family
family
Zion and Bryce Canyon Parks
We took a break from winter in Minnesota to visit our friends The P’s in Las Vegas.In addition to being the best hosts in the world, they treated us to a weekend tour of Zion and Bryce Canyon parks.You will see that it was still a little cool there in March and snow on some […]
family
Hoover Dam
Who can go to Las Vegas without a visit to the Hoover Dam? A short drive from Tom & Mary’s home, the dam and new bridge are quite an attraction. On the drive back we circled Lake Mead and detoured through the development named Lake Las Vegas – designed on the theme of an Italian […]
family
Tom & Mary
Tom and Mary were wonderful hosts! They have a beautiful home, fed us fantastic meals and toured us all around town. You couldn’t imagine a better way to see Las Vegas. Thanks again for everything!!! Click on any photo below for full screen slideshow. SWIPE or use spacebar to PLAY/PAUSE.
family
Red Rock
The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is just a few miles west of Las Vegas in the Mojave Desert, and so we took the drive. Satisfied by two scoops of gelato, it seemed the perfect time for a drive. The rock formations, natural beauty, and the vivid colors of the rocks attracted us as […]
family
Yowza — the Las Vegas strip
Something for everyone here at the Las Vegas strip. Want to have your picture taken with a volunteer Batman? No problem. Need a bail bondsman? Done. Step right up and watch the chocolate waterfall, buy yourself a three-tier divorce cake, stand inside a giant red pump with your gal pal, choose from a large array […]
family
Selby Botanical Gardens
A tropical, urban oasis featuring unparalleled horticulture displays and a Sarasota bay-front setting, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is a world-class center for education, research and conservation. Nestled on the shores of beautiful Sarasota Bay, Selby Gardens is a tropical urban oasis with something for everyone. Relax amidst nature’s beauty and allow the scenery of unparalleled […]
family
Florida 2013 and Ringling Museum
Seaplace, Florida We took a break from the winter weather and visited our friends Charlie and Jane in Florida. The most amazing part of our stay was a day spent at the Ringling Circus Museum. The miniature circus and railroad exhibit is second only to Cà d’Zan, (Venetian for “House of John”), the waterfront residence […]
family, wacky
Home Brew Beer!
My loving family gave me a special gift for my 60th birthday – a gift certificate to Vine Park Brewing to make my own batch of beer. This was a wonderful choice for me as I had brewed quite a bit of beer back in my college days, but haven’t taken it up since then. […]
family, France
Flayosc, Villecroze, & Tourtour
Up at 9 for coffee and the weather is beautiful. Word has it there is a market in Flayosc, so we go — Mike, Liz, Patty M, Jim and Jane G. There is no market. But we find street-side paella and buy enough for lunch for all. We stop at a fruit market for salad […]
family
Arrival at villa
We stop in Draguignan for groceries to make sure we have something to eat at the villa. Major hubbub with French people darting this way and that. They know what to do in a French supermarket, and we do not. We are at the villa by 5:20. The guardian gives us a whirlwind tour. It’s […]
family
Off to the villa
Checkout time is noon and we wake up late. Just enough time for breakfast — this time on the Patio of Yellow Umbrellas. Charlie and Jane want to tour the old town, so Patty, Mike and Liz drive the corniche below the Esterel. We stop at a monument to the World War II landing of […]
family
Friday in St. Raphael
An easy day in St. Raphael, where the weather is apparently always beautiful. At least it has been during our stay. With Charlie and Jane driving our way from Cassis, we decide to stay close to “home,” visiting familiar places, dining on Nutella in the breakfast room, and relaxing on the lovely Patio of Yellow […]
family
Thursday in St. Raphael
The wind is down, and we arise early and head to the breakfast room for coffee, hard-boiled eggs, babybel cheese, a little Laughing Cow, croissants, and fruit compote. We drive to the old town, and traffic is fierce. We park near the harbor and tour an open air exhibit of huge photographs — ships and […]
family
From Nice to St. Raphael
Arrive in St. Raphael midday and check in to the Hotel Santa Lucia, which has a view of the Mediterranean Sea. We make for the harbor. So many beautiful yachts and sailboats. The wind is immense and makes an eerie whine through the rigging of the many boats, like a siren calling. We find a seaside eatery, and take time for salad and galettes. In the night, we sleep with the window open to the sea. The sailboat rigging whines and calls all night.
family
LUGGAGE!!!
Our luggage was deliver about midnight. We had a good nights sleep in spite of a thunderstorm. This morning is clear, all is well and we’re off for St. Raphael.
