Crystal Mountain Ski Resort. Great view of Mount Ranier.
Visiting other states makes me wonder what the hell I am doing here.
We visited a number of national parks in the area, Cascades, Olympic, Mount Ranier, and Crater Lake. We also visited the cities of Seattle and Portland. Pictures are below. Here are some interesting notes.
VRBO Ghost. OMG. We had 3 couples, 4 bedrooms VRBO house. Every single one of us experienced a double KNOCK KNOCK on our bedroom door and nobody was there. On the last day I was in the kitchen and my door slammed hard enough for people to come out of their rooms wondering who the hell slammed the door! That was very strange!!! When the knock happened to me I said “Come in!” then immediately realized what was happening. There was no one there. Yeow!
Seattle Underground Tour We went on this tour 30 years ago and it is still great! Interesting history of Seattle. If you are in the area take 90 minutes to learn about Seattle and why there is an underground. It is a very interesting tour and very affordable.
Seattle Needle Of course we made the trip up the Needle. It was a clear day and we had some beautiful views! We were told the chowder at Ivar’s was the absolute best in the world. They were right! A bit expensive but the chowder was really good!
Whale Watching We booked a whale watching tour and saw a couple of Orcas. The boat ride was just beautiful. Sunny day. Cool. Just perfect. We took a ferry to Bainbridge. That was interesting because there were two military ships being paraded through the area by tugboats spouting water. The sailors were all lined up on the ships.
Portland My main reason to go to Portland was to visit my good friends son who manages a comedy show venue. My friend and I have known each other for over 50 years. We surprised the hell out of him and watched a real good comedy show. The venue hosts some top entertainers including James Austin Johnson who plays trump on SNL. If in Portland go see a show and ask for James! Portland Helium Comedy Club.
Status of the Parks The only thing I can say I noticed was the maintenance of the bathrooms. Many were not working. Many were not clean to the point people walked into the woods instead of using the facilities. Other than that I didn’t see any impact to the cuts in funding.
If the accommodations had had larger coffee cups this vacation would have been perfect! (but it really was perfect!)
Access2Tanzania.com We spent 11 days visiting Tarangire National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater, and the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania which the locals pronounce Tan-Zan-ee-uh not Tan-za-nee-uh. We booked with Access2Tanzania almost a year in advance and they did not disappoint. From the time they picked us up at the Kilimanjaro Airport till the time they dropped us off 11 days later they took care of us, kept us safe, and made our trip absolutely perfect! They provided guidelines and timelines to make sure we had all necessary vaccines, documents, VISAs and more. The food and drinks at every accomodation was all safe to eat and drink. It was worry free. They really took care of us!
Danny Danny was our guide. You can read his bio and reviews here. He made our trip absolutely perfect. He has hawk eyes and could spot animals in the distant where we needed binoculars. As an example while other tours were viewing a nearby lion Danny noticed strange movements by a number of hyenas which led us to a lion eating a fresh kill. The hyenas eventually surrounded the lion wanting to steal her kill. (video here) This was just one of the many times Danny found different animals to view and we saw many including the Big 5, the Rhino, Lion, Leopard, Elephant, and the Cape buffalo. We spent 11 days with Danny and we enjoyed every bit of it! He was friendly, knowledgeable and just fun to be around. It was a very emotional event when he dropped us off at the airport.
Accommodations We spent 2 nights at the Rivertree resort in Arusha after landing at Kilimanjaro Airport. This gave us time to adjust to the time change, grab some local currency, visit the city, and shop. Rivertree was awesome! Food was provided at all of our locations as well as safe water to drink and a fully stocked bar! We had a 6 hour wait for our flight to go home. They gave us a room for a few hours so we could take a quick nap, shower, eat, and get ready for the long trip. It was very nice!
We then spent a couple of nights in Tarangire National Park in tents. (clamping) it was a very comfortable large tent with a king sized bed, bathroom, and shower. Showers had to be completed prior to 6 PM since the workers could not safely fill up the water bag at night. We could not leave the tent without calling for an escort due to the animals being close by. In the morning we would look for tracks. At night we heard lions and hyenas.
We spent another 2 nights at the Lions Paw in the Ngorongoro Crater. The rooms were again in very nice tents and were as nice as many fancy hotels I have stayed at. The main area had a beautiful restaurant and a large outdoor viewing area with campfires and a bar.
The rest of the time we were in the Serengeti National Park, again in large tents. The staff at every location were friendly and very helpful. They all were very helpful and waited on us. If we needed anything they were there to help. As an example we thought our last place had laundry service and were confused when the clothes were not taken. The next day they had our clothes cleaned and folded!
The Safari Each day Danny would pick us up in a Toyota Range Rover. It had a top that could be pushed up so we could stand and view. We were told that the ride would be bumpy and dusty but all very well worth it. They were right! We bought scarfs to protect us from the dust. All of the seats had extra padding. Danny would find the animals and position us to the best viewing area. A hot lunch was provided sometimes at a picnic location or in the middle of no where. It was local food cooked by the chef at the camping ground. On a couple of days we left early in the morning and had breakfast and lunch in the field.
The Villages We visited a couple of villages and met with the locals. They cooked a great lunch providing different samples of local foods. They gave us a tour of the banana plantations and shared some banana beer with us. Banana beer is a social drink that is always shared with others. We met some kids, age 12 and 14, who walked 7 miles each morning to take their 75 goats to a grazing pasture and back home in the evening. We were taken on a canoe ride on the lake. Everyone was very nice and in good spirits.
I’ll post some pics of the animals we saw in the next post. If you are interested in an Africa Safari consider Access2Tanzania as your tour company. You will have a vacation of a lifetime!
Try calling customer service Go ahead and try. I’ll wait….
I never thought I would never find a customer service worse than AT&T but I did, American Airlines. Here is a warning to those who fly AA and experience trouble. There is no way to actually talk to customer service. At all. If you call to book a flight they will quickly answer the phone and take your money, but if you have a problem they are no where to be found.
Don’t believe me? Go ahead and visit their website and find their customer service department. They have a phone number for reservations, a way to “chat”, and a way to send an email. That email will result in a form letter. Chat eventually refers you to sending an email.
I finally wrote a letter to them and received a response which didn’t address the situation. I filed a complaint with the FAA with the original issue and another about their lack of customer service and finally received a call, weeks later. They followed this up with an email offering $50 but without a contact number for follow up. Today I received a call about the 2nd complaint 3 months later. The offer was adequate and I am suppose to receive another email with a direct number to call if I needed to discuss further. I don’t.
I fly Southwest Air as much as I can. They have a direct number to call and they answer quickly. Every time I have called my situation was resolved whether it was to change a flight, inquire about service, or voice a complaint. They answer the phone and they resolve the issue.
So if you fly AA have fun! If you have a problem good fuckin luck.
This was my “after the wedding” trip. It was absolutely awesome!
My wife and I took a trip to Italy to visit Rome, Venice, and Milan. It was one of those touristy trip, hitting all the highlights, the Coliseum, Pompeii, Herculaneum, The Vatican, The Pantheon, the canals of Venice, and the Duomo di Milano. All of the tours we took were just incredibly interesting. It’s all a must see. Here are my notes and travel tips.
Lessons Learned. The hard way. My packing lists has extra clothes in my carry on. I forgot and it cost me. Do yourself a favor and put that on the top of your packing list.
American Airlines. You can’t fault an airline for rerouting you because of the weather but when they lose your luggage for 4 days and there is no way to call customer support for help (because they do not have customer support) it is pretty frustrating. Try calling AA and talking to a real person except for making and paying for a reservation. They will quickly take your money but good luck when you have a problem. Very frustrating experience. I fly Southwest for domestic travel and I can talk with customer support within a minute or two.
Bathrooms. Keep $5 in euros in your pocket because most bathrooms, except for restaurants, charge a euro. Seriously. The airports did not but the train stations did, the public bathrooms, bathrooms at the various tourist attractions did. LOL. You have to love the Europeans!
Accommodations. We stayed a half a block from The Pantheon. Very nice. The Dimora degli Dei. Yes, it is in the touristy area but it was so convenient to all the attractions. Walking distance to most. The staff was wonderful! In Venice we stayed at the Ambassador Tre Rose in San Marco. It was a very small, but clean and comfortable, room. We had a laugh at how small it was. The staff was just outstanding! We have nothing to compare it to but it was small. In Milan we stayed at the Brunelleschi Hotel. It was just around the corner from the Doumo. Beautiful room. Great staff. We returned to Rome and stayed in the Donna Camilla Savelli. Beautiful, wonderful staff, top notch!
Travel. We flew. Took a train from Venice to Milan and Rome to Naples. Rode the boats to Venice. Took a bike tour. And used uber/taxis for travel. When you use your Uber app they will list taxis also. They are cheaper and if you do not have luggage it is a great option. Just an FYI. If you don’t use the app at the airport and get into a taxi line, make sure you have cash to pay the driver. Good tip: Use the Uber app. BTW the drivers in Italy are aggressive!
The trains between Rome and Naples and Venice to Milan were fantastic! If you arrive 30 minutes ahead you are probably going to be early! We had to wait for the train number to be posted on the TV screens which usually was 15-20 minutes before departure. We spent a little more and booked a first class ticket and enjoyed the lounge while waiting. Tickets are checked like the old days, on the train while it is moving.
Food. We tried the pizza. Once. It is not like American pizza and certainly not like Chicago pizza. It was boring. Try it. Once. The lasagna was so much better than the US but don’t expect a lot of meat in your meat lasagna. All the other pasta plates were very different and good! Breakfast was mostly pastries. It made me wonder if the diabetes rates were higher than the US. (They are not) Inflation didn’t seem to have taken over Italy like in the US. We thought everything was very well priced. And coffee was European. I’m not an espresso fan. An Americano was a small cup of instant coffee. They charge for refills. LOL. Even the Starbucks screwed up American coffee.
Rome. We booked tours via Viator. We have had good experiences with them. All the tours we took, except for the boat ride in Rome, were outstanding! Again we did the touristy stuff and toured the Coliseum, The Forum, The Vatican, Pompeii, Herculaneum, and the Pantheon. Skip the boat ride in Rome. It was uneventful. Boring. Everything else was just incredible!!!!
Venice. Unlike the other cities there are two ways to travel in Venice, boat or foot. That is it. There are no bikes, scooters, vespas, cars, nothing but boats and feet. We took a walking tour of Venice which is highly recommended. There is a mall that used to be a trading center for Germans that has a roof top viewing platform. It’s free but you have to have a ticket for a 15 minute viewing.
Milan. We stayed just around the corner from the Duomo di Milano. What a beautiful cathedral! Our tour through Milan included the painting of the Last Supper. That was interesting. The two paintings in the room were painted using different methods, fresco and dry. The dry painting of the Last Supper is faded and has required restoration. The other painting is pristine. Beautiful. Tourists are only allowed to be in the church for no more than 15 minutes.
Put on your walking shoes and visit Italy. Next stop for us, Tanzania!
This was a solo trip for me. Long drive. Loooong! Luckily I stayed one night in Blanco and that made the trip the next day tolerable. December has perfect weather with the highs in the mid 60’s and sunny and low 40’s at night. Perfect for hiking.
The Hotel I stayed in Terlingua, the ghost town, in a place called La Posada Milagro. It was a small bunk house with a shared bathroom and shower outside of the unit. Small but perfect for my stay. They have other rooms with private bathrooms. It was a short walk to the breakfast restaurant Espresso Y Poco Mas. It had two porches, an outside kitchen, and fireplaces. I was lucky there was a meteor shower when I was there and spent the evening outside with a warm fire. Visit their website for some great pictures! It was also a short walk to the Starlight Theatre and restaurant. They have wifi and 5G was available around the area. Great place to stay if you want to be right in Terlingua! There are other hotels in the area as well as a resort in Lajitas and teepees, domes, tents, and Triangle type of structures all in the area. In 2021 I stayed in a small cabin in the middle of no where that had a large telescope in a building and an observation tower. It was pretty cool!
The Starlight Theatre Pretty good food and they had entertainment every night. Sometimes there was a short wait for a table but everyone just grabbed a drink from the bar and went outside to sit in the funny chairs (see below) and visit with others. Next door was a nice gift shop. Some of us sat and had a few beers, every now and then, interrupting each other when a meteor appeared. (It was an awesome show!!!) If you go, make sure you stop here for dinner. Try the Chicken Fried Antelope!
Big Bend National Park. As usual I left my Senior pass at home but it was only $20 for the entire weekend. Great price. I was able to do two hikes, one 5.5 miles and another 3.6 miles. Both had some great views. There is another, the Lost Mine Trail, that I hiked back in 2021. That one was about 5 miles straight up!!! There are plenty of trails from .5 to 12 miles. I also went to the mouth of the Santa Elena Canyon. There is a 1.6 mile out and back trail. I hiked that one in 2021. Make sure you have gas. There is a station in Terlingua with $3.49/gallon and another in Lajitas for $5.39/gallon. Get gas in Terlingua! The weather was perfect! I took a sweat shirt and had to use it in the shady areas.
Food. There are plenty of options for food in Terlingua. Venga is a new place and had great well priced breakfast. There is a barbecue, pizza, and Mexican food places in the area as well as a couple of bars.
Caverns of Sonora I stopped at the Caverns in Sonora just a few miles off I10 on the way back. If you like caves it is a pretty good one. Privately owned for decades. It’s hard to compete with Carlsbad Caverns but it was a good stop.
Overall. We flew into Buffalo NY, toured the American and Canadian side of the Falls. Most of the views were at no charge! My suggestion is to take a day and walk the American side of the falls in the State Park then another day on the Canadian side. Wear walking shoes and possibly a change of socks and shoes if you intend to get wet. Lots of walking but they also have a shuttle for the park.
American side. You will get fantastic and up close views of the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. You can also take a tour of the Cave of the Winds (extra cost) which isn’t a cave but a long staircase to the bottom of the falls. You will get soaked but they give you a poncho.
Canadian Side. There are a number of sites that provide beautiful up close views of Horseshoe Falls. You can also see the American Falls from this side. Be prepared to show your passport when entering Canada. Most of all the sites are free of charge.
Must See. Take the time to go on the Maid of the Mist tour. It is a boat that goes right up to the falls. You will most probably get wet but they provide a poncho. It is a great tour and well worth the admission!
Also go up the Skylon Tower for a great view of the falls. I thought this view was very well worth the admission cost. Don’t miss it.
Another tour is the power plant. Spend the extra money to get a guided tour. It’s pretty interesting.
Skip it. Do yourself a favor and skip the Journey Behind the Falls. It’s nothing but a long line to get in, a long line to get out, and another long line to see two “portals”. It’s not like you are walking behind the falls. It’s only a couple of tunnels that end in a wall of water. It’s pretty unimpressive. Another portal shows you a tunnel that was made many years ago. It is interesting but you can’t walk into it. There is an outside area that is right next to the falls but if you take the boat tour you get the same and better view. I really wasn’t impressed.
Hotels. If you really have to have a view of the falls from your hotel you will be paying a premium for it. We stayed at the Oakes Overlooking the Falls but left after 1 night. Yes the view was nice but the hotel wasn’t what we expected. Real disappointed. I suggest finding a place away from the tourist trap area.
View from the hotelView from the towerPower PlantTunnel to the Power PlantMaid of the Mist tourThat’s the “portal”Long wait linesThe old tunnel
There is a lot to do in Las Vegas and a lot to lose.
Smoking. It’s been 20 years since I was in Las Vegas. One thing that I thought would have changed was smoking in the casinos. The casinos on the Strip, especially the high end casinos, didn’t have that smoky smell and I didn’t see anyone smoking but there were some where it seemed to be a requirement to smoke as you gamble. It stunk. I stepped into a casino on Fremont Street just to find a bathroom and the place had a cloud of smoke including weed. Weed stinks. You get a whiff once in a while on Fremont Street.
Fremont Street. What a blast. It’s a must see place in Vegas. There are vendors up and down the street some just selling pictures with casino girls or Chippendale dudes, others selling stuff or caricatures. The lights and the light show on the canopy is entertaining. Live music/DJs are provided on 3 stages. Lots of performers looking for tips. Outside bars are available. Hotels are not as fancy as the ones on the Strip. Personally I would stay on the strip and visit Fremont.
The Strip. Lots of stuff to look at throughout the strip as well as lots of walking! They offer a pass for the Monorail that runs from the Sahara to Mandalay Bay. It’s a good way to see all the hotels. The Bellagio has a beautiful water show which runs on the hour and I think every 15 minutes at night. Treasure Island used to have the pirate show but they don’t do that anymore. The Volcano show at the Mirage is no longer as of this past weekend. Hard Rock will be buying out The Mirage. Check for other free outdoor events before you go and make a trip to see them.
Titanic Exhibit at The Luxor
Shows. We saw The Beatles Love at the Mirage. It was very entertaining! Check the web to find out where the best seats are for every performance. Seats closer to the stage were NOT the best seats and were less expensive than those on the first level. It all depends upon the specific show. We also saw David Copperfield at the MGM. That was just incredible!!! There are shows all over Vegas. Pick one or two. We also saw the exhibit Titanic at The Luxor. Again a great exhibit! We went on the LINQ High Roller, the 550 foot tall ferris wheel overlooking the strip. That was about a 35 minute ride and was quite a view.
Hoover Dam. We rented a car for a day at the hotel and drove to see Hoover Dam. Take the tour. It is very interesting and is a break from the hectic Vegas scene. They offer various types of tours of the dam, the power generators, and a hard hat tour. Visit their website for more info and make reservations in advance if needed. We also took the scenic drive around Red Rock. Both trips were fun and took the afternoon. Weather permitting there are a number of hiking opportunities in the area.
The Mob Museum. It is walking distance from the Fremont Experience. It was pretty interesting.
Food and drinks. Unless you are eating at the food courts, don’t expect the food and drinks to be inexpensive. Although I didn’t gamble, it still looks like drinks are at no charge to those who gamble. We sat at a bar to have a drink and was comp-ed because we put $20 into the video poker machine. It turned out to be an expensive drink! LOL. Food at the Casino restaurants was overly expensive. We found a couple of great restaurants for breakfast that was very reasonable outside of the hotels.
Travel. Uber and Lyft are readily available. Watch for prices to soar during rush times. Each hotel has a specific place for Rideshare pickups. Ask where they are or walk down a side street for pickup.
Posted by johncoby 
Bay Area Houston 