Tag Archives: geysers

Travels

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“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” St. Augustine

Last summer my husband, Roger, and I completed our goal of visiting all 50 states together in the nearly 30 years of our marriage. An acquaintance asked which states I liked best and which I considered the worst. Because the last two states we visited were South Dakota and Wyoming, I talked about the wonderful sights of those states first. I then mentioned the attributes of some of the other states. I never said which states I consider the worst. I believe there is something good about each of our 50 states.

In South Dakota we photographed Mt. Rushmore where we saw the carved faces of presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. We visited the museum which displayed pictorial information about the construction of that phenomenal monument. Fascinating! We were also in South Dakota just in time to see the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally which lasted about 10 days. Last year an estimated half a million bikers attended the annual rally. The noises of the many motorcycles drove the bison toward the hills making us miss seeing the animals.

We drove from there to Jackson, Wyoming, the last state on our list. Jackson is a small city in the Jackson Hole Valley of Teton County. One of the best restaurants in Jackson is The Bunnery Bakery & Restaurant which serves traditional American breakfasts, sandwiches, and delicious baked goods and desserts. While Roger and I were discussing the successful completion of our state visits, several of the customers overheard us. We were congratulated by several of the them. One man sent a large cinnamon roll, The Bunnery’s specialty, to our table as a gift for our accomplishment.

During a walking tour of the city, we saw an impressively huge arch made of shed elk antlers collected by local children. We walked the boardwalk to a local museum which detailed how people in the past lived. While we were there, we saw one woman demonstrate the loom to weave yarn. We also took a short ride in a horse drawn stage coach to see the rest of the city.

In Yellowstone Park we saw Old Faithful, one of the most famous geysers in the world. This area has more geysers than any geyser field anywhere. We also saw elk, moose, and some friendly donkeys being fed by tourists which was forbidden. Just before exiting the park, we finally saw herds of bison in the fields. Some of the bison stopped on the two-lane road blocking the traffic for some time. It is illegal, and dangerous, to try to move the bison. Of course, there were some impatient people who tried or got too close to those huge, wild animals. Foolish! I’ll write more about some of our statewide trips in future blogs. Have you traveled to many of the 50 states? What did you find interesting about them?

In Yellowstone Park we saw Old Faithful, one of the most famous geysers in the world. This area has more geysers than any geyser field anywhere. We also saw elk, moose, and some friendly donkeys being fed by tourists which was forbidden. Just before exiting the park, we finally saw herds of bison in the fields. Some of the bison stopped on the two-lane road blocking the traffic for some time. It is illegal, and dangerous, to try to move the bison. Of course, there were some impatient people who tried or got too close to those huge, wild animals. Foolish!

I’ll write more about some of our statewide trips in future blogs. Have you traveled to many of the 50 states? What did you find interesting about them?

Trip of a Lifetime: Australia and New Zealand Part 4

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Saturday, April 2: We looked forward to a jet boat ride – Roger excitedly, and me nervously. The wet and wild ride included 360 degree turns on a shallow river while dodging rocks and boulders. I’d recommend this fun part of our trip to anyone who is timid like me, but willing to try something new.

We also rode the Skyline Gondola to see the beautiful view of Lake Wakatipu. I stopped for lunch at the restaurant while my adventurous husband, Roger, enjoyed the zip line adventure.

After shopping at the DFS Souvenir Shop in the mall, we joined the rest of the tour group for a delicious dinner at the Prime Restaurant.

Sunday, April 3: After an early breakfast, the tour group took a coach to the Queenstown Airport for a three and a half hour flight to the Rotorua Airport. We had lunch at the Lakeside Café before visiting the Jade Centre. Jade is called Pounamu in the Maori language. Afterward, we arrived at the Distinction Rotorua Hotel to rest.

At 4:15 pm we took the Te Puia Cultural Tour and saw kiwi birds in the Kiwi House. The kiwi is New Zealand’s national bird and kiwi is the nickname that New Zealanders are proudly called. We saw many geysers, mud pools that smelled of sulphur, and the Maori Song and Dance Concert. After the dancers’ presentation, female members of the audience were invited to the stage to learn some of the Maori dance steps. Roger persuaded me to participate. It was exhilarating and lots of fun.

When it was the time for the men to learn the Haka dance, I encouraged Roger to go on stage. He was great and enjoyed the experience as much as I did.

The concert was followed by the buffet-style Hangi Dinner where over a hundred tourists had a choice of lamb, chicken, prawns, soups, salads, vegetables, and a variety of desserts.

Monday, April 4: We boarded the coach for a Rotorua sightseeing tour. We visited the Ohinemutu Living Maori Village and the Marae, a Maori meeting place. To enter the village, we had to choose a “chief” to represent our group. I’m pleased to say, my husband, Roger, was selected. He had to step forward to exchange a special greeting with the chief of the village and to speak for our group. He did an excellent job. And no, it didn’t go to his head.

We also visited the Rotorua Museum, saw a couple of short 20-minute movies about the culture, and then ate lunch at the museum café.

The best part of the evening was enjoying dinner at the home of Pamela and Willie, a three-generation Maori family. We were joined by two other couples in our group. The rest of the tour group dined with other families. Not only was the dinner delicious, but the conversation with Pamela, Willie, their daughter and daughter-in-law was enlightening. We were told that no topic was off limits. So we talked about the politics, racism, economics, and education in New Zealand and in the United States. We also enjoyed seeing the interaction between Pamela, Willie, and their young grandchildren. Afterward, we returned to the Distinction Rotorua Hotel to rest in preparation for the last leg of our wonderful trip.