SOUTH DAKOTA

South Dakota - Faces in the Rocks, October 5-6

Our day started in San Jose with a delayed flight and the potential for a missed connection in Denver.  Fortunately, our gates were close and we made our flights without an issue.  Upon our arrival in Rapid City, we were met with welcoming smiles from SDGER Barclay and Eileen Allibone, DDGER Delores and PDDGER Dwight Pogany, State President Bob and Gloria Bartlett and PSP Dean and Roberta "Bert" Reichert.  We exited the terminal into an unseasonably cool South Dakota afternoon which, after our 104 degree temperatures in California, felt wonderful.  That evening, we went over to the Rapid City Elks Lodge #1187 and were hosted to a wonderful dinner by Exalted Ruler Andrew Gay.

Friday morning, we boarded our tour van for our visit to the first of South Dakota Elks two Major Project sites, the Children's Care Hospital and School.  Children's Care has two facilities, a hospital, school and rehabilitation facility in Sioux Falls and another rehabilitation center in Rapid City.  The purpose of these facilities is to help with both outpatient and in-home, school and daycare center rehabilitation for children with physical or cognitive challenges.  The Elks support this organization by providing vans for their therapists to use as they travel the state as well as cash contributions.  

 

Our second stop was the Children's Home Society, a facility in the Black Hills of South Dakota providing support for children ages 4-14 who are, for whatever reason, removed from their parents and require a safe place to reside and emotional rehabilitation.  They serve over 2,000 children per year with residential, educational, therapeutic, emergency and foster/adoptive services.  Founded in 1893, it is the oldest human services agency in South Dakota.  We were given a tour of the facility and were extremely impressed by the talent of these amazing people and their dedication to the welfare of the children in their care.

After our visit to the two facilities, we traveled further into the Black Hills on winding roads, through narrow rock tunnels and across "pig-tail bridges" as we worked our way toward "The Shrine of Democracy," also known as Mt. Rushmore.  (Pig-tail bridges are named after their shape as the road curls back underneath itself, sometimes 360 degrees!)  Throughout the drive, we would catch views of Mt. Rushmore as we came through the tunnels and each view would be closer than the last.  Upon our arrival, we walked up through the Avenue of the States and the presidents were directly in front of us.  It is an inspiring view and we felt pride in our American heritage that was so beautifully displayed on this granite mountain.  We were grateful that we had a chance to see this wonder.

 

After lunch, we left Mt. Rushmore and headed for the Crazy Horse monument.  As we journeyed on, a few small snowflakes began to drift through the air.  By the time we made it the 17 miles to Crazy Horse, it was snowing in earnest.  We could barely see the mountain and could only discern the faint shadow of the carving.  Fortunately, Dean Reichert had been a tour bus driver and had connections at the site.  A fellow Elk who works for the monument had determined that the road to the top of the mountain was passable.  So we loaded up his 4-wheel drive and started up.  At the top, we were given hard hats, walked out onto the top of the arm of Crazy Horse and then told to turn and look.  There, in all his majesty was the completed face of this famous chief.  It was quite an experience and one we will never forget.

Saturday morning, Tom joined Bob in the Association meetings and lunch while Venita attended a luncheon hosted by Gloria.  The afternoon found Tom with several of the South Dakota Elks out at the Rapid City Elks Lodge talking with the members.  The ladies took Venita downtown to Prairie Edge.  Set in a historic building, Prairie Edge features work by Native American artists and is a cross between an art gallery and an old-time trading post.  The ladies browsed every nook and cranny, marveling at the craftsmanship and the heritage displayed.

Saturday evening, the Association held their convention banquet.  It was well attended and enjoyed by all.  The South Dakota Elks Association presented Venita with a necklace and Tom with cuff links featuring their famous Black Hills Gold.  They are treasures that will always remind us of our wonderful time in South Dakota.  Many thanks to Barclay and Eileen, Bob and Gloria, Dwight and Delores and Dean and Bert for making this a weekend to remember.  And thanks for the invitation to come back to attend the Sturgis Rally.  We'll just have to do that!

MASSACHUSETTS

MASSACHUSETTS – “Old Ironsides,"

September 27-29

 

On our drive from Vermont to Massachusetts, we made a stop at the "Elk by the Trail," a monument erected to deceased Elks.  This beautiful memorial was the project of several local lodges and sits right next to the highway.  It is a very special sight and we appreciated the chance to see it.

 

We then met up with Grand Trustee and SDGER Mike Zellen and Donna at Greenfield Elks Lodge #1296 in Greenfield, Massachusetts for a wonderful clam chowder luncheon with Exalted Ruler Sid Jensen and the officers and members of the lodge.  Greenfield will be celebrating their 100^th  Anniversary this year and we congratulated them on this achievement.   After a tour of their beautiful lodge, we joined Mike and Donna for an afternoon drive to our hotel south of Boston in Somerset, Massachusetts.

Thursday evening we went to dinner at the Fall River Lodge #118.  State President Frank Barone and Rhone and State Sponsor PGER Dr. Leonard Bristol and Ginny also joined us and we had an excellent Minestrone soup followed by a pot roast dinner.  We very much enjoyed the “comfort food” menu.  The hospitality extended to us by Exalted Ruler Gene Alves and his officers was wonderful and made our evening thoroughly enjoyable.

Friday morning we awoke to rain.  Not to be deterred, we set out to tour the Boston area.  Our first stop was the U.S.S. Constitution, more fondly known as “Old Ironsides.”  The Executive Officer of the ship came down to welcome us on behalf of the Captain who was away in Washington, D.C. on official business for the weekend.  We toured the decks of the ship from stem to stern, marveling at the beautiful condition of this, the oldest commissioned warship in the U.S. Navy.  After an overview of the Charlestown Navy Yard and a quick walk through the Constitution Museum, we boarded the van and headed for Bunker Hill.  We stopped for pictures at the Monument on our way to lunch at a terrific Italian restaurant in Boston’s North End called Benevento’s.  True to all of our experience with Italian restaurants, the food was excellent, the quantity more than any human being could possibly eat in one sitting and the service was impeccable.  While we were at lunch, someone in the group noticed that our van driver for the day, Kevin Alkins from the Malden Lodge #965 bore a striking resemblance to Tom and the “Me and Mini-me” theme began.

After lunch, we toured the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.  As has been the case for many of our stops, we wished that we could have had more time at this venue.  The detailed information about this period of our U.S. history and the comprehensive displays were amazing.  We know that we will make time to thoroughly tour this museum the next time we return to the Boston area.

Friday evening we celebrated the 100^th Anniversary of the Middleboro Elks Lodge #1274 with a dinner/dance.  When Tom presented them with their plaque, he commented on what a significant milestone this was and how proud they should be.  Their anniversary committee did a beautiful job of planning for this event, having devoted well over two years of effort to ensure all went well.  The dinner was excellent and it appeared that a good time was had by all.

Saturday, we traveled to the Weymouth Elks Lodge #2232 for a luncheon with the District Deputies, the Past State Presidents and other State Officers.  The Weymouth Lodge has been expanded several times over the years and they have a beautiful and extremely functional facility.  After lunch, the Weymouth Riders, a committee of the lodge, presented Tom with his own leather vest with their patch on the back and made him an official member of the "Elkwey Riders."  They also let Venita know that she was included and that her vest would be coming as soon as they received some additional club patches.  We knew they were serious about their group when we noted the motorcycle parking outside their lodge.

 

Saturday evening was our final celebration with the Massachusetts Elks at a reception and dinner at the Venus de Milo banquet hall.  After dinner, Tom thanked everyone for all of their hospitality throughout the entire weekend and commented on how much we had enjoyed ourselves.  He went on to talk to them about their achievements and how we can grow our membership through our community projects and involvement of the local lodges.  At the end of the evening, we were presented with several mementos of our visit.  The last gift was from Tom’s Massachusetts District Deputies and was a photo of what had already been shipped to us.  When we opened the package, we found that they were presenting us with a scale model of the U.S.S. Constitution in full sail.  Upon our return to Tom’s office Sunday evening, we found that our ship had already arrived and is magnificent!  We are clearing out a special place in our home for this beautiful model.
 
We want to thank PGER Leonard and Ginny Bristol, SDGER and Grand Trustee Mike and Donna Zellen, State President Frank Barone and Rhona and all of the Massachusetts Elks for their warm welcome and gracious hospitality while we were visiting with them.  Also, thank you for your generosity for our special cause and your donations of $600 to the Elks Disaster Relief Fund.  You are all doing great things for Elkdom and we very much enjoyed our time with you.  We can’t wait to come back and explore more of your beautiful state. 

VERMONT

VERMONT - The Green Mountain State, September 26

Wednesday morning, we left Lebanon, New Hampshire bound for for Rutland, Vermont.  On the way, we had a chance to stop at the Quechee Gorge, known as the "Grand Canyon" of Vermont.  This glacier carved gorge was quite deep and many of the trees had started to change color.  We then drove on through Killington, Vermont where the color increased significantly.

When we arrived at Rutland Elks Lodge #345, we were met by the State President, Lori Pinsenneault and her husband, Greg.  We were also welcomed by the Exalted Ruler of the Rutland Lodge, Leslie Johnson.  We had an excellent lunch featuring lobster bisque and the biggest turkey sandwiches we've ever seen.  We both made it through about half our sandwich and then gave up.  We thanked the Rutland Lodge profusely for their hospitality and then headed out for Bennington.

In Bennington, we went to the Bennington History Museum to see the Bennington Flag.  This flag has a mysterious history, but its fibers have been documented back to the 1820s.  It was passed down through the Fillmore family and is one of the oldest flags in existence.  The museum also had a gallery devoted to the work of Grandma Moses as well as her original schoolhouse.  After leaving the museum, we took a tour of The First Church as well as a visit to the grave of Robert Frost.

By coincidence of timing, the museum also had on exhibit the Stickle Sampler quilt.  This quilt was completed in 1863 by Jane Stickle and is only on exhibit for a few weeks every year.  Venita was fascinated and the curator told her that they will be offering a special two-day seminar next year in honor of the 150th anniversary of the quilt.  Can you say quilting road trip?

In the late afternoon, we checked into the beautiful South Shire Bed & Breakfast.  This lovely victorian home was right across from the Bennington Elks Lodge #567.  Our room was a beautiful suite with a king size four-poster bed.  After settling in, we joined Amos, Barbara, Peter and Sharon in the "parlor" for refreshments prior to leaving for the lodge.

At the Bennington Lodge, we had a great time visiting with Elks who had come from all over Vermont for the evening.  We were humbled when we found out that some of the folks had come from the far reaches of the state and would have at least a two hour drive to get home after the dinner. One of the fun events of the evening was the 50-50 duck drawing.  State President Lori has been raising money all year to purchase some special swings for their major project camp by ordering and then selling special "theme" ducks on all of her visitations.  In our honor, she had purchased "biker ducks" and we, of course, had to buy several.  While we did not win, we have gained a great new idea for fundraising that we will share with folks on our travels.

After dinner, the Vermont Elks presented both of us with the President's Volunteer Service Award, along with some special gifts to remind us of our time in Vermont.  Tom received a beautiful clock made out of a slab of granite and engraved with his name and the Elks logo.  We also received a number of children's books that we can read to our grandchildren when they come to visit.

The next morning, we took time to visit the Bennington Battle Monument, taking the elevator to the top to get a bird's eye view of the beautiful fall foliage.  Then we bid farewell to Vermont as we headed for Massachusetts and our final stop on this most excellent New England tour.

We can't thank everyone enough for our wonderful visit to Vermont.  Having Amos and Barbara, Peter and Sharon and Lori and Greg share their beautiful state with us was a special experience.  It is definitely on our "motorcycle vacation" itinerary for our next trip to this part of the country.  Thank you all for your gracious hospitality.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

NEW HAMPSHIRE - The Granite State, September 25

This morning we headed north into Massachusetts and our next rendezvous point with the Elks from New Hampshire.  We were greeted in Marlborough, Massachusetts by New Hampshire State Sponsor PGER Amos McCallum and Barbara and SDGER Bob and Sandy Jones.

Our first stop was lunch at Franklin Elks Lodge #1280 in Franklin, New Hampshire.  As we came into town, we were greeted with a motorcycle escort that included a Harley Road King and a CanAm Spyder.  It was quite a treat to see the bikes and we made a close-up inspection of them both when we arrived at the Lodge.  Our next surprise came as we went to get our lunch and the staff asked Tom if he would like a chicken salad sandwich or a lobster sandwich.  Tom smiled and said that since he was pretty sure he could get chicken in California, he believed he would have lobster!  That, combined with a hearty seafood chowder made for an absolutely fabulous lunch.

Franklin Lodge had celebrated their 100th Anniversary earlier this year, but since their plaque did not arrive until recently, Tom had the privilege of making the presentation to the ER and District Deputy. The mayor of Franklin was also in attendance and presented Tom with a proclamation declaring today Thomas S. Brazier Day in Franklin.  We then had a chance to sign cards and hand out pins to those in attendance.

After lunch, we drove through the mountains of New Hampshire and along beautiful scenic backroads.  More than once we commented on the beautiful colors of the foliage and the lakes and streams along what are perfect roads for motorcycles.  Upon arriving in Lebanon, we checked into our hotel and after a short break proceeded to the Lebanon Elks Lodge #2099 for the evening's festivities.  One of the unique features of this lodge is that it used to be a working dairy barn.  It was fascinating to tour the facility and see how they converted both levels of the barn into their current working lodge.

After a wonderful dinner, various Lodges and individuals lined up to present Tom with donations for ENF totaling $15,800.  They also donated $262 to the Disaster Relief Fund for card signing and pins.    At the conclusion of the evening, the New Hampshire Elks presented us with a beautiful crystal decanter and 14 wine glasses, each engraved with the name and number of one of their lodges.  The Lebanon Lodge gave each of us a fleece-lined jacket showing their beautiful " barn" lodge on the back.  Tom also received a congratulatory letter from Raymond S. Burton, Executive Councilor from District One for the State of New Hampshire who was in attendance at the dinner as well as a proclamation from John Lynch, Governor for the State of New Hampshire.

Many thanks to all of the wonderful New Hampshire Elks who made our visit so memorable.  Although this visit was short and sweet, you can be assured that we will be back to spend more time exploring your beautiful state.

RHODE ISLAND

RHODE  ISLAND - 400 Miles of Coastline, September 24

This morning we were driven to Mystic, Connecticut by the gracious Elks of Connecticut where we were delivered into the safe keeping of the Rhode Island Elks.  Our greeting party included SDGER Walter Kettelle and Judy, State President Jeanne Clancy, Grand Lodge Committeeman Leo Blanchette and Nancy and our drive, "Mo".  Did you all know that Rhode Island is only about 60 miles long and 40 miles wide, but boasts the longest coastline of any state in the United States?  Neither did we!  They are not called the Ocean State for nothing.

We were whisked up the road to Jeanne's lodge, Woonsocket #850 where we were treated to a fabulous seafood lunch that included "Little Neck Clams" (raw, of course) and an "experimental" combination of shrimp and lobster, laced with Sambuca.  We were given a tour of their lodge, including their lodge room that had stained glass medallions above each station as well as the "Star of Fidelity".  Jeanne and Venita discovered that they had been ERs the same year and had both been ritual champions.  It was noted that the Woonsocket and the Santa Cruz Lodge were both instituted the same year, 1903.

After lunch, we were taken to our hotel in Warwick for some rest prior to the evening banquet.  That evening, we had a chance to meet many of the Rhode Island Elks at dinner and were privileged to spend time talking to them about their association.  After dinner, Tom shared his thoughts on the future of Elkdom and how to better represent our Order in our communities.  Judy Kettelle, Hope Kirkconnell and Marie Caranci presented Venita with a quilt block for Rhode Island to be included as part of the memory quilt she will be completing at the end of our year of travels.  Creative credit was also given to Marie's granddaughter, Tabitha.  We were then asked to come to the front of the dais where State President Jeanne presented us with a spectacular silver punch bowl, tray and cups.  We were speechless and it took both of us a moment to regain our composure.  It is an amazing gift and we are truly grateful to the Rhode Island Elks.  We also receive donations to the ENF totaling $1,125.  As the evening wound down, we spent time signing cards and sharing our pins with these great Elks.  When all was said and done, we had raised $337 for the Elks Disaster Relief Fund, all due to the generosity of the Rhode Island Elks.  This was a wonderful day among a terrific group of Elks, one we will not forget.

CONNECTICUT

CONNECTICUT - Whirlwind Visit, September 23

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later.  Today was our first major transportation snafu.  We arrived at the airport in plenty of time for our 10:00 flight to Connecticut.  Just as we were about to board, they notified us that there was an issue with one of the tires and they would let us know the status in a few minutes.  We all looked at each other, knowing that we only had an hour connection time in Washington, D.C. for our flight to Hartford.  A few minutes later, they cancelled our flight due to a flat tire.  After speaking with the passenger agent, we found out that we could not possibly get to Hartford that day.  We then decided to go ahead and drive from Buffalo to Hartford  So we grabbed PGER David Carr, our luggage, our rental car and headed across upstate New York.  The funniest part of the entire adventure was Tom had thought about doing this very thing the day before.  So he got his wish!

We arrived at the Hartford Airport around 5:00 p.m., three hours past what would have been our original arrival time via plane.  We were met by SDGER Robert Hansen and Patti, State President Terry Ford and Terri and Grand Lodge Committeeman Gene Sabio and Linda.

We were then escorted to Willimantic Lodge #1311.  This is a beautiful old Victorian building originally built in the 1920s.  The members have recently done a great deal of work to renovate the facility and it is absolutely spectacular.  As we got out of the cars, we were greeted by the Connecticut Past State Presidents and their ladies lining the curving stairway up to the lodge.  We were then treated to a wonderful dinner which they had been gracious enough to delay for over an hour.  Everyone was thrilled we were there, even if for just a short time.

After Tom's speech, the State Association presented Tom with $1,000 donation to ENF in his name.  Venita received a bag containing a number of items manufactured in Connecticut, including a PEZ dispenser for the University of Connecticut Huskies, a wiffle ball, beautiful sterling silver earrings from Tiffany's, a quilt block from Connecticut for her memory quilt, and a charm for her bracelet.  After dinner we signed cards and handed out pins.  Many of the lodges presented us with donations to ENF in our name.  Tom received a Stetson cowboy hat from the Danbury Lodge #120.  At the close of the evening, we were given a tour of the lodge, including their beautiful lodge room.

The next morning we had breakfast with our group, and then headed for Mystic to meet the Rhode Island Elks.  We must say that although our visit was short, we had a fabulous time and will definitely be back for some motorcycle riding on the beautiful backroads of Connecticut.

NEW YORK

NEW YORK - The Empire State, September 21-22

We arrived in Buffalo, New York Thursday evening and were met by the New York Elks, including PGER David Carr and State President Larry Contratti.  Upon arriving at the hotel on Grand Island, the largest fresh water island in the world, we were greeted by PGER Peter Affatato and Irene and PGER Dr. Leonard Bristol and Ginny.  We joined the three area sponsors and the State President for a very pleasant dinner before we ended our travel day.

Friday morning we met the same group for breakfast, after which Tom went off with Larry to be introduced to the Advisory Committee.  He then visited a number of the special interest workshops that make up the training portion of the New York Convention.  Tom was very interested to see what information was being shared and complimented the state on their progressive format and hard work.

Meanwhile, Venita, Irene, Ginny and a number of the Past State Presidents' wives were taken on a luncheon cruise up the Niagara River on a ship appropriately called the "Grand Lady."  It was a thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing way to see some of the beautiful mansions that line the river as we sailed toward the city of Buffalo.

That evening, we had dinner with the Advisory Committee and their wives followed by a visit to some of the hospitality suites for the 17 New York Districts.  It was a lively evening and we handed out pins and signed cards while visiting with the hard working Elks of New York.

Saturday morning we woke up to rain showers.  Not to be deterred, we headed for Niagara Falls after breakfast.  Since neither one of us had been there, we were tickled to be able to check this destination off our "bucket list."  And it truly was an amazing sight.  Niagara Falls State Park is America's oldest state park, established in 1885.  The falls are made up of two sections, the American Falls and the Horseshoe Falls.  Of course, nothing would do but that we saw the falls up close and personal, so we donned these lovely blue cleaning bag ponchos and boarded the "Maid of the Mist" for a quick trip to the base of the Horseshoe Falls.  The power of the falls and the roar of the water was an experience that we will not soon forget.

That evening, we attended the Fall Conference Banquet.  Since the New York Association is so large, it felt very much like a California-Hawaii banquet with a ballroom full to overflowing.  The New York Association presented us with a beautiful knife set in a butcher block holder, in keeping with David Carr's love of cooking.  Since we both enjoy cooking as well, we know that this lovely gift will be put to good use . . . when we get a chance to find our kitchen again!  Late that evening, we visited the other hospitality suites, signing cards and giving out pins.  When they requested that Tom give the Eleven O'Clock Toast, he chose the Jolly Corks version which was received with a round of applause at the end.

Our sincere thanks to the New York State Elks Association, State President Larry Contratti and sponsors, PGER Dr. Leonard and Ginny Bristol, PGER Peter Affatato and Irene and PGER David Carr for all of their gracious hospitality during our stay in New York.  We had such a wonderful time with everyone and can't wait to come back on our own.