Author Archives: John Rintoul

Arrival in Venice

After breakfast at Heathrow we boarded the plane to Venice. Two hours later we touched down and found Cheryl and Giulio, good friends from graduate school days, waiting to greet us. It was wonderful to see them again and comforting … Continue reading

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Overseas Flight – Not a bad way to go.

Business class has had a significant make-over since I last flew anywhere but coach class. Each passenger is tucked into their own little pod universe. Each person is almost completely isolated in their own little world. Conversation with fellow travelers … Continue reading

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And we’re off!

One of the perks of this trip was Admiral’s Club membership. When we first planned this trip, Betty worked her frugal consumer magic and came up with a credit card offer that gave us an immediate 100,000 bonus miles + … Continue reading

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Our Italian Itinerary

We begin our travel as we always do – with Betty passing along our itinerary a day or two before we board the plane. Of course it has all been planned out in her mind for months, but as the … Continue reading

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All the leaves are brown . . . and the sky is gray.

Winter came to North Carolina last week.  7 inches of snow!  Too much!  So off we go to California searching for spring.

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Heading west to Arizona and California!

We’re getting ready to hit the road. Over the next few weeks we’ll be traveling in Arizona and California. If all goes according to plan, we’ll follow the itinerary posted below. We hope to provide daily updates on our progress … Continue reading

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OMG! Airport Security

If our trip through security was any indication, this is going to be a GREAT trip. We were standing in an unusually long line in the switchback, cordoned corridors of security hell when we were approached by a TSA officer. … Continue reading

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Day One – Phoenix & Scottsdale

We arrived in Phoenix with only minor airline related delays and headed off to check-in to our planned Airbnb accommodations. For those of you not yet familiar with Airbnb, it is an online social network that puts people with available … Continue reading

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Night One – How many ways can an Alarm Clock wake you up?

Why is John posting a picture of an alarm clock? To fully appreciate this alarm clock, you need a few pieces of background information. Fact #1 there is a two hour time difference between our home in North Carolina and … Continue reading

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The nearer your destination the more you’re slip sliding’ away

At the Desert View Watchtower we had our first serious opportunity to slip and fall into the depths of the Grand Canyon. While I was scanning Canyon views, Betty was admonishing me to “stay way from the edge” and “be … Continue reading

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