Category: TRAVEL (Page 36 of 45)

Bend Over – California here we come! What I mean to say is that our trip to Bend, Oregon is over, and we’re now headed to Disneyland. My wife has some business in Los Angeles this week and I plan to join her for a long Mickey Mouse weekend. It will be a unique experience to be in the West Coast park when it is decorated for Christmas, like it needs additional flare.

We had a great time in Bend with the dogs. We got in some long walks along the Deschutes River despite the freezing temperatures and icy conditions. We were concerned about getting through the McKenzie pass on the way into and out of the Oregon high desert. After all, it rained all the way there so we had little sense for the beauty of the area. Fortunately, we did not need the tire chains but ice and snow made for tense travel along the winding roads.

On the first morning, I was surprised by the below zero temperatures and icy sidewalks that made running difficult. The next two days, I spent on the treadmill in the hotel fitness center. Once the sun finally came out, we were able to navigate the icy paths with only a few slippery mis-steps and one scary fall. The first afternoon, we took a drive up to Mt. Bachelor and finally saw a mountain peak for the first time through the dense Deschutes National Forest surroundings. It wasn’t until we got to the Old Mill District that we got a clear view of the Cascade Range mountains that make Bend so popular: Bachelor, Broken Top, the Three Sisters, 3-Finger Jack, Washington, and Jefferson. We thought a five-peak day in Portland was spectacular! This was truly Peak Performance!

We enjoyed lunch with the pups under a blue sky, with a nearby fire pit ablaze and lots of activity along the riverwalk. The dogs were showing off their new flannel-lined raincoats that my wife bought the day before at one of the quaint downtown boutiques while I stayed in the room to watch football. I got my share of sports and she worked-out with the credit cards without too much damage. The dogs then waited patiently in the car while we had a great dinner at Ariana.

After I did my treadmill workout on Day 2, we again walked the dogs through the neighborhood around our TownePlace Suites Marriott hotel. Pets were welcome there and it seemed like most of their guests brought their furry children with them. It wasn’t until the final day, of course, that we found the best walking paths along the “bend in the river.” The night before we had dinner at Bos Taurus, another of Oregon’s finest restaurants. For their wait in the car, the pups got some bites of my medium-rare rib eye.

As we drove out of Bend today and back to Portland, we realized how much beauty we had missed that was hidden behind the dark rain clouds on the trip in. The twisting mountain highway was lined with snow-capped peaks and babbling brooks as we passed through scenic towns like Sisters, Detroit, and Indanha. Although the roads were packed with Thanksgiving travelers like us, there were few delays on the way back into our Portland home.

It was a memorable Thanksgiving getaway for both of us, ranking just behind New Orleans years ago. My wife prepared our turkey dinner at home so we could enjoy it in our hotel room once we arrived. There was no hassle with family, but we all stayed in touch, despite our seperate agendas, with photos and phone calls. Bend Over – next stop Disneyland.

Just a few years ago, 4-day weekends were the like gold. They were the next best thing to a vacation and rarely happened outside of Thanksgiving. You could always count on Thursday and Friday off at “Turkey Time,” but any other extra-long weekends were at the mercy of the day of the week when the holiday actually fell. My wife is enjoying a 4-day weekend, while retirement for me has made it just another string of glorious days. In fact, I’m in the midst of a 691-day weekend that hopefully will continue for many more years.

We’re in Bend, Oregon, home of Mt. Bachelor that rises out of the surrounding high desert to 9,068 feet. Bend itself is at 3,623 feet with a population of 91,000. I have been here on several occasions to ski, but it has been at least 25 years ago, and my wife wanted to see the resort community that she’d heard so much about. She was having some regrets as we got into snow yesterday afternoon on the twisting mountain pass leading into the area. This morning the sidewalks were covered in ice, making my morning run (day 3,617) a bit treacherous. A few hours later, we were able to walk the dogs in a light rain, until she fell on an icy patch. I don’t think Bend is what she dreamed it would be? 

The dogs and I are cozy in our hotel room, while my wife needed to get her “Black Friday” fix. There are a number of unique shops in the downtown square, and it may help her forget about her sore knee from the fall. I got a few more clues on my Ancestry.com family tree, so I’ll spend some time in Banister World, eat some turkey leftovers, and watch some college ball. I’m feeling good about sports after the Bears beat the Lions yesterday to go an impressive 8-3. They became the first NFL team to win two games in 4 1/2 days, despite the injury to quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Oregon and Oregon State will battle in the gridiron version of the Civil War, and alma-mater Indiana plays U.C. Davis in basketball today. It’s “Sports Friday” for me, during day two of my wife’s 4-day weekend in chilly Bend. 

The first thing that came to mind as I began to post #747 was the Boeing 747 that has taken us many far away places. It’s Thanksgiving and time to watch Planes, Train, and Automobiles again. We’re in a Marriott TownePlace Suites after a slippery drive to Bend, Oregon on winding mountain roads, something you don’t have to deal with when you’re traveling by plane or train. It would have been much less stressful to get here if I had “left the driving to someone else.” The good news is that we got to take the dogs with us. They love a good “ride in the car.”

It was not raining or snowing when we finally arrived at the hotel. Experts say that 263 days a year it does not rain here in the high desert of Oregon, but unfortunately, we happened to pick a weekend with little sunshine expected. At least I didn’t have to get out the tire chains to get here, and there was a small patch of blue sky when we arrived after four hours of watching the windshield wipers swipe back-and-forth.

Naturally, I’m using Marriott Rewards points to offset some of the expense of being away from home. I got here on less than a tankful of gas and we brought Thanksgiving dinner and wine with us. Breakfast is free and some daily “Schnauzerthons” will keep us busy as we explore the area. The only thing I’m really worried about is an abundance of quaint little stores in the downtown area that will attract my wife’s credit card like a magnet. With the additional exception of fancy dinners, where the dogs will have to stay in the car, we should be well under the $1000/day average of most of our travel outings. The same should be true about next week’s travel to Disneyland, although pet-sitting costs, admission tickets, souvenirs, airport parking, cabs/Uber, and dining will come into play. Once again, the hotel costs, in this case, SpringHill Suites, are covered by points. Plus, I used Alaska Airlines rewards to pay for my ticket, while my wife is simply extending an expensed business trip into the weekend with the permission of her boss. I’m thinking we can get by for 3 days on less than $2,000 or $667/day. 

There will then be one final excursion remaining for this year that involves cash outlays for pet sitting, airfare, parking, rental car, gas, tolls, and meals. It will truly be a Planes, Trains, and Automobiles excursion through Chicago’s O’Hare and seven nights in Indiana. There will also be shuttle buses in the mix, and some unavoidable shopping in Indianapolis. Despite lodging points, a guest bedroom stay, and less expensive family dinners, we’ll manage to keep below budget because an extended stay like this spreads the airline costs over more days. It will still easily average $600/day because of additional pet care expenses – the longer we’re gone the more it costs to have someone stay with them.  

It’s a good thing that one of us is still working – and that’s not me. After the New Year, I will have to withdraw some more money from my hard-earned retirement account, before leaving on more jet planes to Phoenix and Thailand. The stock market has not been cooperating, so I’m starting to fret over how long this nest egg will ultimately last? At least, I was saving it for a rainy day – like today!

To Travel or NOT to Travel, that is the question? It’s a question that we answer early in life. Do we want the security of a home and family? Or, do we want the adventure and uncertainty of travel? Our jobs often define the perimeters of this decision based on the amount of money that we earn and the vacation time that we’re allotted. As a result, we make choices. Do I save to buy a home or take a second honeymoon? Do I want memories or monuments? Boats or Bricks? In my case, I’m not sane – I’ve definitely been bitten by a bug.

Some people are just born with the Travel Bug. There IS no place like home. Life is too short to be stuck in one spot when there’s so much to see. To others, there’s no other place like home, so why would you need to go anywhere else? There seems to be two distinct philosophies on life, and retirement many times determines who we really are. In retirement, time is no longer a barrier, it just depends on how much we’ve saved and who needs our help? You can have lots of money, but if you need to attend to mom or care for your new granddaughter, travel becomes secondary. By the same token, you may have the freedom to travel but no one to go with or little funds to do it.

My wife and I have made some compromises. She continues to work while I decided to retire. I’m fortunate to have a monthly pension plus social security, while she is 4-years younger and still excelling in her career. Also, her work happens to involve some travel, so we extend business trips into long weekends and family visits. Much of her vacation time is consumed with trips back to Indiana to visit her 97-year old mother, so business trips to Chicago help absorb some of the costs and help manage limited time-off. However, it also restricts us from doing lengthy stints of travel together. The longest we’re able to be away from home is 10-days to two weeks, depending on Holidays. I’ll look forward to the time when we can do some month-long excursions. I guess my Travel Bug bite is more like an unscratched itch, and fortunately my wife feels the same. 

Being in the transient media business, we’ve never had the opportunity to get very attached to a home. Sometimes the Travel Bug bites you in the butt! We’ve moved from Indiana to Illinois to Texas to Oregon, and will undoubtedly relocate again before we eventually enjoy a joint retirement. It’s just a question of where that will be? We’ve talked of the Florida panhandle, but that could easily change as daughters settle into new areas of the country as a result of inevitable job changes. We’ve also talked of Nashville, Mobile, and even Las Vegas as career opportunities present themselves. We couldn’t be much further separated from family in Indiana, Florida, and Washington D.C. than we are currently. You could say that our home is where we hang our hat today. Moving companies are on our speed dial. 

I’ve already found that the more you travel, the better it feels to come home. This year, I will have been away from home nearly 100 nights. It’s involved a lot of packing and un-packing that I consider to be the biggest hassle of life on the road. The first year of my retirement I logged nearly 60,000 miles while this second year will exceed 76,000. My friends who have traveled extensively for business have not been as anxious to travel in retirement. I still find getting on an airplane or gassing-up the car for a long drive to be exciting, so the thrill of adventure is far from gone. I just don’t like all the damn packing.

Just this year, I’ll have been to both Disneyland & Disneyworld, and stood at the beginning and end of Route 66. My wife and I ventured to Amsterdam, Venice, Croatia, Santorini, Athens. and Hawaii’s Big Island. I’ve seen baseball games in Phoenix, Annaheim, Chicago, St. Louis, and the College World Series in Omaha. Closer to home, I’ve skied Mt. Hood, run down the Lincoln City coast, boated on Crater Lake, and revisited Mt. Bachelor in Bend. I’ve been to Broadway Shows in the Big Apple, saw the Winter Carnival fireworks at Steamboat, had dinner at the famous French Laundry, and sipped wine in Napa Valley. Plus, I returned to Austin to see some old friends, met new relatives in Indianapolis, got to see my newest granddaughter in Chicago, and re-connected with the past along the way. These have all been friendly bites!

After a night at the Napa Marriott Resort and Spa, I knew that we would soon be downgrading our accommodations, something my wife was not fondly anticipating. In the meantime, I was hoping that the wine might help with the transition. We had our first tasting appointment at Rombauer, a name synonymous with The Joy of Cooking. Next, we were referred to a nearby tasting room that became an easy decision to forego in favor of V. Sattui directly across the road. Their wines were not our favorite but they had a lovely picnic grounds where we had lunch.

It was a beautiful day, but time to head back towards our hotel for a nap. On the way back, we fortuitously stopped by Andretti Winery, founded by racing legend Mario Andretti. While we were sampling their wares, my wife was spotted by some former co-workers from Indianapolis that she hadn’t seen for 25 or more years. It seemed only logical that other Indy people would be drawn to this Napa spot, but it was still an unexpected surprise. I purchased a couple of commemorative bottles celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500. Once again, the wine was a secondary experience.

As we eventually made our way back to the hotel, I began to realize my critical booking error. As we continued to drive further and further south of downtown Napa, her frown got longer. It turned out to be near the regional airport in an under-construction industrial park, far from the quaint, romantic areas of The Valley she was expecting. I tried to change hotels once we got there, but rooms had escalated to $750 or more. It was harvest week in Napa and everything was at a premium. We were stuck in the boonies, and she was not adjusting to the circumstances. Our dinner reservation was at Farmstead, a 45-minute drive each way, and I could feel her cold shoulder.

We eagerly left the hotel early the next morning for our Cakebread tasting, as I gradually felt the thaw. In my defense, it was a brand-new Marriott property so everything was pristine. It was just not in the right location to continue our romantic getaway. If there had been a way to build-up to the French Laundry experience, rather than an abrupt fall from grace, it might have been more acceptable. Regardless, I was sporting the proverbial black eye.

We took a drive through downtown Calistoga, and stopped so she could shop. I’m sure it reminded her of a perfect weekend with a former boy friend when she was much more easily impressed. At least he had secured a B&B there, as opposed to my airport “hanger.”

Cade was our next tasting appointment, after a quick couple of sips at Duckhorn. As we stepped inside, I realized I had been there before as part of a ACBJ sales award junket five years ago. It was the cartoon duck drawings on the wall that sparked my recall. After finally finding the correct Cade location, I had an unexpected craving for a glass of bubbly at Mumm but a long wait nullified any possibility. Instead, we made our final stop at Stag’s Leap, famous for it’s shocking 1976 win over the French in the “Judgement of Paris” international wine competition.

Another long drive back to the hotel, left little time for a Napa nap, so we got back in the rental for a marginal Mustard’s dinner followed by a nostalgic French Laundry drive-by. There were preparation errors in her evening meals both nights, following the perfection of night one. My martinis were a welcome variation to the daily wine-athons.

From my perspective, wine-sampling is rarely taste-bud satisfying, but each setting is definitely worth seeing. The French Laundry was hard on my pocketbook, although Marriott Rewards helped offset some of this expense. I do however badly regret my poor choice of locations. My wife, on the other hand, got both of our money’s worth out of the bucket-list-meal, particularly enjoyed the Cakebread vegetable gardens, and shipped home lots of wine favorites. She got to see some long-lost friends, have a successful business lunch, support some local artisans, further her culinary education, and hang out with me for a long weekend. She unfortunately has to go back to work. As a lucky retiree, I’ve somehow earned nights in my own bed and a hassle-free month-and-a-half at home.

Today will be a day of “white food” violations, starting with an Egg McMuffin and Hash Browns at McDonalds. These two old friends have been missing from my diet these past few months, along with other varieties of breads and potatoes, plus rice, pasta, sugar, flour, and other white foods carbs. My wife and I agreed to not skip any courses of our elaborately prepared French Laundry dinner tonight, so why not just start adding some long-avoided carbs this morning?

Quite frankly it didn’t sit well in my stomach. In fact, just sat there with a distinct heaviness. I’m not sure my digestive system knows what to do with it? Hopefully, my body will adapt before lunch, and can handle the beers I’m certain to consume while catching up with a college friend. I was going to describe our friendship as “old,” but when you’re both in your mid-sixties,  college was obviously long ago.

My weight has dropped to a low of 183, at least  20 pounds below the starting point of when we altered our diet. I had also slightly increased my morning run distance. As a result, my belt needs more notches and my pants don’t fit. I can certainly afford a day or two off, if I don’t resort back to my old habits.

Bread used to be my primary measuring stick of restaurant excellence, so not having bread with dinner tonight would not allow me to fairly compare experiences. This was my justification for today’s change in diet. The rest of our long weekend will be focused around Napa Valley wineries, so it will be a slow transition back to a more disciplined diet. I also broke my string of 101 5k days due to our early flight. Instead, I ran the required one-mile distance to maintain my everyday running steak.

The SF Airport was a major hassle, as getting to the Hertz rental area involved a multitude of escalators and a lengthy Airtrain ride. My wife had already grabbed a cab to get to her business lunch on time. I eventually navigated my way downtown to meet my I.U. friend, arriving about 45 minutes late. We ate at The Old Ship Saloon at the corner of Battery and Pacific, then spent some time together sitting by the Dock of The Bay.

My wife and I eventually reunited and left downtown in the rental car. We had more than two hours to make the one-hour drive to Yountville. As we made our way across the Golden Gate Bridge, traffic became a major concern, the GPS indicating an alarming late arrival for our precious French Laundry reservation. To make a long story short, we frantically arrived about 10 minutes late that turned out to be no big deal.

Three hours later, we took a private kitchen tour and left with our autographed, personalized menu. My wife was impressed with the whole experience, while I was leery of our $225 bottle of vino. It was actually one of the least expensive choices, not that my decision was made on price. Why worry about cost when you’re already eating at one of the pricier restaurants in America?

I got up early the morning to meet my other I.U. friend for breakfast, who lives nearby in Napa but originally had other plans. This was a last minute addition to my plans so I had to get up early to do my 5k run. It was actually the same time I normally get up, but it felt like I should be in a sleeping-in mode, while my wife was vacationing.

My friend suggested we go to Peet’s but with my hearing challenges I thought he said “pizza.” Imagine my disappointment. I ordered tea since they had no Diet Coke, and stupidly wasn’t paying attention as I added honey to his cup of coffee, thinking it was my order. It shows how often I visit a coffee shop. It will probably be the only place I visit this weekend that doesn’t serve wine, other than McDonald’s for another Diet Coke fix.

It’s time for our first Napa tasting, so I’ll update you more on our California wine adventure in later posts.

My wife and I had our first date on February 8th, so it’s become a tradition to celebrate the 8th of each month. It’s one of many anniversaries that we recognize each year in honoring our love. The 19th is her monthly birthday anniversary, and the 20th our wedding day – all part of an elaborate scheme to get more gifts, poems, and recognition than a normal couple. Today, is also Columbus Day, that many people feel should be replaced with Indigenous Peoples Day. After all, Columbus could not have “discovered” a land that was already inhabited by millions and never really actually landed on the mainland. Anymore, for many it’s just a day to celebrate not working. For retirees like me, it’s just another day.

We’re officially done with entertaining any house guests for awhile, and will make our way to Napa later this week for gluttonous purposes. It will be a celebration of life together, as we enjoy a bucket list dining experience. We’ll fly into San Francisco in the morning, rent a car, and make some stops downtown. My wife has some business to tend to, and I’ll get-together with a college friend for a quick lunch before our romantic evening together in tiny Yountville. Most of the town, is the historic Veterans Home of California, perhaps a harsh look into the future.

We’ll spend the next few days winetasting, and then get back to Portland in time for my wife to go back to work on Monday. My older self will undoubtedly need to rest-up after this rigorous away-from-home venture. For me, it will start another glorious stretch of “Homebody Heaven,” with 38 straight days of home office “work.” This stint will be the longest of my 20 months of retirement, before we travel to nearby Bend for the Thanksgiving holiday. It will be filled with supervisory responsibilities for interior painting and cabinet refinishing, so I will rarely be alone during the day. It should all be done by the time we leave for another Indiana Christmas.

So what’s special about today- the 8th? The house is quiet, but I’m scheduled for a flu shot. I’ll soon meet my wife for a “Meatless Monday” lunch, after exposing the dogs to the first truly rainy day in a long while. Fortunately, their damp fur will be trimmed tomorrow. I will also escape my obligation to cook dinner this week in lieu of our fancy dinner plans. Today marks our 236th 8th together, so I’m working in a rare lunch to honor the occasion in anticipation of dining nirvana at the French Laundry in just a few days. Cheers.    

Exit Midwest…Enter Northwest. Here are some of the differences I’ve noted over the past few days after living in Portland and visiting Chicago/Indiana:

Midwest Benefits:
Gas is about $1 per gallon cheaper ($.50 in Chicago)
More sunshine
Tastier tenderloins
Less frequent rain
More professional sports teams to follow
Delicious Sweet Corn
Juicier watermelon
Better tomatoes
Straight flat roads
More diversity
Better basketball
Great Lakes
Less visible homelessness
Less bicycles, skateboards, and scooters
More skyscrapers
Bigger State Fairs
Lower cost of living
Better steaks
More content people (less protest)
Friendlier Folks
More visible sunsets
More lake homes
More parking
Little need for tire chains

Northwest Benefits:
Lower Humidity
Rainstorms are less violent (rare thunder and lightening)
The grass is greener
The flowers bloom longer
The trees are taller (Jurassic Lush)
Little ice and snow
More enthusiasm about soccer
Mountains and spectacular waterfalls
Twisting, hilly roads with stunning vistas
More food trucks
Huge outdoor markets
Pacific Coastline
More coffee shops
Better seafood
Better skiing
More things to do
More plaid and flannel
More diverse topography
Better wine
Healthier lifestyles
Less pollution
Legal cannabis
Fewer potholes/smaller in size