San Diego Zoo to Sacramento

Today we spent another day in San Diego by visiting Balboa Park. We saw many animals at the San Diego Zoo, and we also went to an automotive museum. We ate a nice dinner in the park then spent a few minutes at a concert with the Navy band. We then went back to the zoo to finish our Balboa Park experience. Here are each person's favorite animals of the day:

I got to see some rattle snakes, and I liked the poison dart frogs. I liked the flamingos, too. I liked the jaguar, the king cobra, and the elephant.
Sam

I liked everything, but my favorites were the capybaras, frogs, wallabys and koalas. The birds and the monkeys were fun too.
Rylee.

I liked the gorillas and the sky tram that took us over the whole zoo. The Wombat was neat, too, and so were the monkeys.
Trevor.

I liked the polar bear. The meerkat that played dead was also cool.
Hannah

The San Diego Zoo is huge, and very well done. No wonder it's world famous. We spent all day there and could have easily spent another. All the kids had a great time, as did Ann and me. Yesterday we left San Diego early and arrived in Sacramento late.
Kipp.

San Diego's Balboa Park houses the Zoo. Other than the zoo, we visited the Automobile Museum and saw a concert by the Navy Band, both in beautiful buildings in the park. The zoo is so full of wonders, a reminder of God's creativity and man's responsibility. My favorites were the tortoises, the koalas, the ants, and the pandas. The best, though, had to be the polar bear who was swimming a foot in front of us playing with his ball. Awesome.
Ann

Beach Day

Today was mom's birthday, and she wanted to go kayaking and hang around at La Jolla Beach. We took a cab to La Jolla fifteen minutes away after breakfast at the coffee shop at our hotel. We got on our lifejackets and and headed to the beach. We got in our kayaks and the guy who worked there pushed us out to sea. It was fun kayaking with the waves. It was fun, and the waves swiftly carried us back into the shore. We then rented a couple boogie boards and took them back to the surf. The water was about seventy degrees- pleasant compared to Maine's Atlantic Ocean. We rode in to the shore numerous times on the waves. After our time at the beach, we ate dinner and went to a cool frozen yogurt place. The clouds finally cleared after dinner. We came back to the hotel and played some tennis. Then we watched the fireworks show across the bay while sitting by a fire on the beach. We look forward to some sleep now before our busy day at Balboa park tomorrow. Happy Birthday, Mom!

HN

I saw a sting ray about two feet long and a foot wide! at first I thought it was just a ray or a skate but when we went to return our body boards that we had rented, I asked the guy what I'd seen and he asked how big it was. Apparently, there were two kinds of rays, bat rays and stingrays.this picture is of a ray that looks like the one we saw but it is off the internet.

From Trevor

Church on the Train & San Diego

We had to rush on the last couple blog posts, but not today. Let’s see…immediately after Hannah made the last post from the Grand Canyon Hotel’s lobby we boarded a train bound for Los Angeles. We left at 10 P.M., and the train was crammed, which meant the six of us were forced to separate from one another in order to get a place to sit. Seats on Amtrak are in pairs and people tend to sit alone in order to spread out. This train originated in Chicago, so people were already pretty well established. So, of course, when a family with children, like us, boards at night everyone fains sleeping in hopes we’ll walk past them and sit with somebody else. This cat-and-mouse game makes things a little awkward. Sam and Hannah lucked out and were able to sit together. I jumped in next to what I figured was the roughest looking guy on the train just to insure Trevor, Rylee, and Ann wouldn’t have to. Rylee landed next to a sleeping woman, ended up just ahead of me and his seat-mate strolled off and came back. Ann (and I do feel feel badly about this) wedged herself in beside a very large man who first complained about having to make room, and later snored like a freight train. I thought about offering to trade with Ann, but given my unsavory seat-mate, I thought it best to stay put. 

Eventually, daylight came upon us, and I struck up a conversation with the ruffian next to me. I was right, he was a heroin addict, but he was friendly enough. The freight-train man next to Ann woke up, farted, and proved to be equally conversational. Now, it would seem this story could only go downhill from here, but that’s not the case. My heroin addict friend told me he was returning from Mississippi, where he had repaired his relationship with his daughter and was able to spend three weeks with his grand children. He had caught two five pound catfish while he was there, and he was glad the Lord had helped him out of the prison drugs had been to him. Ann’s new friend was eager to be picked up at the train station by his mother and hoped she and an uncle would be supportive in helping him lose his unwanted weight. Both these guys were Christians. I commented to my  ex heroin addict seat partner that just a little earlier I had been disappointed about it being Sunday and it looked like I would be missing church, but that Christian fellowship had taken place right there. He allowed as how it only takes two people to make a church.

We left those two characters in L.A. and boarded another train to San Diego, where I am now writing from. This train is new, and nearly empty. As we travel south along the freeway I can see that we are faster than the California traffic, so we must be really moving along. Rylee says we need to get a field and plant orange trees. She likes the way they look. Trevor is enamored with the dudes we can see surfing where the tracks border the beach at Laguna. More to come later…

Kipp.  

Today we arrived in beautiful San Diego after a great ride down the Southern Califoria Coast. We weren't able to check in until four o'clock, so we killed five hours of time outside. We sat by and swam in the pool, played on the beach,  and got sunburned. It is a relief to be in the pleasant seventies after roasting in San Antonio's 100s. We also love the palm trees that we never get to see back home. After an afternoon dinner, we checked in our room. We relaxed for a while, then took a walk along the beach. The ocean water is warmer than Valdez's pool, so Trevor swam around a bit while Rylee built a sand castle. We came inside and watched a funny movie before going to bed a bit early. We are all tired after the overnight train ride. Tomorrow is Mom's birthday, so we will see what she has planned for her day in San Diego.

HN

Planes, Trains, & Automobiles

Many thanks to the Oordt family, who treated us so well for a couple days. The food was incredible. They are both great cooks and conversationalists. We really enjoyed getting to know four of their five children. Fun. 

Yesterday afternoon we walked along the Riverwalk on the San Antonio River. We then left San Antonio's 105 degree afternoon via plane and arrived in Phoenix in time to experience their 105 degree afternoon. Just a couple hours on a tour van running north was all it took to get us to Flagstaff, where we found ourselves chilly. We climbed to about 7000 feet, and that was a big help. At Flagstaff we hopped an Amtrak train bound for Williams, AZ - the Gateway to the Grand Canyon. We arrived about 11 at night. I was pretty scared, as there was nothing at the depot -- not even a depot, just tracks and a bus. We really hoped the driver would haul us and our bags to town. He was great -- happy to do it. 

Kipp.

Grand Canyon

Today we visited the Grand Canyon. It was a perfect day with sun and temperatures in the seventies. The canyon was a beautiful sight to see as we walked around the rim. We had a great train ride to and from the Grand Canyon with funny cowboy actors and animals on the way. Upon our return to Williams Junction, we ate at a 50s diner. There were yummy burgers and a Ford Crown Victoria out front. Williams, Arizona is right along the famous Route 66. It was quite the classic Western town. The cowboy actors performed a Wild West Shootout after dinner on the street for all the tourists. Now we are about to head on the train overnight to San Diego. What a memorable, scenic day.

HN

Schlitterbahn! (say it correctly and don't drop the l.)

After a day at the water park on New Braunfels River

Me, dog, crate

Today was sick! We went to Schlitterbahn, and saw Pops in shorts, sandals, and a t- shirt for the first time in my life (and yours too probably). Bella the dog locked me up in her crate. Back to Schlitterbahn. We did quite a few rides and you'll never believe it! Pops actually got wet! He did all the rides with us except the mat racer. We couldn't get any pictures inside the water park because water and cameras aren't exactly friends. Tomorrow we are going to Phoenix. It is hot here in Texas and the Oordts have 2 armadillos living in their yard but we haven't seen them yet.

Trevor

Alaskans at the Alamo

We met the Oordt family for breakfast yesterday.  As it turns out, it was Mark and Ruth's 20th anniversary and it has been that long since we were last here. Kipp was the best man in their wedding.  They took us to visit the Alamo.  The story reminded me of the freedom fighter story of Bunker Hill in Boston--75 volunteers holding off thousands of soldiers, losing, and inspiring others to carry on and win the war.  

We spent the afternoon staying cool and swimming in a local pool.  The kids are enthralled with an outdoor pool that's warm!  It doesn't take long to dry off in 105 degrees.  Great Italian dining at the Oordt house.  Mark is a doctor in the Air Force and the family recently returned from Italy. 

Ann

St. Louis Arch, from the train.

We see a lot of these.

Remember the Alamo!

hot, Hot, HOT!!!!!!

We’re on the train to San Antonio right now about two hours away. We have been traveling on the train since about 1:00 p.m. yesterday. We all had a good night’s sleep and had oatmeal for breakfast. So far this has been my  favorite train ride yet. Today I saw 3 cardinals, a few cranes, LOTS of cows and cornfields (one cow was loose from its pasture and in a cornfield), and mom, Sam and I just saw 2 deer. 

Rylee.

Now it’s Tuesday morning in San Antonio. We’ll meet up with my friend, Mark, for breakfast. Then he will show us around.

Kipp.

All-American Father's Day

Kipp’s Father’s Day gift was a day in Chicago.  There’s a million things to do here so we told him he could do whatever he wanted with the whole day (and we wouldn’t whine or complain).

Choice #1:  Church at Moody Bible Church.  After fumbling through public transportation for a while—we made it!  This is one of the Sunday services we hear on Moody Radio in Valdez with Dr. Erwin Lutzer.  

Choice #2:  We stood on the sidewalk in front of the church waiting for the inspiration for choice #2 to hit when a guy with a big blue and red “C” on his shirt walked by.  

“Hey, are the Cubs playing today?”

“Yes.”

“What time?”

“About 1:00.”

“Do you think we can get tickets?”

“Sure.”

“Can we get there from here?”

“Go catch the red line subway….”

 Next thing you know we’re sitting several rows up behind the catcher.  What a hoot!  I’ve never been to a professional game of any kind and there I was singing with the crowd, passing beer and money and hot dogs back and forth for whoever was in my row.  Perfect weather, too, totally comfortable to sit in shorts all afternoon.  The Cubs pulled off a win over the Indians—what more could you ask?

Choice #3:  We took the sardine-ish subway back to where the Magnificent Mile begins and walked to the hotel.  

Kipp says he had a good day.  Sam ran into two posts while gawking at the city and Rylee fell off her seat while bouncing in Wrigley  Field.  Other than that, it was a splendid day.  Mission accomplished.

Niagara to Chicago (Friday & Saturday)

I see Kipp summarized our long day rather cleverly.  It ended with a six hour train ride bound for Niagara Falls.  Ah, the train is so calming.  We all catch up on naps and this time took in the scenery of New York State from east to west.  One of the nice things about train travel is that there’s no asphalt, no billboards, and no temptations for fast food stops.  Believe me, there’s always someone who’s hungry in this bunch.

We used our morning to rest and take full advantage of breakfast and the pool.  The afternoon was spent in the Niagara Falls State Park. It was is lovely and allows visitors to get very close to the American Falls.  It apparently wasn’t close enough for us because we were all pumped up to get in the Falls.  We did the Cave of the Winds tour which lets you go into the Bridal Veil Falls and get just as wet as you wish—as you see pictured.  Fortunately the day was warm and sunny and wet clothes kept us cool.  At 9pm the lights lit up the Falls, and then at 10 there was a fireworks display. We hustled back to the hotel just as soon as the fireworks ended and caught our cab to the train station.

We taxied to Buffalo and boarded the train at midnight and arrived here in Chicago about 10 am. We slept, more or less, and found some food at Union Station just before catching a bus to our hotel. We were very sell settled in by noon and the kids jumped in the pool for an hour or so. The real highlight of Saturday was our visit to Pacific Garden Mission. We toured the facility. They are equipped to handle aver 500 people a day and their ministry focus is to help hopeless men of the street. They do assist women and children as well, but given their location, men are naturally the focus. We were also invited to watch the production of the 3,065th radio drama program, “Unshackled.” All the kids loved it. Watching the sound effects man was especially fun. Now  it’s Sunday morning and we are about to make the decision on which church to attend. Our best to all.

Ann and Kipp. (Can you tell where Ann stopped writing and Kipp started?)

Kipp is texting someone.

They provided the rain gear.

Fireworks at Niagara Falls.

Made the train, can't Champlain

Right now I have the laptop plugged in on an Amtrak car. After several hours of driving today, we covered the 150 miles between Burlington, VT and Albany, NY. Burlington lies near Lake Champlain, which is really big. We traveled along its southeast shore crooked mile after crooked mile, before crossing into NY via a tiny ferry just outside Fort Ticonderoga. Ann suggested we go by road map, instead of using the GPS, and as I was quite taken by the numerous small farms and their old fashioned barns, it seemed fitting to go “old school.” We saw a covered bridge, a new town about every third mile boasting its own neatly appointed church, and several stone bridges. The roads wind up and down a lot and are slow, but promise something new and unique around each corner. The kids were behaving themselves, and I really enjoyed the drive. It wasn’t until early afternoon and after a wrong turn somewhere in the Adirondack Mountains that I realized making it to Albany in time for the train was going to take some help from above. Indeed, I became panicky.

Somehow, we DID make the train (with less than 5 minutes to spare) and are now headed west to Niagara Falls, where I hope to post this blog. We are steaming along about 90 miles per hour in the right direction now, and it’s a fairly smooth ride, so I can relax and reflect on the day. Looking back, I’d have to say it has been plenty eventful, due mostly to my poor execution of Ann’s great planning. Often, I learn from mistakes, so today’s events have lots to offer me. Here’s a list of my mistakes.

Mistake #1 Slept in at Burlington, VT.

Mistake #2 Looked all over Burlington for a good cup of coffee.

Mistake #3 Lost time taking pictures of barns along the way.

Mistake #4 Chose to have copilot use road map, instead of listening to GPS.

Mistake #5 Took scenic route.

Mistake #6 Misunderstood “Highway 8 West Closed Ahead, Follow Detour” sign.

Mistake #7 Rented Toyota mini van, instead of Dodge Viper for panicked trip up, down, over, and around Adirondak mountains.

Mistake #8 Mentioned mistakes 4 & 5 to Ann.

Mistake #9 Failed to check and re-check the rental car prior to final turn-in. Trevor can’t find his glasses.

We have about an hour to go, then we’ll settle into a hotel close to Niagara Falls and spend tomorrow (Friday) there.. Tomorrow night, we leave for Chicago at midnight. Our best to all.

Kipp

Just one of the many barns we photographed.

Sunrise

Here is a little more on our mini golfing last night. It was fun for all ages. The area was set up like a pirate ship. This morning the girls saw the sunrise on Cadillac Mountain. This is the first place the sun rises on the East Coast. It was very beautiful. The rest of our day was occupied by the eight hour drive to Burlington, Vermont. We hit 3 states in our drive: Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. We had a great time in Maine. It is a beautiful state, and so is upstate New Hampshire and Vermont.  I think we drove through dozens of small towns today which was our goal to be off the beaten path as we see the northeast.  This is a great place, but they just don't have the idea when it comes to coffee, so Pops says.  Somebody laughed when he asked directions to Starbucks.

Ann tries to get it in on her second hit.

Kipp sinks one in towards the end of the 18-hole course.

We were the first ones in America to see the sunrise this morning. The Atlantic Ocean is also in view from Mount Cadillac in Acadia National park. 

Acadia

The weather cooperated today, and now we are resting in a cottage just outside Acadia National Park. We covered about 250 miles in the rental van. I nearly have all the buttons and switches figured out. Driving north from Ogunquit was a welcome respite from the hustle south of us. The traffic steadily thinned, and the country-side reminded me of where I grew up in north-eastern Washington. I noticed farms here and there, a John Deere dealership, pine trees, and some black, white-faced cattle, and lots of barns along the way. The handful of buzzards (I think), and absence of mountains, with all those things, though, may be distinctly Maine.

Once at the park, we couldn’t get to the place labeled, “Sandy Beach” quick enough for the kids. They learned to body surf there and had a great time. It was in the low 70’s and the water temperature didn’t seem to bother them at all. After burning some energy there, we drove around the entire park – lots of vista-type views over the water, crashing surf, etc. Bar Harbor offered an ice-cream shop, Ben and Bill’s ice cream shop with their signature flavor, Lobster Ice Cream. It really has lobster in it. We opted for more traditional fare.

We closed out the evening playing miniature golf. Sam and Rylee each hit a hole in one. Great fun, but Ann beat me by a stroke.

Kipp.

Beach and Bean

The beach boys

"Go get wet and sandy!"

The Bean boot

It's another cool and cloudy day in Maine, so we headed by car up to Freeport, Maine, to the LLBean flagship store.  It was just a fun shopping experience.  There were attentive, gray-haired, knowledgeable, customer service people that all had Alaska stories to share.  Tired of shopping, we ventured to the beach again where the kids were again the only ones in the water and Kipp and I watched, shivering, where the surf couldn't quite reach our toes.  They had a ball, especially Trevor who invested all of his allowance in a wet suit for this occasion.  This is a wonderful place to be, I'm sure, when there's sun to mix with the sand.  Tomorrow is our first driving segment of the journey as we head north to Acadia National Park.  Our Nuvi(GPS), Jill with the Australian accent, is talking Kipp through all the intricacies of driving in a foreign place.  (I'm tickled that she's the one getting grumbled at instead of me.)  

The Rain in Maine

Hurray!  That wave may go away!

Mom's last words, "Try not to get too wet and sandy..."  Oh, well...

We've found the recipe for securing an expanse of beautiful, white, sandy, Atlantic beach all to ourselves! Pick a day to visit that's rainy, windy, and about 55 degrees.  The kids weren't hindered which I'm sure amused the locals.  After we were thoroughly soaked, we spent the rest of the day warming in our motel.  We attended a small Baptist Church here in Ogunquit.  This part of the sea coast is primarily a series of small towns, much more laid back than our last few stops and wheels are essential.  No subway, Metro, or "T" in Ogunquit.  It's laid out like Wasilla, but with all quaint, small businesses.  Kipp and Hannah ventured by train to Portland and picked up our car a day early so the predicted rain tomorrow won't hamper our travel bug.-  -Ann

Maine

last  night    we  got     to  maine.      Dad  and  hannah   got back   from   portland                             and  I   went   swiming  today.   --Sam                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Boston

Trevor, Rylee, and Sam stand in front of the U.S.S. Constitution in its home port, Boston. This is the oldest battleship in the world still afloat, and it was undefeated with a record of 33-0. This was a great tour.

Sam listens intently to the Park Ranger telling about the Battle of Bunker Hill. There are a couple of monuments in the background in memorial of this battle.

These are a few very old graves at the cemetery. The graves were pretty readable, especially for some being 300+ years old. There is a Captain's gravestone from the 1700s in the cemetery that has marks from the British shooting muskets at it as an act of disrespect.

This is a view of Boston from the top of Bunker Hill Monument. A few of us may have sore legs from climbing the 297 steps.

We had a great time in Boston today. We visited a few historical sites and it was very nice weather to walk around in- upper sixties to lower seventies. We saw the U.S.S. Constitution, Bunker Hill, and a very old cemetery. We got around by following the red "Freedom Trail" and taking the Old Town Trolley. The U.S.S. Constitution was amazing, and Sam was happy to see Bunker Hill; he is into the Revolutionary War stuff right now. To his dismay, there was no battle going on. He showed up 234 years late. The cemetery we went to had gravestones dating back to the 1600s. After a quick train ride, we are in Ogunquit, Maine. We will be here for three nights, so we plan to just relax here on the Atlantic Coast. Everyone is very excited for the beach!

New York

After a busy couple days in NYC, some time is found to update the blog. We enjoy hearing comments from you followers. I write this at our hotel in Boston; we arrived a couple hours earlier. We did lots in New York, however. These are the details:

Upon our arrival, we had a wonderful introduction to New York by a hotel worker. We got a bit more familiar with New York and the Subway system. The next day, we went Uptown to the 5th Avenue area and Times Square. We started off on the famous 5th Avenue with the Apple Store, where we played with a couple new products. Then we split, with Kipp and Rylee to the boat factory while Ann, Hannah, Trevor, and Sam went shopping and walking on 5th. I'm sure you all have heard of the boat factory disappointment, so I won't go there. 5th Avenue had many stores, but the 5-story Nike shop took up most of our time. We then proceeded to have lunch in Central Park. Next, we both ended up going to Times Square, which is now pedestrians only. It was weird to see lawn chairs in the streets of bustling Times Square. We went to a few shops there and decided to go back to our wonderful hotel. We got ready for the Broadway show and took off to see Mary Poppins. It was a great experience. There was a live orchestra playing the whole time, amazing sets changing each scene, and very talented actors and dancers. Mary Poppins flew with her umbrella and the chimney sweep walked on the ceiling. That was the highlight of New York for a few of us. Meanwhile, Kipp and Trevor saw the movie "Up" in a theater in the hotel. 

Today we walked along the Hudson River and got a clearer view of the Statue of Liberty. Tickets were sold out for the boat trip, but we could see Lady Liberty from land. After a lunch at Hannah's favorite restaurant, Cosi, we took the subway to Penn Station. From there we trained to Boston, where we are now. Tomorrow will be full of walking and education. We will hopefully see Fenway Park.

-HN

This is Times Square during the day. It was foggy the first day, but not too hot- upper 60s.

Here's Mom and Sam walking in Central Park. It is nice to see some green amidst the dense metropolis of New York City.

The three of us kids after the Broadway Show in Times Square. We look tired, but the show was awesome!

This is along the waterfront of the Hudson River. Liberty Island can be faintly seen in the distance. 

Sam was very proud of the ladybug he caught.

Mary Poppins or UP in 3D

We had our first missed connection today. I had planned to visit the Steiger Craft plant today, but we just had too much going on. We waited in line for Mary Poppins tickets, had a latte at Starbucks on Wall Street, visited the Apple Store on 5th Avenue, ate Krispy Kreme donuts at Penn Station, and visited Times Square. Rylee volunteered  to go to the Steiger Craft plant with me, so we set out about noon to do so. On paper, it looked like we could have made it to the plant and back in time for Rylee to link up with Ann, Hannah, and Sam for the Mary Poppins show, so we started off to do it. Upon arriving at the LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) an official put it this way... "trains don't go clear out to Bellport all the time...." We would have had to wait a half hour to take an hour and a half ride, then catch a taxi, go another 20 minutes to get to the plant... I guess something had to give in a day as busy as this one. As it turned out, Rylee and I simply took our time coming back to the hotel. We stopped again at Times Square and had a late lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. Then we played in Battery Park before meeting up with the gang here. They told stories of the M&Ms Store, the Nike Store.

Right now Ann, Hannah, Rylee, and Sam are back in Times Square at a theater watching Mary Poppins. Hannah left with a bright yellow skirt on that I've never seen before. That probably explains the GAP bag in the corner.  She looked sharp. I think maybe Ann had on a new skirt too, but I stopped short of saying, "Hey, nice new skirt!" You know, if it turns out that she's had it for a while, I would have revealed that I hadn't noticed it -- so I played it safe. Trevor and Iare just about to go watch "UP" in 3D at the cinema that's attached to the hotel. 

I can't find any cameras around here, so instead of a family shot,  I'll post a picture of the 23 foot Steiger Craft Chesapeake. Their construction is impressive, and I am disappointed that I missed meeting with Alan Steiger to see his plant. It's a small outfit, and everything is done by hand. They are built entirely of fiberglass -- with no wood frame. Steiger claims a "wood core" will sooner or later begin to separate from the glass that covers it due to their different rates of expansion and contraction in changing temperatures. I saw one of his boats at the Seattle boat show in 2005 and was really impressed.

--Kipp.

Phabulous Philadelphia

We woke up this morning and trotted to a Starbuck's across the street from Betsy Ross's house. She never would have imagined since she told us this afternoon when we visited with her in the courtyard that the drink of choice for all ages was beer, "It helps the children sleep well."

Our hotel was in the center of the Historic District where horse-drawn carriages strolled by and our legs could carry us to all sorts of interesting venues.  We began at Independence Hall. All of this early American history actually chokes me up while it is perhaps gagging other members of the family.  Kipp and I are hoping some of this precious history is somehow sinking in by osmosis while they lean on the bricks or sit in the congressional chairs.  Anyway, Independence Hall is an experience for every American soul.  

This is Independence Hall in the original capital of the United States- Philadelphia. This is where the Senate and House of Representatives first met. The Declaration of Independence was signed here, and the Constitution was both written and signed here. It is considered as the birthplace of the nation. We toured inside and saw the rooms where very important things happened to form our new country. 

Here's the Liberty Bell we saw in Philadelphia. It once proclaimed liberty on top of Independence Hall before it cracked (the bell, that is). This was a fun stop.

Here's Kipp by Betsy Ross's house. Betsy Ross made the first American flag.

This is Sam by "Betsy Ross" and another colonist. These actors were great.  They called Sam a "red-coat" and had no idea where Alaska was.  They thought Hannah was wearing an awfully bright frock--a tie-dyed shirt--and was a nearly an old maid at fifteen.  We visited Benjamin Franklin's home and the first post office of the United States which he initiated.  

On the train and in New York City looking at Lady Liberty's lighted torch by sunset...

You Alaskans are having warmer weather than we are.  Sounds wonderful.  The shooting at the Holocaust Museum was shocking--we were there just five days ago.  Glad Mom made it home.--Ann