Summer Reading

I have been a little preoccupied with my summer reading, and unable to create a proper post.  I have finished the Odyssey and I am currently working on my essay for A Separate Peace.  I have one book left, but once I am done, I plan to promptly finish my tour of Matunuck post.  It is almost back to school for me though.  I start high school on the 30th, with orientation the 29th.  With a little bit of luck, I can try to cajole my parents to take Harvey somewhere for Labor Day Weekend!  (I doubt it will be too hard.) Future posts are coming soon.  The waiting game begins.


Until I finish my summer reading.

Amy  

Searching For Sea-glass (Matunuck, Rhode Island

Today, after sleeping in, (staying up to watch the entire Olympic Closing Ceremonies after a busy day takes a lot out of a person!) I began my summer reading.  I wanted to enjoy my vacation and put all of my focus into my summer reading which is why I started so late.  The book I chose to read first is the Odyssey.  Although it is a poem and not like the prose I usually read, I began to love the lyrical writing style of the poetry, and quickly was able to understand the story.  

In the early afternoon, Auntie Pam came over and we all (Grandma, Karen, Auntie Pam, and myself) went to the beach to walk. This is one of my favorite activities here at the Beach House, as every time I visit the beach, the powerful ocean causes it to look different through erosion.  I enjoy looking for pretty rocks and/or if I'm lucky - sea-glass.  Today, the beach was mostly rocky, and the shores were filled with sea-glass.  I found four pieces of sea-glass, but brought home two, as I dropped one and the ocean took one back to sea before I could pick it up.  

(Since my Dad is probably wondering why I still don't have any pictures of the ocean, I will offer this explanation: I was planning to go swimming if the waves weren't too big, so I didn't want to worry about my camera.  I didn't go swimming because the ocean was filled with seaweed.) 

My sea-glass.  

Tomorrow, I will continue my tour with the Seaview Market and the Vanilla Bean.

Good Night!

Amy

The First of the Weekend RV Getaways (Matunuck, Rhode Island Post)

As we were all going in RV time deficit, we decided to bring the RV to my Grandma's Beach House for some weekend fun.  We all came this time, even the cat!

Harvey looks right at home in Grandma's driveway.  

My friend the Cardinal!  He really is a handsome bird, standing out in front of all the others.  

Today was Timber's 5th birthday (along with her twelve siblings.  Imagine that! Karen is really enough for me, but I guess Timber doesn't see her siblings...)!  She really likes the beach, with the fat bunnies to stare at and chase. She was to busy hunting to turn and smile at the camera.

Happy Birthday Timber!

Although Mom and Dad had to go home, Karen and I get to spend the week, so look for more posts this week with my favorite things to do around the Beach House!

Amy

If I Don't Write It, It Isn't True. (Home in Connecticut Post)

Sorry in procrastinating in writing this post.  It is by far my least favorite to write, as it meant that my trip was done, and I stopped being a national traveller.   Like what I wrote for the title, I think I convinced myself subconsciously that if I didn't write it, it wouldn't be true.

Our first welcome to our home state in a month!

Timber, we're going to get your kitty!

Here she is! My cat, home from her vacation with my Auntie T and Uncle Jim.  She says,"Thank You, and that she misses your home with its fun hiding spots."

We arrived home on Saturday, August 4, 2012 around 11 PM.

Home Sweet Home. 

To make up for my procrastination.  

Here are some figures about our trip.  

1. We drove a total of 9,222 miles on the trip.  
2. We visited 13 National Parks and many State Parks and National Monuments.
3. I took more than 3,000 pictures in total.  
4. My blog had 3,358 page views by my readers!
5. 148 comments were left!
6. I wrote 44 posts (including this one)

Thank you so much for all the views and comments of my blog!  It made me feel really good to read your comments and know you were enjoying and following along on our adventure.   It really was the trip of a lifetime, and I enjoyed sharing it with all of my readers.   

As I contemplate on the trip, I realize how much I learned and grew as a person by getting this opportunity.  I learned the history of various places, a bit about the people who shaped the West, and about geological features. This trip is unforgettable, I will remember it forever.  I think this has been one of my favorite summers.  

Now, if you are distraught like my Auntie Pam and wondering what you will do for entertainment now that my trip is finished, do NOT despair.  I will continue to post to my blog from time to time when we take Harvey on weekend trips, because I will miss writing my blog just as much as you miss reading it daily.  

Until Then, 

The Blog Writer, 

Amy Squirrel

Meet me in St. Louis (St. Louis, Missouri Post)

This was a rather uneventful day.  It rained for a while in the morning,

 and Timber decided to take a nap.  

We stopped at Cracker Barrel because Karen wanted to buy an accordion.  At least Dad didn't let her get one in the beginning of the trip.  (Actually, she is getting better at the songs on the song sheet.)

For some reason, I was really tired and decided to take a nap.  I don't think I heard much of Karen's early accordion practicing.  Unfortunately, when I woke up I discovered the first song she taught herself was "On Top of Spaghetti."  For some reason that song just irks me.  
On the up side, we were just outside of St. Louis.   We got dinner at Pappy's Barbecue.  The ribs were just as good as those we had at Dinosaur Barbecue at the beginning of the trip.

The iconic Gateway Arch.  

A different view,  with a bridge and a bit of the city.  

We did quite a bit more driving (Mom got to drive, too!), and when we stopped to get gas, Karen and I tried to get Frosty's at Wendy's next to the gas station.  Apparently we had changed a few time zones, because according to my watch it was close to nine o'clock, and the restaurant part should have been still open.  After trying the door (it was locked) we decided we would just walk though the drive-through.  However, I think I really misjudged the time, since in hindsight, it seems like the drive-through might have been closed, too.  (Karen and I thought we just didn't know how to work the drive-through.  I am still upset; I (still) really (want)wanted a Frosty.  "hint hint: Mom and Dad"

Amy

If Isn't Here It Doesn't Exist (Salina, Kansas Post)

Get a good look at these mountains, these are probably the last we will be seeing until we see the Appalachian Mountains close to home.  

What was on the other side of the road when I took the last picture.  

 Mom was reading the map and Triple A guide book and discovered the World's Wonder View Tower and museum.  Eager for a chance to stretch our legs, we decided to visit.  I knew it would be an interesting place when the sign for the town's business district was down a dirt road.
The tower was built by Colorado's P.T. Barnum, Charles W. Gregory in the highest point between Denver and New York, an elevation of 5,715 feet.

The World's Wonder View Tower in Genoa, Colorado

The museum adjacent to the tower.  The slogan here is: "If it isn't here, it doesn't exist."   You will soon discover why.  

The wishing well with a plaque that says, throw in three coins and your wish may come true.  

Proven by Ripley, from the top of the tower, you can see six states -  Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado,  Wyoming, South Dakota, and New Mexico.  

The current owner of the tower and museum, Jerry Chubbuck delighted us with his quiz, Guess What, where he showed us many unusual items, and we tried to guess their function.  Nope, this object isn't a practical joke for April Fool's Day, its a potato peeler.   

There are 21 different rooms all like this one, all remarkably well kept by Jerry.  

A giant geode with a dinosaur bone in front of it.  

A two headed calf.  

I just climbed these ladder like stairs to reach the top of the tower.  

 The view off the tower.  I couldn't identify which state was what, can you?

Just one of the many interesting objects within the museum.  

This massive fireplace had a rock from every state in the United States, but it was too big for me to get a picture of all of it.  Here is part of it!

Millions and Millions of Meat Grinders.  

Nope, these aren't the same meat grinders, there were more than my first picture.  

Over 50,000 different bottles like these.  

Kansas.  Endless fields of wheat and corn.  

Of course when I try to take a picture of the sunset, the only trees in Kansas show up.  

Without the trees. 

The gorgeous moon was a pinkish orange.   

Kansas does have a pretty night sky and moon.  

 I really understand the saying man with one watch always knows the time, man with two never knows for sure, because with all our time travelling through the different time zones, we have clocks from a variety of time zones.  We have a clock in pacific time, one in mountain time, and several in central time, and one that is in the Vladivostok Russian Time Zone.  (It currently says its 4:20 in the morning.)  Yesterday, I could't tell you what time it was at all.

Amy

The Prettiest Part of Colorado (Marble, Colorado Post)

 Sadly, our trip will shortly be coming to an end.  We have been heading home since the Hoover Dam, but the realization really just hit yesterday, as we knew it would be a day of driving, without much stopping.  However, we had one consolation - we were driving through the prettiest part of Colorado according to my Dad and several others we talked to.

The Summit of Molas Pass, where these next few pictures were taken, has an elevation of 10,899 feet.

Colorful wildflowers in front of the San Juan Mountains.  

According to a sign, I was taking some of the cleanest, freshest air in the United States into my lungs!

I originally attempted to take this picture without the butterfly, but it flew into my picture at just the last second.   I ended up liking this picture with the accidental butterfly better than my original!

I offered to take a picture of a group of people, and in turn they took this picture of me.  

 These were taken after we left Molas Pass.

Nestled in the mountains is the old mining town of Silverton.  

Colorful rocks on the mountain.  

Another storm is brewing!

We pulled over in a turnout during the thunderstorm, because we were on the Million Dollar highway with many curves and steep grades.  Timber doesn't like thunder and lightning, so this is her protection from it.  A pillow in Mom's lap wearing her protective inner-tube (a neck pillow). 

A waterfall.

An adjacent, wider waterfall.  

Timber, always curious, jumped up on her back legs and looked to see what everyone was looking at .

The storm cloud is covering the mountains just visible minutes before.  

Timber was tired after all the excitement and "borrowed"  Karen's bunny.  

Until Later,
Amy