Denver 2023 Part 2

Posted on by

Cherry Creek State Park – I arrived at the park around 2PM on Saturday November 11 this was on day 7 of my 24 day journey. It was a 360 mile trip from my sister, Diane’s, house and Google maps didn’t exactly get me to the entrance to the park. But, with a little help from Greta, I managed to get to the campground.

Cherry Creek State Park is a 4,000 acre park located on the outskirts of Denver. The park was built in 1959 around a expansive reservoir and has many walking and biking trails.

Day 8 – Sunday November 12 – Greta came to the park, picked me us up and took us to her house – which was only a 9 mile or 20 minute drive from the park. We went on a 10 mile bike ride, on trails, through the city. After the ride we showered and Greta took me to Home Depot and the grocery store for a few supplies. Greta, Nick and I ate dinner at Joy Hill, a very nice pizza place that make all of it’s crusts from a sourdough starter.

Day 9 – Monday November 13 – I stayed at the campground today and rode my bike about 12 miles and walked the girls several miles. Nick and Greta came out around 4:30 and we cooked dinner together – chicken breast, spanish rice, frozen veggies and a salad. Nick built us a nice fire from some wood I bought at the welcome center($6 per bundle).

Day 10 – Tuesday November 14 – I’m a little nervous about the weather holding out for the time I’m here. I know the weather in Denver, especially at this time of the year, can be unpredictable and don’t want to be caught in a blizzard. Except for Monday the 10 day forecast is looking as of today.

Got 15 miles of riding and 4.5 miles of walking in today. Greta will pick us up on her way home and we’ll have dinner at he house. It was very cloudy this morning and sunny this afternoon with the high 68 and the low around 45.

Day 11 – Wednesday November 15 Greta worked today and I decided I didn’t need her car so I was on my own today. Before riding I noticed my back tire was flat so I changed at the campsite and all was good for about 15 miles then the tire went flat again about 1-1/2 mies form the campsite – the walk back wasn’t too bad. I had only one spare tube so I went on long walks the rest of the day. I fixed blacken salmon, mashed potatoes, mixed veggie and a salad for dinner.

Day 12 – Thursday November 16 – Last day of work for Greta this week. My other bike was at Greta’s house so I did a lot of walking today. On Greta’s way home from work she picked us up from the park took her to their house. We took the girls; Isla, Aspen and Cleo on a walk in Washington Park. I was a little disappointed because the creek beds were all drained for the winter. I knew Cleo was going to love wading in the creeks. After the walk Nick, Greta and I went to UNCLE for dinner – it is a Ramen noodle restaurant that was fabulous and it was walking distance from the house.

Day 13 – Friday November 17 – Greta took this day off from work and we decided to go on a hike at the Mount Fountain Park near Morrison and Red Rocks. We couldn’t much higher to hike because of the amount of snow. Even on this lower altitude hike we saw evidence of recent snow fall. After the hike we drove into Morrison and split a sandwich and did some shopping I bought a Colorado sweatshirt that was 35% off on a store closing sale. That night we had dinner at Finley’s with Tara and Boone.

Day 14 – Saturday November 18 – This was our cleansing spa day – we started the day with a little exercise then went to the Salt Caves for a little relaxation. Our relaxation started with a 30 minute infrared sauna, followed my a foot wash and then an hour guided meditation ( Yoga Nidra) in a salt cave.

After the Salt Cave Greta drove us down to True Food Kitchen for dinner.Thyeir menu is carefully crafted so that every bite and every refreshing sip serve up big flavor, an abundance of fresh ingredients and a taste of the unexpected. Their artisan chefs create crave worthy classics alongside a steady rotation of seasonal offerings that take advantage of naturally ripe fruits and vegetables so their flavor is full and their nutrients rich. I had the Wild Tuna Poke – delicious – and because it was a cleansing day we had no alcohol.

Day 15 Sunday November 19 — It was 4 days before Thanksgiving but the weather was starting to change for the worse. They where calling for snow and ice on Thanksgiving day in Colorado Springs where we were going to have Thanksgiving ( Nicks mom and sisters house).Greta had to work Monday and Tuesday so I made the decision to head back home on Monday – five days early than planned. Greta came over on Sunday and we rode and got lost on the vast amount of trails in the park. After making our way back to the campsite we made a fire had a beer and said our goodbyes.

Day 16 Monday November 20th – drove to Russell Kansas and stayed at the Flying J RV Park. This park was about 365 miles from the Cherry Creek State Park and we drove through rain, ice, snow a the temperature was dropping to the 20’s so we were glad to have a place to park, hookup and rest. The place wasn’t great but it did the job.

Day 17 Tuesday November 21 – we drove to a Harvest Host Alpaca farm in Missouri. It was a little out of the way but it was a nice farm run by a very nice couple.

Day 18 Wednesday November 22 – I had planned to stop at another winery in Clarksville Tennessee about 360 miles from the Alpaca farm but we used a most of our propane on the generator in Missouri and I didn’t have enough to keep the generator running another night of below 20 degree temperatures. So I decided to drive straight through and get back home 865 miles and we got home at midnight. The traffic and drivers around Nashville, Chattanooga and Atlanta were insane and we were all very glad when we pulled into our driveway.

Holiday Party – 2023

Posted on by

With the help of two friends, Jen Borg and Cathy Dykes, I hosted a holiday party for 32 friends who live in the neighborhood. When I was in Denver visiting Greta she helped me design an evite invitation that I sent out on December 1 with an RSVP date of December 15.
Date: Thursday December 21
Time: 6PM to 9PM
Guests: Lee and Jane, Rick and Alice, Mary, Judy, Gene and Sherrie, Steve and Debbie, Jen and Andy, Pierre and Patty. Kathy and Brown, Derek, Clare, Ed and Mary, Cris, Cathy, Charles, Rae and Sammy, Lauren and Brian, Chuck and Janet, Liz, Bruce and Rae.
Food: Honey Baked Ham, Hawaiian rolls, Cheese platter, Mini quiches, Christmas Tree Spinach Dip breadsticks, Smoked Salmon Bruschetta, Mushroom Bourguignon, Baked Brie with fig jam center, Carrot, celery and broccoli platter with humus. Cheese, crackers and grapes, Boursin cheese as well as bowls of nuts and bolts and cashews.
Drink: Beer, Wine and warm spiced apple cider.

Greenery by Cathy
one of many pieces by Cathy
Christmas Tree Spinach Dip Breadsticks – CLICK IMAGE FOR RECIPE
Co-hosts: Jen, Bruce, Rae and Cathy
Jen, Chuck, Cris, Debbie, Sherry, Mary, Liz and Cathy
Mary, Patty & Mary
Sammy, Rae, Jane & Jen
Andy and Cathy
Mary and Jen
Steve and Rick
Charles
Ed, Chuck, Debbie & Cathy
Derek, Janet & Ed
Kathy & Cathy
Jane, Debbie, Jen, Judy and Patty

Desserts: Christmas Cookies – Rum balls, Chocolate Crinkles, Santa’s Whiskers, Peanut Butter Blossoms and Ginger Cookies.
The cookies were set up on the table out on the screened in porch. One tray of cookies was set too close to edge of the table so Cleo decided to help herself to a few of the chocolate crinkles. I was worried about the chocolate but she seemed okay,

I thought the party was a big success and everyone seemed to have a good time. The food items mentioned most by the guests where the mushrooms and spinach dip bread sticks.

Portland Trip

Posted on by

September 5 – 10, 2023
The last time I saw my cousin Sela was in 2003, she and her daughters, Ellen and Lauren, came to Athens for for my parents 50th wedding anniversary. For 21 years, Pam and I were promising to return the favor and visit Sela at her home in Portland Oregon. But, life happens and we never made it to Portland.

Arrival Tuesday, September 4th
I arrived in Portland around 4:30 PM – Sela picked me up and drove us, in her all electric, Volks Wagon ID4, the short, 20 minute, drive to her house. After getting a tour of the house, Sela fixed pasta with freshly made pesto and a beet salad with goat cheese for dinner. I hung out in the kitchen talking and catching up while Sela prepared dinner. We ended our evening with a mile or so walk to the Salt and Straw ice cream parlor for some incredible ice cream – the evening temperature was perfect.

Day 1 – Wednesday, September 5th
My brain did not get the memo that we were on west coast time so at precisely 6 AM east coast or 3 AM west coast time I woke up. I tried for a little to go back to sleep but finally gave up and decided to go downstairs and read for a while. All was good until 6AM when my phone buzzed telling me it was time to check-in for my flight to Atlanta. I had a moment of panic – I apparently entered the wrong return date when I got my tickets. A quick look on my Delta showed there weren’t any seats left on the fight I wanted back to Atlanta. I decided to call Delta to see what was possible. I got a nice representative who got me a seat in first class on the flight, I wanted, back to Atlanta – crisis averted.

Pips Donuts

Sela usually gets up around 8AM but on Wednesday she had some workers coming at 7AM to remove an old water heater so she set her alarm for just before 7AM. We had a steel cut oats and blueberry bake that Sela made and coffee for breakfast. The workers were on time and had the water removed very quickly so we were able start our adventurous day around 9AM. We decided to drive the short distance to the Columbia Gorge for some hiking. I quickly found out however, no hiking trip was complete unless you stopped at Pips for some tiny donuts before you start out. Pips, is a cute donut shop that makes, small tiny donuts to order. They also have many different types of home-made Chai. It was interesting to see the being made and coming off the conveyor belt. We ordered our chai and half a dozen donuts and where on our way to the Gorge.

Our first stop was at Latourell Falls where we found a picnic table and ate our donuts before embarking on a 3 mile hike around the falls. We then proceeded further into the gorge to breath taking Multnomah Falls. It was getting pretty late after getting to the Multnomah Falls and we had to get back to shop for dinner, with Karen and Barry, so we didn’t stay long. We had decided to cook fish skewers on the grill so we went to Sela’s favorite fish market the Flying Fish and got some fresh tuna. Hanging around the kitchen talking and cooking with Karen, Barry, Sela and Ellen was a lot of fun that night – much more so than going to a restaurant. Pear tart was prepared for dessert and that’s another story.

Falling rocks

Day 2 – Thursday, September 6th
We had decided to pack a picnic lunch and meet Karen and Barry up at Timberline Lodge on Thursday morning. Our timing with Karen and Barry was perfect because we both got up there at the same time, just before 11AM. A guided tour of the lodge started a 11AM so we all decided to take it. After the very informative tour we decided to have a coffee and snack in the lodge café. Just as we were finishing at the café Bruno the iconic St Bernard lodge mascot was seen outside so, we all rushed out for a photo. After Bruno, Sela and I embarked on a, close to 4 mile hike up around Silcox Hut. Karen and Barry had to get there rental car back so they only went a short way with us. Sela and I had part of our lunch on a picnic outside on the lodge around 5PM.

Ellen Underwood
Sela and Ellen
Bruce, Ellen, Sela, Karen and Barry taking the picture.

After leaving the around 6PM we drove, about an hour, to the Ferment Brewing Company for a beer and something small to eat that we could share – we got smoked salmon dip and spinach beet salad. We got home around 9PM and we were both pretty exhausted.

Timberline Lodge
Guided Tour
Bruno
Ice Glacier
Silcox Hut
Mount Hood

Day 3 – Friday, September 7th
Lets head to the coast! Friday morning we were having our coffee and trying to decide where we wanted to go and hike today – Mount St Helens or go to the coast both were about a 90 minute drive. We decided to go the coast and hike in the Cascade Head Preserve and then go to the Sitka Sedge State Natural Area. But, before we could start our trip we stopped at Sela’s favorite coffee shop. Extracto where I met the owner and got a tour of his roasting room and saw his 1953 roasting machine. The drive down to the coast was beautiful – lots of farms and vineyards. In between the two hikes we spent abut 25 minutes charging the car. We finished hiking in the incredibly beautifully Sitka Sedge around 7PM and then drove the short distance to The Pelican Pub and Brewery where each had a cup of of clam chowder and salad and we split a tuna poke appetizer. Then, we drove the 2 hours home and with traffic arrived around 10PM.

Day 4 – Saturday, September 8th
Easy, not much driving, rest day! We started a day with a visit to the Tabor bakery for a morning indulgent. Then we proceeded to main Portland Farmers Market downtown and OMG there were so many vendors with so many different products; breads, cheeses, fish, veggies, fruit, jams, grains etc….. After the farmer’s market we went down to the river where there were food trucks and a smaller market. We had lunch and beer here then walked down to see part of the dragoon boat races. After lunch

Denver RV Trip 2023 – Part 1

Posted on by

When I was out in Denver in May, for Greta’s birthday, we went to the Cherry Creek State park to see about the camping spots. After seeing how beautiful this park is I decided to book a 2 week stay over Thanksgiving. I know the weather in Denver can be unpredictable especially in late fall and winter but, I decided to give it a try. I gathered some information on the park and the guy behind the counter assured me I wouldn’t have any trouble getting a reservation. A few days after I got home I logged onto their website to book my reservation and to my surprise, there was only 2 spots left. While the park is open all year round for camping they only have one small area that has freeze proof water spigots and that is the only area open.

Getting There!
I planned my trip to Denver so I wouldn’t be traveling over 260 miles per day. I wanted to be able to get and early start everyday and pull in to a campground around 1PM so the girls and I could walk, stretch our legs and relax a little before dark.
We left Sunday morning November 5 at 9AM, the time had just changed that night back to standard time, so it was actually 10AM.

Raccoon Mountain Caverns and Campgrounds
Chattanooga, TN
Mileage: 190.2 Arrived: 2:15 PM Weather: Sunny – High: 70 Low: 45
Food; Chicken, mushroom rice and zucchini – all that was prepared at home beforehand.
I decided that with the trauma of packing, and dealing with the traffic around Atlanta our first day shouldn’t fairly short. The Raccoon Mtn campgrounds were only 190 miles from our house but with the intense traffic and road construction around Atlanta and Chattanooga it took 5 hours to get there. The weather was nice – 70 degrees in the afternoon and dropping to 45 degrees at night. I had to get up in the middle of the night to turn the heat on.

The campground was very nice all of the spots were level and contained a picnic table and fire pit. I spent 10 dollars on 2 small loads of wood and had a nice fire that lasted several hours. The girls and I found and unmaintained trail to walk on for a few miles.

Fern Lake
Paducah, KY
Mileage: 268.8 Arrived: 1:15 PM Weather: Sunny – High: 78 Low: 65
Food: Frozen pasta with marinara sauce and beef, salad and bread

KOA Springfield / Route 66
Springfield, MO
Mileage: 304.2 Arrived: 1:45 PM Weather: Sunny, Breezy High: 78 Low: 62
Food: Leftover chicken, rice and mushrooms.
This was a very nice and clean campground

Camp the Range
Wichita, KS
Mileage: 246.4 Arrived 1:15PM Weather: Sunny, windy High:70 Low: 47
Food: Frozen beef patty, onions, rice and zucchini.
Very windy drive today – wind gusts were blowing RV around and it was difficult staying in lane. The road was a, heavily traffic, 2 lane with very a little shoulder.

Diane and Greg’s House.
Hays, KS
Mileage: 1xx Arrived 12:30 PM Weather: Sunny High: 60 Low: 30
Food: Steak, Baked Potato and a salad. Friday Night Mexican Cancun rest

Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University – Hays Kansas

Banana Bread 2.0

Posted on by

I really like this recipe for banana bread that I found and tweaked slightly. I’ve made it twice already and want to get the recipe down before I forget.

  • 1/2 cup (8 Tablespoons) of soften unsalted butter.
  • 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup of brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 overly ripe bananas (1 to 1-1/2 cups) mashed
  • 1/4 cup of buttermilk
  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup of spelt flour
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 cup of finely chop toasted walnuts
  • 1/2 cup organic raisins
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and 4-1/2×9 loaf pan – I use a cast iron loaf pan and love the way the edges come out crispy
  • Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl – add the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and the mashed bananas – beat until just combined.
  • In a separated smaller bowl whisk together the dry ingredients – flours, salt and baking soda.
  • Mix the dry ingredients into the wet and fold until fully mixed.
  • Add the optional raisins and toasted walnuts.
  • Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes – when a tooth pick comes out clean.