Due to my recent academic schedule and pressures I had been unable to travel for fun, only for work/co-op purposes. I had not been back to the USA since January 2010, and once I returned from Eureka this past November, we as a family decided to plan a trip for Christmas 2013. Mom and Amanda would tour the Pacific Northwest and rendezvous with us in San Diego just before Christmas, while dad and I would tour the Southern US. I learned along the trip, that the pathway we took was colloquially referred to as the "Redneck Riviera". My dad and I flew to Florida, and drove around the southern peninsula visiting friends and making new ones along the way. We ventured down to Everglades City at one point to check out one of Ernest Hemingway's old hangouts. From there, after a sleepover in the Fort Lauderdale airport, we flew to New Orleans via Dallas (logistically and spatially mind-boggling to me). This was my first trip to New Orleans, and I am proud to say that I survived it, by the skin of my teeth. I want to take this chance to thank Dave for the 4am phone call with precise directions back to my hotel whilst wandering the French Quarter, half blind from the 190 proof concoction some kind creole ladies mixed me. The rest is better told in person, or experienced for ones self. Dallas was a good chance to recoup from my New Orleans experience and to visit AT&T Stadium, the home of pops' Dallas Cowboys. The stadium tour of "Jerry's World" was an amazing piece of architecture; very intricately designed and purposefully built. The field was smaller than those I played on in Canada, but I still felt at home wandering around the navy blue end zone. Eventually we made it to San Diego and into the welcoming arms of our fellow Canadian friends there, Don and Deb, whom had decided to host us for Christmas; a very big thank you for that hospitality Aitkens! Within a few days of our arrival, my sister and mom arrived as well, and the family Christmas celebration could commence. I took my sister to her first NFL game where we watched the Chargers beat the Raiders (Raider fans are as intense and unique as they appear on tv), we also both took a surfing lesson with a seasoned, crossed eyed, geriatric man named Gerry....great teacher and quite patient....did a good Trailer Park Boys impression as well.
As with every trip I have taken, I found some real hidden gems I hope to return to someday, and made some new friends in just about every stop I made (including one retired Navy Diver who didn't like the cut of my jib initially). Looking forward to my next trip, wherever that may be!
All the best for 2014 everyone!
Happy Trails
- Mike
