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20030925 Open new window with today’s pictures.
September 25, 2003
Thursday
Start: Lake Park Trailer Resort, Fennville MI
End: FAMCAMP, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton OH
Miles: 308
Hi Temp: missed it
Lo Temp: missed it
We paid the Busscher's for our stay and headed out. Our route was through Allegan, around Kalamazoo on I-94, south to Fort Wayne on I-69, and then we wandered on US highways to I-75 and the Air Force Base here. The weather was nice and the drive fairly straightforward.
We got here about 3:00pm and set up the trailer in a nice campground - it's a vastly expanded campground on the site of the old overflow lot. Contrary to what the military guide says, they *do* take reservations - something to keep in mind for future stays in this area.
We called Wyatt, Susan's husband-to-be, and told him we were here. Then we agreed to go to dinner with them tomorrow night and to call Susan during the day to arrange a trip through the museum.
For the rest of the evening, we just took it easy. One short hike found us startling a couple of groundhogs, who dashed into the woods. Then we settled in.
20030926
September 26, 2003
Friday
Start: FAMCAMP, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton OH
End: same
Miles: 0
Hi Temp: missed it
Lo Temp: missed it
We got up at a leisurely time, then went out for breakfast. We called Susan and agreed to meet her at the museum at 3:00pm.
After that, we went to the local mall, where Dolores wanted to look at dresses for the wedding. She bought some casual things, as well as a nice dress. We came back to the trailer and put them away. Then we took it easy until time to meet Susan.
Susan showed us all the new things at the museum, as well as the old things in the new locations now that the museum's third building (hanger-like) has been opened. Next on their agenda is the opening of the new missles building (hanger-like, but smaller than the others), then beginning construction on the fourth large building.
Of course, Susan won't be involved in any of that; she's given notice that she'll be leaving on December 5th. Right now, she's taking three courses in Columbus from Kent State University leading to another master's, in library and information science, working full-time, and planning the wedding.
We went to Wyatt and Susan's house in Xenia, and got the full tour of it. It's a nice house with lots of skylights and solar-tubes to give light in otherwise dim areas. There's a great little side porch area that's roofed over. The garage has room for three cars when the other stuff is moved away. They have all the usual duplication of things that happens when two independent singles come together.
Wyatt drove us to The Melting Pot outside Cincinatti for dinner. Seating us took a while, but after that it was very interesting. There are four courses; appetizers you dip in a cheese fondue, then salad, then meat (we chose a widely-varying assortment) you dip in an oil-and-herbs fondue, then dessert items (strawberries, etc) that you dip in a chocolate fondue. With a red and a white wine, we were full and mellow for the drive back. We left their house as soon as we got there and arrived back at the trailer at 11:45pm and went directly to bed.
Tomorrow's suppposed to be games (including pool) at their house and dinner at 7:00pm at the Spanish restaurant El Meson, where the wedding and reception will take place on Oct 18.
20030927
September 27, 2003
Saturday
Start: FAMCAMP, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton OH
End: same
Miles: 0
Hi Temp: missed it
Lo Temp: missed it
We ate and went to Susan & Wyatt's house. We talked for a bit, then went out for lunch at Wendy's.
Then we came back to their house. We chatted for a while, and played pool (three-handed cutthroat, Susan, Wyatt & I).
About 6:30pm, we headed out in Susan's car with her driving, to go to dinner at the place her wedding will take place, El Meson in North Carrolton (a Dayton suburb on the west side). We met the owner, Bill Castro. He seated us. We ordered a series of seven tapas of different types. Each tapa was enough for four to get a good-sized bite or more of each tasty thing. One was deep-fried coconut-covered shrimp, another was chicken and sausage on a skewer, another was a salmon quesadilla, and another was baked brie on apple and ham with grapes. I can't remember the others but they were all unique. I liked all but one.
With them, we had white sangria, and Wyatt had a mohiso (sp?), a drink of rum and citrus.
For dessert, we had another spanish dish of caramel with blackberries, accompanied with port or espresso.
We'll enjoy this place for the wedding and reception, I'm certain.
Then Susan took us on a tour of downtown Dayton. After that, we went to their house.
As we got to the house, Susan pressed the garage door opener, but it didn't work. We drove around to the front, where she dropped off Wyatt to open the door, then drove around to the back again. This time the door opener worked when she used it. It turned out that the power had been off for two hours and came back on just before she used the door opener the second time.
Dolores & I headed for the little house in the FAMCAMP. We settled in quickly. I went to bed early while Dolores watched TV and came in later.
20030928
September 28, 2003
Sunday
Start: FAMCAMP, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton OH
End: same
Miles: 0
Hi Temp: missed it
Lo Temp: missed it
We got up, ate a little, and headed for church at base chapel #1. It was a nice service and well attended.
At the end, the chaplain/priest asked if there were any new people assigned to the base; one couple responded, so he asked where they'd been and welcomed them to the base community. He asked if anyone there was on TDY, but there were none.
Then he asked if there were any visitors, so we stuck up our hands (one other person did, too). He asked about us, so I told him our names and that we are Navy retirees on our way back from a trip to Alaska. He raised his eyebrows a little and asked what I did in the Navy; I responded "submarines", which provoked a couple of gasps from some of the ladies and a smile from him while he asked if I looked through periscopes and so forth. Good giggles by all. I guess they don't get many submariners there. We shook hand on our way out; I thanked him for the good sermon, and he thanked us for coming.
We went to the commissary to get some meat, mostly for our house after our arrival in Manassas. Then we called Susan & Wyatt. They came to the trailer and we visited and ate appetizers. Then I grilled hamburgers outdoors and we ate inside (a little cool and breezy outside).
After all that, Wyatt and I went in the truck to Lowes to pick up a hutch they'd ordered, while Susan and Dolores went shopping at the mall. We got back to the house about the same time. We unloaded the hutch, then we watched an episode of engineering on Discovery concerning the Big Dig in Boston.
We thought we should give them a break (we'll be back in a little over two weeks), so we left early. We stopped at the Holiday Inn to change our reservations to add a few more days and then returned to the little house.
Now, we're putting things away for the trip tomorrow and taking it easy. It's been wonderful to see Susan and Wyatt again. Tomorrow is our last *full* day on the road home, but we’re going to end our verbal description here.
Thanks for coming with us on the trip.