Our 47th Anniversary Trip

One of the most interesting things for us this trip was that we had our picture taken by our daughter and so many others in every place we visited or it seemed like every place. Perhaps that is not so unusual as we often have our picture taken together on these trips but still we think this is a highlight of this particular trip so we have included a page with just our pictures on It!

May 25, 2012 through June 16th, 2012

The day began early as we got up and went to the Nature Center where we walked and showed off our new signs which our children had conspired to place on our red mustang convertible. The signs which we were not certain we totally appreciated rapidly became a focal part of our trip. Everywhere we were to go people reacted in overt and more ways. People would honk, give thumbs up, applaud and insist on not only talking with us but having their pictures taken with us. Young newly married couples and couples married even longer than Linda and me not only smiled but spoke and often wanted their photo taken with us.

At the nature center we saw the rarest sight we have seen ever there, a tree filled with egrets and herons. Usually they are very solitary birds. I ran back to the car to get the camera and made it back just before the birds flew from the tree.

We left and went to Linda’s doctor’s appointment and this also went very well. Except for weight which we both fight constantly, her breathing is better than ever

Finally we are off! We drove from Wichita to Moriority New Mexico where we stayed in a Motel 6 Studio. It was a long day but a good first day and I think it set the standard for this trip. There would be moments of concern but mostly there would be days of loving companionship and pleasure

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May 26th A nice beginning with our daughter Gigi in Flagstaff

The highlight of the early part of this day was leaving the interstate and driving into a smoke filled road toward an Indian ruin we had never seen but promptly turning around when we realized driving in smoke was not one of our better ideas. We were surprised at just how much smoke there was even on the interstate west of Albuquerque New Mexico.

We continued to Flagstaff where we almost ran out of gas for really the only time this entire trip.

In Flagstaff we were welcomed by our oldest daughter Gigi who promptly took us to a wonderful place for brunch –Brandy’s. Brandy’s had been featured on TV’s Diner’s Drive-ins, and Dives show. The food and pricing was great. Gigi also took her mother shopping and bought her candles and chocolate. This was to be the first of many such meals this trip. Linda and I agree we ate better this trip than any previous trip. We aren’t certain why but seemed to just work out that way. We visited the hospital she is fixing and went to dinner at another great place – a Brewery in the city. It was a very good time and would continue for another two days with our daughter.

May 27th –Phoenix for a baseball game

The next day we got up early and went to Phoenix to watch the Arizona DBacks play a baseball game. Linda and I had purchased the tickets online and the seats were just fine and the game was fun but the drive to and from Phoenix was the day’s highlight. Our daughter insisted on putting her rental on cruise at 82 and trying not to take it off. Her mother and I laughed and talked with her the entire trip. For us spending this private time with our oldest overachieving daughter was easily very special. In Phoenix we drove past the comic book convention and saw people dressed in various costumes.

At the game Gigi bought me a tee shirt and hat. It was my first visit to this stadium and although it was clean and had a swimming pool inside the stadium, I did not think it was a grea t baseball stadium. Perhaps a little too fancy for me.

On the way home we ate at a great Seafood restaurant –PappaDeaux- where we had a very unusual experience in that Gigi ended up not paying anything for all of our meals and getting a $50 gift certificate and a free desert. She gave us the gift certificate which we used later on the trip. The easiest way is to say my meal was just fine as was the desert but Gigi and Linda’s meals were completely messed up.

We ended the day by playing gin and I allowed both ladies to win. Another very nice day!

May 28th – Train to Grand Canyon

None of us had ever taken the Williams train to the Grand Canyon so of course this is what we did today. We had breakfast at her place and then got to the train station fairly early where we took pictures of the “gun fight”, I bought cheap tee shirts for all of us, and we boarded the observation car on the train which was a costly upgrade by the way. The train moved excruciatingly slow and I am not kidding. It was a pleasant if not spectacular ride going and coming. On the way back the train was held up by masked men on horses and we were robbed by a masked man with a gun. OK a bit much but was included in the ride. There was also an

entertainer both going and coming from Williams. I bought Linda and Gigi a drink on the way up and champagne was provided on the way back.

The Grand Canyon was as always the most spectacular of places. We took a bus tour which limited our experience this day but still it was very nice. On our own time we walked up to the lodge and took pictures. There was a Native American Indian family dancing and we took pictures of them and their beautiful costumes.

That night Gigi bought her mother expensive and very good fitting shoes. One pair of those shoes Linda chooses not wear because she doesn’t want to get a scratch on them. She says they are too pretty. Ok! We ate at a very fine hamburger place called the Bun Hugger. It was really good.

May 29th – To Oceanside Ca. through Joshua tree NP & Salton Sea

We left early and drove down through Sedona and stopped to take pictures at a bridge. The red rocks are enormous and mysterious and especially beautiful in the morning sun.

We continued up a steep mountain through a unique city that seemed to be built right on the edge of the mountain. The highlight of this long day had to be the seeing of the Salton Sea for the first time. The sea itself rose out of the desert like a mirage but was very real. We drove through a mostly deserted and rundown subdivision that bordered the very edge of the Sea. We took pictures of workers picking grapes and of other orchards. On the way there we drove into the Joshua Tree NP which was less than expected and we did not expect all that much. It was hot dry, dusty and out of the way unless you wanted to see it or the Salton Sea.

We drove from 100 plus degree temperatures about 120 miles up and over the California Mountains to Oceanside California where we stayed at a Fairfield Marriot provided by Gigi.

May 30th –San Diego Zoo

We went to the San Diego Zoo today and had a nice time. The day began by driving in the very demanding traffic. We found our way to the Zoo parking lot and a nice lady was taking a picture of our car with the anniversary sign. She spoke and was very nice. She said she was a member of the Zoo and would like to take one of us as her guest which saved us $42 and was a most generous thing to do. The zoo was as usual a very up and down place which we love. We also were treated so very nice by a young woman working where we bought our breakfast inside the zoo. We took many pictures and twice visited the Panda’s.

We fell back in love with the Red Panda and took many pictures.

We had another nice day!

May 31st –Whale Watching and Botanical Garde ns.

This morning we drove into Newport Beach and went whale watching only we did not see any whales. What we did see was a huge white fish – a mola mola – and many dolphins. We had a nice and relatively inexpensive morning and then drove along the beach back to the world famous San Diego Botanical Gardens.

Ok the gardens were not what we expected them to be but still very much worth seeing. Not very many blooming flowers yet an abundance of rain forest items and desert items. We took pictures and went back to the motel very tired. Perhaps this was the day that our expectations were not met completely. Still it was a nice day and by using coupons and our Wichita Botanical Garden’s membership we did not spend a lot of money.

June 1st – To Sequoia NP

We drove to Sequoia NP today through Visalia and we had to stop for road construction on the Park Entrance Road. We met and took pictures with a motorcycle group (gang). They were very nice and we posed with one of their motorcycles. We got a nice tent camping spot far from the main entrance to the camp. The bathroom was up a “big” hill.

On the way up this road we stopped and took a picture of “tunnel Rock”. We have a picture of the same rock when our oldest daughter was about 15 and she was standing on the top of it. The picture also shows me taking a picture of both Nikki and Gigi at this rock which you no longer drive through or climb on.

We went for a drive through the tree to Crescent Meadow and took pictures of a mother black bear and her two cubs which were chased up a tree by another bear. We took pictures of the huge grand Sequoia’s and in general had a nice day.

We find we must acknowledge that we get tired more quickly than we used to. It is difficult but ok to grow old.

June 2nd – Sequoia NP

Today we made the long walk to Tharp’s Log in Crescent Meadows. We made it and took pictures including two a small rainbow trout in a pond close to the path. We also walked Circle Meadow and met a couple who had their picture taken with us and who were celebrating as we were their anniversary. They had been married 53 years which meant he and I had been married to the “same” woman for a 100 years.

We saw a deer and more black bear. It was a very good day,

June 3rd – Camping in Yosemite NP

We drove through Oakhurst but did not see “Bed of Roses” one of our favorite places and so continued to Yosemite where we got a great camping spot in the upper pines area.

We then drove to Glacier Point another of our special places where we enjoyed having our picture taken and talking with many well-wishers. We took a lot of pictures. People were incredibly nice to us and treated us as though our presence and our marriage made them feel very good. The whole trip this was a continuing thing and so so very nice. It was entirely due to the wonderful signs on our car.

We drove back to tunnel view and stopped for even more pictures and more people being nice.

We then drove to Bridal Veil Falls where after having more wonderful people encounters, while Linda was in the necessary room, I spotted a small brown (black) bear. Linda came out of the bathroom and called to me. I turned and headed back toward her and our car. The little bear followed me as though he was my puppy. Obviously we were a little nervous. It was way past twilight so I took pictures with my flash but managed to get a few of this moment in time. The little bear went to the car next to ours and got on the trunk only to set off all sorts of alarms which so startled it, that up a tree he (she) went very quickly and the moment was over. It was however a lasting memory and a great minute or so.

We took a picture of a large Hispanic Family and hope they will email us so we can send it to them.

Wow another fine vacation day!

June 4th – Yosemite Falls and on to Santa Cruz

This morning we got up early and I had a terrible scare. Linda not breathing great went to the necessary room. I was worried but thought she was ok and then I saw a young woman running from the bathroom. It never occurred to me she was simply running. Another woman left then in what I perceived to be hurry. I immediately leaped to a wrong conclusion and ran as fast as I could up the hill where at the bathroom I stopped long enough to shout – Linda, are you ok?Thank God I asked if she was ok before charging into her space! Of course she said yes and I totally out of breath went to the men’s room to die among other things.

We then – after recovering broke camp and went to Yosemite Falls. We saw a deer and walked to the Falls and took more pictures and again met more wonderful people. A Chinese woman invited us to spend our 50th anniversary in her home in China. Wow!

We took more pictures of the Valley and then drove to Santa Cruz. Around Los Banos highway we ran into a terrible dust storm where we were forced to a complete stop which was a bit terrifying. Then we ran into a nasty rain storm. Finally we arrived to a wonderful Fairfield Motel in Capitola California where there was a fabulous chandelier of a jelly fish in the lobby.

June 5th 2012, Our 47th Anniversary, Whale Watching and Monterey Fish House

Today we celebrate 47 years of marriage.

Love, sex, children, grandchildren and so much more.

It seems like yesterday and yet it could be today! Are we still in love – Yes! We need, depend and even want each other and try so much harder to please each other. We are short, fat and surviving and not nearly as viable as we once were and yet, we are still here and we touch each other constantly. We work at our relationship and our marriage and what we do works. God is indeed a daily part of our being and has always been present in a very real way for us. We are thankful and fearful but determined to not allow fear to dominate us.

Today we drove to Monterey and went on another whale watching trip. We saw whales and our anniversary was announced on the boat and people celebrated with us.

While the weather did not bother us, the swells were 5 to 7 feet and some even more and we were on a smaller boat. Many people -75% or more became sea sick and there were a lot of sad looking faces. Linda and I were just fine and had a great time!

We had a romantic and wonderful early dinner at the Monterey Fish House. This is a 5 star restaurant.

We made love this night and had champagne.

It was a very good and nice day!

June 6th – To Oakland

Today we drove up the coast to Oakland. We stopped at Twin Peaks where we had our picture taken and we took many pictures. More nice people celebrated our marriage and I think I got turned around and may have run a red light in Fremont California although I cannot remember the circumstances. Our motel again provided through Gigi was upgraded at no cost to a two person Jacuzzi room which we enjoyed with great zeal and chocolates and yes a bottle of champagne. We had a nice dinner at the Italian Restaurant where Gigi had taken us years ago in Vallejo when she worked there.

We stopped early because we were tired and we were in tune with how we felt and what we were doing.

June 7th, Oakland A’s Game and on to Reno

We went to an afternoon game at Oakland and we sat with a former pro football player who had a super bowl ring and had played with Johnny Unitas of the Baltimore Colts. People were wonderful to us; we had a great seat and watched the young Japanese phenom Yu Darvish pitch and get beat. We saw all the great Texas Rangers players including Adrian Beltre one of my players.

I got a baseball from the Pitching Coach and he signed it and the park gave Linda a button that said, it’s my anniversary!

We then drove to Reno where we had a horrible Motel 6 Experience. A panhandler came to our room, there were 6 or more police there in the middle of the night and the manager did nothing. Wow!

We drove through the worst traffic on the trip to get there. It took us 3 and ½ hours to go 68 miles and that was from Oakland to Sacramento and still we had a nice day.

June 8th and 9th –Reno to Twin Falls and on to Jenny Lake

Did not take many pictures this day as we traveled through “Zachery Land”

Another words it was hot and desolate. We stopped in Twin Falls and bought

Linda two outfits so she did not have to wash anything. We took pictures of the

gorge in Twin Falls and then drove on to Idaho Falls where we took nice

pictures of a Mormon Temple behind the falls. In Idaho Falls there was a nice

water round about water sculpture which we took pictures of.

We had a very nice drive into Jenny Lake up and over the mountain. We saw a healthy moose as we entered the Teton NP and got a nice tent site at Jenny Lake. There was relief on our part when we finally got set up at Jenny Lake.

June 10^th – Jenny lake

We took a nice and leisurely drive completely around the Tetons. We saw Bison on Antelope Flats Road and we also saw Long Horned Cattle near Gros Ventre Campground. We also stopped and took magnificent pictures of a moose and a brand new calf. We have pictures of the new calf nursing from its mother and that is rare.

We saw a second newborn calf and moose mom just across the road near the bridge.

Our day was not done yet as we came upon a bear jam and saw “399” and her 3 cubs. The ranger had us go up a hill and we had to take pictures from a long ways away but still we got some nice shots of this famous grizzly and her 3 cubs.

It was a grey cloudy day and snowed that morning. Stayed cold cloudy all day so we could not see the Tetons.

We went to Jackson and bought $10 sweat hoodies – jackets to be warmer. Mine said Mackinaw Island.

June 11^th – Tetons to Roosevelt Lodge Yellowstone NP

Wow this was a wow day- a wonderful wow day. We have never encountered so many humans in the Park so very early in the summer. We were most fortunate to get a room at Roosevelt Lodge for the next 3 nights. This was the first time we have ever been able to stay with them and it was a notable and good experience. There were no other rooms anywhere in the park for the foreseeable future.

Leaving the Tetons we had a most beautiful clear morning. We took pictures and had our picture taken and they turned out great. This was easily the best picture taking day of our trip. We had our pictures taken at the Oxbow and at Lewis Falls among other locations.

We took pictures of Elk that are nice up by Jackson Lodge near to Coulter Bay.

We drove to Gardner after getting our room settled and had an expensive and yucky lunch downtown. They saw you coming so to speak and were not shy about getting your money and did not give you very much for it. The good news is on the way back into Yellowstone we encountered Big Horn Sheep up close and so very personal and took many pictures. We then went past Bison back to the Lamar Valley and once again encountered Big Horn Sheep. An off duty ranger whom we got to meet insisted on my moving back toward the road and I did if slowly. He was and is a real nice young man. Neal Kocurek is his name and I hope he will email us. We really like him.

We had a wonderful dinner at the lodge and used all of our logs to heat us that night in our rustic cabin. Lighting your own fire in the wood stove is the only source of heat – besides the bed.

June 12^th –Roosevelt Lodge to Cody Wyoming & back across the Chief Joseph Highway

The tittle says it all. We made the 200 plus mile round trip and we moseyed and took our time. It was a wonderful driving day. We saw grizzly and 2 cubs from about a half mile away on the way out and coming back the view was incredible. The Chief Joseph Highway is completely paved – our first time many years ago none of it was paved. It is much safer and more pleasant now to drive.

We actually saw no animals until we returned to the park from Cody where right after re-entering we saw from a very very long way away- mountain goats. We had been told of their existence but had never encountered them and this time we got pictures – not very good ones – but still you can make out what they are. This was a huge and most pleasant of surprises. Once again people were increasingly nice to us and as noted this was one of the best things of our trip. We had no idea our signs would create so much love and warmth not just for us but really for our 47 years of marriage.

Later as we drove back to the Lodge we saw a wolf feeding on a Bison carcass from a ways a way. Again the pictures are not great but it was from a very long distance we took them. We had a second great meal at the Lodge and Linda while drinking a Yellowstone Sunset drink and sitting with me in old wooden rocking chairs on the porch, spotted a mother bear and her two cubs as they wondered into the parking area. What a neat moment and no camera handy. We then saw a deer run through our parking lot and lodge area. All this while waiting to be called into the dining room for dinner where we were seated at a most desirable window table. What a day!

June 13^th – The Chuck wagon Day

We drove out to the Lamar Valley and up to Tower Falls most of the day. We went looking for a “black” moose which our young ranger had told us about and while the moose had moved on, Linda spotted another black bear. We got some pictures and went to Tower Falls and took more pictures. We then went back to the Mountain Goat area and yes we saw the goats once more. We even walked up on the hillside in order to get a better view however snow, wind and rain sent us back to the car. We drove toward mammoth Hot Springs and saw another black bear near the road.

We turned around and went back to our lodge and went on the Chuck Wagon dinner ride. It was pretty exciting because of the weather which was the worst of the trip and our horses decided to rear up and act out their newness to being harnessed to the wagon. It was their first trip out and they showed their inexperience but the wranglers were good and nice.

The steaks were great! I had two and did not worry about the sides which were adequate. The desert was so so. Linda liked the sides.

All in all another fine day! W eather isn’t going to be a deterrent on our vacation!

A newly married couple was in the cabin next to us on their very first honeymoon night!

June 14^th – The Geyser Day and trip to Rawlings

We reluctantly left Roosevelt and made our way to Fire Hole Road where we again took pictures and had our pictur3e taken. More nice people! We went to a drive Linda always has liked where we took a picture of beautiful pools of clear blue and hot waters. We took pictures of a geyser spouting from a short distance and we saw more animals.

We saw a black bear on the way to the Fire Hole. We saw more Bison and we took more pictures. At Old Faithful we were in a Bison traffic jam. We took a picture of a baby bison and we headed back to Jackson where we got gas and avoided a huge and horrible accident that closed the road we had just come over.

We looked but saw none of the wild horse herds we had hoped to see on our way to Rawlings. We got to Rawlings, and crashed very tired.

June 15^th Rawlings to Denver

When we left Rawlings the smoke from the fire near Fort Collins, over 175 miles away was so thick we could not breathe well and we were quite concerned. We chose not to drive through the Snowy Range because of it and we could not drive highway 14 through the Poudre River valley because of it. In Denver however, the air was mostly clear and very breathable. Highway 287 was clear and the fire was visible from there. The clouds over the Poudre river were not really puffy clouds but white billowing smoke from the fire.

We were welcomed back to the Denver Drury Inn as though we were old friends and our room was upgrade to a suite without our asking. We went to the Chez Artist and saw two movies both of which were excellent. We had dinner at Pappa Deaux and the meal was not only perfect but with our gift certificate the cost was $1.93 – Well $16.93 as I added a $15 tip. The desert was so incredible we could not finish it and took it back to the motel.

June 16^th – Flea Market, Denver Botanical Garden, and Le Central

We began the day by going to the Flea Market and we walked in the hot sun for well over two hours but spent very little money! Still it is a neat place to go and if we had gone earlier in the day we might have found more but we slept in as we decided that was what we wanted to do.

Denver Botanical is always a neat and special place and yes we took many pictures and we enjoyed seeing people gettin g married there.

We left and went to Le Central for an incredibly good brunch at a very good price. We got a free desert because they recognized us and somehow knew it was our anniversary trip.

We went to a movie and again it was a very fun movie – Hysteria!

We went to bed early and our last vacation day came to a nice easy end.

Summary

It was a great trip! There were moments of tension, especially when we are tired and we are tired more often than we used to be. There were many more moments of pleasure and that is the dominant memory of this trip. As usual we saw many things and some that were a first for us. We did not get to a theatre for a show but we went to many movies that were great. There were many special moments that I cherish forever especially sitting in Jacuzzi tub drinking champagne and eating chocolates with my wife. The days spent with Gigi were so very special. Will we ever have time like that again? We wonder. Above all else the sign on our car which was Jamie’s idea and Gigi helped get brought more pleasure and more joy than anyone could have imagined. Every day it was acknowledged, smiles happened, people laughed and we were happy. It is something that we would have never expected and even now we smile thinking about it and the reception it got and the love it brought us from everyone who saw it. This trip was a little different in many ways but no less than any other great anniversary trip we have ever taken. Finally finances are always important and so we budgeted $3500 and hoped to stay under $4000. We actually spent only $3285 of which a thousand was for gas. Gigi took care of many motels and obviously that saved us a bunch.

To sum up it was a great and wonderful 47^th anniversary adventure and we thank God for it!

Linda and John Flakes