Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Years everybody!!! It's 8:22 and the new year is 3 and 1/2 hours away. The odds of me making it to 12:00 are about the same as the 49'ers beating the Broncos. We started at about 7:00 this morning driving to Orlando from Jacksonville. We were able to check in our hotel at 9:30 this morning, which was nice. Here is a picture from our room showing the pool and the golf course.

Angie stayed at the hotel and the boys and I drove to Tampa to take in the Bucaneers/Seahawks game. With my pull we were able to get seats only 2 rows from the top at the corner of the stadium. It was a beautiful day with the temp around 85 degrees with a nice breeze. It wasn't much of a game, but we were all impressed with the whole NFL experience. We should have tailgated with the faithful, but went in the stadium an hour and 1/2 early. After the game, we made it home by 6:00 to enjoy the evening.
Here is another picture of our hotel. I'm sorry I don't have pictures from the game, but I wasn't allowed to take the camera.

Jacks best: Football game

Jacks Worst: The driving.

Gus's best: Football game. (no surprise)

Gus's Worst: Not getting 3 tickets together (although we were able to all sit together)

We arrived in Jacksonville after an eventful drive today. We left Washington in a huff this morning after not being contacted to represent Canada at the Ford Funeral. We will take the high road and not pursue legal avenues to correct this aggrevious error. We even had a sign to hold up as we passed the casket.

Friends
Of
Reposed
PresiDent

Hopefully we would have had some TV time.

Back to the drive, it was bumper to bumper traffic for 12 hours, ranging from 0 to 80 miles per hour. I sought out the ABC Liquor moments after arriving and was happy to discover that they sell Bacardi in Florida. Below is a picture of the gridlock in South Carolina.
We did make it and here is a picture of Gus and Jack celebrating outside the Hotel. Both were thrilled that their dad didn't bite their heads off on the ride down. Rumour in the lobby was that Paris Hilton might be in town to open a dance club. We'll keep an eye out to see if she is staying at the Courtyard Marriott.
The boys and I are hoping to get to the Bucaneers/Seahawks game tomorrow in Tampa. We will keep every one updated. Now it's time for a couple rum and cokes to help us get to sleep.

Last Day in Washington

It's been our last day in Washington and it seems we've seen a million things and could still see a million more. We started the day by taking the Metro to the United States Holocaust Museum. We got there a 1/2 hour early in order to get in to see the permanent exhibit and were rewarded by getting in right away. It was another moving experience that we all enjoyed. It brought Angie to tears a couple of times.

We moved from there to the Washington Monument and and the new World War II memorial. Both were very nice, but as you can see below, the Washington Monument is not as big as it seems. Angie was again quoted "There are so many things on this trip that remind me of my handsome, virile, husband Mike."

We walked some more to the Natural History Museum. We saw the mammal exhibit and the dinosaurs. Jack was impressed by the Ty Rex and the big teeth. It was very busy, so we didn't stay too long, but managed to see the things we wanted to.

We hopped on the Metro and went north to the Washington Zoo. Again it was very busy, but we did get to see the famous Panda bears. All they did was sit around in the sun, eat all the food that they want , and pee and poop at will. Mike was overheard to say, "How come they get to have all the fun?"

After a nutricious lunch/supper at McDonalds, we headed back to the room to get a good rest for tomorrow's drive to Jacksonville. It is supposed to be 79 degrees there, so we might have to wear shorts.

We still haven't been contacted by the Canadian Embassy about the Ford funeral so we will leave tomorrow in a huff. There may be diplomatic implications over this obvious oversight, so stay tuned for more details.

Gus's Best: Holocaust Museum

Gus's Worst: Being very hungry at the Zoo.

Jack's Best: Holocaust Museum/Cookie and Cream milkshake

Jack's Worst: Also being very hungry at the Zoo.

Day Four

We had another busy day today in Warshington. We still haven't heard back from the Canadian Government about our official duties at the Ford funeral, but I'm sure it won't be long before they contact us. Maybe it was Secret Service at the door this morning and thought my name was Dave

We started the day with Angie bringing us Krispy Kreme doughnuts in the room. We took the Metro (subway) to Arlington Cemetery to see all the graves. We hiked up the hill to see JFK's grave first and the eternal flame. It was very moving as was his brother Robert's simple cross grave nearby. We hiked over to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and watched the single sentry walk back and forth over and over. It couldn't be as bad as all the walking we did today. On the way down we also saw the grave of the Brown Bomber. (Joe Louis) While we were there, at least 3 burials were going on with the horse drawn caissons and the soldiers firing the volleys of rifles in honor of the deceased. They say that there are an average of 24 burials a day. There are over 290,000 graves in the cemetery.

After there we took the long hike over the Memorial Bridge to the Lincoln Memorial. Another moving place where we read the words of the great emancipater. It is quite a view from the top of the steps looking down the reflecting pool. It makes you think of all the great people who stood there including Martin Luther King and Forrest Gump.

It was a short walk (for a change) over to the Vietnam Memorial. There was a gentleman tracing a name from the wall for what seemed a family member. Everyone watching seemed to be moved by the experience.

By this time we were ready to eat, so we decided to walk past the White House and find a place to eat. Thankfully no-one jumped the fence while we were there.

After a nice lunch at Ruby Tuesdays we stopped at a nearby CVS drugstore for some essentials. (Not what you're thinking) The highlight was a double amputee African American walking around on his stubs and yelling about what city he thought he was in. It was an eye opener for the boys, but they weren't too worried as they were both taller than him.

After walking back to the room (6.3 total miles) we got a little rest. We took a drive to Mount Vernon, but got there a little late to take the tour. Jack was disappointed, but we talked about how we walked on the same ground as George Washington and he felt a little better. After I got lost a few times trying to find a card shop, we finally found some cards at Target and had a nice dinner at Outback.

Gus's Best: Arlington Cemetery

Gus's Worst: All the walking.

Jack's Best: Vietnam Memorial

Jack's Worst: Missed George Washington's grave.

Day three (postcript)

Here's another picture to peak your interest.

I'll tell you what really happened. Actually we are going through diplomatic channels to see if the Canadian Government wants us to represent them at the Ford Funeral. We haven't heard back yet, but are expecting a positive answer. We will be the ones at the state funeral holding up the sign saying "Go Canada Go".





Gus, Jack and I enjoyed the hockey game last night despite the Habs winning 4-1. You probably saw us on TSN. We were in row L in the 4th deck in the corner. Jack was wearing the Yankees hat. Today should be a full day of walking to museums and monuments. By the afternoon I will be ready for a wheelchair. I'm sure Angie will be thrilled to push me around all day.





It's 6:48 am now after being woken up by a knock at the door by a guy looking for Dave. We also have a firehall just outside the Hotel that only had a couple calls last night. The rooms and beds are actually very nice, so sleeping shouldn't be that much of a problem. (As long as this guy finds Dave)

Day Three

We departed from Pittsburgh at 08:30 am and enjoyed a scenic drive through Western Pennsylvania. We arrived in Washington, D.C. at 1:00 pm. Here is Mike, Gus and Jack outside of our hotel (Hyatt Regency on Capital Hill). You can see the Capital Building in the background.

We spent the afternoon walking to many sights (Union Station, Capital Building, Air and Space Museum, and the Archives Building).
Our visit to Washington has become quite timely with the death of President Ford.
The Boys are off to the Capitals vs Habs game tonight at the Verizon Center. Angie is relaxing in the hotel room.




Jack was pretty impressed with seeing Abe Lincoln's hat. Gus was impressed with seeing a Babe Ruth autographed baseball and Mike was impressed with seeing Patsy Cline's jumpsuit.

Day Two (part three)

Also in day two we took a drive around downtown Chicago. We were all impressed by the large buildings and the beautiful shops on Michigan Avevenue's "Magnificent Mile". Angie, when asked what impressed her most, said " I really liked all the buildings, but I especially liked the Sears Tower, because it reminds me of my husband Mike"

Day Two (cont.)

After letting, (forcing), the boys to watch Rudy on the portable DVD player, (supplied by the Cole's) we took the boys to the Notre Dame Campus. It was exciting as we stepped on the hallowed ground of the Fighting Irish. We saw the Golden Dome, the stadium and Touchdown Jesus saluting the faithful. We also spotted the Varsity Shop where the boys spent a good chunk of their money. Gus said this was one of the greatest moments of his life so far. He wished that someday he could go to Notre Dame, which would of course would force Angie and I to end up living in a van down by the river. Here are a couple of pictures from the campus.

Day Two

Day two turned out to be a very exciting day for the whole family. After a nice continental breakfast at the La Quinta Inn in Madison, we were on our way.

As you can see here, our first stop was the United Center in Chicago. Here the boys are standing in front of the Michael Jordan statue in front of the arena. It's a huge building and was the scene of many exciting hockey and basketball games. Not too many lately though.

Our next stop was for Angie in front of the Harpo Studios, which I'm sure you all know is the home to Oprah Winfrey's TV show. Angie was waiting for Oprah to appear, but was disappointed to hear that she might be in someplace warmer for Christmas.

Here is a picture of Gus running around a rest stop in Wisconsin trying to get rid of some energy. As you can see there is no snow here and the temperature is around freezing.

We got going around 6:40 this morning after Jack woke us up at 5:21 to open the presents.

Angie asked me about halfway to Grand Forks if I had remembered to pack my golf clubs. As you can guess, I did forget and try as I might, I couldn't find a way to blame her for the transgression.

We made it to Madison, Wisconsin today by 5:00 due to the early start and perfect driving conditions. I treated the family to a traditional Christmas dinner of microwaved hamburgers I bought at the nearest gas station.

Tomorrow should be a little more exciting as we plan on stopping in Chicago and at Notre Dame University.

Stay tuned and have a nice Christmas.

One Week to Go

Well, it's one week to until the adventure begins. We had a busy weekend around the Gottfred home with Gus playing one hockey game and Jack having two. We also hosted Jack's team for a pre-Christmas party with all the players and parents invited.

We are having Mike's family out for Christmas dinner on the 23rd and we are going to Angie's Mom's for Christmas on the 24th. Hopefully we won't be too tired when we leave on the morning of the 25th.

This rabbit was spotted by a few of the parents leaving the Gottfred home after the Novice team party.

The Trip will begin on December 25

On Christmas Day, the Gottfreds will be departing, weather willing, on our winter adventure. Our trip will take in Washington, DC and Orlando, Florida and all points in between. Stay tuned for updates and tales from the journey.

Here is a picture from our last vacation in Las Vegas. Here is Gus and Jack in front of the Bellagio Hotel.