Stanford-Oregon Game in Palo Alto

Oregon and Stanford were both in the top five in the nation so something had to give.  Rich and Peggy met us in Palo Alto on the day prior to the game.  We got the grand tour of the Stanford campus from Rich, who attended Stanford in the late 1960's and started as a defensive back on the football team along with such greats as Jim Plunkett.  Stanford dominated for three quarters and then Oregon made a run at the Cardinal in the fourth quarter, coming up short in the end.

Sheryl Crow Concert

Gail and I took advantage of Sheryl Crow performing a concert near Palm Springs.  She played all her great songs.  We loved it!

Maui

One of our favorite places on earth is Maui, where we generally stay at the Westin Villas in Ka'anapali. We traveled with our friends, the Timboes.  We enjoyed daily walks along the beach, swimming at the pool, snorkeling, playing cards, etc.  Our favorite places to dine included Kapalua, Mama's Fish House,  Star Noodles, Dukes, and Leilani's.  We took a sunset cruise one evening and took in two Hula/Polynesian dance shows in Whaler's Village.  The weather was perfect.  Gail hit the bonanza snorkeling, seeing eagle rays and turtles.  We're returning next summer with the whole family.

Weekend at West Point

My brother, Rich, and I joined our friends Rick and Harold Timboe for a weekend at West Point in New York.  Rick and Harold both attended and graduated from the United States Military Academy.  Harold went on to become a two-star general and Rick, a captain.  We were treated to a thorough tour of the academy, ate in the mess hall with 4,000 cadets, attended a parade on the grounds of West Point, and enjoyed a good football game between Stanford and Army.  Then it was off to Times Square for a good time in New York City where we walked Central Park, ate at Carmines Deli, and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the big city.

Summertime Beach Party

We've been doing it forever.  Break out the potato salad, hot dogs, beach chairs, firewood, and S'mores and head for the beach in the late afternoon.  Various cities are considering eliminating fire pits on the beaches but beach parties are an American tradition and need to be preserved for future generations.

Family Wedding in Mariposa

Travis Keller married Lennel Mendoza in Mariposa, California this week.  The wedding was attended by family members who traveled from as far away as Japan (Morgan and family) and Australia (Neal).  A Friday night reception was followed by an outside Saturday wedding at Carter Ranch.

Celebrating our 40th Anniversary

We spent three days and two nights at the St Regis at Dana Point.  We also enjoyed spending time at San Clemente and Laguna Beach.

40th Anniversary

                                                   August 4, 1973 - August 4, 2013

Return to Campfire Lodge

Our good friends, Bob and Toni Bowers, joined us for a vacation at the Campfire Lodge on the Madison River near West Yellowstone.  We vacationed together at this site approximately thirty years ago when our kids were toddlers.  On this trip, the fly-fishing was good as multiple rainbows and a cutthroat were netted -- with one measuring 19 inches!  We saw plenty of animal life including a big horn sheep, otters, and elk.  We enjoyed a day long trip to Jackson Hole near the Tetons, taking a boat on Jenny Lake to a destination where we embarked on a formidable climb

to see a remarkable waterfall.  We spent some time in West Yellowstone where we shopped and watched "Alaska" at the IMAX theater.  The weather ranged from warm to really cold, with hail falling in big chunks at one point.  Breakfast at the Campfire Lodge Cafe on the river was delicious as we were entertained by Osprey hunting for and securing trout for their young out of the river.  We'll be going again.

A Little Fellow Follows Me

I was cleaning out my garage and found a picture of a very young Ryan fishing with me on a dock many years ago.  Linked to this picture is a poem entitled, "A Little Fellow Follows Me" by the Grailer Society, Inc., and shared with me by the late Skip Rowland.

Father's Day, 2013

                                                               I'm a lucky guy.

San Diego

We enjoyed three days in San Diego doing what we like to do down there including shopping at Alpine, dining at Fred's, shopping the Gaslamp District, taking the Ferry to Coronado Island and biking to the Hotel Del, dining at the Fish Market, and visiting the San Diego Zoo.

Mother's Day, 2013

Two great grandmas (Cathy and Betty), a grandma (Gail), and two moms (Staci and Cassie) on hand for a Mother's Day pool party and barbeque. As the sign says, "Obey Mom."

Palm Desert Family Vacation

We enjoyed our annual family retreat to the desert spanning five days.  It's great getting the family together for fun in the sun (it averaged 95 degrees).  We barbequed steaks, spent lots of time at the pool, watched the NBA playoffs, napped, took walks, etc.  There are always plenty of things for the grandkids including billiards, a putting green, ping pong, a water slide and much more.

Spring Training

We spent a full week in the Scottsdale/Phoenix Arizona watching Spring Training.  The first half of the week, Glen and Anna stayed with us at the Kierlan Westin.  We attended four of nephew Parker Berberet's games, a catcher with the Milwaukee Brewers organization.  Aunt Yvonne and Uncle Billy traveled from Missouri for a game.  Brother Rich and Peggy then joined us as we followed their team, the world champion San Francisco Giants.  Spectacular sunsets were a good signal that Happy Hour had started!

Classic Car Auction

I made a solo run to Palm Springs this weekend to view the McCormick's Classic Car Auction at the Spa Hotel.  My dream cars are the Porsche 356 and the VW Vintage Microbus.  Of note was that Carol Channing was there, selling her classic car and bidding it farewell.

Pismo Beach Again

A favorite vacation spot is Pismo Beach on the central coast of California.  We spent four days and three nights there walking along the beach, dining, and relaxing.