Well, we're finally back in Eugene after this fantastic Tour de Fore. We've got a lot of catching up to do as it's been over two months since the last blog. In Montana we played golf at Old Works, a superfund reclamation site. It was built on an old copper smelter site with huge piles of black slag, and it's a beautiful place for golf now. We had lots of fun with a great couple from B.C. who didn't seem to mind my mishits. (Is that a dirty word? Don't think so.) Anyway, it's in Anaconda and is a tremendous value, so next time you folks are in Anaconda, be sure to play a round of golf.
It was on to Moscow, Idaho from there to see my sis Barbara who creamed me 5 times in a row at computer scrabble (can you believe QA is a word?) before we drove across the state line to Pullman for our windiest round of golf at Palouse Ridge. Sometimes the ball would just start rolling on its own across the green. From there it was frigid Circling Raven in northern Idaho, our coldest course, before we made it home to Eugene on the 12th of October. Whew!
We weren't home for long though, as a few days later we drove to Virginia City, Nevada, an old mining town where Mark Twain got his writing start. He reported that the town was so rough that it was no place for a Presbyterian, "so, therefore, I did not remain one long." The men there were "unmarried, unchurched, and unwashed." We were pretty unwashed, too, after the long drive and full round the next day at Dayton Valley in Dayton. The town is a bedroom community without a big city nearby, and has had a hard time with lots of foreclosures. But it gets plenty of sunshine.
On the way back we golfed at Fall River Valley in northern California where we had a great time with the course pro and her best friend who joined us. She gave Gloria a few tips which helped a lot, but we wished it had been about 40 golf courses earlier. Somehow when I give Gloria tips, she doesn't graciously receive them and offer her sincere thanks. In fact, she sometimes doesn't even appreciate my heartfelt efforts in this area which I offer after almost every swing. But when some course pro offers to help she's all ears. Can't figure it out.
Anyway, we eventually arrived in Kauai in November for a pleasant two weeks. We played at a nice municipal course, Wailua, which is just north of Lihue along the ocean with some really beautiful holes. It was warm and a bit humid, but we didn't mind as we walked the course, and then we were teeing off on the 18th, then putting, and then we were done. Finished. Our 50 state golf trip was over. It was hard to believe. Six months, 17,000+ miles, one breakdown, lots of wonderful friends and families, great golf including a hole in one, interesting cuisine, beautiful sights, fascinating museums, countless memories.
So now we're home and the writing is going well for the book, tentatively called Tour de Fore, a 50 State Golf Odyssey. The next challenge will be to get it all together and find a publisher. Not an easy task, we understand. Maybe we'll get a magazine or two interested in an article.
We thank you for your interest in following along with us. We're already thinking of our next 50 state trip and possible themes; how about visiting the lowest place in elevation, or maybe one maximum security prison in every state? Who knows. It's never been done before.
Glenn and Gloria
Sunday, December 14, 2008
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