Midland MI

 

Midland

October 2022

            Haven’t seen Russ’ brother Doug & sister-in-law Ann in, well, way too long. Thought to drive with some other visits along the way, but too daunting. And we have lots of United miles accumulated during the pandemic. Reasonable connections, so flying won out.

 Tuesday, October 4: “Club Hopping”

            Our usual very early start, to Albany International Airport (sounds impressive!) at 4:30am for our 6:15 flight. Easy check-in and thru security, 1^st time with our TSA “Known Traveler Numbers.” Pretty sunrise at takeoff, early to O’Hare. 

Layover of 6+ hours! We have Lounge Passes thru our United credit cards to ease the stay. To the nearest Club, sign says “Not Accepting One-Time Passes.” Oh no! But Marjorie charms our way in. It is quite crowded, but clears out pretty quickly. We find comfortable chairs and partake of the breakfast buffet. A gate listed for our next flight looks to be a long walk to a different concourse (C to F) in a different terminal. We’re told there’s another Club Lounge near the F gate (nicer than this one, the agent says) and that it’s OK to “hop” to another. A 15-minute walk takes us underground (pretty lights) to F concourse, where it’s now time for the lunch buffet and watching planes take off.

Maine 2022

 

Quintessential Maine

August 2022

             We’re in need of some R&R, Marjorie especially has been overloaded dealing with “home improvement projects”: new water heater, porch & deck remodeling, painting garage walls and adding an epoxy floor, fencing in the back yard, dehumidifier issues. We’ve connected recently with friends Robert & Kim when they pass thru to & from Eastman School of Music, where their son Alex is studying. They invited us to visit them in Maine. Had a wonderful visit in 2011, We’re delighted to accept the offer to return.

Portugal River Cruise + Spain

 

Portugal’s River of Gold

Spring 2022

      

           

Viking River Cruises are a favorite travel option: Marjorie & I have cruised together 5 times, plus another for each of us with a sibling. Susan, M’s cousin Jim’s wife, called with an itch to do Viking’s “Portugal’s River of Gold.” We enjoyed traveling with Susan & Jim in Andalucia Spain (2015), so our interest was piqued. Been to Lisbon and nearby areas (2005), but other parts of this trip looked plenty interesting.  Everything set for early August 2020 until the COVID-19 pandemic. We already had a tour cancelled in May cancelled; ironically, highlighted by the Oberammergau, Germany, Passion Play begun some 400 years ago as a promise to God if the village was spared from the plague. We rescheduled for July 2021, but COVID causes another cancelation. Both times Viking gives a voucher for re-booking worth 125% of what we’d paid, a nice bucket of cash to pay for some extras. Another rebooking for April 2022. The pandemic ebbs & flows, but protocols put in place by Viking lend some confidence: required vaccination documented by Verifly Vaccine Certification phone app, predeparture health survey, negative COVID test within 72 hours of 1^st flight, frequent on-ship testing. In addition Portugal requires a Passenger Locator Card before arrival. International travel is so complicated now! But by now Viking has done over 2 million tests for over 100,000 guests & crew; they conclude: “We believe there are few places one can go that are as safe as a Viking ship, where every person is fully vaccinated and is tested up to daily.” So it looks like this is actually going to happen!

Snowbirding in Florida 2022

 

Snowbirding in Florida

February 2022

             The COVID-19 pandemic has created uncertainty, disarray, even chaos in travel plans the last 2 years. We’ve managed an occasional trip, but mostly stayed pretty local within NY & New England. The end of 2021 many flights had to be cancelled due to COVID-related staff shortages. But a chance to spend some winter time with Marjorie’s cousin Jim & wife Susan in their Naples FL condo, and to be joined by Marjorie’s sister Mary & hubbie Jeff, is too enticing. And then another invite to visit friends Deb (one of Marjorie’s fellow artists) & hubbie Chris in Palmetto, north of Sarasota, sweetens the pot. The latest COVID surge from variant Omicron appears to be waning, opening things up more. Though I know a number of golfers down

there, this will not be a golfing trip, just time to relax after a long 2 years of life in a pandemic. But there are risks: Reports a week before we leave of iguanas climbing trees in a cold snap, becoming dormant, then falling to the ground (“reptile dysfunction” says a radio DJ); so watch out for falling iguanas! And a “deep freeze” threatens the orange crop, a reminder of “polar vortexes” we encountered in a 2014 Florida trip. But a Facebook post by Florida friend Rob augers for warmer temps on the way.

We’ve been to Florida a number of times, including the aforementioned Golf Coast from Sarasota to Fort Myers. Matt, Anthea, and grandsons William & Miles stayed in Jim & Susan’s condo after Christmas, managing to get there despite 1000s of flight cancellations worldwide due to COVID-related staffing shortages. Jim & Susan were sorry not to be there, but Anthea nonetheless exclaimed “I think I’m in heaven!” We’ll take that as a favorable review. Matt passes along some suggestions, including good spots to stop along the Tamaimi Trail (which runs from Tampa to Miami) thru the Everglades.

Vermont Inn 2021

 

Vermont Inn

December 2021

           The plan was to have an early celebration of our 50^th anniversary at a Vermont B&B. We’ve enjoyed several such outings, and Fall would be a lovely time. A search in booking.com finds Marble Mansion Inn in Fair Haven VT, looks like a lovely and interesting place. I book for October; a month early anniversary-wise but it seems a good bet we’ll last that long. However, life intrudes in the form of back surgery scheduled a few days later. Given the ongoing COVID pandemic we’re discouraged from traveling to Vermont, which is having a spike in cases. Moving forward in time, rehab from the surgery goes well. Matt et al. are headed south  shortly after Christmas to stay at Marjorie’s cousin Jim & wife Susan’s condo in Naples FL (we’re looking at doing the same in February). Why should they have all the fun? How about rebooking for some holiday decompression in VT between Christmas & New Year’s. We’re not out of the woods on COVID. Thanksgiving brought news of a new “Omicron” variant that is more contagious, combining with the earlier Delta variant to create a surge of cases & hospitalizations. But no restrictions on interstate travel have been instituted, and cases seem mild if vaccinated & boostered as we are. So we’re good to go after a quiet Christmas, just the 2 of us.