2017 Year In Review

It is the end of another year.  Time flies when you are not looking... Let’s be honest and say that 2017 was an interesting year.  It was filled with marches, tweeting, volunteering.  It was a year of change.  But passions helped to keep me grounded and things in perspective.  In that regard, it was an amazing year.  It began on an epic cruise ship through so many islands now wiped out by hurricanes, and concludes with my first trip to Central America snorkeling on the second largest coral reef in the world.  I took time planning trips to exotic locales and quick getaways around DC.  And while I still did not get to my final state, I did, truly, see some breath-taking views.

 

 Water and weather played a huge role in my 2017.  So many trips involved islands, coastlines, oceans, seas, rivers, bays and straits.  I was able to drip my toes in cold and warm waters – in the Pacific NW and the Caribbean.  I explored areas on both coasts and was able to see marine mammals, birds, aquatic life of all kinds in various environments I got to see the 2 different kinds of rainforest in one year, tropical and temperate, in the Pacific NW and Belize.  We got to small towns and big cities on the water.  And then there was the rain…oh the rain!

 

 

 

Year End Summary

• States/Territories Visited: VA, MD, WV, DE, NJ, NY, TN, FL, NV, CA, WA

• Countries: USA, Belize, Mexico, Canada (technically)

• Key Cities: Orlando, San Jose, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Las Vegas, Anaheim, Redding, Seattle, Nashville, Cancun, Reno, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Belize City, New York
• Art Towns – St Michaels, Maryland; Friday Harbor, Washington

 

• (new) Parks & Park Units: Lassen Volcanic National Park; Whiskeytown National Recreation Area; Point Reyes National Seashore; Stones River National Battlefield; San Juan Island NHP; George Washington's Birthplace NM; Fredrick Douglass NHS; Belmont-Paul Women's Equality NM; Tulum National Park, Mexico; Blue Hole National Park, Belize; Lake Tahoe State Park, NV; McArthur Burney Falls Memorial State Park, CA; Swallow Falls State Park, MD; Lime Kiln State Park, WA

• Concerts:  Cher, Neil Diamond, Dianne Krall, 3 Cellos, Rod Stewart & Cyndi Lauper, Chicago, Guns & Roses, New Kids On the Block, Paula Abdul, Boyz II Men, Megan Hilty, Richard Marx & Rick Springfield, Queen, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga

• Theater: War Paint, Puffs, The King & I, Bandstand, A Bronx Tale, Groundhog Day, In Transit, The Little Mermaid, Mamma Mia, Fun Home, Cagney, Midwestern Gothic, Mean Girls

• Aquariums: Cancun Aquarium

• Ghost Tours: Winchester Mystery House, Nashville

• Iconic or Plain Ole’ Amazing Sites: Chichen Itza, Tulum, Xunantunich, MesoAmerican Reef, Harry Potter World, Disney, Nashville's Parthenon,  Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Sun Dial Bridge, 500,000 plus people marching in DC for the Women's March, THE ECLIPSE

These Last Weeks of Summer

Travel was sporadic this summer.  Some of that was attributable to heavy travel this spring, some to conflicting schedules with friends, some to an awesome lineup of summer concert and some because of plain financing. I still have not found that money tree.  Honestly, I needed a break after the hectic spring and big trips to Mexico, Nevada and California. 
Things are about to change...




Path of Totality

A year ago, we started talking about the upcoming solar eclipse.  And a year ago I started looking at options.  This was no time to dilly-dally.  Rooms a year in advance in Wyoming were sold out in the path of totality.  After trying everything in Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon, we decided to head to Music City - Nashville.  I have not been in over 10 years and John has never visited.  We jumped on a great room rate at the Sheraton 4 Points and decided to make it a mini-trip.

Well, the eclipse is less than 2 weeks away.  We have a huge road trip planned.  My trip schedule is packed with things I missed my first time to the city, and can't miss things for John.  We booked a ghost pub tour, a dinner cruise on the river, and plan to visit the area national park site, Stone River,  for the big event.  We will hop on and off the trolley to hit big city sites, and drive around to see The Hermitage, Belle Meade and the zoo.  I am super excited to visit the Parthenon again - I swear one day I will see the original in Greece. A few tours of caught my eye at historic homes, museums and historic music halls; I am hoping to catch the screen printing tour at the Ryman.  After the eclipse at the park, if we can hit the road quickly, I think we can squeeze in a tour at Jim Beam after the eclipse in Lynchburg since Stone River National Battlefield is already a half hour south of the city.  It will be a busy three days... and then I have to rush back because I have tickets to another concert the evening after the event.... no, I never do things simply.

Before I get too ahead of myself, we have to make it through this upcoming weekend.  We have some fun planned in Hershey Pennsylvania.  We are going bang our heads to Guns & Roses (hopefully Axel shows up).  Of course the weather is predicted to be nasty - sever storms!   That always makes an outdoor concert fun!  We are playing the amusement park by ear.  I haven't been inside the park since I was in junior high; I have fond memories of riding rollercoasters and the Rotor (a great spinning machine that suck you to the walls).  I hope we can get some quality time in the park and reclaim some of our youth.

I have several more trips in the works ... this is just August after all.  I have plenty of time to talk about my trip plans for the fall and winter! I don't want to get ahead of myself and not enjoy the moment.

 

 

A Nutcracker, Magicians, the Sound Machine and THE TREE

Rockefeller Christmas Tree

December is here... how did that happen?  The year is not over yet, and I have a few big things planned before the calendar flips to 2017... first up, a trip home to NJ.  I needed to get home, just to say Hi, I won't be home for the holidays.  I wanted to stop by my alma mater to see my favorite professor.  I wanted to get into the city to see the tree and some theatre (and maybe do some shopping).  While this has been my best theatre going year in a while, there are still shows out there that I want (really, need to) see. 

I had good intensions, but the weekend went too fast.  I didn't get everything accomplished, but I had fun trying - and now I am TIRED.

We started our adventures with a viewing of the Nutcracker.  The local dance company, BalletNOVA, invited me to their performance and reception... I could not say no.  I grew up attending the Nutcracker every year. To this day, I see it, on average, every other year.  I, myself, never danced in the Nutcracker growing up - ballet was my not specialty. (Sometimes, I wish other dance genres were given holiday love as well - we could do the hulu to Mele Kalkimaka or a fun jazz number to Santa Baby - but I digress)... my sister was an angel in the NJ Dance Theatre Guild's production and a few of my company friends who did kick ballet butt were featured dancers.  So, this local performance was of interest to me... I wanted to see what they brought, as unique.  And my boyfriend wanted to attend, making it our first ballet together.  So we watched local dancers with aspiring dreams pirouette to Tchaikovsky. After he was impressed with the professionals they brought in for the Sugar Plum Fairy Waltz, I now have license to explore some of the Washington Ballet's performances with him... HA! 

Following the show, we attended the reception, met some dancers, the artistic director, the executive for the school and some Board members. My boyfriend was excited since he got to chat up an ex Redskin player (from their last Superbowl run); I had a chance to speak with an artistic director of the Dance School of Harlem.  I was embarrassed to say that I have yet to see a performance by them - I have to put that on my theatre agenda.  And  I will have to check out more of BalletNOVA's local performances.  You need to support the arts locally as well as on a professional level.

We did not get home until after midnight, and we had a quick turn around if we were going to make it into the city for some shows and fun... so after power packing and some sleep, we hightailed it out of DC and headed north along I-95!  Oh, for one glorious day, we did not hit traffic (once out of DC); I seriously do not recall a trip in recent memory where I was not stuck in central or northern MD or sat parked in DE.  I have long resolved to miserable traffic in DC, no matter the time, but the trip home has been beyond frustrating- this morning, when we were in a rush, the traffic gods smiled upon us and we sailed along smoothly.  As a multi-tasker, along the way, I texted my brother promising a free dinner and verified plans with a friend.  Dinner and a show has become a "thing" with this grouping - Something Rotten, Dames at Sea, Disaster, and now On Your Feet!  How awesome is it when different parts of your life all fit and get-along?  I love nights like this! 

But before we met loved ones, we had to get into the city.  We had eyes on a matinee!  Sadly, our

traffic luck ran out once we hit Secaucus.  And all hopes of making the 2pm show were dashed.  The train station was packed and there was no parking to be found.  We weighed the option of parking at the local warehouse lot but decided against it - I did not want to risk getting towed (and my brother assured me that was a wise decision)... so, as a seasoned warrior of city driving, we turned around and headed into the tunnel.  I grew up driving into the city via the Lincoln Tunnel for classes and shows (we headed over the GW Bridge for family visits) - so as we drove through it, I advised my passenger to watch out for the state line... it was his first time in the tunnel.  And since I was driving I did not try to replicate our childhood attempts at holding our breath for as long as possible (we never made it to the line).

The Show Summary Letter

We got through the tunnel, parked and made it just in time to TKTS to score some primo 6th row seats to the 3pm showing of The Illusionists-Turn of the Century.  Seeing the Broadway magicians was not on my top priority list, but it was what we could fit in and could be fun.  The boyfriend was interested... and we did just see Maxwell Blade in Arkansas.  I do love a good magic show, so I was game... I just did not know what to expect, I did not see the Illusionists first run on Broadway last year, nor have a read a lot about the show. I was going in blind (just not blindfolded). 

My name - spelled correctly

Quickly, the audience is told that this show harkens back to the early 20th century when magic was king, Houdini was the celebrity master and conjurers were the rockstars of the day.  We were entertained by multiple cast members - a davedevil. a charlatan, a showman, an eccentric, a conjuress, the Grand Carlini, the "immortal" and 'The Clairvoyants'.  There were jokes (lots of them), floating balls and people, rings and cards, jellybeans, a marionette magician, a bird and feats of strength.  AND, I got to fulfill an old dancer's dream and stand on a Broadway stage.  I was called on stage by the Clairvoyants when a sponge ball landed in my hands... I did not try to catch it, it bounced out of the hands of people in at least 3 rows... I did not meet these people, I have only seen them on TV.  Yet, here I was with the ball in my hands, and when they said please come up I auditably said "f*#k" - got a laugh, but was definitely not the impression I wanted.  So, I climbed over half my row and headed up on stage to verify cards, pull an letter out of a box and find my name at the bottom of the show summary! 

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).

Happy 100th National Park Service

The National Park Service has turned 100 years old.  America's best idea has had a centennial.  They have inspired countless millions, as well as the entire world, showing why its important to preserve open space, and history and heritage for generations to come.  Today, the park service is over 413 pieces large; there are 59 parks (the biggest units), and hundreds of monuments, historic sites, memorials, lake/seashores, battlefields, wild/scenic rivers, trailways, etc.




As I explore the country, one of my priorities on my stops have always been seeking out and exploring our national heritage.  Some of my trips are planned specifically around some of the biggest parks, and other times, it is just a stop along the journey.  But no matter what, I know that I will walk away more aware for having visited.  It is always worth it. 




My love of natural parks began before I even knew what they were.  I remember my Nana and Pop-pop taking my sister and I to Sandy Hook to go crabbing.  We would swim out with the nets to help them bring the catch in, and then throw all the fish back before  they died while they gathered a few crabs.  I did not know we were in Gateway National Recreation Area... I just thought of it as the place we went swimming with our grandparents.  Likewise, growing up in Northern New Jersey, I lived just off the Delaware River... we used to swim in a tributary, and close by was a place with lots of amazing waterfalls and where the river cut through the mountains (Delaware Water Gap) ... we loved going there to enjoy the views.  And of course, to our east was the Statue of Liberty where we climbed into the crown before it was eventually closed many times... I was spoiled living so close to the city and pure nature. 




And that spoilage stays with me... I still want it all.  I find beauty in the city and in the country.  And when I travel, I like to find both.  National Parks are one way I do that.  They are everywhere - did you know there is at least one in everystate (as well as most territories).




I didn't start tracking my park visits via passport until recently.  Instead, I have my work cabinets

This is only one!

covered in magnets from parks I have been through since I started my "adult" life.  And my cameras have been very busy documents the beauty and splendor of the everything I have seen.  On this blog, I try keep my recent park visits listed... But I can't say I write about every one. 

Of course my "pie in the sky" goal is to visit all the units.  I just don't have the means to quit my job and do a cross country expedition like a few are documenting on Instagram, Twitter, and in the news.  Instead, I am doing what I can in pieces... and making progress.  According to my Passport app, I have been to 144 units thus far.  Not bad....if I do say so myself.

This year, I promised myself to make a dent in the list of "new".  And I started out strong - in January getting to the Outer Banks in NC to see the Wright Brothers and Fort Raleigh; there my boyfriend stayed in the visitor's center as I took to the trail in a pounding rain storm to see the art deco memorial, and once I returned soaked, we drove to the flight bronze sculpture.  I warmed my bones in February by returning to Southern Arizona to visit Saguaro National Park for sunset (I finally got to visit when I wasn't cooking my head); hiked to the southern border in Coronado National Memorial, and drove to the nearby historical mission Tumacacori.  Then I a cliff dwelling in Montezuma Castle and learned about endemic species at the Well.  Throughout the spring, I did a lot of local roadtrips to visit area parks - including Hopewell Furnace (once a thriving iron casting town) and Valley Forge in central Pennsylvania, Steamtown in Scranton PA marking the immense historical impact Steam engines had on shaping our country, discovered the Monocacy Battlefield and River in Maryland, tried to catch Kenilworth Gardens at peak bloom (missed it) and took some time for myself (and showing others around) the national mall! 

No DC summer is complete without Wolf Trap - the only National Park for the Performing Arts.  This is my favorite place in the summer.  As the Park Service asks us to #FindYourPark , I have taken that seriously.  I love going to our area gem Great Falls and hiking the river trail.  I love going on roadtrips and finding a new place to discover (its ridiculous that I still have not been to Prince William Forest Park yet).  And I love planning other excursions across the country to some huge gems.  But, if I was looking for THE PLACE to call my park, it just might be Wolf Trap!  It combines my love of the outdoors with my passion for the arts.  Where else could I see the National Symphony Orchestra one week, listen to the legend Tony Bennett another, soak in Kristen Chenoweth and her Broadway style belting, dance until my feet were tired with Ricky Martin and reminisce with Bryan Adams?  (and that is just who I saw this year) And the best part, Great Fall is right next door. So, if forced to pick, this might be it... but ask me again in a bit after I visit another park.

I have my wish list lined up. I have a few trips booked - a September long weekend at Mammoth Caves (and other areas sites) in Kentucky, a quick trip to Denver where I hope to make some time for a visit to Rocky Mountain (its been years since I was there), and Arkansas's Hot Springs in November.  My "very soon" list includes Lassen NP in California, Dry Tortugas NP in Florida (I still don't know how I keep missing that one), Patterson Falls - the new one in my home state of New Jersey, and of course, the parks in my last state, Hawaii (I will make it to Volcanoes very soon, I swear).  I have a few others, but my wallet is worried already...

Our National Parks are unique treasures.  And they are ours!  Get out there and explore.  Trust me, there is something for everyone.  You just need to find it!  If you need any recommendations, just ask!

Shows, Shows - So Many Shows

Fourth of July Weekend - I had a date with New York City and the theatre.  It was such a strong season and I have fallen behind.  There have been so many shows I was interested in that I just missed; and, a new crop of shows announced their closing dates.  So, I headed into the City to play catch-up with theatre and 4 shows (3 of which had announced closing dates this summer).

First up, Finding Neverland.  Originally, I was supposed to see this with a friend in January - we had tickets for the weekend that HUGE snow storm hit the east coast.  I was supposed to see Original Cast members, but the mayor closed the theatres that Saturday; our tickets were cancelled (a first for me), and I have not been able to make another attempt until now.  Almost 6 months later, we rescheduled our theatre meet-up to see this show (based of the movie based on the book), a story of the creation of Peter Pan.  And it was just stunningly beautiful.  We laughed, we cried, we ahhed and wowed.  The music ripped your heart out and the visuals created the dream like sequences as imagination took over. The sequence during  "Circus of Your Mind" left my jaw on the floor, from the power of the sound wall, to the creation of the carousal with the dances and props.  Just a visually stunning, emotionally draining, heartfelt show about the power of love and life.   So glad we finally got to see this it. 

Luckily, we had something much more lighthearted lined up for the evening... She Loves Me.  This show has been on my radar since it was in casting... hello, with the likes of Laura Benanti, Zachary Levi, Jane Krakowski and Gavin Creel, I was sold hook, line and sinker.  This classic show revival is a well known story of man and women make a bad first impression and despise each other in person while they correspond anonymously and are deeply in love - think She's Got Mail.  The sets were sugary sweet - colored like mounds of cotton candy, and situated like the largest doll house ever made.  I was in love.  And the songs... 2 weeks later I am still singing some of these ditties. I could listen all day to Gavin Creel sing, and Zachary Levi - he puts forth so much charisma, you completely "get" what his guy is feeling.  And when I went shopping, I had to buy some "Vanilla Ice Cream" in honor of Laura Benanti's souring soprano ode to love.  And ladies, if you need a song to remind you stop putting up with the "game", look no further than "I Resolve"!  I do wish we had better seats for this show, Studio 54 was not kind to the acoustics, but the cast album has filled in the holes we missed when sounds died on stage.  If we still hade records, I would have worn out my copy by now.

I switched things up a bit when I decided to commit to "Fully Committed."  I don't go to many plays.  It's not that I don't enjoy them; its just with my limited time, I prefer soaring music and amazing dancing.  But, I missed Jesse Tyler Ferguson when he was in Putnam County Spelling Bee... this was a new chance AND I had read amazing things about this show and his ability to manage so many characters at once.  What happens when you are manning a reservation desk in an NYC Hot restaurant and everything that can go wrong does... funny stuff!!!  I will admit, it took me a bit to get used to the presentation, where he answers the phone and becomes both sides of the conversation, but sometime during the play, that transition fell away and all I was left with was pure awe for this man's talent and comedic timing.  I swear, he was balancing 4 characters during one call, and in total I think he played over 40 different personalities.  It was pure awesomeness. 

The one show that I saw that weekend that was not closing was the Carole King story - Beautiful.  But, Sunday night?  I was so happy to have a few choices on Sunday evening (most shows have a matinee only on Sunday).  So, finally, I would get to see the story of this protolithic song writer.  I missed the show  when it first debuted on Broadway, and I missed it as the tour wound its way through DC last year... and honestly, I am still not sure that was the best decision.  There was a lot off in the first act; I swear we had stand-ins for understudies (or some variation of that) for much of the studio singers.  When Carole goes to the song writing factory, we are treated to a medley of classic 50's grooves, but so much was off key.  Without the leads (that were the current crop of leads in the show), I don't think I could have stuck it out.  It was unfortunate; I was relieved when the show clicked once Carole and Cynthia Weil's friendship was forged.  The show took off to tell the story and not just sing hits. 

Coming home from a Broadway binge is always tough.  But I eased the transition by planning to see a few stage shows.  First up, the dance tour Our Way!  I love the fact that the silly (but oh so enjoyable) Dancing With The Stars has made household names out of so many of its incredible dancers.  And I love that some of them have amassed such a following that they can tour on their names and abilities.  Its a freaking national dance tour.  The former dancer in me is eating this up.  I had to go... and I am so happy I did!  Its a mixture of ballroom and funk.  Like when we go to a restaurant and call 2 styles mixed up - fusion, this was a fusion dance tour.  A little traditional (we got a whole waltz sequences), a little Latin (there was an amazing samba number, a little throwback (Tootsie Roll!), and a whole lotta funk.  I love seeing jazz get its moment!  Those men can move, and they ham it up showing just how much they love to dance.  The troupe was amazing.  And it was a gorgeous night of dance.  Watching dancing like this always make me reminisce about that feeling on stage... seeing a show like this (which is like a professional recital) take off, makes my heart soar! 

And as I get ready for my trip to Canada, I am taking an evening to go the Kennedy Center and see the tour of Bridges of Madison County.  Kennedy Center put the tickets on discount... and I did not get to see this shows 4 week run in NYC.  I heard it was better than expected, it won a Tony for Best Score (as well as one for Kelly OHara).  I purchased the cast recording to see for myself... I am not expecting confetti and steamers to blast from that stage like Our Way, or for candy colored staging like She Loves Me, but I am hoping to be moved... fingers crossed.

Fallen Behind Again

WOW - time has flown.  I have started two trips to summarize some weekend trips and I never finished them.  I have to admit, with work picking up, my condo board taking up much of my time, coupled with my art history classes through the Smithsonian, I am BEHIND.


My goal is to get caught up in the next week.

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

To do that, I am going to go backwards.  I returned from Memorial Day weekend with a fresh pool of beautiful pictures from the Dominican Republic.  There, my brother and I traveled to a few national parks, some historic sites, took a hike through the Ecological Park and enjoyed the gorgeous Caribbean blue waters.  Weeks before that international excursion, my boyfriend and I road-tripped from DC to Scranton, PA for a very atypical weekend getaway; there we visited more national park sites and historic sites, hiked to a cool waterfall and played a serious game of advanced miniature golf. 




And before that trip, I took a trip to Florida to see my mom and take in some elegant orchids at the botanical gardens and visit

Coral Castle in Homestead, FL

the infamous Coral Castle. 


Reaching all the way back in April, I have half written posts about trips into NYC to see a show, a trip to Richmond to escape DC's festival weekend, a trip to Winchester for the beginning of Apple Blossom Festival ....  Like I said, I have been negligent in my writing. 


I wish there was an easier way to do this.  Guess that is why blogging is a job for so many...


I do encourage you to visit my Instagram page - DCJerseyGirl since that is where I post many notable pictures from these trips.

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).

Where Did My Summer Go?

As days have noticeably shortened and the evenings have become increasingly cooler, I have to ask where summer went. I am a summer lover. Love the sun, love the warm weather, the insects calling (most insects), the clouds and can appreciate the beauty of a good thunderstorm… it can’t be over already, can it? Did the season skip me? I am not ready for fall. My Summer of 2013 was filled with plenty of activity to keep me busy. Without work travel, my plan initial plan was to enjoy the summer locally… that did not last. My travel bug reared its head and the weather was truly not warm enough to warrant weekend by my condo’s amazing pool. So, I kept busy in plenty of other ways.

[Before I start, I have to thank Mother Nature for trying to drown my spirits this summer. Every trip I went on (every one) had a rain event. Some serious, like my Buffalo trip where the trip was almost cancelled due to winds, rain and general enough insanity the plan could not take off or due to impermeable fog after thunderstorms in Bayfield where the boat could on leave. I had rain while walking around the battlefield in Gettysburg, rain on every NYC trip, rain getting to Indy, rain in Iowa and Michigan… it was a wet summer. ]

My state quest was front and center this summer. I only visited 1 new state in 2012. This summer I made up some ground and knocked out 3 to 4, depending on how you view my stopover in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I jumped into 3 new states at the very beginning of the summer. And while a trip to Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan may not be everyone’s way to spend a week around a birthday, it was exactly what I needed - Some time outdoors, fresh air, new landscapes and new adventures. Seared into my mind are the black fly clouds of Northern Wisconsin, lovely hikes insects be damned, the rolling farms of greens, the cold waters of Lake Superior, the expanse of the Mississippi River between Wisconsin and Iowa (so far north of my typical view point in NOLA), and the incredibly sweet family from Minnesota who celebrate my birthday with me. I learned about Summerfest (and went to opening day), I tried curds – both fresh and fried, and still remain confused as to why Dubuque Iowa has so many Statues of Liberty replicas (and yes, I did try to find out why – no one knew).

In August I was able to cross Indiana off my list with some incentive by my favorite group – hello, major Blockhead here! Near the end of the New Kids on the Block tour, I was given a gift by the group, the fan club, their company, whatever – point is I (and a few others) was offered free tickets to the closing show of the tour…and it was in Indianapolis. A quick search on United pulled up a weekend special rate… so off I went to see my band one more time. A concert, a new state, a new capital city and time to site-see – perfect weekend. There I took in more rolling farm land (the apparent theme of the summer), visited the Indianapolis Zoo, the Art Museum and some city sites. I marveled at the amazing dog jump show; I remain convinced that this is the same group that preformed at the Alaska State Fair last summer. Ever want to see a dog high jump over 6 feet in the air, or catch 10 Frisbees in a row, you gotta see this show! At the zoo I was treated to childhood memories of my parakeets Tweety and Turbo when I visited their aviaries willed with their twins, cousins and extended family. I took in a dolphin show at the aquarium section of the zoo and smiled at the dolphins dancing to Katy Perry. And I was astounded with the educational outreach that the zoo did – lots of very informed patrons roamed around limiting my typical cringe factor. The Art museum was a site to behold even if some staff were a bit rude. As I expected, they had more Renaissance art than I could stomach, but their contemporary section was a site to behold. I am still enraptured by a sculpture by Tara Donovan – (sorry, no pic since we were not allowed to take photos in this section).

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!

RU Rah Rah!!!

Back from my trip home and into the City for the Pinstripe Bowl... in case you have not heard, Rutgers won!!!

This was my first bowl game, and what a game it was.  A dominating win by Rutgers, some truly spectacular plays by our our defense, special teams and even our offense, awesome crowd of almost 40,000 and a great section of fans (go section 123). Sadly, there were no pom-poms given out or for purchase; instead the school have out large signs that could be folded into noise makers.  Ingenious actually. Sadly, it did not save my voice.  I am still hoarse after a few days.

Loved seeing the band, and must admit my jealousy of the new Colorguard uniforms... when I was in school we wore quite a few throw together outfits, a temporary uniform and even something purchased at Mandees.... nothing as sleek as the squad was wearing on Friday.  Nice!!!  They looked solid (with much more complicated work then the ISU squad).

Before the game, we went to Legends for a pre-game gathering of fans.  It was beyond packed.  They actually had to control the crowd - 3 floors all filled with Scarlet clad fans.  I never thought I would see that.  And in that sea of red, I found an old friend - I was hoping to see someone I knew, but it was a gamble.  I knew a lot of people at RU, but it is a huge university and many decades of alumni decended on Legends... it was great to catch up with an old friend.

Seas of red - at the bar, on the streets of NYC, in the subway, and filling Yankee Stadium.  I never thought I would see that.  Rutgers grads out and proud, of their football team.   GO RU!!!

On the banks of the ole Raritan, my friends

where old Rutgers ever more shall stand

for has she not stood

since the time of the flood

on the banks of the ole Raritan.

GO Scarlet Knights!

Back from Alaska and I am ready to head home... I am leave for the Big Apple... I am headed to the Pinstripe Bowl... I am cheering on my team - GO RU!!!

The plan is to enjoy the city for the holiday, take in a show, visit the windows, do a bit of shopping and cheer on my team... GO RU!!!

I am headed to the game with some college friends.  Two of us were in colorguard together and never got to see post season action.  This will be our first bowl game. GO RU!!!

The game is Friday, the 30th, at Yankee Stadium... we play a good Iowa State team... it should be a great game.

Up stream, red team

Red team, upstream

Rah, Rah, Rutgers Rah!

Yes, I am excited.

New Trip - New State

It is almost time to color... I am leaving for a three week (insane) trip tomorrow... I am headed to Texas tomorrow, then home to NJ for a concert, then off to Oklahoma for work (and to explore), and then back to Texas.  I will return home in time for my birthday and a board meeting (yeah!)  It may seem strange to some, but I am excited to explore a new state.  I am planning on visiting the work sites in Tulsa and OK City, and some sites in those cities.  I also want to see Platt National Park that was swallowed into Chickasaw National Recreation Area.... Wish me no tornadoes - please!

Singing in the Rain in NYC

Headed home for the holiday, to spend my weekend with my sister... it has been a while since I headed home to Jersey, and even longer since I visited my city.  The plan was to head to my sisters, go to NYC on Saturday, do holiday dinner on Sunday and then head back to DC.  Technically, the plan worked... it just rained on our plans.  It rained a lot!!!

The original plan was to walk though an area in Central Park. That did not pan out... we had to find something else to do, but with 4 people, finding agreement was not so easy.  We could have went to a show, a matinee, but we were soaked and the teenager with us was not interested in that option.  There is a special Harry Potter exhibit on display at the Discovery Times Square, but I was the only Potter fan in the group. (It is open until September 5th, so I will hit that this summer).  Both the Met and MoMA were vetoed due to interest issues on the part of the teen... I was out of luck.  Suggested the Natural History Museum, but my sister wanted to take her daughter to see the new dinosaur exhibit and did not want to go without her.  We debated Madame Tussaud's but the line was ridiculously long.

So, what was of interest was the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum.  I have seen them in soooo many locations, but never been in one.  Always been too busy and had higher priorities.  Honestly, I had thought tourist trap with these places; I have seen Ripley's in a whole bunch of places.  I thought it would be a waste.  I was pleasantly surprised.  It was quirky, and oddly informative.  They had a fantastic collection of African tribal masks from Ripley's personal collection, along with other notable cultural artifacts.... and they had art made out of dryer lint.  There was something for everyone.  I am still scarred from the Medieval Torture Room, I could have lived without seeing an Iron Maiden.

After we took in the craziness of the museum, we headed to the Hershey shop for Easter chocolate, and Roxy's for Cheesecake.  Ohhh, how I miss NY cheesecake - yummy!  There are just some things you can't get in DC...

A quick, wet, but filled trip to mid-town.  Nice to be back!!!