Mike and Beth's Adventures

Beth on the Park Dock in Prevost Harbor on Stuart Island After 50 years I returned to Stuart Island.   In the early 1970’s I tagged along with Lee and Lorraine Sims and their extended family in a 3-boat convoy to the San Juan Islands.   I had not seen or visited this wonderland until they invited me along.   That trip was the moment I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest.   On this trip we are visiting some of the spots at which we stopped on that initial exploration.    Mike on the Park Dock at Reid Harbor.  Amy Marie in the background. The Reid Harbor dinghy dock A shore side campsite with Amy Marie in the distance As we have more time to linger on this trip, many more locations will be found, explored and enjoyed.   The beauty which originally captivated my imagination is still present.   Just this morning we awoke to a family of otters playing in the water and on a nearby dock.   Yesterday a deer casually walked by us as we sat ea...

Nashville Skyline Illuminated highway across the Cumberland Paddlewheel Tour Boat visits Nashville Eating our way around Nashville Acme Feed & Seed A popular Nashville location We did a food tour while in Nashville. This is a great way to get to know a city Our first stop was at Merchants A multi story building right on Broadway Our food tour took us to this breakfast and lunch venue I even purchased some pastries for the next morning We tasted various whiskeys at this spot After the food tour we took a nap as we had a concert that evening But before the nap, we had to have ice cream. This spot has great ice cream! My favorite flavor was Bourbon and Pecan We ate lunch at the Frothy Monkey courtesy of a good friend How we start the day Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame is worth visiting All sorts of memorabilia is on display  The Original Grand Ole Opry was the venue for the John Prine Memorial Concert It is now called Ryman Auditorium and continues as a ...

Chicago! There is nothing like the experience of approaching a major city from the water.  The skyline gradually comes into view on the horizon. It is similar to raising the curtain on a much anticipated theater performance.  You move closer until it's full majesty fills center stage and you just know this is going to be one terrific show as the city gleams in the light. Chicago's opening act was welcoming and peaked our excitement as we speculated on what adventures and experiences awaited.   Touring Chicago with Dick and Emily Our friends Dick and Emily met us at the boat.  We had not seen them in several years and, as they were locals, we looked forward to touring the city with their guidance.  One of the first stops, after a quick overview of the town, was a Greek restaurant for lunch. We then visited a French Market Chicago's Union Train Station Union Station had recently been remodeled.  The architectural details were impressive   Clearly th...