Free Bird's Adventures

Friday, July 3, 2015

1998~ November 25-28, Trip to Graceville, Florida

Day 1: Wednesday, November 25, 1998

I traveled with Mike, his family, and Ronald to Graceville Florida to visit my younger son and his family.

Day 2: Thursday, November 26, 1998

Robin & Charity spent all morning cooking the Thanksgiving dinner.

The kids played outside and the weather was very warm,

The Macy’s Thanksgiving parade was playing on the television.

Day 3: Friday, November 27, 1998

We went shopping and we left the boys with my sons they were all watching football games.

In 1998, the Pittsburg, Steelers, and Detroit Lions went to overtime. Pittsburgh's Jerome Bettis called the coin toss in the air, but confusion surrounded the call. The officials misheard Pittsburgh's call and awarded Detroit the ball, which went on to win 19-16 on their first drive in overtime. Because of the fiasco, team captains are now required to call the coin toss before the coin is tossed.

Minnesota vs.Vikings score is 46 to Dallas Cowboys 36.

Charity, Robin, Sierra, Hannah and I left early for the early morning Black Friday Sales at Wal-Mart.

It was a madhouse at the crowded Wal-Mart, where everyone was grabbing, shoving, and pushing to get the early morning sales.

Ronald needed a new television, I found one at Wal-mart, I did not have a shopping cart to put the television in so, I sat on the television box, so no one would take it.

Finally, someone offered me a shopping cart, I loaded the television into the cart Sierra and I walked to the checkout counter.

Robin and Charity were standing in the checking line.

We rode to the outlet mall where we shopped for several hours.

Day 4: Saturday, November 28, 1998

Saturday morning we packed a picnic lunch, we all rode to Panama City Beach.

At the beach, we built sandcastles in the sand, swam in the Gulf, and played football in the sand.

It was a great day to be on the beach because it was not crowded.

Jake, Ronald, Hannah, Sierra, Charity and Me

Jake and Hannah

Ronald building a sand castle

Hannah, Sierra, Dakota, Charity

Mike playing football

Me on the beach

Hannah, Dakota, Sierra

Jake and Hannah

After dark that night in Panama we walked down the road passing several hotels that were already decorated for Christmas.

Mike, Ronald, Andy, Jake, Hannah, Sierra, and Hannah

When we came back to my son's house the kids decided to decorate their tree for Christmas.

Jake, Hannah, and Dakota decorating the Christmas Tree

Day 5: Sunday, November 29, 1998

Our trip home was a little crowded because we had to make room for the television that I had bought at Wal-mart on Black Friday.

🚙1998 ~ August 2-8, Trip to Akron, Michigan

Day 1: Saturday, August 2, 1998

My sibling, Dad, and I are taking turns driving my other sibling's jeep to Akron Michigan.

We left the house around ten PM, and we drove all night.

It is a twelve-hour drive and we only stopped to use the restroom.

We did stop the next morning for breakfast at Cracker Barrel.

August 3-4 Sunday-Tuesday, 1998

We will be spending the next three days with Lesley and Illa.

All of Leslie and Illa’s children are grown and married.
So while we are visiting family we will be sleeping in their children's old bedrooms.

Their son Terry and his family are driving down from Toronto Canada.

Illa is in remission from cancer, and Sherry, Illa’s daughter-in-law will do most of the cooking.

We had a great reunion swapping information about the family.

We looked through the Family Bible that had been passed down from generation to generation.

Day 2: Monday, August 3, 1998

Monday night we rode over to visit Laurence (the former home of Mary and Art)

He showed us some old picture albums.
I asked if I could take the albums home with me to make copies and I would mail them back when finished.

Leroy, Leslie, and Victor at Lesley's Home

Gail, Laurence, Dad and me

Vicki, Gail, Laurence, and Dad

Day 3: Tuesday, August 4, 1998

Dad wanted to go fishing in the Great Lakes with Laurence so we dropped him off at Laurence’s.

My sister and I rode to the cemeteries of East Dayton Cemetery and Demorest where I took pictures of family tombstones.

We rode into East Dayton where we visited some of the shops, I bought a book about East Dayton.

We drove back to Laurence’s they were back from fishing, and we all rode into Akron to buy a bushel bag of white beans.

Day 4: Wednesday, August 5, 1998

We rode to Roseville Michigan to stay with Donald and Isabelle.

We spent Wednesday sitting around talking and eating.

Day 5: Thursday, August 6, 1998

We all rode to the Henry Ford Museum, where we saw a large, iconic, neon, arch, of McDonald's, the sign said: fifteen cents McDonald's speed service system Hamburgers over 160 million sold.
During the 1950s and 1960s, McDonalds was the hangout for American Teenager.
We saw the 1953 Sunliner Convertible Indy 500 Pace Car.
We saw a 332 CID 6-cylinder engine FVRH Motor Texaco Gas Truck sitting next to the Texaco Service station.
The gas station had a big yellow Shell sign on top, and in front of the building was a red and silver gasoline pump.
The pumps read Fire-Chief Gasoline, on the front of the pump was a circle inside the circle was a big red star with Texaco written across it and a picture of a red fire hat.
Next door was the Douglas Auto Theater in Neon, Now showing Car Culture, and behind the theater was the Holiday Inn in Neon.

The Spirit of Saint Louis Staring Jimmy Stewart is about the life of Charles Lindberg and his struggles to finance and design the first solo transatlantic airplane flight.

US Mail Stage Line, and the 1601 Allegheny train engine.
Lamy's Diner opened in 1946 in Marlborough, Massachusetts, as a roadside cafe with red vinyl furniture and a stainless steel back bar that sold coffee, soft drinks, and more.
JF Kennedy Limousine, the 1961 4-door convertible Lincoln Continental Presidential Limousine that President Kennedy rode in that fatal November 22, 1963.
After a full day at the Ford Museum, we rode back to Donald's for supper.

Taking a rest break at the Ford Museum are Isabell, Donald, and Victor

At the Ford Museum Vicki, Isabell, Donald, and Victor

Dad with his foot on the trolly

Donald and dad looking at the train

Mcdonald Hamburgers

Day 6: Friday, August 7, 1998

On Friday we rode over to Madison Heights, Michigan to visit Irwin and Deloris.

Irwin had also been sick for a long time.

Day 7: Saturday, August 8, 1998

Early on Saturday morning, we loaded the jeep with our luggage and started the twelve-hour drive home from Donald’s house in Roseville, Michigan.

Irwin died on January 9, 2000, and Illa died on October 20, 1999, both died just a few months after our visit.

Illa died of cancer, not sure what Irwin died of but he was sick for some time.

Thursday, July 2, 2015

✈️✈️✈️1997 ~August 29–Sept 4, Trip to Norfolk, Virginia with siblings

Day 1: Friday, August 29, 1997

My dad, sisters and I flew to Norfolk, Virginia.

I had gotten a great deal on flight tickets. 

I bought a senior ticket for my dad and got my ticket free. What a deal! 

Dad had never flown in an airplane before, he was excited and wanted to sit next to the window.

My sister was waiting for us when we arrived at Norfolk Airport. 

Day 2: Saturday, August 30, 1997

Dad spent the day with his son-in-law while we girls went out to have fun.

Our first stop was at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens which was located right next to the Norfolk airport.

We took the trolley tour at the Botanical Gardens where we saw many beautiful flower gardens, butterfly gardens, and statues.

We walked through the village of Colonial Williamsburg.

After a full day of sightseeing, we went for a swim.

There was a nice big swimming pool in the apartment complex where my sister lived so we spent many hours swimming and playing water volleyball when we were not sightseeing.

My sister cooks through the week and on weekends her husband Robert does the cooking, especially on the grill.

That weekend my dad and Robert went deep-sea fishing and brought back their catch for dinner.

The weather was great for sitting outside except when the bugs started to bite we all went back inside.

At night before bedtime, we would sit around talking and laughing it was like a teenage sleepover.

When bedtime came my dad would sleep in the extra bedroom, one of my siblings slept on the sofa, and one of my siblings and I slept on an air mattress.  

Cape Henry Lighthouse

Day 3: Sunday, August 31, 1997

We visited The Old Cape Henry lighthouse which was located on a military installation.

It took an act of Congress to get to the lighthouse.

First, we had to go through a security gate and the guard asked all of us to get out of the car the car was completely searched and of course, nothing was found.

It was a short drive to the lighthouse.

We each pay two dollars to climb the steep, narrow, winding steps of the octagonal lighthouse.

We walked all the way to the top of the stairs that ended at a narrow opening that we had to climb through to get to the very top. 

The view was awesome and the climb was worthwhile. 

Standing at the top of the lighthouse we could see the light shining over the water guiding the sailors home. 

The small lighthouse was not what I expected, I guess I was expecting it to look like what I had seen in the movies!

Needless to say, we had to go down the way we came up.

Spirit of Norfolk Harbor Cruises-Lunch/Dinner Cruises

The US Navy Fleet

Day 4: Monday, September 1, 1997

My sisters and I took a dinner cruise on the Spirit of Norfolk. 

Spirit of Norfolk Harbor Cruises-Lunch/Dinner Cruises is a narrated tour of Norfolk/Portsmouth Harbors passing sights like the Monitor/Merrimack Battle site, Naval Base, and Old Fort Norfolk.

We ordered the boat and were guided into the dining room and were seated.

A waiter took our drink order and we were then told to help ourselves to the buffet.

Once everyone was seated and was enjoying their meal the entertainment began.

There was a band with live music and a member of the band was encouraging the audience to join in the singing and dancing. 

They came to our table and I got up and joined in as the group danced around the room.

After our meal, we all walked outside to enjoy the view. 

We could see the city of Norfolk in the distance as we floated away from shore.

In the distance, we could see the coastal area of Virginia and our US Naval Fleet. 

We visited the National Maritime Center which is a science and technology center that explores the naval, economic, and nautical power of the sea. 

Virginia Beach Marine Science Museum

Day 5: Tuesday, September 2, 1997

We visited a couple old historic homes in Norfolk:

We visited the Hermitage Museum and Gardens; it was a twenty-century home built by William and Florence Sloane, wealthy New Yorkers who came to Hampton Roads to operate a textile mill. 

It had 42 rooms and it borders on three sides of the Lafayette River. 

We visited The Dewitt Cottage located at 1113 Atlantic Avenue Virginia Beach Va., which houses the Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum, it displays art, and artifacts documenting the migration of wildfowl that passes through eastern Virginia.

It has a small art gallery, postcards, and memorabilia from the Edgar T. Brown collection. 

The second floor exhibits the history of the De Witt family and a surfboard made by Peter De Witt. 

Day 6: Wednesday, September 3, 1997

We visited the Virginia Beach Marine Science Museum, which is one of the top ten marine science museums in the U.S

We saw a  "Touch Tank,” full of sharks, stingrays, dolphins, and harbor seals.

We visited the Chrysler Museum of Art located at 245-West Olney Rd., Norfolk, Virginia 23510 757-664-6200

The two-level museum was heavily guarded.

It had all sorts of glassware which intrigued my sister Vickie. I enjoyed the life-size portraits of George Washington.

Inside the museum, we saw European and American paintings and sculptures, a world-renowned glass collection, a rich photography program, Art Nouveau furniture, as well as African, Asian, Egyptian, Pre-Columbian, and Islamic art. 

We visited Colonial Williamsburg, we walked up the spiral staircase in the Old Cape Henry Light House; we sailed on the Spirit of Norfolk Harbor dinner Cruises, we rode the trolly at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens, we walked through the Chrysler Museum, we put our hands in the shark tanks at the Virginia Marine Science Museum, we walked through the Hermitage Museum, Gardens, and the Willoughby Baylor Home, and last but not least we found bargains at yard sales. 

August 30-September 4, 1997 Norfolk, VA 

Leave Huntsville International Airport (HSV) 

Arrived Norfolk International Airport (ORF)

Leave Norfolk International Airport (ORF)

Arrive Huntsville International Airport (HSV)

🚀🚀🚀1997 ~Jake and Hannah's Adventures at the Space & Rocket Center Huntsville, Alabama

Every year I would purchase the grandparents membership to Space and Rocket Center.

When my grandchildren came to visit I would take there, they loved going to the Space Center.

The grandchildren were thrilled to watch the movie that was showing at the I-Max theater.

We saw the US Air Force Spy Plane that flew coast to coast in less than 68 minutes it was called Blackbird and it sat in front of the Space Center.

There was a playground for the little ones and a Simulator where you feel the sensation of weightlessness.

There were displays of rockets, boosters, capsules, space suits used in NASA missions over the years and a summer space camp.

We would take the bus to Marshall Space Flight Center, to watch the construction of NASA's new space station.

We learned about Huntsville's role in the making of the moon rocket, the space race, the Apollo missions, we learn about the Space Shuttle program, the International Space Station and the beginnings with NASA's Constellation project.

 We saw the Saturn V, the 476 foot long. 90 foot wide and a 63-foot high spaceship that went into space and was a multistage liquid-fuel expendable rocket used by NASA's Apollo and Skylab programs from 1967 until 1973. 

In total NASA launched thirteen Saturn V rockets with no loss of payload. It remains the largest and most powerful launch vehicle ever brought to operational status from a height, weight, and payload standpoint.

We saw Apollo 16 Casper,& the Apollo boilerplate which tested the launch escape system in the New Mexico desert at White Sands Missile Range. 

We saw the Lunar Module Apollo 16 LM, Sky-lab the first space station, the Pathfinder, the Liberty Bell 7-the lost spaceship, we saw Gus Grissom’s space suit, the Lunar Lander exhibit, and MMU and Spacesuit, etc.

My grandchildren were amazed at the size of the spaceships, at all the displays of history about space, and they enjoyed all the hands-on activities.

Space and Rocket Center has a space camp program where children learn about space and participate in space activities and sometimes we would stop and watch.

Once at Space Camp, we watched a man in a scuba suit swimming in a tank of water.

At the end of our trip, I would let each grandchild pick something from the gift shop. 

Hannah at the Space and Rocket Center

Jake and Hannah at the Space and Rocket Center

Jake at the Space and Rocket Center

Jake and Hannah at the Space and Rocket Center

Jake at the Space and Rocket Center

Hannah at the Space and Rocket Center

Jake and Hannah at the Space and Rocket Center

Hannah at the Space and Rocket Center

Jake and Hannah at the Space and Rocket Center

1996 ~August 31-Sept 2, Trip to Houston, Texas to visit daughter

It was a short trip to Houston but very enjoyable, and a very interesting city. 

It was full of skyscrapers, malls, interstate highway, multi-cultured people, and sites.

I traveled from Huntsville, Al to Houston Texas to visit my daughter, and her boyfriend.

When I landed they were there waiting for me, my daughter’s boyfriend drove he red truck very fast down the interstate back to their apartment.

Bush Intercontinental Airport is located approximately 23 miles north of downtown Houston, near the Sam Houston Tollway (Beltway 8 North)

My daughter had a nice apartment and it was full of new furniture. 

They took me to the Galleria in downtown Houston, to the eighteen-acre park that featured a sixty-four-foot waterfall and out to eat.

We rode in the red truck not my daughter’s Mazda Mitia  

We visited the Waterfall and Fountain in Houston that is located on an eighteen-acre landscaped park.

It is sixty-four foot semi-circular Water Wall, accented with a gabled structure supported by columns.

A total of 11,000 gallons of water per-minute flow over both walls. 

You can see the Williams Tower which is a sixty-four-story office tower located at 2800 Post Oak Boulevard from the waterfall.

The Williams Tower forms a sleek silhouette with its silver gray reflective glass and aluminum anodized skin, accented by columns of bay windows made from non-reflective gray glass.

Red truck & my daughter’s Mazda Mitia

Waterfall and Fountain in Houston

The Williams Tower

The Williams Tower and park

We visited The Galleria which is the cornerstone of the Uptown District shopping Mecca and has been for over 30 years.

It has had several expansions and renovations to make it  “THE mega-mall of Houston.” 

It has Macy's, Nordstrom's, Banana Republic, Abercrombie & Fitch, Tiffany & Co., Gucci, and Versace and 100s of other retail stores.

It has a huge food court of fast food and fine dining. 

There were two Westin Hotels within the Galleria.

In the middle of the mall was an ice-skating rink.

Everything you could want under one roof, shopping, dining, and entertainment and at the end of the day a hotel to rest yourself.

I was in Texas just a couple days not enough time to see everything.

Just a quick weekend visit and back home to work.

Houston Airport

August 31-September 2, 1996 Houston Texas

Leave Huntsville International Airport (HSV) 

Arrive Houston International Airport (IAH)

Leave Houston International Airport (IAH)

Arrive Huntsville International Airport (HSV)