"So here I sit in the early candle-light of old age, I and my book,
casting backward glances over our traveled road."
Walt Whitmancasting backward glances over our traveled road."
Welcome to the Olin Family Vacation Blog!
This blog is a web-based scrapbook of our family travels over the past forty years. During those journeys, I kept both written and photographic records of our adventures ... and misadventures! The purpose of this project is to help our family re-live those incredible memories, and perhaps, preserve for posterity a reflection of our life and culture during those times. It really is amazing how things have changed, just during the few years that I kept these journals.
Our family loves to travel, and we did it often. My wife, Tam, and I made several early trips to Europe and Asia. We enjoyed them, but the fun really began when we took our daughters, Michelle and Laura, on our legendary 'across-America' drive vacations ... with the goal of collecting all fifty states, Canada and Mexico. The coup de gras, however, was a fantastic adventure across the European continent, where we shared some of the greatest moments of our lives!
And Japan ... sumimasen!!
Not every trip was journaled and some of the early works seem 'dated' after so many years, however, I chose to leave them in their original state to capture the essence of travel at that time. Edits were limited to grammar and spelling. And, after reviewing them again for this project, it seems that my journaling skills improved over the years ... at least in my opinion.
I decided to include "On The Rocks", the story of my grandfather's incredible 'round the world' journey aboard the ill-fated Brigantine Yankee in 1964. Why not?
Hopefully, there are still many adventures ahead, and more images and memories to be added to this blog. Perhaps they will be enjoyed and shared by other future travelers.
Not every trip was journaled and some of the early works seem 'dated' after so many years, however, I chose to leave them in their original state to capture the essence of travel at that time. Edits were limited to grammar and spelling. And, after reviewing them again for this project, it seems that my journaling skills improved over the years ... at least in my opinion.
I decided to include "On The Rocks", the story of my grandfather's incredible 'round the world' journey aboard the ill-fated Brigantine Yankee in 1964. Why not?
Hopefully, there are still many adventures ahead, and more images and memories to be added to this blog. Perhaps they will be enjoyed and shared by other future travelers.
Enjoy the ride!!
Tom
Egypt (1980)
JFK International Airport, Charles DeGaulle International Airport, Cairo, Nile Hilton Hotel, Egyptian Museum, Old (Coptic) Cairo, Citadel of Saladin, Sultan Hassan Mosque, Luxor, Karnak and Luxor Temples, Valley of the Kings, Tomb of Ramses II, Tomb of Hatshepsut, Tomb of King Tutankhamen, Hilton H.S. Tut, Esna Temple, Edfu Temple, Kom Ombo, Aswan, Unfinished Obelisk, Aswan High Dam, Abu Simbel, Saqqara, Great Pyramids of Giza, Sphynx
Hawaii '87, '90, '93, '96 (1987-1996)
Four spectacular Archway Cookies Owner's Meetings trips to Hawaii: The Magnum P.I. Trip (1987), The Golf Trip (1990), The Scuba Trip (1993), and The Last Archway Trip (1996)
Puerto Rico and St. Thomas (1991)
Puerto Rico, Hyatt Regency Dorado Beach Resort, Old San Juan, Castillo San Felipe del Morro, Ponce, St. Thomas, Sapphire Beach Resort, Charlotte Amalie, Mahogany Run Golf Course, Mountain Top
Golden State Getaway (1992)
San Diego, Hotel Del Coronado, Palm Springs, La Quinta Resort and Club, PGA West Stadium Course, San Luis Obispo, San Simeon, Hearst Castle, Big Sur, Carmel, Spanish Bay Golf Links, San Francisco, Marin County Civic Center, Napa, Jordan Winery, Mondavi Winery, Heitz Winery
Capitals of the Orient (1994)
Tokyo, Asakusa Temple, Meiji Shrine, Nikko, Samurai House, Toshogu Shrine, Beijing, Ming Tombs, The Great Wall Of China, Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, Singapore, Diwali Festival, Raffles Hotel, Bangkok, Wat Po, Wat Arun, Hong Kong, Kowloon, Victoria Peak, Lantau Island
Tom
Egypt (1980)
JFK International Airport, Charles DeGaulle International Airport, Cairo, Nile Hilton Hotel, Egyptian Museum, Old (Coptic) Cairo, Citadel of Saladin, Sultan Hassan Mosque, Luxor, Karnak and Luxor Temples, Valley of the Kings, Tomb of Ramses II, Tomb of Hatshepsut, Tomb of King Tutankhamen, Hilton H.S. Tut, Esna Temple, Edfu Temple, Kom Ombo, Aswan, Unfinished Obelisk, Aswan High Dam, Abu Simbel, Saqqara, Great Pyramids of Giza, SphynxHawaii '87, '90, '93, '96 (1987-1996)
Four spectacular Archway Cookies Owner's Meetings trips to Hawaii: The Magnum P.I. Trip (1987), The Golf Trip (1990), The Scuba Trip (1993), and The Last Archway Trip (1996)Puerto Rico and St. Thomas (1991)
Puerto Rico, Hyatt Regency Dorado Beach Resort, Old San Juan, Castillo San Felipe del Morro, Ponce, St. Thomas, Sapphire Beach Resort, Charlotte Amalie, Mahogany Run Golf Course, Mountain TopGolden State Getaway (1992)
San Diego, Hotel Del Coronado, Palm Springs, La Quinta Resort and Club, PGA West Stadium Course, San Luis Obispo, San Simeon, Hearst Castle, Big Sur, Carmel, Spanish Bay Golf Links, San Francisco, Marin County Civic Center, Napa, Jordan Winery, Mondavi Winery, Heitz WineryCapitals of the Orient (1994)
Tokyo, Asakusa Temple, Meiji Shrine, Nikko, Samurai House, Toshogu Shrine, Beijing, Ming Tombs, The Great Wall Of China, Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, Singapore, Diwali Festival, Raffles Hotel, Bangkok, Wat Po, Wat Arun, Hong Kong, Kowloon, Victoria Peak, Lantau Island
Amtrak to Arizona (1995)
Amtrak "Southwest Chief", Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Chicago, Kansas City, Dodge City, La Junta, Trinidad, Raton Pass, Las Vegas (New Mexico), Starvation Peak, Apache Canyon, Albuquerque, Sedona, Grand Canyon National Park, Helicopter Flight To Superstition Mountains
England, Wales, Scotland (1995)
London, Lanesborough Hotel, Piccadilly Circus, Tower Of London, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Trafalgar Square, British Museum, Windsor Castle, Blenheim Palace, Oxford University, Bath, Stratford On Avon, Warwick Castle, Wales, Hadrian's Wall, Scotland, Edinburgh, St. Andrews, Holyrood Palace
Cabo San Lucas / Big Sur (1997)
Intercontinental Presidente Los Cabos Forum Resort, Westin Los Cabos Resort Villas and Spa, ATV Riding On The Beach, Big Sur, Post Ranch Inn, Carmel California
Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France (1998)
Zurich, Lucerne, Pilatus, Austria, Neuschwanstein Castle, Garmisch, Partenkirchen, Linderof Castle, Oberammergau, The Kelstein (Eagle's Nest), Innsbruck, Zugspitze, Munich, Hofbräuhaus, Marienplatz, Dachau, Olympia Park, Paris, Arc De Triomphe, Louvre, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Palace Of Versailles
Hey Mon ... Cayman!! (1998)
Owen Roberts International Airport, Westin Casuarina Resort Grand Cayman, Seven Mile Beach, Pool and Hot Tub Fun, Scuba Diving, Cayman Turtle Farm, Atlantis Submarine
Aloha Hawaii (1999)
Our First Big Trip To The Islands With Michelle And Laura: Chicago, Oahu, The Big Island, Mauna Kea Resort, Golf Outing With The Nemesis, Preparation For A Hawaiian Pig Roast, Traditional Mauna Kea Luau, Big Island Volcano Helicopter Tour
Heart of America (1999)
Amtrak "Southwest Chief", Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Chicago, Kansas City, Dodge City, La Junta, Trinidad, Raton Pass, Las Vegas (New Mexico), Starvation Peak, Apache Canyon, Albuquerque, Sedona, Grand Canyon National Park, Helicopter Flight To Superstition MountainsEngland, Wales, Scotland (1995)
London, Lanesborough Hotel, Piccadilly Circus, Tower Of London, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Trafalgar Square, British Museum, Windsor Castle, Blenheim Palace, Oxford University, Bath, Stratford On Avon, Warwick Castle, Wales, Hadrian's Wall, Scotland, Edinburgh, St. Andrews, Holyrood PalaceCabo San Lucas / Big Sur (1997)
Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France (1998)
Zurich, Lucerne, Pilatus, Austria, Neuschwanstein Castle, Garmisch, Partenkirchen, Linderof Castle, Oberammergau, The Kelstein (Eagle's Nest), Innsbruck, Zugspitze, Munich, Hofbräuhaus, Marienplatz, Dachau, Olympia Park, Paris, Arc De Triomphe, Louvre, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Palace Of VersaillesHey Mon ... Cayman!! (1998)
Aloha Hawaii (1999)
Our First Big Trip To The Islands With Michelle And Laura: Chicago, Oahu, The Big Island, Mauna Kea Resort, Golf Outing With The Nemesis, Preparation For A Hawaiian Pig Roast, Traditional Mauna Kea Luau, Big Island Volcano Helicopter TourHeart of America (1999)
Sault Ste. Marie, Lake Superior, Duluth, Mitchell, The Badlands, Wall Drug Store, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Little Bighorn National Battlefield, Billings, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Tetons National Park, Golden Spike National Park, Salt Lake City, Sundance, Amtrak "California Zephyr"
Detroit, Hard Rock Hotel, Bellagio, "O" Show, Excalibur Tournament of Kings, Hoover Dam Tour, M&M World, Luxur/Tutankhamun Museum, Downtown, Circus Circus, House of Blues, Buccaneer Bay Show, "Mystere" Cirque Du Soleil Show, Mirage, Madame TussaudsSouthwest Adventure (2000)
Colorado Springs, The Broadmoor, Ferrari Car Club of America Nationals, Garden Of The Gods, U.S. Olympic Training Center, New Mexico, Taos, Santa Fe, Inn Of The Anasazi, San Miguel Mission, Oldest House In The USA,Route 66, Albuquerque
Spirit of America (2001)
Niles, McKinley Birthplace, Fallingwater, Gettysburg National Military Park, Philadelphia, Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, New Jersey, Washington D.C., Memorials and Monuments, National Zoo, Arlington National Cemetery, Mount Vernon, Richmond, Charlottesville, Monticello, Charleston, Columbus
Seattle, Pike Place Market, Space Needle, "Ride The Ducks," Vancouver, Celebrity Cruise "Mercury," Ketchikan, Juneau, Helicopters, Skagway, Hubbard Glacier, Valdez, Seward, Anchorage, Alaska Railroad, Denali National Park, Mt. Healy, Fairbanks, Riverboat "Discovery," Bettles Field, Arctic Circle
Springfield (Illinois), Dana House, Lincoln Home, St. Louis Arch, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma City National Memorial, Dallas, Dealy Plaza, Six Flags Over Texas, Houston, NASA Johnson Space Center, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Mississippi, Birmingham, Nashville, Grand Ole Opry, Louisville, Churchill Downs
Seoul, Kaya Hotel, Gyeongju, Golgusa Temple, Martial Arts Monastery Training, Cheongson Station, Seoul Station, Panmunjom, Camp Bonifas, North Korea, Suwon, Gyeongbok Palace, Seongnam City, Seoul Olympic Village, Kukkiwon, Oido Fishmarket, Inchon Harbor, Dogo Country Club, I'taewon Shopping District
London, Toronto, CN Tower, Montreal, Lake Champlain, Stowe, Ben And Jerry's, Montpelier, Kennebunkport, Freeport, Salem, Lexington, Concord, Boston, Plymouth, Cape Cod, Hyannis, Newport, New York City, Statue Of Liberty, Ellis Island, Hudson Valley, Adirondacks, Niagara Falls, Pennsylvania, Cedar Point
Chicago, Salt Lake City, Honolulu, Haleiwa, Sunset Beach, Kahala, Pearl Harbor, Arizona Memorial, Surfing At Waikiki Beach, Kailua - Kona, Kohala Coast, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Helicopter Lesson, Kawaihae, Wai’ohinu, Punalu’u Black Sand Beach, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Na’alehu, Ka Lae South PointCalifornia Dreamin' (2004)
Portland, Washington State, Mount St. Helens, The Oregon Coast, Redwood National Park, Eureka, Napa Valley, San Francisco, Yosemite National Park, Carmel, Monterey, Big Sur, San Simeon, Santa Barbara, Malibu, Hollywood, Venice Beach, Disneyland, San Diego, Coronado Island, Tijuana, MexicoThe Olins Go To Washington (2006)
London, Buckingham Palace, Tower Of London, Windsor Castle, British Museum, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Paris, Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Disneyland Paris, Munich, Dachau, Neuschwanstein Castle, Linderhof Castle, Oberammergau, Austria, Venice, Florence, Pisa, Tuscany, Rome, The VaticanSiege of Atlanta (2006)
Costa Rica (2007)
San Jose, InBioparque, Poas Volcano, Lavas Tacotal, La Fortuna Falls, Baldi Hot Springs, Arenal Volcano, Horseback Riding, Coopeldos School, Selvatura Zipline Canopy Tour, Carara National Park, Manuel Antonio National Park, Jaco, Sarchi, Sarapiqui Whitewater RaftingThe Road To Arlington (2008)
Hersheypark, Washington D.C., National Museum of Natural History, National Portrait Gallery, National Air and Space Museum, Mount Vernon, Arlington National Cemetery, Lester Ball Funeral, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam and Korean War Memorials, FDR Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Gettysburg National Military Park50 States (2009)
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, N. Carolina, N. Dakota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, S. Carolina, S. Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, W. Virginia, Wyoming
Tortola, Virgin Gorda, St. John
SeaMester at Sea (2010)
Miami, San Juan, Tortola, Laura (Seamester), Virgin Gorda, Little Dix Bay Resort, St. John, Cruz Bay, Caneel Bay Resort, Quiet Mon Pub, Woody's Seafood Saloon, The Baths National Park, North Sound, Leverick Bay, Coppermine National Park
SeaMester at Sea (2010)
Ciao! Tom and Tam's Mediterranean Adventure (2012)
Tuscany, Greve, Siena, San Gimignano, Florence, La Palagina, Rome, Civitavecchia, Livorno, Cannes, Nice, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Monte Carlo/Monaco, Marseilles, Barcelona, Mediterranean Sea, Naples, Salerno, Amalfi Coast, Positano, Pompeii
Tuscany, Greve, Siena, San Gimignano, Florence, La Palagina, Rome, Civitavecchia, Livorno, Cannes, Nice, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Monte Carlo/Monaco, Marseilles, Barcelona, Mediterranean Sea, Naples, Salerno, Amalfi Coast, Positano, Pompeii
Gatwick, Dover, Netherlands, Amsterdam, Warnemunde, Germany, Berlin, Denmark, Copenhagen, Norway, Oslo, North Sea, London, King's Cross, Pimlico, Vauxhall, Hyde Park, Green Park, Westminster, Whitehall, Picadilly, Mayfair, Saville Row, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, Queen Elizabeth RIP
Tokyo Haneda, Shinkansen Bullet Train, Kyoto, Fushimi-Inari Taisha, Gion District, Nishiki Market, Henan-jingu Shrine, Ido Masao Studio, Hiroshima, Osaka, Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo Disney Sea, Park Hotel Tokyo, Shibuya Crossing, Harajuku, Meiji Shrine, Tokyo Yomiuri Giants Baseball, Fukushima Nuclear Exclusion Zone, Imperial Hotel, Dai-ichi Seimei Building, Park Hyatt Hotel
Miami, Carrasco International Airport, Montevideo, Hyatt Centric, Montevideo Sign, Playa de los Pocitos, World Trade Center, Tienda Inglesa, Bodega Bouza Winery, Rambla Repulica del Peru, Rambla Mahatma Ghandi, Fresh Market, La Perdiz, NFC Championship Game (Fox Sports Vivo), Museo Andes 1972, Ventus, Meeting Flight 571 Heroes
The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, World Showcase, Animal Kingdom, Boardwalk, Disney Springs, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Universal City-Walk, Disney Cruise LineOn The Rocks - The Last Voyage Of The Brigantine Yankee (1964)
The amazing story of the ill-fated 1964 'Around The World' voyage of the legendary Brigantine Yankee from the personal journals, pictures, and film footage of Merton Olin.