Remember Charlie’s twin sisters in the town of Sisters, Oregon, on July 19th? Well, here they are: Smith Rock Michelle is on the left, and Lisa is on the right, with good old Charlie in the middle! Back to the current status of the trip… Friday, July 21st, was a long and lonely drive through the desert in…
A Step Back, Then Rushing Forward
In the last post, Jay and Charlie were preparing to leave Spokane, Washington, but they took a step backwards! On July 17th, they returned to Okanogan where they had been on the 15th. Why? There apparently had been a 911 emergency at the hotel when they were ready to leave for Spokane, and in the confusion, Jay…
Destination: Spokane
The guys are still in Washington on Sunday, July 16th. This first set of pictures is of the Grand Coulee Dam : Coulee Dam Coulee Dam It’s HUGE! It’s 550 feet tall, which is big, but not as impressive as its width of 5,223 feet. For comparison, the largest dam close to us is Hoover Dam which is…
Have Some Blueberries!
Today’s post covers Saturday, July 15th, and the guys are still in Okanogan, Washington. The western Okanogan Highlands has historically been a significant source of mineral production. While the primary target has been gold, other ore deposits have been mined as well. But when I think of Okanogan, I think of peaches – and apples – and…
Back to the U.S.
Still in Canada on Wednesday, July 12th, the guys passed through Boston Bar, British Columbia, to view Hell's Gate Tramway. Hells gate air tram Hells gate air tram This is the steepest non-supported tram in North America, and it consists of two aerial gondolas that descend across the Fraser Canyon every 4-8 minutes. At this…
Maxi (and her Trailer) Begin to Heal
Now that the guys know the lighting system for the back of the trailer is damaged, they are rushing to get to the city where they can get it repaired. As a result, I received only a few photos for Monday, July 10th... Alaska Hwy 0 mile mark The first photo is the obligatory "selfie"…
Driving into Smoke
Maxi, Jay and Charlie drove toward British Columbia on July 8th, but the photos in this post will not have those beautiful, clear blue skies we've been enjoying. There's a wildfire up ahead: Smoky sky near Watson Lake That tiny spot in the middle of the photo is the sun! The fire is actually up…
Leaving the Yukon
Just in case you've forgotten how beautiful this country is, here's one more photo from Carmacks early in the morning of July 7. This was the view from the guys' cabin, taken 100 feet from where they had spent the night: Carmacks Lake, am. Moving gradually toward home, the guys discovered the McBride Museum in…
And the Tuktoyaktuk Adventure Continues…
In the last post, I left you in Tuktoyaktuk, so I’ll resume on July 2 , after the BBQ at the Jacobsons’ home. I have since learned that Jackie Jacobson is an elected MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) for the Northwest Territories. He and his wife Jenny are both veterans and enjoyed signing Maxi. Mrs Jacobson…
Mission Accomplished!
Sunday July 2nd was the big day! Maxi and the guys reached their goal of Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories. Yes, that's the Arctic Ocean in the background. Canadians have a sense of humor. Check out the front and back of the certificate for traveling the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway: I like the image of Maxi dipping her toes…
Maxi Joins Canada Day Celebration
July 1st seems to be as big a holiday for the Canadians as our July 4th is for the US. On Canada Day (formerly Dominion Day), most communities host organized celebrations, typically outdoor public events, such as parades, carnivals, festivals, barbecues, air and maritime shows, fireworks, and free musical concerts, as well as citizenship ceremonies. Apparently, there is…
Enjoying Inuvik…
The first morning in Inuvik (June 30th) started with a water pump repair, followed by some sightseeing. Inuvik sign and Maxi Next, Maxi located a group of FOLs. I believe that stands for Forward Operation Lookout and that they essentially watch the skies for any encroachment. This is the largest group of military members we've…
Maxi Reaches the Northwest Territories
Wednesday, June 28th, the guys drove farther than planned (again) and decided to go to Tsiigehtchick. Here's a very large mountain in the morning, the ferry on their way to Tsiigehtchick, snow(!), and the official welcome sign to the Northwest Territories: The Northwest Territories has a slightly warmer climate and is both boreal forest (taiga) and tundra, and…
Traveling the Dempster Highway
Hello again! Maxi and the guys have re-established communication, and photos should be coming in soon. The last time I posted, they were getting ready to leave Dawson City on Monday June 26th. It was a relatively short day's drive to their campground in Tombstone Provincial Park. Maxi booking thru the Yukon Their campsite was…
More From Dawson City
Before I continue with Jay and Charlie's Tuktoyaktuk Adventure, could I ask a favor of some of you techie-type readers? (You can ignore this request if you are not techie!) Some readers are seeing computer code instead of some of the photos, and WordPress is trying to resolve the problem. If you have any problems…
Yay for the Yukon!
The goal for Wednesday, June 21st was the Yukon Inn, in Whitehorse. The itinerary says they’ll have two nights here, so it’s time to do laundry, car maintenance and food shopping. And maybe just relaxing. 1st Oil change 6/22 CA plate & motor heater The Chevy is obviously equipped to handle Northern Canada winters -- see the plug for…
Shades of Robert Service
Leaving Whitehorse on Friday, June 23rd, in the rain, the guys decided to forego their planned campsite in Carmack and drove all the way to Dawson City. It was a long day’s drive, but they were very happy to add a day to their Dawson hotel. It was a late arrival, but the guys are just…
Maxi Continues to the Continental Divide
Sorry for the delay, but weak internet has slowed down updates from the far north. However, I now know that on Sunday June 18th, Jay, Charlie and Maxi were heading toward Meziadin Lake Provincial Park. Check out this snow-capped mountain off of Route 37: Snow ap off Rt 37 Somewhere along the way, the guys…
Maxi Takes a Detour to the West Coast
On Thursday and Friday, June 15-16, Maxi led the way from Prince George to Prince Rupert. The guys have gotten into the habit of stopping at every visitor information center they’ve seen. The result is interesting shots from several villages and small towns. One of their first stops was at Burns Lake, a rural village in NW…
Maxi Arrives in Canada to a Warm Welcome
On Monday, June 12th, Maxi and her adventurers made it through Washington state. To minimize traffic with the trailer holding Maxi, they skirted around Seattle, but Charlie caught this shot of the city: They made it as far as Sumas, Washington, which is right on the Canadian border. It looks like a cute town. It was originally a…
The Adventure Begins
Jay, Charlie and Military Maxi departed Cambria (on the Central Coast of California) early on Saturday morning, June 10th. Notice the “package” on top of the tow vehicle? You’ll see more of this later in the trip, but it’s a special car top tent from Cascadia Car Tents. When the guys get further north, there will…
Military Maxi Heads North — FAR North!
Jay is getting ready to start his Tuktoyaktuk Adventure. Wait a minute! Who is Military Maxi? Where is Tuktoyaktuk? And why is Jay doing this? First things first, this is Maxi as she looked when Jay first acquired her. She is a 1931 Model A Ford slant window town sedan. Jay has been into Model As since 2000. When…
Wrapping Up the Tour
Thursday Morning, June 1st found us in Midleton, home to one of Ireland’s premium whiskeys, each bottle numbered and signed by the master distiller. It’s also the home of The Jameson Experience, a museum located in the 150-year-old distillery. We were guided through the history and making of Irish whiskey, including tastings. Yes, I tasted, even though I…
Irish Traditions, Cliffs, Dairy Farming and Music
I've been unable to charge my computer for a few days, so I'm going to try to catch up a little bit... On Monday, May 29, we visited the Cliffs of Moher, which tower hundreds of feet above the crashing waves of the Atlantic. It was a significant walk up to the Castle and we could hear…
Two Nights at Ashford Castle
Saturday, May 27th, we left County Donegal and drove through the foothills of Benbulben Mountain, which is "Yeats Country". Our first stop was the village of Drumcliffe to view the final resting place of poet W. B. Yeats. Next we visited the Lakeside Kylemore Abbey, once a private residence and now a prestigious boarding school…
Returning to the Republic
Thursday, May 25th’s drive to Derry/Londonderry was interesting. When you look at the map of Ireland, you can see that the very northwest corner of the island is part of the Republic of Ireland, even though it’s in the north. As we drove along, we crossed over the border multiple times – in this area the border…
Heading North
On Tuesday, May 23, we packed up and headed north for Belfast. First stop: The Titanic Museum, which was amazing. Doesn't the museum building look somewhat like an iceberg? The start of our Titanic tour gave us a little background. In the late 1800's, Belfast was a boom town. The fishing industry was thriving and…
Farewell, Ylenia — Hello, Tour!
Sunday, May 21st was our last day with granddaughter Ylenia. She found a great breakfast place for us near the hotel and we had a leisurely walk, then moved our luggage from The Alex to The Westin Dublin, where we would meet our tour group in the evening. We've really been enjoying Dublin. It's a…
Dublin and Guinness
Friday, March 20th, we started with a good breakfast in the hotel, because we knew our first activity would be the tour of Guinness! I didn't know much about beer of any type, let alone Guinness, but the tour tickets were pretty much sold out so we had a late morning arrival appointment and none…
We Begin Our Irish Adventure in Dublin
All three of us landed in Dublin on May 18th within minutes of each other and were able to share a ride to our wonderful hotel -- The Alex. It was an exhausting day for Jay and me, and Ylenia had a fairly long day also, so after checking in and getting settled in our…
Ireland!!! (And Canada?)
Our last personal blog was in Fall 2021! But we're traveling again -- first to IRELAND in May and early June 2023. Then within a few days of returning home, Jay and his buddy Charlie are taking off in an epic Model A tour to the Canadian Arctic Ocean in June and July. (No --…
FINALLY — THE ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!
YAY! Glen and Adina met us in Cleveland, TN, on Friday night, Sept. 10th, to begin a weekend full of anniversary celebration. First, they surprised us with flowers and appetizers before the first of several anniversary meals! Saturday, September 11th, is now Patriots Day – a day of remembrance of the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001. Legion friends…
Returning to Tennessee for Our Anniversary
On September 9th, we left Jack and Carol in Athens, GA, to return to Tennessee. We decided it was too long of a drive to go all the way to Cleveland, TN, where we were going to meet Adina and Glen on Friday, so we spent an evening in Lookout Mountain, TN. We stayed at…
Two Anniversaries!
We arrived at Jack and Carol’s new home in Athens, GA, on September 6th. And Amy (the guitarist) came to visit from Tryon, NC, so we had a guitar fest on Monday! Lots of fun and lots of music, but I totally forgot to take photos of the musicians… Jay, of course, settled right in with his…
Anniversary Adventures Continue…
We left Williamsburg, VA a little bit wilted, but ready to arrive in Currituck County, in the extreme northeast corner of NC. The word “Currituck” means “Land of the Wild Goose.” Currituck is currently known for the wild horses that roam the beach, but the area actually earned its name due to its early population of…
Fifty-Five and Beyond!
September 11th is our 55th wedding anniversary, and we started planning this trip three years ago. Best laid plans of mice and men… We went through the planning stages four times for separate cruises, each of them cancelled by Covid. We finally gave up on the cruise idea, and settled on a road trip! We started by flying into…
Jay's & Pat's Adventures 