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Post by Jane on Jan 3, 2008 21:43:14 GMT -5
We are leaving on Jan. 18 for a trip to visit many of my husband's relatives. We'll drive from Michigan to St. Louis, then on to Oklahoma City, then New Mexico, then Dallas, Corpus Christie, Austin and San Antonio. I'm flying home from Corpus on Feb. 5, but Bill is staying another week or so with his brother who lives there. It's a long trip and a long time away from home, but it should be fun. We like to stop at various little interesting places along the way and are looking forward to a trip up the Turquoise Trail between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. We've done it before, and it's a very quirky little stretch of highway.
Anyplace I should be sure to see? I don't think I'll be crossing through anyone's territory on the way, will I?
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Post by joew on Jan 3, 2008 22:17:13 GMT -5
I suppose Pike's Peak is a little out of your way.
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Post by doctork on Jan 4, 2008 0:42:27 GMT -5
I have visited the Sixth Floor Museum (Texas Schoolbook Depository, from which the fatal bullets were fired on JFK) in Dallas, and the Alamo (it's really small!) in San Antonio, both of which I found worth the effort. The tram up to the top of Sandia Peak just outside Albuquerque is quite remarkable. We had cocktails and dinner in the restaurant at the top of the mountain at sunset; food was OK and the view was spectacular. We did have to bribe the hotel concierge to get us reservations at the last minute, but it was $ well spent. I brought home green chile bagels from some little bagel place in Albuquerque, which my husband raved about. Oklahoma is one of my four "missing states" - I haven't been there - but I have heard people speak highly of the memorial to those who died in the terrorist bombing of the Murrah Federal Building.
Happy trails!
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Post by michael on Jan 4, 2008 1:16:48 GMT -5
If you get to Yokohama, Yamashita Park, the land Mark Tower and China Town are worth visiting.
Ooops! Wrong country... sorry!
Mike
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Post by slb2 on Jan 4, 2008 1:23:59 GMT -5
If I ever get to Japan (again) there's only one place I must go! All other sites are gravy.
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Post by joew on Jan 4, 2008 1:29:52 GMT -5
If I ever get to Japan (again) there's only one place I must go! All other sites are gravy. And that is … ?
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Post by michael on Jan 4, 2008 1:45:54 GMT -5
If I ever get to Japan (again) there's only one place I must go! All other sites are gravy. And that is … ? Joe, wake up and smell the gravy!
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Post by joew on Jan 4, 2008 2:00:01 GMT -5
Kyoto does have a lot to offer.
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Post by michael on Jan 4, 2008 10:07:07 GMT -5
Kyoto does have a lot to offer. Yes it does... yes it does indeed. Joe, as I've said before, I'd love to drink a beer with you on a front poarch... anywhere, anytime. I've more respect for you than Tochigi Prefecture has rice! Mike
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Post by joew on Jan 4, 2008 10:28:56 GMT -5
I'm deeply honored.
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Post by michael on Jan 21, 2008 2:46:44 GMT -5
Jane left on the 18th for her road trip. I don't think we were much help to her. However, if she does arrive in Yokohama, I'll try and make it up by taking her and her husband out for a night of wild misbehavior; or at least a night at the Kabuki theater. Jane, PM me when you get here. Best regards, Mike
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Post by joew on Jan 21, 2008 9:56:02 GMT -5
It occurs to me that the title of this thread lends itself to all our travels. Of course, jane started it so she has a right to say it's only supposed to be about her trip. But it seems to me that if we have a birthday thread and a travel thread and others of that ilk, it might make it easier to find stuff. OTOH, if we have personal diary threads, that could help us find something about a particular member.
Anyway, for now I'm piggybacking on jane's thread, but I can copy it to another if she would prefer.
When my brother — the one who lives in Japan and has the musically talented wife and son — called on Saturday evening, our time, he mentioned that his wife suggested it would be fun to go to Ireland in conjunction with their visit here this summer. So it is possible that I'll be heading over there in August. This is one of those things on my "I really should sometime" list, which I generally don't do unless somebody else provides the occasion to pull me out of my routine.
I don't have much time to learn the language, but I can give it a(nother) try. It is the wildest language I have dabbled in. Even Hungarian and Japanese seem easier, on the basis of very limited acquaintance with each.
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Post by rogesgallery on Jan 21, 2008 14:17:02 GMT -5
I've heard that if you put a Irish-y and a Tibetan in a room together they will chatter away as if they were neighbors — what ever thats worth. Sounds like a fun trip — even more so since you won't be able to understand all the Bush bashing. Hehheh
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Post by Brit on Jan 21, 2008 15:11:28 GMT -5
In Ireland? They speak better English than Americans!
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Post by michael on Jan 21, 2008 17:09:22 GMT -5
OK, Joe, on the road it is! Emi and I went to Matsuzaki this past weekend for an over-nighter at the Matsuzakisou resort hotel. Matsuzaki is a nice little seaside resort town on the west coast of Izu peninsula. We often stay in this town because not only is the town nice, the drive to get there and back home is equally enjoyable. Here are some pictures from the hotel website. Front entrance: View from the ocean side The type of room we stayed in The penthouse (6th floor) hot bath with a view of the bay. BTW, we had snow while we were there, but it didn't stick to the road. All the best, Mike
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Post by rogesgallery on Jan 21, 2008 17:44:35 GMT -5
Thanks Mike that is really cool — good pictures too! Hope you had a great time and the new car was a pleasure on the drive.
Are those a breakwater system in the bay? Is this resort on the pacific side? Whoh! Theres a UFO in the photo off to the right of the building. Is that pretty common when it snows? We get them here after fishing season starts.
Ah... Happy Martin Luther King Day.
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Post by Brit on Jan 21, 2008 17:53:31 GMT -5
Did someone mention Martin Luther King?
As I retire for the night, I also salute MLK.
Best thing that happened since sliced bread as we are wont to say in the UK.
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Post by joew on Jan 21, 2008 19:34:07 GMT -5
In Ireland? They speak better English than Americans! Yes. Well…
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Post by joew on Jan 21, 2008 19:36:39 GMT -5
Thanks for the pix, Mike. Are some of the mats in the regular room wider than regulation, or is it just the camera angle that makes them look so?
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Post by Jane on Jan 22, 2008 0:07:33 GMT -5
Hola and hello. Did you know that New Mexico is 43 percent Hispanic? Well, now you do.
We have been driving, driving, driving. We are in that town in New Mexico that starts with A and ends with que and that I can't spell. Tomorrow we are driving up the Turquoise Trail to Santa Fe and then back here for a few days before going on to Artesia, NM to visit Bill's sister. Artesia is near Roswell, so we hope not to be abducted.
I'm sorry to have missed so many birthdays, so happy, happy to all of you. I raise a taco in a sincere toast.
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Post by slb2 on Jan 22, 2008 1:30:39 GMT -5
I love the name of Albuquerque. I've never been, but would like to.
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Post by michael on Jan 22, 2008 1:35:47 GMT -5
Are those a breakwater system in the bay? Is this resort on the pacific side? roges, Those are breakwaters. It's a resort area but it's also a working port for fishing boats, cargo, dredges and passenger fairies. The bay is on the west coast of Izu peninsula and that's facing away from the pacific -- but not by much. The car was a pleasure to drive. The UFO abducted a few of the beach walkers -- no big deal as far as I'm concerned. Mike
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Post by michael on Jan 22, 2008 1:37:07 GMT -5
Joe, the tatami mats are regulation size.
Mike
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Post by rogesgallery on Jan 22, 2008 1:48:50 GMT -5
Hey jane are you going to visit any of the auto wrecking yards in Albequerque? When you fly into that town the first thing you notice is all the wrecking yards spread out like swimming pools in Las Vegas. I'd bet there is at least one wrecking yard solely dedicated to Taco trucks.
Have fun! Roges
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Post by rogesgallery on Jan 22, 2008 1:52:27 GMT -5
Thanks again Mike! Now for the Tatami mats — does that have something to do with Sumo wrestling or co-ed Wrastlin?
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Post by joew on Jan 22, 2008 10:26:25 GMT -5
Mike can tell you more, but tatami mats are the traditional floor covering in Japanese buildings. If memory serves, they are 1x2 meters in size. Room sizes were given as the number of mats it took to cover the floor. So a four mat room would be about 6'x12', a six mat room could be 9'x12', depending on how you arrange them. As you can see, they are made of straw, so the custom of removing shoes indoors not only keeps the dirt out but also importantly cuts down on wear and tear on the mats.
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Post by Jane on Jan 22, 2008 16:01:28 GMT -5
We are in Santa Fe now; we drove up the back roads to get here. Everything is beautiful save for the signs of humanity. I would love to see what this looked like before all those wrecked cars, tippy trailers and overbuilt Casa de Grandes were here.
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Post by michael on Jan 22, 2008 17:24:08 GMT -5
Thanks again Mike! Now for the Tatami mats — does that have something to do with Sumo wrestling or co-ed Wrastlin? roges, one can get tatami burn equally as bad as rug burn from making too much whoopee on the mats. It's best to roll out the futon before pursuing co-ed Wrastlin'. Mike
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