Day 15 - Keene, New Hampshire via Kittery, Maine to Hanscom, Massachussetts

New Hampshire, another one of these green States, just this one didn't have rain - at least today. We started with a cloudy sky which turned bright and blue the further east we went. We drove through Concord and moved over to Maine near Dover, NH. Once in Maine we followed Piscataqua River south to Kittery Point and from there we went back into New Hampshire, following the coastline. While trying to find the Atlantic we felt that we were driving in circles trying to get to this ocean - and then we were there. We finally made it all across the Country from the Pacific to the Atlantic.

One of these beautiful New Hampshire houses

Canadian Goose in New Hampshire

We couldn't find a welcome sign, thought the liscense plate will do

Street in a Kittery Point, Maine

Atlantic Ocean at Rye Beach, New Hampshire

View to the other side at Rye Beach, New Hampshire

Massachussetts - moving South

Day 14 - Fort Drum, New York to Keene, New Hampshire

From Fort Drum near Watertown we drove through the Adirondeck Mountains - the name of these mountains is a total tongue breaker for me - don't think I can ever put the emphasis on the right syllables. A lovely mountain landscape with lakes and rivers and trees - in total about a four hour drive through to the eastern side of New York State. We entered Vermont south of Champlain Lake at Hydeville. We drove through Vermont from the western to the eastern side and all I saw was green, even the license plates of the cars. And it rained, it poured all the way from the west to the east. It surely is a GREEN state.

A lake in the Adirondeck Mountains

Welcome to the GREEN and RAINY state

A flag in the rain

An a Mill - also in the rain

Day 13 - Niagara to Fort Drum, Waterton, New York

From Niagara we went east to Tanghannock Falls State Park driving east and then going along Cayuga Lake, one of the ten Finger Lakes. According to Park information, the Falls are the highest vertical single drop falls with a 400 feet drop east of the Rockies. I cannot imagine how these falls would look like in the fall when the trees turn into fall colors, that might be a place to come back sometime in September or beginning of October. From Cayuga Lake we went north to Watertown, Fort Drum, our final destination for today.

Tanghannock Falls at Cayuga Lake, NY

A close up look at the falls

Spring flowers at a tree near the falls

Day 12 - Birch Run, Michigan to Niagara, New York

We left Birch Run as we arrived, in heavy rain, then going East towards Ontario. We crossed the border to Canada at Port Huron and drove along the River Thames and drove through London. It's funny, it felt like being in England. Further East we saw Lake Ontario in the North and had Lake Erie in the South. The first hundred miles we saw at least one golf course per exit, then towards the East of Ontario we saw less golf courses, but now we had at least one winery per exit. We reached the border at Niagara and saw the Falls from the Canadian side before we crossed the border to New York.

The Falls near Rainbow Bridge

And the Falls south of Rainbow Bridge

And than - back to the US 

Day 11 - Sault Ste Marie, MI to Birch Run, MI

We left our hotel this morning and went to look at Soo Locks at St. Mary's River between Michigan and Ontario, Canada and between Whitefish Bay at Lake Superior and North Canal of Lake Huron. After seeing the locks we drove south on I 75 which we left for a short move west to drive a few miles along Lake Michigan in total fog. Then we turned back on I 75 to cross the 3 mile bridge across the Straits of Mackinac between the Michigan and the upper Peninsula of Michigan, and between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
According to Wikipedia it is

"the world's fifth longest in total suspension and the longest suspension bridge between achorages in the Western hemisphere" (Wikipedia)

Now we say three of the five Great Lakes - two more to go.

After passing the Straits of Mackinac we left the freeway and drove along the seashore of Lake Huron, going south, passing Rogers City and Oscada. South of Oscada we were hit by a heavy rainstorm with lighting and visibiity of just a few yards. Well we got through this and arrived well at our today's destination in Birch Run, MI.

I 75 crossing St. Mary's River to Ontario

Another view on this beautiful bridge

The Soo Locks in Sault Ste Marie

The Bridge across the "Straits of Mackinac" 

Day 10 - Minocqua, Wisconsin to Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

Another change of scenery today on our drive East. We were driving through deep woods from the North of Wisconsin to the upper peninsula of Michigan. Finally we arrive at one of the five Great Lakes, Lake Superior. The lake was covered with ice, more than usual, due to a very high amount of ice this winter. From Munising we drove through Pictured Rocks Natural Shoreline and had a wonderful view at the lake at Miner's Castle. The change of colors in the Lake from deep green at the shore to blue and violet in the distance was amazing. At the end of the day we arrived at Sault Ste Marie where we will stay for the night.

Driving through a wooden landscape

Welcome to Michigan

Miner's Castle at Pictured Rocks National Shoreline

The rocky shoreline

And I found some wildflowers as well

And this little guy who was not scared of me at all, just interested in finding food

Day 9 - Minneapolis, Minnesota to Minocqua, Wisconsin

Crossing the big river for the last time on this trip - I assume - going back to Wisconsin at St Croix Falls Northeast of Minneapolis. Both States, MN and WI are so green with an amazing number of stunning little lakes along the road and rivers, rivers, rivers. We drove through Barron, the Turkey Capitol of Wisconsin - didn't see a turkey though, but factories, wish we had seen some wild turkeys anyway.
Then we drove through the town of Tomahawk in the search of a special house - couldn't find it and moved on to our final destination for today, Minocqua close to the Stateline of Michigan.

Another warm welcome to Wisconsin

Wildflowers in northern Wisconsin

Wisconsin River in Tomahawk

And more wildflowers

Sunset Lake Minocqua

Day 8 - Tomah, Wisconsin to Minneapolis, Minnesota

Short trip today along Mississippi River on the western side in Minnesota. Beautiful small towns in a middle mountain landscape. Many trees, bushes and flowers, everything is green. Then I realized the Germans must have been here. A little town with the name of New Trier was close to the road. Those of my friends who don't know Germany need to know that I grew up not far away from Trier at the Moselle River. And sure enough the church in town looked like a German church, the cemetery showed a majority of good old German names. Just less than 100 miles south everything sounded French, and here on the Eastern side of Minnesota, the Germans settled.

Welcome to Minnesota - almost missed the sign

A church like the ones in Germany

A cemetery with mostly German names

Day 7 - Ashland, Nebraska to Tomah, Wisconsin

We crossed the Missouri River at the Stateline from Nebraska to Iowa and the Mississippi River at the Stateline to Wisconsin in Prairie du Chien. So many towns in this area have French names which reminded me at my History classes when I learned about the Louisiana Purchase. How would the country look today if Jefferson hadn't made this deal?
Now as we have reached the Eastern side of the country it is time to relax and move in a slower pace. So many things to discover and we don't know if we ever get this far again.

Across the Missouri River into Iowa

Across the Mississippi River into Wisconsin

Enjoying the flight along the River

Beautiful cloud reflections in Mississippi River

Day 6 - Cheyenne, Wyoming to Ashland, Nebraska

Another tornado warning for the area north of Denver today, consequently we went East (not North) and finished our day in Ashland, NE right between Lincoln and Omaha. The drive was miles and miles and miles through flat grassland with cattle, sometimes horses and once lamas, alternating with plowed fields and leafy bushes. Once in a while we saw a town along I 80 with gas stations. That was it for Nebraska.

We passed the town of Sidney - even spelled correctly

No Nebraska welcome sign, but at least a sign

Interesting bridge across the Interstate

Finally a lighttower in Ashland

Well, I couldn't pass on this Beauty

Day 5 - Cheyenne, Wyoming

We stayed in Cheyenne today at the edge of the severe weather area. Just 100 miles south were tornadoes, thunderstorms and hale of the size of baseballs. Cheyenne had a tornado warning as well. Heavy winds hindered us in playing golf. Instead we enjoyed the wildlife and the beautiful brick houses of the site.

This squirrel found a nice place to hide

sitting in the grass watching me

brick houses built in the early 1900rds

our place to stay for these two nights

tornado warning - the sky looked scary

Some wildflowers in front of our room

And here is the welcome sign