Sharing Our Journey
  • Home
  • Spring Trip 2022
    • VT to VA
    • VA & NC
    • VA to VT
    • VA Wildflowers
    • Mad_River_Canoe
  • 2019-2021
    • 2021 >
      • Winter 2021
      • Spring 2021
      • Summer 2021
      • Autumn 2021
    • 2020 >
      • Winter 2020
      • Spring 2020
      • Summer 2020
      • Fall 2020
    • 2019 >
      • Nov - Dec 2019
      • Oct 2019
      • Sep 2019
      • Jun - Aug 2019
      • Mar-May 2019
      • Jan-Feb 2019
  • 2017-2018
    • Hiking/Biking Sept-Dec >
      • December 2018
      • November 2018
      • October 2018
      • September 2018
    • Moving to Vermont
    • Cambodia >
      • Intro Phnom Penh
      • First Days
      • Temples & Drumming
      • Organic Farming
      • Khmer New Year
      • On the Beach
      • Royal Palace
      • Siem Reap
      • Water Sanitation
      • Teaching
      • Bits and Pieces
    • Super-Blue-Blood Moon
    • Great Allegheny Passage
    • Texas Motorcycle Trip-1
    • Texas Motorcycle Trip-2
    • Short Travel Videos
  • 2014-2016
    • Azerbaijan >
      • Nakhchivan May 2016
      • Quba Apr/May 2016
      • Museums Feb 2016
      • Friends & Gatherings Baku
      • House and Plants
      • Around Baku
      • Qax June 2015
      • Billy's Decade Party
      • Ganja & Goygol Oct 2015
      • Lahij Feb 2015
      • Yanar Dag/Ateshgah
      • Petroglyphs/Mud Volcanoes
      • Oguz, Xal Xal: Oct 2014
      • Absheron Park: Sep 2014
      • First 2 Wks Baku: Aug 2014
    • Turkey >
      • Cappidocia Nov 2015
      • Trekking Lycian Way >
        • Overview
        • Kayaköy
        • Ovacik-Faralya
        • Faralya-Alinca
        • Alinca-Gey
        • Gey-Sidyma-Gey
        • Patara Day 1
        • Patara Day 2
        • Patara Day 3
    • USA >
      • Amtrak Cross US Nov 2016
      • Summer 2016 >
        • Vermont 2 Trips
        • Long Island, Connecticut
      • Summer 2015 >
        • OR, WA, IN
        • Long Island, Connecticut
      • 2 Birthdays: Jan/Feb 2015
      • Long Island Winter 2014/15
  • 2011-2014
    • Germany: 2011-2014 >
      • Berlin & Koblenz 2014
      • Year End Summary 2013
      • Romantic RoadOct 2013
      • Jan - May 2013
      • Ahr - Blankenheim Oct 12
      • Aug - Dec 2012
      • Trier, Luxembourg: 2012
      • Nov 2011-March 2012
      • Mainz Frankfurt: Feb 2012
      • Windeck: Oct 2011
      • Eifel Park & Ahr: Oct 2011
      • Vineyard Tour 2011
      • First Impressions
    • France: April 2014
    • Netherlands: May 2013
    • Ireland: July 2013
    • X-Country Motorcycle: 2012
    • Paris: Oct 2012
    • Spain: Oct 2012
    • USA >
      • Summer 2014
      • Motorcycle MA & VT: 2014
      • Mom Memorial: Feb 2014
      • Wedding & Ft Wayne: Feb 2012
      • Greg & Jess Wed: July 2011
      • Summer 2011
  • 2008-2011
    • 2011 Video
    • Xian, Chengdu, Leshan
    • Yang Shou: Apr 2010
    • An Hui Province: Apr 2009
    • Harbin: Jan 2009
    • Singapore: Dec 2008
    • Nanjing: 2008-2011
    • Habitat Humanity: Nov 2008
    • Chinese New Year
    • New Zealand: 2009-2010
    • USA >
      • Road Trip to Florida 2010
      • Motorcycle Trip: 2010
      • Long Island Winter 2009
      • Summer 2009
  • 2006-2008
    • Zambia >
      • Northern Zambia 2006
      • Zambia Travels 1
      • Zambia Travels 2
      • Vic Falls & Chobe: 2007
      • Vic Falls & Chobe Videos
      • Zambia Thoughts
    • South Africa Hiking
    • Kenya & Congo
    • Romania
    • USA >
      • Summer 2008 Book Video
      • Summer 2007 Around USA
  • 2003-2006
    • Hong Kong >
      • HK & Macau: Aug-Dec 2004
      • NY Visitors: Oct 2004
      • Jon's Visit: Aug 2004
      • New Flat: May 2004
      • Spring 2004
      • Butterfly Hike
      • Nov 03 - Jan 04
      • Richard's Visit: Oct 2003
      • Mao Ping: Spring 2004
      • Intro to Hong Kong
    • Guilin Tour: Spring 2004
    • London
    • Northern Thailand
    • Malaysia
    • Mekong Delta Bike Trip
    • North Vietnam
    • USA
  • Cars & Motorbikes
    • Cross US Trip 2012
    • Honda Goldwing GL1800 >
      • Goldwing Details
      • Goldwing Extras
    • BMW K1200GT
    • 1984 Honda V65 Sabre
    • Chang Jiang 750
    • Rocky SX Daihatsu
    • Honda NightHawk 750cc
    • Nutmeg: 1971 Super Beetle
    • Volvo C70 T5
  • Mom & Dad

SUMMER USA 2004

We dubbed this the "Summer of Connections" as we made contact with so many Friends and Family members. Although the camera didn't get out to get pictures of everyone, we enjoyed seeing each and every person.

Our travels took us from Hong Kong to Seattle where jet-lagged we rented a car and drove (for the first time driving since we had left the states 11 months before) directly to a Mexican restaurant (yes - real Mexican food!!) and then up to Bellingham, WA to see Sharon. We really did experience 'culture shock' even after only 1 year out of the states - Americans are BIG people, the statistics about obesity are real, there are so many cars, there is so much open space, so many consumer goods, hey we understand this language, westerners are very outgoing - it took a couple of days until it all became 'normal' again. We meet Lorraine, a former Ross teacher in the Seattle airport - yes it's a small world after all.

We enjoyed beautiful Bellingham and visiting with Sharon and Gabriele for a couple of days. Yikes, beautiful blue skies and such clean, pure air - our lungs loved it!

Off to Phoenix where we visited with Jane, Wendy, Bruce, Nancy and Ian. Enchiladas - yum.

Leaving Phoenix we stopped at Jennifer and Mikes' house and had fun with Jennifer and the kids, ( Collin, Ian, Sydney, Devin) as well as the new pet rat 'Daisy.' Drove to Tucson where we got to stay with Liz & Andy and their 3 bunnies and guide dog - Tildy - in training. A drive out to North West Tucson led us to Dotty, Amanda, Andy and daughter Maddy. Back to central Tucson to see Judy, Linda and Cam.

Back to Phoenix to Jane's house for a few days and then a flight to Long Island.

Mom and Dad meet us at the airport and then back to the Southold house to see Greg and Mike. One day fishing with Greg and then a bus trip up to Milford to the lovely lake house and Chuck, Laura, Jane, Spencer and Uncle Dick. "Cousins Camp" brought lots of visitors from the east coast. We chopped down weeds to retrieve Nutmeg from her storage barn. She started right up and brought us to Liz and Bob's house just north of New York City on the way back to Long Island. We got to sleep in the 'Eyeore Suite' - Liz's daughter has a huge collection of Eyeore's in all shapes, sizes and colors. Back to Southold for Mike's birthday with Mom, Dad, Greg, Mike, Richard, Bob, Darice, Kelly, Mark, Roger, Colleen, Erin and Abbey.

Carol drives down to spend the day and we do lunch at the "Barge", tour the vineyards, and then a lasagne dinner and down to Greenport to play tourist and ride the carousel.

Mike gives Ann a book written by a former classmate, Carl, about growing up in Southold, which makes a great trip down memory lane. Carl is speaking at one of the local vineyards so I went to listen, say hi and had him sign the book. 

Angela, (our adopted daughter teacher friend from Hong Kong) comes to visit for a couple of days. We kayak, bike and actually meet up with one our Hong Kong Academy families who have a home in Sag Harbor. We pop in on Roger and Meredith, our former landlords, and see Reggie's new radio station. Dinner with Jane (a former Ross teacher who is living in our previous lighthouse) was renewing. We connect with Diane, a Ross teacher, and she takes us out to breakfast. Another bike trip to the South Shore enables us to see Dan in his new school and grab a few precious moments with Cathy.

So, the catamaran get launched again, Nutmeg gets a beautiful new interior and dashboard, we get to go biking, and enjoy the beaches of eastern Long Island before we start our run back to the West Coast. Richard accompanies us in Nutmeg to Staten Island where the car stayed until Chuck collected her and took her back to Milford for fall usage and winter storage. We haul our luggage around NYC until the wheel on one of the suitcases breaks and we take a taxi to JFK.

We fly back to Seattle where we meet up with Sharon and Gabriele and collect Jon at the airport. A fabulous Mexican dinner is our last taste of Mexican food for awhile and the next morning allows us enough time for a wonderful walk around the lake and then it's off to the airport with Jon and Sharon to start the marathon journey back to Hong Kong. We fly from Seattle to VanCouver and are not sure if they will let Jon board the plane as there is an arrest warrant out for someone with the exact same name! I guess they decide he doesn't look too dangerous as they do let him board and return his passport to him.

Beautiful Bellingham, Washington. Blue skies, pure, clean air.
Billy and Jane in Phoenix.
Angela kayaking in LI Sound.
Sunset at West Hampton beach.
Frisbees, VW's, and iMac computers!
Greg and his striped bass catch of the day.
Picture perfect setting for Nutmeg - Kenny's Beach Southold.
Ann, Angela, Billy and Nutmeg off for a biking adventure to the South Shore of Long Island.
An acrobatic and VERY persistent squirrel determined to thwart efforts to keep him out of the bird feeder.
Statue of Liberty as seen from the Staten Island ferry.
Seattle park with Mount Rainer in the background.
Jon, Gabriele and Sharon - goodbyes before leaving for Hong Kong.