The Best Things In Life
Aren’t THINGS.....

Reflecting on the “Good Life”
Here are a list of ‘wonders’ that lift the heart and spirits...
Personalize them for yourself and send on to someone who needs a lift today.....

1. The feel of grass after a fresh rain.
2. Coming home.
3. Singing in the shower.
4. Catching raindrops with your tongue.
5. Holding a baby.
6. Running into an old friend.
7. Getting an inspiring e-mail just as needed.
8. The smell of fresh baked bread.
9. A sleeping baby.
10. Birds singing in the early morn.
11. Holding hands.
12. Lunch with a friend.
13. The smell of morning coffee.
14. Hearing a child say their prayers.
15. Climbing into a bed with fresh, clean sheets.
16. Daydreaming.
17. Belly laughing.
18. Smelling flowers in bloom.
19. Getting a call from a long distance family member.
20. Hearing the word...Mom....Dad....Grandma....Grandfadder...
21. The American Flag blowing in a breeze.

What Inspires You???
Write me at.....iwg2003@yahoo.com
Would love to hear from YOU!!!

What Inspires You?

In our recent travels, this question was answered......again and again!
The people we met in every state we visited.....were so helpful and friendly. Asking for directions on Rodeo Drive....car window to car window....was a blessed experience. Even in the traffic of Las Vegas.....we had a similar experience. All over the country we found that people were actually......stranger friendly!
Are we in Florida? I’m guilty of tuning others out in traffic in our busy area. This was an eye opener for me personally.
I know the paranoia in our country of strangers and the reason why....
Just did not realize how ‘affected’ I was in my usual....Southern hospitality!
So.......friendly, helpful people.......inspire me!
By the way, we did have one unusual......crazy experience!
One man.....the $3.21 per gallon gas station attendant.....actually lied to us.
The questions we asked.....how far to the next gas area, is there any name hotels in the next little town we mentioned, how much was the going rate for the hotel behind him...all of these answers he gave.....were absolutely false as we discovered.....He must have laughed himself silly over adding to our dilemma....“a Cadillac with four tourist who don’t know ‘nothin’! Why they will even pay $3.21 (pump price) for mountain side gas!”
Yep, that was us! Gas got us to San Simeon a few miles away....Dockie’s GPS answers is ‘crow flies miles’ so we were unsure.....There was 6 or more name brand hotels at our stop,(he said none) the hotel he answered $200.00 or more to......was learned to be...half that!” The one point of agreement.....he thought we were crazy....and we learned...’he was!”. In any event we all got a laugh!
......Another such funny encounter was in Navajo country....a couple of panhandlers were at the gas station we stopped at and one of them asked Charlie for ‘some change’. Reluctantly Charlie reaches in his pocket and fishes out about 75cent in loose change asking...”What are you going to use it for?”.....the answer...”haven’t decided yet!” made us all laugh!
Think I will try that one next time I ‘solicit a hand out from Charlie’!
By and large, the awesome, majestic state to state scenery of our trip was......life changing inspiration!
Natural beauty was the major part of our trip. Unchanged nature was found everywhere we went....Evergreen and Redwood Forests, Canyonlands, Sea Stacks from a mountain view, rivers, lakes, creeks all whose final paths led to the great Pacific. A new respect for nature was formed by four Floridians.........Breathtaking to say the least.....the great vistas presented by the Hand of God in nature was truly inspiring to the soul. It seemed that we were in essence holding our breath for the next majestic display around the corner every day of our trip. When Annie P. commented yesterday (after having been released from her one day stay in the hospital)....when she said, “I wouldn’t have missed it for anything!”....she spoke for all of us!
That’s Divine Inspiration!

P.S. See rearranged photos...Whirlwind Trip Albumn! ...Link #1

Annie P. was in the hospital Sunday night to Monday. Same heart situation that she had before.
She fainted in the car coming back from Chris's house....Dockie drove straight to emergency room and tests began.
She is home now...with Dockie as her cook. Yuk! Toasted hot dogs for sure.
......She will have to pace herself and may be limited to not working on boat tops and taking wild Magic Carpet rides.
Our prayers are with her.....

Whirlwind Tour
Greetings;
Returned from our two week trip...Aug. 28-Sept. 12, 2003, with Dockie & Ann.
We flew from St. Petersburg, Florida to L.A. Calif. and picked up our...
Magic Carpet...at 9:00 a.m. L.A. time.
Picking up Charlie’s sister, Lydia, who lives in L.A. we began our guided tour of the big city. Flying through Beverly Hills with a “$10.00 find the stars house map”, we quickly.....see a lot. Going down Sunset Strip, Rodeo Drive (Charlie has a stand off at the intersection with a Rolls Royce)Bell Aire and on to the famous Walk of the Stars footprints. Charlie & Dockie was intrigued by Gene Audrey's and Champions horseshoe prints.
Various characters in all kinds of costumes... from demons to All American Red, White and Blue...would allow pictures to be made with them....for a price. Just looking at them was...shock entertainment!
Then we drove to the famous Olivera Street....a small sample of Mexico where we had the ’taquito’ plate of our remembered past.
Of course, we had to go to ...Marina del Rey and take a harbor cruise to see the yachts of the ‘rich and famous’. Was not terribly impressed since I believe there are many more pleasure boaters in nice Marina’s in Florida....big and little boats and yachts!
Next morning we get up and head to Las Vegas. The desert is.....hot!
One day in Las Vegas the temperature was 105.
Didn’t feel hot.....in an air conditioned casino. We learned to walk through each hotel to the next one....not on the hot outside sidewalk.....
None of us were gamblers.....but the Mirage Hotel we stayed in was a real treat. Since it was Labor Day week-end the prices skyrocketed! It was also our anniversary so we found a Wedding Chapel and....had some fun!
Leaving Las Vegas and heading out west toward the Grand Canyon....Dockie and Charlie took a ‘shortcut’ to the west entrance and we went down 18 miles of ‘Pea Vine’ road.....if you know what I mean. It became a dead end at an Indian Airport for touring by air.
Retracing our steps, pebble by pebble, we arrive at the South Rim Canyon in mid afternoon. Breathtaking and awesome to say the least....Charlie does a short hike on a rock over canyon trail....see pictures.
Exiting the East end of canyon we decide to take another short cut....the scenic drive...Arizona 64/160 to Utah 191 which runs by the Colorado River.
Staying overnight at Kayenta, Arizona which is in the middle of a Navajo National Reservation.....we pay 8% Navajo tax in addition to other taxes at our Comfort Inn...
Choosing to drive through the Monument Valley of Utah was some of the most breathtaking sights of the entire trip. Following the Colorado River through Monument Valley Tribal Park, Natural Bridges Monuments, Lake Powell, Rainbow Bridge National Monument we pass through areas that have been used extensively in films.
The four of us agree....Utah Canyon lands was one of the high lights of our trip....
Leaving Monument Valley behind we take I70 into Colorado and travel through numerous ski resorts off of our road into Denver. Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge, and our own families, Winter Park, brought back many memories of winters past....The lush green of summer plus the 80’s temperature was quite refreshing......
Arriving in Cheyenne, Wyoming around 7:00 p.m. we drive to the Warren AFB where Charlie has previously secured our lodging. It is Monday, Labor Day, and the base seems empty. Much to our surprise as we check in Ann asks the young lady at registration if she would happen to know if “Greenway Trailer Park” still exists. Her friendly reply is “Yes, my sister lives there. I can tell you exactly how to find it.”
Next in line for ’delight’ was our lodging. We each had separate suites in a brick mansion quarters that once housed Black Jack Pershing and family.
Huge, museum quality rooms awaited us....Ann and Dockie had an old-fashioned claw footed tub for luxury bathing and fireplaces galore.
Next morning, Dockie drives all over the base seeing his working memories everywhere. We drive to the Chapel they were married in July 1953 and it had remained the same on the outside after 50 years. A young military Chaplains Assistant unlocked the chapel and turned on lights for our ‘Special Moments”, Dockie and Ann were.....in heaven.
See Pictures on Link #1....Whirlwind Tour Album....
Driving off base - the memory lane walk succeeds in finding their very first apt. on Reed street as Ann ‘suddenly’ remembers the street upon driving by.
50 years later....yep, still there.
On the edge of town we find..... Greenway Trailer Park.
Entering the office and explaining their mission....the young lady, Shirley, reveals that she is the niece of the original owners......who had ’family adopted’ Dockie and Ann....and Cindy their new ’little one’.....
Excitement was shared by all.....What a delight it was to find that time had done little to diminish their precious memories of the past.
Having accomplished all that had lain dormant in their dreams......we breathed a sigh of relief and pleasure and left Cheyenne behind us.
Heading west, again, toward Salt Lake City, Utah....we again, discover the infinite beauty of.....Utah. Salt Lake City being a lush oasis of great beauty that we will long remember.
Heading North on I15/84 into Idaho we discover the potato grower’s secret of....irrigation, irrigation, irrigation. Everyone is so friendly and outgoing to us that we are truly amazed. Staying at a beautiful Best Western in Burley, Idaho was a real treat. The birds were singing happily as Dockie had his coffee early morning at a table by the pool. Flowers were lush and plentiful right outside our door. Could have stayed longer but our Magic Carpet had other areas of interest waiting up ahead.
Entering Oregon.....viewing and traveling the route of the Oregon Trail (the series we have all read)was fascinating. Learning that the emigrants of 1840 traveled only an average of 12 miles per day.....made our head swim at the rate we were......speeding along.....on our personal Magic Carpet.
Hwy. 84 carried us along the Snake River....which goes for miles....and on cliffs above the Columbia River. The Hood River and Columbia River come together at a beautiful point.....WHERE ANN AND I WANTED TO STAY FOR THE NIGHT.....but we were overruled!
A forest fire closed down I84 on which we were traveling and sent us to the other side of the Columbia River on Washington States Hwy. 14. The view was still utterly awesome.....but the road was two lane.....fearful.....
We stop for the night at a Red Lion Hotel. I was the one of four that was totally bushed! Four straight days in the car.....going 900 miles per hour....blew me out of the water. Refusing to go to eat....being called all kinds of names like ’unsociable’ etc. I take a wonderful bath and....pass out....The other three ’sociable’ travelers return with an arm full of apples given by the restaurant......Next day.....I ate their apples just to ’get even’!
Traveling up past Portland to Olympia, Washington in order to visit Charlie’s nephew, Randy Cravey and wife Suzanne, we must travel up the side of Black Mountain where they have a 5-acre lodge/home. We received a royal family welcome.....were given our own downstairs two-bedroom lodge.....thanks to Jacob their son being away.....
Randy had to return to Evergreen College where he works as an accountant.....for a 2 hour pre-appointed cook out. Suzanne takes us to the Market area where we buy the most beautiful Dungeness Crab from Puget Sound area. That night we had a feast!
Next morning, we had a first. Crab omelet. Luscious!!!
Relaxing in the afternoon.....was a much-needed affair.
The ‘men’ went to the market again.....buying King Salmon and grilling in oils and herbs. Fresh greens from Suzanne’s organic garden and organic corn on the cob....restored our health.....
Saturday we all climbed aboard our Magic Carpet and headed to Mt. Rainier which climbs to 14,410 feet. There we walked trails and creeks and saw some of the largest Evergreen trees I have ever seen. Some 1,000 years old and older.....Nature at its finest.....
Stopping at the foot of Mount St. Helens we buy volcanic rocks of great beauty.....which were environmental costly. The eruption of St. Helens in 1980 took 1000 ft. off of the top of the...then existing mountain.
Returning to our Mountain Family Lodge, after stopping at the Fresh Seafood Market, our hosts again bless us with a wonderful healthy treat called.....Fish Tacos......Cilantro, purple cabbage, onion greens, avocado, cheese etc. served over Ann fried.....Halibut. Yummy! Along with fresh asparagus, of course.....
Reluctantly telling our generous host’s good-bye we depart early Sunday morning for the Pacific Coast Highway, heading west out of Portland in order to hit the 101 Coast. It was our first day of ‘bad’ weather the entire trip. Fog prevented us from seeing very far as we were traveling in a cloud, on a cliff, overlooking the Pacific. We took a 10-mile detour to a recommended Fishing Port in Charleston and saw some wonderful commercial seafood rigs .....along with viewing a memorial of coast town men ‘lost at sea’ from 1941 till present.
Spending the night directly on the Pacific at Gold Beach, Oregon was a boost for me. I took a leisurely stroll down the brown sandy beach and restored my soul......in order to fly again with the Eagles!
The Pacific Coast Highway.....all the way to San Francisco.....is primitive by Interstate standards.....Very seldom was there guardrails. The cliffs had narrow curves, round and round. At one point we turned a curve and there was a herd of cows on the right side of the road cliff standing on about 1,000 sq.ft. of land..... they could walk across the highway (or over the cliff)in front of a car at any moment and there was no where the car or cow could go in order to avoid a collision! That was really my most ’scary’ moment....We agreed that we did not think it was ’legal’ for the cows to be there!
By the way, we paid $3.21 per gallon for gas at one stop on this PCH mountain run....and were glad to get it! Otherwise $2.50 was average....
Charlie almost had a heart attack when the mountain climbing used up more gas than projected and the little ‘ding-a-ling’ bell started its annoying reminder miles from any gas stations.....still being about 40 miles from Sausalito. All he could say was...”Lord, Jesus, Lord Jesus....”then we started to climb again...and he just groaned in agony. Remembering the air conditioner....off it goes! Finally we stop at a pull-out and another car does also....Dockie and Charlie converse and are assured that within 10 miles we will be in the outskirts of Sausalito....and the helpful motorist will follow us, just in case! Talking about an answer to prayer! We happily paid $2.70 for fill up! Cruising thru Sausalito we soon realize that a hotel there was not possible......crossing the Golden Gate Bridge we enter San Francisco, tired yet relieved to be there. Driving to Fisherman’s Wharf I have pages of possible hotels from the Internet.....stopping at the Holiday Inn....it was a no go but directly across was the Hyatt.....
Guess the guys, Dockie and Charlie, looked ’needy’ at this point...Charlie inquired about rooms and was given a high rate but with hesitation the desk clerk told him if he would go over to the house phone and call their 800 number it would help. Sure enough, we got a Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf Room for ....$99.00. another answer to prayer.
Of course, we had to pay $32.00 for parking our Magic Carpet for 24 hours!
Collapsing in our room.....we order room service as much needed therapy..
Arising early....you know...traveling with Dockie.....we head to the trolley cars....We take them to the turn-about...done by hand....get off and on...again and again in different directions. At one point Dockie and Ann were literally hanging off the side in front....a BIG truck stopped inches from Dockie’s foot....after he hollered to the driver! Truck and trolley stopped, thank God!
At Pier 39 we take a Bay Cruise out to the Golden Gate Bridge, past Alcatraz and around the harbor. Awesome.
Again, we trolley up to Chinatown and eat.....real and authentic Chinese food....More trolley riding....then we pick up our Magic Carpet and actually drive down Lombard Street...the crookedist, straight down street in San Francisco! Left my heart.....in the clouds on that one!
Again, we head for the PCH......was not as picturesque to me from San Fran to Los Angeles....We stopped for the night at San Simeon the town of the Hearst Castle....Was by the Pacific again in our hotel.....had a walk...this time it was Charlie who was ‘unsociable’. He was too tired to go to eat.....was consoled by a football game on TV!
Traveling by Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Malibu etc. was beautiful in seeing the sea and mountains come together and how architecture accomplished its mission.....despite nature.....
Having decided to travel on to the Mexican border, we passed thru Los Angelos like a native and headed to San Diego, a great favorite of mine.
Charlie had made phone reservations for lodging at the Coronado Naval Base and we were given an ‘exquisite’ Tropical Beach overlook...full service room. I wanted to stay there a week and hope to go back later for a week or so.....Awesome....
The ’crazy loonies’ I was traveling with....checked in....and immediately said, “We’re going to Tijuana!” I begged them to let me stay...it was only 17miles away to the border.....no way...I was kidnapped!
Parking our Magic Carpet on the Calif. side we took a bus across the border, was dropped in the middle of ’commerce hell’ and started our exploration.
Needless to say, it was an adventure.
Charlie and I did have excellent Mexican food at a recommended restaurant.
Didn’t buy a thing! It was ’too hectic’.
Returning on bus several hours later, while passing through customs Dockie asked about bathroom facilities. None....Only aross the street at McDonalds...Security would not let me wait with Ann....but the Security man stayed with her while Dockie crossed street etc. Bus driver and I waited....endlessly....everyone else aboard bus.....finally J.R. and Annie P. come running. Driver receives tip from Dockie and all is well again.
Another adventure bites the dust!
Last day we lolligag by the water, eat a buffet at the Officer Club and head back 135 miles to L.A. Turning in our trusty Magic Carpet we have put around 5,200 miles on it and felt completely safe in all terrain.
Leaving L.A. at 9:35 p.m. and arriving in St. Pete at 5:30 a.m. Fla. time....
felt like we had been around the world in 14 days....
Having slept for almost 3 days now.....I can check into the land of the living again.....saying honestly....”A good time was had by all!” and yes....
It is still....A Good Life!
P.S. Dockie traveled with his GPS in hand....ALL THE TIME!
See pictures...Link #1 Whirlwind Tour Album