| 2012 |
| 02/24/12 - AUSTRALIA (#37)
New South Wales: Sydney: Bridge and Harbour, Opera House, Watsons Bay, Botanical Gardens, CBD, Hyde Park, Kings Cross, The Rocks, and MARDI GRAS! Bondi Beach Drag Races, Manly Beach Surf, Katoomba, Blue Mountains National Park, Wyrrabaloong National Park, Swansea and Port Stephens Victoria: Melbourne, Horsham and Grampians National Park Great Ocean Road: Bells Beach, Grey River, Otway Treetop Fly , Gibson Steps, Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge, Bay of Martyrs, Bay of Islands South Australia: Adelaide, Glenelg Beach, Bordertown Kangaroo Island: Cape Jarvis, Sheep Shearing, Emu Ridge Eucapyptus Farm, Seal Bay, Little Sahara Sand-boarding, Vivonne Bay, Hanson Bay Koala Sanctuary, Flinders Chase, Remarkable Rocks, Cape du Couedic, Admirals Arch, Stokes Bay, Browns Beach, Peneshaw Fauna Eastern Grey Kangaroo, White Kangaroo, Black Wallaroo, Tamar Wallaby, Black-footed Rock Wallaby, Koalas, Echidna, New Zealand Fur Seals, Australian Sea Lions, Possum, Lizards Black Swan, Crimson Rosellas, Cockatoos, Roadrunner, Fairy Penguins, Emu, Ibis, Magpie, Australian Crow, Kookaburra, Peacock, Black-tailed pigeons, Pelicans, White heron |
| 02/18/12 - President's day in and around Dallas. |
| 01/6/12 - La cage aux Folles in St. Louis's Fox Theater for Rob's birhday. |
| 2011 |
| 11/23/11 - Thanksgiving in Arizona. Route 66 from New Mexico to California. Sedona. Grand Canyon. Indian Cliff Dwellings at Walnut Canyon. Petrified Forst. Painted Desert. Jupiter at Lowell Observatory. |
| 10/21/11 - NYC: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert on Broadway. Funicular to Rosevelt Island, Nathan's Famous Hot Dog and Boardwalk in Coney Island, Katz's Deli so-so. |
| 10/15/11 - Pyxix Mobile Conference in Scottsdale |
| 09/23/11 - Family Ties in Houston/Galveston. |
| 09/02/11 - EUROPIUM for the People (#33-36)
Germany: Not too much to offer. Thank god for the Römerberg in the Altstadt and the boat tour along the Main river. Sustenance: frankfurter, ebbelwoi (apple wine), beer, strudel Switzerland: Funicular up the mountain for a healthy walk to gorgeous views of Lake Zurich and the Swiss Alps (including Mt Pilatus, Mt Rigis and Mt Tiltis) Sustenance: bierhalle zum kropf - schweizer schnitzel, pommes frites, foie gras, vitello tonnato, a ton of bread, beer, eclair Luxembourg: Le Jardin de Luxembourg (not the one in Paris) The Cathedral and the Grand Ducal Palace in the Ville Haute. The Grund and The Cassemates in the Ville Basse, the Petrusse Valley - Ne Plus Ultra Vistas. Sustenance: place guillaume ii - carpaccio, moselle valley riesling, cafe avec eau-de-vie Liechtenstein: Quo Schloss Gutenberg (Castle) in Balzers, Schloss Vaduz (royal residence - quite a hike for upclose encounter and quite a view), the wineries, the sheer beauty of the alps-sorrounded valley. Sustenance: amana - glazed white asparagus/egg open face sandwich, beer, napoleon tarte Monaco: The count of Monte Monaco-Ville: Le Palais with the changing of the guard, Notre-Dame, Le Musee Oceanographique, Le Jardin Exotique. La Condamine: great promenade and views. Monte Carlo: The Casino, Hotel de Paris, L'Opera. Very touristy. Sustenance: le rocher - panini (fromage au lait de chèvre, pâté), oldest beer in the world (Benedictine Weihenstephan Abbey) Italia: Los Náufragos del Liguria (Provincia di Imperia-Ventimiglia-the markets & hilly skyline, Dolceacqua - medieval perched village w/ castle, Sanremo waterfront & Casino, La Pigna "villa vecchia", a bit dirty) Notre-Dame, quite gothic, with its flying buttresses and its Pillar of Angels, is fabulous. and so is the architecture and the tree-lined boulevard along the river Sustenance: au petit bois vert - tarte flambe, salat verte, pommes frites, pino blanc alsacien, mille feuille France: (Carlos) Alberto Le Port, La Promenade des Anglais, Hotel Negresco, La Coline du Chateau, Le Cours Saleya, Le Marche aux Fleurs and St. Reparata in the old town. The very italian colors of Nice are something else! I take a plunge in the Mediterranean and the waters of the Cote-d'Azur are surprisingly warm. Sustenance: restaurant du gesu - gnocchi sauce daube (boeuf), vin rose pichet maison, ile flotante France: Andes lo que andes, andate por los Grasse - Parfumerie Fragonard, Reubens Triptych at Notre-Dame-du-Puy; Escalope Cordon-Bleu Gourdon - Medieval village perché - Small but extra cute Tourrettes-sur-Loup - City of Violet (including Violet Ice cream) Saint-Paul-de-Vence - La pièce de résistance, gorgeous and artistic. most visited historic site after Mount St Michel and Versailles. Sustenance: casa nissa - bruscetta style niçoise, pizza 4 fromages+jambon blanc, vin rouge pichet maison, biere blonde pression gelato a Fenocchio (chocolat orange, passion, amarena, malaga) |
| 07/04/11 - Happy Independence Day. Flyover to Colorado Springs, Colorado.: Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, Manitou Indian Dwellings. |
| 06/1/11 - Prairie Dev Conference in Regina, Saskatchewan with relaxation at the Moose Jaw Hot Springs |
| 05/28/11 - Amazing PERU (#32)
Machu Picchu - sunrise to sunset on the 100th Anniversary. Sacred Valley of the Incas - Ollantaytambo, Pisaq, Moray Circles (The Inca's Laboratory), Salineras, Saqsaywaman, Q'enqo. Amazing views of snowcapped Andes, colorful people, colorful markets, llamas, donkeys and alpacas. Cuzco - adorable step and narrow cobblestone streets, Cathedral with Garcilaso de la Vega's remains, Cusqneño school "Last Supper" with brown Judas, silver, gold, cedar baroque Choir and Pulpit, Lima - Ceviche, Show, Olive Trees and Mansions in San Isidro, Historic downtown with gorgeous Plaza de Armas, La Catedral, Pisarro's tomb, picturesque Archbishop's Palace, San Francisco's Catacombs with bones, skulls and mummies, El Callao - Sea Lions and Penguins on Palomino Islands , awesome food: Guinea Pig, Alpaca Steak, Lomo Saltado, Quinoa Soup, Trout, Aji Relleno, Asado de Cordero, Chicha Morada |
| 05/22/11 - Mothers day with the family and a restful weekend at the beach house in Galveston |
| 05/08/11 -Pampered in Hot Springs, ARbut terrible weather (stranded in southeastern Oklahoma with tornado sirens) |
| 03/09/11 - Another birthday spent with the family in Houston |
| 02/19/11 - A quick rest in the Redneck Riviera (Panama City Beach and Pensacola) |
| 02/14/11 - A nerdy Valentine's Daty in Hutchinson, KS:to see the Underground Museum (Salt Mine) and the Cosmosphere. |
| 01/06/11 - Philippines (#31) :
Manila (city of contrasts), Intramuros (Spanish heritage with Carlos Seldran's Tour - unique, entertaining and enlightening in spite of agenda and factual errors), The Countryside (Tagaytay and Taal Volcano), The food (Lechon, Pata Frita, etc.) |
| 2010 |
| 12/29/10 - Thailand (#30) :
Koh Samui: New Year's Celebration, Elephant ride, Fish Spa and the beaches. Dam noen Saduak: The amazing albeit touristy floating market. Bangkok: The Palaces, the Buddhas, the Tuk-Tuks, the crazy driving, the food, the pampering massages, the sophisticated nightlife (Long Table, Sirocco, Vertigo and The Bamboo Bar), and our gracious hosts uncle Ed and Tum. |
| 12/12/10 - The floridian bungalow tour of St Pete (Old Northeast, Historic Kenwood) plus family visit to sister for niece's birthday in Tampa |
| 11/25/10 - The deep south hospitality tour of Savannah, Georgia (plus Augusta, Eatonton, Macon, Milledgeville, Madison, Juliette) and Charleston, South Carolina plus Fort Sumter, Beaufort, Bluffton, and Columbia
with plenty of history, architecture and heavenly food:Lumpy Crab cakes, She-Crab Stew, Fried Green Tomatoes, Shrimp and Grits, Rice Hash, Mustard-based BBQ, Sweet Potato Souffle, Gooey Butter Cake |
| 10/01/10 - The cajun epicurean tour of New Orleans , Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Washington (Jambalaya, Gumbo, Crawfish Etouffée and real Po-boys; plus a wedding around the French Quarter ) |
| 09/18/10 - Steamy Colorado : Indian Hot Springs (Idaho), Strawberry Hot Springs (Steamboat), Sulphur Hot Springs |
| 08/14/10 - A very San Diego wedding |
| 07/16/10 - The Badlands, Hot Springs, Valentine |
| 06/19/10 - Walking in Memphis... walking with my feet 10 feet off of Beale - Got my Blues fix, my Barbecue fix, my Catfish fix. Finally checked out Mud Island, but Tom Cruise was not on the monorail
also Civil Rights Museum, The Victorians, The Peabody Ducks (don't laugh), a cruise on the Mighty Mississippi on the Island Queen, butter pecan pancakes with warn syrup ... oh and Red White and Tuna! but: it's a police state with cops everywhere and they keep'em busy; need to show id, get your bag inspected and your bod patted down to get into Beale on a saturday night |
| 05/26/10 - AH-LASK-AH! (#49) :
The Seward Highway: Turnagain Arm (Belugal Point), Portage Lake and Glacier, Whittier, Prince William Sound (Surprise Glacier + 25), Seward, Kenai Fjords (Holgate and Exit Glacier) The Parks Highway: Fairbanks, Chena Hot Springs, Nenana (Ice Classic), Talkeetna, Mt. McKinley Flightseeing, Denali National Park The Dalton Highway: As seen on TV's Ice Road Truckers, The Trans-Alaska Pipeline (Learn, Walk and Touch), Yukon River Camp Lunch, Finger Mountain, Tundra Walk, Permafrost, The Arctic Circle The Richardson Highway: North Pole, Salcha (The Knotty Shop), Delta Junction (Alaska Highway Terminus), Worthington Glacier, Thompson Pass, Keystone Canyon, Valdez The Edgerton Highway: Kenny Lake, Liberty Falls, Chitina, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park The Glenn Highway: Glennallen, Tolsona Lake, Chickaloon, Sheep Mountain, Matanuska Glacier, Wasilla, Anchorage Wildlife Highlights: Orcas, Humpback Whales, Sea Otters, Harbor Seals, Steller Sea Lions, Puffins, Bald Eagles, Cormorans, Common Murres, Chickadees, Swallows, Cranes, Grizzly Bears, Dall Sheep, Caribou, Moose, Wolves, Red Foxes, Prairie Dogs, Arctic Ground Squirrels, Snowshoe Hares, Willow Ptarmigans, Harlequin Ducks |
| 05/08/10 - St. Louis - a short weekend to try Megabus. |
| 04/01/10 - New Mexico - Land of Enchantment, even the 3rd time around: Acoma Pueblo, Chaco Culture, El Malpais, El Morro, Jemez Hot Springs, Route 66 Westbound. |
| 03/18/10 - Yo-Yo Ma and pianist in a spectacular concert at the Folly Theater. My favorite: Piazzolla's Tango. |
| 03/09/10 - A very New York City birthday: Naked Boys Singing, The Museum of Sex, Oscars with friends and NY-style pizza, Momofuku's Crack Pie, Cupcakes from Crumbs at Grand Central. |
| 02/18/10 - Young Frankenstein on Broadway (sort of, Kansas City Music Hall). |
| 02/14/10 - Oklahoma's Rt 66 for Valentine's? Why not? Big Brutus didn't dissapoint. And the KS-MO-OK Tri-state marker was hard to find. |
| 01/29/10 - Texas is always a flight away: Sweet Home, Dime Box, Independence, Bastrop State Park and great barcecue from Austin's Iron Works |
| 2009 |
| 12/25/09 - España (#29) :
Barcelona: Gaudi's Sagrada Família!, Barri Gòtic (Ciutat Vella), El Born, El Raval, L'Eixample (Modernista), Les Rambles, Montjuïc, Parc de la Ciutadella, Parc Güell, Plaça Catalunya & d'Espanya, Barceloneta & Port Vell. La Costa Brava de Catalunya (Tossa de Mar, Cadaques & Portlligat, all the way to Cerbere, France). A taste of the Pyrenees plus Dali in Figueres and Montserrat's Abbey via funicular aeri. The diesel Seat was great! |
| 11/20/09 - Mother in Santo Domingo (#28) with O |
| 11/08/09 - Toronto: Business and Pleasure. Lot's of new modern buildings: AGO, ROM and the Ontario College of Design. Black squirrels, a musical, a play, improv and ballet. Niagara Falls, gorgeous at night. |
| 10/24/09 - Oscar's 66 |
| 09/05/09 - The Majestic Canadian Rockies: Banff, Jasper, Kootenay, Kananaskis, Yoho, : The Columbia Icefield, Spectacular Scenery, Countless "Mirror" Rivers and Lakes (Louise, Moraine, Emerald, Olive, Peyto, Pyramid, Agnes, ...),
Peaks and Glaciers, Mineral Hot Springs, Animals Galore (Bears, Bighorns, Elk, Moose, Deer), Imposing Waterfalls, Magnificent Lodges, Good Hikes, Good Eatin' and oh ... forgettable Calgary and Edmonton. |
| 08/08/09 - Hilarious Tuna Does Vegas at Galveston's Grand Opera House |
| 07/04/09 - Happy Independence Day. Flyover to Eureka Springs, Arkansas.: Beaver Lake, Thorncrown Chapel, Christ of the Ozarks, Canoe on the White River. |
| 06/13/09 - Houston's Museum of Natural Sciences exhibit of The Last Emperor |
| 05/29/09 - North Dakota & Minnesota: A memorable Memorial Day Weekend Week touring the last of the lower 48: ND and a A coupla days playing on MN's 10,000 lakes (10 down, 9990 to go). A sorta dissappointing Winnipeg. |
| 05/09/09 - Buffalo's great art deco City Hall. Productions of Les femmes savants at the Irish Classical Theater and the Farnsworth Invention by Aaron Sorkin. And who can skip the original Buffalo Wings at the Anchor Bar? |
| 05/02/09 - Billy Joel's and Twyla Tharp's Movin' Out at the fabulous Atlanta's Fox Theater plus the pleasure of Itzhak Perlman with the Atlanta Symphony. |
| 04/09/09 - Good Friday brings good times on Missouri's Route 66 from Saint Louis to Lebanon. |
| 04/04/09 - Spamalot in Cleveland means one thing: Laugh-A-Lot!. Also Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. |
| 03/09/09 - Happy Birthday to me in Cocoa Beach, Florida with gorgeous weather and a special trip to Kennedy Space Center. |
| 02/28/09 - King Tut rose from his grave at the Dallas Museum of Art. |
| 02/14/09 - A very Mark Twain Valentine's day in Hannibal, MO. Lover's Leap by the Mississippi and romantic dinner on a former brothel. |
| 01/31/09 - Les Ballets Trockadero de Montecarlo made us all pee in our pants in Houston. |
| 2008 |
| 12/26/08 - Mexico Lindo y Bonito
Avoiding Moctezuma's revenge for 12 days in Morelia (once in a lifetime Monarch Butterfly experience, Patzcuaro the pueblo magico and Janitzio island), Gualdalajara (Jalisco Philharmonic on New Year's Eve) Puerto Vallarta (Son of the Beach). |
| 2/12/08 - Tampa Performing Arts Center dazzled with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Wow, check out the Tampa Hptel and don't miss a Cuban sandwich in Ybor City. |
| 11/28/08 - Once again Kicks on Route 66. Highlights: Frank Lloyd Wright Building in Bartlesville, only remaining Rainbow Bridge and Soda Fountain in Kansas. |
| 11/16/08 - Madonna rocked Houston at the Minute Maid Park as Ike rocked Galveston. |
| 11/05/08 |
| 11/04/08 - Election Day: proudly did my civic duty as an Election Worker. |
| 10/18/08 - Lincoln has the most unusual state capitol and awesome indian food at The Oven. The Haymarket was small but cute. Photoop at the train station. The Holiday Inn was a bargain: brand new room with great vista. |
| 10/5/08 - Heartland Developers Conference in Omaha with Pirates of Penzance and Albee's The Goat on the side. Spaghetti Works and Upstream Brewery: BEST GOAT CHEESE AND BEER SOUP EVER (maybe too much yeast).
The Dixie Quick's Magnolia Room featured in Diners, Divers etc. was closed: my condolences to the owner on the passing of his mother. |
| 10/04/08 - Milwaukee weekend getaway: Calatraba's masterpiece Art Museum with great views of Lake Michigan, great beer, cheese soup & scottish eggs at the Water Street Brewery plus I am my own wife, good theater. |
| 09/27/08 - Washington, DC: The usual suspects plus the Museum of Crime and Punishment. Awesome Spanish Tapas, senatorial lunch at The Monocle and greekelicious at Zorba's. Good coffee at Poets and Busboys and Comissary |
| 08/16/08 - IOWA:the 47th State: Spaceship House, Bridges of Madison County, American Gothic House, Future Birthplace of Captain Kirk, Dubuque the masterpiece on the Mississippi, Frank Lloyd Wright's Cedar Rock House
Europe's Heritage: Amana Colonies (German), Pella (Dutch), Cedar Rapids (Czech & Slovak) |
| 08/16/08 - MINNESSOTA: weekend: Minnessota State Capitol, Peanuts on Parade, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Oldnenburg's Cherry and Spoon at Walker Sculpture Garden, Guthrie Theater! |
| 07/04/08 - On to Tennessee for an independence day celebratation. From Nashvul (Ryman Auditorium, TheCapitol, Musica Sculpture) to Chattanooga (Rock City, Ruby Falls, Lookout Mtn). Centerhill Lake with the family. |
| 06/21/08 - Midsommardag and Smorgasbord in Lindsborg and other Kansas oddities: Menonites communities, Mushroom Rocks, Flint Hills and wide street towns. | /
| 06/14/08 - Coffee in Parkville, Red Barn in Weston, Amelia Earhart in Atchison, Melissa Etheridge and Military History in Leavenworth through the Glacial Hills and overflowed rivers |
| 06/07/08 - Noises Off was pretty funny at the TopekaCivic Center |
| 05/24/08 - Yellowstone-Teton - Spectacular Labor Day vacation in Wyoming with some presidential South Dakota (Mt. Rushmore, Black Hills, Sturgis, Deadwood-Lead, and pioneer Nebraska (Carhenge, Chimney Rock) |
| 05/17/08 - What a blast from the past: A Chorus Line in Denver. Not to mention Altar Boyz in Arvada. Denver Art Museum: Another funky Ghery building |
| 05/10/08 - Urinetown was OK at the TopekaCivic Center |
| 05/03/08 - Romeo and Juliet was pretty boring. Maybe it was the Kansas City Ballet's choreography. But I keep coming back to: There's Giselle, Swan Lake and then there's the rest. |
| 04/19/08 - Indianapolis keeps on giving. Lockerbie Square is an excellent example of Victorian renovation. Broad Ripple is funky (great Bagels). Butler University pulled it off with Giselle. |
| 04/12/08 - SCRUM Gathering at the Historic Arlington in Chicagoland. O what fun The drowsy chaperonne was! Keep going back to the Burgeois Pig for morning Sustenance |
| 03/09/08 - Omaha, NE (42nd State!): Happy Birthday to me. Mamma Mia yeah! The Largest Ball of Stamps in historic Boystown. Largest Ball of String at O'Malley's in gorgeous Weston, MO |
| 02/29/08 - Citizen Carlos Citizen Carlos Citizen Carlos Citizen Carlos Citizen Carlos Citizen Carlos Citizen Carlos Citizen Carlos Citizen Carlos Citizen Carlos Citizen Carlos |
| 03/23/08 - George Carlin at the Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth |
| 02/15/08 - Oklahoma President's Long Weekend Getaway. More Route 66 (Catoosa's Blue Whale, Arcadia's Red Round Barn and Hillbillies Inn, etc.).
Whacky place names like Loco and Nowhere. A share of Tulsa Art Deco: The Boston Avenue Church, wow!. OKC's Bricktown Breweries rock! Crabtown - not too shabby. |
| 02/08/08 - Wynton Marsalis "rocked" the Folly Theater with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Band. Classics and Standards with lots of improv. |
| 2007 |
| 12/29/07 - New Year's Eve with the sisters in Miami. Lotsa yummy cuban food, vino Sanson, cafecito at Versailles with a dash of gossip and South Beach Art Deco |
| 11/22/07 - Thanksgiving in Houston and Galveston. Ugly weather |
| 11/16/07 - Got my kicks on Route 66. Hurray for the Ugly Crust Pies in Adrian, midpoint between Chicago and Los Angeles.
New Mexico is still enchanting. Loved the Neons from Albuquerque to Tucumcari. Clovis is cute. Roswell is a trip. Hot springs in Truth or Consequences - paradise. Texas is still big. Big steaks in Amarillo's Big Texan. Big lemmons at Cadillac Ranch. Big Buddy Holly glasses in Lubbock. Big laughs in Happy, Earth, Turkey, Muleshoe and Matador. |
| 09/01/07 - O Canada. Toronto never dissapoints. French Canada is quite charming, especially Quebec. And Montreal has a heartbeat second to none. |
| 05/26/07 - Finally first vacation of the year. Idaho is quite pretty. Mountain ranges, river and lakes. Can you say SCENIC? Sawtooths, Bitterroots, Coeur d'Alene, Pend'Oreille
Craters of the Moon was cool and the Jet Boat on the Snake River through Hells Canyon was spectacular. Boise is small but charming and cultured. Arco was spookie. But no Nazis or gun-totting crazes. |
| 05/04/07 - Another Carmen, this time by the KC Ballet. |
| 02/20/07 - A quick getaway to St. Louis for Mardi Gras is Soulard. Cold and Snow. Oh well, nothing a beer can't fix! Followed the Great River Road from Old Chain of Rocks Bridge into Illinois |
| 12/02/06 - Christmastime started with a quite charming and adequately russian rendition of The Nutcracker by the youngsters of Moscow Ballet at the Folly Threater. |
| 2006 |
| 12/02/06 - Boy George Michael shined at the NEC Arena in Birmingham (as in Birmingham, England). The crowd cheered, stumped and did the wave. We all loved him! (2 encores) |
| 11/19/06 - Babs at the MGM Arena in Las Vegas. What more can be said. The voice is slightly fading but still there. The charm only at times overshadowed by political rant. |
| 11/29/06 - The Santa Barbara Street Ballet was underwhelming in their take on Carmen at CMSU in Warrensburg. Tonight was the first ice storm of the season. |
| 11/11/06 - Irreverence has a name and it's Margaret Cho. She picked on everyone at Liberty Hall in Lawrence. Cold weather and narrow seats, who cares? |
| 10/27/06 - The Pet Shop Boys electrified the Chicago Theater. The Hotel Sofitel wasn't too shabby. The commute on the El's Blue Line sucked.
The buffet at Old L'Viv in the Ukranian Village was full of yummy stuff.
The Muffuletta's olives at the Burgeois Pig were stuffed with jalapeno sh-t! (Puaff). Cheezborger Cheezborger Coke no Pepsi at the Billy Goat Tavern , what a dive! |
| 09/01/06 - Oregon is my 40th state !!!!! (and it didn't rain a single day - can you believe it, can you believe it?Portland is OK, lots of great green areas, Knob hill is cool, up Broadway is pretty The highlights: Columbia river gorge, Crater Lake and more than 300 miles of gorgeous pacific coast! (side trip: Mt. St. Hellens) Eugene is pathetic - full of rude, self-absorbed, unkempt, stuck-in-the-60s, out-of-touch-with-reality bullshiters. Diversity means they wear different color shirts! |
| 08/11/06 - A Florida weekend getaway to see sister and niece. Tears and yummy cuban food. Dolphins in Tampa Bay, sunset over St. Pete Beach. Meanwhile another truce before the next war. |
| 07/26/06 - Pat Benatar rocks the Voodoo Lounge at Harrah's North Kansas City!!!!! |
| 07/09/06 - The world cup is over. Italy wasn't so great but France deserved to loose (Karma for Zidane the thug). Feliz 9 de Julio, Argentina! |
| 07/07/06 - Another Dallas weekend getaway. Damien Rice and Fiona Apple were OK at the Nokia Center At Snuffer's the're not kidding: Best fries in Dallas. Death by meat at Rafain Churrascaria. Superman in IMAX 3D (False advertising) |
| 07/04/06 - Happy Independence Day. |
| 06/17/06 - Madonna rocked Chicagoland with her Confessions tour. Millenium Park, what a place! (Better late than never). Shostakovich and the Geoffrey Ballet were brilliant (and free) at Frank Gehry's Pritzker Pavillion . The Architecture Tour on the Little Lady was Ok. Took umbrellas just in case Dave Mathews was in town! Thanks to Gino's East (deep dish), Wiener's Circle (hot dog w/ cursing), Perry's (deli w/o cell phones), Lou Mitchels ( waitress butters your toast) et. al. |
| 05/14/06 - An Indianapolis weekend getaway. Jason Mraz has no rivals. He rocked the Egyptian Room |
| 05/01/06 - A Dallas Memorial day weekend getaway to see Oscar. Paris, Texas isn't quite the same as the original. |
| 04/01/06 - A Houston weekend getaway to see the family and enjoy the Bluebonnets trail. |
| 03/01/06 - Another Birthday (NOYB), another country (Puerto Rico, i.e. # 27) - The miniature Cuba is quite charming. The driving is k-k-krazy but the Piononos are da zhisnt! |
| 2005 |
| 12/28/05 - New Year's Eve in San Francisco (or is it San-Fran-sick-o) ?, what more can I say. The de Young rocks.Carmel what a dream |
| 10/28/05 - Thanksgiving in Houston |
| 10/20/05 - Reno, Tahoe, Sacramento. Northern California - a mind blower - The redwoods, the pacific coastline, the victorian towns. |
| 06/10/05 - Pride week in New York City. Unimpressed with the new MOMA |
| 05/10/05 - Graduation Ceremony ... at last. Bye Bye Houston, I will miss you. And Oscar, too. But we'll stay in touch. Happy Niagara |
| 01/09/05 - Back in the USA, you know how lucky you are boy? Yeah, almost stranded in Albuquerque! Welcome to KC, single digits... |
| 01/01/05 - New Year's in Vancouver. Annual polar bear swim (brrr). Bald eagles up the wazoo! Enough Totem Poles? Charmed in Victoria. |
| 2004 |
| 12/30/04 - Welcome to Canada, eh? This is my 26th country. |
| 12/26/04 - Sleepless in Seattle ? Duh, it's the caffeine stupid. Washington is my 39th state. Too cloudy and foggy for Mt. St. Hellens (oh, well). |
| 12/14/04 - Meet the new Master of Science now. Respeck @$^%&()(+_*!!!!! (Goodbye UH) |
| 12/04/04 - Dickens on the Strand in Galveston. Weeklong retreat. |
| 11/23/04 - 7 inches of snow in Kansas City ! |
| 11/19/04 - Museum of Fine Arts MFAH opening. |
| 11/18/04 - Phi Beta Delta Reception honoring J-1 scholars. |
| 11/14/04 - Sunday brunch at Dimassis. A little too crowded after Ramadan. |
| 11/13/04 - Arte Publico Press 25th aniversary Gala @ Intercontinental Hotel. |
| 11/06/04 - Wurstfest, the 10 day salute to sausage @ New Braunfels. Give it up for the Master Yodeler! |
| 10/31/04 - Boo! |
| 10/27/04 - Kansas City, here I go again |
| 10/24/04 - Happy Birthday Dear Oscar. It's the Galvez Sunday Brunch at 'Bernardos'. Champagne, anyone? |
| 10/22/04 - Weekend in Galveston |
| 10/21/04 - The Houston Astros don't have enough stamina to make it to the World Series |
| 10/20/04 - The Boston Red Sox lift the curse of Babe Ruth and beat the Yankees |
| 10/16/04 - The Texas Weekend Grand Tour: Columbus, Schulemberg, Flatonia, Shiner, Luckenbach, Fredericksburg, Johnson City, Comfort including Bocktoberfest, Czilispiel, VW Annual Gathering.
The Painted Churches of Texas (Czech and German). The Houston Astros make it for the first time ever to the Playoffs |
| 10/12/04 - Midterms |
| 10/10/04 - The Texas Weekend Grand Tour: Navasota, College Station [ Bush Library and Texas A&M Campus ] |
| 10/09/04 - Opening Fine Arts Houston - Indian collection. Flamenco ensemble. |
| 10/08/04 - Opening Menill Collection - Joseph Baeyus. Must read Carl Hiaasen's new novel. |
| 10/07/04 - Greek Festival, Opa! Finally got a hold of Microsoft's .Net |
| 10/04/04 - Mikeska's BBQ. |
| 10/03/04 - Kickapoo Road. 2003. On US 290 between Houston and Austin, following Cupid's assigned arrow. |
| 10/01/04 - The year of the ragged flags, or how I remember 2002. (faded patriotism flowing out of car's windows) |
| 09/30/04 - A Lily Tomlin celebration with Ernestine's greatest hits. The funny guy with the old lady doll. |
| 05/25/04 Colorado: Aspen, Boulder, Breckenridge, Black Bear Pass, Canon and Central City (Buckskin Joe's), Colorado Springs, Crested Butte,Denver, Durango, Garden of the Gods, Great Gorge, Hanging Lake, Hot Sulphur Springs,
Manitou Springs, Glenwood Springs, Idaho Springs, Leadville, Montrose, Maroon Bells, Mesa Verde, Million Dollar Highway, Morrison (Dinosaur Tracks), Mount Evans (Highest Paved Road), Ouray, Pikes Peak, Rocky Mountains National Park, Silverton, Telluride, Vail |
| 09/24/04 - Lee's Summit, MO: It's the 75th anniversary of Civil Aviation. So we jump into a 1920's Ford tri-motor from Osh-Kosh. Scary? Nah! Oktoberfest in Kansas City. Why in September? The Country Club Plaza Annual Fair. The Disney parade continues |
| 09/09/04 - Congrats to me. I finally got my Permanent Residency ! Thanks, INS. |
| 07/17/04 - Madonna set Atlanta on fire with her Reinvention world tour. You've got nothing on Madge, General Sherman! |
| 01/05/04 - Bette Midler in New York City. 100 year record cold with huge snow storms. Yeah! |
| 2003 |
| 11/22/03 - Down South to Mississippi: Jackson, Gulfport, Biloxi: Cher in Concert, Clarksdale: Cotton and Delta Blues, Civil War Sites: Beauvoir, Natchez, Vicksburg, Tupelo : Elvis, Oxford: Ole Miss & Faulker |
| 09/01/03 - Utah-nasia: Arches, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Cedar Breaks, La Sal Mountains, Kodachrome Basin, Lake Powell, Mexican Hat, Moab, Kanaan, Natural Bridges, Salt Lake,Moki Dugway, Valley of the Gods. |
| 05/23/03 - North Carolina Asheville (Biltmore), Blue Ridge Parkway, Outer Banks (Kitty Hawk, Wright Bros), Charlotte, Chimney Rock, Raleigh-Durham, Winston-Salem, Smokey Mountains Park
Virginia Abingdon, Alexandria, Appomatox, Charlottesville (Madison, Monroe, Jefferson), Lexington, Luray Caverns. Lynchburg, Norfolk, Roanoke, Shennandoah West Virginia Charleston, Harrisonburg (Kathy Stafford, what a great host), New Market (Civil War), Natural Bridge |
| 2002 |
| 09/04/02 - Michigan : Detroit (Motown, Ford Museum), Lake Superior (Painted Rocks) , Upper Penninsula, Mackinac Island, Lake Eerie and Huron, Saugatuck, Sault St. Marie, Tahquamenon Falls.
Ohio: Amish Country, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton - Air Force Museum (I am not a crook), Ohio Valley |
| 05/22/02 - New England, need I say more?
Connecticut: Hartford, New Haven (Yale), New London (Mystic Seaport) Mass Boston (Independence Trail),Cambridge (Harvard), Lexington, Concord (Thoureau, Hawthorne, Alcotts, Emerson), Plymoyth, Provincetown, Bad Art Museum, Salem, Stockbridge (Norman Rockwell), Old Man in the Moutain New Hampshire: White Mountains, Mount Washington (Cog Raiwal, Record Winds), Kancamagus Highway, Glenn Ellis Falls, The Gorge Rhode Island: Providence (Fire and Ice), Newport (The Breakers) Vermont: Burlington, Dorset (Marbles) Maine: Portland (Rugged Coastline, Lighthouses, Lobster and Friends) |
| 01/02/02 - The Bahamas, Mon! . |
| 2001 |
| 07/07/01 - My first alone road trip (first summer vacation from school) : Philadelphia, Atlanta, Savannah, Charleston and Columbia |
| 09/04/01 - Michigan : Detroit (Motown, Ford Museum), Lake Superior (Painted Rocks) , Upper Penninsula, Mackinac Island, Lake Eerie and Huron, Saugatuck, Sault St. Marie, Tahquamenon Falls.
Ohio: Amish Country, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton - Air Force Museum (I am not a crook), Ohio Valley |
| 05/03/01 - The truck's maiden voyage: Mobile, Alabama, cross ferry to ride the sands of Daytona, High Dinner in Palm Beach , Derby and Slugger in Louisville, Kentucky, Family and The 500 in Indianapolis |
| 03/09/01 - The Grand Canyon, oh my! (El Tovar) and other Arizona birthday treats: Phoenix, Sedona, Moctezuma Castle, Wupatki and lotsl of Saguaros! |
| 01/01/01 - Florida : Miami, Key West, |
| 2000 |
| 09/03/00 - Across the Country from South to North Arkansas (Little Rock, Hot Springs, Hope - Clinton), Tennessee (Memphis - Graceland, Beale Street, The Pyramid, Larraine Motel, The Peabody), Illinois (Chicago, what else), and
Wisconsin (Milwaukee, Madison, FLW's Taliesin) |
| 07/07/00 - The Missions of San Antonio, the Texas State Capitol in Austin, the pedantry of Dallas |
| 05/05/00 - District of Columbia DC, Alexandria, Baltimore, Annapolis, Delaware |
| 03/03/00 - Louisiana: New Orleans (Mardi Gras / Saint Patrick's), Lafayette (All things Mouton) and Baton Rouge |
| 01/01/00 - California From San Diego to San Francisco. Stops in Santa Barbara, San Simeon (Hearst Castle) Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Malibu, Big Sur (Nepenthe) and Muir Woods |
| 1999 |
| 12/31/99 - Millenium Celebration in Las Vegas |
| 09/09/99 - New York City: The skyline that makes you cry tears of joy. First and ast time to see the World Trade Center |
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