A high school trip to England gave me an opportunity to slip away from the tour for the day and visit the place my Tarplee grandparents left to come to Canada in 1905. Dorothy Margaret Tarplee was 12.

Having learned from a visit to cousin Elton Foster that our great grandfather Andrew had been a soldier in the civil war and was buried in Orting WA after living out the end of his life mostly in North Bend and Seattle WA, I made the trip.

Discovering Foster cousins living in SW Missouri lead to plans for a family reunion. We timed it to coincide with a reenactment of the Civil War Battle of Honey Springs, near Checotah OK

Retraced my steps through North Bend, Snoqualmie Pass and Orting WA.

My correspondants in Union County said, oh you must come and visit. My friend Robert Ivey said, we would love you to come, but don't come in July. If the snakes and chiggers don't get you the heat will. My vacation time was July. It did.

Seeing the sites

Returning to Grindal Shoals and Union SC, to soak in the family history there and at Columbia, Charleston and Savannah, plus a drive to East Tenneessee, the family's first move west. Oh and Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Goodguys Car Show.

Home

A return to Grindal Shoals, Charleston, Then off to Charlotte for NASCAR

Taking advantage of my 50th birthday to get out of Dodge, I treated myself to the National Archives and several Civil War battlefields including Manassas.

A business trip coinciding with the 150 Annversary Reenactment at Honey Springs made possible another visit. Spent time in SW Missouri, Eastern Kansas and Northern Oklahoma.

Returning to Grindal Shoals to tour the area with Robert, Jerry and friends. A visit with Cousin Debbie and of course, Charleston

Home Again

Grindal Shoals, Charleston and Savannah then north through Virginia to the Manasssas Battlefield. Then Washington DC.

Retracing the steps before Canada. North Bend WA, Ione OR, Boise and Bellevue ID. Plus a visit to cousins near Portland OR and a visit to the Museum and the Hopps Ranch in North Bend inside the Old Soldier's Home in Orting WA

Exploring south from Orting and Yakima to the lower Columbia, and the Pacific Coast down to Portland and Salem. Then to Morrow County.

A return to the South Carolina Upcountry and Low Country just for the pure joy of it. Savannah and Hurricane Helene for good measure.