From Our Travelers in Mexico

(Note to our snowbirds from Karen L:  Cathy K., Jody, Karen B. and Susan have gone to Mexico for 3 weeks of intensive Spanish language classes.  They arrived last Sunday and each is living with a host family.  I expect they will see and do lots of cool things.  I will continue to forward messages as I hear from them.) 

***

Here is Karen's forwarded message from Jody: 

The four of us went to a cooperative of women from original people (they prefer original to indigenous). We shared a taxi and went over winding roads to Chixilton. The women expected us so I am very glad we went. We all bought beautiful things, which we can show off in September. The taxi driver took a bunch of pictures of us with Claudia, who was our host and translator. We are all getting as much Spanish as our brains will hold. Miss you all. 

Jody

Cathy's Lake View in Michigan

Cathy Goes to Puerto Rico

Arts and crafts fair

A single day's collection of shells and sea glass

More Photos From the Travelers to Mexico

Waiting for the train in Divisidero

On the train

Cathy Sends Greetings From Puerto Rico

Cathy's comment on Puerto Rico: "We are off to the Camuey Caves, Aricibo radio telescope, and the beach today.  Beautiful, beautiful!!!"

Knitting Friends in Mexico

Photos from Cathy K.

Waiting for the train from Divisadero to El Fuerte. Note that knitting is happening.

Eating well!

Scenes from Becky's Vacation

Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, Virginia

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Susan is Writing About Big Bend

Susan and Karen B. will be traveling soon on a guided trip to Big Bend National Park in West Texas. According to the park's reservation page:

This United States national park is home to more than 1,200 species of plants, more than 450 species of birds, 75 species of mammals and 56 species of reptiles. Big Bend is named after a stretch of 118 or so miles of Rio Grande river, one part of which forms a large bend in the river at the Texas-Mexico border. The park, which covers over 801,000 acres, is the site of a variety of Cretaceous and Cenozoic fossils, many estimated to be 9,000 years old.

Big Bend National Park is the location of a variety of outdoor activities for the outdoor enthusiasts, including backpacking, river trips, horseback riding, mountain biking, and more. Over 150 miles of trails gives visitors the opportunity to venture out on a day hike on your own or participate in a ranger-led program with a ranger as your guide, teaching you about the science, history, nature and culture of Big Bend National Park. There is a little bit of everything for those visiting this unique part of the world.

For more information about this unique park, see its page on the National Park Service website at http://www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm.

Susan has started a blog about the trip. Go to http://www.travelpod.com/members/susana50 to follow along on the journey. Subscribe to get email notifications of new posts (look around on the page for the form to subscribe) so you don't miss any of the adventures and be sure to leave a comment so Susan knows we're reading! 

Mary-Claire's Adventures in France

Dear All,

Just a little note to let you all know we are back home from our wonderful adventure in France.

We arrived home Sunday evening. There are so many memories that we will treasure for a long time. The Beaches of Normandy and the National Cemetery were deeply moving. At some points, it is unbelievable that any soldiers survived the invasion. (watch "Saving Private Ryan" and "The Longest Day"). Mont Saint Michele was on my "bucket list" and we walked all the steps to the top. (Hundreds of them)

We visited Monet's Garden and saw the pond where he painted the famous "Water Lily" painting. Amazing. A gardener's dream!

We celebrated Don's birthday by having a birthday lunch at the "Jules Verne" restaurant in the Eiffel Tower. What a view. When we were finished, we had to leave the restaurant by a back stair way and not the elevator because a bomb threat was called in while where having lunch. Exciting!

The Cruise and the weather were perfect.  Five star treatment all the way. (beautiful sites, unbelievable food and service, wonderful people and staff).

Now it is back to reality, hamburgers and hot dogs.

Please excuse me if I babble on for a long time about this trip. Hope you all are well.
Hugs and Blessings to all.

M-C

Cathy and Jeanie's Genealogy Road Trip

From Cathy:

Here we are on the porch of grrrrrrreat grandparents homestead near Asheville, AL. 

Cathy Sends Greetings from Tennessee

From Cathy: 

Well, here we are on our porch in Gatlinburg, TN.  Me, my sister Jeanie and my daughter Sharad,  with our knitting and a bottle of wine.......it doesn't get much better than this.

Wish you all could be in this peaceful place.

Becky's Adventure in Yellowstone

These photos are late in showing up here on the blog, which is entirely my fault! I get the posts all scheduled for as much as a month ahead, then everything else has to wait in a queue.

Becky went to Yellowstone National Park in the dead of winter. She loved it and wanted to share these photos showing how they got around in the back country to view the wildlife.

Karen Sends Greetings from Iowa

Clair Sends Greetings from Washington State

Dawn arrives along the Columbia River

This is the view from the little patio of our hotel room in Richland, Washington. Bill did a great job researching and choosing places to stay. Below are pictures of our room at the historic Weatherford Hotel (est. 1897) in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Here is what I've learned on our trip so far: Everyone else but us has lots of water. And everyone else moves way, way faster!

~Clair Z.

Karen Sends Greetings from Wisconsin

Karen's parents' back yard

The photo says it all. 

Green.

Water. 

Trees.

Becky Suffers in Hawaii

Knitting by the pool