Monday, June 15, 2020

My Kentucky Journal




Meeting the Americans


Pambling Roads ~~ Kentucky

Pambling Roads continues as we travel up the center of the U.S. along the Mississippi River and over aiming for the mid-west states. From Florida we bee-lined it to Michigan and began our travels for Meeting the Americansfrom there. We pit stopped in Locust Grove, GA. at the La Quinta and the Best Western in Cave City, KY.

Lincoln’s birthplace in central Kentucky (near Hodgenville) was a pleasant surprise and neither one of us wanted to pass up the chance of being able to see it. We weren’t expecting to stop anywhere as we expected to travel north without any stops except to sleep. Sinking Spring Farm is a national historical site with a wonderful informative experience. A short film gives a quick description of the trials and tribulations Abraham Lincoln’s parents went through to become landowners and what their family experienced as frontier settlers. There are cabins, an inn, the sinking spring cave, trails, and the monument.
  
The monument has 56 steps, one for each year of President Lincoln’s life, and holds a reconstructed simpler version of the log cabin where he was born.

   
If you want to read more about our other visits to Lincoln historical sites:

  
Lincoln’s earliest childhood memories are from Knob Creek Farm, KY., and another home where we stopped to visit. Knob Creek Farm is mentioned in President Lincoln’s memoirs where he talks about his life on the farm.
There is no fee to go to the national historic sites. There are ranger led programs and self-guided tours.

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Several State journals are available for you to purchase at your favorite book store.
Or you can order here.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0863TG294

The following states are available:

Alabama    Arizona    Arkansas    California    Colorado    Florida    Georgia    Idaho     Illinois     Indiana     Kentucky    Louisiana     Maryland    Mississippi    Rhode Island    South Carolina    Ohio    Oklahoma    Tennessee    Texas    Virginia    Washington, D.C.

More to come! Check Amazon for the latest state journals.

Thank you and have a good moments day!

Pambling Roads~~Colorado


Pambling Roads ~ Colorado


Pambling Roads brings you to Denver, Colorado where we will meet up with family and enjoy some of the finer fun spots in the Denver area.

Before we checked in to the hotel we stopped at Johnson’s Corner with every intention of purchasing one of their famous cinnamon rolls. (We forgot to get some to go.) We had lunch, which was delicious. The service, considering how very busy they were (I’d say slammed) was right on target. No waiting, food came out in perfect time, service was top-notch, an all-around great time. 

        
The Best Western, Denver (on Quebec Street) ~~ my husband and I have elected the Best Western Denver with the title “Most Helpful Employees with Great Attitudes” Every employee we came across, absolutely everyone from the moment we walked into the hotel was pleasant, helpful, and happy.

Famous Dave’s

My husband loves BBQ and he was thrilled when we picked Famous Dave’s. This BBQ restaurant has really good food, excellent service, and a great atmosphere.


La Mariposa Mexican restaurant right next door to the Best Western, in Denver, was a charm. If you love Mexican food this is definitely the place to go. Everyone there was very friendly, good service, and excellent food!

Denver Zoo

        
We had a blast at the Denver Zoo. It is very well-kept. The animals looked happy and healthy. There were plenty of places to rest, eat, and enjoy the exhibits. There was so much to see and do that one day wasn’t enough.

        

Fort Fun in Fort Collins

This was great place to go for just plain old fun. We had a blast! There is mini-golf, bumper cars, go-carts, laser tag, and arcades—just to name a few. We ate lunch there and although it was a bit slow on the food arriving and our orders were mixed up, they were apologetic, and we were good-to-go. The food was very good.

The Dam Store

        
The Best Dam Store is located near Loveland. Of course, we had to stop by and get some souvenirs!

Estes Park
  
The Stanley Hotel had a carnival going at the time. We checked out the hotel. It is very gorgeous. I was hoping they had a tour, considering it is known for its use in the movie The Shining but they said they didn’t have one. 

      

We walked around downtown Estes Park; did some window shopping and had a late lunch. The food was okay, the atmosphere was uncomfortable, face-palming, clearing throat…really? Dropping the F-bomb to a fellow server in front of customers and children? The service was, oh boy, very disorganized, very unprofessional, very slow, and very unhappy employees.
We decided not to try any more restaurants in downtown Estes Park. Heading back to Loveland, we stopped on the outskirts of Estes Park and had dinner at Hunters Chop House. It was a more pleasant atmosphere with much better service, happier employees, and much tastier food.

4th of July Fireworks at the park in Loveland:  Absolutely breathtaking show!
Rocky Mountain National Park

        
Besides the glorious views and wildlife, the park offers everything imaginable: fishing, hiking, horseback riding, and camping to name a few.

Thank you for taking the time to continue to read Pambling Roads. I love to hear from readers and appreciate the emails and comments.

Visit Pam’s website www.pamelaackerson.com
Twitter with Pam – www.twitter.com/pamackerson
Interested in Time Travel Romance? Book 1 of the Wilderness series is available in print and as an E-Book on Amazon.

Several State journals are available for you to purchase at your favorite book store.
Or you can order here.

mybook.to/MyColoradoJournal

The following states are available:

Alabama    Arizona    Arkansas    California    Colorado    Florida    Georgia    Idaho     Illinois     Indiana     Kentucky    Louisiana     Maryland    Mississippi    Rhode Island    South Carolina    Ohio    Oklahoma    Tennessee    Texas    Virginia    Washington, D.C.

More to come! Check Amazon for the latest state journals.

Thank you and have a good moments day!
...59 ...



Wednesday, February 26, 2020

My California Journal


California

Go West!
And we did. From the Space Coast of Florida across the U.S. of A., we made it to California. 

Border Patrol between Arizona and California?



Yes, they do! Seriously, we thought we had made a wrong turn. At the California and Arizona border we had to stop at Border Patrol and answer a few questions. While we were in line I was scrambling for our passports. Luckily, we brought them just in case we decided to go into Mexico or Vancouver. They never asked for our passports but requested our driver’s licenses. The gentleman was very professional, polite, and considerate. To this day we are not sure why there is a border patrol station at the California border. 
There was a truck, pulled over to the side where a BP officer was speaking with a couple of men. They didn’t look very happy at all. 

Indio, California
Indio was a “rest” stop. The Best Western hotel was wonderful.

We ate at the El Campanario restaurant. If you like Mexican food, this is definitely the place to go. When we purchased gas at a station near the hotel, we had to go inside with credit card because the unit outside was not working properly.

Morro Bay, California

We stayed at the Best Western in Morro Bay and it was wonderful, as usual. During our stay they had replaced all the furniture in the rooms. We originally picked Morro Bay because it was close to my cousins and wanted to visit with them. It was beautiful there. What an awesome area to visit!
The first night we watched the sun set on the Pacific Ocean.

We walked around the Embarquedero and along the wharfs. Spotted some otters and sea lions swimming and enjoyed the marina and bay.
We missed the Museum of Natural History but it was highly recommended.

We ate lunch with my cousins on the patio of the Fairways Restaurant at the Dairy Creek Golf Course. The food was excellent, the views at the course were breathtaking, and the company was awesome.

We spent some time at Pismo Beach. We had to put our feet in the water. We did drive over 3000 miles to see the Pacific Ocean and were determined to at least get our feet wet. The temperature of the water was about 50 degrees, so no swimming for us.


     
North of San Simeon was an awesome lookout area that we found when we took a drive up the coast to see the elephant seals at Piedras Blancas. There were a lot of seals basking in the sun. It was very cold, it was very windy, and it was worth every second to watch them. We stood staring fascinated at the huge graceful beasts played around or just laid in the sun, enjoying the day. We were told that there are times when there are so many of the seals that you can’t even see the sand.


Ragged Point
Lunch at Ragged Point, the area was gorgeous. There was a park where we were able to sit and relax and enjoy the view.

We were going to tour Hearst Castle but there was an hour waiting time and neither one of us wanted to wait that long. We were able to see it from a distance. It was very majestic and we knew there must be a breathtaking view from the windows and patios of the home.

Rocca’s Surf Shack in Morro Bay

We were hungry, tired, and just wanted to relax. Neither one of us really wanted to dress up for dinner and decided to do casual. When we choose the Surf Shack we were not expecting anything spectacular. We figured it would just be a good quick meal.
It was not at all mediocre in any way. Yes, it is a casual place to dine but boy was the service great and the food was scrumptious!


San Francisco, California

We stayed at the Best Western in Martinez (near San Francisco) and would definitely recommend it. Best Western is always consistent with their service and hospitality. We know what to expect when we stay at one.

San Francisco was everything we expected it to be. Our first day there was cold, rainy, and foggy. We ordered good weather, but someone didn't get the memo or either somewhere along the lines the weather gods felt our first day in the Bay Area should be cold and rainy.
We met Louise Snead, owner of Affaire de Coeur magazine and her son William. I have worked for her for eight years, spoken on the phone, emailed, snail mailed but had never met. It was great. She and her son played tour guide and we had a blast! Bless his generous, patient heart, William was elected to do the driving and made it a most wonderful time for us. We were thrilled to meet them and both are wonderful people to be around.
We saw so much, I know I couldn’t name it all.



     
The Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz
Berkley and etc.
Coit Tower on top of Telegraph Hill
Fisherman’s Wharf

     
The Transamerica Pyramid Building and The Crookedest Street
Sausalito


Muir Woods National Monument



   
It was rainy, foggy, and cold on the day we were scheduled to go to Muir Woods where the tallest redwood trees can be found. We were determined to see them. Not knowing whether we would ever be back this way again, we did not want regrets. The drive to the park was scary, raining, in thick fog on winding roads, oh, but it was worth it.

     
When we arrived the rain had stopped. We finally made it to the tree lover’s paradise. The majestic redwood trees, some over 600 years old and as tall as can be. We walked to the end of the paved areas and headed back. We took our time through the Bohemian and Cathedral groves where they had the biggest and widest trees. It probably took us a little under two hours but we tended to stay and stare and take a boatload of pictures.
   
We stopped at the visitor center before and after our walk. Their gift shop is chock full of great stuff. I definitely walked out of there with a couple of bags and a tree. The tree didn’t survive the trip across the US. My fault entirely, I left it in the car by accident and the desert heat did it in.

“Rest Night” at the Comfort Inn at the California north border in Yreka. Very comfortable hotel.




There are many states that are available, and well, I'm steadily working on the rest. Please be patient. LOL It's a lot of states!

States:

Alabama    Arizona     Arkansas    California    Colorado     Florida    Georgia    Louisiana     Maryland     Mississippi   Rhode Island      South Carolina    Ohio   Oklahoma    Texas    Virginia    Washington, D.C.

Journals are perfect for everyone. 

Pages for you to fill in the blanks! Each journal has tidbits and trivia about each state. Writing can help improve mental health and happiness, provide a creative outlet, and give a perfect place to record life's precious events. Several to choose from. Grab your journal today. 

**Pictures on not in the print journals. 
More to come! You can order any available Pambling Roads Journals from your favorite bookstore! 

Purchase on Amazon or your favorite book store.


PamelaAckerson.com
@PamAckerson
Pam@PamelaAckerson.com


Tell us about your travels! We want you to share.
Thank you and have a good moments day,
Pam


Wednesday, September 25, 2019

My Arkansas Journal

Arkansas

Well, here we are in Arkansas. 

It’s absolutely gorgeous and definitely an awesome place to visit. We thoroughly enjoyed our travels, meeting so many wonderful people. 
We stayed in Hope, Arkansas.


Washington State Park



Just a short ride north of Hope, Historic Washington State Park is a small village thriving in living history. The area is unique because of the strategic efforts of the local people wanting to preserve their history and culture. Many of the homes are pre-Civil War and have been renovated, preserved, and/or reconstructed. Tours by guides were available in the buildings that were open to the public. We did spot one B + B which looked like it would be a pleasant place to stay.


We stopped by the 1874 Courthouse and Visitor Center and purchased the full walking tour. We toured the Morrison Tavern, the print museum, Royston log home, the Blacksmith Shop, 1836 Courthouse and Confederate Capital of Arkansas, Sanders House, and the Edward’s Weapons Museum. Lunch (and dessert) was perfect and was also in an historical building, the Williams’ Tavern Restaurant.

After the walking tour, we drove around the town and viewed many of the other homes we hadn’t been able to tour because they weren’t open at the time. Different homes are open on specific days for tours.
We stopped and chatted with a park representative, Billy Nation. He was very helpful and answered all of our questions about the area and history.
www.historicwashingtonstatepark.com

Crater of Diamonds State Park

Going hunting for diamonds was a very interesting experience. It had rained the day before and had been chilly and drizzly the morning we arrived at the park. Thousands of diamonds have been found by very lucky people, sizes ranging from tiny chips to 40 carats.
What you find at the park is yours to keep.
They give you diamond hunting tips and they explain that there are other gems and minerals you can find. Tools are also available for rental to aid you in your search for precious gems. Appraisers are available. They determine what type of gems you have found and their value.
There is a gift shop, exhibits, a theater, and restaurant.
We found agate, jasper, quartz, and calcite.


Arkansas

Staying at the Best Western in Blytheville, Ark and at the Best Western in McGehee, our goal was to visit the area and enjoy the beauty of Arkansas. Both Best Westerns’ were great places to stay.
The Pizza Inn in McGehee was perfect. Good, friendly service and food.



We drove along the Great River Road. Although we were only on a few portions of it, it is a Scenic Byway along the Mississippi stretching from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.



We visited and toured the Lakeport Plantation in Lake Village, Arkansas. The sign at the entrance: Epstein land Company.

Wow! They are doing an excellent job with this home. The plantation is the only remaining plantation home on the Mississippi River in Arkansas. It was given to the Arkansas State University in 2001. It is a museum and educational center. They do allow tours while they continue with renovations and restoration.  At the time, the cotton plants were just starting to blossom. It was breathtaking.



There are several Pambling Roads Journals

Pages for you to fill in the blanks. Nurture your creativity with the U.S. State trivia and tidbits that you'll find in the interactive journal. It's designed to spark your imagination and self-motivation. They include historical trivia and tidbits about each state, and a small section in the front of the book by the author sharing her travels.

This journal is a great gift for yourself or your favorite writer. Perfect for all ages.


Other states available: Alabama     Arizona     Arkansas     Florida     Georgia     Louisiana     Maryland     Mississippi     Rhode Island     South Carolina     Ohio     Oklahoma     Texas     Virginia     Washington, D.C.

**Images are only on the blog and not in the print journals.
More to come!
You can order any available Pambling Roads Journals from your favorite bookstore!

Thank you for stopping by. If you've got any stories, leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you.

Pam