LeRoy Family Blog https://www.leroynet.com A history of major family events and travels Mon, 22 Sep 2025 18:11:53 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 2025 Camino de Santiago https://www.leroynet.com/2025/09/11/camino-de-santiago/ Thu, 11 Sep 2025 13:06:18 +0000 https://www.leroynet.com/?p=4796 Background This is a blog of Lynn and Teresa’s Camino. I created it as they were … 2025 Camino de SantiagoRead more

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Background

This is a blog of Lynn and Teresa’s Camino. I created it as they were going. Most of this was written by me; so we are missing the key voices of our story. As they started to contribute, I quoted their comments. Maybe when they get back, they’ll update it or create a new page in their voice.

This pilgrimage on “The Way of St. James” has been on Lynn’s bucket list for years. St. James was one of Jesus’ apostles. Lynn and Teresa are taking on this amazing adventure together. They’ll be walking 150 miles over the next two weeks; September 9, 2025 thru September 23, 2025.

Wednesday:

The trip from Cincinnati, through Paris, to Porto, Portugal was uneventful. The best kind of trip abroad. The Hotel Jaguar is very cool, kinda of boutique-ish. They’ve already met others on their trip. Thursday is a day to acclimatize to the new timezone and tour the city of Porto. The big trek starts on Friday.

This is their route. They are going north. Each red pin is a stop. The last leg is actually two days.

Thursday:

Today was a “spa” day. They each had a “Send Off” massage at the Grand Bleu Spa in downtown Porto. They’ll go out for lunch and then tour the city more.

They have met 4 people already in the group! All ladies, their age or older! Two from Chicago and two from California/Texas!

Friday:

Today did NOT start the walk. They are touring the city more. But they do get their first stamp today at the Porto Cathedral. The weather is great. They’re having a wonderful trip.

They met more pilgrims from their group. Total of 12 now? All women similar to them. Middle-age, affluent, husbands stayed back. 😀

My theory is men like to walk the Camino the old way; carry everything with you, stay at Hostels. These women are more modern. Get a guy to take your luggage to the next hotel while you walk.

Saturday is a group tour of Porto. At 1:00pm (WEST) they take a bus north to Spain and start with a short walk. They stay at hotel Bahia Baoina.

Saturday:

The Camino has officially started. Today was a short walk. All uphill.

Lynn’s backpack, that she used for training, has been deemed too heavy and she got a new one. The weather is great. Dinner is at 8:00. They start the first 15 miles walk tomorrow at 6:30am.

Notes from Lynn:

There is a photo from the Portugal side looking into Spain. The fortress granite walls was to protect Portugal from Spain during battles. Portugal gained independence from Spain as a result of those wars.

We crossed the “International Bridge” from Portugal to Spain and that beautiful sign that says “Portugal” is shown as you enter the country.

Our feet one is cool… Halfway across the International Bridge is the Portugal/Spain boundary. Teresa is standing in Portugal and I am in Spain. We thought that was cool.

We are standing under the Spain sign when we crossed the bridge.

A cathedral where we got our 2nd stamp on our passport. Interesting fact is that there are “pilgrim makeshift” clinics along the way that are free for minor issues.

Manuel is our guide and leader.

Sunday:

Itinerary: This is the real start of your journey. May every step be a thought on peace and an extension of loving kindness. Leave Baiona behind, and follow the coast across the Rias Baixas through the beach town of NigrĂ„n. Walk along long pristine beaches and admire the magnificent Cies Islands from a distance. Vigo is Galicia’s most important harbor and busiest city

Our pilgrams treked 15.5 miles today. It took them 8 hours including stops for food and meditation along the sea.

Notes from Lynn:

A unique bridge into a small town—it was beautiful and then on the other side was this memorial lit up with shells (the symbol of the Camino), and stones with people’s names on them. We received our shells on the first day and tied them to our backpacks. When you see those with these shells on their backpacks, you know they are our fellow pilgrims.

These stones were all along the beach (see photo), and there was a marker on a huge rock so all pilgrims can place a name on their stone. Teresa chose a special stone for Eleanor, and I chose a little larger one for Jorden. We placed them on the beach in the sand with a special prayer for each of our precious grandchildren. There were hundreds left there by other pilgrims.

The Camino trail is marked with yellow arrows. Along the way, when we stop for a Americano or lunch, we receive a special stamp on our Camino passport. These stamps are important as they are required in order to receive the last stamp of completion in Santiago.

Many water stations and bathrooms along the way for pilgrims.

Monday:

Itinerary: Take in the stunning views of Vigo Bay, the Atlantic Islands, the Morrazo Peninsula, and Rande Bridge. After a pleasant walk on an unpaved path through woodlands, reach Redondela. Our driver will take you to the hotel in the centre of Pontevedra, where you will spend the next two nights. You may wish to visit the stunning Sanctuary of the Virgin Pilgrim.

Lynn and Teresa experienced Camino pilgrims’ friendships today that strengthened their understanding of blessings in suffering. Today’s 10 mile trek was relatively easy except for the rain. They each brought rain gear but didn’t take it on the hike. Two people from their group shared extra Patagonia jackets.

Notes from them:

This morning on the Camino, they both decided to skip packing their raincoats since the forecast promised nothing but sunshine. Naturally, partway through the wooded stretch, the skies opened up. They figured they would just deal with being soaked, but two pilgrims passing by offered extra ponchos and jackets they had tucked away.

At first, Lynn and Teresa said no—they didn’t want to take these other pilgrim’s gear—but after a few minutes more down the trail, one of the men stopped and insisted, saying it wasn’t right to carry gear that could help someone else and not share it.

He said “after all, the Camino always provides what you need.” So they accepted, and later met them again in the next town to return the borrowed gear.

If they had not experienced the chilly extreme discomfort  of the rain and downpour, they would never have be encountered this act of giving as they did today. Lynn and Teresa wanted to do a nice gesture for these pilgrims who lent them their gear. Due to no access to thank you notes or a small token or appreciation, they promised to pay forward to others along the way.

Tuesday:

Itinerary: After a short transfer back to Redondela, continue your journey; first uphill by the coast with stunnning views over the Vigo Bay and across the infamous Ponte Sampaio bridge, where Napoleon’s Army suffered one of the greatest defeats during the War of Independence. Continue then mostly downhill, through peaceful oak forests and along the river to the center of Pontevedra, the city founded by the Romans and dedicated to the Virgen Peregrina (the Pilgrim Virgin).

They had another good day today. The weather was better but the path was harder. 13 miles with several hills. The food at the hotel wasn’t very impressive so they skipped and had a big Italian lunch. I keep hearing “We’re going to bed early today”. And then I get a phone call at 11:30pm their time. 😀

Notes from them:

Teresa and Lynn keep seeing blessings along the Camino, and everyday is better than the next! Today was a lot of uphill and 13 miles of terrain, but we did it!

You will see photos of they small C as they walked into town. It was a beautiful path with the numerous people, and homes that were always very modest but so beautiful. The towns’ people are so kind and watching them sweep their porches, tend to their flowers, and walk with their small canvas bags full of groceries was so delightful. Simple lives but seem so happy!

You will see the Camino signs that ensure we are on the right path! (yellow and blue decides the way). We love to bump into in fellow pilgrims each day that we met and spoke to the day before. One of our favorites

Wednesday

Itinerary: Leave the inland Portuguese Camino to take the Spiritual Variant, which follows St. James’ final journey. Legend says that a stone vessel carried the Apostle’s remains from Jaffa in Israel to Padrön along the River Ulla some 2000 years ago. Today, you will walk past the Monastery of San Juan de Poio and the beautiful town of Combarro, famous for its many horreos (traditional granaries on pillars). After Combarro, continue another two miles along the coast to reach the hotel.

I spoke to Lynn. They had a great day. They walked 11 miles. The weather was great; the hotel isn’t, other than the pool. They really enjoyed the relief of resting and soaking in the pool.

Lynn’s feet are showing signs of her efforts. She has some pretty significant blisters. Luckily, there are only two more days. She bought some moleskin bandages which are working wonders to protect from the soreness.

Notes from Teresa:

Yesterday’s walk on the Camino felt like moving between two worlds.

We started in a quiet, shaded woods-perfect for reflection-until a group with a flag came running by, singing and shouting, filling the silence with energy. It was striking how two different pilgrimages could share the same path: one rooted in stillness, the other in noise.

That contrast-quiet vs. loud, calm vs. chaotic-set the tone for the day.

We marveled at the peaceful 12th-century Cistercian Monastery of Armentrout, its ancient walls inviting calm, but outside, construction noise shattered the serenity.

The monastery gave us peace, while the world outside demanded we brace for the chaos.

As we neared the end, the beauty of the sea stretched out before us, calm and peaceful, but our path ran alongside a busy highway, cars rushing past just feet away. Beauty and danger, rest and tension-side by side.

By the end of the day, we had walked about 11 miles, checked into a charming hotel, and relaxed by the pool.

The Camino often mirrors life-offering both calm and chaos, and asking us to find balance in both.

Thursday:

Itinerary: Expect a beautiful walk today, through vineyards and alongside refreshing streams in the forests. Stop at the 1 2th Century Cistercian Monastery of Armenteira, founded by the knight Ero in 1 168. Follow the relaxing “Ruta da Pedra e da Agua”(the rock and water route), a forest path next to a water stream with over 30 medieval water mills. The destination today is Cambados, considered to be the capital of Albarifio, one of the best white wines in the world.

Notes from the Pilgrims:

Yesterday was a different kind of Camino day 😂.

Lynn and Teresa have consistently been among the first people to arrive at the destination and complete the required miles each day, but on Thursday, they took it slow and ended up being the last to arrive. It was a slow and meandering type of day which was nice. They stopped at a gorgeous monastery, and although it was beautiful, the nuns were selling skincare and hand-painted shells, and of course they had take time to talk to the nuns and purchase some skincare designed for the wind, sun, rain that and muscle soreness that effects all pilgrims. 😂. Best skincare ever!

Shells are the symbol of the Camino and pilgrims attach them to their backpacks so you know who your fellow pilgrims are.

There are dozens of trading posts along the way where they get their Camiño passport stamps, and these individuals also sell hand painted shells with colors and jewels and crosses on them. These trading posts have been so wonderful and unique. In the forests or along the rural paths locals set up beautiful stands with makeshift hay bale seats with blankets on them, for pilgrims to rest. A few tables and so many beautiful planted and potted flowers that add to the aviance of their experience. They meet so many interesting people on these rest spots.

During the day, they took a couple of wrong turns, and had to find a way back to the path. They saw a man and a young boy, and relied on Google Translate to chat with them to get back on track. (That boy sure knew how to give direction as his dad looked on proudly—he couldn’t have been more than 10 years old).

At another point, they found themselves wandering through a vineyard, almost taking another wrong turn, but a woman who was driving rolled down her window and pointed us the right way! There wasn’t nearly as many yellow arrows to follow today! One point about the vineyards is that the vineyard owners deliberately plant some vines very close to the trail so as they walk they can pick the grapes and just pop them in their mouths. They are so delicious! And their hands turn purple! 😂

By the time they finally met up with the group, they had already eaten and had a few drinks. It was a nice change of pace, though! Nothing to worry about (they never got stressed about it). Just wandering until they found their way.

One of the highlights was their darling cottage style rooms where Teresa and Lynn had adjoining balconies so they could go outside and chat to discuss dinner plans and their last day game plan! (Since it is the longest day of 17 miles). V

After showers and freshening up, they ate at an amazing Latino Galician fusion restaurant. Food here is so good!

Friday

Itinerary: Start the day on a high note: a one-hour catamaran cruise on the Ulla River, following the journey of the legendary stone boat that carried the remains of St. James. See the remains of the Catoira towers, which used to protect Santiago de Compostela from Viking attacks. Disembark on the outskirts of Padrön, famous for its “pimientos,” small, mild green peppers, usually served fried and salted.

Only a few more miles to Santiago de Compostela! Enjoy a celebratory dinner upon completing your Camino de Santiago, served in a local restaurant in the old town. If you have walked all stages of the Camino, you will receive your Pilgrim Certificate.

Today is their last day that starts with an hour long catamaran. Then a 17 mile trek to Santiago for their certificate! It will be a long day, probably won’t get there until close to dark, but they are ready, prepared and so excited they have walked every step of the way!

Notes from the Pilgrams:

Rough but glorious day. We arrived in the dark since the day began with a cateraman (sp) ride as our starting point. The cateraman could not take off until a few hours later due to the tide so we didn’t get to start the 17 mile walk until 2:00 pm!

The sun was hot but there was some forest walks and villages with shade.

In the beginning, Lynn was probably mor skeptical than Teresa that they could make it the entire way, but we did! Arrived at 10:00 pm in the dark! These last few miles included a forest walk that required phone flashlights. And our guide Manuel, met us on the other side and walked the last mile with us.

We got very emotional those last few miles when we realized that they were going to complete the Camino together every step of the way. Seeing the beauty, never left each other’s side, took quick small Americano breaks with some substance (the grilled ham, cheese and tomato sandwich never tasted so good)!

Of our group of 16, only 8 walked it the entire way, but Manuel (guide) said he had no doubt the two of us would do it. We were only 30 minutes after the last two in our group to arrive.

What really touched us, is not only Manuel walking with us that last mile (we think he did that for all of us who finished and we surmise he walked two Camiños during these past 8 days), but all our fellow pilgrims in the group who didn’t walk the entire way and a few who did, met us in front of the grand, towering cathedral in a lit up square where all the pilgrims complete their journey. Music and singing everywhere at 10:00 at night!

We went to dinner with those who met us, had burgers, salads, frites, wine and aqua. Lots and lots of aqua.

We arrived at the hotel by 1:00 am and slept until 9:30 am today to attend mass in the grand cathedral with 1200 pilgrims from all over the world.

Today is shopping, the celebratory dinner with the entire group, and another night in Santiago, Spain before heading back to Porto, Portugal tomorrow.

We will send photos of our excursions today and celebratory dinner this evening with the entire group where we received our final stamp and certificate. Just like Lynn’s dream after watching the movie “The Way”!

Saturday:

They had a much easier day today. With simple touring of Santiago and a celebration dinner.

Notes from Teresa:

We had a beautiful day today! Still on a glorious high that we made it every.step.of.THE.WAY!

We began our day joining fellow Pilgrims thanking God while attending mass at the Cathedral Santiago. Google translate did a good job helping us understand the Spanish Word of God.

After mass, we had a glorious brunch at a cafe that was located in Santiago situated on the path where Pilgrims were walking into the city after their long trek. We know how they felt! The emotions are indescribable.

The rest of the afternoon was shopping, eating ice cream, more Americano, then back to the hotel to rest before the celebratory dinner which was a FEAST! We exchanged stories, laughed and walked back to the hotel for our final night in Santiago before our return to Porto this morning (a 4 hour coach ride).

Sunday:

I spoke to Lynn today. They have the certificates of completion. They took a bus from Santiago to Porto, Portugal. Along the way, the group made a few stops for touring. The rest of the day is theirs. More pictures are coming later.

Monday, they’re going to have spa treatments and relax. Tuesday they head back to the Sates.

Notes from the Pilgrams:

We want to thank all of you for your love, support and encouraging texts along THE WAY.

Monday:

Spa treatments were great. As they were packing for the trip home, the Jaguar hotel lost power and water. Now they’re moving to a Eurostar Hotel down the street.

They should have left today!

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2025 Colorado and Montana https://www.leroynet.com/2025/07/21/2025-colorado-and-montana/ Mon, 21 Jul 2025 02:37:32 +0000 https://www.leroynet.com/?p=4776 The whole family got together in Colorado and Montana. It’s rare that all four of us … 2025 Colorado and MontanaRead more

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The whole family got together in Colorado and Montana. It’s rare that all four of us are together any more.

The trip started with Mom’s memorial service in Michigan. That was better than we expected. Father Dave was short and pointless, but very relatable. Mary did a very nice job with comments about everyone. The luncheon was great too. I was really impressed that so many people came for Mom.

Lynn and I were home only a couple days before we left again for Colorado to visit Mary and Paul. It was a great visit. They put the mountain house on the market for sale. I hope it doesn’t sell. But, we had lots of fun mountain activities:

  • Bike Ride – We took a mountain bike ride from Vail Pass down to Frisco. It was only 12 miles and all downhill. The weather was beautiful and the scenary was spectacular.
  • Dinner at Ski tips – One of Paul and Mary’s favorite restaurants is Skip Tip Lodge at Keystone. We loved the format. There is a single menu with two choices of salad, starter, entree, and dessert, you get choose one from each course. Everything was awesome. We ate our dessert on the patio.
  • Hanging Lake – This was a major highlight of the trip. We hiked up to Hanging Lake. It’s 1.2 miles long and has a 1,200 feet incline. It was a tough climb but well workth the effort. At 9,000 feet, the altitude is the challenge. It’s hard to breath up there.

After three days in Colorado, we left for Missoula to catchup with Nathan and Matthew. Another great trip. Nathan and Hannah went to Glacier National Park and met us at Matthew’s. Jorden and Mikey were there too. It was fun to hang out together.

  • The “M” – We hiked The M at the University of Montana. It’s about a mile climb and a 600 ft incline.
  • Whitewater Rafting – Our trip was down the Alberton Gorge. It is a 10 mile ride. The funny part is Bob was the only one to fall out. Otherwise the trip was great. Just enough rapids to make it interesting and plenty of floating to relax. We stopped at a big rock to jump off. It was only about 10 feet up but it always feels higher when you’re about to jump. Lynn went first!!
  • Visiting – The best part was sitting around the AirBnB just talking and telling stories. It was the great.

One other funny story was the awful travel. Sometimes you get no breaks.

  • The drive home from Michigan, we got stuck 45 minutes from home in a construction zone for 2.5 hours.
  • Driving to Mountain House from the Denver airport, there was an accident on I-70 and it took us six hours to get up the mountain via US-6.
  • Our flight from Denver to Missoula as delayed seven hours due to weather.
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2025 Guys Ski Trip https://www.leroynet.com/2025/03/17/2025-guys-ski-trip/ Mon, 17 Mar 2025 00:37:17 +0000 https://www.leroynet.com/?p=4749 Paul hosted yet another GREAT guys ski trip. This year there were eight of us (Paul, … 2025 Guys Ski TripRead more

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Paul hosted yet another GREAT guys ski trip. This year there were eight of us (Paul, Kerry, Brandon, Andrew, Matthew, Nathan and Jorden). The weather cooporated completely. It was sunny the first day and then it started snowing, snowing and snowing more.

Day one was Breckenridge – It was a beautiful day. We skied most of the day with sunny skies. The crowds were minimal so we covered a lot of ground. At lunch, we got a great spot at the Robbie’s Bar right on the mountain. The highlight may have been riding the “Imperial Express”. It’s the highest life in North America, topping out at 12,840 feet.

Day two at Vail – The weather called for snow to start dumping at 6:00am and we weren’t disappointed. By the end of the day we had at least 9 inches of new powder. It made for some great tracks. As soon as we arrived, we headed for the back bowls. Visibilty was awful but the skiing was great.

Day three at Beaver Creek – Our last day was another great one. Very short lines and great snow conditions. We found some fresh powder up in McCoy’s park, did some cool tree runs, and lots of trips down Larkspur Express. I love how big the Colorado mountains are.

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Florida 2025 https://www.leroynet.com/2025/02/24/florida-2025/ Mon, 24 Feb 2025 02:09:47 +0000 https://www.leroynet.com/?p=4711 Lynn and I stayed at Mom’s condo for the Month of Februrary. Between spending time with … Florida 2025Read more

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Lynn and I stayed at Mom’s condo for the Month of Februrary. Between spending time with Mom, visiting with friends, and working, it was a very busy month. And, Lynn and I kept up with our Orange Theory Fitness program.

February 3rd – Golf with Russ Schwartz and John McLaughlin at Old Corkscrew and then dinner at Bevy’s in Naples. We had dinner with Carin and Brian at Oak and Stone.
Feb 8th/9th – Venice beach with the Daventry friends. Lynn went shopping with the girls. Bob played Sarasota National golf course.
Feb 9th – Vanderbuilt Beach with our Swaim Field friends. The Allison’s came to visit and we watched the Super Bowl at the McLaughlin’s condo. Lots of work that week and dinners. Friday we played golf at Peplican Marsh; a beautiul golf course.
Feb 16th – Carin invited us to play her executive golf course at the Villages of Country Creek and then dinner again at O&S. That was a great day. On Tuesday, we had dinner at Meghan’s house. And Lynn’s Mom arrived on Thursday. Friday was golf at Arrowhead.
Feb 23th – We had brunch at the main Grandezza Club dining room. That was special because Mom, Sheila Hague and Gladys Larson all were there. Tuesday Gladys goes home and Wednesday we all leave.

Lynn and I spent a LOT of time with Mom.

  • Dinner the day after we arrived at Bone Fish.
  • Visits about every other day. The drive is 20 minutes each way.
  • I played Bingo with her on Monday’s at 6:00pm
  • She lost a hearing-aid so we scheduled an appointment and I took her to get tested for new aids.
  • Brunch at Grandezza
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Snowy Cincinnati https://www.leroynet.com/2025/02/24/snowy-cincinnati/ Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:42:00 +0000 https://www.leroynet.com/?p=4696 We got a very unsually large amount of snow this year. It was over a foot … Snowy CincinnatiRead more

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We got a very unsually large amount of snow this year. It was over a foot of snow; a rare occassion lately.

One afternoon, I hear someone outside the laundry rooom. I found several boys playing in the snow. Two on sleds and one with a real snowboard. I didn’t realize the hill next to our house was a good sledding hill.

Lynn agreed to go sledding. It was a great time!

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First Visit to Matthew in Montana https://www.leroynet.com/2024/09/02/first-visit-to-matthew-in-montana/ Sun, 01 Sep 2024 20:22:15 +0000 https://www.leroynet.com/?p=4622 We went to Missoula to visit Matthew. This was our first trip since he moved out … First Visit to Matthew in MontanaRead more

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We went to Missoula to visit Matthew. This was our first trip since he moved out there about six months ago. Nathan met up with us along the way and we all arrived together. I was very excited for a trip with just the four of us again.

Lynn had a very busy week preparing to be away for eight days. Shortly after we boarded, she started feeling really bad. By the time we got to the hotel, she was down for the count. We got a covid test and, of course, it’s positive. The next two days she locked herself in the hotel room. I moved into Nathan’s room.

Day 1 – Lynn’s doctor ordered up some Paxlovid. While Lynn tried to recover, the guys went hiking in the local hills, got dinner together, and hung out a Matthew’s apartment.

Day 2 – She wasn’t better but rallied a bit as we drove to Yellowstone. That’s a long trip from Missoula. Four hours to get to the park; 90 minutes inside the part to arrive at the Yellowstone Lake Hotel.

Day 3 – Feeling a bit better, we took the Yellowstone South Loop drive. It’s amazing how big that park is. The South Loop is an easy two hour drive. Our stops included:

  • West Thumb with many amazing hot springs. It’s so cool to see the water just boiling in the pools. The water is clear and deep but boiling like crazy. It’s not an illusion, if you touch it, it’s HOT.
  • Old Faithful is definitely something to see. But it’s not the only geyser there. They all shoot very high in the air.
  • Lots of other stops along the way too. So many geysers, falls and overlooks. We were on the road for most of the day.

Day 4 – Ready to vacation again, we headed for the North Loop and made lots of stops.

  • We started at the “Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone”. This really felt like the Grand Canyon. The erosion from the river and falls were stunning.
  • Our drive through Lamar Valley was to look for wildlife. We found it in Bison. There are SO many, it’s amazing. They’re HUGE and everywhere. But we didn’t see any bears.
  • The valley follows the Lamar River, Lynn wanted to stop at a “Rivery River” stop. Nathan and Matthew were climbing on the big rocks/boulders. Nathan slipped and got to ride home in his “skivies”.
  • Our stop at Mammoth Hot Springs was really cool. The Travistine (expelled Limestone) created a massive mountain over the springs.
  • Norris Geyser is unique in that most of the other geysers are just hot water. Norris is sulfuric acid. You shouldn’t touch this water and it looks like your on another planet.

Day 5 – We returned to Missoula. Again the drive out of the park took two hours and then another four to get back to Missoula.

Day 6 – Nathan headed for home. Matthew and Lynn toured Missoula. I worked.

Day 7 – We flew home. Our best option was to leave afternoon and arrive home at 1:00am

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Visit Mom https://www.leroynet.com/2024/08/19/visit-mom/ Mon, 19 Aug 2024 08:38:00 +0000 https://www.leroynet.com/?p=4665 She turned 91 this year. I went down for the weekend to visit. We did some … Visit MomRead more

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She turned 91 this year. I went down for the weekend to visit.

We did some dinners and hung out in her new apartment at Amavida. I was also lucky enough to play golf twice.

  1. Carin and I played together at her course in the Villages of Country Creek. We did well together.
  2. Meghan and I played against Ricky and Max at Grandezza. Our game of cart scramble ended in a tie.

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Ironman 70.3 https://www.leroynet.com/2024/05/13/ironman-70-3/ Sun, 12 May 2024 22:11:27 +0000 https://www.leroynet.com/?p=4602 Nathan registered to race in a half-Ironman. I really didn’t understand what this meant. He invited … Ironman 70.3Read more

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Nathan registered to race in a half-Ironman. I really didn’t understand what this meant. He invited us to join him in St George, UT. This is where Zion National Park is. So, the whole family joined him for the event.

It was a great trip. We arrived a few days early so we could explore the area. It’s all desert (warm, sunny, and dry) with some really beautiful mountains. Nathan, Hannah, Lynn and I troured Zion Park on foot. It was a great day of hiking.

The next day we drove the Ironman bike course and it took us almost as much time it would for the athletes. Matthew arrived on Friday and he joined me and Lynn on an electric bikeride through Zion. That was really special too. We did the Narrows hike and then Matthew and I climbed Scout’s Landing. That was a VERY hard climb.

The race itself was impressive. We were up and at the swim course before sunrise. The pro’s started at sun-up. It took Nathan an hour to start after the pro start. He finished the whole race in under seven hours. He averages 10 minute miles on the run. You can see his results on the Ironman Website Results Page.

The winners were hard to believe. Average 28mph for the bike and 5:27 for the run. Insane!!

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Guys Ski Trip 2024 https://www.leroynet.com/2024/04/11/guys-ski-trip-2024/ Thu, 11 Apr 2024 02:50:37 +0000 https://www.leroynet.com/?p=4595 Another great ski trip with Paul. We are very fotunate to be able to take these … Guys Ski Trip 2024Read more

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Another great ski trip with Paul. We are very fotunate to be able to take these trips. It was great seeing everyone (Paul, Eric, Andrew, Evan, Kerry, Steve, Matthew, Jorden and Bob).

This year Jorden joined us. Because Matthew was in Montana, Jorden flew with me. We got upgraded to first class on the flight to Denver. They had a full meal ready for us. Since we already ate in the airport I passed; but, Jorden had a second breakfast.

We picked up Matthew in Denver and drove up the mountain and headed directly for Keystone where we skied half the day. The snow was good and it got us a nice warm-up for the rest of the week. The next day we skied Vail, which is always epic, and then Beavercreek the last day.

The weather was beautiful with cool temps and clear blue skies. Unfortunately, the day we left, they got a foot of snow. Maybe next year.

The worst part of the trip was Matthew fell on “Ripsaw” and dislocated his shoulder. The ski patrol was there quickly and gave him a complimentary sled ride down the mountain. The doctors at the onsite urgent care had him fixed up in less than 90 minutes.

Here’s a video of the trip:

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2024 Eclipse https://www.leroynet.com/2024/04/09/2024-eclipse/ Tue, 09 Apr 2024 17:50:04 +0000 https://www.leroynet.com/?p=4586 April 8, 2024 – Most epic eclipse of my life. I’ve seen partial eclipses many times. … 2024 EclipseRead more

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April 8, 2024 – Most epic eclipse of my life. I’ve seen partial eclipses many times. This is the first time I was inside “totality”. Cincinnati was to be in 99.4% totality. So, drove an hour northwest to be inside the total eclipse.

The weather was perfect at 78 degress and hardly a cloud in the sky. We drove the Porsche to Melissa Palmer’s. That was a tough drive due to all the traffic. Our usual 60 minute drive became over 90 minutes. But, driving a convertible in perfect weather is hard to complain about.

Some key points that I loved the most:
1. As it got dark, the temp was noticable cooler
2. The animals did NOT get quiet
3. Seeing the corona of the sun was indescribable
4. It seemed like dawn but 360 degrees

We tried to take pictures but none worked very well. Here are some that I though were better:
* Eclipse for Skylink – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ust2eR3nhJc
* Eclipse from James Webb Telescope: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2127373170805852/permalink/2310705759139258/?mibextid=WC7FNe&rdid=Q327YSa0mj5DSOIE

The post 2024 Eclipse first appeared on LeRoy Family Blog.

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