Schedule For Future Adventures - 2010

Having fun is a lot of work. It also demands a fair amount of planning to maximize the fun and avoid the pitfalls that can ruin a good time. We are hard at work on our next adventures and I though you would be interested in what we are doing. Some of these adventures are pretty much locked in and others are still being explored as possible adventures.

March 23 - Topeka, Kansas

I know that many of you are thinking "whoopedo....Topeka". Give Topeka a chance. We will be visiting Cedar Crest, the historical Governor's Mansion, having lunch at the Great Overland Railroad Station, the Kansas State Capitol Building, and the Charles Curtis house. Charles was the only Native American to serve as the Vice President of the US. We will learn lots about Kansas and hopefully have some good photo opportunities.

April 17 - Independence Table Tennis Tournament

I am the Tournament Director for this tournament. We have run this tournament twice a year for the last three years to generate income for our club and to provide a playing opportunity for all players in the Midwest. We should have about 45 players for the one-day tournament.

April 18 - Wamego Kansas Tulip Festival

I will probably be mentally and physically exhausted after putting on the tournament, but we don't get to pick the day that Wamego shows off it's tulips. Driving into the Kansas hinterland isn't real exciting but we hope the festival is fun. As you might expect, there should be plenty of tulip photos on the blog if the weather is good.

June 23 - "Flowers and More Flowers"

This is a bus trip that Edel DeMaria and Sigrid will take to several flower gardens and historic homes around Topeka, Kansas. The trip is a function planned by Edel's Garden Club and Summit Seniors Trips (a service of The Bank of Lee's Summit). I am not making this trip. I will be over my annual quota for trips to Topeka and the State of Kansas by this time.

Other Possibilities Under Consideration

We have been talking about a trip to the Amana Colonies in Iowa for the last several years. this may be the time to do it. We may also turn it into a longer driving trip to Wisconsin and Michigan while we are at it. Sigrid hasn't been to either of these states before so this would be another step towards our goal of visiting all 50 states. All that would be left for us would be the Northeastern states and we could wrap that up in one good driving trip next year.

We are also looking hard at a nice cruise. Australia/New Zealand has been our favorite for some time, but we just got an offer from Holland America to cruise on their new ship for 24 days in the Mediterranean at a great price. I am having a hard time passing this one up. The dollar has improved against the Euro and there may never be a better time to cruise with all the rate cuts being offered. The cruise starts in Venice and ends in Barcelona. Along the way, they stop in Dubrovnik, Corfu, Olympia, Athens, Istanbul, Mykonos, Santorini, Messina, Rome, Florence/Pisa, and Monte Carlo. This one trip covers about every place we would want to go in the Mediterranean. Now that's an adventure.

More later as we make decisions.