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Neither Bud nor I are 'much on travel' anymore. We once had a motor home, and after we retired, we did a lot of driving, and it was expensive upkeep for that vehicle with
very poor gas mileage, tax to even own it, maintenance, and the lack of good areas where we could actually drive it 'cause it was large...it burned us on driving while vacationing! I'm really glad we decided to sell it way back when 'cause now-a-days there'd be no chance in h e double l that we could sell it...no one wants the gas guzzlers anymore!! Then, today, with all the security freaks and the extra cost of baggage and delays and dropping flights...we just don't like to do trips anymore! It's not worth the effort. And of course now the cost of fuel...outrageous!! But, from the past, I have so many 'favorites' this is going to be hard to choose. I'll have to get my scanner primed and dig in the closet for certain photo albums. As Southwest Airlines states: "You're now free to move about the country".......
Here goes--
First, this is just part of the closet where I have all our travel albums stashed! See? I couldn't possibly chose a certain one. So, I'll just pick out what is easiest to get to and go from there....
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3-day Weekend Trips:
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Gunnison River
Colorado
A camping trip
Colorado Mountains
Legendary "Face in the Barroom Floor"
Central City Colorado
Now a Gambling town
Was in its heyday a mining town
Mesa Verde Ruins
Four Corners
USA
Monarch Pass
Colorado
There's a little story behind this photo. Tho we traveled this highway many times, on one particular road trip, we stopped for a potty break and coke at the summit. On the way down the pass...we're talking dropping 1000s of feet here....the brakes went out on the car!!! It was my turn to drive, Bud had driven the first 300 miles that day....with the brakes gone, I was down shifting [manual transmission] to slow the car down to make the hairpin curves. We made it safe and sound, thank the lord. But what I like to remember about it all...both our kids, in the back seat...were speechless...no fighting or bickering; at all once they actually realized that their life was hanging by a thread, with their mom's ability to keep from driving over the steep ravines!! Now, we can sit and laugh at the memory. But at the time, once we were back on 'flat land' we opened a beer from the cooler. And yes, I DID drink a couple of gulps while driving back then at that particular time when we were out of the mountain driving---It calmed me somewhat --but, only a couple of swallows. The highway patrol could have ticketed me if they wanted to, I didn't care at all after that!! The brakes finally
did work after they cooled off and we got home safely late that night!
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OLD MEXICO
From the Port of Los Angeles to...Mexico! One vacation we took a cruise to the area that one of my favorite movies was filmed! The Night of the Iguana starring Richard Burton! I fell in love with the story. And the scenery. I think the movie was back in the early '60s. Anyway, I wanted to see where it was filmed, and walk the cliffs, see the waterfalls, etc. etc. etc. So we went to Puerto Vallarta Mexico. We spent a week there in a hotel and took another day cruise through the bay to the area where the movie was filmed. It truly was a 'hidden treasure'!!
The Cruise Ship
Our Hotel in P V, Mexico
A day trip tour through the old town...
This cathedral was stark and awe inspiring
near the cliffs seen just outside the city
A view from our hotel room!
Beautiful!
Just after a rainstorm!!
This is the hidden, hideaway, Yelapa, where most of the filming took place. At the time, tho Elizabeth Taylor was not in the movie, tabloids and newspapers reported of the hot steamy romance taking place with Richard Burton and Ms. Taylor!! Bud and I hired a tour guide and climbed the cliffs to the infamous waterfall!!
Here we are, the two of us. On the beautiful beaches of Puerto Vallarta Mexico.
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The Great Wide Mississippi
We also have had the opportunity to go down the Mississippi on a Riverboat Excursion!
One stop along the way was Hannibal Missouri! Where the American Author, Mark Twain, was born and raised. Here is where most of his stories of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher was written about...from his childhood. I loved this part of the trip most that year!!! ['cause I'm not much on huge, wide, deep dark water! LOL]
Irene, Erik and Bud aboard the Riverboat.
Where's Mom? Me? Oh right about now, I was
wishing and hoping to hit dry land real soon!
The Mark Twain Riverboat
One of the many bridges we went under!
Ewwwww.
Water, bridges, not for me!!
But it was an experience none-the-less.
Along the wide Mississippi there are
many islands.
And the term "Mark Twain" originated.
But --the islands ARE LAND!!!
* *
Ah, dry land! Finally!!!
Once off the boat, I was thrilled.
We're stopping along the way to
tour Hannibal Missouri!
Mark Twain's home town. This is
CARDIFF HILL
This is J.M. Clemens's Law Office
Mark Twain's father.
This is Becky Thatcher's Home
This house is where
Samuel Clemens [Mark Twain]
grew up. In
Hannibal, Missouri.
This was the best part of the trip for me, the book lover! Hope you enjoyed a little bit of just a few of our family trips. I can't wait to take the whistle stops here and there while visiting other Fun Monday travelers!! Have a glorious day everybody.
This little piece of news is just getting too close for comfort. Of course the history of this area near the Texas and Mexican border has never been a 'friendly' sort. But if it happens here, it's more than likely to hit other border towns. My way of thinking...America should consider condemning property and taking about 5 to 10 miles of each bordering state; forget the border fences and high volume of patrolling by foot, helicopters, and infrared military instruments, and ATVs...just begin to dig a mile deep and several mile wide canal that will border the southern states that lie against the Mexico's border....like the Panama Canal. I realize it's just a dream that would never become a reality, but surely, that would deter a lot of closeness to our border towns and cities like San Diego and El Paso, and even Tucson! Car bombs now? Drug Cartels are moving much too close to America. 
