Thanksgiving 2017 was fun, yummy, zany, cool.  And beautiful weather.  Thanks to Ben, a new person – Edgar – joined us for the day.  He’s a great kid (one of Ben’s friends).   Grammy made a yummy meal that included turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn, stuffing, bread and the annual apple pie (my favorite).  Because we have so much to be thankful for, we took turns sharing our thankfulness thoughts at the dinner table.  Happy Turkey Day!

The first time I saw a photo of Machu Picchu as a kid, I was smitten, mesmerized, awestruck.   It’s been in the back of my mind ever since, a magical place that whispered to me over the decades, “Andy, come see this.  It’s everything you dream of, and more. Trust your instincts. Make it happen, fulfill the dream.”

It’s one of the Seven Wonders of the World. 

Machu Picchu became my #1 bucket list adventure goal, combining in one destination a travel potpourri dream-come-true:

• stepping foot on a new continent (South America), country (Peru) and cities (Lima; Cusco; the Sacred Valley; Machu Picchu) for the first time
• experiencing a new culture: the people, food, architecture & art
• laying eyes on an amazing, ancient archaelogical site which remained hidden to the world until being discovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham
• a destination (number one tourist site in South America) shrouded in mystery (how did the Incas, an ancient civilization, build such an incredible stone city 800 years ago at the top of a mountain hidden in the Amazon jungle?)
• stunning, jaw dropping vistas
• air sucking verticals (the height and steepness of the mountains)

One month after retiring, thanks to a supportive, encouraging wife (your Grammy), I was on a plane in Miami, heading to Lima, Peru where my journey would begin.  I’ve seen a lot of cool sites around the world, but this one had me giddy with excitement.

Highlights included:

• walking the streets of Cusco, the ancient Inca capital, and staying at an old monastery built in the 17th century
• seeing the ancient stone walls and buildings en route to the Sacred Valley
• feeding llamas and alpacas
• visiting the home of our guide in Ollantaytambo
• bringing pencils, pens, notepads and candy to kindergarten and first graders (it was like Christmas for them) who couldn’t speak English; singing “Wheels on the bus” to them after they sang a song to us in Quechua, their native language
• discovering guinea pigs used as a primary food in Peru vs. pets (in the U.S.)
• taking a glass ceiling train from mountains to the Amazon jungle
• laying eyes on the exotic ancient city of Machu Picchu
• climbing the ruins and exploring the ruins for two days, taking big gulps of air as I tried to maneuver around

Travel is incredible, it feeds my soul.  Now that I’m retired, Grammy and I are planning on taking you to some cool places in the years ahead.  That will be another dream come true!

Here are a few photos I took during my September adventure.  The last photo of the poor little girl holding her father’s hand at the outdoor market in Ollantaytambo) was my favorite:

I promised we’d do fun things after I retired July 31, giving it a fancy moniker, “the “Summer of Wow (SOW).”

A day in Portsmouth was our first destination. We were going to be busy bees, but thanks to you, I had some badly needed help with four children.  I couldn’t have done it without you Emma!

Here’s what we did:

• a delectable lunch at Googie’s

• a stroll along the Prescott Park waterfront to watch the boats go by, climb the whale sculpture and see the beautiful flowers. “Stop and smell the roses,” is a famous saying that urges us to take the time to enjoy the simple things in life.

• the highlight of our day, a cruise on the Piscataqua River and Portsmouth Harbour aboard the famous Gundalow.  You were busy swabbing the decks, steering the boat and learning some maritime history.  After an afternoon at sea, we cooled down on a hot August day at Kilwin’s eating waffle cone ice cream treats.