Around the World in 80 Hours

I haven’t been blogging much because I’ve been traveling.

A lot.

Here’s the report.

First, I did some domestic traveling visiting the places I’ve lived. I went to Scottdsdale to visit the family home, then up to Flagstaff where I went to college. Then, I cruised down Highway 40 past Meteor Crater, through New Mexico, past the Arch in St. Louis and up to West Lafayette, Indiana, the home of Purdue University.

Then I headed south to Louisiana where I was born and raised as a child. I found my childhood home and the elementary school where I spent my first six years, and its first six years, too. The school was new when I entered the first grade and I and a few friends were the first class to attend all six grades. The first graduating class, as it were. I wonder where those guys are now?

I headed south through Mexico City on my way to the Panama Canal. I had no idea that the canal was in pieces, linking a bunch of lakes. I followed some ships through the Canal before heading to Peru.

In Peru I visited Machu Pichu, the Inca capital high in the Andes. Man, is it remote! Heading south I followed the coast of South America right to the tip at the Straits of Magellan. I confess great admiration to that sea captain who braved those stormy straits over 500 years ago.

From South America I headed west through the South Pacific to China where I followed the Great Wall from Beijing through Mongolia. From western China I followed part of the Silk Road to Nepal and across Mount Everest to Katmandu. Once in Nepal I sang the Bob Seger song at the top of my voice and hoisted a prayer flag for future adventurers.

Descending Nepal I went through India, picked up the Silk Road again and traipsed through Iran, Iraq and into Turkey. I was getting a little tired by this point so decided to skip to the highlights. I flew to Athens and took in the Parthenon, zipped down to Cairo for the pyramids and up to Rome for the Coliseum. I decided to skip most of Europe but couldn’t pass up Paris where I scaled the Eiffel Tower then crossed the Channel to London where I spent the night in Trafalgar Square.

After touring London I headed straight for New York and traveled around the east coast taking in Philadelphia, Niagra Falls and parts of Canada.

Finally, on a whim, I scooted over to Seattle and took the Inner Passage up to Alaska, and down to San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego before flying home via the Grand Canyon.

Whew! I’m exhausted.

And, I whole-heartedly recommend Goggle Earth to anyone who has an itch to travel but doesn’t want to be bothered by all the airlines, boats, cars, luggage and hassle.

I’m done traveling for the year. I hope the rest of the family understands!