May 9, 2013 - One Week to Go!

We are getting pretty excited as we are less than one week away from starting our trip. Today the boys and I played golf together and we had a great time (as always) but it will be very different when we get to Scotland. Our local "parkland" courses (trees, lush green grasses and lakes) are much different than "links" golf with its hard ground, blind shots, rolling lunar looking terrain, strong coastal breezes, punishing rough, gorse bushes, steep, sod lined bunkers and much cooler temperatures (40 to 50 degree day time highs). As they...

May 2, 2013 - Random Notes

Hello friends, well we are now only two weeks away from our departure and things are falling into place nicely. I was able to reserve three sets of rental clubs from a shop in Edinburgh and got a good deal on a weekly rate. I was also able to arrange to have the clubs picked up at our B&B in St Andrews which will save us some time when we leave St. Andrews and head North to the Highlands. I also got a fantastic rate on a VW Passat wagon with complimentary GPS navigation (Thank you Lord!). The boys want to see the North and interior parts of...

Apr 28, 2013 - "The Devil is in the Details"

So we are getting pretty close to our departure date and I thought I should probably look at our flight information a little closer. Well it's a good thing I did because although we have Air France flight numbers on our tickets we are actually flying with Delta who only partners with Air France. So what's the big deal you ask? Well it turns out that Delta would charge us some pretty ridiculous baggage fees for our golf clubs on the commuter flights from London to Edinburgh. When I started calculating all the extra costs involved with taking...

Apr 27, 2013 - Oceanside, CA

We have seen several of Janet's California relatives. We saw the Wulftangs and the Allens a few days ago, and now we can see Aunt Ora and our niece, Katie Rixon. They have all made themselves at home here on the west coast, some in the past few years and some for decades. Oceanside is a town that seems to be a part of the southern California beach culture, and is also a few miles south of the Camp Pendleton marine base. People around town are either weekenders, beach bums, or marines. A very strange mix. I needed a haircut and there is a...

Apr 22, 2013 - It's Getting Really Close!

Our trip to Scotland is only three weeks away and we are getting super excited! Lots to do still to get ready and we are still finalizing our itinerary and lodging. Stay tuned online for updates and photos and we hope you enjoy following our travels on our two week Scottish adventure.

Mar 14, 2013 - Visiting With Family and Friends

Reggi has been friends with Linda Villaseñor since Kindergarden as well as her brother Victor Villaseñor, a Pulitzer Prize winning author. We were invited over for dinner, it was a good time and we had a lot of laughs and good wine. Sitta, Linda's youngest sister, brought Reggi a Birthday cake, Sitta said "since Reggi wasn't around for her Birthday in January, she wanted to celebrate it now.

Feb 17, 2013 - to the sea

Although we have been focusing on the desert in the southwestern US, when we looked at the map and saw we were only thirty miles from the coast, we couldn't resist. We headed to the aptly, but uncreatively named, Oceanside. The first stop was the Mission of San Luis Rey. (Note to self: Don't go to a church facility on a Sunday morning if you want a place to park.) This national historic site is the largest of the 21 California missions. The exterior looked great, but inside large restoration efforts are taking place. As we headed west we...

Nov 30, 2012 - Oceanside, Ca Nov 26 - 30, 2012

Wow, just got an email from our little Grandaughter, Jordyn. Really missing the kids! It has been very, very foggy this week here in Oceanside, so we basically toured the town, went to the flea market again, pool, hot tub, happy hour, and start all over again. We met a man from Saskatoon in the hot tub, who had worked for Inco in Thompson as a summer student back in 1957. Interesting. He had a few good stories to tell, as you can imagine! Nov 27th we headed back into San Diego, and stopped at the Costco Business Centre. We were looking for...

Nov 25, 2012 - Oceanside, California Nov 17 - 25, 2012

Nothing much happening in Oceanside this past week. We did manage to catch a great sale at the library, which was selling off their used books at a great discount. We picked up 10 books there, and have already read half of them. There was a fire at an apartment not too far from where we stay. We just happened to be walking by, to witness the billowing smoke pouring out of someone’s balcony. We stayed and watched as the Fire Trucks arrived. Outstanding! There were 6 fire trucks, 2 of which were ladder trucks. (And there we were, without the...

Nov 16, 2012 - Oceanside, Ca Nov 7 - 16, 2012

The cold is much better, although it’s hanging in there, for some reason. We did our best to ward it off/away, and the condo smells like we are warding off vampires, lol. Nov 7th was our daughter Crystal’s birthday, and we decided to ride up into the mountains, and through the countryside, to Julien, California (famous for their apple pies) and celebrate with some pie and ice cream. The rest of the week was quiet. We joined the library, so that we could scan and print some documents there. We visited the Thursday market again in the...

Oct 29, 2012 - We are Home

We are home. Pretty much just transiting the last 1200 miles. The trip was over 8000 miles and was great!! Tho I must say that we are pooped, put pleasantly so. Hope that you have enjoyed the pros and fotos. It was fun putting it together. Until the next time. Jay & Pat

Oct 11, 2012 - Family visit NJ and PA

Camped at Fort Dix, New Jersey for 3 nights to visit family. Small park with only 8 sites and no laundry in the camp or on the base. Functioned well for our visit yet still a 45 minute to 1 hour trek to the relatives. There are no rv parks anywhere in this area. Monmouth Turkey Swamp could be an option for someone not eligible to use Military parks. Enjoyed a day trip to Philadelphia and Independence Square. History really came alive. Very intimate setting, much different from DC. Enjoyed our lunch at the Historic City Tavern. Best Pot Pie...