Long Weekend in New England

June 2009

New States for Kellisa:

New Hampshire

Vermont

Massachusetts

Connecticut

Rhode Island

Highpoints:

Mount Washington (NH)

Mount Greylock (MA)

Jerimoth Hill (RI)

Our first objective for this trip was the top of Massachusetts. We had two options to reach the summit, an auto road and a cog railroad. Since Kellisa loves trains, the decision was an easy one. Kellisa (Right) wheeling around with Mount Washington in the background as we wait for the cog railroad.

A Day in El Paso

El Paso
Texas

March 27, 2009

We landed in El Paso around noon after spending an unexpected night in Houston because we missed our connecting flight due to bad weather which caused us to circle above the Bayou City for two hours. After gathering our baggage and selecting the rental car, we found a great Mexican establishment for much needed refueling before an afternoon of fun. 

After lunch, we headed to the Wyler Aerial Tramway in Franklin Mountains State Park. While on vacation in Gatlinburg, TN a couple of years prior, we learned how much Kellisa loves ski lifts and trams. 

Juniper Springs

Juniper Springs Campground

Ocala National Forest, FL

July 2013

Laurel became very interested in tent camping. I had hoped to take the girls to northern New Hampshire for a long weekend of camping in a forest with a high concentration of moose, but that plan didn't work out. I didn't want to disappoint Laurel, so I took her on a 3 day, 2 night father/daughter tent camping trip in Florida, in July. We were extremely fortunate as the temperatures topped out in the low 80's and we didn't have a single drop of rain!

As soon as we picked a campsite, Laurel helped to scout out the best location for the tent. Once she picked a good spot, I let her get the tent out of the car. The stillness of the central Florida jungle ended when I heard Laurel screaming. I looked back to see that she had fallen into the fire pit with her legs in the air and the back of her head against the metal fire ring. 

Dark Forest

Sunset - Juniper Prairie

Juniper Prairie Wilderness

Ocala National Forest

January 3, 2006

Two friends, Amber Peck and John Parker from Gainesville, FL leave for a backpacking trip to Hidden Pond in the Juniper Prairie Wilderness in Ocala National Forest.

150 miles away, a 19 year old male wakes up in Largo, FL and decides he wants to know what it's like to kill someone. He boards a Greyhound bus headed to Ocala with a concealed AK-47 in a duffel bag. While in Ocala, he purchases camping gear before taking a taxi to the Juniper Prairie Wilderness.

January 4, 2006

Just outside the Juniper Prairie Wilderness area, the young man from Largo hitches a ride back to Ocala.

Lake Erie Circle Tour

November 7-11, 2008

804 Miles Driven

New York - Ontario - Michigan - Ohio - Pennsylvania - New York

Kellisa had a couple of days off from school and I had a few extra vacation days that were not scheduled. That combination can only mean one thing: time to get out the Rand McNally Road Atlas and plan a trip. Driving around each of the Great Lakes had been on my mind since our July 2008 vacation to Sault Ste. Marie. The greatest "Circle Tour" is around Lake Superior. However, we did not have the time for Lake Superior. We did have time to circle around Lake Erie, the fourth largest of the Great Lakes. Lake Erie also happens to be the 11th largest lake in the world.

It was decided we would fly to Buffalo. I know it was Novemeber, but it was early in the month and I was hoping for some mild weather, you will see from the pictures that the weather was freezing, even by northern standards. It also snowed everyday of the trip, including more than 12 inches one day.