What Are You Doing For Excitement Today?

frawin · September 06, 2010, 06:55:08 PM

I really enjoy taking a train --you can see a lot of country and not have to worry about the weather and the traffic. Last fall, a niece of Mary's and I was getting married at Lake Geneva, WI. Mary, Jerry, Frank & I caught the Southwest Flyer at Lawrence, KS and went to Chicago, changed trains, and went to Milwaukee, and then took a shuttle back to Lake Geneva. It was late October and the trees, etc. were pretty. The only thing, that we saw that was sad was the crops across Illinois had not been harvested as it was too wet, - water was standing in the fields. Anyway, on the way back, we all spent most of our time in the observation car and had a great time just visiting and watching the countryside. We hope we can do another trip sometime.

Myrna

greatguns · September 06, 2010, 08:00:27 PM

This is such a wonderful thread. What a nice way to end this Labor Day.

larryJ · September 07, 2010, 04:44:49 PM

We are home again and sleeping in our own bed again, but, hey, we got new pillows! On the way back, as I mentioned, we chose the coast route, commonly referred to around here as Pacific Coast Highway or PCH. This road takes you along the cliffs above the ocean and next to the beaches. In Malibu, where movie stars live, there are houses built right on the sand with stilts to keep them above the water. We got as far as Malibu State Beach when we decided not to let the trip go without a stop on a beach. We walked about 200 yards down a path to the beach and while there were lots of people there, it wasn't crowded. We set up our chairs, got out our books and relaxed. There are tide pools there where you can stand on the small rocks and look for small sea creatures. We didn't see any, but didn't want to walk on the mossy rocks too far out. Besides, I was just as happy in my chair next to all the pretty young girls who insisted on sun-bathing laying on their stomachs with their top straps off.

Getting old though, I did manage to read a chapter in my book in the 90 minutes we were there. The real highlight of that beach trip was a massive yacht anchored off the coast. When I got home I looked it up and was amazed at what I read. I can't seem to get the web site on here so just type in Yacht at Malibu. That will tell you all about it.

Larryj

Diane Amberg · September 07, 2010, 04:49:22 PM

300 Mil? pocket change! Whew ! That's some tub toy.

larryJ · September 07, 2010, 04:55:59 PM

Forgot to mention that the area we were at is a huge farming area. We stopped and bought some oranges, avocados, strawberries (she is going to make strawberry jam!) and nectarines. Driving through this area, you see fields and fields of strawberries covered with plastic sheets (this time of the year) and at first glance you think these are huge ponds, but its just the bluish plastic sheets stretching for a long ways. There were also pumpkin patches with jumbo size pumpkins in them.

Larryj

Judy Harder · September 07, 2010, 07:15:05 PM

Thanks for the ride-along, Larry. Loved your beach story...........some day a dream of mine is to see
either ocean longer than 15 minutes and God willing I will.
Oh, I bet the fruit was/is wonderful.

greatguns · September 07, 2010, 09:01:40 PM

Well now I'll have to make a trip to the pumpkin patch this year.

Diane Amberg · September 08, 2010, 08:43:59 AM

I made a trip out back to the tomato patch this morning.Today is tomato canning day.

Wilma · September 08, 2010, 10:16:43 AM

I have accepted the fact that my traveling days are over, but there is one thing I would really like to do. That is, spend a week on the coast in Washington, watching the ocean and the weather coming in, etc. I had a couple of hours one year and it only called for more and more. Unfortunately, we never got back there, but I did get to see the Grand Canyon and the desert in Arizona, saw real live saguaro, cactus wrens, etc. Loved that, too.

Diane Amberg · September 08, 2010, 11:42:55 AM

I'm waiting for the next batch of toms to heat so I can slip their skins, so I'll pop on for a minute.We loved the Grand Canyon too. It's so big it's hard to describe. My sister in law and husband finally decided to make their last permanent move to Fountain Hills, north of Scottsdale on Nov.15.They have had a home here and a condo there for a number of years. Both their kids are settled there so they finally decided to go. I'll miss them terribly as they are really all that was left here of close family. We'll go visit of course, but it just won't be the same.