Blog

D-Day/The Day

September 3, 2022

June 6, 1944. Most people, when they hear the words “D-Day” are quick to note that D-Day was the day of an important battle of World War II. But those who have a special interest in World War II, and those who had a father, or grandfather, or uncle who was “there” on D-Day, and…

Read more

Charles Norman Shay

July 22, 2022

On Omaha Beach, at Saint Lauren sur Mer, France, a turtle-shaped memorial honors the 175 Native Americans who participated in the D-Day invasion. It is dedicated to Master Sgt. Charles Normand Shay, a much decorated veteran of both World War II and Korea. He was a teenager when he served as platoon medic for Fox…

Read more

Galleria Borghese: Why Travel?

October 18, 2019

Why travel? Why spend a week or two or three plus your hard-earned dollars —to see, well, whatever you choose to see? Last year Mr. Penfire and I spent three weeks in Italy. Those weeks were filled with new experiences, excursions we had planned and unexpected surprises—a few wrong turns, a couple of mishaps, and…

Read more

It was a good hop!

August 19, 2019

Day Seven: (Part Two) The City of Morro Bay web site summarizes the facts: Morro Rock is a State Historic Landmark. It is the most visible of 9 similar peaks—the Nine Sisters—which stretch from San Luis Obispo to Morro Bay, formed about 23 million years ago from the plugs (whatever they are) of long-extinct volcanoes….

Read more

Elephant Seals. No one would call them “cute”

August 18, 2019

It’s taken me two years plus to…finally…write about the seven-day California Road Trip Mr. Penfire and I took with our great friends, Joan and Dave. Thanks for following along. Who knows were I might decide to travel back to next! Day Seven (Part One): Our last morning “on the road.” After breakfast it was up…

Read more

Around (instead of “Along”) the Coast

August 15, 2019

Day Five (Part two) – Carmel to Cambria with a Slight Detour I had promised Joan Coastal Redwoods and by golly we were going to find some. (Yes. Yes. We had seen countless giant sequoias, biggest trees on the planet. But Joan wanted to see the tallest. These are two very different species; and the…

Read more

It’s a long way… across California

August 13, 2019

Day Four – Drive to Carmel by the Sea. Yep! It’s along way across the San Joaquin Valley. 200+ miles. But time goes quickly when you’re in a car with good friends, and it’s especially helpful when the route is pretty straightforward. It’s definitely an eye-opener for New Englanders whose entire state is about the…

Read more

Yosemite

August 11, 2019

And so, I continue the saga of the seven-day California Road Trip Mr. Penfire and I took with our friend Joan and Dave…and track the chain of events that converted my the three sheets of paper I started out with…to 3 1/2 pounds of books, booklets, brochures, newsletters, maps, and information sheets. Day Three: We…

Read more

Sequoia Serendipity

August 10, 2019

We started out with just three sheets of paper printed out from my computer: California Road Trip Itinerary listing all our various reservations for lodging, restaurants, and tours, a map of Carmel by the Sea, showing the location of our hotel there, and a map of Yosemite Valley. How then did I return home with…

Read more