Happy Dec 12th

Just putting up some new pictures. I am home sick from work so I figured why not put some more pictures up.

We were in Pennsylvania for the summer and I haven't posted any of those yet til now.

We enjoyed the summer home of the DuPonts, hanging out with our buds and seeing siblings finally get married! Way to go Michaela!

Mt Rushmore and the Black Hills of SD

These are a few more pics of our trip back to the west. Enjoy

The American Bison is a big deal for those of us who have not seen them before. Very cool seeing a large herd, I am not sure that I could imagine seeing a herd that took 2 days to move past a single point.

The wild ass is a cohabitant of the Black Hills

Rushmore is really a neat site, and knowing that if the sculpture had not died prematurely he might have finished it.

Albuquerque

Hello all,

We are staying warm here in Albuquerque, even with snow and freezing rain. We hope that all of your Christmas wishes come true.

Here are some pics for you to enjoy

The Wandering Williams

On to the Badlands

We spent the night in Minnesota and we had some apple pie courtesy of Laura Ingalls and Nana. Then continued to SD. We wanted to see the Badlands National Park. We had a nice campground just south of the park and was able to see alot of cool sites. We met a great family from Chicago that was on vacation to see alot of the sites that we were going to see as well. The Levin's , Sam, Tara, and Morgan and of course Oliver the dog became fast friends as we enjoyed some time with them. Thanks guys for your friendship! Watch out for rattlers!

Laura Ingalls Wilder

We got to see one of the homes that LIW grew up in. This is in Burr Oak, Iowa. Neat little tour of this stagecoach hotel that "pa and ma" worked at for about a year and half. Very small for a hotel. There was a granny smith apple tree that we were able to get 22lbs of great tasting apples.

Ole Man River

We enjoyed the mosquitos along the Mississippi for a night and then headed to Iowa to see Effigy Mound National Park. High on a bluff over the River were several mounds built by ancient people. Fun hike.

Madison, WI State Capitol Building

The Wisconsin State Capitol building is considered one of the 3 most ornate in the country. Texas, Pennsylvania are the other 2 and since we had seen the other 2 we figured that we should see the third. All of the capitol buildings that we have visited have all had amazing features and nifty architecture.

Pictures for you

We took a road trip during our journey to Albuquerque. This place is called Indiana Dunes National Park. Very fun and beautiful place.

The Black Hills

Hey all

Barely any signal for the broadband card, so just a little note.

We are doing well. We have seen the Indiana Dunes and then the Wisconsin state house in Madison, then one of Laura Ingalls Wilder's homes in Iowa, the Mighty Mississippi river,
Effigy Indian mounds in Iowa, then thru Minnesota and into S.D., across the Missouri River to the Badlands. We then spent the day in the Black Hills seeing Mt Rushmore, and Crazy Horse Monument.
Fun Day
The Williams

Pictures

The Great Smokey Mountains, WOW!
Great friends. WOW!

More Pictures, Yippee

Thanks to a great friend in Knoxville, TN , Allen who invited us to come and ride at his family's ranch. We had alot of fun, although Allen was bucked and hit hard on his back and side at the end of the time we had, the kids were not very enthusiastic to ride more.

Cumberland Gap and snow in April

The Cumberland Gap is the access that the colonial people had to Kentucky. Very interesting that it of course was an animal trace over the mountains, but what is amazing is that buffaloes were some of the animals that used it. Daniel Boone was instrumental in helping open the wilderness road.
Weather in the Knoxville area can be tricky, snow in early April was fun.

Posting some pictures for you all.

This is in Alabama in the spring. Melissa and the kids went visit with our good friends Dave and Kathy. Bama is nice in the springtime.

Hello all from Reading, PA

We arrived in the Reading area on Sunday July 1st after spending a week at Camp Timber Ridge in Indiana. Melissa got to be the nurse for blind camp and the kids enjoyed being at camp.
We enjoyed our time in Knoxville and all of the friends that we made. Pictures forthcoming.
TWW

Can't do it

Our computer is acting stupid so we are not able to post pictures at this time. We are working on it.
We are having fun here in Knoxville and will add pictures soon.

Nate's New Bike

Nate saved his birthday and Christmas money and was able to buy the bike that he wanted. Here we are in Moab, UT with Mike and Patty. Nate then got to go on a ride with Mikle who is a pro tour guide.

Oklahoma

We took a detour off of I-40 and visited one of the least visited national parks. Washita "battlefield" was actually a raid by LtCol George Custer during the Plains Indian War. A sad commentary on the way the Indian "problem" was handled 150 yrs ago.

Digging In the Arkansas Mud

This is from the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. We did not find any diamonds, yet, we still have some dirt that we have not sifted thru yet, so we are still hopeful. More pictures are to be coming.

The Little Rock Nine

This was the site of the 1957 episode that helped usher in integrated schools, which to many if not all of us seems really strange, but there were organizations that formed to keep out racially different children from schools. This was the site where bayonets allowed children to recieve an equal education.

Stones River Battlefield

This is a picture of the kids at the place called the Slaughter Pen. During the battle on Dec 31, 1862 over 8000 men were killed, wounded, or missing ina very small area.

Back on the road

We have left Mesa, AZ and are on our way to Knoxville, TN.

Hiking in the Superstitions

  

Superstition Mts

  

Another View of Mystery Castle

  

Princess of the Castle

 
This lovely lady is Mary Lou Gulley, her father built the Mystery Castle for her when he came to Phoenix to be treated for TB. When he died his lawyer notified his widow and duaghter, Mary Lou, and they have lived here since the 1940's 

How is this for a view!