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Voyage of The Vikings |
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(Were they all overweight too?) Part I A quick note about the photos, which due to amount are divided across three Picasa Web Galleries. I took over 5,000 photos of the cruise and subsequent travels in the Northeast. The Canyons trip right after the cruise was nearly 2,000 more. I’ve culled out the best and placed them online. The Maasdam cruise photos are all at: The folks aboard didn’t look so good. The ones who we noticed the most, and there were quite a few, were extremely overweight. There was another noticeable amount of very elderly and infirm folks making the tour. Gene and I were both shocked that some of the folks in the condition they were in would be attempting the trip. Fortunately for us these people were not the only occupants for the next five weeks. I met an incredible 90 year old fellow, Stan, who was a Canadian working with the Norwegian Merchant Fleet in the waters off Iceland during WWII and even survived the Bataan Death March [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bataan_Death_March ] and was retired from the Winnipeg Canada Sherriff’s Department. I couldn’t believe how active and energetic and enthusiastic he was. Jeff, a retired corporate executive, who spent all his time cruising and writing a travel blog was another interesting fellow. But these folks appeared later. Our first day was spent wondering what horrors we might encounter at the dinner table, and with whom we would be stuck for the next five weeks. With great happiness we discovered four wonderful people who seemed to find us equally as enjoyable. And, oddly enough, they were from Nevada. Jim and Mary Lee, both in their eighties and seasoned sailors, were making the entire round trip voyage while their daughter Jan, traveling with her handsome husband Garre, had to return to Henderson to teach and so they would fly home from Rotterdam. It took barely a few minutes to find a warmth and laughter which continued throughout the entire journey. More than a few nearby dinner guests commented to both Gene and I on separate occasions how they wished they were sitting at our table, from which humor and fun radiated continuously. Our entire repertoire of silly jokes had a new audience and we encountered a few new blonde jokes too. To add to our happiness we found Jim and Mary Lee were excellent Party Bridge companions and we played a couple of hours a day with them on nearly every “at sea” day. After this journey through the canyons we will visit with the four of them on our way back to Reno. An excellent piece of luck to meet such nice folks at our dinner table! Our departure from Boston was the usual send off party on the pool deck and we couldn’t really get into the over exertion to show we were happy . We were just happy and didn’t feel the need to show off. The first night and day aboard the ship was spent at sea, headed north towards Canada. I did meet our lovely cruise director Susan and struck up an immediate friendship. We spent that evening dancing in the Crows Nest together. One of the interesting things about cruising is the way one makes friends and something about the shared experience leads one to stay in touch with these new friends. Many of us remain in contact and certainly hope to see one another again. . There are random photos of various people we met at the following link: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/People# Our next day, day number two, was spent at sea also and that night was the first formal night. Gene and I dragged out the old black suits and fancy bow ties. Many of the folks aboard dressed well and the evening restored our confidence that we might have a fun time. Our first port, the third day, Monday, July 27th, was Iles De La Madeleine, Quebec, and the weather was as I had expected, drizzly and slightly overcast. Undeterred I boarded the tenders to shore and took the short bus ride to La Grave, an old fishing village, for a walking tour. Gene elected to stay aboard for this one. Our dinner companions were on the same bus and having company made it that much more pleasant — to look about and have a local beer in the pub. The sun even managed a short visit so we could sit outside for our small repast. Garre and I walked out to the fishing pier and along the way found a variety of lobster rubbers, used to keep the lobster’s claws closed once they are caught, with the local ship’s names or the town name imprinted on them and in a variety of colors, scattered along the side of the road. Not a lot to photograph but there are some images at: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/IlesDeLaMadeleineQuebec# Our second port was Bonne Bay, Newfoundland, and the weather was grim. Cold and raining all morning and I finally determined I’d not bother to go ashore. The town was just a small fishing village and I wanted a quiet day anyway. Spent much of the day working on the novel and Gene had found a puzzle to get going with in the library. One of the interesting things about this voyage was the number of small ports we could get into because the ship was so small and this port was a first for any cruise ship. Those we spoke with later, who went ashore, said the town was very friendly and charming. The weather changed by late afternoon, and the shore looked very inviting, but by then I was resolved to be on board and so I didn’t take a tender in. Some photos from the deck of the ship are at: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/BonneBayNewfoundland# Red Bay, Labrador, was the port on Wednesday, although I had already lost track of the day of the week by this time. Fortunately aboard the Maasdam they change the floor mats in the elevator to show what day of the week it is. I avoided elevators the entire voyage as taking the stairs was one of the methods of keeping the food from adding too much weight. But a glance into one would let me know what day it was. The food was, by the way, really quite good only the portions were much too large and the choices difficult. I wanted to order one of each and there were evenings when I would order a main meal and split the alternate, just because it sounded so good, with Garre who seemed to relish the food as much as I. Although the ship was equipped with a decently arranged gym, and I went nearly every day of the journey, the food was very aggressive in the battle to make me a fatty. Gene elected to take off from gym rat activities for the trip and had added some 10 pounds by the time we got off the ship. He has since gotten rid of that thankfully. Red Bay wasn’t much to see or write about. A small fishing and hunting village which was hoping to add tourism to it’s limited sources of income. Home to only about 500 people year round. Friendly but not much to see. Got a great T-shirt. And so we looked forward to two days at sea on our way to Greenland. Sea days are Gene’s favorites and I am glad to not have to decide whether to go ashore. The entertainment in the evening was decent enough with a couple of very funny comics. Gene of course played the slot machines a bit and the day found me able to get some progress made on the biographical sketch. Our weather was pretty lousy for being on deck but we didn’t mind. I tried the spa massage but when the masseuse began trying to sell me lotions and products halfway through the massage I decided I’d skip any future visits. One area Holland America does not do as well as Cunard. The Red Bay photos are at: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/RedBayLabradorCanada# Nanortalik, Greenland was, like Red Bay, a very tiny fishing village and this one only accessible during the summer. The town stopped 200 meters from the harbor and gave way to barren rock. Greenland is not green. It is gray. Despite knowing there wasn’t even a T-shirt to be bought I had to take the tender ride in to shore to see what was there and to be able to say I had stepped on Greenland. Gene didn’t like the look of the weather and is hesitant to take the tenders so he stayed on board. I did bring him a rock and he put it immediately on the deck and stood on it. “Ha,” he said, “I stood on Greenland too and for less trouble.!” Those photos can be seen at: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/NanortalikGreenland# Our next day, August 1st, was a big surprise. Completely unexpected. Overnight we had rounded to southern point of Greenland and in the morning we took the inland passage along the southern coast of Greenland in an area called the Prince Christian Sund (spelling is correct!). Often for the early cruise ships this passage is blocked by ice but we were able to traverse it with some reasonably large icebergs still floating in the narrow passage. How to describe this area is beyond me. Think of Yosemite Valley except the valley floor is hundreds of feet deep ice cold water. The granite mountains tower overhead. Snow and mini glaciers top them and waterfalls plunge from the heights filling the Sund with their roar. At one point, towards the end of the day’s long eastward passage, the Greenland Ice Sheet sends a finger of glacier down to the very channel we are slowly winding our way through, and wind we do as the passage twists and turns. Without good guidance the luckless sailor could easily become lost in the intricacies of the passages. The weather had started out poorly but Gene made an early claim on a couple of chairs in the forward Crow’s Nest and lucked out by picking the side with the greatest views. The weather improved somewhat and we had sunshine most of the day, only turning back to light but steady drizzle and overcast at the end of the day. It was cold out and I kept running back in to warm up before braving the weather for windowless views and photo opportunities. http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/PrinsChristianSundGreenland# We traversed to passage again on our return trip and the weather for the return was beyond belief. Much better than the first trip. The captain announced, when only part way into the passage, that we were experiencing weather the likes of which is rarely seen in this area and that due to this he was changing the route and extending by a couple of hours the tour through the area. There were no complaints. My camera shutter finger was sore by the end of that day. You can see photos of the second passage at: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/PrincChristianSundGreenlandII# After the magnificent Prince Christian Sund we had a day at sea again and another formal night with bright ties. The Holland-America Maasdam does a themed night for the formal nights. I lost track but one night was an Indonesian theme (most of the crew are Indonesian) and one night was Holland theme and one night an International. The waiters would dress in costume and we, the diners, were provided hats and some nights there was a special show in the dining room. For instance on the Scotland stop they had a Haggis ceremony and bagpipers. Gene and I thought it all a bit over done and silly but many of the passengers seemed to enjoy it very much. Good for a laugh certainly and we did get a kick out of the antics of our table waiter, who was a very effeminate Indonesian boy, and who pranced about with great exaggeration in the night’s attire. During the Indonesian show, put on by all the staff one night in the Auditorium/Lounge our waiter starred in a piece singing as a famous Indonesian Queen. The posed photos shown to us later of him dressed in the regalia proved he should have been a she. A not very handsome Indonesian boy he shines as a gorgeous princess in full formal regalia. We couldn’t believe it was the same person. Amazing what you discover on these cruises. But I digress here to things which happened later. And, I should stop writing for the morning too. The day dawns bright clear and cool in Bryce Canyon. I’m geared up for the first easy hike into the canyon and to view the canyons, rock fins, spires and rock monoliths from below. The Bryce Lodge where we are staying is on the rim and one walks a few feet from the Lodge to look over the canyon. The view from within the spires is quite different and one can understand how the pioneers lost cattle, and even themselves, in the canyons formed by the erosion. I’ll return to this page later and explore Iceland’s impressions. Oh, and one thing to remember hiking at high altitudes: the bottle of sun tan lotion closed at low elevation will, when opened, release the pressure and send volumes of lotion ejecting from the bottle at high speed!! The problem with photos for this Canyon is there are too many. I’ve tried to pick a selection that represents the awe one experiences: http://picasaweb.google.com/aheroicman/BryceCanyon# Part II Iceland is worth a two week holiday alone. The island country is geologically very new and evidence of recent volcanic eruptions and earthquakes is everywhere. Isafjordur was the first of six ports planned for Iceland, four on the north side and, on the return trip, one on the east and the capital, Reykjavik, on the southwest coast as the last stop for the Icelandic portion of our cruise. We had contacted some acquaintances who initially planned to meet us at the first port and show us about but at the last moment they were unable to. It really didn’t matter to much since the weather had remained poor. I walked about the little town and saw the old buildings but not much else was around. It was a national holiday and everything was closed except one coffee shop which did have free internet so I was able to check email. Max, a fellow from Australia I’d met aboard, walked about with me and we enjoyed the short break from the ship but both agreed that the ports so far, although interesting, weren’t all that spectacular considering the weather. We did fare a bit better at the next port. The few photos from Isafjordur are at: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/IsafjordurIceland# For the port of Akureyri I signed up for one of the ship’s tours to Myvath baths and Godafoss Waterfalls. The tour guide was reasonably knowledgeable and funny and, as did all the Icelandic tour guides, ranted a bit about the bankers who had ruined the economy in Iceland. But I also found all the Icelandic people to be optimistic and always willing to find a chuckle in anything. The tour was a little too much driving and yet the Myvath baths were a great swim on top of a dormant volcano in a relatively primitive changing set up. Weather was still overcast and cold but the water was great and I quickly found the areas where the hot thermal mineral water flowed into the pool, so hot that you had be careful not to venture too quickly into the hotter water areas. Then we’re back on the bus to view the first of many waterfalls in Iceland, formed by the volcanic upheaval of the plates. The 50 or so passengers arrived at the nearly empty parking lot, piled out to take photographs, and thankfully the ones who could barely walk waited for the rest. This did prove to be a problem on a few of the tours. The guide said 15 to 20 minutes and off we scrambled. The Falls is a picturesque triple falls with a strong but still delicate rate of flow. I thoroughly enjoyed taking many photos and the ones from Myvath and Godafoss and the town are here: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/AkureyriIceland# I realized the time must be up and headed back over the short trail to the bus and much to my surprise, about halfway there, the bus was pulling away from the parking lot! Suddenly I am running and waving my arms and thinking “Oh Sh**”! What the hell am I going to do if I miss this bus and miss the ship and Gene is on board worried to no end?” But fortune was with me and some folks on the bus made noises and the driver stopped. I was very embarrassed to be the last one and to be (I found out later) a total of four minutes late. In the end it was really the guides fault as she had never taken a count and although I was traveling alone the folks seated near me had attempted to make her understand that one person was still missing. And, I found out later, because it was a ship’s tour the ship would have had to wait since the driver and guide are responsible to get everybody back to the ship. At the time of the incidence that was no consolation to me. We actually ran into this problem at another tour where a guest had gotten on to the wrong bus and ours left without them due to an improper count. We had to turn around when fellow passengers discovered a bag on the empty seat and thus proved that there were two people missing. I almost didn’t tell Gene about my mishap, for fear he would over worry, but it was too good a story to pass up and I assured him he needn’t fear a similar incident in the future. I would be on the bus at least five minutes ahead of every departure. And I was! Husavik was the third stop on the north side of Iceland. Between Akureyri and Husavik the ship goes north and around Grimsey Island, crossing the Arctic Circle. We skipped the Polar Bear ceremony where one jumps in the pool and swims across to simulate swimming across the Arctic Circle. We heard later it was really cold on the deck and in the outdoor pool. In Husavik I was able to get Gene to take bus tour into the hinterland and the geological beauty of Iceland, going to Dettifoss which is Europe’s most powerful waterfall and to the National Park nearby. We also saw Hljodaklettar which is an eerie basalt area formed by an ancient river washing away top soil from the encounter of a volcano with the Glacier which covered the area at the time. http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/HusavikIceland# Seydisfjordur was our last stop in Iceland on the first leg of the Voyage and it was rain again, but set against a background of high green cliffs and stupendous waterfalls. I did stroll around a bit but it was raining almost constantly. Got a few shots in between showers: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/SeydisfjordurIceland# At Sea for the 14th day of our cruise. Hard to imagine when I look back how full the days were. The biographical sketch was going well. The towel art was piling up. In the evening, when the room steward made up our room, he would make an animal from a couple of towels. Very cleverly done and they do publish a book of how to make them. You can see a few at: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/TheMaasdamTowelArt# Invergordon in Scotland was the Mariner’s Club tour day. By booking the voyage through our friend Jose, who is an American Express Travel Agent, we were signed up for this club. We’d been part of the group before, on the Queen Mary 2, and liked the social occasions as well as the free tour, actually on this trip it was two free tours; one each way. At the first meeting of the group, for cocktails at 5:00 in the Piano Bar, we all introduced ourselves and then made the usual cocktail chatter. About 40 people in the group and I’m sitting with a group and one of the fellows is explaining that he was retired as the head of a hospital in Morristown, New Jersey. So I popped in with my comment about having been raised part of my life in New Jersey and that my father was an Endocrinologist at Cornell Medical in New York. Well, the fellows jaw dropped, just about fell off his face, and he asked if my father was Ralph Peterson, which of course is who my father is. Turns out my father was this guys mentor, gave him his first job, and worked with him for quite a few years. Out in the middle of the North Atlantic and meeting a man like that! We exchanged contact info and I suppose I’ll get in touch, although my sister Sandi who lives still in New Jersey and was closer to my dad would really be the one to share tales with. I did explain to the fellow that although my father was still alive he was not mentally with it and his memory was pretty much gone. The tour with the group was one of the better tours, and Gene went along for this one. After a lovely drive with a guided talk, we stopped first at a Manor House (Castle) in the Highlands north of our port, Invergordon, which is primarily a commercial port. Invergordon has had it’s up and downs and their latest income source was from support facilities for the North Sea Oil fields but as those are in collapse they have lost the oil platform support as an income. The area grows a lot of barley for the malt breweries and sheep farming is still evident. The manor house of the family was recently given over to the Scottish Historic Trust. The manor Lord was still the farmer on the land, but by the law surrounding the gift to the Trust could only occupy the farm house, and his mother lived as the last of the clan in the main house. They gave a wonderful morning tea and talk about the area and let us tour the house. It was more interesting than any museum tour because the house is still being lived in and has a wonderful warm feeling. To be directly hosted by the Lord and his mother and to hear their funny tales and ancestral history, presented in a first person and charming manner, was truly a highlight of the whole trip. Gene was very impressed with another facet of the manor, the Queen Mum found it to be halfway between her winter and summer residences and stopped there every year during the last fifty years of her long life. There were many photographs on display showing her together with her entourage from many of those stops. There was also an autographed picture of Queen Elizabeth II in full royal regalia. After the manor trip we climbed back on the bus with everybody in a jovial mood and even the sun was cooperating that day, for the first time in quite a while. Lunch was next at the quaint village of Dornoch in a elegant small hotel. The town hosts one of the finest golf courses in the world but never hosts any big events because there are no facilities for that many people, and the town hopes to keep it that way. There we tried a dram of the local scotch, upon the recommendation of our tour guide, and were pleasantly surprised by the flavor of Single Malt Clynelish 14 year Scotch. This scotch is distinguished by being one of only a few made from the waters of this coastal Highlands area. It is still made by the same small distillery and is so popular with the locals that the scotch is rarely exported. We have a bottle in Reno. Come try a dram. I had even had one of my own weird behaviors pointed out to me by a fellow passenger. I’d been taking a photo of the church tower in Dornoch and happened to catch, out of the corner of my eye, a fellow taking my picture. Having been caught he admitted he had been trying to get my photo as whenever I took a photo looking upwards I opened my mouth wide. He thought it was funny, and I had to agree, but from then on I was very conscious of my mouth whenever I snapped a photo looking upwards. Yes, I still do it if I’m not watching out and it gives Gene a good laugh still. On the way back to the ship we stopped at a lovely park and waterfall and all the day’s photos are at: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/InvergordonInvernessScotland# Edinburgh, Scotland was a bust and I won’t bother the reader with it. Bad timing as it was the opening of the Fringe Art Festival and hundreds of thousands of people made going into Edinburgh a non-option. The ship’s passengers who did so said it was just an all day traffic jam. We elected a shorter tour to a couple of castles and they were pretty poorly run tours. But the weather was fair and we managed to get a few laughs at the weird antics of our fellow passengers. We had committed to a bus trip and so we did see some of the country south of Edinburgh but the tour itself was a disappointment. Those photos are at: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/SouthQueensferryEdinburghScotland# Our last day at Sea for the first segment and our last day with Jan and Garre, our dinner companions from Las Vegas area, whose parents were staying for the round trip. I was surprised at the number of people making the round trip. When booking tickets I figured Gene and I would be the minority making the round trip and that most would fly home from Rotterdam, or perhaps have the half trip from Europe as our friend Edith Klasen was doing. Only 300 people got off the ship; just 25% of the passengers. We were very sad to see Jan and Garre go. They were such fun and happy people and we look forward to seeing them in Las Vegas after the trip through the Canyon lands of the Southwest. It felt strange those first few days without them after Rotterdam and we both found ourselves looking for them before remembering they were home by now. Rotterdam is the home port for Holland-America Line ships and so we arrived at the dock exactly on time and to a fine welcome, except the rain had returned. The city was completely destroyed during the war, almost completely flattened by both the Axis and the Allies, and so everything is very new and a Hodge Podge of styles. It is also Europe’s largest shipping port and seems economically well off. Once again we noticed how cheerful the people are, unlike our American travel companions who seem too serious about everything by comparison. Meeting Edith at her hotel was easy enough and we were all just very happy to see each other again. Not much to do that day but stroll around town a bit, have a coffee and light lunch, and catch up on the latest in each other’s lives. Boarding the ship was a breeze since there was hardly anyone getting on board. Edith’s cabin was just above ours and down the hall a bit and another nice inside cabin. The Rotterdam photos are at this link: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/RotterdamHolland# The inside cabin had been our first on this cruise. Gene was not concerned but I was thinking I might find it a bit claustrophobic. The interior designer does a good job with the layout and the room looks like there must be a window behind that curtain over the bed. We like the position of our rooms, being mid-ship and therefore close to everything. The room steward on our floor was excellent and we couldn’t find a single complaint. I only wished the ship had a better weather reporting system since I couldn’t stick my head out on the balcony to see the days temperature for dress. Going to the gym most mornings gave me the opportunity to see the days weather. The joke in our room was that whoever got up first would open the window: i.e. turn on the TV to the bow camera channel. We found we left it on all day and the room never felt confined. I would spend a couple of hours each morning writing and the sense of isolation was good, after kicking Gene out by sending him to the library to get the daily Sudoku page. Edith settled in and then joined us for dinner, where we met our other two new guests who had also just boarded in Rotterdam. This made seven and Bob and Jo, our new dinner companions, seemed pleasant enough although she rarely spoke. Of all places for them to be from; they are from Stead, Nevada, just one town over from us in Reno. Bob was retired from the Illinois Road Crew where he worked for over 30 years and had been raised on a farm in the Mid-West. He was quite a character and had some funny stories to add to the conversation. Edith had trouble with his Midwest accent and grammatical syntax and I had to explain sometimes why what he had said was so funny. This “translation of accent” is something Edith has to do for me often when I travel in Germany. The Canyon calls me from my writing. The room we have at the Bryce Canyon Lodge is only one of four in the lodge itself. The rest are cabins or other buildings removed from the main building. It is a sense of grandeur and privilege to descend the staircase to the milling crowds below. We are here three days, which is longer than most, and the staff are familiar already. Yesterdays hike into the bottom of Bryce Canyon was stunning. In the afternoon we drove to the various look out points south of the lodge. Today will see us hiking the rim trail from Fairyland Point back to the lodge. Of course I also have to walk over to the store, where they have free Wi-Fi, and check our Email with the new iPhone too. Part III The day’s hike was spectacular. A walk along the canyon rim and new interesting rock formations and vista’s at every turn. Weather sunny, dry and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Now, back to the cruising. Dunmore East, Ireland, (Waterford) was the first Port with Edith. All three of us had signed up for the Kilkenny Castle tour. The weather was some of the best we have had all trip and the Irish countryside was lush from weeks of rain. Ireland is still a lot of small farms and has a wonderful grounded feeling to everything. Our first stop was the not very interesting castle, very cold and museum-like and we all sped through it and decided to wander in the town in each other’s company and enjoy the surroundings. Everyone we met expressed amazement that Gene at 80 years minus 1, and Edith at 80 years plus two, are both still active and healthy enough to be making the journey and to be in these incredible places. The lunch at the Hotel was very acceptable for a tour lunch and an interesting building. The afternoon portion of the tour was to a beautiful old church and another lovely park and bridge/waterfall. Photos at: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/DunmoreEastWaterfordIreland# Our cocktail hour on the ship had become quite a habit. Our small gathering was joined often enough by other couples whom we met on the ship and since we were regulars the staff treated us especially well. Two for one on port days was beginning to catch on with other passengers and Gene or I had to get there a bit before the 4:30 Happy Hour to be sure our group had a seating arrangement. I had discovered the Glacier Drop. This is a martini with lemon/lime essence and a bit of Blue Curacao for a blue color and an orange taste. The drink is very sour and so it is served in a martini glass which has the rim dipped in sugar which has caked and dried. The effect cause one to suck the sugar off the edge to counteract the sour flavors. And, it is a wonderful color. The two for one meant I had one to take to the dining room (our seating was 5:30 pm) and I became the source of amused comments at my ability to carry the drink down the hall. Our server said , later on, that I was known as the Glacier Man since I was the only passenger who consistently ordered that drink. But I will also tell you Holland-America doesn’t pour a very strong drink, which made having the cocktails fun without worrying about falling over. In Liverpool the three intrepid travelers were met by Gerry and Shelia Davies; a couple whom Gene and I had met on a previous cruise, a crossing on the Queen Mary 2. During that voyage we had played bridge together every day and grown quite fond of them. Although they lived in England, just a day south of Liverpool, they had never visited the town. So the five of us boarded the Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus for a day’s tour of Liverpool. The weather was threatening rain but we managed to get through the day without downpours. Of course we had to visit the “Cave” where the Beatles started. We visited an architecturally very interesting new Catholic Cathedral conceived in a modern design but surprisingly well done. Across town, after a wonderful pub lunch we visited the Episcopal version of a new Cathedral done in the old style. Although both were only completed very recently they are quite unique in their own way. The Catholic one is called the Wigwam because it looks like that from outside, and the Episcopal one, built in traditional style, was hard to believe it was completed just a few years after the modern Catholic one. The pub in between was on the historical register and there are some beautiful photos in the Liverpool group. The men’s room, in fancy tile and marble, being on the Historical register, must allow ladies a look-see, but only if they first announce their intention to enter and then can only stay a minute. That is the rule. The days images are: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/LiverpoolEngland# It was such a great pleasure to see Gerry and Shelia again and to introduce them to Edith. A warm friendly and engaging couple with plenty of energy and conversations of interest. They related the tale of their attempt at a round-the-world cruise which was a disaster due to an engine failure and multiple missed ports; to the point where they elected to get off at halfway and be flown home and reimbursed the missed portion. They heard later the ship’s passengers were near mutiny and broken into two camps; one group which wanted to mutiny and sue and one group that wanted to just get along with the modified cruise. Somebody had come up with colored ribbons to represent each group and people wore them which created an adversarial atmosphere throughout the ship, in addition to the negatives caused by the failed engine problems. Glad we missed that one!! I nearly missed mentioning the port Greenock (Glasgow), Scotland while writing this piece in first draft. It would have been a terrible omission as we were met by friends from the Holland America Noordam Cruise of last year; Ronald and Katherine McWhirter. Gene had not met them yet and immediately fell in love with them, as had Edith and I the previous year. Despite a gloomy weather forecast the day eventually cleared. We had a wonderful guided tour of the area near the port and coffee at their Yacht Club. Following we took a drive south to their home and a walking tour of the area; the location of the famous poet Robert Burn’s home and also the site of the famous Brigadoon (The bridge over the river Doon). A wonderful lunch in an old hotel and then the day wound up too quickly and we departed from this wonderful couple at the pier. Some photos of a lovely day at: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/GreenockGlasgowScotland# The next port was Torshavn, in the Faroe Islands, Denmark. Gene really likes to stay on board the ship in port. He says the ship is quiet, with everybody ashore, and he likes to sit in the library and read or do his Sudoku. Lunch is easy with nobody on board and he looks forward to my (and in this case Edith’s also) return to the ship to hear our tales of the tour. Edith and I took the Saksun and Kollafjordur tour. The weather was bright and sunny with a few clouds. Normally the Faroe Islands get rain 350 days of the year so this was a special day. We went to an outlying farm museum, driving over incredible ridges and down into fjords to arrive at a well done display of what farm life was like in the Islands in the 1800’s. It was a really special day for Edith and I and the photos reflect little of the expansiveness of the landscapes: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/TorshavnFaroeIslandsDenmark# Djupivogur, Iceland, was the smallest of the tiny fishing villages on the trip. Weather was terrible and few people braved the steady rain to go ashore. Many felt badly for the small community as this was the first time a cruise ship had ever arrived at this port. There was a tour to go by bus and then boat to see the foot of the glacier. Those who went said it was an expensive waste since the rain was so heavy you really couldn’t see anything. And, I heard from Jeff, there were 30 passengers in a boat which had a capacity rating of 20 and also evidently didn’t have enough life vests. Glad we missed that one too. For completeness here are some photos from the deck: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/DjupivogurIceland# Reykjavik, Iceland was the port for day 26 of our journey. The distance from the last port was a stretch and we don’t dock there until 2:30 PM, as per the schedule. Reykjavik is an overnight port so the afternoon is a “City Tour” with Edith and Gene and then, after dropping them at the ship, I took the second tour to the Blue Lagoon. The first tour was a bit of a bore but did give an overview of the city. The second tour to the Blue Lagoon was GREAT! I could spend a week lounging about in the warm waters. Oddly enough the conclusion of the Blue Lagoon tour included the same tour I had earlier been on in the city tour. The days images are: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/ReykjavikIcelandI# At second day was the opportunity for Edith to take a full days tour into the interior wilds of Iceland. Having been in four ports already I was familiar with what to expect but couldn’t convince old-stick-in-the-mud Gene to come along. Edith and I opted for “The Golden Circle Tour” which went out to the Gulfoss Waterfall (another beauty) and the geysers area. At the falls the Hvita river drops over 100 feet into the long canyon and the volume and force of the cascade is breathtaking. We also were close enough to see the largest glacier of the three in Iceland. The geysers, although small, were very interesting and easily viewed. The last stop of the main tour was Pingvellir National Park on the shore of Iceland’s largest lake (Thingvallarvatn) and the site of the first Icelandic Parliament in 930. A beautiful spot and our guide was, as she had been on the whole trip, very informative. Unknown to me the trip included, again, the city tour so I got to hear the third version of the same info and tour by bus through downtown again. The day was very full and Edith and enjoyed it very much, as can be seen here: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/ReykjavikIcelandII# I have described earlier the return journey through the Prince Christian Sund and will only mention here again how magnificent the weather was. Out on deck all day long. Oatmeal cookies for lunch!! Photos are here [same link as before]: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/PrincChristianSundGreenlandII# Qaqortoq, Greenland [only word I’ve seen with 3 qs] was another very small port. Gene agreed to the ride ashore with Edith and I, so he could say he stood on Greenland, and he did; for three minutes. He got off and got right back in line to get on the return tender. In truth he didn’t miss much. The town was clean enough but very austere and one can hardly imagine what it must be like there in Winter, when even the harbor is sealed closed with the ice. Greenland has been a Danish colony for many years and only in 2009 has been granted autonomy which will eventually lead to being a sovereign state in the future. Place names are being changed to native language names in many places. Edith and I strolled about and enjoyed the air and the walk. When a cruise ship lands the town’s population doubles. And, they seem to lack a lot of touristy “Stuff” since there are so few ship arrivals. Altogether an interesting day: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/QaqortoqGreenland# St. Anthony, Newfoundland, was a tender ride in with Edith (Gene staying on board again) and the excitement of the day was donuts at Tim Horton’s. Not much else there, but Edith was glad to be on land as she had had another light bout of sea sickness. I enjoyed the fact that we landed at these very small ports off the beaten track. Just a few photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/StAnthonyNewfoundland# St. John’s, Newfoundland, was our second tour with the Mariners Club. I had always wanted to see St. Johns because I had considered the University there for college in 1971, before settling on going to Berkeley. The tour was reasonably fun and I thought the guide was funny and droll but Edith and Gene, in particular, didn’t like the guy. We had another fun lunch after the morning sights and all three of us opted to skip the afternoon ride to the light house. We didn’t feel the need to look at the ocean. St. Johns is a very interesting port, well sheltered, with an interesting history. A fun place to stroll around and it looks like it might be a great place to live, but then we heard about the cold, dark, long, and very snowy winters and dropped that idea. Weather wasn’t the best for photography but here are a few: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/StJohnsNewfoundland# Due to the amount of photographs, and my attempt to keep each group at not much more than 50, I gathered a lot of the photos of Edith, Gene and I and placed them in a separate album. Those are: http://picasaweb.google.com/lawrence.reed.peterson/GeneLawrenceEdith# St. Pierre, French Territory was too foggy to get into the port and captain announced we would have to skip the stop. There really wasn’t a lot to miss but of course some passengers had to make a big deal about it. Gene and I have noticed, in our limited cruising, that the passengers who like to complain get most vocal just the last few days of a cruise. What is it? Do they think they will get a discount? A cruise is travel. travel involves problems and hassle now and then. But some people seem to gather the injustices and feed into the problem rather than accepting the bumps as part of travel. There was also a concern because a tropical storm (Dennis) was headed up the coast and the captain wanted to be in port before it hit. And we did dock in Boston just in time as the rain came down heavily for our disembarkation. I must compliment Holland-America and Boston for that because, despite the weather, a Red Sox at home game, and Obama and three prior presidents in town for the funeral of Senator Ted Kennedy, we made it easily to the Parker House Hotel. “Dennis” brought Boston heavy rain all day. We arrived in the mid-morning on a Saturday but braved the weather to walk to Quincy Hall area with Edith, who had not been in Boston for 57 years. Though wet the rain was a warm one and we sought lunch at the famous Union Oyster House. Sunday was a long leisurely walk in a day that started cloudy but dry and progressed to bright and sunny. Perfect weather for the walk in the Boston Commons, past the house where Gene lived when in Boston, and all the way down to the Christian Science Fountain. Near Copley Square we visited the many churches and found the Apple store for Lawrence to acquire the newest release of the operating system from Apple. A wonderful dinner at the Parker House rounded out our very brief stay in Boston. There are only a small group of photos to represent that two day stay: http://picasaweb.google.com/edith.klasen/Boston# The next morning (Tuesday, August 31st ) all climbed into the little rented Kia for our driving tour of New England. First stop the Mountain View Grand Resort in far Northern New Hampshire via the White Mountains. Of all the buildings from the mid 1800s, the Mountain View Grand Resort has to be the best restored I have ever seen. A magnificent structure with innumerable rooms and the recent restoration monitored by the Historical Society to assure floors stayed warped and window glass was replaced with the old style glass to match. The wooden sash windows were all kept and the attention to detail in bathroom fixtures and door knobs kept the grandeur consistent. The new additions like the movie auditorium and the gym in the basement blended in seamlessly with the building. We wished we could have known more about the place ahead of time so our stay could have been longer. And, to add icing to the cake, we were at one of the quietest times for the hotel. Had the place nearly to ourselves and the quiet of the 180 degree panorama of the mountains in the clear sunshine was undisturbed. Too quickly we had to make another beautiful drive through new England’s rolling mountains to Woodstock, Vermont. But, before you read that section I suggest you view the images at: http://picasaweb.google.com/edith.klasen/NewHampshire# Franconia Notch was our first viewing stop and then we headed rather directly to Woodstock, with just a few more pull outs for lovely mountain views. Gene has an old friend in Woodstock, Sally Garmon, who lived next to him in Seattle for many years. Woodstock Inn was our destination and another fine old hotel . We had a lovely dinner with Sally, whom Edith and I immediately liked, and arranged to meet the next morning for an auto tour. Traveling with a local makes such a difference. We would not have known to view the impressive Quichee Gorge or the Waterfall and Glass blowing facility located there. A wonderful sunny day and the photographs reflect that fact: http://picasaweb.google.com/edith.klasen/WoodstockVermont# Too soon, after a quick lunch where we met Sally’s charming daughter Maureen, we had to drive on to an interesting stop; Vassar College Alumni House. My grandfather was the head engineer for Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, new York in the 1930’s through the late 40’s and early 50’s. The farm where I spent my summers as a child was in Clinton Corners and many the fond memory of coming to the alumni house with my grandmother for lunch, which always included a Hot Fudge Sunday. Although the Alumni House no longer has a food service they do now make the hotel rooms available to the public. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to stay there and see the campus again, having not been there in probably over 40 years. I thought Edith would also be interested to see the campus. One thing I had not planned well enough for was driving directions to the college but the car had a navigation system and we made it right to the front door. The building was very recognizable and I was a bit choked up to walk up the steps to the main entrance and arrange the room keys. I had never, as a kid, been upstairs and it was really very nice. The old glass knobs and metal latches on widows and closet doors and the antique style light switches brought back fond memories. Oddly enough both Gene and Edith seemed in a dour mood, perhaps from too much driving and a different room each night, but I was determined not to let them spoil my happiness to be in this old house. I did finally figure out where we used to have the lunches, in an area not used now that they have no food vendor, and did remember the old library and the Great room. The dinner we found was excellent and restored everybody to good spirits. The school year had just started so the children were all in town but it was so early in the year, the first week, that they weren’t out running about yet; still figuring out schedules and locations. The next day Gene and I took a walk in the campus while Edith took care of some letter writing and walked there later. The old library at Vassar is a must see if you ever get to the area. My nephew Henry has Vassar on his list of possible colleges and it would be good if he went there so I’d have a reason to visit again. But he is also considering Brown University where I attended a High School summer session and that would be a good visit too. Here is the gallery: http://picasaweb.google.com/edith.klasen/VassarCollegeNewYork# The 3rd of September was a short drive to my sister’s home in Saddle River, New Jersey. We stayed a couple of days there and Edith took on the task of reading the nearly finished Woody Baldwin manuscript. I hadn’t been able to print anything prior to arrival at my sister’s house. Edith’s comments on the project were most encouraging, coming from a European and from a Ph.D. and from somebody who knew nothing of Woody Baldwin or of what he had accomplished in his life. A dinner out with Jean Vass, an old friend from childhood, and my nephew Henry who is growing to be fine young man. I repaired the computer at the house of course and was sad the visit was so short, but Henry had to get back to Newport to start his Senior year in High School and so we were transported to New York City on the Saturday morning of the Memorial Day weekend. This morning at Bryce Canyon my writing is interrupted by the requirement to change Lodges. We’ve only a short drive today, about two hours, to Zion Canyon. Having taken the drive through the entrance canyon and tunnels, a magnificent engineering feat, there won’t be as much impetus to stop every five minutes and try to capture the beauty on camera. I’ll resume what I can of this writing in Zion and again at the Grand canyon. The work will have to be finished when back in Reno where I have my notes from the Voyage. As you can see from the length of the travelogue, which encompasses over two months of travel, I’m glad I could begin the rough sketch while in the relative peace and quiet of the Southern Desert Canyons. Interjection of the interjection: It was impossible to write at Zion National Park. The overwhelming grandeur of the cliffs and the call to hike the sandstone ledges was too much. Despite the capability with a nice room and a desk to write at; the transition from enjoying the canyons of the National Park to write about the canyons of New York just didn’t happen. The walk to Hidden Canyon will in itself require some considerable thought before I can try to describe it. So, the computer is now established at North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Here there is not as much immediate call to wander. The lodge is position so that one can simply sit on the balcony and look. The altitude change (up 4,000’ from Zion) has taken it’s toll also and so sitting to write appeals more to me. We were here just last year so it is a more relaxing visit this year. I’ve done the hikes and taken lots of photos already. Tuesday I’ll venture into the canyon aboard a mule, a first time for me, and that may elicit some additions to the end of this piece. Photographs from both places will also follow. But now back to the story of the Voyage and it’s conclusion in the East Coast for our three intrepid travelers. Part IV I was looking forward, for Edith’s sake, to getting her settled into her hotel for six days. I think the whirlwind of different places every night was poor planning on my part, but we had such a limited amount of time and I wanted her tour to be wide-ranging. Loew’s Park Avenue Hotel is a great location. Near to Central Park and the shops of 5th Avenue and in a quiet and safe neighborhood. Walking out of the Hotel one is greeted with the plush residential Park Avenue and the surrounding side streets are devoid of the gritty hustle and bustle found in so much of New York City. Gene and I were awarded the pleasure of being the guests of our mutual friend Richard Seff in his East Side penthouse, which was a brief bus ride or an energetic walk to Edith’s hotel. The first stop, the next day, in New York was to stroll through Central Park. Even though it was a Sunday of a Holiday weekend, and glorious weather, the park was not overly crowded. Just the right amount of people and street performers. Edith walked to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral for Mass and afterwards I met her at the hotel and we walked to Central Park were we met Richard and Gene. Richard, Edith, Gene and I walked and laughed and shared a day made special by the renewal of old friendships and the making of new ones. The park has seen an incredible renewal since the care was taken over by the non-profit group “Friends of Central Park.” I remember the place from when I was a child and it was run down and dangerous, even during the day. New plantings and replacement benches are everywhere. The ____ fountain, which was a junkie hangout in the 60’s and filled with bums, is now a marvelous space to relax, as are the boat pond and the boat house. The old band shell where the Grateful Dead played in the early 70’s has many fond memories for me and although nothing so exciting was happening on this day, the area was awash with happy people enjoying the sun and companionship of others. The park always amazes me; that such a thing can exist in the midst of the massive buildings of New York City. The transition back out of the park, at 5th Avenue and Central Park South, has always been, and still is, one of those interesting transitions of space; similar to the transition one feels emerging from the quiet Cathedral Madeleine in Paris into the rush of the city. The time in New York was the only spot in our travels where I had not planned things in detail. It worried me endlessly that I was not providing an itinerary for Gene, and especially so for Edith. On the other hand I wanted to let them pick what to do, yet they had become so used to me planning everything that I couldn’t seem to get them to speak up with what to do. The one event which I had arranged immediately on getting to Richard Seff’s was to book tickets for a Broadway Show. Gene helped make the decision to get tickets for the revival of South Pacific, at the Lincoln Center. We got great seats in the fourth row center and even an aisle seat for Edith. The show was a big success and the crowd very enthusiastic. We all thoroughly enjoyed it, being a first time for Edith and I to see the show, and a repeat viewing for Gene who seemed transported by the music, although he only cried four times. We had the fortune to hear the understudy sing the main part (Emile) and he gave a stunning performance. He was so much better than the recorded version I have from the current lead singer. Edith wanted to shop so we directed her to Bloomingdales one day and then took her down to Macy’s to see the wonderful Herald Square, which has been temporarily closed to traffic as has much of the Times Square. This is a concept of Mayor Bloomberg to make a European style pedestrian area and although the New Yorkers complain about the effect on traffic, the pedestrian areas make the whole Times Square are more charming, accessible, and inviting to just wander around in. The city has blocked off large section of Broadway and put in café tables and chairs and planter boxes. Very effective and charming. Edith said she was very impressed to be sitting in a chair in the middle of Broadway! It appears to be a test and if successful may become a permanent pedestrian zone. I hope so. All three of us went into Macy’s and then, when Edith was comfortable with her location and how to get back to her Hotel, Gene and I wandered over to see the Empire State Building. This is one of my favorite buildings and an Art Deco masterpiece. Gene wasn’t interested in going to the top so we just enjoyed the design of the lobby and elevators level. Next we took a taxi directly down 5th avenue to my old hippie stomping ground; Washington Square and Greenwich Village. Washington Square has had an upgrade and make over, much needed, but as poorly done as the one in Union Square in San Francisco. The same mistake; of losing the white marble and replacing it with cold grey slate and gray marble. The white arch of the Washington Square remains, but no longer blends in with the white benches and white marble fountain. But at least the surrounding park areas are still kept as green and the wooden benches remain. It is unfortunate that the committee which has restored Central Park could not have managed this project also. The old Bohemian section has changed too. Where Bleeker and McDougal Streets meet, which was the Haight Ashbury of the East Coast, Gene and I had a lovely lunch in a French Seafood Café on the corner with charming tables facing on the sidewalk. Sunday was a quiet day and very different from my memories of sneaking, 15 years old, over to the vibrant life of the Village in the 1960’s. The streets swarmed with strange looking people and the shops sold incense, posters, amusing buttons, and various paraphernalia of the age. I and my friends would sit on the stoops, I showed Gene one I remembered, and panhandle just like a real hippie might. I still recall collecting $28 dollars one day, which was a lot of money in those days. A morning visit to Grand Central Station, just for a look, led to one of our more exciting adventures — an invitation to have lunch at the Harvard Club. Another cruise ship connection; Gene and I had met Paul on the cruise around South America in early 2009. He’d recently lost his partner of 40+ years and the cruise was his first adventure on his own since that tragedy. We liked him immediately and Gene was able to relate his own experience of losing Bruce after 49 years, which helped Paul feel less isolated. We had stayed in touch since and so this was the first time we had seen him in many months and Edith’s first encounter. The club is situated mid-town and very unimposing from the outside. Sitting and waiting for Paul to arrive and watching the flow of the upper class of New York was another of those transitions and contrasts. Obviously a lot of power and money in the rooms. When Paul arrived, exactly on time, he ushered us back to the main dinning room; a very elegant paneled room with a wrap around balcony. The food was superb and the conversation a delight. Paul is a charming host and immediately paid much attention to Edith in order to make her feel fully included. Our lunch passed to quickly and with the same gentlemanly manners he is known for, Paul brought the conversation and camaraderie to a close with just the proper flourish of graceful acknowledgements and enthusiasm. Bob and Dolores Parry were a couple Gene and I met on our first Queen Mary 2 crossing. I find it most interesting how many people whom we have cruised with have converged with our life’s travels again. We met Bob and Dolores because the first group we had for dinner, on our first night on a cruise ship (Queen Mary 2), were unbearable. Boring beyond belief. After dinner we asked how we could discretely change tables and the maitre de moved us to the other side of the dining room. The Parry’s were seated with a dour and quiet odd couple and were very pleased with our arrival for the second night. They told us they would have moved if we hadn’t shown up. We had the pleasure of their company for five days and were excited to see them in New York. Edith chose to stay in the city and so Gene and I took the train out to Long Island, where Dolores is in administration at Molloy College. After a tour of the college we had a most enjoyable dinner and we are working hard on getting them to join us for the cruise next year. The New York City area photos are: http://picasaweb.google.com/edith.klasen/NewYorkNY# There is so much I haven’t told. I don’t have the skill to paint the full portrait of our journey. I lack the means to relate the funny and wonderful people we met along the way and the camaraderie developed with our fellow travelers. Part V There is a previous rant in this piece about the horrendous conditions flying domestically in the United States so I’ll skip a description of our awful flight home. We have decided domestic air travel is no longer an option for us. We will fly to Europe next year on a European carrier but the return to Reno from Fort Lauderdale will be by car and train. It was a great pleasure to see the house and no mishaps had occurred while we were gone. I was too jet lagged to figure out how to restart the water heater till the next morning, when it turns out the electronic pilot ignition doesn’t work but hand lighting did. Ah, the joy of a hot shower in one’s own bathroom. We scrambled about for two days unpacking from 50 days, catching up on the pile of mail, paying bills, rescheduling dentists and so forth. Just at the end of all that I got started organizing for our two weeks canyon trip and suddenly we were gone again. I am surprised how well I managed to pack. Only forgot a few small things. We had a slight change of plans because our friends who planned to come to Great Basin didn’t so we spent one night less in Ely and included a night in Brian’s Head, Utah instead. Once on our way across beautiful empty Nevada and into the high desert in Utah there is no AT&T cell service, except a few small spots, and limited Wi-Fi Internet . Had neither at all at Bryce Canyon for the three days there. In Zion we had Wi-Fi Internet but still no cell phone. In the Grand Canyon only very weak cell phone coverage and have to hike to the store for Wi-Fi again. No TVs at Bryce, Zion, and Grand Canyon Lodges. Yeah!!!! No Cramer! No Wolf Blitzer!! No Sports! (Oops! Sorry; Gene likes tennis). The driving was almost too much those first three days. For me about six hours in a car is my limit these days. I used to be able to go 14 hours solid, but not anymore. It was a long way from Reno to our first stop, Bryce Canyon but a very beautiful drive with lots of interesting photo opportunities along the way. Those photos are here: http://picasaweb.google.com/aheroicman/RoadToUtah# Bryce, as I mentioned earlier, is a unique formation of red and pink sandstone and although really simply a lot of the same type of formation; it is the variety of this type that makes the canyon so interesting. At Bryce the viewing and Lodge are from the top of the canyon, with the hikes going down into the sandstone formations. Everything at Bryce has a very delicate feeling and looks as though a strong rain could wash it all away. The images [same link as before] are: http://picasaweb.google.com/aheroicman/BryceCanyon# At Zion, by contrast to Bryce, the Lodge is on the valley floor and the trails lead up the cliffs. The Virgin River has carved an impressive valley over the course on many thousands of years and the variety of cliffs and bluffs and outcroppings is the stunning feature of the park, as well as the sheer immensity of the formations and the heights of the rock walls. At Zion everything feels more solid, as though it will stand exactly as is for thousands of years to come. Geologically there is an interesting relationship to the three parks. Bryce is the newest of the formations and stands at the top of the geological layers laid down in the ancient sea bed. The bottom of Bryce is equivalent to the top of Zion. The bottom of Zion touches the base layer which is the top of the Grand Canyon. Of course the uplift has changed the heights of these layers to an angle and so the altitude changes don’t exactly reflect the geological layers. And, at the Grand Canyon North Rim, one has the combined feeling of Zion’s timelessness with the sense of change one gets in Bryce, yet the Grand Canyon is so immense one has trouble comprehending the whole thing. Perhaps the only way to really get the sense of the immensity of the Grand is to take the two week boat trip down the Colorado River. But we do our best by sitting on the rim. Altitude played some part in our endeavors too. In Reno the house is at an elevation of 4,612 feet so we are better acclimated than somebody who lives full time at a lower level. Ely’s elevation is about the same as Reno and Cedar Breaks National Park and Brian’s Head where we spent the second night are at over 10,000 feet. Bryce’s Canyon rim is over 9,000 feet above sea level and we had trouble getting our breaths the first night. My hiking was limited by the oxygen levels too. I did get one 3 mile hike down into the canyon and up again and one three mile hike along the rim trail, which changes elevation more than expected. At night I noticed I didn’t sleep as well from the lack of oxygen also. Zion is back at a more normal elevation of this old hiker. 4,000 feet at the valley floor feels like home. The temperature is significantly hotter though and the trails, now leading upward are much steeper than at Bryce. I managed two reasonably good hikes, the later one being the more aggressive. The first day I just went to the Emerald Pools loop; about 3 miles with only a 450 foot gain. The second day Gene and I took the shuttle to the end of the canyon and had an easy walk there. I could have gone off on a long hike by myself but I enjoy Gene’s company and elected to make the easier walk so he could participate. Gene is content to sit on the balcony and read, do a Sudoku puzzle (or two), or just watch the view change. This is fine most of the time but there are also times I want the experience to be a shared one. We took the shuttle all the way to town that afternoon for a light lunch. The last day at Zion I started early in the morning to avoid the heat and chose to hike Hidden Canyon. The trail rises steeply for 850 feet and the switchbacks are relentless and tiring. At near the top of the trail the path winds along a sheer drop of 800 feet or more and there are chains fixed to the cliff wall for safety. I am not sure I could have made the traverses along this section without the chains. The path is a ledge no more than two feet wide and very uneven. The views from here are stunning. At the trails end, about one mile, I had expected a view of a hidden slot canyon and to turn around after a rest, and had told Gene I’d be back about noon. The sign at the end says, “End of maintained trail. Narrow canyon with fern covered walls, scrambling required. No outlet ahead. “ So I decided I’d venture in for a look. The narrow canyon was flat and an easy walk after the first little pile of boulders to work across. The walls rise perhaps 1,000 feet on either side and it was pleasantly cool. The canyon drew me in. Each pile of fallen rock, many old and now tree covered, led to another long easy flat walk, the result of the blockage creating a dam and the sand washing down during the rains fill in behind. As I went further in I lost track of time. The adventure of exploring up to the next scramble mesmerized me. Each scramble got more difficult and a couple almost had me give up, but I found a way to climb it and was rewarded on the other side with more and narrower canyon. Finally the challenge was too great. I came upon a mass of fallen slabs which I did not see a way to surmount. Here I rested a moment and, having no watch, looked at the camera to see the time. Oops! I am really going to be late and Gene tends to worry!! The whole way up I had been alone. The first hiker of the day and that did lend a quiet to the trail. It also made me very aware that if I slipped on a scramble I was alone for quite a while, till another hiker came deep into the canyon. The trail was treacherous going in, and generally coming down is easier. Not so in this case. The scramble down was over the same terrain usually but because the rocks are covered with a fine sand they are extra slippery. The forward and downward motion creates a momentum which the sand’s slipperiness accelerates. What was difficult coming up was turning out to be more difficult going down. At one juncture the trail had split around a large up cropping in the middle of one of the only wide places in the canyon. I had taken the left side going in because to blockage on the right side looked impossible to climb except for somebody with vertical wall experience. The route I choose turned out to climb way upwards and upwards again before crossing the top and then went downwards nearly as much as it had climbed. On the return I wanted to avoid this long detour and went for the blocked side, thinking it could be taken downward possibly, but if it didn’t look doable I’d go back to the original trail. It looked possible and I threw my walking stick to the bottom of the crevasse prior to my attempt. My first try was not good. I slipped immediately but being a cautious fellow the slip was not on the foot carry my weight and my hand grip was secure. Pulling myself back to the start again I really thought I couldn’t go that way, but if I went the other way back I could never get my walking stick because the crevasse bottom it lay in was only halfway and I remembered I could not climb up to it from the other side. Just then a bee came and buzzed me, which I sent away with a clap and an admonishment to not bother me, that I had to think about this problem. That break seemed to clear my mind and I saw a way to work my way down the walls. The opposite wall was round rock and vertical so it held no sand to make it slippery. The near wall was smooth and somewhat slippery if stepped on, but when by whole back was pressed against the wall it was secure. The distance was just correct so I could walk down the opposite wall, slowly, while inching my back down the near wall. This worked till near the bottom, when the space between the walls widened. But by then I was close enough to maneuver myself above a flat sunny spot and jumped down. A first time making that kind of descent for me. I picked up my stick and went to the next section of the climb down to where the paths had split. There the downward path was an easy slide down the smooth rock to the flat below and I proceeded on, but not without looking back to take a photo. And there, on the large slab boulder, unnoticed before, somebody had chalked the image of a skull and crossbones, to indicate to the hiker to avoid that direction. The rest to the walk back was simpler and just as I got to the end of the unmaintained trail I encountered the first of the day’s hikers. The walk along the chains and down the switchbacks was fast and the shuttle ride came to the bottom stop just as I arrived, leading me to arrive at the room exactly at noon. What a great morning. I’ll recall the beauty, excitement, and especially sense of accomplishment for many years. Some great photos of that hike are here: http://picasaweb.google.com/aheroicman/ZionNationalParkHiddenCanyonTrail# The next day, Sunday the 27th, we drove to our next overnight lodging. As we had driven this same road last year I had not taken a lot of photos along the Highway and didn’t take a lot his year there either. But while in Zion canyon I took over 500 photos. It was difficult to not take a photo every minute as the view changed or simply the light changed on the existing view. Gene and I edited the group down to what we think are the best representation and those photos from this year can be found here: http://picasaweb.google.com/aheroicman/ZionCanyon# The drive to the Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim is short, only about three hours, and we arrived just in time to have lunch in our favorite National Park dining room. Check in was to a lovely looking two room cabin. And the afternoon we both conked out. The rapid change in altitude, which was slower when we traveled to Bryce, really knocked us both out. More food, like we really needed it, at that marvelous dining room again and a walk along the rim as the sun continued setting completed the first day. The next morning I drove out to Cape Royal along a narrow winding two lane road which also travels through the area burnt out in the 2000 Outlook fire. Gene elected to stay at the lodge and be easy. The area where the controlled fire got out of control, and spread through hundreds of acres, is nine years later covered in young aspen trees, all turned bright golden in the early Fall sunlight. Since I was out and about early, there were only two other vehicles on the highway with me and with the pull outs I ended up having an open road. Having to keep my speed down, not because of the curves as much as the possibility of deer, made no difference in the experience. That car, our BMW, loves a winding mountain road. The air was clear and with the sun roof open and the windows down, some highway music on the stereo, golden aspen leaves flying through the glittering sun; I was flying. That drive was like something of a dream. I just keep thinking I couldn’t remember having felt this high, this happy, in a long time; if ever. The line of the song which dominated my mind was “I want to know what its like on the inside of Love,” and here I was having that experience, even without Gene in the car to share the ride and the flow. The stops at the overlooks only increased the feeling of flying. Again, because I was early, the view points were quiet; no yakking tourists. The perspective at each cause the awe at the grandeur to increase minute by minute. I really began to realize why my friends Cliff and Debi made the comment that the only way to really understand the size of the Grand Canyon is to make the two week raft trip down the Colorado. From Angels Point one can see the tiny ribbon, far off in the distance, of the Colorado River and it is difficult to understand that it carved all this over thousands of years. But don’t take my word for it. Go. The photos from that day are here: http://picasaweb.google.com/aheroicman/NorthRimGrandCanyon# Because we had been at the North Rim just over a year ago, and I had taken some wonderful photos there, I did not take many photos of the lodge or the main viewing area near the lodge. Those photos are still available here; http://picasaweb.google.com/aheroicman/GrandCanyonNationalPark# and http://picasaweb.google.com/aheroicman/GrandCanyonLodge# The evening was another spectacular sunset but both Gene and I arrived at the same conclusion around the cocktail hour: we had enough of cabins and lodges and would leave a day early. When we booked the cabin we thought for sure we’d find a friend or two to meet us and, without the addition, the time there looked to drag out the next day. I could have hiked into the canyon but didn’t like the idea of leaving Gene alone all day again. So, it made sense to go the next morning and drive to Mesquite, Nevada for an afternoon in the Spa (me) and Casino (him) and have a steak house dinner and a different crowd type. We both will admit we were tiring of the canyons tour groups and of crowds in general. Being in Nevada would feel a bit closer to home too, and the drive to visit with Jim and Mary Lee only a few hours on Wednesday. And thus I am caught up and writing in the present moment. Yesterday in the Spa and a 90 minute massage were the perfect compliment to the days of hiking. Gene had a lot of fun in the casino and came out a bit ahead. Last night’s dinner was spectacular. The time with the Greig’s, and their personal attentions to giving us a wonderful tour of Las Vegas, will have to fill another story. The photos of the return home, including our great time in Las Vegas, are here, but I am just too written out to say more than what the photos will reveal. The group photos say it all: http://picasaweb.google.com/aheroicman/TheRoadHome# When I got home, Saturday, October 4th, I began the second pass through this travelogue and filled in the spots which currently stood blank, since without my ships daily program I don’t remember where certain things happened. As I sort through the photos I’ll add another sentence or two. It took almost a week to select and upload the photos. Thus completed you’ll, if you persist, have been able to glean a measure of the wonderful, but almost too long, Holiday of the Summer of 2009. Lawrence Peterson October 11, 2009 Reno, Nevada |
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