Monday, December 31, 2012

Whoosh! November and December fly by!


When I last posted, our bags were packed and we were about to set off for Australia.  What a trip we had!  Melbourne, Dandenongs, Great Ocean Road, Cairns, Cape Tribulation, Port Douglas, total eclipse!, Sydney.  All fantastic!  Far too many tales to tell, but perhaps a few photos will give a taste of our adventures.

A few of the many surprises of Melbourne:
the Melbourne library (State Library of Victoria) reading room (looking down and looking up),
the Yarra River so full of activity,  the architectural mix of old and new and oh-so-unique,
brilliantly colored birds everywhere, and some of the best signs I've ever seen!










From Melbourne we went on to the hills, forests and gardens of the Dandenongs.  Delightful!
National Rhododendron Gardens, Olinda, Australia




 Next up: the Great Ocean Road!  "Great" doesn't even come close to describing this magnificent journey along the Great Southern Ocean.  We saw everything from lawn bowling to kangaroos and  koalas to penguins to spectacular ocean views - not to mention the spaghetti jaffle for breakfast (not quite as tasty as most of the food we had been enjoying - like pumpkin pinenut feta salad - but so out of the ordinary that Lysa and I just had to try it) and the continued spottings of humorous signs.   Marvelous!


Mort, Kendall, Lysa, and me at the Twelve Apostles - awaiting dusk and returning penguins










After our tour of Victoria we flew to Queensland where wonders abounded.  Rain forest!  Great Barrier Reef!  Crawling critters!  Swimming critters!  Flying critters!  And last but oh-so-far from least, the total solar eclipse.  If you ever ever get a chance to put yourself in the path of a total eclipse of the sun, DO IT!!!!!  And, of course, more marvelous food (tropical ice cream!  yum!) and eye-catching signs.

 

Spider at Cairns Botanical Garden
3-meter Croc in river near Cairns

Flying Foxes - lots & lots of flying foxes in trees in Cairns (then they all fly off at dusk)

In awe of the Total Solar Eclipse (me, Lysa, Mort, near Mount Malloy, Queensland, Australia)
 







The ocean!!!  Happy! Happy! Happy!

Our Australian Adventure concluded with a few days in Sydney - and delightful surprises continued!  Fantastic museums, free historical tours, and a whale sighting!!!!!

"The Rocks" area of Sydney - where the convicts first arrived
Sydney already prepping for Christmas



Whale sighting! Off Manly Beach

Australia, you were very very good to us!





Sampling pavlova in Sydney, after another marvelous day


 Can you stand more?   2012 adventures continued beyond Australia with:

Thanksgiving! with both boys and Corinne joining in the celebration.



An early December trip to Michigan to visit mom in Petoskey.


 And a Boulder Christmas!
Paul's Christmas tree (he got the top, we got the bottom)



And one of the major highlights of 2012 - Taz puppy! 
Adopted one year ago.  We are a lucky family!













Saturday, October 27, 2012

The bags are packed!

Today, Boulder on a crisp autumn day.

Tomorrow (or will it be Monday?!), Melbourne!

...followed by the Dandenong Mountains, the Great Ocean Road,  Cairns, Cape Tribulation, Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest, Port Douglas, total eclipse of the sun!, and Sydney.
...then back in Boulder in time for Thanksgiving.  Weehaww!



Sunday, October 14, 2012

Broadway!

This past spring, Kendall and I had the good fortune to hear about a behind-the-scenes Broadway Tour that the head of Boulder's Dinner Theatre would be leading this fall.  We quickly signed up figuring it would be fabulous way to celebrate both Kendall's retirement and our 37th wedding anniversary.  And indeed it was!

Thirty-four hearty individuals of all ages and shapes set off for Broadway from Boulder and spent a whirlwind 5 days and 4 nights experiencing the sights and sounds of New York City.  A note to those of you who have wondered about touring with a group.  We had our concerns about the number of activities and shows packed into a few days, as well as the dynamics of touring with so many people.  It was great!  We would never have planned four shows and daily sight-seeing tours on our own, figuring it would be too much.  Not so!  Seeing a show a night was fabulous (Peter and the Star Catchers, Chaplin, Nice Work If You Can Get It, and Once - each stellar in their own way), and the daily tours had plenty of on-our-own time built in around them for chillin' or cruising or whatever we felt like doing.  And knowing almost 3 dozen people meant that we were often running into people we knew - right in the heart of The City!  The tour definitely let us stretch our wings soar through a delightfully unique NYC experience!

Some highlights:
Times Square on video image - Kendall and I are in upper left!

Broadway Billboards


 

 

Fabulous Art and Architecture!

 


Atlas at the Rockefeller Center

Washington Square Arch (underside)

Grand Central Station
Skyscrapers reflected in skyscrapers

 

 

 

 

George Washington Crossing the Delaware.  HUGE! (Approx 12.5 feet x 21 feet!!!)

 



Wonderful Food!

Cafe Regio - home of the 1st USA cappucino
Kendall sampling Joe's Pizza, Greenwich Village

Vegetable garden atop a van in Greenwich Village
Fresh food Market in Grand Central Station



Kendall and Kersti (our family guide for the day) sipping cider at Union Square Farmer's Market

New York City - and the Great Outdoors!


Walking the street of New York City - a fine way to spend the day!



Central Park, at a dry moment - and Central Park whilst running in a downpour (many volunteer rivers!)



Walking the HighLine Park (former elevated railway) with Kersti - and running into tour friends


Strolling across the Brooklyn Bridge with Kersti (and hundreds of other New Yorkers out & about for the day)


The Carousel!



We Remember








New York! New York!