General Chat

Perhaps Bridget is busy...look forward Ann to commenting on the books we have read
!

Jan we self drove and planned out our own having previously done a similar BA Fly drive which was excellent. But the BA one hadn't covered other canyons than Grand Canyon or Mesa verde etc.

where is Bridget? Hope she is OK.

So it seems Ann , we went with Archers, and met up with a group from Cosmos (they also own Archers) and not only did we have a better manager, theres just kept taking them to expensive shops for souvenirs, but our holiday was considerably cheaper...and we stayed in the same hotels !!!

Jan our holidays were in similar areas although we didn't end in Hawaii

We drove on to our next hotel stopping to visit briefly the Navaho National Park which, while having wonderful views, did not have the ‘wow’ feeling of Mesa Verde. This was the only time of this holiday when we felt slightly uncomfortable when we ventured outside of the hotel. It was situated on a crossroads with one shop and liquor store. There were many poor Indians around and lots of stray mangy looking dogs. We visited the supermarket and made our way quickly back to the hotel.

Our next stop was Page, this time not a hotel but a condo which was very nice but we did have a bit of a problem finding it as it was actually six miles out of Page. From our window we had a view of Lake Powell. As there was a washing machine we had a lazy day here catching up with washing. We drove a short distance to look at Glen Canyon Dam which was interesting and on the Colorado River. A quote at the dam seemed to be very apt for this holiday of ours with its breathtaking views and history.

“One can lose oneself here, both philosophically and physically in a seemingly endless variety of environments. Perhaps one’s first and most lasting impression is the immensity of it all.”

We drove off the next morning en route to the Grand Canyon, passing through Antelope Pass with the early morning sun reflecting on the sheer cliff walls. We passed through the Navaho Reservation and we stopped at a viewpoint where there were official Indian stalls and I bought some ear rings and an Indian vase.

We had been to the Grand canyon once before and it was, as I remembered it,- beyond my powers of description, I didn’t and still don’t have the words. It is immense, powerful, overpowering, exciting, mystical, beautiful and diminishing (in the sense that it made me feel so very insignificant.) You can look at it, once, twice, fifty times and always see something different depending on where the shadows fall and what time of day it is. I would never tire of looking. We watched sunset over the canyon, seeing the rocks turn pink, orange, red and the clouds above pink, it was awe inspiring.

From the Grand Canyon we travelled to Las Vegas, the town that never closes. Via the magnificent Hoover Dam. We spent two nights here and enjoyed a day looking round the themed hotels and lounging by the pool. On 30th September we caught a flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles and thence to our BA flight home.


“When your spirit cries for peace, come to the world of canyons deep in an old land. Feel the exultation of high plateaux, the strength of moving waters and the simplicity of sand and grass.”

We now reached mesa Verde national Park, a place I had wanted to visit ever since I read about the cliff dwelling Indians. Can you imagine living in vertical accommodation on the side of a cliff? The Anasazi Indians did, until about 1200AD. The ruins of their houses are still visible and are preserved. To access their homes they climbed up or down the rock face, possibly with a baby on their front or carrying food or water. They lived in the valley from about the time of the birth of Christ, moving onto the Mesa about 550AD. (Mesa Verde is Spanish for green table). They first lived in pit houses made by digging holes in the ground the rooms linked by tunnels. They then moved to the cliff dwellings like blocks of modern day flats, each dwelling with separate rooms to sleep and a family meeting area. As we climbed the steps and ladders to the front of the largest collection of cliff dwellings it was possible to imagine the Indians of long ago cultivating their crops of corn and squash. Their average life span was 24 to 32 years with a few living longer, can you imagine that? Fifty percent of their children died before the age of five. How very sad that must have been.

In the centre of the cliff houses is their temple. Called the Sun Temple it is built above ground fairly conventially, unfinished and apparently never used. The Anasazi used available materials for everyday things. For example they used the bark of the juniper tree stripped thinly for babies nappies or for carrying slings. The juniper berries were used for oils and medicines. It appears that climate change and over population contributed to ending the 700 year occupation of Mesa Verde by the Anasazi (Pueblo) people. Their descendants are thought to be in New Mexico and Northern Arizona.

That was the high light of this trip for me but only because I was already fascinated by the life of American Indians. The following day we drove to Monument Valley via firstly fourteen miles of gravel road and then across the prairie where we were fortunate to see close up a coyote. We didn’t see another car for many miles. This drive through The Valley of the Gods to Monument was wonderfully evocative of all the western films we’d ever seen. We expected any minute to see John Wayne ride out from behind a rock. The sun shining on the huge red rock formations against a bright blue sky was fantastic. You think when you have seen the canyons, Zion, Bryce, Arches, that you have seen it all but each time we drove to a new area it was even more impressive.

In the late afternoon of 20th September we reached our next destination which was Bryce Canyon, very different to Zion but equally spectacular and breathtakingly beautiful. The rocks here are finger like and known as Hoodoos. They are all bright orange in colour and stretch for miles into the distance. We walked down into the Hoodoos and they towered above us and cast long shadows in the early evening sun. Because the air is so pure it is possible to see from Inspiration Point for 140 miles. The following morning we were up early and drove to Sunrise Point to watch a wonderful sunrise. It was so cold here in Bryce that there was ice on the car this morning. We were staying at the same hotel in Bryce another night so we took the opportunity to drive out to Kodachrome Basin a lovely area with a waterfall and where the temperature was much higher.

The following day we drove via the Hogsback Road to Boulder, this road is sometimes called the million dollar road completed in1940. Boulder was the last place in USA to receive mail by Mule Pack horses. This was a long journey by switchback roads with very little traffic and it seemed to go on for ever. We eventually reached Moab and our stop for the night, checked in to our hotel and drove off to find Arches National Park. As the name suggests the formations all tend to be arches, often with ‘windows’. That is huge rocks with equally huge windows in them. The rock here is red sandstone and just to drive through the park is breathtaking. It is not pretty by any means but is fantastic, overwhelming, like a moonscape with a sense of timelessness making you realise what a very small part of the whole we are.

Moab is of course a Mormon town and dry and the people seem to have retained a simplicity with the woman having long unstyled hair and no make up. In 1891 it was known as the toughest town in Utah.

The following morning we entered the State of Colorado through Disappointment Valley. We love all these names which were bestowed on places by early settlers.

Apparently it was Spanish settlers who named the valley thus in 1770 when they thought they had found the ideal place to settle but found it too arid to cultivate

I have been very fortunate to have had several best holidays over the past few years, and they were all best for different reasons. So I shall start with Parks and Canyons in the USA. We started off in Denver, quite a nice city, though with being woken by an idiot who set off the fire alarms, and then the arrival of the local Fire Brigade at midnight on our first night was not a good start. Then being woken again !! at 3.30 am by the dust carts. Hey Ho. We were however blessed with an excellent tour manager, who had been a lecturer, and it showed,, there wasn't anything he didn't know. We took local tourist buses round Denver where you got on and off , and visited the Botanical Gardens and also the home of the "unsinkable Mrs Brown " of Titanic fame. her lovely house was dwarfed by the high rise blocks, but perfect. Considering it had been used as a childrens home for many years, it had not been destroyed too much...fascinating. We then went on to visit various national parks Yellowstone, Mammoth, Bryce, the Grand Canyon , saw the Black Hills of Dakota, visited Deadwood, Custer, Cheyenne, went on the old Route 66 Obviously not in order !! Saw the Presidents on Mount Rushmore...so much. It all was amazing, I had grown up watching cowboy films with my dad and here it all was, I was walking on air. The tour manager introduced us to the local flora and fauna, and we saw the ruts, yes the ruts are still there, of all the wagon trains that had crossed mountains etc to get to a better life. We met so many interesting people and places, ending up at Las Vegas, where we visited the Hoover Dam........so many experiences my OH and I had a wonderful, but tiring time. We tagged on a week in Hawaii on the island of Oahu, and stayed at Waikii beach. The first of 3 visits there.. It was lovely to get home.. and remember it all...some 15 years ago now,,but never forgotten It was tiring, and I am glad that we did it then, not sure I could cope with all those early starts now !!

We will post another another day

Best wishes Jan X

Hi everyone Just popping in for awhile

Been sorting out old family history magazine to take to the family history group i go to gets them out my way.

Its nice sunny here today. So going to get ready and go out and enjoy it while it last.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~to everyone

Hazelx

Not sure it works well like that so later today I may add the remainder.

Part one

Our Best Holiday Our Grand Circle Tour

A good holiday should have many ingredients in my opinion. It should be visually pleasurable with lots of opportunities for photographs. It should have many points of interest so that you can learn something from it. And it should ‘stick’ in your memory for many years and make you want to return. I am so lucky in that I am spoilt for choice, We have had many memorable holidays, most of them in U.S.A. and, although we have slowed down somewhat these days and enjoy our breaks in Tenerife a lot, we would return to the most memorable any time it was possible.

On the 15th September 1995 we boarded BA flight 283 for our 12.15 flight from London Heathrow to Los Angeles. We had the perfect start to the holiday by being upgraded to Club Class for the flight meaning we enjoyed a much more comfortable journey. We stayed overnight at the Hilton Hotel LA, retired early and had a good nights sleep. The following morning we left LA early in our hire car and drove to Palm Springs where we were to spend two nights. We stayed at the Wyndham hotel which had a beautiful pool but it was so crowded there was standing room only – it was hot in Palm Springs (106 degrees), the home of many retired people and the weekend destination for rich American people. The following day we took a ride on the aerial tramway to the top of Mount San Jacinto, a hairy ride for people who are not keen on heights but with the reward of a fantastic view at the top and from the car.

The following night was spent at the MGM hotel in Las Vegas which has a superb heated pool. (Not all pools in Las Vegas are heated. Then we drove on to our hotel in Zion. Zion means a place of refuge and the name was given to the canyon by the Mormon pioneers. We drove round Zion National Park with its red, orange, yellow and white rocks. Instead of looking down into a canyon you look up at the rock formations which tower above you at about two to three thousand feet. This makes you feel very small. This canyon was carved by the Virgin river which is said to have the looks of a creek and the muscles of the Colorado. The following day, as we drove out of the park on the Mount Carmel Highway, the rocks glowed orange in the early morning sun. This road was carved through the rock and completed in 1930 with, at one point, an arch carved over the road.

Sorry I have not been on here earlier, entertaining friends from UK, yesterday we also used the poem put on here recently, very well received, then expected 8 for lunch but in fact that turned into 10! thank goodness the new to me cooker worked very well and the English lamb was a great success.

Gerald I do hope that your OH is recovering from the ;loss of one of her family. I will keep you both in my Positive thoughts and prayers each day.

Ann, your advice about marriage is so true, and I hope that we are all able to remain content in our relationships. I feel quite sure that none of us would ever have thought that we were marrying someone who would not be with us forever. Unfortunately it does not always work out, as both I and my husband know. Neither of us expected the failure for one reason or another but we still cherish that time of our life, it helped us to be the people we are now.

Ann You could also post one piece of your story each day, rather like the story of the week on the radio... so looking forward to part one!

We had a dreadful fall of rain last night...it woke me with quite a start, I could hear water cascading down or stairs from the road down to the bottom garden and swimming pool/ At first I thought that maybe someone from the top of our little mountain was emptying their pool but no it was good honest rain!!! it went on for hours but no lightening and then this morning it had stopped and we have had a sunny day.

Not much more news at the moment so will say goodbye for now but may have another look later on.

Please take care of each other and yourselves.

Bridget

Well nobody else adding. I have written my favourite holiday but it is going to take four posts. Are you sure you want that much Bridget. I won't post until you say so.

Advice to a newly married couple.

Think of your marriage as starting a journey together, it is exciting, you have no idea what lies ahead. Right now you know that you love each other and you need to build on that love. You need to have trust and respect for each other and you need to have patience and you need to mix all that with a sense of humour.
You don’t have rainbows without also having some rain or, as the Minister told us at our wedding fifty one years ago, Life is not all leaning on stiles and gazing at the moon. It is the problems that you solve together, the occasional disagreements and the making up afterwards, that go into weaving the tapestry of your life together.
But, make sure that you laugh with each other, take time every day to talk to each other, always tell each other how you feel. It is bottling up feelings that cause resentment which can grow into a huge issue. Resolve not to give up too easily on each other should you find that you have problems, don’t be afraid to ask the senior members of your family for help, parents and grandparents have been there before you.
Most of all enjoy each other and enjoy a long and happy life together.

We used the Poppy poem from Favourite Sayings and Poems thread (or whichever way round it is !!) it went down really well, tears in eyes, in our service at church yesterday, then my OH gave an address (hes not a priest) about the origins of using a poppy, all were surprised that it started in the USA.

It is still very mild here....Gerard glad to hear you have been at work in the garden even if it was only the incinerator !!!

Horrid that your OH had to read on Facebook the news..why do people find it easier to tell the world rather than their nearest and supposedly dearest....would never happen to us on here...I do not say anything that I would not say to the person concerned,,,what do others think ?

Regards Jan

Gerard a nudge would have to be by PM I think if I don't get around to writing anything.

I am writing this at some ungodly hour - OH had some bad news this week her second cousin Peter lost his battle with the Big C, we heard the news from a friend (who had read about it on Facebook) rather than from the family. Unfortunately, OH has been ignored by her family once again, but she is putting on a brave face! For myself, I am sleeping really badly at the moment, I don't understand why, I always sleep so well (and snore a lot), perhaps being without work is getting to me.
We had a wonderful Remembrance Sunday service at church and we had a proper trumpeter for the last post and reveille, brought tears to my eyes, said all my prayers and we lit two candles, as one doesn't seem to cover all the people we need to light one for!
Bridget what wonderful news about your sons, you must be so pleased that the sun is shining down on them.
It is good to know that Ann is still with us - how do you get a nudge?
Jan - you are right, I am a disgrace, but OH had me using the incinerator in the garden last week, getting rid of some old papers and the wardrobe they were kept in (in the garden) - the papers weren't suitable for recycling because of their colour and content, and the wardrobe was disintegrating because of weather damage.
Berona - you talk of spring weather, here in England except for the fact that all the leaves are coming off the trees (into Jan's garden!!) you would hardly think it was November, yesterday beautiful blue skies and sunshine. We have only had two mornings with a frost and they were in September! No doubt we are in for much colder times later.
Hazel - Just love those twins - how are they now - are they at home yet?
Must sign off now, can hear OH stirring, she will be off to work shortly and I am going to accompany her on the bus. Can't go in the car as it was behaving terribly yesterday when we went to church, probably needs a good service (as well as its annual MOT)
Back soon :-)
Gerard

Sorry not been on lately missed it somehow. However I will endeavour to write something but not now as I am off to get the evening meal. Somebody give me a nudge if I forget. :-D

Ok everyone, it looks as if there are 2 votes for two and then several others. Given that only a few of us suggested votes I think we could all write our own choices...hope you all agree.

If we started this from next week we should be able to have them all by the end of the month and who knows, others my join us.
Does this idea suit everyone? Our visitors leave next Wednesday so I will start mine next Thursday. Looking forward to reading your entries.

At last we as a family are receiving good news! Our expected grandchild is developing very well, and I shall be receiving the next scan next week, my granddaughter is improving and appears to be coping very well even with the occasional not so understanding comment. Son in Amsterdam arrived home safely having stopped over in France on his way home.
Son in Barcelona, doing very well in his new work place and has received his permanent work documents, son in Wales sounds very relaxed and business doing quite brisk sales, andArmy son called yesterday to say thet he has received his official letter confirming that the Army wishes him to stay in the Army until at least ...2025! So no worries for him about what the future holds, especially as many soldiers are finishing their 12 year co tract and not being renewed.

So maybe the good times are back at last.

Today it is very chilly, but the sun is shining and I hope it stays that way for our rememberance gathering. We have our poppies and OH will were his fathers medals, as he promised he would.

Then we are back home and there will eight of us for lunch. Legs of lamb pre pared, veg prepared so not difficult.

Take care everyone and have a good day.

Bridget

Just showing the flag. Nothing to report only that we finally seem to be getting our usual type of Spring weather. Beautiful at the moment with no rain, temps of high 20's and overnight temps of up to 18. I wish it could stay like this, but Summer starts in less than three weeks and the temps go higher and higher.

We do need the rain and no doubt some areas will get more than they want, but it's a big country, so we get a bit of everything - usually the wrong thing in the wrong places!