morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-11-17
From: all over the county

To: Fort Myers, Florida
Miles today: 0.0

SOS and I flew down to Florida on Wednesday to see clients in the Tampa area. We do not prefer to fly and usually drive and camp along the way. However this time we do not have time to drive so had to fly. Our flight took us from Indianapolis to Cleveland...yup that is going north instead of south...and then to Tampa. The flight was uneventful, the car rental too much, as usual, and the traffic crazy!! We spent 2 nights in Tampa ... SOS saw the clients...and then drove to Fort Myers to my sister's house on Friday. We made a HUGE mistake by driving on 41 instead of 75. Traffic was beyond ridiculous so it took us forever to get to Ft. Myers. On the way, we did make a good stop in Sarasota at the Village Arts area which is full of restored small houses...many of which are now art galleries/shops/restaurants. We talked to several gallery owners and had a good time. Today we drove and drove and drove to Ava Maria. This is a brand new town with a beautiful Catholic church in the center of town. It is surrounded by Ava Maria college campus. There are also shops and living spaces. This town was developed by Tom M. (can't spell his name but he is the man who built the Domino Pizza empire). It is in absolute nowhere so if the 800 students at the college want to leave the town they have to drive a long way! Our niece's daughter was with us (she is 13) and couldn't fathom why anyone would choose to live here because "what would they do here?" We will be flying back to Ft. Wayne on Wednesday by way of Miami this time...also the wrong direction in the beginning! Monday morning we will leave Ft. Myers and head to the East coast to see other clients, Rog's aunt and uncle, AND hopefully one of our favorite "trail kids" named Overdrive!! He lives in the Daytona area and since we will be nearby we texted him to see if he would be available and he said YES! We are looking forward to seeing him. We have several speaking dates scheduled so must get our pictures organized and our presentation ready. Our local newspaper is doing an article about our trip so we have to work on that also. We are also busy trying to simplify our house (when we are actually there) by cleaning out closets and getting rid of things that we don't need any longer. It feels good to have some of this done and I am looking forward to being at home to get more done. Stay tuned...it seems that people are still reading this journal...if you are, how about a message in the guest book on the left side? We would love to hear from you...which reminds me...SOS was in a bookstore wearing one of his AT shirts when a young man came up to talk to him. It turns out that he is also a class of 2012 AT thru hiker with trail name Easy. He started and finished before we did. It is always fun to talk to other hikers in the 2012 class. I don't have my camera with me so no picture today...sorry...
Date: 2012-11-21
From: Fort Myers, Florida

To: Fort Wayne
Miles today: 0.0

Well, it is officially the Christmas season in Fort Wayne. For our family it starts on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving every year. For that is the night that Santa and his reindeer are lighted up on a big building downtown. Since the weather was very nice this year, the crowd was HUGE! We have taken our kids downtown for this event for 30+ years and now the grandchildren are there also. The other part of this night's tradition is getting harder each year. There is a Coney Island hot dog store near the lighting...and we used to be able to go inside, sit down, and have coney dogs before or after the lighting. Now it seems that is everyone's tradition. This year SOS stood in the carry out line for over an hour to get hotdogs to take back to our son's house...it is not the same as eating in the little spot that hasn't changed in many years. Santa used to be on another department store in downtown that went out of business. Santa and the reindeer were lost for many years and were then found, rehabbed, and installed on this building 33 years ago. A few years ago all the lights were changed to LED's and so now they are selling the old bulbs as a fund raiser...I need to find out where to buy one! Our youngest grandchild, Caden, who was born 10 days after we started the trail in Georgia, was wide eyed when Santa lit up and started cracked his whip over the reindeer who were "moving" rapidly! It is always fun to watch the little ones who see this for the first time...worth standing in the huge crowd.
Date: 2012-11-24
From: Fort Wayne

To: home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Since our family Thanksgiving was celebrated this year on November 2 which was when the Michigan 7 could come, we were all alone on the actual Thanksgiving Day. SOS decided the day before that he wanted us to have a turkey...problem being...if you buy a turkey the day before...he is a frozen block and needs fast thawing! I put him in water in the sink for several hours and then stuck him in the fridge and hoped for the best. We had decided to go to a movie at noon when we figured most people would be home eating. The movie we saw was Lincoln which we now highly recommend...especially if you love history like SOS and I do. It was very well done and the stars...Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field were great in their roles as Lincoln and Mary Todd. Tommy Lee Jones was also great in his role as Thaddeus Stevens. Go see this if you get a chance. After the movie, we returned home and pried the turkey apart (literally)to get the paper wrapped package out of him...that was a chore. He finally got in the oven about 3:30 where he stayed for over 4 hours. The one benefit of being alone on Thanksgiving with a whole turkey is that WE GOT it all! We both love turkey so there will be many days of leftovers. Today we decided to go to the farmer's market and called our son to see if his girls wanted to go. The oldest, Nora, was gone with Mom and Grandma shopping but Tessa wanted to go so we picked her up. When we got to the market, we found that it was closed for today so we went on to one of our favorite coffee shops, The Friendly Fox...only to find it closed also! We were determined to find something open so our next stop was a new coffee shop downtown. What a great find!! The shop was nice...but the best part was SANTA was there! Tessa got to tell him again (she also told him a few nights ago when we were at the Christmas Tree Festival) that the only thing she wants is an American Girl Boy twin...she already has the girl twin. (see her picture with Santa in photos). There were two ladies knitting in the shop and selling their wares...so Oma (Trail Mama) bought Tessa a bath scrubber...in pink, of course! That part of our day was fun...the rest not so much as we attended a funeral for a UM pastor friend who passed away after battling a brain tumor. He wanted to live to see his first grandchild born in December but that was not to be.
Date: 2012-12-08
From: Cincinnati, OH

To: Fort Wayne, IN
Miles today: 0.0

SOS and I are continuing to sort and clean out closets, drawers, shelves, etc. in our quest to simplify our lives. After seeing that we could live out of our car for 7 months, it follows that we have way too much "stuff" in our home. Things we don't use or need are finding new homes...some to friends/family and some to the Salvation Army. I got out my dehydrator for the first time since returning from the trail. I made 4 trays of beef jerky and 3 trays of applesauce roll ups. 3 of the 4 sets of grandkids are coming over tonight for our annual cookie making party. So we will be serving jerky and applesauce with our cookies. If this sounds strange to you...let me explain. Various grandkids were around when I was dehydrating everyday in preparation for our AT trip. They always wanted to sample and liked the jerky and applesauce but since I was on a "mission" to get as much food stashed up as possible, I didn't let them have as much as they would have liked...so tonight they can eat it all!! Other years we have made sugar cut out cookies and then iced them but tonight we are making gingerbread boys and girls...one for each person in their families. I collected two more small "rolly-rollies" (their name for rolling pins) while in a small town somewhere in some state so we will have enough for everyone to work at the same time....after picking out their favorite apron to wear. Tomorrow after church, we and two friends will drive to Portage, IN where we will check into a hotel there. On Monday we will get on the South Shore train and go into Chicago for the day. We will stay in Portage and take the train into Chicago each day until checking out on Thursday so will have 4 days to see the Christmas sites in Chicago. This same foursome have been to New York several times at Christmas but decided on Chicago this year. We always have a great time and are planning on it again!My many Christmas projects are coming along and are almost finished. I enjoy making things for family and friends. Each year for the last 12 I have made an ornament for my siblings and their kids...18 in all. It always involves a family history picture which I have framed in various ways over the years. This years is a little different but very special so I hope they all enjoy it.Have a great week...and sign the guest book!
Date: 2012-12-13
From: Chicago, IL

To: Chicago, IL
Miles today: 0.0

As you can see from the picture, we visited Chicago this week. Two friends who have traveled with us several times, ATM and Nancy (no trail name), left Ft. Wayne on Sunday and drove to Portage, IN where we checking into the Best Western for 4 nights. We ate nearby at the Quaker Steak and Lube which is a fun place...kids would love it...there is one in Fort Wayne also. Monday morning we got on the South Shore at a station very near by (which is why we stay here)and rode into Chicago. We walked through the tunnels to the Chicago Cultural Center. We spent quite a bit of time in this beautiful building looking at the architecture and the art in the galleries. On to Macy's, looked around there and then saw the Macy's Christmas windows outside the store. Next was the Christmas market in Daley Plaza. There are dozens of booths selling mostly German things...we ate a German lunch here. Next stop was where we took a tour of the 28 story UM Chicago Temple. If you are around here at 2pm each day, you can have a free tour of the Chapel in the Sky which was funded by the Walgreen's family. It is on the 26th floor and worth taking the time to see. Tuesday we decided to drive into the city..not really a very good idea...but that is what we did. We wanted to take the 2 hour architecture tour so that was our first stop after finding a parking garage for the car. The young lady giving the walking tour walked and talked VERY fast but was full of information about the early buildings in Chicago. It was a cold windy day so we were grateful to get to go into some of the lobbies! After the tour, while walking in the area, we discovered the Ira and Nikki Harris International Hostel. We went to investigate and found a wonderful 7 story building with lots of different sleeping arrangements. If you are looking for a low cost, clean, friendly place to stay in Chicago, check this out at www.hichicago.org . It is at the corner of Wabash and Congress. Will write about more of this adventure when I get home later today...
Date: 2012-12-13
From: Chicago, IL

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

On Day 3 of our Chicago adventure, we took the train again into the city. After walking thru the tunnels to the subway, we got on the green line and went to the Garfield Conservatory. It is made up of several buildings and made of glass windows. Last year there was a huge hail storm which broke 40,000 of the glass panes so they are still trying to recover from that loss. There are many rooms that all have fantastic plants and flowers of all shapes and sizes. There is a fish pond with big fish and beautiful glass lily pads made by Dale Chihuly. See picture in photo. The children's room has a stairway and a tube slide so it is quite popular with kids. The staff person suggested a nearby place for lunch and it turned out to be delightful! It is called the Inspiration Kitchen and is a training kitchen/restaurant for homeless and low income men/women to learn to find jobs in the restaurant industry. We had a wonderful meal and two wonderful desserts (which the 4 of us shared). All tip money goes to provide free meals to people who need them. See a picture in the photo section along with more info. We got back on the subway (we bought 3 day passes and didn't use them at all on Tuesday so decided to just use them a lot on Wednesday!) and went to Michigan Ave. to look around. We stopped in several stores and then walked to the "rock and roll" McDonald's. This is a two story Mac's with an escalator to take you up to comfortable seating where you can look out the huge windows at the city. We bought drinks and sat and relaxed for awhile. Along the way, we stopped at Bloomingdale's Home store on Ontario so that we could use the "most beautiful restrooms" in the city! The building was formerly a Shrine building and has beautiful stained glass windows in the restrooms along with marble pedestal sinks. Back to the subway and the South shore for the trip back to Portage...we found a pizza place for dinner and then returned to our rooms for the evening. Thursday we packed up to leave and decided to have breakfast at the Northside Diner in Chesterton...fun place as most diners are with good inexpensive food. We stopped several times on the way home at antique/thrift shops where we found a few small treasures... We were very pleased to have Christmas cards from family and friends but especially from our hiker family...White Wolf, Overdrive and Daystar. They all included pictures of their summit of Mt. Katahdin....wonderful memories of them all! more pictures of our trip in photos...
Date: 2012-12-17
From: Home

To: Indianapolis, IN
Miles today: 0.0

SOS and I traveled to Indianapolis on Monday afternoon so that he could attend a meeting with the UM Bishop and a group he has formed. His wife, Marsha, picked me up after inviting me to play the bells and sing carols at a nursing home nearby. Now I have never even held a bell let alone played one! Marsha assured me that it was easy....and it was! The "music" is just words to the song with a circle around the word when you are supposed to play and a line under when you are supposed to stop the bell sound by pressing it into your shoulder. If there is no circle or line, you just sing! Michelle Cobb, UM pastor, standing beside me in the picture, and I were B flats so we stuck together and caught on quickly...although when we had to walk, sing, hold our music in one hand and the bell in the other, and play...all at the same time...it got a little challenging. We had a great time and spread some Christmas cheer to lots of the residents. We spent the night at our nephew Doug & Julie's house. We got to see their son Spencer's 4th grade history project and was pleased to see that it was about George Rogers Clark. This man is largely responsible for the fact that our state isn't part of Canada...read up on him...it is a fascinating story...and then visit his memorial in southern Indiana like we did on our "practice hike" before the big adventure. See a photo of the memorial in photos...March 4. Today was spent with SOS in meetings all day and me feeling like I was back on the trail, dropping off SOS and then having the day to fend for myself... with one HUGE difference....the roads!! Here I was driving all over Indianapolis on my least favorite number 6 roads. The many "round abouts" totally confused Edith Chloe (our GPS) and me but we did manage to get where we were going (to a library, of course!)and back to pick up SOS on time...well, actually a little late because he got finished early. The library, by the way, is an 11 at least! It is the Carmel Clay Public Library in Carmel, IN. It is huge, has a coffee shop/cafe, a used book store and many, many comfy places to sit and read. Actually today I was knitting (a tiny vest for a tiny bear) to match grandson Caden's (age 9 months)new vest that I knit for each new grandchild. I also spent time getting Christmas newsletters ready to be mailed. The article about our AT adventure, in our local paper, came out on Monday. We were pleased to see that it pretty much covered what we said and how we said it...you never know how someone is going to quote you...read the story at http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121217/LIVING/312179996/1017if you are interested.
Date: 2012-12-24
From: Indianapolis, IN

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: snow

It has been busy around here as I am sure it has been in many homes close to Christmas. SOS and I have been making presents for grandkids. (see picture in photos) Today we bought tin boxes to put a rock from the AT, a coin from Bear Mountain in New York, an article about our adventure, and a letter from us to each grandchild. We hope they will keep the tin box and contents in their treasure boxes that each one was given a few years ago. I got the idea for treasure boxes from my Dad a few years ago. He mentioned several items that were given to him and were special to him that got lost along the years. I also thought of some special things I was given...like when I was in the 6th grade I got to go down to the 1st grade and help them with reading. My teacher, Mrs. Elzroth, gave me a little perfume bottle with a tiny funnel for refilling. Some where along the years, it was gone. So I thought maybe if the grandkids had a special box to put special things in...maybe they wouldn't get lost. That remains to be seen but I can always hope! 11 adults and 13 kids will be coming tomorrow evening to celebrate Christmas with us. I decided to make them a treat that I saw in a magazine once. I bought all the things I needed several days ago but couldn't work up the enthusiasm to get started until tonight. It took two hours but they turned out really cute so it was worth the effort! (See picture above) Three of our granddaughters go to our church and all were in the children's program today at 1:00. They were all angels. Everyone did their parts well...the cows got a little restless and were throwing hay at each other before it was over but other than that...all was well. SOS and I wish all of our readers a most wonderful Christmas season and a Happy 2013!
Date: 2012-12-25
From: Indianapolis, IN

To: home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Merry Christmas to all of our faithful readers! Our family will be gathering tonight to celebrate. We will have a meal followed by singing Happy Birthday to Baby Jesus and blowing out the candles on His "cake" (which will be two loaves of stollen this year). The reading of the birth of Jesus story will follow before the chaos of present opening!...and believe me, there IS chaos with 13 small grandkids! Last year the grandkids took turns singing whatever songs they sang for their Christmas programs. There are some new pictures in photos showing some things SOS and I made for the grandkids this year. We will spend the next 3 days with our Michigan 7 in Chicago. It is their Christmas present to their 5 kids. They take the train to Chicago and stay in a hotel for 2 nights. The boys get to go to the Lego store and pick out one thing. The girls get to go to the American Girl store and pick out one thing. It is a wonderful time and we feel honored to get to be a part of this happy holiday event! (I am sure that pictures will follow in a few days when we return!) Have a wonderful Christmas day wherever you are and look forward to a wonderful 2013!
Date: 2012-12-30
From: home

To: Chicago
Miles today: 0.0

SOS and I went with the Michigan 7 to Chicago for 3 days after Christmas. When we started out from Fort Wayne, the roads were not good but as we got closer to Chicago there was NO snow at all. It had not snowed in Chicago which was a wonderful surprise. Our hotel was a surprise also but not a good one! Last year we stayed at the Embassy Suites and had a great time. This year they "forgot" to mention to Megan, when she made the reservation, that they were doing a huge remodel of the lobby and breakfast eating area. This meant only 2 elevators were in use for 11 floors of people AND the stairs were closed off (does this sound like a fire code violation??) The wait for the elevator was 15-20 minutes EVERY time we needed to go up or down from the 9th floor! They also forgot to mention that the pool was closed....and the noise from the jack hammers breaking up concrete was ridiculous! This hotel has all rooms on the outside with a courtyard/lobby area the goes up all 11 floors in the middle...so all sounds are magnified on the way up...not a restful place to be. Breakfast was a zoo with everyone vying for the fewer than usual seats.When Jon (son in law) tried to talk to them about this their only response was...we are sorry...so he called the corporate office and hasn't heard back. We went to the American Girl Store, the Lego store and Bloomingdale's on our first evening. The second day we rode the subway and went to the Garfield Conservatory and the Inspiration Kitchen where we all had good lunches...in fact Sam,age 4, commenting on his toasted cheese sandwich said, "This is so good, I can't stop eating!" On Friday, we went to the Shedd Aquarium which is nice but also very expensive which didn't stop 1000's of people from coming on the same day. This made seeing anything difficult so we gave up after a few hours and started back to Fort Wayne. A good stop on the way home was at the Bass Pro Shop and the Quaker State restaurant. The roads were all clear coming home and we got back safe and sound. See photos for a picture of one of my best ever gifts...a gift of love from my 7 year old granddaughter, Nora.
Date: 2013-01-01
From: Chicago

To: home
Miles today: 0.0

SOS and I decided to host as many grandkids as could come on New Year's Eve. We prepared by buying noise makers, hats, and junk food! Only 5 could come as some were too far away, one was sick, one was too little and one opted to go to another cousin gathering. We ate pizza, popcorn, candy and watched a movie called, UP. Only 1 didn't make it until midnight. Luke was sitting up beside me one minute and fell over fast asleep the next! The other 4 all used their noise makers when the ball dropped in New York City...and then off to bed we all went! HAPPY 2013 TO ALL OF OUR READERS!! (We have no idea how we could ever top our 2012 year but we will try!)