Ireland

IRELAND

May 1995

            This is our 1^st trip “over the pond,” and Marjorie’s 1^st choice.  After dropping son Matt off at the airport for his visit w/ family in Kansas City, a drive to Boston to stay w/ Francisco & Diane.  Dinner with Sarah & Kevin, then exploring Natick and Wellesly that evening and early the next day. Francisco drives us to Logan airport, 80 and muggy in Boston.  Aer Lingus flight on time at 8:30pm.  Dinner w/ free wine (and another snack about an hour before landing), but only an hour or so of sleep.

Thurs., 5/25

            Arrive Shannon 7am  ̶  mostly sunny (!), about 50.  Through customs, exchange some money (exchange rate about 1.65), and pick up Hertz car.  Expected something quite small, like a Fiesta, but they’re out so we get a brand new Toyota Corolla (only 7 miles on it, 4 doors, regular trunk).  Ready to go about 9, our excitement has overcome the lack of sleep.

It’s been a while since I’ve driven a stick shift, so a refresher spin around the parking lot before venturing out. I don't find it too difficult driving on the left and shifting with my left hand, tho I’m glad to start at Shannon w/ open countryside, rather than Dublin.  We will have a very clean windshield  ̶  I often turn on the wipers when I want to signal turns!  But I quite enjoy the driving  ̶  it seems like "real" driving.  We have our share of narrow, twisting roads, squeezing past buses & tractors (and sheep) and trying to see past hedgerows, but there are more roads than expected that are pretty fast, even a few up to 70 (and still being passed by other cars).  We’re probably in greater danger as pedestrians, trying to remember which way to look crossing a road.  It helps in cities to have "LOOK LEFT" or "LOOK RIGHT" painted on the road at crosswalks.

Utah and Other Western

Utah (Mostly)

June 1997

  

 My father bought a travel trailer for a trip out West, but cancer took him so he never lived that dream.  My first big travel after childhood, perhaps living my father’s dream, was a whirlwind Western trip with long-time friend Carl in college (see more on this below).  Marjorie & I have covered some of that territory (Yellowstone, Grand Canyon) in more leisurely fashion (we’ve joked about saying “There’s the . . . “ while whizzing by sights), and we’ll revisit (for me) some of the spectacular sights in Utah on this trip.

Wed., June 11:

Flights from Albany to Chicago and Chicago to Salt Lake City on time, arriving about 2:30.  Pretty views landing of the Great Salt Lake, our first look at the colored countryside, snow-capped mountains surrounding the city.  Pick up our car at the airport, '97 Taurus w/ power windows/locks/seats, cruise control, etc.  Very comfortable & reliable for the trip, efficient air-conditioner.  Weather here not as hot as Albany (about 80), but unusually humid, for them anyway.   

We head right to Sonia's house (a former student who's now on the faculty at  Univ. of Utah).  They've had quite a bit of rain recently, Sonia's back yard flooded!  A nice new house, view of the mountains, populated by her very friendly dog (white Chow named Buddha), cooled by a "swamp cooler."  The latter used here instead of AC to cool w/ humidity.  For dinner up one of the canyons (passing quite a few joggers and bikers) to Log Haven, beautiful setting in the mountains and excellent food.  Mountains very pretty as the sun lowers while we drive back.  Mountains very close and accessible to the city.  Sonia & I watch the Jazz-Bulls game, Marjorie dozes.  There's lots of spirit here: signs, grass cut in a Jazz design, etc.

Thurs., June 12:

A nice morning, cool w/ sun/clouds mix, tho occasional lightning and thunder around.  We take a 45-minute tour of Temple Square led by two Mormon "sisters;" interesting and informative w/ a little prosyletizing.  The Square is very pretty, /lovely grounds, flowers, fountains, sculptures, /murals.  Can’t see the Temple interior, only members "in good standing" allowed in.  It's clear the Mormons dominate politically and culturally, even more in smaller cities & towns than in Salt Lake.  They're very nice, friendly people, but our discussions with Sonia and others indicate their views seem pretty authoritarian & patriarchal.     
Pretty views of the capitol.

Over to see the Salt Palace (local arena).  Rocky (Marjorie's office mate) performed in Salt Lake as a member of the Ice Capades, said they used the ceiling for views of the spaceship in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”  But the arena he'd been in was taken down 4-5 years ago (or maybe the aliens came and took it back)  ̶  they'll be building another for upcoming Olympics. 

After walking thru the Mormon office building where geneological research is done (beautiful old lobby and a room filled with people at workstations looking up "ancestors"), 

to the observation deck on the 26th floor of another church office building for overview of the square and views of the city & surrounding mountains.  To the university to meet Sonia after she finishes giving an exam.  Weather becomes cloudier & cooler (mid-60s),  I switch from shorts to jeans and we all use jackets.  Brunch at Ruth's Diner (which we've learned is now featured in a VISA commercial  ̶  you know, "they don't take American Express"), an interesting local hangout in one of the canyons recommended by Rocky.  

Greece

 GREECE

May 2007

 

            Any travel to Greece is divinely inspired, of course, but we’ve also been inspired by mortal muses.  The Jessops (Russ’ mother & stepfather) traveled widely thru Greece and their writings guide later explorers.  Daughter-in-law Anthea, whose father has traveled among the Greek isles, has a yen for Greece and contributed a book of info, supplemented by our usual Frommer’s book.  Albany Symphony violinist Katrin, a regular guest, has family on Kos and provided vocabulary tips and inscrutable recipe books in Greek.  Efcharisto (thank you) to our contributors.  We used a “Gate 1” package for travel and lodging  ̶  and subsequently found our dates/hotel choices listed as 1 of “40 Best Trips” in Budget Travel magazine. 

  This trip began thru discussions with Santa Fe (formerly Wisconsin) friends Diane & Jerry.  Couldn’t coordinate our schedules (they’ve booked a trip in the fall), but Wisconsin friend Kay, a companion on several happy trips, is joining us.  She arrives Saturday armed with a book on Greek religion, heavily footnoted and she says too complicated to remember much; but she manages to toss out tidbits of info here and there.  Marjorie & Kay rent “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” to get in the mood.  I’m eager to flex new digital photo & editing skills.  I’ve overcome my reluctance to leave the world of slide photography, took some Photoshop classes, & Marjorie arranged for me to get some digital tutoring from professional photographer friend Larry.  My motto: WWLP (What Would Larry Photograph?).

Disney World

My travel roots run pretty deep. In early childhood in upstate NY there were family vacations to the Adirondacks, Alleghenies, & 1000 Islands. My father bought a travel trailer for a trip out West, but cancer took him so he never lived that dream. Later my mother, brother, & I, often with my Aunt Jessie, took some family trips: Florida, Boston, Montreal, Quebec. My first big travel after childhood, perhaps living my father’s dream, was a whirlwind Western trip with my friend Carl in college: 6500 miles, 16 states (plus Ontario), in 12 days! Inspired by the very detailed trip diaries of our mother, a long-time secretary, my brother and I both write up our trips. Though my journals began some years after Marjorie and I began our travels, accounts here will also include synopses of our early trips.

As I write this I'm brand-new to blogging, and still just feeling my way in setting things up. For my very first post I thought I'd start with something "magical": a trip to Disney World with our grandsons.

A “Magical” Disney Thanksgiving

November 2014

            We’ve done Disney before: Disneyland in CA twice and Disney World twice w/ son Matt (1985 & 1991, when he was 9 & 15). For the earlier trips I had not yet developed my trip journal routine, so I'll put in some summary info. We were joined in Jan. ’85 by Marjorie’s Mom & Uncle Bill. It turned rather chilly, Disney did a brisk business in hats and mittens.  

We did Magic Kingdom (Matt posed w/ Mickey & Donald and later with Figment) 

and Epcot 

Also rented a car to tour around central Florida: Kennedy Space Center,  Busch Gardens, 

Cypress Gardens w/ spectacular flowers and waterski show, 

 Bok Singing Tower,

and, of course, Florida oranges!  

         

In ’91 we thought maybe this would be our last chance to travel w/ Matt in the summer, given his music camp interests and generally growing up, and he was then old enough to do some wandering on his own w/in the security of the complex (we stayed on-site at Caribbean Beach Resort, making it easy to get around via bus and monorail service). 

Plenty of nearby shops and entertainment. 

We pretty much did it all (at that time, anyway)!: Magic Kingdom 

including the pretty night parade w/ lighted floats & fireworks,

MGM Studios (where Matt got called up to be part of a performance, like in Bermuda), 

                               Epcot, 

Typhoon Lagoon, River Country, 

 

and Pleasure Island (more “adult” entertainment, at least by Disney standards).

We also were joined for a dinner by Marjorie's cousin Ann & husband Mel.