Travel History

- Hover over any trip to read a short memory.

---Click to explore full stories and photos.

📄 Just getting started...    ✅ Page mostly finished

📄 Overview As you can see, until 1992, I had neither desire
nor financial means to go places...
📄 1968-02 California Last minute reprieve from Michigan winter Boot Camp
📄 1971-06 London My first Europe Trip - via TWA brand new 747
📄 1971-06 Paris If you're travelling to London, you gotta continue to Paris, right?
📄 1971-07 Mallorca Spain Had no idea that everything shut down at 2pm, then 3-hour dinners at 6pm.
📄 1992‑01 St. Lucia A spontaneous escape to St. Lucia offered sun, beaches, and a break from work life.
📄 1997‑05 Asheville Chimney Rock Raleigh is equidistance to Mountains and Beach -- this was a mountain getaway and the first with Tracey
📄 1997‑10 Mini‑honeymoon A short Western NC getaway — Biltmore, Hickory — celebrating my marriage to Tracey.
📄 1998‑01 Curt’s 50th Birthday Tracey planned a mountain retreat to celebrate my 50th — reflection, gratitude, and joy.
📄 1998-10 Visiting Maryland Just a getaway - not knowing we'd be moving there in 2000.
📄 2001‑01 Catalina 36 MkII Purchase Annapolis is a sailing town, so we had to have our own sailboat, right. Wind vs engine lessons coming.
📄 2001‑10 Ormond Beach FL family vacation A sunny family getaway filled with beach walks, warm weather, and shared downtime.
📄 2002‑01 Los Angeles CA We were in SoCal for Navy - so we visited Moe Family in LA
📄 2002‑05 Lancaster PA Family visit A family trip to Lancaster and Hershey brought everyone together to celebrate Katherine’s early years.
📄 2002‑08 Seattle WA Family visit A Pacific Northwest visit filled with family connection and cool coastal air.
📄 2002‑10 Cruise Ship Norway Cruise We rarely do Cruises, this one was celebrating Tracey's Birthday
📄 2003‑01 Carl Moe 80th Birthday Tracey's dad - one of the best men I've been lucky to know.
📄 2003‑05 Camden Yards Orioles Orioles home park - one of the best in all major league baseball
📄 2003‑06 Lancaster Visit A family celebration in Lancaster filled with joy, photos, and shared history.
📄 2003‑07 Cape May Fam visit A return to your childhood hometown — nostalgia, familiar streets, and quiet coastal beauty.
📄 2003‑07 Catalina Getaway Seeing how your sailboat was built deepened your appreciation for craftsmanship and engineering.
📄 2003‑07 Williamsport w Tommy Mazie - dad's older sister always welcomed his kids like they were her own
📄 2003‑08 Charleston Vacation A Southern coastal loop filled with history, architecture, and great food.
📄 2003-09 Hurricane Isabel & Tracey 30th HS Reunion Growing up 5-blocks from the Atlantic, I never thought of a Hurricane off the Chesapeake Bay..
📄 2003‑09 Jacksonville Vacation Jax is one of the few Florida cities I'd live in, but only if I had to be in FL.
📄 2003-09 Tracey 30 HS Reunion Tracey had a ball - I took the photos.
📄 2003‑11 Panama City Beach A Thanksgiving spent on Florida’s Gulf Coast — sun, sand, and family connection.
📄 2004‑01 Key West Navy Function A Navy assignment turned tropical escape — duty blended with Key West’s laid‑back charm.
📄 2004‑02 Cabo San Lucas A sun‑soaked getaway filled with ocean views, warm weather, and relaxation.
📄 2004-02 Hemingway & Butterfly House Key West and Hemingway - inseparable.
📄 2004‑03 Annapolis Tour After living there 4-years, we took the tour like we were on vacation
📄 2004-08 Colorado Springs USAF Navy visit to USAF Academy and Pike's Peak
📄 2004‑10 Outer Banks Family Vacation A coastal escape with beach time, relaxation, and family fun.
📄 2004-12 Christmas in DC DC was extraordinary (yeah, quiet) - and we got an Executive Suite
📄 2005‑01 Puerto Vallarta Family Vacation A resort vacation with the boys and their girlfriends — sun, ocean, and laughter.
📄 2005‑01 Sayulita Pure laid back times...
📄 2006-05 SoCarolina to Orlando Say something...
📄 2006-06 Fam Gathering in Barnegat Pool party and Karl-Phyllis Wedding
📄 2006-08 Great Sand Dunes NP Sand as far as you can see...
📄 2006-08 Seattle A bunch of guys were retiring...
📄 2006-08 White Mountain Nat'l Forest Phenomenal place for a hike...
📄 2005-03 Derby City Motorcycles - Harley Upgrade Derby City - yes, Kentucky. Fun camping along the way.
📄 2005-10 Victoria & West Coast BC Canada Beautiful place where I'd love living. Surprisingly warm in winter.
📄 Mary John Wedding - Cape May Mary and John at Congress Hall.
📄 2006‑02 Bagaces Another lovely outpost of Puerto Vallarta
📄 2006‑07 Pacific Norwest Getaway Probably an extended visit after Navy function
📄 2006‑10 Columbia & St. Louis, MO Yeah, we did the Arch and everything nearby
📄 2006‑10 Lake Tahoe Glenbrook I had not been in Tahoe since 1979 - Tracey's friend got us a free casino suite
📄 2006‑10 Mount Shasta, CA Big time Washington Mountain and National Park
📄 2006‑10 Orlando, FL A spontaneous road trip blending coastal Carolina charm with Orlando fun.
📄 2006‑10 Salt Lake City, UT Visiting a handful of National and State Parks, again
📄 2006‑10 Steamboboat Springs, CO A special town with Hot Springs - yep, better than my home hot tup
📄 2007‑10 Banff, AB Family Vacation Spectacular scenery and over 2,000 photos — a breathtaking immersion into the Canadian Rockies.
📄 2007‑10 Calgary, AB Tracey’s Sweet Adelines competition — music, pride, and international excitement.
📄 2007‑11 Ojai, CA Visit Visited on our way to Santa Barbara - Moved there in 2019
📄 2008‑06 Branson, MO Vacation Had to do Lake of the Ozarks - Branson Theaters
📄 2008‑06 Nashville, TN Visiting Tennessee - can't miss Nashville
📄 2008‑10 Hawaii (Big Island) Volcanic landscapes, beaches, and the energy of the Ironman competition.
📄 2008‑10 Hawaii (Maui) Taj Wedding Taj and Hollie’s wedding — a joyful family milestone in paradise. Beaches to write home about.
📄 2009‑06 Montreal Canada Family Vacation Especially Mont Tremblant - just spectacular
📄 2011‑04 Bali, Indonesia Our first Bali trip — connecting with Bill’s girls’ orphanages and schools.
📄 2011‑04 San Francisco, CA A cultural stop exploring Bali‑inspired exhibits and Southeast Asian art.
📄 2011‑04 Singapore visit A short visit of Singapore’s modern skyline, global culture, and vibrant streets.
📄 2011‑11 Isla Mujeres A most beautiful island off the coast of Cancun
📄 2012‑02 Leu Gardens Orlando Incredibly kept Garden - far away from CrazyDisney Crowds
📄 2014‑01 Charlotte, NC Trip with Will to visit the NFL's Carolina Panthers - and they won!
📄 2014 Cabo San Lucas Ah, the islands
📄 2015‑01 Puerto Vallarta family & girlfriends A warm, lively Mexico trip filled with ocean warmth. We took the boys *and* their girlfriends. Wild.
📄 2015‑05 Saint Michaels weekend visit Took our boat across the bay: Annapolis to St Michaels - only about 4-hours!
📄 2015‑08 Ace of Diamonds Mine Not as fun as it sounds, digging for diamonds in the hot sun. Not again.
📄 2015‑08 Hubbard Park Montpelier Fantastic unique stone buildings in Vermont
📄 2015‑08 Syracuse NY Tracey’s childhood home Great joy for Tracey to visit after decades away.
📄 2015‑10 Adirondack Park, NY Brilliant autumn colors and peaceful mountain scenery.
📄 2015-10 Vermont Fall Foliage So spectacular - learned that Subaru is more trusted than BMW.
📄 2015‑10 Brattleboro, VT More Vermont - I think this is where the Mercedes high pressure gas pump failed.
📄 2015‑10 Burlington, VT Small‑town charm, lake views, and crisp fall air.
📄 2015‑10 Montpelier, VT Historic streets, cozy cafés, and beautiful autumn scenery.
📄 2016‑02 Costa Rica Villas Sol Brother Karl had a friend with a B&B - more isolated than you can imagine. With Electrical Problems.
📄 2016‑02 Guanacaste, Costa Rica Warm beaches, tropical landscapes, and peaceful days in Guanacaste.
📄 2016‑08 Newport & Depoe Bay, OR Finally retired, this was one of our early destinations...visiting Taj
📄 2016‑08 West Virginia This state deserves more attention - beautiful landscapes everywhere.
📄 2016‑09 Annapolis to Carpinteria deliver RAV to Taj We just bought two Subarus - Legacy for me, Outback for Tracey. So, RAV to Taj.
📄 2017‑01 Indian Rocks Beach Another winter escape to Florida - this one had a late hurricane hit our town. Exciting.
📄 2017‑08 Total Eclipse of the Sun Total Eclipse of the Sun 2-min 28-sec AWESOME experience!!!
📄 2017‑09 Chicago, IL This was part of my 2017 Road Trip: Annapolis to Great Lakes
📄 2017‑09 Duluth, MN Minnesota in the Fall - before the COLD comes. Beautiful.
📄 2017‑09 Lambeau Field (Green Bay) Part of the Great Lakes Road Trip - Lambeau is home to most of the NFL History.
📄 2017‑09 Madison, WI Freedom From Religion Foundation - Annual Meeting and cool town. Might live there someday.
📄 2017‑09 Thunder Bay, ON Air B&B Surprise - had to take a Ferry to get to the property. Very friendly place.
📄 2017‑10 Palm Springs, CA One of the most upscale towns in SoCal - out in the middle of a desert.
📄 2017‑10 Costa Rica Return to Costa Rica
📄 2018‑03 Charleston, SC History, architecture, and great food — part of your Southern coastal loop.
📄 2018‑03 Escape Winter 2018 Another too-cold day in March. "I'm heading south until I get to 72º"
📄 2018‑03 Savannah, GA Historic squares, Spanish moss, and Southern charm.
📄 2018‑03 St. Augustine, FL America’s oldest city — history, architecture, and coastal beauty.
📄 2018‑03 Wash Nationals Training Camp Tracey flew into Orlando, so we went to West Palm Beach to enjoy Spring Training - our first.
📄 2018‑10 Hawaii Week 1 Big Island Volcanic landscapes, ocean views, and warm tropical days.
📄 2018‑10 Hawaii Week 2 Maui We had HGVC points to burn - getting away for Tracey birthday, as usual
📄 2018‑11 Cape May Thanksgiving A nice holiday return to family in childhood hometown.
📄 2018‑11 Hilton Head Island, SC Hilton Head is our #1 Favorite place in South Carolina
📄 2019-01 Caribbean Cruise (Miami, Roatan, Cozumel) So nice to be At-Sea without any watches. Warm breezes 7x24. Grand.
📄 2019‑01 Cruise Miami Mexico Belize 7‑days This cruise was so nice...and less than $60/day - no single supplement.
📄 2019‑01 Lutz FL The AirBnB in Tampa was a wreck, so they sent me to Lutz - a clothing optional resort. OMG
📄 2019‑11 Yosemite Bass Lake, CA USA Another National Park - this one now close to Ojai where we moved post-retirement
📄 2021‑06 Barstow Yermo, CA Spent the night here on the way to Vegas - excellent golf courses
📄 2021‑06 Las Vegas, NV Using Hilton Grand Vacation Membership - staying here for about $55/night.
📄 2021‑06 Palm Springs, CA Return visit, just because we could
📄 2021‑07 Golf Every Day Road Trip Still one of the best 18-holes of Par-3 I've ever played.
📄 2021‑07 Great Basin NP Who even knew there was a "Great Basin" in the middle of the nation?
📄 2021‑07 Karl Phyllis Gathering Finally! These two awesome USAF-Retired Air-Traffic-Controllers making it official.
📄 2021‑07 Longmont, CO Another Golf stop on my way to a national park
📄 2021‑07 Panaca Nevada Close to Vegas, but nicer
📄 2021‑07 St George Hampton Inn So many golf courses in St George
📄 2021‑07 Zion Kanab, UT Zion is among the most famous National Parks — dramatic Utah landscapes.
📄 2021‑08 Deep Creek Lake, MD Mostly unknown little gettaway not far from Annapolis
📄 2021‑08 Frederick MD ...on my way back to New Jersey
📄 2021‑08 Golf Avalon’s A fine course, arranged by Brother Stan - the better golfer of the Cape May Hess Clan
📄 2021‑08 Raleigh Will, Anne, Steve Sr Always a great day when I spend it with my son...this time including his mother
📄 2021‑09 Albuquerque Very cool town on the I40 (was once the Famous Route-66
📄 2022‑02 Carlsbad Village A fine San Diego County getaway - now with the Lego Resort
📄 2022‑02 HGVC Carlsbad CA We've gottn so much value from HGVC over the past 20-years
📄 2022‑05 Bryce Canyon, UT Part of your sweeping Southwest National Parks loop.
📄 2022‑05 Death Valley, CA From desolation to overload in just five hours — surreal scenery.
📄 2022‑05 Las Vegas, NV I still get to stay in Vegas for $60/night with my HGVC
📄 2022‑05 vins UT Not sure about this trip
📄 2022‑06 Hotel Del Coronado One of the most spectacular Grand Hotels in the USA - only $1000/night. Really??
📄 2022‑06 La Jolla Sheraton If I'm ever single again this life, I'll spend a year in La Jolla - San Diego County
📄 2022‑06 Marriott Courtyard Old Town SD Heading East again
📄 2023‑05 Antelope Island & Golden Spike NP Antelope Island left my windshield almost blacked out with insects, but I saw bison. Golden Spike had replicas of the trains that transformed continental USA
📄 2023‑05 Buffalo ID I loved Idaho, but I was there during the spring. Harsh winters too much
📄 2023‑05 Buffalo, WY Wyoming is a state where you rarely see two people. But beautiful and sparse.
📄 2023‑05 Butte, MT Montana is the most wide-open state I've visited. Super-clean. Great roads
📄 2023‑05 Charleston Mountain Indian Springs Another beautiful place...check the photos
📄 2023‑05 Cress Creek Nature Trail This was a 12-mile "easy walk" -- hardly anyone around too.
📄 2023‑05 Grand Canyon West It's the western side with the glass walkway. Just spectacular.
📄 2023‑05 Grand Teton NP Towering peaks, wildlife, and pristine lakes — one of your most scenic national parks stops.
📄 2023‑05 Helena & Great Falls, MT Gotta love Montana - waterfalls everywhere
📄 2023‑05 HGVC Desert Natl wildlife So many long walks in the countryside
📄 2023‑05 Idaho Falls ID I almost had to do winter here - Navy Nuclear Power Training
📄 2023‑05 Las Vegas, NV I love walking strip - but never throwing money away in the casinos.
📄 2023‑05 Missoula, MT Probably the most fun place in all of Montana - yep, a college town.
📄 2023‑05 Park City, UT Another HGVC getaway for almost no money.
📄 2023‑05 Pocatello Idaho A superb town where the parks & trails are immaculate
📄 2023‑05 Polson MT Flathead Lake Montana! Drive for miles and miles without seeing any people. Big Sky as advertised
📄 2023‑05 Shoshone visit Sad being reminded how our ancestors treated these people. Still bad.
📄 2023‑05 Swaner Ecocenter and area Major nature preserve near Park City - lots of trails with wildlife
📄 2023‑05 Lake Mead Boulder city No place on earth like Valley of Fire - red rock looks on fire!
📄 2023‑05 Valley of Fire, NV As advertised, it looks like the entire park is on fire. Must see.
📄 2023‑05 Yellowstone National Park Sweeping geysers, wildlife, and dramatic landscapes — a signature national parks adventure.
📄 2023‑05 Yellowstone Stay Yellowstone is spectacular, and can't see it all in 6-days. I tried.
📄 2023‑06 Arches Moab, UT Part of your Southwest National Parks loop — iconic red rock arches and desert landscapes.
📄 2023‑06 Breckenridge, CO Famous town that I found boring. Then again, not ski season
📄 2023‑06 Canyonlands, UT More national park heaven
📄 2023‑06 Estes Park, CO Near Park City - a totally cool place
📄 2023‑07 Pebble Beach & Monterey A bucket‑list golf experience — stunning ocean views and unforgettable fairways. Taught "swing like a woman."
📄 2023‑11 Lake Arrowhead San Bernardino This was before we got to know the Bald Eagles residing there
📄 2023‑11 The Sphere (Las Vegas) A futuristic Vegas trip centered around The Sphere’s immersive visuals.
📄 2023‑11 Wynn Las Vegas Love walking Vegas - especially not giving the casinos one dime
📄 2024‑03 Borrego Springs, CA Desert sculptures, stargazing, and Anza‑Borrego’s rugged beauty.
📄 2024‑03 Palm Desert, CA Warm desert days, golf, and quiet resort relaxation.
📄 2024‑03 Pioneertown Desert Hot Springs A quirky Old West stop with dusty streets, live music, and desert charm.
📄 2024‑03 San Bernardino, CA Nothing like Mountain Lakes to refresh one's spirits
📄 2024‑05 2024 Road trip Silicon Valley Knowing we were moving east, I had to get this visit in while easy.
📄 2024‑05 Marriott Daly City Visiting various tech centers - I missed the big ride, even though i was here in 1980 when it started.
📄 2024‑05 Stanford Palo Alto, CA Exploring Stanford’s campus and Palo Alto’s neighborhoods — a thoughtful Silicon Valley stop.
📄 2024‑07 Hawaii (Big Island) A return to volcanic landscapes, ocean views, and warm tropical days. The Big Island is always chill.
📄 2024‑07 Hawaii (Oahu) Beaches, history, and island culture — a beautiful complement to your Big Island travels.
📄 2024‑07 Honolulu This island city has gotten ridiculously overbuilt - but the beaches still spectacular
📄 2024‑08 East Coast Hess Fam Gathering Almost single-handedly, I try to get our clan together...always worth the travel and cost. For me.
📄 2024‑08 Raleigh, NC Visiting Anne & Will again
📄 2025‑08 Eastern Canada Road Trip Forests, lakes, coastlines, and endless scenery — one of your most expansive international road trips.
📄 2025-08 Oklahoma City OK Murrah 1995 Bombing Cutting north, I had to visit both the bombing site and the capital. Very well done.
📄 2025-08 Springfield MO Lincoln Museum & Capital Said to be one of the finest Presidential Libaries - great history lesson..
📄 2025-08 Driftless WI When the icebergs moved south, the mess they create is called "Drift." This area of Wisconsin escapted that. See photos!!.
📄 2025-09 Trip across Lake Michican Had the please of swapping sea stories with the Captain of this Ferry..
📄 2025-08-29 NiagaraFalls Canada The Canadian side is so much better than the American Side. Cleaner. Better views.
📄 2025-09 New Brunswick So many great stories with the lovely people of Canada - click on.
📄 2025-09 Prince Edward IslandI Learned here how Canda's provinces joined to become a Nation.
📄 2025-09 Newfoundland Long ferry ride to get there. One major highway is a northern loop. Few/Far Charging stations.
📄 2025-09 Nova Scotia Ireland exported many here after the potato famine. They immigrated south to Boston. Yep..
📄 2025-09 Acadia National Park Coming from Canada to USA, this park is a must-see place..
📄 2025-09 Long Island Had not been on LI for decades...had to take this route to visit Laura.
📄 2025-09 Brooklyn Just loved visiting the parks and trails...and the neighborhood where Laura lives/works.
📄 2025-09 Manhattan Used HGVC points to stay in midtown Manhattan. Walked 28-miles in 2.5 days to see it all. Great!! .
📄 2025-09 Atlantic City Family Reunion Atlantic City is barely holding on...but Rick, Mary & Laura had a nice couple days before the Reunion.
📄 2025-09 Raleigh and Golf w Will Another fine day with Son Will on a golf course - one of the best.
📄 2025‑08 Bandelier Natl Monument One of the coolest spots in all New Mexico - must see
📄 2026-04 Burro Races Los Cerrillos NM Burros do not run...but they can walk fast. Another old unique New Mexico custom.
📄 2026‑05 Taos NM - Visit & Sightseeing Must visit when near Santa Fe - home of a World Heritage Site, Artist enclave, and Ski Area