Saturday, June 28, 2008

We had quite an adventure today. After sleeping in our truck from 1AM -5AM, Scott and I filled up the truck and crossed the border at 6AM. Scott drove 502 in the rain for two hours before we hit Ojibwa Trail. Shortly before we arrived at the cabin, I remembered that I hadn’t brought our keys with us. I didn’t figure it would be a big deal because Dad had a key hidden on the porch. Well I was wrong when we arrived at 8:30AM; we quickly found out in the pouring rain that Kleinpeter had not undone the padlock so even if I had brought me keys we would have been locked out because I don’t have a key to the padlock. This was no big deal; we would just run over to Kleinpeter’s and get the key. He wasn’t home. Plan C – there were two trucks at Jeff’s cabin so we went there, they were working on his cabin. Jeff had his phone working, so we called mom and dad who said just to saw off the lock. The worker had a Sawzall so he tried to cut the lock but it wouldn’t cut it so we just cut the latch. Once we were in we began to search for the key. After a while we found it and we couldn’t get the door to unlock with it. About the same time one of the men next door came over and said that someone had called Jeff’s phone and said that Kleinpeter was home. So we got back in the truck and went to Kleinpeter’s again. Finally, we began to unpack in the rain around 9:30AM. Around 11:30 AM in between cleaning and unpacking, we made grilled cheese and tomato soup. After working a little longer, we had to go back out in the rain to empty the toolbox on the kayak trailer. We got pretty wet so we decided we might as well get our baths over with. The temperature of the air was 65 degrees so this wasn’t going to be pleasant! It was one of the coldest baths I’ve had, even Scott moved quickly. But we did it after we got back we were cold and tired so we started to watch a movie on our computer but I kept falling asleep. We took a 2-3 hour nap and the rain had quit.

We decided to run into Vermillion Bay to pick up a couple of groceries we didn’t have. When we got out to the truck we realized it was stuck. We tried to get out a little bit but didn’t want to make huge ruts. We walked over to Groves to welcome them and the Kulbum’s were there. We visited for a little while. When we went back to the cabin it was sunny and 70 degrees so we unpacked our kayaks and went for a spin around Garbage Island. It was beautiful. It is a lot different from kayaking on the pond and even the river. It’s a little tougher to navigate and stay on course. The lake wasn’t glass smooth either so you could never just stop paddling until we got around to the south side of the island. I was disappointed because our eagles were gone. It looks like the tree that held their nest was destroyed because I don’t see it there.

When we got back we fended for ourselves for dinner and then did our Bible study. Now it’s almost 10PM and we are both wiped out. My shoulders are started to feel the kayaking!

Kayaking the Kankakee River

Our weekend was fabulous. It was a day of firsts. It was the first time we have been with Julie and Jason in the States. It was the first time, Jason, Julie and Lennox had been to the farm. It was the first time Hannah and I slept in a tent together. It was our first kayak trip of the season. It was the first time Scott and I used our kayaks in a place bigger than the family pond. It was the first time we used our new kayak trailer that Alan and Scott designed and built. It was the first time any of us had ever kayaked on the Kankakee River.

I loved every minute of the trip except for burning my shins. My original plan had been to wear long pants since it was a little cooler and I have a sit on top kayak. I changed my mind at the last second and forgot to put sunscreen on my legs.

Around 10:30 AM, on May 24, 2008, Julie followed me to the boat launch at the State Park just west of Warner Bridge. We found a place to park where Alan would have room to hook the trailer up to the truck after he dropped us off. When we got back to the farm the guys were finishing up loading the trailer. (It is the limousine of kayak trailers! We still need to change the bearings, add new tires, work on the padding, fix one of the lights and bolt a toolbox for all the accessories.) They hooked it up to Alan's truck and we all hopped in. Alan drove us to the boat launch in Kankakee just west of Washington Street Bridge and the dam. He helped us unload and all get launched off. The plan was for him to then take the trailer to hook up to Scott's truck waiting for us at the other end.

Around 11:55am we were on our way! It was a beautiful day! The sky was blue with beautiful, white fluffy clouds. There was a nice breeze off and on, just enough to keep the sun from making you sweat. We casually make our way down the river. We went under the two bridges and were almost to the boat launch at Bird Park when we hear Alan yelling for us and waving us in. We were worried that something happened to his truck or the trajavascript:void(0)
Publish Postiler. Evidently, he was giving us one more chance to change our minds! He also told me that Hannah and Bridget would be going passed on Kennedy Drive in about two minutes. I hung back to wave. I had to continually paddle in order to stay in the one place. Finally, they started to pass and I could see Hannah waving - one of those just in case I don't see them waves - when she spotted me and began to wave her arm out the window wildly. I knew she saw me then! I yelled goodbye to Alan and started to paddle to catch up w/ everyone else. On my way, I noticed a turtle sunbathing so I went over there and took a picture of him - it turns out there were two of them.

After that Jason and Julie taught us the hand signal for turtle that you use in diving, so that next time we see one we could alert everyone without scaring it away. We did use it once. We also made up a couple of other signals, one was for heron cranes. We saw at least a couple of those. There were a lot of Canada Geese with there families and a few turkey vultures.

We often glanced at our map from the book:
Paddling Illinois :
64 great trips by canoe and kayak /

Mike Svob

2000

English Book vi, 153 p. : ill., maps ; 28 cm.

Madison, Wisc. : Trails Books, ; ISBN: 0915024772 9780915024773


It was pretty accurate and fun to read as we were experiencing it. According to this book our trip would have been 10.4 miles if we would have put in at the Bird Park Launch but we went a little further than that. I would say we almost went 11 miles.

So far we have been paddling slowly off and on just enjoying the gorgeous day and the beautiful scenery. We were going to try to paddle into the Indian Caves but there really wasn't anywhere to go. There was a man there with a lovely German Shepherd. He was throwing a stick out in the water and his dog would run and then swim out to get it. I was in awe by his power and grace.

We took a break at an island about 4 miles into our trip. We stretched our legs and watched Jason swim in the freezing water against the current. Scott only got in up to his legs. The water was really cold. Considering we take swims in Canada when the air is in the 40s and 50s we really aren't exaggerating. We realized we had not gotten very far and figured we should actually try to paddle a little bit. Reed's Canoe Rental said that the trip from Bird Park was from 3-5 hours. We couldn't take 5 hours, that would just look bad! As we neared different islands the current seemed to speed up a little more each time. By the time we reached the State Park on the North shore there was a series of islands. Some of them had a "whitewater" affect which was a fun change of pace but really not much of anything. When we reached Willow Island, Scott and I decided to each take one side of the island so that we could compare notes. Scott being in the lead was already out of sight when I heard a snap behind me. I looked around and didn't see anything so kept on going. As Jason and Julie got closer they hollered out that Julie's paddle had broken. Luckily we had a spare in my cargo area. I pulled up along side of them and Jason pulled it out and put the broken one in. We were off again and only about a mile or two from the boat launch.

Just after the Rock Creek boat launch came the best part of the river as far as excitement. It was the quickest and the most whitewater we had seen so far. It was fast and fun but again not scary. There were cliffs on either side that were pleasant to look at. After we were out of it, I heard voices on the shore to the south of me. I looked up and there were about 5 people on the horse trail with their horses. You could watch the trail for a little while. I haven't been on those trails in years but I didn't remember being so close to the river in that part of the trail. We paddled about a half of a mile more going under Warner Bridge and pulling out at the Boat Launch.

It had been a wonderful day. Jason and Scott loaded our kayaks up in a matter of minutes and we were on our way home! It had been a day I will remember for a long time!

Day 7 Last Day

Well it's the last day and we have most everything packed. I'm looking forward to being home and snuggling with my puppy and seeing everyone at church tomorrow. I am excited about seeing mom and dad tonight and w/ any luck Hannah and Paul will slip over and say hi when we arrive at the farm.

Our plane doesn't leave until 5:35pm so we are still trying to decide what to do. We have decided to leave our luggage at the hotel. Please pray about that! We have to carry our backpacks wh includes my laptop so I'm not sure if we are going to get to go in anywhere but I guess we will try. I have not visited the Library of Congress yet so evidently we are going to try that. It's almost 10 am and we are going to do our Bible Study and then head out for a couple of hours. I will not be able to add to this again until tonight or tomorrow...

Around 11am we checked out of the hotel and headed for the Library of Congress. I think our driver was surprised that the traffic was backed up. I think everyone was going to the Cherry Blossom Festival festivities. We heard on the radio that there was going to be a parade today. The Metro was pretty crowded also and most of the crowd got off at the station closest to the National Mall. We stayed on and exited near the capital. As we approached the Jefferson Building (one of the three Library of Congress buildings), we saw a large screen TV and heard some live music. There was a huge line waiting to get in past security. We got in line and enjoyed the band set up on the steps of the library. We talked to Ben Franklin and saw Thomas Jefferson. Evidently Clifford the Red Dog was there also but we didn’t see him. As we stood in line it began to rain. I held my rain coat over my head but it was kind of like Alan’s tent we used when we went to Kickapoo Park. If you touched the sides it began to leak through. The man in front of us shared his umbrella with Scott but I was watching the water drip down the umbrella on to Scott’s head. The band finished up and then they began reading poems. We were almost to the top when the rain let up. I took the coat down and the man behind me turned around to watch the poem readings and all the rain that had settled on the top of his umbrella ran down the back and all over my arm.

I was in awe when we walked in, the architecture was incredible! It was by far the most beautiful building we had been in yet. The first thing we saw were two Bibles that they had in special cases. One was the Gutenberg and the giant Bible of Mainz. After that we were allowed to go into the Reading Room which isn’t usually open to the public. From there we went to the Constitution Exhibit which had some of the original drafts of the Constitution. At the back of that exhibit, was the law library of Thomas Jefferson. He did some impressive reading!

In the basement, they wrapped up 4 special posters for me to take on the plane since I work in a library. They were posters of Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Jackie Robinson, and Marilyn Monroe made out of fingerprints. They were interesting. After a quick spin around the gift shop we headed back to the Metro. We decided to get to the airport and get our luggage from the hotel and just have lunch at the airport. We called the hotel and they told us that our suitcases would be there in about 15 minutes after 30 minutes we had our suitcases and went through the entire process.

We are now sitting at the gate with full tummies watching the planes take off. It’s a great view! We are overlooking the Potomac and can even see the Capital Buildings. There are planes taking off every minute or two and we have a front row seat.

The plane ride home went very smoothly. I took some cool pictures of the mountains and it was all clouds after that. For all the pictures from today visit: http://picasaweb.google.com/asj693.comcast/WashingtonDC_Day7?authkey=8oCeQlyuWvw

Mom and Dad found us right away at the airport and we had a wonderful visit all the way home. It feels great to be home again! So ends a grand adventure! Thanks to all those who prayed for our safety and health and enjoyment!

Day 6 All Over the Place!!

Everything began a little slower this morning! But it turned out to be what I term a "Wissmiller" day. A whirlwind of events that only someone with the adrenal of a Wissmiller could appreciate! Scott got up at 7:30 but I fell back asleep until 8am. After getting ready and doing our Bible study we headed out. We got on the road about 9:30am which wasn't too bad b/c we missed the rush hour traffic until we got to the Metro. There was standing room only but we didn't have far to go. We were heading to the National Air and Space Museum. It was only a couple of blocks from the Metro and we found it right away. When you walk in the door you have to go through a metal detector and throw your bag into the X-Ray. We cleared and headed for a map. We started at the space exhibit. I buzzed through the entire exhibit and then went back to find Scott still reading every little sign. I decided to go buy us some IMAX tickets for 3-D Sun. When I got back we headed to the next exhibit (bypassing the few items from the American History Museum. Neither one of us wanted to wait in line to see the ruby red slippers for Wizard of Oz or the original Kermit the Frog puppet!) The next exhibit was the Wright Brothers exhibit and it was closed for renovations so we had to skip on to the history of flight exhibit and then onto the World War exhibits. After that we headed to the IMAX. As we entered they handed us 3-D glasses. That was fun b/c I've never seen a 3-D movie before. The photographs of the sun were incredible and the advancements in science were amazing. The data they are collecting is literally out of this world! :)

We were shocked at how small the museum was. After we visited the 3 story gift shop we decided to bypass the commercial airlines exhibit and have lunch on the National Mall. We had a $3.75 hotdog and a $3 lemonade outside while some little wrens approached begging for a scrap. I stupidly threw them a little of my bun. They were enjoying it when a little starling came to share. Then couple of pigeons joined the party and then they were all gone as a hawk swooped by chasing them down the National Mall. We decided it was time to head out. We decided our next stop would be to see some of the memorials again so we headed for the Washington Monument. As we were walking we wondered how we would do this. We were both tired and sore from yesterday. About two blocks from the Monument we saw a couple getting ready to hop on bikes. We inquired and found out there was a bike rental shop a couple of blocks from where we were. We headed for 12th Street just behind the Post Office. We rented bikes for two hours ($15 each). We grabbed a map and headed down Pennsylvania Avenue. I wanted to get pictures of the White House, but we soon discovered it was the last weekend of the Cherry Blossom Festival and it was packed. I settled for seeing it from a couple of blocks away.

We again headed toward the Washington Monument, took some pictures and on to the WWII Memorial. It was packed. After paying our respects there we headed to the Korean Memorial. We really wanted to see Vietnam but it was a huge line and skinny sidewalks so we decided to move on. Off to the Potomac with the Jefferson Memorial in site. We went along the the waterfront and enjoyed the beauty of the fading Cherry Blossoms. We watched someone water skiing and kept looking up at the planes that kept flying over and by. We looked across the river and saw the Arlington House from afar. After that we made it to the Jefferson Memorial. We tried to ride around it but there was a talent show going on so we couldn't go all the way around. We had a half hour before we had to have the bikes back and we weren't quite certain how exactly to get back. We headed to the other side of the island keeping the Washington Monument in front of us. We quickly ended back to the Washington Mall and made our way to the bike shop. We were wiped out. We were thirsty and tired but had enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. The Metro was right across the seat so we were going to hop on and head to Arlington. (Our original plan was to go there Saturday but there is suppose to be a big storm.) We ducked into a little food court connected to the Post Office to rehydrate ourselves. We drank about 3 drinks and did a little shopping and resting.

We headed for the Metro a little before 5pm. We took the Metro to Arlington and bought tickets for the tour bus. The tour bus would give us a tour of the cemetery and make a couple of stops. Our first stop was at the Kennedy graves. They were very crowded but the view was spectacular. I took pictures of the Arlington House and the men folding the flag at the house. Then I turned around and took pictures of the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the Capital Building. As we drove through the cemetery I was in awe by the number of men that died so that we could be free. There were just rows and rows and rows and rows of markers. Everywhere we drove there were more and more. I could feel my heart in my throat as we continued to drive and here stories and information about these brave people. Our next stop was the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Just seeing that grave site and thinking about all the sacrifices that were made is an indescribable feeling in itself but to watch the changing of the guard intensifies the feeling.

After that they dropped us off at Arlington House which was closed for the night but we still went behind it and looked at the view that showed even more than from the Kennedy's Graves. You could see the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Capital, the Pentagon building, to name a few. We were so wiped out, we just wanted to go home. We were dirty, sun burnt, starving, thirsty and our feet were killing us BUT it was all worth it! It had been an incredible day. We headed toward the Metro. We talked to someone from Minnesota that heard it had snowed there last night. On the Metro back we visited with some people from California and a man from Minnesota that had an apartment in Washington DC b/c he had to travel back and forth so much.

We waited for the Shuttle bus for 4o minutes and ordered Pizza Hut on the way back. By the time we had showered and settled in the pizza had arrived. We are now both collapsed wondering what we should do tomorrow...

The only two things that I wanted to see that we haven't were the Library of Congress and the Ford Theater. We still might go tomorrow but we are leaning toward just packing up and do a little swimming. Can't wait to see everyone on Sunday!! For more pictures go to http://picasaweb.google.com/asj693/WashingtonDC_Day6?authkey=-Qzhz4U2EC8

Day 5 Mount Vernon

I recognized Mount Vernon right away from a distance. I couldn't wait. When we got there I was amazed at the hills. I can't imagine what it took to farm that kind of land. We walked up the hill and came to the new tomb first. There were some monuments around the tomb of relatives but George and Martha's vaults were inside of a small building. After reading about their relatives and paying our respects at the grave we headed up to the mansion. We were distracted by many other buildings and signs. It was completely uphill climb but we finally reached the Mansion. It was after noon so we were going to eat but we looked at the line to tour the Mansion. It went from the Mansion down past the upper garden. We decided we should get in line for it first. The security guard told us that it would be about 45 minute wait. He kept stopping to talk to us as we moved throughout the line. We even ran into him later on our way to lunch and he talked to us some more. The mansion was definitely worth the wait. We weren't allowed to take any pictures inside the house but there was something special about being in the house of this great believer, leader and farmer. His home was that of a wealthy man. My favorite part was standing on the porch of his home and looking out to the Potomac. I could imagine the peace and contentment he would feel standing in that same place.

We ate at the food court and it cost us $24 for cheeseburger, fry and drink. Unreal! In the bookstore we bought a guide book and a magnet for our refrigerator. After that we hit the museum. There was a movie from the History Channel about how the bust of Washington was made it was narrated by an actress playing his granddaughter. It was really neat. We then got to see many of the items that either belonged to the Washingtons or were from the same time period.

After that we took the forest trail so that we could see the 16-sided barn. It was about a mile long and a beautiful walk even with not much green and still lots of brown leaves still on the ground from fall. I was surprised to see many of the same wildflowers. There were Spring Beauties, Violets, May Apple, and Wild Geranium to name a few. At the end of the walk, we reached the 16-sided barn. After seeing all of his planting experiments and farming studies, I'm convinced the man was a genus. We always here about him being a great leader but he doesn't seem to get a lot of publicity for his innovated ideas.

I was disappointed that we didn't see any horses but we didn't make it to the Old Mill which probably had a lot of the animals. To be honest, I'm not even sure where the Old Mill was. I think you had to actually leave the park to get there. I know that it also cost extra money. We did see sheep, goats and cattle.

To see all of our pictures go to our Picasa link. http://picasaweb.google.com/asj693/MtVernon_OldAlexandria?authkey=ZrbRkODVujE

On the boat ride home. I talked to a retired couple from Alabama most of the way back. It was very enjoyable. We shared the same interests in supporting our military and conservatism opinions. They have done a lot of traveling. They were going to a cousins funeral at Arlington Cemetery tomorrow. At the end of the ride, I found out that he had been an Apple dealer for a number of years. Our last couple minutes off the boat we talked about that.

We decided since we were in Old Alexandria we should have dinner there before we went back. We rode the free trolley down King Street to check out all the restaurants. We decided on Bugsy's Pizzeria which was right by the waterfront. We had pizza and then grabbed an ice cream cone then decided to walk a little ways while we finished those. We ended up a few blocks up near the Visitor's Center only 6 blocks from Christ's church. (The church that both Washington and Robert E Lee both attended.) They were closed but I still wanted to see it. By the time we finished that we never could catch a trolley so we walked all the way back to the Metro again. My feet and legs are cramping as I lie here typing this. When we got back I took a swim and jumped in the hot tub hoping that would be therapeutic. I hope I can walk tomorrow as we head down Washington DC...

Day 5 The Cruise

What a day! We began our day with a Bible study and then began our trek from then. We snagged the shuttle bus to the Ronald Reagon Airport and hopped the Metro to King Street. We were going to then take the free trolley to the waterfront but we found out that they did not start their route until 10am. We had to be at the Torpedo Factory by 10am. It was at least a mile to the waterfront so we began our hike. I think it was about 20 blocks but it wasn't bad. It was foggy and cold but the weather had said it was supposed to be 70 and we didn't want to carry extra stuff around Mount Vernon so I was in shorts and Scott in short sleeves. It was a cold walk and a very cold boat ride there!

After we arrived to the ticket booth, we couldn't buy tickets right away b/c their computer was not working. When we were finally able to buy tickets ($34 each w/ a $2 off coupon), we gave this foreign guy $70 and he typed it all in and tried to give us back $36 in change. I told him, he should only give us $6 and tried to explain it to him. The line was getting longer so he decided just to take our word for it, asking, "$6?" We went and sat by the loading dock, we would be the first on. We had about 20 minutes to kill so we just talked and enjoyed the foggy view of the Potomac River. Completely God's grace, Scott examined our tickets and noticed that they said, "Youth 6-11". We showed them to the crew members of the boat and they told us we would have to go take care of it. We went back to the ticket booth and pretty much cut to the front. The guy that waited on us earlier was sitting to the side this time and he pointed to us so I showed him the tickets. He immediately took them and said, "You very honest." and nodded his head approvingly. He got his supervisor who crossed out youth and put "adult" on the tickets. (I should explain the only reason it was a big deal was b/c it included our ticket to get into Mount Vernon.) He came out of the booth and gave us his business card and told us to show it to them if there were any problems.

Finally, we get to board the boat. We opt for the open deck, of course, we froze but neither of us could resist. There were not too many of us on the boat so some of us talked a bit. We would see each other off and on throughout Mount Vernon. It was kind of fun seeing a friendly face. It was about an hour and half trip. We did make a stop for half hour at a new development called Gaylord Harbor to pick up other passengers. Just under the Woodrow Wilson Bridge we crossed the border into Maryland. I'm not sure where they came from b/c I didn't see any buildings or hotels that were completed. One of the favorite things I saw were the ospreys. They were nested on almost every buoy.

Day 4

Today has been a quiet day. I caught the shuttle bus and I was the only one in there so he said he would drop me off by the hotel. I gave him a two dollar tip so he ended up dropping me right at the entrance of the hotel which was a nice change! Hopefully the ride home will be smooth!

The conference has been good but I will admit I'm having a hard time staying awake. I went to bed at 1 am and got up at 7 am so that Scott and I could put our Bible study first. I must confess I am finding myself a little envious of him having a nice relaxing day all to himself at the hotel! There are over 2,000 people here at the conference and probably half of them have a laptop. Each afternoon it was getting harder and harder to get an internet connection and this morning I had one for about 5 minutes. It's lunch break right now so I was finally able to get on. They provided lunch today. It was really nice. I had a cup of vegetable soup and a ham and cheese wrap. The best part was that I didn't have to spend any money.

Craighton told me he had been trying call American Airlines to make sure his flight wasn't canceled and no one ever answered. I hadn't heard that they evidently canceled over 800 flights because "American is cancelling a portion of its flights starting on April 8 to conduct additional inspections of its MD-80 fleet. " He still isn't sure so he will have to head to the airport early.

Scott and I have no plans for tonight so it might be a boring blog! It will probably depend on how tired I am and what the weather is doing. My last session doesn't end until 4:30 and all of the exhibits close at 5pm. Tomorrow we take our "cruise" to Mount Vernon on the Miss Christian! I can't wait!!