I am in heaven. For those of you who read Harper's hideaway report, E'terra should be listed in it. The closest similar places I have been to were the lodges in New Zealand. This is a lodge with a quiet zen vibe that instantly fills anyone here with happiness and serenity. I've taken pictures and will insert them, but there is no way I can capture the feeling here with my camera. The best way I can explain it is to tell you that I have never seen The Tramp so comfortable in a strange place. She ran in here ahead of me when we got out of the car. As we are the ONLY guests here tonight and tomorrow I was allowed to let Tramp have the run of the lodge and she hasn't come to sit by me ever since. She ran in the woods. She swam in the lillypond. She jumped into the lake. She ran in the forest. And she gossiped with Laurie, the inn keeper, and her staff person as they did the laundry and ironing from a sold out week that had just ended for them. Even now, as we are the only people in this beautiful place, she is somewhere else (I am in the upstairs library) comfortably sleeping, happy to be here.
I was disappointed in the ride up the Bruce Peninsula to get here. I drove a spine of black tar separating fields of corn or hay. There was nothing unusual or remarkable in the landscape. I knew there was water both to the east and west of me, but it could not be seen from the road, and there was nothing to turn off to go and explore. I suspect the only way to see the beauty that is supposed to be all along this spit of land is to walk it but that is not in the cards for Tramp or me.
About 10 miles south of Tobermory we did come across a picnic area and so I pulled over to allow both tramp and me to stretch our legs. Tramp was delighted to jump out of the car and she immediately took off down a wide trail. I soon found out why. Lo and behold, there was a small creek which, of couse, she immediately jumped into - and I mean jumped. The bank of the stream was about 3 feet up from the water and there was no way she was going to be able to get herself out of there. I walked down to the edge, flattened myself in the grassy bank, and reached for her collar. One good tug and she was up and out. And I was covered in mud.
We sat in the sun for a bit, played keep away with a stick, and then, a bit more dry and dusted off, we went back to the car for the final leg of the drive here.
I was a bit worried that this lodge, hidden as it is down a dirt road, would be hard to find, but I worried needlessly. And, as we turned the final turn and the lodge revealed itself to us, I knew I had done good to come here.
The lodge has 4 or 5 stories with a small elevator for guests who cannot manage the stairs. It is constructed of natural materials with an eye to as much environmental care as possible. In fact, the construction won a Canadian environmental recognition award. Inside, it is beautiful, furnished in understated rustic elegance. The bedrooms are large with beautiful large baths. There is a sauna, an indoor goldfish pond, a library, a breakfast room and a living room for all guests to enjoy. Outside, there is a saltwater infinity pool. Redwood paths lead you through the woods to hiking trails and the lake. But lest you think I've gone on the payroll here, all is not perfect. The water pressure was so poor that I gave up trying to fill the whirlpool tub and took a weak shower. There was plenty of hot water; but it came out in a thin stream. But the towels were thick and soft and plush and I really didn't mind the disappointment about the bath. There is a TV with satellite reception, but the sound is funky and goes off for periods. I don't think this is a place to come to watch TV. So, in a few minutes I will see if I can find my pup and curl up in bed with my book. I suspect I won't get much read tho before I will shut my eyes and sleep.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Sunday Aug 8th
Today's frustration? - getting my outlook email to send. I tried to send 10 emails yesterday from my hotel room and outlook, which received my incoming mail just fine, wouldn't send my responses, etc. Today I remembered why. I had had this same problem inn Paris. Verizon is not the correct outgoing server outside the US. So, either I can figure out the server my cousins use and change the setting, or I don't send emails until I am back in the states. (Nothing's easy, is it?)
At any event, I am now in Hamilton, actually Dundas - a small hamlet that is both part of Hamilton and a separate postal area. I am in the home of another cousin, sister to the cousin in Toronto. A few steps from here is the beginning of the Bruce Trail, a hiking path that goes to the tip of the Bruce Peninsula. I am told the hike/path is something like the Appalachian trial in the states. http://www.brucetrail.org/ Obviously, Tramp and I will not be hiking this, but we will be following it on the highway and stopping where-ever it looks like fun to get out and explore. Our destination today is Tobermory, the other end of the trail, and an eco-lodge there called E'terra.http://www.eterra.ca/ Check it out. If it is even half as nice as this website suggests, Tramp and I will be very happy there. We are staying two nights to rest up and relax as, when we leave on Tuesday it will be at 5AM to catch a ferry - but more about that when I actually do it.
My cousin here in Dundas is an accomplished potter and her home is filled with beautiful pieces - her own and others whom she collects. It is a feast for your eyes and my hands want automatically to go out to pick up, feel and examine each piece close up, but I dare not, of course. It would be just like me to drop the first piece I handle. So I sit here and just look, filled with awe that humans have figured out how to make these forms and colors and textures.
The other wonderful part of being here is that this home was designed to blur the distinction between indoors and outdoors. The entire back of the house is glass with a sloping roof line and skylights. It is filled with potted trees and plants which mirror the wild forest-like woods beyond the swimming pool in the back yard. So, when you are sitting inside, be it here in the kitchen where I am typing this, or in the den on the comfy sofa, or as you walk in the front door, you see trees, water and trees with little or no barriers. It is a peaceful, grounded kind of feeling being in nature and yet protected from it. Lovely.
At any event, I am now in Hamilton, actually Dundas - a small hamlet that is both part of Hamilton and a separate postal area. I am in the home of another cousin, sister to the cousin in Toronto. A few steps from here is the beginning of the Bruce Trail, a hiking path that goes to the tip of the Bruce Peninsula. I am told the hike/path is something like the Appalachian trial in the states. http://www.brucetrail.org/ Obviously, Tramp and I will not be hiking this, but we will be following it on the highway and stopping where-ever it looks like fun to get out and explore. Our destination today is Tobermory, the other end of the trail, and an eco-lodge there called E'terra.http://www.eterra.ca/ Check it out. If it is even half as nice as this website suggests, Tramp and I will be very happy there. We are staying two nights to rest up and relax as, when we leave on Tuesday it will be at 5AM to catch a ferry - but more about that when I actually do it.
My cousin here in Dundas is an accomplished potter and her home is filled with beautiful pieces - her own and others whom she collects. It is a feast for your eyes and my hands want automatically to go out to pick up, feel and examine each piece close up, but I dare not, of course. It would be just like me to drop the first piece I handle. So I sit here and just look, filled with awe that humans have figured out how to make these forms and colors and textures.
The other wonderful part of being here is that this home was designed to blur the distinction between indoors and outdoors. The entire back of the house is glass with a sloping roof line and skylights. It is filled with potted trees and plants which mirror the wild forest-like woods beyond the swimming pool in the back yard. So, when you are sitting inside, be it here in the kitchen where I am typing this, or in the den on the comfy sofa, or as you walk in the front door, you see trees, water and trees with little or no barriers. It is a peaceful, grounded kind of feeling being in nature and yet protected from it. Lovely.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Day 2: Little Falls NY to Toronto, Canada
I am very comfortably ensconced in a Westin hotel in Toronto - great beds by the way, and a double shower. That's a treat! We are here because my cousin's husband is highly allergic to dogs, and while the Tramp is considered hypoallergenic and so is more compatible with sensitive persons than some other breeds, we didn't want to take any chances that G would suffer. And this hotel is literally minutes from their home so it is quite convenient.
So, what did I do yesterday? Turns out it was a day of mostly driving. I hadn't planned it that way, but it was just fine. Here's what happened.
I woke up in my little studio apartment quite early - around 6am. Those of you who know me well will know how unusual that it, but it is true. I think the reason is the different noises of the small town vs the city sounds I am used to. Since Little Falls is in the hills and since the weather was cool I opened the windows and kept the air conditioning off. That was probably a mistake given the decibel levels of the routine sounds of the town (trains blowing their whistles, lots and lots of birds, street cleaning equipment, etc), but it gave me the most delicious air for sleeping. At any rate, since I was up I decided to recheck my route to see if there might be a slower, prettier way to drive. My destination was Toronto, a cousin's home right in the city. Google quickly showed me that driving north, around Lake Erie and then southwest through Kingston would be a beautiful alternative and not too much longer. This route would take me through the 1000 islands region - a place I'd driven through only once before and found beautiful. So I thought it might work out that Tramp and I could find a sweet park to picnic and enjoy the scenery. Google told me that this route would take me just under an hour longer than the more direct route through Buffalo which would actually have me overshooting my destination by driving more west than I wanted to go before crossing into Canada and then backtracking east to Toronto. So, done. I'd drive the long way. It was another beautiful day. I had the time. I had a place along the way to stop and explore. Great. So when I loaded up the car and set the GPS I was a bit surprised when it told me the route would require nearly 7 hours of driving. Now, that's a lot longer than I like to drive in any given day, and was significantly different from Google's estimate. After a moment's hesitation I decided to keep this route anyway since the Lexus GPS is often too conservative in its time estimates - and more importantly I am listening to a book on tape that I LOVE and this would give me more time to hear more of the story. The book is called The Help and it is about life in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 60's. It is the story of the early civil rights movement as experienced by the "colored" maids and young white society women. And it is gripping and funny and very well read. So, as it turns out, I am wanting to spend more time in the car to listen to the progression of the story. I am actually sorry each time I get out of the car. I need to hear what's going to happen next!
On the other hand, my cousins had made dinner reservations for 7:30 and I had planned to go to their home and visit with them a bit before dinner and so I did want to get to Toronto no later than 5PM.
I didn't leave Little Falls until mid-morning. I had a delicious breakfast (part of the B&B) at the adjacent restaurant and listened to a young bride to be talking about last minute arrangements and nerves. I loaded up the car and fitted Tramp into her seat belt harness and off we went. First stop, picnic in the 1000 islands, hopefully around 1:30 or 2PM. The drive was beautiful. Rolling hills and farmlands. Peaceful. Pastoral. Envision a George Seurat painting with a foreground composed of every shade of green imaginable and a sky of blues and whites. That is what it was like. Before I knew it, it was time to clip the Tramp into the seat belt to restrain her as we crossed into Canada. There was NO ONE at this border crossing and we sailed through. My next thought was to find a park. Well, let me simply say GPS let me down. We got off the highway and went looking, and looking, and looking and....Everyplace we went was private property even as GPS announced I had arrived at my park destination. After the loss of maybe another hour I decided I wasn't hungry anyway and we gave up. We got on the 401 and hightailed it to Toronto, arriving at my cousin's home right on time at 5:30.
My cousins live at the end of a cul de sac in a fairly traditional looking suburban home, minutes from downtown Toronto. But walk into this house and there is NOTHING traditional about it. Sleek, modern, open and full of large scale modern art canvases and objects, it is captivating and exciting. From the moment you enter the front door there is a feast for your eyes. Whether you look through the house and glass doors across into the lush green back yard, or look at the striking steel and wood circular stairway, or look on any wall to see the canvases and constructions or look at the comfortable modern furniture (yes, comfortable looking modern furniture, I know that's a contradiction in terms, but) with tabletop objects that are beautiful and intriguing. I could easily spend hours and hours in this home just taking in the art and architecture. But we didn't have that much time and so Tramp and I came to the hotel to check in, shower and dress for dinner.
I'm returning to my cousin's home today and I'll get the name of the restaurant. I am now behind schedule and need to sign off. More about Toronto tomorrow.
So, what did I do yesterday? Turns out it was a day of mostly driving. I hadn't planned it that way, but it was just fine. Here's what happened.
I woke up in my little studio apartment quite early - around 6am. Those of you who know me well will know how unusual that it, but it is true. I think the reason is the different noises of the small town vs the city sounds I am used to. Since Little Falls is in the hills and since the weather was cool I opened the windows and kept the air conditioning off. That was probably a mistake given the decibel levels of the routine sounds of the town (trains blowing their whistles, lots and lots of birds, street cleaning equipment, etc), but it gave me the most delicious air for sleeping. At any rate, since I was up I decided to recheck my route to see if there might be a slower, prettier way to drive. My destination was Toronto, a cousin's home right in the city. Google quickly showed me that driving north, around Lake Erie and then southwest through Kingston would be a beautiful alternative and not too much longer. This route would take me through the 1000 islands region - a place I'd driven through only once before and found beautiful. So I thought it might work out that Tramp and I could find a sweet park to picnic and enjoy the scenery. Google told me that this route would take me just under an hour longer than the more direct route through Buffalo which would actually have me overshooting my destination by driving more west than I wanted to go before crossing into Canada and then backtracking east to Toronto. So, done. I'd drive the long way. It was another beautiful day. I had the time. I had a place along the way to stop and explore. Great. So when I loaded up the car and set the GPS I was a bit surprised when it told me the route would require nearly 7 hours of driving. Now, that's a lot longer than I like to drive in any given day, and was significantly different from Google's estimate. After a moment's hesitation I decided to keep this route anyway since the Lexus GPS is often too conservative in its time estimates - and more importantly I am listening to a book on tape that I LOVE and this would give me more time to hear more of the story. The book is called The Help and it is about life in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 60's. It is the story of the early civil rights movement as experienced by the "colored" maids and young white society women. And it is gripping and funny and very well read. So, as it turns out, I am wanting to spend more time in the car to listen to the progression of the story. I am actually sorry each time I get out of the car. I need to hear what's going to happen next!
On the other hand, my cousins had made dinner reservations for 7:30 and I had planned to go to their home and visit with them a bit before dinner and so I did want to get to Toronto no later than 5PM.
I didn't leave Little Falls until mid-morning. I had a delicious breakfast (part of the B&B) at the adjacent restaurant and listened to a young bride to be talking about last minute arrangements and nerves. I loaded up the car and fitted Tramp into her seat belt harness and off we went. First stop, picnic in the 1000 islands, hopefully around 1:30 or 2PM. The drive was beautiful. Rolling hills and farmlands. Peaceful. Pastoral. Envision a George Seurat painting with a foreground composed of every shade of green imaginable and a sky of blues and whites. That is what it was like. Before I knew it, it was time to clip the Tramp into the seat belt to restrain her as we crossed into Canada. There was NO ONE at this border crossing and we sailed through. My next thought was to find a park. Well, let me simply say GPS let me down. We got off the highway and went looking, and looking, and looking and....Everyplace we went was private property even as GPS announced I had arrived at my park destination. After the loss of maybe another hour I decided I wasn't hungry anyway and we gave up. We got on the 401 and hightailed it to Toronto, arriving at my cousin's home right on time at 5:30.
My cousins live at the end of a cul de sac in a fairly traditional looking suburban home, minutes from downtown Toronto. But walk into this house and there is NOTHING traditional about it. Sleek, modern, open and full of large scale modern art canvases and objects, it is captivating and exciting. From the moment you enter the front door there is a feast for your eyes. Whether you look through the house and glass doors across into the lush green back yard, or look at the striking steel and wood circular stairway, or look on any wall to see the canvases and constructions or look at the comfortable modern furniture (yes, comfortable looking modern furniture, I know that's a contradiction in terms, but) with tabletop objects that are beautiful and intriguing. I could easily spend hours and hours in this home just taking in the art and architecture. But we didn't have that much time and so Tramp and I came to the hotel to check in, shower and dress for dinner.
I'm returning to my cousin's home today and I'll get the name of the restaurant. I am now behind schedule and need to sign off. More about Toronto tomorrow.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
On the Road: /day 1, August 5th
Well, this adventure has not begun auspiciously.
The day began well enough. I awoke with plenty of time to enjoy my coffee and listen to the news and weather before having to get up. I was able to get everything that remained to be done finished and either packed or put away. I was on the road at 11 - perfect. My first stop was actually an errand at my local hospital, Three months ago I volunteered for a 2 year study on osteoporosis treatments - I don't yet have it but am in a high risk group given my gender and age. At any rate this protocol requires me to give myself a shot once/day, every day, and there is a pre-filled syringe that lasts for 28 days. I am near the end of my current syringe and needed to pick up a new one. Knowing this would take only a few minutes, I parked illegally by a curb near the door to the research building, put on the emergency blinkers and ran in. All was well and good until I got out and found myself boxed in my a huge catering truck. A kind young man quickly assessed my dilemma and offered to guide me as I would back out. Great, right? Wrong. There is much I like about my car, and much I do not. One of the things I like is how well I can see behind me. On of the things I don't like is how little I can see of what is right in front of me. The car hood drops away at the base of the windshield, and I can see nothing near the front or side bumpers. Turns out, as I had to cut my wheel sharply to maneuver around the truck at my front and left, and the parked car behind, my right front fender came up against a low white cement barrier that I could not see. And the friendly young man, who was next to it, just kept telling me to cut the wheel, cut the wheel. Next thing I knew he was saying - oh well, it should buff out with no problem....
Needless to say, I was less trusting as he guided me the rest of the way backing down the narrow and steeply nclined driveway.
By now it was nearly noon and I was anxious to actually get on the highway. I still had one stop - Starbucks for coffee and cake - and then, pretty much on schedule, I eased onto the Mass Pike. Destination: Little Falls, NY. The forecast showed a line of heavy weather drifting from the Midwest to the east coast coming right at me along my route. Boston was still just very hot and humid (packing the car was decidedly NOT fun in this weather as it meant lots of trips up and down stairs carrying multiple cases) as I was driving away, and I was hopeful that maybe I would get away with only some light rain. NOT TO BE. I made it to Lenox, but then the heavens opened and for the next 20 miles or so I could see almost nothing. I pulled right, put on the emergency blinkers and slowed to the general pace of traffic - about 30 mph. Then, almost as suddenly as it began, it was over and the sun was out. By now, I was off the pike and decided I would get off the highway completely and go onto some secondary roads. How beautiful! I am quite sure, had I been born a century ago, I would have made a happy farmer's wife. I love the rolling hills, the corn waving high, the cows and horses grazing. We made excellent time, and by 4:00PM, when I had a conference call I needed to join for an upcoming graduate school reunion, I was parked by a sweet little park letting Syd sniff and enjoy as I sat on a bench and listened in. (That is until Verizon had another idea and dropped me from the call. "Can you hear me now? Now?")
Soon we were in Little Falls looking for our inn. Not so easy to find even with GPS which got me close, but on the wrong side of the Mohawk River. I chose little falls because it is about half way to Toronto and because it had what appeared to be a cute B&B that would take the Tramp. As I've discovered, Little Falls is a sweet little town near the Erie Canal with a path along the river perhaps all the way to the canal itself. I'm not sure as when I walked with Tramp to the entrance of the walkway, there were lots of flags flapping loudly and there was NO WAY she was going where those strange things were making so much noise. So we unpacked the car with those iyems we'd need for overnight and settled into our room. The room is actually a small studio apartment with living room, full kitchen, king bed and adequate bath. The restaurant where I may have dinner and will definitely have breakfast/brunch actually is a French bistro with a wine spectator award of excellence. Wow. I brought picnic stuff (leftovers from my refrigerator) but I may have to check it out anyway. This inn has only a few rooms, but Tramp has already checked most of them out and the other guests are friendly and welcoming. All in all, I am happy with the choice.
Tomorrow it's off to Toronto to visit with cousins. I've got a seat belt for the Tramp who hates the border police and I've learned how to lock her windows so she can't get her head out to menace them. Still, I am not looking forward to the crossing. She just takes her protection duties too seriously for comfort!
The day began well enough. I awoke with plenty of time to enjoy my coffee and listen to the news and weather before having to get up. I was able to get everything that remained to be done finished and either packed or put away. I was on the road at 11 - perfect. My first stop was actually an errand at my local hospital, Three months ago I volunteered for a 2 year study on osteoporosis treatments - I don't yet have it but am in a high risk group given my gender and age. At any rate this protocol requires me to give myself a shot once/day, every day, and there is a pre-filled syringe that lasts for 28 days. I am near the end of my current syringe and needed to pick up a new one. Knowing this would take only a few minutes, I parked illegally by a curb near the door to the research building, put on the emergency blinkers and ran in. All was well and good until I got out and found myself boxed in my a huge catering truck. A kind young man quickly assessed my dilemma and offered to guide me as I would back out. Great, right? Wrong. There is much I like about my car, and much I do not. One of the things I like is how well I can see behind me. On of the things I don't like is how little I can see of what is right in front of me. The car hood drops away at the base of the windshield, and I can see nothing near the front or side bumpers. Turns out, as I had to cut my wheel sharply to maneuver around the truck at my front and left, and the parked car behind, my right front fender came up against a low white cement barrier that I could not see. And the friendly young man, who was next to it, just kept telling me to cut the wheel, cut the wheel. Next thing I knew he was saying - oh well, it should buff out with no problem....
Needless to say, I was less trusting as he guided me the rest of the way backing down the narrow and steeply nclined driveway.
By now it was nearly noon and I was anxious to actually get on the highway. I still had one stop - Starbucks for coffee and cake - and then, pretty much on schedule, I eased onto the Mass Pike. Destination: Little Falls, NY. The forecast showed a line of heavy weather drifting from the Midwest to the east coast coming right at me along my route. Boston was still just very hot and humid (packing the car was decidedly NOT fun in this weather as it meant lots of trips up and down stairs carrying multiple cases) as I was driving away, and I was hopeful that maybe I would get away with only some light rain. NOT TO BE. I made it to Lenox, but then the heavens opened and for the next 20 miles or so I could see almost nothing. I pulled right, put on the emergency blinkers and slowed to the general pace of traffic - about 30 mph. Then, almost as suddenly as it began, it was over and the sun was out. By now, I was off the pike and decided I would get off the highway completely and go onto some secondary roads. How beautiful! I am quite sure, had I been born a century ago, I would have made a happy farmer's wife. I love the rolling hills, the corn waving high, the cows and horses grazing. We made excellent time, and by 4:00PM, when I had a conference call I needed to join for an upcoming graduate school reunion, I was parked by a sweet little park letting Syd sniff and enjoy as I sat on a bench and listened in. (That is until Verizon had another idea and dropped me from the call. "Can you hear me now? Now?")
Soon we were in Little Falls looking for our inn. Not so easy to find even with GPS which got me close, but on the wrong side of the Mohawk River. I chose little falls because it is about half way to Toronto and because it had what appeared to be a cute B&B that would take the Tramp. As I've discovered, Little Falls is a sweet little town near the Erie Canal with a path along the river perhaps all the way to the canal itself. I'm not sure as when I walked with Tramp to the entrance of the walkway, there were lots of flags flapping loudly and there was NO WAY she was going where those strange things were making so much noise. So we unpacked the car with those iyems we'd need for overnight and settled into our room. The room is actually a small studio apartment with living room, full kitchen, king bed and adequate bath. The restaurant where I may have dinner and will definitely have breakfast/brunch actually is a French bistro with a wine spectator award of excellence. Wow. I brought picnic stuff (leftovers from my refrigerator) but I may have to check it out anyway. This inn has only a few rooms, but Tramp has already checked most of them out and the other guests are friendly and welcoming. All in all, I am happy with the choice.
Tomorrow it's off to Toronto to visit with cousins. I've got a seat belt for the Tramp who hates the border police and I've learned how to lock her windows so she can't get her head out to menace them. Still, I am not looking forward to the crossing. She just takes her protection duties too seriously for comfort!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Countdown to departure: 1 day left
This is another experiment. I have a large desktop computer I use when I am home, and a very small laptop for travelling. Unfortunately, they are NOT set up the same way and so I am never sure that what I do on one machine will work properly on another. From today on, I will be using the laptop to ensure that I know how to do what I am trying to do on this machine.
Yesterday was another frustrating day - not as bad as Monday, but not great. One of the "features" of my new car is that I can enter itineraries into my computer and send them to the car. This should be a faster and more convenient way to set the GPS to all the places I want to go on this road trip - except... Yes, you got it, I couldn't, for the life of me, get it to work. LEXUS. Supposed to be the best, right?? Well if their website stuff is any indication, I am now quite worried about the technology in the car itself. And, to make matters worse, I was on hold for over an hour when I called in for help. Not good, Lexus. Not good at all.
On the bright side, by 10:30PM I had a good chunk of stuff sent miraculously over to my car's GPS. I'll be over there shortly to see if it actually worked. I must say I am skeptical. That is, except for the Canada stuff. Can't do that on the internet site. God, I hope I can do it in the car. If not, I am in BIG, big, trouble!
Other stuff? I am now about 50% packed with a good idea of the other 50%. Syd is all packed with health certificate and seat belt for our crossing into Canada and back and lots of treats, food, emergency kit, towels, blankets etc.
I, too, have my emergency kit put together, with lots of back up stuff (extra pair of glasses, extra cords, copy of my passport, etc. etc )and am feeling in pretty good shape.
Today I am off to see Mom, an old high school friend for a drink, and then tonight all the final stuff. Tomorrow, God and technology willing, this will be from " the road".
Yesterday was another frustrating day - not as bad as Monday, but not great. One of the "features" of my new car is that I can enter itineraries into my computer and send them to the car. This should be a faster and more convenient way to set the GPS to all the places I want to go on this road trip - except... Yes, you got it, I couldn't, for the life of me, get it to work. LEXUS. Supposed to be the best, right?? Well if their website stuff is any indication, I am now quite worried about the technology in the car itself. And, to make matters worse, I was on hold for over an hour when I called in for help. Not good, Lexus. Not good at all.
On the bright side, by 10:30PM I had a good chunk of stuff sent miraculously over to my car's GPS. I'll be over there shortly to see if it actually worked. I must say I am skeptical. That is, except for the Canada stuff. Can't do that on the internet site. God, I hope I can do it in the car. If not, I am in BIG, big, trouble!
Other stuff? I am now about 50% packed with a good idea of the other 50%. Syd is all packed with health certificate and seat belt for our crossing into Canada and back and lots of treats, food, emergency kit, towels, blankets etc.
I, too, have my emergency kit put together, with lots of back up stuff (extra pair of glasses, extra cords, copy of my passport, etc. etc )and am feeling in pretty good shape.
Today I am off to see Mom, an old high school friend for a drink, and then tonight all the final stuff. Tomorrow, God and technology willing, this will be from " the road".
Monday, August 2, 2010
Countdown to Departure: 4 days to go
Today has been a day of extraordinary frustration. I have been off and on my computers trying to get "stuff" to work with virtually no success. First, a technology tutorial on an interactive DVD-ROM came with my car and I figured it would be a good thing to watch this before driving 3000 miles.But no matter what I did I could NOT get this to play for me. It would start up perfectly fine and then just stop as if it were waiting for me, but nothing I would do would get it going. Looks like tomorrow I read manuals.
Then, I've been playing for hours to try to figure out how to compose the blog once and get the text into both email and blog formats. emailing from the blog only sends the URL, not the text. Cut and paste won't work from a blog because of formatting issues, and cut and past from email won't work for the same reason. I am now in NOTES and keeping my fingers crossed that this will work. I'll copy it and then see what happens when I paste it into both the blog and an email. Cross you fingers for me.
Then, I've been playing for hours to try to figure out how to compose the blog once and get the text into both email and blog formats. emailing from the blog only sends the URL, not the text. Cut and paste won't work from a blog because of formatting issues, and cut and past from email won't work for the same reason. I am now in NOTES and keeping my fingers crossed that this will work. I'll copy it and then see what happens when I paste it into both the blog and an email. Cross you fingers for me.
Countdown to Departure: 5 days
Welcome to my blog. The intent of this is to chronicle a road trip I am taking from Boston to Santa Fe by way of the Bruce Peninsular in Ontario, Canada and the Upper Peninsular of Michigan. And while I don't leave for several days, I've decided to start early to try to get the hang of this format - and to be sure it makes sense for us all. Those of you who know me well will recognize the names and dates, but I am writing this with a pen name and nicknames in place of given and family names. I have become cautious in my old age.
A friend of mine who has known me for over 40 years emailed me suggesting that "it was curious that I liked road trips", but then again, that I was not "someone who could be pigeon-holed". That got me thinking, "Do I even like road trips?" It is certainly not my image of myself. And if I didn't have "the Tramp" (part of the pun in my title for those of you who may be wondering about it) I doubt very much if I'd be doing this. Yet, travelling this country alone, and car tripping are certainly a constant as I think over my personal history.
My first "road trip" was actually by train west across the US and back home across Canada. It was the summer between my sophomore and junior years in college, and I was supposed to travel with one of my new college friends, a gifted dancer who was studying at both Julliard and Barnard. She had neither licence nor car, but assured me she would acquire both in time for us to spend a month exploring the US over the summer. Well, her parents had a different idea, but I had been looking forward to the trip too much to just cancel it. So Union Pacific became the means, and off I went. I slept sitting up in coach ( not recommended ) and joined a tour through the national parks. I can still remember the awe I felt out in the majesty of these lands, and the pride I felt that I could do this, and enjoy it, despite being alone.
The next hint about me was the choice I made for a college graduation gift. My folks generously offered me the choice between a car or a trip to Europe. I chose a sweet, used little Mercedes roadster. She had a convertible hard top, black leather interior, white exterior - and, as it turned out, a whole lot of rust. I was in love. And she became a key part of my next road trip as I shall explain.
My senior year in college I dated a scrapping athlete who went off to war after graduation. He had been living off campus with several teammates, one of whom stayed on at school to get a combined JD/MBA. The next year this friend, JD, invited me to come back to NYC and play with him and eventually we began dating, tho not exclusively or seriously. This relationship continued for a couple of years, until, by the end of the 60's, I knew I had to make some major changes in my life. I had grown into an independent, pragmatic and curious woman who was eager for new experiences. Layoffs had begun to make my job uncertain. So I proposed to my NYC off-again, on-again boyfriend that I move to San Francisco and that he follow me in my roadster after his graduation. I would go on ahead with another friend who had offered to drive me there. JD accepted as I was sure he would. So began road trip number 2.
My first memory about this trip was the day I packed my things into my friend's van and left home. My mother cried. To this day it is the only time I have ever seen her with tears in her eyes. As neither my friend nor I had much money, we camped in sleeping bags along side his car for the entire trip. It was not a happy trip for me, but I learned several important lessons. First, travel can cause anxiety and you need to know your travelling companion(s) very well. It is better to travel alone than with a difficult person. (Unfortunately, this is a lesson I keep forgetting and having to relearn.) Second, it snows very early in Banff. And, third, I like hotels, hot showers and soft beds more than sleeping bags and cold, hard ground.
My friend dropped me in Tiburon where a cousin was living and returned to Marblehead without me. I began a job search. When I found a job in downtown SF for a young and rapidly expanding timesharing company, I sent for my "boyfriend", my car and a few of my belongings. When they arrived we moved in together, along with 4 other college friends in a Berkeley, Ca commune of sorts. It was the season of hip, young, exuberant 20 somethings with flowing clothes, wild hair, and lifestyle experimentation.
I'll skip the details of this adventure and simply tell you that I learned that I am a pretty conventional middle class kid, and when my job offered me the chance to return to Boston a couple of years later to open and head up a new Boston office, I said yes. I rented a small studio apartment in the South End and was as happy as I ever was in any job. One day, out of the blue, one of my Berkeley housemates called about coming to Boston. She had just finished a graduate degree in Norman, OK and was thinking about coming to Boston to work. I flew out to meet her in her Norman apartment, load up her car and drive with her back to Boston to live with me until she could get herself set-up. Road trip #3. B had been a year behind me in college. She was (and still is) beautiful, smart , unassuming and sweet. We had a great time on the road. This was not a pleasure trip - we pushed hard to get east as fast as possible, but I can remember stopping to go bowling one afternoon and barely being able to move the next day. I can also remember how impressed I was with Pittsburgh, PA - by then clean and safe with neighborhood parks everywhere. My only other memories are about how packed her car was with plants, cats, and cases. We laughed most of the way to Boston.
Over the next several years I returned to graduate school for an MBA, married, divorced, and returned to San Francisco as a management consultant. I was fortunate to travel a lot during that time, mostly by first class air and in luxury hotels. I spent a summer circling the globe, spent many winter weeks in the Caribbean, and criss-crossed small town America for work. By 1987 I was back in Boston in a new job and condo apartment on Beacon Hill. Life was mostly about work until, on vacation in 1995 in the Galapagos Islands, I met the man who transformed my life and set me on this path of seemingly annual road trips.
Chip was born with travelling genes. He could not sit still. His work always required travelling, and he always loved it whether driving huge vans across Canada or commuting between Germany and the Philippine Islands. He travelled well, enjoying all the luxury and amenities an executive position and wealth could provide. From the day I met him, which, by the way was on an airplane, we travelled constantly. First it was the Galapagos vacation when we met; then commuting every weekend between Chicago and Boston so we could be together. In 1996 he moved in with me in Boston; we married the next year. Between 1996 and 2004, we travelled to China and the far east at least 3 times, to England or Europe half a dozen more times for his work or mine. After one trip to Aspen, we rented a car and drove the 4 corners of Colorado. It was a mini-road trip of sorts, and terrific fun and at least partly because of this Colorado is one of my favorite states. Another time we drove from Munich to Salzburg staying in small villages throughout the Black Forest. Yet another time, we drove from Paris to Alsace-Lorraine to explore his family's roots. By 2001 Chip was planning his retirement and first on his list of things to do was a road trip across the US, visiting friends and family along the way. I was still working and so we decided I would take one week of vacation and start off with him returning to work for the next month but flying out to join him each weekend, and then take a month's leave of absence to spend the last 4 weeks of the trip travelling with him. We bought a brand new Lexus sedan with GPS and satellite concierge services and Chip packed a notebook to keep a daily log and off he went. And that began nearly annual road trips for me over the 10 years since.
Chip died in 2004. We had rescued the Tramp, a one year old wheaten terrier, when we knew Chip had only a few more months to live. I wanted him to have the comfort a dog's love provides as he dealt with the ravages of chemotherapy. He wanted me to have companionship after he died and, as he wished, Tramp has become the center of my life. I retired when Chip became ill, and Tramp and I are constant companions. I hate the thought of leaving her in a kennel when I travel, and so I arrange to drive whenever and where-ever I can. Since 2004 we have road-tripped down the southeast coast to Savannah and Jacksonville; out west to New Orleans, Austin, TX and Tucson, Arizona. We have driven north to Toronto, around Ohio, and northeast up and along the craggy coast of Maine. We love the mountains of western North Carolina, the dry air of the southwest desert and the islands off the coast of Georgia. Tramp is a swimmer and wherever possible she will find water and a way to cool off. She has enjoyed fountains in Savannah, rivers and marshes outside of Charleston. She's been in the Atlantic in almost every state along the east coast. She jumped into the Rio Grande in San Antonio and wouldn't have been able to get out without the fast thinking of a chain of friends and family leaning over the side of the wall and grabbing and pulling her up. She is an easy dog to travel with. She mostly sleeps in the car, is generally eager to jump out for a picnic or easy hike, and becomes the reason for conversation with strangers. Most dog-friendly hotels are managed by warm and friendly people; and as her job is to keep me safe, I need never worry about sleeping alone in a strange place.
And so, as you have read, since 1964 I have taken over a dozen road-trips, some long, some only a few days, some alone, many with Chip, and now, with Tramp. Sometimes a girlfriend will join me for part or all of the trip. Sometimes Chip's daughter meets up with me and we travel together. These trips have given me wonderful experiences and memories. And I hope to continue them as long as I am healthy and able.
This year, I will be on the road for nearly 5 weeks. I will try to keep up this blog the entire time. I am going to some places I have never been before, and returning to many places I have come to love. If you decide to continue to read this blog, I hope I make you laugh and enjoy my adventure. I shall look forward to having you as my travelling companion.
A friend of mine who has known me for over 40 years emailed me suggesting that "it was curious that I liked road trips", but then again, that I was not "someone who could be pigeon-holed". That got me thinking, "Do I even like road trips?" It is certainly not my image of myself. And if I didn't have "the Tramp" (part of the pun in my title for those of you who may be wondering about it) I doubt very much if I'd be doing this. Yet, travelling this country alone, and car tripping are certainly a constant as I think over my personal history.
 |
| The Tramp |
The next hint about me was the choice I made for a college graduation gift. My folks generously offered me the choice between a car or a trip to Europe. I chose a sweet, used little Mercedes roadster. She had a convertible hard top, black leather interior, white exterior - and, as it turned out, a whole lot of rust. I was in love. And she became a key part of my next road trip as I shall explain.
My senior year in college I dated a scrapping athlete who went off to war after graduation. He had been living off campus with several teammates, one of whom stayed on at school to get a combined JD/MBA. The next year this friend, JD, invited me to come back to NYC and play with him and eventually we began dating, tho not exclusively or seriously. This relationship continued for a couple of years, until, by the end of the 60's, I knew I had to make some major changes in my life. I had grown into an independent, pragmatic and curious woman who was eager for new experiences. Layoffs had begun to make my job uncertain. So I proposed to my NYC off-again, on-again boyfriend that I move to San Francisco and that he follow me in my roadster after his graduation. I would go on ahead with another friend who had offered to drive me there. JD accepted as I was sure he would. So began road trip number 2.
My first memory about this trip was the day I packed my things into my friend's van and left home. My mother cried. To this day it is the only time I have ever seen her with tears in her eyes. As neither my friend nor I had much money, we camped in sleeping bags along side his car for the entire trip. It was not a happy trip for me, but I learned several important lessons. First, travel can cause anxiety and you need to know your travelling companion(s) very well. It is better to travel alone than with a difficult person. (Unfortunately, this is a lesson I keep forgetting and having to relearn.) Second, it snows very early in Banff. And, third, I like hotels, hot showers and soft beds more than sleeping bags and cold, hard ground.
My friend dropped me in Tiburon where a cousin was living and returned to Marblehead without me. I began a job search. When I found a job in downtown SF for a young and rapidly expanding timesharing company, I sent for my "boyfriend", my car and a few of my belongings. When they arrived we moved in together, along with 4 other college friends in a Berkeley, Ca commune of sorts. It was the season of hip, young, exuberant 20 somethings with flowing clothes, wild hair, and lifestyle experimentation.
I'll skip the details of this adventure and simply tell you that I learned that I am a pretty conventional middle class kid, and when my job offered me the chance to return to Boston a couple of years later to open and head up a new Boston office, I said yes. I rented a small studio apartment in the South End and was as happy as I ever was in any job. One day, out of the blue, one of my Berkeley housemates called about coming to Boston. She had just finished a graduate degree in Norman, OK and was thinking about coming to Boston to work. I flew out to meet her in her Norman apartment, load up her car and drive with her back to Boston to live with me until she could get herself set-up. Road trip #3. B had been a year behind me in college. She was (and still is) beautiful, smart , unassuming and sweet. We had a great time on the road. This was not a pleasure trip - we pushed hard to get east as fast as possible, but I can remember stopping to go bowling one afternoon and barely being able to move the next day. I can also remember how impressed I was with Pittsburgh, PA - by then clean and safe with neighborhood parks everywhere. My only other memories are about how packed her car was with plants, cats, and cases. We laughed most of the way to Boston.
Over the next several years I returned to graduate school for an MBA, married, divorced, and returned to San Francisco as a management consultant. I was fortunate to travel a lot during that time, mostly by first class air and in luxury hotels. I spent a summer circling the globe, spent many winter weeks in the Caribbean, and criss-crossed small town America for work. By 1987 I was back in Boston in a new job and condo apartment on Beacon Hill. Life was mostly about work until, on vacation in 1995 in the Galapagos Islands, I met the man who transformed my life and set me on this path of seemingly annual road trips.
Chip was born with travelling genes. He could not sit still. His work always required travelling, and he always loved it whether driving huge vans across Canada or commuting between Germany and the Philippine Islands. He travelled well, enjoying all the luxury and amenities an executive position and wealth could provide. From the day I met him, which, by the way was on an airplane, we travelled constantly. First it was the Galapagos vacation when we met; then commuting every weekend between Chicago and Boston so we could be together. In 1996 he moved in with me in Boston; we married the next year. Between 1996 and 2004, we travelled to China and the far east at least 3 times, to England or Europe half a dozen more times for his work or mine. After one trip to Aspen, we rented a car and drove the 4 corners of Colorado. It was a mini-road trip of sorts, and terrific fun and at least partly because of this Colorado is one of my favorite states. Another time we drove from Munich to Salzburg staying in small villages throughout the Black Forest. Yet another time, we drove from Paris to Alsace-Lorraine to explore his family's roots. By 2001 Chip was planning his retirement and first on his list of things to do was a road trip across the US, visiting friends and family along the way. I was still working and so we decided I would take one week of vacation and start off with him returning to work for the next month but flying out to join him each weekend, and then take a month's leave of absence to spend the last 4 weeks of the trip travelling with him. We bought a brand new Lexus sedan with GPS and satellite concierge services and Chip packed a notebook to keep a daily log and off he went. And that began nearly annual road trips for me over the 10 years since.
Chip died in 2004. We had rescued the Tramp, a one year old wheaten terrier, when we knew Chip had only a few more months to live. I wanted him to have the comfort a dog's love provides as he dealt with the ravages of chemotherapy. He wanted me to have companionship after he died and, as he wished, Tramp has become the center of my life. I retired when Chip became ill, and Tramp and I are constant companions. I hate the thought of leaving her in a kennel when I travel, and so I arrange to drive whenever and where-ever I can. Since 2004 we have road-tripped down the southeast coast to Savannah and Jacksonville; out west to New Orleans, Austin, TX and Tucson, Arizona. We have driven north to Toronto, around Ohio, and northeast up and along the craggy coast of Maine. We love the mountains of western North Carolina, the dry air of the southwest desert and the islands off the coast of Georgia. Tramp is a swimmer and wherever possible she will find water and a way to cool off. She has enjoyed fountains in Savannah, rivers and marshes outside of Charleston. She's been in the Atlantic in almost every state along the east coast. She jumped into the Rio Grande in San Antonio and wouldn't have been able to get out without the fast thinking of a chain of friends and family leaning over the side of the wall and grabbing and pulling her up. She is an easy dog to travel with. She mostly sleeps in the car, is generally eager to jump out for a picnic or easy hike, and becomes the reason for conversation with strangers. Most dog-friendly hotels are managed by warm and friendly people; and as her job is to keep me safe, I need never worry about sleeping alone in a strange place.
And so, as you have read, since 1964 I have taken over a dozen road-trips, some long, some only a few days, some alone, many with Chip, and now, with Tramp. Sometimes a girlfriend will join me for part or all of the trip. Sometimes Chip's daughter meets up with me and we travel together. These trips have given me wonderful experiences and memories. And I hope to continue them as long as I am healthy and able.
This year, I will be on the road for nearly 5 weeks. I will try to keep up this blog the entire time. I am going to some places I have never been before, and returning to many places I have come to love. If you decide to continue to read this blog, I hope I make you laugh and enjoy my adventure. I shall look forward to having you as my travelling companion.
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