In the Carolinas, summer means “Going To The Beach,” but in New Jersey, the idiom is “Down The Shore” (pronounced as one word, “downashoor”). So when our grandson was invited to compete in the 2019 US Sailing Youth Championship, we had the perfect opportunity for a few days down the shore on Long Beach Island.
Travel
The Perfect Beach Trip … until …
It was to be the perfect week at the beach, and it was, right up until the police arrived. The brother and sister started planning an early summer trip for their own young families. “There’s no better way to get to know each other than by living for a week under the same roof,” the brother said to his sister, wanting their children – cousins – to be close. She agreed. They would soon find out how right they were.
Loving Prague in December
Longships gracefully navigating the picturesque rivers of Europe. Happy couples holding hands as together they climb the stairs to a storybook castle. People enjoying a glass of wine before dinner. All images that have filled our TV screen for years, tempting us to travel and explore. We wanted to be part of the scenes. Viking had a trip leaving Passau, Germany, and cruising the Danube River, ending in Budapest, Hungary. There would be stops in Austrian cities of Linz, Melk, Durnstein, Krems, and Vienna; then on to Bratislava, Slovak Republic before ending in Budapest. That sounded like the perfect trip, “But why not go early?” my wife asked. “It’ll give us a chance to explore and get comfortable.”
Romero – A Different Story of Love
The date has been set. October 14, 2018 has been chosen by the Vatican as the day for the canonization of the slain Salvadoran archbishop, Oscar Arnulfo Romero. When Romero was hand picked by the church and state to lead El Salvador’s faithful, it was assumed he would merely maintain the status quo of this country where Roman Catholic rituals permeate every corner of society. The Archbishop’s messages began to change over his three years, as more homilies started speaking of a new way. A way where change could happen sooner; an idea that the meek shouldn’t need to wait until death to inherit the earth.
Artists And Adventurers Make The Best Leaders
Artists and adventurers make the best leaders. They are the ones who push us (and themselves) to explore the world beyond our comfortable limits: physically and emotionally. They’re the risk takers and big thinkers we need as our guides.
Before You Close Your Suitcase – Open Your Heart
I knew about the shortage of houses in El Salvador but what I didn’t know was the culture of the people in this small country with fewer square miles than Massachusetts. I knew about Habitat homes in Charlotte, I’d been working on them for years, but Habitat for Humanity in El Salvador builds differently.
Traveling With New Eyes
Barns can be a popular subject for photographers. They shoot them in every light and from every angle. They don’t wait for a sunny day when the storm in the night offers the best shot. Legend has it the barn above was built in 1913 by Thomas Mouton and his sons on what is now part of Grand Teton National Park. It is featured in more photos than any barn in the world. Grand Teton National Park is also home to the Laurance Rockefeller Preserve, a 1,106 acre refuge designed for the visitor’s spiritual and emotional connection with Nature. The new welcome center set the perfect interpretative tone for our immersion by painting this large quote on a wall …
Road Trips Matter: Make Time for Brown Signs
Today, I’ve come to rely on the large green signs to get me where I’m going, and the faster the better. At least they WERE my choice until a friend told me about the signs he follows. His signs aren’t placed to speed up the trip but to slow it down. Beverly and Richard Darlington follow brown signs on road trips. They’re the ones that direct travelers to historic buildings, museums, state parks and other places that put the “entertainment” back in driving …
Finding The Perfect Home
My mother collected many things her trips to Florida, including two prints. For years, they sat in a dark storage cabinet in my home. Now they are back home in Florida, back out in the sunshine. I’m sure they will be comfortable there. Now, in their new home, people will look at them and they’ll look back, pleased. I want that for everyone, even my things ..
Newfoundland – Again, But With Different Eyes
I had visited Newfoundland 25 years ago, but on a different mission. Then I was neither the traveler nor the tourist, but “the businessman” who had come for the fish, or more precisely, for access to the fish and the profits to be made. This time, it was my turn to be the tourist with National Geographic as my guide …