I Do Stuff…

Photo Gallery

Google Maps of the wineries

At last years Christmas party for Nancy’s company they had a raffle giving away three nights at any Marriott with airfare by Delta to anywhere in the continental United States.  It took us a while to figure out where we wanted to go, but we decided on San Francisco by night and Sonoma County by day for a long weekend.  My Dad and Pat joined us for the weekend and it worked out because it was my Dad’s birthday on Friday.

When we finally arrived in SF we meet up with my Dad and Pat right outside our gate, with no luggage to pick up we immediately worked on getting transportation to the hotel.  We had two options: 1) a taxi directly there and 2) public transit.  I for one was excited about taking BART and then the cable car to the Fisherman’s Wharf.  I had heard that BART was quick and clean and who doesn’t want to take the cable car, it’s one of the things San Francisco is famous for.  The train ride certainly was quick and allowed for some great views of the surrounding hills side.  We got off at Powell Street, right in the heart of Union Square.  If you like shopping this is the place to go.  I was surprised by the number of people walking around and the general hustle and bustle of the area.  The weather was perfect, the sky blue, temps low and a nice breeze coming off the water.  We quickly got our bearings and decided on lunch before starting the second leg.

For lunch we stopped off at John’s Grill, a famous landmark in the area.  The restaurant is famous for its steaks and fresh seafood and is the setting for the Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett.  The restaurant has been around since 1908 and has the decor to match its age.  The floors are hardwood with oak paneling on all the walls.  Most of the walls on the first floor are covered with pictures of famous patrons, none which we recognize.  If it was just Nancy and I you could say it was our age, but even my Dad and Pat didn’t recognize anyone.  We had finally arrived and celebrated the best way we knew how, some Anchor Steam on tap from the bar to go along with great seafood.  I had the muscles in a white wine sauce and they where fantastic.

After filling our bellies we walked a few blocks to catch the cable car down to the historic Fisherman’s Wharf.  I would say that taking luggage on the small ass cable car might not have been the best idea, but it made for an interesting ride.  The cars are packed to the gills with people hanging all over the place.  Going up and down the steep streets made hanging on difficult, I kept trying not to fall into the people around me.  It took forever it seemed to reach the end of the line for a distance that really is not that far.  We checked in to the hotel and managed to get rooms right next to each other on the fifth floor.  After a few hours of rest we headed out to to celebrate my Dad’s birthday at the Franciscan Crab Restaurant right along the waters edge.  The food was pretty good, nothing to write home about.  What the restaurant really excelled at was the view.  With giant twenty food windows there is not a bad seat in the house.  In fact the tables are tiered so everyone has a great view.  We sat right next to the window over looking the water and Alcatraz.  I had the surf and turf, the crab was OK but the steak was incredible, very tender and juicy.

Being the party animals we are we headed out for after dinner drinks.  My Dad heard about The Buena Vista which introduced Irish Coffee to America so we headed down a few blocks to taste their original receipt from 1952.  When we arrived the place was packed, we lucked out and got a table near the door and quickly ordered a round of Irish Coffees from the extremely friendly waitress.  In no time we had four pipping hot drinks in front of us, cheered once again to the old mans birthday and started drinking.  They are surprisingly good and warmed the body and soul as they went down.  We marveled at the days events, quickly realized the drinks went down to easy we had to ordered another round.  By the time we finished it was after midnight and time to head back to the hotel.  The following day we where headed to wine country and needed to get our serious drinking faces on.  Friday was only pregame.

The following morning Nancy and I woke up surprisingly earlier after a long night of drinking.  The hot tottie Nancy had at The Buena Vista seemed to help her cold as she was feeling better with a little more pep in her step that morning.  My Dad recommended it to help cure her cold.  His father would drink them whenever he felt a cold coming on, got to love those family traditions.  We all meet for breakfast at 8:30 and I got the rental car right on time at 9.  It was a short one hour drive out to Sonoma County and we hit the ground running with our wine tasting experience.  My Dad and Pat have been here before so we had a guide, but we decided to hit a few new places.  Neither Nancy nor I cared where we went, even if the wine was bad there would always be another place just down the road to sample.

—-

Wineries July 17th 2010
Larson Family Winery – Sonoma, CA
Homewood Winery – Sonoma, CA
Gundlach Bundschu – Sonoma, CA
Bartholomew Park – Sonoma, CA
Kunde – Kenwood, CA

All told on Saturday we managed to get to five different wineries all over the county.  For lunch we headed to Sonoma City to pickup some food before the next winery.  There is a large square in the city center that has a ton of great places to eat and shop.  We parked and walked around for a while before we found a great little place that sold “wine food”, Sonoma Cheese Factory.  Lots of cheese, cold cuts, weird sides, breads, everything you could think of for a wine picnic.  With food in hand we headed to Bartholomew Park for another round of sampling and to get a bottle for lunch.  None of us though the wine was that spectacular but the view from the picnic area was good and we had a great lunch.  After that it was off again to another winery.  Eventually we dropped the folks off at church so they could speak to God while Nancy and I headed to a local watering hole for some beer.  The wine was great, but I wanted a change of pace.  Shortly after that we started the long drive back to San Francisco.

As we approached the bridge traffic got particularly horrible.  It certainly was no worse than Northern Virgina, but none of us wanted to sit in traffic if we didn’t have to.  Pat spotted the sign for Sausalito so we took the exit down to the water front.  Driving through this sea side town, which looks like it could be dropped into any country along the Mediterranean and it would fit right on.  We stopped at the No Name Bar for a quick happy hour drink and then did a little window shopping along the main avenue.  Near the end of our walk there was a small park, Yee Tock Chee Park, that overlooked the bay and SF (covered in fog that night).  Nancy and I were alone finally and just talked while looking across the bay.  While on this trip I planned to ask for her hand in marriage, I even got approval from her father.  Right here right now seemed like the perfect moment.  I told her how much I loved her and what she means to me, then got down on one knee, reach in my pocket and pulled out the right.  I think by the time I pulled the ring out she knew what was up.  Fortunately for me, she said yes.

We quickly found my Dad and Pat and told them the good news, they were excited for the both of us.  In such high spirits we celebrated with some beer and pizza at Caffe Trieste.  The whole time at dinner Nancy was text everyone she knew the good news and surprising, as late as it was on the East Coast, she got back a lot of responses.  Most of my family knew I was planning this and everyone else I called the next day.  When we got back to the hotel Nancy was fading fast so we went straight to bed.  It was actually Pat who couldn’t sleep and  was up for three hours that night.

—

Wineries July 18th 2010
Kendall Jackson – Santa Rosa, CA
De Loach Vineyards – Santa Rosa, CA
Hook & Ladder – Santa Rosa, CA
Foppiano Vineyards – Healdsburg, CA

Sunday morning and another trip out to Sonoma.  This time we decided to head further north to check out the Russian River Valley.  I forget which wine they are famous for, but this is certainly an up and coming area of the county for wine.  First we had to make one quick stop, what I was most excited about this entire trip, Muir Woods National Monument.  I couldn’t wait to see some of the tallest trees in the world.  I reminds me of the Grand Canyon, pictures just don’t do it justice.  We got a little lost arriving to the park so we arrived a little late.  It was certainly a good weekend to be outside and a lot of locals decided to take a hike in the woods.  Both parking lots were full so we had to park on the side road about a half mile from the park entrance.

Before you even get to the ranger station at the entrance you can see the tops of the trees jetting high into the sky.  Once you are inside the park there is a very easy, level, paved path a few miles around the park.  There are certainly many miles of trails through the park, one that leads down to a beach I heard a park ranger talking about.  Other lead deeper into the woods away from all the hustle and bustle.  The whole time in the forest it was peaceful and calm.  The morning fog was not completely burned off so the tree tops where still bathed in fog.  I couldn’t get over how tall the red woods were.  Taller than other living thing I have seen, many building and huge trunks to support their amazing height.  Some of the older trees had to be over ten feet in diameter.  We saw several cathedral stands which are groups of trees growing near each other, usually sprouting from the same tree.  Many trees had scares from recent forest fires but managed to persevere any way.  The trees actually need fire to help them propagate, the fire clears the forest floor of debris allowing the seeds to sprout.  They need ideal condition to grow but once they take hold they grow like a weed.  The forest was a magical visit and I can’t wait to get back there to do a more extensive hike.  I told Nancy next time she could just drop me off at the forest and I would be happy and content to spent all day hiking around the woods like a crazy hippie.

After to short a time, probably 1 1/2 hours, we got back into the car and headed north to the Russian River.  The late start meant we only hit four wineries on Sunday.  Hook and Ladder had a free tasting and all the wines we sampled where excellent.  The prices per bottle were very reasonable with nothing over $20.  My Dad and Pat wanted to mix a half case of wines but unfortunately they can’t ship to Virginia and no one wanted to take it on the airplane.  It is actually run by Cecil De Loach who sold his last winery to start this one.  It still bares his name, De Loach Vineyards where we stopped at but the wines were not that great.  We also stopped at Kendall-Jackson which is a HUGE distributor of wines.  We have all sampled their wines but had a free coupon for four reserve samples is hard to pass up.

As the day wore on we headed to Healdsburg to get some food and do a little walking around.  Their city square was nice but easily half the size of the City of Sonoma.  Here we ate at a great restaurant, Healdsburg Bar and Grill, were I got the pulled pork sandwich.  They had this great bbq sauce to go with it and even put coal slaw like a true southern pulled pork sandwich.  The food was excellent and the atmosphere was great.  The restaurant was wide open with tvs everywhere, there was a nice pattio outside that would have been great if it was not so hot.

After lunch we walked around the plaza for a while.  It was certainly much smaller than the City of Sonoma but I would say much more upscale.  Nancy and I walked into one gallery and over heard the sale associate say “If you order over $15,000 in furniture you get free shipping.”  We heard that and walked out, we certainly couldn’t afford anything there.  I found a men’s clothing store that had some nice shirts, but at $120 I could buy two or three at Banana Republic.  There is even a Charlie Palmer restaurant, Dry Creek Kitchen, that I would love to eat at but probably like everything else is way out of my budget.  I certainly felt like I was rich for a few minutes.

Sunday night we took it pretty easy.  After a late lunch in Healdsburg we got a light dinner at Blue Mermaid Chowder House, a place we heard had award winning chowder.  We all got the chowder except Nancy and I must say it was rather good.  After two long days of wine tasting and Nancy still being sick, we headed back to the hotel early to catch up on sleep.  Monday would be spent traveling back to the East coast which is no fun coming from California.  Our flight left San Francisco a little late around 12:30 and we didn’t get into Dulles till 11pm that night.  By the time we got back to her apartment it was well after midnight, ugh.

This was a great trip out to San Francisco and I can see why people live there.  The city is full of sights and sounds that can keep anyone busy for a lifetime.  We spent only a weekend there and barely scratched the surface.  I could certainly go back for a week and stay within the city just exploring all the nooks and crannies it has to offer.  Plus the weather is just perfect.  It was the middle of July but the day time temperature never got above 75 and at night it was crisp with the breeze coming off the water.

Random photos from the gallery:

---

Photo Gallery

Several months ago my Dad and Pat came up with a great idea, a family vacation.  They had banked a timeshare form last year and using the one for this year, they where able to get two rooms to accommodate the entire family.  The next question was where to go?  With two grand kids they decided on Orlando and a trip to Disney World.  Pat has always wanted to take her grand kids there, but it was a a challenge as Ty just turned one and Ellie is almost three.  Ty definitely wouldn’t remember the trip at all, in fact he slept through most of it.  But Pat was not sure how much longer she would be able to walk around the parks.  So it was decided the reward of the trip outweighed the grand kids being to young.  I can say all the kids enjoy the trip, even the adult kids.

We had direct flights out of National Airport early on Saturday, one think I have learned about air travel is fly early and direct.  After arriving in Orlando we got three rental cars and headed to the Marriott Cypress Harbour resort.  Arriving long before check in, only one room was available, if we waited we could get two rooms next to each other which really worked out.  My brother and his girlfriend arrived later that afternoon, unfortunately they could only stay till Wednesday before heading back to the real world.

One thing was made clear early in the planning stages of the trip.  We didn’t have to do everything as a family, however we must all get together for a family dinner every night.  A very small price to pay considering plain tickets, hotel, park entrance fee, and most of the food were paid for by the folks.  Each couple took turns cooking one night with everyone else on cleanup duty.  The first night, Saturday, Nancy and I got selected to cook our meal, fajitas.  Being a time share the room had a full kitchen which we put to good use every night.  That first night 9 adults and 2 children crowded around two tables we put together and had our first of many family dinners.  I was seated at the head of one table and it was a great feeling looking down the table seeing the entire family together, the first time in a long time, all enjoy the food Nancy and I cooked.  That is a memory I will not soon forget.

Sunday everyone brook off into their own groups to do what they wanted.  Nancy, Bobby, Tracy, the kids, and I took the day off after our travels and spent most of the day at the pool.  Any other free time was spent simply lounging around the hotel room.  Sometimes doing nothing is all I want to do on vacation.  Not till Monday did we start hitting the parks, and we hit them hard.  Everyone went to Magic Kingdom on Monday, even got our must-have family photo in front of the castle.  Tuesday was Bobby and Tracy’s wedding anniversary so the two of them, Matt, Nancy and I went to Hollywood Studios for a day of adult fun while the grand parents watched the kids.  Wednesday was another family day at Animal Kingdom after my Dad dropped off my brother and his girlfriend at the airport for their plane ride home.  Ellie loved the safari ride and Ty did a lot of double finger pointed, a sign he likes what he sees.  Thursday the group slimmed down to just Nancy, Matt and I as we visited Epcot.

I would say that the Magic Kingdom was probably my favorite park.  It is by far the largest with the widest selection of rides, all the way from the classic It’s a Small World and Space Mountain to the more modern Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  Nancy and I spent most of the morning in Tomorrowland with it’s many interactive rides.  The Buzz Lightyear ride was cool, you get to shoot all sorts of bad guys that give you points.  After a quick snake, most of us headed back to the hotel for lunch and a quick nap.  I quickly learned that the mid-afternoon nap for youngster is very important, if they don’t get their nap they become angry.  After a few hours we headed back just in time to get caught in a serious rain storm.  Just as we got onto the tram the heavens opened up and drowned us.  By the time we got into the park there was no point in staying undercover, so we walked to the back of the parks to get in line for rides.  When the lightning stopped and the all clear was given it was a breeze getting onto some rides.  We stayed late that night for the SpectroMagic Parade but left when it was finished for fear of getting caught in the rain once again.  I really wanted to see the fireworks display, but waiting till 10 just wasn’t going to happen.  There was a huge storm rolling in and we got to the car just before it started raining.

Hollywood Studios was a close second.  The rides here are more geared towards adults and the shows are more extravagant.  Plus it was just a lot of fun to hang out with Bobby, Tracy and Matt all day at the park.  We fast pass most of the rides so we didn’t have to stand in lines.  The Tower of Terror was cool along with the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster next to it.  Nancy actually like both of these even though the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster did three loops.  We took in a couple of shows including the Indiana Jones, Studio Backlot Tour, and Lights, Motors, Action.  The Indiana and Backlot both ask for volunteers and would you believe both times Nancy and Tracy got picked to be extras.  For the Backlot they had parts in a Pearl Harboresq production.  They had to act “crazy” and got soaked in water.  For the Indiana Jones show they both got cast as citizens in the market.  They didn’t do anything, but they certainly had a good view of the entire show.

Wednesday was another full family day, minus my brother and his girlfriend who where on their way back home at this point.  We all traveled to Animal Kingdom, the park I was most excited about.  Years ago when my brother and I went with my mom and Norman to Disney World, this park was closed while the finishing touches were put on it.  The big attraction here is the safari ride in the back of the park and it was really cool.  The way they take you through the park is unique in that you don’t feel its a “ride” so much as an experience.  We saw a ton of animals just being animals, doing their own thing.  The one roller coaster they have, Expedition Everest, is different.  At one point you go backwards and there are a ton of high speed turns, using the fast pass it took no time at all to get on this ride.  I must say however the Kali River Rapids was pretty lame, skip this one if you can.  Bobby was talking all sorts of smack to Nancy and I, saying we were going to get soaked on the ride, turns out the raft turned just right down the plunge and got Bobby and Tracy soaked.  I wish I could have seen more of the nature trails and animal exhibits but I couldn’t get anyone else to join me.  We had already walked 10′s of miles and no one wanted to walk more than they had to at this point.  We ended the day with the Finding Nemo musical and it was actually very entertaining for everyone.  When it ended Nancy, Matt and I had had enough and we ditched out about 3pm with everyone else not far behind us.  The whirlwind trip was starting to catch up to everyone.

Our last day at the parks Nancy, Matt and I headed to Epcot.  I will admit this this is probably the least exciting park Disney has to offer.  There are not a whole lot of rides, mostly educational demos and of course you have the 11 nation World Showcase around the lagoon.  We road Test Track and did Soarin’ which was really neat, you fly over various locations in California and the chair you sit in takes you up as you watch the scenery on a 90′ screen with the chair shaking in sync with the visuals.  You even smell oranges while flying over the orange grove.  The one ride I did myself was Mission: Space.  This uses a centrifuge to simulate the g-forces associated with a rocket launch and trip to Mars.  Pretty cool but I felt funny when I was finished.  I knew that was spinning around but the screen I was watching was telling my brain I was traveling in a straight line, just weird.  I didn’t feel sick or anything, just funny is the best way to describe it.  After Mission: Space we headed out of the park for lunch, I know it weird considering all the national food to choose from.  But we saw dark clouds coming and I was really craving some BBQ.  Lucky for us we where in the restaurant when the heavens once again opened up for a mid-afternoon thunder storm.  This was certainly the heaviest rain all week, we literally couldn’t see across the street it was coming down to hard.  Matt and I ate our fill of BBQ and had desert on top of that.  We headed back to hotel for a quick two hour nap.  After waking we headed back to catch the IllumiNations firework/laser/water show in the lagoon.  Everyone said it was the best of all the parks nightly shows and I would agree.  We had a great spot on the back of the park and I was amazed by the entire 12 minute show.

After four straight days of parks we all agreed Friday would be a relaxing day as we attempted to catch up from the 25-30 miles we walked in high humidity with soaring temperatures.  Matt, Nancy and I headed to a local putt putt where I schooled them in how to play, my Dad mostly napped, and everyone else was pool side.  Later in the afternoon we hatched a plan to meet at Downtown Disney to take the folks out to dinner.  They picked this Irish restaurant, Raglan Road Irish Pub.  Here we got some traditional Irish food and saw some live music with Celtic dancers on a small center stage.  I highly recommend the bangers and mash, yum.  Taking the folks out for our final night was the least we could do to show our appreciation for them taking us all to Orlando for a week long vacation.  Plus, no one wanted to cook that night, let alone clean up the mess before we had to leave on Saturday morning.  As a night cap we played one final round of poker.  Each night we played Texas Hold’em with a $5 buy in.  The late night poker seasons were fun.  I unfortunately never won, in fact Matt won 3 out of the four nights we played for money.  That lucky bastard!

Getting home was a non-issue.  The flights where on time and getting back to the house was a breeze.  I slept a little on the plan and took a nice long nap that afternoon after having some lunch with Nancy.  We even headed to bed early.  Thankfully there was nothing we needed to do on Sunday so that turned into a lazy day around the house, catching up on sleep.  This is certainly a vacation I will not soon forget.  It was wonderful hanging out with the family.  Our last night in Orlando we even talked about the next family trip in two years.  I am pulling for the Pacific Northwest and I think Tracy is for that as well.  Thankfully we have almost two years to decide where the next trip will be.

Random photos from the gallery:

---

Photo Gallery

It is becoming a regular affair for me to take a vacation in winter to warmer weather.  For the longest time I thought this was something only old people did, but I am starting to like it.  Last year Nancy and I went to Honolulu and we missed a snow storm while gone.  This year we headed to Hilton Head for a short family trip.  My aunt and uncle, Rose and Mike, flew in from LaCrosse and along with my Dad and Pat we headed down for some fun in the sun.

Nancy and I got a rental car and drove down on Saturday.  We couldn’t afford to fly and neither of our cars are good for long haul driving, so rental it was.  I got  a Dodge Caliber from Enterprise, not a very impressive car, but it got 30 miles per gallon and was comfortable to drive.  After the 10 hour trek down to Hilton Head we were very happy to get out of the car and do a little partying.  When we arrived the rest of the family was already there and waiting for us.  They had brought with them some wine and beer, but we had the food!

After unwinding from the long trip and catching up into the wee hours of the morning, it was time for bed.  Nancy and I as the odd couple on the trip, got stuck with the pull out couch.  But considering room was free and a lot of the food and drinks were paid for it was still a hell of a deal.  The biggest thing was just getting there.

Sunday we stayed pretty close to the hotel and got our bearings straight.  We hit Harbour Town for a few hours and stayed for lunch.  Well it was actually a bunch of appetizers as we bellied up to the bar.  I had a great opportunity to walk around the harbor and get some pictures of the water, the boats in the harbor, and lots of water fowl.  We also hit Coligny Beach for our first taste of sand and sea.  Unfortunately the water temperatures was way to cold to enjoy it, but the perfect late afternoon weather made it fun to walk around.  We also got our first ice cream from a local shop near the beach.  Over the entire trip we got ice cream 3 or 4 times total.

Monday was a rain day.  We checked the weather the night before and it was not looking good.  When we got up it was absolutely pouring outside and we planned accordingly.  We got a late start and headed to the outlet malls just off the island for a little shopping.  Here I got some stuff from Banana Republic, I love that place, and of course some more ice cream.  On the way back to the island we stopped at the only winery on the island to taste some wine.  We knew they didn’t grow their own grapes, come to find out they get them from Virginia.  We drove all this way to sample Virginia wine.  After sampling we stopped at the Hilton Head Brewing Company for happy hour beer and appetizers.  The place was empty and the beer was nothing to write home about.  Fortunately the pub was in a mecca for restaurants.  We ate at One Hot Mama’s which had excellent BBQ and our night cap at Reilly’s Grill and Bar, an Irish pub next to that.  Having happy hour drinks, dinner, and after dinner drinks at three different place and not having to drive any where was great.

Tuesday was an early morning for myself.  I wanted to do a little hiking while on vacation and picked Pinckney Island Wildlife Refuge as my place to explore.  Four thousand acres of marsh land, this collection of islands is protected land just over the bridge from Hilton Head.  When I arrived it was just after 7am, the sun was peaking over the horizon and provided some great shots.  The sky was bright orange and the calm water reflected the orange color from the sky.

I hiked for several hours around the island and had a blast.  Birds provided the sound track for my hike and kept me company for most of my hike.  Time didn’t allow me to walk deep into the island like I wanted.  We where headed to Savannah for the day and I wanted to catch up with everyone as soon as possible.  Just as I was leaving the park I sent a message to my Dad and Nancy letting them know I was on my way, and not a moment to soon.  I got a reply back from Nancy saying they where just about to leave but would wait for me to arrive.  After a quick shower we were off to Savannah with our own personal guide Nancy who lived there for many years.

The short drive through back country roads dumped us right in the heart of old town and the tourist district.  We walked along Market Street which is several blocks of open air restaurants, bars and tiny shops selling all sorts of goods.  It was lively, if it was summer and later in the evening the place would have been packed with people, filled with noise and a breath of life.  We then walked down some steep steps to River Street and the water front.  Here we did some shopping at some crazy little boutique shops and ate at the Shrimp Factory for lunch.

After several hours we headed back to the car with a quick stop at the Lady and Sons restaurant.  Rose is a big Paula Deen fan so we stopped by to snap a few pictures.  Being early in the afternoon we headed to Tybee Island on Nancy’s recommendation.  We saw the light house they have there, and promptly got kicked out because of a private event.  Oh well, we didn’t want to see your stupid light house any how.  Then it was off to the beach and a walk along the pier with another scoop of ice cream for the drive back to the hotel.

Wednesday and our last full day on vacation, this time we had to blow it up like it was 1999.  Another day trip, we headed to Charleston and some more old house and water front property.  Getting there was much longer and we actually got lost getting downtown, once we made it to the parking garage things fell into place.  We walked along a water front park and the pier taking in the spectacular view.  Then along the city streets to get a better feel for the old city.  Everyone wanted to take a carriage ride which Nancy and I elected to skip.  We didn’t get all the history of the city, nor the guided tour.  We just walked up and down the streets checking things out on our own guided tour.

We hit Washington Park, a  small park with a monument to different confederate Civil War battles, kinda odd to me, but then again this is the deep South.  We also hit several art museums to check out some local work.  Only a few of the pieces we saw were worth buying, but not at the prices they wanted.  We where also on the look out for a restaurant for lunch when we meet backup with everyone else.  There were a ton of great places but most didn’t open till 4 or 5 in the afternoon.  We eventually found an old church that was turned into a restaurant and bar.  We kept joking about how we where all going to hell and that it was probably the Catholic’s that sold the church, to make a buck.

As the day wore on the weather turn for the worse.  The clouds moved in adding a chill to the air and soon rain would start falling.  We made one final stop at Market Street to check out what local vendors had to offer, unfortunately not a lot.  A short walk back to the cars as it started to drizzle and then we where off.  When we arrived back we relaxed and cooked our last meal together, none of us felt like going out for dinner.  We did head out for a night cap back at Reilly’s Irish pub and closed the placed down.

The next morning everyone was up early to see Nancy and I off.  The rest of the crew was headed to Williamsburg for a few days of history.  We wish we could have joined them, but I needed to get back by 7pm for my DB class and we both had work to catch up on Friday.  It was fantastic spending the five days with my family in Hilton Head.  First time there, I would consider going back again.  Maybe next time when it was a little warmer so we could enjoy the ocean a little more.

Photo Gallery

What an adventure it was going to Panama over the Thanksgiving weekend.  Many months ago Nancy and her sister planned this whole trip out to visit their Father and show Greg and I the place the both grew up.  A trip to a Latin country sounded like a good idea to me and I was on board.  Later I found out the trip would be over Thanksgiving weekend, the busiest retail weekend of the year.  This was going to be a hard sell to Gary to get the time off.  But with a little creative talking I got the time off, Nancy and I were headed to Panama.

As the trip approached I was getting more and more exciting.  This was a totally different place to visit than any where else I have been.  I have been outside the country, but never this far away.  Nor to a country where the primary language was not English.  Our flight left at 5:30am and when you start back tracking on time, it made sense to just stay up all night long and party.  However everyone bailed and we went to bed early for a few hours of sleep.

3am arrives early let me tell you.  The sun was no where to be seen and there was a thick blanket of fog hugging the ground.  When we arrived at the airport I was surprised that it was open and people where around, not a lot mind you, but there was a small buzz.  Everyone here this early wanted to avoid the holiday travel rush later in the day.  By about 6 our flight finally took off after a slight delay from the fog.

After a long flight in a cramped seat I was so happy to finally arrive and get off the plan.  Walking off the plan I was hit with heat and humidity.  We left 50 degree weather and immediately jumped into almost 90 degree weather, it was a shock to my system that took a while for me to adjust to.  After catching my breath we headed off to customs and immigration.  Like most countries we pay a small fee for the privilege of entering the country, passed immigrations, and gathered our bags.  The real fun began when we tried to get the rental van from Dollar.  The cost was not like Greg had booked it online, the full coverage insurance was more, almost a $100 more.  In the end the full coverage was a good idea and I recommend it to anyone that travels in this part of the world.  We quickly realized you need to be “cautiously aggressive” to drive around in the country.  You must cut people off and muscle your way into traffic, no one is courteous like in the US.

Meeting us at the airport was Nancy’s dad Bill and his girlfriend Maru which was really nice.  After some quick hellos we were off to their house just outside the airport in Tocumen.  When we got to the house we didn’t stay long.  Long enough to dropped off our bags and we were off to explore the city.  Bill showed us some of the places we should visit and how to get there, but more importantly where not to go.  As we drove to the city center you see about 75 skyscrapers if not more dotting the sky line.  Right in the city you can have a $300k/condo apartment building and a few blocks away extreme poverty.

While I am on this subject a few other observations about the country.  They are definitely not a customer service oriented country, you always get the feeling you are bothering people.  There are also armed security guards at ever bank that limit the number of people inside at one time and frisk/wand everyone that walks in.  Apartment buildings have secure parking and controlled access.  High priced neighborhoods have a wall running around the entire complex with barb wire on top, also with armed guards and controlled access.  Coming from America it is such a shock to see this, but it is the norm down there.  Having said that, I would absolutely go back again to visit the country and explore other areas.  I never once felt unsafe, as a tourist you just have to be smart and you will be fine.

So back to exploring the city center on our first day.  We went to Casco Antiguo which is a world heritage site and is the best example of the haves and have nots.  Because of it’s designation everyone wants to live there and property values have sky rocketed.  However, old town was long ago abandoned and the place turned into a slum.  So the poor have had to be forced out and the buildings rebuilt.  You can see the line between the two extremes as the rebuilding continues and expands out.  You would see tourist walking around with police making sure the tourists were protected.  This is one place I would have like to visit again and explore some more on foot.

Later we traveled to Amador which was an old US Naval base and was giving back to the Panama, just like all other US property at the end of 1999 under the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977.  Amador has been turned into a tourist trap with a ton of restaurants, outdoor cafes and shopping.  This area is the only successful transition area, all others have not taken off.  Howard Air Base is suppose to be a free trade/tax free zone that sits mostly empty.  Another base has been turned into a technology center with only two universities right now.  They have all these great ideas, just not enough follow through.

When we arrived home we decided to hit a restaurant called Wine Bar along the causeway for dinner.  Bill and Maru recommended it to us for a good place with an excellent wine selection.  When we arrived, we where the only ones there.  Arriving for dinner at 7pm is early for the locals, we ran into this the whole trip.  Sitting on couches outside, Greg and I were able to smoke our cigars in peace.  We decided to just order appetizers and bottles of wine which were very good that night.

On Friday we headed off on our own to do a little exploring and reminiscing.  First was the old city, Panama Viejo, now just ruins that are slowing being restored.  The old city sites on the edge of the modern city and was built by the Spaniards in 15919 as the first permanent city on the Pacific Ocean.  The city was great to walk around, even in ruins.  It was a little crazy seeing this old city right in the middle of the hustle and bustle now.  While walking through the surrounding gift shops we ran into a woman that remembered Nancy from Howard.  It was over 12 years ago that Nancy lived at Howard Air Base, what an impression Nancy left with her.

The rest of the day was spending driving around all of Nancy’s old haunts.  The most important of these was her old house on Howard.  Her old house has not changed much.  It is a little run down seeing as no one has lived there for almost 10 years.  The surrounding neighborhood was just the same.  Kinda eerie seeing this ghost town that once was a vibrant community.

For lunch it was off to the locks at Miraflores, they have a small cafe that over looks the locks.  We got the complete package deal which allowed us access to the roof to get a better view, the museum, and a short video that we didn’t have time to watch.  This is what Panama is famous for, the canal and the locks.  I can now say that I have seen first hand one of the great industrial projects of the century.  After going through the museum it is amazing they cut the canal through the dense jungle almost a hundred years ago.  When you look at the equipment they had at their disposal, it is more amazing.  The place was great, but the food left a lot to be desired.  It was a very expensive buffet that was not worth the money.  Being the closest lock to Panama City it is definitely worth the trip, but bring a picnic and skip the restaurant.

That night for dinner we decided to cook dinner for Maru and Bill to show our appreciation for letting us stay at their house.  We tried to cook a meal from home, something they wouldn’t necessarily find in Panama.  We tried to do ribs but couldn’t find them at the grocery store.  Instead we parboiled some chicken and finished it off on the grill.  After dinner we sat around for hours just talking and emptying bottle after bottle of wine.  It was like being at home, the family gathered for good food and good wine, just talking.

Saturday was beach day.  With it being the rainy season we were taking our chances, but we all wanted a nice day in the sun at the beach.  We headed off to Santa Clara for the afternoon.  When we arrived we quickly found a bungalow to setup camp.  Inside there were two hammocks, this is where I spent most of my time.  I had a cigar in one hand, beer in the other, life was so good it was hard to leave.  I did manage to walk the beach for a few minutes and take some pictures.  I even meet a guy who went to the University of Arkansas while walking.  He saw my camera and we chatted for a while about photography.  In fact the whole time I was at the beach I only got into the water for a few minutes, and up to my knees at that.  I just didn’t want to leave the hammock.

Eventually we had to leave the beach and head back to the house.  We couldn’t stay in paradise for ever, we had plans to explore the city on a drunk bus.  We were suppose to meet the chiva parrandera outside the Hotel El Panama but that turned into a cluster fuck.  When we asked the hotel staff they said the bus wouldn’t show up till 9 or 9:30, we had arrived at 7:30.  So we killed a little time in the casino, but ended up spending most of our time standing outside the hotel.  Eventually two people came up to us, I guess we stuck out, and asked if we where catching the drunk bus.  We where on the completely wrong side of the hotel and they where waiting for us.  After  a short walk we made it onto the bus and got a much needed drink.

The next few hours where spent driving really slow through the city center trying to reach a small bar near Ancon Hill.  Never once did we have an empty cup on the way to the bar.  There they served some appetizers and we got a couple of beers while we smoked outside.  I was so proud of myself that I could order two beers and pay for them.  When I found out they where only $2/bottle I about crapped my pants, man it is cheap to drink in Panama.  After a short pit stop it was back on the bus as we headed back into town.  On the trip back we drank everything on the bus, yet still managed to partied like rock starts.  After a long night of drinking we were hungry and headed to Niko’s Cafe, and old haunt of Nancy’s.  This restaurant chain is a staple in Panama, they are found every where and open 24 hours.  It reminds me of a cafeteria in how food is served.  Excellent way to top off the evening.

Sunday, traditional a day of rest , was going to be anything but.  We were driving back to the interior and headed to El Valle which is a billed as a natural wonder in the country.  We got an early start so we could visit the market in town before it closed at noon.  But first we had to make a couple of stops.  The first was to a small memorial just across the Bridge of the Americas.  It is dedicated to 150 years of the Chinese being in Panama, kinda weird to see this pagoda in the middle of a Latin American country.  The other quick stop was to Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente with a great view of the surrounding mountains and valley leading to the ocean.  Normally there is a blanket of fog in the area, but since we arrived in Panama the weather has been anything but normal.

Even with these two stops we made it with plenty of time to spare.  After finding a place to park we walked the market and it was buzzing with energy.  Definitely a tourist trap with “high” priced goods, still very cheap by American standards.  I got a local orange for .30 (rip off down there) and it was fantastic.  While waiting for Greg and Maggie to finish shopping, Nancy and I decided to spoil our lunch and get a snow cone.  Nancy has raved about these for as long as I can remember and I must admit it, it was great.  They add condensed milk that adds an extra sweetness, and for .05 you can’t beat the price.

After working up an appetite we ate some street meat (against my better judgment) and headed to a real restaurant.  Here we ate lunch with magnificent fog drenched mountains in the back ground.  To boot my meal with only $5 which included a beer!  I couldn’t believe it, the presentation was excellent and the stewed chicken was awesome.  All the food I ate while there was top notch.  Eating local food was something I was looking forward to doing while there and I was not disappointed.

I was certainly going to need a good meal because I was headed into the forest for a little hiking.  No one wanted to join me, they all decided to go horse back riding.  After what happened on the trail, I should have gone with them.  They dropped me off at a small hotel at the end of one of the side roads and I walked the nature trail on the grounds.  The trail was great, well maintained, well marked and feature vegetation that was marked.  I certainly got some great shots, had some off trail adventures and saw things I have never seen hiking in the states.  When I reached the end of the trail I was running late in meeting everyone.  So I decided to run down the trail back to the hotel.  What a mistake that turned out to be.

I was doing very well in my out of shape state and making good time.  As I crested the top of a slight hill the grade went down and the trail appeared to be without obstructions.  However I stepped on a root or rock and my ankle gave up the ghost.  In an instant I was falling forward and my right foot wasn’t moving.  As I was falling towards the ground, trying to protect my camera that was around my neck, I hear a loud “POP.”  Oh shit!  I just broke my ankle in the middle of the forest.  Immediately I pick myself up and look at my ankle.  In the two seconds it took it had swollen up to the size of a baseball, not good.  I didn’t panic but quickly started to asses how bad things where.  Could I stand up, check.  Could I put weight on my foot, check.  Could I bend my toes, check.  Could I move my ankle, check but with pain.  I started to think it wasn’t broken, but definitely badly sprained.  The whole time I limped back all I could hear in my head was the loud pop.

Eventually was able to get back to the hotel and meet everyone else just as it started to rain.  Nancy could see something was wrong so I showed her my ankle and she freaked out.  Fortunately the day was over so we headed back to the house.  Me in the back of the van, leg propped up with a huge bag of ice to keep the swelling down.  When we got back both Maru and Bill did double takes.  Bill had broken his foot before and said mine looked worse than his did, not good.  Maru suggest we wait till the morning and reevaluate then.

I for one was not going to let this ruin my trip nor was I going to worry about it.  Here I am in a third world country, possible with a broken ankle and I was not worried.  I was in paradise and loving every minute of it.  After a quick shower we all headed to the Multicentro Mall for some food and shopping.  First stop was to the cigar shop to buy some smokes.  I am not a Cuban whore so I only got one, a Bolivar Robusto that I smoked that night on the back porch.  Great little cigar.  After a big meal at the food court I headed over to the casino for some gambling.  With my ankle busted up I didn’t want to walk around the mall.  The casino had mostly slots of a penny or nickle, needless to say I played for a long time.

The next morning my ankle was worse so we headed to Centro Medico Paitilla (a private hospital) to have a doctor look at it.  I was going to experience health care in a third world country, I was a little worried.  However, after talking to Bill and Maru things were going to be fine.  As long as you have money, things are fine.  There is free health care in the country but the lines are huge.  Here the wait was very short and the hospital staff was exceptional, most of them spoke English.  In the few hours I was there, I saw a general practitioner, had four x-rays, and saw an orthopedist.  All this for only $427, I was shocked.  If I twisted my ankle in the states it probably would have cost me thousands of dollars.  All in all a good experience.

The other shock of the day was Nancy.  While I was in the hospital she was off getting her hair straightened.  When she walked into the house I was amazed at how good she looked, it was like looking at a different person.  I think it would almost be worth the trip to Panama every six months.  Once we both got reacquainted we ate some fantastic food for lunch.  I was not going to let my twisted ankle slow me down on this trip.  We planned on going to the zoo and Gamboa before heading out to dinner on our final night.

We had some more bad luck while getting to the zoo for when we arrived at 4 o’clock is exactly when they close to the public.  Couldn’t believe we missed it.  So we decided to just head into Gamboa and get closer to nature, but we got horrible lost.  Come to find out when we left the zoo we should have turned right and we would have been right there.  But instead we decided to drive around for about 40 miles, almost reaching Colon at one point.

Late in the evening we arrived and walked around the Gamboa Rainforest Resort and their beautiful vista.  Their hotel looks across a wide section of river that leads down to the canal.  Off in the distance a small mountain covered in trees and fog.  All over the hotel grounds is a splash of purple to mix up the dominate lush green of the forest.  Very nice place for what I have seen in the country.  But you will certainly pay western resort prices for the privilege to stay here.  Prices start for $180 and rise to over $400 per night.  The hotel is know for its ecotourism so it offers plenty of diverse excursions into the jungle and along the water.

Once we finished up it was to late to head home to change for dinner, we would have to slum it.  We headed across the causeway back to the Wine Bar however it was closed.  Later we found out most places are closed on Mondays.  Luckily Bucanero’s at the very end was open.  There was only one couple in the restaurant besides ourselves.  This dinner was a great way to finish off the trip.  We sat down for a good meal and a couple of bottles of wine while we reflected on the whole vacation.  We had seen so much in our limited time in the country, a full week would have given us more time to explore further out in the country.

Our last stop on our vacation was to Vasco Nunez de Balboa Park right along the water.  It is a park that sits between Avenida Balboa.  It has many activities and is a favorite among the locals.  At all hours of the night you will see people walking and having fun in the park.  We took the opportunity to smoke one last cigar as well.  We stopped not only at the monument of Balboa but at the sea wall as well.  It was crazy looking across the black ocean with the lights from the city reflecting off the water.  Casco Antiguo was bathing in different color lights and really stood out from the rest of the city.

Tuesday came to early for me but there was nothing I could do about it.  We had a late flight so the day became like any other day there, after breakfast we head out into the city.  We decided to do some last minute shopping and to kill time.  The only other thing I wanted to do was mail off some letters.  I was only able to write three letters while down there.  It cost a mere $2.50 I sent all three letters airmail to the US, later I sent over a dozen post cards and that was only $3.50.  Understand, there is no home delivery service any where in the country.  If you want mail delivery you have to go to the post office and rent a mailbox.  Most bills are handled by a curry service that deliveries to the home customer.

The day just seamed to drag on as the flight approached.  Check in was long, security was long, the food was awful, and my ankle was starting to hurt.  I was miserable.  The 5 hour flight back turned out to be better than I thought, I switched seats to get the aisle.  It was from a kid that recently finished college and was hiking from Costa Rica to Columbia.  He just finished his journey and was headed back home to his friends and family.

The night just never ended.  After landing it was off customs, baggage claim, taxi ride to Greg’s, then driving to Nancy’s apartment for some much needed sleep.  All this and me being the supper hero I am I had to be at work at 8am the next morning.  It sounded like a good idea at the time, but when it came down to it, I should have taken Wednesday off like Nancy did.  Even with just four hours of sleep, it was still good to be home.

The trip was an experience I will not soon forget.  Bill and Maru where very accommodating to us all and Nancy and I can’t thank them enough for their hospitality.  Not only did they provide a place to sleep each night but a wealth of local knowledge that made things easy.  As poor at the country is, it is very modern in many aspects.  If you travel there buy the full coverage on any rental vehicle, be careful where you travel, and just enjoy yourself in this amazing place.

Real quick post about my Thanksgiving trip to Panama.  Nancy and I went down over the weekend to visit her father and explore the country.  This was my first trip to a Latin American country and it was wonderful.  Made me appreciate all the “luxuries” we have here in the states.  A beautiful place with a not of natural wonders.  I ate some incredible food and drank a lot of good local beer (Panama, Balboa, and Atlas).  Saw the canal and some ships go through the locks.  Those ships are huge and they are building a bigger lock for even larger cargo ships.  Stopped by Howard Air Base where Nancy grew up.  One day was spent at Santa Clara Beach where I had a cigar in one hand, beer in the other, and swung in hammock, that was so relaxing I didn’t want to leave.  Hiked a couple of trails and visited Gamboa. Partied most nights.  And did I mention the food?  The food was plentiful, cheap, and incredible.  Great trip.  A large post will be coming shortly about the full experience.