Author Archives: loansbrad

Itty Bitty Living Space, Great Big Backyard

Posted on August 18, 2020 by loansbrad

We spent the past week in Boulder. On Sunday we started the final leg of our journey by heading north to Montana.

I went to Kindergarten in Great Falls and did a family vacation to Yellowstone as a kid. But, I haven’t been to Montana as an adult. Lisa has never been here. So, we have been looking forward to our quick tour of the state as we work our way home.

It took us about eight hours to get to Billings in Central Montana, our first stop. On the way we found a spot by the North Platt River in Casper Wyoming for lunch. Most lunches involve almond butter and jelly. Since the food isn’t much to speak of, we go for atmosphere.

Amoco Park in Casper Wyoming

Billings became a town because it was a convenient railroad stop in the late 1800s. It has grown because it sits upon a rich reserve of coal, oil, and gas. It is situated among long cliffs called rims. We had a pleasant evening, staying overnight at a golf course. We dined on cheese and prociutto, had a nice bottle of wine, and got another beautiful sunset. Our friends Neil and Dave will be disappointed to hear we had no RV disasters to deal with.

Sunset over Eagle Rock Golf Club in Billings

The next morning we got up, and, since we only had a three-hour drive to our next destination, we went for a hike. It was an easy 2-mile hike but we got up high enough to see Billings. Max and Brodie called as we arrived at the trailhead, so we took them along. The place was teeming with grasshoppers and, upon seeing all the action, Sophie started catching and eating them. Max thought this was very funny (we didn’t).

A selfie with Max on FaceTime
A view of the cliffs

After our hike we hopped back in the Winona Rider and drove to Sentinel Ranch near Bozeman. This unique Harvest Host stop is an alpaca ranch. Yes, hundreds of alpacas. And, we are parked overnight in what they call the back 20. That’s 20 acres at the back of the ranch with lots and lots of alpacas. Alpacas are much friendlier than llamas, although we understand they will spit if in distress. But, then, I have a few friends that will do that too.

Lisa is fascinated by the fact that alpacas use a communal dung pile. She insisted we include this fact in this blog entry. Now I need to get up and walk over to take a picture of a dung pile so you can see it. Be right back.

An alpaca communal dung pile. Apparently the males are far tidier than the females.
We guys have that going for us.

We took a tour of the ranch and had the chance to feed the mothers with their new babies. The ranch family keeps the new mothers all together close to the house so coyotes don’t get the babies. Speaking of coyotes, there is a ranch sheepdog that protects the herd. His name is Falcor after the dog in The Neverending Story. Nathaniel, one of the owners, told us it is because this face looks just like the dog in that movie. I couldn’t tell. We couldn’t really see his face.

Falcor, the ranch guardian
Falcor meets Sophie and Ralphie

The babies are cria. We saw one that had just been born that morning. He was a little wobbly but otherwise looked a lot like the other babies. Our guide reminded us that prey animals are essentially able to run away from predators at birth — an important survival characteristic. Lisa, who is endlessly fascinated with these animals, reminded me that alpacas have two sets of eyelashes. I hadn’t noticed. But, they’re very cute.

The newest baby alpaca, born that morning

Lisa feeding a mother

A Harvest Host guest met this one and bought her. I hope she has room at home.

Alpacas only have bottom teeth. This gal needs hers straightened

Lisa examining the double eyelashes

It was 96 degrees during the tour so we quickly retreated to the gift shop (that was their sinister plan all along). Alpaca wool is much softer and more breathable than sheep’s wool. We’re suckers for soft and breathable.

After dinner we walked through the back twenty and watched the sunset. We have been having the dogs pose at sunset each night. They’ve done really well. But, tonight Sophie was not having it. She wouldn’t stay long enough for me to get a good photo. I scolded her not realizing that Sophie is a very sensitive girl. She decided she would stay, but, she moped about it the whole time. Photo shoot ruined.

We slept well since, at 10% humidity, it cools down nicely. We have developed a very nice habit of taking our time to get ready in the morning. Coffee, breakfast and relaxation. We then headed off for a hike in the nearby mountains. It was a beautiful 5-mile journey along the Cottonwood Creek as it wound down a valley in the mountains.

As I was writing this entry the alpaca herd came over to take a look at us. It underscored our experience — itty bitty living space, great big backyard. And, sometimes, with unusual neighbors.

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Rookie Mistakes, Lunch with Old Friends, and a Race with Mother Nature

Posted on August 10, 2020 by loansbrad

We awoke this morning to chirping birds and cool crisp air. Feeling like we had conquered the challenge of RV life, we gathered the dogs and walked around the lake at the idyllic winery in central Missouri. We were heading west and planned to leave at about 9am after our walk and a leisurely breakfast.

Our view of the lake at Serenity Vineyards

An RV has a lot of moving parts. Water, electricity, HVAC, gas, plumbing, solar, etc. Learning all the systems takes a bit of study. I guess we were bound to make a mistake or two. We just didn’t think we’d make them all on the same morning.

There are three water tanks on the Airstream Interstate motor home we’re driving:

— a fresh water tank that holds 27 gallons of water for drinking, washing, showering, and , uh, the toilet.

— a gray water tank for all the water that goes down the sink and shower drain. It holds 17 gallons if this water.

— and, finally a black water tank. We’ll let you guess what that one holds.

Well, a design flaw on this RV is that when you close the cover on the sink while after using the hot water, the water will turn back on. If you don’t discover your error quickly, you use up fresh water while filling your gray tank. Yeah, we did that this morning. Then Lisa discovered that the bathroom floor was filled with soapy water that should have already gone down the drain. Well, my error with the sink filled the gray tank, emptied the fresh tank and caused the bathroom floor drain to back up. Thank goodness we didn’t make a mistake with the black tank!

As we prepared to leave with empty tanks that were supposed to be full and full tanks that were supposed to be empty, our propane generator suddenly stopped and all the lights went out. Total power failure. Oh, no.

Lisa and I immediately went to the ultimate authority — Google in order to solve this mystery. Nothing.

We did, however, find a service that offered an expert to help us solve the problem. For $1 (using our credit card number, of course) we could subscribe to their service and have a friendly technician magically give us the answers. After about 15 minutes, Randall, our friendly expert texted to say he was ready to help. After describing the problem he gave a couple of generic suggestions that made absolutely no sense to us,

Lisa and I walked around looking for something called genset, wondered why we didn’t have a digital multimeter to diagnose the issue, but mostly we just wandered aimlessly hoping for a miracle. Well, a miracle came along. As we were searching for a solution, I noticed that a switch, called the main disconnect switch, was in the off position. Hmm. I flipped it on and presto! the lights came on and everything worked. I let Randall know he solved the problem, embarrassed to tell him what really happened, and we breathed a sigh of relief.

You see, it turns out one of us had accidentally bumped the switch and turned it off. Lisa and I continue to be in disagreement as to who it actually was. To keep the peace, we’ve blamed Sophie.

The culprit — Main Disconnect Switch

After this near crisis we headed out to the freeway to find a dump station where we could empty our tanks so the bathroom would drain. Thirty miles down the road we found one and I dutifully did the deed — draining the tanks into a septic tank through a hole in the ground.

Draining our tanks at the dumps station

Lunch with Old Friends

Our route back to Boulder took us through Kansas City, conveniently close to our dear friends Steve and Stacey Physioc. They graciously offered to serve us lunch, and after our morning fiasco, we arrived an hour-and-a-half late. It was great seeing them. They have a beautiful home on 2 1/2 acres in the country. Stacey served us a healthy (of course) lunch and we bid them farewell. A significant benefit of this trip has been our ability to visit friends and relatives (all socially distanced, of course). We are thrilled.

Steve guided me out of their driveway as I backed into the street. He rushed to move solar lights along the edge of the pavement as I backed up, telegraphing to me that he really didn’t like the way I was handling the rig. Another rookie mistake. Fortunately I made it to the street with no damage and we were on our way.

Steve and Stacey

A Race with Mother Nature

As we headed west through Kansas the skies began to darken. Lisa, ever the vigilant one, opened up the Weather Channel app to see what was up. She said, “Severe thunderstorms in Hays, Kansas with golf ball-sized hail. It’s heading north.

Well, from looking out the windshield it was clear that a massive storm was now south of I-70 and was heading into our path. We needed to get 20 miles down the road before the storm reached the highway. Big rigs clearly had the information as they were “putting their hammer down in their rush to get in the clear.

A screenshot of the weather radar. You can see I-70 at the top of the screen.

We felt the wind before the rain hit. I don’t know how strong it was, but, it was all I could do to keep us on the road. Should we pull over and find shelter or can we make it?

We decided to make a run for it. I couldn’t go too fast because of the high winds. The northern-most part of the storm hit us. It was dark, windy, rainy, and then the hail hit. We don’t have video of the worst part because our white knuckles had us paralyzed. I would have felt better if Lisa wouldn’t have kept singing the Wicked Witch of the West song.

The Winona Rider, although battered, did pretty well through the storm. As we came through to the other side we both looked at each other and exhaled loudly. Incredibly, the skies cleared and as we set up camp at a little nine-hole golf course in Wakeeney, Kansas, we opened a nice bottle of wine (of course) had pesto tortellini and were treated to a beautiful sunset. Life is good.

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Reflections in the Lake

Posted on August 9, 2020 by loansbrad

We left Winona Lake today and got back on the road. It felt good to climb into the Winona Rider, it’s primary mission complete — that of getting us to Indiana to visit Lisa’s dad. It was a transformative visit that drew the three of us — Lisa’s Dad, Lisa, and me — closer.

John Robert Stauffer was born in 1929 in North Manchester Indiana. He was a high school and college basketball star, married a girl from Indianapolis, and settled in Northern Indiana where he taught high school math and coached basketball. His father purchased the land the family lake cottage sits on in 1937 and John has been tied to that spot ever since.

Daughter number one was Lisa, born in Warsaw, Indiana in 1958. She came home from the hospital to a house on Winona Lake and the place has been in her blood ever since. I didn’t come onto the scene until 1983 when, after about six weeks of dating, Lisa brought me to the spot she loves more than any place in the world. As an Air Force brat I had never lived anywhere for more than three years. It didn’t take me long to adopt Winona Lake as my own (even through 37 years later some still refer to me not as a laker but and an “other”).

As Lisa mentioned in our last blog, we have been coming every year since, with the exception being 1985, the year we got married. As time has passed our family has grown and our visits to the lake have become full with energy, laughter, and love. I am happiest standing over the barbecue grill overseeing the preparation of hamburgers or pork chops or corn on the cob, a glass of red wine always in one hand. I often have multiple assistants and I love every minute of the chaos that ensues as we ready the evening meal. My other happy place is behind the wheel of our speed boat as I punish one of the kids on skis, a tube, or a knee board.

Son-in-law Kai taking flight on the tube in 2019
Lisa showing she can still slalom ski in 2019

This year was different. It was just the three of us. The rhythm was different, the energy level much lower. But, it was a chance to reconnect with John Stauffer. He’s 91 now and a bit slower than the man who regularly schooled me on the tennis court. But, he has the same twinkle in his eyes and same easy way with the world. One thing hasn’t changed. He still loves his Dairy Queen Buster Bars. I couldn’t, of course, let him eat alone. I’ll need a few extra workouts when I get home.

Buster Bars!

We grilled dinner every night and lingered after dinner to reminisce about days gone by, catch John up on the kids’ activities, and talk about current events. Days were spent reading, watching golf, and doing puzzles. And, while John wasn’t ready to ride the tube, we did take him on a boat ride every day. We even caught some fish. I threw the line in but, it was John, ever the coach, making sure I did it all properly. August 8th was Lisa’s birthday. We gave her a Dairy Queen ice cream cake and as we presented it to her John and I sang to her at the top of our lungs. John harmonized (I didn’t know he could do that) and had on a smile bigger than his face.

They say a father is the first man a little girl falls in love with. It’s certainly true of Lisa. This trip to Winona Lake took months of planning, the purchase of an RV, and 2500 miles of driving. Seeing the look on Lisa’s face as she spent this time with her father was worth all of that and much more. As we drove away this morning she had tears in her eyes. Some were tears of sadness because we were leaving and she didn’t know when she’d see him again. Some were tears of joy with the love she felt for him and the greater connectedness she had gained over the past ten days. The rest were tears of concern, hoping he would be OK until the next time we see him. They say you never stop worrying about your kids no matter how old they get. That’s true. But, they never warned us that you also begin to worry about your parents. I guess that’s why we’re called the sandwich generation.

Central Missouri

Our first stop after leaving Winona Lake is the Serenity Valley Winery in Fulton, Missouri. They brag that their grapes do not come from Missouri (which is a very good thing). And, their wines are pretty good.

Fulton is not too far from Columbia, home of the University of Missouri. Our nephew Jordan Stauffer is doing his medical residency there. He had the night off so he drove out to see us. We grilled some chicken apple sausages and watched a beautiful sunset by the small lake in front of the winery. It was a delightful evening.

Lisa and Jordan

Sophie at sunset

The nice thing about RV travel is that we can be very spontaneous in our travel plans. For example, we made a quick detour today and visited DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. John graduated from DePauw and set basketball scoring records. Lisa went there her Freshman year before transferring to Notre Dame. We stopped in the middle of campus and ate our lunch before heading back out on the road.

Lisa in front of the East College building at DePauw University. It dates back to the 1870’s

Lisa in front of John’s Phi Psi fraternity house

For those who paid attention to our initial itinerary, you may have noticed we did not intend to go through Missouri. We’ve also axed Yellowstone from our plan (too crowded) and will, instead, visit Billings and Bozeman. We’ll keep you updated as our adventure continues.

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I LOVE IT

Posted on July 28, 2020 by loansbrad

So far our blogs about our trip have been written by Brad with editing/suggestions by me. However, I bet many of you are wondering how I really am adjusting to this mode of travel. Do I love it or do I LOVE IT as in one of our favorite SNL skits?

Here’s the reality. I am adaptable. I used to love camping and then on one camping trip each daughter threw up successively in our tent and I swore off camping. We traded up to rustic cabins at Graeagle and I was in heaven. I also loved our sailing trips with Jim and Jayne Taylor on Andiamo in the BVI. I still consider those the best vacations of our lives even though we lived in tiny quarters and barely showered and never wore makeup or used a blow dryer. I knew I could do this but some questioned whether I would “Love It.”

So far…and let’s remember we are really new at this…I am honestly loving it. I love the fact that we are seeing new places. I love the fact that we are self-contained during a pandemic and have our own bathroom and cook our own food. I love that on our road trip we don’t have to stop at fast food places but instead seek out serene parks where the dogs can play and we can eat at a picnic bench. I am enjoying being disconnected to the internet and Twitter and Nextdoor and the news. I love spending time with Brad without distractions.

We ate lunch today at Anita Lake State Park. It was beautiful.

Sophie likes our lunch stops too.

We are learning how to do the dance that we learned from Jim and Jayne Taylor on the Andiamo as we cook and move in a small space. We planned our simple menus in detail and we packed our small pantry and cabinets with precision. We are getting better every day as we figure out more efficient ways to do the dishes or make the bed and manage our water and power. We may not be making the gourmet meals that Jayne Taylor made but we make up for it with a really good bottle of wine!

When packing for this trip, it was clear that we needed to be organized and be minimalists. Something that Brad and I are not known for when we travel — especially me. I have a closet in the RV that is three square feet, so packing cubes (thank you Mary Frandsen), are saving me. I usually show up for a weekend trip with a large suitcase and an extra toiletries bag. So far, we are proud of ourselves with our organization and minimalism. We seem to have brought the right stuff and not too much. (True Confessions: I did ship a box of cute clothes, sundresses, and swimsuits to the lake)

Some of you have asked about the interior of our RV. Here are a few pictures of the couch and bed complete with Tommy Bahama bedding, cute pillows and an adorable dog. The cabinet to the left is my three square foot closet!

Our living area including kitchen, bathroom, living room and bedroom.

Ralphie gracing the sitting area in the back. The two small cabinets on the left are my closet.

The sitting area converts to a king-sized bed at night.

We really like being part of the RV network “Harvest Hosts’. Harvest Host is a collection of wineries, breweries, golf courses, and farms where members can stay for a small annual fee. They allow a limited number of RV owners to park overnight on their properties. So far, we have been the only ones at each site and that is exactly what we are looking for on this trip.

Last night, we arrived at our destination — Thornridge Golf Course in Milford, Nebraska. Milford is a town of 2000 people outside of Lincoln, Nebraska. The Winona Rider looked out at a beautiful golf course and a community swimming pool. There was a gorgeous little park down the street that we let the dogs run around. It was all quite delightful actually.

Our home for the night in Nebraska overlooked a beautiful golf course.

The idyllic park right next door.

The park had nostalgic old-time playground equipment.

When we arrived and set up camp, I was struck by the sound of children laughing and playing at the community pool. There were dozens of kids swimming going down the water slide. Before I knew it, I realized I had tears in my eyes. I haven’t heard groups of children laughing in six months. We live by an elementary school and one of the happy sounds in our home is the sound of children laughing and playing at recess during the school days and families cheering during softball and soccer season. It was a feeling of normalcy that I have taken for granted every other year of my life and might have even been annoyed by. These kids’ sounds brought me to tears. I guess when you live in a very small town in the middle of Nebraska, Covid-19 is not something that kids and parents are as worried about as in the Bay Area.

The community pool across the street.

We are currently staying at the Living History Farm in Des Moines, Iowa. Early in the evening, we connected with our good friends Jenny and Steve Clark for a lovely socially-distanced glass of Walt Wine. They were great sports as we showed up looking a little like the Griswalds with our RV, two unruly dogs and our very casual appearance! Luckily, we were able to back out of their driveway more easily than at Vicki’s!

Jenny and Steve Clark

Brad was in heaven grilling out dinner at the farm. Of course, he bought a small Weber grill and modified it to operate off of the RV’s propane system. We ate Beyond Burgers, drank a nice Chianti, and were joined by some deer and a few geese. All socially distanced, of course.

Beyond burgers with Swiss cheese grilled on a mini-Weber grill.

Tomorrow evening our destination is Winona Lake. We hope to get there in time for a Winona Sunset and a boat ride. It’s been a six day journey instead of a six hour one like past years but this time it really is all about the journey and not just the destination!

Oh. And so far, I really do love it.

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Freedom

Posted on July 26, 2020 by loansbrad

“If you think travel is dangerous, try routine, it’s lethal.” Paul Coelho

Lisa and I have been (trapped?) in Danville pretty much the entire time since March. We’ve largely been in a routine — doing the same thing every single day. For those of you that know us, this isn’t normal. But, then nothing is normal these days, is it?

We sit here in our condo in Boulder, CO and we have been overwhelmed by the feeling of freedom as we’ve reflected on our past three days of travel. The freedom to move around; freedom to see friends we haven’t seen (other than on Zoom calls) in months; freedom to see my sister Vicki; freedom to watch a sunset in Boulder, our happy place we haven’t been able to visit since last October. Freedom to go places was something we used to take for granted. Not anymore.

Things are different, of course. We have to stay socially distanced. No hugs with the friends and family we love. Entering homes through side doors and basements. Wearing masks everywhere we go. But, we are free nevertheless. With the Winona Rider (our RV, for those who missed our first blog episode), Lisa loves being able to go to the bathroom anytime she wants. And, there is no worry about waiting in line for one’s turn or cleanliness.

We stayed at Dollar point overlooking Lake Tahoe on our first night. We stayed with our close friends Mike and Mary Frandsen. They sleep on the second floor, we slept in their basement. It’s a beautiful home and we felt lucky to have dinner with them on their deck even if we never got within six feet of them.

Sunset over Lake Tahoe

As we unpacked our things for the night, Mike mentioned that we needed to remove all food from the RV. Bears. “You’re kidding,” I said. “The RV windows are higher than a bear is tall. ” He let me know that bears are resourceful and their sense of smell is very acute. “I don’t care how cute they are,” I replied. Dad joke. A very bad one.

So, Lisa and I proceeded to empty five bags of groceries out of the RV and bring them into the house. As we went to bed, I did wonder if I had fully cleaned up Maile’s goldfish crackers that I had spilled the day before.

We arose the next morning with a fully intact RV, untouched by cute bears. We thanked Mike and Mary profusely and headed out for our long trip to Utah.

Saying thank you and goodbye to Mike and Mary

Oh. We haven’t mentioned the dogs. We brought along our two canine companions Ralphie and Sophie. Ralphie is our 4 1/2-year-old Welsh Corgi. Sophie, our 4 1/2-month-old German Shepherd mix rescue dog. Another COVID shelter-in-place acquisition for us. They have been great (with a few exceptions) so far.

Ralphie, left. Sophie, right

Next stop, Salt Lake City to see my sister Vicki. But first, we needed to travel through Nevada. If you have never done this, let’s just say it’s a slog. Chris Dittmore and Matt Swinnerton road across the entire country on bikes but the Nevada portion felt like the never ending story to them. We felt the same way and we were driving. But, for those who are wondering how the Winona Rider is handling the trip, Nevada helped us know it is a great way to travel. I am very glad it isn’t bigger. Every ten miles there is a sign that warns of high winds. That’s no exaggeration. Every. Ten. Miles. From border to border. Now, a high profile vehicle feels all of that wind. So, you do need to pay attention. But, it wasn’t too bad and we crossed the Utah border fully intact. I have, however, never been so happy to see those salt flats.

The Great Salt Flats

We arrived at Vicki’s place in Salt Lake City. She had recently relocated from Des Moines and had just bought and remodeled a new home. She had taken us through a Zoom tour a few short months ago and now it was done (I still don’t know how that was possible). It was beautiful. Vicki respected our desire to stay distanced and brought us in through a side door where our very comfortable bedroom and bath was awaiting us. She also had room to park the RV behind a gate in her driveway.

After a fantastic salmon dinner and great conversation, we went to bed. We had time to go on a three mile hike the next morning to a nearby park in the shadow of the Wasatch mountains. I can see why she moved there. It is a spectacular place to live with outdoor activities as the headliner.

Our walk in the park boasted spectacular views

Vicki had to head out before we left. She gave us lockup instructions and we said our thank-yous and goodbyes.

Standing with Vicki in front of her new home

Ralphie, Sophie, and Vicki’s dog Finn, all a bit worn out after our walk in the park.

As we left Vicki’s home we encountered our first, um, hurdle with the RV. Lisa guided me through the gate and back to the end of the driveway. As I backed into the street I felt a lurch and heard a low-pitched scrapping sound. Winona Rider came to an abrupt halt. The dip in the driveway as it met the street was too deep for us to negotiate. We have a cargo box for extra storage attached to the trailer hitch. It bottomed out on the street. Lisa instructed me to pull forward and try a different angle. Same result. Another angle. Same result. Meanwhile, the street in front of Vicki’s house was suffering more and more ruts from the effort. I wonder if she’ll send me a bill for the damage.

We decided to unload the storage box and try again. This time, Lisa had me drive over the curb in the hope that the extra height would help. Success! Despite some slight bottom dragging we broke free. We reinstalled the cargo box, reloaded it and headed off to Boulder.

Wyoming is almost as long as Nevada but slightly more interesting. The one thing we noticed as we drove across the state was the makeup of vehicles on the Wyoming portion of I-80. The number one most sighted vehicles were big rigs. You would never know we are in a recession with the number of trucks on the road. Number 2 — RVs. There were RVs of all types — trailers, fifth wheels, gigantic motor homes, campers. I said to Lisa that despite our RV being one of the biggest things I had driven, we were one of the smallest things on the highway. Last in the procession were cars. Not too many of them.

Lisa and I met in Boulder. We got married in Boulder. Boulder is one of our favorite places in the world. Driving into Colorado, approaching the Flatiron Mountains that overlook the city, and then driving into Boulder was very exciting for us. Lisa put on her Colorado playlist and we sang at the top of our lungs.

Our condo has underground parking with a ceiling height of nine feet. Our RV is 10-feet high. Not gonna make it. Fortunately, Lisa’s childhood friend Joan Stucka who lives in Boulder offered to let us park the RV in her driveway and, on top of that, loan us one of their cars. Good friends are like gold.

Sometimes you go back to a place you haven’t been for a while and you feel like it hasn’t changed. We have only been gone for a few months. And, while there is the deep familiarity things are definitely different. COVID different.

Masks are everywhere, Boulder has only a 2% positivity rate (the Bay Area is 6 or 7%; Southern California is 15%). Boulder is doing it right. Places are opened up. Restaurants even have indoor dining. But, they have adjusted based on the science behind the virus. Tables are spaced very far apart. Stores are open, but, only if they can provide appropriate distancing. And, the residents are taking it seriously. Still, it is surreal. We have gradually gotten used to all the differences at home. It is more jarring to see the dramatic change in a place so familiar.

Pearl St. at Ninth Ave. Closed to traffic so restaurants can expand into the street. Note all the masks.

We grilled pork chops on our back deck tonight and watched the sun go down over the mountains. We were both feeling relaxed, content, and lucky to have each other and this experience.

We haven’t really had a true RV camping experience yet as we have stayed with friends or at our own condo. Tomorrow we head to Nebraska and a night on our own in the RV. We’ll see how much we like this newfound freedom after that.

Stay tuned for more of this adventure as we make our way to Winona Lake, Indiana.

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We’re Doing What??!?

Posted on July 21, 2020 by loansbrad

If we went back to January 2020 to warn ourselves about what was to come there would be many things that we might not believe. It’s been a year of suffering and frustration for many in this country. We have been fortunate. Our caution since the pandemic hit has spared our family from getting sick. We have, however, had to adjust in ways we couldn’t have anticipated in January. Sheltering in place, wearing a face mask, social distancing — all things that seem so normal today. But, the one that might have surprised us the most? Lisa and I bought a motor home and are getting ready to embark on a socially-distanced cross-country adventure.

Let’s go back to the beginning to see how this out-of-character behavior began.

Lisa was talking with her girlfriends on a Zoom happy hour (another COVID-19 invention) when she started to lament her inability to take our annual trip to Winona Lake, Indiana. Her father had just turned 91 and seeing him whenever possible is of utmost importance. And, we haven’t missed a year since we got married. But, flying is not safe yet; driving requires a lot of risk with hotels, bathroom, and food stops. Seemed undoable. Then she (or someone on the call) brought up the idea of an RV trip. Sounded like an option. So, after the call was over, Lisa came to me with the idea. “Sounds promising,” I said. “I’ll look into it.”

Lisa’s Dad looking through his tree at Winona Lake

I began to research RV rentals. Now, going to Winona was going to be a month-long excursion with a stop in Boulder and a possible national park visit. The rental costs were sky high, especially since it would be parked unused for a much of the time while we were in Boulder and Winona Lake. Since we love to travel and this might be our only means to do so for a while, and given we want to visit my parents, see our place in Boulder periodically, and head off on other adventures, I wondered if buying a motor home might not be a bad idea. So, the research began.

We ended up buying a used 2017 Airstream Interstate Grand Tour motor home. And, we were fortunate. There have been a number of COVID crazes and, I think we’ve done them all. First it was sourdough bread and banana bread, then it was a puppy (Sophie), then a hot tub, then a backyard playground for the grandkids. And, finally, a motor home. All of these crazes drove up demand for the products and we were fortunate to put a deposit on our RV before the masses came rushing in. One news report we saw said that RV sales are up 170% from the pre-COVID period. We feel lucky to have gotten such a nice unit for the price we did.

Lisa and I picking up our new mode of transportation

Lisa says I became obsessed with the idea of becoming an RV owner. I guess I did. It would be six weeks before we could take delivery once we pulled the trigger because the Airstream dealership was so slammed with demand. So, it was YouTube videos to learn what to do; blogs to learn about this strange new hobby; Amazon to buy all the needed accessories the videos and blogs said I must have. I also started planning our trip (Yes, Gracie, you heard that right. I am doing the planning).

You can imagine how excited we were to take delivery on our new toy! Lisa thought it should have a name. Katie suggested The Winona Rider. It stuck.

First up: a test run up to Sonoma Valley. We joined a network called Harvest Hosts which allows members to park their RV overnight for free at wineries, breweries, farms, and golf courses around the country. We chose Mayo Vineyards in Glen Ellen as our maiden voyage destination. If you know us, going to a winery would not be a surprise. Driving is easy since it is a relatively small RV so the trip up was a breeze. We arrived and the woman running the winery welcomed us and had us back in to a spot among the grape vines. Maybe this will be a better way to travel than we expected! She then offered us a socially-distanced wine tasting and told us we could set up in their outdoor tasing area after they closed if we wanted to eat dinner and allow the dogs to roam around in the enclosed space. Yes!

Camping in the vineyard
Our wine and cheese dinner at Mayo Vineyards
Lisa and I hanging in the tasting area after closing time.

We both slept like babies. It was like camping, only more luxurious. And, since we haven’t left Danville since March it felt even more special. Yes, there were a few hiccups. For example, when your rig isn’t plugged into an outlet it is important to be economical with power usage so you don’t drain your batteries. I woke up at 4 am and noticed I had forgotten to turn off the outside lights. Lisa said she heard me mutter, “You idiot.” (to myself) as I got up to turn them off. Our batteries were fine, but, it was a warning to have a checklist of things to pay attention to. I am guessing this won’t be our last rookie mistake.

Tomorrow we begin the main event. A month-long RV trip with stops in Lake Tahoe, Salt Lake City, Boulder, Lincoln, Des Moines before we reach Winona Lake. On the way home we will retrace our steps to Boulder before going north to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. We are looking forward to the adventure (misadventure?) of a lifetime. All without setting foot on an airplane or pulling out our passports. Our marriage has survived 35 years. It’s survived sheltering in place in our relatively spacious home. Why not test it in a space the size of your master bath for one month?

Our four week route.

We plan on being extremely cautious as we don’t want to get sick or infect anyone else. Of course, we’ll be sporting our masks and keeping our distance as we go. It will be interesting to see how the cultural differences around the country impact the seriousness that people handle the risks. Join us on this road trip as we blog all of our experiences.

When we bought the RV, Lisa said we would be selling it on the day a vaccine is released. Now we’re thinking, perhaps, we will keep The Winona Rider well past the pandemic. Who knows?

Categories: RV, Travel | Tags: , , , | 18 Comments

Out of Africa

Posted on November 22, 2019 by loansbrad

When we first told friends and family that we were going to Africa this year, they all said the same thing. Africa will forever change you and it will help put life’s priorities in perspective. We weren’t exactly sure how we would be changed but we went into this trip with an open mind and a curious attitude.

We stayed in lovely resorts and all had excellent service. The African people we met were friendly and courteous wherever we went. I told Brad that I think the people in Africa smile when they talk and always have a sparkle in their eyes and a heart-felt greeting.

But it was our guides and their personal stories that we will always remember when we look back at our trip.

We will remember Charles and Junior in Zambia who talked about their country with pride and concern. They had pride in their culture and the beauty of their country but concern about their economy and the future. Zambia’s economy has a 60 percent unemployment rate and the majority of Zambians live below the international definition of poverty with an average life expectancy of 41 years.They were experiencing daily power outages while we there due to lack of infrastructure during the drought periods (most of the power is hydroelectric) and both of them talked about the high levels of corruption in their government. They both talked about their concerns with how global warming would affect their families in the future.

Junior

We will remember our guide at the Nakatindi Village. He had great pride in the accomplishments of his humble village and the fact that he had been selected to be a tour guide. He talked about how grateful he was that Abercrombie and Kent and our resort at Sussi and Chuma had provided funds and training for the people of his village. The village now has a commerce center where people are trained to run their own business. The Bike Shop was especially impressive and the shop was exploding with bicycles that had been delivered from overseas. The community has a neighborhood watch program and each community area has their own form of democratic leadership to make sure the villagers needs are met. The adults were all friendly to us and the children were out playing games and soccer with each other. The village really doesn’t have crime and are mostly concerned about the destruction that the elephants could bring to their homes. The biggest threat to the village continues to be the spread of AIDS and health care issues. He has already seen how the new clinic has helped the community. He is frustrated that the government ignores their village and they must rely on private donations to improve their standard of living.

We will never forget Mo in Kliptown in Soweto who is running an educational program for the youth of the township. He also has to rely on private funds and donations as the township receives very little help from the government. He is very proud of the program’s accomplishments and more young people are getting skills to have jobs as a result of his group’s hard work. I still can’t get the image of the port-a- potties that ten-twelve families have to share (they only get cleaned twice a week). The lack of power and water is also a huge issue for the township.

Monwabisi Baleni — AKA Mo

Our guide, Thulani, stunned us with his accounts of daily life in Robben Island. When he slammed a prison door to let us know how it feels to be locked in, it was very powerful. Being allowed to go in Nelson Mandela’s cell was also very powerful and sobering. The memories of Apartheid are still painful and emotional for Thulani.

Thulani Mabaso

Our mountain man guide, Ross, who took us up Table Mountain was right out of the movies. At one point, he stopped and let us take a much-needed break from our vertical hike and had us look around at the view. He has been climbing Table Mountain since he was five years old and said that as far he was concerned this place was his heaven. How could he want any more out of life?

Ross, our Table Mountain hike guide, right of of central casting.

Our encounters with the African children in the villages will be our favorite memory of all. If I had the resources (and youth) of Angelina Jolie, I would have adopted them all as well! The heartbreak of watching the kids play in the filth of Kliptown, the joy of the 4th graders in the rural area of Sabi Sabi as they showed us their new robotics kits that Exclusive Resorts had donated, the hugs of all of the five and six year olds at the pre-school are memories forever. I struck up a conversation with one of the fourth graders while she was doing the robotics demonstration. She seemed exceptionally bright and told me she plans to be a doctor. I hope she will achieve her dreams. We will also remember the little girl in Zambia who looked to be about Maile’s age. She came running towards Brad and leaped into his arms as if he was her own Grandpa and gave him a long, big hug.

Speaking of grandparents, we will also remember the role of the grandparent in the family unit in the villages in Africa. The extended family is all important in Africa and grandparents are held in high esteem. They take over much of the child-rearing while the parents go to work and apparently at the age of nine or ten they are responsible for all of the sex education conversations. The children stay in the same room with their parents until that age and then the parents need to build a new room on their house. If they can’t do that, the kids have to go spend every night with their grandparents. We love spending time with Max and Maile but I am not sure if we would want to be in charge of child-rearing once they approach puberty! Families all live close to one another with brothers and sisters and cousins all in the same area if not house. We were told that even if younger people get educated and get jobs and are able to move up and leave the villages and townships, their parents and grandparents would never consider leaving their homes no matter how humble.

No one will probably let us forget some of the crazy, daring things we did willingly and maybe a little unwillingly. At home, I am a reasonably risk-averse person. Brad maybe not as much. But on vacation in an exotic place, it’s fun to try new things. Shark-diving, swimming in waterfalls; having leopards approach our Jeep; taking a bush walk with guides with armed rifles wondering if a lion might be just around the corner; going on a river boat trip down the Zambezi hoping that the rocks we were getting close to were not hippos; and hiking up Table Mountain worried that I rubbed into a Blister Bush (look it up!) that would cause horrible blisters and scars for life. . . These were all things that we don’t encounter back in Danville. Of course, nothing was more concerning than living without WiFi in Zambia and not being able to keep up with the political world back home or play Words with Friends! (Just kidding of course…..mostly it was a wonderful break from reality)

Devil’s Pool

Our guide Ruth at Sabi Sabi stole our hearts and captivated us on every safari ride. Ruth really brought the Savannah to life for us with her her excitement for each and every creature from dung beetles and millipedes to magnificent leopards and giraffes. I mean how many guides have you had in your life that will pick up elephant dung and passionately describe everything in it? That’s a special skill! Her animal and bird mating stories will stick with us and make us laugh for years to come. Ruth is only in her early 20’s and we are curious where this love of the natural world will take her. Whatever she does, she will be successful. And, yes, there were tears when we all said goodbye.

Ruth, our safari guide examining elephant dung

And lastly, we’ll remember Cameron. He was our group leader for the entire trip from Johannesburg to Cape Town. His attention to detail and love of his country showed in all of his actions. It’s a hard job being in charge of thirteen different couples in multiple foreign lands with security and weather issues out of your control. Luckily, like most of our Exclusive Resorts group, this group got along famously, all joined with our love of travel and learning about other cultures. We all commented about how great our karma was on this trip but we all know that it was Cameron’s planning and good nature that made the great things happen.

Cameron in the front,left seat. Photo by Dave Stevens

Our Table Mountain hiking group

The bush walk group

So as we end our blog and have left South Africa, we would agree that we are changed for the better, equipped with a new perspective of the importance of family and ancestors and a different viewpoint on happiness and priorities. We also are challenged to understand the poverty and racial issues that still exist in parts of Africa and the lack of basic necessities in the villages and townships. Their governments all need to find the resources to do more for their people so they don’t need to rely solely on private donations for basic needs.

A neighborhood in Soweto

On my brother Bob’s recommendation, Brad and I read Nelson Mandela’s autobiography “Long Walk to Freedom” during this trip. It made our visits to Mandela’s home in Johannesburg, the Apartheid Museum, and his prison cell on Robben Island even more powerful. We can learn a lot from Nelson Mandela during our present time. I think any blog about South Africa should end with his words so I will leave you with these. They are still meaningful in today’s world.

“I never lost hope that this great transformation would occur. I always knew that deep down in every human heart, there is mercy and generosity. No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

Goodbye Africa. We can’t wait to come back and visit again.

Sunset on the Zambezi River

Categories: Africa, Cape Town, Safari, South Africa, Travel, Victoria Falls, Zambia | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Zambia — Waterfalls, Elephants, a Village, and the Devil’s Pool

Posted on November 21, 2019 by loansbrad

We took off from Cape Town in a small Kenya Air aircraft, landing in Victoria Falls Airport in Zimbabwe. Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, sits right on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. As we landed we saw bush country for as far as we could see. Lisa and I are now on our own. We said farewell to the rest of the group in South Africa.

Our guide and driver for the week was named Charles. Charles is native to Zambia and was eager to tell us about his country. Zambia is a landlocked country in southern Africa. It was a British colony that gained its independence in 1964. The primary industry is agriculture, but, it has an abundance of copper so mining is also a major source of revenue and employment to the country. Finally, with Victoria Falls on its southern border, tourism is the primary industry where we stayed.

Our first impression upon landing as we crossed the border from Zimbabwe to Zambia was the large number of people walking and riding bicycles laden with goods. Charles explained that there are significant price differentials between the two countries. So, with the high unemployment rate in traditional industry, many residents of both countries will cross the border each day to buy goods that are more expensive in one country than the other, effectively arbitraging the difference in order to generate a profit.

For example, Coca-Cola costs 80 cents a bottle in Zambia but $2 a bottle in Zimbabwe. So, Zimbabweans will cross the border (which is quite the process) to buy Coke and carry it back home to sell. Flour, rice, corn meal, sugar, and many other products are more or less expensive in each country so this process occurs with a plethora of goods. Imagine supporting your family by carrying heavy loads for miles each day.

Interestingly, the men rode bicycles while the women walked. I’m not sure why that is but I’m afraid to raise the topic with Lisa.

The tourism industry in the area seems to provide much good employment both directly and through ancillary businesses. Being a guide is one of the most sought-after jobs. It requires a good command of the English language (the primary language spoken here), strong knowledge of the history, flora and fauna, and geography of the region.

Our trip consisted of a mixture of activities to learn about the culture and history of the region and partake in fun tourist activities. We’ll give you a sampling of both.

Victoria Falls is fed by the Zambezi River. Our resort sat right on the Zambezi looking west into Zimbabwe. Called Sanctuary Sussi and Chuma (Dr. Livingstone “discovered” Victoria Falls on his explorations. Sussi and Chuma were his guides), the resort consisted of 12 elevated huts that they called treehouses. We got around by walkways that were 8 to 10 feet off the ground. With the wild animals in the area, we had to be escorted to our rooms at night just like we did on safari in South Africa. The place is beautiful and we highly recommend it should you come to Zambia.

Not only is this a stunning resort with amazing service, they are also tremendously supportive of their local community. We had a chance to visit the nearby village of Nakatindi. Sussi and Chuma along with Abercrombie and Kent have provided assistance to the education, health and economic well-being of this 3000-person village.

Our first stop in the village was the commerce section. There they had a barbershop, fruit and vegetable stands, a bike shop, jewelry store and other miscellaneous stands. Having good friends who are in to cycling (that’s you Mike and Chris), we decided to walk in to the bike shop. This shop gets used bicycles donated to them from the US, Australia, and Great Britain. They fix them up and sell them to locals. They also donate a bike to each child in the village who graduates eighth grade. The high school is several miles away so the bikes help them to further their education.

We went next to the jewelry store. The artisans here crush up empty glass bottles , melt the glass and form it into beads, hearts, and other beautiful pieces of jewelry. Lisa, of course, decided to support a local business and will be coming home with a few nice pieces.

Sussi and Chuma resort helped both of these stores with training on how to run a business, financial support to get started, and, they even sell the jewelry in their own store.

The village seems to do a great job of self-governing. They have elected village leaders, a neighborhood watch program, and they regularly work with the federal government for support even though they don’t seem to get much help from that source. Crime isn’t a major problem in the village. They have worse issues with elephants trampling through town, eating vegetables and making a mess.

Their most recent addition has been a health clinic, again supported by Abercrombie and Kent and our resort. HIV is a serious problem in Zambia, orphaning millions of children and driving the country’s average life expectancy down below the age of 50. The clinic as staffed by nurses with an on-call doctor who visits periodically. The clinic allows people who are sick to get immediate treatment; it provides health education, including sex education for teens; and, dispenses needed medication. The HIV problem is improving meaningfully because the clinic is here. And, people are getting better health care overall.

The children were delightful with several following on our tour asking for their picture to be taken, looking for high fives, or jumping into our arms to be hugged. The last major area of support from Sussi and Chuma was the school. They provide support to give free lunches to all the children so they can focus on learning, not their empty stomachs.

As we left the village and drove back up the road to our resort, a herd of elephants came charging through the bush, running straight at up and across the road both in front of and behind our car. It was quite a sight.

Victoria Falls flows from the Zambezi river into a deep gorge. Unlike Niagara Falls, it flows at varying strengths depending on the time of year. During the rainy season in January, for example, it is roaring across its full length of 1.25 miles. We were here in the dry season so the flow is far less with much of the cliff dry and exposed. Nevertheless, it is an incredible sight. We looked at it from both the Zimbabwean side, which flows all year, and the Zambian side that is dry this time of year.

This section of the falls runs fast and furious during the rainy season. It is dry right now as the Zambezi River is low.

After visiting the falls from the, um, general viewing area, we decided to get up close and personal with the falls. We went for a swim in the Devil’s Pool which is a natural pool at the top of the falls. One can only visit Devil’s Pool when the water is low as it is today. Otherwise the volume of water would sweep one over the falls. Getting there required a boat trip out to Livingstone Island, a short hike to the falls, and a swim out to the pool. While the height certainly got our attention, we were more concerned for our guides who had no problem walking out to the edge and leaning out so they could get just the right angle on a photo for us. Oh, and Lisa really didn’t care for the small fish in the pool that nibbled on our feet (see our Vietnam blog on her fish pedicure). All-in-all it was a fun, exhilarating experience.

Here we are before swimming out to the pool on the edge of the cliff where the falls are dry today.

And, here we are at the edge of the roaring falls.

And, finally, here we are hamming it up in the pool.

On our final evening we took a river cruise with our resort guide, Junior. The boat ride was essentially a safari on the water. We saw an elephant crossing the river, hippos both in and out of the water, monkeys, a herd of elephants on the bank, and many exotic birds. It was one of our favorite activities.

Zambia is an exotic, friendly, beautiful place to visit. We are so glad we visited. We’ll be back someday.

Categories: Africa, Safari, Travel, Victoria Falls, Zambia | Tags: , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A Day in Cape Town — Prisoners, Their Guard, and a Hike up Table Mountain

Posted on November 18, 2019 by loansbrad

“I set off a bomb at a military building. I didn’t want to kill anyone and no one died. But, I made a statement about apartheid,” said Mabaso. Thulani Mabaso was a prisoner at Robben Island, a flat round island in the bay seven miles from Cape Town. He was imprisoned when he was 19 and finally freed when Nelson Mandela negotiated the release of all Pocahontas prisoners in 1991 — 12 years later.

Mabaso was our tour guide at Robben Island. He was articulate and passionate as he led our group through the prison where Nelson Mandela spent 17 of his 28 years in prison. All of us were riveted at his emotional recollections of Mandela and the conditions at the prison.

We saw the place where prisoners were processed into the prison. They were stripped, searched (in the only places that can be searched when one is naked), and issued clothing. The black prisoners were made to wear shorts to remind them the oppressive system of apartheid viewed them as mere “boys.” Leaders like Mandela were placed in a 6 ft. by 6 ft. cell with a mat as a bed, three blankets, and a bucket to use as a toilet.

Mabaso was quite proud that he was given a master key to the prison, an item he would have prized while incarcerated there. He planned to open the cell where Mandela had stayed. He bragged that other tour groups were only allowed to peek in.

While at Robben Island, Mabaso, like all political prisoners, was tortured. They beat him, cut him, forced him to eat his feces, and many other unspeakable acts. Family had to make arrangements to visit prisoners six months in advance. The prisoners, however, didn’t know about the visit until shortly before it occurred. Then they could only visit for 30 minutes with a glass wall between them. Once, Mabaso was told his father was coming to see him in a couple of days. He was so excited. When the time came for his father’s visit, he was brought to the warden’s office. They told him that he would be receiving no visitors that day. His father had been shot seven times and killed in his driveway the day before. They laughed at him and taunted him. He returned to his cell and cried.

When Mandela became president of South Africa in 1995, he closed Robben Island as a prison and converted it into a museum so the country would always remember. During the reunion of political prisoners that followed, Mabaso said he rose the ferry out to the island, but, he couldn’t force himself to get off. Once everyone else had exited, a crewman told him he had to disembark. He forced himself off. It was a highly emotional moment as the memories of his abuse came flooding back.

He then walked us to B section, the place where Mandela was imprisoned. We were able to enter his tiny cell. Mandela was about 6’4″ so he couldn’t even fully stretch out when he laid down on his mat. The prison only held Black (Bantu) and Coloured (Indians, mixed race, Asians) prisoners. White prisoners were held elsewhere. Black prisoners were given far fewer privileges, including a more sparse diet. Lisa and I have been reading Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. It was incredible to us to see in person the place he described so vividly. We walked into the cell and sat on his mat. We could feel his presence there. I imagined what 17 years in this place would be like.

The daily schedule was unchanged. The were awakened, lights on at 5:30am; they were let out of their cells to clean their buckets at 6:45 am; they then ate a meager breakfast. The were chained up and walked to the limestone quarry about a mile away where they worked at breaking up and moving stone that would not be used for anything. At 4:00 they returned and took cold seawater showers that cleaned off the dirt and sweat but made them itchy from the salt. Mabaso said he read about Colgate soap that reduced the itching effect of the seawater. It worked and he said he still uses it today. The were then fed dinner and put back in their cells only to do it all over again the next day. They had Sundays off, but, Mabaso said it was the longest day of the week because they stayed in their cells most of the day.

Mabaso told us that the view of Table Mountain from Robben Island kept him sane. He once said that he would climb to the top of that mountain some day. A guard overheard him and said, “In your dreams.” Shortly after his release in 1991, Mabaso climbed Table Mountain. He said his dream had come true.

President Obama came to visit Robben Island during his visit to South Africa. Mabaso was there to coordinate the event and help lead him around the prison. A very proud day for him. You can read more about Thulani Mabaso’s story here: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/apartheid-in-south-africa

Speaking of climbing Table Mountain, Lisa and I did just that later the same day. The mountain is steep and rocky. The 2 1/2-mile, 2500 foot climb took us a little less than 2 hours, and ensured we slept very well last night! Our guide, Ross, looked straight out of central casting and was a fantastic educator on flora, fauna and trail tips. We were hot and sweaty for most of the steep, rocky climb. But, as we neared the summit, the winds picked up and the temperature dropped substantially. That caused us all to become a bit chilled as we waited for the tram rise down. Still, the views from the top were spectacular and we felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment as we posed for selfies in celebration.

Categories: Africa, Safari, South Africa, Travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Face to Face with Sharks

Posted on November 16, 2019 by loansbrad

When we received our itinerary in the mail a month before our trip, we were asked to choose between shark cage diving or a day of wine tasting. I quickly chose wine tasting and Brad immediately chose the sharks! So….in the spirit of marital compromise and a bit of adventure, we went with the shark cage diving. After all, our daughter Amanda had done it when she was on Semester at Sea in Cape Town. She chose the cheapest one she could find to save us a little money. That was not our intention for this trip. Never skimp on your shark cage!

When we arrived on the trip, I was chagrined to find out that no one else had chosen the shark diving. The rest of the group was going to spend a stressless day up in Wine Country. We had to leave at 6:00 am and they left at 9:00 am. One of our travel mates played the Jaws theme song for us on the way back home from dinner to get us in the mood. I was questioning whether we had chosen wisely.

Six am rolled around and we headed out with a wonderful driver named Satish. He was a wealth of information about Cape Town and the region. We went through beautiful sections of the city and looked up at the majesty of Table Mountain. Before long, we were passing through shanty towns similar to Soweto and people standing out on the streets looking for day labor jobs. The unemployment rate here is around 30% so getting work is a constant struggle. I still can’t get my head around the immense poverty and the conditions of the shanty towns here in South Africa.

We arrived at our destination, the Dyer Island Conservation Trust. They are the only shark diving company that is also involved in conservation efforts so we were happy about that. I was nervous. My brother, Bob, had been texting me on the drive to the sharks to make sure to keep my fingers and toes inside the cage, etc. You know how brothers are. He had also been shark diving here with his son Jordan.

When we went up to the briefing room, we were surrounded by 20- and 30-somethings. No sane people our age apparently sign up for this sort of thing. They were all in the touring boat that watches us shark dive!

Off we went with our waterproof orange parkas out to sea to find the sharks. The seagulls knew what was up and followed us all the way out to the shark-infested area.

When we got to our spot, we were given wet suits and Brad and I were promptly put into the first cage. No time to turn back now! I thought the cages would be completely meshed over so there was no opportunity to put my hands or feet out. That is not the case. There are large holes where you could reach out your hand and/or a shark could stick in his snout. Again, I was questioning our choice.

The crew began to throw in the chum to attract the sharks and the show began. Chum is a mixture of fish oils and parts. We learned we should keep our mouths shut while the chum is going in. We bobbed up and down going under the water looking at the sharks as they came right up to our cage. One of them was so close that his fin brushed against me. The sharks were actually well-behaved and reminded me ( a little) of swimming with the dolphins. They were just cruising together with their buddies and eating the chum and the bait. No attacking us in the cage. I quickly realized my fears were all for nothing and actually started enjoying the whole experience.

Our twenty minutes in the tank were up and we got on board so the other “youngsters” could get in the water. The hardest part of the morning was trying to get out of our wet suits in a very small bathroom while bobbing up and down in the restless seas. That process took as long as being in the ocean with the sharks did!

We saw mostly 6- to 10-foot copper sharks also known as bronze whaler sharks. Our guide on the boat got quite excited when a seven gilled cow shark approached the boat. Apparently, they are very rare and she has only seen one once before. Brad was down in the bathroom struggling with his wet suit so he didn’t get to participate in all of the seven gill cow shark excitement. We didn’t see any Great White Sharks on this trip. Their numbers are down a little in South Africa and like everything in nature, they are unpredictable.

All in all, it was quite a fun adventure. We topped it off with a wonderful sea side lunch in the town of Hermanus and toasted our morning with an Old Harbor Lager. We can mark shark cage diving off the list because next time given the choice, we are going Wine-Tasting!!

Categories: Travel | Tags: , , , | 3 Comments

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