Restless Prairie Girl

Well home eleven days and off on another adventure again.  Just as I like it!  Actually the morning after I arrived home from St Louis I woke up feeling like razor blades were going crazy in my throat.  Not good.  Luckily I had a day at home to relax and struggled off to work for the remaining three days of that week.  I spent the weekend relaxing instead of doing the fun stuff I had planned.  It was all worth it though as I felt pretty good for my weekend in Vancouver....my energy level was a bit down but I felt okay.  I had to work on Friday so took an evening flight out.  I had planned to take the bus to work and then walk over to the airport as it's just across the (busy) road from the airport.  However Mother Nature had other plans and I ended up bumming a ride across the highway from someone at work.  The flights were good and I arrived into Vancouver on time.  I took the wonderful Skytrain from the airport to the Vancouver City Centre stop and walked five blocks to the Y h

Well I awoke with sore feet and hips but a smile on my face...we fought with the coffee maker (so much for the Hilton - talk about a crap coffee maker) and endured our "gooey butter cake".  Hey just because we were staying at the Hilton doesn't mean we could afford their expensive brekky!  We checked out of the hotel and left our luggage in storage and off we went to the Delmar Loop. This is supposed to be one of the "top ten streets" in America.  Okay...the St Louis walk of fame was there so it was neat to see the different people who were from St Louis...Chuck Berry of course, Phyllis Diller, Buddy Epsen, Vincent Price, Charles Lindbergh to name a few.  We had to pose by the statue of Chuck Berry of course!!! My dogs were barking pretty badly this morning I must admit but it was all for a good cause!!!  I tottered along bitching a little bit but Pat was patient with me!  Then we went for lunch at the Blueberry Hill cafe.    The meal was so so - the &quo

Day three dawned with rain and rain it did...all day long....Pat still didn't have her ticket to see Paul so after breakfast we stayed in the room while she cruised the 'net and I relaxed.  We then checked out about noon and headed downtown.  We headed to the Hilton Hotel on Olive St.  Getting to and from the airport after the concert would just be too difficult so we wanted a place downtown.  The Hilton was once a bank - the Merchant Lacrede National Bank built in 1888.  How cool is that.  And check this out...yep the hotel shop and business centre are in old vaults!!!  I don't normally stay in Hiltons and I must say as per usual the lobbies are elegant and the rooms are just okay but it was still a treat to stay in one.   We walked over to the Scottrade arena where Pat stayed and waited inline at the box office and I walked back to the hotel trying to find a restaurant on the way.  I did find a gourmet type grocery store - the kind I love and I picked up a few snack

The above quote by Paul McCartney!  I will tell more details later but just a quickie to say Vancouver was an absolutely awesome weekend.  Lots of great walks and get togethers with walking friends and a very long time friend, some good meals,GREAT (very unexpected) weather and above all PAUL!!!  The concert was amazing as it always is.  Hard to believe this time yesterday I was sitting on a log looking at the ocean...oh well.  7 weeks from today I will hit the road again!!! Will post more on St Louis and my weekend in Vancouver when I catch my breath - hopefully this weekend. In the meantime back to the real world and off to work I go....

Off to Vancouver tomorrow evening....that certainly came up quickly but then again it was only 11 days between trips!!!  I staggered off to work and then rested at home the rest of the time with this stupid cold and 'touch of flu'.  I think I am okay now....she says hopefully.  I am doing carry on for the trip out...the trip back?  Uh...no....I do plan a Bath and Body Works raid, a trip to Murchies tea and a visit to Purdy's chocolates let alone what other places I might get to. My wheelie carry on is pretty full already sad to say.  Despite all the traveling I am still far from the world's best packer. No netbook this time so my backpack is much lighter however that means no blogging so will have to write up all my shenanigans when I get back.  It looks to be a busy fun filled weekend - albeit a rainy day...oh well beats being up to my a** in snow here at home.   Laters!!

I forgot to mention that the breakfast buffet at the Best Western Airport Plaza was pretty good with scrambled eggs, sausages, biscuits, bagels, toast, yogurt, juice, pastries, etc. and set us up past lunch time anyway.   This morning after breakfast we once again got the free shuttle (though we gave him a tip) to the metrolink station.  This time our destination was downtown St. Louis and the Arch!  We had to wait in line for a little while to get through security and I chuckled to myself remembering how I was pretty well the only one visiting in February 08.  Of course this was right after a snow/ice storm!!!   We asked for the package of trip to the top of the Arch/Riverboat cruise which was on special for $20 - well we got it for $17.  No complaints!!!  Seniors rate?   I'll take it!!!  We were able to get into the line for the 11:30 elevator so off we went. 630 feet to the top - it's the tallest monument in the U.S.  The trams were small and very claustrophobic.  Last time

  I think I left you with me waiting in the hotel room for Pat to arrive...well she did and earlier than I expected and off we went to Forest Park.   We were able to get a shuttle right to the airport metro station which was great.  We got off at the Forest Park stop and past the History museum which sadly I never did get to see.  We walked over to the Grand Basin which was spectacular... This is the art museum that overlooks the basin - we didn't darken it's doorstep.  Too nice a day to be inside! This was all very impressive but next on the list was the zoo.  Finding the zoo was a bit of a pain - we kept getting different directions but we finally found it.  That park needs some signs - seriously..I have never been in a park with so few signs. The St Louis Zoo was free and funded by donations.  It was a great zoo with a lot of different animals with huge enclosures as well as clean and well kept.  We won't talk about the cost of food there - we shared my

Well I've been neglecting this since I've been on vacation.  Today is a flashback to my trip to Hay River in the North West Territories.  Nancy Makepeace, president of the club in Hay River invited me up to visit so I took the bus from Edmonton with my friend Eilleen.  Back in 1973 I lived in Hay River for three months and worked for CN Telecommunications as a telephone operator.  Quite the experience....It was fun to revisit the old haunts 36 years later.  Nancy and Tom took me to see the old telephone office (closed a long time ago) , the apartment where I lived and the Old Town as well as two waterfalls (one pictured below) in Enterprise.  Louise Falls Great Slave Lake Sunset over Great Slave Lake Dump..I mean apartment building...where I used to live.  Party central! Lovely fall colours on a walk

Yes back to the real world with a bang.  I arrived to snow and ice but surprisingly not as cold as I had feared so that was a positive.  The negative?  I became ill the day after I arrived home.  I am just grateful I did not get sick on my holiday but oh boy I hate feeling ill.  I have dragged myself into work three mornings but am looking forward to relaxing this weekend and feeling better for heading to (rain, rain, rainy) Vancouver next weekend.  I had plans that are slowly getting cancelled...but I really do need to get my hair cut tomorrow and I really wanted to see Santa and his (real) reindeer tomorrow.  :(   We shall see.... I will update the blog with my St Louis trip as well as more photos when I feel up to it - hopefully later this weekend.  Laters!!! 

Having a great time - have just been too tired by the time we get back to the room and the wifi here is slow.  I will post more this portion of the trip when I get home complete with pictures.  Yesterday we went up the arch - much more crowded than when I was there after the snowstorm of 08!!!  Then we did a paddlewheel steamer cruise on the Mississippi. Got a deal for both for $17.  Lovely weather in the mid 70's - had short sleeves (and capris)even on the boat.  Celebrated Pat's birthday at Lacrede's Landing with St Louis style ribs and margaritas!!!  The day before we visited Forest Park and walked (and walked!) around the park and went to the zoo and saw the meerkats, penguins, puffins, etc.  Was great!!!  This morning we are going to head off to the Hilton and dump our stuff then do a bit of exploring - cloudy but warm out there but rain later. Will elaborate more with pictures when I get home but rest assured I am having fun!!!  NOT lookign forward to going back

Well arrived  here last night safe and sound. After I stopped at the library yesterday in Jefferson City I carried on past the state prison musuem which unfortunately was closed - they do tours.  The ghoul in me would enjoy that.  A couple of high profile prisoners were there:  James Earl Ray, Sonny Liston, Pretty Boy Floyd and more.  I guess I could have gone by the side and seen where the gas chamber had been but I declined. I carried on...up and down and up and down...sheesh.  The people who live in Jeff City (so it's called) must be in good shape!!!  I rewarded myself at Central Dairy with a double scoop of ice cream.  Man oh man for three dollars I got a bloody PINT of ice cream!!!  I never would have ordered two if I'd known it was that much but I got it finished!  It was good but not the best I've had - cherry vanilla and chocolate/nut go very well together by the way!!!  Back to the hotel to rest for a bit then dragged my luggage up and down to the downtown ar

Hello from Jefferson City library.  I popped in here to take a bit of a rest - the hills here are killers - it is constantly up and down.  And guess who forgot her Aleve/Ibuprofin cocktail this morning?  Yep. Normally I would have my backpack with me so no problem as it's always in there but being as I had to check out I could not fathom lugging my netbook, etc. with me so it's all back at the hotel.  I just had lunch at a cafe downtown (beef dip in case anyone is interested)  and was looking in the shops.  Lots of independent stores which I love.  I treated myself to a pendant and a pair of earrings at an artisan shop of "nothing but made in Missouri" things.  It was crazy as I had asked him where a good place to eat was and then he asked me where I was from. When I said Saskatchewan, Canada. he said "Moose Jaw"!  Turns out he spent the night there once.  He said he couldn't remember exactly when he was there but he remembers the fields of yellow so I t

It was quite a busy day today.  The breakfast this morning was much better - scrambled eggs with ham in, hashbrowns, bagels, etc.  The coffee even tasted better!!!   Check out time was noon so I was able to leave my stuff in the room and off I went to explore places I had missed yesterday.  The sun did show itself for a little bit and no rain so that was a bonus.  My first stop was the Old State House - beautiful on the outside and inside... I then took a short tour of Lincoln's former law offices which overlooked the state house and heard some great anecdotes.  Apparently his former law partner said Abe used to use his top hat as a briefcase - put the papers in and on top of his head at the end of the day.  When he got home with three boys, a dog and various cats about the place papers invariably went missing and they were constantly asking clients to resubmit paperwork!!!!  We also got to hear about post offices in the days before stamps....very interesting... Then it

Yay it's over and it went the right way - good for America!!!  They are looking forward instead of backwards.   I hope Romney slithers back into the crack in the wall he came from - won't miss seeing that smirk that's for sure.   Bet he's not smirking today!!! :) No rain right now so may walk around the downtown core a bit later this morning.  Am thinking of trying to find a decent breakfast place or at least someplace to pick up something for lunch for the train.   I leave at 12:50 and change trains at 3 for Jefferson City.   I get into Jefferson City at about 6:30 if all goes well. My this is a busy city for trains - they seem to be going through nonstop.  Am hoping that this morning's walk around Springfield will change my mind about it - walking through rainy deserted streets isn't the best way to get a good impression of a place. 

Today was a busy day being a Lincoln groupie.  After a so-so complimentary breakfast here I started off on the 11 km walk.  First stop was the Lincoln tomb.  Well actually there were three - the first one where he was emtombed for a couple of months then buried with his sons and then finally the huge tomb where he is interred with his wife and three sons. (geeze louise poor guy - glad I am being cremated!!!)  Very sad as he and his wife had four sons and lost three of them  - two in childhood and then one as a young adult (the last one after Lincoln had died).  His wife Mary went mad with grief.   People rub his nose for luck - so I did too!!   I made a quick stop at the State Capital but you weren't allowed to wander around without a tour and I didn't have time.  I must admit I am starting to get burnt out with state capitals - oh well only one more to go!!!   This one wasn't one of the better ones.  I then carried on to the historical district.  I have

Well for about a week now I have been having the type of insomnia where you wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep.  I have no problem falling asleep - in fact as soon as my head touches the pillow I am out but then I wake up - usually to use the bathroom - and that's it.  So here I sit. However I am going to use it to my advantage today and have an early start on the 11 km walk.  I am really anxious to explore the Lincoln musuem so want as much time there as possible and I believe it closes at 5.  Today is election day here in the U.S. and I am way too involved...I blame Facebook!!!  Of course I think Mitt Romney should win.....ha ha...are you kidding me?  Just checking to see if you are awake.  I am rooting for Obama.  I am absolutely mystified that people even take Romney seriously to be honest. Stay tuned for more political ranting...and religious ranting too.  If you are a conservative hard assed (as in no one but christians are gonna get to h

Just a short post as it's been a long day.  After a big breakfast at Waffle House I got the bus to Chicago.  The Megabus was on time which worked out well as I had a connection to make.  It is funny to see the reaction of motorists as we cruise by as megabus uses double decker busses  Not a common sight on North American highways!!!  I got the Amtrak and it was a good journey.  When I left the station here in Springfield I wasn't sure which way to proceed to my hotel so I asked a fellow who was putting luggage in his car with his family.  They couldn't figure out where the hotel would be but their son knew.  They offered me a lift so I took it - so kind of them.  It was about a mile.  I found out when I got here that there is a shuttle that would have picked me up.  So I will use it when I leave at noon on Wednesday.  I was registered at a different hotel but changed as this is where the walk starts and thought it woudl be handier plus it's a few dollars cheaper.  I

Isn't that the name of a movie with Ali McGraw?  Hmmm...anyway my last day in Columbus.  It's been good but Columbus didn't grab me like Indianapolis did...I can't see me coming back but then again they do have a highly regarded marathon....never say never.  Oh how I have learned that!!! My foot and knees let me know this morning that another walk was definitely not on.  Okay by me.  I did go to the start point of the walk and get both copies of the walk and see if I could possibly combine them but thought "nah...".  It was a cool dull day today.  I did follow a bit of the route around downtown a bit.  I met a rather strange fellow in front of the State Capital and he said "who are you voting for".  I said 'I can't vote, I'm Canadian".  He said "you are not" and I said "am so".  He then said "well Canada is only about four hours away"  - like that would make me be able to vote. :)  I said "well my