50/50 Hawaii (#49)

The big day I aspired to starting back in 1994 happened this past...November 9, 2009. It was the day I turned 50 years young...the day I became eligible to the National Register of Historic Places as long as I still had integrity. It was the day I had raced to see all 50 of our beautiful United States (plus DC). It was the most glorious of all my 50 birthdays...it was the day I spent in the 50th state, a day in paradise on the island of Kauai!

This vacation started several days before when Phil & I hopped from Austin to Houston and then boarded another plane for 8 1/2 hours to arrive in Honolulu to visit my 49th state. My first birthday present was picking up my midlife crisis car-a Mustang convertible. I could not wait to get her out on the open road! This V-8 beauty was just begging to have her peddle buried into the floor, but it had been a long day. We did a quick dinner and beer sampler at Kona Brewing Company before heading to our hotel. Tomorrow would be a day of one of my many firsts in this beautiful state...a day of snorkeling.

Hanauma Bay is a snorkeling paradise located 20 minutes east of our Waikiki hotel. It is home to the beautiful triggerfish-Hawaii's unofficial state fish and officially the longest Hawaiian word...humuhumunukunukuapua'a. We arrived early in the morning and viewed the mandatory film; a preventative strike to keep us from walking along and causing irreparable harm to this incredible reef and home to over 150 turtles, fishes and invertabrate animals. We began our adventure in Keyhole Lagoon as suggested by one of the many helpful volunteers after I confessed I had never been snorkeling before. After lots of laughs trying to master the flippers we headed into the water were the hours passed way to quickly. The amount and color of the marine life was truly amazing, many looked blacklight flourescent and few cared that we had invaded their habitat.

We had a full day of tourist activities the next day starting with a Pearl Harbor and Honolulu City Tour. Before the boat took us out to the USS Arizona Memorial we watched a very sensitive and moving movie account of the events that led up the fateful attack on December 7, 1941. From that point on I had a lump in my throat and shed a few tears (for all the braves soldiers who have served for our freedom). As we moved from the front to the back of the memorial I started to read some of the more than 1000 names on the back wall memorializing the men entombed under my feet. As we looked over the side, two drops of oil surfaced and spread across the water and I imagined as the movie account had said that these were the ships tears. Back at the Visitor Center we had the wonderful opportunity to visit with Pearl Harbor Survivor Pharmacist's Mate 2nd Class Sterling Cale, who had just gotten off night duty and ran back to help when the bombing began. He was also in charge of removing bodies from the USS Arizona. Sgt Cale just retired in 2005 after 57 years of government service and immediately started volunteering at the Visitor Center...amazing! While our visit here was relatively short one, it will be forever one of my most moving experiences.

We left the USS Arizona Memorial and headed to the National Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl with its numerous notable persons including Ellison Onizuka, one of the ill-fated astronauts aboard the Challeger. This beautiful cemetery also has incredible views of Waikiki with a Diamond Head backdrop. We then headed to historic downtown Honolulu past historic districts and many buildings belonging to the government...then and now. Our day was far from over.

A trip to Hawaii would not be complete without attending a good old fashion luau...we choose Germain's which included a very entertaining bus ride west of the city to the beachside location. Our escort Georgie filled us in about the traditions, foods and various Hawaiian word we would encounter at the evenings festivities. She was great at giving us the low down on how to make the most of our experience and she even got up on stage and helped entertainment. When the time came to send a lady from each table to go up on stage and learn the hula, I screamed it was my birthday and ran up on stage! As it turned out not one other lady had wanted to go, but I hadn't given them a choice either. On the bus trip home Georgie gave three beautiful and fragrant plumeria leis to those who answered Hawaiian trivia questions and Phil knew the official longest Hawaiian word for the unofficial Hawaiian state fish. What a great wrapup for an incredible day!

For our last full day on Oahu we got up before sunrise to go out to Diamond Head State Monument and hike to the top. The strenuous 0.8 mile trail to the top was build as part of the island's defense system 100 years ago. The trail includes switchbacks, a tunnel and several sets of stairs including a very steep set of 99 that empties successful hikers into the second level of an old bunker and ultimate rewarding views of Diamondhead Lighthouse, the crater and the Waikiki coastline.


We purchased 3-day Go Oahu cards from Costco for $119 each before we ventured to Hawaii. I was able to book the luau and tours using this handy card. My one do over for this trip would be- not to not purchase them. We booked our time solid the first two day but on the third and last day of the card they canceled our catamaran lunch cruise and we then waited almost an hour for an outrigger canoe ride which never happened. As it turned out we did not get the value we could of...or should have gotten. Fortunately by purchasing the card at Costco we had saved $30 each; if I had paid $149 I would have been very unhappy. We did end up just relaxing the rest of the day, seeing the beach at Waikiki and driving to the north shore.

Early the next morning we left the hustle bustle of Oahu for peaceful laid back Kauai, a short 21 minute ride on Hawaiian Airlines featuring impeccable service. We were taken to Dollar rental kiosk by bus though the confirmation stated in-terminal. I was then subjected to one of the nastiest clerks who thought intimidating me into purchasing needless additional insurance was going to be successful. She stated that I should buy the "loss of use" insurance because in the event of an accident they would likely charge my credit card for each day they lost use of the car up to 21 days! Unlike the wonderful customer experience we had with Advantage on Oahu...Dollar on Kauai was torturous. No matter...this nasty woman was not going to ruin my time in PARADISE.

We stopped at the Oki Diner for a delicious lunch and headed to our hotel. They allowed us to check in early and we headed off to the north shore and the end of the road at Ke'e Beach. Little did we know we would flirt with disaster...would I see my 50th birthday tomorrow???

Our first stop was Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge with its spectacular 1913 lighthouse complete with its original Fresnel lens. On our journey to the lighthouse proper we stopped to "borrow" a pair of binoculars to view the abundant wildlife. We had arrived just in time to join the elated staff celebrating the season's first sighting of an Albatross. The birds were fresh from arrival from Alaska, who would spend winter in this paradise. The hillside was littered with the white dots of Red-Footed Boobies and we observed the nesting grounds of Shearwaters. There was much talk of the first sightings of humpback whales who also winter here, but alas we were not lucky to see any this trip.

It was on to the end of the road, we stopped just past Princeville at the Hanalei Valley Overlook with great views of taro fields with a spectacular mountain backdrop. We continues down the road as it dropped into the valley and a series of one lane bridges encouraging us to "yield to oncoming traffic." In the town of Hanalei we stopped at the oldest church on the island. The beautiful Wai'oli Hui'ia Church was completed in 1912. The mountain background displayed a profusion of waterfalls threading from top to bottom. What a romantic place to get married!

We finished our drive at Ke'e Beach on the north shore and part of the incredible Napali Coastline. After a photo op in a tangle of tree roots at Ke'e Beach and a stop at the Waikanaloa (Blue Room) Wet Cave we returned to Princeville in search of Kauai's only blue diamond letterbox at Queen's Bath. it was getting late and we thought we would have enough time to venture straight down the trail, retrieve the box and head back to Hanalei for dinner at one of the quaint eateries in the little downtown hamlet...we couldn't have been more wrong.

While the box planter warned of the slippery nature of the trail, they said they took their children and carried a ten month old...were we in the same place I ask? The red clay trail with a wet skiff of moisture provided optimum challenge as we navigated or slid down a path perched precariously close to a craggy black lava edge. Had we lost our footing, we could have plunged into a small canyon about twenty feet below. We got down to what was described as the "washing machine" just in time to watch the sun drop into the horizon in a matter of seconds...and then it was dark and time to head back up the trail...no flashlight either. My heart was beating like a triphammer and I heard Phil start to swear...the next thing I think I saw was Phil's broken flipflops whipping past my head and into the washing machine. I questioned wheter I would see my 50th birthday the next day. We made it back to the trailhead parking lot, the lone car, but we were alive. No dinner in Hanalei tonight, no letterbox. We went back to our hotel room, got cleaned up and headed into Kapaa to Pizzetta's for an amazing pizza and their very tasty signature beer "Rooster Brew" by the Keoki Brewing Company.

The big day would finally arrive, and yes of course I did live to celebrate my most glorious of all birthdays! It started with the Big Kahuna one hour morning flight around the island of Kauai with AirVentures. I conquered my fear of flying in small airplanes a few short minutes after takeoff. We flew with two other couples; one from Pittsburg and the other from northwestern Florida. The route looped around the entire island, pasting through the lush Waimea Canyon, up along the dramatic Napali Coast, past several waterfalls including the one used in the opener of the old Fantasy Island TV show and my most favorite part-flying over the 1913 Kilauea Point Lighthouse we had visited the day before.

Shortly after landing we were standing alongside Wailua Falls which we had just flown over less than an hour before. We needed to check in for our Holo Holo catamaran cruise at the Port Allen Marina by 2pm. It was only about a third the way around this fairly tiny island and we had a little over two hours. That was just enough time to visit Keoki Coffee; the largest coffee plantation in the US and do a little letterboxing in an old abandoned cemetery filled with Buddhas and stones with Asian script. Abandoned and overgrown the cemetery stones were still incredible.

The cruise was a 3 1/2 hour cruise along the Napali coast in a supercharged catamaran. we were on board with about thirty other people and the boat could have accommodated 49 so it was perfect for manuevering around. Pru & Tim, the Florida couple from our morning airplane ride were also aboard and we discovered they had lived near Austin for several years before returning to her home state. The gang sang "Happy Birthday" to me and I graciously thanked them for joining my party. An open bar and excellent Asian dinner rounded out the romantic sunset wind down topped off with a champagne toast. We disembarked the boat just after 6pm, but I was not ready to finish this party, so it was off to the Waimea Brewing Company for a little beer sampler for dessert. They had great beer label t-shirts sporting their logo "The Last Beer Before Tomorrow." Waimea Brewing is the westernmost microbrewery in the US and to the left of this island is the International Date Line (tomorrow). This had been a birthday like no other and tomorrow was my last day in paradise.

We check out of our room at the crack of dawn and headed to the west side of the island again to drive the Waimea Valley. Waimea in Hawaiian means Red Earth and it reminded Phil and I of a lush slightly miniturized Grand Canyon. Teh road climbed quickly fro the town of Waimea and followed along a high ridge for about 15 miles. The end of the road offered a dramatic view overlooking a deep craggy valley. We had seen this island by air, sea and land. Making our way back to Lihue Airport we stopped at Lappert's Ice Cream for a scoop of their goumet ice cream. I had Tutu's Anniversary a combination of coconut ice cream and passionfruit and raspberry sorbets, it was out of this world. We still had a little time to sightsee, so we headed south to Poipu to see the Spouting Horn blow hole and the Tunnel of Trees drive north of Koloa. Our plane to Honolulu was at 8pm so we had time to stop for one of our most awesome dinners at the Garden Island BBQ. Recommended by a local it was a tremendous value at $15 for two...we could not believe our eyes when the bill came. We left Kauai in stormy weather, and I felt like crying too. From Honolulu our plane left for Salt Lake City and flew overnight and by 1pm the next day we were back in Austin, Texas...older, wiser and a little more relaxed. I may have missed getting Alaska and finishing my original 1994 goal, but it was only by one state. Maybe I can find the time before 50 officially escapes me on November 9, 2010??? Regardless, I have had the great fortune to explore this beautiful country... and there is still so much more to see and do.

Aloha Y'all!

Gateway to the West-Nebraska (#27)

I used to consider Nebraska a mere pass through state...A necessary evil to labor across to get to the good states, on either side. Then again I never took the time to stop here before. This time I would stop, my destinations - Carhenge, Scotts Bluff National Monument and camping at Lake Minatare SNA-Home of Nebraska's only lighthouse...my thought was that anyplace with a lighthouse couldn't be all that bad. Nebraska was so much more than I originally expected and I hope to return someday and see more of this All-American state.

My first surprise was prompted by a highway sign directing tourists to an original Pony Express Station. I ventured off I-80 at Gothenburg and followed the signs. While the Station was indeed the real deal, it had been moved from the original Pony Express Route about eight miles south of the highway. No matter, the road to the station was lined with historic homes in spring flower bloom and just off the highway was another surprise...a sod house museum. It was a quick visit but it was time to get back on the road and head to my camping destination - Lake Minatare just outside of Scottsbluff. I got hopelessly lost trying to find this lovely camping area, my GPS unit failed me and my husband Phil's attempts to direct me via cell and the Internet brought him nothing but borderline hysteria from me. What Phil had realized and I could not wrap my brain around was that there were a couple of identical intersections within Scottsbluff. Near dusk I finally found the campground with just enough time to climb to the top of the lighthouse and find a spot to bed down for the night. Ordeal over.

The GPS was back to its old
self in the morning and we arrived at Scotts Bluff National Monument just as the park road and museum were opening. After a lovely conversation with the NPS staff, I headed to the top of the bluff on Summit Road, the oldest concrete road in Nebraska they informed me. I was alone at the top, except for mule deer and a rabbit and the wind howled like a locomotive. I walked to both north and south overlooks and was astounded by the starkness the pioneers must have encountered a century and a half ago. Way off in the distance I could see Chimney Rock, a landmark pioneers used to mark their halfway point to Oregon.

I traveled back to the museum and took the path to walk part of the Oregon Trail. While researching our genealogy several years ago, we discovered that Phil's family had taken the Oregon Trail and had lived in the same two vicinities as Phil - one hundred years apart of each other. Oh what a thrill to have walked where ancestors may have walked! Interesting too was that The Mormon Trail, California Trail and Pony Express all converged here at Mitchell Pass. I had used Chimney Rock as a landmark to find my way here and the whole experience sent chills through my body.

It was time to head north with one short side trip to Alliance for
a visit to Carhenge. The town of Alliance was a quaint little town with great architecture. It was obvious this community took a lot of pride in their bustling downtown. I stopped to take pictures and a woman stopped to chat with me about the buildings and gave me a brief history of them and the town, the county seat. She told me to drive down to the county courthouse and see the decorative brackets along the roofline and I passed the old movie theater with its original neon.

Carhenge was just north of town in an open field. This was an outdoor sculpture like no other I have encountered. It was hard to pull myself away from this place and several other cars stopped and walked around spellbound like me. There are several Stonehenge replicas around the US...why I do not know...why are we drawn to them? I've visited two in Texas at Odessa and Hunt. Texas also may have Carhenges' inspiration - Cadillac Ranch with ten Caddies buried nose down...someone asked me if I considered it art.
Of course I do, and I am thrilled that this time I stopped to discover that Nebraska is definately not a mere pass through state.

Wisconsin (#6) - The Door Peninsula

I have no idea why I love lighthouses so much. Is it the protection and security they provide? Or maybe its the simple fact that they represent a big body of WATER! Whatever it is, I have had a long standing and undeniable love of lighthouses.

I have almost circumnavigated Lake Michigan, but was missing one short and prime segment along the Wisconsin side. When I moved to Texas in 2005 I wondered if I would ever have the opportunity to explore the Door Peninsula...a beautiful baby finger of land stretching out in Lake Michigan from Green Bay.

There are ten lighthouses on this tiny peninsula, a few accessible to the public for an inside peek and maybe an adventuresome climb up and down the tower. This trip had already proven to be a most awesome trip, so why was I not surprised when I reached the Cana Island Lighthouse on May 2, 2009-the first day of its open season!

I arrived at the lighthouse toward the end of their day. I had just enough time to scamper up and down the tower to see its original Fresnel lens, an unusual occurrence for a lighthouse especially one dating to 1869. The staff welcomed me to stay and enjoy the grounds as long as I wished and when one of them noticed I was alone, he followed me outside and insisted on taking the picture above.

My time was running short and I kicked myself for not planning to spend at least a couple days here exploring the other nine lighthouses I would not get to visit. I do hope there will be another opportunity to visit longer in the future.

It was time to find some dinner and work my way toward Escanaba, Michigan. I stopped at the 45th Parallel wayside to retrieve a letterbox. The park was closed so I parked outside the gate and ventured in to capture my prize and leave a hitchhiker for the next adventuresome soul.


My last stop was dinner at Shipwrecked Brew Pub in the beautiful little daffodilled village of Egg Harbor. I sat at my usual location when I visit a microbrewery...center bar...so I can engage in a conversation with someone knowledgeable about their particular business. I started with the sampler of all six beers and ordered the local catch. A delicious perch dinner seemed a fitting end to the day complete with their signature tropical cole slaw; pineapple added to the cole slaw just like my mom-in-law made...YUM! The Peninsula Porter was my favorite of the brews and I was pleasantly surprised to find they bottled, so I ordered a six-pack to take back to Texas. Shortly into dinner a young lady sat next to me and struck up a conversation about Michigan. As it turned out we were both Wolverines. Time was fleeting and it was time to go, so I bid them all a warm adieu and GO BLUE!

I Left My Heart...in California (#30)

Just how many times do you think this picture has been painted or photographed? From Moran to Adams...to me and maybe lucky you, I imagine the first thought was...breath.

Last week I had the opportunity to co-present a paper at the Vernacular Architecture Forum in Fresno, California. My partner and I flew into Oakland and spent quality time in San Francisco and Yosemite National Park at the beginning and end of our trip.

We started the trip savoring the great city by the bay. We had one evening and the next morning to tour this delightful city before heading to the conference opening in Fresno. We drove into San Francisco via the beautiful Bay Bridge and made our way to The Westin St Francis on Union Square. This incredible historic hotel was built in 1904 and possessed the most luxurious bed I have ever slept in at a hotel. The two hour time difference worked in our favor because the next morning we woke at the crack of dawn to catch the sunrise over the bay from our room before scrambling out onto the city streets for a quick architectural walking tour.

We walked down to the corner of Powell and Market and watched the hand turned cable cars before they make their way back up the hill via the Powell/Mason line toward Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf. Did you know that The World Famous San Francisco Cable Cars are the only mobile National Historic Landmark? I am not sure where all we walked but we were overwhelmed with one architectural gem after another and before long we needed to pack up and head out...but not before having lunch at Fisherman's Wharf.

The sky was so blue and the temperature was perfect! This was the second time (twice in a row!) I had experienced this incredible weather in the city famous for rain and fog...I wished we had a little more time. We did not leave without taking in a few quick tourist stops to snap a picture or two.

We drove down Lombard Street, the crookedest street in America...

and saw the eerie Alcatraz Island, home to the west coast's first lighthouse.

and some very unique homes before heading to the San Joaquin Valley for the conference in Fresno.


Onward to Fresno
Fresno was truly a pleasant surprise. We experienced two wonderful tours highlighting Adobe architecture and the cultural landscapes of fruit farming. Of particular interest on Adobe tour was our stop at the Kearney historic site to visit the incredible Châteauesque Mansion constructed of adobe and we were served a "cowboy lunch" on the lawn.

We also toured the beautiful Art Deco Fresno Airport, toured residential homes in the famous Old Fig district and wrapped it all up with a subterranean visit to the Forestiere Underground Gardens. On our own we found several great neon light displays, one of which was next to a delightful microbrewery Sequoia Brewing serving great beer battered fish and chips.

One Short Day in Yosemite
As it seems all things great come more quickly to an end, we had one glorious Sunday to spend at Yosemite National Park. Having a very limited amount of time we drove the road to Glacier Point before descending into the valley proper. The one hour drive out to the point was incredible and from Glacier Point we had great views of Half Dome and most of the major waterfalls. We went to the valley to capture more views of Yosemite Falls, on of the world's tallest and the highest waterfall in the US. Before leaving this paradise we enjoyed a fabulous lunch on the veranda of the Ahwahnee Lodge, complete with their own specially brewed beer! Oh why do such great times come to such a quick end?

Washington - The Olympic Loop (#25)

A free ticket that needed to be used by March 1, 2008...where do I go? To visit one of my closest friends who moved last summer to Bainbridge Island (across the Sound from Seattle) . I was fortunate to have spent some time in the beautiful Northwest years ago so I was not expecting sunshiny days in the middle of February. What was most important was that I was going to relax and recharge with a dear friend for an extra long President's Day weekend. In an unexpected twist I spent five glorious sunny days with my dear friend Hope, circling the Olympic Peninsula.

I arrived at SeaTac on Friday morning and was greeted with overcast sky and fine misty rain...yep this is just how I remembered it...good thing I packed my trusty raingear. I spent this first afternoon letterboxing in the amazing Fauntleroy Park and took a drive through downtown to admire the architecture before catching the ferry across Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island. But I needed a little lunch, so a stop a the Pyramid Microbrewery for a beer sampler and chili was the perfect stop for this beer snob wannabe. After purchasing a couple of souvenirs it was time to head to the Seattle Ferry Terminal and voyage across the sound to meet my friends on the other side. As the ferry pulled away from the terminal the sky west turned blue and that would be the last rain I would experience till my last day (sans the one place you cannot and did not want to avoid it!).

My first night was spent with old friends and new, partaking in some local brew. I was ever so pleasantly pleased at the Hood Canal Brewery in Kingston. This little microbrewery is tucked into an industrial complex and has a nice little tasting room. We sampled a beer or two and bought a growler to go. Then it was on to Silver City Brewery in Poulsbo for filet mignon and Scotch Ale...yum!

Leaving early the next morning, Hope and I planned to circle the peninsula clockwise starting from Bainbridge Island. We made our first stop in Ocean Shores to drive on the Pacific Ocean beach. People here scour the beach for dinner, fly kites, and just plain relax. People here also turn beach trash into art sculptures to mark paths from beach to home to.

The road on west side of the peninsula snakes back and forth alternating between the ocean shore and the woods. In the interior it becomes clear that this area is all about the bounty the woods has to offer...LUMBER. We stopped in the Stepford Community of Seabrooke for a $10 glass of wine and continued on our way.

Next stop was one of the major highlight of this wonderful trip...a hike in the Quinalt Rainforest. ..the only rain forest in the contiguous US. Here is where trees commonly tower more than 100 feet. This area is appropriately nicknamed "The Valley of the Giants" and is home to the largest evergreens in the US and the world. I felt like an enchanted ant scampering along the soft forest floor, and moss dripped from nearly every tree. The day was slipping away and we wanted to see the sun fall into the Pacific Ocean...time to find our way to our evenings stay at the Kalaloch Lodge.

The Kalaloch Lodge in the Olympic National Park was probably the greatest disappointment (and thankfully the only) of the entire trip. We were shocked to find that our $150 a night (low season price) Seacrest room had an ALMOST completely obstructed view of the ocean, a musty smell and super parse furnishings, beyond the beds there was one uncomfortable chair, and a $25 Walmart bench on the porch. The bathroom offered hard towels that didn't dry your body and dispenser soap, shampoo, and conditioner in the tiny plastic shower stall. Old moldy linoleum floors and chipped veneer finished off the sparse bathroom, and the huge dressing area attached to the bathroom didn't even offer a bench. I have stayed at several other national park lodges and was appalled at the lack of amenities for the price we paid for this room. The service in the dining room was little better. Trust me folks, plan accordingly and don't waste your money here.

First thing the next morning we made our in-room pot of coffee, used every environmentally unfriendly dry creamer packet in the joint and hightailed it to Forks. There we found a much needed tasty breakfast complete with real cream for our coffee all served by a teenage girl who could have given the dining room staff at Kalaloch a lesson or two. This was just what we needed and returned us to...glorious day two.

Just north of Forks proper we turned west towards LaPush and took the upper road to the beautiful Rialto Beach. The beach here is a great place to hike and if you are up for it try the one and a half mile hike to Hole in the Wall. The air was filled with the wonderful sound of waves crashing the beach and driftwood logs lined the beach like a gigantic game of pick up sticks.

Next stop, the Makah Indian reservation to hike the Cape Flattery Trail to the northwesternmost point of the contiguous US. The road out to the reservation hugs the edge of the water. Huge pines dot the landscape and provide a small but false sense of security. We rounded curve after curve and were delighted when one of those beautiful pines sitting next to the road served as a perch for five bald eagles...incredible. The annual entrance fee of $10 was a bargain, and I was grateful to see that the Makah Nation had not caved to putting in a casino. The trail to the Cape was truly one of those memorable strolls through the woods and up and over several boardwalks. The biggest thrill however came at the end of the trail, where on a clear day you have a great view of Cape Flattery Lighthouse out on Tatoosh Island.

We took the recommendation of turning right at Clallam Bay and traveling WA 101 instead of the coast hugging WA 112. We understood why when we arrived at the breathtaking Crescent Lake were simple clouds bumped into the mountains and eagles fished (and caught) their dinner with the sun setting into the west end of the lake...life doesn't get much better than this!

Monday morning was another super letterboxing opportunity with stops at the historic Port Gimble, the Hood Canal Floating Bridge and Ludlow Falls...every one a winner. Than on to Port Townsend for lunch, lighthouse and brew. Before leaving we had time for a little beer sampler at the Port Townsend Brewing Company and on our way back to Hope's house we stopped at the Kingston dock to see Mt. Rainier in all its glory across the Puget Sound. Tomorrow it was time to head south for ATX.

The next morning Hope and I had coffee and big hugs. Instead of taking the ferry back across the Sound to SeaTac, I opted for driving around and over the beautiful Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Two more letterboxes before I have to get the car back to the rental place. I was amazed by the beautiful architecture of the old Union station in Tacoma, now the History Museum and the Chiluly Bridge and Glass Museum nearby. I looks like I will have to return to Tacoma and Hope's house...and next time needs to be soon!

Michigan (#1) -South Manitou Island

Marvelous Michigan
Water, Water, Everywhere!

Swimming, sailing, paddling a canoe, fishing, hiking to waterfalls, boating, kayaking, visiting lighthouses, cruising...If you love being around water as much as I do then Michigan is definitely the place to be.

One of my favorite destinations is South Manitou Island, part of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. This little gem of an island sits 14 miles offshore in Lake Michigan and is accessed via short scenic boat ride from the town of Leland. The quaint little dock area in Leland is nicknamed Fishtown and full of great eateries and gift shops. I highly recommend stopping for ice cream after your return from the island as a reward for experiencing this rustic island.

You can choose to spend just the day or carry camping gear and provisions and stay a night or two or three or more depending on your adventuresome spirit. Regardless, be brave and stay at least two nights so you can take in all this mighty little island has to offer, but don't bring anything with wheels, they won't let you use them!

The island has three camping areas: Bay, Weather Station and Popple. We have camped at Bay, a one mile walk and Weather Station, 2.7 miles. I prefer Bay because it is closer and has a sheltered bay. You are after all packing everything in...and back out again. We never felt adventuresome enough to hike 7.4 miles north to Popple and besides we were told that the poison ivy is taller than the average camper!

The hiking on the island is outstanding though I became suspisious of the stated map trail lengths immediately the first time we camped here. The map stated 10 miles to circle the island along the shore, but one trip out to the Perched Sand Dunes via the Giant Cedars had us convinced that someone had not measured correctly. the hike out to the Wreck of the Morazon is an absolute must, the trip in a kayak is even better.

One oddity of this NO WHEELS island are the motor tours in open backed trucks. This very inexpensive tour takes you past the abandoned buildings where folks once lived. This was a bustling island when ships needed oil and wood, and dairy was one of the main farming operations for a short time.

No trip to the island would be complete until you have climbed the tower of the 1858 South Manitou Lighthouse for a view of the island and Lake Michigan. Rising more than 100 feet the thrill view of the dangerous Manitou Passage. As you have seen, this lovely island warrants a several day visit.