This wasn't a stay-cation, but rather a State-cation. We had about two and a half days for our summer vacation this year. There wasn't time to go very far, but we still managed to make it feel like a bit of a vacation.
The Mr. and L went to a baseball game on Friday night. (L gave him the ticket for Father's Day, and they both finally had time to use it.) I shopped the sales and found a few bargains. We spent the night with L and left the next morning for a three hour drive, but still managed to stay in State.
In town number two, we went to my favorite movie theater. You push a button on your seat, then put in your order for popcorn, soda, pizza, or even wine. They deliver it to your seat, and you pay for it when it arrives or at the end of the show. They don't even have a concession stand--just menus. We saw "Crazy Stupid Love" which was the least predictable movie that I have seen in awhile. I really enjoyed it.
There was some basketball tournament in town, so we stayed at a Bed and Breakfast. (Hotels were all full.) It was a quiet little country cabin with a hot tub.
Besides a bit more shopping, the last thing we did was take in the final musical of the year for Music Theater. This year the sets, lighting, and costumes have been incredible.
We returned to Baxter who had spent the weekend with K. They had sleepovers. He even got to spend the night at Khalie's house. I think he was a bit disappointed when we arrived home. His good times are over.
Yes, that was the grand sum of my vacation. I can't complain too much. I did manage a ski trip back in March, so this three day fling will have to do until next year!
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Monday, August 8, 2011
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
So Sioux Me!
The Mr. and I had never been to South Dakota. We were looking for cooler temperatures and new territory. We originally thought we might head to Mount Rushmore, but ruled that out when faced with the "pre-Sturgis" parties and ridiculous hotel rates.
I had been looking at Sioux Falls because it wasn't too far from Walnut Grove, Minnesota, and DeSmet, South Dakota.
A little history here. When I started school, my 1st grade teacher read our class Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. She would read a few chapters to start the day and then a couple more after lunch. If we were good and got all of our work done, she would sometimes end the day with another chapter. When we finished that book, we moved on to Little House on the Prairie.
Fast forward to the fact that I had the same teacher for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade. By the time I ended my early elementary days, she had read the entire series to our class. She ended our 4th grade year with These Happy Golden Years.
I loved the books so much that I returned to them again and again. I wrote a paper in college about Laura Ingalls Wilder and her 'historical fiction' genre. It was hard to be a Midwestern farm girl and not identify with her stories. My great grandparents probably had lives and travel quite similar. We even had what was left of a dugout down on our creek.
When K and L were small, we were in Branson and made a side trip to Mansfield, Missouri, to see Laura's final home and her grave in the cemetery. The museum there held so many things that were part of her stories: Pa's fiddle, Ida's lace, and Ma's china shepherdess. Even the manuscripts (all written by hand in Big Chief tablets) were there.
Four years ago the Mr. and I made a trip to Mayo after my stroke. While we were there, we had one free day when no tests were scheduled. The Mr. wanted to travel part of the Mississippi River road on the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin. While I was looking at the map, I realized that we were just a few miles away from Lake Pepin- the home of the Little House in the Big Woods. We took a quick trip to see the original site of that first house/home Wilder wrote about. (Shocking that I wouldn't have a camera on that medical trip!)
Last year when we vacationed in Oklahoma, we were fairly close to Independence, Kansas, the site of Little House on the Prairie. It was a bit off the beaten path, but the Mr. was game. Independence has reconstructed the little house on the original site and has a small souvenir shop, too. This was the 2nd of the homes Wilder wrote about.
And that brings us to this trip... (and yes, the Mr. does indulge me a bit- but you already knew that!)
We drove about 2 hours from Sioux Falls to Walnut Grove, Minnesota. This was the home of the dugout or soddy Wilder wrote about in On the Banks of Plum Creek. Walnut Grove has built a museum, sod dugout, a small school, a church, and a typical pioneer house all in their town. If the roads had been better (they have had heavy rains and flooding), we would have attempted the primitive road out to the site of the original sod house. The dugout is gone, but the creek still runs through the property. Even people with four-wheel drive wouldn't chance it!
I found the rebuilt sod dugout in town to be claustrophobic. I'm not sure how four or five people could survive those living conditions. However, I played the pump organ on display in the church and enjoyed seeing the museum, photos of their neighbors, and reading additional facts about their travels.
Part of the walls were whitewashed and the other part was sod. This table took up almost all of one side of the dugout.
We left Walnut Creek and drove Highway 14 through Volga and Tracy (mentioned in The Long Winter) and arrived at DeSmet, South Dakota. This was the final hometown of the Ingalls family. By the time they arrived here, Mary was blind. They lived in the surveyor's cabin before the town was even built, eventually built their homestead on a government claim, and then spent time living in an office in town during the winter months. In later years, they built a house in town.
Today, DeSmet has a Wilder exhibit in town. There are tours to the Surveyor's house, the final home of the Wilders, and the cemetery.
Just outside of town, they have rebuilt the homestead at the original location. This is actually the part I enjoyed the most. The house and the barn are just as they were described in the books and as close to records as possible. There is a garden, the trees Pa planted, and the fields he worked. They give wagon rides to the school they have erected about a half mile from the house. It travels through the slough Laura described in the books.
They have hands-on activities: twisting hay, grinding wheat in the coffee mill, washing clothes, and a school marm who teaches lessons and runs the school in late 1800's style.
I have to admit that it was kind of fun to walk where Laura and Mary walked, worked, and played on the prairies.
Our final stop was the DeSmet Cemetery where Pa, Ma, Mary, Carrie, and Laura and Almanzo's infant son were buried.
All of the tombstones were new, except for Pa's-- which was almost worn away.
As much as I loved the books, I'm not a huge fan of the television show. They took too many liberties with the stories to make them dramatic enough to hold the attention of the audience.
From the museums you can gather that the reality was at times sadder and harsher than Laura Ingalls Wilder remembered or cared to share. She remembered her life with joy and kindness; something we don't often see in modern times or with modern writers.
So yes, the Mr. "wimped out" and has now made the trip to all of the Little House locations. He's the man! (Though he often "sits out" the tour if he can get away with it!)
Oh, and he went shopping, too-- more than once on this trip. So sue me!
And I'll remind you that I am headed to football games this fall where I am more interested in the tailgating and the sidelines than the actual game. And I've done that for 20+ years in a row now! It all evens out! That's why our marriage works! (Well, most of the time!)
I had been looking at Sioux Falls because it wasn't too far from Walnut Grove, Minnesota, and DeSmet, South Dakota.
A little history here. When I started school, my 1st grade teacher read our class Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. She would read a few chapters to start the day and then a couple more after lunch. If we were good and got all of our work done, she would sometimes end the day with another chapter. When we finished that book, we moved on to Little House on the Prairie.
Fast forward to the fact that I had the same teacher for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade. By the time I ended my early elementary days, she had read the entire series to our class. She ended our 4th grade year with These Happy Golden Years.
I loved the books so much that I returned to them again and again. I wrote a paper in college about Laura Ingalls Wilder and her 'historical fiction' genre. It was hard to be a Midwestern farm girl and not identify with her stories. My great grandparents probably had lives and travel quite similar. We even had what was left of a dugout down on our creek.
When K and L were small, we were in Branson and made a side trip to Mansfield, Missouri, to see Laura's final home and her grave in the cemetery. The museum there held so many things that were part of her stories: Pa's fiddle, Ida's lace, and Ma's china shepherdess. Even the manuscripts (all written by hand in Big Chief tablets) were there.
Four years ago the Mr. and I made a trip to Mayo after my stroke. While we were there, we had one free day when no tests were scheduled. The Mr. wanted to travel part of the Mississippi River road on the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin. While I was looking at the map, I realized that we were just a few miles away from Lake Pepin- the home of the Little House in the Big Woods. We took a quick trip to see the original site of that first house/home Wilder wrote about. (Shocking that I wouldn't have a camera on that medical trip!)
Last year when we vacationed in Oklahoma, we were fairly close to Independence, Kansas, the site of Little House on the Prairie. It was a bit off the beaten path, but the Mr. was game. Independence has reconstructed the little house on the original site and has a small souvenir shop, too. This was the 2nd of the homes Wilder wrote about.
And that brings us to this trip... (and yes, the Mr. does indulge me a bit- but you already knew that!)
We drove about 2 hours from Sioux Falls to Walnut Grove, Minnesota. This was the home of the dugout or soddy Wilder wrote about in On the Banks of Plum Creek. Walnut Grove has built a museum, sod dugout, a small school, a church, and a typical pioneer house all in their town. If the roads had been better (they have had heavy rains and flooding), we would have attempted the primitive road out to the site of the original sod house. The dugout is gone, but the creek still runs through the property. Even people with four-wheel drive wouldn't chance it!
I found the rebuilt sod dugout in town to be claustrophobic. I'm not sure how four or five people could survive those living conditions. However, I played the pump organ on display in the church and enjoyed seeing the museum, photos of their neighbors, and reading additional facts about their travels.
We left Walnut Creek and drove Highway 14 through Volga and Tracy (mentioned in The Long Winter) and arrived at DeSmet, South Dakota. This was the final hometown of the Ingalls family. By the time they arrived here, Mary was blind. They lived in the surveyor's cabin before the town was even built, eventually built their homestead on a government claim, and then spent time living in an office in town during the winter months. In later years, they built a house in town.
Today, DeSmet has a Wilder exhibit in town. There are tours to the Surveyor's house, the final home of the Wilders, and the cemetery.
Just outside of town, they have rebuilt the homestead at the original location. This is actually the part I enjoyed the most. The house and the barn are just as they were described in the books and as close to records as possible. There is a garden, the trees Pa planted, and the fields he worked. They give wagon rides to the school they have erected about a half mile from the house. It travels through the slough Laura described in the books.
Our final stop was the DeSmet Cemetery where Pa, Ma, Mary, Carrie, and Laura and Almanzo's infant son were buried.
As much as I loved the books, I'm not a huge fan of the television show. They took too many liberties with the stories to make them dramatic enough to hold the attention of the audience.
From the museums you can gather that the reality was at times sadder and harsher than Laura Ingalls Wilder remembered or cared to share. She remembered her life with joy and kindness; something we don't often see in modern times or with modern writers.
So yes, the Mr. "wimped out" and has now made the trip to all of the Little House locations. He's the man! (Though he often "sits out" the tour if he can get away with it!)
Oh, and he went shopping, too-- more than once on this trip. So sue me!
And I'll remind you that I am headed to football games this fall where I am more interested in the tailgating and the sidelines than the actual game. And I've done that for 20+ years in a row now! It all evens out! That's why our marriage works! (Well, most of the time!)
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Back... from Sioux Falls
Today is the last day of vacation. We arrived home yesterday afternoon and are using today to catch up on laundry, play with Baxter (who is quite glad to be back home from the kennel!), and shop for groceries. I'm hoping to make it to the Tiny Town library, too. Then tomorrow, we're back to work.
This year's vacation was in the Sioux Falls area of South Dakota. Strange destination? Maybe. More on why we chose this destination tomorrow.
This vacation included some of our favorite things: Water or in this case--Waterfalls! Hmmm...you think there is a reason that they call it Sioux Falls?!
Who knew they lit up the Sioux Falls at night? In fact, they have a light/laser show at the falls where they tell the history of the falls and the city, too.
So, we got a bit of the history of the area. (Another vacation must.)
A favorite vacation stop that has become a tradition is a tour of wineries. South Dakota has a series of wineries that they promote as a wine tour. We hit several of them. My favorite?
The Strawbale Winery! Besides the fact that the winery building is actually built out of straw bales, they had all different kinds of wine besides the traditional: cherry, currant, strawberry rhubarb, and jalapeno. Yep, jalapeno! And you can bet, that we couldn't leave without a bottle of jalapeno wine for the Mr. (Not my favorite.)
This sign was perfect for the Strawbale Winery! I'm sure wine snobs would hate it, but I've never had so much fun at a wine tasting. It was the last day for one of the wine tasting hosts. He was headed off to med school so everyone was in a celebratory mood. There was definitely a family attitude of fun and love. I think when I grow up (?!), I want to work there!
Oh, and it didn't hurt that I felt right at home in the surroundings!
More on the vacation trip tomorrow. Today? Reading, reviewing Baxter's obedience training, and catching up around the house. If it doesn't rain, we might even get the lawn work done! And I'm thinking there is a bottle of wine calling my name!
This year's vacation was in the Sioux Falls area of South Dakota. Strange destination? Maybe. More on why we chose this destination tomorrow.
This vacation included some of our favorite things: Water or in this case--Waterfalls! Hmmm...you think there is a reason that they call it Sioux Falls?!
A favorite vacation stop that has become a tradition is a tour of wineries. South Dakota has a series of wineries that they promote as a wine tour. We hit several of them. My favorite?
More on the vacation trip tomorrow. Today? Reading, reviewing Baxter's obedience training, and catching up around the house. If it doesn't rain, we might even get the lawn work done! And I'm thinking there is a bottle of wine calling my name!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Saturday's List- What a Vacation Must Include
With four days of school left, I am thinking about vacations. This week's list is everything that a vacation must include in order for me to feel like it is actually a vacation:
1. Water. I need an ocean, river, or lake at the vacation destination. I guess in a pinch a water park would work, but I prefer the natural kind. I don't have to swim in it or boat on it. I can just sit and look at it and I'm happy. For some reason, I am always attracted to water.
2. Educational or historical places. I can blame this on my mom and dad. Childhood vacations or travel were supposed to be educational as well as relaxing. I remember the childhood trip through the Civil War grounds of the South, and another trip was a visit to Lincoln's Springfield, Illinois. Even when the Mr. and I went to Cancun we took a trip to see the ruins at Chichen Itza. I like to go to museums and historical sites. Washington D.C. was a dream vacation for me, though I had to travel a bit to get to the water.
3. Cemeteries. Weird, I know. I kind of like to see where famous people are buried. I have visited the graves of Sacajawea, Buffalo Bill Cody, Abraham Lincoln, Laura Ingalls Wilder, John F. Kennedy, and quite a few others. (One of these days I'll tell you about the college project where I visited cemeteries and compiled a report on unusual epitaphs.) There are still a lot of cemeteries I want to visit.
4. Somebody has to get sick or hurt. I hate to say it, but L is usually the one. She took a nice little crash on an unforgiving sidewalk when we were in Hot Springs, Arkansas; visited an emergency room with strep at Two Harbors, Minnesota; and took a header going down an Alpine Slide at Park City, Utah. (That one required a trip to the emergency room, too.) It never fails, and we're to the point where it isn't a vacation unless someone ends up feeling rotten.
5. Winery. Any time I see a sign for a winery, I am game to pull over and do a wine tasting. A tour of their facilities and vineyard is just an added perk!
So where are we going this year? I think there is a good chance we are staying at El Tiny Town and painting the house. Sounds like a lot of fun, doesn't it? There will be water to clean up the brushes, and I'm sure painting a house with the Mr. will be quite educational and informative. No cemetery. Well, at least I hope not. I am thinking of playing hooky to get out of some of the painting so that will cover the sickness. Oh, and there better be wine!
This is sounding more and more like a perfect vacation. NOT!! Don't think I'm still not expecting to do a little something fun, Mr. You're not getting off that easy. (I'm guessing you already knew that!)
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Lake Garden
On the last day of our short vacation, the Mr. and I stopped at a garden in a small town near the lake. The front of the garden was nothing special. It looked like a brown privacy fence with an iron gate on a piece of property about the size of an average town lot. When we walked through the gate, there was a mailbox to leave your entry fee. (Honor System) We started down the path thinking it was really nice, but nothing very special.
It didn't take long to figure out that this garden was incredible and quite a surprise. There were a lot of trees and plants, benches, and several gazebos. As we wandered, the path started winding and dividing off. We suddenly realized that this garden was a lot larger than it appeared from the street. They had a Japanese garden, a koi pond, waterfalls, arches, bridges, and lots of flowers. A gardener told us this is a popular spot for weddings. It was easy to see why. There were probably 5 or 6 different gazebos or areas where a wedding or event could be held.
We thought it would take about 20 minutes to go through the garden. We ended up spending well over an hour. The garden was a work of art. Come to find out, it was created as a memorial after a man lost his twin brother. What a beautiful memorial!
"If one looks closely enough, one can see angels in every piece of art." -Adeline Cullen Ray
It didn't take long to figure out that this garden was incredible and quite a surprise. There were a lot of trees and plants, benches, and several gazebos. As we wandered, the path started winding and dividing off. We suddenly realized that this garden was a lot larger than it appeared from the street. They had a Japanese garden, a koi pond, waterfalls, arches, bridges, and lots of flowers. A gardener told us this is a popular spot for weddings. It was easy to see why. There were probably 5 or 6 different gazebos or areas where a wedding or event could be held.
We thought it would take about 20 minutes to go through the garden. We ended up spending well over an hour. The garden was a work of art. Come to find out, it was created as a memorial after a man lost his twin brother. What a beautiful memorial!
"If one looks closely enough, one can see angels in every piece of art." -Adeline Cullen Ray
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Vineyards
I love vineyards and wineries. I love the way they look: the rows are neat, the roses at the end of rows, and their shops are usually adorable. Who am I kidding? I love the wine tasting! I have visited wineries in several states now. It seems to be a "vacation" thing.
I probably shouldn't have started with this picture. I should save the best for last, but I can't resist bragging. My kid sister (K.S.) took this picture. Isn't it amazing?! Actually, this is a picture of her picture! Her husband had her photo developed onto canvas. It really looks like an oil painting. Besides being a great photographer, she likes wineries (and wine!) as much as I do.
.
We flew out to California several years back for her oldest daughter's wedding. On the trip, we drove through Sonoma wine country and visited a winery or two. A year later, my sister and her husband bought me an airline ticket to return for a visit. (No graduation or wedding this time!) The K.S. took me to Napa on an overnight trip.
We did several wine tastings on our jaunt. I liked Napa, but I loved the Russian River wine country. My favorite winery: Korbel!! (My love of champagne blog is here.) The K.S. and I had the best time. Definitely a vacation I won't ever forget!
I probably shouldn't have started with this picture. I should save the best for last, but I can't resist bragging. My kid sister (K.S.) took this picture. Isn't it amazing?! Actually, this is a picture of her picture! Her husband had her photo developed onto canvas. It really looks like an oil painting. Besides being a great photographer, she likes wineries (and wine!) as much as I do..
We flew out to California several years back for her oldest daughter's wedding. On the trip, we drove through Sonoma wine country and visited a winery or two. A year later, my sister and her husband bought me an airline ticket to return for a visit. (No graduation or wedding this time!) The K.S. took me to Napa on an overnight trip.
We did several wine tastings on our jaunt. I liked Napa, but I loved the Russian River wine country. My favorite winery: Korbel!! (My love of champagne blog is here.) The K.S. and I had the best time. Definitely a vacation I won't ever forget!.
Since then, the Mr. and I have been searching our wineries in the Midwest. A couple years ago we spent a week in the wine country of Missouri.
The Mr. studying the list at one wine tasting. Do you suppose he is wondering if they serve beer? (It is a real possibility!)
We've had a chance to tour their facilities and learn the wine making process. The history of prohibition had an interesting affect on the wineries of the Midwest.
The Mr. studying the list at one wine tasting. Do you suppose he is wondering if they serve beer? (It is a real possibility!)
We've had a chance to tour their facilities and learn the wine making process. The history of prohibition had an interesting affect on the wineries of the Midwest..
Our Missouri trip to the wineries was also part bicycle trip on their famous KATY trail.
I'm not mad in this photo, just exhausted--and probably wondering if the Mr. was ever going to find the right button to push on the camera. (There is a reason I'm not in many photographs!) I had just biked 24 miles on the KATY, hence the exhaustion and the cowboy hat hiding the helmet hair! At this winery, you could lock up your bike at the trail and hike a switchback up to the winery. Very handy for all those wine-loving bikers out there!
And that brings us to the winery visit this last week. This "Group Therapy" flag greeted us.
The winery was located on the famous Route 66, so each of their wine goblets proudly bore the emblem--as did the label on their wine. It isn't harvesting season yet, but I had to take a few pictures of the grapes before the stomping commences!
We don't have many wineries in our State...yet! One of my students this next school year has started a winery on his parent's farm. It is part of his 4-H project. I am hoping to take pictures as the grapes ripen at his vineyard this fall. I'm pretty sure he is going to have to draw me a map on how to get there. We've been out searching for it--and so far, no luck.
I'm not mad in this photo, just exhausted--and probably wondering if the Mr. was ever going to find the right button to push on the camera. (There is a reason I'm not in many photographs!) I had just biked 24 miles on the KATY, hence the exhaustion and the cowboy hat hiding the helmet hair! At this winery, you could lock up your bike at the trail and hike a switchback up to the winery. Very handy for all those wine-loving bikers out there!
And that brings us to the winery visit this last week. This "Group Therapy" flag greeted us.
The winery was located on the famous Route 66, so each of their wine goblets proudly bore the emblem--as did the label on their wine. It isn't harvesting season yet, but I had to take a few pictures of the grapes before the stomping commences!
We don't have many wineries in our State...yet! One of my students this next school year has started a winery on his parent's farm. It is part of his 4-H project. I am hoping to take pictures as the grapes ripen at his vineyard this fall. I'm pretty sure he is going to have to draw me a map on how to get there. We've been out searching for it--and so far, no luck. .
Coffee shop or winery? Which do I want to run when I grow up? I'm not quite sure yet. I am pretty sure I am going to have to visit a few more coffee shops and wineries before I make that decision! (It is a tough job, but someone has to do it!)
.
Next up for wine country? Tuscany, I hope! And I hear they have bicycle trips through wine country there, too! Saving my pennies, saving my pennies...
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Lake House Mornings
We awoke our first morning at the lake to this light fog or steam on the lake. It gave everything a misty quality. The boat slips were enveloped in the haze. It was so still and peaceful that I felt like I was sitting inside a photograph. Eventually, we saw a father and son headed out to fish, just as the fog was beginning to lift.
The Mr. made coffee and delivered to my perch on the deck. See why I married him??!! He delivers!
The bird house beside our deck was quite busy. In fact, the trees were full of both birds and squirrels. I am a little too slow to get great shots of wildlife, but that didn't stop me from shooting a ton of pictures, most of which I deleted. (Someone had a hummingbird feeder somewhere close. I gave up on those quick little devils, but they were fun to watch!) Here are a few of the pictures that survived.
I'm crediting the birds for the lack of mosquitoes on the deck. I didn't see one. We were outside almost every waking moment and never saw a single insect. Of course, that did a 180 when we got home! I was wrestling a mosquito inside the car on the way home from work last night. After about 20 miles, he met his Waterloo--and I didn't wreck the car!
We are back to work, moving L, and getting ready for school to start. I'm holding this misty image in my mind during the next few hectic weeks. I have a feeling I'm going to need it. Well, that and the wine we picked up at a winery we visited...but that will be another post!
The Mr. made coffee and delivered to my perch on the deck. See why I married him??!! He delivers!
The bird house beside our deck was quite busy. In fact, the trees were full of both birds and squirrels. I am a little too slow to get great shots of wildlife, but that didn't stop me from shooting a ton of pictures, most of which I deleted. (Someone had a hummingbird feeder somewhere close. I gave up on those quick little devils, but they were fun to watch!) Here are a few of the pictures that survived.
I'm crediting the birds for the lack of mosquitoes on the deck. I didn't see one. We were outside almost every waking moment and never saw a single insect. Of course, that did a 180 when we got home! I was wrestling a mosquito inside the car on the way home from work last night. After about 20 miles, he met his Waterloo--and I didn't wreck the car!
We are back to work, moving L, and getting ready for school to start. I'm holding this misty image in my mind during the next few hectic weeks. I have a feeling I'm going to need it. Well, that and the wine we picked up at a winery we visited...but that will be another post!Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Looking Back- An Anniversary
Just a year ago this week, our family was lucky to spend time with family in Colorado. We had a wonderful time in beautiful surroundings. 
On the last morning, we decided to leave early so we could enjoy a trip through Independence Pass before heading home. The pass had just opened the weekend before. It was a beautiful drive, and there was still snow on the ground. It added a couple of hours to our travel time, but it was well worth it.
K & L had to put their flip flops in the snow drifts at the side of the road before we headed down the mountain and toward home.
We had a long drive, and as we drew closer to home we started hearing storm reports on the radio. The weather got pretty bad, and we found ourselves sandwiched between two storms. We couldn't stop or the one behind us would catch us, so we just kept crawling along. My step mom called my cell phone. She was worrying. It was already pretty late so I thought it was strange, but she said to call no matter what time we got home. Within about 20 miles of home, the radio DJ said there was a tornado headed straight for our town. Then we listened as our town took a direct hit. We tried to go into town the back way, but the trees made it impossible to enter. The main entrance into town had already been shut down by emergency personnel.
For the next 45 minutes, the Mr. and several other men tried to pull trees out of the way so emergency vehicles could enter. Some guys from a nearby town showed up with chain saws and our car lights illuminated what little could be seen. We used our cell phones to call neighbors about the condition of our house and the people in our neighborhood. They had very little information, but knew they were OK and so was our house. I sat in the car and shook. I had no idea what we would see when we finally got into town, but I knew it wasn't going to be good. We had been on top of the mountain, literally, that morning. And we had descended into a kind of hell.
On the last morning, we decided to leave early so we could enjoy a trip through Independence Pass before heading home. The pass had just opened the weekend before. It was a beautiful drive, and there was still snow on the ground. It added a couple of hours to our travel time, but it was well worth it.
K & L had to put their flip flops in the snow drifts at the side of the road before we headed down the mountain and toward home.
We had a long drive, and as we drew closer to home we started hearing storm reports on the radio. The weather got pretty bad, and we found ourselves sandwiched between two storms. We couldn't stop or the one behind us would catch us, so we just kept crawling along. My step mom called my cell phone. She was worrying. It was already pretty late so I thought it was strange, but she said to call no matter what time we got home. Within about 20 miles of home, the radio DJ said there was a tornado headed straight for our town. Then we listened as our town took a direct hit. We tried to go into town the back way, but the trees made it impossible to enter. The main entrance into town had already been shut down by emergency personnel.
For the next 45 minutes, the Mr. and several other men tried to pull trees out of the way so emergency vehicles could enter. Some guys from a nearby town showed up with chain saws and our car lights illuminated what little could be seen. We used our cell phones to call neighbors about the condition of our house and the people in our neighborhood. They had very little information, but knew they were OK and so was our house. I sat in the car and shook. I had no idea what we would see when we finally got into town, but I knew it wasn't going to be good. We had been on top of the mountain, literally, that morning. And we had descended into a kind of hell.To be continued...
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