30 July 2013 Beaver Pa - Blue Bell Pa

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30 July 2013

Somehow it was hard to get up this morning as I knew that this is the last 

morning, the last day of this journey.

The unexpected surprises and wonder will cease to appear around every turn on the road, the kindness of strangers, the oddities we came across, on this daily exploration of this immense and beautiful country.

It has been as if we lived a dream that now comes to an end, soon new ones will appear in our lives. New places to discover or even some we 

will return to as they were too good to leave behind after a short stay.

We started off our day with the most incredible fruit salad and cloud like 

pancakes with homemade strawberry jam served by the smiling and so

hospitable inn keepers.

We got into our car around 9.30, the sun was shinning and the clouds 
were playing games in the sky. in 2 hours we were at Mill Run, in order to
see Frank Lloyd Wright’s wonder of “Falling water” house.

It was indeed the most incredible structure I have seen that encompasses 

perfect organic architecture. 

We took a tour of this marvelous place and it’s beautiful forested grounds

We left around 3.00PM heading home. The beautiful rolling hills and green mountains of Western Pennsylvania were as lush as can be, the road back home just like Ulysses is sweet and we both look forward to tomorrow.

We started  heading towards Harrisburg passing beautiful farm land.

We arrived home after covering 9.400miles, 20 States, 6 of which we did twice and 2 Canadian Provinces, loved each and everyone for their own individual beauty and gift of visual and cultural differences. 

Both Ron and I learned so much more about ourselves and each other,

no matter how many of our friends wondered if we are ...still married.

Absolutely and going strong!

Thank you all for following our adventure hope we were able to show you

a brief description of this wonderful world we have been give to inhabit

and hopefully respect.

29 July 2013 Lakeside, Michigan - Beaver, Pa

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July 29, 2013

We left beautiful lash Lakeside around 10.00AM,  filled with sweet memories of a wonderful quiet and so relaxing weekend thanks to great hospitality and good friends..

The road via Ohio to Pennsylvania was not bad considering it took us 7 hours, drizzle followed us all the way to Beaver, Pa.

As soon as we entered Pennsylvania the radio played a song reminiscent  of our wedding, how perfect, since 19 years ago today we got married. Bringing a smile in our hearts.

The B & B we found by chance just last night, when we decided our last day's itinerary, turned out to be a gem.

We arrived through a wonderful winding road in the so abundant and luscious woods of this lovely town, entering this lovely place with such surprise.

The owners are a wonderful couple, an artist (hens the Van Gogh like mural on the barn) and an x Airline employee, we walk in their lovely home only to find out that  the one of the owners was cooking Greek stuffed grape leaves and peppers! 

Their gardens were delightful, filled with beautiful flowers and herbs, as well as their lovely barn that had horses and chickens. 

Outside our room on the second floor was a marvelous veranda where Ron felt right at home

Ahhhhhh!

We went to dinner at a lovely restaurant built in 1810, a lovely place that we were able to eat outside and enjoy the lovely evening. The sky was clearing and the clouds were disappearing leaving behind a wonderful last night for us to

enjoy and celebrate  the anniversary of one of the best days in our lives.

Before we returned back to the B & B, we drove over the Ohio river to take pictures of this sunset that will not be forgotten.

27-28 July 2013, Hillside Illinois - Lakeside Michigan

We left Hillside in the morning, it was cool and dark, we drove towards Chicago and as the time passed we realized that we are indeed back to reality.
The entire time we were driving in the rain , the traffic was horrendous as we were approaching the city on a Friday morning.

We arrived on 27 July in beautiful Lakeside, a small town by Lake Michigan. It is a lovely place were a lot of the homes are built by the lake with a beautiful seashore and beaches that go on for miles.

The homes are surrounded by tall trees and abundant gardens.

All the towns along the shore line are lovely and picturesque.  

25 -26 July 2013 Winnipeg - Duluth MN - Hillside Il.

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July 25-26 2013

Saying goodbye once more was not easy, we left the tree and garden lined street 

of the suburb of Norwood with a sad heart, after many hugs and kisses.

 While in Winnipeg I had a chance to go through some posts of our blog.

Oh dear, it looks like we did a very poor job in editing and saving the corrections, I guess trying to edit late at night after a long day of driving and exploring  as well as waiting for the slow WiFi in hotel rooms to work, got the best of us! Our apologies...hopefully most of you got the gist of it.

I do not want to forget to mention that while driving in Winnipeg at a stop light 

a lovely lady opened her window and said, I just want to welcome you to Winnipeg

as she saw our license plate, now tell me, how many times has this happened to anyone who might have visited you from another state, country?

The day started in rain, thunder and lightening, it unfortunately continued 

on for the entire day.

It was around 8.30AM we took off giving our last hugs to the kids and Oliver.

After we passed the border back to the US the weather got worse, the dark clouds were over us continuously, we had a constant downpour along with hail,  to the point that we had to stop a number of times at the side of the road.

Soon after it quieted down we had another Emergency Service Announcement on the radio, warning us that a storm was coming and we had to seek shelter. It was supposed to be moving 35miles an hour towards the township we were heading to for our overnight! I looked at my side mirror the sky behind was looking so so  dark and threatening, Ron said, “you are going 67miles an hour, we will be in the hotel before the storm” even though this was not making me feel that much better, I stayed cool and made it safely to our final destination. 

It was long day our longest day in driving 470 miles all the way to Spooner Wisconsin which was 70 miles south of Duluth.

The storm, never got to us, we had a beautiful sunset, the sky lit up and covered us with it’s orange rose glow, while we were having a quiet dinner overlooking the river and plenty of wildlife at a local restaurant located in the middle of this parklike setting. 

26 July 2013

We took off a little later around 9.30AM, the weather was a little cool 67F and it started with a blue sky, that did not last long we have had a mostly cloudy weather all the way, we just passed Madison Wisconsin and the rain is ahead of us.

No longer (I do not think) we will see the beautiful huge skies and vistas of this incredible country or Manitoba, we are well into civilization and traffic.

The marvelous surprises that waited for us and appeared over every hill and turn we took along the way will no longer be there. God we miss them already here in suburban Chicago.

It all ready feels like this is getting to the end of our out of this world Odyssey.

22 July 2013 Winnipeg

Visited wonderful friends and family, cherished moments  and will always remember.  

Went out during this full moon night with Dominique's parents had a great evening together and enjoyed a wonderful sight seeing tour of the city under the bright evening sky. 

Learned about the Famous Golden Boy statue perched on top of the dome of Manitoba's Legislative Building facing North,  it is arguably Manitoba's best known symbol. 

This is the city's benefactor, Louis Riel  founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies.

20 July 2013 Winnipeg

Winnipeg

It has been a wonderful stay with a few unexpected surprises, we ended up going to an absolutely
typical Country wedding .

A very good friend of Lancelot was getting married on his farm in the small town of Clearwater.
This friend along with the farming community in conjunction with the "Harvest Moon Society" has been collaborating with Lancelot and his students from the University of Manitoba on various projects that they have designed and then constructed from material taken from old vacant structures and repurposed the material for use on new structures that the community can use.

Actually this community has embraced Lancelot and he has developed lifelong friendships.  The wedding was an incredible experience for us, a very informal pot luck where 300 people came together, bringing their delicious dishes,  fresh salads and unforgettable deserts making this a feast for the eyes and palate.

On our way to Clearwater, we went by the endless fields of Canola, the sky was blue and the clouds kept playing hide and seek. Oliver the family Labradoodle came along.

The bride arrived into the garden to the sounds of a dear friend who played his guitar and sang the couples favorite song "You are my sunshine".

Here is a picture of the bride and the groom in their garden
exchanging vows, while Oliver was enjoying the magical moment.

Another happy moment with Lancelot Dominique and Oliver.
















.

Some wonderful friends that live in Clearwater.

Talk about organic and FRESH, here is a perfect plate of delicious tastes.



















The afternoon was moving into the moonlit evening, it was so light and the farm was alive with the sounds of happy children running up and down from the haystacks, people in groups laughing and reminiscing.
Tents were being pitched, bon fires were being lit, the musicians were putting their instruments together to jam and bring everyone around in song and beautiful music, the elated couple was moving from friend to friend and the hugs were so deep and warm filled with sincerity and love.

The love that brings together people from a small farming community who have worked the land for years, hard clean dedicated work,  lifelong precious friendships.

We had to say goodbye to a world that is so rare and real, the moon was rising while the sun had already set leaving behind the vail of soft pale colors of the a beautiful sunset and a beautiful day.



We headed back filled with joy for our 2.30hr drive back home, nothing like the short distances back home.

19 July 2013 Winnipeg

19 July 2013

This morning after a delicious breakfast made with the absolutely delicious eggs from Lou and Larissa's
chickens, we went off to see a magnificent show at the "Winnipeg Art Gallery", the exhibit was based on 100 masters who's work was borrowed from different museums within Canada and 2 from Minneapolis.

An extremely impressive show of exceptional pieces of art.

We also spent some time in town and came upon the Fringe Festival that was going on, all types of people were strolling along looking at arts, crafts, performances, eating and just having fun.

A very colorful experience for us I must say, here is a few:

 

Children were having fun dancing on the stage while the adults were swaying with the music and watching them with a smiles on their faces.

A very hungry little guy!!!

An unbelievable site on our way back home, this man who actually had: A plant on the back of his 

bicycle along with a bag with his little dog in it and in front he actually had a fish tank with his fish under the handle bars!!!! Can you believe it?? What fun.

We also went by  the new Human Rights museum which is almost finished being built

in the city.

The weather was great in the 80s and breezy, a refreshing change.

17 July 2013

The remaining time in Minneapolis was spent driving to the town of Hudson  which is located across the St.Croix River in Wisconsin.
It is exactly across the town of Stillwater on the Minnesota side.

We had been in Stillwater  before so we spent most of our time in Hudson, a lovely and very picturesque little town.

People were at the river on the beach like areas by the water, it was in the 90s, and sunny.

Went in and out of lovely antique shops and galleries as usual, it was a lot of fun, as we discovered little treasures.

Had a yummy lunch and enjoyed Larissa for a little longer, her life with Lou is so interesting and their carriers equally incredible.

We met Lou once more and went to dinner at a terrific place by a golf course, our dinner was delicious and the conversation wonderful, so much to keep catching up with. It is so hard to say everything when we see our children so little, it is such a treat though.

It was so much fun that I got so carried away that I did not get a chance to take a picture of both of them! I can kick myself.

So here is one I have taken a while ago at another family event and they look even better now:)

This guy was on the way home, another addition to oddities we have capture thus far.

We got back home and realized that this was the end of our stay and the end of the night, 

the moon was casting it's bright it's silver light over the abundant vegetable garden and the adorable chicken coop with all it's girls and boys, tucked in after a hot day with their own fan on to keep them cool.

It was hard to say good buy, saying good buy especially to our children we hardly get a chance to see.

17 July 2013

Off to Winnipeg about 80F and it is 8.45AM.

The road was practically a straight line at 80miles an hour, eventualy we came upon a stretch of the highway where we went by these huge new metal electric poles that were being erected while a helicopter had a technician hanging on a cable from it in order to attach some of the cables, quiet a incredible sight.

Every once in a while the gigantic grain silos were dominating the flat bright green fields.

The land continued to be a flat plain, endless farms and every once in a while, the bright yellow mustard fields were sparkling so, like a gift from the sun.

We reached the Canadian border very different from the one on our way to Vancouver, very plain and austere,  it was around 3.30PM, with only one car ahead of us.

As we entered Canada, the radio started playing  “American Pie” by Don McLean how perfect! 

We arrived in Winnipeg at 4.30PM, the weather was grey and it looked like rain.