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Yosemite
That summer will be one we will never ever forget. Our memories will be of beauty, nature, hospitals, fatigue, and worry and of prayer, faith, love, friendship, family and answered prayers.
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Huell Howser, a Travel Lover’s Friend
Who else misses this sweet guy? I think most people in California know Huell Howser. And those that do know him, have a fondness for this dear man. For 30 years, he produced shows all about some great and often unknown people and places in California. His shows appeared on PBS stations up and down the state; and, in fact, one of these shows, California’s Gold is still being aired today. He loved being on the road, finding interested places and people and sharing what he found and his conversations on shows that didn’t feel overly produced. He became our friend because of his unassuming mannerisms. He showed genuine interest…
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Packing Checklist
Need to pack in a hurry, here's a checklist.
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16 Travel Blunders to Avoid!
1. Not calling your bank or credit card company before you leave Before our trip to China, we did very little preparation other than just pack our bags and water our plants. On our first night in Beijing, we thought, “No problem, we’ll just walk to the mall near our hotel, hit up an ATM and grab some dinner”. We visited an ATM with my debit card’s logo and, worst thing ever; it sucked up my debit card and kept it! We tried buying some small items at a grocery store and got rejected with every card we tried there as well. That night, we had to go back to…
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Israel, Petra and Egypt — Part 1, Israel
Highlights: The Sea of Galilee, Jerusalem, Petra, The Pyramids of Giza, Nile River Cruise Tips: Israel is very safe; I’d feel comfortable there traveling on my own. However, in Jordan and Egypt, for baby boomer travelers like us, we felt comfortable being part of an organized tour group and would recommend the same for others. Bring bags of cheap candy for little kids in Egypt. Cultural Preparation: Books: The Bible — all those Sunday School lessons on the Bible come to life here. Exodus by Leon Uris — a story of the founding of the State of Israel Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie — Book or Movie (I…
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Petra, Jordan and Egypt, Part 2
After several days in Israel (see Part 1) and after a visit to the ancient mesa-top fortress of Masada, it was time to move on to Jordan and Egypt. First up, Jordan. Crossing into Jordan — the Allenby crossing is named after Edmund Allenby — from the time this area was colonized by the British. If you saw the movie, Lawrence of Arabia, you may remember this character as one of Lawence’s commanders. The Jordan River — where Jesus is thought to have been baptized. There had been a lot of rains and flooding in the winter of 2018-19 and some the meeting pavilions had been damaged. A lot…
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15 Items for your long flight
Stretch pants Soft top with long sleeves A light knit jacket or sweater — airplanes can get too cold — and this can double as a pillow Slip on shoes (for getting through security and quick off and on while in your seat) Warm socks — no one wants cold ankles (you might need or want support hose) A neck pillow — an inflatable one saves space Reading glasses Books, magazines Entertainment — loaded on portable devices is the best An empty water bottle to refill once you get past security A sleeping mask Ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones if you’re a high roller Healthy snacks — you can…
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The Best Way to Get to LAX
What’s the best way to get to LAX from the Inland Empire? One word: Metrolink! There are Metrolink stations all over Southern California…..they all end up at Union Station and from Union Station, there’s a continually running “FlyAway” bus going to LAX that takes just a quick few minutes. So, don’t bother your friends and family….just find one of the train cars that have the bicycle logo on the outside and you’ll have plenty of room to store your luggage while you just sit and enjoy the view. We usually just take the train to LAX the day before our flight takes off….just so we can relax in a…
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Total Eclipse of the Sun
Seeing the total eclipse of the sun in August 2017 was an amazing experience. Now that we’ve experienced it once, we’re going to try to see the next one that goes through the U.S. — I think in 2024. It’s totally worth the effort. Our extended family rented out a church girls camp near Ashton, Idaho. It was affordable and could sleep a huge family like ours! I love this quaint sign in Ashton. We ate there too — and, of course, had root beer! In the evenings, there were a lot of different games and activities for all ages. So, we’d heard about Big Judd’s and the huge hamburgers…
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We survived Death Valley
A long January weekend in Death Valley National Park.
