2011 -Las Vegas

On Friday, 10/29 we got up early and went to the airport to head to Vegas because Doug had a conference to attend. I wanted to go along for the rest and relaxation in the warm weather. We were both tired as we had gotten in the night before from a week on Maui where Kaycie and Brad had gotten married (see previous post).

We arrived in Vegas about 11:30am and made arrangements to get to our timeshare, the Hilton Grand Vacation Club at the Flamingo on the Strip. We always seem to be the last stop, no matter where we stay so we didn’t get there until almost 1pm. Fortunately, they allowed us to check in so once we got settled we headed over to the Flamingo to have lunch. We ate lunch at the Tropical Breeze Cafe. After lunch we walked around for a while, gambled (and lost!). It was hot outside (in the 70’s) and it was fun to walk around for a while. Later we went back to the room to rest then to Margaritaville for dinner. It is always a lot of fun with lots of entertainment, great music and food. Afterward we walked around and there were lots of people celebrating Halloween and wearing costumes. That was fun!

Sunday Doug needed to be over at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino to set up his table for the tradeshow portion of the conference he was attending. I decided to stay back at the condo and go to the pool. When I got to the pool it was so refreshing. There were about 10 people there with plenty of places to sit and read. I ordered a salad from the deli and spent a couple hours relaxing. Doug got back about 3pm and around 5:30 or so we rode the monorail back to the Tropicana. The registration and check-in started at 6pm so Doug needed to be at his table, and he invited me to go with him. It was a great opportunity to meet some of the people that he works with on a day to day basis. They were serving appetizers so we also got a bite to eat while we were there. At 7pm the registration was over and they had a cocktail social that I was not invited to. I had my Kindle with me so I just waited for Doug in the area by the meeting rooms.

Once he was done we headed down to the Strip and took a bus downtown to the Fremont Street Experience.There were a lot of people downtown, and even more in costumes than the night before. There was entertainment going on everywhere and lots of people just enjoying all the entertainment. We went to the Fremont Hotel and Casino for dinner at the Paradise Buffet. We stayed in the area until about 12:30am then took the last bus back to the Strip.

Monday Doug needed to be to the conference at 8:30am so he left long before I woke at 11am. Wow – it was nice to be able to sleep in. I can get used to this! I finally got up and went down to the pool. Once again it was so nice and refreshing. I had my Kindle and got some lunch again at the Deli so what more did I need? I stayed for about 3 hours then walked down to Harrah’s for a little while. The weather was beautiful and warm, but they were predicting that it was going to get cooler and windy in the next couple days. That evening we just went over to the Flamingo and ate dinner at The Burger Joint. Afterward we walked around some more. It was Halloween so there were still a lot of people dressed up. We got back to the condo by 11:30 or so.

Tuesday Doug once again got up early to go over to the Tropicana for the conference. I went down for my pool time - this is getting to be a habit! Around 3pm I walked over to the Fashion Show Mall. About 5:00pm or so Doug called and said that we had been invited to dinner by one of his vendors. We needed to meet a group of people at CraftSteak in the MGM at 6:30. I got ready to go then took the Monorail over to the MGM and went to meet Doug by the Lion Habitat. When I got there, there were two of the trainers in with the lions and several people watching. They seemed so gentle and were having fun with the trainers, playing with the balls and allowing the trainers to cuddle up to them. Doug finally met me and we walked over to the Bell Desk to ask them to hold his laptop bag for him while we were having dinner. We got to the restaurant a few minutes late so the others had already been seated. The waiter came over right away and got our drink orders and at the same time our host ordered several bottles of wine and appetizers. Although the dress was casual the place was elegant and the food was upper scale. Most things on the menu were ala carte and started in the $60’s for only the steak portion. He ordered oysters, scallops, beef tartare, and several other things to try.

When everyone had arrived (a total of 12 people) the waiter came back over and explained more about the menu. Besides the ala carte things there were several combination portions that included special cuts of beef, all the sides and appetizers along with the meal. The combinations ranged from $115 - $295 per person, depending on the quality of beef and whether it included “surf”. Our host decided that we all needed to experience the best cuts of meat, and we definitely would want “surf” so he ordered 12 of the $295 per person meals! Once the food started coming it included all kinds of sides, asparagus, potatoes, salads, oysters, shallots, mushrooms, risotto, etc, then lobster and several different cuts of beef. Some of it was so tender that you literally could cut it with your fork. After the main course they brought out several desserts including different flavors of gelato (prickly pear, mocha, to name a few), cheese cake, lemon pie, etc. It was by far the most expensive meal we have ever experienced. The host told us all it was $5700 after tip was included. For 12 people! He joked about raising Doug’s rates. Although it was a joke, I hope it doesn’t happen!

After dinner we headed back to our condo, stopping along the way to gamble a little which for me had been a total bust for most of the trip. Although Doug was doing better than me he wasn’t ahead. But we were having fun, and that’s what counted.

Wednesday Doug got up and went to the conference. It was my responsibility to check out and be ready in the afternoon for the shuttle to take us to the airport. I had forgotten to check what time check out was so when I awoke at 10:15 I looked at the information and realized that I had missed it! I should have been out at 10am!. I called and got a noon check out and started getting our things together. At noon I checked out and gave our things to the bell hop and headed out for lunch. I walked over to Serendipity 3 for lunch. I’ve been to the one in New York so I really wanted to try this one.I had a wonderful spinach salad, and I was able to resist the Frozen Hot Chocolate that is so good! By the time I got back to the timeshare I had about 30 minutes before Doug was due to show up from his conference. I just sat and read and relaxed until he showed up. He finally got there about 2:20 and our Shuttle got there at 2:30 so we went to the airport for our 4:30 flight.

Our flight stopped in Oakland but we didn’t need to change planes. We got to SeaTac about 10:30pm and when we went to get our bag it wasn’t there. We checked in with the Southwest Airlines office and after giving a description of our bag they discovered that it had inadvertently been pulled in Oakland. They assured us it would be there in the morning and gave us a $50 voucher toward future travel for our inconvenience. We took the shuttle over to where our car was parked and got home about 11:30pm. Fortunately I was off for the next few days so we were able to unwind after a whirlwind vacation in Maui and Vegas! Now we are done traveling until our annual Mexico trip in February. I’m already excited about it and can hardly wait! Retirement can’t come soon enough.

Just Maui'd, Kaycie and Brad Tie the Knot, October, 2011

Long before Kaycie and Brad were engaged, in fact before they had even met, Kaycie had longed for a wedding in Maui. We were very excited when they announced their engagement, but not at all surprised to hear that it would be a Maui wedding. The girl knows what she wants!

So once the date was selected we started planning for our trip. Kaycie and Brad found a beautiful
5 bedroom house they rented in Napili (north of Lahaina on the west side of Maui) through Hawaiian Beach Rentals. We would be staying for 5 days at the house along with Brad's parents Glenda and Garen, his sister and hubby and little girls, Kim, Brandon, Olivia & Natalie, Kaycie's mom and stepdad Lori and Andy, and of course Kaycie and Brad and his 3 year old TJ. The house was perfect with lots of room to entertain, get away if needed, swim, explore, watch the giant sea turtles, and it was the perfect location for the wedding ceremony, but more about that later.

Everyone seemed to arrive at a different time. Brad's family arrived a few days before and Brad and Kaycie arrived on Thursday, October 20th along with her mom and stepdad. They were all staying in hotels until the house was ready Friday the 21st at 4:00pm. We arrived on Friday October 21st.

When we landed on Maui we got our rental car and started out toward Lahaina where we were to meet Brad and Kaycie. They were at the Banyan Tree Park under the banyan tree hanging out with the kids while others were shopping and sightseeing. We got there about the time others did and decided to go have a bite to eat. Although it was 1:30 pm for us it was 4:30 and we hadn't eaten since breakfast early on our 5 hr flight. We decided to go to Aloha Mixed Plate which we all had heard was excellent food and great prices. It was less than a mile from where we were so we all headed up there. They were very busy so we reserved a table and waited in the outdoor bar area and around the front of the restaurant. While we were waiting Brad and Kaycie heard the house was available so they decided to go with the kids and get settled in and we would all join them when we were done eating. Food was excellent, great portions and prices.

We left the restaurant and headed for the house. It was in a beautiful neighborhood, in a development with other houses on the waterfront, in a gated area. When we got there Kaycie showed us to our room which was downstairs and included a queen bed and its own bathroom. The downstairs had its own living room, big screen TV, bar area and two additional bedrooms for Brad's family. I took a walk outside and down to the beach area which included a beautiful pool and a rocky cove full of huge sea turtles. There was a cliff area to climb and look down on the pools of water. Although I didn't do it several people snorkeled in the cove and got close up views of the fish and the turtles.

A few of us went swimming in the pool and found the water warm and relaxing. Back at the house we walked around the yard and the Brad and Kaycie selected what they thought would be a great area for the ceremony. That evening for dinner we had barbequed steaks, salad, chips and veggies for dinner. We were tired from a full day so we went to bed by 10pm.

Saturday we got up about 8:30 and I went down to the pool for an early morning swim. It was refreshing and not too warm out. Once I returned and freshened up Kaycie asked if Doug and I would go to Costco and get things for the after wedding party. We also were to pick up the leis that had been ordered as well as a cake. Glenda decided to come along so we could stop and pick up things to decorate the yard for the ceremony. She had an idea in mind and although I couldn't see it in my mind I tried to help her select the items. On our way back Doug asked us to drop him off in Old Lahaina because he wanted to pick up something for Kaycie. Glenda and I had a couple more things to pick up at Safeway so we did that while Doug was shopping.

Once we got back home I went back to the pool, relaxed for awhile before dinner. Doug had some work to do so he stayed at the house. Glenda started with the decorations for the yard. She had found several bamboo sticks on the patio so she put those up and draped the netting that she had purchased. Before dinner while it was still light they had a short rehearsal time, making sure everyone knew their role and when and where they needed to stand, or start walking.

Dinner that night was lasagna, french bread and salads. More guests were arriving including Kaycie's grandparents, great aunts and uncles, friends etc. All in all I believe there were 23 people that evening for dinner and who were planning to be there the next day for the wedding ceremony. After dinner several of us started putting the kabobs together for the next night after the wedding.

Sunday morning after an early morning swim I helped Glenda get the yard decorated. She had picked some big leaves and ferns from the woody area around the house. We put some of the flowers we had bought the day before and made beautiful arrangements. We hung the flower arrangements on each of the bamboo stakes that were draped with the netting. Her vision turned out beautiful and made the setting so much more festive.

Around 10 am Kaycie's mom Lori who is a hairdresser started fixing everyone's hair. Cassie (Kaycie's maid of honor) did my makeup which was much appreciated. The photographer came at 3pm as well as the wedding planner, the musicians and the minister. They met with Brad first to get an idea of the ceremony plans. Then the photographer started to take pictures of Kaycie getting ready. She was relaxed, yet excited. Brad had written her a note that she chose not to read before the ceremony, afraid she might cry and mess up her makeup. He also had bought her a beautiful pearl necklace to wear. Andy and Doug had given her a pair of pearl earrings earlier, and Doug had bought her a beautiful gold necklace with a gold and tanzanite flip flop pendant to wear later. Andy gave her a gold and diamond bracelet.

Finally, at 4pm guests had arrived and everything was ready. Brad went to the top of the hill and stood with the minister who was wearing traditional Hawaiian wedding attire. The musician started playing music and Cassie started up the hill with TJ who was carrying a pillow that had the rings tied on it. They were followed shortly by Olivia and Natalie, holding half coconut shells with rose petals they were tossing out. They are 3 & 5 and were so precious. At one point they started running up the hill. The minister blew the conch shell which was the signal for Kaycie and her dads to start up the hill. She looked so beautiful! Once they reached the top of the hill the minister asked "who gives this woman?" and Andy and Doug both responded with "we do".

Doug and Andy each walked the girls down the hill and came to the balcony to watch the rest of the ceremony with the rest of the guests. Cassie stayed with TJ and the minister performed the ceremony and included TJ in some of the vows. Soon they were married and announced husband and wife. It was a beautiful ceremony. Unfortunately Scott, Kaycie's brother was unable to attend however he was able to watch via Skype.

After the ceremony the newlyweds went with the photographer down to the beach to take sunset pictures. Before they left Kaycie surprised Brad by taking the outer layer of her dress skirt off which revealed a beautiful short cocktail dress.

While they were at the beach the rest of us got the food out and ready for the party. We had chicken and beef kabobs, salad, rice and vegetables. Once they returned the BBQ was started and dinner was served soon after. The evening was fun and festive and everyone had a good time, including the little kids.

Monday morning we got up and Doug had worked to do so I went down to the pool. Others had decided to go to the beach at one of the public spots so we stayed back. Later Doug and I went down to old Lahaina and walked through the shops and had lunch at Lahaina Prime Rib and Fish Company, which had a view of the water. That evening we stayed at the house with Glenda and Garen and the kids while the adult kids went out for the evening. Andy and Lori went out to dinner with her folks.

Tuesday Doug and I drove over to Paia and started on the "Road to Hana" although we didn't intend to go the whole way. We drove as far as the botanical gardens and turned back. On the way we stopped at a fruit stand and bought some banana bread and some coconut candy to take back to the house. We stopped at Mama's Fish House and had a wonderful lunch. We got back to the house about 2:30 and Doug, Kaycie, Lori and I drove to Kaanapali and went to Whalers Village, an outdoor shopping mall. That night we had burgers grilled on the BBQ.

Wednesday morning Doug and I went to The Gazebo for breakfast. It is about a mile up the road, in a condo complex, but is very popular. There was a long line and we waited about 40 minutes, but once we got in we had a great breakfast. I had a spinach omelet and Doug had a traditional sausage and egg breakfast. It was very good and worth the wait. When we got back to the house we packed to leave the house. We had 2 more days but we were moving to Kehei. Brad's family was flying out that day and taking TJ with them. Kaycie and Brad were sure he would have a problem leaving, but he did great and didn't cry.

Since there was no one staying after us at the house we were told we could check out at anytime. Doug wanted to go back to Old Lahaina so I stayed and went to the pool for one last time. Kaycie and Brad met up with their friends for awhile and about 4:30 pm we all started heading for Kihei. Kaycie, Brad , Lori and Andy were staying at the World Mark timeshares, and we had rented a room at the Maui Sunseeker. Once we got there we were disappointed with the quality of the room, although it was clean. Since we were not planning on spending much time there we decided to make the best of it. That evening we went over to the World Mark and had a BBQ dinner with Brad, Kaycie, Lori and Andy. We left by 9:30 because we had an early morning planned.

In the morning Lori, Andy and I got up early and went to Haleakala to watch the sunrise. I set my alarm for 3:30 am and headed over to pick them up. Doug elected to stay back at our room and get some work done. We made it to the mountaintop about half hour before sunrise. There were lots of people there, in fact on the way up we stopped at a coffee stand and met up with Andy's brother Adam and his fiancée Erin. We didn't know they were going up so it was quite a surprise. Sunrise was gorgeous and worth the early morning and the ride up.

I dropped off Lori and Andy about 8:30 and headed back to our room. After a quick snooze about 11:30 am or so Doug and I headed over to their timeshare. Doug stayed in their room and worked and I headed for the pool with Lori and Kaycie. We needed to leave at 3:30 to go back up to Lahaina to a Luau for which we had tickets.

We got back to our place and got ready to go. The others picked us up and we headed to the Old Lahaina Luau. First we stopped at the Aloha Mixed Plate which was right next door to meet up with Josh and Erin (Kaycie and Brad's friends) one more time before they left. The Luau was so much fun with a mixture of great Hawaiian food including the roasted pig, traditional music and entertainment. We all had fun and since it was our last evening it was a great way to celebrate. We got back to our place about 10:30, and said our goodbyes since we were leaving early morning. They were staying for several more days.

In the morning we headed to the airport about 8:30 am for our 11:00 am flight. We needed to turn in the car first but we had plenty of time. That evening we got to SeaTac about 7:30 pm. It was hard to go home but we had a business trip to Las Vegas in the morning, so vacation time was not over yet!

Oprah's After Oscar Party -LA, California February 27th-28th, 2011

After trying for more than a year to get tickets to see Oprah I finally got randomly selected to go to LA to the After Oscar Party Taping on February 28th. It was taping at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, the same place the Oscars would be held the night before. The first round of selections was around the 4th of the month, then on the 14th I was sent an email that there were more tickets available. The deadline for the response was the 16th; however I didn’t see the email because I was in Puerto Vallarta. When I returned on the 22nd I saw that I had missed it. So I sent an email response on the 23rd, asking if there was any way I could still go and I got a response that we could go. So, on the 23rd we made quick airline, hotel and car reservations and started getting ready to go on Sunday the 27th, returning on Monday the 28th. We flew in on Sunday morning and got to LA about 10:30am. After getting our car we drove to Victorville to see Scott and Kattie and the kids. We got to their place about 1pm. Scott gave us a tour of their house which is new. It’s on a corner lot, has a large kitchen with island, a family room and formal living room, ½ bath and den on the main level and 4 bedrooms and two full baths upstairs. Doug’s dad had found last September and bought it with Scott. Scott will be refinancing the loan and paying him off in the next few months if possible. It’s hard to believe that they got this house for $109,000. We had a nice visit and stayed through dinner, leaving about 6:30pm to head back to LA. We watched a little of the Oscar’s while we were at Scott’s, but headed back before it was over. When we got to the hotel about 8:30pm it was already over. We expected to see some of the winners at the Oprah taping so we were anxious to hear who won. Monday morning we were at the Hollywood Bowl parking lot at 6am, waiting in line to check in. Shortly before 7am they had us get into 3 lines, based on the lead person’s last name. Once we got up to the check in table we were given yellow bracelets and directed to a particular bus. No-one knew for sure what the colors meant other than all the yellows would be seated together. But where? The Kodak Theatre holds 3400 people and has two balcony tiers as well as the main floor. After more waiting on the bus we were driven to the Kodak Theatre which was less than a mile away. We were directed into the building and there were signs directing us to the main lobby level. Several others were directed upstairs, so this was a good sign! We then formed another line in the lobby to wait for the doors to open. It was about 8:30am and the taping didn’t start until 10:00am so more waiting. Finally, about 9:10am or so the doors opened and we were allowed in. We saw immediately that we would be stage right on the main level with a good view of the stage. We ended up in Row L the 3rd and 4th seat from the middle aisle. All of the rows were elevated enough that it wasn’t a problem seeing over the person in front. The stage was magnificent with the Oscar motif from the night before. It was awesome to think that just last night this theatre held the biggest annual award ceremony for the actors and actresses. One of the Harpo Audience team members came out and warmed up the audience as they played music and several people got up on the stage to dance. Shortly before 10:00 Gayle King was escorted to a seat in the front row. She wasn’t introduced however several people called out to her and she turned and waved.
Then right at 10:00am Oprah was introduced and made her appearance onto the stage. She looked great however she announced that she had a bad cold. Immediately following her appearance, she introduced Colin Firth – Oscar Winner, Best Actor, The King’s Speech; Geoffrey Rush, Oscar Nominee, The King’s Speech; and Tom Hooper, Oscar Winner, Director, The King’s Speech. She talked to them for several minutes. She also introduced David Seidler, Oscar Winner, Writer (Original Screenplay), The King’s Speech who was sitting in the front row. Next she introduced Anne Hathaway who had co-hosted the ceremonies the night before. She was bubbly and funny and looked beautiful, even though she hadn’t gotten much sleep. Then she introduced Melissa Leo, Oscar Winner, Best Actress, The Fighter. After Melissa they cleared the stage and introduced the P.S.22 Chorus, and children’s choir from New York who had sung the night before at the Oscars. What a great opportunity for these 5th graders. As they were singing the Katy Perry song “Firework”, out walked Katy Perry singing with them! Click here to watch the performance and here to take you to their YouTube Channel. What a surprise! There were fireworks on stage and a lot of excitement. Oprah talked to her for a few minutes afterward and we were told that she had been in Vienna the day before and had flown all night to be there for the surprise. The taping stopped right at 11:00am and Oprah thanked us for coming and told us her last show would be May 25th. I’m so glad we had this opportunity to go while she was still on the air. Afterward we walked around the Hollywood area, watched as they were removing the things from the red carpet show the night before, looking at the sidewalk Stars, and Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. We walked back to our car at the Hollywood Bowl then drove to Burbank and had lunch at Bob’s Big Boy. A quick trip down to the Santa Monica Pier then we were off to the airport for our ride home.

Click below to see more pictures.

Manzanillo to Puerto Vallarta, February 6th-20th, 2011

We arrived in Manzanillo about 3:30pm on Sunday, Feb 6th. After getting our baggage and going through customs we got a taxi and took it to our hotel, the Holiday Inn Express. It was about a 55 minute ride. Manzanillo is spread out with several different neighborhood areas. It is a port city so in the middle of the bay is the port so to go anywhere you need to go around the port. Our hotel was in the middle of the area, behind the port. We were a little disappointed at first to find that there is nothing near our hotel, no restaurants or any other tourist things. In fact, it really does not even cater to tourists. The staff at the front desk did not speak English, they had no maps or brochures, they know nothing about tours, etc. We didn’t see any Americans at the hotel. However, our room was nice and clean and the bed was comfortable. There was a nice pool, although it wasn’t heated. Breakfast was included and they had hot food as well as the usual fruit, cereal and juices. Once we arrived at the hotel I went swimming even though the pool was cold. The weather was sunny and in the 80’s so it still felt good. Doug caught up on a little work while I was at the pool. Around 6pm pm we asked the front desk about a place to go to see the beach and eat dinner and they suggested we head down to the Salagua area which was north of where we were. El Centro was to the south but they shook their head and said that this was better. Since we didn’t have a car they indicated we needed to take a taxi, which was right out front. So off we went, but when we got to the area there was very little open, not easy access to the beach, etc. It really didn’t seem like what we expected. There were lots of buses so we decided to take the one marked “El Centro”. We paid $1 for both and took about a 20 minute ride to El Centro. Once we got there we found the plaza, the malecon (boardwalk) and lots of stores. There was music and a parade going on in honor of Constitution Day which was Saturday, February 5th. On the malecon there was a plaza with a large fountain that had music with spouting water jets, synchronized to the music. Much smaller, but similar to the fountain at the Bellagio in Vegas. We were looking forward to our first authentic Mexican dinner but we were unable to find a restaurant open so we ended up eating dinner at Ly Chee, a Chinese restaurant right on the water in El Centro. Not quite what either of expected to do our first night in Mexico, but the food was good. Afterward we walked across the street and got a taxi back to the hotel. On Monday morning we got up, ate breakfast at the hotel, then headed next door to the bank to exchange our money. The bank was closed and when we asked why we were told it was a federal holiday for employees. Instead we took a cab back down to the Salaqua area and found a money exchange. We actually enjoyed walking around the area today, more things were open and we even found a Starbucks. Later we took a bus back down to El Centro area. We found a little bar and had great guacamole and chips. Afterward we walked around the plaza and malecon before heading back to our hotel for another swim and some down time. That evening we took the bus back to the Salagua area and had a great taco dinner at the one of the little restaurants in the area. We had decided although we had planned to stay 3 nights in the area it was not what we expected so we were going to leave in the morning and go to Puerto Vallarta so this would be our last night here. We headed back to the hotel by taxi. On Tuesday we left Manzanillo with the feeling that it is really not yet a good tourist area, or else we just were unable to find the right places to go. The economy definitely has hit Mexico hard and without tourists some of the places will not be able to survive. We got up early and had breakfast at hotel then got a cab over to the bus station which was close. The bus to Puerto Vallarta leaves at 8am and cost approximately $28 each. It was a comfortable ride that went along the coast and stopped in Barra de Navidad and Malague then a few other towns along the way. Part of the way was through the mountains and windy roads. It got to the bus station in Puerto Vallarta about 2 pm where we took a taxi to our hotel in old town, Playa Los Arcos. When we have come to Puerto Vallarta in the past we have wanted to stay at this hotel. It is right on the beach and has a beautiful pool, although it is right off the lobby. We got settled in our room on the 3rd floor which had a balcony overlooking the pool area, with an entrance on the street side so we could look over that area too. We walked down to the beach and had dinner at the Burro Bar. The prices had gone up since last time we were here. $ 17 for a Mexican platter and $13 for fajitas! After dinner we walked up to the malecon from one end to the other then back to old town. It was fun to see some of the new businesses and buildings that weren’t there last time (3 years ago). Wednesday morning I walked up to the neighborhood café and got espresso. It used to be the only one with espresso in the area 3 years ago so we would come to it every morning. They also have internet service. I walked a little ways past the hotel and noticed 3 more coffee places in the next block! Lots of choices this time. Doug walked up to Fredy Toucan’s for breakfast and I headed down to the pool.I spent most of the morning just relaxing by the pool while Doug worked. There were a couple of iguanas that had taken up residency and were just sunning themselves on the roof by the pool. For lunch we headed to a little restaurant on the beach for lunch of mahi mahi on a stick and coconut shrimp. It was good and the price was much more reasonable, $16 including drinks. Afterward we walked south on the beach then back on the street to the hotel. We saw several of the same businesses thriving, and some new ones too. I headed back to the hotel and I went back to the pool for awhile while Doug worked, then headed to dinner at Café de Olla which we have always enjoyed. Thursday morning we woke up to another sunny, beautiful day. Paradise! We walked down to Fredy Toucan’s for breakfast but first stopped at the store and bought some sugarfree syrup which none of the restaurants seem to ever have. After breakfast we stopped at the corner café and found that they had sugar free vanilla syrup for espresso drinks, so I headed back to the hotel and the pool with my iced mocha in hand. We had a late lunch of hamburgers at A Taste of Italy which is close to the hotel, then we took a nice walk around the area and back up to the malecon. We came back to the hotel and rested until dinner at the Cocina Mexicana which was just north of the hotel. Doug had chile rellenos and I had tortilla soup. Both were excellent. Friday, February 11th. Happy Anniversary! 16 years! Today we took a walk in the morning down the beach. I found the Cyber Smoothie, an internet café which also sold protein drinks so I had that for breakfast then headed back to the hotel for a swim. Doug took a walk further, got a little breakfast then worked for a little while. For dinner we went to the Margarita Grill which was down Basilio Badillo, informally known as "Restaurant Row". Afterward we went to Andale’s which is a fun bar, but it was crowded and loud and hard to find a place to sit so we left shortly after. On Saturday I walked down once again and got a smoothie while Doug went over to Fredy's for breakfast. I ended up spending most of the day by the pool. This vacation is turning out to be one big RELAXING time, which is how I like it. I had a reflexology massage at the hotel, right down by the beach, which was so relaxing. Around 7pm we walked to the malecon and back, then went to Andale’s for dinner. Since we got there early we got a good place to sit so we ended up staying until 11pm. It was fun to watch everyone having a good time. The music is usually 60's and 70's and the crowd is in their 40's on up so we have always liked this place. Sunday morning we had breakfast on the beach at Longostino’s. It was good although the service was slow. Afterward we came back to pack and get ready to move to the Marina for our next week. We really enjoyed Playa Los Arcos so we reserved it for the same week next year. They booked the same room and the same price. We got to the Marina Mayan Palace about 2pm. In the past we have always been told that we had to wait until 5pm to check in but we were given our room right away. It looks like there are not too many people here this year. Our room was on the 2nd floor overlooking the pool and the beach. After getting settled we walked over to the marina. It had really changed- with a lot of shops closed due to the economy. One of our favorite restaurants, Suzy Wong’s had closed. Victor’s was still there but lots of shops were closed. We stopped at the little restaurant across the street from the hotel, Tacos and Beer/ Pizza and Beer and had individual pizzas which were really good. After we got back to the hotel I went swimming for awhile. We had been told that the pool heater was broken but it wasn’t too cold to be uncomfortable. Later we went downstairs to the hotel restaurant and I had tortilla soup and Doug had the buffet meal. Monday, Valentine’s Day. We started out by taking a walk to Walmart (2 miles) and got several grocery items, then took a cab back. We spent the rest of the day relaxing around the hotel, the pool and the room. For dinner we went to D’z Rock n' Roll Diner over at the marina. We had a huge meal which we could not finish, so we brought some back to our room. Tuesday I spent most of the day, relaxing and reading. Doug took a long walk, nearly to town (6 miles) and the bus back. Later we rode the bus to town and went to Pipi’s for dinner. Dinner was OK – it was a very noisy place but it was fun. It is mostly about the atmosphere. Wednesday we decided to ride the bus to Punta de Mita. It is to the north, the beginning of the bay. We wanted to see the town and check out the Four Seasons hotel. The bus only went as far as the little Punta Mita neighborhood where the Marina is and a few little restaurants and shops. We were unable to see the Four Seasons, but we had a great lunch of fish tacos before coming back to the hotel about 3pm. We ate dinner at the hotel, which was ok. Thursday I rode the bus part way down to town then walk along the hotel zone, looking at the shops. After a relaxing walk, I crossed the street to catch the bus back to the Marina, however I got on the wrong bus. It took me up to a little town called Ramblases. It was interesting to go back into the local neighborhoods, but it gave me more of a glimpse of the poverty. I am still convinced there is not a middle class. On the way back I stopped at the Galeria’s shopping mall and had a great chicken salad for lunch and looked at a few of the shops. They had some designer stores like Prada as well as some of the regular Mall stores that we see in the states. For dinner we went to Vic’s at the Marina, which of course was very good. Victor stopped by our table with shots of tequila which he stayed and drank with us also. After we were finished with our meal, Victor asked Doug he would like to try some of his special “moonshine”. Of course Doug was not going to turn that down. I tasted it and it tasted terrible! After getting coffee at the Marina Friday morning we again spent most of the day relaxing. I can really get used to this! That evening we decided to go back to town for dinner in Old Town. We selected Joe Jacks Fish Shack which was excellent. We both thought it was the best meal yet of our trip. On Saturday we rode the bus to town for the last time this trip. We picked up a few things to bring home and then came back to the hotel. For dinner we ordered pizza at the hotel, which was the special of the night. This was our last night of our 2 week vacation. I’m not ready to go home! On Sunday we had breakfast, then checked out and walked over to the Marina for coffee one last time. We saw a crocodile in the water at the Marina which we have not seen before, although they have signs warning about them. Then it was time to leave. Once a year is just not enough! So, reluctantly we headed back to the hotel at 1:30 to get our taxi to the airport.

Click below to see more pictures from our trip.

Chicago - September 20th -26th, 2010

We arrived in Chicago about 11:30 pm on Monday night, Sept 20^th. We got a cab and went directly to our hotel, the Intercontinental on Michigan Avenue. We stayed in the historic tower which had beautiful murals and woodwork. Our room also was beautiful with the dark wood. On Tuesday Doug had to check in for his board meeting at noon, but he had some work to catch up on so I started my day with by going swimming in the hotel pool. The pool is well known and has a lot of history behind it. It is a junior Olympic size, and has beautiful tiles and the room is beautiful with a tiered seating for spectators. Johnny Weissmuller (the first Tarzan) actually trained for the Olympics here and went on to win 5 gold medals in 1924 and 1928. Supposedly John F Kennedy also swam in this pool but I haven’t been able to verify it. After my swim I went down to Michigan Avenue and boarded the Chicago Trolley Hop on – Hop off tour bus. I sat on the upper level of the double- decker bus. The guide gave us all the history of the landmarks along the way. One of the stops was at Millennium Park so I got off there. The weather was in the 80’s but it was also very humid. I walked around the park and stopped at the Cloud Gate, the famous “bean” shaped silver sculpture. I also walked over to Daley Plaza which was next to Millennium Park. I bought my first Chicago hot dog from a vendor in the park.Later I boarded the bus again and made my way over to Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower). This is the tallest building in Chicago, and for years was the tallest in the world. I rode the elevator to the observation deck (Skydeck)and had a good view of the city. In May they completed several enclosed glass ledges that stick out from the building and give you the sense of walking on air. It was fun to look down through the glass to the street 110 stories below. I got back on the tour bus to complete my tour before meeting up with Doug for dinner. His conference was having a reception from 5pm -7pm. Once that was over several of us went to Gino’s East for Chicago Style deep dish pizza. We had a great dinner of pizza and salads, and Gino’s was a fun place to go. We walked back to our hotel and were in bed by 10:30. On Wednesday Doug got up early and went to his conference and I went swimming again. Once I was ready to leave I took a taxi over to Harpo Studios where the Oprah show is filmed. The week prior I had signed up for last minute reservations for Wednesday the 22^nd, however I hadn’t received a response. My intent this Wednesday was actually just to go to the Oprah store which was across the street, however when I saw the audience lining up I decided to join them. Eventually I was able to talk to someone who indicated that I needed to be in the standby line, which at that point had about 7 people in it. So we all waited and talked and after about 2 hours we were told that the show was full and only a few of the standby people would get in. I wasn’t able to get in so I went over to the store instead. I bought a few little things then hailed a taxi and went back to the city. Once there I took the train over to Oak Park. Oak Park is a beautiful upper class neighborhood, with some beautiful architecture. I saw Ernest Hemmingway’s birthplace and toured Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio. Afterward I walked around the neighborhood where there were several more homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. He was a great archetect.

I rode the train back into the city and walked back to our hotel to meet Doug for dinner. We decided to walk down to the Navy Pier and get a bite to eat there. We went to Charlie’s Ale House after walking around the pier for awhile. Nothing great – but the pier was nice and we hoped to come back later. On Thursday Doug went to his conference again and after my swim I packed our bags to get us checked out. We moved over to the Palomar Hotel for the next 3 days. Carol & Mike and Ruth & Earl were flying in to spend time with us. They both got there around 4:30pm. The conference was over about 4:30pm also so Doug walked down from the other hotel to meet us. The Palomar serves wine in the lobby from 5pm – 6pm each evening so we sat and visited for awhile before Doug and I had to leave to go the Cubs/Giants game at Wrigley Field. We had purchased our tickets with several other colleagues of Doug’s. We got to the stadium and found our seats at one of the Rooftops. On two sides of the stadium, across the side streets are rows of buildings that have been converted to “rooftops”. Each one has stadium seating on the top and several floors for gathering and viewing the game. Your ticket includes food and drinks and it’s a great way to see the game. We had a lot of fun even though the Giants beat the Cubs 13-0. After the game we met up with Carol and Ruth and hubbies back at the hotel for awhile. In the morning we met for breakfast at the Corner Bakery and made a plan for the day. Carol and Mike decided to go to the Art Institute, and Ruth & Earl, Doug and I decided to go to the Chicago History Museum in Lincoln Park. Prior to that the guys both wanted to catch up on some work so Ruth and I walked up the Magnificent Mile and shopped a little, hitting the Gap, Macys and Feline’s Basement. We got back to the hotel and met up with the guys. We took the bus up to the museum which gave us an opportunity to see more of the city. After visiting the museum we walked over to where Second City Theatre was, and then walked back from there to the hotel. The weather was nice so it was a pleasant 2 mile walk. On the way we passed Moody Bible Institute campus so we walked through that. Once we got back to the hotel we rested for a while before we headed for dinner. Dinner Friday night was at a great French Vietnamese restaurant called Le Colonial. It wasn’t too far from the hotel. The food was great – we ordered several things family style and had just the right portions. Afterward we took a taxi up to Second City Theatre and watched “Spoiler Alert- Everybody Dies”. The show was good – there were 2 scripted acts, then a 3^rd act that was improv with some audience participation. At one point during the show an elderly woman in the front fainted and the paramedics were called. We were all impressed with how quickly everyone responded – a few doctors in the house responded immediately. We were told at the end that the family had called and told them that she was at the hospital and she was going to be fine. On Saturday morning we ate breakfast at the hotel, and then headed over to the river to take the Chicago Architecture Society tour. After several days of 90 degrees and muggy weather we got up to cold and windy weather, however it wasn’t raining. We took the 9:30am tour and got some gorgeous views of the Chicago architecture. Our guide was very informative and told us a lot of the history of the buildings. After our tour we went to Portillo’s for lunch which is well known for the Chicago hotdogs. It was fun and inexpensive. Then the guys left to go on the Untouchables Tour, which is a fun tour that takes you around the city to see some of the famous mafia hangouts and crime scenes, including the place where the St Valentine’s Day Massacre took place. The guides dress up like gangsters and make it a fun tour. While they were on that tour Carol, Ruth and I rode the train up the Armitage area which has all kinds of little shops. Once we got back we spent a little time resting before dinner. That night for dinner we had reservations at Keefer’s, a local steak house. It was elegant and fun and the dinner was excellent. We were able to walk to the restaurant since it was close. Afterward we took a leisurely walk back to the hotel. Carol & Mike were leaving early in the morning so we said our goodbyes. In the morning we slept in, and I went swimming for awhile, one last time. After we checked out we visited with Ruth & Earl in the lobby of the hotel until they had to leave for the airport. Doug and I had a couple hours so we walked around one last time before heading to the airport. Beautiful city, wonderful time, and I already miss my sisters!

If you would like to see more pictures, click below.

Rocky Mountain High, Colorado - August 26th - 28th, 2010

We left Glacier Lodge in Estes Park on Thursday morning after a great reunion with family.(See previous post). Several were flying out later in the day Thursday so we made our way to Boulder for one more gathering, and ate lunch together at Lazy Dog Bar and Grill on Pearl Street. My first time to Boulder and although it was about 100 degrees, it was still fun to be together one last time and to look around at a few of the stores on Pearl Street.

We left the area about 2pm and drove to Denver and checked into our hotel. We had planned to stay two more nights in the area and do a little sightseeing with Ruth and Earl. After resting awhile at the hotel, swimming in the pool, the four of us went to dinner at Ling and Louie’s Asian Bar and Grill in downtown Denver. The evening was still warm and we were able to eat outside and just enjoy the weather and the food. Afterwards we stopped at the Cheesecake Factory for some low carb cheesecake.

On Friday we got up and went to the Waffle House for breakfast. Ever since Doug had first discovered the Waffle House in Florida (several years ago) his radar has picked up the signal if there is one nearby. Since we don’t have them in Washington it is usually a treat for him, and wouldn’t you know it, as we were leaving the airport at the beginning of this adventure we passed a sign for one. So of course we had to go. Fortunately, they have sugar free syrup for the waffles, and I suppose having just one is not so bad. J

After breakfast we went to Red Rocks Park to see the Amphitheatre. We had planned to be there for a tour however the person who was to give the tour was sick. We spent quite a bit of time going through the visitor center and looking at the amphitheatre. Since there was a concert that night we were not able to go down to the stage but it was amazing to see the natural red rocks that formed the backdrop for the stage. I would love to be able to hear a concert there.

We left Red Rocks and continued on the scenic highway on our way back to Denver. Along the way we stopped to see Buffalo Bill's grave. We stopped in Georgetown, which is a scenic little town. We had lunch in the courtyard of Ed’s Café which was fun. After lunch we went across the street and toured the Hotel de Paris Museum and learned about the history of the area. We shopped a little then headed back to Denver to our hotel. That evening Earl and Ruth had decided to meet Josh and Robin and kids at a local park for dinner and Doug and I decided to rest then go out for dinner. We spent some time relaxing, swimming and Doug working on things then headed out to dinner about 8pm to the Hacienda Colorado in Englewood. The food was good and the décor of the restaurant was really nice. It was starting to get dark out and they had a courtyard with a fireplace for those who were waiting to get in.

On Saturday morning we got up early, checked out of our hotel and met Ruth and Earl to go down to Colorado Springs to meet up with Mike and Carol for breakfast. They had left Estes Park and headed to Colorado Springs to stay and go golfing. They were staying at the Broadmoor Hotel which was beautiful. The property is several acres with a lake and lots of individual buildings. We had a nice breakfast and then walked through the lobby of the hotel and across the lake and over to the main building. We left them for their tee- time and we headed out to see the Garden of the Gods which was on the other side of Colorado Springs.

Garden of the Gods is a drive through park with all kinds of natural red rock stone natural formations. There are several areas to stop and hike or get closer to the formations. It was starting to get very warm out so for the most part we stayed in the car and took pictures from there. It was amazing to see these geological wonders. Afterward we drove up toward Pike’s Peak but determined that we wouldn’t have time to drive to the top because we needed to get to the airport by 2pm.

We headed back to Denver and picked up our car at the hotel and said goodbye to Ruth and Earl and headed to the airport. Although our flight had a layover in LA, we were able to exchange it for a direct flight and get home much sooner than expected.

Home again after a wonderful first trip to Denver. I went away feeling like it was a place that I could live and call home. I loved the scenery and spending time with family. Need to do it more often.

To see more pictures from this trip, click below.

Estes Park, Colorado August 22 - 26, 2010

Our family decided to have a reunion in Estes Park, CO. I had never been to Colorado and was really looking forward to going. All 6 of us siblings came with our spouses, and all of Ruth's, Carol's and Jon's kids and grandkids were able to come. There were 32 adults and 12 kids, all under 9. We selected Glacier Lodge as the place that we would stay and rented several cabins on the property. Ruth and her family rented Timber Lodge which was the biggest lodge and gave us the space for gathering altogether for meals. Each of us arrived at different times on Sunday the 22nd. We had planned meals ahead of time and a few of us had gone to Costco to get groceries on our way to the campsite. Dinner that night was prepared by Ruth's family. Robin had made spaghetti sauce ahead of time so that along with garlic bread and salad became our first meal. The weather was hot and after dinner several of the cousins got together and played football on the property or just walked around the grounds exploring. Monday: We purposely decided to not structure specific things during the day, however several people went for drives through Rocky Mountain National Park, went hiking, or horseback riding on the property, went to town, or just stayed around the area to visit. There was a pool on the property and several people went swimming during the day, including the little kids. Late in the afternoon on Monday Uncle Wilbur showed up from Oklahoma. He had written earlier that he would like to join us and we were all anxious to see him. Wilbur is our father's oldest living sibling at 84, and still managing to drive across country every year, and stay active with his woodworking and teaching reading twice a week during the school year. That evening Jon and his family prepared our meal of hotdogs and hamburgers and we had a nice time visiting during and after dinner. That evening Wilbur brought out several wooden cars that he had made and gave them to the kids. Also, Ruth had brought tee-shirts for us siblings to wear with our pictures and we showed a slide show that I created from old pictures, set to music.

Tuesday: After breakfast I led several of the kids and parents (4 carloads) on a geocaching trek. This was the first time for all of them so it was fun to share the experiences. We found 3 different caches and the kids were able to trade several things that I had brought along, taking some of the trinkets that were in the caches. Charlotte (3) spotted one of the caches so here is her picture. We also found 2geocoins that I will be passing on back in Washington. Later in the day Wilbur, Ruth, Dave and I went to town and toured the Stanley Hotel. Several others came too and met us there. The Stanley is an old hotel, up on the hillside in Estes Park. Stephen King stayed there and it was the inspiration for the book " The Shining" although it wasn't filmed there. The lobby has a Stanley Steamer in it, and the grounds are beautiful as well as the view of the Rocky Mountains. That evening Carol and her family made a mexican meal for us with fajitas, tacos, salad, beans, etc. After dinner Wilbur did a magic show for the kids. I remember as a child watching him entertain us with his magic tricks. It was such a special treat to see it again. Wednesday: Several of us had arranged to go on a Rocky Mountain "Top of the World" Tour so we went downtown about 8:45. Our guide, Rene' took us up in the mountains to the top of one of the peaks. Along the way we saw elk and other wildlife. The Colorado mountains are so pretty and different than we see in Washington. We really enjoyed the tour and learning about the area. In the afternoon I went swimming and just spent time enjoying family time. We were in charge of dinner so Doug had been slow cooking a pork shoulder all day for pulled pork sandwiches. That evening was to be our last together so we gathered one more time for dinner and had the sandwiches, along with some trout that the kids had caught that day, and several salads. We still had lots of food that either needed to be eaten or it would have to go home with Josh and Robin. After dinner we spent our last evening visiting and taking group pictures. Thursday: In the morning Doug and I packed the car then went to town for one last look around before we needed to leave. We got back to the campsite close to 10:30, then had to check out. Several of us were planning to stop in Boulder for lunch before those who needed to get to the airport had to leave. I found Estes Park and the Rocky Mountains majestic and I look forward to going back someday. It is a beautiful area and several of us agreed it was a great place for a reunion. To see more pictures, click below. Be sure to read my next entry which is the next few days of the trip including Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs and Red Rocks.