The Dr. Seuss House

This is the Dr. Seuss House located in the Alaska wilderness. The story is that the original owner worked on it for 10 years and then died. It was so have sat abandoned for nearly as long....

 

Winter

 

 

 

Summer

 

Supposedly it was built after a forest fire in the area and the owner wanted to build it high enough to see Mt. McKinley. As the trees grew he built it higher and higher. You can't visit the house in person but can get a good view on the Alaska's train north or hire a bush pilot for a aerial view. Wouldn't you like to know what the inside looks like?

 

A special trip with a special girl

My Granddaughter is going into her Senior year in HS and a avid volleyball player as well as a top notch student. She is hoping to secure a scholarship to go to college so that is what this trip was all about. She was scouting out St. Martins University in Lacey, Wa. and they were scouting out her.

Isn't she the cutest....She towers over me and has long arms so this selfie wasn't too bad as we were leaving on the plane.

 

 

 

 

The main campus

The gym where all the action is

 

 

 

She had a two day clinic and a one day tour of the university. She spent the first night on campus and had a ball. She said she wishes it was a little bigger as only has about 2000 students but loved the area and the  people. I have traveled a lot but this was the first time I rented a car and drove on my own so was a good experience for me too.

 

The area is really pretty and green...

The parking lot of the hotel and the little red one next to the gray was our rental.

 

 

 

 

Trees everywhere.....

and I don't know what kind this was but it had such pretty leaves

 

 

 

Had a great stay here, close to the freeway and college.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a great time:)

 

 

 

 

 

It has been a bit of a whirlwind after getting home. I had committed to adopting two dogs before I left and I had things to get ready to bring them home but home they are!!!

Louise is the beige one and Ella the dark one. They are older,8 years and 3 years, housetrained and very loveable.

 

 We hit the jackpot!!!!

 

 

 

Off again

 

Off  to the northwest with the Granddaughter for a few days......will take pictures:)

Last stop....Budapest, Hungry

Originally Budapest was two cities. Historic Buda and Modern Pest. This is said to be the most beautiful city at night but since we had to awake at 2:00 am to leave to catch our plane we did not see it but here is one from the internet and as you can see, it is beautiful.

 

The Danube cuts through the heart of the city, separating the Buda Hill and the Old City from the elegant boulevards of modern Pest.

Some buildings from the bus

 

 

I was impressed with the greenery and flowers

 

We saw the Hero's square. A magnificent place but hard to get pictures of as it is all so big..

 

 

 

 

 

I think this was the Parliament

 

From here we walked and I loved all the green along the way..

 

Some pretty apartments

 

This is the massive hilltop castle complex with its turreted fishermen's Bastion and Matthias Church. Just driving up here was breath taking.

They seem to have covered all the bases..

A little resting spot up on the hill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The view from the top

 

One of the two bridges

 

How about this little fountain

 

Some sort of a plaque

 

 

A selfie to prove we were there, It was a great trip:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vienna

Our tour of Vienna included a bus tour and a walking tour. The bus tour took us around the Ringstrasse (outer circle of the inner city) and had all kinds of amazing building and sites. I took pictures but have no idea of the names of these places if they gave them to us and some have a bit of a glare because of the glass window.

 

 

 

 

The fortifying walls which had protected the city for centuries were torn down and the ring road was laid out in their place. Many monumental buildings lined this boulevard..

 

 

 

 

When we were here there was a young man who had climbed up on this statue (no easy feat) and was taking selfie pictures with the horses and etc. People began to get irate and insisted he get down. Nothing like seeing a historical site with some kid next to one of the horses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Stephan's Cathedral

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Magnificent

 

The rest of the tour was a walking tour of the (inner city) which was a huge shopping center with little cafe's along the streets.

 

 

You could take a carriage ride and later in the afternoon there were plenty to choose from

 

As we walked by the guide said (don't step in the puddles...it isn't water)

 

I am not a shopper but did buy a couple of souvenirs here and of course we had to stop and have a latte

 

and the famous Apple Strudel for me

and for hubby??????

 He broke all traditions and went for ice cream.

At 12:00 pm they closed the streets to cars and the people just roamed as they pleased.

 

Sights from the ship

 

 

 

Check out this fishing ship

 

They had a special Captains farewell dinner and toast. All the heads of the different departments came and toasted us. It was really nice and no it was not formal:)

 

 

 

  

 

 

Last stop......Budapest, Hungary