"Live" from Westerdam Alaska Sept 21-27, 2013

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sue

I love how your dad is(was) keeping track of what he ate and weighed in each day. So funny.

Where is your dad now on his journey to Seattle?

[sue117]

What day are we on? Day 5? Day 6? Anyways, here is my dad's next installment of his trip. I was thinking, man he's not making good time anymore...but then I compare the SIZE of the states he's now driving through. At the beginning he could go through 4 states in one day, now? Not so much. He sums that up in his last sentence of his daily update. :

 

 

Tonight I am staying in Bozeman, Montana, the county seat of Gallatin County, which is named after Albert Gallatin, the Sectretary of the Treasury to President Thomas Jefferson, and brother-in-law of Louis Pauly, Sr., of Deerfield, Virginia [editorial note of Sue117, Louis Pauly is another ancestor of my family. :)].

 

I-90 out of Rapid City, SD, goes due west into Wyoming, then turns due north toward Billings. I took a hypotenuse on US-212, and for half the day traveled off the interstate. The country was wide open with big skies. The traffic was light.

 

The last couple of days I've been following the route of the Missouri River. Today's route took me along the course of the Yellowstone River.

 

It was a long day of driving, over 450 miles, and the amazing thing about this huge state is that I'm still only half-way through.

 

Love, Dad

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks Sue for the update.

450 miles in 1 day -- that is a lot of driving.

[SeaGypsies]

Hi Sue,

 

We are on this cruise also. So glad you are doing a "live from."

 

Hope everyone 'makes it to the ship on time' and has a fabulous voyage.

 

Maybe we will meet you at Gary's at the Sail-away gathering. We are close by in an aft balcony. Love those afts. The wakes are mesmerizing.

[sail7seas]

Thanks for the updates on our dad's progress driving cross country.

:)Very enjoyable reading.

 

Hope he continues his journey safely.

[matondo]

I love you thread! Looking forward to a very detailed review of you cruise. Keep up the good work!

[nana51]

I can hardly wait for your cruise review. It is always so fun to go with someone who has never been on a cruise before. The way you write and with your fun dad it should be a good review to read.

[PathfinderEss]

Already enjoying your 'live'. Can't wait for you to get on the ship. Looking forward to all your reports and your dad's too.

[sue117]

Here is the next installment of my dad's trip from VA to WA for our cruise.

 

 

The length of the Missouri River is 2,371 miles, and I think I've driven the entire length of it. I first crossed the Missouri River in Missouri. I slept by it in Iowa. I crossed it again in South Dakota. Today I came to the headwaters of the Missouri. Just a few miles west of Bozeman, Montana, still in Gallatin County, is the community of Three Forks. That is where the Jefferson, the Madison, and the Gallatin Rivers come together to form the Missouri.

 

Near Butte, I crossed the Continental Divide at an altitude of 6,350 feet. It's been quite a trek from the Eastern Continental Divide, which is about a quarter of a mile from my home, the Western Continental Divide near Butte. Speaking of long distances, by the time I got to the border of Idaho, since entering Montana yesterday, I have driven 671 miles across the length of Montana.

 

This evening I'm in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. It isn't the first time I've been here. I was staying overnight in Coeur d'Alene with my family in 1959 when Janet [his sister] called with the news that Sharon had just been born. I became an uncle in Coeur d'Alene. :-)

 

The picture is the view from my room in Coeur d'Alene. The body of water you see isn't the lake, it's the Spokane River, which feeds into Lake Coeur d'Alene.

 

I'm only 11 miles distant from the border of Washington State. But it will take me two days to get to Seattle. Tomorrow I'm driving to Chelan, and will spend the night at Campbell's Lodge in Chelan. On the way, I'm going to stop and visit Brayes Landing, and the day after that will stop at the old farm along the Entiat River.[My dad's parents spent lots of time in Chelan. His grandmother also lived in that area in Washington and the last time we were out in WA with my dad he showed us all the places where his parents lived and visited and showed me where he had spread his parents' ashes. ]

 

 

I think I'm going to give my dad the assignment of writing up his thoughts each night while we are on the cruise. Hopefully he will agree...I will post both HIS and MY thoughts on what goes on. It will be a he said/she said kind of thing! :) We'll see if he will go for it.

 

As far as what I am doing to get ready for the cruise? nothing. ugh. Gotta make it through 3 more days of 9 hour work days to get ready for the week I will be gone. I DO have a small suitcase where I am throwing the things in that I don't want to forget. You know...the important things...candy, camera, batteries, passport, candy, gloves, etc. :) The weather here in Texas today was 95. In Juneau on Monday it's supposed to be 46. Oh. My. Goodness. I'm gonna freeze to death! Especially when I walk outside now and say "wow, it feels great out here" when it's 85 degrees. ha!

 

Love, Dad

Edited September 17, 2013 by sue117

[wu687]

Greetings again from cool Victoria.

 

Glad to see that your dad is still enjoying his drive. Let's home he gets across that last set of mountains before the first snow.

 

For details of the weather in Juneau, see http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?zoneid=AKZ025

 

if you want to see the upcoming weather for Seattle, just enter the name at the top.

 

Gary

[Typhoon1]

Looking forward to your reports.

[sail7seas]

Greetings again from cool Victoria.

 

Glad to see that your dad is still enjoying his drive. Let's home he gets across that last set of mountains before the first snow.

 

For details of the weather in Juneau, see http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?zoneid=AKZ025

 

if you want to see the upcoming weather for Seattle, just enter the name at the top.

 

Gary

 

 

That's a good weather site. I like the format. :)

 

 

Sue: Great thread.

I love the idea of he said/she said. Hope it appeals to you dad. :)

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Here is the next installment of my dad's trip from VA to WA for our cruise.

 

 

The length of the Missouri River is 2,371 miles, and I think I've driven the entire length of it. I first crossed the Missouri River in Missouri. I slept by it in Iowa. I crossed it again in South Dakota. Today I came to the headwaters of the Missouri. Just a few miles west of Bozeman, Montana, still in Gallatin County, is the community of Three Forks. That is where the Jefferson, the Madison, and the Gallatin Rivers come together to form the Missouri.

 

Near Butte, I crossed the Continental Divide at an altitude of 6,350 feet. It's been quite a trek from the Eastern Continental Divide, which is about a quarter of a mile from my home, the Western Continental Divide near Butte. Speaking of long distances, by the time I got to the border of Idaho, since entering Montana yesterday, I have driven 671 miles across the length of Montana.

 

This evening I'm in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. It isn't the first time I've been here. I was staying overnight in Coeur d'Alene with my family in 1959 when Janet [his sister] called with the news that Sharon had just been born. I became an uncle in Coeur d'Alene. :-)

 

The picture is the view from my room in Coeur d'Alene. The body of water you see isn't the lake, it's the Spokane River, which feeds into Lake Coeur d'Alene.

 

I'm only 11 miles distant from the border of Washington State. But it will take me two days to get to Seattle. Tomorrow I'm driving to Chelan, and will spend the night at Campbell's Lodge in Chelan. On the way, I'm going to stop and visit Brayes Landing, and the day after that will stop at the old farm along the Entiat River.[My dad's parents spent lots of time in Chelan. His grandmother also lived in that area in Washington and the last time we were out in WA with my dad he showed us all the places where his parents lived and visited and showed me where he had spread his parents' ashes. ]

 

 

I think I'm going to give my dad the assignment of writing up his thoughts each night while we are on the cruise. Hopefully he will agree...I will post both HIS and MY thoughts on what goes on. It will be a he said/she said kind of thing! :) We'll see if he will go for it.

 

As far as what I am doing to get ready for the cruise? nothing. ugh. Gotta make it through 3 more days of 9 hour work days to get ready for the week I will be gone. I DO have a small suitcase where I am throwing the things in that I don't want to forget. You know...the important things...candy, camera, batteries, passport, candy, gloves, etc. :) The weather here in Texas today was 95. In Juneau on Monday it's supposed to be 46. Oh. My. Goodness. I'm gonna freeze to death! Especially when I walk outside now and say "wow, it feels great out here" when it's 85 degrees. ha!

 

Love, Dad

 

I love that idea!! Hope your dad likes it as well.

[Kfoot]

He said / she said. Love the idea. It will be interesting how you both view each days with 2 sets of eyes. Will there be similarities; will there be vast differences, or just a little. Hmmmmm can't wait.

[sue117]

So I proposed to my dad about him writing up his experiences each night. He didn't comment on THAT, but I DID give him the link to this thread and he had 2 comments.

1) "If I had known I was going to have a wide audience, I would have added more detail, like Brayes Landing (no longer on any map) was where my mother was born)"

I told him that "short and sweet" was good and not to worry.

2) "I glanced over the thread of the comments you've been posting about the cruise (pre-cruise) and saw that someone had posted that they spent some of their evenings in their cabin watching DVDs. Do the cabins have DVD players? Should I plan on packing some of the DVDs that I brought along?"

Interestingly enough that was MY comment! lol . So I told him that yes, there were DVD players and he could bring his along. He knows how to travel when he drives cross country. He brings his OWN dvd player to hook up in the hotel rooms if he can! lol

 

I will keep working on him for his "reviews" each night.

 

Here is his report of the day's drive. Today he drove from Coeur d'Alene to Chelan, WA.

 

 

I started the day early in Coeur d'Alene, in time to see the sun rise. [see picture #1 below] Today's drive took me across the eastern, wheat rich fields of Washington along US-2. It is dry farming country. But when I got down to the Columbia River Valley, the fields were ripe with fruit, apples mostly. I took a picture of a field, the trees heavy with fruit. [see picture #2 below] Fruit boxes were stacked high waiting to be filled.

 

At Brays landing, where my mother was born, I stopped to visit the dock where Dad scattered some of Mom's ashes, and where Jan and I later scattered some of Dad's. [see picture #3 below] While there at Brays Landing, I picked a Granny Smith apple off of one of the trees near the road, and this afternoon ate a deliciously fresh apple.

 

This evening I am staying at Campbell's Resort, where we have all [meaning me, my husband, my dad's siblings and my brother]stayed at one time or another. I'll have dinner tonight in the restaurant here. It seems strange not to be going over to Safeway this evening to buy a week's worth of groceries. :-) [When we have been to Chelan we spend the night there and then take the Lady of the Lake ferry boat 4 hours up the lake to Stehekin. It's BEAUTIFUL up there and a very relaxing vacation place for us. But we bring our own groceries and stay in cabins with kitchens]

 

Love, Dad

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 18, 2013 by sue117

[the2ofus]

I am really enjoying your, and your Dad's, posts. I can't wait to see how he enjoys the Alaska part of the journey. Keep it coming!

 

Hope your packing is well under way and you have a chance to relax before you meet and board the ship together.

[jbhcw]

Great review so far...love Dad's reports and really hope he will agree to post along with you while you are on the ship:):):) I know you are excited to be with him on his first cruise...I think my Dad would have loved a cruise...my mother not so much!

[sue117]

Hope your packing is well under way and you have a chance to relax before you meet and board the ship together.

 

Packing. Ugh. :) I haven't had time to THINK none-the-less pack! I mentioned that my job is stressful at the moment...understatement! I took a new job in Feb. I've been trying to learn the ins and outs of it. Well I lost my assistant in June to a new job in a new city. Then right after classes started at the University I lost TWO more employees to another job on campus. So right now I am doing the job of three people...and I didn't know their jobs before they left. Anyway, sob story over...but I've been trying to do a lot of stuff at work so no time to pack.

 

Tonight I have to pick up my mom from the airport, she will be the official "dog sitter" while we are gone (thank goodness for mom! Hate having to leave the dogs at the kennel, not to mention it's expensive for three dogs for over a week!).

 

So I won't get home before ten tonight, so no packing tonight. I think that my husband will be putting his stuff in a corner for the suitcase (I'm the packer) and tomorrow night I'll do my thing. I figure that since we are in a suite we will have free laundry, and it's "only" 7 days so I should be ok with just throwing some stuff in. I've put aside the "important" stuff so I don't forget it (i.e. hat, gloves, candy, passport, HA papers, camera, etc) so I'll be ok for a week if I "forget" something else.

 

Here is a picture of the "kids" that will be left home while we cruise: That is Henry the bloodhound, the Rosie the Basset Hound and then Annie the basset/terrier mix. (please ignore the mess of the house, we were still moving in--and yes we do have a dining room table in that big empty space behind the couch now!).

 

[wu687]

Love your dog pictures, we also have three of them. They go off to the kennel tomorrow. Heading to Seattle on Friday.

 

Gary

[Krazy Kruizers]

Packing. Ugh. :) I haven't had time to THINK none-the-less pack! I mentioned that my job is stressful at the moment...understatement! I took a new job in Feb. I've been trying to learn the ins and outs of it. Well I lost my assistant in June to a new job in a new city. Then right after classes started at the University I lost TWO more employees to another job on campus. So right now I am doing the job of three people...and I didn't know their jobs before they left. Anyway, sob story over...but I've been trying to do a lot of stuff at work so no time to pack.

 

Tonight I have to pick up my mom from the airport, she will be the official "dog sitter" while we are gone (thank goodness for mom! Hate having to leave the dogs at the kennel, not to mention it's expensive for three dogs for over a week!).

 

So I won't get home before ten tonight, so no packing tonight. I think that my husband will be putting his stuff in a corner for the suitcase (I'm the packer) and tomorrow night I'll do my thing. I figure that since we are in a suite we will have free laundry, and it's "only" 7 days so I should be ok with just throwing some stuff in. I've put aside the "important" stuff so I don't forget it (i.e. hat, gloves, candy, passport, HA papers, camera, etc) so I'll be ok for a week if I "forget" something else.

 

Here is a picture of the "kids" that will be left home while we cruise: That is Henry the bloodhound, the Rosie the Basset Hound and then Annie the basset/terrier mix. (please ignore the mess of the house, we were still moving in--and yes we do have a dining room table in that big empty space behind the couch now!).

 

 

 

Your "kids" are adorable.

I notice that among the important things to pack -- candy!! Yes!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

So I proposed to my dad about him writing up his experiences each night. He didn't comment on THAT, but I DID give him the link to this thread and he had 2 comments.

1) "If I had known I was going to have a wide audience, I would have added more detail, like Brayes Landing (no longer on any map) was where my mother was born)"

I told him that "short and sweet" was good and not to worry.

2) "I glanced over the thread of the comments you've been posting about the cruise (pre-cruise) and saw that someone had posted that they spent some of their evenings in their cabin watching DVDs. Do the cabins have DVD players? Should I plan on packing some of the DVDs that I brought along?"

Interestingly enough that was MY comment! lol . So I told him that yes, there were DVD players and he could bring his along. He knows how to travel when he drives cross country. He brings his OWN dvd player to hook up in the hotel rooms if he can! lol

 

I will keep working on him for his "reviews" each night.

 

Here is his report of the day's drive. Today he drove from Coeur d'Alene to Chelan, WA.

 

 

I started the day early in Coeur d'Alene, in time to see the sun rise. [see picture #1 below] Today's drive took me across the eastern, wheat rich fields of Washington along US-2. It is dry farming country. But when I got down to the Columbia River Valley, the fields were ripe with fruit, apples mostly. I took a picture of a field, the trees heavy with fruit. [see picture #2 below] Fruit boxes were stacked high waiting to be filled.

 

At Brays landing, where my mother was born, I stopped to visit the dock where Dad scattered some of Mom's ashes, and where Jan and I later scattered some of Dad's. [see picture #3 below] While there at Brays Landing, I picked a Granny Smith apple off of one of the trees near the road, and this afternoon ate a deliciously fresh apple.

 

This evening I am staying at Campbell's Resort, where we have all [meaning me, my husband, my dad's siblings and my brother]stayed at one time or another. I'll have dinner tonight in the restaurant here. It seems strange not to be going over to Safeway this evening to buy a week's worth of groceries. :-) [When we have been to Chelan we spend the night there and then take the Lady of the Lake ferry boat 4 hours up the lake to Stehekin. It's BEAUTIFUL up there and a very relaxing vacation place for us. But we bring our own groceries and stay in cabins with kitchens]

 

 

Love, Dad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love hearing about your dad's road trip - complete with pictures.

[CrznonRmynd]

Although my DH and I will be sailing on the Oosterdam on

September 22nd; I have been following your pre-cruise

review. It has been fun reading about our father's car

journey across the USA.

 

Love the photo of your K-9 Kids! We have 2 K-9 Kids, and

one of our adult sons will be taking care of them while we

are on our cruise.

 

Hope you have a wonderful cruise! :)

 

Donna

[the2ofus]

What a handsome trio! I was thinking that the space behind the couch would be a great dance floor.

 

With all the changes in your life over the past year, you really deserve a wonderful relaxing vacation.

[JamesEM]

Looking forward to your reports, DW and I will be sailing next month.

[sue117]

DAD is in SEATTLE! YAY!!

 

Here are his comments on the last day on the road:

 

This morning for breakfast at Campbell's I had Dungeness crab eggs Benedict. Yum! Then I took advantage of the 11:00 a.m. check out, and used every minute. Driving out of Chelan I passed the boat company. [The boat company that takes people from Chelan up the lake to Stehekin...the 4hour ferry ride] The Lady of the Lake was gone, of course, but the Lady Express was still there. I guess at this time of year, they only run one boat a day up the lake.

 

At Entiat, I turned up the Entiat River road and drove the the cemetery where Grandmother Morrill is buried, alongside Edwin Morrill. It's also where some of Mom and Dad's ashes were scattered. It was a beautiful day, bright and sunny and warm. The cemetery is well taken care of; there was a man mowing the grass this morning.

 

I stopped in at the old homestead, and found Mrs. Hawley puttering in the yard. We sat down underneath a walnut tree in the back yard and chatted for half an hour or so. She's from the area, and knows stories of Grandmother Morrill, but I don't believe they ever met. The grape arbor is still there, full of vines this time of year. A few years ago, Mr. Hawley, Hal, gave up trying to make a profit with pear trees, so instead he's planted the orchard with peaches on the old root stock. The young peach trees are too immature to bear fruit yet. But Mrs. Hawley took me out to a far corner of the orchard where they still have some old trees, and allowed me to pick some ripe plums, a couple of apples, and some pears that look to me like they could use some more ripening. This evening I ate one of the plums. Delicious! I'm saving some of the rest of the fruit for Pat and Sue's arrival on Friday. Then they too can share a bite of the fruit of the old homestead.

 

Leaving Entiat, I stopped at Rocky Reach Dam briefly, and inspected the dam. At this time of year there isn't much water spilling over the dam, and none at all coming through the salmon diversion pipe that carries the young salmon past the dam.

 

To Seattle I took the US-2 route over Stevens Pass, at over 4,000 feet. From there it was downhill to sea level in Seattle, through Index, Gold Bar, Sultan, Monroe. I arrived at the hotel in downtown Seattle, and checked in. I'm here. One of the first things I did was ask the hotel clerk if I can leave the Jeep parked here while I'm cruising to Alaska with Pat and Sue. No problem; they said that would be fine. [NICE!]

 

 

Tomorrow is a day of leisure, and Friday morning I'll meet Pat and Sue at SeaTac, ready for another adventure.

 

Love, Dad

 

P.S. The pictures are the Columbia River, taken while coming down Tunnel Hill out of Chelan, The second picture is of the Entiat River, with the old bridge, as it flows past the site of grandmother's old house. Some of Mom and Dad's ashes were scattered here, too.

 

 

 

And this picture is of the Sunset in Seattle. A long trip for him is over, but soon we'll get to CRUISE!