ALL ROADS LEAD TO ALASKA: Descending to The Lower 48.

Our direct departure from Seward was rerouted because of road closures, but this offered us a second chance drive through Denali National Park. The road from Seward to Anchorage was lined with wild flowers and kettle ponds covered with blooming lily pads. Spring had finally caught up with us and the entire drive back down to the lower 48 was bright with fresh growth and lime green leaves. Having learned our lesson from the drive up to Alaska, this time we packed the van with the freshest, best quality food we could find, which is difficult in remote Alaska, and lengthened our driving time each day. Even driving six to seven hours a day, it still took us approximately a week to reach the lower 48 from Seward.

We voted against trying the road less traveled from Alaska. We figured it was better to drive the devil we knew rather than the devil we didn’t know. With all the frost heaves, road construction, and gravel, it wasn’t until a paved straight away in Alberta that we were “kissed” by a rock, chipping our windshield. Thanks to Speedy Glass the chip was filled and we were on our way to Jasper and Banff National Parks in British Columbia. Voted the most beautiful drive in the world, we slowed our roll and relished in the natural beauty of the Ice fields Parkway. This is my happy place. After a grueling week on the road, we treated ourselves to a few days at the Emerald Lake Lodge and their romance package of bed, breakfast, and gourmet dinners of Rocky Mountain Cuisine.

In every state and country service was limited due to lack of staffing. Along with help wanted signs, we spotted promises of higher wages, benefits, and even signing bonuses. Lodges, restaurants, and stores can’t keep up with the demand of all the tourists because they can’t get people to work. I didn’t realize how limited and expensive the food selection in Alaska was until we stopped at a grocery outside Jasper National Park. I felt like Robin Williams in Moscow on the Hudson and all the amazing food options available.

After several days of pampering in paradise, we traversed the back roads toward Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Northern Idaho is stunning. Unfortunately, our golf game at Coeur d’Alene Golf Resort and it’s iconic floating green was rained out, so we settled for a drive and walk along the beautiful lake and ended the day with the best meal we had in several weeks at the rooftop restaurant in the resort. At Beverly’s Restaurant we started with the Penn Cove mussels in a white wine saffron broth and chorizo, followed by lobster risotto and perfectly seared sea scallops, while sipping a huckleberry martini. Oh my. I’d like to spend more time in the area in the future. It’s just beautiful. The idealic little towns scattered along the Snake River on our drive south through Idaho, made us wish we had brought a fishing road. While we walked and lunched along the river, many locals and tourists alike pulled off just to fish a quite hole.

We reluctantly left beautiful Idaho and with the warmer weather on our side, we opted to avoid the I-15 through Utah’s busy cities and settled in Park City. After a quick drive up the mountains outside Salt Lake City, the narrow hills gave way to meadows, reservoirs, red earth and scrubby pines lined with skiing, mountain biking, and off roading trails. Houses and condos in many phases of build are popping up all over this mountain town, only minutes away from the bigger cities – a common them we’ve witnessed in all states and provinces. While new builds are abundant, the light pollution is still low, allowing for the stars to blaze brightly blanketing the evening sky.

After 9,423 total miles on the road, we landed safely at our desert home in Las Vegas. Where it seems is the end of the rainbow.

JUST THE FACTS

Mileage – 9,423. Miles per gallon – 22. Average cost for gas $6.00

Time: 2 months total. 2 weeks each way to Alaska and 4 weeks spent in Alaska.

Food: We usually eat breakfast and lunch made from the van on the road or between excursions and treat ourselves to a local dinner from the “best” restaurant in the area.

Nights: We prefer to spend our nights outside of cities in National or State parks. They’re quieter and more peaceful than RV parks. Harvest Host overnight parking locations are also great because they usually pair with our favorite outings like golf courses, wineries, breweries, museums, but they were limited in and around Alaska. Even though we set out to stay at a hotel every Sunday, we again found ourselves more comfortable in our little van and opted to forego hauling our stuff and the dog in for just one or two nights.

If I were to do it again…I would take our van up the California, Oregon, and Washington Coast and park/store it in Seattle or Vancouver. Then Board a cruise along the inside passage to the Kenai Peninsula, where I would rent a camper van or a SUV and tour the area for 2-3 weeks, then fly back to Seattle and drive another byway home. A second option would be to ferry from Bellingham with our van from port to port to the Kenai Peninsula and do the same back, but this would take planning way in advance because the car/RV ferries book up early.

All Roads Lead to Alaska

Where the Mountains and Ice Meet the Ocean – Denali National Park and Kenai Peninsula

Once we arrived to Alaska proper, we hit the ground running. Enough with the driving, now was time to do some exploring. Denali National park, a short 3-hour drive south of Fairbanks, is a wildlife mecca. In our campsite, on our hikes, and touring the tundra and permafrost drunk forests we spotted four of the big five game (dal sheep, moose, caribou, and grizzly) that call Denali home. The elusive wolf stayed hidden. As with many national parks, the rangers gave talks and demonstrations. Unique to Alaska was the demonstration of the rangers sled dogs, which is their mode of transportation during the snowy winters.

A few days later we strolled around the cute rustic town of Talkeetna for lunch alfresco at Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, overlooking Denali, the tallest mountain in North America, standing at ever 20,000 feet. After lunch we traversed Turnagain Arm in Anchorage where we witnessed the mile long low tide, revealing muddy flats for hours until the moon decided to release the ocean to return home. Beyond Anchorage we entered the Kenai Penninsula displaying all its rough and rugged beauty. These are the scenes that you picture when you think of Alaska-hanging glaciers, meadows of wild flowers, glacier fed lakes, streams, and swans floating on ponds dotted with blooming lily pads.

Along the drive south to Homer Spit and the lands end, snow capped mountains and smoking volcanoes kept us company across Cook Inlet. Sign after sign spotted during the three hour drive south was either about fishing charters or fish processing. Once we reached Homer, the halibut capital of the world, and spotted anglers reeling in fish after fish, meeting their limit in minutes, we understood the signs. Homer was a delight. A quant fishing village frequented by locals an tourists like ourselves. We strolled the shops and dined on fresh halibut overlooking Kachemak Bay.

We thought we’d try our luck at fishing one sunny afternoon, but our private guided trip down the Kasilof river for King Salmon ended as a peaceful float for six hours. Neither us nor the neighboring bald eagles caught a thing. Did someone bring a banana with them? The guide told us in two weeks the river will be so full of salmon they will be jumping in the boats.

Making our way to the east side of Kenai Peninsula, the road led out to Seward, a fjord surrounded by tall mountains and glaciers. One of the carving tidewater glaciers in the Kenai Peninsula National Park and Preserve was a highlight of our sea cruise, in addition to Orca killer whales, Stellar sea lions, puffins, and sea otters. The European-style restaurant, The Cookery, met our expectations as an evening topper while visiting this town with a Norwegian feel to it. Before returning to the Anchorage area, we also toured the Sea-life Center and hiked the interior portion of the Park and Preserve.

At the three week mark, we decided to bid Alaska adieu. While we might have been too early in some aspects of our trip, the weather was perfect, and I think we left just as the state bird (mosquitoes) was beginning to swarm. With our bellies full of fresh seafood, like the seasonal whales, we began our migration south to the sunny coast of California and later the warm tropical breezes of Hawaii.

All Roads Lead to Alaska

The Inside Passage – Skagway, Juneau, Haines

Our first port after crossing the boarder from Yukon, Canada was Skagway, Alaska! As soon as we descended the steep White Pass Summit, all snow fell away. It was as though we crossed into Spring. The sea level town was sunny and in the 60’s. The small gold rush boomtown looks the same as it did when we cruised here 20 years ago with family. In Skagway we hiked, toured the town, walked the suspension bridge in White Pass summit, and indulged in quality local seafare by the Cordon Bleu trained chef at Olivia’s Restaurant, a welcomed palate cleanser from the Canadian brew pub and hunting lodge food on the Alaska Highway.

The weeklong drive from Montana thru Canada and into Alaska was just that – long. Other than the multitude of wild animal life, including brown and black bears, bison, caribou, and mountain goats that we spotted along the green belt of the highway, the one gem was the Liard Hot Springs. The unmolested springs was like nature’s hot tub set in the middle of a forest with moose grazing in the cool shallows. We’ve been to natural hot springs before, but they’re more commercialized and chlorinated. These springs were not only refreshing to the body but also reenergizing.

Unlike the Alcan (Alaska/Canadian Highway), the ferry from Skagway to Juneau and later from Juneau to Haines along the inside passage was tranquil and relaxing. The calm waters and ocean vistas flanked by snow capped mountains with trickling waterfalls weaving through the Sitka Spruce was only interrupted by occasional humpback whales, breaching to feed, porpoises, sea otters, and sea lions. The ferry route allowed us access to our next port, Juneau. Blocked by a giant ice sheet, Juneau is only accessible via water or air.

The star of Juneau is the Mendenhall Glacier. Our daily nature walk, golf game, or trail hike centered around views of the receding glacier in the Tongass National Forest. Similar to the Olympic National Park in Washington, Tongass NF is a rain forest drenched with 180 days of rain each year. We happened to visit during a dry, sunny spell with clear vistas from one end of the channel to the other. The forgiving weather made outdoor excursions to the Glacier Gardens and Salmon Hatchery pleasant. Crab was the ingredient of choice for our Juneau meals. After a crab feast at the popular Tracy’s Crab Shack where we gorged ourselves on King and Dungeness crab, all other meals contained crab in bisque, cake, or lump form.

In Haines, AK we stayed for one night backed against the Pacific Ocean with humpback whales frolicking in our backyard. The next morning we cruised the scenic byway to the Canadian border, cutting through the National Eagle Preserve with a concentration of the world’s largest eagle population; not one eagle was spotted. We saw more eagles flying over head while teeing off during our last golf game in Juneau. A local said they return to fish in fall. Once back to the AlCan and heading north toward Fairbanks, we experienced the worst frost heaves to date on this slow, grueling highway. If it wasn’t for the fact that we were so close to the Alaska interior, we would have considered turning around and driving back to the lower 48. So with Jack London’s Call of The Wild playing on Audible, we push on, just like Buck did in the book, driving further north into the Alaska unknown.

All Roads Lead to Alaska…

The Road of Gas and Grain

Anaconda, Montana, located about 15 miles west of the I 15 was our next stop on day four of our trip to Alaska. The unusually cold temperatures and icy road conditions slowed our pace to almost a crawl. The locals said spring has been delayed by two weeks. The weather and road conditions with snow in the forecast became a deciding factor in rerouting our trip through scenic Idaho and the Canadian Rockies to the lower plains east of the Rockies and sticking to the major highways in lower elevations.

The Old Works Golf Course, a Harvest Host location, allowed us to park overnight for free with a round of golf. The Jack Nicklaus designed course meandered along a small stream overlooking the old copper mine and largest free-standing chimney stack in the world. The course’s landscape was decorated with unique geology of the area and artifacts from the original mine, dating back to the town’s copper boom days. After a (45-degrees) chilly 9 holes, dodging the “rock chucks” (marmots), we had dinner at a local’s recommended O’Bellas for Italian American fare, including made to order breadsticks and homemade cannolis.

Sticking to the I 15 northbound, we took a break in Great Falls to walk the paved trail along the Missouri River. The swarming May Flies quickly changed our plans from a walk along the river to a visit to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center where we learned of the explorers’ difficulties portaging the falls during their expedition down the Missouri River while seeking a continuous route to the Pacific Ocean.

With views of cutthroat jumping after the May Flies and anglers wadding the icy waters, we left the Center in our review mirror as we continued on to Desert Claim, a grain farm and our Harvest Host stoping spot in Conrad, Montana. I relaxed overlooking the blonde fields while Dan toured the 4500 acres with owner, Ken. There, this city slicker was schooled on how to plant and harvest a wheat farm and what equipment to use when. Gas was $5.49 and the lower plains temperatures were 64 degrees.

Pronghorn Antelope lined the back farm road as we drove back to the I 15 and continued north toward the Canadian boarder. After a quick stop into the office to share our passport and COVID vaccine information, we drove on to High River Brewery, where we sampled a flight of their IPA specialties and played trivia with the locals. After buying a few goodies from the brew house, our Harvest Host dry camping spot for the evening, we sat for authentic and tasty Indian food in town which was recommended by the owner. Gas in Canada is $8.00 per gallon.

The next two days were spent in the big cities of Calgary and Edmonton. We took advantage of the resources of a large town and had a routine oil change and system check on the van. While in the shop, we got about 10,000 steps in walking the largest mall in North America, The West Edmonton Mall. The last night in Edmonton was game seven of the Stanley Cup finals and support was shown everywhere with Oilers’ flags and jerseys proudly flown. Given two thumbs up by the the Mercedes technician, we continued north in Highway 43, Canada’s version of the I 15, mesmerized by grain field after grain field, our sights only interrupted by an occasional oil well or pipeline.

The final leg of this journey ended at Dawson Creek, Mile 0, the start of the Alaska Highway. Scenic roads and byways tend to traverse through resort communities, national or state parks, and destination towns, with excursions and offerings for a true glamping experience. Whereas Interstates offer speed and dry road conditions. One of the “Mile Zero City” signs says, “Where the Adventure Begins.” I’m looking forward to that.

All Roads Lead to Alaska…

Top Left (2019 vs. 2022) hills dotted with new homes; Great Salt Lake; Mid-The Ledges Golf Course; Bottom right-Zion National Park

As with most Americans we chose to put a hold on extensive travel until the COVID pandemic subsided. Our last attempt at a road trip was cut short after our safe return from our Asian dream cruise, turned COVID nightmare in February 2019, but before the entire country shut down in March 2019.

With a renewed sense of adventure, we set out from Las Vegas the day before Mother’s Day north to Utah. Our first stop was Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah. Rippled red and white sandstone dotted with scrubby juniper lined the drive. We entered the park and found a spot at the Visitor’s Center with ease and boarded the Park Shuttle, sans any lines.

The task this today was a hike to the hidden pools along the grotto trail. We started the trail at Zion Lodge and meandered the red road three miles along weeping walls and shallow pools up to the next shuttle stop. Early in the season, the park was low in tourists, but with an equal mix of American and international travelers.

After a short drive further into the canyon and through the Mount Carmel Tunnel, we tabled for dinner at Switchback Restaurant, a rustic but refined Steak and Seafood restaurant. Here we dined next to a local couple whose family were founding members of the community and parents to 21 children. Yes, 21 children, ranging from ages 30 to 4 years old.

The next morning I chose to spend Mother’s Day playing 18 holes at The Ledges Golf Course located 30 minutes north of Springdale. Glorious weather, red rocks, and undulating greens challenged my lucky five wood for four hours.

New construction is booming in the outskirts of large towns and cities. I’m guessing many people have decided to move away from the traffic and congestion of metropolitan areas for open spaces and at-home offices. We awoke to snow on our windshield and a fine dusting on the adjacent hills in Santaquin, Ut, where we boondocked for the night at Rowely’s Red Barn. An hour later we broke fast overlooking Bridger Bay of the Great Salt Lake with wild bison roaming freely.

The Finale

Dan and I took full advantage of the 70-degree dryer desert weather and golfed a few times between our daily excursions in and around Santa Fe, Taos and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Tracing the Rio Grande River north to Taos we dry camped (boondocked) on BLM land along the Rio Grande Gorge, enjoying both sunset and sunrise the next morning.

Taos, NM: Earthship Biotecture green self-sustaining homes; Breakfast at Rio Grande Gorge

Starting at the Taos Pueblo, the continuously inhabited adobe home of the ancestral Puebloans of the area for more than one thousand years, we took the Enchanted Circle Trail around the high country of New Mexico; now sporting it’s fall sweater of Ponderosa pines, mottled with yellow and orange quaking Aspen leaves.

Taos Pueblo and High Country in New Mexico

The Bandelier National Monument was another day trip and hike for us about an hour south of Taos. Here we hiked along ancient adobe ruins and climbed several stories on wooden ladders into one thousand year-old cliff dwellings of an abandoned ancient Pueblo.

The next day we continued south along the Turquoise Trail, a popular southwest artsy locale scouted for many movies, and into our RV Spot for the last weekend of the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. We arrived just in time for our birds-eye view of the the evening Special Shapes Glowdeo-balloons tethered to the field. The next two days alternated special balloon activities at sunrise and sunset, allowing for field festivities and music during the hours in between. We participated and observed it all, with the one regrettable miss-a balloon ride ourselves during the mass ascension. Oh well, I guess we now have an excuse to come back again another year.

At the conclusion of the Balloon fiesta, Dan and I follow the I-40 West to Sedona, Arizona with a short detour through the Petrified National Park. The Petrified Forest in the Park looks like an abandoned logging camp littered with felled redwood trees, but with closer inspection the bark is solid rock and the interior has crystalized into hazes of grey and browns. In Sedona we golfed at the beautiful Oakcreek Country Club and dined at the award-winning restaurant Mariposa, both with some of the best red rock views in town. It was at Mariposa, as we gazed out the picture windows, Dan spotted an old colleague and friend, Bill Brucker and his wife, Patricia, dining nearby.

Top Right: Petrified Forest NP; Oakcreek Golf Club; Mariposa with Bill Brucker & Patricia

On the last day of our trip, I sit in the large overlook room of the Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim of the national park. My sunset view, the various shades of red and ochre striations of this giant chasm created from over six million years of water erosion, is unfathomable. Not just the display of water’s power, but the idea of how minuscule our time spent on this planet is-just a blip on earth’s timeline.

Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim: Hikes at sunset and sunrise

This trip has concluded with all that we had wished from the beginning: exploring the spectacular natural beauty within our countries’ national parks; meeting interesting people from various regions, including family members old and newly connected from Ancestry.com, and long-time friends; sampling the local specialties; and recounting America’s history at preserved sites. Would we do it again? The answer is not only, YES, but we are already discussing a two-month trip of the south for next spring.

Freewheeling the South. To be continued…

The Mother Road to The End of El Camino Real Trail

In our attempt to outrun the unseasonable heat and humidity of the area, Dan and I didn’t dally during our stops on the way to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. Between Memphis and picking up the Mother Road, Route 66, in Oklahoma, Dan and I spent the day in Arkansas. Little Rock Central High School is the historic site of the of Little Rock Nine who were thrown into the spotlight during the violent protests against racial integration and their attendance to the once all Caucasian school. Across the street from the currently active high school is a visitor center and museum with ranger led walks recounting the moving personal experiences of these nine high school students who were refused entrance to the school by those trying to protect their segregated southern ways.

The stirring morning spurred conversation for the remainder of the drive into Oachita National Forest where we took in the waters, sampling the hot springs in the famous resort town of the same name. Now a National Park, the main street in Hot Springs, Arkansas is lined with period bath houses and spas that have been renovated for more modern use, but supplied by the same tapped springs for the past 150 years.

Little Rock Central High School and Little Rock Nine National Historic Site; Hot Springs, Arkansas

Shortly after leaving the dense forest of Arkansas via scenic byway 71, green prairies lined with yellow and blue wild flowers swelled between the croppings of trees into wider open plaines and red earth, and by the time we reach the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, we were driving through more rolling grasses than forest. From native pottery to silver spurs, we observed all that represents the wild west at this high-quality museum.

Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, Route 66; Bucking Bronco

Several miles outside Oklahoma City we picked up Historic Route 66, which loops through towns off the I-40 through Oklahoma and Texas. During a quick stop at the kitschy National Route 66 Museum, I was reminded of John Steinbeck’s tragic novel, The Grapes of Wrath, about a family of Oakies traveling the Mother Road from the Dust Bowl in hopes of a better life in California. So, of course, I found an audio drama on Spotify, which acted out the book for the remainder of our two-hour drive to Texas.

By the time we reached the Texas border, all hardwood trees were replaced with blonde grasses, sage brush, and an occasional evergreen. The stop for this day was Amarillo. After a quick trip to Cadillac Ranch and running a few errands, Dan had a hankering for a Texas steak and baked potato. We gave The Big Texan Steak Ranch, home of the free 72 oz. steak, a try. Mastro’s or The Palm it’s not. Confirmed by several reviews, we knew going in that this restaurant was a touristy themed one, and it didn’t disappoint. The over-the-top décor and atmosphere entertained our senses while we split a darn good steak, potato, and side salad all served in a cast iron skillet.

Cadillac Ranch and The Big Texan Steak Ranch along Route 66 Amarillo, Texas

The next day we crossed into the desert of New Mexico and drove north to the town of Santa Fe, where Historic Route 66 meets the El Camino Real trail. With a mix of Spanish, Mexican, and Native American influences this Southwest city embraces the architecture, art, and food to create what they call a City Different. All the buildings in the town proper by code are of adobe color and style and blend seamlessly into the surrounding clay earth. Only New York City has more art galleries, and several restaurants in The Plaza are James Beard Award winners, specializing in New Mexican cuisine, highlighting red and green chilies. We ended our first day in New Mexico sampling the culinary talents of one of these restaurants, The Shed, where we both ordered New Mexican dishes smothered in Christmas chilies (half red, half green) and a house margarita.

Top Left to right: Golfing in Tucumcari, NM, along Route 66; Dan making flour tortillas; The Shed Restaurant; Hopi Woman Gallery; Red Chilies hung outside every door entry; El Rancho De Las Golondrinas-a living history museum of early Spanish/Mexican life along the El Camino Real

Music, Friends, Family, and Good Ole Southern Fare

“…nothing so liberalizes a man and expands the kindly instinct that nature put in him as travel and contact with many kinds of people.” Mark Twian

Continuing our journey through the Music Capital of USA, Tennessee, our path out of the rocky top mountains of the Great Smokies led us to the awesome condo of our friend and Dan’s previous work colleague, Annmarie, on Church St. in Downtown Nashville. Unfortunately, our schedules conflicted and Annmarie had to go out of town, but waiting for us at her condo was Jay Trisler, who has been walking across America for Gods and Cops. He had been resting at her place in Nashville for a few days, enjoying the variety of music on and around Broadway, so he knew some of the key clubs to take Dan and me when we arrived.

Walking from our hotel to the trolley tour, which was going to circle through the city to our final destination for the evening, we happened upon a que of people. We learned the line was for Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, a specialty spicy fried chicken of Nashville. Since it was almost lunchtime, Dan and I decided to join the masses and give it a try. Passing on “shut the cluck up” spice level, we enjoyed the second and third heat levels of this Nashville favorite. Lip smacking good is how I would describe the second best fried chicken I’ve sampled on this 3-month journey.

Top Right: Dan and Jay at Annmarie’s condo, Nashville; Broadway; view of downtown Nashville; Hattie B’s hot chicken

With full bellies and half the downtown toured via trolley, we met up with Jay and planted ourselves on the second floor of Bourbon Street Blues Boogie in Printers Alley to listen to the musical talents of the Stacy Mitchart Band. I could feel the vibrations deep in my soul as he thrummed with lightening speed on the strings of his guitar that evening.

The next two days continued our country music enjoyment in Music City with an eight-act evening show at the legendary Grand Ole Opry, followed by a full day of honky tonk hopping on Broadway, where I sat like a fly on the wall listening to good music and old war stories told by Dan, Jay, and two other friends (Ira and Henry) who came down for a visit.

Honky Tonk Hopping with Jay, Ira, Henry, and Dan on Broadway

Between our stays in Nashville (or “Nashvegas” some call it) and Memphis, Dan and I drove south to Birmingham, Alabama for a quick visit with three of our nieces and nephews and their spouses and children. After catching them up on all the family happenings and confirming or clarifying old family history, we broke bread together over dinner and literaly drove off into the sunset.

Front left clockwise around table: Isaac (20 mos.); Kyler; Evelyn (4 y.o.); Quentin; Brittany; Justin; Dan, me, Felicia

The final two days in Tennessee with unseasonably hot, humid 90+ temps, we finished our musical journey in Memphis-the heart of blues, soul, and rock and roll along the Mississippi River. The three Kings: M.L.K., B.B., and Elvis rule the streets and recent history. Our fist stop in Memphis was the Lorraine Hotel, now the National Civil Rights Museum since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in 1968.

Beale Street and Elvis dominated the rest of our time. First, we had to try Memphis-style BBQ and a lunch of meat and two sides-both a huge disappointment. In my opinion, Dan makes better BBQ and greens. Then we moved on to Graceland to tour the home, cars, and airplanes of Elvis Presley, whose life and death still evokes strong emotions from his fans. While touring Graceland, we witnessed more than one person weeping by his grave. As sunset closes on our day and I write this blog, I reflect on the musical diversity in Tennessee from Appalachian Blue Grass to Rock and Roll. We’ve had a great two weeks, but tomorrow we must continue West.

Top Left: Graceland; Rum Boogie Cafe; sunset over Mississippi in West Memphis; B.B. King

Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River; Country Roads Take Me Home…

We lost the brilliant fall foliage back in Pennsilvania, replaced with a wall of green, thick and wild forest. The Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway in its own national park wind along the backbone of the rippled, densely forested Blue Ridge Mountains of the Appalacians. Unlike many other national parks we’ve visited that are on a loop system, these roads have access and exit points along each major town. This allowed us the peaceful sanity of a country drive southwest while dipping off the mountain to the tourist sights below, as well as take full advantage of the hiking trails, activities, and campgrounds within the parks.

On our first day along the Skyline Drive we did just that, exited the national park to visit Monticello, the retirement home and plantation of Thomas Jefferson in Charottesvile, Virginia. With 95% of the home’s original materials and structure, this well-preserved home is a living history museum of his architecture and engineering genious. If we hadn’t already taken a stenuous hike earlier in the day, we would have opted to park at the base of the property and follow the walking trail to the home. Since it was the lunch hour, we decided to partake in the Southern-style home cooking at Michie’s Tavern, also a preserved historical building, located on the same grounds. After our hearty meal, which was so nutrient-dense it held us until the next morning, we took in the sights and tours at Monticello. We opted for the slave tour-an unbiased accounting of the life and hardships of some of the hundreds of people owned by this author of the Declaration of Independence, who wrote that all men are created equal. Our visit to Monticello happened to land on the Fall Harvest Festival day, which allowed for music and other festivities in addition to the house, garden, and special tours.

The Blue Ridge Parkway has more visitor activites and sights within the park. With a couple stops along the long drive focusing on the musical affinity of the Appilacian people, we opted after our morning hike to stop at Mabry Mill for an afternoon picnic and Blue Grass concert accompanied by flatfooters dancing clog style to the toe-tapping country music. The multi-generational band jammed on various string instruments, from the mandoline to the fiddle, and sang with the iconic twang of this music.

Our highlight through the Blue Ridge Mountains was the visit down to the Biltmore estate, grounds, and winery in Ashville, North Carolina. We toured the grand home of George and Edith Vanderbelt, styled after European Chataues George toured for inspiration and design ideas. In the Biltmore, our American version of Dowton Abbey, it’s easy to imagine scenes of daily life played out in various rooms like we all watch weekly on our favourite PBS show. After a special Roof-top tour and walk of the gardens, we drove on property to Antler Village and the winery and farm area with the sunflowers bowing their heads to the evening sun.

The addition of more evergreen coniferous trees in the Great Smokies National Park adds a new layer to the 50 shades of green we’ve been soaked in for the past few days. Back on tour with our Gypsy Guide for the area, we traverse the park, taking in all the recommended overlooks and hikes, even a short stint on the Appilacian Trail. The AT is one of the longest continuous footpaths in the world, spanning 2,150 miles and through 14 states. Marked with a white paint brush on trees, hikers average seven months to complete this rigorous trek. Dan and I are content with long day hikes, but we have two friends who are currently on their own pilgrimage and/or walkabout. One is in Spain walking the Camino de Santiago, and another, whom we are going to meet up with in Nashville, is in his fourth month walking across America for Gods and Cops.

The crowds are low in the Park this week because the colors haven’t changed, yet, but the water levels in all rivers and streams are low, too. This offers only thin ribbons of water instead of rushing falls at the end of most of our hikes, except, for our last hike during our stay to Abrams Falls. At the two mile mark we shared the path for a short time with a black bear, rooting for ripe persimmons. We gave him/her pleanty of space and only passed once she/he disappeared back into the woods. Our perseverance on this trail paid off with a peaceful lunch spot under a cascading fall and plunge pool, rimmed with large boulders. Our last loop tour through the GSNP was to Cades Cove. A lovely valley circled by the Great Smokies and rich in Appilacian folk history.

Great Smokies National Park; Abrams Falls trail

The Road Less Traveled

We left the North Atlantic coast of Maine and our 10,000th mile shortly after sunrise, and on Highway 2 cut through the rural part of the state. Golden yellow and fiery red tipped trees, pumpkin patches specked with orange orbs, and dryer, crisp air all hint that fall is on its way. We settled our first night away from the sea in the White Mountains of New Hampshire along the Saco River.

The next morning, we began the Kancamagus Scenic Byway, traveling west across the national forest and listening to an audio tour of local lore provided by the whitemountains.com website. In two short hours, the Vermont border appeared, and we were on the Vermont Scenic Byway 100, traveling north. It became clear pretty quickly that our timing for this drive was right on. We are late enough in the year to glimpse the New England autumn bloom, but early enough in the season to avoid the crowds. Our first stop on this popular drive with Leaf Peepers-tourists like us who visit during autumn to see the changing of the colors-is Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream tour in Waterbury. Just up the road from B&Js is the cider house, Cold Hallow, where they make and sell everything made from apples, including apple cider donuts. After a quick visit to the all-season resort town and final residence of the Swiss von Trap family, Stowe, Vermont, we checked into our Harvest Host farm, picked some blueberries from their adjacent bushes, and later dined in Burlington along Lake Champlain with sunset views over the Adirondack Mountains in neighboring New York.

Lower center: Sam Mazza’s pick your own blueberries and Harvest Host; Sunset over Lake Champlain and Adirondack Mountains

Continuing on the Vermont Scenic Byway, we turned south the next morning and enjoyed breakfast with our fresh picked blueberries along the Mad River under one of the 100 covered bridges in the state. With one quaint, artistic town and ski resort after another we traveled along the spine of the Green Mountains, sampling apple everything, maple syrup in sugar shacks, and artisan cheese from country stores all amid the smoldering fall foliage. Just as quickly as our drive through New Hampshire, we leave the Green Mountains and its fiddlers elbow curves and arrive in Bennington, Vermont for a twilight game of golf on the back nine in the Berkshire hills.

Top Right: breakfast by Mad River and covered bridge; falls; lunch at Weston Priory Benedictine Monks; Vermont Country Store; golf in Berkshires

Our final day before entering the Skyline Trail in Shenandoah National Park, we spent golfing at Foxchase golf club, outside Lancaster, Pennsylvania, our Harvest Host and last chance for golf for several days, and the Hershey Story Museum and Chocolate Lab. A real sweet treat, the museum is of high quality and recounts the beginnings of this entrepreneur, his apprenticeship with a candy maker, the string of failures before his success as one of the wealthiest chocolatiers in America, and how he gave away all his fortune for the next generation. Following our tour around the interactive exhibits, Dan and I had just enough time to share a chocolate tasting from around the world, before our time in the Chocolate Lab. The one-hour hands-on chocolate lab, reminiscent of my old grad school days in the food science lab, experimenting with artificial sweeteners, was a flavorful way to end our visit. We were given the opportunity to make our own chocolate bars, and while they were cooling we were given a class all about this wondrous bean and the multitude of uses from soap to candies.