqqksSQEHzXkgaqVlWuzMXQe1Wjif217L6wauCehqCIVBTN8UX28KzuRq288EKfWPAHy4lJ_uzQt5BXz-UvcI_T3iUzt0ZZEIFuSb3mPDk7bnSiJ0fwvZI3bsvqt/w480-h640/IMG_5551.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">We stayed at a hotel near the airport in Phoenix (after a rental car procurement nightmare) since we weren't arriving until the wee hours of the night. The next morning we began our drive to the Verde Valley to visit wineries on our way to Sedona. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_CqPdR2Oifzgw-b3jjhhRxoEr3mvY-SUe2xgyu7TECzNMG0wvNlUZHCiB0siU_geYLQraPriU_lbHG3B90bkFKJjrFIf2W2vUL1rkDKLMhadhe4DJngJJb0ShP640WahGv1wuCezNwkXpTWNkWypc6-KhOgYfynrHx5WOsgaSFyBlHSCBIxKNfU9Rlq2/s3763/IMG_5483.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2949" data-original-width="3763" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_CqPdR2Oifzgw-b3jjhhRxoEr3mvY-SUe2xgyu7TECzNMG0wvNlUZHCiB0siU_geYLQraPriU_lbHG3B90bkFKJjrFIf2W2vUL1rkDKLMhadhe4DJngJJb0ShP640WahGv1wuCezNwkXpTWNkWypc6-KhOgYfynrHx5WOsgaSFyBlHSCBIxKNfU9Rlq2/w640-h502/IMG_5483.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGY7Pbmvk0Y2ShDJuGDfpOQEO8NjLvkY-oNYaZ13oo6IicmV_28Z_Lm4RbysusJRqSf3En8eYTYpYXqoSvzK8WztbMvM2GgV3rVyV9CUwFAyflniOImd751UvNrY_ZntrHVkyTt9o4s7AzrhLACIgI4qGcRiT9FN16hLfxUdeMNe5ljiPoyvAuxS0GuZw/s3905/IMG_5486.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3011" data-original-width="3905" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZGY7Pbmvk0Y2ShDJuGDfpOQEO8NjLvkY-oNYaZ13oo6IicmV_28Z_Lm4RbysusJRqSf3En8eYTYpYXqoSvzK8WztbMvM2GgV3rVyV9CUwFAyflniOImd751UvNrY_ZntrHVkyTt9o4s7AzrhLACIgI4qGcRiT9FN16hLfxUdeMNe5ljiPoyvAuxS0GuZw/w640-h494/IMG_5486.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFu7c5TgMY6YFzfD6mdiDFXPgqnzIt5n3vwkhGBYzQtXgdUgNzvv0vnA9ygHwMUr9AcCkc_aql2lVyDSzjmN_lC63g7TBbR9yG3fQA31SpiDxWnU85zBSwLDJlI_NcY2IO0sHYQ7XdbDFvmU7Oyu6zN6HDl5FPcJ1gc8su1fvI71iLaVljNyPfq-GS3SlR/s4032/IMG_5493.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFu7c5TgMY6YFzfD6mdiDFXPgqnzIt5n3vwkhGBYzQtXgdUgNzvv0vnA9ygHwMUr9AcCkc_aql2lVyDSzjmN_lC63g7TBbR9yG3fQA31SpiDxWnU85zBSwLDJlI_NcY2IO0sHYQ7XdbDFvmU7Oyu6zN6HDl5FPcJ1gc8su1fvI71iLaVljNyPfq-GS3SlR/w640-h480/IMG_5493.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_UKqSiQSahgbLSFvO2qIwvLYfK_3TLRxy29eLL3fbUuKIr9oMO9TQrlswfcURWeDh3YhO112UF09vHF7YpdlkczFC-VMSYBV9Vgejht9AsWINxcZiHFGR8n1rkWqGoXNz2tfw8x_Zye73It2gwW4K8wQUx3eGZfRg3MKLNMzwZAwzzcDkEc9dxIkaSkP/s3659/IMG_5504.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2744" data-original-width="3659" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_UKqSiQSahgbLSFvO2qIwvLYfK_3TLRxy29eLL3fbUuKIr9oMO9TQrlswfcURWeDh3YhO112UF09vHF7YpdlkczFC-VMSYBV9Vgejht9AsWINxcZiHFGR8n1rkWqGoXNz2tfw8x_Zye73It2gwW4K8wQUx3eGZfRg3MKLNMzwZAwzzcDkEc9dxIkaSkP/w640-h480/IMG_5504.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4RpkSNlqOMmFSFTHA9nK2RbOvbOdGDJ5IWvs6KddpswWkFeoT4K_8hKtive6LmiX5fcePlfuONWyND0xfC3dXELPntEMBxbM9ISZkoFjqcK5yPewyiXxe0ADGE4jIR0lPk9hPfSa74TCTGwZU2YR4NqJDq6IWhtwgs8NQfwcM7D079UqjmsNzUXuLbZ7/s4032/IMG_5507.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4RpkSNlqOMmFSFTHA9nK2RbOvbOdGDJ5IWvs6KddpswWkFeoT4K_8hKtive6LmiX5fcePlfuONWyND0xfC3dXELPntEMBxbM9ISZkoFjqcK5yPewyiXxe0ADGE4jIR0lPk9hPfSa74TCTGwZU2YR4NqJDq6IWhtwgs8NQfwcM7D079UqjmsNzUXuLbZ7/w640-h480/IMG_5507.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">First stop was the Tuscan style Alcantara Vineyards. It was hopping for an early afternoon stop. There is a small bistro that smelled heavenly - they serve homemade pizza - and a limo outside for a (supposed) bachelorette party. We chose to order a glass of wine instead of a tasting and sat outside amongst the vines to enjoy it.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQHoIexIEPUj5eVgkKt5gghYZgNr46h57k5HfxivUQuHHYTwhy_y7TqRVit47H5gn1JhTCkvhUpXokhgt9iWayBDE8YorrhqiIAzIK25y6e6LCP5tFuaYr0RIBK3qJ17UySLXtivfI7lff2XvIjmQeWc_Lzq865h4N-GJEy5FLj2uztr9NL4GoZcTAGVu/s4032/IMG_5512.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQHoIexIEPUj5eVgkKt5gghYZgNr46h57k5HfxivUQuHHYTwhy_y7TqRVit47H5gn1JhTCkvhUpXokhgt9iWayBDE8YorrhqiIAzIK25y6e6LCP5tFuaYr0RIBK3qJ17UySLXtivfI7lff2XvIjmQeWc_Lzq865h4N-GJEy5FLj2uztr9NL4GoZcTAGVu/w640-h480/IMG_5512.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigm0LCuYHS0Cl81PhqUKvYw0xwA3WGMHdb1bFH0uPHO-Za1hoF-NkiPl-r5QAUmGTD47SSq0fpStvq397zniiVYGY8Gbe__SFKClnvkoRoDdYu6mEx2VE3LGg5fJ9rbDvL8-fgNZt_SOsKdf0bcFHlV9MqWXKB92e4ZhGoycCW1at9-u7GUbCWrDx80pYg/s4032/IMG_5514.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigm0LCuYHS0Cl81PhqUKvYw0xwA3WGMHdb1bFH0uPHO-Za1hoF-NkiPl-r5QAUmGTD47SSq0fpStvq397zniiVYGY8Gbe__SFKClnvkoRoDdYu6mEx2VE3LGg5fJ9rbDvL8-fgNZt_SOsKdf0bcFHlV9MqWXKB92e4ZhGoycCW1at9-u7GUbCWrDx80pYg/w480-h640/IMG_5514.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPnzn-mWOgVFWlyLjWz34VdBsyL6Yh1Nlpx9Q45LPE6fseSMpsrw088wPWFHxk7j3hkEk-paPSXw-b4cV_jNe4rZVv4ZMWg_-qN4arfS44DpR-nzmBG0H-qGoyUUiJcLmtyUGKj7cx2saHSSR_wP_BNcO5w57791_jlZvtM3R8p-3rH9r9ADW6Kckfj0z/s4032/IMG_5515.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPnzn-mWOgVFWlyLjWz34VdBsyL6Yh1Nlpx9Q45LPE6fseSMpsrw088wPWFHxk7j3hkEk-paPSXw-b4cV_jNe4rZVv4ZMWg_-qN4arfS44DpR-nzmBG0H-qGoyUUiJcLmtyUGKj7cx2saHSSR_wP_BNcO5w57791_jlZvtM3R8p-3rH9r9ADW6Kckfj0z/w640-h480/IMG_5515.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Alcantara has so many options to enjoy besides wine tastings - you can, of course, take a tour of the vineyards but also kayak or SUP on the Verde River right behind the winery, horseback ride through the vines, take a jeep tour or an ebike tour. They have just about anything you could want to mix with wine tasting!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI-0ouCGCR0ogu6tBl4LvTucRrDpN7GEJxrEhQy5sVW01taWmq9V__d572xFxM-W-vC1nMAoDTNf6ep6hOZVCzXlL6c_SCwovPXoAsatACqfXQtGwNy4t1w-KbPVlubJ5xnEsWvu-aL4KIIls70e8V9OO8fJTe0YgLIAcuNkWjZxebmg1ShtgeuR6kQ10-/s4032/IMG_5516.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI-0ouCGCR0ogu6tBl4LvTucRrDpN7GEJxrEhQy5sVW01taWmq9V__d572xFxM-W-vC1nMAoDTNf6ep6hOZVCzXlL6c_SCwovPXoAsatACqfXQtGwNy4t1w-KbPVlubJ5xnEsWvu-aL4KIIls70e8V9OO8fJTe0YgLIAcuNkWjZxebmg1ShtgeuR6kQ10-/w640-h480/IMG_5516.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibr5RmGYJhuYyAxW0KDJXB74Y-SyrkTfv1FefpAJWVLfvsVjDQLM2UrXR7nJFbYqsW9SZchD0Mn624MJnRfHK5aqR1voYSMDW4PLL49r0BS1KCED9AXIv2nHZlDxL-H764Pwc3qE7jNAc__R9nzjXkxvrwjLQRTExJ_myq-HKTdezsn1_zovZcXxt0P-24/s4032/IMG_5517.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibr5RmGYJhuYyAxW0KDJXB74Y-SyrkTfv1FefpAJWVLfvsVjDQLM2UrXR7nJFbYqsW9SZchD0Mn624MJnRfHK5aqR1voYSMDW4PLL49r0BS1KCED9AXIv2nHZlDxL-H764Pwc3qE7jNAc__R9nzjXkxvrwjLQRTExJ_myq-HKTdezsn1_zovZcXxt0P-24/w480-h640/IMG_5517.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdqodT5DcXLmC5jenNhWwWtP85A4TZLMDq0Bi_OMUYD5vwxkMM2kWwj3WaL7nh0Ce0cJ7kVVBHMvrNPiAJSEBgxlvhfQZ-QfVUad4we2C80PnJCzk4KUYi80_l7nJnZ0zoygM4Z8aCOxxzNUHJL7cCBN6EIob6oPEj94BRGiT2OZTxSS1nN9YKhtzjVI9/s4032/IMG_5518.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdqodT5DcXLmC5jenNhWwWtP85A4TZLMDq0Bi_OMUYD5vwxkMM2kWwj3WaL7nh0Ce0cJ7kVVBHMvrNPiAJSEBgxlvhfQZ-QfVUad4we2C80PnJCzk4KUYi80_l7nJnZ0zoygM4Z8aCOxxzNUHJL7cCBN6EIob6oPEj94BRGiT2OZTxSS1nN9YKhtzjVI9/w480-h640/IMG_5518.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEte7rFebtRxdQhMQ9xzqqAk5gNWIZAEG8AozcQj6HpwUs7PPViJE5uUVL3YGuVAs_PRk-Eq-sTPB9yFvhoyRzFuvTs664idc4x8E7UUNddfjG9a9pCvCMVvNoakKZJ-b1sOlBJRWsyU4jeZeF0n30HAzPAhuDJZ2xE0KKaZAdSO24X7Jke-f15IEhjP8r/s3088/IMG_5524.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEte7rFebtRxdQhMQ9xzqqAk5gNWIZAEG8AozcQj6HpwUs7PPViJE5uUVL3YGuVAs_PRk-Eq-sTPB9yFvhoyRzFuvTs664idc4x8E7UUNddfjG9a9pCvCMVvNoakKZJ-b1sOlBJRWsyU4jeZeF0n30HAzPAhuDJZ2xE0KKaZAdSO24X7Jke-f15IEhjP8r/w640-h480/IMG_5524.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Next up was Page Springs Cellars where we enjoyed a glass of wine out on the deck. Page Springs has a full menu to enjoy lunch or dinner along with several different flights for a wine tasting. They are open 365 days per year and have live music to listen to and an art gallery to peruse while you wait on your table.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwRQ7GFmgOjm-sfjKK7s6EJZrijHwhrChzLjB03h9m18iDYlLPjpC7l70VwpFQGod3K_TpCDT4J8CzIrSax0LKg0ZcoHtplLCn5zNrWZ6ek2mny1Ggi4l38yhTrBvtAut8vylXOA16n1C8Y9tftDL4filOg2n9zKoyhe7EV7kiiDXVlHfkrjFOfmdzrEm/s4032/IMG_5541.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwRQ7GFmgOjm-sfjKK7s6EJZrijHwhrChzLjB03h9m18iDYlLPjpC7l70VwpFQGod3K_TpCDT4J8CzIrSax0LKg0ZcoHtplLCn5zNrWZ6ek2mny1Ggi4l38yhTrBvtAut8vylXOA16n1C8Y9tftDL4filOg2n9zKoyhe7EV7kiiDXVlHfkrjFOfmdzrEm/w480-h640/IMG_5541.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBj_NLuUlpTCa8hsW8APMOGuFb5bkPgGehtaJicvqp3upTPTe3B4djXTvXes1Du1ytTZxTlt-qjUS3-rY8mc1LObY7flM_mu6GDLQrRt4Fz1iaHv6DXaetZCzQXZNTu3NboUkwJwxeqWoNsEqZXcGrIIPxDuK6oBYZgj0iAs1YfEzR2dAsHRNLu_Ftu1Tc/s4030/IMG_5542.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4030" data-original-width="2907" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBj_NLuUlpTCa8hsW8APMOGuFb5bkPgGehtaJicvqp3upTPTe3B4djXTvXes1Du1ytTZxTlt-qjUS3-rY8mc1LObY7flM_mu6GDLQrRt4Fz1iaHv6DXaetZCzQXZNTu3NboUkwJwxeqWoNsEqZXcGrIIPxDuK6oBYZgj0iAs1YfEzR2dAsHRNLu_Ftu1Tc/w462-h640/IMG_5542.jpeg" width="462" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqruYkyX9FexDZeN36vzRt0Kw7rkt67ENXXpaKBTv3B1b5soI_7APyibKVyxCLUw4dIljMhh4uHhZ8XSXm3Y7Lr-M5NoY4H-ShynKRFOSwstntpeF9bDwd_aS1qEpLFehli4mHddl4S4B560CDDZsgvCkT9ZVRQaGwkh18uZjuEmYGvCjSqSRUE8hUrDC/s4032/IMG_5544.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqruYkyX9FexDZeN36vzRt0Kw7rkt67ENXXpaKBTv3B1b5soI_7APyibKVyxCLUw4dIljMhh4uHhZ8XSXm3Y7Lr-M5NoY4H-ShynKRFOSwstntpeF9bDwd_aS1qEpLFehli4mHddl4S4B560CDDZsgvCkT9ZVRQaGwkh18uZjuEmYGvCjSqSRUE8hUrDC/w640-h480/IMG_5544.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhcuL4WGuvjjZQbcGXbPGMCATuojLp_Fenp-ZprNwXKbqDl-ql1XXytKjnmAcKNkdIrD4yOAS8SnzgcGWO-o45F2V36qfMuOlAhuMlNPMY_Z5KkUJf_KuaNMjJxVvW-RSwkkyUPsq5PWTMnmDtRftLxtP387DNwrR7yZeambYBX82Va5tauQX9OVRZEq7/s4032/IMG_5548.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhcuL4WGuvjjZQbcGXbPGMCATuojLp_Fenp-ZprNwXKbqDl-ql1XXytKjnmAcKNkdIrD4yOAS8SnzgcGWO-o45F2V36qfMuOlAhuMlNPMY_Z5KkUJf_KuaNMjJxVvW-RSwkkyUPsq5PWTMnmDtRftLxtP387DNwrR7yZeambYBX82Va5tauQX9OVRZEq7/w480-h640/IMG_5548.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Last on our whistle stop tour was Javelina Leap Winery. A family owned winery with an incredible old saloon style bar - the largest tasting bar in Northern Arizona - Javelina Leap has won many awards. We opted for, once again, a glass of wine outdoors in the unique patio area covered in vintage memorabilia. (We're nothing if not predictable) You can order platters of cheese, bread and crackers in their Arizona Room but the afternoon we were there it was popping with a bachelorette party. So a glass of wine on the garden patio and we were good to go.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgym2TprKtpYm1NMRaErmuz-KfLd1ytlWpxMTlnqC4OhTNJf3BmQSuPJnMkjawqbjXnt4R41Cih4qVHAeIgpDu_J7aRGBlGTYghhpw06v887Cs2SjMDXtuQ-AL5KYvk4YLe153PZ8gBWIQcfuD39q302PqLj6jQFnNOkwd5goUvIpd2Ro1dFKl9y1S-4nXp/s4032/IMG_5552.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgym2TprKtpYm1NMRaErmuz-KfLd1ytlWpxMTlnqC4OhTNJf3BmQSuPJnMkjawqbjXnt4R41Cih4qVHAeIgpDu_J7aRGBlGTYghhpw06v887Cs2SjMDXtuQ-AL5KYvk4YLe153PZ8gBWIQcfuD39q302PqLj6jQFnNOkwd5goUvIpd2Ro1dFKl9y1S-4nXp/w480-h640/IMG_5552.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFc8wUgq6aU7d3WR3tZhO8Tcr8jpYDbaEBVWv9FMDrh_A4v1IN-1NlURKb6rLDdjftuhKC3Ij2UOH4YWVOFPnyYWQ37_GKYO7GQAZfzlgAnTvlE7ZIRYrON1rhWfQwat4v5u4TvRZJOqenUQb6MW6oNNK14RZ2Mgf4tdfHtK0S2zy-Djq8iPZ7C9dJK0gO/s4032/IMG_5554.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFc8wUgq6aU7d3WR3tZhO8Tcr8jpYDbaEBVWv9FMDrh_A4v1IN-1NlURKb6rLDdjftuhKC3Ij2UOH4YWVOFPnyYWQ37_GKYO7GQAZfzlgAnTvlE7ZIRYrON1rhWfQwat4v5u4TvRZJOqenUQb6MW6oNNK14RZ2Mgf4tdfHtK0S2zy-Djq8iPZ7C9dJK0gO/w480-h640/IMG_5554.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoyHmDg5nMrBSau5OLMVo3rAsxme_YIRwkuoh8P5ujZ2oB9WDBMSHmrsWtBiiQmbx83nVSKYCTxichMHuLuIiUUJDwgbNofF4anMKaJeHMBiStD_DWRdOtHcYq-hWPrgUBUSc-tHnUcg7DxTaIUOcXEeGB1nQnbrzmkcXcR2MzLmeEuBTOJz6sfEbvVlu/s3304/IMG_5555.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3304" data-original-width="3021" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoyHmDg5nMrBSau5OLMVo3rAsxme_YIRwkuoh8P5ujZ2oB9WDBMSHmrsWtBiiQmbx83nVSKYCTxichMHuLuIiUUJDwgbNofF4anMKaJeHMBiStD_DWRdOtHcYq-hWPrgUBUSc-tHnUcg7DxTaIUOcXEeGB1nQnbrzmkcXcR2MzLmeEuBTOJz6sfEbvVlu/w586-h640/IMG_5555.jpeg" width="586" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLHveVc5ZCrozIxIK3uZ27X5I0P2CQsBpQhNQMmu-W9sQHG7HnCoARvcqENRqTWy7vEEz7p_zU1Dr5c7B7MfAooxXkIR_DHwGTTOqyJTay3BT2v_3UuIor8aaK8GtRVwZdr99TbXTgr7HESVJWhYdWd-DbuPHwp1xL0L_UEjaMhtdtS5WFxRB0-qgs9VFh/s4032/IMG_5556.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLHveVc5ZCrozIxIK3uZ27X5I0P2CQsBpQhNQMmu-W9sQHG7HnCoARvcqENRqTWy7vEEz7p_zU1Dr5c7B7MfAooxXkIR_DHwGTTOqyJTay3BT2v_3UuIor8aaK8GtRVwZdr99TbXTgr7HESVJWhYdWd-DbuPHwp1xL0L_UEjaMhtdtS5WFxRB0-qgs9VFh/w640-h480/IMG_5556.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Sedona</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Sedona is a desert town in northern Arizona surrounded by stunning red rock desert scenery. Known for its mild climate and vibrant arts community, it has a reputation for being a bit woo-woo. Or New Age. Or hippie-ish. Or maybe enlightened is a better word. There are vortexes, alternative health fairs (there was one being held in our hotel) and a Center for the New Age - a store for psychic readings, crystals and all things New Age.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">We arrived in the late afternoon - right after a rain storm - and checked into our hotel, Courtyard by Marriott. Our room had a balcony with views so we had to enjoy a little balcony time right away. It was still a bit early for dinner but there wasn't a lot of time to go do something else. So we parked by the swimming pool for a delightful rest.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3luMvtDqb-i4pIwnAZRgb1iOfLreqFh7rLVwR_VHUa7XR5L6Esr2VWfFzgPeAH9HDv0MN5EM-N0vOifWQ4fsUAjTEH2vCSeaA9AtcrGmYK1msrLVkq5pKnqm2jxJ7CALGJERSoZLFPmQygruV9EXcGtdpcQeJe3eCWsB5IquGOMwYz7ZwXXFXuusJXd78/s4032/IMG_5577.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3luMvtDqb-i4pIwnAZRgb1iOfLreqFh7rLVwR_VHUa7XR5L6Esr2VWfFzgPeAH9HDv0MN5EM-N0vOifWQ4fsUAjTEH2vCSeaA9AtcrGmYK1msrLVkq5pKnqm2jxJ7CALGJERSoZLFPmQygruV9EXcGtdpcQeJe3eCWsB5IquGOMwYz7ZwXXFXuusJXd78/w640-h480/IMG_5577.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the porte cochere</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2deJYdNMtlUCsBmsp5kTM7iR1zcw6vN2Gpewn4m79CrrCGZWOiSm0IRBiaqRUjs2sblIRSDjSTvGmMkM63Zmxjvp7yRzp-T2PiMH8FgoNnQZwNokF0wG0I0liZ5hidmZlGhH0hsqWBhaCx0Co8ki50AsKXTwHIjEIa-Qy1si2weI1ntDCG368paeQr2y/s4032/IMG_5580.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2deJYdNMtlUCsBmsp5kTM7iR1zcw6vN2Gpewn4m79CrrCGZWOiSm0IRBiaqRUjs2sblIRSDjSTvGmMkM63Zmxjvp7yRzp-T2PiMH8FgoNnQZwNokF0wG0I0liZ5hidmZlGhH0hsqWBhaCx0Co8ki50AsKXTwHIjEIa-Qy1si2weI1ntDCG368paeQr2y/w640-h480/IMG_5580.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPfpfI7mGw-EEWcwz8kKW7uG5kqKyIdq4NEdwYHDUSWlJT0xcV8kNGZqyFGXxaalrB_puUKgC5GOB2OVCfP8wVEhSPIi8TtXbwTiTmL10QfgDqPgBv2Zg25zQd6K1NPHz6v6XNPhqMGB8bwTbrKb3QPf3vA6BJq-PpX14Vtezs2R0OV7c1xMmLq9rirPO/s4032/IMG_5584.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPfpfI7mGw-EEWcwz8kKW7uG5kqKyIdq4NEdwYHDUSWlJT0xcV8kNGZqyFGXxaalrB_puUKgC5GOB2OVCfP8wVEhSPIi8TtXbwTiTmL10QfgDqPgBv2Zg25zQd6K1NPHz6v6XNPhqMGB8bwTbrKb3QPf3vA6BJq-PpX14Vtezs2R0OV7c1xMmLq9rirPO/w480-h640/IMG_5584.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7307PIAWTAbO4ehCnkP_onM9BOIAWx-e_qeDN69Gmpp0oGVFz2oKysY0v84GMRnOfh-aHgPQl8adcQ3vNdBgj7N423AgyJWczOpvlxZ69fe7gUNES6fJ2N6W9ImRnSbpitby4BnLEXQLj1NI_L_dkk0rGJRvDZHN2WFLfVhlVUXpAExqg0li4nyEY3j5/s4032/IMG_5586.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7307PIAWTAbO4ehCnkP_onM9BOIAWx-e_qeDN69Gmpp0oGVFz2oKysY0v84GMRnOfh-aHgPQl8adcQ3vNdBgj7N423AgyJWczOpvlxZ69fe7gUNES6fJ2N6W9ImRnSbpitby4BnLEXQLj1NI_L_dkk0rGJRvDZHN2WFLfVhlVUXpAExqg0li4nyEY3j5/w640-h480/IMG_5586.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbsze1b3nxI5GFIDhyphenhyphen7WllBmygVc4MI1gwgtiGhPaIxks6ExO15lm63ExQaacZpqOWytw9gcB0_fpzP7UCu_0NQjL5Wow40mwmaqDtDAuABj3fjXJWc7rORGJC8r7x0XZF8rJgy6S9K5drlRUgQkrim39485Lngu30GgKsX0tXtjvwx_QP3Hr5a1zjOlns/s3088/IMG_5597.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbsze1b3nxI5GFIDhyphenhyphen7WllBmygVc4MI1gwgtiGhPaIxks6ExO15lm63ExQaacZpqOWytw9gcB0_fpzP7UCu_0NQjL5Wow40mwmaqDtDAuABj3fjXJWc7rORGJC8r7x0XZF8rJgy6S9K5drlRUgQkrim39485Lngu30GgKsX0tXtjvwx_QP3Hr5a1zjOlns/w640-h480/IMG_5597.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9ltuP05cO31S_yAF29lhh3qqiGDjaJvig98xEZd5MZJrRV1eACecTktV8S9cOTj8kkkzggeFDxg7IjsrjHdazLNmSfUubxX2RRfJcqE6UeH_O7oVlFWIrZwwrB5eRBoVTz826OKnki3zLJL3vLIVaFWvIpUF69SALCw4LYovwwdRH8SgbEctdRewSbUp/s4032/IMG_5588.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9ltuP05cO31S_yAF29lhh3qqiGDjaJvig98xEZd5MZJrRV1eACecTktV8S9cOTj8kkkzggeFDxg7IjsrjHdazLNmSfUubxX2RRfJcqE6UeH_O7oVlFWIrZwwrB5eRBoVTz826OKnki3zLJL3vLIVaFWvIpUF69SALCw4LYovwwdRH8SgbEctdRewSbUp/w640-h480/IMG_5588.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fantastic patio view</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Once our stomachs started rumbling we checked out a few places to eat dinner and settled on Javelina Cantina - an easygoing hangout featuring Mexican dishes and margaritas within view of red rocks. It turned out to be a great choice - the food was fantastic, we enjoyed the outdoor patio and the views were great.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2oRAoC07ehBED40BnwLUyldHbIgItbzJXKGggXioLZoA-kEXEQr9ByH2V_M01JB5vx1Fmhj9eFL8TyaSlDa0pau5_e-OROaRerRi3FWT-cgK_YsVdQN1M5CLhE9NR4SONgYN5OMmpE9TILD8mq-h5SExkaeluZApTI1ClOkuSVng05_G90h8jNyXCPZLm/s4032/IMG_5609.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2oRAoC07ehBED40BnwLUyldHbIgItbzJXKGggXioLZoA-kEXEQr9ByH2V_M01JB5vx1Fmhj9eFL8TyaSlDa0pau5_e-OROaRerRi3FWT-cgK_YsVdQN1M5CLhE9NR4SONgYN5OMmpE9TILD8mq-h5SExkaeluZApTI1ClOkuSVng05_G90h8jNyXCPZLm/w640-h480/IMG_5609.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDkN2pdUgDnvsyo8pZRFTYRvxeRj_lyWuL6iOJGfM6SucVuD1V02_KdytK1ZEFxDkxIhRQqQSnzJbiLtSZzNC8SfFz3faOO3JIwzGqCFvmkR8OoLxFSqaOU47Gi_W-pXqxjpJkQpm8KQZzVkxUafYRqwZbOxU3KVG_P4j61z4ZQj5lWgADZAFFCKhEJkVw/s4032/IMG_5611.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDkN2pdUgDnvsyo8pZRFTYRvxeRj_lyWuL6iOJGfM6SucVuD1V02_KdytK1ZEFxDkxIhRQqQSnzJbiLtSZzNC8SfFz3faOO3JIwzGqCFvmkR8OoLxFSqaOU47Gi_W-pXqxjpJkQpm8KQZzVkxUafYRqwZbOxU3KVG_P4j61z4ZQj5lWgADZAFFCKhEJkVw/w480-h640/IMG_5611.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyHS94Pk20t3HQxZto7BMt6lH64TeiW4Xzo4lEvgBWieC0IWWaqvaMgFFO6WsoOeNsKAMAgknbr3jOsodcGz6JD2jYhyphenhyphenuBO_dUXKsl3maVk_RjMQOCmALO5GB25KJ2VeryPP5Ts4dttdN6aDo4-Zwtn9GpUVJCebbSsfT2KA94-W8d_HmK1ulqkWincpjo/s4032/IMG_5612.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyHS94Pk20t3HQxZto7BMt6lH64TeiW4Xzo4lEvgBWieC0IWWaqvaMgFFO6WsoOeNsKAMAgknbr3jOsodcGz6JD2jYhyphenhyphenuBO_dUXKsl3maVk_RjMQOCmALO5GB25KJ2VeryPP5Ts4dttdN6aDo4-Zwtn9GpUVJCebbSsfT2KA94-W8d_HmK1ulqkWincpjo/w640-h480/IMG_5612.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The next morning we were up and out early to head out on our Pink Jeep tour. After breakfast at the Coffee Pot (which sits near the Coffee Pot rock formation), we enjoyed some great Sedona views while driving to meet up with our tour.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwrs_bxvrf0FqyU1YeVF5kZOdqiKeMHOATcjfrm9Kd-BZUoCcKw9tq5ZY64JuIK286ZA7Mr6TG5z6Ff6-P3AFGbmWVnGuwusxN1aeE6tmCRNQWcNTg-q9nN8DhnJnvF6oG8VRXmyeu4ojmuieKBQTnnZVziIDzcqvFovvg8sW9FqIsFxUuKAyskzaO9P7/s4032/IMG_5637.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwrs_bxvrf0FqyU1YeVF5kZOdqiKeMHOATcjfrm9Kd-BZUoCcKw9tq5ZY64JuIK286ZA7Mr6TG5z6Ff6-P3AFGbmWVnGuwusxN1aeE6tmCRNQWcNTg-q9nN8DhnJnvF6oG8VRXmyeu4ojmuieKBQTnnZVziIDzcqvFovvg8sW9FqIsFxUuKAyskzaO9P7/w640-h480/IMG_5637.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise view</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMWbRSBwJq5Aqxex4twoF3XyFMe-YsdfMk23v3wHU1NSTs8-KeeS0bzwxxhnOjMG-lhay6XXNH3Zy9yAZM9KByjWMpmoq6fHJpRsa5csclKBvW20PNcuF4qCKt_lEnkUXihJ0dqR5xRPYPYMq_0JwxZnCsGxMC9Bo19JUAMsXRLx0y0KHB7oOhLGYBf1AB/s4032/IMG_5641.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMWbRSBwJq5Aqxex4twoF3XyFMe-YsdfMk23v3wHU1NSTs8-KeeS0bzwxxhnOjMG-lhay6XXNH3Zy9yAZM9KByjWMpmoq6fHJpRsa5csclKBvW20PNcuF4qCKt_lEnkUXihJ0dqR5xRPYPYMq_0JwxZnCsGxMC9Bo19JUAMsXRLx0y0KHB7oOhLGYBf1AB/w640-h480/IMG_5641.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnaqXKx3PvDMLTgDz786EwkytKXFQ04tBf7Cq8XS0Fws0phpfDk6AjI6UHVMqX0McQNs-ZrRZ55wy11DksAb8UX1FRniACZYrbKiG-fq0mpAsFtkh3TI0VCnEm8Cfr3DyuTVzkriGMCW7KJSHcPfo8kOX-jkU2mI6hf7vL75qDpTLTk3UINpECkLVffDe4/s4032/IMG_5648.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnaqXKx3PvDMLTgDz786EwkytKXFQ04tBf7Cq8XS0Fws0phpfDk6AjI6UHVMqX0McQNs-ZrRZ55wy11DksAb8UX1FRniACZYrbKiG-fq0mpAsFtkh3TI0VCnEm8Cfr3DyuTVzkriGMCW7KJSHcPfo8kOX-jkU2mI6hf7vL75qDpTLTk3UINpECkLVffDe4/w480-h640/IMG_5648.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Someone was enjoying an early morning hot air balloon ride</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFElVt-fdv_1SUS_CulonZF3vh8shEugp709aW192sNH7z6woW6qv2RLmOgfRFF0G9rrIWnfw2UgrF_z9xMGimv6v_xpnl-VU03zjKSf7APCmoAoXxg6OaTfs6jY3OuPersCBSGYVhYgzz_dHGfa3Vvw-KrvshIlRtHqNV71vtdH2Tk3gInZ3z5ll2It78/s4032/IMG_5649.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFElVt-fdv_1SUS_CulonZF3vh8shEugp709aW192sNH7z6woW6qv2RLmOgfRFF0G9rrIWnfw2UgrF_z9xMGimv6v_xpnl-VU03zjKSf7APCmoAoXxg6OaTfs6jY3OuPersCBSGYVhYgzz_dHGfa3Vvw-KrvshIlRtHqNV71vtdH2Tk3gInZ3z5ll2It78/w640-h480/IMG_5649.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0kqbXZmA58MpEw-Kayn25_oXuEbaRY2B6PaKa6WjEuPzg-sjpUPFABSKdCKa8TEPIjlSW8OHJhOpOxMhieAywhKXiDxYEyvhyYxfsUGSx8-OxwfnsnOezjN_lTRszA1PeOT-hxFhhXFbanm8jR_sjrn1HWQFB3p7-sktyewcrnU7URkTzYF9SzB2nEDn/s4032/IMG_5657.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0kqbXZmA58MpEw-Kayn25_oXuEbaRY2B6PaKa6WjEuPzg-sjpUPFABSKdCKa8TEPIjlSW8OHJhOpOxMhieAywhKXiDxYEyvhyYxfsUGSx8-OxwfnsnOezjN_lTRszA1PeOT-hxFhhXFbanm8jR_sjrn1HWQFB3p7-sktyewcrnU7URkTzYF9SzB2nEDn/w480-h640/IMG_5657.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, after our tour we had to check out and start making our way back to Phoenix for our Sunday night flight. So our time in Sedona was short but hopefully, as usual, we will be back.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT10UF0GB6UbcBaLtowdDNqcCclD2aQ_S0qF-aiBGujq-0fW2m4vOfGikw8MBpBtxXJ8kMMhtr_zcH6A77ikE5TV-KbcRgcR0pbKB07zQgqBhgnc_tTJ606-1HQrFKavv0KZbKQHwcSwTmfH1biFSd0d5C7Z0Ozatk4NONy7dl-G4B42G_40Ddz9sWceiI/s4032/IMG_5589.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT10UF0GB6UbcBaLtowdDNqcCclD2aQ_S0qF-aiBGujq-0fW2m4vOfGikw8MBpBtxXJ8kMMhtr_zcH6A77ikE5TV-KbcRgcR0pbKB07zQgqBhgnc_tTJ606-1HQrFKavv0KZbKQHwcSwTmfH1biFSd0d5C7Z0Ozatk4NONy7dl-G4B42G_40Ddz9sWceiI/w640-h480/IMG_5589.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUO4S145FjVV7yU53JhW_-sXUBnOkNGQ2M9bU8OLT-caEDujIK6wpdW_962i9BjJI6LcYebE6ZfO2ueIfA52vew5MbOSBHF3W-cRdWyihOSalX1EhHGsQ8kQbiTxbvOeGks0A_u6HGFPbEhmOevZbRzbTrv7a6KHGd1vvwBIIbYTDWTQ1F4Phc1VDEsht/s4032/IMG_5590.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUO4S145FjVV7yU53JhW_-sXUBnOkNGQ2M9bU8OLT-caEDujIK6wpdW_962i9BjJI6LcYebE6ZfO2ueIfA52vew5MbOSBHF3W-cRdWyihOSalX1EhHGsQ8kQbiTxbvOeGks0A_u6HGFPbEhmOevZbRzbTrv7a6KHGd1vvwBIIbYTDWTQ1F4Phc1VDEsht/w640-h480/IMG_5590.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpksFL4f9-k3UPeTlDam2OYjqUo_oDF6Uhq9i0bntVMRL2-b7NMGWWrQ1FUI8cOK2NA9Cixqe9egKbsuPXptSrXrgDnF_tcA1shdVKkvSE0mPaUkQRo20x9lT8VRyvyNKmCaYBWn1GIm0cftCeqwGyXn0MWz1C_2BtGb2tJsCckwUsuYSN2E9dhrLP5S2a/s3077/IMG_5591.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2308" data-original-width="3077" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpksFL4f9-k3UPeTlDam2OYjqUo_oDF6Uhq9i0bntVMRL2-b7NMGWWrQ1FUI8cOK2NA9Cixqe9egKbsuPXptSrXrgDnF_tcA1shdVKkvSE0mPaUkQRo20x9lT8VRyvyNKmCaYBWn1GIm0cftCeqwGyXn0MWz1C_2BtGb2tJsCckwUsuYSN2E9dhrLP5S2a/w640-h480/IMG_5591.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtH4sc1_SYqFftwieHQuKzhtjQ29aGmPoUYOTxEAiFa_TV6vHsz9-LnJEwlZThazMR4brp2x984tJV2q8MNAowxoo8oTzN_nacDIN5wPTJ8b2SpV1PkMmGvsJHL6CLvMfhTUXHBILkr0_WZ482cDz3hHMYmoZ9aFlvK8U-Dr3I9yug8S_NFJttiTxLiZuO/s4032/IMG_5600.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtH4sc1_SYqFftwieHQuKzhtjQ29aGmPoUYOTxEAiFa_TV6vHsz9-LnJEwlZThazMR4brp2x984tJV2q8MNAowxoo8oTzN_nacDIN5wPTJ8b2SpV1PkMmGvsJHL6CLvMfhTUXHBILkr0_WZ482cDz3hHMYmoZ9aFlvK8U-Dr3I9yug8S_NFJttiTxLiZuO/w640-h480/IMG_5600.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Q3szZDIHlqTfUUEc6KloMzr4XjOc1oe5ELnwDeFhGud6wDYlfitd-bUxSwLuH-bley_fb8k9WiMXdJdMldTIzzEZK4EtKHiU5FB7oitatFxRUSK31BobHXQ4Rc8ROosN4lDWC16juRMLo23bK448o3IdOQG5H_9F6FQG0qzG0pFCJtz7S4LzZiNQ48xt/s4032/IMG_5605.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Q3szZDIHlqTfUUEc6KloMzr4XjOc1oe5ELnwDeFhGud6wDYlfitd-bUxSwLuH-bley_fb8k9WiMXdJdMldTIzzEZK4EtKHiU5FB7oitatFxRUSK31BobHXQ4Rc8ROosN4lDWC16juRMLo23bK448o3IdOQG5H_9F6FQG0qzG0pFCJtz7S4LzZiNQ48xt/w640-h480/IMG_5605.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xvoU-khUwEz4iSvFTlsvesgxhclye249HaRuFqpzDA6O7d3OQutlG6CZoWcOFdqrCLF1e2XM2IepdjCgvlqT_CfDuaplCanpw4eOOSZ9wY7qYv7cTEGEqcHPdFyzlZ2CjOEBeGytGWWYQFitS-SQSjmbLmISKPU_D7YgApfezSkyrVld3OuPDfh8i3ND/s4030/IMG_5606.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2801" data-original-width="4030" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xvoU-khUwEz4iSvFTlsvesgxhclye249HaRuFqpzDA6O7d3OQutlG6CZoWcOFdqrCLF1e2XM2IepdjCgvlqT_CfDuaplCanpw4eOOSZ9wY7qYv7cTEGEqcHPdFyzlZ2CjOEBeGytGWWYQFitS-SQSjmbLmISKPU_D7YgApfezSkyrVld3OuPDfh8i3ND/w640-h444/IMG_5606.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>A Pink Jeep Tour</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Several years ago we made a day trip to Sedona after visiting the Grand Canyon over Spring Break. We had no clue how popular the famous Pink Jeep tours were and thought we would just walk up and book one on the same day. Not happening. When we decided to return to Sedona for a longer period of time, we thought to book a jeep tour way ahead of time. This time we were bringing our A game!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwR9exAXa8r1BNwmQs6jzixVwr1aDxqaOJspgfwO4107MJweageJRZo2bFnTK0pgMhyphenhyphenp-R4MGraX1tpeCuKZWlDAJ2m4xZ3RIWxJT08c4rSG06wF1WXfk1QLZRcXWkoMurT3KQx2gTFyf3Aow3LIIOS9cinUKNMBKZGf5VeyiP8WjraDXiDx7_dtqRXMyv/s4032/IMG_5671.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwR9exAXa8r1BNwmQs6jzixVwr1aDxqaOJspgfwO4107MJweageJRZo2bFnTK0pgMhyphenhyphenp-R4MGraX1tpeCuKZWlDAJ2m4xZ3RIWxJT08c4rSG06wF1WXfk1QLZRcXWkoMurT3KQx2gTFyf3Aow3LIIOS9cinUKNMBKZGf5VeyiP8WjraDXiDx7_dtqRXMyv/w640-h480/IMG_5671.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">We were told to meet at the Pink Jeep office and we would be assigned to our tour. Being that it was August, the tour company had bandanas soaking in ice water to put around our necks - or wherever you pleased. We were given our jeep number, met our guide and we were off.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4A3hybkgld3YZqCYuVwNUIJuBld-zfUtNTxAt8jcJ038gouonVPRe0EasYDdsQIuWgxpAv5OwIo25j0nALsMkVb8x_exm62Ui5Z6q_qrUNDzqWF07RCMEdM5aNjvnDBgpfkw6tgNULTwkGcOw4omtqLAN__ssi7ENGGW861gHjxkxeJ-OAteD9EJiRa7F/s4032/IMG_5668.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4A3hybkgld3YZqCYuVwNUIJuBld-zfUtNTxAt8jcJ038gouonVPRe0EasYDdsQIuWgxpAv5OwIo25j0nALsMkVb8x_exm62Ui5Z6q_qrUNDzqWF07RCMEdM5aNjvnDBgpfkw6tgNULTwkGcOw4omtqLAN__ssi7ENGGW861gHjxkxeJ-OAteD9EJiRa7F/w480-h640/IMG_5668.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statue of a pink javelina mom and baby</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">We drove a little ways through town until we started the off roading part of the tour. We had chosen the two hour Broken Arrow tour - a rugged, 4 x4 adventure in a Pink Jeep Wrangler which had been fitted out for these tours. The tour company gives you fair warning that these tours - and there are several to choose from - are very bumpy. You can determine if this is something that your health can handle.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCfRwxfcIqd0ccU7NQiDLPvYxrHK6DKjIQdzFBk2K8prNwAaiKSVuT-ulheWGZgY5xsmbGnejS8Ij7JvYVTFMbU0Un0Er9u1iSNG6YsC7Q8na5HEmn3Vw_GRoget0IJkuzpG8frDvwalcpebuNKsF3jf7SKBfkbxKG5pt7ntC11nhIx5hmZch73G0zyKs/s3120/IMG_5670.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="2717" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCfRwxfcIqd0ccU7NQiDLPvYxrHK6DKjIQdzFBk2K8prNwAaiKSVuT-ulheWGZgY5xsmbGnejS8Ij7JvYVTFMbU0Un0Er9u1iSNG6YsC7Q8na5HEmn3Vw_GRoget0IJkuzpG8frDvwalcpebuNKsF3jf7SKBfkbxKG5pt7ntC11nhIx5hmZch73G0zyKs/w558-h640/IMG_5670.jpeg" width="558" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqFyBqXvd6LMDou2eQ2duOPAz1bJEDyUVqgn0bZCjSBy63wKvnw3EOg_tJ2z8UzpNAdmG5XMnOt0WE9GPKY3csCClEBIViTIbKIhtkc0YOseKsTqOmVADphxxNDe1PZDu0QypubVK3urCdzdbX0xiwAmnn6o5zyxLURqyztl9n4auI6YetkcLRUaHlvXi/s2971/IMG_5674.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2971" data-original-width="2940" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqFyBqXvd6LMDou2eQ2duOPAz1bJEDyUVqgn0bZCjSBy63wKvnw3EOg_tJ2z8UzpNAdmG5XMnOt0WE9GPKY3csCClEBIViTIbKIhtkc0YOseKsTqOmVADphxxNDe1PZDu0QypubVK3urCdzdbX0xiwAmnn6o5zyxLURqyztl9n4auI6YetkcLRUaHlvXi/w634-h640/IMG_5674.jpeg" width="634" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgis0e-qqvkXlosuMYnFFZfPEIK6mLQhDyzsIRLQVdz_YLwQ_soxZ1_L_v7gAl1I8G9rvyunHR58WNaiw0LIMn_yuB0ikewjS96kweW7I2OOXcFfh1zrxasKMsCEWAirVkh1rqu1ZSQRm61yaldW_PDP9UkEVqR8Js7O0Fs7DNQFIWbNaal0skMx9hqr2Kp/s4032/IMG_5679.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgis0e-qqvkXlosuMYnFFZfPEIK6mLQhDyzsIRLQVdz_YLwQ_soxZ1_L_v7gAl1I8G9rvyunHR58WNaiw0LIMn_yuB0ikewjS96kweW7I2OOXcFfh1zrxasKMsCEWAirVkh1rqu1ZSQRm61yaldW_PDP9UkEVqR8Js7O0Fs7DNQFIWbNaal0skMx9hqr2Kp/w640-h480/IMG_5679.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Our tour guide gave us a history of the road we were on - it used to be the only road in pioneer times from Oak Creek to Sedona- and pointed out the unique vegetation, rock formations and photo opportunities of the area. We bumped along until it was time to get out and take photos at the turn around spot. Then it was time to bump back to the office.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_Z-NCCT2pMHP7K3u8nFKbPtecggAJ1teKH-GiMUEIP09apYat67d3AEvK8ZZoZCAEwtgV1ADhDCCPy7zvt2jV59GlqowU8xVrNIqB6r-CCh29biu9QRH9a0E9PgBSXnkTFRAxxhD6ihL4lNme1fyfzLPyUtBUGQyT91__h1wVWUyO8IMvNqhH9fowTir/s2469/IMG_5684.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2469" data-original-width="1852" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_Z-NCCT2pMHP7K3u8nFKbPtecggAJ1teKH-GiMUEIP09apYat67d3AEvK8ZZoZCAEwtgV1ADhDCCPy7zvt2jV59GlqowU8xVrNIqB6r-CCh29biu9QRH9a0E9PgBSXnkTFRAxxhD6ihL4lNme1fyfzLPyUtBUGQyT91__h1wVWUyO8IMvNqhH9fowTir/w480-h640/IMG_5684.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMD_FZmbxm-okwb6DqTi5wbrv9_p6s1hEN0rdCAUIiGSDJ_bKk9X5RRl6R9pYcqFKwWvZy99dJfALM_ADHKtebciaixtH8iQTdAdVpkvVlsZYoJS56fKXGOREaRjdSVVSViABem4I7PMTUG-gz1mmG_aTFFcLHYO0dL0EWh8WkOqfTO7E2X0enwZ-IB58W/s4032/IMG_5691.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMD_FZmbxm-okwb6DqTi5wbrv9_p6s1hEN0rdCAUIiGSDJ_bKk9X5RRl6R9pYcqFKwWvZy99dJfALM_ADHKtebciaixtH8iQTdAdVpkvVlsZYoJS56fKXGOREaRjdSVVSViABem4I7PMTUG-gz1mmG_aTFFcLHYO0dL0EWh8WkOqfTO7E2X0enwZ-IB58W/w640-h480/IMG_5691.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsIHkCEzu2DtTLT0wVp88klZCzcuWI3pW3cKOfUABSjzV1N0WxPMK66W9WREDjkVJaO7aLQ4j8FFCNZiwMe788TESh-ENjfXENGO3GK14mt7LwavhzQv8OTDp3g4ducznDi7ylgYVS1lunFInBFemF21GsCDuF2zjhKETzSYkQOE_ovM3zmfr_kIvTb2tp/s4032/IMG_5693.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsIHkCEzu2DtTLT0wVp88klZCzcuWI3pW3cKOfUABSjzV1N0WxPMK66W9WREDjkVJaO7aLQ4j8FFCNZiwMe788TESh-ENjfXENGO3GK14mt7LwavhzQv8OTDp3g4ducznDi7ylgYVS1lunFInBFemF21GsCDuF2zjhKETzSYkQOE_ovM3zmfr_kIvTb2tp/w640-h480/IMG_5693.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSYKz_GKc2QsIeRp_VtTF-nKypKGptLMC5qUGIoSOcj3jeJeoQTwZ4aoqvTUqN_uisF6uRArSKrfyHXuWF6ifKIXs-cDINjX7EKfTeXQtGbh-2KREzx2JDRJbChdNQDVABIDPf1S5tTpEDjE_qo6wlvgxGkldQcYSL3W1Ly7_nSy1AHrK-oU_RFv7NNa1/s4032/IMG_5695.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSYKz_GKc2QsIeRp_VtTF-nKypKGptLMC5qUGIoSOcj3jeJeoQTwZ4aoqvTUqN_uisF6uRArSKrfyHXuWF6ifKIXs-cDINjX7EKfTeXQtGbh-2KREzx2JDRJbChdNQDVABIDPf1S5tTpEDjE_qo6wlvgxGkldQcYSL3W1Ly7_nSy1AHrK-oU_RFv7NNa1/w480-h640/IMG_5695.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were some others out enjoying the bumpy road, too</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5DLZz6-Byz1G2Q2mOrnyf_KQl-xqe9mxiGIEnkoQNB6CQss1w0P4CV1t9Bm_pYFVvg2hI8yri7KyX8ebNUS3Irp8RJav8mb9TjhYwhuW_RGxL1-AwMdpQXMygrOjauK4W1ItVqBUlocdhuqat5mNq5280llzfwqDS6Rl_TmBnoS7O8XwS_3ZxsW6pvdG/s4032/IMG_5698.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5DLZz6-Byz1G2Q2mOrnyf_KQl-xqe9mxiGIEnkoQNB6CQss1w0P4CV1t9Bm_pYFVvg2hI8yri7KyX8ebNUS3Irp8RJav8mb9TjhYwhuW_RGxL1-AwMdpQXMygrOjauK4W1ItVqBUlocdhuqat5mNq5280llzfwqDS6Rl_TmBnoS7O8XwS_3ZxsW6pvdG/w640-h480/IMG_5698.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZAG6hJxrOZpqC-J2VLf4N7NF9kuVWEHXS6AjeonmryEnAPlD2EP1d2x6bPJHCNdcCjxPrFP9BU7tIgi2YCBZeIQMCOqpvC_hujV7BTuhPNQBzzKpO0aDmkwpbhjpvXINKQ9XqTAyOH2oHSWH3-TOleT5S1607SkjNi_9hx4X8cFeAF-ZTcQ_h6bzZZqB/s4032/IMG_5711.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZAG6hJxrOZpqC-J2VLf4N7NF9kuVWEHXS6AjeonmryEnAPlD2EP1d2x6bPJHCNdcCjxPrFP9BU7tIgi2YCBZeIQMCOqpvC_hujV7BTuhPNQBzzKpO0aDmkwpbhjpvXINKQ9XqTAyOH2oHSWH3-TOleT5S1607SkjNi_9hx4X8cFeAF-ZTcQ_h6bzZZqB/w480-h640/IMG_5711.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Like many experiences I've had, I'm glad I did it but I have no need to do it again. It was VERY bumpy and the views were okay but I'm not sure that it fulfilled all the hype. But once again, glad I experienced it.</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Red Rock Scenic Byway</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Red Rock Scenic Byway begins in Sedona and is free to access 24/7. It is a 13 mile, paved, one-way scenic drive that passes through</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">the desert and red rock canyons of northern Arizona. The drive takes as long as you'd like it to - you can do it quickly or take all the time you need to stop at various pull offs. And the views of the beautiful red rocks are absolutely majestic.</span></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADvVt6wBkFZmpsrywfYWFMc41F0rWwPzIobJWWp92StZa0LSKR3Qf2PxmJWSj-zLa1G0yfMbC0FzxMcRrub5_DcLhutSvZusV_MbJybcsFuVoml1QgT_qOi7Jr7NSyxlj5kAOE0Qy0WOthGoxYuvtrd8WJ05MiMiDqJonDPW0HnDHL4P9jjBZ7QQ0C-5R/s1313/IMG_5767.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1313" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADvVt6wBkFZmpsrywfYWFMc41F0rWwPzIobJWWp92StZa0LSKR3Qf2PxmJWSj-zLa1G0yfMbC0FzxMcRrub5_DcLhutSvZusV_MbJybcsFuVoml1QgT_qOi7Jr7NSyxlj5kAOE0Qy0WOthGoxYuvtrd8WJ05MiMiDqJonDPW0HnDHL4P9jjBZ7QQ0C-5R/w640-h548/IMG_5767.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_AOIZFp2yufI1fishiI6LKW0-AHQDxHDSpgLmnV6a8qbVT-CbaHlRom3_Ca1AqM4zysYcpIxqdXjBJ0ZrACedGij4bK5dMu2QoMERyDwsGzTQYYJIICyyOOH-eF3wPd8jolXxBR0U-qmSAxaqs3LIuEA-dTWrlwolrwIGuLX2L4MHCRFIBqEDRqh6b2_h/s3939/IMG_5728.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3939" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_AOIZFp2yufI1fishiI6LKW0-AHQDxHDSpgLmnV6a8qbVT-CbaHlRom3_Ca1AqM4zysYcpIxqdXjBJ0ZrACedGij4bK5dMu2QoMERyDwsGzTQYYJIICyyOOH-eF3wPd8jolXxBR0U-qmSAxaqs3LIuEA-dTWrlwolrwIGuLX2L4MHCRFIBqEDRqh6b2_h/w640-h492/IMG_5728.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFs25y1q2_PC-TrFWePwDVR3ptuvfdKz6s8kjDtKG04vhEE72ZpnsN_PyBQV3__iWK3HR3LQD55CPsaCHiJUK1DuHVBD2BOxdFUxXDygT6PTo47fymWZEfvF_8E7CobjYOddsWnbCSrmmbFkQrPFab3wwJJSUFo60pOffZZXiZxpanmLNBFcZOwpE3bvEo/s4032/IMG_5769.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFs25y1q2_PC-TrFWePwDVR3ptuvfdKz6s8kjDtKG04vhEE72ZpnsN_PyBQV3__iWK3HR3LQD55CPsaCHiJUK1DuHVBD2BOxdFUxXDygT6PTo47fymWZEfvF_8E7CobjYOddsWnbCSrmmbFkQrPFab3wwJJSUFo60pOffZZXiZxpanmLNBFcZOwpE3bvEo/w640-h480/IMG_5769.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9iryx7DljNgvQLl2Fyj7fDnyBZND8fkg-LasRiNibKTklFq_DDW-ns9S-8phg4N35vwl9BuEP5I8QCqqf-zoRwnbM_pCT494eujt7Kv4_oyGBgqkIG2IJBI3Kamjv4FBpN2teCt9jYTrK8Qr2heZQoWMJSPVpZZO9iWYVlhF1K9v_XJLi93wydExkdyP/s4032/IMG_5768.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9iryx7DljNgvQLl2Fyj7fDnyBZND8fkg-LasRiNibKTklFq_DDW-ns9S-8phg4N35vwl9BuEP5I8QCqqf-zoRwnbM_pCT494eujt7Kv4_oyGBgqkIG2IJBI3Kamjv4FBpN2teCt9jYTrK8Qr2heZQoWMJSPVpZZO9iWYVlhF1K9v_XJLi93wydExkdyP/w640-h480/IMG_5768.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our first stop was at one of the most famous places on the scenic byway - Chapel of the Holy Cross. Sitting high atop the red rocks in Sedona, Chapel of the Holy Cross is the #1 attraction in the area. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLd4U9_KUX_z80I-eru2HRhxz-PKPyFDg3qWwU9yO9rPP-XuRmGUTKnjgMkghFDzeGxZ-0-8QrlyF6e4Folg-RxgSgBUIzd2dJikL-J6_em6IjdqV1JoSAAAEaHaIw33hxUsdqYbLnnUxCgxRtBmdMG6YRLXH_U8K18Fo1zdr5j4yz2MLl4rg_CC8qWn-/s4026/IMG_5764.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1939" data-original-width="4026" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLd4U9_KUX_z80I-eru2HRhxz-PKPyFDg3qWwU9yO9rPP-XuRmGUTKnjgMkghFDzeGxZ-0-8QrlyF6e4Folg-RxgSgBUIzd2dJikL-J6_em6IjdqV1JoSAAAEaHaIw33hxUsdqYbLnnUxCgxRtBmdMG6YRLXH_U8K18Fo1zdr5j4yz2MLl4rg_CC8qWn-/w640-h308/IMG_5764.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYJPOoqo77QrdUOrk34ay67N_RODHGgWCPd7zAmpXPpIMG5sVUaMuLeBkTX0FUKN7c9EWvclbIv0G-6dXIccVES0Aw0CJr3A3nkbVJA4VFUuBNh8EwWRX9o25dOnliDuouEaxguKGfoS2L2PGiO71mHHaohkJqI50uyOAqvL36qsbfQ-qHhD86jHEXUNO/s4032/IMG_5731.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYJPOoqo77QrdUOrk34ay67N_RODHGgWCPd7zAmpXPpIMG5sVUaMuLeBkTX0FUKN7c9EWvclbIv0G-6dXIccVES0Aw0CJr3A3nkbVJA4VFUuBNh8EwWRX9o25dOnliDuouEaxguKGfoS2L2PGiO71mHHaohkJqI50uyOAqvL36qsbfQ-qHhD86jHEXUNO/w640-h480/IMG_5731.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKksXzJ4jMfPnVH3dMr5qLxVndWssPPLi-HU1E-Y8zyJsnmo53sVZC2L6vtyLXDt7bKn5nAqRNlNnLUfQAjqgHoVwWjuMUcq9iHsRAxWyGUctksDiRgEpTLyW8N-9_NEa9jl7w3KQH54mF11WuIKPcb2UYJF0FJEH4ymbPvn6cf95ZczjCBQNX1Ziimo2/s4032/IMG_5733.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKksXzJ4jMfPnVH3dMr5qLxVndWssPPLi-HU1E-Y8zyJsnmo53sVZC2L6vtyLXDt7bKn5nAqRNlNnLUfQAjqgHoVwWjuMUcq9iHsRAxWyGUctksDiRgEpTLyW8N-9_NEa9jl7w3KQH54mF11WuIKPcb2UYJF0FJEH4ymbPvn6cf95ZczjCBQNX1Ziimo2/w480-h640/IMG_5733.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xQSTBoGKlOggiAEWqhlDoxdGqGUhH0SIavnXbANjVVhajwBV-Dog5iwQTsVnc7FFsO_kbqzRWeLsrjLEWj2xlrwS18PEdYa7W-x1ustlgLTS_fRR3Ab2V9GDD4rtX_AQwpUw2mL9RdJyf8u53XmpXLIVjmtdwqitQiJPJqxHvck1aeSDtFrw7vjpnT2P/s4032/IMG_5750.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xQSTBoGKlOggiAEWqhlDoxdGqGUhH0SIavnXbANjVVhajwBV-Dog5iwQTsVnc7FFsO_kbqzRWeLsrjLEWj2xlrwS18PEdYa7W-x1ustlgLTS_fRR3Ab2V9GDD4rtX_AQwpUw2mL9RdJyf8u53XmpXLIVjmtdwqitQiJPJqxHvck1aeSDtFrw7vjpnT2P/w480-h640/IMG_5750.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Chapel was commissioned in 1932 - inspired by the newly built Empire State Building - by a local rancher and sculptor, Marguerite Brunswig Staude as a memorial to her parents. The first attempt at building it was in Europe but was thwarted by WWII so Ms. Staude decided to have it built in her native country of the US . The building took 18 months at a cost of $300,000 and was completed in 1956.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvacyeo8NaZvk3C9VuERsJwQic3RIITuWJ70kZIKaso-M_VVn8zso8RvI1H-D7tisNduI3sjyGgvw_UH_03-TjA_uyJA-ER1EyjgZSijrR9Msae2JnsQM7XvADRAtQsHwGpgQPtphcHsxgDU4b4-EPksBI7b-fbtOshIzY96q0oG3_Q48Ieb6zt9m-ABDt/s4032/IMG_5757.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvacyeo8NaZvk3C9VuERsJwQic3RIITuWJ70kZIKaso-M_VVn8zso8RvI1H-D7tisNduI3sjyGgvw_UH_03-TjA_uyJA-ER1EyjgZSijrR9Msae2JnsQM7XvADRAtQsHwGpgQPtphcHsxgDU4b4-EPksBI7b-fbtOshIzY96q0oG3_Q48Ieb6zt9m-ABDt/w640-h480/IMG_5757.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Chapel is open 9 to 5 seven days a week but the attached Gift Shop is closed on Easter and Christmas Eve. It welcomes several million tourists and pilgrims each year. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggwi0EUJkU2yqQGc7YH80B8hil_TOc-N6Hbv2LXAlMFoueNDEl8ARHqTplw7j9AzK2tg0AaiYsV4SiNwhlZIsadhIgNlP6y1BU9Gg3vmBJNMbWIUGTW6dXSBtPk2CMcvlFzTj1INhihL5hcurEYoVY-dgXZFhA35IXTf0lmkOrQ81VadXORW2Wj6Ke_n2/s4032/IMG_5761.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggwi0EUJkU2yqQGc7YH80B8hil_TOc-N6Hbv2LXAlMFoueNDEl8ARHqTplw7j9AzK2tg0AaiYsV4SiNwhlZIsadhIgNlP6y1BU9Gg3vmBJNMbWIUGTW6dXSBtPk2CMcvlFzTj1INhihL5hcurEYoVY-dgXZFhA35IXTf0lmkOrQ81VadXORW2Wj6Ke_n2/w640-h480/IMG_5761.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfaP0peqC7gu_vBuunrD2rUi5sneLC66BfW3Pmwk9YNIh3MgycX5E-D8Gxfaous844bXPIQXp1LHyRyzm4upPKTsvUD2vlOF5jH-x0o0nGE8Yr2f7QoZBiC0zxs35KZ7bIm_eEr4mYQZdeXayVj1GZKx0PrMAF3ReUhLmdYHWTXrJk-DAO-IXtEw6PA3wr/s3488/IMG_5763.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2672" data-original-width="3488" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfaP0peqC7gu_vBuunrD2rUi5sneLC66BfW3Pmwk9YNIh3MgycX5E-D8Gxfaous844bXPIQXp1LHyRyzm4upPKTsvUD2vlOF5jH-x0o0nGE8Yr2f7QoZBiC0zxs35KZ7bIm_eEr4mYQZdeXayVj1GZKx0PrMAF3ReUhLmdYHWTXrJk-DAO-IXtEw6PA3wr/w640-h490/IMG_5763.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After our visit to the Chapel, we next drove the byway seeing two other major sights, Bell Rock and Cathedral Rock. You can stop at many pull offs along the way - some require a fee - and take photos or take a hike. We were needing to get to Phoenix by dinner so we made the Chapel of the Holy Cross our only stop and just enjoyed the views on the way to our next stop of Cottonwood.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtsVmHRYPcWY3UZTHJeLTfmhiNh4SXyg2Q-PStT9IhbBbRDjgJ7RVZpa490CT7jQXzv9aVbrjCX4izL7y6trdB7mXZKwtpURkQY3G4AEv3jQ4F7F9JmwAriwEP_cofkPtyMADGwoKELrtlzfR9ocp8TpVLwIGJNm_BRIKRREYynxwtvXaBLHu0BgocSwPy/s4032/IMG_5771.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtsVmHRYPcWY3UZTHJeLTfmhiNh4SXyg2Q-PStT9IhbBbRDjgJ7RVZpa490CT7jQXzv9aVbrjCX4izL7y6trdB7mXZKwtpURkQY3G4AEv3jQ4F7F9JmwAriwEP_cofkPtyMADGwoKELrtlzfR9ocp8TpVLwIGJNm_BRIKRREYynxwtvXaBLHu0BgocSwPy/w640-h480/IMG_5771.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2811" data-original-width="3582" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLVpTpz9pUZjajdk_GfKrWWwcuAE-7WBOmApOCG5gmuFYvzN2Sj868ci1Rfj5n4UIBW1_qGbJg6iRlw1R2CZWz8EwE6NgdEZsLZuEWrH3BYKyrCdXqoFJcUvHPS7lr8D129q_PVp8W83jCXbQ6N-c7xLfAZnAKeES5yM1FLApp0hiSb3qop2a1PgqrMcx/w640-h502/IMG_5772.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BkF7mVmpHAp8jWjbvdWs9mc6jNs86KXA0ohYp9kuXPaLbU0eD7ErB1j9Dkoh3fY0bX2A2nWL5C_duQ73UWnG_dSyZ-i4Ef1qP9gu36Cd2wloDZ4uoqgt0lAGbWSr-cph_iqsGTBQ5XWbm2xDc27tuQXE4_FYCe2Ajp9s4FmoRiIb4JQ63lbvxOlDdoph/s4032/IMG_5773.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BkF7mVmpHAp8jWjbvdWs9mc6jNs86KXA0ohYp9kuXPaLbU0eD7ErB1j9Dkoh3fY0bX2A2nWL5C_duQ73UWnG_dSyZ-i4Ef1qP9gu36Cd2wloDZ4uoqgt0lAGbWSr-cph_iqsGTBQ5XWbm2xDc27tuQXE4_FYCe2Ajp9s4FmoRiIb4JQ63lbvxOlDdoph/w640-h480/IMG_5773.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlGoPWGHaCkJzCr6iC8oESrdqeUC5SPTYrj97akABX9na7-vN-72jgJBjnpQkJmnR9DN8icyKgKqArOttB-te_xeRYQkytdpSZvWo0i7aH4G42vjo4JRWIhgN8QMjh1bSTP4R7HhLjjLT72B_nRLDppPaTjo8vqVDZu9yCBxKwbcfU6Oreb-tiyCESB6x/s4032/IMG_5774.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlGoPWGHaCkJzCr6iC8oESrdqeUC5SPTYrj97akABX9na7-vN-72jgJBjnpQkJmnR9DN8icyKgKqArOttB-te_xeRYQkytdpSZvWo0i7aH4G42vjo4JRWIhgN8QMjh1bSTP4R7HhLjjLT72B_nRLDppPaTjo8vqVDZu9yCBxKwbcfU6Oreb-tiyCESB6x/w640-h480/IMG_5774.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71G454yb-gHBcN4K1totascrcnw3RDZ7m74m05DIs52BZKrUZRSlOQnh7b75z3dtKU-vITE_DtAEpxnJLq4XE2uULu7Lp-MIaAhTYzzryVT5uGcQm_7mjoFbWaP4wk4cB_2ed6MriQ2daD33ZFgsn7O3nY8NTVzBYA12Ao3erj-Y6__u7E0eAnZByQF_G/s4032/IMG_5775.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71G454yb-gHBcN4K1totascrcnw3RDZ7m74m05DIs52BZKrUZRSlOQnh7b75z3dtKU-vITE_DtAEpxnJLq4XE2uULu7Lp-MIaAhTYzzryVT5uGcQm_7mjoFbWaP4wk4cB_2ed6MriQ2daD33ZFgsn7O3nY8NTVzBYA12Ao3erj-Y6__u7E0eAnZByQF_G/w640-h480/IMG_5775.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpGk8gOAAVnXF1dJeSLYVt2YqpVR0q-VATsTZAtQ9heetru6MzUEiphrfrLYwJjl05G7EcLIpOeZX21ZlEiaXUC4FZNZwoTjVRx2SEQa8kyN12lronU29bXJ3ETv89A45oV6CivyYSu1sS5DxFoQnrSI57_llN4uWFjfc8oKTWzfoASIbpa1nTk_0dEIEz/s4032/IMG_5778.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpGk8gOAAVnXF1dJeSLYVt2YqpVR0q-VATsTZAtQ9heetru6MzUEiphrfrLYwJjl05G7EcLIpOeZX21ZlEiaXUC4FZNZwoTjVRx2SEQa8kyN12lronU29bXJ3ETv89A45oV6CivyYSu1sS5DxFoQnrSI57_llN4uWFjfc8oKTWzfoASIbpa1nTk_0dEIEz/w640-h480/IMG_5778.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5Hx3JFm7Ucc5gs-HEcQs3FNXeFDnySTI2MjGPQyb3kuhlk6r2WXicbKExywO19ZdyoxYUDdTRm1X1uC6cSxApFkZuEw_HRZQFAvu48dT0MIlHIWKntwhyQPoN7Rfi4J2JcEbLpn5bgi3FTYoe0gkTfdc-v8FszOmnL0j-pkS2lQ1bCJ5FXOTCvk-pAld/s4032/IMG_5780.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5Hx3JFm7Ucc5gs-HEcQs3FNXeFDnySTI2MjGPQyb3kuhlk6r2WXicbKExywO19ZdyoxYUDdTRm1X1uC6cSxApFkZuEw_HRZQFAvu48dT0MIlHIWKntwhyQPoN7Rfi4J2JcEbLpn5bgi3FTYoe0gkTfdc-v8FszOmnL0j-pkS2lQ1bCJ5FXOTCvk-pAld/w640-h480/IMG_5780.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cottonwood</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The town of Cottonwood sits in the heart of Arizona's wine country. It's situated above the heat of the desert and below the cooler temps of the high country, and surrounded by Sedona's red rocks. After driving the Red Rock Scenic Byway, we headed to the Old Town of Cottonwood. Only and hour and a half from Phoenix, Cottonwood's Old Town has antique stores, cafes, restaurants, lodging, boutiques and 7 wine tasting rooms that are part of the Verde Valley Wine Trail. We decided to enjoy a few wine tasting rooms before our drive back to Phoenix to meet friends for dinner.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCoWgCv401VWTQXkyWFzd1lIq11QUVBYrngRwzWVjr7F3UBNmRCLfR0b6VJGZb6SZTmMIqJT4D1U6MYVGrZNVh1kkfJsjdoWiDWwlXuU-fOxc7Juuj6Q61Fti8kQCYPb7n_0yj67iQ-I0EPFuLI1IsxchFbN_5rh805fu3p81RlzReLyzI4XCJ2hRa9Djm/s3099/IMG_5800.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3099" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCoWgCv401VWTQXkyWFzd1lIq11QUVBYrngRwzWVjr7F3UBNmRCLfR0b6VJGZb6SZTmMIqJT4D1U6MYVGrZNVh1kkfJsjdoWiDWwlXuU-fOxc7Juuj6Q61Fti8kQCYPb7n_0yj67iQ-I0EPFuLI1IsxchFbN_5rh805fu3p81RlzReLyzI4XCJ2hRa9Djm/w624-h640/IMG_5800.jpeg" width="624" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoAs1WYeuDXC5O0DROta_ygqJ-YrMvKQPabtJk45pZu8B58b7CWt0CtG334PaEntXOl8p8L2a4lAe5j6AoEjBEevdqVB8jVCNr36aCpUYnzP-g4VRAEFqIvGe4m4WbMQ73ABQd0-95tJM5FTvfTk62BM7gf4rZcrlHnevz4NMu8tCeUHY4Xri3lqUqekD/s4032/IMG_5801.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoAs1WYeuDXC5O0DROta_ygqJ-YrMvKQPabtJk45pZu8B58b7CWt0CtG334PaEntXOl8p8L2a4lAe5j6AoEjBEevdqVB8jVCNr36aCpUYnzP-g4VRAEFqIvGe4m4WbMQ73ABQd0-95tJM5FTvfTk62BM7gf4rZcrlHnevz4NMu8tCeUHY4Xri3lqUqekD/w640-h480/IMG_5801.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our first stop was Tantrum Wines, a woman owned wine tasting room in Old Town. Tantrum's interior includes an indoor garden with pink flamingoes, a fireplace that glows year round, twinkling lights and a New York City Penthouse with a skyline view. It's a very unique tasting room but my favorite part of it was the wine. I've mentioned here before that I enjoy sweet wines and Tantrum had it's fair share. It was definitely my favorite wine stop of our trip.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPZe20H7_EJN5LoHHVp60jWjcUymggezBam85HBdgqznDJUG8bJAn5nasqukvCFjLE2R9_qdWx_k1PJRZYxvX42Gj6sPtubNZdNNcXAdE_EXXSkjJILCANa5jMCydZtFdPCmAbo43xEndZoWeUkdEXHM7IxgZbljNP6A_2pGVTyzgFCHsFy4kisoO5hA9/s4032/IMG_5789.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPZe20H7_EJN5LoHHVp60jWjcUymggezBam85HBdgqznDJUG8bJAn5nasqukvCFjLE2R9_qdWx_k1PJRZYxvX42Gj6sPtubNZdNNcXAdE_EXXSkjJILCANa5jMCydZtFdPCmAbo43xEndZoWeUkdEXHM7IxgZbljNP6A_2pGVTyzgFCHsFy4kisoO5hA9/w480-h640/IMG_5789.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIHWmqW8oNE57djuZqqJiFHZou6tQ8xEWhOr5k986WmfDQk-F9b99UsKXrJArqRjKdeNEbi4JgJ1BVoogJCgaDqbQnYz93B6hsU1XeEc9sXgm0cfIuqjRXH-cvMMCWDbpEASORnzdiqa00mIYVDrrF6HkaADV3NcwidNlHY-mwXVhtkMpbzRTRttcpZxH/s4032/IMG_5792.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIHWmqW8oNE57djuZqqJiFHZou6tQ8xEWhOr5k986WmfDQk-F9b99UsKXrJArqRjKdeNEbi4JgJ1BVoogJCgaDqbQnYz93B6hsU1XeEc9sXgm0cfIuqjRXH-cvMMCWDbpEASORnzdiqa00mIYVDrrF6HkaADV3NcwidNlHY-mwXVhtkMpbzRTRttcpZxH/w480-h640/IMG_5792.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3dipFtj80A7vtZjXyN_V0qlqUK8qo5pacxmSFFOSNvEmf_RnVQY3MLol5FDS90BME9FyDMR40gf7YWvbyMzB-Ykkjp1TijAwJXqHGkNG_R-7wGURTxcIbFDuLr9DfFKuo12MrrBXaoiLyWt0ruzE3Yvqqk08eskii7R7HozWKiUH43YJ9O3aqqnikVU1/s4032/IMG_5793.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3dipFtj80A7vtZjXyN_V0qlqUK8qo5pacxmSFFOSNvEmf_RnVQY3MLol5FDS90BME9FyDMR40gf7YWvbyMzB-Ykkjp1TijAwJXqHGkNG_R-7wGURTxcIbFDuLr9DfFKuo12MrrBXaoiLyWt0ruzE3Yvqqk08eskii7R7HozWKiUH43YJ9O3aqqnikVU1/w480-h640/IMG_5793.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOObnhjtOmAIcjAtchQJERa5HHA_FDiTrieZom-dHDZTU9XgEGcO4rqIExik9IJduc5f1n-JuUhHobCMyTrQbO4AMdlPSnfffshMfrAlyJNS30I2O2IGje03cC6CQETw3Vg433A20RWxkiFXMzfPC3PR9RuVkOL2BxUEN7UWydEATdoJZY1HTiituUxbs/s4032/IMG_5794.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOObnhjtOmAIcjAtchQJERa5HHA_FDiTrieZom-dHDZTU9XgEGcO4rqIExik9IJduc5f1n-JuUhHobCMyTrQbO4AMdlPSnfffshMfrAlyJNS30I2O2IGje03cC6CQETw3Vg433A20RWxkiFXMzfPC3PR9RuVkOL2BxUEN7UWydEATdoJZY1HTiituUxbs/w480-h640/IMG_5794.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Just down the block was one of Carlson Vineyard's Tasting Room - the other being in southern Arizona - and we settled in for a tasting at the 20 foot copper bar. A former art gallery, this vibe has continued with Carlson's rotating artwork including local artists (that's all for sale) They have 13 varietals to taste, along with meat and cheese boards to nibble on while you do so. It's a very pleasant atmosphere and we enjoyed our time here.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7QldPu18hGg8oZFvDw_JqG1B5TqyKaYGXREoqN6jkWVezx48P7FIc2zUA2ddtdtzPWOpmHF6plaoxl8wEQPFLpdmCXURCVZT4gOfYrLc0eV2muLL3z-MRbIV_xG1EROw6myCpeMho89WPzSnxZtr4q69d1sp3W6naW9ew-7ficpPQ7nj9tryK6mL42AA/s3752/IMG_5803.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2814" data-original-width="3752" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7QldPu18hGg8oZFvDw_JqG1B5TqyKaYGXREoqN6jkWVezx48P7FIc2zUA2ddtdtzPWOpmHF6plaoxl8wEQPFLpdmCXURCVZT4gOfYrLc0eV2muLL3z-MRbIV_xG1EROw6myCpeMho89WPzSnxZtr4q69d1sp3W6naW9ew-7ficpPQ7nj9tryK6mL42AA/w640-h480/IMG_5803.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57uWFkvrsKJWwE0jprG9IBm68O3ex-6qSz6l51o59IwrcPyLfs81bt2fdRin6S8sdIVzmsXgjfYxB5oADF9lu02j4ijPWObB4qg9MOPosAoQq8o6Zbtbk8fnlXgYU01kuk1Ohmal_yQ9AzY7idIEegml0Mi8qUAqn9rrZSsWEySJzQRFDkAbgGIDchtTe/s4032/IMG_5804.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57uWFkvrsKJWwE0jprG9IBm68O3ex-6qSz6l51o59IwrcPyLfs81bt2fdRin6S8sdIVzmsXgjfYxB5oADF9lu02j4ijPWObB4qg9MOPosAoQq8o6Zbtbk8fnlXgYU01kuk1Ohmal_yQ9AzY7idIEegml0Mi8qUAqn9rrZSsWEySJzQRFDkAbgGIDchtTe/w640-h480/IMG_5804.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVM-YTW_Cs_mlY6tSrjaz-QOFJB3Ft6WJqqp5utiRhMEFlmwXvcUAmEPhc_qz0MLsfy18HXlMDVf-aLHmkvKiLezl_5XQg0IAQ_YXARLyF1CYeCYhrt4GpW3dobVe1nLEqma2Q-_7DNdq8UY3yDDUICF2gsoW1aWRc5X5fYsK3XKkQaAnB0av5X7JxBt6/s4032/IMG_5805.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVM-YTW_Cs_mlY6tSrjaz-QOFJB3Ft6WJqqp5utiRhMEFlmwXvcUAmEPhc_qz0MLsfy18HXlMDVf-aLHmkvKiLezl_5XQg0IAQ_YXARLyF1CYeCYhrt4GpW3dobVe1nLEqma2Q-_7DNdq8UY3yDDUICF2gsoW1aWRc5X5fYsK3XKkQaAnB0av5X7JxBt6/w480-h640/IMG_5805.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Winery 101 on Main Street was offering free tastings and live music that afternoon so we made it our last stop. Not an actual vineyard per se, but a place to taste some of Arizona's best wines. The music was good and so was the wine but it was time to start back to Phoenix and the end of our fun weekend. (Winery 101 is now permanently closed)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">How about you? Have you been to Sedona? Or the Verde Valley?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-56407973009442909182023-11-06T08:41:00.002-08:002023-11-07T17:27:14.123-08:00Cruising the Hardangarfjord out of Alesund, Norway<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">On our Norwegian fjord cruise on Holland America's Rotterdam, I found the excursions to be quite pricey. So we needed to pick one or two excursions to splurge on and then do some stops on our own.</span> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">When looking at excursions for our stop in Alesund, Norway, Mr. UR had decided that he wanted to go on a fjord excursion. I wasn't as sure as he was. We would be sailing on two fjords during the cruise and I thought that was probably enough. But upon further review I decided that I agreed - we would probably only be taking one Norway fjord cruise, so let's see those world famous fjords.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpvDSH-Z6rMPm4kO5WN8BbTThXithipXJ-KtopnTV8ZPPaYsWsWzY9hcHfR_cQQLFKKohLgHnDR5O-0XLJJriG636fvapV7MCeEu7rWg-sU9GnRdWzYZW1HvaUroGdBmRlRuz_0qqsC9loaTgGeSt7qYRSMwg8G8_nHMMBC0tnNziT5Y4U37enM6wAed2/s4032/IMG_7408.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpvDSH-Z6rMPm4kO5WN8BbTThXithipXJ-KtopnTV8ZPPaYsWsWzY9hcHfR_cQQLFKKohLgHnDR5O-0XLJJriG636fvapV7MCeEu7rWg-sU9GnRdWzYZW1HvaUroGdBmRlRuz_0qqsC9loaTgGeSt7qYRSMwg8G8_nHMMBC0tnNziT5Y4U37enM6wAed2/w640-h480/IMG_7408.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RziY1nwMm1_aVRBK8vgkQwMjvYxpJ3_BqF5HjH6Z46CLEQJSbiDNOf1H4PV38axPPG78twQOJKazo0up1eEGVmi9RXojYcd4yxE_I0ovG5yXK3d8ny1oQORb5bGSMf1tvChmbolAmZ2PIkgDPO2ZWaJuhVzNzgqLxVxYdZ8xkX7Xxlr7TvmyuTi_fFaO/s4032/IMG_7398.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RziY1nwMm1_aVRBK8vgkQwMjvYxpJ3_BqF5HjH6Z46CLEQJSbiDNOf1H4PV38axPPG78twQOJKazo0up1eEGVmi9RXojYcd4yxE_I0ovG5yXK3d8ny1oQORb5bGSMf1tvChmbolAmZ2PIkgDPO2ZWaJuhVzNzgqLxVxYdZ8xkX7Xxlr7TvmyuTi_fFaO/w640-h480/IMG_7398.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrVt8s_gdw2BkoXP3CxCbO596xZhD5NaY9_EcWEQk3nLTjQ8s_jqr_DrEVLK3s5_lWJHWUi7SqiErkkoIlOzM1NekjBPFaoW5_bIz8zwNcuXDlIFqVkkr6GuY8iIa9JgRghNfxhjGkCvmDNGualpIca0hpnMUu3KAJbxJ1ngJC2kliMvofbmiCSYl-WB5/s2519/IMG_7374.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1889" data-original-width="2519" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrVt8s_gdw2BkoXP3CxCbO596xZhD5NaY9_EcWEQk3nLTjQ8s_jqr_DrEVLK3s5_lWJHWUi7SqiErkkoIlOzM1NekjBPFaoW5_bIz8zwNcuXDlIFqVkkr6GuY8iIa9JgRghNfxhjGkCvmDNGualpIca0hpnMUu3KAJbxJ1ngJC2kliMvofbmiCSYl-WB5/w640-h480/IMG_7374.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: left;">On the morning of our excursion we walked to the pier next to our cruise ship and boarded a sightseeing boat that would take us on a leisurely cruise down the Hardangerfjord, from Alesund to Oye. Hardangerfjord is the neighbor fjord to the famous Geraingerfjord (which we would be visiting the next day) The day was misty, gray, overcast and the boat was filled to capacity. We managed to find a seat on the outside deck right before we took off. </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">There was a snack bar on board, restrooms and a narrator/historian who would give commentary on what we were seeing. </span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43N8af5_AKrx2cMo5QgF57YuXtcO2USu_a2PnqqEQCLDbph6ihQZH7wsPRi3LXOPZStQNTnDXsWtzGG2d3Sn_MzzmZOd-Z82HRYbvqub2q0BCacuKiYo_ut_vQImVHlvd_WfzgjcUwVj_Yr6fyhGP_tPy_9LDKePGHAezYALqUHQ9u9Di6FmDC_WXmWxa/s4032/IMG_7365.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43N8af5_AKrx2cMo5QgF57YuXtcO2USu_a2PnqqEQCLDbph6ihQZH7wsPRi3LXOPZStQNTnDXsWtzGG2d3Sn_MzzmZOd-Z82HRYbvqub2q0BCacuKiYo_ut_vQImVHlvd_WfzgjcUwVj_Yr6fyhGP_tPy_9LDKePGHAezYALqUHQ9u9Di6FmDC_WXmWxa/w480-h640/IMG_7365.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJCqdj8rZ9TG34a78wrn-S0Loa_IVZ3_i9DOduw-w-XrMLY7JHWiCgJEmIEdYV7E9MKxAZOqFomtgANJvNUvU8S5XL9GkMoJOJ2VQ2x1bCnEtU4aNYYYDdhwZFsiz6bZBTyO-BTapWF25CHXztS9-Kkg8LwxU7Vgu1q7hYyPuPk422lRn0kis6Kb2CLIr/s4032/IMG_7367.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJCqdj8rZ9TG34a78wrn-S0Loa_IVZ3_i9DOduw-w-XrMLY7JHWiCgJEmIEdYV7E9MKxAZOqFomtgANJvNUvU8S5XL9GkMoJOJ2VQ2x1bCnEtU4aNYYYDdhwZFsiz6bZBTyO-BTapWF25CHXztS9-Kkg8LwxU7Vgu1q7hYyPuPk422lRn0kis6Kb2CLIr/w640-h480/IMG_7367.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFcCSRH7ByvrOv5GjlR4SwkUzbicMwq3zNEraEwjTWuZfvZRSAtQMma44E76ou4lAJa9thOh3RkCt368tORrqe9SNkPDiotOzYwdZ_oVUhGjmYLUthZLhsXzC2NfK9xSxxQ9h-wC7LTgnxj4k6Rj6EHoNT4rhHPnSr8BFFWtgejv4SMI5h871TT6esAn6/s3761/IMG_7369.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3761" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFcCSRH7ByvrOv5GjlR4SwkUzbicMwq3zNEraEwjTWuZfvZRSAtQMma44E76ou4lAJa9thOh3RkCt368tORrqe9SNkPDiotOzYwdZ_oVUhGjmYLUthZLhsXzC2NfK9xSxxQ9h-wC7LTgnxj4k6Rj6EHoNT4rhHPnSr8BFFWtgejv4SMI5h871TT6esAn6/w640-h510/IMG_7369.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-LYdRh522JmQH0Kxsp9bdGZYAC7bvl3SJ1keBywYf-6HP2Jf820-OHY7N_C_nHciqJHLcBHVhMUyO8FLNHcfm3OFmYWmbcxKBhgJH_by0Ata3Gkr6foq4lqQeDze32XGOgPmncmayr6NzIjNRMeTtcaJtlzOvm0mqMOQ53X9uVCdw88WGUlGV6px-WHH/s4032/IMG_7370.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-LYdRh522JmQH0Kxsp9bdGZYAC7bvl3SJ1keBywYf-6HP2Jf820-OHY7N_C_nHciqJHLcBHVhMUyO8FLNHcfm3OFmYWmbcxKBhgJH_by0Ata3Gkr6foq4lqQeDze32XGOgPmncmayr6NzIjNRMeTtcaJtlzOvm0mqMOQ53X9uVCdw88WGUlGV6px-WHH/w640-h480/IMG_7370.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7rWtPhUXDY8F2H93z5gFV6aqdm8kclPXuU3s6bQZqkPP49a7_vflNS-RoOS0MtpV1avIc05RRn7PlKBnlBU7fSbNbSHdtP90mT5Kg2HMf8EttR99tKN34o6acvwY6WO6fOH_ovao0KCXqKPHjwjvtfh6vV5sEpLxfS9Wg1QzkLilnmGsmEanHHltczFP/s4032/IMG_7372.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7rWtPhUXDY8F2H93z5gFV6aqdm8kclPXuU3s6bQZqkPP49a7_vflNS-RoOS0MtpV1avIc05RRn7PlKBnlBU7fSbNbSHdtP90mT5Kg2HMf8EttR99tKN34o6acvwY6WO6fOH_ovao0KCXqKPHjwjvtfh6vV5sEpLxfS9Wg1QzkLilnmGsmEanHHltczFP/w640-h480/IMG_7372.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJuW-DNvN780dMHV9PeGjyZf7w2HyYGFniw_uj1i5Gb2XW79wqGltaI38_CqS1jE7D5B6RFc2-XQRZJ_9acdRAb7oyFTvbDfn8U55ogllGrxBddCPAExI18BtEb2RotaXP1cyqrjOFStC5Cr_WuJ5JVbe52cYdAqfR5RRTS2OeLNLSJN6fLYGuv4yZiFcn/s4032/IMG_7373.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJuW-DNvN780dMHV9PeGjyZf7w2HyYGFniw_uj1i5Gb2XW79wqGltaI38_CqS1jE7D5B6RFc2-XQRZJ_9acdRAb7oyFTvbDfn8U55ogllGrxBddCPAExI18BtEb2RotaXP1cyqrjOFStC5Cr_WuJ5JVbe52cYdAqfR5RRTS2OeLNLSJN6fLYGuv4yZiFcn/w640-h480/IMG_7373.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj95ITPjzOvLIZE4v6odERdM9y-IHqftTj_WIBkyp6ZciiUlI-jBxRPttBNdhny6DlpMXkajh9sEjWAKD0_crEkhTxtax1LpFuOgJlhXbAh2tT_4FNH_4h0q02qnUZgrU5BNTSHY65BVlljwL17FVU3NNKQ-NBpdNl_0XUBaKrSnxr59sM7PaN5Cq0-SdU/s4032/IMG_7468.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj95ITPjzOvLIZE4v6odERdM9y-IHqftTj_WIBkyp6ZciiUlI-jBxRPttBNdhny6DlpMXkajh9sEjWAKD0_crEkhTxtax1LpFuOgJlhXbAh2tT_4FNH_4h0q02qnUZgrU5BNTSHY65BVlljwL17FVU3NNKQ-NBpdNl_0XUBaKrSnxr59sM7PaN5Cq0-SdU/w640-h480/IMG_7468.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaedsX670lFMEAl8fNM5y61R3vqvC_SaP-DoFvtPz44Gw530ZINPybMIWNOHOtQgeOJVxpk5qRvfLGnFqqBruRJWwJUXPsBSSBS07VZT3-dB6NdWMpZns7J7lTclXXsL8ZBA7Rp66xwq46jFnn4c53mu9vWaMuPyY8VQByMd5BjNoR1arVKxNddLn72fJ6/s4032/IMG_7385.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaedsX670lFMEAl8fNM5y61R3vqvC_SaP-DoFvtPz44Gw530ZINPybMIWNOHOtQgeOJVxpk5qRvfLGnFqqBruRJWwJUXPsBSSBS07VZT3-dB6NdWMpZns7J7lTclXXsL8ZBA7Rp66xwq46jFnn4c53mu9vWaMuPyY8VQByMd5BjNoR1arVKxNddLn72fJ6/w640-h480/IMG_7385.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">At this point, I wasn't sure if the whole thing was such a good idea. The rain started coming down and the fog was obscuring the views. But the narrator was an excellent touch - he gave commentary on some of the customs of people who live on the fjords or have a boat house here. It wasn't long until we started seeing the scenery that I had pictured before my visit to Norway. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8w4706LnH_z2otmq150LGubatPDqPzbr5iGhxDIEOqTcW1wB3vjd5nrShVD-wl3YLAqE63qKdL1QdfhRWBUlKNNYY3NMVQE2PQb9eBSY8W8lwk2qSlnXmsHkB0iVyslbsUESzh0foPeiuKfSplGb3Nb6bIJFtwNzAoUmBAQB8OaK1natA8VYkO7d6C3V/s4032/IMG_7376.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8w4706LnH_z2otmq150LGubatPDqPzbr5iGhxDIEOqTcW1wB3vjd5nrShVD-wl3YLAqE63qKdL1QdfhRWBUlKNNYY3NMVQE2PQb9eBSY8W8lwk2qSlnXmsHkB0iVyslbsUESzh0foPeiuKfSplGb3Nb6bIJFtwNzAoUmBAQB8OaK1natA8VYkO7d6C3V/w640-h480/IMG_7376.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LCSeIr9xv4gHFrwOrDDR-1lUGQv-jv3Inr8qqdDI2sCzZPsoiBcIN7SnVBuU50memRlEYgiAzv1tsWsWJHdwXl2a0LNzX3ASzZiNB4d2TfFNZKZQ9FtyKAfj2ArQeNArQsQbMVtL1C8n7DZOnFtlicLcgrU_EGXe9Iagq3Gnm2x7uVB12EgKdS8pBIhf/s4032/IMG_7378.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LCSeIr9xv4gHFrwOrDDR-1lUGQv-jv3Inr8qqdDI2sCzZPsoiBcIN7SnVBuU50memRlEYgiAzv1tsWsWJHdwXl2a0LNzX3ASzZiNB4d2TfFNZKZQ9FtyKAfj2ArQeNArQsQbMVtL1C8n7DZOnFtlicLcgrU_EGXe9Iagq3Gnm2x7uVB12EgKdS8pBIhf/w640-h480/IMG_7378.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8uSN19uIR4OuZKCvPNpow0Ie5-wACVB6z1-PTnAFZc2-zBj0bsLvkk0GOGAtIASBPAr0Loo-VrZ9lGcseBqtdCXQUETWpyZkseFDuFyBdhrjrU_MDdbMilDoluT01g9Z0LZxoAfk0_t9pDeiqpVw-vlOZhUhEjI7pUSIoAKd8kVHCDR6fir_qJibIUMA/s4032/IMG_7380.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8uSN19uIR4OuZKCvPNpow0Ie5-wACVB6z1-PTnAFZc2-zBj0bsLvkk0GOGAtIASBPAr0Loo-VrZ9lGcseBqtdCXQUETWpyZkseFDuFyBdhrjrU_MDdbMilDoluT01g9Z0LZxoAfk0_t9pDeiqpVw-vlOZhUhEjI7pUSIoAKd8kVHCDR6fir_qJibIUMA/w640-h480/IMG_7380.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawN3zd_E2FqZmFLbNk7Sz4FSiUlPZLpr-w3ne7hcMO0QCd05Kg5LxCpETUHbEdcFp99DxMHgmIpBEMLlQuhqk-jDRaBaG9-1W3XOogz9PpKpF9Y988422BjNtHo_AlZGYbcEKRtAoRiCmmzW4kiurXHHcZWirUd0WH0zehI02kxpX1JfNo0LU9hjlp_IU/s4032/IMG_7381.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawN3zd_E2FqZmFLbNk7Sz4FSiUlPZLpr-w3ne7hcMO0QCd05Kg5LxCpETUHbEdcFp99DxMHgmIpBEMLlQuhqk-jDRaBaG9-1W3XOogz9PpKpF9Y988422BjNtHo_AlZGYbcEKRtAoRiCmmzW4kiurXHHcZWirUd0WH0zehI02kxpX1JfNo0LU9hjlp_IU/w640-h480/IMG_7381.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQoFw7zgmK9uDXb4aKkTu3Rv7HJI-4sgAi3wzJHlmEQ0jODO2sLK0BHRowK_6V6QSjLdk5LtW1k2bSyKThO7S2mrwfOt2XGmYaKaYuuCfoeLxA11ms1g7RJ1lB78t0vsNnbg2dl21SqNdLKStp_UyTE0S4parBMkIcfGpLlZj1YH8N8qunqJKzR2vgohh/s4032/IMG_7382.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQoFw7zgmK9uDXb4aKkTu3Rv7HJI-4sgAi3wzJHlmEQ0jODO2sLK0BHRowK_6V6QSjLdk5LtW1k2bSyKThO7S2mrwfOt2XGmYaKaYuuCfoeLxA11ms1g7RJ1lB78t0vsNnbg2dl21SqNdLKStp_UyTE0S4parBMkIcfGpLlZj1YH8N8qunqJKzR2vgohh/w640-h480/IMG_7382.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our guide told us the boat house owners hold a big party every September when they pull the pots up</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">And all of a sudden we were deep into the fjord. It managed to stop raining enough that we could go out on the open air deck and take in the views. Then it seemed like a good idea. And a very enjoyable one at that. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwJpDPulzgpjeKdnVa6C69OmjGD99vEEUwAxF1fTl06d-eGQi9Y4WsgtHO_yFYZ9Znsuig8Lqj2Lld6EIYg6liDfNt2kEOIWYAEz_6f56LtWsnwaTZDYDJ5nK4g6uXavCsuzgJefNJtIfKHkw3hoVMflgVs0flmDJLnUbq1WTxt-wsXDgzTBZaD0cd3H-/s4032/IMG_7388.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwJpDPulzgpjeKdnVa6C69OmjGD99vEEUwAxF1fTl06d-eGQi9Y4WsgtHO_yFYZ9Znsuig8Lqj2Lld6EIYg6liDfNt2kEOIWYAEz_6f56LtWsnwaTZDYDJ5nK4g6uXavCsuzgJefNJtIfKHkw3hoVMflgVs0flmDJLnUbq1WTxt-wsXDgzTBZaD0cd3H-/w640-h480/IMG_7388.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3sRYUllM8xS4rozJaKRfeya7prasxPlMpY4qobJP4LAfIbcVnMtfko_jGp78b_bBtDlmXmpHJJ_fz2EgTAkK6uhUX6m0qksKA43WtHD-Gny1SqG86uHC2BllV65rphqBo4ThIO6uHGHLXdle_on3xOWLrGTqtTPZQsReCfuno9UphenvqhdgxNuy_vzsX/s4032/IMG_7389.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3sRYUllM8xS4rozJaKRfeya7prasxPlMpY4qobJP4LAfIbcVnMtfko_jGp78b_bBtDlmXmpHJJ_fz2EgTAkK6uhUX6m0qksKA43WtHD-Gny1SqG86uHC2BllV65rphqBo4ThIO6uHGHLXdle_on3xOWLrGTqtTPZQsReCfuno9UphenvqhdgxNuy_vzsX/w640-h480/IMG_7389.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The clouds and rain made for moody photos</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzkPXwo-cJWVLDczCaWcWr18x2oKmC5Cy-xrJDDfJuEsnLqZIzXSdu1uqdhFTR3Z7syyrWL5p3VWISpaNmYYlwTNUHckfheYegbzoPn4j37U0Cz18X5vw8dx1Ydt25gnHZ-RPnAv7Hws-yC0Bplz8ktrz8wzOPcGj4FsvYt5f9S4L53m7ug0M_OYl9Ihk/s4032/IMG_7390.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzkPXwo-cJWVLDczCaWcWr18x2oKmC5Cy-xrJDDfJuEsnLqZIzXSdu1uqdhFTR3Z7syyrWL5p3VWISpaNmYYlwTNUHckfheYegbzoPn4j37U0Cz18X5vw8dx1Ydt25gnHZ-RPnAv7Hws-yC0Bplz8ktrz8wzOPcGj4FsvYt5f9S4L53m7ug0M_OYl9Ihk/w640-h480/IMG_7390.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3y3RrGewcn0nqzR4qXtIJb371hnetfgM1tY953z2r1hlLXSE7sKHWHNFs42W0P_jAlgop7fVQAceM3jX1PsgNdkZVlOmKtAXXAd8Vj_uV_-H7gN8ep7mDr7t7zzAGCA8WY-K5tkPb4i7AvEhg_XcgGGcHHvUSygqbKwy7PqTFXsrecKhZH3qINnlCfGD/s4032/IMG_7391.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3y3RrGewcn0nqzR4qXtIJb371hnetfgM1tY953z2r1hlLXSE7sKHWHNFs42W0P_jAlgop7fVQAceM3jX1PsgNdkZVlOmKtAXXAd8Vj_uV_-H7gN8ep7mDr7t7zzAGCA8WY-K5tkPb4i7AvEhg_XcgGGcHHvUSygqbKwy7PqTFXsrecKhZH3qINnlCfGD/w640-h480/IMG_7391.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAEPfG1Id-my2mKbj9kUB08zqL5l7G1LXyCCaySV8yQdL6DstEQPtk9ga9p8p5sHmSKqlXA7fw46xme00jXaFFdSrDE-6CVfRCdprtfD9KnMpkRfnsCn1vNiiQe_x__jpP9xICXa4i11FLkjlbJmjbdVcdjf76NTEuXvyTpetQZKMYHE763tyCDXb4PrZ/s4032/IMG_7393.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAEPfG1Id-my2mKbj9kUB08zqL5l7G1LXyCCaySV8yQdL6DstEQPtk9ga9p8p5sHmSKqlXA7fw46xme00jXaFFdSrDE-6CVfRCdprtfD9KnMpkRfnsCn1vNiiQe_x__jpP9xICXa4i11FLkjlbJmjbdVcdjf76NTEuXvyTpetQZKMYHE763tyCDXb4PrZ/w640-h480/IMG_7393.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkAkEcY17WMlTh1JqurzTtFRIVOq8rC7XFQV-g8o0AjRUZeiq_HnZj0t3vWnrz1dCIwr5gWfhMfVW4c8Tv2g91s8a3x6ZjwFvo7Q2EQ9c8zC5bMVPA47xQOmJKKes3_QbtvgiKhTD59EJ7j3XaaOtS_sIa2Ubx6fqEPztVKej9yz5b1Zer6qPcqcEvMDx/s3873/IMG_7402.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3873" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkAkEcY17WMlTh1JqurzTtFRIVOq8rC7XFQV-g8o0AjRUZeiq_HnZj0t3vWnrz1dCIwr5gWfhMfVW4c8Tv2g91s8a3x6ZjwFvo7Q2EQ9c8zC5bMVPA47xQOmJKKes3_QbtvgiKhTD59EJ7j3XaaOtS_sIa2Ubx6fqEPztVKej9yz5b1Zer6qPcqcEvMDx/w640-h500/IMG_7402.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0evnwsYUDYxSVovthlHzbMXwC-N_RWZpRbFA-RBW15ZKjTAuBD5OaWpeWpy_C3xhcohunx5oidkbvbnTNutrF86dr4CqBHei7Ee4oU-X9LGu5810V8YFl-9Ine_kY5eyJBMGZtnMIQ9tFw7YaqEAgeXWL6pFwknIQtSmR5760ZQKdNnOZEQT6wzqRyBPP/w640-h480/IMG_7407.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZ0DWqIFHiw9ndg3rvJZblkBUa2qQ4J7vB9BH4QsIEKc_DGWBS7ExCOC5dYulbIMh-1NXf3S2HSZYdax3UveYNZbg_a-JuvCrCzR9TFZ2lEEap5rIuZy7nl7XwPdiZ9uFDS-wFvk6oEPtn9weTKP-eVY5st_34ErpfvsRqWnnwuUE2Anz16fWgxfTNGXT/s3825/IMG_7409.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3825" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZ0DWqIFHiw9ndg3rvJZblkBUa2qQ4J7vB9BH4QsIEKc_DGWBS7ExCOC5dYulbIMh-1NXf3S2HSZYdax3UveYNZbg_a-JuvCrCzR9TFZ2lEEap5rIuZy7nl7XwPdiZ9uFDS-wFvk6oEPtn9weTKP-eVY5st_34ErpfvsRqWnnwuUE2Anz16fWgxfTNGXT/w506-h640/IMG_7409.jpeg" width="506" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwp0Y0syYoA9oXyvKAxlLpRXZQWiIPvY5FxWHAoqJTULZdrhKUhQvF3QvU-JAOxK4wNoAXrbsAQFmM1JRJYPRmZZPjSlVVuzgU3rocArp7GXeE3oy4KBXcLgxrogqTJX5B8jI23_rGnpS9R3shoQwHvRax6gTVjjsn3NJ5ZmYjtNetnUPEN0WmMTmzu87y/s4032/IMG_7416.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwp0Y0syYoA9oXyvKAxlLpRXZQWiIPvY5FxWHAoqJTULZdrhKUhQvF3QvU-JAOxK4wNoAXrbsAQFmM1JRJYPRmZZPjSlVVuzgU3rocArp7GXeE3oy4KBXcLgxrogqTJX5B8jI23_rGnpS9R3shoQwHvRax6gTVjjsn3NJ5ZmYjtNetnUPEN0WmMTmzu87y/w480-h640/IMG_7416.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: xx-large;"> Hardangarfjord is 20 miles long and some of the mountain peaks rise up to 5000 feet. The fjord splits the Sunnmore Alps in two with small villages along both sides of the fjord, some without any road connection.When traveling on the fjord one can really feel small under such towering peaks!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoXcJ6GY22MMN9_IyXK9sWFBVNdgTABMyQ8fniGmsAJsGIJWcoTwG5P3QjRy_5ABRdrND6IgHCM3VUTOl0oPh9y75kjkNlNf1RTWzuBqbWSIyYJb1cd29ziA2sK7Ip3_Aq2hgIOP47OvivEV7kh5jUz6PqauPiSSogor9f66EnFRcpiR6S_57mV-vS2Is/s4032/IMG_7418.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoXcJ6GY22MMN9_IyXK9sWFBVNdgTABMyQ8fniGmsAJsGIJWcoTwG5P3QjRy_5ABRdrND6IgHCM3VUTOl0oPh9y75kjkNlNf1RTWzuBqbWSIyYJb1cd29ziA2sK7Ip3_Aq2hgIOP47OvivEV7kh5jUz6PqauPiSSogor9f66EnFRcpiR6S_57mV-vS2Is/w640-h480/IMG_7418.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVNkgFg_RV2myjGxmjFlJpUaqMU0XYaNvLewZZOHnjx_QONpt8K7CFU4dTjOyH6iy2B-GTfGWtn0L6Hg8OZmWkalHgJYv47zbk8d3Fgw_xpNarqImGZB9kChyfafgiZohfI_6WxWrlsxbDz9rZbjG-Po7mTpg2rUYw1UgBwraj0Nm9lrODvCfsOdATKQm/w640-h480/IMG_7420.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCN4BkG4b2BHAIMDZRumDj9MIqPfKd8OINgbBQpLWv3_xw3PErD9FZ0cIVxX6FcEDFcm4EkADFy67RNNkydFgvCLk3pIE0QU1AwM4AjkUyt-jtWdHEXFNsNVZ_oCsIsJk-YalY8qqPzGPmy-R2jzjuf7yhkUm7A184XVabjWpGjb2PLc5kqqZMJZpVtRw8/s4032/IMG_7421.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCN4BkG4b2BHAIMDZRumDj9MIqPfKd8OINgbBQpLWv3_xw3PErD9FZ0cIVxX6FcEDFcm4EkADFy67RNNkydFgvCLk3pIE0QU1AwM4AjkUyt-jtWdHEXFNsNVZ_oCsIsJk-YalY8qqPzGPmy-R2jzjuf7yhkUm7A184XVabjWpGjb2PLc5kqqZMJZpVtRw8/w640-h480/IMG_7421.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUy4818gwfOEWHafSp4flPAokWQVtookpyAMp9tvf6v-EaY_cqbr5aTcmFi0D6_dTTvkl1ti1u3oHgcaNistQSJ3u4uL8g87XhT-xvDN0EL4RbwNW1hdzORmIyeC8FVDzQ9n1c5qJU_xdh0UzYD-_DD4Vxhh9GtmK4hgAljqk1k2bHSAD9b33aCmMPxiK/s4032/IMG_7422.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUy4818gwfOEWHafSp4flPAokWQVtookpyAMp9tvf6v-EaY_cqbr5aTcmFi0D6_dTTvkl1ti1u3oHgcaNistQSJ3u4uL8g87XhT-xvDN0EL4RbwNW1hdzORmIyeC8FVDzQ9n1c5qJU_xdh0UzYD-_DD4Vxhh9GtmK4hgAljqk1k2bHSAD9b33aCmMPxiK/w640-h480/IMG_7422.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCR9-ff1rjucjlxw_vTqdHlYgS7i6TRR93simoLlyQO8ui9ZuLhTL4yp49G6lrkGkbM_KeU2kNGZ7VLY1c4ywi5QRWPoxfyYrpKegeuwBsYsqEB6XNchUubAakJGsmYZlKqLEX0x9sn38bjUniNlNJWiYtGmWnz_XcGn_Qpp-7UCt2KldkvGUGkCPi3auk/s4032/IMG_7432.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCR9-ff1rjucjlxw_vTqdHlYgS7i6TRR93simoLlyQO8ui9ZuLhTL4yp49G6lrkGkbM_KeU2kNGZ7VLY1c4ywi5QRWPoxfyYrpKegeuwBsYsqEB6XNchUubAakJGsmYZlKqLEX0x9sn38bjUniNlNJWiYtGmWnz_XcGn_Qpp-7UCt2KldkvGUGkCPi3auk/w480-h640/IMG_7432.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqKsfmVO7e8pX_rpeKrzdrDckOB8fWjEUsKz_0P8pxsnXDEeYrU3E5Wi7qDRX7FrdqM9tJGaVPzBmoIT5ml3q9RGARweSDR4h-qZAsm0BLUti75OZ_dhrdUaERAYgkBiGOkohnm6rzwU3KZ0Pe_v5NXEEtdhwx9arMbQsJB92R3ICbYSuJOlYqcgx7Xin/s4032/IMG_7453.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqKsfmVO7e8pX_rpeKrzdrDckOB8fWjEUsKz_0P8pxsnXDEeYrU3E5Wi7qDRX7FrdqM9tJGaVPzBmoIT5ml3q9RGARweSDR4h-qZAsm0BLUti75OZ_dhrdUaERAYgkBiGOkohnm6rzwU3KZ0Pe_v5NXEEtdhwx9arMbQsJB92R3ICbYSuJOlYqcgx7Xin/w480-h640/IMG_7453.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Our trip narrator told us some folk tales from the fjords - and this one in particular. Legend has it that the peaks of the mountains are trolls turned to stone. Today you may have a glimpse of the trolls faces among the rock peaks. (There are more than 200 places, mountains or areas in Norway that start with the word Troll) </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikgg_3lwfWO-9yh6Fy2limppOqjN5DckfS0JgbCfuE4sU8wgznQyqM4Ywf51j6AhzjJFmOoByJoUX5yHjvE6EdcgzGkJm4AooBOPdROMem939zHftnphNf5hIqDSmu6EP7kj9vp0-Bc4bEsBRJRtonq1cqv5hr5YnbRaN6CaFtrxOLSfDz38dagGkTCIYg/s4032/IMG_7450.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikgg_3lwfWO-9yh6Fy2limppOqjN5DckfS0JgbCfuE4sU8wgznQyqM4Ywf51j6AhzjJFmOoByJoUX5yHjvE6EdcgzGkJm4AooBOPdROMem939zHftnphNf5hIqDSmu6EP7kj9vp0-Bc4bEsBRJRtonq1cqv5hr5YnbRaN6CaFtrxOLSfDz38dagGkTCIYg/w480-h640/IMG_7450.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you see the Troll's face in the rock?</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGakXg3qh9LcKg_L81MI3KY-J1WgYn1bY6S4_bdDtY0Z7-xLjfZ2UPZCtW2AA2T_uESl_wHpG8NG9-v2NMXal72NFAXKxou2FDrLUeXq0rajU1GvYFva6X1Ro0Rr_ngNYD2suesANUYdP74p_3SkxV8UKWJ1ELB_x2JfnyCai5bXaQQovuMuv7mfetbx9/s4032/IMG_7424.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGakXg3qh9LcKg_L81MI3KY-J1WgYn1bY6S4_bdDtY0Z7-xLjfZ2UPZCtW2AA2T_uESl_wHpG8NG9-v2NMXal72NFAXKxou2FDrLUeXq0rajU1GvYFva6X1Ro0Rr_ngNYD2suesANUYdP74p_3SkxV8UKWJ1ELB_x2JfnyCai5bXaQQovuMuv7mfetbx9/w640-h480/IMG_7424.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqu3zeHhDhoJ0bRsyHEoWAsD0WkOAHvn3_ahfQTHsZAN3xcu2lTYewmksQUY5nvMRJ6i2cy-qaKCRpL8BhCUEZrtPMxvpAvn_oMBB-qT95pq2VS_IoLzC9McxBOPC4uO7aADqp7sX97nb2b2dKeLAbX704qW0QLBJEHxzNpNfHP1s-rax0awtfB4ueKDgW/s7084/IMG_7427.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="7084" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqu3zeHhDhoJ0bRsyHEoWAsD0WkOAHvn3_ahfQTHsZAN3xcu2lTYewmksQUY5nvMRJ6i2cy-qaKCRpL8BhCUEZrtPMxvpAvn_oMBB-qT95pq2VS_IoLzC9McxBOPC4uO7aADqp7sX97nb2b2dKeLAbX704qW0QLBJEHxzNpNfHP1s-rax0awtfB4ueKDgW/w640-h332/IMG_7427.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSIZsyT6cVBZB1ZKZ6efG1s628AVxTk437XfFuYC1MwwSUNvgvuQ35roNll-JMasx36FFinpgEqYtkpnF2PYeKhrM3AXqLTB5hn_WBYSd93KFKgXtffRMacphSiSLMPokTUtuuU11lnC0pu-57_q7DyJ5R5JizQW5ZeMlOqvjgyF1mQU3uZs14o3jLgE5/s4032/IMG_7439.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSIZsyT6cVBZB1ZKZ6efG1s628AVxTk437XfFuYC1MwwSUNvgvuQ35roNll-JMasx36FFinpgEqYtkpnF2PYeKhrM3AXqLTB5hn_WBYSd93KFKgXtffRMacphSiSLMPokTUtuuU11lnC0pu-57_q7DyJ5R5JizQW5ZeMlOqvjgyF1mQU3uZs14o3jLgE5/w480-h640/IMG_7439.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBuqfWtnx-rfTqBYiIEuwJQ0MSuabp5OFNIm5HRalZNBbZumHxBha0XfjvvYRC1Lp5HYUhMRqVrtNVo4e7a5Ag_Idjwpd-lo12FXyloyoVtOJt24MoB38mvzrN_r3rDbAzveqi6TZhc8KIRP0OmXFB1uqbMEjoRdvYw5_ItIYY74k7SXewszMPARG7dcqz/s4032/IMG_7458.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBuqfWtnx-rfTqBYiIEuwJQ0MSuabp5OFNIm5HRalZNBbZumHxBha0XfjvvYRC1Lp5HYUhMRqVrtNVo4e7a5Ag_Idjwpd-lo12FXyloyoVtOJt24MoB38mvzrN_r3rDbAzveqi6TZhc8KIRP0OmXFB1uqbMEjoRdvYw5_ItIYY74k7SXewszMPARG7dcqz/w640-h480/IMG_7458.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">It turned out to be such a fantastic excursion. Despite the weather, I truly enjoyed a magical time on a sightseeing boat cruising down a lesser known Norwegian fjord. I'm really glad that Mr. UR talked me into going. And I'd love to go back someday and see the fjord in all its glory in the sunshine!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj4xWcIkF1K3wc_ZHoqIrQhFVW0PqrAo6FZBjCCMHoHJPpIy1idOv8n6LexY_t7EDpC0FRIGfsieUJKPHICWl8gWPy9K7dVkcilNKcXdfW2c8IMUIv7Q6SGVoM8-er_pvSWZczlfV79qnngUroTejMkfw3wFc_As3Q-tMIKV2mOTtQxdYDp2azeXmNLsIC/s4032/IMG_7454.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj4xWcIkF1K3wc_ZHoqIrQhFVW0PqrAo6FZBjCCMHoHJPpIy1idOv8n6LexY_t7EDpC0FRIGfsieUJKPHICWl8gWPy9K7dVkcilNKcXdfW2c8IMUIv7Q6SGVoM8-er_pvSWZczlfV79qnngUroTejMkfw3wFc_As3Q-tMIKV2mOTtQxdYDp2azeXmNLsIC/w640-h480/IMG_7454.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkBAKBpVWSc9pHffosvUu-tKhKrn1ApErcjuW6SOIIWd8Jm4dBLnq9PjXs1dEXfb0IxkZhT0Hq_K4fInzFy8SB-GJiL9SIzP7ec8QbzzuCM61m3MhmxJlvkI4d7A90ZZE4XZci5X0BJDbWujvxiAs6sbEQz4tpV35lsKMXwk5V1R4wMHiC1x3OMuX8brQ/s4032/IMG_7459.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkBAKBpVWSc9pHffosvUu-tKhKrn1ApErcjuW6SOIIWd8Jm4dBLnq9PjXs1dEXfb0IxkZhT0Hq_K4fInzFy8SB-GJiL9SIzP7ec8QbzzuCM61m3MhmxJlvkI4d7A90ZZE4XZci5X0BJDbWujvxiAs6sbEQz4tpV35lsKMXwk5V1R4wMHiC1x3OMuX8brQ/w640-h480/IMG_7459.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxgtVrowxY9dQWtNimdtyB7dQlJ97XkvNhtD9DlTWl0T2RTAIjtL19dXQA2kHvtKizIrZ59iU1coP6EK5lLTHgDSFpSjwMeI_7kRf4NyzLtZzXszQO9kjTzt0UgXm1yoAAdtxu-Nz-Dl2WxTQMCoYsUZHyn1oVFqGaqeqduMinZHc_mMk4SEDoJ1omvYr/s4032/IMG_7460.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxgtVrowxY9dQWtNimdtyB7dQlJ97XkvNhtD9DlTWl0T2RTAIjtL19dXQA2kHvtKizIrZ59iU1coP6EK5lLTHgDSFpSjwMeI_7kRf4NyzLtZzXszQO9kjTzt0UgXm1yoAAdtxu-Nz-Dl2WxTQMCoYsUZHyn1oVFqGaqeqduMinZHc_mMk4SEDoJ1omvYr/w640-h480/IMG_7460.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Hk1Sj8ObtbZxgAfSGeRrcUmcKVSpEfVarGesGUEb9yZ8rbzXXRRjmNarI79Vm2fvzP7G0_ypOcYUYM5gse8Fv3d0uC2gXv0JXKZBg9isNGlpMfYC0R3tZa7IvQnpCP0K23jpypHTgfZFV_OVeukh9739lapRjEEvbC5FmDF3UXV1MzXuO9LDZ9HJcrQg/s4032/IMG_7456.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Hk1Sj8ObtbZxgAfSGeRrcUmcKVSpEfVarGesGUEb9yZ8rbzXXRRjmNarI79Vm2fvzP7G0_ypOcYUYM5gse8Fv3d0uC2gXv0JXKZBg9isNGlpMfYC0R3tZa7IvQnpCP0K23jpypHTgfZFV_OVeukh9739lapRjEEvbC5FmDF3UXV1MzXuO9LDZ9HJcrQg/w480-h640/IMG_7456.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4W-ka0-D3uuvWNkJrC1EHS59vGlLZDw7hGxd-7blZX96nKO6onQZBHvv5lW6rWy9z1S1isWWrn7K_qv44Ywr-hI_iT06XGlPCWSr2FPIodkQLshIYJpVeOtsQfuz9RRQmJ_JK_oiqq9RazgjajsEW10ZlJ0QNxgtn5j_tTPkrON8-lh0FoDDva3kWFiDc/s4032/IMG_7445.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4W-ka0-D3uuvWNkJrC1EHS59vGlLZDw7hGxd-7blZX96nKO6onQZBHvv5lW6rWy9z1S1isWWrn7K_qv44Ywr-hI_iT06XGlPCWSr2FPIodkQLshIYJpVeOtsQfuz9RRQmJ_JK_oiqq9RazgjajsEW10ZlJ0QNxgtn5j_tTPkrON8-lh0FoDDva3kWFiDc/w480-h640/IMG_7445.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">How about you? Have you cruised a Norwegian fjord before?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCs6u4ZvCOwXeoh5SePiPtCKZJj_GzKN4rvlegvdtfdMcfmbwg_9-EGvainf0NDySjwKxY-K7YqvVtTD14U8gUUPEbzUk-dghpRWjOYCcxAgt0Fc-vRLiGXE0qtt1hfWxGEWM0TS1yD7-_zK40O8DrhQmjzdEAg1d66RHRGxOnRVj0aLmHr03fM51-L32/s200/mcotw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCs6u4ZvCOwXeoh5SePiPtCKZJj_GzKN4rvlegvdtfdMcfmbwg_9-EGvainf0NDySjwKxY-K7YqvVtTD14U8gUUPEbzUk-dghpRWjOYCcxAgt0Fc-vRLiGXE0qtt1hfWxGEWM0TS1yD7-_zK40O8DrhQmjzdEAg1d66RHRGxOnRVj0aLmHr03fM51-L32/w640-h480/mcotw.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-32088269336162633432023-10-15T07:54:00.002-07:002023-10-17T14:29:26.576-07:00Alesund, Norway - Norway's Prettiest City<p> <span style="font-size: large;">At the entrance to the Geraingerfjord sits the port town of Alesund. After a fire destroyed much of the city in 1904, it was rebuilt in the Art Nouveau style. It's now widely regarded as Norway's prettiest city. And it was the second stop on our Holland America cruise through the fjords of Norway.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlZU8v7pWKtOEeV2DfFUkdHFyA4MFAl6DtjLbHIc6uoztkbUYd0TKIu5f3PFjlPgVZVwocKwgQrXTM_pqWGKUnQvBHsTyLMd_TzCMuOs-AHhyphenhyphenijxht0q6PCnJcT0rEyLYUvD60dhpzpi9CbUMKfD9Fv5PjPP6jYgmUAkxyvdvpmftObJtXA1fN_Ll7Dek/s4032/IMG_7504.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlZU8v7pWKtOEeV2DfFUkdHFyA4MFAl6DtjLbHIc6uoztkbUYd0TKIu5f3PFjlPgVZVwocKwgQrXTM_pqWGKUnQvBHsTyLMd_TzCMuOs-AHhyphenhyphenijxht0q6PCnJcT0rEyLYUvD60dhpzpi9CbUMKfD9Fv5PjPP6jYgmUAkxyvdvpmftObJtXA1fN_Ll7Dek/w640-h480/IMG_7504.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">We arrived before the light of day and had this view from our balcony. I loved seeing the city waking up with the lights coming on and early morning delivery trucks on the street. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4xGJApwC2TgQED9D_cbizdpfDtBWnzVv_PjBUqZg7-NwK2sSlmCFlTgwb12uFqRlscoNaMljhs9B6eUPY7zJl1ti_P2eB7CJ3oaDzdgbTyD6vgfVCzrOVH7qRPBHTru8zDdQTkhocSIfUbdfZsYsKbEUm3C4XVQ3-_INtSwB0DuEKhOqSYFFQ02IMv8u/s4032/IMG_7348.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4xGJApwC2TgQED9D_cbizdpfDtBWnzVv_PjBUqZg7-NwK2sSlmCFlTgwb12uFqRlscoNaMljhs9B6eUPY7zJl1ti_P2eB7CJ3oaDzdgbTyD6vgfVCzrOVH7qRPBHTru8zDdQTkhocSIfUbdfZsYsKbEUm3C4XVQ3-_INtSwB0DuEKhOqSYFFQ02IMv8u/w640-h480/IMG_7348.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15HPwAAjiRWEE3qheRqmBJPTTZo_A8R-HAORAPm4eKey4058CO4c9DORw3nbu_VPv__iWSuKXCqsmihvbZcXsUVEtrhEbB8duNN4nApye5gCM222QeYy4xSPujl1D1PT7Uy_rNtAmJXiEk-lJr6lWE8P_6j0oZsJMK6p2bGpuiqEXUheiK8tfpTXQCVsi/s4032/IMG_7347.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15HPwAAjiRWEE3qheRqmBJPTTZo_A8R-HAORAPm4eKey4058CO4c9DORw3nbu_VPv__iWSuKXCqsmihvbZcXsUVEtrhEbB8duNN4nApye5gCM222QeYy4xSPujl1D1PT7Uy_rNtAmJXiEk-lJr6lWE8P_6j0oZsJMK6p2bGpuiqEXUheiK8tfpTXQCVsi/w640-h480/IMG_7347.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's Mount Aksla in the background</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJ0W3_uvD5zCfkE4DKRY6oq64_U8U8QGPPnisU6m0fdZ2N4A3UaJFXKOGS3tIAD9YLWV-MSZK1jXmjzWoQ8DxeHrgH6Tygmo8KO36tNn42XnfH1jULX8Vv33KwFhRY91SrYJwC8IZX8VotNdaaDEh-QFXU5G-SBYU0B-PhxGBn80u_GbdJ5Hbn2TupVJ8/s4032/IMG_7351.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJ0W3_uvD5zCfkE4DKRY6oq64_U8U8QGPPnisU6m0fdZ2N4A3UaJFXKOGS3tIAD9YLWV-MSZK1jXmjzWoQ8DxeHrgH6Tygmo8KO36tNn42XnfH1jULX8Vv33KwFhRY91SrYJwC8IZX8VotNdaaDEh-QFXU5G-SBYU0B-PhxGBn80u_GbdJ5Hbn2TupVJ8/w640-h480/IMG_7351.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9uawxay9ukuA2WexiqCTxJTpqMpYjJyuGJEwUQmiO9ThA0Za4LEn0K-PrHESzoMJ25FAOiC2jfA49Kg4B3UucPr-yulXMAdf9mvbHTBGziRdIW9pXy4YGyCClYclAuYoh1OoN4pedF9YgiAw1mazDr6nTO-vUHM79e0wxs1XcuERwaCvJe8aw0Gsi2g8/s4032/IMG_7354.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9uawxay9ukuA2WexiqCTxJTpqMpYjJyuGJEwUQmiO9ThA0Za4LEn0K-PrHESzoMJ25FAOiC2jfA49Kg4B3UucPr-yulXMAdf9mvbHTBGziRdIW9pXy4YGyCClYclAuYoh1OoN4pedF9YgiAw1mazDr6nTO-vUHM79e0wxs1XcuERwaCvJe8aw0Gsi2g8/w640-h480/IMG_7354.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnioXhF5pjQOhFjCcePfhoAwTRaKxr-IYH8T71Syio-1pb4F1eN7UQRcpokO985E8NK0bE6BlaHba25o6lNvagCbINsJoO6CsMb6A_HUjnc6-5IXg7iukvpwAznWeiDmr0N9Fru21A1QZYC4FMS-HZ3IH6Rj4LEfIX0sCR1fpIgsdwzHMZfmUY_Kr9olDy/s4032/IMG_7355.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnioXhF5pjQOhFjCcePfhoAwTRaKxr-IYH8T71Syio-1pb4F1eN7UQRcpokO985E8NK0bE6BlaHba25o6lNvagCbINsJoO6CsMb6A_HUjnc6-5IXg7iukvpwAznWeiDmr0N9Fru21A1QZYC4FMS-HZ3IH6Rj4LEfIX0sCR1fpIgsdwzHMZfmUY_Kr9olDy/w640-h480/IMG_7355.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7XYbXcWqHdluM-WPp1bMZVt5kQAFUVzUeqOPNxqZjmqiYczBHHqmcJYtlDXZHfsaQGfn7E1BHaw2gr975pxqqus48onV6k9434Nbs2cf9_k9EzFFLzZF5Ma_8xdZtBNffhXQSY8hGJPdrwRppIn7pMEC3mhD1P1x_jHU-p1fRyGUWTIVYo2fiuE-6sLr/s4032/IMG_7356.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7XYbXcWqHdluM-WPp1bMZVt5kQAFUVzUeqOPNxqZjmqiYczBHHqmcJYtlDXZHfsaQGfn7E1BHaw2gr975pxqqus48onV6k9434Nbs2cf9_k9EzFFLzZF5Ma_8xdZtBNffhXQSY8hGJPdrwRppIn7pMEC3mhD1P1x_jHU-p1fRyGUWTIVYo2fiuE-6sLr/w640-h480/IMG_7356.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">One of Alesund's most popular things to do is walk - or take a bus - to Mount Aksla and its famous viewpoint.Though it's considered a "must do" we decided that we were here to see fjords so we signed up for an excursion to explore one of the nearby ones. (There will be more on that in another post) So after breakfast we walked to the next pier and board a boat to go exploring by water.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIx14MKWiqB4W4l5g1CJDMblv9bibpsOjN0VnSeRx9Sn5Pae9rPDfq9HWbkR-BZGpviRHBLq_irG9o3Ph2TjOKj5MN4g8j_7L_LFUP_0gX6nNFX_o8Ba5td6KhvzIdh7UlSsv4APjbCw4jwZ75Le9kBZRSNN6T-4u7NJt5vRQ5ZdSeh1BWds3bEZzTMUCT/s4032/IMG_7478.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2277" data-original-width="4032" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIx14MKWiqB4W4l5g1CJDMblv9bibpsOjN0VnSeRx9Sn5Pae9rPDfq9HWbkR-BZGpviRHBLq_irG9o3Ph2TjOKj5MN4g8j_7L_LFUP_0gX6nNFX_o8Ba5td6KhvzIdh7UlSsv4APjbCw4jwZ75Le9kBZRSNN6T-4u7NJt5vRQ5ZdSeh1BWds3bEZzTMUCT/w640-h362/IMG_7478.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from Mount Aksla</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ8Pvs3kQdht1zHJDnda0ciLWYU4VDrcCqPWZQkW-9uEx7W9fo9cNrQOvScLkVPdHfd8Lwa3Gs1S_McOyIUx0esFuPIF4VLlKuQnIm4xAwR7LaVdjGM7l8gVJAhMDnmZYEvgurVMAqxnbTj6AkDGBuM-32A0k6K2x9IJO6Ewl-xEu9tTiDBOqhzwph1G0s/s4032/IMG_7357.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ8Pvs3kQdht1zHJDnda0ciLWYU4VDrcCqPWZQkW-9uEx7W9fo9cNrQOvScLkVPdHfd8Lwa3Gs1S_McOyIUx0esFuPIF4VLlKuQnIm4xAwR7LaVdjGM7l8gVJAhMDnmZYEvgurVMAqxnbTj6AkDGBuM-32A0k6K2x9IJO6Ewl-xEu9tTiDBOqhzwph1G0s/w640-h480/IMG_7357.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boats heading out to the fjord</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1NBDd5_P1Ot_pXLNnEk3he58-KL3-F_MxEKoL45ThCvDw-7Vo7nTJfmxFNUwrZ8teD7WqrJBS9wElKDnXxT6opkG7JQoT8atWPTnFJ1xNpmr3QonnWEgADwpocE6kCVDWSA0DYsagYnEgtm96ivI1eJxKUVLE8mc_UcrhHvYSyBQiDkCey7jUCp_FRRX/s4032/IMG_7358.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1NBDd5_P1Ot_pXLNnEk3he58-KL3-F_MxEKoL45ThCvDw-7Vo7nTJfmxFNUwrZ8teD7WqrJBS9wElKDnXxT6opkG7JQoT8atWPTnFJ1xNpmr3QonnWEgADwpocE6kCVDWSA0DYsagYnEgtm96ivI1eJxKUVLE8mc_UcrhHvYSyBQiDkCey7jUCp_FRRX/w640-h480/IMG_7358.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another cruise ship in port - the Iona</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gk_6n2dwZuq-MOmiyO5HiPZpFVLD6ge3SgaYilVux3_LTTvO4M-mw8gRhWFwkz4tke_QLQiK4ZFAU_kzblGRPioPulNqdXy97DAIQsMOUXc5wVFOT2kJTZMmBcF25JnKPvXPsoXlK-ajNrQOdo-RzwyJQh8Hq2EK0RONr47lShHNI1jSIfHeVjFVTciU/s4032/IMG_7473.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gk_6n2dwZuq-MOmiyO5HiPZpFVLD6ge3SgaYilVux3_LTTvO4M-mw8gRhWFwkz4tke_QLQiK4ZFAU_kzblGRPioPulNqdXy97DAIQsMOUXc5wVFOT2kJTZMmBcF25JnKPvXPsoXlK-ajNrQOdo-RzwyJQh8Hq2EK0RONr47lShHNI1jSIfHeVjFVTciU/w640-h480/IMG_7473.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Go45-yQQUeFiMLoVbJnCqy7G1jVnIiTKxK8sTwAdyi7_2WSTF4B0dNHbYzrmASnbH7w-sjKNdx_jcaBjyynPmnWeyCnr8y70O1pBYofBcJuM9gxV_gp2FSRhg6a1DJcy8SmFAUpuRZGN_-9D5IvYPlBwLCTGys_uI4Fvxdbx8Z2AfL3feCou7DQ35H6V/s4032/IMG_7474.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Go45-yQQUeFiMLoVbJnCqy7G1jVnIiTKxK8sTwAdyi7_2WSTF4B0dNHbYzrmASnbH7w-sjKNdx_jcaBjyynPmnWeyCnr8y70O1pBYofBcJuM9gxV_gp2FSRhg6a1DJcy8SmFAUpuRZGN_-9D5IvYPlBwLCTGys_uI4Fvxdbx8Z2AfL3feCou7DQ35H6V/w640-h480/IMG_7474.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Alesund from the water</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYryAsPIVunUFQXb3SXYrx37YSVw_LAww7eNzKd0WQXD9Y5HrU9lQk2sOBcANzmGwR6QwHj5JHNwlRd5_B7KBYnpucBKVl_RmneY_b5PlMY0ei3vJuOGB9EeMRMD1UHn33jdAwnVVrLxb-U1QaLPfj4Azejix-j5cSZu_WetoAsWDrJI6I5XmM-uyeWXcu/s4032/IMG_7475.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYryAsPIVunUFQXb3SXYrx37YSVw_LAww7eNzKd0WQXD9Y5HrU9lQk2sOBcANzmGwR6QwHj5JHNwlRd5_B7KBYnpucBKVl_RmneY_b5PlMY0ei3vJuOGB9EeMRMD1UHn33jdAwnVVrLxb-U1QaLPfj4Azejix-j5cSZu_WetoAsWDrJI6I5XmM-uyeWXcu/w640-h480/IMG_7475.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's a big one!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KbJ7UnK6tei8Fml8dtccG1-LNVPNe_AP_kBj2Qn1q6ia3-8bRLbCCkaONaKsT-fRX8fW57wNmhV8tCSms5O2XzEtJXV1l_FpQaO6d3tLfK4EwfXPp6T46VEdApz2PhCFivhpO81NDkMAkuQZPFBCaoShlfzFxgyV5Due0tNtWZnSR3I8mnpxOx8Iu0Gv/s4032/IMG_7477.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KbJ7UnK6tei8Fml8dtccG1-LNVPNe_AP_kBj2Qn1q6ia3-8bRLbCCkaONaKsT-fRX8fW57wNmhV8tCSms5O2XzEtJXV1l_FpQaO6d3tLfK4EwfXPp6T46VEdApz2PhCFivhpO81NDkMAkuQZPFBCaoShlfzFxgyV5Due0tNtWZnSR3I8mnpxOx8Iu0Gv/w480-h640/IMG_7477.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After our return from our excursion we walked the short distance into town. Despite being a gloomy and chilly day, we decided that we just wanted to wander. We tucked into a few shops, passed lots of Art Nouveau architecture and a "probably the best Fish in Chips in the world" shop. We didn't have an aim - just see Alesund. And that we did. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvCC-2ZlGLiZwtml_F0y6Cwccb5k1xTxP9TgXg5XXaem8to53PyEwqqpWucWzrrPxjaZkU9gXmz-0entklDuLoEEo8qREjQuqB2eIIgtmT5_FOPJrm0J6RArf2a_1x7zVqAY0hqVoYSX3POwrihUakNolq7bPdOt1g2EMpdDBD5Lx0L5dAOSuX92-DUvG/s4032/IMG_7479.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvCC-2ZlGLiZwtml_F0y6Cwccb5k1xTxP9TgXg5XXaem8to53PyEwqqpWucWzrrPxjaZkU9gXmz-0entklDuLoEEo8qREjQuqB2eIIgtmT5_FOPJrm0J6RArf2a_1x7zVqAY0hqVoYSX3POwrihUakNolq7bPdOt1g2EMpdDBD5Lx0L5dAOSuX92-DUvG/w640-h480/IMG_7479.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjql_OH3VpPajSvUrevYHSPxCdf0jGwA9xlGp5L4D2Z3W-YoTDMdnRRxugy_osO9bUcvcZxnSnjbNXfNy_lf24N7HbEvF24e16Z1OH_Fe8unoh30oIReuDtJyzksp0EUd7kpV7qVtWAxKvZQaatkIrMe2IMPLXcQjUir8UuRHnSX5NCpGwPT94awirVNN_3/s4032/IMG_7484.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjql_OH3VpPajSvUrevYHSPxCdf0jGwA9xlGp5L4D2Z3W-YoTDMdnRRxugy_osO9bUcvcZxnSnjbNXfNy_lf24N7HbEvF24e16Z1OH_Fe8unoh30oIReuDtJyzksp0EUd7kpV7qVtWAxKvZQaatkIrMe2IMPLXcQjUir8UuRHnSX5NCpGwPT94awirVNN_3/w640-h480/IMG_7484.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarcahIdsgejWgSc6bVto9dXRZX2FaG0tw0pcJuXGKLQlEUMnqIxMdwmIDFQln1kumvgJbTcJ_9F2HTvGGxSSHHIfP1_O9B8W_F-pe2xjh0dKfQQ8JAqJlNIjZSlBnIUfqjlZ7YHBDQ71RKUMlKHxUg72-yIeffHPlRuh7ZW6Y-bKhe5X12BtybK1qAp2q/s4032/IMG_7487.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarcahIdsgejWgSc6bVto9dXRZX2FaG0tw0pcJuXGKLQlEUMnqIxMdwmIDFQln1kumvgJbTcJ_9F2HTvGGxSSHHIfP1_O9B8W_F-pe2xjh0dKfQQ8JAqJlNIjZSlBnIUfqjlZ7YHBDQ71RKUMlKHxUg72-yIeffHPlRuh7ZW6Y-bKhe5X12BtybK1qAp2q/w640-h480/IMG_7487.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4029" data-original-width="2785" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpOPmS01LDvsbItsu-Fmh-6LjetNCfR4cyp1OcTDFTJq-lX8VL7NZpf8fLYHgNbS3HaL_C_LtIaMwjQE40qMTPC5A5Yj7sBK-OkkCe9wsNogLtNb7g8cOS2OSTN2TknIj6F59Cvc7uDBi9ZdZQmXQl7wXzJEa4j18EU-DI5pXw_NzwyHfqQAIkTVKDTCg/w442-h640/IMG_7492.jpeg" width="442" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQtAEMFh5a7yLFEmHp-GgbhSZ9hg_6WRPYaTjO4Eny1rIEGAswBy02TgAnJnSw72-2YScJ_J8HZvwHIwQiyzNXUhbmLhjSX1GYNOqZM9Q8yLZR5sZ7d12v9RgHU5gQHTuafdjDbxKtnxfadLZaNhNSKsmZlAz6P0IG2uGx0_5bbMSU0BQiVqHQpulwCSz2/s4032/IMG_7498.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQtAEMFh5a7yLFEmHp-GgbhSZ9hg_6WRPYaTjO4Eny1rIEGAswBy02TgAnJnSw72-2YScJ_J8HZvwHIwQiyzNXUhbmLhjSX1GYNOqZM9Q8yLZR5sZ7d12v9RgHU5gQHTuafdjDbxKtnxfadLZaNhNSKsmZlAz6P0IG2uGx0_5bbMSU0BQiVqHQpulwCSz2/w480-h640/IMG_7498.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Pw5c5zB7khyphenhyphen75Z6Cr77G7z5blW4Lu_tqUDufseJfq2BcNpbJsk3GkOfvdzvFXHaGtxk2AD9M0OMsufNTEEtp9SoKFSbDbVwXsGfDhassxQ944pT84ZE_NqgBkRMlvazexJmYZCHS-XMaOQPVtDYPfWSBP8SiMwe8_SEXzW9_inrzeTsaci6nJXvmDRuJ/s4032/IMG_7502.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Pw5c5zB7khyphenhyphen75Z6Cr77G7z5blW4Lu_tqUDufseJfq2BcNpbJsk3GkOfvdzvFXHaGtxk2AD9M0OMsufNTEEtp9SoKFSbDbVwXsGfDhassxQ944pT84ZE_NqgBkRMlvazexJmYZCHS-XMaOQPVtDYPfWSBP8SiMwe8_SEXzW9_inrzeTsaci6nJXvmDRuJ/w640-h480/IMG_7502.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6cTVCe62BSA9HTfOBEJ6Cuahi0i_-Qy_RbjJXIPP4x-hUz8RSdCKkYg7pEBuNVVYFYXlh9ftWApVCN5kEowwhYMufbuPHIHtgEGL9wRgl8lgNgHBAGc1LdWX1zMJRlUbGCZex4x5SagcNrcrePtOCvx17PdRAirlX1MWzkm_KTxPrqtH4qqWbXpagG1o/s3088/IMG_7506.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6cTVCe62BSA9HTfOBEJ6Cuahi0i_-Qy_RbjJXIPP4x-hUz8RSdCKkYg7pEBuNVVYFYXlh9ftWApVCN5kEowwhYMufbuPHIHtgEGL9wRgl8lgNgHBAGc1LdWX1zMJRlUbGCZex4x5SagcNrcrePtOCvx17PdRAirlX1MWzkm_KTxPrqtH4qqWbXpagG1o/w640-h480/IMG_7506.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEj8gJVEE6VqMcjDZCy4okMSL-CGT4BQMRCRwj8QLjXPy-emgT2fMaV825aC515XuuEJ7mvCMnLPttlqr-2-__4NCsDZU0aJ-uKKQEQ-kx46DpdHu93Tvb8jVuGE0xCobdI3d0GwH5UbQ8cIdWfOfDwf6x1pzVrGJ4lUAGwwSAT4Mk89UZo44kolAWSMIU/s3624/IMG_7508.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3624" data-original-width="2718" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEj8gJVEE6VqMcjDZCy4okMSL-CGT4BQMRCRwj8QLjXPy-emgT2fMaV825aC515XuuEJ7mvCMnLPttlqr-2-__4NCsDZU0aJ-uKKQEQ-kx46DpdHu93Tvb8jVuGE0xCobdI3d0GwH5UbQ8cIdWfOfDwf6x1pzVrGJ4lUAGwwSAT4Mk89UZo44kolAWSMIU/w480-h640/IMG_7508.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The weather was a bit gloomy so I'm sure I would have been impressed more by Alesund in some sunshine. Or maybe if we'd gone to the top of Mount Aksla for the fantastic views. It just didn't hit the mark for me compared to our other stops in Norway. But am I happy I was able to go there? Absolutely!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">How about you? Have you been to Alesund?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYablNfd9ltzfunYgcPerbYOPI99U29rv-Ga-tNbtEgHauY9hsj-Wq1GkxvTs09pgZBJeytuWCIvE4WIUzl9qdLX3mHls9VuxuZ2cRG2_UZXvOlQfQ69zwdZKpacHDQXeM0LVbg2T5OgIZONSX8fnncPCXHpnnnUABV679dCTjhgzXCpxnCwSdYuzLSg0/s200/mcotw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYablNfd9ltzfunYgcPerbYOPI99U29rv-Ga-tNbtEgHauY9hsj-Wq1GkxvTs09pgZBJeytuWCIvE4WIUzl9qdLX3mHls9VuxuZ2cRG2_UZXvOlQfQ69zwdZKpacHDQXeM0LVbg2T5OgIZONSX8fnncPCXHpnnnUABV679dCTjhgzXCpxnCwSdYuzLSg0/w400-h300/mcotw.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-31088615058705153662023-10-05T10:34:00.003-07:002023-10-05T10:44:40.637-07:00Weekend Getaway: Fall in Wisconsin (and a little bit of Iowa)<p> <span style="font-size: large;">Our daughter lives in New York and we live in Denver. We usually get together about 3 times per year - which I'll go on the record as saying that it's never enough for me - and this year we hit a record setting four times as I was able to spend my birthday with her for the first time in about 10 years. Last year she suggested we meet somewhere in the middle for a long fall weekend so we looked at flights and picked Milwaukee. Then we came up with an itinerary that included driving over the border into Iowa. We got to see our daughter and she checked visiting two more states off her list. Win-win in my book. So here's what we got up to in Wisconsin (and a little bit of Iowa) on a lovely fall weekend:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CXSR9nzuegZrmMeFHomXkreFaWtHgTZMWfjpU8agGPelAe2zJblfdPqR-nhhK4XYLO0va2wIGqsOuqG4-7_G7c_J3m1l1MZ77L6uC2-ojyPSRSCaoGgjhcKz9aDyUtBEdEYp0854SBJpVFEMXlLRn19Sdylrlpfeq4QlL-p6a5IxKKzQmMMG82qH3M20/s3227/IMG_9263.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2420" data-original-width="3227" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CXSR9nzuegZrmMeFHomXkreFaWtHgTZMWfjpU8agGPelAe2zJblfdPqR-nhhK4XYLO0va2wIGqsOuqG4-7_G7c_J3m1l1MZ77L6uC2-ojyPSRSCaoGgjhcKz9aDyUtBEdEYp0854SBJpVFEMXlLRn19Sdylrlpfeq4QlL-p6a5IxKKzQmMMG82qH3M20/w640-h480/IMG_9263.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__r4mzCIgFnn3AF6Jz4P-LOmHvNztPPOLCrXi91ku9ebhKlIIffZCO8vgMoWdpIxIYxxPBZIJu1VGChdRxvdaHPmvEvHDNT0T7Bt9KnBK9p3kaNEuzBfaIj1gYNjeaDM7obNxCOJhpC8ik1teIeUdPvWwVIuznt1bkAVGqd7TMmjy2wWGb31UYHEOS0bC/s4032/IMG_9236.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__r4mzCIgFnn3AF6Jz4P-LOmHvNztPPOLCrXi91ku9ebhKlIIffZCO8vgMoWdpIxIYxxPBZIJu1VGChdRxvdaHPmvEvHDNT0T7Bt9KnBK9p3kaNEuzBfaIj1gYNjeaDM7obNxCOJhpC8ik1teIeUdPvWwVIuznt1bkAVGqd7TMmjy2wWGb31UYHEOS0bC/w640-h480/IMG_9236.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqsSRJMw0u6cd3QwcFIopSEL-It69qY6w_Zc-khkQIj36rrKb6XkVzXbh08r7h6Dd0UTB22i4CTJmp6ryHb821fsUjC4RK-AvDpaHcVoTJf9pcjeodbQjt8XSZYU6h5mqo3ZgYDHGKHL61WDv-hZPm74DPHNcFBZ9iEfIb6nQcaEiOrrXKAb-Qkg42X-F/s4032/IMG_8819.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqsSRJMw0u6cd3QwcFIopSEL-It69qY6w_Zc-khkQIj36rrKb6XkVzXbh08r7h6Dd0UTB22i4CTJmp6ryHb821fsUjC4RK-AvDpaHcVoTJf9pcjeodbQjt8XSZYU6h5mqo3ZgYDHGKHL61WDv-hZPm74DPHNcFBZ9iEfIb6nQcaEiOrrXKAb-Qkg42X-F/w640-h480/IMG_8819.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Lake Geneva Cruise</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Geneva Lake is a 5000 acre freshwater lake about an hour south of Milwaukee. The resort town of Lake Geneva sits on its shores and there is a public footpath - meaning anyone can walk it- encircling the lake at about 26 miles long. The lake is also known as the only place in the world where mail jumping is practiced, an unusual mail delivery system where teens jump from the mail boat onto boat docks to deliver the mail - while the boat is still moving. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bEikmgppZvS6Zxbibd2nyfdQRwGX3UoYWgaEdZj39hL0MZaWojSevweTa_bSky7sRzyNWCMZQ78N1pKdrD7T44FJGgZCxrqyGTvDn1wU3UzjOZMmzXI549FWbTcws1bDguv-te7YRYv4BrDPITlyci9dSqqBf1FDI-UZ4lpe2pl9O6XHrMQrROWxwXfy/s4032/IMG_8823.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bEikmgppZvS6Zxbibd2nyfdQRwGX3UoYWgaEdZj39hL0MZaWojSevweTa_bSky7sRzyNWCMZQ78N1pKdrD7T44FJGgZCxrqyGTvDn1wU3UzjOZMmzXI549FWbTcws1bDguv-te7YRYv4BrDPITlyci9dSqqBf1FDI-UZ4lpe2pl9O6XHrMQrROWxwXfy/w640-h480/IMG_8823.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmUj0MXk2F2dpbqha89o_xbQmH7fCzmlIIlAATuPkKyZlj3tFko9UsDJY0c7n7OkAzr5i-xxO0EUoLYxFkPNGCVGmF4Mhh-fIePZNsgNbSJ_CXda99YsdxQqo42qFR5cvLyHXNYt1KQSNKl06D54ozzRoSoVu98J5L-qYckE0LCufrYnbDgDkE9MgMr3e/s4032/IMG_8875.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmUj0MXk2F2dpbqha89o_xbQmH7fCzmlIIlAATuPkKyZlj3tFko9UsDJY0c7n7OkAzr5i-xxO0EUoLYxFkPNGCVGmF4Mhh-fIePZNsgNbSJ_CXda99YsdxQqo42qFR5cvLyHXNYt1KQSNKl06D54ozzRoSoVu98J5L-qYckE0LCufrYnbDgDkE9MgMr3e/w480-h640/IMG_8875.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">One of the most popular things to do on the lake is to take a narrated boat cruise on a restored vintage boat and hear the stories of the lake. Prior to colonial settlement, the lake was home to a band of the Prairie Potawatomi. After the Civil War, the town became a haven for wealthy families from Chicago. These families began constructing mansions on the lake and it became known as the Newport of the West. Some of these famous families were the Wrigleys, Schwinns and Swifts - of chewing gum, bicycle and refrigerated train car fame. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsa6QKLvtKwvWa_fxn-JfQ3v7x2n1oUgCiSTJ6hGGgHaY77QthtYXrgm7Wpa3URcKcbYQd1SpmZjxkL1v7VLaJjhmVGyYnaA5CMnhNGfXjB41NxtNxpEJxgk8GN-GvAF1N0v_9A2ga0v0QEzr2oirlAtnTt2irvLHbqtmSLxQh4q1Xnyt8G9BS2nVXCVnP/s4032/IMG_8944.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsa6QKLvtKwvWa_fxn-JfQ3v7x2n1oUgCiSTJ6hGGgHaY77QthtYXrgm7Wpa3URcKcbYQd1SpmZjxkL1v7VLaJjhmVGyYnaA5CMnhNGfXjB41NxtNxpEJxgk8GN-GvAF1N0v_9A2ga0v0QEzr2oirlAtnTt2irvLHbqtmSLxQh4q1Xnyt8G9BS2nVXCVnP/w640-h480/IMG_8944.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUW8-Iv11hbvv8_xetby4woR9B2cxh0xWORSZInZIVNLVeM53Vm5N1b52IFE_iLl7JxZ9jn80fUx3uOwcDYjZGxs6xIMqW7UjW8ifGrJHlsMmFX540erR80A9iZpS2HSVZjdFSR2EYfpuT4AVAqKblQYy5df9OLu5z54vtVjMPWTNEQTUTLzOOEdw3HqEK/s4032/IMG_8932.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUW8-Iv11hbvv8_xetby4woR9B2cxh0xWORSZInZIVNLVeM53Vm5N1b52IFE_iLl7JxZ9jn80fUx3uOwcDYjZGxs6xIMqW7UjW8ifGrJHlsMmFX540erR80A9iZpS2HSVZjdFSR2EYfpuT4AVAqKblQYy5df9OLu5z54vtVjMPWTNEQTUTLzOOEdw3HqEK/w480-h640/IMG_8932.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">We enjoyed a one hour afternoon cruise listening to the history of the lake and seeing all the spectacular houses. I found it to be very interesting and one hour seemed to be just the right length of time to see the lake. I highly recommend that you book ahead - as soon as you know your dates - as these cruises sell out just about every day that they run. (We had a long line to get on and there was a long line waiting to board when we got off)</span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMT7OKQVwG2yMYIyqyFkDWHapgXpQ6K6tZEVFrGWu9UKspumGHzOyeTOemFD-L5Yd9z-kblW6c0tE_52udVnuxyuDqsojcCG-hFqQMBSu6d62pjkdq67QBhItENhHNCA7G0my4bNrBg0jVCo0cbj03cgzsoVJtD1T4nfZNR2ifElTzfLHNeeS9u86o65A/s4032/IMG_8827.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMT7OKQVwG2yMYIyqyFkDWHapgXpQ6K6tZEVFrGWu9UKspumGHzOyeTOemFD-L5Yd9z-kblW6c0tE_52udVnuxyuDqsojcCG-hFqQMBSu6d62pjkdq67QBhItENhHNCA7G0my4bNrBg0jVCo0cbj03cgzsoVJtD1T4nfZNR2ifElTzfLHNeeS9u86o65A/w640-h480/IMG_8827.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DX6l9kShiI7NxAzzUEuyzqTU-8u0nCietm45iirGZ9EjESJlIHjZ4rZnEXZTlHighjOGGdI6CRsKcfByZVr9XU3p3CA9AlngjpFFtgEdnQeXnglsAuC9qTAyLFVCOC4mQRqd_zYa-hPxCanfNKsxg6hbmYq-H8t6VmZnHLIiSHUwSYLNmARqLBxCP7Oh/s3838/IMG_8900.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3838" data-original-width="2878" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DX6l9kShiI7NxAzzUEuyzqTU-8u0nCietm45iirGZ9EjESJlIHjZ4rZnEXZTlHighjOGGdI6CRsKcfByZVr9XU3p3CA9AlngjpFFtgEdnQeXnglsAuC9qTAyLFVCOC4mQRqd_zYa-hPxCanfNKsxg6hbmYq-H8t6VmZnHLIiSHUwSYLNmARqLBxCP7Oh/w480-h640/IMG_8900.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgambfqDGy_iarlQj4Ap2xo9kpu7wEBXAbYHawg4vr4_-uxrwxsQI2tJVzQ7RQxHJwoCIxwyMl3XrlklT4-kXhsZ5VoUOrfhES-tuoCVlbn7Vt19YR2979bFfqT_UcQbnQAqwkokjyab1jufKrp-6kqdGuNRXEarTlLfPm0Gn5vXOWQZohn6OhuHK6FQjfk/s4032/IMG_8904.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgambfqDGy_iarlQj4Ap2xo9kpu7wEBXAbYHawg4vr4_-uxrwxsQI2tJVzQ7RQxHJwoCIxwyMl3XrlklT4-kXhsZ5VoUOrfhES-tuoCVlbn7Vt19YR2979bFfqT_UcQbnQAqwkokjyab1jufKrp-6kqdGuNRXEarTlLfPm0Gn5vXOWQZohn6OhuHK6FQjfk/w480-h640/IMG_8904.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUKqCTY7nuc_k6dp3CEUVNr1Ce_eFUk8aIbNLDtzxejKUweniERLrT6FiI0PNCc-Y0f8KwzjTrRkBuQ8HKh3rviEkC3Vd8gEIVN9d4Bq_D8msZrhTi_pBrQ-D2hehFdEIsQD8iqrEqRRt27RmETZsAUUfJ-b85Ak-GY9CT2vagTVp544jbgWo6Es2NYKy/s4032/IMG_8936.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUKqCTY7nuc_k6dp3CEUVNr1Ce_eFUk8aIbNLDtzxejKUweniERLrT6FiI0PNCc-Y0f8KwzjTrRkBuQ8HKh3rviEkC3Vd8gEIVN9d4Bq_D8msZrhTi_pBrQ-D2hehFdEIsQD8iqrEqRRt27RmETZsAUUfJ-b85Ak-GY9CT2vagTVp544jbgWo6Es2NYKy/w640-h480/IMG_8936.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQrUd74VKlvkVyqvTEi5rk3bSBIHt5vWSUseJ2R5_rwMpboHUlMnYsocBHLCQMJ0gearHFfGvdnKtQUyTagrLGZYa1jM7HFtk5WnsQ_U_z6SrW4xOmUl9HqxoJGHfvRdnBKjKg1xErw2sZfze76rwYF7ySVLyG7y3sNs10Jf3WyNt9oS6QJTLf9gcJRZu/s4032/IMG_8951.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQrUd74VKlvkVyqvTEi5rk3bSBIHt5vWSUseJ2R5_rwMpboHUlMnYsocBHLCQMJ0gearHFfGvdnKtQUyTagrLGZYa1jM7HFtk5WnsQ_U_z6SrW4xOmUl9HqxoJGHfvRdnBKjKg1xErw2sZfze76rwYF7ySVLyG7y3sNs10Jf3WyNt9oS6QJTLf9gcJRZu/w480-h640/IMG_8951.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A popular spot for wind surfers</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After - or before - your cruise you can stroll around Lake Geneva and enjoy a beverage or meal with a little shopping. We were headed on but we decided to lunch at Culver's - the most famous fast food chain from Wisconsin. Known for butterburgers, cheese curds and fresh frozen custard, I'd have to say it was one of the most delicious fast food meals I've ever had. And besides, when in Rome....or Wisconsin.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1g9PG-YTTMgld3OPahvWFjwBwkEVebbRL-I1fqGOTGstbovSHuKesEiwq_5yLYa4xixm008D4ixwr116HZfo8EYMHROGxqcOdaCmRUVnuSu6SdcR5a28YiHn5nrjVhKrL7FTs-ukDK7ADIvGeXYeqvsDXgFJGcvZCycPNGzFKE7AvIQJ2FAHPlakSykX/s4032/IMG_8828.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1g9PG-YTTMgld3OPahvWFjwBwkEVebbRL-I1fqGOTGstbovSHuKesEiwq_5yLYa4xixm008D4ixwr116HZfo8EYMHROGxqcOdaCmRUVnuSu6SdcR5a28YiHn5nrjVhKrL7FTs-ukDK7ADIvGeXYeqvsDXgFJGcvZCycPNGzFKE7AvIQJ2FAHPlakSykX/w640-h480/IMG_8828.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28OcCoKSknnDKYqOx4M_3KzjWGuy-az7yE6EGbQBtwZ20ZMsTZUK39R7jBES4miqRBhiCCNuAFbVymzF3o1ldYNTgfWho5cXz4xKAVKTxvQCmAP6HxfzzFKHbczAiRTkTLp-FGanuLeBVfYsgieM5adMTev057xoxYAZ6gaKEqM_ORXJUb-oJDgpU63MD/s4032/IMG_8829.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28OcCoKSknnDKYqOx4M_3KzjWGuy-az7yE6EGbQBtwZ20ZMsTZUK39R7jBES4miqRBhiCCNuAFbVymzF3o1ldYNTgfWho5cXz4xKAVKTxvQCmAP6HxfzzFKHbczAiRTkTLp-FGanuLeBVfYsgieM5adMTev057xoxYAZ6gaKEqM_ORXJUb-oJDgpU63MD/w640-h480/IMG_8829.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDncsOEAEkNHLitSjvDU_CBHUh0Xmcqovkb2320z3IsSFvxoYEIfjT6DtjRiD5W4TTNoxKKlep0kUjOlTEHC3CVXQ0tWz5nfiHy2M7-rKQRtToSWsf-saOePM43803iZXqnXUJn26Zj_60DyL1L9z-UnDOFktN5k2xIo0ooXtoXSSAau8eHluE5VUSJELw/s2049/IMG_0002.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2049" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDncsOEAEkNHLitSjvDU_CBHUh0Xmcqovkb2320z3IsSFvxoYEIfjT6DtjRiD5W4TTNoxKKlep0kUjOlTEHC3CVXQ0tWz5nfiHy2M7-rKQRtToSWsf-saOePM43803iZXqnXUJn26Zj_60DyL1L9z-UnDOFktN5k2xIo0ooXtoXSSAau8eHluE5VUSJELw/w480-h640/IMG_0002.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCejXmSSsGQJ7afmqUytgYhPMXG60bYsmsVnWWpLxhACZ1Ye71RIALADwIYYTKh4j7GXiB0MkEllbBRQXzCPV5er_sdGZGdOhsjHdZohAzpv_adPjKGqZTJPa4Fz-FLuIGsgfNb973wCjsyKvt6piFLwTByWF3GfiNTBSgcAWaEyqxH-J4nJriUPA-S3pg/s3689/IMG_8957.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3689" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCejXmSSsGQJ7afmqUytgYhPMXG60bYsmsVnWWpLxhACZ1Ye71RIALADwIYYTKh4j7GXiB0MkEllbBRQXzCPV5er_sdGZGdOhsjHdZohAzpv_adPjKGqZTJPa4Fz-FLuIGsgfNb973wCjsyKvt6piFLwTByWF3GfiNTBSgcAWaEyqxH-J4nJriUPA-S3pg/w640-h524/IMG_8957.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Wisconsin's Supper Clubs</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Most states have cafes, bistros, diners of chophouses. But only Wisconsin has the iconic Supper Clubs. There are about 250 scattered throughout the state and they represent a sense of community and feeling at home while dining. The expectation of visiting a Supper Club is large portions, old time family recipes, friendly bartenders and decor representing the area.Some offer prime rib night, some offer fish fries and Schwarz's Supper Club in St. Anna can seat and serve some 700 diners.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiacqmCwyh7MIL_aXWovuyGyk5oDmHjJHUoHakWZ2MY9stcIeC_xOqXqdolVVA8ubVmKSumZ13n3KBCKyltTFX_HK9Yo7NqtGISxrVeoudGuVsdEP-dcLFKTQdmjlBfv2pjoeqqpvRXSln7CNwjM0H35Od0i_Wsr42rZkg5bXOa6SV4sJjUqaNcHbdjuRxF/s4032/IMG_9168.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiacqmCwyh7MIL_aXWovuyGyk5oDmHjJHUoHakWZ2MY9stcIeC_xOqXqdolVVA8ubVmKSumZ13n3KBCKyltTFX_HK9Yo7NqtGISxrVeoudGuVsdEP-dcLFKTQdmjlBfv2pjoeqqpvRXSln7CNwjM0H35Od0i_Wsr42rZkg5bXOa6SV4sJjUqaNcHbdjuRxF/w480-h640/IMG_9168.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyvgCcJyREDLINs5losGz8tODynrPqxGUy463VaOrE4w_GBRryxi3qeyiLdL0zkq-__LmD4q66qxobYtiNENI9pM1obLqNWgii3jrJMUdjArzXAJ1ryxGQWpJO8AKdPINSq_upyn91Lr_rXUSIRpuKVUPx67680oxcuFNF653rlWPsZ7kVMvdOR6K3ll7/s4032/IMG_9171.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyvgCcJyREDLINs5losGz8tODynrPqxGUy463VaOrE4w_GBRryxi3qeyiLdL0zkq-__LmD4q66qxobYtiNENI9pM1obLqNWgii3jrJMUdjArzXAJ1ryxGQWpJO8AKdPINSq_upyn91Lr_rXUSIRpuKVUPx67680oxcuFNF653rlWPsZ7kVMvdOR6K3ll7/w640-h480/IMG_9171.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">We enjoyed Buckatabon Supper Club in Milwaukee. It has a fun "North Woods" decor and atmosphere - complete with a bear statue to greet you, named Booyah -and we were lucky to dine outside on the patio- it was a little chilly but still do able. (The name rhymes with Chuck and Robin and comes from a couple lakes in the far Northwest of the state) Wednesdays and Fridays are Fish Fry days and Prime Rib is always on the menu. Mr. UR chose the prime rib while I went with the soup of the day and. The food was good, atmosphere was great and I loved the quirkiness of this fun supper club. My first visit to one and it definitely did not disappoint.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswx2a0B6C6jKb1STXa1gY2kH9GUOMSc-KFxaHMGxPcpZeENUGh0_EOI1lfd0FFYWIqNX37_qBwB9W50MaHT1aXKhOPE3GTkQjP0VnGTRjDDnYGSgilj09FN_2kqKiIhhlnvY4NVmY-kE21VoCaRNrGNpOR71_Y7mdg0YHK3Pp3tdcqBWF-DiImaHjMLQj/s4032/IMG_9282.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswx2a0B6C6jKb1STXa1gY2kH9GUOMSc-KFxaHMGxPcpZeENUGh0_EOI1lfd0FFYWIqNX37_qBwB9W50MaHT1aXKhOPE3GTkQjP0VnGTRjDDnYGSgilj09FN_2kqKiIhhlnvY4NVmY-kE21VoCaRNrGNpOR71_Y7mdg0YHK3Pp3tdcqBWF-DiImaHjMLQj/w640-h480/IMG_9282.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PKWT3HufPSIo4isP5aOTQWVyNMRMhPGLQ5QeHTFx04lYhU2JHGFBVt0dulEYvgNGg0kM3fntvGpVvbpCzOlzUJyTHbECEyOf0HmoX2ly9L-ule8A0k2OfSyUUJPR45FnuvmKYFTkrjrMxIUI8we-L5gPkZM4nvDFMRRpGb5l-GMDdIDJFwlHOuodHCYx/s4032/IMG_9174.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PKWT3HufPSIo4isP5aOTQWVyNMRMhPGLQ5QeHTFx04lYhU2JHGFBVt0dulEYvgNGg0kM3fntvGpVvbpCzOlzUJyTHbECEyOf0HmoX2ly9L-ule8A0k2OfSyUUJPR45FnuvmKYFTkrjrMxIUI8we-L5gPkZM4nvDFMRRpGb5l-GMDdIDJFwlHOuodHCYx/w480-h640/IMG_9174.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prime rib dinner with yorkshire pudding</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHdILYTvvSqCKg2hGIjKl07v2JKtq6x3MPrkBSMEtXRWa_tTZxpxuxtwGqmHYf8SDWRuChjZMESWepglK1MKThFsP-U0rnjcRs2pmyHH8vHDLPhST3ZWIA2h-2zR8gQcHMTynBg7HHcelHkhnRgul1dl0bxDuEVbBNeAC7GNNe7AzdN90ICqBctE5F4y8/s4032/IMG_9176.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHdILYTvvSqCKg2hGIjKl07v2JKtq6x3MPrkBSMEtXRWa_tTZxpxuxtwGqmHYf8SDWRuChjZMESWepglK1MKThFsP-U0rnjcRs2pmyHH8vHDLPhST3ZWIA2h-2zR8gQcHMTynBg7HHcelHkhnRgul1dl0bxDuEVbBNeAC7GNNe7AzdN90ICqBctE5F4y8/w480-h640/IMG_9176.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWBG_Ts6TqQt1WkMU9x4fA3SuW_Q8jwFXv94zcNSSC3NcN_CvdJN3OkVKGvD6LSny_2mAQ0YeAIwlcIcCM1F2o4WX3YS0ocsNIu7NWM6bd9dCvQCN-egSehb_iiHSlUjw35vdHF3aA-sna7CIwOQ80ZlgjDIYEdicQLFPx33_ugNlgPFci7Z098KZt4Tk2/s4032/IMG_9180.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1893" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWBG_Ts6TqQt1WkMU9x4fA3SuW_Q8jwFXv94zcNSSC3NcN_CvdJN3OkVKGvD6LSny_2mAQ0YeAIwlcIcCM1F2o4WX3YS0ocsNIu7NWM6bd9dCvQCN-egSehb_iiHSlUjw35vdHF3aA-sna7CIwOQ80ZlgjDIYEdicQLFPx33_ugNlgPFci7Z098KZt4Tk2/w300-h640/IMG_9180.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>New Glarus, Wisconsin (and New Glarus Brewing)</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Settled in 1845 by Swiss immigrants, New Glarus is a "showcase of Swiss heritage, architecture and cuisine". With only 2200 residents, New Glarus is "America's Little Switzerland." What a wonderful little town.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcnhYTa88eiOnWzcFRaW2v6HbOJJ0gEqmf0UKgBRd4RT3rPBuwHQ9Yz1ZonbN5yehp9e6eI0on14rH6GkIxYZItHdiyS9aq-tEy9y442DYtLFvEOy9yOPUbVolOFfkaPqAcJu4wsm_lgnqBqzaMxwLBVb4qPcRdmMkySPG6yOOqyzUsRovh6LiPG_1Rh5/s4032/IMG_8993.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcnhYTa88eiOnWzcFRaW2v6HbOJJ0gEqmf0UKgBRd4RT3rPBuwHQ9Yz1ZonbN5yehp9e6eI0on14rH6GkIxYZItHdiyS9aq-tEy9y442DYtLFvEOy9yOPUbVolOFfkaPqAcJu4wsm_lgnqBqzaMxwLBVb4qPcRdmMkySPG6yOOqyzUsRovh6LiPG_1Rh5/w640-h480/IMG_8993.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPuJheSIUbk7abRQkDfXbLXyEk3USM7Ln0dQ3ik38dCPo9bvw3HmB66vWzonYW_Gpv7yUxSsO4x-tQBXJ5IqlTu3QDlkwxFn3qUNgPHLpw2s8FV4-l9JrdL9RaK3PC3Q-rnkRw6KAuQGJbntTCgalItNxWAgBieVzVxRLPs_yF-Df9YL_X_UEN9ITgP9lG/s4032/IMG_8998.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPuJheSIUbk7abRQkDfXbLXyEk3USM7Ln0dQ3ik38dCPo9bvw3HmB66vWzonYW_Gpv7yUxSsO4x-tQBXJ5IqlTu3QDlkwxFn3qUNgPHLpw2s8FV4-l9JrdL9RaK3PC3Q-rnkRw6KAuQGJbntTCgalItNxWAgBieVzVxRLPs_yF-Df9YL_X_UEN9ITgP9lG/w640-h480/IMG_8998.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We drove from Lake Geneva to New Glarus - after our stop at Culver's - and headed straight to New Glarus Brewing. New Glarus Brewing, founded in 1992, was founded by husband and wife team, Daniel and Deb Carey, with Deb raised the capital for the brewery while Daniel took the Master Brewers Class and Exam at the Institute of Brewing in London. That makes Deb the first woman to found and operate a brewery in the United States. They are an employee owned brewery and their beer is sold only in Wisconsin. You can't purchase it in any other state - one way they have remained small and true to Wisconsinites. In 2018, they were named one of the top 50 breweries in the US. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvFysCPOVByX6gYEo3RiAGf2fqWdu6UNacMydnsf_MC-YWM-M2Cs7GdNWI5HSoMkZmKhzSveJjibphPZ6Yo97OthinA5kWme1S-OFNcwk8V7I9KFyGQPRnf_4lfifY6Bw3mr8Ed6Wvd6FSBTQGbx1-odKibuzfODhjkGOtjpv4tRoZJX3vVN_A-VbTUzI/s2906/IMG_8961.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2906" data-original-width="2890" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvFysCPOVByX6gYEo3RiAGf2fqWdu6UNacMydnsf_MC-YWM-M2Cs7GdNWI5HSoMkZmKhzSveJjibphPZ6Yo97OthinA5kWme1S-OFNcwk8V7I9KFyGQPRnf_4lfifY6Bw3mr8Ed6Wvd6FSBTQGbx1-odKibuzfODhjkGOtjpv4tRoZJX3vVN_A-VbTUzI/w636-h640/IMG_8961.jpeg" width="636" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTojPL2GqLu_k2iA6d-U7VO7m65I_D6k5kOv5v9F86CrcfJkZchu_DhIP-tjZvehJ2pO1bbZSFXXbvJL706Klp3ABlNQQsXHxFTs0KS1Pmj683B5Bt96gf1Kywf2T7muFB6-1RIXeSBK8bxVRdNZu_CIGRD1Wi1yeNuYdynC6VrUNAxqjlyuIWidOTJSVZ/s4032/IMG_8963.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2218" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTojPL2GqLu_k2iA6d-U7VO7m65I_D6k5kOv5v9F86CrcfJkZchu_DhIP-tjZvehJ2pO1bbZSFXXbvJL706Klp3ABlNQQsXHxFTs0KS1Pmj683B5Bt96gf1Kywf2T7muFB6-1RIXeSBK8bxVRdNZu_CIGRD1Wi1yeNuYdynC6VrUNAxqjlyuIWidOTJSVZ/w352-h640/IMG_8963.jpeg" width="352" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">After hearing such a success story and the fact that you can get it Only in Wisconsin, a visit was in order. One of the unique things about New Glarus is that it is only open on weekdays. So we had to make sure we were there on the Friday of our trip to grab a tasting. And the one beer we had to try was their Spotted Cow Farmhouse Ale. Their flagship beer is found in 40% of refrigerators in Wisconsin and is the best selling draft beer in the state. </span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QWA2gJx-JWZVDA7fb7dgo5echxks4UBB5ixKvsJpTxfUTqSMDVjLTrO4Xg07Nxy6VXu9zEkjKOLcaCwu2L0sbFIDKZ9bnbbZy6h4z3xQfZVvbY-Jzqbu6Wz_dKmUe18VXZEPBDZNY-kdt2G8BzsSxRWzd8z1xcEwYxLgJ1JnH3SxSlwre1oTdvvkRpWD/s4032/IMG_8962.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QWA2gJx-JWZVDA7fb7dgo5echxks4UBB5ixKvsJpTxfUTqSMDVjLTrO4Xg07Nxy6VXu9zEkjKOLcaCwu2L0sbFIDKZ9bnbbZy6h4z3xQfZVvbY-Jzqbu6Wz_dKmUe18VXZEPBDZNY-kdt2G8BzsSxRWzd8z1xcEwYxLgJ1JnH3SxSlwre1oTdvvkRpWD/w640-h480/IMG_8962.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0eSF7jXi_DxN-gP6jkWtppJtubxYn1UdnnThII7ONI-SCnE5p_KVr8dL0TJxq5tD0_rLSW9iTW-k6-lXx6lLU91-OhKhnCgwFd5bKVyBX0usfhaY3C3ZpWNF6Db0_Y3jy0DsF45TYs56YoMZ2BpVsPsHWqZLYjDtQfJS584MfpawegPb1fe0Tp-ieSLQP/s4032/IMG_8988.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0eSF7jXi_DxN-gP6jkWtppJtubxYn1UdnnThII7ONI-SCnE5p_KVr8dL0TJxq5tD0_rLSW9iTW-k6-lXx6lLU91-OhKhnCgwFd5bKVyBX0usfhaY3C3ZpWNF6Db0_Y3jy0DsF45TYs56YoMZ2BpVsPsHWqZLYjDtQfJS584MfpawegPb1fe0Tp-ieSLQP/w640-h480/IMG_8988.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The New Glarus campus is huge with lots of outdoor seating, a gift shop, the tasting room along with the brewing facilities. We had to circle the parking lot several times until we could find a space to park. It was an enjoyable afternoon with a beer tasting and good weather in a nice outdoor space. I'm really glad we went out of our way to visit this Only in Wisconsin brewery.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YZn3PepGLHzKRCmTFquSpYEe2In5Lw_MKcGfUbeUrTXtgZmXZxo-hQ2yVVbcCqwAh4-kOPS5_s5wmNhSe12dWEQlVYtl-HbYJG1PYNpzlOaoHS83bDXyo_8POSEVmKyUWCyXpmzHdyvXTmJ-Aps1oXkRyzOQrvfLglxnjg0marAzIIRvZpxtDaIFyYof/s4028/IMG_8985.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4028" data-original-width="2506" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YZn3PepGLHzKRCmTFquSpYEe2In5Lw_MKcGfUbeUrTXtgZmXZxo-hQ2yVVbcCqwAh4-kOPS5_s5wmNhSe12dWEQlVYtl-HbYJG1PYNpzlOaoHS83bDXyo_8POSEVmKyUWCyXpmzHdyvXTmJ-Aps1oXkRyzOQrvfLglxnjg0marAzIIRvZpxtDaIFyYof/w398-h640/IMG_8985.jpeg" width="398" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtt2MdqOWR_j9MdvKaBekXn_2726ShZXDV0f5H_zOsZbpF-q6SZb4mY7JZpnkojFy6JiX5sY_opisn7D20HjafEP6hUajnEMs1wd31lHzkpvwvmdSiYu_Q-p2xQvbn0Y-RgRHJS5q_7Vt58CDkHnr4ttl3_BPUgAJAjAB-5lvwDyzT84Au7hRsJvtcs2aL/s4032/IMG_8983.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtt2MdqOWR_j9MdvKaBekXn_2726ShZXDV0f5H_zOsZbpF-q6SZb4mY7JZpnkojFy6JiX5sY_opisn7D20HjafEP6hUajnEMs1wd31lHzkpvwvmdSiYu_Q-p2xQvbn0Y-RgRHJS5q_7Vt58CDkHnr4ttl3_BPUgAJAjAB-5lvwDyzT84Au7hRsJvtcs2aL/w640-h480/IMG_8983.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJB0TYoYH0sbdYUMqzX8D6jU6h4p5AaTVIxfAiUgV2P_GV2YVBGSxexRLDtBlMN2YTWPPsZtn141zydZjOSUEt2rupKf-yQl_wlrCR6dIbVMeXZ9KC8E-e9VDP7E3aMq60pRd1P42jFz9gC3QQvveYtpttlACM0inH3GPSJ2jqz3tzdRfLuYwtYGgFcd5/s4032/IMG_8960.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJB0TYoYH0sbdYUMqzX8D6jU6h4p5AaTVIxfAiUgV2P_GV2YVBGSxexRLDtBlMN2YTWPPsZtn141zydZjOSUEt2rupKf-yQl_wlrCR6dIbVMeXZ9KC8E-e9VDP7E3aMq60pRd1P42jFz9gC3QQvveYtpttlACM0inH3GPSJ2jqz3tzdRfLuYwtYGgFcd5/w640-h480/IMG_8960.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0voQGq2j4xYKS3cFXtd3pwLjyLfakq-QT04PmmM3OFnanbprjvAFRzVqb-P0pgOIngkNhKe6m1RyAloL_7JqwCxM8Gwk5pvtV6DEWkSg4PEt31FCc93wfQw67OrBNex5V5B9QWFPfurebdMCirCtOlPx-j9nu2fZ-e93VTzshufGd8FPLjwsnMfSEtPs/s2049/IMG_0022.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2049" data-original-width="1096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0voQGq2j4xYKS3cFXtd3pwLjyLfakq-QT04PmmM3OFnanbprjvAFRzVqb-P0pgOIngkNhKe6m1RyAloL_7JqwCxM8Gwk5pvtV6DEWkSg4PEt31FCc93wfQw67OrBNex5V5B9QWFPfurebdMCirCtOlPx-j9nu2fZ-e93VTzshufGd8FPLjwsnMfSEtPs/w342-h640/IMG_0022.jpeg" width="342" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNXOVk0MimYinoIHu_LdYAZRxMUeSNcGFzJMkAp_4IT5kW1p-03hgEdeUkJO32EALMNbxvkEdqddCr6CQ4pSuv5DT_tlDOKcBtH6xGlf3JggRRjDUT7xfTZoWuA02Pi3YoAN_yIuIZWk5Shswmhyphenhyphen7FvZePl31abPMIbe8VctO72ARz_8qJhyphenhyphenlMmqFJ1Lo/s4032/IMG_8967.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNXOVk0MimYinoIHu_LdYAZRxMUeSNcGFzJMkAp_4IT5kW1p-03hgEdeUkJO32EALMNbxvkEdqddCr6CQ4pSuv5DT_tlDOKcBtH6xGlf3JggRRjDUT7xfTZoWuA02Pi3YoAN_yIuIZWk5Shswmhyphenhyphen7FvZePl31abPMIbe8VctO72ARz_8qJhyphenhyphenlMmqFJ1Lo/w480-h640/IMG_8967.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">Next up: Strolling the streets of New Glarus. We went into an adorable family run shop that sells Wisconsin items - Hutch and Hide. Billed as a modern mom and pop, I loved this store and purchased a few Christmas gifts to take home. We had a drink at the unique Ott Haus Pub and Grill - part store and part bar and met up with a few locals. Our stomachs were crying hungry by now so we tried the cheese curds and specials at the hopping Tofflers Pub & Grill. A really fun little town with friendly Midwesterners and Swiss atmosphere.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmI6rcxPEFtFH5yRLstux4g0d8PseK81mXNtUgl6uwvioa37tAo4QuHKQnLOy_OSrMqLw3gKA8KNCKMr5K6K4591VIB_bEwDc7QJBJ_Z41z3Lz_fwQrV7q8j3arhhtHCqZg_OvwQ_bfdkt45u0-a1GK9qryxyaDk1SLCIOjoUaxJKWeVsxDb1UWMm5_xBp/s4032/IMG_8996.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2759" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmI6rcxPEFtFH5yRLstux4g0d8PseK81mXNtUgl6uwvioa37tAo4QuHKQnLOy_OSrMqLw3gKA8KNCKMr5K6K4591VIB_bEwDc7QJBJ_Z41z3Lz_fwQrV7q8j3arhhtHCqZg_OvwQ_bfdkt45u0-a1GK9qryxyaDk1SLCIOjoUaxJKWeVsxDb1UWMm5_xBp/w438-h640/IMG_8996.jpeg" width="438" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YEoThy35r_lPAqIGQdEo9isPF2GRl5dh0A97JPS_K0oXK_NmfREgxMfBpPeTEEovVWB1ztuHeldDRo1FKG9PtkfvR1LF0hP84CIQ1DqQRw1LTMBp4ULL1IGjcoAgYbhMPPopYTJ5zkWEC26b0Oz7oBwUOSBqD9Mm3SixnZ5SuiA47Mq5s-9aHWDiT7y_/s3983/IMG_8997.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3983" data-original-width="2546" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YEoThy35r_lPAqIGQdEo9isPF2GRl5dh0A97JPS_K0oXK_NmfREgxMfBpPeTEEovVWB1ztuHeldDRo1FKG9PtkfvR1LF0hP84CIQ1DqQRw1LTMBp4ULL1IGjcoAgYbhMPPopYTJ5zkWEC26b0Oz7oBwUOSBqD9Mm3SixnZ5SuiA47Mq5s-9aHWDiT7y_/w410-h640/IMG_8997.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-_0eEpzrn4F-03HPtvzMPhd6Q3LOE-GYw2XOz3YP_D55fnfZOMcCC6ZyS7Dfj66KgFT9G3gTTU2TXAQnsoCEbVVNtLGAtwI7Tjn-A0n90ryr7fGcyMGvlBY-JOwE3FQkPcSyw6AV_yPk7y8OO9s490nSKywY9Cqf_TRYtyI6SNWPpxwDDiQEQhsBkECP/s4032/IMG_9002.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-_0eEpzrn4F-03HPtvzMPhd6Q3LOE-GYw2XOz3YP_D55fnfZOMcCC6ZyS7Dfj66KgFT9G3gTTU2TXAQnsoCEbVVNtLGAtwI7Tjn-A0n90ryr7fGcyMGvlBY-JOwE3FQkPcSyw6AV_yPk7y8OO9s490nSKywY9Cqf_TRYtyI6SNWPpxwDDiQEQhsBkECP/w480-h640/IMG_9002.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When in Wisconsin - cheese curds!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Fenelon Place Elevator</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We couldn't cross from Wisconsin to Iowa - and over the Mississippi- without stopping at the unique Fenelon Place Elevator. Also known as the Fourth Street Elevator, this funicular railway has been called "the world's steepest, shortest scenic railway." Located in Dubuque, Iowa, this funicular railway, at 296 feet, carries passengers 189 feet from Fourth Street up to Fenelon Place (hence, the two different names) Once at the top, you have views of downtown Dubuque, the Mississippi and three different states - Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIt4NTq-J33md1N4mnnRZ0P0ivflXSotFpFrvB1UywlfJczceofjdrfizBHRSUWoeoeC2GhsVtV4mT1wlZEKTNS28V2tEQvlJE-oM533v1UEFKM5Q7UVf_ifepLOCzdpi9eXDR4sPgzgetCBeQwh2ig2Yba4JOORKQG36hkpQn89ADoO0lIqjBqCgoaJjE/s4032/IMG_9031.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIt4NTq-J33md1N4mnnRZ0P0ivflXSotFpFrvB1UywlfJczceofjdrfizBHRSUWoeoeC2GhsVtV4mT1wlZEKTNS28V2tEQvlJE-oM533v1UEFKM5Q7UVf_ifepLOCzdpi9eXDR4sPgzgetCBeQwh2ig2Yba4JOORKQG36hkpQn89ADoO0lIqjBqCgoaJjE/w480-h640/IMG_9031.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1m9sU5XplumnvKpBAWN-kLGQzLuN8JIRXMQ_DwarihQ60DnJ1eTg2chKd2lz6la3_lvUrCbb5lyIqzjN05cgGCCueAXVNw9lFDIeLA8YOkHBz187A9racQNNOQyQbzj6ZyTmdroAFCdPYNgz9WJboU-mY95WIyUZb-3cJdyUWqFqgzKQ_jp3TkCbW_ZJ9/s4032/IMG_9015.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1m9sU5XplumnvKpBAWN-kLGQzLuN8JIRXMQ_DwarihQ60DnJ1eTg2chKd2lz6la3_lvUrCbb5lyIqzjN05cgGCCueAXVNw9lFDIeLA8YOkHBz187A9racQNNOQyQbzj6ZyTmdroAFCdPYNgz9WJboU-mY95WIyUZb-3cJdyUWqFqgzKQ_jp3TkCbW_ZJ9/w480-h640/IMG_9015.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD8yOGaSZ5Z0tWdOmgttQBl5iisx6oE48hSLd6xNfS-_8y9BqSWvaRLgxUYpGHJunXHdK0HyXsm6hpaCdiHVBHiAPEH0TaEbDa5-Qo1p4Tv9f0lGhmHUF981WjI8YRtpUAnmFtWn_I5I6dA7HJnLUmXxFro6KbZLrnUyY5Qi0sRS6lUIst5CU_FMORxRZu/s3783/IMG_9020.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3783" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD8yOGaSZ5Z0tWdOmgttQBl5iisx6oE48hSLd6xNfS-_8y9BqSWvaRLgxUYpGHJunXHdK0HyXsm6hpaCdiHVBHiAPEH0TaEbDa5-Qo1p4Tv9f0lGhmHUF981WjI8YRtpUAnmFtWn_I5I6dA7HJnLUmXxFro6KbZLrnUyY5Qi0sRS6lUIst5CU_FMORxRZu/w512-h640/IMG_9020.jpeg" width="512" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Built in 1882 by a former State Senator who wanted to go home for lunch to his house on the top of the bluffs - and also have time for a nap - it was modeled after incline railways in Europe. The elevator caught on fire in 1893 but was rebuilt by a band of neighbors who had come to depend on it to get to work. (The cars were rebuilt in 1977 and the motor was upgraded in 2015) If you would like to visit this quirky little railway, the rates are $4 round trip and don't bring your credit card, they only accept cash.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivnlGJkxd2eSTV9bFGLRPVJdMywNXbNQf8weYVkAuO8vCZw124UfVLTi7PMd8m4Zyum4huopBSJIlffhYQA_5VeLrxg6uuLpxJPSUjwvCW3VuNB0v6-cnp1au42dvZxmje8OxC8mP5bf2KZDU4mUw9kixUwY6mzq_jCU3MKxufOkOah2kuDNK9Ke0XWMyG/s4032/IMG_9021.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivnlGJkxd2eSTV9bFGLRPVJdMywNXbNQf8weYVkAuO8vCZw124UfVLTi7PMd8m4Zyum4huopBSJIlffhYQA_5VeLrxg6uuLpxJPSUjwvCW3VuNB0v6-cnp1au42dvZxmje8OxC8mP5bf2KZDU4mUw9kixUwY6mzq_jCU3MKxufOkOah2kuDNK9Ke0XWMyG/w480-h640/IMG_9021.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAgQjW3SDYOhwWh31wgIfhNeoZVCAFJbo3FH6m9Xx7wTJ17I81YtGtwbA-1HIqxM7iz4DTextiDrKXhbBlycUHttB9l0dQEvBwXru0g39zhT6VcxMTG6CHTt2iEGl3MEprx1J10BwbzuGit4kV2ny6MjJx03RWhAdBQL1UryXXBuwKrCJUZMlRzpaTSDY/s4032/IMG_9026.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAgQjW3SDYOhwWh31wgIfhNeoZVCAFJbo3FH6m9Xx7wTJ17I81YtGtwbA-1HIqxM7iz4DTextiDrKXhbBlycUHttB9l0dQEvBwXru0g39zhT6VcxMTG6CHTt2iEGl3MEprx1J10BwbzuGit4kV2ny6MjJx03RWhAdBQL1UryXXBuwKrCJUZMlRzpaTSDY/w640-h480/IMG_9026.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQj_nWQGgKgdsgjWfyfKt_ss0Jo884lumzbWZCuMVkmXrHPIJkqZEc4n3TsYRCvKp4vZ7ACFl1pNPEEuffSg4ueHXkJp9j5KMpIcKf4AJN93NOEkMjKFz6uhEz03VkBJd7mJcN_DOeO3zsfSsWs96e58WWerz2klgIIA_LC-P7Irc-WJfY_CK5DYfygry/s2049/IMG_0032.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2049" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQj_nWQGgKgdsgjWfyfKt_ss0Jo884lumzbWZCuMVkmXrHPIJkqZEc4n3TsYRCvKp4vZ7ACFl1pNPEEuffSg4ueHXkJp9j5KMpIcKf4AJN93NOEkMjKFz6uhEz03VkBJd7mJcN_DOeO3zsfSsWs96e58WWerz2klgIIA_LC-P7Irc-WJfY_CK5DYfygry/w640-h480/IMG_0032.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmimJi7G9tHwFxrgoH3WNPotdFI0ohMn7WUhHXjcjBbWzQe57pMJsiNipMpwYfzMjuKoC1apymAGjitBedDk1oro-mrelv1VZwxG10Jop_6eZNzGoOIjmgjQ6wb_ZzlWCO9rDtJhkTa_0gvUMaefKvOquLXlkjqABLjSqojsSuBSLQuAONiSz9NTE0ANY/s4032/IMG_9027.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmimJi7G9tHwFxrgoH3WNPotdFI0ohMn7WUhHXjcjBbWzQe57pMJsiNipMpwYfzMjuKoC1apymAGjitBedDk1oro-mrelv1VZwxG10Jop_6eZNzGoOIjmgjQ6wb_ZzlWCO9rDtJhkTa_0gvUMaefKvOquLXlkjqABLjSqojsSuBSLQuAONiSz9NTE0ANY/w640-h480/IMG_9027.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-bIE0-U6-gAEfS5uicLFOV_jm7SuG7ME-xbDsvav-vjOKnNCCjsfY_zcprJYzucJU4uTYKP4xjnUyx4IPF8p43Ql6YmCHZtQtXHkI6kWBIwBaHv3z5NQFyZhvTgX17ydaClqfZJjSrPSJQ0_sJIAxi2TEM8-ERS8y3i4MKOlOyAG7D8fm3vxEaVlYLPi/s4032/IMG_9035.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-bIE0-U6-gAEfS5uicLFOV_jm7SuG7ME-xbDsvav-vjOKnNCCjsfY_zcprJYzucJU4uTYKP4xjnUyx4IPF8p43Ql6YmCHZtQtXHkI6kWBIwBaHv3z5NQFyZhvTgX17ydaClqfZJjSrPSJQ0_sJIAxi2TEM8-ERS8y3i4MKOlOyAG7D8fm3vxEaVlYLPi/w480-h640/IMG_9035.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Field of Dreams</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Field of Dreams was a 1989 movie starring Kevin Costner, Ray Liotta, James Earl Jones and Amy Madigan. In the movie, Kevin Costner plays a farmer who builds a baseball field in his cornfield that attracts the ghosts of baseball legends. The baseball field in the movie was built by Universal Pictures outside the town of Dyersville, Iowa. When the movie production was complete, the baseball field was left behind. It became a star in its own right with people coming to visit from all over the world. You can visit year round - from sunrise to sunset - and see the actual baseball field, cornfields and house from the movie.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqb0TTufMaPCGNv_zGxIKmcxjobfnvxN8H7IGutXIv-HTTHSWIFWUO75Mzf6_95SJguOAKtD0JWctUn3IzLUwaQ4r926cAqBsLgepfsFNEil-K7iwlxMPSEyBW4lvLoZN2B7mfYBGe7jPwFj7hTjEw_C5JITKltzTzm18W5j9aACIjDLLaZSxma7F0DF8g/s3587/IMG_9053.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3587" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqb0TTufMaPCGNv_zGxIKmcxjobfnvxN8H7IGutXIv-HTTHSWIFWUO75Mzf6_95SJguOAKtD0JWctUn3IzLUwaQ4r926cAqBsLgepfsFNEil-K7iwlxMPSEyBW4lvLoZN2B7mfYBGe7jPwFj7hTjEw_C5JITKltzTzm18W5j9aACIjDLLaZSxma7F0DF8g/w640-h540/IMG_9053.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimm_MrLZhT1EenQrV84sLGkjdFVy9hsIsBkEnD4qqCDk4o9_SPOiz6A5FqBAnHlPc5CpA9Brd_5wnTSp2SM8MOisZCutZ4jMGiGWIeyVIh-aZAnYDmlJslpu6Scy353hiO8Fz-BaqmxY1SquWVYHKGpP5wT2ih_RFW3VUl0ebjg1adllHzEZsWfsf-JypU/s4032/IMG_9037.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimm_MrLZhT1EenQrV84sLGkjdFVy9hsIsBkEnD4qqCDk4o9_SPOiz6A5FqBAnHlPc5CpA9Brd_5wnTSp2SM8MOisZCutZ4jMGiGWIeyVIh-aZAnYDmlJslpu6Scy353hiO8Fz-BaqmxY1SquWVYHKGpP5wT2ih_RFW3VUl0ebjg1adllHzEZsWfsf-JypU/w640-h480/IMG_9037.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We had visited the Field of Dreams about 10 years ago and serendipitously happened upon an actual baseball game being played on the field by actors- who actually walked out of the corn just like in the movie. Our daughter had never been to the Field of Dreams, though, and it was close to where we would be so a visit here was once again possible.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaIOmLtokQdb76PdAYSqJ66tGt5Yl1AIqyTWI3ngSwlGmJk5_o-AxrYNxO-u5xvHlRBlWhzcl6I0sef2FTs3Y0nWSUM3MMkpkaiTHrqSxlVH3S5qDPQobYssIgmmMqeqSFzImeOlK6CHTE8y7zzcFT3GkBMuBmd0arHfCI_429uYtaxUKmghedAxt7XAy/s4032/IMG_9050.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaIOmLtokQdb76PdAYSqJ66tGt5Yl1AIqyTWI3ngSwlGmJk5_o-AxrYNxO-u5xvHlRBlWhzcl6I0sef2FTs3Y0nWSUM3MMkpkaiTHrqSxlVH3S5qDPQobYssIgmmMqeqSFzImeOlK6CHTE8y7zzcFT3GkBMuBmd0arHfCI_429uYtaxUKmghedAxt7XAy/w640-h480/IMG_9050.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz27jknlM2OvTPxIrqR7A5c4U8AZBB49RBc51DhsGr8x529BVJUtckqhY-jYDK1D6i5g1kKKOlZWi6j5xqQ0fnoXGpMbmcHgRdAkbUIR19XI0EHNfLWsehPnu8hQ1szlEuTC0GaCWD4-GpMxsiMNc-6x_AoGIilazN_vMZouuRD0tikKKOAvkuUa_-eMsK/s4032/IMG_9043.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz27jknlM2OvTPxIrqR7A5c4U8AZBB49RBc51DhsGr8x529BVJUtckqhY-jYDK1D6i5g1kKKOlZWi6j5xqQ0fnoXGpMbmcHgRdAkbUIR19XI0EHNfLWsehPnu8hQ1szlEuTC0GaCWD4-GpMxsiMNc-6x_AoGIilazN_vMZouuRD0tikKKOAvkuUa_-eMsK/w640-h480/IMG_9043.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpyo4B9u6CGWUsJ44Qval-jPGmsnWULIGZDItrVLjST3GVPhmw8AbdL_jwwC74aLcV90X5YivWnxpmhvqN1fNt26E9NhXiEWRhKNYsenJT3XQSbAH__UkMbEtJoiEebE66DhX4S4NXo1-W5px86uwlnrS_IqvzLSDyyY4AC2fwfnnbywoF_7xOms5BuCjB/s4032/IMG_9044.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpyo4B9u6CGWUsJ44Qval-jPGmsnWULIGZDItrVLjST3GVPhmw8AbdL_jwwC74aLcV90X5YivWnxpmhvqN1fNt26E9NhXiEWRhKNYsenJT3XQSbAH__UkMbEtJoiEebE66DhX4S4NXo1-W5px86uwlnrS_IqvzLSDyyY4AC2fwfnnbywoF_7xOms5BuCjB/w640-h480/IMG_9044.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsd5kp-ktXe5np4CZyCzVQWL-YZEkqTJ-30B7T8-78IwV6idOL-Uibs4sSasO6BWCXh4ElPKQfMo5IVF7Kv6mm9X2wRV18NcDgTYu4R-m0SZRWRAkhiaRHthzN-tdepJxuua6OPbAcRkAxsJwuaFI6XSHWgVuhNrFy-yh5iiIDNmFEwASYel0WdWGgEz6m/s4032/IMG_9045.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsd5kp-ktXe5np4CZyCzVQWL-YZEkqTJ-30B7T8-78IwV6idOL-Uibs4sSasO6BWCXh4ElPKQfMo5IVF7Kv6mm9X2wRV18NcDgTYu4R-m0SZRWRAkhiaRHthzN-tdepJxuua6OPbAcRkAxsJwuaFI6XSHWgVuhNrFy-yh5iiIDNmFEwASYel0WdWGgEz6m/w480-h640/IMG_9045.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Things have changed here quite a bit since our first visit. Major League Baseball now holds a game here each year - the stands can seat 8,000 fans. That game has necessitated a barn that holds a gift shop, bathrooms and the farmhouse has turned into lodging. There is also a bigger parking lot with a "gatehouse" to enter - with donations requested. And the day we were visiting there was a wedding taking place! So the Field of Dreams has gone big time. Still it's an enjoyable place to spend an hour in the cornfields of Iowa. Especially if you like "film tourism" - seeing where movies have been filmed.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhRtWwM4j8tXVTRqvKgdt64V6c68CLxLcVdj7qILIBeJ6XIDhdCrI6sX1jWLh-0NFmL5jW0iwbOHsjlAm0cSQe55bcSJYqwaRxywRDif1GGfhGvzrXZQh6uYFbTfSJlP9I7CM5p-jYEajzj3Ha5QQdpMYMXJ8iaOm98fd6QrplwMqBb2VAgUUzCGmR1Jm/s4032/IMG_9048.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhRtWwM4j8tXVTRqvKgdt64V6c68CLxLcVdj7qILIBeJ6XIDhdCrI6sX1jWLh-0NFmL5jW0iwbOHsjlAm0cSQe55bcSJYqwaRxywRDif1GGfhGvzrXZQh6uYFbTfSJlP9I7CM5p-jYEajzj3Ha5QQdpMYMXJ8iaOm98fd6QrplwMqBb2VAgUUzCGmR1Jm/w640-h480/IMG_9048.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNbAuOmdLpbzT0V1RdhYMdOH0PTtg7tP9yjxd0IMc_-1-i7oj8ca9HEwCNUzr-27Jtu5llE6r75dYx9ZvRbMw7IUbc61qNvHcK27myP_Pj4m-cSHHJlMOdbdiLFxEab6Xvt5a6mFrnkuFdCM5UbUR6ZH94Lr5CnlRa5MZz1oGap7Y9pv70tkLSL5lqKnG/s3518/IMG_9051.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3518" data-original-width="2787" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNbAuOmdLpbzT0V1RdhYMdOH0PTtg7tP9yjxd0IMc_-1-i7oj8ca9HEwCNUzr-27Jtu5llE6r75dYx9ZvRbMw7IUbc61qNvHcK27myP_Pj4m-cSHHJlMOdbdiLFxEab6Xvt5a6mFrnkuFdCM5UbUR6ZH94Lr5CnlRa5MZz1oGap7Y9pv70tkLSL5lqKnG/w508-h640/IMG_9051.jpeg" width="508" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Driftless Area</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After visiting the Field of Dreams, we drove north along the Mississippi River until we reached McGregor, Iowa, which is nestled between the Mississippi and Iowa's river bluffs. It's Main Street is listed on the National Register for Historic Districts and it is the endpoint of the River Bluff Scenic Byway.We stopped at this small town for lunch - and since it was Saturday afternoon, a football viewing - at a local place right on the town square. (The town square uniquely had pianos in it that you could play)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5TV8MVqfXsbw38054RVJvzBAcbbD7ZOMuMJ02H5Nj6xOEhNmNzY5-iCvCFj0lICwfeJBGoy9bfb8fsWlMicdcn11zUvirmYaqvm-oS8Y-Qk1aTzlK_I21d-fnmR6zp98HcpZ2GrPJOpwPsWDdXNpiYlw_PTycF1fOGulGRD9rejkeHHEH9Zy_Gtz7PPi/s4032/IMG_9069.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5TV8MVqfXsbw38054RVJvzBAcbbD7ZOMuMJ02H5Nj6xOEhNmNzY5-iCvCFj0lICwfeJBGoy9bfb8fsWlMicdcn11zUvirmYaqvm-oS8Y-Qk1aTzlK_I21d-fnmR6zp98HcpZ2GrPJOpwPsWDdXNpiYlw_PTycF1fOGulGRD9rejkeHHEH9Zy_Gtz7PPi/w640-h480/IMG_9069.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfCl91uR0OxCQRnlTFka_Lqod9ZYgOvXpxBRP7FxhtSvYy6IFb0WJfa98C1aaIjzzzg4m72CGjGvrKgWmCHgmm3q41HRLl2heZANMk3JmofQSo2GeNKxZV8G6MH_Sw0I9lUBQRdtSoaK3TUcc7F0q9_y_UGjFuQ3B8dxLC24uRlFc5ANKvaJjJ4Pf1sst/s4032/IMG_9070.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfCl91uR0OxCQRnlTFka_Lqod9ZYgOvXpxBRP7FxhtSvYy6IFb0WJfa98C1aaIjzzzg4m72CGjGvrKgWmCHgmm3q41HRLl2heZANMk3JmofQSo2GeNKxZV8G6MH_Sw0I9lUBQRdtSoaK3TUcc7F0q9_y_UGjFuQ3B8dxLC24uRlFc5ANKvaJjJ4Pf1sst/w480-h640/IMG_9070.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After lunch we stopped at a viewing platform to see the Mighty Mississippi from the river bluffs.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJz0hG0wcxEI0O9nGx8WJFIaiD0Rn417xDCGEJG5DFzwgZJaW0Qd66YqFUpP9mm2xmx0GroBR-Af9lWeRREjoNXrksk6sIVkrUQ4Pj1KsB9oFJl3UcHQRwwLTr20jW4dx-ORy91aTPmSeXxVe668qnOmZsfh9kahre-0xH9rjVO6UISBQx1gbqJJC1OadG/s4032/IMG_9068.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJz0hG0wcxEI0O9nGx8WJFIaiD0Rn417xDCGEJG5DFzwgZJaW0Qd66YqFUpP9mm2xmx0GroBR-Af9lWeRREjoNXrksk6sIVkrUQ4Pj1KsB9oFJl3UcHQRwwLTr20jW4dx-ORy91aTPmSeXxVe668qnOmZsfh9kahre-0xH9rjVO6UISBQx1gbqJJC1OadG/w640-h480/IMG_9068.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6KTLe77REKY8Z-4TOZ7_8gf3SjvzSBTTYiZT2nHQc1E-Pgo3ZtEETeWwkW5zJqiv1axB_alkUt1TF9hecr1zzxgXTkqtgesMy5DINYfLEgOXTbQrH_TJWsfqZrC15Gaagck_KpSg4szlNdjyo7LDwmIGv9SycLSkUtA0mUZ9JFKlRqlz9mpHR0K0vQz6/s4032/IMG_9076.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6KTLe77REKY8Z-4TOZ7_8gf3SjvzSBTTYiZT2nHQc1E-Pgo3ZtEETeWwkW5zJqiv1axB_alkUt1TF9hecr1zzxgXTkqtgesMy5DINYfLEgOXTbQrH_TJWsfqZrC15Gaagck_KpSg4szlNdjyo7LDwmIGv9SycLSkUtA0mUZ9JFKlRqlz9mpHR0K0vQz6/w640-h480/IMG_9076.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHZJO7n04F-NcOeWJam_qV-ejc0e_BQc9rBaJgS6eneOI__lwd3WAyHihnRYjv4LHOylwjnDWllcu2nD74DkHDvBuxC_xIPujq3NZ_2AMzRFCuFEwnT6qQQMGHqT7iYVbzzJ1fajbQz9hAo0etjPiEDj6BWBicn_6RoMOrIn-Yrt4EnLjrEUPUhr5hnid/s3557/IMG_9085.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2668" data-original-width="3557" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHZJO7n04F-NcOeWJam_qV-ejc0e_BQc9rBaJgS6eneOI__lwd3WAyHihnRYjv4LHOylwjnDWllcu2nD74DkHDvBuxC_xIPujq3NZ_2AMzRFCuFEwnT6qQQMGHqT7iYVbzzJ1fajbQz9hAo0etjPiEDj6BWBicn_6RoMOrIn-Yrt4EnLjrEUPUhr5hnid/w640-h480/IMG_9085.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Once we crossed the Mississippi, we were back in Wisconsin. And our afternoon was spent driving the Driftless Area - an area which includes some 24,000 square miles that was bypassed by the last continental glacier. The name Driftless refers to a lack of "glacial drift" or deposits of silt, gravel and rock which glaciers usually leave behind and has caused this unique terrain. It's a steep, rugged landscape with the largest concentration of cold water streams in the world - which made for a pleasant afternoon of driving until we reached Wollersheim Winery.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVOKefkYFX7GiH_Awwa6Y3g3PZ7sGAX52sSrgwn2DlGh0dX4vTBNf1gguiI7smQjF-YkE-nhiKNQqcyTvRkYlVHNQXmwewpDidouMoW9eLPzadRTU6-xFXPRD3Nhx2z91aB4I70IPHhT1idEwOJPAr5Vv2cbTVcU7NcHmyCYr_vYn61hLedR4CVUF5ok0P/s4032/IMG_9092.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVOKefkYFX7GiH_Awwa6Y3g3PZ7sGAX52sSrgwn2DlGh0dX4vTBNf1gguiI7smQjF-YkE-nhiKNQqcyTvRkYlVHNQXmwewpDidouMoW9eLPzadRTU6-xFXPRD3Nhx2z91aB4I70IPHhT1idEwOJPAr5Vv2cbTVcU7NcHmyCYr_vYn61hLedR4CVUF5ok0P/w640-h480/IMG_9092.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Wollersheim Winery</b></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfY6jVoFqOEUzCd4n4T_sZw6Jj4ndXXgS2nV0ImCDHmh9BjkT88A27SiOl2mqKsks1V1k8TckPpjrUkIKcW9iu4ttJQBy3dfCtFbV35GoAB6YBHaOqpRD8qdhM2fZIujXkVFjHkM5elOd-8__2cGGHM6XT8rDqw8gHHxqKj9OoiA_5rdHONKXn1yd0g4ys/s4032/IMG_9099.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfY6jVoFqOEUzCd4n4T_sZw6Jj4ndXXgS2nV0ImCDHmh9BjkT88A27SiOl2mqKsks1V1k8TckPpjrUkIKcW9iu4ttJQBy3dfCtFbV35GoAB6YBHaOqpRD8qdhM2fZIujXkVFjHkM5elOd-8__2cGGHM6XT8rDqw8gHHxqKj9OoiA_5rdHONKXn1yd0g4ys/w480-h640/IMG_9099.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">I'm a sucker for a pretty winery. And Wollersheim Winery in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin is a stunner. Founded in the 1840's by a Hungarian immigrant, the winery was in operation until Prohibition when it was turned into a dairy farm. In 1972 the Wollersheim family purchased the property and turned it back into a winery even though Wisconsin was not known for wine making. The family concentrated on making wine from cold hardy grapes and it became a success. In 1984, they hired a new winemaker, Phillipe Coquard, from France and he created their most popular wine, Prairie Fume. </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjba4vIzT_x7hu43s3-KVpPY2L8JRvyFhH5s2kpFrBANq794iYR1_Yvft-vJKDiA7luhj4ElWF1pKFXiJuxqNRvC_loCzvnWJI9zW7_XtHWtXwGdljA8IjhNO2nhr1sHrOVqer80D7vPnMPawhZPODfdKvRThtpcbcpz9aCqMtKgzi8HejvECR-WySJtFr9/s4032/IMG_9101.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjba4vIzT_x7hu43s3-KVpPY2L8JRvyFhH5s2kpFrBANq794iYR1_Yvft-vJKDiA7luhj4ElWF1pKFXiJuxqNRvC_loCzvnWJI9zW7_XtHWtXwGdljA8IjhNO2nhr1sHrOVqer80D7vPnMPawhZPODfdKvRThtpcbcpz9aCqMtKgzi8HejvECR-WySJtFr9/w640-h480/IMG_9101.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8p6JGinp5t6_GFykZEbr4lOH1ei6lfj4wJew98ij7335Y7M5crGzCXNUajs_y_abXikWaAb9ZuUpPL3Xre87C0YGNKWCbWLTtSAUXny2uSJOZmRz-QssnMK4ikMHbkJ7RQe8i3zNAB1P4yyOYzwnXIWUE3KgLF8hYtJD5J9gfLRJ97vMJGbb-tXY9zbvL/s4032/IMG_9107.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8p6JGinp5t6_GFykZEbr4lOH1ei6lfj4wJew98ij7335Y7M5crGzCXNUajs_y_abXikWaAb9ZuUpPL3Xre87C0YGNKWCbWLTtSAUXny2uSJOZmRz-QssnMK4ikMHbkJ7RQe8i3zNAB1P4yyOYzwnXIWUE3KgLF8hYtJD5J9gfLRJ97vMJGbb-tXY9zbvL/w480-h640/IMG_9107.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTXgyoHiAif-NYYJgb37mK-MxENk1BOodsaIcOtnrxWNyWYGn08eQN1C7z59trNyfLMnqnJu3P4lRApJsmVn7qdJ2GJe0LPOk2rz-F0yIiEDg59R1N1iZo0yg0RfcftuRV7GCZCFtC4BqSinHw8ZuH2JXzJNCS4BKk8Lh_m83b0XZ3LTqY9676Gd-PE-K/s4032/IMG_9108.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTXgyoHiAif-NYYJgb37mK-MxENk1BOodsaIcOtnrxWNyWYGn08eQN1C7z59trNyfLMnqnJu3P4lRApJsmVn7qdJ2GJe0LPOk2rz-F0yIiEDg59R1N1iZo0yg0RfcftuRV7GCZCFtC4BqSinHw8ZuH2JXzJNCS4BKk8Lh_m83b0XZ3LTqY9676Gd-PE-K/w640-h480/IMG_9108.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Today the winery is a National Historic Site and has won many awards for its wine. You can visit the winery and do a seated tasting, a winery guided walking tour, a wine flight tasting or enjoy a self-guided winery tasting in the garden - we chose the latter as we only had about an hour until closing time. (</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">You can also walk into the wine cave and read about the history of the winery) The garden is delightful with limited balcony seating and many levels of other seating. We were lucky enough to nab a table right outside the door with views of the vineyard.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoY_KiznsuAtF2o1fcmRySmfhUeRjOZdysUTH3Na4cWfG8HooukG9ZXvikr8AK6laAO7BEK-kTFbfu0oomK4jVpK_D44MvqWOQZVphnhy2A21cZYQU7KGVcE5qqevloELa0jP-kab5e5cYtOOrH8NS3M29j_6lYmuQrPlSKVcXn0yVGIT5cX3psJMwIcZv/s4032/IMG_9109.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoY_KiznsuAtF2o1fcmRySmfhUeRjOZdysUTH3Na4cWfG8HooukG9ZXvikr8AK6laAO7BEK-kTFbfu0oomK4jVpK_D44MvqWOQZVphnhy2A21cZYQU7KGVcE5qqevloELa0jP-kab5e5cYtOOrH8NS3M29j_6lYmuQrPlSKVcXn0yVGIT5cX3psJMwIcZv/w480-h640/IMG_9109.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoR_Ch8YwsxJstQoV3VmNDs8Q_P5CRLEdF2CLWtPGkXtlqdzGhr6BbkvBDqEaQCfZ_gQYS-52SxLGuGEasiS84VGSgZltMdK6K5PUY6S8JDCILmx-YGLpTyvPx4ROR0GLYXD937RLwiTpQnaetnf10gMp_HQjyqt6evzWD_MhXyk5m29JJlVbpkbm81FoI/s4032/IMG_9110.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoR_Ch8YwsxJstQoV3VmNDs8Q_P5CRLEdF2CLWtPGkXtlqdzGhr6BbkvBDqEaQCfZ_gQYS-52SxLGuGEasiS84VGSgZltMdK6K5PUY6S8JDCILmx-YGLpTyvPx4ROR0GLYXD937RLwiTpQnaetnf10gMp_HQjyqt6evzWD_MhXyk5m29JJlVbpkbm81FoI/w480-h640/IMG_9110.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvYCk5xFoHDX0nJnlHUITGVlZG3sFmI3NfIFJvpW-69esKy33LWQPmEBjL_4mVQ9f_DXlxtcCyxwohiymYKwQgTeoJxai0j2sNH6c6OqhJYIf1DPxj-gV6o4Mdo_ptP2UaP3q_8eE8pF2krIhK5yAfsGL39nnWnslfq6zQHzqqFlI6WWdwN6mAnaww1Dh/s4032/IMG_9111.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvYCk5xFoHDX0nJnlHUITGVlZG3sFmI3NfIFJvpW-69esKy33LWQPmEBjL_4mVQ9f_DXlxtcCyxwohiymYKwQgTeoJxai0j2sNH6c6OqhJYIf1DPxj-gV6o4Mdo_ptP2UaP3q_8eE8pF2krIhK5yAfsGL39nnWnslfq6zQHzqqFlI6WWdwN6mAnaww1Dh/w640-h480/IMG_9111.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggK1zaSD_D4WJhNwSNGtaONVZ6VKwVbtIsRego_SXfIkw_lJBvUx_nmUxv7GYUYQCanSzfoyte-yQ3I33dpXNJEdVo25G6h37CoaO6rXkLrbk8F2A_P06UN3q4URAxltgufaEauHQzoA9YA62wkpn6jrRwd1x9RNmvgxrP5MyowsGGAI9Pxjq3YylJojLx/s4032/IMG_9125.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2613" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggK1zaSD_D4WJhNwSNGtaONVZ6VKwVbtIsRego_SXfIkw_lJBvUx_nmUxv7GYUYQCanSzfoyte-yQ3I33dpXNJEdVo25G6h37CoaO6rXkLrbk8F2A_P06UN3q4URAxltgufaEauHQzoA9YA62wkpn6jrRwd1x9RNmvgxrP5MyowsGGAI9Pxjq3YylJojLx/w414-h640/IMG_9125.jpeg" width="414" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqUvTeFXRHuVWRhXkaYqoHqoQlSS5vxM6TAzme2IBSzwmqxUV-wAFWN69wfMYn7A9XT4KYDsXXplk3-p59MoYBZl8hhj7nIAo2zDcENeNTAddEqMgATyYtNQHgEK3l9-7mPjXOYO3ynK3cbT462Twg6Bg4QUw2whRLf7YTwMrlQJ7yfwotvV63S7IlyX2n/s4032/IMG_9128.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqUvTeFXRHuVWRhXkaYqoHqoQlSS5vxM6TAzme2IBSzwmqxUV-wAFWN69wfMYn7A9XT4KYDsXXplk3-p59MoYBZl8hhj7nIAo2zDcENeNTAddEqMgATyYtNQHgEK3l9-7mPjXOYO3ynK3cbT462Twg6Bg4QUw2whRLf7YTwMrlQJ7yfwotvV63S7IlyX2n/w640-h480/IMG_9128.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Or if you're feeling a bit hungry, you can dine at the Wollersheim Bistro where all the food is made from scratch. And you know you can enjoy some good wine with your meal!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLraqI2ufzDXChgXlGoej1vgQxRTAtO1Q8yCp8hUv4OmibOrBimEheO_UbsXDTUEL6GTS4pr9UqAyKcWrq5CdVV9qPe7eZaPHfE6EhBezD967ljmxHmvsQFkxqil4hMq_Ef45_hQnWzK7DH9J9LOex_JzecSMgoJvUnNsajdw_wB7jFjUzva7pEwnP580/s4032/IMG_9119.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLraqI2ufzDXChgXlGoej1vgQxRTAtO1Q8yCp8hUv4OmibOrBimEheO_UbsXDTUEL6GTS4pr9UqAyKcWrq5CdVV9qPe7eZaPHfE6EhBezD967ljmxHmvsQFkxqil4hMq_Ef45_hQnWzK7DH9J9LOex_JzecSMgoJvUnNsajdw_wB7jFjUzva7pEwnP580/w480-h640/IMG_9119.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yevo7XLWPGgKTLM7wxplJ8J5-R2_iAkrksuG0IThlja-3wgw4l8kZ5UGql7oHPZ7oq0frqrtZcWgoO6ikGzo1sIsDMXiJEscrwOxWdt4DU_3y-su4c082zpiluqccxcuBzmjs0aEtTL1UU0lAH6fEFBBcs8RXPqycqRhbfQCNHlCfL453VMoGV9dKDzz/s4032/IMG_9127.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yevo7XLWPGgKTLM7wxplJ8J5-R2_iAkrksuG0IThlja-3wgw4l8kZ5UGql7oHPZ7oq0frqrtZcWgoO6ikGzo1sIsDMXiJEscrwOxWdt4DU_3y-su4c082zpiluqccxcuBzmjs0aEtTL1UU0lAH6fEFBBcs8RXPqycqRhbfQCNHlCfL453VMoGV9dKDzz/w480-h640/IMG_9127.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvRB7bZzYfQTS3UdEKggAWDAKC4eLFdQFUp_l148rEYRdlbR6HQypEx8NokpM2ZrkL4fGW9NlUVcYGbn69_GNcjzGVZaKVFZilNmFGoMANlvNNGGEmvNtDGJsFHPeb3U9WmJjVSSo96I1WCQCyCF2UiLNnj4Xg9mOUUcZCFYddTLAcjTn6MJTn-vp5ova/s4032/IMG_9136.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvRB7bZzYfQTS3UdEKggAWDAKC4eLFdQFUp_l148rEYRdlbR6HQypEx8NokpM2ZrkL4fGW9NlUVcYGbn69_GNcjzGVZaKVFZilNmFGoMANlvNNGGEmvNtDGJsFHPeb3U9WmJjVSSo96I1WCQCyCF2UiLNnj4Xg9mOUUcZCFYddTLAcjTn6MJTn-vp5ova/w480-h640/IMG_9136.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQo2A7U9iZ22NHcmEuRSThdxAET4iF0x9FAiDSHK6F-FOuYjIRgI-h-1pscffvlHbHLAulcdAvtUPkkZL9xAYB00KoNEm6XAkx8DLkzyFBhDW2fg_TxtUNH1szKFkmoPw3B5XnyNFxTvzC6s113K7OqBIYw30OB5Z_jW1S-wDbz818txaBx9R9HFtu0bE/s4032/IMG_9138.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQo2A7U9iZ22NHcmEuRSThdxAET4iF0x9FAiDSHK6F-FOuYjIRgI-h-1pscffvlHbHLAulcdAvtUPkkZL9xAYB00KoNEm6XAkx8DLkzyFBhDW2fg_TxtUNH1szKFkmoPw3B5XnyNFxTvzC6s113K7OqBIYw30OB5Z_jW1S-wDbz818txaBx9R9HFtu0bE/w640-h480/IMG_9138.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Door County</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We'd been to Door County before so I knew I wanted to return. Door County has 300 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline that includes wineries, breweries, quaint little communities and beaches to be explored. Known as the Cape Cod of the Midwest, I so love it here. We only had a day to visit - it's about 2 1/2 hours drive from Milwaukee - but I think we made the most of it. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMj01p4Yq6DCPz-S2Bs3IYtgYZtUnOklilwhgoUyrEBloKTX1sXBQX5buFj2wE9ZWtZnCrCFLT-pPhvcAQI_GfOvQc-dbB_z4nNPzystSpFL-N3Qdb4p1d7sEsQC2dHTVisjqIYCaOaiFUbcl3NXPqSxg7SannWa89wWiXzcF9bJ6ktZlzdjjLy1gNAzoA/s3051/IMG_9284.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2288" data-original-width="3051" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMj01p4Yq6DCPz-S2Bs3IYtgYZtUnOklilwhgoUyrEBloKTX1sXBQX5buFj2wE9ZWtZnCrCFLT-pPhvcAQI_GfOvQc-dbB_z4nNPzystSpFL-N3Qdb4p1d7sEsQC2dHTVisjqIYCaOaiFUbcl3NXPqSxg7SannWa89wWiXzcF9bJ6ktZlzdjjLy1gNAzoA/w640-h480/IMG_9284.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdncG9gXPEBmYDA9lAPl8EbwKtLz4jsKwAxCqRlfFk7Pc6-Pw-aOJUdjlpemGPcQwEOlY31qnoxPAmx2N2IYAD9NH8dKBZRusY4HBJ3hDFDGSfPgwe0cm5GCRSGba99WH1m9UU6MVNpNQczHsrnV-zYnDDBN7eHs-inRif_0p9wwHQcWtTdYIaEBhUiUX/s4032/IMG_9294.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdncG9gXPEBmYDA9lAPl8EbwKtLz4jsKwAxCqRlfFk7Pc6-Pw-aOJUdjlpemGPcQwEOlY31qnoxPAmx2N2IYAD9NH8dKBZRusY4HBJ3hDFDGSfPgwe0cm5GCRSGba99WH1m9UU6MVNpNQczHsrnV-zYnDDBN7eHs-inRif_0p9wwHQcWtTdYIaEBhUiUX/w640-h480/IMG_9294.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The drive north was beautiful and traffic free. We stopped at Renard's for cheese curd tastings - as one does - and then had lunch in Sturgeon Bay at Door County Fire Company. And that's as far as we made it! We never made it past Sturgeon Bay - each time I've visited - as we decided to stroll the streets and visit a few shops. Our last stop was at Door Peninsula Winery for a wine tasting and a browse around their large gift shop before our drive back to Milwaukee.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBKlx8VhsA3HciVJ3Iw3YjgdpftpKUbAtJHLJAiVdrAOFgEdwltQDHSUaZZcq_trzaxgU9cKonk3u7l8s1QUmDV0STQpX4mNmD9dUfYWeCXU68pWLTpLtcVxt_mn0IUKtalVVcJvy-g4PWx4ImDKILPAylbZM7lmWBm82Q2h4DSPIP1Ia5S2pfLfoJ7rc/s4032/IMG_9288.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBKlx8VhsA3HciVJ3Iw3YjgdpftpKUbAtJHLJAiVdrAOFgEdwltQDHSUaZZcq_trzaxgU9cKonk3u7l8s1QUmDV0STQpX4mNmD9dUfYWeCXU68pWLTpLtcVxt_mn0IUKtalVVcJvy-g4PWx4ImDKILPAylbZM7lmWBm82Q2h4DSPIP1Ia5S2pfLfoJ7rc/w480-h640/IMG_9288.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">more cheese curds</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDa7czNYZa30G7CvGTOIaP_xwVBipAWQuia_VTqrzIdu6xrQonhTPVjdB0Qvh4UM6CO52iK2HvmmPx1fAevY2mx30M6pLgkh8S1enbJVD63ij098zshDUOa2a5iL45iuda1-Xx_ZeFa3h2Qjw-zpbJ-tRQJu_mpP-NiNGVgu-Va3h_a_IXNa1lk-Uaknli/s3608/IMG_9290.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3608" data-original-width="2706" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDa7czNYZa30G7CvGTOIaP_xwVBipAWQuia_VTqrzIdu6xrQonhTPVjdB0Qvh4UM6CO52iK2HvmmPx1fAevY2mx30M6pLgkh8S1enbJVD63ij098zshDUOa2a5iL45iuda1-Xx_ZeFa3h2Qjw-zpbJ-tRQJu_mpP-NiNGVgu-Va3h_a_IXNa1lk-Uaknli/w480-h640/IMG_9290.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKeVhyphenhyphenXsuOiYt_JEyiZNktDZn2PGBVXr4ZhJBFYvymkECDLaXizYqWgzbUD_3S_kA4QvzQlzj4JW4zLxYquywm1tgvv-kfMDFa6dwUwTinnvm9yIqdriPvoSwB5NjqZRTrRvE-RZRZ71m4-FoKTnWGFgzzDmbi4551v734uwKTcZ2BkSbTpiycpjLTYxk/s4032/IMG_9292.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKeVhyphenhyphenXsuOiYt_JEyiZNktDZn2PGBVXr4ZhJBFYvymkECDLaXizYqWgzbUD_3S_kA4QvzQlzj4JW4zLxYquywm1tgvv-kfMDFa6dwUwTinnvm9yIqdriPvoSwB5NjqZRTrRvE-RZRZ71m4-FoKTnWGFgzzDmbi4551v734uwKTcZ2BkSbTpiycpjLTYxk/w640-h480/IMG_9292.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcM8Lc-SjPaJ7mfCJZ9TqNYqUvq6pXdKb7eF2VnkF2tUp5HQ5nzNb3DsRED0-QkMT3qOMSzOiRpWCTIftPBWqWBCHjZ3HO4gZ4JrscuQkAFUpjSSlmlfCovLDgET-jmB4ucTd6wD7cLVGzNeEbCVk-9cdWdlGg_xilo12JkCpDRdJHaRJXIFOBiw25vV1/s4032/IMG_9297.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcM8Lc-SjPaJ7mfCJZ9TqNYqUvq6pXdKb7eF2VnkF2tUp5HQ5nzNb3DsRED0-QkMT3qOMSzOiRpWCTIftPBWqWBCHjZ3HO4gZ4JrscuQkAFUpjSSlmlfCovLDgET-jmB4ucTd6wD7cLVGzNeEbCVk-9cdWdlGg_xilo12JkCpDRdJHaRJXIFOBiw25vV1/w640-h480/IMG_9297.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhER6GkocKdyMfHUKOlZaUgJOSd6bPiWqXDXt1akwZAEcdijInXQAjty5cVa2hXzr0ANvQfS_T3yefdCy4cp-YsgOTWou4vKXS0cHZqHsv3MIo3w8Cejj1bFbVl05M4ItDKtU3IA4KT54a5luRrVIOHa8zKeOeNXHF1rmlvqu1bEdeU1gmuXNo-JrqlVxSy/s4032/IMG_9298.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhER6GkocKdyMfHUKOlZaUgJOSd6bPiWqXDXt1akwZAEcdijInXQAjty5cVa2hXzr0ANvQfS_T3yefdCy4cp-YsgOTWou4vKXS0cHZqHsv3MIo3w8Cejj1bFbVl05M4ItDKtU3IA4KT54a5luRrVIOHa8zKeOeNXHF1rmlvqu1bEdeU1gmuXNo-JrqlVxSy/w640-h480/IMG_9298.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We still had another 2 1/2 hours on the road so it was time to hightail it back to Milwaukee. Bye Door County! Someday I hope to make it back - and further north on the peninsula than Sturgeons Bay!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZR3vqQ8hysrfBpSIaQCKSc9_IvuM8bSm-dToUNxFdGcST4QK32FiBtSIMgyXYsTNO44yy0cHyCaPtC0kTewQ-K2-o4z55Y-X4BXsQ8vzyxuimRZk4Zpi6Iuoq-zKjAUE5NT9Vc2mkUVwIuotiuOLmh-zSFTxCTNKV0ERI5hzc9b216tQ50zvN5b8zZgi/s3659/IMG_9300.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2744" data-original-width="3659" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZR3vqQ8hysrfBpSIaQCKSc9_IvuM8bSm-dToUNxFdGcST4QK32FiBtSIMgyXYsTNO44yy0cHyCaPtC0kTewQ-K2-o4z55Y-X4BXsQ8vzyxuimRZk4Zpi6Iuoq-zKjAUE5NT9Vc2mkUVwIuotiuOLmh-zSFTxCTNKV0ERI5hzc9b216tQ50zvN5b8zZgi/w640-h480/IMG_9300.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Downtown Milwaukee</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">We spent a </span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">fun day touring around downtown Milwaukee visiting the Milwaukee Art Museum, walking along the riverfront and enjoying beverages and lunch at a brewery. Milwaukee is a very walkable and "small town feel" city. This was a Sunday afternoon and for the downtown of a city, it felt eerily quiet. It might have been so subdued because the Green Bay Packers were playing a game that day. So maybe that was it? I enjoyed our visit very much though - I'm sure the fantastic weather helped a bit - and I would certainly make a return visit.</span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbZPMa8WQqpv3Q7VHyEiUcAUNWXeWF-U1U5tci-rikSUqgoAOmiqvCvgY_FALge2aY4Lhst3cgBV9Wb7Zbj8oAfQP_SXF2cYfDvlm5iACI3AMwKAmYvxz3EK-Mg5rYlVgh9D7FrwQfsMD7EZJ86uvXLSXDHn8ainG5MSn99b81d5EL-06ckNB2-7n8EoC/s4032/IMG_9226.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbZPMa8WQqpv3Q7VHyEiUcAUNWXeWF-U1U5tci-rikSUqgoAOmiqvCvgY_FALge2aY4Lhst3cgBV9Wb7Zbj8oAfQP_SXF2cYfDvlm5iACI3AMwKAmYvxz3EK-Mg5rYlVgh9D7FrwQfsMD7EZJ86uvXLSXDHn8ainG5MSn99b81d5EL-06ckNB2-7n8EoC/w480-h640/IMG_9226.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwTUwfevdt2VEE8SFXqPfjPuKa7C4oUzFOLJoggkebEWeUd_Y9jJ3vE1KHLNdjaPnpiOxqypkBWEZsqkfAb_P3UlHGQRor93kg8t4Xqf_WexR4J1oGmKetGV7EltBZz1WGrAnMRt_1gxBugX65o_6BraClx2rQVrCBKxl1e-iwuBbUG6G9wiBthXHF1L7/s4032/IMG_9195.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwTUwfevdt2VEE8SFXqPfjPuKa7C4oUzFOLJoggkebEWeUd_Y9jJ3vE1KHLNdjaPnpiOxqypkBWEZsqkfAb_P3UlHGQRor93kg8t4Xqf_WexR4J1oGmKetGV7EltBZz1WGrAnMRt_1gxBugX65o_6BraClx2rQVrCBKxl1e-iwuBbUG6G9wiBthXHF1L7/w640-h480/IMG_9195.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbDGz0evg9jtfJtlhMeTd5Dpri8vp4a07De8hgpiekQDx1VtbzGTCoS9C5utyPjW8z8GiBH4-6RitodtUoYIso6jl2cMmMjQooyH5yrbPieIUZMhav2Rl1NOoijxRbtMhAE5sGk6h_rl_LhSFo7M9MQWITX6_cTC7v7KzOQgBrdD9vQCVjkehFhvOT2VM/s4032/IMG_9230.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbDGz0evg9jtfJtlhMeTd5Dpri8vp4a07De8hgpiekQDx1VtbzGTCoS9C5utyPjW8z8GiBH4-6RitodtUoYIso6jl2cMmMjQooyH5yrbPieIUZMhav2Rl1NOoijxRbtMhAE5sGk6h_rl_LhSFo7M9MQWITX6_cTC7v7KzOQgBrdD9vQCVjkehFhvOT2VM/w480-h640/IMG_9230.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKqj0wIuZb00HB26_lUdolnPUZBfgRtoVJ9XJPTyrXDwanAYYW7i_NFytr5SRXfWnyJ1S1ZPG1MnrR4sGkcRXhTqg_ysiDF6fIXNx6hERkhk3mQkdy51IIQPSLOrRWrYe-jmH0-z202rNEccW9ZpOa8-Gk46wkt1yWPZUKwxZZMi09pPnasDeUMbrF1Yi/s4032/IMG_9238.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKqj0wIuZb00HB26_lUdolnPUZBfgRtoVJ9XJPTyrXDwanAYYW7i_NFytr5SRXfWnyJ1S1ZPG1MnrR4sGkcRXhTqg_ysiDF6fIXNx6hERkhk3mQkdy51IIQPSLOrRWrYe-jmH0-z202rNEccW9ZpOa8-Gk46wkt1yWPZUKwxZZMi09pPnasDeUMbrF1Yi/w640-h480/IMG_9238.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Milwaukee's Art Museum is comprised of three buildings designed by three very famous architects: Eero Saarinen, David Kahler and Santiago Calatrava. And the most famous part of all is the moving wings. The Burke Brise Soleil is a moveable sunscreen with a 217 foot wingspan that unfolds and folds twice daily. Unfortunately, the winds were too high on the day that we visited so we weren't able to experience it. But I'd say it's one of the most famous art museums in the US due to this feature - and if you get to see the wings move, let me know. I'd love to see what it's like.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRlmjX5wNWleXK-nrFUNspFFTDBQpqdHh-FtV0Ty958a_daRSBu6eGlHZKGNONP_nF75MQJ3S1wsI2R9wuiB7nS5nHopOFZVUIDShyjm4YrkScv6oqog0dKH8REdeUKyHO4WqlgILyKrFLvSXn8m4wUOfcKfQDom7PkTv_aJZJKBZwuTYhTjQi0vqo29p/s4032/IMG_9228.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRlmjX5wNWleXK-nrFUNspFFTDBQpqdHh-FtV0Ty958a_daRSBu6eGlHZKGNONP_nF75MQJ3S1wsI2R9wuiB7nS5nHopOFZVUIDShyjm4YrkScv6oqog0dKH8REdeUKyHO4WqlgILyKrFLvSXn8m4wUOfcKfQDom7PkTv_aJZJKBZwuTYhTjQi0vqo29p/w480-h640/IMG_9228.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNy1pZTUeMD6irjQywQKEoqYHZ7LgDbtP1E_BJflC3XmACXlU2-wKW6EbpOu3X0mv4ynoF5dwLWzCxljszOxXJuE7UNVQJRzRc3dUH5yZBTOhf5ClPuKlgk-nUZaaUcq2i_OaSRIZX2oSV3rg2DGYMisaH5zrVv4fHogJjphy2g5-payY3lprcZt2mPj6/s4032/IMG_9235.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNy1pZTUeMD6irjQywQKEoqYHZ7LgDbtP1E_BJflC3XmACXlU2-wKW6EbpOu3X0mv4ynoF5dwLWzCxljszOxXJuE7UNVQJRzRc3dUH5yZBTOhf5ClPuKlgk-nUZaaUcq2i_OaSRIZX2oSV3rg2DGYMisaH5zrVv4fHogJjphy2g5-payY3lprcZt2mPj6/w640-h480/IMG_9235.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjioREjOKPWJocPSf3j9-J9s1Z504nFsaJR71UfefSqfUNyFq4gGMI8gXCW7Y-6ai5JpbhiBEagujKK5Bcksy7kmeuXMO7FJazdIxw1ckFng9qaNnEQxrZv5mcLvQ2djy0Kh_mEXdsDUsasmeDFAx09yEFU6Ga9-UUBLSCLB5yt-EtWsxm84ilsrc2pn7ej/s4032/IMG_9189.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjioREjOKPWJocPSf3j9-J9s1Z504nFsaJR71UfefSqfUNyFq4gGMI8gXCW7Y-6ai5JpbhiBEagujKK5Bcksy7kmeuXMO7FJazdIxw1ckFng9qaNnEQxrZv5mcLvQ2djy0Kh_mEXdsDUsasmeDFAx09yEFU6Ga9-UUBLSCLB5yt-EtWsxm84ilsrc2pn7ej/w480-h640/IMG_9189.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFDmo2UfS0E435Z3sDyS1X50MCKtkqOGXOz3skDsFYvD0O4dZ_3bmoAD0h0n_n4sFOPnlb6eIGLPIRRTHz0j0wkNV-ykxnIJzGeSw88TcitgszRRYHg66E9SBhYhp1SB6Fs7wq9yqNFIpCTuMG9_age7gCHfxM_tKiZUfiD1_5lOFg3NRve6BzGsg094ge/s4032/IMG_9196.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFDmo2UfS0E435Z3sDyS1X50MCKtkqOGXOz3skDsFYvD0O4dZ_3bmoAD0h0n_n4sFOPnlb6eIGLPIRRTHz0j0wkNV-ykxnIJzGeSw88TcitgszRRYHg66E9SBhYhp1SB6Fs7wq9yqNFIpCTuMG9_age7gCHfxM_tKiZUfiD1_5lOFg3NRve6BzGsg094ge/w480-h640/IMG_9196.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaA14PM1WI8LG6yFK9ZdFVkku7sK7p7rQRfTeCg8j3flI_6t-gPGp1xvZXuEjbbiZcn8YLVFT7lahjmEXQYp_5JTV0E3MKmPw9T_cqTkrzNmBdIIIOYU8fBZLAoxbt1SfHf32H3PxG2Lza0HGAP0aT4PGL__GSfwXxZt5o5W3f3jL2kGHsQVIOhzdEZ50t/s4029/IMG_9204.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4029" data-original-width="2756" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaA14PM1WI8LG6yFK9ZdFVkku7sK7p7rQRfTeCg8j3flI_6t-gPGp1xvZXuEjbbiZcn8YLVFT7lahjmEXQYp_5JTV0E3MKmPw9T_cqTkrzNmBdIIIOYU8fBZLAoxbt1SfHf32H3PxG2Lza0HGAP0aT4PGL__GSfwXxZt5o5W3f3jL2kGHsQVIOhzdEZ50t/w438-h640/IMG_9204.jpeg" width="438" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNsSyIls6yKfkhVRZkOm1dph4uxZb3XrjoZ6KLXwHWPIhbrrZjGHiDv_hyS42gzeNWstnfeUH9OfrpNYCI9G_7xFYEDyKO70lRyo7tE9RhU7K9R9QzDutwUyN8trAgnC_mS4bzxHzQGwrpRswt42QbBeFzhxsV8hugef_euaBRkJHCW8UuNIGw4YCDVJG/s4031/IMG_9221.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4031" data-original-width="2537" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNsSyIls6yKfkhVRZkOm1dph4uxZb3XrjoZ6KLXwHWPIhbrrZjGHiDv_hyS42gzeNWstnfeUH9OfrpNYCI9G_7xFYEDyKO70lRyo7tE9RhU7K9R9QzDutwUyN8trAgnC_mS4bzxHzQGwrpRswt42QbBeFzhxsV8hugef_euaBRkJHCW8UuNIGw4YCDVJG/w402-h640/IMG_9221.jpeg" width="402" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After our visit to the art museum, we decided to walk the riverfront to have lunch at the brewery we had picked out. Lakefront Brewery is a large, cavernous beer hall - exactly what I would picture in Milwaukee - that sits on the Milwaukee River, not the lake as the name suggests. It offers tours and fish fries, sausage flights, cheese curd flights and beer infused everything. Just as you would think of a brewery in Milwaukee. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxAK87xNA9iMXkhDcmP_hKchH93SyENGIPVz6-j7IMI7Urs9e8Y2sfRkn1G4fcMXcU7NU1RJa9HIuvL6wkrFmCly0gQl8cpRmUNrj83asUMnq8x6hacXuqpVLcyKV6DK4FCT1ig0_POht0EToWwKDvCFlGXaFhhbNN_UW4XM2tJBDXa4xqhtbeVkM3n_M/s4032/IMG_9241.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxAK87xNA9iMXkhDcmP_hKchH93SyENGIPVz6-j7IMI7Urs9e8Y2sfRkn1G4fcMXcU7NU1RJa9HIuvL6wkrFmCly0gQl8cpRmUNrj83asUMnq8x6hacXuqpVLcyKV6DK4FCT1ig0_POht0EToWwKDvCFlGXaFhhbNN_UW4XM2tJBDXa4xqhtbeVkM3n_M/w480-h640/IMG_9241.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_bxtMTU_qBaqF7dGmhp1CibigaDpIkNsGhJ_l72rkanvpscsSH9FOMjf-VfeYzSEkIk8fy2Nc_Pni7D3gtdCPzXgfbeoYK4YPFue0bqU1_cXspmh5nksr_QfrL7Cg7-YMgM-5PgisAt45AXeyNEfh9EhfNclYhynCm5vbUZpoMAT7n2rvOwdv-Pq5zM94/s4032/IMG_9249.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_bxtMTU_qBaqF7dGmhp1CibigaDpIkNsGhJ_l72rkanvpscsSH9FOMjf-VfeYzSEkIk8fy2Nc_Pni7D3gtdCPzXgfbeoYK4YPFue0bqU1_cXspmh5nksr_QfrL7Cg7-YMgM-5PgisAt45AXeyNEfh9EhfNclYhynCm5vbUZpoMAT7n2rvOwdv-Pq5zM94/w640-h480/IMG_9249.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7JWQcee-Cd9iDB4Rfz3ZM06WfrNGpD2MK4J90aQzkbqhBzn7oeqaLRs1uvdw9OgNR2xaVgA4v0twOGdwjDpzBqjs2wZF-KHJvecL4wAe3_IzCevpSx0zWhed7znzK6pREQaCJd1FU9G2cnAR0Xt42kuq5qeHQDPOXV5aE1k4k_dONePsuH2KUSLtjFtL/s4032/IMG_9243.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7JWQcee-Cd9iDB4Rfz3ZM06WfrNGpD2MK4J90aQzkbqhBzn7oeqaLRs1uvdw9OgNR2xaVgA4v0twOGdwjDpzBqjs2wZF-KHJvecL4wAe3_IzCevpSx0zWhed7znzK6pREQaCJd1FU9G2cnAR0Xt42kuq5qeHQDPOXV5aE1k4k_dONePsuH2KUSLtjFtL/w640-h480/IMG_9243.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoj0DsJ0YnHvLSvkkyvYFBfXauWNnEZbJg0ma6_12TgADUbfUNbvoWNW0dYpG7dMVAo8B8O-Rbkt8YrUy83YYqGos0-HJWq0GPXLWDJxmsQvc9idVsuGEqEh9ag3FjYu2JCIGgWrSsufkxLnv1__ixG29JGddiBztPyv07Nvn1i_3okEcfGcia9IaF-kH/s4032/IMG_9245.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoj0DsJ0YnHvLSvkkyvYFBfXauWNnEZbJg0ma6_12TgADUbfUNbvoWNW0dYpG7dMVAo8B8O-Rbkt8YrUy83YYqGos0-HJWq0GPXLWDJxmsQvc9idVsuGEqEh9ag3FjYu2JCIGgWrSsufkxLnv1__ixG29JGddiBztPyv07Nvn1i_3okEcfGcia9IaF-kH/w640-h480/IMG_9245.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_GbxSEW8OmtI5DEpUKtXQf_G1FOb27dMwB2VDq7tuOWqDVaOTAfQHg6OfY0iAYyY7OpVuFd_nNe2fuiiR4aPWBDaPTKLehaLeylwCok-wqLZsLfb86Y1GHXiyWWxbigQ7Ox3L-PIa4bstvD5LW-5SCO_wUR8BYxZS6Au5j4UIig1ynjtM0Q0ar-evf_-/s3268/IMG_9246.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3268" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_GbxSEW8OmtI5DEpUKtXQf_G1FOb27dMwB2VDq7tuOWqDVaOTAfQHg6OfY0iAYyY7OpVuFd_nNe2fuiiR4aPWBDaPTKLehaLeylwCok-wqLZsLfb86Y1GHXiyWWxbigQ7Ox3L-PIa4bstvD5LW-5SCO_wUR8BYxZS6Au5j4UIig1ynjtM0Q0ar-evf_-/w640-h592/IMG_9246.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82UopGx4Vy9lwu9YEiBBnIrU5pB8ut6SzKAjsCcQV5Fcn_w7hnaxuShAjOEXC5W-dlB7IyX8mGS6JTVG96Mn4-zyqi-Cw5w98WncCtVw1lyNAiUtX68JdeURRbf2coLWu5MeD6LWNBpz-HB1OvJnrxSxy67hyphenhypheny1O_rYdOoiypNAhWJuLYGy0lzOJhl8lU/s4025/IMG_9247.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2820" data-original-width="4025" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82UopGx4Vy9lwu9YEiBBnIrU5pB8ut6SzKAjsCcQV5Fcn_w7hnaxuShAjOEXC5W-dlB7IyX8mGS6JTVG96Mn4-zyqi-Cw5w98WncCtVw1lyNAiUtX68JdeURRbf2coLWu5MeD6LWNBpz-HB1OvJnrxSxy67hyphenhypheny1O_rYdOoiypNAhWJuLYGy0lzOJhl8lU/w640-h448/IMG_9247.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I was born and raised in the Midwest and it will always be my favorite part of the US. The people are friendly and down to earth, the food is hearty and the land - though not quite as spectacular as some parts of the country - holds some special treasures. Loved my visit to Wisconsin (and a little bit of Iowa)!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3t0C0Iy7jqf9vzScxA_olJciobHMbc4gVGDZNO-XCPI2YmudpqbENWO3lwtJhV0FohQt9AzflqBuiLlAgYynOJ9ha8pI8lF6Ca4c2C61rM4t8F4geHiFvW99dKLYMu1IcYboMvF7ucim7U5DIrRIBj85X9gTrPM0ffn-0dWpr-O3KLi05cYL_Zm8UTnov/s3773/IMG_9059.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2587" data-original-width="3773" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3t0C0Iy7jqf9vzScxA_olJciobHMbc4gVGDZNO-XCPI2YmudpqbENWO3lwtJhV0FohQt9AzflqBuiLlAgYynOJ9ha8pI8lF6Ca4c2C61rM4t8F4geHiFvW99dKLYMu1IcYboMvF7ucim7U5DIrRIBj85X9gTrPM0ffn-0dWpr-O3KLi05cYL_Zm8UTnov/w640-h438/IMG_9059.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">How about you? Have you traveled to Wisconsin before? Or Iowa? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZil5tAw78V6VcySiOZBT8TDngPSJok6sIN97_ErpxNvFjdsNku_HQme_d3L4j2XrrpQ9f7JtWa7kV7FJQBEP4BYL40s2vByHZIam0y6cSAsKZlVAjHSGWG5rV3wnZinDoDiqNiw5WNVL77Nr2GI7Q0ieh1Km1DkrNDUyEB0EfjJOX7hHu2p9dkdfUbpce/s200/mcotw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZil5tAw78V6VcySiOZBT8TDngPSJok6sIN97_ErpxNvFjdsNku_HQme_d3L4j2XrrpQ9f7JtWa7kV7FJQBEP4BYL40s2vByHZIam0y6cSAsKZlVAjHSGWG5rV3wnZinDoDiqNiw5WNVL77Nr2GI7Q0ieh1Km1DkrNDUyEB0EfjJOX7hHu2p9dkdfUbpce/w640-h480/mcotw.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-84101589277002584342023-09-20T14:00:00.002-07:002023-09-20T14:03:44.500-07:00Cruising the Southern Caribbean on Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas<p> <span style="font-size: large;">It was supposed to be a trip of a lifetime, top of the Bucket List cruise to the Greek Islands. But then a pandemic happened and it was time to fall back and punt. We had booked a cruise out of Venice to Montenegro, Italy and the Greek Islands. Now it would be a southern Caribbean cruise using our credit on Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. We invited some family members to go along but it was not to be so it was just the two of us. We had cruised the southern Caribbean once before, about 28 years ago, and had been wanting to return so this was it.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIk_IXJ7zzg3NFclfPEXoPYoh5AM0QeSEIW8goo6b836jgoJ-Jx0w4TL6OAfjdIQNktTxJLLtAj3VbN_CkNnAtpXdN5dYWFS88IqC_CvCJQtTzFuT1szW80vkZHvJ2Wud7Pqj9EKacouZVInHCC7rtI1fDk3Qmzx3najz_EXrPZroaT8uCL2B1VRpEoipK/s4032/IMG_0681.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIk_IXJ7zzg3NFclfPEXoPYoh5AM0QeSEIW8goo6b836jgoJ-Jx0w4TL6OAfjdIQNktTxJLLtAj3VbN_CkNnAtpXdN5dYWFS88IqC_CvCJQtTzFuT1szW80vkZHvJ2Wud7Pqj9EKacouZVInHCC7rtI1fDk3Qmzx3najz_EXrPZroaT8uCL2B1VRpEoipK/w640-h480/IMG_0681.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDe3WHYRa0YW-NYscm370GQ1zikajFDcs0xCocpoQcgkQ39HnezW5qTJi6rPy45jDXs31Vl60PPAdrH0llcygqyfPCFQGOVaAjCCR_2YpZTPY-yYm558cH_tT0oLkyFym9I5Q5G7Gqy2FPMydqjoLAz1aIJ36H011tgBiRD0ri2Ry1yfgxdSNpz0ZVpLK/s3589/IMG_9918.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2692" data-original-width="3589" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDe3WHYRa0YW-NYscm370GQ1zikajFDcs0xCocpoQcgkQ39HnezW5qTJi6rPy45jDXs31Vl60PPAdrH0llcygqyfPCFQGOVaAjCCR_2YpZTPY-yYm558cH_tT0oLkyFym9I5Q5G7Gqy2FPMydqjoLAz1aIJ36H011tgBiRD0ri2Ry1yfgxdSNpz0ZVpLK/w640-h480/IMG_9918.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ5g56DQVK-NPJoBvRMsQxeSpjrmnjAjXmXgr6Org3v6gsZuoIa_-KvJ1rCVtZA9JWxnm7W_Ny5a860acoaHnpqg8RdyLGB-d0clX5xgRVMRNeScK4LlC7QC5kv1SY1fpTrzz1RnGbqfBoBxZi6_NNQBXtPhy3D5AC1PlOdMSna7UW6Jsp2nIJgEjpslhb/s4032/IMG_9864.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ5g56DQVK-NPJoBvRMsQxeSpjrmnjAjXmXgr6Org3v6gsZuoIa_-KvJ1rCVtZA9JWxnm7W_Ny5a860acoaHnpqg8RdyLGB-d0clX5xgRVMRNeScK4LlC7QC5kv1SY1fpTrzz1RnGbqfBoBxZi6_NNQBXtPhy3D5AC1PlOdMSna7UW6Jsp2nIJgEjpslhb/w480-h640/IMG_9864.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So Thanksgiving Week of last year, we flew to San Juan, Puerto Rico on a red eye and after a day of catch up, we met up with Mr. UR's college roommate (he lives in PR) and enjoyed a weekend in San Juan. He and his girlfriend showed us around the city and then nicely dropped us off for our cruise. We were ready for an adventure!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PjfnWzllEGqhfFyNu88AQqJCzYQDFehkTKYMpvw6HwuU3Ieglvu7G6kU4U7uWnT2AIN1CEecKGQ3Y8MmJjx3bwP1c8iHHWzatFDMit1NTcQS9qIwkaX-45oJxnan2CQoKun1H-UFM8bwTUxOb_riMTlihxfQNGXbFCPNEIYn9wmB270BGST1mW8dyzbk/s3088/IMG_9848.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PjfnWzllEGqhfFyNu88AQqJCzYQDFehkTKYMpvw6HwuU3Ieglvu7G6kU4U7uWnT2AIN1CEecKGQ3Y8MmJjx3bwP1c8iHHWzatFDMit1NTcQS9qIwkaX-45oJxnan2CQoKun1H-UFM8bwTUxOb_riMTlihxfQNGXbFCPNEIYn9wmB270BGST1mW8dyzbk/w640-h480/IMG_9848.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEN54kOswuqsB5UeF_hGZ8gnSdhIqT1esheWQSHCiZfuJkoc2nFYiO26gPXaTjlDqQtPqiGAHhDLkjWgqQaF13da8kaRBNYxoz96O0RqccBrz95AYOp-gECUaZUZr6SCWIKT_B7egdUTk_LdS94Y6NSSwZ0zjN0lq2lBHtotaFUlmsSb8OWQSy-yBLrlO/s4032/IMG_9755.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEN54kOswuqsB5UeF_hGZ8gnSdhIqT1esheWQSHCiZfuJkoc2nFYiO26gPXaTjlDqQtPqiGAHhDLkjWgqQaF13da8kaRBNYxoz96O0RqccBrz95AYOp-gECUaZUZr6SCWIKT_B7egdUTk_LdS94Y6NSSwZ0zjN0lq2lBHtotaFUlmsSb8OWQSy-yBLrlO/w480-h640/IMG_9755.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hotel pool at Condado</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRL8nOY-hFDyqk5wb5FtgJCgNU63VvaFjO7XGuwMYzhAuj6Ic3tNKechUnKv_dzT4VGUDUIq8eaQC2Ei7Ak5kumdiQfUDBpcWHzQz3-qrna84BJ8XLvscxHbZnFQYnsQYOFsf-NPMAQdDfnit4ZhCo44-Nq2fI5LKsozc-4sqTTjVqoRRvfLsEObds3rie/s4032/IMG_9861.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRL8nOY-hFDyqk5wb5FtgJCgNU63VvaFjO7XGuwMYzhAuj6Ic3tNKechUnKv_dzT4VGUDUIq8eaQC2Ei7Ak5kumdiQfUDBpcWHzQz3-qrna84BJ8XLvscxHbZnFQYnsQYOFsf-NPMAQdDfnit4ZhCo44-Nq2fI5LKsozc-4sqTTjVqoRRvfLsEObds3rie/w640-h480/IMG_9861.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of San Juan from Voyager of the Seas</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The boarding process was quick and relatively seamless. We checked in, dropped our luggage and walked up the ramp to the ship. Our cabin was ready and we met our steward immediately. Our credit from the Greek Isle cruise allowed us to upgrade to a balcony cabin - which ended up being a corner balcony and room at the aft of the ship. The next stop was a lawn chair and tropical cocktail looking out at San Juan!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUWA8Wt0faUubUrK4xK7aoNr6H7t1j_abNsx1FHrSUZVOQ8cGfZVe1uo7LJC8gzcxetblTHGT65QgHECOtHmVZb-PlbK9EQyGVcGQ7lleQfHJ_zic1fZryNDxmyRCCNEaQOOXvfreVSgo6bPLEU_aLcducyDqVU6hgM7JY6N65HUOew7dta_cFiGGhZs4/s4032/IMG_9860.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUWA8Wt0faUubUrK4xK7aoNr6H7t1j_abNsx1FHrSUZVOQ8cGfZVe1uo7LJC8gzcxetblTHGT65QgHECOtHmVZb-PlbK9EQyGVcGQ7lleQfHJ_zic1fZryNDxmyRCCNEaQOOXvfreVSgo6bPLEU_aLcducyDqVU6hgM7JY6N65HUOew7dta_cFiGGhZs4/w480-h640/IMG_9860.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1oS04iVyHpJiGueUhVusBJNEirfyuPTmCP-Pdi4iMwIXUoudWSytfdEe5zMJ9o9qlT41n8zyoWkHrfNK24mIKAy_hkohbEEXaha-otpPOLJSWsTkJSjWXIq2iI7Zs9gcNibNFH7NnR7PBjcB2TfzHGZZfZdwAMBpi8VSN-cO37YAKTDo-kofTXjgKfQ4N/s4032/IMG_9862.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1oS04iVyHpJiGueUhVusBJNEirfyuPTmCP-Pdi4iMwIXUoudWSytfdEe5zMJ9o9qlT41n8zyoWkHrfNK24mIKAy_hkohbEEXaha-otpPOLJSWsTkJSjWXIq2iI7Zs9gcNibNFH7NnR7PBjcB2TfzHGZZfZdwAMBpi8VSN-cO37YAKTDo-kofTXjgKfQ4N/w640-h480/IMG_9862.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoo7vTRtn5ggBlTxUrnsYQeTU_RGHyOOIt6PielJMyXbbKosGTyD-fHkK-zjshtDduU1QlomeAI42Msx1ep1-ihOQMreUp4216ZWBT7xmecat1PIgOBaXEhY5Yo3pQqzYs08zajh29x_L3cNS2veeIryFWeAV3-u0O9qLKA66MGXfqW9fF-oeLEs21eSoD/s4032/IMG_9867.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoo7vTRtn5ggBlTxUrnsYQeTU_RGHyOOIt6PielJMyXbbKosGTyD-fHkK-zjshtDduU1QlomeAI42Msx1ep1-ihOQMreUp4216ZWBT7xmecat1PIgOBaXEhY5Yo3pQqzYs08zajh29x_L3cNS2veeIryFWeAV3-u0O9qLKA66MGXfqW9fF-oeLEs21eSoD/w640-h480/IMG_9867.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Goombay Smash overlooking the port in San Juan</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGMW_mSATOJ2zU97CRVXjEBue1sH_lJC_9pV25uwbhY_CTGYeMNS2u41N2gZE3ztXQCQr4XOXUhquuxlWTFSU2cNDLWTncQhVBCYjuAVw33tMNI-Xi3_eu7VPakjAuECyBMLNh_v9desAHkzIBooyr8RnwC7MjkW_yB0U4k6cqatnU8priwhnK3sx_dNw/s4032/IMG_0004.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGMW_mSATOJ2zU97CRVXjEBue1sH_lJC_9pV25uwbhY_CTGYeMNS2u41N2gZE3ztXQCQr4XOXUhquuxlWTFSU2cNDLWTncQhVBCYjuAVw33tMNI-Xi3_eu7VPakjAuECyBMLNh_v9desAHkzIBooyr8RnwC7MjkW_yB0U4k6cqatnU8priwhnK3sx_dNw/w640-h480/IMG_0004.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2M4bRGbPQpoNxaXXErQ187lCdGRGopxz3MFLFtLO2QZvi9aZcLm6CPHWBghcFwutNdkgnSUqdXaOv5rwav_y5he8OcumWXoImvltmJOXOjLUs5pnv5hLlYHD7tq20vPNcztBTn4HA26t_0qV64VDksw03HXADDd0QinIMOK8guJc9xOV2PBCjNybBOp-/s4032/IMG_0179.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2M4bRGbPQpoNxaXXErQ187lCdGRGopxz3MFLFtLO2QZvi9aZcLm6CPHWBghcFwutNdkgnSUqdXaOv5rwav_y5he8OcumWXoImvltmJOXOjLUs5pnv5hLlYHD7tq20vPNcztBTn4HA26t_0qV64VDksw03HXADDd0QinIMOK8guJc9xOV2PBCjNybBOp-/w480-h640/IMG_0179.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">Since we booked the cruise kind of late, our only dinner seating choice was the "my time" option - meaning you just make a reservation for the main dining room instead the same seating time every evening. When we tried to book for the first night, the available times were very late. After setting sail, we headed to the cafeteria - which I found to be a great option - and enjoyed it so much we decided to do it again several nights. (The only problem was the ginormous crowd the first night - it seems every one had the same idea. But it calmed down after that night and was very quiet every other time we visited for dinner)</span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwimSd8ikBOlVVTPZYOxzEU48uQ59kjKcw_Fo0hrZOUR94xHGufUGo_YG3OzfVulPH_bth8ZRcKgtYLJmiToJn82Opz_ctlw3NJvBTX6DsuC3B378HYQxHE5M3gX8HYY6-kTUMnbdcAKWMJqjrnG1DUnb9HC7OAWm7I9Hy1CyqD59rWWYW_QYiIrLwN8s/s4032/IMG_9873.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwimSd8ikBOlVVTPZYOxzEU48uQ59kjKcw_Fo0hrZOUR94xHGufUGo_YG3OzfVulPH_bth8ZRcKgtYLJmiToJn82Opz_ctlw3NJvBTX6DsuC3B378HYQxHE5M3gX8HYY6-kTUMnbdcAKWMJqjrnG1DUnb9HC7OAWm7I9Hy1CyqD59rWWYW_QYiIrLwN8s/w640-h480/IMG_9873.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg63_8vM4E4qGztxZZDLYMlZLHBv63BM2Kg1upf_tMGGSaMSmWbp8Tt2lB3tqHyZkmObFrthvFe7Q9QVsjr3B9gWYbqE0AREgQCVwBwj2aegamUDqw2CFzMlnTL_lBPYHoIoUewkofHTkpacjpjyN-DTrsFWWsqfOn7gFA2OzIfgcmFa1DrmGrqiZDA3vuy/s3609/IMG_9872.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2707" data-original-width="3609" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg63_8vM4E4qGztxZZDLYMlZLHBv63BM2Kg1upf_tMGGSaMSmWbp8Tt2lB3tqHyZkmObFrthvFe7Q9QVsjr3B9gWYbqE0AREgQCVwBwj2aegamUDqw2CFzMlnTL_lBPYHoIoUewkofHTkpacjpjyN-DTrsFWWsqfOn7gFA2OzIfgcmFa1DrmGrqiZDA3vuy/w640-h480/IMG_9872.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQkOLx5yN6cK2OhuvcgI4UldVANiJ42ecRAzg9zdjuw66OIte5bReYNWRX8MVZx-dvspf3ALdX71maEKR86ItFhatWqGLiM4raFV3TcuNC23WUj68DbC0cf0ETp2qAMNc-kVKOfWEOCFoVTKYrZz49fSqxqJLYtbBSOUhJU69gUhnDUxD-lYNUmV48Oeyt/s4032/IMG_0724.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQkOLx5yN6cK2OhuvcgI4UldVANiJ42ecRAzg9zdjuw66OIte5bReYNWRX8MVZx-dvspf3ALdX71maEKR86ItFhatWqGLiM4raFV3TcuNC23WUj68DbC0cf0ETp2qAMNc-kVKOfWEOCFoVTKYrZz49fSqxqJLYtbBSOUhJU69gUhnDUxD-lYNUmV48Oeyt/w480-h640/IMG_0724.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We did manage to eat in the dining room for lobster!</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After that we went to the crows nest bar for views and a drink - and we were about the only ones there every time we visited. The busiest places on the ship were the water slide, climbing wall, putt putt course and the surfing bay. Plus, of course, the swimming pool. (There was a separate adults only pool which never seemed very crowded)Voyager of the Seas was an extremely family friendly - especially for tweens and teens - ship and it was good to see all the families on board enjoying their week together. It even seemed that there were many multi-generational groups on board - which was also heartwarming to see.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRrvC5ueFaLGILKaaA-brlqU4NQj-335eUF8-DEpo9QRWKnb3zi0OGmOQso5cspyEX8UhKuifH1UaVc8j2tiC33ICHillA6Bpfzf5pSx10dcmPEG4MjLTbGKRVgeHKuF4HV4er5P_HIo73ZhoB57bMVAnfR6WIePO6dZr8mkDONz8_64mPU7KgimGfoKU8/s4032/IMG_0726.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRrvC5ueFaLGILKaaA-brlqU4NQj-335eUF8-DEpo9QRWKnb3zi0OGmOQso5cspyEX8UhKuifH1UaVc8j2tiC33ICHillA6Bpfzf5pSx10dcmPEG4MjLTbGKRVgeHKuF4HV4er5P_HIo73ZhoB57bMVAnfR6WIePO6dZr8mkDONz8_64mPU7KgimGfoKU8/w480-h640/IMG_0726.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQgk7rAeOdkjotsu2KJww1PUr7qpGPuVraM59Aq7wyQMILk4aEwsku_t-I8yMOpu1n1k1fzSBkk4QiOSfOgqsVfNnyC9GARa_4svyPA8435S989Urpe_S8UJ0O7TFWObnBRi-MKzOYL8qutj0GFczoO7Na22ZGgOE8ulDTlumF65ZQoz_P7Uhxmbvbjbl/s4032/IMG_9889.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQgk7rAeOdkjotsu2KJww1PUr7qpGPuVraM59Aq7wyQMILk4aEwsku_t-I8yMOpu1n1k1fzSBkk4QiOSfOgqsVfNnyC9GARa_4svyPA8435S989Urpe_S8UJ0O7TFWObnBRi-MKzOYL8qutj0GFczoO7Na22ZGgOE8ulDTlumF65ZQoz_P7Uhxmbvbjbl/w480-h640/IMG_9889.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDGYVyYf6XUWEcVnMhShk2_0mHQySZLlHXY0nLOaZKY1kYN1jqvcaMG9ch9bDbYVV8Uke1o2z2XLql4rO4Zs3GmMCKJAN89YEsBqQbDOmV4lBTxI52Uj0sNbAHhuegTfCWAjvC7vTLxGm2-wqrg1CYlNUsQ2wFdWSViSPBH29iRe2msyRRt_V4DakxHyS/s4032/IMG_9888.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDGYVyYf6XUWEcVnMhShk2_0mHQySZLlHXY0nLOaZKY1kYN1jqvcaMG9ch9bDbYVV8Uke1o2z2XLql4rO4Zs3GmMCKJAN89YEsBqQbDOmV4lBTxI52Uj0sNbAHhuegTfCWAjvC7vTLxGm2-wqrg1CYlNUsQ2wFdWSViSPBH29iRe2msyRRt_V4DakxHyS/w640-h480/IMG_9888.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_SsLKghdsbYGS9cb5U0fLs90NFeI1oZLkpG643Fq0pdBf_SKmIjmQBSv_A050XH4FppYM2UGUwywakc8fDDgEz2tTlvvaI4iGhZRpBMEnzGogMQTVJPX3cLUu8BTK-25Gvp3n_VCvRexQjaG2yIUaluWR2wqgk3daBN8U4rcv304GXr_2JOkpeHhezRhh/s4032/IMG_9896.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_SsLKghdsbYGS9cb5U0fLs90NFeI1oZLkpG643Fq0pdBf_SKmIjmQBSv_A050XH4FppYM2UGUwywakc8fDDgEz2tTlvvaI4iGhZRpBMEnzGogMQTVJPX3cLUu8BTK-25Gvp3n_VCvRexQjaG2yIUaluWR2wqgk3daBN8U4rcv304GXr_2JOkpeHhezRhh/w480-h640/IMG_9896.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rqKRnrB_-rcY0AoAfjCJbwNW614gUpx9xKtgxAMUCiT2VxT5o40B6_9_oX5zFIm0lo5phy5cRqBGh4CJQzHWCY3fDZoou1K8ltOqKl_bLrCxloEiSSOzEDMIWUAscniJi3WzW2s-RTG2PTtEQFpr9XbWqNeUStL8VRPwwvMBj_070fFjm9lCRMfeQ84A/s3088/IMG_9870.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rqKRnrB_-rcY0AoAfjCJbwNW614gUpx9xKtgxAMUCiT2VxT5o40B6_9_oX5zFIm0lo5phy5cRqBGh4CJQzHWCY3fDZoou1K8ltOqKl_bLrCxloEiSSOzEDMIWUAscniJi3WzW2s-RTG2PTtEQFpr9XbWqNeUStL8VRPwwvMBj_070fFjm9lCRMfeQ84A/w640-h480/IMG_9870.jpeg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">One of the reasons we picked this cruise was the itinerary. Mr. UR's favorite type of travel is cruising, and he particularly likes seeing as many islands as possible. Voyager of the Seas fit the bill for this as we would be going to six different islands - some we had been to and some that were new to us - on a seven day cruise. But highlighting those stops is a blog for another day. Hopefully soon.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5J8zNDkUQrBcxv9gQv7zH7khmQ1hPH4Dp_WNWTFLoPjL1r3Kza2Rv12HeH92HenwZFAAUEH3wPU6PJyNtzNrzIr81exZ2OuvtmEvU8aeA9z8UUD0-PasQThdgcklUBN2M-u922y2ICrZTp22p9ob9-dAaDNAg5ZL_mDO0Il_lW3prqAl8IAr-HLRDzc_t/s4032/IMG_5414.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5J8zNDkUQrBcxv9gQv7zH7khmQ1hPH4Dp_WNWTFLoPjL1r3Kza2Rv12HeH92HenwZFAAUEH3wPU6PJyNtzNrzIr81exZ2OuvtmEvU8aeA9z8UUD0-PasQThdgcklUBN2M-u922y2ICrZTp22p9ob9-dAaDNAg5ZL_mDO0Il_lW3prqAl8IAr-HLRDzc_t/w640-h480/IMG_5414.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQmiJeyATaJgx2i1Ii1sxqg6zIgtpPWExlaCuQwWdwh6vJnBhR2bh5VhM4PWPWwzHacrg_xzvzcUZqNnEAVHygS9bVj22rq_LNoEiPotpOuxkco13mpLQ9mTS4x-iIIbTlG4P0e2e-a1hWbI_IWT6BN76sXhj9wpsX-5xRxOReO1dllKKq88vg0FKUjFl/s4032/IMG_0048.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQmiJeyATaJgx2i1Ii1sxqg6zIgtpPWExlaCuQwWdwh6vJnBhR2bh5VhM4PWPWwzHacrg_xzvzcUZqNnEAVHygS9bVj22rq_LNoEiPotpOuxkco13mpLQ9mTS4x-iIIbTlG4P0e2e-a1hWbI_IWT6BN76sXhj9wpsX-5xRxOReO1dllKKq88vg0FKUjFl/w480-h640/IMG_0048.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXO8rMF8eczF_q94svgKxxG6SxIhzVmiMVxbA2t4Smm7ueWCDfcl1bStEIXS9jg_x4w4wO3EN0Gah5t8fs2_ZCPHGqFwKBsNwZqXqnSaVCofd8mVex4e8hK70T4wZLmb2ehmiLZr-xBC38xyf53IqOvgfr_K7OpDmGaoAPYc2Mv_WxHB3WpXUdLoj-lca3/s3088/IMG_0181.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXO8rMF8eczF_q94svgKxxG6SxIhzVmiMVxbA2t4Smm7ueWCDfcl1bStEIXS9jg_x4w4wO3EN0Gah5t8fs2_ZCPHGqFwKBsNwZqXqnSaVCofd8mVex4e8hK70T4wZLmb2ehmiLZr-xBC38xyf53IqOvgfr_K7OpDmGaoAPYc2Mv_WxHB3WpXUdLoj-lca3/w640-h480/IMG_0181.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This cruise was super relaxing and I enjoyed waking up in a different port every morning. The ship seems to be getting a little long in the tooth and could use a bit of a revamp. (This could be because we had just been on a brand new ship on Holland America in September and had gotten just a tad spoiled by that)But in all, I very much enjoyed our time in the Southern Caribbean - and I'd do it again anytime!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4CO0WePaSApP-NJ77RZYoHVG4H4nExGv9jW2jRjre0HCyaU243-c24qoyN2KPQpabGVpirvN4tMSnV_HQ1fO4XQ7OXJ4GhNayKc3_PEVVpYtFrxkqn8fn2krzpJiwGyAYahvaceRjTvG3YC1Lkjp3XjMaWby22husaysXvdmuUVbZulA0ebX1cMtVAgi/s3925/IMG_0727.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3925" data-original-width="2694" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4CO0WePaSApP-NJ77RZYoHVG4H4nExGv9jW2jRjre0HCyaU243-c24qoyN2KPQpabGVpirvN4tMSnV_HQ1fO4XQ7OXJ4GhNayKc3_PEVVpYtFrxkqn8fn2krzpJiwGyAYahvaceRjTvG3YC1Lkjp3XjMaWby22husaysXvdmuUVbZulA0ebX1cMtVAgi/w440-h640/IMG_0727.jpeg" width="440" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLBj94d2InjgggI10z8SZ6_8TgJLoInAOxh0ZWT_vow66aSeCOFy9T89_TiHR8Eo4VrdahVCG5zebLnagIhvBUVGNWVD9jv63CpoAyPh2VqQyU7ikpTS7lM_6i9-gIC_-mITUckOmpUKz8rHDmXpWnBlxGKjE30oZ1tUElB1nw_eqrp2M7KlEkb4b0o2nM/s3596/IMG_0002.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3596" data-original-width="2697" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLBj94d2InjgggI10z8SZ6_8TgJLoInAOxh0ZWT_vow66aSeCOFy9T89_TiHR8Eo4VrdahVCG5zebLnagIhvBUVGNWVD9jv63CpoAyPh2VqQyU7ikpTS7lM_6i9-gIC_-mITUckOmpUKz8rHDmXpWnBlxGKjE30oZ1tUElB1nw_eqrp2M7KlEkb4b0o2nM/w480-h640/IMG_0002.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjejfYJoi4MX2inNhJjBY_j7C_-3ZxRv1f8YC1fZMbut-5y8jUra2ONb9Fl06mQ2xtspj5tubvZxuAY0diruJQ31XTvYJg2sxmr7Chdx3wFmB8Z8WUpPp57ppXUHKNyWJSo9GlZmwD9BAyaMXUKjNnFm6bnMVuNGIH-3khmGokGTMrA44cXvJ2xiFr6FWyS/s4032/IMG_0003.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjejfYJoi4MX2inNhJjBY_j7C_-3ZxRv1f8YC1fZMbut-5y8jUra2ONb9Fl06mQ2xtspj5tubvZxuAY0diruJQ31XTvYJg2sxmr7Chdx3wFmB8Z8WUpPp57ppXUHKNyWJSo9GlZmwD9BAyaMXUKjNnFm6bnMVuNGIH-3khmGokGTMrA44cXvJ2xiFr6FWyS/w480-h640/IMG_0003.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqpbS0bPhizFz0Sm8FmblIqcfydRUuJZBr7uajpbZArOputNkowzpSMxmg4K9QCZAk1wTeKNOl17HY2lCuLhDLqo83RYKxs3CtQODEsoYpk-SpyTek59YHt3kuLA9ggRk_E3Oo85HpS0oCxBOFPU3SYA8EkE11-v9RjvcG-I7VUbsQrGWgVDkaJ_0qLJ5/s4032/IMG_0100.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqpbS0bPhizFz0Sm8FmblIqcfydRUuJZBr7uajpbZArOputNkowzpSMxmg4K9QCZAk1wTeKNOl17HY2lCuLhDLqo83RYKxs3CtQODEsoYpk-SpyTek59YHt3kuLA9ggRk_E3Oo85HpS0oCxBOFPU3SYA8EkE11-v9RjvcG-I7VUbsQrGWgVDkaJ_0qLJ5/w480-h640/IMG_0100.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">How about you? Do you enjoy cruising?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4dmvCNgf45SK4rhJJ1lz6hDtN-d2OdryH1ZNWRIdomFBkaGWZBz2kJULv2nlV1MNLWjI5knWEPqXYoBCacROZSi7hrfC8oU9EFfergr6aR86nQv2btpUoH7hl47BqRBzPgMWTsrqs6nFkcbRIhUtYZ77lGs-XwOXcRjIZCOAqSF9-ajmIbgR7C-avLFP4/s200/mcotw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4dmvCNgf45SK4rhJJ1lz6hDtN-d2OdryH1ZNWRIdomFBkaGWZBz2kJULv2nlV1MNLWjI5knWEPqXYoBCacROZSi7hrfC8oU9EFfergr6aR86nQv2btpUoH7hl47BqRBzPgMWTsrqs6nFkcbRIhUtYZ77lGs-XwOXcRjIZCOAqSF9-ajmIbgR7C-avLFP4/w400-h300/mcotw.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</span></div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-3969466263907084412023-08-24T19:41:00.004-07:002023-08-24T19:47:02.573-07:00Driving Colorado's Mt Evan's Scenic Byway - The Highest Paved Road in North America<p> <span style="font-size: large;">Mount Evans Scenic Byway is 28 miles in length and reaching an altitude of 14,130 feet (climbing over 7,000 feet in those 28 miles) to make it the highest paved road in North America. It's not for the faint of heart or for those who don't care for heights - Colorado is notorious for roads without guardrails - so think long and hard before you choose to drive up this scenic mountain road if you're in either group. But if you do choose to do so, you will be rewarded with mountain views, animal sightings and breathing in fresh clean air.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gKBbbDwbPSjNxNPjtfm1U27ih2e8skaRSW8_KpUOwPSHFYEhgjaoJI9sUT5zRUxK0gu0V235GiYbx7zNFM01_jADbz3CJgVRVbwTr4OLdNBqvKDdtbzBamMI2Eo_jdNvFI9lVc4mMb0hC8Ictkj4dA56YzuQl8l5qTxccmBfOGJoYdLSvPiRu9uslBXd/s4032/IMG_4938.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gKBbbDwbPSjNxNPjtfm1U27ih2e8skaRSW8_KpUOwPSHFYEhgjaoJI9sUT5zRUxK0gu0V235GiYbx7zNFM01_jADbz3CJgVRVbwTr4OLdNBqvKDdtbzBamMI2Eo_jdNvFI9lVc4mMb0hC8Ictkj4dA56YzuQl8l5qTxccmBfOGJoYdLSvPiRu9uslBXd/w640-h480/IMG_4938.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEuMERl-tj5QaZgyUZE7o9sPC9fH-jU7FTkt-fs-XOiguQ3Q_p4CKN0AEGYA-0YEJnBO9GFmZpjJUyZDuT-uGJwHuXph29bqG5mpoxwX2atwokxqFnl0il3AWFCIIoB4Ci1K1xkWW2HdXaDgtw1a1teEXFOwiLgzFv5D2bWKdVrPybmeMVsopes7R5x3T0/s4028/IMG_4731.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2363" data-original-width="4028" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEuMERl-tj5QaZgyUZE7o9sPC9fH-jU7FTkt-fs-XOiguQ3Q_p4CKN0AEGYA-0YEJnBO9GFmZpjJUyZDuT-uGJwHuXph29bqG5mpoxwX2atwokxqFnl0il3AWFCIIoB4Ci1K1xkWW2HdXaDgtw1a1teEXFOwiLgzFv5D2bWKdVrPybmeMVsopes7R5x3T0/w640-h376/IMG_4731.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsqDdM5N-HSJNg2EY4gRIeuRB1dCCAv7el3Nvc7fd2cqpLEQIheKzrzRtLaTRB-y0yjwhxr9LY9-6EwrUv5I5QFCSCtbyYC8stz5OxaOuGHwc_ioj1W_awysCxWJSy0X4EvPTqn65c2AeKodG5rbW1KUzbF79gLh5cMJb0fYo_dYPqvOPa7R8S5iYAugv/s4032/IMG_4804.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsqDdM5N-HSJNg2EY4gRIeuRB1dCCAv7el3Nvc7fd2cqpLEQIheKzrzRtLaTRB-y0yjwhxr9LY9-6EwrUv5I5QFCSCtbyYC8stz5OxaOuGHwc_ioj1W_awysCxWJSy0X4EvPTqn65c2AeKodG5rbW1KUzbF79gLh5cMJb0fYo_dYPqvOPa7R8S5iYAugv/w480-h640/IMG_4804.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQEfruYGaV6iDgH4-Tk8wn0WeMIJHja74THDZAel7v79oTOLINSSwJOCAxBoqSC6X4XWLfXTbsvVlsnB-xHcuePyVG8gLiTvuPd1gYAvhDQTPoWQSlYmouTweFMoJPd3tx-XcLtQHaCkh3AkR1SySITqiy7zT9zkSQ_yhakuVKVzndbmGCCMn4qT3hSEz/s4032/IMG_4736.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQEfruYGaV6iDgH4-Tk8wn0WeMIJHja74THDZAel7v79oTOLINSSwJOCAxBoqSC6X4XWLfXTbsvVlsnB-xHcuePyVG8gLiTvuPd1gYAvhDQTPoWQSlYmouTweFMoJPd3tx-XcLtQHaCkh3AkR1SySITqiy7zT9zkSQ_yhakuVKVzndbmGCCMn4qT3hSEz/w640-h480/IMG_4736.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">We </span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">drove it on a beautiful July afternoon - and when I say we, I mean Mr. UR did all the driving. After checking in at the gate (reservations are required) we started the drive and all seemed well. It didn't take long, though, to realize that we were in for a wild ride. As we climbed - sans guardrails - the views became magnificent. On each switchback, they became more and more beautiful. We passed alpine lakes and groves of bristlecone pine until we reached above the treeline. And we passed mountain goats and bighorn sheep who lazily looked at us as we snapped photos.</span></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivie4YecwzLcJHIWymRa6hlhW9hFCVLvXf2blZ2nmQQn7vtPhkKvrATSG5exo9_HI0jcWDKHhybh8bY0rtAYzEEDWg6R7UCAqUmI0tPa4AeBSfej_LbPjbpPIZ6rlw-MJtCDPgoR_CU1d5CekMgy1LdFEXCOHDAV95cpMKFDwftsq7O8jijomapM_Wq9Wm/s4032/IMG_4920.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivie4YecwzLcJHIWymRa6hlhW9hFCVLvXf2blZ2nmQQn7vtPhkKvrATSG5exo9_HI0jcWDKHhybh8bY0rtAYzEEDWg6R7UCAqUmI0tPa4AeBSfej_LbPjbpPIZ6rlw-MJtCDPgoR_CU1d5CekMgy1LdFEXCOHDAV95cpMKFDwftsq7O8jijomapM_Wq9Wm/w640-h480/IMG_4920.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXpxfFis8oCEWll2KCZfVOqSQnEy9WQk1FGB39noWIs6LE7H-EMGTGUWhw4f0BZYPvlG-oN3Ep0mNyLT7gwnd5ZW_L5GgAtEAQk8SPXWk7yQ15fXz88M53DscaZkTfrv40uRNoBtkXoH1c3xIjMMc_k-sVkzQLep5P0UePKWkyRmPn22brCt5GgvLxmAI/s3042/IMG_4802.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2282" data-original-width="3042" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXpxfFis8oCEWll2KCZfVOqSQnEy9WQk1FGB39noWIs6LE7H-EMGTGUWhw4f0BZYPvlG-oN3Ep0mNyLT7gwnd5ZW_L5GgAtEAQk8SPXWk7yQ15fXz88M53DscaZkTfrv40uRNoBtkXoH1c3xIjMMc_k-sVkzQLep5P0UePKWkyRmPn22brCt5GgvLxmAI/w640-h480/IMG_4802.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6OYhTrxJGD89nAlAtq2sl6yzDeSMRy_6U_kjenx1b7zKWuWb89pdvcS5OF28AhoMjolpyehGmXLL1OzQXM7wNOsDo0je6GJ6_vxikWWPeud5Y318g2gHUJk6hCOGq8SnGtKJX5dIsacK2R77ZrcYlSl_YVd4yF618SY3hzFvC9pefV8J98MTVuzNji5Pe/s2948/IMG_4743.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2211" data-original-width="2948" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6OYhTrxJGD89nAlAtq2sl6yzDeSMRy_6U_kjenx1b7zKWuWb89pdvcS5OF28AhoMjolpyehGmXLL1OzQXM7wNOsDo0je6GJ6_vxikWWPeud5Y318g2gHUJk6hCOGq8SnGtKJX5dIsacK2R77ZrcYlSl_YVd4yF618SY3hzFvC9pefV8J98MTVuzNji5Pe/w640-h480/IMG_4743.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">You will pass, and can stop, at Summit Lake Park - the highest city park in North America. This park does incur an extra fee, of which you can pay when you make your reservations.</span></div><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVN22Z0csN9iH-8c55hcd2_Vq8g732nsMfF5xwJpv1OM0mWwa1CFj8eEw5mLksroVQTQy-yiAsJjOI8oLm-VtEJfwu3xZiVQJPg6fE2rM5TMIZaI8Y6ORhlh6HJcyQ4-Y8_zllcq-Z-A5VwZSG7KVqtgOhFkaFSmvUPy2i7YIF0fUGHdjOt4YXpiNLlvPE/s4032/IMG_4829.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVN22Z0csN9iH-8c55hcd2_Vq8g732nsMfF5xwJpv1OM0mWwa1CFj8eEw5mLksroVQTQy-yiAsJjOI8oLm-VtEJfwu3xZiVQJPg6fE2rM5TMIZaI8Y6ORhlh6HJcyQ4-Y8_zllcq-Z-A5VwZSG7KVqtgOhFkaFSmvUPy2i7YIF0fUGHdjOt4YXpiNLlvPE/w640-h480/IMG_4829.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summit Lake Park</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4OdH1dRj6dkekzACbb-haATQpPbY7ZmnDAGWl2t1GyarfEiWSItppsFtxqYcuEYkjPzkx7U1lPMuTdg5ixImCFkXAmi9afvTN-017xXl0KQYBu3YASdqcd0FALM_B45FC_Frmjyg4AXHAt3p1w5agkTBAReiEySPip5qWC9N_SYyo746w6r_NYWh2Oxg/s4030/IMG_4748.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2909" data-original-width="4030" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4OdH1dRj6dkekzACbb-haATQpPbY7ZmnDAGWl2t1GyarfEiWSItppsFtxqYcuEYkjPzkx7U1lPMuTdg5ixImCFkXAmi9afvTN-017xXl0KQYBu3YASdqcd0FALM_B45FC_Frmjyg4AXHAt3p1w5agkTBAReiEySPip5qWC9N_SYyo746w6r_NYWh2Oxg/w640-h462/IMG_4748.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpNgDTYxV0Pg2NHtDqiu0nPw5J6xr5ahryBKzhS8K2v8o_MBo90WH6Xb3DyjH836dkSgis5FyNJIkCORxjKccP78n8YExIjg99CmDH42baozfS5dqK9zXG0YyXf4kUjiMq634Lp3Vtyhc90KxyOL5eyNajIBcJopPqqpHbPxrKYF8fvI7W7rVz5bc2Ram/s4032/IMG_4760.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpNgDTYxV0Pg2NHtDqiu0nPw5J6xr5ahryBKzhS8K2v8o_MBo90WH6Xb3DyjH836dkSgis5FyNJIkCORxjKccP78n8YExIjg99CmDH42baozfS5dqK9zXG0YyXf4kUjiMq634Lp3Vtyhc90KxyOL5eyNajIBcJopPqqpHbPxrKYF8fvI7W7rVz5bc2Ram/w640-h480/IMG_4760.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">Upon reaching the summit, you can stretch your legs with a climb to the rocky top. Or you can check out the Crest House ruins. Once the highest business in the United States, it was a restaurant, gift shop and tourist attraction.</span></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjacBoXdRM5aPWo5J_1QxUaeVb4xWpEboJCJEa8P3C3cUwz5VP_Q0DDy-NRGKZVcN8MInm7WM7j5qlo8dDn05lC0-_p2zZODVeHWU5-qub6iYlmXR11bxPo8SnoQRHVLPAVzTWhmfBAxrkS-qPOwO1U6UuEWOkAf7Z76dtPImN16naZC7u70GzWDSDwH_hE/s4032/IMG_4756.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjacBoXdRM5aPWo5J_1QxUaeVb4xWpEboJCJEa8P3C3cUwz5VP_Q0DDy-NRGKZVcN8MInm7WM7j5qlo8dDn05lC0-_p2zZODVeHWU5-qub6iYlmXR11bxPo8SnoQRHVLPAVzTWhmfBAxrkS-qPOwO1U6UuEWOkAf7Z76dtPImN16naZC7u70GzWDSDwH_hE/w480-h640/IMG_4756.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14IF3cuB1bl1qY2ulAJU-t0C9IEb6I7Qqc8bDXBXg-4I3WU69VjOjxAhAPnJpwin0u9IvFkmvdwttyM8kZN9cTvUBwPhNEfImV4gX1FAoEedxa1mRHLpBUdyC8TEEH2EHgWKb46II4wfVeN5m56fLgwyLnY9uTadOuVSHJm5o_a7hhY2CtvjRafRWgivo/s4032/IMG_4753.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14IF3cuB1bl1qY2ulAJU-t0C9IEb6I7Qqc8bDXBXg-4I3WU69VjOjxAhAPnJpwin0u9IvFkmvdwttyM8kZN9cTvUBwPhNEfImV4gX1FAoEedxa1mRHLpBUdyC8TEEH2EHgWKb46II4wfVeN5m56fLgwyLnY9uTadOuVSHJm5o_a7hhY2CtvjRafRWgivo/w480-h640/IMG_4753.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rocky summit</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsk7wZC7IHQXs15RUy0M7YaER7sprJmIZ92xrwMEqzvxPybDhvWDOKAfRdKVaRw6P3zQBa_SnyDKj_5RLN6G68r0TCAKAVP_1RUZvxcX9udrOJJZdkXPTkGrwvftfPwvAVg1ni4h5HCkwG8Pkgfka13-g_m49M6-v4-dxx1jf8Jn_1yJeaL5e6FGZ976qu/s4032/IMG_4766.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsk7wZC7IHQXs15RUy0M7YaER7sprJmIZ92xrwMEqzvxPybDhvWDOKAfRdKVaRw6P3zQBa_SnyDKj_5RLN6G68r0TCAKAVP_1RUZvxcX9udrOJJZdkXPTkGrwvftfPwvAVg1ni4h5HCkwG8Pkgfka13-g_m49M6-v4-dxx1jf8Jn_1yJeaL5e6FGZ976qu/w640-h480/IMG_4766.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOSJf00DiWszr3fdzQL0yoVXA8loW2cmIHJkl8IK8KhNDicHxT8E180vrwE7oxljRSYFF1xqHFDJT6O6ultECwZeY_P1BJj9W23dexbhbdXYH-6Wk8WyQC5tIHm_BxJCIco7tf8lXJbzFdC9NmNBaDf-YzTh7Kq4Q7GdSROX9iLSv-hbcwNSPeEJiaffst/s4032/IMG_4787.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOSJf00DiWszr3fdzQL0yoVXA8loW2cmIHJkl8IK8KhNDicHxT8E180vrwE7oxljRSYFF1xqHFDJT6O6ultECwZeY_P1BJj9W23dexbhbdXYH-6Wk8WyQC5tIHm_BxJCIco7tf8lXJbzFdC9NmNBaDf-YzTh7Kq4Q7GdSROX9iLSv-hbcwNSPeEJiaffst/w640-h480/IMG_4787.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruins of Castle in the Sky</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVIEpFxdURKLY3ld9Ga9wRjcZChhieTl5izguLbOy1bzetC2Hu1uwnQBoWjhjMZGad-75DirEHuBWLeTLdKX_q2narRGvSIqc5BA_wXRolpZxd7fbCaHlDE_ArJztZgl_vBACG7jzygTET9gzR5FLFJplljtwo617ywzIbt0t_XsOrlsuDH3o1tZhm8R-/s4032/IMG_4889.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVIEpFxdURKLY3ld9Ga9wRjcZChhieTl5izguLbOy1bzetC2Hu1uwnQBoWjhjMZGad-75DirEHuBWLeTLdKX_q2narRGvSIqc5BA_wXRolpZxd7fbCaHlDE_ArJztZgl_vBACG7jzygTET9gzR5FLFJplljtwo617ywzIbt0t_XsOrlsuDH3o1tZhm8R-/w640-h480/IMG_4889.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNScSCbMmAb4jx4iYnanVFfkfR6rwCMIM5nZkyvYDHbmqDwO_ucuXNL4xWI7AJ97yDyU3FM3EXNWja-P8gN_5Qu4ODUYzH72w7qUtcCVjEBx2pmV6eNbOhcPabixM_9qX3dtAtIuL3ZOEGXv2o_0Xy3ITd_itiJP_T0BsF6qU9IPIbKhmCm9aP62T9Go9/s4032/IMG_4779.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNScSCbMmAb4jx4iYnanVFfkfR6rwCMIM5nZkyvYDHbmqDwO_ucuXNL4xWI7AJ97yDyU3FM3EXNWja-P8gN_5Qu4ODUYzH72w7qUtcCVjEBx2pmV6eNbOhcPabixM_9qX3dtAtIuL3ZOEGXv2o_0Xy3ITd_itiJP_T0BsF6qU9IPIbKhmCm9aP62T9Go9/w480-h640/IMG_4779.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marmot</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlymywXYe45B-MwDoy_6bQRBdJCMqUWwEk9ZAcaZzV38b7sndLvLSzAZs01PMbrCDQdUmwd0HJJPJ7iPLzjwQxHsx3fZVgyCIpHblOvtUguOPkncppZJggIn1nRrF0XdPeaaVYyw6VuDZLr2eABwx6mSRguK2NN-GvgJ_mEN24nmGfj7JcBgHmsPQoXa1J/s4032/IMG_4790.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlymywXYe45B-MwDoy_6bQRBdJCMqUWwEk9ZAcaZzV38b7sndLvLSzAZs01PMbrCDQdUmwd0HJJPJ7iPLzjwQxHsx3fZVgyCIpHblOvtUguOPkncppZJggIn1nRrF0XdPeaaVYyw6VuDZLr2eABwx6mSRguK2NN-GvgJ_mEN24nmGfj7JcBgHmsPQoXa1J/w480-h640/IMG_4790.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our way down was just as exciting (and scary) with a few stops along the way to take more photos of the animals and check out the views. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy00CaOG6T3T2MRsqel8MgI5b1wUyF6v5A_wrfQ0LhsZ8_AXHXOTkcdnieln2TB3l43GFLqiWOTEAzEuyvvaZmWNTS17z0TTW680UDa4ZTLPxUb58XIMiLw0yI151OJ3gdxR0VLNdjeSgrugHllBa4OwlC-FUaWXTlkIBr9o-8m5UFtUnA9p0RxGWf_7Ji/s4032/IMG_4841.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy00CaOG6T3T2MRsqel8MgI5b1wUyF6v5A_wrfQ0LhsZ8_AXHXOTkcdnieln2TB3l43GFLqiWOTEAzEuyvvaZmWNTS17z0TTW680UDa4ZTLPxUb58XIMiLw0yI151OJ3gdxR0VLNdjeSgrugHllBa4OwlC-FUaWXTlkIBr9o-8m5UFtUnA9p0RxGWf_7Ji/w480-h640/IMG_4841.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTLlaadTACNGvVpIpeo4hi4HVhlm8b7A8vFpsYzlN3fEEz5xiyQE06msGLYWf9r-h3vSJloOD487EUTYjCBDF30tjoXsreYDqvn_EsWeQy0KQBtjp53pydGtk7k1WpoqUKgP13-4_qegHfJ13bK2QimfX4Pmf8_ToxPFv96gMwi3N_LuPID08SvKQevKqn/s4032/IMG_4798.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTLlaadTACNGvVpIpeo4hi4HVhlm8b7A8vFpsYzlN3fEEz5xiyQE06msGLYWf9r-h3vSJloOD487EUTYjCBDF30tjoXsreYDqvn_EsWeQy0KQBtjp53pydGtk7k1WpoqUKgP13-4_qegHfJ13bK2QimfX4Pmf8_ToxPFv96gMwi3N_LuPID08SvKQevKqn/w640-h480/IMG_4798.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9FDoSXKwrTzhgl_66J-On8AKQgLVcP6O9KE4J2havBuN2aSg-clFU3pP319Zzvk32eoayba3LgFa7JB0MvnjFdFwDjxj7Nq0aoGBSnJOOYyPbYhQba8FouLq3IHDdXvc1Mb76F9cQHUf7EcVDqyiTKUKl45AMl8tSAM-2zeSqwiDy9UEsUL11nafepYM/s4032/IMG_4816.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9FDoSXKwrTzhgl_66J-On8AKQgLVcP6O9KE4J2havBuN2aSg-clFU3pP319Zzvk32eoayba3LgFa7JB0MvnjFdFwDjxj7Nq0aoGBSnJOOYyPbYhQba8FouLq3IHDdXvc1Mb76F9cQHUf7EcVDqyiTKUKl45AMl8tSAM-2zeSqwiDy9UEsUL11nafepYM/w640-h480/IMG_4816.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYpJC99C-hclepcO-kupR0q7Kg1G_ODqTKJpcBa-CQ9R878OkI14F9rYJtekzEZHIU7c2mM5VYeEaaLdqS26-f2ZhfY3111H4shoGJnVGE28bDYKAozoEaDNeoa1Gf17h1Yi83ICpPQCseXJ08yFK7dZLEjDtLTanqAiRmoKU8PTwPUG6lxn3UMymtDyAI/s4032/IMG_4812.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYpJC99C-hclepcO-kupR0q7Kg1G_ODqTKJpcBa-CQ9R878OkI14F9rYJtekzEZHIU7c2mM5VYeEaaLdqS26-f2ZhfY3111H4shoGJnVGE28bDYKAozoEaDNeoa1Gf17h1Yi83ICpPQCseXJ08yFK7dZLEjDtLTanqAiRmoKU8PTwPUG6lxn3UMymtDyAI/w640-h480/IMG_4812.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_2YhkmKXxjnMfHwuaRpYgpgzbf16EeJFhQAo7_gtUIheGA1cSWHog6IYz2tVZ9f07x6s7qBiiEZCFDlmyhPCYyCGD5y2cgklVqHR4XlRpxr3tN_kof963g8xQ3i9Xu0Zy6LWTwIydFlp0CgLADV-ydVmCivH7SPzkcsZCEBtZ1HTY0LVkpUYJ2SOS8aY/s4032/IMG_4807.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_2YhkmKXxjnMfHwuaRpYgpgzbf16EeJFhQAo7_gtUIheGA1cSWHog6IYz2tVZ9f07x6s7qBiiEZCFDlmyhPCYyCGD5y2cgklVqHR4XlRpxr3tN_kof963g8xQ3i9Xu0Zy6LWTwIydFlp0CgLADV-ydVmCivH7SPzkcsZCEBtZ1HTY0LVkpUYJ2SOS8aY/w640-h480/IMG_4807.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbW2wKtrwGp6sExQCdEZDDkIek1cHjtB2UDfhg9yqQJVI0y4PrBzDLP53rEAf2qCdveWWq7xRi0OwS8tlwX1bfssfde8ynyM1G5ku7iCLvlHg3JIhzK-rnjRfnHaoSHdVCWc2BGd5Z9MFio6TwdJISKbZKkDPltcA9GmUDTb25CUu1f4O9CQt2d3oe_Ek/s4032/IMG_4833.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbW2wKtrwGp6sExQCdEZDDkIek1cHjtB2UDfhg9yqQJVI0y4PrBzDLP53rEAf2qCdveWWq7xRi0OwS8tlwX1bfssfde8ynyM1G5ku7iCLvlHg3JIhzK-rnjRfnHaoSHdVCWc2BGd5Z9MFio6TwdJISKbZKkDPltcA9GmUDTb25CUu1f4O9CQt2d3oe_Ek/w640-h480/IMG_4833.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's hard to tell but those darker specks are elk</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">If you decide to drive Mt. Evans - whatever the time of year - you must make reservations for vehicle entry at recreation.gov Dogs must be on a leash and the closest town to the start is Idaho Springs and to the finish is Bergen Park. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">How about you? Have you ever driven to the top of Mt. Evans? If you haven't, would you?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghaJiX8Y7VrH2VTyZoyEiV5kMKEBFrnuwnHTI8UREPYz8LL-K-PaGu1_IVO4k6yWpysgBpnbPO6KOf8s9SJJxAQpj_x2HBfBrYrSodCCbWXCfDokaP6XWWX6Cry2gwgvjjvOabCwo_JCQxssQFZa7VoI969PdrfUrZJsptnWZASacA4r391UD93jnGX6kg/s200/mcotw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghaJiX8Y7VrH2VTyZoyEiV5kMKEBFrnuwnHTI8UREPYz8LL-K-PaGu1_IVO4k6yWpysgBpnbPO6KOf8s9SJJxAQpj_x2HBfBrYrSodCCbWXCfDokaP6XWWX6Cry2gwgvjjvOabCwo_JCQxssQFZa7VoI969PdrfUrZJsptnWZASacA4r391UD93jnGX6kg/w640-h480/mcotw.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-58431740397842984942023-08-09T19:04:00.001-07:002023-08-09T19:12:48.133-07:00Cruising Norway's Eidfjord<p><span style="font-size: large;">Located on the Eidfjord, a finger of the larger Hardangerfjord, the village of the same name has a population of 937. It's a sleepy little village for most of the year except for in cruise ship season. And it was our first port of call on our Holland America cruise on the Rotterdam. ( If you'd like to read about our cruise ship you can click <a href="https://unpavedroad.blogspot.com/2023/04/cruising-norways-fjords-on-holland.html">here</a>)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQsik7Jj_6pIF85ulIQ928LxPYoqxBdTTrbF2vJbSCKdw620HQfsxTKDlT5P1BuKYHmo19cbQbDYwhbo0OnR-STjMsNhl8_S_o5Ft2u4xjniwlCRjOEkYeNf6g2jLe_Mgraq8yFyVGWqCL0-YfZ5N6ykqbvyNND-BJtv4L59-u8GMswBPtqihMnM4Co54E/s4030/IMG_7288.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2943" data-original-width="4030" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQsik7Jj_6pIF85ulIQ928LxPYoqxBdTTrbF2vJbSCKdw620HQfsxTKDlT5P1BuKYHmo19cbQbDYwhbo0OnR-STjMsNhl8_S_o5Ft2u4xjniwlCRjOEkYeNf6g2jLe_Mgraq8yFyVGWqCL0-YfZ5N6ykqbvyNND-BJtv4L59-u8GMswBPtqihMnM4Co54E/w640-h468/IMG_7288.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0qr5gq7tyDqnb5P3iMfzx_rB-eem2P5I1IoW1Ib5b9rgMyz2bfUxrTnspVprhARWlNsD9akgXRTS4xH5T0XsrL1dN3EAK2kFCFUzasWIdEhsNnKiw-dAucrl9_omaCVpQfoSfp7lctTlt6yypul0bcWTcvVKR4Of85pVKliQ1HDUWYzhoZAKOljFSB1Z/s3647/IMG_7192.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3647" data-original-width="2821" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0qr5gq7tyDqnb5P3iMfzx_rB-eem2P5I1IoW1Ib5b9rgMyz2bfUxrTnspVprhARWlNsD9akgXRTS4xH5T0XsrL1dN3EAK2kFCFUzasWIdEhsNnKiw-dAucrl9_omaCVpQfoSfp7lctTlt6yypul0bcWTcvVKR4Of85pVKliQ1HDUWYzhoZAKOljFSB1Z/w496-h640/IMG_7192.jpeg" width="496" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Known as a typical, small fjord town, Eidfjord is also known as the home of the Sima Power Plant which is built into the side of a mountain. And even though it is a cruise stop for many large cruise ships, there's nothing of Eiffel Tower significance. It's just a stop to visit a typical village and then cruise the fjord.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhI6qRekoyIrkipVZ8GUBB-EjSPjeoj_HgyNEdojGtsvylVb3xwT7_RbmvoJRzOUnp6lX28cPQ5MyigjweDej3sf7hXZfIqx0Ugk0cW40aiTwj9goPOjuUQSrQ89tkhCEhDIxGcQ8PHpVyysVDZumhltt5JpNhRDjaFbNeHoIBAySALKM23_XpSFHkkXP/s2917/IMG_7194.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2188" data-original-width="2917" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhI6qRekoyIrkipVZ8GUBB-EjSPjeoj_HgyNEdojGtsvylVb3xwT7_RbmvoJRzOUnp6lX28cPQ5MyigjweDej3sf7hXZfIqx0Ugk0cW40aiTwj9goPOjuUQSrQ89tkhCEhDIxGcQ8PHpVyysVDZumhltt5JpNhRDjaFbNeHoIBAySALKM23_XpSFHkkXP/w640-h480/IMG_7194.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYCIKQEeRmi0F6xtLz49IZ-gRhh_InRw9QwihxY7A7H5p2u6YGRJmJ6aUHujgYe4i8y0XowhEpVERHDGAGFS-gp7IN528nrQdxUvHsnt4MoikPtEE39kqkhLqzDVcV8-saIKVwXmH9OHYpPOKAKgfuGpGQ_3PIfyNENuBRZ5A8U2k5RCV4Y1w5BgiDsaI/s4032/IMG_7205.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYCIKQEeRmi0F6xtLz49IZ-gRhh_InRw9QwihxY7A7H5p2u6YGRJmJ6aUHujgYe4i8y0XowhEpVERHDGAGFS-gp7IN528nrQdxUvHsnt4MoikPtEE39kqkhLqzDVcV8-saIKVwXmH9OHYpPOKAKgfuGpGQ_3PIfyNENuBRZ5A8U2k5RCV4Y1w5BgiDsaI/w480-h640/IMG_7205.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTv6kHv27QjSsYNyHgSaNTA0xd66jxbILsmucKcoYHk-pyNuS0bhy4JFOgeetvwcrj2F5vhlSPIsQhSVT3k7kCdThxlcrLzqQPV1XVAAdF8GXdEk7WF3uyEyIYvjtwYR0nh19Qx9KWBCxOrqYCObViJ372dh6-wEB3Z5ynm6Ju99mSRwPnNEO_krrq-mM/s4032/IMG_7210.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTv6kHv27QjSsYNyHgSaNTA0xd66jxbILsmucKcoYHk-pyNuS0bhy4JFOgeetvwcrj2F5vhlSPIsQhSVT3k7kCdThxlcrLzqQPV1XVAAdF8GXdEk7WF3uyEyIYvjtwYR0nh19Qx9KWBCxOrqYCObViJ372dh6-wEB3Z5ynm6Ju99mSRwPnNEO_krrq-mM/w640-h480/IMG_7210.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We arrived early in the morning - before it was fully light out - and being our first view of a fjord, I was blown away by the view out our cabin's windows. We had decided not to do a shore excursion here as it was a short and easy walk into town. But we did hear about a "tourist train" that would take you up the hillside and back down to the other side of town. We thought Why not? So we bought our $15 ticket and reserved a time to see the town of Eidfjord.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8QzryF2vaNH5YWqLg_2mRiEEseUscExMCraFQ-PCTC7SQ29vFp064eutceWVkS94YyoFm2U43ruI3Qa-Do1k4D7wle-AK4NbeC6qnV5dH6n4f3VEXKEUYKx4MluhhhqmVAG4oBJofPMpVboeSWHlemAUNjsMsLSDDNPyFLlEKL3WPudX5aBlIVniRZduO/s4032/IMG_7179.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8QzryF2vaNH5YWqLg_2mRiEEseUscExMCraFQ-PCTC7SQ29vFp064eutceWVkS94YyoFm2U43ruI3Qa-Do1k4D7wle-AK4NbeC6qnV5dH6n4f3VEXKEUYKx4MluhhhqmVAG4oBJofPMpVboeSWHlemAUNjsMsLSDDNPyFLlEKL3WPudX5aBlIVniRZduO/w480-h640/IMG_7179.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmBrmYZMsmUBJQWpYdhxIoHcrKj1F_8AQqY9enI7JWFbTDOolr-PCjhsoz_rFiTRHipnX49CQ1706iLWITU2Vy2JP5zSsr0IBa1wAlSz8ScjBFyPgpVAJHAFBSmpMgcxkRMkEgiPwjpy37CpYsGnAmYq6b1JKDdTu7U94ZOGlyQAniGqZT5A5sWf20_K4y/s4032/IMG_7188.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmBrmYZMsmUBJQWpYdhxIoHcrKj1F_8AQqY9enI7JWFbTDOolr-PCjhsoz_rFiTRHipnX49CQ1706iLWITU2Vy2JP5zSsr0IBa1wAlSz8ScjBFyPgpVAJHAFBSmpMgcxkRMkEgiPwjpy37CpYsGnAmYq6b1JKDdTu7U94ZOGlyQAniGqZT5A5sWf20_K4y/w640-h480/IMG_7188.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kayakers in the fjord</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPCabzx4fDFt30zQ8kdlTC1zT3qo1TdKlon9d2a_peonvAZ_QqnJ8WcT0LRYzvJA6AFPrJ4pXFPovo380pppGdEdkhiFDV1nWqjQYuJQ14u3cYKI-kdXFMg8OBZlZ5A4xdMkHaevDYam9MCpm4WWLmBa54vEv77Sbnzi50dcgAHR_su2bFh3RddXvoxV6/s4032/IMG_7190.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPCabzx4fDFt30zQ8kdlTC1zT3qo1TdKlon9d2a_peonvAZ_QqnJ8WcT0LRYzvJA6AFPrJ4pXFPovo380pppGdEdkhiFDV1nWqjQYuJQ14u3cYKI-kdXFMg8OBZlZ5A4xdMkHaevDYam9MCpm4WWLmBa54vEv77Sbnzi50dcgAHR_su2bFh3RddXvoxV6/w640-h480/IMG_7190.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwgJiJepjPEhlKVjq-j3T35Yn2R2cNKwe5A0oOA09wHAHyHmruiC6kSgVVMJZgXiFD0OnwaIDC6uQNAMk51MFEPm01h9SUd_shrikl_zjGsLC5qfjxDTDODEdetBtJ4R8sEvtiISsQcvxLeeqJh2f8lOoFru42t3JHQX2QvNzNtyCH57m0t2D5DI7lWjs/s4032/IMG_7277.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwgJiJepjPEhlKVjq-j3T35Yn2R2cNKwe5A0oOA09wHAHyHmruiC6kSgVVMJZgXiFD0OnwaIDC6uQNAMk51MFEPm01h9SUd_shrikl_zjGsLC5qfjxDTDODEdetBtJ4R8sEvtiISsQcvxLeeqJh2f8lOoFru42t3JHQX2QvNzNtyCH57m0t2D5DI7lWjs/w480-h640/IMG_7277.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">First we the visited one of the few souvenir shops in town, walked over to the community center (where they were holding Norwegian folk dance lessons) and ambled through the small grocery store to get a glimpse at some everyday Norwegian products.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrvedMozxx83dV6GWk68yg0Ju4hlI_-bVtl6g9BWrbm8s8SphOa60jl-F2MTmPft2w27kjKmKym2A5h9rDih9azWZtgngLSWKk_Mb6hDplXU6Ka0Lh5I8AGswLEsoWOk4u9kyHb_2H1J6Z66DxT2xabpOe4DyfyrdxjwfuwhdcWc82G0uM9MY-7FBbuZD/s4032/IMG_7209.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrvedMozxx83dV6GWk68yg0Ju4hlI_-bVtl6g9BWrbm8s8SphOa60jl-F2MTmPft2w27kjKmKym2A5h9rDih9azWZtgngLSWKk_Mb6hDplXU6Ka0Lh5I8AGswLEsoWOk4u9kyHb_2H1J6Z66DxT2xabpOe4DyfyrdxjwfuwhdcWc82G0uM9MY-7FBbuZD/w480-h640/IMG_7209.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ61Q1Ce59QWRDgZfMxS4Omm2NhRKIFiSvpm4zJPQ-UhDziTRYn4VFYuYl6cUM5i5UYNJ8bOpW_nH8xxcuSacU1SnMlS80B3hRcAUwmPQHksQWALWiDAaU6ulbz6OhWzvQlIXYZOEFXkW32RLOjS_jd-ZHvbGl9Tzw4nfiQcCRajgQI67eRXxh_DdnCiPe/s4032/IMG_7208.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ61Q1Ce59QWRDgZfMxS4Omm2NhRKIFiSvpm4zJPQ-UhDziTRYn4VFYuYl6cUM5i5UYNJ8bOpW_nH8xxcuSacU1SnMlS80B3hRcAUwmPQHksQWALWiDAaU6ulbz6OhWzvQlIXYZOEFXkW32RLOjS_jd-ZHvbGl9Tzw4nfiQcCRajgQI67eRXxh_DdnCiPe/w640-h480/IMG_7208.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipsdXZ5YNrdROouaRDUxKqGIqgq2TIdMkNTGPNIp5vyQBZudj-8OXiOu6MBvBjLhOiRrFjzUr2bZA7DiAOUk-RRFqljZZMSxuILITApuP_LGgEhDPtZ4fhePa_N7esRp7u0y3h4V9Wk82eBEyLuBJu6FNY1EJ-HqIKoJviHOZKcBMP1n0zj-FZs2NS-lYM/s4032/IMG_0626.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipsdXZ5YNrdROouaRDUxKqGIqgq2TIdMkNTGPNIp5vyQBZudj-8OXiOu6MBvBjLhOiRrFjzUr2bZA7DiAOUk-RRFqljZZMSxuILITApuP_LGgEhDPtZ4fhePa_N7esRp7u0y3h4V9Wk82eBEyLuBJu6FNY1EJ-HqIKoJviHOZKcBMP1n0zj-FZs2NS-lYM/w480-h640/IMG_0626.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LnFPXJ1Ii4MZn3-E2W9WruS3CWjDjf2a3Ap5r7oUiDIg54QARJLtDiuQskccmg6_Fcq6DvkONr6ibXfpx4ccijgU2zrLaB8YyKhZuVFdvVk1Ny5ky5fARTWDb5WfecMWI24lv6cBY8uLuDQ6N8zXToEbpXDVKgNDnnZNhyz20-V16mvLL_8nCWoJ064L/s4032/IMG_7246.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LnFPXJ1Ii4MZn3-E2W9WruS3CWjDjf2a3Ap5r7oUiDIg54QARJLtDiuQskccmg6_Fcq6DvkONr6ibXfpx4ccijgU2zrLaB8YyKhZuVFdvVk1Ny5ky5fARTWDb5WfecMWI24lv6cBY8uLuDQ6N8zXToEbpXDVKgNDnnZNhyz20-V16mvLL_8nCWoJ064L/w640-h480/IMG_7246.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNHvfGAcWTQDPRLHcIrv9kmuaNJbmQE52v7-ldV7pZuCr8g3SMF4evIVGP8HHc5r-LwfihUGBVrNmkz4XC4Fm3AZNX7mhvUdDuy3ko6K2S84devqCp2mO_7DlbmSrW061zOg84qKzhhHGsUjndcm8VFi4UyyEI79iJEP09E8_XcECvv48UHNp-JpL2NTu/s4032/IMG_7207.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNHvfGAcWTQDPRLHcIrv9kmuaNJbmQE52v7-ldV7pZuCr8g3SMF4evIVGP8HHc5r-LwfihUGBVrNmkz4XC4Fm3AZNX7mhvUdDuy3ko6K2S84devqCp2mO_7DlbmSrW061zOg84qKzhhHGsUjndcm8VFi4UyyEI79iJEP09E8_XcECvv48UHNp-JpL2NTu/w640-h480/IMG_7207.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Once on the tourist train, we rode up the hillside for a stop with a view of the fjord and our cruise ship down below. We passed some Viking graves and then made a stop at the Old Stone Church.(This church has records dating back to 1309 and is believed to be constructed in about 1300. Built of stone, it seats about 100 people and is no longer in use as the main church of the town) The train was sufficient for seeing the area and I'm glad we did it though it probably won't go down in the annals of most memorable cruise stop.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_Nc8LKZKigWn9z9RDjhFRr5GKX3o8wRLw7BiduFLbWHD1OYFCEg2GhXntdZgQBd8XRQ1YTq-_eoepP6A9sFxc4uCq6l1bHRN30h_brsnxINYAdVht9Lsx8w_ijO4JJjuBHyiAL-_bjW2fkuNeIO1iJVGwjLJLi6omgEpBSc2tAtfDH-A0se8OpOYKD-E/s4032/IMG_7189.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_Nc8LKZKigWn9z9RDjhFRr5GKX3o8wRLw7BiduFLbWHD1OYFCEg2GhXntdZgQBd8XRQ1YTq-_eoepP6A9sFxc4uCq6l1bHRN30h_brsnxINYAdVht9Lsx8w_ijO4JJjuBHyiAL-_bjW2fkuNeIO1iJVGwjLJLi6omgEpBSc2tAtfDH-A0se8OpOYKD-E/w640-h480/IMG_7189.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tourist Train<br />Photo Credit: S. Eckhart</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Fdm3iqsS6KC6NUex-rgMsPAw5J0lwwtD-T47Y3pStxXB_wlJzST2Qb97vaCz-WYjMhLC5yFuxTYoQ3dQTNExl04LgzAZohAYXFPxCMKhkVsXtcRIdJyABOXexymQhtHs-5Pg_wN-930Ql8HW3RUmFHttfy_U9oG1lUVSMmHRytV3MXW9jagQlOxiwlJW/s4032/IMG_7177.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Fdm3iqsS6KC6NUex-rgMsPAw5J0lwwtD-T47Y3pStxXB_wlJzST2Qb97vaCz-WYjMhLC5yFuxTYoQ3dQTNExl04LgzAZohAYXFPxCMKhkVsXtcRIdJyABOXexymQhtHs-5Pg_wN-930Ql8HW3RUmFHttfy_U9oG1lUVSMmHRytV3MXW9jagQlOxiwlJW/w640-h480/IMG_7177.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viking burial mounds <br />Photo credit: S. Eckhart</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSVoIDErLcEWha_zW1xxb0yb4qdbns0GASrWTkflFhh-ZF2R_3HZWFP1V6EwCMv68sf8m5T417f9fR3qV0Kytc-8klUIA2J4ebjd-AqcnxvwFadKmrf3Jun-ZPeL3K_2ZoUb6qlcw8oc94kCCoGMgWPMT0HS8tKe9avoat-VlUj2xsuUZMTe76q0YEWUV/s4032/IMG_7213.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSVoIDErLcEWha_zW1xxb0yb4qdbns0GASrWTkflFhh-ZF2R_3HZWFP1V6EwCMv68sf8m5T417f9fR3qV0Kytc-8klUIA2J4ebjd-AqcnxvwFadKmrf3Jun-ZPeL3K_2ZoUb6qlcw8oc94kCCoGMgWPMT0HS8tKe9avoat-VlUj2xsuUZMTe76q0YEWUV/w480-h640/IMG_7213.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfzzUwJhzukU2YscVVRQoSldzKLSovmCmGRj_21EiPQNY6zuIOPxdq3Nu938ns_9Qm2s7tsuaLWN7NLGrO7sXdSYn36uo5DU2BfnAzcSDTFs5mMG-z4dYdPqr7miKrh1Oc4wjanqAhs_OFSf9Ksd8nUd-Dk3g6TRWt5DMuPM2_L8Teg50Mh522YHZ4DfE/s4032/IMG_7225.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfzzUwJhzukU2YscVVRQoSldzKLSovmCmGRj_21EiPQNY6zuIOPxdq3Nu938ns_9Qm2s7tsuaLWN7NLGrO7sXdSYn36uo5DU2BfnAzcSDTFs5mMG-z4dYdPqr7miKrh1Oc4wjanqAhs_OFSf9Ksd8nUd-Dk3g6TRWt5DMuPM2_L8Teg50Mh522YHZ4DfE/w640-h480/IMG_7225.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best sandbox view ever!</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hzwTuo5bwvtrxl-5uFNHioDUYLVNN4Ai4dezDRvYVzaIILWw9Umunvlpn_2xHgYKMBvXkC0Ij8diBFBP2ZAyepxnWCKAUxsXuN1ysUrIrQeCn5v87S8mNnHyyXwv5yWzh7kKFxqOJXZIzvop2mro6FsWJ0HK7QNaggPMiGLllAz9EQ4Fmtt9nOoz2AHU/s4032/IMG_7227.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hzwTuo5bwvtrxl-5uFNHioDUYLVNN4Ai4dezDRvYVzaIILWw9Umunvlpn_2xHgYKMBvXkC0Ij8diBFBP2ZAyepxnWCKAUxsXuN1ysUrIrQeCn5v87S8mNnHyyXwv5yWzh7kKFxqOJXZIzvop2mro6FsWJ0HK7QNaggPMiGLllAz9EQ4Fmtt9nOoz2AHU/w640-h480/IMG_7227.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNXh1tQrpHauTCDkuOLlF-ptf3ZQShzXfZNKZh-FnAsQ07gZT9MlXgCNVhScqzKUChKKh1NeBiZihndZ0RnbAEVnuKvxx0i7n0KTVfl61jJkNK0tqFaJz9BmUMlHARBnNxerWI1zNdPCUpLJUIOO9TzWnHcem6DaVj4WLlCWIlCyLifKe2z4M3CEryMwx/s3734/IMG_7233.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3734" data-original-width="3021" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNXh1tQrpHauTCDkuOLlF-ptf3ZQShzXfZNKZh-FnAsQ07gZT9MlXgCNVhScqzKUChKKh1NeBiZihndZ0RnbAEVnuKvxx0i7n0KTVfl61jJkNK0tqFaJz9BmUMlHARBnNxerWI1zNdPCUpLJUIOO9TzWnHcem6DaVj4WLlCWIlCyLifKe2z4M3CEryMwx/w518-h640/IMG_7233.jpeg" width="518" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR2nxmTQ3mQQfH-sagTYWhbqtt0bfzzrtdo9oWM_FcKT88kFyGEthjD4x5US7YbfmUzMUUudepc3HC_GqNcEKuFUQCaW0Rq0ogy5I0PZAZGEuE3t4TXKjydpfTJPhrWa3EUEkDG_KU9yMT-jd6I5C4vQz2KdmUeCD2IBej4eRtEgL7-nsOkx06RX1Y9TYu/s4032/IMG_7237.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR2nxmTQ3mQQfH-sagTYWhbqtt0bfzzrtdo9oWM_FcKT88kFyGEthjD4x5US7YbfmUzMUUudepc3HC_GqNcEKuFUQCaW0Rq0ogy5I0PZAZGEuE3t4TXKjydpfTJPhrWa3EUEkDG_KU9yMT-jd6I5C4vQz2KdmUeCD2IBej4eRtEgL7-nsOkx06RX1Y9TYu/w480-h640/IMG_7237.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Old Stone Church</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutCX3hAycyUYVfaC0-6wXoCWfmCYtdZpI_w7yYwYZW2NbQ8NpSxNiD1Ara1afxuisoC_cmRKpVO5JIXEDgMP0GmwGl5ta29p7p2pAdkssffg_2bc8rKQf6CNQ8HzBzKIeoVPmh3zoQZ_vOPLr3_f9hUXai1hnK6Wu95KuwhWzvqMh8F7h-cB1SBz_jXzh/s4032/IMG_7239.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutCX3hAycyUYVfaC0-6wXoCWfmCYtdZpI_w7yYwYZW2NbQ8NpSxNiD1Ara1afxuisoC_cmRKpVO5JIXEDgMP0GmwGl5ta29p7p2pAdkssffg_2bc8rKQf6CNQ8HzBzKIeoVPmh3zoQZ_vOPLr3_f9hUXai1hnK6Wu95KuwhWzvqMh8F7h-cB1SBz_jXzh/w480-h640/IMG_7239.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The highlight of the day was to be sailing the fjord. We booked a balcony cabin for the sole purpose of cruising the fjords and enjoying them from there. So we had a "fjord" party with our fellow sailors enjoying a beverage on the balcony and taking in the stunning scenery. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmzl7jsnn8Dz9x9wGq6E6DD00sF9AodUv8LnJmuqzOfwFecM2oeJ9yyDA-iTZMZWXmDAsQk24E_lMlbGrCc6056AILIrtU6T5r7NaSKW25CM7H69YeHnT9WktBKemoFfKcAZF-xsY6B8E4c-B3Z72mTePZ2yiiZCNrKaqLgDFR8_GoC4WtwsdDDi48dNJb/s3088/IMG_7304.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmzl7jsnn8Dz9x9wGq6E6DD00sF9AodUv8LnJmuqzOfwFecM2oeJ9yyDA-iTZMZWXmDAsQk24E_lMlbGrCc6056AILIrtU6T5r7NaSKW25CM7H69YeHnT9WktBKemoFfKcAZF-xsY6B8E4c-B3Z72mTePZ2yiiZCNrKaqLgDFR8_GoC4WtwsdDDi48dNJb/w480-h640/IMG_7304.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tOGRdrNkb71w_UyVCQiCLpqBNJZ6bpo2JU8T_Fxky3kbJYdsrvnp-mgBI24awkAOX2IryLKoBuADIVq8oAgvWpirQJzLTIVF7TxRkldr8goaWEs87IF2niIws9gJF2EA4GY1-sV4nMuhQj7RJTjVwKpVkwH5Qxk1UahlWOzNh0XGmZcUhNE1aUlr5Hyi/s4032/IMG_7285.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tOGRdrNkb71w_UyVCQiCLpqBNJZ6bpo2JU8T_Fxky3kbJYdsrvnp-mgBI24awkAOX2IryLKoBuADIVq8oAgvWpirQJzLTIVF7TxRkldr8goaWEs87IF2niIws9gJF2EA4GY1-sV4nMuhQj7RJTjVwKpVkwH5Qxk1UahlWOzNh0XGmZcUhNE1aUlr5Hyi/w480-h640/IMG_7285.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAMvzChCNA25fVPlhePhGS7pbvYaL5dXZSdsy2J4aPlA_J8E_mD8PlurUZjcDyRx7K3FD4D9ThIZR81LRyQqxjYx5u7S5KnUIi-Sx2RrF_lBWULkZt6CKgIjseuGYD5BvePHDYsXiKTD4D11qupSoud5GWK4hQxCNab2FdGHp5rx_JskYURtFY3BF4AGp/s4032/IMG_7283.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAMvzChCNA25fVPlhePhGS7pbvYaL5dXZSdsy2J4aPlA_J8E_mD8PlurUZjcDyRx7K3FD4D9ThIZR81LRyQqxjYx5u7S5KnUIi-Sx2RrF_lBWULkZt6CKgIjseuGYD5BvePHDYsXiKTD4D11qupSoud5GWK4hQxCNab2FdGHp5rx_JskYURtFY3BF4AGp/w640-h480/IMG_7283.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Eidfjord is a small fjord extending from the Hardangerfjord. It's considered one of the most scenic areas of Norway. We started our cruising deep in the fjord with our cruise director giving commentary over the PA system. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheadU5vwKqKYamU26iIVoYCTtYOkD_dOLzGq5_lkK8WYRXcc7OJzHkhuZb1gwXGE3_YxEzZDEqoQ7U75Jx9YCBKCHk9G4ebK4IFuDTyAoDAOTp5AryVK0gzVr6DI9lfUKk_y2Bf-TNc4tabmj0ftFVqVdIvPqWQn9M8kCnYw3OZXehGRhYI5LBAHF63Abq/s4032/IMG_7289.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheadU5vwKqKYamU26iIVoYCTtYOkD_dOLzGq5_lkK8WYRXcc7OJzHkhuZb1gwXGE3_YxEzZDEqoQ7U75Jx9YCBKCHk9G4ebK4IFuDTyAoDAOTp5AryVK0gzVr6DI9lfUKk_y2Bf-TNc4tabmj0ftFVqVdIvPqWQn9M8kCnYw3OZXehGRhYI5LBAHF63Abq/w480-h640/IMG_7289.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWvMmDqeynF9rZvvS4BQpB3yae6jcOM0t95QXhqfB25wPTpJpKBTqYdxQDUGA5x3EdL2Ic8wvXzhIrqxqJ-nvediF_hRFyiKBHUG8HxxKQVKeKXTkV-NAUhb1_2M_Vrbu3RB2m4HEn4Hg9nHjiR8VczTCnGQhCkM7fn23DT-6xrZPuz0BqPF201thqi6g/s4032/IMG_7290.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWvMmDqeynF9rZvvS4BQpB3yae6jcOM0t95QXhqfB25wPTpJpKBTqYdxQDUGA5x3EdL2Ic8wvXzhIrqxqJ-nvediF_hRFyiKBHUG8HxxKQVKeKXTkV-NAUhb1_2M_Vrbu3RB2m4HEn4Hg9nHjiR8VczTCnGQhCkM7fn23DT-6xrZPuz0BqPF201thqi6g/w640-h480/IMG_7290.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg95m0ZPcXZuzblizh-8lw61nCuEs-RVs0EL-nIMbJoxIeZM8e83Gt8NaQcHlmzZUdBlC2pMg0FWkXSAckBkA4b-RwXgiKzRmgu3Aszw8liWrYsgRCc9FpZM9bQaSkexwKjjfDlDaU5YChDXK2k7dCbH02UE_uB6wqrl9dfFyt2CHB062-xhde6dWbudX2P/s4032/IMG_7297.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg95m0ZPcXZuzblizh-8lw61nCuEs-RVs0EL-nIMbJoxIeZM8e83Gt8NaQcHlmzZUdBlC2pMg0FWkXSAckBkA4b-RwXgiKzRmgu3Aszw8liWrYsgRCc9FpZM9bQaSkexwKjjfDlDaU5YChDXK2k7dCbH02UE_uB6wqrl9dfFyt2CHB062-xhde6dWbudX2P/w640-h480/IMG_7297.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljSHbp3TN1yNIvkFvdOxHHcgA-p-o24BW1ZXVnNZ0STy4Jn36ciZPulmmZPmoG-l9_OIn0sFZEW0mnRgY6ZyjNyz-JZHRLM1bOHLmnkmXmtMDu911YjpY64OwbmNyk6XruxBowQBl74UtMW3y7rafuzzgUtAnVMUZEL0NU7d30n4BQoQ0SArllpJhrTtG/s4032/IMG_7307.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljSHbp3TN1yNIvkFvdOxHHcgA-p-o24BW1ZXVnNZ0STy4Jn36ciZPulmmZPmoG-l9_OIn0sFZEW0mnRgY6ZyjNyz-JZHRLM1bOHLmnkmXmtMDu911YjpY64OwbmNyk6XruxBowQBl74UtMW3y7rafuzzgUtAnVMUZEL0NU7d30n4BQoQ0SArllpJhrTtG/w480-h640/IMG_7307.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ8C_qtLPHC9i-4YfIlY7V7vdk6YfhtPQMa2lS0y3cxw0YWEi8okg7P7JkVZQMgM9TnPkuxoRjN2Dc_NnYvwH_3L6EYT8tvT7Yw21TmCkCTW8d70XMf5uYrZKPqvL6UFIH4KTqVlb1cy7I51g0pSdyhfbXPTwbim4CY8W4UdWSEs8OyK4jIuK9j_d-9-wB/s4030/IMG_7311.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4030" data-original-width="2927" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ8C_qtLPHC9i-4YfIlY7V7vdk6YfhtPQMa2lS0y3cxw0YWEi8okg7P7JkVZQMgM9TnPkuxoRjN2Dc_NnYvwH_3L6EYT8tvT7Yw21TmCkCTW8d70XMf5uYrZKPqvL6UFIH4KTqVlb1cy7I51g0pSdyhfbXPTwbim4CY8W4UdWSEs8OyK4jIuK9j_d-9-wB/w464-h640/IMG_7311.jpeg" width="464" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">Then we came to the new</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">Hardanger Suspension Bridge</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">which crosses the Eidfjord, </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">with a span</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">over 4500 feet</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">, </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">with a deck</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">180 foot high</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">, </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">suspended</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">from two</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">660 foot towers.</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">It was quite the spectacle to watch our cruise ship glide under it</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> - </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">it looked like we weren't going to make it!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlgv0SASPzk6TAA0PVt6_v1bhQ-o3wUs1BJNU-H0mu_AUlPX97EnNROJDXafIoPqK0uRXe2tOuiytSKm39dH2geSj9xql9Zf0aC3_ORIEPivJuyckA94Q7AqbMGr-xYvz7U1JiF1G_oESnkEyJnzNEynoxAW9HZLVDIBbPdQwIyezdg1dg0fPMo11N4Vt/s4032/IMG_7324.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlgv0SASPzk6TAA0PVt6_v1bhQ-o3wUs1BJNU-H0mu_AUlPX97EnNROJDXafIoPqK0uRXe2tOuiytSKm39dH2geSj9xql9Zf0aC3_ORIEPivJuyckA94Q7AqbMGr-xYvz7U1JiF1G_oESnkEyJnzNEynoxAW9HZLVDIBbPdQwIyezdg1dg0fPMo11N4Vt/w480-h640/IMG_7324.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVU9fOifL-FlgxqVQenC_NzL0Wslm_kYZ130DnemeZvqvrqBuveMqxjfOSO4khvKMeZR5rHMnB6EzeCprK6ws5-EZYCWRfPutpu5d-ffyP3pMpmPsdF2Fcx51i7hasN1Bi1ozNOV18W2f31aeegtClJZbg9xCeYJhK8p5zZTQVRfTGl9CZn-Pu3GgtEmA/s4032/IMG_7325.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZIq13_L3xJowkfjkmDlsGIuQXYbJeaZFXxOJ8N8SxR2eZQl6ETj3tPLfur5LgvXVWOMRbgRutQdC43O0GK7LW-Sq5vHRFOa6j-GUAoMpe6ORFD-hskVzFFxifQ5L_X1adVvstACaJqrzGOlwfC1XIF5p-wVMqa_zqvHgWDM3PDGWiULi8CYIuGpSWd_-/s4032/IMG_7327.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZIq13_L3xJowkfjkmDlsGIuQXYbJeaZFXxOJ8N8SxR2eZQl6ETj3tPLfur5LgvXVWOMRbgRutQdC43O0GK7LW-Sq5vHRFOa6j-GUAoMpe6ORFD-hskVzFFxifQ5L_X1adVvstACaJqrzGOlwfC1XIF5p-wVMqa_zqvHgWDM3PDGWiULi8CYIuGpSWd_-/w480-h640/IMG_7327.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHkzlQT_n_ag36IlOnQ0k67HMcZ3yy07oNqTLYwCYJlbgdGLwFy2gFJgbQo3XtOSrkWionLouJCmAIDIZF-6ZsphASGoko_3M6Y8N36ZgZS0DADdmYB4fQ-1yuKlm9M14sAseyg-Uic6SIzOH7miDigAm6HJ0L0OV1F06Aoc_iENkggo9HYVDNjir7Uv8/s4032/IMG_7328.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHkzlQT_n_ag36IlOnQ0k67HMcZ3yy07oNqTLYwCYJlbgdGLwFy2gFJgbQo3XtOSrkWionLouJCmAIDIZF-6ZsphASGoko_3M6Y8N36ZgZS0DADdmYB4fQ-1yuKlm9M14sAseyg-Uic6SIzOH7miDigAm6HJ0L0OV1F06Aoc_iENkggo9HYVDNjir7Uv8/w640-h480/IMG_7328.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8jZncRWWdoH4zVS5H4IZ86_M0_gJeqiWJXZmfNcJO2KExZN9QR8pOyF8dpFrz1UuN5ouIWZrKItXRitLjSC0aGVZ77b6YtNJvSIS57reqyK44HxBcatYJt1gNcM6sguasT1ofAZApZE1BIWy9uFm278psfds93SJnphrarwKwrwcJxHzSb_Ha8X-hGriP/s4032/IMG_7329.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8jZncRWWdoH4zVS5H4IZ86_M0_gJeqiWJXZmfNcJO2KExZN9QR8pOyF8dpFrz1UuN5ouIWZrKItXRitLjSC0aGVZ77b6YtNJvSIS57reqyK44HxBcatYJt1gNcM6sguasT1ofAZApZE1BIWy9uFm278psfds93SJnphrarwKwrwcJxHzSb_Ha8X-hGriP/w480-h640/IMG_7329.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQqlVl5k1k0aDXDYiXshrvuO0x_0sr6KuWnkS2-t9dNHPw2-fz8R5NdSZ7EpGskyJF3_xl-4XF-VLi7ci-Vt3CJiy3pluRfsU0tfmywvtaq2kWC6M0aIZGAP74_YMLv_9w6SYtgE4A1UVX9CdI20D5mYTH_wmDa4gYof3G7irikF5gcc4yE27DY7TeybG/s4032/IMG_7334.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQqlVl5k1k0aDXDYiXshrvuO0x_0sr6KuWnkS2-t9dNHPw2-fz8R5NdSZ7EpGskyJF3_xl-4XF-VLi7ci-Vt3CJiy3pluRfsU0tfmywvtaq2kWC6M0aIZGAP74_YMLv_9w6SYtgE4A1UVX9CdI20D5mYTH_wmDa4gYof3G7irikF5gcc4yE27DY7TeybG/w640-h480/IMG_7334.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86KytvcJzJgtWgbY8uhfIXOy2VTi3Ye0Bl4kRlTxVMRJsXL2CpapeoCyeeBuLjcPfQNglyzQodxNOAIx7FHknHAqNaJCKu3Tj8qVzCsrJvzPOC1lF6cKalFeGnAoyxlgqZ-9RElNCfNylCozpKTlm6M5EUlcaIdTjj9djWhIfM_p9fQKOXTb3Ea77nejs/s4032/IMG_7335.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86KytvcJzJgtWgbY8uhfIXOy2VTi3Ye0Bl4kRlTxVMRJsXL2CpapeoCyeeBuLjcPfQNglyzQodxNOAIx7FHknHAqNaJCKu3Tj8qVzCsrJvzPOC1lF6cKalFeGnAoyxlgqZ-9RElNCfNylCozpKTlm6M5EUlcaIdTjj9djWhIfM_p9fQKOXTb3Ea77nejs/w640-h480/IMG_7335.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKfMFq6wkHKW5ex1fEUatASCf6CYLqVGLucRWdXSTtsxOuyRpTuYKlSxqoInw8nrjKcmFdX7Jzbud6LZdBrmmQAxYF020WMKa728L9pfttC7uJrLY5v11WZvDC9mtRp6Z6ihndMhPMd7WWm7QaIsjqZyUFnT3YjEmccX0VNDsuXY7wxRZMwro12ukbLwt/s4032/IMG_7343.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKfMFq6wkHKW5ex1fEUatASCf6CYLqVGLucRWdXSTtsxOuyRpTuYKlSxqoInw8nrjKcmFdX7Jzbud6LZdBrmmQAxYF020WMKa728L9pfttC7uJrLY5v11WZvDC9mtRp6Z6ihndMhPMd7WWm7QaIsjqZyUFnT3YjEmccX0VNDsuXY7wxRZMwro12ukbLwt/w480-h640/IMG_7343.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">My first experience of cruising Norway's fjords did not disappoint. Despite the gray weather, I still loved the scenery and the small town of Eidfjord. </span><p></p><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">How about you? Have you cruised Norway's fjords? Or would you like to?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgIvxRARuuu3QSqtu-yhcfctk-GU_L4oPxTMy-AohkLM6_vlkFpneC6CwlAT4pkNcd7ZKMTdpOaf5ZezFi1nqIFvOHb2dlwUGlCKfvjwpaCTvZaja_K1e6MlTQLWXcJf4rvSujtu7KLIZrV_A1smNECiDejnyivvoOFlMFGcUOj65FlR-xKAARfDWHzQO/s200/mcotw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgIvxRARuuu3QSqtu-yhcfctk-GU_L4oPxTMy-AohkLM6_vlkFpneC6CwlAT4pkNcd7ZKMTdpOaf5ZezFi1nqIFvOHb2dlwUGlCKfvjwpaCTvZaja_K1e6MlTQLWXcJf4rvSujtu7KLIZrV_A1smNECiDejnyivvoOFlMFGcUOj65FlR-xKAARfDWHzQO/w400-h300/mcotw.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-65540046014892709162023-07-20T18:30:00.001-07:002023-07-20T18:38:35.402-07:00Weekend Getaway - Skagit Valley and Whidbey Island, Washington<p> <span style="font-size: large;">Some twenty years ago, I made my first trip to Seattle, Washington. My family spent one day in Seattle then drove the Olympic Peninsula visiting Hoh Rain Forest, Hurricane Ridge (where we had snow at the end of May), and Cape Flattery. We took a ferry to the San Juan Islands and enjoyed one of my favorite rental stays of all time. Since then I have been wanting to get back to the Pacific NW. I knew there was so much more to see. And finally, in April, Mr. UR and I made that happen.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AT9WqQT01fXQNiLaHAN5kXEC4E3ze0Yhh5bLJW3myoC073Mq0uv5r3pKJzX_HUcQumFXuELC34idln9NDH32Rd_EJN9LZbIEYhqP59GtXvXZhZqjGxDWGjmheGr2bq2SPIPhAL66X3ZLUvxJMtW1I5Otqdv05HLR5x6uy_iTKpOKY0vglLZ-au5l2p_P/s4032/IMG_5159.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AT9WqQT01fXQNiLaHAN5kXEC4E3ze0Yhh5bLJW3myoC073Mq0uv5r3pKJzX_HUcQumFXuELC34idln9NDH32Rd_EJN9LZbIEYhqP59GtXvXZhZqjGxDWGjmheGr2bq2SPIPhAL66X3ZLUvxJMtW1I5Otqdv05HLR5x6uy_iTKpOKY0vglLZ-au5l2p_P/w640-h480/IMG_5159.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">I found an airfare of $120 round trip on Alaska Air Lines for the first weekend of April. The only catch was that it was almost a year in advance. Gamble on it? Yes! So I booked it and started looking at what I would see and do on my second visit some 20 years later.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5UUUQgZ8zylCci29TUg7fewgIaMURevoS3b0fXIppDPNW6ZfnhMvEawsNBKWAlM5n6MC8edkJ-e81d4EU5NxgsF68rids8d42GdSJMSvvddJ-WbN4dNMYa_vz0FfAaTNXcMtugspf9yJjIhDCF8ceQYDYfAaHC8hgJLrfNTfQURgDhYbyU870GL_b90c/s4032/IMG_4649.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5UUUQgZ8zylCci29TUg7fewgIaMURevoS3b0fXIppDPNW6ZfnhMvEawsNBKWAlM5n6MC8edkJ-e81d4EU5NxgsF68rids8d42GdSJMSvvddJ-WbN4dNMYa_vz0FfAaTNXcMtugspf9yJjIhDCF8ceQYDYfAaHC8hgJLrfNTfQURgDhYbyU870GL_b90c/w640-h480/IMG_4649.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KTuF-KCDYeA2FZ5am9AiEX8apCVdI8oNNLeqHcgGShc1qpk9-xibEEts6u4Km7cD4pM-PdX78SHSW4hQOk6ESbY4XrGbwaTJJjS0QnlBH0sWLbDGRiQLhOqLpB-Y2bmYEdBqJJQZxpHva3Qb0XZpjVslACwZzaux84HCMlgHcvLnMzWWUPwiI6Evk5ab/s2784/IMG_4813.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2784" data-original-width="2088" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KTuF-KCDYeA2FZ5am9AiEX8apCVdI8oNNLeqHcgGShc1qpk9-xibEEts6u4Km7cD4pM-PdX78SHSW4hQOk6ESbY4XrGbwaTJJjS0QnlBH0sWLbDGRiQLhOqLpB-Y2bmYEdBqJJQZxpHva3Qb0XZpjVslACwZzaux84HCMlgHcvLnMzWWUPwiI6Evk5ab/w480-h640/IMG_4813.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">We ultimately decided that we would like to do a little island hopping. I'd not been to Whidbey or Bainbridge Islands which sounded very appealing. And then I found out that the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival was happening for the whole month. So the plan was falling into place. A fun weekend ahead.</span></div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHC5qKk9AQE1vzWgtrTIM5fTwaHSmAs9a5HvjdRpDSUqAYtspHI_zp4sh67WauRDm4yljd_Ns0daCt8YVNvoa2Jsm9txVYha6D1Hd2KJgSZ9zo5jI0_kpB0YoJNpbP52TEys_VSWUXX_YIkfeh2u9GdpOxkZUh3upypJ3LCRzVgXJSlcFdSRPHsiO2eZK/s2350/IMG_4901.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1762" data-original-width="2350" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHC5qKk9AQE1vzWgtrTIM5fTwaHSmAs9a5HvjdRpDSUqAYtspHI_zp4sh67WauRDm4yljd_Ns0daCt8YVNvoa2Jsm9txVYha6D1Hd2KJgSZ9zo5jI0_kpB0YoJNpbP52TEys_VSWUXX_YIkfeh2u9GdpOxkZUh3upypJ3LCRzVgXJSlcFdSRPHsiO2eZK/w640-h480/IMG_4901.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Skagit Valley Tulip Festival</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Every April the Skagit Valley holds their month long Tulip Festival running seven days per week. The first thing you do is pick a farm to visit. This year there were four farms available to tour - Roozengaarde, Tulip Town, Rosalyn Garden and a newcomer, Tulip Valley Farm. Tickets for each farm are available for purchase online - and you can also purchase tickets as a walk-in when you arrive. (There isn't a ticket available to visit all farms - you must purchase them separately)</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVIcFLyeQ_l9kKRdTqgxK55GYacDFRJN2wrozC8a1G2VumG63h7eITUPvt-4VR2PB8CmW2cPVwBIbdM0Sy8xbKO9WFwv4fcn6o9x9-HNQ3RAY3dEBtsWL8JhfOnjOVaOP3I4fXeZHE3hkaH0Uj438OKyuRnz6ft9PZlsQ691PJSjwbcXLgmMYkE_wkAYX6/s4032/IMG_4604.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVIcFLyeQ_l9kKRdTqgxK55GYacDFRJN2wrozC8a1G2VumG63h7eITUPvt-4VR2PB8CmW2cPVwBIbdM0Sy8xbKO9WFwv4fcn6o9x9-HNQ3RAY3dEBtsWL8JhfOnjOVaOP3I4fXeZHE3hkaH0Uj438OKyuRnz6ft9PZlsQ691PJSjwbcXLgmMYkE_wkAYX6/w480-h640/IMG_4604.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyntySuFlUPXFt3D6OHrtmdZhUrckAEzS4XvEGBON8pCDNjdP_tThOwnoKp7nG5rmxXwLTa4ycDRd_1eU-8EKp_Q0i8BXQzb29wvTIGRKniQjQQ0KtyCed6Do2H3kzTnIoLlvsf-GfWFpEjJfkw1VTiDci7IUF3pDIUmVAsEkbkxYJhBT1f47rG-hGsKW/s4032/IMG_4605.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyntySuFlUPXFt3D6OHrtmdZhUrckAEzS4XvEGBON8pCDNjdP_tThOwnoKp7nG5rmxXwLTa4ycDRd_1eU-8EKp_Q0i8BXQzb29wvTIGRKniQjQQ0KtyCed6Do2H3kzTnIoLlvsf-GfWFpEjJfkw1VTiDci7IUF3pDIUmVAsEkbkxYJhBT1f47rG-hGsKW/w480-h640/IMG_4605.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJuC8Fw1A1n36m9joa0UPvXI6IlFFhbEoelyeBarNyahgyP95NYJ3dtkF663q_pzWGtXH0Jt1YGAoE_pDPy6-1mELqpw4vK9HujlKaLF-EHlLVTkNAByik2eFNBDNcClP4igcohT-Yi70nyca8i6Sj1IeyW2vQ4HJ3OF_v3FcnEmU02u8eRY9d71gj8cTR/s3088/IMG_4674.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJuC8Fw1A1n36m9joa0UPvXI6IlFFhbEoelyeBarNyahgyP95NYJ3dtkF663q_pzWGtXH0Jt1YGAoE_pDPy6-1mELqpw4vK9HujlKaLF-EHlLVTkNAByik2eFNBDNcClP4igcohT-Yi70nyca8i6Sj1IeyW2vQ4HJ3OF_v3FcnEmU02u8eRY9d71gj8cTR/w640-h480/IMG_4674.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We chose to visit Roozengaarde. With its more than 50 acres of tulips and daffodils, Roozengaarde was started by Dutch immigrant William Roozen way back in 1947. I decided to purchase our tickets online as we would be visiting on a weekend. Parking was free and admission was $15 per person. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLb05J-3VVX70JdUZ6JzxyCtWSXgx98pIqbfLalKtDBVzy_Fp-YXkheQxl7tLZzO10rIMxXTbax0jMPyjzfClNYzbq_4x8qSWtNk26BT3ki2efY8edmifazAO4aO7lJswY637fOsa3_iJTtimEVOby66vct5lfvTK6xpLkYAKAZW4_BiUQV7C2kGEGS8yI/s4032/IMG_4639.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLb05J-3VVX70JdUZ6JzxyCtWSXgx98pIqbfLalKtDBVzy_Fp-YXkheQxl7tLZzO10rIMxXTbax0jMPyjzfClNYzbq_4x8qSWtNk26BT3ki2efY8edmifazAO4aO7lJswY637fOsa3_iJTtimEVOby66vct5lfvTK6xpLkYAKAZW4_BiUQV7C2kGEGS8yI/w480-h640/IMG_4639.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC3s7f9h_oyVUIi_E02JSefDXIP5as1XmoGERJta_kgP-ML3gC9Jbi8_TrhSXExeD3Ud3gaK4enrmZqPxkcAvp4Q31cU4-wzo19ye_EdIrq26-OkFTYJ9Nm_lBLFDoAbafEsWJjDiYKmerk4ZbebAcqMlP3bqCaspYVOn2WMQcinntjY9KuTtNTJpUqZLX/s4032/IMG_4749.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC3s7f9h_oyVUIi_E02JSefDXIP5as1XmoGERJta_kgP-ML3gC9Jbi8_TrhSXExeD3Ud3gaK4enrmZqPxkcAvp4Q31cU4-wzo19ye_EdIrq26-OkFTYJ9Nm_lBLFDoAbafEsWJjDiYKmerk4ZbebAcqMlP3bqCaspYVOn2WMQcinntjY9KuTtNTJpUqZLX/w480-h640/IMG_4749.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDg1uoLGAPJQ4ouHaLEFsufN6ZFJUaX4AbFaeVYQWlIftAVagiY69kJijgjE47ZM7c4M5wmpB5VdXA1fEGIONMfZNUMtHq5DcU020HnKLIA4GBXyWxjwQVHA3PJp0i_Y_O433bbg7BoAwzv-2e8qCG0WmiVIYi0QvbwNYftNM5B755_Qjyp1JutoZwIV1/s4032/IMG_4691.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDg1uoLGAPJQ4ouHaLEFsufN6ZFJUaX4AbFaeVYQWlIftAVagiY69kJijgjE47ZM7c4M5wmpB5VdXA1fEGIONMfZNUMtHq5DcU020HnKLIA4GBXyWxjwQVHA3PJp0i_Y_O433bbg7BoAwzv-2e8qCG0WmiVIYi0QvbwNYftNM5B755_Qjyp1JutoZwIV1/w480-h640/IMG_4691.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Admission gets you carte blanche of the farm and tulip fields - with the exception of trampling through them - and you can take all the photos you want. There is a food tent, gift shop and unique to Roozengarde, a windmill.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDwPcmJi2-_YCAptguabLWadkpuxYn8qFYdphu45jAR8qcow5Rcpv0p4kkBS0PG1fRdjpki4fnZoRlnPJIfnpoGsoUQ11qSMhPZAfXM6s4inV1XMdjoLZQQnwvSYxve1ZKiqd8TsaB-BDBVadrHF_KpFHYyKpRfLRLuSWxtSc924eFI5SPvQbNzdW6Mw1/s4032/IMG_4747.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDwPcmJi2-_YCAptguabLWadkpuxYn8qFYdphu45jAR8qcow5Rcpv0p4kkBS0PG1fRdjpki4fnZoRlnPJIfnpoGsoUQ11qSMhPZAfXM6s4inV1XMdjoLZQQnwvSYxve1ZKiqd8TsaB-BDBVadrHF_KpFHYyKpRfLRLuSWxtSc924eFI5SPvQbNzdW6Mw1/w480-h640/IMG_4747.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEaQDnWTe4JHeoexvhFWxsc1LZV_OH-Kqb5tTImFImrFnbLv8fmBooHxoKkQLhj0uDg6uCTgljMzd6110-fKSNlijE_Yr4dd4W5Dp8t5XjSKAXjZuASvCjz6Np4hl2HR_8s7lrtqfRQVi2PLzMgUgxy5sFpwG2txxs02ETIaevr__cOERiyXCEXENrAZwU/s4032/IMG_4766.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEaQDnWTe4JHeoexvhFWxsc1LZV_OH-Kqb5tTImFImrFnbLv8fmBooHxoKkQLhj0uDg6uCTgljMzd6110-fKSNlijE_Yr4dd4W5Dp8t5XjSKAXjZuASvCjz6Np4hl2HR_8s7lrtqfRQVi2PLzMgUgxy5sFpwG2txxs02ETIaevr__cOERiyXCEXENrAZwU/w480-h640/IMG_4766.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKTH9x3uORzFOLq-pxY3CwD3GWWiV8X4su93weoUT8z_XzeWkpNd3KkifoVXSt3GM7_WAK46JAGgDeHGZEirqFJz8CWNwp_XQh_1bkvgGLaAmp2jyMKIgwIuCTNMTAjhHzGaLIbUqiMdXpTkDY_AVS3WHbqgN_6QmSqCzU1lWtG4PtTcCkEKRL23GRk3p/s4032/IMG_4767.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKTH9x3uORzFOLq-pxY3CwD3GWWiV8X4su93weoUT8z_XzeWkpNd3KkifoVXSt3GM7_WAK46JAGgDeHGZEirqFJz8CWNwp_XQh_1bkvgGLaAmp2jyMKIgwIuCTNMTAjhHzGaLIbUqiMdXpTkDY_AVS3WHbqgN_6QmSqCzU1lWtG4PtTcCkEKRL23GRk3p/w480-h640/IMG_4767.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The day we visited was quite cold - gray and in the 50's - and it started spitting rain when we left. Mr. UR gallantly went along with my photo obsession but I don't think it was his favorite event ever. I have to say that seeing all those tulips was quite cool - and beautiful despite the gray skies. I don't believe that I need to do it again but I'm glad that I was able to do it once. Check out the photos to see if it's something you would be interested in.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgruVyMeBFhFUuKs0dj8nHG4JtfLwBIMd5DXHtduoLPhSegxnGO3Gm3uNowFKK8Tyze4gzpZB9EcYh1AJpBvkqfb4PHQQwOWmEW3_4ftwVvNHV6G8KMNZYCxUDN6r5D1BXBq4FTDh2wqy_lx21pAC2WfSI5bWrrs6ybmNPE9GlsS33BCVbtNn6rqKMQaIum/s4032/IMG_4615.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgruVyMeBFhFUuKs0dj8nHG4JtfLwBIMd5DXHtduoLPhSegxnGO3Gm3uNowFKK8Tyze4gzpZB9EcYh1AJpBvkqfb4PHQQwOWmEW3_4ftwVvNHV6G8KMNZYCxUDN6r5D1BXBq4FTDh2wqy_lx21pAC2WfSI5bWrrs6ybmNPE9GlsS33BCVbtNn6rqKMQaIum/w480-h640/IMG_4615.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNruP1iPCGUI7QwUsRc-6ws7BHcMNyEWk4Xxi6YU3jsLNC5V3XxoW8T_NOMK44bUJy-mZMg8bsGJMeBGiWt9-5YFGWNcn_sM8ltH8yCcBiG8CJjp9dUZOqMxt2_4GDMequ1tdObtfFp6TpiGeWsVvpvjOg1PrKWCwCJqhnx-m6gG5eZ6YkoLXmydvEbFvQ/s4032/IMG_4616.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNruP1iPCGUI7QwUsRc-6ws7BHcMNyEWk4Xxi6YU3jsLNC5V3XxoW8T_NOMK44bUJy-mZMg8bsGJMeBGiWt9-5YFGWNcn_sM8ltH8yCcBiG8CJjp9dUZOqMxt2_4GDMequ1tdObtfFp6TpiGeWsVvpvjOg1PrKWCwCJqhnx-m6gG5eZ6YkoLXmydvEbFvQ/w480-h640/IMG_4616.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcaTdHE84VZLXzjg7zJ0YZA4LOdVCS3eHhdOox3ZoAW_CfuP7ZhabIbxadf6GfUg49ax3tRAkHu3-yKlQs5igF2kRsfN-H-bvPSIIftqJaYdBJxhxVj0fFPE9B95U1Vq-fnzcavWRUsnDyuLqEHFjHtdgbc9Jt6hORJnlGgfltvUhdOKFZQB-OVoIewwX9/s4032/IMG_4736.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcaTdHE84VZLXzjg7zJ0YZA4LOdVCS3eHhdOox3ZoAW_CfuP7ZhabIbxadf6GfUg49ax3tRAkHu3-yKlQs5igF2kRsfN-H-bvPSIIftqJaYdBJxhxVj0fFPE9B95U1Vq-fnzcavWRUsnDyuLqEHFjHtdgbc9Jt6hORJnlGgfltvUhdOKFZQB-OVoIewwX9/w640-h480/IMG_4736.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYTp3b44SI-0bZV5ssmoa_GTpUa_boh3aGUm8RuPHlnD-pRJkIY1-kfX3EXSEYzSgaTf2gP0xSSf0iTn34sNxIGKIa9LABacahuF5PHQrB9AESsX9mnDVIjDX8h-qE15-QN3MaOP1TOCmk4HilXXCEXRDQLo9rhu55tYYzYgzzuc5M1J0xwr1WFt4C-gX/s4032/IMG_4710.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYTp3b44SI-0bZV5ssmoa_GTpUa_boh3aGUm8RuPHlnD-pRJkIY1-kfX3EXSEYzSgaTf2gP0xSSf0iTn34sNxIGKIa9LABacahuF5PHQrB9AESsX9mnDVIjDX8h-qE15-QN3MaOP1TOCmk4HilXXCEXRDQLo9rhu55tYYzYgzzuc5M1J0xwr1WFt4C-gX/w480-h640/IMG_4710.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggXteat0kTJ4zZMYRzfqUbMVLHIoOZrchSehMPsiAIf-QXcJB_3eMlB-SzdBcoTcMiQxIcH1rBHSBAjf6J8D_HVZtBLHKYW5TQ4uXk4MRPBfAqHc0ZH8LiYgEWd0oR8JJaVxyfKlQY8vIqXMedkSTtSEZyvknSqZIzNErpAQ0yVL47Jdj49R2uS194u5Wa/s4032/IMG_4705.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggXteat0kTJ4zZMYRzfqUbMVLHIoOZrchSehMPsiAIf-QXcJB_3eMlB-SzdBcoTcMiQxIcH1rBHSBAjf6J8D_HVZtBLHKYW5TQ4uXk4MRPBfAqHc0ZH8LiYgEWd0oR8JJaVxyfKlQY8vIqXMedkSTtSEZyvknSqZIzNErpAQ0yVL47Jdj49R2uS194u5Wa/w480-h640/IMG_4705.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After tiptoeing through the tulips, we decided to check out a local brewery to get warm and have a snack. So did many others apparently as it was a bit of a wait. But we enjoyed our beverages at Skagit River Brewery and it did the trick to last us until supper.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgoXGqiZYstNAiJG-1ODXeayR2NnqE7vnClzeeADa1a0OA6xBaSzhcEqTRsLYWKCbs0cvjJ799q6vn5O4Ok_apiQh1jysTnVLtBOcwtahKNtdEn2RWC88Q2L4_xsNfzwSeswkRnb8x7td5HsvdEJ9k2ejquLXSJmZaAROYGCgQMkoxanv3Yh2qacjknxu/s3673/IMG_4773.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3673" data-original-width="3023" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgoXGqiZYstNAiJG-1ODXeayR2NnqE7vnClzeeADa1a0OA6xBaSzhcEqTRsLYWKCbs0cvjJ799q6vn5O4Ok_apiQh1jysTnVLtBOcwtahKNtdEn2RWC88Q2L4_xsNfzwSeswkRnb8x7td5HsvdEJ9k2ejquLXSJmZaAROYGCgQMkoxanv3Yh2qacjknxu/w526-h640/IMG_4773.jpeg" width="526" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMWcSD4zZlMl94gNy0uqy3TpOnNG1uARkusWUpvzC2TqT4tdWPNs9_a_34JRVrSq5E0RE2AvNzPT5gXPajt1IIDL_8Dn1ZrKlHzPdCMCVbfErCf0flyeyeCAiBihXPqnz67bTef2SVzqeIi2REwOO6Eox0WYLATjM-5JfyjbAm2SH9KGubW8DNvMv6Jhu/s4032/IMG_4774.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMWcSD4zZlMl94gNy0uqy3TpOnNG1uARkusWUpvzC2TqT4tdWPNs9_a_34JRVrSq5E0RE2AvNzPT5gXPajt1IIDL_8Dn1ZrKlHzPdCMCVbfErCf0flyeyeCAiBihXPqnz67bTef2SVzqeIi2REwOO6Eox0WYLATjM-5JfyjbAm2SH9KGubW8DNvMv6Jhu/w480-h640/IMG_4774.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">La Conner, Washington is a waterfront town - on the Salish Sea - known for its waterfront hotel, La Conner Channel Lodge. And for being the home of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival plus being a popular weekend getaway destination. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33u3FV-cb6Mwqqi67WHQqw4-f57kcQfW9rN2xsZasKP6y4e7gWpp2jjoOyuSkuNNWbGtVATMV_dyRGLxXyfczl26v28ieSPHuqHMV4pmS-yxYzh6Y7HH5f1IoVxu-DUTdqPI1wVn27DSdFEtCpyxQSinXBMlV4da-msgo1dfIaL425OFM1p9hQC2PcGe8/s4032/IMG_4784.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33u3FV-cb6Mwqqi67WHQqw4-f57kcQfW9rN2xsZasKP6y4e7gWpp2jjoOyuSkuNNWbGtVATMV_dyRGLxXyfczl26v28ieSPHuqHMV4pmS-yxYzh6Y7HH5f1IoVxu-DUTdqPI1wVn27DSdFEtCpyxQSinXBMlV4da-msgo1dfIaL425OFM1p9hQC2PcGe8/w480-h640/IMG_4784.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSG7wfENFhvA2vz-IKm5f1fIV_XVk3GmUEM2qUlQk7gFYUFNNo8TpskxbpPPUAdPnYQ1X5v_rvXhrlH-tuKRnb2Aakm2P2QgBFDXO0uti29AmO2T5OTnyoKHjenTRkhEhnxumfUjC7QNdhFUckkUV-4ryMKIHAasxDKUEtD0NG-RSvKhQT4zTKUEOMUyUx/s4032/IMG_4795.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSG7wfENFhvA2vz-IKm5f1fIV_XVk3GmUEM2qUlQk7gFYUFNNo8TpskxbpPPUAdPnYQ1X5v_rvXhrlH-tuKRnb2Aakm2P2QgBFDXO0uti29AmO2T5OTnyoKHjenTRkhEhnxumfUjC7QNdhFUckkUV-4ryMKIHAasxDKUEtD0NG-RSvKhQT4zTKUEOMUyUx/w480-h640/IMG_4795.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We chose a local winery - Skagit Cellars Winery - to enjoy a glass of wine and then we walked the town waterfront choosing a restaurant for dinner. La Conner Pub & Eatery was a fine choice - we had a water view table for prime rib night (which was delicious) and all the folks there were very friendly.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORjWOXWf5iSTwtjzbuq6Gy6j5ZfSL82w6VTT_vQZ0TTD42GJAKitdSe4S9IEAjNmgD9637YdE5_g00gz5_V9dwtHq7rlrr1wtIZUOjs5U3S7MnpjRvTLcq-KjDhwCxzR1LLFAHHLDwlkSR60QSS7148doN2ReCrbVrkSKTWhQq6E-2P0IYdVYTus9IseQ/s4032/IMG_4780.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORjWOXWf5iSTwtjzbuq6Gy6j5ZfSL82w6VTT_vQZ0TTD42GJAKitdSe4S9IEAjNmgD9637YdE5_g00gz5_V9dwtHq7rlrr1wtIZUOjs5U3S7MnpjRvTLcq-KjDhwCxzR1LLFAHHLDwlkSR60QSS7148doN2ReCrbVrkSKTWhQq6E-2P0IYdVYTus9IseQ/w480-h640/IMG_4780.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28jg68tWJWl7H817Kjmn7YjMEkWXSeTaX0oxD0gns6hahXhCr_G3LhogNiieBE532M3qhWXVZjp_XqNiTr0frK0f5I5PSLxFryJ8I3jVwK8zt4oIMKXJ9VJ2lkRaJ8X3cdVUDbVdAZqjYPm8M-Wj3YDg_YJ_ZVWWzgd5VUS1vhpZVuhZY2exXBab1ZIAd/s4032/IMG_4805.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28jg68tWJWl7H817Kjmn7YjMEkWXSeTaX0oxD0gns6hahXhCr_G3LhogNiieBE532M3qhWXVZjp_XqNiTr0frK0f5I5PSLxFryJ8I3jVwK8zt4oIMKXJ9VJ2lkRaJ8X3cdVUDbVdAZqjYPm8M-Wj3YDg_YJ_ZVWWzgd5VUS1vhpZVuhZY2exXBab1ZIAd/w640-h480/IMG_4805.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMz-eZt9gzgEnuUdVnU36K80av4cmC0Ubnw7oaPfpjmnzrtQh1DfbGLrdRr5uPj71bc57gA5QsnLYVCnJ5_kDIjGwEi1QVt_Hegu7aYDcjTHoRBGtamRabuD_1FytUFdffwsf62ZHPD7o1IJQXjG8fpM_4Tq-ljbmJbUeQoEUbMC7sTOek05XP5bJJ8Bb/s4032/IMG_4808.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMz-eZt9gzgEnuUdVnU36K80av4cmC0Ubnw7oaPfpjmnzrtQh1DfbGLrdRr5uPj71bc57gA5QsnLYVCnJ5_kDIjGwEi1QVt_Hegu7aYDcjTHoRBGtamRabuD_1FytUFdffwsf62ZHPD7o1IJQXjG8fpM_4Tq-ljbmJbUeQoEUbMC7sTOek05XP5bJJ8Bb/w480-h640/IMG_4808.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Whidbey Island</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We started our drive of Whidbey Island with the fantastic Deception Pass State Park. It's Washington's most visited state park and it has also been voted the 5th most beautiful state park in the US. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNRbSZ8oNkl17b73x3NRL52ytqFkA31fuDXoAP0IB4M9oA8YK6JLZE2x_59ym878BuKJA_vcBdbR-XDE2wP4dE0NU7MAerFpOjRCYWBt_99PEtUHmI6AytgT4XIYaw10jqCZUAk7-lgqm8gkX6-7n2OibwqSvUxlNNz09s0kAsYkzjJwSJIsrSQpwvDl8/s4032/IMG_4857.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNRbSZ8oNkl17b73x3NRL52ytqFkA31fuDXoAP0IB4M9oA8YK6JLZE2x_59ym878BuKJA_vcBdbR-XDE2wP4dE0NU7MAerFpOjRCYWBt_99PEtUHmI6AytgT4XIYaw10jqCZUAk7-lgqm8gkX6-7n2OibwqSvUxlNNz09s0kAsYkzjJwSJIsrSQpwvDl8/w640-h480/IMG_4857.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">The first order of business was driving over the Deception Pass Bridge- which is basically the symbol for the state park. If you say Deception Pass, most people immediately think of the bridge. Connecting Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands, the bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Dedicated in 1935, some 20,000 cars pass on the bridge every day. It sits 180 feet above the swirling waters of Deception Pass and if driving it isn't scary enough for you, you can also walk it - there are pedestrian lanes on either side. And if heights are something you don't enjoy - like me - then this might not be for you. I walked as far on it as I felt comfortable - of course, Mr. UR had no problem with it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGao1LdAnB0zHKTOAKqbi4FLQipeJfP6KfMAV3Z7_Njf7VYy4HZRrekjKFtNf2BBDjAn3TXM2JwHrvad6kLpMzGYvQw6NpceBj7d19EdETjBrze5DpwPpRHM_dKkl2KD2_aGZ0sNNBr_ZyRTsjWYdT1jzxPw52EDFxajtsWZmmMqF36q0wkO-PP-sAZby/s4032/IMG_4856.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGao1LdAnB0zHKTOAKqbi4FLQipeJfP6KfMAV3Z7_Njf7VYy4HZRrekjKFtNf2BBDjAn3TXM2JwHrvad6kLpMzGYvQw6NpceBj7d19EdETjBrze5DpwPpRHM_dKkl2KD2_aGZ0sNNBr_ZyRTsjWYdT1jzxPw52EDFxajtsWZmmMqF36q0wkO-PP-sAZby/w640-h480/IMG_4856.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWNFoomQyVfLJDArV45H6Fgp_Rm2j7ubFWlU86VsM6zGCl7sRaUJaB3phV-3u0x6OGBpkPxkkrkUbIimrepy4NrEZuvEz5-lhXGv3-w3LGWKWUG83VzKpKNiE18UusZjLV8T_rFWdi1dsK6yGj2FfRH3pDp8pQQ-jJQc9w8gsEjdDVzc2gob5Fgr0wnoik/s3088/IMG_4854.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWNFoomQyVfLJDArV45H6Fgp_Rm2j7ubFWlU86VsM6zGCl7sRaUJaB3phV-3u0x6OGBpkPxkkrkUbIimrepy4NrEZuvEz5-lhXGv3-w3LGWKWUG83VzKpKNiE18UusZjLV8T_rFWdi1dsK6yGj2FfRH3pDp8pQQ-jJQc9w8gsEjdDVzc2gob5Fgr0wnoik/w640-h480/IMG_4854.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2QsejZl3oP9vlVgZc1JsgtEaVrTevZbmwEDbXHloCg16Z2uou3rTIEYPJivAMkopmHYr7s-F5_3UuVyotiLOV5crGxN9POghe1xi-g_9UopwIhG1eajya9zaeDMTUMQcXYwu-vJilSc6Hhxy-G9CsLZskgEnHOsxCwY3wd33sujhkYdwdl6ynC78-fpP/s4032/IMG_4860.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2QsejZl3oP9vlVgZc1JsgtEaVrTevZbmwEDbXHloCg16Z2uou3rTIEYPJivAMkopmHYr7s-F5_3UuVyotiLOV5crGxN9POghe1xi-g_9UopwIhG1eajya9zaeDMTUMQcXYwu-vJilSc6Hhxy-G9CsLZskgEnHOsxCwY3wd33sujhkYdwdl6ynC78-fpP/w640-h480/IMG_4860.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">Next we parked in the designated parking lot and walked down to the rocky beach. It was a pleasant walk - even the uphill walk back to the car wasn't too bad. We hung out on the beach for a bit - and spotted a seal - and then made the hike back up. (I'd highly recommend that you go down to the beach as it gives you such a different perspective of the area)</span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkTg_qFNgyZCWxJRY-EgjVruQavJ8OqX4mFft5nTGBHP4J32PxqSek1ZuWmuws2sgc61ACwmdqkzUVEAha9i2zmP6ry2pCxeLKS9KfUFh2H55voCsTZgLoVReq7lW6gOhIySgEQPXyoSgRRB9DgZpDMwsglluXfPe9lwOVwYPuuZFuMmLdVgVKFvcphb7/s4032/IMG_4871.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkTg_qFNgyZCWxJRY-EgjVruQavJ8OqX4mFft5nTGBHP4J32PxqSek1ZuWmuws2sgc61ACwmdqkzUVEAha9i2zmP6ry2pCxeLKS9KfUFh2H55voCsTZgLoVReq7lW6gOhIySgEQPXyoSgRRB9DgZpDMwsglluXfPe9lwOVwYPuuZFuMmLdVgVKFvcphb7/w480-h640/IMG_4871.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLBkjSFEFcT1cAEg-PfDh-s7buR8xbAJoW77B089FO9C_FVFH2C5YOz7ApVgSmuTeWJ5Z2UGN8blJ9L36gwX0acgUq8u9aDycNAbqw620Pb6sdcfkq6ZsarNRrSkhmLC4oHZU8kucgMAP8QDo46fP0uLgt1gHLosn3gLvb6euAVV-mo7jsOAps2_CT4Af/s4032/IMG_4863.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLBkjSFEFcT1cAEg-PfDh-s7buR8xbAJoW77B089FO9C_FVFH2C5YOz7ApVgSmuTeWJ5Z2UGN8blJ9L36gwX0acgUq8u9aDycNAbqw620Pb6sdcfkq6ZsarNRrSkhmLC4oHZU8kucgMAP8QDo46fP0uLgt1gHLosn3gLvb6euAVV-mo7jsOAps2_CT4Af/w480-h640/IMG_4863.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXyB0GO7jWUSTK2o6RVL4-T47TEBe0gIiO80aqUh1geK57LR_frzeSALwl7n-Eydtq6abfI8ck-5Pog1FKyGiTcja72eP_UlIM_YLqcF2hqF27Ycz1INT-jYo6NKx7c3xFFFceFKv3xs6r1SwpiteLW0tMBqcWp_LRtdhNdwbM02HBW3IrePpu7iXW-GrC/s3088/IMG_4873.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXyB0GO7jWUSTK2o6RVL4-T47TEBe0gIiO80aqUh1geK57LR_frzeSALwl7n-Eydtq6abfI8ck-5Pog1FKyGiTcja72eP_UlIM_YLqcF2hqF27Ycz1INT-jYo6NKx7c3xFFFceFKv3xs6r1SwpiteLW0tMBqcWp_LRtdhNdwbM02HBW3IrePpu7iXW-GrC/w480-h640/IMG_4873.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihFuIXhg9pPfYrR_wEH2TOujPGWRf-8hrdQpcfnn8kHQVMCW90JZ8E6bQ5H8QsiSCt7qvAAWPPA1vyD3JOpFL1H815SwcHfBPccih7xvw1wJeQNXDh5cWAru7lyzFUuF21va3WtbjapC8aUn6xrIBenYQSUhNFTVaXNwP0w-Nb9uqV0oRE3_ZJZCZVeSU/s4032/IMG_4884.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihFuIXhg9pPfYrR_wEH2TOujPGWRf-8hrdQpcfnn8kHQVMCW90JZ8E6bQ5H8QsiSCt7qvAAWPPA1vyD3JOpFL1H815SwcHfBPccih7xvw1wJeQNXDh5cWAru7lyzFUuF21va3WtbjapC8aUn6xrIBenYQSUhNFTVaXNwP0w-Nb9uqV0oRE3_ZJZCZVeSU/w480-h640/IMG_4884.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-4wPFr0ZgvRSnYe-3Ud7UgnNmMFRXLPPYmCBeDghjyA9XGrhZJlbW4QQSh3aMMp6RH8ah7FLE2cxrtU_FdFBEAcXZ_rCXK-VQXp7CfYflpGaep8eVW8Ng3KOqymoeE_mUIGYGiQ_8PY1XNhQMPSYWV__00MHwzKWINVkIeD9Nf9YQ6_2qiNkHrtfhva0/s4032/IMG_4880.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-4wPFr0ZgvRSnYe-3Ud7UgnNmMFRXLPPYmCBeDghjyA9XGrhZJlbW4QQSh3aMMp6RH8ah7FLE2cxrtU_FdFBEAcXZ_rCXK-VQXp7CfYflpGaep8eVW8Ng3KOqymoeE_mUIGYGiQ_8PY1XNhQMPSYWV__00MHwzKWINVkIeD9Nf9YQ6_2qiNkHrtfhva0/w480-h640/IMG_4880.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFlS5XRWAWHjjl7uou2q4f-w-zu9P6DUznT0Qo1gyaDjj1DvBI3NMidp-qw5ndvbuxRXBOUjQCkIrrtEb5nwC-H58CpKSGK1qNihEtAP_LRV6cyf7Tbp_8Rd3PW33R-XcrWk9nRosVYZN5trdEUSv1aYw3S98aZLMOan_Wq8OZu5QyPjWN2eXhrG-uDII/s4032/IMG_4886.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFlS5XRWAWHjjl7uou2q4f-w-zu9P6DUznT0Qo1gyaDjj1DvBI3NMidp-qw5ndvbuxRXBOUjQCkIrrtEb5nwC-H58CpKSGK1qNihEtAP_LRV6cyf7Tbp_8Rd3PW33R-XcrWk9nRosVYZN5trdEUSv1aYw3S98aZLMOan_Wq8OZu5QyPjWN2eXhrG-uDII/w640-h480/IMG_4886.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We continued on to West Beach - still part of the State Park so we just showed our paid receipt - and took a very windy walk along this driftwood filled beach. Normally, I believe there is kayaking available at the pond here but since there were white caps on the pond, it wasn't available the day we were there. There are views of surrounding islands and Puget Sound which are probably better on a clear day.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbeDg5b2lwsVsYCITqIYgODywB4MsawKNmV2-fxkhHnabbZLMYWAEMBuz1gc7AwC6pTe21hexegQ22koBhskT_XuKsoyviZ3DbKkaIWhWhDiDb_EtXAd-W4IVrny9Mu1SKNSNu-83C80_Hf2qDN7iAny64OK7h2XrIOcvU9ik4KUZ7HcKosiEa_vB1FrC/s4032/IMG_4889.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbeDg5b2lwsVsYCITqIYgODywB4MsawKNmV2-fxkhHnabbZLMYWAEMBuz1gc7AwC6pTe21hexegQ22koBhskT_XuKsoyviZ3DbKkaIWhWhDiDb_EtXAd-W4IVrny9Mu1SKNSNu-83C80_Hf2qDN7iAny64OK7h2XrIOcvU9ik4KUZ7HcKosiEa_vB1FrC/w640-h480/IMG_4889.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">The tiny town of Coupeville is the second oldest town in Washington State and most of the buildings are at least one hundred years old. The town sits on Penn Cove and it's wharf juts out into the water. We stopped for a bowl of chowder, shopped a bit in the cute stores, walked the wharf in the wind and then stopped at the new Greenbank Cidery to enjoy a beverage with views of the water. </span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc9b2E-gOYoy3-IkWTuvgRAeYY-rNz0wxfn2kfqnexc5NeQCRz2BPISxbxtFdHo5thJf00dDjyKqHVGoZELqFLUkhW4be2ceyOOKoeBmP5bflVn3bYOF8968ri_5kO05knRN9HpLmMKjQFqWfFL1ukl9MMdv0D-dnZZwlpFTnM0dUzrsihLmfZ8RG_GBez/s4032/IMG_4916.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc9b2E-gOYoy3-IkWTuvgRAeYY-rNz0wxfn2kfqnexc5NeQCRz2BPISxbxtFdHo5thJf00dDjyKqHVGoZELqFLUkhW4be2ceyOOKoeBmP5bflVn3bYOF8968ri_5kO05knRN9HpLmMKjQFqWfFL1ukl9MMdv0D-dnZZwlpFTnM0dUzrsihLmfZ8RG_GBez/w480-h640/IMG_4916.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeF05HHllZd2W1D460yd9_ilLQ69a_xJJNvl80f7kwmMU7FyesMgmyw1ixbdDlGdKwY2IWQvuM7056Ndr9pWmWlmwsLeI6U-JT_kH2KMruJXZ7JOG8LlNB8lVysooq51X-i3P0M3vMxGbqmGzUdWdpfnXs8viLjwCidTGT7ZglO5EjFOeJWRI2M1DP4LsT/s4032/IMG_4925.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeF05HHllZd2W1D460yd9_ilLQ69a_xJJNvl80f7kwmMU7FyesMgmyw1ixbdDlGdKwY2IWQvuM7056Ndr9pWmWlmwsLeI6U-JT_kH2KMruJXZ7JOG8LlNB8lVysooq51X-i3P0M3vMxGbqmGzUdWdpfnXs8viLjwCidTGT7ZglO5EjFOeJWRI2M1DP4LsT/w640-h480/IMG_4925.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJX9AwIojNSyR4XZS_vgI2Cs9_-sByhNGvdKRvY6cet5WV5CSp1SCif8pO1brO1s0-Ml5_tAk68CWbH7YoXQsypWrEY8KHS27VYdzM6LUwV_o8DxZAXlWSY_u9yzu9xha9fcUIiKlMMv1Ou7AOb81Q-47X8OCDFhl6uHitPqzU-TMeW5UycpUDwtP9xKS/s4032/IMG_4937.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJX9AwIojNSyR4XZS_vgI2Cs9_-sByhNGvdKRvY6cet5WV5CSp1SCif8pO1brO1s0-Ml5_tAk68CWbH7YoXQsypWrEY8KHS27VYdzM6LUwV_o8DxZAXlWSY_u9yzu9xha9fcUIiKlMMv1Ou7AOb81Q-47X8OCDFhl6uHitPqzU-TMeW5UycpUDwtP9xKS/w480-h640/IMG_4937.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerXjWnV_adYwjkpfRAEfw4qz4_BgwF-ffMMGhCjHDj5D8RSzYo5gxETB4WcDXySeNxVuvI4DDHKF3_CNKZAJNqm-mcSgaC59M-xMu-GwwYQmcmR7s_W_rIP3vVD2j0M7GgzrwGLpdjNvox2XUfxhzphG2Je0iNOQDwO7Jvw4dY8OBKCGza4qa8cO3nof7/s4032/IMG_4938.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerXjWnV_adYwjkpfRAEfw4qz4_BgwF-ffMMGhCjHDj5D8RSzYo5gxETB4WcDXySeNxVuvI4DDHKF3_CNKZAJNqm-mcSgaC59M-xMu-GwwYQmcmR7s_W_rIP3vVD2j0M7GgzrwGLpdjNvox2XUfxhzphG2Je0iNOQDwO7Jvw4dY8OBKCGza4qa8cO3nof7/w640-h480/IMG_4938.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpJAVEvKg1li71sF-kvlqmNuEFaWQLBX3EdMXrinXEMEXfC7v5teSUMgB9iOhMSEvQ-TO6JAUZOp6armpSwqCcTDvMW_ppAH3dOv9NB8WMb6sIi7_EWqpp-uS5RS_UrFGzzA74tKJQjHOXvidxY1hKaabasG_QFUMkMYIj2IOw47I3idLy3w1MN3t0qKD/s4032/IMG_4935.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpJAVEvKg1li71sF-kvlqmNuEFaWQLBX3EdMXrinXEMEXfC7v5teSUMgB9iOhMSEvQ-TO6JAUZOp6armpSwqCcTDvMW_ppAH3dOv9NB8WMb6sIi7_EWqpp-uS5RS_UrFGzzA74tKJQjHOXvidxY1hKaabasG_QFUMkMYIj2IOw47I3idLy3w1MN3t0qKD/w480-h640/IMG_4935.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Mr. UR found the find of the day - a winery with plastic igloo's overlooking the vines and the water. Holmes Harbor Cellar has limited production varietal and blended wines that we both enjoyed while tucked into their cozy igloos for an afternoon sip. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3rwoo4V1wHo4X-dRUvDB-Wo8QRqFIujLlPYP4wDvykXda0VLg5TFRtKpDb3vS1S-Cj1-kmcF8DiS4APCSrpoDx3RzX_gpKQynrKQ0-fAw9atDu1rX8qU3JMux1Kcg-Kp5QBUoTGvybptPEroBCd3Ggq7JoytOXyaDaBpYvKe9oUvd-hoJFO3kfH3TuCq/s4032/IMG_4956.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3rwoo4V1wHo4X-dRUvDB-Wo8QRqFIujLlPYP4wDvykXda0VLg5TFRtKpDb3vS1S-Cj1-kmcF8DiS4APCSrpoDx3RzX_gpKQynrKQ0-fAw9atDu1rX8qU3JMux1Kcg-Kp5QBUoTGvybptPEroBCd3Ggq7JoytOXyaDaBpYvKe9oUvd-hoJFO3kfH3TuCq/w640-h480/IMG_4956.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacwolXo9akv0Xb9gY6H26QHjOuzWnXZzgyWclxQR8pe_26fPNK67NCYnlG9G08UXHDc_k_Q124L6DYjh-7m8KZRuk6C5csKxUJsBAqsHYYfFhlGgO0K9dcwwqjml05LemL17IWM3lOAoGF2qin51FSkYHV7AiBbF-8iT1kgWi8abeVaJssOn-3rhXT5Oh/s4032/IMG_4952.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacwolXo9akv0Xb9gY6H26QHjOuzWnXZzgyWclxQR8pe_26fPNK67NCYnlG9G08UXHDc_k_Q124L6DYjh-7m8KZRuk6C5csKxUJsBAqsHYYfFhlGgO0K9dcwwqjml05LemL17IWM3lOAoGF2qin51FSkYHV7AiBbF-8iT1kgWi8abeVaJssOn-3rhXT5Oh/w480-h640/IMG_4952.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbEPHBRx1AHODd6ChlqrykvG-jVZCT5NfA-kcLYFdg5oLzOwsGLCZu20yo7X-U5_t78BsC2sAaMn_na_2tz6khA9XTD6u1aAx_4yEey62vbedDlkIEdMBFkAtm5uXMzUc3bQa1UshyBqY6dm3vfJ6FSbLgPvvRHiyAG9dwRjJtNyrMtbMqd_gxeRzeQlc/s3088/IMG_4953.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbEPHBRx1AHODd6ChlqrykvG-jVZCT5NfA-kcLYFdg5oLzOwsGLCZu20yo7X-U5_t78BsC2sAaMn_na_2tz6khA9XTD6u1aAx_4yEey62vbedDlkIEdMBFkAtm5uXMzUc3bQa1UshyBqY6dm3vfJ6FSbLgPvvRHiyAG9dwRjJtNyrMtbMqd_gxeRzeQlc/w640-h480/IMG_4953.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYK_tpiIT7qHyZ8lMNJOzFT6O2Ux2GpbHzARXVRin5WKrhcu5LiZEHwtrNNK7iWPxmt9cfmgTMaeQdITYmUabzWPS2bDauOqbAIpbzvd0DdNXXAoZ7pD1PPTEioRYdr9Dusw4nR9T0684ckpDRRmSagA5uWL0ZWY2f2Cua7RpL_79qlgTEP0rli-NuuWV/s4032/IMG_4950.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYK_tpiIT7qHyZ8lMNJOzFT6O2Ux2GpbHzARXVRin5WKrhcu5LiZEHwtrNNK7iWPxmt9cfmgTMaeQdITYmUabzWPS2bDauOqbAIpbzvd0DdNXXAoZ7pD1PPTEioRYdr9Dusw4nR9T0684ckpDRRmSagA5uWL0ZWY2f2Cua7RpL_79qlgTEP0rli-NuuWV/w480-h640/IMG_4950.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We just had time to enjoy one more glass of wine at the delightful outdoor space at Spoiled Dog Winery before it closed and we had to catch our ferry. This time we were sailing to Mulkiteo for our accommodations for the night with a stop for dinner at the cute little Sound Pizza. Not only was the pizza delicious but we also enjoyed the company of the owner - a former wrestler and coach - who had a lot in common with Mr. UR. I loved the town of Mulkiteo and would love to come back for a visit someday!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-oORNXPpWwh0Oe0RaFYQzaCOuhNzw-EWnhm0etUfAlOMY42XsmEcXKWOs6H6eNUj1NyDbvarLTeR7fnJ83aZ7CmDNiMEunv44RE08JvVqrO_PlctBuAOiU-Yn7-Noo-IOEMv2AWgGfEne9_kwQwtpAX7hOpaFSWHV9_BjojrZ6auHxduWTVQuNdQhOOI/s4032/IMG_4981.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-oORNXPpWwh0Oe0RaFYQzaCOuhNzw-EWnhm0etUfAlOMY42XsmEcXKWOs6H6eNUj1NyDbvarLTeR7fnJ83aZ7CmDNiMEunv44RE08JvVqrO_PlctBuAOiU-Yn7-Noo-IOEMv2AWgGfEne9_kwQwtpAX7hOpaFSWHV9_BjojrZ6auHxduWTVQuNdQhOOI/w480-h640/IMG_4981.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhb3cLPiItsH_Yp1V6dzHHuVATffNjLcc0ei2ztSP5g8RFssutsaoypGq9maMQ4AeBdxSd3GV765tf6sZtdOm1e4q47A0oUfJ2KlJlj80HC3LpcsaOjjHtBPtSUNSAitr6YqDfsdEH30Co2yoTusUUuQHrPc95e06Sb26xIuPtcVpFk1pMKv7KdN7ave5/s3018/IMG_5124.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2263" data-original-width="3018" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhb3cLPiItsH_Yp1V6dzHHuVATffNjLcc0ei2ztSP5g8RFssutsaoypGq9maMQ4AeBdxSd3GV765tf6sZtdOm1e4q47A0oUfJ2KlJlj80HC3LpcsaOjjHtBPtSUNSAitr6YqDfsdEH30Co2yoTusUUuQHrPc95e06Sb26xIuPtcVpFk1pMKv7KdN7ave5/w640-h480/IMG_5124.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibeTXvUUtK1ilXF-TDrpXs-ZypEmv0h8CohJdkNDEorZtuFB7Ev0YSkNabWSoJI0CGaD5W-NCK-xrzYhAlZmDSRiP7baHkacsJrrnVoUAYPlxWPW2Us1WED2N9sRAWBntvtVLT4zo6GyOrLQ43V2B4tJm3RH3I4dB2i5La4ovakyJV_-DaqW9GE-3RS_5H/s4032/IMG_5040.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibeTXvUUtK1ilXF-TDrpXs-ZypEmv0h8CohJdkNDEorZtuFB7Ev0YSkNabWSoJI0CGaD5W-NCK-xrzYhAlZmDSRiP7baHkacsJrrnVoUAYPlxWPW2Us1WED2N9sRAWBntvtVLT4zo6GyOrLQ43V2B4tJm3RH3I4dB2i5La4ovakyJV_-DaqW9GE-3RS_5H/w480-h640/IMG_5040.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Bainbridge Island</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Bainbridge Island is reached from Seattle by a 35 minute ferry - with fantastic views of Seattle on the return. And it's a whole world away from the urban life of Seattle. Known for being an affluent city, with a population of 23,000, it is in the top 7% of the most expensive cities in the world.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkH0h6BvcnXTTRwDhjsshHCc5gt467JyZWHnI_sgeFLbw1Qc83kcsA9dTjNg_2ErPlO14jFQUyxkV35LeAUURDWc7IcTqMNkpHVhhZWiIT3c45Z7pZrY_Wpw5naQTSgi2TLUPoCWveGdBucRm3b6xFjrhLyR-kBwBQ82lwTncxBbqkTcAopGD6xjskGCLu/s4032/IMG_5096.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkH0h6BvcnXTTRwDhjsshHCc5gt467JyZWHnI_sgeFLbw1Qc83kcsA9dTjNg_2ErPlO14jFQUyxkV35LeAUURDWc7IcTqMNkpHVhhZWiIT3c45Z7pZrY_Wpw5naQTSgi2TLUPoCWveGdBucRm3b6xFjrhLyR-kBwBQ82lwTncxBbqkTcAopGD6xjskGCLu/w640-h480/IMG_5096.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our original plan was to visit the Bloedel Reserve, one of America's Ten Best Botanical Gardens, and do a little winery hopping - there are six boutique wineries located here - plus enjoy some scenic driving. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, we had some rain while we were on the Island and some cold temps, too. Adding to that, the Bloedel Reserve was closed the day we were visiting. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7zaDm_wlwd1dCO0UvUp72i8uB6TAgG3FK6Iax9FWrNaJt5REMO5QnstfhIts1j-L4ze4VNNyN-gaKW-dqCFNix_HRRY3omIWE9Jkvj_v3fTgKofZxSPoRzNJ2IC57E-uPDl3C-1NPVCvMjFiJdxJlJdSUr9ezwO-V8tApH0XpuEtjnQjm2uNVBg6xawyc/s2356/IMG_5068.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1767" data-original-width="2356" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7zaDm_wlwd1dCO0UvUp72i8uB6TAgG3FK6Iax9FWrNaJt5REMO5QnstfhIts1j-L4ze4VNNyN-gaKW-dqCFNix_HRRY3omIWE9Jkvj_v3fTgKofZxSPoRzNJ2IC57E-uPDl3C-1NPVCvMjFiJdxJlJdSUr9ezwO-V8tApH0XpuEtjnQjm2uNVBg6xawyc/w640-h480/IMG_5068.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmWIF9I42EyJh96sLVLmPNEUovVkemHZUn-rAVYMLG0Cp_VZAe7PltwvwWyvzJg5iMXwei1SLpoeSq9uqSsugUYWynEU51SCMNtfXazvQl8iLOC_1aSz6RbXR94xAlrIb3lYc5ZkoNIQ3TNFbdRqflycV8rXQ4wuKReLb-Cy8QAGH2obkI-dMqIe1Itll/s4032/IMG_5067.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmWIF9I42EyJh96sLVLmPNEUovVkemHZUn-rAVYMLG0Cp_VZAe7PltwvwWyvzJg5iMXwei1SLpoeSq9uqSsugUYWynEU51SCMNtfXazvQl8iLOC_1aSz6RbXR94xAlrIb3lYc5ZkoNIQ3TNFbdRqflycV8rXQ4wuKReLb-Cy8QAGH2obkI-dMqIe1Itll/w480-h640/IMG_5067.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: large;">So we punted and headed to Fay Bainbridge Park, a locally operated public recreation area. It was a nice little park (and campground) with saltwater shoreline and views of the Cascade Mountains and Puget Sound. We took a beachfront walk and saw a bald eagle. So a nice morning all in all.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeLhOoVOY-VkgfkqsPU_fhFzuDlAk1OUcHZspYmxZIhU7TNV18Q95Fx1ND2zZmKz1l4feH2ZvA14Aig-e3Lm1hOxSsUe4KBw8KgxfCUFLGqm9XzKbOm7HrqSh0_Cdl2zoRG106oVLmqjL5-dNPzqv7CH3Fdu5mtsEhd4wS4C4xKiT6Pqqg435NDbWUg7p/s4032/IMG_5073.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeLhOoVOY-VkgfkqsPU_fhFzuDlAk1OUcHZspYmxZIhU7TNV18Q95Fx1ND2zZmKz1l4feH2ZvA14Aig-e3Lm1hOxSsUe4KBw8KgxfCUFLGqm9XzKbOm7HrqSh0_Cdl2zoRG106oVLmqjL5-dNPzqv7CH3Fdu5mtsEhd4wS4C4xKiT6Pqqg435NDbWUg7p/w640-h480/IMG_5073.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQACNU1dwtCkvOu_khBU-DwtpImx7TgpMeU_krppHNC0fO0j9qzEemPFk-M1uVW29yDFXLUQNGbf4MgfDFMJ00OLOSQq2DzYnH7_ENZLI0pUG2VzRhosOGKVyR0I2MMlsvvbNAlSgtmZiUd9jz2Lou0EGhUPcpb0K5JixSXvOBD6RcKVDaq9u6zZT9MaSV/s4032/IMG_5070.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQACNU1dwtCkvOu_khBU-DwtpImx7TgpMeU_krppHNC0fO0j9qzEemPFk-M1uVW29yDFXLUQNGbf4MgfDFMJ00OLOSQq2DzYnH7_ENZLI0pUG2VzRhosOGKVyR0I2MMlsvvbNAlSgtmZiUd9jz2Lou0EGhUPcpb0K5JixSXvOBD6RcKVDaq9u6zZT9MaSV/w480-h640/IMG_5070.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfVVOkbSNkt-aw3fJFTbvpUFEJiqIvZCeNqc-9DK7AEksCSY5vjnRqlQ2pM5GieRvMQbvlOsshNjjiaLoqsz6FyfwkhyDzJvHq7Onev1cvznlP7Lx7AB2UW-2i5Ls0jtpwk6jOUpAHpwbD-cbW2u0EJuTCRzRPzdq4cc2RzQ_ow7whjAgHMbWny0ngx6sX/s4032/IMG_5088.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfVVOkbSNkt-aw3fJFTbvpUFEJiqIvZCeNqc-9DK7AEksCSY5vjnRqlQ2pM5GieRvMQbvlOsshNjjiaLoqsz6FyfwkhyDzJvHq7Onev1cvznlP7Lx7AB2UW-2i5Ls0jtpwk6jOUpAHpwbD-cbW2u0EJuTCRzRPzdq4cc2RzQ_ow7whjAgHMbWny0ngx6sX/w640-h480/IMG_5088.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVeRZns0j4Wv6EXNuni31P5WIhih-xLbJisGS-sKOpyfD99F1XQUu1xbly7BL9y0BYaY1HIqFGpHXe_DGsLtWQkDUhmhaWT2jr8gXxp0gkNNBjMQEhoEYb50S44YcBtG81bW5d7DRG0n_WyJN7DmxYT-IVQiChrlzW2VeBe5_5CzLO1eqKbRmUr0shPt6/s4032/IMG_5077.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVeRZns0j4Wv6EXNuni31P5WIhih-xLbJisGS-sKOpyfD99F1XQUu1xbly7BL9y0BYaY1HIqFGpHXe_DGsLtWQkDUhmhaWT2jr8gXxp0gkNNBjMQEhoEYb50S44YcBtG81bW5d7DRG0n_WyJN7DmxYT-IVQiChrlzW2VeBe5_5CzLO1eqKbRmUr0shPt6/w480-h640/IMG_5077.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0VgsdJyvRuPU-L2WLtJkL2s0XD_fRqhPEKVaJlJxtWpXnPb9INslxpcPIusbMjgfxiAD9REv1TvTa406k1KAsQdXeOYtKdHVGRqcQYIXgxyZkSHJCePGhm-wt1ELWAOclA3-IxlIlk79eorEHkkfr7ErTliFIqSFhZN64cQWO_rH_cXDLjL-ArHK0UwJ/s4032/IMG_5082.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0VgsdJyvRuPU-L2WLtJkL2s0XD_fRqhPEKVaJlJxtWpXnPb9INslxpcPIusbMjgfxiAD9REv1TvTa406k1KAsQdXeOYtKdHVGRqcQYIXgxyZkSHJCePGhm-wt1ELWAOclA3-IxlIlk79eorEHkkfr7ErTliFIqSFhZN64cQWO_rH_cXDLjL-ArHK0UwJ/w640-h480/IMG_5082.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It was time for some lunch - and shopping. Walked Main Street, popping into a few stores, and ate a soup and sandwich lunch at Cafe Hitchcock. It was the perfect little place to get out of the spitting rain and enjoy a meal.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDDMZvrvJveQauEJnpXP_agQ3enrCaIN8JIz8RYX-O4CR95kM1aLq1a88fBQ4oWEVGp56htPkTbH3ooxXSEDIzD6xatjsbqwzRiSpSSoyW2GGYDLmmad0z623QHG1v2-9Z1SPYhbRK9W-u6KD39EkLBlYnbO007M_-TjpqGE83SdgRd7MWeBqhk3CWiYw/s4032/IMG_5089.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDDMZvrvJveQauEJnpXP_agQ3enrCaIN8JIz8RYX-O4CR95kM1aLq1a88fBQ4oWEVGp56htPkTbH3ooxXSEDIzD6xatjsbqwzRiSpSSoyW2GGYDLmmad0z623QHG1v2-9Z1SPYhbRK9W-u6KD39EkLBlYnbO007M_-TjpqGE83SdgRd7MWeBqhk3CWiYw/w480-h640/IMG_5089.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VUoslpwOnm4GU4MqRaGvtC9TQjP3_oV0ObYyhf7T4JNwoxzUm4yzUsgEtIFqyUhPhl1QXVRLSyaAarf7Bo6kiny5x7i-7EinOOzb07dzwKHhvC977T9kipBsNJ4mXmJXK-elNH41e5Z-4zITHW7oWLegdpZszmO5cTPhTGcp_zGIIoMSdoNdUnMq7VMo/s4032/IMG_5094.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VUoslpwOnm4GU4MqRaGvtC9TQjP3_oV0ObYyhf7T4JNwoxzUm4yzUsgEtIFqyUhPhl1QXVRLSyaAarf7Bo6kiny5x7i-7EinOOzb07dzwKHhvC977T9kipBsNJ4mXmJXK-elNH41e5Z-4zITHW7oWLegdpZszmO5cTPhTGcp_zGIIoMSdoNdUnMq7VMo/w640-h480/IMG_5094.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBal_wh5jO3GOyXHFkAlL5fIlf7D9096lcUwSf6IOBtRsjvfya0KYcMF0hVx4qTaRtREOgbA8Lxl1JRuOs1au8yIkIunou_pHm2HNSUrxk41AYEq2j7LJfawmiQGobCathVYnBhp51L0BwuST04tM4eO7Q-d-N-ItAIKfG5dKLhV5PGgHxXnnvMxtZbKP/s4032/IMG_5091.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBal_wh5jO3GOyXHFkAlL5fIlf7D9096lcUwSf6IOBtRsjvfya0KYcMF0hVx4qTaRtREOgbA8Lxl1JRuOs1au8yIkIunou_pHm2HNSUrxk41AYEq2j7LJfawmiQGobCathVYnBhp51L0BwuST04tM4eO7Q-d-N-ItAIKfG5dKLhV5PGgHxXnnvMxtZbKP/w640-h480/IMG_5091.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTh2sgt4qqX6MNbvBK24Rivfld-dnjh02sh7ULR-xQMYOlPuRxVWdcRVKhyK7ZjxWEjBqkC1MnZIVlhM6HhPJjbHOcFBo_R5NgIfpb_MwGCrnsi8Ch_DW2zFYYmbT1-VPuzfmclDqyogtRwHz1y4sf5YpZcn28uke6ZQD_VIjycDVhoYCBYovZ2ibrk3t/s4032/IMG_5095.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTh2sgt4qqX6MNbvBK24Rivfld-dnjh02sh7ULR-xQMYOlPuRxVWdcRVKhyK7ZjxWEjBqkC1MnZIVlhM6HhPJjbHOcFBo_R5NgIfpb_MwGCrnsi8Ch_DW2zFYYmbT1-VPuzfmclDqyogtRwHz1y4sf5YpZcn28uke6ZQD_VIjycDVhoYCBYovZ2ibrk3t/w480-h640/IMG_5095.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our last afternoon of the trip would be visiting two of the island's boutique wineries - Eleven and Fletcher Bay Winery. Eleven, which is a bicycle reference, had the heat on to make it nice and cozy inside. Being a cyclist, Mr. UR enjoyed the bicycle art on the walls - and the wine.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq79bqO10xB70OL853gP_Fx87rB9ipryUNvUFeZCR52OInh1NjcXEbdUvFW8tYHrcxShHd6AgY7QnGjO3SGT9UMAA2To743nhwEEWvNe_EfHDfETWBn7GyVmEvxLPU5az7N_eyP4z4uzodlpzMDMmRnoJM1GMgA9MGYKqB9QoixPohPqXgPI7oB5wZL1td/s4032/IMG_5107.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq79bqO10xB70OL853gP_Fx87rB9ipryUNvUFeZCR52OInh1NjcXEbdUvFW8tYHrcxShHd6AgY7QnGjO3SGT9UMAA2To743nhwEEWvNe_EfHDfETWBn7GyVmEvxLPU5az7N_eyP4z4uzodlpzMDMmRnoJM1GMgA9MGYKqB9QoixPohPqXgPI7oB5wZL1td/w480-h640/IMG_5107.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKb4DnBNg_A8mMWO7KeSYfvF86O-MvPbo12mEmp269-DY2rvagFMMToGTR2yDRVtp_1XkmoNWn7xZWqg8dNJw6_Z6R15qSvezwMTKFm3-hsbGPjQ1eDReRaHlsTjKgeygYP2jHP1_H-iIFkTIckC3GocpxJygUdVktJHlhDWZfk6F1A7E9UgCT5zb2LRGw/s4032/IMG_5106.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKb4DnBNg_A8mMWO7KeSYfvF86O-MvPbo12mEmp269-DY2rvagFMMToGTR2yDRVtp_1XkmoNWn7xZWqg8dNJw6_Z6R15qSvezwMTKFm3-hsbGPjQ1eDReRaHlsTjKgeygYP2jHP1_H-iIFkTIckC3GocpxJygUdVktJHlhDWZfk6F1A7E9UgCT5zb2LRGw/w480-h640/IMG_5106.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I decided to do a tasting flight at Fletcher Bay - and purchase a t shirt as my maiden name is the same as the winery (well, without the bay part) They have some award winning wines and a cute little patio. But outdoor seating wasn't to be this day.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGrKe8yjpbsPIqt5063X4oRTwhVguUIWj1kGvs8oYC-silqQE9OUNwGGFgUwyR3nESFR-FlACwps2eXREnCY2snlXCAx2n4haDW_Ks3FlVxFHyKAxWjxY8mgRkv3GjQqMRRwnww0wC7K6eTOLCeSlTj_AtDbxbKSejeGQOpSmWhAihl0umDTvW_bcEnP6/s4032/IMG_5110.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGrKe8yjpbsPIqt5063X4oRTwhVguUIWj1kGvs8oYC-silqQE9OUNwGGFgUwyR3nESFR-FlACwps2eXREnCY2snlXCAx2n4haDW_Ks3FlVxFHyKAxWjxY8mgRkv3GjQqMRRwnww0wC7K6eTOLCeSlTj_AtDbxbKSejeGQOpSmWhAihl0umDTvW_bcEnP6/w480-h640/IMG_5110.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOWeeqqBlsu7kxIevkUN4Lit40JFBQH6zU6_tWOE47m7iEcneUwxNh9dGsN2dgVhMOTcCHEouY4ZnLN1Txqtzgd_PnqUzxEmqnSvOY1zXg7dXye9rEsGvbvuWDlVhVUcbZzXqTHtxoKuOA6c60uhq7NcCD8qNkheq76EGtlb4g5bI9dFJfB7AQeoYZXJ4/s4032/IMG_5111.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOWeeqqBlsu7kxIevkUN4Lit40JFBQH6zU6_tWOE47m7iEcneUwxNh9dGsN2dgVhMOTcCHEouY4ZnLN1Txqtzgd_PnqUzxEmqnSvOY1zXg7dXye9rEsGvbvuWDlVhVUcbZzXqTHtxoKuOA6c60uhq7NcCD8qNkheq76EGtlb4g5bI9dFJfB7AQeoYZXJ4/w640-h480/IMG_5111.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi331Tj1YwknyEHH_xG7B0MsJhO8LKrZEWZpXaEbtuzJ2-9-abhSkrSqHZ6FBy6HWEYClxp7SP-xmkEC7ey5SaP9dNDa4y1wMpFk3k2UtTn25kXO4VQ3L5euriWdxVtfFX2frSTK7Ll8VxZOUOhDaGxAw_nJsvep05EV4qMxoXhYFJ2z_AIzYQ52FGbaMUr/s4032/IMG_5118.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi331Tj1YwknyEHH_xG7B0MsJhO8LKrZEWZpXaEbtuzJ2-9-abhSkrSqHZ6FBy6HWEYClxp7SP-xmkEC7ey5SaP9dNDa4y1wMpFk3k2UtTn25kXO4VQ3L5euriWdxVtfFX2frSTK7Ll8VxZOUOhDaGxAw_nJsvep05EV4qMxoXhYFJ2z_AIzYQ52FGbaMUr/w480-h640/IMG_5118.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"> All too soon it was time to catch the ferry. We, and what seemed like a million Mariner fans, enjoyed the scenery on the 35 minute ride to Seattle. Fantastic views of the city coming in. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuLeM0vCeHlns2AgPUxM5vRzpo3mWHWYc_erlshYbG1NWnFq-q_T5apvXC1xxqKTxhFyeEo_W5hYoRrdqf6HD4oVEGxf6MV9vcpgZlQ6t39kljQb1lVohxIQfpLNqD-qauluQe_yroALo6aIc2YXHtp1YEXjz0GdwDkiE3aCFl2KVuIYgiEJBIb1TJpzf/s3088/IMG_5168.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuLeM0vCeHlns2AgPUxM5vRzpo3mWHWYc_erlshYbG1NWnFq-q_T5apvXC1xxqKTxhFyeEo_W5hYoRrdqf6HD4oVEGxf6MV9vcpgZlQ6t39kljQb1lVohxIQfpLNqD-qauluQe_yroALo6aIc2YXHtp1YEXjz0GdwDkiE3aCFl2KVuIYgiEJBIb1TJpzf/w640-h480/IMG_5168.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3lii6ZSMxTgcriT_wEM9Rdaj9ddw68QshHvGLiti1jT0IkoT4GHY4kPRQtvytGOGxUHQEF1mQf4noKmuLSls4b9G6DySYXPuKMsXJ46U0C7GLGQw3by4tIb0-gD1mDfqac5OUM_eRBvLPZVR09gkxzBZOdCBz3KX8FMHJgT6aEOU3350r5n4jsO9PpBOB/s4032/IMG_5127.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3lii6ZSMxTgcriT_wEM9Rdaj9ddw68QshHvGLiti1jT0IkoT4GHY4kPRQtvytGOGxUHQEF1mQf4noKmuLSls4b9G6DySYXPuKMsXJ46U0C7GLGQw3by4tIb0-gD1mDfqac5OUM_eRBvLPZVR09gkxzBZOdCBz3KX8FMHJgT6aEOU3350r5n4jsO9PpBOB/w480-h640/IMG_5127.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9LdJqPuDio4pMwsaZ2A4lHj8w1MTTCJ7GkNs9H5wUI7ssQW6JVqQvtPWZ7wLbBld6FZ4ddEF67Q2vTG_FN5wjKdy1lIe-16sWd--QEONGAzC8Pr1KNmrApptZzzERieZGtvaW1c6w2EyVl28cUiwHVk6QnfSoY7xul1nH2YDOrxD8jmnn78BzAmpuEib/s4032/IMG_5155.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9LdJqPuDio4pMwsaZ2A4lHj8w1MTTCJ7GkNs9H5wUI7ssQW6JVqQvtPWZ7wLbBld6FZ4ddEF67Q2vTG_FN5wjKdy1lIe-16sWd--QEONGAzC8Pr1KNmrApptZzzERieZGtvaW1c6w2EyVl28cUiwHVk6QnfSoY7xul1nH2YDOrxD8jmnn78BzAmpuEib/w640-h480/IMG_5155.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBkjb4M5-fsj0-HeQvMjrMZ0F15OIsjotNFcRcwfxx7PVbMud9375F150ud9AwsVkzAAPUzkNWWAM4lT41NfujiiPux1bB825itj0y4rKWMqcptX4b2_pBFkBbaWbtkYAa42hOGGzDYSBcVZeBI-JUsP25diNDLYlKlRfIL_zoZW80qFum1ayZ64wJYxOK/s3370/IMG_5169.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2528" data-original-width="3370" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBkjb4M5-fsj0-HeQvMjrMZ0F15OIsjotNFcRcwfxx7PVbMud9375F150ud9AwsVkzAAPUzkNWWAM4lT41NfujiiPux1bB825itj0y4rKWMqcptX4b2_pBFkBbaWbtkYAa42hOGGzDYSBcVZeBI-JUsP25diNDLYlKlRfIL_zoZW80qFum1ayZ64wJYxOK/w640-h480/IMG_5169.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">And just like that our weekend getaway was over! It's always too soon but I so appreciate the ability to pick up for a few days and go explore. The Pacific Northwest is one of my favorite places in the US and I still have lots more to see. Looking forward to the next visit!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">How about you? Have you gone island hopping in the Seattle area?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6MwelQaxWQzQFyN358ObdHt70QaNcYsDOy1RokOzPDGDTakKdy0OhXN-2CRlkM5X39PwjTugwZZ3d1ECs-onlB96NY8BCHAmEvyYxM2PD49P_gU1fwyMfH4uyfzCDQTOSPFLApCc_pBHGAV4JbV3ZjnxqeiNZgiGko0X4oulxXFPfO0B6PLbXZvXsDFo/s200/mcotw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6MwelQaxWQzQFyN358ObdHt70QaNcYsDOy1RokOzPDGDTakKdy0OhXN-2CRlkM5X39PwjTugwZZ3d1ECs-onlB96NY8BCHAmEvyYxM2PD49P_gU1fwyMfH4uyfzCDQTOSPFLApCc_pBHGAV4JbV3ZjnxqeiNZgiGko0X4oulxXFPfO0B6PLbXZvXsDFo/w400-h300/mcotw.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p></div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-32963600406309144892023-06-28T10:34:00.002-07:002023-06-28T10:39:43.299-07:00The Beauty of Western Colorado<p> <span style="font-size: large;">When the state of Colorado comes to mind, the first thing one thinks is mountains. Those rugged, Rocky Mountains. Skiing. Mountain climbing. Maybe even ranches and cowboys. Not desert. But the far western part of Colorado is actually high desert. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NGkrY6QDja1s1nckdwHDGjhnv_ZIJkmi2iWEVwMPhqfnLVvKsIqmzssTKGfRxjQBSyZ8N2BbrfReK1Dkz90bEKEy1tkuvKD8rFkGtPoHACpmkybz9AtX-hwuHWwuLLWh87aejHNlvVOpcZTlIgmGIBZKbCN38p1yuCusluOpGq6tUWarKOAmdTVHFMYh/s3873/IMG_3166.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2648" data-original-width="3873" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NGkrY6QDja1s1nckdwHDGjhnv_ZIJkmi2iWEVwMPhqfnLVvKsIqmzssTKGfRxjQBSyZ8N2BbrfReK1Dkz90bEKEy1tkuvKD8rFkGtPoHACpmkybz9AtX-hwuHWwuLLWh87aejHNlvVOpcZTlIgmGIBZKbCN38p1yuCusluOpGq6tUWarKOAmdTVHFMYh/w640-h438/IMG_3166.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">The Colorado Plateau -an area of western Colorado, northwestern New Mexico, southern and eastern Utah and northern Arizona - is an area of semi-arid climate consisting of desert basins, canyons and mesas. And it is a land of considerable beauty. We drove from Denver to Green River, Utah last summer and the scenery was so captivating - we went through the rugged Glenwood Canyon, passed the Book Cliffs in a storm and all the while hugging the Colorado River. A fantastically scenic drive that I'd highly recommend if you've not explored this part of the country.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuFkhyFXnpQkNRBLHatccBYWicfDEh5bB4d6ER7lUrA2PIH5jw5IGCu9DGKphsG19aFYX1J752sy_mp8lbVz3HW8IfdQTaanJFe4KQqwSP7g_n8eD6YrqSqqt7mIInSWi5riDnO8Ahj3-ItvVK5wIGPMfePu7m6Sypl-EXDq25DkTHbjKKs1o7DzZ0YfXS/s4032/IMG_4242.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuFkhyFXnpQkNRBLHatccBYWicfDEh5bB4d6ER7lUrA2PIH5jw5IGCu9DGKphsG19aFYX1J752sy_mp8lbVz3HW8IfdQTaanJFe4KQqwSP7g_n8eD6YrqSqqt7mIInSWi5riDnO8Ahj3-ItvVK5wIGPMfePu7m6Sypl-EXDq25DkTHbjKKs1o7DzZ0YfXS/w640-h480/IMG_4242.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Here are a few photo highlights from my car window. I hope you enjoy them!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYB1YGrwePC9snxQXugZ_hIFPFwN5Fjt2TMScGa3jmbkQf_XUX4QEGDkpPVkaUEbRYz2-E6gXCz5fDNqsP7SYSk5XWSu9Y2O1bjznhgkFd5PnH8AtU2X2wER_5n6UiT0nkRG8v7hEzXgvgl8S9qhGI4VoXMw47wxhditlFhpmdHKgFowJ0spcmIyx8oXxY/s4030/IMG_3152.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2830" data-original-width="4030" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYB1YGrwePC9snxQXugZ_hIFPFwN5Fjt2TMScGa3jmbkQf_XUX4QEGDkpPVkaUEbRYz2-E6gXCz5fDNqsP7SYSk5XWSu9Y2O1bjznhgkFd5PnH8AtU2X2wER_5n6UiT0nkRG8v7hEzXgvgl8S9qhGI4VoXMw47wxhditlFhpmdHKgFowJ0spcmIyx8oXxY/w640-h450/IMG_3152.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Xt0xYir-ZfaLqjXWoxZ9GrtA5a_iUin3frJ1YyaFdmUghyeUWMBGy_BE6KNDdfQiL-6N6tNaWxUBjhCOwngj7iQo2Kzw21KWSCbHgJvw6K7f5xIfBewwS7R21ZgBdr-ctdd9wk6lzjcv3_w1YPCIW22YmQ8yMpzcdBe0ekizMItMO7tz_5Y3Lf_z9825/s4030/IMG_3173.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2750" data-original-width="4030" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Xt0xYir-ZfaLqjXWoxZ9GrtA5a_iUin3frJ1YyaFdmUghyeUWMBGy_BE6KNDdfQiL-6N6tNaWxUBjhCOwngj7iQo2Kzw21KWSCbHgJvw6K7f5xIfBewwS7R21ZgBdr-ctdd9wk6lzjcv3_w1YPCIW22YmQ8yMpzcdBe0ekizMItMO7tz_5Y3Lf_z9825/w640-h436/IMG_3173.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RaURB86ljqptAUbI0UD0FmE9q6hLkhLP4jfoumK6Yz-SnGGn3tIxnp29-_nIHp_ydjAvA9oXDKYw8NXRH9Bmm1Fm2Y46jc876cbajpmtsBH3QxggMhDrQI-ODCFFOvEiZkdhj6h9vmEBpMywf3IBaWZQHdcoksDXjYF-w6ZR3wYHkF9sfE3exZ-PTNW5/s4032/IMG_3178.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RaURB86ljqptAUbI0UD0FmE9q6hLkhLP4jfoumK6Yz-SnGGn3tIxnp29-_nIHp_ydjAvA9oXDKYw8NXRH9Bmm1Fm2Y46jc876cbajpmtsBH3QxggMhDrQI-ODCFFOvEiZkdhj6h9vmEBpMywf3IBaWZQHdcoksDXjYF-w6ZR3wYHkF9sfE3exZ-PTNW5/w640-h480/IMG_3178.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRhUy8Rxc8xr6n7YoHcOFtcBZRTl_J5FkukVEDkRlaU1lbhUpGu_AD5rV-85jhwnnAPUidI6oSLimJrhdQk3yE1BsMlfWg7198GK_pARmvGE1DrIp_YibPZGVYimZ5biEE02UlKAUZwEMf26LxSFl8B76joeWHEXhMWtftA1gaJf0-H8MeS_7Pc3ZaPC_/s4032/IMG_3266.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRhUy8Rxc8xr6n7YoHcOFtcBZRTl_J5FkukVEDkRlaU1lbhUpGu_AD5rV-85jhwnnAPUidI6oSLimJrhdQk3yE1BsMlfWg7198GK_pARmvGE1DrIp_YibPZGVYimZ5biEE02UlKAUZwEMf26LxSFl8B76joeWHEXhMWtftA1gaJf0-H8MeS_7Pc3ZaPC_/w640-h480/IMG_3266.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQk3m3zGcleAVDWMHWd-vKXO_TlksUF4JkhFAaJWbi9misRptfznbTsyk55OEHvieufZeuou-fR4QE_LL8Lxu6yjawRUdDUWCy5x8TzeIkeJKvfyfE3uHQ157_VEAFoDshmoGqEFOqYtrOPTR0oIqmTZcOsaE6szIasIyZj71X9WpKjetjY6RbGY0y_4g/s3336/IMG_3277.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2502" data-original-width="3336" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQk3m3zGcleAVDWMHWd-vKXO_TlksUF4JkhFAaJWbi9misRptfznbTsyk55OEHvieufZeuou-fR4QE_LL8Lxu6yjawRUdDUWCy5x8TzeIkeJKvfyfE3uHQ157_VEAFoDshmoGqEFOqYtrOPTR0oIqmTZcOsaE6szIasIyZj71X9WpKjetjY6RbGY0y_4g/w640-h480/IMG_3277.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3QFCTbJwL0-N6jIYViNoacuZeLVFt4WqMnQ6mdwHs3mMx-G4vP6xQiOHUUnMs00WXeyJnDh3mnzvhYJazFvZGRgT-z4NdmTHiMokQaEoq-rdEOLSSIDgFA3m26YmvJl99iwYRn1saBeNnnxUPBJZ7vN-EKIt9rMw6wDs81MNZWuZggxFddZ2BRLJAqxQ/s3843/IMG_3293.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2882" data-original-width="3843" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3QFCTbJwL0-N6jIYViNoacuZeLVFt4WqMnQ6mdwHs3mMx-G4vP6xQiOHUUnMs00WXeyJnDh3mnzvhYJazFvZGRgT-z4NdmTHiMokQaEoq-rdEOLSSIDgFA3m26YmvJl99iwYRn1saBeNnnxUPBJZ7vN-EKIt9rMw6wDs81MNZWuZggxFddZ2BRLJAqxQ/w640-h480/IMG_3293.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">How about you? Have you traveled this part of the country?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhvWjpQb18WitVwTPaPF2Dox0E1UDsgOmkNoYeCbzQISgR7ylvqXdY9BeScfFRwj1WsrwLgESWJP3N2hSjRkzvg72a78ApUhbvbu918LVsnT4n8pVfDsQUdcZTOWcRtELWHD3Z_iwZZGJUUuD6KUOZPbh_X_c-ifiDCj-3Hcut2XZ34DqFwaZouMfvoXc/s200/mcotw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhvWjpQb18WitVwTPaPF2Dox0E1UDsgOmkNoYeCbzQISgR7ylvqXdY9BeScfFRwj1WsrwLgESWJP3N2hSjRkzvg72a78ApUhbvbu918LVsnT4n8pVfDsQUdcZTOWcRtELWHD3Z_iwZZGJUUuD6KUOZPbh_X_c-ifiDCj-3Hcut2XZ34DqFwaZouMfvoXc/w400-h300/mcotw.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-50639438937750258962023-06-14T13:03:00.001-07:002023-06-14T13:05:30.992-07:00Five Days in Idyllic Northern Vermont<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSn-dlXrKZnC9rBQmvJ2GREszPIedLh773HKtlYmbxabiTLjVoUOblrW1AlOB35448HsueaTafvgFxGmC21afmSwzdrhhZSPu6oHxSizvB848T8MH0w15uTcmtzMp80rKeX0XNoyQtsSRHPgddWwn4ePIlx1taNUrwutoLdld3L0lXiKY2lKcglvgMg/s4032/IMG_4070.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSn-dlXrKZnC9rBQmvJ2GREszPIedLh773HKtlYmbxabiTLjVoUOblrW1AlOB35448HsueaTafvgFxGmC21afmSwzdrhhZSPu6oHxSizvB848T8MH0w15uTcmtzMp80rKeX0XNoyQtsSRHPgddWwn4ePIlx1taNUrwutoLdld3L0lXiKY2lKcglvgMg/w640-h480/IMG_4070.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">Vermont has it all. Those gorgeous Green Mountains, stunning Lake Champlain, hiking, waterfalls, craft breweries, Norman Rockwell towns and even a quirky winery or two. And I couldn't love it anymore than I do. Admittedly, the first time I visited the Green Mountain State it was in mud season. We encountered snow, mud, rain and even more mud that visit in March. So I was determined that my next visit would be in summer in all its splendor.</span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBbeQ3SP0B_cnS1bcr879GGQyhEG08gYyWxR1ENVDrVhYwptnmC_JICt-i61rhZMk8MlOawqpCrQHt0w4uyg2UHf_lP19VIbIupTyMGP7Z9MjsILx_6BiMGJXzJh8VGJ2Np8K8Kadv81wJlqVLmaEVHXnK6EhxWwzwhGvaa0reNzwU4v4C5fWJpGUHw/s4032/IMG_4121.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBbeQ3SP0B_cnS1bcr879GGQyhEG08gYyWxR1ENVDrVhYwptnmC_JICt-i61rhZMk8MlOawqpCrQHt0w4uyg2UHf_lP19VIbIupTyMGP7Z9MjsILx_6BiMGJXzJh8VGJ2Np8K8Kadv81wJlqVLmaEVHXnK6EhxWwzwhGvaa0reNzwU4v4C5fWJpGUHw/w480-h640/IMG_4121.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">We spent five days in the northern part of this idyllic state in the summer and I enjoyed every minute. Perfect summer weather - no humidity! - and so much fun. Here are a few of those fun things we did - and beauty that we saw:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Stroll through Burlington </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Vermont's largest city would be considered tiny in other states but its walkable downtown, bike paths, farmers markets and perch on the shores of that stunning Lake Champlain make it one of the most charming cities in the US. And one of the greenest and most livable cities, too. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-qcrG60YEw2ZNY_IZoHsEqIVbL1YSvSDE1a2RemdVoFA6gBn457rPuM1afhK14ITxSCm4c8deQygapz4QxHYsKDWgz9s_pcL6N6DfSdE-i8h76sjOsVBua32TJ9hE5hf4AyCzy2p1RmdjkPVzRghGrh9NqOk2NXX2tD7InPq08lNgxMSXEXeBdxtM7Q/s4032/IMG_4123.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-qcrG60YEw2ZNY_IZoHsEqIVbL1YSvSDE1a2RemdVoFA6gBn457rPuM1afhK14ITxSCm4c8deQygapz4QxHYsKDWgz9s_pcL6N6DfSdE-i8h76sjOsVBua32TJ9hE5hf4AyCzy2p1RmdjkPVzRghGrh9NqOk2NXX2tD7InPq08lNgxMSXEXeBdxtM7Q/w480-h640/IMG_4123.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmSJWUrUzQJpp5tU8d5k2mYjd-6suSp5Fc6rSkTQSDRYHBhAkTS0vio_Ngvmyq1DbCCVLgxZdj0PXghuomfl5kEfwY2ys_PEINwFU7mb22myP_PCvlEmTETQoz-cpGuauyY231keb78gO8I743yrraZYarSkuUKaYrmU5YREWo2pCoipBqBLxEQ2HFkw/s4032/IMG_4117.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmSJWUrUzQJpp5tU8d5k2mYjd-6suSp5Fc6rSkTQSDRYHBhAkTS0vio_Ngvmyq1DbCCVLgxZdj0PXghuomfl5kEfwY2ys_PEINwFU7mb22myP_PCvlEmTETQoz-cpGuauyY231keb78gO8I743yrraZYarSkuUKaYrmU5YREWo2pCoipBqBLxEQ2HFkw/w480-h640/IMG_4117.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We took a wander down Church Street and it's marketplace on a sunny afternoon. A stop for an adult beverage and a little bit of shopping - have to buy a few things for the grandson, doesn't one? - along with some of the best people watching around made for a pleasant afternoon. We weren't staying in Burlington - our accomodations were in Stowe - but we had one other reason for visiting as well.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKpbV94Tb8BMDwE7eaAZQjGIdePEKITveup5Apy-YBosziLNraBGfQk-9HFoxE--KK0mgMuVQCponh_Pw1PjpKuSTzqPoGhkOPIn641lUHmanjasFiJcvyuhZJBkqbvf8uYNJwlrbQmN63PJiYA9rQDLZUwD4WrjeTC8_tevRZEB_uEDiRf6wJIDnsQ/s4032/IMG_4118.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKpbV94Tb8BMDwE7eaAZQjGIdePEKITveup5Apy-YBosziLNraBGfQk-9HFoxE--KK0mgMuVQCponh_Pw1PjpKuSTzqPoGhkOPIn641lUHmanjasFiJcvyuhZJBkqbvf8uYNJwlrbQmN63PJiYA9rQDLZUwD4WrjeTC8_tevRZEB_uEDiRf6wJIDnsQ/w480-h640/IMG_4118.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfJF3Ggm1nBosIkv70KTCCJCm01-EvEmylBx-qPhT_trh1SfKee0SjHsJEWIbXcE08ZgOj5rCYJaigcUAOuSnEObAkwd2591GiW295PAOB1Hl-jvdWJh6SVoAKAG0DoSVaprRrX8UvxITG89KCc75hLBaTUA12L1Wz5IPHTQakUecX5IMbaiU38ZyxA/s3468/IMG_4120.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3022" data-original-width="3468" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfJF3Ggm1nBosIkv70KTCCJCm01-EvEmylBx-qPhT_trh1SfKee0SjHsJEWIbXcE08ZgOj5rCYJaigcUAOuSnEObAkwd2591GiW295PAOB1Hl-jvdWJh6SVoAKAG0DoSVaprRrX8UvxITG89KCc75hLBaTUA12L1Wz5IPHTQakUecX5IMbaiU38ZyxA/w640-h558/IMG_4120.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCUWukT_roUL5Ua_D4MYbEU7fi8tFalfx4nJBryy34fFshhYI6dhGkXVHpIRx88pNyxgLlFTDlez5TnPUsBvas-WK6HLafJT-QxEYfkD-KAT1N084iKAO2-qsXHUQLtlp2fO5BsWFSEjf6jaaCslt9Jvk-l_LPqB1uLCMTiotyNg1P-iHXA4MHypMmg/s4032/IMG_4119.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCUWukT_roUL5Ua_D4MYbEU7fi8tFalfx4nJBryy34fFshhYI6dhGkXVHpIRx88pNyxgLlFTDlez5TnPUsBvas-WK6HLafJT-QxEYfkD-KAT1N084iKAO2-qsXHUQLtlp2fO5BsWFSEjf6jaaCslt9Jvk-l_LPqB1uLCMTiotyNg1P-iHXA4MHypMmg/w480-h640/IMG_4119.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEignKLV2UdoWdbjLWOF3gzJ9MKY_Z16eRT2Co0ufW0DMGzDoylaRJmkAyUPL9ZDzvlbWeZFlugiISpSDY7tUPcUDUV9IJSutTsoyZ1ejdvoCvOQDJj_t1uj7Ywb3UQUuFHhSbOZrGAI6cLLxs5whtuYXtK-VZfmk5IXF2AJw0aa6Aaws4VQJhMIvR4mAg/s4032/IMG_4115.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEignKLV2UdoWdbjLWOF3gzJ9MKY_Z16eRT2Co0ufW0DMGzDoylaRJmkAyUPL9ZDzvlbWeZFlugiISpSDY7tUPcUDUV9IJSutTsoyZ1ejdvoCvOQDJj_t1uj7Ywb3UQUuFHhSbOZrGAI6cLLxs5whtuYXtK-VZfmk5IXF2AJw0aa6Aaws4VQJhMIvR4mAg/w640-h480/IMG_4115.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Sailboat Ride on Lake Champlain</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our friend that we were with is a cancer survivor. And when I say she is a survivor, I mean it. She survived surgery, chemotherapy and radiation and came out the other side - a survivor. There is a group that honors cancer patients and survivors with sailboat rides on Lake Champlain. We were invited to tag along on the boat ride and I have to say it was quite the magical night.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMQtIrlc_dvjQwM2H6lgsTHm4ER8ejC4ouuoTxZmKvFS6Vy_vaQZWcDlbG51tXS4iA5-qrcTsZoAuAMMbqo0MvN8kvuqqwrktp1NC1roEeat-OlXnMndeU4bcLnWELS8DGcfOhKqVL27_cfCNNvivMMx3rwXRT1xbv0RlKTAPVo85WsAbJq5AIul0Kg/s4032/IMG_4126.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMQtIrlc_dvjQwM2H6lgsTHm4ER8ejC4ouuoTxZmKvFS6Vy_vaQZWcDlbG51tXS4iA5-qrcTsZoAuAMMbqo0MvN8kvuqqwrktp1NC1roEeat-OlXnMndeU4bcLnWELS8DGcfOhKqVL27_cfCNNvivMMx3rwXRT1xbv0RlKTAPVo85WsAbJq5AIul0Kg/w640-h480/IMG_4126.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYh9xA2lsQ0vTn_vp4mTmqey9V8oEA9wlc4aL-pvJAoYwIiPn7b96NBjtwBNoeAyFsb2yBXvjAOBtL4yo79dLYTLSB9nIGyQSayLtj2FyHlzOkLoYugbCFa0RaYLjiepuWOB-ATPzoSfwv1JEnkrwNWY--P4kCRObzLuh2fmmT8v-vAjyhybGGP9T-tA/s4032/IMG_4129.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYh9xA2lsQ0vTn_vp4mTmqey9V8oEA9wlc4aL-pvJAoYwIiPn7b96NBjtwBNoeAyFsb2yBXvjAOBtL4yo79dLYTLSB9nIGyQSayLtj2FyHlzOkLoYugbCFa0RaYLjiepuWOB-ATPzoSfwv1JEnkrwNWY--P4kCRObzLuh2fmmT8v-vAjyhybGGP9T-tA/w480-h640/IMG_4129.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDu2RQ2zbc1OZ8Zqu3LT3kzazQhKX56j5F_1Jh5AlgJR6LG4kt9RMEOffdkuP8uY5xA33dM5q7_yjOq1yHR1RJ93v-SMuKGK6iZoyeTLeNs58-rDbFQEOFE4IUkpeNQT1jVAscpScQ64wbZndqNGEGyDi8cvQmLHnGAudTohuFgLFgj60n4a0xbRBdg/s4032/IMG_4159.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDu2RQ2zbc1OZ8Zqu3LT3kzazQhKX56j5F_1Jh5AlgJR6LG4kt9RMEOffdkuP8uY5xA33dM5q7_yjOq1yHR1RJ93v-SMuKGK6iZoyeTLeNs58-rDbFQEOFE4IUkpeNQT1jVAscpScQ64wbZndqNGEGyDi8cvQmLHnGAudTohuFgLFgj60n4a0xbRBdg/w640-h480/IMG_4159.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Lake Champlain is a natural freshwater lake in the states of Vermont and New York plus additional frontage in Quebec. It contains 587 miles of shoreline, 70 some islands, 6 trillion gallons of water and all 125 miles of the lake flows north. When I say it's big, I mean it. And it's absolutely stunning.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmZidUehhTAFJmFMKM2jYk0wfBPgfIkZKn-6FufkCbFPkL8Xl5atXKl28pRFSPFJyy6N_tuw2EA_H2LOvleOIMKTFGU_urOaC2kd7zrVPrBQM__ZQ1km1V94usM6B59AP2OQdbVc0KTLLZJOUWM54lgu6EBGI5xgUIOE0NGUh-rh-8tWyYEhN_T_L4Q/s4032/IMG_4136.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmZidUehhTAFJmFMKM2jYk0wfBPgfIkZKn-6FufkCbFPkL8Xl5atXKl28pRFSPFJyy6N_tuw2EA_H2LOvleOIMKTFGU_urOaC2kd7zrVPrBQM__ZQ1km1V94usM6B59AP2OQdbVc0KTLLZJOUWM54lgu6EBGI5xgUIOE0NGUh-rh-8tWyYEhN_T_L4Q/w640-h480/IMG_4136.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSqvzwNRgeCFDk920L7zKrWXXOPRVFd70pQMq9196GTX940PvsIUSq58lEU2Bpo9xyOSvy6kR0UzE4boFLyTKk-ailQZZF2tIhInQptTOmhBrJ7tLf0jRd6rwSM-xh3fqJN5fOrWQuXyl9uw_ZyTBCdqEFK11MRows3pxeozeAhMOc2bP9EUIyaI18A/s4032/IMG_4140.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSqvzwNRgeCFDk920L7zKrWXXOPRVFd70pQMq9196GTX940PvsIUSq58lEU2Bpo9xyOSvy6kR0UzE4boFLyTKk-ailQZZF2tIhInQptTOmhBrJ7tLf0jRd6rwSM-xh3fqJN5fOrWQuXyl9uw_ZyTBCdqEFK11MRows3pxeozeAhMOc2bP9EUIyaI18A/w480-h640/IMG_4140.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxx06X8vsnLD7D2cjB0n4_i7N_f2z3vwCwHsHHYzb8KXP3Ma6ImL5FSn8PgvPaEZMrGphLijEFJINOqrH_ZWhG2JX3PYVQL10v_8snI2qArT-zRXZ6SexmnrFXvG4KnnkQlFRmOErXsDgMa1gMkgL0tamnJHj1SriRX9Q_yMJcIJDWBjFszWU8HGdCA/s4032/IMG_4154.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxx06X8vsnLD7D2cjB0n4_i7N_f2z3vwCwHsHHYzb8KXP3Ma6ImL5FSn8PgvPaEZMrGphLijEFJINOqrH_ZWhG2JX3PYVQL10v_8snI2qArT-zRXZ6SexmnrFXvG4KnnkQlFRmOErXsDgMa1gMkgL0tamnJHj1SriRX9Q_yMJcIJDWBjFszWU8HGdCA/w640-h480/IMG_4154.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our sailboat ride started at sunset and our friend provided a charcuterie plate for the four of us plus the captain and first mate. We drifted along the lake taking in the sunset, trading travel stories and just enjoying the scenery. And the bonus was a full moon reflecting on the lake - so incredible that I probably took a million photos.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7uF_Zg6Sfnvcx-AiIyMoJXBvWb3IJbwbP0Mm6HpSTQXEGjvd5f2WoZV3QOAAWXjSUAyQs_Pd1OW3uIcfzjjzppG_hfkXHrnotXdxV3JqThWOGxdHFZBvkxyQFDVlnmhRPO4m7em7n3GeeVFLXfUtfeQrxJQgLm2hJ31nx5uj8GykAVmmFCoiwyWd2Pw/s3672/IMG_4157.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2946" data-original-width="3672" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7uF_Zg6Sfnvcx-AiIyMoJXBvWb3IJbwbP0Mm6HpSTQXEGjvd5f2WoZV3QOAAWXjSUAyQs_Pd1OW3uIcfzjjzppG_hfkXHrnotXdxV3JqThWOGxdHFZBvkxyQFDVlnmhRPO4m7em7n3GeeVFLXfUtfeQrxJQgLm2hJ31nx5uj8GykAVmmFCoiwyWd2Pw/w640-h514/IMG_4157.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_W_PqnMSipgalBkKxKPow6rRDJasL8iU0vX0zG6rnWbOBJrt8fBMj4PHimZkvJ7VSB4iWLkpwWIpHBZ7M4OEJUzA1CbW8B3gJX6JnyUQ2tsGRS2ERtOVErmDT5sg98dQ75Rz1HbtTH3A9LaZP4410jNf8nGeUozXU1gfdvH4tzqqDGyMw4T1f-IAkcw/s4032/IMG_4163.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_W_PqnMSipgalBkKxKPow6rRDJasL8iU0vX0zG6rnWbOBJrt8fBMj4PHimZkvJ7VSB4iWLkpwWIpHBZ7M4OEJUzA1CbW8B3gJX6JnyUQ2tsGRS2ERtOVErmDT5sg98dQ75Rz1HbtTH3A9LaZP4410jNf8nGeUozXU1gfdvH4tzqqDGyMw4T1f-IAkcw/w640-h480/IMG_4163.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_5rGRDPVarWD9HcI6U7z43g_HpOHhPvCQIaLX4Myop3hH7GTnMG7ExBnLnGYHLiY25GE5mexPVFFd0p-wYDTRLf8rcd5b3LziKers2zfsv1C79jgYj8c47lvh3C4q-NkQmOQEEZLOirHMIvI8TI0-5mLMqBolK88aRKIryN-U5Bpkqvx-OjgfjphGQ/s4032/IMG_4179.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_5rGRDPVarWD9HcI6U7z43g_HpOHhPvCQIaLX4Myop3hH7GTnMG7ExBnLnGYHLiY25GE5mexPVFFd0p-wYDTRLf8rcd5b3LziKers2zfsv1C79jgYj8c47lvh3C4q-NkQmOQEEZLOirHMIvI8TI0-5mLMqBolK88aRKIryN-U5Bpkqvx-OjgfjphGQ/w640-h480/IMG_4179.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMPUs2JstGwfiRTJ7ArZKCzDE-tzMzEpdesVsEFx2JQaxf-TYfRJUmUn0OnD6CGx8q4Fw1r6TmQBhHZgPCxqhUYZA0y2oWjkPwtKTacmpz1Kgjjt4xXNxE5a_GSgL2Gl3kc5ETJQdth3Rzn8e8DCS92yZ8EN-xQ1AxZUukVsedtE2aOnkhfJO0UMy9Q/s4032/IMG_4184.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMPUs2JstGwfiRTJ7ArZKCzDE-tzMzEpdesVsEFx2JQaxf-TYfRJUmUn0OnD6CGx8q4Fw1r6TmQBhHZgPCxqhUYZA0y2oWjkPwtKTacmpz1Kgjjt4xXNxE5a_GSgL2Gl3kc5ETJQdth3Rzn8e8DCS92yZ8EN-xQ1AxZUukVsedtE2aOnkhfJO0UMy9Q/w640-h480/IMG_4184.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1H_8H9GaV9qU1dvOQBlEqItiHTflKW3A7Qnt8zmT4EMlZcdMzqwQk7JZ_-5Fo2GFBqcuKDU15n2QsRlOfpLcVZWjHdhynrAPVPDmI6QIC_Hl2DQGrjjkF08BgiRENcNWCzx_XQ6euimSSwfuun1YMJJAT6-rkgNjTFjOU435el1nHqI4A_Q2b_dybw/s3260/IMG_4187.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3260" data-original-width="2998" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1H_8H9GaV9qU1dvOQBlEqItiHTflKW3A7Qnt8zmT4EMlZcdMzqwQk7JZ_-5Fo2GFBqcuKDU15n2QsRlOfpLcVZWjHdhynrAPVPDmI6QIC_Hl2DQGrjjkF08BgiRENcNWCzx_XQ6euimSSwfuun1YMJJAT6-rkgNjTFjOU435el1nHqI4A_Q2b_dybw/w588-h640/IMG_4187.jpeg" width="588" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If you are interested in boating, sailing, swimming or just enjoying views of the lake, there are many options from schooners to The Spirit of Ethan Allen which hosts daily cruises, dinner cruises, and even weddings and swimming beaches for those who just want to take a dip. If you're in Burlington, you just can't miss Lake Champlain. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9msT90mXocR-QFjEbmvekN-If-3eFCndqPNf-6diBOPCIfl1hXCjsbx30e544u-uodRh7i-tTV9yE1GhUxUElMLw8KZzwWqRXRvMiKiy6o2Clz7-dVpc3r55maQF1yyDhgZgEjA7tcdSSmbz56c7vje9voihAFEYGiO8B2gVrOhq_NRG1kUFjSBwH1Q/s4032/IMG_4158.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9msT90mXocR-QFjEbmvekN-If-3eFCndqPNf-6diBOPCIfl1hXCjsbx30e544u-uodRh7i-tTV9yE1GhUxUElMLw8KZzwWqRXRvMiKiy6o2Clz7-dVpc3r55maQF1yyDhgZgEjA7tcdSSmbz56c7vje9voihAFEYGiO8B2gVrOhq_NRG1kUFjSBwH1Q/w480-h640/IMG_4158.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiXpFuFcbmY8CbIk_J0nlwwdCSy0qOfD1AyqEuEtyU6momMB9xbt8kF1SKzTBuok6P-xPMDkCZ003k_pRMyPsdEzxa3oeE8Ny42aX5gEohTxtsfjkejbTlZDVpTJNrr71JAXVWUa6NvPQlfCQHFhw7Er7-TCC5hEzne4BeCL46rFwxlT46ejvf56IN3A/s4032/IMG_4152.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiXpFuFcbmY8CbIk_J0nlwwdCSy0qOfD1AyqEuEtyU6momMB9xbt8kF1SKzTBuok6P-xPMDkCZ003k_pRMyPsdEzxa3oeE8Ny42aX5gEohTxtsfjkejbTlZDVpTJNrr71JAXVWUa6NvPQlfCQHFhw7Er7-TCC5hEzne4BeCL46rFwxlT46ejvf56IN3A/w640-h480/IMG_4152.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Riding a Gondola at Stowe Mountain Resort</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In the winter, Stowe Mountain Resort is home to some of the best skiing in Vermont. So what is one to do for a summer visit? Ride the gondola up for some Green Mountain views and an adult beverage in an adirondack chair? You got it. The views from the top of Mount Mansfield - Vermont's highest peak - were fabulous and the aforementioned adirondack chairs hit the spot. In fact, this was one of my favorite things we did on our visit. ( Advance reservations are recommended)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzA2IejCUnuy5lrfDqbbDpIx3L7ygx4VpHuE8tlfK7fGTcR8aP2Tsuxk6V3w-jcjrSHIwijyIcye3gv35v4Oja7bI8zEGsXUgyiy_jbbjwwJI3CRBDVe5zRVzjTGHpy2GMfUK8yQ3DvHZm0RWn59NUJvB786iPHVudl3pXPhsDzEwfG3suYbQqUI-p-A/s4032/IMG_4257.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzA2IejCUnuy5lrfDqbbDpIx3L7ygx4VpHuE8tlfK7fGTcR8aP2Tsuxk6V3w-jcjrSHIwijyIcye3gv35v4Oja7bI8zEGsXUgyiy_jbbjwwJI3CRBDVe5zRVzjTGHpy2GMfUK8yQ3DvHZm0RWn59NUJvB786iPHVudl3pXPhsDzEwfG3suYbQqUI-p-A/w480-h640/IMG_4257.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMWR1W_tMEBQE5Qxu-zr7wmlShZrpGDfaKCAceBvA_pox2CL4PBbjpQc1ZM4ueUpo2IaeojoCkonCt9KnSR0DQYqOktgYmGEhc-rryq57_bZhSP55gEUyjh54QVFGc0oAwNu4uUt5lpJ8QyevM9WrcF7FZnCs54k0TwNfJqI7EDSzVRt9gHftOwsluCw/s4032/IMG_4258.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMWR1W_tMEBQE5Qxu-zr7wmlShZrpGDfaKCAceBvA_pox2CL4PBbjpQc1ZM4ueUpo2IaeojoCkonCt9KnSR0DQYqOktgYmGEhc-rryq57_bZhSP55gEUyjh54QVFGc0oAwNu4uUt5lpJ8QyevM9WrcF7FZnCs54k0TwNfJqI7EDSzVRt9gHftOwsluCw/w480-h640/IMG_4258.jpeg" width="480" /></a></span></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR31BbpR9-aX8P6vXlztvaPS-eB_Ab2Q7IuGzXNpKzVi5ocXUxBstr2I-Ku__l4NZDtnZ10vrr034nJ-MxlH2_RHH7KEis-oB-M0-srnwi1pba3wpDZfweFBlZBTBSXrOI1qdITGQYOovvuBMG1a-cmD9OqjbtRxMIIELj8t9ijZe_AHx4st1JgIcpYg/s4032/IMG_4268.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR31BbpR9-aX8P6vXlztvaPS-eB_Ab2Q7IuGzXNpKzVi5ocXUxBstr2I-Ku__l4NZDtnZ10vrr034nJ-MxlH2_RHH7KEis-oB-M0-srnwi1pba3wpDZfweFBlZBTBSXrOI1qdITGQYOovvuBMG1a-cmD9OqjbtRxMIIELj8t9ijZe_AHx4st1JgIcpYg/w640-h480/IMG_4268.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXDFO12VskWKjIa-maewJfdHwnguP7jrhdAcQrm75kWDxidlP_GQ7G7NyAWbmNoCIbvuWygElVAtwWbzgpD1DvyAmlD7iv95jWJAYov8Ri90be_2w1biy4PXRc95SwCEzAbxexvYHUUBlEauwGg05F7Fhij5ieNxkvMerzkQBG8bijwxRRmSrOraTnA/s4032/IMG_4269.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXDFO12VskWKjIa-maewJfdHwnguP7jrhdAcQrm75kWDxidlP_GQ7G7NyAWbmNoCIbvuWygElVAtwWbzgpD1DvyAmlD7iv95jWJAYov8Ri90be_2w1biy4PXRc95SwCEzAbxexvYHUUBlEauwGg05F7Fhij5ieNxkvMerzkQBG8bijwxRRmSrOraTnA/w480-h640/IMG_4269.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBT934t7-O6K2GerPhpGIUCoM2OwMoKs-NYbruA43d0SN8Yn8EQmQ2r81cz2Wo3QSzkgwkehfQlTbReGjPbbq2MqECMFLAK4tP1I4UQlf6TLlQFqzeF0pgF3uAPx84xZ_P2uXRa8ng8GbBfX1ntpK0CYWyVeiea6d4IicRBHU1sW_ZFwLddgOyeMwy8Q/s4032/IMG_4275.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBT934t7-O6K2GerPhpGIUCoM2OwMoKs-NYbruA43d0SN8Yn8EQmQ2r81cz2Wo3QSzkgwkehfQlTbReGjPbbq2MqECMFLAK4tP1I4UQlf6TLlQFqzeF0pgF3uAPx84xZ_P2uXRa8ng8GbBfX1ntpK0CYWyVeiea6d4IicRBHU1sW_ZFwLddgOyeMwy8Q/w480-h640/IMG_4275.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Visit the Trapp Family Lodge & Brewery</b><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Most Americans know the story of The Sound of Music. And, more than likely, have seen the heartwarming movie.(The movie was definitely "Hollywood-ized) But most don't know that the Trapp family settled in Stowe, Vermont after touring the world as the Trapp Family Singers and purchased land there to build an "Austrian style" resort. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVpcFHE-Qm1INSTOjTu-4G8HzHmry9fvM6tJXbfMLP6aSQmX3oDlKqU6WVz7Ggn4FIzNVq0E0zheOE5OLto8k0KbtxsIlWhVh7KIjqmDRyVbil7sIEuTJDbMgORtG7EcUVm9xh-JCRFn4FMt2fm6RBl6qN4iKJIoqC7Si-iICAPoSygkOW0YLhY6xHFg/s4032/IMG_4296.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVpcFHE-Qm1INSTOjTu-4G8HzHmry9fvM6tJXbfMLP6aSQmX3oDlKqU6WVz7Ggn4FIzNVq0E0zheOE5OLto8k0KbtxsIlWhVh7KIjqmDRyVbil7sIEuTJDbMgORtG7EcUVm9xh-JCRFn4FMt2fm6RBl6qN4iKJIoqC7Si-iICAPoSygkOW0YLhY6xHFg/w640-h480/IMG_4296.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjE1weir5g0_8wXsRy4qCW_HrPD8zbknlTafrFW42ke2wUi6bh9FiuVWaG5PL9tAUIZ1cjAod1WVU-5s92urJ8VPnYvlgEo-P0hsbpK7KNaLruc1MqXSPj3u5LixdrZK7bZ2jxQ_7zKjqHO4ze6wJOYjdd4BYNB3ADahAqKE0QffaLOC2Pjrkc_ZL0g/s4032/IMG_4297.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjE1weir5g0_8wXsRy4qCW_HrPD8zbknlTafrFW42ke2wUi6bh9FiuVWaG5PL9tAUIZ1cjAod1WVU-5s92urJ8VPnYvlgEo-P0hsbpK7KNaLruc1MqXSPj3u5LixdrZK7bZ2jxQ_7zKjqHO4ze6wJOYjdd4BYNB3ADahAqKE0QffaLOC2Pjrkc_ZL0g/w640-h480/IMG_4297.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwk7NG5SUKvEFVZLJSVOvqZN2yptdtgqYQB2n0zQYeplRBIoIhyPoCirZL5It8hCJv_iZ2cdKgzpoPDHxiRC6I0DeP33jVQgdpcLNNNpdJQzrbNynSrsYWzjciA7dY6ZxHLDcQ4wICaDApY9nqHWYJjjUrJIRue0LWG4OS164bwpj4XI58tGw9DdVTsA/s4032/IMG_4298.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwk7NG5SUKvEFVZLJSVOvqZN2yptdtgqYQB2n0zQYeplRBIoIhyPoCirZL5It8hCJv_iZ2cdKgzpoPDHxiRC6I0DeP33jVQgdpcLNNNpdJQzrbNynSrsYWzjciA7dY6ZxHLDcQ4wICaDApY9nqHWYJjjUrJIRue0LWG4OS164bwpj4XI58tGw9DdVTsA/w480-h640/IMG_4298.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">You can stay in the European inspired accommodations at The Trapp Family Lodge. Or you can purchase your very own vacation home here. You can dine at four different restaurants. You can host your wedding here. And you can visit Van Trapp Brewings very own Bierhall for " A Litte of Austria, A Lot of Vermont". Which is what we did. Twice. That's how much we liked it!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxWH2uLrXlOp8pzI1mYM02liTFWQ-WeHI8ev7W9CeLjNjIpuijeOsQkkGHuiJ5gCUNk0Ua9UFAakyr650oPJX2EhOBNqt9B1ScHz4squMm1lPomnOzlDdGM_EnJEE5J3e5PdCIQa1i7YkjD_4wI_LxffNUo2sHebaXxAa6cxeFFQcdztW-DH8kgupEQ/s4032/IMG_4286.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxWH2uLrXlOp8pzI1mYM02liTFWQ-WeHI8ev7W9CeLjNjIpuijeOsQkkGHuiJ5gCUNk0Ua9UFAakyr650oPJX2EhOBNqt9B1ScHz4squMm1lPomnOzlDdGM_EnJEE5J3e5PdCIQa1i7YkjD_4wI_LxffNUo2sHebaXxAa6cxeFFQcdztW-DH8kgupEQ/w640-h480/IMG_4286.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdDs160fECl-gG9IdviOl2E_UyRMqg17Hsptqv_eGQcx2aoC9-aCH8Mdw571zXJda2WIdiCCD4OKYHAvMvr3nsHdjzc3z_ZUtqt5FYggpUVQRv7sujOr1TLVu-aAHAGkyYpaIaX8cDhVl-s8hD7T8MNbKapUmfxuwIOEay9ucYp4tR3EgpCJpjwzygNQ/s3349/IMG_4293.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3349" data-original-width="2847" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdDs160fECl-gG9IdviOl2E_UyRMqg17Hsptqv_eGQcx2aoC9-aCH8Mdw571zXJda2WIdiCCD4OKYHAvMvr3nsHdjzc3z_ZUtqt5FYggpUVQRv7sujOr1TLVu-aAHAGkyYpaIaX8cDhVl-s8hD7T8MNbKapUmfxuwIOEay9ucYp4tR3EgpCJpjwzygNQ/w544-h640/IMG_4293.jpeg" width="544" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3V8QkRhOGLdpRkfug25DnttvOMHiTBhBVsL-yLp5Uo0YJbF_LouzbN5toxexBSqu_ZQp5pvvcC4SANsKwQrdYyO7FvOCK_ynItku9xWjLBqkQ3ImijtO7zQCkvL2fLT1hMUXveUkK9czEVh11o_GhYByAwuTZZ5tNgOB4gc2D14oydoY-6GycCGaaA/s4032/IMG_4295.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3V8QkRhOGLdpRkfug25DnttvOMHiTBhBVsL-yLp5Uo0YJbF_LouzbN5toxexBSqu_ZQp5pvvcC4SANsKwQrdYyO7FvOCK_ynItku9xWjLBqkQ3ImijtO7zQCkvL2fLT1hMUXveUkK9czEVh11o_GhYByAwuTZZ5tNgOB4gc2D14oydoY-6GycCGaaA/w640-h480/IMG_4295.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">They serve Vermont made beer at the Bierhall along with Bavarian pretzels, grilled Bratwurst, Spaetzle, and Schnitzel. Not to mention some "to die for" desserts such as Apfelstrudel, Linzertorte and Sachertorte - I highly recommend you forget the diet and splurge on one of these.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xl1iKj1smejEXeMWe_JA69VADvKBQfUPo_rkxrdl6tFXBVksYWA2mO7Y_sMOrw6r4BY8VpfrQOFTsWYVhDp-2F6XwXPRq4yQXYnyvw-qJL2lEtC6hL_Yt1YyqOkuA2t8_0f7nLw7wEeCWNShHnTO8PiuAz-7augjw9MMkKPIqvdePOf9fBEV1ADvew/s4032/IMG_4288.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xl1iKj1smejEXeMWe_JA69VADvKBQfUPo_rkxrdl6tFXBVksYWA2mO7Y_sMOrw6r4BY8VpfrQOFTsWYVhDp-2F6XwXPRq4yQXYnyvw-qJL2lEtC6hL_Yt1YyqOkuA2t8_0f7nLw7wEeCWNShHnTO8PiuAz-7augjw9MMkKPIqvdePOf9fBEV1ADvew/w480-h640/IMG_4288.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TjpwjqNrHbPKls2uMWuQRz5ApUO2rIltLofm93Uipuc5lwmhKr7F-4TThH01wcG-XmyeOcBOEVrnodXNqVxijpuldpI2QK4VKGPi3yJqt8c5u8khtmELqXYDe2qKuWequFfkEDYfCHriUFIfW9dMZM-qvdw8I_hQKenpgpeVyXhI-ZuEJdgs8ckxZg/s4032/IMG_4291.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TjpwjqNrHbPKls2uMWuQRz5ApUO2rIltLofm93Uipuc5lwmhKr7F-4TThH01wcG-XmyeOcBOEVrnodXNqVxijpuldpI2QK4VKGPi3yJqt8c5u8khtmELqXYDe2qKuWequFfkEDYfCHriUFIfW9dMZM-qvdw8I_hQKenpgpeVyXhI-ZuEJdgs8ckxZg/w480-h640/IMG_4291.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Driving Vermont's Route 100</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Scenic Route 100 Byway runs along the eastern edge of the Green Mountains and at 216 miles, is the longest state highway in Vermont. It is recognized by Yankee Magazine as one of the best summer road trips in New Engand and is considered the most scenic road in Vermont.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAHl1aqG1X6Q-sPV2YXEAOUpgKckm48f_tU6rI-2zCKbDoCwBj589g_iQ9L9kuBrbHgQOBNMWT4E5WnHghyNmvn5TuieLZbDJ9yR8g7QZAJdW0TTTuOstV0Pdv1wYZo4YNdRSJZ6_RGQ7J45Keq7lj5cmCopPFLFkmUgmsv8ak45_shJn54FLioImcQ/s4032/IMG_4331.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAHl1aqG1X6Q-sPV2YXEAOUpgKckm48f_tU6rI-2zCKbDoCwBj589g_iQ9L9kuBrbHgQOBNMWT4E5WnHghyNmvn5TuieLZbDJ9yR8g7QZAJdW0TTTuOstV0Pdv1wYZo4YNdRSJZ6_RGQ7J45Keq7lj5cmCopPFLFkmUgmsv8ak45_shJn54FLioImcQ/w480-h640/IMG_4331.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Meandering through the Green Mountains, it takes in all the quintessential charm of Vermont including it's small villages and stops for recreational opportunities or a meal and cold brew.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We started our drive in Stowe - which is where we stayed - with our first stop being there also. We had some hot apple cider donuts and perused the goods at the store at Cold Hollow Cider Mill. The donuts are so good! Fresh off the fryer - you just can't beat it.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5uK644yB6GkqlLXEH36Us-jVDUWx12FXCMAbPJYm2yls7Obd3VXVX4j3RDgG1tJ5DkPPyM1BrtnIM92huvCFcAcfyJrZBwp-VNAtx0uK53kOvbDs3XNbXLLo4CDaWlkwYbo3gdzfp8S5Kxbc_msREFRpxmPAzKRJyWSbUfZoDiHTr8PO042fvNLt7g/s4032/IMG_4329.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5uK644yB6GkqlLXEH36Us-jVDUWx12FXCMAbPJYm2yls7Obd3VXVX4j3RDgG1tJ5DkPPyM1BrtnIM92huvCFcAcfyJrZBwp-VNAtx0uK53kOvbDs3XNbXLLo4CDaWlkwYbo3gdzfp8S5Kxbc_msREFRpxmPAzKRJyWSbUfZoDiHTr8PO042fvNLt7g/w640-h480/IMG_4329.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFc0zA8Ru5T5u9LDZlH8Hy0i7RewuvXeL-fe3Z6uzp7ZgyVJVeWBGQQMtRqFENUifWSWHRDRY7-kLb-DhLwRLe1UB-ekQusDAhjmDsz26kCi-ANhV8vnvUUpm973qfkeEaJCovUBPfcyqMKY6Nxiwdsu6jRSKZVnmkurm6FgyZV-7LyKxHoUHsaLfBhg/s4032/IMG_4330.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFc0zA8Ru5T5u9LDZlH8Hy0i7RewuvXeL-fe3Z6uzp7ZgyVJVeWBGQQMtRqFENUifWSWHRDRY7-kLb-DhLwRLe1UB-ekQusDAhjmDsz26kCi-ANhV8vnvUUpm973qfkeEaJCovUBPfcyqMKY6Nxiwdsu6jRSKZVnmkurm6FgyZV-7LyKxHoUHsaLfBhg/w640-h480/IMG_4330.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Next up was a quick walk to Moss Glen Falls, which is right on Route 100. Then we enjoyed a beverage by the river at the very Vermont style brewery, Long Trail Brewing. There were kids playing on the rocks of the river, parents sitting in chairs and dogs frolicking on the lawn- perfect afternoon stop. (The patio is dog friendly)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRqCLNCK-JUGRg1Qis_xy_8PhhPVGl1UbTyfgKbdGSf5Ot1bNgYC0HhUnxrxP2pXa0zzleqqGZyO3g4N2CfodPUfGPq7Lcr98Q1DBrRJH4ZvVfUgz4_aYasfppTsmcZF8WuHuSRuQn1J48PSKGxNXk7-VQnUci4d1ne01bZETFVsUetjdTxTvWTztDg/s4032/IMG_4350.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRqCLNCK-JUGRg1Qis_xy_8PhhPVGl1UbTyfgKbdGSf5Ot1bNgYC0HhUnxrxP2pXa0zzleqqGZyO3g4N2CfodPUfGPq7Lcr98Q1DBrRJH4ZvVfUgz4_aYasfppTsmcZF8WuHuSRuQn1J48PSKGxNXk7-VQnUci4d1ne01bZETFVsUetjdTxTvWTztDg/w480-h640/IMG_4350.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9WwPy-TdDpIUxQd2uVJOXMb3xPKh0Q3qZ1PckomugKaYY4pUB9eqS4IFm_XSdZE0-bqBspsIOt5tzn8bWcG-edHUlAu-_CcjbrVl-92gVDBq4bDkaxHrs2UIG6lAqjq2qdsRjyg4RA0wro3ktP09c2z-50GHsU2nIz_keg7_UvB0JgOMVgYGK9pixWw/s4032/IMG_4362.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9WwPy-TdDpIUxQd2uVJOXMb3xPKh0Q3qZ1PckomugKaYY4pUB9eqS4IFm_XSdZE0-bqBspsIOt5tzn8bWcG-edHUlAu-_CcjbrVl-92gVDBq4bDkaxHrs2UIG6lAqjq2qdsRjyg4RA0wro3ktP09c2z-50GHsU2nIz_keg7_UvB0JgOMVgYGK9pixWw/w480-h640/IMG_4362.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNqKXIcqCSlJX2RLE0TPeC0a8Jz6mKGDcnTiD2uAA6yO5PEY45PO0L--LMvqkUSp8b9YAzDXbRB8uv1ofYe9emHHX6y0E-yTjTUiiOm1e2yB16NaYR-ITLJN3BJjlb3fdjqGI6McvAQaB8xX4tXjkkXns0d7lCZ2_gDTLo--KK490oZ5oNRfBPenLXQ/s4032/IMG_4364.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNqKXIcqCSlJX2RLE0TPeC0a8Jz6mKGDcnTiD2uAA6yO5PEY45PO0L--LMvqkUSp8b9YAzDXbRB8uv1ofYe9emHHX6y0E-yTjTUiiOm1e2yB16NaYR-ITLJN3BJjlb3fdjqGI6McvAQaB8xX4tXjkkXns0d7lCZ2_gDTLo--KK490oZ5oNRfBPenLXQ/w640-h480/IMG_4364.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqrEh21QHOp1zF89FwkcA0c7KHvzdmp44z8AM_GRvVWv1G5tqPDSFFavubtTMkNHWszCo56Dg4sZxPef9ZM88SKFQUwfpaqT1Aiq_h_H5VLOt1ALqjJrQL5rhQlBozz1-RUKdqnaRK4FusDB1Ud9n8VzC2ybBZ9823DBVnGaXsPJ8rvFNMbtOO_kPa_w/s4032/IMG_4366.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqrEh21QHOp1zF89FwkcA0c7KHvzdmp44z8AM_GRvVWv1G5tqPDSFFavubtTMkNHWszCo56Dg4sZxPef9ZM88SKFQUwfpaqT1Aiq_h_H5VLOt1ALqjJrQL5rhQlBozz1-RUKdqnaRK4FusDB1Ud9n8VzC2ybBZ9823DBVnGaXsPJ8rvFNMbtOO_kPa_w/w480-h640/IMG_4366.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And then we stopped at the uber cute, Norman Rockwellesque town of Woodstock, Vermont. Unfortunately, everything was closing up for the day so we didn't get to visit much but what I saw made me want to return someday.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhut_yM8XaOW4tzcMnTCUDsH0jl8YWoYceGn9CJJ-KaXcDxKMH9ITqN-nqZX1KWR9ZNE_2xed4oubQLtXvfv74ZfBZzqy9txHMpyc0Sek-bX4-BYujHxhF5dR-K1PLfpQIbiCTEKo7bHSfH6PcK4skB_tm1eJ-wYrmFFoQGCK1KuNhipKwJS8vjYYEwfw/s4032/IMG_4369.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2541" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhut_yM8XaOW4tzcMnTCUDsH0jl8YWoYceGn9CJJ-KaXcDxKMH9ITqN-nqZX1KWR9ZNE_2xed4oubQLtXvfv74ZfBZzqy9txHMpyc0Sek-bX4-BYujHxhF5dR-K1PLfpQIbiCTEKo7bHSfH6PcK4skB_tm1eJ-wYrmFFoQGCK1KuNhipKwJS8vjYYEwfw/w404-h640/IMG_4369.jpeg" width="404" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7gYcPhWsiW9C4i8QUhSe6XZp6RNwEwIBqrm6bclzb53LYJTWnS7cYQc78CFEf4mRIQnoV-cwSQkgWSDlUmf1JKWI8IQfqKIpkZJbOOvC0Qu7PRiBBstrVRLMaE2Mp1cuCty4k8NR2IphlTtzcqYWiCaZbWGftktYGgVYQfVIPnk-EBnGYlNhbAs_7Q/s4032/IMG_4375.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7gYcPhWsiW9C4i8QUhSe6XZp6RNwEwIBqrm6bclzb53LYJTWnS7cYQc78CFEf4mRIQnoV-cwSQkgWSDlUmf1JKWI8IQfqKIpkZJbOOvC0Qu7PRiBBstrVRLMaE2Mp1cuCty4k8NR2IphlTtzcqYWiCaZbWGftktYGgVYQfVIPnk-EBnGYlNhbAs_7Q/w640-h480/IMG_4375.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIbF1hPP0j4oo5OHnGLkfspTStAdCQvwLOERxT4cQxVtnN_uOnWGFQjbLwmbyDHzvJkWnGlmW-zRlPqIQo2KRsTPy-TL_oZdK_Icv81wX4rBX9FvdwaMIcM4unuQhggkXeUl99CkiqZhtZGkTx1ZLvrwmYjyBzYbl0a-0nZMF16Rxow5RcQOsLqzZqQ/s4032/IMG_4373.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIbF1hPP0j4oo5OHnGLkfspTStAdCQvwLOERxT4cQxVtnN_uOnWGFQjbLwmbyDHzvJkWnGlmW-zRlPqIQo2KRsTPy-TL_oZdK_Icv81wX4rBX9FvdwaMIcM4unuQhggkXeUl99CkiqZhtZGkTx1ZLvrwmYjyBzYbl0a-0nZMF16Rxow5RcQOsLqzZqQ/w640-h480/IMG_4373.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Now our stomachs were rumbling so a dinner stop at Harpoon Brewery Taproom and Beer Garden Windsor location was in order. The food and beer were good and I finally realized one of my Vermont quests - a maple cremee. A Vermont maple syrup flavored soft serve ice cream. I enjoyed it but don't think I would put it in my regular dessert rotation - it was very sweet ( and coming from me that's saying a lot)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF0zs-apd7LA4ORf6ds9AbvUNyU7IjB8y75YHBKiCrNbbxaTRmyMf0DJ4meBWvpcdKJrh05xKF-gA1zF2eakpg7nIFb186reiEzUNhjilfZNne90Uz-eLaXQ3tGmW17ZxOlTz9Qm7MhRB5O77oVQweqVAVMRoN0kysgUditiQooZLT65Lo8yq1yEzidg/s4032/IMG_4381.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF0zs-apd7LA4ORf6ds9AbvUNyU7IjB8y75YHBKiCrNbbxaTRmyMf0DJ4meBWvpcdKJrh05xKF-gA1zF2eakpg7nIFb186reiEzUNhjilfZNne90Uz-eLaXQ3tGmW17ZxOlTz9Qm7MhRB5O77oVQweqVAVMRoN0kysgUditiQooZLT65Lo8yq1yEzidg/w480-h640/IMG_4381.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYEIf03q-w4aUv0EJ3t84cPLIHVpz16TqTXRInd4LPNg9ia-GH3xKvMjOlGR6IVN56LaU1TCkMsVGJ5mZV5jqBd-tVluiyD6H0oCQ_zf4yCPglR5GgmyRjES4SJEgIvl24_u2jyGk_n_qo2l3PRY_l-DG2LVkRPFfzJCsWE49oIdTSTP1PLKiZPkp4Zg/s4032/IMG_4380.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYEIf03q-w4aUv0EJ3t84cPLIHVpz16TqTXRInd4LPNg9ia-GH3xKvMjOlGR6IVN56LaU1TCkMsVGJ5mZV5jqBd-tVluiyD6H0oCQ_zf4yCPglR5GgmyRjES4SJEgIvl24_u2jyGk_n_qo2l3PRY_l-DG2LVkRPFfzJCsWE49oIdTSTP1PLKiZPkp4Zg/w480-h640/IMG_4380.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p4eX7CVbMIKbTxihIY2RrMkPqDK-eMQuotywXSFRZGPvB-jp_wYEg_LDq_AbVIoO4Qsn3dgTror6r1do12GEUSvBbKijJtR4TpZxEgKUEJw8OypSqiWBNOyN0z-E4vYsNxLvMf1DzfCxjCWNwBT1XfRJbbxZOn-vl7GWy3as4arvAreEBQqHBBcH_Q/s4032/IMG_4382.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p4eX7CVbMIKbTxihIY2RrMkPqDK-eMQuotywXSFRZGPvB-jp_wYEg_LDq_AbVIoO4Qsn3dgTror6r1do12GEUSvBbKijJtR4TpZxEgKUEJw8OypSqiWBNOyN0z-E4vYsNxLvMf1DzfCxjCWNwBT1XfRJbbxZOn-vl7GWy3as4arvAreEBQqHBBcH_Q/w480-h640/IMG_4382.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">One more stop to go - Quechee Gorge. At 165 feet deep, Quechee Gorge is the deepest gorge in Vermont and can be viewed from the bridge on Route 4 or from trails on both sides of the gorge. We did all of the above. ( A bit of a detour off of Route 100 but it was our last stop of the day)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijS2BIj2xXRcn_jZJutCd6FcLSB3xHBwWX7KnZR0VLtWWybm8pBlS6o4kCjC4f-gnQLNGE6RSSgpRVRPVlvph3d3A2-V1iGPVZQ27QFHjuNK2SVvJ3uc1eU2qfDEwiE_NiSH2NMnB-ItVHyrV13fMD_FpptOBFmjzUkLgV02NJS7S9k8cHCGUcH6QYsA/s4032/IMG_4389.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijS2BIj2xXRcn_jZJutCd6FcLSB3xHBwWX7KnZR0VLtWWybm8pBlS6o4kCjC4f-gnQLNGE6RSSgpRVRPVlvph3d3A2-V1iGPVZQ27QFHjuNK2SVvJ3uc1eU2qfDEwiE_NiSH2NMnB-ItVHyrV13fMD_FpptOBFmjzUkLgV02NJS7S9k8cHCGUcH6QYsA/w640-h480/IMG_4389.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixiIOjGoLZaFj2WN1zX2xDv1HKv9U_Njq8NY7SkN_soehwpTIAmiAopRQHKh83Z5awk4ftWqjlFv7ZrNmrJq1Ub5N7efTKtVXAG9mlRZ-AhcgkRi6I5_ZLNMBfR4BAB_dCHCOX4ch9dKpeTkJ8QQEmoKD-q0Y7jMFjRcLmlu9wPIyXFJDPbMWMTsp9HQ/s4032/IMG_4394.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixiIOjGoLZaFj2WN1zX2xDv1HKv9U_Njq8NY7SkN_soehwpTIAmiAopRQHKh83Z5awk4ftWqjlFv7ZrNmrJq1Ub5N7efTKtVXAG9mlRZ-AhcgkRi6I5_ZLNMBfR4BAB_dCHCOX4ch9dKpeTkJ8QQEmoKD-q0Y7jMFjRcLmlu9wPIyXFJDPbMWMTsp9HQ/w640-h480/IMG_4394.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmx4jcETy1XIm_81C_HKn7ntRpl5wrPrLXUvONKULyizc3UrgY35FxcGF6IVHLMxqo7_mCyQgghpnBA7rgoOL8QbpXUrOcrbqEUE4OLtdsVlP6VACgMTkwMJ7VUDYY0n4_9eQP1dRT_ZoelChJV5uE0uatSqqgCLMFPv5Y7n_eQ_QPLWxrrpk_eccEZQ/s4032/IMG_4390.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmx4jcETy1XIm_81C_HKn7ntRpl5wrPrLXUvONKULyizc3UrgY35FxcGF6IVHLMxqo7_mCyQgghpnBA7rgoOL8QbpXUrOcrbqEUE4OLtdsVlP6VACgMTkwMJ7VUDYY0n4_9eQP1dRT_ZoelChJV5uE0uatSqqgCLMFPv5Y7n_eQ_QPLWxrrpk_eccEZQ/w640-h480/IMG_4390.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Where We Stayed</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We rented this log cabin just outside Stowe from Air BnB. It was located in a residential neighborhood on a gravel road with plenty of room for parking. Two bedrooms - one downstairs and one up - full kitchen, one bathroom, and a small living room were perfect for what we needed it for. The cherry on top was the very nice hot tub to soak in after a day of cruising around Vermont.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xNBkJmhOjWD_Ex9jnKW-fRbFy8jBgvja7TMymyiBSU6wO6Kr_EUqldZoki9PgFyJa3Qw3FPvAa85lt4Wi6bLfI5bEh2zSrPHzsXJPpTfN_aMhfmiI0OENXs403u6vtOA_6ydBOTQPgR2b-qPXk9EH5y2a9D-Yttduxlpmnhbus8N_WKM9c1sVym7ug/s3773/IMG_4077.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2829" data-original-width="3773" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xNBkJmhOjWD_Ex9jnKW-fRbFy8jBgvja7TMymyiBSU6wO6Kr_EUqldZoki9PgFyJa3Qw3FPvAa85lt4Wi6bLfI5bEh2zSrPHzsXJPpTfN_aMhfmiI0OENXs403u6vtOA_6ydBOTQPgR2b-qPXk9EH5y2a9D-Yttduxlpmnhbus8N_WKM9c1sVym7ug/w640-h480/IMG_4077.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVppYz1BthWHf5TkJdLGbPcywVMZiwvsoL-oEa30FNaSUuJwfGy3TMtBMvnk4SYda-YYnrh9mchFy7Y1DgX7izx8hBTZRbvfa6stiF1R_eFEcki6OxplEu8GpqB_AOMuwoxXPZvmCuTCnyzt-8cWIs7oCeY_QplIHZ0BzfSCceC9-kZDJLZvtDYQrXg/s4032/IMG_4078.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVppYz1BthWHf5TkJdLGbPcywVMZiwvsoL-oEa30FNaSUuJwfGy3TMtBMvnk4SYda-YYnrh9mchFy7Y1DgX7izx8hBTZRbvfa6stiF1R_eFEcki6OxplEu8GpqB_AOMuwoxXPZvmCuTCnyzt-8cWIs7oCeY_QplIHZ0BzfSCceC9-kZDJLZvtDYQrXg/w480-h640/IMG_4078.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBsIsB8henzWY47sbcQBzvoxnFPFNTfckyj2KVoMWjxenW7bPHWU17knm45i9nnIazBoBZBWPvVhgUWImB6jzOveFaaaa4EJlA4i9Qk66SKJrQ7dNjr80Nh-d8l_Yq5EgyfUq9etgxnKzoTvufl1FFeNAOT1BXogAAsggWoTDtpw8v_m1FYSQLJ9EOg/s4032/IMG_4094.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBsIsB8henzWY47sbcQBzvoxnFPFNTfckyj2KVoMWjxenW7bPHWU17knm45i9nnIazBoBZBWPvVhgUWImB6jzOveFaaaa4EJlA4i9Qk66SKJrQ7dNjr80Nh-d8l_Yq5EgyfUq9etgxnKzoTvufl1FFeNAOT1BXogAAsggWoTDtpw8v_m1FYSQLJ9EOg/w480-h640/IMG_4094.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">How about you? Have you been to the Green Mountain State?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3G8QrrDYBKApPYUJFmG3BJ3hzbH0Tsn_2-6zBW8Q4wQf3oEJCfenR_mDLstRVqV5RCyTgdByvUoPnzKcQ-wcsCltRIyN1tA4NmWJDGBqVAbdvnmwMRhe8jbdIFDVBC-sr1x4JLY5G9x9FMPBuuG84xd3_HTnO4ESl4qbw1JQK_aIAyHhbobKjpfnDEw/s200/mcotw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3G8QrrDYBKApPYUJFmG3BJ3hzbH0Tsn_2-6zBW8Q4wQf3oEJCfenR_mDLstRVqV5RCyTgdByvUoPnzKcQ-wcsCltRIyN1tA4NmWJDGBqVAbdvnmwMRhe8jbdIFDVBC-sr1x4JLY5G9x9FMPBuuG84xd3_HTnO4ESl4qbw1JQK_aIAyHhbobKjpfnDEw/w400-h300/mcotw.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-68397048645787860112023-06-01T07:17:00.004-07:002023-06-01T07:22:16.187-07:00Photos from an Airplane Window -2023 Edition<p> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I'm happy to say that I've been blessed to do a good bit of flying this past year. Travel time to Denver International Airport is short and I've been able to go on several weekend getaways along with a few longer trips. Though I will always love a good road trip, I do love a good window seat view, too. So without further ado, here is my 2022 to 2023 Photos from 35,000 feet!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zpet_VAyo2A4bW8oommsgyaReIZ52GXo_cpjx-fynnwR03zB2nIIT6HZlGkf88sPV_Ka1WQaV7KiLe-4yy6EK-9Y-Pu8Os9aiTvG3vdNF7N5GNY3dShZU9qYuKFDFjYbgzZYbNhbicpG39KKgJ-Pz20awM4Q_WkDuZWyE4RGTjaZ6q17PvHkRAGGfA/s1444/IMG_5466.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1444" data-original-width="1083" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zpet_VAyo2A4bW8oommsgyaReIZ52GXo_cpjx-fynnwR03zB2nIIT6HZlGkf88sPV_Ka1WQaV7KiLe-4yy6EK-9Y-Pu8Os9aiTvG3vdNF7N5GNY3dShZU9qYuKFDFjYbgzZYbNhbicpG39KKgJ-Pz20awM4Q_WkDuZWyE4RGTjaZ6q17PvHkRAGGfA/w480-h640/IMG_5466.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detroit? Or Chicago? Not sure</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEWMb6KTmzcVCEZo-pVFJroqrcCS9J9l9BYBJr0gD9ep7F1wKn7a7VVevz_Crsusf1sP69AnnaeEGsJBrVg2FwQ4W7ZXYhZj6Zu1ygHs36lg2A5GIclzXWhYdGSlR5KA80q6JOaekqHjtBaiqTQHUFipVPzXxbWN8Ez1apqco1625LCysA9MQEEJPBA/s4032/IMG_4089.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEWMb6KTmzcVCEZo-pVFJroqrcCS9J9l9BYBJr0gD9ep7F1wKn7a7VVevz_Crsusf1sP69AnnaeEGsJBrVg2FwQ4W7ZXYhZj6Zu1ygHs36lg2A5GIclzXWhYdGSlR5KA80q6JOaekqHjtBaiqTQHUFipVPzXxbWN8Ez1apqco1625LCysA9MQEEJPBA/w480-h640/IMG_4089.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farmland view flying into Munich</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aXORa1UU9qgoMM9NIYwcozpeFqCLZrJSMcTnJFLf_kEbzMR8WgwC4l5UeW0g3JuJ-MQ8aRjTqNpsmRvgqMBYg77-yKnAuiVl-vP2cDW-5lBm5NcCVMfbZiw5YPB3eGZa70siVlYQSJIaZk074HhSsUqp813loWB5MfLN2d8G57EI-bDehKvTdd7rvw/s4032/IMG_0891.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aXORa1UU9qgoMM9NIYwcozpeFqCLZrJSMcTnJFLf_kEbzMR8WgwC4l5UeW0g3JuJ-MQ8aRjTqNpsmRvgqMBYg77-yKnAuiVl-vP2cDW-5lBm5NcCVMfbZiw5YPB3eGZa70siVlYQSJIaZk074HhSsUqp813loWB5MfLN2d8G57EI-bDehKvTdd7rvw/w640-h480/IMG_0891.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Caribbean Sea<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOU_RwR7H6Gl9YFYTpiPCYksEyY6hUdksHHayvTi65zuTIYTdjo9U3RfPcZqNkaqt4WqDXL3OhcJgifH5lhDkPk5ZET5lgNXwRGrheov3wozS17KiG_kMfhc-HJE2dRQouUbB6-y9km3k6-xaM_KsdHhDboWGOE8yjnVaGda_92qsyciU_kiBpUkgBg/s4032/IMG_5832.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOU_RwR7H6Gl9YFYTpiPCYksEyY6hUdksHHayvTi65zuTIYTdjo9U3RfPcZqNkaqt4WqDXL3OhcJgifH5lhDkPk5ZET5lgNXwRGrheov3wozS17KiG_kMfhc-HJE2dRQouUbB6-y9km3k6-xaM_KsdHhDboWGOE8yjnVaGda_92qsyciU_kiBpUkgBg/w480-h640/IMG_5832.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just leaving Long Island to land at JFK<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuuiWB5YHeHyFWukjBQkVA73XryxBq7qoPXgHkPg9Fh02HB-Mgqc7vWIcZoh1HzjAfM7FuwiYWCCXEDWF67-7xUDmo2IOwpymIvIhIiZQPHAATOs3Htin-m6XAYJOzO9wmKtrrX5h1xRshHE-Ix8-u9kHzYtu_dWYxFAGOD_92SZdErGgmGqnFwOjVCw/s4032/IMG_5513.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuuiWB5YHeHyFWukjBQkVA73XryxBq7qoPXgHkPg9Fh02HB-Mgqc7vWIcZoh1HzjAfM7FuwiYWCCXEDWF67-7xUDmo2IOwpymIvIhIiZQPHAATOs3Htin-m6XAYJOzO9wmKtrrX5h1xRshHE-Ix8-u9kHzYtu_dWYxFAGOD_92SZdErGgmGqnFwOjVCw/w640-h480/IMG_5513.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's Boston!<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1kdgdzQZvxh7liwQoEprzudQ8iYplR7pAKsWpnYJI0IHzCUjiqDjYIukaWg9Ut8RrxY6HOro5SRPDjQxBUNrMXjkS66-oMZr-7Zwk17q1XKFtPpvNhz6vNdH1BbQ3mWUj6ELB6a7yWWaisWjSAeiQGUrWVTOT2yXEzBVyPsKoRty4_bQby96IGNy4w/s4032/IMG_6045.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1kdgdzQZvxh7liwQoEprzudQ8iYplR7pAKsWpnYJI0IHzCUjiqDjYIukaWg9Ut8RrxY6HOro5SRPDjQxBUNrMXjkS66-oMZr-7Zwk17q1XKFtPpvNhz6vNdH1BbQ3mWUj6ELB6a7yWWaisWjSAeiQGUrWVTOT2yXEzBVyPsKoRty4_bQby96IGNy4w/w480-h640/IMG_6045.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flying so close to Utah's Wasatch Mountains that I think I could've touched them</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0MNTv1WJfvEDexO7-ftaEW4NcLOM4c3n3VM1SwzjYyHZnkSWeMQly1ghz3T_xiO4LvpkfYxRDMhsAc3gf0mcZuAw6F1JEY_ANRrv4WAEfbBbyeO4BX8-LW_h9V5qfPrGs26st6VcecNiPuyV_HGmeZ0XQQC0Y08eQuil6NSlL8RZXcSEQRm6NjREXA/s4032/IMG_6110.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0MNTv1WJfvEDexO7-ftaEW4NcLOM4c3n3VM1SwzjYyHZnkSWeMQly1ghz3T_xiO4LvpkfYxRDMhsAc3gf0mcZuAw6F1JEY_ANRrv4WAEfbBbyeO4BX8-LW_h9V5qfPrGs26st6VcecNiPuyV_HGmeZ0XQQC0Y08eQuil6NSlL8RZXcSEQRm6NjREXA/w480-h640/IMG_6110.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slightly grainy shot of windmills in the North Sea<br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8x1XU_CJiTBn6LpX1_2WcZFUxuxbpMGOonylTgXgT6UvdUY--mMtPYu0bgqclTplUU4xSVXloHls-tqwGJ65qvuhBitHruCEp4gISQFBAXT31yVlwYQySM5GO-abDUTfzwoq9Jhoy36Pc3PYY4_WcbK0U-Z_V-U1VR0rxKuuso0-bbdNCacI7riMyA/s4032/IMG_6138.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8x1XU_CJiTBn6LpX1_2WcZFUxuxbpMGOonylTgXgT6UvdUY--mMtPYu0bgqclTplUU4xSVXloHls-tqwGJ65qvuhBitHruCEp4gISQFBAXT31yVlwYQySM5GO-abDUTfzwoq9Jhoy36Pc3PYY4_WcbK0U-Z_V-U1VR0rxKuuso0-bbdNCacI7riMyA/w480-h640/IMG_6138.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A farmer creating dust in the Netherlands<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6kORR2ymvfb_dO3rehEFIfXQbpejXiY5ncQShqFIlaFVny9GwwZrCKABDRw17Fkvw8tRTMNX7vgzQG113JJG5QmaSEQPM2PWXxIBjsMUI07g7JVIDnnqsVPu3e4Mewv60I-HE-mAMCuV0GWx5U7v6Jo6oQNmLpjiu89D4Ydki7Usg5HmheJoTJ0APQg/s4032/IMG_6135.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6kORR2ymvfb_dO3rehEFIfXQbpejXiY5ncQShqFIlaFVny9GwwZrCKABDRw17Fkvw8tRTMNX7vgzQG113JJG5QmaSEQPM2PWXxIBjsMUI07g7JVIDnnqsVPu3e4Mewv60I-HE-mAMCuV0GWx5U7v6Jo6oQNmLpjiu89D4Ydki7Usg5HmheJoTJ0APQg/w480-h640/IMG_6135.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterways of the Netherlands<br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_AAvh9StthOpowsU6S2T_551LAM4Rcm2NYHxPqzejnjxRarIh5eefb4dNlKAcnsoafCsddfX5xblCsWO_gJQvb-loOrHY9aahfgkvfi0dySc-eZRPKeso1xmsmp8DNQI3jRT3NeZK2T6gW1isImYJMtOQKoLcskC7jQEtC9cVMvL1X0KkU7KjBU4zQ/s4032/IMG_9327.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_AAvh9StthOpowsU6S2T_551LAM4Rcm2NYHxPqzejnjxRarIh5eefb4dNlKAcnsoafCsddfX5xblCsWO_gJQvb-loOrHY9aahfgkvfi0dySc-eZRPKeso1xmsmp8DNQI3jRT3NeZK2T6gW1isImYJMtOQKoLcskC7jQEtC9cVMvL1X0KkU7KjBU4zQ/w480-h640/IMG_9327.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trees in Colorado in the Fall<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMd_VR7Z34QMNfakIyCIVP9r27oScPEo5uJK1TTJxEjaLvgKGdVlrx1i9oN_MvLfhbL9qGrzQSNxq02FpXgh_Q69BOeQ6-bmxFEVlyI2rU29aY4P1On1YzZw5bKA5zZTTgghylPzfH0mzZddw0ScltqlXWOtx0FQzQDaevnmieWwQPG4nPuF99vjw-w/s4032/IMG_8577%202.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMd_VR7Z34QMNfakIyCIVP9r27oScPEo5uJK1TTJxEjaLvgKGdVlrx1i9oN_MvLfhbL9qGrzQSNxq02FpXgh_Q69BOeQ6-bmxFEVlyI2rU29aY4P1On1YzZw5bKA5zZTTgghylPzfH0mzZddw0ScltqlXWOtx0FQzQDaevnmieWwQPG4nPuF99vjw-w/w640-h480/IMG_8577%202.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A mass of Fall color in Colorado<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSj6jj007qGErvx-YO-zOv0P49QjCKbT7eYPNOcaY2ybOgA8i6m3MFH6NIN2kBBGq5T1MrkDRAisNurQS80FfAyMDraMRlFaPnG8CSbv8MeNWp0EHecj00QyZ4gfulopJ00NLPxwHlCUlg5IKYUlzEh-_2qbhWnMZHFN0EYCKk4AvbGKApDZWrIZJKSQ/s4032/IMG_6066.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSj6jj007qGErvx-YO-zOv0P49QjCKbT7eYPNOcaY2ybOgA8i6m3MFH6NIN2kBBGq5T1MrkDRAisNurQS80FfAyMDraMRlFaPnG8CSbv8MeNWp0EHecj00QyZ4gfulopJ00NLPxwHlCUlg5IKYUlzEh-_2qbhWnMZHFN0EYCKk4AvbGKApDZWrIZJKSQ/w480-h640/IMG_6066.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wasatch Mountains in Utah and Salt Lake City outskirts<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMAjU2jb4vCcgmsLSd0ecRDNn6VpRPAUpBdiF4ToaDWqOSxUTxrASekj96C0XXUD2SEte86dKI0IC27xyj8ixXfCSvx1BElS5lHYRXgL-US2eKkDZqFeBJq5cUl0-gW98TC8wFf2HoXVF8BUrVGeorkDuQoMqXDWxPjcuTTlbfHtlCrUHtDcBnErehw/s4032/IMG_0377.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMAjU2jb4vCcgmsLSd0ecRDNn6VpRPAUpBdiF4ToaDWqOSxUTxrASekj96C0XXUD2SEte86dKI0IC27xyj8ixXfCSvx1BElS5lHYRXgL-US2eKkDZqFeBJq5cUl0-gW98TC8wFf2HoXVF8BUrVGeorkDuQoMqXDWxPjcuTTlbfHtlCrUHtDcBnErehw/w480-h640/IMG_0377.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocky Mountains of Colorado<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJy8ZxiF0ebOEGcoknDMN1vuatJw8e4DJp0KyBRenk2IJLT3JHs1S5wdTCPTpAEX4nKH2knQTH0xkcZ-9VAwcTId4XnPNNLntWFVlZlBO_aQjGI1jx-ypH40AphStt5t3ajDd82NPlW8iBtaEOtkmGDyvLLpjL9eSUhp3JtZQ6t9cDunGjd9-0WJh12Q/s4032/IMG_9901.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJy8ZxiF0ebOEGcoknDMN1vuatJw8e4DJp0KyBRenk2IJLT3JHs1S5wdTCPTpAEX4nKH2knQTH0xkcZ-9VAwcTId4XnPNNLntWFVlZlBO_aQjGI1jx-ypH40AphStt5t3ajDd82NPlW8iBtaEOtkmGDyvLLpjL9eSUhp3JtZQ6t9cDunGjd9-0WJh12Q/w480-h640/IMG_9901.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Rocky Mountains<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9uZ03Ftt_mFXel-sbhb5t23scOxXgcFA2j1rR5dZA94B5w8ElIVoGZedTQMYDG66w8OnBthiW71sTJaVWdacI71LiSBvpwpc0zC1trVxoRYB-BvpFvaPkCNEHzLaGI_9GK4QAHw7xAVAXx_IrQ6iLznBudH6-MrUfccGRZNAv6fM42mBfsqCCNwQ02w/s4032/IMG_7924.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9uZ03Ftt_mFXel-sbhb5t23scOxXgcFA2j1rR5dZA94B5w8ElIVoGZedTQMYDG66w8OnBthiW71sTJaVWdacI71LiSBvpwpc0zC1trVxoRYB-BvpFvaPkCNEHzLaGI_9GK4QAHw7xAVAXx_IrQ6iLznBudH6-MrUfccGRZNAv6fM42mBfsqCCNwQ02w/w480-h640/IMG_7924.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside London flying into Heathrow<br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpN3v-MWR4XnH90_kg2ZpjWYKMDdh_G2HHXU-bQAzw5nRpnHa4RLbpNdlmEfaOBhFP8PNTCOeh583l-5aQWY1ggvuqXRnXx6sweEA72n5fv-RMPTB1k-_KtloC95S0i3kIU1bCXFlngjTZdLiDR1iU5q54ojpwJJpEpo1mk7Yy-DrwWc3LinCvJbfAzA/s4032/IMG_6071.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpN3v-MWR4XnH90_kg2ZpjWYKMDdh_G2HHXU-bQAzw5nRpnHa4RLbpNdlmEfaOBhFP8PNTCOeh583l-5aQWY1ggvuqXRnXx6sweEA72n5fv-RMPTB1k-_KtloC95S0i3kIU1bCXFlngjTZdLiDR1iU5q54ojpwJJpEpo1mk7Yy-DrwWc3LinCvJbfAzA/w480-h640/IMG_6071.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's Salt Lake City, Utah<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzk7vNQZv8hrLyw4ES2rXkx62vazSaYqay8-OqV2jG-g2FnfrtRrmYJc5w6xmws4yDwGxCENVB8tRrM5LNjZ0pwr9L4hYcAigMP5WQM3Ngi8U-OarqETGI8sUrZZ0h4EXn4QGM6TYBSOItZboDqVlPh2xBDwgwGrmRjP-qQokdJmdhZPJ1vGHuqoXyg/s4032/IMG_1070.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzk7vNQZv8hrLyw4ES2rXkx62vazSaYqay8-OqV2jG-g2FnfrtRrmYJc5w6xmws4yDwGxCENVB8tRrM5LNjZ0pwr9L4hYcAigMP5WQM3Ngi8U-OarqETGI8sUrZZ0h4EXn4QGM6TYBSOItZboDqVlPh2xBDwgwGrmRjP-qQokdJmdhZPJ1vGHuqoXyg/w480-h640/IMG_1070.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flying into Liberia, Costa Rica<br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrPNf7ncEGdoHbVlOoyzInaqFJY2hl3bHkg8Y-rMCUjfCD2Bd1ue3xY0avthPek8yChKdOuIVP6LDq1PHquQ_P0bLvrv25T2cbrt-inYij1nycq9qpMnKaRdk5SnICgRmgpqaTHF2tCLuiKCieXGdC1syuPvPXg7sFBGbeQoXTHsekEu2CzxEEZfUbw/s4032/IMG_1811.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrPNf7ncEGdoHbVlOoyzInaqFJY2hl3bHkg8Y-rMCUjfCD2Bd1ue3xY0avthPek8yChKdOuIVP6LDq1PHquQ_P0bLvrv25T2cbrt-inYij1nycq9qpMnKaRdk5SnICgRmgpqaTHF2tCLuiKCieXGdC1syuPvPXg7sFBGbeQoXTHsekEu2CzxEEZfUbw/w640-h480/IMG_1811.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Windmills in Kansas<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ9RSrOD1zxfK12pdGOiWvZeNIckj-WqRPEH6xiFA5C-SB1K6WlQdLq0ghXOahFHkMWZBL-IMCh-caJEwfH_IdUrgQJt1ycSOr_3qPV5AMXPyRiCWNPwkSfjsMgkme9uyfVQesDJv2t380YE3Fzc3nLdXphME19AfKkY5jKGbuGCvou-CJ3T2uYXIGhQ/s4032/IMG_5482.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ9RSrOD1zxfK12pdGOiWvZeNIckj-WqRPEH6xiFA5C-SB1K6WlQdLq0ghXOahFHkMWZBL-IMCh-caJEwfH_IdUrgQJt1ycSOr_3qPV5AMXPyRiCWNPwkSfjsMgkme9uyfVQesDJv2t380YE3Fzc3nLdXphME19AfKkY5jKGbuGCvou-CJ3T2uYXIGhQ/w640-h480/IMG_5482.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A deep blue Great Lake and farm land<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZ3uAd3LpwfD8qVCoQRRO7oy-jmN725GHZdSxQ9YVY3iTvQJOa-oM6JcpPKAKazvo6ZQoKAsR_EdFgD4C-lDDD-_hyj-1paKt46_4onwyT1Pw8FNRILwiq23ghe2tJwcTqkBGkjRh6fMZRuHhgx1i9TFo52FddAotyZD_nQzvTHo3YpkqFU9NN7-Iyg/s4032/IMG_9735.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZ3uAd3LpwfD8qVCoQRRO7oy-jmN725GHZdSxQ9YVY3iTvQJOa-oM6JcpPKAKazvo6ZQoKAsR_EdFgD4C-lDDD-_hyj-1paKt46_4onwyT1Pw8FNRILwiq23ghe2tJwcTqkBGkjRh6fMZRuHhgx1i9TFo52FddAotyZD_nQzvTHo3YpkqFU9NN7-Iyg/w640-h480/IMG_9735.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving in San Juan, Puerto Rico<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jS6jfRF8weZ0sAWpTmZcZW-qKnm78f_Hfa-BXghDVyk04yTuF8tmyswcRo6huWrR9-NUCqSZs-YB9GTRP6b65N_-woqGYPAwoWnz90ctdMKf7HKGkJSQAmf8TuXlCsotQtbsy4VU_3v6WNTGhdXG3mkEYnJ0FxN8QfZH4Oye850uf-nQGfOOuyrKtA/s4032/IMG_5556.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jS6jfRF8weZ0sAWpTmZcZW-qKnm78f_Hfa-BXghDVyk04yTuF8tmyswcRo6huWrR9-NUCqSZs-YB9GTRP6b65N_-woqGYPAwoWnz90ctdMKf7HKGkJSQAmf8TuXlCsotQtbsy4VU_3v6WNTGhdXG3mkEYnJ0FxN8QfZH4Oye850uf-nQGfOOuyrKtA/w480-h640/IMG_5556.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The islands off of Boston<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwXX6MZNL4qMF3ENi_HTZPnNEJTwhQISDBvWWJuHMCi-5iJbZJI80silc5VqRnGLIK6ZdIFDg0kYc6vBrJ-jshzFCxffeuj8JHZTFX_AFiQZvNntrhEf_jpP3dkXOLBSNXRfdBaFLL7T78z2OlziST9tTupHbAZfJUy_5J-jPIwkT6TQ_DVy5qbohwQ/s4032/IMG_5463%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwXX6MZNL4qMF3ENi_HTZPnNEJTwhQISDBvWWJuHMCi-5iJbZJI80silc5VqRnGLIK6ZdIFDg0kYc6vBrJ-jshzFCxffeuj8JHZTFX_AFiQZvNntrhEf_jpP3dkXOLBSNXRfdBaFLL7T78z2OlziST9tTupHbAZfJUy_5J-jPIwkT6TQ_DVy5qbohwQ/w480-h640/IMG_5463%202.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's us arriving in Seattle<br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvU7IwhNpe76tpCYKKm5CFCLNZkPyiUs509zaDyymhpnGJwIysaW4vqG5sHqEUMlBXpm69a2jjGbCyQcec8TcmU0eckbW8zF7CCpGT_wSXwWXDFq0nvyk3bUWgqOMOlI2iLYl_-5ZICInStQNtbRwOp8qwed6YVPRax03kb5ANkvjLm1sOglUpdtJ7w/s4032/IMG_1074%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvU7IwhNpe76tpCYKKm5CFCLNZkPyiUs509zaDyymhpnGJwIysaW4vqG5sHqEUMlBXpm69a2jjGbCyQcec8TcmU0eckbW8zF7CCpGT_wSXwWXDFq0nvyk3bUWgqOMOlI2iLYl_-5ZICInStQNtbRwOp8qwed6YVPRax03kb5ANkvjLm1sOglUpdtJ7w/w480-h640/IMG_1074%202.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Costa Rica<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgP2xzMMkCqYn78hWCwpB-M8wCkw2-mPCGOEioYtTfw57Vi3KkCr8t1zNMdjttmTqiFUC7Brsb4Se-7myucUw6Zu1nfIkUukd4Ri4hNpR7uZH08xWJBQFobNO1gf6qvyzs0uNXxiJoiMv9oaBGGeHac6ACsKAgSNn57TSiIcHo-YfB0oAfFWHdYomIKw/s4032/IMG_6049.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgP2xzMMkCqYn78hWCwpB-M8wCkw2-mPCGOEioYtTfw57Vi3KkCr8t1zNMdjttmTqiFUC7Brsb4Se-7myucUw6Zu1nfIkUukd4Ri4hNpR7uZH08xWJBQFobNO1gf6qvyzs0uNXxiJoiMv9oaBGGeHac6ACsKAgSNn57TSiIcHo-YfB0oAfFWHdYomIKw/w640-h480/IMG_6049.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little obsessed with these Wasatch Mountain photos!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6SE8VFg9DPrLpjE6MkjAK_kHiI92cM4vncrLR0Nh8-ba-j2ClZaPlVWRniZmZMfamMLUdMP4u3nTNrpephg4jESyW9gM8LEdVa9GvFIMxRpm4EwKAjFy4YceKRab8PLs5P_n7IeKj8VAQlyJ5xjgzJE0inU0Kq9b2XqNMo5EdBlv2ALpVp1sNOR4Yfg/s4032/IMG_8579.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6SE8VFg9DPrLpjE6MkjAK_kHiI92cM4vncrLR0Nh8-ba-j2ClZaPlVWRniZmZMfamMLUdMP4u3nTNrpephg4jESyW9gM8LEdVa9GvFIMxRpm4EwKAjFy4YceKRab8PLs5P_n7IeKj8VAQlyJ5xjgzJE0inU0Kq9b2XqNMo5EdBlv2ALpVp1sNOR4Yfg/w640-h480/IMG_8579.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not for sure but I believe these are the San Juans in SW Colorado<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGy98qqlQJUixO4uJk6VKUdXyXP9YvgN-SmY248Q2fu-ZCFf146XCsiRO4FxDCLnsUOU9tkxnuIBxuyFDgARXRQ5ZJa4mOEMboav5bFhTm6z45yx9HwSy00VhRq_VJnZr-CF4WtriJykEYtLL__c1jx5ZrsAs5nTY1t082L_uMtHtFzrHvaclrP1yn3A/s4032/IMG_1805.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGy98qqlQJUixO4uJk6VKUdXyXP9YvgN-SmY248Q2fu-ZCFf146XCsiRO4FxDCLnsUOU9tkxnuIBxuyFDgARXRQ5ZJa4mOEMboav5bFhTm6z45yx9HwSy00VhRq_VJnZr-CF4WtriJykEYtLL__c1jx5ZrsAs5nTY1t082L_uMtHtFzrHvaclrP1yn3A/w640-h480/IMG_1805.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool patterns on the Sandhills of Nebraska<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJbe2sfvYQHvyG5tLi5nhr-S4cfFX-nylhX7mvcrW7mqZ0bgHt2CcFcjU5G9hFvY9gCuuORoKYUCTPLNgwKeQj_dDKtp_4f5LZTPWgGZtOAE5nDV8ZvcWV8IPyWG-JSBI3ZkRdfB9FmffMkmwhBhhMUx8KXT-HCVpqhbxphCiT0yiuTRC_EJezUlgBg/s4032/IMG_1078.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJbe2sfvYQHvyG5tLi5nhr-S4cfFX-nylhX7mvcrW7mqZ0bgHt2CcFcjU5G9hFvY9gCuuORoKYUCTPLNgwKeQj_dDKtp_4f5LZTPWgGZtOAE5nDV8ZvcWV8IPyWG-JSBI3ZkRdfB9FmffMkmwhBhhMUx8KXT-HCVpqhbxphCiT0yiuTRC_EJezUlgBg/w480-h640/IMG_1078.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River in Costa Rica</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHvILxScV9iAgmdLCSbUPNpD6qgjao0L_Y3ppX5P-HUkQCGFfq6eFNSEeOUZcwvM6fczZVvrX9LSYcNGK4kWGBSU1EvQi9HxuO0CNEZhJsJwZbJ0KsblE5_6TtPVCRLnY_vLntKPPnxYf0n70mWuLcyISwSWzr0bG6DEmUHe3DzUhFMXxs-dm1e-w04Q/s4032/IMG_5508.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHvILxScV9iAgmdLCSbUPNpD6qgjao0L_Y3ppX5P-HUkQCGFfq6eFNSEeOUZcwvM6fczZVvrX9LSYcNGK4kWGBSU1EvQi9HxuO0CNEZhJsJwZbJ0KsblE5_6TtPVCRLnY_vLntKPPnxYf0n70mWuLcyISwSWzr0bG6DEmUHe3DzUhFMXxs-dm1e-w04Q/w640-h480/IMG_5508.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suburbs of Boston</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC47uyxxEosRITcPspp2NYsPD4EGAREYy-ZFlQ2yTRgL5O1mfin2X-Y8w2HnWFgqqtJIE5xOwTZ2KDSBPFdhdGf_VdGedITNmDAYYUHG1A8usqpZvV71ESYsd1U6wdqE1DLxB6vcaprq4LIstyVwYLoV1DHRt3JQrnYv7VMJd16EMH4iyirOoBxgudNQ/s4032/IMG_9702.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC47uyxxEosRITcPspp2NYsPD4EGAREYy-ZFlQ2yTRgL5O1mfin2X-Y8w2HnWFgqqtJIE5xOwTZ2KDSBPFdhdGf_VdGedITNmDAYYUHG1A8usqpZvV71ESYsd1U6wdqE1DLxB6vcaprq4LIstyVwYLoV1DHRt3JQrnYv7VMJd16EMH4iyirOoBxgudNQ/w640-h480/IMG_9702.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bonus shot - Not from an airplane but an amazing sunrise at Fort Lauderdale airport<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">How about you? Are you an Aisle or Window seat flyer? And which one is your favorite?<br /><br /><br />Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharPdbJkgMoOyyVrYATc6lw2CkmQlIw1lYKC0gZlC0vKE1Ibu4yydWaFY3LucnKGvuSdA1OAaRIHfgS7ujiLhgMpbt6b3p53euVbRvok93OgxBsKab1is4q6o5Si-xp8-STasjw_-MkIZfnWsLtPGcz9zT_ruvMSe5pGGrIYGJ6245a-VXgnVX5bshhg/s200/mcotw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharPdbJkgMoOyyVrYATc6lw2CkmQlIw1lYKC0gZlC0vKE1Ibu4yydWaFY3LucnKGvuSdA1OAaRIHfgS7ujiLhgMpbt6b3p53euVbRvok93OgxBsKab1is4q6o5Si-xp8-STasjw_-MkIZfnWsLtPGcz9zT_ruvMSe5pGGrIYGJ6245a-VXgnVX5bshhg/w400-h300/mcotw.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-8631279169823699572023-05-16T17:56:00.003-07:002023-05-16T18:00:12.165-07:00A Day in Idyllic Bruges, Belgium<p> <span style="font-size: large;">Bruges is one of the main reasons that people travel to Belgium. It is one of the most famous medieval cities in Europe - its historic buildings, charming canals and attractive streets make the entire historic center an UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was one of the places I was most looking forward to visiting on our trip to Europe last September and I can easily say I was not disappointed. This adorable little city has much to offer and we took advantage of that on our day trip here from Brussels. Come along and visit Bruges with me!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNelBqaseDjAM_-ox98WpMOrBZk1EVPJzZA8Ey3BovKt6W33zwLg0huhQsY1iJUG3qnZYUA2Zrwz7fXmbIh2uxzMx-E8pRGlT9f3cbbTAucd9pKUEmidSGFnwuHur-T2eTRruyKLKsPx6VJAQnLs4-jOVKYc-hSWYEF63bjZkGpL0SaRBqXlmmfwcLQ/s4032/IMG_6563.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNelBqaseDjAM_-ox98WpMOrBZk1EVPJzZA8Ey3BovKt6W33zwLg0huhQsY1iJUG3qnZYUA2Zrwz7fXmbIh2uxzMx-E8pRGlT9f3cbbTAucd9pKUEmidSGFnwuHur-T2eTRruyKLKsPx6VJAQnLs4-jOVKYc-hSWYEF63bjZkGpL0SaRBqXlmmfwcLQ/w640-h480/IMG_6563.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFU9Gzi1wJcoVajfg7Y31nOvsSzrTLMm3orRloLetEwuUVyhLD9vO_Zjh8AlcgqpDQWXYaZGae9s0pIS2qWvKeft1KpAEFnk3YovaFvUVV6YeqAHYma0geznjzTldTA8OSX6EoboD8jciIsMKIvVQ12E0aRJ33DyKhsihH5UmycKkDqIzC2lFvr39IUQ/s4032/IMG_6491.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFU9Gzi1wJcoVajfg7Y31nOvsSzrTLMm3orRloLetEwuUVyhLD9vO_Zjh8AlcgqpDQWXYaZGae9s0pIS2qWvKeft1KpAEFnk3YovaFvUVV6YeqAHYma0geznjzTldTA8OSX6EoboD8jciIsMKIvVQ12E0aRJ33DyKhsihH5UmycKkDqIzC2lFvr39IUQ/w640-h480/IMG_6491.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCt2GqkwCKApEjZghkNlZCHFwDmbxd1w2AgRmh0tPpjZbx5hlgj-d-h7AnIT6IFrt-qlTAY0TVAeK0_wXqrHRwGC-Yp0pcXgoP9CZFiM35AnaqVVi9J0nX9s3VQXzj4UWlsWgf750SveLldd0-91Vw6m3Afi_QgvftcM9VBlKvYOgktzYF14T8jcZKMg/s4032/IMG_6466.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCt2GqkwCKApEjZghkNlZCHFwDmbxd1w2AgRmh0tPpjZbx5hlgj-d-h7AnIT6IFrt-qlTAY0TVAeK0_wXqrHRwGC-Yp0pcXgoP9CZFiM35AnaqVVi9J0nX9s3VQXzj4UWlsWgf750SveLldd0-91Vw6m3Afi_QgvftcM9VBlKvYOgktzYF14T8jcZKMg/w480-h640/IMG_6466.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1THS4U9xW0SR2sTYf_00dM8wWA_0U2T-_h4dZ-74h6w9Og-GICOcottBLjAe6fbun-XxWFlj-R_Big1WZu6lYV3n1BhjveBN3ZzEAHjw4jpSxvpGCDCrMFqi5cZAyYkGDcwQbtzl099FnYOjnF8Mw1XSR8-RJ58UJaGyg0uQhL_IG6NAN7xaTHpqzww/s4032/IMG_6474.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1THS4U9xW0SR2sTYf_00dM8wWA_0U2T-_h4dZ-74h6w9Og-GICOcottBLjAe6fbun-XxWFlj-R_Big1WZu6lYV3n1BhjveBN3ZzEAHjw4jpSxvpGCDCrMFqi5cZAyYkGDcwQbtzl099FnYOjnF8Mw1XSR8-RJ58UJaGyg0uQhL_IG6NAN7xaTHpqzww/w480-h640/IMG_6474.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzHenh1-b7TV4jIB6eu7gnWSVMvzLpFzp8HhkYmpmW2SMgl3QYQYg5ebxlNXZhSjHzLuBA1gC_BxQZ9cCW2INxlQP8i_2NIWmi0CNKtgEoewOgfp8smBScyoCh6CPDBFjDnjPo_GHjC5hXFJ7er06PX9yo1xZzMpUuD3NHqZ7jB1CDrD7V_WLB_HCSA/s4032/IMG_6576.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzHenh1-b7TV4jIB6eu7gnWSVMvzLpFzp8HhkYmpmW2SMgl3QYQYg5ebxlNXZhSjHzLuBA1gC_BxQZ9cCW2INxlQP8i_2NIWmi0CNKtgEoewOgfp8smBScyoCh6CPDBFjDnjPo_GHjC5hXFJ7er06PX9yo1xZzMpUuD3NHqZ7jB1CDrD7V_WLB_HCSA/w640-h480/IMG_6576.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Less than an hours train ride from Brussels and a short walk to the center of the city from the train station, Bruges starts showing off from the arrive. Cobblestone streets and brick homes with lace curtains, carriages going by and church bells ringing while you're walking into the city and you realize that this truly is someplace special. After our short train ride, we headed to the Market Square to meet our tour guide for our two hour walking tour. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPGQ4gwcxiVZUjBocn6gGBB-Jd0AfEa37u_xdqRSdQ1r0_c9s8PjUIiBvg5yIvg3iqsyykZ3UFSEgkbQFXuc4me2IAowkNWgrIusqE_Cq_wFbFdqgIticHIHyQYQtMiZAQMkqlCOBR37U42Eg00bfSASNwEkrlIB_gysJ9sCaZ51QaACanj6lxupXkA/s3169/IMG_6468.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2967" data-original-width="3169" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPGQ4gwcxiVZUjBocn6gGBB-Jd0AfEa37u_xdqRSdQ1r0_c9s8PjUIiBvg5yIvg3iqsyykZ3UFSEgkbQFXuc4me2IAowkNWgrIusqE_Cq_wFbFdqgIticHIHyQYQtMiZAQMkqlCOBR37U42Eg00bfSASNwEkrlIB_gysJ9sCaZ51QaACanj6lxupXkA/w640-h600/IMG_6468.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnyKISmhrMK8bzmU0MJBA8UI65cuCyZ8J5CV0ELQhXyOVEBILOd476CkFvxa3cblduVNG-_A7GvMmoHh8bYlRCmTVMmgY9J-p4nBvWy8IHcDfQyBuBdwCYdf2HyBdFgdnGed6tN9iGjB57L6Bg1j6O1-6vtD_uu9FOFnuzC4wLWvmCMbJNDpmOTkg2mQ/s4032/IMG_6464.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnyKISmhrMK8bzmU0MJBA8UI65cuCyZ8J5CV0ELQhXyOVEBILOd476CkFvxa3cblduVNG-_A7GvMmoHh8bYlRCmTVMmgY9J-p4nBvWy8IHcDfQyBuBdwCYdf2HyBdFgdnGed6tN9iGjB57L6Bg1j6O1-6vtD_uu9FOFnuzC4wLWvmCMbJNDpmOTkg2mQ/w480-h640/IMG_6464.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBv4UlgIrqTGWB3iu4dQvsZsQn85EwEVuD9j0CzItwoyYy04zX12J4peBirCy7V9k-jC7mwSqPausKTieErfiK7da8CtuEmK_yErcWVlQtSusE3P2B6D1ppslk0pkYBm55E0djyj6xs_GB5AEk6BWVvDtK7YBz0ofoaPAZjrWEyYHFoBbmsyuq-hOj3Q/s4032/IMG_6490.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBv4UlgIrqTGWB3iu4dQvsZsQn85EwEVuD9j0CzItwoyYy04zX12J4peBirCy7V9k-jC7mwSqPausKTieErfiK7da8CtuEmK_yErcWVlQtSusE3P2B6D1ppslk0pkYBm55E0djyj6xs_GB5AEk6BWVvDtK7YBz0ofoaPAZjrWEyYHFoBbmsyuq-hOj3Q/w640-h480/IMG_6490.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrHw7hFaNV0BG8vuGlmm6OHDwDv52vOswKvUFujISUxLmOSO3KelpgxUDVnl6CixlRsnytyLUk2dBwT1wBMpXutXSLgJQT05sgiZSEj9jXDAc94G9J0EL-qqEif38nmtuGcpNAPyozMqL43zmiAGlA0EoIM70Rh2Cltox70rJcU6MRHVYurs7uPidIg/s4030/IMG_6521.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2903" data-original-width="4030" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrHw7hFaNV0BG8vuGlmm6OHDwDv52vOswKvUFujISUxLmOSO3KelpgxUDVnl6CixlRsnytyLUk2dBwT1wBMpXutXSLgJQT05sgiZSEj9jXDAc94G9J0EL-qqEif38nmtuGcpNAPyozMqL43zmiAGlA0EoIM70Rh2Cltox70rJcU6MRHVYurs7uPidIg/w640-h462/IMG_6521.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Beginning at Market Square we headed straight to a family run chocolate shop where we met the congenial owners and sampled some of their delicious chocolate. Deciding not to buy anything right then as we would have to carry it around all day, we promised a return before we left Bruges. Then we were off to walk the city and learn its history. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNgT0LgEVTFs8wbO8Ev827pK1P5fYixGZVZTIlau3i9F7dZ7XYazPkOEkdltXih8DctSpTXxbyk4BM-t9uScPzpNWKucUvZ9aOTT7PqRDaTGMA-5KncAYw2CG9ytR0m_I9M5H9F19F3BmWjVUnpvZOsfGQxkVLpSw86AncqACOWAALQKk8dVBbOr2Lg/s4032/IMG_6472.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNgT0LgEVTFs8wbO8Ev827pK1P5fYixGZVZTIlau3i9F7dZ7XYazPkOEkdltXih8DctSpTXxbyk4BM-t9uScPzpNWKucUvZ9aOTT7PqRDaTGMA-5KncAYw2CG9ytR0m_I9M5H9F19F3BmWjVUnpvZOsfGQxkVLpSw86AncqACOWAALQKk8dVBbOr2Lg/w480-h640/IMG_6472.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"> We crossed the kissing bridge of St. Bonifacius - legend has it that if you kiss your lover on this bridge you'll be in love forever- and walked the silent grounds of the only convent in Bruges.( It is no longer a convent but a home for former nuns or single, older women)We saw the famous swans and stopped at the Rozenhoedkaai, the city's most famous view - made famous in the movie, In Bruges - for some photos. Ending our tour in front of the Basilica of the Holy Blood we forfeited a visit here in favor of a much needed lunch.</span></p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYNZC3JAjZl8HB4GM7AJ4GhfQkzkBLxt_OfI2DWavX6L2Ss-wjPJ4LJkLrve6SD5TK9OwVymNL_Pj3_mQgjNHxFSqr89Fori30aj82x2mvpGQtCZ84fKi6jkj68UcXxCElrZMd4prM5EG6FG8D4ubjKC1DpXcgQQWTnUUuic-lb3Mm3iXvtCR80LQww/s4032/IMG_6485.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYNZC3JAjZl8HB4GM7AJ4GhfQkzkBLxt_OfI2DWavX6L2Ss-wjPJ4LJkLrve6SD5TK9OwVymNL_Pj3_mQgjNHxFSqr89Fori30aj82x2mvpGQtCZ84fKi6jkj68UcXxCElrZMd4prM5EG6FG8D4ubjKC1DpXcgQQWTnUUuic-lb3Mm3iXvtCR80LQww/w480-h640/IMG_6485.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The narrow Prostitute Alley from the 14th century</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfm7MVO8UiZb7avc93l8tVMQLpVfOcGNYXHCPs8LRKQ65FNYbVwFmiqZhHTe7bdzmWCqFDDNnXi6nwcr3ED5jI-yD5_--8Co8-aLdByShGUuR0KQCs-uk6pjZ-6iqxufiXhwL7buPYTJu6Bti58sU-GJ41JMLNLZi8KuSoViDa_1BP-Y-dpy95rM0YA/s4032/IMG_6486.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfm7MVO8UiZb7avc93l8tVMQLpVfOcGNYXHCPs8LRKQ65FNYbVwFmiqZhHTe7bdzmWCqFDDNnXi6nwcr3ED5jI-yD5_--8Co8-aLdByShGUuR0KQCs-uk6pjZ-6iqxufiXhwL7buPYTJu6Bti58sU-GJ41JMLNLZi8KuSoViDa_1BP-Y-dpy95rM0YA/w480-h640/IMG_6486.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpYIhWPG3nfzJkLVqu0HRdTPx0wQTNu9wLTkfAfDpNYF94ryYXayRL2I4FZiQEyoBmm8tDWvwRRMJr4ORvXrX2Xe4OP7lIu0J6ygazD7nvZ7ckLQISmxwVg3ldjRQ7k7ab_g3eppwn4VZE5ORD1tJMBK6ENbX6QhxsX1ed56aVhyngPM0FOKs1HjupA/s4032/IMG_6488.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpYIhWPG3nfzJkLVqu0HRdTPx0wQTNu9wLTkfAfDpNYF94ryYXayRL2I4FZiQEyoBmm8tDWvwRRMJr4ORvXrX2Xe4OP7lIu0J6ygazD7nvZ7ckLQISmxwVg3ldjRQ7k7ab_g3eppwn4VZE5ORD1tJMBK6ENbX6QhxsX1ed56aVhyngPM0FOKs1HjupA/w480-h640/IMG_6488.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Salvatore's Cathedral</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6GMqENHQkEToua4kzCdBQ9INjPHw_PvPD7c_j4pffvxLpZJ5ChLfMtZtmcIIFC4hvWLNiYWFOg47yex-JTyQpGoi0SbfHWoi4wwr9HwP_SnapB187dP2uZ3j7zNeSYATduEMZIqw1J0vhnW2KgPhxmbErSwip0fbi-L_QM3oYHGRUsWz9V49o2VUchA/s4032/IMG_6546.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6GMqENHQkEToua4kzCdBQ9INjPHw_PvPD7c_j4pffvxLpZJ5ChLfMtZtmcIIFC4hvWLNiYWFOg47yex-JTyQpGoi0SbfHWoi4wwr9HwP_SnapB187dP2uZ3j7zNeSYATduEMZIqw1J0vhnW2KgPhxmbErSwip0fbi-L_QM3oYHGRUsWz9V49o2VUchA/w480-h640/IMG_6546.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihM6K3vgFfCXTPtlrTihVXud91m2s5p9_n1-1DcGyYM4Fv4GSbB2FLVoO7UB92e_XEQer4avzURG9es2CT4Ls3pPrJLLdMfcNWRKbsZRJyVeFNoyWbw6V9LmxVwPLCmQlbb4dK-7cUfE8MgPHTNp_arK5IZtLKfmGTEqiXir6_Tib-gNu5iO18iM-03g/s4032/IMG_6482.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihM6K3vgFfCXTPtlrTihVXud91m2s5p9_n1-1DcGyYM4Fv4GSbB2FLVoO7UB92e_XEQer4avzURG9es2CT4Ls3pPrJLLdMfcNWRKbsZRJyVeFNoyWbw6V9LmxVwPLCmQlbb4dK-7cUfE8MgPHTNp_arK5IZtLKfmGTEqiXir6_Tib-gNu5iO18iM-03g/w640-h480/IMG_6482.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP99vRnNJpUMdigAbUIl5vmWC5m_mjdCDHueHs_nBoqkpeJeER9AdLU3BH1XvuqdxjkT-bRiEzcwoXQOaoAi4o7YGduJzrNCXT6Bf2ILhf_G2af9Gxg65eZit4F2pl81H9bxuas_iGGe6AZrdh915Kx7K-DDjerVNPvJACtseOoSX3551FSJQ72c4mJQ/s4032/IMG_6479.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP99vRnNJpUMdigAbUIl5vmWC5m_mjdCDHueHs_nBoqkpeJeER9AdLU3BH1XvuqdxjkT-bRiEzcwoXQOaoAi4o7YGduJzrNCXT6Bf2ILhf_G2af9Gxg65eZit4F2pl81H9bxuas_iGGe6AZrdh915Kx7K-DDjerVNPvJACtseOoSX3551FSJQ72c4mJQ/w640-h480/IMG_6479.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Lunch was at an outdoor cafe with a Brugse Zot from the famous, and only brewery in Bruges - De Halve Maan. And then it was time for a pleasant canal cruise with some history and humor thrown in. (My worries of long lines didn't come true - we walked right up and got our tickets) Our captain regaled us with tales of famous residents and history in both English and German. I would highly recommend a cruise if you're visiting here - it was my favorite part of the day.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwr8pT0xA9tJp5xut-3bwpFi_aM0QjeZ23U2gsWzAxzsRGvE5KZ_cvsfcY1fc9xs8IUi8Ko23dcqwfwJ3W2TAWZ_Zdz5byvmyOuWjxhyV6WLIBe_1Zhf8DpQfEGP6yrK5N10a9Bp_eIUenqumtLAL8J51aK1CK7Pf6s5CMXZxHa7NpjCUcoiKV1Uq2Pw/s3640/IMG_6520.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3023" data-original-width="3640" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwr8pT0xA9tJp5xut-3bwpFi_aM0QjeZ23U2gsWzAxzsRGvE5KZ_cvsfcY1fc9xs8IUi8Ko23dcqwfwJ3W2TAWZ_Zdz5byvmyOuWjxhyV6WLIBe_1Zhf8DpQfEGP6yrK5N10a9Bp_eIUenqumtLAL8J51aK1CK7Pf6s5CMXZxHa7NpjCUcoiKV1Uq2Pw/w640-h532/IMG_6520.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcd_3AkaOVLbOBYZo2715rA0j7vNC1labt7LA572O4alcGZVRo5GaeSI8e4w9e4CCvmXNXzKE6vRQUGEkMdjglQ0EoiIBrxlvy0anOICd9FU8Cxk2qw-hjW_ZzoRDNn3MpRy7nzh3p24e7GGKs0xo_eicBlf3iEuY6w96W_EQMxD1DXNQKnoy978ADQQ/s4032/IMG_6524.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcd_3AkaOVLbOBYZo2715rA0j7vNC1labt7LA572O4alcGZVRo5GaeSI8e4w9e4CCvmXNXzKE6vRQUGEkMdjglQ0EoiIBrxlvy0anOICd9FU8Cxk2qw-hjW_ZzoRDNn3MpRy7nzh3p24e7GGKs0xo_eicBlf3iEuY6w96W_EQMxD1DXNQKnoy978ADQQ/w480-h640/IMG_6524.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWfnR9x9-3uxiOYUvQ-tjtk4jnwPwvSi9TF9UkzHnn4DvAzccS6EYl520NS7IEmq0F3m3v35L43Qw2n3IgGsTBxFC2TE7dKz-DWYYlsrhD1rRIjrNJtpUHyKESsx6u9Id4kEfFZ9r1UAECrOAzNgwwoiFFUajk9BXjDKsRgWjG6dBGYfFbYlOrRP9bg/s4032/IMG_6525.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWfnR9x9-3uxiOYUvQ-tjtk4jnwPwvSi9TF9UkzHnn4DvAzccS6EYl520NS7IEmq0F3m3v35L43Qw2n3IgGsTBxFC2TE7dKz-DWYYlsrhD1rRIjrNJtpUHyKESsx6u9Id4kEfFZ9r1UAECrOAzNgwwoiFFUajk9BXjDKsRgWjG6dBGYfFbYlOrRP9bg/w640-h480/IMG_6525.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our last stop - besides heading back to the chocolate shop to make our purchases - was at the aforementioned De Halve Maan Brewery - a brewery in the same family for five generations and since 1856. (A really unique feature of this brewery is an underground pipeline that transports beer from Bruges, where it's brewed at 1000 gallons per hour to it's bottling plants 2 miles away)We nabbed an outdoor table and the male members of our party spent some time enjoying a beer while the females went shopping. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScH590JaGYQpINGuliz364vZmFFeAB6Vp82e9kFr_qnabIxMuaxjWjqBbeYA6x5z7MJ8x2cUL6pv9jCGu6l49qMaGCYx0k1c1EUIbnw8LL91-cV_E9vcDzvji7BczIj-QWkFQX1-HsCta_Pev1YT_RQzMTefBEhdTeWHY29ycybd48dccvDIx2xeWHw/s4032/IMG_6510.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScH590JaGYQpINGuliz364vZmFFeAB6Vp82e9kFr_qnabIxMuaxjWjqBbeYA6x5z7MJ8x2cUL6pv9jCGu6l49qMaGCYx0k1c1EUIbnw8LL91-cV_E9vcDzvji7BczIj-QWkFQX1-HsCta_Pev1YT_RQzMTefBEhdTeWHY29ycybd48dccvDIx2xeWHw/w480-h640/IMG_6510.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYl0dzX_nSIPragXEuLKHbYNBwFRVBPcGmyZZN8OnMK-dsfrQQSvEAShaBMXZEaNr9vj-LmTJko2I0w9EZrRA4jrh6N-BDPAgkRg1Y5c-75CukpFitXcWuh4-1OsCsx0nLfqLH4-2lYZWdBS3H4bsdFf7eRXdEcStSt_Jzv2YlX8s4NyOKAe_i1bBdVw/s4032/IMG_6561.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYl0dzX_nSIPragXEuLKHbYNBwFRVBPcGmyZZN8OnMK-dsfrQQSvEAShaBMXZEaNr9vj-LmTJko2I0w9EZrRA4jrh6N-BDPAgkRg1Y5c-75CukpFitXcWuh4-1OsCsx0nLfqLH4-2lYZWdBS3H4bsdFf7eRXdEcStSt_Jzv2YlX8s4NyOKAe_i1bBdVw/w640-h480/IMG_6561.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixG3vGnUwJ5TuDyF3GY0SpWXA4Y7Jiw6fhdMoFg2DKcqA3lYIU1bWEyWBt9RyQzuhsIk0Z1h3I3hSYwqP6IIb4dgFxXoNkLsoQlHCX0AQDx8HnkTHsDGb9Kx6QSNksYnzJlXfwx1a_L8Z4jot35k6ifyxc5idhSQzsxZgZgBpp2l0l41FpjDUx_mYjiw/s2924/IMG_6483.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2924" data-original-width="2534" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixG3vGnUwJ5TuDyF3GY0SpWXA4Y7Jiw6fhdMoFg2DKcqA3lYIU1bWEyWBt9RyQzuhsIk0Z1h3I3hSYwqP6IIb4dgFxXoNkLsoQlHCX0AQDx8HnkTHsDGb9Kx6QSNksYnzJlXfwx1a_L8Z4jot35k6ifyxc5idhSQzsxZgZgBpp2l0l41FpjDUx_mYjiw/w554-h640/IMG_6483.jpeg" width="554" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The underground pipeline to transport beer</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4qjD2t8_A7ULDLf4b9HuCrEhU3fQM_PTs8jQh_carP2nNyEguBNlxssn8U0udk1oY2dGCLQDKavqX98c0mX08J2A8nCfArBcN2cEPlARlxS-YUs3r4Ia_YGTS2A34jnTFKKynkjuum_oho4OpWyI2fQAybQPqajBIJE79y_irdBn5ZfcTcTd5cYL7YQ/s4032/IMG_6564.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4qjD2t8_A7ULDLf4b9HuCrEhU3fQM_PTs8jQh_carP2nNyEguBNlxssn8U0udk1oY2dGCLQDKavqX98c0mX08J2A8nCfArBcN2cEPlARlxS-YUs3r4Ia_YGTS2A34jnTFKKynkjuum_oho4OpWyI2fQAybQPqajBIJE79y_irdBn5ZfcTcTd5cYL7YQ/w640-h480/IMG_6564.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kathe Wolfhart store</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If you're looking for an adorable little city with an historic main square, carriage rides, outdoor cafes, an old brewery and quaint little shops that is walkable with good transportation options, then I'd say that Bruges is perfect. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRD7VYnKdmgZYc_Lx377goVlPyT4yNW-9Cz0oCqQedu1yv7qwlculk72hWqtmE1Zob-WHuqm7Z_4ScxCgvdL08vUVPAyMuWDJNXQFzwSpvRL92ptcbCwRFucO7tbShdRABPZH24hK6SxJIVjZ5QIlvIBDgdCtcrRcjzJaQjMb6gsNLE4ekD071qafPOw/s3671/IMG_6530.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3671" data-original-width="2734" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRD7VYnKdmgZYc_Lx377goVlPyT4yNW-9Cz0oCqQedu1yv7qwlculk72hWqtmE1Zob-WHuqm7Z_4ScxCgvdL08vUVPAyMuWDJNXQFzwSpvRL92ptcbCwRFucO7tbShdRABPZH24hK6SxJIVjZ5QIlvIBDgdCtcrRcjzJaQjMb6gsNLE4ekD071qafPOw/w476-h640/IMG_6530.jpeg" width="476" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UTHzZcpeYZKBVb6QMdmLjo5du-iIVogwffRRC7TmjbXytoijz0yLLXn3lt-5ybDakpvLY_YVPjWbmvUIay51a4yI0AudbE4xo3u1oqxHA-Y9PPVGqZYFkyVyyhzBuanB9N_A7AyOGHEaK5jRB6Ph-FCY5u4yDqOpWfydmnQ7x1jmfP_D39oc-JOW2w/s4032/IMG_6553.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UTHzZcpeYZKBVb6QMdmLjo5du-iIVogwffRRC7TmjbXytoijz0yLLXn3lt-5ybDakpvLY_YVPjWbmvUIay51a4yI0AudbE4xo3u1oqxHA-Y9PPVGqZYFkyVyyhzBuanB9N_A7AyOGHEaK5jRB6Ph-FCY5u4yDqOpWfydmnQ7x1jmfP_D39oc-JOW2w/w480-h640/IMG_6553.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0re0ToopdibuJcTtsfQLBYkBj0hah9SfWzd2HiyHf2Dh8mWs5MVqheW8C0wM7GZZARzdvKFP-eYF2BmlgsMggdvqkceMvRsaxUw20TXXLZaYn1PAJDYAsxcHqm3kTML4JCr5Q2Lr5DHCp2x6_6V5hEbYZtjCQxGL4O_My1nCFapMg9_zEE-hgJOdDQ/s3105/IMG_6475.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3105" data-original-width="1999" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0re0ToopdibuJcTtsfQLBYkBj0hah9SfWzd2HiyHf2Dh8mWs5MVqheW8C0wM7GZZARzdvKFP-eYF2BmlgsMggdvqkceMvRsaxUw20TXXLZaYn1PAJDYAsxcHqm3kTML4JCr5Q2Lr5DHCp2x6_6V5hEbYZtjCQxGL4O_My1nCFapMg9_zEE-hgJOdDQ/w412-h640/IMG_6475.jpeg" width="412" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I used one of my favorite guides, Rick Steves, to plan our day in Bruges - his website and his guide book for Belgium</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">How about you? Have you been lucky enough to visit Bruges?</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifR9NW-wm4wTxtT82ZIe2g_fF_HIB5k0nFP5al1A_p1uJp-M9cyxdNohTf0hzjBH6FB_0ue8KEphYV3-dtV617Uq5lF4EpcCjPpmIG2SW_7eWqeZjBkT3oTrDKz_1aLzn-eJzrsoJFKRWDeAJ3FcAtA6oNo1tb0mflXWzX0__zU6e_-5KUSkIEgrS4pA/s4032/IMG_6565.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifR9NW-wm4wTxtT82ZIe2g_fF_HIB5k0nFP5al1A_p1uJp-M9cyxdNohTf0hzjBH6FB_0ue8KEphYV3-dtV617Uq5lF4EpcCjPpmIG2SW_7eWqeZjBkT3oTrDKz_1aLzn-eJzrsoJFKRWDeAJ3FcAtA6oNo1tb0mflXWzX0__zU6e_-5KUSkIEgrS4pA/w480-h640/IMG_6565.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh437_gap9htf_ECWqjhtSsvGDCk4rvhyOdHiQuDLCfXSyGxqAv31xjLKL9F8nUHkmWC999n5T_7Rpg6RoxcgUbVTPMHetQFF5bHZrSkRJmwECClijjP47F_TGt-McKY6NwOR8S9EZhnP8_LZCmes23yJgPWaLowxOS2Ra-tvwGD3vbhVuAgqy_egf7fA/s3627/IMG_6559.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3627" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh437_gap9htf_ECWqjhtSsvGDCk4rvhyOdHiQuDLCfXSyGxqAv31xjLKL9F8nUHkmWC999n5T_7Rpg6RoxcgUbVTPMHetQFF5bHZrSkRJmwECClijjP47F_TGt-McKY6NwOR8S9EZhnP8_LZCmes23yJgPWaLowxOS2Ra-tvwGD3vbhVuAgqy_egf7fA/w640-h534/IMG_6559.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8L4KeIj8I6MDe71Pfbq1n6K4VBdMXFmTJJbLqJ3MghBft4EDzm3gr4Oskr5nsqfV_QTntYXdfMqSPj1PgWuFO6JKa_5BW8FIrFLGQ3-LM2Fd5_paDQ80mAj55Wkd0sZy6HT8svxP5yMyVeEXTDnL05NClrZp1UDsyZDp821uQMqdqGdRz5yEJ2lghtA/s200/mcotw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8L4KeIj8I6MDe71Pfbq1n6K4VBdMXFmTJJbLqJ3MghBft4EDzm3gr4Oskr5nsqfV_QTntYXdfMqSPj1PgWuFO6JKa_5BW8FIrFLGQ3-LM2Fd5_paDQ80mAj55Wkd0sZy6HT8svxP5yMyVeEXTDnL05NClrZp1UDsyZDp821uQMqdqGdRz5yEJ2lghtA/w400-h300/mcotw.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-71958763135916457042023-05-04T18:02:00.001-07:002023-05-04T18:07:44.605-07:00Weekend Getaway: Colorado's Western Slope<p> <span style="font-size: large;">One of my favorite areas of Colorado is the Western Slope. This high desert area, including Grand Junction, Palisade, Fruita and the Grand Mesa - is known as the hub of Colorado wine country. We've visited this area several times and continue to choose it as a weekend getaway destination. Last July we spent a weekend here with friends enjoying stops at wineries and a few breweries, visiting Colorado National Monument, driving to the top of Grand Mesa and taking in the beautiful scenery of Western Colorado. Come along for a weekend getaway to the Grand Valley!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho3QvVWHpOexlY7Zj6e5tt6UAOcDLBuuTUh3ojBN-_iKJ_AxRov4l4mpBCwe2nxHQSxASXUmonFMcd8zeaOVt98xbnLMbO7TM-UA8aWE_D8um-cQ2lm_-hpki36cr0tyIGXYUhBURJW5yKp39GVUwo5PKPamcuqd0S_EJJ26-B78APqE7XKT7kzA6ATA/s4032/IMG_4559.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho3QvVWHpOexlY7Zj6e5tt6UAOcDLBuuTUh3ojBN-_iKJ_AxRov4l4mpBCwe2nxHQSxASXUmonFMcd8zeaOVt98xbnLMbO7TM-UA8aWE_D8um-cQ2lm_-hpki36cr0tyIGXYUhBURJW5yKp39GVUwo5PKPamcuqd0S_EJJ26-B78APqE7XKT7kzA6ATA/w640-h480/IMG_4559.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgMrdhPhQhE7D8WnSAFTOmNPAT-rDPRZ6RucALLf_v0AQOFLwXiR_zoZM956oVtDVX0V2LgDmRR2exw7QncEwzKbsuZaaR80nuM1TWhnt2TOGzd4WYXy600uWS3YEWB7f8KkkDil0WGYiEDDhIxSODWrPCvlDnuzllu-5LPK2rTH8pQ9fVwMc1KYQHA/s4032/IMG_4344.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgMrdhPhQhE7D8WnSAFTOmNPAT-rDPRZ6RucALLf_v0AQOFLwXiR_zoZM956oVtDVX0V2LgDmRR2exw7QncEwzKbsuZaaR80nuM1TWhnt2TOGzd4WYXy600uWS3YEWB7f8KkkDil0WGYiEDDhIxSODWrPCvlDnuzllu-5LPK2rTH8pQ9fVwMc1KYQHA/w480-h640/IMG_4344.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZnP6_AjsCwaE0UlJkrlsYbrAx-pxYS94o_eBvGzvAVonEatOGte20qQEarowUHBsLa2-SqEZ0On1CtBFs-bS12mQt5KQaE0J7YVcV93v5PPQ6H9lp_3OLxPmLu1SUNHxFqOWGY2AxPqJ0gklZvY2muF5jngoQWLwJ1gLTjJeGk0xmSg20Dktq3wVfw/s2048/IMG_4540.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="2048" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZnP6_AjsCwaE0UlJkrlsYbrAx-pxYS94o_eBvGzvAVonEatOGte20qQEarowUHBsLa2-SqEZ0On1CtBFs-bS12mQt5KQaE0J7YVcV93v5PPQ6H9lp_3OLxPmLu1SUNHxFqOWGY2AxPqJ0gklZvY2muF5jngoQWLwJ1gLTjJeGk0xmSg20Dktq3wVfw/w640-h292/IMG_4540.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Susan E.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_SIFbDEKEEweaNq4jEV2ZAd25oSF8-Dpqh8hwPrHk8KLxJR-H0B66GqfGpB9LCc6REjcxVj3BEzEuQUBJ-hE-udfQ0RSim6wkGUgaK76fwOIXHgxcuSQdEOgdJaG4JcupCwP3fOk3EYC5cWBvfxC5LJ3E-w0d9fSpyAnxr4LHoRcJzPSo0WTTGbvXw/s4032/IMG_4539.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_SIFbDEKEEweaNq4jEV2ZAd25oSF8-Dpqh8hwPrHk8KLxJR-H0B66GqfGpB9LCc6REjcxVj3BEzEuQUBJ-hE-udfQ0RSim6wkGUgaK76fwOIXHgxcuSQdEOgdJaG4JcupCwP3fOk3EYC5cWBvfxC5LJ3E-w0d9fSpyAnxr4LHoRcJzPSo0WTTGbvXw/w480-h640/IMG_4539.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Colorado National Monument</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Colorado National Monument preserves one of the grand landscapes of the American West. It's a little known national monument located just outside the city of Grand Junction with sheer walled canyons and red rock landscapes.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7uhfXx9NH78JDRtLbeKhwQdU8ihahYSlGt5weP_grWGuEJhhCcwxDIpHI-QqdCthFlwG8Fz5fip2fyQBZVREKwISe9Y_NYLSRuqGsFqLc750OpNHZpNAddUxRvdHYz9av8h0fPTGY3BdV17pyUYNsJh49Eq_kmr8wiTjU-0wA9GdlnUtqELaz9S07g/s4032/IMG_4452.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7uhfXx9NH78JDRtLbeKhwQdU8ihahYSlGt5weP_grWGuEJhhCcwxDIpHI-QqdCthFlwG8Fz5fip2fyQBZVREKwISe9Y_NYLSRuqGsFqLc750OpNHZpNAddUxRvdHYz9av8h0fPTGY3BdV17pyUYNsJh49Eq_kmr8wiTjU-0wA9GdlnUtqELaz9S07g/w640-h480/IMG_4452.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiud6c84bkc-77mAzxrpDz2h3ryXUk_J67PO8VfAGyTNJHkndHYnx8zGPt5yLCKrODDnZ3b80bOp_3OornghEw-VYenAVDuDySiYu33a2fYoW234xg1X7aLhhZ4vZLHCnEcTMqZSt8b-KmFAoezrRLr880L3W9k34BYz-kXj0UmTobFG1EiBXfrRzwM4A/s4032/IMG_4459.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiud6c84bkc-77mAzxrpDz2h3ryXUk_J67PO8VfAGyTNJHkndHYnx8zGPt5yLCKrODDnZ3b80bOp_3OornghEw-VYenAVDuDySiYu33a2fYoW234xg1X7aLhhZ4vZLHCnEcTMqZSt8b-KmFAoezrRLr880L3W9k34BYz-kXj0UmTobFG1EiBXfrRzwM4A/w640-h480/IMG_4459.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> The highlight of the monument is the historic Rim Rock Drive - said to be one of the most spectacular drives in the US. The average driving time is about 45 minutes - but you can add more to that with stops at the Visitor Center, taking a hike or stopping at one of the several overlooks. And if you're really up for a challenge, bicycles are allowed on Rim Rock Drive and share the road with motor vehicles. In fact, Colorado National Monument is part of a stage on the international bike race, The Coors Classic with the stage being known as The Tour of the Moon.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPu-ofGAz9TUXbobu4jfYYetJtT4ErFrIkjsk0kDIJ3oWpIy3E0SN6MWiw6kJmgJXENMDYGpvfziotFZTRyP1VWFuuY0svL_mlI4S23cuJzDeE4KHHQeiz8Lc8oak0CSsUAJsnpWCYlpVRAlJjSNU3O9tn78DECPwBkTlqdQf21JYs2uttVKUeCYuMLw/s3744/IMG_4476.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2808" data-original-width="3744" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPu-ofGAz9TUXbobu4jfYYetJtT4ErFrIkjsk0kDIJ3oWpIy3E0SN6MWiw6kJmgJXENMDYGpvfziotFZTRyP1VWFuuY0svL_mlI4S23cuJzDeE4KHHQeiz8Lc8oak0CSsUAJsnpWCYlpVRAlJjSNU3O9tn78DECPwBkTlqdQf21JYs2uttVKUeCYuMLw/w640-h480/IMG_4476.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEishGHZkhQua1x0YvKyBoKz9zq0PaaXrp-Vn_69vWfpmCkSCkqytYijwjLoJl0Hfp1vJDoa7wX7z9eaHq9zHmBbdwG1KVh7QUVsbdw6m_boDhYTUj8V1_WUAVD0EDscrGArgOrZp_kuYNmOOZsOTKm3Ru5u8YOdIStOmmImR7d4hzikhEUbiDzYk-8R2g/s3517/IMG_4507.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3517" data-original-width="2638" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEishGHZkhQua1x0YvKyBoKz9zq0PaaXrp-Vn_69vWfpmCkSCkqytYijwjLoJl0Hfp1vJDoa7wX7z9eaHq9zHmBbdwG1KVh7QUVsbdw6m_boDhYTUj8V1_WUAVD0EDscrGArgOrZp_kuYNmOOZsOTKm3Ru5u8YOdIStOmmImR7d4hzikhEUbiDzYk-8R2g/w480-h640/IMG_4507.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">It became a monument due to one man's efforts. John Otto first explored the area - before that the canyons were thought to be inaccessible to man - in the early 20th century. He began building trails and word made it to Washington DC about the area. In May 1911, it became a national monument and Otto became the first park ranger with a salary of $1 per month - the equivalent in 2023 of $33. He lived in the canyons in a tent building trails by hand. He was known as an eccentric who was totally dedicated to the Monument with hopes of it becoming a national park. He married an artist who was also eccentric - the ceremony took place at the base of Independence Monument - but unfortunately the marriage only lasted a few weeks with his wife saying she could not live the lifestyle that he had and leaving Colorado never to return.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZPf2hp_ug-j46NXEtF5ZNVfY1yBf3BzD-DXF5kazErHY5pMuTG0SS45AP4F2CzP1UT7hs77QfnDsp9IbH5PiRUGKI98WJQCbJQg9st98S9xiJ5JJUnex6TWznKAcm_-S3Fz3pVMXBVleKC_bQuIgVAz8PtcHHd1T2cskaBZCRYrkdsnVTOF2ubIhSg/s4032/IMG_4489.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZPf2hp_ug-j46NXEtF5ZNVfY1yBf3BzD-DXF5kazErHY5pMuTG0SS45AP4F2CzP1UT7hs77QfnDsp9IbH5PiRUGKI98WJQCbJQg9st98S9xiJ5JJUnex6TWznKAcm_-S3Fz3pVMXBVleKC_bQuIgVAz8PtcHHd1T2cskaBZCRYrkdsnVTOF2ubIhSg/w480-h640/IMG_4489.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTPBxHUpt_pjTRH7IjHnS30QioMUCuheVX1EK74mBFdj5lDVwWL_YPQ5yN06cV8DQ9BmR-fKnBQkzAq9s3g4xuA7hPnBpuosKULywImH-dTKmRADvXr6T3HDPvvw1LQPQkz6JkshQNDy6cAFKs0kMDbWetV4XZxpd_OArKL0HhBNTaihEySteSRIzng/s4032/IMG_4494.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTPBxHUpt_pjTRH7IjHnS30QioMUCuheVX1EK74mBFdj5lDVwWL_YPQ5yN06cV8DQ9BmR-fKnBQkzAq9s3g4xuA7hPnBpuosKULywImH-dTKmRADvXr6T3HDPvvw1LQPQkz6JkshQNDy6cAFKs0kMDbWetV4XZxpd_OArKL0HhBNTaihEySteSRIzng/w480-h640/IMG_4494.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Independence Monument. John Otto and his bride were married at the base</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">On this visit, we started at the Visitor Center where we then picked up a trailhead for a short hike along the rim. We took in the views and spotted a very colorful eastern spotted lizard while on the trail. Then it was time to drive the Rim Rock Drive. We stopped at almost every overlook and a traffic jam of desert bighorn sheep. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhetMgHHVqupqEatiZ-Q_ipF2VMtt-o30lebC2RbmY_q-2HOSZjPVw1JThwhsxNa8hrKtD6LegxLcSuI8QdYdIMY7BsPK1KhRND1vGq3E-0kpQvEukOPKoX54T-_NC094lmEH-MlNAfudNJjaH0b7ebKsXzvyVniMfU5_vNBmYasdZostwZ5NPeQNOI6Q/s4032/IMG_4457.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhetMgHHVqupqEatiZ-Q_ipF2VMtt-o30lebC2RbmY_q-2HOSZjPVw1JThwhsxNa8hrKtD6LegxLcSuI8QdYdIMY7BsPK1KhRND1vGq3E-0kpQvEukOPKoX54T-_NC094lmEH-MlNAfudNJjaH0b7ebKsXzvyVniMfU5_vNBmYasdZostwZ5NPeQNOI6Q/w640-h480/IMG_4457.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKi_2nTsTYqX0kjHwHeweZUs4m59aI7KSh_IlyMWx5iJiQWunZ9vccOGdyVqnBy79UXfrNBzi8_73phqfv-siM5lbjWoGSTo8bndc1DSu8Q1legVVmc2Rai31pXRn2MS8TvjJzO1thxGDk95Oueas1DNYG4hbotZgHtejtMENH5_-x-UXYf5Tu8XtNRw/s4032/IMG_4520.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKi_2nTsTYqX0kjHwHeweZUs4m59aI7KSh_IlyMWx5iJiQWunZ9vccOGdyVqnBy79UXfrNBzi8_73phqfv-siM5lbjWoGSTo8bndc1DSu8Q1legVVmc2Rai31pXRn2MS8TvjJzO1thxGDk95Oueas1DNYG4hbotZgHtejtMENH5_-x-UXYf5Tu8XtNRw/w480-h640/IMG_4520.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bYgVzWGWHqHOW_2ytds2Po_4MfT2QyANZCzu6fpYu3_OMoUg8ubeCrJlKA2CkMnuGXfdyu9twGNCRKoMBaxOmW_s61BTo10A41cxjX_9_wCtDEdTR8mEohA8XxD0UmDP0vFjFgWS8EAblefsowz7oDc1SGBvDJfrni50_wxK0PKLOPQT6cqWfmKFfw/s3024/IMG_4519.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2768" data-original-width="3024" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bYgVzWGWHqHOW_2ytds2Po_4MfT2QyANZCzu6fpYu3_OMoUg8ubeCrJlKA2CkMnuGXfdyu9twGNCRKoMBaxOmW_s61BTo10A41cxjX_9_wCtDEdTR8mEohA8XxD0UmDP0vFjFgWS8EAblefsowz7oDc1SGBvDJfrni50_wxK0PKLOPQT6cqWfmKFfw/w640-h586/IMG_4519.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Lr45rkEJmZs26tvkUtYryFDP4o63siVddA-vpmxX6dMUP1cxxz5GyWmgQWTOAvb9EaaDS4v8oblM3Jt5NFOo3dROeGiNNd4OiirD9KPOwNTtTFGT7X3179xqIkIxCwlDPfyGvemwUIfhrrYd_GZkq1peXlm7FnQlQ59EMAPyhUVHAd-9_rQhN5HLWw/s2998/IMG_4488.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2998" data-original-width="2248" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Lr45rkEJmZs26tvkUtYryFDP4o63siVddA-vpmxX6dMUP1cxxz5GyWmgQWTOAvb9EaaDS4v8oblM3Jt5NFOo3dROeGiNNd4OiirD9KPOwNTtTFGT7X3179xqIkIxCwlDPfyGvemwUIfhrrYd_GZkq1peXlm7FnQlQ59EMAPyhUVHAd-9_rQhN5HLWw/w480-h640/IMG_4488.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Grand Mesa</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Grand Mesa is the largest flat top mountain in the world. It has an area of about 500 square miles and stretches for about 40 miles. It is an outdoor lovers paradise with some 300 alpine lakes so fishing, hiking, hunting and camping abound - and skiing or mountain biking at Powderhorn Resort in their respective seasons. Sitting 11,000 feet above sea level, Grand Mesa National Forest offers breathtaking views. And the wildlife sightings could be awesome - there are moose, mule deer, elk, black bear and marmot living here. Good news for those who don't like extreme heat - the temps at the top of the Mesa are usually 20 degrees cooler than the valley and the highest temperature ever recorded there is 80 degrees.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aIMcmfxo8Vfuq4PJ4F3XPVDCnr0HngIPB34XjH9R8fO35ipaBLE3HdDYmy8cDmjXY-H-6h5yoRai7Iy6tTWn6hvWjsVipBkZ8Ifqy3bnvR9qkq29KDG8s9hjx2GZUfYxvz7Py-cW7_QQGnVun5HH0YMtF09DxS_hy3FNdihRWm3rgWT6znpDsR3_xg/s4032/IMG_4296.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aIMcmfxo8Vfuq4PJ4F3XPVDCnr0HngIPB34XjH9R8fO35ipaBLE3HdDYmy8cDmjXY-H-6h5yoRai7Iy6tTWn6hvWjsVipBkZ8Ifqy3bnvR9qkq29KDG8s9hjx2GZUfYxvz7Py-cW7_QQGnVun5HH0YMtF09DxS_hy3FNdihRWm3rgWT6znpDsR3_xg/w640-h480/IMG_4296.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpk0lJARuiMhknznw_BRfv4-wtFdulyxSn2YYZ7vB1wMx3NeTVAbBtAeZ1P87sVGhQJUzLfkmIkFAmpI4HEztd4YOFr2JKihotwF4GpDBE5bdMd6sRjy6xC_1GWqSItGwgQ2NUoO4yk_UUb-eY_H-A-leOmmx2zUTPlJtRt9O9Qz_bxzJHKJQxk-cjRw/s4032/IMG_4300.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpk0lJARuiMhknznw_BRfv4-wtFdulyxSn2YYZ7vB1wMx3NeTVAbBtAeZ1P87sVGhQJUzLfkmIkFAmpI4HEztd4YOFr2JKihotwF4GpDBE5bdMd6sRjy6xC_1GWqSItGwgQ2NUoO4yk_UUb-eY_H-A-leOmmx2zUTPlJtRt9O9Qz_bxzJHKJQxk-cjRw/w480-h640/IMG_4300.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We started our drive to the top of the Mesa with a visit to Powderhorn and a ride on its ski lift. At the top we took a short walk viewing the wildflowers and taking in the views. As we ascended we saw several of the alpine lakes and stopped at the Grand Mesa National Forest Visitor Center for a break.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoywMqk8xa6rJtjH-jwBnkz6s4DB30XlEWUHwMr7jxXdsLbWYG9RJluf8VZkHXN-_C1TQVdZbD2dfRaNRwI7jr2g0HjMSJcjozwYX9VJMj7cWD0DqhCX7GJQAVsC8-0P99fzuPj_8unOqZRTb_9G2U3Ak-byawnJul1Q2H8BvBUiBOxdOtHXAG4IKdqA/s4032/IMG_4272.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoywMqk8xa6rJtjH-jwBnkz6s4DB30XlEWUHwMr7jxXdsLbWYG9RJluf8VZkHXN-_C1TQVdZbD2dfRaNRwI7jr2g0HjMSJcjozwYX9VJMj7cWD0DqhCX7GJQAVsC8-0P99fzuPj_8unOqZRTb_9G2U3Ak-byawnJul1Q2H8BvBUiBOxdOtHXAG4IKdqA/w640-h480/IMG_4272.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifyb5ztanTv9s68pYsNSSHXjMTNotxazatRc-eDw_AJdYbV9C1hczby59PX-FYrSL_dKF4zLe6NzfMLjxF7KtU0QGC28SPUnkJ4f75UDimI2QyQLEtkWNMr6VAdiCaTAvKboIRDZ9-82Ga4-T6ENZwgJO8yeoH3ScIzztDnirq7R8qhgNPkv7NlVG4aw/s4032/IMG_4258.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifyb5ztanTv9s68pYsNSSHXjMTNotxazatRc-eDw_AJdYbV9C1hczby59PX-FYrSL_dKF4zLe6NzfMLjxF7KtU0QGC28SPUnkJ4f75UDimI2QyQLEtkWNMr6VAdiCaTAvKboIRDZ9-82Ga4-T6ENZwgJO8yeoH3ScIzztDnirq7R8qhgNPkv7NlVG4aw/w480-h640/IMG_4258.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGdOJ6QZP6isAXD7t_uISAY6U5CFFRcZfbmiDF9Ln3TwEI0GzBwaQr7pUcUxSLleY_-CfzlE17Hs-5TqdboZQKvdxTOI5VHBD2nNOTwtgiKYvxpjwEbcx4YCybRzxPLqKp4ZarkLO8THtIJa8tBPO6CFxlkrTT0O97lPHmptUxdj0DjgW9NOsht3DjQ/s4032/IMG_4254.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGdOJ6QZP6isAXD7t_uISAY6U5CFFRcZfbmiDF9Ln3TwEI0GzBwaQr7pUcUxSLleY_-CfzlE17Hs-5TqdboZQKvdxTOI5VHBD2nNOTwtgiKYvxpjwEbcx4YCybRzxPLqKp4ZarkLO8THtIJa8tBPO6CFxlkrTT0O97lPHmptUxdj0DjgW9NOsht3DjQ/w640-h480/IMG_4254.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18UJQfpId1ZQ1skyFzIv00-O8RmMg8imeC4hFQxc6ASj3lxXCI-PbrDvHSBEyBPgyHuN52A0_AuyCtz4Q9sT8HZFq7MYfb7gDMaTHOMx6ZKyXQ1X3X6EKShccFOJuA-vSkPKmWOjfyZfrN2QKuYmv-3BMyUnHWjWCm5R4notxzwXAbo6meXLd5HzoRg/s4032/IMG_4257.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18UJQfpId1ZQ1skyFzIv00-O8RmMg8imeC4hFQxc6ASj3lxXCI-PbrDvHSBEyBPgyHuN52A0_AuyCtz4Q9sT8HZFq7MYfb7gDMaTHOMx6ZKyXQ1X3X6EKShccFOJuA-vSkPKmWOjfyZfrN2QKuYmv-3BMyUnHWjWCm5R4notxzwXAbo6meXLd5HzoRg/w480-h640/IMG_4257.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8MgFEYZiIjBMfdP7kaF0QsrD5yb3IXlL6pgVGBSf85iC89rG4NaaTZxoX36_zYO1TMnNQ02nwvUk0pcj5jM92M38oa-E0OMOg1r8FdWao2mtpJLhyTw5cbyyeHk8uYtecgiuNVMDzdDNU5PDy6tlHYMkxLe_Cei9GXB0DKVmuYClCnAd0V8THTgPDg/s4032/IMG_4276.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8MgFEYZiIjBMfdP7kaF0QsrD5yb3IXlL6pgVGBSf85iC89rG4NaaTZxoX36_zYO1TMnNQ02nwvUk0pcj5jM92M38oa-E0OMOg1r8FdWao2mtpJLhyTw5cbyyeHk8uYtecgiuNVMDzdDNU5PDy6tlHYMkxLe_Cei9GXB0DKVmuYClCnAd0V8THTgPDg/w640-h480/IMG_4276.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> They pointed us in the direction of the Lands End Observatory - a stone observatory (later a visitor center) built in 1936 sitting on the rim of the Mesa at 10,500 feet. Not only does it have incredible views but the history of the building itself is quite interesting. Built by 200 veterans who were part of the Civilian Conservation Corps, they were paid a dollar per day to build the observatory and the 10 mile half paved/half gravel road while living in tents 10 miles below the rim. All completed without any injuries - pretty amazing! And if you like wildflowers, this is the road for you. You can't help but stop to take photos - lots of them!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTybfeyZlBoQs2-6Bbz5tL8dKSgV4tlUX2knvjOoODbor3UJFR0FrqRHqqfVO2XJZIM2aZzkPJxrB0u7-7alTzy0UKgDAWmqI0d0rhh91DZZkCBxsIn85T5vNDUukD24RVKFefGEy5sAGpDDIdvONh2CptPXvkskQLer5IeqsPJKngaxw8HgT2RYXtpA/s4032/IMG_4310.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTybfeyZlBoQs2-6Bbz5tL8dKSgV4tlUX2knvjOoODbor3UJFR0FrqRHqqfVO2XJZIM2aZzkPJxrB0u7-7alTzy0UKgDAWmqI0d0rhh91DZZkCBxsIn85T5vNDUukD24RVKFefGEy5sAGpDDIdvONh2CptPXvkskQLer5IeqsPJKngaxw8HgT2RYXtpA/w480-h640/IMG_4310.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjEnq0iD1WpFObfUES8E9xpnkmQNZGqJAu0DsiTVx7n-OhRN0SfZSRXJIaWq1zWEm2ePlVXVrSCLFXs588Emxudd9WDY8eRRddxV3Su_Fg7yHYG0xfH2TLVORet53MbLsWENQBKcKjBWHgdAhABOV50rMakczCAx9hjkEIXyeLOzVoVO3G3GmVZe28yg/s4032/IMG_4313.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjEnq0iD1WpFObfUES8E9xpnkmQNZGqJAu0DsiTVx7n-OhRN0SfZSRXJIaWq1zWEm2ePlVXVrSCLFXs588Emxudd9WDY8eRRddxV3Su_Fg7yHYG0xfH2TLVORet53MbLsWENQBKcKjBWHgdAhABOV50rMakczCAx9hjkEIXyeLOzVoVO3G3GmVZe28yg/w640-h480/IMG_4313.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXflwQd1PtHpEdhIJaWAETtlL-9-p4ZUZzBdfh9QQMA-nFglZ5cdH4UQj1ISWrOBfFXvpZv2LoAejLDqj3Wo0RE-jFDsWDOVnpiEqC20RxzsLT2wPFyDDfRUu1jXZhWCYPgn_PSIiQL2M7nftpi_rhg0L8IHnnKHLLLY54Wxdr8eQfwyQ2BP4o09TZA/s4032/IMG_4324.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXflwQd1PtHpEdhIJaWAETtlL-9-p4ZUZzBdfh9QQMA-nFglZ5cdH4UQj1ISWrOBfFXvpZv2LoAejLDqj3Wo0RE-jFDsWDOVnpiEqC20RxzsLT2wPFyDDfRUu1jXZhWCYPgn_PSIiQL2M7nftpi_rhg0L8IHnnKHLLLY54Wxdr8eQfwyQ2BP4o09TZA/w480-h640/IMG_4324.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8ZUaeKrkJGGuiBgpJcgL1LTggd51IPLCCI1Bs1DGg0m1YRn-n3eFkzajhzDxTOnmjqqVcRhNeLajK593StH9GZ16zJL0FDKo3Sop8t5ncexDjSzz0fUT6wprpPgq4rxYXyYJLTUbPpcNc0XAgRDeNxvRrlm5f48nFuA-rhvpAap4WOm9s_B0EAPvxA/s3088/IMG_4331.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8ZUaeKrkJGGuiBgpJcgL1LTggd51IPLCCI1Bs1DGg0m1YRn-n3eFkzajhzDxTOnmjqqVcRhNeLajK593StH9GZ16zJL0FDKo3Sop8t5ncexDjSzz0fUT6wprpPgq4rxYXyYJLTUbPpcNc0XAgRDeNxvRrlm5f48nFuA-rhvpAap4WOm9s_B0EAPvxA/w640-h480/IMG_4331.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLH9mFcY0RMDm0lUbyUV2_4lite4i-p0INTF2o58Ukt-rzskkhUhXqtotgRduaa9WcE31vxBMo77W6vans3cmONQ0I1SfI0PtpQlz7WkUAOC3LDZ11ivkQn91OuJHRdg-f6A0v_8aSrV9-pSAUiMXrfVDJ3gsWL-v3FS0MobH3y6LSbUxq9kb9Qqj4A/s4032/IMG_4349.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLH9mFcY0RMDm0lUbyUV2_4lite4i-p0INTF2o58Ukt-rzskkhUhXqtotgRduaa9WcE31vxBMo77W6vans3cmONQ0I1SfI0PtpQlz7WkUAOC3LDZ11ivkQn91OuJHRdg-f6A0v_8aSrV9-pSAUiMXrfVDJ3gsWL-v3FS0MobH3y6LSbUxq9kb9Qqj4A/w640-h480/IMG_4349.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkcNKPK8H8RtmlPnDAisQf26bDHJYSH5vUAy2XsuGPRKMBgxtjaAszzJXN_9TJMsPWsBcS1FBRbsFJYzPHnm5m43JqAyuYytkNJcNvgrUJYdQWaSJsdf1o7ge2illtq-jkE0OQOFiPQ1eKAufDT8En5odATE_8rB0ZgMABSyKplloRpuA1NoYNpUpZmg/s4032/IMG_4354.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkcNKPK8H8RtmlPnDAisQf26bDHJYSH5vUAy2XsuGPRKMBgxtjaAszzJXN_9TJMsPWsBcS1FBRbsFJYzPHnm5m43JqAyuYytkNJcNvgrUJYdQWaSJsdf1o7ge2illtq-jkE0OQOFiPQ1eKAufDT8En5odATE_8rB0ZgMABSyKplloRpuA1NoYNpUpZmg/w480-h640/IMG_4354.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This was my first time to the Grand Mesa and I thought it was absolutely stunning. The scenic byway, the views and I really enjoyed the ski lift at Powderhorn. I just may have to go back someday.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPmJPb4aFG1aygmKqaK4Ji3K43BORS_TNLYj0-MPGwXsTVGdcHjlGZk5vRM0LVj-l8iAnTykdp0PPO32sVfAuGNADvXiyxnVr6waAtLbBbhbmAiTPSObptritHmEJW5vQyLyy_PlhzOpXXJGVwUsDmMPgk-mark4JSwcKp9t421ZBecLNfQzom9GkfA/s4032/IMG_4261.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPmJPb4aFG1aygmKqaK4Ji3K43BORS_TNLYj0-MPGwXsTVGdcHjlGZk5vRM0LVj-l8iAnTykdp0PPO32sVfAuGNADvXiyxnVr6waAtLbBbhbmAiTPSObptritHmEJW5vQyLyy_PlhzOpXXJGVwUsDmMPgk-mark4JSwcKp9t421ZBecLNfQzom9GkfA/w480-h640/IMG_4261.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkFzTy6-pu1GWB3wSOzWf_ASEhL8lwjiVtN3NivnFcutffvPZIRcjf7X8dNv_nbgB_RZDYyqHfiZamtkVpCn3yZhPt7qvZ3PXd3p8dFbEZxxYdn4n9R8YlzTwQGDw82cVv1ro_gqOprBlSyaL8sYTTXtj-Q-sIm4RoYb5ShiKDH5O_HIMVZUybSQiHg/s4011/IMG_4278.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2740" data-original-width="4011" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkFzTy6-pu1GWB3wSOzWf_ASEhL8lwjiVtN3NivnFcutffvPZIRcjf7X8dNv_nbgB_RZDYyqHfiZamtkVpCn3yZhPt7qvZ3PXd3p8dFbEZxxYdn4n9R8YlzTwQGDw82cVv1ro_gqOprBlSyaL8sYTTXtj-Q-sIm4RoYb5ShiKDH5O_HIMVZUybSQiHg/w640-h438/IMG_4278.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbGHfgyuZlkWJlckEaTLN0B4K59l6gVpKZ5ZqxDU3wXOJyCDjx_vMo8dkcX1Dgzc9DkumTxOwZneHyIcBu9YSNiFlGs_HiD7a5JMNaYzAlw0l6QMoYVIUlH6CpjmcG-_Ubki6p6JZqT_4dv66QCWHVUKK0ulzhvPclcMXGG1E9y7_4Fpws8nMifW1E9A/s4032/IMG_4260.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbGHfgyuZlkWJlckEaTLN0B4K59l6gVpKZ5ZqxDU3wXOJyCDjx_vMo8dkcX1Dgzc9DkumTxOwZneHyIcBu9YSNiFlGs_HiD7a5JMNaYzAlw0l6QMoYVIUlH6CpjmcG-_Ubki6p6JZqT_4dv66QCWHVUKK0ulzhvPclcMXGG1E9y7_4Fpws8nMifW1E9A/w480-h640/IMG_4260.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Western Slope Wineries</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Western Slope - particularly the town of Palisade - is known as the Wine Country of Colorado. There are some 30 wineries in this area with most having tasting rooms. We hit a few while we were there - Colorado Cellars, Plum Creek Winery, Carboy Winery (which has three other Colorado locations), Two Rivers Winery & Chateau and Carlson Vineyards - and I love how different they all were. Plus, anyone who knows me, knows I love a good winery. Grapes don't grow in ugly places! If you're in the Western Slope area and love, or even like, a wine tasting with beautiful scenery, get yourself to Palisade - you won't be sorry.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf9Hh-tdlEmhM3sp2jQwZT66uX5fj41xJ3sLtGixuxzZ2alyFes4Akwwrjac90mGa6zrX4oC9zP42LLMJi6dhufAkN9UITkUAM7NdSsARAayX8ymvn572p8YETSmqbVAs7Y_Dyp6B9hslE3_axspAyfAuuPaTHxMRb13p4a_Bu73ShkCOshXgzqgUbXw/s4025/IMG_4651.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4025" data-original-width="2870" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf9Hh-tdlEmhM3sp2jQwZT66uX5fj41xJ3sLtGixuxzZ2alyFes4Akwwrjac90mGa6zrX4oC9zP42LLMJi6dhufAkN9UITkUAM7NdSsARAayX8ymvn572p8YETSmqbVAs7Y_Dyp6B9hslE3_axspAyfAuuPaTHxMRb13p4a_Bu73ShkCOshXgzqgUbXw/w456-h640/IMG_4651.jpeg" width="456" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Hhn2Aek4Ln5u1SE2vN6Wmg-kygxbzUQXXQ3q2ZXin01Ej_hcZY5-vhdPdeJhIxunbB3IdvsSaQMC8MurNpy9GWDVe7MZoDsbnjoN64nzTpWHDR_GTFrq1XE8AapSQTr396DgylG30NdVkbz6tp0yb3vl2e9d8GDWnTSxptOIOfWwdyNOehpdaV7PKw/s4032/IMG_4562.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Hhn2Aek4Ln5u1SE2vN6Wmg-kygxbzUQXXQ3q2ZXin01Ej_hcZY5-vhdPdeJhIxunbB3IdvsSaQMC8MurNpy9GWDVe7MZoDsbnjoN64nzTpWHDR_GTFrq1XE8AapSQTr396DgylG30NdVkbz6tp0yb3vl2e9d8GDWnTSxptOIOfWwdyNOehpdaV7PKw/w480-h640/IMG_4562.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winery cat at Carlson Vineyards</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOAnmEQt9fJp6a_ivqRThRGINXUKn7k5I0NGclhKlCnxCI_WumSVVM-reLsH-66Bftx5Zs2FiFhla8_tvseu0LMUpFChqSU8o1jbWoOPj-Fu3A1kA7wz0ow0o31dj2Sp3LgEFhA56pbcoQXPAX4-IdxlrYFBzfL9Kw-GOwER42_bu-fb7MsfN_K4DGA/s4032/IMG_4630.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOAnmEQt9fJp6a_ivqRThRGINXUKn7k5I0NGclhKlCnxCI_WumSVVM-reLsH-66Bftx5Zs2FiFhla8_tvseu0LMUpFChqSU8o1jbWoOPj-Fu3A1kA7wz0ow0o31dj2Sp3LgEFhA56pbcoQXPAX4-IdxlrYFBzfL9Kw-GOwER42_bu-fb7MsfN_K4DGA/w640-h480/IMG_4630.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plum Creek Winery</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbRrdJ4MGD25BE8V-YfroBtben5P41hI4dsDBBYgjrboG9P6onE2krq-We9CFxrHbEgldgmEgp1dAkf73ndMK0-MfWmp5OdCrJ5_VwsW2HwuMYJ-k3bGmI3GWcJCjfQdRpQaZ1EIkxONemjtA6zrzipCX3CGsmhMYNY9ax0tvwW3OCiP_XphnyYvLmA/s4032/IMG_4555.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbRrdJ4MGD25BE8V-YfroBtben5P41hI4dsDBBYgjrboG9P6onE2krq-We9CFxrHbEgldgmEgp1dAkf73ndMK0-MfWmp5OdCrJ5_VwsW2HwuMYJ-k3bGmI3GWcJCjfQdRpQaZ1EIkxONemjtA6zrzipCX3CGsmhMYNY9ax0tvwW3OCiP_XphnyYvLmA/w640-h480/IMG_4555.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colorado Cellars</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLvyoljHL26gg2-zDTrO7JB9Dj0POG4kmLBBiSiIS99s1JIaW3ejAdTHCNH5OP7jkzmPFhzAh8B7LfdHJFj4vd67jrDTtEMhw8WAb9dlC3mIgtxyGAwl3v7FCFndwmoF8dX1p6ipT6U8duNFdsU0lv7DU2SmyRRus3q9z9Jw1UjoH6uwscfy0CLNpl-Q/s4032/IMG_4560.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLvyoljHL26gg2-zDTrO7JB9Dj0POG4kmLBBiSiIS99s1JIaW3ejAdTHCNH5OP7jkzmPFhzAh8B7LfdHJFj4vd67jrDTtEMhw8WAb9dlC3mIgtxyGAwl3v7FCFndwmoF8dX1p6ipT6U8duNFdsU0lv7DU2SmyRRus3q9z9Jw1UjoH6uwscfy0CLNpl-Q/w480-h640/IMG_4560.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the Book Cliffs from Carlson</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwElX9Gwq-__qS-Hs-7-XhbsdafQNj4fWZJKKlqe2P1QYnp6tdgffZlfWs14Vvc8JLJFf-BCYF3o4bmCkIhcwNeL5F7bpuA4eEaB_PYNOgToBYHf-BH2I3EeFFo9ZYCwm-kQV6BjnldEKF3zLhSKeifulbhXmbFBXfCoPP6Qel6N9A1BZp3z-gCR45xw/s3001/IMG_4617.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2251" data-original-width="3001" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwElX9Gwq-__qS-Hs-7-XhbsdafQNj4fWZJKKlqe2P1QYnp6tdgffZlfWs14Vvc8JLJFf-BCYF3o4bmCkIhcwNeL5F7bpuA4eEaB_PYNOgToBYHf-BH2I3EeFFo9ZYCwm-kQV6BjnldEKF3zLhSKeifulbhXmbFBXfCoPP6Qel6N9A1BZp3z-gCR45xw/w640-h480/IMG_4617.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two Rivers Winery and Chateau</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Where We Ate</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Since our Air BnB had a full kitchen, we ate a few meals - mainly breakfast - there. We managed to grab a sandwich in downtown Grand Junction at its original brewpub - The Rockslide Brew Pub - after our hike and visit to the Monument. Dinner one night was at the very busy Goat and Clover Tavern - Grand Junction's Irish Pub - after drinks at the Devil's Kitchen, one of the most popular restaurants in the city. So popular we couldn't get reservations.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1EiGcHaWj6CygpzfC_Tx-jUKfWu8vO7hUu0IBcl4vKm2UYWHUqgmdFwGnysG288Emi99lnTkd00oHsOP4aIKUhcarX7kY-CcJyb9HQ8YqoDPV0-Fx9aefzEn53RayzvbiV9ZZXLJUKj1EO5eKFtO11J8Fywf4VbPi25IOtcTY8dYu3fgebgsdEEh-1A/s4032/IMG_4545.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1EiGcHaWj6CygpzfC_Tx-jUKfWu8vO7hUu0IBcl4vKm2UYWHUqgmdFwGnysG288Emi99lnTkd00oHsOP4aIKUhcarX7kY-CcJyb9HQ8YqoDPV0-Fx9aefzEn53RayzvbiV9ZZXLJUKj1EO5eKFtO11J8Fywf4VbPi25IOtcTY8dYu3fgebgsdEEh-1A/w480-h640/IMG_4545.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statues in downtown Grand Junction</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4VQciDU_d5YSjYV-Brgf5pSa4ROVEcjxIh2I63qreG-tlUhOHEUItYgRvr2E3UfOcBqu9VuQ0ha0aFe2HAT2Rp3xGzwe2NsaUTjMNZyE9XxIKRnhd7qsKYkjc_HuyTkaehV-S3Gb8yrdzyFq7LW2oPavvGTBYnSQZZWO-MPTcROBo8ZY9hRt2Nr_CQ/s3990/IMG_4659.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3990" data-original-width="2278" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4VQciDU_d5YSjYV-Brgf5pSa4ROVEcjxIh2I63qreG-tlUhOHEUItYgRvr2E3UfOcBqu9VuQ0ha0aFe2HAT2Rp3xGzwe2NsaUTjMNZyE9XxIKRnhd7qsKYkjc_HuyTkaehV-S3Gb8yrdzyFq7LW2oPavvGTBYnSQZZWO-MPTcROBo8ZY9hRt2Nr_CQ/w366-h640/IMG_4659.jpeg" width="366" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">One morning we went to the Palisade Farmers Market for a walk around - as one does - and we ate brunch at the adorable 13 Brix Cider Bistro. Inside was full so we enjoyed brunch on the patio- just be aware that they are a brunch/lunch hours place closing at 2pm on Sundays.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUaFZxt5fRYWQd77YIEH-EupaPl-NEImWFRTFZGmebZcW6i_AAZdeSVLsdLAaGeh0xCeYaQw_egUg_yGB3op0EVCF9Q0KQGkRN8E25pK-gftXT6orjbETjMoVTZDc_IwfWJw2qTFrzl0WMScG0vbto9oj4I4seNkt4tegW6VUr9NIrSC5PfcYzlsz0g/s4032/IMG_4628.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUaFZxt5fRYWQd77YIEH-EupaPl-NEImWFRTFZGmebZcW6i_AAZdeSVLsdLAaGeh0xCeYaQw_egUg_yGB3op0EVCF9Q0KQGkRN8E25pK-gftXT6orjbETjMoVTZDc_IwfWJw2qTFrzl0WMScG0vbto9oj4I4seNkt4tegW6VUr9NIrSC5PfcYzlsz0g/w640-h480/IMG_4628.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJCHplL-Wozo_IEHlUtmKgPiO44Tm95id6z2jQQetggKdtEwTdT44iQwvw9s05ezTQ1Wf-VKViuhL-P7629frZwfuzKj0S60X7oJlqGivl4ZGGFyXbvqgEbOaUfCuJb84NCTNxkCXT9L0o7C-W9qySOy_2X-z-o7ZsdgpmH7BgAQ8T2IaB2oynYudow/s4032/IMG_4629.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJCHplL-Wozo_IEHlUtmKgPiO44Tm95id6z2jQQetggKdtEwTdT44iQwvw9s05ezTQ1Wf-VKViuhL-P7629frZwfuzKj0S60X7oJlqGivl4ZGGFyXbvqgEbOaUfCuJb84NCTNxkCXT9L0o7C-W9qySOy_2X-z-o7ZsdgpmH7BgAQ8T2IaB2oynYudow/w640-h480/IMG_4629.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">And last but not least, we had to stop at Palisade Pies, a family owned pie shop that uses fruit from their own orchard in their pies. We each got a small pie - mine was peach because well, when you're in Palisade you gotta have the famous Palisade Peaches, don't you? </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6fRYwewoQ33cw-0H1zuOUvzEHy8ssfAg9uJ_NZ7uSOvmzs1ISG25zpg9o5-wiQYcHPjDBmycsLjCiGLIJhwSv_Xzy5DgYydt06bv7zrGNu4BQ2UIj0gYIpt7WVSmM7VjdZEvgjse2KmgODgg2lYbWFURGvTqL9RR-9Xn18CHkqm6YlZCoZMkxpnW2A/s1440/FE73C26A-9362-4C37-A08A-6C062A1890E7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6fRYwewoQ33cw-0H1zuOUvzEHy8ssfAg9uJ_NZ7uSOvmzs1ISG25zpg9o5-wiQYcHPjDBmycsLjCiGLIJhwSv_Xzy5DgYydt06bv7zrGNu4BQ2UIj0gYIpt7WVSmM7VjdZEvgjse2KmgODgg2lYbWFURGvTqL9RR-9Xn18CHkqm6YlZCoZMkxpnW2A/w640-h640/FE73C26A-9362-4C37-A08A-6C062A1890E7.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Where We Stayed</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We rented an Air BnB cottage in the city of Grand Junction which had fantastic views of Colorado National Monument right from the yard. Having two bedrooms, one bathroom and a living room/kitchen combo, this newly built cottage was perfect for four people. There was two outside space areas - where we enjoyed the evenings and our breakfast in the morning - which afforded us sunset views of the monument. Plus it was quiet and private - it was built in the backyard of the owners ranch home. I'd definitely stay here again.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhrYe66RTWvub6EiLTSxtvPPBzGACyic2vFFqPTYp6_7owZ2uM6fBEsYcS6-HtCfF8rNQLlYEnxqvPJaXQyZzq0o4AVnfLmaRjOwm80OboZs8aTR3dYJqZAsFkxwiEHsaMQTtRgmGo1vF-CsNxkz8vMo16BxISu0EHIw7TL7Ra-uvqajfHDx9yKg-rdw/s4032/IMG_4375.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhrYe66RTWvub6EiLTSxtvPPBzGACyic2vFFqPTYp6_7owZ2uM6fBEsYcS6-HtCfF8rNQLlYEnxqvPJaXQyZzq0o4AVnfLmaRjOwm80OboZs8aTR3dYJqZAsFkxwiEHsaMQTtRgmGo1vF-CsNxkz8vMo16BxISu0EHIw7TL7Ra-uvqajfHDx9yKg-rdw/w640-h480/IMG_4375.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD581t_bYejawYpMFu99J3g6LjMptEJgh0OYCH8618-EvDE5ILzvji7nHoioBKMJE55i437M0xdeobwNBgc0Lnqfd4CF9BRnY0Jl44Ca3LXGhIVpSs9KUEQOKanhJ-NlbniMpo6d01u3mwA0Z4CUnXtJfs-Tz0ie8nxKB46Ff2GO9jyAiS1F8boAqrNg/s4032/IMG_4385.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD581t_bYejawYpMFu99J3g6LjMptEJgh0OYCH8618-EvDE5ILzvji7nHoioBKMJE55i437M0xdeobwNBgc0Lnqfd4CF9BRnY0Jl44Ca3LXGhIVpSs9KUEQOKanhJ-NlbniMpo6d01u3mwA0Z4CUnXtJfs-Tz0ie8nxKB46Ff2GO9jyAiS1F8boAqrNg/w640-h480/IMG_4385.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjw9aDypwOu5PCB6eHqxnLG6zpuhkRpih1IbwRx5qxywQcX3lAlmhYW8ELDBs2VpKXxamtITlqJvYSPCL8S0hLe0Md9djcBgbvr2rNRkiv2PzMnPcI425RtKM0j84YlYWs71bbbU576ib-jS-XRcx_FGN1Y0fPfn_JbSLYd9N8xYnM3NNos-FOLv_bLA/s4032/IMG_4388.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjw9aDypwOu5PCB6eHqxnLG6zpuhkRpih1IbwRx5qxywQcX3lAlmhYW8ELDBs2VpKXxamtITlqJvYSPCL8S0hLe0Md9djcBgbvr2rNRkiv2PzMnPcI425RtKM0j84YlYWs71bbbU576ib-jS-XRcx_FGN1Y0fPfn_JbSLYd9N8xYnM3NNos-FOLv_bLA/w640-h480/IMG_4388.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHG4Zd6dyZ9j-eIXCRF1JeVOxROuSajYOBfCXKuYIQZH0RmgWRVN4RXsnXs1FYvyAl194igvcR6-2klg_GYFkEFuYZU0FELWBAREiRciecH0lB_fTnAp_n9sy5D7tACCghrDwkC6gIkaKpPsH_xj32Eah_IEHkRC9PRkCF1Y3l66EzwoBI1CivvEX4Q/s4032/IMG_4384.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHG4Zd6dyZ9j-eIXCRF1JeVOxROuSajYOBfCXKuYIQZH0RmgWRVN4RXsnXs1FYvyAl194igvcR6-2klg_GYFkEFuYZU0FELWBAREiRciecH0lB_fTnAp_n9sy5D7tACCghrDwkC6gIkaKpPsH_xj32Eah_IEHkRC9PRkCF1Y3l66EzwoBI1CivvEX4Q/w640-h480/IMG_4384.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br />How about you? Have you ever been to the Western Slope of Colorado?</span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMMhnXt74O3SPNAh8pqq7qijtB5aN37PVvGRSyXxLBlIldlJds6K4UrA0PqBB3AnZr2qnAvqUc1r8tpU0X66aX3jeSN2--ol-QDwoYqDCgtlFI6NBdx90Mbm6JzS7CBiUys5dmETNZZX1UynW9ose_YXV1b-N6Dub7W8ADfi7IfqNrQaAjERRSsqpsA/s200/mcotw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMMhnXt74O3SPNAh8pqq7qijtB5aN37PVvGRSyXxLBlIldlJds6K4UrA0PqBB3AnZr2qnAvqUc1r8tpU0X66aX3jeSN2--ol-QDwoYqDCgtlFI6NBdx90Mbm6JzS7CBiUys5dmETNZZX1UynW9ose_YXV1b-N6Dub7W8ADfi7IfqNrQaAjERRSsqpsA/w400-h300/mcotw.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-76645612861606287912023-04-12T12:40:00.007-07:002023-04-14T08:20:41.084-07:00Cruising Norway's Fjords on Holland America's Brand New Rotterdam<p> <span style="font-size: large;">Way back in 2019, a group of eight friends booked a Holland America cruise to Norway. Originally scheduled to sail out of Amsterdam in 2020, we booked this cruise specifically for it's itinerary of four ports and two fjords. We booked through a travel agent that gave us many benefits including dining at specialty restaurants, the drinks package and a credit onboard. Of course, everyone knows that the Covid virus put the kabosh on travel for so many and specifically for us, on that cruise. Each year our travel agent contacted us and we kept carrying the reservation over from year to year. Finally, in September of 2022, six of us (one couple dropped out due to concerns about the virus and cruising) set sail on the newly christened Rotterdam from, ironically, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. I think it's safe to say that the wait was worth it and I was totally thrilled that we actually were able to go. We were almost giddy at the sail away! The following is a general synopsis of our week on the North Sea on the one year old Rotterdam:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-M4-sRe_sot0XMBlDRTGeUptOvD1kx9b3JodbX87jAIS1zSzCCgu_q9UlT9C8phZiKE2BNCJjGNXspq8XXack7o0dUvRXWvD5foNLiPxDtzOOSTDw5cAnVtw8YlDA53XpyBvVssdom6Z-KBVWrl0R-hg584y892B4taFiU6S9GdNUQ7dyRSfov6xlqA/s4032/IMG_7197.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-M4-sRe_sot0XMBlDRTGeUptOvD1kx9b3JodbX87jAIS1zSzCCgu_q9UlT9C8phZiKE2BNCJjGNXspq8XXack7o0dUvRXWvD5foNLiPxDtzOOSTDw5cAnVtw8YlDA53XpyBvVssdom6Z-KBVWrl0R-hg584y892B4taFiU6S9GdNUQ7dyRSfov6xlqA/w640-h480/IMG_7197.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkNpLsXvYAjnvGZN1HPtts4fg2rgeP93qH7pm_Yi5JALKLoaBq3_zlrN7OnVs9qlP3LbZ37gc9QhQ-wVN7dblcu-u3Ypv-R62ZgQeh3UpAVhANaef9iOUEIS7a4f45sm3Nm_5cHgS8UegDwcCTuugV9UM0MqkJIO0hWdXs9fjr9QfS8-tG_iHbRK3sKA/s4032/IMG_7268.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkNpLsXvYAjnvGZN1HPtts4fg2rgeP93qH7pm_Yi5JALKLoaBq3_zlrN7OnVs9qlP3LbZ37gc9QhQ-wVN7dblcu-u3Ypv-R62ZgQeh3UpAVhANaef9iOUEIS7a4f45sm3Nm_5cHgS8UegDwcCTuugV9UM0MqkJIO0hWdXs9fjr9QfS8-tG_iHbRK3sKA/w480-h640/IMG_7268.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofupinMVkaON4-GcoN1umsw0B9nFQ5KkRyq_7FpyrUWrcwqKe01pqMb5dmCtsCuZ2Wh4kfmwuFUudNUPdkgumzdXNuD3Z4D5Zh64TCsUuQoEciLp3Mlmj101a2Q1jt4cvJzYauPTakSXuCQt0ekxvBiEh87TdcQfP-aOPcUlSlb2SOouZzT9mjN7ckQ/s3088/IMG_7116.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofupinMVkaON4-GcoN1umsw0B9nFQ5KkRyq_7FpyrUWrcwqKe01pqMb5dmCtsCuZ2Wh4kfmwuFUudNUPdkgumzdXNuD3Z4D5Zh64TCsUuQoEciLp3Mlmj101a2Q1jt4cvJzYauPTakSXuCQt0ekxvBiEh87TdcQfP-aOPcUlSlb2SOouZzT9mjN7ckQ/w640-h480/IMG_7116.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtnqY6Vf4kc97IGQTye24BvpLZLDPfTGiMJC5Po7IHbIH_1RKN-sYJC8fKmKIAIAuJXzaZUnq9YXi9_gtW_gCBcC-7FQLwAI2X_mTiR_TEWJ167gKb0EAjTs8JqPYy8AT1McxTILxRVpX-UrygA-aoSJCL7h6IGwmds2xaWOHfg7UVH4oUN0XRNzGDw/s4032/IMG_7104.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtnqY6Vf4kc97IGQTye24BvpLZLDPfTGiMJC5Po7IHbIH_1RKN-sYJC8fKmKIAIAuJXzaZUnq9YXi9_gtW_gCBcC-7FQLwAI2X_mTiR_TEWJ167gKb0EAjTs8JqPYy8AT1McxTILxRVpX-UrygA-aoSJCL7h6IGwmds2xaWOHfg7UVH4oUN0XRNzGDw/w480-h640/IMG_7104.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmL3XAapMwrt8fO1xo69s3bFfXojQ9KgMh_odfu_EFNqB-OGxvvroWAWgDV8cF4PY_p0IQpysWwXa4KYYw9tVvEi6SKo9CNaA1Q4c0f2Xt-qLk5c-4lZt_WorDny_uFOgsTcgkwGh6MsrTo6qEPjCDYFb6ve_YOt223NBQ00_oc6B9wOOJWYXTtKhv-w/s3088/IMG_7200.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmL3XAapMwrt8fO1xo69s3bFfXojQ9KgMh_odfu_EFNqB-OGxvvroWAWgDV8cF4PY_p0IQpysWwXa4KYYw9tVvEi6SKo9CNaA1Q4c0f2Xt-qLk5c-4lZt_WorDny_uFOgsTcgkwGh6MsrTo6qEPjCDYFb6ve_YOt223NBQ00_oc6B9wOOJWYXTtKhv-w/w640-h480/IMG_7200.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Holland America's Rotterdam</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Christened in 2021, the Rotterdam is Holland America's newest ship. Equipped with a climbing wall, surf pool, miniature golf course, a pool and 3 hot tubs under an atrium roof and an outdoor pool with two hot tubs (the adult pool), there were plenty of things to do during the day while the ship was sailing. And, though, there weren't many kids or teens on the ship the week we were there, there would be plenty to keep them busy on the Rotterdam.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOf9vLpwrV5gGLBl39sW0Ubc00FA97NVGTR7xIinwHnZAkQvXgcKaHTvGZAmlGLG6XT3KF7x-kT6sWKo2uD12nZqeRidp9tbc0FXNMZBocV_Xbs7UPzs18rAyXvhkSO5lH_QeuuGTln4VW-HtmeK8p_orfU0cQ8usY3stWCSIkN-81Y7-U6u4V0o3WA/s4032/IMG_7145.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOf9vLpwrV5gGLBl39sW0Ubc00FA97NVGTR7xIinwHnZAkQvXgcKaHTvGZAmlGLG6XT3KF7x-kT6sWKo2uD12nZqeRidp9tbc0FXNMZBocV_Xbs7UPzs18rAyXvhkSO5lH_QeuuGTln4VW-HtmeK8p_orfU0cQ8usY3stWCSIkN-81Y7-U6u4V0o3WA/w640-h480/IMG_7145.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We spent a lot of time in this atrium while at sea - playing cards, enjoying beverages and the light coming in</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JpEUub4MrdVF-qDbAWcxsnz42PRmTm0eK2088ZmNWQnp-xtG9tGS68kvKBGQWSK8jkvMuMaTQgMM6j7lg3Jpu-v3UM6KKKnCwcOuhHekmqsekUd7spd6JZuAxJnPi0Jxxsl6d_OJ4M72lKPYEtnOBEZQtBE9uW54ZjA8t2PCn7WThmG5C58UPPSi-w/s4032/IMG_7096.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JpEUub4MrdVF-qDbAWcxsnz42PRmTm0eK2088ZmNWQnp-xtG9tGS68kvKBGQWSK8jkvMuMaTQgMM6j7lg3Jpu-v3UM6KKKnCwcOuhHekmqsekUd7spd6JZuAxJnPi0Jxxsl6d_OJ4M72lKPYEtnOBEZQtBE9uW54ZjA8t2PCn7WThmG5C58UPPSi-w/w640-h480/IMG_7096.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adult pool and hot tubs on the back of the boat</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Bt1ylIQc3Z8rfZn7KWLE4RIA1oXwrRI1jLiw36cOzfYonKREsSfIhqix6sOIFO6DG0r3UquKuRz2wDW_96q3tNqtuyKJErb1cds8xcT0fGYFHfjobS3kaZK3rt2ezXWxR9J1g5Dy5F_l5xgDaJJlEg1bpPy7irWCXweyfjwZqsJHu1dfjTBDWORRDw/s4032/IMG_7084.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Bt1ylIQc3Z8rfZn7KWLE4RIA1oXwrRI1jLiw36cOzfYonKREsSfIhqix6sOIFO6DG0r3UquKuRz2wDW_96q3tNqtuyKJErb1cds8xcT0fGYFHfjobS3kaZK3rt2ezXWxR9J1g5Dy5F_l5xgDaJJlEg1bpPy7irWCXweyfjwZqsJHu1dfjTBDWORRDw/w640-h480/IMG_7084.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of the ship viewing lounge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-OctuXjT0UPiVhnyPizr_p59Qn4uW0vQsAGCnWDuln_tREJ3n2Gb7TSIesMC7jm57I0IzxyHm0xnEZIEJHHmCPChXeCevo5JAP2aTB6-dGt73CmrUVLClMr7sB5i0cU4aKxbFX-m-8UhHkleEjptpAakyjui5RkkvQzSkcOPTc_3iVeeDVHzP1sqWrg/s4032/IMG_7716.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-OctuXjT0UPiVhnyPizr_p59Qn4uW0vQsAGCnWDuln_tREJ3n2Gb7TSIesMC7jm57I0IzxyHm0xnEZIEJHHmCPChXeCevo5JAP2aTB6-dGt73CmrUVLClMr7sB5i0cU4aKxbFX-m-8UhHkleEjptpAakyjui5RkkvQzSkcOPTc_3iVeeDVHzP1sqWrg/w480-h640/IMG_7716.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: left;">The Rotterdam itself was top notch.</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">For the first time ever we splurged on a balcony cabin, which turned out to be a fantastic decision.</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">The cabin was roomy with a queen size bed and small sofa to relax on.</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">The bathroom was the largest</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">I had ever seen</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">on a cruise</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">ship with a, get this</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">, </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">full size shower!</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">The balcony was</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">plenty big enough for two chairs</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">and a small table</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">with a glass balcony wall to see the waves through.</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">We cruised through two fjords on</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">our balcony in awe with</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">glasses of prosecco</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> - </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">or beer</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">- </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">while the cruise director gave</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">commentary on</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">what we were seeing</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">. </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">And we enjoyed</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">watching the waves rolling</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">on the</span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">North Sea from the balcony.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMR83h52grGLGShfOoTWpda_vKkFm3wpSHg-r9rhSgdRwZRDF7SNBPD4mmFNQhKg8ltR9GJ6EUYddbu9Fd7fBS2knscnhBYp8-VdwPOlCQMiwvuHSuL0_PpMzkpqkG9GHDDyfL5Yz5C3NWpYOGt7XD7le0tSWT5IYPfVx1UUjbVbzs-XAnsm2cKgc8Mg/s4032/IMG_7080.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlF_sIG7vLk4-ltANUaZw24nSIci8z6EXbvhOOeiHYt-fOb6bf2P1fp4cJn0hD1qT5YMA2vbzoaWq2d8MqxzHt5ybhEeVTgBcycJSgZm1Eu8jW4NTeIa_w4gyMQ71mGiltnLwCTpdMSyBO3OQkHWlfrxyxBKaRkne5yLJcYjrzpmZ7abwOTtd1TRKhw/w640-h480/IMG_7072.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0w8x-miU_quKWrFTskgT5kOp7iagUYDAyq-P5f5PRh7aWsCjkQopktNn8lCgU_TFQnSCCO74R4ivSXRiUeOju3Pf4jMWiqnLOp9RSr9pmVmMqF5OA_v7TkMj0oFoT2C35YO1e4cAaM019_ytZ7kZbUApHyMxfBBeTBKqA6oTDBSE5qARjzNx-6j6qPw/s3088/IMG_7304.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0w8x-miU_quKWrFTskgT5kOp7iagUYDAyq-P5f5PRh7aWsCjkQopktNn8lCgU_TFQnSCCO74R4ivSXRiUeOju3Pf4jMWiqnLOp9RSr9pmVmMqF5OA_v7TkMj0oFoT2C35YO1e4cAaM019_ytZ7kZbUApHyMxfBBeTBKqA6oTDBSE5qARjzNx-6j6qPw/w480-h640/IMG_7304.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Q-axyY-rgrOgLfLk0EeeZ2jeRNpsIwaRIYXflEiTKOqhTckIft0pnRRLzCy-YwmkgL6d0IbRP8RnYjy6KGUziXgWg9-CC6n4Y_G9lfkvGSZzo525gr51zomIltm1JUCSYROdw0f0p4wwcR4pOyJOelYs4ZSRU0HonYlHnhUhWxMiE9YuIGkll-XJQQ/s4032/IMG_7653.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Q-axyY-rgrOgLfLk0EeeZ2jeRNpsIwaRIYXflEiTKOqhTckIft0pnRRLzCy-YwmkgL6d0IbRP8RnYjy6KGUziXgWg9-CC6n4Y_G9lfkvGSZzo525gr51zomIltm1JUCSYROdw0f0p4wwcR4pOyJOelYs4ZSRU0HonYlHnhUhWxMiE9YuIGkll-XJQQ/w480-h640/IMG_7653.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5ARzUffBdvdUKUs9IRFtAK_uYzPMWmKANZUJvRmEgpTyLtcqLGBsBYAJBK6NaPpF_mMdSPQdQti1zf8Zz0Jh9IgiN58WWHnx-UBSKy1ixClo7zr_EJmMbOS3RLUFPv8gNCtOkvbLiSgpceYWG1SwrpVvD6S9gA9FftgYuXGz2744lbp-BTqhPTyiYQ/s4032/IMG_7879.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5ARzUffBdvdUKUs9IRFtAK_uYzPMWmKANZUJvRmEgpTyLtcqLGBsBYAJBK6NaPpF_mMdSPQdQti1zf8Zz0Jh9IgiN58WWHnx-UBSKy1ixClo7zr_EJmMbOS3RLUFPv8gNCtOkvbLiSgpceYWG1SwrpVvD6S9gA9FftgYuXGz2744lbp-BTqhPTyiYQ/w640-h480/IMG_7879.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oil rigs on the North Sea</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">To keep you busy at night</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;">, </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">one of</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">HA's most unique concepts on the </span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">Rotterdam is the Music Walk</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;"> - </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">there are three music venues</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">with four different music experiences</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">e</span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">ach night with house bands performing</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;"> - </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">the Rolling Stone Rock Room</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;">, </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">BB King's Blues Club</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;">, </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">Billboard Onboard</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">and the Lincoln Center Stage</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;">. </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">A rock band</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;"> - </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">who was extremely popular almost reaching groupie status</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;">- </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">a dueling piano's type duo</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">who played pop music</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;">, </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">a blues band</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">a quintet playing classical music</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">rotated between three clubs</span><span style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">with usually two sets</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">so you could still</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">listen no matter when you dined</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;">. </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">If</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">that wasn't your cup of tea</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;">, </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">then</span><span style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">there is a theater which had</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">different shows including</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">individual singers</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">and dance troupes</span><span style="font-size: xxx-large; text-align: left;">. </span></div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhns3eXGRhBpiEStI-hmcf09Tj5CVC-tDMtyy-ahc1vfIonh0eOA3qhYyp4crJ8J6gbnb43xH4d-V-16eo_1h1FF8Q0oylyEpDF2v4ycSAUBN2_fW1WQQ-NfjOsjFKQYI8MFsRW9nCgin9sQPNTC4SiTbqpMondCDc51GTkM4L6vi8f2wkFJ4fGTnu83g/s4032/IMG_7147.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhns3eXGRhBpiEStI-hmcf09Tj5CVC-tDMtyy-ahc1vfIonh0eOA3qhYyp4crJ8J6gbnb43xH4d-V-16eo_1h1FF8Q0oylyEpDF2v4ycSAUBN2_fW1WQQ-NfjOsjFKQYI8MFsRW9nCgin9sQPNTC4SiTbqpMondCDc51GTkM4L6vi8f2wkFJ4fGTnu83g/w640-h480/IMG_7147.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJa3ziLz2F5SjliU1uzg4hXnMeFMDJEd_ijW0eCsvn4MKyL4yAIXCwB7MhSSB8PLwr6vnDD-JK-DD8V3eZHmYUc5MB7yKoGPWqoWSTmdsFlgRITWhmwXghmtqfsLm4GIcnfJM9rvgwpQq_GTkgS51MBjZWXBKKi503Amx_sUWRIEf2ttbTd9_WZTIPPQ/s4032/IMG_7715.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJa3ziLz2F5SjliU1uzg4hXnMeFMDJEd_ijW0eCsvn4MKyL4yAIXCwB7MhSSB8PLwr6vnDD-JK-DD8V3eZHmYUc5MB7yKoGPWqoWSTmdsFlgRITWhmwXghmtqfsLm4GIcnfJM9rvgwpQq_GTkgS51MBjZWXBKKi503Amx_sUWRIEf2ttbTd9_WZTIPPQ/w480-h640/IMG_7715.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Like most cruise ships, there is a formal dining room and a cafeteria style option called the Lido Market. Other options include the poolside Dive In serving burgers, hotdogs and fries, New York Deli & Pizza, and the extremely popular Grand Dutch Cafe serving Dutch favorites such as split pea soup, dutch desserts and coffee. (I'd say 80% of the cruisers on our ship were Dutch, 10% American and the other 10% were a mixed bag of nationalities.) All of these were included with your cruise fare.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77sxN3MLjSxrgrVR_OLehZQSwFRQVnuzt8XdRzO0ZOIU5nLV6cV7yoL7GstK1_E_xZHDIdUrn0d1aND9tBX0LhVBzfeZopYiFdw9_XJ8jVZIt_QiEubzPkCi70NjbTYvdSuHk6jL_sB2zyOnPaWR6lM-1jiYiLVRmHZbMwYc8e7elfaD3CwSNE9W8Vw/s3392/IMG_7094.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3392" data-original-width="2544" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77sxN3MLjSxrgrVR_OLehZQSwFRQVnuzt8XdRzO0ZOIU5nLV6cV7yoL7GstK1_E_xZHDIdUrn0d1aND9tBX0LhVBzfeZopYiFdw9_XJ8jVZIt_QiEubzPkCi70NjbTYvdSuHk6jL_sB2zyOnPaWR6lM-1jiYiLVRmHZbMwYc8e7elfaD3CwSNE9W8Vw/w480-h640/IMG_7094.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPirco_DrRAM1Tpko_yL9C9af5THBnh1UBdNnQIAdJnOa70hEyU6COZPfQzz1lqAEiyHkr0rIF3a41qMdhzpWt-5ckjc8RlwGJZt2HNVkxVYssk4ucKUWID64Q64dROOdUHOwaa4O1UJrJPg5AYryCMsClSIDMZOPSHiFmYJuBw7uUKDoiZCvidPkwQ/s4032/IMG_7717.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPirco_DrRAM1Tpko_yL9C9af5THBnh1UBdNnQIAdJnOa70hEyU6COZPfQzz1lqAEiyHkr0rIF3a41qMdhzpWt-5ckjc8RlwGJZt2HNVkxVYssk4ucKUWID64Q64dROOdUHOwaa4O1UJrJPg5AYryCMsClSIDMZOPSHiFmYJuBw7uUKDoiZCvidPkwQ/w640-h480/IMG_7717.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HA hosts an "Orange Party" to celebrate Dutch heritage</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHaWjtokteS8l5VGokDiNwk5p-jUXJTLpSK7FOiacYpPGVMUmdHShfpkFOkSmaOvYALYXXgdwI_3IKx29sn9p4qe4WWgcIiBxlhfXDk8nM1nY4hmsZ4H80cLDnPqF3AZDNwUhDhcgpGcH_hcf0EKAilxkOwApo58tH032S61piUi7k2cRExuycNEIiQ/s4032/IMG_7346.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHaWjtokteS8l5VGokDiNwk5p-jUXJTLpSK7FOiacYpPGVMUmdHShfpkFOkSmaOvYALYXXgdwI_3IKx29sn9p4qe4WWgcIiBxlhfXDk8nM1nY4hmsZ4H80cLDnPqF3AZDNwUhDhcgpGcH_hcf0EKAilxkOwApo58tH032S61piUi7k2cRExuycNEIiQ/w480-h640/IMG_7346.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best salmon I've ever had!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZCn3rMLXWONoHfQcRZ4VXopyXpitqb2HG8DWzDWardxCY0ljfYDb4sWbYjvygcl7rEe-PZSZQbTWVEHu_r5XE5jEdK_JUrSpmo-bKFPaahKg7HJPdteIYD3zuKqNJAXDs1fe1B5_8ECOXCNunRv37y7desWGUErcneY4QhUey2tj_a4S982oXEO0OA/s4032/IMG_7680.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZCn3rMLXWONoHfQcRZ4VXopyXpitqb2HG8DWzDWardxCY0ljfYDb4sWbYjvygcl7rEe-PZSZQbTWVEHu_r5XE5jEdK_JUrSpmo-bKFPaahKg7HJPdteIYD3zuKqNJAXDs1fe1B5_8ECOXCNunRv37y7desWGUErcneY4QhUey2tj_a4S982oXEO0OA/w640-h480/IMG_7680.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For those who would like something above and beyond the usual cruise ship fare, there are the specialty restaurants. (All require advance reservations and were totally booked on our week) Our package included two nights at specialty restaurants and we were able to enjoy the Pinnacle Grill, which is a steakhouse, and Canaletto, the specialty Italian food restaurant. I'm not the type of person to pay extra - I would rather spend on excursions - so I probably wouldn't have done this if it wasn't included but I did enjoy both meals. Other specialty options are the Asian influenced Tamarind, Nami Sushi and Rudi's Sel de Mer seafood restaurant - all were completely booked or we would have tried those also. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG133QRMY5TzDndVn-x_coROE_f_q8c-1UC7AU0uNiy8Uvt5GIyDdAh9cDpO4XnatebJOWv2Jv5jgK_f0mCPF9hABd08Ubg3Eo4bG6f7xFcTr7HbFLhjQl57uPA523ldVnDm-zYaJE1SQlO2uVbhs6bF4jw3OK1i9-eU3OlopEd8bcnM0kOgBF1GDAtQ/s4032/IMG_7148.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG133QRMY5TzDndVn-x_coROE_f_q8c-1UC7AU0uNiy8Uvt5GIyDdAh9cDpO4XnatebJOWv2Jv5jgK_f0mCPF9hABd08Ubg3Eo4bG6f7xFcTr7HbFLhjQl57uPA523ldVnDm-zYaJE1SQlO2uVbhs6bF4jw3OK1i9-eU3OlopEd8bcnM0kOgBF1GDAtQ/w480-h640/IMG_7148.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Candied bacon - very yummy!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1zSEhdUC1uwvkvPm_ET10zdYT4hhmMuViBVwFzQ_xd9Fz3dG2j0oE_V7y0EOubuETnLl25Czm_qZmj1TNkgz4Ui1HpDP84nmhCvAMOpASn4XMVAwnYfb6uedhFfWxBKpwixw-kjlU0a2wlkyjqYDiACW0pT1dSELEBAUgQHkvGLuX3HISk6U3LA1mw/s4032/IMG_7154.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1zSEhdUC1uwvkvPm_ET10zdYT4hhmMuViBVwFzQ_xd9Fz3dG2j0oE_V7y0EOubuETnLl25Czm_qZmj1TNkgz4Ui1HpDP84nmhCvAMOpASn4XMVAwnYfb6uedhFfWxBKpwixw-kjlU0a2wlkyjqYDiACW0pT1dSELEBAUgQHkvGLuX3HISk6U3LA1mw/w640-h480/IMG_7154.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Specialty dining night!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As for my opinion of the ship, specifically, and Holland America, in general, it's very favorable. This was my first time sailing on HA and of all the things people like cruising for - the food, the shows, the activities, the staff and the excursions - I'd definitely give it a thumbs up. I found the food, especially, to be superior to other cruise lines that I've sailed on. My only downside was probably the excursions. I didn't feel that many were offered and the ones that were, were quite pricey. (But this is Norway, after all, a very expensive country) I would definitely consider cruising with Holland America again.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCLeQxEwM_ESdSq1HaFzdVXa9-7S5pBlLj86KL8rbr-wy9Dmt2O33rHDbfMffAIiQlghLfHF7qHNbOn6mWODZt_FEKf-U4hugQbt65i3mxVnKn9UzlRVVUd5ZjTHxoXgLuUP3MowsSo-_1OwYQSDpzQjle4SsILcriu1oXkY06jy50xKtOcWH-jVVXQ/s4032/IMG_7877.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCLeQxEwM_ESdSq1HaFzdVXa9-7S5pBlLj86KL8rbr-wy9Dmt2O33rHDbfMffAIiQlghLfHF7qHNbOn6mWODZt_FEKf-U4hugQbt65i3mxVnKn9UzlRVVUd5ZjTHxoXgLuUP3MowsSo-_1OwYQSDpzQjle4SsILcriu1oXkY06jy50xKtOcWH-jVVXQ/w640-h480/IMG_7877.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The atrium</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCJZRZwI_PziE3EVbvnoICwsWmY15MHLMTKyxspcidLhgd_KntF_SmANkHZWN8oA9ZUnZwpZP5patelXi2bJaTyC71qKrnnNV3g9OONWpGwkOXmdINsS44DtUjVnFCVb64tJRtCA5pWGqc3F1ohPie-CuMZtaU50svmF4jGoXfggFD6b6kNqyuNJh1A/s4032/IMG_7866.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCJZRZwI_PziE3EVbvnoICwsWmY15MHLMTKyxspcidLhgd_KntF_SmANkHZWN8oA9ZUnZwpZP5patelXi2bJaTyC71qKrnnNV3g9OONWpGwkOXmdINsS44DtUjVnFCVb64tJRtCA5pWGqc3F1ohPie-CuMZtaU50svmF4jGoXfggFD6b6kNqyuNJh1A/w640-h480/IMG_7866.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhko4RrKqdmbrbDryXDOyXAqmtL5hBLsSBfwyrSn35qElZ5SRiM9yg-Es9OMF8xBTIERNrF-63ZUB3v1DQk-ZqxR5gwuy_LuTl94zued1AiSdoJjQoajhVGZrZF0EiHIAjRruGUsh0RpideIQR9p8v0jcSWTBZFnVAcSUHiKoWiiLQAK5DYdR9ozVQ7nQ/s4032/IMG_7834.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhko4RrKqdmbrbDryXDOyXAqmtL5hBLsSBfwyrSn35qElZ5SRiM9yg-Es9OMF8xBTIERNrF-63ZUB3v1DQk-ZqxR5gwuy_LuTl94zued1AiSdoJjQoajhVGZrZF0EiHIAjRruGUsh0RpideIQR9p8v0jcSWTBZFnVAcSUHiKoWiiLQAK5DYdR9ozVQ7nQ/w480-h640/IMG_7834.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>How about you? Have you cruised on Holland America cruise line? Or cruised Norway's fjords?</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1LhKpLcCLttCsY1u3YT46FSbF5e3huRDEWExzdc5t1uvafSoBwaATpktqJ-Q9qDccRlEzYrqtZ1EklhiQBWYZBsuJYAnv6Z4zE664HZ-5VnvnAtoje-zOGvqJqN-4XjBG-CDXyfJr-j36x3Z6VsLMn60-2qNC1SQ9_ErwHhcaeZpkdBIxbE6rRfNgGg/s200/mcotw.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1LhKpLcCLttCsY1u3YT46FSbF5e3huRDEWExzdc5t1uvafSoBwaATpktqJ-Q9qDccRlEzYrqtZ1EklhiQBWYZBsuJYAnv6Z4zE664HZ-5VnvnAtoje-zOGvqJqN-4XjBG-CDXyfJr-j36x3Z6VsLMn60-2qNC1SQ9_ErwHhcaeZpkdBIxbE6rRfNgGg/w640-h480/mcotw.jpeg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-52477251869186766512023-02-16T10:56:00.001-08:002023-02-16T11:00:37.297-08:00STAY: Kimpton Born, Denver, Colorado<p> <span style="font-size: large;">If you've been around here for very long, then you'll know that I'm a big fan of the Kimpton hotel chain. Mr. UR and I realized that we had a certificate for one free night at an IHG property - of which Kimpton is one - that was going to expire. I can't think of a bigger no-no than not using a certificate for a free hotel stay. So we booked the downtown Denver Kimpton Hotel Born for a winter Friday night and headed downtown for a relaxing evening.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_d9KvjbwU6gcJWFbT8ZJA6dn5KX2uVFZy_nwKdcW0f7xbVON-7o1pX5xQJy1nyEA8nwJQSc4CR_PQNPcnDKYG216vhA4bRlkVJEu9hxZAT1P8mtHAqPOTs2GH-tswugLeZ-vFNTLnre2ssvCKY6hoR6mjtNPU2UaYIhaJQ48MwwFykxsixAOcgbSgeQ/s4032/IMG_2292.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_d9KvjbwU6gcJWFbT8ZJA6dn5KX2uVFZy_nwKdcW0f7xbVON-7o1pX5xQJy1nyEA8nwJQSc4CR_PQNPcnDKYG216vhA4bRlkVJEu9hxZAT1P8mtHAqPOTs2GH-tswugLeZ-vFNTLnre2ssvCKY6hoR6mjtNPU2UaYIhaJQ48MwwFykxsixAOcgbSgeQ/w480-h640/IMG_2292.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46O1P1EJ8MGLT069jpe00TPP4lJmhJWXDVExXGOsxCClaAXy-xaou9Ud9l9-rRcplbRcMy_7L1CvR1qA2-dZVBYEZqwcmhed-PuroYpnStBUHUBpDtpffV2ZwQbAVcbiQCFXq_ti--lihVcPW1ROm-YD04WGAze_CVYMUjMNXxEU0DmXQ2Dmu8Xz-lw/s4032/IMG_2298.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46O1P1EJ8MGLT069jpe00TPP4lJmhJWXDVExXGOsxCClaAXy-xaou9Ud9l9-rRcplbRcMy_7L1CvR1qA2-dZVBYEZqwcmhed-PuroYpnStBUHUBpDtpffV2ZwQbAVcbiQCFXq_ti--lihVcPW1ROm-YD04WGAze_CVYMUjMNXxEU0DmXQ2Dmu8Xz-lw/w640-h480/IMG_2298.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6vEYvtvGkASbr6UYQma7TRsF2xASCU2JwfeqOA42y2sJIc-5MrYRkIO5QlUIPYCiGfeFGf7xWEmX10fztRn7i-vLKMBqRCsON4IjrN2NvoA7TWxDikC7aYwHuaVS-CAQE1OOVXTQ4lrGkZt4tWbbVeTwaqnIWAqcNNrhLQZ7IwSqH3Kddob_HG3CpQ/s4032/IMG_2299.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6vEYvtvGkASbr6UYQma7TRsF2xASCU2JwfeqOA42y2sJIc-5MrYRkIO5QlUIPYCiGfeFGf7xWEmX10fztRn7i-vLKMBqRCsON4IjrN2NvoA7TWxDikC7aYwHuaVS-CAQE1OOVXTQ4lrGkZt4tWbbVeTwaqnIWAqcNNrhLQZ7IwSqH3Kddob_HG3CpQ/w640-h480/IMG_2299.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rBZ1GHS365ZT5eLNTgoHlepRlfsHLOBI5KvLNUMhYrOV-RmeTfrit8kWOSRT8f8Yt8c3Ml-H4F07URVhs2afUSsrdcVDL8M3yr6deUEssEuhq8LWPrFaIfHMwT1zBaFf7exhSrUI1LEaHursFzp_lmYCABKITZy0ZA-iL2OGQ1mndYn7-IEZkVH1VA/s4032/IMG_2306.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rBZ1GHS365ZT5eLNTgoHlepRlfsHLOBI5KvLNUMhYrOV-RmeTfrit8kWOSRT8f8Yt8c3Ml-H4F07URVhs2afUSsrdcVDL8M3yr6deUEssEuhq8LWPrFaIfHMwT1zBaFf7exhSrUI1LEaHursFzp_lmYCABKITZy0ZA-iL2OGQ1mndYn7-IEZkVH1VA/w480-h640/IMG_2306.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Some of the perks of staying at a Kimpton include a daily social hour with drinks provided in the lobby, complimentary wifi, no extra charge for pets plus benefits for them such as loaner pet beds, food, water bowls and mats for your pets (and even a Director of Pet Relations in every hotel), complimentary bikes in every hotel and yoga mats in every room and cell phone chargers, curling irons, humidifiers, lint rollers and a bevy of other items you can check out from the front desk.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1AhhBIL7NAkfBSwhsh7lXFzkgqw6GPiT7OF82sdvxSFAWrAwx90zLUs5ujeaK-xcb_v3GigEJ3NRi9TUZv1bh9jhkp6GTbY0ZATd6h8j8_uLbF76ikcLrUtymU6uEGlJLZCS8uRJ1Cfuy7qwQqoD3-QNuWSsqiLUI_dtIsIW1ceh4sUMt0IVQyjbQw/s4032/IMG_2294.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1AhhBIL7NAkfBSwhsh7lXFzkgqw6GPiT7OF82sdvxSFAWrAwx90zLUs5ujeaK-xcb_v3GigEJ3NRi9TUZv1bh9jhkp6GTbY0ZATd6h8j8_uLbF76ikcLrUtymU6uEGlJLZCS8uRJ1Cfuy7qwQqoD3-QNuWSsqiLUI_dtIsIW1ceh4sUMt0IVQyjbQw/w480-h640/IMG_2294.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjii4EYR_AirHbEeHRPDN3TfGpTEb9xQMmBhlbx-7devrJ2YsbygM7gtji6x27DWcqsVjLetsytHJbtE-f57yUdq96qbNSLKdnf9GmWHto4sVaQgmInFT8k7xgD8KTR33_VPny2R8vJ5Kc6t4WhiuKI8PVF39sMNxNZc27uzAnTDebxMmM53OjG_GWmQw/s4032/IMG_2297.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjii4EYR_AirHbEeHRPDN3TfGpTEb9xQMmBhlbx-7devrJ2YsbygM7gtji6x27DWcqsVjLetsytHJbtE-f57yUdq96qbNSLKdnf9GmWHto4sVaQgmInFT8k7xgD8KTR33_VPny2R8vJ5Kc6t4WhiuKI8PVF39sMNxNZc27uzAnTDebxMmM53OjG_GWmQw/w480-h640/IMG_2297.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQsCKI0p9nNjqYGG0DC6weto6avg8_Rm_1AjOgHhoukQcWZsTGtgeheL-QQ9sLs4x361pCYJopq8o8a5TcyFNkYZutcf4uLtrRuY7q0ZJX6Wx-WIyD4ZAfCxIdn0nxNqz5oBvvRrZg2abN4tQI1SE5H5rZAtblGSPfzfSvk4-2sC75SgqpmkOBDCRRqg/s4032/IMG_2305.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQsCKI0p9nNjqYGG0DC6weto6avg8_Rm_1AjOgHhoukQcWZsTGtgeheL-QQ9sLs4x361pCYJopq8o8a5TcyFNkYZutcf4uLtrRuY7q0ZJX6Wx-WIyD4ZAfCxIdn0nxNqz5oBvvRrZg2abN4tQI1SE5H5rZAtblGSPfzfSvk4-2sC75SgqpmkOBDCRRqg/w480-h640/IMG_2305.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Kimpton Hotel Born in Denver has a "modern alpine" vibe so it was only fitting that we started our visit with social hour wine by the fireplace. Then we took advantage of the hotel car that will take you within a mile radius and headed to Wynkoop Brewing for our evening meal. After a good pub food meal with a Wynkoop brew, we walked back to the hotel. The hotel bar was hopping but we managed to find a seat to use our Raid the Bar credit.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAi2sbfi4B9zyM2-h2nesOSEu8SWganyt0v5bzmCXm5LQd7V-thVSK5wbLKJclhjNaWimzEYYJm-g7zj8E25KGzpFhGbK1dJqdMEd4yqvz7XQuojVI3I1j4hzFeDvvTnABzPEfDACVu8wAoU75RjTF9v8o_WYDazKv1epjU-CvdHGp5T5Gw-Cqw0Qsw/s4032/IMG_2324.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAi2sbfi4B9zyM2-h2nesOSEu8SWganyt0v5bzmCXm5LQd7V-thVSK5wbLKJclhjNaWimzEYYJm-g7zj8E25KGzpFhGbK1dJqdMEd4yqvz7XQuojVI3I1j4hzFeDvvTnABzPEfDACVu8wAoU75RjTF9v8o_WYDazKv1epjU-CvdHGp5T5Gw-Cqw0Qsw/w640-h480/IMG_2324.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWhmQG5dREDJ06eNZ7BmCOba3Zdani238G7zjSONKg6WhK3vhemFFTX-bEAhlvbXS73x5diIeJfaV2ZwuombR1tfX2gOB28vTj9VoTk7GKHXjp4pq9MfiKSJPj9asX0rCb3tTPs8jlh81GgXs1WM9Fs414SqN_Mh0tr-loZhnzj27aMZyzGOLiKA9oA/s2399/IMG_2317.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2399" data-original-width="1899" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWhmQG5dREDJ06eNZ7BmCOba3Zdani238G7zjSONKg6WhK3vhemFFTX-bEAhlvbXS73x5diIeJfaV2ZwuombR1tfX2gOB28vTj9VoTk7GKHXjp4pq9MfiKSJPj9asX0rCb3tTPs8jlh81GgXs1WM9Fs414SqN_Mh0tr-loZhnzj27aMZyzGOLiKA9oA/w506-h640/IMG_2317.jpeg" width="506" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDw5fTiFocWcgEy9t8Dum5kQ2-d8cp2rciRl3XbdSTWw7-G4pf8gzsU0O9Nd09FIMdB5uREmVPFyXghrNOyk_TuxokQYsLvAUXWYVrKiJYKNktv-6YkIjQTqnJOJ2f1PYYHn-4UDviMnsQTr9NpNTrVM6MnZTXSURG-mvzPlyAAwjBBL6Ty5lndn5oug/s4032/IMG_2339.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDw5fTiFocWcgEy9t8Dum5kQ2-d8cp2rciRl3XbdSTWw7-G4pf8gzsU0O9Nd09FIMdB5uREmVPFyXghrNOyk_TuxokQYsLvAUXWYVrKiJYKNktv-6YkIjQTqnJOJ2f1PYYHn-4UDviMnsQTr9NpNTrVM6MnZTXSURG-mvzPlyAAwjBBL6Ty5lndn5oug/w640-h480/IMG_2339.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUIAA_pK6MqOoKybx23FIOyzEnZraEMvZvmbUx_0kZ-W1gsNu_LHp72vPlb0kwk9U2Evf0rNWDycUQLQNX9Vo8EO9Lcn9w-amtrxj6mFc511DzoFPABpFr-uhjzsUc5tE-R5RqUdOYVC50V1YKvRf3VLlVyCr29LD4BVDAPwwqIgspDPXfaN6F4Tg1Q/s4032/IMG_2336.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUIAA_pK6MqOoKybx23FIOyzEnZraEMvZvmbUx_0kZ-W1gsNu_LHp72vPlb0kwk9U2Evf0rNWDycUQLQNX9Vo8EO9Lcn9w-amtrxj6mFc511DzoFPABpFr-uhjzsUc5tE-R5RqUdOYVC50V1YKvRf3VLlVyCr29LD4BVDAPwwqIgspDPXfaN6F4Tg1Q/w640-h480/IMG_2336.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Cj69O7gF1xFrDPHsC6jMqSa1zJsXYTj2lfaGEcrh0QG2PYpfKuBcuD50VbQkFFU3cclxTAYqc0d4_OIaS26Qt7xUYMPdSTiPDYcWfQRP8FLujF9uRtsV4KuQOmaNWx37QqV4WQzdoALv2cdvxQF47EKDgAcjjT71LhiNtR2kZl-uzKX3rbdNpDVCnQ/s4032/IMG_2337.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Cj69O7gF1xFrDPHsC6jMqSa1zJsXYTj2lfaGEcrh0QG2PYpfKuBcuD50VbQkFFU3cclxTAYqc0d4_OIaS26Qt7xUYMPdSTiPDYcWfQRP8FLujF9uRtsV4KuQOmaNWx37QqV4WQzdoALv2cdvxQF47EKDgAcjjT71LhiNtR2kZl-uzKX3rbdNpDVCnQ/w640-h480/IMG_2337.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The next morning was a short walk to Union Station, Denver's historical and revamped train station - which we could see from our room - and breakfast at Snooze, Denver's popular am eatery. I had the OMG French Toast - brioche bread stuffed with house made marscapone topped with vanilla creme and fresh strawberries. And OMG, it was so good! Mr. UR went with the Sam I am - scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese and sausage on a soft pretzel roll topped with house made hollandaise. I think we picked two winners for sure.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZrQdMmDpiw3W4n6TiVZELk5B_Vr6pCujbvvthiGq7lPi_QNAz60__-BcHWG2TEiY09Up-bccCzZGpQpMEb6wfNLopu8QHHeG5YLEP9PTY0gaicY3ol_CBJHFxxzLjtuTWz7xqap7wFqR-emsVBcAGBsmG_8Tj0uvPfRSpdLKVZ3UFTgKLoUeccdoUw/s4032/IMG_2356%202.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZrQdMmDpiw3W4n6TiVZELk5B_Vr6pCujbvvthiGq7lPi_QNAz60__-BcHWG2TEiY09Up-bccCzZGpQpMEb6wfNLopu8QHHeG5YLEP9PTY0gaicY3ol_CBJHFxxzLjtuTWz7xqap7wFqR-emsVBcAGBsmG_8Tj0uvPfRSpdLKVZ3UFTgKLoUeccdoUw/w480-h640/IMG_2356%202.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOx9xkK1qSA2_gQRZzHyB2ItPMARZElTGtZOtCWhDJHEADKkI81D9IBKX3PixoT4OFemSemvssguOc-5dVaWBNXY3BhR4ZC1TRICXImdJxlpvzQ6MjvbEIkQ8-sZK20etv54RjZMklgthRBnxsl9US48nqeOvoopPMyGW0a_mng653H6ZDu6LKA1hfVw/s4032/IMG_2354.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOx9xkK1qSA2_gQRZzHyB2ItPMARZElTGtZOtCWhDJHEADKkI81D9IBKX3PixoT4OFemSemvssguOc-5dVaWBNXY3BhR4ZC1TRICXImdJxlpvzQ6MjvbEIkQ8-sZK20etv54RjZMklgthRBnxsl9US48nqeOvoopPMyGW0a_mng653H6ZDu6LKA1hfVw/w480-h640/IMG_2354.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqk8aRzbBoXbfKRXWbmYobpcAhHj3-_PzKq4K3y_qeGnlrDntymjxxGMN0CWa75aCB7KQibcZM9PlkTxbvdP30XfEdB8H066iruvjztr5YTfi5wLT9VDvVWyzZ-0OVXnIb1uvluCcltOoBchnQen48q0sm3uBm5JuhU_9AnwYOuDyUrtJH6LGYysTTw/s4032/IMG_2349.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqk8aRzbBoXbfKRXWbmYobpcAhHj3-_PzKq4K3y_qeGnlrDntymjxxGMN0CWa75aCB7KQibcZM9PlkTxbvdP30XfEdB8H066iruvjztr5YTfi5wLT9VDvVWyzZ-0OVXnIb1uvluCcltOoBchnQen48q0sm3uBm5JuhU_9AnwYOuDyUrtJH6LGYysTTw/w640-h480/IMG_2349.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And with that our short getaway was over. But I would highly recommend Kimpton Hotel Born in downtown Denver. The service was good, it's close to the Union Station and the surrounding neighborhood has lots of choice for things to do and places to eat.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">How about you? Have you stayed at a Kimpton before?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWS92Q8dUAEJhwAiXZhM3tZdlGHpu4TVJ55j0Kg5zH3bgATJu5_00su5Zx_n989rzmeZpHgoEMtay-HapYB3s7ngycK-IEBGMCI659cYJFEKESNjf2oMS7WKFWCUqKlhOImzIJmMPZPwcyzd7cq-ErMND4sr6QihALjq7hC8rcCVDcJ4gA3OSgzZwhw/s200/mcotw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWS92Q8dUAEJhwAiXZhM3tZdlGHpu4TVJ55j0Kg5zH3bgATJu5_00su5Zx_n989rzmeZpHgoEMtay-HapYB3s7ngycK-IEBGMCI659cYJFEKESNjf2oMS7WKFWCUqKlhOImzIJmMPZPwcyzd7cq-ErMND4sr6QihALjq7hC8rcCVDcJ4gA3OSgzZwhw/w400-h300/mcotw.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-90296356816533848762023-02-09T18:26:00.003-08:002023-02-10T18:05:26.764-08:00Enjoying Five Days in Midcoast Maine<p><span style="font-size: large;">One of my favorite places in all the land is Maine. From my first visit there when our kids were in elementary school to my last visit in the summer of 2021, I've been captivated by this New England state. From its coastline to its lake district to Acadia National Park, this state is stunning. On our most recent trip we stayed at a cottage in Wiscasset (famous for Red's Eats) and concentrated on the Midcoast region visiting Monhegan Island, Damariscotta, Portland, Popham Beach and lobster pounds galore. Come along as we explore this coastal area of one of my favorite states!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXADZrao4ChEE7BCiIRoMGUB1c_MiKzipo4EQ3doZMpYMoh7hwksyaPZZt8gM0BP9hgKdP5eYRFO__YPK-HZblkqxVINHDkww7Jk6Uhj-smbOhF-4q8118tTBGvjem82IphULcVET5rJCtEheii8IVpBqkDRovNJGh1IanxaZvCkDdRr-QRwS_ZnUnAg/s4032/IMG_4705.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXADZrao4ChEE7BCiIRoMGUB1c_MiKzipo4EQ3doZMpYMoh7hwksyaPZZt8gM0BP9hgKdP5eYRFO__YPK-HZblkqxVINHDkww7Jk6Uhj-smbOhF-4q8118tTBGvjem82IphULcVET5rJCtEheii8IVpBqkDRovNJGh1IanxaZvCkDdRr-QRwS_ZnUnAg/w640-h480/IMG_4705.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcLP7Ur68gYs8HY-VtAFKltPay4aPqzR2L_hoHJ2FeWgX4iRcP2UjGHy8C10kHA7mu4fBdVRPK5DaeRDDSHt04XKvQsdgqbcM-q5pDBCymbmWijGTCfPbl-Zj40gtpw-tdYKcf6kPCZvGCdMlT7ior1qf6_2yUwiUXVCWBwuSj-qnyx9KkmZ8A7t30w/s4032/IMG_4538.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcLP7Ur68gYs8HY-VtAFKltPay4aPqzR2L_hoHJ2FeWgX4iRcP2UjGHy8C10kHA7mu4fBdVRPK5DaeRDDSHt04XKvQsdgqbcM-q5pDBCymbmWijGTCfPbl-Zj40gtpw-tdYKcf6kPCZvGCdMlT7ior1qf6_2yUwiUXVCWBwuSj-qnyx9KkmZ8A7t30w/w640-h480/IMG_4538.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_EnMRAtvH7dIqNKkAYXoO8wVWy8OCk-Sem3H36ZVdVF3bECwDXMgzFcLkdl7sHmI0GqLEl8Fhm79pQetvREymLf1vtVNVK7yi__Cbh7AbUVQZkMaXE5t0r0C6cVjmrtSLKdRLQ5SOWMIlMLfdI7u17WpPHkqIgKIH0RwNCYyXoKtelDzAXAw0FKM0g/s4032/IMG_4557.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_EnMRAtvH7dIqNKkAYXoO8wVWy8OCk-Sem3H36ZVdVF3bECwDXMgzFcLkdl7sHmI0GqLEl8Fhm79pQetvREymLf1vtVNVK7yi__Cbh7AbUVQZkMaXE5t0r0C6cVjmrtSLKdRLQ5SOWMIlMLfdI7u17WpPHkqIgKIH0RwNCYyXoKtelDzAXAw0FKM0g/w640-h480/IMG_4557.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFet34WaK_xtM_hP69AdsbwLrhX7TOgirFR5lWqTH6FyNsVtUjwncu5s-_8ECAZTYIQUAeUZfGhiu5PBF-fnFVyRXvU5vSgi9_nzZmub9vXOEVelDNvj1taxDzu9Zmajo6VqV_oFrDcaW66mjH-JAlxspSUYl9iI1riL0KZJEPemTWU1tLmwrtabTKQ/s4032/IMG_4811.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFet34WaK_xtM_hP69AdsbwLrhX7TOgirFR5lWqTH6FyNsVtUjwncu5s-_8ECAZTYIQUAeUZfGhiu5PBF-fnFVyRXvU5vSgi9_nzZmub9vXOEVelDNvj1taxDzu9Zmajo6VqV_oFrDcaW66mjH-JAlxspSUYl9iI1riL0KZJEPemTWU1tLmwrtabTKQ/w640-h480/IMG_4811.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Monhegan Island</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Monhegan Island is a small, rocky island off the coast of Maine and 10 miles from the mainland. It is only accessible by boat which makes it necessary for you to catch a one to two hour ferry from Boothbay Harbor or Port Clyde. Once there, the island is walkable which is good since there are few cars there. There are 9 miles of hiking trails - of which we took advantage - leading to the highest ocean cliffs of Maine. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv81zXsxHwC1WMS9U2usV5Bc9UCKhdAFsonzABwiG5PirX-USQYoIJfPNrqZ8p5RSdbOP_bUQr57Tpo8iIrW1bZwMqe_eujkz6xnZ7BUgUVEZqixHjupcPg-wSqfQrRP4F5imrzF1IwL-6_7_lWRYpIBPrrOcL7tIRWdqJ60Hb5DJIym-T_hNzATg77g/s4032/IMG_4510.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv81zXsxHwC1WMS9U2usV5Bc9UCKhdAFsonzABwiG5PirX-USQYoIJfPNrqZ8p5RSdbOP_bUQr57Tpo8iIrW1bZwMqe_eujkz6xnZ7BUgUVEZqixHjupcPg-wSqfQrRP4F5imrzF1IwL-6_7_lWRYpIBPrrOcL7tIRWdqJ60Hb5DJIym-T_hNzATg77g/w640-h480/IMG_4510.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSLRl5sXCZBYPaUO8IaSrFFWhxibOWT-m0MXk6iflh6EhXNa5PiiAv-rSG2etn3S8gpJPUlatKb8-TLS7klfeXxSh3p6wBcrggC46EGeXCeDDd6LZhU5tFeRVn36WvEkItXt1br0zDShHDAneixRTV8ZmvZf_sakeIQzsOb9xN7B_Pt8sWkOQhZKMCA/s4032/IMG_4514.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSLRl5sXCZBYPaUO8IaSrFFWhxibOWT-m0MXk6iflh6EhXNa5PiiAv-rSG2etn3S8gpJPUlatKb8-TLS7klfeXxSh3p6wBcrggC46EGeXCeDDd6LZhU5tFeRVn36WvEkItXt1br0zDShHDAneixRTV8ZmvZf_sakeIQzsOb9xN7B_Pt8sWkOQhZKMCA/w640-h480/IMG_4514.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-aCyJBMvxMo4_ZPljlbv6qXjuEnz1_3mHHMWpBZbCXVEEU01egUcqqpwrg97IgGuMl4NdAFcqJxArkpg5BOXMr7uDuerYCEKfy1mjQGqMQAaLskLYRUo3Gurl1gXyGgf48qhgQhrVPR4EG1TekP3TIlWpwj4_EeVt1-01mV6rksdjLM3oq4M_DHDsCQ/s4032/IMG_4548.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-aCyJBMvxMo4_ZPljlbv6qXjuEnz1_3mHHMWpBZbCXVEEU01egUcqqpwrg97IgGuMl4NdAFcqJxArkpg5BOXMr7uDuerYCEKfy1mjQGqMQAaLskLYRUo3Gurl1gXyGgf48qhgQhrVPR4EG1TekP3TIlWpwj4_EeVt1-01mV6rksdjLM3oq4M_DHDsCQ/w480-h640/IMG_4548.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br />The two main economies on Monhegan are fishing and tourism. Aside from the large volume of tourists that the island receives each year, one of the main draws is it's artist colony. Primarily known for landscape artists, some of its alumni are Edward Hopper and Robert Henri.</span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxdsQPaJ0LdAQwxbAeaPSBPEYc_XPtXLtD1mQZwLDKxkgwlxErTkHxSC0wYagnyD4wlMWpTD8vlo3FRpzsTIsitNaEf-jguNUHm4d_Gx4P-W7LJHQTSUrFiK9xqeuKO5tc0p-QruN0oKyVXBut8SO5Psu42lpFOY87VP5ucFIma6Tracg212n9OXsuQ/s3196/IMG_4521.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2973" data-original-width="3196" height="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxdsQPaJ0LdAQwxbAeaPSBPEYc_XPtXLtD1mQZwLDKxkgwlxErTkHxSC0wYagnyD4wlMWpTD8vlo3FRpzsTIsitNaEf-jguNUHm4d_Gx4P-W7LJHQTSUrFiK9xqeuKO5tc0p-QruN0oKyVXBut8SO5Psu42lpFOY87VP5ucFIma6Tracg212n9OXsuQ/w640-h596/IMG_4521.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihM7i61zfkW4_h39TsxSEio_CS7Vsw578q0ZIS22-lnPF-_QATOhC1h4xcyZ3OgRhuyvu2hVcijRZhDdWqTIN1zk6PkMwA0rfz0MCbNaR0CwL4YoRa9_UM4__ce57z6oq90gIkjcv3roMr95cI2xMVpeNg8YcDr_EnXSmCoymFs1hYsq7j53or2xklSQ/s4032/IMG_4518%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihM7i61zfkW4_h39TsxSEio_CS7Vsw578q0ZIS22-lnPF-_QATOhC1h4xcyZ3OgRhuyvu2hVcijRZhDdWqTIN1zk6PkMwA0rfz0MCbNaR0CwL4YoRa9_UM4__ce57z6oq90gIkjcv3roMr95cI2xMVpeNg8YcDr_EnXSmCoymFs1hYsq7j53or2xklSQ/w640-h480/IMG_4518%202.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSA4Ru3AnrGrJZr581Yhm0iyGXS54SyoiyvkmeXinBY9nVO2tfjZ1MXF05ko7ij_5Ha171A9lbAGv9geAX6-AEOkBEELg1uAG674xILI2bpoVNHzFBy46T4oSHJV1hvmpj8VR6Zqf-3CjWjogFGQRySg5DUniLoqwrRhzyYrRSBILL23tr5_XuCHOCw/s4032/IMG_4515.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSA4Ru3AnrGrJZr581Yhm0iyGXS54SyoiyvkmeXinBY9nVO2tfjZ1MXF05ko7ij_5Ha171A9lbAGv9geAX6-AEOkBEELg1uAG674xILI2bpoVNHzFBy46T4oSHJV1hvmpj8VR6Zqf-3CjWjogFGQRySg5DUniLoqwrRhzyYrRSBILL23tr5_XuCHOCw/w640-h480/IMG_4515.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJSjLQ26skWLs9yCI0-p-RWRAIqaR9jOG--MRbQlY7NEBwQJ8hmxGt5uVD7oaiht7JQX-SyB4sNmoNNlg4q_MPcPcXHxjtw-FpRsBDIjQxHP1lDrJWg_R1RVF0q5rFRd43IGlQ-8JFLvvOirfKKrjJCHJRzrqNuRpD-eRKX9h8y_0HQwBYwL83FynvGQ/s4032/IMG_4547.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJSjLQ26skWLs9yCI0-p-RWRAIqaR9jOG--MRbQlY7NEBwQJ8hmxGt5uVD7oaiht7JQX-SyB4sNmoNNlg4q_MPcPcXHxjtw-FpRsBDIjQxHP1lDrJWg_R1RVF0q5rFRd43IGlQ-8JFLvvOirfKKrjJCHJRzrqNuRpD-eRKX9h8y_0HQwBYwL83FynvGQ/w640-h480/IMG_4547.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I really enjoyed my time on the island. We did some hiking, a little shopping in a few of the small shops, enjoyed the views from the lighthouse and had a sit down at Monhegan Brewing Company. It was for quite the idyllic day - a ferry ride, a scenic little island, a few beers and fresh air. What more could one want?</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEQhybemYHP9RzerXUEQskmeiKw0W6TIX27ecVtqCPHxi8eG2GRhuQIj-X9wPjwvB7psQnIMrGeLcv9OSuBAmjzW_OYRvSKJWZImEny-ul_3gpa6yKimuxyG2Z0QrsR00Zl-U7-TPxzWYHuTeWvCOiVedKQ9Ivui8n-nlLORXdbnHdgCt0vRsA6WJZQ/s4032/IMG_4526%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEQhybemYHP9RzerXUEQskmeiKw0W6TIX27ecVtqCPHxi8eG2GRhuQIj-X9wPjwvB7psQnIMrGeLcv9OSuBAmjzW_OYRvSKJWZImEny-ul_3gpa6yKimuxyG2Z0QrsR00Zl-U7-TPxzWYHuTeWvCOiVedKQ9Ivui8n-nlLORXdbnHdgCt0vRsA6WJZQ/w480-h640/IMG_4526%202.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPXeNTZYAk_WFPxjoqugWEbADeYamMAkDFm1lLKjmeBJRrDZhQbZuAdZTyB7oVtk6LFRmi-X9vBiKUiaZ5xmYE-P0DIF-l3E1gkUXSY1ewBCWfNuS6zRNxWS-MXlKazpPjo77esyEeRxV_d-u3BhcZtKd0LaxUK1nXu42whQIzc4OnqRz_aEGcBu4oA/s4032/IMG_4540.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPXeNTZYAk_WFPxjoqugWEbADeYamMAkDFm1lLKjmeBJRrDZhQbZuAdZTyB7oVtk6LFRmi-X9vBiKUiaZ5xmYE-P0DIF-l3E1gkUXSY1ewBCWfNuS6zRNxWS-MXlKazpPjo77esyEeRxV_d-u3BhcZtKd0LaxUK1nXu42whQIzc4OnqRz_aEGcBu4oA/w480-h640/IMG_4540.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqW0QVIC6-aUOsn_yw-cAJGMpIobmMrpAS9zwgqMMrtRT9qFseSIFapZLuo1wwOIzRkYcQ5dyV0n1UhzFsHWTFCIrhnTbZUBAZazKB2AiAFr-I5R3KwKlYVAMHj68tryJELw6q7BstPSN-sSCiP5ZJ0_9L-va_afrJnTWiDzNf3ZMvB69J8z7q4H-pLg/s4032/IMG_4544.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqW0QVIC6-aUOsn_yw-cAJGMpIobmMrpAS9zwgqMMrtRT9qFseSIFapZLuo1wwOIzRkYcQ5dyV0n1UhzFsHWTFCIrhnTbZUBAZazKB2AiAFr-I5R3KwKlYVAMHj68tryJELw6q7BstPSN-sSCiP5ZJ0_9L-va_afrJnTWiDzNf3ZMvB69J8z7q4H-pLg/w480-h640/IMG_4544.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvM7h3jKTlorsP5uyxoWmwYr29MLasqESMv8uuVwmP7796Tb2L0D5HbmgOaAsZNPr4V6lUXviV-nzkMcDkIpks0IG27OX5xI5G5WlgZLy_jy3aIkLNgXeniWC85SDUTeF3-vTUAYPQl1VBQiwCzbr0Ba3VYVHdRcbI5UghQYQ9Fdg2dBhvowVmEygYg/s4032/IMG_4545.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvM7h3jKTlorsP5uyxoWmwYr29MLasqESMv8uuVwmP7796Tb2L0D5HbmgOaAsZNPr4V6lUXviV-nzkMcDkIpks0IG27OX5xI5G5WlgZLy_jy3aIkLNgXeniWC85SDUTeF3-vTUAYPQl1VBQiwCzbr0Ba3VYVHdRcbI5UghQYQ9Fdg2dBhvowVmEygYg/w480-h640/IMG_4545.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaCYGOOss0FOQQ5ExU5oDrn7nB09eOFCZrNoNHDUp2TzNcSHZzYSxWiTJK1RHXYES9DfWV0fPLIGLDCIC2Cwy3fPcjdb8gyTz9KHi5YTw9F42yL4fG5pJK1td2lm0h1QBcxQjL5WZk4ykAD3Ei697IpHd6vjEGC_zcx2yRsNW-SvcmJmgBTPGGf_j1A/s4032/IMG_4536.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaCYGOOss0FOQQ5ExU5oDrn7nB09eOFCZrNoNHDUp2TzNcSHZzYSxWiTJK1RHXYES9DfWV0fPLIGLDCIC2Cwy3fPcjdb8gyTz9KHi5YTw9F42yL4fG5pJK1td2lm0h1QBcxQjL5WZk4ykAD3Ei697IpHd6vjEGC_zcx2yRsNW-SvcmJmgBTPGGf_j1A/w480-h640/IMG_4536.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNc_vkOQ-DJUGKlrefevq6DTzVwtmnfxtcxeyv2rGgOASMbLrKrOJeLbVQCHfxaYr_oO2k1EWwz7lUgocoZCDY2OY23Nhv3ZmIuGtqx1u7bPtuOdkL1KldsNhxSDDB6P33nu87IbXybm02JK_djx2vXbcc2GNqFtVV7Vurjbnpy9YMjwMvcG0o4V7I7w/s4032/IMG_4517%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNc_vkOQ-DJUGKlrefevq6DTzVwtmnfxtcxeyv2rGgOASMbLrKrOJeLbVQCHfxaYr_oO2k1EWwz7lUgocoZCDY2OY23Nhv3ZmIuGtqx1u7bPtuOdkL1KldsNhxSDDB6P33nu87IbXybm02JK_djx2vXbcc2GNqFtVV7Vurjbnpy9YMjwMvcG0o4V7I7w/w480-h640/IMG_4517%202.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Portland</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Set on a peninsula in the scenic Casco Bay, Portland is a hilly city with plenty of history and charm. Known as the "San Francisco of the East", Portland is not too big and not too small, making it the perfect walkable city. We made a day trip here and took in the Old Port - the waterfront that has fishing wharves and warehouses turned into restaurants and bars -, grabbed some donuts at the well revered Holy Donuts, hit a couple breweries, and a few shops and just enjoyed walking the cobblestone streets on a sunny day. I think I can easily say that it is one of my favorite cities in the US.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAC6VhHY1iVQOmFT0FGFdnCCy3EX7sxJ6t7qs8Rl63aGjxnEabBHGgCmO4dnBlCRuxOHSNVSCv2ODcSjjR8SEFFoSVwzVlcxtf4X30c-izHx3R55K8zYfzvyh-z_p20WS7vAY8nhjeqbEybPfLHT5BDkOEWWEX2WkMfThsUVsnNoh7k88VS4dNOWU0Nw/s4032/IMG_4596.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAC6VhHY1iVQOmFT0FGFdnCCy3EX7sxJ6t7qs8Rl63aGjxnEabBHGgCmO4dnBlCRuxOHSNVSCv2ODcSjjR8SEFFoSVwzVlcxtf4X30c-izHx3R55K8zYfzvyh-z_p20WS7vAY8nhjeqbEybPfLHT5BDkOEWWEX2WkMfThsUVsnNoh7k88VS4dNOWU0Nw/w640-h480/IMG_4596.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKV-8jilo1d61KhFf-4gIXFPrE6hnRVo0uKXIk9Aa636My8HafrN-1C_fE9SMggSUdmlSTZa5NrxdVLsCXut9huUOMDEjYGeu0sjRLtcRW432MHS8qo2nMxOy8wzOC5JiCE3t6gWy9I7XM8486FyZAYMqNOoy2ETjfNXiho5Za6-D0ZJO1DsbxqtxjA/s4032/IMG_4599.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKV-8jilo1d61KhFf-4gIXFPrE6hnRVo0uKXIk9Aa636My8HafrN-1C_fE9SMggSUdmlSTZa5NrxdVLsCXut9huUOMDEjYGeu0sjRLtcRW432MHS8qo2nMxOy8wzOC5JiCE3t6gWy9I7XM8486FyZAYMqNOoy2ETjfNXiho5Za6-D0ZJO1DsbxqtxjA/w480-h640/IMG_4599.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1vT5EqpQMUiNvPTY0IIQ8igM6MjSuFqTq7BjMgLWPJWyNJSVbyuzO41lT4kQiSZzEo6YNhHQ57zPcDYQjw_RB-r7C5p0l4i8qcVbav5d-BrIFgD9W0tVpG7sIGSSr4Rb793rjUVlqDnYnSo9A-eWDKadzq53w3ONPLW-M_aUSsE8WDqBPFRINFUF6g/s4032/IMG_4602.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1vT5EqpQMUiNvPTY0IIQ8igM6MjSuFqTq7BjMgLWPJWyNJSVbyuzO41lT4kQiSZzEo6YNhHQ57zPcDYQjw_RB-r7C5p0l4i8qcVbav5d-BrIFgD9W0tVpG7sIGSSr4Rb793rjUVlqDnYnSo9A-eWDKadzq53w3ONPLW-M_aUSsE8WDqBPFRINFUF6g/w640-h480/IMG_4602.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkHnci2xjXmiXz0HWRZX4anH-XlrxEsP2vojVWjQr9j3TNmxjYziPz906C1DvJWVILIDmXsbY1tPPCKCXX8rl4Ix45JTpfXiLXKsWfFf9R7XmjhaRZl_tr3l2ZddawCnUuXo0JWoC4wbvnOP1-mGkrCeyfFHG1cudCymqtE8p6XhXKTn5kUFNzZT0SA/s3739/IMG_4607.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3739" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkHnci2xjXmiXz0HWRZX4anH-XlrxEsP2vojVWjQr9j3TNmxjYziPz906C1DvJWVILIDmXsbY1tPPCKCXX8rl4Ix45JTpfXiLXKsWfFf9R7XmjhaRZl_tr3l2ZddawCnUuXo0JWoC4wbvnOP1-mGkrCeyfFHG1cudCymqtE8p6XhXKTn5kUFNzZT0SA/w518-h640/IMG_4607.jpeg" width="518" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0G9q0_riYoW5ISfqLZimajUcreG28qUAe7mnoVz2CYpGLzaiD5AX-crqrxUo12UngbB5dOGVnfv5Bh31A3pTRNNg10Kh6hSoSgCVrW1J3uJ-LST7rdBbTkoU1Cwo3FDPTreHF5pSEwAZn2P5nELd_dEF4Q3IegeDg1My56AwtRXUy3k-1dZnUgly87w/s4032/IMG_4614.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0G9q0_riYoW5ISfqLZimajUcreG28qUAe7mnoVz2CYpGLzaiD5AX-crqrxUo12UngbB5dOGVnfv5Bh31A3pTRNNg10Kh6hSoSgCVrW1J3uJ-LST7rdBbTkoU1Cwo3FDPTreHF5pSEwAZn2P5nELd_dEF4Q3IegeDg1My56AwtRXUy3k-1dZnUgly87w/w480-h640/IMG_4614.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxBeSUNJ1Hj1pfhsOnopPDLjPo8KaqA1fvd0kp0WBXsp2odo0kSCu1x5qHomlCRPL89khmkPjl82tHUNay-lh-BCiTK2KFuYW8bPX8SFW13o0_wcrgK7AokgFx3kt2EAQzSWt8csNoYFrTE6dsHXkJVgF9Imi9zfpLoeE-jq39LwEVX-sT1muom2E1Q/s4032/IMG_4618.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxBeSUNJ1Hj1pfhsOnopPDLjPo8KaqA1fvd0kp0WBXsp2odo0kSCu1x5qHomlCRPL89khmkPjl82tHUNay-lh-BCiTK2KFuYW8bPX8SFW13o0_wcrgK7AokgFx3kt2EAQzSWt8csNoYFrTE6dsHXkJVgF9Imi9zfpLoeE-jq39LwEVX-sT1muom2E1Q/w480-h640/IMG_4618.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiM3O7Su9KDK8tSyLdk30wFYMnLs-HI6s_OTDga9nmmrsQli1U9O67-FABMqwCS0ky78PKZc_WTiM7eHdCoHDJK1YqjMdGrCteKJe9McqGJPHncodCHIQmOSbg1lB2rJnStfAy9YQXlcUHkYOqwkOvT8VXEe_ysuSYtz8-PtUaaZcROxQd_lAcKUnJgg/s4032/IMG_4608.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiM3O7Su9KDK8tSyLdk30wFYMnLs-HI6s_OTDga9nmmrsQli1U9O67-FABMqwCS0ky78PKZc_WTiM7eHdCoHDJK1YqjMdGrCteKJe9McqGJPHncodCHIQmOSbg1lB2rJnStfAy9YQXlcUHkYOqwkOvT8VXEe_ysuSYtz8-PtUaaZcROxQd_lAcKUnJgg/w480-h640/IMG_4608.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi38hC9VaLoUE7xDHVMkC7cwD7IV5_ZDYV9PWZJ76CruLzVhvG8Abv9tf82lKFCP5UR5Oshb66lwv-RjfCiOYoc4rAbOzpUqfqhJ2F615FHmqC1yEkPUaxY3FsGTLxCqTIjKg4I475ke8q5nRVpMMzn0R0VhYUpL5r33A8tMFtfHg9IA_xetoD9aOMxDQ/s4029/IMG_4621.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4029" data-original-width="2698" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi38hC9VaLoUE7xDHVMkC7cwD7IV5_ZDYV9PWZJ76CruLzVhvG8Abv9tf82lKFCP5UR5Oshb66lwv-RjfCiOYoc4rAbOzpUqfqhJ2F615FHmqC1yEkPUaxY3FsGTLxCqTIjKg4I475ke8q5nRVpMMzn0R0VhYUpL5r33A8tMFtfHg9IA_xetoD9aOMxDQ/w428-h640/IMG_4621.jpeg" width="428" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6NmtYtFD0-4i2DFDmlVaWPRaPHLlAyGqhBhUwVaryV_HSgc5PZaU7vYbSIwiWSlZGRR3o0tEM39wMOVmW0DZcZgzZivKY_zwRGjntw82sCJLH1pmuqkFB0IC0kXwx8EYU-s5nxPGi8j6/s4032/IMG_4627.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6NmtYtFD0-4i2DFDmlVaWPRaPHLlAyGqhBhUwVaryV_HSgc5PZaU7vYbSIwiWSlZGRR3o0tEM39wMOVmW0DZcZgzZivKY_zwRGjntw82sCJLH1pmuqkFB0IC0kXwx8EYU-s5nxPGi8j6/w480-h640/IMG_4627.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3AQDMyEAzNvkmuVFmg3i29vrvQSDj5e8-iGpr1LvmK_VvBRwjkj1CnlN6HguizeFy9rQ0V19v04_9FjxyuVaoxRQUjTdJczpLLhuPIyEEJusTkASpsgbMZqYmxLEo-f4e66aYtq6dMSMx4f-B_XB2WMQl8leC6DrXbtBDHAhyqptGM2VBPZdW6isXbA/s4032/IMG_4625.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3AQDMyEAzNvkmuVFmg3i29vrvQSDj5e8-iGpr1LvmK_VvBRwjkj1CnlN6HguizeFy9rQ0V19v04_9FjxyuVaoxRQUjTdJczpLLhuPIyEEJusTkASpsgbMZqYmxLEo-f4e66aYtq6dMSMx4f-B_XB2WMQl8leC6DrXbtBDHAhyqptGM2VBPZdW6isXbA/w480-h640/IMG_4625.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Popham Beach</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Popham Beach, located in Phippsburg, is a state park, and it's Maine's busiest state park. There are bathhouses, fresh water showers and charcoal grills. So you can easily spend a whole day here at this wide, sandy beach. But the unique thing about this beach is it is one of "Maine's rare geologic landforms." Due to erosion, you can walk across the sand and climb an island. (I don't know how else to explain it but hopefully you can see what I mean from my photos.) Oh, and make sure you do this at low tide. And when you get tired of the sun and sand you can pop down the road to Fort Popham to take in a bit of history. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fTtQ-M9rH-G3eUFVHIYv5vgnpqdTLw-6R47j5DkGh6lsdp2-4US-mVyJkJX8cmYmFRzCfAtn2I7qOq5klWQ8-7DdjxUX1hioF_qycrm_brGxHcjjBd5QX2HMdgyD1KFPlJjBSi49deRSG4YTV_fRjcfaepyx_0J-B3BGQYnJs5toh81aOMyNTvtIJg/s4032/IMG_4766.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fTtQ-M9rH-G3eUFVHIYv5vgnpqdTLw-6R47j5DkGh6lsdp2-4US-mVyJkJX8cmYmFRzCfAtn2I7qOq5klWQ8-7DdjxUX1hioF_qycrm_brGxHcjjBd5QX2HMdgyD1KFPlJjBSi49deRSG4YTV_fRjcfaepyx_0J-B3BGQYnJs5toh81aOMyNTvtIJg/w640-h480/IMG_4766.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUi_tGTcK9trlM_C7kqUrk4BKgNCXengAs7t4oHct1eW757w2Ts2GNJP37Ek8Wt6weuhrmR8eRN8Sk_-RSR0QXhmeEg42rwaTIwTFgirzqM2PM-_AjeW0QKDy7sIOZ-CFFKUOBworeXOCsIor6_A2UB6_1unTAHyM5rll9lLvzUrvPI54XxnELxqrMFw/s4032/IMG_4758.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUi_tGTcK9trlM_C7kqUrk4BKgNCXengAs7t4oHct1eW757w2Ts2GNJP37Ek8Wt6weuhrmR8eRN8Sk_-RSR0QXhmeEg42rwaTIwTFgirzqM2PM-_AjeW0QKDy7sIOZ-CFFKUOBworeXOCsIor6_A2UB6_1unTAHyM5rll9lLvzUrvPI54XxnELxqrMFw/w640-h480/IMG_4758.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzy-GCxcWBY3lEFTrQFZeizFvV8QpLHGf1NNq87n4G0cO71QRvfFvnS9LJVS-F9kj6Ffs-kDp4MgMqLyOtH2FWV_ubKaHlDybuCH5SPKn1FLBeoVtGnCOaxic-mI-J6_PHnVulUWItR_--3H_YqKCKfKzCankxeV2obC83dyzy3KPRVczF0y6HxUteQw/s4032/IMG_4753.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzy-GCxcWBY3lEFTrQFZeizFvV8QpLHGf1NNq87n4G0cO71QRvfFvnS9LJVS-F9kj6Ffs-kDp4MgMqLyOtH2FWV_ubKaHlDybuCH5SPKn1FLBeoVtGnCOaxic-mI-J6_PHnVulUWItR_--3H_YqKCKfKzCankxeV2obC83dyzy3KPRVczF0y6HxUteQw/w640-h480/IMG_4753.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24kqYa0JUJHgy7oDfSnDfUCXoL4DslauHhDJ86fgs8WORQrYlTjp3wqxbg9tiG4QCaT1pBivO1vTXmPhLS72iWYtjxtOKgqt7JzeMX7QEWXaoc0MfKqf_UOpABHVEngg5m7PTS85GnfZHtH7issNIPBJAd4TV8AbqlXGkY0JhVfPhDXJJW_1A8JPfIg/s4032/IMG_4769.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24kqYa0JUJHgy7oDfSnDfUCXoL4DslauHhDJ86fgs8WORQrYlTjp3wqxbg9tiG4QCaT1pBivO1vTXmPhLS72iWYtjxtOKgqt7JzeMX7QEWXaoc0MfKqf_UOpABHVEngg5m7PTS85GnfZHtH7issNIPBJAd4TV8AbqlXGkY0JhVfPhDXJJW_1A8JPfIg/w640-h480/IMG_4769.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzKnWtzFZxvRmtDkWbNZMqMkRKe_RsAxKXBSjJHhBiW-qmBtmwl4y4zD4XzUs9dR-HbWWzoV9Km021n_QIrhQBODIkiAH-SgW3NyUR3bhCTr_irtWd36OAIRBzXm0flwdINwS2C2zx7AUqF22lgoAzpto4_hd6KNtOzmt0cDIchOE1xbe-q_fnOtFRg/s4032/IMG_4763.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzKnWtzFZxvRmtDkWbNZMqMkRKe_RsAxKXBSjJHhBiW-qmBtmwl4y4zD4XzUs9dR-HbWWzoV9Km021n_QIrhQBODIkiAH-SgW3NyUR3bhCTr_irtWd36OAIRBzXm0flwdINwS2C2zx7AUqF22lgoAzpto4_hd6KNtOzmt0cDIchOE1xbe-q_fnOtFRg/w640-h480/IMG_4763.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vxOZEtDJkGP82qJQIK-98pNQE-m7dCp3ep5x4H4mLSs6h2PHytwBoG__IIr330HpeOwoR355RbDWmHaXafNV5RQoAnnZqIW9K5tDsnd2NFVls29qZ0XIsGljYSu-bPr0pj0C7GYJfOcuTztSSHbFc93fQCUCzad077q-UNMO4tiSkF_fZZyqkRfOQA/s4032/IMG_4774.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vxOZEtDJkGP82qJQIK-98pNQE-m7dCp3ep5x4H4mLSs6h2PHytwBoG__IIr330HpeOwoR355RbDWmHaXafNV5RQoAnnZqIW9K5tDsnd2NFVls29qZ0XIsGljYSu-bPr0pj0C7GYJfOcuTztSSHbFc93fQCUCzad077q-UNMO4tiSkF_fZZyqkRfOQA/w640-h480/IMG_4774.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Damariscotta</b></span> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Damariscotta is a small town in Lincoln County, about 15 minutes from Wiscasset (where we were staying) It is the gateway to Monhegan Island - where you catch the boat to the island - but it is quite a town to visit in it's own right. Known for it's oysters - and oyster tasting - we didn't partake of this specialty but we did enjoy some shopping along the one main street. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">There are two outposts of the famous Maine department store, Reny's, which I so love. So a stop here was a must, along with a souvenir store - where I bought my grandson a t-shirt and myself a sweatshirt - and perhaps my most favorite store there, The Kingfisher and The Queen. This is a kind of gift/home goods/kids shop that has many one of a kind items. I spent a good amount of time here - every nook and cranny has something unique - and made quite a few purchases. In fact, I would love to go back during the holiday season just to visit this store - and see Damariscotta all dressed for Christmas.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If shopping isn't your thing, then some other things to do here are: Visit the Shell Midden - a midden is a dumping site for organic waste - which holds the oyster shells from the Native American people, the Wawenock Abenaki, from 2,500 years ago.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Have a drink at King Eider's Pub, a classic British style pub right in town.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And end the day at Oxbow Brewing's Farmhouse Beer Garden, which is not really in Damariscotta but nearby in Newcastle. Having been to Oxbow before, we knew it was a place we wanted to go back to. This brewing company is in the woods of Newcastle with a rustic tasting room and outdoor deck overlooking a pond. And you should especially visit if you're an IPA fan - it's what they're known for.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoRPr0aOsoZbsYUGjqnbJ-cMybfUWhiW2IONAJbW85KHVASUlynApkAq40kEor9u9EG-jskrV1DAPSufpFEPBdOTaUVjSkqUoR0On5S330Gfx9BlkgSNjPpesXbaKa12QSGLTcl-KoVdJpqur_swtUPSnAhmMDJ9Ze5chjj7TqjZ1jhZjKs8zSdtgCVg/s4029/IMG_4722.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4029" data-original-width="2804" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoRPr0aOsoZbsYUGjqnbJ-cMybfUWhiW2IONAJbW85KHVASUlynApkAq40kEor9u9EG-jskrV1DAPSufpFEPBdOTaUVjSkqUoR0On5S330Gfx9BlkgSNjPpesXbaKa12QSGLTcl-KoVdJpqur_swtUPSnAhmMDJ9Ze5chjj7TqjZ1jhZjKs8zSdtgCVg/w446-h640/IMG_4722.jpeg" width="446" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqU6hwTc6e4JKvvtlbScy9OwyfMYyAWvNu47R8d6eihy09M3HQ91M91V4peUOADZM9q6CKqfRQUj4sZz08PbmNsj72IvOF8nus_OXu7CUQu5Tzi8kT5uRHC_qQS_40KlMDoj-s1RZt6-7Uz3uMdS4KSoPAi6KHE6ebzZamhYp1u8vA0DSMDIjsShXlHg/s4032/IMG_4720.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqU6hwTc6e4JKvvtlbScy9OwyfMYyAWvNu47R8d6eihy09M3HQ91M91V4peUOADZM9q6CKqfRQUj4sZz08PbmNsj72IvOF8nus_OXu7CUQu5Tzi8kT5uRHC_qQS_40KlMDoj-s1RZt6-7Uz3uMdS4KSoPAi6KHE6ebzZamhYp1u8vA0DSMDIjsShXlHg/w640-h480/IMG_4720.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX8mTk69SiWaTrRNqCSkmPvi9OCnOpIvhrIiSZi2uEPLPn57nRcq-694pU4oF-8DgoUF-6v3HXVZajpg_wG_E1pNiASK_OBQ_CBJgkBhehq8TisDH2PZ0Of9ip-mWowUlmLyXmNvKuWzL_rJjc9jp0Bn9LOhUn6cieeS7hrzZQv1yeaIz_S1A5WBpnkA/s4032/IMG_4723.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX8mTk69SiWaTrRNqCSkmPvi9OCnOpIvhrIiSZi2uEPLPn57nRcq-694pU4oF-8DgoUF-6v3HXVZajpg_wG_E1pNiASK_OBQ_CBJgkBhehq8TisDH2PZ0Of9ip-mWowUlmLyXmNvKuWzL_rJjc9jp0Bn9LOhUn6cieeS7hrzZQv1yeaIz_S1A5WBpnkA/w480-h640/IMG_4723.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Lobster Pounds</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Despite the fact that I'm not a fan of lobster, one of my favorite things to do is visit Lobster Pounds. They, almost all, come with great views, are on the water, have good food and to me, there's not much better than a good ole lobster pound in Maine. On our last visit we visited three lobster pounds -</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sprague's Lobster, Wiscasset</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This lobster pound was directly across the river from where we were staying. And though most people flock to the very famous Red's Eats, we chose to head to the little known Sprague's. And we liked it so much that we went twice! You stand in line to order (but so much shorter lines than Red's), pay in cash only and they call your number when it's ready. Have a seat at a picnic table, and voila! You've got a great dinner in a fun atmosphere on the river. I'd go back again!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnwRfvHzrIV7HVHHgoPB_9KnZTax9qr1NI5p3O2Cw37eGXnSMYs7646VnhAad5B3FeVkwcJSBOc3oPjXmBUALBF8pGtSpaYP2hiEDsm3hygcURGw10NzotEOz19A-PmUoAihFMTB0f_7u9f6uXflLEEeO_1fVKaguqBxUQu_hBfh6oCPj8QeGEZnkbg/s4032/IMG_4558.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnwRfvHzrIV7HVHHgoPB_9KnZTax9qr1NI5p3O2Cw37eGXnSMYs7646VnhAad5B3FeVkwcJSBOc3oPjXmBUALBF8pGtSpaYP2hiEDsm3hygcURGw10NzotEOz19A-PmUoAihFMTB0f_7u9f6uXflLEEeO_1fVKaguqBxUQu_hBfh6oCPj8QeGEZnkbg/w640-h480/IMG_4558.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7chlxnmMoIhal2EJarJ9ozN3Da0jFM9NHN3daGOssAq296b8EdknLKoJHtKa1bBAjuZrwqt6bF5idwsauieK2kxLvugYWv3Gksof0AYKyGhh4rPHCxmeAdE_6_yrQX1zLhw8pU3a4YOIEtCwXWUw5KtX_fZiIwKDUbwWrnQaXX0B6LInA0XfTE_661Q/s4032/IMG_4561.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7chlxnmMoIhal2EJarJ9ozN3Da0jFM9NHN3daGOssAq296b8EdknLKoJHtKa1bBAjuZrwqt6bF5idwsauieK2kxLvugYWv3Gksof0AYKyGhh4rPHCxmeAdE_6_yrQX1zLhw8pU3a4YOIEtCwXWUw5KtX_fZiIwKDUbwWrnQaXX0B6LInA0XfTE_661Q/w480-h640/IMG_4561.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnO1LhQv6vjpzx5ueIrHEKnGSOyzCXVkQEAB_RkgXPLLhLT1HHTx2aeaFgWkBgLHu00TwExwqnvWfAK5cYbyJmi1_js04H5f0QpZ9NyEDPRRTBfNBpxpuIufG0xvlx5RGIYAHqFC4G1i8b9y_cNAdA5YFD2zV_-t2rcoc0ub9kCvlhLr_T-aobFBOpQ/s4032/IMG_4562.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnO1LhQv6vjpzx5ueIrHEKnGSOyzCXVkQEAB_RkgXPLLhLT1HHTx2aeaFgWkBgLHu00TwExwqnvWfAK5cYbyJmi1_js04H5f0QpZ9NyEDPRRTBfNBpxpuIufG0xvlx5RGIYAHqFC4G1i8b9y_cNAdA5YFD2zV_-t2rcoc0ub9kCvlhLr_T-aobFBOpQ/w480-h640/IMG_4562.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">Five Islands Lobster Company, Georgetown</b></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Five Islands Lobster Company has the quintessential Maine view of boats on a bay and rocky islands with Maine style homes on them. You can sit at a picnic table enjoying your meal while watching the boats come and go. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHHC9TU37fqaelJE3MjWXudLz2mn_dQQGR6fdhOilNO9g8L0BNqlHsDBmUW608x4KQso4I-EhttqRsBHvR4rAJXyilOnncYVrliWEII7suLTjyJu-gFp4cAiZTF8b-DlND4LQuyYr9ARvgqgERd-AesTjbYSEk78DMWqLyGFRnRyAhhCX4Dd9dzNBhA/s4027/IMG_4813.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4027" data-original-width="2617" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHHC9TU37fqaelJE3MjWXudLz2mn_dQQGR6fdhOilNO9g8L0BNqlHsDBmUW608x4KQso4I-EhttqRsBHvR4rAJXyilOnncYVrliWEII7suLTjyJu-gFp4cAiZTF8b-DlND4LQuyYr9ARvgqgERd-AesTjbYSEk78DMWqLyGFRnRyAhhCX4Dd9dzNBhA/w416-h640/IMG_4813.jpeg" width="416" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmldvaTgXyZKnzJwDOHNQtNBmJqeVZw3aFa066l4YPQ7l96xBnpTahSx5YZhYbpg-qosVa1vacxis1ZDoVT3wzyE68ZDAPUDRSgfdiSckLbrKgaXC8WZAbvtJnNlI7yEPOAD0r8PdhyTuEbp_qn9MVoQI3WmSOpwcFEYlVhW8aBoIDtwpG8x22Mlx_w/s4032/IMG_4815.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmldvaTgXyZKnzJwDOHNQtNBmJqeVZw3aFa066l4YPQ7l96xBnpTahSx5YZhYbpg-qosVa1vacxis1ZDoVT3wzyE68ZDAPUDRSgfdiSckLbrKgaXC8WZAbvtJnNlI7yEPOAD0r8PdhyTuEbp_qn9MVoQI3WmSOpwcFEYlVhW8aBoIDtwpG8x22Mlx_w/w480-h640/IMG_4815.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Lobsters are pulled straight from the surrounding waters and never tank-stored. You can finish off your meal of fried seafood baskets, homemade onion rings, steamers, mussels and coleslaw with Maine made ice cream. (And if you're not a seafood lover, they also serve burgers, hotdogs and grilled cheese) They don't serve alcohol but you're allowed to bring your own cooler stocked with your favorite beverage. And as they say there, This is Dinner in Maine.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gmr1u4SHcbeN0ftdy8T_LpT7ixHtW3sOCGG96r1Z2ruNU3PQ6QLuLyptqsCui-cToJwxH2zPG7BAg-6DaIKJC0rWk35c32NsBGeYnQz2MxlzkdjgAcsTzrx9b1QAXdoQoxXom9brXWbOI2NFmz99iAHlMFjOc7_da9u-JkMZpyZSvGafJogX3tVFpw/s4032/IMG_4818.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gmr1u4SHcbeN0ftdy8T_LpT7ixHtW3sOCGG96r1Z2ruNU3PQ6QLuLyptqsCui-cToJwxH2zPG7BAg-6DaIKJC0rWk35c32NsBGeYnQz2MxlzkdjgAcsTzrx9b1QAXdoQoxXom9brXWbOI2NFmz99iAHlMFjOc7_da9u-JkMZpyZSvGafJogX3tVFpw/w640-h480/IMG_4818.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMU8R4HNVv4Ex6OR9qqBcYwkeKAqhI2ZYpJD6KBhsqLxkx-J8vXa_Pc4l5kR-0KiXN_U-NNSCEGedM7ZY16tsONThRZPS752ONDe9EaXKJjwBNJ9tqjzozQpTu0PWKVYxDlwNXZTb_sVny9ya3FPh10eYV2fsZKYN8oQdiergc_x9qUjbayQK7ij3ww/s4032/IMG_4797.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMU8R4HNVv4Ex6OR9qqBcYwkeKAqhI2ZYpJD6KBhsqLxkx-J8vXa_Pc4l5kR-0KiXN_U-NNSCEGedM7ZY16tsONThRZPS752ONDe9EaXKJjwBNJ9tqjzozQpTu0PWKVYxDlwNXZTb_sVny9ya3FPh10eYV2fsZKYN8oQdiergc_x9qUjbayQK7ij3ww/w640-h480/IMG_4797.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4u_D4gOVgJV_JzjXd5zcRmy55e04nTij3tlDMhGetNMlB5cheOC-VHvzp9zLHl974YO6ZX69KJZjfOfmpQONsO5bfIwXT7YHGNgkyUPsUhTDVqnZpiWUIr5WeXG7S6ET6xZ_cMHE__PIbb8tXTXlB7Due_Wc7zJsoREDtMMbfF9Dlt3xMomMUfvQvA/s4032/IMG_4799.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4u_D4gOVgJV_JzjXd5zcRmy55e04nTij3tlDMhGetNMlB5cheOC-VHvzp9zLHl974YO6ZX69KJZjfOfmpQONsO5bfIwXT7YHGNgkyUPsUhTDVqnZpiWUIr5WeXG7S6ET6xZ_cMHE__PIbb8tXTXlB7Due_Wc7zJsoREDtMMbfF9Dlt3xMomMUfvQvA/w640-h480/IMG_4799.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>McLoons Lobster Shack</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Voted One of the Best 8 Lobster Rolls in Maine - and that's saying something - McLoons is located in South Thomaston right on the water. Yes, it's another lobster pound with fantastic water views. This one is family owned and located on a working lobster wharf - which means the lobsters come in straight off the boat right here. It's a little bit out of the way - it's on Spruce Head Island - but I think most would say that it's worth working your way there. The menu is small but you really can't go wrong with lobster, lobster rolls, clam rolls, and/or oysters served with a side of Cape Cod chips and coleslaw. Simple and good. (And if you can't make it to McLoons then you can have it shipped to you - year round)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbRFUtX8t-scsBU0kSCEM9l-stBTTcgQwD5EWNgbqQEnjWi7bfFJ_FV5rZVD_63LOyvSSMKm5o_wbbfvfOkPDvvRkliHU6W8yAxZ8qmhNpe96VeSW6U2wiE5-UDmDRdFV29G0QcHNlFNfqSWU_C9igmYSagB788MC_tKlRnHtcviP4JX40QfF4FU_Etw/s4032/IMG_4711.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbRFUtX8t-scsBU0kSCEM9l-stBTTcgQwD5EWNgbqQEnjWi7bfFJ_FV5rZVD_63LOyvSSMKm5o_wbbfvfOkPDvvRkliHU6W8yAxZ8qmhNpe96VeSW6U2wiE5-UDmDRdFV29G0QcHNlFNfqSWU_C9igmYSagB788MC_tKlRnHtcviP4JX40QfF4FU_Etw/w640-h480/IMG_4711.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRfxndeWDwwZxy3_-Fb9HbPxJxD_inyHTHJxIjJngc5nxp5YTHUj-66UtmZ5OY38b5LcUUKhaeVJRgVnlvdn91ohRcLwA4myYB9nKrmF_l5aiJ_Qh4SgUR_bjivWnYvdoAnUrDlVTkXHItIL6xlvJUATpfwqjGMLfLcnIycRxLvyEBHU5BcgCn03jtQ/s4032/IMG_4710.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRfxndeWDwwZxy3_-Fb9HbPxJxD_inyHTHJxIjJngc5nxp5YTHUj-66UtmZ5OY38b5LcUUKhaeVJRgVnlvdn91ohRcLwA4myYB9nKrmF_l5aiJ_Qh4SgUR_bjivWnYvdoAnUrDlVTkXHItIL6xlvJUATpfwqjGMLfLcnIycRxLvyEBHU5BcgCn03jtQ/w480-h640/IMG_4710.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxnxjFWLmh7QWd4KRbHVeVloTrMKGIuCkd7UMauPMwRl7gC3dVEbGqXccYlCLhwU5UrJYuOb5O3Zm2dYBsFNxksy4lDYtCk5tobBUXkwFQPuU5j25h7ltqzkaxtMuGLuWTsoVebF98dOKXQ3cigFvRMCKOkfuLewzXfmLpjD6a4rtgM5sF4xShbXYuA/s4032/IMG_4714.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxnxjFWLmh7QWd4KRbHVeVloTrMKGIuCkd7UMauPMwRl7gC3dVEbGqXccYlCLhwU5UrJYuOb5O3Zm2dYBsFNxksy4lDYtCk5tobBUXkwFQPuU5j25h7ltqzkaxtMuGLuWTsoVebF98dOKXQ3cigFvRMCKOkfuLewzXfmLpjD6a4rtgM5sF4xShbXYuA/w640-h480/IMG_4714.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I would visit Maine every year - every part of the state! </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrz8VuPugtt5BG87_esdG-jVojWKOoBSkEOCaiMHMZSM4gZFdfr1RfUBYrdCtgEC5KeOXKhwWepP50Bs1TrwPUwDssbG2cOgVQHTI1HAcGgF0kDlO3m01o1f8T5Pv78joOJ6oG7rYGSGOZO1QVKkwe04VzS1418cROOiXG5m2-AaffIawK_wG_h0PWQ/s4032/IMG_4539.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrz8VuPugtt5BG87_esdG-jVojWKOoBSkEOCaiMHMZSM4gZFdfr1RfUBYrdCtgEC5KeOXKhwWepP50Bs1TrwPUwDssbG2cOgVQHTI1HAcGgF0kDlO3m01o1f8T5Pv78joOJ6oG7rYGSGOZO1QVKkwe04VzS1418cROOiXG5m2-AaffIawK_wG_h0PWQ/w480-h640/IMG_4539.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexL6tkoa__5SX-biYpZU5tJJQTq6EjmNr3G8LwMe_8BytMXkWexXBAKby_75dq_G9uXfR1nRM7Sw3IUmkSnxCafw_iR6TOcgDqoZvfoxpg4ly3oKTa-kass5XLTkAqtdAcxFjUKpSZ-efmCVt-rZcDN4_A5nAafEsPqk4Dat1pGykvyV-4Xk-j9gzVw/s3087/IMG_4553.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3087" data-original-width="3022" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexL6tkoa__5SX-biYpZU5tJJQTq6EjmNr3G8LwMe_8BytMXkWexXBAKby_75dq_G9uXfR1nRM7Sw3IUmkSnxCafw_iR6TOcgDqoZvfoxpg4ly3oKTa-kass5XLTkAqtdAcxFjUKpSZ-efmCVt-rZcDN4_A5nAafEsPqk4Dat1pGykvyV-4Xk-j9gzVw/w626-h640/IMG_4553.jpeg" width="626" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSUdZImx5kZkgKANEUTL0_Ar25NHzG2gXzSGdVN08VK22vqE_v2apyNIiquaQ8KuTy9MyXqjZONDVkRiXiEtqYIY204jAMKkMpOLaEdOgmyz7yBQA9BuAkh1IxlfeDG2ZO3SorceV3kTF2r7jZFiUS9S8Zoj9mRU2nQBlP66M_9l1z50ulaNN8lhMLQ/s4032/IMG_4606.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSUdZImx5kZkgKANEUTL0_Ar25NHzG2gXzSGdVN08VK22vqE_v2apyNIiquaQ8KuTy9MyXqjZONDVkRiXiEtqYIY204jAMKkMpOLaEdOgmyz7yBQA9BuAkh1IxlfeDG2ZO3SorceV3kTF2r7jZFiUS9S8Zoj9mRU2nQBlP66M_9l1z50ulaNN8lhMLQ/w640-h480/IMG_4606.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">How about you? Have you been to Maine?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpyr3H8qGIg2m1AouyMKejb3XOWiO6wdkfxCCrh8V76wFy_Y0Zbs4ncqZzda4ax0rN2UMJlQcuhaUihRnQNhj1ynH83-QK7dICWHV0P60-o_JchhrC2S7LQkjr3og1jBhy5Ofac1mXtvrlMinLNmR8rRf_LzxPIMqUBGVbcmjIF8kEoxV-jnbxkM1WQ/s200/mcotw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpyr3H8qGIg2m1AouyMKejb3XOWiO6wdkfxCCrh8V76wFy_Y0Zbs4ncqZzda4ax0rN2UMJlQcuhaUihRnQNhj1ynH83-QK7dICWHV0P60-o_JchhrC2S7LQkjr3og1jBhy5Ofac1mXtvrlMinLNmR8rRf_LzxPIMqUBGVbcmjIF8kEoxV-jnbxkM1WQ/w400-h300/mcotw.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-13505279616955455192023-01-26T12:01:00.001-08:002023-01-26T12:03:55.842-08:00How to Spend a Weekend at Utah's Capitol Reef National Park<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgan8MVuD8YJZS8cZy4oD73zrvzDZxmrHfkna_RHwBk66elpvcqCxgmmBNpLOrFTbn2WlJlwsSnMSpvEhiI1jbWbUxzuYn3U21SIy8NdLgtFwuxzOdjagBmkEOEBP96pIMInEbVXyYe3FWi28_tjKLV2E5wtIw8kkQf1LHaGgayH3HdqB6r7VuL-3VJYg/s4032/IMG_3675.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgan8MVuD8YJZS8cZy4oD73zrvzDZxmrHfkna_RHwBk66elpvcqCxgmmBNpLOrFTbn2WlJlwsSnMSpvEhiI1jbWbUxzuYn3U21SIy8NdLgtFwuxzOdjagBmkEOEBP96pIMInEbVXyYe3FWi28_tjKLV2E5wtIw8kkQf1LHaGgayH3HdqB6r7VuL-3VJYg/w480-h640/IMG_3675.jpeg" width="480" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br />Utah's main claim to fame, besides being the home of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons), is The Mighty Five. Bryce, Zion, Canyonlands, Arches and Capitol Reef National Parks make up the Mighty Five and make for an incredible national park hopping trip. We ticked off Bryce and Zion a few years back with our son and his wife and then a few years later made it to Arches. Which left us with the two least visited, and most remote, parks of the Mighty Five still to visit. Last June, Mr. UR's brother and his wife were doing their own two week tour around Utah and invited us to meet up with them. We settled on a weekend in Capitol Reef National Park including the (fairly) nearby Goblin Valley State Park and Little Wild Horse Canyon.</span> <span style="font-size: large;">It is quite the unique area of Utah and as happens every time I visit, I was blown away by the sheer beauty of this underrated state. Here's the highlights of our visit there:</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrcct7d_DGWcTD68QSMXw7zF9fPrKgwblAptiBMXFw0xzLZzOyieLcraBFoEfdHaJiPBnb1QoHSJjSg4GuCjTfaMxepBiFYwRRXf3FVhz4Rms01S9tk318Ka1fnBVRSVaybOswuriCqbvPG90mGCgSZx_xpeys6rYz_ca05LVGHhRm2W6wWvQlcHmEQ/s4032/IMG_3677.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrcct7d_DGWcTD68QSMXw7zF9fPrKgwblAptiBMXFw0xzLZzOyieLcraBFoEfdHaJiPBnb1QoHSJjSg4GuCjTfaMxepBiFYwRRXf3FVhz4Rms01S9tk318Ka1fnBVRSVaybOswuriCqbvPG90mGCgSZx_xpeys6rYz_ca05LVGHhRm2W6wWvQlcHmEQ/w640-h480/IMG_3677.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Goblin Valley State Park - Land of Mystical Goblins</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Goblin Valley State Park sits in, really, the middle of nowhere. Pure desert. And it is one of the most unique state parks, and landscapes, I've been to. First discovered by cowboys looking for their cattle, this land of strange shaped rock formations and surrounded by cliffs was first called Mushroom Valley. There are thousands of unique geologic goblins which were created by erosion. You won't soon forget a visit to this unique state park.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJ6VmUobw38d1auOAX30peQPC9zk185wVWgbuYiuAiRcpCKUld2axRAqOu-F1q0kmrQKsnljVCWw07_eR86Rq7jkFTq_HC9fHI3r55twVcTyzHZHgzhkKmOPrIKivtcvl_9ifSFVV7nAMSN3YvAo39SeytspKCKhBnVPtCas7luq4IeZyEfjcsceuOg/s4032/IMG_3335.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJ6VmUobw38d1auOAX30peQPC9zk185wVWgbuYiuAiRcpCKUld2axRAqOu-F1q0kmrQKsnljVCWw07_eR86Rq7jkFTq_HC9fHI3r55twVcTyzHZHgzhkKmOPrIKivtcvl_9ifSFVV7nAMSN3YvAo39SeytspKCKhBnVPtCas7luq4IeZyEfjcsceuOg/w640-h480/IMG_3335.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRivaqMCSXeP1tqqvCFyOR6p3e96wQmlo9tsFUbpOuMy7Akp-SgCynC-w9O6TWYBC1Los8FtVnJY0BsE2jCpzNKLCAebvI8r-Qwh56rTUYUfebTeK1MjYpWLccxuU3-qdCdQkA2Ty6pD0quQBodj8C5CDd2zeM7YM1lNucnHzvz7KF8Hi9ZC_inMXf7A/s3897/IMG_3338.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2923" data-original-width="3897" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRivaqMCSXeP1tqqvCFyOR6p3e96wQmlo9tsFUbpOuMy7Akp-SgCynC-w9O6TWYBC1Los8FtVnJY0BsE2jCpzNKLCAebvI8r-Qwh56rTUYUfebTeK1MjYpWLccxuU3-qdCdQkA2Ty6pD0quQBodj8C5CDd2zeM7YM1lNucnHzvz7KF8Hi9ZC_inMXf7A/w640-h480/IMG_3338.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1i0Mz9kRaicNYfU2H-3-k14Qm0ErxXYW8CS7z6crjtJvWiaoxYG-tMibAqtsv-fdHdqLhg8e2ziK_CWoL5Vz3Wgayh4mbTuaDIsvo1NVl_7LKt-mSnBg5KSuM7jydIBK2g8-LlN-PTHv3jaUiWh-M-gmwwTSc4zroIjYwIhxc5t6HnpcJ3kc5kc2JcA/s3088/IMG_3354.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1i0Mz9kRaicNYfU2H-3-k14Qm0ErxXYW8CS7z6crjtJvWiaoxYG-tMibAqtsv-fdHdqLhg8e2ziK_CWoL5Vz3Wgayh4mbTuaDIsvo1NVl_7LKt-mSnBg5KSuM7jydIBK2g8-LlN-PTHv3jaUiWh-M-gmwwTSc4zroIjYwIhxc5t6HnpcJ3kc5kc2JcA/w640-h480/IMG_3354.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GLqjaQ_W8qORKxJoGyKvIGunnS8BZkATHWfTlesX0td2IK9U2Qg1Uwkj_xQLjgcxd6fXbJY1I_h1MWK81XmPrBmmu6K3BfXcicNu5T60jn9QQsIMdP591vnmBO8VQKCQ-WLc2wO2IUXpY_k3_euW1bQRED_jKfcBe0QrCBmGyJwdUaBFBtLGJ7MH2Q/s4032/IMG_3369.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GLqjaQ_W8qORKxJoGyKvIGunnS8BZkATHWfTlesX0td2IK9U2Qg1Uwkj_xQLjgcxd6fXbJY1I_h1MWK81XmPrBmmu6K3BfXcicNu5T60jn9QQsIMdP591vnmBO8VQKCQ-WLc2wO2IUXpY_k3_euW1bQRED_jKfcBe0QrCBmGyJwdUaBFBtLGJ7MH2Q/w480-h640/IMG_3369.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hike Amongst the Goblins -</b>The main activity here is hiking - there are six miles of trails - though in recent years a disc golf course and mountain biking trail have been opened. Goblin Valley is divided into three separate areas: the first valley is mostly flat, the second here has several canyons - the further up the canyons, the taller the goblins - and the third valley is a mile south of the main observation point with no trails or markings of any king (it is suggested that you be highly experienced in desert back country navigation to hike here) We hiked a bit of the first valley but mainly stayed in the second valley. Be prepared for heat as there is very little shade but water and restrooms available at the main viewpoint.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtB6m4_H4R_5NVUUkfW0WQZisozJFqQsUlJtmLOTl4s3VLjuoafBegeY2H-pHs33rYLNiEpUTfrlwTDjF-7xBnBpUUKkv4iYnwJ6YzxcS7vHXSMlkJuYMXd83LvGYJcf6aniIzXLd4r1JRgbs263NVuYwMccaCZxKEJvTBOAP1lfYzxSFB7JzeVIF6Q/s4032/IMG_3365.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtB6m4_H4R_5NVUUkfW0WQZisozJFqQsUlJtmLOTl4s3VLjuoafBegeY2H-pHs33rYLNiEpUTfrlwTDjF-7xBnBpUUKkv4iYnwJ6YzxcS7vHXSMlkJuYMXd83LvGYJcf6aniIzXLd4r1JRgbs263NVuYwMccaCZxKEJvTBOAP1lfYzxSFB7JzeVIF6Q/w640-h480/IMG_3365.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAf8YTWGiSVG7U-tJgbm4xL4kRcmPJU7YQbz1-ywg8YOe65g64oJMf281PbQjITe8kaKJ5xNvg8Zbwe0EZ_4Rn4ZdV_kLFz3wc6veC9oXWK1cp0TK2j_CdPNfjx5E2ktlpF5qNV3Qi6SkcG1An9AOT5ij57N3XgM05BVAIdQKNyyYYxC7YTsop01jng/s4032/IMG_3333.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAf8YTWGiSVG7U-tJgbm4xL4kRcmPJU7YQbz1-ywg8YOe65g64oJMf281PbQjITe8kaKJ5xNvg8Zbwe0EZ_4Rn4ZdV_kLFz3wc6veC9oXWK1cp0TK2j_CdPNfjx5E2ktlpF5qNV3Qi6SkcG1An9AOT5ij57N3XgM05BVAIdQKNyyYYxC7YTsop01jng/w640-h480/IMG_3333.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO264hSRRxgN8zu93rB2uSQ6-6y12huklbOqGzjwWFl1XlGe1X17SWtj3ISYTDxen-NDdpwwN1Lp9Npk_lBujQZ-4wvp6UvfrV1A22OJ2ZkVWvNcLFF-AxzDF6jsQKFN4mTLRnBToQ-b-hcfEzMN-rBqRD0CdhvHHYXggiD4t4ZLP42QZ6byR-rkn6fQ/s4032/IMG_3330.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO264hSRRxgN8zu93rB2uSQ6-6y12huklbOqGzjwWFl1XlGe1X17SWtj3ISYTDxen-NDdpwwN1Lp9Npk_lBujQZ-4wvp6UvfrV1A22OJ2ZkVWvNcLFF-AxzDF6jsQKFN4mTLRnBToQ-b-hcfEzMN-rBqRD0CdhvHHYXggiD4t4ZLP42QZ6byR-rkn6fQ/w640-h480/IMG_3330.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwCcIHK7yG-MRa0pE4ZRG8NzcfrdsF8PfRXFEFRhSqUmQFYAGc-oS2sSQdqavBAFU2cMuQPDhJOPDK2JIq1Af5cxUMW_SHVoFMcfSLXEuSrTfYFperOoFLKQ3vzK-7fx1UK0_bW_WdhRwH_v5hewmvXgouXLG3D3HxPBmzohFQNg_rYArM0bMzFdWlqQ/s4032/IMG_3336.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwCcIHK7yG-MRa0pE4ZRG8NzcfrdsF8PfRXFEFRhSqUmQFYAGc-oS2sSQdqavBAFU2cMuQPDhJOPDK2JIq1Af5cxUMW_SHVoFMcfSLXEuSrTfYFperOoFLKQ3vzK-7fx1UK0_bW_WdhRwH_v5hewmvXgouXLG3D3HxPBmzohFQNg_rYArM0bMzFdWlqQ/w640-h480/IMG_3336.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbxegqtyzlattwCebJJtpETW8kCERkHbavCeIauyu-9vekjrgIcoO7WyIUpPeIelUF5m-pWQTJT6KPrvbkR3HZLnh53I7X4pqzDUXBAGj3WMhAJuacxNSuyItwZ6vJeLMdlSpPS57X85AqfU7kzvuZgx9TuXzi_x1R89i_pGv9bE_A3AdZdrmS_2mJg/s1334/IMG_3754.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="598" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbxegqtyzlattwCebJJtpETW8kCERkHbavCeIauyu-9vekjrgIcoO7WyIUpPeIelUF5m-pWQTJT6KPrvbkR3HZLnh53I7X4pqzDUXBAGj3WMhAJuacxNSuyItwZ6vJeLMdlSpPS57X85AqfU7kzvuZgx9TuXzi_x1R89i_pGv9bE_A3AdZdrmS_2mJg/w286-h640/IMG_3754.jpeg" width="286" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>See Some Dark Skies -</b>The other pull to Goblin Valley is its Dark Skies program. In 2015, the National Park Services Dark Sky Team visited here and determined that Goblin Valley had one of the darkest skies on earth. As it virtually sits in the middle of nowhere, there is absolutely no light pollution and it offers unparalleled views of the Milky Way.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We stayed in the town of Green River, Utah which is approximately 50 miles away. If you'd like to stay closer, then the state park offers camping which consists of 25 sites and 2 yurts. The campground is not located in the Valley of the Goblins itself but in the rock formations outside of it. Note: there is no electric hook-ups and restrooms are closed during the winter season.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Oe1k2X_rKHLAp9AhnBrP_aQzIhzRePogFVBgIlKzisKvEKqrVRqyZeln6jQttWnXUjgZ7kelXZU0NsLbWhMk6xn40FjezgB6ynLfB1nOEiG8pZpjWUU4JWZ98cirFxlrCpR7gGJGIbmE_lBdq8yVoaIo7ZAjl0zfsap__Uqowz3KyV-6xXodIgJmSA/s4032/IMG_3323.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Oe1k2X_rKHLAp9AhnBrP_aQzIhzRePogFVBgIlKzisKvEKqrVRqyZeln6jQttWnXUjgZ7kelXZU0NsLbWhMk6xn40FjezgB6ynLfB1nOEiG8pZpjWUU4JWZ98cirFxlrCpR7gGJGIbmE_lBdq8yVoaIo7ZAjl0zfsap__Uqowz3KyV-6xXodIgJmSA/w640-h480/IMG_3323.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you spot the camper at the bottom of the hills?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Little Wild Horse Canyon - Hike a Slot Canyon</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Just down the road from Goblin Valley State Park is Little Wild Horse Canyon which is a classic slot canyon popular for hiking. The main attraction is a set of "narrows" where you have to turn sideways to make it through.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRzxQ_dYgQW4vcaFvHAghecZn3ghPIEVwB5Hnm8wXapDfzJG62K3RlzhmL2QXKGbWvqLzBeAvtERelfZsEimOe0LYg0sj6_1gIuJcmMsCTO6zYO-m9bBLd767CP7AW3Z9BZw6qiHO7Nw-JIMH9y8HA7m7YNiFsxS6cYd4PfgvwEL7KqmSDUd2qlkNnw/s4032/IMG_3377.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRzxQ_dYgQW4vcaFvHAghecZn3ghPIEVwB5Hnm8wXapDfzJG62K3RlzhmL2QXKGbWvqLzBeAvtERelfZsEimOe0LYg0sj6_1gIuJcmMsCTO6zYO-m9bBLd767CP7AW3Z9BZw6qiHO7Nw-JIMH9y8HA7m7YNiFsxS6cYd4PfgvwEL7KqmSDUd2qlkNnw/w480-h640/IMG_3377.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhhwy3_qY0NrvPAXshRbY5gdb11C6lth0YBbTAeWs9yrz3ILR9dBP_nzPwZCDZosXm7qPlCM5kp79CNzVFHJQl13HSsdy25YHmvfAkqdQsf6ntMN_AFY1cpODQ8_zUTP33eDhkXwPoPYABypyxvAkgBj7igTPO7u0J2R8ZUdT2Gg3OSpuu2_4vFF4_A/s4032/IMG_3391.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhhwy3_qY0NrvPAXshRbY5gdb11C6lth0YBbTAeWs9yrz3ILR9dBP_nzPwZCDZosXm7qPlCM5kp79CNzVFHJQl13HSsdy25YHmvfAkqdQsf6ntMN_AFY1cpODQ8_zUTP33eDhkXwPoPYABypyxvAkgBj7igTPO7u0J2R8ZUdT2Gg3OSpuu2_4vFF4_A/w480-h640/IMG_3391.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRc714UqVOAoR298NgJnaPKGVqkjWMvJez6bLyP1O9Rv2tPL1YC-c3wLLgI5VvplfPWcRcqAF1e6_ocl9F5BGPEBqjEL26_DJgpgBvdQi4yScvL_xD37x9YU3wGSWR3QUPig-35XEnrS-qlYATXm1D4NQTMGa3F8UVRgtS8oHAHdgcc7DR-noXOrUBvg/s4032/IMG_3385.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRc714UqVOAoR298NgJnaPKGVqkjWMvJez6bLyP1O9Rv2tPL1YC-c3wLLgI5VvplfPWcRcqAF1e6_ocl9F5BGPEBqjEL26_DJgpgBvdQi4yScvL_xD37x9YU3wGSWR3QUPig-35XEnrS-qlYATXm1D4NQTMGa3F8UVRgtS8oHAHdgcc7DR-noXOrUBvg/w480-h640/IMG_3385.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">There are two approaches to hiking the canyon - you can either hike as far as you feel comfortable and turn around and walk out or you do an 8 mile loop by starting in Little Wild Horse and then coming out of Bell Canyon. That's what my brother-in-law wanted to do but it was getting to be a hot June afternoon - temps were in the upper 80's - and we had seen a good amount of Little Wild Horse Canyon so we decided to head on over to Capitol Reef to enjoy the rest of the day. (Well, some of us decided that. Mr UR's brother would have done the whole loop)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiunmCdUT25JRljzzyJbpEn5tpcEX1RUwGmbaUm4goFPDa0mz3K9k4W2HpMhbp6TBdf77G7zDq544gkIM8qEL-u9quC-T3HajlRT39dbE4-2TUoTfUcL7Nnzqa1tM6ltRjvHtfrtyuRUkHa5Xb7QBbVlsd6oXWg_qQ-eRe2Up7V2FpJzi9kcKGl5uza-w/s4032/IMG_3399.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiunmCdUT25JRljzzyJbpEn5tpcEX1RUwGmbaUm4goFPDa0mz3K9k4W2HpMhbp6TBdf77G7zDq544gkIM8qEL-u9quC-T3HajlRT39dbE4-2TUoTfUcL7Nnzqa1tM6ltRjvHtfrtyuRUkHa5Xb7QBbVlsd6oXWg_qQ-eRe2Up7V2FpJzi9kcKGl5uza-w/w480-h640/IMG_3399.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZnZ_MUqrK0S-RvMaLvfFtTH6aey0tgkBf-CkX1LYHkx-ITyAjxuZ8nzCskVc-_kE4kjTIAoHJj7kz4yi9QVQCjBm-b0NrM9VuzPrLSLwIf1cFzidwUDEfdCc9nMHsbKSSFpONYMw1MkIURVhR-wzVe_0vBpZJQF0lGZZOa_c9km9bv8-62WvUzuA2w/s3088/IMG_3398.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZnZ_MUqrK0S-RvMaLvfFtTH6aey0tgkBf-CkX1LYHkx-ITyAjxuZ8nzCskVc-_kE4kjTIAoHJj7kz4yi9QVQCjBm-b0NrM9VuzPrLSLwIf1cFzidwUDEfdCc9nMHsbKSSFpONYMw1MkIURVhR-wzVe_0vBpZJQF0lGZZOa_c9km9bv8-62WvUzuA2w/w480-h640/IMG_3398.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHDnbKLuwyO9w0XqJ2ZpI5u7PV2Yt68xNbgOYTH01LKYsfcldPeKzDg7WY_DxapTuphNwuMooffpuOe4JD-FISFeJWc1rPLsBGNJiiCjXkvbT3owJ1cc9w7z_Jtvvv3vhGSPtoZGpmxf1sjCLGEMHd0HNJI7sHUcWqwnwHFWTmkKMtUTZg7Djwg2wxA/s4032/IMG_3394.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHDnbKLuwyO9w0XqJ2ZpI5u7PV2Yt68xNbgOYTH01LKYsfcldPeKzDg7WY_DxapTuphNwuMooffpuOe4JD-FISFeJWc1rPLsBGNJiiCjXkvbT3owJ1cc9w7z_Jtvvv3vhGSPtoZGpmxf1sjCLGEMHd0HNJI7sHUcWqwnwHFWTmkKMtUTZg7Djwg2wxA/w480-h640/IMG_3394.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqXoq0VX3M3aKBM4JtI7YN3hKySqx4N2HXCl1lPaIF7o7llsEBNQtV8XeXyA9f2CzWPgG5JzJhkSsBHnOrebhluH_iWuv1iV3BpU6nR66KlvpuKfVzSryuz3_C-snWguNObJEUPHlOcurN7UBJtFGBki7_5eE9QNhVVf0-AHlqnUzdKqJP77tIOTqsw/s4032/IMG_3402.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqXoq0VX3M3aKBM4JtI7YN3hKySqx4N2HXCl1lPaIF7o7llsEBNQtV8XeXyA9f2CzWPgG5JzJhkSsBHnOrebhluH_iWuv1iV3BpU6nR66KlvpuKfVzSryuz3_C-snWguNObJEUPHlOcurN7UBJtFGBki7_5eE9QNhVVf0-AHlqnUzdKqJP77tIOTqsw/w480-h640/IMG_3402.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Capitol Reef National Park</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The main feature of Capitol Reef National Park is the Waterpocket Fold, which is basically a wrinkle in the earth, extending some 100 miles through the second largest national park in Utah. The least visited of the Mighty 5 - also including Arches, Zion, Bryce, and Canyonlands - Capitol Reef is a mixture of sandstone cliffs, domes, canyons, monoliths and even petryoglyphs. And it's, quite frankly, some of the most unique scenery I've ever seen. ( Keep in mind that I grew up in the flat farmland of Ohio)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wNP-sT_-FlK3z_etDUJH7WdewimR28Nchamhuf45I6RbyoU3SXwngnpDBU6I19sQWq_Xi7fYtpZeyHJspuJOzlMtDlRVbULWoqXVBtB8nSEa1sI8bOrgM8ZXC_Wn8ceusoDv6gRDDF26V5m-OY2ddyeJGwUBBx8gGkYdgOZd8ISO-ZmsVwJBeiz8Vg/s4032/IMG_3553.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wNP-sT_-FlK3z_etDUJH7WdewimR28Nchamhuf45I6RbyoU3SXwngnpDBU6I19sQWq_Xi7fYtpZeyHJspuJOzlMtDlRVbULWoqXVBtB8nSEa1sI8bOrgM8ZXC_Wn8ceusoDv6gRDDF26V5m-OY2ddyeJGwUBBx8gGkYdgOZd8ISO-ZmsVwJBeiz8Vg/w640-h480/IMG_3553.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-msEJADQhqRDhnrKBjflfsRup1fdhJCph9vtfrx1wpGQExQs8gtIr9dA2mapuVlxL902tSbMqCmZJUeH_wfvwJLDv--mXq35J5lvRC5LCPohCyyc80CF9zQYu-E0XyAZxF_D7Y26ylvjUptUEavWStNsgiZZoUUOm3hLUX9W1ef_BhXypuuw507hfDQ/s4032/IMG_3423.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-msEJADQhqRDhnrKBjflfsRup1fdhJCph9vtfrx1wpGQExQs8gtIr9dA2mapuVlxL902tSbMqCmZJUeH_wfvwJLDv--mXq35J5lvRC5LCPohCyyc80CF9zQYu-E0XyAZxF_D7Y26ylvjUptUEavWStNsgiZZoUUOm3hLUX9W1ef_BhXypuuw507hfDQ/w480-h640/IMG_3423.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9O96NdkJ7PTK68oU0KfF0Q-aPI6aXE0W8T_npbNxvpcV3lxzM5GknKXMyhG-x1UDbp_jQDsP5U6NXpdaZ3TlJqAEBe-IF0bzsZFQB9FdvW_cUqzSBuZDj33EmBI_PwypAH8eCEY81xKaDvEg98Szrk42PBLCGc-9M1IrRmU9LE6y21sKdgC4zYup6vA/s4032/IMG_3449.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9O96NdkJ7PTK68oU0KfF0Q-aPI6aXE0W8T_npbNxvpcV3lxzM5GknKXMyhG-x1UDbp_jQDsP5U6NXpdaZ3TlJqAEBe-IF0bzsZFQB9FdvW_cUqzSBuZDj33EmBI_PwypAH8eCEY81xKaDvEg98Szrk42PBLCGc-9M1IrRmU9LE6y21sKdgC4zYup6vA/w640-h480/IMG_3449.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The park was originally settled by the Native American Fremont people. Believed to have abandoned the area after a decades long drought, the Paiutes moved in next. After the Civil War the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, also known as Mormons, claimed the land for missionary purpose and founding 3 towns. Only one of the towns prospered - Fruita (then known as Junction) - but by 1920 only ten families lived here. Capitol Reef was declared a national monument in 1937 - mainly to protect these lands from mining - and a national park in 1970.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY8LIvVXP4yprpnCFpLbR0C2TDd6QXW_Xs2LMCJlGUgj9tnKZKh5Sla_kBT_-vSPgZX8AmxKblxgIOeUzadI41vcIjwmrTaKzu8j1XsWii2cRUi825zzjH1VKvP--slNIWK9UccCSmeWPbBx3dqIiS5xALnP6YlHTIoTfQKK5wYhXwdp8xWeTmIA2urw/s4032/IMG_3617.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY8LIvVXP4yprpnCFpLbR0C2TDd6QXW_Xs2LMCJlGUgj9tnKZKh5Sla_kBT_-vSPgZX8AmxKblxgIOeUzadI41vcIjwmrTaKzu8j1XsWii2cRUi825zzjH1VKvP--slNIWK9UccCSmeWPbBx3dqIiS5xALnP6YlHTIoTfQKK5wYhXwdp8xWeTmIA2urw/w480-h640/IMG_3617.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjox-_quqSuYAIoaGfGF4SDr_0aLEZBnP77ziofQj4ztWGV7unVKDCWpcHIFQbW9Ixs_hrkrH5v_1kSspjxIDSRXes9WxTuyO80r6xVfTmPbgIlSFreoQgjw8bgZBJaG6o7tx1QOX7_CV6tVz-dTnoFqOIoS1_JOw8kL3f3mocR93YM9s5rMVApTfjlvQ/s4032/IMG_3578.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjox-_quqSuYAIoaGfGF4SDr_0aLEZBnP77ziofQj4ztWGV7unVKDCWpcHIFQbW9Ixs_hrkrH5v_1kSspjxIDSRXes9WxTuyO80r6xVfTmPbgIlSFreoQgjw8bgZBJaG6o7tx1QOX7_CV6tVz-dTnoFqOIoS1_JOw8kL3f3mocR93YM9s5rMVApTfjlvQ/w640-h480/IMG_3578.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQE6qHDKA9AVsp5dPEQUdg2_ZbdOGTSURDsldmkWuwSh1CbImfVv4YdHaqkiv5iKJ4mJkoR_gFPnmkZLCDJYzhTUZNqY0UpzwR1ZLRBlxjLiZSf78LdMbdwq_9GuTwuEkjBgTwCg2ojJqLVeMK8arhTSIIRWTZaZv5Z3CQVBDEnyLomNwws7cxPT-Vww/s4032/IMG_3544.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQE6qHDKA9AVsp5dPEQUdg2_ZbdOGTSURDsldmkWuwSh1CbImfVv4YdHaqkiv5iKJ4mJkoR_gFPnmkZLCDJYzhTUZNqY0UpzwR1ZLRBlxjLiZSf78LdMbdwq_9GuTwuEkjBgTwCg2ojJqLVeMK8arhTSIIRWTZaZv5Z3CQVBDEnyLomNwws7cxPT-Vww/w640-h480/IMG_3544.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">There are 3 districts to Capitol Reef: Fruita, the Waterpocket District and the Cathedral Valley District. We mainly stuck to the Fruita area as time was limited and the other two areas are very rugged and remote. Here are some unique things to do in the park (and things we did): </span><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">-</span></div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Hike Amongst the Arches, Canyons and Bridges-</b> There are 15 day hiking trails in the Fruita area. We had planned to do the easy Grand Wash trail but flash floods the day before we arrived made that impossible. So we chose to hike the moderate Hickman Bridge trail, a 0.9 mile trail to a natural bridge with canyon views.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRrvZw6jGhYGMjrO0PV76TT5l_XxActqScZtY8Cq_bjgvdWVT80hJYW5IVCqGREoLw7mdfPIMd5gcBjJ2ploPA9PrYnpGLiU6R88D7Bju0Efb7RLF_MqJGuMszdCWqzcb7-dDiuAT3PtzV8GbL8MQQm9gjPoOKidRHT7Me70uadeT4zKRgGbKGLHwGw/s4032/IMG_3536.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRrvZw6jGhYGMjrO0PV76TT5l_XxActqScZtY8Cq_bjgvdWVT80hJYW5IVCqGREoLw7mdfPIMd5gcBjJ2ploPA9PrYnpGLiU6R88D7Bju0Efb7RLF_MqJGuMszdCWqzcb7-dDiuAT3PtzV8GbL8MQQm9gjPoOKidRHT7Me70uadeT4zKRgGbKGLHwGw/w480-h640/IMG_3536.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrF-Eu2lhoEqTxKxwLkuHsOOahWWD8N06RgXauT2OLYzoM-HPYiZ8Ugdb-LE-RQQUurfrVQcXWiU3jRb_DzH8aQ2620GC7MID-tmy2sXk06hnJv1fWj9e0d2aro2nTRv3o1dO10copkN2bAr8OesvAKPwcJ4aDZy5wCQB7gq-O8zuwRtGyfpmR6B0_XQ/s4032/IMG_3537.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrF-Eu2lhoEqTxKxwLkuHsOOahWWD8N06RgXauT2OLYzoM-HPYiZ8Ugdb-LE-RQQUurfrVQcXWiU3jRb_DzH8aQ2620GC7MID-tmy2sXk06hnJv1fWj9e0d2aro2nTRv3o1dO10copkN2bAr8OesvAKPwcJ4aDZy5wCQB7gq-O8zuwRtGyfpmR6B0_XQ/w480-h640/IMG_3537.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIXfUb1BtYinMp9n4DZww6ZprJ0PW5gVqU1h5TzZpoxTx_dnjHQFVasGzoLiGTyZb3Nix75F-rfoHbjo-AoD8pukN9BJMvvLKYrokhgFQFOy55n1uwxaMr97C2omSLuoAaki7SvZRCua58DIJRQxdzItP7IEHKlL5YNtt02HcSbGinmg0Pn6EQqKE3w/s4032/IMG_3541.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIXfUb1BtYinMp9n4DZww6ZprJ0PW5gVqU1h5TzZpoxTx_dnjHQFVasGzoLiGTyZb3Nix75F-rfoHbjo-AoD8pukN9BJMvvLKYrokhgFQFOy55n1uwxaMr97C2omSLuoAaki7SvZRCua58DIJRQxdzItP7IEHKlL5YNtt02HcSbGinmg0Pn6EQqKE3w/w640-h480/IMG_3541.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45VDObNVv4aNSzIdBVsrExQhYfqmXbqaOmhQdFccZEjadPd2FClhFZOGG_kC-Rv-DXL45C3EeypOQs47kovC4Wm2iFsrWi2jA-YKkzECvzvLDAZmItA1gS_sjoS8lxh9vHsTTEGoiWRZ6TECfolNQMy-HRXvIW7Zg5adfwdYXWyGy_DoRiibw5d-7hg/s4032/IMG_3548.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45VDObNVv4aNSzIdBVsrExQhYfqmXbqaOmhQdFccZEjadPd2FClhFZOGG_kC-Rv-DXL45C3EeypOQs47kovC4Wm2iFsrWi2jA-YKkzECvzvLDAZmItA1gS_sjoS8lxh9vHsTTEGoiWRZ6TECfolNQMy-HRXvIW7Zg5adfwdYXWyGy_DoRiibw5d-7hg/w480-h640/IMG_3548.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"> We then decided to add on the moderate Fremont River trail which was an easy stroll along the river that led to a steep climb to a fantastic panorama. Full disclosure: My dislike of hiking in steep places and especially along ledges means I didn't hike all the way to the top. Still saw great views, though.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzBlFlIqEb0n2BicJYo0isDQ3zRunPodePcRZXgXyBqcrDKXIXp_CxJmfL4WGP-6K-1H3fZyxv_YvJj6y_uP2QTIHfciV7BiU_h8mK-xYC6ukbv-hvxvt8vLME5gwbhDLVIuSi1RC7fbMMRcdP4qx-RPJk0xAUQxogO7tmrs3X8faLMvsroOiur2TRQ/s4032/IMG_3567.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzBlFlIqEb0n2BicJYo0isDQ3zRunPodePcRZXgXyBqcrDKXIXp_CxJmfL4WGP-6K-1H3fZyxv_YvJj6y_uP2QTIHfciV7BiU_h8mK-xYC6ukbv-hvxvt8vLME5gwbhDLVIuSi1RC7fbMMRcdP4qx-RPJk0xAUQxogO7tmrs3X8faLMvsroOiur2TRQ/w480-h640/IMG_3567.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZPJTJuunhVE29sggM_Ieesnxb-n3nvJR-BDjqladFJpjdFNmOC3iDxtIasE3zicN0xRSpY5y9x_wQ_2BQ7l_wJ8EjaJfl4NMtsxFCsxKc-wT2FGO_NMVqGNPGnonGy96rjl6vTsagLkxvyYElvKPUdBDkfVLmgv-6jkvod5ro71XL5RVis_v-61roUw/s4032/IMG_3569.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZPJTJuunhVE29sggM_Ieesnxb-n3nvJR-BDjqladFJpjdFNmOC3iDxtIasE3zicN0xRSpY5y9x_wQ_2BQ7l_wJ8EjaJfl4NMtsxFCsxKc-wT2FGO_NMVqGNPGnonGy96rjl6vTsagLkxvyYElvKPUdBDkfVLmgv-6jkvod5ro71XL5RVis_v-61roUw/w480-h640/IMG_3569.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Take a Scenic Drive</b> - Scenic Drive is a 7.9 mile paved road that starts at the Visitor Center and provides access to several areas of the park. Unfortunately, most of the drive was closed due to the flooding. This led us to the Fremont River hike since we couldn't do the drive. But we did manage to drive and take in several of the scenic overlooks in other areas of the park.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyXq2paKriPrOdAgN49ktHMKEhU02f_nXR6JNNZg8TTmhQupj7sJKSoggE_amQ3aSDzmm3rPHIBcW-IyupWyHUaCUAcfdpn29Md3n6GV9rtwTntWh-GuwNX9y3gCKTS07vbyoy_axevXPBoeZ6yoGF7eI_pQGmFPcYcbClEgg8saQkitswCE1Mt7D-A/s4032/IMG_3612.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyXq2paKriPrOdAgN49ktHMKEhU02f_nXR6JNNZg8TTmhQupj7sJKSoggE_amQ3aSDzmm3rPHIBcW-IyupWyHUaCUAcfdpn29Md3n6GV9rtwTntWh-GuwNX9y3gCKTS07vbyoy_axevXPBoeZ6yoGF7eI_pQGmFPcYcbClEgg8saQkitswCE1Mt7D-A/w640-h480/IMG_3612.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTblONJ6RU07LZtgrRb5D_8U_hBVdctZRdyyuHNCkZBxe7MrYnHFJCsTs5JbVCZSyKDBltIO-6pu2xrUx3UnrLMrxCSpv-AdDS90mMTq7vKgF86GbaiP4MmQmHN36rJIpiudEmp980Ih0aJalDlVQT2aTpP46WSQg8dv9Y_CJpcYEyfj4QE-72pzORIw/s4032/IMG_3600.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTblONJ6RU07LZtgrRb5D_8U_hBVdctZRdyyuHNCkZBxe7MrYnHFJCsTs5JbVCZSyKDBltIO-6pu2xrUx3UnrLMrxCSpv-AdDS90mMTq7vKgF86GbaiP4MmQmHN36rJIpiudEmp980Ih0aJalDlVQT2aTpP46WSQg8dv9Y_CJpcYEyfj4QE-72pzORIw/w640-h480/IMG_3600.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ETncCB9Tpus4bGtwuoQWt-jVfXybNn3vA9M0q1abNxqh_w2gEYSvaZUovB5YEBsier91XAzeanvRRBouG7PyGfvicsAbBGr1V63dnhlqqL0BbXeHfss8TZGqCvY7kUyK5cVskWhxZSEJhKYCBy2ZIR_tohyAgjvFy7dTsXF0iMq5S3nbonH_ndg5Fg/s3499/IMG_3661.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2717" data-original-width="3499" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ETncCB9Tpus4bGtwuoQWt-jVfXybNn3vA9M0q1abNxqh_w2gEYSvaZUovB5YEBsier91XAzeanvRRBouG7PyGfvicsAbBGr1V63dnhlqqL0BbXeHfss8TZGqCvY7kUyK5cVskWhxZSEJhKYCBy2ZIR_tohyAgjvFy7dTsXF0iMq5S3nbonH_ndg5Fg/w640-h496/IMG_3661.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>See Some Ancient Petroglyphs</b>- Accessible by two wooden boardwalks, these petroglyphs from the Fremont people are from somewhere between 300 and 1300 and located along Utah State Route 24 in Fruita.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJ-lJpcnn4HQflPRbZrXtF0M7Q3d4QwiaHPiTvRSyUPCRz914Cz-45lZ3m2wmjDVsIF1Urtcf2Zm8KVLCyI9Bc84VdQtvj1-8smskrRJrQ6m0lLdCARud8CNh-U9q-7lcCi0kq2sjHC3KuZ2sEabbRS8hChqD5vOFYSQanBNNUXdQgEWaEzz3GSJJbg/s3341/IMG_3440.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3341" data-original-width="2506" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJ-lJpcnn4HQflPRbZrXtF0M7Q3d4QwiaHPiTvRSyUPCRz914Cz-45lZ3m2wmjDVsIF1Urtcf2Zm8KVLCyI9Bc84VdQtvj1-8smskrRJrQ6m0lLdCARud8CNh-U9q-7lcCi0kq2sjHC3KuZ2sEabbRS8hChqD5vOFYSQanBNNUXdQgEWaEzz3GSJJbg/w480-h640/IMG_3440.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAinSoyiKPznCE5uF3IPHPmXaCAngiO_o8CVjVJUfyMVF2QpVbktMgFIWA5mDUf337JCsommJZVpEYtJuW__SZHJJ61ymamwnWW7dh_ZZtoWVYwTke4tiw8IYjnLM2SgG8ZtspgjRrX7LHgSSy99FIfXtRp7RAbmZYoNmzIbMPU4sNuLBf-U-Tz2uSg/s4032/IMG_3441.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAinSoyiKPznCE5uF3IPHPmXaCAngiO_o8CVjVJUfyMVF2QpVbktMgFIWA5mDUf337JCsommJZVpEYtJuW__SZHJJ61ymamwnWW7dh_ZZtoWVYwTke4tiw8IYjnLM2SgG8ZtspgjRrX7LHgSSy99FIfXtRp7RAbmZYoNmzIbMPU4sNuLBf-U-Tz2uSg/w640-h480/IMG_3441.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBo4HFb15510j1gcFwNN8VK-wlPwSBBfOpaYdjMiuiBgMwJbdvrL6w-Yshl-ilqxNRuIkS1XRxO_Yqb7DdofLidqsG7BOBqa5EMD5tAfSB1AxamwO0MKbAapz7T_OF6DctriNOW8t8pvQ_1In1O2dCpsqSUnizD5czNpniixWiSyZInEnCOJtOeodVQ/s4032/IMG_3442.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBo4HFb15510j1gcFwNN8VK-wlPwSBBfOpaYdjMiuiBgMwJbdvrL6w-Yshl-ilqxNRuIkS1XRxO_Yqb7DdofLidqsG7BOBqa5EMD5tAfSB1AxamwO0MKbAapz7T_OF6DctriNOW8t8pvQ_1In1O2dCpsqSUnizD5czNpniixWiSyZInEnCOJtOeodVQ/w480-h640/IMG_3442.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Pick and (maybe) Eat Some Fruit</b> - Capitol Reef is one of the most unique national parks in that you may pick your own fruit from the orchards in Fruita. Fruit must be paid for and hours are 9 to 5. We did not pick fruit as there wasn't any available to pick at the time we were there.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Do You Like Pie? Have a Slice of Homemade Pie (In a National Park!)</b>- Built in 1908, the Gifford Homestead was a 200 acre farm lying in the Fruita valley and is typical of the spartan nature of rural Utah farm homes of the early 1900's. The house has been renovated and refurnished "to interpret the early Mormon settlement in Fruita." Dairy cows, hogs, and sheep as well as chickens and ducks were raised here on the farm, the family ate whatever they raised, water was carried from the Fremont River and used untreated, a two hole outhouse served the family and electricity was installed in 1948. The National Park Service purchased the homestead in 1969 and today you may visit the gift shop, in what was the kitchen, to purchase reproduction utensils and household tools that would have been used in Mormon homes along with quilts, aprons, rugs and soap. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiML_BvLcJzxCcxKOj2pgy3Dz3_7UjluxSfL-3FK_AdPHSv6DriZcpzvaP8iMHkgaH68pcsRMWYy4WHRktYoPjDzKhnIG6ySRd4M1tbhNpMASlIQWRMHLDrcFw_9FJHpcjEJrSyQQyCNZZSV4mm4BMvMD0k2AG_JnuAheClAMeL88Gp_gfj_M7P5ZGWgw/s4032/IMG_3561.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiML_BvLcJzxCcxKOj2pgy3Dz3_7UjluxSfL-3FK_AdPHSv6DriZcpzvaP8iMHkgaH68pcsRMWYy4WHRktYoPjDzKhnIG6ySRd4M1tbhNpMASlIQWRMHLDrcFw_9FJHpcjEJrSyQQyCNZZSV4mm4BMvMD0k2AG_JnuAheClAMeL88Gp_gfj_M7P5ZGWgw/w640-h480/IMG_3561.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjraVIC8wRQsV0KD-VnaZjAGtC-BtFKEo3hFIiXeA4MtemnQ1pBQKNaGle0SYJOwth1KLdMmgM0diQukKnvbaqzAdl1hgC947Fe4xImq2FITUt42Lo_hlhGoblhYNC1i1fT5ZecYymRBVxnroQpmHnE3IkpUAgwKF5W7Vc3FLxy6iYohLvvXOsRb0MfYg/s4032/IMG_3562.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjraVIC8wRQsV0KD-VnaZjAGtC-BtFKEo3hFIiXeA4MtemnQ1pBQKNaGle0SYJOwth1KLdMmgM0diQukKnvbaqzAdl1hgC947Fe4xImq2FITUt42Lo_hlhGoblhYNC1i1fT5ZecYymRBVxnroQpmHnE3IkpUAgwKF5W7Vc3FLxy6iYohLvvXOsRb0MfYg/w640-h480/IMG_3562.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Most importantly, you may purchase homemade pie a la mode at the Gifford Homestead! In fact, it's the only national park that I know of that sells homemade pie. And get there early, because I've heard it sells out!</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXO6FsX8V3m6OqG8FhVwZOcBT0xMQX2S9q9Zh0-vYXomA2TAP_N3l4Bw5omieii04aiV4QnPpCGPjj_I1rUwQIBPj2uXBU0Y_NPPJxqbsc_6ML63W3mHi6KE7odQk_ZatOUdG3EGiWrDWdbMjUB9jKQB5qMt9e7u7rv0uv6XI-r2UcoPofEJGWtv-rTA/s4032/IMG_3564.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXO6FsX8V3m6OqG8FhVwZOcBT0xMQX2S9q9Zh0-vYXomA2TAP_N3l4Bw5omieii04aiV4QnPpCGPjj_I1rUwQIBPj2uXBU0Y_NPPJxqbsc_6ML63W3mHi6KE7odQk_ZatOUdG3EGiWrDWdbMjUB9jKQB5qMt9e7u7rv0uv6XI-r2UcoPofEJGWtv-rTA/w480-h640/IMG_3564.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you guessed that I went with the Cherry Pie, you'd be right!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Green River, Utah</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our five hour drive from Denver landed us in Green River, Utah where we met up for our weekend jaunt. Within easy driving distance of three national parks (Arches, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef), Green River is known for it's outdoor recreation opportunities and is home to the John Wesley Powell River History Museum. Powell was a soldier, geologist and explorer of the American West. He was the first to lead a daring expedition down the Colorado River in 1869 which would go down in history as the last great land exploration in the US. Upon emerging from the Grand Canyon, after a 99 day trip down the Colorado, Powell was hailed as a hero and the Grand Canyon became known as a world class natural wonder. Unfortunately, both our start and finish of the weekend in Green River saw the museum closed. But I would love to go back and visit it next time I'm in the area. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtzrixZX9Q30bYNYIqVC4Lv0U83jcysd_GM3RPUdizYl8MiKYANeE7phJLnug4vr1fcdzFrmewoQLjdTmkTcAz4JYp1K91Vgfdr1D65RjtXgFRd2hx914p2MCO92KinisPWYn_zNeHO4Fvdva_UtGacfhiK3IErlJ3ULUeGmmYJqeRYbcbsUIySls-Q/s2348/IMG_3702.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1761" data-original-width="2348" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtzrixZX9Q30bYNYIqVC4Lv0U83jcysd_GM3RPUdizYl8MiKYANeE7phJLnug4vr1fcdzFrmewoQLjdTmkTcAz4JYp1K91Vgfdr1D65RjtXgFRd2hx914p2MCO92KinisPWYn_zNeHO4Fvdva_UtGacfhiK3IErlJ3ULUeGmmYJqeRYbcbsUIySls-Q/w640-h480/IMG_3702.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecL0KIYQdeJXHJFTdsxCcwcHTF7k-FDg49fqsC_aCt59zdJuKqVwW47QOW9v4NgNYAEk8e0G1L7ALjKjj9v5Ha2lpMaW1TnwMJ9LV-i4mZyUwGtEUMdMN8gbS2HdsdM4EvTvc92DQA_jUIz7tZn0e19bswMR4PcUihO47bYquoTXmI1iU56bjGyINNw/s4032/IMG_3709.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecL0KIYQdeJXHJFTdsxCcwcHTF7k-FDg49fqsC_aCt59zdJuKqVwW47QOW9v4NgNYAEk8e0G1L7ALjKjj9v5Ha2lpMaW1TnwMJ9LV-i4mZyUwGtEUMdMN8gbS2HdsdM4EvTvc92DQA_jUIz7tZn0e19bswMR4PcUihO47bYquoTXmI1iU56bjGyINNw/w640-h480/IMG_3709.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>See the World's Largest Watermelon Slice (spoiler alert: it's made of wood)</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The other hot spot in Green River is the Green River State Park. You can camp and golf here but it is really known for two things: it's the starting point for boating through Labryinth and Stillwater Canyons and it's the home of the Green River Melon Days Festival in September. The town transforms into a watermelon wonderland over this weekend which includes a parade, games, carnival rides, a town dinner and of course, sweet juicy watermelon - it's the best place to get watermelon in Utah! In fact, the world's largest watermelon slice is located in Green River - don't get too excited though. This 25 foot long slice of watermelon built in the 1950's is made of wood. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYu3ood650pygp42Veh4q09xYPMSJgX_O8EvHPKGyJwvkRr72DONXKmZfDTmpQR21smpZS7bkSOzbMn8gaHbb5Q3KyeyhqwLm0HdQLUL7PyntuRD9BBX6ZJoTHsQC1bHrboRW3qN9prsbnuunuVjSXRPqpHVG1X4zf5E07tPJ4TuP4UVV0JClFfznh2A/s4032/IMG_3708.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYu3ood650pygp42Veh4q09xYPMSJgX_O8EvHPKGyJwvkRr72DONXKmZfDTmpQR21smpZS7bkSOzbMn8gaHbb5Q3KyeyhqwLm0HdQLUL7PyntuRD9BBX6ZJoTHsQC1bHrboRW3qN9prsbnuunuVjSXRPqpHVG1X4zf5E07tPJ4TuP4UVV0JClFfznh2A/w640-h480/IMG_3708.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Have Some Tacos at an Old Gas Station</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If touring has made you hungry then you have to stop at Tacos La Pasadita. Housed in an old gas station in town but close to I-70, this taco truck is well known in these parts for it's fantastic food. In fact, it's been rated as some of the best Mexican food in the state. We had to give it a try and I must admit, it was delicious! If you're in the area, and you like tacos, this is the place for you.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0yXiDtXk0-CrZEN6-TdQ0CATTo7MJgG2wy2mjuthbdRmJmNu_kWgOfskUdhf-XIuXrdyYlMhiAP2rEhSLBMZAyPnvGOZD9cvQcsepzzQmssa-fupKTzzj1HGnkhmSbmyaz8oaeK1tfWaTKOlHcnRtLbwfZUA7ewGVnPd7PJC5xM6CiD2tz8f-WO-NAw/s4032/IMG_3707.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0yXiDtXk0-CrZEN6-TdQ0CATTo7MJgG2wy2mjuthbdRmJmNu_kWgOfskUdhf-XIuXrdyYlMhiAP2rEhSLBMZAyPnvGOZD9cvQcsepzzQmssa-fupKTzzj1HGnkhmSbmyaz8oaeK1tfWaTKOlHcnRtLbwfZUA7ewGVnPd7PJC5xM6CiD2tz8f-WO-NAw/w640-h480/IMG_3707.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMi7RBcMt0Z19Q1dMA2BkXIZlsGi_fFY8GPGLIk-5LMfP3FkBVlcMl-bqwHAE26Ba_Cf5ZRHHSakfNlhb0wHd-evfdZbc07d0n6AiLY0BnyBstBn3RSKFsNM6FjLjaTo83MVhL-eXzreLlK5M8Nt9p96fgNHXtukNz26rCy_z1ZQyypL1KPhW25Nqj7w/s4032/IMG_3706.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMi7RBcMt0Z19Q1dMA2BkXIZlsGi_fFY8GPGLIk-5LMfP3FkBVlcMl-bqwHAE26Ba_Cf5ZRHHSakfNlhb0wHd-evfdZbc07d0n6AiLY0BnyBstBn3RSKFsNM6FjLjaTo83MVhL-eXzreLlK5M8Nt9p96fgNHXtukNz26rCy_z1ZQyypL1KPhW25Nqj7w/w480-h640/IMG_3706.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a vampiro - crunchy inside and filled with meat</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX9Z-tGm1L-ndBHQ8t9pmHwmIGTB7YGIGNvmPT0vsGI2J66v7Jxo43bjADza6O_TYnGlYvQS7e75WrJn6Mr-7VpPkE7xrv3EetTQ1eIbADzbuP16p8isBwMQeoDFn6jn5D9oyIEHenoaXVH-AccceGnJZWHM-S0nxO6fEhdWaxkVxyXLGo5BBzPiChuw/s4032/IMG_3703.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX9Z-tGm1L-ndBHQ8t9pmHwmIGTB7YGIGNvmPT0vsGI2J66v7Jxo43bjADza6O_TYnGlYvQS7e75WrJn6Mr-7VpPkE7xrv3EetTQ1eIbADzbuP16p8isBwMQeoDFn6jn5D9oyIEHenoaXVH-AccceGnJZWHM-S0nxO6fEhdWaxkVxyXLGo5BBzPiChuw/w480-h640/IMG_3703.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Where We Stayed:</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The first night in Green River, Utah we stayed at a Holiday Inn Express - brand new - on the edge of town. Actually it was very nice and it was great to have breakfast so we could get up early and be on our way.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7aUDon9QPQQjPUdq-mY5aNSlLD6WTSJZGHUjEwyo9BIeidUctmU4fJlwoCFJsqEXAQlG_dfwlB5dFKs1JNOBbgF7yYa3SAgPy9Gm3wTugaqHhXe0hCQR2Za5dnrjmfwEQ5_1Z5IHJKcdGkDnCYZJXHtuImSKdMDnnJk2WGGzRdFDSMSv9FWUQMOtvsw/s4032/IMG_3287.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7aUDon9QPQQjPUdq-mY5aNSlLD6WTSJZGHUjEwyo9BIeidUctmU4fJlwoCFJsqEXAQlG_dfwlB5dFKs1JNOBbgF7yYa3SAgPy9Gm3wTugaqHhXe0hCQR2Za5dnrjmfwEQ5_1Z5IHJKcdGkDnCYZJXHtuImSKdMDnnJk2WGGzRdFDSMSv9FWUQMOtvsw/w480-h640/IMG_3287.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The other hotel we stayed at was in the small town of Torrey, Utah - at an elevation of 6,800 feet and the gateway to Capitol Reef - and it was called The Broken Spur. Independently owned, the Broken Spur has 52 rooms, an onsite steak house, an included breakfast buffet, an indoor pool and hot tub, great sunset viewing and the most cool thing...you can stay in a covered wagon. Accommodating up to 5 people, they are exact replicas of the original wagons used by pioneers. (There are no bathrooms in the wagon, however, each wagon has their own private bathroom in a building a few yards away) They say that they're quite popular so if you're interested, book early.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfQ_UVo-Cnz5sqCvpzcRShA2AQLtHbQtq-sYr8M6qCNMPmMrCY_DRYBvwq1gM8u4ZWp-GRPnbAKyG6VvOcSr8Pp3Ss7HLS9XDcbjQxjiJB-vkytZTw_U-53Q3i02cQYOdha963LMqN-FiTMVOsRAFQCZt7SXaKq_W8vlMXcLn0lDmTvprQ1CiSvrv8g/s4032/IMG_3468.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfQ_UVo-Cnz5sqCvpzcRShA2AQLtHbQtq-sYr8M6qCNMPmMrCY_DRYBvwq1gM8u4ZWp-GRPnbAKyG6VvOcSr8Pp3Ss7HLS9XDcbjQxjiJB-vkytZTw_U-53Q3i02cQYOdha963LMqN-FiTMVOsRAFQCZt7SXaKq_W8vlMXcLn0lDmTvprQ1CiSvrv8g/w640-h480/IMG_3468.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpNn8NsAEYRrkV8G1Xwvq7UJBMYov9Jfr4YFNoRhgudSpuEathr2IfDcheegDNwICLFonhLhA0LPD6GXK5TujF883ttQB3tpi5o3L2eVl8gbHydDW37XiIo104K44SqCEi0B_hzNPG5m9pShUxWXJCkCAOZ7qvBucz4FUZM9O1sqHmRVfelZJsxL9BA/s4032/IMG_3462.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpNn8NsAEYRrkV8G1Xwvq7UJBMYov9Jfr4YFNoRhgudSpuEathr2IfDcheegDNwICLFonhLhA0LPD6GXK5TujF883ttQB3tpi5o3L2eVl8gbHydDW37XiIo104K44SqCEi0B_hzNPG5m9pShUxWXJCkCAOZ7qvBucz4FUZM9O1sqHmRVfelZJsxL9BA/w480-h640/IMG_3462.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKN5KRNLpmzXyEI_8WqojVl0fwLuv4AbTLcIo7qpBUyywMihgwgIVtUbyq0h6XlUyeZUMxin5O8Dqth-jDCbKuIv9yEq082A2kVAj-mCQ1ZbM0ND80QYF5w6uQHYQXi2JclV3jmN_p5HXXpEYXu_nZP9ALRWpDoFC3Oj8Oy2tmKE2n4o8FGj6ouSOj2w/s4032/IMG_3511.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKN5KRNLpmzXyEI_8WqojVl0fwLuv4AbTLcIo7qpBUyywMihgwgIVtUbyq0h6XlUyeZUMxin5O8Dqth-jDCbKuIv9yEq082A2kVAj-mCQ1ZbM0ND80QYF5w6uQHYQXi2JclV3jmN_p5HXXpEYXu_nZP9ALRWpDoFC3Oj8Oy2tmKE2n4o8FGj6ouSOj2w/w640-h480/IMG_3511.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">How about you? Have you ever been to Capitol Reef and the surrounding area?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RQxmUSuXnVK9XvYed7rITddfDIfohfKPwVWeVINC_XB0Hm-KxaVT4nOrX4smz0I7wjy0A0LWtetHkr6-8-0Rx6ZjFRkTFpU35-xFVynwP0ZuW7JS9hxV1rsWfvH4Of4w-2CgLkMh2YzA30uFoXztWS8fiI63XbkGIAK5Sl9fcFXTomtx21ERNVJjhA/s200/mcotw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RQxmUSuXnVK9XvYed7rITddfDIfohfKPwVWeVINC_XB0Hm-KxaVT4nOrX4smz0I7wjy0A0LWtetHkr6-8-0Rx6ZjFRkTFpU35-xFVynwP0ZuW7JS9hxV1rsWfvH4Of4w-2CgLkMh2YzA30uFoXztWS8fiI63XbkGIAK5Sl9fcFXTomtx21ERNVJjhA/w400-h300/mcotw.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236483471506976307.post-32869838904463182982023-01-03T19:10:00.003-08:002023-01-05T11:10:19.634-08:00Wrapping Up 2022 With a Neat Little Bow - A Year in Review<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">2022 was quite the year for us! We moved - twice - and become day care providers for our 18 month old grandson. We were able to take two big international trips that had been booked since 2019. And Mr. UR won a trip to Costa Rica through his work that we were able to go on - even though he had retired already. Let's take a trip down Memory Lane for our travels for 2022 and see how the last year played out!</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Move #1</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">We spent the month of January packing up our home of 22 years in South Carolina to make the cross country move to Denver. It took every bit of that month to get it all done, too. We decided we would splurge and hire movers to do all the work for us this time but when the quote came in at $10,000 I knew that we would be renting a Uhaul and driving all of our things out west. So that decision change meant that we got rid of about 75% more of our things - we donated some, sold some and gave some to family & friends - to fit into our new one bedroom apartment. Then we hit the open road through six states - North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri and Kansas - before reaching our new home in Colorado. We did it in 4 days - remember we were in a Uhaul truck and towing our car - which was mainly spent driving and not sightseeing (though I did manage one stop at a winery in Missouri) If you want to read more about our trip you can do that <a href="https://unpavedroad.blogspot.com/2022/03/a-cross-country-road-trip-and-move-to.html">here</a>.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrXnktJRsZtna8Z2Yam6evIn1kRiuTEDtRR2A6Enyo2_cltuJxbZG-3WKA3J0dCLi4nozTBz-pTmGZgAIzl-nMXIyQikIfGoya1UR9iWwwmrSPkN4Q2WQdfIE0Chr6svlypeCPuELVgsnrzXtpTW3vm2qo0b5E5XwpHvC9blLuZNnnWJLaqEglUuIaQ/s4032/IMG_8429.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrXnktJRsZtna8Z2Yam6evIn1kRiuTEDtRR2A6Enyo2_cltuJxbZG-3WKA3J0dCLi4nozTBz-pTmGZgAIzl-nMXIyQikIfGoya1UR9iWwwmrSPkN4Q2WQdfIE0Chr6svlypeCPuELVgsnrzXtpTW3vm2qo0b5E5XwpHvC9blLuZNnnWJLaqEglUuIaQ/w640-h480/IMG_8429.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the road at sunrise</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Exploring Colorado</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Colorado is an incredibly beautiful state with everything from mountains to plains including hidden lakes, national parks and monuments and a lot of history. We have spent a good amount of time exploring our new state</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"> - </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">hikes, breweries, hot springs, botanic gardens, mountains, sunsets, wineries and even attended a victory parade (Go Avs!) And we have so much more to see and do!</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Here is a smattering of what we have done:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">- </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Glenwood Springs Hot Springs Pool</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">- </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Iron Mountain Hot Springs</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">- </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Hiked the Trading Post Trail at Red Rocks</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">- </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Hiked South Valley Park</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">- </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Walked South Boulder Creek Trail</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">- </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Attended the Colorado Avalanche Stanley Cup Victory Parade</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">- </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Rode the Estes Park Tramway</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">- </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Attended a Colorado Rockies vs Cleveland Guardians game</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">- </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Enjoyed Nocturne Jazz Club in RiNo Denver</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">- </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Brewery Romped in RiNo Denver</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">- </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Walked Denver Botanic Gardens </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">- </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Visited Chatworth Farms</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">- </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Saw The Drowsy Chaperone at Aurora Community Theater</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">- </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Went leaf peeping outside of Vail</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">- </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Drove the wildlife drive at Rocky Mountain Arsenal</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">And so much more! Looking ahead to many Colorado centric blog posts!</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCdCE4ojjxZ-Kx36_PKgzDLla28fRxuq50u4KJBxIEZYMmUTzOHcyiHKOxUzg4odcIRjjrm9o73UTx9etPuF2cWw0M3i5QM71BZLFKU5apndm4IsTEvz6_KmquXSyFJ3RXcaXjR43HqHITFD0rSMfZ_LEHYx0yMH3EmT7nFpcBZk5xzDKDSal_kHPbA/s2003/IMG_2498.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2003" data-original-width="1347" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCdCE4ojjxZ-Kx36_PKgzDLla28fRxuq50u4KJBxIEZYMmUTzOHcyiHKOxUzg4odcIRjjrm9o73UTx9etPuF2cWw0M3i5QM71BZLFKU5apndm4IsTEvz6_KmquXSyFJ3RXcaXjR43HqHITFD0rSMfZ_LEHYx0yMH3EmT7nFpcBZk5xzDKDSal_kHPbA/w430-h640/IMG_2498.jpeg" width="430" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spotted this big guy outside someone's apartment in Estes Park</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Southern New Mexico</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">When we moved west, we knew we wanted to explore more of the western states. I thought we could find cheap flight deals but none were to be had except one - to El Paso, Texas. You can't beat $100 round trip fares. So April found us flying from Denver to El Paso and driving an hour north to Las Cruces, New Mexico where we visited White Sands National Park, the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, wineries and trying our first Whataburger. It was a fun, and inexpensive, getaway.( If you want to read more about that weekend, you can do so <a href="https://unpavedroad.blogspot.com/2022/04/a-weekend-getaway-to-southern-new-mexico.html">here</a>.) </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhBDzY5h8Es80gZNjtSWBN1elGzCCQVzZfxnpaI-7gmyyVOjZT3_DalLqgyoW0_tAKqkNSgUZsxB9uRON40l7hLGQTTVOSPR6dbL0IY8d3d5COaHyfxVD5gBES3b_2ijCUubxtvF2C5-sYaPtWp7JHHXxE9pGXv8ivv9tA6VsscewnRMOUFz99hVpmw/s3088/IMG_0033.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhBDzY5h8Es80gZNjtSWBN1elGzCCQVzZfxnpaI-7gmyyVOjZT3_DalLqgyoW0_tAKqkNSgUZsxB9uRON40l7hLGQTTVOSPR6dbL0IY8d3d5COaHyfxVD5gBES3b_2ijCUubxtvF2C5-sYaPtWp7JHHXxE9pGXv8ivv9tA6VsscewnRMOUFz99hVpmw/w640-h480/IMG_0033.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Sands National Park</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Costa Rica</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Mr. UR was a District Sales Manager in industrial sales for the Carolinas for 16 years until his retirement at the end of 2021. His company held a sales contest with the top 10 employees winning a trip to an all inclusive resort in Costa Rica. And he won! Unfortunately, he didn't think he'd be eligible to go because he was no longer an employee. Fortunately, the company's CEO went to bat for him and said He earned it! He can go! So the beginning of May saw us flying to Liberia, Costa Rica and staying for 3 days at the W resort in Guanacaste. It was a fantastic experience including all meals, drinks, 2 pools and a small beach, plus one activity for each traveler - Mr. UR went deep sea fishing and I received a massage at the spa - and concluded with an awards dinner where the chef cooked up the fish that Mr. UR and his cohorts caught that day. We did manage to leave the resort for one morning and head into the surf town of Tamarindo for a little sightseeing but most days were scheduled with his company's activities. So I guess we'll have to go back some day to see more of this lush and tropical country.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjeaCOHWKg_-giNfUDma631KJaNY7aCbBezujEkOcVZS0HPjQIhPw6EqLMdLD_qkCJyyfxtbth6G0-ffLGDpfqyo37JChqxOB32PnEuOyqtM3VEL4nQqFmylfrWrMBr-SOLb1-L-3dPFiB_g5TJIFXwPI9pcZPFjbJxIOgCL9Abp76lloultrAgLfzBw/s4029/IMG_0319.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4029" data-original-width="2002" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjeaCOHWKg_-giNfUDma631KJaNY7aCbBezujEkOcVZS0HPjQIhPw6EqLMdLD_qkCJyyfxtbth6G0-ffLGDpfqyo37JChqxOB32PnEuOyqtM3VEL4nQqFmylfrWrMBr-SOLb1-L-3dPFiB_g5TJIFXwPI9pcZPFjbJxIOgCL9Abp76lloultrAgLfzBw/w318-h640/IMG_0319.jpeg" width="318" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catching a big one in Costa Rica</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Our niece booked a house in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina for a going away party/trip for us way back when we expected to move in Summer or Fall of 2022. The deal was to celebrate for 5 days with family at a big house across the street from the beach and spend some time together before we moved. Little did we know that we would be moving several months before that! But we decided to keep the beach house booking and fly back for that long weekend. It was a really nice, chill time in North Carolina - my nephew brought his boat so we took a ride on the Intracoastal Waterway, there was ice cream and putt putt plus everyone took turns cooking meals. The highlight was a gift from my niece, who is a professional photographer, of family photos on the beach.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX8ubQuP7uOBTxB5mP_fm5JgQuplM9xGUiDYSUAry2WxvPst0w3QBP0TrhBfVHn4mnbInD96E1THHkcBP-QRLQhf2FZG2YyNLgN9C_QuobqEJ6KbkdFIJKNQJbwMy2_q0SOLxJDq9IGgB6z5yBBsizRvGC3K8369VNcV5X7IdGyAdDOA4oHBMHc1WUPg/s4032/IMG_2677.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX8ubQuP7uOBTxB5mP_fm5JgQuplM9xGUiDYSUAry2WxvPst0w3QBP0TrhBfVHn4mnbInD96E1THHkcBP-QRLQhf2FZG2YyNLgN9C_QuobqEJ6KbkdFIJKNQJbwMy2_q0SOLxJDq9IGgB6z5yBBsizRvGC3K8369VNcV5X7IdGyAdDOA4oHBMHc1WUPg/w640-h480/IMG_2677.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Capitol Reef National Park, Utah</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Another getaway was driving to Utah and exploring Capitol Reef National Park with Mr. UR's brother and his wife, who were doing a 2 week Utah trip highlighting the Mighty Five. We drove to Green River, Utah and spent the night then met up the next morning to hike Goblin Valley State Park and Wild Horse Slot Canyon. Then it was on to Capitol Reef where we did some more hiking and taking in views from the overlooks. It's a very remote area of Utah but its beauty is worth the drive. I really enjoyed our time there and now I need to go back to see Canyonland National Park to complete my visits to The Mighty 5.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBzhRElPDwFwAJgy92ac7EPohm9vLjrG7QUg1qT5nPz6BBK9BkYLMb0-NXdRDPtVCnJAdm0zenHvjqzPv7zyCJtoYI9tQUl4vpsoSa5K9_sy3EK5yDUJQy1ZxCjYs2ufNHHGWx2M-cIQbs_cilDZS3xAeNLETwdm5ibj2S09JmJZc9B-ObRG4FIqhxA/s2000/B5CC6BEC-F038-4502-805F-BF34A346677C.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="896" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBzhRElPDwFwAJgy92ac7EPohm9vLjrG7QUg1qT5nPz6BBK9BkYLMb0-NXdRDPtVCnJAdm0zenHvjqzPv7zyCJtoYI9tQUl4vpsoSa5K9_sy3EK5yDUJQy1ZxCjYs2ufNHHGWx2M-cIQbs_cilDZS3xAeNLETwdm5ibj2S09JmJZc9B-ObRG4FIqhxA/w286-h640/B5CC6BEC-F038-4502-805F-BF34A346677C.jpeg" width="286" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hickman Bridge hike</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Palisade & Grand Junction, Colorado</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Mid-month our friends from South Carolina came to visit and we spent a few days touring the greater Denver area - Red Rocks, RiNo brewery hopping, and driving the crazy high road up Mt. Evans. We stole away for the weekend to one of my favorite areas of Colorado - Palisade/Grand Junction - where we managed to do more brewery hopping, a few wine tastings, drove the Colorado National Monument and drove up the highest flat top mountain in the world, Grand Mesa. It was truly a blast and I'm looking forward to them visiting again this year.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8a33MYUrLvA5EPBzR45_EX6x4xwacI879oiiigVG0tRaHj1Jq4zljn-lyUDucjVhhCpEzc2iAUy2VTkfbUqxmXWcfp46vJfJ-b6suGTgbW5Z1fnKG05j4MDVQyb0rADUfUVD2kUobnI-AOUBVja7eDuS9GdUS3NlF_oX0qVoCvcLr7vJeijVhJG5q8g/s4032/452A7A30-CF94-43A8-8CB2-E9E9BAFEF73A.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8a33MYUrLvA5EPBzR45_EX6x4xwacI879oiiigVG0tRaHj1Jq4zljn-lyUDucjVhhCpEzc2iAUy2VTkfbUqxmXWcfp46vJfJ-b6suGTgbW5Z1fnKG05j4MDVQyb0rADUfUVD2kUobnI-AOUBVja7eDuS9GdUS3NlF_oX0qVoCvcLr7vJeijVhJG5q8g/w640-h480/452A7A30-CF94-43A8-8CB2-E9E9BAFEF73A.heic" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wildflowers at the top of Grand Mesa</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Northern Arizona</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">August began with a weekend getaway to Sedona, the Verde Valley and Cottonwood, Arizona. Mr. UR had an airfare credit that had to be used by August so we came up with the least expensive flight we could to use it - so Arizona it was! We wine tasted, had some great Mexican food, did a Pink Jeep Tour in Sedona and met up with some friends from college - not bad for a 3 day trip.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT3VFw1nEXSJYUf-Yi2JA3wbOt4ywNZdJW_qg0QXgDMAkqtSjr67S6ENsknp3mwoCRa1QMdvEz8r7ov9pln2M3RfBxqlTPE4OocrzV96MFRt9sg7gNH1WK-dGdpiZqLRxIzICOfBzZHD1vcvdtRhz2O6xNb6DdNyfLZJuZVAANArQJZpZbZ_IWCWCILA/s4032/IMG_5517.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT3VFw1nEXSJYUf-Yi2JA3wbOt4ywNZdJW_qg0QXgDMAkqtSjr67S6ENsknp3mwoCRa1QMdvEz8r7ov9pln2M3RfBxqlTPE4OocrzV96MFRt9sg7gNH1WK-dGdpiZqLRxIzICOfBzZHD1vcvdtRhz2O6xNb6DdNyfLZJuZVAANArQJZpZbZ_IWCWCILA/w480-h640/IMG_5517.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Verde Valley wine</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>The Netherlands, Belgium and Norway</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Booked in 2019, this trip was much anticipated and totally delivered. We spent the first week of two in Belgium - staying in Brussels exploring there and taking day trips to Dinant and Bruges- and The Netherlands - we stayed in Haarlem and explored Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans, Marken and Volendam. Then we headed to Rotterdam where we set sail on a 7 day cruise to Norway and through the Norwegian fjords. Ports of call were:Eidfjord , Gerainger, Alesund and Bergen. I absolutely Loved this trip, with a capital L, and would go back to any of these countries in a heartbeat. I'm sure there will be much more coverage here on the blog coming up.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiRTw1EzUfUiWjMKOAbxj3BsXwnLII-HCYYyZl8Sdra-UXInL0TbHbnLTAaphWNIb_SHYdz0ICglWbGIy7PEsFd2cs5WNH2kbzu07s-7v8Z6j1VK-oBlTLswcCEZGzJ6u1iOjJdZ6wT29M5e2XNj6JqcMt3bi090tySWWqj1qkQxIYnCkVVhezlkpDw/s4032/F5910274-BF37-4FDC-9DA4-53F9DAE17F01.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiRTw1EzUfUiWjMKOAbxj3BsXwnLII-HCYYyZl8Sdra-UXInL0TbHbnLTAaphWNIb_SHYdz0ICglWbGIy7PEsFd2cs5WNH2kbzu07s-7v8Z6j1VK-oBlTLswcCEZGzJ6u1iOjJdZ6wT29M5e2XNj6JqcMt3bi090tySWWqj1qkQxIYnCkVVhezlkpDw/w480-h640/F5910274-BF37-4FDC-9DA4-53F9DAE17F01.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinant, Belgium</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Wisconsin & Iowa</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Our daughter had been to visit Denver a few times so we decided we would visit her in New York. Flights were exorbitantly priced, though, so we met up with her in Wisconsin, flying into Milwaukee, and then traveling over to Iowa. Why Wisconsin and Iowa? Per her request, she wanted to add 2 more states to her list of states visited. It really was a kind of "meet in the middle" place and flights weren't too expensive. Win-win. (Also, I'm originally from the Midwest and it always feels like home - the nicest people in the US are in the Midwest - so I will always be game to visit there)</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUa70VqLwRAU0v4-6exa5UVe5mO06ShahMoSwDJKQphVjArfJ6OE1wKAhUMS64Ooej7LCTYBHTF-aXihD0lCNX-lkXx332Zgc-vNKhAFvYzcUN1NwpJMP6Um9k4kNAEurhSjb2SvoPa6tE2OsJ2CI8LYA-DeeN7BQntWgWs3UytJrp85PzrxGhC2VCDA/s4032/75562EA8-939C-42E5-AA31-3463EB021B0F_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUa70VqLwRAU0v4-6exa5UVe5mO06ShahMoSwDJKQphVjArfJ6OE1wKAhUMS64Ooej7LCTYBHTF-aXihD0lCNX-lkXx332Zgc-vNKhAFvYzcUN1NwpJMP6Um9k4kNAEurhSjb2SvoPa6tE2OsJ2CI8LYA-DeeN7BQntWgWs3UytJrp85PzrxGhC2VCDA/w480-h640/75562EA8-939C-42E5-AA31-3463EB021B0F_1_201_a.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Milwaukee Art Museum</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Southern Caribbean Cruise</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Another one of those "booked in 2019" trips that finally came to fruition! This was originally a cruise to the Greek Islands with a few days in Athens - which is high on both of our travel wish lists - but we decided that was a big gamble with Covid so we rebooked for a Southern Caribbean Cruise. We sailed from San Juan and visited six islands - no days at sea - that included: St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Barbados and St. Kitts. It was a much needed, very relaxing week that I truly enjoyed. And, of course, more on this trip to come!</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wU9_konjLhuj6gq1x-EAxM0VYwKxB2UGXL1v98shtz8-hkIiWt0x884lLgB49vD8k0RK72HkGL41TwlMkgwYMhd768HFcax5aOmm9gBzEnmeNY3HctJsRT1ZheoillWQVbZZdB0JEg6uzaL_LuQMKtc7iMhHow4WT0jyktyI7BBqDfO3BxRIyftNVQ/s4032/F3D135C2-3E3B-4065-97F8-5135E22310BF_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wU9_konjLhuj6gq1x-EAxM0VYwKxB2UGXL1v98shtz8-hkIiWt0x884lLgB49vD8k0RK72HkGL41TwlMkgwYMhd768HFcax5aOmm9gBzEnmeNY3HctJsRT1ZheoillWQVbZZdB0JEg6uzaL_LuQMKtc7iMhHow4WT0jyktyI7BBqDfO3BxRIyftNVQ/w640-h480/F3D135C2-3E3B-4065-97F8-5135E22310BF_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow over St Maarten</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Move #2</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">We were able to sign a contract on a new build house in April that is on the same street as our son's house to make child care easier. We moved the week before Christmas, then our daughters from Australia and New York flew in for the holiday and we tried to find a balance between Christmas events and relaxing with family. So we are now homeowners in Colorado - and so happy to be settled in our own home - and expecting lots of visitors in the next few years!</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdg2xmUuvpHqfVVmkkkhwrL9_eVgfc6O0WNjC1L-xeFii8YQ6q5otUQ3NWvw26SxfVrOByjoNgH6BgbR6G5bN8Xy4MqWgH89AP-9_t3lk2te-i2K4LUTGK4egStE8nagp2H4VEUkepsiTwRRgCyVIhpkuwIbECdTUbCHgpN3x-w59xFpHyjpYBFJYBA/s4032/51FF315E-63E4-4A97-9E29-E86FB1C578C5.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdg2xmUuvpHqfVVmkkkhwrL9_eVgfc6O0WNjC1L-xeFii8YQ6q5otUQ3NWvw26SxfVrOByjoNgH6BgbR6G5bN8Xy4MqWgH89AP-9_t3lk2te-i2K4LUTGK4egStE8nagp2H4VEUkepsiTwRRgCyVIhpkuwIbECdTUbCHgpN3x-w59xFpHyjpYBFJYBA/w640-h480/51FF315E-63E4-4A97-9E29-E86FB1C578C5.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new digs</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">As you can see, I wasn't exaggerating when I said it was a big year of travel and quite busy. We still have one trip postponement from Covid to book and take but other than that I think we will have a much slower year in 2023. At least, I hope so! (Though you know I will never complain about "too much" travel!)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">How about you? How was your 2022?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I'm linking up with: <a href="http://www.myworldthrumycameralens.blogspot.com">My Corner of the World</a> at Photographing New Zealand!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSq4GBEE0y4HHKlWwgWWWOJFQ85h7qpqgM7q06trZzuQixnoI9p7E3I8l5kLdD26sGc_E3pWGMJDd_oFtgTBIqamV5H2Adziu0M1xiqXI5nSNNtuiJSj7XwvfYDvLCz9cmZllBVOWZBi3gGODbYUzPO7obDHEWm79iFwA847-LuYZaiZVX1-bZHFZ3PQ/s200/mcotw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSq4GBEE0y4HHKlWwgWWWOJFQ85h7qpqgM7q06trZzuQixnoI9p7E3I8l5kLdD26sGc_E3pWGMJDd_oFtgTBIqamV5H2Adziu0M1xiqXI5nSNNtuiJSj7XwvfYDvLCz9cmZllBVOWZBi3gGODbYUzPO7obDHEWm79iFwA847-LuYZaiZVX1-bZHFZ3PQ/w400-h300/mcotw.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p> </p>Jillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163745830176990523noreply@blogger.com0