Adventure, Awe, and Abundant Life: Our Day at Cuyahoga Valley National Park

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August 14-15, 2025. Finding Joy on the Trails, in the Shadows, and in Christ

What if I told you that a diagnosis, even one as sobering as metastatic (stage 4) breast cancer, doesn’t have to mean the end of adventure? That it might, in fact, be the beginning of a new kind of abundant living? Different, yes, but abundant. I want to share one story of joy, love, and a little mystery from a recent trip with my husband to Cuyahoga Valley National Park—a place where wild nature and the whisper of hope wind along every trail.

The Ledges Trail: Where Wonder Meets Stone and Sky

We started our day with the Ledges Trail, a 2-mile loop famed for its dramatic rock formations, sun-dappled moss, and secret caves. My husband and I laced up our tennis shoes and set off with hearts full of anticipation.

Tip: Come prepared! I would have pulled out my hiking poles and worn my hiking boots if I had realized how many rocks we would scramble over. It’s not a difficult trail, but can be a little tricky for someone with balance and joint issues.

Nevertheless, while I didn’t expect the rocky terrain on the trail, it became a chance to adapt and push my limits. Instead of being discouraged, I embraced the challenge, and we managed to boost our daily steps while discovering new strength in ourselves.

Stepping into the quiet cathedral of pines, it struck me: this is what it means to live—really live—even with cancer as a quiet companion. More importantly, I get to live this life with the best caregiver as my hiking buddy, who stretches out his hand to catch me if I stumble.

The trail meandered through forests that felt ancient and wise, the scent of earth and leaves mingling with laughter and the promise of adventure. We ducked under boughs, hopped across roots, and marveled at the towering cliffs, their sandstone faces streaked with green and gold.

At the overlook, we caught our breath, gazing out over a patchwork of treetops. The world felt big and beautiful, and at that moment, thoughts of cancer or medical appointments slipped away.

Holding hands with the one I love, I was reminded: abundant life isn’t found in the absence of trials, but in the presence of Jesus Christ, guiding and sustaining each day. In every moment, we have the power to create memories, to savor the light filtering through the trees, and to claim joy on this side of life. Let us walk on, hearts open, knowing that each step is a testament to courage, faith, and the unwavering will to live abundantly.

Every step forward is an act of hope, no matter where you are in your cancer journey. With each breath of fresh air and every stride—even when challenged by neuropathy and fatigue—the Holy Spirit prompts, the heart grows stronger, and the soul more resilient. Life is still full of wonder worth fighting for.

Down the Eerie Canal Towpath

Of course, we couldn’t resist the allure of the Erie Canal Towpath. Echoes of history lace this path, where mules once pulled canal boats, the Underground Railroad was actively present, and the shadows seem to hold a thousand secrets. It was the perfect atmosphere for a little playtime.

Eerie Canal, rushing water in front of the Canal Exploration Center.

Canal Stop and Tavern (Currently the Canal Exploration Center)

Hi, I’m Blossom. During the canal days, mules like me walked the towpath, pulling heavy boats behind us. We were strong engines, able to haul 60 tons or more of freight. Mules worked in teams of two or three. Cargo boats had a middle cabin to stable a second team The two teams switched every six hours.

Some people say mules are stubborn, but I think we’re just smart. Horses can work themselves to an early grave. Mules have sense enough to stop when we’re tired. And we refuse to do anything dangerous. Over time, horses will get mouth and harness sores. Not mules. We are also cheaper to feed. Now I’m not saying horses are all bad. They are faster than mules. Early passenger boats used teams of horses when speed was more important than endurance. After the Civil War, canal boats became family businesses. One of the captain’s children was often the muleskinner, leading the team along the towpath.

I got my intelligence from my father. He’s a donkey. I got my athletic ability from my mother. She’s a horse. What is the best trait that you inherited from each parent?
Mule Power: Towing Canal Boats, from the placard at Cuyahoga Valley N.P.

Tim whispered in my ear as the towpath curved between thick stands of trees, their branches creaking in the gentle breeze. The path met the boardwalk into Beaver’s Marsh where wood ducks greeted us. He grinned while squeezing my hand. Even if you don’t get to see what you had hoped for (in this case, beavers), there’s something thrilling about embracing the unknown.

Cancer brings its own shadows—uncertainty, fear, the uninvited “what ifs.” Yet I’ve learned that through faith, even the darkest paths can glow with hope. Jesus walks with us, turning every challenge into an opportunity for courage, laughter, and connection.

Abundance in Every Step

The most beautiful part of our day wasn’t just the scenery, but the sense of freedom and joy. We climbed stairs, walked through a covered bridge, witnessed butterflies and colorful flowers, ate farm fresh corn while swinging on the double swings, swapped silly jokes, and learned that adventure is less about where you go and more about who walks beside you. Whether you have a caring partner on earth or not, Jesus is there each step of the way.

I want to say this, to anyone facing a difficult diagnosis or season: abundant life is possible—yes, even now. Through my journey with metastatic breast cancer, I’ve discovered that life with Jesus is not about scarcity, but overflow. He gives peace that surpasses understanding, and joy that bubbles up in the least-expected places—like a trail at sunset, a beautiful waterfall, or a quiet moment on the towpath with someone you love.

Come, Take the Next Step

If you’re ever near Cuyahoga Valley National Park, I encourage you to lace up your boots, grab a loved one, and walk the Ledges Trail. Let the stones steady you, the trees shelter you, and the adventure—yes, even the eerie ones—remind you that life is still here for the living.

Because abundance isn’t measured by days, but by the love, faith, and wonder we choose. Through Jesus Christ, I am learning to live—truly, joyfully, abundantly—one trail at a time.

We added another stamp to our Passport on this trip, and checked off our 18th National Park.

Pro tip: The America the Beautiful Access Pass is free for anyone who has a disability (terminal cancer is a disability, even if you don’t “feel” disabled). It provides free entry to all National Parks and Historic Sites for the pass holder and family who travel with them. It’s a great way to live life without the added pressure of the financial burden of entrance fees. Check it out!

Just One More Thing

Having terminal cancer is a different experience for everyone, and I do hope this blog is accepted as it is intended. Not everyone can do the things we can do. I get that. Depending on where you are with your diagnosis and whether you are the patient or the caregiver, you will make those determinations. Given the thousands of types and subtypes, cancer treatment is challenging. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. I am fortunate to have cancer treatment that works!

I don’t say this lightly, as not everyone is as fortunate to add years to their life. My mother was in a Hospice House for two weeks at the end of her life. This disease does take people’s lives. Yet even there, in her setting, we enjoyed the beautiful gardens outside her window together. She also enjoyed life with what energy she had as they brought in therapy dogs, listened to people read Scripture, held hands and even encouraged people who came to visit. She taught me how to live life abundantly now as well as when we transition to our eternal Home. That is why I say, as long as I have breath, I intend to live!

Ask God to give you energy. He will provide strength to walk, even if it is just a few steps to your backyard.

À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!

July 25, 2025September 9, 2025

Indiana Dunes National Park: Adventures, Oddities, and Sand in Your Shoes

How We Survived Dunes, Storms, and Historic Houses.

One doesn’t think of Indiana as having a huge National Park. At least, we didn’t. But there are 20 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, along with thousands of acres, that have been designated for this remarkable place. We were merely passing through, but our route guaranteed we could check off another item on our ever-growing bucket list. It’s one of the “newer” National Parks, although it has been a National Lakeshore since 1966, re-designated as a National Park in 2019.

But, before we went trekking in the National Park, we armed ourselves with brochures and local knowledge at the Indiana Welcome Center.

Indiana Dunes National Park is no ordinary stretch of sand—it’s a living, breathing playground where nature, history, and a little bit of chaos collide with rolling dunes, mysterious marshes, and forests bursting with wildlife, all waiting to surprise you with every step. Did we mention there are over 1,100 native plants and 200+ bird species? If you’re an aspiring botanist or just like chasing butterflies like me, this is your wonderland.

Long before there were selfies on the lakeshore, Indigenous peoples camped here, leaving behind stories and treasures that stretch back for years. Today, millions venture into these habitats—tiptoeing through nature’s living museum—where resilient landscapes bounce back from centuries of adventures and misadventures.

We rolled up towing our trusty Airstream, hoping the Visitor Center had answers to the meaning of life (or at least a good parking spot). Bonus: you can boondock there—a fact we learned just as a heat wave and thunderstorm crashed our best-laid plans.

The ranger who directed us to the Passport stamp also suggested we go to Gary, Indiana, but that would’ve meant a 15-mile detour backwards while pulling the Airstream. Climbing 1.5 miles of tough trail with 552 vertical feet to conquer the “three dune challenge” was another un-appealing option in 100 degree temperatures. Instead, we mapped out our own version of “National Park Express,” hitting three classic stops: Beverly Shores, The Great Marsh Trail, and Mt. Baldy.

Beverly Shores: Named after his daughter, the famed developer created a place where people and buildings could truly call home, like the legendary 1933 Chicago World’s Fair houses.

A Century of Progress – The 1933 World’s Fair Homes. This was an unexpected but very interesting and unique find. My architecture and real estate friends may find this fun to read. Lakeshore Drive is where futuristic “modern” homes are on display that were brought here from Chicago after the 1933 World’s Fair. You can’t park on the street, so I was feverishly snapping pictures in hopes of getting one or two good ones. Without even realizing it, I captured all five of the 1933 World’s Fair Homes on display there. If you want to read more about each home, scroll to the bottom of this blog.

These futuristic gems—like the Wieboldt-Rostone House, Florida Tropical House, and the indestructible (sort of) Cypress Log Cabin—were shipped here by barge and are now historic eye candy. Snap your pics fast, as street parking is a rare beast. Want to tour them? Annual tickets go on sale in August and vanish in an hour, $35 a pop. Feeling architectural? You can stay overnight in the restored Cypress Cabin and live out your lumberjack dreams.

Beverly Shores Depot and the Great Marsh Trail: We parked the Airstream next to the Beverly Shores Depot Museum & Art Gallery, which is part museum, part train station, and part hidden treasure. According to Wikipedia, “On July 19, 1989, the Beverly Shores station was added to the National Register of Historic Places.” The museum, a non-profit, keeps local history alive—and lets you park with a smile. It’s hard to find parking for a truck and a trailer in this area, so we were relieved when they let us park in their lot so we could go for a walk on the Great Marsh Trail.

Train at Beverly Shores Depot. You have to flag it down if you want it to stop.

Tim got wrangled into a work call, so I had free rein to hunt dragonflies, play hide-and-seek with turtles, and watch deer fawns put on an impromptu marsh ballet.

Mt. Baldy: This monster dune moves inland about FOUR FEET every year, devouring everything in its sandy path—including memories of an old parking lot. Today, if you want to climb it, you’ll need a park ranger as your personal sand sherpa. We nabbed one of two RV spots (a miracle!), then braved the up-and-down trail to the “ocean”—aka Lake Michigan. Storm clouds rolled in, so our beach day turned into a dash for cover, feet sandy, spirits high, and the crowd a vibrant mosaic of humanity, all enjoying the rain’s dramatic performance.

Storms around Lake Michigan don’t mess around, but they also don’t linger. We waited out the rain under a shelter, swapping stories, watching water blow sideways, and marveling at the wild mix of fellow travelers—bright saris, sandy pizza boxes, and coolers galore.

After a sand-filled hike, we surrendered to hotel comfort and an Olive Garden feast, feeling only a tiny pang of guilt for ditching our Harvest Host. First time canceling last-minute, but hey, sometimes Mother Nature hands you a raincheck with extra breadsticks. The shower felt like salvation and dinner was better than expected (free delivery + bonus entrée = score!). Sometimes, adventure means knowing when to jump into comfort, and when to let the dunes take care of the rest.

Here’s a video of our experiences in Indiana Dunes National Park. Tim is on a call, so he didn’t feel like smiling 😂😂.

And that’s how you do the Indiana Dunes: with laughter, sand between your toes, and a healthy dose of flexibility. Ready for your own wild ride?

À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!

“I am the Lord, who heals you.”
Exodus 15:26

July 2, 2025July 3, 2025

Three Girls and a Driver: Trip to The Badlands

Overview. You can scroll down to The Badlands to save some reading.

Sometimes we bite off more than we can chew. To say we are adventurous is true; but, is traveling with Future Streamers* too huge of a bite for a West Airstream Adventure? It’s the first time we have taken our grandchildren on a road trip of this magnitude, so we were about to find out!

We have been Airstreaming since 2021, traveling across the country, enjoying our grandkids for sleepovers from time to time, but we have never traveled with them for days or weeks in the Airstream.

Until now.

(Aside, you can read A Little History at the end of this blog to learn about other road trips we have taken with our grandkids.)

Alison and Paige are our two oldest grandchildren, and the cousins haven’t seen each other for a couple of years since Paige’s family moved up north. Would they still be as compatible as they were when they could see each other more regularly? Would they even remember each other? Alison turned ten in March, so this is also a special gift for her “double-digit birthday,” from Nana and Yoda. Paige will be nine in November. Ten and eight seem like the perfect ages for a road trip.

We began a long journey a year and a half ago, living as full-time Airstreamers while our house is being built, and we are headed up north for the hot summer months. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to get the two cousins together since we will be traveling near Paige’s new home. It took quite a bit of pre-planning, coordinating with the parents, and ordering special things to make this a memorable vacation. If we never take them on another road trip, they should remember this one for the rest of their lives.

We picked up Alison in Texas, took her with us on a three day journey to pick up Paige in Iowa, and stopped to see some sites along the way. When we picked up Paige, apparently it was a surprise! She knew she was going on a trip with us, but didn’t know Alison was going too! What a great reunion for them both. After a visit with the family, we drove from Iowa to The Badlands in South Dakota. We stayed at the KOA in Interior, SD, which is only a few miles from the Visitor Center.

From there we went to Pierre, where we visited the State Capitol, (see my previous blog about that), then on to Sioux Falls SD where we ended our trip. I flew home with Alison (her first plane ride), and Tim took Paige home in the truck.

After that, we slept for two days 😂.

Ever since my cancer diagnosis (I hear this frequently from other cancer patients and survivors as well), I have a new perspective on life. We only have one life to live, so my motto is to live life to the fullest (which includes spending time with family), even with metastatic breast cancer. This is why I write this blog, to share how God is working my life. We saw some amazing things on this great adventure. I hope this inspires you to do something special with your family, kids or grandkids. Are you ready for an adventure? Let’s go!

The Badlands

Although we were on the road for several days, The Badlands were our primary destination, so this blog will focus on that part of the trip. You can read other blogs about our visits to State Capitols and other places.

Tim had an idea to create matching t-shirts, so I got creative. With a little help from Chat GPT, I edited the images to create t-shirts which we had screen printed, and added journals, pens, and stickers from Vista Print to commemorate our trip. The girls and our Facebook friends loved them! What do you think? Tim said we may be setting a precedent for when the other grandkids go on a trip in the future. Not sure if that’s good or bad 🥴🤔.

Paige opened her goodie bag with a journal, pen, stickers, and t-shirt after we picked her up. Love that smile!

Showing off our matching t-shirts with the trip logo on the chest..

On the back the full design looks like the Badlands..

Day 1. The first day we set up camp at the KOA in Interior, hung around the campground, played games, went swimming, and ate dinner. It was wonderful to get out of the truck after a long day’s drive.

The girls helped us set up, clean up, and overall did a great job of helping out when asked.

Home for a few nights! It’s a beautiful view out our back window.

I made sourdough pancakes for dinner, which Tim cooked along with scrambled eggs and fresh bacon from the local Amish. The girls loved my pancakes! But, you will see in the video that Yoda got all the credit. 🥴 Sound on!

This was actually the leftovers. Look at that bacon! SOOO delicious.

Day 2. The Badlands Visitor Center, Wall Drug, Roberts Prairie Dog Town, bison, pronghorn, free roaming cows, one big bull, and lots of beautiful scenery. It was a HOT day.

The couch in our new Classic lays flat into a full size bed. The girls are making their bed, which they did every morning after Yoda showed them how he wanted it done.

The second day was our first real experience in The Badlands. At the Ben Reifel Visitor’s Center, we got our National Park stamp and Jr. Ranger booklet, which the girls completed for a swearing in as Jr. Rangers on the last day.

The girls also picked out a stuffed animal which we purchased at the Visitor’s Center. Paige chose a bobcat and Alison got a black-footed ferret, which as it turns out is the rarest of all North American mammals! They only live in the Roberts Prairie Dog Town, where we went on this day, but the ferrets only come out at night since they are nocturnal. Needless to say, she was talking about the ferret the entire trip. Sadly, we never saw one.

Alison checking out bison, Roberts Prairie Dog Town.

Everywhere we went near Wall, the crowds were mammoth! Nearly as vast as the Badlands themselves. Due to the heat and overpopulation of people, Paige nearly had a panic attack by the time we got to Wall Drug where we had lunch. (It was VERY overstimulating. I wanted out of there too.)

Wall. Sitting on a Jackalope (above), 80 ft dinosaur (below) and world’s largest chainsaw sculpture of a jackalope (right). See Alison in the little window in the top of the Jackalope.

Tonight’s gonna be a good night! The girls were SO excited to see the cows up close, especially the little calves.

Tim, the most adventurous Jedi of us all… “That’s a bull, honey! Don’t get too close to him.” LOL.

Back at the campground, Paige and I stayed in the trailer while Tim took Alison swimming. That gave Paige some “alone” time to regroup and re-energize, and gave me time to take a nap. She loved the drive back, including the cows, and had a great time from that point on.

Tim made steaks for dinner and we were grateful for the awning and all the shade trees looking down from the sky. We happened to hit the hottest days of the year while we are here. At least it’s not raining and cold.

We hit the hay early, as we planned an early hike the next day. The girls loved their new stuffed animals, and slept with them at night in addition to making up games for their animals to play. Paige took hers with her everywhere we went, even on the hikes. I think they learned something new about conservation today!

Day 3. The third day was predicted to be over 100 degrees so we got an early start to our outside activities, taking advantage of the cooler weather. The sun comes up early here, so even at 6:30 AM it seems rather high in the sky. (It also goes down quite late.) We took in the south loop, had some early morning hikes, visited scenic overlooks like the yellow mounds, went back to Wall for groceries and an ice cream, took pictures at the world’s largest Jackalope chain saw sculpture and an 80 foot dinosaur (above), visited the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, more swimming, hot dogs for dinner, rest and relax.

A little swim after a HOT day. This was before Tim busted his butt 😂😩.

Day 4. A few more early morning hikes, pictures by the “World’s Only 6-Ton Prairie Dog,” feeding the prairie dogs 👏🏻👏🏻, visiting the Prairie Homestead Historic Site and seeing white prairie dogs, a little more swimming, swearing in of our official Junior Rangers, playing games, eating dinner and watching a movie.

Another very HOT day. We were so glad to get another early morning start and beat the crowds.

We stopped at the famous “door/window” overlook, and took another short hike across the road from there, but the mosquitos were horrible so it wasn’t as much fun. Yoda shared his hiking tips with the girls, like stepping on a log instead of over it, and they listened. That was fun to witness.

The highlight of our day was the Ranch Store, where you can buy peanuts to hand feed the prairie dogs. We have seen a lot of prairie dogs this week, but never so many in one place. Lots of babies with their mommas and families. This is a good place to get photos if you ever visit the Badlands.

Their individual personalities became evident as mommas groomed their babies, holding their feet still so they would behave. Below is a sequence of the grooming right beside the mound where the girls are feeding the prairie dogs. Quite comical to watch! The prairie dogs weren’t too bothered by visitors in general, and welcomed the easy food.

Back at the campground we encouraged the girls to do their Jr. Ranger activities book. After a few rounds of “This is boring,” and “I don’t wanna do it,” they started getting into it and the attitude changed to “This is fun! I’m going to do all of them!”

Alison had to do 8 because she’s older, but she did all 11 because she enjoyed it so much. Paige only had to do 5, which she completed. It is a little more challenging for the younger kids as there is a lot of reading, so Paige was a little harder to motivate. The activities were fun and educational, even for me!

A quick drive before dinner to the Visitor Center is where they were “sworn in” by a ranger, the same one who gave them the books on Thursday. Alison did so well on the oath, the ranger gave her a special patch for her effort. We were proud grandparents .

Heading back, a quick stop at the Cowboy Corner (the only grocery store for miles) ended up with empty hands. Tim wanted some ice cream, but he opted out when a tub of off brand was over $10 .

Scratching off our 15th National Park. We have actually been here twice before, on the motorcycle. But we weren’t able to go down some of the backroads and we didn’t stay in the park, AND we got to spend it with our two oldest grandchildren, so this was definitely a better experience.

Movie time confirmed how comfie our couch is for movie watching. We have been leaving the bed flat for the girls since the second or third day, rather than putting it up and down every night. It’s SOOO much better than any other Airstream we have owned, and it’s much sturdier than we anticipated easily fitting four or more (little) people. We all sat together on the big bed with our legs up and ate popcorn while watching a movie selected by the girls. They chose “Wild Robot,” which is definitely a kid’s flick , but entertaining enough. It does have a redeeming message about friendship with unusual characters, motherly love, and recognizing people can change. At least it had some outdoor nature scenes to commemorate our trip .

When we came home, Paige’s bobcat was doing this. He might have had a little help from Yoda, but the girls thought it was hilarious.

This was our last night in The Badlands. We could have stayed here several more days as there is so much to do in the area. We didn’t go as far west as Wind Cave National Park, Mount Rushmore or the Black Hills, due to the limited time we had with the girls.

After this, we headed out to Pierre (PEER) where we toured the South Dakota State Capitol and camped on the river before sending the girls home.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about some of the fun things to do with kids in The Badlands! Leave a comment below and let us know what you think! I promise, your email will never be sold or abused.

As promised…

A Little History. We have taken three of our grandchildren on two separate road trips, with Alison being the common denominator (she is the oldest). The first trip was in September 2019, when we took our two oldest grandchildren (Alison, 4 and Paige, 2) on a three-day trip to Arkansas. My mom never got to meet any of my grandchildren since they were all born after she died, so we wanted to give them an opportunity to meet Tim’s mom, their Great-Mama before she died. Paige had a major diaper blow-out on the way up. It was then that we decided no more road trips until they were completely potty trained.

The second trip was a few months later, in June of 2020, when masks were gaining popularity and no one knew exactly what was happening across the country. Tim’s mom was getting older, and if we were going to introduce another grand to their Great-Mama, we needed to do it soon. Alison was now five and her sister Hannah was two, a little younger than Paige was when we took her. We must be gluttons for punishment, or our memory failed us, because we towed diapers once again. Fortunately no blow-outs on that trip.

That was the last trip with our little Jedi for the next five years. Great-Mama started getting ill, and eventually passed away in 2022. We no longer had the same draw to Arkansas, and only three of our seven grandchildren ever got to meet their great-grandmother. My dad died in 2023, so we have no remaining parents to introduce them to, although Alison and Paige met him when he came down to see me after my metastatic breast cancer diagnosis in 2017 (Tim’s dad died many years ago).

À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!

*Future Streamers is the name given to children of Airstreamers.

September 21, 2024October 16, 2024

State Capitol 10: Nebraska

September 18, 2024. Lincoln Nebraska.

This is the first state to radically depart from the design of the U.S. Capitol and build a 400-foot tower. Built out of Indiana limestone, it is the second-tallest state capitol (only because Louisiana’s governor insisted theirs be taller).

They paid for the building as it was going up. Nebraska was not permitted to go into debt for the building of the Capitol, so much of the artwork had to be added later. The building cost just under $10 million when it was built in 1922-1932. If it were destroyed and needed to be rebuilt as it stands, it would cost into the billions.

The influences of Spain, France, and USA are noted in the artwork, representing some of the nations that made Nebraska great.

When we entered this state capitol, it felt a little weird at first. Like a catacomb. There was no grand entrance or visitor’s desk to greet us. We couldn’t see the dome, which we thought was strange as well. We didn’t realize we had entered through a back door.

We finally found the main entrance. It felt a bit overwhelming at first, as there are many mosaics on the ground and paintings in the main hallways; a tour guide noticed our confusion and asked if she could show us around. She had just finished with a group tour and had some time (I think she was feeling a little bored), so she gave us our own personal tour!

The Nebraska Capitol is one of the most unique buildings we have seen to date. We are still trying to decide whether we like the architectural decisions, which combines Egyptian style with Nebraskan landscape and history.

Fun Fact. Nebraska is the only unicameral state, meaning they don’t have a separate House and Senate. They haven’t always been that way. The bicameral, two-group system was based on British Parliament (House of Commons and House of Lords), which Senator George Norris believed should no longer apply to us. He believed the two-group allowed for too much blame, whereas one body would have to take full responsibility for decisions made. He proposed a new form of government, and Nebraska voted to move to a unicameral, one legislative chamber, in 1937. They meet in the old House of Representatives chamber pictured here. Notice the gold leaf painted on walnut wood, representing Spain (lions), France (flour de lis), and U.S. history (eagles).

I also found it interesting that a couple of young students created a ten-minute documentary on the history of Nebraska unicameral system, which is featured in their state website.

Brief video looking down on the floor of the rotunda. The tour guide explained this to us, but I can’t recall the detail. Wikipedia comes in handy at times. The Capitol has a number of these spectacular mosaics on the floor of the halls and rotunda.

“The Procession of Life continues in the Rotunda’s floor…At the Rotunda’s center, four tondi mosaics representing the Genius of Water, the Genius of Fire, the Genius of Air, and the Genius of Earth surround a larger tondo mosaic of Earth as the Life-giver.” (Wikipedia)

Surrounding each Genius are the animals found in Nebraska during archeological digs, or known to have lived in the water, air, earth, or died by fire.

Earth, as the life-giver (Mother Nature)

Genius of Fire. Zoom in to see the tiny tiles in the mosaic.

Supreme Court. The very large tapestries on the Supreme Court walls are over 100 years old. Unfortunately they are faded by the Nebraska sun.

8,000 pieces of wood are used in the ceiling of this room, designed for acoustical purposes. Seven seats of justice are in front of a hidden door, where they enter and leave to their secret chambers.

Our tour guide walked us to the antique elevator, which took us up 14 floors to the four observation decks with views of the city. She stamped or passport and encouraged us to browse on our own from there.

The dome on top is octagonal shaped, and has large murals dedicated to various service personnel.

According to Wikipedia, “The capitol and its grounds are a frequent site of political demonstrations, rallies, and news conferences.” We walked by this group and it appeared they were rallying around feeding the hungry. View from the observation deck..

Our tour couldn’t be complete without a nod to The Lincoln Monument, built in 1912. This predates the current statehouse. The commission for the State Capitol stated, “Solutions should consider this monument and suggest for it a proper part in the ensemble, preferably but not imperatively on the building site proper.” Architects had to incorporate the Monument into their design proposals to be accepted.

The Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. was built a few years later (1914-1922).

It is also interesting to note, in 1976 the National Park Service designated the capitol a National Historic Landmark, and in 1997, the Park Service extended the designation to include the capitol grounds. We should have gotten a stamp in our NPS passport (darn).

À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!

September 16, 2024September 20, 2024

Rocky Mountain Sigh

The title could have read, “The Grand Tetons kicked our butts,” or “We experienced peak disappointment in the Grand Tetons.” Read on for this Tale in the Tetons.

Mid-September our calendar read, “Grand Tetons National Park, Colter Bay Campground,” and this is the one stop we were both very much looking forward to. It’s our first visit to the Grand Tetons, so we booked two nights in the Colter Bay Campground, on Jackson Lake. We are collecting stamps in our National Park Journal along with several passport books. Collecting stamps takes us places we might not ordinarily think to go.

Lake Jenny Scenic Loop, Grand Teton National Park

We will get into the challenges in a minute. But first, let’s review a few fun facts about the Grand Tetons.

The Grand Teton Mountain is in a 40-mile mountain range that can be seen in its entirety from one overlook (and there are many). Each overlook provides a unique view, with a different mountain exposed more prominently than the others. We drove the scenic loop, went to the visitor center, stopped at several overlooks, saw the Snake River crawling beside the mountain range, and walked to Jackson Lake from our campsite where a beautiful view of the mountains unfolded in front of the colorful sunset. Grand Teton is the tallest of the mountains at 13,775 feet above sea level. It is more rugged and jagged than the others, although the entire mountain range is quite beautiful. Snow still stands at the top of these mountains.

The Grand Tetons is the only national park with its own airport. We saw several planes landing right beside the road where we traveled to the park. Also, one website said the Grand Tetons are the youngest mountain range in the Rocky Mountain Range, and quite possibly among the youngest in the world.

After spending one day in the Grand Tetons, we decided to take a trip to Yellowstone National Park. We had been to Yellowstone once before, but it was a very long time ago. Bryan was a young boy and our daughter was still inside my womb. She just turned 27!

Yellowstone National Park has changed a great deal since our last visit. Now it includes hotels and general stores and gas stations at nearly every village. Also, we were able to go into areas that were closed before; we were there Memorial Weekend in 1997 surrounded by snow banks. We saw Old Faithful and other geysers erupt, took in some lake and mountain views, saw the Canyon Falls and Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, had lunch by the roar of the Yellowstone River, drove the full scenic loop, and saw some bison herds. It was a very good day.

Quite a lot of animals live in the two National Parks. Pronghorn reside there, and in case you didn’t know, they are the fastest mammal on land in the western hemisphere. They can run up to 70 miles per hour. Lots of birds were also of interest. We saw some ground squirrels and chipmunks, but most of the big animals besides the bison eluded us. We missed seeing the bears and bighorn sheep, but we felt satisfied with our animal sightings. The most popular animal was the two-legged kind, riding in their steel cages and on their two-wheeled motorbikes. Needless to say, traffic was horrible and patience was tried.

But that wasn’t the worse of our tale.

Our Airstream Globetrotter (lovingly known as “Roam Home” or “Roamy” for short), has been our full-time home for the past 160+ days. We have been running her pretty hard. She has been faithful to us with minor repairs as can be expected with any house on wheels: a few loose screws, missing rivets, etc. But this time we experienced something new. In the Grand Tetons we had to boondock, also known as dry camping, meaning they have no electric, water, or sewer hook-ups. Normally we can go 4 or 5 days without needing any hook-up, so we didn’t think two nights would be a problem.

However, for some reason the batteries could not keep up. It got very cold at night, down into the 30’s, and we had to turn on the furnace. The furnace runs on propane, but it does require electricity to kick on. That was fine the first night, and we were toasty warm. But the batteries completely drained by the second night, and that meant no heat.

Airstream boon docking in the Grand Tetons Colter Bay Campground

Our spot was surrounded by trees, so our solar panels were only in full sun for a few short hours during the day. We weren’t home most of the time, as we were site-seeing and driving scenic loops in both of the National Parks, so we weren’t using any battery energy. The only thing pulling electric was our 12v refrigerator. However, it seemed the battery life was going down pretty quickly in spite of this. By the second night we had to turn off the entire system (which meant no fridge, and no heat). We bundled up and layered up, slept under two blankets, and made it through the night.

The next day we drove to Cheyenne Wyoming. It’s a long drive, and typically the batteries will charge while they are connected to the tow vehicle. Plus it was a sunny day, and the solar panels had full sun the entire way (well, except for the big storm we drove through at the end of the day). Halfway there, during our lunch stop, Tim checked the battery level and it seemed to be charging. But when we got to Cheyenne the batteries were dead, or at least very low so that they would not permit the power to stay on in the Airstream. After plugging in to shore power, the batteries were fine. From them on, we’ve had no trouble with the batteries staying charged.

We tried to diagnose the problem We checked the battery level manually with a multimeter, called our mechanic friend, called Battle Born (the lithium battery manufacturer), called Airstream, and ultimately decided we need to get the batteries load tested.

Our plans now include a side trip to Ohio, where we will stay at the Mothership campground, and get the batteries tested, and the rear axle replaced. In case you didn’t hear, our rear left tire was wearing faster than the others, and Dexter Axles is giving us a free new axle “as a courtesy,” with “no implied warranty attached.” We’ll also have them do some other minor warranty work while we are there.

We managed to salvage some of the food in the fridge, while the freezer stuff had to be tossed. We defrosted the refrigerator at the next stop, gave it a good cleaning, and started filling it back up. I was happy our grilled chicken was still good, as well as the salad. That was dinner the first night in Nebraska.

À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!