In September 2006, RT and I went to Alaska for over a week. We spent most of our time at Camp Denali - with a view of Mt. McKinley from the porch of our cabin. What a beautiful place. On the day that we left, we took a small plane ride around Mt. McKinley. Oh. My. Goodness! What a beautiful and awe-inspiring place.

Here are some pictures I just found from our trip to Alaska in 2005. I call this first one “Mt. McKinley Through The Clouds.” Look carefully, and you can see the mountain in the cloud breaks.

The next photo is of the seaplane that we rode to get to the the beautiful Riversong lodge that was only reachable via seaplane or boat.

The third photo is a view from the seaplane of the maze of riverways that cover that part of the Alaskan landscape. This is south of Mt. McKinley.

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Years ago RT and flew to Boston for a few days during our spring vacation.  At that time we planned on moving there, and we planned the trip in order to find a place to live and to learn more about the city.  As it turned out, our plans changed and we didn’t move there after all.  However, I will always remember that wonderful trip - all the activities, the historical sites, the culture and all the other things to do in Boston.  Someday I want to return when we have more time to view everything we want to see and do there.  Boston is a town rich in history and culture.

One of the experiences we enjoyed most in Boston was relishing the awesome selection of fresh-from-the-ocean seafood that was available - from the top restaurants to the small mom and pop cafes.  Really, what could be better than fresh seafood?  And Boston is known for its plentiful and unique seafood restaurants.

Boston is one of 23 cities nationwide that Trusted Tours and Attractions serves with siteseeing tours.  They have a special promotion going on, and if you sign up for their newsletter (which I did),  you might win a hand-held GPS device.  I think that would be cool!

Another of those 23 cities that I would like to visit is San Diego.  I would love to buy San Diego zoo tickets and visit that world famous zoo and see all the incredible animals and exhibits there that I’ve heard about all my life. 

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Two years ago when RT and I were in Alaska, we chartered a plane to fly us from Camp Denali back to Anchorage. It was WONDERFUL - especially when compared to the 6+ hour crowded and very bumpy bus ride that the charter flight replaced.   Then I compare that flight with the commercial flights I took last month to and from New York City.  We spent literally HOURS waiting in airports, fighting the crowds, and dealing with the possibility of delayed and/or cancelled flights.  The hassle and waste of time that’s involved in commercial flights are the reasons that RT got his pilot’s license and his own plane.  Unless absolutely necessary, he flies himself wherever he needs to be for both business and pleasure.

The Executive Jet Charter Company provides information about Private Jet Charter services by a variety of providers - whether it’s a single aircraft outfit or a large corporation with an entire fleets of aircraft.  They make finding the right charter easier because they work with you to find the right charter company for you.  They can also help you out if you’re looking into fractional ownership or other charter services.  Their guide to the jet charter industry will provide the information you need.

Chartering a jet is a lot more than arranging for quick and uncomplicated trips to romantic island destinations.  Executive Jet Charter Co. provides valuable information about not only private jet charter services but also the advantages AND disadvantages of using a jet charter service, along with information on air craft charter companies, listings and even jet air craft manufacturers.   Check it out.

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One of my favorite TV shows is “The Amazing Race” and one of the destinations that they’ve traveled to on the show is Africa.  What a fascinating place!  When RT and I retire, I want to do a lot of traveling, and Africa is one of the places I want to visit someday.   I was checking out the Dialaflight.com website and I noticed that they have flights to South Africa, along with flights to other prime vacation and tourist spots around the world.  Dialaflight is a leading UK travel company that handles flights, hotels, car rentals and complete vacations throughout the world.  The website has all kinds of helpful information for travelers.   Whatever type of travel suits your fancy, you can find information about it at Dialaflight.  Check out the website or give them a call.  They’ll make sure that all your travel needs are met.

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I love visiting Alaska.  RT and I have been there twice.  Those were two of the most wonderful trips I’ve ever made.  We were even re-married in a park near Anchorage in September 2006.  One of these days, I’d love to enjoy an Alaska cruise vacation.  On our previous trips to Alaska we flew directly to Anchorage and then explored Alaska from there.  However, I think a cruise would be wonderful - being able to get close-up views of whales and other sealife - not to mention seeing glaciers up close.  When I think of the night we had trouble getting a room reservation and almost ended up spending the night in our rental car, it reminds me of how wonderful being able to have marvelous shore excursions and then return to our comfortable stateroom would be.

TravelStore is the largest independently-owned agency in California, and they have over 280 agents.  That means there will be someone there to help you with all your travel needs.  They have exclusive offers and special savings on a variety of cruises, river journeys and other travel packages and tours.  Another impressive policy of TravelStore is their commitment to responsible travel that promotes the understanding and conservation of cultural and natural environments.

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My group of twelve fellow teachers and I had a blast in New York City in February.  By day we were scholars taking all the required classes for the institute we were attending.  After all, our school system had paid out some big bucks for us to make this trip.  So we took our studies very seriously.  By night, however, we were the ultimate tourists.  There were so many items on our list of things to do in New York City.  We arrived mid-day on a Monday. Since classes didn’t start until Tuesday, Monday afternoon was our only daytime shopping opportunity.  We definitely did NOT waste the opportunity, either.  We were off and running in Chinatown.  One of the most intriguing experiences of my life was the cloak and dagger nature of purse shopping in Chinatown.   “Intrigue” is definitely the right word to describe that.  It was great fun, and I’ll leave that topic right there.  Some of us took in two Broadway shows - Wicked and The Jersey Boys.  Some went to the top of the Empire State Building.  Some visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.  Some of us were in the audience for a taping of the Late Show With David Letterman (and I have the show TiVo’ed and it shows me in the audience - so I have proof!)  Some of us visited Central Park.  If I get the opportunity to go back, I will definitely make time to visit some of the wonderful museums that are in New York City.

I’d love to take my two grandgirls to NYC.  I have so many family vacation ideas that can be realized in New York City - Museums, historical sites, shopping, double decker buses, theaters, harbor cruises, and the list goes on.

You can receive a travel newsletter with lots of great information about sites in New York City and lots of other cities, too.  You could even find information about an Alcatraz tour. Sign up for the Trusted Travels eNewsletter and enter to win an IPOD Nano! Offer ends Monday, March 31st, 2008.

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I spent last week in NYC.  I went there to attend the February Institute at Teachers College of Columbia University.  Classes were from 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. each day. Once classes were over and we had done our homework for the next day (and sometimes before we’d done the homework), we headed off to soak in every ounce of NYC experiences and sightseeing that we possibly could.  I doubt if we could have fit in another activity.  It was an extremely full week.  Here are thirteen of my favorite things about the trip.

(1) The beautiful and intricate architecture of the old buildings - all over NYC.  I loved looking at those old buildings.

(2) Wicked.  It was a wonderful Broadway show at the Gershwin Theater.  It was totally delightful.

(3) Shopping in Chinatown for purses.  They made it a seem like such a cloak and dagger experience, although since every tourist knows about them, I’m sure that all the police officers do, too.  It was a hilarious experience, though.

(4) Jersey Boys - another Broadway show.  This one was about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons - wonderful music and great show!

(5) The Empire State Building.  It was my first time to see it, and I loved it.  We lucked out in being there at a time when there were no lines.  We were able to go right up to the top  and walk around in the wind and cold of the observation deck.  I thought of “Sleepless in Seattle” and “An Affair to Remember” and just thoroughly enjoyed it.

(6) Meeting my niece at the Empire State Building.  She’s a nanny in NYC,  has a degree in Musical Theater, and she didn’t think twice about hopping on the subway to meet me at the ESB and then going with me to have dinner with some of my teacher friends.  It was just cool to see family when I was so far away from family.  Does that make sense?

(7)  The snow storm on Friday morning.  It was wonderful waking up to the beautiful snow on Friday morning and then walking through the falling snow with about 6 inches of snow already on the ground to get to our Friday morning classes.  I learned that the northerners who come to the south and make fun of us for shutting down because of a little snow don’t have room to talk.  Lots of things shut down in NYC because of that snow last Friday.

(8) I especially love the fact that our flight home was not cancelled or delayed because of the snow.  Although earlier flights had been cancelled, ours went home right on time.  While NYC was great, I was ready to sleep in my own bed and see RT again.

(9)  A. - one of the session leaders at the institute.  We started counting how many times she used the word “like” -  it was in the hundreds on any given day.  She was very knowledgeable and likeable, but her speech had a definite Valley Girl bent.  At one time she said we were going to talk about mini-lessons, and she declared: “I love them!  I LIKE THEM A LOT!  They’re really good!”  (I know that is EXACTLY what she said because I started writing down exact quotes once I realized what a treasure trove of bizarre quotes she was providing us).   Anyone who becomes orgasmic at the mere mention of mini-lessons was someone who held our interest and provided lots of material for discussion.  My roommate was particularly adept at imitating A., and we spent one evening in absolute hysterics laughing and talking about things A. had said and done in class.

(10) Staying at the International House in NYC.  Great place to stay.  Very much like a college dormity - bare bones type lodging, but clean (except for the shower curtain) and the atmosphere of having people from all over the world staying there was really fun.  Plus they had a great cafeteria with wonderful food.  That saved us a lot of time and money for our other NYC adventures.

(11)  Being in the audience of the Late Show with David Letterman.  It was a fun experience.  RT and I watched the show when I got home, and he said it was about the worst show he’d ever seen.  The jokes weren’t funny and the guest was boring.  However, the experience of being there in person was lots of fun.  Plus, there’s a clear shot of me in the audience - so I have that tiny claim to fame.

(12) Riding the subway and seeing that yes, people are people are people.  In general, the people we met in NYC were friendly and helpful - and several of them went way beyond the call of duty to offer assistance and information when we needed it.

(13) The airline employee in the Nashville airport who told us about the best view of NYC:  “It’s out the airplane window when you’re leaving NYC on your way back home.”  While I can understand why people would want to live in a city like NYC - there are so many wonderful experiences available there - I can’t imagine living there myself.  It was crowded, it was noisy, and bags of garbage were everywhere.  I was grateful to return to my country home in Tennessee.

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Friday morning when I woke up in my room at International House in NYC, I looked out the window, and this was my view.  There was a park outside my room - and the tower of a church beyond that.  It was snowing fairly hard, and there was a screen between me and the view.  So the picture is not good quality.  However, it is enough to remind me of what it looked like, and I’m glad I have it.

I made the obvious mistake of taking a brand new camera with me. I had no idea how to work it, and the manual that came with it didn’t help much.  I DID finally figure it out, but it was towards the end of the week.  So I ended up with only six photos from the trip.

I hope you can tell how beautiful the view was.  It was in Manhattan and yet when I looked out the window I saw a lovely garden with walking paths and old buildings with incredible architecture beyond.  It was almost magical looking.

The second photo is a little clearer - I have no idea why.  It was taken from the same window within a few minutes of taking the first photo. 

Anyway, I love these two photos because they remind me of an enjoyable trip.

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We had a very full week in New York City.  From 8:00 each morning till 4:00 each afternoon we were in classes.  However, once four o’clock rolled around, we were off and running - often literally.  I did more walking last week than I’ve done since the week RT and I spent in Alaska a couple years ago.  We got a week pass for the subway system, and we used those passes a lot.  It’s amazing how quickly one can become comfortable with riding the subway.  We also used taxis a few times when it was late and we just didn’t want to spend a hour or more getting back to our hotel - plus the long walk from the subway station to the hotel.  Taxis were wonderful.

I have to admit that my favorite part of the week was seeing “Wicked” on Broadway.  I saw two Broadway shows.  The other one was “Jersey Boys” and it was wonderful, too.  The two shows are so different that there’s no way to compare them.  “Wicked” was so unexpected.  The story, the music, the set - it just blew me away.  It was funny, it was sad, it was romantic.  The music was beautiful. 

Our seats at the Gershwin Theater were wonderful - near the front, on the aisle.  Our seats at “Jersey Boys” were on the third row from the back of the balcony.  Maybe that had something to do with it not making as big an impression on me as “Wicked.”

While the Wicked Witch of the West was a great character, I’m afraid it was Glinda, the good witch, who stole the show.  She was hilarious.  “It’s Glinda - the ‘Ga’ is silent!” was one of the funniest lines.  I think it was good that I didn’t know the storyline before I saw the show.  I came into it with no knowledge beyond “it’s about the witches from the Wizard of Oz - from when they were babies up to the time of Dorothy.”  That was it.  So the storyline was new to me - and thoroughly delightful.

If you ever go to NYC, you should make time to see “Wicked.”

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Early on Monday morning I will join twelve other teachers and reading specialists from my school district to go to New York City for a week of learning all about teaching reading and writing.  I can’t wait.  Of course, the idea of classes from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day is exhilarating and sounds like so much fun.  You believe that, don’t you?  Once classes are over, we’ve got other activities planned for the late afternoons and evenings.  We have tickets to be in the audience of David Letterman one evening, tickets to see “Wicked” on another evening, and tickets to see “Jersey Boys” on yet another evening.  I won’t have much internet access all next week, but when I get back I intend to post some pictures.  Of course I can’t take pictures inside David Letterman or in either of the Broadway shows - but there are lots of others places I can take pictures. Maybe I’ll see the naked cowboy.

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