Craig and Toni Kincaid

LakesideTravelers

Craig and Toni Kincaid

we're having the time of our life. as much as we love our home, the desire to visit new and old places has burned within us since we were in college. only a few states in the US that we haven't visited and many that we want to revisit. during Craig's career importing hardwood lumber, he traveled to Singapore, the Philippines, Hong Kong, E and W Malaysia, Taiwan and Indonesia. before she met Craig, Toni traveled every summer to Europe, Mexico and Southeast Asia. we've visited every Hawaiian island except Lanai and Molokai and driven to Mulege in Baja, Mexico. Craig surfed near Zihautenejo, Mexico and Lahinch, Ireland in addition to the usual California breaks. we skied in Aspen and Alta and other resorts to numerous to mention. England, Ireland and Scotland are real favorites of ours (we were in North Berwick for the Open Championship in 2002 at Muirfield) and Craig played Royal Dornoch (he shot 76). we took the train across Canada. Craig's fished in Alaska and we both took the Alaskan Marine Ferry up the inland passage from Ketchikan to Skagway. we've done our share of camping in Colorado and the Sierras but those days are over; B&Bs, motels and hotels from now on. still many places to see and visit and we're on our way




we're home . . . safe and happy, no injuries or sickness. we arrived in SLO last night at 11:45pm via United Express which means we made it home in one day! the house and the addition looks great, not too many phone messages and right to bed...I woke up at 8am and Toni at 10am and we both feel that maybe we are on west coast time but more on that this afternoon. yes, it was a grueling day of travel, the kind when you're experiencing it a little voice in your head says "never again" but we both know that it's what happens when you travel long distances, sooner or later the s$^t hits the fan and something goes wrong with a connection and you have to deal with it. we're already thinking about ... read more

North America » United States » Texas June 21st 2012

Sophia and Martin took us to the train station in Fulda and we had a nice easy ride into Frankfurt then the S%&t hit the fan as we noticed our flight was delayed 2 hours! which of course affects our connection through LAX on UAL to SLO . . . after we checked in at AA (kill me if you catch me flying this airline again!) we took the sky train to the UAL desk where they were sympathetic but still charged us $75 to put us on another flight 3 hours later but at least we won't have to spend the night in LA. customs and security in Frankfurt is as tight as we've ever seen at an airport but we got through and finally boarded our airplane (a tired old jumbo) and flew off ... read more

Europe » Germany » Hesse » Fulda June 20th 2012

last night we had home made pizza of our own creations and then everyone was tired so we went to bed early. this morning it was another grey overcast day with a little rain and Martin says we off to visit Fasanerie Castle (Adolphseck) near Fulda, which was built in 1750 and today is being used like a condominium building as each of the various rooms are occupied but you can walk around and see the moat and walls like it's a museum, return to Church of St. Michael and see the crypt of St Bonafice then to Stadt Steinau to see the castle there and also visit one of the Museum of the Brothers Grimm where the family lived for 7 years when the brothers were in their early teens. this was an epic day ... read more
Kroedel's 2011 VW Van
Adolphseck Castle
inside Adolphseck Castle

Europe » Germany » Hesse » Fulda June 19th 2012

Claudia went off to work and I went off with Sophia to see her school and Martin gave us a lesson in how to make cappacino - he has professional equipment to do so! they have a GREAT kitchen, we're motivated to put some of the cabinet/cooktop/refrigerator ideas in place in our kitchen sometime. not long after we arrived in Fulda, I thought it would be nice to have a massage, so Claudia arranged for us to have a Thai massage today!!! Martin, Craig and I pedaled into town to Tara Thai Massage & Spa and enjoyed the most enjoyable experience for an hour. Afterwards we had a nice lunch at Vini and Panini then over to the Kroedel's medical office to say hi to Claudia. then back to the house where we lounged around for ... read more
slow dripping of coffee
interior of the Kroedel home
stairway

Europe » Germany » Hesse » Fulda June 18th 2012

beautiful morning here in Fulda and we gather our things together to go out and visit some villages in Bavaria. Claudia has a full day of work but Martin is taking the day off to show us around; Sophia is going to school. we take the Kroedel's new VW bus which is red, deisel and stick shift (not anything like the VW bus Toni and I drove around back in the late 70's). we head out to visit the sight of the last U.S. Army patrol along the border of the former East and West Germany near the city of Fulda called Point Alpha. Martin and his family grew up in East Germany and came to the west in 1975 and the following year came to the US as a foreign exchange student and lived with ... read more
information point
view of E Germany
where the border fence was located

Europe » Germany » Hesse » Fulda June 18th 2012

Toni and I have been thinking about what we enjoyed most and least and wished we had experienced and glad we didn't experience during our vacation: a + means we enjoyed or glad we did it; a - means we wished we had done it - take a Turkish bath + went back to the Acropolis and Parthenan again! + going to Lausanne rather than driving in the French countryside + not going to Pergaman + spending lots of time on the Ile d' St Louis + spending time with Rob and Terry + seeing a movie in Dijon - taking the cheapest Bosphorus ferry tour + not worrying about how much things cost + taking private tours in Athens and Istanbul + doing the blog + we didn't feel the need to rush around and ... read more

Europe » Germany » Hesse » Fulda June 17th 2012

O'Dawn and we have a wake up at 5:30am so we check out and have a driver waiting to take us to Ataturk Airport; at 6am there is no traffic, the water is almost calm on the Bosphorus and the sun is bright and there isn't a second when Istanbul isn't buildings and ancient walls and all sizes of cargo ships and fishing boats anchored in the straight as we drive to the airport. No problems checking in and the flight is ok except for 2 children who never stop crying . . . ! Through Frankfurt airport and onto the train to Fulda without any difficulty. One hour later, Martin and Claudia meet us at the station and we drive to their beautiful home "in the country" as we'd call it. It isn't too long ... read more
the country side
Fulda city model
beautiful country

Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Istanbul June 16th 2012

We make it to the Four Seasons during the rush hour and it's GRAND. The table is right on the edge of the water and our waters are tops. We have a grand dinner and reminisce about Sea Cloud and talk about the rest of our travels. Ken and Bobbi are going to another place in Turkey then on to Italy and Switzerland and . . . . Toni and I are off to Fulda tomorrow morning at o dawn hundred on Air Turkey but that doesn't keep us from extending the dinner to 11 pm. Istanbul is an amazing city, especially from the view point of a hotel like the Four Seasons: the lights across to the Asian side, the Bosphorus Bridge changing colors not far away, the colorful boats and ships criscrossing their way ... read more
Toni waiting for the taxi
at the Four Seasons Hotel
typical food presentation

Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Istanbul June 16th 2012

after a nice breakfast in the hotel Neorion (so many choices of sweets, fruit, coffee, tea, meats, etc), Toni's goal was to buy some spice at the Spice Bazaar not more than a few hundred yards from our hotel; it was a lot of fun testing and smelling all the spices and talking with the salesman and finally deciding on a some Cumin and a Fish Seasoning plus some gift packages for friends. we then went wandering around the bazaar (very similar to the one we were in yesterday near the Hagia Sophia - heck could have been the same one!) and looking at the many tiny nooks and crannies and storefronts for mostly spices but so many other products, it's hard to explain it unless you see it in person and all along the way, ... read more
spices
on the City Windows bus
typical traffic jam and collision

Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Istanbul June 15th 2012

Our guide, Zileha, met Ken and Bobbi at their hotel and took a taxi to our hotel at about 10am and we walked off to see the Blue Mosque (today is expected to have the largest gathering for prayers so we wanted to be there ahead of that rush). After the Blue Mosque we visited the Topkopi Palace then found a very nice shaded cafe for lunch then on the Hagia Sofia Museum. We spent at least 90 minutes in each of these immense visits . . . . . rather than go into what each is about we suggest you simply google them and check out our photos. The most interesting aspect of these visits was to learn the fact that soon after leading Turkey to independence and crushing the Ottoman rule, declaring Turkey a ... read more
with our guide Zileha
proper etiquette for the Blue Mosque
inside the Blue Mosque




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