And they're off!

My parents are off again on another amazing journey... a 16-day viking passage with the following itinerary.

Set Sail:  Tuesday
Wednesday - at sea
Thursday - Stavanger,, Norway
Friday - Bergen, Norway
Saturday and Sunday - at sea
Monday - Reykjavik, Iceland  overnight and leave there Tuesday
Wednesday - at sea
Thursday -  Cruising Prince Christian Sound
Friday -  Nanortalik, Greenland / Cruising Julianehabsfjord
Saturday - at sea
Sunday -  St. John's, Newfoundland
Monday -  at sea
Tuesday -  Halifax, Nova Scotia
Wednesday - at sea
Thursday - NYC  Arrival

And they're off...

My parents each traveled with their besties this past week.

Dad was off to Maine for his annual week of volunteer work at some railroad up there. He goes every year with his friend M and M's brother. They usually complete several small or a couple large projects while they are there... Re-roofing a caboose, for example.

Mom was off to New Orleans with her friend K. They also take an annual trip, usually while my Dad is in Maine. Previous trips have included Puerto Rico and Las Vegas. It sounds like they ate and drank their way through NOLA and had a great time in the process. They were unable to do as much walking as they liked as Mom is currently hindered by plantar fasciitis and K is preparing to undergo hip replacement surgery soon. But it sounds like they still did some very cool "riding" tours.

They may actually be home for a few days or weeks before they take off in their retirement mobile again... 

And they're off!

Mom and Dad are off on another "camping" adventure in the retirement-mobile... Gettysburg. Don't know what is on their agenda for this week, other than catching up with some friends they haven't seen in awhile, but I'll bet they will finally get some use out of that fireplace this week. ;-P

And they're off...

My parents left late last week for another amazing trip... this one is in early celebration of Mom's 70th birthday and is a Baltic cruise. They started in London and were to spend yesterday in Belgium. Tomorrow will see them in Germany (Berlin) before they move on to Finland, Russia, Estonia, Sweden, and Denmark, before heading back to London.

We got email from Mom from their hotel in London, so I know they arrived safely and were having a good time up until the time they boarded the cruise ship. I presume they are still having a great time! :)

And they're off...

Keeper Boy left yesterday for his five weeks in Hawaii. He made it safely, and met up with Uncle Hooter outside the airport. He got "home" to a house of excited cousins...and I'm sure he slept well last night after a 10-hour flight!

And they're off...

My parents, my aunt and uncle, and my cousin are off on yet another Alaskan adventure. They left on Wednesday and will be gone until 6/29. I got a call from Chicago when they were en route, and I've seen photos (from my cousin who is traveling with them) from their tour of Mt. Ranier yesterday, so I know they arrived in Seattle safely. They are boarding the cruise ship today.

Their travels this time will take them to Kodiak Island and Homer -- two places they've never been in all of their trips up there.

And they're off...

A little belated as she's already been there and back, but Gma G headed to Hawaii at the beginning of  the month -- her last trip there while Uncle Hooter, Jenrie, and the kids are living there. She loves Hawaii and she loves seeing the kids, but she HATES that trip! With good reason... something always happens either their or back, or both. This time, she got stuck in LA for six hours and it ended up taking her about 24 hours to get there. Oy!

But she got there. She had a great time. And she's safely home. No more trips to Hawaii for her.

And they're off...

Well, they've been off for a few weeks...

Mom and Dad successfully departed from Dulles on January 28 despite all the snow we'd had just prior. In fact, their car was, until late last week, parked in our neighbor's driveway because there were mounds of snow on the street in front of our house.

We heard from them on February 4, when they were in Honolulu. They called to wish Keeper Boy a happy entrance into his teenage years, and reported that they were having a great time. Mom was sick on Day 2 as apparently the seas were rough, but had been fine since.

I heard from them again on February 6 when they had apparently been able to access their email successfully for the first time. I haven't heard from them since.

In following along on their itinerary, I believe they are in Auckland, New Zealand today and will arrive in Sydney, Australia on Monday. So awesome!

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In other travel news, we booked our airfare to Hawaii for this summer! Woo hoo!

And they're off!

Tomorrow morning (weather and flight permitting), my parents are off on the trip of a lifetime... a trip chosen by my dad in celebration of his 70th birthday. They will fly to Los Angeles tomorrow and board a Cunard cruise ship on Saturday to set sail on a leg of Cunard's around the world cruise. Seriously!!

Their intinerary will take them to La Haina and Honolulu, Hawaii, across the International Dateline (where they will lose a day), to Samoa, the Bay of Isles, Auckland, Wellington, and, finally, Syndney, Australia. Once in Australia, they will spend almost another two weeks there. Dad is going to do a bridge climb on the Sydney Harbor Bridge!! On their flight back, they cross the International Dateline again and have a "do-over" on a day. Guess that makes up for the day they lose going.

It really is an amazing trip... as long as they can get out of here and to LA before the ship leaves on Saturday...

And they're off...

Tomorrow my parents are off again... heading to my aunt and uncle's house. From there, Dad will travel north with my uncle and cousin for their annual hunting trip along the Canadian border. And Mom will have a week of sister time with my aunt. Who knows what sort of trouble they'll get into... one year they FILLED the back of my mom's CRV shopping!! That's my kind of trouble!

And they're off...

Actually, they left last Thursday...

Less than a week after getting home from Alaska (or just about a week, I guess), Mom and Dad left for England/Scotland/Wales. I believe it's a ten-day trip. Once they get back they will stay put for a little while. Well, at least stay fairly local... Dad has his hunting trip to Maine, and Mom has her trip to hang with my aunt (her sister).

No worrying about how much their luggage weighs or making sure they have the correct currency for those trips. :)

And they're off...

Mom and Dad are headed to a hotel by the airport tonight for an early morning flight bound for Alaska. Third time in five years, I think. Maybe third time in four years. This time they are doing a two-week re-positioning cruise leaving from Vancouver, going up to Ketchikan, Alaska and then back south to San Diego, CA. Once they get off the ship, they are hanging out for a few days and getting together with my mom's cousin and my dad's great uncle (who shares my dad's name), who both live in CA. Or maybe they're getting together with my dad's cousin and his family. I don't remember. Either way, they're taking a cool trip and seeing family they haven't seen in eons!

And they're off...

Gma G is on her way here for her "baby's" 40th birthday. She'll be here through Tuesday morning, and there is much excitement in our household as it's been awhile since the boys have seen Grandma. :)

And they're off!

My parents are coming tonight for the weekend. They will attend Keeper Boy's 6th Grade Promotion Ceremony with us tomorrow, J-Mav's last baseball game of the season on Saturday, and J-Mav's birthday party on Saturday evening. And I'll get to see my dad on Father's Day for the first time in quite awhile. :)

And they're off...

Well, just one this time. My dad is off on his annual trek to Maine with his friend and his friend's brother to volunteer at some railroad that has steam trains. They left earlier this week, and I think they actually might be going home tomorrow or Friday. This is the third or fourth year they've done the trip. Cool road trip for a bunch of train enthusiasts. :)

And they're off...

My mom and dad are off to the DC area for most of the week with their good friends (neighbors). They're staying at a campground in MD, but it has a shuttle to Metro for easy access to downtown. Don't know what all they'll end up doing, but I gave them lots of suggestions. Hopefully they'll get to see the beautiful cherry blossoms before they're gone...

And they're off...

Gma G is on her way here for a week!

And they're off...

Gma G is off to Hawaii for two weeks to meet her newest grandbaby... a GIRL!

And they're off...

A new category to keep track of my parents (M&D) and my mother-in-law (Gma G) as they travel. :-) I should've started this over the summer!

M&D left bright and early this morning for a quick trip north. (Aren't you supposed to go SOUTH when it starts getting cold?!) It involves a motor coach, some trains, and a river cruise. They'll be back on Sunday sometime.

In recent travel news, Gma G just returned from an annual overnight trip to Frankenmuth, MI with her girlfriends. She's now back at work. And M&D spent four or five days last week at a cabin in Southern Virginia, and 9/20 - 10/4 traveling (Savannah, GA, Charleston, SC, and Ashville, NC). Once they return from (snowy) New England on Sunday, they'll be home for four whole days before they head down here for their first visit since the spring. They'll stay with us for a few days and then head out to my brother's house for a few days.