Where do I begin?

You really should friend me on facebook and see the photos of Europe in 2011 Summer, and elsewhere-I travel more than anyone I know with no money:) LOL

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Travel with Italians:

I'll start with June 3 - 16, 2009 and my trip across the country with nine wonderful people besides myself: my daughter and eight Italians:) Rino, Rita, Tanya, Vito, Anna, Giovanni, Ciara, & Sandro.

The Italians landed in New York and stayed there for three days, then they went to Washington DC for a day, then they came to my house in Missouri. We went to the St. Louis Arch because I figured that was the icon of MO. We had to go there.

We drove to Colorado, and wouldn't you know it, my car broke down fifteen minutes from our destination, but thank goodness for the wonderful people who towed me to a more than generous car repair shop and fixed my car by early morning the next day so we could run around Colorado and on to the West Coast.

*Armstrong Towing Recovery & Services LLC: ostell.miles@vzw.blackberry.net --------303 720 3987----Call them if you need them if you're in Colorado!

We left Denver and drove to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, then we were off to Las Vegas, Nevada because we had to say a tearful goodbye to one of our favorite friends, Sandro. He flew away from us after a few hours in Las Vegas, since the airport was close by, and he had to go back to work in Italy.

We headed for Big Bear Lake in California next, and we stayed in a wonderful mountain cabin. 

*909 866 4691---info@bigbearlp.com

We also traveled from Big Bear Lake about an hour and a half to Los Angeles, and of course, no trip to Los Angeles is finished without taking a mad tour of the stars' homes on a bus with a crazy driver who's hilarious. By the way, we were at Michael Jackson's house three days before he died. Hmmmmmm...

The Greek Taverna we stopped at for a bite to eat was cozy, and the owners were grand. I wish I could've spent more time in that area just so I could sample more of their food and talk with them extensively. They were great!

*Aliki's Greek Taverna: 310 645 9555---www.elikioliveoil.com

On the return trip, we stopped at Albequerque, NM and spent the night, then drove to Springfield, MO to stay with a friend, then home. 

Ten days on the road were great, but 13,000 miles in my car was too much for my teenage daughter. She enjoyed the trip b ut ready to end the travel. Not me. I loved it. And my car, a Ford focus, handled it perfectly. I still have that car. Very durable and very good gas mileage.

BTW: One of my future books will be the story of this journey. It's a great one about a man who hadn't seen his daughter in 20 years. I bet I can turn this event into a romance for some of the the people on the trip...even if part of it has to be fiction:)

Road Trips!

(Past, present and coming soon)

1. April 2009: I went to Georgia, Fort Benning...to see my son graduate from Army Basic Training so he could continue to AIT in Texas for  Army Medic Training, then on to Fort Riley, Kansas...and possibly Iraq/Afghanistan, since there's a rumor they're being deployed.

2. June 2009: I hadn't heard from a friend of mine in Italy for 18 years and I received an email and he said he was on his way to the states. So he brought 7 friends with him and we drove from NY to CA and back...wow!

3. June 2009:  I drove to San Antonio, Tx where my son was born to pick him up from AIT Army Combat Medic School. He's on his way to Fort Riley, and he'll probably be deployed. I not know it's possible to be proud and terrified at the same time.

4. July 2009: Going to SC, Myrtle Beach, then to Sumter, SC...I'll stay for about four weeks total.

5. Ohio/Pennsylvania: Went to a wedding of a former student in Ohio. Those Cherokee Indians really know how to throw a wedding reception!

*I put about 13,000 miles on my poor car. I hope it's more durable than I am:)