To be continued...

We are pleased to announce that we are less than one month away from our departure for our RTW trip!!!

Everyone please have a look at our new blog, http://turtlestravel.wordpress.com/
Right now we have posts regarding our routing and preparations. We will be keep everyone up to date with photos and tales of our adventures!

Over the River and through the Woods

The Dutch Iris Inn, Granby, CT

After visiting Grandma and dining at the Parthenon restaurant in Agawam, we head to Granby, CT and the welcoming Dutch Iris Inn. The owners and hosts, Bill and Nancy Ross, greeted us warmly and gave us a tour of their lovely 1812 colonial home. We stayed in the Mary Edwards Room on the second floor, named for a former owner and donor of land to the town. The room was cozy and comfortable, and after several rounds of backgammon, chosen from among the games in the living room, we got some rest. There was a guest fridge downstairs with bottled water, iced tea and soft drinks that came in very handy. Breakfast was a true treat and included fresh fruit with an orange strawberry sauce, an amazing breakfast strudel and a fresh orange currant scone. We chatted with a few of the other guests, and head out for a morning of exploring and geocaching. Granby and the surrounding areas of Connecticut are a great spot for a getaway, with many historic homes, a Wine Trail, farm stands, brilliant foliage in the fall, and lots of small town charm.

Highlights included turning away from a local park after being informed by the Fish and Wildlife Officer that a mother bear and four cubs had just walked by on their way to the stream. (She assured us this was not a typical siting.) We also visited Old Newgate Prison. This former copper mine was transformed into a prison for serious criminals, including Tories and Loyalists during the Revolutionary War. It served as a prison from 1773-1827. During most of that time prisoners made nails and later shoes. They had quotas to meet, and if they didn't they were either tied and lashed (max 100 times) or rations were withheld. At night, prisoners climbed down a ladder to the tunnels originally dug for mining copper. It was damp, dark and a constant 52 degrees Fahrenheit. The accompanying educational video in the old Guard House said the prisoners were actually healthier overall than the average population above, but it didn't seem like it would be the least bit comfortable to me!

Outta Here (for now)

Twenty-one years after arriving as a Freshman at Columbia University, I have officially given up residence in New York City. Any season would have been tough, but I found it especially so in late spring/early summer. The calendars of upcoming events had been published. There were street fairs and festivals every weekend, theater and concerts in the parks, and restaurants set their tables out on the sidewalks.

We took full advantage during the time we had left, filling up on a different cuisine nightly (see some reviews on Yelp), and attending a number of events. There was Indian, Ethiopian, Moroccan, Turkish, BBQ (believe it or not, pretty good for the North) Thai, Chinese and, of course, Japanese. We saw lots of friends and said some temporary good-byes. Hopefully there will be lots of opportunities to make new memories in the future.

In the meantime, we are on Cape Cod for the summer. My sister just had a new baby, and we've been having a great time helping out and entertaining big brother.

There are some extended travel plans in the works for after summer, so stay tuned!

The Beacon

On the way back north from Atlanta, we made a stop by Donny's Mom, Greta's family home in Chesney, South Carolina. Her parents' home was recently sold, and it was time to get to the sad, final task of clearing out the last items from the storage area in the garage. Her parents have been deceased for many years, and the house had been rented. Greta's sister and her family live just next door.

It's always nostalgic to visit the place you grew up. Greta pointed out spots she remembered, and told stories of the town and the land when she was a girl. The green pastures, wildflowers, tall trees and white fences were beautiful. We had a tasty home-cooked meal prepared by Greta's niece, and heard more colorful family stories over dinner. It's a wonder we still had room, since we had gorged earlier at the landmark Beacon Drive-In in Spartanburg.

According to their site, "The Beacon stands for old-fashioned things...God, country, family, friends, children, and a decent meal at a fair price." The Beacon has been there 60 years, serving up barbecue, burgers and plates "a plenty" which come with a sandwich and a serving of fries or onion rings that could easily serve 4 or 5! They're also famous for their iced tea, making 62,500 gallons a year! We were greeted by the manager, who gave us a brief rundown on the difference between "lowcountry," "outside" and regular barbecue. Then we were sent on to JC, who asks you to "Call It!" He's been calling orders Beacon for over 50 years.

Atlanta Highlights

We're in Atlanta for work and play, so never having seen some of the notable tourist attractions, I've been taking that project on as well. This past weekend Greta and I stopped by a Powerade event Donny was working and were slipped in a back door to the new World of Coke! The museum featured a couple of short films (one in 4D), lots of artifacts, memorabilia and history of this 120 year-old beverage, a gallery, store, bottling line and a tasting room at the end with over 60 Coke products from all over the world to try. Favorites included Bibo Candy Pine-nut from South Africa, Fanta Blackcurrant from Hong Kong, Smart Apple from China, Simba Guarana from Paraguay. There was also a great Fiesta Atlanta Festival going on across the street, where we sampled some products, listened to some music and I won a package of tortillas!

Later, we stopped by The Varsity, designated The World's Largest Drive-in Restaurant in 1950 when 100 carhops in 1950 greeted folks with their famous "What'll ya have?" Originally set up with nearby Georgia Tech students in mind, they have been serving customers in Atlanta since 1928. The chili cheeseburger, hotdogs, fries and onion rings all greasily hit the spot.

Click HERE to view some photos of the day.

Yabba Dabba Doo. Enjoy the Cave

Sunday we got in our Jeep and took off to explore. Resorts are comfy and relaxing, but we wanted, as much as possible in a place so heavily reliant on its tourist infrastructure, to see what Aruba was like away from the tourist hotels, beaches and malls. Aruba, along with Bonaire and Curacao are part of the Netherlands Antilles. The population is very mixed, and Arawak, Dutch, Spanish and African heritage is clearly evident in many areas.

Dutch is the official language in Aruba, but Papiamento is most commonly heard. It’s a creole dialect made up of elements of Dutch, Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, a number of different African languages, and Arawak. In these examples you can see the different influences. I understand dushi being sweet (from dulce) but I’d really like to know how sushi came to mean garbage!

Bon dia: Good Morning

Bon Bini: Welcome

Danki: Thank you

Con ta bai: How are you?

Mi ta bon: I am fine

Pasa un bon dia: Have a good day

The temperature is always around 82F (28C), and there is very little rain. Aruba is outside the hurricane belt. The interior of the island is dry and desert-like, complete with cacti and iguanas, while the coasts are graced with beautiful beaches. The protected south and west coasts are calm and sandy, while the north and east are more rocky and rugged. Watapana or divi-divi trees are sculpted by constant trade winds.

South of the airport we passed through San Nicolas and Charlie’s Bar, in operation since the 1940s. The big red anchor at the entrance to Seroe Colorado has a plaque in Charlie’s memory. After a swim and a snack at the famous Baby Beach (with the Valero oil refinery in the background), we went off-road into Arikok National Park. The area is filled with trails and paths, rock outcroppings, caves, and encompasses each of the three geological features of the island: a lava formation, a quartz diorite formation and a limestone formation. We used our GPS to wander and locate several geocaches in the area, as well as the former site of the Natural Bridge (which fell in 2005).

One small sign led to the Tunnel of Love cave. Having heard about cave drawings and such in the area, we were interested, but it was deserted when we pulled up, until a rough-looking leathered man pedaled up on his bicycle holding a bottle of Sprite in one hand and a small plastic bag in the other. He led us over to what appeared to have been an entrance at some point in the past. There were no flashlight renters or fee takers to be seen, and the entire cave entrance was covered with a re-bar cage. Tough luck? Not with our hopeful guide shuffling over to a corner and peeling up a section of rusty metal to let us down. Even at the time it seemed like a risky decision to follow him down a hole into a cave that clearly had been closed for some reason, but we threw caution and common sense out and went for the experience. The guy, who spoke a muffled version of English/Papiamento was named Francisco, but he went by Joy, a name bestowed on him by doctors at a local hospital where he recovered miraculously from some accident or illness. He told us the cave was closed when some Dutch tourists had gone in alone and gotten lost. Once we started to descend, he pulled a rag (which must have been soaked in something that burns slowly) from his plastic bag, wrapped it around a stick, and lit it. Adding to the ambiance, throughout the walk, as if to keep up the conversation, Joy repeated, “Yabba dabba doo; Enjoy the cave. Yabba dabba doo. Enjoy the tour. Enjoy the cave.”

Well, the torch served its purpose, as Joy pointed out a drawing on the ceiling, rocks forming the shapes of animals and, of course, the Virgin Mary. Unlike many caves we’d been in, the temperature didn’t drop at all, but without the wind it was muggy and moist. The multitude of fruit bats, disturbed from their slumber, didn’t seem to mind the climate a bit. They swooped around our heads in groups of 10 or 20 at a time. After a bit more climbing, I asked Joy if we’d have to return the same way. He seemed to size us up and told us to keep following. Since no one had jumped out and ambushed us yet, we trustingly complied. Finally emerging into the light, Joy explained that if we climbed a pile of rocks and put one arm up through the small square of re-bar first, we’d be able to exit straight up. Miraculously, it worked. We happily paid Joy a generous tip, and wished him the best of luck.

The rest of the afternoon we bounced around in the jeep, stopping for a cold drink and visiting the Bushiribana Goldmine Ruins and Alto Vista Chapel. Our last stop of the day was the Ayo Rock Formation with huge boulders, mysteriously incongruous with the surrounding landscape.

One Happy Island: Aruba

Looking toward Baby Beach, Aruba

After more or less successfully resisting the temptation to join the crowd of grumblers during our three hour delay at JFK, we finally took off. Landing in Aruba four hours or so later was enough to make everyone all smiles. The Marriott Aruba Surf Club is quite new, and we spent the first evening and next morning exploring its grounds as well as the sister properties: the Ocean Club and Stellaris casino next door. Although there were a lot of people around, it didn’t seem overly crowded. American tourists dominated by far, and there were many older couples and families with children. We took the bus to downtown Oranjestad and had a quick look around. It didn’t take long to see that this was the place to be if you were looking to shop. All the big-name players were there selling high-fashion, clothing, sunglasses, jewelry and watches. Malls abound, and if you’re looking for good bargains on European imported luxury items, Cuban cigars or Dutch treats, you’re in luck.

There were several large cruise ships docked on the wharf, and the day trippers were loaded onto colorful, loud party buses for a spin around the island. We walked in the opposite direction, and hit the local supermarket to stock up for the week. Food shopping itself was a highlight. We took our time selecting Dutch cheeses, fresh bread, handmade sausage, seasoned chicken, organic eggs, coffee, fruit and pasta. Reading labels to figure out flavors and calculating how many grams of ham to ask for were challenges we greatly enjoyed. Oh, and we got a great deal on a case of Venezuelan Polar, Donny’s beer of choice on our last trip there. We made a great dinner that night including our hot and spicy kip (the chicken), pasta with cheese, and the bottle wine the front desk manager sent up after we had some issues checking in. The casino provided the after-dinner entertainment, and our winnings inspired us to rent a jeep the following day.

Click HERE to link to the photo album from Aruba.

Ready for Spring to Spring

It's been a few years since I've spent such a long stretch on the East Coast. By now I feel like I should be back out on the road, somewhere much warmer. Spring is taking much too long to arrive, and even though we've barely slowed down I'm getting itchy. A contract was signed on the New York City apartment just last night, so things are looking good on that front. On the other hand it's a bit daunting to be on the verge of homelessness. For now we'll be squatting in the City converting the inflatable mattress each day to an inflatable couch and trying to keep a little income flowing in any way we can.

It was nice to be able to spend Easter with family on Cape Cod. Dad is getting very into Geocaching, so we were able to enjoy getting out and doing that together. A trip to Atlanta allowed time with Donny's family, while tornadoes in the area were the weather highlight. The long drive there and back was therapeutic, I think. Now we're gearing up for a quickie trip to Aruba next week. In case you didn't imagine there's more to come soon on that.

Oh, and the tree above is an amazing old weeping beech behind the post office, near some nature trails in Yarmouthport on Cape Cod. Maybe more on that too. . . --HT

Shorakkopoch

If the Lenape had known the kind of bargain Dutch colonist Peter Minuit was negotiating when they exchanged the island of Manhattan for beads and trinkets, the deal never would have gone down in 1626. In fact, the Lenape had no concept of private ownership and probably saw the transaction (valuing 60 guilders, $35 or so today) as a temporary agreement rather than a true purchase. Many say it's more likely the deal happened further south, since Inwood was still largely wilderness then, but Shorakkopoch Rock, southwest of the Inwood Hill Urban Ecology Center (Indian Road and West 218th Street), was placed to mark the spot. Shorakkopoch means either "the wading place," "the river's edge," or "the place between the ridges."

Inwood Hill Park encompasses 196 acres of wilderness, hiking trails, part of the Hudson River Bike Path, the last natural forest and salt marsh in Manhattan, along with ball fields, tennis courts and playgrounds. Carbonized food and pottery under ash in caves discovered in the park in the late 1800's show the area's use by Native Americans in the 17^th Century. In the 17^th and 18^th Centuries settlers from Europe lived and worked here. Later, the area held several large estates and philanthropic institutions. Part of the foundation of the Straus family estate still lies in the park. (Isidor and Ida Straus lost their lives on the S.S. Titanic's maiden voyage.)

The Department of Parks and Recreation has held the land since 1916. Workers during the depression helped build many of the walls and pathways throughout the park. The Inwood Hill Park Urban Ecology Center was opened in 1995, and highlights many of the park's natural features. More recently, in 2002, the Urban Park Rangers launched a five-year bald eagle release project in the park.

In the summer, the park is filled with birthday and other family celebrations, happy kids in the playgrounds and fierce competition on the baseball fields, soccer fields and basketball courts. You can hike far enough to forget you're in the City, and emerge by the Hudson River. Start and the Blue Bridge and walk to the Dyckman Marina. Inwood Hill is a treasure in the neighborhood and for the City.

For a few photos of our walk, click HERE.

Maine Trip Part 2

Northern Maine was wicked awesome. Locals including our friends Steve and Becky told us it had been warm and rain had melted a few layers of snow away, but there was still plenty to enjoy. The scenery was beautiful, and Steve and Becky gave us a great tour, including a pass by my Dad's childhood home in nearby Caribou. One night we were treated to a homemade bean supper followed by a very funny comedy show of Downeast Humor at the Caribou Inn. See www.garycrocker.com for details on that. Highlights included the camp at Lake Madawaska (New Stockholm) and keeping lookout for the ever-elusive (to us) moose. Oh, we did some geocaching as well. The pics were part of the set on the previous entry. (http://picasaweb.google.com/heathertamara/MaineTrip)

Maine Part 1

We set off from Cape Cod heading for northern Maine. There was no rush, so we made brief stops along the way. New Hampshire is just north of Boston. There are outlets at Kittery and after a hot coffee, we diverted from Rte 95 to the more scenic Rte 1.

York, Maine is home to Neddick (Nubble) lighthouse. It was a classic Maine scene, with rocky coast and a churning channel between the lookout and the light. Ogunquit is a popular summer escape, but quiet this time of year. It was hard not to stop in Portland, Maine’s largest city, old seaport and hip, urban enclave. We pressed on a little further and spent the night in Ellsworth, not far from Acadia National Park. Dinner just had to include lobster: sautéed and dipped in butter for me and over linguine for D.

The morning was sleety and cold, and the summer resort town of Bar Harbor was mostly empty, save a coffee shop and a café. We saw the fishing boats in the harbor and many others in dry-dock, wrapped and stored for the winter. From there, we head to Acadia.

The main loop road was closed for the season, but a back portion allowed us to reach the well-known Sand Beach, starkly beautiful in its desolation. We took advantage of the rare opportunity to walk alone on the shore. A short hike ended in sleet, so we pressed on to Thunder Hole, where the sea forces its way through the rock at certain times of day, the rush causing rumbles and crashes that resulted in the name. We had to turn back at Otter Cliffs to head on around the bay at Southeast Harbor. To be continued. . .

For photos, click HERE.

Outermost Cape

The windswept dunes and sandy shores of the Outer Cape hold a special charm in winter. There’s no need to worry about traffic and crowds, and it’s a luxury to have the beaches to yourself. Our leisurely drive began in Yarmouth and bypassed the elbow of Chatham north to Eastham and Wellfleet up along the National Seashore. In Truro, we visited Cape Cod Light (aka Highland Light), which was moved back from the cliff’s edge in 1996 to prevent it from falling into the sea. The lighthouse is surrounded by a golf course. A couple of golfers were just heading out with their clubs to play a round, and they nodded a curious greeting, probably wondering who would choose a blustery January day for a tourist stop.

The beaches on this part of the Cape, especially in winter, always make me want to reread Outermost House, Henry Beston’s chronicle of his solitary year spent in a cottage in the dunes on Nauset Spit, part of Coast Guard Beach.

There are some great walking and bike paths near Provincelands heading out toward Race Point, and we took a walk through the marshland, which was being redeveloped. Provincetown itself was incorporated in 1727, but it’s history is much older. It was the site of the first landing of the Mayflower, and the Pilgrims signed the Mayflower compact in the harbor. Later, Provincetown became the Cape’s whaling and fishing center. MacMillan Wharf is still hopping with fishing boats. Commercial Street was deserted, and we only came across one or two shops that were open for business. Winter seems to highlight P’town’s split personalities: fishing village, artists’ colony, gay-friendly tourist destination. We walked out on the jetty at the west end of town to see the one of the other lighthouses across the bay. Believe it or not, there was another car with Georgia plates parked right in front of us, though we never ran across its occupants.

In the bar at the Governor Bradford, no one was quite sure where might be open for dinner. The local fishermen were having a late afternoon brew, and couldn’t resist asking where we non-locals were from. One had a good time ribbing Donny for a bit, but he stood his ground, and they backed down when they learned I had grown up on the Cape.

Dinner later at Michael Shay's included an all you can eat salad bar, tasty fresh seafood, a professional waiter and a cozy wood-burning stove.

Click here to view some photos.