Thursday, March 27, 2025

Leaving Kyoto after five days of exciting ventures and spending time with the family. Off to the train station to catch the bullet train to Fukuoka then onto Sasebo. Traveling with Glenna, Nicole and little Jaxton was a treat, he loves the trains. Arrived in Sasebo and Dean picked us up and took us to the Kirby Condo on the Navy Base, get settled in and started the most amazing week getting to know this small town and the way of life with Dean and Nicole. Dinner at the Kamimotoyamacho Sushi Cafe was great, you order the sushi items from your table on a tablet then it arrives via conveyer belt right to your table.

Friday morning waking up with Jaxton was really fun, he is a very happy 14 month old that is a true pleasure to be around. Breakfast then off to the navy fitness center for a much needed workout, picked up some supplies at the base commissary and back to the condo. Dinner and wine was a good way to complete the first full day in Sasebo. We spent the next few days wondering the parks, waterways, markets checking out the cherry blossoms, eating at various restaurants and enjoying time together. Tonchikan was Dean’s favorite and the many Yakatori sticks did not disappoint. Awesome dinner followed by a visit to a very cool bar called The Bar & Cigar Nicolas Rolin on Shimokymachi Street was icing on the cake. This small family owned cigar bar served crafted cocktails made all by hand with over 500 bottles of every alcoholic delight you could ask every want on display.

Saturday, we went on our MMT (magical mystery tour) to Nagasaki, first stop was the Shu Matsurara knife shop. Another family owned business for over 50 years making custom knives for Chefs and kitchens all over the world. Yes, we picked out a couple for our kitchen, excited to use these new tools of the trade. Each knife was handmade, we picked out the custom colorfull handles and Shu added our names on each blade. After a short stop at a farmers market and lunch, we went to Omura Park to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom. What a sight to see…..Nagasaki, as most of you know was the sight of the atomic bomb dropped in Japan during WWII on August 9, 1945. We stopped to see the Fountain of Peace, the fountain sends up a sparkling spray of water in the shape of a pair of wings envoking the dove of peace. We then walked over to the Hypocenter where the bomb actually exploded. The museum was very informative, moving and very sad all at once. This eventually led to the end of WWII and hopefully never using another atomic bomb in the future.

After the museum, a big highlight was seeing the Great Samurai warriors march in their traditional wartime uniforms from the waterfront thru town, over the bridge while holding large torches with flames flying high celebrating their return. The park was full of spectators and food vendors cheering on the warriors.

Sunday was reserved for a Baseball game in Fukuoka, costco shopping on the way home and another fun day together. A two hour drive to the ballpark and we arrived at the Pay Pay Dome in time for some pregame activities walking around seeing how people in Japan enjoy a day at the ballpark. Into our seats and the game began, fun to watch the game with the same set of rules as MLB in the states. The crowd was a bit different, only one team cheered at a time when they were at bat. Beer and food vendors walked around so you didn’t need to get up and miss anything. The beer girls have kegs of draft beer they would pour right at your seats. The game was good but the highlight seemed to be the 7th inning stretch, everyone had yellow ballons to blow up and release them after a certain song was finished. Pictures below but crazy to see the thousands of balloons go up together. Game over and now time to start the drive back home but hit Costco about the half way mark. Interesting to see this major shopping store that looked like ours at home and had a lot of the same items but then had many Japanese items like a huge sushi section and a big wagyu beef department. Food court was similar with hot dogs, pizza, sushi, ice cream and fountain drinks. Great place to buy wine so we loaded up on Caymus (great price) tomahawk wagyu and assorted other food items and headed home.

Monday morning Dean was back at work as the rest of of took a slow morning to relax after a busy weekend. Breakfast with Jaxton, dressed and off to the gym for a little workout at the Navy Fitness Center. Later in the day, we all drove over to a friend of Dean and Nicole’s house on the water where they docked their 40 foot yacht. Boarded with terrific happy hour hors d’ oeuvres, champagne and snacks (thanks Nicole, the ultimate host) we met captain Erin and his wife Yuka then started the cruise out to the 99 islands. If your hobby happens to be hiding and hunting for treasures at sea, Kujukushima is a pirate’s paradise. Literally, kujukushima means “99 islands”. Figuratively, it means “too many islands to count”. Although in 2001 somebody finally did count them, so according to citizen science, there are 208 discrete islands at high tide. Among these, only four are inhabited by humans, so that gives you plenty of room to play around the other 204 islets. Captain Erin set the anchor in a small cove as we ate, drank and waited for the sunset. If you like being on the water like we do, this was pretty hard to beat.

Monday, April 1st. was spent at the Japanese gardens and a ride thru little towns exploring this beautiful country. We came across the Niwaki Dam, drove around the lake and took in the spectacular cherry trees in full bloom. They completly lined the shores side by side as we were in awe of mother nature at it’s finest, truly magical site to see.

The rest of our time in sasebo was spent in the parks, restaurants, markets, picinic with friends in Nimitz Park, gym and hanging out. One super special night was our diner at the Ra-Men’s Bar DDD ( daily, delicious, discovery ) not the DDD we are used to in the states. Started off with my son Chris’s favorite drink, the Lemon Chu-Hi with fresh pieces of frozen lemon in it. This drink was delightedly cold refreshing so we couldn’t have just one. Next came the duck ramen that was full of flavors beyond description along with the best fried rice I have ever had. I do have to mention the Curry restaurant Nicole took us to for lunch one day, the Indian style curry was incredible with the Naan bread and butter chicken . The local Kujukushima Zoo & Botanical gardens in Sasebo was a Jaxton favorite, they had Girafes, Black Bears, Goats, Sheep, Penguines, horses, zebras, red dog pandas, cheetah and really beautiful flowers.

As if we didn’t eat enough great food, our last day was a true culinary delight. Nicole and Dean’s friend Yuka set us up at a local sushi lunch that she had some pull with. We arrived at this Michelin star family owned restaurant that has been serving the locals for over 50 years. Sushi Restaurant Genroku chef and owner Osamu along with his wife and son served us an 8 course sushi meal that was over the top and perfectly paired with warm sake. I put this as one of my top three dining restaurant experiences I have ever had. Perfect amount of food for lunch and prepared us ready for our final dinner that night at the Kirby condo. Waygu tomahawk with cowboy butter served with homemade ramen and a few bottles of Caymus wine. What a way to end our stay in sasebo. The final morning took us to the Navy base for friendship day, where the base is open to all the locals to visit and tour the ships in port and see demonstrations from the navy teams. We took the time to tour a Japanese destroyer ship, rode the helicopter elevator deck up to the main deck, pretty cool experience.

We packed up the car, off to the train station. Said our goodbyes for now and headed to Osaka for the next three days.

Sasebo Zoo

Glenna, Nicole and Jaxton

friendship day on the navy base

Osprey landing on the America aircraft carrier

lunch at Genroku sushi

chef Osomu and his family

Pat, Glenna, Nicole and Dean

Pat and Glenna

Jaxton has dreams of having big biceps like his Dad

in front of the sushi restaurant

picnic in the park

Jaxton loved walks with Pat and Glenna

butter chicken curry

OMG loved these Chu-Hi cocktails

picnic in the park with friends

very efficient and crowded in the local trains

Nicole, Dean and Jaxton, one beautiful family❤️👍

Pat and Dean tasting the wagyu

Glenna and Jaxton

cherry trees in full bloom

very nice hotel in Osaka

Glenna under the cheer blossoms

loved these smoothie machines at 7-11

the last hooray dinner with Dean and Nicole

3 1/2 pound waygu tomahawk

served with homemade ramen from Nicole❤️😀

view of the 99 islands

Deans ship is in dry dock for repairs

Glenna and Nicole at the curry restaurant

cherry trees in full bloom at Niwaki Dam

Japanese Garden

In Japan, this is on every sidewalk, do you know what it is?guess

March 23, 2025 (Sunday)

Kyoto, Japan’s capital for over 1,000 years full of Temples, Shrines, Gardens was a must see city to explore and very thankful that Nicole, Dean and Jaxton could join and guide us thru this part of Japan.

Glenna and Pat left Tokyo on the 9:45 train to Kyoto, beautiful train ride thru the countryside and as always, arrived on time. Jumped in a taxi to The Chapter Kyoto, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, a Marriott property. Walked into the lobby and there was Nicole, Dean and little Jaxton awaiting our arrival. After many hugs and catching up, we checked in and put our luggage in the room before embarking on our city tour hosted by Nicole and Dean. We took a train to the Arashiyama area to see the Kimono Forest, Bamboo Forest, which was beautiful to walk thru. We ate the Kijurou (Wagyu) Restaurant and it was a fantastic way to kick off our culinary experience in Kyoto. We did manage to catch sight of a Geisha Girl as we strolled thru the Gion District, very fun to see her. Back to the hotel for a glass of wine and planning our the agenda for the next four days together in Kyoto.

Monday morning was Deans birthday and that kicked off a wonderful day together. Hit the gym first (priorty for Dean) then a long walk to the Nishiki Market where we spend several hours strolling thru the narrow aisles sampling traditional foods from the many local vendors. The stop for lunch at the crab and sake shop proved to be a winner. The large snow crab on a stick with a very light tempura batter then deep fried, dressed up with a little chile spice and mayo was the hit of the day. One round then back in line for another. The sake was delicious for only .60 cents each paired perfectley with the crab. A few other stops along the way to sample local cuisine (pictures below).

Next stop was the Samurai Ninja Museum where we took a tour and participated in the Ninja star throwing contest. Pats old frisbee and dart days came to life and he was able to throw many bulls eyes before making it to the finals where he continued to throw two bulls eyes beating out the other finalist. He was awarded a Ninja Star keepsake for his efforts. Off to the Maruyamacho Park to see the Cherry Blossoms but not alot out yet. We did manage to have a glass of champagne overlooking the water to celebrate Deans 39th birthday… Back to the hotel for dinner, presents and wine.

Tuesday morning Dean had to go back to work in Sasebo, Pat, Glenna, Nicole and Jaxton took the local train to Nara to see and feed the deer and the Todai-Ji Buddha Temple. This is a World Heritage Site and is the worlds largest wooden structure with the Buddha alone standing over 52 feet tall. Truly an amazing site to see, a WOW event!!!!!!

Wednesday took us to the Imperial Palace for a self walking tour around these amazing grounds and gardens. Back to the Nishiki Market for more Snow Crab before seeing that the little local Taco stand was open for business. Nicole has frequented this a few times so she knew it was something we would enjoy. Homemade taco’s, margaritas again proved to be a big hit. (see pictures below).

Thursday morning we embarked on an early train to Sasebo by way of Fukuoka viewing the sites of Japan along the way. The bullet trains are amazing and always on time and a fun, stress free way to travel in Japan.

Next stop Sasebo………

beautiful cherry tree in the Gion District

bullet train to Kyoto

taco stand in Kyoto with Jaxton and Pat

hug pulmaria tree, the smell was amazing

Glenna in front of the largest wooden structure in the world

cherry blossoms everywhere

crab legs at the Nishiki market

Kimono Forest

Dean, Nicole and Jaxton in Kyoto on our cherry blossom walk

Geisha Girl sighting

bamboo forest

Pat winning the ninja star throwing contest with a bullseye

deer at Nara park

who knew you could get great tacos in Kyoto?

Pat and Glenna at the bamboo forest

Wagyu beef bento box for dinner , delicious!!!

Nicole and Jaxton , great host in Japan

Dean, Glenna and Pat under a Tori Gate in Kyoto

great Waygu beef in all the local markets

Dean’s Birthday whiskey

Jaxton Birthday gift from Uncle Pat and Aunt Glenna

Sake served by Nicole at the market

Samurai museum

Pat and Nicole at their favorite taco stand

Jaxton loved the deer

popular breakfast, egg salad with fried chicken

Jaxton and Lola at the house playing

the boys on a walk

Bellingham and Canada August 12-27th

Now we start a stretch of a couple weeks to spend time in Bellingham and Canada. Golf at Bellingham Golf and Country Club a few times, cards and dinners with friends Karla and Ros, hanging out with new friends at the Cedars RV Resort Rick and Linda are a few of the highlights. The Keyes Classic golf tournament with 14 couples was another raving success. Perfect day for golf after a midnight storm that blew thru the area with plenty of thunder and lightning. Glenna and her partner Dave took the first place prize money at 10 under par. Of yeah, this is her second win in a row for this summer tournament, not sure they want to invite her back next year…..

We had a great time golfing at Skagit Country Club with Sandy and Mike. Followed by a great dinner at the Longhorn Saloon. After dinner we spent the night at Mike and Sandy’s waterfront cabin, pulling crab pots, playing cards, drinking wine and catching up. The sunset over the water was fantastic.

The famous ROMDOG party at Gary and Liz’s place on the water in Sandy Point proved again that good traditions should continue. Great hotdogs cooked on the green egg and plenty of bottles of Rombauer made for a perfect evening visiting with friends and taking in the views of Mount Baker and the bay surrounding the local mountains. A few trip across the border took us to the Richmand Golf Club to play a round with Glenna’s cousin Geoff and his wife Ruth. Drinks and appy’s on the patio with more time to catch up. On Tuesday August 20th we drove across again to have lunch with Glenna’s family: Harold and Karen, Geoff and Ruth, Tommy and our host Rick and Jane. Pulled pork sandwiches, chicken salad and lots of stories filled the afternoon. Back across on Friday for a light lunch with Carol and Sandy in White Rock then dinner later with friends Gerry and Ruby in downtown Vancouver. Always great to see this waterfront area from the 37th floor of the Shaw tower where Gerry and Ruby live. Panoramic views of the harbor watching the seaplanes taking off and landing in the water below, super yachts cruizing the blue calm waterways and seeing the mountains around Vancouver. But, nothing better than sitting down with great friends sharing a meal and memories with plenty of laughter.

A few more days in Bellingham spending time with friends, our resort neighbors and just hanging out before our next roadtrip over to Leavenworth, Washington.

Leavenworth, Washington August 27-30

Tuesday morning we pulled out of the Cedars Resort in Ferndale and headed south on interstate 5 towards Everett. I noticed on my pre drive routine that my front tires were getting a bit thin so on the drive, Glenna did some research on tire places and we ended up in Monroe, Washington and had the two front tires replaced. Only a short delay then back on the road to Leavenworth. Arrived at the KOA campground, checked in and got set up in our tight spot amongst the pine trees and the flowing Wanatchee River nearby. Dinner at the RV and a pleasant surprise when we heard music coming from the outdoor patio near the main office. A country western entertainer named Chris Ward was singing his songs to the delight of many folks on the patio and surrounding areas. We were amazed at the quailty of his voice and guitar playing. Turns out that Chris had a number one hit on the country charts in Nashville and played a lot of cover songs that we all enjoyed. He played his number one hit called Ring My Bell for us as well. Chris and the KOA were raising money for kids with cancer and appreciated all the donations made by the visitors. Wednesday was a golf day so we drove over to the Leavenworth Golf Club and played a round in this spectacular mountain setting. We were joined by a local young man named Duke who is a firefighter for the Lake Chelan fire department nearby. Beautiful scenery in this pine tree filled narrow course. After golf we went into the small town of Leavenworth to enjoy some German hospitality and shopping. Sausages, beers and pretzels were a big hit while we sat out on the patio enjoyning this perfect weather day in the mountains of Washington. One more day of relaxing around the Campland seeing the river and taking a long walk.

Davenport, Washington August 30-September 5, 2024

Beautiful drive From Leavenworth to Davenport over the passes seeing the green forest and flowing fresh water rivers along the windy highways. One quick stop at Smallwoods Harvest to pick up some fresh friut and vegetables to share with our friends in Davenport. Peaches, heirloom tomato’s and watermelon along with some homemade jams were the highlights. Traveled thru apple country and into wheat country, who knew that this part of Eastern Washington is one of the top wheat producers in the world. This is “dry wheat” farming meaning not much water is needed to produce thousands of acres of wheat. On to Deer Meadows which is a small community about 20 miles outside of Davenport on the Western side. Well, we really found out why they call it Deer Meadows. WOW, Deer everywhere you look. Pulled onto George and Coy’s property overlooking Lake Roosevelt and got set up for the week parking the RV next to the garage (or George’s man cave) as we call it and started enjoying the views and hospitality. Friday was the start of Labor Day weekend so the Lake was full of passing Houseboats, pleasure boats and plenty of fishing boats. We fished on Saturday morning along the shoreline below George’s house and managed to catch a few small mouth bass but overall the fishing was pretty slow. We made up for that a couple times going down to the marina for some nighttime dock fishing, Glenna outfished the boys the first night catching 2 trout and 2 Walleye however, Pat did catch the big trout to take home and filet for the freezer. Fun times with George exposing us to new adventures on the docks of the Seven Bays Marina with his friends fishing along side of us. We taught George and Coy how to play a card game called 3 / 13. They caught on quickly so it was fun playing a few times before the rest of the group arrived.

Tuesday, the rest of the company showed up with a couple surprise guest that George had planned for us. We had 5 other couples from our High School days join us for a few days of story telling, sharing life experiences and plenty of laughs along the way. George and Coy were great hosts serving plenty of meals and George’s favorite Strawberry Margaritas.

Attendees: George and Coy Chandler, Pat and Glenna Huth, Robert and Susie Weigand, Kirk and Nancy Shearer, Bruce and Shelly Adams and Rick and Jody Tolocko. We all went to High School with representation from classes in 1971, 1972 and 1973 and have remained friends all these years. On highlight was on Wednesday September 4th, we rented a pontoon boat and spent 4 1/2 hours touring around Lake Rooselvelt. Calm, clear water and beautiful shorelines made for a terrific time with great friends. Of course, snacks, cocktails were in order for this afternoon delight cruising thru small coves with 600 foot sheer cliffs providing shade of this 92 degee day. A herd of Rams (counted about 31) along the shoreline drinking the cool water was a great way to see Mother Nature at it’s finest. These majestic animals strutted their stuff as they climbed some rocks and hills along the shore. Found a nice beach to hang on for a bit while some took a dip in the water to cool off and others collected small rocks for souvenirs. Back to the dock and a short ride home for George’s Dungeness Crab Fettuchini, wine and more good times. Pat, Glenna, Robert and Susie sat out on their VRBO property next store at night to see the stars and view the Starlink satellites two night in a row passing right past us low on the horizon dark sky. Thursday was moving day for Pat and Glenna, Robert and Susie while the others stayed for another night catching up and having a blast.

Next stop for us is Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho and then on to Montana………..

Glenna hand feeding the deer at George and Coy’s house

Deer Meadows is the community where George and Coy live.

These deer love George

Great place to park while visiting

The boys from Clairemont High. Pat, George, Robert, Bruce, Kirk and Rick.

Robert and Susie

George making strawberry daiquiris for the group

We rented a pontoon boat to explore Roosevelt Lake

Lots of big horn sheep along the shoreline

Pat, Robert, Susie and Coy

George, Shelley, Bruce, Rick, Pat and Jody

Best looking grass I have ever seen.

Glenna with the catch of the day, rainbow trout

George, Glenna and Pat fishing on Roosevelt Lake

Bear paw print right where we are fishing, keep your eyes open.

Did I mention deer everywhere

Glenna with Coys prize possessions

Great farmers market outside of Davenport

We stayed a few nights in Leavenworth

Fun day of golf in Leavenworth

Chris Ward did an outdoor concert at the KOA, he was incredible.

Beautiful scenery along the river in Leavenworth.

Glenna, Kristi and Karla on the patio at Jim and Kristi’s lakefront rental while their house is being renovated.

Lake Whatcom

Our neighbors at Cedars RV, who knew we all liked wine.

Glenna, Sandy and Carel having lunch in White Rock.

Lissa, Glenna and Jeanne have lunch in Vancouver.

Pat, Karla, Ros and Glenna golfing at BHCC.

Party after the Keyes Classic

Keyes Classic at Bellingham Golf and CC.

Of course, Glenna and Dave won!!!!

All the girls at the Grahn’s for the Rom Dog party.

Dave ask Pat to do the BBQing at their house after the Keyes Classic

All the golfing girls

spectacular sunset at Mike and Sandy’s house on the water on Samish Island.

Pulling up crab pots did not disappoint, lots of crab to go around.

Sandy tried a new recipe for individual beef Wellington.

Very patriotic neighborhood

Out of the water, in the pot and on the table in 30 minutes, doesn’t get any fresher than that.

We had to try out the Big Stick BBQ in Bellingham that our new friends Rick and Linda own.
Glenna, Ros and Karla.

Great views of the Vancouver Harbor from Gerry and Ruby’s place on the 37th floor.

Dinner at the Longhorn Saloon in Edison, the best seafood chowder ever.

July 23-September 25, 2024

This 62 day summer trip will be an exciting journey traveling in the Pacific Northwest including California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada. Some of the highlights will be seeing friends all along the way, visiting Glenna’s family in Canada, wine in Napa, golfing as much as possible, fishing in Alaska and Montana and yachting in Canada.

We left home in 108* heat and headed to central CA for the first night then into Napa Valley for the next three nights. Hit a few of our favorite wineries including Hall Winery, Sherwin Family Vineyards, Vinatieri Winery, Oakville Cross Winery and of course, Silver Oak. Had a few meals at Gotts and Model Bakery and enjoyed some down time at the RV parked over at Skyline Wilderness Park near Downtown Napa.

Saturday July 27th we headed up the I 5 and past Lake Shasta driving thru all the smoke from the Chico fire still burning out of control. Spent the night in Klammath Falls then arriving in Crooked River RV Park near Bend, Oregon to visit our friends Patrick and Dee. Took a tour of their property, new home just about completed, drove around town and off to the golf course for our first round of the trip. Crooked River Golf Club is nestled in a valley with spectacular views of mountain tops and gorges with the river running thru the bottom of the gorge. Dinner at the Pump House in Redman was a real treat, dining on the outdoor patio we had a few delicious entrees that did not disappoint. The topper was the half baked chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge on top, this was a special treat for Dee since she has never had this epric dessert before. Breakfast the next morning at the One Street Down Cafe served us one of the best Huevos Rancheros we have ever had.

Tried to do a little sight seeing around town and Smith Rock but it was so smoky that we decided to hit the road heading North to Washington. Only had one issues along the way, during the slight rain on of our wind shield wipers flew off onto the side of the road. Glenna was able to find it but it was broken so we went into Camping World close by to get replacements and back on the road.

Arrived at our next home for a bit in Ferndale, Washington just North of Bellingham. Set up and had dinner over at our good friends Karla and Roz with awesome bluefin tuna, wine and some cards after dinner.

Next stop is Alaska

After spending the night near the SEATAC airport at the Hilton we jumped on the early morning shuttle to catch our flight. Ontime and good seats, the flight to Juneau gave us a spectacular view of the Canadian and Alaskan landscape from our side of the plane. Green everywhere, remote hidden lakes and gorgeous glaciers made us think we were watching a National Geographic broadcast.

Landed are were promptly greeted by our host Erin, off to the hotel for an early checkin and time for lunch at Deckhand Dave’s for some Halibut fish and Chips. Hank was working at the fish processing plant so we will hook up with him for dinner. We decided to go on a whale watching tour that Erin had set up as an option. Saw lots of whales and had a great boat ride, always fun to be out on the water. Drinks with Hank and Erin at the Squirez Bar across the street from the Fishermans Bend Marina then dinner at Forbidden Peak Brewery in Auke Bay.

Glenna’s bucket list item was quickly comming for fruition when we boarded our friends fishing boat (Island Vibe). Ran out to one on Hank’s favorite fishing spots and dropped some bait. Well, it didn’t take long before Glenna was reeling in her first Salmon. Way to go Glenna……..We caught lots of fish but not many keepers and still had a blast, the weather was perfect with calm seas. Dinner at Hank and Erin’s condo overlooking the marina and the many eagles flying by that gave us a impromptu air show from Mother Nature. Hank made some sockeye salmon with all the fixings and Glenna brought a nice bottle of Silver Oak to share.

Day two of fishing was even better, lots of fish and some great Coho (Silver Salmon) keepers. Two fun days on the water with great friends and their dog, Annie who loves it when you catch a fish. Thanks to Hank for cleaning all the fish and getting them ready to be processed, packed, frozen for the trip home. Dinner at The Hanger right on the water and overlooking the Sea Planes arriving and departing with new passengers. Final day was for more sight seeing with Erin as our guide around Juneau, Mendenhall Glacier, The Shrine and lunch at the Flight Connection where Hank met us for thier favorite place for fish and chips. Lunch on the patio was great but the record heat of 85 degrees for the second day in a row was a lot for the locals to handle. Around six, we walked into town and visited the famous Red Dog Saloon and so did all the cruise folks trying to get in before they had to reboard thier ships for the night. Fun bar with live music and wonderful staff to make you feel welcomed.

Tuesday we flew back to Seattle, hit Pikes Market Place on the way home to pick up some peaches and heirloom tomatoes. Yes, these are the best peaches I have ever had and a must stop for me when in the area.

Next Stop is Yachting in the Gulf Islands in Canada:

Thursday, August 8th we crossed the border and headed towards the ferry in Tsawwassen in British Columbia. Boarded and made the 1 hour 40 minute ride thru the Gulf Islands and landed at the Long Horn Marina on Salt Springs Island for our meet up with our friends Tom and Greg. Loaded our luggage, wine and some food on their 56 foot Meridian Yacht. Spent the evening catching up with them and some of their friends, jumped in the pool overlooking the beautiful marina before Greg cooked us a fabulous dinner with the salmon we brought from Alaska.

Friday morning we drove into the little town of Ganges, had a nice walk around town checking out the cute little shops, Bakery and cafes. Greg gave us the tour and history then shopped at the local Country Grocer for a few supplies. Back to the dock, left Long Harbor and enjoyed a terrific ride around the islands towards Genoa Bay where we docked at the Genoa Bay Marina for two nights. Tucked in the back of the Bay, these secluded docks gave us plenty of shade in the mornings with afternoon sunshine.

More to come……

the Eye Catcher

Greg and Glenna going for a cruise in the dingy around Genoa Bay

Pat at the helm with Tom and Greg

Glenna has a great seat for our trip on the water

Glenna and Greg

this is on the side of Greg and Tom’s boat, happy hour has started.

this is the ferry we took over to Salt Springs Island

Juneau pictures

Hank, Erin, Glenna and Pat at the Hanger

Glenna and Annie on the fishing boat in Juneau

Pat and Glenna

Pat with keeper Coho Salmon

Lots of elegant eagles in Alaska

Zoom in on this one to see more eagles eating on the shoreline

Sunset over the harbor in Juneau

whale watching did not disappoint

Sea Lions taking a nap on the bouy

Light House out in the sound during our fishing trip

Mendenhall Glacier

Great Mexican restaurant in Bellingham

Glenna and Karla trying the margaritas

this says it all

this whale was just spouting off

June 21-24, 2024

Talking about getting together and actually getting together is two different things. In life we have many business relationships that come and go but some turn into life long friendships. Mark, Randy and I worked together at Avnet for a number of years and stayed in touch over the years but rarly got together. Well, that all changed this extended weekend. Randy lives in Atlanta with his wife Laura, Mark lives near St. Louis and Phoenix part time and Pat with his wife Glenna lives in Temecula, CA and spends about 4-6 months of the year on the road traveling the USA.

Friday morning was spent with more stories of the past and catching up on people in common that we all worked with. Randy took us to for a nice drive around Lake Lanier exploring the area, this Lake is huge with clear water and beautiful shorelines. Lunch at Randy’s favorite lunch spot, Wright’s is a traditional British style fish and chips restaurant. They won the 2024 award for the best fish and chips in the country. Well, it did not disappoint and Mark had to try out the local beer named Fuller’s. After a short conversation while ordering, Randy told us that there is a menu item named after him. The “RANDY” was a special meal he always ordered, it had one extra piece of nugget fish and half the chips. After some time, the owners put it on the menu, way to go Randy….The rest of Friday was hanging out playing a card game that Pat taught them called 3/13, we played 3 games over the weekend and everyone had a blast. (can’t repeat some of the sayings and comments during the games) Randy won the first game and Pat won the next two but all games were very close. Friday night after dinner, Laura took us to the Rooftop Bar where she knew the owners and staff. We were treated to a wonderful evening of live music provided from Andrea Guest and Merna, both from Nashville and they rocked the place. The smoked old fashions were a hit as well.

Saturday morning we headed to downtown Atlanta to check out the College Hall of Fame Museum. Filled with football memorabilia and a short film made for a great time talking football. Mark and Pat had their visit to a Chick Fil-A restaurant, (Randy was a regular) this franchise is headquartered in Atlanta and is the largest chain specializing in chicken sandwiches. Of course we had to try the peach shakes they serve this time of year. Saturday night we BBQ’d in the backyard, swam in the pool and played more cards. Oh yeah, we had some awesome wines…..

Sunday was relaxing day around the house in the morning and then off to Margaritaville at Lanier Islands. What a beautiful spot on Lake Lanier with bars, restaurants, beaches and water activities. Lunch and a few beers at the Landshark Bar and Grill and off to The Twisted Oar to enjoy the water views. Live music, cocktails and snacks were plenty for all of us until we hit Pig Tails BBQ on the way home. Last game of cards and off to bed, busy weekend and we were all ready for a good nights sleep.

Monday morning Mark, Randy and Pat had a quite breakfast at Revelle right by Randy’s house and then off to the airport for our journeys home.

Thanks to Laura and Randy for hosting Mark and I for the long weekend, you have a beautiful home and property and made it fun to stay with you guys.

Until next time, take care my friends, safe travels and talk soon.

Pat, Mark and Randy

Randy, Pat and Mark having lunch at Wrights

Mark and Laura

3/13 card game scores

Randy won this one!!!

great bbq dinner at Randy’s

had to have some good wines!!!

Mark and Randy

first stop after the airport.

May 10-20, 2024

The Fawcett’s and Huth’s hit the road early for our journey heading West. Hot Springs was on my bucket list from our travels 2 years ago, located about 40 miles South of Little Rock proved to be a great place for our friends John and Melissa Hoffman to settle down. This town is full of history with thier famous Hot Springs Bath houses, stories of Al Capone visiting and buying alcohol during the prohibition and the baseball players coming from all over the country to get ready for the upcoming season. Hence the term “Spring Training” came about, they all played together in HOT SPRINGS.

We checked in to the Catherines Landing RV Resort, two great spaces right on the shore of the lake. On day one, we enjoyed the resort playing cards and having an Old Fashioned overlooking the lake. Saturday, we took the city tour exploring and understanding the history, also visiting the National Park. We rented a pontoon boat, packed some snacks, drinks then spent the next four hours exploring this beautiful waterway. Sunday morning was golf day for Glenna, Kathy and I, we played one of the 9 courses in this gated community called the Village. The Granada Golf Course was hilly, green, tough but very scenic. We had to try the drinks and snacks at the 19th hole, very delicious. Monday, the girls took a painting class that Melissa and Liz arranged while Ron and I hung at the rv’s. Met up with Melissa and Liz Hoffman for lunch at the Ohio Club where back in the day it was a restaurant, gambling hall and brothel. It is Arkansas oldest bar in the State. Time to see the Hoffman Estate located right on the shores of Lake Balboa with a 270* view of this beautiful lake. John BBQ’d a great dinner with Melissa providing all the sides to make this a perfect meal shared with old friends. Tuesday was another golf day, we played at their private course called Diamante CC and had a blast. John shot a 68 with Ernie, Pat and the girls all playing ok. Lunch in the club was great and time well spent telling old stories and cathing up. After golf, we met back at their house, jumped on the pontoon boat for a booze cruise around the lake seeing the gorgeous houses and properties on the shorelines. Dinner at the Sunset Grill located on the lake with seating upstairs with a perfect sunset and a great way to spend our last night in Hot Springs and say good bye for now to our friends from Hot Springs and Poway.

On Wednesday morning, we continued our journey West to Elk City, OK. Checked into the local KOA and set up for the night. We noticed that the front office also had a bar, store and two very nice ladies running this KOA. We decided to go back up to the bar, have some dinner, drinks and played cards and enjoyed the company of other campers and their stories.

Off to Albuquerque for another one night stand at the Route 66 RV Resort and Casino. After setting up, Glenna and I headed to the casino to check it out and came back with almost all the money we started with. Early night with Ron and Kathy as we reminisced about our trip and said our good bye’s for now. They are heading to Phoenix for one night then home and we headed to Pine Top to visit friends for a few days.

Pine Top is a small town in the White Mountains above the Phoenix area. We showed up at Jim and Linda Harper’s house, back the RV into their driveway and checked into the house for our final stay. OMG, what a place right on the golf course in the pines with stunning views all over the place. Dinner at the club catching up on old times and Glenna getting an earful of stories of Jim, Linda, special guest Brian Hilton and Pat from our working together and friendships over the past 40 plus years. Saturday was a golf day as we played this spectacular course with one of their friends Zodie joining us. Dinner at the Pasta House was fantastic, this authenic American Italian Cuisine restaurant served lamb as the special and the pasta was awesome with a great bottle of wine.

Sunday morning Linda, Glenna and I golfed on this perfect weather day. Jim stayed back and prepared his famous Chicken Ala Harper Style that we were having for dinner. We all played better and had fun watching a wild white horse roam around the first hole. Lunch at the club restaurant after golf and back to the house to watch the final round of the PGA Championship. Jim and Linda hosted Pat, Glenna, Brian, another friend Ed to a special sit down culinary feast. The famous chicken dish did not disappoint and the wines were perfect to share with old friends.

Monday morning was started early, we we up and out before 7am so we could beat some of the construction traffic going down the hill towards Phoenix. Very windy drive in the mountains and the desert all the way home, made for a long day but we made it home safe and sound.

Fun Facts from our Trip

62 days March 20- May 20, 2024

13 States: California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Mississipi, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas and Oklahoma

5347 miles

18 RV Resorts

50 rounds of 3/13 card game: Glenna was the overall winner with 16 wins!!!! Kathy 14, Pat 13 and Ron 7

Lots of fresh shrimp, oysters and mussels

Many boat rides on Lakes, Rivers and Oceans

12 Different sets of friends visited along the way

3 Tornados had us change driving plans, all very good moves!!!

Lake at Catherine Landing in Hot Springs

Pat, Kathy and Ron taking in the view from Hot Springs National Park

Glenna and Pat on the Trolly Tour

Ron, Kathy, Glenna and Pat having lunch in Hot Springs

Pontoon rental boat at Catherine’s Landing

Captain Glenna giving us a great ride

Pat and Glenna at Granada Golf Club

Ernie and Liz at John and Melissa’s house

Pat and Glenna taking in the views on Lake Balboa

Glenna, Liz and Ernie

John and Melissa

Drinks at the Hoffman bar

Ron, Kathy, Ernie and John

Pat, John and Ernie

View of the Hoffman Estate from the water

A great stop near Oklahoma City to see these giant bronze statues of the Centennial Land Run Monument

Jim, Linda, Brian, Glenna and Pat at the Pine Top CC dinner

Beautiful views of the Pine Top CC

Dinner with Brian, Ed, Jim and Pat at the Harper house

Jim cooking his chicken dinner

Cocktails and good wine prior to dinner

Nice parking spot at the Harper house

Linda, Jim and Glenna

Driving thru tornado alley on Oklahoma

We are 13.3 so we drove in the middle of this low bridge slow but all good

Lake view spaces at Catherine’s Landing

Booze Cruise on Lake Balboa

Final tally for our 3/13 card games. Congratulations to Glenna !!!!

Cards in Albuquerque

Hoffman cat, what can I say. His name is Yotta.

Glenna and Kathy enjoying the 19th hole after a tough round at Granada CC

Pat, Kathy and Glenna golfing

This looked like an alligator but it was actually a log sticking out of the water. The shadow is perfect for the first bottom of his mouth

Had to post one wine picture, very good

Hot Springs

Hot Springs local cupcake shop, took these to dinner at the Hoffman’s

Fawcett RV travel partners

middle photo is our trip going East to Hilton Head and bottom is heading West going home.

Great trip with Ron and Kathy seeing this beautiful country. Thanks for following along and we look forward to sharing our next journey to Oregon, Washington, Canada and Montana in August and September. Oh yeah, and a few surprises along the way.

Take Care,

Pat and Glenna