JR

jrfromafar

JR

It's a fearful thing, but I admit I have become a comfort creature, I like my surroundings, coffee done a certain way, pecking away at the puter, taking dogs on an outing and all. Oh I miss them when I'm gone. And it's true, that 2 days into the trip, it is possible that I would wish I could snap my fingers and be back home. Often I have flown across the Atlantic and thought to myself, 'what am I doing up here?'

But it's a fever... here I go again.....

Living proof, the grass is greener on the other side of the fence...

Update:
For no good reason other than just disorganization I have not kept up my travel blog here - as my dad was famous for saying, "I'll try to mend my ways".....
- Drove the ALCAN Hwy to Fairbanks & Homer (June, July 2015,
- Germany, Czech Republic (Oct 2016)
- Reykjavik & Copenhagan (May 2017, got pick pocketed!)

Also various road treks locally..... in my MB Sprinter (Psssst…. Spare driveway?)
Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Yosemite National Parks & forests, wilderness camping,
- Pismo Beach
- Morro Bay
- San Clemente SB
- Joshua Tree
- Death Valley
- Onion Valley
- Lone Pine
- Alabama Hills
- San Francisco

Larger trip list:

1) 1984 Israel w/Steve LaMarche

2) 1984 Venezuela, Guatamala, Nicaragua, Belize (w/ Doug Wright, EO Battle, David Royer, Riddlesburger, 'El Gubenor' Bob Adair-

3)1995 France Switzerland Italy Austria Hungary- (visited Crafts in Vienna) w/ Mary Kay; Paris, Bern, Gimmelwald, Salzburg, Vienna, Hungary, Venice, Sienna, Vernazza (Cinque Terre) Arles, Avignon, Paris
(Paris/Paris)

4 ) March, 1997 Italy / 2 days in Rome - 4 days in Florence - met Chris in Florence (Milan/Milan)

5) 1999 Feb Italy / Rome, Naples, Amalfi, Sicily (Catania, Palermo, Marsala, Palazzo Adriano, etc. w/ Salvatore Archidiacono) (Rome/Catania)

6) 2000 October- Spain & France visited (visited Markham in Madrid) Madrid, Salamanca, Barcelona, Marsaille, Aix In Provence, Sete, Cahors, Villa Franche de Rogerone(sp) Brieve, Paris, Bayeux (Normandy) Dieppe, Paris (Madrid/Paris)

7) 2003 April Italy - Rome, Naples, Palermo, Cefalu, Enna (Rome/Catania)

8) 2004 October- Met Wilsons in Paris - filled container in France / Paris / Reims / Lyon / Marsaille / St. Raphael (Paris/Nice)

9) 2008 September - Catania, Noto, Ragusa, Palazzo Adriano, Erice, Trapani, Pisa, Lucca, Genoa, Aoste, Chaminoux, Cluny, Paris, Belgium (Johan & Weis Lamars), Holland, Germany (Catania/Brussels)

10) 2012 Sept - my Brompton trip!!! Shannon Ireland - Madrid Spain (my 8th time to cross the Atlantic) Cork, Cobh, Kilkenny, Dublin, Liverpool, Kendall, Hawes, York, Whitby, Robinhoods Bay, Edinburgh, Belfast, Armagh, Donegal, London, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Ghent, Brugge, Boudreaux, Toulouse, Lourdes, St. John de Luz, San Sebastian, Pamplona, Bilbao, Santiago De Compostela Madrid

11) 2013 Sept - Alaskan cruise - From San Francisco port - Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Victoria
W/ MK & Kerrs

12) 2014 Feb & March - Southeast Asia - (first time to cross Pacific!) Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia

13) 2014 Fall Trip to Portugal & Southern Spain, Morocco & Gibraltar, Lisbon, Sintra, Elvia, Seville, Córdoba, Granada, Ronda, Malaga

14) June, July 2015 - ALCAN Highway road trip 8,575 miles in my pickup & camper- with Baby (arf arf)

15) April 2015 Trip to Arizona to MK’s
https://bellaterra.smugmug.com/Travel/JRMKRS-Arizona-Trip-April-2015/n-DF6GTs

16) 2016 Fall Trip to Munich (1 night), Nuremberg (2 nights), Prague (4 nights) - visited Shells; Harburg, Rothenburg, Augsburg

17) 2017 May Trip to Iceland & Denmark, (got pickpocketed & cut my trip short😞

18) 2018 May 22 - June 2 ALASKA with Joe & Gabe - TRIP OF A LIFETIME for me!!!!

19) October 2018 - road trip to the Southwest - Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona
- Great Basin NP, Capital Reefs NP, Bryce Canyon, Zion, North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Canyonlands, Arches NP, Canyon de Chelly, Petrified Forest NP

20) March, 2019 quick trip to Louisiana with Steve L
- New Orleans, Sicilian Festival in Independence

Germany 2x
Spain 3x
Italy 5x
France 5x
Transatlantic 12x
Transpacific 1x
South America 1x
Africa X1
Middle East (Israel) 1x
Alaska X 3

Bucket List:

China
Poland
Italy (again!) Genoa, Arrezzo (antique markets), Parma, Bologna, Verona, Carrera, Sardhina
Turkey (Istanbul)
France (again!) Chartres, Burgundy, maybe tie in with Basel, Colmar
Croatia, Slovenia
Egypt, Jordan, Syria, (well that's pretty well put on the way back burner)
Turkey
India
Solomon Islands (my father's WW2)
South America
Vietnam
Moscow, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm,
Africa

Fall, 2014 Trip to Portugal, Andalusia & Tangier

Europe » Portugal May 3rd 2015

jrfromafar

Sorry for the raw journal date - the devil's in the details ? when I get 'round to it' I'll add photos & break it up into regions Fall 2014 Travel Journal Portugal & Southern Spain & Morocco 10/06/14 Departed from home; caught 1st connection to SLC - then on to CDG. On transatlantic flight I sat next to the isle on the right in the 4 seat middle section - two 'hefty' women sat on the left side leaving a vacant seat next to me. I was hoping no one was ticketed to get wedged in there. No one was - but my hopes of having extra room on the flight were dashed when the 'heftys' sprawled out and took it over - with a 'you don't mind, do you? I have a bad leg' ... read more

Next Destination - Portugal & Andalusia, Spain

Europe » Portugal » Lisboa August 28th 2014

jrfromafar

Just ticketed..... Departing on 6 October - flying into Lisbon. train to Porto Then south to Andalusia. Fly out of Malaga on 29 October .... besides this, I am clueless. Any tips, suggestions are welcome... read more

Southeast Asia Helter Skelter

Asia April 7th 2014

jrfromafar

Can't believe it's been almost 30 days since I returned from my SEA trip. Helter Skelter travel at it's finest (worst?) As it was, I got hockey pucked twice - it wasn't my son's fault, it was the planning of his job. Original plan was to fly into Bangkok & work my way south to Singapore at the end of my 3 week trip - then fly back home from there. But he texted me & said his trip was getting moved up a few days - which meant I'd meet him in the middle of my 3 week trip. Slight inconvenience on my part, but I'd manage - all I needed was the time & place to rendezvous. Then just as I was headed out of Bangkok he texts me & suggests that we meet ... read more

S E Asia Prep

Asia » Thailand January 8th 2014

image

jrfromafar

As of this writing, it's 38 days 'til blastoff - I'm ticketed to Bangkok; arriving on the 17th of February, then trekking Lord knows where - south (eventually) to meet up somewhere in Malaysia with Joe my oldest son who is traveling back & forth to Singapore on his job. Possible meet up in KL, if not, then in Singapore. Besides that - I am CLUELESS. Found a good website though, http://travelfish.org. Am spending a good deal of time there trying to get heads up. Planning to bring my go-lite backpack & just take the bare necessities - less than 20 lbs - I PROMISE! - I learned my lesson on my last overseas trip (Europe, 2012). Hey, it's not like I can't BUY something over there if it turns out I really need something! 02/06/14 ... read more

Mt. Dana

North America » United States » California » Yosemite National Park » Tuolumne Meadows August 25th 2013

IMG_1884

jrfromafar

Yep, for me it was a slog, a hard slog. Had to quit just feet from the summit. Someone says 'no limits'. Well, I think it's wise to know your limits - which usually I'm not very good at (I sense that if I don't get better, it's liable to be the death of me). So with two kids with me on the hike, that I knew weren't going to make it, I decided to turn back just short of the top. If I had started out an hour or two earlier, I wouldn't have run out of time. Next year.... to the top! ... read more

Fall, 2012 Trip Journal

Europe March 31st 2013

Scarborough

jrfromafar

JNR's Trip Journal (subject to editing!) Ireland, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, The Netherlands, Belgium, France & Spain Oct 24, 2012 10:47 AM Sep 22, 2012 8:54 AM Dropped off in Bakersfield Airport shuttle - - place looks like a bus depot in a 3rd world country - guess the 1:00 bus would have gotten me to LAX in time :( - oh well - more layover time. Weighed my pack - 26lbs - including bike bags, lock & tools - so about the same weight as the bike itself. Forgot to weigh my other backpack (carry on) - I estimate it weighs 15 lbs. {weighed it later @ LAX = 14 lbs - good guess!} 40lbs total. Am already taking a mental note on items I can shuck - umbrella, my 2005 Rick Steve's guide book... ... read more

Jack Hits The Road (as in 'Hit The Road, Jack)

North America » United States December 9th 2011

burro

jrfromafar

It's been a while since I posted any blogs, because it's been a while since I've gone anywhere worth writing about. I am being honest - I've been in a funk and I am going to do everything I can to get out of it... my intent is to hit the road in my Land Rover Discovery & my 13' Wide Bodied Burro With my Baby...... read more