Cash is King...or shall I label this Pat, The Cash King? Pat is all too happy to find a working Bank of America ATM in any of the cities we visit. And since this is our bank, there is no $2.50 fee and no$200 limit on his withdraw.
Seattle
One of The Fish Markets at Pike Place
Seattle
Pike Place Market
Salem, Oregon
Inside of The State Capitol Building
Salem, Oregon
Fiona and Patrick in front of the state capitol building.
Eugene, Oregon
Fiona and Patrick in courtyard of little market place we found breakfast.
San Francisco
Neil working on his computer one night in our hotel room. He is probably sorting the 1000s of photos and videos that he has taken.
San Francisco
View at night looking from our room in St. Francis Hotel down at Union Square.
San Francisco
Trolley car is being turned manually by the trolley operators, as described in Patrick's post.
San Francisco
Connie and kids posing outside the Ferry Building.
San Francisco
Fiona and Neil admiring the Dungeness Crabs awaiting their fate in the aquarium at one of the markets in the Ferry Building.
San Francisco
The Ferry Building...this has been converted to a market of sorts. Everything from wine, household items, meat, fish, and produce were sold in booths along the interior. There were also restaurants here. A ferry still operates at this dock.
San Francisco
Not sure how blurry this is but this is a photo of one of the sushi boats.
San Francisco
This shows the system they used to charge you for the items you selected. At the end of the meal the waitress collected our different sized and patterned plates and tallies up our bill.
San Francisco
Sushi Boat Restaurant in Chinatown. You can see Patrick reaching for something off the Sushi boat that floated past us. There were 16 boats connected together and they held two to three dishes of various items. There were plates with sushi, jello, desserts, vegetables or fruit.
San Francisco
Fiona and Patrick walking down the dock at the Hyde Street Pier.
San Francisco
We made it! West coast destination of San Francisco. We are at the Hyde Street Pier after dinner at the Blue Mermaid Chowder House in Fishermen's Wharf.
Outside of Oakland Area
Windmills up on the hill...it looked kind of like something out of a science fiction movie.
Yosemite
The Bridal Veil Falls in the valley below Glacier Point.
Yosemite
The Valley below Glacier Point
Yosemite
Fiona on top of Glacier Point. that is Half dome to the left of Fiona.
Yosemite
Owen at the top of Glacier Point.
Yosemite
Kids in front of view of Yosemite Valley. This is view you first see after passing through a tunnel on the road to Glacier Point.
Yosemite
Fiona holding a pine cone from Mariposa Grove.
Yosemite
Owen and Fiona in front of the Giant Sequoias in Mariposa Grove
Arizona
Fiona on what seemed like the edge of the Canyon pointing out the different rock layers that exist in the Grand Canyon
Arizona
The view from an overlook shortly before we cross the Utah state border.
Leaving Grand Canyon and heading to Brian Head Utah....
The beginning of many days of Pat driving switch backs.
Grand Canyon
Amazing view!
The Van
Girls in the van
Grand Canyon
Neil at the Grand Canyon
Arizona
Canyon Dave takes us to see petrified wood. Neil is photographing a huge tree stump.
Grand Canyon
Tierney and the South Rim
Grand Canyon
Canyon Dave giving a lecture on the history of the Grand Canyon on the edge of the Grand Canyon.
Arizona - Sedona
This shows crazy road much better!
Ariizona - Sedona
Looking from the back of the Pink Jeep ride....not sure if you can see the rouch and hilly terrain we covered, but this was considered one of the tamer tours!
Arizona - Sedona
Pat and the girls dining by Oak Creek at the restaurant in our hotel in Sedona.
Arizona
I was so surprised to see alpine forests just outside of Flagstaff on our way to Sedona. I had always imagined that all of Arizona was desert and rocks/mountains.
Arizona - Meteor Crater
Owen checking out the giant crater.
Arizona - Meteor Crater
Fiona looking through the telescope at the Meteor Crater.
Arizona
Tierney posing in front of the Meteor Crater. Can you belive they charge admission to look at this giant hole in the ground? Actually, there is a museum and a load of information in the exhibit. But we did not have time to really take advantage of this as we still had miles to go to reach Sedona.
Arizona
Petrified Forest National Park. We had thought it would look like a forest of petrified trees. But basicaly there were large hunks of petrified trees along the desert. And when leaving the park you are asked if you took any petrified wood pieces as it is against the law to take anything from the park.
Arizona
Fiona and the Painted Desert....looked like what you would imagine the surface of Mars in some places!
Arizona
Painted Desert National Park
Santa Fe
Market selling Southwest souveniers
Santa Fe
Neil with his new sombrero.
Santa Fe
Fiona's eclectic look continues with the addition of a furry red fan to go with the pink, blinking tiara cowgirl hat and cowgirl boots........
Santa Fe
Miraculous Staircase
Santa Fe
Loretto Chapel - Home of the Miraculous Staircase
Santa Fe
Main Area of Cathedral of Saint Francis
Santa Fe
Artists working to restore the decorative paint in the Cathedral of Saint Francis.
Santa Fe
The Cathedral of Saint Francis which is the oldest church in the United states.
The Van
The boys being instructed on the art of securing the large cooler to the hauling shelf.
The Van
Patrick and Owen with the 23 bags or more......lost count!
The Van
Some people have asked what kind of vehicle we are traveling to all these great places. This is the conversion van that I drive kids to school in during the school year. We have used every inch of space (remember 23 bags and growing). We borrowed the back hauling "shelf" to keep a large cooler and if needed, extra bags. So far we have kept our bags inside of the van. I have asked Patrick to post a blog on the "system" of packing and unpacking the van at each stop. He and the boys have it down to a military drill by now.
On the Road to El Paso
Pat wearing his new Stetson
Road to El Paso
Wind mills seen on our way to El Paso.
San Antonio
One of several reasons that Pat LOVES the state of Texas!
San Antonio
Fiona telling Pat something important....
Back to The Big Easy
Connie and kids on the balcony at Bourbon and Bienville Streets
Back to the Big Easy
Owen and Connie on the balcony overlooking Bourbon Street
Back to The Big Easy
Connie and kids on the balcony overlooking Bourbon Street
Back to the Big Easy
Owen on the balcony of our room overlooking Bourbon Street.
Back to Memphis
Where is the pretty little thing, waiting for The King down in the Jungle Room......
Back to Nashville
Junior Ranger at the State Capitol
Back to Nashville
Connie and the kids on the terrace of the State Capitol building in Nashville.
San Antonio
Fiona is a vision in pink with her pink drink and pink outfit! YOu can not see the blinking tiara on the top of the hat. We will try to post that photo later.
San Antonio
Owen and a moose
San Antonio
Fiona and the Polar Bear
San Antonio
One of the reasons Pat loves Texas. Where else can you drink a cold beer and look at critters from all over the world?
San Antonio
Buckhorn Museum and Saloon
San Antonio
The Buckhorn Museum....note the animal heads mounted to the front of the building.
San Antonio
The Alamo
San Antonio
Neil photographing the many ducks that live along River Walk.
San Antonio
Tierney and Owen being serenaded by street musicians on the River Walk.
The Big Easy
Fiona and Patrick in front of Acme Oyster House.
The Big Easy
Owen on the balcony on Bourbon Street.
The Big Easy
Fiona trying to catch beads from the balconies on Bourbon Street.
The Big Easy
Patrick and Fiona in their Owl masks.
The Big Easy
Patrick and the kids at Court of Two Sisters Restaurant
The Big Easy
Fiona, Pat and Tierney at The Court of Two Sisters, where Patrick worked briefly as a waiter 30 some years ago.
The Big Easy
Fiona's First Oyster
Nashville Revisited
Darryl Worley, and wife with Pat, Connie, Tierney and Fiona
The Big Easy
One of many characters along the streets of NOLA enticing people to see their performances. This man had rope with which he was doing magic tricks.
The Big Easy
Fiona showing off her new hand held Mardis Gras mask. She said she needed blue to match her eyes. She is wearing the necklaces she caught the night before on our brief walk up and down Bourbon Street.
Back to The Big Easy
Not sure if you can see this, but there were beads stranded along the Bienville Street sign and lamp post. Remnants of the night before........
One Last Photo from Memphis (oops!)
Pat standing next to his graffiti. Not sure if you can see it but he signed "Go Terps!" just above and to the left of the star to the right of the top of his head.
The Big Easy
Here is the same street about one hour later! It is like magic! Bourbon Street stayed clean for most of the day, until the foot traffic began again. They close Bourbon St around 5PM for pedestrians.
The Big Easy
See street cleaning truck up ahead of cab. There is a power hose attached to truck and God knows what chemicals they are spraying on the street with the water! However, maybe it is just water because the streets of NOLA smell like a mixture of urine, old beer, and cigarettes combined with a fetid sewage smell at certain locations. It is not constant but I must say I avoided stepping in any puddles here!
The Big Easy
This cab tried following the street cleaners down Bourbon. Not sure if you can see the debris he is driving over (glass, bottles, beads, plastic cups etc). The street sweeper is behind him. The street cleaning machine is ahead of him, and they are spraying the street with power hose first and then the sweeper comes behind to sweep up debris. This was taken around 6 AM, which was about a half hour after I heard the sirens or sound that clears the partiers off the streets.This cab finally gave up and backed up and headed up Bienville Street. The street cleaners were in an argument with some drunks who still felt they should have reign over Bourbon Street.
The Big Easy
Neil looking out over Bourbon Street. I was using the balcony as a "tripod".
The Big Easy
View looking over our balcony. This was taken well after midnight and you can still see hundreds of people parading by on Bourbon Street.
Memphis - Richard Johnston's Custom Guitar
Memphis - Richard Johnston
Drinking Cod's Liver Oil.
Memphis - Richard Johnston
Check out the one man band. He played the the drums with his barefeet. There were rags stuffed in the drums. And not the guitar made cigar box, two broom sticks and bottle cops. he used magnets and wire for electronic components.
Memphis - Beale Street Musician
Fiona getting down to the music!
Memphis - Street Musician
Owen (recruited by musician) and Fiona (willing volunteer) boogy to the music. OK, Owen really wasn't boogying, and was really looking back at us pleading for rescue from this embarrassing situation.
Memphis
Fortunately, there was not a comma after the second word!
Memphis - Beale Street
Teaching the children about inert gases, such as neon.
Memphis - Beale Street
Memphis - National Civil Rights Museum
The Lorraine Motel, site where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated. Now the site of the National Civil Rights Museum.
Memphis - Sun Studios
Tierney where Elvis stood.
Memphis - Peabody Hotel Ducks
Fiona with her bird dog, tries to entice the famous Peabody ducks to go with her instead of The Duckmaster.
Memphis - BB Kings
Listening to the BB King All Stars
Memphis - Rondezvous
The food at this Rendevoux is better than the one in College Park.
Memphis - Rendevoux Alley
Owen and Dad headng to Rendezvous for ribs.
Graceland
Elvis has left the building. Send a real decorator!
CMA Music Festival Parade
Gretchen Wilson
CMA Music Festival Parade
Bo Bice!
CMA Music Festival Parade
The Oak Ridge Boys...Pat is going to look like the fellow on the left by the end of 6 weeks!
Neil's photos from The Stage June 9th 2009
Darryl Worley
Neil's photos from The Stage June 9th 2009
Lee Ann Womack
Neil's photos from The Stage on June 9th, 2009
Lee Ann Womack
Bullet Hole in the Bannister
When the State Senate to vote on abolishment of slavery, many of them tried to leave as they did not wan to vote on this very hot topic. Some of the Genreal Assembly members tried to flee but armed guards began to shoot above their heads to scare them back into the building. The 14th Ammendment was ultimately passed and Tennessee was the first Confederate State to be re-admitted to the Union. The year was 1866.
Tennessee Skyline
Ok, this is out of order but I thought it was worth including in the blog. My ADD brain, being what it is, is working with three different cameras so I am having trounble keeping track of the photos!
Tennessee State Capitol
Neil and Fiona on 2nd Floor
Tennessee State Capitol
Patrick and kids walking towards Capitol.
At The Stage on Broadway, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Beach Party
Patrick and Connie enjoying the concert.
At The Stage on broadway - Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Beach Party
Tierney and Patrick
Patrick and Fiona
Watching Darryl Worley and Lee Ann Womack at the Cystic Fibrosis Fundriaser Beach Party at the Stage on Broadway
Jamie Johnson and Friends
We met the men on either side of Jamie Johnson earlier in the evening. One was an entertainer and the other was a rodeo star.
Jamie Johnson
He was one of the surprise guests of the evening.
The Stage on Broadway, Nashville TN
This is the club that we were fortunate enough to see Darryl Worley and Lee Ann Womack, AND Jamie Johnson
The National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, Kentucky
Pat actually stopped off the interstate for this one!
Bloomfield, Kentucky
Family in Historic Bloomfield, Kentucky
Junior Ranger Finally Konks Out (around midnight!)
Fiona, exhausted from learning about Owl facts falls asleep in her very own Murphy Bed.
The Junior Ranger and Her Owl Book
Would you like to know about Owls?
Thunderstorms on The Way to Charleston, West Virginia
We got pounded on the last 50 milestowards Charleston with really bad storms.
Captain Pat
Captain Pat piloting the Cross Country Cruiser Across The 876 Foot Tall New River Gorge Bridge
New River Gorge Bridge
It is quite an amazing structure!
Owen Reading Information on Bridge
The highest point of the bridge is the equivelant of 2 Statues of Liberty and 1 Washington Monument!
Happy Family at the New River Gorge Bridge Viewing Platform
Fiona, Tierney, Owen and Neil
Taking a Break Just Over the W VA Line
Pine Run Service Center...Look at the variety of things you can purchase on one place!
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