Jeff and Sharon's Travel Blog

We slept in this morning. Sharon had suggested we visit the Mojave Desert Lava Tube and a Sand Dune. But both of which were difficult to get to. So we slept in until about 8AM.

The manager of the hotel was cooking breakfast including eggs and omelettes. The hotel breakfast room was small and crowded and Sharon convinced me that we should skip breakfast and eat our sweet rolls in the room. There must have been a misunderstanding with the manger who said he was waiting on me to place my egg order as we were packing up. Technically the breakfast ended at 8:45AM and I figured if we weren’t there it was a sign we weren’t coming. I said I was sorry. Later on we gave our keycard to the maid (who offered to take it) so there wouldn’t be an awkward conversation with the manager about the missed breakfast.

We drove a good two hours to 29 Palms. Along the

Morning broke at our B&B in Parhump. We seemed well rested to take on the day. After getting gas and ice at the local Maverick gas station we set off to our first stop – the Armagossa Opera House and Hotel.

The Armagossa Opera House and Hotel was the cummulation of an eccentric lady’s wish…that is…to build a theatre in the middle of nowhere. It’s an hour’s drive from Parhump. Looked abandoned with paint pealing everywhere. An unwelcoming sign stating “No Public Restrooms – Don’t Ask” was displayed in the window of the hotel office. Previously I had told Sharon that we HAVE to stay here. But now I’m glad we didn’t. Seemed unusual, if not haunting. Plenty of YouTube vloggers had ventured here making it somewhat of a anomoly in sea of casino hotels just hours away. What *if* we had stayed there? If there was an emergency, then the nearest town, Parhump, was an hour’s drive away. Taking that risk for the

It was the day after Christmas in Las Vegas and I’m certain some lonely individuals spent the entire Christmas Day and into the night playing slot machines. As sad it sounds, it’s probably true.

After checking out of the hotel we drove to the famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. As expected there was a line for photos….and an Elvis impersonator who probably would have posed with you for a fee. Instead of waiting in line we posed just right off the side and got our selfie.

Next it was onto Seven Magic Mountains, an art installation south of Las Vegas. After a brief drive on a road parallel to the interstate we saw the color stacks of rocks on the horizon. Plenty of people had heard about this and were doing poses around said installation. I had to select my photos carefully cropping out people. These rocks are supposed to be taken down in

When we planned this trip way back in July 2021 I had wondered what was it gonna be like to travel on Christmas Day. After doing some research I discovered that Christmas Day is one of the lighter travel days of the year. And sure enough the lines at BNA were short, but the flight *seemed* full. The annoying problem in front of us were some entitled people who wouldn’t wear their masks over their nose. I really wish Southwest would have enforced the mask policy. But it seems that it is so late in this pandemic that we’re all suffering from pandemic fatigue.

4 and a half hours in the air is just about as much time as I want to stay flying right now, especially with the lights turned on. My wife Sharon said that her leg room was much better compared to the configuration of the Frontier flight of 2019. We won’t be going back with Frontier.

We were able

The labor shortage is alive and well in New Hampshire as we tried to eat breakfast at the Littleton Diner, but it was closed due to the labor shortage. We ended up eating at McDonald’s. While getting gas I managed to spill gas on my jeans (blaming it on the stream not cutting off automatically. So I had to change my jeans in the gas station restroom.

The Old Man of the Mountain was a stone outcropping on a New Hampshire mountain. It had the appearance of a profile of an old man, but sadly it collapsed in 2003. The view point shows where it once was.

Afterwards we drove through the Kancamagus Highway through some beautiful scenic views. And it seems that everyone else was there too as the parking lots were crowded (on a Thursday). We were fighting for parking spaces much of the time. We managed to get some view views of the river gorge.

Behind the high school with the Seahorse as a mascot is a beach park connected to Lake Champlain. You could tell they were getting ready for winter as the picnic tables were stacked under a pavilion. Out in the water a sailboat glided along the water. The beach was likely an artificial one. Nearby the remnants of a fire sat. This place probably was popular among locals durin the summer. However the onset of fall with he brutal cold of the winter was foreboding.

Next was on to Stowe by way of Smugglers Notch. And the word for the day was crowded. We were “leave peepers,” or so the Days Inn sign said. We are in the peak season of this area of Vermont, with the fall colors bursting forth. And it seemed that everyone else was out too.

Next was Stowe and traffic jams. But this was the postcard town you see on Vermont travel brochures. I missed a turn

I think Lakeview Orchard served a dual purpose. Apple orchard and tourist attraction. I’m not a big apple fan (my mom would argue with me stating I *used* to eat apple sauce as a small child.

There is a difference between what I like to photograph vs. what Sharon likes to photograph. At the orchard, I found myself photographing old run down orchard trucks, while Sharon photographed mums and other flowers. At the shop we found a type of apple twice as large as a regular apple. We bought several apples, donuts and apple cider.

Next was on to the highest point in Massachusetts. A foggy drive with foggy views with an occasional stop to let hikers cross the road.

Afterwards it was on to Vermont. I am glad to say that this 4Runner did not require a refill throughout Massachusetts. Instead just over th

First off I feel as though I should apologize for prejudging West Springfield Church of Christ. When we entered we saw a drum set in the back. We weren’t sure what to think, but did make a pact to leave should they break out the drumpset. Throughout the first part of the service I sat wondering if we’d have to embarrass ourselves by leaving. But they didn’t get out the drumset. The service was like any other service, only that the preacher was doing the entire service sans the closing prayer. Acapella singing was pre-recorded and I wasn’t sure if anyone else but me was singing.

We surmised the drums set must be part of a shared building with another denomination. I felt bad about misjudging the entire time. Also later in the day I thought about how incredibly blessed I am to be part of a strong church…..a church where things are taken care of. At West Springfield the preacher was doing everything. I

It had been 1.5 years since we had flown right before the pandemic in March 2020. We had gone one mini vacations since then, that is weekend road trips to Springfield, IL, St. Louis, and West Virginia….if only we had said we had gone somewhere. This time it was a big trip with low risk. New England for the most part had a heavy vaccination rate. That coupled with my wife and my vaccination status we felt safe. Sharon’s family – 2 sisters and mother were joining us. They had little experience flying so it was my job to be the Moses of the group leading them to the promised land of attractions and hotels each day.

Nashville’s airport had changed since I had been there. Gone was much of the iconic carpet. There were new security areas leading to specific terminals. Only 2 restaurants where there – a sushi place – and an overpriced bar. We decided to skip the meal in hopes of finding mana in Boston.