Croatia, etc. Day #2 “Perfect First Day”

by reissmd, posted in Dubrovnik, Lokrum Island

Last night we settled into our hotel and then took a walk around the “Old Town”. This is a portion of Dubrovnik that is surounded by Medieval walls and has a number of historic buildings. The city dates back to the 7th Century and is an architectural gem. In 1979 it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of this portion of the city.

Yesterday we had been quite well fed during the day having stayed at the various airport lounges and receiving food on both airplanes. In addition we started the day with breakfast at home.

So last night we weren’t interested in dinner but we did have a yearning for some gelato. Patrice spoke to the concierge who recommended Gianni Ice Cream Shop (UI, kneza Damjana Jude bb, 20000, Dubrovnik. I know that doesn’t seem like a real address but Apple Maps used it and we found the place). Apparently the owner, Đani, previously worked at a Michelin star restaurant in Dubrovnik (“Restaurant 360”). I mention him not because of his association with this restaurant or the ice cream (which was terrific) but rather the unique first letter of his name. Đ is used in a variety of languages. It looks cool but would be a pain trying to print using a standard keyboard.

While trying to find the ice cream shop we passed at least 6 other ice cream or gelato stores. The only thing outnumbering these types of establishments in the Old Town were the number of ATM machines. We saw no less than 10 in about 2 blocks. Many places had two ATMs at the same location. Have these people not heard about credit cards?

This morning we awoke after sleeping well and headed down for breakfast. Sorry no pictures. I promise I will take some tomorrow. But I will say the offerings were plentiful and the quality was superb.

After breakfast we returned to Old Town and went to an exhibit of works by Salvador Dali. Seeing the works of a Spanish artist in Croatia makes total sense don’t you think? It was some of his water colors. A number of the pieces were just copies but we really enjoyed this brief activity. After that we ventured to Lokrum Island which is a short boat ride from Dubrovnik.  The island looks beautiful from the highway and the air (we saw it on our arrival from Frankfurt).  This area’s main attraction is the monastery where a great portion of the HBO show “Game of Thrones” was filmed.  I never watched the show.  Well that’s not totally accurate.  I did watch the first episode and when I saw a man’s head rolling down a hill before the opening credits I decided this is not my kind of program.  

The monastery was interesting. There was a line of people excited about taking their picture while seated on a throne that was apparently part of the set of the show. Being the lemmings that we are we had to follow suit. One thing you can tell from this picture is that the woman who took it is NOT a photographer. See below.

Hilarious picture. My hairy legs look like they are Patrice’s.

The island is inhabited by a large number of peacocks and peahens. They are very loud and the males are quite beautiful when looking for a mate.

Peacock in his mating pose. The only living being in front of him was a female tourist. Hmmm.

Next we decided to visit the Island fire station.  There we found Nino and Niko, two firefighters stationed on the island who shared stories with us. They told us about their jobs and I shared what I know about firefighters in Los Angeles.  They were extremely cordial and even gifted me one of their firefighter patches which says Vatrogasci Lokrum Dubrovnik (which means “Firefighters Lokrum Dubrovnik”). See below. 

Robert showing off his patch with his new BFFs, Niko (left) and Nino (right). 

At night we met our guide, Gabby, and the other travelers on the tour. We spent about 3 hours together and Patrice was very proud of me because I didn’t manage to alienate anyone. Oh well, there is always tomorrow.

Croatia, etc. Day #1 “On the Road Again”

by reissmd, posted in Croatia, Dubrovnik

Recently my days have been very busy trying to raise money for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. The Take Steps Walk was this past Sunday, June 2nd and the Team Reiss team members came through again. As of now they have raised about $115,000 with more still coming in. This is the most the team has ever raised and put us in a great position to next year bring the grand total to over $1,000,000. Our family, and millions of other sufferers, thank you. If you are interested in joining Team Reiss and making a donation, it is not too late. Here is the link.

Join me in helping end Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

https://takesteps.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/participant/TeamReiss

Here I am with my team co-captain, Patrice, at the walk sporting our Team Reiss sweatshirts (thank you Fayla for turning us on to the website where we bought them)

With the Take Steps Walk behind us, Patrice and I could get back to traveling. We are now on our way to Croatia. You might be asking why Croatia and I have to admit it was not our first choice. Originally we planned to go to Norway and Sweden.  The agent we contacted told us that the trip would be expensive because Scandinavia was much in demand with the lessening of travel restrictions enacted during the Covid pandemic.  Even that didn’t prepare us for the quote of $52,000 for a 2 week trip.  Apparently they didn’t realize we just planned to visit the countries.  We didn’t plan to buy them.  

So it’s off to Croatia we are.   Our travel company recommended we arrive at the airport 3 hours early for this international flight.  That seemed a bit excessive but Patrice suggested we even add another 30 minutes and leave 3 and a half hours before departure.  I told her “No way, I’m the man and I decide when we will leave”.  So we had our bags packed this morning and ready to head to the airport 3 AND ONE HALF hours prior to departure.  Patrice can be very scary at times so I do what I am told.

Turns out it was good we got an early start because the taxi was 10 minutes late.  I prefer a cab over Uber because they typically arrive early and know where they are going.  This driver was the exception, plus he didn’t help with our luggage and was on the phone the entire trip to the airport.  That wouldn’t have been so bad if he seemed to know where he was going.  We passed terminal 3 and we were still in the far left lane as we approached the Bradley International Terminal. Getting over to the right was an adventure in that we almost got hit by two different cars.  I don’t want to be melodramatic but, is about 8 inches from another car equivalent to almost getting hit?  

Once we arrived at the airport TSA security was also an adventure.  Prior to going through TSA security we needed to walk past what I assume was a bomb-sniffing dog.  We finally made it through security and after a short rest in the lounge we were ready to board. 

Our flight was on Lufthansa.  Did you see the recent Lufthansa landing at LAX?  If not, here’s the link. 

Not exactly what you want to see before boarding a Lufthansa flight

With that in mind I was a bit nervous about the flight. One of my patients, Barbara, works for Lufthansa and I told her that the video made me very uneasy about the flight.  Barbara reassured me and even contacted the flight purser, Vera, who welcomed us on the plane and assured us that our pilot was very capable.  

The flight was very smooth with a rare episode of mild turbulence.  I did have a problem getting the headphones out because they were stuck under the remote control. I tried everything I could think of to free the cord.  I then asked the flight attendant who couldn’t possibly weigh more than 110 lbs (oops I forgot we are heading to Europe, I meant 50 kg) and she popped it out like it was a child’s toy.  Oh well, bullied by my wife this morning, now shown up for my weakness by a flight attendant, this trip is off to a great start.  

Next it was time for some food.  The very sweet flight attendant offered me for a starter seared ahi (no, I like my food cooked), vegetarian (maybe), or veal.  When I heard that veal was being offered I jumped at it. I remembered back in 1990 when I was a doctor for the PAC 10 all star basketball team tour of Germany. We were greeted in a variety of cities and almost every night my pregnant wife and I were treated to veal. We were told they wanted us to experience an authentic German meal.  So I told the flight attendant that I’d have the veal, “It’s traditionally German, no?”   She replied “No, it’s a baby calf”. 

Landing in Frankfurt was smooth and we headed to the lounge because we had a 5 hour layover until our next flight. Patrice was able to get some sleep on the plane. She is my idol when it comes to being able to sleep. I, on the other hand, am a horrible sleeper. I was exhausted getting off the plane and was happy to see that the lounge had a sleep area. I headed there and found 1 of the 4 “beds” available. I made myself as comfy as possible and did manage to get about 30 minutes of sleep. There were 3 women in the other cots. One was snoring and another was coughing. It is amazing I got any sleep but what I did get gave me some renewed energy.

We then had a short flight from Frankfurt to Dubrovnik. The plane was not full and both of us had our own row. See below.

Patrice enjoying her own row.
And across the way, I had my own row.

The Dubronik airport had very few passengers when we arrived. Getting through customs was a breeze and at baggage claim I only saw people from our flight and our bags came out very quickly.

Recently we have had some problems with our guides meeting us at the airport. That was not the case today. We quickly found the guide with a Tauck Tour sign, met a few of our fellow travelers and then had a very comfortable bus ride to the hotel. The scenery on the way to the hotel was gorgeous. We are looking forward to starting the tour tomorrow. I hope you will join us for the ride.

Newport Beach “A Weekend in Paradise?”

by reissmd, posted in Newport Beach

As many of you know I have been volunteering at Homeboy Industries since 2020 removing tattoos from the formerly incarcerated and former gang members. Those close to me know I am passionate about this work and have done a number of things to improve the experience. I have read numerous articles about the process, canvassed a number of companies looking for suncreen samples (finally finding L’Oréal and their incredible representative Jan), and even flew to Tampa, Florida to spend time with a tattoo removal expert (thank you Loretta from https://erasablemedspa.com/). This weekend I am once again in search of help for the Homeboy Tattoo removal service.

Patrice and I were invited to attend an educational meeting sponsored by Cutera, the company who makes the laser machine I use at Homeboy. I went to a meeting sponsored by the company two years ago and made some great contacts who have been wonderful resources when it comes to treating my Homeboy patients (thanks once again, Loretta, and also to Shannon). I also tried to make inroads to getting a new machine donated to Homeboy. That is still a work in progress. Two years ago I was offered a new machine that sells for $250,000 for the bargain price of $225,000. I thanked the representative but told him that was about $225,000 more than I was hoping to spend. Unfortunately the prospect of making a tax deductible donation to a wonderful organization like Homeboy fell on deaf ears. I was hopeful that this year might be different. My previous representative is no longer with the company and the new rep offered me the same machine for $300,000. Hmmm, seems like we are going in the wrong direction with this project.

I sat through the Saturday morning meetings which mostly had to do with products for beautification. The talks were interesting but they were not the reason I came here. Finally we had a very brief talk about tattoo removal which was very helpful. Unfortunately it was much too short for my liking. I did manage to hook up with Steve from Cutera and he promised to get me some helpful information about the company’s machine and sounded much more encouraging about getting a new machine for Homeboy. I showed him a cool magic trick and promised to teach him how it is done once our new machine gets delivered (now that would be some real magic).

Patrice wasn’t very interested in the talks but she did manage to make appearances for breakfast, lunch, and the Saturday evening cocktail hour (actually 2 hours) at which there was ample food for a dinner. We met some great people. In addition to a number of very friendly Cutera employees we met some other interesting attendees. Jill and Celine from Fresh Start in San Diego (https://www.freshstart.org/). I had not heard of their non-profit but they also remove tattoos helping people change their life paths. We shared stories and realized that we have many common experiences with our work.

We also met Dr. Judy Bourget and her co-worker Natasha. Dr. B had a lot of helpful hints about tattoo removal and how we might get some up to date equipment. She also had some great ideas of about how to have a good time.

Patrice and me with our new BFF, Dr. Bourget.

During the cocktail party we noted that Dr. B was not around. She later arrived having just had a sample treatment with one of the Cutera machines called “Tru Flex”. Apparently a 15 treatment with the machine is the equivalent of doing 50,000 sit-ups. The thought of doing that many sit-ups makes me want to take a nap. Dr. B said she was a skeptic at first but found the machine invigorating. She told us more appointments were available with a variety of the Cutera products. Patrice was interested in a treatment with the Cutera Secret RF which apparently can reduce wrinkles and rejuvenate your skin. With that in mind we went in search of a place to sign up for a demo. Patrice signed up but I was not interested because it meant they were going to put needles in my face. I am old and don’t want any needles in my face trying to make me look younger. But to support my wife I agreed to sign up too. On further questioning Patrice uses a facial cream that prevents her from getting the treatment. I was too embarassed to back out so I agreed to proceed but made her promise she would hold my hand if I got scared.

Here is a picture of me before the treatment.

A friendly soul looking forward to a new experience.

Here is a picture of me after getting numbing cream applied.

Greased up and ready for the grill.

Here is a picture of me during the treatment.

What you can’t see in the picture is me clutching Patrice’s hand for support.

This is me post treatment.

Facial redness to match my shirt.

I am told it will take 8-12 weeks to see the full effect of the treatment. I look forward to looking 30 again, very soon.

Looking forward to your blog comments. Remember if you subscribe all you need to do to comment is reply to the email.

Our next trip is coming up very soon when we travel to …………..

North Carolina Baby Visit Day #3 “Bye, Bye, Baby”

by reissmd, posted in Wilmington, North Carolina

We woke early and checked out of the hotel so we could drop Erica off at a meeting spot. She was to be picked up by the bride and groom to whom we are very grateful for bringing our daughter so much closer to us. Much to my surprise I didn’t cry when we said our goodbyes.

After dropping Erica off we headed to ILM (Wilmington, NC airport) our flight home (via Charlotte) and of course it was not a surprise to learn the flight was delayed. At least I had time to write the final entry to my blog for this trip. As usual I like to send some photos of some things that interested me.

Our flight attendant on our flight from LAX to Charlotte gave Patrice this note prior to landing.
On arrival we saw this in the hotel elevator. I suppose you can never have too much toilet paper.
I am not a beer drinker but I don’t recall seeing anyone hawking warm beer for sale.
Grant Wood’s “American Gothic” with a touch of Italy.
Do you think Leonardo would be upset about this gelato addition to his work?
I hate when I roll my ankle.
As tempting as it was to see Alexander Hamilton’s hair we passed on going to the Museum of the Bizarre.

And finally this sign we saw in the Wilmington, NC airport reminding us we were not in Los Angeles.

Do you really need a warning sign to tell you this?

That’s all for this trip. Thank you for all the comments. I really love reading them.

P.S. Eight hour delay for our flight to depart Charlotte for LAX. But we are home and safe.

North Carolina Baby Visit Day #2 “Let’s Get Outside!”

by reissmd, posted in Wilmington, North Carolina

We planned a lovely series of outdoor activities for Day #2 in North Carolina with our daughter. Unfortunately the weather didn’t cooperate and brought us a rainy day. Weather would not stand in our way and out we went to explore Wilmington, NC.

First on the menu was a visit to the Airlie Gardens [300 Airlie Rd, Wilmington, NC 28403]. We tried to head there yesterday but arrived just after closing. Today we were not to be denied.

The Gardens were beautiful. Unfortunately the tram was not running but the rain clouds were. The main attraction at the gardens is the Bottle Chapel. It is made of discarded bottles and cement. It has a wooden and metal frame and measures 17 x 17 feet. LA people might think it looks like a mini version of our Watts Towers. See below.

Bottle Chapel at the Airlie Gardens in Wilmington, N.C. Selfie of Patrice and me with one of our favorite photograpers.

We also visited the Butterfly House. This got us out of the rain but we only saw a few butterflies .

Western Giant Swallowtail who lives in the Butterfly House.

The gardens also had a number of gorgeous flowers and other forms of vegetation.

Beautiful to the eye and to the nose: Jasmine
The lovely but poisonous Foxglove. Source of the medicine we call Digitalis.

Then Erica spotted this critter in a lake.

A turtle swimming about and occasionally checking us out.

After the gardens we headed to one our favorite travel activities, A FOOD TOUR.

We had a little trouble finding the starting point when the link in the confirmation email sent us to a location about 15 miles from where we were supposed to be. One phone call and a great GPS got us to the tour just about 1 minute late. After apologies to the other participants we were on our way.

First stop was Prost Biergarten [115 S Front St, Wilmington, NC 28401] where we had a potato pancake (or a latke as my brethren would say). It was outstanding. It was served with a tiny glass of beer which I loved. Yes, I drank some beer.

Potato pancake, with some sour cream, apple sauce, and a small glass of beer. Seconds after this picture was taken, all were located in my stomach.

Next we headed to Beer Barrio [34 N Front St, Wilmington, NC 28401] for Mexican food. Living in Southern California has convinced me that people outside our region don’t know what good Mexican food is. I couldn’t imagine anyone in North Carolina knowing how to make decent Mexican food. I was wrong, this place served us a wonderful “Pulled Pork Soft Taco”. It was also accompanied by a small glass of beer which I again drank (yes, 2 small beers in the same day).

Pulled pork tacos. Also notice the small glasses of beer.
They also offered a vegetarian taco for those wanting to avoid meat. I didn’t try this one but I heard it was great.

Next we were off to Savorez Latin Cuisine [402 Chestnut St #4026, Wilmington, NC 28401] where we were served a tostada with seared tuna with a margarita. Neither are my favorites and I only tasted them. Erica said they were good so I will leave it at that.

Tostada and a margarita. You might like it but it was yuck to me.

We next went to Floriana [2 Market St, Wilmington, NC 28401] where they served us Arancini, (a fried risotto ball) and a glass of red wine. Sorry I didn’t take a picture of either. I think the beers were starting to get to me. I didn’t care for the wine but did like the risotto.

For dessert we headed to Gelarto [18 S Water St STE 5, Wilmington, NC 28401]. We had delicious gelato there. I had the rum raisin again. Again? Yes, we went there yesterday after our river tour. Sorry no picture of the gelato but I did find this pasted to the door of the establishment.

Didn’t think I would see this in North Carolina.

After the tour we talked about going across the river to see the USS North Carolina but being cold, wet, and under the influence of beer we decided to go back to the hotel and take a nap. I know, I am boring.

Tomorrow we head for home, and say good bye to Erica. Vegas odds are 70% saying that I will cry. I won’t comment.

North Carolina Baby Visit Day #1 “Why We Travel”

by reissmd, posted in Wilmington, North Carolina

Today we headed to Wilmington to see our daughter, Erica. That is Wilmington, North Carolina not Wilmington, California, Ohio, or Delaware. Last year, Erica told us she planned to go to North Carolina for a friend’s wedding. How could we pass up an easy opportunity to see our baby?

Someone asked me if I planned to blog about this trip. I replied, “Blogging is my only reason for traveling these days”. That was a joke of course but traveling has become so stressful a lot of the fun has been taken out of it. For example they ask you to arrive 2 hours early for a domestic flight and 3 hours ahead of departure for international travel. That alone is enough to discourage you. My friend, Mike, offered to take us to the airport and traffic was crazier than usual. It was so bad that if I said I owe MIke one, I would be lying. I owe him two.

So we flew into Wilmington, North Carolina last night and this morning got to see our girl.

The three of us walked around the town a bit and took an uneventful boat tour on part of the Cape Fear river. Our guide told us that the movie entitled “Cape Fear” supposedly took place in this area. The movie makers took some poetic license since the picture was actually filmed in Georgia and Florida. As you can tell from the sign below, this tour did not have me in mind.

When a tour’s main drawing point is a “Full Bar” it might not be my kind of attraction.

But let’s get to what the followers of this blog really want, PICTURES OF FOOD! Patrice found a great restaurant called “Flying Machine Oyster Bar” [530 Causeway Dr T-1, Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480 (910) 239-9474]. Knowing how much I like to drink, doesn’t this seem like my kind of place? We were told they were known for their fish which is something I do like.

Our waiter, Anthony, gave us a run down of what to expect from the variety of dishes. Monday night they have a special of raw oysters for $1 each. Erica wanted to try one. We asked Anthony if there was a minimum we could order and he said no. But there was a maximum. We could only order 36 or less. I think we could safely stay under that maximum since neither Patrice nor I wanted any. We ordered 4 and when they arrived I have to say I was intrigued. As you might know I am not into sushi. I like my food dead and cooked so for me to give raw oysters a try was a real adventure. See below.

Four raw oysters waiting for me to say yes.

I saw Erica eat one so I had to give it a try. I have to admit, it was not bad. Actually it was quite good. I would have had more but we had lots of yummy stuff on the way. I ordered the Shrimp and Grits. I have a rule, never order Shrimp and Grits above the Mason Dixon Line. We are well south of that demarcation so I had at it.

Shrimp and Grits were delicious.

Patrice and Erica shared an entree (Lobster Mac and Cheese) and an appetizer (Pork Wings). I found the idea of pork wings especially interesting since I never knew pigs could fly.

Pork wings. They were spectacular (I had to try one).
Lobster Mac and Cheese. I tried this too. I better go to the gym.

Many thanks to our server, Anthony, who made sure we didn’t make any errors with our order.

Two of my favorite women, Erica and Patrice (love you too Lindsay), with our new friend Anthony.

Like I said I better hit the gym to work off some of those calories (I failed to tell you about the gelato we had earlier in the day). Actually, I think I will lie down until my gym urge passes.

See you tomorrow when they are predicting an 85% chance of rain. Ugh.

Here Comes the Sun, There Goes the Sun, Day #3 “D-Day”

by reissmd, posted in Dallas

Well today was the day I’d been waiting for since August 21, 2017.  As I posted 2 days ago that day in 2017 our family had traveled to Nashville to see a solar eclipse only to be disappointed as clouds blocked our view just seconds before totality.  This time had to be different, didn’t it?  Maybe not, below is what I saw on my phone this morning.  

Clouds predicted to arrive between 10 AM to 2 PM. The eclipse totality was to be at 1:40 PM. No! No! No!

In addition, the morning had an ominous start when our daughter called to tell us that her baby and her husband both had a night filled with major gastrointestinal misery.  Next I saw Patrice headed to the bathroom with her own GI trauma.  Being the good husband, father, father-in-law, and grandfather that I am I said “damn with the eclipse I’m staying with my family.”  Well that’s not exactly correct.  I did say the part about staying with my family but I didn’t mean my sick travel partners but rather my son, David’s family.  So I gave the car key to Patrice put myself in David and Robyn’s hands (actually their car) and headed west in search of clear skies.  

We stopped in a parking lot in Arlington nearby where the Dallas Cowboys (NFL) and Texas Rangers (MLB) play. We were unable to get into their parking lots but did find a place close by that was essentially empty. We did see some other eclipse chasers and we all waited for the big moment. Unfortunately about 15 minutes into our wait a security guard ambled by and said you cannot park here for the eclipse. We saw a few of the other travelers leave but Robyn headed to the guard to have a chat. I should have warned that guy that he was overmatched but instead I decided to just watch her do her handiwork. Sure enough about 10 minutes later I saw the thumbs up sign that we were good to stay put.

The security guard might not have been a match for Robyn but mother nature proved to be too much for us. As the moon began to encroach on our view of the sun, clouds started to gather nearby. The masterminds (David and Robyn) huddled and it was decided to move further west (or was it east? I don’t really know, I was just glad to have a ride). We next found ourselves in this unlikely location.

Interesting combination, Jewels and Firearms.

We started to view again and were even joined by a couple of employees from the store. They had no problem with us taking a parking space and I finally felt like I could relax. The eclipse was progressing nicely with about 95% of the process completed. But David and Robyn had concerns about the clouds and again we off to seek clear skies. At this point I was starting to get a bit concerned. We were very close to the moment of totality and we were in the car. Robyn was doing her best to get us to a good spot and David was doing his best navigating. We made a stop which I though would be our last but seconds later we were back in the car. Time was precious so I said all clear even though I had not had time to put on my seat belt. Robyn was flying down the highway and I tried to grab the seatbelt while holding on as tight as I could to the seat. This proved to be a hopeless effort but I am happy to report I didn’t not soil myself but I did come close.

We finally stopped in a parking lot and had a small area of clear skies and we saw it! Yes we saw the total solar eclipse. It was spectacular. It exceded my imagination and made all the efforts worthwhile. I have to thank David and Robyn because without their efforts I would not have been able to see it.

David was especially helpful in explaining different phenomena associated with the eclipse. I was so proud listening to him explain all the things thinking what a smart son I have. I also was very proud of me becuase I actually understood what he was saying. Well, to be honest, not all the time. But my 15 year old grandson, Owen, did. David pointed out that we would be able to see a sunset in all directions during the eclipse. Here is a video I took of that moment,

I have done it. A life goal has been achieved. And at my age who knows how many more oppoturnities I would have had. I can check this one off my list and move on. Of course what about doing it again August 12, 2026 in Spain? Why not!

Here Comes the Sun, There Goes the Sun, Day #2. “Eclipse Eve”

by reissmd, posted in Dallas

Today was a wonderful day. First I have to tell you that this hotel has been very unimpressive. We are staying at the Dallas Marriott Suites Medical/Market Center. We started our day with a mediocre breakfast at the hotel. It was a buffet that makes a Residence Inn breakfast seem like a feast. Prior to that I worked out in the gym which was more like a sauna. When we got back from our day in the city, the rooms had not been serviced. Unlikely this place will get any reservations from followers of my blog.

Then it was off to tour the city. Our daughter-in-law Robyn always does a great job arranging tours when we travel. She set up today’s tour. Much of it included the area around where John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Having been an early teen on November 22, 1963, it is still hard for me to be taken back to that fateful day. I could feel myself getting tearful talking about it.

The highway is marked at the two locations where Kennedy was shot. Maybe I am just too sensitive but it irked me to see people taking selfies or posing at the two spots. One genius even had his picture taken while lying down in the middle of the highway. Just to be clear this is an active and busy highway. It reminded me of when we were at the 9/11 Memorial in New York and the Atomic bomb memorial in Hiroshima. How people can treat these locations like tourist sights is beyond me. These areas are meant to honor the dead not be an amusement park like Disneyland. Sorry if I am ranting a bit.

After the tour we were off to lunch. Robyn knew what great BBQ fans Patrice and I are so she suggested we eat at Terry Black’s BBQ (3025 Main St, Dallas, TX 75226). This place has the reputation of being the best BBQ in Dallas. When we arrived there was a line beyond belief. See below.

This is only part of the line,.

Our daughter, Lindsay, made it clear that this was not a place that she could wait with her 2 year old. I was so glad to hear her say that because my back started to ache just looking at the line. But thanks to our ever resourceful daughter-in-law, Robyn, we were saved. She found out the the line outside was for the BAR! So glad to learn they love their guns AND their liquor in Dallas. Robyn got us a table, so we entered the restaurant and had a meal beyond my ability to describe. We were joined by Patrice’s cousin Paula and her husband Tim. See the picture below.

The Reiss Clan in Dallas at Terry Black’s BBQ

After lunch we went back to the hotel to relax by the pool. Catch a glimpse of Patrice and me relaxing at the pool. I asked someone to take our picture but clearly they aren’t very proficient at using a phone camera. See below.

Tomorrow is the big day. If the skies look anything like today I will be saying, “Looking forward to Spain August 12, 2026”.

Here Comes the Sun, There Goes the Sun, Day #1. “Why Me?”

by reissmd, posted in Dallas

I’ve been waiting for this day since August 2017.  Back then we traveled to Nashville to see the total eclipse of the sun. Followers of this blog might recall that the weather has not always cooperated with my travel plans.  Fog prevented us seeing a crater in Costa Rica.  That wasn’t nearly as upsetting as going to Brazil to see the Christ the Redeemer statue only to be limited to viewing from the waist down again due to fog.  But probably the most frustrating was Nashville in August 2017 when we went to see the total eclipse of the sun.  We were having a great time as the sun/moon moved toward totality.  With the sun approximately 98%, covered clouds crept in front and blocked our view of the big event.  This was especially upsetting because one of my friends decided in the last minute to make the trip.  He couldn’t get a room in Nashville because of his last minute decision.  Instead he was outside of town and saw the eclipse perfectly. 

We decided to give it another try this time. Our son, David, is also going to attend with his family.  Our daughter Lindsay is traveling with her family as well.  The big moment is Monday April 8th.  So to play it safe we reserved tickets to Dallas on a Saturday 9 AM flight.  We didn’t want to take a chance that anything might happen on Sunday preventing us from getting to Dallas in time.  The night before our Saturday departure we were notified that our flight was going to be delayed and we would be leaving at 1:00 pm instead.  This was particularly upsetting since we would be traveling with our 2 year old grandson who has a very regimented schedule.  We did some whining about the change but finally became adjusted to the new departure time when we were notified that the plane would leave at 2:00.  Hmmm, then a few minutes later it was changed to 2:30.  What horrible thing did I do to deserve this?

Luckily we did take off at 2:30 and had a smooth flight to Dallas.  Arrival and getting to the hotel was relatively painless (if traveling with a 2 year old can ever be painless, no matter how cute he is).  So we are settled in our abode and trying to decompress after a very stressful day.  Sorry, no pictures of food or anything else today.  But I will leave you with a description  of a billboard  we saw off the freeway.  It was an advertisement and read “14 Acres of Guns and Gear.  You are in NRA Texas”.   Needless to say, we will be leaving shortly after the eclipse. 

The Keys to Enjoyment Day #4: “Heading Home”

by reissmd, posted in Florida Keys, Key Largo

First of all thank you for the comments to yesterday’s post. I really hate to think I am writing to no one so all the comments yesterday really warmed my heart. Making a comment is very easy. If you are a subscriber to the blog you should receive an email. If you simply reply to that email it gets posted as a comment.

Another great trip has ended.  We had a wonderful time exploring the Keys.  I’m sure we would come here often if we lived in the east or a nearby cold climate. Luckily we live in paradise so I don’t think we will plan to come here again in the near future.  

Although it was a fun trip there was one thing I need to warn you about.  Being a bit humid here (not overwhelming in March) makes it a haven for mosquitoes.  Unfortunately the critters seem to love me.  Next time I’ll remember to bring insect repellent.  

There were other interesting things about the trip:  

In Key West there were chickens and roosters all over the place.  No one gave us an answer why they were there. They were numerous and they were loud. 

One of many roosters.
Another hanging out by a food truck.
Here is one in a tree.

Back at the hotel if you don’t want to be disturbed you put this on your room door handle. 

Is this supposed to mean “Do not disturb, I’m in the process of hanging myself”?

Okay here is the trip quiz. 

Does anyone know the name of this fruit? It was very tasty,.

Speaking of tasty, I saw this in Key West. 

I spent the rest of our trip trying to convince Patrice that they were referring to me.

And lastly, I loved this sign on one of the many bars we saw in Key West. 

Thank you so much for all your comments. If you enjoy the blog feel free to share it with friends and family. You won’t have to wait long for my next post.

Saturday we leave for ………………