Meandering the Country

September 30 - October 12, 2024 Portland, Maine was the official beginning point for our Fall Foliage Tour, as it was the Portland airport that Brad and Kathy flew into.  This trip was planned along with these longtime friends from Cedar Rapids, so I guess it was only fair not to leave them stranded at the airport! We arrived in Portland the day before Brad and Kathy’s scheduled flight, giving us the opportunity to have lunch with Carla and Art.  It’s amazing that Carla and I have not only managed to stay in touch all of these years, but continue to see our friendship grow closer and closer.  Our father’s friendship began in 1946 as fellow sailors on the USS Fresno.  I believe our dads would love that their friendship with each other has continued for the next generation!  Now, how do we get our kids to meet?! At breakfast the next morning, we talked to a couple who told us they had enjoyed a delicious lobster dinner at The Porthole in Old Portland.  That ...

September 24 – October 1, 2024 What a trip!  This adventure had all of the elements of a great movie – laughter, love, mystery, drama, discovery, and even a dash of nostalgia!  After dropping Frankie off with Maggie and Luke, we set our sights on Grand Rapids, Michigan. At 515 miles, it was a more ambitious drive than our typical travel day, but why not go for it? After all, we weren’t towing the camper for this trip, so we figured it would be an interesting and relaxing drive. What we hadn’t expected was the rain we ran into halfway through the route. My question is, why do they call it a driving rain? This rain was certainly not something we wanted to be driving in! Although it did add to the day in the “interesting” factor, it completely detracted from the “relaxing” portion of the plan! We took the tortoise approach and safely arrived to our hotel without incident.  Our primary interest in going to Grand Rapids was to take in yet another presidential museum. We’ve dev...