Retire Inspired: Random Ramble

Hawaii - Big Island - August 2024

Our trip to Hawaii in August 2024 began on a crazy note. Hours before our flight, we were notified that our flight to Denver had been delayed. As a result, we ended up flying to Denver, then Boseman, Montana, then Los Angeles, and finally to Kona, on the big island of Hawaii. We flew to Kona because it would've cost twice as much if we flew directly to Hilo. We can be frugal.

Once in Kona, we rented a car. But the first one had problems. As we were driving off, the check engine light came on and we had to go back for another rental. Thankfully we weren't very far away from the rental place. Afterwards, we drove two hours to the city of Pahoa and finally arrived at our condo just after midnight.

We hiked the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and saw the entire crater, active steam vents and a lot of beautiful scenery. The size of Kilawea is staggering and it is the smallest, but most active of all five volcanoes on the big island. It is now currently erupting (9-24). We then took a trip to the Kaimu Black Sand Beach, which was completely covered as a result of the 2018 Kilaweha Volcano eruption. At the time 700 homes were destroyed, but through excellent warnings and preparation no lives were lost. It is estimated that almost 900 acres of new land was created. Over 13.5 square miles of the island was covered in new lava, some areas were dozens of feet deep. In the town of Hilo, which has banyan trees that are 40 to 60 feet in diameter, there was no shortage of things to do. They had an excellent farmer's market, artist studios, and you can tour the Mauna Loa Macadamia Factory.

Hawaii's big island is also one of the prettiest places that you'll ever visit. We saw Akaka Falls, went inside the lava tubes, looked out over the Waipio Valley, and saw the Kilawea Iks Crater. We also had time to sneak in a round of golf at the Makani Golf Club, where peacocks are as common as crows in Kansas.

If you're looking for a relaxing getaway, in a location less commercialized than other destinations in the Hawaiian Islands, the big island of Hawaii is the place to go.

Costa Rica - June 2024

In June, we left Wichita, heading to Costa Rica via Houston. Roughly a 5.5 hour flight, slight delay in Houston got us into the Liberia airport about three hours late. Our final destination was Secrets Papagayo in Papagayo Bay. We were on the west coast Pacific side about an hour drive south of Nicaragua. This area of Costa Rica is very lush with Tropical Rainforests and abundate wildlife. The country has many modern conviences and the locals are all extremely nice.

Our first adventure was to explore the black sand beaches, a first for us, and the many aquatic sports availabe to us. We tried our hand at kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkeling and a took a jet ski around the bay. They said we may encounter whales, but I don't think we ventured out far enough. They have three inactive volcanoes visible to the Northwest of Culebra Bay. The resort had plenty of activities to keep us busy but adventure is our middle name so we decided to visit the town of Del Coco Beach. The town was awesome, a mix between old and new. Lots of shopping, diner options (seafood is definitely fresh) and a host of other things that piqued our interest.

We joined another couple and went to a new, family-owned semi-remote adventure park. They offered ATV tours, horseback riding and zip lines. Opting to try the zip-lines, they had two staff members accompany us through the four zip lines. Views were amazing and the rides were spectacular. My husband decided to try the Superman during one run and upside down during another. Something is not right with him, but the staff was impressed and laughed with all of us. After the zip-lines, we were treated to a demonstration on how to make homemade corn tortillas and pure alcohol, starting with grinding of raw corn. Great experience.

Costa Rica is beautiful, relaxing, and rich with culture.

Northern Italy & Switzerland - February 2024

February 2024 took us back to Italy. We had visited Rome, Sorento, Capri, Naples, Sicily, and Palermo on prior visits. This trip we wanted to see the northern part of the country. We started with a week in Milan, choosing to stay in an Air B&B apartment a block away from the metro station. Phenomenal location, and the apartment suited our needs perfectly. Milan is full of history, beautiful architecture, great restaurants, and was bustling with activity. We visited Duomo di Milano, the cathedral in Milan. It is one of the five largest churches in the world. We climbed some 288 (Mark counted them, I was too busy trying to breathe) stairs to the terrace to get a closer look at the 135 spires and the golden statue of the Virgin Mary that tops the highest spire. We visited one of the world’s most famous paintings, Leonardo di Vinci’s The Last Supper. Located in the refectory of the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, we feel fortunate to have been able to see it while in Milan. It is one of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites. The Last Supper is painted on the wall of the refectory and has been deteriorating for centuries. It is housed in a tightly monitored, climate-controlled environment and 35 people are allowed in the room at a time, for only 15 minutes. Another painting, The Crucifixion, is on the wall opposite The Last Supper. Kudos to Milan for taking steps to preserve these masterpieces.

One day while in Milan, we embarked on a search for a Media store where we could buy a new camera battery. Yes, we do use our cell phone cameras, but I am partial to my Canon Power Shot. Google Maps is a tool we use to get around in many places, so we plugged in the closest Media store, took off on the metro, hopped off a few stops later, walked a half mile, and ended up on the back lot of Soulmovie Studios. We apparently entered through a back gate and didn’t realize where we were until we got to the guard gate at the front of the lot. It really was a movie studio, and we took our very own private unescorted tour. Oops! Luckily, we didn’t meet the Italian Polizia.

Our next adventure took us on the Bernina Express panoramic train through the Swiss Alps. The day involved spending about 10 hours on various trains, but it was well worth the time. We splurged on first-class train tickets to make the journey comfier. The alps were snow covered and stunning to see. We saw kite skiers along the route. Visited St. Moritz, Switzerland midway through the day so we picked up a new country we have never been to.

The great thing about staying near the city center of Milan, we were close to the central train station. During this trip, one of our goals was to visit some smaller towns in Italy. Willing to explore, we hopped on a train to Novara, a town just under 30 miles west of Milan. I picture small town Italy with narrow cobblestone streets and unique, colorful architecture. Novara was all that and more. While we always enjoy the hustle and bustle of larger cities, it was a welcome change to roam the streets of Novara, absent the crowds. We admired the beautiful architecture of the Basilica di San Gaudenzio. The church was built between 1577-1690 and is the highest point in the city. We enjoyed walking around the town square consisting of the theatre, shops, restaurants, castle and museum, followed with a stroll through the park and back to the train station.

We wrapped up in Milan by visiting the Navigli (canal) district full of shops, bars and restaurants, Storza Castle, and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the largest shopping mall in Milan, near Duomo. Without doubt, Milan is a must-see city in Italy.

For our 2nd week, we headed to Padua, Italy. Padua is just under 30 miles west of Venice. We chose to stay in a smaller town given Italy train travel is inexpensive and convenient. Exploring Padua and taking day trips to Venice, Murano, Castelfranco Veneto, and Cittadella made for a great week.

Padua was a town full of activity and sights to see. We stayed near the center of the city, about a half mile from the train station. We visited City Square and Park lined with historical, ornate statues on both sides of a canal. Walked through the Basilica of St. Anthony, shopped at Centro Giotto, visited Palazzo della Ragione - a medieval town hall / justice building, and outdoor market. A short walk from the city center was the Molino Bridge. Originally built in 40-30 BC and constructed of arches on the bottom, it has been restored several times, but always with original materials. The Basilica del Carmine and the Church of the Eremitani were also nearby. It is mind-boggling the size and number of beautiful domed churches we saw. One can do nothing but admire and respect the craftsmanship and artistry of the buildings, murals, stained-glass windows, and marble statues and floors.

The public transport system in Padua was excellent and we headed in different directions each time we took off to explore. It would have been good to know the bus/tram routes before hopping on. After a bus ride and about a mile walk, we figured out there was a bus stop at the entrance to the indoor mall we were heading to. Oh well, we pride ourselves on figuring things out and we did eventually, the day before we left for home.

One of the most famous cities in Italy, with its winding canals and spectacular art and architecture, Venice is just cool. The Grand Canal, St. Mark's Square, Saint Mark’s Basilica, and many shops and restaurants kept us busy most of the day. While there, we also wanted to see the island of Murano, famous for creating hand-blown glass art. The cost of a water taxi to Murano was expensive, but as we were discussing the cost, a man stopped us on the water walk. He said “I heard you talking about Murano. I am from the Venice Chamber of Commerce. I will give you a free water taxi that will take you through the canals of Venice, then over to Murano and a free tour of one of the glass factories. You can catch a public boat back to Venice when you are done.” We were a bit hesitant - free, free, free usually has a catch. Since the boat was nice and the driver did not look sketchy, we decided to give it a go. Traveling the canals by boat, touring the factory, and watching a Murano artist create a glass horse, made for great memories. There was no catch to the offer, just a good time. Thank you, Venice Chamber of Commerce!

Castelfranco was our next adventure. This is a walled city about 40 miles northwest of Venice, founded between 1195 and 1199. Part of the town square is surrounded by medieval walls and towers, and even a moat. These are things I read about in books but seeing it in person takes it to an entirely different level. It is hard to fathom building those walls, towers and moats without the modern construction equipment we use today. From building architecture and statues in places like the Duomo di Castelfranco Veneto, to the design in the cobblestone roads, Castelfranco is a hidden gem.

A short distance from Castelfranco is a small community called Cittadella. This town was originally a military outpost for Padua. It is the only walled city left in Europe where you can walk atop the entire perimeter of the wall. Of course we walked it, sans the armor, bows, arrows and swords they carried when the city was founded in 1220. Cittadella is yet another hidden gem.

It seemed in the blink of an eye, our time in Italy was over. There are many things about Italy we love; however, something notable stands out. Italians seem to have mastered the art of slow down and enjoy life. There is no rush, businesses close for long lunches, people are friendly, calm and easygoing. We hope we were able to take a bit of that lesson home with us.

Panama / Cabo San Lucas - January 2023

After successful Medicare Annual Enrollment and Federal Marketplace Open Enrollment periods, we took off on another bucket-list trip in mid-January. With $6,000 in flight credits to use, we combined Panama and Cabo San Lucas. The bucket list item was the Panama Canal. We wanted to experience taking a boat through the canal lock systems.

We arrived in Panama City on a Tuesday afternoon and had no trouble finding our transfer driver. This trip we opted to stay in an Air B&B. Our downtown apartment was at the Trump Tower Hotel & Condos. Come to find out, Donald Trump never owned the tower. He leased his name to the development for a tidy sum of over $13 million annually. I really could use a gig like that, except no one knows me. Panamanians know the complex as JW Marriott.

Being folks who do not like to let grass grow under our feet when traveling, we immediately hit the ground running. Well, not really running, and not even a quick paced walk. We slowly strolled through downtown taking time to get acclimated to the area. Alas, our first hurdle - almost immediately we were going to need the translator app I had loaded on my phone. In most places we travel, English is a second language, and we have no trouble communicating. Not so much in Panama. We spent considerable time telling each other to "smile, nod, wave and move along". I know enough Spanish to say thank you, hello/good-bye, find a supermarket and restroom and count to 39. Conjugating verbs and creating full sentences are a stretch. My husband is absolutely no help, he speaks a tiny bit of Japanese. A lot of good that was going to do. Fortunately, our condo’s unique architecture made it easy to find if we got turned around. We just had to look up to find the general direction to head. Eventually we found our way back.

We spent one afternoon golfing at the Summit Rainforest Resort. I always enjoy taking pictures of scenery and wildlife on golf courses. The course was pretty, but this day the wildlife was sparse, consisting of a few birds and some small geckos. Not a single monkey, which I thought for sure would be roaming the rainforest. They did in Madagascar (not the country, the movie). Chances are you now have “I like to move it, move it” streaming in your head. You are welcome!

We spent a leisurely afternoon exploring old town - Casco Viejo, Panama. Complete with quaint restaurants, shops, and unique architecture, so different from the bustling modern vibe of downtown.

No doubt, the highlight of Panama was the canal. We opted for a partial transit tour - a seven-hour adventure. The tour company picked us up at the condo and dropped us off 2.5 hours later, halfway up the canal, to board our boat. The canal locks are fascinating. The construction, including the actual digging of the passageway, the mechanics of the locks, how boats are sent through, etc. are quite an engineering feat. Moving through the lock system is a production. Ships must be weighed and measured and obtain a transit date. It takes a day to go from end-to-end and is expensive, but the alternative is to traverse the southern tip of South America which can take a month and a half.

Our day cruise started on the Atlantic side of the continental divide. At that point we were 85 feet above sea level. We picked up our lock “buddy boats”- a 44-foot catamaran out of Texas, and a 700-foot carrier from Hyundai (toting 5,000 vehicles). Small boats cannot just float the canal on a whim. They enter the locks with a ship of some kind. We traveled west until we reached the Pedro Miguel lock built in 1913. All three boats entered, and we dropped 31 feet. Our next stop was the Miraflores locks. This was a two-lock drop of almost 55 feet. Once through Miraflores, the captain gave us all a toast and welcomed us to the Pacific Ocean.

After Panama, we hopped a flight to Cabo, with a stop in Houston. This was a lot of extra flying but using flight credits from United required the extra leg to Houston. Not a super-big deal, except when we took off for Cabo, my husband “forgot” that he packed oranges in his backpack. If you have ever traveled out of the country, you know to never bring fruit home. This small oversight cost us quite the delay in Houston with TSA. It could have resulted in a considerable fine. TSA must have felt sorry for Mark because they cut him some slack and just confiscated the fruit. There are times when all that gray hair comes in handy. Luckily, we made our connecting flight in time.

Cabo San Lucas was as awesome as we remembered. We loved the atmosphere of the marina and stayed in an Air B&B just above the Puerto Paraiso Mall. In addition to a LOT of shopping, one afternoon we took a Razor ATV tour where we inhaled massive quantities of dust, and finished covered in water, mud, and sand. It was an absolute blast!

Our fishing expedition was another story. We arrived at the boat dock at 6:30 a.m. When we saw our boat, the theme song to Gilligan’s Island came to mind. Rightfully so, because about an hour and a half later and 10 miles outside the marina, our propeller broke. We spent 45 minutes bobbing in the Pacific, waiting for a tow, and another two hours getting towed back to the marina. In all that time, not one single nibble on any of several fishing lines. Although we did get to see whales, dolphins, and sea lions; so not all was lost. The charter company also refunded our money, and I was saved from having to eat fish at the end of the day. You know, stuff happens. We have learned to be nimble when we travel and make the best of everything we do, even when things do not go according to plan.

The trip home was mostly uneventful, except when our luggage took a tour of Houston airport. We waited an hour before it showed up in baggage claim. Then customs and immigration were running dog drug sniffing exercises on every traveler coming off international flights from Central America. Talk about heightened security. That was a lot of travelers to sniff! Thankfully, there was not another forbidden fruit buried in the backpack. We made it home safely and are looking forward to our next adventure!

Italy and the Mediterranean - April 2022

We travel more often in the first seven months of the year which allows me to dedicate my days to Medicare Annual Enrollment in the fall. Our next adventure came in late March/early April when we embarked on a 16-day bucket list trip to Italy and the Mediterranean. Here is a tip for anyone traveling across the pond for the first time. Allow an extra couple of days at the front end of your trip to adjust to the time difference. Unless you intend to fork over big bucks to fly business or first class, quality sleep on a plane is virtually nonexistent. Once you land and check-in to your hotel, the first instinct is to take a nap. Do NOT do that; push through the first day so you can adjust to having your days and nights abruptly rearranged. Now on to the trip. What can I say but WOW! We started with three land days in Rome. This was our second trip to Rome. The first one, in 2015, we visited many popular sites, the Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and the Coliseum. I am fascinated with the architecture of about everything in this city, so my goal this time was to see sites that do not get as much attention as the ones we visited during our prior trip. The Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, the largest of the churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is beautiful. It was also the site of an active citizen protest of the war on Ukraine. Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, the only Renaissance style church in Rome, was designed by Michelangelo. I could have stared at the paintings on the ceiling of Santa Maria degli Angeli all day. Simply amazing! Piazza Venezia connects two streets: Via dei Fori Imperiali and Via del Corso. The Vittoriano building (a product of modern-day Rome and built in the late 1800’s) is located at this intersection. It is the National monument dedicated to Victor Emmanuel II and houses the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Altare della Patria (Altar of the Fatherland).

Our second day, we hopped on the subway and headed to the section of city where the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica stand. In that area, we discovered Castel Sant’ Angelo. First a mausoleum for Roman Emperor Hadrian and his family; later, a fortress and castle for the popes, and today a museum. The Tiber River runs through Rome and is beautiful. The Courte Di Carrazione, is the Supreme Court of Italy. Although the building looks quite old, it is a product of modern Rome, built in the early 1930’s. At this point, we ran out of time in Rome and hopped the subway back to our hotel. It still feels like we have just skimmed the surface of this phenomenal city.

Our third day, we were sad to say “Arrivederci” to Rome, but it was time to board the Norwegian Jade for a nine-day cruise through the Mediterranean. We are not frequent cruisers by any stretch of the imagination (only our second one in 33 years), but we wanted to see so much of the Mediterranean and felt this was the best way to avoid “bag drag”. Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) does it right. The ship was beautiful, the staff friendly, and customer service top-notch. We might have been a bit spoiled since the cruise was carrying passengers at 60% capacity. Anyway, our stops included Palermo Sicily Italy, Valetta Malta, Santorini Island and Rhodes Greece, Kusadasi and Istanbul Turkey, Mykonos, and Athens Greece. Each stop had its own unique vibe. I would be hard-pressed to pick an absolute favorite.

When we travel, we enjoy venturing on our own, so for all but one port of call, we chose to forgo shore excursions. In Palermo Sicily, Italy we chose an all-day walk. We traversed the quaint stone streets, dotted with a variety of cafes, shops, and apartments. Saw the Massimo Theatre, an opera house located on the Piazza Verdi. It is known for having perfect acoustics and is one of the largest opera houses in Europe. The Archdiocese of Palermo and Praetoria Fountain are extraordinary. Visited the World Heritage Site - The Church of St. Mary of the Admiral, aka Martorana – that overlooks the Piazza Bellini. We packed a lot in our few hours in Palermo.

In Malta, we hired a private taxi driver/tour guide. During our time on the island, we visited the Presidential Palace gardens, Valetta Glass, Mdina (walled city within Malta), the Blue Grotto, and a final stop at the southern coast cliffs. Malta is a gem!

In Santorini, we rented ATVs, grabbed a map, and toured our way around the island. From Red Beach to the blue domed churches on the hilltop where the small coastal town of Oia sits, Santorini Greece is something to see. Most homes and buildings are painted white with an occasional pop of color on doors, windows, and rooftops. Although we made a few wrong turns (saw Red Beach three times), we could not get too lost. Hug the coastline, you eventually end up back at the ship. That day was a blast!

Rhodes Greece - In Rhodes, across the street from the cruise port is the medieval, walled city. Inside the city is the palace of the Grand Masters. A castle that housed the Knights of St. John, aka the Knights of Rhodes from 1310 until 1523, but with a history dating back to its original build in the late 7th century during the Byzantine era. It was open to the public for a walk-about so, of course, I jumped on it. Inside was not what I expected a castle to look like. My fascination with castles began at an early age, with Cinderella and all things Disney. This was not that. While floors in several rooms had beautiful mosaic patterns, the castle had sparse furnishings. Some of the limited furniture was ornate, some quite plain. There were a couple of rooms with wooden high-backed chairs that lined the wall. According to an employee of the castle, these were used as courtrooms. One room was a chapel. Other than those rooms, it was difficult to guess what the other parts were used for. Thanks to Disney for contributing to my active imagination. I was able to re-create daily life at Rhodes Castle. I am glad I walked through; it was an experience I would not trade. The ancient walled city itself is another World Heritage Site, with cobble stone roads, shops, restaurants, and apartments (yes, people still live there). Walking through the city, one can appreciate the mixture of time periods. A blend of modern and ancient construction makes the walled city a unique vibrant space encased in the realm of history.

Kusadasi, Turkey was a pleasant surprise. This charming coastal city had some great shopping in the port area. Near the cruise dock is a waterfront shopping center; however, across the street a block or two off the shoreline, is an incredible shopping district. We spent much of our time in Kusadasi roaming the shopping district. Quickly discovering no price was set in stone, we had an enjoyable time negotiating with the locals. In fact, we negotiated so much we had to buy another suitcase. No worries, we negotiated the price for that as well. The day wrapped up at the Kusadasi Castle. My only disappointment in Kusadasi was not being able to enter the actual castle. It was more a ground walk-around, but still fascinating.

Istanbul, Turkey was the one port of call we chose the excursion route. The benefit of shore excursions booked by the cruise line - if the tour returns late, ship will wait. Otherwise, they leave you behind. Last thing we needed was to be left behind in Turkey. We took the city sites tour with stops at Grand Bazaar and Blue Mosque. We began over two hours late as heavy fog delayed docking. As a result, the tour order of stops was reversed and cut significantly short. Add heavy traffic that a large charter bus had to navigate; the result was not ideal. We sat in traffic most of the time. Our four-hour stop at the Grand Bazaar was reduced to one hour, 45 minutes, but we made every minute count. Loved the Grand Bazaar. Endless shops of clothes, rugs, handbags, spices, and jewelry. It was so big, we got lost and had to ask for directions back to our entrance no less than three times. At one shop we were going to buy Eucalyptus tea (that stuff works great for clearing congestion). Problem - the package was a bundle of white powder. Critical thinking skills kicked in at that point; visions of being strip searched by TSA at the airport. We chose to forgo buying it and stuck with chocolate covered nuts. Made it back to our tour group with five minutes to spare and it was on to the Blue Mosque. Overlooking the mass of scaffolding due to restorations in progress, the Blue Mosque was educational. Grand on the outside, simple on the inside. Truth be told, I knew nothing about Islam before the tour. I still know extraordinarily little; other than there are over 3000 mosques in Istanbul.

Mykonos, Greece was a friendly, charming, vibrant seaside town with many small, eclectic shops and restaurants. We stumbled across a quaint little bakery that offered fabulous Baklava. The island is known for its winds. Ancient windmills sat on a seafront hilltop. Coming from the Midwest U.S., we felt quite at home with the wind. Charming as it was, Mykonos was small. It did not take long to work our way through town and back to the ship.

Disembarkation was in Athens, Greece where we spent the final two days of our trip. Athens is known to be one of the first cities on Earth to implement a democracy in its government. That alone makes it a place of significance. The Acropolis can be seen from far away as it sits high on the hilltop overlooking Athens and was the number one place we wanted to visit. The structures in the Acropolis have sustained quite a bit of damage over the centuries; but what stands today is stunning architecture. From the Temple of Athena Nike, the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, Theatre of Dionysus, it was incredible to stand among the structures of this historical site. It is hard to fathom how the Acropolis was built so many thousands of years ago.

Walking to the Acropolis on the first day, we stumbled upon a multi-block outdoor farmer’s market and found fresh strawberries that would give California a run for its money. On our second day in Athens, we opted for the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus pass. This was a convenient way to get around Athens and see additional sites like the Plaka (old town Athens), Temple of Olympian Zeus, Old Olympic Stadium (host of the first modern day Olympics in 1896), and yes, another active citizen protest to the war on Ukraine. This protest - larger, quite vocal, and complete with police in riot gear - was a bit more unsettling than the one in Rome. Athens proved to be an excellent way to wrap up our Mediterranean tour.

We feel extremely blessed to have been able to see the sites and experience the culture in this beautiful, historic part of the world. Our hats are off to the friendly folks in Italy, Malta, Turkey, and Greece, United and Delta Airlines, Air Canada, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Grand Hyatt Athens, and Golden Tulip Piram Rome. What incredible memories!

Nevada, USA - February 2022

In February, we jetted off for a short trip to Las Vegas in celebration of our son’s birthday. From the airport, we rented a car and drove to Mesquite, NV where the guys played golf at Falcon Ridge. It is the sister course to Wolf Creek and according to the boys they are the two best courses they have ever played. A lot of elevated tee boxes, fantastic fairways, and crystal blue ponds dot the course. Falcon Ridge is manicured to perfection and the staff treat you like gold. It is well worth the drive to see and play. If you are into hiking, Zion National Park is only about 30 minutes away from there as well. After Mesquite, we trekked back to Vegas. We have been to Sin City many times in the past 30+ years. It never gets old. There is so much to do. We often will try different lodging options. Over the years, we have stayed at Flamingo, Bally’s, MGM, Excalibur, Luxor, New York New York, Ceasar’s Palace, Circus- Circus, Mirage, Treasure Island, Monte Carlo, Downtown Grand, and this trip, Vdara. The hotel is beautiful, and the staff friendly. It does not have a casino but is nestled between Bellagio and Aria, making easy access to gambling and strip shopping venues. It is conveniently attached to Bellagio via indoor walkways. Vdara is a keeper, and we will return. What can one say about Vegas, except it is an experience. Encompassing everything from the obvious plethora of gaming establishments to a wide variety of shows, restaurants, shopping, and people watching (which rivals big-box retail settings.) Always a must-do in Vegas is to visit the downtown Fremont Street Experience. There we enjoy the laser light show, live music, and street entertainment. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, likely on Fremont Street.

Yucatan Penisula, Mexico - January 2022

Following Medicare annual enrollment, which occurs in the fall and is crazy busy, Mark and I took off with friends to Akumal, Mexico, about a 75-minute drive south of Cancun. We stayed at the beautiful, all-inclusive Secrets resort and enjoyed some R&R. January is a wonderful time to go. The region of Riviera Maya is perfect for those who enjoy getting away from the congestion of the city. We have been to this part of Mexico previously and have shopped in Playa del Carmen, toured cenotes, and scouted the Tulum ruins. This trip, we wanted to do something a bit different. After talking with the Concierge staff, we found out it was going to cost quite a bit of money to take four people into Playa for shopping. Due to “Covid rules,” we would be required to take two separate cabs, so we went looking for an alternate way to shop outside the resort shops. Keep in mind, it is always suggested resort guests stay on property, because safety cannot be guaranteed. Safety from what? No one would directly answer that question. There were even signs posted on the beach stating the resort is not responsible if you stray beyond the signs. While we never suggest anyone do something detrimental to their safety, we have an adventurous streak in us. We quickly discovered you could go out to the beach, turn left, walk for less than five minutes, and reach Akumal beach shops. That was a whole different environment than our resort, and we loved it. There were t-shirt shops, fishing boats, a restaurant/bar, spa, a small convenience store, and a dive center (where we later took a sea turtle snorkeling tour.) Then we walked about a half mile inland and found the town of Akumal. Not much going on there, so we asked a local couple how to economically get to Tulum without the expense of a taxi. Next thing you know we were in a mini shuttle bus, packed shoulder-to-shoulder with locals, headed to Tulum. So much for “Covid rules.” Cost - $2 each to ride the shuttle. The shopping in Tulum was awesome; however, when we wanted to head back to the resort, we discovered the return shuttle was a bit harder to catch. The shuttles were full, so we hailed a cab. The cab was a smaller vehicle. Larger than a Mini Cooper, although not by much. We made what should have been a 15-minute drive in under seven minutes. Passing trees were a blur of green and brown streaks. Using our collective mathematical brains, converting kilometers to miles, we estimated the cab driver was doing about 90 mph. That was an experience we do not believe should be repeated and may have answered our original question, “safety from what”? Given the circumstances; it was a great trip and we returned home in one piece, Covid negative.

Alaska, USA - July 2021

Hello! It has been a while since I blogged. Been crazy busy with all things Medicare, travel, and summer home maintenance. A literal smorgasbord of stuff. Although, one of the most fun things we have done recently is check off another bucket list destination. We had the opportunity to visit Alaska. Neither my husband, nor I, had ever been there and what an adventure! I will blog about the beauty of Alaska in a separate post. For now, I want to talk about the challenges of travel, post-pandemic. We took a convoluted flight path to get to Anchorage (not by choice, mind you, but because airlines right now are having to cancel, combine, and re-route flights due to crew shortages and increasing demand for flights). We started in Wichita, flew to Houston – yes, completely in the wrong direction, then on to Seattle (where we collected luggage and re-checked it to Alaska Airlines), then finally to Anchorage. We had everything timed perfectly. Had a 90-minute window in Seattle to pick up luggage and re-check it. We pulled away from the gate on time in Houston and started our taxi to the runway for takeoff when the plane stopped. About five minutes later, the pilot announced over the intercom, “folks, we have a maintenance issue we think can be solved by a computer reboot. We are going to pull off to the side, try the reboot and get you on your way soon. Not to worry, we will make up time in the air.” Seriously, the last thing on my mind was making up time in the air. The idea of a plane with a maintenance issue scares me. The idea that a computer reboot fixes the plane terrifies me. It is one thing to have computer issues at home where I can walk into another room, re-set the WiFi router, grab lunch, walk back, restart, and continue with the day. It is entirely different to think we could be 30,000 feet in the air and need a computer reboot. Anyway, we sat on the tarmac for 25 minutes when the pilot informed us, “folks, it worked! The reboot fixed the issue and now we are waiting for maintenance crew to sign off on paperwork. We’ll be on our way shortly.” At this point, my active imagination has the pilot opening the cockpit window and paying for repairs with his credit card, like they did in the movie “Airplane”. In addition, the pilot was a little too excited the reboot worked. Oh well, fifteen minutes later, we were taking off a total of 40 minutes late. True to his word, we made up time in the air and arrived in Seattle only 20 minutes late. Knowing we had to check bags within 45 minutes of our Alaska connection, we were cutting it close but were confident we would still make it. Until, right before turning into the terminal, the plane stops again. Pilot, “folks, the Seattle airport is under construction. There is only one way in and one way out. We have to wait until traffic clears before we can pull into our gate.” Well dang, hope traffic clears quickly. Fifteen minutes later we are racing to baggage claim and waiting for the beltway to start spitting out bags. I did not think to pull out a video camera and record my husband sprinting across the airport with my hip-high Samsonite in tow. It would have been a viral video. Alaska Airlines was at the opposite end of the terminal. Good thing I did not have to run with that suitcase; I am prone to face-plants. We made the ticket counter with four minutes to spare before they shut down baggage check-in. All flights were full the rest of the day, and you cannot get on one plane and send your luggage on another, TSA rules. Had we missed the flight, the next available was two days later. What was the lesson learned after all that? As a personal rule, I always buy trip insurance when traveling internationally. I thought I could get away with not purchasing it for Alaska, because this was domestic travel. These are not normal times. Buy the insurance, it provides piece of mind and minimizes the risk of face-plants.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - October 2020

Good day to all! It's time for me to get real. Back in October 2020, we embarked on a trip to Cabo San Lucas. One of the highlights of the trip was a half day fishing trip. This is a modern miracle, because those who know me personally know I get queasy just imagining riding in a vehicle driving through the mountains. I expressed my concerns to the gentleman who talked us into going fishing. He instructed me to take Dramamine two hours prior to getting on the boat. "You will be just fine," he said. Guess what? He was right! I made it five hours on that boat and did not get sick. This came with good news and bad news. The good news is we caught six Mahi Mahi and my son hooked and my husband reeled in a 93" striped Marlin. The bad news, none of us eat fish. In fact, I am sad to say, I won't eat anything that comes from a large body of water. I have tried to choke down fried fish before, I was only able to do so by dousing it with a TON of ketchup and telling myself it tastes like chicken. Let's just say, the boat captain, first mate, and folks outside one of the restaurants at the marina had a great fish fry when we got back. Anyway, that wasn't where I was going with this blog post. It was to say, the pictures from that fishing trip were a wake up call for me. I was not in good shape. I was far from being the best version of myself that I could possibly be. When I got back home, I embarked on a new, healthier lifestyle. I am not where I want to be yet, but I am a far cry closer than I was on that trip. You need energy to enjoy your retirement. Don't let bad lifestyle choices derail your efforts!

Mexico - March 2020

I retired from my career in group insurance in early March 2020. A couple of days later, Mark (my spouse) and I headed to Mexico to decompress. While lounging by the pool, we kept hearing rumblings from other guests that things were starting to shut down in the U.S. We really didn't think much of it until we arrived at our stop-over in Atlanta a week later. The picture above was the empty international concourse we were greeted with when we arrived. We were used to seeing one of the busiest airports in the world with shoulder-to-shoulder travelers. Little did we know what the next year would hold, but we knew that our plans for travel would be impacted for the foreseeable future. For the next six months we made the decision to focus on the honey-do-list of household projects. That did not go so well. I preface by saying, we take COVID-19 very seriously. But by September 2020, we'd had enough. We were going to travel, come hell or high water. So we started in the U.S. and modified our activities to things that allowed for easy social distancing. Thank goodness we enjoy golf and hiking! Although golf does not enjoy me much and I am a self-diagnosed klutz when it comes to walking, we embarked on a trip to Nevada and Utah. Two very memorable things about that trip: 1. If you have never heard of Wolf Creek Golf Club in Mesquite, NV you need to check it out. About 90 minutes east of Las Vegas, it is one of the most beautiful public courses I have ever seen. 2. Zion National Park is amazing! Just take note. When hiking downhill into a canyon for 1.5 hours, at some point you need to return to your car. That return trip is completely uphill. Thought I wasn't going to make it out alive.