Thanksgiving Trip - Day 9

We woke up at 0530 and headed to the airport. Our return of the rental car was very easy and we got to the ticket counter around 0645. We checked our bags and then went to wait for our flight. The extra days after Thanksgiving allowed us to enjoy the slower pace of the airport and our flight wasn't full. We ate dinner on the plane and enjoyed the smooth ride to Philadelphia. When we arrived there, we had enough time for a Philly Cheese Steak before we caught our plane to Norfolk. The ride was quick - we even got to Norfolk before they were ready for us... Our bags were fast and our trip home was easy - the kids even went to bed at 2030! Overall, I have to say that the flying this year was the best it has ever been. Even with the problems getting to Vegas on Day 1, we still got where we wanted early or on time every leg. It was a good trip.

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 9

We went home today. On the plane we watched movies and had a sandwich made with turkey and cranberries. We had to stop in Philadelphia - we had pizza and Philly Cheesesteaks for dinner! We got home pretty early. If anyone was to go on a Thanksgiving trip like we did this year, they would have an amazing trip!

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 8

This was our last full day in Vegas, and we had originally planned to visit the Grand Canyon. We had first researched the west side - where the newly built SkyWalk seemed promising. It was only reported to be a 3 hour drive, but upon further snooping it was obvious that the drive was much more complicated. In addition to the fact that there is currently no infrastructure (i.e. dirt roads, no visitor center), the travel blogs and message boards that I found indicated that the $75 price tag was not worth the trouble. It sounds like they are several years off from it being a good visit. We'll try another time. Instead, our family decided to check out some more sights on the Strip. We had brunch at the Flamingo Hotel - with a perfect view of live flamingos and then walked over to Caesar's Palace to see the shops and fountains. We stayed until late in the afternoon and then headed back to the hotel. We had a nice dinner at Joe's Crab Shack and went to bed early...

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 8

We went to the Strip again today. We went to the Flamingo hotel and had brunch. It was really cool - you could see lots of birds and flamingos while you ate. After breakfast we went and walked around on the Strip. We went to Caesar's Palace and saw lots of pretty fountains. We got to go swimming in the pool at the hotel. Our dinner was at Joe's Crab Shack - Mommy's favorite!!

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 7

Nearly everyone had left by this morning, so we didn't wait too long to check out of the J W Marriott hotel (0935). Andy was still here, so we met up and headed out to visit the Hoover Dam. It wasn't a bad drive, although we saw some early signs that the Thanksgiving travelers might make for bad traffic. In any case, we made it down to the dam by around 1100. We decided to take the Power Plant tour. This was a good choice, I think, because we got to go down to see the generators and the kids got to learn about the hydroelectric power generation there. We also walked along the dam - people were driving their cars across it too! The new US-93 bridge is getting built across the Colorado downstream from the dam. It looks just like the New River Gorge bridge [see West Virginia]. Wish it was done already - there would be less traffic. We got some souvenirs and then headed back to Boulder City for lunch at the A&W. The kids (and Andy) were in good spirits. We checked into our hotel in Henderson (the same one we used at the beginning of the trip) and the kids went swimming.  Yes, it was still cold... Meanwhile, I took Andy over to the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign and got him to the airport for his return flight. After a delicious fire burned pizza dinner (from Sammy's), we all went to bed. We need to get back on East Coast Time...

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 7

We had to say good-bye to the rest of the family today - it was sad. But cousin Andy stayed behind to go with us to the Hoover Dam. It was so huge and was so interesting to learn about. It would be fun to go back there someday. We went to lunch at the A&W - that was fun because they have good food. Everything about this trip was awsome!

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 6

Nicky, the kids and I decided to go back to the strip this morning. It ended up being a pretty good idea, too. We parked in the Venetian garage and wandered through the Canal Shops. We also took a Gondola ride (departed at 1130). I knew that this would be Nicky's favorite place - you can stand in Piazza di San Marco and it feels like you are outside at dusk in Venice. There are street performers and lots of Italian restaurants. Our lunch consisted of a series of cheeses and meats from Italy, completed with great bread. We finished with some real gelato and an interesting custard pastry. We had spent about three hours there and decided to head out of town, since the crowds were getting much bigger. On Mary's recommendation, we drove over to the Ethel M. factory. It wasn't operating today, but we were able to sample chocolates made by the Mars company there. There was an M&M World attached with lots of funny souvenirs for the kids. Mollie and I toured a cactus garden - it had some from all around the world. We drove up to Nellis to look for souvenirs and then headed back to the hotel. Lots of people in our group were getting ready to leave today, so the kids were very upset. Lots of crying led us to take them back to the room rather early...

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 6

Daddy took us the the Venetian Hotel today. There were cool gondolas in there and a nice mall. We rode on the gondolas and a man sang to us. It felt like we were really in Italy! Our lunch was cheese and meat - some was good. We heard about a chocolate factory (mmm...) so we went to M&M World. It was interesting to see the chocolate machines and get free samples. We heard that Notre Dame won their game (Yaaaah!!). Then we went to Megan and Erin's room to talk and watch TV. Later we went to cousin Bonnie's room for more talking and hot chocolate. We talked and talked and talked until our cousins had to leave. It was very sad to see them go - but we will see them again next year.

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 5

The only plans we had this morning was to get the twins off for a shopping trip with their cousins. Elizabeth has been nice enough to host the event for a few years (in addition to her Thanksgiving crafts sessions!) and the kids like walking through the malls with her. Mollie, Nicky, Kelly, Collin and Karys decided to check out the nearby Red Rock Canyon. It was only a short drive to the Park entrance. The kids all did a Junior Ranger workbook and then we drove the 13 mile scenic drive through the beautiful red sandstone canyons. We got out to touch the rocks and look for wildlife and cactuses, but the wind up there was very strong today and it had a cold bite to it. A few hours later, after a quick lunch, we headed to the Strip. After picking up Erin and Brenna, we went to the MGM Grand to see the lion show. The kids liked that. Nicky and Kelly decided to head to the Mirage, but I took Erin and Brenna over to the Luxor to see the interesting artwork and Egyptian style architecture. I think they were impressed. We even took a tour of a recreation of King Tut's tomb (1640) - that was unexpected. After riding on the tram and looking in the Excalibur and New York New York, we moved the car over to the Flamingo and started to look for Nicky... About another hour later, we finally met up in front of the Bellagio. The kids and I had been able to see a little of Caesar's Palace and the inside of the Bellagio, but Nicky and Kelly were ready to head back to the J W. On the way, we had a nice dinner at an Italian place called "Mama Jo's." Too much to eat... The evening finished with a little more visiting in Bonnie's room.

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 5

Today we went shopping with our cousins (Megan, Erin, Elizabeth, Kevin). We went to the Mirage, Treasure Island, the mall and New York-New York. It was fun to go shopping and do all kinds of fun stuff with them. This was one of the best days with our cousins EVER!!!

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 4

We got up early for breakfast and then met everyone in the room again. The wine we had brought from Temecula was a big hit and kept everyone busy until the 1300 family photo and 1330 dinner. In our holiday finery, we proceeded (all 50 of us) to the Irish Pub for Thanksgiving dinner. The ham and turkey, along with the many other sides, made for a very memorable meal - especially with the Murphy's Stout. Everyone was in good spirits and we had the whole place to ourselves. We visited in Bonnie's room again for many more hours. After a short look off her balcony - with a view from Nellis to Henderson - we retired for the night.

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 4

Today was Thanksgiving! We took family pictures and ate dinner in an Irish Pub. It was delicious food! We made crafts with cousin Elizabeth, too.

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 3

We woke up kind of early again and went down to the pool for a swim. It had been warm the first few days, but now there was a chill in the air. The kids used the pool, but most of us hid in the hot-tub. We went up to the room just in time for check-out. Mary and Leo took us over to the next stop - the J W Marriott in Summerlin. It was very nice to get to our intended destination. After checking into our room [at 1015], we spent a few hours relaxing in the room and then ventured out to see what the place had to offer. We found most of our relatives enjoying a late lunch at the Irish Pub. Later, we visited the beginnings of the Thanksgiving crowd at Bonnie's room. Dinner was at the Hotel's Casino buffet restaurant with John, Ann & the kids. We waited until everyone had arrived in our party and then went to bed.

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 3

We woke up early and went swimming at the pool with our cousins Shannon and Sean. It was really cold! We tried the hot-tub - that was better. After that we went to another hotel and saw our whole family. We really loved this day - hanging out with family. This was the best day of the whole trip!

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 2

We woke up pretty early, actually, because of the three hour time difference. After I went over to the airport to pick up our rental car, we started on the road to Death Valley. We had no traffic and enjoyed the smooth, straight road (US-95) until we came to the turnoff for the park. Then we started to see a little more traffic. After we had been driving for about 2.5 hours, we entered the Park on the California side. The whole family was amazed at the interesting - and colorful - rock formations. It took awhile, but we finally arrived at the Furnace Creek Visitors Center. The kids did another Junior Ranger book and got another pin... We then ventured out on one of the recommended drives - down to Badwater and the beautiful salt flats. We walked out on an ocean of white and looked up at rocks towering above us - we were around 300 feet below Sea Level. We visited the Devil's Golf Course and hiked up to the Natural Bridge. Nicky and the kids were spooked by a monster that jumped out at them (he-he-he)! The highlight of this part of the trip was the Artist's Pallette - Mollie called it the "Sherbert Mountain." Before I came here, I would never have dreamed that it could have been so inspiring a place. We left the lowest part of the valley with a real appreciation for the beauty of the desert. We had a nice (late) chili lunch after that. At the end of the day, we stopped by the huge field of sand-dunes and drove through a ghost town. The sun sets here very early (1630 because of the mountains), so we drove home in the dark. We then drove down to the Vegas Strip to meet our cousins Mary and Leo. They had a time-share that they graciously allowed us to use with them. Dinner was at Margaritaville (at the Flamingo) - we went to bed late (tired!!!).

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 2

Today we went to Death Valley. It was amazingly beautiful. We did some hiking up canyons and saw the "sherbert mountains." After we got back from the park we went to stay at our cousins' (Shannon and Sean) time share. We went out to dinner at a fun restaurant.

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 1

We left for the airport around 1600 and soon found that our flight through Philadelphia had been delayed. Luckily, the airline had another flight that went through Charlotte. We even got our bags transferred... We arrived in Las Vegas early - and saw some of the amazing lights of the city. The kids were sleeping most of the trip, but they woke up for the landing at 2200. We got a quick cab ride to our hotel in Henderson and went straight to bed. It was a great trip - much better than we expected this morning.

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 1

We left in the evening to go to Las Vegas! The flight seemed to take forever. It was fun to look at the lights when we landed tonight!

Topeka, KS (USA)

[departed from Forbes Field (Topeka) after midnight and flew back to Virginia Beach with our airlift - arrived in the middle of the night]

Topeka, KS (USA)

This morning, I explored near our hotel (El Cordova) on Orange Avenue. I noticed some great restaurants - will have to try some of them someday...  The weather was good and I enjoyed the beach breezes for a few hours before getting together with my friend Kelly and her husband Doug for lunch at the Rhinoceros Cafe. With the Hotel Del nearby, Coronado is a place I would recommend to everyone!  After checking out of the hotel and meeting up with the rest of my crew, we headed to the aircraft.  We departed from NAS North Island late in the afternoon (flying with Thor).  We stopped (for fuel) at Forbes Field in Topeka.  Luckily, they had the kitchen open (we landed at around 2300, just as the field was closing). I have used this airport many times and it is always nice to return for the great Bar-B-Q!  The airport treats us really well and it is a fast stop. I wish I had more time to drive a few miles east to Kansas City - sounds like the food gets even better over there... Still fueling our aircraft at midnight.

Temecula, CA (USA)

Mission to San Diego!  Took off from Virginia Beach at 0800 and arrived in California around 1100L. Unlike most trips I've done to North Island, we had trouble with the rental car because they weren't expecting our early arrival... Once that was all sorted out, I had enough time to take my co-pilot (Thor) up to Temecula for the afternoon to visit some winery's. At the Wilson Creek Winery (my family's favorite), we got free wine tasting and a good discount for the famous Almond Champagne they have. Thor and I enjoyed ourselves there for a few hours and then drove over to see my cousin, John, and his family. They recently moved to the town and survived the fires. From their house, they had a great view of the surrounding countryside. On the way home, we got rear ended on I-15... Oh well, it is a rental!  Once we were back in Coronado, we ate dinner (at Miguel's) with Thor and three of his friends from a previous job. Great margaritas all night!  Afterwards, checked into the El Cordova Hotel on Orange Avenue.  Bed late.

Little Rock, AR (USA)

[flew with Thor - Virginia Beach to Keesler to Little Rock AFB (dodged Hercs!!!) - to McDill to Virginia Beach]