Some of the Veterans were “brothers” since high school. Others served during Vietnam but got to know each other later— through their volunteer work with the prideful Patriot Guard, who provide a motorcycle brigade escort during a veteran’s funeral. On one beautiful spring day in Washington, D.C. these veterans shared their memories with comrades who know best of the sacrifices made years before. Having returned from Washington, D.C., on my second of such trips, I’m full of gratitude and pride for our Veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. A non-profit organization, Alabama Freedom Flight, provided a day …
Jimmy Buffett’s 1974 A1A album cover photo said it all — with his surfer-dude look, sitting under a palm tree. If the Baby Boomers had not already taken a road trip to the Florida Keys on the famous highway, this album cover was surely the inspiration to travel to a laid back paradise. My first trek South on Florida Highway A1A was as a college student in a Miata convertible with very little money, a two-man tent and sleeping bags in the tiny trunk. In the ’70s, we didn’t even need reservations in campgrounds, and hardly anyone referred to us as …
Savoring the simple pleasures of a new place or a new experience is what I love most about traveling. After spending seven days on a Mediterranean cruise where we had inundated our senses in seven cities on a non-stop schedule, we were back in Barcelona for two days before returning to the U.S.– whew! TIP YOUR WAITER On our last evening, we dined at our favorite Barcelona “side-street” restaurant, enjoyed a scrumptious dinner, and a little more to drink than usual. After all, the half-liter of Sangria was the best value. We had intentionally used the last of our …
When I was six years old, we were awakened in the wee morning hours one summer night to the sound of car horns blowing and people yelling from their car windows — “jubilee.” Fairhope was awake and everyone was headed to the bay. I thought it was a dream. The Fairhope, Alabama area on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay is one of two places in the world that experiences a natural phenomenon known as a “jubilee.” Due to unusual atmospheric conditions and a reduction in oxygen levels in the water, bottom-type fish and crustaceans are forced towards the shore into shallow water. …