My trip actually started a week or so before I started to travel. I was in need of an appropriate car for this trip -- something with A/C and cruise control. I also had in mind a car best suited for summer driving, so I decided to buy a sports car. I ended up with a Nissan 350Z, which is a serious sports car, and not inappropriate for a young man approaching his mid-life crisis. (For those of you who care, the color is Daytona Blue)
Peg and Dick (Thursday, July 1, Big Flats, NY)
So, with my new car packed with goodies (cookies from Julie and a wide variety of healthy snack food from Mom), I ventured forth. The weather was cool for July 1st, and the first leg of my trip was a short one, although it turned out to be a but longer than I had planned. My father's cousin Peg had inadvertently switched two digits in the address she sent me, and I ended up at 341 Hibbard Road instead of at 314. While I considered this a bad omen for the rest of my trip, it really wasn't much of a delay, and I quickly realized that I really wanted 314.
Peg and Dick were delighted to see me, and marveled at my new "Porsche". And after a bit of lip-biting and detective work, we finally decided that the dealer sticker on the car, which read "Dorschel", really did look like "Porsche" without the "L".
After a nice lunch, we took a walk down the street to visit the neighborhood swimming hole and watched two young men lugging rather large stones down the creek. The swimming hole itself had a swing rope for the more adventurous, and plenty of places to sit and relax.
 |
| Peg and Dick at Corning Glass Museum |
After the Hot Glass Show, we had lunch at the GlassMarket cafe. Below you see Peg and Dick enjoying the cuisine (which was excellent!). We then ventured forth to view the special exhibit, Beyond Venice: Glass in the Venetian Style 1500-1750. Along with many fine glass-works, then also had many beautiful paintings. Definitely worth seeing if you're in the area.
Peg took Dick home for his nap, while I went off and visited the Rockwell Western Art Museum (western as in the American West, cowboys and indians, etc.).
That evening we had a visit from Linda, Evaristo and Marlena, along with Hannah (who had come earlier in the day). Emma and Andrew also stopped in and had dinner with us. We got updates on the young people's sports activities: Emma -- hurdles, Andrew -- pole vaulting, Hannah -- volleyball, and Marlena -- soccer. Simón wasn't present, but I heard he has changed his major to physics and is attending SUNY Geneseo.
I left next morning for the New York City area to visit Jim and Mark. Utilizing the power of the internet, I had printed instruction on exactly how to get there... via Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It turned out to be a scenic trip (especially going through the "endless mountains" region of Pennsylvania), but I learned the hard way that depending on driving directions from the internet is little like listening to your crazy friend who knows a short-cut.
Jim and Mark (Saturday, July 3, Yonkers, NY)
 |
| Jim and Mark |
Jim and Mark had made plans to attend a concert/fireworks/picnic at the aqueduct that night, so we packed up a blanket and some food and drove off to the aqueduct. The concert was nice and the fireworks were the best I've seen in many years.
Jim, Mark and I played Scrabble later that evening. As you might except, Jim won, but that's only because Mark and I had horrible luck with our letters!
The next day, July 4, was Betsy's (Mark's dog's) 9th birthday (in human years). We took her on an especially long walk along the old aqueduct trail and into Irvington (so named after Washington Irving). While I'm sure she enjoyed the walk, I think she was glad to be done with it, as it was a rather warm day and quite a long walk for a nine-year-old.
After lunch we decided that Jim and I would go biking while Mark did his running. So we went off to some very scenic (and non-hilly) trails outside of Yonkers. It was a very pleasant ride with many little bunny rabbits along the trail, and sunlit, lily-padded ponds along the way.
After dinner we decided to go down to the river and watch the various fireworks. While the quality of the shows wasn't as good as the previous night's, we had a wider variety as there were half a dozen or so different shows up and down and across the river. After we got back home, Jim brought out some sparklers that his mother had saved some 40 years ago. We took them out back and tried them out. Amazingly, they worked quite well, although they were a little difficult to get started. Jim promised me that next time we'd try out some of the 40-year-old celery-flavored jello.
I left about noon on July 5, armed with Jim's directions, headed south for North Carolina. I was hoping to make it there by sundown, but I didn't even get close -- I ended up in Woodbridge, Virginia. The next morning (July 6) I called Lois' house and talked to Macarthur (her grandson). He gave me directions for a route that he had learned in his many travels from Virginia to Swansboro.
Lois and Macarthur (Tuesday, July 6, Swansboro, NC)
 |
| Lois |
Caroline (Lois' granddaughter), who is attending Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, was off at parachuting school (she's on an ROTC scholarship), so unfortunately, I didn't get to meet her. My cousin Carl was out in Illinois starting a new job, so I didn't get to see him either. Mac is in the process of joining the Air Force. He's looking to be involved in the medical area.
The next day, July 7th, Lois and I went on a ferry ride to Bear Island for some swimming, body surfing, and just laying around on the beach. It was great to swim in the ocean again, and there were some decent waves for body surfing. It was very warm out, however, so we limited the sunbathing to under an hour, and headed home for lunch.
After lunch I gave Lois a lesson on how to access and use email. We (Lois, Mac and myself) then went off to Captain Charlie's for a nice seafood dinner. After that, I got the chance to play "Oh Heck" (it's a card game) with Lois and Mac, and had enough good luck to win (which was good because the next day we were scheduled to golf, and I knew there was no way I was going to win that game).
So bright and early on July 8th, Lois, Mac and I set off to the Star Hill Golf Club. I knew I was in trouble when we arrived at the club and I started to sweat from simply opening the car door. Now I had played one game of real golf before this (not that it's any excuse), so needless to say, I was no Tiger Woods. But I can also say, I did manage to hit the ball squarely a couple times over the 18 holes. I really don't remember how many holes I dug or sandtraps I messed up, but I do know it was quite a number. Lois quietly and politely just stopped keeping score for me. She and Mac did quite well though. In any case, after 18 holes I was a soggy, sweaty mess and ready to call it a day. It was a humbling experience, but, I can honestly say, I did manage to have some fun.
Mac and I watched the movie Meet the Parents that night. The movie was hilarious, although a bit over-the-top.
The next morning, July 9, I left Swansboro. I started out going in the wrong direction for about 30 minutes. That was my first mistake. During that time I narrowly avoided plowing into the car in front of me that had slowed down for a turn. Ignoring that omen was my second mistake. So finally, I made it to Jacksonville and was starting to feel better, when the unthinkable happened. And it was a very similar situation to my earlier narrow escape. The car in front of me slowed (way down) to make a right-hand turn, and I didn't notice it in time. I swerved to avoid a collision, but wasn't able to swerve wide enough. I hit his driver-side rear bumper with my passenger-side front headlight. You can see the results for yourself below:
 |
| Messed up Nissan 350Z! |
So I spent the next couple hours waiting for the police and then the tow truck to get there. The temperature was about 101 and the humidity was also about 101 (or felt like it). It was the low point of my trip, but at the same time, it was a turning point in what could have been the end of my trip.
After getting the car towed to Clinton's Body Shop (where I was treated quite well -- they took care of contacting my insurance company, getting me something to eat and drink, and assuring me the damage wasn't as bad as it looked), I decided to continue my road trip via the air lanes. The folks at Clinton's arranged a ride to Raleigh, where I was able to catch a flight to Denver that evening.
Sally and Hadi (Saturday, July 10, Morrison, CO)
 |
| Sally and Hadi with Cisco and Starbuck |
That evening, we had dinner at a wonderful Italian restaurant called, I think, Gaetano's. Paul and his daughter Ashley were there, in addition to Terry and Maggie (neighbors of Paul and Kathy). Terry had done some work for the restaurant and had been paid in free meals, so the meal was on him. The hit of the dinner was actually the dessert: a wonderful Tiramisù, of which, Terry explained, there was a limited portion left. So we ordered some vast quantity and took it with us.
After dinner we went to Terry and Maggie's house for a swim (and to feast on the Tiramisù of course). Megan and her friend (Christine?) also came over and enjoyed the pool.
The next day, July 11, we decided I should get a rental car that I could drop off in Phoenix. So off I went, back to the airport to find a rental company that would let me do that. The first place I went to, after dropping off the car, had advertised one way rentals, but for some reason, decided that they didn't do that any more. So off I went (walking) to another place that I was assured did. And of course, they did! However, after making all the arrangements, they informed me that they couldn't take debit cards. :-( So finally, I was directed to Hertz, and after an unhappy walk there, and much to my relief, rented me a one-way'er.
Betty (Sunday, July 11, Montrose, CO)
After lunch Sally and I left in my rental car for Betty's place in Montrose. On the way there, we stopped off and visited Billie and Joe Wilson, who were out camping with their kids, and kid's families.
I was amazed by the scenery along the way. I didn't take any photos, as I didn't think they would do it justice. We traveled down route 285, then west on route 50 to Montrose. Sally brought some CD's along and we had a jolly old time listening to the music and viewing the vistas.
We arrived at Betty's later in the afternoon and proceeded to pillage any and all photo albums she had. We made quite a mess, but Betty was good natured about it all.
The next day, July 12, Sally and I drove into Olathe (famous for its sweet corn), in search for, you guessed it, sweet corn. We found a quaint little winery there that seemed to have more non-grape wines than grape wines. I finally settled on a bottle of wild-plum wine, while Sally hedged her bets with several bottles of various wines. The gentleman's young child 'sold' us some wine glass charms (according to her they were free).
We then continued our search for sweet corn and along the way found my road. I had been wondering where I had misplaced it all these years! Anyway, Sally took some photos, which are on
their own page.
We finally found a place to buy corn, and many other goodies. Sally bought some apricots, which she later brandied. Unfortunately, I missed out on being able to taste that.
Later that day we (Sally and I) traveled to the Hot Springs and met Deb and Dalen (and their friends Gail and David and their kids Hillary and Kelsey). Deb told us the story of how she and Dalen used the hot springs as a bath during winters when they were first building their house. After a good soaking, when it looked like the rain was going to turn into a thunder storm, we took our leave back to Betty's.
Deb and Dalen (Tuesday, July 13, Telluride, CO)
The next day we (Sally, Betty and I) left for Deb and Dalen's. Sally drove Betty's car, while Betty road with me in the rental. We stopped off at Peggy's for a visit. After being warned about the goats and what they do to cars, I parked by vehicle quite some distance from the house. Apparently Jean McCasland had visited and the goats had visited her car and left some prints on it.
 |
| Peggy and goats |
We had lunch with Peg, her son Mark and his wife Erica. Mark and Erica were in the process of packing up to move to Denver where they will be attending school. Mark is going into law, and Erica into teaching (math I think).
 |
| Peggy, Sally, Betty, Erica and Mark |
 |
| Sally, Debbie and Betty outside Deb's house |
After a tour of Deb and Dalen's amazing home (you all just have to see it next year), we (Sally and I) tried to help Deb out with creating an event calender (one of her responsibilities as coordinator of the Choral Society that she and Dalen are members of). Deb and Dalen have also taken on a project to try to get a power line up to their part of the mountain (right now they rely on a generator and solar power panels).
I then proceeded to take a nap (see pictures courtesy of Sally). Later on Deb and I took the dog on a walk.
The next day, July 14th, Sally and Betty left to return to Montrose. Sally then planned to hitch a ride back home with Peggy who was helping move Mark and Erica to Denver. But before they left, I managed to fit in a game of scrabble with Betty. And wouldn't you know it, my luck with the letters was no better than it was at Jim and Mark's! Alas, my scrabble record was now 0-2 for the trip.
After Sally and Betty left, Deb proceded to prepare a wonderful turkey dinner (I managed to not get in the way and Deb kindly let me cut things up and such). Dalen and crew got back just in time for dinner. And so we had Thanksgiving in July, which seems to be a theme with these Whites (remember Christmas in July back in 1999?). In any case, it was delicious! After dinner we watched "Shrek".
The next day, July 15th, Deb and I took a ride into Telluride, and rode on the gondola. Apparently the gondola system is the most common way to get around Telluride. Dalen and company showed up later and we had lunch, and then it was time for me to continue my journey. From here it was on to Phoenix to visit my cousin Faith and her husband Russ.
I didn't quite make it to Phoenix that day, so I stopped in Flagstaff and talked to Russ who gave me more detailed instructions on how to get to their house.
Faith and Russ (Friday, July 16, Phoenix, AZ)
 |
| Tim, Tanya, Faith and Russ |
Faith and Russ gave me a tour of their beautifully furnished house and yard (they have an orange tree, a lemon tree, a grapefruit tree, and a banana tree in their back yard!). Plus they have a family of cats (mostly kittens) that hang out in their yard (but are apparently very difficult to catch).
After dinner we watched "Chicago", which I enjoyed very much.
The next day, Saturday, Tanya (Faith's daughter) and her husband Tim showed up with breakfast (Krispy Kreme donuts!). Tanya is a political science graduate, currently working at a legal firm, and Tim is a philosophy graduate and does financial counseling at the University of Phoenix (I think).
Later that day I visited my 'co-chief editor' of the Chess Variant Pages, Peter Aronson. I have worked with Peter for a couple of years, but we had never met in person. As is traditional when two chess variant enthusiasts meet up, we played a game -- in this case one of Peter's inventions called Fanorama Chess. I also got to meet Peter's daughter Jennifer, the inventor of Cows and Butterflies. It was a pleasant meeting and after discussing some web site business, I was on my way. Of course, I had to keep up my new tradition of leaving something at each place I visited, so 20 minutes later I was back at Peter's to pick up my cell phone!
That night we (Faith, Russ, Tanya and Tim) had a nice dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Faith and Tanya ordered Margaritas (it's a tradition that started between Faith and her mother, Lois), and Faith told us her 'Margarita' stories.
That night we watched "Hello Dolly", Faith's favorite movie. And of course, I'll never forget the most oft quoted line from the movie: "Money, pardon the expression, is like manure. It's not worth a thing unless it's spread around, encouraging young things to grow."
July 18, Sunday
Faith and Russ took me to a local "swap meet", which is a large public market type setup, where they sell local goods. I was able to find goodies for the folks back home, although it did take some time. Faith and Russ were good natured about it, allowing me to wander the entire place.
Faith and Russ then took me on a driving tour of Glendale -- we saw the school that Caroline is going to, some of the military facilities in the area, and the agricultural areas. I was most impressed with the rose fields -- acres upon acres of roses!
 |
| Naomi and Steve |
The next morning, Faith gave me a lift to the airport (Russ was back home trying to remove stray kittens from his truck!). My flight took me back to Jacksonville, and from there I took a taxi back a hotel (conveniently right next to Clinton's body shop). The next morning I walked over to Clinton's, picked up my car, and then drove on up home sweet home.
HOME! (Tuesday, July 20)
Driving up route 390 that evening with the hills covered in a soft mist, I felt like I was crawling back into bed after a long day of adventuring. And although I thoroughly enjoyed my trip, I was glad to be home again.