We fly into Chi at dawn and downtown is very dark and quiet
looking. By the time we take off about
an hour later things are perking up down there.
They have to de-ice the plane as it has sat out all night and temps
slightly below freezing. A bit of a
shock, we’re not in Kansas anymore! The
CLE flight is fast, about one hour, it’s a new plane with lots of leg room for
small plane but it is first class. We
upgraded our flights to and from Alaska and Sydney and Hawaii. It has been worth every dime. We pass over Toledo, the Lake Erie Islands
(can clearly see Perry Monument), Sandusky Bay and cargo barges moving along.
As we come into CLE we fly over Lakewood Park and can see Seth’s house very
clearly from the air. We call him from
the airport and ask him why he isn’t at work yet and he temporarily believes we
could see his car in the drive.
LOL. We are in emerging spring
here. Some forsythia are bloomed, grass is
green but we can tell there’s been a lot of rain. Pools in the backyard and the sump pump is
running. The house looks fine. The palm
trees are missing! We are supposed to
have very nice spring weather at least through Sunday. We are unpacking but laundry has to come
later. We need to get some sleep. It’s been an amazing trip, can’t believe it’s
been two months since we left. We held
up pretty well given the pace and we can still tolerate each other after all
this together time! Thinking of loved ones
who have joined us along the way. You were always in our hearts and on our
minds, hoping all is well with you. We
have been watched over and guided all along the way. And now we are in happy
anticipation of meeting our new grandson!
God is good!
Welcome
Rambler’s Blog –PatnChuck Pacific Adventure 2016 (February 12 - April 12, 2016)
A word about this blog…. It has been our goal in recent years’ lengthier travels to record for posterity a diary of travel stats, pictures, and personal reflections. So, when we can no longer indulge in trains, planes and automobiles we may relive fond memories. We have invited a few friends and family to ride along through this travel blog (a combo of blather and log), risking exposure to bad puns, spelling errors and sore feet complaints.
It has been our dream to visit Australia and New Zealand for years. Our Australian friends who we met while living in Scotland, the Knights, have invited us many times. With Chuck finally retired it’s time to go! We have planned a whirlwind tour of the Pacific. We are fortunate to front load the tour with a diversion to Alaska and extra time in Sydney staying with friends and time at Palm Cove Resort near Great Barrier Reef. We are able to back load the trip with 5 days in Oahu (Honolulu) for R&R before returning home.
For Oz and NZ we chose a AAA tour as it offers the most comprehensive experience in a good amount of time. We fly from point to point through Australia which is similar in size to the US (New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory, Victoria and Tasmania) and bus tour through North and South Islands of New Zealand. We have several opportunities to learn about the Aborigine and Maori native people. We chose the fall season, taking a chance with transition weather but much less heat and being present for the grape harvest at some of the famous Oz, NZ wineries. Their seasons are reversed from ours and they live a whole day later in time. And then there are Oz opals that know no season!
This trip is particularly special because of being with family, old and new friends. We will visit Brenna and Zach in their new Anchorage home and have a baby shower for little scooter due in May; we will visit Phyllis and Ray Knight in their Killara home north of Sydney; we will stay overnight with a native New Zealand family; and we will meet travelers along the way.
Onward and upward. We enjoy knowing friends and family are with us in spirit. We will lift a few glasses of great southern hemisphere wines and ales, meander through cities, mountains and desert, and have a few shrimp on the barbie!
Pat and Chuck
* We may not have daily access to Internet so updates may be delayed, but once they appear they will be in sequence
* The blog includes pictures based on the day’s blog, sometimes delayed depending on schedule and access.
* A map of our route appears on the Homepage.
A word about this blog…. It has been our goal in recent years’ lengthier travels to record for posterity a diary of travel stats, pictures, and personal reflections. So, when we can no longer indulge in trains, planes and automobiles we may relive fond memories. We have invited a few friends and family to ride along through this travel blog (a combo of blather and log), risking exposure to bad puns, spelling errors and sore feet complaints.
It has been our dream to visit Australia and New Zealand for years. Our Australian friends who we met while living in Scotland, the Knights, have invited us many times. With Chuck finally retired it’s time to go! We have planned a whirlwind tour of the Pacific. We are fortunate to front load the tour with a diversion to Alaska and extra time in Sydney staying with friends and time at Palm Cove Resort near Great Barrier Reef. We are able to back load the trip with 5 days in Oahu (Honolulu) for R&R before returning home.
For Oz and NZ we chose a AAA tour as it offers the most comprehensive experience in a good amount of time. We fly from point to point through Australia which is similar in size to the US (New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory, Victoria and Tasmania) and bus tour through North and South Islands of New Zealand. We have several opportunities to learn about the Aborigine and Maori native people. We chose the fall season, taking a chance with transition weather but much less heat and being present for the grape harvest at some of the famous Oz, NZ wineries. Their seasons are reversed from ours and they live a whole day later in time. And then there are Oz opals that know no season!
This trip is particularly special because of being with family, old and new friends. We will visit Brenna and Zach in their new Anchorage home and have a baby shower for little scooter due in May; we will visit Phyllis and Ray Knight in their Killara home north of Sydney; we will stay overnight with a native New Zealand family; and we will meet travelers along the way.
Onward and upward. We enjoy knowing friends and family are with us in spirit. We will lift a few glasses of great southern hemisphere wines and ales, meander through cities, mountains and desert, and have a few shrimp on the barbie!
Pat and Chuck
* We may not have daily access to Internet so updates may be delayed, but once they appear they will be in sequence
* The blog includes pictures based on the day’s blog, sometimes delayed depending on schedule and access.
* A map of our route appears on the Homepage.
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