GIVING THANKS

PARTY IN MONTGOMERY

Much of this blog has been about far away destinations, though that is not the original concept. Begun in 2009 this humble traveling scribe set out to find the exotic hidden jewels around the corner, not half way across the continent or the globe. Yet, in the 10 years I’ve been keeping this travel ledger your favorite cheap-ass moocher, along with my comely wife, the Rear Admiral Lower Half of the Flagship VFH, Janet Lee, we have traveled to quite a few far off destinations. We are regulars in certain pubs in Nantwich, England. We’ve crossed the Pennines, hiked the medieval walls of York and Chester. We have witnessed the height of the Protestant marching season in Liverpool. We have gone on pub crawls in Bruges and Brussels, albeit short ones… We have watched the sun cast warm glows on the Rockies while in Colorado. We have gotten lost in the hill country of Texas and the backwater Cajun country in Louisiana where we’ve eaten every critter known to God. We have visited barrier islands in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. We rented a catamaran and a captain to ply the Chesapeake Bay on a frivolous celebration of my birthday. We have stared into Kilauea, hurtled down the steep slopes of Haleakala on bikes, hiked the rim of Diamond Head and dodged sea turtles on a green sand beach at South Point.

Doesn’t sound much like a bunch of cheap thrills at all does it?

Mind you, faithful readers, we have never completely abandoned our cheap ways throughout this past decade. Yeah, we spend money sometimes, but we’ve also “inspired” friends to invite us on vacations or given us unfettered access to their pools, or into their homes for impromptu parties where they gleefully fling open their well-stocked refrigerators brimming with sundries and beer, absolutely delighted that we have graced their hearth with our humble presence.

Yes, we are humble that so many people want to be near us, to bask in our glowing persona, and we trust the invites will forever keep our calendar filled. We are thankful for the kindness and love we are shown every day, so please don’t fret if we cannot pencil you in just yet. Your time will come soon.

Seriously, Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Hug those close to you, reach out to those who may be missing you. Just a phone call can transform what may be a difficult time of year for some into a happy memory.

Love Janet and greg.