I'll be gone for a while (and a few tidbits from my travels)....

[Dave M]

Thanks, Terry. I will arrive on March 12 and leave late on the 23rd. I'll be staying at the Hilton Americas. Not sure if those first few days (13th/14th) are too late for the rodeo.

 

[m61376]

Dave- glad to hear that you had a great trip!!!
Hope your upcoming ones are just as delightful!

 

[SueDonJ]

Oh, how nice to see an update from you! It sounds like you're having a great time seeing the world, hope your upcoming trips are everything you hope they'll be.

 

[taffy19]

I'm back from a two-week Mediterranean cruise. Barcelona, Rome, Athens, archeological ruins in Turkey, pyramids and the Sphinx in Egypt and the structures of almost 6,000 years ago in Malta. Egypt, Turkey and Malta were new adventures for me, so I had an awesome time.

I checked in on TUG only once while I was gone because the Internet connection on the ship was lousy.

Next up is a 10-day bridge tournament in Houston, followed by a two-week cruise in the Caribbean - both later this month.

As I stated earlier, this first year of retirement is a year of travel, making up for not taking as many great vacations as I might have liked during my working years.

Those cruises sound fabulous and I am so glad for you that you enjoy your retirement, Dave. You have earned it so you deserve it.

 

[Dave M]

Responding to a question in another thread, I didn't want to derail that thread....

I'm headed for Houston tomorrow morning to play in a big 11-day bridge tournament (North American championships). I'll take in the rodeo while I'm there, compliments of Terry ("thinze3"). Then back for three days before another two-week cruise. Then back for two days before another bridge tournament (Gatlinburg). Then back for an overnight before going to Charleston, SC for the Family Circle Cup women's tennis tournament. Then home for four days before going up to Boston for some ballroom dancing with my former dance partner, for some visits with my old boss and some friends and to play in another bridge tournament while I'm there. From there to Stanford (Palo Alto) for a track and field meet in early May. Then....

That's too much already....

However, lest one thinks I'm made of money, all of my hotel stays and most of my plane tickets are paid for with FF miles and hotel points (mostly Marriott) accumulated but never used over the past 28 years since those programs began.

 

[optimist]

However, lest one thinks I'm made of money, all of my hotel stays and most of my plane tickets are paid for with FF miles and hotel points (mostly Marriott) accumulated but never used over the past 28 years since those programs began.

I guess your points must be from the good old days before you had to use them or lose them. I just called Hilton this morning to find out that my accumulated points had disappeared because I had been "inactive" for more than a year.
It's great to hear about your trips. keep us posted.

 

[Dave M]

Yes, I have had regular activity in all of the accounts - accumulating the miles/points until I retired last sumnmer and now using them. I was very careful to avoid any expirations, occasionally using some of the low-cost activity actions often discussed in the TUG Travel forum.

 

[m61376]

Wow- keeping track of the schedule alone must make you tired , to say nothing of all that packing and unpacking...sounds like you're busier than while working. Have great trips!!

 

[thinze3]

... Then back for three days before another two-week cruise. ...

So where will this cruise take you?

 

[Dave M]

On the Grand Princess - Eastern, Western and Southern Caribbean. I leave on Friday.

...and a big thanks to you, Terry. I really enjoyed the rodeo in Houston last week, thanks to your generosity!

 

[Dave M]

I'm back from my travels discussed in the most recent few posts in this thread. I'll be at home for much of the next month. Then I have about 18 weeks of additional travel this year, including five weeks of cruises, a couple of weeks in Europe this summer, a lot of family stuff, a track meet in Eugene, and a bunch of duplicate bridge tournaments. I'll finish off my cruising frenzy with a three-week cruise to Antarctica next January.

Meanwhile, I'll find more time for TUG than I have in the past four months.

 

[Karen G]

Wow! What a schedule! Nice to have you back on TUG for a little while.

What has been your best trip so far?

 

[FlyerBobcat]

Welcome back, Dave....

 

[JimC]

Dave, you are going to need a vacation to recover from all of your travel

Welcome back!

 

[m61376]

Welcome back! Glad to hear that you are safe and sound and enjoying yourself!! I'm tired just rading about all the places you've been

 

[pwrshift]

Welcome home Dave. When can we expect your novel? Writing is a great retirement hobby.

Brian

 

[SueDonJ]

Welcome home, Dave. It's nice to see your screen name.

 

[winger]

Welcome back Dave.

 

[BocaBum99]

Dave,

With all those cruises, you must have gain 50 pounds. What a schedule. I got tired just reading it.

 

[SueDonJ]

... I'll finish off my cruising frenzy with a three-week cruise to Antarctica next January...

Can you pack Kristin, or Geo, or one of the other fabulous photographers from the Picture of The Day Lounge thread into your suitcase, so that we'll be able to see what you see?

 

[MULTIZ321]

I'll finish off my cruising frenzy with a three-week cruise to Antarctica next January. Meanwhile, I'll find more time for TUG than I have in the past four months.

Dave,

In case you don't get the weekly newsletter from VacationsToGo.com, the president of the company, Alan Fox, recently returned with his family from a trip to Antarctica on the Minerva. Here's links to his Antarctica Newsletter Series including links to his Photo Slide Shows.

Part I: The Drake Passage

Part II: Penquin Island

Part III: Arctowski Research Station

Part 4: Mikkelsen Harbour

Part V: Neko Harbour and Cierva Cove

Part 6: Deception Island and Half Moon Island

Sounds like it's going to be a wonderful trip.

Best regards,

Richard

 

[icydog]

Hi Dave, I hope you are writing all your exploits down and please include how you used the MRP and FF points to your best advantage. I know you did.. now share!!

Your vacations sound so awesome. I am so jealous although I would have to be schlepped around in a wheelbarrow by now due to my perennially aching feet. I'm so glad you are having fun. This is what retirement is meant to be. We vacation a lot but you make us look sick in comparison to you. Good job!!!

 

[Dave M]

Responding to several questions....

I am using MR points extensively this year for total of 74 nights over 18 different stays in cities such as Sydney (Australia), Houston, Boston, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Berlin, Seattle and San Francisco. I'm using FF miles for many of the plane trips to get to foreign cities, often in business class. I'll still have ton of points and miles after this year, but using them significantly reduces my cost of travel in these early stages of retirement.

My three favorite cruises are Australia / New Zealand (this past January) and two yet to be completed - the Baltics (St. Petersburg, Scandinavia and other Northern Europe) this summer and Antarctica next January. I have looked forward to those three for a number of years. After those, my favorite cruise will always be "the next one".

I have actually lost weight on every cruise I have taken this year. I usually watch what I eat and I'm very active on a cruise (e.g., continuing my normal running program).

Yes, I get the VacationsToGo newsletter. There are certainly some incredible cruise offerings currently - some at less than $50 per day per person.

 

[catwgirl]

Hi Dave,

We enjoyed meeting you in HH in-between your trips.

But, wow, just reading about your schedule is exhausting.

Enjoy! I hope to follow your lead when I retire. :whoopie:

 

[m61376]

It seems to be an awfully long time since Save has posted. Has anyone heard from him that all is well and hopefully he's having too good a time to check in here?