Tennessee

Bucket List - 3 days in Tennessee to visit Irene's 3 sisters and 1 brother. Also toured the beautiful countryside and spent a day photographing barns too.

Irene's Tennessee family

 

 

Eastern Tennessee - we spent a day photographing barns

The local social gathering place is the VFW - we stopped in on our last afternoon to meet Lizz's friends - a warm place for friendship ... and also remembering veterans' service to the USA (notice the POW-MIA memorial in the background).

 

 

 

We're heading back to Denver for 1 day and then home to San Diego. Only 2 more weeks before Peace Corp Staging....

...Bucket List: New York City

We've been visiting American places in our own life histories, and snapping some pictures which might be interesting to our new students, friends, and Peace Corps colleagues in Jamaica. Steve grew up in NYC and still has some relatives here. Reni is 99 1/2 (she's Steve's father's first cousin) - we had a beautiful visit ... and she said that if she's not able to see us again before we return from service, she will see us 'in another life'.

 

Steve was a student at Columbia in the 1960s. We visited the campus - in so many ways nothing seems to have changed in his eyes. We also went to eat at the coffee shop where he ate most of his meals as a student - Tom's Restaurant. Do you recognize it as the place where Seinfeld met with his friends for coffee?

 

 

Steve in front of Tom's (the coffee shop near Columbia University)



Steve reminiscing about his Columbia days

Lowe Library on the Columbia Campus

We went to the 9/11 Memorial site - Although Steve had moved from NYC long before 9/11/2001, he has been to the site many times, including on the first anniversary where he joined a group in Washington Sq. Park reading the names of the victims. The new Freedom Tower is dramatic, and today we saw it highlighting the skyline as we drove over the Tri-Borough bridge to LaGuardia Airport.

A subway ride to MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) to see the exhibition about Frank Lloyd Wright's designs for Utopian Cities of the future.

We often try to stay at a cute little "European" hotel on E. 87th - "The Franklin" has the tiniest rooms, but the staff has been there for decades, and we enjoy the continental breakfast as well as the wine/cheese at 5 PM too.

We went back mid-town to wander Times Square and then saw "Kinky Boots" on Broadway. We like the show because it presents a message of tolerance and acceptance, but it also is a traditional Broadway Musical full of songs, dance, and glitz. Cindy Lauper wrote the music and Harvey Fierstein wrote the play.

We're on our way to Tennessee to see Irene's 3 sisters and brother. Then back to Denver for 20 hours to finish my dental work on Wednesday before heading home to California. Then...2 more weeks till we report for Peace Corps staging.

...Our First Date (Anniversary): The "Bucket List" continues

11 years ago on February 23rd, Irene and I went to Luigi's in Centennial, Colorado for our first date ... last night we went back to celebrate where we've been and what's ahead. They even seated us in the same booth.

...4-Wheeling in the Anza-Borrego Desert

-- Jason took me out for a great 4-wheel adventure through the desert at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park -

 especially liked the "Diablo Drop-Off":

 ... thanks for a great day!

Jason at the Mud Caves

 

...the California Good Life!

...Here's the view from Jason (Irene's son) and Maria's house in San Diego. We've been their houseguests while we transition to Peace Corps. Palm trees in the back yard -- surely is different than below zero temps and snow in Colorado. Thank you for making us feel so comfortable (and setting up 2 laptops... and a printer... on your dining room table too!) We'll miss you!

...What Time is in Jamaica?

 

 

Jamaica is the Eastern Time Zone ... but does not observe Daylight Saving Time:

 

So....California is now 3 hours earlier than Jamaica.

 

But...When the USA 'springs ahead' on Sunday, March 9th, Jamaica will be only 2 hours later than California.

...Video Link - dinner at Rino's - where they sing while you dine!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202693379752161&l=316813426205839828

[Click on the link above to view the video in our Facebook]

...as promised, here's a short video (8 minutes) of our evening at Rino's Restaurant in the southern Colorado town of Trinidad. Frank Cordova was a singer in Hollywood and Las Vegas - he now mentors young singers at his family restaurant; every 15 minutes they stop dinner to sing. This was a stop on our "Bucket List" before leaving for 2 1/2 years in Peace Corps. —

...Clean Alternative Energy along our route - San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm

On our drive from Santa Fe to San Bernardino we drove through the largest 'wind farm' in the world - The San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm is located on the eastern slope of the San Gorgonio Pass near Palm Springs in Riverside County, California. There are 3,218 wind turbines delivering 615 Mega Watts of Power - enough to power up to 500,000 homes.

Hiking - Four Peaks Wilderness in Arizona

...Our pre-staging Peace Corps "Bucket List" continues. After our stop in Trinidad, we drove to Santa Fe and had dinner at Geronimo. Then drove west - stopping for a drive down Route 66 in Gallup, NM where Irene's stepfather grew up...then to Phoenix.



Steve and Irene - Four Peaks Wilderness, AZ ... yes it was Super Bowl Sunday

We hiked the Four Peaks Wilderness today. When my mom and dad died, they asked that their ashes be scattered over these beautiful mountains; and they probably would have thought wearing Broncos shirts was fun too