Fall Weekends Revisited - Mountains of Color, Spooktacular Homes and Friends

I have always considered myself, first and foremost, a Jersey Girl!  I was born and raised in the Great Garden State.  I love my home and think there is nothing better than the diversity of riches available in NJ... don't believe me, I bet you have never been off the Turnpike. Give me a weekend, and I will show you a New Jersey you did not even know existed.  Still, other places have soaked into my psyche... I have had other homes.  I am extremely lucky to have experienced 2 very different states, not just on visits and vacations, but to have seen them as second homes.  I lived in Louisiana and Colorado  for short periods and fell in love in different ways.  Every year, I try and go back to visit friends (more like family), favorite places and aim to keep exploring these amazing places.


Denver 
I flew out to Denver for a very quick weekend in early October.  With only 2 1/2 days in the Golden State, there is not much time for much besides friends and a few local outings.  My mentor, friend and Colorado Mom and I needed to catch up.  For years now she has been channeling Wonder Woman, Supergirl, She-Ra and any other badass female superhero as she fights and wins against cancer.  She is a walking miracle and marvel at her strength and determination.  And while she fights the good fight and works on various causes related to her cancer struggle (including the Colorado Ovarian Action Network), she also is a lover and supporter of the art community in Denver. 

My visit was her first attempt at major activity since a surgery to remove a tumor. So a trip to the Denver Botanical Gardens sounded like a nice leisurely thing to do... we wandered the paths.  Autumn color was all around AND we bumped into one of her friends.  The Gardens were displaying multiple Mexican Day of the Dead alters and her friend was designing one.  Just like that we went from a slow stroll to design consultants.  I have never worked on an alter before - it can be a highly personal thing.  These friends shared that cancer connection, and the alter recognized the strength of family, friends and women to tackle endless adversity.  It was a powerful message.  Three shelves - three parts to the theme.  I was honored to help. 

After reinforcements arrived, we walked a little more before we headed to Cherry Creek for some food at a fabulous French restaurant, LA Merise.  I think we were there for 2 hours just chatting, sharing pictures and enjoying our food.  Truth was I wanted her to rest, and this was the perfect way.  Neither of us wanted to call it quits (I fly a long way to see her) - so we headed to the Denver Art Museum to check out their newest special exhibit on the Italian Venetian Renaissance.  The special showing featured 50 significant works, including 19 from the Gallerie dell'Accademia. 

2015
We didn't take one this time

Not my favorite genre, but I did complete a few Smithsonian classes on the period - I could do this.  I knew that this was really about color and light, and I even recognized a few from class. This was a chance to see paintings from the 1400s-1500s - that fact alone is amazing.  We both dissected a few pictures noting the glitter like quality of the oil painting in some portraits and contemplating the feelings some of the subjects were displaying - if anything, the Venetian Renaissance was the time of emotion.  After asking lots of questions of museum staff and reminiscing about trips to Venice, we headed to the gift shop that has incredible offerings... we perused  and I took her home.  I am so grateful for the time I get with her... she is an amazing woman.  (Her memoir, Remarkably Stable brought me to tears.)

I left one friend and headed to another, out in Golden.  Our plan was very domesticated - her son had a soccer game that weekend... so I was set for a fancy spaghetti dinner with my 6 year old best friend and some serious Lego time.  Promises to embarrass him at his game proved fruitless as he was excited by the idea that I would scream endlessly for him if he scored... alas, practice time was trying on my vocal cords as he manipulated a goal in close range with no goalie ... I should have thought that deal through more. 

Working My Way, Backwards, Through Some Fall Trips

Well, here we are again.  I was doing so good.  I caught up with most of my summer travels... and now, here I am behind again.  One of the dangers of travel is time loss.  I am convinced!

Hot Springs, Arkansas Sunset

So, we are 1 day from Turkey Day, meaning November is almost over.  I am looking down the gauntlet at a HUGE winter trip with 2 friends, cruising through the Caribbean for the holidays.  We are going to St Marteen, Tortola. Dominica, St Kitts, and St Thomas.  I have only been to St Thomas (on one amazing weeklong 30th Birthday trip with a girlfriend), so this trip means I will visit 4 new places.  I have plans to see the famed Gordo Beach (huge boulders), to swim to sea turtles (as long as they show up) in St Thomas, to take an open air train ride in St Kitts, to take a hike in St Marteen... I have plans... And I had to shop because we are going in style on the Queen Mary 2.  We have balls on this boat... 4 balls. 2 weeks!  4 Balls.  Lots of outdoor activities.  Fancy clothes for the fancy boat. Before the cruise, I have plans with my New York girlfriend to see Sutton Foster in Sweet Charity's special 50th Anniversary showing.   Ugh!  Packing will be FUN!

Of course, to gear up for this, I have been resting and planning... hahaha, NOPE, who am I kidding?  I have been hopping all over.  I visited fantastic friends in Denver, New Orleans and Seattle.  I went with my best friend to Canada.  I went to a "new" national park with the boyfriend for an old fashioned bath in Hot Springs.  In between, I squeezed in a few shows and concerts because life is more exciting with live music!  And then I got sick... I think all the running around caught up with me.

Now, I have to play catch up with the blog again.  And the best way to tackle this will be to go backwards.  So, in the coming weeks leading up to my Caribbean cruise, I will be reviewing some of the amazing weekend trips I have taken. 

Lesley and I in front of Parliament

I will look back on my timely trip to Victoria, British Columbia and relive the beauty of the waterfront, tale tales of wonders about bugs and art, and the extreme niceness of every local we met.

Little Rock Skyline!

Pere David Deer at Global Wildlife Preserve

I will walk you through a traditional bath at the Buckstaff, and for a hike around the Hot Springs Mountains as well as revisit some serious history lessons in Little Rock. 

I need to write about the great conservation efforts to for grazers on the North Shore.  I love how every time I visit New Orleans, my friend and I do something new while still honoring my love of all things art, music and good food.

Autumn in Golden

And that Denver/Golden autumn needs to be showcased.  While I only visited to see a few friends, we did take in some stunning colors in the cities.  And while there, I helped a friend of a friend build a Day of the Dead alter, my first! 

I had a fun and busy fall.  Lots of fun things happened in between those great trips, that I would ideally like to highlight. We had a fantastic trip to Fredericksburg for pumpkin picking, we saw a few great shows at area theatres/venues to see Elle King and a new Disney Musical - Freaky Friday, and enjoyed the changing of the seasons locally!  Ideally, all that stuff deserves a write-up, I just don't see all that happening.   So I will focus on these 4 trips.  I just need some time (and a new computer). 

So expect posts to come flying... promise!!

Fall and Winter Plans

I wish upon a star that I can just find a way to parlay my love of travel, life-long learning and exploration into something more....




Well, autumn has arrived!  A few leaves are starting to turn in the DC area.  I don't know if I am ready for this.

• Denver
• New Orleans
• Arkansas
• Victoria, Canada
• NYC/NJ
• Caribbean

We are well into fall, and I have already ran though a few corn mazes!  The air is crisp and I am hankering to get to an apple orchard for some fresh fall produce to cook up in my kitchen.  I recently purchased a pumpkin pie scented oil diffuser that is making my place smell like I have baked something yummy... now I need to do it!


Fall also means that I want to get out for a last bit of fresh air - I want to hit a trail and soak up the colors, feel the sun on your exposed skin and enjoy the sites and sounds of the changing of the season.  And for some reason, DC's fall is lack-luster AGAIN!  So, off I go... I had a few things planned early, and some trips will be last minute.


In October, I had a few weekend trips planned to Colorado and Louisiana to see friends and loved ones.  Short trips, but important ones since I don't get to these areas for work any more.  New Orleans is one of my favorite cities and part of my heart... I am excited that I got there before Halloween again!  And Denver is beautiful in the fall - the yellows are always spectacular.


In November, I am headed out for a big National Park visit in Arkansas - Hot Springs National Park!  This is a big one!  With the Parks Centennial, I made an effort to get to a few new (to me) parks and park units, and an Arkansas   weekend gives me a chance to see Hot Springs and Little Rock High School Historic Site.  And then will flip around to Seattle to visit the best friend for her Birthday celebration, where we mark the occasion in Victoria Canada.  She runs an amazing web site called What's up Northwest, and with her connections, we will have an epic weekend! 


In December, I have am trying to find time to visit Florida again (we will see if I can get this to work)... and I will return to NYC!  I will be headed to Broadway to see my fav, Sutton Foster in Sweet Charity with my good friend before I embark on a 12 day Caribbean trip on the Queen Mary 2.  I may not have been on the New Kids on the Block cruise this year nor did I get to my final state, Hawaii, but this cruise may just make up for that... this cruise will stop by a few new places for me - including St Kitts, St Marteen, Tortola, and Dominica as well as a return trip to St Thomas (I have not been there since my 30th birthday).

Year End Summary 2015 - 2 more states, a new list and Lots of Great Travel

It’s the end of another year and while I started out strongly, writing about some key adventures, I lost momentum in the middle of the summer. I need to go back and fill in those holes because I had a truly amazing travel year. The end of my “See The Country” bucket-list is almost near; I did 2 more states, and only have 1 left. I started my new bucket-list obsession – “See Our Neighbor To The North” with 2 quick visits to key cities. I spent some serious time exploring our national parks and monuments – seeing a few “new to me” ones in my new states as well as revisiting a key childhood park. Though out the year, I visited friends scattered across our vast country, saw my fair share of concerts, art exhibits and special events and even the Mouse. I went on another New Kids cruise to a “new to me” Caribbean island and soaked up the sun in the Art Deco’est place in the USA. But the biggest trip of all was to Iceland its northern most capital in the world, Reykjavik.
 



Year End Summary
States Visited: NJ, NY, PA, DE, MD, VA, FL, LA, CA, WA, CO, MN, ND, SD
Countries: Canada, Turks & Caicos, Iceland


Key Cities: NYC, Philly, Baltimore, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Minneapolis, St Paul, Duluth, Fargo (does that count?), Denver, San Diego, Seattle, New Orleans, Richmond. Montreal, Vancouver, Reykjavik
Art Towns – Palm Springs, Golden



Parks: Joshua Tree NP, Delaware Water Gap NRA, Voyageurs NP, Teddy Roosevelt NP, Pipestone NM, Grand Portage NM, Cabrillo NM, Shenandoah NP, Great Falls NP, Eisenhower NHS, Maggie L Walker NHS




Concerts: Frankie Vallie, Stevie Wonder, Pat Benatar, Kool & the Gang, Shaka Khan, Weird Al Yankovik, Maroon 5, Sutton Foster and the National Symphony Orchestra, and New Kids on the Block plus a few new Broadway shows



New Aquariums: Great Lakes Aquarium, Miami Seaquarium, Vancouver Aquarium, Minneapolis Sea Life Center, Sea World San Diego


Ghost Tours: Reykjavik, New Orleans, Williamsburg


Iconic or Plain Ole’ Amazing Sites: Disney CA, Gulfoss, Geographic Center of North America, The Geysir, Mall of America, Lake Superior scenic highway, Mississippi River (the headwaters and the endwaters), Vancouver Harbor and the site of the Olympic Opening & Closing Ceremonies, the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Delaware State Fair, USA National Bike Race in Golden, Luray & Skyline Caverns, Roadside Americana in ND and MN…. And so many waterfalls! (falls in Delaware Water Gap, though out MN, Iceland, Canada and here in Great Falls).

2014 Year in Review (and a New Years Resolution)

What a year!!! Its hard to believe that 2014 is already over. I guess I missed it because upon looking back, I was busy. So busy in fact, I feel horribly behind writing about it. Heck, I have trips where I have not even gone through pictures I took with my “real” camera. Admission – I got an iPhone this year, and it seems to suck up my creative juices. Instead of writing for myself and posting on this blog, I have taken to Twitter and Instagram (@DCJerseyGirl) to document my travels, communicate with electronic friends and post pictures. Sadly, most of those pictures are the quick shots from my phone and NOT the ones I take with my cameras. So – new year’s resolution time, I will get back into this blog – the one I resolved to start a few years ago, and I will start reviewing my real pictures! As you will see, I have a lot to catch up on.


Starting with a quick review – I had some huge travel firsts this year! New state, new national parks, new countries!!! I made my first trip to Europe. I survived the Bermuda triangle. I went on my first New Kids on the Block cruise (yes, you read that correctly). I saw some legends in concert (and another legend cancelled on me (Cher)). I went to some games. I tried new sports (curling). And of course, I visited some favorite places! So that summary:

Year of the concerts:
• Billy Joel
• Sting/Paul Simon
• NKOTB
• Lionel Richie
• Michael McDonald/Toto
• Nick & Knight
• Trans Siberian Orchestra
• Music of the Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo


New National Parks:
• Death Valley
• Franklin D Roosevelt (and Vanderbilt) Historic Site
• Craters of the Moon
• City of Rocks
• Fort McHenry
• Minidoka
• Hagerman Fossil Beds
• Horseshoe Bay Beach in Bermuda

New US Cities/Art Towns:
• Roanoke, VA
• Charleston, WV
• Steamboat Springs, CO
• Boise & Twin Falls, Idaho
• Matlacha &Cape Coral, Florida

States Visited: NV, CA, OK, LA, CO, ID, FL, NY, NJ, DE, PA, CT, MD, VA, WV

New Countries/Cities:
• Hamilton, Bermuda
• Venice, Italy
• Rome, Italy
• Milan, Italy
• Florence, Italy
• Sorrento, Italy
• Lugano, Switzerland
• (plus quick stops in Como, Pisa, Sienna, Sirmione, Pompeii, Capri, Naples, and some other place where we only stopped for a Cathedral with a tongue)

Time to Start Blogging Again (2012 review)

Hello friends, family and neighbors.  It has been almost a year since I have posted here.  I must apologize for the delay, but I have a valid excuse… my home was flooded last year.  I lost much (and among the damaged items was my computer).  With no real time, home or technology to use, I lost track of my new hobby.  I have a year of pictures still to download off my cameras!!! Somehow my insurance company thinks that all of this was perfectly acceptable (I will save that rant for later).

 That is not to say that I did not travel – oh, I traveled last year.  Now, I am stuck with where to begin.  Do I start with the past and then get to recent trips, or do I act like the airlines and cover the current stuff and fill in the past when I get a chance?  Anyone have ideas? 

Because there is really much to write about, I will start with a basic year summary for 2012:

• New States – I only got to one new state in 2012 – Arkansas (and finished the “A” states).  I was pleasantly surprised by my stay and will definitely plan another visit to areas I missed
• All States Visited – AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, LA, MD, NC, NJ, NM, NY, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA
• New Cities – Memphis, TN; Flagstaff, Arizona; Lake Charles, LA (technically I was there before for 4 hours)
• Art Towns – Flagstaff and Tubek Arizona
• New Aquariums – Moody Gardens (Galveston, TX)
• New Art Museums – Albuquerque Art Museum (for a show on Goya), Seattle Art Museum
• New Parks/Monuments – Chiricahua National Monument (AZ), Petrified Forest National Park (AZ), Pipe Organ Cactus National Monument (AZ), Big Thicket National Preserve (TX), Flight 93 National Memorial (PA), President Clinton Birthplace Home (AR), Golden Gate National Recreation Area (CA)
• Funky Features/Events – Alaska State Fair (the world record cabbage), Diamond State Park, Arkansas (sadly I did not find a diamond), Chihuly Garden and Glass (Seattle), Gas Plant Park in Seattle, Meteor Crater (AZ)
• Paranormal Adventures – ghost tour on the Queen Mary (California)
• Iconic Structures – Queen Mary, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Disney World, Disney Land, Graceland, Golden Gate Bridge
• Bowl Game – Russell Athletic Bowl (Orlando, FL)

There were several truly notable trips last year that struck a chord, places that I have wanted to visit for a while.  First and foremost, I must say that Arkansas is not what I had imagined.  It was much greener and lusher.  In my mind, I had created a landscape similar to that of Texas.  It is not!!! In fact, its features reminded me of northern New Jersey with the rolling mountains, meandering streams and woodland areas.  I was only able to visit 3 southwestern areas of the state – Texarkana, Hope and Murfersboro.  I already know that I need to go back and visit Hot Springs.  While in Arkansas this trip, I stopped in Hope to visit the Clinton home.  In order to get a picture, you literally have to walk across the street to get a good view.  From that “little town called Hope,” I traveled north to the infamous Diamond State Park.  Yes, you can keep what you find.  And NO, it is not easy.  Diamond pit mining is not for the faint of heart.  And going in June is not a good idea.  I went to say I tried and tip my hat to all the die-hards/regulars that make a go at the search.  I must say that the park offers plenty of enticement, with bronzed shovels where the real big finds were uncovered.   What amazed me most was the willingness of so many to dig through the cracked earth for hours, the excitement at their find and then the sad let down when appraisers tell them their find was just a piece of quartz.  It was interesting… and I can say I tried (for a few hours).  It was good to see they had a waterpark attached – you need it to cool down.  So, if this park interests you – don’t go in the summer, aim for the fall or spring!

Yes, that is a mouse on the wheel!

Cabbage = 136 lbs.

I had a huge Alaska let-down in 2012.  For years, I have wanted to visit Katmai National Park – not exactly  This time, I thought I had a plan – heck, I even had reservations.  Alas, it was not to be, as work pulled out at the very last minute, as in the day before I was to leave.  This left me with time to fill and with no place to stay in King Salmon; I had to scrap my plans.  The newfound time allowed me to head to the Alaska State Fair for the first time.  If you have never heard of this fair, you must look it up!  Here, Alaska farmers really shine with gigantic vegetables (the world record was cabbage was shattered last year).  Typically you see huge pumpkin, zucchini, cabbage – those harder skinned veggies and leafy heads.  Of course, the fair is more than veggies – you get all the fun of a boardwalk for 3x the price.  Games I grew up playing at Seaside were $5 a pop here.  There were rides, food, musicians, shows 4-H animal exhibits and even a magician. 

Failure to Post

Dear 6 followers of my adventures -

I know I have failed to post new and exciting stories from my recent trips... my problem is that I have not stopped to breath in a few months.  Since I last visited my site, I have been keeping busy visiting:

• San Francisco - for a whopping 2 days
• Albuquerque - for a whopping 2 days
• Petrified Forest National Park
• New Jersey
• Annapolis, MD
• New Orleans
• Lafayette
• Houma
• Lake Jackson/Clute Texas
• Galveston, TX
• Lake Charles, LA
• Houston, TX
• Big Thicket National Preserve
• Shanksville, PA
• Pittsburgh

And now, I am off to Flagstff (for 2 days) before I return to New Orleans.

I have lots to share.  I have some fantastic pictures from my trips.  I have some fun stories.  I will get to them.  Until then, please sleep for me!

2011 - Year in Review

Looking back on 2011 I can honestly say that it has been a busy travel year.  I went on at least one trip every month - some for work, some for fun, some to visit friends and some as social calls... no matter how I look at it, it simply was an exhausting year.  All told, I visited 20 states and almost as many major cities.  In fact, I went on at least 2 trips each month* (I can't keep that pace up).   I hiked in several "new to me" national parks; meandered through art museums; took in several Broadway shows; cheered at  sporting events; danced, sang and shopped at several festivals, and learned about sea life at several "new" aquariums.  It was a year of unique experiences, beautiful vistas, new learnings ... and yes, a few new states.

• New States - I finished the "O" States by visiting Cleveland, Ohio and several places in Oklahoma (and I revisited Oregon this year too).
• New Cities - Fairbanks Alaska (the 2nd biggest city in Alaska, yet the smallest I will list); Tulsa and Oklahoma City; Cleveland; Pittsburgh
• Art Towns - NONE =-(  but I did get to quite a few arts festivals- West Palm Beach, Boulder, Alexandria
• New Aquariums - Pacific Coast Aquarium in Newport, Oregon offered me (and a friend) the most incredible one on one octopus experience; Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois was so big that I spent over 6 hours exploring its nooks; Oklahoma Aquarium in Tulsa offered fishing tips!
• New Parks - Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon - South Rim (finally), Cedar Breaks NM, Chickasaw NRA, Cuyahoga Valley; Valley of Fire (Nevada State Park)
• Funky Features - Whalebone Arch in Barrow; the official Arctic Circle line; Oklahoma Rt 66 Sites (POPS, Red Round Barn, Braums Ice Cream sign); Santa Claus's House in North Pole, AK; the Christmas Story House and Free Stamp in Ohio; Lincoln's Head looking south of I-80 in WY
• Iconic Structures - Grand Canyon, The Vegas Strip was visited several times in 2011, NYC Times Square and Yankee Stadium for the holidays; Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; Oklahoma City Memorial; Disney; Willis Tower (aka Sears Tower); Mount St Helens

Even some of my old favorites offered me new experiences.  I took my mom to New Orleans for her first visit and we danced and shopped our way through the French Quarter Festival.  I have always heard great things French Quarter Fest and I can tell you that they are all true.  It brings all the fun of the larger parties, but the ease of it being all in once location... there is endless music, art, parades, hundreds of booths of local food.  The streets are filled, the shops are open, and city pride is out in full force.

My sister got married in NYC this year - in Central Park.  Now, I have been there plenty of times, but never for a wedding.  In a city where you see everything and anything - groups walking around all dressed up in the park while people are sunbathing in bathing suits was quite the sight.  And contrary to popular belief, everyone was perfectly nice when asked to shift out of pictures.

Okay, I Have Slacked! I Have Been On the Road!

I really do not know where the time has gone... if you find the summer, the month of September or October, please let me know.  How is it snowing already?  How come my cold weather jackets are already in circulation?  What happened to the time?

I must apologize, I slacked writing here after Columbus Day weekend.  I have started writing about Ohio - and I do have a lot to write about; I started a post and have it saved in "draft" form.  Before I could get a handle on that, I had a few events around Virginia that took my attention and then I headed to Florida.  I am writing tonight rfom New Orleans, a week after I left for Florida and less than a few days since I returned from the Sunshine State... yep - in one week, I have been in 11 airports (damn connections).  Honestly, I am exhausted... and I have a few more weeks like this ahead of me.  I have a weekend visiting a friend in Pittsburgh and the holiday weekend with family planned in November. 

My year has really been like this the whole time.  People often ask me if I like traveling this much... and yes, I do.  It is the beauty of being single, I can just go.  This year has been full of friends and new experiences.  While it is enough to make you pass-out (at times), it also keeps me plugged into so many areas across the country - it gives me ties to other regions, it allows me to visit friends in various corners.  Yes, my condo would love my attention (and maybe a maid), but in all honestly, I do not sit still very well.  If I am idle for more than a few weeks, I get antsy.  Yet, I don't love travel like I have done in recent weeks, where I am home for one day... so maybe, there is a way to strike a balance.  All I need to do it is hit the lotto to fuel my wallet for all of these excursions and to give me some flexibility in planning ... Disney, the French Quarter all in one week is enough to make a girl cry from all the sought after art and jewelry. 

Trips Cancelled - Good or Bad

In September, I had been planning to make a trip through the bayou... to some of towns in Southern Louisiana and Texas.  I had two weeks to visit locations in the Gulf... this trip has been planned since July.  Today, I found out that it has to be pushed back.   Honestly, I am not sure how I feel about this since I was ready to hit the road again.  Yet, I just got home and I have not made it to the beach yet.  I was ready to see my friends in New Orleans, and I am also ready to take it easy for a week or two.  This has honestly been a hectic summer.  Since May, I have been to Alaska, Oklahoma, Texas (2x), Colorado(3x), New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and home.  Well, sort of home... I have been hopping around a lot.  So maybe sticking around for a few weeks is not so bad.

I do have a trip at the very end of the month to Wyoming for a few days.  Not my typical trip since I will really not have time to get out and see anything there.  I have never been to Southwestern Wyoming... so even the drive and the short trip is bound to show me something new.

Until then, maybe I can get away for myself for a weekend and relax... we'll see.

French Quarter Fest and Music in the Park

Spent a week in the Big Easy... I love New Orleans this time of year.  The weather is perfect.  Not too hot, festivals abound, but not Spring Break yet so you don't have tons of drunk college students stumbling the streets.  This was my first opportunity to visit NOLA for French Quarter Fest.  Locals had told me that it was a "must," some even saying that it was better than Jazzfest.  I found that hard to believe but it did have one leg up on it... "FREE"!!!

Come late spring early summer, Lafayette Park (in the Central Business District) has a free concert series on Wednesdays, Music in the Park.  I was there for week one, and a free show by New Orleans legend Trombone Shorty.  I have seen him a few times and always enjoyed it immensely, but this show was just amazing.  The park was so crowded you couldn't move and everyone was just grooving to the music.   Shorty commanded the audience, playing jazz standards and some new funk...  and on the stage, you could see Kidd Rock and Lenny Kravitz giving the man his due!  At one point, Trombone Shorty played a Louis Armstrong classic and held a note for well over 2 minutes - the crowd went silent and wild.  It was just fantastic.  And like any great Music in  the Park event, there were a few artists showing their wares.  I visited with the glass artists from UP/Unique Products and the unique silver and stone jewelry of Golden Wagon.

Air travel venting

I have lots to write about (and I will)... for the last two weeks I have been traveling the skies to New Orleans and Denver... attended French Quarter Fest, went to a Trombone Shorty concert in the Park, saw the Pirate exhibit at the Denver Science Museum, and heard a lecture by Temple Grandin ... but what I want to write about now are a few airline annoyances:

• So, if you have a flight at 6am, is it safe to assume that the plane would be ready to go?  It is the first flight of the day; it was on the tarmac.   It thought it would be... Well, according to US Airways, the answer is no.  Just because you take off first thing in the morning, and you get there at 4:30 for the 6am flight - they do not have to start working on the plane until you are supposed to start boarding.   This plane was just going to Philadelphia; it was filled with people catching connections.  And after we waited 1/2 hour extra to be ferreted on a bus to sit on the tarmac for another 1/2 hour+ , we all were well on our way to missing our connection.  Is it too hard to ask that the first plane of the day work?

• This wasn't enough, US Airways had such a significant delay coming home, they had to find me another flight.  They couldn't get me to National Airport, so they sent me to Dulles; double the taxi fare and no compensation ... gotta love that airline.  

• What is up with people's need to recline their seat all way back... especially in first class.  You have so much space.  Tonight, I was stuck behind someone that managed to put their seat so far in my lap that I could not open up the tray table... they even kept their seat down when we hit massive turbulence and the captain instructed everyone to put their seats up.  At one point the steward asked them to put up their seat a little, and my neighbor to the north put it right back down.  The person sitting next to me could barely fit to get out of the row.   Looking around the cabin, almost no one put their seat down, and those that did only reclined it a bit.  This is simple airline etiquette.    You get such a small amount of space.  Planes are so packed, you would think that people would be respectful.  You are not entitled to all the space you want.  We share it in the cabin.  Seriously people, your comfort is not more important than anyone else's.  And no, the answer is not to put  my seat back to make up for it... that just bothers the one behind me.   If you have to put your seat back - only put it back a little... no one should be in someone's lap unless you know them (or you pay for it).

Lots to Plan and Do

A crazy couple of months are ahead... I love to travel, but it can be exhausting.  The packing and unpacking, the time zone switches, the airports, the extra hours at work because of it... it is a love-hate relationship.

I I leave for a week in New Orleans on Sunday... I am excited, because after work, I am flying my mother out and we will "do" French Quarter Fest.  I have been to JazzFest a few times and done Marti Gras in the rain and in good weather, but I have not been to this festival yet.  I am a big fan of New Orleans - lived there for a few months for a work detail and explored more off of the surrounding areas and try to get out whenever I am lucky enough to go.... this trip, I threw my hands up and said enough was enough, my mom  needed to go (she has never visited).  It will be good to be back...  and she will love the art and architecture of the French Quarter,

I then am headed back to Denver the following week.  I will be spending 4 days downtown for the Bar Association Dispute Conference.  I hope for good weather and some evenings with good friends.

When I get back, a good friend and I are day-tripping to Richmond to see the Picasso exhibit at the Virginia Art Museum.  We both have a hectic schedule, and the only week that lined up with the showing and our schedules was after 2 weeks on the road.

In May, I am gearing up for 2 weeks in Alaska.  For the first time I will be headed to Fairbanks.  I am hoping that some tours open a little early since I am getting there the week before the official start of tourist season.  I want to take a weekend and see the Arctic Circle with my own 2 eyes.  When I am in Anchorage, I will catch up with a few friends.

June will likely have me returning to Colorado... and I hope to like that to a new state for the year... Maybe Oklahoma???  I have to go there before the end of the fiscal year for a few days, so I should plan that and time a few days to explore.

And I still not have been home to Jersey for the holidays.  =-(

Good thing I just bought new luggage.

Looking Back on 2010

While 2010 was a tough year... on the travel front, I must admit that I was able to do a few things off my lists:

• My new state for the year - South Dakota
• New cities - Santa Barbara, Amarillo, TX (stretching "city" a little), Pensacola
• Art Towns - Bisbee and Tombstone AZ
• New national park areas - Badlands, Wind Cave, Gulf Shores National Seashore, in addition Columbia River Gorge & Multnomah Falls (national scenic area in OR)
• New Aquarium - World Aquarium in Dallas
• Funky Feature - Wall Drug in SD
• Iconic Sites - Mt Rushmore, inside the Rose Bowl (soccer game) [and by comparison but no where near as iconic - the Cotton Bowl]

Keeping up with my Birthday tradition of doing something new, I took a bit of time in June to head east from New Orleans and visit Pensacola for the first time.  Timing wise it could not have been more  iffy.  Oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill was headed that way.  When I arrived the water had started to hit sections of the Gulf Shore Islands, but the Pensacola beach was clear - crystal clear.  I was lucky - oil was reported to the east and west of the area; so for that day I enjoyed the last of the gulf shores beauty.  For anyone that has not been to the Gulf Coast - the water is warm and and blueish green, the sand is crystal white.   I wanted to see what was happening in the area, so on my way back to Louisiana, I took time to stop by Orange Beach, Alabama; there you could see the oil coming in.  There the water was closed, and yet I saw people going in anyway (people never cease to amaze me).  Forever I will remember this quick trip for the young child running to his parents with a black ball in his hand, screaming, "Mommy, Daddy, I found a tar ball!"  It just was heart breaking.

Making it to Santa Barbara was a big deal.  Home of the TV show Psych, this city has been ohhhh-so-close yet so far away for years.  Through work, I have spent time in Ventura County and have never made the time to drive the 30 minutes north.  I have instead spent time taking the boat to Channel Islands or visited with friends in LA.  So, this year I had an opportunity to visit this sleepy city and the timing could not have been better - I was able to make it for the Old Spanish Days Fiesta.  I had no idea that smashing eggs on people's heads was a welcome greeting... but I guess it is okay if they are filled with confetti. 

After years of staring at a map and hearing how close South Dakota really was, I finally took the plunge and drove from Denver to the Black Hills.  Of course I was planning on visiting Mt Rushmore... that is what everyone does when they get to the Black Hills, but there is so much more to stuff into a trip.  I took the guided tours in the most interesting caves I have ever seen, awestruck at the beauty of Jewel Cave.  The whole area was nothing like what I pictured for SD; it was serene and soft.  That beauty was contrasted greatly with the stark bleakness of the Badlands about an hour and half away.  The greenery, rolling hills and meandering streams were gone - they were replaced with the complex formations of the eroding landscape.  This quick get-away was all about power touring... and if I recommend anything from that trip beyond the parks, it would be the Prairie Berry Winery and their Red Ass Rhubarb wine - it tastes like pie! Well the pie and a quick stop in Hill City to visit Teddy Bear town - you have not lived until you see thousands of bears stuffed into a tiny home.

2010 also seemed to be a Texas year for me...  I spent some quality time in Houston - finally able to see more that just the office, I was able to explore the museums and city sites. I saw my first shrunken head at the Science Museum (at the cannibals special exhibit) and I honestly will not be upset if I never see one again. That same trip included a road trip to Galveston; got there too late to tour the historic homes, but did get to the shoreline and ate some gulf shrimp from an east coast transplant.   I spent some time in Dallas, actually getting there 3x last year,  I  finally got to see the World Aquarium which is more of a rainforest than aquarium; still, it was beautiful.  Then there was Amarillo - can't say that I spent a lot of time there, but I have seen it, slept there, ate at a local hole-in-the-wall breakfast cafe... Yep, definitely a year to see Texas.

I was also able to visit some of my favorite places, while still managing to do something new in each:

• New Orleans - St Patrick's Day and the Italian-Irish parades
• New York City  - took in a game at the new Yankee Stadium
• Philadelphia - took my niece for her first trip to the Franklin Institute

And there were trips to other places - the weekend getaways to the beach, the repeated trips to Denver and the road trips through the Rocky Mountains, a short trips to Portland, Baltimore, Jacksonville, St Augustine and Tucson/Phoenix and return trips to a few great national parks, like Rocky Mountain and Saguaro.

Honestly, looking back, I can reflect on some fun road trips, relaxing weekends with friends and exciting new discoveries.  Guess that is why reflection is so important - sure there were challenges, but there was love and discovery, education and relaxation in there too.  Not a bad year after all.