THE END OF THE TRAIL IN FLORIDA

"What a long strange trip it's been."  The Grateful Dead

Carol writes:  In many respects, five years of traveling together in an RV seemed to go by in a flash.  We were extremely fortunate that our trusty Entegra Anthem motorhome lived up to its great reputation and that there were no major mechanical casualties that would have derailed our travel dreams.  

We pretty much had a 5-year plan from the start, although we may not have recognized those term limits as such when we left Colorado in April 2015.  Nevertheless, we did time our circuitous cross-country route twice so that we would be in Cincinnati, Ohio, in August 2016 for my 50th high school reunion, 

                                                                High school classmates Sharon and Vija

then in Annapolis, Maryland, in October 2019 for Al’s 50th class reunion at the US Naval Academy..

A map of our travels surprised even us!  We had visited 36 of the 50 states!  

                                                                     Every dot represents a campground

Admittedly, some state visits were little more than a flyby, but the reality was that moving every 2-3 weeks over 5 years simply was not enough time to see everything.  Often, however, when asked about our plans, my reply was, 

“We haven’t seen everything, but it’s on our list.”   

Hands down, the state among the 36 we visited that held the most surprises was Michigan!  Having grown up in Ohio, how did I not know that the unique state of the double peninsula had such charming towns and a stunning coastline? 

Plus, there was that magical day spent on Mackinac Island at the junction of the two peninsulas where its people were still in the thralls of fascination with a lifestyle from a time long ago.

Somewhere in time on Mackinac Island

                                                                                           The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island

Favorite hikes?  Three stand out above all the others:  

The trail through the ever-shifting sand dunes in the early morning hours at White Sands National Monument in New Mexico,

The Point Reyes National Seashore Tomales Point Trail overlooking the Pacific Ocean in northern California,

The trail to Blue Lakes where we saw a wildflower super-bloom deep within the heart of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. 

There were so many surprises, although some of them shouldn’t have been… like the sad Native American story that we had previously known about only in bits and pieces.  Native American tribes had a present-day or historical presence in every state we visited!  In well-documented museums, we read many sad histories of not-so-proud events.  The extreme poverty we saw as we motored through many reservations only emphasized the magnitude of past and present-day mistreatment.  

I am sad to say that Gatlinburg and Great Smoky Mountains National Park was slightly disappointing for us.  Gatlinburg tourism just wasn’t our style.  Maybe we were spoiled by the natural Rocky Mountain grandeur that had surrounded us in Colorado for 25 years.  As mountains, the Smokies just seemed ordinary to us.  Admittedly, the peak fall colors during our visit were rather impressive, 

                                                           Fall colors in the Great Smoky Mountains

but not so much the massive traffic jams we had to navigate to get anywhere. 

We visited a lot of national parks, and most of them showed countless signs of being loved to death.  I foresee lots of changes coming in the future in order to manage automobile traffic in the superstar parks—Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, etc. Fortunately, we were able to time our visits to minimize peak crowd size.  We also found that if we ventured 100 yards down most trails, the big crowds disappeared. 

 

We had some other random observations that were not all that surprising:

• Americans are very patriotic
• our big cities are very crowded and traffic is challenging
• fire is everywhere out west, and it is the new reality
• in the toxic political environment of 2015-2019, most people had a  great reluctance to express political opinion
• the bigger the dogs, the smaller the rig

Truthfully, by the end of 2019 we were longing for more permanent roots.  We would have been hard-pressed to come up with another year’s travel plan that didn’t repeat previous routes.  New England was a major omission in our travels, but reports of very narrow roads and congested small towns discouraged us from driving our 45-ft bus into that corner of the U.S.

No road trip goes on forever, so it goes without saying that for five years we were subconsciously scouting for our next home.  Over 25 years, cold and snowy Colorado winters had lost their appeal.  

Practically year-round massive fires out west that resulted in maddening smoky skies and suffocating foul air pretty much ruled out settling in our beloved West.  We had experienced enough weeks of smoke-filled air quality in Washington, Oregon, California and Wyoming to convince us we needed to embrace a new lifestyle in the east.  Mt. Rainier would have been so much grander without a pall of smoke obscuring the background…  

We did love the winter we spent in Florida… and our daughter seemed pretty settled down in the Florida Panhandle, so after reunion festivities had played out at the Naval Academy in October 2019, we headed south to Pensacola, Florida, to check things out.

Fast-forward two months and we had found the perfect new place to call home in St Johns, Florida, midway between Jacksonville and St Augustine.  Selling the motorhome was challenging and required lots of patience.  We eventually made the sale to a very appreciative couple from North Carolina who were eager to start their travel journeys.  As we waved goodbye and watched the Entegra taillights fade into the distance, we smiled at each other and let out a huge sigh of relief.

                                                                                                  Bye-bye...

During 2020 Covid conditions, we weathered new home construction while living in an apartment in Jacksonville for four months.  

Fittingly, we spent the first night in our new home on July 4, 2020, as fireworks lit up the sky that evening for a very different celebration.

So, we have come to the end of the chapter that gives an account of our travel love affair with the United States.  We have learned to appreciate the subtleties of our great history that is filled with stories of our many heroic founders.  The end of the trail for explorers Lewis and Clark—where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean in Astoria, Oregon—was particularly meaningful.  

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We have taken time to marvel in places where grand chapters in our history played out, and have listened carefully and watched with open eyes at places where events fell far short of any kind of celebration.

                                                                               Manzanar World War II Japanese Detention Facility

 

Above all, we savored our country’s rich natural beauty in many locales where iconic scenes engendered feelings bordering on the spiritual.

We started our 5-year odyssey on the grounds of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, the city we called home for 25 years.  

Fittingly, we ended the travel section of our journey with a month in our nation’s capital, 

spending our final minutes on the grounds of the US Naval Academy at the gravesite of Senator John McCain, 

a graduate of the US Naval Academy and a man who knew the meaning of sacrifice for country.  The start and finish locales resonated with me as cosmic bookended symmetry for a gigantic undertaking during which we traveled 30,000 miles in a motorhome. 

And so readers, while we feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment that our blog “Catching the Tradewinds” has thoroughly documented the European and USA chapters of our travel adventures, it’s a little sad to contemplate goodbye.  Let’s just say that for now we are looking forward to having a more permanent locale for the next chapter of life in the land of palm trees and sunshine.  

Perhaps, once Covid has worn itself out, there will be new travel adventures in Chapter 4.  However, these two well-seasoned senior travelers won’t be staying in any campgrounds, and we plan on a few more creature comforts to soften the journey.

“The greatest danger in life is not to take the adventure.”  George Leigh Mallory

THE END… for now 

Carol Galus

Photo-Blogger

THE US NAVAL ACADEMY CLASS OF ’69 IS MIGHTY FINE

Bancroft Hall

Carol writes:  Our plan to arrive in the Annapolis, Maryland, area three weeks ahead of the 50th reunion for the US Naval Academy Class of 1969 unfolded perfectly for us.  Over that three weeks, we were able to visit all of the venues in the nation’s capital that had languished thus far on the bucket list.  

THE YARD

Prior to the hectic week of reunion festivities, Al and I took advantage of the opportunity to take a leisurely trip down memory lane on the US Naval Academy campus.  From the moment we entered Gate 1 onto the stately Academy grounds known as the “Yard,” Al’s archive of memories began to unspool.  The Yard had changed a lot since the early days when it was established by Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft in 1845.

  

Activities in historic Dahlgren Hall during plebe year generated fits of laughter in both of us as Al recalled those awkward “tea dances” (commonly called "tea fights") in Dahlgren Hall, 

where guys were paired up with girls in line behind a privacy screen that revealed nothing more than their feet and ankles.  Computer dating websites of today have pics and bios; the poor plebes of 1969 had only feet and ankles beneath a privacy screen… This ritual took place on the historic wooden floors of today’s century-old Dahlgren Hall, named after Rear Admiral John Dahlgren, inventor of large-caliber naval guns.

From Dahlgren Hall, we headed toward the historic Main Chapel at the center of the Yard.  

The dome of the Chapel was covered in repair scaffolding, but the interior of this historic place of worship, where USNA cadets receive moral and spiritual guidance, was meticulously maintained.

Beneath the chapel, we paid respects at the crypt of John Paul Jones, Father of the US Navy.  

Jones grew up in a humble home in Scotland

and would eventually play a vital role in assisting our Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War.

In the vicinity of the chapel, we passed nostalgic Herndon Monument.  Al retold the story about the end-of-plebe-year tradition of replacing a plebe dixie cup hat with an upperclassmen’s cap on the top of greased Herndon monument.  Teamwork was the key!

Massive Bancroft Hall, home to the entire brigade of midshipmen, was elegant and unblemished, largely unchanged since Al received his first room assignment over 50 years ago during plebe summer.  Throughout plebe summer, Al’s room was behind the windows to the right of the “2nd CLASS DOORS.”  

Bancroft Hall has the distinction of being the largest college dormitory structure in the country.  

This Beaux-Arts-style beauty retained its grandeur inside as well.  The “Don’t Give up the Ship” Navy motto visible in Memorial Hall at the top of the rotunda steps could not be missed… 

Beneath the spectacular vaulted ceiling of Memorial Hall, a series of memorial plaques and displays honored Naval Academy alumni who have died in military operations.  Familiar names on the walls brought back somber memories.

A visit to the sailing basin 

initiated remembrance of a late classmate from the Class of 1969 who was Al’s roommate nearly all four years at the Academy.  Eric persuaded Al to be his sailing partner one day as they headed to the boat basin for the very first practice.  And that is how a friendship was born that endured for over five decades…

Boats similar to the ones Al and Eric sailed competitively for two years created a lovely tableau along the shore of the Severn River, where the age-old contest featuring humans, wind, water, and boats played out silently and beautifully before us.

The tacking maneuver performed by this women’s sailing team was thrilling to watch.

We popped inside a few random academic buildings, such as:

the relatively new Wesley Brown Fieldhouse;

Macdonough Hall, named after Captain Thomas Macdonough, USN, who achieved fame in the war of 1812;

and Luce Hall, with the statue of Medal of Honor recipient Admiral James Stockdale at the entry.

The SEANAV classrooms of Luce Hall were where Al’s lessons in ship-driving first began with navigation charts at old wooden tables.

On exiting the Yard, the Navy Goat reminded us of the homecoming game against Tulane that we would attend during reunion festivities in a couple of weeks.

On the way back to the car, we made a brief stop in the Maryland State Capitol building 

across from the equally lovely governor’s mansion.

THE REUNION

Longtime sports announcer Dan Bartolovic once commented, “A trip to nostalgia now and then is good for the spirit.”  Presumably, he was referencing events in the history of sports; however, the same can be said for class reunions.

For the next five days of reunion festivities, I would observe up close a brotherhood of Navy and Marine men and marvel at the strength of their bonds.

WEDNESDAY, DAY 1—

A wonderful Wednesday afternoon private tour of Mt. Vernon, home of President George Washington, 

was led by Amanda, daughter of one of Al’s classmates.  This historic home continues to undergo renovation to make all aspects of the home as accurate as possible.  The exterior white color was recently refurbished with a more historically accurate tan color.

Some of the more fully restored rooms were:

the dining room,

a guest room,

and George Washington’s bedroom.

The 3 p.m. wreath ceremony at Washington’s tomb

was led by the three veterans in the crowd—Jim, Pem, and Al.

I couldn’t have imagined a more fitting way to conclude our visit to Washington, DC than a wreath ceremony at the tomb of our first President.

THURSDAY, DAY 2—

At the intimate Thursday night gathering of the 25th company, I observed seeds of friendship sprout and flourish once again after being sown over 50 years ago in an environment of rigorous academic, physical, and mental testing.  Al had a wonderful time meeting up with classmates we had visited on the road, in addition to those he had not seen in 50 years.  To a person, I marveled at the achievements of the men of the 25th Company across a wide variety of life experiences.  Among them were military leaders, executives of industry and commerce, selfless teachers of future generations, and volunteers of distinction.   

Al had his own Admiral Rickover interview story, and throughout the evening we heard additional stories that we had never heard before.  

FRIDAY, DAY 3—

The Friday night formal dinner for the entire class was held in the banquet rooms of the Graduate Annapolis Hotel.  The 25th Company had three tables in the impressive atrium room.  

Keepsake company photographs were taken after dinner.

25th Company, Class of 1969 (photo courtesy of Joyce Ellen Richards)

SATURDAY, DAY 4—

Saturday afternoon the annual homecoming game was played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.  All week long banners saying “Beat Tulane” had been a common sight.  This time, from the comfort of seats in the stands, the Class of ’69 got to observe the ceremonial parachutist float onto the field, with the Stars and Stripes waving in the wind,

followed soon thereafter by the entire brigade of midshipmen marching onto the field.

From our seats in Section 1,

we had a great view of the halftime show put on by the Naval Academy Drum and Bugle Corps.

The capstone on the day was an epic Navy win over Tulane (41-38), with a field goal in the last second of the game!  A more exciting finale could not have been scripted better!

SUNDAY, DAY 5—

Sunday afternoon a solemn memorial service was held for all those members of the Class of 1969 who are no longer with us.  The weather outside seemed in keeping with the somber mood of the service, for it had been raining nonstop all morning.  However, at the halfway point of the service, a sudden influx of sunlight was broadcast through the windows of the chapel dome high above just as the solemn recitation of the names commenced for those who have passed since the last reunion…

After another class picture on the steps of the chapel, followed by fond goodbyes and wishes for safe travel home, we slowly slipped off for a quiet goodbye of our own—past the lush green parade grounds of Worden Field,

then over to the US Naval Academy Cemetery where John McCain lies in peaceful repose next to his classmate, in the company of many great heroes.

The McCain gravesite was not hard to find—it was the one with innumerable coins and tokens of remembrance at the headstone.

We paid our respects to John Sidney McCain, then simply departed through the gates of the Yard in a suitable end to an emotional day of remembrance for those who have led exemplary lives in service to our country.  

I will have more to say in a future blog about our nearly 5 years of life on the road, with commentary on what I think we accomplished and what it meant to us.

But for now, this long meandering adventure, packed with the thrills of many lifetimes, has come to an end… 

                     in Maryland, 

on the shore of the Severn,

       at the the gate of the USNA Yard.

Carol Galus

Photo-Blogger