Category Archives: Vacations

First looks – Grand Cayman

November 25, 2007 Maurice Leave a comment

This is our first look at Grand Cayman Island. On the lower left of the picture is the start of 7 Mile Beach, where our condo is located.

We’ve had a lot of fun already splashing around the ocean and chasing fish around the coral. You wouldn’t believe some of the things we’ve seen!

On Saturday night, we were at Coconut Joe’s and watched the Toronto Maple Leafs get plastered by the Phoenix Coyotes on the CBC (Cayman Broadcast Agency) with their star Don Cherry.

(Click the pic if you don’t believe me!) Quite surreal…

Then on Sunday the Grey Cup was on big screens everywhere. The waitress told us there were “butt-loads” of Canadians down here! There were a lot of Saskatchewan fans around, that’s for sure.

Here we are at Coconut Joe’s, a restaurant/bar right across the street from our condo, the first night we arrived.

Something About Us, Vacations

Joy in Surrey

August 12, 2007 Maurice Leave a comment

Joy in Surrey

This summer our good friend Joy flew out from her home in Ohio to stay a couple weeks with us. We had a great time, even though the weather pretty much sucked.

It was just like old times. We originally met over the internet while playing bridge. We met in person at one of the conventions in 1998. Over the years we’ve traveled to each other’s homes and stayed in touch, even though we’re thousands of miles apart.

We spent a couple of days down in our time share in Linden, Washington. It’s a pretty little town just across the border from us. We can get there in well under an hour, if the border crossings cooperate.

It has a really challenging links-style golf course there. You need to know your game well, as there is a lot of water, and you need to know how far you will hit with your club, or you’re in it! It was one tough course.

There are some lovely homes around the course, naturally, but the little golf cart wind sock is hysterical.

Another place had an old golf bag as a planter. Cute too.

Mexico, Vacations

Mexico City – Museum

January 7, 2007 Maurice Leave a comment

We were at the museum of Natural History today, and we were lucky enough to stumble on some shaman helping people exorcise some demons. He told Pam she was having problems with her hip and back, and he was absolutely right! Check out the movie here.

The Museum is really an amazing experience. It’s laid out just wonderfully. Each of the large rooms are jammed to the rafters with a wide range of artifacts. Each period in Mexican history has a dedicated room. There is a room for the Toltecs, the Aztecs, etc etc. You could spend several days seeing this place. There is just so much to see.

Marlene and Jorge have been amazing tour guides (I’m sure I’ve mentioned this many times, but it bears repeating!) and they’ve really shown us a lot of things we wouldn’t have seen. Now the Museum we would have seen, but it’s been great to see it with someone who is truly proud of it’s achievements.

Check out this one of a cool dog statue! It was in the room with a Chac Mool, the famous reclining figure, who is Mayan or perhaps Toltec. So I’m guessing the dog is either from the Mayan or Toltec civilization as well.

The next time we come to Mexico City, we’ll definitely be returning for another visit! The variety of art is really amazing.

Mexico, Vacations

Mexico 2007

January 6, 2007 Maurice Leave a comment

Welcome to Mexico!

For my 50th birthday we jetted off to Mexico City and Acapulco, with stops for pyramid climbing in Xochicalco and exploring Taxco, the city that silver built along the way. We were generously hosted by Jorge and Marlene, two bon vivants with a zest for life that is infectious and delicious.

The Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan.

While in Mexico City I was able to stroke number 6 off of my life time “To-Do List” – Climb a pyramid: hopefully a big one. And it was great to do it. Lots and lots of people climb it. I stopped to help an older lady, but she pulled away from me – it’s just something you want to accomplish on your own!

This is apparently the second (or was it 3rd) highest pyramid that you can climb. Sure some are higher, but you can’t get your butt to the top!

Vacations

Pacific Coast highway

July 23, 2006 Maurice Leave a comment

We traveled up the Pacific Coast highway through Carmel. The road twists and turns along some of the most spectacular scenery you’ll ever see.

Surfer dudes abound along the coast. The waves were pretty darned impressive! I sure wouldn’t want to be snorkeling out there.

Sea lions in the ocean: Just north of Hearst Castle is a colony of sea lions. They sun themselves on the beach or cavort in the ocean and generally make a spectacle of themselves.

An interesting succulent that grows along the beaches, and is apparently planted to prevent beach erosion.

The mascot of the Seven Feathers Casino in Southern Oregon. It’s halfway between Vancouver and San Francisco. A perfect spot to spend the night on the way to SF.

Vacations

San Francisco

July 21, 2006 Maurice Leave a comment

We really enjoyed San Francisco a lot. It is a really pretty city, and even more laid back than Vancouver, if you can believe that! The picture on the left is a view from Fisherman’s Wharf up the hill towards Coit Tower (on the left) and the Transamerica Building (on the right). Coit Tower sits on Telegraph Hill, a monument to the heroism of San Francisco’s fire men.

Straight down the hill from the Coit Tower is this church. Really quite an attractive building. One thing that really stood out about San Francisco was the really interesting architecture everywhere.

The Exploratorium is an interesting looking domed building surrounded by beautiful parklands. It’s been featured in tons of movies, including Dirty Harry. It’s a great place to take the kids, as it has a hands on science exhibit.

San Francisco’s City Hall. It is apparently a replica of the White House and has been used as a stand-in in a number of movies. It looks the same from the front and back, which leads to the joke that SF politicians don’t know whether they are coming or going.

These are the famed Painted Ladies of San Francisco. These Victorian era homes are in the Haight Ashbury part of town, and have been lovingly restored to their former glory.

The Transamerica building as seen from the top of another very famous landmark, Coit Tower. It is arguably the most distinctive landmark on the San Franciscan city landscape.

Vacations

Morro Bay and Hearst Castle

July 19, 2006 Maurice Leave a comment

“Self portrait” in a Morro Bay restaurant! The restaurant had really lousy scallops. shiver But it was a nice to wander around the town. Very picturesque.

William Randolph Hearst built an astounding home in the hills above San Simeon. If you get to that area, you MUST go see it. You will be astonished. Unbelievable architecture, unbelievable artwork, unbelievable views. This is the outdoor swimming pool area, built in a classical style.

Here are some of the remarkable statues surrounding the pool. Hearst brought some home from his many tours of Europe, and others he had copied. Note the foggy weather!

The Casa Grande, the main entry to Hearst Castle. A Spanish style dominates the main house. Very impressive. Note the lions – he had that lion reproduced over and over and can be seen in literally hundreds of locations around the grounds.

The main meeting room. From here Hearst managed his hundreds of companies, and met with the most powerful men of his time. About the only disappointment in his life was failing to become president.

The indoor pool. The gold color, is indeed gold. An extremely decadent pool. It is truly gorgeous – too bad it merely sits there day after day and not used, like it was meant to be.