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Vancouver Island
We enjoyed our biking adventure in western Canada this year. We flew into Victoria, a city in British Columbia on Vancouver Island. Before the trip, I did not know the difference between Vancouver and Vancouver Island; I had to ask a local. Vancouver is a major city in British Columbia. Vancouver Island is home to the city of Victoria and Victoria is the capital of British Columbia. Geographically, we were about 60 miles from both Vancouver and Seattle, Washington. We were in the southern portion of Canada, below the 49th parallel.
We began our journey, stopping in Montreal and arriving in Victoria after dark. A wonderful city, easy to walk and fun explore, was ready for us to see. To acclimate to the time change, being out west, we walked and enjoyed all Victoria had to offer for a full day prior to the beginning of our biking tour.
We had in mind prior to our visit to see the Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria. It was a bit of a long walk; we enjoyed the neighborhoods along the way. The “castle” was a good stop. The building itself had been a private residence and at one time a college.
The highlight of our first night on Vancouver Island was exploring the Butchart Gardens and seeing their final fireworks show at the garden for the season. Walking around the gardens at twilight and evening with lights on the pathways lent a different feeling to the gardens. We really enjoyed the experience and were glad to take part in it.
Pictures do not do justice to the grand fireworks show. It was unlike any I had seen. Sometimes it looked as if the fireworks were walking across the garden. I saw several YouTube videos filmed during one of the shows. Even they do not do justice to the amazing show set to music. They do provide some sense of the show.
At night the capital building is all lit up and looked terrific. We were staying in a hotel next to the capital building.
This is not the first adventure for our group of dedicated biking friends. VBT does a wonderful job arranging the trip and providing bikes. We show up, enjoy the tour and pedal.
Our biking group for Canada: Vancouver Island
We all started walking in downtown Victoria waiting for the bike adventure to begin. We had previously been on a bike tour to the Florida Keys and had our picture taken at Mile Zero in Florida. We were happy to have that landmark for us to walk to as we traveled around Victoria.
Our first ride was just around the streets of Victoria. It is a pretty city and we enjoyed the ride. We saw a giant totem pole, and we all stopped at the Mile Zero marker this time in our biking gear for a picture. We also pedaled though a park. They have beautiful gardens in Victoria.
On the second day we biked to the ferry and took it to Pender Island. We then rode across the island to our hotel.
Near the hotel, riding from the ferry, my wife and I could not resist stopping at the Enchanted Forest. You would have stopped as well. We took a hike to the forest after our biking adventure the next day. It was a fun place; we spotted several faerie doors hidden throughout the forest. If you find yourself on Pender Island, the view from the forest was worthwhile as is the path through the forest. It was a fun day.
I really enjoyed our time at Poets Cove Resort & Spa on Pedler Island. We could not get enough of the view from our room and the resort. The food was terrific and the accommodation was wonderful.
My wife loves kayaking. Part of this journey was a sea kayaking guided tour. We were treated to sweeping views of Boundary Pass, the Strait of Georgia, the San Juan Islands, and Mount Baker. I did not bring my phone on the kayak. But I am happy some of our friends did.
After kayaking, we went for a quiet bike ride to Brooks Point Regional Park. It was the shortest day of biking for us. We did have wonderful views and took our bikes over to the Enchanted Forest.
We were almost sorry to leave Poets Cove Resort, but we were looking to ride more and explore. We rode our bikes back to the ferry and back to Vancouver Island. After leaving a small island for a larger one, we were back on the bikes. We went to the family owned Sea Cider Farm & Cider house. After a fun lunch, we pedaled to the Oak Bay Beach Hotel in Victoria. We enjoyed taking a dip in the hotel’s heated seaside mineral pool.
We had a fun breakfast with the group and a final briefing on our last day’s big ride.
We took our longest ride from Victoria to the Butchart Gardens. We enjoyed the scenic ride and managed to get a little lost on the way; we found our way back to the path with the help of our guides and fellow bikers. We started early so we could have plenty of time to explore the gardens.
We enjoyed our second visit to Butchart Gardens. It was all in the daylight and we were able to take our time and see some of the sights we missed on our first visit.
Some of the members of our group wanted to ride the Rose Carousel. The carousel is comprised of 30 hand-carved wooden animals and two chariots. The artwork was very pretty, and it was a fun diversion from biking and walking around the gardens.
The gardens are the main attraction, and you will have to visit. It is well worth it. A beautiful layout of flowers, trees and shrubs. Every garden just flowed and it was hard to put the camera down.
We eventually got back on our bikes and pedaled back to our hotel. It was a good day at the gardens, and we were happy to visit twice.
We managed another day of wayfaring around Victoria prior to our plane leaving in the evening. The parks and inlets are gems. We enjoyed taking in the sights in and around Victoria, including palm trees in the yards.
It was sad to say goodbye to Vancouver Island. It is a place to visit again. Fortunately for us, we have signed up for another bike tour in 2026.
Other fun:
I was able to go on a few runs in and around the area. One of my favorite runs was along the water in Victoria and crossing bridges.
I was also able to run on the other side of Victoria after our return from Pender Island.
Of course, we prioritized stopping for ice cream. Or was it dinner? It was good, especially after a fun day of biking.
Getting in shape for our ride, we took a few rides on our local bike path.
See you on the road.
Charlotte Running – Want to Run a Half Marathon?
Looking back on it, every time I visited my daughter and son-in-law this year, I went running. So, when my daughter asked me to join her in running the Charlotte half marathon, I had to say yes.
This means I began training again with Tri-State Running and working on their fall half marathon plan. I had previously just signed up for the spring running group. The fall group trains in the summer months and it was hot on several runs.
When we visited our daughter and son-in-law after our anniversary trip to Florida, I was training to run the Flying Pig half marathon in May and wanted to go for a run or two during our visit. My daughter was just getting into running and since she had a running buddy, we went for a run together. I guess that was the seed that germinated into her wanting to run the Charlotte half marathon.
Fast forward to the fall, and we got together a month prior to the half marathon. We did a run on the Charlotte greenway. And, because I wanted to see the course that we would be running in November, off we went later in our visit to downtown Charlotte. Together, we ran the virtual Army ten miler. It was a good experience, and we learned a lot about the course.
My daughter and I did a warmup run prior to the half marathon–a fun trail run in Shelby. I liked the suspension bridge. It was a good day, and we felt ready to run the half marathon.
Like all good events, we enjoyed the expo the day prior to running. It was a beautiful day in downtown Charlotte, and the city was full of runners excited for the event. My wife enjoyed making a sign so she could cheer us on as we ran by. We saw some fun events and sampled some good products for runners.
My wife and son-in-law cheered us on from the road. It was great to be at an event where I knew the person cheering. At least my other events have had people cheering. Thank you if you are someone who cheers for people they do not know, it makes a difference.
Both my oldest son and my daughter ran the half marathon. We all ran separately as my oldest finished an hour prior to my finish. It was a perfect day for a run. Although I was not too fast on the course, I felt good about the effort.
Other Fun:
Road sign at a West Virginia rest stop.
The day after our ten mile run, we went to Chimney Rock and climbed to the top, and beyond. I was last up here in 2017, and it recently re-opened after all of the flooding in the area.
We went to the nearby town for lunch and toured some of the devastation that is still in the area. Our drive to and from Charlotte was impacted by the on-going road work. There is still a lot of work to accomplish.
We visited Cherryville, and of course we had ice cream downtown. We also ate dinner downtown and discovered a Halloween-themed party that had part of the downtown streets closed. It was fun.
I was able to get in all kinds of practice running. Summer is hot; I learned how to better run in the heat. I was not yet ready for the quickly changing temperatures in October and November. We had snow and then heat. The leaves have now come down, but I ran in a wide variety of conditions getting ready for the Charlotte half marathon.
Just prior to the Charlotte half marathon, I ran the Honor Run 10K. It was a fun event for me and a worthy cause to support.
Other runs in the area included the 10K run at the 29th annual Air Force Marathon in Dayton, Ohio.
No biking on this adventure. See you on the road.
Alumni Band Reunion 2025
This year we began our alumni band adventure the same way we began our Michigan State University marching band career years ago. We ran together. As students, we needed to have enough breath for the pre-game show. We defined “in shape” arriving on campus as able to play the pre-game fight song after entering the stadium and kick stepping for the event. We ran around campus during band camp, singing the fight song. The alumni band does not perform in the pre-game show. We just show up in our current shape, whatever it may be. However, two of my friends from the band and I ran the Big Ten 10k in Cincinnati. We chose a flat area, the same terrain that the participants in Chicago experience when running the Big Ten 10k. We ran at the same time, just in a different location.
This summer, we played music together, had a fun reunion and began looking forward in earnest to the alumni band weekend. It is good just to sit around and chat with friends. A good steak dinner also helps when celebrating our Big Ten 10k run.
For the fall alumni band, we started with a rehearsal on campus. It feels real when we all get back together. We can still play these instruments. Some of my fellow alumni are, or were, band directors and professional players. Several of my fellow alumni band members are like me, still playing and retired with time to come up for the weekend game.
After the rehearsal we enjoyed the reception for the band members, especially as it allows us to catch up with people we may not have seen in a year or several years. We also meet new people as well.
Saturday begins with us watching the Spartan Marching Band rehearse the show. I always wonder if we were that good. These guys are terrific! We join them and learn our spots in the drill and the music where we march and play, just like the old days.
This year the band is recognizing Tom Izzo, the Michigan State University Hall of Fame basketball coach. He came and gave us a pep talk after our rehearsal.
We had some time after our rehearsal to enjoy the campus and see some of the impressive tailgating that goes on during the home games. I am sure every stadium has traditions for tailgating. My favorite was the “green flamingos” who were setting up when we arrived. They were recognized as the tailgating showpiece of the week. I am glad I stopped by.
The marching parade to and from the stadium is one of our joys. It is one of the things we can do as the alumni band that we did when we were students.
It takes a while for 650 alumni band members to get seated. We arrived about an hour before game time. The pre-game show was wonderful; we all enjoyed watching the current students perform, and some of us were happy not to have to run onto the field and kick step. Near half-time we all snake down the stands and get ready for our portion of the show. It is so much fun on the sidelines. We get to march on the field, just as we did when we were students. The show is remarkably well done, thanks to the directors and band members watching out for us. After the game we go back to the field and perform a post-game concert before lining up and marching back to demonstration hall.
Other Fun:
We ate at the Brody cafeteria. If you had told me, when I was a student that I would come back into this cafeteria, I would have said “no way.” It has been torn down and re-built. It is a good dining experience. We ate there after the game, so we did not have to drive anywhere.
I did my traditional run on campus on Sunday morning after the game. It is good to explore the campus. Generally, no one is out in the morning after a football game. It brings back memories of seeing some of the buildings that I took classes in and remember from my days as a student on campus.
I played disc golf about 3 miles from campus on a relatively new course. It was okay and I may go back, but I will look for another choice as well.
See you on the road. No bike rides on this trip.
Repeating Visits to Our Grandchild
One of our joys as we are getting older is having grandchildren. No one has a better time with Christmas or birthdays than young kids. And as grandparents, we can give them back to their parents whenever we get tired.
We again traveled to the Northeast in December (2024) and February (2025) to visit with our grandson as well as seeing our kids. It is good for us to go as often as we can. We enjoy the visit and the area. I also went up in May to run a 5k in Rhode Island, but I really went to see my family.
We were able to get outside almost every day in December and February and explore some of the local hiking we have done in the past. We visited our son in Rhode Island, and I even played disc golf in February. It was neat to see the ducks walking on top of the water because of the ice. The thawing and freezing did make the course more challenging. And water hazards appeared on the course in some unexpected spots.
Hiking is different now that our grandson is four. He can walk and run. That does not mean that after a while he is not tired of walking and running. In order not to carry him, we all try to make being out for an adventure, a fun game for him and for us.
We are easily entertained playing inside, in the winter, with our grandson’s new toys. And if that was not exciting enough for him or us, we bundled up and enjoyed dropping by the local playground.
Our grandson has a new favorite game. We will see if he is still playing it the next time we go back. After turning four, the number four became his favorite number. He has fallen in love with playing UNO Junior and always looks for the Hippo as it has the number four on it. Each card with the number four is a hit, especially the blue hippo, as blue is also his favorite color and that card has his favorite number. We are happy he will play other games as well as with other toys.
Other fun:
We are fortunate to explore sights on the way to and from New England.
At Christmas (2024) on our drive up east, we stopped at the Cascades Valley Metro Park. We needed a break from driving, and on our hike at the park, we saw a couple carrying pumpkins. It is Christmas time and not Halloween; we were curious. They shared with us that throwing pumpkins toward the water was a fun time and a good way to get rid of the pumpkins. We agreed that the wildlife would be happy, and it was fun to watch. We also enjoyed the decorated trees along the path.
In February, we stopped to take a driving break at the West Branch State Park near Ravenna, OH, on the west branch of the Mahoning River. It was good to enjoy a walk and stretch our legs. It was near sunset and cold, and it did make us appreciate the partially frozen water on our walk around the boat dock.
On our way back home in February, we stopped in Schenectady, PA. We enjoyed walking the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail and happened to start at the entrance of the Scranton Riverwalk at the Olive Street Trailhead. We were happy to enjoy a walk of a few miles and take a break from driving. It is fun to explore along the way and discover new paths.
In May, I flew to New England for a 5k run with my two oldest. I was able to enjoy walking the Freedom Trail in Boston, even in light rain. My flight arrived early in the day, and everyone was in daycare or at work. So, why not. It had been years since I walked the Freedom Trail. I walked from the USS Constitution into Boston. I know that this is the opposite of most walking tours which properly start at the Boston Commons. I enjoyed getting to Boston Common and seeing the swan boats. I also went a little further and took in the magnificent downtown Boston library to get out of the rain for a few minutes. Since I was in the library, I walked upstairs to enjoy Bates Hall and tables as well as the architecture of this beautiful public space. Not many books were open; however, the library was busy with what looked like students.
I enjoyed spending the day with one of my sons on Narragansett Beach. It is not often I go to a beach in Rhode Island, especially as the year has been cool and rainy. The weather was good (mid-70’s) and lunch at Monahan’s Clam Shack was delicious.
See you on the road.
Running the Pig Again
The first half of the year, when the weather is “frightening” outside, I want to stay fit and in shape. Every year is a push to maintain good health; I am not getting younger. One of the ways I work on staying in shape is by running. To push myself, I again signed up to run the Flying Pig (half) Marathon in Cincinnati.
Over the years I have learned that I do better at sticking to a training plan when I am in a group. I am so happy to have once more signed up to run with the Tri-State running group. They keep me sharp with a good running plan and a series of events leading up to the event, the Flying Pig (half) Marathon.
I did spend several days in January running on a treadmill as it was icy on the sidewalks and streets. I am happy to have an alternative place to run, although I enjoy running outside so much more.
We follow a training schedule as part of the group; February has the first event to renew our familiarity with running in a crowd of runners and walkers. The local minor league hockey team sponsors the Frozen 5k/10k run. For me, back in 2020, it was one of the first times I started and ran in a crowd. I participated in the Frozen 10k run. It was a cold day, but the streets were clear.
While I was in New England, I went running with my oldest son in Rhode Island as a part of my training plan. We went for an eight-mile run along parts of the East Bay bike path and into India Point Park. This is part of a run we will do together in May as well.
Training does not stop for us older guys when we are out of town. I even trained on a cinder track in Massachusetts for part of my training program in February. It was good to do the 400 repeats on a track.
The long run for March is the Heart Mini Marathon. It was cold and raining. We started late due to lightning in the area. I have not had good weather in the five years I have run the Heart Mini. We all took off our hats, and the skies opened up just as the Start Spangled Banner was sung, so we were all soggy for this run. Looking back, I am glad that I completed this rainy Heart Mini, a 15-k run in Cincinnati, as a part of preparation to run the Flying Pig. Training in the rain was good.
We stopped in the Charlotte area to visit my daughter and son-in-law on the way home from Florida in April after our anniversary trip. It was good to go for a few runs with my daughter and one of her running buddies.
A few days prior to the run, Cincinnati hosts the Flying Pig expo. It is a nice way to pick up the race day packet and see various vendors. With over thirty thousand runners at the weekend events, it is great to walk around and get excited about the run. The run organizers do a wonderful job in having exciting things to do, not just picking up the packet for the run. This year I was able to make a bobblehead.
The Flying pig starts at 6:30 AM; by the time I get to the starting line it is almost 20 minutes later—due to the crowd and my slower pace. I had a great run and set a PR. I was hoping to finish under 2 ½ hours and I finished just over 2 hours and 25 minutes. Yes—it was about 48 degrees, misting/raining the whole time I was running. So, the training in the rain paid off.
Running fun:
I did several runs while we were in Florida for our anniversary celebration. I did find a good place to run on the sidewalks, although I went longer than expected on the first day as I was not sure how the roads all connected. Google maps are handy.
We did a long practice run in mid-April, running most of the course with the running group. Here I am overlooking the Ohio River. I went by this spot on the event but did not stop to take a picture during the race.
My two oldest children and I ran the Rhode Island 5k and half marathon in May, two weeks after the Flying Pig. I ran the 5k, having already participated in a half marathon in May. My buddies tell me it would be no problem for me, but I was happy to run on the bike path and streets for a 5k and not the half marathon.
Next stop, a few 10ks and other fun events. See you on the road.
Celebrating 40 Years Together
We were married in the early springtime 40 years ago. It is hard to believe how quickly the time has gone. We are living our great love story, my wife and me. A great love story is sweeping and dramatic. This is a simple travel blog. We decided it would be delightful to travel to celebrate our 40 years of marriage in Florida so we could bike ride together. We are happy to celebrate, and we feel excitement in reaching this milestone. Together, we are also looking forward to other milestones to celebrate.
It was enjoyable planning this trip so that our 40th anniversary would be special for the two of us. My thought was to look through some old pictures, write a little about each year from our 40 years together and put it in a book for a gift for my wife. I ended up giving her a page a day, with each page representing a specific year, leading to our leaving for our trip. On each page I wrote what was going on in the world that year, in our lives that year and one thing we could look forward to doing on our trip. I started just before Valentine’s Day, and my wife looked forward to opening a letter each day. The letters ended one day prior to our driving to Florida.
So, every day, for 40 days, my wife received a letter and pictures about each year of our marriage. It was gratifying to put together and even better to share. I enjoyed the daily rhythm of the look back at each year of our time together.
We drove on this trip, bringing our bikes. Our first stop, just south of Atlanta, was to McDonough, GA. We could not drive all the way to the Orlando area from our house, and this was a good stopping point. Also, I wanted to be mostly through Atlanta traffic starting off on our drive to Florida.
In my letters I spoke about the nice weather we anticipated in Florida. It was very nice. For the first few days it was almost exactly twice as warm in Florida as it was back home. That was a great change for us.
One of the first anniversary activities was to go into Orlando to see a show. We had a good dinner and appreciated the Sleuth’s Mystery Dinner Show “The Show Must Go On.” The action was entertaining, and it was an amusing evening out and something we talked about for a while.
My wife really enjoys kayaking. We had never been kayaking at night; we had a blast kayaking on Lake Ivanhoe, right near downtown Orlando, in clear kayaks. It was highly entertaining to be on the water at night. Although we were right near downtown, it felt as if we were miles away. I did not take out my phone to take pictures on the lake; I wanted to have a phone the next day. Thank you Epic Paddle Adventures for an epic encounter with nighttime paddling.
We took the idea of biking on this trip from our last tour in the Winter Garden area. It was near Christmas, and we thought Winter Garden was dressed up nicely for the occasion. We re-did several of the bike rides that we had done in and around the Winter Garden area at the end of 2023. Our last trip to the area is outlined in the blog: Biking the Central Florida Rail Trails. We were partial to peddling on the West Orange trail and biking in and around Winter Garden. We went for a bike ride every day. The weather was great, and the roads were good for our road bikes.
In our prior travels, we noted several pickleball courts in the area. We decided to learn so we could play in Florida. We had a blast playing together and will look to repeat the experience.
One of the things we cherish is to walk while holding hands. We took several walks. We found several places to go walking in the area.
Other Fun:
One of the benefits to the Orlando area for me was seeing my best man from the wedding. It was good to catch up with my brother and learn how he is getting ready to retire.
In one of the letters to my wife, I talked about looking forward to seeing sunrises and sunsets together. It did rain some, so, it was not always possible. However, we did have some good views from our balcony.
Once we arrived in Florida, we felt as if we were in a different world. Signs that warn about alligators and snakes are not common where I am from. Also, no snow was seen in Florida in the early springtime.
We stopped in the Charlotte area to visit our daughter and son-in-law on the way home from Florida. It was good to go for a few runs with my daughter and to see our daughter and son-in-law happy in their home. They only have about 37 years to go to catch up with us.
While in Cherryville, we took a tour of the Beam Truck Museum. Carolina Freight was one of the largest employers in Cherryville; its headquarters leaving town after it was purchased crippled the local economy for a while. The museum was very well done and the stories told by the guide made you think you were part of the company.
After we arrived back home, we went to see the trees start to blossom at the Boone County Arboretum. The heat in Florida felt to similar summer, so, we again changed seasons coming back to spring when we got home.
See you on the road.
Cherryville in the fall
The fall was a great time to visit the Charlotte area. The oppressive summer heat was over. We were fortunate to leave town just prior to Hurricane Helene hitting the Charlotte area. We made it out of town prior to the hurricane that hit Asheville. We travel right by Asheville on the highway. On our next drive to Cherryville, we will need to find an alternative route. Our daughter and son-in-law lost power for a few days and were otherwise well off compared to several in their area.
We enjoy hiking, and one of our daughter’s favorite hikes in the area is Crowder Mountain. We had a good day for a hike, although it was foggy. We went several miles, and since we had been on the trail before, we knew what we were missing in the background. I am sure we will get back to hike this trail again.
We saw the murals again walking in downtown Cherryville. We delighted in the historical park just off downtown and again took advantage of delicious ice cream as a family prior to heading back home.
We did a side trip to Shelby, NC, and walked the newest rail trail. It does not go very far. We also stopped at the Earl Scruggs Center. A lot to see and do in Shelby.
Other Fun:
I was able to play a round of disc golf at the home of the college disc golf championship, Winthrop University, in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
I did not know a lot about the Revolutionary War history with Charolotte. We took the Charlotte Liberty Walk and had the bonus of it being an art weekend. When we were done with the walk, we felt we knew a little more about the area’s history and had a better appreciation for the art culture in the area. The Liberty Walk was good, and we recommend you go if you have a chance. It was like a scavenger hunt to find the markings that the website displays.
My daughter and I were able to go running again in Cherryville. A few more sidewalks are in the downtown area, so we began and ended our running there.
Back at home I was able to play taps as a bugler for Bugles Across America for Revolutionary War heroes. Madison, Indiana, was having a 250-year presentation by the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution.
No biking on this trip. We did go biking on Labor Day in Loveland, Ohio.
See you on the road.
Alumni Band Weekend!
The Alumni band weekend was a perfect September weekend at Michigan State University. Someone asked me recently if I ever played in front of people, and I was able to reply that I just played for 78,000. Of course, they were not in attendance to see me or my friends. It was a football game, and we were the half-time and the post-game show.
I shared with my fellow E-flat cornet player friend Bill the saying “you cannot go back.” However, this is the only event we can do on campus that we did when we were in school. It was great to connect with my friends and fellow band members.
We started with a rehearsal on Friday night and then a reception where we looked at the memorabilia from the star of the show this year—Dave Catron. Professor Catron was my marching band director and held the position of director of the Spartan Marching Band (SMB) for many years. It was great to see him and be able to honor the legacy of his time in the program. It was fun to see some of the memorabilia and charts. My fellow-E flat cornet player friend Tom told us how he (as a part of the band communication team) drew cover pictures and other items on the display table.
The alumni band organizers had Saturday well planned, and registration was a breeze. We all met and watched the SMB run through their rehearsal; they sounded great! We had a run through of our combined program: imagine 575 alumni members joining 300 SMB members on the field. It took a few minutes to get us going into the designated spots.
After the combined rehearsal, we heard from Dave Catron and the Athletic Director and then the University President. It was great to see them all. Of course, one of my friends reminded me that we are all potential doners.
After the morning rehearsal, we enjoyed lunch and visiting prior to lining up for the march to the stadium.
One of the best moments of the weekend comes when we are marching to the stadium from the music building. The 575-member alumni band gets to march and play just like we did when we were students, except without the hot uniform and inspection. Dave Catron was on hand to watch us and cheer us on. The alumni band marches first and a little later the SMB marches separately. This moment is when most think we are back at school with the crowd along both sides of the street and the drum cadence from our playing days. We strike up the fight song and the crowd cheers. They are as excited as we are.
We perform this march to the stadium in good order; before we enter the stadium, we sing the alma mater at the entrance. It takes a while for 575 of us to find our seats. We enjoy the warm fall day and admire the band’s pre-game entrance wondering if we were ever that good.
It is awesome for us to be back on the stadium turf. Entry to the playing field takes several minutes of the second quarter and we get to see some of the action at field level. I also get to catch up with some of my buddies from last year as we get ready to perform. The highlight of our marching is to spell out “CATRON” in honor of the former director of the SMB. If you look closely, I am on the left side of the “A.”
After the half-time performance, we had our traditional apples, played more pep band songs, and played again on the field for the post-game show. We then are left with our memories of another fun day on campus as we march and play on our way back from the stadium to Demo Hall.
Lessons learned:
- Marching with the band was a great experience. Each year marching with the alumni band continues that great feeling. I can go back and experience some of the fun as an undergrad.
- Live and in person at a Big Ten football game is an energizing experience. Win or lose all season, this is the school I graduated from and the weekend at the stadium with 78,000 other fans is terrific.
- Meeting and spending time with friends and over 575 alumni is an experience like no other I have had in retirement. I practice my trumpet so I can continue to play with this awesome group.
Other fun:
Running on campus. My training plan called for a four-mile run and I did it on Sunday morning in and around campus prior to driving home. I had never been to the Lewis Landscape Arboretum (dedicated three years after I graduated). It was great to explore the garden a little while I was running. I also managed to walk along campus after eating breakfast at Brody Hall, where I ate as a freshman and sophomore. They had re-done the building and the experience, but it was still a quiet place to eat on Sunday morning. I understand it is one of the largest if not the largest non-military cafeteria in the world.
On the way back from Michigan, I decided it would be interesting to visit the Neil Armstrong Museum. I have seen this museum on I-75 going to and from Michigan. It is a fascinating museum and has more than just great Neil Armstrong memorabilia. It did make a great to stop; I am glad I visited on my way back home.
No bike rides on campus, although I did ride as a student.
Marengo Cave—What is a National Natural Landmark?
On our travels on Highway 64 between Louisville and St. Louis we see signs for Marengo Cave. We have passed by this several times over the years. Every now and then, you must get out of the car and explore what the attraction has to offer. We were glad we did. The tour and the caves are worth the time to stop in and see.
My first thought in seeing the entrance sign was “What is a National Natural Landmark (NNL)?” I had to look it up. From their website: “The National Natural Landmarks Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of sites that contain outstanding biological and geological resources.” Marengo Cave has been a NNL since 1984. It is privately owned. The NNL designation was interesting, and in reading about it, I discovered that over 600 sites are designated as of July, 2024.
I apparently have been to a few of the NNL’s and did not know that I had been in one. One is on a frequent bike ride route: Big Bone Lick State Park.
My next thought after seeing the entrance to the park was: “Why the name Marengo?” According to my research, eleven cities/towns in the US are named Marengo after the “Battle of Marengo.” I also had to look up the battle and Napoleon’s victory in the Italian city of Marengo which apparently (according to the internet) sealed the success of his Italian campaign in 1800.
The cave tours were informative and the caves themselves were impressive. I am glad we stopped. You cannot take many pictures in a cave. It was hot outside but the cave temperature is a constant 52 degrees all year around. So, we were comfortable on our tours. We are experienced cave walkers and did have a sweatshirt with us—and we used it.
Marengo Caves has two tours, and we walked both Crystal Palace and the Dripstone Trail. Each one was captivating. If you have the time, the continuous line from Crystal Palace to Dripstone makes sense. We were fascinated by the tours and did the Crystal Palace tour second. This arrangement allowed us to really enjoy the differences in the cave formations. I enjoyed the mirror lake feature the best; it is viewed on both the Crystal Palace and Dripstone Trail tours.
There are attractions outside of the cave that look like fun for kids. We did the Miner’s Maze and went in and around The Crawl, which was a replica of caving. I was just short enough (under six foot two) and thin enough (40-inch waistline or less) to get through, although it is best left to people younger than I am. I will keep this place in mind as a good spot to take a grandchild in the future.
We also walked around the nearby town of Corydon, IN, on our way back to the interstate. In for a penny, in for a pound as they say. We enjoyed walking the small downtown area and discovered it was the first capital of Indiana.
We would have explored the Battle of Corydon site except that it is only opened on the weekends. It looks interesting. It is a Confederate Civil War victory and we have ridden by a similar site in Ohio.
Lessons learned:
Be ready to explore on a road trip, especially one that we have taken before. I am sure on some weekend car trip we will stop back at the Battle of Corydon site.
Look for the National Natural Landmark sites. With over 600 of them, we must be passing one every now and then.
No bike riding in the caves. See you on the road.
Retirement Travel with Glen 