Trips and "To-Do" Lists

One of the biggest parts of my staying at E&A has to be all the travel I have been able to do over the years. Until I came to Events & Adventures 12 years ago Mark, the owner, did not really have a travel program except a spring trip to a warm location like Hawaii or Jamaica plus the annual Thanksgiving ski trip to Whistler, BC. Once I told him that there was money to be made in the trips he let me start running some more. We began with Costa Rica in ’99 (id not get to go as I broke my ankle on a snowmobile trip that January) and we went back last year (again did not host but this is because I realized I am not a warm weather vacation kind of guy). Then our biennial New York at Christmas trip began and has popped more as a destination than any other. This was just after London in November of ’99 and before Australia in 2000, of which I hosted all three trips and was exhausted!

We went back to Australia in 2008. There was Italy & Greece and a cruise to Alaska (but I did not host any of those) and then we did a few different ski trips Taos and Whitefish plus Park Cities (for which I am the perfect host as I do not ski and can get everything ready for members!). We have been to New Orleans for Halloween twice (I did lead it the first time and oh my what a time we had) and of course we have been to Jamaica and Hawaii, but I did not go on those. But Markie did take me to Hawaii back in 2003 when I was recouping from cancer surgery. That was a blast!

We did a Caribbean Cruise in 2002 (why did I agree to take 76 people, was I crazy?) and another last year that Dan out of Minneapolis ran. We have gone to Europe 4 times now with different themes and I got to lead each time. Peru twice and China were over the past two years but Jackie & Curtis took those on. We went to Kentucky for horses and bourbon. Some trips we have tried have failed: Disney World, Washington DC, fall foliage tour, the 2009 Alaska Cruise and last year to Germany. Whistler has been every year for 14 or 15 years now and we used to go on an annual snowmobile trip when we were based just in the northwest. Do I even think of including the annual Memorial Day camping trips - no those were not fun for me at all!

Without a doubt the trip to London, Lille and Paris in 2007 had to be one of the most fun. Here we are on the British Eye, the big Ferris Wheel type ride right on the Thames River.

We took a day trip to see Windsor Castle. We had never done that in the other trips and it was fun to actually go out and see another of the Queen's castles. We arrived just in time for the changing of the guard and that was something. The grounds were stunning. There was also the most amazing doll house to see. Additionally, an entire room just for all the china and serving pieces. Could not believe how many guns were on display as well.


From London we took the train to Lille. This is a large city that a lot of tourists do not visit up in the northern part of France. I happen to know it well as a dear friend lives there, Anne. I have know her now for nearly 20 years. I met her through Amy, a friend back in Portland. They were pen pals. Well, Anne and I have stayed in touch and now she has a daughter who is 7 and refers to me as Auntie Chris! I am enjoying the wine of the evening and she is trying to unwind from a long day. We got to enjoy a long conversation after the dinner with the rest of the group.



On to Paris and while I have many favorites to see the Arch de Triumph is right up there near the top. It is just lovely and a must visit every trip. Who would have thought that I would be saying I have been to Paris 6 times. Four of those on the company's dime and two on my own.



All of this travel talk came out of question from a staff person in Houston who then asked if I could get her some pictures of the trips to send along to her. I paused for a few moments and wrote out the above to capture some of the flavor of all that we have done. I easily could have missed a trip or two, but I think not. And now, here was my reply a bit tongue in cheek and a bit on the serious side to give you an idea of all that is going on at once at work.

I’ll be sure to get the photos on my “to-do” list that has phones and those problems and getting the two trips for this year up on the website and confirming why event staff does not have Costco cards and oh wait I need to follow up on why one of the staff is not getting direct deposit, but does not tell me for months and wants an answer soon. We also have the employee handbook and I need to be sure to sit down and get all the forms ordered for all the offices including all the different business cards. Then going on the web and finding new event photos to get resized as Mark now wants all the photos to be the same size. Didn’t get a chance to put the stuff back after they washed the windows last Saturday, but hey, that can wait. Can’t forget that I am suppose to review what offices need what done to them for paint and such since I have all this time where I am just sitting back and enjoying a mint julep on the veranda. But no worries, I’ll get to it soon! See it is funny in that there has not been a day off in the last month where I have not received a phone call about something and always a very good reason, so I am told, so why should I think to try and relax. Not mad, just dazed!

But I do not wish to end this post on a downer note in that I was really laughing by the time I got to the end of my reply. But sometimes one must pause and enjoy life to the fullest and I have to say that when I travel I do so enjoy living life with gusto! That can be seen in the last picture below as I am in a Paris restaurant for lunch and we had just arrived not an hour before and I got to have escargot for lunch. And wine - but of course! Below the picture is a recipe in case you are feeling like cooking some up yourself - Sacré bleu!

ESCARGOT IN GARLIC

□ 1 doz. snails

□ 3 cloves garlic, minced fine

□ 2 tbsp. wine□ 2 tbsp. white wine

□ 1 stick sweet butter, softened

□ 2 tbsp. chopped parsley

□ 1/4 c. dry bread crumbs

□ Toasted slices French bread

Using purchased snails (the common garden variety won't do). Mix garlic, parsley, wine and butter. Cover, refrigerate to firm. Stuff snails into shells followed by about 1 tablespoon of prepared butter. Place in shallow pan. Sprinkle bread crumbs at mouth of snail. Broil until very hot, about 15 minutes. Garnish with lemon and toasted bread to sop excess butter.