Category: TRAVEL (Page 27 of 45)
After 15 days away from home, I’m finally back in a comfortable routine. Yesterday was spent unpacking, sorting the mail, putting away Holiday decorations, and doing piles of laundry, followed by an evening of Fiddler On The Roof at the Keller Auditorium. Unfortunately, both my wife and I were a bit jet-lagged and still adjusting to the three-hour difference in time zones, so we only made it to intermission of the lengthy production. We had both seen it several times before and it’s still enjoyable, humorous, and thought provoking, even when cut in half. It was our first Portland Broadway Series show where we got there by public transportation. I was about to boast that we didn’t have to pay for parking either, but my wife once worked in the building next door and could use her parking space for concerts, plays, and musicals that we would attend.
We had frugally taken the MAX and Portland Streetcar from the airport upon our return three days ago to avoid paying for for two weeks of parking. Although living downtown is relatively pricey, we are saving bits-and-pieces by walking and commuting rather than using our cars. My car is parked over at my step-daughter’s house that we will need to retrieve today, along with Falco her puppy that we’ll be dog-sitting for the weekend. Tally, our ten-year old schnauzer, will be glad to have a companion, as she still seems to be mourning the loss of big sister Tinker. She’s also been in the hands of a sitter while we were traveling, and hopefully missed us too! We lazily took my wife’s car to get groceries yesterday to give it a little action after sitting underground while we were gone. We could have walked and pulled our cart as we usually do, but once again our aging bodies were dragging from the two-week adventure of Planes, Trains, Automobiles, Shuttles, Boats, and Roller-coasters.
We might go to a movie this afternoon that has recently become a bi-weekly tradition with our annual passes. There will be no traditional “Leadership Meeting” today because we’ll all get together tomorrow for the annual Old Timer’s Baseball Banquet. I also have a baseball card luncheon tomorrow that is now a bi-annual tradition. My wife will take Tally on her traditional daily walk through the neighborhood while I write, a ritualistic morning tradition that has been interrupted as we frequently moved hotel rooms these past two weeks. Finally, I’ve returned to the traditional downtown Portland running route and radio station after fifteen days of different routes and distances that make maintaining “The Streak” of now 4,030 days even more of a challenge. Yes, traditions and routines are important in making life easier.
Fiddler On The Roof was all about tradition, as its popular opening musical/dance number emphasizes. Here’s a family built-on the tradition of the father determining the marital fate of each of his daughters, that is eventually uprooted and split apart because of their religious beliefs. Tradition and routine gives each of us an important sense of order and comfort in dealing with the hassles and uncertainties of life. While they can become predictable and boring, it often takes a break from doing them to restore the sense of appreciation they play in our existence. Two weeks of different cities and beds, coupled with strict schedules and entertaining grandchildren make coming home a welcome treat. I’ve gladly returned to the familiar, but will soon be ready for another travel challenge and less routine tradition:
Tradition, tradition! Tradition!
Tradition, tradition! Tradition!
Who, day and night, must scramble for a living,
Feed a wife and children, say his daily prayers?
And who has the right, as master of the house,
To have the final word at home?
The Papa, the Papa! Tradition.
The Papa, the Papa! Tradition.
Who must know the way to make a proper home,
A quiet home, a kosher home?
Who must raise the family and run the home,
So Papa’s free to read the holy book?
The Mama, the Mama! Tradition!
The Mama, the Mama! Tradition!
At three, I started Hebrew school. At ten, I learned a trade.
I hear they’ve picked a bride for me. I hope she’s pretty.
The sons, the sons! Tradition!
The sons, the sons! Tradition!
And who does Mama teach to mend and tend and fix,
Preparing me to marry whoever Papa picks?
The daughters, the daughters! Tradition!
The daughters, the daughters! Tradition!
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: SHELDON HARNICK / Jerrold Lewis Bock
Tradition lyrics © Trio Music Company
This next decade is truly shaping-up to be “the sunset of our lives,” or at least mine. Some call it the return of the “Roaring Twenties.” I already addressed this in a recent post, but I also wanted to take it back another century to see if there are any comparisons. The 1820’s were relatively uneventful, filled with Presidential controversies, so some things never change. This time frame did not really provide any meaningful insight into the future. All that history can effectively prove is that the sun rises and sets every single day.
I’m looking out at a gorgeous sunset over Punta Gorda Bay, as I continue to reflect on my retirement destiny. Will we find a home here in sunny Florida? Can we live in Florida without being directly on the beach, as my wife constantly bemuses? How close to the water is accessible enough to allow enough net savings for aggressive travel spending? We just added a night in Walla-Walla, Washington to our trip to Glacier National Park to stay at the historic Marcus Whitman Hotel. We’ll spend the night at several well-preserved properties on this 1500 mile round-trip drive, including reservations at The Davenport in Spokane, and both the Izaak Walton and Prince of Wales inside the park boundaries that extend over the Canadian line into British Columbia. We’re slowly adding details to our upcoming New Year adventures. Poor Tally, our schnauzer will once again be left behind with a sitter.
Once this decade speeds by, and I rapidly approach my 80’s, it’s important that we see as much as possible before the proverbial sun goes down. None of us knows if even tomorrow will come, let alone another ten years of life. It’s just a matter of how long the sunset will last, not to mention my legs. I started the year with a rough 3.1 miles after a late night of gluttony and gruel. I was up until 1:30 a.m., although granted only 10:30 Pacific Standard Time. A sugar high woke me up at about 4 a.m., as the sweet port and Bananas Foster finally left my stomach and entered the blood stream. The highlight of the first day of 2020 was when my wife finally got to meet my newest grand-girl. It was special to get all three grand-kids, my son, his wife, and my wife all at the same table – the whole famn damily! We’ll head for Orlando in two days following a couple of realtor appointments and a dinner reunion with one of my wife’s oldest friends. We’ll enjoy the sunset from their ocean-side home on Siesta Key.
The Florida weather has been similar to Portland with gray skies, cool temperatures, and rain showers. I think we were hoping for a warmer welcome. We’re in Panama City, witnessing some of the remnants of last year’s hurricane Michael. I’m sure the local residents are leery of anyone or anything named Michael – like me. The Sheraton Beach Golf and Spa Resort where we are staying just opened again after 10 months of repairs. There is no beach, just a lagoon, no openings at the spa, and we don’t play golf, so there’s little for us to do. This morning we meet with another realtor to explore some beach condos, and will end the year in this deserted massive resort with lots of pelicans. It’s also been two straight nights without a visible sunset.
I was excited to see the downfall of “The Ohio University,” in both basketball and football, with some personal issues at stake. In return, I got some of my own vengeful medicine through watching I.U. basketball fall apart against Arkansas. I was stuck trying to follow the game on my phone, since the BIG Ten Network was not available on our T.V. My wife watched Dirty Dancing and then Kingsman 2 out of boredom while I silently brooded about the ineffective Hoosiers and drank a bottle of Merlot. I got up and ran around the golf course this morning to take out my frustrations. I.U. football in the Gator Bowl against Tennessee is next on my sports agenda. Hopefully, that game too won’t be a disappointment, and I won’t be a double holiday loser like Buckeye fans.
It’s day 7,680 since I first got together with my wife nearly 21 years ago. Our relationship is almost at the legal drinking age. We’ll celebrate in Las Vegas, where we were also married at the Bellagio over 18 1/2 years ago. Our upcoming stay at the Westgate will be much less glamorous that our honeymoon night, but at least neither of us will have to attend corporate business meetings the next day. This will be our first trip there jointly retired, and we’ll do a side-excursion to the Grand Canyon. We also hope to see the Neon Boneyard & Museum where we’ll take in some of the colorful history of The Strip. My wife will soon book some shows, but unfortunately Lady Gaga is not in town. She has her sights on the Michael Jackson ONE Cirque Du Soleil performance.
Tomorrow, we’ll head to Tampa and more property shopping before our New Year’s Eve dinner at Bern’s Steak House. It was founded in 1956 by Bern Laxler and continues to stay in the family; currently operated by his son David. They also established the Epicurean Hotel across the street where we’ll be spending the night. We’ve been practicing staying up late, hoping to finish dinner at midnight and then conveniently stumble to our bed. (Even though it will only be 9 p.m. back home in Portland). This will be my third dinner at Bern’s, dating back to an Advertising Federation convention many years ago when I was President of our Indianapolis Club. My wife and I also had a meal there to honor our 2nd wedding anniversary. It will be a great way to celebrate our love, accomplishments, retirement, and the new decade ahead. As I think about it, today was my last day of work three years ago.
Panama City is showing some signs of sunlight and patches of blue sky. We’ll soon be touring a couple of condos in a beachfront high-rise. We can’t decide if a view of the ocean is a priority, but at least in this area there are places in our price range. It would be nice to step out in the sand every day, but we’d be living in a isolated area inundated by tourists. Today, that’s all we are here in Florida, as we continue to explore the Emerald Coast. The “Toes in the Sand” tour continues….
It’s officially been eleven years now since i began my running streak. I was 57 years old and living in Austin, Texas. It was the year after we said goodbye to friends and co-workers in Decatur, Illinois that continue to come in and out of our lives. Today we reacquainted ourselves with a couple we haven’t seen since then and visited their new home in Watersounds Origins, along the Emerald Coast of Florida. We’re considering this area as a permanent retirement home, attracted by the beautiful beaches and upscale neighborhoods. Coincidentally we had set up an appointment with a realtor and toured a model home just down the street from where they live. The decision my wife and I need to make is how much we want to invest of our retirement savings in a home relative to traveling the world. We can buy a nice place and stay home the rest of our lives or make some compromises to fulfill our bucket lists. It’s the classic retirement decision between memories and material possessions.
There was a cool mist in the air as I completed day #4,017 of “The Streak,” a 3.1 mile run along the sidewalks of West Destin, Florida. It’s a city that didn’t exist when my wife visited here 35 years ago and a totally unexplored area for me. I’ve been coming to Florida since I was a kid to visit my grandparent’s winter home, a mobile home in an Englewood bay-side park. It was a sharp contrast to the penthouse view of the Gulf that we experienced from our sixth-floor Sheraton Hotel room suite this morning. It poses the question of do we want a pricey view or simply more-affordable proximity to the beach? Do we want a condo, a family-friendly environment, or a 55+ plus community, where we could potentially alienate ourselves from younger friends?
This trip to the “Sunshine State” is strictly exploratory, weighing our options of where to move for possibly the last time in our lives. We’re sold on the beauty of the area and the fact that there are no state taxes, as we carefully start to spend our combined IRA. As a bonus, my son and his family live down here, but it also means putting distance between my wife and her two girls. We still have 14 months left on our Portland, Oregon apartment lease, so there’s still plenty of time to examine the possibilities. Our house sold much quicker than expected, a blessing considering our track record of poor luck in real estate transactions. Apartment life is teaching us the value of space, especially after cutting our square footage in half. A cross-country move will also be costly. but warmth is what we seek. Over the course of the next week, I will continue to run and my wife will contemplate the balance between home life and travel. I’ll be satisfied either way! In the last eleven years, we’ve moved five times, so it will be nice to finally settle down.
We’ve reached our destination – Destin, Florida – the self-professed jewel of the Emerald Coast. We’re in a very old Sheraton Hotel that is now part of the Marriott domain, serving only Pepsi products. In my previous post, I recalled a filthy fraternity pledge chant about Pepsi-Cola (See Post #1173). Oddly, I then just got an out-of-the-blue message from one of my Albion College Sigma Chi buddies about the sad Christmas Eve death of one of our brothers. During “Hell Week” we would have to say in marching unison this silly rhyme that ended with “twenty-one a**holes tied in in knot.” These were the 21 of us that pledged in 1970, and two have been reported dead this past year. (See Post #1018). I’m sure others have passed that I am not aware of, but someday there will only be one remaining with any memory of that eventful week. Rest in Peace, Ron.
We have a spectacular Penthouse view of the beach, from a huge deck that wraps around the corner of the building. It’s one of the benefits of being Titanium Elite, a status we’ve earned through years of loyalty. It’s one of the few silly things that I have to brag about any more! Alaska miles got us here and Marriott points allow us to live above our means for a day or two. My wife continues to claim that I love my Marriott points more than her! The only thing I don’t love about them is their exclusive deal with Pepsi. Regardless, we’ll make full use of the Marriott Vacation Club program when we loop back to Orlando where we started this Florida excursion, and luxuriously house the two of us plus my son and his family for a long weekend of theme park activities.
Tomorrow we meet with a realtor and two friends from our memorable Decatur, Illinois days. My wife’s former work colleague and his wife had to cancel our dinner last night due to illness. If gave us a quiet evening together after the long drive the day before. Although Decatur was not our favorite place to live, it certainly reaped the benefits of close friendship. Over the last year alone, we’ve gotten back together with six different couples that have become lifelong favorites. Only one pair still lives in Illinois, while the others have migrated to New York, Colorado, Arizona, and Florida. Retirement is all about reconnecting with the past. In a few days, we’ll have dinner with my wife’s college sorority sister that haven’t gotten together in 40 years. Obviously, I haven’t had the chance to meet them yet.
Destin is a busy community, with heavy traffic and a line of condos along the beach that block any view of the Gulf. I’ve never been here that I can recall, and for my wife it’s been about 35 years. There were only a couple of rental opportunities at that time, and she can hardly believe how much the waterfront has developed. She spent time down here with some friends and two daughters. Our beachfront hotel is now actually in West Destin that she jokingly said should have probably been named Westin. It’s interesting that there is not a Westin in Destin, although several hotels are named either Destin West or Destin West Beach.
After we explore Destin, we’ll head south once again to the Panama City Beach Sheraton Golf & Spa Resort, our “destin”ation after Destin. Then, we’ll celebrate the New Year in Tampa, once again taking advantage of Marriott/Sheraton hospitality. So far, the Florida weather has been everything we’ve expected, and hopefully we can avoid some of the rain showers in the forecast. As my wife might say, “rain makes rainbows,” and as always, I’d like to have just a touch of her eternal optimism. Instead, I’ve earned her nickname of “Eeyore.”
After six hours of driving in holiday traffic and stops at multiple Arby’s, McDonald’s, and even an “official” Florida citrus & souvenir store, we arrived in time for the Pensacola sunset. All I could think of was a filthy, old fraternity chant that went somewhat like this:
“Pepsi Cola (or Pensacola),
Pig’s Ass Hola,
Someone sh**,
In Our Victrola.”
Even with Google, I couldn’t determine the origin of the silly, gross rhyme, but we’re staying at a Springhill Suites Marriott where they only serve Pepsi, so it somehow seemed appropriate. There were more expletives in the following verse, but I try to keep things family friendly when I write. Nonetheless, we’re in a Pensacola hotel room with nothing but Pepsi Cola, but at least breakfast was free.
We skipped dinner last night in favor of popcorn, and in the course of finishing a bottle of wine, somehow planned an impromptu excursion to Glacier National Park this summer. Whether we go by Amtrak or car has yet to be determined? More wine and we might have had the answer. Our hotel is right on Gulf Breeze beach on what they refer to as the “Emerald Coast.” We have a beautiful view of the shoreline as well as the downtown area with blue skies and little to do.
Later this morning, we’ll get back in our rental Chevrolet and see more of the U.S.A. The next stop is Destin-Ft. Walton Beach, about an hour south where we’ll spend two nights with less hassle about packing and unpacking. My wife used to vacation in this area, while I had little exposure to the Florida panhandle. My parents went to Gulf Shores, Alabama and my grandparents wintered in Englewood, south of Sarasota. I once owned a condo on Sarasota’s Siesta Key, so I’ve spent a lot of time in the state but surprisingly never ventured to this stretch of the Gulf. The two of us wanted to get a feel for potential retirement life here. I think the rainbow, sunset, tropical foliage, and warm December temperatures have already sold her on the idea.
I’d rather it be Coca-Cola in Pensacola when it comes to rhyme, but I do like this area. My main concern about Florida is the heat and humidity, but the further north we settle it should be more comfortable. We’ll simply trade the fear of Northwest earthquakes for Southeast hurricanes. There’s always something to worry about! We will look at some properties starting tomorrow and get a better gauge on what we can afford. However, the very first “goal-a” today will be McDonald’s for a Diet Coke before we say good-bye to Pensacola and any thoughts of a nasty Victrola.
I’m on the Alaska flight to Orlando, after talkative Uber driver, Daniel, drove us to the airport. He was the only driver available, with a half-hour wait time. A Budget Car Rental shuttle bus was on its side, blocking the Passenger Arrival lanes. What a terrible Christmas for that driver and any passengers. We’re fleeing the gray skies of Portland in our new role as retired snow-birds.
It was the traditional McDonald’s Egg McMuffin and hash browns for breakfast. Hopefully, all the wine we packed will arrive safely, although my wife heard one of the protective inflatable packages lose some air before we handed the suitcases over to the airline. At least, it’s triple sealed in case of breakage. Otherwise, it could be a repeat of my Italy trip many years ago with my clothing soaked in fine wine and olive oil. The storage packs were a thoughtful gift from our Tucson friends that visited recently.
While in the Christmas spirit, we switched seats with a separated family, but I got stuck in the center seat that I purposely avoid because of my aging bladder. My wife is passed out in the window seat, after a sleepless night. I got a good six hours, but got up at 4 a.m. to get-in my minimum mile run and continue “The Streak” that is only a few days away from eleven consecutive years. It was cold, dark, and spitting rain, but the homeless were still up and about. Tally, our schnauzer remained cozy in her bed, reluctant to brave the elements for her appointed duty. A sitter will come to her rescue later this morning and will stay with her while we’re gone. Since this is a lengthy away-from-home stay, there are actually two women that will share this responsibility.
I’m reading David Baldacci’s A Minute to Midnight, that should keep me entertained during the 5-hour flight. I woke my wife up when I ordered us some snacks from the flight attendant. She was snoring, and is appreciative when I prevent too much embarrassment. She’ll play games while I read and write. My limited attention span requires multi-tasking, but reading of late has been a function of strictly bedtime. It’s difficult to get into a story that is consumed in only bits-and-pieces, so reading on the plane will help me keep track of the characters and avoid confusion.
I’m anticipating the joy of being at Universal Studios and Disney World with my three grand children next week after we scour the Gulf Coast for a potential retirement spot. We also have some lunches planned with former coworkers and my wife’s Butler sorority sister that she hasn’t seen since then. Her two newly- married daughters are with their dad for the holidays, so I’m her only family this year. I hope I can live up to that role after years of Christmas dinners with her mother and sister. This is my fifth year without my parents but only her first. I’ll try to keep her distracted, and at the very least this year we shouldn’t have to deal with snow. We’re now the very snowbirds that we may regret seeing as future residents.
it’s time to pack up the sleigh for our ho-ho-holiday trip. We’re not headed to the North Pole but rather the airport, and it’s not really by sleigh but rather Uber. The packing part is true, as I print our boarding passes and baggage tags in anticipation of sunny Florida. My run this morning was in 36 degree temperatures, but I added a new twist. It was the first time that I ever picked up my dry cleaning on the way back. This is part of the convenience of living downtown, having everything within running distance. We even walked to see Star Wars yesterday afternoon. The “foot force” was with us!
We’ll continue our holiday dining spree tonight with just the two of us at Q, but might want to go by streetcar. Tomorrow night will be at Roy’s in Orlando, another food favorite. That’s 3,000 miles between meals, although I hope to have some Biscotte cookies on the way, as our next sleigh becomes a rental car. Then it’s Marriott-to-Mariott along the Gulf and back to the “Mouse’s House.” We’ll be gone for 15 days, made possible by my wife’s recent retirement. It will be one of our longer excursions together with many more lengthy get-aways to come. Part of our goal on this trip is to find the right spot to buy our final home. It’s also a great opportunity to spend some time with my son’s family.
It will be an odd Christmas, with most of the time spent on an airplane. We did not bother to decorate at home this year, other than my wife’s Limoges boxes and newly purchased pearl tree. At her instructions, I did not buy her a new box this year for the first time in twenty years. We’re out of space, so jewelry is sadly the only option. LOL. She’s into these custom charm-like tags that hang from a pricey gold necklace chain. I think they look like dog-tags, but she likes the personal messages that can be engraved on them. “Angels On Your Body” is the first little expression of love. (See Post #1165). I bought ahead for Valentine’s Day, our 19th Anniversary, and her Birthday. We’ll exchange tonight before Santa’s sleigh arrives in the early morning hours to whisk us away to the airport.
Day # 4,010 of my running streak was completed in the rain, after weeks of somehow escaping from the inevitable here in Portland. Tally, now our only schnauzer, wasn’t happy either going out in a downpour. It certainly speeds up her sniffing-around time as she looks forward to being wrapped in a towel afterwards. There was no warm towel waiting for me when I returned from doing my 3.1 mile daily duty. Only 8 days now until the 11-year mark. That milestone will hopefully be reached in the warmer weather of Florida.
Tonight is the annual holiday dinner for our Portland clan. We joined the tradition five years ago in our move here for my wife’s job. I then spent two years working in local radio before my retirement pension kicked-in. My wife just joined me, so everyone at the dinner table will for the first time be gainfully unemployed. Her new freedom will give us much more flexibility in achieving our travel goals. Through June of next year, we already have scheduled at least a week per month away from home, including Orlando, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson, Bali, and San Francisco. We’ll continue to plan for future down-time between already-booked river cruises through Egypt and Russia, plus an ocean voyage from Barcelona to Oslo, Norway.
As I dry out from my morning run, I’m watching my I.U. Hoosiers play in-state rival Notre Dame. It’s part of the Crossroads Classic that I’ve attended many times while living in Indianapolis. The second game of the annual double-header will be Purdue against Butler. The teams rotate each year, but Indiana and Purdue never play until their two traditional conference battles. Even though I.U. has only lost one game so far this season against weak opponents, it seems like they’ve badly struggled, especially considering the thorough beating by Wisconsin. They really have trouble scoring and will soon face a tough conference schedule that will certainly be challenging. Hopefully, the luck of the Irish will wait for another day.
We’ll have overnight guests tonight since the restaurant is in walking distance and the wine will be flowing. With the limited confines of our retirement apartment, we’ll have to do some rearranging and inflating in order to accommodate. We hope to have more room in our next move that could be determined in the upcoming Florida trip. We’ll explore the Gulf Coast for property options that should include a dedicated guest room and an office. Right now, we don’t have that luxury, but have already had multiple visits by friends anxious to see Portland.
Tomorrow night we’ll entertain my wife’s oldest daughter and her new husband. We’ve had two weddings this year, so there’s been extra gifts to buy. However, there will be no travel back to Indiana that has always been a holiday tradition. Our flight to Orlando on Christmas Day will start something new. We also just booked a flight to San Francisco to see my wife’s youngest daughter and husband. it will be the initial visit there since the wedding at the Presidio three months ago. All in all, there will be a lot of first-time holiday highlights this year!