My Pieter is SO LUCKY for having viewed Mt. St. Helen Before its BIG Eruption

Pieter always told me the story about how Campbell Soup invited him to fly to the USA and for evaluating a mushroom farm in Washington...

So, Pieter agreed, to flying across the Atlantic on Good Friday, April 4, 1980.

Little did he know that Washington was the STATE Washington, all the way to the West!

So upon arriving in Philadelphia, he next flew there early April in the Campbell Company Jet...

Due to some eruption on March 27, 1980 the pilot had to fly around it, avoiding being over it and sucking up some of the volcanic particles still in the air.

Here is the once majestic Mount Saint Helen with its peak still at 9,677 feet or 2,449 meter.

In the back to the left you can see Mount Rainier with its 14,410 feet or 4,392 m, the highest in the Cascade Mountain Range.

Both are a Stratovolcano, just as we know them from Indonesia.

On May 18, 1980 it caused one of the greatest volcanic explosions ever recorded in North America...

Some 57 people lost their lives.

Campbell Soup always has had a company jet for being able to reach its approx. 90 plants across the entire USA.
Here Pieter stands with Campbell colleague Ben Penturelli in Minneapolis/St. Paul where they made a stop.

Aron Kinrus also flew with Pieter...

Yep, from Philadelphia all the way to Seattle, in the State Washington.

It was quite fascinating for seeing all those circles where huge crop irrigation sprinklers turn around.

Entering the Cascade Mountain Range...

Fascinating to always see the snow covered peaks.

More and more rugged upon nearing Seattle...

Quite a thrill on such a private jet!
The pilots circled around Mount Saint Helen due to its activity since March 27, see first photo for its view.

Overview of a residential area of San Francisco, California

A view of the Monterrey Royal Oaks Mushroom Farm in California...
Pacific Ocean seen at top left.

This is a Google Maps view of the same Mushroom Farm. Royal Oaks how it looks many years later!

That mushroom farm is not far from the Pacific coast

Upon descending into Philadelphia again, the Delaware River with its Ben Franklin Bridge connecting Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Campbell Soup Headquarters are very near the bridge, in Camden, NJ.

 Hope you enjoyed this historic flight experience!
Thanks for your visit.


A good video of 6 minutes lets you see the initial peak and eruption: Mt. St. Helens Eruption May 18, 1980 just click it.
Mount St. Helens Eruption of 1980 with Photos & Video: click link

From Santa Cruz to San Francisco for the Weekend

This was our PLAN to begin with, a weekend together in San Francisco...

With my Mauzie girl at the San Francisco Fisherman's wharf...

We did make a Golden Gate Bridge cruise and San Francisco Bay and saw Alcatraz Island.

We had checked in at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square at 333 O'Farrell St.
Staying at the 25th floor.
And, my Mauzie girl who was super smart, sat in her sports bag with zipper over her back. I held it with my Burberry trenchcoat concealing her - she never said a word!
It was just for a brief moment a bit tense, when the bell boy tried to relieve me from my bag... he was tugging it but I firmly said; no Sir, I can handle that myself!
Mauzie had a pep talk in the room where I told her that we have now neighbors above, below and on both sides - don't 'speak'.
No wonder Mauzie's Daddy was then Champion in The Netherlands!
We woke up in the morning to the Carillon playing 'Dancing Mathilde'... oh the atmosphere of Union Square!

The view from our 25th floor was absolutely stunning!
It was a pricy hotel for both of us at the time, $ 123.00 per night as Pieter was not yet on the payroll, due to both of us waiting for the green card...
To the right you can see San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge

Here an even better view of San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge
Macy's was right in front as of course were all major stores around Union Square!

That's where I found two wool skirt suits, one I wore on my Civil Wedding day in November...
We did waste so much of our precious time that Friday at a travel service for changing our flight back to Atlanta, into a flight to Philadelphia as Pieter was requested by the CEO of Campbell Soup, to give a presentation...

But we managed to go by taxi to the Fishermans wharf and view an old submarine and a sail ship.
That is me standing in front of said sail ship, with my Mauzie girl.
Top photo also got taken at the Fistherman's wharf.

We did walk back to the hotel and it was rather steep.

Cable cars were OUT - due to repair!
Not today... but Mauzie got carried for some segments.

This is from a postcard... We had to do this on foot; both ways.

Yes, San Francisco fog is famous and it can be rather chilly there in the evenings!
On Saturday, October 22, we had to stay in our room merely because Pieter was writing his presentation for the CEO but we managed to walk in 45 minutes to the Fisherman's wharf again and made a 2 hour trip by boat; via the Bay Bridge to Alcatraz Island.

Google.com/maps

Red dot is where Hilton Hilton San Francisco Union Square is. To the left you can see Alcatraz Island.
We walked back to our hotel, via China Town, the oldest in North America and largest Chinese enclave outside of Asia.
No photos from that trip... later I would take my Dad by boat to Alcatraz Island and got some photos.
Will show that in a future post...

On Monday, October 23, we all flew in seven hours from San Francisco via St. Louis, Missouri to Philadelphia and with a taxi went to the Hyatt Regency hotel in Cherry Hills, New Jersey.
On Tuesday morning Pieter got picked up by a colleague and had his meeting and presentation with the CEO at the Campbell Soup Headquarters, 1 Campbell Place in Camden, New Jersey.
I read while the men met and by 16:00 we went by taxi to the airport for take off to Atlanta and home by 23:00

Yes, our Mauzie girl has been to several States and Countries!

Related link:

My First Trip to California, Santa Cruz | Previous post by me

My First Trip to California, Santa Cruz

Pieter did surprise me with a companion ticket to San Francisco, so I could tag along to Santa Cruz, California.
 For a couple of days, Pieter had to do training at the Pescadero farm for Campbell Soup.

And... my Mauzie girl, the little black & tan Dachshund went with us!

My very first PUMPKIN encounter too, this is near Santa Cruz on October 18, 1983
And of course viewing the famous Pigeon Point Lighthouse in Pescadero between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz along the rugged San Mateo coast line...

It is the tallest lighthouse on the West Coast!

PUMPKINS everywhere around...

BRUSSELS SPROUTS...

As the daughter of a market gardener, this was HEAVEN!

It is quite a windy road along the Pacific coast from San Francisco to Santa Cruz...

Santa Cruz, California's natural surroundings looked so different to me!

Our hotel room had the Pacific Ocean View...

Sunrise at 7:00 AM

On October 19, we had breakfast at the Santa Cruz Fisherman's Wharf

From the hotel I also could walk right onto the wharf...

In the distance, under the big seagull, you can see Hotel Dream Inn where we stayed.

Did enjoy my lunch with yummy scallops at the GREENHOUSE restaurant at the FARM together with the manager's wife, Donna Richards.

Bought some small cactus and seed bread... Would have loved to buy some gorgeous large cactus but how to take them back on the plane?

Did walk around at the wharf and viewed the seals...

Seals and brown pelican on the wharf...

Yes, those seals all sleep on those wooden beams!

After work we all gathered at the home of Don & Donna Richards, the farm manager and went out for dinner at Shadowbrook Restaurant in Capitola, CA with its very steep cable car! Click for short video of it.

It is one of the most unique restaurants in the West.
Later I would have dinner here with my Dad... that will be featured in another post!

Stay tuned for our next stay in San Francisco...
Thanks for visiting!