Southwest in September

30 Sep - Thurs: Charley joined us visiting a Rambo genealogy cousin, Dr. Scott Jordan who captivated us by recounting his research of Leukemia related effects of the nuclear bombs in Japan post WWII. Scott taught at the medical school in ABQ until retirement. After dinner we all visited his son who has a shop full of old and new Honda Goldwings.

29 Sep- Wed: Enjoyed a great reunion with Charley and Sam in ABQ - along with their now grown up lovely daughter and new granddaughter.

28 Sep - Tues: Busy Busy Busy socializing in Santa Fe. It was great to enjoy best buddy Mark V and Sandy for dinner along with Tony and June. Jim May joined us for lunch at Tia Sophia's; And how great to see Maria Tortilla (smile!) and her husband Ray along with our good friend Nina twice again! Stewart and Ron had fun playing GO, too. Smooch Smooch had some good girlie doing nails, hair and shopping; the Folk Art Museum is pretty wonderful. . We hiked the Aspen Vista trail on Sunday; Monday (yesterday) Norma joined us for a hearty four mile hike on the Dale Bell Nature Conservancy Trail. We met John, Linda and Nina for a delightful time at Ristra Restaurant enjoying the Amarone wine we were introduced to by Ray. And this morning the chef at the Buffalo Thunder Casino treated us to breakfast. The delightful waitress Marie gave us good-bye hugs. We are headed to Sedona, AZ today with stops in Albuquque and Las Cruces. Eventually the missing days in the blog will be updated with photos of quaking Aspen. Smooch Smooch loves Santa Fe - mostly because of the wonderful friends who live here.

22 Sep - Mon: The ride to Bandelier National Forest was pleasurable - followed by an
adventurous five mile hike (RT) on the Twin Falls Trail down to the Rio Grande. The trail follows El Rito de Los Frijoles (The Little River of Beans) past two waterfalls - through a wooded gorge - with mountains rising steeply on both sides; the hike is a moderately difficult one - crossing the river by stone stepping in three places; the return is largely uphill. The descent is about 200 feet to the Rio Grande - which seemed wider than remembered. OH NO! Smooch Smooch was a few yards ahead on the trail when the ominous sounds of a rattler alerted her to danger slithering away; she moved out of there mighty fast. And indeed he was still there when we both approached him - a big guy - about 1.5 inches in diameter and 3 feet long - moving very slowly away from us. Not too much further up trail a large deer carcass was lying in the gully- having been obviously enjoyed for dinner; parts of the the hide were visible; the bones were very white and not chewed up. After leaving the parking area we spotted a coyote killing a snake in on the road. The coyote took off into the woods leaving his prey. It was fun to share the day's adventure with Janie at Ristros'.

Sunset at Buffalo Thunder : View from the room.








It only took 62 years to learn that Fleurs pay off with romantic points!


19 Sept - Sat: Nina wrote the meaningful poem for us - 9/2/09:

She the rolling water -
He the certain sky -
A length like love's commandment
that holds the heavens wide -
And with the ocean -
whose deepest touches earth -
Where they are both horizon -
Makes the force where light gives birth.

THANK YOU NINA -

The afternoon was spent at St. John's College playing "GO" with Stewart (losing two out of three games) while Smooch Smooch took a tough computer course trying to learn how to use those Hilton Grand Vacation Club points with RCI - (its exchange affiliate) - for Sedona next month. We TRIED to eat dinner at an east Indian restaurant that is vegan. Do you know how much oil (translate: fat grams) is in that diet - not to mention sugar? Booths separated by drapes - with low benches and floor cushions was the interesting aspect of the dining experience; but the best part was going to the Tune-Up Restaurant to eat after eating.

18 Sept - Fri: AAAAuuuGGGGHHHH! Using our Hilton Honors points at the Homewood Suites in Buffalo Thunder was a circus; but we had the special assistance of a Bankston by marriage who fixed things for us. We rode towards Santa Fe - only to be greeted by a late afternoon rain shower five miles out and took shelter under a highway overpass. Believing the rain passed over - we we once again set forth only to discover to our chagrin and soaked clothing we had not waited long enough. Smooch Smooch's Tour-master rain pants were waiting for us at Stewart's. We enjoyed a nice visit and went on to John and Linda's for a glass of wine - and to wish them bon voyage: they leave in the AM for a week of river rafting and wilderness camping.

17 Sept- Thurs: Zooma Zooma - South out of Durango to avoid the downpours in the North, East and West with plans for a stopover in Chaco Canyon. The ride was pleasant, cool at times, and the vista simply marvelous. Chaco Canyon has changed considerably since the first visit some twenty five years ago - maybe thirty - when there was no Visitor's Center or commercialism. But 15 miles of ugly, washboard, rutted dirt road going through Indian lands to the entrance has not changed in the least; next time we travel across this road we will rent a car and not drive the bike. Chaco Canyon is well worth our return another time: MMMM. We were rewarded with a magnificent sunset. After a chilly dark drive to Cuba, NM we enjoyed a lovely dinner at El Bruno's and the delightful waitress - mother of five - who surely deserved a big tip. Our lunch the next day at the Abuiqui Inn demonstrated a deserved reputation.



































16 Sept.- Wed: The Strater Hotel is a must if you are touring circa Durango, Colorado. After breakfast at Carver's (a coffee house) we were exhausted planning possibilities of places we could hike and bike today so we opted for a quiet day inside this delightful hotel to catch up on computer work. Indeed we missed lunch working so hard and went straight to dinner at the Red Snapper for some mighty fine Salmon. Tomorrow we will leave Durango but await word from the weather woman about the direction to travel. The old Beamer is working well after Dave fixed it up! The seat is comfy - the ride is sweet and smooth.

15 Sept, Tues.- We toured Mesa Verde National Forest taking in almost all of the overlooks plus a guided tour of the Pueblo Indian Cliff Dwellings. The exit ascent was a vertical 100 foot climb. We climbed five ten foot ladders to enter the Cliff Palace (left). Will miracles never cease????: The rain missed us once again.

Dinner tonight was again at the Red Snapper with much thanks to Nancy and John - the congenial owners who worked so hard to make our cardboard and styrofoam diet delicious. They created sauces we can eat! Dinner was followed by an evening in the balcony of the Diamond Belle Saloon listening to the delightful piano player and visiting around. We certainly have met a lot of nice people in Durango like Freddie and Dan; also the nice folks celebrating a thirty-fifth wedding anniversary in the Red Snapper were a lot of fun.


Photo: Mining Camp View From Train


13 Sept, Sat - The photos were taken from the window of the Durango to Silverton narrow gauge steam engine train; it was a seven hour round trip event that included lunch at an old time saloon with sing-along songs. TOO MUCH FUN! - Smooch Smooch loves honky-tonk music.

12 Sept, Fri- Montrose through Ouray to Durango, CO: Motorcyclists heaven. Winding trails, spectacular views and NO RAIN! We stopped for lunch in Silverton and we are staying at the historic Strater Hotel - lively banjo music tonight at the Diamond Belle Saloon that is part of the hotel. The Red Snapper is THE place to eat great seafood and an excellent salad bar.



Black Canyon - Colorado
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Sept. Thurs- 11 Sept: Montrose, CO, - Sit still for ten minutes viewing the awesome wilderness: time vanishes, stress evaporates and your life will be so much richer -

Hiking and biking in the Black Canyon located in Gunnison National Forest was great. The first day we were rained out in the afternoon - but had some good hikes, albeit not long, and we enjoyed seeing a herd of mountain goats. The colorful mountain flowers are captivating: Lupine, Aster, Yarrow, Goldenweed - Golden Eye. Each day the Aspen turn more gold - and each day proclaims the quickening pace of Autumn.

Molly (the waitress from the Belly Restaurant) met us at City Market where we drove to the mountains so she could take our photo for Christmas cards - and we could send some stills to Sharyn in Santa Fe. Our favorite restaurant in Montrose is the Stonehouse - FANTASTIC FOOD!

9 Sept. Wed.: Leaving Alamosa early we headed west on Hwy 160 through Del Norte, Creede towards Montrose, dressed for cold; this kept us warm over the Continental Divide (10, 000 plus feet) and over Slumgullion Pass at 11, 900 plus feet where we definitely felt the chill. A stop in Creede for Smooch Smooch to buy warmer socks was a very good idea - especially purchasing two pairs of socks because one pair is very cute. The socks are 100% Smartwool.: the label reads "We always give you 100% Effort, 100% Smarts and 0% Bull." Higher in the mountains we loved seeing the Aspens turning a gorgeous gold. We warmed up - almost overheated - as we rode closer to Montrose arriving about four PM with only a protein drink, banana and apple for lunch; we had a very delightful dinner at the Belly Restauran, inviting the waitress, a photographer from Philadelphia, to take our picture on the bike tomorrow after we spend the day hiking the Black Canyon.

8 Sept. Tues: The photo (left) is of the spectacular sunset from the Stakeout Restaurant nine miles south of Taos, NM - taken last night. This is a not to be missed restaurant high in the mountains with yummy food even on my diet of cardboard and styrofoam.

For Nina: Today we left town headed westward towards Durango, Colorado until we were nearly enfolded into a massive thunderstorm. At the last moment, in Tres Piedras, an alternative route was available northward to Antonito. If the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad had offered an afternoon departure, we would have ridden the train. More storm clouds there convinced me to make another 90 degree turn back eastward to San Luis, "the oldest town in Colorado." That fetched us up to the mountains with a north/south choice only. North look less rainy, so we proceeded to Fort Garland, then west again to Alamosa where we are enjoying an early evening at the Rio Grande Hotel. No telling where we will go tomorrow - God only knows.

The landscapes are indeed waving to us. The songs of the sirens cannot compare to the allure of these landscapes. Embraces are a given; we practice at every opportunity, and thank God for both the embraces and the opportunities. Thank you Nina for your wonderful words that are blessings to us!

7 Sept - Mon: Our breakfast companions, Joe and Diane from Alamagordo and Pennsylvania, were really enjoyable people; we had a lively conversation about philosophies. Diane is a very wise woman who commented about our traveling lifestyle, "At the end of life people are not likely to be wishing they had worked more or earned more but wished they had taken the time to be more invested in relationships."

Smooch Smooch had an hour plus walk to the Plaza before we drove around the Enchanted Circle (a three hour drive on the bike). It was very scenic, too. We stopped in Red River for a so-so lunch. The recent rainfall was evident in the abundance of beautiful mountain wildflowers: lavender, gold, white, reds amidst variegated greens. Stopping at the Veterans Memorial at Eagles Nest was a moving experience. Rain seemed about to fall so we returned to the hotel for more jig-saw and a nap before dinner at the Stakeout Restaurant. Dinner on the patio high in the mountains was an experience not to be forgotten.

6 Sept - Sun: Lots of Shriners on motorcycles are staying in the Touchstone --- and fun fun fun to talk to this morning before working on the jig saw puzzle. We spent the day back at the Hacienda de Sol until time to check in for tonight and tomorrow night's final stay in Taos. Dinner tonight was at Lambert's - the 2009 Best of Taos award winning restaurant. Not great but OK. We do enjoy the view of Taos Mountain from this new room at the Hacienda del Sol. It is a great place to stay.

5 Sept.-Sat: After eating our usual egg white omelets at the B&B we ventured forth on the bike NW of Taos hoping we could make it to Durango or Pagosa Springs, CO - but the weather did not cooperate. A storm front was headed to the four corners. We were hit by hail first ... but continued moving ahead out of the hailstorm and into rain. Parking the bike at a National Forest Service Road was a convenient place to hide under trees until the rain stopped and the highway was no longer so wet. We continued on to the spectacular Brazos Cliffs mountain view over the Chama valley below but the clouds looked too dark and we turned back to Taos. A few miles NW of Taos is an Earthship subdivision; we pulled into the visitors center to look at the construction of earthhomes fabricated out of trash (used tires filled with mud, bottles and cans for reinforcing material - and recycled water. The actor and director Dennis Hopper lives here. Smooch Smooch wants to build a house "on the cutting edge of green" but this is NOT what she has in mind. About two miles N of Taos rain started to fall ahead of us; there was a distinct line in the road where the rain started. We proceeded on when the rain reached us - and waited it out in a gas station.

Since we turned around to return to Taos we needed lodging for the night; the innkeepers at the Hacienda de Sol recommended Touchstone next door. It was a good choice: the owners are artisits who built on a gallery/dining area combined. Bren Price is the owner - with wonderful watercolors hanging on all of the walls. Her husband is a potter and painter who told us a lively story of how they met, walked a labyrinth and decided they had met their soul mates in each other in only a week's time.

We had dinner at the famous Hotel La Fonda in the restaurant: Joseph's Table... it was OK but not great at all!

4 Sept-Fri: Well! We did not get the early start that we planned but we did get started before lunch. Leaving the trailer and car at Stewart's - we managed to leave behind cute shoes and get all of our necessities into two little saddlebags and started out on the first leg of Touring the US Rockies Two on the Bike - by taking the High Road to Taos. The High Road is a back-country, scenic route between Santa Fe and Taos through high desert, mountains, forests, small farms and tiny Spanish Land Grant villages. Scattered along the way are the galleries and studios which make up the High Road Art Tour. The views are spectacular. We enjoyed touring the Santurio de Chimayo managing to arrive in Taos by three PM after a nice meal on the plaza in the Bent Street Grill. The Mediterranean salad was excellent. We are staying at the Hacienda de Sol (advertised as one of the top ten most romantic B and B's in the US) assuring me of lots of romantic points. It is the first home of Mabel Dodge Luhan. And they even have a jig-saw puzzle that begs putting together. The Stakeout Restaurant is really fine: dinner was out on the patio - high in the mountains south of Taos. We thanked them profusely for arranging such a spectacular sunset. The colors were incredible.

3 Sept.-Thurs: And double the fun! The interview with Sharyn and her brother Arne was so nice. Arne used Nina's poem she wrote for us as the beginning of the ihour long nterview. He fielded questions to us while Sharyn filmed. Their house was built about 1920; Arne lives in the lower floor while Sharyn lives on the ground level. Arne treated us to his latest music compositions (two of them) created in the past two days. More about this brother and sister when we get time. We had lunch at the Tearoom on Canyon Road. We went to El Farol's for dinner in the evening - but had the wrong time for Pat and Janice. They were there at the right time and we arrived thirty minutes later - after they went home. Nina joined us for dinner. We are very thankful to have met such nice new friends as Nina, Sharyn and Arne.

2 Sept.-Wed: Oh what fun! We went to Bob and Lupe's early (well... for us....). It was SUCH fun we arrived ten minutes late at Nina's studio. Nina is one amazingly talented - plus beautiful- woman. She is a dancer, poet and fine art collage artist - not to mention a great cook. We were treated to tea, with home-made scones, special jams from San Francisco and fruit first. In addition to all of that good food she wrote a special poem for us that will get posted. Her artwork is very professional and moving. The Tango series is rich and colorful. A favorite is the tryptich. She has agreed to meet us tomorrow night for dinner at El Farol's. Stewart and June treated us to a delicious meal at their home; their son and granddaughter joined us to make it a very special evening.

1 Sept-Tues: We checked out of Buffalo Thunder because we were not too happy with the facility. They allowed a 3 PM checkout which did help make up for the problems. We parked the trailer at Stewart and June's and checked into the Hampton Inn. it was surprising to discover so many changes in Santa Fe around Pat's house ... but we did locate him after driving for an hour. He is just as amazingly creative as usual. He was awarded the commission of building the desk for the Governor of New Mexico - and the reception desk for the CCollege of Santa Fe. Now he is doing some pretty fancy ceramic work and pottery. Janice does Native American bead work as well as pottery. Later we met Stewart and June for dinner at the Tune-Up.

The Rockies in August

31 Aug. Mon: We worked... with the notion we would hike in Bandolier. But, by the time we left the hotel the clouds in the west were dark and ominous so we rode the bike to Janie's and walked four miles (RT) to Mark V's house. One more address updated: he is still living in Santa Fe but not home; we left a note tucked inside the front door with an invitation to the wedding. After Janie finished her afternoon class we went to the very trendy El Farol's for dinner and had the most adventurous time: photographers and male models drove up in a BMW convertible and SUV; they told us they were doing a story of life in Santa Fe for coastal circulation - and they asked if they could use the motorcycle and Janie's Scooter as props for the photo shoot. it seemed a good idea to suggest they use the OWNERS of the bikes for the best story of life in Santa Fe. A blonde, very tall, leggy photographer dressed very avant garde played interceptor. But at that moment the two male models (on Janie's bike) started kissing. OH OH - they have a different viewer audience intended. After dinner we drove to Stewart and Judy's for a brief visit with plans to take them to dinner tomorrow night. Judy was not home but we did get to look at her artwork.

30 Aug. Sun: - We missed breakfast with Norma and Bob but made up for it by treating them to dinner at a popular spot for locals that used to be "Dave's Not Here" but is now called "The Tune-Up. " They have a hamburger called "Dave Was Here!" But first we hiked the Aspen Vistas trail with Norma, a retired librarian, hiking and scrabble partner. Bob is a retired engineer from Los Alamos turned symphony composer.

EXCITEMENT OF THE EVENING: Nina was in the restaurant. She is our new friend from Ristra's Restaurant. We have exchanged Email addresses and we have plans to see her studio 2 September.

A strikingly beautiful woman named Sharyn sat next to Smooch Smooch. She creates documentaries. Her charming brother Arne sat next to Norma and made the conversation very lively. She was so captivated by our wedding plans she wants to be invited to film it as a story of interest. We have an interview scheduled with them for Thursday morning.

OH. The food was good, too!

29 Aug. Sat: Tia Sophia's is the place to eat breakfast in Santa Fe; the burrito is a bountiful feast and NOT to be left uneaten because of anyone's diet. Three sisters manage the restaurant - - LONG-TIME friends that go back to the hometown of Trenton, Illinois. Marie was happy to meet Smooch Smooch and glad to receive a wedding invitation in person.

We had a lovely walk around downtown Santa Fe - over to the Supreme Court Building and across the Santa Fe River which surprisinly had some water flowing; it must have rained. An enjoyable memory working for the Supreme Court of New Mexico was to run outdoors when it rained hard to see the river overflow its (creek-like) banks. Fifteen minutes later another check and the river was down to its little trickle again. The best part of working for the Supreme Court was traveling throughout New Mexico visiting its thirty courthouses and meeting the chief judges.

A highlight of the morning was attending the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and a photography exhibit. From there we drove along Arroyo Tremorio to see the houses I owned - three blocks from the state capitol - that still to this day are on dirt roads. It was only a two block walk to work at the Supreme Court Building.

We were fed REALLY GOOD at Linda's birthday party; and what a fun time was had by all of the survivors. Lots of Linda's colleagues and friends from rafting adventures and some family were present to enjoy her special day. Friends serenaded her with touching songs of friendship and caring.

Despite being very full - we met another good friend Janie for dinner at Ristra's and had another good meal.


28 Aug. Fri: We had a terrific hike (after not such a great breakfast) up to the top of Chimney Rock for some good photos. Linda suggested Buffalo Thunder Casino for the first few nights in Santa Fe. The best part of the Santa Fe years is the deep friendships that have endured for decades. It is always so good to return to this home. After checking into the hotel we drove onto Santa Fe to visit John and Linda. They gave us a tour of the old adobe houses they have purchased on Alto Street that adjoin the house Ron purchased in 1978. Smooch Smooch was impressed with the house: it was built in the late 1800's and its original hand hewn beams (axe marks present that I bleached - and seeing the restoration work I did.

Linda and John were busy in preparation for her party tomorrow so we walked to Ristra's Restaurant for a delicious meal; we met a lovely couple who toasted us - "because we enjoyed watching your expressed tenderness." We bought them a glass of wine and they bought us a glass of champagne (ONLY ONE - we share only ONE). She is a poet and artist - he is a remarkable man we liked instantly. They, too, enjoy a tender and loving relationship. We joined them and we enjoyed the camaraderie so much that we paid for their dinner (unbeknownst to them). After walking to Borders Bookstore we were very surprised to see David and Nina walking across the parking lot to the bookstore entrance. And they were happyl to thank us for the meal. (The STORY continues to unfold - stay tune!)


Thurs Evening continued: En route to Ghost Ranch we encountered a wonderful rainbow and panoramic views that were MARVELOUS! The sunset was a glorious display of color preparing us for the retreat time at Ghost Ranch. We arrived after dark - about nine-thirty - and found the key and a note that we were in Coyote 9; it was VERY DARK but we found our way to the Coyote lodge and room nine - only to find it inhabited. No PHONES! NO CELL SERVICE! After locating an emergency phone attempts to find some live person failed - we met the guests who were in room nine - who were supposed to be in rooms nine and ten but found ten occupied. They suggested we just grab an empty room - which we did. The room was sparse but comfy. It was great to have the windows and door open with fresh air blowing in. And the stars were magnificent. Other campers had a nice large blazing campfire going - fun to watch but we did not participate.

27 Aug. Thurs: The views of red rock south of Moab are awesome. See photo of "Wilson Arch" left. We made it to the Cortez for lunch - dining at the delightful Shiloh Restaurant (hard to locate - on the corner of the Wal-Mart parking lot). The dining area is an outdoor covered patio with waterfalls and koi ponds. Great food.

We had another delicious meal in Pagosa Springs at JJ's Down Under Seafood Restaurant. Dining was on an outdoor overlook of the river. Fabulous view and great food too. After three phone calls we connected with Ghost Ranch near Abiqui for reservations tonight.

26 Aug. Wed: Moab, UT. We had a nice visit with a long-time friend Lance from Santa Fe who retired here;he joined us for dinner at the Moab Brewery, It was a delight to have his company at one of Moab's eclectic restaurants for breakfast. Moab has changed: it has grown greatly.

25 Aug. Tues: We worked hard hardly working. We had a good day at the library with a two mile jaunt to our favorite restaurant. Tonight's dinner promises to be most engaging with Roy and Barbara because they are feeling well again. Roy has atrial fibrillation issues but you cannot keep a good man down. We leave tomorrow mid-morning for Moab, UT to visit friends before we arrive in Santa Fe on Friday to help Linda celebrate her big day. We hope to do some serious hiking in New Mexico with long-time friends. Updates will be coming from Santa Fe... and from there we will go to Sedona, AZ for a month. Progress has been satisfying on all counts: the bike is fixed, the research is caught up. When we get to Sedona plans are to start arising at four AM hoping to complete the last two volumes.

24 Aug. - Mon: Thanks to Walt and Pam we are happy with the Tourmaster purchases: Renegade Classics in SLC carried the Flex II jacket (black) in a size small; it fits nicely - three zip out layers is a good idea and the price is reasonable. They ordered the matching pants in a size extra small and will call us when they arrive. "Cute Shoes" are high on the agenda although ugly warm ones might look very cute when the temps become frigid in the Rockies late fall. The day at the library was productive, too, and the food at the Market Street Grill remains delicious.

23 Aug. - Sun: After a late and great sleep this morning we were en route to Salt Lake City. Smooch Smooch has an appointment with a realtor early tomorrow AM; and she plans to look at Tourmaster gear while Ron will happily spend the day in the library. Arriving in SLC tonight about 7:15 PM - Ron maneuvered the trailer into the parking lot behind the hotel - managing to turn it around and BACK into the narrow alley parking space while Smooch Smooch stayed in the lobby unable to watch the process. Thanks to the hotel concierge for great guidance. The Orange Roughy at the Market Street Grill was terrific. We forgot to mention the construction boom in downtown Salt Lake City: we counted 15 huge cranes in two city blocks. The old Masonic building across from the restaurant has been up on wheels for a month - but when we arrived at the restaurant tonight we were mighty surprised to see that it had been turned around and moved across the street (next door to the restaurant) and slid sideways into place. It is still up on hoists and scores of wheels but it is readied now to be lowered onto giant beams while they build a basement foundation under it: amazing. A new FHL is under construction: 30 floors of library!!!

Ed P. suggests we write romance novels as our next calling. But Ed... we have so MANY THINGS yet to accomplish while we LIVE one out. We are amazed that about a year ago we thought we were only going to take a short research trip together; many miles, months and much joy have brought us to the State of Romantic Bliss. And thanks to Mary and Cheryl, we are planning a wedding May 12, 2011 at Gloria Dei "Old Swedes Church" in downtown Philadelphia - in 17th century garb. It will take a year to update all of the addresses of friends who have waited long years for this day (like you Ed). Everyone has been promised a year's notice but there is too much preparation to schedule for next spring - hence the 2011 date (a birthday so anniversaries can be remembered). "Save the date" cards will go out this coming winter and a wedding website will be created to keep you informed. Smooch Smooch will have to obtain a Canon 19 dispensation from the EPCUSA bishop ( a very lengthy process) to be married in the Episcopal/Anglican denomination. Our common ancestor, Peter Gunnarson Rambo, was one of the founders of Gloria Dei; it was originally Swedish Lutheran but it became Anglican about the time of the Revolutionary War. The "new" building, completed in 1702 shortly after the venerable Peter's death, is now an historical landmark. It will hold 300 people (squished). Prepare to be squished and have a great time.

22 Aug. - Sat.: We left Spokane early AM on I-90 for a surprisingly scenic drive and MARVELLED at the views. This Interstate is one of the few that has great views. Interesting sign (left) begged a photo. There was a great rest stop with a hiking and biking trail that stretches all the way from Spokane to Couer d' Alene We hiked for a half an hour. Arriving in Missoula, Montana for lunch we were disappointed the Blue Canyon restaurant did not open on Sat. until five PM. Instead we had a fine lunch at the Stone of the Accord Irish Pub and Grill. We arrived in Butte, MT in time for an hour walk before dinner at the Derby Restaurant recommended to us by a congenial fireman. The Halibut Florentine was outstanding.

21 Aug.- Friday: The bike is ready, loaded into the trailer. After another great breakfast at the White Spot with our favorite waitress Lindsey (she had to birth twins who died in utero a month ago and is grieving) we headed south of Vernon to the Can./US border for an uneventful crossing. We had a lovely drive to Spokane for an overnight at the Hampston Inn and a magnificent dinner at the Milford Fish House (719 North Monroe Street - don't miss this place). We were surprised and quite delighted with Spokane, too; it is a lovely city.

20 Aug.- Thurs: The FL bike was smoking so rings were replaced. It is a sweet bike according to Dave. We enjoyed dinner at Earl's with Joanic (pronounced Yahnik) Gene, his wife Tonya and their son Colton. Joanic,, a handsome 27 year old with a lot on the ball, is quite shy but very enamored of the very cute waitress named Christine. Ron introduced him to her and offered to pay for their meal on their first date (if he gets up the courage to ask her out). We changed from the Sandman hotel to the Prestige Inn because it was so uncomfortably hot.

19Aug - Wed: Ron made a quick rount trip to the border and registered both bikes with customs to be able to transfer title of the SC bike to Dave.The border crossing was not without incident as the customs agent could not grasp that the second bike was listed as a two hundred dollar value -- and that we would drive all the way from South Carolina with a two hundred dollar bike plus the other vintage bike just to leave the less expensive one. Finally after a thorough inspection of the bikes, the car and contents they were satisfied we had no illegal immigrants in the hubcaps nor drugs, alcohol, etc.

18 Aug - Tues: The day has been busy, busy busy! The bike needed a new battery which fixed ta turn signal problem. We are working on the E-mail updates for a mailing list - but the room has been mighty hot because the A/C isn't working well. We had lunch at Earl's and tonight we had a delightful dinner with Dave, his lovely wife Deb and their three beautiful, talented daughters for the second night in a row. This makes OUR THIRD night at Earl's. We do like this Canadian restaurant. Hanna taught Smooch Smooch how to use Chop Sticks!


17 Aug - Mon: We arrived in Vernon, BC last night in time for a delicious dinner at Earl's to enjoy a yummy spinach salad with strawberries, almonds, avocado slices and feta cheese, but we opted out of the tasty champagne vinaigrette dressing. Breakfast this morning was a treat at the White Spot (egg white garden omelet (no cheese) and our favorite sourdough bread toasted dry (sugar and fat free pancake syrup make this an ideal french toast treat).

Afterward we walked two miles to and fro Dave's Garage to check on the bikes. They refurbished his old BMW out of the South Carolina duplicate instead of vice versa and it looks mighty sweet. We have to take the SC bike back to the US side to go through customs since the title is being transferred to Dave to rebuild the SC bike as a sale to him. This means a full day's trip back to the border south of Kelowna and back to Vernon hauling both bikes. But the travel is scenic through Canada's wine country.

We are also searching for Pam's highly recommended Tourmaster riding gear for Smooch Smooch - but find the manufacturer's website worthless. Few dealers stock extra small jackets or petite pants. Our turnaround time in BC is short: we have an important date 28 August in Santa Fe to celebrate Linda's admission to the Septuagenarian Club at her Gigantic Medium-sized party.

16 Aug. - Sun: One of the best parts of traveling is the companions one meets on the journey. We enjoyed a breakfast conversation with a sweet young pastor's wife who is originally from Georgia (friend and helper of the owner's mother at the Riverstone Lodge). Her husband is pastor of a 24 hour prayer ministry for a non-denominational congregation in Kansas City, KS on State Line. Very recently he and their son were released from a prison in China for preaching in an underground Chinese church.

Fully fed and Ron has edited for a couple of hours we have time for a morning hike before heading onto Vernon, BC. After a brief walk instead we crossed the US/Canadian border only to discover that Smooch Smooch's passport has expired (a few days ago). They let us through anyway.

15 Aug - Sat. - Smooch is exhausted after packing up in preparation for today's trip.

The phone call from Jim, Joanie, Pam and the gang was a really good one! Ron connected with most friends by phone while driving. It is very comforting to hear from Auntie Carol that Little Carol Ann is behaving herself; although she was in need of some sandals - seems she lost her steel toed boots en route. Smooch is traumatized she is gone (see photo left).

We arrived in Kalispell, MT, after a scenic drive from Missoula, hungrily searching for a nice restaurant but we only saw fast foodies until we stopped to inquire at the Red Lion Hotel. They did have one but it had only one customer despite advertising the best Bison in Montana. WARILY we sat down to order. If you go to Kalispell - TRY this restaurant ONLY because of the delightful and charming waitress named Teri. She is one sweetie who charmed us with tales of her romance with Brian while lovingly help us stick to dietary restrictions. After dinner Ron ran to the car to give her our bottle of wine (we cannot take it into Canada and forget to drink it) she exclaimed, "This is the nicest thing any customer has ever done for me!" To which he replied, "But you haven't seen your tip yet!"

We found great lodging at the Riverstone Lodge just a few miles from the US Canada border entrance: the individual log cabins are quite delightful - new - very comfortable - with a great view of the mountains. Breakfast is included for only $92.50 a night.

14 Aug: Imagine a beautiful view from a huge room in a new Hawthorne Hotel in Missoula, Montana. That is what we are enjoying as we work to get our projects in order before proceeding back to British Columbia to recover the refurbished motorcycle. Busy, busy, busy day.

13 Aug - Thurs PM - Walt called early AM with warm words of comfort. THANKS, Walt; we will all miss Lee. We are too far away westward with too tight a schedule to afford the luxury of attending the Irish Wake held in his honor on Sunday and seeing all those people who also loved Lee. The drive was a pretty one, on the Interstate from Salt Lake City into southern Idaho, then on Highways 26 and 93 through the eastern Idaho arid plains, through several canyons, and over the Continental Divide into the mountains to Missoula, Montana.

12 AUGUST 2009: 12: 40 AM - LEE B. PASSED AWAY, a sad day in some ways, but a blessing in others. A tree is planted today in memory of Lee (tree in German is Baum) so substitute Lee in place of tree in the poem by Joyce Kilmer:I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

(Joyce Kilmer)

11 Aug - Tues: Ron is one happy camper at this library finding citations and resources he was missing. We tore ourselves away from the library at six PM because the car was ready; the dealer found an acorn in the A/C unit but it is covered by warranty.

10 Aug - Mon: We had a productive meeting with Raquel and George about brick walls, and all met with Raquel's husband, Stan, for lunch at the Garden Room on the tenth floor of the old 5-star Hotel Utah [now a professional building] located on Temple Square. Great food and nominally priced. Mondays the library closes early, at five, so we headed to the Market Street Grill for a shared meal of tour favorite Orange Roughy. The car repairs were not yet complete, so we will spend another day at the library tomorrow.
9 Aug - Sun: Cousin Roy's mother passed away in Texas: our condolences! We hiked the Solitude Lake Trail (a harder trail) and the Interpretive Lake Trail (easy) east of Cottonwood Canyon in Brighton. The combined hike was about five miles taking three hours. The easy trail was very crowded in places because of a moose sighting. The moose crossed the lake water to charge just a few yards in front of us.

8 Aug - The Smooch Smooches are back in the library working industriously; we enjoyed a delightful dinner at Sweet Tomato with Cousin Roy and his lovely wife, Barbara.

Kevin's (Preacher Boy) blog is just amazing. This outstanding young man recently bought a bus ticket to LA with barely any money left in his pockets to start a ministry to the poor. His journey to LA describing the LA bus system, ending up in the Uplands and Watts, days spent on the streets nursing a badly sunburned and blistered forehead and head (because of a new buzz cut) is fascinating. We can only imagine the family's concerns as they follow his blog.

4-7 Aug - Edit, Edit, Edit! Ron had a successful week working without disruption. Auntie Carol says that Little Carol Ann arrived safely and she will should be herding chickens in no time. On the other hand, Smooch the Frog is throwing tantrums because she misses her. We had a phone call from "Kat" with glowing reports of her new job working at the Carlsbad Caverns.

3 Aug - Mon: Ron had a good day: he took the car in for work early and accomplished lots of hard work "hardly working!"

2 Aug-Sunday: Roy beat Ron at "Go" the first time; then Ron beat Roy the second and third "Go" Rounds!" Ron's stack of Sudokus were nearly finished until Roy gave Ron a whole new stack of them along with 9000 piece puzzles! On the working side: a third volume is ready for a thumbs up to the printer; the finances are finished except for mailing Lee two Canadian pennies in a Thinking of You card (we are!), and it is time to work on Rambo bibliographies while we worry about Little Carol Ann. We put stamps on Little Carol Ann's forehead and sent her by postal mail to Auntie Carol Ann but we have not heard if she arrived OK. It is the weekend so she is likely languishing in some overheated post office until Monday morning.

Jasper National Park, Canadian Rockies
July 2009

July in Canada

28 Jul: Ron is back at work editing the third volume industriously finding punctuation errors that he thought had been corrected. OH WELL! We are enjoying the library which is so wonderful it is almost overwhelming.

23 Jul: We celebrated the arrival of "Little Carol Ann" today just as scheduled. Whew: It is a girl after all! Her first toy is a Beanie toy frog named "Smooch" who is every bit as cute as our "girl" named for her Auntie Carol Ann whose birthday just happens to also be today (HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAROL!)

22 Jul: We arrived in Salt Lake City at noon today in time for a quick tour of the library and a delicious lunch at the Market Street Grill. Smooch Smooch was so overwhelmed she lost her sunglasses but Ron found them again. Later, we met cousin Roy and his lovely wife Barbara for an enjoyable dinner at another Market Street Grill.

Reminiscing on the month in Canada: Our favorite lodging is the Banff Springs Hotel, second is Chateau Lake Louise and third the Prestige Luxury Inn at Nelson, Canada. We thoroughly enjoyed the views from those hotels. The worst hotel was Ace Western in Clarkson, Canada. Our favorite hikes were in Jasper and Banff National Forests with the longest hike being 18 kilometers. The best animal sighting was a majestic eight point elk stag viewed about twenty feet away while on the motorcycle. The most unsual sight was the four wolf cubs playing in a lovely pastoral meadow. We saw five or six black bear (some good sized), two or three herds of elk, lots of deer, mountain goats and long-horned mountain sheep, too. Eventually we will post photos and more details of the hiking, good food and really great people we met along the way.

21 Jul - Tuesday: The breakfast at The Old European Inn in Pullman, WA with Spruce and Mollie could not have been more enjoyable. It was great to see Spruce and revisit the AT memories; he is encouraging us to complete the hike from Dalton, Mass onto Katahdin but the knee has to be fixed first.

We continued on to Clarkston, Idaho to view the Nez Pierce architectural site (not a lot to see from the highway). It was an important archaeological site occupied for ten thousand years or more; some of the five thousand year old pit houses were discovered by the dig in the middle of the previous century. The traders arrived in 1812 to make it their main camp.

20 Jul - Monday: The breathtaking view of the lake at Nelson needs to be revisited another year. The hotel is roomy and comfortable. We enjoyed walking through the public park along the lake walkway last night and again this morning to breakfast. We loved the lunch at Alberto's in Bonner Ferry en route to Moscow, Idaho to visit with Spruce - one of the greatest guys one could hope to meet on the Appalachian Trail. Spruce and his girlfriend Mollie went to dinner with us at a lovely patio restaurant with food we had not heard of or tasted before. It was good! The lodging at the Best Western was nice, too.

19 Jul - Sunday: We left Vernon, BC early morning traveling on the Canadian side eastward through gorgeous winding mountain passes with little traffic until evening when we found lodging at the Prestige Luxury Inn in Nelson, Canada that is wonderful. The community spirit is evident in the well cared for park and lake walkway.

18 Jul - Saturday: We took roses to Deb this morning with plans to leave for the U.S. today; but we learned that two of Dave and Deb's adorable adopted Chinese daughters would be performing in the Children's Theatre this afternoon so we delayed our departure to watch the girls. Each one is cuter than the next one. Their talent is amazing: all three play violin and classical music as if they are professionals. Ella is about eight year old; Hannah is 11 and Amy is 13. The girls are home-schooled by their Australian mother who is a teacher by profession. The afternoon's performance of Pinocchio was delightful and well worth postphoning our departure for a day. Hannah's performance surprised us the most because she was so was incredibly animated - shining in the spotlight - standing out from the rest of the cast. Ella was charming as well. We brought them roses, too. After the play ended we treated them to dinner at Earl's - which caters more to an adult crowd. The girls became very weary waiting for a table and food! But the food was worth the wait.

17 Jul - Friday: The bikes are being refurbished so we went to the Yamaha Shop and tried on helmets - only to find exactly what Walt suggested: we purchase an Aria helmet for Smooch Smooch. She LIKES her helmet. It is not heavy - and fits exactly right.

16: Jul -Thursday: More flowers for Smooch Smooch - a pedicure and manicure and a bike ride are scheduled for the day's events.

15: Jul - Wednesday: we arrived back in Vernon, BC to check on the bikes.


6 Jul: After an eventful day visiting in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the rainy forecast for Tuesday encourages us to consider shopping for riding gear.

5 July, Sunday: We arrived in Edmonton after a nice, brief hike near Jasper at the ? Fort trail. Compared to riding the motorcycle, being enclosed in a car was like wearing blinders.

4 Jul: What a relief to finally get a good night's sleep thanks to dense, room-darkening drapes; restful sleep isn't so easy when darkness waits until 11:30 pm to arrive and sunshine starts before 4:30 am. We returned the motorcycle, took a gondola ride, and hiked nearly to the summit at The Whistlers for views of snow capped & snow-streaked mountains in all directions, some at incredible distances. The Canadian Rockies are awesome from that viewpoint.

3 Jul: We rode the motorcycle to Saskatachawan Crossing, booked a room for the night, and proceeded to Lake Louise for dinner. A short walk at Athabaska Falls provided a modicum of exercise and good views of the falls and an old, abandoned river channel. Motorcycling improves the scenery by 88%, and this is an ideal time to see the Icefields Parkway since substantial snow still clings to the northern faces of the mountains.

2 Jul: We enjoyed a long hike today to Lake Christine - 8.3 kilometers with 250 meters rise. Afterwards we rented a motorcycle in Jasper for two days and immediately proceeded to Maligne Lake for wonderful views and twisty roads.

1 Jul: Today we hiked the Valley of Five Lakes trail totalling 11 kilometers with mild ups and downs. There were no other hikers to be seen on the second half of the hike, and only 11 total for the day. It was quite a change from our first hikes near ever-popular Lake Louise. It is Canada Day so we also watched a very enjoyable parade!

June Journey for the twos of us

30 June: Lots to report whenever I get done with mending & sudokus.

20 June, Saturday: We are in Moses Lake, Washington tonight after a very pleasurable day of sightseeing along the Columbia River Gorge east of Portland turning north on a road less traveled. Pulling the trailer the interstate has been the road of choice because it is a fairly flat divided highway that does not often go through high mountain passes. I-84 had gorgeous vistas. It was interesting watching the trains along the sides of the river, the wind farms high on the river banks as well as the wind surfers on the river with gaily colored sails.

Last night we had a great Thai dinner with a friend of forty years: Beanie and her husband Eddie. He is a world Scrabble master who beat all of the top world champions in one single tournament. Retired now, she and Eddie are studying to become Shamans.

18 June, Thursday: It is 99 degrees as we approach a gorgeous snow and ice covered Mount Shasta ahead; it is even more surprising since Sacramento's forecast was temp high of only 95 degrees. I-5 has been a beautiful drive all the way; the median is often filled with 10-foot-tall red, white and pink oleanders. It is a joy to again be traveling through the mountains and even more exciting to think that motorcycling is only a couple of days away now.

17 Jun: This evening when left the Holiday Inn to drive to dinner, we found a ticket with a fifty dollar parking violation under the windshield wiper. No surprise in a big city except that we were parked in the city parking garage as directed by the Holiday Inn valet parking attendant. Apparently that entire floor of the city parking garage is off limits from 7:30 am to 9:30 am to all but authorized street vendors in that cutesy downtown area. When we had parked at 6:30 pm the lot was full and warning signs were obscure - especially to unsuspecting visitors from out-of-town. Valet parking had not warned us of that hazard, so the hotel graciously deducted most of the cost of the ticket from our bill.

16 June, Tuesday: We enjoyed lovely visits with cousins Kenneth and Jewel (both gems) who are in their mid-nineties; this amazing couple were teacher until retirement and enjoyed their home in Indiana until their sons moved them to Phoenix after Jewel broke a wrist in a fall. They live independently in a lovely condo unit with meals provided in the cafeteria. It was a relief to see Kenneth more active and vital than during previous "recent" visits. We met cousin Kay at the Good Egg for breakfast and non-stop conversation. She is a mesmerizing six- foot- tall woman with a delightful personality. The car has handled pulling the lite utility trailer just fine but it got pretty dicey in the pass near Palm Desert. According to a local the wind in the pass is like that all of the time which is why they have the wind farms. The phone call from Lee, Walt and Pam keeps running through our minds and conversation because it was just so great to hear Lee sounding good: you hang in there, Lee!!

We are on I-5 heading north enjoying the mountain vistas, agrarian fields and orange groves of the beautiful San Juaquin Valley in central California. Interesting signs are posted in fields along the road: "Congress Created Dust Bowl"

I love you Smooch Smooch.

13 Jun (maybe), Saturday: The desert scenery is awesome on I-10 through Tucson. We enjoyed a nice breakfast with cousin Jim & Diane at the Country Home in Sierra Vista

2 Jun: After an early awaking at 4:40am, we spent the early morning packing until Smooch Smooch refused to sit on the sidelines and started messing with Ron's beloved recycling projects. A time-out was needed, so we went to Wal-Mart to purchase rope and a padlock. A final Sacred Grounds breakfast was thoroughly enjoyed by Smooch Smooch, Ron and buddy Paul. At 9:00 the trailer was opened to discover that the incident yesterday that created jack-stand problems was worse because the motorcycle tie downs are connected to the jack stands; the floor was broken and one motorcycle was inadequately secured and at risk of falling. The temporary solution to get on the road was to duct-tape a brick to the side stand and to open the back at every pee stop to inspect for catastrophe. 70 miles from Kansas City, the pee stop uncovered another problem, a leaking trailer tire. I guess Ron needs to do better at avoiding curbs - even though he only hit one ot two and a stump in Carol's driveway that jumped out & bit the trailer right on the tire. Good things somtimes come from bad beginnings (yeas, really) and the place that replaced the valve stem also repaired the floor for a mere $25 in Sweet Springs, MO. thanks again to you guys (although the women's bathroom could be cleaner). Just puzzling... why is it that Ron can happily say, "You are not going to like the bathrooms" without himself being much bothered by the men's room condition. We had a delightful Applebee's dinner with Clarence and Kathy. Ron's month of surface mail fit into one priority envelope.

1 June, Monday: 5:35 AM and the journey is about to begin. The tow trailer is loaded with two
bikes for the westward jaunt. Thanks to Paul for letting us store them in his garage this month. We lunched with Carol and will spend the rest of the day packing. One significant ten hour day this week should get the next volume to the publisher.

Preparing for departure from Illinois westward.

31 May: Sunday: We had a most enjoyable afternoon with Joe and Nancy dining at a great Italian restaurant and sipping Pinot Noir in their beautiful home. The conversation was lively and fun; so was the interesting Egyptian cat who is one smart fellow.


30 May: Connie came by this noon to give "Healing Touch" to Smooch, smooch. Ron very much enjoyed his session on Thursday. Genealogy has occupied all of our waking hours recently; bibliographic improvements are nearly complete for the next volume of The Rambo Family Tree. Title & registration for "new" motorcycle, passports, and a temporary tag for trailer have all arrived, so Ron's whereabouts are about to change again - towards Kansas City on Tuesday and on to Texas heading towards British Columbia a week or so later.

29 May: Rain, rain, rain. It has rained lots here since Smooch Smooch returned. Elsie Wasser was at the library again today. Most amusing to discover Marriages of Greene County, Pennsylvania in the Edwardsville library. This is the book containing the marriage record my sister needed for her DAR application: Dorsey Overturff, son of John and Sarah Overturff, married Martha Deffenbough. But it did stop long enough to hike ten miles on the bike trail today.

28 May: It is amazing what is available on the web. Ron found lots of stuffs of interest on the web, both in terms of citations and sometimes the complete text of books.

27 May: Our late breakfast at Sacred Grounds ran into an early lunch with Sister Carol at Bella Milano's. She invited us to lunch citing a "post lecture stress headache" from teaching her first summer school Biology class at SIUE. The lunch was delicious; our favorite, and amusing, waiter, James, was gone today. James waited our table of 14 on the occasion of Ron's birthday party, May 12. Smooch Smooch took her newest bouquet to adorn the table for the party and was distressed the morning after to discover that she had left the flowers & vase. Days later Ron & Paul ate there for lunch and enjoyed James as waiter. He confessed to taking the abandoned flowers home for a few days, then to his mom's in Staunton. He agreed to bring the vase back, so we promised him more flowers for his mom. He did return the vase today, and Ron bought out the flower shop: flowers for James and flowers for Smooch Smooch; we have flowers to share! A fierce storm struck before dark and knocked out electricity in the hotel. More rain and flash flooding is predicted.

26 May, Tuesday: Imagine building a simple 12' x 30' loft to hold an HO train for a five year old when two MIT grads, a highway inspector, and a carpenter design it. Suddenly this lightly loaded loft has been configured to hold an entire circus w/ circus train, elephants, acrobats, and all. Lord knows if we will ever return to "simple". Smooch Smooch has the right idea: hire the carpenter, and stay out of the building until he is finished. Good news: the passport arrived.

22 May: After another delicious breakfast at Sacred Ground, Smooch Smooch and I are at the Edwardsville Library researching citations for the final volumes of the Rambo Family Tree.

17 May: The chicken coop is ready for inhabitants besides nephew and uncle. Ron is busy indexing industriously from early (well... not too early) AM to two the next morning. Paul and Ron had an enjoyable evening at Bella Milano's last night and a nice time today at lunch. Unfortunately there is little on Ponderosa's menu that fits Ron's dietary restrictions; everything comes loaded with so much butter it musta taken twenty trillion cows. Good news: the motorcycle title arrived. Now the new (old) BMW wheels will be tried out. Dick wondered why he wants such an old (PoS) motorcycle like this one. Ron says it is to keep from getting speeding tickets, plus... having an old BMW means it can be parked at a trail head while we hike for a few days and NO ONE in his right mind would steal it. It is sorta the same reason he wears that famous blue shirt he coined "gold digger repellent."

14 May: On the schedule for today is dropping Smooch Smooch at the airport and seeing a new dentist for evaluation of a chipped bridge and worn teeth. The day turned out good: the bridge may last another twenty years; the chip is not noticeable and the teeth are not that worn.

13 May: The Smooch Smooches again breakfasted at Sacred Ground; great coffee and an accommodating owner/chef. We surprised ourselves by running into Mike and Ed in the basement of the SIUE Communications Building. It was wonderful to introduce Smooch Smooch to Suzanne, Busaban, and Jerry. The Florida tax collector's office needed credit card information for the motorcycle title and registration. It is not raining at 2 pm, so Eric and Ron might be able to roof the chicken coop this evening.



12 May, Tuesday:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RON!!!

A PARTY: 7 PM Bella Milano's Italian Restaurant

We had a delightful breakfast at Sacred Grounds Coffee House prepared specially for us by the owners who cater to nutritional menus. Then we visited. Shirley is retired from the Bank of Edwardsville. We saw Nancy and Cathy at the SIUE Credit Union; the manager and clerks enjoy the correspondence accompanying Ron's deposits from the far reaches of the USA; Maxine was supposed to appear for a 2pm meeting but didn't. Later, Ron was surprised he was able to drive right to Connie's house without an address. Connie is a nurse, now studying "Healing Touch;" she offered to work Ron & Smooch Smooch over and to use her skills on his arthritic thumb joint. The rain held off, so the chicken coop roofing proceeded until dinner time.
At the party, Joe and Nancy bought Ron a new BMW 1200 cc motorcycle, but the plastic model proved to be too small to seat Ron's fat butt; Ron is also proud owner of a big bag full of red tissue paper. We were delighted that Uncle Lawrence was able to attend. A fine, fun time was had by all dozen attendees; Kyle, Erika, and Chelsea were models of wonderful behavior; Thanks kids. And last, but not least, Greg & Donna sent a "hurray, hurray for the 12th of May" birthday card from SC.

11 May, Monday: An application for a new passport was completed and mailed citing "misplaced" for the old one; it is somewhere in the exceedingly full storage locker; you have to see it to believe it. It is NOT in the safety deposit box (filled with a coin collection). It is somewhere amongst the stuff; misplaced is a good word. At 1pm Ron ran off to help build a chicken coop for nephew Eric's children; almost everything was done by dark except for the roof. Pray it doesn't rain tomorrow.

10 May, Sunday, Mothers Day: Happy Mother's day to everyone. We enjoyed dinner with my sister at her rural home in Illinois.

9 May, Saturday: Breakfast at the Inn is not on our menu so we improvised in the kitchenette. We enjoyed the hike and bike trail over to the SIU Campus; but the building boom revamped some of the familiar territory; we were temporarily lost on the way back from a very nice two hour hike.

7 May: After an uneventful trip we arrived in Edwardsville, Illinois about 2:45 PM. Ron's good friend from working days at SIUe joined in the fun of unloading the UHaul in preparation for its return to a UHaul dealer in Highland.

6 May: We drove through the day arriving in Blytheville, AR about 8:15 PM and enjoyed a great dinner at the Bistro Eleven 21. The owner's boyfriend provided delightful conversation during dinner.

5 May: Preparations for departure continued throughout the day; amazingly we departed by 6:45 PM arriving by 10:45 PM to spend the night west of Atlanta.

4 May: Oh what fun! Oh what fun! Oh what fun! Ron stayed up all night drinking coffee while working: editing, packing, arranging, viewing Hawaii photos online with Donna, racing back to the Hampton Inn to wake Smooch Smooch for appointments. He took a fast nap, walked with Dick and went back to work again. The day was chaotic but we did get everything almost completed for the trip. We had a fabulous farewell dinner at Zorba's with our fine South Carolina friends.

3 May: Susan loved the pink tee shirt we brought her from Hawaii. Whew! We were relieved because we could not find the tee shirt that she had wanted: coral, form-fitting and very short because she is such a tiny waitress. Now we learn that her favorite color is really pink and she is delighted with her gift. Vince and Mary joined us for a delightful, gab-fest feast at Lizard's Thicket to say good-bye. Now onto the myriad details of packing, lining up ob-gyns and lamaze classes in preparation for the birth of Little Carol Ann 23 July (we really hope it is a girl).

2 May: Breakfast buffet at the Hampton Inn in Lexington cannot hold a candle to those buffets in Hawaii. It was fun to see the people here again and surprising that they remembered that Ron dove into the dumpster to (successfully) retrieve a lost fanny pack. The walk with Dick was again fun and entertainingly full of put-downs and put-ons. Looks like Jim is out of town until after our scheduled departure on Tuesday.

1 May, Friday: The flights from Hawaii finally concluded at Columbia on time, and we are so happy that Donna picked us up at the airport ASAP. Poor Smooch Smooch was exhausted by lack of restful sleep throughout the flights; so was Ron. We must apologize to Donna for our infectious exhaustion; she had to lay down for a nap. Dinner with everyone at Ruby Tuesday was fun. I can hardly wait to see Susan at Lizard's Thicket on Sunday.

April: Hawaii is a great place to work on a manuscript

30 April: Glass bottom boat tour was disappointing although the coral was interesting. Since it is now May 2, I'll skip forward on another post.

29 April: The skinned knee is healing nicely. Looks like amputation won't be required. Breakfast was again delightful, and I now sit here fully loaded and semi-comatose. Looks like helicopter ride couldn't fill seats for the early am ride, and we departed at one PM for a fantastic two hour tour of the Big Island. Traveling into canyons with 2800 foot high walls and waterfalls was astonishing; so was the coastal tour of sheer cliffs with many waterfalls. But the most amazing view was over the volcano - peering into red glowing holes in the top of the crater - molten hot with lava spills covering the region for as far as our eyes could see. There were two such hot spots we could see into on the coast when the surf receded; but when the waves hit the fireholes steam spewed high into the air. The views from a helicopter surpassed views from a motorcycle - amazingly so. Boat ride is scheduled to precede airline shuttle pickup by a couple of hours.

28 April: Poor smooch smooch with the skinned knee. She tripped on a sprinkler head on the beach access walk back to the hotel last night requiring first aid by security. Hey there security gal, we really enjoyed you and very much appreciated your minstrations. All is well this morning except for the sore knee. Our plans for the day are delayed until tomorrow by tours already booked. We did watch the trained dolphins for a few minutes; the dolphins were very excited by their prospects for breakfast, but the "show" wasn't very fast paced; it is actually an opportunity for the tourists to swim with the dolphins (and survive).

27 April: After another delightful breakfast watching the waterfalls and the Koi, we hoofed it over to the Queens Shops to get scheduled for a timeshare presentation which promised to save us $180 on the helicopter tour and $60 on the glass bottom boat tour and $40 on several other meals or activities. Well, the Hilton Grand Vacations Club shuttle refused to take us back to the hotel which pissed me off, the scheduled limo shuttle never came to pick us up, pissing me off more, so we arrived at the sales presentation in a very foul mood and vented upon the first three people we saw. Unfortunately/fortunately, the sales presentation was already in progress, so Mike Morrow, a 10-year veteran HGVC salesman, took us into his office and discussed the possibilities with us himself. What is a silver tongued New Jersey kid doing selling Hawaii real estate? He is having fun and staying warm. He convinced me that this was a great opportunity for a great value, so we bought in; we now own a condo in Hawaii for a week at peak season.

25 April: The galley proof is done. Ron has to go through the bibliography tonight and then the editor can get a thumbs up to print this volume. The sun has been shining gloriously today; we ate a delicious breakfast (missing the delightful company of Jean and Marion!) rested, sunned, exercised in the spa, edited and had a fabulous dinner watching the sunset overlooking the Pacific Ocean at the Kamuela Provision Company. They have been booked every night when we called for reservations; we called early this morning and had to accept earlier reservations and not outside on the lanai.

24 April: Everyone is weller than well again. We have had a quiet day: food, sunshine, rest and work. Manuscript is almost finished... maybe it will be done today. Dinner tonight is at Imari's Japanese Restaurant.

23 April: Smooch Smooch had bad back pains starting after a couple of good hours of sleep, so she is a pooped puppy this morning. Undoubtedly the forced march for two hours to dinner was too much at this stage of fitness. Marion and Jeanne return to Delaware this evening, so this was our last breakfast together; we switched to a table for four after they arrived to breakfast (at the Palm Terrace Grill). Again, the fresh pineapple, strawberries, omelets, salmon, and sourdough bread just kept drawing us back for more. Now we are stuffed and exhausted. We had a delicious dinner served by a delightful fellow tonight at Merriman's in the King's Shops.

22 April: Last night was a bad one for sleep. Either the Luau food disagreed or the room was too hot. Ron quit trying to sleep after two hours and spent two hours proofreading in the "lobby"; Smooch Smooch retreated to a recliner on the beach and watched the waves and the stars until 1am. Breakfast buffets beg overeating, and we did ourselves proud. We visited with Marion and Jeanne again and were hugely surprised to run into the two families we met at the Luau last night. More sunbathing, proofreading, hoops viewing, and ellipticalicizing - life is tough. Tonight's dinner is at Brown's Beach House in the Fairmont Orchid Hotel some three miles N of the Hilton Waikoloa. The concierge was surprised to hear we are planning to walk. Fortunately the dress is resort casual.
The walk to dinner turned into an ordeal. What we failed to notice is that one of the "streets" in the directions from Google Maps was actually an ancient pathway over the lava flows. We walked forever, through a construction zone (stay out), along the main highway (ugh), and at least twice the three miles forecast by Google. As a bit of compensation, the meal was the best on this island so far, and the service was perfect. Ron was inclined to return along that ancient walkway in the dark, but conceded that a cab was a better idea. The doormen at the Fairmont Orchid was delightful and entertained us with local legends as we waited for the cab. Apparently ghosts of ancient warriors walk that pathway with torches and drums in the night. Step aside and avert your eyes as they pass or they will remove your soul and leave the husk to wither and die.

21 April: The overcast skies discouraged sunbathing so Smooch Smooch went to the spa to get her toenails clipped. Ron proofread and corrected most of the day, watched some hoops, and spent 40 minutes and 400 calories on the elliptical machines at the fitness center. We were very surprised by the food at the Hilton Luau; it was not only delicious, but the steamed fish, veggies, pulled pork and chicken fit our dietary restrictions, too. This was another of those eat-until-you-burst experiences. The Polynesian dancers were awesome; our favorite performer was the male torch dancer; imagine a baton twirler on steroids with batons flaming at both ends. The Hawaiian wahines wiggled incredibly fast, faster than the drummers or Ron's pulse. We enjoyed the company at our table. One couple was a global FedEx pilot and his pretty young Filipino wife; both of them were delightful and smart. The other party included a placid and happy six-month-old boy named Aden who graciously allowed his parents and grandparents to come to Hawaii with him. Smooch Smooch was delighted to be allowed hold Aden for a few minutes (until he spotted his mommy & got restless).

20 April: Hawaii's landscape is vastly different from Oahu and Kauai because the volcanic rock is so highly visible and omnipresent. All of the dirt for plants was brought here from the mainland according to the congenial taxi driver who brought us to the Kohala Coast from the Kona airport. Wendy at the Waikoloa Hilton check -in yesterday was a delightful and helpful receptionist. She discovered the oceanview room we were scheduled to occupy was no longer ocean view; she upgraded us to a wonderful corner room overlooking the ocean, the swimming pools and dolphin pool below. The hotel is sort of a cross between Vegas and Disneyland - not necessarily our cup of tea - but they had the best promotion offers so we will enjoy this fantasy island. A boat on a moat or a tram on a track will take us around the resort if we choose. We don't choose to ride but to walk. Last night we had dinner at Roy's; this morning we walked the lagoon trail to breakfast (provided) and met a delightful couple named Jeanne and Marion from near Philadelphia, PA. Breakfast was served on a lagoon filled with Koi and surrounded by waterfalls. A huge black and white swan, a Peking duck and delightful children were entertaining. Smooch Smooch went to work "sunbathing"by the pools while Ron worked on proofreading his galley. And then he got sidetracked with some semi-colons that begged replacement. Tonight we have dinner reservations at Charlie's Thai restaurant. The next few days will be "work" getting proofing done before sight seeing and hiking.

19 April, Sunday: Ron arose at 4 AM to continue proofreading; after breakfast he is working again hoping to reach page 280 before we go to the beach one last time prior to departure for the airport. We have enjoyed the staff; especially Debbie at the Coffee Kiosk and the friendly waitresses. Favorite Kauai restaurants are Hanelai Colony, Hulekani and the Wahoo nearby. Subway is a great place for lunch.

18 April: We were tired from the hike; sleeping late did not allow time to ride up the Wailua River to see the ancient Hawiian village and the royal birthing stones. We will have to decide if we want to return here for Little Carol Ann's birth (23 July) on the famous lava birthing rocks sight unseen. Ron returned the bike in Lihue finding a bus shuttle back to Kapa'a for .75. Smooch Smooch enjoyed watching lots of activity on the beach today: snorkeling, long-boarding, surfing and sun bathers in a variety of sizes. The National Hula Contest has been of special interest this week; the newly crowned "Miss Aloha" amply represents the real Hawiian wahine: big. Tomorrow is departure day on Island Air for the Kona Airport on the Big Island and a 12 day stay on the Kohala Coast.

17 April: The sunrise was glorious providing lots of incentive to start travel early today. The plan was to hike to Waipoo Falls and see the 800 foot waterfall. We arrived at the location only to learn it was the VERY hike we did Monday afternoon but we had missed seeing the big falls because we were on top of the falls. There are no signs to indicate that the trail continued nor did we see additional trail. We could not hear the roar of the falls either. At least we now know the name of the Kokee Park hike that seemed to be a mystery: Waipoo Falls! Undaunted we rode to the end of Waimea Canyon Road for the Pihea Trail hike. It was a delight to discover a photo of the Pihea outlook online (picture on left) because all we could see was fog. The 2.1mile hike took about three hours round trip. The trail was described as fairly flat for a Hawiian hike; but it was a muddy mess through the swamp bogs. We had to navigate carefully downhill. The low spots likely never dried out. We did see a mountain goat with a young kid out on a ledge some distance away. But the joy of hiking is meeting the nicest folks on the trail. Today was not an exception: a Steve Martin kinda guy wearing a Disneyland cap, Mr. Rogers Tee Shirt sported brightly painted toenails each a different color was obviously dad to a thirteen year old daughter. We stopped for a very engaging conversation while his teen-agers explored ahead. We also met an interesting couple from Pennsylvania (originally Ukraine) who hike Peru and Bolivia and proceeded to describe its compelling beauty. We ended the day with a fine dinner at Duke's Restaurant in Lihue despite mud up to our knees..

16 April: Ron is back to proofreading in the wee morning hours until breakfast time. The plan for the day was carried out: we rode along the north coast of Kauai to the end of the road into Ha'ena State Park and hiked up (straight UP) the mountain to the peak. That portion was a very challenging mile because the trail was rocky, muddy in many places, and slippery. We reached the top but decided not take to the trail down to the beach because of mud on the rocks. Smooch Smooch was reminded of Frommer's cautionary words, "Kauai is crumbling; do not go near the edge of the trail because the ground can give way and you will be seaweed." The views of the Na' apli Coast were worth the climb and the two hours spent hiking. Although we were mighty muddy we stopped for a fine dinner at the Hanalei Colony Restaurant (Mediterranean Cuisine) that had the best fish on the island to date. The Lebanese owner is a fine congenial host for this award winning restaurant.

15 April: Ron arose at 4:00 AM to complete his Schedule C. Today is tax day! We worked on correspondence and took a late afternoon ride after a lovely lazy day stopping at the post office to mail the tax report and check. Dinner at Hukelani Restaurant is always a treat.

14 April: A rainy day! But we are exhausted from the hike and bike ride ... we slept late, ate and slept again. In the afternoon the rain stopped so we drove towards the Sleeping Giant mountain hoping for good views but the traffic was too heavy to stay on that road. We took a side road and reached Princeville but missed the reward (seeing the northside coastline). It was fun to get a perspective on the large numbers of people who live in the suburbs on the island. We enjoyed Kahli Makai road and Princeville's golf community.

13 April: Ron was back on the fast track arising early to proofread. The helicopter shuttle picked us up promptly at 9:40 for a fantastic aerial view of Kauai. The pilot presented an interesting historical/cultural commentary while we enjoyed adjoining seats in the front of the cockpit. Much of this Garden Isle is unreachable by road - hence we saw glorious vistas only visible by air. Dipping into the Hawiian Grand Canyon was really remarkable. Films like Fantasy Island, Jurassic Park, etc. were filmed in some places we recognized. Upon completion of the flight we were shuttled to the bike rental shop so we could get wheels and then headed to Duke's Restaurant for lunch.

We slathered our bodies with suntan block in Lihue before venturing forth into Waimea Canyon for spectacular views from another perspective. Once we reached the Kokee State Park lookout point we hiked a "strenuous" five mile trail. It was indeed challenging! The vegetation was glorious: yellow orchids and giant red blooming flowers were prevalent. Ron really appreciated the flora and fauna. The trail was very narrow in places and unmaintained in others. We scrambled across rock with loose sandy soil making traction a challenge for Smooch Smooch who was down on all fours a couple of times. We took one wrong turn adding to the time on the trail. Once we got back onto the right path we located the waterfall which was not very awesome in comparison to those in Virginia. But the Waimea Canyon was indeed breathtaking. We headed back towards home on the canyon road with hairpin turns the entire route reminiscent of Neal's Gap. It was chilly because the sun had started to set. By the time we reached HWY 50 light rain fell. We parked with a plan to wait out the rain inside the post office, but we had a chance encounter with another biker who advised us to keep going for another 7 or 8 miles and the rain would stop. Aha! it did! It was soooooo good to get back to Kapa'a for dinner.

12 April, Easter Sunday: Ron arose late this morning, 4:40am, and was able to proofread only about 10 pages before we left for Easter Sunrise services at the Kauai Coastal Resort beach next door. Services were memorable, especially since the sun waited to break the horizon EXACTLY at the time the native Hawaiian welcoming chant began. E ala e! The prayers and messages and songs were very inspirational as delivered by the very able ministers from the United Church of Christ and the First Hawaiian Church. The territorial roosters chasing back and forth provided a bit of comic contrast to our human reverence. We are thankful for the AWESOME wonder of creation and daily grateful to be ENJOYING every minute of our relationship.

11 Apr: Ron started work about 4:30 AM until the sun came out in all its glory. After breakfast we hiked along the beach back to the Waipouli to book a helicopter island tour for Monday morning. We could have booked it directly but we wanted to make certain that Fran got her commission for the recommendation. She was not there but had left word that we would return. We continued walking along the beach until we reached the east shore hiking path for twelve miles today. Blackened Ono on sourdough bread was pretty good lunch fare at the Olympic Cafe. The fruit salad was huge but not ripe enough. All in all we hiked for four plus hours and have a good sunburn to show for it despite lathering on Sunblock 30. Ron found an aloe vera plant to rub on our shoulders. We have dinner reservations not too far away... within hiking distance. Dining out in Hawaii can be expensive; but we split one glass of wine and our dinner enabling us to dine at good restaurants without feeling the pinch.

10 Apr: Another gray, chilly, rainy day to keep us indoors working apart from a late morning walk to the Waipouli Beach Resort for lunch. Fran (Concierge) was so thoroughly delightful we spent a very long time chatting with her about a myriad of topics. Lunch was not great but the view was outstanding. After returning to our hotel we napped and worked through and instead of dinner.

9 Apr: Back to work at last! At 4am, after lying awake for two hours with a stuffed up nose, Ron finally began reading the next Rambo Family Tree galley proof in the hotel lobby. Thirty pages and fifty post-its later, he tippie-toed back into the room to find that Smooch Smooch had also been awake since 5am working away on her computer. Breakfast was a couple of fine veggie omelets with fresh fruit at the hotel's Voyager Grill. Today stayed overcast, chilly, breezy, and gray with scattered showers throughout the morning. Towards noon we gave the maid a chance to clean the room while we walked, first to Wahoo restaurant for a nice luncheon chicken sandwich on sourdough, then into Foodland to compare prices and to buy laundry soap and bananas. Another exciting afternoon was spent doing laundry, computer work, and preparing for dinner.

8 Apr: We spent a quiet day walking around the vicinity, shopping, dining, and enjoying the beach. Fresh pineapple is $ 0.79 per pound at Safeway. Sadly their house brand walnuts taste stale. Sunset skies were cloudy with brief patches of pretty pale pinks. Ron started sneezing explosively with great satisfaction and a little trepidation.

7 Apr: Our morning started leisurely with a lovely sunrise, but soon ramped up as we rushed to write cards for chef Dale & waitress Charlene in appreciation of their personal attention and friendliness throughout our many delicious breakfast buffets at the Hyatt. More rushing to meet the 8 AM shuttle to the airport. We are awaiting departure of our Hawaiian Airlines Inter-Island flight to Kauai, where we expect to spend twelve relaxing days. Kauai promises to be low-key with hiking opportunities and time to edit our books. Of the myriad possibilities, the one certainty is that we will rent a motorcycle sometime.

The flight to Kauai was uneventful and pleasant. Our hotel at Wailua has a magnificent view of the ocean waves (after paying extra dollars to upgrade from the normal mediocre view). We have a beachfront room with a balcony on the top floor (fourth floor). The view is awesome but there is not a lot of beach. The town is somewhat of a disappointment because so many restaurants are closed (including the luau which burned). The hotel bistro does not serve our kind of styrofoam and cardboard diet; it is more of a grill connected to the bar, and the main restaurant is open only for breakfast. Obviously reduced tourism is affecting vacation quality while providing opportunity to find lots of bargains. Hotel vacancies are at 40% here and 15% in Waikiki.

6 Apr: After another delightful breakfast buffet at the Hyatt, Ron and Smooch Smooch mounted the Road King heading east towards Diamond Head and then hiked the million stairs to the summit viewpoint. The crowds were friendly and pleasant, and the panoramic views were a fitting reward for the effort. Our motorcycle rental ended at noon, but one more noteworthy incident occurred as we stopped to fill the tank at the Aloha station in Waikiki. Two female police officers approached and asked if we had failed to see the sign prohibiting turns. I replied that I had been following the signage painted on the roadway and looked up to suddenly find myself in front of a sign announcing "Do Not Enter, Buses Only." Seeing no other recourse I turned left into the gas station that was my eventual goal. One of the officers asked for my license and registration and refused to accept the rental agreement that I had been given as "the registration and proof of insurance" by Nick at the rental place. We were happy and courteous; she explained that the rental agreement was NEITHER satisfactory proof of registration NOR proof of insurance and that a citation for no registration requires a court appearance. Rather than give us three tickets worth several hundred dollars, she was eventually persuaded by our friendliness to let us go without any tickets. As Ron filled the gas tank after all that, the officer asked why we were in Hawaii; Smooch Smooch jokingly replied we were honeymooning; they let us off without a ticket. (This statement was corrected because my attempt at humor was not devoured by gossipmongers who read this blog like the Bible; this joke was reported as proof of a wedding). Our dining experience, fine food at Orchids Restaurant (Halelukelani Hotel) with impeccable service, was really divine dining plus a glorious Hawaiian sunset on the lanai.

5 Apr, Sunday: The Sunday breakfast buffet without Dale (the omelet chef) and Charlene (the charming Hawiian waitress) was not quite the same although the food was great and the other waiters & waitresses were enjoyable. We headed out on the Road King mid-afternoon to the east shore and a long hike up to the Makapuu lighthouse to catch a glimpse of whales; no whales were visible but the views were spectacular. The rain spit needles and pins briefly as we headed back into Waikiki to dine and a glass of wine at Ciao Mein.

4 Apr: We were out of bed late today - about 6:30am. The plan was to ride the bike early and long, but we didn't get breakfast finished, gear packed, and onto the bike until 9:30. We again headed east on the ocean side of Diamond Head for those marvelous views of turbulent emerald waters crashing ashore endlessly. It would be spell binding, except that motorcycling while spell bound would be fatal. This time we didn't get lost until much later than usual. We found the Byodo-In Temple without problem and marvelled at the monstrously large Koi (goldfishies). The temple's gong does indeed provoke peacefully harmonious contemplation. The ride northward was pleasant although lunch at the Kualoa Ranch was a waste of appetite. If we had realized how soon we would pass the Polynesian Cultural Center and especially the shrimp farms, we would have snacked and indulged our appetites later. The LDS Family History Center was our biggest disappointment in Oahu - closed with very limited hours and a reputedly tiny collection. The north shore had several vacation rentals we will remember to look for on our next trip, but the extension of highway 930 eastward towards Kaena Point was an endless "stream" of speed bumps with ocean views entirely blocked by endless fences. Hard to imagine why anyone would want to live in such an ugly neighborhood. Unfortunately we missed about ten miles of coastline by neglecting to make on final right turn. There was a delightful short order sandwich shop serving natural foods at the Waialua corner of 803 heading south. More later about the ride through Wheeler AFB, the leeward shore w/ hundreds of homeless camps, Kaena Point lighthouse park, and the windy, windy, slightly rainy ride across Honolulu on the H1 & highway 78 just before dark. We were too tired to consider walking far for food and ate at Duke's; their Cabernet Sauvignon was not very good, but the salad bar was wonderful.

2 Apr, 2009, Thursday: Behind again. Another early wake up. Neither Ron nor Smooch Smooch has turned on a computer in three days. Hawaii is pretty fun. Oops, more later. Smooch smooch has finished her coffee and we want to walk the beach again for a few minutes before 6am breakfast.

31 Mar: We enjoyed a relaxed day despite a 4 am awakening.

30 Mar, Monday: After only four hours of sleep for three nights running, the 12 hours of flights to Hawaii were pretty gruesome. Catnapping was possible, especially propped up against each other, but real rest was lacking. The scenery coming in to land at noon was spellbinding with turquoise waters in a multitude of shades. Honolulu is BIG. The vacation greeter presented us with leis as soon as we stepped out of security. The shuttle arrived promptly after our call although we had to ask directions to the pick up point (after we walked right through it without recognizing it).