Upcoming Travel Calendar
April-May 2025 - Mike and Sandy have thought about some touring in the Southwest for a while, and a Globus
trip from Phoenix around Arizona and ending in Las Vegas caught their eye. It's now booked.
June 2025 - Not a big trip, but Mike and Sandy will fly to Southern California for the college graduation of
one of their grandkids. One day and back!
November 2025 - Sandy and Mike will try out American Cruise Lines (ACL) on a small-ship cruise on the Intracoastal Waterway from Baltimore, Maryland, down to Amelia Island, Florida.
Mike and Sandy haven't booked any more long international trips -- they've been to 110 countries, including most places they really wanted to see, and overnight flights don't appeal. In retrospect, their two-week land trip around Spain in 2019 (not long before Covid) might prove to have been their last one.
BAJA CALIFORNIA CRUISE November 2024
Mike and Sandy took a short round-trip cruise from LA down to Baja California and the "Mexican Riviera," including up into the Sea of Cortez, with some ports they haven't visited previously. You can see a few pictures and notes here.
POLAR BEARS November 2024
Mike is back from near the Arctic Circle at Churchill, Canada, where he spent several days admiring Polar Bears, Red Foxes, Seals, Ptarmigans, etc.
See some pictures from the frozen north here.
ARIZONA ROAD TRIP June 2024
Mike and Sandy are happy to be back in their own bed after a 1600 mile road trip in Sandy's new hybrid SUV. This trip included a visit with friends Joni and Marv in Prescott, plus a stop in Kernville, California, to visit Sandy's son Rick, and a stop in Bakersfield to see long-time friends Buzz and Doreen.
VIKING STAR-PANAMA November 2023
Mike and Sandy enjoyed a cruise on a Viking 930 passenger ocean-going cruise ship. The ship was "repositioning" from the Carribean to the Pacific, so took Mike and Sandy from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, through the Panama Canal to Los Angeles. That was ample time to check out the ship, but not take us TOO far from home.
Of course there are a few notes and pictures from the trip! Click here
VIKING MISSISSIPPI August 2023
Several years ago, Viking decided to expand their successful European river boat business to the U.S., and had a new "river ship" built for them at a shipyard in Louisiana. They call it a river ship, rather than boat, because it is much larger (368 guests) than traditional river boats, and quite modern and fancy. Mike and Sandy boarded the ship in St. Louis, and spent a week cruising up the river to St. Paul (which is as far as large vessels can go). The ship is very impressive, and definitely to be recommended. You can see some pictures and notes from this trip here.
TAUCK - FREEDOM FOOTSTEPS April 2023
Philadelphia, Gettysburg, Williamsburg, Richmond, Washington D.C. and more -- all about our path to the free country we are today. Some notes and pictures are here.
ARIZONA ROAD TRIP July 2022
Picking maybe the hottest weeks of the year, Mike and Sandy made an 1800-mile road trip to visit friends and family. They hadn't seen Earl (best man at their wedding) and his wife Karin in over 10 years, and had a nice reunion at their home in Scottsdale, Arizona. Blackhawk friends Marv and Joni showed Mike and Sandy their recent remodeling project in Prescott, and there was also time for lunch with some old cruise friends now living in Sun City. A stop in Southern Califronia to see son Rick's recent home improvements and in Bakersfield to see Doreen (old high school friend of Sandy's) and husband Buzz rounded out the itinerary.
ROCKY MOUNTAINEER October 2021
Mike and Sandy, with friends Marv and Joni, spent a week in Canada, starting with two days on the luxurious Rocky Mountaineer sightseeing train running from Vancouver over the mountains to Lake Louise and Banff.
See some pictures from the train and the Canadian National parks here.
ROAD TRIP TO NEVADA October 2020
Sandy and Mike drove to Dayton, Nevada (near Carson City), to help observe the birthday of cruise friend Carolyn, who, with husband Albert, are from Hawaii.
SO CAL and ARIZONA August 2020
Why would anyone go to desert areas in August! A visit to friends Marv and Joni's new place in Prescott didn't sound TOO hot, since it's over 5000 feet up in the mountains. A day trip in Arizona took the group to the old gold and copper mining town of Jerome. But the stop in Palm Springs on the way (115 degrees) and in Bakersfield on the way back home (108) were 100% inside visiting!
Mike and Sandy are glad they didn't take the 2020 Holland America Round-The-World Cruise as they've done in previous years. About half-way through the 4-month trip, Covid-19 struck the world, and cruises came to an abrupt end. In Perth,Australia, passengers had to leave the ship, and scramble to find ways to quickly fly back home.
NEW ORLEANS + NCL February 2020
- Mike and Sandy went to New Orleans (aka the "Big Easy") for a few days of sightseeing before boarding the NCL cruise ship "Getaway" for a short trip in the Western Caribbean. Apart from Bourbon Street and some factory outlet stores, the National World War II Museum was the big highlight in New Orleans. This museum, affiliated with the Smithsonian, covers in detail the American contributions to winning the war, and includes an interesting film starring Tom Hanks. Mike and Sandy had never been on an NCL ship. But favorable recent reviews, said this was a good opportunity to check them out -- short trip and low cost. See our review of NCL, and a few pictures from New Orleans and the cruise here.
MAUI October 2019
Mike and Sandy invited friends Pat and Jesse to join them for a visit to Mike's favorite of their old time-shares, on Ka'anapali Beach on Maui. As usual, the sunsets from their balcony are wonderful, as seen here their first night, and there's always interesting things to see and do.
SPAIN May 2019
Mike and Sandy went on a 14-day Tauck bus tour along the northern border of Spain. The trip covered the towns along the Pyrenees Mountains, and then continued into Basque Country. Rather than fly overnight to Europe, Mike and Sandy flew just to Florida, and stopped at some cruise friends' home for a visit before taking a caruise ship from Florida to Spain. A few highlight notes and some of their pictures are here.
THAILAND January 2019
Greateful for the mild Bay Area weather, Sandy and Mike are back from almost 3 weeks traveling by bus around "quite-near-the-equator" Thailand. We've been to Thailand, but not to the mountainous northern part of the country, which this trip emphasized. Some notes from Thailand and a few pictures are here.
NEW ENGLAND/CANADA Oct 2018
Mike & Sandy enjoyed their fall foliage cruise with their church travel group, although lots of rain didn't help the mood.. After some sightseeing in Boston, the 30-strong group boarded Windstar Line's Star Pride (formerly the Seabourn Pride). The Star Pride has many of the amenities of a "real" cruise ship, but carries just 212 passengers. The fall foliage was a little sparse, but pretty regardless. A little sightseeing in Montreal, the last port, wrapped up the adventure. Some pictures are here.
SANDY 80 FAMILY August 2018:
Sandy and Mike took all 3 of Sandy's kids plus 9 grandkids and great-grandkids up to the Sun River Resort near Bend, Oregon, for a week as part of her 80th birthday celebrations. (Quite a group; ages range from 58 to 1 year!) Afterwards, Mike & Sandy enjoyed visiting with friends who moved to Bend some years ago, and were joined by a couple they know from Washington state. There are pictures from both weeks here.
GRAND ASIA CRUISE October 2017:
Mike and Sandy enjoyed another trip on Holland America's Amsterdam, which is one of their favorite "big ship" vessels. The Grand Asia 80-day cruise started and ended in San Diego. The trip headed up Alaska way, crossed the Pacific to Japan and China, stopped at many Asian ports all the way south to Australia and New Zealand, and returned via Fiji, Samoa, and Hawaii. They visited about 30 ports in all, although only 10 different countries (they visited, for example, 7 different ports in Japan alone). Are there any pictures? Why yes! Some pictures and notes are here.
GREAT LAKES July 2017:
The small ship (210 passengers) Victory I was Sandy and Mike's home for a cruise hitting all 5 of the Great Lakes. After a little sightseeing in Toronto, they boarded the ship and headed off on Lake Ontario. The itinerary included stops in Cleveland, Detroit, Mackinac ("Mack-in-awe") Island, and Sault St. Marie ("Soo Saint Marie"), plus Manitoulin Island and Niagra Falls on the Canadian side. Disembarkation was in Chicago, where Mike and Sandy added a few days of sightseeing before returning home. Trip notes and a few pictures are here.
CHARLESTON & Y'ALL May 2017:
Mike & Sandy met some nice folks while on a trip in Portugal who invited Mike & Sandy to come visit them at their historic-district Charleston, S.C. home. After a nice visit, Mike & Sandy rented a car and entered "road trip mode." Tennessee stops included Pigeon Forge (think Dolly Parton), Oak Ridge, and Nashville. Then came lunch with one of Mike's Alabama cousins, a USAF Museum and FDR's "Little White House" in Georgia, and back into Alabama for dinner with Mike's 98-year old aunt. The last stop was in Memphis (can you say "Elvis?"). Pictures and notes are here.
THE DENVER WEDDING March 2017:
We worried about the weather when the date and place for Sandy's niece's wedding was announced, and opening our Denver area hotel room curtains the day before the ceremonies and seeing snow didn't reassure us. But even though it was a bit chilly for the outdoor wedding, the sun came out, most of the snow melted, and all went well ! A few pictures are in the Family section.
DEJA VU MAUI October 2016:
Mike & Sandy returned to their time-share on Ka'anapali Beach on Maui, Mike's favorite spot to watch sunsets. Friends Jesse and Pat came along to make the trip sort of multi-generational. A little windier than usual, but lunch at 50's style Cool Cats is always fun. A sunset dinner cruise off Lahaina was one of the highlights of this visit, with a cloudy sunset behind the island of Lana'i, and a misty moon over the Maui mountains. The "Elvis in Hawaii" show was surprisingly good.
UTAH ROAD TRIP September 2016:
Mike and Sandy visited five National Parks in Utah, plus the Grand Canyon in Arizona, with friends Pat and Jesse coming along to supervise. The trip also included visiting with some cruise friends on the way home. And since the road back happens to go through Las Vegas, they took in the sensational Cirque du Solei Beatles show. Notes and a few pictures? Click here.
PORTUGAL AND CROATIA June 2016:
Mike and Sandy went to Portugal for some sightseeing plus a river boat trip on the Douro River, which happens to be the center of their wine industry. Following that, they flew to Croatia for a similar itinerary, except the river boat was replaced by a 26-passenger yacht traveling along the Dalmatian coast. Some pictures and notes from both Porugal and Croatia are here now. Click here.
MIKE TO MEXICO April 2016:
Mike, with 210 teenagers and 50 other adults, traveled to Tijuana, Mexico, to build new homes for 14 poor families. You can read about this annual project of Mike & Sandy's church, plus see a few pictures of Mike and his crew building their house, here.
ATLANTIC ADVENTURER Nov/Dec 2015:
Mike and Sandy's 50 day Mediterranean cruise on Holland America's mid-sized Maasdam introduced them to some new ports (e.g., Tenerife-Canary Islands, Tangier-Morocco, and Gibraltar), and included an extended stay off the ship for several days of sight-seeing in Rome. (Sandy had a "medical mis-adventure" early in the cruise, but that didn't keep them from a nice trip. Back home, gall bladder surgery has taken care of the problem.) This cruise left from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and returned there, so Sandy was pleased -- no trying to sleep overnight on a plane! A few notes and pictures are here.
VOYAGE OF THE VIKINGS Aug 2015:
Mike and Sandy took Holland America's Veendam from Boston to Greenland, Iceland, and Norway, and back to Boston, with some other stops in both Canada and Europe thrown in for variety. After the cruise, they spent a few days visiting friends on the shores of Lake Huron about 5 hours north of Detroit. You can see selected pictures and some notes on most of the cruise HERE. Spoiler Alert!: Greenland isn't green, and Iceland has very little ice.
WORLD'S LARGEST CRUISE SHIP Mar 2015:
Mike & Sandy, along with cruise friends from Florida, sailed the Caribbean on "Allure of the Seas," the largest cruise ship in the world. They're usually on 1500-passenger Holland America ships, so the 6200+ on this ship was amazing (but surprising well managed). Mike wanted to check out this ship, which has numerous superlatives (Zip-line, surf-boarding, water-theater show like at the Bellagio, a full-sized ice skating rink, etc.), and two jaw-dropping features: the huge attrium "park" in the middle of the ship filled with over 12,000 live plants, and below that, an enclosed "main street" promenade where shops, restaurants, bars, etc. (even a Starbucks) are found.
There was fabulous entertainment, and impressively good food. The ride is very smooth -- this ship is almost twice as wide as our typical Holland America ship, and much heavier -- it can't go through even the new large locks at the Panama Canal. There were over 1000 kids aboard, but thanks to the size of the ship, they were barely noticed.
You can see more about the Allure, and a few pictures from our time on the ship, here.
PALM SPRINGS AREA November 2014:
Friends Pat and Jesse have a time-share in the Palm Springs area, and invited Mike and Sandy to come join in a week of desert living. The local community college has a big flea market in their parking lot every weekend, so the shopping team had to check it out. And 5000 feet over Palm Desert is the little mountain town of Idyllwild (reminds one of a Lake Tahoe town in simpler times), which was visited one day - Sandy found a fun little Christmas shop targeting Grandmas.
MAUI AGAIN October 2014:
Mike & Sandy returned to their Westin time-share on Maui's Ka'anapali Beach for a week's fun, with friends Jesse and Pat joining in. This visit was relatively laid back, but included a ferry ride over to the nearby island of Lanai, for lunch at the Four Seasons resort. Another day, the team enjoyed lunch overlooking Lahaina's harbor. At the end of the week, they dodged Hurricane Ana, which brought winds and lots of rain after they left.
SAN DIEGO VISIT September 2014:
Mike & Sandy met Bakersfield friends Buzz and Doreen and headed to San Diego. Old Town ("birthplace of California") was great, the aircraft carrier Midway was a great tour, and Sea World didn't disappoint. At the zoo, a Giant Panda was adorable, and lunch with a cousin of Sandy's she hasn't seen in 60+ years was fun.
MEDITERRANEAN SAILING June 2014:
Mike and Sandy joined the travel group from their Danville church for a week's sailing in the Mediterranean on the Wind Surf.
This ship actually sails, but doesn't rely on the wind (big diesel engines, too) -- it puts the sails up at least a while every day for the beauty of it, if nothing else. The ship carried its 312 passengers from Rome to Barcelona, with five stops along the way. Notes on the trip, plus a few pictures, are here.
ANTARCTICA - IGUAZU FALLS Jan-Feb 2014:
Mike and Sandy went on a "really cold and really hot" adventure on Holland America's Prinsendam. Words can hardly describe Antarctica, nor the amazing Iguazu Falls, on the Argentine-Brazil border. A few pictures, and brief notes on the trip, are here.
NEW ENGLAND ROAD TRIP August 2013:
Mike and Sandy enjoyed a fall New England road trip, from Buffalo, New York, and traveling the backroads of upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Some notes and a few pictures are here.
WORLD CRUISE Jan-April 2013:
Mike & Sandy's grandest adventure, an around-the-world cruise, is the longest trip (4 months) they've ever taken (and probably ever will). There were 44 ports of call, some old favorites (like Hong Kong) and some amazing first visits (e.g., Easter Island & Cape Town, South Africa). Brief notes, and some pictures, are in six sections:
1 - South America & Easter Island Click here
2 - South Pacific islands Click here
3 - New Zealand and Australia Click here
4 - SE Asia and Hong Kong Click here
5 - Indian Ocean & South Africa Click here
6 - Southern Africa & across the Atlantic Click here
MAUI TIME-SHARE October 2012:
Mike & Sandy went back to Maui, Mike's favorite of their several Westin time-shares, taking along friends Jesse and Pat. The explorers went to the (really high) top of the volcano, walked in the surf, and enjoyed sunsets, a magic show, a 50's-style cafe, and a sugar mill tour. ("Two sweetees at the sugar plant!")
RIVERBOAT CRUISES - July 2012: Back-to-back riverboat trips took Mike and Sandy to Europe last summer -- the first on the Elbe River in East Germany, and the second on the Danube.
Elbe notes and some pix are here. See Danube notes & pix here.
MEDITERRANEAN-BLACK SEA March 2012: Mike and Sandy took a 36-day cruise across the Atlantic from Florida into the Mediterranean and the Black Sea - 12 countries and 19 ports. Notes and some pictures are here.
CANCUN TIME-SHARE February 2012: A visit to their Cancun time-share saw Sandy and Mike, along with friends Buzz and Doreen, trying old favorites (like Cancun WalMart - always good for laughs) as well as explorng some new things. One of these was a day trip to EkBalam, a Mayan ruin somewhat like Chichenitza, but only recently discovered, and a gourmet dinner in a large home converted into an intimate restaurant (only 7 tables). The chef is French, and his wife Mexican, and together they personally serve a small number of diners each evening.
NEW YEARS EVE December 2011: Mike and Sandy were in Times Square for New Years Eve - sure you can see it on TV, but the crowd's roar, the confetti and fireworks, the pick- pockets -- you just have to be there! The 9/11 Memorial is moving, and the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Show was stunning. Then came 11 pm, and it was time to move out to our reserved spots on the street for the "ball drop." The entire event is very well organized and policed - we felt comfortable the whole time.
BRANSON TIME-SHARE November 2011: Mike & Sandy were guests of friends Buzz and Doreen at their time-share near Branson, Missouri. Branson is a little like Las Vegas -- "the strip" with entertainment, hotels, restaurants, shops, etc. -- excerpt there are no casinos at all, and in typical mid-Western style, most shows have a patriotic or religious tone - very family-oriented, and everything brighly decorated for Christmas.
One of the best shows was SIX - six brothers who are great singers, but also mimic various musical instruments -- you would swear there's a band just off stage, but there isn't. Pierce Arrow was also good; great singing, plus a hillarious comedian. Silver Dollar City is a nearby theme park, with lots of musical programs, and a Disney-like "electric light parade."
One day we drove to Bella Vista, Arkansas, where Sandy's cousin Dorothy (95 years young!) lives. She isn't far from Bentonville, so we saw the Sam Walton Museum, where WalMart began in 1950. On the way back, we ate lunch at Lamberts, famous for waiters who throw dinner rolls to the guests (Google Lamberts Restaurant). The College of the Ozarks, where every student must work on campus, was fun to tour.
MAUI TIME-SHARE October 2011: Mike & Sandy went back to their Maui time-share, this time along with Danville friends Pat and Jessie. This is Mike's favorite among the time-shares. On the way to the resort, they stopped at the Halimali General Store for lunch -- this is a Conde Naste and Zagat recommended restaurant, and one of the best on Maui -- delicious ! The team visited a botanic garden (found a Jacaranda tree - never seen in Northern California), and took the famous "Road to Hana."
HOT IN FLORIDA! AUGUST 2011: Mike & Sandy took Great Grand-daughter Kerri to Disney World and surrounding attractions for her 12th birthday. It was fun, but August in Florida is a real shock to the system! Pictures and notes here.
CRUISING FJORDS & THE ARCTIC July 2011: While not the longest, this certainly was the coldest cruise for Mike & Sandy. On the Crystal Serenity, they explored the big fjords of Norway, plus went WAY further north than they've ever been - not quite to the North Pole, but close! A few pictures are here!
ASIA-MIDDLE EAST CRUISE March 2011:
Sandy and Mike joined a world cruise roughly in the middle, boarding the ship in Hong Kong, traveling through SE Asia to India, then the Middle East, and finally the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal. Highlights included the Taj Mahal in India, Petra in Jordan, and the Luxor temple complex in Egypt. Click here to see some of our pictures.
PALM SPRINGS & SOUTHWEST January 2011:
Mike & Sandy drove to Palm Springs, visiting son Rick and seeing some shows at McCallum Theater (where Rick's the Marketing Manager). They also saw the Palm Springs Follies, sadly not longer operating, and the night street fair. Then they drove over to Scottsdale to visit Earl and Karin. (Earl was best man at Mike and Sandy's wedding.) They stopped by Visalia to visit Physician Assistant son Michael.
We Still Remember some older trips .....
Mike & Sandy joined their church's travel group for a Baltic cruise aboard the Star Princess, including Copenhagen,Stockholm (Nobel Prize sites), Oslo (1952 Winter Olympics sites), St. Petersburg (Hermitage Museum, Peter Hof beach palace), Tallin (medieval walking town in Estonia), and Gdansk, Poland (castle of the Tuetonic Knights). We were on the ship on the 4th of July, and there were many festivities.
KAUAI TIME-SHARE April 2010:
Mike & Sandy, along with Mike's daughter Ginger and her husband Blake, spent a week at the Westin Princeville resort on Kauai. Sightseeing included a helicopter ride all over the island.
Click here for a few Hawaii pictures.
CANCUN TIME-SHARE Feb 2010:
Starwood opened a new Westin time-share in Cancun, and Mike & Sandy, along with friends Buzz and Doreen, went down to check it out. It's quite pretty, and faces east, so you see sunrises rather than sunsets. Of course it has a great beach to walk along, and enormous pools, some with water slides. A visit to the WalMart in Cancun is a kick; sort-of like a WalMart, and sort-of like a loud and lively Mexican fiesta. One highlight was a trip to Chichenitza, the largest of the Mayan temple complexes, and dating from about 800 years ago. And also in the spirit of learning about the local culture, Mike and Buzz enjoyed meeting one of the dancers at a local show.
CARIBBEAN CRUISE, PLUS FLORIDA-ALABAMA ROAD TRIP Jan 2010: Mike & Sandy attended a financial seminar held on a cruise ship, with many investment advisors as speakers. The ship visited 3 ports, but unusually cold weather was a damper. Back on land, Mike & Sandy visited some old California friends who've moved to Florida, and then some of Mike's relatives (including a 95 year old aunt) in Alabama. Mike also visited the cemetery where his Mother and Father are buried.
OREGON - WASHINGTON ROAD TRIP 2009: Mike & Sandy headed north to visit friends in eastern Washington State. They included lots of sightseeing - some natural (Oregon coast, Crater Lake, Olympic Peninsula) and some man-made (Grand Coulee Dam, Boeing 747 factory). We have a photo of teenager Sandy at Vidae Falls, so we checked to see if it had changed. An air museum in Oregon with the Spruce Goose, and one of the enormous hangers used by blimps in WW II, were interesting. The Oregon coast's Cannon Beach is a beautiful vacation spot, and the Olympic Peninsula's Lake Quinault Lodge (similar to Yosemite's Ahwanee Lodge) takes you back in time. Mt. St. Helens was interesting before stopping by Seattle's public fish market, the Space Needle, and the "Sleepless in Seattle" houseboat. A tour of Boeing's 747 assembly plant was astonishing. With friends Jerry and Kathy, Sandy and Mike visited Grand Coulee Dam, and later had lunch with a nephew Sandy hadn't seen in 30 years. Heading south, the northwest California redwoods are huge, and always impressive.
MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE 2009: Mike & Sandy spent three weeks in the Mediterranean on Holland America's Noordam. Ports of call were in Italy, France, Spain, Tunisia, Greece, and Turkey. Highlights included the old Roman towns of Ephesus and Pompei, the site of the first Olympic Games in Greece, the Phoenecian town of Carthage (Hanibal and his elephants came from there), and Dubrovnik, a medieval walled city in modern day Croatia. There were lots of shopping opportunities and lots of great food!
A few of our cruise pictures are here!
SOUTH-EAST ASIA 2009: Mike & Sandy, along with friends Gary and Joan, spent 18 days touring Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. (This trip ticked 8 places from the book "1000 Places To See Before You Die.") Although the Vietnam government is officialy communist, capitalism is booming -- the country's mascot should be the motor bike, which has practically replaced the lowly bicycle, once ubiquitous.
In Hanoi, we saw the Ho Chi Minh memorial, and a water puppet show. Halong Bay (UNESCO World Heritage Site) is filled with limestone islands and spires -- and with junks, like this one where we spent the night. In Hue, we stayed in the mansion of the old French Governor, and visited a monastery. Our visit to the sea-side village of Hoi An (don't miss this if you visit Vietnam) coincided with their annual Lantern Light Festival, and along the way, we passed China Beach, a favorite R&R spot for American GI's.
Hanoi would remind you of Washington, D.C., and Saigon is like New York and LA combined.
We visited the Mekong Delta area, and were amazed at what takes place out on the water (including huge floating markets). We had a final (and delicious) dinner back in Saigon with our guide before we left Vietnam.
Our visit to Cambodia was all about 900 year old Angkor Wat, a huge, well preserved temple and palace, and Cambodia's top tourist attraction. It's another "one-of-a-kind-in-the-world" place. Nearby is Angkor Thom, a location used in the movie "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider."
Last stop was Bangkok, where we visited some former Californians now living there, and had our farewell dinner overlooking the river.
LAS VEGAS 2008:
Friends Lee and Shirley came to Mike & Sandy's Maui time-share a few years ago. They ended up buying at Marriott, at a new time-share just off the Strip in Las Vegas. Mike and Sandy went there to visit, saw 4 shows (Blue Man Group, Bette Middler, The Rat Pack, "O"), and went to the big Nellis Air Force Base annual air show. Of course they had lots of good food, too!
ALBUQUERQUE ROAD TRIP 2008: Mike and friend Dick drove back to the big hot-air balloon festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico, stopping at some air museums along the way. The Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs was interesting, and nearby Peterson Air Force Base had old Cold War-era missle exhibits. The hot-air balloon festival was amazing, from the Dawn Patrol event through the mass ascension, with about 600 balloons launched at once. On the way home, a visit to the Air Force "bone yard" near Tucson (sort of a junk yard for old military aircraft) broke up the trip.
EAST COAST ROAD TRIP 2008: Mike and Sandy flew to Boston, rented a car, and headed for Cape Cod, where they toured the Kennedy's Hyannis compound and Provincetown, and visited friends Len and Ann. A look at Mystic, Connecticut, and then onto the ferry for the trip over to Long Island and "the Hamptons." From a room overlooking Times Square, Manhattan was toured, including Katz Deli (famous for the table orgasm scene in the movie "When Harry Met Sally") and the only street fair in the whole city. Being in the studio audience of a live TV show was fun, and then it was off to Pennsylvania (Mike had no idea there was a town named after him), and Philadelphia and Gettysburg. Washington featured the new Air & Space Museum Annex. On the way to Colonial Williamsburg we saw La Plata, a town where Sandy lived 50 years ago.
CRUISING THE DANUBE RIVER 2008: Mike and Sandy's first "river boat" adventure was GREAT, and touched 5 countries. Danville friends Marv and Joni, and Bakersfield friends Buzz and Doreen, joined in. There were scenic river views, fun shore excursions, lunch in a Croatian family's farm house, and touring in beautiful Budapest.
Here's the team on the boat's observation deck, touching the Black Sea, visiting a river town, seeing a sunset and a village church steeple, a Serbian defense ministry building hit by a NATO cruise missile in the early '90's, our lunch on the farm, and on the hill overlooking Budapest.
OMAHA AND THE MID-WEST 2008: Mike and Sandy were in Omaha for the annual meeting of Warren Buffet's company (which included a closeup sighting of Bill Gates, the richest man in the country), and a visit with cousin Karma, who was at their wedding 33 years earlier. They added on a road trip around the mid-west, heading to Chicago, Springfield (home of the Lincoln presidential library), to St. Louis, and then to Branson, Missouri, for some fun shows. Last they visited Bentonville, Arkansas, the home of Dorothy, another cousin of Sandy's and quite spry at 92, and of WalMart, with the original dime store on the town square.
AIR MUSEUMS. Mike and 3 friends toured air museums around the state, including former Castle AFB, an airpark by Air Force Plant 42 (home of the Space Shuttle, the B-2, F-22, F-35, SR-71, Global Predator, etc.), and March AFB. Two private museums in Chino had planes in flying order, many appearing in movies. Last stop was the Commemorative Air Force in Camarillo, with lots of WW II planes. Dinner at the Proud Bird Aviation Restaurant near LAX was a hit, as well.
Know about Mexico's Copper Canyon? It's longer and deeper than the Grand Canyon, but is reached only by train. With friends Buzz and Doreen, Mike and Sandy headed down in 2007 to see it, with a bit of nostalgia thrown in, on the restored 1950's era Pullman cars.
Sandy and Mike enjoyed a two-week trip to Alaska in June 2007, with one week on a cruise ship and one week on land. Lots of glaciers, bears, and moose!
With friends Lee and Shirley, Sandy and Mike spent nearly 3 weeks in Japan and China in May 2007. Mt. Fuji and a ride on a bullet train were highlights in Japan, while the Three Gorges Dam, the Terra Cotta warriers, and the Bund in Shanghai were most memorable in China.
And reaching WAY back, in 1994, Sandy and Mike were part of a small group that chartered a sailboat in the Caribbean for a week.
