Marita goes Walkabout

Tuesday Corinne took me to the bus station and off I went to Columbus, Ohio. Columbus was just a stop so I did not have to sit on the bus for too long or arrive too late. I did not see much of Columbus but the bit I saw, I did not like very much.... Wednesday I carried on to Louisville, Kentucky (pronounce Loo-e-ville). It's on the Ohio river and I really liked what I saw. Actually wished I could stay a day but that was not how the plan worked and on it went to Saint Louis, Missourie. St Louis is on the Mississippi, with half the city in Missouri and the other half in Illinois. It's a pretty city and has the most amazing arch, the Gateway Arch. It is the symbol of St Louis and was built in 1965 as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States. Close to the arch, on the banks of the Mississippi there is a monument of Lewis and Clark, who led an expedition from this area to the Pacific coast. Lewis and Clark Went up that arch. Was quite the expe...

Cleveland was all about family. I have been researching my family history for the better part of 18 years and due to a message left on a genealogy site many years ago, I have made contact with a long lost cousin of my fathers, her 3 daughters and their families that I did not even knew existed. I have to admit I was a bit nervous meeting them all but there was no reason to be worried at all. They are wonderful and warm and loving and were very welcoming.  Mikki and Corrine at the Cleveland sign Friday night I was invited to dinner at Corinne's to meet her husband and children.  Saturday I met everybody else at a lunch at Tante Ingrid's home. They brought out the old photo albums and we talked and talked and then talked some more. Sunday we all went on a Lolly the Trolley tour of Cleveland and then we had lunch at a German Beerhall. Tante Ingrid joined us and she is absolutely amazing. I cannot believe she is still so sprightly at 93!! The food was great (Ge...

Wednesday morning it was reeeeealy early up and off to the airport via a shuttle with a very unfriendly driver. Well he did not get a tip! At Calgary Airport The flight was some 4 hours and Toronto is 2 hours ahead of Calgary so that it was 2pm by the time we landed. I took the UP Express into Toronto and then the Metro to within a few blocks of the HI Hostel. It was easy to navigate and find my way. BUT it was HOT and HUMID!!! And then there was a huge down-pour. I was so glad I made it before it started to rain. Did not rain very long and it cooled things down a bit. I found myself dinner and then I managed to get a booking for a tour to the Niagara Falls for the next morning. The American Falls  The Horseshoe Falls The Niagara Falls are much nicer from the Canadian side. Americans cross the border to visit the Falls on the Canadian side! Above the Horseshoe Falls People lining up in their red ponchos to catch one of the boats that go righ...