Thursday, Day 19, May 31, 2012

Good evening from Jackson Hole, Wyoming where I am spending the night. Beautiful country. I am about 5 or 6 miles outside the Grand Teton National Park. I left Wendover, Utah this morning about 6:45 AM with a full tank of gas. Lady Blue really likes this country out here she is generally running at about 45 to 48 Miles Per Gallon. I-80 to Salt Lake City goes for mile after mile through salty desert where there is little to talk about except a straight road for mile after mile. There are a few factories that appear to me mining salt or extracting it out of the lake water. You see hugh mounds of salt and   actually you see the conveyor belt as it spills salt out onto one of the piles of salt. Along the lake where there is water you can see salt that has formed  along the shore line. On toward Salt Lake city you get a glimpse of the Great Salt Lake.



Mountains behind last nights motel

Sign for Casino

Small Dam on River

Mountains leading to Grand Tetons

Visitors center









Moose Out Side Visitor Center

Grand Tetons

Grand Tetons

Grand Tetons

Moose Looking Around

While driving around the park I have seen two Buffalo, three Moose, four deers and an assortment of birds. The moose statues pictured above caused a funny story. An older couple came walking up toward the visitors center and past this large statue. They had 2 very small dogs on lease who suddenly spotted the statue and started barking like mad and kept trying to run toward it and the old folks holding on like mad to drag the dogs away. When I last saw them they were still looking back at the statue and barking like mad. Before I entered the park I got gas and was asking a man at another pump about how far the entrance of the park was, He told me and said I was fortunate to visiting this week because last week he had 2 inch of snow in his back yard. Tomorrow I go on to Yellowstone National Park and I will be contacting you from there. Good night and remember I love you.

If you have tried to call me my phones rings but I can't answer it. I get email OK. Still have to learn how to use it I guess. Grandpa Bill.





Wednesday, Day 18, May 30, 2012

Good evening from Wendover, Utah just over the state line from Nevada and in Mountain Time Zone.  Actually I think this little town must straddle the state line. Last night I told you I would be headed for Lake Tahoe and Winnemucca, Nevada. As I was driving this morning I decided to deviate from my AAA plan and head up I 80 to go over Donner Pass. You know the pass from history with the bad winters and the settlers. Donner Pass is 7,989 feet altitude with lots of snow visible on the mountain tops and sides up high. The road has been very good and making far better time than I anticipated so I am probably 230 miles farther along than I thought I would be. A couple of things you notice the moment you enter Nevada and that is there is casino at just about every exit off the freeway. Here in Wendover where I am there are several very large hotel/casino and many more small casinos. I stopped in to the local Pilot Truck Stop and they even had a small gambling area right off the entrance. Gas has been very expensive with $4.95 being the most I have paid. As I leave here tomorrow headed for Salt Lake City the guy at the Knights Inn where I am staying told me to fill up before I leave here because there is nothing between here and Salt Lake. That is one of the interesting things about driving here is the vast openness. There are both very hilly areas with long up hill climbs then several miles of gradual downhill. In other areas the road is straight for mile after mile and you drive and you don't appear to be getting anywhere or any closer to the mountains you can see. There are many high mountains all with snow on their sides and peaks. This is vast openness as I said much desert and small salt plains and yet there is a beauty to the area. Just as I before I came into this town I saw the first sign of large salt lake areas. It appears that all the mountain passes are in excess of 5,000 feet so I guess you could say the land around the mountains is high desert. Amazingly you see lots of large companies which appear to be mineral process plants. What minerals I don't know. Scattered around in the desert are small houses with a few out buildings and a few cattle.

Snow on the mountain

Very Rocky Hill Side With Snow

Mile After Mile of Straight Road

Scrub Brush dessert Land

Dessert Land leading up to Large Mountain

Even Truck/Trailer Rigs are Big

Straight Road Leading to Large Snow Covered Mountain

Well folks that is about all I have to show you tonight. It has been a day of just sitting and watching the scenery go by. Not much excitement. As I figure it I am a little less tha 400 miles from the Grand Tetons so unless I get distracted by something more interesting tomorrow I will probably talk to you from there. God is still on the throne and His creation is as beautiful as ever but nothing like the New Earth will be. Good night and I love you. Grandpa Bill.



Tuesday, Day 17, May 29, 2012

After a very restful night at Nicku's home I am back on the road doing some backtracking to get back down to see Yosemite National Park. Yosemite has
a section of Sequoia trees but since I went through Sequoia National Park I passed this section. The park was extremely crowded today. Every time I get into one of these parks and see the vastness of the area, the majesty of the mountains, the trees, water falls and all the rest I am completely in awe of the beauty of our world that God has created for us to enjoy. I will include a lot of photographs for your enjoyment. Some I trust you will recognize as some of the most photographed and published scenes.

Granite Mountain

Full View of Above Photograph

One of Many Waterfalls

Another Waterfall

Perhaps Most Famous Water Fall in the Park

Bridal Veil Fall

Bridal Veil Fall

Water from Bridal Veil Fall

Bridal Veil Fall ( Everything is Wet From the Spray )

One of Many run off Streams From Falls

Another beautiful Water Fall

The Park has Many Dogwoods in Bloom

Grandpa Bill Got Hungry

I did get to see one Brown Bear as he meandered across the road and down into the woods. He was walking but still I could not get the camera to take a picture. I am spending the night in or near Modesto, CA. On Wednesday, May 30, 2012 I will be driving on toward Lake Tahoe and Winnemucca, NV. where I hope to spend the night. I appear to be back on schedule. Good Night John Boy, God Loves you and so do I. Grandpa Bill.

Monday, Day 16, May 28, 2012

Well the big day is over. They are married and getting ready to be off on a honeymoon. Today is the Bastani fair well brunch and then we will all start to scatter all over the country driving and flying back home and to our surroundings which seem dull and mundane when compared to the luxury here at this beautiful Ritz Carlton  sitting on a cliff along the beautiful Pacific Ocean. But, I will take my God provided abode in Ohio any day and my familiar surroundings and things, people and memories I love.

Corey, Nicku's boy friend graciously volunteered to return my tux thus saving me a lot of driving. I am spending Monday night at Nicku's home in Livermore, CA. Since she has been tied up for a few days helping prepare for the wedding her horse Pongo has not been ridden so she wanted to go to the barn and give him a workout. I tagged along since I had not seen Pongo since he was a small pony. Well hes not small anymore. After the barn we decided to go get something to eat and her room mate Heather ( a sweet young lady joined us at a local bar b que place. Delicious. Upon returning to the house Heather set in to make some cookies. So I stayed up until the first batch was bake and had my usual milk and cookies before bed. You know we must keep tradition alive even in California.

Nicku has a very nice two story home with 3 bedrooms, dining room, living room, kitchen and lounge area with a work space upstairs. There is a 2 car garage. Her home is nicely decorated, comfortable and cozy with a small fenced back yard for of course her two doggies ( Peanut & Louie ). Peanut is almost as wild as ever and Louie is as love able as ever. At least Peanut has calmed down enough that my pant cuffs remained in tact compared to previous times. He even let me pet him.

Nicku Riding Pongo

Nicku Riding Pongo

Nicku Riding Pongo

Nicku Riding Pongo

Nicku's Home

Sunday, Day 15, May 27, Cont,d

While at the wedding I heard a good story about a brides father and a friend. The friend asked the father if he had his UPS ready and he hesitated a moment not wanting to appear ignorant and he weakly said yes. After awhile he started thinking that " having his UPS ready might be something important that he might be forgetting so he sought out his friend and said you know UPS could mean so many things exactly which meaning did you ask about.The friend replied " show up ",  "pay up ", and " shut up ". I guess this could equally apply to the grooms father as well as to the brides father. On to Monday, May 28, 2012.

Sunday , Day 15, May 27, 2012

Busy Day as this is the day Daniel Howard and Parisa Bastani get married here at the Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay, CA. Beautiful ceremony performed out side under clear sunny skies with no wind. The last 2 days have been cloudy, damp and very windy. It was my pleasure to walk the mother of the Bride ( my oldest daughter ) daughter down the isle. I believe there were 200 invited guest but since it was outside there were several dozen watchers who stood outside the official wedding area. There have been 6 wedding this week end here at the Ritz Carlton.



Most of my family at breakfast

Steve and Jamie

Charlie And Joyce



Grandson Charles & Wife Colleen



Bride Parisa, Groom Daniel, Bamdad, & Janice



Will, Sara, Jamie, Steve Watkins

Nicku & Boyfriend Corey

Parisa and Daniel



Lisa Bosken

Patricia Bosken ( Daughter )



Tom, Patricia, Lisa Bosken & Grandpa Bill

Sara & Jamie Watkins

Wedding Diner Decorations

Table Decoration

Wedding Cake is Replica of Bush Stadium

First Married Dance

Bamdad says a few words to couple

Getting late and I am sleepy while the younger set dance the night away. Will try to say a few words tomorrow. Beautiful day, beautiful wedding and thus good night and as always I love you and God loves. Grandpa Bill.