This month I had the fantastic opportunity to take a trip with my family to San Diego, California, to connect with more of our family including a visit with Grandma Dorothy. As you can well imagine, Minnesota had gotten quite "wintery" by the end of February so the warm winds and blue skies of Southern California were a very welcomed break. We were all ready for some balmier weather!
The traveling team consisted of me and my sister's family - Becky, Jim, Nicki & Natalie. We flew out of the Fargo airport, which is only an hour from their house in Northeastern Minnesota, landed in Minneapolis, and then took a connecting flight directly to San Diego. The flights were excellent (thank you,
Delta Airlines) and we were walking on California soil before we knew it. Our group was meeting up with Mom and Dad at the airport since they had already driven their motor home to San Diego a couple weeks prior. My parents,
Tom and Yvonne, are "snowbirds", you know - they leave Minnesota and fly south for the winter. Smart birds :o)
Since Grandma lives in downtown
La Mesa, my Uncle Daryl and his wife, Jana, usually host the family whenever we come to visit. They live up on Mount Helix (a beautiful mountain in the suburb of La Mesa), and I am always so impressed with their garden. They have a wide variety of flowers and fresh fruits including oranges, grapefruits, and tangerines. Mmmmm! We drank freshly-squeezed orange juice every morning. Their garden also has a beautiful view that overlooks San Diego and provides you with amazing view of the city and mountains.
You've probably heard of the
San Diego Zoo - well, it's one of the largest zoos in the world and full of wonderful animals. Now I'm not much for caging animals, but many of these animals may have been rescued from dangerous environments and they are very well cared for at the zoo. We saw everything from bears, giraffes, rhinoceros, and gorillas to exotics birds, monkeys, and elephants. The zoo was very clean and the staff were friendly. A great day all around!
Another highlight of our vacation was a trip up to Long Beach to see the historic RMS
Queen Mary ship and Hotel - the sister ship of the RMS
Titanic. This deluxe cruise ship was the flagship of the Cunard Line from 1936 until 1945 where she was used to transport over 16,000 troops back from the war. To this day, she holds the record for most passengers on a maritime vessel! On the ship we got to walk around and explore the different decks, rooms, and parlors. If you take the tour be sure to visit the ghostly depths in the
Ghosts and Legends show - quite a thrilling attraction! All a great time and fun experience. It felt almost like being on the decks of the Titanic.
Other areas we visited include the
Hotel del Coronado and beach on Coronado Island,
Carlsbad Beach, shopping in La Mesa, and Dad and Jim went to Navy harbor to visit the
USS Enterprise (sorry, Trekkies out there - it's the aircraft carrier, not the star ship... but wouldn't that be totally fun?!) There was also plenty of downtime and everyone was able to catch up on their reading. I finished two more books on the trip!
In the end, we all had a great week enjoying the warm weather and enjoying each other. It was great seeing Grandma, Daryl and Jana, Mom and Dad, and spending time with Becky, Jim and the girls. Lots of rest and relaxation, and good food, of course. Another reminder about the importance of family -
they matter!
I hope you're having a great spring and traveling somewhere in your near future. If you are, be sure to take the opportunity to explore - there's all sorts of things to do and learn out there, so take advantage it.
Get on the move and experience the world!
Mr. Michael
So in July I had a great opportunity to return to the mountains a little closer to home - the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. My first visit to Colorado and the Rocky Mountains was back in 1975 when our family went on a camping trip to attend my cousin's wedding. Since then I'd visited Colorado several other times including road tripping in college to ski the slopes of Breckenridge, Vail and Copper Mountain, and at other times for work clients or stopovers during flights to the West coast. But this time it was different. I came to Colorado to visit friends and just enjoy the mountain scenery. And this time I brought my camera :o)
Over the extended weekend my buddy Ric did most of the driving (thank you) and we hit several of the local landmarks in and out of the Rocky Mountains area. Some of the weekend highlights on the first day included Red Rocks (and the amazing outdoor amphitheater), Idaho Springs, Central City, Blackhawk, and the highlight of the day: Mount Evans in the Arapapho National Forest - over 14,000 feet above the Colorado plains. Stunning! We drove above the tree line, then the cloud line, and soon we joined the mountain goats on the top of the mountains. I truly felt like I was on top of the world.
The mountains were powerful and so was the final stop on my way back to the airport - the Columbine Memorial, a place of peace, comfort and reflection remembering all who were affected by the events of the Columbine High School shootings on April 20, 1999. The memorial was a very moving and powerful experience. An introspective moment, indeed - and a wonderful way to bring a sense of appreciation to my trip.
My cousin Arlan and I didn't really know each other growing up, but that changed when he moved out to Honolulu back in the mid 90's to become the cathedral musician and choirmaster for St. Andrew's Episcopal Cathedral. Arlan is a brilliant musician, composer, and director - and St. Andrew's was so fortunate to have him. Since I had a background in music and voice, I sang in his cathedral choir for many years, and I felt so blessed to be a part of it. Arlan and I quickly became great friends. We learned to appreciate each others' gifts and talents, and since we were family there were so many things we had in common. It became a lasting friendship.
Eventually I left Hawaii, and several years later Arlan left as well. He took a position as the choirmaster and Director of Music at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Atlanta. We kept saying we should connect again, but it had been many years. Since one of my intentions this year is to travel "to" people, I decided it was time to see Arlan, booked the ticket, and went to pay a visit.
This month I had the fantastic opportunity to take a trip with my family to San Diego, California, to connect with more of our family including a visit with Grandma Dorothy. As you can well imagine, Minnesota had gotten quite "wintery" by the end of February so the warm winds and blue skies of Southern California were a very welcomed break. We were all ready for some balmier weather!
Since Grandma lives in downtown La Mesa, my Uncle Daryl and his wife, Jana, usually host the family whenever we come to visit. They live up on Mount Helix (a beautiful mountain in the suburb of La Mesa), and I am always so impressed with their garden. They have a wide variety of flowers and fresh fruits including oranges, grapefruits, and tangerines. Mmmmm! We drank freshly-squeezed orange juice every morning. Their garden also has a beautiful view that overlooks San Diego and provides you with amazing view of the city and mountains.
Other areas we visited include the Hotel del Coronado and beach on Coronado Island, Carlsbad Beach, shopping in La Mesa, and Dad and Jim went to Navy harbor to visit the USS Enterprise (sorry, Trekkies out there - it's the aircraft carrier, not the star ship... but wouldn't that be totally fun?!) There was also plenty of downtime and everyone was able to catch up on their reading. I finished two more books on the trip! 
In the end, we all had a great week enjoying the warm weather and enjoying each other. It was great seeing Grandma, Daryl and Jana, Mom and Dad, and spending time with Becky, Jim and the girls. Lots of rest and relaxation, and good food, of course. Another reminder about the importance of family - they matter!
This past weekend I jumped on a short flight over to Chicago to visit my friends Rob and Aaron for the weekend. Rob and I have been friends for over 25 years (wow... I just thought about how long that is!), so we are an example of those friends who are always connected - you know the kind... we see each other a couple times a year and "pick up where we left off". It's great to have people in your life who really get you - those friends where no explanations are needed - you just meet each other where you're at in your life and compare notes. A great way to check-in an reconnect with someone who know you, especially those times when you really need it. A good friend is one who knows who you are and can remind you when you forget. * Travel tip: Try to combine visits with friends and family when you plan your trips!
I flew to Minneapolis, had a short layover, boarded my overnight flight to Amsterdam on the A330 Airbus--one of my favorite jets--and since the flight was only 75% occupied I was able to re-seat myself as soon as the cabin door was closed. (*Hint: I will write another entry about "tips for flying happiness" in a future posting) Naturally, I chose a window seat with an unoccupied seat next to me so I had elbow room. Did you know you can do that? Just ask a flight attendant if you have questions. *Travel Tip: For more information about which seats rock and which do not, visit seatguru.com 
When I arrived at my hotel, I checked in, grabbed my camera, and went for a walk. Today I was headed towards my "tourist destination of the day" - the Anne Frank House. Now the Anne Frank House has an amazing history and even though I'd been through Amsterdam 5 or 6 times throughout my travels, I'd never had a chance to visit the house and museum. So this was my day to do it. In addition, I'd promised my friend Shawn and my niece Natalie that I'd get them each a brochure from the tour. Incidentally, Shawn is playing the part of Anne's brother, Peter, in the production of Diary of Anne Frank at Park Square Theater in St. Paul this winter. Go check it out!
The tour of the Anne Frank House was very powerful and moving. I wasn't allowed to take snapshots inside the house so they can preserve the integrity of the original wood, paint and wallpaper. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the self-guided tour, attention to detail in the museum, and all of the informational placards and videos installed throughout the building. It was a very touching experience and it reminding me how important our families and friends are to us... in Anne's case, how friends and family came together to love and support one another in a time of great panic and fear. I left the museum feeling grateful and thankful for my family and the fact that I don't have to live in fear as Anne and her family did during the war. * Travel Tip: Use contrast to instill an attitude of gratitude.
Posts
