I Love a Parade

What better time to talk about parades than after the grandaddy of them all... the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Growing up, my grandparents lived in Buffalo and we lived in Syracuse.  That meant we had to get up early on Thanksgiving Day, drive the Thruway to Buffalo, and if we were lucky, we would arrive before the start of the Macy's Parade.    We ALWAYS arrived before Santa! That was most important. 

Fifty Nifty United States

I had a call from a client last week asking about Alaska because it was the last of the 50 states she has to visit.  It got me thinking about my status and how many states I have visited.  Being a product of the 60's, our means of travel consisted of a car and 6 people driving countless hours as a vacation.  While there was always a destination in mind, getting there was half the fun!  My children have mostly played with the end game only.  Pack a bag, head to the airport, land at a destination.  And air travel being what it is today, getting there is definitely NOT half the fun.

But, back to my tally... As a kid, we had many wonderful east coast driving vacations from as far west as St Louis to the Atlantic.  One year was the New England loop...Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.  Of course, I was well versed in New York, since that is where we live.  On our trip to Florida, we hit the entire Eastern Seaboard...Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia (where I bought a scandalous T-shirt that read West Virginia is for Lovers), Maryland (another shirt... Maryland is for CRABS), North Carolina, South Carolina (including a guaranteed stop at the iconic "South of the Border" rest area), and Georgia before reaching Florida.  We also drove across the top of the Gulf adding Alabama and Louisiana for a quick stop in New Orleans.  That gave me 17 states in just two trips!

Since my Uncle lived in Ohio and my Great Grandmother lived in Missouri, we often crossed Indiana and Illinois for the visit.  Almost half way there (21 states) before I am twelve.  At 16, my parents produced the GRAND ADVENTURE... three weeks in a motor home across the US.  Add on Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Michigan, bringing my grand total to 29 states.

Fast forward to married life and we continued to discover our vacation by car.  The time my in-laws lived in Virginia and we decided to drive to Atlantic City on the way home by way of Maryland and Delaware (crossing by ferry into New Jersey).  That put me at 32 states before age 25!  When my oldest boys were two and five, Pete's parents moved to Arizona.  A perfect time to duplicate my teenage adventure.  This time, I dropped south at the Mississippi and discovered Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas (yes... the panhandle counts) and Michigan.  Add in my two trips to California and that puts the number at 39 and counting...

I plan to add Alaska next August giving me an even 40.  I guess I will have to start thinking about a  trip to the Pacific North West... it will have to be a driving adventure...  I would love to pick off those last nine continental states, but the ones in question are all rather large in size.  Perhaps a train adventure across the northern border!  I'd better get planning!

It's A Small World After All

I spent the weekend on a project I have worked on for several years now called Rotary Youth Exchange.  It is an opportunity for high school students to study abroad for one year while immersing themselves in the language, culture and family life of another country.  At the end of thier orientation process, we like to call them Rotary Youth Ambassadors... ready to take on the culture of another country while positively representing America during their exchange.

My district in Central New York exchanges with 23 countries around the world each year.  While this weekend was about selecting qualified OUTBOUND candidates and matching them with a country where we think they will be successful, the other part of the program are the counterpart students we receive in District 7150 who teach us about their culture, and also learn to live as Americans for an entire year.

So, where do we send these brave young students?  In Europe they may find themselves in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden or Switzerland.  If it is South/Central  America countries include Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and Venezuela.  In the Pacific Region, the kids could find themselves in Japan, India, Taiwan, Thailand or Australia.  It is a rvariety pack and we try to carefully place the students in cultures where we think they will excel and grow. 

My countries that I have been immediately responsible for include France and Belgium.  Between my very small French language background and my counterparts ability to communicate in English, we have been able to assist these students in their exchange and have watched them return to their home countries better able to understand the multi-cultural world around them.  I have been blessed with the opportunity to visit these countries on more than one occasion, to make friends in many cities, to create new family connections with a special few. 

The program always encourages the kids to be explorers in their new world, not reporters.  As a traveler, it is what I hope for you as well.  Try thier food, practice small phrases of the language, listen to their music.  EXPLORE!  I never did understand the traveler who went to a foreign country and then complained because steak and potatoes weren't available.  And remember, while the trip I am currently planning is to Alaska, there are still wonderful regional differences, cultural traditions that differ from ours and delicious recipes to taste.  EXPLORE!

A la la la la la laska"

OK, so this is what happens when you try to watch a Ritchie Valens special and work on a group to Alaska at the same time.  Crazy, mixed up song lyrics pop into your head and then get stuck there. And maybe I am on to something.  When you cruise in the Caribbean, you can't turn a corner without hearing the song Feeling HOT HOT HOT by Buster Poindexter.  Perhaps my version could be a theme song for cruises to Alaska. We may have to think up some additional lyrics, but the group is not departing until August, 2011 and that will give us plenty of time.

So, what makes Alaska so terrific that it needs a new theme song?  Many Americans consider Alaska the last of the rugged wilderness that this country was founded on.  The largest state at 663,268 square miles and the least dense population with only 698,473 people, that leaves lots of wide open wilderness to explore.  Because of the vast distances between cities, a cruise ship is a very special way to discover the coastal cities of this great land.  Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan are a few of the small towns that are called on during an Alaska Cruise.  Many retain the feel of the boom town spirit that put them on the map when "gold was in them thar hills".

And take a step just outside of the towns and you will find yourself surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery and spectacular wildlife that exists.  Whenit comes to nature, Alaska offers the opportunity to explore its wildlife with tours dedicated to birding and bear viewing, fishing, hunting and whale watching.

If it is adventure you are looking for, hike a glacier, take out a team of sled dogs, try rafting and sea kayaking, or try a "fly over" in a wilderness "BUSH" plane.  For the hiker in you, the adventure is as easy or as difficult as you choose.  Wander flat country roads, cross glaciers or scale mountains.  You can find it all in Alaska.

If Alaska is on your bucket list, check out the great itinerary for our two tours in 2011.  The first is a cruise only view of Alaska and the second expands on the cruise  by including a wonderful rail and motorcoach package from Anchorage to denali to Fairbanks.

Join the group and sing along  ....A LA LA LA LA LA LASKA

Home on the Range..ley, Maine

A few weeks ago, Pete and I traveled to Rangely, Maine at the invitation of his parents.  They had traded their time share for a week in the Maine woods.  Honestly, my first thought was, WHO GOES TO NORTHERN MAINE IN THE SEASON BETWEEN LEAF PEEPING AND SKI SEASON? I was imagining bare brown trees, dead brown grass and gloomy grey skies.  To entice me just a little, Pete dangled the carrot of a stop in Montreal on both the way up and back.  He also promised a road trip in the Mustang and good weather.

We arrived to find that our accommodations were a cosy cabin in the woods complete with fireplace.  That was important because when we woke up the first morning, there was 2" of snow covering my "summer car"!  On the plus side, because the snow was wet and heavy and the ground was still fairly warm, we spent our days hiking the mountains in awe of the beautiful snow kingdom the snow had created.  The first day of hiking, we tried the Bald Mountain Trail located in Washington Township.  It is a fairly easy climb until you get about 2/3  of the way to the top when it changes to a scramble over large boulders to reach the top.  Pete was determined to see a moose, and we followed some tracks in the snow for quite a while, but the moose was either sneakier than us or passed  by much earlier in the day.  On our return to town, we lunched at The Red Onion on homemade chili and desserts. 

Our next hike was at the Rangeley Lakes Trails Center, a four season trail system that traversed the slopes below Saddleback Mountain Ski Resort.  The trails were gently rolling with some resembling logging trails and others more reminiscent of winding deer trails.  Part of the beauty here were the many mountain streams twisting turning and running alongside the trails. 

Our final day hike took us to Aziscohos Lake and the Black Brook Cove area where a dam built in the 1930's by the CCC's creates a natural retreat for indigenous wildlife.  The structure and architectural style of the dam is worth a look and you can enjoy a day of hiking or fishing along the shore of the preserve.  All in all, a great way to disconnect from the business of life and get back to nature.  I would do it again in a heartbeat!