Seattle, first weekend with Anna and Chris

We arrived on Thursday July 13, 2017 at Seatac airport and Anna picked us up.

We got introduced to their new house the next day.

This is their new house in Federal Way, WA, where they have lived for six months now.  Anna is waving at us...

This a view of this new neighborhood  and all residents have about one year maximum in their homes.

Sue is standing at the back of Anna's home.  It has three levels and lots of room Anna and Chris.

Erhard, MN, Fourth of July Parade

Last year, the operating committee of the annual Erhard, MN, Fourth of July Parade announced that that was the last year due to no one volunteering to take a leadership position.  So while many were sad, that often happens in volunteer organizations.  But, apparently some folks saw the need and the 2017 parade was on!

Pete was a marshal of the parade and we saw him several times as he walked the route.

A bar near the parade route lent its support for the parade and other happenings in town.

 A color guard led the parade to the salute of folks along the parade route.

This group includes Shirley with a much smaller group than several years ago,

This guy shows the friendly rivalry between Farmall restorers and those that swear by John Deere.

Here is a John Deere collector with a bit of his first amendment rights exhibited about President Trump,

The other point of view about President Trump is on this what?  Do city kids know about the manure spreader?

The Fergus Falls Classic Car Club was well represented with our friend Bob driving his well-restored 1955 Chevrolet.

Girls from this float preparing to throw wrapped candy to watching and begging kids along the parade route.  Families come prepared with grocery bags to collect all the candy thrown into their area.

 A new sight for me is the friendly water-wars held between spectators and those on floats.  In the recent past it has become more common for the folks on floats to spray onlookers and this is payback time.

Boys and their toys:  this is a group of Shriners advertising their work on children's medicine.

Sometimes the parade just stops and all have to wait for more action.

Missouri Star in Hamilton, MO

On our way to the family reunion we had to stop in Hamilton, Missouri. This is the new center of attraction for many quilters currently. As we announced the destination of our trip, many women in Minnesota said "you must stop at Missouri Star Quilters in Hamilton".

So here is our model, Susan, showing off her trophy for the visit.

This is downtown Hamilton. Buildings like these were built all over the Midwest in the 1880s and 1890s. Many cities downtown areas have fallen into disrepair. A good article may be read here:
http://www.npr.org/2015/05/21/408452759/one-family-revitalizes-a-small-town-with-yes-quilts 

On this mural we can see the bragging points about Hamilton. It is the self proclaimed Quilt Town, USA and is the birthplace of JC Penney.

 Across the street we see similar buildings with a huge quilt mural.

 This was the 500th JC Penney store with the original in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  The proprietor of Missouri Star Quilters now owns most of the downtown buildings. 

 This is the inside of the original Penney's store. Each shop on the street has a different theme.  

What do guys do when wives are shopping? Here you see mans land with the chairs TVs and all kinds of relaxing methods.

Here is Ariel with ideas for future expansion.

Visiting Chicago and Minnapolis/St Paul

It has been over a year since we last published a blog.  We are going to change that as we have had some interesting travels and more are to come. 

We started out at the Mall of America and a stranger took our photo at their designed photo-op location. But not too much new there.

We took the Blue Line light-rail from the MOA to the new US Bank stadium where the 2019 Super Bowl will be held.  We then transferred to the Green Line that goes to the old St Paul Depot.  This was our first time on that line. 

It is amazing how the old railroad barons would construct the most grand palaces for purchasing tickets and waiting for the call to proceed to Track 3 where your train was waiting.  I remember well the Grand Central station in Chicago when we were kids.  It was awesome to me and I remember the sound in that great receiving area.
This is the St Paul depot and it had a similar companion in Minneapolis, now gone.  Perhaps St Paul was too poor after Amtrak commenced and the depot was vacant except for a few restaurants that tried to operate there.  Today, non remain.
In 2003 we traveled to Whitefish, MT, on Amtrak and the station was a dingy little place in the Midway district of St Paul.  Now Amtrak has returned to this depot.

This was the main lobby and the position where tickets were sold.  The size of it speaks of the amount of traffic that went through this place during World War 2. 

This is the hallway leading to the gates and tracks.  Note the curved ceiling details.

This was the gate area.  In the far distance a yoga instructor is holding a class.
After we arrived in St Paul in 1963, we traveled several times through to visit Al's parents in Freeport, IL.  The CB & Q, the Burlington line, passed through Savannah, IL, on its way to Chicago.  Al's parents would meet us there for the trip to Freeport.

These are some photos from the past now re-created on door panels in the depot.

A photo of a locomotive from the Burlington era. 

We often used the dome car to view sights along the Mississippi River until we reached Savannah.  We did this until about 1968 when it all changed.

A view of the William Crooks that was on display in the lobby of the depot.  When the depot went into disuse, the locomotive was transferred to the Railroad Museum in Duluth, MN.

This is a photo of the William Crooks on its way to retirement in the St Paul depot.  According to wikipedia.org, the locomotive was built elsewhere and then transported by barge from LaCrosse, WI to St Paul as there were no tracks available.  It made its first trip to Minneapolis.

According to the plaque accompanying the fossil, renovations on the depot commenced in 2006.

A view of the new light-rail track leading to the depot and the famous "Red One" of the First National Bank in the distance.

We stopped off in New Hope, MN, to visit our friend Joan.  Joan and her husband, Ralph, now deceased, were great square dancing friends since 1991.

Hope and Ann were classmates with Al in Freeport, IL, graduating in 1953. Hope continues to live in Freeport and Ann in Mt Prospect, IL.  They came to the Nordstrom cafe at Woodfield Mall in Schaumberg, IL.  Al presented them with jewelry that he made.

Trujillo, Honduras

We came ashore in tenders.  In our two trips on Holland America, we find that when they tender, or transfer guests to the shore in small boats, the port is small and ours is the only cruise ship present. 

The SS Veendam

Arriving by tender

Flying the national flag of the Netherlands.

The weather was fine and we really enjoyed the warmth.

A long walk to ancient Trujillo

Our friend and guide, Carlito

Carlito earns money by guiding tourists to this place.

This place is owned by a Canadian, standing.

The Spaniards laid out a square or plaza surrounded by a church, government areas and commerce.

Fernando

We stopped along the way to speak with folks in Spanish.  This man was serving as a reserve policeman.  There was police presence everywhere.  Here he is having lunch by eating coconut straight from the shell.  He is also pastor of a church in the Trujillo area.