Our 41st Wedding Trip with Zach

Our 41^st Wedding Anniversary trip –From May 27^th through June 18

May 27th - May 30^th

We left around noon after dropping our IG off at the vets. Pretty Girl has been with us for three years and is very much a significant part of our lives. It is funny how a 15 pound dog can come to mean s much to you. We drove in the heat to Oklahoma City where we began our trip by visiting Linda’s mom and dad. They are in their 80’s and not in the best health. Linda almost always seems to get her feelings hurt anymore so I was a bit apprehensive but the visit seemed to go well. We left before sunrise and headed toward A;bourque,New Mexico to spend the night with our friends the Hutchinson’s. On the spur of the moment we stopped and visited for the first time the Oklahoma City Memorial. We had lived in OKC for a long time many years earlier and for what ever reason had not visited the memorial which is located right beside and behind the church we were once members of, St. Joseph’s Old Cathedral. We were simply not prepared for the impact the visit would make on us and we took many pictures. The memorial is meaningful, beautiful and an incredible way to preserve the horribleness of the event.

We left and drove to Amarillo, Texas where we stopped at the Big Tex Steak House and had an expensive and pretty fair lunch. We drove out past the famous Cadillac Ranch – 12 older caddies buried upside down – and on the Belen, New Mexico. The Hutchinson’s have a nice home that needs much tender love and care located in a great neighborhood. We walked with them that night, prayed with them, had great conversations although too much about religion, and again took pictures.

Two days and although we were uneasy at first, I think we did ok.

We drove the next day through the Painted Desert, where we saw antelope and tons of people. We arrived early in the afternoon at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. We got a campsite a few miles from the Park entrance and proceeded to set up our tent - a new one – for the first time. Actually it went up fairly easy and we did well. We were at the Canyon for sunset which is always beautiful. On the spur of the moment and with true feelings of love in my heart, I got down on one knee and proposed to my wife of 41 years once more. To my complete surprise she once again said yes. I thought it was a really neat moment although it might have been nicer if the rocks on the ground had not hurt so much – and they did hurt - , and if my knees had not forced me to get up again very quickly. We had dinner at an Italian place and it was pretty good and reasonable. All in all it was a fine vacation day!

The next day was both long and hot although we stopped early again. The new tent did not fit into the original bag which came as no surprise and the car is really packed. We found a motel in San Dimas, California and went to a mall where we spent a fair sum on an exotic seafood buffet. Linda seemed to like it fine. We were trying to go slowly and not have any pressures and that can create pressures of itself. Still, it was a nice day.

Posted Thoughts:

We left around noon on Saturday, May 27th and headed to Linda's Mom and Dad's in Oklahoma City. We arrived around 4:30 and filled up the Mustang with $2.53 gas.  We worked on their computer for a while and left the next morning around 6 AM. We stopped on impulse at the Okla. City Memorial. We took several pictures and were moved in a most unexpectedly spiritual way.  My first job about 41 years ago was with the Oklahoma Mortgage Company which was less than 3 blocks away from the site.  We went to church at the St. Joseph's Old Cathedral which was damaged very badly. The statue of a weeping Jesus moved us greatly. We stopped for Lunch at the Big Tex Steakhouse in Amarillo, Texas. Great steaks but pricy. We traveled on to Belen, New Mexico where we stopped for the night at our friends. Their picture and new home are above. We drove through the Painted Desert where we saw plenty of antelope.  The next day we saw a great old TBird which we took a picture of and got a great campsite just outside of the south rim of the Grand Canyon. It was a glorious sunset and very pleasant night although a bit cold.

Wednesday, May 31st, From San Dimas to Lompoc to Moro Bay

Posted Thoughts:

Today we left around 9:00am to avoid the traffic in LA.  We made a big, big mistake!  We managed 41.9 miles in 1hour and 45 minutes.  It was hot and tedious. We finally arrived in Lompoc, the City of Flowers. We drove out into the fields of acre after acre of flowers and vegetables.  The flowers were just beautiful.  We saw migrants picking and packaging lettuce and cabbage.  It was very interesting to watch them as they worked.  We then drove to Moro Bay, where we enjoyed a seafood dinner while watching a sea lion play in the water.  It was a nice way to end a great day.

Well to add to the above, the wrong turn which led us through LA and nose to nose traffic took its toll on both of us especially me. My blood sugars crashed and I was ready to go home that night. Shame on me but Linda was calm and I ate something and we got back on track. The part of the day to be remembered was the great and beautiful flowers in Lompoc. We took wonderful pictures and met a nice photographer. There were several good and memorable moments in this day.

June 1 - Moro Bay to Brookdale Ghost Lodge

From this day on, everything about this trip was better than expected and wonderful in everyway.

Posted thoughts:

We got up and went to Spencer's grocery store and bought some great muffins, especially the cranberry walnut ones for our journey up the coast.  It was a glorious sun shinny day.  Our first stop was just beyond the Hearst Castle at an elephant sea lion refuge.  We took many pictures and spent a long time watching the sea lions playing.  We drove the entire coastal highway past Big Sur all the way to Santa Cruz with our top down.  No sea fog this trip.  We stopped once at a gas station for directions but left there very quickly when we discovered that the price for regular gas was $4.59.9 per gallon.  We started to buy a gallon as a souvenir -hehehehe- no way!  It was a beautiful windy drive.  We saw many Sebring convertibles, probably all rentals.  We drove up through the red wood trees to Brookdale Lodge.  We had a great dinner in a very romantic setting.  The dinning room is the most special place in the Lodge, although, the whole atmosphere is very rustic and nice.  The stream was real with fish in it.  The only negative is that we have not seen a ghost, but we are still hopeful.

To add to the above thoughts, the drive up the coast was clear and beautiful. Linda and I watched sea lions play on our honeymoon at 6 Flags in Dallas, Texas  41 years ago and we have loved watching animals of all sorts ever since. We took so many pictures and the lions were wonderful.  The lodge was older but the room was large and very nice. The dining room was perfect. In all of our marriage, I can not remember a more perfect dining atmosphere. The food was just fine and the servers and other people added to the enjoyment of the evening. There was no ghost to be seen this night but there were more than a few chills.

 June 2, 2006 - Big Basin Redwood State Park and Santa Cruz,Ca.

Posted thoughts:

We got up reasonably early and moseyed into Boulder Creek about 5 miles away and sat at an internet cafe and uploaded pictures. It was really slow and nice. We went to Big Basin Redwood State park and walked in the Redwoods and enjoyed ourselves so much we got a tent site and set up a camp site.  We then drove into Santa Cruz about 15 miles away and went to a great Art Movie called Kinky Boots -about a shoe factory that re invented itself into a very viable company by making boots for a select market. We went to a great landmark Italian restaurant - Scopazzi's-It was wonderful with redwood walls and ceilings and wonderful food. A father, his son, and a friend camped next to us. It was a very slow and very nice day.

An interesting addition to the above thoughts is that when we arrived at the state park, there was no one there. We could have taken – or so we thought – any of the camp sites. We went to the ranger station to check in and were promptly told we could only have a camp site for that night as the park was sold out for the weekend. We were charged $25 for the site which was the most we paid the entire trip. We put our tent up and it was a glorious starry night and when we woke the next morning, the park was indeed full. We really enjoyed the mile long walk we took in the park. I climbed up on an old Redwood lying on its side and almost fell off.

In Santa Cruz, we saw the “Umbrella Man” as he is known. A small man dressed all in pink with a pink umbrella who walked very daintily around and posed for pictures. People there were very outgoing and friendly.  We liked this town a lot.

June 3, From Big Basin to Sacramento

Posted thoughts:

For a free day we did drive a lot but the day ended really well. We started out by uploading to our web the previous days pictures and thoughts. The Cafe, run by Olga whose birthday it was, had a 2 person band that attempted to play and entertain. They were loud and gave a good effort. We then drove a wonderful road over a mountain to Campbell where we got a seriously good deal on a camera at Fry's. We headed down to Monterey to go whale watching but about 30 minutes prior to the beginning of the trip; it was cancelled due to fog and rough water. We then decided to go to Sacramento to go Harness Racing and drove in the heat and traffic. We got a terrible motel and went to the races where we had a great time. Linda won about $20 and I lost about the same. The whole evening of racing cost us about $10.....cheap but fun!

Additional thoughts, the motel was crappy but the day was fine….We stopped an asked two California Highway Patrol people directions and during the conversation, we were asked how we felt about traffic in California. I said driving 70 in a 65 zone people were honking and yelling and running over me. The patrolman said,” If I see you doing 70 in a 65 zone, I will pull you over and ticket you for obstructing traffic.” Don’t know for sure if he was kidding or not but tended to believe him. He also pointed out the three lanes of traffic were for fast, faster and fastest traffic. I know he was not kidding about that!

 June 4th, Sacramento to The Bed of Roses, Yosemite

Posted thoughts:

We got up early and decided that we would head out to the Bed and breakfast where we were going to stay for a couple of days. We thought that we would not have as much traffic as on the week days but we were wrong.  We had to take a round about way because there was a land slide on the highway that leads to Yosemite.  It was hot but cooled down as we got closer to the mountains.  We arrived a little early to check in so we decided to go and ride the railroad which was a slow and very quite ride that was very nice.  Our bed and breakfast is just wonderful. Our room is great.  It is lined with cedar and has a 2 people Jacuzzi.  We went to dinner, came back and went swimming in the pool, then decided to try the 2 people tub.  The views from our balcony are beautiful.  This was truly an anniversary day.

Additional thoughts:

We stopped in the early middle of the day and went to Kohl’s and bought a couple of tops for each of us. It was very hot but we did very well. Our first B&B and the highlight of our trip much like Vision Quest Ranch was last year. There were no disappointments today! We bought some Spumante for tomorrow and had BBQ for dinner.  The two person Jacuzzi preceded by a dip in a wonderful pool was not only special but glorious. The time spent there was wonderful in every way. We think our children see us as old and we are but not that old. Tonight we were both young although with old bodies.

 June 5 - Our 41st Anniversary

Posted thoughts:

It was a glorious day from the breakfast with all the other guests to the exhausted but wonderful time in the Jacuzzi tub for two. After breakfast we drove to Yosemite falls and walked to the lower falls where we took many pictures. ...We also got eaten by mosquitoes. We immediately went to the local general store and bought spray and a spray tat was supposed to lesson the itching...it did a very little. We then walked to a deli where the electricity immediately went off due to the horrible land slide that happened the week before. We walked to another deli where we had a lunch and then back to the car. We drove slowly around the valley floor and up to Bridal Vail Falls. It was deliciously wet and cool as we walked to the very base. We drove to Glacier Point which is the most beautiful spot in Yosemite and then very tired we drove back to Oakhurst where we went to a internet cafe and uploaded the previous two days. Back to the B&B and in to the Tub. where among other things we drank Spumonti and ate Pizza, It was a glorious day!

Some additional thoughts would include: We stopped at the Valley Garage and thanked them for the wonderful job they did for us last year when our Miata lost a radiator hose. This was the first time we have really explored the Valley and it is marvelous. We will always remember our first up-close  view of Yosemite Falls and that wonderful walk.  For me the B&B and the Jacuzzi with Linda were the highlight again.

I don’t know how many more anniversaries we will have but may we have more like this one!

June 6, Bed of Roses to Lovelock, Nevada

 Posted thoughts:

We started the day with another great breakfast at Bed of Roses.  It is difficult to express just how special the last few days have been. Our hosts at Bed of Roses were wonderful as were our fellow guests.  It is a place where anyone could go and feel at home and special.  It is both romantic, private and yet extremely warm.  Our room was lined with cedar and the Jacuzzi tub for two is really meant for two.  We drove back through the Yosemite Valley stopping again to walk and take pictures at Yosemite falls.  We drove slowly and reluctantly out highway 120, we crossed over the Sierra's at Sonora Pass - 9624 feet. The snow was cooling and beautiful. We continued on to Lovelock, Nevada where we got a motel for the night.   Tomorrow we head on to Salt Lake City and then the next day on to Bozeman, Montana where we will pick up our Grandson, Zach who will join us for the remainder of our trip.  We are looking forward to having him with us.

Additional thoughts:

Nothing could compare to our stay at the Bed of Roses. Thank You God! We drove up a 26% grade near the Sonora Pass and even that was fun.  The second walk to the Falls was superseded only by the first time we walked it. We could not have had a nicer few days.

June 7 -Day in transition to Salt Lake City-Actually Layton

Posted thoughts:

We left early and drove just past Salt Lake to Layton which is near Hill AFB. We got the car washed; oil changed, bought a new SD card for our camera, ate Chinese, and went to a BAD movie - the Breakup. NOT FUNNY JUST SAD! The only pictures we took were of the Bonneville Salt Flats.

More thoughts: The traffic in Salt Lake was almost like being in LA and the construction was worse. Our motel was very nice but our dinner was just so-so. At the Salt Flats rest area, we saw a man with two young children in a truck. There were three ladies with more children in three other cars. They did not speak and kept to themselves but were obviously together. The resemblance of the children was startling. It was our first experience with a polygamous family. We have drawn no conclusions. We simply observed.

June 8 to Bozeman MT

Posted thoughts:

Well it was a quiet day and a nice easy drive to Bozeman. We took only a few pictures and went shopping in preparation of picking up our grandson Zach tomorrow morning. Thunderstorms are rolling through tonight. We pray they will not be a major issue this weekend in Yellowstone!

June 9, Picking up Zach and on to Slough Creek

 Posted thoughts:

Well we got up early, repacked the car and headed to the airport to pick up Zach. His plane was late but he got in safely and we were very excited to begin this part of our trip. We drove into Yellowstone NP through Gardner and went to Slough Creek to camp. It was a very good day as we toured the Lamar Valley. We saw many animals but the one I remember best was the mountain goat- a rarity anytime anywhere. This night we had a huge rainstorm and I decided to have everyone pack up and move to the car so all in all it was a very exciting first day and I think a pretty good one! John beat Zach and Linda at gin -6-3-3

Zach’s thoughts:

This morning I got up very early and took a flight at 7 o'clock and arrived at Denver at about 7:40. The funny part is the flight was about an hour and thirty minutes long (time zone change). I arrived at Bozeman, MT at around 11 o'clock. My first plane ride was okay but the second was very bumpy. When my grandparents picked me up, we went to Yellowstone NP and I saw more wild animals in one place than I have ever seen. That night was very confusing because one moment I was sleeping and the next I was carrying all of my clothes to the car. Over all this day was very exciting. Tonight we started playing a card game called Gin. We will play one game each night (maybe) and see who has the best score at the end of the trip. Tonight grandpa got the first win. The score is now 1 to 0 to 0.

Additional thoughts:

It is just a little scary having a 16 year old with you. It has been a long time since we really traveled with and were responsible for young adults. I almost did not recognize Zach when he got off the plane in that he looked so much older than I was ready for.  It surprises me but he almost seems to like playing cards with us as much as being here. Our prayer is that he will love these places and animals like we do. Even the rain could not take away from this first day of the second half of this trip.

June 10, tour of Yellowstone NP

Posted thoughts:

Today was a grand day although we were a little tired. We took Zach on a tour of Yellowstone. We drove the entire figure 8. We went into West Yellowstone and had a late breakfast and saw eagles on the way back into the park. We had lunch at Old Faithful and strangely enough Zach was not all that impressed. We saw Beehive have an explosion which was neat and rare. Zach fell asleep driving past Yellowstone Lake. Actually we took an hour break there. That night we drove into the Lamar Valley and we saw a multitude of animals including a close up with a bear. The thing Zack seems to like most so far is the close encounter with park Bison especially when they are all around us on the road. Tonight I won again at gin 5-2-0 with Linda getting shut out!

Zach’s thoughts:

Since I did not get a good night's sleep, I spent a lot of time sleeping in the car. The things that I remember the most were the buffalo in the middle of the road, the bald eagles, and the close up with the black bear. Tonight grandpa won again at gin. The score is now 2-0-0. I am scoring us not on the amount of games that each of us won. We play by points up to five and the person who reaches that first gets a point for the night.

Well additional thoughts:

We gave Zach a long but through tour of Yellowstone. We all were tired but it was day filled with moments of shear joy and also moments when we all were tired. There were no harsh words to spoil this day. When he actually saw a bear fairly close up was a great moment. His excitement and enjoyment of Buffalo being so close was totally a surprise. The fact he didn’t like Old Faithful and the Geyser pools as much as the animals was interesting to us. We had hot chocolates at Tower Falls and thoroughly enjoyed the place. Sadly two days later a 58 year old mom would fall to her death at the same Falls.  This was a really nice day!

June 11, Zach's 16th birthday.

 Posted thoughts:

We got up and the sky was bright and clear. We tried to call everyone so we could let them wish him a happy birthday. Zach wanted to take a hike so we walked the Wrath Falls walk which was about a mile total and before that we walked about a 1/2 mile at Hell Roaring Falls. Earlier we saw a cinnamon bear and real close a black bear. This night we saw wolves and an eagle and during the day we experienced buffalo on the road once more which seems to thrill Zach. This night -Zach won at gin 5-2-0 with Linda again being shut out. Well it was Zach's birthday. Tonight we had a violent windstorm but survived. Another very excellent day

Zach’s thoughts:

Today it was SUNNY! We saw another buffalo in the road and we saw a black bear up close. My grandpa also told me to go up close to 2 male elk. I was about 20 feet away from them before he told me to stop and take pictures. Later that night we saw a lone wolf running in the Lamar Valley. A little while later I spotted 2 wolves running behind a herd of buffalo. While looking at them we saw a bald eagle on top of a tree. That was really cool. Tonight I WON GIN! The score is now2-1-0. Tonight we experienced some very violent winds that tore the tents stakes out of the ground. Very exciting day. Best so far!

Ok, it was a great day. The walking was fun and the Badger, Marmot, Woodchuck, or whatever it was, we really enjoyed. Watching Zach and Linda from the tent as they made a fire each night and cooked hot dogs was fun. One of my greatest happiness is found watching Linda and Zach have fun. The wolves really excited Zach.

June 12, Yellowstone to Jenny Lake in Grand Tetons

Posted thoughts:

We had a nice yet windy night for our final night in Slough Creek. We drove out past fishing bridge into the Grand Tetons. We got a great camping site at Jenny Lake with a fantastic view of the Tetons. We went into Jackson and made white water reservations for tomorrow. We uploaded several days of pictures. We drove around Oxbow bend and played cards into the night. Once again Zach won 5-4-2 with me having the 2. I think it was a good day.

Zach’s thoughts:

Despite a windy night, we had a good day. On our way out of Yellowstone, we encountered one last buffalo in the middle of the street. We stopped at Fishing Bridge and saw some fish. We left for the Grand Tetons. While in the Grand Tetons, we saw some elk, deer, and moose. We saw 2 moose before we got a camping site. After we got the camping site, we drove around looking for wildlife. We were entering some heavily wooded areas when we came across a big male moose. He was way off in the distance so I could not get a good picture. We looked for mountain lions but we did not find any. That night, I WON AGAIN! The score is now 2-2-0. Grandpa and I are now tied and I plan to pass him soon. Another good day.

Whitewater on the Snake

Posted thoughts;

Today we went whitewater rafting on the Snake with the Dave Hansen Raft Company. It was great as Linda sat beside Zach in the front of the raft. I sat behind them. Later we will scan and upload actual pictures taken during the Lunch Counter rapid. We spent some time at an internet cafe uploading pictures during the late afternoon heat and then went looking for animals. It was a very good day. I won at gin tonight 5-3-2 with Linda having the 2 wins. Zach says I lead 3-2 now.

Zach’s thoughts:

Today we went white water rafting. I sat in the front as the left lead rower. Since I was in the front, I got all of splashes more intensely than everyone else. It was really cool. After we finished white water rafting, we went to an internet cafe where we spent 3 hours working on grandpa's website. After that we went looking for animals. That night, grandpa won at Gin. The score is now 3-2-0. An awesome day!

Other thoughts:

Linda struggled walking up the hill at the end of the white water trip as did I. We still made it and it was a fine day. Linda sat next to Zach and I sat behind them and watched them far most of the trip. That was as much fun as the trip.

Going to Colorado

 Posted thoughts:

After a massive rainstorm we got up and put things as best we could in the car and left to get a motel in Fort Collins, Colorado. Along the way we went through the high plains desert of Wyoming which Zach did not like. We also went through the Snowy Range drive highway 130 to Laramie where we saw Sand Hill Crane, a weasel, and a moose. We went swimming in a pool and took long hot showers which really worked! Zach won 5-3-3 tonight to tie-up our competition!

Zach’s thoughts:

Last night there was a big rainstorm and we packed up the tent without folding it properly because it was too wet. Since everything was so wet, we packed the car as best we could without doing it nicely. We went on towards Colorado and on the way; grandma spotted 2 weasels, a moose, and 2 Sand Hill Crane. We drove through the middle of nowhere for miles until we entered a little mountain road where we saw the moose and the weasel. The trees ended as abruptly as they had started. Then we were back into the desert of the middle of nowhere. During the drive, grandma and I played Gin and I had 9 points and she had 2 points. That night I went swimming after having a very nice shower. We ate pizza as we played our nightly game of Gin. I WON TONIGHT! The score is now 3-3-0. Grandpa and I are tied again. I still intend to win at Gin this trip. A pretty cool day.

Other thoughts: Boy were we in need of a shower and a real bed!!!  The side trip along the Snowy Range Road was a fine idea. We discovered this road last year and it sure relieved the hot desert we had been driving through. Another good day!

June 15 -Rocky Mountain NP

Posted thoughts:

We got up refreshed and drove through the Rocky Mountain NP.  We found ourselves in a small snow shower at 11,750 feet at the top of the park. On the way out we saw a moose and we also saw plenty of elk in the park.  We went to Casa Bonita, a Mexican restaurant with a diving pool inside. The food is mediocre but the setting is superb. Linda won 5-3-1 in gin with me having the 3 and Zach only 1 win total. 3-3-1 is the official score with Linda finally breaking through!

Zach’s thoughts:

Today we went through Rocky Mountain National Park and drove through an area which was at an elevation of almost 12,000 feet. Very high! We saw a moose and took a lot of pictures. We also saw a lot of elk. When we arrived at Denver, we ate at a cool restaurant called Casa Bonita. There were many shows and skits that were performed every 15 minutes. The food was pretty good but the shows were better. That night I went swimming in one of our hotel's 3 pools. That night, grandma finally won a game of Gin. What do you know? It's about time. The score is now 3-3-1. A pretty cool day.

Other thoughts:

Well our motel was really great and thanks to Hotwire extremely cheap. The drive out of the NP was longer than we remembered but it was fine. This was the last day we posted pictures and thoughts so I will fill in the rest of the way.

June 16 – Free Day in Denver

We took it easy. We went to a mall and walked and to the movies and saw XMen – The Final Stand and it wasn’t bad. We had lunch at a soup and salad place and it was surprisingly good. The highlight of the night was taking Linda and Zach to the Broadway play, Movin’ Out. A rock band played Billy Joel music while dancers danced out the story. At first it was hard to follow but became really interesting and the dancing was fabulous. We had a very very late dinner at a deli style place which was fair. By the way, Zach can really eat! A good way to spend our last full vacation day!

 June 17 –Flea Market in Denver back to Wichita

 Well Zach liked the Flea market! It was hot and we took our time.  Zach bought every knife he could afford and then some – well ok he bought a few knives and a dragon statue. Linda bought a cast iron pot and I bought a $3 hand held CB radio that took $3.50 worth of batteries. We left and went to Hammon’s Candy factory where we took a tour and mailed some candy to Nikki. We bought five pieces of Sugar free candy which promptly melted and no one got to eat. The drive home was long but we played cards and the time passed quickly. We stopped in Hays for supper and got home around 11:30PM. Grant came and picked Zach up after the car was unloaded.

Final Thoughts:

John:

I don’t know what I expected and I was worried about money as things were tight. We overspent and yet I regret not one penny. The nights at the Bed of Roses and the dinner at the Brookdale Lodge were just wonderful. The time with Zach was different and yet equally wonderful in a totally different way.  As long as it is possible I intend to take a trip like this because the time spent together can never be replaced and money can not be the dominant factor in our life no matter that it seems to be. My special moments would have to be the first night in the Jacuzzi tub at the Bed of Roses with Linda and with Zach, the first time Buffalo surrounded our car. I also liked when he pretended to be “drunk” while talking to his mom and Aunt Jamie after drinking a tiny bottle of Spumonte on his birthday. It was funny and sweet. The drives and walks through Yosemite, the Grand Canyon and my “proposal”, the flowers, Santa Cruz, the Sea Lions, are among other special moments with Linda I will always remember.

Linda

This was an unusual trip to start out with because we booked several nights in advance and we weren’t sure how that was going to work.  We normally like to be spontaneous and end up were we end up.  One of the nicest moments began at sundown at the Grand Canyon when my husband of 41 years got down on one knee and finally asked me to marry him.  He never really asked me 41 years ago, just knew that I would marry him.  It was better now because it took him more time and effort to get up and down on one knee on that rough sidewalk.   I enjoyed our dinner at the Brookdale Lodge, but the nicest night with John, was on our anniversary at the Bed of Roses, when we used the two person Jacuzzi, drank a small bottle of Spumonti and had pizza for dinner.  The walks and sights in all the places we visited very beautiful.  The second half of our trip with Zach was different but very special.  It was so much fun watching him try to get fires started so we could roast hot dogs.  They seem to taste better over a fire.  I don’t think I will get over just how happy has was when he beat us (John or me) in our nightly card game.  We had to play even to the point of using a flash light to see our cards when it got dark.  I loved seeing him as he saw a new animal in the wild.  His thought was that they were really free and that was special.  The white watering was fun, but I was afraid that he was going out of the boat a couple of times, but neither of us did.  I think that the next time he goes to a Flea Market he will have a better idea of just how to bargain. All and all it was a very special time, one that I will always remember and cherish.  

Zach

Vacation Summary

I took two flights to Bozeman, Montana and then we headed to Yellowstone. While we were there, we saw a lot of buffalo, antelope, deer, elk, and chipmunks. We also saw a few wolves, a few moose, a few bear, and a mountain goat. There was unkind weather for two of the three nights that we stayed there. We left for the Grand Tetons and camped there for two nights. It rained on the second night. While in the Tetons, we saw a lot of elk and some moose. During the second day, we went white water rafting down the Snake River. We left on the second day for Rocky Mountain National Park and we went through an area where there was almost absolutely nothing and just barren. We got a brief respite as we took a road into a mountain but then we were back in the barren land as the trees ended very abruptly. We went down into Denver and stayed at the Four Points Sheridan. While in Denver, we saw X-Men 3 and we saw the rock ballet show, Moving Out. I also spent a lot of time swimming in the Sheridan’s heated pools. When we were finished there, we began the 550 miles back to Wichita. We played cards most of the way. I won the contest of daily cards in the game Gin. This was a cool trip!