Tag Archives: Travel

Spring Break 2017 – Fiesta Americana in Puerto Vallarta

As is our usual custom during spring break, we loaded onto a plane in cooler Kansas City and jetted our way to warmer climates south of the border – once again in Puerto Vallarta. This is our 5th trip to this resort city, all while staying at different resorts.

We chose Fiesta Americana this year because it was only an 8-minute drive from the airport. Additionally, it gave us something we’ve never had before – adjoining rooms so the girls could have their own room (i.e., Linda and I could have our own room).

The view from our balcony was gorgeous.

The grounds were also beautiful.

We often try to attend the evening shows while we are on these vacations, but we only attended the show during our first night there. It was a Hispanica dance show that was truly engaging. Here’s a short clip:

We mostly laid around and enjoyed some peace and quiet. Lots of reading and napping were accomplished. The meals were good and drinks were always easily acquired. Anna and Emily just can’t get enough virgin strawberry daiquiris. Of course, it’s also nice for me to be able to walk up and request a refreshing glass of amber lager as often as I wanted (plus some premium tequila if you ask nicely).

This was our view for the few days we were there:

Anna and Emily got to hang out and reconnect.

Unfortunately, we didn’t plan this well because it was assumed that the college and high school spring breaks coincided – they didn’t. Anna was missing class to join us, so this is how we spent some of our time – doing homework in bar…

And most unfortunate, Anna had to leave 1 day earlier than us to get back for a class she was not allowed to miss. I rode the taxi with her back to the airport; it almost broke my heart seeing her leave, knowing that we were getting 24 more hours of fun and sun.

The good news is that spring break will be easy next year since they’ll both be at K-State. We just need to make sure we stay longer next time!

Vacation to Niagara Falls

Before everyone resumes school, we headed off for our summer vacation – finally a place that none of us have ever visited. Linda has made sure we have spent our summer vacations visiting iconic places around the nation (Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, LA, Nashville, etc). However, we were looking for a place none of us have ever visited. Buffalo, NY and Niagara Falls beckoned…

We flew in to Buffalo and promptly made our way to Duff’s Famous Wings to get some Buffalo Chicken Wings (one of the 2 purported origins of Buffalo Wings) . Of course, I paired it with a nice pint of Yuengling brew – from America’s oldest brewery.

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Afterwards, we went to Delaware Park in Buffalo to hike around and view a Japanese Garden – a beautiful walking trail.

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We hung out in Buffalo and stayed at Chestnut Hill Farm House, a bed and breakfast on the southern edge of town. The place was a remodeled 165-year old farm house. We enjoyed a wonderfully spacious room with a side room for the girls and a patio off our bedroom.

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We woke up Sunday morning and attended Mass at one of the local Catholic churches. It’s always amazing that one can attend Mass in another state (or even country) and it will be very similar to the home church. We then returned the Bed & Breakfast to enjoy the promised breakfast – a french toast casserole and assorted fruit.

One last thing to do in Buffalo before heading to Niagara Falls was to tour one of the Frank Lloyd Wright houses there. This was built in the early 1900’s for Darwin Martin, a millionaire who had worked his way up from selling Larkin soap door-to-door in NYC to being the senior accounting executive for the Larkin Soap Co. It was a fabulous tour. Unfortunately, no photos inside, so you only get these outdoor photos.

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After spending the afternoon in Buffalo, we loaded into the rented Chevy Cruze and travelled an hour north up to Niagara Falls, NY. We hiked for a while on the trail in the park. The first views of the falls were breathtaking – and we quickly took a group selfie to commemorate the arrival.

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We are standing on the USA side, right next to the USA falls with Horseshoe Falls in the far background and the tall buildings of Niagara Falls, Ontario behind us. We eventually got across the water (after an hour on the bridge, waiting to get through customs) and checked in to the hotel. The highlight of the evening, after a 20 minute walk back to the water, was a ride on the Hornblower boat into the base of the Horseshoe Falls to see them lit up with colored spotlights and view an impressive fireworks show just above us while floating in the water.

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The final and penultimate day was filled with a tour all around Niagara Falls via a tour bus and guide. This was definitely the way to do it there – we saw and learned so many things that we wouldn’t have without the guide. We enjoyed the time-honored Maid of the Mist boat tour and really got up and close to the falls.

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We spent time on land on both sides – up close and personal. It seemed you could hop the little fence and jump right in the water.

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We finished the day at the top of an observation deck which afforded a most spectacular view (second only to being at the bottom of the Horseshoe Falls). The view was truly amazing.

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Prior to our flight home, we had a bit of time to kill – so we stopped at a movie theater and watched the new “Ghostbusters”. What a fun weekend.

Summer Vacation 2015 – Los Angeles & San Diego

We had a fabulous summer vacation this year – a trip out to Los Angeles and San Diego. Linda has been trying to get the family out to California for several years, but I’d been very resistant due to the time it would take to travel out there and tour the state. However, we finally agreed on flying out (instead of driving) and also visiting a couple cities, instead of all of them.

Day 1

We flew in to Los Angeles about 10am and, after getting a surprisingly nice Chevy Cruze rental car, went directly downtown to the Grammy Museum next to the Staples Center. The girls were incredibly happy because there was a Taylor Swift exhibit with lots of her artifacts and dresses.

IMG_7881After touring the Grammy Museum, we drove over to Warner Brothers Studios for a tour around the lot. What a magnificent tour through back lots and stages – we could easily see many of our favorite TV shows and movies come to life as we gazed upon sets, streets, and stages.

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The highlight of the tour was getting to see the stage where “The Ellen Degeneres Show” is filmed; Emily is such a fan of the show and had been hoping we’d be able to see it. The tour was coming to an end and we had not seen the anything in regards to the show. We had been told up front that some of the stages were filming and we’d not be able to go anywhere near them. I assumed this was the case, but the guide offered “one last stop, if nobody minds having the tour go a little long”. We all agreed and went in the back entrance through a seemingly nondescript doorway – and right on to the set of  “The Ellen Degeneres Show” – Emily began to cry uncontrollably.  We weren’t allowed to take any photographs inside, but we did get this one of Emily outside the studio.

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Additionally, Linda wanted to make sure I got a photo with me and Bugs Bunny, one of my favorite childhood cartoon characters.

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We finished the day off by going to the Hollywood Walk of Fame and searched out different stars on the sidewalk – finding the star for Ellen Degeneres, of course.

Day 2

The second day in LA was filled with a tour around LA on a guided tour bus. This was perfect, because we parked the car and let someone else do the driving and explaining about all of the sights. We started at the Santa Monica Pier and then went to Venice Beach where we saw skateboarders and the famous Muscle Beach (but no one working out at 9am).

IMG_7906After walking around Venice Beach, we then made our way to Beverly Hills. We drove around a bit and saw some mansions and then walked along Rodeo Drive and did some window shopping. It really did feel like walking around The Plaza in Kansas City, but I know the prices were quite different.

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After lunch, we drove up to the Griffith Observatory, which gave us a gorgeous view of the entire LA basin. Additionally, it gave us the best opportunity for a picture with the “Hollywood sign” in the background (look real carefully over Anna’s left shoulder).

 

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We then finished the day of the tour back at the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the TCL (Grauman’s) Chinese Theatre.

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Day 3

Our 3rd day found us waking in Anaheim so we could be close to Disneyland. We arrived and parked with very little difficulty (what an amazing HUGE parking garage they have). The tram ride was easy and we were at the front gates within 15 minutes of arriving. After all the years of hearing about lines at Disneyland – we witnessed firsthand how awesome they really move and you don’t feel like you waited all that long.

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The worst thing to happen was getting stuck on the “It’s a Small World” ride. We sat for about 15 minutes near the final exit – right in front of a blaring speaker – blasting “It’s a Small World” over and over and over and over and over and over…. (you get the idea).

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The parades were awesome – especially the nighttime parade, but no iPhone picture was going to do it justice, so you’ll just have to view at the collage of the daytime parade.
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We got our pictures with Tigger, Eyore, and Pooh. Linda’s been a Winnie the Pooh fan since early childhood.

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Day 4

The 4th day was one of leisurely travel down the coastal highway to San Diego. It was a Sunday morning, so we got up and went to Mass before striking out on a gorgeous day of travel with beautiful oceanside scenery. We stopped in Oceanside, California for a long lunch at a seaside restaurant.

IMG_7965We made our way to the hotel in San Diego and promptly fell asleep, waking in time to get some dinner. First half of the trip completed and a couple more days to go.

Day 5

Much like our first full day in LA, we spent our first full day in San Diego on a tour of the city. We started with a tour of the harbor and then had a tour of the city via a tour bus. I didn’t really take any pictures of the city tour, but highlights were going through Little Italy and out to Coronado Island.

IMG_7969 IMG_7971 IMG_7979We ate a fabulous lunch in Little Italy. After the tour was over, we grabbed some fabulous Italian desserts from a deli and then walked down to the Ballast Point Brewery where we enjoyed appetizers and  drinks.

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Finally, we finished the night off at the Balboa Park free outdoor pipe organ concert.

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Day 6

Our final full day in San Diego was reserved for the San Diego Zoo and also the San Diego Safari Park. This was one full day walking around and enjoying the amazing exhibits at the famous zoo.

IMG_8021 IMG_8030 IMG_8034After finishing at the Zoo (just as a thunderstorm arrived), we travelled the 30 miles out to Escondido to see the Safari Park. This was an amazing tour (although hot and muggy after the rain went away). Riding the tour bus around this huge safari park suggested as to what it must be like to go on a safari in Africa. The animals are all co-mingled and running around together. Very cool.

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After a long, hot day of walking (6.8 miles of walking according to my Apple Watch), we stopped off for one more round of refreshing drinks and appetizers at the Stone Brewing Co.

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Day 7

Our last bit of vacation in beautiful, sunny California was spent at the USS Midway Museum, right down on the harbor and just a few miles from the airport. This was a fabulous experience, getting to see how an aircraft carrier works and how the crew lived and functioned. There are lots of airplanes and helicopters, both inside the main hanger and up on the deck.

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The best part for me was seeing the medical ward, ICU, OR, and dental clinic deep down in the bowels of the ship.

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After our tour was over, we returned our trusty little Chevy Cruze and boarded the plane back to Kansas. California, it was awesome visiting and we look forward to coming back again!

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Carnival Cruise to the Bahamas

Spring Break came this last week – and we escaped the cool March to the warm waters of the Caribbean.  The girls have been asking to go on a cruise for several years.  After going on a Disney cruise eight years ago, they’ve wanted to experience the ship life again.

Linda worked diligently to create a fantastic 4-day getaway.  We first arrived in Orlando and drove to Cape Canaveral to stay the night.  The next morning we drove up to the Kennedy Space Center and did a quick tour.  What a massive and interesting place.  The space shuttle was on the pad and being readied for launch in April.

We then drove to the dock to catch our boat, the Carnival Sensation (pictured above).  We were on the lowest deck, but we did have a window.  The first thing Linda did was find a chair in the sun.  See if you can find her in the picture below.

I found time to sit in some shade and really relax – no phones, no emails, no work!

Our destination was Nassau, Bahamas.  We spent about 6 hours on shore at the Atlantis resort.  We went swimming at the beach and toured the Atlantis grounds, including the massive aquarium that is made to look like the ruins of Atlantis.  Very cool, indeed.

 

Just like any vacation – it was too short.  But we had a good time.  Be sure to ask the girls about staying up past midnight each night with the Circle C club (group of 12-14 year olds on the ship).

 

 

My trip to the Dominican Republic

Once again, the blog has been silent.  However, this time I have a good excuse.  I took a trip to the Dominican Republic with a group of friends from the on-line cigar community.  I hooked up with CigarTourism.com to be guided through many cigar factories and fields and be taught about the production of premium handmade cigars.

This was technically a birthday gift from Linda for my 40th birthday – a great gift, indeed.

The weather was warm (80 degrees) and I didn’t need any sunscreen because we were mostly inside or in shade.  It was a great getaway from work.  More importantly, I missed the snow blizzard of the season that crippled much of the country.

To read about my visit – click on “D.R. Trip Pics” at the top of the page.  This will take you to a collection of albums that are individually annotated.

Enjoy.

Omaha Zoo

We have been planning to go to the Omaha Zoo for several years.  Each summer has come and gone and we kick ourselves in August for not having made the real effort to get to Omaha.  It’s only 3 hours away – but yet just far enough.

Friends from medical school, Neil and Elissa Hamill, have just moved to Omaha after just completing his final month of fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine.  Finally – a perfect reason to make a real effort to get to Omaha.

We drove into Omaha about 3:00 pm on yesterday (Sunday) and spent the evening with the Hamills.  We had dinner at a restaurant that brewed their own beer, went swimming at their gym, and then homemade brownies (from scratch), ice cream, and coffee at their new house.  What a lovely evening.

After a night sleeping in luxury at the Doubletree, we got up this morning and headed to the zoo.  Elissa and the two boys joined us and we spent the whole day walking around the wonderful exhibits.

Where have we been? Puerto Vallarte

It’s been almost 3 weeks since the last post – it’s been a busy three weeks.

Most importantly, the 4 of us and Linda’s parents traveled to Puerto Vallarte, Mexico for spring break.  This was an absolutely fun time – and it was warm.  Upper 70’s every day…much better than the 30s and 40s back in Kansas.

Here are some pictures to show just how fun it was!

Here we are whale watching – we followed a mother and baby humpback whale for at least an hour (all with food and beer provided).

The girls loved playing in the water.  There was also a very nice pool that found some splashing and swimming, as well.


This was the view from our balcony – just beyond the trees is the water.  The room was comfortable and close to the stairs that emptied out onto everything.  Great spot.

We had lots of stuff to do – obviously sitting by the pool or the ocean.  Several open bars with drinks flowing (I loved the margaritas and Coronas; the girls loved the virgin strawberry daiquiris).  The buffets were full and had plenty of choices to choose what to eat.  The fun stuff included a climbing wall and a shooting range.

One of the days was spent on a bus tour of the city and the surrounding mountains.  We had lunch at a really nice open-air restaurant that served awesome seafood next to a cascading river.


We went to a flea market and got to haggle prices…

I also found a cigar shop across the street that made their own cigars there – got a nice box to bring back home.

We finished the tour off with a tour of a Tequila factory – got to sample several different varieties.  Also got a couple bottles to bring home so I can remember my great time in Mexico.

Our last night on vacation was spent at a candle-lit dinner on a secluded beach – 45 minutes away by a cruise boat at sunset.  The dinner was precluded with a show filled with native drums, dancing and singing all in ancient costume (as noted in the pictures below from Vallarta Adventures.)   What a great end to a great vacation.

photo courtesy of http://www.vallarta-adventures.com/tours/rhythms-of-the-night#