Trip to New Hampshire, Canada, New York, and Pennsylvania 2016
I had a fun vacation that was part research for future paintings and part family gathering.
Our son flew down from Canada but because of an airline problem we picked him up at Dulles Airport
instead of him flying down to the Norfolk airport. We spent the next two weeks together traveling north at a slow pace.
We spent a couple of nights at the Nutmeg Inn in Meredith, NH. It is a lovely old home built in 1763 by the gentleman who invented
the rotary printing press. The home is filled with antiques and fresh flowers that the owner grows in the gardens around the house.
I spent a good bit of time photographing the antiques with special attention to the lighting. Later I enjoyed the gardens,
photographing the many different types of flowers that were flourishing. I particularly paid special attention to the heritage
roses as they are very different from the blossoms we are acquainted with. The petals are small and much more numerous and the
fragrance can only be described as heavenly, deep, and rich. The old maple tree growing in front of the house and spreading it
branches wide is 400 years old with a thick gnarled trunk that had many interesting textures I could not resist photographing.
We drove around the local towns photographing anything that caught my fancy. Found a jewel of a town park and took many scenic
photographs of the stream and wildflowers. We were looking for the family cemetery plot and found the more recent one dating from
1912 but never was able to locate the old one dating from the early 1800’s. We stopped by the lake at the bottom of Mt. Chocorua,
which is a picturesque spot to photograph the mountain especially when the water is still and there is a good reflection of the mountain.
Unfortunately it was windy that day and the water was ruffled. We waited so late to have dinner that night that all the normal restaurants
had closed for the evening. We ended up eating in a biker bar. A first for me! Luckily it was almost empty and the food was good.
Our next stop was to drive to North Conway, NH to visit The Flume Gorge at the Franconia Notch State Park. It is a deep gorge that the
Pemigewasset River quickly gouges and tumbles its way through. Pemigewasset means swift current in the Abenaki Indian language. The flume was
formed 200 million years and was first discovered by a 93 year old white woman in 1808 while out fishing. Brook trout and recently returning
atlantic salmon can be found in the river. It was too late in the season for me to spot any fish. There are interesting rock formations and
swirling water and I had a fine time making dynamic compositions with the camera.
We sped on through the Kancamagus Highway though the White Mountains as it was getting late. But I did have the fellows stop to
take photo here and there. We have been enjoying good food but there is a meal I must make a comment about. We had dinner at Jonathan's
Seafood where I ordered salmon brûlée where the fish was covered with a mustard and sugar topping that was torched to give it a
crusty, crunchy, sweet, and delicious flavor. My two Ira’s had Ipswich clams which they enjoyed.
The next day we drove the length of the Kancamagus Highway from Lincoln to North Conway, NH. This was our only rainy morning of the vacation.
Still I was able to take photographs of the scenery, a covered bridge over the Saco River and along Swift River. The Ira’s decided
to tackle driving to the top of Mt. Washington. It is the third time we have made the trip on the “Road to the Sky”.
The views are spectacular of the surrounding mountains on the way up. The top was socked in so bad it was like pea soup, and cold 53 degrees,
and windy, and damp. One time we were up there and it was clear and 72 degrees but that is rare. The new cars are so efficient now that for the
first time ever we had to pull off to let the brakes cool a bit, but this gave me the opportunity to take many more photographs of the stunted trees,
ocks, and swiftly flowing streams. This evening we had dinner at the Lobster Trap in North Conway where I enjoyed lobster pie. This was mostly claw m
eat with buttered bread crumbs on top served in a casserole dish. Ira had a whole lobster and young Ira had a humongous Italian seafood platter. All was excellent.
The next day we drove into Canada, breezing through customs, on our way to Ottawa to attend a family wedding. It was nice meeting new people and a
novel experience as the wedding was conducted in French and a bit of English in a beautiful old stone church.
************************************************************************************************************
By now it is Labor Day and we are traveling on to Toronto to young Ira’s home. Stopped in Kingston for lunch and found a tiny jewelry
store that sold Baltic amber. It was beautiful but I resisted buying any. On Tuesday Ira and I, Ira and Shelley decided to visit Algonquin
Park north of Toronto stopping here and there for me to take more photographs. Saw a young red fox trotting alongside the road but was able to
take only a couple photos of him as he was moving quickly. Later saw a Great Blue Heron. It never ceases to amaze me the wide environment these
magnificent birds live can survive in. I have seen them in Alaska, southern most tip of Florida, and now in Canada. I believe my best photographs
in the area were taken at Costello Creek where there was an interestingly shaped large rock casting reflections in the creek with various wildflowers
in the foreground. Unfortunately we did not see any large animals that day.
On Wednesday the Ira’s and I went to the Toronto Zoo
for a few hours. It was extremely hot for Canada, 94 degrees and all the animals wanted to do was rest in the shade. They did have about six months
old polar bear, zebra, white lion cubs, two panda cubs, and an Indian rhino that were cute.
The next day was much more enjoyable as we went
to the Royal Ontario Museum to see the Dale Chuhuly glass exhibit. This is the third time I have seen this overwhelmingly magnificent display of art glass.
There are huge arrangements of shapes, sizes, and brilliant swirling colors to dazzle the eye. This artist was overwhelmed to walk by and through the
exhibit and to appreciate what creative artists Mr. Chuhuly and his staff really are. There were descriptions throughout the exhibit explaining how his
inspiration was derived. All of life’s experiences contribute to an artists creativity and the smallest thing can be a catalyst for growth. I walked
through the oriental section of the museum and admired the ancient style of art and saw a bit of the ancient Greek and Roman statuary and art. By then it was
time to leave and pick up Shelley from work. The drive out of downtown Toronto at rush hour was, at times, a terrifying experience for this country loving girl.
We did stop at a Mongolian Restaurant for another wonderful meal. The following day was a time to rest and recuperate.
By September 10th it was time to start heading home. Giving in to temptation we stopped at the amber store in Kingston and after much deliberation
I purchased two bracelets of butter amber that I could make into jewelry with my own style. Had another great lunch and headed to the border,
breezing through with almost no traffic line. Spent the night in Watertown, NY as it is a good mid way point.
************************************************************************************************************
Most places that are flying the Flag today are flying it at half mast as it is September 11. We have taken the scenic route through the Adirondack
Park to Lake Placid, home of the 1980 Olympic Games. Stopped at the town park in Harrisville, NY to take photographs of the Oswegathachie River and Falls.
It was a lovely little park and since it was early, no one was around, so we could enjoy the river in solitude. Later we reached the Whiteface Mountain and
drove up to the castle at the top. Though a replica of a real castle it is not very large and houses a restaurant and small gift shop. It was cool and windy so
we did not stay very long only to talk few photos looking over the valley to distant mountains. Stopping by the Ausable River to take photos of the rapids we took
a short trail up the river where Ira was able to photograph several Mergansers. By the time I arrived they had moved but I could still their calls to each other.
There was poison ivy everywhere so we had to be very careful where we stepped.
The next day we traveled south along Rt 30 and happened across the Adirondack Museum. There is a large collection of
old buildings from the Adirondack region with most in the rustic style of building and decorating with the creative use of tree branches to make intricate designs.
We spent several hours wondering the museum grounds and having lunch. While driving back toward the motel, I spied two turkeys hunting bugs along side the road.
I rolled down the car window and took photographs as they calmly walked by the car paying no attention to us. The sun was glinting off the metallic shine of
their feathers. That night we had the worse meal of the vacation and it was very expensive with small portions, but after visiting a gift shop, we stopped at
an ice cream store and had the most divine raspberry ice cream with ribbons of raspberry swirling through it and chocolate chips filled with raspberry.
Leaving the Adirondacks we stopped several times to take a few more scenic photographs. There was a long stretch of road where the traffic was almost stopped
then all of a sudden for no apparent reason it cleared up and traffic resumed speed. We were on the road for 12 hours that day. Much much longer than I like.
We finally reached the motel at 8 pm in Strasburg, PA.
Ira had a bad night. It turns out he was allergic to the duck feather pillows from China the
motel used. His right eye was swollen completely shut, his eyes looked black and blue, his forehead and neck were also swollen. He looked like he had been in
a bar fight. I drove him to an urgent care clinic for an allergy shot and pills. Soon he was at least able to see. We enjoyed lunch at the Plain and Fancy
Farm Restaurant, visited a quilt shop, general store and farmers market. We took to the back roads in search of cows to photograph and found a few along with
the ubiquitous horse and buggies, and a covered bridge. Enjoyed more good food at the Bird in Hand Restaurant and Smorgasbord. Found a few more cows and three
great working horses who were posing for me along with a beautiful sunset.
All good things must come to an end and the next day we left for home. Fortunately it was easy traveling all day since we were coming around Baltimore
and Washington DC early in the day. We enjoyed good company, wonderful sights, took over 2,000 photographs, ate excellent food, and best of all with all
that I gained only one pound. I hope you have enjoyed reading about my most excellent vacation.
Bev
2016 TRIP TO SUNNY, WARM FLORIDA? (NOT)
Hoping to escape the winter weather, my husband and I decided to leave for Florida a week before the Florida
Miniature Art Show opening weekend Jan. 16-17, 2016 in Dunedin, Florida at the Dunedin Fine Art Center. The first activity we enjoyed was
visiting the World War II 8th Air Force Museum in Savannah, GA. It is a beautiful museum dedicated to honoring the pilots and support staff
who were so successful in defeating the enemy during when war years when England was being bombed.
Traveling on we visited the Jacksonville
Zoo where we both rented scooters to drive around in comfort and ease. It was a cold, gray and damp day. Some of the animals did cooperate and show themselves.
On the fourth day we reached Sanibel Island. This is the location of the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge which is a four mile long drive through mangroves,
roadside canals and tidal saltwater ponds. Once again it was a cold, windy day and not many birds were around that time. Many times the birds are only a
few feet away. The bird photography is often fantastic. Even people with only a phone camera can obtain great photos. In all, we drove through the refuge
four times and each time were able to see different birds doing interesting activities. The most commonly seen are Egrets, Ibis, Snowy Egrets, White Pelicans,
Little Blue Herons, Tri-colored Herons, Brown Pelicans, Yellow Crowned Night Herons, Sanderlings, Dundlins, Anhinga, Double Crested Cormorants, and of course the
eautiful Roseate Spoonbills.
We next drove Rt. 41, the Tamiami Trail, across to the Everglades National Park.
Along the roadside we were able to take excellent photographic reference material of Woodstork, Kingfisher, Ibis, Egrets, and Little Blue Herons in the wild.
Once again it was cold, cloudy, and damp.
The Everglades were not as productive as they have been in the past years as the water level was high,
so the birds were more scattered, and it was cold and windy. We did see Purple Gallinule and a cooperative Great Blue Heron along the Anhinga Trail who was only
about five feet away. Ira watched and photographed an Egret stalk and catch a tiny lizard along the Anhinga Trail. Further into the park a Woodstork posed for me
then went walking slowly through the roadside pond to give me more compositions to photograph. While in the park we did photograph a Red Shouldered Hawk and a Short
Tailed Hawk that were new birds to add to our Birder’s Life List in spite of the cold weather.
As the weather was deteriorating, we drove back across the Tamiami Trail and stopped at the Clyde Butcher Photographic
Studio to enjoy his black and white giant photos of wild Florida landscapes. We arrived at Sanibel Island in time to drive through the refuge one last time.
It is such an interesting birding area, there is always something new to see and the people are friendly and share their love of birdwatching.
Our December on the east coast was so warm, it was a surprise when the cold weather came down from Canada and extended throughout Florida. It did have a
detrimental effect on the number of birds we saw, but the variety was still present. We just had to be a bit more patient.
2nd Part
Ira and I stayed healthy this year and was able to make the trip to see the Miniature Art Society of Florida’s 41 International Miniature Art Show
in Dunedin, FL Jan 16-17. It was a fun four days renewing old friendships and making new friends, especially meeting the artists visiting from England.
We got a kick out of the different ways of using and speaking the English language. Some of us who are members of the World Federation of Miniaturists are
working to further the exhibition of international art. Saturday evening, after the Patrons Day opening, the artists were invited to the Stirling Art Studios
and Gallery in old town Dunedin to socialize. Sunday morning was taken up with the Awards Brunch where we had excellent food and service. As the awards were
announced the winning art was exhibited on a large screen. It is a challenge to paint tiny and have the art project well as a 4’ x 5’ image on a screen.
Those artists present were able to receive recognition for their art with enthusiastic applause. Total entry for the MASF show was 628 paintings and sculptures.
My own “Surf Fishing II” received 3rd Place in Oils out of a competition of 213 entries in Oils. I am happy to write that my art received an award in
five out of the six competitions I entered last fall.
In the afternoon, the yearly annual meeting of the Miniature Artists of America was held, where as the Membership Chairman,
I was able to give my report in person. I also served as one of five Judges to serve on the Candidates Selection Committee to select new members to honor with
the designation of a Signature Member denoting their continuing excellence in painting miniatures. Sunday evening a large group enjoyed dinner together
at the Fishcamp Restaurant.
Monday and Tuesday I demonstrated how I paint miniatures in oil and explained the substrata I use and why I like to use the supplies I have chosen.
I also have samples for the visitors to touch to give them a better understanding of the materials. We took English artist Michael Coe out to dinner both nights
as he was visiting without a car as well as the prior Friday night. I could not resist my weakness for sculpture and purchased a tiny bronze of an English Blue
Titmouse from English sculptor Paul Eaton. I just love sculpture.
For four days I was able to indulge my senses in beautiful
art and conversations about art. I am looking forward to seeing the changes in my art as time progresses. I find painting miniatures to be addictive
and truly enjoy creating my tiny works of art.
Please Enjoy,
Bev Abbott
Travel Log to Denver and on to Yellowstone National Park 2014
Blackwater Falls State Park, Davis, West Virginia was out first stop on our journey to Denver,
Colorado and the Society of Animal Artists Annual Members Exhibition in August 2014. That evening my husband and I took photographs of small
falls near the old stately lodge where we were staying. I was framing my photographs with the idea of where I could place an animal as well as
showing the tumbling water. Moving water adds so much acton and liveliness to a painting. Plus, it is challenging and fun to paint. It
rained all night Tuesday and most of Wednesday. Late morning we walked down to the main falls and took a number of photographs before the rain began
again. I painted another layer on a miniature of a Black-necked Swan Family to pass the time. I had a number of miniatures I had begun with me
just in case of inclement weather while traveling. Late afternoon the sun peeked out and we returned to the falls for more photography. At one
of the scenic areas we came across a doe ambling along as she fed. Took some cute photographs of her as she watch me watching her. The first
stop was restful, productive and the food at the lodge was excellent. I recommend this state park as a destination vacation spot.
Our second stop on the way to Denver was to
the Cincinnati Zoo, Ohio. The motel we booked into was inconvenient with no restaurants nearby and the road in front of the motel was torn up and a great
deal of reconstruction was being completed. We stayed only the one night. We arrived at the zoo very early and I am so glad we did. It was
still a bit cool and the two Polar Bears were in a playful mood. I have never seen Polar Bears so active. I took several hundred photographs of
them under water and above the water line, pouncing on each other and biting at each other. I will have a great deal of fun painting them and reliving
my time in their presence. The Cincinnati Zoo is one of the few zoos around the country that runs their Cheetahs around a track, following a lure of a
piece of fuzzy material, to give them exercise. These cats are friendly and the trainers pet them and walk them around for the visitors to photograph.
Ira got the best photographs this time with his fast 400mm lens. The new exhibit at the zoo is the Painted Dogs of Africa. The exhibit area
is well done and there was one male up and active. The dogs are interesting to look at with their three color spotted coats and big ears. The gorilla
exhibit was also excellent. There was a new born baby as well an an older active baby. Ira was able to photograph the baby better with his 400mm lens.
This is another animal I enjoy painting. The new born is also a female and the keeper said they were looking forward to seeing the babies playing
together as they grow up. Ira fell at the zoo and injured his right knee. It plagued him the rest of our trip slowly getting worse. After leaving
the zoo, we headed into Kentucky to leave the city traffic behind us.
Our next stop on the way to Denver was at the St. Louis Zoo.
It had rained most of the day traveling through Kentucky but let up just as we approached St. Louis, so I was able to revisit the zoo. There were
two pair of Hippo play fighting and having a grand old time. While the children were crowding the windows, I did get wonderful underwater views to paint.
I love painting the wrinkled leathery skin of Hippos and at the St. Louis Zoo there are the same fish in the tank with the Hippos that would be found in
the wild. They are stripped yellow and black and add another element of interest in a painting. They serve as nature's recyclers for the Hippos and
help keep the water cleaner. There was also a very young baby Asian Elephant. I was able to photograph some tender moments between mother and calf
as well as the two youngsters playing together.
Our next stop on the way to Denver was unexpected as I did not know of a zoo in
Kansas City until we were in the area. It is an older zoo and many of the exhibits have not been updated to modern standards as yet so were not completely
camera friendly. The Penguin House was excellent with three different kinds of penguins. They are like living bullets underwater and it is fun to
watch them and very difficult to get a good photograph of them since they are so fast. We took the sky tram to the Africa area. While the lions were
sleeping the pair of Hippos cooperated by being active. The Chimpanzee environment was large and the troop stayed hidden in the trees except for
one male that came down to the windows to interact with the children. Three zoos in three days just about wrecked my feet and did not help Ira's knee.
We had a full day of just driving to reach out next destination which was Denver (at last). At the Denver Zoo Ira rents a scooter
which is a great help. It was at the cat house that we became separated. He stayed outside on the scooter and I went through the house and came
out on the other side. I walked back toward the beginning but didn't see him (he had pulled up close to the door). I photographed the two tigers
walking around their environment and then the Polar Bear, all the while looking around for Ira. I later learned he was looking for me and we just kept
missing each other. I kept slowly ambling along figuring we would catch up eventually. I did stop and ask a couple of zoo personal if they had
seen a man on a scooter. When I got around to the Asian area a zoo attendant approached me and asked if I were looking for my husband, then a Security
Officer showed up on a bicycle. We had a nice little visit while another Security Officer escorted Ira down from the entrance of the zoo to make sure w
e connected. Now we were united, we had a bite of lunch, then it was time to watch the training session of the three year old male Asian Elephant.
He was being rewarded for his correct behavior with orange segments. Eventually he entered his pool and played in the water, spouting water up out of his
trunk and making big splashes as he rolled around in the water. After that it was time for the baby Clouded Leopards to come to play. The two five
month old males were born in Denver but the four month old female came from the Smithsonian so she could be reared with others of her kind. Clouded
Leopards will not breed in captivity if they are not reared with siblings. The three were adorable playing together and their coats are so beautiful.
The lion exhibit was well done. The old male (14 years) was in full coat and since his brother had recently died, a young female was paired with him.
This kept both of the big cats active and moving around their environment.
Our next stop on our trip to Denver was the Cheyenne
Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, CO, Thank goodness the zoo provided a cart to ride for $2 a day to selected stops. It is a top rated zoo and
beautiful but it is on a mountain and difficult to walk with Ira's knee and my arthritis. We arrived early and the young three year old male Amur Tiger
"Grom" was very active. He drank from his pool and went for a swim. Needless to say I took many photographs of him. I love to paint tigers
and he was a grand specimen. The next great exhibit was the Lowland Gorillas. There was one big silver backed male who finally became active
when the zoo keeper threw fresh food into the area. One female had a tiny baby who stayed close to mom. The little stream in the environment added to
the interest of the compositions. While the Grizzly and wolf areas were well constructed, the animals were sleeping so I was unable to get good
resource material in those areas. Two of their four African Elephants were out to be viewed. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has the largest herd of
Giraffes in the nation but Ira's knee was paining him so, we had to leave before I got to their area.
We returned to Denver and the next day visited the Denver Aquarium. I took
photographs of exotic fish including a pair or mermaids swimming among the fish in the large tank (tongue in cheek). As it didn't take
long going through the aquarium we went back to the hotel for Ira to rest while I painted on a miniature of a pair of tiger cubs playing.
The next day began the weekend activities for the Society of Animal Artists and I was overawed by the quality of the work exhibited. "It is always
exciting to have one of my miniature oil paintings accepted into a show that primarily consists of large paintings and sculptures. It is more so and
a great honor to be accepted into the annual show of the Society of Animal Artists. My work "Digits" a mother and baby orangutans was accepted for the
exhibition. The art works selected for the show are not only beautiful but varied with many styles, subject matter, and sizes in paintings and sculpture.
I enjoy talking with artists I have not seen in several years as well as meeting new artists and learning of their perspective on art and life.
The artist's reception and artist's dinner was hosted at The Wildlife Experience in Denver. This is a beautiful museum with interactive exhibits explain
the fauna of Colorado and its importance to mankind and the environment.
In addition we were able to meet individually with Master Artists and were
treated to a presentation on Photoshop and Thinking Outside of the Box given by a panel of outstanding artists. It is always illuminating
to be exposed to new ideas and processes in thought, I look forward to seeing what new directions evolve in my art.
Our next excursion after the Society of Animal Artists weekend completed was a drive up to Yellowstone National Park. The drive
through southern Wyoming was rather boring. That is shale oil country and even the sage (which grows in very poor soil) was having a hard time growing.
It was black with only a small amount of green showing in the tips of the leaves. Saw no living animals for miles. Once we reached the open
prairie, there were cooling winds that rippled the tall grasses like long sinuous waves. There is heavy use of windmill farms here as the wind is constant.
There are also long lines of snow fences to protect the highway from drifting winter snow (which comes early and stays long) as much as possible. We
spent the night in Dubois, WY and as it turned out that was as close to Yellowstone National Park as we could find a room without spending $300 to $500 a night.
We did not have a reservation and there were many people having a last vacation before the summer ended. The first day we spent quite a bit of time in
the Teton area. The range of uplifted mountains are impressive. We made it up to Grant Village in Yellowstone and I had a buffalo burger for lunch.
For you who don't know it, it tastes like beef but has to be ground as it is tough and lean, so either has to have a long cooking time or ground. Just
south of Alum Creek alongside Yellowstone River in the Hayden Valley we came across one of the Bison herds. The males were in rut so some of them were putting
on a show, strutting around the females. They are even more dangerous this time of year than normal. There were mothers with calves, calves cavorting,
males rolling in the dust and chasing females. As they poured down the hill, I thought it wise to move to the far side of the car and watched them pass by
our car. They always pause and make the traffic stop as they cross the road. I photographed big males against the sky on a ridge and with the
Yellowstone River behind them. We got as far as the Grand Canon of Yellowstone and the waterfall. It started raining a cold rain in ernest and I
had to leave. There was the possibility of snow that night predicted the weatherman. Just north of the road to Grant Village we came across three
Elk. Ira photographed them with the 400 mm lens while I photographed a cute chipmunk pulling grass seed heads down to eat. By the time we reached
Lewis Falls it was getting even chillier and had stopped raining so I took more photographs without as many people around as earlier in the day. We had
dinner at the Jackson Lake Lodge in the Grand Teton National Park. We arrived there just in time for a spectacular sunset display. With the clouds
swirling around the Grand Teton and Mount Moran, they appeared to be on fire.
The second day into Yellowstone we came across a lone bull bison in the Nez Pierce
Creek area. I took photographs of him in an open field and as he crossed the road and walked among some trees. I had Ira take a photo of me
with him in the back ground before I scurried a safer distance from him. They look placid but can turn violent quickly. Ira's knee became
so painful at that point we had to go into West Yellowstone to a clinic. The nurse there advised him to go to the hospital in Jackson, WY, the closest
one three and one half hours away. So I drove the car which I have only driven once before. The Garmin took me down the backside of the Grand
Tetons on the Idaho backroads at high speed with many road construction areas. I will say the farmland was beautiful and green with the majestic Tetons
in the distance. Just before Jackson there is a mountain to cross with a 10% grade on a very twisty road. Ira controlled the downshifting while I
concentrated on the curves and keeping from running into the truck in front of us until he pulled over to let me pass. Needless to say I was white knuckled
and shaky by the time I reached town. Then had to drive through the town full of tourists. After tests at the hospital the Doctor said there were no
broken bones or blood clots. That was the good news but the bad news was Ira needed to go home. Unfortunately home was 3,000 miles away. So,
the good times have come to an end and we just made a beeline home, even so it took six days of hard traveling.
Observations I have
made: We have a wonderful, beautiful and varied country filled with kind people. In every city the TV news is filled with evil but the average citizen is
helpful and friendly, you only have to smile at them. After driving seventy miles per hour over unfamiliar roads I have a greater appreciation for the big
rigs on the highway and the difficulties they face when the weather turns nasty. I also have a greater awareness of the difficulties people face who use a
cane, crutches, or wheelchair after Ira had to use a cane then crutches as the pain in his knee worsened. And, no matter how much I tell myself I am not going to
spend extra money, I still had to buy some souvenirs. This time something for the Grandkids and some western wear for me and, as if I really needed it, a few
pieces of jewelry. Oh well, I had fun shopping, meeting new people, and observing animals. A trip to treasure.
Past Travels to Gather Resource Material
(We always drive so we can stop along the way to
visit any zoos, gardens or scenery along the way).
2016 Florida - Everglades, New Hampshire - Mt Washington, Canada - Ottawa and Toronto, New York State, and
Pennsylvania
2014 Denver and Yellowstone N.P.
2014 Sylvan Bird Park, NC
2013 Florida
2012 Fall-SAA Annual in New York on to Canada
Summer-Alabama
Spring-San Diego and 19 zoos, parks and refuges
2011 Winter-Caribbean Cruise and Florida
Summer-Toronto, Canada
2010 Summer-Toronto, Canada
Winter-Florida
2009 Fall-Salina, KS SAA Annual
Summer-Longwood Gardens, PA on to Canada
Spring-Kentucky Horse Farm and the Papillon National
Specialty
Winter-Florida
2008 Fall-Canada
Summer-Yellowstone N.P., WY; Bouchard Gardens, Canada
on to Skagway, AK (drove in a normal car)
Winter-Sanibel and Everglades, Florida
2007 Florida
2006 Nova Scotia, Canada
2004 Arches National Park,UT; Yellowstone National Park, WY
and Yosemite National Park, CA
2003 Yellowstone National Park, WY
Everglades National Park, Florida
2002 Denver, CO
2000 Ottawa, Canada
1998 Drove across the country in an RV and all around the state
of Alaska (a 3 month trip)
1995 Flew to Alaska and rented a 6’ bed truck-camper and drove
all the paved main roads around the state (there are not many).