Italian/Scottish Western Tour 2012

  My good friends from pizza land were going to visit me again in the good old USA. The first time I met the Italians was when we walked across Scotland and had shared a cramped hostel room. Then a few years ago, I invited them to my country for a hiking and ski trip that started in LasVegas. This time I wanted to share with them our spectacular Northwest. We would start in Denver and travel for 36 days, always heading towards the northwest. I am getting a little ahead of myself, let me introduce the players in this grand adventure. I am Vince from Denver-then there is Keith from Scotland-all the rest are from northern Italy, Milan to be exact-Biagio-Piero-Adele-Piero-Allessandra-Carmelo-Giorgio-Antonio-Gianni- and Santino.

  It took me over a month to get all of the arrangements for our stays and the rental van lined up. The Italians had a lot of planning also with getting plane tickets and visas. It all came together on a warm night on Sept. 5th 2012. I had my 15 passenger van ready with a roof carrier attached for all the baggage. I could only park in certain areas of the DIA airport because of the height restriction. I didn't want to wreck our trip before it started by pulling the top off the van. Their plane arrived on time around 7:30 pm, but by the time they made it through customs it was touching on 9:00 pm. Pam, my wife had a complete feast waiting for us when we arrived at our house. It was fun meeting new friends and rubbing elbows with my old friends as we ate the food prepared. Biagio, Piero, Allessandra, Giorgio and Keith had all met up in 2009 when we had walked across Scotland on the The Great Outdoor Challenge. Biagio, and the 3 other Italians had gone with me when I showed them our Southwest.

  Sept 6th-  After a good night's sleep, we all met back at our house after the group had been divided up   for sleeping. Nick and Anna and Dave and Melisa helped with sleeping accommodations. I loaded up our van with food left over from last night and we headed to the mountains. Mt Evans's 14,000 foot peak would be our destination. There is a road that leads all the way to the top but because of the time of year it was closed at Summit lake. Dave Guzy and his lovely daughter Elizabeth followed in their own car. The weather was clear and we had a fine view of the tundra and twisted pines created from the wild weather inhabiting this part of the country. At one of the stops, a couple from back east were taking in the panoramic views in the distance when the lady gave out a yell. Looking down on the ground she had found a large diamond that must have fallen out of a visiting tourist's ring. Her husband was also excited with the thought of maybe the diamond could pay for their vacation and a couple of beers. That night we all got together with a few additional friends for another feast.

Sept 7th-  The whole group assembled in front of our house with plans of getting all baggage into a 15 passenger van. After much shifting and moving and a little bit of cussing in English and Italian we were ready for our grand travels.

  Our first stop would be the Flat Irons in Boulder, Colo. for some low impact hiking with one eye on downtown Boulder and the other on the impressive Flat Iron mountain formation. It being a weekday, the trails where not as crowded. There are more bicycles in Boulder than cars and I think the same goes for dogs. When someone moves to Boulder I think they stop by the pound and buy themselves a canine. There are some impressive athletic types that live in Boulder and they can be seen running the trails with their trusty dogs and doggy-doo bags hanging from their belts

  I drove our group to Estes Park as our final destination with a short stop at Lyons for some much needed nourishment. This small town has many little shops and a few good restaurants that would meet everyones needs. Dave G and Melisa were joining us for our first couple of days and Miss M. suggested we stop at a Mexican restaurant for food. After traveling with this group before, I should have known that hot Mexican food would go over like a lead balloon, so I planned for the worse. On our last trip I found that it was always easier for me to order for the whole group. I would take pen and paper and try to make it as simple as possible for waiter cook and cashier. This cafe had a special on enchiladas that were not supposed to be hot enough to burn a Northern Italians' tongue. So half the group ordered the special and some chose the traditional American hamburger. The drink of choice was always easy, it being a frothy glass of beer to clear the throat.

  Biagio, always the keen observer noticed a couple of shapely cowgirls at another table. With tight jeans and weathered cowboy hats, they did kind of stand out. Purely from a scientific point of view everybody wanted to know about these girls from the range. I walked over and explained our group makeup and asked if they wanted to join us. Without a moments hesitation these young fillies slid up a chair and became part of the international group. The cowgirls didn't have horses tied up outside, they were riding Harley Davidson motorcycles.

  When our food arrived some of it was a hit and some a miss. Carmelo said he didn't get enough besides it being a bit hot, so he ordered chips. The waiter brought corn chips and the look on Carmelo's face was priceless. Chips in Italy are french fries, which are bought by grand parents when they take their little ones for a treat.

   Within a few hours of driving we pulled into Estes Park with its' high mountains guarding the town. After a few minutes driving around we found our sleeping establishment. I had spent a lot of time locating all our accommodations for our 36 day adventure. Because of the large group I tried to keep one eye on the budget and one eye on location. When I had been investigating Estes Park I couldn't believe my luck when a hostel appeared on my computer screen. I had not only looked at the site but I had also called the nice woman that owned the hostel. She was so glad to take reservations for 12 people. No worries she told me, we have plenty of room at the hostel and a cooking area also.

  I got out of the van first and noticed right off that the place looked well used,with a bit on the shabby side thrown in for flavoring. There was a long wooden staircase on the right side of the building that definitely had seen better days. After climbing up this death trap, I knocked on the side door with hopes of being greeted by some kind of transformation other than what the outside represented. The kitchen, if that's what you would call it, was the first thing I stepped into and out of with one step. A dark living room beheld a man stretched out on a long table with his face in a twisted state. Another fella had his one leg bent straight up towards the ceiling and was pushing down hard on it. After a few seconds I realized the tormentor was a masseuse. "I am here with the party of 12." I explained. "Should I bring the bags up?" I questioned. "Where else would you put them!" was his come back. I thought to myself, this is going to real good, a  hostel from hell and a smart ass inn keeper. By this time the rest of the gang along with Dave and Melisa in tow showed up. Even if we all wanted to stay there, it wasn't enough room. I knew we would have a hard time finding something else with the Scottish games going on this weekend. Biagio asked Mr. Smarty Pants about all the trash under the stairs. His reply, "don't look down at it keep your eyes straight ahead."

  All of us spread out in this nightmare, trying to find something that was clean and a place where a normal person could stretch out on. There was one room that had two beds, so we could take that, there was another bed room with one bed so we took that. Then there was one room that had four bunk beds in it, but clothes shoes and assorted other things where thrown around the room. By this time our inn keeper must have been feeling our pain and started to size up the situation. We all went from room to room trying to make sense of this puzzle. One of the rooms, if you could call it that was more like an outside porch with a chaise lounge, could provide a bit of a sleeping space, for somebody that liked the great outdoors. Melissa with a heavy sleeping bag was selected for this room. The next room, which used to be a porch that somebody remodeled with one blind eye the other one that could not see was another possibility.

  Our first place to stay looked like a horror movie set and had a Smart Ass as it's director. Our host told us that a lady who lives up north owned the place and he just watches it for free rent. Two girls from Bulgaria who lived down stairs, were in charge of cleaning for free rent, but I think they where more interested in the night life then the life at the end of a mop! When I explained that we would try and make it work our host said, " I don't care!"

  When we all got back in the van there was a lot of chatter in Italian but I didn't need to know the language to know what the subject was. I decided to drive to Rocky Mountain National Park and take in beautiful scenery to bypass some of the mayhem in Estes Park. I was heading to the park when I noticed a vacancy sign on a nice motel. I couldn't believe my eyes, with a large festival going on in Estes Park, I didn't think there would be any rooms available. I rented a cabin that sleeps six and we all went back and got the six bags from the hostel and switched things out. When I came into the hostel the host said, " I bet you came back for you're bags and you're leaving!"

  It was a nice feeling to get back into the park and look for wildlife and take in the mountain views. Within a few minutes we where looking down on a herd of elk that were grazing in the meadow. The bull elk were bugling for another bull elk to challenge their call, followed by the shoving match with antlers smashing together. We next drove over to Bear Lake and followed the trail around it' scenic views. Large pine trees completely surrounded the lake, with a large mountain crowning the west shore. Our large group were walking and talking when I saw something large moving towards the calm lake. Almost immediately I realized we had broken up a mating ritual between three Elk. The male Elk was doing his very best to get the females into the right mood. Maybe he needed a couple of Dean Martin records and a bottle of wine, but our presence didn't help the situation any, I am sure. This big fella was on a mission and we all tried to stay out of the way of those very sharp antlers. At one time all three Elk stood in knee deep water and the lovely creatures made a picture perfect mirror image on the still water. I don't think the Italians knew how lucky they were to witness such a sight.

  For dinner I had made reservations at a restaurant that overlooks Mary's Lake and everybody got exactly what they wanted, as far as food and drink. After dinner I dropped off the 6 Italians at there new, clean and comfortable motel. Then the rest of us drove back to the Hostel From Hell. While we were gone the crazy twisted host rented out Giorgio's bed and my bed. So Giorgio had to sleep on this old couch and I slept  on the floor beside Keith's bed.

  Sept 8th-The next morning our group drove back to the motel which had a real kitchen and ate breakfast. I had written a note pretending it was from our crazy host. I told Piero and the other 5 Italians that I found the note under my door this morning. I tried to keep a straight face as I read it out loud. "I am sorry that the hostel didn't work for you 6! Therefore I am going to give you 2 free nights next summer, but you have to come in a week early to clean!" They all listened then everybody laughed and we ate breakfast.

  This morning was going to be the Scottish festival parade so we drove back down to Estes and found a place to watch the parade. Keith, being from Scotland made watching the parade interesting. Each group that came marching down the street wore a different outfit and carried a sign explaining their clan. Keith was able to fill us in on where the clan came from and and give us a  little history. After a few hours the parade was over and we were ready to head back to the park for some more hiking. Dave and Melissa had some things to take care of in Denver so we said goodbye until we would see them again in 30 some days.

  With all the tourists taking in the Scottish activities the park was also pretty crowded. The park service was also working on Bear Lake road so I had to change a few things  around and head a different direction. We found a very nice trail that led us to a lake where we could eat our picnic and soak in a little sunlight. We met some other hikers who had the same idea in mind and exchanged some thoughts with them. I had bought some food at the grocery store so we headed back to the motel and cooked a traditional Italian dinner and all was good with the world.

Sept 9th-  It was time to move on to our next adventure but I didn't know exactly how to handle the Hostel From Hell's bill. I sat at the small kitchen table with the host and he explained the way things work in the hostel as far as the billing goes. It would be $26.00 per person per night according to our host. "Now wait a minute, 2 of us had to sleep on a couch and the floor, do we pay for that?"I asked. Before he could answer I said, "Also we aren't paying $26.00 but only $20.00 per person!" "I cleaned up under the stairs and the land lady will be mad!" our host said. To echo his response to my questions, I said "I don't care!"

  We drove back through the park over the highest road in North America, Trail Ridge Road. At the very top there is only alpine flowers and tundra but on this day a bull elk was standing in the crisp clear air. By noon we drove into the Shadow Mountain lake area and brought out our picnic food and had a feast, while looking at the lake.

  By 2:00 pm we drove into Steamboat Springs Colo and checked into a real live motel with beds for all and it was real clean. Carmelo had been eating bananas since he had landed in Denver and he had a problem with his plumbing. Everything seemed to be backed up in Carmelo and his eyes were getting browner by the minute. I had planned a trip to the downtown for some western clothing shopping and then on to the Strawberry Hot Springs. Carmelo wanted to sit in his room and just concentrate on having a smooth movement. I promised him we would stop by a drug store and find the right medicine, told him not to take it before we drop into the hot springs. I thought  the hot water and X-lax combination might make for a embarrassing situation for Banana Boy.

  The drive up to the hots springs had breathtaking views, with the aspen trees turning yellow in preparation for winter. We stopped by the waterfall pictured on the Coors beer bottle as a little side trip. By 4:00 pm we drove into the Strawberry Hot Springs parking lot which gave us plenty of time to soak and relax. The ticket taker resides in a old caboose which looks like a old hippie hangout . I had planned on having a steak cookout after our splash and asked our attendant about the location of the barbecue. "Oh we don't allow any cooking around the springs!" explained ex-hipster.  Thankfully I had called and gotten permission and directions to the propane burners.

  This hot springs is not your typical resort type enterprise. The changing room is a open pavilion with lots of  space for people to stare and gawk at the changers. After dark wearing a bathing suit is optional, as everybody and their dog will tell you in town with a giggle. I have been to a few nudie hot springs and I would say over 75 % of the people should never be seen naked outside of  their own home! The bottom of the pool is covered with small round pebbles which feel good on your feet.

  After soaking for a few hours, a group of us walked back to the van and carried all the food down to the picnic tables.We where going to have a lot of cook outs and picnics as we traveled so everybody had a job and all the meals were a happy occasion.

  Sept 10th-  Today we would drive to Rock Springs, Wyoming with stop at Dinosaur National Monument. The dinosaurs are long gone but they sure did leave a lot of fossils. A building covers the discovery of over a thousand fossils. The wall of bones is like the size of a football field but slanted at a 45% angle. I have seen the wall several times but I am always impressed by the sheer size.

  By 5:00 pm we drove into the rough and tumble town of Rock Springs and found our nice motel to the travelers liking. On the internet I found an Italian restaurant and we had a great time eating and chatting into the evening.

  Sept 11th- Always heading north we stopped in Pinedale, Wyo to visit a frontier museum that really represented the old west. A tepee was set up outside with another one inside the museum that looked like it had come off an Indian encampment, which it had. After the Battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876, when the army was surveying the area they came upon this tepee with all the weapons and tools abandoned in it.

  Just before lunch time I drove the van on a dirt road that would lead us to Granite Creek hot springs. The hot springs have been here forever but during the 1930's, the CCC build a pool and changing area around the hot springs.  What a great area to just sit and soak while the pine trees sway in the breeze. After a few hours of soaking it was time to have a picnic before driving on down the road.

  By late afternoon we drove into the cowboy and ski town of Jackson Hole which would be our stopping point for 2 days. Our hostel was at the bottom of the ski slope which was convenient to the town and the Grand Teton National Park. The hostel host gave us three rooms which slept 4 per room. In the lower level was the eating area with refrigerators and large tables. The cooking part would prove to be a little bit more complicated. There was a hot plate on the main floor and a microwave in the lower floor. I had brought a propane cooker so we set up everything and it worked. "No problems only solutions!"

  Sept 12th-Today we would have a hike around Jenny Lake with the  Grand Tetons as our guide. As we drove we noticed a group of cars pulled off the side of the road and it was a bear sighting. The Italians got to see there first bear of our adventure. The trail around the lake was very well maintained and we got to have a 360 degrees view of the lake and the Tetons. As a added bonus we came upon a pair of moose calves half way hiding in some brush right where there mother had left them. By late afternoon we had made it back to our van and it was time to fire up the propane stove.

Sept 13th- Now it was time to drive to Yellowstone NP, yes the world famous Yellowstone. We entered through the south entrance and within a few hours we saw our first buffalo. We fixed lunch in the picnic area along side Old Faithful geyser. A couple hours were spent walking around the different thermal attractions connected to Old Faithful.

  Then we drove to West Yellowstone and to our camping area. I had rented a few tepees for us to sleep in for our two nights. As we drove down the dusty road we could see the snow white tepees in the distance. A woman checked us in and everybody wondered what the sleeping arrangements would be. But first of all everybody had to sign a waiver. I got everybody lined up and all 12 of us signed on the dotted line. Then the young lady showed us the bath house, which was a very clean mobile shower and toilet unit. Then she showed us to our tepees which had cots with two sleeping bags and a wool blanket, it gets cold in West Yellowstone. Because of the possibility of bears roaming about, we couldn't cook any food and even tooth paste had be stored in the van. There was a place to have a fire and benches around the area.

  We drove back to the town of West Yellowstone and found a restaurant to eat our dinner. It was a little Italian restaurant owned by an Australian and run by a Mexican girl. We ordered pizzas and while we waited Biagio wanted to know what we had all signed. I explained that if a Grizzly Bear came into your tepee during the night and chewed your legs off the tepee company was not responsible!

Sept 14th-The 2 sleeping bags and wool blanket were needed because we woke up in a frosty tent. We drove into Yellowstone and started the long journey of sightseeing and trying to catch animals with our cameras. Every entrance to the national park proved to be interesting because of the large van chuck full of Italians and Scots. Every ranger figured me for a tour guide without a license and insurance. I have a park pass but at Yellowstone they wanted much more. The ranger couldn't believe I would do this for fun and she asked her supervisor to give me the Third Degree. At first just for fun I told the rangers these people in the van where all my cousins from Italy, Which is another funny thing, for when I made all the reservations for all our stays along the route I didn't know the Italians last names so I gave them mine, "Vogel" Within a few minutes of explaining the ranger waved us through.

  Our first stop was the Painted Mud Pots which have different colored hot mud bubbling up and making a kind of  slow motion burping noise. Then we all walked down to the Yellowstone Waterfalls which were running very high and provided lots of views. Along our drive we saw our fair share of animals and by 4:00 pm we where ready to head back to West Yellowstone and to a fine steak dinner. The 2 sleeping bags felt good climbing back into them after a long day of hiking.

  Sept 15th- This morning we are headed to Glacier National Park for some more sightseeing and hiking. Our travels will take us through Montana which at this time was being clouded with smoke from all the  forest fires. The town of Kalispell would be the place where we would lay our heads for three nights. The town had lots of stores for shopping and a couple of nice sporting goods stores. The last time I was here I stopped by a ski shop so we got a chance to check this store out again. Keith had been looking for a set of cross country skis and boots. Keith and I put a pair skis and Italian leather boots on the sales counter and asked the clerk for her best price. Keith was able to buy the package for what the boots would cost in Scotland.

  Sept 16th-   Santino informed me that his birthday was getting closer and he wanted to have a birthday party, which I thought would be a fantastic idea. I drove to the grocery store and ordered 12 rib eye steaks, then picked up goodies for a salad, birthday cake and party favors.

  I drove everybody into Glacier National Park for some great scenery and perfect hiking trails. The Going to the Sun road would close the next day so we lucked out. the road travels over Logan Pass and the engineering that went into the road is a sight to behold. In fact,the park service hired a landscaper to design the road. The road is cut out of the side of the mountain with panoramic views and waterfalls splashing down on the roads. At the top is a visitor center and a couple of trails that lead even farther up into the sky. We all decided to hike the trail to the over look of a high alpine lake. There were many steps in the wooden board walk that lead onto a dirt trail. After a hour walking we made the summit and what a view we had as we  enjoyed our lunch.

  Along the road we spotted several white mountain goats feeding on sections of grass. I was driving along the narrow road trying to not be sideswiped by on coming cars when "BOOM" I had hit a wooden pole stuck into the edge of the road to warn snow plow drivers of where the road ended. The passenger side rear view mirror insert went flying off and then crashed to the ground. Keith ran back and picked up what was left of it.

  We also stopped at McDonald Lodge to have a view of the lake and consume a snack. We met a few people and one fella bought beers for the Italians.

  Back in Kalispell it was party time for Santino. Johnny fired up the barbecue for steak, and everyone else set the picnic table in a local park. After much singing and talking it was time for Santino to give a birthday toast which he did and thanked everyone for being there. As a gag gift I gave Santino a can opener to replace the one he had broken, that I had brought from home!

  Sept 17th- Today we hung around Kalispell and did some window shopping. We all went into a thrift store and some of us found a few  bargains. I went into Walmart and found a makeup mirror for $4.50 and with a couple of smashed beer cans behind the mirror, I duct taped the mirror insert back into its' place. It sure beat  the $150 the glass man wanted.

  That night I found a small Italian restaurant that had a special on spaghetti dinners with a salad. The owner came by a few times and had a ball talking to all of us.

  When we got back to the motel, we stood outside our rooms talking and a lady came out and wondered what was going on. This screw ball from another planet wanted to know where all of us were from. As soon as we said Italy she went into this long speech about how the Vatican was against the Lutheran Church. I thought Lutherans were calm and docile, but not this one. She told Biagio she had the copy of the doctrine that Martin Luther had nailed on the door of the Catholic Church. Biagio thought she said come into my room and I'll show you the paper. Biagio followed her into her room and she let out yell. "He's in my room!" I got the international incident straightened out and we gave this woman a wide berth.

  Sept 18th- I had breakfast stuff in my room and was outside getting the propane burners fires up outside when the crazed Lutheran showed up. "I have a 5 year old boy in my room and could you watch him while I get coffee in the lobby?" she asked. I thought to myself this could go from bad to worse in a matter of minutes. "How about if I go get your coffee and you watch your child?" Then I ran to the lobby and was back before she could say "Bless your heathen heart!"

  As we drove through town a car next to us slammed into the stopped car ahead of it. Then within a hour I was driving when the car in front of us slammed on its' brakes. I cut the steering wheel a hard left and just missed the car but drove through a school crossing zone. Then I looked in the rear view mirror and saw a police car with lights a flashing coming towards us. I pulled on a side road and the officer walked up to the van. "Did you know you drove through a school crossing?" he asked. "Yes I did but the car in front of me slammed on its' brakes and to avoid an accident, I drove around the car." I explained. "I also noticed that all of your passengers are not wearing seat belts and that's a $100.00 fine per passenger!" he explained. Trying to worm my way out of this potential huge fine, I decided to use the police badge card. "My son, that is on the SWAT team, has the same bullet proof vest that I noticed you are wearing." I declared. Our officer went back to his car and sat there for 15 minutes, then came back with a warning ticket and an envelope for a $20.00 donation to the endangered Montana Bigfoot. After that I pulled out real slow and drove into the setting sun.

  By the time we drove into Spokane,Washington it was a little late in the afternoon. After checking into our motel we drove downtown and walked around the park that borders the river and waterfalls. After a lot of sightseeing we had worn a hole in our stomach that needed to be filled. I had made reservation at the Steam Plant restaurant. The host took us through the restaurant and showed us to our own room. Everyone left with a smile on our faces.

  Sept 19th- Today we had Mt Rainer National Park on our schedule. As we got closert to the mighty mountain we had fantastic views of all the glaciers on its' slopes. We would be staying in a small town named Randie. I drove into the driveway, and the motel was old and spread out, with a cabin here and a another building there. I walked into the bar and lobby and found the woman that owned the place. We had both mixed up the day that had been reserved for our stay. After more then a few minutes trying to figure out who could sleep where, we all walked into another buildings and counted beds. We finally ended up with a cabin and two rooms. I would sleep on the floor and used cushions off the outside chairs as my mattress.

  Sept 20th- After talking to a ranger in the visitor center, I found a trail that would lead us up to Paradise Park on the slope of Mt Rainer. We parked the van and met a couple that wanted to join us on our little adventure. The trail was always climbing and snaking around the different valleys. Part of it I had hiked before when I hiked the Wonderland Trail in 2004. By lunch time we found a small waterfall and our new friends along with a few old friends were getting tired out. Within a few minutes after lunch we found a hard top road and part of our group decided to walk or hitchhike back to the van. The rest of us carried on until we feared we might run out of sunlight and turned around.

  Now it was Carmelo "Banana Boy's" birthday, so lets party. I had asked the bar restaurant if they could cook us up a feast of steaks, salad and french fries. They where more then glad to accommodate us but they didn't have any cake or decorations. The only store was located 20 miles back from where we had come from. I bought cake, decorations and Champagne. I was driving back to the motel when a state trooper driving towards me flipped a u-turn on the road. He pulled me over and I think it might have been racial profiling, since I tend to be a tad darker then most people. He walked up to the van shining his flash light in the back of the empty van. " After looking at my license and realizing I wasn't an illegal, he said " I know you probably thought the speed limit is 60 but it's really 50!" and then he turned and walked away.

  I decorated the room for our party, which happened to be connected to the bar. All the patrons at the bar who probably had one to many drinks, kept swinging around in their bar stools and looking my way. one yelled "Are you getting married?" and then laughed. " Yes I am in love with a waitress, and I don't even know her name!" was my reply. Which really got them all laughing.

  The party went off without a hitch and we drank the bubbly and ate cake back in the motel room.

  Sept 21st-Today we are headed to our first large city,Seattle, Washington. Our hostel is located in downtown Seattle and has everything a hostel should have. A clean kitchen and breakfast is included in the price. We unloaded all our gear and headed to the heart of the city, where all the shopping and fish markets are located. Along the way we walked along the wharf and checked out a few boats and also noticed some activity under white tents. Come to find out there is a tradition where local Indians paddle these large wooden canoes into the harbor to honor the catching of salmon. There was a large crowd around Pike Fish Market so we slowly worked our way through the masses. Most of the other shops were not as crowded. Everybody had different types of shopping in mind so it was every man for himself.. The crowds were large around the restaurants so we had to settle for Subway sandwiches. As we were crossing the street a black women with red and blue hearts painted on her face ran right in to the rush hour traffic yelling about something that must have been very important to her. She was dressed in a white sheet and had a aluminum covered hoop that dangled above her head, picture an angel. Two policeman, talking to her, couldn't picture her as a angel, she was more of a nuisance. After they left she went right back into traffic as she chattered away to the car hoods  banging on them.

  We walked down to the aquarium and spent several hours gazing into the world of the marine life represented behind the thick glass. There was a lot to learn if you spent the time reading about all the sea creatures.

  It was dinner time and I knew where I wanted to be, back at the Salmon Festival. For $10.00 the cooks gave you a large slice of salmon, potato salad, baked beans, bread and a drink. There was more then a few homeless people hanging out in Seattle and one fella just seemed to be following us. This fella was like my shadow as I ordered my food and then stood over me when I started to eat it. I ordered another for him but the cook said they already fed him earlier, so I had to tell him to move down the road which he did.

  Sept 22nd-Today would be the day for the Indians to paddle their wooden canoes into the harbor to start the Salmon festival. We all walked around and looked at the different shops selling tickets to the tourists. Carmelo couldn't get enough refrigerator magnets representing the areas that we had visited.

  In the distance we could see a number of canoes paddling towards our bay. Numerous Indians from different villages came to represent their tribes. Within an hour all the canoes from the various tribes in the area were lined up facing the harbor. A single leader in each canoe would yell greetings and ask if their tribe was welcome to the festival. The woman chief standing on the dock would yell "Yes you are welcome!" One canoe held the great grandchild of Chief Seattle. All of the canoes and the Indians in them were decorated for the event.

  After spending hours watching the ceremony, we walked to the Space Needle that overlooks the city of Seattle. We had to wait for our turn to travel in the elevator to the top of the tower but it was worth the wait.

  Sept 23- Today we were going to travel to Port Angeles, Washington to catch the ferry to Victoria BC the next day. Our travels took us along the coast line of Washington with many sights to take in as we looked out the windows of the van. We stopped at an Indian settlement and went through  their museum and gift shop. By the time we got to Port Angles it was dinner time and we were able to set up our food in the breakfast area.

  Sept 24th- We arrived early to catch the ferry to Victoria that would take a few hours of our time. There was a bit of fog, but for the most part it was clear sailing. The ferry pulled into the harbor and we could see the Empress Hotel and the capitol building. After walking for 15 minutes, we arrived at our hostel but our rooms were not ready so we dropped off our bags in the basement and started our adventure downtown. I have always loved the Natural History Museum and made that our first stop. There are three floors of everything you can think of that relates to the Northwest. The museum has a  full replica of Captain Cook's cabin that was part of his boat. There is a whole seaside town with barber shops, saloons and hotel, it is one of the best museums ever. The Italians attention wasn't as focused as mine was, so they just walked right through the museum and were ready for something more stimulating. I told them to walk around the town while I spent another hour at the museum. Keith had missed the Captain Cook's officer's quarters so he joined me.

  Sept 25th- Today we decided to take a hike in the mountains, which we could reach by bus. Santino and Banana Boy decided to hang around Victoria. I had ordered 12 sandwiches for our lunch at a local restaurant so that would be our first stop. Then it was a short walk to the bus stop and within an hour we were at the road that would lead us to the trail head. As we walked along I noticed a huge apple tree covered with red apples. I walked up to the house and ask the owner if we could have a few. With a surprised look she said. :You are the first person in 20 years that has ever asked, most people just take them!"

  Our trail led us up over a wooded area covered with raspberry bushes full of lovely black berries. I got to thinking that maybe we didn't even need to bring food. The trail emerged onto a beach with lots of sea life to explore.

  After eating our apples, berries and lunch we walked back to the bus stop, and within an hour we were back at our hostel. We dropped our packs and headed to the capitol building for a bit of a tour. The next stop was the Empress Hotel with its' highly decorated exterior and interior. I don't  know what they charge to stay here  but it didn't cost a dime to have a look see.

  We had dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant which was a first for my Italian friends but they seemed to enjoy it. After dinner we took a long stroll along the bay lit up with reflected lights from the city.

  Sept 26th- It was time to say "adios" to Victoria and "hola" to Port Angeles again. The ferry ride went rather smoothly and before we headed back to the motel we took a look at the Olympic National Park visitor center. We had planned on doing a long hike here tomorrow, and I needed some info on the right trails to explore.Our new ranger friend suggested a few hikes that would take us close to the view of Mt Olympic.

  For dinner I picked up some steaks and found out from my meat clerk about a great park to cook them in. She had gotten married there and said it was the cats' meow. The only problem was the great distance which she forgot to tell me about. By the time we arrived it was already getting dark, and by the time we finished cooking, we had to eat by van headlights.

  Set 27th- Our group headed to the trail head which the ranger said may be steep and he was right on. The trail kept leading us higher and higher with great views as our reward. We all had lunch with a view of Mt Olympic. The trail coming down was so steep every step required us to hold ourselves back, in order not to turn into a bowling ball. I got back to the van first, and knowing everybody would want some refreshments I drove into town and bought some beer and chips. The sight of my tired  friends coming off the trail made me realize I had made the right decision. For the next couple of days the front of our legs were very sore, particularly when we sat in the van for a few hours.

  Sept 28th- Today we will be heading to Forks with our first stop at Sol Duc Hot Springs. The hot springs are located in the national park but are run by a private company. The water was the hottest we had encountered at 107 F. The water was very clear and very soothing as we splashed around. After we got out Giorgio noticed his camera was missing. I asked the clerk if they had a lost and found and she produced the camera which was a relief to Giorgio.

  We checked into our motel in Forks and then I noticed I didn't have the van keys. I had placed the keys on the dash and we had locked the van. The motel owner knew someone and within a few minutes they showed up and with a long flex cable and unlocked the door.

  I found an Italian Restaurant in town and talked with the owner about eating there. If it was good, we would eat there again tomorrow night. The pizza and beer were very good so it was all set up for manana.

  Sept 29th- We drove into Olympic National Park with the idea of hiking up the Hoh Rainforest trail. The weather held as we walked along the forest floor and watched in wonder at all the moss covered trees. By lunch time we had come to a back pack campsite and decided to have lunch there. The walk back was just as nice with the river running beside the trail for most of the way.

  Tonight, at the same restaurant for dinner we had our own private room with lots of pitchers of beer to go with the pasta.

    Sept 30th-  Today we were going to drive to Astoria, Oregon and meet up with some of the Italian friends that they had met on the TGO in Scotland. On the way down we stopped at a few harbor towns and got to look around. At Westport we visited the harbor and watched a zillion seagulls trying to get bait fish from under huge nets. These crafty birds would walk on the nets and occasionally when the nets touched the water, the fish would rise to the surface, and the birds would lunge forward and grab a meal. A high tower at the end of town provided a great view of the ocean from its' lofty reaches.

  We found our motel in Astoria fairly easily and then came the hard part, finding the Italians friends. We called his wife and then called him. He then called called us and the motel but we never got connected to anybody! I found a park for a our dinner meal, and sat at a picnic table after having  given directions to this hard to find friend. In a few minutes this lost soul made an appearance and we all sat around and ate and talked. It got to be so late that this fella had to stay over and leave the next morning.

  Oct 1st-  A month has gone by, and today we would travel into California for the first time. The Oregon coast holds many hidden gems in the way of beautiful beaches. Our group stopped at a few of them and we ate our meal along one of the wind swept ones.

  By night fall we were getting close to our destination of Crescent City and the trees where getting a lot bigger. Our motel was located at the edge of town and there was a pizza place which served cheap pizza and cold beer. The food and drink put a end to a fine day.

  Oct 2nd - We had driven through a massive Redwood grove last night and due to the darkness  we couldn't see the splendor of these giants. I retraced our travel from last night and found a long dirt road that led us right in the middle of these brutes. Everyone got sore necks from looking up into the blue skies, as they tried to fathom the size of these trees. It didn't matter the kind of camera we had, the trees couldn't be captured in our lenses.

  The world famous town of San Francisco would be our resting spot for a few days. The city by the bay was on everyone's minds as we drove into town. Our hostel was located on one of the many main streets and it took a little time to find the right hostel. We had traveled from the peace and quiet of Northern California to the explosion of noise in a major city. I parked across the street from the hostel and we had to unload and carry everything across the street and into the hostel without becoming a part of a traffic accident. The hostel was huge and very well run. Our rooms were spread out all over the third floor. It was fun exploring the building and finding out what this hostel had to offer.

  All of us were excited about visiting Fisherman's Wharf and taking in a fine meal along the way. I found out where Little Italy was located and off we all went. At a couple of the restaurants we stopped in, the pasta must have been made of gold for the prices they where charging. At one place the Mona Lisa, the owner came out and talked with us and finding out the group was from Milan, he decided to charge us the local Italian rate instead of the tourist rate.

  After a fine meal we walked down to Fisherman's Wharf and to all the other attractions. There was plenty of gift shops for Banana Boy to buy refrigerator magnets. I told him that his frig might fall over with the weight of all of those magnets.

  Oct 3rd - Last week, before arriving in San Fran, we had reserved tickets to visit the island prison of Alcatraz. Today would be our lucky day to visit the rock, which I imagine wasn't somebody's luck if they were scheduled to be a prisoner. We were glad we got our tickets early, because hordes of people lined up to get on the ferry that would take us to the rock. Before we boarded, and as a way for the tour company to make more money, they had each group of tourists line up and take pictures, with Alcatraz in the back ground.

  The trip over in the boat was the only way to get to the rock with views of the Golden Gate bridge and San Fran's skyline as an added treat. A ranger met our boat with some important info at this National Park site. Then it was everybody for themselves with the idea of meeting back at a certain time to get on our boat. I found the place very interesting with stories of events and the prisoners that served their time here.

  After a few hours it was time for us to get back on the boat for our return to the city by the bay. There in long rows were the pictures that had been taken hours earlier. I showed them to Johnny and with smile he stuck them in his pocket and walked on. I didn't have the heart to tell him that we had to pay for them! I found a small cafe and went in and ordered 12 sandwiches, and it was quite a treat to watch a woman make all the sandwiches. Her hands where moving so fast you couldn't see them. Every place we ate at was a two sided sword, the restaurant was glad to see such a large group but it made the waitress's jobs a lot tougher with 10 Italians ordering from a English menu.

  After lunch we walked up to the tower overlooking the city and then had a nice walk around  the area. We all hung out in a local park and then decided to have dinner at the hostel. We were close to a grocery store, and three of us filled up our packs with dinner items. After a full meal of pasta, I was looking up at the activity board showing what was going on at the hostel. For tonight, it was pizza with a showing of the movie "The Rock"  in their events center. Sure enough when I arrived the movie was just about to start and then a woman showed up with 10 pizza pies. It was nice watching the movie after having just been to Alcatraz.

  Oct 4th- My friends have always heard about Napa Valley and today would be the day for them to experience it. I had to walk over to the underground parking garage and free our mighty van. The countryside leading to the valley was picture perfect with acres of grape vines and fruit trees. In one small town we walked around and went into a winery for some wine tasting, with everyone leaving feeling a little less pain. I found a large market that sold everything we could imagine in the way of Italian picnic goodies. We walked around to the different vendors and bought cheese, hard bread, fruits and glasses of beer. We all carried our meals outside and had a feast fit for a couple of kings and maybe a few queens.

  We drove to Calistoga with the idea of dipping our bodies into some more soothing hot springs. I saw an advertisement for the springs and walked into the establishment. The prices on the wall were not made for us mortals as they were sky high. Come to find out, this place was made for the people with deep pockets who  needed the extra touch and a little pampering. I found a pleasant hot springs just down the road which was top notch. The changing rooms where big and clean. The hot springs were laid out very nicely with fountains. We sat and swam in the pools for hours.

  Oct 5th- Time to hit the road again with the national parks of Sequoia and Yosemite on our hit list. We had to drive over the Golden Gate Bridge and then walk back over it before our San Fran trip would be complete. I drove to the far side and parked the van, and as usual for this area, it was foggy, cold and windy, a typical day along the bay. We all traveled along the bridge walkway with hundred of visions for our eyes to behold. A long way down below us was the water of the bay that looked cold and somewhat inviting in a strange way. Seals on a distant rock barked and fog horns blared their lonely wail. There were large yellow signs every so often advising potential suicide jumpers to call this number listed. At the half way point some of the group decided to turn around and head back to the warmth of the van. The rest of us plodded on and at the end of the bridge on the San Fran side we found bathrooms and a few goodies to buy, especially something to warm our bodies.

  On our return journey across the bridge, I noticed a Coast Guard boat plowing through the water towards the lapping waves below the bridge. I also noticed a couple of fisherman pointing to the deep dark water. A fellow next to me at the guard rail, told me that someone had jumped off the bridge. We saw a set of clothes  spooky like  floating in the water without its' owner. This poor fellow hit the water so hard that his clothes got ripped off.

  By noon we had found our motel in Mercer, our stopping spot for a few days of exploration. I knew we had a long drive to Sequoia today so I wanted to drop our gear and start the adventure. In the lobby was a man talking to the host about his lost tooth brush. For 15 minutes the host and this idiot talked about his missing tooth brush. The host offered to buy a new one, giving him anything to end this craziness. Finally after the battle of the brush ended, I was able to check in, with the clerk just shaking his head and saying, "Why did I buy this motel?"

  Our road kept getting higher and higher as we got closer to the giant trees of Sequoia. A stop at the visitor center showed all of us what the park had to offer. I had been here many times before. Everyone was amazed by the sheer size of the trees. We took a couple long treks through the forest with our eyes always looking up.

  Oct 6th- Yosemite NP would be on the dance card today. The weather was picture perfect for us to take in all the magnificence that the park had to offer. The views of the sheer rock walls cannot be described. The mirror images on small lakes and ponds made for many Kodak moments. We had a nice picnic in the Yosemite Valley, as we filled their bellies and our eyes.

  Oct 7th- Time to start heading back to Denver with a few stops along the way. We drove back through Yosemite and got to have a view from above the park. Large granite slabs of rocks made for a large play area for many tourists and our group along the parkway.

  Our next state besides confusion, would be Nevada. At every state line we would all pile out of the van and take numerous pictures. At the Cali.- Nevada state line a truck was setting out in the middle of nowhere, it wasn't the end of the world but you could see it from here. The driver got out when we pulled up and he was looking at the bullet riddled sign of California. Thinking the Italians could speak English or care about his opinion he started into his sermon. "This represents what Nevada thinks of California gun laws!" pointing to the demolished state sign.

 Our stopping spot would be Hawthorne, the capitol of the bomb making factory for our armed forces. In the distance there were hundreds of buried bunkers that held powder with a few workers putting together weapons of mass destruction. The town was proud of its' place in our history for making bombs for all of our wars. There where several museums showing all the different types of hardware used in the bomb making process.

  Oct 8th-Our next state would be Utah and the city of Salt Lake. On the way we traveled by the Bonneville Salt Flats and talked to a couple of old race car drivers.

  Oct 9th- I wanted my guests to get the whole experience of Salt Lake so we drove downtown, and took in all that the Mormon faith had to offer. The city center has really changed and has added much to the holy square. The building showing the scale model of the temple is very informative. A visual aid shows a cross section of the temple, since non Mormons can't enter. Another room has a giant oil painting of the high priest with a select number of questions that he answers from a computer. It's mostly about how to run your life successfully as a Mormon. There is also an area dedicated for anyone to be able to look up their ancestors. The Italians found their long lost family way over in Milan.

  Another three story building is the event center that has a 5 acre garden on the roof . As we traveled to each floor there was more info on and about the Mormon religion.

 We drove to Frisco, Colorado and had plenty of time to shop till the Italians dropped at many factory outlet stores.

Oct 10th- Heading to the last roundup, Denver, and the plane home.  We wanted to have a last hurrah so we bought a lot of food and friends brought a lot of food. We sat around for hours and talked about our adventure.

  On the way to the aeroporto I stopped at Buffalo Bill's grave so the Italians could look at history and have a great view of the the city of Denver. I also asked everyone why Buffalo Bill was buried here? "because he is dead, ha ha!"

  Everyone, including myself seemed to have a great time and it seemed like we were gone for just a few days, not 36 days. We drove a total of 6,600 miles. Man oh man/ HO KA HEY!!