It was time to get our MINI Cooper serviced, and with MINI Coopers you MUST go to an authorized MINI to get the service (even BMW dealers aren't supposed to service MINIs unless they are also a franchized MINI dealer! For us that means a couple of hour drive to Williamsville, NY which is near Buffalo. So, we decided to make a mini-vacation of it.
On the first day, we drove the loaner MINI to East Aurora, New York (which is about 150 miles west of Aurora - go figure) to check out the Roycrofters museum and complex. If you are into the craftsman style, this is a worthwhile trip. East Aurora is a nice little town - and that's all I have to say about that.
We spent the night in the Quality Inn and Suites in Niagara Falls, NY. We have stayed there several times before and don't find any problems with the hotel. It is conveniently located within an easy walk to the New York side of the Niagara Falls park area and is very close to the Rainbow Bridge to Canada.
We did the obligatory walk down to the US falls. If you have never been there, it is a US vacation destination you have to try. Unfortunately, the best views of both the US and Canadian falls is from the Canadian side, still, both sides are impressive.
On Saturday, we drove over to Canada and drove north along the Niagara Parkway stopping by two Canadian Wineries in the Niagara-on-the-Lake area. Their wineries are different than the Finger Lakes New York wineries. Their tastings are more tightly controlled by the Provincial government - limited to just 4 tastings not to exceed 1 ounce each. Makes it hard to get a tasting of the full range of wines. Pellar Estates is my favorite of the wineries in the area, but it is an upscale tasting experience.
We walked around Niagara-on-the-Lake checking out the numerous shops and stopped at the oldest golf course in North America for a beer on their patio. Later, it was lunch in the Angel Inn - our favorite dining location in that area.
Back to Niagara Falls, NY for a final night and then back home along the southern edge of Lake Ontario and then south to Elmira.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Olympic National Park
After an extra night in the Hampton Inn in Bremerton, we struck out on Route 3 north from Bremerton until we got to Route 101 and followed it for the next two days.
Along the way, we spied a lavender farm and stopped for a visit. Apparently, the valley in that area makes for some of the best lavender growing in the country - but we didn't buy any plants.
We stopped for lunch in Port Angeles, right on the Strait of Juan De Fuca. We had intended to go into the National Park here, but turns out the it was a Monday and the road into the park is being worked on during the week so that was out.
Continuing on Route 101 heading west, we came to a small park with a trail to Mary Falls, needless to say, with a name like that we had to make the trek. Into the woods we went, and the feeling was primordial forest! Large trees, very large trees, moss growing on almost everything since this is close to a temperate rain forest. The falls weren't that spectacular, but it was a nice little respite.
We kept driving and saw on the map a place called Rialto Beach. That was one of the most spectacular beaches I have ever seen - and I have seen a lot of beaches from Australia to the Mediterranean, South America and the Caribbean to England - and this was the greatest! Many huge logs have drifted onto the beach, many 5 to 6 feet in diameter and all of a driftwood texture. Off shore there are many sea mounts adding to the effect. That night we stayed at a cheap motel in Forks, WA.
The next day we continued south and stopped at a couple more beaches, but none as impressive as Rialto beach.
A side trip into the temperate rainforest of Olympic national park and some more "primordial" forest that we will remember all lives.
Then the long trip back to the Seatac airport area for our last night in Washington.
This day was also Mary's birthday so we went out to dinner at a local restaurant to celebrate.
In the morning, up and at it, shuttle to the airport and on to a USAIR flight home. USAIR sure knows how to do domestic first class a lot better than NWA.
Along the way, we spied a lavender farm and stopped for a visit. Apparently, the valley in that area makes for some of the best lavender growing in the country - but we didn't buy any plants.
We stopped for lunch in Port Angeles, right on the Strait of Juan De Fuca. We had intended to go into the National Park here, but turns out the it was a Monday and the road into the park is being worked on during the week so that was out.
Continuing on Route 101 heading west, we came to a small park with a trail to Mary Falls, needless to say, with a name like that we had to make the trek. Into the woods we went, and the feeling was primordial forest! Large trees, very large trees, moss growing on almost everything since this is close to a temperate rain forest. The falls weren't that spectacular, but it was a nice little respite.
We kept driving and saw on the map a place called Rialto Beach. That was one of the most spectacular beaches I have ever seen - and I have seen a lot of beaches from Australia to the Mediterranean, South America and the Caribbean to England - and this was the greatest! Many huge logs have drifted onto the beach, many 5 to 6 feet in diameter and all of a driftwood texture. Off shore there are many sea mounts adding to the effect. That night we stayed at a cheap motel in Forks, WA.
The next day we continued south and stopped at a couple more beaches, but none as impressive as Rialto beach.
A side trip into the temperate rainforest of Olympic national park and some more "primordial" forest that we will remember all lives.
Then the long trip back to the Seatac airport area for our last night in Washington.
This day was also Mary's birthday so we went out to dinner at a local restaurant to celebrate.
In the morning, up and at it, shuttle to the airport and on to a USAIR flight home. USAIR sure knows how to do domestic first class a lot better than NWA.
Navy Nuclear Weapons Association 22nd Annual Reunion
Hosted by John Gray, the Navy Nuclear Weapons Association held its 22nd annual reunion in Bremerton, WA. Our host hotel was the Hampton Inn located right on the waterfront of Bremerton. The hotel is part of a complex which includes the ferry landing, the USS Turner Joy destoyer floating museum and the Kitsap County's convention center. All in all a pretty good venue for the reunion.
With about 120 attendees, many old friendships were renewed and new friendships forged.
The Navy Nuclear Weapons Association (NNWA) is a nationwide organization of military and civilian participants in the US Navy Department nuclear weapons program during the years 1946 to present. Many of its members meet annually in September or October at various locations across the US to reminisce with long-lost friends, provide support with veterans affairs and medical information, visit historical sites, enjoy quality entertainment in hospitable environs, and salute our departed. The NNWA website is http://www.navynucweps.com/.
The reunion began on Wednesday, September 24th with registration and gatherings in the hospitality suite. On Thursday, the scheduled event was a Group Bus trip to Clearwater Casino for dinner and entertainment.
Several of us decided to go on a Gray Lines tour of the Boeing factory north of Seattle. After taking the ferry back to Seattle (again), we were met by the bus at the waterfront and taken on our tour. Unfortunately, Boeing's mechanics union has chosen this time to go on strike!!! We didn't get to see the factory where the Boeing Dreamline is being built. We did get to see a private collection of military aircraft, but it wasn't the same.
After the tour, several of us went out to dinner at the Thirsty Owl, an Irish pub close to the Seattle waterfront - good beer (as always) and good food and good friendship
Friday found us on the scheduled DUKW tour of Seattle (woth the time and effort) a great lunch at, of all places, a brew pub.
As an aside, the best beer we found in Seattle was Mac & Jack's ale!
Friday night, many of us went to dinner at Anthony's at the waterfront in Bremerton.
Saturday - morning taken up with the Association's business meeting, afternoon free and Saturday night's dinner dance at the Kitsap Convention center.
Sunday morning, folks packing up the historical items and saying their final goodbyes.
Mary and I got a ride to the Seatac Airport area with John and Nancy O'Malia where we rented a car for our final days in the great Pacific northwest.
Before returning to Bremerton, we drove to the Museum of Glass in Tacoma. As members of the Corning Museum of Glass, we have reciprocal admission rights so it cost us nothing. The museum is nice enough and their hot glass demonstration was most interesting, but the museum is small and their galleries don't hold a candle to the Corning Museum of Glass.
Looking forward to the next NNWA reunion to be held in the Dallas area in 2009.
With about 120 attendees, many old friendships were renewed and new friendships forged.
The Navy Nuclear Weapons Association (NNWA) is a nationwide organization of military and civilian participants in the US Navy Department nuclear weapons program during the years 1946 to present. Many of its members meet annually in September or October at various locations across the US to reminisce with long-lost friends, provide support with veterans affairs and medical information, visit historical sites, enjoy quality entertainment in hospitable environs, and salute our departed. The NNWA website is http://www.navynucweps.com/.
The reunion began on Wednesday, September 24th with registration and gatherings in the hospitality suite. On Thursday, the scheduled event was a Group Bus trip to Clearwater Casino for dinner and entertainment.
Several of us decided to go on a Gray Lines tour of the Boeing factory north of Seattle. After taking the ferry back to Seattle (again), we were met by the bus at the waterfront and taken on our tour. Unfortunately, Boeing's mechanics union has chosen this time to go on strike!!! We didn't get to see the factory where the Boeing Dreamline is being built. We did get to see a private collection of military aircraft, but it wasn't the same.
After the tour, several of us went out to dinner at the Thirsty Owl, an Irish pub close to the Seattle waterfront - good beer (as always) and good food and good friendship
Friday found us on the scheduled DUKW tour of Seattle (woth the time and effort) a great lunch at, of all places, a brew pub.
As an aside, the best beer we found in Seattle was Mac & Jack's ale!
Friday night, many of us went to dinner at Anthony's at the waterfront in Bremerton.
Saturday - morning taken up with the Association's business meeting, afternoon free and Saturday night's dinner dance at the Kitsap Convention center.
Sunday morning, folks packing up the historical items and saying their final goodbyes.
Mary and I got a ride to the Seatac Airport area with John and Nancy O'Malia where we rented a car for our final days in the great Pacific northwest.
Before returning to Bremerton, we drove to the Museum of Glass in Tacoma. As members of the Corning Museum of Glass, we have reciprocal admission rights so it cost us nothing. The museum is nice enough and their hot glass demonstration was most interesting, but the museum is small and their galleries don't hold a candle to the Corning Museum of Glass.
Looking forward to the next NNWA reunion to be held in the Dallas area in 2009.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Mount Rainier
On the Monday following the AMS Users Group Power Users Seminar (another pitch for AMSUG), Jack and Marge Grieves and Mary and I met at the ferry landing in Seattle and then joined a Gray Lines tour to Mt. Rainier.
The weather was very pleasant, sunny and not too warm, when we left and stayed good most of the day. The bus trip to Mt. Rainier took longer than I expected, after all, you can see the mountain from the Seattle area!
At Paradise lodge, we stopped for lunch at the lodge (good food and great Mac & Jack's beer. We did experience the first snow of the year for us and the wind was strong and very cold - wind chill had to be close to zero or below some of the times.
Among the sites we saw were some huge first growth forest trees and streams that had experienced some fairly violent floods We also saw, in the distance, at least one glacier (my memory plays tricks on me, thought we saw a bunch of them but unless you are closer it is hard to tell a glacier from a snow covered valley WAY up there.
We did get some grat views of the peak but it was obvious that the peak was not the place to be - snow was blowing off the peak under very strong winds.
The weather was very pleasant, sunny and not too warm, when we left and stayed good most of the day. The bus trip to Mt. Rainier took longer than I expected, after all, you can see the mountain from the Seattle area!
At Paradise lodge, we stopped for lunch at the lodge (good food and great Mac & Jack's beer. We did experience the first snow of the year for us and the wind was strong and very cold - wind chill had to be close to zero or below some of the times.
Among the sites we saw were some huge first growth forest trees and streams that had experienced some fairly violent floods We also saw, in the distance, at least one glacier (my memory plays tricks on me, thought we saw a bunch of them but unless you are closer it is hard to tell a glacier from a snow covered valley WAY up there.
We did get some grat views of the peak but it was obvious that the peak was not the place to be - snow was blowing off the peak under very strong winds.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Two days of AMSUG Power Users seminar in Seattle
So, it is up bright and early to catch the ferry from Bremerton to Seattle for the AMS Users Group Power Users Conference. There is no cost to take the ferry to Seattle and it is a pleasant one hour ride with lots of scenery and a dramatic view of the Seattle sky line as the ferry comes in to the waterfront. The ferries are clean and comfortable and it is obvious that lots of folks take this ride everyday to work. Many of them fly to their favorite seats and catch up on their sleep during the ride.
From the maps I reviewed prior to making this trip, it looked like an easy 6 or 7 block walk to the conference hotel. What I didn't realize was that it seems to be all uphill, all up a VERY STEEP hill. I am sure it is steeper than San Francisco! And I knew that I would have to repeat this envigorating morning intensive workout tomorrow (glad the meeting was only two days long).
The Power Users seminars are always a great experience, and this one was not to disappoint. Many of the same faces I see yearly were there again and it is good to see old friends. The food was good and facilities comfortable.
Getting back to the ferry was much easier - all downhill.
The second day of the conference ended with a meal with the Power Users Committee at Anthony's - great chow!!
Caught a cab back to the ferry landing and got back to Bremerton to join Mary for a couple of drinks.
From here on it is all free time and the Navy Nuclear Weapons Associations 22nd annual reunion at the Hampton Inn as our reunion base hotel.
From the maps I reviewed prior to making this trip, it looked like an easy 6 or 7 block walk to the conference hotel. What I didn't realize was that it seems to be all uphill, all up a VERY STEEP hill. I am sure it is steeper than San Francisco! And I knew that I would have to repeat this envigorating morning intensive workout tomorrow (glad the meeting was only two days long).
The Power Users seminars are always a great experience, and this one was not to disappoint. Many of the same faces I see yearly were there again and it is good to see old friends. The food was good and facilities comfortable.
Getting back to the ferry was much easier - all downhill.
The second day of the conference ended with a meal with the Power Users Committee at Anthony's - great chow!!
Caught a cab back to the ferry landing and got back to Bremerton to join Mary for a couple of drinks.
From here on it is all free time and the Navy Nuclear Weapons Associations 22nd annual reunion at the Hampton Inn as our reunion base hotel.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Elmira to northwest Washington state
We spent about two weeks in northwest Washington and it was a very good trip.
Getting there wasn't as exciting as we wished - our original flight from the Elmira NY airport was delayed so we wouldn't have made our Philadelphia flight. USAIR folks sprung into action and quickly booked us on Northwest leaving a few minutes after we got to the airport (1 hr 20 minutes early). Hopped on the flight to Detroit where we waited around for a while. When we boarded, we were into the same row, but in window seats. Would either of the two folks in the aisle seat change with either of us? No way, both insisted they had to go to the bathroom a lot (on the flight, both of them went a total of three times). Luckily, a couple of guys in the row behind us gave up their seats.
Now, that was the most disappointing first class flight (Detroit to Seattle) that I have ever traveled. The evening meal was a cold Cobb salad. There is no movie and no music or entertainment. The only thing first class offers is more seat room and lots of booze. We definitely took advantage of the booze.
Any, we got to Seattle about 1/2 hour later than originally scheduled and got a shuttle to Bremerton that dropped us off right at our hotel, the Hampton Inn at the waterfront in Bremerton. We got there about 11:30 and I had to take the ferry out the next morning at 6:20 - not too much sleep and I was going to get really familiar with the Seattle/Bremerton ferry over the next 10 days or so.
Getting there wasn't as exciting as we wished - our original flight from the Elmira NY airport was delayed so we wouldn't have made our Philadelphia flight. USAIR folks sprung into action and quickly booked us on Northwest leaving a few minutes after we got to the airport (1 hr 20 minutes early). Hopped on the flight to Detroit where we waited around for a while. When we boarded, we were into the same row, but in window seats. Would either of the two folks in the aisle seat change with either of us? No way, both insisted they had to go to the bathroom a lot (on the flight, both of them went a total of three times). Luckily, a couple of guys in the row behind us gave up their seats.
Now, that was the most disappointing first class flight (Detroit to Seattle) that I have ever traveled. The evening meal was a cold Cobb salad. There is no movie and no music or entertainment. The only thing first class offers is more seat room and lots of booze. We definitely took advantage of the booze.
Any, we got to Seattle about 1/2 hour later than originally scheduled and got a shuttle to Bremerton that dropped us off right at our hotel, the Hampton Inn at the waterfront in Bremerton. We got there about 11:30 and I had to take the ferry out the next morning at 6:20 - not too much sleep and I was going to get really familiar with the Seattle/Bremerton ferry over the next 10 days or so.
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