Grand Canyon West & Skywalk – Our Photo Montage

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Terry & Bonnie

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UQfG0cflG0&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0]

GRAND CANYON WEST, ARIZ. – Perched over the Grand Canyon close to a mile above the Colorado River,

a massive, multimillion-dollar glass walkway will be the centerpiece of a struggling Indian tribe’s plan to

lure tourists to its remote reservation.Tribal officials say the development, which may eventually include

hotels, restaurants and a golf course, is the best way to address the social ills of a small reservation, where

the 2,000 residents struggle with a 50% unemployment rate and widespread alcoholism and poverty.

The Hualapai have worked for years to attract more tourists to their 1-million-acre reservation.

About 200,000 people visit the reservation each year, about 1/25th of the visitors to the Grand Canyon

National Park, about 5 hours away.

We took the tour, walked the skywalk, and took many pictures of the stunning scenery.

Hope you enjoy our online photo album.

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The authors of the this blog write about Grand Rapids Real Estate,

the Greater Grand Rapids MI area, and what it is like to live in West

Michigan. Grand Rapids Michigan is a vibrant, growing metropolitan

area with a diverse business community, great medical research & services,

numerous universities, plus lively arts and entertainment of all kinds.

We believe: Grand Rapids is a Great Place to Live!

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids MI Real Estate

Contact Terry 616-292-7263

OUR FLICKR PHOTOSTREAM

USS Midway Museum & San Diego Harbor Photo Tour

Posted on November 19, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

USS Midway – San Diego Harbor Photo Tour

I took 2 hours for a sight seeing trip while in San Diego to walk through

USS Midway Museum, which was just a short walk from my hotel. I took

a few photos of the flight deck, control tower and views around the

harbor. Hope you enjoy this brief tour.

USS Midway Museum San Diego CA

I thought it was a wonderful opportunity to see how our Navy

crews lived through WWII, Vietnam, and Desert Storm.

huey helicopter

In the Vietnam War, I flew Helicopters for the 155th Army Air Corps.

The Vietnam workhorse Huey helicopter, one very similar to what I

flew back in 1970 was on the flight deck. During the Vietnam War,

I’m sure the USS Midway provided air cover for several of the

Missions I was involved in while serving.

USS Midway aircraft carrier runway - conning tower

The runway and conning tower of the United States’ longest

serving carrier in the 20th century.

USS Midway aircraft carrier runway

It was fascinating to learn that this ship burned 260 gallons of

oil for every mile and carried a 3.4 million gallon fuel capacity.

The new carriers are powered by a Nuclear reactor, so refueling

isn’t a problem anymore.

view from carrier deck

San Diego Bay

Another trivia tidbit that awed me – the USS Midway served

10 tons of food daily to the crew of 4500. 3000 potatoes and

1000 loaves of bread were served every day.

And 500 pies were served when offered.

If you would like to see all of my photos from the trip they

are all in this video montage:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL1gLJSmjtE&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6]

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The authors of the this blog write about Grand Rapids Real Estate,

the Greater Grand Rapids MI area, and what it is like to live in

West Michigan. Grand Rapids Michigan is a vibrant, growing

metropolitan area with a diverse business community, great medical

research & services, numerous universities, plus lively arts and

entertainment of all kinds.

We believe: Grand Rapids is a Great Place to Live!

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids MI Real Estate

Contact Terry 616-292-7263

OUR FLICKR PHOTOSTREAM

Indiana Road Trip

Posted on August 8, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

We travel through Indiana frequently. Our son lives in Indianapolis,

so we usually stop there, but on our trip to North Carolina, we

traversed the length of the state. If you haven’t traveled through

Indiana before, I will tell you the code word…….FLAT.

Indiana is a pretty flat state, which makes it perfect for growing

things. There are lots of farms and fields of grain, soybeans, corn,

and other crops. If you stop in a small town restaurant, you are

likely to see farmers and farmer’s families. In the spring, they

still have the mud from the fields on their boots. So, now that

you know where lots of your food comes from, you might like to

take a look at our photos.

These are typical photos of Indiana countryside…… but no silos.

There were so many I couldn’t decide which ones to photograph!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8ZUGzoH8lQ&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6]

We made a few stops. Once at a rest stop to check email and water

our dog, Kitty. You can see her right under the table where Terry

is reading his email. The harvested wheat field was right behind

the rest stop area. On the way home, we stopped for blueberries.

We get blueberries at this farm every year when we take or pick

up our grandson for his annual stay at Grandpa & Grandma Camp.

We hope you enjoyed our little romp through Indiana from the

Interstate.

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids Real Estate

Photos & Post by Bonnie Westbrook

No soybeans were harmed in taking these photos- the blueberries

weren’t so lucky.

Road Trip to Berea Kentucky – Home of Arts & Crafts USA

Posted on August 1, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

When relatives live a long distance away, you get to know the places

to stop on the road. The places that have the best meals, the best inns,

the places that have interesting shops and events.

On our long trips (12 hours of driving) to North Carolina from Michigan

to visit relatives, we have discovered Berea Kentucky.

Berea College has been in existence since 1855. It is still the hub

of Berea activities and the base for its Artistic Roots.

Berea College offfers its students Bachelor of Science and Arts Degrees.

Berea College exists for the young people of Appalachia, so they can get

an education and make a living. The hills of Kentucky don’t

have a lot of heavy industry, manufacturing plants, or flat farm country.

So instead of losing their young people to big cities for employment,

they are giving them an education. Native Kentucky crafts, such as

hand made brooms and baskets are also marketed through the college

work programs. In fact, HAND MADE is the theme in Berea. There are

giant decorated Hands all over the area.

We stayed overnight at Berea, and had breakfast at the Boone Tavern Inn.

They just completed a $ 1+ million renovation of the hotel and restaurant.

It is a historic building (part of Berea College) and the renovation is

spectacular. We took a long morning to look around the galleries & shops.

We visited Berea College’s Log Craft House where they sell student’s

and artist’s hand made crafts from pottery to jewelry to furniture. Then

we went out to the Kentucky Artisan Center near I 75, exit 77. This is a

huge building with gigantic galleries of sculptures, blown glassware,

paintings, jewelry, carvings, and numerous other craft items for sale.

A collection that takes some time to look over.

They also have a wonderful cafe and grill that serves great food

(actual food – not fast food) and clean, modern restrooms.

This building is a wonderful place to stop if you are traveling through on

Interstate 75, just as a rest stop. We like to stop and walk around to

get the kinks out after travelling for many hours. But I doubt you can

resist buying something here! The selection and quality is overwhelming.

We hope you enjoy this montage of photos we took while we were

visiting friendly Berea Kentucky.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMDv4cLB7D4&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6]

Grand Rapids MI Real Estate – Westbrook Realty

video montage & photos by Bonnie Westbrook

Greening Your Environment Tip # 2 – Go Paperless – Pay online

Posted on April 20, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

What’s the Impact of Paying Bills Online? : TreeHugger has a great article

that shows exactly how much energy you can save and how it will affect

your local environment. Gone are the days when we can say, “ Oh,

my little contribution doesn’t matter in the overview of environmental

change. Each of us has an impact and we can each change our world

one bill-day at a time.

I went to the Payitgreen.org site and used their green calculator to

see how much I am saving by going online to pay my bills.

In one year, I will save 7# of paper, 65 gallons of water, 3.3 gallons

of gasoline, and 146# of greenhouse gases. WOW!! This amount of

greenhouse gases is equivalent to 144 miles not driven in my car, 2 trees

planted( and grown for 10 years), & 20 square feet of forest preserved

from deforestation.

I had no idea my little effort would make such a dent in our environment.

I’ve paid most of my bills online for quite a while. Won’t you join the

online gang and make your effort at greening our environment a little

bit better?

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate ~ Westbrook Realty

Future Mass Transit in Michigan to go Magnetic

Posted on March 23, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

I feel like George Jetson is moving to Michigan. I just read a Treehugger article

about a new magnetic train proposed for Michigan in a Detroit to Lansing run.

It will be a magnetic train powered by solar and hydrogen. Wow, the Jetsons

seemed so out there when we were younger but all those far fetched ideas are

becoming everyday reality; such as smart machines, exercise machines,

robotic household help, and the visual phone. We don’t have a talking dog

or fly to work yet but who knows, anything is possible.

Talking dog?

The magnetic train system would be built along I96 expressway. It would

stop at local exits for commuters to get off and drive home or just have a

refreshment break from traveling. The rail would include fiber optic cables

for communication. All this is proposed to be built with private funds and

to be started but the announcement alone is a glimpse into our future.

Transportation is changing and I am not surprised that Michigan will be at

the forefront of these significant changes.

Would you ride in a magnetic train if it were available to you?

Magnetic Train Proposed: Detroit To Lansing Michigan – Hydrogen and Solar Energy Powered : TreeHugger

Grand Rapids – Ada Real Estate – Five Star Real Estate

Why RSS should be on Your Browser

Posted on January 19, 2009 by Terry & Bonnie

With all the technology, widgets, flyers, social media hype, it is easy to

overlook the obvious and the basic items on the web. I’m talking RSS.

I subscribe to RSS NEWS FEEDS and blogs because it is the fastest, most

efficient way to see if there is new info out there I want to read.

If you haven’t investigated or signed up for your news and blogs this way,

DO IT NOW!!!

Laura Bergells, on Chief Information Officer blog, has an excellent point by

point post on WHY and HOW you should use RSS.

RSS feeds not only update you quickly on what is being posted by your

favorite news sources & bloggers, it is also food for blogs. Let’s face it,

we all just disseminate information to each other. If you aren’t out there

gathering from the INFO TREE, you will have nothing new to interest

readers.

A great site for RSS Lists is www.Alltop.com.

Here is a typical page on Aviation for today.

So go ahead and RSS.

You will never go back to the old way of

searching out information by Google or Yahoo!

Grand Rapids Ada Real Estate ~ Five Star Real Estate

The Green Clothesline ~ An Earth Day Tribute

Posted on May 6, 2008 by Terry & Bonnie

Clotheslines are considered old fashioned and unsightly in some American neighborhoods.

Why is this?

When did hanging out your clothes for the sun and wind to dry them become obsolete and unsightly?

In some areas of the USA, outdoor clotheslines are banned by town ordinances, such as: Poughkeepsie,

NY, Schaumberg, IL, Vallejo, CA and all the historic districts in Columbus OH.

According to Alexander Lee over at LaundryList, 5-10% of US residential electricity is used by home

clothes dryers, the second most costly appliance we have in our homes. Oh, and they

also attribute 15,600 household fires, 15 deaths, and 400 injuries a year to automatic

clothes dryers in our homes, with a national cost of $99 million dollars.

laundry on the line

I can recall helping my Mother & my Grandmother hanging out the clothes. It was a magical sight to

see the sheets and towels catch the wind, snap and try to sail away. There was also something

verytidy and domestic about seeing everyones pants, socks,and underwear lined up

on the line. It was a visual sign that you belonged to this tribe, your possessions were right there

on the line with theirs.

I have many fond memories of a day camp made on the clothesline with a big blanket and some

rocks to hold down the edges. It was our fort, or hide away, our secluded retreat from

the adult world for the day. We got to take our lunch of jelly bread sandwiches inside the

tent which made them taste much, much better. If you were really brave, you could sleep overnight

out in the clothesline tent – but this was only for intrepid souls who didn’t mind the night sounds,

animals and bugs, like me, my little brothers were not up for it. In their defense, they were

only 2 and 5 years old at the time.

Let’s reconsider the lowly clothesline on Earth Day and here after, as a means to

dry our clothes responsibly and not add to the energy grid and polluting the earth.

We get clean, fresh smelling clothes (sunshine is a natural germ killer and bleaching agent] and

our children can have visual memories of the family rainment literally flapping in the breeze.

Search Grand Rapids Homes for Sale

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Contact: 1-888-240-1968 x 0 toll free

Website: Terry Westbrook.com

Five Star Real Estate, LLC

Merle's Door – A Wonderful Read about a Great Dog

Posted on March 30, 2008 by Terry & Bonnie

Merle’s Door by by Ted Kerasote is one of the best dog memoir books I have ever read. If you have a dog, are thinking about getting a dog, or just like reading about dogs, don’t miss this great book! It is truly a loving tribute to a big-hearted canine from his beloved best friend.

Ted Kerasote, winner of the National Outdoor Book Award, writes for many periodicals including Outdoor Magazine & Audubon, among others. He is an outdoor enthusiast and lives in the state of Wyoming.

He has written this warm, character driven memoir of his dog, Merle. By reading this book, you will get to know and love Merle, too.

(Warning: You will need tissue at the end of the book) He is allowed to become himself, thoroughly, which is the basis of this novel. Ted interprets what Merle is thinking and feeling, and this book is a true testament to the age old friendship between man and dog.

Almost any pet owner will credit their pet with many traits that in the past were only thought to be possessed by humans. I’ve always believed animals are sentient beings and capable of most, if not all the feelings and emotions we have. I believe they think, not just react through genetic code. If you are a doubter, then take the challenge and read Merle’s Door. You will not look at animals quite the same way as before.

If you and your dog are looking for a home in the Grand Rapids Michigan area, we are a team of dog lovers that make our living selling homes. Especially in Ada, Cascade, Caledonia, East Grand Rapids, Forest HIlls, Kentwood and Rockford.

Westbrook Realty ~ Grand Rapids Real Estate

photo of Merle’s Door courtesy of Harcourt Publishing Co.

Green Music Festival July 4th 2008 in Rothbury, MI

Posted on March 30, 2008 by Terry & Bonnie

If you are interested in doing something different for this coming 4th of July celebration, we have a New Approach to a musical festival for you here in West Michigan. In tiny Rothbury, they are making music history and tying it in a big green ribbon. Do you remember Woodstock? It will have similar music offerings, over 100 bands, artists, and acts, featuring The Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, 311, Modest Mouse, Snoop Dogg, and Widespread Panic to name a few, but will have a green sustainable focus.

widespread panic band dave matthews Band

The promoters are centering the Festival at the Double JJ Ranch & Golf Resort, which is on the shores of Lake Michigan just north of Shelby. The Double JJ Ranch offers lakes, beach fronts, trails, forests, fields, and even onsite lodging, bars, and restaurants.

This is no ordinary Music Festival, they also plan on having:

An onsite Think Tank with innovative leaders in the Green movement in a round table discussion to plan and pursue saving our environment.

A Circus & Theatre where the show comes off the stage and engages more than a few of your senses – the run-in with a busker, a formal affair in the lounge of The Establishment, an unexpected aerial performance in the tree tops…

An Energy Fair: Visit the Energy Fair to enjoy a flurry of scheduled and surprise activities, test drive some new wheels with bleeding edge new technology, plus food and drink, vending, performances, presentations, contests and interactive opportunities, and so much more.

A New World Cabaret Experience: ROTHBURY’s bold and bawdy spot to get your fix of vaudeville croquet and smart, eclectic entertainment in a bizarre artisto-twistic atmosphere. Scheduling is still being confirmed.

The Tripolee Dome: with a chill out bar and lounge, yoga instructions, Earth harp classes, and more.

Also including: E Town, Yoga Program, and The Big Gig Open Mic Stage:

Summer will be here soon, this sounds like an event you won’t want to miss, if I can get Terry off the golf course for one weekend we might have a

” Rothbury Experience.”

Westbrook Realty ~ Grand Rapids Real Estate

Email: terry@terrywestbrook.com

photos courtesy of widespread panic & dave matthews band sites

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