The Over-Under on Holiday Travel

"Keeping up with Katie" will be on temporary respite while Pat and I head to the East Coast to join our families for the holidays.

On December 23rd, we fly to Providence, RI by way of Cleveland, OH. Now, I've been keeping tabs on airport conditions around the US, and I must say that I don't think it looks good for us. First, we have the airplane that careened off the runway in Denver. Continental Airlines. Well, at least we aren't flying THEM. Oh, wait, we are! And last night, the news channels were over at LAX interviewing all the travelers going to Portland, OR and Seattle, WA who had been stuck in the airport for two days. At least we aren't flying out of THAT airport. Oh, wait, we are! Well, at least the weather is always perfect in Southern California. Oh, wait, it isn't! It has been raining at lower elevations and snowing relentlessly at higher elevations for days. So, amidst all this chaos, what are the chances that Pat and I will be snug at his parent's house tomorrow by 10 p.m. EST?

If somehow, we make it to Rhode Island, there is plenty of opportunity for travel disruptions on the return trip, from Harrisburg back to LAX with a stop in Newark on New Year's Day. I just hope our pilots don't celebrate too much the night before! And, of course, I think it is probably too much to ask that spring come sometime between Christmas Day and New Year's Day. So, there might still be some weather lurking...

I'm approaching this trip with my usual sense of adventure, and all the necessities of airline travel: lots of food, a 1,000 page book, Jelly Belly's, and, of course, my camera. If anything goes horribly awry, perhaps I can take consolation in the fact that my plight is Blog Worthy. And, of course, I'll have plenty of cash on hand, just in case we are forced to take refuge in an airport bar.

Happy Holidays, everyone! Hopefully, I will have lots of posting to do after the New Year.

Belmont Shore Holiday Parade

It isn't officially the holiday season until one has gone to a parade--that is what I always say! So, last Saturday, Pat and I went to the Belmont Shore Holiday parade. Belmont Shore is one of the many cool little distinct neighbors in Long Beach. It is lined with independent shops and great restaurants, and we usually take the bus the two miles down the coast to hang out there.

I think anyone could be in the parade if they paid the $400 entry fee. The employees of our local newspaper did a little routine where they spelled out Press Telegram. Not bad.

We thought this girl who twirled a flaming baton was pretty cool.

And we liked her even more when we realized that she was sponsored by one of the Girl Scout troops I oversee!

Of course, there were marching bands. Here is Long Beach Poly--which always has one of the best high school sports programs in the nation. Is band a sport?

Speaking of Best in the Nation, here is the Long Beach Parks and Rec. float. When I worked for the City of Fort Worth Parks and Rec., the LBPR beat us out for this national honor.

The Long Beach State president was the Parade Marshal.

The students on the float behind him looked like they were having a very good time.

This float was decorated like the Queen Mary--smoke even poured from the stacks. Pretty cool.

I got a little bored and started taking silly pictures of us.

It wouldn't be a parade without fire trucks.


After the parade, we had to find the temporary bus stop to get back home. Here is Pat waiting for the bus.

Thanksgiving in Yosemite

This year, Pat and I went to Yosemite National Park for our annual Thanksgiving camping trip. For the first time, we didn't stay in our trusty snug backpacking tent: we rented what they term a "tent cabin." One might consider this an upgrade but, as we discovered, not really! Basically, it is a canvas tent with a wooden floor. They are unheated, with one lonely little light bulb hanging from the ceiling. In Curry Village, where we stayed, there are over 400 of these packed in right next to one another.

Here is the inside view. It reminded me of staying in an army barracks or a refuge camp. It got down into the low 30s at night, and we were pretty darn chilly.

Luckily, this bathroom was right across the path from our tent cabin, and it was well heated. Yes, I was the person sticking my whole body under the hand dryer!

Here is the historic Ahwahnee Inn where we could have stayed in luxury (for only $400 a night). Instead, we wandered through on Thanksgiving Day just to check it out.

After a cold night in our tent cabin, we went to the cafeteria for a warm breakfast and some hot coffee. It was packed--apparently we were not the only people to go to Yosemite for Thanksgiving.

After breakfast, we headed out to the Four Mile Trail to trek up to Glacial Point. The trail was a very steady uphill but the reward was stunning views of the valley.

The weather was variable, as the people on TV say, but we could still look the whole way down the valley.

Interestingly, as this photo demonstrates, it still looked like fall in many parts of the park.

We had originally planned to hike up Half Dome (seen in this picture) but we didn't have the mojo for a 17-mile day. Next time...

There were great views from Glacial Point but it was very cold.

If I couldn't hike up Half Dome, then getting my picture taken in front of it was second best.

We sat beside the little shelter and had our lunch.

Here is a view of the valley beside Half Dome.

Yosemite is full of boulders which look like they have just been dropped from the sky. Oh, the power of those crazy glaciers.

As we were hiking back down, some nasty weather rolled in.


We had planned to eat Thanksgiving dinner in the Lodge's restaurant but I had mistakenly read on the Internet that the restaurant didn't take reservations. It turns out they don't, unless it happens to be Thanksgiving. So, we were told that we couldn't eat there, and our only option was to eat in the lounge off the very limited bar menu. We went and had a beer and thought about all this. Pat then decided to go back to the restaurant and make a plea on our behalf. He must have pulled some "former restaurant worker" karma out of his hat because they agreed to give us a table right then and there. So, here we are, enjoying a great meal!

After dinner, we walked around the newly lit Christmas display.

The next day, as we were driving out, we saw some real deer!