FALL 2019 ADVENTURES: #1 — A REUNION

This Fall has gotten very busy as there are four (4) adventures all in a row!! No sooner do I unpack from one and I need to pack for the next, oh my. 

Adventure #1– Susan’s 50th High School Reunion (Mercer Island High School) was this weekend — Saturday and Sunday, August 24 & 25. In June we had “practiced” bicycling from home to, and back from the hotel in Kirkland where the reunion would be held. The practice run went well, and we did it all in one day ;’-). This time it would be more leisurely and —— decadent ;’-).

On the way to the hotel we spotted a bench in the shade and stopped to have our packed lunch at this arm of Lake Washington. It is along a short trail just at the outskirt of Kirkland.

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We had a good ride to the Woodmark Hotel yesterday and Susan enjoyed her HS reunion dinner and event last evening. I enjoyed a delightful (solo) dinner at the restaurant in the plaza of the hotel. I did not have to walk far at all to get o it ;’-). And a quiet evening in the room — watching the Seahawks almost lose a game they were leading all the way to the last quarter! Fortunately they did win.

Thanks to Susan we have stayed in this ‘posh’ Woodmark Hotel and our swank room has this view of Lake Washington. If not for Susan I would not be staying in such a posh place! She decided to treat herself (and me) and splurge on the pricey room — I think close to $300. I think the main reason for that high price has to be the view of the lake. The room is very nice but we have stayed in as nice or nicer places in the past (that had a microwave which this does not), and a fine breakfast included (which this does not have), for much less cost.

But there is no doubt about it — we enjoyed the luxury.

Our room with a view...

We had no need to leave early the next morning, so lounged around a bit in our posh room before getting geared up for the ride home. And taking a few photos ;’-)

We took a different route home which gave us another adventure of riding the bike trail across Lake Washington on the 520 bridge.

With a view of the Husky stadium from a different angle.



We wound our way a bit through campus and enjoyed Drumheller Fountain spouting us a hello.

We soon approached Green Lake and started looking for a place that serves brunch. And we found it ;’-) I asked a delightful couple to take our photo and it turns out she had to be the best one to ask because she took a couple of very good ones. They are here from Brazil.

It was a great adventure and the weather could not have been better. Now we are home and I must think about the next packing chore as we depart on Tuesday (today is Sunday) for THAT adventure.

Saint Louis Botanical Garden and the Loop

 Our walking this day was around the acres of the Botanical Gardens. As is usual, my favorite part was the Japanese Garden. As well, we enjoyed some of Chihuly’s art work.

What a calming and peaceful place. On a different bridge we crossed over a school of beautifully colored Carp.

Lots of artful statues are placed throughout the grounds. 

We walked across a “zig zag” bridge. As legend has it, evil spirits can walk only in a straight line, so — it would be safe to walk on this zig zag of a bridge.

Walking around just a bit more before it was time to leave.

That evening we met up with Bob for dinner again. The ‘Salt & Smoke’ restaurant is one of many on what is known as the “Loop”. Taking that title literally, I expected that we would be walking around a loop. No, it is the street where back in the day, the streetcar would turn at the end and return to the other end. Thus — making a loop.

Lots of musical people made their day here — I don’t remember which ones, but I did at least get a photo of Chuck Berry ;’-)

The loop is a very interesting  neighborhood  of diverse ethnicity and interests as well as history and architecture. 

I had a wonderful Philly Cheese Steak sandwich that was oh so delicious. Others’ choices were just as good. I was happy the Jovon, Bob’s adopted son, was able to join us if only for a short time after we had finished our meal.

And so ends my visit to Saint Louis. Before dropping me at the airport for my afternoon flight home today, Johnny, Phyllis and I went to their local diner hang out and enjoyed breakfast out. It was a little hard to say goodbye, but so good to see that Johnny and Phyllis are doing ok, and in some ways, really well. I love them both and will see them again. I hope I didn’t tire them out too much with all tha they did for and with me!! 

Katy Tour Canceled

But first let me say what a nice start to my day with breakfast on the patio with Johnny and Phyllis.

Soon after breakfast I got the call from Road Scholar. There has been too much flooding along the trail to continue the tour. I had called last week about these very concerns as Phyllis had been sending me alerts about storms, tornadoes and flooding in the area, and specifically along the trail. I spoke with the trip organizer/leader at great length and she assured me that they DO NOT cancel tours. So I decided, since I did have my flight tickets by now, to attend the tour with visits with J & P on each end of the tour dates. Well, here we are and the tour is canceled. 

Of course I am disappointed not to do the tour, but am happy for the few days of visiting, and am grateful not to have had to do battle with Road Scholar to pay for my early flight home. Phew!

We had a good day with a nice long walk on Grant’s Trail to the Puzzle Wharehouse.

There are thousands of puzzles in this place — jigsaw as well as other types of puzzles, and I had to find one to take home to Susan!

The one on the wall has 24000 (thousand) pieces. I passed on that one for Susan.

After the arduous job of puzzle hunting, we needed the stop at famous Ted Drewes for an energizing custard.

This place has the BEST custard, and is always busy. The ordering lines can get very long, but they are quick to serve it up.

Ted Drewes has been around a log time — and is on the Historic Route 66! 

Johnny was happy that I (yes I) had suggested this stop today. They don’t get here often now that they live here. When they were visiting in town this would be almost their first stop, with more in the days that followed.

We got home to do just enough relaxing and resting before meeting up with Phyllis’ brother Bob for dinner. A wonderful dinner, and a most enjoyable visit and conversation with Bob.

Got to Saint Louis

Possibly the worst flying/airport experience I have ever had. Tremendous turbulence as we began entry to STL made me almost dizzy,  and slightly nauseous from my head bobbing back and forth, side to side. The pilot had warned us it was coming and that we should not worry or be frightened by it. I took his word and did not get scared — just jarred around a lot. I did not like it. Finally we landed.

Announcement came over the speaker as we disembarked. The message was that our baggage would be a little late to claim as the ramp was closed due to lightning. At least WE had made it to the ground safely.

Little did any of us know that it would be HOURS before our luggage would get to us. Johnny and Phyllis were in the waiting parking lot as we sent texts back and forth about all the lightning (baggage guy said they had counted 70 strikes!!!), and they (J & P) were enjoying the show. 

While waiting I walked around (and around) the baggage claim level and found a few things. There is a USO office (I have never considered that to be a recruiting office) with a cadre of young recruits (I asked one and she said yes they are) waiting at attention. The sarge (or whoever) was ordering them about: “pick up your pack and put it to your left side”,”stand up straight”, “walk in single file up these steps”.

Our waiting time got longer and longer as the the lightning storm continued. I kept walking for those hours. The roof started leaking.

And I kept walking around and texting any updates to J&P. Finally (at least 2 hours later) we were told that the baggage was now coming, but our carousel was not working so we had to go to the ‘oversize bags’ carousel.

Not only was this a much smaller “carousel”, there were 300 bags from Delta that would be unloaded before ours (United) came!! The crowd could not be contained to stand back while the workers tried to unload each bag one by one, so it was a bit of chaos.

FINALLY, my bag emerged from the tunnel and I could get out of the STL airport!

This terrible experience — the turbulence (we had 2 other lighter ones earlier in the flight) and the airport baggage adventure — have given me pause about whether I want to do anymore flying. Those things coupled with the inconvenience, the tight seating, the minimal service and long time in a plane make me feel that my flight home might just be my last one!!! My body was achey after the few hours of flying, I had some kind of headache (like jet lag when there should not be jet lag) that lasted through the evening, and just overall did not feel tip top.