2002
My travels began right from the start of the new year. First trip was to Orlando for the Lifetouch Winter Meetings. As a part time employee of Prestige, I didn't know I was eligible to go to their winter meetings. But when I found out this year it was going to be in Orlando, I decided to ask if I could go. To my surprise, they said yes, and paid for it! When I told Dad I was going, he said he'd like to go, too. So I booked a $99 RCI vacation at Orange Lake Resort and made that our base.
While I was at one of the meetings, Dad ended up going to the timeshare presentation and bought the 5th week of every year in a Golf Villa unit. No complaints from me. We had many more great Father/Daughter vacations there!
More of that trip here: 2002 Orlando
Since we've been to Oahu twice and have an EOY week on Kauai, this year we decided to head to The Big Island. We were very happy with the snorkeling there.
Even took a kayak to a remote snorkel spot.
Even though we loved the snorkeling there, it just did appeal to us like Kauai does, so we never made it back. But we did have a great time, as shown on my blog post:
2002 The Big Island
We left Hawaii and came back to this in St. Louis!
In March I had the oppurtunity to go to England with Carolyn to visit Tom's Aunt and Uncle (the Arnolds) who lived outside of London. They certainly made us feel welcome.
For more of that trip: 2002 England
Soon it was time for our annual Oregon trip. This one was different, though. Dad and David entered a bowling tournie in Billings, Montana, so we rode out with Dad. Even stopped at Yellowstone on the way back to Oregon.
We even celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary in Yellowstone.
more of our Oregon/Yellowstone/Oregon trip here: 2002 Oregon/Yellowstone
Back in St. Louis, Tim bought his first house and he and fiancee Faith moved in together.
Shortly after that, they adopted our first Grand dog---Barley
In Sept. Dad came out for a visit. It was fun being a tourist in and around St. Louis!
Such as Garden of the Gods in Southern Illinois.
I've only been here a couple times.
bet it's gorgeous in the Fall!
pretty nice in the summer, too.
Dad petting a camel.
While we were in Southern Illinois, we drove by Grandma and Grandpa's old house. Someone has fixed it up. It doesn't look like their house anymore. But then, it's at least 70 years old so it needed some fixing up. Hard to believe Grandma raised 3 kids here!
Back on the north Illinois side of the Mississippi River we found a new memorial. It was where Lewis and Clark camped.
We also checked out the Piasa Bird painting on the Great River Road.
The original Piasa illustration no longer exists; a newer 20th-century
version, based partly on 19th-century sketches and lithographs, has been
placed on a bluff in Alton, Illinois, several hundred yards upstream
from its origin.
Caves by the Piasa painting were quarried in the early 1900s by the Mississippi Lime Company.
We also took Dad to the Soldiers Memorial in downtown St. Louis. I had never been there before.
Dad's buddy Curt Carter and his wife, Mary, even came out to visit with Dad and go to the annual Japanese Festival at the Botanical Gardens. Curt was stationed at Scott Air force base on Dad's 2nd time there and actually took him down to West Frankfort one weekend to introduce him to Anne Otey (one of Mom's friends). Mom decided she was more interested in Dad then Curt and that was it!
Angie even made it back from college for a weekend and we took Dad to the Anhewser brewery.
pretty impressive place.
Ken and I made it to the Cardinal's game when the locked in a Playoff spot.
Ken was even given a couple tickets to a play off game. Those were the days when the Cardinals were always in the play offs. But it was still special.
Carolyn even made it out for a visit. Sean even came by. This was shortly after Tom had died of cancer.
I forget when the actual date was, but Ken celebrated his 30th anniversary with UE/Ameren this year.
Celebrated another Thanksgiving here at our house.
angie, MaryAnn and Leroy all made it over for dinner.
Some time near the end of the year Faith popped in to show us her wedding dress---and make it official that they were engaged.
When Christmas Eve rolled around, there was a blizzard. So our Christmas Eve party with all the LaBeaumes was cancelled. But the kids still made it over.
I even made Christmas cookies while they were there.
the kids and I had a good time---Ken was somewhere in the other room watching TV, I think.
Cards were in order.
It was a pretty great year!
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