Next Leg

The next leg appears to be from Manchester to Copenhagen. Have to figure out if the connections work, but that's the way we're headed.

Just wait, it'll change

So I explored a bit on American Airlines' website, found out that you could reserve 330 days ahead of time on ff miles. Had no clue. Still kept putting of making reservations. After several more Opal's Evenings, we finally decided to go ahead and get reservations. I check every damn major (and some minor) European city anywhere NEAR where we were going to go, and no dice. I was too late. The only flights left were to Manchester, England.

After a bit of thinking, we decided that's not such a bad thing. We have a 10-hr. delay in Chicago going and 7 coming back, but again, not such a bad thing. We'll take the train into Chicago, Segue around, go have lunch at our favorite restaurant, etc. We might not be so happy about it on the way back, but what the hell. So we're set. June 27-July 10. Next step is to figure out where we want to go from Manchester to arrive at the starting point of the "Big Circle". Easyjet goes several places, RyanAir to Oslo, so we'll chat that up a bit.

Coincidentally, Vergard Lien contacted me on Yahoo instant messenger while we were thinking about making plans. He's an ex-student of mine from Belton HS back in the day. He was born and raised outside of Oslo, and now lives there. Two kids, and we'll make it a point to stop to see him. That's it for now.

About Tivoli

Tivoli Gardens is kind of like Disney in Denmark. The exception is that there are a LOT of beer gardens and restaurants there. Don't know if it's a place we'll hang out at the end of day two. But there's no shortage of people-watching. This is the place where Ol' Ed, Frances, Mary Kaye/Jon, and Mary Kay/myself spent an evening. Has some pretty fond memories, as Daddy and Frances danced to 40's music from a live big band. Didn't see them dance many times, and that was pretty magical there in Denmark. I think it might be more our speed to catch a place to watch the masted sailing ships and have a cold one.

Some Movement

Little bit, anyway. I had some time the last weekend before school started to do some more planning. If we get in to Berlin mid-morning, we will probably have time to do a couple of things in Berlin, like Checkpoint Charlie, Brandenburg Gate, anything else we have time for. Then hit the hay. Next moorning start out CLOCKWISE, head towards Copenhagen. Gotta catch a ferry going from Rostock, Germany across to Gasden, Denmark. Probably Copenhagen is the end of day 2. And that's all I have, while sitting here waiting on the oil to be changed in MK's car. We might end up taking it easy and going to Belgium and hang out, who knows?

June 30 Dreaming

We've been kicking around the latest. Here goes:
1. Big counter-clockwise circle from Berlin to Berlin
2. Fly in to Berlin, rental car east through Germany into Poland; head NE through the Baltic states of Lithuainia, Latvia and Estonia; Ferry from Estonia to Finland; see the sightes in Finland, ferry across to Stockholm; drive across Sweden to Norway. Ferry south to Denmark, finish the drive around to Berlin
3. This might be just way off base in several ways, no way to know until we do some mileage estimates, cost of ferries, etc.
4. Train might be the way to go if we're going to try to cover that many miles.
5. That's all for now!

Planning for 2012? HUH?

Figured that if we were going to use ff miles, we better be able to have an idea about where we want to go by Jan. 1, 2012. Thus planning next year's trip while on this one! So since we've had a beer in 20 countries and 29 states, we figure we better keep adding to that while we can. So the two alternatives that came to mind on our 2011 Deep South Tour were:
1. Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland)
2. Southern Europe (Spain/Portugal)
In infinite wisdom, Rob suggested somehow trying to get both of those in. So research will go that route. Preliminary internet cruising indicates that RyanAir goes from suburban Copenhagen to several places in Spain. First casual thoughts would be
1. 10-12 day trip
2. Train mostly in Scandinavia due to distance
3. Drive a bit in the coast areas of Spain/Portugal, train across Spain if needed
4. In to Copengahen
5. Out of either Barcelona or Madrid (that's pronounced "MAD-rid" if you're from Missouri)
Next piece of research.....airports available to American Airlines, which discount airlines has the best routes/fares in Europe.

Mancation Dreamin'

So here's what a little research threw together. Enough for three weeks. Prolly.
Rob & Ed's Dreamlist
Potential Mancation things to do June 13-18, 2011. They are cleverly sorted into two categories of bars and non-bars.

Monticello, 931 Thomas Jefferson Parkway Charlottesville, VA 22902

Appomattox Courthouse 113 National Park Dr Appomattox, VA 24522

International Bluegrass Music Museum 117 Daviess Street Owensboro Ky 42303

Harpers Ferry Nat'l Historic Park - 171 Shoreline Drive, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425

Cape Hatteras Lhouse - Cape Hatteras Seashore Service Road Buxton, Hatteras Island, NC 27920

Wright Brothers National Memorial-1401 National Park Drive, Manteo, NC 27954

Museum of the Confederacy - 1201 East Clay Street Richmond, VA 23219-1615

Mr. Vernon - 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon, Virginia 22309
Gettysburg Battlefield - 1195 Baltimore Pike, Gettysburg Pa., 17325

North Carolina Transportation Mus - 411 S. Salisbury Ave Spencer, NC 28159 (South's largest)

Battleship N Carolina-#1 Battleship Road, Wilmington, NC 28401 +34° 14' 11.58", -77° 57' 16.14

Old Fort Mountain Music-Old Fort, N.C.-Live bluegrass, free admission Fri nights only

A.J.'s Tavern - 114 N Broadway, Pennsville, NJ 08070
"The Horse You Rode In On" Saloon-Fells Point, Baltimore 21231 (estab 1775)
The Tavern- 222 East Main, Abingdon, Va. 24210 (estab 1779) (also a pricey restaurant)
Middleton's Tavern - 2 Market Space, Annapolis Md. 21401(Est 1750)
Old Talbott Tavern - 107 W Stephen Foster Ave, Bardstown, KY -(Est. 1779) home cookin' too
Patrick Sullivan's Saloon - Knoxville, Tenn 0 100 N. Central Ave. 37902 (Est. 1888)