April 27 – May 3,  2019

This was a Friendship Tours 6 night/7 day coach trip to Jekyll Island, St Simon Island and Savannah,  Georgia ($1,549 pp).   My travel companion/brother,  Dave and I  are very adventurous,  resourceful people.  We are able to make our own fun and in this case decided very early on in this adventure, that would need to be the case.  Nothing was as anticipated.  The whole coach tour experience was disappointing.

Four of our seven days were spent traveling to and from Georgia,  in a very uncomfortable Peter Pan coach with 46 others.  We traveled an average of eleven hours a day, which included two 20 minute rest stops and  1 to 1 1/2 hours for lunch each day.

Six breakfasts and six dinners were included in the tour.  My brother and I follow a vegan diet and I have several food allergies.   Prior to booking,  Friendship Tours assured us that  would not be a problem, they were wrong.  Breakfasts were all hotel “buffets”,  so each was basically the same as the last.  Not one was cooked to order.    The only meals that we thoroughly enjoyed throughout the trip were at restaurants we chose and paid for ourselves.

Day 1 …   Leave Manchester, Ct  7:00 a.m. –  Check into the Holiday Inn Express 1911 W Hundred Rd Chester, Virginia.  6:00 p.m.  Dinner reservation for 7:00 p.m.  Cesare’s Restorante Italiano 13301 Rivers Bend Blvd Chester, Virginia.   The wait staff was very slow,  disorganized and not prepared to accommodate our diets.  Dinner took over three hours and we “probably” ate dairy.    Not a good start.  This scenario was repeated over and over throughout the trip.

Day 2 … I LOVE Jekyll Island!  It is on my list of Top Ten favorite  places.    On previous visits, as we drove by in our RV,  I would admire the Jekyll Island Club Resort.   I remember thinking … “Someday I want to spend just one night there. We stayed two!

Our room was on the third floor of the Sans Souci House (no elevators).  Eclectic, meticulous and loaded with ambiance!  The view from our balcony was amazing!

Dinner the first night was in the main building,  Reserve Room and the second the Grand Dining Room (Dress to impress).  The chef did try to accommodate our diet,  but it was obvious he was not prepared, the food was tasteless and no dessert was available.    We should have gone to Tortuga Jacks on the beach.  Not as elegant, but  the food would have been good,  it would have taken half the time and we would have had a beautiful view.

Day 3 … We start out with a Trolley Tour of the Resort which is a Historic National Landmark.   Our Driver/Guide,  Diana,  was funny and very knowledgeable.  What made this Tour GREAT was these audio ear phones that Diana provided.  You could hear everything she was saying and block out the people around you that thought that what they had to say was more interesting.

Jekyll Island is a bicyclists idea of a bit of heaven.   The over 25 miles of,  mostly, paved and shaded,  trails that circle and crisscross the island are premier.  Next  to nothing  elevation change makes biking the island doable and enjoyable for all ages and “shapes”.   Kudos here,  to Brent,  at Jekyll Wheels where we rented our bikes (one speed bike $20 for 24 hours).  He was knowledgeable,  personable and would not let us leave until he made sure everything was perfect.  Thanks Brent!

The scenery changes and views are spectacular.  The photos do not do the beauty justice.

Driftwood Beach is a must see.  Fat tire bicycles are available to rent for sand cycling during low tide.

Day 4 …. We sadly leave Jekyll Island.  One full day here was not enough.   Back on the coach,  next destination a tour of St Simon Island, more sitting 🙁   Thank goodness for the two 1/2 hour stops …

Hallelujah!  We are allotted two hours  “on our own” for lunch, in historic downtown St. Simon.    Five Stars to Palm Coast Cafe’  318 Mallery St  for the awesome healthy menu, charismatic atmosphere, delicious  food and quick service.   I should have taken a photo of my lunch, but I was too busy savoring it.

We had time left after lunch to visit the St Simon Lighthouse and Museum ($12 adult),  walk up the 129 steps to the top for spectacular views and watch the 10 minute movie in the gift shop.

We walked back to our meeting place along the ocean and enjoyed watching a mama dolphin and her baby frolicking in the waves.  They’re out there,  but were too quick for my shutter.

2:00 p.m.  We leave St Simon Island and two hours later we are checked into the Doubletree by Hilton  411 West Bay Street  Savannah, Georgia.  Savannah is a walking city.  The Doubletree is in a GREAT location!   Only a few minutes walk to the Riverfront Plaza,  Factors Walk, City Walk (closest Trolley Stop)  some great restaurants and excellent entertainment.

Dave and I opt out of staying with the tour group and going to dinner with them at the River House 125 W River St.  We just couldn’t take the chance of not enjoying another meal and wasting another 3 hours sitting.

Dave is in his element, big cities are his thing.  I’m ready to let him navigate and let the fun begin!   First stop The Savannah Theater built in 1818, the countries oldest continuously operating   theater.  We buy tickets for that nights 8:00 p.m. show “Savannah Live”  a rock and roll variety show.  Beautiful venue!

We picked to have dinner, before the show at Your Pie  110 W Bryan St, Savannah.   This is a cafeteria style restaurant where you walk along choosing and watching  “your pie” (aka pizza)” being made.  Your options start with picking your crust (white, wheat or gluten free),  numerous sauces,  cheeses (including vegan)and every topping imaginable.   Ten minutes later it’s delivered piping hot to your table.  Yummy!

Day 5 … A Hop on Hop Off Trolley Tour and all day pass was included in our tour.  This was a  History Lovers dream and a great overview of the Historic District.   Having the afternoon “on our own” the Hop on Hop Off is a great perk,  especially if you’re not a walker.

Dave and I are walkers.  Savannah has 23 “squares” (aka parks) and one of our goals,  in the very short day and a half we are here,  is to see them all.  It was a LOT of walking,  but the gorgeous weather and easy to navigate  city “grid” made it thoroughly enjoyable.  This slide show is just a small sample.  Savannah is a very picturesque city.

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A  must stop visit is Leopold’s Ice Cream (212 E Broughton St).   Always a line, but well worth the wait.  Yes, they have dairy free!

Our Trolley Tour Guide had given us several suggestions on where to find live music.  Starting at 5:00 p.m.  in front of Wild Wings in the  City Market (around the corner from the Doubletree) a guitarist would be performing in the plaza.  This was a great way to relax, before heading out for the evening.

Dinner, with the tour,  was at The Pirates House  20 E Broad St Savannah.  A pirate themed restaurant in a rustic, historic inn.  We decided to give it a try.   If it was a disappointment we were in walking distance to other restaurants.   The food was O.K.,  the service was great,  we were in and out in an hour and a half.  Best part they had a dairy free sorbet for us, for dessert.   Had we known we still would NOT have skipped Leopold’s.  

We are liking Savannah a lot and after dinner we were not ready to call it a night.  Another tip from our Trolley Driver,  was  Savannah Smiles Dueling Pianos  314 Williamson Street (a few minute walk from the Doubletree).  Doors open at 7:00 p.m., show starts at 8:00 p.m. – 3:00 a.m.,  Wednesday to Sunday.    Wished we were there another night, we would have gone back.  Doesn’t look like much from the outside,  but inside the entertainment was fabulous!!!  Five stars for sure!

Day 6  …    “Back on the Bus Gus!”

Another day of near torture  …    Ten hours in the coach,  we finally stop at a Delta Hotel 555  E. Canal St,  Richmond, Va.  It’s in a construction zone, in the middle of the downtown Richmond business district. Uggghhh!   No rest for the weary travelers.  We are allowed just enough time to wash up and we’re back “on the road again”  for another 1/2 hour ride to Maggiano’s Restaurant 11800 West Broad St Suite 2204 Richmond, Va.  for another 3 hour meal.  This time it’s “family style” and every dish including the salads had cheese.  Their idea of accommodating our dietary preference was by bringing us a cereal size bowl of pasta with marinara to share.   Double Uggghhhh!

Day 7     Cant wait to get home!.  Half expecting ANOTHER Cracker Barrel stop for lunch, we are very pleasantly surprised.  Lunch is at Mastoris 144 US Highway 130  Bordertown, NJ  08505.  Ever in the area,  this is a MUST stop.   You are greeted by the most spectacular views and smells! 

Five Stars all the way.  The food was amazing and the staff was awesome!  They were actually able to seat and provide service to a party of 48 guests  in a little over an hour.

Experiencing only three full days of enjoyment out of seven,  is not my idea of a great vacation.   This “Tour”  was not a value,  it was a valuable lesson learned.

August 7, 8, 9,  2017

Day Four …. We drove over the Rainbow Bridge to Canada.  A note to anyone traveling over the border with a child that’s parents are not with them,  have the parents sign and have notarized a “Consent Letter to Allow Minor Child to Cross the U.S. Canadian Border”.  The Border Patrol Inspector thanked us for knowing to bring one.  I’m not sure if they would not have let my Grandson, whose parents were not with us, into Canada without it,  but I’m sure it would have been a huge  hassle.

We had reservations for the night at the

Courtyard Marriot   5950 Victoria Avenue   Niagra Falls, Ontario   Nice easy, safe walk to Clifton Street and the Falls.  The only “downfall” was it was an uphill trek back to the hotel.   Nice rooms, pool, staff ….  Once again a bit pricey,  but a little consolation, right now the U.S. Canadian exchange rate is in our favor.

We had wanted to spend one night on the Canadian side to hang out on Clifton Hill (aka “tourist trap heaven”),  view the nightly illumination of both the Bridal Veil and Horseshoe Falls, as well as,  the fireworks over the falls (Monday-Friday  10:00 p.m.)

We asked the Rep at the Courtyard Tourist Info for a “to do” recommendation with two 12 year old’s and a 9 yr old on Clifton Hill that wouldn’t kill our pocketbook.

Answer … Get Fun Passes  ($19.99 children 12 and under, $29.99 over 12)  A Fun Pass includes 6 Clifton Hill activities and 5  arcade tokens.  We bought three children and one  “over 12” passes.   We paid $9.99 extra for each adult to play Dinosaur Mini Golf and took turns doing the other activities (saved $40).

Beside your choice of Outdoor Dinosaur Mini Golf or Indoor Wizards Mini Golf the pass includes the Niagara Sky Wheel,  Zombie Attack,  Wild West Coaster (son-in-law),  Movieland Wax Museum (me) and Ghost Busters 3D (my daughter).  The fun Pass was a deal  and we all had a great time.   There are Haunted Houses on every corner.  I bit the pocketbook bullet and paid for my son-in-law and the two boys to go into one.  What the heck, we’re on vacation and the boys really wanted to.  All three of them loved it.   TIP … I could have saved $24 had I known  the Movieland Wax Museum had an “Enter If You Dare” doorway that was a walk through haunted house.

Next Stop … Toronto

August, 4, 5, 6,  10, 11   2017.
Day One ….    My 12 year old grandson, DJ and I were meeting my daughter and her family at the …

Four Mile Creek State Park Campground  1055 Lake Rd  Youngstown, N. y. 14174 ($29 a night, electric only)  I give this campground a four star rating for location to Niagara Falls, cleanliness, spacious sites, laundry facilities and very nice staff.  Bicycle riding is a activity highlight.  Nice flat, paved  roads.

… The “family” has a travel trailer and had a two week, mostly camping vacation planned.  DJ and I were meeting them only for a portion of their trip.

Our trip was approximated at 460 miles and 6 hours and 45 minutes.  I love the preciseness of technology, but am a realist and from past experience know the travel time is not accurate.

Six hours and 45 minutes had us stopping for the night at the …

Quality Inn and Suites,  8250 Park Rd,  Batavia, NY ($95 plus tax with a HotelCoupons.com coupon)…

I had picked up a coupon book at a service station on I 90.  One of the nice things about driving both the Massachusett’s Turnpike and I 90 is, there are plenty of service areas.  We were still at least an hour and a half from Niagara Falls U.S.

This Quality Inn has easy I 90 on and off access.  It has an on site restaurant, The Oasis, where a complimentary full breakfast was included in the room rate.  We also had dinner there.  The prices were reasonable and the food was o.k, two steps up from fast food.   A nice touch was, each table was served a complimentary  fresh baked, warm mini loaf of bread, with a side of cinnamon butter.   There is also an indoor water park adjacent to the Inn.  We had checked in close to it’s closing so didn’t check it out.  Entry was not included with the room ($12 pp weekdays/$20 pp weekends).

Day Two and Three…  We met the “family” at the campground, where I left my car for the next five days.  I had booked a room for two nights at the  …

Holiday Inn  114 Buffalo Ave, Niagara Falls, N.Y.  The room rate was no where as attractive as the campground, but it is in a great location, a nice safe easy walk to the attractions.  It also has a nice indoor heated pool.   Hotel rates in the Niagara Falls area are all over the place, based on season.  I booked on line through Bookit.com.   I’m not sure I got the best rate I could have, but we were very happy here.  The three kids stayed with me and my daughter and her husband traveled back and forth to the campground (15 minutes away).  The hotel has parking for guests $10.80 a day/night. I thought this was very tacky, considering the room rates, but most of the public lots were $20 a day.

Best Value and “to do’s” when traveling with two 12 year olds and one 9 year old on the U.S. side of Niagara Falls …

Niagara Falls Discovery Pass ($45 an adult, $34 ages 6-1, 5 and under free)

Includes entrance to  …

Cave of the Winds … TIP … do this first.  You get a poncho,  plastic bag for your footware  and a PAIR OF SANDALS.  Visiting the falls is all about getting wet.  The Cave of the Winds has you “covered”.

Maid of the Mist … this is a must do,  if it’s the only thing you do … it’s a classic and a “barrel” of laughs.  If you don’t like getting wet don’t go upstairs, or stand by a railing, but you’ll miss all the fun.

Niagara Adventure Theater …   If you watch the History channel,  you may have already seen the movie.  I hadn’t and I liked it!  The kids not so much. They did like the theater was air conditioned 🙂

Aquarium of Niagara  … We have been members of the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut for over 15 years.  The Aquarium here is 1/16 the size.  We did not have high expectations.  The sea lion show put the Mystic show to shame.  The entertainment value was 100%.  Mystic has a theater that seats hundreds and Niagara has standing room only.  I would chose the Niagara sea lion show over Mystic any day.  We almost missed the Rescue Harbor Seal exhibit.  It is the only outdoor exhibit and is tucked to the side of the entrance.  I could have spent the day here watching these very entertaining seals.

Niagara Gorge Discovery Center  … This activity got a few bad reviews on line.  It was not the highlight of the trip, but well worth checking out,  especially if you like history and engineering phenomena.  The elevator ride down to the gorge was very “cool”.  Look up as you exit to the gorge you might see a bat or two.  There is a rock climbing wall that was disappointing. only because two of our three kids did not weigh enough to climb.  There was  also a 15 minute video that if we hadn’t watched,  I would never have known that he first person to go over the falls in a barrel was a woman!

and a one day pass for unlimited rides on the Scenic Trolley Ride.

If you have passports a fun thing we did was walk across the Rainbow Bridge from the U.S. to Canada.  We had ice cream in Canada and then walked back to the U.S.  Nice Views!

Next Stop … Niagara Falls,  Canada

March 18 – 24, 2017

My 18 year old grandson, Rowan,  had asked me if we could go visit his Grandfather and Aunts in Boynton Beach, Florida (Palm County) for his  spring break from college.   Since retirement and becoming an RV-er,  air travel was moved to the bottom of my list of favorite ways to travel.  With only a week vacation, flying was the best option.
Rowan and I arrived at the airport at 12:30 p.m. for our 3:05 p.m. flight.   At the Delta check in kiosk we got a surprise.   It said we had missed our flight and to see an attendant.  The attendant said that our flight had been changed and we had missed our 12:55 p.m. flight.   She said I should have called Delta to confirm our flights.  Why?  I had printed out our itineraries and it clearly stated that no further confirmation was needed.  She made a phone call and vwallah!   There were seats available for us on the 3:45 p.m. flight.  She said it was a good thing that I had my “printed proof”.   There was so much wrong with this picture that I was seeing red,  but I decided to just take it in stride and move on.   We had seats.  We would be arriving two hours later than expected (our connecting flight had also changed), but we were good to go.  Dodged that one!
Nine and a half hours later we land in West Palm Beach.
Hurrah!  We were leaving Connecticut just in time to avoid a nor’easter!  Nice, perfect timing!   Ut! oh!  Our first night, I was awaken at 12:26 a.m. by a loud intermittent siren.   Then a voice warning me  “Tornado Alert! Tornado Alert!  Seek Shelter Now!”  My phone had come alive!  It was flashing, beeping and talking!    No basement!  Where do we go? I picked the Interior hallway with no windows.   I turned on my N. O. A. H. app and tracked the big red blob headed toward us.  Rowan slept through the whole thing.   Fortunately, it was just a scare.   The tornado dissipated.  We just had high winds and torrential down pours.  Phew  ???  Dodged another one!
First day, Grampa, gave Rowan a driving lesson on his standard shift Jeep that we would be borrowing for the week.  That afternoon Rowan, drove Grampa to the hospital emergency room at Bethesda Hospital East.  He had double incarcerated hernias that required emergency surgery.  Another glitch, but we just added hospital visits to our itinerary.  Good timing on both being there and Rowan knowing how to drive the Jeep.
Our fishing and kayaking plans were dropped from our list of to do’s,  because of colder and windier then expected weather.   We had booked on Miller Time Charters,  a local 6 passenger charter boat.  Next time!
We had not planned a lot of meals out.   Aunt Liz, is an awesome cook and would have been offended if we hadn’t let her cook for us.   We did have the opportunity, not once but twice to go to Steak and Shake for lunch.  We had never eaten there before.  The food is equivalent to a Friendly’s.  Except!  The shakes are ten times better, had a lot more flavor options, including “half and halfs”.   The price was unbelievable.  $3.69 and between 2-5 p.m. Is “Happy Hour” shakes are half price.
Rowan and I did get out and about and had lots of fun.
1.   Green Cay Nature Center (FREE)
12800 Hagan Ranch Road
      Boynton Beach, Florida 33437
561-966-7000
www.pbcparks.com/nature
There is an awesome mile and a half raised Boardwalk that is accessible even when the Nature Center is closed. 

There’s both sun and shade and several gazebos along the way to take a break and relax and enjoy the sights and sounds.

Call the Nature Center for tour times.  This was such a treat that we went back twice.  During our second visit, I spotted my favorite bird, the Roseate Spoonbill.  I was thrilled.  She was huge and flew right past us and did a gliding, semicircle swoop over the preserve.  It was breathtaking!
2.    A.R.M. Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge ($5.00 Parking)
10216 Lee Road
      Boynton Beach, Florida 33473
561-734-8303 (Visitor Center)
www.fws.gov/loxahatchee
Kayaking, biking, walking trails, fishing …  Don’t miss the 18 minute movie in the visitor center.  We saw the largest alligator ever by the fishing pier. 

      At one of the overlooks we watched an alligator eat two turtles.  The alligator was just swimming along very nonchalantly.  It seemed he was totally ignoring the two turtles that were gliding side by side about 20 feet away.  Very smoothly the alligator went into stealth mode and began to submerse.  In a flash he surfaced right behind the turtles and with one big splash and chomp,  they were lunch and dinner.  It may sound gross,  but it was amazing to watch.  From the sounds of the six or so spectators, you would have thought we just saw Evil Kenevil jump the Grand Canyon on his motor cycle.
3.      John Prince Park (FREE)
2700 6th Avenue South
Lake Worth, Florida
We biked the 4 1/2 miles of paved biking trail that goes approximately 3/4 of the way around the lake.  In order to do the full circle you have to bike on the street.  We opted to stay on the trail and biked  from the Outdoor Fitness Zone and back, which was a little under 9 miles.  Nine miles of fairly level pavement.  My kind of ride!

The birding and wildlife viewing was very good. 

      One of my favorite “spotting’s” was a turtle along the shore digging a nest to lay her eggs.  It was fascinating to watch.

There were a lot of homeless people in the park, sleeping on benches and just hanging around.   That was a bit uncomfortable.  At least they were warm and not battling the weather up north.  There is a Campground in the park but we didn’t check it out.
4.     Loxahatchee Everglades Airboat Ride / Tours ($$$)
15490 Loxahatchee Road
Parkland, Florida. 33076
800-683-5873
561-482-6107
www.evergladesairboattours.com
50 minutes $50 – 70 minutes $70 – 90 minutes $90
There are lots of airboat tour companies, but this one was recommended by some of the “locals”.

     Our guide was a little “pre-programmed” with his spiel,  but entertaining.  He did like to show off his air boat driving skills just enough to make the ride daring,  but not scary.   At one point he flew through a bunch of cat tails and green pollen flew everywhere, including all over the “tourists”.   We had a good group and they all laughed.   My favorite part of his presentation was when he pointed out a beautiful, purple in color, flowering plant and said he forgot what it was, but would appreciate it if anyone on the boat knew and would holler it’s name out.
We did not have reservations and had just shown up at 9:00 a.m.  We were lucky.  There were 6 seats available for the 9:30, 50 minute tour.  The rest of the day was sold out.  We had hoped to do a 70 minute tour,  but as it turned out 50 minutes was fine and saving $20 a person was nice.  We saw birds and alligators,  learned a little about the ecology system of he Everglades, the Circle of  Life and had a fun boat ride.  Couldn’t have asked for more.

     Oh! On a side note.   The morning was cold and windy and some of us had not arrived wearing enough layers.   The tour company had two coat racks full of outer ware that you could borrow.  Rowan chose a rain poncho,  he did not want to get wet.  I chose an all weather jacket with a hood.  Being warm certainly added to our enjoyment and I was sure they had each garment professionally cleaned between wearings 🙂

5.  John D. MacArthur Beach State Park ($5.00 parking)
10900 Jack Nicklaus Drive (A1A)
North Palm Beach, Florida. 33408
Ranger Station/ Office   561-624-6950
Nature Center. 561-624-6952
Florida State Parks.org
This is not my first trip to Mac Arthur Park.

It is on my list of Florida favorites.  I call it “a little bit of heaven”.   It’s  the only State Park in Palm County.  There is a one third mile boardwalk across Lake Worth Lagoon that takes you to the Beach. 

      There is a tram available from like 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. for those that  prefer not to walk.   I think this deters a lot of “sunbathers”.   Which means more peace and tranquility for those that make the trek. 

      The amenities are Florida State Park typical … Hiking,  Kayaking,  Fishing, Snorkeling … Check the park calendar for events such as, concerts and tours.  Another shining star for the Florida State Park Service.
6.    Manatee Lagoon (FREE)
6000 N. Flagler Drive
West Palm Beach, Florida.
561-626-2833
Visitmanateelagoon.com
This is a Eco-Discovery Center “edutainment” attraction.

     It’s a 10-15 minute drive from Mac Arthur Park and well worth the stop,  especially in the cooler winter months when the manatee are seeking warmer waters.   Check out the diverse calendar of events before you visit.  There are painting and yoga classes, programs and lectures, lots of family friendly exhibits.  The facility is on the shore of Lake Worth Lagoon.  There are two tiered decks for spotting. 

      We were lucky to see two manatee, romantically involved said a man with binoculars, during our mid March visit.  This is a natural habitat area so what you see is hit or miss.  The water was crystal clear and we also saw many barracuda.  It’s a great place for a picnic lunch.  There is a small snack bar that has drinks, candy, chips and ice cream bars.  The area is not restaurant friendly.
Our flight home was on American Airlines and went smoothly.  Our one stopover was Washington D.C..  I have not been to the Capital, yet and was thrilled to see the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial from the air as we landed.
It was a good trip.  A few bumps along the way, but it’s all pat of traveling 🙂

October 7 – 10, 2016.
Chicago O’Hare International Airport was not the HUB I was expecting.  It is really quite “doable”.   From the United airlines terminal,  it was a short walk to the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority).

The “Deal of the Day / Weekend”  … A  three day CTA pass for $20 … It is actually a 36 hour pass.  We purchased it at the airport on Friday afternoon when we arrived in Chicago and were still able to use it Monday morning to take the Blue Line back to O’Hare.  It works on all CTA trains and buses (we used both multiple times).  

I’ve rode the T in Boston, the Subway in New York City and now the CTA in Chicago, lucky me ??   Squeezing onto the standing room only train, with a backpack,  rolling luggage and camera bag was not easy.   It needed to be done quickly.  The train doors do NOT stay open long.  The terms shake, rattle and roll took on a new meaning.  There was no need for an announcement to hold on tight.  However, there was an announcement that no soliciting or gambling would be tolerated.  Public transportation can be very convenient,  but often leaves a lot to be desired.

   At the first stop a seat opened up and I was given the opportunity to sit next to Ron.  No, we did not introduce ourselves.  I found out Ron’s name when he yelled into his phone “Did someone from this number just call Ron?”  This was said while he was wiping dripping sweat from his forehead with a rag.  Ron was dressed in filthy, filthy, filthy red, white and blue parachute pants with a matching balloon sleeve top.  He had a satchel on his lap that was filled with about twenty Ziplock sandwich bags containing a variety of “meds”,  hand sanitizer’s, lotions and dust filter masks.  I had the opportunity to view this eclectic display as he was “feverishly” searching for his … FLOSS!   As he sat next to me flossing,  my thought was,  it would be nice if the CTA added no personal grooming, to the no soliciting or gambling announcement.

When Richie qualified for the Chicago Marathon and began searching for hotels, he was finding prices per night in the $300 and up range.  He started looking at Air B and B’s.  They are kind of the New Age B and B, like Uber is the the New Age Taxi service.  You can stay in someone’s home for a lot less than a hotel.  There’s an on line interview process and feedback is the deal maker or breaker.
When Richie asked me how I felt about trying an Air B and B,  I said  “why not”,  another adventure.   I imagined June Cleaver meeting us at the door with a pitcher of lemonade and fresh baked cookies.  We’d get to meet the “Beav” and maybe Eddie Haskell would stop by for a quick hello.   Not quite!  Our “Home away from Home”  for three nights was a bedroom,  one of three,  in a third floor walk up,  in a high rise.   There was a lock box to get our keys.  We were greeted at the door with post it notes,  starting with Please, take off your shoes.  No June, No Beav!  What was important,  it was neat,  clean and in a safe area.  South Miller Street is tucked between the UIC campus and Little Italy section.  It was a very short walk through the campus to the CTA Blue Line train.   It was a bit noisy on Friday and Saturday night,  because most of our neighbor’s seemed to be college students.   The host had provided a variety of “make your own” breakfast foods.  Sharing the kitchen and living area gave us the opportunity to meet some of the other guests.  Two of the other men were also running the marathon,  Richie enjoyed meeting and talking with them.  For a lot more reasons than just the $100 a night vs $300,  it was a good choice.

The first thing on our list of things to do was visit the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry,  Richie’s choice.

We were only going to have two full days in the City and most of our time spent would be marathon related,  so we both chose one thing that we really wanted to see or do.  The museum was a bit pricey.  The $18 (adult) admission did not include all of the exhibits, there were “add ons'”  that cost $12 per adult.

U – 505 Submarine  exhibit was free, but the On Board Tour was an additional $12 per adult.  We were both glad that we went for the full experience, it was fascinating and very informative.

Numbers in Nature … A Mirror Maze

A FREE ticket was required to enter this exhibit.  It was one that I would not have minded paying extra for.  We had such a good time navigating the maze that we did it twice.

We paid an additional $12 each fee for the Old Ben Coal Mine Tour.  The only thing that made me glad that we did the tour was our tour guide.  She was very animated and funny.

My choice of “to do’s”  was the FREE Public Art Loop.  There were over 21 pieces on the route.   Time and exhaustion did not allow us to see them all,  but we  enjoyed what we saw.  My favorites were the untitled Picasso sculpture,  Joan Miro’s Chicago and Agora,  a collection of over 100 headless sculptures meandering in Grant Park.  To finish the tour would be a reason to visit Chicago again.

untitled, Picasso

  Marathon morning started at 5:00 a.m.  Richie and I were parting ways at 6:00 a.m. close to the starting line.   Spectators were not allowed close to the start or finish lines,  security was very tight.   I was to make my way alone,  in the dark,  to mile marker one.   I was a little apprehensive.   I had two options, walk the mile or so or take the CTA red line.  I chose the train.  While waiting for it to arrive,  I  started a “marathon” conversation with two fellow spectators,  Linda (Mother) and Megan (Daughter), that I was standing near.  They invited me to join them for breakfast at mile marker one.   We found that their runner,  Mckayla and my Richie had a lot in common, running wise.  They both ran 8 minute miles and had planned to finish in approximately 3 hours and a half.   Linda invited me to join them on their spectator adventure.   Megan had downloaded the marathon spectator app.  She added Richie’s name,  so that we could follow both him and Mckayla along the route.  The information that the app provided was amazing.  It followed where they were,  their pace and running times.    Megan had us hopping on and off the train and weaving our way along the route, to spectator viewing areas.  We were able to see both runners five times.  You should have seen Richie’s face the first time he saw the three of us cheering him on 🙂   It was priceless!    Linda and Megan made my marathon adventure as good as it could get.   I met new friends,  got to enjoy the day worry free and best of all see Richie more times along the route then at any other marathons to date.  I now have a goal to learn to navigate like Megan 🙂

The Chinatown section of the race at mile marker 21 was my favorite.

Another great finish for Richie.  State number 24!

After a quick trip back to the Air B and B,  for showers,  we were headed to Gino’s East (500 N LaSalle St,)  home of the famous Chicago Style pizza.    Pricey, Pricey, Pricey, BUT Delicious, Delicious, Delicious.  A friend of mine told me it was the best place to get true authentic Chicago Style Pizza and  we were both glad that we went out of our way to get there.   We were warned by the waiter that it takes 45 minutes to an hour to bake the golden crust to perfection.  No problem, Sundays specials are $5 pints and free pub chips with each pint.

Another restaurant that we tried that deserves honorable mention is Chilango Mexican Street Food (1437  W Taylor St in Little Italy).  Best Empanada’s  we ever had and ditto for Richie on the Burrito’s.  They were also very reasonably priced.

     Monday morning came much to quickly.     It was time to head back to O’Hare.   After one last shake,  rattle and roll ride on the CTA Blue Line train, my first stop at the airport was the ladies room.    As I walked in I noticed a woman standing with one bare foot in a sink.  I believe she was “bathing”.   While I was in a stall she serenaded me with a beautiful rendition of the song “Africa”.   When I came out,  as she was washing the other foot and I was washing my hands,  she told me she was from Uganda.  I told her that if I was a Talent Scout,  this would have been her “Marilyn Monroe Moment”.   You never know when or where you are going to have the strangest or most interesting experiences 🙂

          This was a start to finish fun filled adventure.

August   2016
This past August,  my husband,  David passed away.   He was not ill.   We were working out in the yard and his heart just stopped.   In less than a week we were suppose to be on the road headed for the NHRA Nationals in Indy.   We had a fun filled two months of travel planned.   Until our roads meet again our travels will be from different directions.

Before David and I met we both had great passion for traveling.   Our sense of adventure was one of the things that brought us together.   Our RVing grew from my love of camping with our children and grandchildren and David’s love for me.   David always vowed that he did not like camping.  He did NOT go camping.  He would come to a campground and spend the day with us, but never the night.   One day after I had come back from a weekend camping trip with the kids,  David asked me,  “If I bought you an RV would you drive it ?”   I did not hesitate with my answer “Yes”.   What started out as a gift for me, turned out to be just one more thing that we enjoyed together.   One weekend trip to the drag races in the RV and David sold.  Although, he was not a camper.  He was an RV Traveler!

In our very short,  twelve years of together,  we’d seen more of our spectacular country than most people see in their lifetime.  I am very fortunate to have wonderful memories, that are giving me strength during this very, very difficult  journey.

RV-ing and traveling are still on my list of to do’s.

Next Adventure … Chicago, Illinois … My son, Richie will be running his 24th marathon and I will be there routing him on.