Adventures with Julia

January 8, 2023

We are getting ready to make our first major adventure since or trip to Pakistan in 2019 and the beginning of the pandemic.  in early 2020 Covid appeared on the world stage and caused us and along with others to put our lives on hold.   We had planned to visit the Congo and revisit Botswana and Namibia.  We also hoped to start touring South America: in particular, Brazil, the Amazon and Patagonia. Instead, we hunkered down and stayed in our own back yard.  

Among other things, we sold our beloved airplane after 46 years of wonderful flying, I had left knee replacement surgery, Mark had right shoulder replacement surgery and I developed macular degeneration in both eyes. Meanwhile, I continued to walk every day with the local “street walkers” as we call ourselves. We had great conversations while walking, regardless of the weather.

We closed escrow on a Lake Tahoe house in Kings Beach in November 2019.  When we occupied the property, we soon realized it needed work and lots of it.  With no opportunity to travel and a house needing repairs, we jumped in and began what became a major remodel project.  Here you can see our first experience of stormy weather in the back yard. The waves splashed on our windows with each storm through the winter of 2020-2021.

This is the house as it looked when we purchased it

 By March of 2020 we were working with an architect, a designer and a contractor and became so engrossed that we did not think about Covid.  Our crew did not think much about it either.  The time flew by, the work unfolded, and the house was rejuvenated.  Here we are installing a new hot tub on the roof. We finally moved into the finished house in October of 2022, just as Covid was winding down.  The timing could not have been more perfect for us.  As for catching the virus, we each had a mild version of it in July 2020. Below is the finished living room and dining area, the view from the upstairs bedroom, our first Christmas in the house with Mark’s mother and sister and the boat dock in the summertime.

Half way through the remodel, we took a vacation to New England to see the fall colors. It was my first time in New England and the colors were spectacular. Both of us love lobster and we took every opportunity to eat the crustaceans. We visited Boston for a week and took in the historical sights. Then we headed north visiting the Norman Rockwell Museum and Dr Seuss’s sculpture garden. When you look at our house photos you may notice a few Dr Seuss pieces. We really enjoy the color and fun in his work. The Rockwell classics are so numerous I could not help including several.

Further north and west we visited the Stowe ski resort, where the color was over the top. Then we stayed at Mt Washington, hiked in the local hills and took a train to the top of the Mountain. Lovely all the way.

Near the end of the remodel, we went on another vacation. This time to Tahiti for 10 days. We had a super time enjoying water sports and relaxing. Actually finished reading a few books.

Now we are ready to travel again.  We have selected South America as our first destination.  Beginning on February 2, 2023 we plan to visit Torres del Paine in Chili and Moreno Glacier Park in Argentina, two Patagonian Parks for several days each.  (Look for the green stars on the map below.) We will fly to Buenos Aires for a couple of days, then on to Uruguay for several days in that country.  We fly home from Montevideo, Uruguay on February 20, 2023.  Hopefully, I can still document and post our travels.   I’ve developed macular degeneration in both eyes and had my left knee replaced.  Will I manage the rigors of hiking in Patagonia?  We shall see.